A Game For The Fool

A Game for the Fool
Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/20593805.
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Category: F/M, Gen, M/M
Fandom: 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Relationship: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Jiāng Yànlí/Jīn Zǐxuān
Character: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī, Lán Huàn | Lán Xīchén, Wèi Yīng | Wèi
Wúxiàn, Wēn Níng | Wēn Qiónglín, Wēn Qíng, Jiāng Chéng | Jiāng
Wǎnyín, Jiāng Yànlí, Jīn Zǐxuān, Niè Huáisāng, Niè Míngjué, Lán Qǐrén,
Jiāng Fēngmián, Yú Zǐyuān, Original Characters, Cángsè Sǎnrén, Wèi
Chǎngzé
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gamer-fic, BAMF!Wei Wuxian,
YilingWei, For Want of a Nail, Slow Burn, oc-self-insert kind of, it's weird
- Freeform, Unreliable Narrator, I have no idea what I'm doing at times,
Now with a Discord!
Series: Part 1 of The System Multiverse
Collections: Reincarnation and Transmigration, Модао, rec list for modaozhushi and
scum villain and other fics, AsianDramas, wwwwwww
Stats: Published: 2019-09-10 Updated: 2020-09-10 Chapters: 84/? Words:
278768
A Game for the Fool

by LadyCroft_Undead19
Summary
How do you want to be remembered?

Obviously one will always want to be remembered as a good person, someone great whose
virtues outweigh the flaws, of course they'd want to be remembered as someone who did
something in life, who accomplished something with the time they were given, someone
others could be proud of, or remember fondly of, years down the road.
Everyone always wants to be remembered when they were at their best and not at their
lowest.
I like to believe I was a good person, funny and smart and kind, someone who proved to be
a good role model for future generations.
I died content.
I wonder why, then, did I find myself in such a peculiar situation?
"Quest: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation"

"Will you accept this Quest?"
[YES] [NO]
Notes
Hello everyone!
So, to start I have actually no idea how exactly to write a gamer-fic, so I guess we'll find out
how good I am at it together?
And I would to thank Dragonesque with her fic "Cradle", for being a great inspiration for
me, her fic is awesome and a must read!
Inspired by Cradle by Dragonesque

How it starts
+ A Game for the Fool +
"Life is a Dream for the Wise, a Game for the Fool, a Comedy for the Rich, and a Tragedy for the
Poor." Sholom Aleichem
Chapter 1: How it starts
Despite the fact that it looks like a fairly easy, rational and straightforward question, it is not in the
least.
Obviously one will always want to be remembered as a good person, someone great whose virtues
outweigh the flaws, of course they'd want to be remembered as someone who did something in life,
who accomplished something with the time they were given, someone others could be proud of, or
remember fondly of, years down the road.
Everyone always wants to be remembered when they were at their best and not at their lowest.
Certainly, you want to be remembered in laughter and joy and bittersweet longing. You want
someone to be there to remember you at all, to mourn after you, give proof that your life had
meaning.
But is that how you will be remembered?
We all have dreams and hopes and expectations, we all strive to achieve something.
But did we succeed?
I do not know how to answer that. How do you measure your life and actions and say "I did it"?
Did what?
I like to believe I was a good person, funny and smart and kind, someone who proved to be a good
role model for future generations. But, at the same time, I am aware of what is said behind my
back, "crazy", "disappointment", "outcast".
I know I won't be fully remembered as the odd lady from down the street who owned that lil'
quaint bookstore cafe, nor as the aunt who always had sweets tucked away in her pockets, the
storyteller on weekends who read fantastical tales to wide-eyed children, or just as the aspiring
artist that had all the creativity and talent to make it big in the world but lacked the health to make
it so.
That said, I was not, by any means, sad to go, nor was I lonely. Although my marriage to my (ex)
husband hadn't worked out, he and I remained on good terms, so much so that his family never
stopped treating me as anything less than family.
I had never had any children of my own, would never be able to conceive at all, but I had witnessed
every milestone of my nieces and nephews and shared their parents joy and sadness of watching
them grow.
Even if I failed in reaching stardom with my art, I still passed my teaching on to my student, who I
saw more as another sibling than a rather persistent brat who conned me into agreeing to teach her
anything.
Even if my parents and blood siblings never acknowledged our relationship and went to great
lengths to not be associated with me, who saw me as a stain in their family's otherwise 'spotless'
history. I was the one who had the last laugh, though.
I made a life for myself without any connections or underhanded moves. My life was my own and
that was enough for me.
Could I have done more? Been something more?
Possibly. If situations had changed and somethings different, then certainly.
But I wouldn't trade the life I'd lived away.
I died of age-related complications in a hospital room surrounded by family and close friends. The
man who I had once thought to be the love of my life, before the passion simmered down to mutual
respect and admiration, holding my hand and reminiscing about the good old days.
The children I had watched grow were all adults now, with lives and families of their own, and my
student would be fine without me.
I died in comfort. I died knowing I was loved.
I died content.
I wonder why, then, did I find myself in such a peculiar situation?
"A New Quest has become Available!"
"Do you wish to view New Quest?"
[YES] [NO]
I stared at the floating letters, glowing with a faint blue light in the pitch black void I found myself
in.
I reached out to the [YES] button, because I was curious to a fault and by god had my nephews
'schooled' me about the wonders of video games, and I had honestly nothing to do at the moment
other than stare at the letters (which would get boring pretty fast), mildly interested in the fact that
my body, still wearing that goofy hospital gown with the mickey mouse faces on it, was wrapped
in intricate lines of the same glowing blue light as the letters.
"Quest: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation"
«You find yourself in the body of Wei Ying, thrown years into the past, with the knowledge of the
war all that has happened up to your death.
You decide to change your future.
But will you be successful?»
[YES] [NO]
I blinked, thought my old eyes had finally given up on me, and proceeded to read it again slowly.
And again after that. And once more, just to be sure.
No, the letters didn't change. The content remained the same. And I pondered on what that meant
for my failing sanity that what bothered me wasn't the sheer madness that was this situation (half
convinced I was hallucinating the whole ordeal, and it wouldn't be the craziest hallucination I'd
had) but the fact that I recognized that title.
One of my nieces had asked me to read this novel she'd found on the internet titled "Grandmaster
of Demonic Cultivation", written by a chinese author. She'd wanted to have someone to talk to
about the book but none of her friends was interested in reading it and, in her words, her mother
was out of the question. I easily accepted, there were worst things the kid could be doing other than
reading a book in the cafe under my watch, and even if the book turned out to be a bore, well... I
had read encyclopedias growing up, I knew worse ways to spend my time.
In the end, it was neither the longest or weirdest novel someone had asked me to read, and as for
my niece's interests... I wasn't in any position to judge anyone's reading preferences but if she felt
that I was a safe person to talk to about doubts or the pains of 'being different', well my door was
always open.
I had loved the plot of the novel, well-thought out and with well-written characters and meaning, it
was easy to love.
Actually, for that niece's birthday I had painted her a portrait of the two main characters, Lan
WangJi and Wei WuXian.
Whose birth name happened to be Wei Ying.
If this really was some sort of daydream or hallucination then kudos to them, because they were
clearly going the extra mile on this one, it really looked like this whole thing was real.
What if it truly was?
I pursed my lips. Although I had loved the novel, I obviously had some bones to pick with the
author, changes I would've liked to see, but that was to be expected of a fan.
Looking at this objectively, Wei WuXian did not have a bad ending, it wasn't a fairy-tale happy
ending by any means, but it wasn't a bad ending either.
Question was, should I change it?
Whilst it was all very well and good to believe you can change something for the better, the same
held true for changing something for the worse.
I reread the 'Quest' once again, "Found myself in the body... up to your death."
I was going on a limb and assume this meant the siege of the Burial Mounds, so no Mo XuanYu.
'And no knowledge of his "happy ending", go figure.'
The information was too vague, I needed to know more.

Would I forget who I was? Would I really only remember being Wei WuXian and these two years
after the war?
This made no sense...
[YES] [NO]
My heart quivered in my chest. I hesitated.
Why would I do this? Should I do this? At what cost? For what?
What do you have to lose?
I twitched and drummed my fingers over my crossed arms. I was already dead, even if this was all
some highly detailed hallucination, I would still be dead very soon. My body wouldn't be able to
hold on much longer.
My life was complete and all my worldly affairs were sorted out, even if I forgot I had ever been
Sarah Windsor. So what would it matter? She would be gone either way and if I accepted... A new
world.
A new life... One filled with the potential to be someone great.
The next great adventure!
I chuckled and uncrossed my arms, musing on what led me to this very moment.
When all was said and done I was a crookedly old woman with all the snark and wit of a twenty-
year old stuck with the curiosity and wonder of a five-year old child.
Really, what else would be my answer?
I pressed the button.
"You have accepted the Quest: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation."

A new life begins
Chapter Summary
It's a brand new day in a brand new life, and oh, look! That's a pretty rock!
*Falls over*
Honestly, sometimes life just starts with a dramatic entrance, other times it all starts by
tripping over your feet and getting a bump on your head for your troubles.
'Well... that certainly doesn't sound very helpful,' I blink at the description.
Chapter Notes
Hello, hello!
Wow, so amazed by the response this fic has had! Really happy you're enjoying it!
Hope you like today's chapter!
"Fate laughs at probabilities." - Edward George Earle Bulwer-Lytton
Chapter 2: A new life begins
Moment of honesty here, out of all the numerous possibilities of how I would wake up in this brand
new life, I was not, truly not, impressed with waking up as a three year old.
Waking up as a preteen Wei WuXian in Lotus Pier? Possible.
Waking up as a teenage Wei WuXian in Cloud Recesses or just before that? Likely.
Waking up as an adult Wei WuXian just trying to get out of the war alive and attempting to not die
immediately after? Probably.
When the damn Quest read "thrown years into the past" I was not anticipating it meant more than a
decade into the frikin past.
To remember my previous self was a toss-up, so I wasn't overly concerned that, yes, this had
actually happened and the interesting game-like interface that greeted me with a cheery little ring
was all just a part of this new life's charm, I was guessing.
Oh, and cherry on top of the ice-cream sundae?
I woke up as a three year old that had just managed to fall over and hit his head pretty bad.
"Owww..." I sat back on the ground and pressed my palms to my throbbing head. It hurt!
"A-Ying? Are you okay, baby?" A soft voice called out to be from behind," That was a big fall!"
Everything is literally a big fall to a three year old, they can barely reach someone's knees...
I look behind me to see a couple standing beside a donkey, placing bags and other stuff into the
pockets of the saddle it had on, wearing simple robes and both having impossibly long hair. The
woman was looking back at me, grey colored eyes shining with worry, and her mouth was pressed
into a thin line.
I probably shouldn't have just stared at her in shock, because holy hell this was Wei WuXian's
mother, the Great CangSe Sanren!
She looked beautiful, not in the 'drop-dead gorgeous' sense of the word mind you, but something
about her coloring and the way she held herself made my mind go blank for a second. Of course,
when it comes to mothers, one second hesitation is enough to assume something is wrong with
their child.
Wait... Did that make her my mother now?
I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about that, I had no doubts that CangSe Sanren was a good mother
for Wei WuXian, so much so that the boy turned man respected her and loved hearing about her.
Understandable given the circumstances.
But, unfortunately, the word 'mother' would forever be associated with a stormy faced woman who
saw isolation and deprivation of basic needs as completely normal punishments. My mother-in-law
and sisters-in-law had helped curb those misconceptions and I could logically understand that the
actions of one woman did not mean every single person did the same, but it was... hard.
"A-Ying?" The woman called out again and started walking towards me without waiting for a
response, "Are you hurt?"
I opened my mouth to answer her but barely hold in the flinch when another cheery ring sounds
right beside my ear (and oww, my head!) and a new message in glowing blue letters opens up in
front of my eyes.
"New (Main) Quest Available!"
"Do you wish to view this Quest?"
[YES] [NO]
Okay... Could you please give me a heads-up before, loudly, announcing that right beside my ear?
Or better yet, could you not announce that right beside my ear?
The words floated right in front of my eyes, just solid enough to read but still translucent so that I
could see through them, and I immediately focused on them because, wow they were really shiny
and how cool!
"A-Ying?" The woman was suddenly just there, kneeling in front of me, and I jump in surprise.
I stare at her and blink, what the hell was I supposed to do?
"My head hurts..." I tell her, dazed.
Her grey eyes show worry and she pulls my hands away from my head so she could see what the
damage was.
"How many times have I told you not to run too fast, you'll trip over your feet!" Typical mom's
voice, right there, let me tell you, "It's okay, it's just a bump."
Well, thank goodness it wasn't something like a split skull, that would just make my dramatic
entrance into this world all the more ridiculous!
She picked me up and settled me against her hip with the ease I had only seen on husbands and
body-builders, like I weighed next to nothing, which was explained by the muscle I could feel
underneath her robes.
...Holy hell, I wanted to be like her...
Didn't Wei WuXian take after his mother? I vaguely recalled that he looked very much like her...
Or was it a comment my niece had made?
"He's alright then, honey?" A man's voice sounded above me and I looked up to see dark eyes
shining with love and a rueful expression on his face.
Apparently my father also had a stubble... Would wonders never cease?
"He's fine, just a bump," She sighs, "This is what happens when you go on about all the adventures
and 'beasts' you've defeated right before we're set to leave."
"Heh? It's my fault now?" His face does this comical little fault before he sighs and shrugs,
"Whatever you say, darling."
I was not proud to say that I laughed at that.
Goodness, this was so funny! I hadn't seen such a well domesticated husband since Cynthia
brought home that comely young man that she'd somehow conned into acting as a dress-up doll for
the bored older ladies of the household while the rest of the family went around bustling like ants
getting ready for the wedding.
Good times.
"A-Ying, how could you laugh at your poor father!" The man gasps in fake-hurt, clutching his
chest.
"He knows who's the one in charge here," CangSe Sanren answers back without missing a beat.
Oh, I was so going to be like her. Prime role model right here!
And then my thoughts soured.
Wei ChangZe and CangSe Sanren died when Wei WuXian was around four years old.
It would be incredibly easy to say 'Not if I can help it!' or 'Not on my watch!' but I hesitated.
Truthfully, I was not expecting to even meet them at all, in all the scenarios that played in the back
of my mind before I accepted that "Quest" Wei WuXian would already be an orphan, furthermore
he would already be involved in what I would call 'canon timeline'.
This was so far out of canon I felt myself flounder for a moment.
"A-Ying?" A hand presses against he bump of my head and I whine, trying to get away from the
offending hand, I look up at my... at Wei WuXian's mother, and pout.
"That hurts..." I whine.
She huffs and shakes her head, " Are we all set to go?" She asks her husband.
"Yeah, all the things packed, the house is empty," He tells her, "Want me to carry him on my
shoulders or do you want to have him on the donkey?" He asks.
"Shoulders?" I perk up.
They share a look before the man shrugs with a small smile.
"Take him, and make sure he doesn't fall and really hurt his head this time!" CangSe Sanren just
sighs, "You're truly your mother's child and I feel Shizun would be laughing at me if she saw me
now."
"And think, he's not even old enough to try to sneak off on his own!" Wei ChangZe chortles.
His comment was not appreciated and I'm sure he regretted it once he saw the glare he earned with
that quip. He quickly took me from her arms and let me clamber on top of his shoulders, holding
onto my ankles to make sure I wouldn't tumble off.
He was tall. Like, really tall. Sure, my perception of heights was screwed because I was, like, really
tiny but, holy hell, I was going to grow just as tall or I'd file a complaint to whoever thought
genetics would make me handsome as all hell but shorter than most of the characters.
Actually, Wei WuXian was one of the tallest characters, around 186cm? Before dying, that is. Mo
XuanYu was short.
...I was not going to die. No way, no how.
Wei ChangZe took hold of the donkey's reigns and started walking, his wife sitting primly on the
back of their donkey with their bags, and I was excited to get on with the trip.
Which is just as well because the damn cheery ring sounds once again right next to my ear.
Thankfully, I neither flinched nor jumped out of my skin, but I sure as hell frowned at the glowing
letters in front of me.
[YES] [NO]
'Yes, yes... Show me the damn Quest,' I grumbled in my mind, picturing clicking on the [YES]
button. No way in hell was I 'clicking' on empty air and make my... huh... caretakers? question my
sanity.
The Quest box opened.
"Quest: Welcome to the Basics!"
«You are now a three year old and ready to take on the world!
(Except not really)
There's adventures to be had and mysteries to uncover, but, beware, danger lies in every corner.»
"View Quest Objectives?"
[YES] [NO]
'Well... that certainly doesn't sound very helpful,' I blink at the description.
Truly, how was this my life now?

What's That?
Chapter Summary
Where there's a basic tutorial for life.

Important decisions are taken and questions are asked.
Oh, and look! Pop-ups!
Chapter Notes
I am going to be honest here and say that I have zero experience in writing gamer-fics,
and take inspiration from "Solo Leveling", "Scum Villain's Self Saving System" and
from a Core Rulebook from the "Legend of the Five Rings" Roleplay game.
And if you play or have seen that book you'll quickly recognize some of the attacks
and abilities later on, because I'm a total 0 when it comes to be creative about figuring
out attacks, battles and cool techniques.
"A decision without the pressure of consequence is hardly a decision at all." Eric Langmuir
Chapter 3: What's that?
[YES] [NO]
Why ask if there's only one answer that will keep you from bothering me and let me enjoy the
scenery?
'Yes,' I mentally press the button.
"Welcome to the Basics Quest Objectives:"
|o Explore the Player Menu (Incomplete)|

|o Level Up (Incomplete)|
|o Acquire a New Skill (Incomplete)|
"Bonus Objective:"
|o See a ghost (Incomplete)|
"Accept this Quest?"

[YES] [NO]
'So... This was like a tutorial?' I wondered,' With easy objectives meant for you to figure out
commands and how the game is played?'
Would this actually have like an interactive HUD letting you know what you could or could not
interact with? Somehow I couldn't exactly picture that seeing as I was firmly living the
environment and not staring at it through a screen.
I'd be understandably pissed if I couldn't jump over a fence or something like that. Once I was
physically old enough to jump over anything, of course...
I accepted the Quest and looked around, nothing had really changed and no other pop-ups showed
up to explain how to complete any of those objectives. I figured this meant it was up to you to find
out the commands for yourself, which was fine by me. Gave me time to actually look around me
and see the world I found myself in.
Wei ChangZe was walking at a sedate pace and the donkey didn't look to be in any hurry to get
him to pick up the pace. The sky above me was a clear and bright blue, the wind was cold but the
sun kept me warm enough. Speaking of warmth...
I looked down at myself, seeing the clothes I was wearing for the first time. They were simple
robes, rather thick and sturdy, to obviously survive a rambunctious toddler getting into everything,
and were very plain. Either I was used to brightly colored clothes or I was expecting to see the
'gorgeous' robes that people supposedly wore in these stories.
Except this isn't just a story anymore and we're not exactly in a position to wear pretty clothes.
Oh, right.
I really didn't want to get involved with the elephant in the room, but I was brought up to be a
rational, if not overly analytical young woman, in attempts to curb the symptoms of my illness and
the obvious signs that something was not quite right with me, but I digress.
So, I needed to think this out.
I was in the body of Wei WuXian, the one who would one day be called the Yiling Patriarch, the
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, the flipping Bogeyman of the Cultivation World. I needed to
get my act straight and get ready to play for keeps.
What did I know about Wei WuXian?
He was orphaned at around age four, the son of two Rogue Cultivators who were quite hard to pin
down, as evidenced by the fact it took years for Jiang FengMian to discover the then seven year-
old Wei WuXian in what I chose to believe had been Yiling.
He was brought to the YunmengJiang Sect and lived there and was the Head Disciple of the Sect,
treated as part of the Jiang family despite the tension that placed on the Jiang Clan's relationships.
He would go on to study at Cloud Recesses and be a menace to their proper and strict teachings
and mentality. Meet his future husband there.
...I was not going to get anywhere near that topic at the moment. Maybe not even in the next ten
years, just no...
Then there's the war. And after the war there's suddenly this snowball effect of bad decisions and
consequences that eventually leads to Wei WuXian's death and the destruction of his life's
principles.
That was what had happened in the novel. But I was being given some sort of Carte Blanche to
change that, problem was, what did I change and what did I keep as is? I had to think of the
Butterfly Effect and the consequences of changing a seemingly inconsequential event.
I thought about it, really thought about it, and I reasoned I wouldn't change Wei ChangZe's and
CangSe Sanren's deaths.
It sounded callous of me to say this but, well, they weren't quite... real yet. And although I had no
doubt I would eventually grow fond of them and like them, even if I tried to acknowledge that they
weren't just characters made of paper and ink, but actual living and breathing human beings... Their
deaths were what set canon in motion.
Had they not died, Jiang FengMian would've never tried to find him, or brought him to
YunmengJiang.
If I started changing things willy-nilly then 'canon' would become unrecognizable and I wouldn't
be able to predict anything. I'd be caught flat-footed all the time, and if I was being honest, I was
low-key terrified of what was in store for me in the future.
I was a bookstore owner, cooking and brewing coffee to feed the people coming in to read my
book collection. I had been an aspiring painter! I wasn't that excited to grow up to wield swords
and face droves of people trying to kill me.
Hell, the thought of having to kill anything made me queasy.
But I would have to, eventually, because this was my life now and I didn't want to lose it.
So, I would try to keep the timeline as close to canon as possible.
"A-Ying, you're so quiet!" Wei ChangZe spoke up suddenly," Is your head still hurting?"
His voice brought me out of my spiraling thoughts, I blinked and poked at my head. Ow.
"Yes?" I answered.
He laughed and jostled me slightly, "When we reach our next stop, we'll ask mom to kiss it better,
it always works, doesn't it?"
Huh, the constant child-friendly comments would grow old quickly.
"Yes..." I nodded, "Where are we going?" I asked.
"A nearby town, they're having some problems with their cattle. Might be the work of an evil
being!" He tickles my ankles and tries to make his voice deeper at the end of his sentence.
I wasn't impressed.
"What kind of evil being?" I asked him.
I got the impression that he was pouting at me, "Hmm, might be a Hungry Ghost or maybe just an
Yao being mischievous and causing trouble," He answers.
"Hungry Ghost? Yao?" Those peaked my interest.
He huffs and mutters something too low for me to hear, "Hungry Ghost are always hungry and
feed on the life-force of any living animal, usually cattle or forest critters; Yao are a wide range of
beings, too many too name. But don't worry, they shouldn't prove to be a challenge for your mom
and I!"
I gave him a 'hmm'. Not that his explanation wasn't interesting but I really wanted all the small
details and gritty little descriptions. His child-friendly approach sated children's curiosity but failed
to quench my thirst for knowledge.
So I went to try and find something else to occupy my time with.
Found it by pointing at every single plant that we came across.
"What's that?" I would ask and point.
Wei ChangZe would huff and answer.
After about twenty or so off these exchanges, I heard his wife start laughing and he would just sigh
whenever I went to point at anything.
"New Skill Acquired!"
"Foraging Skill leveled up!"
...Huh... Wasn't that interesting?
"Quest Objective Completed!"
Also, interesting. Go me!
I gave myself a pat on the back and reasoned that if there was any skill worth learning about before
being out on the streets all alone, then foraging was probably the best to go for.
Or thieving.
...How the hell do you practice thieving without getting killed the moment you get caught?
Well, obviously not getting caught would be the way to go, duh...
I should probably get on with checking out that Player Menu stuff, shouldn't I?
Yeah, probably. Most likely. Certainly.
Mentally picturing something popping up with the words 'Player Menu' failed, so I went ahead and
thought 'open Player Menu'.
Surprise, surprise that worked.
«The Player Menu contains all the Player's Stats, Info, Equipment (in use), and Skills.
Further information can be obtained by using the command 'Help'.
Example: "Help, Stats"»
[ Name: Wei Ying, WuXian Age: 3

Title: None Level: 1
Class: None Fatigue: 10
Stats: 10 Points Available;

Intelligence: 5 Stealth: 3
Strength: 3 Charisma: 5
Agility: 3 Senses: 3
Stamina: 5 Luck: 5
Skills:
Language: 5 Writing: 2
Foraging: 1
Equipment:
Common clothes (child)
Straw sandals ]
I was faintly bemused by the fact that this actually looked like a character menu from a video-
game and I was not expecting this. Then I noticed faint little tabs on the side of the menu, reading
things like 'Inventory', 'Talent Tree', 'Advantages', 'Quest Page', and 'Story Arcs'.
Guess things just got a whole lot more interesting.
I dearly hoped my devilish grin didn't show on my face, children should be seen as perfect little
angels and not as devils in the making.
I failed.
Oh, well... Wei WuXian's brand of craziness had to start somewhere.

So many shiny things
Chapter Summary
Where things are explained, lots of reading ensues, and oh, look! A pretty bird!
Also, teleportation is real.
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
"Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things." Noam Chomsky
Chapter 4: So many shiny things!
So, first things first: Stats.
'Help, Stats,' I try out.
«Stats: The Player increases their Stats with Stats Points (ST) gained through leveling up and
completing Quests.
All Stats increase over time.
There are eight stats: Intelligence, Strength, Agility, Stamina, Stealth, Charisma, Senses, and Luck.
Intelligence helps the Player learn skills from books faster, leveling (mental) skills, and increases
the processing speed of their brain.
Strength allows the Player to hit harder and withstand hits better, while also allowing the Player
to carry/lift heavier objects or people.
Strength does not change the outward appearance of the Player, so caution is advised with
showcasing superior strength in front of eyewitnesses.
Agility increases the Player's reflexes, how fast they can dodge, jump, or generally make a menace
of themselves.
Stamina is what enables the Player to keep fighting, perform actions and how long they can keep
certain skills active. Stamina is also connected with the Player's health and speed of recovery.
Stealth involves not only going undetected but also to control ones own presence and how easily
they can hide/take things.
Charisma is how well the Player can schmooze their way out of trouble or get information out of
unsuspecting targets. Being a generally comprehensible citizen and have minimal social skills is
tied with Charisma.
Senses are the Player's hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch. The ability to be aware of their
surroundings, enemies and attacks.
Luck influences outcomes of actions, Quests, battles and events. Increased Luck tends to cause
things to go favorably well to the Player and horribly wrong for their targets.»
Whoever had made this had clearly gone through a whole lot of trouble to make these...
So, I have points to spend...


Stamina: 5 Luck: 5
Skills:
Foraging: 1
Equipment:
Straw sandals ]
And since I liked to round things up, I was putting everything at an odd 5, then increasing
Intelligence and Senses.


Stamina: 5 Luck: 5
Skills:
Foraging: 1
Equipment:
Straw sandals ]
Looked pretty good, even if there was no outward effect on increasing the Stats. Deciding not to
question it for now, because there were newer shinier things to get to, I instead focused on the faint
tabs on the side.
'Open, Inventory,' I say.
The Player Menu shifts into a blank square with several different subdivisions under the word
'Inventory'.
«The Player's Inventory is where all items retrieved from mobs, Quests, or bought from the Store
are automatically sent to.
The Player can place any item (minus living creatures) in their Inventory and bring them out at
any time.
Extreme caution is to be practiced when using the Inventory in front of eyewitnesses as all items
retrieved 'appear out of thin air'»
Oooh... I liked this. I really, really liked this. I had my very own hammer space!
Which I couldn't use all the time because showing up with no baggage and suddenly have I-don't-
know-what in my hands was bound to attract attention.
...We're going to mess with so many people using this...
Next, Talent Tree.
«The Talent Tree contains all abilities, special attacks, and 'power-ups' that can be unlocked as the
Player levels up.
Talents are divided into 4 categories; Martial Arts, Spiritual, Demonic, and Social.
Abilities have 4 alignments; Fire, Air, Water, Earth, and Void.
A mark of a well-grounded Player is to know which alignment to use at any given situation.
Warning: These abilities are no longer known to the world at large and may bring unwanted
scrutiny.»
So, in other words, I can have superpowers, but I can't use them because no one else has
superpowers?
That's bullshit, whatever happened to everyone's special in their own way?
The memory of how Wei WuXian was treated for creating Demonic Cultivation kind of pops up in
the back of my mind and I have to concede the game might be onto something by telling me to not
show-off.
I go to click on those categories, because now I want to see what there is to unlock, but the
following message dashes that.
"Player has not yet reached necessary levels to unlock this function."
...Not fair.
I try the store next.
«This is where the Player can buy virtually any item, although some can only be obtained after
they are foraged, crafted, or acquired from mobs.
The Store also allows the Player to sell items for Quest Coins.
Items have different prices, rarity, and quality, and can be found under several categories:
Weapons, Equipment, Accessories, Consumables, Materials, Recipes, Books, Misc, and Gifts.»
After closing that message the Store appears blank for a second before the previous message shows
up again.
"Player has not yet reached necessary levels to unlock this function."
Oh, frik off... Shopping is shopping and one is never young enough to like shopping!
'Open, Quest Page,' I grumbled.
Interestingly, but still doesn't improve my mood, there's a map visible on this page with a smiley
face pin showing my location on it. Too bad the whole map is covered by fog, telling me I have a
whole world to explore and too short legs to travel all of it.
«Quest Page is divided into two sections: Accepted or Ongoing Quests, and Available Quests.
The first section allows the Player to view the Quests Information and its requirements, as well as
its rewards.
The latter contains every single unlocked and available Quest, regardless if it's a Main Quest or a
Side Quest, where the Player has to go and who to talk to in order to 'start' the Quest.»
There was a single ongoing Quest, which was Welcome to the Basics, and everything else was
empty, so it was pretty obvious I'd only get things unlocked after I get this Quest over with.
"A-Ying, look!" Wei ChangZe suddenly spoke up.
Like a teenager caught red handed, I close the screen so fast and sit up straighter, immediately
trying to find what he was pointing at.
A screech sounds above me and I look up, startled, to see this huge bird swoop down on the field
beside us and come back up with a rabbit caught in its talons.
"ChangZe!" CangSe Sanren scolds.
Oh, yeah... Poor toddler just witnessed a fragile rabbit be taken away to serve as the main dish of
the big bird.
T'was Life.
"I didn't know it was going to do that!" Her husband yelps.
"Does rabbit taste good?" I asked out of nowhere, stopping the conversation in its tracks.
I could practically taste the awkwardness that question brought up, and I took my job as complete.
"Yes... Rabbit can be quite delicious," Wei ChangZe finally answers.
"Can we eat rabbit?" I ask him.
"If your father could be so gracious as to catch us one," CangSe Sanren reasons.
I quickly turn to look at her with wide eyes, "Can I catch a rabbit?"
I could imagine worse ways to spend a day than to frolic in the tall grass trying to chase after
nimble little buggers with these two stumpy little legs.
Probably fall over again and really do crack my head open.
Meh...
"Maybe," She answers, which was mother language for 'hell no'.
"Okay," I chirp and go back to look around at my surroundings.
If either adult found my behavior odd or different, none pointed it out and just kept going on with
their journey. I spent a few more minutes asking after the plants, critters and generally anything
under the sun before I got bored of it again and went back to my Player Menu.
There were only two pages left to view, Advantages and Story Arcs, but I honestly couldn't find it
in me to view them right now.
Oh, sure I was curious about them, but I wanted something more exciting.
I guess I started fidgeting a bit too much because Wei ChangZe finally stopped and took me off his
shoulders and handed me to a bemused CangSe Sanren.
She held me close to her and I shamelessly snuggled closer to her. I wasn't going to lie, it felt pretty
great, whether it was because I've always been a very touchy-feel-y person, because I lacked a
physical connection growing up and was borderline touch-starved by my late teens, or simply
because this body recognized its mother, I melted right into her embrace.
She laughed and stroked my hair, nearly making me purr because, oh yes, I loved this.
I shouldn't be too surprised I promptly fell asleep shortly after and woke up as the adults were
settling in a rundown inn.
In hindsight, my confusion at my new surroundings and indignation that I had fallen asleep, were
very, very amusing.
Chapter End Notes
All features will be explored in length throughout the story, but this is basically so you
know 'what' there is to it, even if WWX can't use any of it right now.
And, originally, I had written Tech Tree but it sounded really weird in my head so I
just went ahead and replace it with Talent Tree.
The Woes of Boredom
Chapter Summary
In which there's boredom, an existential crisis, and that the worst thing about bored
toddlers is that anything becomes fair play in search of entertainment.
Oh, and parents? Please remember to never leave a child unattended.
Chapter Notes
"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." - Ellen Parr
Chapter 5: The Woes of Boredom
"Why do I have to stay here?" I ask, and no, I am not pouting.
"Because mom and dad have to go deal with that evil being, and you have to stay here where it's
safe," CangSe Sanren repeats once more.
"I want to go with you," I clutch at her robe, doing the best puppy eyes I'd learnt from my nephew
Colin.
She wasn't impressed, clearly someone had mastered the art of puppy eyes in their youth as well,
"I've already said no, A-Ying."
And that was that.
So, here I was, alone in a room. In some inn god knows where. And bored out of my mind.
"Ughhhhhhh..." I grumbled from where I was lying face down on the straw mattress that could,
very politely, be called a bed. There was barely anything closely resembling a blanket, which was
an automatic downgrade for me because I liked my blankets, I was also locked in because no one in
their right minds would let a three year-old in an unlocked room with no supervision.
Even if they thought it was fine to do it if the room was minimally locked.
Only reason I wasn't freaking out was because the room was quite airy, like big windows that had
no glass on them because... well, because for some reason they didn't have glass.
So, my claustrophobia wasn't acting up and I was minimally relaxed.
Minimally because I was bored and there was nothing to do in here. Well, the adults had left a
smattering of toys here with me but really, I was a grown woman and I would not be entertained by
a couple of straw dolls and a rattle drum. At least not for long.
I remember getting my nephews rattles similar to this one when they were little, to the dread of
their parents, and it made me feel slightly upset.
The weight of the situation was settling in, and despite the fact that I understood that I wouldn't
have ever seen them again regardless of whether or not I took this chance, I missed them.
...Goddammit, I wasn't doing this.
I needed something to occupy my mind with.
'Open, Player Menu,' I said.


Stamina: 5 Luck: 5
Skills:
Foraging: 1
Equipment:
Straw sandals ]
My fatigue had risen, and I could feel my body was slightly more tired than it had been this
morning, but it made sense since it would be dusk soon and night fell pretty quickly from what I
understood.
So bedtime. Great.
I remembered I still had two tabs from before, Advantages and Story Arcs.
Tough decision.
'Story Arcs,' I ended up deciding, laying belly down on the bed and propping my head on one hand.
«This page allows the Player to view the memories of Wei WuXian relevant to the current Story
Arc.
It also records the Player's progress and how they have impacted the world around them.
There are fixed Checkpoints throughout the Story Arcs that the Player has to overcome.»
Peculiar.
The Page itself looked to me as a linear map with odd little marks here and there.
A timeline.
Curious.
Well, I won't be bored now, I guess.

I sit up straight on the bed and make a 'come here' gesture with my hands so the screen would get
closer to me. Which it did, because this system was awesome like that, and I took a closer look at
those odd little marks. Something about them tickled me funny.
Upon a closer inspection, it was easy to see why.
They were actually knots.
Like, someone had put a bunch of sewing threads in the same box, shook it or scrambled them
together, and when you went to pull them apart you find them all tangled together at some point.
My money was on these 'Checkpoints' being those knots.
But what were they?
"Help, Checkpoints," I call out, being alone had its privileges.
«Checkpoints are fixed events of a Story Arc that the Player has to go through in order to advance
to the next Story Arc.
They can be delayed and can be changed, but the Checkpoint event will always come to pass.
It is the Player's choice on how to overcome the event.
All changes are recorded at the end of the Story Arc, showing the Player's impact on the world.»
...Fixed events...
I felt faintly sick to my stomach and I had this buzzing in my ears that let me know I was staving
off a panic attack.
There were fixed events I would have to go through that I could not prevent from happening.
Logically I understood it, there had to be a semblance of a plot for a 'story' to happen, there had to
be an insurance that whoever they picked up to take over their 'main character' kept to the script,
but this... This wasn't just a story...
What were the Checkpoints?
I could easily count Wei WuXian's parent's deaths as one. What else?
Going to Gusu? The Burning of Lotus Pier? Being tossed into the Burial Mounds?
The Wen Remnants dying?
Breathe in. Count to 5. Breathe out.
Think... Calm down... Think...
The Checkpoint will always happen, but it can be delayed or changed.
Changed.
This just meant that the scene happened but the outcome wasn't certain.
So I could still work things out.
...Crisis averted then...

I slump over the bed again and groan, I don't need to check my profile to see that my fatigue had
risen. I wasn't going to try and open the Advantages page after that emotional roller coaster, that
one can wait. I closed the Story Arc page and rolled over on the bed.
I wasn't tired enough to sleep so I just laid there for what felt like hours but must've been only
around ten minutes before boredom set in again.
Ughhhh... What is this torture?
I expected awesome adventures, shiny swords and cool stuff happening all the time. I had already
spent months in the hospital stuck in a scratchy bed with scratchy and silly gowns, boring nurses
(though they were very nice, the overworked dearies) and a complete lack of intellectual
conversations until my family came to visit, I had done my time being bored!
I demanded entertainment!
"Tip: No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess."
I stare at the unprompted words floating above my eyes.
A bold guess, huh?
I roll of the bed and kind of titter for a moment. What could there be that I haven't discovered yet?
I open my Player Menu.


Stamina: 5 Luck: 5
Skills:
Foraging: 1
Equipment:
Straw sandals ]
It looked to me to be a simple and generic video-game character profile. There was the main
information, the equipment, the points thing-y and...
Skills.
What were skills?
Language, writing and foraging?
Foraging seemed like an obvious skill to have in a video game, but language and writing? Wasn't
that...
Wasn't that a given thing that people would already know?
Or were they?
I close the menu and walk up to the wall nearest to me. There's a really big piece of furniture with
drawers and shelves on top. It looks sufficiently sturdy.
...Here goes nothing.
I start climbing the furniture, a foot there, a hand there, and pulling myself up to the shelves. The
whole thing kind of shifts and bit but doesn't topple off and fall on me.
I make it to the top shelf.
Oh, my god, I'm a genius.
I open the Player Menu back up.


Stamina: 5 Luck: 5
Skills:
Foraging: 1 Climbing: 0
Equipment:
Straw sandals ]
Oh, my god, they aren't kidding.
That's actually a skill?
What else is a skill?
I quickly make it back down from the furniture, it wasn't that high to begin with, and look around
the room.
What else can I use?
...
I pick up one of the straw dolls and chuck it across the room.
"Player Leveled Up!"

... Well, I was definitely entertained now.
Through the course of the next couple hours I found out a few more things. There was an action
named Sprint that I could activate and drained my Stamina like nobody's business, that I had a very
squeaky singing voice and that I was more flexible than I had ever been.
Oh, and that, upon reaching 90 or so of fatigue, you got constant warnings to get in bed and sleep.
I would've liked to have been awake when Wei ChangZe and CangSe Sanren came back though.
I'm sure the sight of a wrecked room and an angelic looking toddler sleeping soundly must've
looked like a scene straight out of a comedy flick.
Chapter End Notes
Fair warning, there's going to be a minor timeskip in the next chapter (just a week or
two in-story) so I might forget to explain something or fudge a bit of details.
Anyway, hope you're all liking the story so far and thank you for reading!
Checkpoint
Chapter Summary
It's a beautiful day outside. Birds are singing, flowers are blooming...
On days like these kids-... A-Ying! What have I told you about the chickens!?
Chapter Notes
So, I kind of ran with the scene and just couldn't find the right place to stop, so I just
kept writing. As a result I had to split this chapter into two.
I might post the other half tomorrow, depends on whether I finish writing chapter 8
today or not.
See the end of the chapter for more notes
"Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and
medicine to the soul." - Luther Burbank
Chapter 6: Checkpoint
Chickens were surprisingly fast. And noisy. And they let loose more feathers than I expected.
That said, chasing around chickens was pretty fun.
Even if getting chased by a chickens was not so fun.
"A-Ying, what were you expecting?" Wei ChangZe is laughing at me," You've been chasing it
non-stop for half an hour, of course it would get angry with you."
"I didn't touch it..." I grumble, clutching the hand the smug looking chicken had pecked.
"You still chased it and scared it," He points out.
I pout at him and went back down to the ground and show these chickens who's boss.
I've been living in this world for two weeks now. Fourteen days doesn't really sound like much but
they had been the longest I'd felt in ages.
In someways this world was the same as mine, but in others there was an obvious difference on
how I expected things to go and was confused by what actually happened.
Back in my world, traveling on the back of a donkey with a small child and no fixed residence was
an automatic call to CPS, here no one batted an eye at me trailing after my parents or, in this case,
entertaining myself by chasing a farmer's chickens while CangSe Sanren barters with him for rice
and other food supplies. In fact, given that Wei WuXian lived on the streets other orphans and
fought over food scraps with dogs, I shouldn't be too surprised that my 'sheltered' lifestyle - in
comfortable living conditions from the 21st century - was... ill-prepared for what was in store for
me.
I needed to plan ahead, I realized that, but at the same time I was just starting to get into the
mindset that I was now Wei WuXian. I still stared at my own reflection, awed by how different I
looked from how I pictured Wei WuXian to be like, and had a distinct reluctance to call either Wei
ChangZe and CangSe Sanren 'father' or 'mother'. Even 'mom' and 'dad' were hard for me to say,
because some part of me was still very much aware that they weren't.
I was a stranger inhabiting their child's body. And they didn't know, couldn't possibly think that
their child was replaced by someone else when he tripped and hit his head on the ground.
Sometimes it was really hard not to let it show I was an impostor pretending at being a child.
Other times, this life was like a breath of fresh air. Letting me have another go at life with higher
stakes and even bigger rewards.
I dived after another chicken and dropped that line of thought.
"Stat leveled up!"
During these last few days I had discovered new things about the System. Apparently there was a
fixed number of Skills that they could show on the Player Page, and after I spent a couple hours
trying different things under the sun and asking a whole bunch of questions, I'd discovered a couple
more skills (and leveled them up, in turn raising my Player level, because I was just that good) the
System basically sent me a message that said something along the lines of:
Due to constant skill acquirement, we're upgrading your Player Menu to make it easier to sort the
skills out.
Or something.
It was late, and I had been tired, so I just said 'ok, let me sleep' and closed the notification.
So my Player Menu now had tabs sorting my skills out.


Stamina: 8 Luck: 5
Skills:
-Martial
Acrobatic: 1 Throwing: 2
Climbing: 1
+Social
+Scholar
+Arts
-Mundane
Equipment:
Straw sandals ]
Also, if you performed certain actions Stats leveled up naturally, but it was still faster to just use
Stat Points. And speaking of Stat Points, every time you leveled up you got 3 Stat Points to spend,
whilst completing Quests game you around 5 Stat Points and some Quest Coins.
Speaking of Quests, I'd completed the 'Welcome to the Basics' two days ago. Finally coming
around to stop goofing off and actually open the last page of the Player Menu. Surprise, surprise I
couldn't actually use it yet but I got the impression there was cool stuff in there.
The description read:
« Advantages are perks the Player can unlock through performing specific actions or tasks an
unspecified number of times, or by using Player Points.
These help the Player in various situations much like Talents and Skills, but are constantly active
and have no maintenance cost.
But, be cautious, Advantages can easily become Disadvantages, if the Player fails an unspecified
number of actions/tasks or because of an injury, for example.»
Which sounded pretty cool, but was entirely blank for now as per usual.
"A-Ying! Come on, we're leaving now!" Wei ChangZe called out to me.
Well, no need to say it twice. I closed the screen and ran back towards them, raising my arms in the
universal 'pick me up' gesture.
He gave me this long-suffering sigh but complied and put me up on his shoulders. I grinned and
messed up his hair, giggling when he tickled my ankles in retaliation.
Today was a good day.
This world was beautiful.
Like, my niece had told me all about that animated series they had been doing when I started
falling ill and then gossiped about the pretty actors of the Live-Action adaptation and the beautiful
sets but I hadn't actually seen any of it. For the portrait of the characters I had painted for her I'd
just used some fan art as reference and did my own interpretation of what they looked like.
(Imagine my surprise at seeing my cute ass face for the first time and gaping at my reflection)
But this world was, without a doubt, beautiful.
The adults had decided to stop by this open field near a river and rest for a while before continuing
on the journey to Qinghe, or Unclean Realm as I understood it. There was a posting of an
upcoming Night Hunt they wanted to participate in at our last stop and so their travel plans had
changed a bit.
We were supposed to head to Gusu but were instead going further north and then, finally heading
all the way down to Gusu. Why I didn't know, but knowing what I knew of their travels, which was
absolutely nothing, I wasn't overly surprised.
Wei ChangZe had quickly sprawled out on the grass after tying the donkey over by the shade, and
CangSe had sat down near him, pulling out a calligraphy set to pen down a letter or write in that
book of hers.
Which I had tried to read but the characters looked like squiggles to me, my writing skill wasn't
high enough to let me read it. Understandable, but frustrating.
So, instead, I went exploring.
I was perfectly aware that despite not actually looking in my direction both adults were keeping a
tight watch on what I was doing.
The field was really big, with tall grass and critters jumping around. Summer was nearly over so
they were gathering the last bits of resources they could before they had to bunker down for the
colder weather, or if they were lucky, they still had the whole fall to do so.
So I was just jumping around the tall grass when I stopped.
Because, holy hell, those were a lot of flowers.
There was a whole sea of them! What the hell?!
I grinned and ran down to where the flowers were. I remember this one time, Hannah and Abigail
had decided to have a family picnic and everyone had to come or suffer through their griping and
generally making us feel like horrible human beings. They chose this old picnic park that wasn't
used very often, a pretty quiet and secluded place, near this lake.
On the lakeside there grew these beautiful flowers. Really, really beautiful flowers.
The girls, especially the little ones, loved them. And proceeded to spend the afternoon picking
flowers and making flower crowns and bracelets with weeds and stuff.
The next morning Hannah called me in a panic, asking me to dust out my medical encyclopedias
and look for such and such rash and symptoms.
Her daughter was completely covered in dots and very, very itchy.
Turns out the poor girl was allergic to flower pollen.
I chuckled under my breath at the memory. Hannah had been so upset that her daughter was feeling
like that, and slightly disappointed they couldn't do similar picnics until a doctor cleared her.
There were dandelions, poppies, and some other wildflowers. I found their meanings under some
dusty old memory of flower books I'd salvaged from a yard sale.
I weaved the flowers into a flower crown and plopped it on my head, having to work around the
small ponytail CangSe always tied my hair into, before weaving a larger one for her.
Sharing was caring and all that.
Speaking of... I looked at the smaller, yet no less pretty, wildflowers and immediately thought of
the severe bun Wei ChangZe wore his hair in. I could totally stick the flowers around it.
If he let me.
...Nah, unlike CangSe Sanren, he can't resist my puppy eyes. (I look too much like her for him to
resist it)
I started filling my pockets with flowers and, after picking up the larger flower crown, walked back
to where the adults were still relaxing. CangSe looked up when she heard me get closer and
blinked at my new look, I could see her lips quirk up, and she opened her mouth to say something
but I quickly made a hush gesture.
I tiptoed around Wei ChangZe, who was fake snoring (did he really think people really snored like
that?), and placed the flower crown on her head, patting it as a show of praise with all the self-
important air of a kind bestowing a royal title.
Her eyes shimmered in amusement, and then wickedness when I turned around and started pulling
flowers out of my pockets.
There was only one obvious target for those flowers.
Wei ChangZe tensed the first time he felt my pudgy little fingers poke around his bun, but he
must've done some 'spiritual energy' trick and saw that it was nothing too nefarious and relaxed,
letting me play with his hair.
Seriously, these people had good hair too!
As I was placing the pretty flowers in his hair I hear the little chime meaning I had a new
notification. I lifted my eyes just enough to see:
And then there was a different sounding chime, louder and less chirpy.
More like a bell toll.
"Checkpoint Finished!"
...
Checkpoint?
Chapter End Notes
Story time: There was this one story my mother always told me about picking flowers.
The really big ones? Yeah, 8/10 they'll have dozens of spiders inside them. Never
believed her, it was impossible for there to be so many spiders inside a flower. (I was
young and dumb)
Guess who found out it was true?
Family
Chapter Summary
The missing scene from chapter 6 because it ran too long.

Where there's cuddles, fluff and quite a lot of angst.
You've been warned.
Chapter Notes
"Families are the compass that guides us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our
comfort when we occasionally falter." - Brad Henry
Chapter 7: Family
I recalled the Story Arc page and what I'd learnt from it, pausing slightly to process that tidbit of
information, and realized I'd just crossed over one of them without realizing it.
It wasn't a particularly good feeling.
"A-Ying?" I looked back to see CangSe Sanren frowning at me.
I must've looked spooked by something.
"Are you okay, honey? What's wrong?" She gestures me to come to her.
...Well, who am I to refuse cuddles?
I finish sticking the last flowers on Wei ChangZe's hair and quickly settle on her lap, feeling her
stroke my head.
"What happened?" She asks, using one hand to put away the ink and brushes back into their box.
I needed an excuse.
Deflect! Misdirection! Change topics!
"I just thought," I start, "I'm really happy with you." I tell her.
She smiles, "Then why did that make you sad? Mom and dad are also really happy to have you
here with us."
And then I had a brilliant thought.
"But what if you're gone?" I looked up at her with teary grey eyes, "I'll be all alone?"
CangSe Sanren blinks and looks to ChangZe, who has heard everything and sits up to look at me
with furrowed brows, before pulling me closer to her.
"Mom and dad aren't going anywhere anytime soon, silly," She tells me.
You actually are, and that is just the start of my titanic mountain of worries.
"But you leave me all the time, I get scared when you're not there..." I tell her," What if you don't
come back?"
The adults share a not so subtle look, and ChangZe sits beside her and pulls me into his lap.
"What brought this on, A-Ying?" He asks.
I blink at him, and answer," The chickens."
There's a beat of silence.
"The chickens?" He repeats.
"Yeah, they all lived in big families," I tell him," But there's only us three... Do I have more
family?"
He ponders for a moment before deciding to answer me," Well, my parents died when I was
younger, so I lived in the servants quarters of the YunmengJiang Sect after that," He explains," I
didn't have any siblings by blood, but I do consider someone my brother." He adds.
"So I have an uncle?" I asked, assuming he was talking about Jiang FengMian.
"Ah, FengMian?" CangSe smiles," We've got to send him a letter one of these days, it's been a
while since we last sent one."
"Letter?" I turn to her," Can I help?"
Wei ChangZe laughed," Better to let the grownups write the letter, your penmanship needs some
work."
I pouted at him.
"What about you, CangSe?" He turns to her," Do you think your Shizun has given you any new
shidi or shimei?" He smiles coyly at her.
Or well, I guess I'm not supposed that's a coy smile...
CangSe turns red and smacks him on the arm, "ChangZe!" She hisses.
The man shows no remorse over pulling me closer and angling his body so I can serve as a shield.
...Great role model, I'll strive to emulate you when I grow up...
"So I have more uncles or aunts?" I ask her, pretending I didn't notice any innuendo, and bringing
the conversation back on track.
CangSe throws one last dirty look at ChangZe (who's chuckling under his breath) and answers me,"
I don't know, A-Ying. Shizun takes in young children who'd otherwise have been left to fend for
themselves. I had a shixiong but I never met him, he left the mountain long before Shizun took me
in."
"So I have two uncles!" I grin.
She huffs a sigh and indulges me," Yes, you have a Shijiu and a Shibo."
"We'll have to tell FengMian he has a nephew then," ChangZe pipes up.
"You mean, you're going to tell FengMian he has a nephew, my name is anywhere near that letter
and Yu ZiYuan will have a bounty out for my head," CangSe rolls her eyes.
I blink at that. So Yu ZiYuan really didn't like my mother, huh?
I kind of figured, from her treatment of Wei WuXian and the cutting remarks, but it was hard to say
if that contempt was mutual. CangSe seemed more amused than offended or upset over the
irrational hatred.
"Where does Uncle live?" I ask them.
"FengMian lives in Lotus Pier, that's where his Sect is," ChangZe answers me, "Next time we pass
through Yunmeng, we'll see if you can meet him."
"And what about Shizun?" I ask CangSe.
She hums for a bit before saying," My Shizun is known as Baoshan Sanren, and she's very
renowned in the Cultivation world, A-Ying. She lives in a mountain and never leaves it, and no one
but her disciples ever see her."
"Oh?" I tilt my head," Why doesn't she leave her mountain?"
She smiles," Shizun is very strict about worldly matters, her rule is that if a disciple chooses to
leave the mountain they must never come back." She answers.
"What if you really miss her?" I ask, "Can you send letters to her?"
CangSe laughs," No letter arrives by itself, A-Ying, someone would need to climb that mountain
all the way to the top to deliver it. And no one is allowed to know where Baoshan Sanren lives."
I pout," That's silly," I complain," If no one ever sees her then how do they know you're her
disciples? Can anyone say they're Shizun's disciples?" I ask her.
"No," She shakes her head and goes inside her robes to pull out a metal pendant," When we leave
the mountain, Shizun gives her disciples this token, no one else can craft a token like this except
Shizun. It's made of a special metal, you see?" She shows it to me.
Under the sunlight the metal shimmers in a pale lilac color, the sun glints off the metal feathers of
the dream catcher pendant, catching on the beads made of clear quartz and bouncing off in an array
of colors.
In the center of the circular metal array there's a carved mountain scene.
It was beautiful.
"Ever since YanLing Daoren came down from the mountain, my shixiong, it's been known that
only Baoshan Sanren's disciples carry this token," She explains to me," So anyone without it cannot
claim to be her disciples."
That... made sense.
And then I have a perfect idea.
"So you grew up on a mountain?" I perk up," What was it like?"
She laughs and relaxes where she's sitting, obviously convinced I was no longer worried about
'being alone'," Well, it was fun. And hard, I had to hike up and down that mountain everyday
following after Shizun as she taught me. And don't be fooled when people say she's old, she is,
very, very old, but she's reached the peak of cultivation and she'll let you know just how spry she is
if you mouth off to her." She ruefully told me.
"As you learned throughout the years?" ChangZe chuckled.
CangSe nodded with a sigh," She was a hard task master, but she was an excellent teacher. She
taught me so much..."
"Like what?" I ask.
She looks down at me and holds my hands in hers.
They are calloused and worn, obviously the hands of someone who had spend many-a-day
swinging a sword.
"Something I hope you take to heart, A-Ying," She said," Always remember people's kindness
towards you, and never your kindness towards other."
...This was the infamous quote that Wei WuXian had as a life motto of sorts!
And blamed his terrible memory on.
I turn my nose, kind of, at the words.
"Why can't I remember being kind to others?" I frown.
"It's not that you can't 'remember' it, it's just that you cannot expect your kindness to be repaid, but
always repay others' kindness towards you," She explains.
I think it though, to a normal three year old those words would just fly out of the metaphorical
window and truly just 'forget' any kindness I showed anyone, which was probably what had
happened to canon!Wei WuXian, now that I think about it.
"I'll try," I end up settling on, not fully agreeing but not totally averse to that worldview.
They both smile down at me and hug me.
"That's okay, you're a good child, A-Ying," Wei ChangZe tells me.
When the day comes, I wonder if I can let them leave without me to never, ever return.
I didn't want to really think about it.
Chapter End Notes

So, while I can understand why some authors choose to just put the english equivalent
of the chinese terms, I kind of like them, so they'll probably be peppered randomly
around the story.
Anyway, Shixiong means Elder/Senior Martial Brother; Shidi means Junior Martial
Brother; Shimei means Junior Martial Sister; Shijiu means Martial Uncle (mother's
older brother) and Shibo means "uncle (affectionate name for a friend older than one's
father)", I copied it from this nice website with a dictionary.
I'm going to assume Jiang FengMian was older than Wei ChangZe (and to make a nice
parallel between their kids), and if XXC left the mountain at age 17, I read this on post
somewhere, a year after WWX died then there was no way for CangSe Sanren and
XXC to have met.
Food for thought, does Baoshan Sanren have more disciples that just never leave the
mountain? Because I've read that "disciples that leave the mountain" or such and such,
and it got me thinking, if her students always left her then wouldn't it be "once the
disciples leave the mountain"?
Also, I made a (crappy) art of the dream catcher pendant but I have no idea how to
show it here, and I'm open for suggestions.
Why so serious?
Chapter Summary
Where Qinghe is the best place to eat, there's a new Quest to tackle (wait, is that an
actual Quest?) and there's something wrong with today's children.
Chapter Notes
"There is nothing quite as painful as a truly awkward silence." - Obert Skye
Chapter 8: Why so serious?
Qinghe was... loud.
Not loud like, everyone was running around screaming and making fools of themselves, but loud in
the sense that it was bustling with people. This was a major trade center, especially for animal
related products.
There was a whole new culinary level cooking in Qinghe, which was understandable given the
sheer number of pastures, butchers, shepherds, and hunters. People got bored of eating the same
dish over and over again, they needed to create new ways of eating the same type of food.
And it was good food.
"Is it yummy, A-Ying?" ChangZe grinned at the way I was enthusiastically stuffing rice, eggs and
ham into my mouth. They also had this soup with chicken in it that was sooooo good.
I nodded my head, mouth too full to answer vocally.
We'd just arrived in Qinghe and had been traveling for hours so CangSe had decided to stop and
eat, so that's what we were doing right now.
Eating damn good food.
It was almost fall too, this far north the weather was noticeably colder and the trees had already
started to change color.
It made for a beautiful travel scene but it also meant that it got darker sooner, which meant that I
only had a few more hours before I get reacquainted with the interior of an inn and left to brood
and be bored out of my mind.
There was always skills to level up true, but that took time and it got repetitive soon enough.
A chirp interrupts my thoughts.

"New (Side) Quest Available!"
[YES] [NO]
Oh?
I discreetly watch the letters floating in front of me and mentally give myself a little cheer, because
oh, yeah, this is good!
'Yes,' I couldn't agree any faster.
"Quest: Find A-Sang's Toy!"
«A-Sang has lost his favorite toy somewhere in the town center.
A-Sang is very sad without his toy.
Find A-Sang's toy.»
[YES] [NO]
...What?
No, wait, actually... What?
How is this a quest?!
I choke on my food and ChangZe quickly hits me in the back.
"A-Ying! Be careful!" CangSe fusses over me," Chew your food properly!" She scolds.
I nod, pausing to put my chopsticks down, and chew the rest of the food in my mouth, "'M sorry," I
cough.
CangSe gives me a look before turning to her husband, giving him an even more pointed look," No
more stuffing your mouth with food, eat slowly," She finally tells me.
I nod again, finishing the rest of my rice and soup.
Pretending to be looking at my soup bowl I focus on the letters again.
There was no way this was a legit Quest.
Well... You are a three year old, not much you can do either way.
But searching for some kid's toy?
It's doing this or be bored, choose.
...Not fair...
'Yes,' I mulishly agree.
"Find A-Sang's Toy Quest Objectives:"

|o Find the Toy (Incomplete)|
|o Deliver it to A-Sang's brother (Incomplete)|
"Bonus Objective:"
|o Defeat the Bully (Incomplete)|
[YES] [NO]
...I stare at the Bonus Objective and have to force myself not to burst out laughing.
This Quest was ridiculous.
But it's still a Quest.
I accept it, and my eyes lock on the sudden ticking clock.
...This is a time-locked Quest.
Seriously?
"I'm done, can I go play?" I ask the adults, putting away my chopsticks correctly (see, I do learn!)
"Play where?" CangSe asks.
"That small garden, with the trees, there were other children there," I mentally applaud my quick
thinking.
The two share another look before Wei ChangZe pulls out a strip of paper out of his sleeve.
Okay?
"Just let me put this under your robe and you can go, alright?" He tells me," You must promise me
not to take it off, okay? Or you'll be spending the next few days practicing your writing and
reading."
That was a very, very parental warning if I ever heard one.
"I won't take it off," I tell him," I'm a good child," I parrot back the words he said to me.
His lips do a funny little twitch and he chuckles, sticking that paper to my back," Yes, you are."
"Off you go, and be careful! Don't follow anyone who tells you to, do you hear me, Wei Ying!"
CangSe stresses.
"I won't!" I tell her and quickly make my way to the garden where I had saw those kids.
The Quest mentioned a Bonus Objective, so it either had to be related to the Quest or at least the
toy had better be near the kids.
Well, going about this logically A-Sang was probably playing somewhere and forgot about the toy,
so going to places where kids usually play was probably the faster way to find the thing.
Actually, the Quest didn't even tell me what kind of toy it was.
What was I looking for? A doll? A ball? A rattle? What?
'Help, A-Sang's toy?' I try.
No answer.
Well, it was worth a try...
The garden wasn't too far from where we had been eating, in fact I could hear the noise the kids
were making, so I picked up my pace, weaving in and out of the crowd of people going about their
lives.
There were about five or six kids of various ages and genders gathered here, playing games and
generally being kids.
It was so damn easy to see who the 'Bully' was.
Like the stereotypical schoolyard bully, the first time I see him is when he has a smaller kid by the
front of his robes and is legit shaking the kid in the air.
...What were kids being taught these days?
The Bully had another kid with him, if we went by stereotypes then it must be his little brother
who was, somehow, offended by the scrawny kid being shaken, and he was delighted at seeing the
bully deal with the other kid.
There were so many things wrong with this scene.
Like, none of the other kids were even looking at the bully. They could hear the other kid crying
but no one spared him a glance or tried to help.
Seriously?
What was wrong with people these days?
"You shouldn't shake people," I told him as I walked up to where they were.
The Bully stops and looks down at me.
"You say something, shrimp?" He spits at me.
I smile at him, "I said, you shouldn't shake people. Do you have trouble hearing or are you just too
stupid to understand words?"
Everybody stops.
Silence.
Then the other kids finally turn to us and the look of pure shock on their faces...
The Bully quite literally just drops the other kid, who is smart enough to start running as soon as
his feet hit the ground, and turns to face me fully.
'Right punch,' Something inside of me whispered.
I dodged.
The idiot blinked and before he had time to try and hit me again I punch him square in the nose.
I was short, sure, but he had bent down as he punched, his face was literally just there. Who could
blame me?
"Brawling Skill leveled up!"
"Stat leveled up!"
How nice.
"Mah noooze!" The kid cried, his hands coming up to cup his nose, which had started dripping
blood.
Uh... Guess I had used more force than I anticipated.
Oops?
"You punched my brother!" The shorter kid yelled and threw himself at me.
Can I just say... Called it.
As the kid threw himself there, for a split second, seemed to have been a moment where he looked
frozen in mid-air, but I brushed it off. I once again dodged and the kid flopped to the ground.
Schoolyard spat rules, think quickly... What had my nephews done in situations like this?
"What are you going to do? Weren't you hiding behind your big brother just a moment ago? Like a
sissy!" I taunted, part of me face-palmed at my own words, and went to hide in shame somewhere
in a corner of my mind.
The other kids all laughed at my taunt.
"Player leveled up!"
No comment.
The kid looked up from the ground and right into my eyes, I cocked my head slightly to the side
and stared him down from my nose, feigning superiority," Oh, what? Are you gonna say anything
to me, sissy?"
He looks from me to try and search his older brother.
Gone. Kid ran as soon as his nose wouldn't stop bleeding.
This kid wasn't too bad himself, he saw that he was all alone, saw that there would be no support
from the crowd (everyone was still laughing at him), and then looked back at me.
He got props from me for knowing when to cut his losses.
Kid got up and took off running out of the park.

"Hey, you!" A girl in pig-tailed braids comes up to me," You can have this, I found it by the
fountain, it's really pretty!"
She hands me a wooden carved bird, painted rather intricately in blacks and yellows, and goes back
to her game.
As soon as I grab hold of the toy, letter float above it.
"A-Sang's Toy (Quest Item)"
...
Spares me the time of going to look for it, I guess.
Then girls words are fully processed in my head.
"Where's the fountain?" I ask a random kid.
He blinks, and points in a direction, "It's right in the middle of the market," He says with the tone
of voice that made it seemed like the answer was obvious.
I thanked him and started to head towards the fountain, I peeked at the floating clock and saw that I
still had plenty of time.
I guess it was in case the Player hadn't went to look for the kids?
The fountain was, indeed, pretty obvious once you entered the market.
I got there but saw no one that seemed to be looking for a toy, nor did I see any crying kid bawling
after it, so I kind of sat at the fountain and thought of where to go from here.
I still had the toy in my hands.
It was a very beautifully carved toy bird, I wanted one of these for myself. I turned the bird in my
hands, hoping to find some clue as to where this A-Sang might be.
As it turns down, there's a very big clue on the underside of the bird.
A stamp mark.
In the shape of a beast head.
A-Sang... A-Sang...
It couldn't be...
'Deliver it to A-Sang's brother'...
It couldn't be... No way...
A commotion drew my attention, there, just on the other side of the fountain, came these people
hurrying into the market and desperately searching for something. After them trailed a child.
A rather tall and intimidating child.

It was a young Nie MingJue.
Oh, duck.
...For a moment I considered just tossing the toy in his direction and run like hell out of the market,
since the System was obviously sending me to my death, but I quickly nixed the idea. To flee
would only bring scrutiny and 'blame' onto my shoulders.
The adults, most likely servants, were hard at work searching for the toy, and wasn't it just adorable
how big brother MingJue had obvious enlisted these people to help him find his little brother's toy,
but they hadn't looked in my direction yet.
Key word, yet.
I had to make a decision quickly.
I looked at Nie MingJue again, already heads and shoulders above other kids his age and having a
scowl worthy of Drill-Sergeant Nasty, and reasoned he wouldn't kill me.
Probably...
Just suck it up, you're the one who accepted the Quest.
I regret everything.
I get up and walk up to him, no one spares me a single glance (which okay, I did not look like a
threat when I had no doubt the kid could bench press me), and when I get within a feet or two from
him I raise the toy up for him to see.
"Is it yours? A girl had it at the garden and said she found it," I tell him, because if I was going to
suffer so would that girl, equality!
Nie MingJue looks down at me and I can tell the exact moment he recognizes the toy in my hand.
His brown eyes blaze up and he opens his mouth, to shout at me probably, and I panic.
"Did you know birds have hollow bones? That's why they're so light! And why they can fly... If
humans had hollow bones we wouldn't be able to move though, because our bodies are really,
really heavy..." I babble.
"And, and, ants! Ants are really strong! They can lift up to twenty times their weight... And they're
fast too, if people ran as fast as ants do then they'd be as fast as a horse!" I go to continue babbling
when he bonks me on the head.
Lightly.
"Shut up," He tells me.
I don't need to be told twice.
He extends his hand and I hand him the toy bird.
"Quest completed!"
There's this awkward moment of silence.

"A-Wu, get the kid a treat," He then tells a servant beside him," We're going home."
"As you wish, Young Master Nie," The servant bows, and the rest follow after their master.
After they're gone the servant turns to me and smiles," What would you like to eat?"
"Bun?" I weakly ask, too confused and definitely shaken from this experience.
The servant nods and leads me to a nearby stall, telling me goodbye after buying me a bag of buns.
I sit back down at the fountain, lost on what to do.
...
They were good buns.
Chapter End Notes
How many recognized the name A-Sang?

And why do you think NMJ got him a treat at the end?
Spooky stuff
Chapter Summary
Where one becomes a year older, birthday boy gets his wish, and dear Santa Claus, I
know you might not have room in your sleigh, but I really want a an undead friend for
christmas.
Also, never mess with a momma's bear baby.
Chapter Notes
Not entirely content with the ghost scene, but I wanted to work with the three methods
cultivators used when dealing with spiritual threats.
"Hark! Hark to the wind! 'Tis the night, they say, when all souls come back from the far away- the
dead, forgotten this many a day!" - Virna Sheard
Chapter 9: Spooky stuff
You know when time flies by?
Because it does. Really, really flipping fast.
Today was halloween.
Or well, to me it was halloween, to everyone else it was just the last day of October. The
equivalent to 'halloween' here happened either in mid-August or early September, because that was
apparently the time where hell closed its gates and every single ghost decided to come party it up
in the living world.
Culture here was odd, but it had incredible stories and anecdotes.
So, I was turning four years old today. Hooray?
I mean, I was happy I was getting older and could try and weasel my way to more freedom because
I was a 'big boy' now, but it was also very hard to pretend not to notice the metaphorical hourglass
running out of sand.
I didn't know exactly when Wei ChangZe and CangSe Sanren died. I knew Wei WuXian was four
when it happened, but apart from that I was going in blind, and it was scary.
Not scary in the sense that I would have no idea of what to do if they were gone, because I had
basically left my ancestral house the minute I legally turned eighteen with only the clothes on my
back, I knew I could survive on my own, especially since there was always the option of going to
Yunmeng and let myself be found early by Jiang FengMian.
No, the scary part was the not knowing when exactly they'd die. The only thing I knew for certain
was that they died during a night-hunt, but it was a small consolidation when they went on night-
hunts every other night.
Usually when we were passing through towns, as it was easier to leave me in an inn than to try and
find some quiet but still protected place for me to stay and wait from them. And as the hunts
happened at night it was bad form to leave your toddler in the middle of a street out in the cold.
I digress, I was still trying to convince them to take me with them.
Not because I was worried about them not coming back but to learn, first hand, what I was getting
myself into by wanting to become a cultivator.
Because I was going to be one. Ain't living in a world filled with magic and superpowers, cool
flying swords and crazy monsters to grow up and open another cafe.
Although I'd miss cooking and brewing drinks. I liked the atmosphere of it, and I could still cook as
a hobby (although brewing would have to wait until I could know for sure if I could find coffee
beans). I wondered if I could handle spices as well as canon!Wei WuXian.
I liked spices, but I was more of a sweet tooth, give me candy and I would be your friend for life
kind of person, and I had a limit to how spicy my food could be. Another thing I hadn't been able to
test yet as neither adult wanted to give any spicy food to a toddler.
Understandable.
But I was curious, damn it.
Anyway, moving on.
As it was my birthday I was feeling confident in my chances of wheedling into one of their Night-
Hunts, which was what I was doing at the moment.
"Please? Pretty please?" I did my best puppy eyes at Wei ChangZe," I will be quiet and I will keep
very close, I won't walk ahead and I won't play any games, please?"
Wei ChangZe was the easiest target, CangSe was an automatic no, but I could try to use the 'but
dad said yes' card.
I'm sorry, ChangZe, but I really want to go.
He was visibly struggling to give me an answer. Part of him wanted to cave in at the sight of my
big teary silver orbs, but the responsible!parent part of him was against the very thought of doing
it.
Plus, we both knew CangSe would have "words" about this if he accepted.
"Ask your mother," He finally answered.
Damn.
I pouted at him, should have known he'd say that.

Then I grinned, two could play that game.
I skipped happily towards CangSe," Mom, dad said to ask you something!"
The words tumbled out of my mouth with only some hesitation, I couldn't really address them
differently but something inside of me twitched at the words.
They didn't feel right. It was hard, very hard, to not show any reaction whenever they called me
their son - or child - and were generally loving parents.
It was different than what I was used to.
Oh, sure, all of my nieces and nephews had loving parents in my sisters and brothers-in-law. But
that was different.
Because they had never been my parents.
Even my mother and father-in-law knew that there were boundaries they couldn't cross and treaded
very carefully around.
There had been more than one-too-many bad breakdowns during my marriage with their son
regarding those boundaries.
I wondered if I would ever fully get rid of them.
"What is it?" She asked, smiling.
"He wanted you to say whether or not I could go with you when you leave tonight," I hugged her
legs and smiled up at her.
Her smile froze.
"Why couldn't he answer that?" She asked mildly.
"I don't know," I shrugged, unrepentant," I asked him and he said to ask you."
She hums, and I just know that ChangZe won't be too happy with me," Why did you ask if you
could come with us? You know the rules, don't you?"
"But it's my birthday! I'm four today!" I pout at her," I'll be real quiet I won't get in the way,
pleaseeeeee?"
I hug her leg tighter and make puppy eyes.
"You'll do exactly as we say?" She asks me.
I nod really quick," To the letter!"
"Then if I said you had to stay here while we go out?" She says.
I pout," I'll stay here..." I answer, put out.
"Promise?" She smiles.
"Promise," I nod, and sigh because I really thought I had it this time.
"Then A-Ying can come with us," She decided.

...What?
I beam up at her," Really?" I grin.
"Really," She nods," So long as you do exactly as we say, do you hear me?"
"Yes! Yes yes yes yes!" I celebrate, jumping around the room.
"You sure, CangSe?" ChangZe pokes his head around the paper divider where he's having a bath.
"Oh? Weren't you the one who told him to ask me?" She gives him a look.
He smiles at her," You know I love you, right?"
I leave them to it and go watch the fallout from a safe distance away.
Ghosts were weird.
They looked human enough, if slightly see-through, but intellectually they were kind of broken.
As in, they repeated some words, complained about something, or generally just sat there and
stared at nothing.
It was weird.
Weirder still to see the two adults pull out paper talismans, slap them upside the heads with it, and
suppress it in its coffin or death place.
It was a reality check that no, this wasn't the world I was born in and how the hell am I supposed to
find this normal.
"Why are they like that?" I ask them, looking at a nearby ghost lady that was wailing for her
husband.
"Scary?" Wei ChangZe smiles at me.
"No," I shake my head," They just seem... sad. Why are they sad?" I ask him.
"Ghosts are formed when people have lots of resentment when they die, A-Ying," CangSe answers
me," Resentment over not doing certain things or of how they died, for example."
"So they're sad because they died? But that lady is very old," I do my best not to point, 'cuz that
was rude," And there's another grave beside her for her husband, so isn't he gone too?"
"She died before him, she doesn't know he's gone," ChangZe replies.
"Why can't we tell her and let her go meet him? Why do we have to put her to sleep?" I ask him.
He hums and doesn't answer, not sure how to answer at all.
CangSe smiles at me instead," Do you want to try and talk to her?"
I think about it," Can I?" I make sure it's okay.
She nods and I walk towards the wailing woman.

She doesn't really notice me, even when I'm standing in front of her, she just keeps crying and
calling for her husband, curled up where she's sitting beside her grave.
"Ma'am?" I try calling her, and reach out for her," Can you hear me?"
She's not quite solid, but I certainly felt something when my hand went through her shoulder.
The airs on the back of my arm stand on end.
It works, and the woman stops wailing and looks at me, eyes clouded and face stained with tears.
"Who are you? Where is my husband? I need to find my husband." She speaks in a weak and
scratchy voice.
"My name is Wei Ying," I answer," Who is your husband?" I ask her.
"He's Wu Gui, he is a carpenter," She answers," Have you seen him?"
"Oh? Does he make tables and chairs?" I ask her, not answering her question on purpose.
She blinks and smiles," The best tables and chairs in town, our son always complains he can't build
them half as good."
I smile back at her," He'll be happy to hear you say that," I tell her," Why are you looking for him?"
She looks at me but doesn't answer.
"Do you know where you are right now?" I try then.
"I...I...I don't know..." She answers and a few tears start falling from her eyes, her face twists.
"No, no, don't cry, ma'am!" That's not what I wanted to happen," I heard something from your
husband!"
She stops crying," You did?" She asks.
I lie and nod," He told me that he'll be here if you close your eyes."
She blinks," Close my eyes? Why only if I close my eyes?"
"It's a surprise!" I whisper to her," He thought you looked so sad today that he wanted to do
something to cheer you up!"
She smiles widely," A surprise? Oh, I'm sure it's another bouquet of flowers, the silly man," She
tells me.
"You've got to close your eyes and find out," I tell her," What kind of flowers do you think he has?"
She closes them," Roses and peonies, or maybe tulips," She tells me," He once filled the house
with flowers, when we had our son, he was so happy."
"Keep your eyes closed!" I told her," Here he is, he's right beside you, can't you smell the
flowers?"
I begged a higher power for the trick to work.
There was a lull in the night, a moment of complete silence, then...

"I can," She smiles," What took you so long? I was worried..."
I open my mouth to try and figure out something to say, but it wasn't needed.
"Oh, you couldn't decide what to pick? Silly, silly man, you know I'd love anything you'd brought
me," She talks to herself," Let's go home, A-Zheng is waiting with his little wife."
She starts to fade away.
Part of me was confused as to how this actually worked.
"Good job, A-Ying," CangSe kneels beside me," You appeased her," She tells me.
"She just missed her husband," I murmur," Was that why she was so sad?"
"Maybe," CangSe tells me," Or maybe you just made her feel better long enough for her spirit to
pass on."
That made sense, in a convoluted way, and I slumped against her.
"Are you sad, A-Ying?" She sounds surprised.
I brush away the tears from my eyes," No."
I don't sound very convincing.
The thought of what my dear Walter was doing right now crossed my mind when I thought of that
woman, and then the rest of my family, and it made me feel small. I wondered if I'd leave a ghost
behind in this world, filled with regrets over letting things happen when I could try to avoid them
or curb their consequences.
I'd thought the night would end on a calmer note, maybe even an early night given that they were,
in fact, accompanied by a newly turned four year-old.
I was mistaken.
"Stay right here, Wei Ying, do not move from this spot!" CangSe warned me before taking off to
join ChangZe in fighting a couple of fierce corpses.
...Yes, you read that right, a couple of fierce corpses.
Someone wasn't doing their job properly if there were more than one in the area and people hadn't
been warned about it.
I crouched closer to the ground and near some bushes so the corpses wouldn't see me and think I
looked like a nice snack.
But, oh man, they looked awesome.
Creepy and very scary, especially under a weak moonlight and the state some of them were in, but
very, very awesome.
...
I want one.
We're not asking CangSe or ChangZe for a pet fierce corpse.
Just a little one?
No.
I was getting my own fierce corpse.
Wen Ning?
...
I'll get a different fierce corpse and try keep that munchkin alive.
Protect the cinnamon roll!
All hail Wen Ning the cinnamon roll.
I take the opportunity to open my Player Menu and assign those Stat points I'd forgotten about.


Stamina: 8 Luck: 6
Skills:
-Martial
Climbing: 2 Brawling: 1
+Social
+Scholar
+Arts
+Mundane
Equipment:
Straw sandals ]
...I don't remember getting that many points.
Well, anyway.


Stamina: 9 Luck: 8
Skills:
-Martial
+Social
+Scholar
+Arts
+Mundane
Equipment:
Straw sandals ]
That worked.
'Threat,' A chill went down my spine.
...What?
I closed my screen and turned around.
Not three feet away from me there was a fierce corpse.
Staring at me.
Oh, no.
Oh, no no no no.
It snarled at me.
I froze. Flight was, realistically, my only option, but running towards the adults (who were busy
fighting more fierce corpses, need I remind you) without knowing the situation was a bad idea.
The fierce corpse tensed in order to come at me.
Scratch that, it was a better idea than to stand here and be eaten.
I took off running towards them.
"Mom!" I yelled.
"A-Ying, I told you to not-!" She stops mid sentence when she sees what's coming after me.
I didn't even see her move.
One second I'm running, the next she has me by the back of my clothes and is slicing the head
clean off the reanimated body.
She puts me down and starts checking to see if I'm alright, which I am, just had the spike of
adrenaline of a lifetime.
"He's never coming with us again until he knows how to handle a sword!" She's yelling at
ChangZe.
Neither of us disagree with her.
But, bloody hell, I want one.
Chapter End Notes
Zombies are cool. I know Fierce Corpses aren't zombies, but well... They're as close as
we're gonna get, people.
And this old lady wants herself a zombie.
But not her cinnamon roll, touch her cinnamon roll and die.
Who's afraid of the Big Bad Goat?
Chapter Summary
Everybody knows that the best time to brood is during timeout, the moment you learn
just how awesome your parents are, that there's more truth in rumors than what people
might think, and another checkpoint.
Random Quests are random.
First impressions stick and you made sure yours won't be forgotten.
Chapter Notes
"Everything is funny, as long as it's happening to somebody else." - Will Rogers
Chapter 10: Who's afraid of the Big Bad Goat?
I was grounded.
Or, well, as grounded as you could be when you're traveling and the only method of travel you can
take is either on the back of a donkey or on the shoulders of one of them.
That being said, I was left behind in the inn to practice my calligraphy or play quietly, and god
have mercy on my ears if I asked, again, if I could go with them.
Which was reasonable, given the scare of the last time, but still... I had fun.
I had less fun when trying to write the characters ChangZe had assigned me to work on and failing
miserably because I was used to one method of writing and not using a brush and 'lightly' pressing
it down on paper to 'draw' elegant strokes.
Yeah, no...
Where were pencils and fountain pens when you needed them?
I guess they haven't been invented yet.
Note to self, then, invent fountain pens.
We were halfway to Gusu, and the weather was less cold and more humid. I had no doubt that once
winter set in it would be freezing but there were still warm days and the trees had only just started
changing. There was still time.
There will never be enough time.
I sighed, and put the brush down on the table, resting my head on one hand, my elbow on top of the
desk.
I open the Story Arcs page, and I stare at the timeline, one of the knots was gone, in its place the
black thread that made up 'time' turned red for a segment, before turning back again all the way to
the next knot.
Around the red thread, flowers bloomed and wrapped around it.
I focused on it and a heavily fogged memory of a Wei WuXian playing on top of his father's chest
while his mother laughed behind them appeared. The boy pulls something out of his sleeve and
Wei ChangZe makes this scandalized sound while CangSe starts howling in laughter, tearing up.
Then the scene changes to how I lived through that scene.
I'd changed things... but in the end they stayed the same.
In both scenes, it was a nice day out with the family, happiness and joy, warmth, under the midday
sun.
I open a side page to this one, called Memories, and there they are, like photographs glued on a
wall. Little snippets of canon!Wei WuXian's childhood, one that he'd forget almost in its entirety.
Four years with his family, and yet barely twenty memories remained on this page. CangSe
Sanren's quote, a memorable donkey ride, a shopping trip in a colorful town, lighting lanterns by a
lake, the phantom taste of mooncakes on his tongue.
Waiting for his parents by a city gate, but they never come back.
The tickling clock hounded my footsteps, nipping at my heels, and I knew I had to think of
something.
What to do?
Important things first, walking backwards from Wei WuXian's death, was the siege of the Burial
Mounds, then Jiang YanLi's death, Jin ZiXuan's death, the isolation from the rest of the world, the
Sunshot Campaign, Wen Chao and Wen ZhuLiu, the Burning of Lotus Pier, the animosity between
the Jiangs because of Wei WuXian's presence.
I had no idea how to work out the last one, mostly because I didn't know if the rumors were true or
not. The favoritism wouldn't stop just because I was different, and other than giving more support
to Jiang Cheng and try to push him onto every situation Jiang FengMian was present, I was short
out of ideas.
The Burning of Lotus Pier... And the war... I needed strength. Power.
Alternatives.
Once Wei WuXian lost his Golden Core he was all out of options of how to still be useful to his
best friend and keep doing what he wanted to do, save people and protect innocents.
So I needed to become powerful and I needed to have options.
Easier said than done.
The next great obstacle would be the Jins, because if they played the same games they did in the
novel then all my hard work would be for nothing.
The Wens... I wanted to save them.

I had hated reading that chapter in the novel, knowing that all they were guilty of was of having the
last name "Wen" and be killed for it. The Holocaust ended a decade or so before I was born, but it
was recent. It was real, it happened and it was... beyond dehumanizing.
How many Wens killed were children?
The thought strangled my heart.
I thought of all my nieces and nephews, of how small they had been nestled against my chest and
how perfect their little hands and toes looked.
Wen Yuan had been born in the middle of the Campaign. Had nearly starved in a prisoners camp
he was never meant to be in.
Anger coursed through my veins.
I couldn't let that happen again.
I could not stand by and watch as children were starved, tortured and murdered for their family
name.
I had to save them.
But how?
"A-Ying? We're back," CangSe opened the room door," It's late, why haven't you gone to bed yet?"
I let her pick me up and tuck me in.
My thoughts swirled like blackened vines, creating a black hole in the middle of my mind.
How do I save them?
"I still can't believe you cut off his beard," ChangZe was laughing so hard the trees shook.
I was wheezing on top of his shoulders.
"It made him look so much more handsome!" CangSe justified," And he got so angry at me for it
too!"
The infamous CangSe Sanren and her time at GusuLan Sect.
One word: Mind-blowing.
I was so growing up to become just like her.
"And you don't get to talk, I distinctively remember you and FengMian being caught red-handed
trying to sneak a goat into his dorm room," She shot back.
I perk up," What? You did?"
ChangZe groaned," CangSe, why'd you have to remind me of that. In my defense, it was all
FengMian's idea!"
"Was it?" I peek at him upside down.

"No," He smirks.
I grin back at him, exemplary role-models for children, right here.
"What about that time with the sword and melon?" CangSe asked.
ChangZe tripped," That was not me!"
"What happened?" I asked, turning to look back at her.
"Not age appropriate! You're too young to hear that story!" ChangZe vehemently refuses.
I'm old enough to be your mother, mister, now give me all the delicious details!
"How about I tell you of how your mother made her teacher give up on ever trying to get her to
behave like a lady?" ChangZe offers instead.
CangSe Sanren behaving like a lady? The universe would implode.
I cross my arms on top of his head and settle down to listen to this.
ChangZe and FengMian had studied for almost two years in Gusu, mostly so that FengMian's
parents could focus on political alliances (which would end up in him getting engaged to Yu
ZiYuan), while CangSe Sanren joined them on their last year.
She was slightly younger than both of them but far outpaced most of the men of their generation.
Both FengMian and ChangZe had become enamored with her, and many thought that CangSe was
sure to become the next Lady of Lotus Pier. So it came as a shock when she asked his manservant
to marry her instead.
"FengMian was my friend, but your father and I just clicked," She laughed," FengMian accepted
my decision and released ChangZe from his ties with the YunmengJiang in order for us to get
married and become rogue cultivators."
"Besides, he was already engaged with Yu ZiYuan by then," ChangZe added," Yu ZiYuan never
quite got over her dislike for her mother, though, so I wouldn't be too surprised if she hissed at us
the next time we run into them."
"She's not so bad, ChangZe!" CangSe kept laughing," You'll get A-Ying confused!"
She really is that bad... And it makes the rumors surrounding your love triangle more
incriminating.
There was a possibility FengMian wasn't as 'okay' with their decision as he might've made it sound.
But clearly thought of both of them dearly if he was willing to let them leave, possibly forever, and
not simply have CangSe move in with ChangZe at Lotus Pier.
Probably because it would make it harder to ignore the fact it wasn't him marrying her.
Or because Yu ZiYuan would've made everyone else miserable until they left.
Bit of both?
Another already?
This Story Arc isn't going to last for much longer...
Tick-Tock.
Time's running out.
Whoever was creating these Quest names needed some serious help.
"Quest: Find the Old Goat!"
«You've found a pouch on the streets.

It's a very important pouch.
Bring the pouch back to its owner.»
[YES] [NO]
I could very well guess what were the Quest Objectives...
"Find the Old Goat Quest Objectives:"
|o Find the Old Goat (Incomplete)|

|o Deliver the pouch (Incomplete)|
[YES] [NO]
I accepted and looked down at the pouch I had picked off the streets because it had given off some
sort of glow.
Apparently there was indeed an HUD mechanic to the System, it's just that my Stats are so low that
they rarely if ever showed anything.
I happened to walk too close to the pouch and it started glowing, the moment I pick it up, the Quest
notification goes up. And now...
Now the words "Old Goat's Pouch (Quest Item)" float above it.
I was so done with situations like these... Why would a goat have a pouch?
Well, I could infer that it might be a person, more than likely was, but who the hell was called 'Old
Goat'?
It wasn't even a rather eye-catching pouch, plain white with blue trim, but made of quality cloth.
I also couldn't open it, which upset me because, I was curious! Let me see!
The adults had gone ahead to look for an inn and then to go talk to the person responsible for
organizing night-hunts in this town. We were a day or so from Gusu and it showed.
The dialect in this area was unlike any I had heard before, all soft-voice and sing-song tones. It was
creepy.
Especially when I had heard Qinghe merchants selling their wares with big drums and showing
very bloody pieces of mutton and pork on sale.
In comparison these people sounded like they'd make chewing you out seem like a poetry reading
session.
I much preferred the buff merchants.
Anyway, there wasn't time to stand her and contemplate dialects. Until the previous Quest this
didn't have a timer but I wanted to end this as fast as possible.
So, going under the assumption that this is indeed a person and not a farmer with a sense of humor,
where does one go to find people.
Market place?
Market place.
I searched high and low around the market, even asked a few people who might've seen anyone
looking for a pouch, but there was nothing.
No one had lost a pouch.
Not even showing it had jogged any memories, though there were a few people who saw the
quality of the pouch, said it was theirs but upon not being able to open it gave it back, cussing me
out.
Idiots... Blame the four year-old, why don't you...
The sun was going down, not quite dusk yet but wouldn't be too long now.
I left to go find the adults at the meeting spot we'd agreed with.
Here's the thing, I'm not a very observant person by nature. In fact, I went against basic survival
instincts by not caring too much about what was happening around me.
Which was now a conditioning I had to break so as to not end in situations like this.
See, what I didn't notice upon running towards the meeting spot was that everyone was giving it a
wide berth, as in, people were going through roundabout ways just so they didn't have to pass
through that spot.
I didn't notice it yet it was that obvious.
Secondly, upon seeing Wei WuXian's parents talking animatedly with a group of people, I didn't
stop for one second to recognize what they were wearing.
No, I just ran up to them and literally skidded to a halt upon seeing the face of the person they were
talking with.
It was a tall and thin person, straight backed, he had a somewhat long face with a very distinct
frown. His dark eyes had this odd glint of amber in them.
The long goatee and thin mustache just triggered my memory in a brilliant moment of word
association.
I know who this is!
"It's the Old Goat!" I blurt out.
It's Lan QiRen!
...
Did you seriously just say that out loud?
I take in the looks on everyone's faces.
...Just kill me...Please, just bury me in a hole somewhere...
Maybe increasing your Luck stats next time might be a good investment.
Shut. Up.
Chapter End Notes
Okay so, personally, something has always tickled me funny about Jiang FengMian
and Yu ZiYuan's arguments. Is it really only jealousy over the attention the kids
received (or didn't receive), anger over their arranged marriage, or was there actual
truth in her words.
JFM could've loved CangSe and cherished her son for having something to remember
her by (especially since WWX is said to resemble his mother greatly), but it's all kept
quiet because no one is talking.
And here we start seeing some of AGF!WWX planning about future events, and their
views on the whole Wen war situation (and post-war), keeping in mind that before
coming to these world the OC was a very motherly (and grandmotherly, she'd totally
feed you cookies until you popped) and those instincts aren't going to just turn off.
Instead they'll be pushed to the limit especially when dealing with Jiang family drama,
Lan family drama and then in the face of cinnamon roll Wen Ning.
Also, yes, I had much fun when calling Lan QiRen, Old Goat.
Love is complicated
Chapter Summary
Where there is a conversation, a promise and one can't help to overhear what the
adults say behind closed doors.
Chapter Notes
Smaller chapter today for the monstrosity of tomorrow, I'm at 3k words and aren't yet
finished.
"But surely for everything you have to love you have to pay some price." - Agatha Christie
Chapter 11: Love's complicated
"Wei Ying, what do you say?" CangSe was laying the 'upset mother' vibe quite thickly.
Not helped by the fact that Lan QiRen was still staring at me like I'd offended his ancestors by
jumping on their grave or something.
You did call him Old Goat. To his face.
Ughhhhhhhhh...Don't remind me.
I'll never stop.
Ugh.
"I'm sorry," I apologized, doing an awkward bow as ChangZe had very firmly instructed me to do.
"And will you call that to anyone ever again?" CangSe asked.
"No," I answered.
Not, out loud at least.
We'll see about that!
Shut up.
"I'm sorry about him, QiRen, I don't even know where he got that name from," She told the not-
amused man.
"Yes, well, might I suggest a talk about rudeness and common courtesy," He huffed," I can see that
the apple didn't fall too far from the tree with this one."
Asshole.
CangSe's eyes kind of narrowed, and she must've bitten the inside of her cheek and counted down
from a hundred to calm down, but she kept from replying back to his comment.
ChangZe gave off a fake chuckle," Boys will be boys, he's young yet so we're not too worried
about it. Are you here for the night-hunt?"
Lan QiRen nodded primly," The disciples will be going along with a few seniors, I'll stay behind
unless they need assistance. They need to experience night-hunts by themselves."
"I remember doing that in Gusu," ChangZe smiled more honestly," How is the Sect Leader Lan? I
hope his health is better?"
Lan QiRen nodded in thanks," My brother has recovered from his bout of illness, he's spending the
week with his sons."
He didn't look very happy with the fact.
"And how are your nephews? I believe one is around A-Ying's age, isn't he?" CangSe asked," And
the older one, A-Huan? He should be about seven?"
"Yes, A-Huan is seven, A-Zhan is turning five in the winter," Lan QiRen eases slightly when
talking about his nephews," They are doing well in their studies, prime examples of our Clan's
teachings.
They're seven and five... What are you teaching them? How not to trip over their sleeves?
CangSe's lips twitched, she probably found that as funny as I did.
"Well, maybe one day they can meet A-Ying and teach him those good Lan manners," She says.
I looked up at CangSe with a horrified expression.
I thought you loved me!
Lan QiRen twitched, he wanted this devil-in-the-making nowhere near his precious nephews.
"Perhaps," He answered out of sheer politeness," He's just turned four?"
"Yes, a few weeks ago, we just came here from Qinghe," ChangZe replied smiling," It's very
beautiful up north this time of year, but I'm sure the Cloud Recesses look even more amazing."
Stroke his ego, why don't you?
"Cloud Recesses?" I echo, and then turn to look at the clouds embroidered in the GusuLan's
disciples robes," Why clouds?"
Lan QiRen looks down at me," This is the GusuLan's Sect symbol, and the Cloud Recesses is
where our Sect resides," A firm believer of educating children as soon as possible.
I could work with that.

But we still find him a fuddy-duddy?
We still find him a fuddy-duddy.
"You live in the clouds?" I ask him, wide-eyed," There's a house in the clouds?"
CangSe laughs and kneels down," They don't live in the clouds, A-Ying, they live on the top of a
mountain. The place there is called Cloud Recesses because it's so up high that it goes through the
clouds in the sky. But they don't live on the clouds."
"Ooh," I make a sound of wonder, then I smile widely at Lan QiRen," I'm going to climb the tallest
mountain there is!"
He cocks an eyebrow at me," And why is that?"
"I'm going to climb the tallest mountain and reach the clouds and be like mom's Shizun!" I answer
proudly.
"Your mother's 'Shizun'..." Lan QiRen repeats, before blinking," The Great Baoshan Sanren?"
I nod happily," I'll have my own mountain and I'll teach others like mom's Shizun taught her, and
the mountain will be super tall and beautiful too!"
CangSe laughs and picks me up to rest on her hip," You're going to have to work hard to have your
own mountain, A-Ying," She says.
"I'll work the hardest!" I cheer.
Lan QiRen doesn't know how to appreciate my greatness," To achieve the Great Baoshan's success
one needs more than just hard work, discipline and self-control are tantamount."
I pout at him," I can do it."
To be fair, I wouldn't believe my own words either.
I wonder why that is?
Because I've clearly been spending too much time with you, obviously.
"We'll see," He turns his nose," Maybe you'll even get to come study at Cloud Recesses like your
parents, see if you can show me that discipline and self-control then," He says.
That's a challenge if I ever heard one.
Well then... Challenge accepted.
"I will!" I puff out my chest," I'll be the best there is!"
ChangZe smirks," Just remember that bragging is not allowed on the Cloud Recesses, A-Ying," He
tells me.
I pout at him then.
...I think we forgot about the 3000+ rules.
'Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.'

More like 'Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.'
True.
Wei WuXian has to be the one who breaks Lan QiRen's perfect record of straightening out 'bad
kids'.
I'm still awake when they come back from their night-hunt, but as I'm effectively wrapped on a
blanket and laying quite still on the bed, they do not notice and start talking in hushed voices with
one another.
I pretend to be asleep, keeping my body limp and breathing relaxed.
There's nothing that tells you're awake and listening in than keeping perfectly still and your
breathing quieter.
"How many years has it been?" CangSe was saying as she took off her let loose her hair," Nine,
ten?"
"CangSe..." ChangZe sighs.
"He's still keeping her locked in that house, ChangZe!" She hisses at him," He has children now,
didn't you hear that they took them from her as soon as they were born?"
Oh.
They're talking about Lan WangJi's mother.
And XiChen's.
"It's not our place to question what they do, CangSe," ChangZe tells her," And, at the time, it was
the only way of keeping her alive and safe from the rest of the Clan."
"But it's been years, ChangZe, she's given birth to the Clan's heirs!" CangSe doesn't let the topic
go.
I understand where she's coming from. The thought of being locked away in a cottage, all by
myself, feeling a child growing inside of me only to have it taken away and only be allowed to see
it once a month would've driven me to insanity.
Or suicide.
"The Lan's are quite set on their rules and teachings, CangSe," ChangZe says, tiredly," Let us hope
for the next generation."
"Those poor boys, ChangZe..." She sniffles," I hope they find better luck in their love than their
parents.
Ouch.
Between Lan WangJi waiting for over thirteen years for Wei WuXian to return, after seeing him go
through the transformation of a lifetime and several near-death incidents; and Lan XiChen's sworn
brothers effectively turning the Cultivation world upside down...
I wonder if they really had any luck in love at all, or if they were just repeating past mistakes.
Things will be better this time.
Let us try.
Chapter End Notes
Does the Burial Mound count as a mountain? I'm saying it counts as a mountain.
So, the Two Jade's mother... I doubt that no one was ever interested in the Lan Sect
Leader's wife, one who was never seen, given that her sons were quite well known.
Not only as heirs but as examples of what the Clan stood for.
My take on this is that, the adults (or at least the generation of the parents) knew about
the mother (or at the very least heard rumors) but because 'it was Lan Clan's business'
no one ever said a word.
And after the mother died, well... Why dig up old skeletons?
ChangZe here is more well-used to Clan politics, so he doesn't want his wife to get
involved, CangSe isn't as accepting and views (correctly, mind you) that the practice is
barbaric.
Then the thing with Lan WangJi and XiChen.
See, OC isn't sure how to proceed with Lan Zhan, won't be for many, many years and
probably not push for it to actually be a thing for many more (not a spoiler since it was
a given people, I love WangXian), but she knows there's no way she's not interacting
with him in the future. She's on a 'wait and see' kind of approach.
Lan XiChen and Meng Yao. I am not convinced it was a romantic connection, I find I
like them better as sworn-siblings than anything else. But, love is still love. And in this
case, neither Lan sibling got very lucky in love.
Sure, LWJ got his Wifi in the end, but after all they've been through, it was a very
bittersweet ending to the novel. Especially since so many bonds were broken.
Also, time-skip for next chapter!

With the best of Intentions
Chapter Summary
Where the night is cold and full of terrors.

Where Wens are already screwing around with people's lives.
And Wei Ying to the rescue!
Not.
Also, never mess with a unicorn, they'll call up their gangster cousins.
Chapter Notes
So, there were so many points in this chapter that I could've just gone 'Cliffhanger,
muhahaha' and left you waiting for another 24 hours or so, but I'm not that evil.
Yet.
So, here you have a long chapter and tomorrow, or still later today depends on how
functional my brain is for the rest of the day, there will be a smaller chapter.
Followed by a slightly longer one because of timeskips and POVs.
"Our intention creates our reality." - Wayne Dyer
Chapter 12: With the best of intentions
You never realized how cold you could actually be until you're sent into a world where turtle
necks, thick snow suits, and central heating don't exist.
Sure, there were winter robes, boots and the general mittens and scarves but that did not mean that
it wasn't freezing.
We'd spent the last three months traveling from Gusu to a city near Qishan who, despite being
known as the central-city of assholes, had a despairing amount of low level night hunts that the
Wens were too good to take care of.
And they also used these low level night hunts to scout for potential talent but no one talks about
that in polite company.
We had spent a few days in Gusu, then we'd went south and passed through Yunmeng but the
Jiangs (let me clarify, Jiang FengMian) were attending a Discussion Conference and we couldn't
stay long enough for them to return.
After Yunmeng we'd passed through Yiling, and I was way too excited to pass through this city,
and then went to Meishan, because why not?
Finally after Meishan they had decided to head towards Qishan, which was where we basically
were right now.
I had been warned about straying in this city, because it wasn't safe and some child-friendly talk
that totally didn't infer that the Wens could very well take me hostage or something because they
had been ticked when CangSe refused their 'polite' requests to join them.
Really, I was actually amazed it took them burning down Gusu to realize the Wens were more than
arrogant jerks and should've been dealt with years ago.
Not that 'dealing' with the Wens worked out the first time.
Don't remind me, I get enough nightmares as is.
Thankfully, I haven't been too bored. Through each city, town or village we passed by there was
always some sort of Quest that I could complete. And they varied in types of Quests, something I'd
have to find and retrieve something, other times I'd have to deliver things, or like my last one where
I just had to gather a certain amount of things and give them to the person indicated.
Gathering firewood for a couple of people wasn't my first idea on how to spend an afternoon but
meh, I got something out of it.
And because I was just that cute, the people usually gave me rewards (like treats or spare change)
for it plus the Quest rewards.
It was good business.


Stamina: 10 Luck: 11
Skills:
-Martial
+Social
+Scholar
+Arts
+Mundane
Equipment:
Common winter clothes (child)
Winter boots
Warm gloves
Wool scarf]
I'd been busy.

I'd scoped out some skills too, and pestered Wei ChangZe and CangSe Sanren constantly about
night-hunts and the monsters they fought against, and when they would teach me how to battle it
out too.
I wasn't being as successful in the last one as I had been hoping for.
ChangZe sometimes taught me how to throw a punch or kick, but after the last fight with a kid
CangSe had told him that, on no uncertain terms, if he taught me anything else like that, bedroom
privileges would be revoked.
I understood him, in this world there weren't even comfortable couches to sleep in and it was cold
enough that I couldn't begrudge him the 'adult snuggles'.
I did, vocally, complain about them kicking me off the bed and into a small mound of blankets on
the floor (and all the way across the room behind a paper divider) so they could have 'alone time'.
In public.
I could just picture a scandalized Lan WangJi's expression screaming 'Shameless!' at me.
It was true, I was entirely shameless. Especially if it got me that embarrassed look from the adults
and my warm snuggles with CangSe (who had way too much fun with my nonchalant honesty)
while ChangZe just gave up trying to get me to respect his 'manly' needs, spoken outside of
CangSe's hearing range of course.
Anyways, I was still 'grounded' in someways, but had a lot more liberty to spend my time instead of
just copying character after character, which I had to begrudgingly admit I was getting better at,
and I was getting fond of paper origami, that silly rattle and making those straw dolls into the next
Neil Armstrong and chucking them whichever way.
Downside was that, with time, stats and skills became harder to level up by just repeating these
motions. I needed to find more things to throw or to lift, climb or break to level them up.
Something particularly hard to do when you're either traveling or in a place where throwing,
messing with or breaking stuff is frowned upon.
Why couldn't this world be like Legend of Zelda or some other cool video game where no one bats
an eye at you breaking pots and crates to get coins?
I digress, I would flip my stuffing if some kid suddenly showed up and messed around my cafe for
the heck of it, too.
Moving on, once the initial excitement and novelty of my current situation faded away, giving me
way too much time to quietly panic and create countless plans on how to deal with people I haven't
even met yet, traveling was... well, not boring, but certainly not too thrilling.
I wanted to go with them night-hunting, even if it was just squatting in the bushes and watching
from a distance.
And not figuring out how to stuff a fierce corpse in my magic hammer space (it said living things,
and these were dead, so it didn't count!)
I'm pretty sure the System won't let you have fierce corpses pop out of thin air.
Shut up, the System loves me!

Loves you so much it not only conspired for you to meet Nie MingJue but also Lan QiRen in less
than desirable situations.
Extenuating circumstances.
And didn't it give you that Quest one time where you had to capture those loose cats?
...Cats are assholes, why did you have to remind me of that?
Because that's just who I am.
...
"Hey, did you hear about Wen Feng's night-hunt?" A voice from below me brings me out of my
head.
I stop what I was doing at the desk and walk towards the open window of the room I'm locked in.
There's a bar, or whatever its correct designation is, right across from the inn, which is where my
window is facing.
I look out and there's a small group of white robed men sitting down and drinking at one of the
tables.
Their robes are edged with a red flaming pattern.
Wens.
Well, you're in QishanWen territory, it'd be weirder if you didn't see any Wens walking about.
Point.
"No, what did he do?" A rather worn-out man asks, he's toying with his liquor bottle.
"He says they ran into a Bo," The first man gossips," Had three tiger pawns with it and had already
gutted a group of travelers before they found it."
"Oh?" The worn out man pays attention at that," They kill or capture it? Why haven't the villages
heard of this? If the Bo is killed and the pawns are left alone, they'll go mad and start attacking
every human in sight."
"Quiet down," The first man hissed," Do you think Wen Feng is capable of bringing down a Bo?
No, they chased it out of the zone they were in, let some other guy deal with it."
The worn out man quite literally slapped the liquor bottle down on the table and was nearly
foaming at the mouth in rage," Is he stupid? A complete imbecil? You don't 'chase' a Bo out of its
territory, it comes back as soon as the invader is gone and will be incredibly violent to the next
cultivator that walks into it!"
"Wen GuanYu, what's wrong with you?! Keep it down!" The first man grabbed the front of the
other man's robes and pulled him down back into his seat," Listen, Wen Feng is closer to Wen
Ruohan's lineage than you are, if you start anything with that man you are going to lose. Think of
your family!"
"I am thinking of my family," This Wen GuanYu tersely tells the other," And I'm thinking of
someone else's family, where did this Bo appear?"
The first man frowns and doesn't look like he's about to answer, Wen GuanYu gives him a glare," I
swear to the Great GuanYin, I will never brew you another bottle of liquor unless you tell me
where the Bo appeared right now."
That did the trick.
"The forest just outside the city, up the mountain," The first man answered.
That sounded familiar...
Not from the novel... And not from any random tidbits of fact the adults liked to spout to little
children.
Where had I heard it from?
"You don't mean...!" Wen GuanYu paled," Where tonight night-hunts is headed!"
Oh, right, ChangZe and CangSe were going up the mountain tonight!
...
My eyes widened, this couldn't be it, right?
They couldn't die here tonight, right?
My eyes stuttered in my chest, blood freezing in my veins, and my sight kind of swum.
"I'm sure they'll be fine," The first man shrugged it off, but his eyes betrayed him as he looked
away," 'S not like you and I could've done anything to stop them."
"They could've been warned!" Wen GuanYu hissed.
"Warned about what?" A second man, who had been sitting quietly up until now, spoke up," Wens
don't run away from problems, they deal with them. You warn them about a danger, in Wen
territory, that the Wens haven't dealt with yet and it will bring scrutiny down on whatever else
there might be lurking in the shadows."
"Forget about this, GuanYu, and go home," A third man told him.
Wen GuanYu frowned and his hands turned into fists but he did not say another word, not even a
goodbye and he stood up and walked away.
Not all Wens are like Wen Ruohan or Wen Chao.
No... But they were all tarnished with the same brush.
I offered a small prayer up for him, hoping that he at least made it past the war.
If he did, I'd do my best to save him also.
"How long do you think it'll take to reach the mountain top?" A man from down below asked.
"I don't know? The snow thickens as you go up, it slows you down, so maybe three four hours?"
Another replies.
"How fast does the Bo find its prey?" The other asked.
"Faster than that, I'd assume," The other answers.
"Poor bastards," The other says.
I praised myself for not shouting at them the minute those words connected in my mind. Nor did I
throw something at their heads (preferably something heavy) or insult them in any way.
But I won't praise myself for panicking.
Because I Panicked. With a very noticeable Capital P.
Wei ChangZe and CangSe Sanren had left an hour or two ago, odds are they'd find the Bo before
any warning could be sent out to them, damn the lack of instant communication, and the
probability of this being when they died was high.
They are going to die.
Instincts warred inside of me. On one hand I wanted to let canon be until I could fight it back, but
on the other...
They are going to die.
I swore extensively in my mind and tried to somehow open the door.
It was locked, of course, but maybe I could force it open somehow?
Too much time, the clock is ticking.
How the hell do I get out of this room?!
My lungs couldn't get enough air in them, I was truly on the verge of a panic attack.
The window! Use the window!
I run to it, there's a roof just outside of it, slanted at an angle as is normal, but still too high from me
to jump down from.
Tree!
I turn to look a rather thin tree with willow-y branches at the edge of the roof.
That could work.
I pulled myself up to the window sill and carefully made my way to the end of the roof, on the side
of the inn, thankfully only slipping on iced tiles once and not falling off of it.
Then I'm standing at the very edge of the roof and there's about a feet or two of distance between
me and the tree, upon a closer look it looks quite brittle.
Can't turn back now, jump!
'Skinny tree, skinny tree, don't break and fall on me,' I chant to myself and jump.
It doesn't break, but the bark is slick and I can't get a good grip so in my desperation I grab onto the
willow-y branches before I go splat on the ground.
The thin branches cut into my hands as they halt my descent, I hiss and blink out a few tears out of
my eyes.
I look down and see that the ground is quite close, so I let go of the branches and drop into a pile of
snow.
In hindsight, I should've brought my gloves when I made this erratic decision.
Too late, go go go!
I take off towards the city exit, I remembered the path they took to get here and I remembered
seeing the entrance to the forest.
If I was lucky the forest had a trail I could follow.
And if you're unlucky?
Scream really loud and hope not to fall in a ditch.
Sounds like a plan.
As luck would have it, there was indeed a trail.
That's as far as my luck went.
The moon offered little light to guide myself by, and as a city girl myself the closest I'd been to a
situation where I was alone in a forest at night was during a camping trip and I had to use the
bathroom.
And even then I didn't go very far because f! that, I wasn't going to lose track of the camp.
Now here you are, all of four years of age and venturing into a forest that you know is the home of
some horned asshole of a horse that has tigers has his lap dogs.
Shut up and just warn me if you see anything.
Like a person running really fast towards you?
What?
I look up and see that, indeed, a man is running like hell is nipping at his feet towards me. Or
well... Not towards me, towards the exit that was a little ways behind me.
But the guy had a lantern.
Trip him.
I did.
Guilt swirled in my stomach as he fell and I quickly grabbed the lantern and ran but since the guy
just got up and kept running towards the exit I stored it into some corner of my mind and moved
on.
The lantern helped tremendously, even if I made me a very easy target to spot because of it.
You could always drop it and run.
If a tiger spots me there's no way in hell I can run fast enough to outrun it.
Fine, be that way.
There's silence.
Or well, as silent as a nighttime forest can be. There's always birds or other nocturnal creatures
roaming about.
And screams.
Screams?
Oh, no.
Oh, no no no no!
I started running towards the screaming (not always a good idea) but sound echoes in an empty
mountain, even if the snow kind of muffled it, and it took me a while to find the source of it.
And by a while I mean I got turned around and when I get to the scene of the crime there's nothing
I can do.
There's bodies on the ground and the snow is stained red.
My dinner ended up on the snow too.
The worst part was the smell. The heavy copper stench stuck with you, it was so heavy you could
taste it on your tongue.
I tried not too look too close at the bodies, only the bare minimum to see that none of these people
were either ChangZe or CangSe.
They were still alive.
You need to get back on the trail.
I cursed and turned around to leave before I paused.
I turned back towards the bodies.
A very bad idea formed in my mind.
Unfortunately I wasn't the most morally sound person.
I went through their pockets.
Everything and anything I took and sent to my Inventory, if it had no limit then it could hold all of
these stuff long enough for me to figure out what that 'stuff' is.
There was a cultivators sword.
Heck yes.
It was almost twice the size of me.
Still took it with me.
Found a smaller dagger (about the size of my arm, holy hell these weapons were huge!) and I gave
it a few experimental swings to see if it was workable.
I'd take that as a yes.
You need to get back on that trail now.
On it.
I'd already cleaned out the bodies, and tried to get the blood off of my hands, so there was nothing
more for me to stay.
Finding the trail was hard, especially when you only have a little lantern to light your way, but I
kept moving upwards so I'd inevitably find my adults.
In the end, as is my luck, I did.
Just as they were about to be attacked by a pair of tigers.
I open my mouth to shout but in a split second three things pop into the forefront of my mind:
1. The tigers are being controlled by the Bo;
2. The Bo being the white horned horse with wicked looking teeth and the black brush tail that was
quite close to me;
3. The Bo couldn't see me from where I was standing.
I'm in his blind-spot.
I didn't think twice, I chucked that lantern right into it's back.
"You ugly mug of a donkey!" I yelled," Leave them alone!"
The lantern shattered on its back and it's head swiveled to face me.
It didn't look too happy.
"A-Ying?" CangSe's eyes widened.
"What?!" ChangZe nearly looked away from the tiger pouncing on him.
This wasn't good, I couldn't distract them.
They can't die because of me.
"Why you looking at me for, huh? You think there's any other ugly mule here other than you?" I
point at it.
Its eyes blaze in anger.
Great, it understands speech.
"Oh, you offended? Sorry, I don't deal with overgrown ponies having a temper tantrum!" I yelled at
it.
"Taunting Skill leveled up!"
You're gonna die, kid.
The Bo opened its mouth and let out this ear piercing shriek.
Then it started trotting towards me.
I booked it out of there, using my small size to dive under logs and bushes, whilst my weight made
it less likely for the snow to give way beneath me.
The Bo had to keep raising it's legs high in order to trudge through the snow.
I had no such problem.
No, you have a different problem. One in the shape of a murderous horse.
Either help me out or stay silent!
You're going to have to get its head.
The words were kind of heard but not understood.
Huh?
You have a puny little dagger, noddle arms and you weight about 34 pounds soaking wet, you're
only getting one shot at trying to take down that thing.
And you want me to target the head?
You've got to bring it down in one stab, and you don't know where it keeps its heart.
I sorta got the point.
But the head? You forgot about the giant horn it has?!
I wasn't the one who decided to taunt it!
What else was I supposed to do?
Not trigger its murderous instinct or offend it!
'Dodge,' Something screamed at me.
I dived to the floor and slid down a small slope.
A powerful hoof stabbed the place I had been standing.
Holy mother of god.
Run.
I ran.
I ran until my lungs were burning from the cold and I had lost any sense of direction, my brain was
fogging over.
Distress and exhaustion. I couldn't keep running for much longer.
I had to face it head on.
My sight froze and for a moment everything turned grey and darkened, fragmented.
"The Player is about to enter a danger zone, the System advices the Player to exit the danger
zone."
Nope.
I'm killing that damn thing and then I'm going to look for those two, I'm going to make sure those
two make it back to that damn inn and I'm going to have them yell at me for being reckless and
stupid and, and-
I am not letting them die here.
Get out of my way, System.
My sight returns to normal.
Actually, everything seems slightly clearer than before.
Adrenaline.
Oh, nice.
The Bo walks out of the bushes in front of me. It's eyes lock into mine and I can feel the sheer
hatred oozing out of its being.
It snorted and kicked at the ground with its hooves.
Aim for the head.
I took a deep breath and tightened my grip on the dagger.
I'm not dying here today.
The Bo started running.
I met it half way.
All it took was one second. One fraction of a second. A single swing of an arm.
As it ran the Bo lowered its head to stab me with its horn.
I waited until the last possible second to dodge and swung my arm with all the strength I had.
It connected. The Bo went down.
And so did I.
Blood poured down my face, the left side of it felt like it was on fire, and I shoved snow into it in
an attempt to stop the pain.
It hurt.
I couldn't help but cry, this body was exhausted, terrified and in pain, of course it would start
crying.
I was also completely alone in the darkness and cold.
Lost.
I told you not to lose track of the trail.
I couldn't even summon the energy to snap back at it, I just sat there in the snow and cried,
clutching at my bleeding face.
"Knife Handling Skill leveled up!"
"Mob drop sent to inventory!"
"Checkpoint finished!"
I glared at the glowing words, barely readable through my tears.
If that meant what I thought it did, someone was going to pay dearly for this.
"A-Ying!" A voice suddenly echoes from the mountain.
CangSe.
"Mom!" I screamed.
Mom... The word still didn't quite belong there, but I ignored it.
"A-Ying! Call out, honey!" She yelled again.
"Mom!" I screamed," I'm here!"
"Where?" She called out," Call out!"
"Mom!" I yelled, and then coughed.
My throat hurt.
My vision fogged again.
Your adrenaline is crashing.
"A-Ying!" She sounded so close...
"ChangZe, he's here!" She yelled," Oh, gods... A-YING!"
Everything went dark.
Chapter End Notes

So, I was going through chinese creatures and I couldn't decide which one to use
(because I had a different one in mind but it looked absolutely straight out of a cartoon
and AGF!WWX would've just kind of stared at it and went 'huh'?) so I settled on this
one.
Chinese have weird creatures...
So, AGF!WWX might have said that he'd stick to canon, but faced with the very real
threat of losing them because of someone else's pride/neglect was just too much and he
panicked.
Whether they were meant to die that day or if it was just yet another random
checkpoint canon!WWX has no memories of, I'll leave that up to you to decide on.
About the 'looting corpses', well... They weren't going to need it?
Listen, listen, I'm just kidding. AGF!WWX is not normal. Okay, he is decently
adjusted but not normal. And their survival instincts go on overdrive when under
pressure. An NF song quote comes to mind:"...they ever push me I'm gonna swing
(...)"
So, yeah, it's not socially acceptable behavior but nor is grave-robbing and
canon!WWX readily admitted to that.
And so long as no one knows, who's it harming? (Hey, author, he might be creating
ghosts! Shhhhhhh....)
Also, Wen GuanYu is a canon character, I just named it because I didn't know if they
had an actual name.
Learn to let go
Chapter Summary
"I lived b*tches" isn't always the best answer to give upon waking up, especially if
you've nearly been stabbed by Annabelle's toy horse.
In where parenting is stressful, where helicopter parenting is appreciated but not
wanted, and where there's an argument.
Chapter Notes
Okay, so, looking at the comments everyone was hoping for a big (read: massive)
argument between the parents and a recently awake WWX.
But... I always write one chapter ahead of the other (and I've already finished the last
chapter of Arc I) and so, I didn't write in that argument.
Although, if you really, really want to see that scene, I guess I could write it as an
outtake and make another fic just full of snippets and side-stories?
Won't be chapter length scenes (hopefully, my brain does wander) but I'm open to the
idea? Thoughts?
"I would have given anything to keep her little. They outgrow us so much faster than we outgrow
them." - Jodi Picoult
Chapter 13: Learn to let go
I lived!
Ahah... Yeah, not funny, I know, CangSe and ChangZe didn't find it very funny either.
"Stop poking at it, A-Ying," CangSe grabbed my hand before I could touch the bandage on my
face.
It had missed the eye!
But it was going to scar.
Girls dig a good scar.
Not on four year-olds, they don't.
It had been two weeks since the 'Incident', and the adults hadn't gone on another night-hunt since,
having mostly been taking care of me and deciding to teach me more about beasts and cultivation.
And they were only doing it because if I was reckless enough to chase after them through a
mountain, at night while it was snowing, and nearly be impaled by a demon horse, then by the
Heavenly Goddess of Mercy I was going to have more at my disposal than a simple dagger (which
I still had and hadn't been questioned about its origins) and random trivia they sometimes told me.
That said, they weren't teaching me how to swing a sword or anything.
No, they were training me in something much, much worse.
"Your calligraphy needs a lot of work, which I expected since you're so young," CangSe sighed,"
But let's at least identify Talismans properly, okay?"
Talisman making.
Don't get me wrong, I found the seals incredibly cool. And versatile and ingenious and about a
bunch of other adjectives too.
But?
But I hated writing with brushes.
Painting with brushes? Sure, I was all for it, but writing? No, I needed my damn fountain pen.
Do you even know how to make build a fountain pen?
I'll figure it out.
Says the person who can't write more than twenty characters and has the reading comprehension
of a toddler.
"How's work going, buddy?" ChangZe sits down beside me, ruffling my hair.
They'd been very touch-y and overbearing ever since the accident.
Not that you mind it.
No, and I don't blame them either, I recall being the exact same when Colin had the bright idea to
lean out of a third floor window.
Walter caught him, thankfully, but my heart nearly jumped out of my chest.
"Good," I answered ChangZe, copying the small design meant to alert me if there were evil beings
around.
ChangZe nods and leans back a bit, keeping an eye on me working.
"Where are we going next?" I ask out of the blue.
The adults blink and look at one another," We were thinking Lanling, there are lots of villages and
cities nearby that welcome rogue cultivators."
I hadn't been to Lanling yet, despite having passed through its territory when we when from
Qinghe to Gusu.
"Are we leaving soon?" I ask them, two weeks had been by far the longest we'd stayed in one
place. Which I understood given that we'd all been injured from the 'Incident'.
"If you're feeling better," CangSe reasons.
I pout at her," I'm fine..."
She gives me a gimlet stare and I look back down at the paper," I'm sorry..."
She sighs," I know, A-Ying, but I'm still very upset that you followed after us."
"You didn't know about the Bo," I had to point it out," I thought I could find you before it did."
Which obviously didn't work.
"And if it had found you instead?" She said," What would you have done then?"
Hey, we took it down...
Do not remind her.
I bit my cheek and didn't say a word, the bandage on my face was enough to prove her point.
She sighed and placed a hand against her face, she sounded really tired," You have to understand,
A-Ying, that night-hunts aren't a place for children. There are many, many beasts out there who
would not think twice before attacking you."
I knew that. On some level I knew that, I did understood why they kept me from it and why they
tried sheltering me but I wasn't a child. Not really.
I was used to being left to my own devices with a tower of books and pens and paper, told to
entertain myself and not 'act out'. I was used to being punished, harshly, for 'acting out' and then
left by myself all over again.
When I left to start my own life, I was all alone in a world of billions of people, none of them who
cared who I was and what I was going through. It wasn't until Walter and his family entered my life
that I started to experience what it was like to have someone backing you up, watching out for you
and protecting you.
But by then I was already set in my ways of independence, I couldn't trust them to the extent a
normal person would. I always had to have keys to every door on the house, I had to have my own
space no one else could enter but me. I had to have the freedom to roam and be myself.
I'd mellowed out over the years, true, but there were times where I'd screamed and thrashed against
their bonds because something inside of me was terrified of going back to that 'childhood'.
When the children were born and I got to watch them grow, I'd mellowed out even further, calmed
down enough that their parents felt it was safe enough to leave them in my care for weekends or
small vacations abroad.
I was safe enough that no one batted an eye at a teenager moving into my spare bedroom to learn
art and serve as a helper in the cafe of sorts.
But I still hated having things kept from me, things that directly affected me. Furthermore I hated
being told I was not allowed to do something for my own good, without giving me the chance to
prove that I could handle it.
You got hurt.

So did they. Any other four year old would have died, I lived.
I wasn't powerless. I wasn't weak. I could do this.
I needed to do this.
And their love for me was smothering the last bits of my patience. In the months we'd spent
traveling I'd develop some kind of wanderlust, the need to keep moving and not settle down, the
thirst to learn more.
I wasn't going to let one setback stop that.
And neither were they.
"I..."I clench my hands,"I don't want to be left behind... You won't come back, and I'll be alone..." I
told them.
"A-Ying, we already told you...-" ChangZe sighed and leaned closer.
"You could have died!" I yelled,"You could have died and what then? Where would I go? Stay
here waiting forever?"
The room is quiet, CangSe looks at me and her grey eyes are tearing up.
"So you want to come with us?" She shakes her head," You can't, A-Ying, you're still too little."
"I want to learn!" I shout," I want to know what to do if you don't make it back!"
ChangZe leans back and looks at CangSe, who's staring up at the ceiling as if begging for answers.
"We could start meditation..." He suggests to her," And basic forms of combat, I could probably
teach him how to make arrows and a bow."
"But he isn't strong enough to pull back the string! He barely reaches the counter of a stall, what is
he against a beast? Not even a snack!" CangSe hits the top of the desk.
"I can pull back the string!" I tell her," I'm not weak!"
I would put all my stat points on strength to prove that if need be.
CangSe gives me another stern faced stare but I do not back down.
"I can learn! I can learn anything! I can help!" I tell her," Why can't I learn like you and dad did?"
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, ChangZe stays quiet not sure who to back up.
One some level he got that I wasn't kidding. I was serious about this, and like any man he didn't
mind his son wanting to be like him.
Even if he still thought I was too young, he still believed I should, at the very least, know enough
to get by.
"You're still so young..." CangSe chokes out," When did you grow up so fast?"
I felt that.
I really, really did. Watching your child grow up is the most heartwarming and heartbreaking thing,
because no matter how much you want to protect them and keep them with you...
"You'll listen to everything we tell you, do you understand?" She tells me," And if you complain
just once, I swear to GuanYin, I will make you work twice as much!" She warns me.
You've got to learn to let them go.
"I will!" I promise.
I will learn all that I can from you.
I won't stop moving forward.
I won't let you down.
Chapter End Notes
Okay, the thing with AGF!WWX I don't know if I've fully made it known is that they
have issues. Past childhood trauma and social isolation, they really had issues and
they'll become plot-relevant later on, but what I wanted to show was that, because of
those issues, they had to learn how to look out for themselves. Especially once they
left 'home' and were basically homeless until she got a job and somewhere to sleep in.
AGF!WWX knows what it feels like to be homeless (in a city full of nicks and cracks
where one can find shelter from the elements) and knows with absolute certainty that
the doesn't want to go through that again.
Problem is, she can't exactly do that unless she can fend for herself (because in this
world there's no poor house or soup kitchen, and kids literally starve on the streets) and
so, despite understanding what it is like for a parent wanting to keep their child
'innocent'... They're looking at the bigger picture. They need survival skills, they need
combat skills, and above all they need to improve themselves.
Not just for the years that WWX lives on the streets, but for the long haul. Because as
soon as Part II is over (around 3 years) there's Arc III where it's life in a Sect, and then
Arc IV is Gusu.
And we all know what happens after he goes to Gusu.

Rumors and Bad Press
Chapter Summary
Where the parents weren't kidding when they said they'd put you through the ringer.
Where people like to gossip.
Where the unbelievable happens.
And where the telephone game doesn't work long-distances.
Chapter Notes
"Old rumors never die; nor do they fade away. They simply lay dormant for a while until the next
appropriate time appears." - Terry Ann Knopf
Chapter 14: Rumors and Bad Press
A lot changed in just a couple of months.
We were spending less time in cities and more time out in open fields. From dawn to dusk, and
some nights even beyond that, ChangZe and CangSe would push me to my limits.
I was taught how to use a bow, a small one ChangZe had made specifically for me, and I could
pull the string back but my aim needed work.
I was taught meditation, something I struggled with because my brain was never empty.
I was taught how to get out of holds, how to fall, how not to fall, how to push or pull something.
How to hide and not be heard, how to track down beasts and animals, how to listen.
CangSe drilled talisman and spiritual theory into my skull, it didn't matter if I couldn't use that
knowledge straight away because my writing and talisman making skills were sub-par at best, she
taught it and I had to learn it.
I also got better at handling the dagger, which was more of a glorified holy butcher knife in the
hands of the adults, and how to target weak points.
I studied Yao, and Ghosts and Spirits, how to identify them and which to run from pretty fast.
After the first month of this, and witnessing that I was very serious about my resolve to follow
them, they took me on a night-hunt. It was a very simple night-hunt and very low-level and they
basically spent that night guiding me through the what and what-not's to do in night-hunts.
I guess it was a first for many to see a small child being taught this, and in such hands-on
approach, because the story of how two rogue cultivators took their young son with them on night-
hunts spread like wildfire.
Seriously, some people had nothing better to do than gossip.
If anyone had connected the dots that those two rogue cultivators were Wei ChangZe and CangSe
Sanren no one was telling.
Whenever I found a break I just slept, my body ached and I seriously thought I would die from the
punishment it was being put through but I still got up whenever they told me to get up.
I was six months away from turning five when I woke up one day and felt that something had
changed.
It was easier to breathe.
Not just breathe either, no, my body felt like water, flexible and just easier to move.
I took a look at my stats, for the first time in months, and knew why.


Skills:
+Martial
+Social
+Scholar
+Arts
+Mundane
Equipment:
Common boots
Weapon:
Blessed Dagger
Talisman (3)
Small Bow (15)]
A lot had changed in just a few months, and it was starting to show.
We reached Lanling at the end of May, to join in on one of the spring night-hunts.
"I don't know how anyone can just walk around and ignore the fact that more than half of the
children or teenagers walking around are his bastards," ChangZe muttered to CangSe as they
walked through the streets.
I'd gotten a bun from a stall and was, politely, eavesdropping on their conversation.
They knew I was listening but at this point in time, after I'd listen to them argue and get into fights
about what was and was not appropriate for a child to hear, coupled with the fact that they were
teaching a four year-old how to track down animals during the day and beasts at night, they'd just
given up and treated me like a small adult.
It was fine by me.
"People see what they want to see and ignore reason even if it's right under their noses," CangSe
told him.
Yes, they do.
Beyond the hatred that the Wens got, and the fear Wei WuXian brought on them, there was also
the fact that they immediately started pointing fingers at the first suitable target and ignored all
attempts of setting them straight.
Once Wei WuXian was cleared of any wrongdoing they just moved their sights to hating Jin
GuangYao.
I wondered where he was right now. I wasn't sure about his age, if he was the same age as me,
older or younger. My bet was on younger since his mother brought him to Lanling when he was a
baby, coincidentally during the birthday of Jin ZiXuan (which they both shared), but it never said
if it was Jin ZiXuan's first birthday or just any other birthday.
For all I knew Jin GuangYao could possibly be a newborn right now.
I couldn't worry about him too much, I was much more worried about one Xue Yang and his future
sociopathic tendencies and hero-worship of Wei WuXian.
I wasn't one for judging anyone straight-out of the bat, but I hated Xue Yang.
And I couldn't bring myself to try and see him as someone needing help, I'd much rather help Mo
XuanYu and, heavens help me, Jin GuanYao (who would orchestrate my death, twice) than help
Xue Yang.
"Knowing his wife I wonder how she hasn't killed him yet," ChangZe said," And there was this
story a couple years back about him throwing out a woman down the steps of Carp Tower," He
adds.
Forget that, Jin GuangYao is at least two years old. But I forget exactly where he is now.
Is it important? It's not like you can take him by the hand and ask him, pretty please, to leave you
out of his hypothetical future scheming.
You're right, but it made me feel better if I don't run into someone I know will try and kill me.
Technically you already have, didn't Nie MingJue help out during the siege?
Everyone and their mothers apparently helped out during the siege, and if they didn't they at least
had a party at my expense.
"A-Ying, we're going to check in a room at the inn and rest until it's time to head out," CangSe tells
me.
I nod and finish eating my bun, hurrying to help her carry the bags into the room, a chore I had
been assigned in order to help my arms getting stronger.
I just thought they needed an excuse to keep me busy and not trying to sneak out to practice using
the dagger or bow.
The timeline had one final knot.
I had to begrudgingly admire the beauty that was the timeline, as the segments that changed color
as I changed things illustrated what I had done different.
Case in point, the last checkpoint I'd passed through now had that stupid looking horse standing
smugly above the line with two tigers pouncing on one another.
I closed the window and went to check my Inventory, there were two Qiankun Bags, a cultivator's
sword, two bags with money and a piece of Bo's flesh.
I kid you not, there was a piece of raw frikin flesh in my inventory under the tag 'mob drop'.
Don't forget to mention you're supposed to eat it.
I am not eating this.
Not even a tiny little bite?
I am not getting this anywhere near my mouth.
Where's your sense of adventure?
My sense of adventure draws the line at eating mysterious pieces of meat which I do not even
know how got sent into my inventory as the corpse of that thing was perfectly intact.
You're no fun.
Shut up and go to sleep.
"Here, A-Ying," CangSe puts something around my neck, I pick it up and see that it's her pendant.
"It's Shizun's pendant!" I tell her," It's yours!"
"Just for tonight," She smiles," For good luck. Your dad and I will be watching, but we're not
interfering, tonight's all on you."
Oh.
Well, no pressure, right?
Wrong, you can bet they'll spend the next few days commenting on all the things you did wrong.
So, won't it be in your best interest to help me?
...
Nah, I'm just sit quietly and see you flounder without my genius.
You're a big fat liar.
Hey! At least I'm not as wrinkled as a raisin!

Excuse me? My skin as smooth as a baby's!
So you're a baby-faced old woman?
...
Just shut up...
For the first time in Duan YiJun's life he could say he was left speechless.
There was a kid, a tiny little kid smaller than his two little sisters back home, going on this night-
hunt.
He had this knife tied on to his belt, which looked more like a small sword in the kid's hands, and a
tiny bow on his back with a small quiver of equally tiny arrows.
Everyone had pointed at him and told him to go back home, only for his parents (and holy hell that
was the famous CangSe Sanren!) to step forward and explain that no, he wasn't leaving, he was
joining us.
Apparently today was his first trial run at a night-hunt by himself.
Who in their right minds took their small child night-hunting?
And hadn't there been rumors about a couple of rogue cultivators doing that exact same thing for
some months now?
Was it them?
The answer had to be yes because the kid knew exactly what to do once the sun went down and all
kind of beasts started coming out.
At first everyone still kind of tried to keep the kid from going after any beasts but after losing track
of him for a few minutes and finding him plucking arrows out of a Yao surrounded by three other
fallen Yao, they'd left him to it.
That kid was going to grow up to become a monster, he just knew it.
Who could say they'd started night-hunting before their baby teeth had fallen out?
Throughout June and July stories spread of a child going on night-hunts with its parents, carrying a
knife and a bow and arrow, with a pendant around its neck.
A very well-known pendant.
In a flash, everyone suddenly had opinions about CangSe Sanren and Wei ChangZe's parenting,
the glaring scar on the side of my face didn't help matters either.
Seriously, people had nothing better to do than talk behind other people's backs.
And they couldn't even keep facts straight.
While I joined in on night-hunts I was always accompanied and they'd pull me out of any situation
they thought was too dangerous for me to face, like fierce corpses that could do more than just hop
around, and any beast that had consumed more than three humans.
In terms of strength I believed I could take them on, but I wasn't going to push my luck and get sent
back to the inn to reflect on my actions.
So I didn't dare challenge the status quo.
I did dare, however, to kick the ass of anyone who badmouthed my parents in front of me.
Oh, this shrimp looking kid is saying my parents are idiots who shouldn't be having kids? Well,
you know who's going to get a kick in the nuts?
And you, yes you stupid bald headed mouse, what did you say about my adults' skills? You're
going to serve as bait for me!
I was a vengeful little thing, sue me!
Nobody badmouthed Wei ChangZe and CangSe Sanren and got off scot-free.
Jiang FengMian couldn't believe the news he heard about his friends.
"Taking their four year-old night-hunting?" Yu ZiYuan turned her nose at the messenger," Have
they no care for the safety of the child?"
"They say he's learning, Madam Yu," The messenger spoke a little hesitantly," They keep the child
close to them but otherwise let it hunt down prey by itself."
Yu ZiYuan scoffs," Fools, the lot of them," She sneers," They are asking their own death, and the
death of that child!"
"Where are they headed? Did they mention it?" Jiang FengMian asks the messenger.
"I believe they said something about staying close to the more rural areas of Lanling and Gusu,
sir," The messenger replied.
"Did they seem healthy?" He then asked.
"Yes, although there was a concerning scar that has raised some questions about its origins," The
messenger answered.
"A scar?" Jiang FengMian frowned, cultivators didn't scar very easily, as they healed faster than
that.
"On the child," The messenger shifted from foot to foot," A rather big scar running down the side
of his face, barely missing his left eye."
Yu ZiYuan snorted," How they haven't been stopped yet it's a wonder, how can they allow their
child to be injured and still drag it on night-hunts?"
"My lady, please," Jiang FengMian tries.
"Do not dare, FengMian," Yu ZiYuan stands up," Mark my words, those people are recklessly
asking for their own death and dragging that child down with them."
She leaves a conflicted Jiang FengMian and an awkward messenger behind in the room.
Truthfully, Jiang FengMian can't imagine what his friends are thinking, bringing the small Wei
Ying with them on night-hunts.
He knows he certainly wouldn't bring A-Cheng along on one until he was at least ten years old.
Chapter End Notes
WWX is a little s*it to anyone badmouthing is his parents (which he still hasn't
outright stated, but he has now called them 'his' adults, so progress!)
And can you just take a moment to imagine a tiny little WWX with a tiny little bow
and arrows looking all stern-faced as he hunts down fairies and magic goats?
As for JGY. I don't know how old he is in canon. I know he's younger than LXC, but
how much younger is unknown to me. Since he shares a b-day with JZX I decided
(that in this fic) he's a year younger (but as hasn't shown up yet, if you do know how
old he's supposed to be, I'd appreciate it).
Xue Yang. Oh man, where to start? So, I think the pinky issue was his start of
darkness but something had to have always been there for it to go to such limits,
furthermore, WWX is around 8 when Mo XuanYu and Xue Yang are born, he can't do
nothing about them until the war is over (and by then it's already too late for one of
them).
Plus I can hold grudges and what he did to XCX and SL, plus A-Qing, I won't forgive
him for.
To be the devil's advocate here for a minute, it's not that the people are wrong, per say,
bringing children (especially, small, tiny children) into potentially dangerous
situations, where people can die, is considered 'bad parenting'. That said, they are
being careful about it, and the kid isn't really a kid mentally and knows better than to
run off and 'be cool'.
Yu ZiYuan, mother instincts. I won't say anything else lest I spoil Arc III drama.
Inevitable
Chapter Summary
We're in the endgame now.

Where there's a family day, lots of love, and agony.
Chapter Notes
Surprise chapter!
"Bear the inevitable with dignity." - Anonymous
Chapter 15: Inevitable
September crept up on us while we were busy dealing with night-hunts and training.
We were passing through a city when we saw the streamers and festive decor and realized that it
was time for the mid-autumn festival. I was astonished to find that it had been a whole year since I
woke up in this world.
Since tonight was the festival they decided to spend the day as a family and let me have the night
for myself, playing street games and running around with the other kids until it was time to light
the lanterns.
I easily agreed to that. It was nice having a break every now and then and relaxing for a bit. And
since this was a bigger city than the ones we'd been lodging at, with how frequently we were
taking on night-hunts and stayed in inns less frequently, we could stock up on some commodities.
Like a new robe for me since mine had grown rather short on me.
I was growing!
And also because someone had a nasty run in with a pair of clawed ghosts.
Whatever.
So we got some new robes for me, longer than usual so I could grow into this pair, and just... spent
the day as a family.
ChangZe carved a flute for me, but my fingers were still too small to reach all the holes, so I
couldn't really play many notes, and only really simple melodies.
Deciding that it'd be fun to mess with him, CangSe went and got me a Xun, which was another
type of chinese flute similar to an occarina.
That one I could actually play, since it was roughly the size of an egg, and since it counted only as
'playing a flute' the skill was the same as the dizi.
Win win situation.
Not for ChangZe who saw the Xun as a personal offense and constantly talked about the beauty of
the dizi.
True, I would have my own Chenqing in the future, but right now I didn't mind the Xun.
Who knows, it's always good to have a backup flute in case of an emergency.
After some shopping and goofing around, because if I got to have a day off so did they, we went
and got a room at an inn and after settling our stuff went out to eat.
I had fun watching the performers act several traditional tales of this time of year, with lots of color
and dancing, whilst eating good food.
After eating we went around stalls and played a few games, I left them alone for a few hours to go
play ball with a group of children whilst they had some quiet time for themselves, and only came
back when it was starting to get dark.
It was weird, sometimes, acting like a kid. Especially since I'd gotten into the habit of being myself
as I did whenever I went on night-hunts or had training with ChangZe and CangSe, so the kids
heard me talk and saw how I acted then stared at my scar and proceeded to ask a ton of questions.
Telling them I was a tiny cultivator going on night-hunts got me being called a liar multiple times,
but it was funny to see their faces when I actually had proof of going on night-hunts, like showing
up at their house to sell talismans or settle down some ghost.
Those were good times.
My scar got me a lot of attention, which I found unexpected, given the lack of care for orphans and
street urchins, but I figured they just wanted gossip on the adults I was with and how exactly I got
it.
No one knew about the Bo.
Well, the Wens might suspect, but the primary suspects for taking it down had to be the adults and
not the child. They'd at most think I got injured and they killed it because of that.
I thought it was best for no one to know I had, somehow, taken down a Bo at the grand old age of
four.
If only to spare me the jealousy of Jiang Cheng, who I just knew would create a storm in a teacup
for me having already night-hunting experience before coming to Yunmeng.
I could always just shrug and say I don't remember getting it.
Anyways, once it got dark we went to buy lanterns to light.
That was fun too, since there were just so many!

I ended up picking a small lantern painted with fish and lotuses. CangSe, of course, picked a
mountain one, and ChangZe picked one that had bamboo shoots.
I found it quite simple and empty but I guess that's what he preferred out of the thousand other
lanterns there were for sale.
Once it was time, we lit the lanterns and prayed to the moon.
CangSe told me to make a wish.
I wished to change my future, to change it for the better, change it and protect all those people Wei
WuXian hadn't been able to protect.
After all the lanterns were but pinpricks of light in the distance, ChangZe picked me up and we
bought several mooncakes to eat back at the inn.
They were cut into small slices and shared between everyone.
I liked the sweet ones, even if I found the flaky pastry a bit of a hassle because it fell whichever
way when you cut it, and it was amusing to see CangSe playfully rib ChangZe for having no talent
for cutting the pastry neatly.
Then we just talked.
And talked.
And talked.
They told me stories, some I hadn't heard yet, some I had. They reminisced about the good old
days of their youth and how I'd come about. Then they told me about all the places they'd take me
when I was older, more dangerous night-hunting sights and mountains.
I asked, again, where Baoshan Sanren lived, hoping to at least pass by the foot of the mountain one
day, but CangSe told me it was a secret.
I didn't pester her again, but I pouted for a bit, put out because I really, really wanted to know.
She'd laughed and pulled teasingly at the pendant around my neck.
What was supposed to be a 'one-time thing, for good luck' ended up being permanent, the name
'Baoshan's token' floated in front of my eyes in glowing blue letters every time I picked it up.
When I'd asked why she'd given it to me, she'd said something along the lines of 'passing on a
legacy' and then quickly changed the subject.
Having me wear the pendant around my neck during night-hunts, given that it was such a well-
known symbol, was like making a statement.
'This child is the best, an apprentice of the Great Baoshan Sanren, he follows in her teachings.'
I hoped I proved that statement true.
Whenever I went on a night-hunt the other cultivators all got in my way, because of my age,
because I wasn't supposed to be there, because I obviously still had time to make a name for myself
whilst they had to hurry and get noticed by greater sects.
Plus, I didn't even have a golden core so why was I there anyway?
I was working on one, but those things took time to actually form. My suck-y talent for meditation
didn't help matters either. I could stay still, but I just couldn't empty my mind, it was constantly
running, constantly thinking and improving and aggravating me.
I'd figured I'd just work around the usual method of meditation by using some other techniques I'd
read about back in my old life.
There were quite a lot of meditation techniques and I was sure one of them involved minds with
messy thought patterns.
And most importantly, I wanted to know more of how energy flowed in this world. There were
many types of energy, and I was unsure if there were more than one method of harnessing it.
It was possible, given that Wei WuXian had learnt, created, a method of harnessing resentful
energy. Maybe there was a different method of harnessing energy, in general, that was still
unknown because people only harnessed one half of it.
Yin Yang and all that jazz.
I didn't know enough to try it, though.
CangSe and ChangZe were adamant that I create a stable base with my meditation before starting to
mess around with actually harnessing energy.
They were probably right and I'd screw my meridians or whatever they were called.
We told jokes and laughed a lot, as the night went on I just got tired.
CangSe cooed and and cuddled with me in bed, messing with my hair I'd always complain about
getting too long, and then went to join ChangZe at the table, whispering to my near-asleep self that
she'd be back soon.
I woke up to a loud notification bell.
I rubbed at my eyes, confused on what was going on, to see the words:
"Checkpoint finished!"
"Story Arc completed!"
I frowned at the words, brain still addled from sleep, and sat up on the bed. It was still dark
outside, but the moon was starting to lean down the mountains, dawn wouldn't be here for a few
hours still.
Where are the adults?
I looked at the bed and saw that it was empty, no one other than me had slept in it. I got up and
searched around the room, the bags were still here, as were the shopping we'd done earlier today,
but the swords were gone.
They went out.
I went to say something along the lines of 'How could they leave me behind and go night-hunting!'
when I saw the notification again.
I stared at the words for a moment, processing them through, before I felt like a bucket of ice cold
water was dumped on me.
I fell to my knees in the middle of the room. Gasping for breath.
The words floated in front of my eyes but they grew distorted as tears just started running down my
face.
I knew what they meant now.
I understood what they were telling me.
Wei WuXian's parents died when he was around four years old, during a night-hunt, and the child
waited by the city's gates for days waiting for them to come back.
'I'll be back soon, A-Ying,' CangSe's whisper echoed in my ears,' Rest, my love.'
A keening sound left my throat.
They were gone.
They were truly, irrevocably gone.
Gone, gone, forever.
I never got to say goodbye.
"Painful though parting be, I bow to you as I see you off to distant clouds." - Emperor Saga
Chapter End Notes
Okay, so, this is the End of Arc I.

I'm already working on Arc II and I have (at least) on chapter ready to go. I don't know
if I'll post it right away or wait a bit to see if I want to change anything.
The chapters will kind of become longer, but I only really want to write long chapters
at around Arc III (the Jiangs) or Arc IV (Gusu), because otherwise it will get messy.
So, yeah, you guys knew this was coming, right?

At least two people used the word 'inevitable' when talking about Wei Ying's parents,
and I'm not proud to say I did that evil laugh at that.
Sorry?
Oh, the Xun. I had plans on getting him an occarina (because I have one and I can't
play worth crap so let my character live my dream) but then I found the Xun, and
some really cool music, so I just gave up and gave him that.
He'll have Cheqing, no worries, he'll just have that thing up his sleeve as back-up.
You never know.
Before I forget (current skills):

Martial - Acrobatics: 4; Climbing: 4; Brawling: 5; Knife-handling: 3; Archery: 2;
Throwing: 5;
Scholar - Investigation: 3; Astronomy: 1; Foraging: 3; Spiritual: 3; Meditation: 1;
Talisman-making: 2;
Social - Taunting: 3; Storytelling: 3; Etiquette: 2;
Arts - Singing: 1; Flute: 1;
Mundane - Language: 6; Writing: 4; Animal-handling: 1;
Hope I'm not forgetting any...
Alone
Chapter Summary
First chapter of Arc II, here we go again!

In which there's a breakdown, lots of angst, a rash decision, and I'm making myself
King of my Mountain.
Chapter Notes
Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her. But once they are in hand, he or she alone
must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game. - Voltaire
Chapter 16: Alone
I was all alone.
That's the thought my mind kept coming back to, once the tears stopped flowing.
I was all alone.
It was a numb thought. A fact my mind supplied me, except there was no emotion behind it.
I was all alone.
"Talent Tree Unlocked!"
"Player Store Unlocked!"
"Advancements Unlocked!"
I look up from the wooden floor and stare at the floating words above me, glowing in blue light,
dancing to the bell-like sound of notifications.
For some reason, they fill me with anger.
It burns deep inside my stomach, a ball of fierce resentment towards the words, towards the
System.
What good came of some stupid new features to my stupid Player Menu if they came too late to
protect two people who did not deserve to die?
I was turning five years old next month.
Wei WuXian's parents died when he was around four years old, during a night-hunt.
I'd changed something. I had made a difference already.
Yet the outcome was inevitable.
Wei WuXian's parents were dead.
I couldn't save them, I could only delay it, and now...
Now I could only mourn them.
Mourn the two people who I had spent a year living with, traveling with, being cared for, loved by,
for a whole year.
You never notice how little time you had with the people you cared about until they are gone.
Gone, gone forever.
I was all alone.
I hit my fist on the floor once more and silently scream. I couldn't wake up the other guests staying
at the inn, who would believe a distressed child crying that its parents were dead, when proof of
their deaths would only come with the rising sun?
They left everything behind in the room. All of their belongings were exactly where they had been
when CangSe had laid me down on the bed... Had Wei WuXian's parents done the same, when
they originally died?
If so, had Wei WuXian kept them?
Lost them?
Or...
Taken as collateral.
Anger.
Without thinking twice, I grabbed a hold of the bags and sent them to my Inventory, watched as
they disintegrated from view into glowing blue specks of light that faded as swiftly as they
appeared.
In this life, they wouldn't take their belongings.
At the same time, I did not think I could bear to see the trinkets we'd bought earlier that day, nor
the items I knew they'd always carry with them. Wei ChangZe's flute, CangSe's calligraphy set and
the bundle of paper she'd write on, letters and pages upon pages of script I could not yet decipher.
It hurt.
Where to go from here?
I sat down, barely refrained from rocking back and forth as my chest constricted once more with
emotion, clutching at my head. My fingers griped at my hair, keeping me focused on the present.
Once the numbness passed, and it would pass, I would break.

Even now my carefully built walls around my heart were crumbling down, piece by piece.
I couldn't break here. I had to leave.
Where would I go?
All of my plans, ideas and ramblings I had created months ago seemed unreachable in my mind. No
matter how much I tried to grasp one of them, they all just slipped through my fingers like sand.
I couldn't think of anything.
I let go of my head and stared down at my hands.
They were shaking.
For the first time in a long while, I truly felt like a child, a small, weak, and scared child that called
out to its parents in a trembling voice.
'Come back! Please, come back!'
I flinched at the memory.
That's not you.
No, not anymore.
We're better than this. Get up.
I was all alone.
Get up. Stop panicking. Think.
Think... Think what? What was I doing?
I am all alone.
Stop this! Get up! Think! Think, damn it!
My body moved on its own, slapping my hands together, producing a loud clap, hard enough that
my palms stung.
The sound brought me back out of my head, the pain kept me focused.
I couldn't break here. I couldn't stay broken. I needed to think of a way out.
A solution. I needed to stay one step ahead of the problem.
Think!
I opened the Player Menu and immediately afterwards opened the Story Arc timeline.
As expected, beneath the now knot-free line stood a different line, this one filled with tiny little
knots here and there. Despite my better judgement, I looked up at the uppermost timeline and saw
that, where once stood one last knot, were now three little red figures raising lanterns to the sky.
My vision swan as my eyes watered.

Stop, think!
I shook my head, clearing it, and focused once more on the problem at hand. I opened Wei
WuXian's new memories, a board filled with still-images of running through streets, of bullying
children of different social classes, of others stealing his food, of dogs biting and snarling, of
shadow-y figures attempting to grab him as he ran.
Of waiting by a golden city's gates for people who'd never come back.
I growled.
A low, resentful sound that came from deep within me.
That wasn't me.
I would never take insults and abuse piled on top of me lying down.
Never again.
I was better than this. I was stronger than this.
I had prepared myself for this.
I knew what I had to do, I knew I had the skills to survive this.
To thrive and be free.
I was all alone.
I would meet them again, someday, surely.
I would meet them again and share with them all that I had seen, how far I had gone, and show
them all that I had mastered.
I would keep their dreams and hopes alive, I would built a world with a better tomorrow.
I would show them all that I had changed, one day.
One day...
The pendant around my neck slipped off the front of my robes and dangled, the light coming from
the window catching on its metal feathers.
I was all alone, but I would keep their memory alive.
I would keep them in my thoughts, always.
I got up off the floor and looked out the window, dawn wouldn't be coming for a couple more
hours.
I had time, but I mustn't waste it.
I went around the room and made sure that I wasn't forgetting anything and leaving it behind.
After leaving the correct amount of money to pay for the room, I went out the window. It was
easier to walk across the roof and scale down a tree when it wasn't iced over.
I ruefully thought back at the first time I did this, and stared at the moon once my feet touched the
ground.
Things would be different from now on.
This was the start of my new life.
And I'd be damned if I was going to waste it.
I took the donkey with me.
It was a rash decision made in the heat of the moment when I passed by the stable to say goodbye,
and couldn't bear to leave the animal ChangZe and CangSe had had with them on their travels,
who'd been there when this body was born.
It was a dumb and rash decision, I neither knew how to ride it nor was it a good idea to make it
obvious I was a child traveling alone.
When I made it to the city gates, the sun was just barely starting to light up the darkened night sky.
I though about finding their bodies. Of seeing how they'd died. Of finding what killed them.
In the end, I couldn't go through with it.
The images of seeing them lying there, bloodied, broken and lifeless, would haunt my dreams for
years. I didn't dare to imagine how much worse it'd have been of I knew exactly what had
happened to them.
Sometimes, it was best to stay ignorant.
I'd persuaded the donkey to follow me quietly, despite it knowing who I was, and of me knowing
its mellow temperament, I had never actually led it. And it was in a donkey's nature to detest
novelty, t'was why they were known as 'stubborn' creatures.
Thankfully, despite it giving me a sour look, this donkey wasn't as spoiled as the famous Lil'Apple.
I opened my map, thankful that my previous travels meant it was relatively clear, and saw that
there was a cave temple not too far from where I was now. Walking at a slow pace, because my
small stature and short legs didn't allow for any other pace, we'd make it there just before
sundown.
There was food in the bags, of that I was sure, and the donkey could eat grass for the night.
Once I was at the temple, I would think of long term plans.
Once I was at the temple, I'd let myself break.
Until then, I had to keep walking. Keep busy.
Think. Think. Think.
Nothing would be the same after this.
There was no going back from this.

I was all alone.
I had been in cave temples before, ChangZe didn't care much about them but CangSe had brought
me to several during our travels. She'd talk in hushed whispers in my ear about the Gods and
Goddesses living high in the Heavens, their stories and names.
For some reason, there was always something in the air that made me shiver.
Whether it was because some higher power knew I didn't belong in this world. Hadn't been born in
this world and had many other Gods and Goddesses in my memories, their stories so different yet
so similar.
I still found myself staring at 'normal' things of day-to-day life wondering what the hell they were.
I could only say I was grateful for being male and not needing to squat over a pot to use the
bathroom.
Even if being a male had given me pause for about two minutes before I distinctively remember
thinking 'nope' and just ignored it.
Mind over matter, if you don't mind it, then it doesn't matter.
Or so I had heard.
There wasn't anyone inside the temple when I walked in, the caretaker having obviously left for the
night, and I tied the donkey at the entrance near a well, having drawn a bucket of water for it to
drink from and made sure that there was enough fresh and healthy grass near it to eat.
The nights hadn't yet turned unbelievably cold so I didn't have to worry about that either.
Soon, it would be a different matter.
I'd walked back inside the temple and found myself a small niche behind the offering altar to settle
down for the night. The sweet smell of decaying fruit and incense wasn't the most pleasant odor,
but I'd withstood worse smells and lived through them without complain.
I tossed and turned for a while, mind a complete mess but still numb from today's events.
I wondered if their bodies had been found already.
I wondered if they had remembered the small child at the inn, and thought of ways to explain to it
that its parents were gone.
Reviewing Wei WuXian's memories once more, I knew the answer to be different from my
daydreams.
After much debating, I brought their bags back out of my inventory, numbly watching them
materialize out of thin air.
I knew why the System warned me about using its features around eye-witnesses.
They were easy to abuse and exploit.
And only made myself a bigger target.

What would Jin GuangShan do, if he knew there was someone who could hide anything and carry
anything, as long as it wasn't living, without a trace?
He's certainly torture them to find out its secret, and kill them once he found out it couldn't be
replicated.
I shook those thoughts away and reached forward for the bags.
ChangZe's was less bulky than CangSe's but heavier. Inside there were all the trinkets of the day
before, brand new robes he never got to try on, and all of his tools. I remembered how he'd sit me
on his lap and guide my hands on how to carve, or repair, a bow, how big and warm his hands were
on mine.
CangSe's was disorganized but still minimally neat, her calligraphy table was by far the heaviest
thing in it, but there were also books on various subjects and lots, lots and lots of loose papers.
I gave up on trying to organize them and just sighed, it was so like her to have a bag this messy and
complain when I packed my things similarly.
My hand brushed against a wooden box and I pulled it out of the bag. Its lid was decorated with lily
pads and lotus.
I opened it and saw dozens of hair ribbons, of multiple colors, inside.
CangSe never wore any hair ribbons, letting her hair loose or tied in a bun with a hair clip.
ChangZe always tied his bun with a ribbon, and lost them all the time.
I broke then.
When faced with such undeniable proof of just how much they loved each other, when the world
had been busy gossiping about how 'bad parents' they were for letting me learn how to survive by
myself, how to protect myself and learn through living and not by simply listening on lectures and
reading about it from books.
The very real pain of knowing how much they cared for one another, complemented each other
and had loved me just as fiercely dug sharp shards of glass into my innards.
It made me grieve for the family I had left behind when I took a chance on this world. Of the man I
loved, the children I had cherished as if they were my own and was so proud of.
It made me aware of just how young Wei ChangZe and CangSe Sanren had been when they died.
Barely into their mid-twenties.
So damn young.
They never got the chance to watch their child grow, find its place in the world, and watch their
family grow.
There was no doubt in my mind that, had they lived for a few years longer, there would've been
more little Weis following after Wei WuXian.
I don't know which thought hurt most.
That Wei WuXian had been left alone.

Or that he might've had to look after children younger than himself when he was barely a child
himself.
I cried. And cried. And cried.
Until all my tears were gone and I was left feeling numb all over again.
Where to go from here?
I open my Player Menu, and go to the new features I had unlocked, staring at the lists of techniques
I could learn, at all the things I could buy out of literal nothing, and couldn't help but feel bitter
resentment build behind my throat.
It felt like being handed a meaningless trinket after being forced to run through a marathon.
How was this supposed to make up for making me lose my family?
What was this supposed to mean?
Hey, don't feel bad, here, now you can figure out how to learn how to throw fireballs out of your
hands!
I muffled my angry screaming into my hands, raging and growing fiercer with fury.
Think.
I took a deep breath, thought about ChangZe's lessons on meditation and calmed myself once more,
with much difficulty.
I moved on to the Quest Page and saw that there were hundreds of new available Quests. Once you
opened that page the map flooded with little bubbles letting you know where the Quest could be
accepted.
They were all clustered around villages, towns and cities. Very rarely did one stray off the path and
would be found virtually in the middle of nowhere.
A plan started to take shape inside my mind.
A black hole with dark tendrils grasping at ideas and thoughts, shaping itself into goals and
patterns.
I couldn't save them because I wasn't ready.
I wasn't ready to lose them. Wasn't ready to be alone. Wasn't ready to accept that I had a role to
play in this world.
I let myself be deceived by the easy days in the sun, and forgot about the darkness creeping
towards me.
There would be dark years ahead of me.
And I had to be ready for them.
There wasn't a choice anymore.
I had to get stronger. Faster. Cleverer.

If this System wanted someone to play a game with, I'd show it.
I was going to bend the rules of this game to my will and not the other way around.
I was going to play to win this.
And I knew just where to start.
I drew a course of travel, to pass through every single village, town and city, through every single
Quest bubble that appeared on this map.
My end goal?
Yiling.
I would have my mountain.
And I would build it so strongly, so powerfully, so beautifully, that everyone would stare at it in
awe.
I promised them that.
Chapter End Notes
So, here's a few things I need to say before they actually become relevant:
The Talents and Advancements might appear to be OP, and the Store is really
'unrealistic' with how much he can actually get out of it, but bear in mind that this is a
world where the actual classification of 'Walking Corpses' is Vampire Zombies. (You
can't make this stuff up people, just what?)
And I believe I already mentioned this before, but he won't be able to use these
'features' all the time, the inventory already is easy to see, and even easier to abuse, but
the talents especially will make lesser men jealous. Or suspicious, or angered, or even
slightly worshiping.
The reason why these features exist is because The System runs on a different set of
rules/guidelines on energy, and therefore implies that it wants its Player to do the
same. AGF!WWX has no idea, all he knows is that the System warned him not to let
other people know he can pull stuff like this.
As for the Store, he can (and will, eventually) buy food and necessities out of it, but he
won't actually do it often. As he says in this chapter (I think it's this chapter, might be
the next one, oops) getting shelter and provisions is fairly easy, the hardest part is
staying alive when traveling, because of beasties and what not.
We'll mostly see the Store when WWX wants to get new equipment or finds out he
can learn new stuff from the Store.
Finally, Advancements. These are like achievements he can activate. He'll get a
notification that this Advancement has been unlocked, and he can choose to get it
active (it has its benefits) or not.
But, there's also Disadvantages, these ones are invisible to him until they activate, and
these activate automatically. It's possible to deactivate them through a series of actions,
but some of them are permanent (like losing a hand, ya' ain't getting it back).
I think that's all for now, I hope you're all excited for Arc II, because here we go!
Get Burnt
Chapter Summary
Where plans are drawn, a barter happens, and why you should never mess with a lady.
Chapter Notes
"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines
how well you do it." - Lou Holtz
Chapter 17: Get Burnt
The donkey was a liability.
It didn't take me long on the road to figure that out. Already I had had to quickly divert my path in
order to lose bandits or common thugs, unfavorable people had given me long stares on the road,
first passing their eyes to me, then moving to the donkey, and finding them back on my face.
Particularly my scar.
True, they might think I'd stolen it (technically I hadn't, since it was mine now, but trying to explain
that to people wouldn't fly) but that only made it worse.
A kid traveling alone was already a risk.
A kid traveling alone with a donkey? It was an 'easy' target.
And I could feel the heat of their stares on my back.
I bit the inside of my cheek.
I couldn't keep it.
I was sitting on the side of the road, a day and a half away from Lanling, and staring at the sky,
hoping it would provide some answers.
It didn't.
How does one get rid of a donkey?
I wasn't going to kill it, nor was I leaving it on the side of the road, donkey or not it belonged to
ChangZe and CangSe, had been theirs for ages, and it deserved better than that.
So, realistically, my only option was to sell it.

A farmer or a traveling merchant would benefit from having such a mount, wouldn't they?
How exactly does one sell a donkey, when they are physically four years old?
I grimaced but ignored it.
So, I'd sell it. Sell it for what though?
It wasn't like I didn't need the money, but Quests were a good source of coins and the Store had
virtually anything I could possibly need (though I wasn't sure how I felt about eating food that
appear out of nowhere) and there was still some time before winter settled in and it became hard to
find worthy game to hunt.
Speaking of hunting, night-hunts were also a fairly easy option to make some money.
Even if the people organizing the night-hunt couldn't pay in cash, they could offer accommodation,
food or other services.
So food and shelter were easy to come by, I also knew inns and taverns would let entertainers stay
for free if they kept their guests busy or attracted more clients with their acts. Even if it was only a
pile of hay in a stable, it was better than sleeping out in the open (which I wasn't opposed to as long
as it was summer and it didn't look like it'd rain).
Whilst I wasn't the best at playing the flute, yet, I knew my fair share of stories, legends and myths
to knock the socks off any age range.
And it was even better when I could spin tales of 'fantastical' creations that were as mundane as
sliced bread to me.
Actually... I could be the first person to introduce pizza to this world.
The System would surely hate me for that.
Or maybe give you an achievement.
Congratulations, you've set the world into its fast-food trend?
Maybe.
So, shelter, food and money wouldn't be a problem for now. Although, wasn't it best to prepare for
the future?
So sell it for money?
I thought about it, really thought about it, and shook my head.
I'd sell it for supplies.
Rice, beans, wool cloth, things like that.
Provisions.
I had to plan ahead, weeks if not months in advance. How to get from point A to point B, what I'd
need, what I had, and what I'd have to get.
That little trail of thought brought another memory to the surface.

I still hadn't checked what was inside those Qiankun Pouches I'd pocketed before I went and fought
that Bo.
I could've hit myself for not remembering them sooner.
Though I would argue it would be hard to do so when under the watchful gaze of the adults
following the 'Incident' and me being utterly spent from training, it was still something I'd
completely forgotten about.
Maybe Wei WuXian's bad memory is contagious.
Shut up and knock on wood, asshole.
I brought them out and opened one.
I blinked.
There were medical supplies, or so their tags said, talismans, and other cultivator tools.
The other bag had similar contents.
I pulled everything out and sorted them into piles, checked which talismans I knew about, and how
to use them, and stuffed those with the rest of my talismans. Then I sent all the medical supplies to
my inventory, to quickly get them out if need be, and placed all the other random cultivator tools
inside one of the pouches.
I then sent that one to the inventory and attached the other, empty, pouch to my belt. Either I'd find
an use for it, or it'd serve as bait for pickpockets.
I mentally sorted out which talismans I had with me and which ones I knew how to, reliably, make
by myself. There weren't a lot, I screwed up my calligraphy too often and my hands were too shaky.
I needed to stop that.
Steady hands and quick fingers.
I considered my position on the map and picked up the donkey's lead again, there was a farming
village not too far from here, I could put my bargaining skills to good use.
"A donkey that old isn't worth more than a single bag of rice!" The red faced farmer was blustering
at me.
I gave him an 'are you an idiot look', guy had been trying to rip me off for half an hour now. Every
time I said, well okay, bye then, he proceeded to try and get me to accept his deal.
This idiot wanted the donkey but wasn't willing to 'pay' the correct value for it, more so when he
was trying to take advantage of my 'age' and trying to trick me into believing the donkey was old.
Sir, with no respect for your less than stellar intelligence, donkeys can live up to thirty years, in the
wild not domesticated, and this little guy isn't even on his first decade.
"And I've already told you, that's your opinion," I repeated my words, again,"And I'll try some
other place, have a nice day, sir."
I went to lead the donkey away and the man grabbed the lead.
"Kid, you're not getting more than a bag of rice for the thing! Just accept what I'm giving you!" He
told me.
Oh no he didn't.
I turned to face him very slowly, my eyes glaring straight into his, their grey color frosting into
cold silver.
"Let. Go," I told him, my scar was startlingly visible on my face," I am not selling it to you for a
bag of rice, good day."
The man lets go of the lead and watches me walk off.
He's going to be trouble.
I'm counting on it.
People like this guy came in the hundreds, and I was sure that in a world like this, they would be a
lot more obvious than from where I came from. When I'd first started living on the streets, broke
and filled with wide-eyed naivety, they had hounded me, trying to take every little thing I owned,
and there wasn't much mind you, before I'd learned of their willy ways.
They wouldn't trick me now.
You're going to trick them.
Play with fire and you're going to get burnt.
Anyways, turns out the guy is actually some big shot in the village, so word of him wanting to rip
me off on the donkey and my refusal to sell it to him quickly spreads. Which in turn means that no
one will buy the donkey for fear of the repercussions the guy would mete out, so I ended up taking
the donkey back with me.
Really, if the next town over also tried to rip me off or just refused to buy the donkey, I might just
suck it up and keep it.
Learn to ride the damn thing on my own.
...Why don't you?
I didn't really have an answer for it.
Maybe it was some form of coping mechanism to handle the onslaught of emotion that came every
time I thought about the adults, keep everything they owned out of sight and move on from them.
You think it will be that easy?
No. But I was willing to try.
The donkey made an snorting sound, as if it could read my mind, and gave me a look.
I smiled tiredly at it and patted its neck, my fingers curling slightly in its pale fur. Let it be known
that animal therapy does wonders for one's soul.
I pondered slightly on what to do next, then looked to the sky above me and decided that now was
the time to get a move on and find out a place to stay the night.
Tonight would have to be under the open sky, that idiot was trying to be inconspicuous and
following me around.
Seriously, being treated like a stupid child would get old very fast...
We walked for a while until we came upon a large open field of tall grass. The donkey wasted no
time in starting to munch at it, so I just shrugged and started clearing an area to settle camp for the
day. On any other occasion I'd add some 'sensory' talismans, the kind that would be very loud if
breached, but I forgone those. It wouldn't do if the idiot got scared off before I could have a 'talk'
with him.
An honest talk.
You actually think he'll do it?
Idiots like him are easy to spot.
And I was correct. Shortly after the moon went up and 'children' should all but be fast asleep, I
heard a rustle in the trees and the tell-tale noise of branches snapping under feet.
Seriously, how stupid can you be?
I remained perfectly still on the ground, feigning sleep, whilst my hand slowly traveled under my
pack and curled its fingers around my dagger.
I wouldn't kill him, goodness no, but I wasn't opposed to giving him the scare of a lifetime.
Besides, no one would believe him if he complained that he got beat up by a little kid.
If they did, then all that showed was just how much this idiot deserved it.
I let him get close to the Donkey, heard it bray and the guy shushing it harshly, which only made it
bray harder. If I wasn't already awake, then there was no way for me to remain asleep after that, I
internally sighed and remained pliant on the ground.
I heard the guy mess around with the lead, but he couldn't get the knot I had made out of it, and so
he decided to follow the rope to see where it was tied to.
Just as I had predicted.
It's just so nice when things go according to plan, isn't it?
The best feeling.
So, there the idiot went, following the rope to see where the knot was.
Around my foot.
An obviously 'bad' place to tie a leash as the donkey could just take off and drag me, or so many
would think. A) The donkey was well aware I was awake, it had known my adults, for Heavens
sake; and B) This donkey was perfectly content staying still and just eating its grass in peace.
And so, like any person with brain cells and who didn't know the donkey personally, it could be
described as a 'dumb' thing to do.
Unless it was a trap.
Idiot~
Guy crouched down to get the rope around my foot and I sat up, lightning fast, and hit him on the
side of the head with the dagger.
He was out like a light.
That was easier than I had expected.
Fun too!
Should I feel bad for doing this?
Do you want to feel bad for doing this?
No, not really. Mess with me and find out what happens.
Then don't feel bad for it. Screw him, he was asking for it.
I shrugged. To each their own.
Also, waste not, want not.
I went through his pockets.
A coin pouch, a set of keys (I let him keep those, wasn't about to rob his house, I had standards),
and a bag of rice.
Asshole.
Did he really think he could come here, take my freaking donkey, leave behind a measly sack of
rice, and that I'd just go on my merry way?
Oh, screw it. I was keeping the damn thing.
And the rice.
Of course, this gentleman was nice enough to bring it to us and everything!
Chapter End Notes
AGF!WWX will hit you if you try to rip him off, knock you out and search through
your pockets. You've been warned.
This chapter has also been split into two, so chapter 18 starts shortly after that scene.
Whilst chapter 19 starts a few days after that one.
And once again, chapter 19 will be divided into two...
I don't know why I bother giving numbers to my planned chapters when 7/10 times
they end up growing too length-y and I have to cut them.
And when I say cut I mean that Arc II chapters won't go past 3k and when they do
they get split into two. All the chapters of this Arc should even out at 2k words. Yay,
longer chapters!
Street Rat
Chapter Summary
In which society is filled with assholes and bad people, where Wei Ying wants nothing
to do with your bullshit, and F! this, I'm moving to the country side.
On the bright note, being popular feels nice.
Chapter Notes
Okay, so, fair warning, there's an encounter in this chapter that might ruffle a few
feathers. I'm not 100% happy with this, mostly because even I was so far out of
comfort zone writing that, I didn't know where to start.
It's minimal, like... 10 or 15 lines, maybe less. So yeah...
Hope you enjoy the chapter?
"There's no fear when you're having fun." - Will Thomas
Chapter 18: Street Rat
I reached the town of Zhengzou, just near the borders of Lanling, and I could immediately tell I
wasn't going to have a good time here.
Maybe it was because CangSe and ChangZe had sucessfully 'sheltered' me from seeing these sights
or because I'd had a filter removed from my eyes now that they were gone, making it incredibly
easy to see the street urchins and orphans running around between alleys and houses.
Worse still was seeing obviously hungry children being grabbed by their arms and thrown away
from stalls by men twice their size and thrice their girth, yelling at them to stop scaring away
clients and to get their dirty hands off of their merchandise.
There was an obvious disconnect between my culture and theirs.
This wasn't how you treated children!
I wanted to go up to him and shout at him, give him a piece of my mind, but my tongue was tied.
Tell him off and I'd be in the wrong here. Because they were street rats, filthy and sneaky and a
bunch of liars, they deserved everything coming to them.
Something buzzed at the edge of my senses and my hand moved before I could process it, grabbing
the wrist of a kid slightly older than me, attempting to grab the Qiankun bag at my waist.
I stared at him and felt empty.
I let go of his wrist and watched him scamper off.
Would I be like this?
No, of course not. Even if I was an Oscar worthy actor, my patience has limits, and I have better
use of my time than to spend it trying to steal buns off a cart.
Like finding a place to keep the donkey at while you go complete some Quests.
I groaned all the way in the back of my head.
It'd be so much easier if I just sold the thing.
But you're too fond of it now to do it.
So I'm a bloody sap, sue me.
Where's that Quest?
I opened the map and let it it guide me on where I needed to go. In the five minutes it took me to
get there, I'd already grabbed two other would-be-pickpockets and gave a mighty kick to the shins
of a guy who tried to grab the donkey's lead out of my hand.
He shouted expletives at me and was 'shocked' when I shouted better ones back at him.
Please, like I wasn't thrice his age and an educated lady at that. These people didn't know the art of
cussing someone out.
The Quest itself wasn't a particularly fascinating one, just fetch this and that before the time runs
out. And they had a place I could keep the donkey in whilst I ran the errant.
I did have the feeling that the System intervened more in this world than what I'd first assumed,
because there was this disconnect when people gave me Quests, like there was something not quite
right with them.
Like they weren't really talking, just reciting lines in a script.
And maybe because they don't think twice of asking this and that of a random child, when you still
get awkward looks on the streets because your face doesn't match how cute you are.
Screw you.
Don't think too hard on this, lest you have an existential crisis in the middle of the market place.
Mind over matter?
Mind over matter.
I ended up bawling my eyes out about three hours after I'd run a few simple Quests, seeing a
couple picking up their child off of the ground and raising him high in the air.
The gaping hole in my chest hurt.
So I started bawling.
In an alley.
At least it's not like you have much face to lose by having snot all over you.
I ignored it.
The donkey was tied back at an inn, who agreed to let me sleep on the hay stack out back, so I
didn't have to worry about anyone trying to get it from me right now.
I kind of just sat and cried for a bit.
Or well, that was my plan before this bastard appeared.
"Hey, little boy, are you alright?" Someone asks.
I look up, rubbing at my teary eyes, and see a man standing above me, nicely dressed in clean robes
and smiling in a friendly way down at me.
Warning bells started ringing in my head.
This guy was bad news.
My skin prickled and the Stranger Danger vibes the guy was giving off had my instincts yelling at
me to get away from him.
Or stick the dagger in a soft spot.
"I'm fine," I answered and went to get up.
He laughs and puts his hand on my shoulder.
Oh, no he didn't.
"Where are your parents? It's getting late to be out by yourself," He tells me, and his eyes are
definitely shifting around to see if there are any adults nearby.
Stab him.
"They're waiting for me," I lie," I don't need help finding them," I tell him and push his hand off of
me.
"Now, now," He tries to put some more pressure on my shoulder," That isn't polite."
I kick him in the nuts.
Guy goes down with a whine.
[YES] [NO]
I ignore the notifications for now.

"It isn't polite to approach little boys with bad intentions," I mock him," Didn't your mother teach
you that?"
The guy only groans and glares at me, clutching his family jewels.
"Try and touch me again and lose your hand, asshole," I spit at him.
He just lays there, rocking on the ground, and I quickly make my way back to the inn. Despite my
faking it, and I was angry, I felt uneasy.
My skin crawled in revulsion.
I was getting out of this shit town, right now.
I'd be better off sleeping in some cave or even in a fucking tree.
Should've shanked him.
I snort.
I'll keep that in mind.
I get to the inn and give him some excuse about how I wasn't staying there for the night, really
sorry to bother him, and grabbed the donkey from the stables.
The sun was already down and it was evening, not the safest time to travel, but I could care less
about that at this point.
The first beast that thought I made for an easy target was getting disemboweled.
I wasn't messing around.
About two hours after I left the town and found a small empty cave to stay in for the night, making
my camp and getting cozy with a small campfire. I finally sat down to see what the notification
was all about.
First thing first.
I open the Player Menu.

Class: None* Fatigue: 30

Skills:
+Martial
+Social
+Scholar
+Arts
+Mundane
Equipment:
Common boots
Weapon:
Blessed Dagger
Talisman (16)
Small Bow (12)]
With how things seemed to be going for me, I decided that my Stats would be monstrous by the
time this Story Arc was done and over with.
I quickly distributed my Stat points and pop on over to the Quest Page.
There were still some Quests to be done on that town but I decided to stay away from it for now.
And opened the new Quest notification.
"Quest: Player Class Selection"
«Player has reached Class Selection level.

Player should arrive at the nearest Class Selection sight and complete this Quest.
Classes have specific Skills that can be unlocked automatically.
Classes can be changed any time but Skills unlocked will be lost.
Player can multi-class at specific levels or conditions.»
[YES] [NO]
I stare at the words for about a minute before pinching my cheek.
I hadn't fallen asleep, at least.
This can't be real.
This never happened in the...-
Novel? Yeah, I thought we'd already established that our situation isn't even remotely close to the
plot apart from the canon timeline of events.
Goodness gracious, I really was stuck in a video game.
Well, what are you waiting for? Accept it!
I sighed, and clicked yes.
The map now had a rather big bubble colored red right above Lanling.
Into the den of beasts...
They don't know who you are yet, odds are they won't try to kill you!
At least, I upped my Luck Stat.

That only means the world will try and heap more 'unlucky' stuff towards you.
You're just a ray of sunshine, you.
Says the person who knocked two men out in less than a day.
Touché.
Whilst I had agreed to take on that Quest, I decided to wait a while before going on to tackling it.
Lanling wasn't very far off from where I was, and it'd take me a day at most to reach it, so I
decided to go to the 'poorer' villages and see if they needed any help with Spirits or had any night-
hunt available.
It was mid-autumn right now, but winter set early in this land. And once it set there were places
that became virtually unreachable unless you flew. So many smaller villages were left to fend for
themselves during these months, relying only on local cultivation clans and rural sects.
Any help offered would be well received, I was sure.
And I was.
Except for the tiny problem about my age.
"You're a cultivator?" The grizzled man laughs," You're smaller than meh grand-kids!"
I smile wider at him, my scar pulling at my cheek, and let him laugh.
"I heard you're leading a night-hunt tonight, I was asking if you're allowing rogue cultivators to
also participate?" I repeat my question.
He gave me a patronizing look," Listen kid, night-hunting isn't a game, it's dangerous and you
could get hurt."
I gave him a gentler smile, and pulled my pendant out of my robes.
The man stared at it for a few moments, and I was all but ready to explain what it was, before his
eyes widen and he quickly looks up at me again.
Gotcha.
"I am the son of CangSe Sanren, I follow in the footsteps of the Great Baoshan Sanren's teachings,"
I tell him, bullshitting my way through the conversation," I am asking you, elder, if you are
allowing rogue cultivators to participate on this night-hunt."
The man stares at me some more, alternating between me and the pendant, before there's a spark of
recognition in his eyes. He bows his head slightly, the bare minimum really," Rogue cultivators are
allowed on this night-hunt, but my clan cannot afford to support outsiders with equipment or
tools."
I smile at him and nod," Do not worry, I have my own tools and equipment. May I ask if there's
any stable I can pay to house my mount?" I ask him, gesturing at the donkey patiently waiting a
little ways behind me.
"The inn has a stable, they'll let you keep it there for the night for a small price," He answers.
I thank him and walk towards the inn, leading the donkey.
That went better than expected.
You'd be surprised on how many places you can enter if you behave as if you belong there.
"Who's that kid?!" I heard a startled cultivator yelp.
"I heard the chief say that he's a rogue cultivator, CangSe Sanren's son, you know... The Baoshan
Sanren's disciple!" Another answered him in an awed tone.
"He's already taken down three frost spirits, and I think I saw him strike a hungry ghost without
even turning around," The first one said.
"Kid's on a whole different league... These prominent Sects and their great disciples aren't normal...
Kid can't be more than five years old..." Another cultivator told them.
"Dear Heavens..." The first one let out a sigh," Any chances of him joining our clan?"
"Are you stupid? What the hell would we have to offer him?" The second one scoffed.
"He'd bring so much glory to our clan," The first groaned.
"Keep dreaming," The third one snorted," And pay attention to what you're doing! I'm not telling
auntie you got injured because you weren't paying attention!"
I left them to it, weaving in and out of trees and readying my bow to let my arrows fly. Even under
the night sky with little to no light I could see, and the cold air stung my skin.
It was hard to breathe, but it was good practice.
I'd already been at this for two hours, and the night was barely beginning.
"Stat leveled up!"
I grinned.
The next spirit that was unfortunate to cross my path would've gulped in fright if they could.
I loved this.
"So there we were, right? Surrounded by this wolf pack," A man was telling to an eager crowd
around the table of the tavern," Qi She is already down, blood pouring out of his leg, Ming Yu has
lost his blade and is trying to watch out for my back, when all of a sudden, this kid comes flying
out of nowhere, and just starts shooting out arrows." He told them.
More than three pairs of eyes turn to stare at me, sitting at one end of the table and eating my free
meal, thanks for saving the men, and give me appraising looks.
They're drunk and flushed pink.
Every once in a while, the guy telling the story would stop and repeat what he'd just said, none of
the other guys bothered to correct him.
I found them amusing.
"And, and... Man, you had to have been there," The first man shakes his head in disbelief," The
wolves just run, they notice their numbers going down so they just run..."
The men nod at me with respect.
"How about you tell a happier story?" The barmaid asks them," Or some song, I don't know. I don't
want to go to sleep only to dream of wolves attacking me!"
The men laugh and jeer but decide to go along with her and start telling jokes and rhymes before
quickly getting bored.
"Hey, kid," One of them turns to me," Ya' know any songs?"
Drinking songs? I know a few.
I ponder on what to tell him, most of the ones I know won't translate very well into chinese.
I know just the one.
A tune filters in my ear, and I have this unholy vision of the whole tavern drunkenly belling out the
lyrics.
I grin widely at the men.
"Oh, I know one," I answer.
"Well, what are ya' waiting for?" The man laughs," Sing it out loud!"
"Oh, I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts~ There they are a standing in a row~ Big ones, small ones,
some as big as your head~ Give them a twist, a flick of the wrist, that's what the showman said~!"
"Singing Skill leveled up!"
Turns out I do, indeed, have a talent for rousing drunks into singing silly songs.
I got a free room for the night for the free entertainment of seeing twelve odd drunks trying to
string their words coherently in order to follow along with the song.
God, I love Monty Python.
I might just stay a while doing this.
Chapter End Notes
I love Monty Python. I really, really do. And Princess Bride. And Disney.
So there will be a lot of drunken singing moments in this story, and canon characters
will be hit by a tidal wave of pop culture that leaves them going wtf, while WWX is
laughing so hard in the background, he's on the ground struggling to breathe.
Also, never cuss at a lady, odds are, she knows how to cuss better than you.
Be Better
Chapter Summary
Where the world keeps turning, a mystery presents itself to fuel rumors evermore, and
one bad apple should not poison the entire basket.
Chapter Notes
"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." - Mahatma Gandhi
Chapter 19: Be Better
News of CangSe Sanren and Wei ChangZe's death spread around early winter. It wasn't that it took
long to identify the bodies, their swords were recognizable as their looks nowadays thanks to the
frequent rumors of their parenting, but that their child hadn't been found with them.
Apparently it was thought that their son had been with them and perhaps had went after the beasts
who killed them. The news hadn't spread until someone finally revealed that their son had gone
missing from their inn room, with all of their belongings gone as well.
It was obvious that a child couldn't possibly carry three packs out of a room, which was locked
when the innkeeper went to check the room, and disappear into the night by itself.
Or well, they could.
If they had a Game System that allowed them to store things in a hammer space.
By then, I'd already been traveling for a while. Rural villages and poor towns, never straying too
far from Lanling.
Today, I decided, I would go check on the Quests there, the sooner I got them done the better. And
I really wanted to find out more about Classes.
Donkey, as I had taken to calling it, yes I was that unimaginative, and I had been working on
letting me ride it.
The first attempts had been amusing but proved fruitless. Donkey wasn't used to being ridden like
one would a horse, content to being led by a lead and carrying packs. You could sit on it while he
was being led, but you were out of luck if you thought he'd walk at all with you on his back and no
lead.
Many apple bribery had been used to get its mind to change.
I could ride it for short distances, and perhaps longer still, but I got too sore for sitting on its back
and ended up walking a lot of the time.
As I traveled in and out of villages, and the news of my adults deaths spread, there came word of
Jiang FengMian leading searches in an attempt of finding me. With how much attention their
deaths had brought, their bodies had been burnt and their ashes sent to YunmengJiang, as per their
Sect Leader's orders.
LanlingJin, the Sect responsible for overseeing that city had easily agreed, and even opened their
borders for Jiang FengMian to search their territory for the missing boy.
There were even whispers of disciples being sent to nearby towns and villages to search for him.
I pondered on letting Jiang FengMian finding me sooner, even entertained the thought of just
showing up where he was at and asking him why he was making all sorts of noise about me being
missing, but I quickly decided against it.
I had my goal to reach and, just like my adults deaths, it would be inevitable that I'd be found and
brought to Yunmeng.
But not yet.
Not now.
I still had much to do right now. Had only just begun my march to a better future.
In the end, I sat in front of a mirror and thought of ways to make me less recognizable.
My scar was a blessing and a hindrance. It was very visible and easily recognizable but, at the
same time, the exact scar wasn't known by the world at large. All they knew was that CangSe
Sanren and Wei ChangZe's son had a scar on his face.
I didn't have to worry too much about it, what I did have to worry about, though, was how closely I
resembled CangSe.
The same grey colored eyes, the same slightly fuller lips that always settled on my face as a small
mischievous smirk, and the same head shape. I had ChangZe's nose and hair though, along with his
smaller ears and long fingers.
I'd grow to be as tall as him, as well.
As such, I needed to take some measures to make sure I wasn't easily spotted.
I brought out the box of hair ribbons and took out a gentle blue one, although I did considered
taking the bright red one. One day, I decided, but today wasn't that day.
I loosened my hair and re-tied it properly in a high pony-tail, using my dagger to cut the ends that
passed below my neck. Hair that grew too long was a snag when it came to night-hunts. All it took
was a beast grabbing a hold of it and I'd go down.
I was strong, yes, but I had to work with my strengths. And my height wasn't one of them.
I looked back on the mirror and poked at the scar. I'd never let my eyes stare too long at my own
reflection. In some ways, I still found it foreign.
Gone was the blond-ish hair and green eyes, the slight overbite and the peach colored skin.
All those years, wrinkles and weights were gone.
In its place stood a child with too wise eyes and a fire lit behind them.
This was Wei Ying, courtesy WuXian.
And I'd stand atop my mountain and look down at the world one day, and see the sun rise above it
in peace.
One day.
I poked my scar again.
There wasn't much, if anything, I could do about it. Time had made its color fade from the angry
red it had been to a white paler than my own skin. I was sure that once summer got here and I'd
spent my days and nights out in the open, hunting and crusading as my plans were, that it would
grow more obvious. Placing a bandage on it would only bring more scrutiny at it, it was best just to
let it out, in open view.
I'd keep the pendant hidden, unless I had to use it to make people stop acting all high-and-mighty
on night-hunts.
These past few nights had been interesting, it got my mind off of things, to just lose myself running
through darkened forests and track down malicious spirits. Yao that decided to take the shape of
animals in order to 'escape' notice, were by far the most entertaining to hunt.
Often they'd hide in between actual animals and trick you into attacking the wrong thing.
They forgot, though, that the eyes are the windows to the soul. And theirs betrayed their
intelligence.
I didn't tell that to the odd number of cultivators gaping at me and trying to figure out how I always
knew which one was the correct yao.
If they were at least three times my age and couldn't be bothered to be observant enough to guess,
then all I'd say were a few words of advice and let them either sink or swim.
Harsh of me, I think.
Not really.
So you say.
There weren't any Quests left on this village, nor in the villages surrounding it, so it was time to
leave.
Donkey was already tacked with a fine set of old tack from a thankful farmer, whose cattle was
being afflicted by a particularly vicious Hungry Ghost, and all I had left to do was thank the
innkeeper for letting me stay, say goodbye to the cultivation clan of the area and set back on my
travel.
But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.
Morbid.
Shut up.
Lanling hasn't changed since the last time I was here.
Around winter time too.
The map told me that the Class Selection Quest would be happening somewhere just past the city's
north gates, in the direction of Qinghe, which was where I would be heading next, after finishing
up all the Quests I had in this territory.
I would quickly go through the ones available here and move on, four Quests and I wouldn't return
here, not again.
I paid for an opening in a stable, Donkey would stay there while I went around and did my thing.
It'd be faster to weave through the crowds if I didn't have an animal trekking after me.
Finding the first Quest, one for a baker woman who needed to deliver a basket of bread to a
household on the other side of the city, was easy and I made use of my stamina to finish it quickly.
If anyone was surprised with how a tiny little kid could carry a basket almost as long as his arm,
full of bread, and still run fast enough to rival hunting dogs they didn't say anything aloud.
The second Quest was more like a scavenger hunt. The man gave me a map, or more specifically a
piece of paper with crudely depicted buildings and symbols, and told me to go find the materials he
needed.
I gave him a deadpan look but I went anyways.
Took me almost three hours to get them all and my good humor was fading fast.
The sun was high in the sky and it burned. Winter sun burnt more than in the summer, because you
didn't feel just how hot it was due to the cold.
I was running towards the last Quest in this city, before tackling the Class Selection one, when a
kid, near the same age as me, dressed in bright golden robes crosses my path. I'm running too fast
to stop in time and I bump into him.
We both fall over in a heap of limbs.
Urgh.
I get up first and pull him up by the back of his robes.
"What's the big idea, just showing up all of a sudden?" I rub the back of my head," Sorry, for
bumping into you, I was going too fast to stop in time."
The kid makes a disgusted noise and turns to face me.
It's not a face I recognize, I've never seen him before, but the vermilion dot on his forehead makes
my opinion of him drop several degrees.
He wasn't a good looking child, too puffed cheeks and a big nose, not to mention the bit of a belly
rounding the front of his robes.
Please let this not be Jin ZiXuan. If he says he's Jin ZiXuan then there's no way I'm not bursting
into laughter when I see him in Gusu.
"How dare you!" He squeaks hands clenched in fists at his sides.
I raise an eyebrow at him.
"How dare I what? Bump into you? I already apologized, young mistress, there's no need to throw a
fit," I told him.
His face turns red as a tomato.
Seriously...
You have a talent for this, I see, no wonder everyone hates you in the future.
"I'm-..." I go to apologize when the kid just screeches.
"A-Feng!" He yells," Punish this urchin!"
Urchin? Kid, I'd question your eyesight.
And punish? Who the hell is this A-Feng?
"Right away, Young Master Jin," A man quickly comes over and pulls a whip out of his belt.
...
Oh, he better not dare to.
"You're a stupid urchin!" The kid mocks," How dare you touch me with your lowly hands!"
...If this was Jin ZiXuan I'd find a way to convince Jiang YanLi to find love elsewhere.
He got better, and this might not be him.
Might.
I stood my ground and glared at the kid," I apologized," I told him," And I could care less about
who you are, you try to have your servant hit me, and he's going to carry you back home
unconscious."
I swear I'd punch the kid into the next week if he tried to pull this on me.
My eyes betrayed no lie, and I see his countenance falter.
A sharp sting on my back makes me buckle. The sharp whistle of a whip follows.
"How dare you speak to the Young Master like this!" Another servant appeared from behind me,
carrying another whip," Street rats like you should grovel at the feet of your betters!"
Another slash of the whip. I brought my body down low.
Rage bubbled inside of me, and I hid my face from view so they could not see my eyes smoldering
cold silver embers.
Calm down. Think this through.

I took a deep breath, the damn servant slashed at me again, and the air strangled in my chest.
I was done thinking.
I jumped up, grabbed a hold of the man's wrist and twisted, twisted until I heard the sharp snap of
bone, and the man howled. Then, lightning fast, I turned around and landed a punch squarely on
the cheek of the kid, controlling my strength so that I wouldn't accidentally hurt him more than his
body could handle.
I then looked straight into the remaining servant's eyes.
He paled.
"You never saw me," I tell him.
He quickly nods.
I leave, disappearing into the crowded streets, and pretend I don't hear the howling of the fallen
servant and the crying of the bratty young master.
Whoever that Jin was, he fucking deserved it.
This won't help you in the future.
I bit my tongue.
I already knew that. Anger got the best of me.
How dare he!
In the future, many will turn against you. Will you do the same as Wei WuXian did?
History repeats itself... Round and round it goes... A vicious cycle.
I took a deep breath and pressed my head against the cool stone of a building.
No... No, I wouldn't... I wouldn't let my emotions get the best of me...
I would do better. Be better.
Then bow your head. Learn to bow your head and take the hits.
Use the pain as gunpowder, and your will as the wick.
When the time comes...
Blow them all out of the water.
Be better.
Chapter End Notes

So, some canon changes for you guys. CangSe and ChangZe's deaths here were more
than a footnote on MDZS's world history. Everyone is talking about it, screaming foul
play.
Thoughts?
And word of God says, that's not Jin ZiXuan. I'm not that cruel, no that little muffin is
being lazy back in his room acting all princely and shtuff.
Also, funny story. I keep complaining how my planning for chapters always goes
wrong because scenes get too word-y?
Yeah, chapter 19 is already eating two other chapters... Urgh.
Class Selection Quest
Chapter Summary
Where Donkeys tell no tales and there's an anticipated night-hunt.
Chapter Notes
"A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from
within." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Chapter 20: Class Selection Quest
I'd gotten the last Quest in the city done and retreated back to the stable where Donkey was in to
nurse my wounds.
Once my anger had left my body and I'd stopped moving the cuts on my back started to sting.
Making sure that there was no one else in the stable I positioned myself where no one else would
see me and took off my robes, leaving my back exposed.
I used the water tank the stable had to see my back.
Three bleeding slashes cut across my back.
I growled, deep in my throat before I took a deep breath and held it in.
I couldn't let my anger get the best of me.
Could not.
Calm. I needed to be calm.
Breathing in, I let my conscious float for a minute before bringing the world back into focus. I
opened my inventory and brought out the medicinal remedies and bandages I knew had stuffed in
it.
I cleaned the blood using a clean bandage and applied a salve that said it was meant for cuts.
I burned.
My eyes involuntarily teared up and I glared at the ceiling.
I. Would. Not. Cry.
Crying isn't a weakness.

No, but I sure as hell wasn't showing up at a night-hunt with red teary eyes and expect to be treated
with respect.
Actually... Since Jiang FengMian is looking for you, won't they stop you or try to keep you there?
...
I finish applying the bandages and getting my robes back on before opening my Player Menu.


Skills:
+Martial
+Social
+Scholar
+Arts
+Mundane
Equipment:
Common boots
Weapon:
Blessed Dagger
Talisman (10)
Small Bow (25)]
I thought on just how many Stat Points I was making with Quests and night-hunting, and spared
the time to consider just how my stats would look like after all this was over. On average, splitting
the territory by the Great Sect governing it, there were around seven rural villages, more or less
five decently sized towns, and three larger cities.
There were always four Quests available in each of those stops, and they all rewarded Stat points at
their completion. Rural villages offered one SP per Quest, towns usually gave three SP, and city
Quests gave five each.
That made... A lot of Stat Points.
I blinked.
Did my Stats even have power caps? Like, would I be unable to increase them past a certain point?
Or maybe, you'll become a mortal God.
I would not. Impossible.
You never know.

Knock on wood, I already have too many things to worry about. Godhood will not be one of them.
You do know the point of Cultivation is to become Immortal, right?
...Well, to each their own. I want to make it past twenty-five and live in peace!
You say that now~ You never know what the future brings!
Shut. Up.
I quickly distributed the new Stat Points, making sure to level them all out before investing in
Luck.
Gods knew I'd need it.


Skills:
+Martial
+Social
+Scholar
+Arts
+Mundane
Equipment:
Common boots
Weapon:
Blessed Dagger
Talisman (10)
Small Bow (25)]
I liked to see the Stats all rounded up in even numbers. Even if after this one Quest they'd probably
go back to odd numbers.
Speaking of odd numbers, I needed to make more talismans and get more arrows. I'd been making
them at my leisure but I needed to make more now before going out to fight I don't know what.
Bigger concentrations of people usually meant meaner spirits, stronger and more vicious. One
couldn't rule out crime and human nature when considering what they'd find on night-hunts.
And I needed warmer robes. My previous winter robes had started to be too tight and frayed at the
edges. These ones I was wearing too, would have to be replaced, my various forays into night-
hunting in woods meant that the cloth was wearing out faster than it had previously.
You diving under bushes, tree trunks, climbing and jumping all over the place like a demented
monkey doesn't help either.
I roll my eyes.
I opened the Store and eyed the equipment being sold. There were a lot, but most were either level-
locked or way too expensive. The ones with various protections sewn in, holy robes or just made
out of some spiritual creature's hide were ridiculously pricey and I doubted I'd ever buy them.
But it's nice to have options.
True.
I spied a decently priced pair of winter robes and got them, getting the notice that they'd been
automatically sent to my inventory.
Boots?
I looked down at my feet, they were worn, yes, but still feasible. I shook my head, opening instead
the weapons section of the Store.
I made moon eyes at all the shiny blades.
You do have a sword.
Which I can't use because of my tiny noodle arms.
You won't be able to use these either then.
I huffed.
Let a woman dream.
I scrolled down to see the ranged weapons section. The bows here, all of various materials and
qualities, were also ridiculous expensive and I was glad ChangZe had taught me how to make my
own.
Arrows, on the other hand, were a dime a dozen.
Once again, they all got sent to my inventory and I closed the Store.
Pulling the new robes out of my inventory I saw that they were a dark color, not black but maybe a
very dark green? They had a small fur lining on the collar and sleeves, which were tight against my
wrists and not flow-y like most. The robes also brought a set of sturdy pants.
I heard a confused bray and looked up to see Donkey staring at the clothes in my lap.
Oh, yeah, he can't see anything I do with the Menu and its back was turned when I brought out the
salves.
I gave it an impish smile and brought a finger to my lips, opening the Store again and quickly
getting an apple out of it.
It appeared in my hand as I brought it out of the inventory.
Donkey's eyes gleamed.

Clearly, we'd reached an understanding.
Your social skills never cease to amaze me.
You're just jealous of my awesomeness.
I got to say, the System deserved more recognition for its work.
The clothes were very comfortable. And warm. And, oh goodness, I loved the fur lining.
And the easy to get bribes for Donkey.
Shhh...
Night was starting to fall and I'd walked to the spot where the Quest was supposed to start. Already
I saw a few cultivators waiting for the last few stragglers to show up.
I'd gotten some looks but I pretended not to see them.
I made a quick last check to see that I had everything I needed, and recounted my arrows and
checked the string of my bow before placing it back. I counted my talismans and looked up to see
the position of the moon. It was just starting to peek out of the distant mountains, but that just
meant the spirits would soon come out to play.
"The night-hunt has to start soon, or else we'll be running against time to catch all the prey before
the sun rises," I commented aloud, a slow drawl to my words," Who else is missing?"
The cultivators give a look, up and down, seemingly confirming that a) I was a kid, and b) I was
talking to them.
"Just another group of disciples from LanlingJin," One replied," They always show up when they
want to."
"So why is everyone left to wait for them," I raise a brow," This is a night-hunt, one open to the
public if the notice I read was correct, its a courtesy to wait for the disciples of the hosting sect, not
a necessity."
"They're LanlingJin..." One murmured, shifting from foot to foot.
I roll my eyes, and start walking into the forest," Stay here and lose your prey, it's your choice.
They complain? Well, they should've been here on time, then, like everyone else!" I tell them over
my shoulder.
"Kid, they'll make your life a living hell," One tried to warn me.
I laughed.
"Let them try!" I told them, stopping and turning to look back at them with a wide grin on my
face," I'm not someone they want to mess with."
I then resumed walking.
None bothered to stop me again.
"Who's that kid?" I heard one whisper.

"No idea," Another replied.
"Could he be that kid from the rumors?" Another wondered out loud.
There was a beat of silence.
"Holy hell, you mean he's CangSe Sanren's kid? Wasn't he missing?" One gasped.
I laughed under my breath.
My adults would be so proud.
"The Class Selection Quest will begin momentarily"
The notification floated above me, along with a small countdown clock, already turning red as it
ticked down.
I was in the middle of a clearing, breathing hard as I'd spent the last hour running around chasing
yao and beasts, when the notification had appeared.
I calmed down my breathing as I had been taught and did some basic cooling down forms so I
wouldn't cramp up.
*ring* *ring*
I looked up to see a screen appear above me.
|Class Selection Quest Begins!|

|Completion requirements: |
|o Defeat Highlighted Yao 0/20 |
|o Defeat Boss level Beast 0/1 |
|Bonus Points if the Player defeats the Hidden MoGui|
I blinked at the words but shrugged. If they were helping my by highlighting the Yao I had to track
down, then they only helped me. As for the boss level beast... Well, I'll deal with whatever came
my way.
And the Hidden MoGui.
What the hell is a MoGui?
I shrugged. I'd never heard of it.
Suddenly, through the corner of my eye, I see something glowing. Immediately I nock an arrow
and twist on my heel, shooting whatever it was in a single graceful motion.
A Yao covered in glittery blue glow goes down and dissipates.
One down!
I look back at the count.

|Bonus Points if the Player defeats the Hidden MoGui|
I had work to do.
The moon was right above me, illuminating the forest with cold white light, and I was searching
for the final three yao I needed before turning my sights on the Boss Beast and the MoGui.
I knelt by a tree and poked at the ground, the dirt had been moved, recently too, but with the other
cultivators running around it was hard to tell if it had been the yao or someone else trying to hunt
them down.
I sighed.
How the hell did cultivators track down creatures before Wei WuXian created the Compass of
Evil?
With difficulty, it's why everyone wanted a Compass when they came out.
Shush you.
Well, I don't know what else you want me to say! That cultivators have like a sixth sense? That they
feel the world around them?
...Feel the world around them?
I mused along that thought.
The common string of knowledge I had of those yoga or meditation manuals, and trust me there
were a lot, was that the world was made of energy and all you had to do in order to find balance
with your energy and that energy was to... Become tuned in?
The details escape me, Cynthia would certainly know more than me.
I huffed and rested my back to the tree, closing my eyes.
Anything was worth a shot once. If it worked great, if it didn't then there was something wrong and
something needed to change.
I took a deep breath, and let it out after a few seconds, slowly regulating my breathing and heart
beat.
I let all the sounds around me be the only things I could hear, ignoring all other noises, and tried to
do something.
Reach out with my own energy? How did I find my own energy?
Inwards... Look inwards?
How does one look inside themselves?
I frown, having lost focus with my rambling.
Another approach then.

*Ding*
I ignored the notification sound, I didn't feel in danger and I doubted it wanted to give me any tips.
I controlled my breathing again and this time focused on my chest.
That's where the energy focused in, right?
No... That's not where it forms into energy.
The navel.
I focus inwards, deeper into myself, and have the slight impression that there's a tiny little orb of
light in the dark. I try to reach it but it escapes right through my fingers.
It wouldn't work like that.
Hmm...
Lure it?
I cupped my hands in the darkness of my mind, figuratively speaking, and thought about the
energy resting in my palms.
Imagine... Imagination is power or whatever the saying went.
Energy... It'd be warm and liquid, flowing through me fingers, always slipping past them. Always
moving.
Always, always, always moving.
Never stand still.
Lively. Bright. Clear.
Drip...
I open my eyes, there in my cupped palms is a bright golden orb of light, small and slightly wispy,
revolving in them like water in a water bowl. Little drops of light drip from my cupped hands and
into the darkness below me.
Like ripples in a still lake, the bright energy creates afterimages of the world outside of my mind.
Golden trees are visible for a mere second.
Rocks.
Grass.
Birds hiding in the trees.
A chill suddenly runs down my spine and I can feel the being running towards me.
Dark vermilion energy swirls around it like smoke, and I taste blood on my tongue, cooper stench
thick in my nose.
I don't think twice before moving.

Dropping out of my mind with nigh a thought, I crouch low to the ground, let go of my bow and
pull the dagger off of its sheath at my waist. Before it reaches me, because I can see it, dark and
malevolent, I spin on my feet and coiled like a spring jump in its direction.
I drive the dagger straight through the ball of resentful energy I can see, right in the center of its
being, and watch as the smoke around it stills.
Fades.
And then its true appearance reveals itself.
Dark leather-y skin and empty orbs for eyes, a long red tongue lolls out of its mouth, unable to
fully close due to its jagged teeth.
It drops to the floor. Dead.
"Meditation Skill leveled up!"
"Advancement Unlocked!"
"Bonus requirement Completed!"
I let out a breath I didn't remember holding in, staring at the floating words, and gazing, wide-eyed
at how everything is so bright and clear.
I look at the Quest screen.

|Bonus Points if the Player defeats the Hidden MoGui (Completed)|
So that was a MoGui...
I don't think I liked how it felt too much.
Felt?
Had I felt it?
Was this how being attuned with the world felt like?
I take another look around me, see how everything around me has its own glow, weak or star
bright, and am in awe with it.
If this was what it was then I was sure in my heart that I didn't want it to stop.
Did every cultivator felt like this?
Saw like this?
Try as I might I couldn't answer that.

Not unless I asked.
If they did no harm done.
If they didn't... I was petty enough to want to keep this sight all to myself.
Something shone in the familiar powdery blue glow I'd been chasing before and I tumbled on the
floor like a ball to reach my bow and took off after it.
I could see so clearly.
It felt great.
It felt freeing.
Light.
I smiled.
Chapter End Notes
So, funny story, I am terrible at math. And when I say terrible, I mean, really terrible
at math.
Anyways, I had this plan where each Quest gave Stat Points because WWX needs to
get strong someway, right? Yeah, I forgot to take into account just how many Stat
Points I was apparently creating. 740 Stat Points for Arc II... -.-'
Safe to say that WWX will probably be OP for a long time, which was expected really,
what I didn't expect was he becoming OP at the grand old age of 7.
Ugh, I'll just up the Stats of all the other characters, say cultivation messes with
"normal" attributes and call it a day.
I'm not even going to try and rectify my math, I already have enough chaos happening
in my plot.
As for the final scene in this chapter, it continues in the next chapter because Chapter
19 apparently decided to turn into 3 separate chapters. (Like, kill me)
Also, I think you guys will really like the next chapter, it has some really funny scenes.
The High of Victory
Chapter Summary
Tonight's the night. And it's going to happen again and again. Has to happen...
Where being awesome is terrifying for bystanders, where voices can't appreciate
awesomeness, and oh god, I'm too old for hangovers.
Chapter Notes
Yes, I do have fun picking references to use in my chapter.

Yes, I was indeed rather sleep deprived when I wrote this.
Did I enjoy writing it?
Hell yes.
"Ecstasy is the energy of spirit. When life flows, ecstasy is natural." - Deepak Chopra
Chapter 21: The High of Victory
Everything went by so fast.
One moment I remember being near a river, just grabbing the last Yao needed for the Quest, and
then the next I'm running so fast through the forest I feel as if I'm flying. I pass by stunned
cultivators who's eyes trail after me, feel the golden fire lit inside their chests and I try not to blink.
Too afraid that the light will be gone the next time I open them.
Still, I need to blink, the cold air stings my eyes if I keep them open for too long.
I'm looking for the Boss Beast.
I don't know what it'll look like, but by being a Beast I can eliminate all the crawling yao and other
spirit creatures going around.
I already had my prey.
I just needed to find it.
Would its energy be as wretched as the MoGui's? I hoped not.
Would it be as powdery glowing blue as the yao? If it did it'd be easier to find, at least.
Anticipation flooded my veins.

I couldn't stop grinning.
I couldn't help it.
The world was so much... more, than it was before.
It was beautiful.
Something crossed my path and I twisted out of its reach, somersaulted over it like an expert
athlete.
I blinked.
I could never do that.
"Acrobatic Skill leveled up!"
Huh?
I did that?
'Dodge,' A whisper told me and my body threw itself to the side, a powerful swipe of sharpened
claws barely missing my ear.
I look to see what attacked me and gulp.
It was a bear.
A bear with glowing red eyes and dark vermilion smoke swirling in its chest.
This was the Boss Beast.
How fun.
I totally didn't find that quip funny.
But my lips stretched into a grin nonetheless.
How fun indeed.
It roared, the stillness of night broken and birds startled into flight.
I back-flipped onto my feet and crouched, making sure I had my bow at the ready and still out of
the way in case I needed to run.
I roared back at it.
This was my prey now.
Cao XuYin was a guest disciple of the Jin Sect, his family was holding out hopes that he could
bring glory to their name and elevate their house to a noble one. His brothers were still too young to
study cultivation, but he was hoping that the Jin Sect would welcome them too.
That said, despite his more humble roots, he knew good cultivation techniques and forms. The Jin
Sect spared no expense at making sure their disciples didn't disgrace their good name, nor did they
make a fool of themselves in public.
They were taught to be in control of their emotions, if only as to not let their opinion of others
known.
Cao XuYin couldn't keep that control anymore at the sight before his eyes.
His friends and him had decided to track down the child that had apparently joined in on the night-
hunt. It had entered the forest before they had, and as such needed to be made an example of.
When he had heard of the child he'd scoffed, sure that they'd find the child crying somewhere after
seeing what a real yao or ghost looked like.
This... This... This wasn't what they expected to find.
"A monster..." His friends beside him gulped," That's a monster..."
Another friend shushed him, sweating and clutching his sword in a white knuckled grip.
Cao XuYin couldn't stop staring.
He wasn't sure how to feel right now.
In awe?
Scared?
Sick?
He could barely think at all!
How was this possible?
There, in the clearing below them, was a creature that one would hear about in legends.
A six foot bear with claws the size of meat hooks, teeth and muzzle stained with blood.
They had heard its roar from the other side of the forest, and many smaller cultivation clans had
looked at each other and decided they'd had enough night-hunting for one day.
His friends had laughed and jeered, called them cowards, but Cao XuYin was sure that, had he seen
the bear walk in his direction, he'd have left too.
Not that the bear was a problem anymore.
Because it was dead.
Killed by the kid they'd been tracking down.
Cao XuYin soul could've escaped his body with how low his jaw had dropped.
The kid, if it could be called that, didn't look human.
Blood was dripping from his chest, having clearly been struck my the bear, and from his nose. His
hair was completely loose and a mess of leaves, twigs and dirt, as if he'd been rolling around in the
bushes.
It was highly possible he had been.

But the most inhuman part of him were his eyes.
They were glowing.
Unnatural glowing orbs like two pools of liquid silver.
It's mouth was open in a gasp, panting hard, and in its hands were a broken bow and a bloodied
knife.
The wooden bow had clearly struck the fatal blow, sticking out of the bear's neck like a mockery of
an arrow.
Suddenly, as if shaken out of a stupor, the monster jerked and stared straight into Cao XuYin's
eyes.
He screamed.
His friends screamed.
They ran out of the forest before it thought of chasing after them.
Cao XuYin would never forget this night. Never.
And if anyone ever asked him why flinched whenever grey eyes looked over him, he'd just mumble
something about a stupid nightmare.
Because the being he saw that night could be nothing less than a living nightmare.
My vision was fogging at the edges.
It was hard to keep breathing and walking.
But I needed to keep walking.
I needed to get back to the stable. The Quest was done.
The world was back to it's gloomy darkness.
Nothing was glowing anymore.
I wasn't sure if I was sad that the lights were gone, or worried about how hard it was to breathe.
This is what happens when you go past your limits...
Hey! I was awesome! Did you see what I did back there? I went like wah! And then Zah! And it
was so cool...!
You sound drunk. How are you drunk?
I'm not drunk!
I'm offended you think so lowly of me!
No, you're not drunk. You're high.
High? Oh, yeah, high as a kite on the glory of victory! "VICTORY!"

Stop shouting.
"I'm not shouting!"
Yes, you are.
"I am?"
Stop talking. Just get back to the stable and go to sleep.
Oh?
Yeah, make sure you don't bleed out during the night or something. Bye.
Hey! How rude!
I tripped over my feet and barely managed to keep myself upright.
I swear that tree just laughed at me.
Just keep walking.
Why do you sound like that?
Because of the torture that is hearing your thought patterns in this state.
...I don't get it.
Of course you don't.
Don't you dare sigh at me!
I dare, I did, and I will again.
Meany.
How eloquent.
I'll show you eloquent you xxxxxx!
And here come the slurs, dear, do me a favor and just get to the stable.
Don't boss me around!
Wouldn't dream of it.
Don't mumble! Speak clearly!
...
I already told you not to sigh!
This is going to be a long night... And dawn is starting... How is this my life?
Because you love me!
Obviously.
Awww...
Not.
Why you!
I curled up in a ball and groaned. Donkey brayed and nosed my head but that only made me groan
harder.
I felt like crap.
Ah!
Do. Not. Speak.
Says the person who told me last night to speak clearly!
Shut. Up.
Laughter echoed in my ears, I peeked open one eye and shut it closed immediately again. It was too
bright.
The light! It burns!
Shut up!
I groaned and rolled over to my stomach. Donkey started messing with my hair. I waved out a hand
to make it stop.
It didn't.
Urgh.
I rolled back onto my back and slowly opened my eyes.
"Donkey," I sighed," Why must you hate me so?"
It snorted in my face.
I rolled my eyes and got up, having to quickly grab onto the donkey to keep standing when my
vision swims. The light outside tells me it's about midday, so I'd been asleep for at least six hours.
Nice nap.
I take a deep breath to prevent myself from replying.
A ring to my right makes me turn and stare at the open notification.
"Class Selection Quest Completed!"
"Do you wish you view your result?"
[YES] [NO]
I pressed [YES] and blinked as the screen enlarged to show a caricature of an archer.
"The Player's Class has been decided as [Archer]!"
«Archers are skilled bowmen.

Generally independent and used to working alone, archers are stealthy, graceful and accustomed
to fighting at a distance, unless they have a secondary weapon for close combat.
They can be analytical and calculating in nature, having great upper body strength and a more
slender built.
Historically, archers have been recorded to have been very effective in melee, due to their extensive
conditioning and strength.»
"Does the Player accept this Class?"
[YES] [NO]
So... I can refuse?
Will you?
No, I don't have the brain power to question the System right now, archer sounds perfect.
I accept and have the loud notification bells going off in my ears.
Ah!
Why does the world hate me? What did I do to deserve this?!
You exist, clearly.
I roll my eyes and ignore the 'careful, don't strain yourself' filtering through my ears to look over
the new notifications.
"Advantage Unlocked!"
"Player can unlock one Talent connected with their Class!"
Advantage... Talent?
Oh, yeah, you unlocked another advantage back there, didn't you?
I blinked slowly, trying to remember. Honestly after the lights showed up my mind is essentially a
blur.
"I think so...?" I hum.
Well, no use wasting time about it.
I open my Player menu.

Class: Archer Fatigue: 10

Skills:
+Martial
+Social
+Scholar
+Arts
+Mundane
Equipment:
Winter robes (child)
Common boots
Weapon:
Blessed Dagger
Talisman (4)
Small Bow (12)]
I just evened out the Stats yesterday! What the hell!
You're getting stronger, isn't that a good thing?
It's a good think but what the hell!
Women...
I quickly add the newer Stat Points and open the Advantage Page.
Whereas before there was a blank page, there was now a list of unlockable 'perks', and the two top
most perks were glowing.
*Keen Sight* and *Sixth Sense*
I blinked.
"Does the Player wish to activate this advancement?"
[YES] [NO]
I clicked yes.
I didn't feel like anything had changed.
Maybe you have to sleep on it, like with the Stats.
Possibly.
I closed the window and moved on to the Talents.
If I found the Advancements Page full, then this one easily dwarfed the other. Thankfully this one
was at least divided with sub-sections.
A Talent to do with my Class, huh...

That's easy.
I opened the [Ranged Combat] section.
There were only three Talents available.
From what I understood, the number beside the name of the Talent were how many points it took
to unlock it.
Then if you can get one for free, there's only one worthy to choose.
I click on the last Talent, "Pin the Fan (5)".
"Does the Player wish to unlock this Talent using the Class Selection reward?"
[YES] [NO]
I accept and see the Talent name turn bright blue, the sign that it was unlocked.
How many points do you even have?
I look to the bottom left corner.
19 Talent Points Available.
...A lot.
Spend them.
Why?
Because there's got to be something worth unlocking! Like that one right there!
"Hawk's Precision (1)".
"Does the Player wish to spend 1 TP to unlock this Talent?"
[YES] [NO]
I sigh.
It was going to be a long day.
Hey...
What?
What are alignments again?
What are what?
Alignments. That section is divided by them.
I look to see what it was referring to.
Giving it a quick once over, I pinch the bridge of my nose.

Why was it, that whenever I thought thinks would be easier from now on, they grow needlessly
complicated.
Because you have shitty luck.
Shut up.
Chapter End Notes
Okay so, first things first: Advantages are perks that are constantly active (when
activated) and cost nothing to maintain. Talents, on the other hand, are attacks or
specific actions he has to consciously think about using and have costs, either stamina
to keep running or have a drawback/backlash for continues use.
Also, Talents have Skill level requirements. These go by ranks (from 0 to 6+) which
I'll explain further at the end.
Advantages Unlocked: Keen Sight (Water) - "You can spot details of objects at a
much greater distance than others can, and you pick up small visual details that others
might overlook."
Sixth Sense (Void) - "You have an instinctive sense of supernatural beings, and you
can feel the presence of spirits and similar entities even when they have not chosen to
reveal themselves.
This feeling is ominous in the presence of beings with evil intentions, and neutral
when the beings are simply going about their business as usual."
Talents Unlocked: Hawk's Precision (1) - "This technique allows the Player to have
higher accuracy while using a bow, the accuracy keeps increasing with the level of
Archery Skill, the Senses Stat and with practice."
Pin the Fan (5) - "This technique makes it so that the Player has incredible accuracy
and power behind his shots, further increased by Skill and Stats.
Even if the shot fails and does not kill the target, there's a chance they might become
incapacitated and vulnerable to the second attack."
Now, Alignments are explain in the next chapter, so I won't bother explaining them
here (sorry).
As for the Skill levels required:
Rank 0 = Skill level 0 (Lack of Formal Training)
Rank 1 = Skill level 3 (Amateur)
Rank 2 = Skill level 5 (Apprentice)
Rank 3 = Skill level 7 (Professional) *Side note, once the Player gets to this level, he
can mentor others in the Skill*
Rank 4 = Skill level 10 (Advanced)
Rank 5 = Skill level 12 (Mastery)
Rank 6+ = Skill level 15 (Enlightenment) *Level 15 is Max out Level*
So that means, that AGF!WWX can use the first Talent, but not the second, as his
Archery Skill is only Level 5 right now.
Alignments
Chapter Summary
Where Wei Ying will learn how to make fierce corpses and the System can't stop him;
Why it's a bad idea to take down a six foot bear when you're four years old; and where
one should heed warnings given.
Chapter Notes
"You are energy, and energy cannot be created or destroyed. Energy just changes form." - Rhonda
Byrne
Chapter 22: Alignments
There were five Alignments, Fire, Air, Water, Earth, and Void.
There was virtually no information about them to get from the Talent descriptions and it had
nothing to do with different types of energy, as I had first thought when the name 'Void' came up.
Apparently they were just attributes the perks and Talents had?
You'll never know if you don't ask.
'Help, Alignments,' I sigh.
«The Five Alignments of Fire, Air, Water, Earth, and Void, balance the world's energy as a whole.
Each of the Alignments represent a character's natural inclination toward a certain approach to
solving problems, rather than exclusively representing mental or physical parameters, these
express their propensity toward certain ways of seeing the world and facing challenges.
Fire: Represents ferocious, direct, and inventive personalities. This approach is explosive and
intense, with characters aligned with this element being passionate, curious, physically quick,
occasionally brusque, and fast learners. They work to get results no matter the cost to themselves
or others.
Air: Represents graceful, cunning, and precise personalities. This approach is subtle or layered
with nuance, as the character moves too nimbly or speaks too obliquely to be pinned down. A
character aligned with this element is often eloquent, physically and socially deft, and shrewd.
Water: Represents adaptable, powerful, and perceptive personalities. This approach is balanced
and reversible, with characters aligned with this elements being naturally affable, physically
flexible, observant, and easygoing. They work to achieve results without overextending themselves
or underperforming.
Earth: Represents an aptitude for taking a steady, thorough, and grounded approach to problems.
This approach is cautious and considerate, with characters aligned with this elements being
physically tough, mentally resilient, and reliable. They work to get results without suffering losses
or taking unneeded risks.
Void: Represents a centered, unflinching personality; can also represent the "flow state". This is
an enlightened approach, accepting the nature of all elements yet allowing none to dominate the
others. A character aligned with this element is spiritually sensitive, wise and introspective.
A well-balanced Player seeks to maintain all five Alignments in their actions and know which
approach to use in any given situation.»
I blink at the length-y text above me, and tilt my head to the side.
So... This is energy?
Not a single strand of energy, but a whole. How one approaches a given situation, huh?
And the Void is nothing.
And everything.
So what is Demonic Energy?
Good question.
Canon!Wei WuXian said that if Spiritual Energy is energy, then Resentful Energy also had to be
energy. If these alignments spoke about Spiritual Energy then Resentful Energy had to have the
same alignments.
But if they were one and the same, only viewed from different sides, one good one evil, what made
them different?
Maybe they're missing something?
Or... I look at the words again.
They have too much.
What?
Unbalanced. Void is the balance of all, but people aren't balanced. When they die they have to
leave something behind in their energy, in their resentment, and when it all comes together... it's
unbalanced.
"Demonic Cultivation is not Available to the Player"
I glare at the warning.
"You put me in this world to become the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation! Why can't I learn
Demonic Cultivation?" I grouch at it.
"System warns the Player about the dangers of Cultivating without instructions."
"It's not like I'm going to have a teacher anytime soon!" I hiss at it.
"System is locking access to all Resentful Energy fonts."
"Oh, c'mon!" I throw my hands up," You can't be serious!"
I think it is.
Whatever, see if that stops me!
If it locks you out of studying Resentful Energy, what are you gonna do about it?
Theorize. It can't stop me from figuring out what Resentful Energy is even if I can't study it
properly. And it's not stopping me from cultivating normally either.
You're gonna get screwed over for this. Try not to die.
The System loves me too much to actually let me die.
Huhuh, keep telling yourself that.
You're growing rather sure of yourself, aren't you?
...
What? No response?
...
Fine then.
I close the window and start going through the Talents again.
The more Talent Points it took to unlocking the Talent, the more advanced it was, and therefore the
more skill was needed to use said Talent successfully. As it was, even if I got that "Pin the Fan"
Talent, I wouldn't be able to use it at all for now, as my Archery Skill wasn't up to par.
What would I need most now?
Combat Talents? Social Talents?
I figured a child didn't need to know how to trip someone using words alone. I'd have time to learn
that when I actually started to interact with people who needed to be tripped up.
So, focus on combat.
I didn't have any specific weapon, so the best thing to do was going with the basics.
There were a series of General Combat Talents that sounded useful, and after I got all those I could
potentially use now or in the near future, I got a few Spiritual Talents and one or two Social ones.
Once it all got up together they looked like a lot, but then I looked back on all that remained and
how much they cost and realized that when the War happened I might still have more than half of
these left to unlock.
And somewhat bothered by the fact that some Talents had warnings telling me not to use them in
front of other people.
Do you want to be made into a bigger target?

No...
Then why are you moping about not being able to make yourself a bigger target.
But that one sounded so cool...
How many other people do you know can walk on water?
...
I thought so.
You're so mean to me today.
I quickly patch myself up, again, and make sure that I look presentable enough (my poor robes,
how cruel can life be?) before stepping out of the stable. Hoping to buy some breakfast and pay the
stable owner for the night before setting off in the direction of the last settlements in Lanling
territory and then head north to Qinghe.
Interestingly enough the market place is practically buzzing with activity.
I wonder why that is?
I weave in and out of the crowds and get myself a small bag of buns before finding somewhere I
can people-watch in peace.
And eavesdrop.
It's in public, in plain sight, and they're talking out loud, if they didn't want others to hear them then
they should just stay silent.
They could be having private conversations.
Gossiping more like.
"Hey, have you heard?" A woman catches the attention of another, near a cloth stall," Have you
heard what happened in last night's night-hunt? The whole city is talking about it!"
"What?" The other woman leans in closer.
"They say a group of rogue cultivators ran out the forest, saying there was a monstrous beast living
in it, the Sect sent in another group of experienced cultivators to go check it out," The first one
spoke.
I think I know where this is going.
Shush.
"What did they find?" The second one pressured the other," Was there really a beast?"
"Yes! An enormous bear! They took it back to their Sect, no one knows how such a Beast got so
close to the city without being detected," The first woman nodded.
"Alive?!" The second one yelped.
"No, silly," The first snorted," Dead, the beast was dead when the cultivators arrived."
"Well, who killed it?" The second one asked.
"A kid," The first answered with a wicked grin.
Knew it.
Oh.
You're actually surprised?
To be fair, the night's a blur for me, and I only remember feeling as if I was walking on Cloud
Nine.
Yeah, well, your 'walk on Cloud Nine' included taking down a six foot bear Beast with a puny
wooded bow and your glorified dagger.
...Seriously?
Seriously. You better start running out of the city.
Why?
"A kid? You're joking! That's not very funny," The other woman pouted.
"Not joking, remember those rumors a year or so back? Yeah, the same kid is at it again, except
this time there's no parents with it," The first one frowned at the end of the sentence," I think Sect
Leader Jin sent a messenger to YunmengJiang late last night, and has his disciples searching the
city for the child now."
Oh.
Yeah, run.
Oh, no.
Run.
Oh, no...
RUN DAMMIT!
I jumped down from my spot and casually walked back to the stables at a hurried pace, I met the
owner on the way back, paid him and quickly got Donkey out. It must've sensed that something
was wrong because it didn't protest much.
"We're going to have to hurry," I tell it," Once we're out of the city , we have to get as far away
from here as possible, I'll give you apples later!" I promised.
That cheered it up.
I'll laugh at you if you're found out at the gates by Jiang FengMian.
Knock on wood, asshole!
We didn't get caught.

Thankfully.
And quickly made our way to the next city, we wouldn't be stopping here for long. I'd just do the
Quests and move on to the next one before nightfall.
I only stopped briefly once out of the city to give Donkey the promised apples, keeping an eye on
my funds. It was all well and good but I really didn't like spending those coins for things like
apples.
You're not hurting for money.
No, but it's better to have more and not want for it, than to want for it and have none.
Once I make it to the city I leave Donkey tied to a common post with hay and water for the mounts
of travelers. I didn't really have any packs on him because I didn't need to, although I might need to
have some dummy luggage.
"I'll be back in a bit," I pet its neck, enjoying its soft fur on my palm.
It snorts and noses my hair, before turning to munch on the hay.
I open my map and start walking in the direction of the nearest Quest. These shouldn't be too hard
and I'd be out of here in no time.
As usual, I forgot to take into account human intervention.
"Watch'a got in yer pockets!" A kid, maybe ten or twelve, with a crooked nose and a busted lip
stands in front of me with his arms crossed.
There's another big kid behind me and three smaller kids making a circle around us.
I give the kid a look.
"Nothing that belong to you," I tell him," Are you going to let me pass, or do I have to push you?"
Kid starts laughing," What are you going to do, huh? Whatever it is that you have is ours now!"
I sigh at him," Step aside and I'll forget about you, don't and I'll give you a black eye to
complement that busted lip."
Kid snarls and goes to grab me, I quickly crouch dodging his weak attempt of a punch, and punch
his gut.
Kid goes down, spluttering and coughing.
The one behind me tries to come at me and I sidestep him and have him trip over my foot, flopping
over the first kid. I turn to the other three kids and eye them.
They run, I'll let them walk.
And if they come at you?
Kids make fists and start throwing them, trying to hit me.
I grab one of their wrists and use it to throw him into the second kid, before grabbing the final kid
by the back of his collar and hoisting him up, shaking him like a misbehaving puppy.
"I don't know who you are, what you are going through, or what you have or haven't got, but let me
make myself clear," I warn him," Do not mess with me. Do not mess with anyone who warns you
previously that they'll hurt you if you try. Be smart, not stupid!"
I let him go and see him take off running out of the alleyway I'd been using to get to the next
Quest.
How lovely.
I shake my head and just resume my walk to the Quest point, not sparing another glance to the kids
on the ground.
It made upset that I couldn't do anything for them. What could I possibly do, looking like a five
year old? Create an army of street urchins? Stay in one place to look after them?
I couldn't.
And it hurt.
They're children, what was wrong with people? Why couldn't they see that they needed help?
Support?
It's a different world we're living in.
It's a crap world then.
You'll change it.
I took a deep breath.
I would.
One day.
I would make a difference one day.
I would make the world a better place.
How?
Where to start?
What do I need?
Thoughts, and thoughts, and thoughts swirled in my head, always branching out and flowering with
ideas and plans.
An image taking shape behind my eyes.
Red colored lanterns.
Houses.
People.
A mountain.
I promise.
Chapter End Notes
So, the Talents that WWX unlocked where (by category)

[General Combat] Soaring Slice (1) - "Player hurls their weapon at their opponent, to
activate they must have a readied weapon in a one-handed grip."
Striking as [Air, Earth, Water, and Fire] (1) - They're four different attacks, simple
ones, but in four different styles/types. In short Air gauges the enemies defenses when
they know a hit won't land (so as to not waste an attack), Earth strengthens the body or
weapon to withstand an attack, Water, only after analyzing the opponents defenses,
can try to find an opening, slip in and deal a critical blow, while Fire allows the Player
to enter a state of hyperfocus for 30 seconds, overpowering the opponent in order to
cause them to make a mistake or an opening in their defenses.
Tactical Assessment (2) - The Player chooses one alignment (Air, Earth, Water, or
Fire) and then activates this technique. AGF!WWX can't use this Talent yet, and it can
only be used once per conflict.
[Spiritual Earth]
Cleaning Spirit (1) - "A support technique that bolsters spiritual resistance in the
Player and target." Basically the Player uses their energy to regulate their state of mind
when under the influence of malevolent spirits, can also be used to help others
withstand their influence.
Earth Needs no Eyes (1) - "A support technique the Player may use to increase their
vigilance. Depending on their Senses Stat, they'll be able to 'see' everything alive in a
perimeter around them."
[Spiritual Fire]
Body is an Anvil (1) - "If successful, the Player can withstand a direct attack and
increase their defenses at the same time."
[Social Air]
Rustling of Leaves (1) - "Use this technique to spread a rumor, if successful, that can't
be traced back to you." Can't be used yet.
[Social Earth]
Stonewall Tactics (1) - "The Player can use this technique to shield their allies, having
the enemy forces focus on them, if successful, the effect lasts until either the conflict
is over, or the Player drops the technique" or dies.
[Social Fire]
Truth Burns through Lies (1) - "The Player can use this technique to assess a target's
story, if successful, the Player learns if there is a statement the story hinges on, and
determines what it is, and what you would need to do to verify it or disprove it."
Useful Talent, but WWX can't use it for now. And it needs Skills higher than those of
the Target's.
[Social Water]
All in Jest (1) - "The Player can use this technique to either push an expected reaction
out of the target or to slide in an insult, ensuring that the target cannot reply in the
same vein without looking bad." Good Talent, can't use it.
Normal Day
Chapter Summary
Sometimes, instead of looking for zebras, you should think of horses.

Or, a completely normal day for Wei Ying where there are no monsters trying to eat
him and no one planning his demise.
Chapter Notes
"Don't settle down and sit in one place. Move around, be nomadic, make each day a new horizon."
- Jon Krakauer
Chapter 23: Normal Day
I had hoped, when the news first broke out, that seeing as I was alive and well (or as well enough
as you could be to go night-hunting) that the searches for me would stop.
Or maybe not stop but not be a crisis big enough that every Sect, minus one obvious exception, had
said they'd keep an eye out for Wei ChangZe's and CangSe Sanren's child.
It was wishful thinking apparently.
The news that I had taken down a six foot bear, while I was under the influence of a ton of
adrenaline and remember none of it, spread like wildfire and immediately started what I'd call a
witch hunt after me.
I'd been found by a group of farmers hunting game one afternoon, and after telling them that I
didn't want to go wherever they told me to go just because I was a kid, and that I, truthfully, didn't
know any of those people, they agreed to let me hide out in their village for a while.
My talismans and night-hunting for them for free, didn't hurt matters either.
I was debating on whether to keep going north to Qinghe or to wait for Spring, maybe do the
nearest Qinghe territory villages, then spend Spring in Gusu before going north back up again.
Then I'd hit Qishan and it's neighboring areas.
It would only leave Yunmeng left, and I planned on being in Yiling when the Story Arc reached its
end.
Speaking of Story Arcs, I opened the page to see the timeline.
I'd already unraveled two knots, both of which had been encounters with other street urchins, and
odds were the remaining knots would be similar events.
This Arc wasn't proving to be very exciting in terms of possible situations.
But it's probably the only one where you have this much freedom.
True.
I jumped over another large jutting root and looked back on the three hunters following after me.
They'd asked that I accompany them to the mountains as there were stories of people going missing
up there.
I easily accepted, and was flattered that they'd asked me, so I left Donkey back at the village, living
the good life in a stable with sweet straw and cool water, and was currently trekking up a mountain
with mud everywhere and rain splattering off the cape of woven fibers that were naturally
waterproof (I was amazed, not gonna lie) that an aged woman had made for me.
As thanks for a previous night-hunt where I returned soaked to the bone and did not complain when
a woman asked me to go back out and find her missing son.
Kid had thought it funny to go fishing in the rocks dead center in a river and got stuck when the
rain caused the river to swell.
I'd had to have an adult actually pull him out as the System gave me a very stern warning that
'mentally' knowing how to swim wasn't the same as 'actually' knowing how to swim in this body.
I felt cheated.
But then again, the water was ice cold this time of year and I was in no rush to actually 'learn' how
to swim. It could wait for the summer.
So, I got a nice little cape for my troubles.
One of the men cursed behind me after slipping on the mud.
I sighed, closing my eyes to focus on the small dripping ball of energy inside of me. It was hard to
do so with my eyes open and on the move but I reasoned that my meditation skills still need work.
It's hard to keep it running for long, let myself drown in the feeling of the world around me and I'd
pay for it the day afterwards. And it was pointed out to me that it made my eyes glow, which was
creepy. To them, not to me, so I had experimented on how long it took for my eyes to start glowing
and would stop just before they did, take a break, and then try again.
Sounds exhausting.
One day, I will find a way to make you physical if only to give myself the opportunity to strangle
you.
One day... In the far, far, far off future.
You never know~
"Goddammit!" The man cursed again as his boot became trapped in the mud.
The other two helped him and I surveyed our surroundings, so far nothing had moved but animals
and critters. *Sixth Sense* hadn't picked up on anything, but then again, *Sixth Sense* only
warned me about beings that were already within three feet of me, so I couldn't rely on it much.
Get better, or stop complaining.
I rolled my eyes, and focused on my surroundings again.
The forest in the mountain here was beautiful, as was much of the country side in this world, and
fall had made many trees lose their leaves, the ones that didn't, the evergreens, stood proudly and
strong when compared to the naked ones.
Winter would soon set upon the land and this whole place would be covered in white.
I was going to turn five soon.
I blinked at the thought.
It was nearly October, the weeks would fly by once I'd started traveling again.
Donkey won't like plowing through the snow, though.
We can't hole up somewhere during the winter. Once everything is covered in snow, spirits
become more active as night falls sooner, and the cold makes it dangerous for any travelers to
resist being caught unaware by the weather, surely they'd try to find shelter, and become easy prey
for beasts and other creatures.
You've given some thought to this.
I'm always thinking.
"We're almost there," The oldest of the three informs me," The pass we want to reach is just after
that peak there," He points at a rock about a mile away from where we are now. I can see the rock
clearly thanks to *Keen Sight* but the man could probably only guess as to its exact location.
I nod," Everything's quiet around us, I can't feel anything following after us either."
He sigh, relieved," That's good, we were worried because of the stories, but thanks to you we
might bring a feast back to the village and not get lost in our way down."
He's stroking your ego.
Hush you, he's being a gentleman.
"Just remember to stick close to me and warn me if you walk away, I can't keep my eyes on you at
all times," I warned.
He laughed," Wouldn't dream of straying too far from the person who scared away all the frost
spirits from the winter crops."
I hadn't actually scared them away... I'd planted talismans near the crops so that whenever they got
too close to them they'd feel the temperature rise. Humans could probably shrug it off and not even
feel the subtle shift, but frost spirits, as their name indicated, were extremely sensitive to warmth.
It was a better solution than to be constantly on the look around the crops for the little buggers,
when they were at the height of their mating period.
So you fudged the details and just kept the villagers believing you were scaring them off.
I told them the talismans kept them away!

Just not what the talismans did exactly.
...
Hence, you fudged the details.
I don't have to answer you.
"Why did it have to rain this hard?" The youngest, who kept tripping over roots, slipping on the
mud, or generally making an inconvenience out of himself, whinged.
"Would you prefer rain or snow? Or worse yet, hail?" I asked him with a grin.
He groans while the other two laugh.
"You're used to mountains?" One asked.
I shrug," Not really, it's just that this weather isn't bad."
Anywhere where you can go an entire month without rain and have decent summers is a place
where the weather 'isn't bad'.
"That's true," One of them said," Years back we had a winter where the snow piled up as high as
the houses, we kept shoveling piles of it but there was so much snow..." He rolled his shoulders,
probably remembering having to shovel for hours.
"Think this winter will be that cold?" The youngest asked.
"No," I shake my head," You had a mild summer, July wasn't unusually warm and neither was
August particularly cold," I tell them," This winter doesn't seem like it's going to be a long one."
There's quiet.
I turn to look at the man behind me and notice them staring.
"What?" I blink.
"How do you know?" The youngest points out.
"'If a cold August follows a hot July, it foretells a winter hard and dry'," I recite," Or so the saying
goes..."
The men blink," Never heard of it."
I smother a smirk, no I didn't think they would've.
"Oh? How about, 'For every day of fog in August, there will be a snowfall'," I tell them.
They're eyes widen," Really? But this August we barely had any fog!" They exclaim.
"Well, then you might be in luck, this coming winter!" I laughed.
"What else, what else?" The youngest tries to run up to me only to slip on the mud, again, and fall
face down on it.
I snort and quickly turn around so he doesn't see me try, and fail, to stifle my amusement.
To take a break from me previous run-ins with various beasts and man-eating monsters, turns out
the problem this mountain had was far simpler than anything spiritual.
"They fell off?" The man beside me stared at the chasm.
"See the sun?" I pointed at the horizon," While it's up you can easily see that the pass is quite thin,
and it makes it easier to recognize when you're coming near this part of the trail. At night, when
the men come back to go down the mountain, if they don't hurry and pass through here while the
sun is still up, they don't notice how thin it actually is."
There was a story similar to this one back where I'm from, actually.
"They just fell?" The second one sends a prayer to the men's souls while the youngest just looks
pale.
"Might consider placing lanterns or signs to warn others from walking here at night," I suggest to
them," Maybe some ropes to let them know where the path ends. Lanterns won't do you much
good especially with how strong the winds are up here."
"I can't believe it was something so simple as them falling off the trail..." The oldest man looked
saddened.
"It's actually quite common," I tell him," There was once a road known for having its people go
missing during a specific time, I don't remember if it was during the night or during the day."
They turned to me, so I kept the story going as we walked back down.
It wasn't a particular good story, even if it had dumbfounded investigators for years. In the end, the
bad lighting or optical illusion that made it seem like the road was going straight meant that people
simply drove off the cliff.
I don't even know why I remember that.
Your brain is a weird place.
Can't argue with you on that one, it has you in it.
"Why don't you want to be found?" A older kid asked me as I sat down to eat the stew his mother,
or aunt I heard he had an aunt living with them, gave me.
"Do you want to be a cultivator?" I asked him.
"If I could, of course, cultivators get to go on these adventures, fight beasts and all the girls love
them," He tells me, dead serious.
I laugh.
"True, but they can only do that when they're all tall and stuff," I tell him," If the man who's
looking for me finds me he's going to tell me I can't do what I'm doing. He'll probably lock me
somewhere to 'study' to become a cultivator."
I had no doubts Jiang FengMian would chain me to Yunmeng if I so much as casually mentioned
going on a world trip with no one else for company other than a trusty donkey.
"So you don't want to be found because you don't want to study?" He grins.
I nod, sure, let's go with that.
"Will you ever see what he wants from you?" He asks me.
"One day," I say," But not now, I want to go to Gusu and Qinghe and then I've got to go all the way
around the north mountains!" I cheer.
"What are you going to do in all those places?!" He asked, stunned.
I grinned at him mysteriously.
"Secret~" I answer.
He pouts," Not fair, you've got to tell me..."
Kid's got some good puppy eyes, I'll give him that.
"I'm looking for something," Is my vague reply.
He frowns," You've lost something?"
I shake my head," It was never mine to begin with, but it will be one day," I tell him.
"What?" He presses for an answer.
"Can't say," I laugh," It's a secret, remember!"
"But I wanna know~" He whines.
I only laugh harder.
"Maybe one day I'll come back and tell you," I say to him.
"You're leaving?" He blinks," But it's almost winter!"
I nod," Donkey and I are going to be traveling all winter," I sigh," Can't stay in one place for too
long, sorry."
"But you'll come back?" He asks.
"One day," I shrug, then I give him a teasing grin," Why? Are you going to miss me that much?"
He reddens.
"Who's going to miss you, idiot?!"
Chapter End Notes
And another chapter for you guys, because I ended up finishing chapter 25 sooner than
I expected. Also, I had plans on making this Arc small, a lowly ten chapters, but I
haven't yet finished three of my planned ones...
But chapter 26 should be the last part before a timeskip and another fated meeting with
a canon character.
Profit
Chapter Summary
In which the System plays at being polite; planning ahead; and it's nice to be a kid
sometimes.
Chapter Notes
I finally finished chapter 26 and can finally move on with the timeskip, so here you
go, another chapter!
I'm going to make myself a cup of tea and go watch a series or something.
"Light gains make heavy purses." - George Chapman
Chapter 24: Profit
"System upgrade pending!"
I panted, trying to calm my breathing, as I read the notifications floating above my head.
The words didn't make sense to me? Upgrade pending? What?
You don't have time to be thinking about that now.
I shake the fog out of my head and take off running once more.
It's been two weeks since I'd left that mountain. And it is officially October.
News and sightings of me still hadn't died down although most commoners really didn't care as
long as I didn't get in their way, they'd point and tut at me but would otherwise go on their merry
way.
The weather was unsurprisingly warmer as I slowly approached Gusu territory.
I'd really wanted to head to Qinghe straight away, as this meant I'd have to pass through Lanling
again when I went north, but I was advised not to try to travel alone in the winter with only a
donkey. If I had a horse, the farmers had said, I could very well go on my way, but a donkey? It'd
be safer to go south and go north in the Spring.
So that's what I was doing.
Heading to Gusu.
Maybe you'll run into the Old Goat again.
You'll never let that go, will you? It's been almost a year and a half!
I'll never let you forget.
Unbelievable.
And you can't be thinking he has either. A name like that? Spoken with such confidence? He'll
never let you get away with that disrespect.
Urgh.
It was night time, and I was, as usual, night-hunting. This time in a bamboo forest.
It made for an interesting experience.
A shiver went down my spine and I immediately twist around and fire an arrow at the beast that
had been creeping towards me.
That is useful.
It is... Even if it gives me the creeps every time I realize just how close those things get to me.
Improve. Get stronger. No whining.
Says the professional whiner residing in the back of my head.
You wouldn't make it past a week without my advice.
I roll my eyes at it and just retrieve my arrow before continuing on my hunt. Today's goal was to
level up my archery and knife skills, because those were the ones I needed most right now.
But I also had upped my talisman making skills when I had the time, and meditation.
When you have the time and not just fall asleep when you return from your usual frolicking under
the moonlight.
I yawned.
I needed to figure out a schedule.
No kidding.
I sighed, and pulled at the bangs peeking out of my half-undone ponytail. I considered redoing it
but looked at the moon instead, it was starting to set so dawn would be here in four or five more
hours.
I brought my stats out and, after checking them over, decided to call it an early night.
I needed sleep more than I needed the experience points.
Check that notification in the morning?

Yup.
Sleeping in stable stalls was becoming a normal occurrence for me and I was sure the only
inconvenience I got was waking up to Donkey messing with my hair.
I shooed it away and stretched, laying limply on the hay, and peeking through my hands at how
bright it was outside.
It wasn't even midday yet.
I groaned and wanted to roll over and go back to sleep.
Except the annoying notification bell went off again.
Right beside my ear.
"I thought we'd agreed for you to stop doing that!" I covered my ears with another groan.
Rise and shine.
Not you too, bloody morning people...
Stop being a night-owl and you won't feel like crap when the sun comes up.
I'll stop being a night-owl when all the interesting stuff stops happening at night.
Are you going to check that?
Check what?
That.
I look to the side to see the same notification that popped up yesterday.
"System upgrade pending!"
What does it mean 'upgrade pending'?
"Does the Player wish to upgrade the System?"
[YES] [NO]
Why is it asking? The last time it upgraded it didn't even tell me anything.
Maybe it's trying to be polite?
I click [YES] and watch as the blue screen changes.
"The System requests that the Player choose which upgrade to install"
"[Double EXP] or [Mob Drop]"
I stare at the words.
"What?" I ask.
No idea.
'Help, upgrades?'
«The System seeks to provide the Player an enjoyable experience and enriched environment.
In light of recent events, the System offers the Player a choice:
[Double EXP] will double all experience when fighting mobs;
[Mob Drop] will guarantee that every mob will drop an item for the Player to collect.»
Double experience... You'll level up twice as fast!
But mob drop...
I frown.
'Help, mob drop,' I ask.
«Mob Drops are items that can only be obtained through mobs.
These items can be used for crafting, consumable or sold in the Player Store for Coins.
Mob drops have different rarity and qualities.
The most common items are cheap and easily obtainable, whilst rare mob drops can have special
perks the Player can make use of.»
Oh?
Crafting? Consumable?!
Or sold at the Store.
Sold...
An idea.
What are you thinking?
I open the Store quickly and check out the section [Materials], it had bugged me why the Store
would see different types of wood, brick, metal and other natural resources.
Why waste precious coins on something you can just get from a real-world store or craftsman?
Now I knew.
It wasn't that it be easier to get from the Store, but it'd be faster.
In my mind's eye I saw a camp of tents lit by red lanterns.
The sight shifted to a small village made of huts and paved streets.
A better world.
I made my decision. I clicked [Mob Drop].
"The System will installed the chosen upgrade"
"The Upgrade should be fully installed in 24 hours!"

So you're going to go after the spirits and beasts for drops?
I am.
And then what are you going to do with them?
What I can make use of, I'll keep, what I can't...
Profit.
I had a better world to build.
I ended up not going night-hunting that night, still waiting on the System to tell me that the
'upgrade' was installed, and instead walked around having a lazy day around the town I was
currently in.
It was fun, taking a breather.
When I wasn't making myself an obvious outlier among the population, aka being the only child
ever to be a cultivator before double digits, it was hard to tell me apart from all the other children
running back and forth chasing after a ball.
I didn't know the name of the game, it was just a ball game, like soccer. Except there weren't any
goals. Or field. Or rules.
You just kicked the ball when it came your way and ran after it.
Children were simple creatures.
When everyone else got tired of running around they went to sit down by a garden, just talking and
telling tales, or bragging about what they had done or planned on doing.
I was an outsider here, I didn't know any of them, nor did I have any plans on getting to know them
personally. But they still brought me into the conversations.
I told them of things I had seen, a fairy tale or two, before I regaled them with legends such as the
Loch Ness monster, 'which was never found~' I told them with a deep voice.
I had fun.
Then the sun went down and everyone else went home, their parents, mostly their mothers, coming
to pick them up. Exasperated that the children hadn't noticed how late it was getting.
It made my throat clog up. Hard to swallow and hard to take a deep breath.
The deep gaping hole in my chest wasn't raw anymore but it still bled.
It hurt.
Grief isn't a process that happens overnight.
I know.
I wonder how everyone else is doing, back home. How long as it been? Just the same amount of
time as in here? More? Less?
Do you really want an answer to those questions?
I thought about it, and decided that no. I didn't really want to know those answers.
I walked back to the stable I'd left Donkey in. The innkeeper said something about needing
musicians.
Might as well level up my Flute Skill.
You sing better than you play that thing.
I'll need it for when I have Chenqing.
You and your desire for pet corpses...
I will have my Fierce Corpse.
Most people wouldn't have the ambition of getting a deceased corpse following them around as one
would love a puppy.
I am not most people, I thought we'd already figured that out.
Oh, I'm getting rather forgetful in my old age, dear.
Sarcasm doesn't suit you.
"Beast Core [common] sent to the Inventory!"
The words appeared after I'd poked the glowing light coming from out of the beast I'd felled.
How many does that make?
Ugh...
You lost count?
I never stopped to count them...
Why am I not surprised?
Because you know me, duh.
I rolled my eyes and moved on, cautiously climbing over a fallen tree. The weather was getting
cold enough at night that some frost was starting to ice over rocks and tree trunks.
It made for slippery ground and too many opportunities to fall over and split my head open.
Honestly surprised you haven't managed to do that yet.
You're confident in me fills me with joy.
Don't get used to it.
"Wouldn't dream of it..." I mutter.
I adjusted my grip on the new bow I had crafted. The Crafting Skill was something I had found
ingenious, and wondered about just how many things I could possibly craft.
Then I remembered the [Recipes] section of the Store.
There were just so many things there... Best of all?
The damn fountain pen.
I grinned widely at the tone voice.
I told you I'd get one.
Out of all the things you saw in there, talismans, dishes, even damn tools! The thing that caught
your attention was a damn pen?!
A pen that will finally allow me to write something I can read later on.
But you'll be the only one to have one.
All the more success to my genius. Think I can bribe Lan QiRen with one?
He'll shout at you for breaking tradition and inventing something that allows his 'dear, disciplined,
and morally adjusted' disciples to write clearly without practicing important skills as calligraphy
using the brush pen.
I'll still have to use it for talismans, I just thought of writing a journal or something to keep track of
how different things are and where I've been.
Isn't that dangerous?
It'll be kept in the Inventory and if it makes you feel better, I'll even write it in english.
Can you even still write in english?
I don't see why I shouldn't... I still remember all the languages the tutors forced me to learn and the
various impromptu study lessons my dear nieces and nephews had with me.
Something to try out later.
Ditto.
How many more creatures are you taking down today?
I hum, and look up at the moon, calculating how long I've been here.
One more hour, then we'll leave.
I want to reach the last border village before officially entering Gusu territory.
Didn't this village refer to itself as Gusu land?
They did?
...I think so?
Huh. Well, no matter. I really want to reach that village and be done with the Jins.
You're not getting rid of them that easily.
Unfortunately.
They can't all be that bad.
I'll believe it when I see it.
Think positive!
Pot. Kettle.
Funny. Oh, look, rabbit.
I shoot the arrow.
Poor thing. Your Lan Zhan will cry.
Knock on wood. I don't even want to think about that mess for the next decade.
I grab the rabbit and attach it to my belt. Dinner was decided.
ChangZe also placed his rabbits like this.
I flinched.
I thought we were over this.
...
One more hour. Then we were leaving.
Chapter End Notes
Of course WWX would get his desired fountain pen XD

Lan QiRen will be jealous.
I honestly can't think of anything to add to this chapter, nothing that isn't a spoiler at
least, so I'll leave you all with a nice, big hug and a thank you for reading!
Back in the Limelight
Chapter Summary
Where no matter where he goes, WWX always get involved in something bigger than
himself.
Where he knows nothing, and still schools the 'educated citizens'.
And where there is a snake problem.
Why is it always you caught in situations like these?
Chapter Notes
There's a snake in my boot!
Lol, sorry I just had to.
~You've got a friend in me~
"No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident
acknowledge this help with gratitude." - Alfred North Whitehead
Chapter 25: Back in the Limelight
How did this happen?
"And now to thank once more to our guest!" A tall bearded man raised his glass, and twenty other
men and women followed.
"To Wei WuXian!" They cheered.
I sat in my seat, keeping my posture as straight as I could, and desperately trying not to show my
bewilderment at the scene in front of me.
Why is it always you caught in situations like these?
At least they're not trying to kill me?
No, they're just throwing a feast in your honor and making everyone else in town know that you
helped them through this arduous task.
I didn't know they'd do this when I offered to help them!

I don't think anyone would think they'd do this...
What the hell do I do now?
Smile and wave. Just smile and wave.
"A few words from our guest!" The bearded man pointed at me.
I internally screamed.
*Twelve hours previously*
I warned you that this would happen.
Shut up.
I told you 'watch out for those clouds, it looks like it might rain'.
Stop rubbing it in.
And what happened? It started raining!
Alright! Alright! You were right, I should've listened! Happy now?
Very. Donkey? Not so much.
I turned to face Donkey, who was, indeed, staring at me with a disgruntled expression. Water
dripped off his mane and tail. The cold weather didn't help his miserable posture.
"I'm sorry," I wince.
Donkey brays. Loudly.
"The rain should stop soon, we'll find some place to warm up, okay?" I pat his wet fur.
The rain shouldn't have reached his skin, but he couldn't possibly be comfortable out in this
weather.
Unfortunately it still wasn't cold enough to snow, so we had to contend with rain.
Cold, wet rain.
I'm pretty sure that if it was solid, it'd be called hail and I'd have found shelter immediately once it
started falling instead of trying to reach the town.
You say that now, but you're still the person who thought they could make it to the town before the
downpour.
I wasn't expecting a downpour, it's not the season of downpours. A light rain shower? Maybe. Not
this!
I stared out at the expanse of land in front of me, rice-fields and some smaller fields for vegetables
and what not. The rain fell out of the sky in long thick droplets that splashed mud everywhere.
The trees around us were evergreen, just our luck as we found shelter underneath a thick canopy of
branches and leaves.
I pulled my cloak closer to my body.
It was cold.
The sky looked a darkened grey, a contrast to the bright blue it had been before.
With nothing better to do than to wait out the rain I pulled out my flute from the Inventory and
started going through scales and notes, trying to find a nice melody to play.
It was easier now to catch a tune and replicate it, but I struggled with playing known songs as the
sounds were very different. They didn't fit as it were.
The bamboo flute would play them nicely, the Xun? Not so much.
Obviously, it's a traditional chinese instrument and there you are trying to play Mary Poppins or
what not.
Screw you, I'll get the tune eventually.
The world will cry when you do.
Ah! They'll bow at my feet!
In despair.
Would you stop that?!
Never.
"Flute Skill leveled up!"
"Who's there?" A voice warily calls out.
I stop playing.
"Who's asking?" I ask them instead.
There's pause.
"It's gotta be a spirit... There's no way a kid is all the way out here," A different voice says.
"Then why isn't the talisman lighting up?" Another voice questions.
"Because it's not a spirit," I answer.
"Where are you?" The first voice asks.
"Under a tree," I answer, grabbing Donkey's lead just in case.
"I see a donkey over there!" The third voice said.
I leaned by the tree and saw three people, two men and woman, wearing similar clothes and
Qiankun bags at their waists.
"And I see humans," I unenthusiastically wave at them," See? Not a spirit."
They walk over to me, carrying paper umbrellas and their own capes.
"What are you doing here?" The tallest man then looks around," Where are your parents?"
"I'm by myself," I answer," Got caught by the downpour before I managed to reach the nearest
town.
The man looks down at me and frowns," Why are you alone? Don't you know how dangerous that
is?"
"No less dangerous than staying someplace to starve on the streets," I scoff," Don't worry about
me, I know how to take care of myself."
He presses his lips into a thin line, not pleased with my answer," There are beasts in this area. The
Bai Clan is responsible for overseeing this area, we cannot allow harm to come to the people of
this town."
I lift two fingers," Firstly, I'm not from your town, so don't count me there; secondly, I'm a rogue
cultivator of sorts, I don't fear any beast or spirit coming my way." I tell them, turning back to see
the darkened sky.
"A rogue cultivator? You're what five years old?" The shorter man snorts.
"Almost five," I nod.
He makes a disbelieving noise before the woman gasps.
"You're CangSe Sanren's son!" She says.
I internally groan, but comply by pulling her pendant out of my robes. The strange metal glints
even under the weak sunlight, from behind all those clouds, a marvel to look at.
The men stare before their eyes widen.
"The YunmengJiang Sect is searching for you," The taller man tells me.
"I know," I frown," Something about knowing my parents..." I answer.
"Did they?" The woman asks.
"I think so?" I shrug," Never met any YunmengJiang Sect disciple or leader so I wouldn't know." A
small white lie, I did know ChangZe considered Jiang FengMian a brother, and CangSe
appreciated his friendship, but I never met him face-to-face.
"Rumor has it that the Sect Leader wishes to foster you at their Sect," The man tells me.
I turn to look back at them," Although flattered, I don't want to belong to a Sect," I tell them.
"Why? The YunmengJiang is one of the Great Five Sects!" The shorter man is shocked.
"Because if I go there I might as well be locked inside of it until I'm of," I did finger quotes,"
'Appropriate age for night-hunting'."
They didn't deny it.
"The GusuLan Sect also promised to keep an eye out for you, in case you appeared within their
borders," The woman adds.
You're going to have to start running soon.
"Why is it so important that they find me? Maybe I should write a letter and tell them to stop
looking for me," I grouch, crossing my arms over my chest.
"You're a child," The woman smiles.
"My parents taught me what I needed to know," My eyes grow colder," They knew I was a child
yet they still taught me, those people are not them, they have no right to say what I can't and can't
do." I hiss.
Her smile dims," They're just worried about you being all alone. It's going to be winter soon, what
will you do then?"
"I already know what I'm going to do," I tell her," Getting out of bed in the morning is dangerous,
yet people still do it. I know what I'm doing. I won't stop," I say.
"And how do you plan on doing that?" The tall man asks," Night-hunts aren't games."
I give him a steely look, the scar on my face visible," I know that. I am not playing around."
His face turns grim," There's a beast going around these lands, no one has been able to catch it.
You can't be out after dark," He warns me.
"What kind of beast?" I ask him," Why haven't the Lan come help you?"
"We haven't asked for their help," The shorter man grumbled," The Bai Clan can handle this!"
I give him an unimpressed look," You might, but will the people?" I point at the fields.
"Huh?" He frowns.
"Rice farmers, regular farmers, maybe a hunter or two," I gesture," There's only the Bai Clan here
to protect all those people. You might be able to fight it off, but can you say the same for these
people?"
I see the taller man give me a speculative look.
"Defeat it and protect the people, it's our job!" He tells me.
"Your job is to ensure the people are safe," I correct him," Cultivators serve the people, never
forget that. It's not glory or fame you should seek, but power to protect the people. Be better, in
order to protect those people. Bow your head, if it helps protect the people," I lecture him.
He reddens.
"While you've been trying to find this beast, how many have already died?" I ask the woman.
Her lips thin," Fifteen," She answers.
I sigh," So you've already lost fifteen people you were supposed to protect," I offhandedly
mention," How many more until you actually catch and defeat it?"
"What are you trying to say?!" The shorter man outbursts," What does a kid like you know?"
I gave him a sharp smirk," A kid like me knows you should've already called for help, and you
know it, but were too proud to. Maybe you thought they wouldn't listen? A kid like me knows you
don't know what you're up against, and you fear that whatever it is, after consuming fifteen people,
is already too strong to fight against."
The shorter man pales.
"Aah~ Yes," I laugh," A 'kid like me' truly knows nothing!"
"Will you help us then?" The tall man asks.
I stop laughing and look at him.
"As a rogue cultivator will you help the Bai Clan in fighting against this beast?" He asks again.
I give it some thought.
Why not? Show them I can take care of myself. That I can honestly stand my own ground.
Win win situation.
"As the son of CangSe Sanren, and as a follower of the Great Baoshan Sanren's teachings, I will
help the Bai Clan in defeating this threat," I give him a polite bow.
They blink, surprised, before nodding," Come with us, we'll bring you to our Clan Residence, and
we'll talk to our Clan Leader."
I follow them.
Their leader turned out to be a tall bearded man, with his long hair tied with an elaborate wooden
hairpiece, that was surprisingly friendly.
He smiles easily.
He does.
I watch him as he greets everyone he passes by with a few polite words as he walks towards us.
"ShouShan," The leader greets the tall man with a smile.
"Father," The tall man greets him.
...Wait.
What?!
I quickly stare at the tall man, and notice the woman smiling slightly in response.
They knew...
Of course they knew.
"Who's this?" The leader turns to me, and I have to raise my head high to look him in the eye.
"I am Wei Ying," I tell him, I wasn't sure if kids were supposed to know their own courtesy names
before they were 'to be come adults' so I didn't bother adding that," I offered to help dealing with
the beast endangering your land."
I then bowed to him.
"Etiquette Skill leveled up!"
I was pretty sure I wasn't doing something right, because ChangZe and CangSe, more so CangSe,
didn't really care for propriety outside of actually talking to a noble person face-to-face.
And apologizing for insulting them to their face.
That too.
"Welcome," To give him credit, the man only blinked before going with my response," I am Bai
XianLiang, the Head of the Bai Clan, let us discuss this inside."
He led us inside, a younger clan member coming to lead Donkey to the stables.
Once inside, we sat at the common hall, a large room with carefully decorated paper dividers, and
the leader and his son talked in hushed tones.
I knew they were talking about me, wished I knew how to read lips, and let them continue doing it.
Maybe you can learn?
I focused on their lips and waited for the notification that a new Skill had been acquired.
None came.
It was worth a try.
True.
"So, Wei Ying," The leader finally turns his attention back on me," My son tells me you agreed to
help us with this beast, despite knowing it has already taken fifteen lives."
I nod," I was traveling to the nearest town anyway," I told him," If they had asked for my help I
would've inevitably come here to inform you."
He laughed.
"Youth these days," He sighs," You're all trying to grow up too fast. I won't keep you from helping,
but I do request that you do not take needless risks when accompanying my son and my clan
members."
"Of course," I give him another bow.
"We know very little of the beast," XianLiang told me," It's fast, it only attacks at night, it leaves
no witnesses."
"How long has the Beast been active in the land," I ask him," Have there been any other victims
beside humans?"
His eyes widen slightly, if I wasn't looking straight in his eyes I wouldn't have noticed," Months
ago, there were several incidents of cattle and other animals going missing."
"So, can we believe that the beast has in fact been residing in this land for a while now, and has
only recently grown strong enough to consume humans?" I offer.
I see the gears in their heads start to turn, a slow dawning realization, and the leader then nods.
"Indeed, it's a possibility," He tells me," How did you come by that with only that little
information?" He asks me.
"One last question," I ask," The people who were killed, did they all have the same height?"
The woman frowns, same as the shorter man, but ShouShan and XianLiang's eyes spark.
"Investigation Skill leveled up!"
"How...?" XianLiang blinked.
I smiled at him, and told him:
"Clan Leader Bai," I said," It seems to me you have a snake problem."
Chapter End Notes
I found this new website that has a mandarin name generator, and I'm in love.
XIanLiang means "Worthy Brightness" while ShouShan means "Longevity;
mountain."
Also, yes this peeps will be important. This chapter continues on in the next (and the
start of chapter 27 too, sort of).
And, if you're wondering what he was trying to play, my playlist at that time was
'Chim Chim Cher-ee' although 'Let's go Fly a Kite' played not too long after, followed
by Hamatora's OP which scared the carp out of me.
Wei WuXian
Chapter Summary
Where we deal with a snake problem, where's there's an honest conversation, and
heads go a-exploding.
Chapter Notes
"Respect begins with this attitude: I acknowledge that you are a creature of extreme worth." - Gary
Chapman
Chapter 26: Wei WuXian
"A snake problem?" The shorter man echoed.
"That's the beast?" The Clan Leader presses his fingers to the bridge of his nose.
"A Measuring Snake," I specify for his benefit," A normal snake cultivates and forms a core,
eventually they turn into a beast that attacks and consumes anything smaller than itself, and grows
the more things it eats."
"How did you realize that's what the beast was?" ShouShan asks me.
"Easy, on the way here there were no small forest critters," I answer," I've been hunting game for a
while now, and I noticed that the closer I got to your land that only birds seem to roam around.
There ain't any rabbits or foxes or even wolves, despite the fact that your mountain and forest
should provide excellent habitat for at least one of those."
"So something had to have been targeting them," The woman nods," And when you added the
humans who've now started to be killed..."
"The only explanation was a beast that had finally grown strong enough to attack them," I add," If
you hadn't had any problems with animals I'd have been wrong."
"Amazing..." The Bai Clan Leader says," How quickly you saw through our information and
realized what the problem was.
I'm sure having an Investigation Skill and high Intelligence Stat doesn't hurt the matter.
Shush.
"Sometimes, a fresh pair of eyes can help you find clues that were being overlooked," I reply back.
He laughs," You are correct, the Bai Clan thanks you for your assistance," He tells me," Now that
we know what we are up against, we can prepare to track it down tonight."
"Father, allow me to lead the hunt," ShouShan asks.
"Granted," XianLiang smiles," And let us have some refreshments brought to our guest to rest until
the time to leave comes."
"Right away, Father," Shoushan bows.
The sheer level of politeness between family members is making me itch.
Don't think about it.
It reminds me...
Don't. We are not back there. They are not here. It is not the same.
No... It's not.
Things are different here.
"Thank you," ShouShan tells me, as we sat down to eat a small meal.
"There's no need to thank me," I tell him," I'm glad I could help you."
"No, I need to thank you," He looks me in the eye," I brought you here to perhaps change your
mind on remaining traveling by yourself. I asked my Father to see you for himself and test you, in
the end, you easily saw through what has been plaguing us."
"It was a lucky guess," I wave him off, embarrassed," Sometimes, we overthink things too much.
When bad things happen we automatically expect the worst, most unusual of things, and overlook
the easier solutions."
"I cannot deny that," He smiles faintly," But it still is a mark of shame for us to have such a young
cultivator easily solve what had stumped us for weeks."
I can't argue with that.
"I accept your gratitude, and thank you for allowing me into your Clan Residence," I thank him in
turn.
His smile grows wider.
"You're not used to being thanked, are you?" He asks.
I hum," With such politeness? No, not really, though I haven't really interacted with a cultivator
clan before," I blink, realizing that.
He seems surprised," You haven't?"
"No," I shook my head," I've been almost constantly traveling from town to town, I stay one maybe
two days in each and then move on. If I stay for too long someone might recognize me and send
word to the nearest Sect about where I am," I frown.
He laughs," We won't tell GusuLan you are here, but you should probably try inform the Great
Sects that you are not in any immediate threat, they believe you to have been kidnapped by
nefarious forces," He tells me.
I wrinkle my nose," Who would want to kidnap me?" I ask," No one even knew about me until I
started following my parents on Night-Hunts, and even then I was only 'that kid'."
"I do not know an answer to that," He replies," Only that your parents died and you were nowhere
to be found."
I look away from him.
"They didn't come back, that night," I tell him," They didn't come back and I knew they never
would. I feared the innkeeper would take their belongings, maybe steal them or sell them," I had
suspected he had done so to the original Wei WuXian," So I left while everyone was still asleep. I
don't know why. I just had to leave."
He doesn't say anything in reply, but tips his head in respect.
That's enough.
I adjusted the quiver on my back once more, and counted my arrows, I'd made a show of
pretending that Donkey's pack had my equipment in it (and not that I carried everything with me
inside a hammer space no one else could access) and bought more arrows.
I then made a few more talismans to carry with me, with the woman from before Bai Hong coming
in and assisting me with some of my weaker characters. It made her feel more at ease with me
when I looked and acted like a simple child and not the kid who'd straight-faced unraveled the
mystery beast killing civilians.
I didn't let her know that I knew that I unnerved her, and remained quiet and polite when she
treated me like a young child.
The shorter man, Bai Zheng, on the other hand, had begun to treat me as an upstart who thought
they knew more than their elders.
Which was true, I did know better and you could call me an upstart, but I was just as old as their
elders.
Now if you'd only look the part.
You know what? The wrinkles, sore hips and wobbly walk aren't things I miss.
I'd forgotten the duck walk.
Nooooo... Why did I have to mention that!
Ahahahaha! The Duck Walk!
Urghhhhh...
I looked around at the cultivators going out with us to track down the Measuring Snake, the Bai
Clan wasn't very big, altogether I counted maybe forty or so people, but there were, of course,
women, children and elders that weren't cultivators, so that left a scant twenty-three cultivators, a
third of which would stay behind to guard the Clan Residence.
I closed my eyes and meditated for a bit, diving into my inner self to seek that little orb of light, it
hadn't really changed through the days even after unlocking Talents, so I wondered if it would stay
this teeny tiny forever.
Not that I cared if it was small, it fit perfectly in my palms in all its swirly mass of energy and
dripped through my fingers like warm honey and onto the void below me.
I thought about if everyone's center was a void, and that the actual goal of cultivation was to
maintain that void intact, not letting their energy become unbalanced or driven to a single
alignment.
Although... You couldn't really expect people to be 'balanced' all the time.
That's why the System specified 'any given situation'.
You're right.
I want to know more.
Learn more.
I want to truly understand what energy is.
I open my eyes when I feel a disturbance in the air, ShouShan was calling for people to gather.
We'd be leaving soon.
My hands caress the dagger at my side.
One day, there would be a sword here.
Suibian.
I never knew you could long for something you've never even held before.
The thing with Measuring Snakes, was that, by themselves, they weren't really that big of a deal. In
fact the Jin Sect had many of them in their hunting grounds, they were that common over there, but
if you didn't know how they fought or what to watch out for with them...
Well... Stuff like this happened.
"What...?" Bai Zheng stared at his sword as it failed to pierce the armored scales.
Didn't he hear ShouShan speak about what they had to do when they found it?!
I don't think he did.
"Zheng!" Some other young man shouted and went to help him, breaking formation.
Not good.
What are they doing?!
The Measuring Snake turned its yellow glowing eyes on him and stood up, it was three inches
taller than the man, and so the Measuring Snake opened its maw to eat him but was stopped by two
other men, older and stronger, who quickly hit the top of its head to distract it.
"Get back in formation!" One of the men yelled, and then had to dodge as the snake attempted to
retaliate.
This was bad.

Everyone was doing whatever it was they weren't supposed to. And I couldn't get a clean shot the
snake to shoot it.
Not that my arrows would do much, they'd just bounce off it's armored scales.
A weakness... C'mon brain, focus, find a weakness.
It's body was covered in those scales... Unless you got close to it and used a cultivator sword
strong enough and sharp enough to cut through them, then nothing was going to slow it down.
Slow it down...
You've got to slow it down.
"The eyes!" I yell," Target its eyes! Blind it!" I shouted.
I notched an arrow and aimed, focusing on the glowing orbs, I followed after the snake's
movements, striving for an opening where I could release the arrow and not hit any of the men.
*Hawk's Precision* [Talent Activated]
'Now,' something told me.
I let the arrow go.
The snake let out a distorted hiss, and scrambled back, head shaking side to side as the small
wooden arrow stuck out of its eye.
One down.
Second one won't be easy, it's angry now.
It was.
In a sharp motion, the Measuring Snake dove at a man and coiled around him, squeezing him,
another man went to help put couldn't as the snake coiled tighter around the struggling guy or tried
to bite at whoever approached.
ShouShan called for the men to retreat," Can you fire another arrow?" He asked me.
I notched another arrow and aimed, but the snake had good instincts and hid it's face behind its
coils.
"I can't," I told him.
"XiuLi is going to die!" Zheng yelled at me.
I bite my tongue.
'Who was the one who broke formation?'
'Who was the one that had to have Xiu Liu rescue them?'
'Who was it that couldn't follow simple orders?!'
Don't. Let it go. Think.

What did I have? What could I use? What opening can I make?
My hand brushes against my dagger.
I look up at the Measuring Snake again.
The man was dead or dying, already hanging limply, no matter if the snake ate him or not, no
doctor could help wounds that severe.
Not in this day and age.
Goodbye modern medicine.
"I have a plan," I tell ShouShan.
"Oh, you have a plan?" Zheng sneered.
"Silence," ShouShan commanded him.
Zheng's mouth closed with a click. His eyes betrayed his anger.
"Its scales cannot be breached," I told the clan leader's son," But it has a soft spot."
"A soft spot?" He questions.
"Its mouth," I tell him.
He blinks.
"I can quickly patch something up to injure it from the inside," I gesture with my hands," But that
snake has to open its mouth."
"Someone will have to get near enough for it to try and eat them?" A different cultivator frowns.
I nod, grim.
"That thing has already killed sixteen of our people," ShouShan spoke," I will go down there."
"What?!" Zheng was stunned, as was everyone else," You can't!"
"I am the one in charge of this night hunt," ShouShan tells them," And so, I will go."
I stay silent, quickly opening my Player Menu and diving right into the Talent Page, I'd leveled up
and had another TP to spend, and I knew exactly what to get.
*Breaking Blow (1)* "When performed successfully an object lands on a selected target within
range and explodes."
"Does the Player wish to spend 1 TP to unlock this Talent?"
[YES] [NO]
I accept and quickly, pull the dagger out of my belt.
"What are you doing?" ShouShan asks me.

"Something I pray will work," I answer him honestly.
I close my eyes and focus, deep, deep down inside of me, I cup my hands around that small ball of
energy and squeeze it, letting its liquid flow faster.
I open my eyes and some of the people closest to me speak back, startled, I know my eyes are
glowing.
I can feel the world around me.
The trees, the leaves, the rocks, the wind... I can feel it all.
Focus.
I grab a hold of the dagger and take a step forward to the snake.
"ShouShan," I say," When I yell 'down', you throw yourself to the ground."
Zheng opens his mouth to argue but someone wisely covers it.
ShouShan looks me in the eye fearlessly.
He stares into them for a moment before nodding.
He runs at the snake.
*Breaking Blow* [Activated]
I hold onto the dagger and I reach out for its latent energy, asleep and cold, just waiting for a single
tap of my finger to ignite.
*Soaring Slice* [Activated]
I prepare to throw the dagger.
Time seems to slow down.
The many lights.
The many sounds.
The colors...
Focus.
Breathe.
Focus.
ShouShan runs at the snake, it sees him, and springs up.
It's taller. It coils to strike.
One.
ShouShan gets ready.

Two.
It opens its mouth, white fangs gleaming under the moonlight.
Three.
"DOWN!" I shout.
And throw the dagger with all my strength.
Please... Please... Please hit...
ShouShan immediately goes boneless on the ground and the dagger flies true, striking the back of
the snake's throat.
There's a single second of silence, confusion, the eye of the snake blinks, as if the pain of the
dagger hitting it was only felt then.
And suddenly.
Boom.
A large spike of energy is felt on all of us, our hair standing on end, and the snake rears back, hurt.
Its body falls to the ground.
It's head separated from its body.
The neck where the dagger struck a blackened mess.
"Throwing Skill leveled up!"
"Knife-handling Skill leveled up!"
"Spiritual Skill leveled up!"
"Meditation Skill leveled up!"
The sudden notifications nearly cause me to flinch out of my skin.
ShouShan gets up off the ground and stares at the snake, before looking up at me, his facial
expression awed.
I look back at him, numb and grateful he was alright in equal measure, and then my eyes roll back
in my head and everything goes dark.
When I come to, ShouShan is carrying me on his back. All the Bai Clan members are sneaking
astonished glances at me every so often, and dragging the headless snake with them.
XianLiang greets us at the door, but I fall back asleep before I can hear what they say between
themselves.
The next day, the Clan Leader insists on treating me like an honored guest and sends clan members
to get me properly outfitted for a feast, which he also insists on hosting for me, in gratitude for me
defeating the Measuring Snake.
I don't remember how the conversation started, but looking back and trying to piece what little I
remember of that day with the massive headache I had, I believe he asked if he could give me my
courtesy name, and I told him I already had one.
When asked what it was, I answered as easily as breathing," My name is Wei Ying, courtesy
WuXian."
I didn't think twice before saying them.
In my heart, that was who I was.
Wei Ying, courtesy WuXian.
I am Wei WuXian.
Chapter End Notes
I can't think of anything to add here, honestly... I hope you guys enjoyed reading it!
Hopefully, chapter 28 will be finished soon, so I can post the next chapter tomorrow
(no more surprise midnight updates)
And if thing's work out the way I'm hoping they will, chapter 29 will be either a series
of snippets of Spring in Qinghe or the start of a massive timeskip.
One or the other, we'll see.
So different
Chapter Summary
Where the Bai Clan wants to keep the precious Wei Ying.
Where one's worldview is changed.
Chapter Notes
Trigger Warning: Today is a not-so-happy chapter!

If you have any problems with blood or attempted sexual assault, I'd recommend not
reading the last scene. Starting the moment WWX finishes his Quest and is going back
to the Inn.
Nothing too graphic, but... yeah, better make sure than be sorry later.
Starting from "As I removed my hands from my ears I hear this muffled grunt." and
goes to the end of the chapter;
"Fear is only as deep as the mind allows." - Japanese Proverb
Chapter 27: So different
After the feast, Bai XianLiang and his son, ShouShan, insisted that I remain the rest of the winter
with them. But I refused, in the end I wanted to finish up doing the Quests in Gusu as fast as I could
so that in the Spring I could travel north to Qinghe.
Even so, I did end up staying a few weeks with the Bai Clan, sleeping off my exhaustion of having
blasted through the Measuring Snake, and having my dagger replaced.
ShouShan insisted I allow them to do this, as my old one had, well... exploded.
I let them do it, ShouShan had this gleam in his eyes that told me I wasn't getting out of this.
Zheng had been... subdued, for lack of a better word, whenever I walked by him and greeted him.
Oh, he greeted me back but he always made a quick retreat afterwards.
Which was still better than having twenty odd people bow to me in respect and greet me with a
polite 'Wei-gongzi'.
It was weird. Having everyone look at me like I was some sort of blessed creature.
Well, you did explode a snake's head off.

Between using Talents that I could just shrug off and claim to be teachings of CangSe, or pulling
the sword out of the Inventory and hope that it had enough strength to pierce that things scales, I'd
still choose the former.
True, pulling the sword out of nowhere would've made them build an altar in your honor, but
you've got to admit that exploding the thing wasn't the most inconspicuous thing you could've done.
I was out of options.
So get more. Don't think situations like these won't happen again.
I sighed, but conceded to the point.
"Wei-gongzi," ShouShan turned around the corner and saw me, he gave me a small head tilt.
"Bai-gongzi," I responded in kind.
He smiled down at me," What? No more, Shoushan? And here I was thinking you and I were great
friends."
I twitched.
I forgot I'd called him by his first name, which was 'nomal' for me but indicated familiarity, or
disrespect, in this culture.
"It was impolite, my apologies," I bit out.
He laughed," No, no, please I don't mind," He says," It's refreshing."
"Then please called me, WuXian," I sigh," Or Wei Ying, I at this point I just want the bowing and
the honorifics to stop."
He laughs harder," How about A-Ying?" He jokes.
I give him a deadpan look," Sure, go for it, no one would look twice on you calling me that in the
streets, but call me 'Young Master Wei' and everyone will want to know who the hell I am."
"A-Ying it is then," He smirks," I have something for you."
"Oh?" I'm interested.
"Here," He hands me something wrapped in cloth," The blacksmith finished it this morning."
The new dagger?
I carefully unwrap the object from the cloth, pointedly not paying attention to the amused look on
ShouShan's face or the odd clan member peeking out of windows, or hallway corners to see my
reaction.
Really, did this people have nothing better to do?
Apparently not.
I pull back the final layer of cloth and get my first glimpse of the blade.
Its sheath is made of smooth pale wood, and had an intricate snake painted onto it, wrapped around
the sheath with its maw open wide.
The snake only had one eye.
The grip was made of dark leather and had a smooth pommel of pale metal with a red tassel
attached to it. A bead made of green jade at the end.
I grab the dagger and pull the blade out of its sheath.
It glints under the sunlight.
The blade is beautiful.
I notice characters carved onto the blade.
"Xiaodan," I read aloud," Little Dawn."
"Father thought that Xiaotong might fit best," ShouShan told me," But I figured you'd like this
name better."
Xiaotong translated to 'Red Sky Child'.
"It's beautiful," I told him and I experimented swinging the dagger.
It cut through the air with a minuscule whistle.
Perfect.
ShouShan smiled," Father also had someone make replacements for your tack gear."
"What?!" I yelped, almost dropping the dagger.
"And that was after I talked out out of getting you a horse," He grinned," Although I don't think I
can stop him from trying to convince you to stay once again."
I grumble at him," I need to leave, to travel, I already made plans" I tell him," Once I've been to
every place in Gusu I'm headed north."
"Won't you at least stay for the winter?" He tries.
"No, that will only delay me come spring," I shook my head," I'm thankful for all that you've done
for me but I don't like owing people."
"You're not owing anything to us," ShouShan tells me.
I give him a look," Then why are you helping me? You already threw me a feast and a new
dagger, and now apparently some new tack gear," I sigh," That is owing something."
"You helped us," ShouShan answered," Even when I brought you here under false pretenses you
still helped us, that night... what you did..." His eyes grow heavy.
"Please forget it," I sheathe the dagger," It's best if no-..."
"The Bai Clan won't forget," ShouShan interrupts me," And if you ever need us, the Bai Clan is
willing to help you."
Urk.
I feel myself turn red in embarrassment.
This is a good thing!
"Thank you," I bow my head to him," You're too kind."
His eyes gleam with amusement," Can I ask one little thing of you?" He asks.
"What is it?" I blink.
"Write us a few letters, even if it's only to tell us you're alive and kicking," He answers," Bai Xi, my
betrothed, has taken a shine to you and is pestering me about how safe you'll be back on the road."
I sigh," I'll write," I promise," If I ever stop by this area again I'll even come say hello in person."
"It's a promise!" He ruffles my hair.
"Argh!" I splutter," Hey!"
I stayed one more week with them before finally leaving. I was itching to get back on the road, but
saying goodbye to those people was hard.
They were good people. I wouldn't mind writing to them, like CangSe and ChangZe used to write
to FengMian, and even perhaps coming back here in the future.
I offered prayers for them to make it through the war.
Donkey was annoyed with my decision to leave. He'd been perfectly content showing off his
superiority in the faces of the Bai Clan's horses and was disgruntled at being back in the cold.
Even if he was decked out in grand new gear and warmer equipment. November was close by and
as such there'd be no more rains this year, only snowfalls.
I was going turn five at the end of October.
The thought astounded me, how time flew by, it'd be officially two years since I'd entered this
world.
I looked up at the sky, clear blue with puffy white clouds, and wondered about what awaited me in
the future.
Eventually I would join YunmengJiang, I would come to Gusu and study at the same place they
once studied, and when I returned to Lotus Pier war would soon be on the horizon.
War... I never thought I'd live through a war.
I had seen it, on the news, in magazines and books, but never in real life.
I was scared.
But I would see it through.
I was going to survive.

I was going to build a better tomorrow where there wouldn't be a meaningless massacre.
Tomorrow... Tomorrow...
Donkey brayed at me and I looked away from the sky and at the road ahead of us. There's a village
up ahead.
"Well, looks like you'll be warm and cozy soon, eh, Donkey?" I smile," Want to walk a bit faster?"
I ask it.
Donkey remains at a steady pace, and I sigh.
A horse would be better.
But Donkey's is all we're going to get.
Why not both?
Because I'm not traveling with a horse and a donkey, unnecessary and an inconvenience.
Maybe get a cart, then have the horse and donkey pull it!
Even worse! Don't make foolish suggestions. What the hell would I do with an empty cart?
Fill it.
I rolled my eyes.
I'mma just ignore you.
It was close to nightfall when I finally finished the last Quest of this town. It wasn't a particularly
hard Quest to do, even if I had a sneaky suspicion that their difficulty was slowly increasing, but
the sheer amount of material he had to gather and bring back was scary.
I stretched my back and heard my bones crack, I winced. I shouldn't do that.
I rolled my shoulders and neck instead, keeping the blood flowing and keeping myself warm as I
walked to the inn I'd gotten a room in. It was already getting too cold to sleep in a stable, so I just
rented a room for the night.
I'd play my flute or sing for coins this night, or maybe a free meal.
The wind blew past me and I shivered. It was cold!
I bring my hands up to cup my ears, warming them up.
The cold reminded me to get some winter clothes ready to go in my pack before I left.
As I removed my hands from my ears I hear this muffled grunt.
I pause.
Turning back the street is quickly emptying, stores are closing and only the inns and taverns would
remain open as it was the time they busiest. Nothing really seemed wrong with the scene but I
couldn't help the gut feeling that something was off.
I slowly walked back, keeping an ear out for the sound I heard.
And then I heard it again, at the mouth of a dark alley.
Are you going in?
I didn't answer it. I shifted from foot to foot, whether or not I should check it out, it was entirely
possible that it was a trap set by malicious people or street gangs.
Or someone needs help.
I remembered my previous encounter in a dark alley.
I stepped into the dark, keeping my footsteps light and soft, and slowly approached the end of the
alley.
"S-s-stop..." A gasp.
I froze.
There was another grunt followed by a pained sound.
I ran, not carrying if they heard me, and turned the corner of the alley.
There was a woman pinned against the wall, tears streaming down her face, while a man pressed
himself close to her. He held a fistful of her hair in his hand and was muffling her mouth with the
other.
"Let her go," I ordered him, fury licking at my mind.
The man turns to look down at me. An ugly look in his eyes.
He isn't particularly bad looking, nor is he good looking, just average, with thick eyebrows and a
thin nose. He isn't very old, but he isn't what you'd call a young man. He has his hair tied in a
simple bun. He's wearing common clothes.
He isn't the kind of man you'd think did this.
He isn't someone you'd suspect of doing this.
He was just... normal.
Average.
"Go 'way, kid," He tells me, he has a deep voice," 'fore I smack 'ya."
I stand straighter, unafraid, I faced down a six foot bear, I trash-talked a demonic unicorn, I wasn't
going to bow down to this normal, average man.
"Try it," I smirk," Bet you can't, 'ya only like to hit ladies, ain't that right?"
His eyes narrow and his nostrils flare.
He lets go of the woman's hair, and grabs something at his waist.
Knife.
I keep my posture of confident and cocky kid, but my feet move into position in case I need to
spring away.
"R-run..." The woman tries to tell me, but the man presses his hand down harder on her face.
"Shut it, whore," He growls," Oh, what? Is this yo' brat?" He snorts.
He turns back to me and fully unsheathes his knife.
"I'mma teach you some manners, boy," He laughs.
I give him a bemused grin," Manners? Clearly, sir, you're the one lacking manners here."
One day, that tactic is going to fail, and I will laugh.
One day, that tactic is going to fail, and you will help me get out of it.
The man's face reddens and he lets go of the woman, arm reaching out to grab me.
I jump back out of reach, if the man follows me than the woman can run away, and prepare to grab
my own dagger when a loud noise rings right beside my ear.
I startle, not expecting the noise, and in the split second of hesitation the man grabs my wrist and
pulls me back.
Shit.
He prepares to hit me with the knife but I strike at his wrist and cause him to drop it, before
kicking his balls in an attempt at making him let go.
He doesn't, but he goes down, I try to pull his hand off but it only tightens.
Ow.
The woman is still there.
I look over the man's shoulder and see the woman, clutching at her robes which have been ripped,
and yell at her:
"Run! Get away from here!"
"No!" The man almost breaks my wrist and goes to grab the knife off the floor.
The woman instead runs at him, trying to get to the knife first.
Bloody idiot!
She bends down but the man clutches the knife first.
He goes to strike her.
But I struck him in the neck first.
Xiaodan's blade smoothly sinks into his neck like butter.

I stare, my hand had moved to the dagger and struck before I even thought of doing it.
The man turns his eyes towards me, I can see my reflection in them, and pushes me away from
him.
The blade slides out of his neck and he slumps to the floor soon after, his grip on his knife goes
slack.
Blood pours out of him, drips down from my dagger and coats my fingers.
I stare and the man, unblinkingly.
He's dead.
I killed him.
The world kind of distorts itself around me, like grainy footage, and I find myself floundering.
What do I do now?
I killed a man.
Oh, no.
Stop.
My train of thought screeches to a halt.
Take a deep breath. Hold it.
I do so, and muscle memory takes over. Deep breath. Hold it for five. Let it out. And again.
And again. And again.
Don't panic. Stay calm. Think.
I killed him.
He was going to attack you. Attack that woman.
I killed him.
You did.
I flinch.
And now, you're going to clean your knife, sheathe it, talk that woman out of her panic attack, and
then you're gonna go back to the inn and sleep.
That easy?
That easy. Breakdown later. Stay focused now.
I take one final deep breath before I bring my shaking hands up to clean the knife.
Shaking hands make for weak grips.

Are you weak?
I think about all that I've gone through already.
I think about the future.
No.
I'm not weak.
Then stop shaking. Focus.
I wrapped a piece of cloth around the blade and wiped the blood off of it.
Just like one does after hunting an animal. It's the same.
It isn't.
Then close your eyes and pretend. Until you can let your guard down and have a good cry about it,
pretend.
Deep breaths. Everything's alright. Hold it together.
Nothing is the same as before.
This isn't like my world.
This is different.
So, so different.
Chapter End Notes
Chapter 28 will be a happier chapter (and a longer chapter because I couldn't find a
nice place to cut it at, and it kind of just kept growing) to make up for this chapter. But
this had to happen.
Hunting down creature, spirits and yao, which are visibly not-human anymore, is
completely different than killing another human-being. Thing is, WWX will have to
get ready for war, where he's going to kill a lot of people, unintentionally or not,
directly or not, he's going to have to kill.
He doesn't have to get use to it, he just needs to learn not to freeze at the sight of it and
compartmentalize.
So Alike
Chapter Summary
The aftermath of last chapters events.

And a fated meeting.
Chapter Notes
"One with the courage to laugh is master of the world." - Italian (on courage and fear)
Chapter 28: So Alike
I turned five while I was traveling to the main city of Gusu.
Having passed several towns and villages on the way there, I tried to keep my visits as brief as I
could. Once the sun went down I was either playing my flute to entertain guests or up in a room,
having already gotten a guaranteed stay. I tried not to linger out too much, it was hard not to think
about what had happened.
The first few night I woke up from nightmares ready to scream, only for my self-control to kick in
and shut my mouth tight.
When I closed my eyes at night, I thought about that man, left dead in an alley.
I felt guilty.
I hadn't meant to kill him.
I only wanted to save that woman.
Was it fair? That I had saved her, but at the cost of his life?
Was it just?
Is this justice?
My thoughts swirled in chaos and I tossed and turned many nights.
In the end, I decided to use that experience as lines in the sand.
If I ever found myself in that position again, what would I do?
Get help. Shout. Throw something at him in order to make him let the woman go.
What I wouldn't do?

Antagonize him. It was a mistake. I shouldn't have done that.
Get close to him. No, that was a mistake also.
His death wasn't alright. It wasn't necessary. It was a mistake.
My mistake.
I wouldn't make the same mistake again.
Donkey knew something had happened in the last few days that made my mood somber, and he
tried to cheer me up in his own way.
I really didn't deserve him, he was too nice.
When he wants to be.
A small curls at the corners of my mouth.
You've been quiet.
I've been thinking.
I know.
I wonder... Did Wei WuXian ever thought back on the people he killed? Did Jiang Cheng? Lan
Zhan?
I do not know.
Me neither.
Is it important?
I hummed, and tossed the question around in my mind, I guess not.
Where are we headed?
CaiYi Town.
...Isn't that?
I grinned. It's still somewhat far from the GusuLan Sect.
With your luck, you'll still run into someone.
I hope it's not Lan QiRen.
I hope it's Lan Zhan!
You hate me.
I love you, dear, but your reaction promises to be priceless.
Urgh.
I'd rather meet his brother.

Oh? Are you pondering on perhaps having both Lan brothers? How greedy of you!
I choke on my own spit and start coughing.
Donkey, stops and looks back at me, worried.
I have him away, trying (and failing) to give him a weak smile.
How dare you!
Oh, my! Why are you so red, my dear?
I open and close my mouth, before shutting it close with a click. I mutinously glare at me reflection
in the water.
I will get you back for that one.
The novel hadn't done CaiYi Town justice.
It was so different than what I imagined, the canals and the people casually selling items off of
boats, the sound of their voices. Their dialect really sounded soft and all flowery, it was incredibly
funny to me.
I led Donkey through the streets, following a nice passerby's advice on an inn with a stable nearby,
and couldn't help but look this way and that way as we walked.
November was cold, and already snow had started to fall, not enough to be an inconvenience but
just enough to let you know winter would be fast arriving.
There was a Quest here I was eager to try out, it was by a woodworker and the Quest specifically
said something about crafting, so I was interested to see if this Quest could help me level up my
Crafting Skill.
I wanted to craft a better bow for myself, similar to how ChangZe's had built my first one, because
with how frequently I was using it to hunt and fight back spirits I'd certainly need a replacement
bow soon.
At least it hasn't fallen apart yet.
No, but some cracks are starting to appear on the wood, around where I grip it.
Well, that's to be expected... How high are your stats right now?
I blink and open my Player Menu.


Skills:
+Martial
+Social
+Scholar
+Arts
+Mundane
Equipment:
Winter robes (child)
Common boots
Weapon:
Dagger [Xiaodan]
Talisman (16)
Small Bow (25) ]
Ah. I see your point.
Might want to figure out a way to control the strength of your grip, one of this days you won't be
careful enough and you'll squeeze rocks down to dust in front of the wrong person.
Oh, ye of little faith!
I know you, I have enough faith in your peculiar brand of bad luck.
I am keeping the Luck Stat up!
That just means your bad luck will come back double.
Urgh, you're impossible.
Donkey noses down on my ear and I jump startled.
"Donkeyyyyy," I whine," Why, my friend, why must you be so cruel to me!" I slump down
dramatically.
Donkey snorts and flicks its tail, the universal sign of 'why do I put up with your drama'.
I clutch at my heart," You wound me! I'm wounded by your words!"
A vendor lady in her boat laughs as she hears me.
I turn to her with a grin," Good day, Sister!"
"Oh, little beau," She laughs," Good morning to you!"
I keep walking, eyeing the sights of the water-based town covered in a thin layer of snow.
After some walking I find the inn and quickly get Donkey situated, getting his tack gear off and
giving him an apple to munch on as I brush snowflakes out of his mane.
Once that's done I quickly get back on the streets, entertaining the thought of being back here as a
teenager and fighting against the Waterborne Abyss.
And teasing a certain someone.

Stop. Please. Stop.
Never.
I roll my eyes and quicken my pace as I follow the open map to the Quest location.
"Crafting Skill leveled up!"
I sigh, taking a small break from shaving down the wood in the workshop.
Once I got the information of what I'd be doing I made the wise decision of finishing up the other
Quests first before coming back to this one.
The owner, a graying man with a bad leg was tasked with building this new boat for a merchant,
but his workers decided to bail on him. He decided to try and finish the boat by himself and, sure
enough, disaster struck and his leg decided that now was the perfect time to stop working as it
should.
He'd been having temporary workers help him with shaving down the wood, sanding it, and
putting the pieces together but there was never much attendance as everyone had their own jobs to
do.
Or saw no point in helping the old man out.
That too.
I rolled my shoulder before getting back on task. The boat was almost complete, it just needed a
few more boards, a final sanding and be painted with the special coat that would make it resistant
to water.
Thankfully the Quest would end as soon as I finished shaving and sanding this piece, which was
halfway done, so I could go back to the inn have a bath and go to sleep.
"Stopping already?" The man turns to me, from where he's fitting boat pieces together," Are you
tired?"
I perk up," No sir!" I say and start shaving the wood down again.
I was getting this job done and I was going to do it perfectly!
"Youth," The man muttered as he went back to work.
"Aah..." I groaned as I stretched out my arms," I'm so tired!"
Hey, at least you leveled up your skill and stats.
True.
I pulled the string holding my hair up and let it fall down my back, the urge to cut it was strong but
after being lectured, at length, by one of the Bai Clan's elderly ladies about how that was simply
not done and how disrespectful it was to my parents, I'd have to put up with it.
I was all sweaty from working and the cold did me no favors, but my head was so itchy.
I wanted to get back to the inn and have a long soak.
The moon was up already, and there weren't many people walking the streets, having already gone
home. The only sounds came from taverns and other still open shops, men laughed and talked
among themselves or ate at the tables.
Snow fell steadily from above, and I took in a deep breath of the cold air.
The night sky was decked in stars, so bright, and I walked back to the inn content, sure that all that
was in store for me was my bath and a bed.
I was wrong.
When are you ever not?
Goddammit.
About three feet from me was a crouched figure dressed all in white, long dark hair falling down
his back, playing with a rattle drum in silence.
Even from behind I instantly recognized the robes and who was probably the person crouched
down.
Lan WangJi.
You're actually meeting him...
Do. Not. Laugh.
...Too late.
Loud echoing laughter filled my mind and I fought back the urge to cover my ears, turn around and
take the long way round back to the inn.
But this damn bleeding heart of mine couldn't walk away without making sure the kid was okay.
"Hey... Why are you crouched over there?" I asked him, frowning when he didn't even look up at
me.
I sigh, thinking about what to do, and crouch down in front of him.
I pull his head up, and wide golden eyes meet mine.
He's shocked I dared to touch him so casually.
"When someone talks to you, you should look at them," I tell him," Now, what's wrong? Why are
you here by yourself?"
He keeps his mouth closed and pushes my hands away from him.
Fine then. Two can play that game.
I grab a lock of his hair and give it a gentle tug.
He looks up at me again, scandalized, before looking down again and away from me.
I grin. And pull another handful of hair.

He slaps my hand away from him, golden eyes narrowed and expression annoyed when he sees my
grin.
When he goes to turn away I quickly tap his forehead ribbon.
He jumps back, away from me, getting to his feet.
His facial expression morphs into one of utter disbelief.
I get up from my crouch and stand before him, way too amused by his expressions, and grin
widely at him.
"Now, will you tell me what you're doing here, or do I have to keep pulling your hair?" I ask him.
He frowns, his lips pressed into a thin line, and he keeps one hand protecting his forehead ribbon
from another potential tap.
He's adorable.
Stop! No more! Not another word!
But... How can you not see how adorable he is!
Arghhhh! Stop! He's not supposed to be cute!
Well... You know what they say, kids don't stay cute forever.
I'm not discussing this now. Nor ever!
The laughter rings out again in my head.
I sigh and nonchalantly go to pull another strand of hair, he takes a step back and finally speaks:
"I lost my brother," He tells me.
In fluent Gusu dialect.
I withheld a guffaw at hearing the soft flowery words coming out of the mouth of the future
Hanguang-Jun, wielder of Bichen, and the nightmare of Lan disciples who break rules, was
something that I was just not expecting.
Obviously he had stopped speaking in a dialect as he grew older.
I'm not forgetting this moment. Ever.
Save a copy for me, I also wouldn't mind revisiting this memory on a rainy day.
Done.
"Where was the last place you saw your brother," Give me some credit, I didn't indicate I thought
his voice amusing at all.
"In front of the inn," He answers.
"What inn," I specify.
He remains silent and looks back down.

Oh, he doesn't know. Kid's completely lost.
"When you were with him, was it light out? Or dark already?" I ask.
"Light." He nods.
"Where was the sun, can you point it out to me?" I ask him.
He looks up at the dark sky and frowns, thinking, before pointing to the one side.
Sunset. Kid's been lost for an hour at least.
"Your brother must be worried sick for you," I hum," Well, did you walk in a straight line, or did
you take any turns?"
"Straight," He answers and curls slightly on himself.
Scared?
Ashamed he's made his brother worried.
I let out a long sigh and grab his hand, pulling him with me.
"What?" He sort of jumps and tries to pull his hand away but I have a nice grip on it.
"I'mma teach you a trick!" I smile at him," If you ever notice you're lost or you've lost sight of the
person you were with, stop walking. Don't move from that spot, and look around, the further you
walk away from where you got lost, the harder it is to find you." I explain to him.
He blinks, haven't expected that, but nods.
"Now, see the moon?" I point at the sky," The moon always follows after the sun, so we're gonna
keep the moon opposite to the side where the sun was and find your way back, isn't that
interesting?" I laugh.
He nods and slowly lowers the hand he has on his forehead.
Two or so minutes after we started walking he begins to look around, shifty.
"Are you scared?" I asked him, kids couldn't be scared of the dark streets at this age, could they?
He purses his lips into a thin line but nods, before looking back at the ground.
Oh, sh*t.
Lan Zhan is scared of the dark!
Shut it!
Thinking back on all my nieces and nephews, I figured that at this age, a song or something
cheerful to get their minds off of things would be best.
A cheerful song. Nothing too long or complicated.
Nursery rhyme?
"Hey, want to hear a song I know?" I ask him but I don't really wait for him to give me an
answer,"I'm a little teapot, short and stout,~" I begin singing.
He quickly raises his head to stare at me, his mouth opens slightly in incredulity.
Oh, you poor, poor child. What have they done to you that you haven't ever heard a nursery rhyme.
Different culture. Different upbringing. And I'm pretty sure the Lan elder wouldn't have their
precious Jade tainted by childish songs.
"This is my handle, this is my spout~" I keep singing, gesturing with my remaining arm,"When I
get the steam up, hear me shout, tip me over and pour me out~!"
"What song is that?" He questions, quietly and incredulous.
"It's the Teapot song!" I cheer," Do you like it? You can sing it too, if you want."
"I've never heard of it..." He says.
"Well..." I give him an embarrassed look," I kind of just thought of it on the spot, hehe..." He smile
at him.
His eyes widen and he looks away.
"Sorry?" I apologize, and look away, after a few seconds of silence I can't help myself from singing
it again.
Violet, Hannah's daughter, loved this song when she was a little girl, complete with the cute little
dance in her cute ruffled pumpkin pants.
As I sang I swung the kid's arm back and forth, trying to get him to sing with me but he remain
staunchly quiet.
"A-Zhan!" Someone suddenly calls out.
The kid looks up, lightning fast, and starts running toward the sound.
"Hey, wait, you're gonna fall!" I warn him, and true to my predictions he trips over one of the
stones in the road and goes down.
"A-Zhan!" Whoever it was calling must've seen him because I hear them running this way.
Thank your lucky stars that doesn't sound like Lan QiRen.
"You okay?" I help him get up off the floor and brush away the dirt off his clothes.
Unfortunately they're pure white so there isn't much that I can do for them.
Oh, the horror of white clothing.
And that's why we're wearing black in the future.
Not because it looks cool?
Also because of that, but mostly because stains won't be noticeable.
"A-Zhan! Are you okay, I couldn't find you anywhere!" Whoever it was calling finally reaches us
and I look up to see who it is.
You're got to be kidding me.
Called it!
Shut it.
Oh my god, this is your chance! Snatch him!
Shut. Up!
Standing above me, in all his nine year old glory, was the one and only, Lan XiChen.
Chapter End Notes
So, I saw the last chapter of Season 2 of the animated series. And I do try and take
elements from all the media MDZS has, so if there's a particular scene you want to see
or think it'd be interesting to add (even if it's from the Live-Action adaptation) you're
free to give suggestions. Always open for ideas.
And no, people, he's not getting both Lan brothers! He gets one and that's already one
possessive Lan too many XD
Keep Smiling
Chapter Summary
The continuation of the previous chapter's encounter.

Where smiling is the best means of defense, and the best way to keep people from
knowing you're internally freaking out.
Where there's a friendship, big brothers are the best, and a quick getaway out of the
city.
Chapter Notes
Sorry, I overslept. I was planning on getting this chapter out early and I ended up
sleeping 'till 2pm. Oops
"Use your smile to change the world; don't let the world change your smile." - Chinese Proverb
Chapter 29: Keep Smiling
Standing above me, in all his nine year old glory, was the one and only, Lan XiChen.
Oh, he's cute.
By some miracle I managed to not turn red up to the roots of my hair. And refrained from showing
any outwardly signs that I was shrieking like a banshee at the top of my lungs inside my own head.
The voice went quiet, retreating speedily to some darkened corner of my mind to escape my wrath.
I smiled at the older Lan brother," Oh, so you're the missing brother! Nice to meet you!"
The older boy blinked, a spark of recognition in his eyes, before smiling back at me," Yes, it's very
nice to meet you, as well. Were you helping A-Zhan?"
I swear I could see flowers blooming behind his head as he smiled.
What the utter hell.
"A-Zhan?" I blink, before turning to the smaller boy with a grin," Eh? So that's your name? Well,
guess I'll call you that then!"
He quickly pushes me away from him, and frowns," Don't call me that."
I fake widen my eyes," Eh?! Why not? And here I thought we were going to be great friends, A-
Zhan!"
He kind of smothers a twitch but fails, I see Lan XiChen hide a smile behind his sleeve.
"We are not friends," He tells me.
I grin at him," We're totally friends! I even shared my song with you!" I tell him.
He turns away from me and I don't miss the chance to pull at his hair again.
He bats my hand away with a scowl, my lips twitch in amusement, grin widening.
"Well, isn't this great, A-Zhan? You've made a friend," Lan XiChen smiles down at the two of us,"
You may call me Lan Huan, and you are... Wei Ying?" He pretends to guess.
I look up at him brightly and nod," Wei Ying, courtesy WuXian, but you can call me A-Ying!" I
answer, but blink afterwards," How do you know my name?"
He sort of crouches down so we're more eye-level with each other," My Uncle talked about you,
many people are worried about where you've been," He tells me.
"Aah!" I make a gesture of realization," The GusuLan are keeping an eye out for me too, I forgot
that," I sigh," I have to leave soon then..."
Lan XiChen blinks confused," Why? You can come with us, we'll take you to Uncle and he can get
you back home." He tells me.
I shook my head," My parents are dead, you know, I don't have a home to go back to," I answer
simply, ignoring the look Lan Zhan gives at that information," They say there's a Sect Leader that
wants to foster me, but I don't know him, besides I have something I want to do."
Lan XiChen still frowns," It's not safe being by yourself," He tells me.
I smile kindly at him and spread my arms wide," I know, but, really, I have this many people
looking out for me, I won't be in trouble! I can look after myself too, I'm not alone!"
"It's not safe," Lan Zhan finally speaks up," Come to Gusu," He adds.
I turn to him with a grin," Eh? So you do like me, A-Zhan!" I laugh," Don't look so angry, now,
sorry! But I really am fine! Don't worry!"
Lan Xichen sighs," But you're so young, A-Ying. You're A-Zhan's age, aren't you?" He asks.
I lift up a hand similar to how you'd wave hello," I turned five in October!" I tell them brightly.
Lan Zhan frowns," Too young. You'll get hurt," He then pointedly looks at my scar.
I laugh," No worries, no worries!" I tell him.
He frowns, and Lan XiChen hides another smile behind his sleeve.
"Well... I don't feel comfortable letting you leave by yourself..." He tells me.
Uh Oh.
An idea sparks in my head.
Bad idea.
"Hey! How about I send you some letters?" I suggest," A friend of mine also asked I send him
some letters, so he could know I was okay! I could write some to you as well!"
I wasn't going to tell them that friend was ShouShan just in case this got him in trouble, but... Well,
he might just set a precedent.
Lan XiChen ponders on this, and Lan Zhan tries not to look at least minimally intrigued, before he
nods slowly.
"Once a month, always, or we'll tell Uncle where you were wrote to us!" He warns me.
I give him a hug, enjoying the fact that Lan Zhan actually squeaks when I do so, and quickly let go
to smile back at Lan XiChen brightly.
"Thank you, Gege!" I say," You're the best!"
He chuckles and ruffles my head," Well, I'd say to hug A-Zhan too, but I don't think he'll let you."
I turn to Lan Zhan and see him ready to spring away from me.
I could probably still tackle him, though.
I smile at him instead," No worries, one day we'll see each other again and there's no escaping from
me then!" I grin.
In ten or eleven years he'll have forgotten this meeting anyway.
He scowls fiercely at me before shoving his rattle drum in my direction.
I stare at it.
"Uh?" I blink.
"Thanks," He tells me.
"Thanks?" I continue staring, confused.
"For helping," He mulishly adds.
Ah.
I smile gently at him, and take the offered rattle, it has gentle clouds carefully painted on the drum
sides, with intricate designs carved into the wood.
"Thank you, A-Zhan," I say to him," It's a beautiful gift."
He looks away from me," Brother, isn't Uncle waiting for us?"
And you need to learn how to change the subject better than that...
Lan XiChen clearly notices it also and smiles," Yes, we should be going now," He gives me one
last conflicted look, as if making sure I didn't want to come with them.
"I have to go back, too, I'm all spent for today! I'll send a letter to you soon!" I promise and go to
walk away.
"We'll be waiting," Lan XiChen gives me a tired smile.
Poor kid really was worried about me, how sweet of him.
Such a good child.
You're totally snagging both of them I see.
I barely manage to keep from tripping over my own feet.
Stop saying that!
It's the truth, wait a few years and you'll change your opinion of 'never happening' to 'my dream
come true'.
Never. It. Is. Not. Happening. End of discussion.
Nah, I'll just add a comma and we can continue this at a later date.
You're so annoying. Obnoxious. Full of yourself!
And you're infuriating. Clueless. And unbelievably good at denying your feelings.
There are no feelings to be felt!
For now.
It's not happening!
Moving on, this is getting nowhere, are we skipping town tonight?
...Ah, because of Lan QiRen? Yup.
I'd trust Lan XiChen but their righteousness will inevitably mean they'll tell their uncle they saw
me, before dawn tomorrow the whole town will be packed full of people searching for me.
So, where are we going?
I open my map and start going through possible locations, as a last resort I could just suck it up and
go hide at the Bai Clan as they wanted me to, but I decide to go stop at a nearby cave temple.
It'd been a while since I was last in one, and inside of it the weather shouldn't be too bad.
I had blankets, actual blankets, if required and as long as I left early in the morning, no one had to
know I'd been there.
There goes your warm bath though.
I moaned pitifully.
I was looking forward to it too!
A week later found me staring out at a valley covered in snow, sitting on top of Donkey.
The sun was rising behind the mountains and the light made the ice and snow sparkle. I smiled at
the beautiful scenery it made, my breaths coming out in small clouds of air, puffy and white, and I
itched to sketch the scene before me.
Why don't you?
That made me pause.
Why didn't I?
When I was learning how to write talismans, despite the weird grip I had to have on the brush pen,
it reminded me of painting more than it did writing.
Why didn't I ever try and paint before?
The thought just never came up. The itch to pain what I saw had come up once or twice but I never
gave in to the urge.
Why?
You're wasting time. Soon the sun will be all over the mountain and you won't capture it anymore.
I can clearly recall what the sight looked like!
And I did, my memory was just as good as it had been before, maybe stronger now that I had a
better eye for details.
Another?
The System is the gift that keeps on giving!
I laughed and opened my Inventory, searching for drawing materials when a random thought
appeared in my head.
Does the Store have actual paints?
I quickly check it out, but can't find them under any of the [Materials] or [Gifts] sections. Nor
under [Recipes] and I start to lose hope.
Try [Misc].
I do, and after digging through chopsticks, bowls, blankets, and other random objects of daily life I
finally managed to find what I was looking for.
There were complete sets of paint, brushes, and even different types of paints and other drawing
materials.
They were unreasonably cheap.
Well, it's not like they're important to the Story.
I scoff, the artist in my revolting at the thought of art utensils being deemed 'unimportant'. After
purchasing a fair amount of them, I get off Donkey and find a safe spot to sit down.
I bring out a sketch book and some oil pastels. And start painting, at some point Donkey
approaches to look over my shoulder at what I was doing. It snorts quietly, and keeps watching me
work in silence.
Despite being out of practice my body just goes into overdrive, losing itself in the act of painting,
so much so that I do not notice the notifications popping over my head about 'discovering' the
Painting Skill, and leveling it up. Several times.
After about two hours, my fingers are numbing from the cold but I hold up the finished painting
and smile.
I still got it.
The head rush one gets when they've finished a painting. Or a music score. Or a sculpture. When
you stand back and let out a sigh, that all that hard work paid off. That it's finished, and it's here
and it's perfect.
I still got it.
Maybe you could keep painting your travels.
Yes... That's a great idea. I could paint all that I've seen as I wondered about the world, the people I
met...
ShouShan would like to see them.
And others too.
I thought of Lan XiChen opening a bulky letter to find random drawings of mountains, deer and
other critters.
You should send Lan Zhan some bunnies.
I failed to smother a snicker.
Yes.
I sent the painting back to the Inventory along with the art supplies, sharing an amused look with
the disgruntled Donkey who still couldn't figure out how I was doing that, or getting perfectly ripe
apples out of season, before putting my gloves back on and getting up on the donkey again.
I'd send a letter to them all soon.
Lan Huan had thought about the small boy he and his brother had met the previous month quite
frequently as time went by. The day after they met, Uncle had told him they hadn't been able to
find him anywhere in town, having obviously left before dawn.
He felt bad for letting the boy go and not drag him with him to where they were staying but his
uncle had told him it wasn't his fault. Obviously the boy thought himself invincible and didn't
understand that what he was doing was wrong.
Still, he felt guilty. A-Zhan had taken to looking around when they traveled, having some hope of
running into him again, possibly. It did cheer him up thinking how the other boy had befriended
his brother.
Most kids thought A-Zhan to be cold and distant, but this boy hadn't had any trouble gently teasing
his brother and pulling him along as they walked, as his brother had confided in him, even teaching
him a song. Or so he had said, because A-Zhan was adamant that he knew no such thing.
Uncle had given him a look and offhandedly mentioned that lying was against the rules and that he
should copy a verse of Righteousness for it, but did not press him about it. Neither did Lan Huan, if
his brother wanted to keep this apparently mystery song a secret between him and that boy, well...
He wouldn't intrude on their friendship.
It was a nice thing to see.
"Young Master Lan!" A disciple came to him carrying a small package," A letter came for you,
from one... Wei Ying?" He questioned.
Oh.
Lan Huan blinked, surprised.
The boy had actually written to him.
How thoughtful.
Lan Huan smiled at the flustered disciple and accepted the package with a gentle word of gratitude,
retreating to the his brother's room, because his brother would want to know what his friend had
been up to, surely.
He found A-Zhan practicing his guqin in the Jinshi, completely focused on his task. Lan Huan
waited for his brother to still his strings before entering the room.
"A-Zhan," He said," We've received a letter."
His brother looked up at him, brows knit together," A letter?"
"From A-Ying," He smiled," Do you want to read it together?"
His brother's eyes widened slightly and he carefully put away his guqin, obviously done with
practice for now.
Lan Huan pulled a seat beside his brothers and waited until A-Zhan sat back down beside him
before opening the package. It seemed rather large to be a simple letter, but perhaps the boy had
written several and sent them all together.
Once he opened it, he found his answer.
There was a single letter, carefully written with slightly wobbly characters that had A-Zhan
muttering about calligraphy practice, and dozens of drawings. Of what Lan Huan recognized as
Gusu mountains, nearby villages and even merchants. Women in boats selling their products, and
fishermen boats far off in the distance.
Then there were animals, deer, birds, even a white fox or two. La Huan caught sight of two or three
benevolent Yao and Spirits and knew that, with the detail they had on him, Wei Ying had to have
spent a good hour working on each of them.
Furthermore, these weren't made with any material Lan Huan was familiar with.
And the sheer level of detail!

"Oh," Lan Zhan picked up a drawing of a bunny rabbit poking its head out of its burrow, there were
characters written carefully on the side 'To A-Zhan, it's pretty cute, isn't it?'
Lan Huan smiled," Isn't it lovely, A-Zhan, your friend made something for you."
A-Zhan nodded, clutching the drawing closer to him.
Lan Huan was glad his brother had such a good friend.
...Now if only he'd actually stop wandering around by himself and be safe somewhere with adults
to look after him.
Chapter End Notes
The Advancement he unlocked was "Precise Memory", and it's exactly what it says on
the tin. He has really good memory. Not to the point of Meng Yao levels of precise
memory, but a large step up from WWX's bad memory, nigh bordering on regular
memory loss.
Lan Huan so happy his brother's made a friend. :3
Now, next chapter is a time skip, and then Chapter 32 is another big time skip, Arc II
is basically at its mid-way point (finally) and I'll see if I can speed things up and get to
Arc III quickly.
Thank you for all your comment!

Spring
Chapter Summary
Where the flowers are blooming and life is great.

Do you know what's even greater?
Sharp and shiny blades. And, oh look, we have an endless supply of them right here!
Chapter Notes
Yes, another chapter, you guys are awesome so today's my treat for you!
"The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to
revive also." - Harriet Ann Jacobs
Chapter 30: Spring
The snow and frost were only beginning to melt when I arrived at Qinghe, for the first time since I
was alone I entered the city with Donkey and took a deep breath of the delicious foods that could
be found here.
God, I missed this.
Just make sure not to accept any more random toys from girls that eventually lead you to run into
Chifeng-Zun.
Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Nope, we're not doing it again.
Once was enough.
Even if you got good buns for it.
Damn, those were some good buns.
I entered the city, having already completed the Quests of the nearby border settlements, and found
a place to rest for the day. A life of traveling, playing the flute, singing and telling songs, even
selling some art to an interested buyer when I could part with it, made my life much richer.
And that's without taking into account just how much money you have to spend in the Store.
I politely do not grin wickedly, lest I scare any passersby, and only make a show of patting my
shoulder.
Night-hunting had turned into a very profitable business, to say the least.
And you even tried the meat!
My good humor sours.
I had eaten the Bo meat.
After much food preparation, condiments added and cooked extremely well, I had ended up eating
it.
It tasted like a good steak.
When I'd admitted to that, you could feel the sheer amount of glee coming from the voice, as it
cackled and repeatedly said 'I told you so!'
I wasn't impressed.
Anyway, after making sure Donkey was settled in, I went up to the room I rented up and had a nice
nap.
While nothing in this world came close to the fluffy mattress I'd had back in my old life (which my
dear student surely had taken possession of, the little brat had always loved that mattress) I'd grown
used to the thin straw mattresses placed atop rigid wooden frames.
Having about three blankets on top of it and forming what I'll politely refer to as a 'nest', doesn't
hurt matters either.
A man after my own heart.
I put my pack, which I honestly carried baggage in, unimportant baggage that I wouldn't mind
having stolen if it happened, and threw myself on the bed, kicking my boots off and taking the
dagger off of my belt and placing it underneath me.
Someone coming in wouldn't see it, but I could draw it out in a single motion and attack them
before they knew what hit them.
I fell into a light slumber soon afterwards.
When I opened my eyes it was evening and the lights outside were just starting to light up.
I rolled over onto my back and stretched, content and feeling slightly lazy, a change from my initial
days of constant vigilance and distrust.
I let myself lay there for a few moments before sighing and getting up.
I had stuff to do.
Not overly important stuff like Quests, though I should get back to those, but writing letters and
sorting out my inventory.
Writing to Lan XiChen, Bai ShouShan, and Yan MingXia on a near regular basis was relaxing.
They couldn't write back to me, due to my constant and irregular meanderings, but I liked to think
of what their responses would be like.
Yan MingXia, in particular, would probably want to strangle me with how reckless some of my
stunts were. She was a widow living in the northeastern part of Lanling, almost bordering Qinghe,
and she'd put up with me freeloading at her house in return for talismans and getting rid of a few
pesky yao roaming around her house. The sect responsible for taking care of such things was 'busy'
with their own affairs and night-hunts against strong prey that they spared little time to ease the
grievances of the common people.
When I suggested I make some talismans and have her sell them, she'd asked me if I was an idiot.
I wasn't sure if I should've taken offense or not at her words so I just shrugged and explained that,
if I tried selling my talismans by myself, no one would buy them, because I was a kid, and kids
don't know how to make proper talismans 'obviously'. But if Yan MingXia sold them, people
would by them, because she was fast approaching the age of 'elder'.
I'd gotten a cup thrown at my head and a cold stay outside in the snow for my 'cheek' to cut down
firewood, before being allowed back inside.
And having to sit through a lecture on how you should never call a woman old.
Women could call other women old, even joke about it between themselves, men? Not so much.
The unfairness of it all!
So, after that was done, we'd discussed how such a business could happen. Every other month I'd
send a fixed number of talismans for her to sell, and she was to say they were done by a travelling
rogue cultivator she knew, never breathing a word of just who that rogue cultivator was, and on the
months I didn't send her any talismans I'd send drawings or trinkets I got instead.
She'd make some money to improve her living conditions, and I got another pen-pal and practice
my skills.
Bai ShouShan got letters detailing my travels and all the prey I got, how I got them, and tips on
how they could catch them. Sometimes I scribbled ideas of traps or other cultivation tools that
would be interesting to have.
I never breathed a word of demonic cultivation, but I did write to him talking about what energy
was made of and how we could potentially isolate sections of it.
I liked writing those letters, and imagined he'd be reading them going 'what is going on in that kid's
mind?'.
Writing to Lan XiChen, or Lan Huan, or Gege, as I'd refer to him several times in the letters.
Shameless, your Lan Zhan probably says.
I ignored it.
Those were fun letters too, although very edited out, and only briefly touching upon the matters of
night-hunting and catching various creatures. I mostly sent them pictures, with one always
dedicated to the tiny Lan Zhan. They were funny anecdotes, bunny rabbits, a particularly beautiful
tree, sometimes a spirit or beast I observed at a distance, if they were hostile, or up close if they
were benevolent.
I liked to think he enjoyed those the most.

More than once I'd sent him pictures of the night sky, depicting constellations or other
astronomical events I remembered from my previous life, like an Aurora Borealis.
He'd probably be confused about what it was, but that was the fun part of it.
Sometimes I'd write him little stories or rhymes, or small melodies.
Those were the letters I wrote all the time. But they hadn't been the only letters I had sent.
Months ago I had written to YunmengJiang, and told them I was fine and if they could, pretty
please, stop looking for me I'd be grateful. That I didn't really know why they wanted to foster me,
when I was pretty sure I'd never even met them, but I wasn't interested in stopping my traveling.
They hadn't stopped looking.
I'd also written to the other Great Sects telling them the same, that I was fine and very much
healthy. While the searches hadn't stopped I felt like they weren't as intense as they were before.
It was the morose action of 'well, if I catch him, I catch him, but I'm not going out of my way to do
so'.
Except YunmengJiang. YunmengJiang was becoming an inconvenience. While the Sect Leader
couldn't go gallivanting across the countryside looking for me, he's enlisted a fair share of disciples
who were more than willing to help him on this crusade.
I was honestly surprised at how eager they were in finding me.
Like I was a prize to be won.
I don't doubt Jiang FengMian wouldn't reward the fool who manages to drag you back.
I sighed, and get CangSe's desk out of the Inventory and set everything up so that I can start writing
my letters.
Once they were all written and bundled up in their own respective packets I'd send off when I was
about to leave the city, I brought the items I had in my Inventory out, and there were a lot of things
mind you, and started sorting them out.
I tried to do this usually once a month, because I had the aggravating tendency to find stuff, grab it
and send it to the Inventory and suddenly forget about it, despite having an active Advancement
that should help me out with that, so it was best to check what was inside every once in a while.
Mob drops that I could sell would immediately be sold on the spot, everything that belonged to my
parents was put aside and sent back, while trinkets and gifts I'd gotten from people over my travels
were placed separately in their own bag, like Lan Zhan's rattle drum.
Then I'd sort out my art supplies, see which ones I had to replace, get rid of or restock, and then
organize them before sending them back, followed by the provisions and travel gear I had with me.
Clothes and other miscellaneous objects, such as interesting rocks, shells and things I had bought in
stores, were the last ones to be checked.
I always had to check if the clothes still fit me, or else they'd be sold for a portion of their value,
and where once I only had a single pair of robes, I now had three, plus pair of winter robes, a
waterproof cape and various winter articles such as gloves and scarfs.
I even got a small cloak from a nice store vendor after helping her carry her luggage into her new
husband's house. I liked that cloak.
The most interesting thing I'd gotten into the habit of checking out were hair ornaments. I'd had
many, many lectures about keeping hair clean and correctly brushed, and lessons on different hair
styles from sympathetic ladies that I'd somehow found myself getting ribbons and small hairpins.
I also found out countless different types of buns and ponytail styles which I hadn't thought
possible.
After all that was done, I went ahead and asked if I could have a bath drawn, I honestly found it
awkward to have to ask someone to fill you a bathtub, which was really just a large wooden tub
carried upstairs to the room you were in, with hot water.
Personally I wouldn't mind the technological advancement of having sewage systems and
plumbing.
Once the bath was drawn and I was left to my quiet contemplation whilst soaking in the warm
water I opened my Player Menu.


Skills:
+Martial
+Social
+Scholar
+Arts
+Mundane
Equipment:
Sturdy Robes
Hunter Boots
Weapon:
Dagger [Xiaodan]
Talisman (25)
Small Bow (30) ]
I'd come a long way from where I'd started, and I was still half-way to where I was supposed to be.
As I washed my hair I wondered if I should get more weapons. Xiaodan and my bow were enough
for now, but I shouldn't just rely on them, or the talismans. I needed more options in case
something went south. And now that winter was over and the warmer seasons would bring
monsoons and all the beings the rain brought with it...
Yeah, I should consider getting more weapons.

But what?
I dumped water over my head and spluttered, pushing my heavy wet hair back.
My arms could reliably lift and swing a sword but it was unwieldy, the size of the sword didn't fit
in with my body proportions. I either had to get a small sword, which was an idea, I came to
realize, or I had to think outside the box.
Think. What kind of weapons were there?
I open the store and start going through the weapons available.
I swear that sword just winked at me.
That doesn't make any sense.
It's so shiny.
Don't even think about it.
But...!
Move on.
Urgh... You're no fun.
I kept scrolling through, the different types of blades there were, and there were a lot, before
coming by knives.
...I could get another blade like Xiaodan, keep it tied to my arm in case of an emergency.
Hmm, that's an idea... But focus on the short sword.
I scrolled down again until we came across short swords.
Or well, what an adult would describe as a short sword, because they were the perfect size for a
child to pretend they were long swords.
Which one to get?
I went through their details, keeping an eye on my money out of habit, and finally picked one that
stated it was very effective against spiritual beings.
"Does the Player wish to name their weapon?"
[YES] [NO]
I blinked, not expecting that message, and decided to go ahead and name it.
The holographic image of the sword enlarged and floated above me, slowly revolving.
"Choose a name"
I stared, and looked up at the blade.
It was a very pale blade, with a dark handle made of dyed leather, and a pommel with a carved
flower.
I recognized that flower as a jasmine.
"Liling," I name it.
"Player wishes to name the weapon 'Liling'?"
[YES] [NO]
I press the [YES] button and the notification comes that the weapon was sent to my Inventory. I
pull it out and feel it materialize in my hand, despite having grown an inch since I started traveling,
the blade could very easily be slightly longer than my leg when standing upright.
I sent it back to the Inventory, eager now to test it out, and focused back on the store.
I went back to the knives and got the one that had caught my eye previously, it was a fine blade
with the detail that it focused the Fire Alignment easily.
It coincidentally had a red handle and a pommel with a red stone that glowed faintly.
I named it "Xiaotong" like XianLiang had almost named Xiaodan.
I start to sense a naming theme to your knives.
I ignored it, and checked the blade out. It was curved, not like Xiaodan which was straight, and had
a faintly jagged edge.
As I saw my reflection in the blade, clear grey eyes reflecting the glint of metal in their pupils, like
tiny stars, I couldn't help but grin.
I was happy.
And excited.
And thankful.
So, so thankful.
Aah~, I thought, How wonderful it is to be alive.
This is great.
Chapter End Notes
So, first things first, it's Spring right now, so at least 4 months have gone by since the
little Lans last saw him.
Yan MingXia will also become a recurring character, I'll try to remember telling you
guys which ones will be important later one, because sometimes I name characters and
they aren't really worth pointing out.
That said, WWX has made more 'friends', they just won't be mentioned much.
Info about MingXia, she's fifty-two, a widow, and she lives in a quaint little village
raising chickens. Mess with her and he'll whoop your ass with a wooden ladle.
Seriously, she's a fierce granny. (Don't tell her I called her that)
And the new weapons! So, Liling means White Jasmine, and Xiaotong, as mentioned
before, means Red Sky Child.
AGF!WWX totally has a name theme going on with his daggers (he'll get one or two
more in the far off future)
No worries, he'll get Suibian from JFM! Liling is just a stopgap measure for the
remaining years he's MIA
Also, the "The unfairness of it all!" comment from the Voice was sarcasm. He's
mocking AGF!WWX for being an old woman being called out for calling another
woman 'old', just pointing it out if I hadn't made it clear in-story. XP
Next chapter happens immediately after this one, and I think you guys will like it too.
Search the Pockets
Chapter Summary
Where there's a Quest, a Treasure, and a new Companion!
Chapter Notes
What? Three updates in a single day? I must be crazy!

...Or I'm starting Chapter 34 and the other chapters are occupying space in the little
writing corner.
"Thief is not the one who steals, but the one that is caught." - George Bernard Shaw
Chapter 31: Search the Pockets (and look for loose change)
"New (Side) Quest Available!"
"View Quest?"
[YES] [NO]
I paused, my chopsticks half way into my mouth, and stared at the words.
Well... It'd been a while since one these popped up. Usually I have to get to a specific point for the
Side Quest to appear, not just randomly pop-up and tell me there's stuff to be done.
What are you waiting for, open it!
Can I finish eating first?
...Fine. But be quick about it.
Hey! Good food must be fully appreciated!
I felt its eye roll.
Hurry up!
I grunted and proceeded to continue to eat, Qinghe had the best food, hands down, the best food in
the world. Everything was nicely seasoned, and cooked, there were so many types of meat!
Aah~ Everything tasted so nice.
Stop sounding like you want to get married to that bowl of rice.
It's a free country!
Pfft.
I hid a smirk behind the edge of the bowl and drunk the last of the soup.
Delicious.
Now can you open the Quest and see what it is about?
How much you want to bet it has a stupid name?
I'm not betting on that sucker's bet.
I opened the Quest.
"Quest: Loot the Looters!"
«You've discovered the location of a group of looters currently taking advantage of the common
citizens.
You decide to take a stand against their actions and make them taste a bit of their own medicine.
You may do what you please with the loot.»
[YES] [NO]
I stared at the words, and fought back the urge to burst out laughing. Of course the System would
encourage a five year old to rob a robbers' hideout!
Accept it!
Of course I'm accepting this, who do you take me for, this is bound to be fun!
"Loot the Looters Quest Objectives:"
|o Break into the Looters' Hideout (incomplete) |

|o Loot the contents (incomplete) |
"Bonus Objective:"
|o Find the Sable (incomplete) |
[YES] [NO]
I accepted it and got all the dishes and utensils properly put away for the lady to take them away.
It was night now, and I considered tackling this Quest in the morning but decided that now was the
best time to complete it. I got up from the table and put on a darker pair of robes, to better blend in
with the night, and put my hair up in a tight bun. I'd gotten new boots after my old ones got holes in
them, and I had to say, the Store was awesome.
These were super comfy and made it easier for me to walk without leaving traces behind.
Perfect for hunting.
And breaking and entering.
Shush.
After I got my boots on, I attached Xiaodan to my belt, beside my Qiankun bag, and got Xiaotong
attached to the arm-guard I bought for my left wrist. Xiaotong was really in the case of an
emergency and I needed a second knife fast, so I didn't expect to need it any time soon, if I did I'd
change the arm-guard to my right wrist.
And finally, I got Liling situated across my back. I couldn't pull it out in a single motion at my
waist, it was still somewhat unwieldy, but if I pulled it off my back and drew it then, it was easier.
I looked at myself in the mirror and grinned.
I looked pretty dang awesome.
I placed the empty dishes by the door outside, a servant would come pick these up later, and left.
The innkeeper did a double take at the sight of the sword on my back but wisely said nothing.
I think he was too shocked to say anything.
Whatever.
I followed the map's instructions and soon enough found myself in front of a seemingly normal
general store. Or so the front sign read, it was closed by now, and there wasn't anyone inside it, the
lights were all out.
I casually meandered into the alleyway between the store and the building beside it. There wasn't
anyone watching me, I expanded my sense outwards and couldn't sense anyone inside the building.
I gave it a full walk around before deciding that the window at the back would probably be the
safest entry point. It was in the first floor, so I'd have to climb up, but I could see it that the wooden
shutters weren't latched closed so I could open them.
I rolled my shoulders and started pulling myself up on the wall, how nice it'd be to be able to walk
on walls.
Or fly.
One day.
After some minimal difficulty, I managed to reach the window, constantly keeping an eye and ear
out for trouble, and slowly pushed it open to peek inside.
It was an office of sorts. Bookshelves and paperwork on the desk, the usual things you'd see in an
office. I climbed inside, and took care to make sure the wood wouldn't creak underneath me. I
peeked at the books on the shelves, but none of them really caught my interest, they were just
books about commerce, the prices of grain, and boring stuff.
I carefully went through the paperwork but found nothing out of the ordinary. Everything seemed
normal so far, no indication that this place housed looters.
Or maybe the owner doesn't know about the looters.
Possible, I guess.
I slowly opened the office's door and peeked out, the place was dead quiet, and I couldn't hear
anything like breathing or snoring. There wasn't anyone in the house.
Odd.
Not to look a gift-horse in the mouth I opened the office door and went to the nearest door, opening
it slowly, it was a bedroom. Empty, and it didn't look like it'd been used in a while, dust gathering
on top of everything. I closed the door after that, and moved on to the next. There were four rooms
total upstairs, counting the office and that empty bedroom, so there had to be something up here.
The next door I opened was another empty bedroom, and I started to frown, before opening the last
door. This one at least looked like it'd been used recently. I entered the room and looked around.
Nothing out of place, everything seemed ordinary, even the painted screen divider in the corner
was common in every household's master bedroom.
I gave it one last glance over before going downstairs. The store beneath the house was full of
items for sale, and there was a little bit of everything to buy. I checked behind the counter for
anything suspicious but again, couldn't find anything.
I started to get frustrated.
The store room behind the storefront also didn't indicate anything untoward was happening.
What the hell?
I placed a fist underneath my chin and started thinking of anything I might've missed.
There's nothing here! Is this even the right place?
I opened the map and sure enough, I was supposedly right where the hideout should've been.
This place is a total dump.
I couldn't exactly deny it. The place was pretty dusty and unorganized, things just pilled back here
without much care.
It seems what this store owner needs is a woman's touch!
I chuckled, finding that statement funny, and true. A woman would defini-...
What?
A woman.
...What?
A woman!
You're not exactly making sense here.

I left the store room to go back upstairs.
You just said that this place needed a woman's touch! Obviously this is a store owned by a man,
right?
Right.
Then why is there a girly screen divider in the bedroom?
Maybe he's married?
Then why would this place need a feminine touch?
Well... Oh.
Yes, oh!
I entered the master bedroom again and pulled the screen divider away from the corner, there was
a square floorboard that didn't quite match the rest of the flooring, I crouched down and pulled the
floorboard up, revealing a rope ladder going down.
How did you know?
I grinned smugly.
I'm just that smart.
I carefully started going down the rope, once I reached the bottom there was a door that I simply
pushed over.
"Quest Objective Complete!"
I looked up at the words and gave myself a little pat on the back.
I was getting better at this.
Inside the room there was tons of stuff, from silk cloth to iron chunks, also crates full of liquor, and
leather and bags upon bags of rice.
What the hell.
Loot it.
I started grabbing things and sending them to my Inventory, feeling giddy as I slowly emptied the
room down to nothing.
Should I take the furniture? For the heck of it?
Take it. Take it all!
You sound like an evil mastermind.
I'm just your voice of reason.
I laughed and quickly covered my mouth.
Sh*t.
No one heard you.
Don't make me laugh idiot! What if someone had heard me?
You'd kick their butts?
Of course, I would, I just don't want to if I don't have to.
I started getting to the furniture, a desk here, a chair there, bookshelves full of other, most likely
stolen, merchandise, and rugs.
Where did he even get this? How do you smuggle this much stuff into a city and then bring it
inside of this little hidden basement?
There might be another door, the Quest said 'looters', plural.
True.
I continued emptying out the room, losing track of what I had just sent to the Inventory and just
grabbing as much stuff as I could as fast as I could. I wanted to go back to my room and sleep.
You had a nap.
And now I want some deep REM sleep.
You jump awake at the slightest of sounds.
Survival instincts, I still deserve my beauty sleep.
After about half of an hour of clearing everything up, I looked around the decrepit looking room.
...I kind of feel bad for the guy. Imagine coming down here to store the latest of your conquest,
only to find everything else gone.
Karma.
My lips twitched.
Dude, stop making me laugh.
Is this everything?
I don't think so, the Quest hasn't done the little, "Quest complete!" cheer.
I looked around the room for anything I might've missed. I couldn't find anything.
What are we missing?
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
I closed my eyes and dived right into my center, the small golden ball of energy seemed to spark
brightly as I came closer, and eagerly came to rest in my hands. It felt fuzzier, and heavier, but still
small enough to fit in my hands.
I smile down at it, at the golden liquid energy that flows from it.
Outside the world grows into focus, and I find a section of stone wall shining brightly. I walk
closer to it and inspect it, the brightest stone, when pressed, sinks into the wall. There's a weird
hollow sound and the wall kind of shifts inwards, opening slightly.
...This is Indiana Jones stuff right here.
The System sure does love messing with us.
I walked inside and found another room full of stuff, except this time, it was objects that were
obviously heirlooms or some noble's treasure.
Gold. So much gold.
Jackpot!
Oh, my god.
We're rich!
How do you even?!
Start pocketing it!
I'm having a slow mental breakdown over here!
Breakdown later, get rich now!
I groan and start sending things to the Inventory. If that thing had a limit, it'd sure have reached it
by now.
There's no much gold.
How?
Don't question your good luck!
There's good luck and then there's you're about to die so be happy while it lasts!
...Damn, you do you have to ruin my hype.
Sorry to burst your bubble!
Work faster, let's get out of here the moment you grab the last thing, I think I see the secret exit.
I spy the closed door but decide that I'd much rather squeeze out of that tiny window than to try the
door.
Why?
Gut feeling.
I grabbed a few more things before I suddenly freeze.
I heard something.
What?
I looked up to the corner of the room, there was definitely something in that corner.
I jumped over crates and slowly approached the corner, there was a cage, roughly the size of an ice
cooler, made of wire. I crouched closer to it and see... fur?
It's a really dark fur.
And dripping.
Oh.
There's blood pooling at the bottom of the cage.
Poor thing.
I swear I heard something, though.
I pull the cage slightly, and there I hear it. A tiny squeaky growl.
Two beady black eyes glare at me from the mound of black fur.
I blink, and open the cage, reaching for the thing.
Sharp teeth bite me but I ignore them, grabbing it and pulling it out.
It's a ferret.
That's not a ferret.
I stare at the tiny weasel-like black scrap of fur, glaring at me with its beady eyes and sinking its
tiny little teeth into my thumb, and I have to once again insist.
This is totally a ferret.
"Quest Bonus Objective Completed!"
I stare at the words and pull the Quest Objectives back.
"Loot the Looters Quest Objectives:"
|o Break into the Looters Hideout (complete) |

|o Loot the contents (incomplete) |
"Bonus Objective:"
|o Find the Sable (complete) |
See? It's not a ferret.
It's a Sable.
...What the hell is a Sable?
A ferret.
"What do I do with you?" I ask it, petting its small head with a single finger from my other hand, it
starts biting that finger.
Well, you can't put it in the Inventory.
I sigh, looking back at the cage. Due to how small this one is, I'd say that that's the mother.
Poor sable.
Ferret.
It's not a ferret.
It's totally a ferret.
I get up and have the great idea of grabbing a nearby piece of cloth and wrapping it like a baby.
It's not amused with me, letting out another squeaky growl.
...Damn it, it's adorable.
Oh, no... No, no, no, no... We already have Donkey!
...And now we have Ferret.
You're not naming it Ferret!
Alright, I won't name it Ferret. But I'm keeping it.
...What?! No!
"Totally keeping you!" I coo at it, letting it bite my finger again.
Its teeth aren't doing any damage at all so I let it keep doing it.
I find a pouch full of coins and dump the coins out, placing the bundled ferret inside and attach the
pouch to my belt. I'd figure out a better way of carrying it back at the inn.
I finish grabbing everything and look around the empty room.
"Quest Completed!"
I nodded and started squeezing out the window, well, squeezing is a too harsh word, I could've
easily climbed in and out of the window. Which wasn't much of a window as it was a vent of sorts,
leading to the store room upstairs. There was another window here, latched closed, but since I was
inside it was pretty easy to get out.
As I reached up to unlatch it I hear people get inside the store, laughing. I crouched back into the
darkness and my hand went to grab Xiaodan.
Don't make a sound.
The men, because there were several of them - and they were definitely male - went upstairs,
laughing and jeering at one another.
I heard them pound their feet up the stairs and once I was sure they'd all made it up I quickly
unlatched the window and climbed out, leaving it open. Who cares if they found the window open?
No fingerprinting in this day and age.

No one will believe a kid stole everything from their secret hideout.
Even the furniture.
Especially since they'd have to explain what exactly is missing.
And they can't do that with stolen goods.
Oh, this is the life for me.
I went around the building and used the alleyways to make my way back to the inn, greeting the
innkeeper cheerfully and going back upstairs.
Poor man looked so confused.
I think we have that effect on people.
Chapter End Notes
Okay, so, remember when I said (several times) the System is more involved in the
world than it seems?
Yeah, this is one such event.
Basically, word of God here, something happened in the last chapter than made the
System go 'Oh, good boy, here have a reward'. Not gonna tell what, in layman terms,
that's what basically happened.
As for why he took all his weapons... Better be safe and sorry.
No, we wasn't low-key expecting the chance to try them out, why are you looking at
me like that?
Connections
Chapter Summary
Where a whole year has gone by, what have they been up to, and fanboys exist.
Chapter Notes
"Time is the school in which we learn, time is the fire in which we burn." - Delmore Schwartz
Chapter 32: Connections
I burst out of the bushes like a hell hound was nipping at my heels, determined to catch the little
sh*t before it reached the camp I'd made earlier that morning.
"Yunru!" I yelled," You stop right there!"
Yunru, the year old sable ignored me and kept running with the bird I'd shot down in her mouth.
"Yunru!" I yelled again," Goddammit! YUNRU!"
It jumps over a short log and enters the camp and goes down her little burrow she had dug for
herself.
I slid to a stop just before my tent and slap my knee.
"Goddammit, you always do this, Yunru!" I grouch at her little burrow.
How fast kids grow to get up to mischief.
I swear that's all your influence.
May I remind you, you're the one who wanted to keep her, I told you not to.
Urgh.
I pull the string of birds I'd caught and sit down by the fire-pit, unlit at the moment, to pluck the
feathers off and get the meat ready to cook.
Donkey is munching away at a bail of hay, and ignoring the injustice heaved upon me.
A whole year had gone by, almost like in the blink of an eye, it was Spring again and Yunru, the
little sable kit I'd saved from that looter's hideout, was eager to explore the land now that the snow
and ice were gone.
A lot had changed in a year, and a lot had stayed the same.
I opened my Player Menu.


Skills:
+Martial
+Social
+Scholar
+Arts
+Mundane
Equipment:
Hunter Robes
Hunter Boots
Leather arm-guard(left)
Leather arm-guard(right)
Weapon:
Dagger [Xiaodan]
Dagger [Xiaotong]
Short Sword [Liling]
Talisman (25)
Maple Bow (30) ]
Once I'd left Qinghe I stayed a long time traveling the north, and then I went back down to Lanling
and finished what I had to do there before losing myself in night-hunting during the warmer
months before secluding myself during the colder months.
I spend a lot of time in individual villages, getting to know the better better, helping around in
workshops and learning first-hand how the common people lived.
Why, I'd do such a thing?
I came to a realization half way through last year that this time I had for myself was the perfect
time to create connections to the people whose opinions condemned Wei WuXian.
If the people didn't fear the Yiling Patriarch, if they saw him as a comrade, a person who
understood their struggles and had walked with them down the dusty rural streets, helped them
with the most menial tasks then... Then, they'd remember Wei WuXian that odd child that used to
travel and not Wei WuXian, a Devil wearing human skin.
So, I'd taken a break from Quests and night-hunting at large and focused only on the people.
Of course, I'd kept my correspondence with Bai ShouShan, Lan XiChen and Yan MingXia, I had
even managed to visit Bai ShouShan the last time I passed through Gusu. And was cheeky enough
to send Lan XiChen a sketch of the gates of the GusuLan Sect. It wouldn't endear me with them,
because I was sure at least one person was tearing their hair out looking for me.
Even after I sent another letter saying that 'hey, still alive, I'm okay, you can stop now, seriously' to
Yunmeng. Just as the first, it didn't work.
I was half convinced that the first YunmengJiang disciple that saw me would tackle me to the
ground and start screaming about having found the Holy Grail.
So, that's what I'd been doing for the last twelve months. Making friends.
I could say I was being successful, although it carried the setback of being constantly harassed by
smaller sects and clans to join them and being given gifts in order to grease my palms about
accepting their offers.
It was annoying, so every so often I'd grab Donkey and Yunru and just travel straight through the
wild. Camping and hunting for survival, with the Store filling in the gaps we couldn't procure in
the wild.
As it was, I'd soon reach Qishan. I'd already started doing Quests around its territory, and crossed
their borders more than once, but I really wanted to complete the Quests there and leave just as
quickly.
Despite every other sect knowing that YunmengJiang had been looking to foster me for a year
now, QishanWen had one day released a statement saying that they were also willing to take me in.
That had ruffled a few feathers, rumors flying everywhere about how the last Discussion
Conference was spend with wintry politeness between QishanWen and YunmengJiang.
I felt bad, initially, about worsening the relationship between the two Sects, and feared that the war
would spark sooner, but after the panic and worrying passed I just felt rather pissed.
I wasn't an object to be owned. And if I put my foot down that no, I was not joining either of those
Sects, frik them, I'd join Bai ShouShan and endure a lifetime of his smug countenance every time it
was brought up.
I sighed, and lit the fire pit, the birds were all plucked and Yunru had already poked her head out of
the burrow liking her lips and staring at the other two birds I had with me.
I gave her the stink eye," Don't even think about it, young lady, behave!" I scolded.
She squeaked and went back into her burrow.
Donkey snorted at me before going back to his food.
"Honestly, I feel so underappreciated right now," I grumble," I'm the one getting your food, where's
my respect?"
Yunru will soon start hunting by herself and it's technically the System that gets Donkey his sweet
straw.
No one asked you!
"Damn brat!" The man groaned on the ground, clutching his stomach.
"Why you're cursing at me for?" I ask him with a sigh," I warned you not to try and take my stuff,
did you listen? No, you did not. What were you expecting?"
Seriously, it's like all common sense escaped people when they saw my weapons and thought I'd
make an easy target.
If your 'easy target' has a freaking sword on his back and isn't afraid to warn you about attacking it,
then it's clearly not an easy target!
On the bright side, you managed not to gut him.
Ardy-har...
There was a previous incident where a bandit tried to rob me and I chased him off, only for him to
come back with more people. I ended up fighting them all off but stabbed one of them in the
stomach before they'd gotten the message to 'get the hell away from me'.
The guy probably didn't make it, not with how much he was bleeding and the lack of access to
medicine.
I sighed, and shook my head, no use thinking too hard on it. It wouldn't make a difference and only
served to make me feel miserable.
I sheathed Liling and picked Donkey's lead back up. We were almost at the next Qishan territory
village and the sun was going down. I heard there was a night-hunt open for rogue cultivators there
so I wanted to get there before it started.
"C'mon, Donkey, get us there early and I'll bring out a pack of apples," I told him.
Donkey started trotting, and Yunru poked her head out of the saddle bag she'd taken to travel in.
"Yes, you can come with me night-hunting," I sighed.
She made a happy little noise and went back into the bag.
You're a total sucker for her.
Shush you.
Hypocrite, you tease Lan Zhan about liking bunny rabbits yet you let that fuzzy cloud get away
with murder!
Technically she hasn't killed any prey yet, her hunting skills need work.
It's an expression.
Really? I had no idea.
Sarcasm? Oh, honey, really?
Learned from the best.
And don't you forget it.
Urgh.
Yunru hid in a small satchel I'd bought from a local store back in Qinghe, after I realized that I was
totally keeping the little scrap of black fluffy fur, so she didn't have to deal with people's stares as
we waited for the night-hunt to officially begin.
Being a night-hunt open for rogue cultivators, the prey wouldn't be something to brag about, but
each participant got a small stipend of money for how much prey they took down.
Not that I was hurting for money after that looting treasure and the number of Quests/Night-Hunts
I'd gone on. But I kind of needed an excuse to not need the extra money when no one else knew
what I got up to whilst I wasn't night-hunting or helping at various workshops.
Even so... The stares weren't worth it.
I sighed, and leaned back on the tree I was standing in front of, pointedly ignoring the not so subtle
whispering going around about who I was, who was looking for me and, my personal favorite, not
gonna lie, how absurdly young I was.
True, I had shot up slightly in the last year, I could possibly pass for a seven year old and not a six
year old, but I was nowhere near the 'expected' age for night-hunting unsupervised.
"Hey..." A young looking man came over to me," You're... Wei WuXian, right?"
I stifle the reply of,' Well, yeah, are there any other small children night-hunting trying to steal my
style?', and simply smile up at the guy.
"Yup! And you are?" I ask him, just to be polite.
"Oh! My name is Kang Shu!" He hurriedly gives me a polite little bow.
Don't tell me you have fanboys.
...I like him.
Of course you would.
"So, Kang Shu," I give him a bow back," What can I do for you?" I ask him.
He perks up and starts... babbling. For a lack of a better word.
...He's like a chinese version of Peter Parker.
Does that make you Tony Stark?
Definitely a pioneer of a new Era!
Whatever floats your boat, I guess.
I grin up at the young man, who's excitedly recounting some of my known encounters with
spiritual beasts that the world at large know about, and start chuckling when he gets to the part of
be fighting that six foot bear in Lanling all that time ago.
"Do people still remember that?" I can't help but ask," It was so long ago."
Kang Shu gives me a wide-eyed stare," How could anyone forget?! The city still talks about it!
There's a sign near the forest and everything!"
I blink, hadn't really passed through the Lanling City properly, too close to the Jin Hive to sleep
comfortably, so I hadn't known about that.
"...You're joking," I yelp," Please tell me you're joking."
Kang Shu eagerly shakes his head," No, no, no! There really is a sign there, talking about the beast
and the one who took it down! With a wooden stake through the neck!"
"It was a bow," I correct him," I vaguely remember my bow broke so I just stabbed him in the neck
with it."
He blinks before his eyes start sparkling," Wow! That makes it even more awesome!"
God, kill me now.
He's totally a fanboy.
I sigh," So, you know all about me," I stop his babbling right there," Did you come over just to tell
me that?"
Kang Shu quickly shakes his head," I wanted to ask you something!"
"Oh?" I tilt my head to the side," What is it?"
"I wanted to ask how you can sneak up on beasts, especially when they're super easy to startle and
easily spot you!" He tells me.
"Scent, mostly," I answer him," Get rid of your scent, don't stand against the wind currents, and
move with the forest and not through it."
Kang Shu blinks owlishly at me," Huh?"
I sigh and give him a gentler smile," Beasts, all of them, have great survival instincts. They were
animals before they became beasts so it's only natural for them to be aware of their surroundings.
What many cultivators do when tramping about their territory is letting them know where exactly
they are, so the beasts run away or hide, making it harder for the cultivators to find them." I start
explaining to him.
"Now, instead of letting them know where you are, you 'hide' in the forest and let them stumble
upon you by accident, they'll be caught off guard. They weren't expecting to see you there, so they
panic. That's the best moment you have to catch them." I tell him.
He genuinely looks like he's about to start taking notes.
"How do you 'hide' in a forest while you're hunting?" He asks.
"First off, mask your scent. You smell human, you either smell delicious to them, or you smell
threatening," I tick off a finger," Secondly, feel the wind. The wind will carry your scent, letting
anything downwind know what is there, even if you mask it, the wind will probably give you
away. Thirdly, you've got to be smart when walking through the forest."
"Be smart?" He frowns.
"Don't step on twigs or dry leaves, walk stealthily and keep low to the ground. Don't leave
footprints behind," I make suggestions," The bigger and heavier you are, the harder it is not to do
that, whereas I don't really have that problem," The perks of being tiny.
"That makes sense," Kang Shu nods," You're really a genius, Wei-gongzi!"
Urk.
Oh, god, he said it. HA!
Why must people address me like that?!
Your Peter Parker is calling you Young Master Wei!
Stop laughing!
NEVER!
It is not funny!
It is! Especially since there's no escaping it once you get to YunmengJiang!
Don't remind me. There's not much time left before I have to travel South to complete the Quests in
Yunmeng Territory.
You'll get spotted immediately.
I'll do my very best not to be.
You're very best is crap.
It is not!
You have shitty luck.
It's improving!
So you like to believe.
It is!
Hope springs eternal.
You're impossible.
I quickly turn my attention back on Kang Shu before it starts rambling again.
"Do you want to join me on this night-hunt? I can show you a few tricks?" I offer him.
I swear he went starry eyed at my words.
How is this my life?
Chapter End Notes
So, Yunru means 'Cloud-Like', as for why WWX named a BLACK ball of fur after
clouds, well... Sables are soft, extremely soft, and fluffy, and just look so damn cuddly
that he went 'ohmagod, a tiny pitch black cloud'.
Kang Shu might also appear in other chapters. Might.

Also, I'll be posting another chapter straight after this one (double update whohoo!)
because I'm officially writing the last chapter of Arc II. Yay!
Luck
Chapter Summary
Where one has the worst luck possible, no grudges are held, and someone actually
cares~
"Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit." - R. E. Shay
Chapter 33: Luck
Qishan brought back memories.
I probably didn't help matters by being sentimental and getting a room in the same inn where we'd
stayed that eventful night. Not the same room, I couldn't exactly specify which room I wanted, but
what mattered was the location.
It shouldn't matter at all.
Hush.
Yunru was exploring every nook and cranny in the room, as she was prone to do in every inn we
stayed at, so I kicked off my boots and laid down on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
It always felt weird visiting places I'd been to before with my parents before.
It feels weird because you make it weird. They're just places.
They carry memories. I ride down a road with Donkey and I remember that same road from a
memory of sitting a top ChangZe's shoulders. Or having my head resting against CangSe and her
voice lulling me to sleep.
Those memories mattered. I wanted them to matter. I wanted to remember what they looked like.
What they sounded like.
I didn't want to forget the only parents I could reminisce fondly about.
You won't.
I always fear I will. One day, I'll wake up and they'll be gone. Their faces, voices, and lessons will
just... fade away.
They won't. I won't let them. Even if you forget, I'll remind you of them.
I smile sadly at the ceiling.
I wonder what they would think of us now? Would they be proud?

CangSe would be, grumbling about how you're her son alright, getting into this much trouble.
She would. And then say her Shizun would be laughing herself silly if she ever saw us.
ChangZe would admire your skills, and be smugly gloating of how you took to hunting like a duck
to water.
True. And he'd inevitably annoy CangSe and then moan about it, calling me to help him man-to-
man solidarity or something.
And you'd just smile sweetly at him and go cuddle with CangSe.
Totally.
I laugh, and put my arm over my eyes as they tear up.
It hurts.
I miss them.
I really, really missed them.
It's okay to miss them. To grieve for them. What you must not do-...
Stay still. I know.
I take a deep breath and rub the tears away from my eyes.
I have to keep moving.
I have to get to that mountain.
I promise. I promise. I promise.
This was getting ridiculous.
I've told you countless times already, you have shitty luck.
I keep upping the damn Luck Stat?! Where is all that good luck going towards?!
Maybe this is your good luck...
Then what would my bad luck be?
The possibilities of running into Jin GuangShan, Su She, Wen Chao or Jiang FengMian at an
inopportune time come to mind.
...Yeah, things could be worse.
A lot, lot worse.
"Who are you?" The nine year old girl with her hair tied in two buns, both having red flaming hair-
clips with dangling tassels.
Her voice sounded slightly snobbish, the cadence and tone of voice she used made it seem like she
thought herself better than me, but I was sure it was just a side-effect of her upbringing.
Because this girl was wearing the white, red flame-patterned robes of the Wen Sect.
And I knew her.
Or, better yet, would know her.
"I'm Wei Ying," I smile up at her," Sorry, for bumping into you."
I should've been watching where I was going. Goddammit, that Jin kid should've taught me my
lesson about running full speed ahead and not paying attention to any passersby suddenly turning
the corner.
I really, really should've expected to run into someone like this.
"You should be more careful," She scolds me.
Her big sister instincts are on point, aren't they.
No wonders.
I smile brightly at her," I will, Sister! I'm really sorry!" I apologize again.
This was Wen Qing.
She huffs at my response, obviously some other clumsy kid would frequently tell her the same, and
she did not believe me one bit.
Gee, I wonder who tells her that.
I smother a rueful grin.
I really wanted to meet Wen Ning.
You'd scare the poor kid out of his wits.
I would not.
You totally would.
I would be very careful with my cinnamon roll!
"Young Mistress Wen," A servant woman came over, frowning severely at the dirt that had gotten
into Wen Qing's dressed when I barreled into her and knocked her down.
I really had to stop doing that.
"It's fine, A-Ru," Wen Qing tells her," This boy was just leaving."
"That boy...-!" The servant hisses," A-Cao will see to him, Young Mistress."
Wen Qing turns to the servant to say something, eyes flashing with something I missed because...
Well...
Because another servant quickly grabbed me from behind and lifted me up by the back of my
robes.
The hell?
"Hey! What'd I do?" I asked flailing in the air.
"A street urchin like you shouldn't speak so casually to its better!" The female servant, A-Ru,
hissed," Look at what you've done to the Young Mistress's clothing!"
"I apologized!" I pointed," What else do ya' want? For me to buy her another robe?"
"Silence!" The servant hisses again," Such insolence! A-Cao, dear, two lashes for the robes, three
for the back-talking," She tells the male servant.
What?!
Of freaking course you end up like this again.
The hell?!
Don't make things worse! Remember last time!
I bite my tongue.
Wen Qing looks up at me with a frozen expression.
Her eyes can't quite contain the shock and fear in them.
She didn't want this to happen.
Argh...
I sigh.
Goddammit.
I hoped this wouldn't scar her or make her feel too bad. Poor girl...
Wens are different beasts than the Jins. Don't fan the flames just yet.
I know.
Be calm.
I am calm. Five lashes, what's that? I've handled worse.
You have, but in all those you fought back. You can't fight back now.
I grit my teeth as the servant tosses me to the ground and puts his feet on my lower back, keeping
me down.
Bow.
I know!
Don't fight back.
I know already!
The first lash cuts across my back and I grunt, silently thankful I left Yunru and Donkey back at
the inn.
The second lash comes just as quickly, and I twitch, eager to get to my feet before the third lash
comes down.
Bow!
I stay on the ground, limbs forcibly frozen in place, and head down.
I couldn't let them see my eyes, shining flame bright with intent.
The third and fourth lash come and go, and I take a quick deep breath, before the fifth, and final,
lash cuts across my back.
The servant takes his foot off of my back and there's a whisper in my ear about pulling my daggers
out and stabbing him with them.
I silence it.
I stay on the floor and hear them walking away. Once I know they won't see me I get up and brush
away the dirt off of my clothing. I can feel blood spilling down from my back, though I am certain
the whip did not cut through the fabric, but I ignore it.
When some other kid comes by from across the alley, ugly smirk on his face, to gloat at me, I look
him in the eyes and grin back at him.
He goes pale white and turns back around in a single motion.
"Intimidation Skill leveled up!"
Don't poke with the sleeping dragon.
Don't stir up the hornets nest.
Don't mess with me.
You won't win.
I look up at the sky, azure blue and clear, and I take a deep breath.
Temper the anger, the fury, the rage. Temper it down to a fine blade. Hold it tight in your hand,
even if it bleeds. But never let it control you.
Be the beast, don't let the beast consume you.
Be better.
Stronger.
Cleverer.
Kinder.
Be Wei Ying, courtesy WuXian.
The King on the Mountain.
I wonder if Wen Ruohan even knew what I looked like when he made the announcement that the
Wen Sect was also willing to foster 'Wei Ying' or he'd just made the announcement to screw with
the other Sects.
Because those servants obviously didn't know who they were whipping, and now that I thought
about it, Wen Qing hadn't reacted to my name either. But the minute I joined a night-hunt and Wen
disciples spotted me I was instantly bombarded with Wen Sect propaganda and how I just had to
join them.
I politely refused and did my best to stay away from them whenever they tried to join me on my
hunts, but it was growing very annoying.
I'd already dodged out of three parties of Wen disciples just 'casually' roaming the streets where I'd
walked through earlier.
Obviously, someone was snitching on me and I needed to take measures against it.
So... Back to sleeping on stables?
To hell with stables, I was camping outside!
I huffed, slipping underneath a fallen log and quieting my breathing. Two Wen disciples jumped
over the log and kept walking, muttering about the 'sneaky little bastard' and how 'they would be
the ones to bring him in'.
Uh, hello? My parents were married when they had me, and secondly, boy, you better watch who
you talkin' 'bout, I'll put you through the ringer.
On the bright side, your skills are coming in nicely.
I gave them a once over, the Archery Skill and my Throwing Skill were nearly maxed out.
Foraging was also coming along nicely, with Knife-Handling close behind. I'd hit a bump on the
Spiritual, Meditation, Investigation and Talisman-Making Skills, which let me know I wouldn't be
mastering those without a master.
But I'd maxed out Story-Telling, Painting and Swimming Skills, which was a good achievement in
my book.
I rolled out from underneath the log, and ignored the notification that my Stealth stat had rose, and
ran in the opposite direction the Wen disciples had gone in.
I couldn't wait to get out of Qishan and be done with the obnoxious brown nosers that thought they
could fool me with flowery words.
Except after Qishan there's only Yunmeng left.
Urgh.
Out of the pan and into the pot.
Seriously, how is this my life?
I've said it once, I've said it one thousand times, and I'll say it one thousand more.
Please... Stop...
You have the shittiest luck.
I groan into my hands, quietly, from where I'm hiding up a tree.
I'd been spotted by the most inconvenient of opponents.
"I think I saw him heading this way!" A young boy pointed north from where he was standing
below me.
I dared not make a sound.
"He's fast!" Another boy panted," I don't think the Young Master is that fast..."
"Well," A third one scratched his neck," We already knew this wasn't going to be easy."
All three groaned.
"And we almost had him too!" The second one moaned," Sect Leader would definitely be happy!"
No shit.
Stop...
The boys moved along and I took a second to pity the unlucky star I had been born under for all the
crap heaped on me in a single lifetime.
On the bright side...
On the bright side it wasn't FengMian.
But, holy heck, why did it have to be his disciples!?
I had successfully dodged them for a year and a half, but suddenly they're everywhere and I can't
escape their notice.
You are approaching Yunmeng territory, and they are getting smarter in cornering you.
Goddammit, I need to get out of here before they call their Big Boss.
No way can I outrun a Sect Leader.
Not without revealing a bunch of Stats and Talent, you're not!
Stop sounding so smug!
But this just proves I was right all along!
Shut it!
I climb down from the tree and hit the ground running.
I was grabbing Donkey and leaving right now.
Yunru poked her head out of the satchel I had with me, took one look at my face and legitimately
sighed before going back inside, she wasn't coming out to play tonight.
"But you saw him?" Jiang FengMian tried not to sound too eager, and at the same time
disappointed, in the face of the crestfallen disciples. They'd already gotten an earful from his Lady
Wife about being outrunned and outsmarted by a six year old.
"Yes, sir," The disciples nodded," In Qishan southern borders, nearing Yunmeng."
"He's traveling south," Jiang FengMian smiled," Thank you, for bringing this information to me."
"He seems fine, sir," One of them speaks up, despite the other two trying to silence him," Healthy."
Jiang FengMian smiled kindly at him," He did?"
The disciple quickly nodded," The other cultivators there say he comes and goes without warning,
but is polite and quite easy to get along with. They say he's very smart and knows a lot about beasts
and spirits!"
Just like CangSe, I see.
Jiang FengMian chuckles softly," Well, thank you for telling me, you may go now."
The three disciples quickly file out of the meeting hall.
Madam Yu gets up from her seat and goes to leave.
"Are you worried?" He asks her.
Madam Yu pauses before turned back to him with a sneer.
"Why should I worry about a child that clearly doesn't care about its own safety?" She tells him.
Jiang FengMian smiles kindly at her and gets up," My Lady, your hands..." He gently points out.
Madam Yu looks down at her hands to find them clenched tightly around her arms.
Phobia
Chapter Summary
Fear and scars of a past best forgotten.

Also, an actual background story!
Chapter Notes
I finally named the Voice, praise me, I did it.
"Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake." - Edgar
Wallace
Chapter 34: Phobia
Thanks to being spotted by Yunmeng disciples, the amount of near-misses with Jiang FengMian
had increased from 'a distant possibility' to 'I'm getting grey hairs from this crap'.
After the last near-miss, I'd called it quits and decided to focus only on Quests and stop night-
hunting. I had enough money to survive well enough without it and it was the end of summer right
now, so I didn't have to worry about getting drowned out in a monsoon wherever I decided to set
camp.
Each and every time, I barely managed to skip town before Jiang FengMian arrived the very real
threat that this Story Arc could finish early before I completed every last Quest on the map
bubbled to the surface of my thoughts.
Hell no.
I was in this to win.
I was going to complete the Quests, and then I'd let myself be caught. Not a moment before.
In any case, I only had to stop by populated towns to complete the four Quests there and post the
letters to my pen-pals. Otherwise, being out in the open country wasn't something I was unused to.
Yunru loved it at least.
She loves getting muddy, it's different.
You're just upset you're not as cute as she is.

Excuse me?! Why would I want to look like a rat?!
Yunru isn't a rat.
She's a Sable.
She's a ferret.
She's not a freaking ferret!
I look down at the grass where Yunru is rolling around in the mud.
She's totally a ferret.
Why do I bother arguing with you?
Because it amuses you.
Obviously, why else would I stick around for so long?
My good personality?
Darling, if someone ever tells you they love your personality, you can be sure they just want to
jump you.
I laughed.
Walter liked my personality.
Case in point.
I laughed harder.
You'd think that after three months of me going under, someone would get the hint that obviously
looking out for me wasn't the way to go when it came down to 'catching me'.
He's probably thinking you were kidnapped again and that's why they can't find you.
Who the hell would want to kidnap me?
The Wens?
They've been silent since I left Qishan territory, seriously, with how little news come out of that
land you'd think they're all bookworms or lazy bones and not actively building an army to one day
'rule' all the other territories.
Maybe they're not building it yet?
...Nah, Wen Ruohan has to have thought of it already.
One doesn't simply wake up one day and go 'Let's conquer the world!'.
...I'm pretty sure someone has done that at least once in the world's history.
Why? Just imagine all the paperwork you'd have to take care of, looking after so many people.
Says the person who'll essentially raise a refugee camp.
The Wen Remnants were like... Twenty people. It's not like I'm going to be looking after one
hundred people!
True. But people like Wen Ruohan usually have someone take care of the paperwork for them.
Yeah, Meng Yao, see how well that worked out for him.
Couldn't have happened to a better person.
I snickered as I rolled out my tent for the night.
I'd bought it from the Store, obviously, expecting it to be a 'last-case scenario' thing but I found it
surprisingly comfortable to sleep in. And it was easily camouflageable so people wouldn't see it
sticking out of the ground and go 'what the hell is that'.
It wasn't made of modern materials, the recipe to make these was actually purchasable in the Store,
but the ingenuity of a tent like this wasn't yet discovered. Most looked like those indian tepees
you'd see on movies, whilst this one was a small square tent with enough space to lie, spread-eagle,
and still have room to maneuver in.
Maybe that's because it's suppose to house more than one short seven year old.
I roll my eyes, and keep setting the tent up.
Donkey was by the small river drinking water and Yunru...
Yunru was off somewhere.
I'd be more worried about her wandering off if she wasn't a wild animal and a speedy little sh*t
when it came to getting out of trouble.
Takes after someone I know...
Gee, I wonder who?
After the tent was put up for the night, I string up my detection talismans as a perimeter around it
and grab my bow from my pack.
If someone or something crossed over the threshold I would be warned and I'd be able to quickly
run back to the tent.
I nearly called out for Yunru that we were going hunting before I remembered she'd already went
ahead of me.
I sighed.
Feeling left out that your little girl didn't wait for you?
I rolled my eyes and hoisted my bow up on my shoulders, it wasn't worth the reply.
I had dinner to catch.
You know... If I were a real seven year old, this would be terrifying.
A pack of growling dogs snarled at me, drool dripping down from the corner of their mouths and
eyes intent on the meat bun I had in my hands.
But if you're not a real seven year old?
This is ridiculous.
I through them the meat bun and pull another out of my inventory.
The dogs dive for the thrown meat bun eagerly before growing confused at the new one I'm
holding.
I shrug at them and bite into the bun. Turning around to keep walking.
The dogs start snarling at me again.
I pause my steps.
The dogs are filthy, but they aren't skinny, they don't have a lot of fur, but they surely ain't begging
for food.
More than one had a collar, or what passed off for a collar, and I just knew that these dogs were
used to getting snacks from street urchins who couldn't protect their meals from them.
Their owners conditioning, I'm sure.
I slowly look over my shoulder and give the dogs a chilling glare.
The temperature around the alleyway drops.
The dogs stop snarling and slowly curl into themselves.
I thought so.
I look away from them and go on my merry way.
I barely glance at the words, bringing up the Timeline.
Already, we were at the very last stretch of black string before the Story Arc was over, one last
knot waiting to be unraveled.
The knot I'd just undone had dogs turning tail and fleeing from a miniature caricature of the Yiling
Patriarch and I smiled as I bit into the bun.
That was funny.
The other knots had all been attacks from other children, bandits or the odd occurrence of having to
flee 'friendly' civilians. I'd much prefer the checkpoints to have been the sighs of my travels but I
had to understand the fact that canon!WWX hadn't gone gallivanting through the countryside like I
had.
And the events followed canon.

I sighed through my nose and chewed.
There really wasn't much left to do, I'd pretty much done everything I could and couldn't do.
A sudden strike of light made me look up.
What?
The sound of thunder rings out soon afterwards.
Wow, that's loud.
And then it starts pouring rain.
...Shitty luck, I know, don't even start.
Glad you acknowledge it.
I send the bun back into the inventory and go search for shelter from the rain. Donkey was already
at the stable but I had Yunru with me in the satchel, and I had conveniently left the rainproof cloak
in my pack, believing it wouldn't be needed since rainstorms weren't common this time of year.
Serves me right for assuming it wouldn't come bite me in the arse.
I quickly made my way across various Stores that had canopies over their goods, dodging crowds
of people seeking similar shelter and made my way back to the inn.
It wasn't very far from where I was but I really didn't want to end up soaking wet from running
there.
Maybe wait it out?
The thunder grew louder and I paused briefly to count the seconds it took for the sound to catch up
to the light.
Damn, this storm was close.
I didn't want to risk it, running out in the open.
Between the thunder and the lightning I hear a weird sound, and turn to see a man sprawled out
near the back of a building.
The hell?
I carefully step out of the canopy I was under and go check out if the man needs help.
Just my luck if the guy is injured and I need to go look for a medic in stormy weather.
He doesn't seem injured.
"Hey, mister! You gotta get out of the storm, it ain't safe!" I tell him.
Still the man doesn't reply, only stays sprawled in the ground making weird noise-like grunts.
The utter hell?
I shiver at the cold rain soaking my robes and step closer to him, determined to get the guy to
either get up and go take shelter somewhere or see if he really isn't injured.
"Mister! You need to get out of the storm," I tell him, loudly," Are you listening to me? Sir? You
need-" I touch his shoulder and the guy suddenly rolls over, a wild, wild look in his eyes and
throws himself at me.
What the fu-...!
I jump back and my feet trip over something and I fall backwards. Into. A. Cellar.
I hit my head hard on the ground and see stars. It hurts.
I try to get up but everything goes white with spots and my head sways. I stay down. Through my
darkening vision I see the man, still wild eyed and stupid, grab the cellar door and close it.
It snaps shut with a heavy thump.
I blackout.
When I come to, I can still hear the storm outside, as fierce and loud as ever, so I couldn't have
been unconscious for long.
It's pitch black in the cellar.
I sit up and take a deep breath, already my heart-rate spiked over that last thought.
I hear Yunru messing with something to my far left, but I can't see her.
I close my eyes and dive into my subconscious with some difficulty, my heart-rate just didn't seem
to want to calm itself down, but I managed to do it and channel the ball of energy into sensing my
surroundings.
Although blind in the darkness I could at least 'see' minimally where I was and what I had with me.
I get up and go check out what Yunru is doing.
"What have you got there?" I crouch down beside her and tug at what she's chewing on. It's a piece
of cloth, I pull it down and see that it covered something made of wood.
There's a very small opening at the top of the cellar wall, a hole honestly speaking, above a chest of
drawers.
At least it provides some light in here.
Rain pours from the outside into the cellar, Yunru's fur is already wet, I pick her up and walk over
to the cellar door.
"We have to get out of her, Yunru, this isn't the time for games," I tell her.
She looks at me confused and nuzzles my chest.
Of course she can hear my spiking heart-rate.
I give her a weak smile and walk up the stairs of the cellar and push the door open.
Except it doesn't open.

Water droplets fall on my face through the cracks on the wood, but the door itself is shut close.
It won't open.
I push it and shove it and even try to kick it.
But it won't open.
It's locked.
LOCKED
I take a shuddering breath and can feel the static fill my head.
Stay calm.
I can't.
I slam my hands hard on the wood but it won't move.
IT'SLOCKED
"Open!" I hit it, Yunru jumps down from the satchel and starts running in circles around my feet,
squeaking.
I hit the door again and again.
ITWON'TOPEN
"Let me out!" I scream.
'Let me out, Mummy! Please, let me out!'
Stop this. Stop panicking. Breathe!
'I promise, Mummy! I promise I won't do it again! Let me out!'
Stop! Don't go back there! Stop!
I... I... I can't...
Yes you can! Stop this!
'Mummy!'
IT'SLOCKED
The storm only grows louder outside. No matter how much I scream, my voice is muffled by the
rain and thunder.
Breathe! You can do this! Don't go back! Breathe!
I can't... Help... Help me... Ike!
Reality splinters.
I remember my mother having people build a room just for me.
A special place she had told me, where you can go when you need to think.
I liked the sound of that. My very own room.
I asked, if the nursery didn't count. I was the only one still sleeping in the nursery, after all.
Mother told me it wasn't the same. One day, I'd move out of the nursery and into my private room,
once I was a big girl, and the nursery would be for any baby brother or sister I'd have by then.
This room, she said, would only ever be mine, even when I was still little.
I'd laughed, I really liked the sound of that. Having this room for myself sounded fun.
It wasn't fun.
I didn't like this room.
I wanted to get out.
"Mummy!" I cried, hitting the white covered door with my hands," Mummy let me out!"
She never did. Not when I cried and called for her.
She always told me she didn't hear me call for her. She always said I was only in there for an hour,
to think on what I'd done. She always said it was my fault I got sent into the room.
I never believed her.
I never understood her.
I hated her.
But then she'd open the door, after I'd spend so long crying and wailing and scratching at the walls,
and hug me tight. I'd feel safe.
'It's over now', I'd think,' It's over now and Mummy won't lock me in here again.'
But she would. Over and over and over again. She'd always lock me in the white room.
It didn't matter if I cried.
It didn't matter if I screamed.
It didn't matter if I got sick on the floor.
It didn't matter if I got hurt.
It didn't matter if I got so scared that I couldn't stop shivering.
It didn't matter.
I always got locked in the white room.
And no one ever came to save me. Not really.

Not meaning to save me.
It was just a brief reprieve from the torture that the white room presented.
I always got locked in the white room.
"Please..." I cried, curled into a ball in a corner of the room," Please, I don't want to be here... I
don't want to be alone."
Don't cry.
The Voice speaks. I look up to see a crouching figure in front of me, colorful and bright, as if
someone had tried to fit all the colors of the rainbow into a single person.
I'm here.
"You are?" I croaked out, throat raw and hurting," You won't leave me?"
The figure smiled.
Never. We're friends for life, you and I.
'Finally', I though,' Someone has come to save me.'
And I felt safe.
Chapter End Notes
Okay, so, yeah, I got emotional writing this. And felt pretty bad for even thinking this
up.
Starting from the top, yeah YunmengJiang disciples don't know when to give up, the
'Do the Impossible' motto is going on overdrive over the escape!artist!WWX ahaha
As I've said before, no cynophobia (fear of dogs) for this WWX. But they do have a
severe case of Claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces/being confined) and
Astraphobia (fear of Storms/lightning/thunder) as a trigger.
OC had a shitty childhood, if it wasn't obvious before, it's getting worse when the
reason why the shitty childhood happened comes to light. As I said, OC had issues.
And finally, Ike. Yay, the Voice has an identity (so people don't confuse it with the
System XD)
For those interested, Ike comes from the name Isaac and it means "One who laughs;
laughter" Fits him perfectly, doesn't it?
Not Over Yet
Chapter Summary
Aftershocks and Stupid, reckless decisions.
Chapter Notes
The angst continues...
"Some choices we live not only once but a thousand times over, remembering them for the rest of
our lives." - Richard Bach
Chapter 35: Not Over Yet
Yunru got me out.
When I fell to the floor screaming, lost to the terror that hid inside my mind, she climbed over the
chest of drawers and out of the hole on the wall.
I don't know what she did, can't find it in myself to think back on that day and try to piece together
the events that followed after I got sucked back into those memories, but she got me out.
That was months ago.
I kind of shakily got Donkey and quickly got the hell away from the town. Went to hide away in an
open field, standing under the rain not caring if I got sick or hit by lightning.
At least, I though, if I am drenched in cold water, I might have an excuse as to why I won't stop
shaking.
The first few weeks after that were hard.
No, let me reiterate, they were absolute crap.
I didn't feel like eating. I didn't feel like moving. I didn't feel like living.
I just wanted to curl up somewhere and sleep.
Yunru quickly nip those thoughts in the bud.
Ike was silent.

He usually was, whenever something like this happened. In his own words, he was 'patching up'
the leak that led to those memories coming out of the deep and dark hole we'd buried them under.
He'd be back soon, and I'd feel better then.
Friends for life, he and I.
After those days I slowly got back into the rhythm of things. Quests to complete and miles to
travel. The sights of Yunmeng were pretty, the land was mostly lakes and watery lands but they
were indeed beautiful.
Sometimes I let Donkey be the one to pick out route, as long as we left the main city of Yunmeng
as the last stop before moving on to Yiling, I didn't care which town we stopped by.
I just lazily sat on the back of Donkey and watched the scenery as we rode by.
I slowly got back into feeling like myself.
The person I had been before. The scared little girl locked in a white room. The old woman dying
in a hospital bed.
They were gone.
They weren't me.
I was Wei Ying, courtesy name WuXian, the son of CangSe Sanren and Wei ChangZe, the future
Yiling Patriarch.
That was who I was.
The man who would conquer a mountain.
I breathed in deeply.
I was alive.
There were three placed to hit before Arc II could officially end. I was at the first one of those
places.
Yunping City.
Reasonably close to Yunmeng, this city housed so secrets or conspiracies.
Or at least... Not yet.
There was no GuanYin temple build here yet, where such temple would be, I observed from a
distance, was a brothel.
This was were Meng Yao, who would one day be called Jin GuangYao, LianFang-Zun, was being
raised by his mother after failing to be taken in by his father the world-renowned Jin GuangShan.
I wasn't sure what I was doing here, having already finished the Quests that had to be done, I
should be moving on to Yunmeng city proper. Yet I found myself drawn here.
This was the place where the man who'd orchestrate my future demise was living in.
The man who'd orchestrated the deaths of everyone who stood in his way, who dared to try and
bring his crimes to justice, and was, in the end, killed by the one person he'd genuinely cared
about.
And for what?
A lifetime of ambition intersected by the continuous humiliation and mutters about being a
'prostitute's son', being robbed of everything worthwhile in life by a sorry-excuse of a human being
that shouldn't have the right to breathe.
I pitied him.
But I knew Meng Yao would never want for pity.
He was smart. And cunning. And dangerous.
Pity him, and you'd be blinded by the careful mask he'd place over his features, pity him, and you'd
never see the knife he'd use to stab you in the back.
Maybe I was being too harsh on him. I don't know. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to feel about
him.
Anger? Hate? Resentment? Sympathy?
I don't know. Honestly I didn't like thinking about him too much. When my anger and hate needed
a target to be unleashed upon, Wen Ruohan, Wen Chao, and Jin GuangShan were much easier
targets to point fingers at.
Maybe that was what made Meng Yao such an interesting character. He was the antagonist of the
story, or one of the antagonists of the story, but he was someone that you never suspected. He
really was the perfect person to become a spy, the perfect person to plot and scheme and not be
caught, the perfect person you'd love to have as a friend and hate to have as an enemy.
Yet Meng Yao was someone no one could ever hope to use for their own means without reprisals.
The Nie Commander tried that. He died.
Wen Ruohan used him as a pawn. He died.
Jin GuangShan thought him less than you'd do a dog. He died.
Meng Yao could not be used by others. He lived to please an ideal that would never care for him in
the same way.
It was a saddening thought.
The door of the brothel opened and a boy slightly younger than me came out, wearing patched
robes. He was small, as small as I'd been when I was four, and he looked like a strong wind could
blow him over.
It tugged at my heartstrings.
Well... What's one more thing to add to my list of stupid decisions?
I scampered out of the alley and when I knew no one would see me I opened the Store. In the
[Gifts] Section I got a pair of brand new robes, made of yellow cloth, and wrapped them in simple
cloth from my inventory.
I followed after the boy, not surprised that he started walking faster when he noticed me following
him.
But I quickly caught up with him.
His dark eyes were wary and bore no recognition of my face. Good.
I smiled at him and crouched so I wouldn't loom over the smaller boy, I showed him the cloth
package.
"For you, they were mine, but I grew too big for them," I tell him," You can have them, if you
want."
He slowly took the package and unwrapped it, eyes growing wide when he sees the contents.
"I can't take this!" He tells me," It must've cost a fortune!"
It really hadn't.
"They're too small for me," I ruefully smile," I don't have any little brothers or sisters to give it
away to, so when I saw you walking down the street I thought you'd need them more than my
pack." I laughed," It's okay to have them."
He clutched the package tightly to him, and gave me a shy smile back.
"Thank you," He said.
I smiled at him and got up, as I did his eyes caught on Xiaodan at my waist.
"You have a knife?" He blinks.
I look at him and slowly drew it, not wanting to scare him, and show him the blade," A friend of
mine gave it to him, I use it on night-hunts," I told him.
He quickly looks up, amazed," You're a cultivator?!" He squeaks, and then covers his mouth,
embarrassed at his outburst.
Or afraid.
I give him a gentle smile and nod," I am," I tell him," Do you want to be a cultivator too?" I ask
him.
He nods, shyly, and I hum," Do you want me to give you a few tips?" I ask him.
He looks up again, eyes shining, like his dream as come true.
Maybe it has.
"Here," I take a hold of his hand, gently, and press two fingers to his pulse point,"Can you feel
that?" I ask him as I channel my energy into him.
He frowns, having some difficulty, but then slowly nods, a look of wonderment taking over his
expression.
"That's my Spiritual Energy," I tell him," What I'm going to do is focus that energy on one spot in
your navel, alright?" I explain it to him slowly.
I wait for him to nod.
"When you meditate, you should keep your breathing relaxed and then focus on that exact spot.
When you do, you have to think of a cup, a cup as big or as small as you'd like," I say," And then
imagine yourself filling that cup with the world around you."
He frowns," The world around me?" He questions.
"Energy comes from the world," I explain," And once we are gone, we too become energy also, to
grow strong you take in the energy the world has to give, and you make it your own."
His eyes shine bright," That makes sense. Why doesn't the book Mother bought me explain it that
way?" He asks.
I slowly withdraw my hand and frown," I don't think there are any books that really explain how to
cultivate," I tell him," Cultivating takes a long, long time to bear fruit, but if you work hard, I'm
sure you can become a great cultivator," I smile at him.
He stiffens up his upper lip, looking as if he's about to cry.
My heart, oh my bloody bleeding heart!
I pat him on the head and smile," Don't cry, what I'm telling you it's true, I do think you have what
it takes to become a great cultivator!"
"Really?" He asks, voice so quiet I almost didn't hear him," You mean it?"
My smile turns fond," I mean it, I wouldn't tell a lie about this."
He nods, and looks down again, clutching at the cloth package.
I go to leave when his next words make me freeze.
"Mother is sick," He sobs," She's really, really sick." He sounds so scared.
Oh. Oh, that's right... His mother dies when he's still young, doesn't she?
What would it change? Would it change anything at all? Would it make a difference?
Inevitable.
But it's always worth a try.
"Sick?" I ask," Does she have medicine?" I ask him.
He shakes his head 'no' and cries.
"Alright, then," I tell him," Do you know what her symptoms are? How sick she is?" I ask him.
He looks up at me and nods," Then we'll go to the pharmacy, and I'll by her medicine for you," I
smile.
His eyes go wide as saucers," Why?" His voice breaks.

My smile turns sad," Because my mom and dad died when I was as little as you," I confide in him,"
And I wouldn't want another boy to go through that pain. So, let me help you, please?"
His mouth drops open but then he closes it firmly. He nods, tears in his eyes, and thanks me.
"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."
Somehow, those words sounded like prayers to me.
I knew that the day would come when this small boy walking next to me, clutching my hand like a
lifeline, would turn against me in order to reach his ambitions.
I knew that one day he'd make choices I would not be able to forgive, nor forget, and that I'd have
to stand against him.
But, I decided, until that day came, if I could do one thing to help him reach his dreams with just
one drop of blood or sweat less, it would be worth it.
Everyone deserves a second chance. Sometimes, some even deserve a third chance. I couldn't judge
the sinner before he committed the sin.
Maybe... Maybe I could change more than just my future for the better.
Maybe this boy, carrying a too heavy load on his shoulders, could have his own happy ending.
Hope springs eternal.
Yunmeng, the city I'd live in for years until the war, was lively and loud and full of interesting
scents. Spices lay heavily in the air, which was to be expected when it hosted one of the largest
markets I'd ever seen in this world. When we'd passed her, years ago, I'd been more interested in
potentially meeting Jiang FengMian than to observe the sights around me.
Now, when I knew that this would become my home, I was slowly taking it in.
But I mustn't linger. All it took was one person blowing the horn about me being in Yunmeng and
I'd be surrounded and taken to the Sect Leader before I could say 'Nope'.
I think I hadn't sneakily done Quests since I'd entered Qishan or Lanling, it was a weird feeling
sneaking around in broad daylight, carefully toeing around approaching groups of YunmengJiang
disciples or generally anyone wearing purple.
"Young Mistress Jiang!" A vendor suddenly calls.
I freeze, mind screeching to a halt.
Oh, it couldn't be.
I slowly peak over my shoulder.
It could be.
Dark hair tied in braided buns, soft lilac colored robes and a gentle smile on her face.
That was Jiang YanLi.

Damn my luck is absolute crap!
I inwardly curse my unlucky stars before finding my eyes drawn back to her.
Like Jiang YanLi should be about nine years old, at this point in time, and she already looked like
she's grow into a fine young lady.
This would become Wei WuXian's big sister, his adored Shijie, the mother of the little Jin Ling.
The woman who died trying to protect the man who accidentally killed her husband.
...
I seriously needed to stop doing that.
I sighed and watched her for a few more moments, see her shopping from a distance and keeping
an ear out for her small talk. Buying groceries for cooking lessons, what new mess her brother got
into now, and what she wanted to order for the next week.
I stayed there watching her until I couldn't reasonably explain doing so without sounding stupid.
I turned around and walked to where I'd left Donkey, resting under the shade of a tree. Yunru, who
had gone exploring soon after I left to go do my Quests, was waiting for me curled up on top of my
saddle.
I petted her, feeling her smooth fur under my fingers, so fluffy and soft as her namesake, and then
turned to pet Donkey.
"One more stop, guys," I told them," And then we're not traveling for a while," I said.
I couldn't exactly keep my voice from breaking.
Donkey turned to give me a look, and I smiled wobble back at him.
"It's alright, old buddy, it's just something we'll have to grow used to," I answer him.
Yunru squeaks and jumps onto my shoulders, nuzzling my cheek as she had gotten used to doing.
A comforting gesture.
"I'm fine, guys, really," I smile at them," It's just... It's been a while since I had a home. And
Donkey, you'll have your own stable and endless opportunities to gloat about your travels," I
chuckle," One more stop."
One more stop and this journey would be over.
One more stop.
And then the real fun begins.
My eyes teared up as warmth burst in my chest.
I could breathe again, as if a weight had been lifted off my chest, and I smiled.
Welcome back.
I never left.
No, you never did.
Friends for life, you and I.
Friends for life.
So, where are we off to?
Yiling.
I looked towards the river. Beyond it would lie a quiet little town, nothing very exciting ever
happened around those parts, but that quaint little town hold a secret.
A very dark, troubling secret.
The Burial Mounds.
My mountain.
I smiled at the distant horizon.
Our final stop.
Chapter End Notes
Anyone need tissues? *holding out box of them* Tissues, anyone?
So, personally? I don't really like Meng Yao. I've read really interesting fanfics where
people manage to make him a really interesting character to read, but I personally don't
like him.
That said, I do believe AGF!WWX would give anyone a chance to redeem themselves
before outright jumping over the 'kill them all' camp. Some, like Wen Ruohan, Wen
Chao, and that LiangLiang(?) chick are different matters, and Jing GuangShan
because there's no redeeming that bastard. But all others deserve a chance to prove
they aren't complete assholes.
Also, I think AGF!WWX forgot Meng Yao has excellent memory.
Will this come back to affect his future? Well, who knows? *mysterious smile*
I'll post the last chapter of Arc II in an hour or so, I'm being hounded to get off the
computer and get some fresh air. I'll be back later! TY!
I'll be back
Chapter Summary
The four last Quests in Yiling. Access denied. And a meeting long overdue.
Chapter Notes
No, it's not a Terminator reference, what are you talking about?
Also, sorry for the delay, someone locked me out of the house, and I had to wait to be
let back in.
"I must let go of the life I've planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for me." - Kumar
Anupam
Chapter 36: I'll be back
The sun was setting when we reached Yiling. The citizens were starting to light their lanterns and
taverns started to get rowdy, I found an inn for the night and went up to the room to look out the
window.
I felt a connection to this town, even when I had first passed it by with my parents. I knew, in my
heart, that this would be the place where I would live, one day, and change my future. With the
darkening sky and the buildings I could only vaguely make out the mountain shrouded in resentful
clouds off in the distance.
The Burial Mounds.
My mountain.
I reached my hand out of the window, seeing the vague outline of the mountain between my
fingers, and smiled.
One day, it would be mine.
Yunru squeaked and curled around my shoulders, nuzzling my cheek.
"Over there, Yunru," I told her," That's where we'll go, one day."
She looked out the window to where I was pointed, and her fur kind of stood on end.
I chuckled.
"It's scary now, but don't worry..." I told her, scratching her head," We'll make it a better place."
A safe place.
A safe haven.
A harbor.
A home.
One day.
One day.
I promise you, I will build my mountain better and kinder than any other mountain in this world.
I will make you proud.
Watch over me, guide me, stay with me.
I promise, I will do it.
I will. I will. I will.
Time was ticking, I knew that, but I couldn't bring myself to hurry to finish the Quests available.
Only four little bubbles remained on the map, and I thought on how empty it made the map seem,
compared to the hundreds of bubbles there had been before.
I just prayed to a lucky star to keep me from being found until I completed the Quests.
But I couldn't bring myself to hurry. I wanted to take my time, each step in Yiling made the world
seem so much brighter, the air lighter and cooler, life more... complete.
In my heart, I knew I was already a part of this town. And the people in it were already a part of
me.
I loved it.
I loved Yiling.
My mountain.
Yes, my mountain.
A thought buzzed in the back of my mind.
Could I?
You probably can't.
No harm in trying.
I walk up to the path that leads to the Burial Mounds, it's a somewhat steep climb, easily explaining
canon!Wei WuXian using Wen Ning to pull the cart full of groceries up the hill, but I've climbed
mountains covered in snow and ice. This was nothing.
And it's not like you need to pull a cart full of stuff up the hill, just send the cart to the inventory
and pull it out once you're up there.
I grin.
Loophole abuse.
As long as it's not living, everything goes.
What a terrible example you are, Ike, I love it.
After some walking I come across a boundary line.
I touch the invisible barrier preventing me to cross over the threshold.
"Player has not yet Unlocked this Area"
I sighed, put out.
It was to be expected, the System did warn you it wouldn't let you anywhere near Demonic
Cultivation.
I know, but...
I pouted at the barrier and poked it.
I really wanted to check it out.
Let's go back, we got stuff to do.
I sighed again and nodded.
Right, back to work.
Yunru is probably wondering where you are just about now.
I did invite her to come.
Yeah, I doubt the little fur ball will ever willingly climb up this mountain.
I could feel the pressure the mountain gave off, even quarantined by the Wen Sect's seals, so I
understood her reluctance.
But...
This was going to be my mountain.
I knew it would.
And I longed for it.
It's here. It's really, really here. It's right here.
Not yet.
Yes... Not yet.

One day.
I laughed as I helped a woman peel potatoes in the kitchen, she was telling me of how her son had
tried to be 'creative' in the kitchen and had almost burnt his own eyebrows off.
It was a pretty funny story.
"And you, little boy?" The matron grinned at me," What stories do you have?"
My eyes sparkled.
"When I was in Qinghe I met a man, a really tall and fat man, with a stomach the size of a war
drum! Anyway, he was trying to pick up this crate off a wagon, right, and this little lady comes
over and starts telling him how that crate is full of fragile things, and he has to be careful with it,
right?" I tell her," So the guy finally gets tired of listening to her and grabs the crate roughly out of
the cart and yells:'I know what I am doing, woman!'. Guess what happened next?" I smirk.
The matron chuckles," I don't know, little boy, why don't you tell me?"
"The crate's bottom spills open, and all the pottery and fragile ornaments fall out of the box and
crash to the ground!" I laugh," The little lady started shrieking while the big man just stared at the
now empty crate like it had offended him!"
The matron laughs loudly, the two girls washing dishes in a tank join in on the laughter, and I
could hear the woman tending the counter of the restaurant giggle as she eavesdropped on what we
were saying.
I liked Quests like these, where I could talk to the people and get a sense of their personality.
These would be my people, one day.
My mountain, Yiling.
"Hey, Sister," I smiled at the lady," Do you want to hear another story?" I ask her, eyes bright.
She nods and listens to me intently.
I tell her story after story, from all corners of the world I had traveled, all the stars I had been under,
and the highest peak I had traveled to.
Whether they believed them to be a child's imagination or reality didn't matter to me.
The smiled, and laughed, and listened.
And that was enough.
I felt welcomed.
One day.
"Mister," I huffed," This isn't a 'small' job, ya' know?" I looked at the barely begun project of a new
fishing boat.
The young man gave me a rueful look.

"Sorry?" He chuckles.
I sigh, and pull the sleeves of my robes back," It's fine, but do you at least know how to craft the
boat or were you just saying that to get more helpers?" I ask him.
He reddens," I do know how to build it! I just..."
"Haven't had the time?" I suggest with an airy tone.
He takes the excuse," Yes! Right! Haven't had the time!"
"I'll help you," I tell him, preparing to cut down wood for sanding and fittings," I already said I
would, but, mister, you owe me a boat ride once this boat is finished!"
The young man laughs," Okay! One boat ride, free of charge!"
He starts working on putting the larger boards of wood in place to start piecing the boat together.
I had to remember to send that old man a thank you note and a gift basket for teaching me how to
do this.
I'll remind you later.
Thanks, buddy.
You know... I kind of figured there would be something like this happening soon enough.
Because it's been a while since the last one?
Yup.
Fetch Quests weren't my ideal of fun, but they did wonders for my Stamina and Agility Stats.
Keeps you from getting fat.
I let out a scandalized gasp.
Ike! How could you! I'm always in perfect shape!
Hmm, I don't know, I vaguely recall a time where you were getting kind of chubby.
I thought back on the last few years.
You better not be using my fifties against me.
Oh, right! That time!
Urgh.
I roll my eyes, with an 'I'm so done with you' expression on my face.
Why do I even bother?
The last Quest in Yiling comes faster than I expected it to, having completed the previous one
barely two minutes ago. A man selling vegetables wanted help organizing his products, lots of
carrying heavy crates involved, and I quickly accepted.
Carrying heavy objects was nothing when I could probably kick boulders apart if I strengthened
my body and used Talents.
"Where did you say you were from?" The man squinted at me, once I'd started organizing the
crates as he's told me to, impressed.
I smiled cheekily at him," I didn't tell you, I don't really belong anywhere, I've been in every single
town there is!" I answer him.
"Uh," He clicks his tongue," Might want to think about sticking around then, always looking for
helpers," He says.
I smile kindly at him and nod," Yiling is very beautiful," I tell him.
He barks out a laugh," Yiling isn't much compared to the other great cities you've probably seen!"
"No," I tell him, quieting his laughter, I look up at him with shining eyes," I think Yiling is the
most beautiful."
He coughs and looks away," Well, then... Stick around brat, lots of things to see, I guess."
I chuckle and turn back to what I was doing.
"I will, one day," I tell him," I'll stay in Yiling one day."
The man nods and goes out to the store front.
One day. One day. One day.
Donkey was with me, as well as Yunru, and I was leading him through the streets of Yiling, and
happened to pass by a store selling sliced melon.
My mouth watered, these would probably be the last melons of the season, and I just got the urge
to eat one.
I left Donkey at the door and walked inside, Yunru peeking from over my shoulder.
"Sister!" I greeted the woman at the counter," One-...!"
Donkey brays loudly outside, and I kind of cough, embarrassed, when the woman laughs.
"Two," I emphasize the word," Sliced melons please!" I order and pull out a money pouch from
inside my sleeve, directly out of the Inventory.
"Coming right up!" She smiles as she takes my money.
I titter a bit as I wait and prop my head on my fist, staring outside with a content expression on my
face, before the woman comes back with the sliced melons. I take them with a smile and cheerful
'thank you, Sister', before walking outside.
"Etiquette Skill leveled up!"
Yeah, yeah, yeah...

Ooh, little Wei Ying isn't a little savage after all!
Bite your tongue!
I chuckle under my breath and hand Donkey his share of the melon, letting Yunru steal a piece
from mine, and slowly eat my share.
"Wei... Ying?" A stunned voice asks.
I turn around.
And promptly choke on my melon slice.
Jiang FengMian stands not four feet away from me, clad in his purple YunmengJiang Sect robes,
with a group of gaping disciples around him, staring at me like they can't believe their eyes.
"Story Arc Completed!"
"Story Arc Advancements Unlocked!"
...I think I remember this happening in the novel.
Yeah, me too.
Except not like this!
I cough, dislodging the piece of melon and give the man a wary look.
"Yes?" I ask him," Who are you?"
He takes a step towards me and I back away, in the keeping up with my role, I did not know this
man, and his eyes transfixed on me would probably look really, really creepy to any other child
who didn't know this guy and his backstory.
He stops, and a series of emotions flit across his eyes, before he slowly crouches in front of me and
smiles.
...He has a nice smile.
Shut up.
...I can see sparkles.
You do not.
"Wei Ying," He says my like like a prayer," You don't remember me?"
I frown at him," No? Have I met you before?"
His smile turns sad," I guess you were too young to remember," He says," I knew your parents."
I struggle not to roll my eyes, but the emotion is still very much evident in my deadpan tone of
voice," Everyone apparently knew my parents, it's why everyone goes 'Oh, I knew them, we were
good friends! Why don't you stay with us?' And most of those were lies."
Jiang FengMian expression twists again.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," He tells me," But I really did know your parents, your father
Wei ChangZe was raised in my Sect, he was my right-hand man."
I can't help but remember ChangZe's stories of growing up with Jiang FengMian, all the pranks
they player together and how close they were.
"I knew your mother too," His expression turns rueful," We met in Gusu, studying there."
I nod slowly," They told me that they met in Gusu too," I tell him.
He smiles," They did," He nods," They wrote to me, years ago."
I tilt my head," They did?"
"Yes," He chuckles," Telling me I had a nephew that was calling me 'Shibo', and that I just had to
meet him now that he was older."
Oh.
The memory hits me with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, and I drop my melon slice.
Tears just start spilling out of my eyes.
That day at the end of summer, nearing fall, surrounded by flowers and warmth.
It felt like it had happened so long ago.
No one else knew about that day. I had never spoken of my time with my parents to others.
Hoarding the bits and pieces I had left of them with the intensity of a dragon and his gold treasure.
I startle at feeling calloused hands touch my cheeks and look up to see Jiang FengMian smiling
sadly at me.
"I re-rem-remember that," I choke out," I forgot."
I didn't, not really, it's just that sometimes it was hard to look back on those times and remember
that that warmth was gone. The scent of flowers and of family couldn't be replicated.
They were gone.
And I was left behind.
You're not alone.
Donkey knocks his head against mine and Yunru starts nuzzling my other cheek.
I laugh, and push Donkey away," I'm fine! I'm fine! Stop!"
Jiang FengMian sighs, indulgently," These are your friends you talked about?" He asks me.
I give him a cheeky grin, still teary eyed," I don't know, I might have more."
He huffs, and mutters something along the lines of 'Just like CangSe', before standing up and
reaching a hand out to me," Come with me, Wei Ying, YunmengJiang will be your home now.
Like it was your father's."
I hesitate, I would have to go with him, but I already felt attached to Yiling.
One day.
Yes, I sighed, One day.
I took his offered hand.
One day, I'd be back to claim my mountain.
"Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you
together, but do so with all your heart." - Marcus Aurelius
Chapter End Notes
Arc II is finished!
Yes! Yes! Yes!
...Now to start Arc III...
Okay, so; Wei Ying Arc II Final Stats:
Age: 7 Class: Archer Level: 60
Int: 120 Ste: 120
Str: 120 Cha: 118
Agi: 128 Sen: 129
Sta: 130 Luc: 118
Skills:
[Martial] Acrobatics: 10; Climbing: 12; Brawling: 8; Knife-Handling: 12; Swordplay:
5; Archery: 13; Throwing: 13;
[Scholar] Investigation: 10; Meditation: 10; Foraging: 13; Spiritual: 10; Talisman-
Making: 10; Astronomy: 8; Flower Language: 7;
[Social] Etiquette: 5; Taunting: 6; Intimidation: 3; Storytelling: MAX; Games: 2;
[Arts] Flute: 13; Singing: 10; Acting: 3; Dancing: 3; Painting: MAX; Crafting: 7;
Composition: 5;
[Mundane] Writing: 13; Language: MAX; Animal-Handling: 10; Swimming: MAX;
I think that's everything, I'll see you guys over on the next Story Arc!
Welcome
Chapter Summary
Arc III is here! Hooray, bring out the fireworks! It's alive!
Or, where one arrives at their new home, meets new people, uses reverse-psychology
to prevent an argument.
Oh, and the kids are adorable, that's important too.
Chapter Notes
Hello, hello, hello! And we are back with more AGF!

I hope you've all had a wonderful past few days, and I'd like to apologize for the delay,
I'll try not to make it frequent but due to my current life situation it was inevitable
something like this would happen.
Sorry.
Also, a fair warning. I'm treating Arc III as a sort of interlude, it has pretty long
chapters already, but once I get the ball rolling it will be mostly time-skips and
specific scenes until Arc IV starts. So if you have any interactions with tiny JC and
JYL you'd like to see, you'd have to suggest them now.
And, before I forget! Characters are OOC because I suck at writing them, apparently,
and this story is viewed by WWX's point of view! Unreliable narrator right there...
"If bitterness wants to get into the act, I offer it a cookie or a gumdrop." - James Broughton
Chapter 37: Welcome
Despite having been here the day before I had not dared to get close to the gates of the
YunmengJiang Sect, fearing the sentinels at the entrance would spot me, or worse, give chase.
So this was my actual first time seeing the tall white walls with the purple Sect Symbol drawn on
them, the purple lotus flower of the Jiang Clan, similarly tall watchtowers and flowing banners
coming down to rest atop the sentinels' posts.
This was where I'd be living in for the next decade or so.
Jiang FengMian walked slowly beside me, keeping a constant eye on me, and I could see about
three other disciples doing the same. Seriously, it was like they expected me to just take off
running the minute their backs were turned.
Yeah, like you totally wouldn't do that.

Totally.
I smothered a grin and pulled Donkey, who wasn't happy with the surprise boat ride we got,
because Jiang FengMian arrived by boat and there was no way he was trusting me on top of that
donkey to ride back to Yunmeng, towards the entrance.
"A-She," Jiang FengMian spoke up," Would you warn Madam Yu that I will be taking Wei Ying
to the infirmary wing, and have someone clear a space in the stables for his mount," He instructed
one of the disciples following after him.
"Yes, sir!" The disciple bowed and hurried away into the Sect.
"Infirmary?" I frowned," I'm not injured," I told him," Nor sick."
Jiang FengMian only smiled and hummed," Just a precaution then."
I think I might need to remind you of something.
What?
Scars.
What?
Your scars.
Oh... Those scars.
I suddenly remembered the scars I got from the lashes and various other encounters with sharp
clawed beasts.
...Think they won't be noticeable?
I can feel his incredulous look.
Unless his physician is blind, you're out of luck. Actually, who am I kidding, you have no luck!
Goddammit.
I internally debated trying to find an excuse to get out of the examination but gave it up as a lost
cause. I admitted defeat and just kept walking towards my doom. Once inside the Sect Compound,
Jiang FengMian relaxed minimally, keeping that same polite smile that did not hide the worry or
skepticism my words and actions had caused him.
Today was going to be a long day.
Afternoon, actually, it's past lunchtime.
I didn't reply to him.
Jiang FengMian quickly ushered me into one of the halls, having handed over Donkey's lead to a
waiting disciple, and towards the medical wing of the Sect.
I really felt the need to dig my heels in the ground when we neared the door, neither waiting to be
examined by a stranger and not having the full extent of past injuries shown. I was certain that the
whip marks alone would make Jiang FengMian interrogate me on who had done them and why,
whilst the various night-hunting injuries, which were normal and expected to have if you are
fighting against very dangerous man-eating beings, would ground me for life.
Not that he really had the authority to ground me, I wasn't his child and I was twice his age.
In spirit, not in body. And he totally has the authority to ground you, he's your pseudo-adopted
uncle.
I knew that could come back to bite me.
Everything always does, you're an accident-prone person.
...That was another dig at my bad luck, wasn't it?
Yup.
Why are you always so cruel to me? What have I ever done to you?
Give me headaches for worrying after you and heartbreak.
I think that comes with the territory of loving me, actually, Walter said the same.
...Why are we taking what Walter said as fact?
Maybe because he was the first person to actually put up with our craziness?
Oh, yeah... That.
Yes, that.
"You're surprisingly quiet," Jiang FengMian's voice brings me out of my thoughts," CangSe's
letters always talked about you being uncontrollable and too energetic for their peace of mind."
...I think that's just normal toddler behavior, but obviously sugar rushes and modern entertainment
aren't as common or readily available here.
I just had the mental image of Lan QiRen reacting to a room of toddlers hyper on sugar and candy
during halloween, and trying to contain them inside that small room.
I want to snort so badly, I swear I made dying whale noises in my mind due to the sheer force of
will it took not to.
If he ever survived that, he'd advance straight into godhood, no doubt in my mind.
He'd reach enlightenment through patience and knowing his end was nigh.
Death by sugar rushed toddlers...
What a fine ending for that fuddy-duddy.
...
...
Ike, please stop making me want to laugh, I feel like I'm going to die here.
I don't know what you're talking about, I'm not doing anything.
There's a guy coming in that's going to take one look at me and ask what's wrong, what am I
supposed to say to him?
'Sorry, sir, I was just imagining an old Goat being bowled over by small children.'
I inwardly wheezed.
IKE! STOP IT!
Crackling laughter rang out deep within my mind, and I restrained the urge to follow suit.
I swear one of these days something would happen, deadly serious, and Ike's humorous comments
would make me laugh at the most inopportune times.
...Gusu won't be fun.
The laughter restarted at that thought bubble.
"Wei Ying?" Jiang FengMian frowned," Are you alright?"
I smile at him, a smile always covers what you don't want people to see," I'm fine, I just really don't
think I need a doctor."
A last ditch attempt.
It's meaningless.
Jiang FengMian takes the bait, his smile clearly tells me this isn't up for debate, he opens the door
meaningfully.
I sigh through my nose and enter.
The room is bright and airy. There's a row of cots along the wall furthest from the door, and
several large cabinets that contained hundreds of medicinal herbs and other medical equipment.
Three nurses stand to one side, getting a table ready for examination, most likely.
A doctor comes walking towards us, greeting the Sect Leader with a smile and polite bow.
He looks down at me, eyes moving up and down, giving me the impression that I'm in for a long,
long discussion about what is and is not acceptable for a seven year old to do.
...
This isn't going to be fun, is it?
With your luck? Nah, you're getting a leash and a permanent GPS tracker.
If I could roll my eyes, I was sure they'd orbit around the planet.
Too bad there's no GPS in this world.
Don't jinx the System, it loves to screw you over.
The System loves me!
Yes, to screw you over.

"Well," The doctor suddenly speaks," We'll start with some basic questions, alright little man?"
His tone was so condescending that it physically hurt to listen to it.
Smile, remember to smile, Wei Ying. Be a cute little boy and smile.
I will make you tangible and strangle you, mark my words.
That's not smiling, Wei Ying, that's having murderous intent. Smile!
I smile at the doctor and nodded.
I will strangle you slowly, Ike, and I will enjoy doing so.
Knowing this was coming, and having already guessed at a lot of the arguments being thrown
around, did not prepare me to face the faces and expressions of the adults overseeing the
examination.
First, it started with the daggers. Xiaodan was easily visible at my waist, kind of hard not to, but
Xiaotong was always tied to my arm guards and invisible unless I pulled my sleeves back or drew
it.
So, when I put down one dagger and pull another one out of my sleeve, well... That sends a
message.
Then the questions started.
How old was I, how long I'd been traveling alone for, was I alone in my journeys, what did I eat,
did I get sick during my journeys, did I see a doctor, did I take care of any injuries, did I have
injuries, and tons of other questions.
Answering them wasn't hard but it was totally awkward. How do you explain that you readily get
medicine and bandages from a virtual store no one else can access, that no, you never went to a
doctor because well... Nothing looked dire enough to trust people with no modern knowledge of
medicine?
That and I wasn't an actual small child that'd cry after scrapping their knee.
And then came the kicker.
Removing my robes in front of all those people made me feel very self-conscious. It was weird.
Downright weird. And I wasn't happy to be doing it.
That will change when you get a six pack.
Not interested in showing off my future muscled body.
We'll see.
So, the robes come off and the damn nurses behind me gasp, the doctor stops writing on his damn
clipboard and Jiang FengMian gets this total 'kicked dog' look in his eyes.
Goddammit.
Eight crisscrossing long thin scars pepper my middle and lower back, a small bump on my left
shoulder from a stab wound I got by a bandit, and a smattering of even smaller scars of critters over
the years on my forearms and legs.
My chest and stomach had the bear's claw mark scars and a thin scar on one side of my abdomen
from a would-be thief.
All in all, after almost 3 full years on the run, gallivanting across the nation and getting into so
many questionable practices, I thought I'd done a pretty good job at keeping my self alive.
Apparently your best isn't agreeable with them.
I sigh and cross my arms over my chest, frowning at the adults and their pitiful eyes.
Goddammit, why are they making me feel bad?!
Body's natural response when everyone is looking at them like that.
Screw this body's natural response! I was totally right in doing this and I made it out alive! I won!
I know, I was there with you, they weren't.
The 'they won't understand you' went unspoken but very much heard.
"W-w-well..." The doctor coughs," Interesting injuries... How old are they, do you remember?" He
asks me.
...Do I answer him honestly?
At least one of these people can spot liars.
I look down at the scars, trying to remember exactly when I got them," These were from a bear," I
poke at my chest," Almost three years ago." I blink, wow, these ones were old.
"And the whip marks?" Jiang FengMian asks, definitely interested in them," Do you remember
getting them?"
Hard to forget.
"I got three before the bear incident," I nod," And then five... A year ago?" I shrug," They're not
recent."
He frowns severely at me," Do you remember who gave them to you? Why?"
I scratch at my cheek, right over the scar on my face, drawing his eyes and attention to it, once
more, and quickly remove my hand when it makes him sadder.
Goddammit.
"I don't know," I answer.
A nurse gives me a look.
Told you.
"I really don't know," I repeat.
Oh, the 'head-shaker' method. I don't think you can pull that one off, it's kind of that person's
personal style, ya' know?
He's not the Head-Shaker yet, so it's no one's style to steal.
"Wei Ying..." Jiang FengMian sighs and crouches slightly so he's eye level with me," We want to
help you, but you've got to tell us the truth."
I frown at him," I do not need help."
Bad answer, kid.
Jiang FengMian rocks back, saddened, and opens his mouth to say something when the door
behind him opens with a bang.
"Father, you're back!" A cute little, puffy cheeked, Jiang Cheng enters the room running.
...
...
He's so cute!
I can't find it in myself to refute that.
I want to hug him!
He'll bite you.
Yunru did that at first too, and she loves me now!
Yunru would eat the last piece of meat on this planet if it meant you couldn't have it.
She would not!
She totally would.
"A-Cheng..." Jiang FengMian smiles, amused," What have I told you about knocking?"
The little kid halts to a stop and thinks, you can see the gears in his mind turning, and flushes," To
knock first before entering," He looks down at his feet.
"And what else?" Jiang FengMian asks him.
"Not to slam the door open or shut," Jiang Cheng mumbles.
"And...?" Jiang FengMian's smile widens.
I see this is a normal occurrence.
He's so adorable!
Just don't tell him that.
Jiang Cheng sighs, his little shoulders slumping down," And that you have to be quiet in the
medical wing."
"So what do you say?" Jiang FengMian questions him.

Jiang Cheng looks up, red faced and successfully scolded, to the doctor and apologizes," I'm sorry,
Doctor Wu, it won't happen again."
Lies. Lies. Lies.
I totally spot a lie.
He's a kid, give him a break.
Give him a break? Oh, you're totally handing him a cookie after every time he does something like
this.
Well, I'll have to befriend him somehow, look how cute he is!
How have we come so far in our travels, lived so many years together, yet I still cannot
comprehend your desire to stuff children full of sugared goods.
It's an easy motivator for them to make grabby hands at me.
I'm sure their parents thanked you.
Cynthia's look of 'are you kidding me' when I hand her little boy a cookie not fifteen seconds after
he already conned one out of his grandparents pops up in my mind.
Oh, yes, the parents loved me.
Clearly we remember events differently.
"Father," A soft voice filters in through the doorway," Welcome back," Jiang YanLi stands there
and smiles in greeting.
Flowers and rainbows bloom behind her.
Holy Mother of God.
Truer words have not been spoken.
"A-Li," Jiang FengMian smiles back," You can enter, I have someone here I want you two to
meet."
...Can I at least be fully clothed for this?
Shh, don't ruin the moment.
"Who's he?" Jiang Cheng stares at me with narrowed eyes.
I grin back at him.
You and I will be great friends, kiddo.
I should probably start planning your funeral.
Why are you so pessimistic? Kids love me!
Kids also have one defining quality at this age.
What?
"This is Wei Ying," Jiang FengMian places his hand on my head," He's going to be staying with us
from now on."
Something lights up behind Jiang Cheng's eyes, his dark orbs going to and fro Jiang FengMian's
hand to my head and back, and then his eyes turn to look fully into mine.
"Oh? The boy you'd been looking for all this time?" Jiang YanLi asks, coming to stand beside
Jiang Cheng," You found him?"
I'm right here, you know?
"Yes," Jiang FengMian smiles," He'll be part of our family now."
Excuse me, you literally bumped into me on the streets not even two hours ago!
Jiang YanLi smiles kindly at me," Hello, I'm Jiang YanLi. It's nice to meet you."
I grin back at her widely," Nice to meet you too!"
I like her.
I don't think there's anyone out there that does not like her.
Jin ZiXuan.
And then he became a stupidly in love fool that didn't even know how to confess properly.
"A-Cheng," YanLi softly nudges her brother," Isn't it nice, you'll have a friend your age here with
you!"
A-Cheng isn't happy.
A-Cheng is feeling slightly angry and slightly furious.
His mind is flip-flopping between those two reactions.
And his eyes. Oh, his eyes are firmly telling me one thing.
'I don't want you here.'
Oh, right. I was forgetting Jiang Cheng's initial problem with me being in Lotus Pier.
That isn't a look we've seen on someone's face in a while.
I smile at him and try not to react at the disdain in his expression.
His eyes burn with jealousy.
Well... This promises to be fun.
And the best part is, you haven't even met the mother yet.
Kill me now.
No, I think I'll enjoy the show, the popcorn is almost ready too!
How come you get popcorn and I get to be stared at?

Life isn't fair, my darling, but don't worry. Your Lan Zhan will do enough staring to last a lifetime.
Bad thoughts! Bad thoughts!
Ike! I told you, it is not happening!
Oh? Is it 'your Lan Huan' then?
Not. Happening!
Both? My, my, dearest, you sure do know how to have a good time!
How I managed to not turn red as a tomato in front of everyone is beyond me, and I'll thank my
fleeting good fortune for it, but I sure would remember my mental shrieking fit hours later when
the migraine still hadn't died down.
So, of course, it is then that I meet Madam Yu for the first time.
She's tall, almost as tall as Jiang FengMian, but I don't really know how much her hairstyle
contributes to it. The golden hair clips and headpiece glint under the burning lamps and her violet
eyes burrow deep into mine.
Clearly, she's not impressed with what she sees.
"So..." Her voice rings out in the awkwardly silent room," This is the much discussed Wei Ying."
I immediately feel like my integrity is being attacked. Lady, what did I ever do to you?
Her husband was kind of smitten with your mother.
'Was'?
I consider Jiang FengMian's stubborn expression on his face and him slowly ruminating on
whether to intervene now or watch this play out.
What I'd give for the height and long limps to shake some sense into him.
"I guess?" I reply to her not-question," I don't really know why everyone finds me so interesting."
Her eyebrow ticks up deliberately, and I see that Jiang Cheng is astonished, seeing me reply to his
mother like that, Jiang YanLi simply gives me a look of anxiety. Clearly anyone that spoke to their
mother like this didn't make it very far.
...There's always a first time for everything.
"Why have you come here?" She asks me.
I see Jiang FengMian take a step forward and quickly start talking, no way was I letting him
making this situation worse than it already is.
"I didn't? Not really? J-... Sect Leader Jiang found me on the streets and brought me here, I can just
go back out and leave," I shrug," I was doing fine on my own."
"You are a child," She stresses out the word," What are you going to do out in the world?"
I blink at her, and start ticking down my fingers," Well, I was hunting, night-hunting, traveling,
painting, I also played instruments and sang, people love that, oh, and stories too! They even get
you free meals and a room if they're really good!" I smile at her genially.
Her face kind of shifts from 'ignorant child' to 'reckless, idiotic, and ignorant child' and I just stand
there waiting for the fireworks to start.
"You are a child! The streets are no place for a child!" She hisses.
I blink again at her, slowly," But you clearly don't want me here, so why do I have to stay?"
My question leaves her in silence.
"What did you say?" She asks in an odd tone of voice.
"You clearly don't want me here, so why do I have to stay?" I dutifully repeat back my words,"
When you're out there, you quickly learn to spot dislike, you don't like me, for whatever reason,
and so, why do I have to stay here, where I am not liked, and not just go back out onto the streets?"
"Wei Ying," Jiang FengMian quickly intervenes," You father-..."
"My father is dead," I tell him, shifting from foot to foot and looking away," My mother is too.
This was my father's home, he said so and I remember that, but it isn't mine."
"It can be," Jiang FengMian tells me," If you let us-..."
"I do not need help," I sigh," I was perfectly fine on my own, I even wrote here and said so! I
already know how to night-hunt, what do I have to learn in here anyway?"
That's the final straw for Madam Yu's stunned silence.
"So you believe yourself to be all-knowing? Too good to study in YunmengJiang?" She stands
straighter and her eyes narrow into slits," You think you know everything just because you
wandered about doing Heaven's knows what?"
You ingenious bastard...
I nod," I'm pretty sure I do."
Pride, I remember, was something of a flaw Madam Yu and Jiang Cheng shared. They took pride
in YunmengJiang being one of the Five (soon to be Four) Great Sects, and any slight against that
pride better have some strong backing.
To insinuate that I did not find them to be worth my time, meant that they either would kick me out
for disrespecting them, which, while tossing canon right out the window, wasn't something I would
mind; or, they'd have to show me otherwise.
And to do that...
She has to let you stay, no, not let you stay...
I almost threaten to break out into a maniacal grin.
She has to force me to stay.
And Jiang FengMian gets his wish without being the one putting his foot down.
"You insolent child! You think becoming a cultivator is easy?" She hisses," We'll see how you'll
handle the lessons taught here in this sect!" She then turns around and leaves, taking the identical
maids with her.
Jiang FengMian doesn't say a word, stunned, but when he realizes what happened he starts smiling
in good humor.
His good cheer won't last long after Madam Yu realizes she's been played.
I think that will only make her like me more.
I don't think Madam Yu will like an upstart twerp messing around her beloved Lotus Pier,
dragging her precious children into whatever madness you cook up, and generally existing within
two yards of her.
Some people really don't know how to appreciate my greatness. Don't worry, they'll learn.
"A-Cheng, Wei Ying will be staying in your room, for now, until he's better acquainted with our
home," Jiang FengMian tells the slightly younger boy.
Jiang Cheng turns to glare at me.
There's one such person right there.
I smother another grin.
Oh, my dear, dear, Jiang Cheng... You and I will get along so well in the future.
I pity the kid.
Hush, I won't bite him.
No, you'll only let your Lan Zhan do that to you.
IKE! We've had this conversation too many times already! It. Is. Not. Happening!
Chapter End Notes
OK, so final scene here; you and I both knew Madam Yu wouldn't send the kid back
out the door, it wasn't happening. But does she want to let anyone else in on that little
tidbit of information? No, she doesn't.
So, yeah... AGF!WWX 'conned' her into forcing him to stay. Kid is pretty smart, but
this is the Violet Spider, she is perfectly aware of what he's doing (and there will be
consequences of doing this) //don't look at me like that, it's nothing too bad...
maybe...//
Can we just take a moment to imagine the Pleased!FengMian expression on the guy's
face as he walks about his home the rest of the day, making everyone wonder what the
hell happened to him that makes him so happy?
First Night, First Day
Chapter Summary
First night Checkpoint; First morning troubles.
Chapter Notes
"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." -
Victor Frankl
Chapter 38: First Night, First Day
So... This is fun.
Sure, whatever you say, dear.
I stared at the closed door of Jiang Cheng's room, my arms carrying my new sect robes I'd have to
wear from now on, my pack slung over one shoulder, and tapped my foot while listening to Jiang
Cheng's rant of how I wasn't allowed inside.
Honestly, I understood where he was coming from, I totally wouldn't want anyone intruding on my
personal space, especially having just met them. But going on and on about how they were his
parents, his room, his toys, his everything; for almost twenty minutes was getting on my nerves.
It's not like I actually wanted to share a room with him, I'd much rather have my own room and be
able to move around without an escort, but Jiang FengMian apparently wasn't taking any risks.
Sounds fair, considering he has been running all over the place for the last three years looking for
you.
It was his choice to keep searching for me despite my letter telling him, politely, to stop.
We both knew that he wouldn't just give up like that.
I sighed through my nose.
"A-A-And! You can't stay here! You can't! So go away!" Jiang Cheng yelled through the closed
door.
Yeah, I had enough of this.
"Okay," I agree with him," I'm leaving my stuff here at the door, I'll be back for it in the morning,
bye!" I drop the sect clothes they had handed to me and turn right around on my heel and head for
the stables.
Honestly, Donkey was a better company at this point.
Yunru poked her head out of her satchel and seeing that there was no one here jumped out.
"Don't go far, if you get spotted don't come running to me," I tell her, watching her scamper off.
I wonder if Jiang Cheng has his dogs yet.
If he doesn't he will soon, especially once it comes out that I have Yunru. He'll want a pet too.
Despite the fact that I acquired Yunru by chance and it wasn't his father who got her for me.
The stables were deserted and Donkey was pretty easy to spot, I quickly entered the stable and
dropped my pack by the hay, making a nest for myself.
"So, how's the good life Donkey, made any enemies yet?" I ask him.
Donkey turns to stare at the chestnut mare across the aisle from him and brays.
The mare give him one look before looking away with a snort.
Donkey stomps his feet.
I chuckle," Yeah, Donkey, show her who's the best!"
You're a terrible role model.
I'm a great role model, society just doesn't agree with me.
Sure.
I totally am!
Uh uh.
I laugh and drop down onto the hay.
How long do you think it'll take before someone's out looking for me?
Give it thirty minutes.
The kid will panic when he sees that I actually up and left.
I'm sure that will endear you to him.
Hey, he sent me away!
He's a six year old, he probably still believes in the moon rabbit.
I snort, thinking of a little Jiang Cheng staring at the moon wide-eyed.
A thought bubbles in my head.
Do you think Lan Zhan believes in the moon rabbit?
...
He totally does, right?
He's probably never heard of the moon rabbit.
Clearly something that needs to be rectified immediately.
So eager to write to you-...
We are not discussing this. He's seven years old!
He won't stay seven forever!
No, by then I'll be reaching my eighties.
You poor old grandma.
You're just as old as me, you know!
I am ageless.
I roll my eyes and open my Player Menu, right after Jiang FengMian found me there were a lot of
notifications and I barely got a good look at them.
There were a few advancements that I had unlocked due to completing every single Quest
available, and one that I kind of blinked at. "Blessed Lineage", apparently by having the backing of
a powerful clan or sect, and possessing a traceable reputable lineage, some enemies wouldn't kill
me as their first option even if I posed a threat to their ambitions or plans.
Which was good.
It depends on how fast they go from plan A to plan B when encountering you.
I grimaced, well I could at least expect a warning before they attempt to murder me?
Always Miss Positivity with you.
Well, we already have Mister Pessimism standing right beside me.
What a pair the two of us.
What a pair.
I smile softly before going back to the Menu, checking every tab to make sure I wasn't missing
anything. There wasn't really anything that stood out to me, so I just closed it and went to sleep.
I woke up to someone opening the stall's door.
The immediate response to 'Unknown close to my prone body' was to pull out Xiaodan from it's
sheath and jump awake, hand going over my shoulder to toss it.
Thankfully I manage to keep my grip on the blade and not let it fly towards the target.
A startled Jiang YanLi carrying a teary eyed Jiang Cheng on her back stare at me from the stall
door.
Donkey snorts and hits me with its tail.

I slowly sheathed my dagger again and yawn," What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be
asleep?"
You should tone down the 'motherly' vibes, you're sounding condescending.
Oops.
Jiang Cheng sniffs, loudly," You were gone, I couldn't find you anywhere!" He sobs.
Big, ugly sobs.
Honestly, kids confuse me sometimes.
Kids are inherently confusing, they don't know what they want except that they want it, but then
they can't give you an explanation of what they want and why it's so important.
And you wanted a whole brood of them.
I had a whole brood of them, they just weren't my brood.
"You wanted me gone," I point out to him," I thought you'd be happy if I went away, why are you
crying now?" I sigh and rub at my eyes.
I hated being woken up, I liked my sleep uninterrupted.
He sniffs loudly again," But... But... You weren't supposed to go..."
I give him a look," You wanted me to sleep on the floor outside your room? Or keep asking to be
let in?" I ask him," Because I can think of better things to do than that, like sleeping, which is what
you should be doing." I pointed at them two.
Jiang YanLi gave me a smile," Jiang Cheng got scared that he couldn't find you, he thought you
might've fallen off a pier."
Wouldn't that be hilarious.
"It's too cold for a swim," I deadpan," And why would I go near the piers? The stables aren't very
far from the residential wing of your house."
"Our," Jiang Cheng mumbles.
"Uh?" I blink, lost.
"Our house," He says, mumbling half the words into his sister's shoulder," Father said you lived
with us now."
Kids... I tell you, they're so confusing.
I sigh," And finding me couldn't wait until morning?" I yawn again.
Jiang YanLi open the door wider," You're both tired, c'mon, let's get you both to bed, and we can
talk more tomorrow," She smiles.
She clearly got Jiang FengMian's 'this isn't up for discussion' smile.
I sigh once more and get up, grabbing my pack and petting Donkey goodbye.
I dutifully follow after the older girl as she leads us back to our room, picking out straw from my
hair and yawning at various times.
I really wanted to sleep.
There were two beds, thankfully, because I'd totally kick Jiang Cheng off of the mattress and hog
the blanket if I had to share, and after seeing which bed was Jiang Cheng's I kind of just flop down
and pull the blanket over me.
"Your boots, A-Ying," YanLi chuckles and pulls my boots off," Goodnight you two."
"'Night," I tell her and roll over against the wall.
"Goodnight, JieJie," Jiang Cheng says.
Go away and let me sleep.
YanLi leaves and I hear the door close, after about a minute or two of silence, just when I'm about
to nod off, I hear Jiang Cheng speak:
"They're my parents though, you can't have them," He tells me.
I huff," Mine are dead, I don't need replacements," I tell him," Your father and your mother are all
yours."
"Aren't you sad?" He asks quietly, almost shyly.
I ponder for a moment," Sure, I didn't want them to die," I tell him," But they're dead. What use if
to cry about it? I still remember them, that's enough."
It's not. It won't ever be enough. But a child wouldn't understand.
Most people wouldn't understand either.
I close my eyes and pull the blanket up, curling my legs up to my chest like a little ball, I'd stretch
out in my sleep eventually. ShouShan had once said I slept like a starfish, what he was doing in my
guest room as I slept I'd rather not find out.
He was totally fawning over how cute you looked so he could describe you to sculptures for when
they carve up a statue in your honor.
If they ever carve up a statue in my honor it better not be when I look like a doll size version of the
future Yiling Patriarch.
Ah, but tall statues cost more, a shorter statue from when you were a little tiny baby would be
cheaper.
I am not going to sleep with that thought in my head, change the subject if you want to chatter.
Like how Lan Zhan would totally get a statue of little you?
You know what, forget it, shut up. I'm going to sleep now, so shush.
So prickly.
Shush. I. Am. Sleeping.
Good dreams then, dearest.
Night, Ike.
I was beginning to realize that sharing a room with a young child would not only require more
patience on my part, I'd also have to get rid of some ingrained instincts.
Like pulling Xiaodan or Xiaotong on the first person that came within a foot of me whilst I was
asleep.
"He pulled a knife on me!" Jiang Cheng was crying into YanLi, who was giving me a look, while
Jiang FengMian and Madam Yu stared down at the three blades I had set down in front of them
when asked for the weapons I carried with me.
You still have that sword in your Inventory, too.
I am not handing over all of my weapons. And I'm getting another dagger after this, keep it in the
Inventory.
"Where did you get these?" Madam Yu asked as she picked up the blades and inspected them.
"Xiaodan was a gift," I point at the dagger with the drawn snake sheath," Xiaotong and Liling I
bought in Qinghe," I point to the other two.
Well, I only technically bought them in Qinghe, they didn't come from Qinghe.
Semantics, they don't need to know that.
"Why does he get to have a sword?" Jiang Cheng's attention is immediately drawn to Liling.
"Because I have been night-hunting for almost three years," I tell him," And bandits are annoying,"
I grumble out the last part under my breath.
Madam Yu's eyes focus on me and I stand straighter.
"You know how to use these?" She asks.
"I know how to use the daggers pretty well," It was true, I was almost maxed out with that skill,"
But I haven't got much practice with Liling."
She scrutinizes me.
"Have you ever spared before?" She asks.
I hesitate," I have brawled?" I tilt my head slightly," Never trained against anyone, usually just use
them when I have to fight against something," I answer.
"What else?" She crosses her arms primly.
"Bow and arrow," I answer," And talismans."
"You know how to make talismans already?" Jiang FengMian finally looks away from the blades
to stare at me, surprised.
Honestly, it was annoying. I had been on my own for almost three years, I had been night-hunting,
traveling and constantly getting into dangerous situations, how did that think I kept myself safe?
That everyone around me just protected me? Carried me on their back?
What the hell?!
"Yes," I stress out the word," I've been learning since I was four."
Madam Yu looked from me to Jiang Cheng and something ugly flashed in her eyes.
Oh, she better not do what I think she's going to do.
"Jiang Cheng," She calls out, and the boy peeks out from his sister's robes," Did he hit you with the
knife?"
"No," The boy mulishly tells her.
Hey, have a little trust here...
You did almost throw a knife at them yesterday too.
I growled in the back of my mind.
"Then stop crying," She tells him," You're the heir of Lotus Pier, you cannot be weak!"
Oh, hell no.
"My Lady,-..." Jiang FengMian goes to speak but I interrupt him.
"He's not weak, he's six years old!" I hiss at her," How can you compare him like that? He's your
son!"
Madam Yu's violet eyes flash with lightning, the same lightning that sparks out of the purple ring
she's fiddling with,"What did you say?"
"I said," I hiss," That he's your son! That he's not weak! That you can't compare him to other
people because he's not other people! He. Is. Your. Son!" I yell at her.
Tone down the disrespect.
Screw you! I was not letting her bring this kid down for being startled by someone pulling a knife
on him.
A lightning arch slams on the ground right beside me, coming from the ring on her finger, and
Jiang FengMian goes to take a step forward but stops and stares at me.
I didn't flinch.
I had stared down things that could chew me up and spit me back out.
I had been on my own and I had made it.
I was not scared of a woman with jealousy problems.
I looked Madam Yu straight in the eye and felt my fire spark behind my eyes.
"Such disrespect!" She scolds me.

"You've done nothing to deserve my respect," I tell her.
You're going to get into so much trouble for doing this.
Worth it. Nip this trouble in the bud.
Her eyes narrow before she sniffs with disdain," Obviously, you had no mother to teach you
manners."
All the sound around me screeches to a halt.
For a second I can see everything clearly, Jiang FengMian's shocked expression, Jiang YanLi's
surprised look and Jiang Cheng's worried glance at me, both the maids behind Madam Yu remain
expressionless but their eyes tremble, they hadn't expected her to say that.
That.
Those words.
That second goes by in the blink of an eye and suddenly the world is all blurred together.
Past and present converge into a chaotic mess of what once was and what is now.
I see a stern faced woman sneering down at me, grabbing me by the arm and dragging me to the
hated white room, raking me across my fingers for mistakes during my lessons, ordering me to
repeat the same greetings and polite chitchat hundreds of times until all I knew to say were those
exact words.
I had had someone teach me manners, all right. But I did not have a mother.
And then I see another woman, one with happy silver eyes and dark hair, smiling down at me and
picking me up to sit in her lap, who'd cuddle with me and always make me feel safe and warm.
I had had a mother. But what she taught me more than just manners.
Anger pooled in my chest, striking a match that lit my insides on fire, fury licking at my senses.
How dare she!
How dare she?!
I snarl, an animalistic growl coming from deep within my throat, and my eyes lock into hers.
"You. Know. Nothing," I hiss.
She sniffs again," I know enough," A woman like that-..."
I don't even thing, between one blink and the next I'm charging forward, dodging under her hand
and rolling into a somersault, my feet touch the floor and I launch myself up like a spring, and I
throw back a fist to hit her.
She grabs it and hits me with a single hand, making everything go dark.
The last thing I hear is Jiang FengMian calling my name.
What did you honestly expect to happen?

Shut up.
No, no, let's talk, my dear, what did you think she was going to do? Let you just walk away after
you attacked her?
Seriously, just stop talking.
I will not stop talking until you tell me exactly what went on in that brain of your that thought it
was alright to attack her!
I sighed through my nose and shifted slightly on the ground, trying to take some pressure off my
hurting knees.
I was kneeling in the front courtyard, under the hot sun to make it harder for me to endure it, and
every so often a disciple would come check up on me to see how I was doing and if I had moved
from my spot.
I didn't think.
Clearly! We went over this already! You cannot let your anger rule you!
She badmouthed-...!
I don't care if she calls you an ugly old whore, you cannot act on impulse! You must stay calm and
in control!
Argh! You're siding with her?!
I am siding with our continued existence! One day, you will badmouth the wrong person and you'll
pay for it!
I will not!
Will not?! You're in this situation exactly because you did so!
I grit my teeth and clenched my hands into fists, my nails creating crescent shapes on my palms,
growling in the back of my mind.
It will not happen again.
You and I both know you are not keeping that promise so don't bother trying it.
My eyes looked off into the distance.
I am sorry.
Silence greeted me, the conversation had evidently been put on hold, and I felt worse than ever.
I hadn't meant to lose control like that... It's just...
I couldn't let that remark slide. I had to do something. I was only thankful I hadn't thought of using
any Talents, those would've made things so much worse than they already were.
A squeak to my right made me look to see Yunru peeking from under a bush.
I smile softly at her and gesture her to come out, she rushes to my side and climbs over to rest on
my shoulders, nuzzling my cheek.
"And where have you been? Having fun?" I ask her, scratching her chin," At least one of us, or two
I guess if you count Donkey, is happy here."
I looked back to the distance and breathed through my nose.
I'd messed up.
Again.
I needed to stop doing that.
I knew that.
But whenever someone talked about them I just got so angry.
They didn't know them. Didn't know me. What right did they have to talk behind their backs?
About how they chose to raise me?
Yunru fussed with me for a bit before her fur stood on end and she dived into the collar of my
robes.
I barely refrained from yelping, or collapsing in a fit of giggles are her tiny little paws tickled me,
and stoically remained kneeling under the sun.
I heard hesitant footsteps behind me before whoever it was decided to come over.
I looked over my shoulder and was pleasantly surprised to see Jiang Cheng carrying something in
his hands.
He was looking side to side, as if to make sure there was no one else here.
...
I get the feeling he wasn't supposed to be here.
Probably not.
Being prohibited from approaching the 'wild child' the Sect Leader brought the day before was
perhaps the mildest and most certain warning Madam Yu's children got about me.
Which, fair enough, I had tried to punch her.
Jiang Cheng finally rushed the final meters to stand by me and looked down at me with a frown.
I had a bump on the back of my head, from hitting the floor, and a bit of a bruise on my temple but
other than that, I just looked rumpled.
And sweaty because holy hell the sun was hot.
"Let's make a deal," Jiang Cheng said.
I gave him a look," What deal?"
"You teach me what you know, and I'll watch out for you from now on," He proposes.
"Watch out for me?" I ask him, confused.
"I'll keep you out of trouble," He tells me," Father said that you don't know anything about sects or
how you're supposed to act here, so I'll teach you," He nods at his own words.
Of course, Jiang FengMian would say that, and of course it would be to his six year-old son who
wanted nothing more than to make him proud.
On the bright side, it felt somewhat gratifying that it wasn't just my birth family that had problems.
It didn't make this situation any less daunting.
"So..." I muse," I teach you all that I know about being a cultivator, and you'll teach me how to
play nice with other people?"
Jiang Cheng frowns, thinking through my words,"I... I guess?"
Dear Lord in Heaven, this kid was too adorable for his own good.
"Alright," I shrug," You've got yourself a deal, but don't expect me to go easy on you just because
you're younger than me."
Immediately Jiang Cheng gets an annoyed look on his face," You're barely any older than me!"
"A year older is still a year older," I simper," So I guess that makes me your... shixiong?" I guess at
the word, feeling it foreign on my tongue.
Jiang Cheng grows mulish but nods," And I'm your shidi, but just you wait, Im'ma be so strong I'll
beat you in no time!"
Yeah, kid, that's never gonna happen.
"We'll see," I grin at him in a predatory way," Personally, I don't think you're that great with how
high you screamed when you saw my Xiaodan."
Jiang Cheng flushed red and hisses at me," I didn't scream!"
"Sure, whatever you say," I shrug with an airy tone," Whatever you say, MeiMei."
His high pitched shriek of indignation was well worth the punch he threw at me.
Which I dodged, of course, except dodging meant he over-balanced and fell on top of me, causing
me to tip backwards and hit the bump on my head on the floor again.
Immediately I switched positions and sat on top of him, laughing as he tried to get me off.
Which was when Jiang YanLi found us.
Oh, the look of exasperation on her face.
Chapter End Notes
"Obviously, you had no mother to teach you manners." *Shots fired*

OOC moment here, and need I remind you that AGF!WWX is not all knowing
(despite planning for future events with scary accuracy, according to outsiders with no
knowledge of his Gamer!Status) and therefore, he makes faulty assumptions.
Madam Yu knew exactly was she was doing when saying those words, hint: It was a
***t.
Also, AGF!WWX has serious temper problems, especially when the right buttons are
pushed.
The Advantages unlocked at the end of Arc II were:

Blessed Lineage (Void) -"Characters with 'High Status' understand that they might
suffer a loss of prestige if they harm you, and thus do not choose to kill you as their
first option, even if you are a political obstacle they would otherwise eliminate without
hesitation."
-As Ike pointed out, great advantage to have, depending on how quickly they scrap
Option A, and move on to Option B-
Zao-Shen's Blessing (Earth) -"Laborers recognize you as a kindred spirit, and those
with 'Low Status' are innately trusting of you unless you give them reason not to be."
/For completing every Quest/
Famously Reliable (Earth) -"Other people have heard of you for your remarkable
adherence to your oaths and responsibilities, even over and above most
people/cultivators, and they believe it by default unless given evidence to the
contrary." /For completing every Quest/
Seasoned (Void) -"(really long explanation/detailed info)" /For participating regularly
on night-hunts/
-Basically it just means he knows what he's doing, he's easily recognized among other
cultivators, and knows how to get around in basically any town-
He also developed the Passion [Travel], which makes him feel at home pratically
anywhere.
Classroom
Chapter Summary
In which there are ground rules, a boring lesson, a dawning realization, and a future
infamous nickname is announced to the world.
Chapter Notes
"Staying busy keeps me away from being bored, which used to be a lot of my problem." - Kirk
Windstein
Chapter 39: Classroom
I was called back to the main room, where my... disagreement with Madam Yu happened, after
three or so hours of kneeling. I felt my legs were like jelly but after massaging them for a while and
drinking some water, I saw my fatigue drop considerably. I wouldn't be pulling any stunts after the
last one but I could decently dodge in case anyone started anything.
Madam Yu looked down at me from her nose when I entered and quickly got to the point," Your
actions this morning were disgraceful and disreputable, do you deny this?"
I bit my tongue and gave her a proper bow," I do not, my actions have no excuse."
"Ma'am," She adds," Or Madam Yu, you must always finish your addresses to someone of higher
importance with their title," She lectures.
"Apologies, Ma'am," I answer in response.
God, this was going to get old so quickly.
Suck it up, it's only a decade.
Oh, pshh, sure, it's only a decade!
At least your Hanguang-Jun doesn't mind you call him Lan Zhan, or would it be ZeWu-Jun, and
Lan Huan?
That is getting old too, Ike.
"Your weapons will be kept in storage until you are deemed responsible enough to have them
back," She continues," That is not up to discussion," She accentuates when she sees me open my
mouth to argue.
I bite the inside of my cheek until it draws blood.

It irked me not to have my weapons, more than weapons they were mine, no one elses, and
Xiaodan, especially, was a gift!
Calm. Breathe in. Breathe out. Stay focused.
I growled in my mind and pushed down my annoyance and anger.
My eyes still smoldered with resentment over my current situation, obviously noticeable for anyone
who cared to look, but that was beyond my current capacity to smother.
They were my things, goddammit!
You're in this situation because you couldn't keep your cool, let this serve as a lesson.
I grumbled at him, trying to stay focused on what Madam Yu was saying.
"Due to your... circumstances," Here she gives Jiang FengMian a bitterly cold look," You will join
Jiang Cheng in his lessons and serve as his shixiong, along with your other fellow disciples."
Great, lessons. Woohoo, I'm so thrilled.
"Yes, Ma'am," I reply back, showing I heard her.
"Do not shame this Sect when it has been so graceful as to foster you with its main Clan," She
warns me.
Again, your husband was the one constantly hounding after me, I can just go and leave you to your
unhappy marriage.
Hush.
"Yes, Ma'am," I grit my teeth and bow once more.
Satisfied, or merely done with her distaste for me at the moment, she leaves. I roll my shoulders
and frown after her, Jiang Cheng elbows me with a look and I roll my eyes at him.
"I didn't say anything," I grouch.
"She's my mother," He warns.
I sigh," Fine, I'm sorry," I apologize," Satisfied? Or are you also gonna lecture me about manners?"
He clearly wants to lecture me but stops when he sees his father approach us.
"A-Cheng, A-Ying," He smiles," A-Li told me she has something for you in the kitchens, best go
eat before the lessons start," He tells us.
Jiang Cheng perks up and grabs me by the arm and starts pulling me out of the room.
"Hey! What is so important about your sisters' cooking, anyway?" I grumble at him.
Jiang Cheng gives me a piercing glare from over his shoulder," A-Jie's cooking is the best! And
you will tell her so! Be thankful she even deemed you worthy enough to cook for you!"
Aah, the canon idolization.
She is supposedly a good cook.

Enough to make Jin ZiXuan fall in love with her.
I'd be more impressed if I hadn't been twice to Qinghe and ate my weight in delicious food.
She might cook better than Qinghe.
Doubt.
Ready to admit it?
Shut up.
I told you.
Shut up, Ike.
"It's delicious, A-Jie!" Jiang Cheng cheerfully munched away at the buns that Jiang YanLi had
prepared for us.
"It's good," I agree and cough when Jiang Cheng elbows me.
"Good?!" His eyes blaze with indignation," A-Jie's cooking is the best!"
"It's good," I hiss at him," I've had Qinghe's regional food, now that's delicious!"
Jiang Cheng makes an audible gasp and hits me again," A-Jie's cooking is definitely better than
whatever you ate in Qinghe!"
Jiang YanLi watches us 'bicker' back and forth with a smile, pushing another bun in my direction,"
Isn't this great, A-Cheng, you have a friend your age now."
Jiang Cheng goes red.
"Are all the other disciples older?" I frown, trying to remember if the novel mentioned anything of
the sort.
"Not really, they're just too scared to befriend A-Cheng, because he's the Sect Leader's son," She
answers me with a slightly sad smile.
"I don't get that," I shrug," When you're night-hunting you don't really care who's who, just that
they know what they're doing and not going to accidentally shoot you with an arrow."
Jiang Cheng turns back to me, a glimmer in his eyes," What is it like? Night-hunting?"
I pause to chew on my bun, and tilt my head in thought," Quiet," I tell him," Unless you have a
large group of people or are hunting in a group, everyone usually goes their own direction. So there
you are, at night, in the middle of a forest or mountain or cemetery, with the light of the moon or
torch to light your way," I continue.
"And everything is quiet, there's the sound of your own heartbeat, the nocturnal critters of the
forest, and then you heard them," I close my eyes in remembrance," Beasts, Yao or Spirits. They all
make sounds, they all can be found if you just listen, and then you're running after them, the wind
rustles all around you, you feel like you're flying."
Jiang Cheng is utterly entranced by my words.

"And then you find them, you choose your weapon, like a bow and nook your arrow, and take
aim," I make the pulling the string back motion and fire an invisible arrow," Then the prey goes
down and you just wait for everything to go quiet again, and start all over again."
"I want to go night-hunting," He tells me in a dreamy tone.
I start laughing.
He grows annoyed and hits me over the head.
"You went on night-hunts, why can't I?!" He half-yells, half-pouts.
"Because, A) My parents were the first ones to take me, so if you want to go, talk to your parents,
and B) you're so not ready to go night-hunting," I tell him.
"Why am I not ready?" He frowns.
I give him a sideways look," Because you flinched at the sight of my dagger, what are you going to
do when a Beast jumps out of the undergrowth, maw open wide to devour you, and claws bigger
than my dagger? Run away crying?" I ask him.
He flushes red," I'd fight it!" He states.
"With what?" I ask him, indulgently," Do you know how to make working talismans? Do you have
a blessed dagger? A cultivators sword? Any other tools?" I ask him," Do you know how to use
them?"
Jiang Cheng remains silent, glaring at the table.
I sigh through my nose, and see Jiang YanLi meaningfully looking from me to her disheartened
brother.
Of course I'm the one that has to fix this.
You're the one who made him sad.
Better sad than to encourage his dreams whilst he can't protect himself and give him false
confidence to do stupid things.
Like joining in on rogue night-hunts with no support?
Exactly.
Like you did, as far as the population knows?
I ignore him.
"I'll teach you as promised," I poke him," Just don't expect to suddenly become the next
Enlightened Buddha or something anytime soon."
He looks at me," But you'll teach me?" He asks.
I nod," I thought we'd already got that out of the way, you were the one that thought of the deal, so
you're not getting rid of me that easily now," I tell him.
"You can't be any worse than Teacher Fang," He mutters, and Jiang YanLi giggles.
"Who's Teacher Fang?" I ask him.
Jiang Cheng's disparaging look doesn't reassure me.
Teacher Fang was the YunmengJiang's oldest instructor, he was responsible over teaching
meditation and the history of the Cultivation World.
In other words, he was one of the most dreadfully boring people in this world.
I sat beside Jiang Cheng and tried to stay awake for his lecture about how the world formed
energy.
What he was teaching and what I had been doing for the last years couldn't be any more different if
they tried. Here, man produced energy and the Earth absorbed it once we died, so the Earth fed on
the energy of past lives. I'd already proven that the Earth had its own energy and that everything
produced energy, not just humans.
Although he was correct that the Earth absorbed energy upon our passing, it also cleanses it in
order to keep the Earth 'healthy'. When it couldn't do that, the energy turned into Resentful Energy
and acted as an infection of sorts, seeking nutrition from other sources of energy, such as humans
and Spiritual Energy.
You still have to learn how to cultivate their way or you'll never hear the end of it.
I know... It's just so boring.
I hid a yawn by pretending I was fiddling with my new robe sleeves.
Unlike what I was used to, with long loose sleeves that allowed me to hide Xiaotong in my
forearm, these were tight around the arms and it kept pulling at them when I grew distracted.
Jiang Cheng was paying avid attention to the lecture out of sheer force of will, but even his eyes
were starting to glaze once the lecture went on for more than thirty minutes.
Seriously, the man hadn't stopped going on and on about how energy was 'pure' and 'innately
strong'.
The other children around me weren't helping matters either, constantly shuffling in their seats,
setting off my senses and instincts, talking in hushed whispers that sounded loud to my ears, and
generally being children.
"How much longer does this last?" I inconspicuously asked Jiang Cheng.
"Another hour," He breathed out the answer.
I stared at him, and then stared at the old bastard rambling on about cultivation and how you
absorbed Spiritual Energy, before letting out a mournful sigh.
Jiang Cheng shared a commiserating look with me before turning back to the lecture.
I'll die.
You won't die.
I'll totally die of boredom.

You're not dying of boredom.
Ike, I'm telling you, I'm dying. I'm not surviving a decade of this.
Be positive, the man might not be alive in a decade.
I looked at the bastard and then thought about my luck in these situations.
Guy will totally be alive in ten years.
Ike seems to have realized the odds of me being lucky and replies in kind:
Yeah, I just realized that, you have the shittiest luck.
I'm going to dieeeeeeeeeeee...
If you're that bored, find something to do, read a book or something.
...
What?
Ike, have I told you how much I loved you?
Not recently, no.
I love you. I really, really do, even when I want to strangle you to an inch of your existence.
Gee, thanks. I am so happy.
I ignore his sarcasm and open the Store, starting to riffle through the daggers and knives being
sold.
You're getting another one?
I need to have a weapon with me, even if it's in my Inventory just in case of an emergency.
Try not to pull this one out on the kid.
I grumble under my breath and keep looking so one that wasn't overly expensive and practical.
I settled on one knife with a hooked tip, it stabbed easily enough but wasn't advisable for the target
to pull it out. Gruesome I know, but, again, if I ever had to materialize a knife out of nowhere I was
already in dire straights.
I'd worry about excuses as to where I got this from later, or never, if I ever get caught with it.
"Does the Player wish to name their weapon?"
[YES] [NO]
I pressed [YES] and wrote out "Xiaohui", getting the notification that the purchased weapon was
sent to my Inventory.
Next I decided to go check out the [Books] section, and started going through lists of book titles
and what their supposed contents. Obviously I could only use it after going back to my (shared)
room and excuse its sudden appearance as having it in my pack.
And it's mysterious origins? Books about important things such as martial arts and swordplay
styles aren't sold to the public, more than likely being passed down through generations.
Urk.
I grimace, remembering that.
Damn backwards time periods where printers weren't invented yet.
Maybe your [Recipes] can teach you how to build one.
...
That's actually a possibility, isn't it?
Possibly.
I quickly divert my attention and start going through the [Recipes] section.
Sure enough, I find several ancient versions of modern day appliances, such as the much desired
printer, heater, and freezers. I kind of blinked at the last two and clicked on them to see what they
required to learn.
Color me surprised when it says that, once mastered, Talisman-making Skill allowed me to fiddle
and mess around with individual characters of a seal or array, making my own variations or, as the
recipe intended, created something new entirely.
Obviously, we had a new goal set for this Story Arc.
Mastering that Skill, if put all your effort and time into it, won't last long. You're already on
advanced levels in pretty much all your skills.
So, we just have to decide on more goals!
Like what?
Crafting for one, I need that for the fountain pen.
Oh, yes, how could I forget about your beloved fountain pen.
And I'll need sewing to modify my robes to add protections.
What else, again this won't take long since you're barred from night-hunting, and I know what
you're like when going through hyper-focus.
...You said books were likely passed down from generation to generation, correct?
Yes, probably.
So this place should, in theory, have it's own library, correct?
I know the Cloud Recesses had one.
It does, why?
There's another goal.
The Library?
Read every single thing in it!
... Now that might take a while.
Clearly, as you've told me several times already, I have time. In fact, I have ten years of time!
"And that concludes today's lesson," The old foggy's voice snaps me out of the ensuing argument
with Ike.
I close the store and turn to Jiang Cheng with wide eyes," I totally blanked out, what did he say?"
Jiang Cheng gives me a look and sighs," I'll tell you later, c'mon, off to the next lesson."
He gets up and waits for me to follow after him.
"What is the next lesson?" I ask him.
"Calligraphy," He says without looking back.
...
...
I'm going to die.
Oh, stop that.
I thought I was done with writing characters!
I think this is different than that.
...What?
I think this is a different Skill.
...Why?
Because no matter how much you write or increase your writing Skill, your characters are only
barely legible. So...
So calligraphy might actually be a Skill...
Hooray, you've found another Skill to max out?
Go die in a ditch, Ike.
Hey, and here I thought you loved me!
I love you, very much, so please go die in a ditch.
Women, always so temperamental.
I will start singing "It's a small world after all", don't you think I won't!
Everything inside my mind goes dead quiet.
When the day was finally over I really just wanted a bath and slump over in bed. Forget dinner,
forget listening to Jiang explain what I missed of the old foggy's lecture, I just wanted to go to
sleep.
Of course, here that's not an option.
"How were lessons?" Jiang YanLi asked us as we walked into the main hall where the main family
ate.
To be fair, I had tried to follow the other disciples and go eat with them but Jiang Cheng quickly
grabbed me by the arm and dragged me with him, saying that 'I was family' or 'Father wants you
there', despite the fact he clearly disliked the idea he had to 'share' his parents time with me.
I give Jiang YanLi a deadpan look," I'd rather be chasing after Liu Yao," I told her.
She blinked and Jiang Cheng turned to me with a frown," What are those?"
It took a few seconds to think where I had seen them and realized that my geography needed some
serious work.
"So, they're these yao that hide inside twigs, totally unable to differentiate between actual twigs,
except the yao float instead of just falling back onto the ground once you let them go," I explain it
to them," So, strategy wise, you basically go around the area tossing every single twig up in the air
and striking down those that float."
Jiang Cheng nods," I'd rather be doing that than Teacher Fang's lectures."
"How often do those happen?" I ask him, dreading the answer.
"Every three days," He answers," But once you are ready to cultivate a golden core you're moved
to another teacher Teacher Xu," He tells me.
"Teacher Fang is very wise," Jiang YanLi somehow manages to say that with a straight face," You
do well to learn from him."
Jiang Cheng and I share a look of utter disbelief.
"He blanked out for an hour," The little brat points at me," Literally didn't hear a single word he
said, and you're asking him to actually learn anything?"
"Hey," I grumble," That whole deal of energy is basic knowledge and learning how to meditate."
"That's the most important part of cultivation," He says, exasperated.
"Yeah, well, it's also the most easy to teach," I roll my eyes," And my parents did spend a year
constantly teaching me things."
Jiang Cheng looks at me," You already know this?"
I nod and take their left hands, focusing energy into their systems, and watch as their eyes go wide.
"How do you know that?" Jiang YanLi takes her hand back surprised.
"Teach me!" Jiang Cheng enthusiastically stares at his hand, still feeling the last remains of my
energy thrumming through it.
"Oh?" I grin wickedly at him," Wouldn't you rather learn from the wise Teacher Fang?" I ask him.
Jiang Cheng's eyes glare at me and he opens his mouth to respond back in kind when both his
parents enter the room.
Immediately the two of them bow and I bow about a second later, which Madam Yu quickly points
out and takes the next minute to grill Jiang Cheng about how I did in today's lessons.
Jiang FengMian clearly struggled not to smile at both my ineptitude to stay focused during Teacher
Fang's lecture and my total lack of grace during calligraphy practice.
And fine, yes, I was a bit miffed about my failings being used as a conversation starter.
"So, a Sect does have things to teach you after all," She sneered.
I refrained from rolling my eyes, although I didn't managed to bite my tongue fast enough to avoid
drawling out," Yes, well, clearly I'll just recite the lecture to put the Yao and Spirits to sleep and
frighten Beasts away with beautiful calligraphy."
Jiang YanLi covered her mouth quickly to hide her smile but Jiang Cheng was unfortunate enough
to snort in response and slapped his mouth a second too late.
Goddammit.
You're hopeless.
You're not helping.
Madam Yu glared fiercely at my smart mouth and sat straighter in her seat.
Oh, you're getting it now.
Goddammit.
"And what, pray tell, should the children be taught then?" She asks in a rhetorical way.
I open my mouth to answer and stop, tilting my head in thought.
What CangSe and ChangZe had done with me wouldn't work on most of these kids exactly
because they were just that, kids. They wouldn't understand half of the things I did, because I
already had a whole lifetime of knowledge, modern knowledge at that, to base their teachings on.
"He can already use Spiritual Energy!" Jiang Cheng tells her," He agreed to teach me!"
My eyes widen," I probably should've specified what it's in my ability to teach you..." I muttered
and sighed.
He turns to me with a frown," Why can't I learn?"
"It's not that you can't learn, it's just that... I don't remember when it started?" I gesture with a
grimace," My parents taught me basic meditation and then... Well, they were gone so I had to think
of something... I don't know what I did right or what I did wrong, I just kind of woke up one day
and knew how to do that."
Jiang FengMian and Madam Yu look surprised. Jiang FengMian hurriedly comes over to my and
starts checking my system.
"What you did was reckless!" He scolds," What if you had gone into Qi Deviation because of
improper cultivation?!"
Jiang Cheng pales and stares at me with horrified eyes.
"I didn't?" I shrug," I don't even remember what I did."
Which was a lie but talking about how I knew Energy worked in this world and how they
perceived Energy to work would be too wordy and leave it obvious that I was as 'normal' as an
elephant in a tutu.
Yes, best avoid that, also, thank you dear, that is a lovely mental picture.
Jiang FengMian scours all of my system and meridians with my curious energy poking at his every
so often, before withdrawing," You're fine, strong meridians and pathways..." He seems to muse
something.
"A golden core?" Madam Yu has another peculiar look in her eyes.
"No," Jiang FengMian shakes his head," Advanced Energy absorption but in terms of cultivation
he only has a base."
"I what?" I frown.
"It means you can start cultivating to form a golden core," Jiang Cheng answer me, unhappily.
I see the jealousy in his eyes and groan," You are such a platypus!"
Everyone just blinks.
"What's a platypus?" He asks.
I stare at him in confusion before my brain starts processing my words and just where platypus
exist.
...
You screwed up.
I didn't?
You totally did.
I just need to find a platypus?
Where are you right now?
YunmengJiang.
In the world, doofus.
China.
Yeah, and guess where Platypus are?

...China?
Australia, you bloody idiot.
...
...
Oh.
Yes, oh! What have you done now?!
...Apparently about to create a mythical creature.
Chapter End Notes
Xiaohui means "Morning Sunlight", which is definitely what the victims of this knife
won't be seeing.
Poor bookworm!WWX he can get all the books in the world, but he can't have them
without an excuse to explain their origins.
AGF!WWX reluctance to 'teach' JC anything 'Golden Core' or 'Spiritual Energy'

related is because it would bring to light that they use two very distinct techniques to
absorb/control/circulate energy, which are explored in a later chapter.
While WWX will develop a Golden Core sooner (using his usual Gamer BS), he'll
have to fake cultivate using this 'normal' method.
And yes, from now on AGF!JC will be known as "Platypus", and Ike is so done with
life at this point.
...No that's not another Iron Man reference, what are you talking about?
Nickname
Chapter Summary
Where the mythical Platypus becomes a Thing, where kids find scars cool, where
there's a promise, and art is serious business, believe it!
Chapter Notes
No, that wasn't a Naruto reference. Why are you all looking at me like that?
"The language of friendship is not words but meanings." - Henry David Thoreau
Chapter 40: Nickname
...Apparently about to create a mythical creature.
No, no you are not.
Yes, yes I totally am.
"It's a..." I tilt my head to the side to pretend-ponder on my words," A strange creature, it was
originally a duck but then it got cursed and became a platypus," I tell them.
"Cursed?" Jiang YanLi frowns," Why was it cursed?"
I have this brilliant idea.
It's a terrible idea, just like all of your recent decisions.
"Because the duck kept going on and on about how little it had and how much it wanted to be like
others!" I tell her," First he wanted to be an otter, to swim really fast, then he wanted to be a beaver,
because of how they build their dams."
Jiang Cheng looks confused," Beaver? Otter?" What are those?"
I sigh," Animals, I can draw a picture of them for you later," I offer," Anyway, the duck tried to be
like an otter first, but the other otters were too swift and wily for the duck to be able to imitate
them."
"So he tried to be like the beavers," I say," But beavers had strong tails that they used to build their
homes, while the duck only had a feathered butt," I grin, causing Jiang Cheng to snort.
Jiang FengMian smiled amused, while Madam Yu looked ready to tear into my lack of courteous
speech, thankfully they both remain silent and I proceed with my story.
"So, the duck got angry and went on and on about how it wasn't fair that he was a duck, he wanted
to be like the others, wanted to be just as good as them, and ignored all the other ducks telling him
he was just perfect in his own way," I smirk," He complained so much that the Gods inevitably
cursed him and turned him into a mix of a duck, an otter, and a beaver," I shrug.
Jiang Cheng looked horrified," And that's a platypus?"
I nod cheerfully," I'll draw one for you so you can see what they're supposed to look like!"
Jiang Cheng doesn't look much enthusiastic about that," Why did you call me that?"
I blink and tilt my head at him," Your eyes," I poke his forehead," You always look at me like I
have something you don't, and you forget all about what you do have."
He frowns and pushes my hand away," I don't."
"You do," I sigh with a sad smile," You think it's not fair that I've already gone night-hunting, that I
know enough meditation to start building a golden core, that I already have, or had, weapons," I
tick off my fingers," But you're ignoring the reason as to why I had all those things."
Jiang FengMian looks saddened for a moment.
Through the corner of my eye I see Madam Yu crossing her arms, looking outwardly sour about
the conversation topic, which was fair enough.
"So, in conclusion," I gesture grandly at Jiang Cheng," You are now, Platypus!"
Jiang Cheng lets out a sound of outrage," I am not!"
I laugh," You're totally are! My shidi, the Platypus!" I laugh harder when he tries to hit my but I
keep dodging.
Jiang YanLi eventually grabs both of us and tells us to stop messing about, and that it's time to eat.
The rest of the meal passes over quickly, no more barbs or jabs to be said about anyone, except
Jiang Cheng muttering at me and my continuous ribbing of him and his new nickname.
After a particular unflattering mutter from Jiang Cheng I hide a smirk in my soup bowl and look
away, trying not to show my mirth of his attempts at sounding menacing.
If only all days could be like this.
It's not as cold as I thought it'd be.
Warmth...
How familiar.
Because of how small we were, and how big the bathtubs were, Jiang Cheng and I ended up taking
a bath together.
I tried not to let it show how awkward I found the scene to be.
It was made especially hard since the kid kept glancing at my scars and trying to get me to tell him
how I got them.
Honestly... I barely remembered half of them. I mean, I knew what had given me the scars but as
far as 'how' went, well... Night-hunting. Or an angry servant. Or bandits.
Really, they looked 'impressive' and 'wicked' to a kid but I didn't really care about them.
And then there was the scar on my face.
No one knew how I got it.
I mean it, absolutely no one knew how I got such a scar on my face.
Since I only started appearing on night-hunts after the scar was already on my face, people had
bets going on about how I got it and where I got it from.
The running bidding was that it was a training accident.
It was annoying.
No, beyond annoying, it was exasperating. Seriously, people had nothing better to do than to
gossip.
So, in the end, I told Jiang Cheng I didn't remember getting it, since I was four years old and stupid
back then.
I ignored his 'You're still stupid' muttered response and finished washing my hair and getting out of
the tub.
Honestly, bed sounded like a heaven-sent gift.
So, naturally, something had to happen that kept me from going to sleep.
"What's that?!" Jiang Cheng pointed at the fur ball curled up on my bed.
"That's Yunru," I sigh," She must've decided to sleep indoors tonight or just grew bored of
exploring."
What great timing, you have, girl...
Takes after you.
Don't start, please...
"You have a rat?" Jiang Cheng makes a disgusted face.
I give him a deadpan look, walk over to the bed and pick Yunru up, showing him just how big and
long she was.
"This is not a rat, kid," I tell him," This is a sable, a ferret."
She's not a ferret.
She is a ferret if I say she's a ferret.
Yunru yawned and climbed up my arm and jumped back onto the bed.
"And she has the right idea, let's sleep, I'm tired," I put my boots at the end of the bed and lie
down, pulling the blanket over me.
"Why do you have her?" Jiang Cheng does the same, climbing in his bed," Where did you get
her?"
"I found her," I sigh," In Qinghe, about two years ago. She was just a pup then, so I cared for her
until she could take care of herself."
"You have a pet," He pouts.
"Yunru is a wild animal," I stress out the word," She comes and goes as she pleases, if she wants to
go hunting and never come back she can, she's almost an adult too, eventually she'll leave to find a
mate or something."
She might stay.
She'll go, everyone needs a family.
She just might choose you as her family.
I let out a deep sigh.
"I want a pet..." Jiang Cheng mutters.
"If you want one then ask your parents," I tell him," And stop muttering, Platypus, it's
unbecoming."
Jiang Cheng makes an affronted noise and throws his pillow at me.
I sit up and throw it back at him," Sleep, kid, and let me sleep!"
"I'm not a kid!" He yells.
"You're totally a kid!" I retort," You're throwing pillows and everything!"
"If I'm a kid so are you!" He yells.
"Fine, then we're both kids and should go to sleep," I concede," So, pretty please, go to sleep!"
I lie back down and roll over.
"You're so annoying!" He grumbles," And weird!"
"And you're not getting rid of me no matter how much you kick and scream," I laugh," So better
get used to it!"
He extinguishes his lamp and grumbles, turning away from me and facing the wall.
Kids, always a delight.
Only you...
I chuckle lowly and curl up, Yunru coming to cuddle next to my head, pulling the blanket up.
Tomorrow's another day.

Because I did learn from my mistakes, no matter what Ike said, I brought a bunch of simple
drawing materials with me when we left the room in the morning.
According to Jiang Cheng today there would be no Teacher Fang, instead we'd have simple
calculus and history lessons in the morning, followed by cultural lessons, which were a mix of
various subjects.
Including etiquette.
I had let out a mournful sigh when he told me that and Yunru popped out of her satchel to nuzzle
my cheek in a 'there there' gesture.
Madam Yu wasn't impressed with the sable on my shoulder. Even less impressed with the spoiled
donkey resting its laurels in the stables, which I found out had been my mother's alone before she
married my father, but merely griped about it for half an hour and started arguing with Jiang
FengMian about the allowances I was getting unlike other normal disciples.
Jiang FengMian simply smiled and asked Jiang Cheng if he wanted a sable of his own.
Jiang Cheng quickly answered he wanted a spiritual dog.
Madam Yu quickly replied he should get three as I had two pets.
I didn't even bother getting into that mess of an argument, I looked at the starry eyed Jiang Cheng
and ribbed him about picking after puppies until they were house-broken.
He wasn't impressed with me.
Jiang YanLi shushed us before we could get into another 'fight' at breakfast, and we quickly at the
rest of our meal in silence.
Madam Yu left first, as she always did, and called YanLi to go with her as they had lessons
together. Jiang Cheng whispered to me they were 'womanly arts' but couldn't explain further, not
exactly sure what that meant either.
Jiang FengMian had smiled at us but hadn't answered our query.
Given that I was more interested in math and history than in boring old men going on long-winded
spiels about incomplete knowledge of energy, I paid close attention to what was being taught, and
took squiggly notes on paper during the lessons.
Unfortunately those notes ended up being a point of contest against me as I was apparently awful at
taking notes and my usual writing was illegible to other people. My argument that they were my
notes and not anyone else's so why should they be reading my notes was both ignored and scolded
for.
Honestly, I just threw in the towel about it and spared myself the headache of arguing back.
Whatever, I'd have my fountain pen soon enough.
Lunch came and went, with YanLi providing some of the dishes (and Jiang Cheng continued
pestering of me to admit they were delicious) as she enjoyed cooking as a past-time, and I found
myself a relatively quiet place to sketch and draw for a few hours until it was time to get back into
lessons.
Yunru had been with me at lunch, if only to steal food off my plate or be cute for YanLi's eyes and
beg for food from her, but had went away once all the food was gone.
Probably begging for food somewhere else.
Priorities.
Can't say I blame her.
Donkey was fine, living a carefree life and annoying all the other mounts there, so I wasn't worried
about him.
I was using charcoal sticks to draw the view around me, the rippling water of the river in front of
me was full of lily pads but I wouldn't see any lotus blossoms this year, the weather already starting
to grow cold.
Once that sketch was drawn I moved on to draw an otter, from memory the exact dimensions were
slightly skewed, I was sure, but it still close enough to the original that I wasn't too bothered by it.
The beaver was harder. I started sketching one but quickly scraped it. It wasn't as I wanted it to
look like.
I closed my eyes and thought back on what beavers were supposed to be like.
I had never seen one in real life, illustrations from books or the occasional movie, but I wanted to
get it as realistic as I could.
I focused on memories I had, and when I opened my eyes I started to slowly sketch a very close
approximation of one.
Not the best, and I could probably disguise a lot of silly mistakes in proportions with paint and a
scenery, but if I ever did that then I'd probably send the picture to Lan Zhan and send the kid on a
wild goose chase trying to figure out what it was.
...
Please don't.
Why not?
Because then everyone will want to know how you know that.
And I tell them it's a myth.
Told by whom?
...A stranger.
Why do I even bother...
I chuckle and finish the sketch, blowing the loose charcoal dust and placing the finished picture
together with my other drawings inside a packet.
What will you draw next?
I mused on what to draw before spying two older disciples sparring a bit further away from my
observation roost where I was perched, and decide to give it a try. I could see them clearly and it
was interesting to sketch moving targets.
I was just about done when a sudden shout comes from beneath me. I look down and see Jiang
YanLi covering her mouth in a gasp," What are you doing up there?! You're going to fall down!"
I don't think I'm that high up, but the poor girl looks so startled that I quickly pack my things and
nimbly climb down from the cozy spot I had found.
"Is lunch hour over?" I ask her," I'd think Jiang Cheng would've already run around looking for me
if it was."
Jiang YanLi quickly checks me over to see that I was unhurt, but tuts at my charcoal covered
fingers," No, it isn't over yet, almost though, what were you doing up there? It's dangerous!"
It's really not.
"Drawing," I answer," I wanted to paint the water and since I was already drawing I decided to
sketch the otter and beaver for Jiang Cheng to see. Haven't done the platypus yet, but I wanted to
use color for that one."
She takes me by the hand," C'mon, let's try to get your hands clean before the lessons start, Mother
will be upset if she sees you like this."
Upset sounds like an understatement.
When is it ever not?
"It's just charcoal..." I hum," If I was using oils or other paints then it'd be harder to get it off, but
charcoal washes off easily."
"Oils?" Jiang YanLi blinks," How do you paint with oil?"
"Oil pastels?" I ask her," Well... They're colored chalk except they're not really chalk, more like
crayons."
Jiang YanLi frowns and I can see that she doesn't understand.
"After I draw the platypus for Jiang Cheng do you want me to paint you using oils?" I offer her," I
could make it a portrait!"
Jiang YanLi smiles at my enthusiasm and nods," If A-Ying isn't busy with lessons."
"It's a promise!" I cheer," I'll draw the prettiest portrait of you!"
She chuckles and leads me to the kitchen to wipe my hands clean.
"If A-Ying says so then it must be true," She replies.
You better believe it is!
This world won't know what hit it!
I got bored very quickly in the next lesson. It wasn't that it was a bad lesson or that the teacher was
just ranting about meaningless topics, it was just that I felt full of energy and all I could do was sit
here and listen to the lecture.
Once more, Jiang Cheng was paying avid attention to the professor, and I blanked out, pulling
paper and charcoal out of my pack and sketching just about everything I could think of. In a single
page I had a little Yunru with stuffed cheeks, a few viola flowers, Xiaodan and a focused Jiang
Cheng with narrowed eyes.
I was just getting started on one final sketch of the YunmengJiang Sect gate when my sense alert
me to dodge, I quickly sink to the floor and the paper ball thrown at my head flies right above me
and hits the boy in front of me.
The boy turns around with angry eyes at the disciple behind me, who stares, wide-eyed, at the
other boy and gulps.
Yeah, you done goofed.
"Students," The teacher calls for our attention," What is so important that it has you distracted?"
The boy behind me has the brilliant idea to try and pin this on me.
"He threw a paper ball!" He quickly points at me.
I give him a deadpan look.
"I didn't," I tell the teacher," I just dodged the ball tossed at my head."
The teacher looks at the boy behind me and then at the boy in front," Who threw the ball?" He
asks the boy.
The kid points at the one behind me.
"Gou, in the hallway, as punishment you will stand there until I call you back inside," The teacher
orders.
The boy opens his mouth to argue but his friend quickly makes sure he doesn't.
He leaves the classroom but not before glaring at me.
Seriously, kids were weird. Why get angry that I didn't take the blame for him? I don't even know
him.
"And you," The teacher turns to me," What is that?" He points at my desk.
Jiang Cheng hisses and I look down at my desk.
There's nothing out of the ordinary, I haven't spilled anything and I have it decently organized. I
look at the teacher, confused," What is what?"
The teacher stops for a moment before stepping closer and plucking the paper full of sketches.
He stares at them for a moment before looking down at me," You drew these?"
I nod," Why?"
The teacher doesn't answer straight away, inspecting the drawings," Who taught you?"
Tough question.
I had an art tutor starting from when I was six, who stayed until I just started practicing on my own
at around fourteen, I studied arts since I was a child and learnt many things from books or
recreating famous paintings.
But that was when I was still Sarah.
No one had taught Wei Ying how to draw, I just remembered how to paint.
"No one," I answered him after a pause," I just... started drawing what I saw while I traveled."
"No one taught you," The teacher looks me in the eye.
I shake my head," No, sir."
"Have you drawn much?" He asks.
I nod," I have a few pictures with me, if Teacher wants to see them?" I offer.
He nods and holds out his hand.
I quickly grab a few unimportant pictures and hand them over.
The teacher stares at them, flipping though the pages, and then looks down at me again.
"It seems a conversation with the Sect Leader about this new development is in order," He says.
Jiang Cheng and I frown, not exactly sure why Jiang FengMian had to be told, while the rest of the
class throw me looks.
"If that's what Teacher decides," I nod.
The teacher goes back to his desk, not even handing my drawings back, and resumes the lesson.
Jiang Cheng mouths 'What was that about?' to me and I shrug.
'No clue,' I mouth back.
What was so special about a couple drawings?
Apparently a lot.
"A genius," The teacher rambled while Jiang FengMian views the pictures he had been handed,"
Never have I seen such a technique, and the material! These were not done with ink!"
I stood, bewildered, as the man continued his spiel about how my art was fascinating.
I mean, I was flattered, but they were just charcoal sketches.
"Thank you, Master Cao," Jiang FengMian said, halting any more ramblings," For bringing this
matter to my attention, I assure you I will work something out with Wei Ying."
It was a dismissal as clear as day, and the teacher saw it for what it was and, bowing, said last
pleasantries to him and left.
"Can I have those back?" I ask him," Teacher Cao kept them through class and I thought he'd
confiscate them."
Jiang FengMian hands them back easily enough," You never mentioned you painted."
I frown up at him," Why would I talk about that?"
"It's a nice passion to have," Jiang FengMian continues," You have talent."
No, I have decades of practice.
I shrug," I don't think these are anything much, they're just sketches. Oh! But I have drawn the otter
and beaver for you to see, Jiang Cheng!" I turn to the boy, and pull the two pictures out of my
pack," Here," I hand them to him.
Jiang Cheng looks at the pictures and gapes.
"What are these?" He asks, astonished," I've never seen them!"
"That's an otter," I point at one picture," That's a beaver," I point at the other," Haven't painted the
platypus yet, but I'll do that one in color."
Jiang FengMian observes the pictures from over Jiang Cheng's head," These are really well made,
the level of detail..."
They didn't look that impressive to me, especially since I knew I had screwed up dimensions and
details one could only get from a reliable memory and knowing what the animal looked like in real
life.
"Can you teach me?" Jiang Cheng looks at me, eager and bright eyed.
"I can teach you if you really want to learn for the sake of learning and not because you want to
copy me," I tell him," Or else, you'll really turn into a platypus."
He reddens and frowns," I really want to learn!"
I nod," Then I'll teach you, shouldn't be harder than trying to stay awake for Teacher Fang's
lectures," I smirk and Jiang Cheng responds in kind.
Jiang FengMian places his hands on both our heads," I am glad you two are getting along."
Jiang Cheng's eyes go wide like saucers and he brightens up immediately," Yes!"
It was sad to see the kid so desperate for acknowledgement and attention.
Had I been like this before?
I thought back at the lonely child trapped in a pristine manor with only books, paints and a rainbow
colored being to keep her company.
Surely, I had, at some point, desperately tried to have my parents attention on me, to disastrous
consequences.
Wei Ying had never had that problem, attention and affection were easily given and it was rare for
him to feel lonely.
Jiang Cheng would grow up to be an embittered adult, not even a shard of this bright-eyed child
remained in his countenance in the future, and I did my best to keep my sadness out of my eyes and
expression.
I wanted something better for him.
A better future.
Let him keep smiling like this.
Please. Please. Please.
Let him keep smiling.
I pray.
Chapter End Notes
There we have it, the explanation!

And the reason why JC gets three dogs when he's little.
AGF!WWX being confused by everyone admiring his doodles going 'wtf... It's Yunru
eating berries, not the Mona Lisa'
And WWX so worried about JC staying happy in life, really getting chapters ready
while listening to MDZS songs is not the brightest decision to make, but damn there's
some good songs out there.
I'd recommend Sally Warwick's channel, she has many MDZS songs with english
subs, and they're to die for. And cry heavily about.
As for the Platypus story; I don't remember exactly what the story was like but it went
along the lines of Duck gets really jealous, doesn't listen to the whole entire lake of
animals telling him about only things he can do that the others can't, tries to be like the
otter/beaver and gets laughed at.
He starts ranging about his predicament, makes everyone else miserable in the lake,
and gets turned into the Platypus by something (I don't remember if it was a shooting
start, a wicked witch of the west, or his evil fairy godmother, I honestly can't
remember) and he gets miserable.
And cries a lot, and leaves to find his own place in the world.
Or something, again it's been a long time, and I have no idea why that story is still
occupying space in my brain.
In Patience
Chapter Summary
Where there's never enough time, where a brat is asking all sorts of hard question, and
where a realization happens.
Chapter Notes
"Say it before you run out of time. Say it before it's too late. Say what you're feeling. Waiting is a
mistake." - Anonymous
Chapter 41: In Patience
The next day Teacher Fang was back and I managed to get pulled from the class to start forming a
golden core with the older disciples, getting stared at by twelve or so pre-teens isn't my idea of fun
but it was hard not to show my relief of not having to endure Teacher Fang's lecture.
Poor, poor Jiang Cheng.
Yes, poor, poor Jiang Cheng.
You're not going to brag about being rid of the old man, are you?
No, but it's going to be impossible not to look amused when he comes trudging back to the main
hall for supper and gripe about the lecture while all I did all morning was sit in a bamboo seat and
'circulate' energy into a sphere in my chest.
Which, let me tell you, is odd.
Whenever I dived inside of myself I could see an orb of light, energy, warm and bright and liquid. I
could just reach out and let the energy flow from the orb and into the rippling void beneath me,
allowing me to connect with the world around me, to see so much more than what is there.
They wanted me to instead grab all that liquid energy and make it into a solid shape in the center of
my chest.
At first, the task didn't seem to be so hard. All I had to was transfer this energy up to my chest and
make a marble out of it. Easy, right?
Wrong.
When are you ever not?
Ugh.
You could cup your hands full of liquid energy and carry it up to your chest easily enough, but the
furthest you were away from that little orb of light the thinnest the liquid got and the faster it slip
between your cupped hands.
So, by the time you got to the new 'energy deposit' in your chest, all you had to place in there were
one or two drops of energy.
I initially thought that it was because it was my first time, your first attempts at doing something
are always inevitably worse than your more practiced shots, but... It kept happening.
Over and over and over again.
After the sixth or seventh time it happened I kind of stopped and thought about the process. Either I
was doing something wrong, or the process was just inherently slow.
Going through novel information, my bet was that the process was just slow.
The thought irked me.
Not only were people cultivating an incomplete theory, their actual methods of cultivation were so
slow... I knew tortoises that could move faster than the rate at which these inexperienced kids
would be able to gather enough energy to form their golden cores.
What are you going to do about it?
I need to change it!
You sure about that?
Yes, I am sure! These people need to know-...
And who else?
...Uh?
You tell anyone about a different, more powerful method of cultivation and word will spread. It
could very help earnest, good, and friendly people, but it will also allow the exact opposite people
to do the same.
What would Wen Ruohan do if he knew of this? You might go 'he's already too old to use this
method' and that might be true, but his sons aren't.
The thought of Wen Chao or Wen Xu having the same power scale as I did, when they already
caused enough chaos in canon as is, was chilling.
I couldn't let that happen.
But that meant...
It means that your generation will not learn this. Maybe Wen Yuan's generation or their children's
generation, but not yours.
I grit my teeth and stared at the ever-flowing ball of light inside of me.
The knowledge to change peoples lives, and it needs to be kept secret because some would use it to
their own goals and ambitions.
I thought back on all the recipes the System provided me, all the materials, equipment, and sheer
amount of resources I could learn and grow from, survive out of, and just... just realized how
powerless I was at times.
What use was power if it could not be used? Or taught?
I was to build a better future, but doing so, aspiring to do so, could very well condemn a generation
to a needless war, needless pain and suffering.
You cannot stop the war from happening.
I know that.
You cannot control the actions of others.
I know that.
It's just that... It's just that I really thought that I could make a difference here.
You can.
I can't.
Madam Yu still compares Jiang Cheng to me, still hates me, and to make Jiang Cheng feel better
I'd have to compromise on my own growth, and I cannot do that. I cannot stop growing just
because this one child is being pitted against an adult inside a child's body.
I have to get stronger.
It's still not enough.
How do you know that?
Because if I cannot stop this war then I am powerless to stop hundreds, if not thousands or
millions, from dying.
If I cannot stop this war, I can only do damage control.
How much can I prevent?
How many can I possibly save?
How... How...
How weak.
I slammed my fists into the solid void beneath my feet, punching it over and over again, and
howling in anger.
It's still not enough.
I need more.
I need to be stronger.
I need more power.

More strength. More will. More time.
There still isn't enough time.
As if materialized by my thoughts above the glowing orb of light a countdown formed by glowing
blue letters forms.
I stare at the ticking down seconds, and at the remaining time.
Not enough time.
But it is the time you have. A wise man knows that time is always running out, what does he do?
He learns from the past, lives in the present and plans for the future.
I take a deep breath, calm my emotions down and lock my eyes on the swirling energy in front of
me, and then up at the countdown.
Not enough time.
So what does that mean?
I have no time to waste.
I get up and gather more liquid energy in my hands.
I would get stronger. I would get better. I would do better.
The war would come, of that I was certain, but the people it took, the people that remained...
Fixed events can only be delayed, never avoided.
Outcomes... Well... No one had said anything about fixed outcomes.
Play to win. Hold the cards close. Read the ones that remain on the deck.
Life is but a game.
And I am a terrible loser.
I joined Jiang Cheng for the afternoon lessons and started to show him various trapping knots I
used in night-hunting and in regular hunting. Teaching him was... peaceful. He was a good student,
despite his frequent jabs that I wasn't that much older than him and therefore shouldn't act like I
was his elder, and he learnt fast.
The theory at least, put theory into practice would have to wait.
I thought of teaching him how to use the bow but upon reflecting on it I decided it'd be best to ask
permission first. Agreeing to teach him was all well and good until he actually tried something I
taught him and ended up hurt because of it.
Plus, I didn't even know whether he was strong enough to pull the string back.
The only reason I had been able to do so was because I cheated.
Or, well, it wasn't exactly cheating... I just had a crutch others didn't.
Although, to be fair, if I had just woke up in a new world with a culture vastly different than my
own, in a completely different era, and had nothing to guide me or to at least provide a direction to
go towards, I wouldn't have lived for long.
I'd have totally panicked and gotten myself killed over something stupid.
You just might, with your track record of dubious decisions and actions I wouldn't put it past you to
get yourself killed over something minor.
Like?
Like someone badmouthing your parents and you punching them in the face.
Okay, first off I tried punching her in the stomach, secondly, I have every right to defend CangSe
and ChangZe's memories from every douchebag who thinks they can just talk about them however
they please just because they're dead.
You don't need to automatically resort to violence.
It's usually the fastest solution.
It's also the quickest way to offend someone you can't afford to antagonize.
Jeez, I get it already, I'm sorry. I'll try to not let it happen again.
You better.
"Are you even listening?" Jiang Cheng hisses at me.
"Not really, why?" I ask him in a soft voice.
"Why?! You're supposed to be learning!" He hisses again and pinches me.
I bat away his hand," He's talking about the different types of spirits."
"And you already know it?" He gives me an unconvinced look.
"I've encountered most of them," I shrug," But no, I just find it boring. No worries, I won't 'bring
shame' or whatever down on your family."
"Our family..." He grumbles.
I sigh," Your family," I tell him," I'm just... a foster disciple, of sorts."
I'm not even sure what I was, to be honest.
Technically I fell under the category of a Rogue Cultivator, since I performed on night-hunts and
held no association with any sects or clans, but my age would automatically send me to the
'apprentice' or 'disciple' category, since you were only considered a full-fledged cultivator once you
reached, at the very least, fourteen years of age.
Or your sect/clan decided you were ready and inducted you earlier.
Whichever happened first.
As the Bai Clan and I kept our close relationship secret, they could not induct me, therefore I
wasn't yet a cultivator. But, I wasn't a mere disciple either.
Somewhere in between?
Sure, let's go with that.
Jiang Cheng gave me a look that promised we'd be having this conversation at another, more
opportune, time.
I just hoped he would not tell Jiang FengMian and get the man more involved with my current
development in the sect.
Already, I was in advanced classes to form my golden core, with disciples three or four years older
than me, and would have a private tutor regarding my painting skills. Madam Yu hadn't been happy
about the latter, and I'd been quick to try and get Jiang FengMian to drop the matter, I had no need
or want of someone coming in and telling me how to paint, but, again, I had been overruled.
The Madam had been suspiciously quiet about the former, and I had felt something akin to a
foreboding feeling about her silence on the matter.
An augury of future conflicts?
God, I hope not.
Anyways, my week promised to be packed with things to do. Jiang Cheng stated we had a day and
a half to ourselves, without any lessons, but I doubted anyone would let me find peace and quiet to
scour through the YunmengJiang Sect in search of interesting books.
Well, any books really, since my goal was to read everything.
You could just ask.
...Ruin my fun, why don't you.
It's not supposed to be fun, it's supposed to be time-efficient.
I grumble under my breath but concede to the point.
I'll ask once the lesson is over, might help to keep me focused on lessons, reading about the
subject.
Or prove that you're actually learning something.
That too.
"Why don't you think of us as family?" Jiang Cheng got right to business once we settled down for
a meal.
Dinner time meal.
He did this on purpose, I realize as everyone stops eating to look at me, devious brat.
"You're not my family," I put down my chopsticks," They're your family and this is your home," I
state," I'm just... staying here, temporarily."
Jiang Cheng frowns," Temporarily?"
"For a short time," I clarify," I made a promise, eventually I'll have to leave to fulfill it."
Better to rip the bandage now and not get caught up in the whole 'you promised to stay by my side'
debacle.
"What promise?" Jiang Cheng asks.
I look down at my hands, the promise happened some time ago, but I still remember it clearly," I
promised my mother I'd become a great person, like her Shizun, and that I'd have my own
mountain."
"A mountain?" Jiang Cheng didn't understand how those two things could be related.
"So you're taking advantage of the Sect and then leave without any gratitude," Madam Yu sneers.
I stare at her with a steely look in my eyes," I did not ask to stay, I am perfectly fine with leaving, I
did not ask for your help, Ma'am."
Temper. Reign in your temper.
I took a deep breath and slowly breathed out, repeating it two more times before I felt in control
enough to stop.
"Ungrateful child," Madam Yu speaks," To belong to a sect is an unspeakable honor."
"An honor I did not request," I assert," I have stated, several times, that I was fine with my travels, I
did not walk through the gates by my choice alone," I point out.
"Wei Ying," Jiang FengMian intervenes," A child should not be alone on the streets."
"Words spoken whilst there are other hundreds of orphans of fellow rogue cultivators living off
trash and the generosity of strangers," His 'care' irks me," How am I different than them? Because
you knew my parents?"
Jiang FengMian's lips press into a thin line, and Madam Yu laughs," How different indeed! In
terms of manners and courtesy, you are clearly no better than a common street rat."
I smile genially," As you've said, Ma'am, I had no mother to teach me any manners."
Jiang Cheng and Jiang YanLi shift in their seats, uncomfortable, and I pull back on my animosity.
Be better.
I close my eyes and turn away, controlling my breathing again, and trying to bring down the
sizzling anger just starting to spark inside of me.
"I apologize," I turn back to Madam Yu," That was discourteous of me."
She does not reproach me, but she does snub me for the rest of the meal, which is spent in a tense
atmosphere.
Goddammit.
Honestly, every time I promised myself I wouldn't do this, I inevitably made things worse.
I kept myself not to antagonize the woman, there was absolutely no reason, no merit, in
antagonizing her. So why did I keep doing it?
I thought about it a lot as I ate, mulling over what it could possibly be about Madam Yu that just
raised my hackles.
I couldn't think of a reason, anything that was out of place with what I had expected her to be like,
nothing that screamed at me 'dislike, dislike, dislike' whenever I saw her or addressed her.
Truthfully, I just... didn't like her, but I didn't hate her either.
It was confusing.
I shook my head when my thoughts kept spiraling endlessly without a conclusion.
Best to take a break and ruminate about this with a fresh perspective, and awake mind.
I'd figure out the reason sooner or later.
Of course, that did not mean Jiang Cheng didn't restart his questions about my eventual departure
and why I had to leave in order to fulfill, in his mind, a weird promise to make.
"You can be a great person here!" He kept repeating.
"And the mountain?" I offer him a tired grin," I'm not leaving anytime soon, Jiang Cheng, not until
I'm not 'a child' in your father's eyes."
"But you'll still leave," He says, upset," What about teaching me?"
"I will teach you," I chuckle," But I won't be teaching you forever, you will eventually learn things
all on your own."
He frowns, I can vaguely see his troubled expression thanks to the moonlight coming in from the
bedroom window," But why do you have to leave?"
"Because I made a promise," I answer him for the nth time.
"Why? Why is that promise important?" He grumbles.
"If I promised you to stay by your side forever, and suddenly went back on my word and left,
would you be angry?" I asked him, already knowing he would be angry no matter what he told me
now.
He frowns harder and thinks about it," Yeah... If you promised you'd stay and then left that'd make
you a liar."
"And I'm not a liar," Not all the time, anyway," I already made that promise, to my parents, so I'll
have to keep it," I tell him.
"But you'll go away..." Jiang Cheng pulls his blanket closer to himself.
I turn to face him and prop my head up on my arm," When I leave it doesn't mean we won't ever
talk again, you just won't see me all the time," I reasoned," Besides, your sister you eventually
leave too, won't she? It's the same, we can still be friends, we can still talk and meet, I could still
teach you things. Just not all the time."
He glares at the wall behind me and then looks away," I don't want you to go."
I chuckled," You're the one that two days ago couldn't stand me knocking at your bedroom's door
asking to be let in."
He pouts and I believe he's flushing in embarrassment," It's different..." He mumbles.
"How so?" I ask him, amused.
"You're family now," He tells me.
I sigh, tiredly," Not family, platypus, I already had one, I don't want another."
Lies.
Jiang Cheng turns back to face me and his dark eyes show signs of tears," You're lying!"
I blink," How do you know?" I ask him instead of trying to deny it.
"Because you always get sad when I can you family! You miss them!" He answers me.
I chuckle again," Well, of course I miss them, I love them," I tell him," Took me a while to realize
it too," I add in a quieter tone.
I regret not treating them better than I had.
I regret not cherishing every moment we had together more.
I regret being falling asleep that night and letting them slip through my fingers without saying
goodbye.
"What do you mean?" Jiang Cheng asks softly, having obviously heard my change in voice tone.
I ponder on how to answer his inquiry, rolling back on my back and staring at the white ceiling.
"I... resented them," I finally tell him," They were gone almost every night and I got left behind. I
hated it," I continue," No matter how much I begged to go with them, I was always told no, so I
had to stay behind on an inn or park until they came back."
"I was... not lonely, but I didn't like the feeling of having to wait for them," I shrug despite
knowing he wouldn't really see it," So I used to be angry at them, I hated being left behind, and
since they kept doing it, I hated them."
"But you went on night-hunts with them!" Jiang Cheng tells me.
"Later, yes, not at first," I laughed," And even then I couldn't go very far from them and had to
obey to them at all times," I told him," But it was... fun. And I got to spend so much time with
them, I loved it. I wasn't left behind anymore, I felt... really happy."
"And then?" Jiang Cheng wonders.
"And then they died," My expression twists," They were gone and they were never coming back. I
was... so sad. I wanted them back. I wanted them to be right there with me again. But they weren't...
They never would be."
I sigh tiredly and look back at Jiang Cheng with a sad smile," I've had my family, I don't want to
replace it. So your family is your own, platypus, and I am fine with that."
Jiang Cheng wants to say something more but stays silent.
I nod," Let's go to sleep, okay?"
He reluctantly nods and closes his eyes to sleep.
I roll over and curl up in my blankets.
You can start fresh, you know?
I do not want to.
Liar. Your flaw is that you carry everything inside your soul like a bloody cross. You don't have to
do this alone.
I know.
You don't. You are ignoring a thousand helping hands in favor of walking across the hot coals and
burning all the bridges lent your way prematurely.
I am keeping the bridges intact, you know I am.
Not every bridge. Why not accept the Jiangs as family? Why keep your self at arms length?
Because Lotus Pier may burn?
Because it is not fair.
Not fair?
I did not call them my family for so long... I was pretending to be their son, yet at the same time, I
did not see them as my parents.
How can I welcome these people into my heart as family when I did not do the same with CangSe
and ChangZe?
Oh, darling...
I miss them.
I know.
It's like a hole inside my soul, it hurts.
I know, honey.
I can't replace them. I can't! I can't even think about feeling up that hole with more people, when I
treated them so bad.
You didn't.
I did.
You didn't.
I did! Ike, I did! I was just like her!

You were not. You weren't, and never will be, like that woman.
I tried to not let any tears fall from my eyes, concerned I'd wake Jiang Cheng up, but I had to cover
my head with the blanket just in case.
That woman was a bitter, and unloving, cruel human being. You have never, not once, displayed
any of her mannerisms or traits. You spent years of your life working to make others feel better,
even if it was just brewing a cup of tea and listening to them, you were there when they needed you.
That woman never was. She took, and took, and took and what she didn't take from you she'd
destroy.
You are not her, my darling, you've never been her.
I curled up into a tight ball and tried to focus on his words without getting lost on any trigger
memories.
But it was in doing so, in listening to his words, that a picture started taking place in my mind.
I saw a more youthful 'Mother' posing with my Father for a portrait by the fountain, just after they
were married.
And then the picture shifted, and when it settled there was a younger Madam Yu with a stern
expression standing dispassionately beside a smiling Jiang FengMian.
The thought clicked.
Why I detested Madam Yu even when trying and swearing to myself that I wouldn't rise to the bait
of antagonizing her.
She reminded me of Baroness Windsor.
Chapter End Notes
Sad chapter, yes I know, kill me. (It gets worse muahahahahaha *gets shot*)
Okay so, the Baroness title isn't actually a title, like they're not royalty anymore, it's
just a weird inherited thing? Of sorts? Idk, I wanted Marquis but that was higher up on
the social ladder (or so wiki says) so I went for Baroness.
Poor WWX and his complicated feelings about family.
As a side note, I have no idea how golden cores actually work so... yeah, I'll probably
contradict myself a few times and just go "aliens, that's how".
Impatience
Chapter Summary
Where resemblances do not mean the same person, where there's a lot of books, and
where being impatient is harmful to your continued well being.
Chapter Notes
"What good has impatience ever brought? It has only served as the mother of mistakes and the
father of irritation." - Steve Maraboli
Chapter 42: Impatience
When the thought appeared it made everything so much clearer.
Of course I wouldn't be able to stand the woman when on a subconscious level I was associating
her image with that of that despicable woman.
But they weren't the same.
Madam Yu loved her children dearly, she was angry that Jiang FengMian did not spend much time
with them, that he did not gaze at his son as he'd gaze at the son of another woman. The son of the
woman he had loved and lost years before. When Lotus Pier burnt the last thing she had done was
make sure her son would get out safely, and to make the child she had treated so horribly promise
to protect her son.
Order them to reunite with their sister, and to be safe.
Baroness Windsor would never have done that.
Baroness Windsor was a bitter old woman who viewed her only daughter as the biggest shame to
have befallen their house, and a personal failing of hers to have birthed such a reject, and who'd
done everything in her power, short of ordering my untimely demise, to make sure no one else
knew such a mistake existed.
I wouldn't be surprised if more distant relatives had been told the baby girl the Baroness had been
expecting had been a stillborn, if only to prevent any questions about how I was doing.
Or to appear on any family portraits or christmas postcards.
When I had left that house I had, for the first time ever, actually walked the streets and interacted
with the world without any lines to recite or governesses looking over my shoulder.
It felt freeing.
And terrifying.
Madam Yu was not Baroness Windsor.
She wasn't. And I needed to come to terms with that.
The way they'd look down on me and act so superciliously towards me, held great resemblance
with how Baroness Windsor used to look at me.
But there were differences.
There was a reason as to why Madam Yu hated me, the Baroness had no such excuse.
I had done nothing to deserve her hatred, negligence, and abuse.
In parallel, I had done nothing for Madam Yu to dislike me prior to coming to YunmengJiang,
although I wouldn't say the same since I arrived.
...I could work with that?
I thought about it, letting words and thoughts mesh together and forming roots and branches in the
garden growing out the black void that was my mind, and decided that yes, I could work with her.
Look past her issues and see the person.
It will take time.
Yes... Changes always do.
You might not change anything.
I know, more than anything I know that I am not omniscient.
It is not your problem to solve.
I know, I pull the blanket off my face and rub my eyes, but I'll be solving many other people's
problems in the future.
So you'll use this a practice run?
You have to walk before you can run.
How very not Tony Stark of you.
I snorted and covered my mouth, looking worriedly at Jiang Cheng but he remained asleep.
Don't make me laugh like that!
I just remembered something.
What?
Did you remember to write to your pen-pals?
...
My eyes widen.
Oh, no.
Nice dreams!
Goddammit, Ike!
Love you, dearest!
Go drown in a puddle, why did you have to remind me of that!
He was already hiding somewhere in my mind so there was no reply. I threw an arm over my face
and groaned, quietly, sulking at my horrible luck.
I just knew ShouShan would send back a reply if only to laugh at my misery.
The next day everyone pretended that last night's dinnertime discussion hadn't happened and I went
along with it, I didn't want to rock the boat any more than I already had, today was another Teacher
Fang day for Jiang Cheng and another session of carrying drops of liquid energy up to my chest,
something I wasn't exactly looking forward to due to how boring the repetition got, and how slow
the process was, but the afternoon lessons were more interesting.
History and heraldry in this place was interesting.
Despite having magic and otherworldly beings crawling about at night, their technological
developments were... sub-par at best, well, on some things. Flying swords did sound pretty damn
cool.
But, again, such things were only available to cultivators, and only the ones with the money to
afford such items, which made for a very imbalanced society.
I needed to write to Yan MingXia and get her thoughts on this, now that I could get replies back,
and ShouShan's too. I'd need to remind Lan XiChen and Lan WangJi not to use their actual names
in their replies, I wasn't sure if I wanted our relationship to be public.
With the scrutiny the letters would get when they started coming, it'd be best to play it as if they
were just simple GusuLan Sect disciples and not its heirs.
That won't work forever, especially not when you go to Gusu yourself.
If I can keep our relationship from being exposed for seven years I'll be grateful enough not to
complain when my inevitable bad luck comes right around the corner and kicks me in the balls.
It's almost like you're hiding a secret affair, my dear.
Goddammit, Ike, it's too early for this.
Madam Yu finished eating and got up, leaving with a few clipped words to Jiang YanLi to remind
her of lessons, and a fleeing glance in Jiang Cheng's direction.
Damn uptight types of women.
Temper.
I am perfectly calm.
Uh Uh, pull the other one its got bells on it.
I sigh through my nose and focus on eating the last bun on my plate and the rest of my soup.
Today was going to be a long day and I wanted it done and over with. I had letters to write, excuses
to come up with, check in on Donkey and try to find Yunru to make sure she hadn't gotten herself
caught by a miffed disciple.
Also, I wanted to paint that platypus picture for Jiang Cheng, and maybe a few more to send with
the letters.
And I also promised to paint YanLi's portrait when I had the time.
Which reminded me...
"Books," The word comes out of my mouth.
"Uh?" Jiang Cheng gives me a confused look.
"We have those history books to study in class," I think of an excuse fast," I wonder if there are
more books like that."
"Of course there are!" Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes," The YunmengJiang has a Sect Library full of
books! So wh-..."
He stops when he notices the stars in my eyes.
"Lots of books?" I ask him, playing up my act," A whole room full of books?"
Jiang Cheng reddens slightly but straightens up his spine and turns his nose up in the air, so
reminiscent of his mother it was adorable," Yes, a room full of books! The YunmengJiang has one
of the best and most extensive libraries in the Great Sects, short only of GusuLan who is an older
Sect."
"Ooh," I gasp in wonderment," Can I see the library?"
Jiang Cheng gives me another odd look before quickly looking away," Disciples of the Sect are
allowed inside to study, but you cannot remove any books without permission," He explains," I can
take you there after lunch," He offers.
I smile brightly at him," Yes, thanks, platypus!"
Jiang Cheng chokes on his own spit and turns, face flaming red, towards me," Stop calling me
that!"
My smile turns into a wicked grin and I quickly reach out to pinch his cheek," Nope! You're my
adorable shidi, the platypus!"
Jiang FengMian chuckles and YanLi covers her mouth primly with her sleeve.
Jiang Cheng reddens even more and bats my hand away," Stop! Or I'll call you something too!"
"Oh?" My eyes gleam," What brilliant nickname can you come up for me?"
Jiang Cheng closes his lips into a thin line, thinking, before looking away," I will think of
something!"
I prop my head up on my hand and smile at him,"Mn, I'll be waiting then."
He grumbles something under his breath and goes back to eating breakfast.
I wanted to keep this as is. This attitude, this energy, this peaceful atmosphere.
I wanted a better tomorrow where this scene didn't have to change.
I close my eyes and offer a silent prayer to whatever deity is out there.
Let him be happy. Let him grow up loved. Let him be himself.
I kind of trudged back to the main hall for lunch and just sat down with a sigh, massaging at my
chest with a grimace.
"Are you hurt?" Jiang Cheng asks, eyeing me with concern.
"No, just sore, and tired," I groan," It doesn't hurt but you have to continuously keep your energy
circulating for hours, I'm not used to doing that. When I night-hunt I don't waste needless energy,
just spark up once or twice, the rest of the time is good old fashioned track-and-capture," I explain
to him.
He blinks," But cultivators always use Chi when night-hunting!" He tells me.
I shrug," Well, no one told me that, so why would I suddenly start doing it?" I grumble.
I had Talents for that, and Stats, and Advantages.
You've been spoilt by the System.
I have not!
You totally have.
You're just jealous of my greatness.
I live inside your brain, I share in your greatness.
So what are you complaining about, freeloader?
Oh, is that how it's going to be, dearest?
Love you, Ike!
"A-Cheng, A-Ying," YanLi enters the hall," How were lessons?"
Jiang Cheng grumbles and I groan, causing her to laugh and come sit on the table beside us," You
must work hard, this JieJie is happy to see you growing strong."
Jiang Cheng preens up and I open my mouth to needle him when Madam Yu enters the hall, my
mouth shuts close with a click.
Better to remain quiet and not accidentally say the wrong thing.
Good tactic.
"Hello, Mother," YanLi smiles," Is Father joining us?"
"Your Father is busy," Madam Yu answers," Jiang Cheng, how was Master Fang's lesson?" She
asks upon sitting down at her table.
Jiang Cheng straightens and goes on to explain what was discussed that morning.
Sounds dreadfully boring.
I'd have fallen asleep sitting up before the ten minute mark.
I don't doubt it.
"Wei Ying," Madam Yu turns to me and I repress a flinch,"How was... your lesson?" She asks.
I blink, bewildered and confused, before answering her," Teacher Xu discussed the methods of
keeping your Chi circulating for long periods of time, and had us cultivate continuously until the
lesson was over. If the disciples stopped for a moment they would be hit with Teacher Xu's ruler,
Ma'am."
And hadn't that brought back memories.
Madam Yu nods and turns to YanLi," How were lessons with Mistress Zhu?"
YanLi smiles genially at her, and once again I imagine the flowers and rainbows blossom around
her head," They went well, Mother. Mistress Zhu said that I would be able to start the next forms
soon."
Next forms? What?
I tried not to look too curious and failed. Not that Jiang Cheng was any better.
YanLi smiled at us but did not disclose any more information.
"I'm taking Wei Ying to the Library after lunch, A-Jie, do you want to come with?" Jiang Cheng
asks her.
I twitch.
Kid, you're going to get me killed.
"The Library?" Madam Yu turns back to Jiang Cheng," Why are you taking him there?"
The unsaid 'when he's like that' rings loud and clear in my head, and I withheld a sigh.
"He wondered if there were more books on history," Jiang Cheng answered," It's one of the only
classes he actually pays attention."
"It is not," I mutter.
I'm ignored.
"History?" Madam Yu gets another one of those odd looks in her eyes," What is so fascinating
about history?" She asks me.
I ponder on how to answer that for a moment.
"I guess... How things were before, what happened and how they happened," I muse aloud," It's
interesting, at least to me, especially since I've passed many areas where great battles happened but
there's nothing that indicates that they did. It's like the land just... forgot, I guess."
YanLi and Jiang Cheng give me surprised looks, astonished I could say such deep words, and I
flush red," What?!" I yelp.
"You sound much older than what you are," YanLi tells me.
I look away, embarrassed.
Madam Yu doesn't say anything else and the meal continues in silence, Jiang Cheng hurries me to
finish eating so that we can get a move on, but I grumble that I want to appreciate eating, getting
another odd look from Madam Yu, but eventually comply.
The faster I knew where to find the Library, the quicker I started reading everything that there was
to read in there.
Those were a lot of books.
And scrolls.
And so much paper.
I blinked at the shelves shock full of historic events, weather phenomena, and lineages upon
lineages of people and couldn't help the giddy skip to my steps as I wondered around marveling at
the sight.
"They're just books," Jiang Cheng was muttering to the bemused YanLi," What's so special about
books?"
"Hush, A-Cheng," YanLi smiled," Look how happy he is."
I was happy. Oh, god, was I happy.
Where do we start?
By topic? By shelf? Start on one end and work towards the other? By rows?
So many options!
You're starting to sound a bit crazy.
Squee!
My inner bookworm had just died and ascended to the Heavens. I was in paradise.
I find myself a little niche in one corner and grab a history book, getting right to it.
"That's what you're doing all for the remaining lunch hour?" Jiang Cheng groans.
"Yup!" I cheerfully reply losing myself in the words I was reading," You're welcome to join me."
"Heavens no! I'm going to spar with the other disciples!" He tells me with a huff and leaves, Jiang
YanLi stays for a few minutes longer before leaving also.
And then there's just me and the books.
And Ike.
I'm kind of offended I was merely an afterthought.
Priorities.
Darling, you wound this poor heart of mine.
Sorry not sorry.
As lovely as always.
You betcha'!
He grumbles under his breath and settles down to read the book with me, occasionally offering
some input to the words written and comments about how stupid some people's plans and tactics
were.
It was fun.
I missed this.
My mountain would definitely have a place like this.
A place full of knowledge and history, where people could come and go to learn, to remember past
events, a place that immortalized names and memories forever.
Ink on paper, how ephemeral yet long lasting.
Don't get poetic now.
I chuckle breaking the silence of the library and turn the page, engrossed in my reading.
Time flies when you're having fun, and just as I was halfway through my third book an annoyed
Jiang Cheng comes to yank me out of the library, stating we were almost late for lessons.
I moaned in despair at having to leave the library, and shamelessly clutched at the door frame
making a scene that infuriated (and embarrassed) Jiang Cheng, culminating in getting dragged to
the classroom.
YanLi couldn't stiffle her giggles at dinner and Jiang FengMian's lips curved upwards as Jiang
Cheng raged at my mortifying behavior and I moped over my dinner.
Madam Yu hadn't said a word but her eyebrow kind of twitched before she put on a stony facade.
I weighed the odds of her planning my demise before going back to moping.
It had been such an interesting chapter too!
I couldn't wait for tomorrow.

You're getting into so much trouble.
Trouble is my middle name!
It will also be your cause of death in your tombstone.
Don't be such a stick-in-the-mud, Ike!
It's your funeral.
I rolled my eyes and effortlessly climbed out of the window of the bedroom, and walking across
the rooftop towards the library, Yunru had joined me on my nightly excursion, having spent her
day goofing around the training yard and jumping at distracted people's heads, and poked her head
out of her satchel.
The weather was cold and dry right now so expertly traversing from the residential wing of the
Sect to the place where the library was at, wasn't that hard.
And more, there were a lot of windows I could use to get inside the building that had no locked
doors.
I was a genius.
You are a budding rogue who has, to this point in time, not only looted a whole basement of
contraband, and walked away unscathed, but need I remind you about that week in Qishan with the
Magistrate's house?
...
...So?
No... No, Ike, you don't need to remind me. Ow, you really hit where it hurts.
Just making sure you didn't think you got these 'skills' by doing nothing.
But you've got to admit, that week in Qishan was pretty spectacular.
...It was... interesting.
Pssh, sure, just interesting. It's not like I completely ruined that bastard's life.
You went fully Robin Wood on that one, I'll admit to that.
Aah~ Good times...
I climbed up a classroom window and slowly eased the door open, keeping an ear out, but
everything was dead quiet. I entered the hallway and closed the door softly behind me, moving
silently towards the library on nimble footsteps.
When I reached the library door I couldn't help but give myself a pat on the back.
I was awesome.
I made my way back to where the book I had been reading was and positioned myself under a
window so I could use the moonlight to read. Wasn't the best method but I couldn't risk using a
lamp and have the light be seen by anyone.
Thankfully *Keen Sight* made matters easier.
I lost myself in my reading, sure that I could sneak back into the bedroom before dawn and no one
would know I had snuck out during the night.
As my track record for situations like this should indicate, I was wrong.
"What," The sudden voice startles me so bad I drop the book I had just started reading, I look up
with a shocked expression to see Madam Yu staring down at me with an unimpressed expression
on her face," Are you doing?"
"Reading, Ma'am?" I thoughtlessly answer.
You have a death wish.
I do not.
A total death wish!
I do not!
Madam Yu's eyes blaze with ire and she opens her mouth to, no doubt, rant at me, but before she
can do that Jiang Cheng bursts in the Library.
The window was visible from the door, which made me wonder just how Madam Yu got in here
without me noticing, and he stared at me and then looked up at his infuriated mother.
You have the shittiest luck, and I am loving this!
Goddammit, Ike.
Madam Yu looks from Jiang Cheng, who gulps and visibly cowers under his mother's unimpressed
stare, and then turns her eyes back on me.
You're getting blamed for this.
I didn't ask him to come here! I don't even know what he's doing here! How is here? He's supposed
to be asleep!
Like I've told you many times, my darling, you have the world's shittiest luck.
I let out a mournful sigh, resigning myself to my fate.
"You two," Madam Yu speaks slowly, as if physically restraining herself to not start shouting at
the nth hour of the night," Back to your bedroom. We will talk in the morning," She said before
glaring at me," Do not attempt to leave the bedroom until the morning, or else."
That was a death threat if I ever heard one.
Ike... Please... Stop...
Jiang Cheng nods quickly and grabs me, dragging me back to his room.
"You are so dead," He hisses at me," What was so important it couldn't wait?!"
I don't answer him, only let out another mournful sigh.

Goddammit.
Chapter End Notes
I really like Ike. I really, really, really do like writing Ike's input on conversations.
Ike's my spirit animal. Or the changeling on my shoulder. Same thing.
What do you think Jiang Cheng's nickname for WWX will be?
And, poor WWX, he just can't catch a break to read his precious books XD
Morning
Chapter Summary
Where there's a tense morning, where Wei Ying should just not speak, and there's a
breakdown.
And some people have the worst timing in history to bother you during said
breakdown.
Chapter Notes
Name is a play on words (to the non-english speakers) Morning sounds like Mourning.
...Yeah, because that's not ominous at all, is it? (Muahahahahahah)
"There should have been a better farewell. But in the end, there never is. And we take what meager
scraps we can find." - Richard K. Morgan
Chapter 43: Morning
When the sun peeked through the window I was already wide awake and going through scenarios
of how my death was going to occur. From a modern perspective, getting out of bed at nth hour of
the night to go read some books wasn't the worst thing I could've done.
I hadn't even sounded any alarms off!
Which didn't explain how Madam Yu even found me.
Yunru curled up against my head and made this odd purr sound, the 'there there, stop moping'
pratically visible in a thought bubble over her head.
I sighed.
Seriously, I had done nothing wrong!
You were out of bed and sneaking around.
I grumbled under my breath and Yunru made the purring sound again.
The world was against me!
Oh, yes, the injustice of preventing you from reading a history book under the moonlight instead of
waiting for daytime to do it.
I pouted.
It's not fair... I want to read!
Well, you won't be reading anything any time soon now, get ready to face the music.
I groan and roll out of bed, getting my robes on and brushing my hair, Jiang Cheng was still asleep
and I needed something to distract myself with, so I ended up deciding to do several hairstyles and
undoing them until he woke up.
Anything to buy myself more time.
Delaying the inevitable.
I did not offer that a response.
Eventually Jiang Cheng woke up just as I was finishing a braided bun on my head, which was
somewhat crooked due to lack of practice, and he blinks.
"You never put your hair in a bun," He yawns.
"I'm bored," I tell him, undoing it," You were still asleep and I'm not leaving this room alone."
The events of last night flood back into his conscious mind and he pales, then reddens," Mother is
angry because of you! If you hadn't left the room-...!"
"You did not have to come get me!" I throw my hands up," Your mother would've yelled at me or
something but you just had to show up, now we're both in trouble!" I press my hands to the sides of
my head.
I just knew there was a migraine incoming.
Jiang Cheng frowns and presses his lips into a thin line, getting out of bed and angrily putting his
own robes on.
Great, now you've upset the kid.
I sigh," I'm sorry," I apologize," I know you were only trying to help me."
"You were gone..." He mumbles.
"Uh?" I blink confused.
"You were gone! I woke up and your bed was empty!" He yells," I thought you'd left!"
Oh.
Sh*t.
"But then I saw that your things were still on the bed, so I thought that maybe you'd went to the
stables to be with your donkey," He continues," But you weren't there either!"
Honestly, the thought that he remembered to search the stables made him look so cute, grouchily
stomping towards Donkey's stall, opening the door ready to yell at me, and finding the hay stack
empty of a lil'me, and Donkey probably giving him an 'excuse me, how rude' look.
"So I thought of calling A-Jie to help me look for you!" He cried," But then I remember how much
you liked the library!" He sobbed.
He, honest to god, just started sobbing.
Oh, sh*t!
I quickly drop the hairbrush and rush to him, semi-frantic because crying kids were my weakness
('cute things are your weakness'), and if anyone passing by the door suddenly heard him start
crying they'd have my head on a stick.
"Hey, hey! Don't cry, shh..." I hugged him and he put his face on my shoulder," I'm sorry! Were
you scared? I told you I wouldn't leave you!" I rub his back," When I do leave, I promise to tell
you, okay? I'll never leave without saying goodbye!"
"Y-y-y-you p-p-promise?" He sobbed.
"I promise!" I hurriedly told him.
"Jiang Cheng will remember that!"
The words popped up before my eyes with a cheery little bell sound.
Ah! Your shitty luck strikes again!
Goddammit.
"A-Cheng? A-Ying? Is everything alright?" YanLi's voice sounded from the other side of the door.
I immediately opened my mouth to tell her everything is fine when Jiang Cheng beats me to the
punch.
"Jieeeee!" He cries.
Strike two!
Goddammit!
The door slams open and a worried YanLi rushes inside, eyes immediately locking on me hugging
a crying Jiang Cheng.
"Oh! What happened?" She hurries to our side and Jiang Cheng attaches himself to her.
I got to step away from them when both of them grab me and pull me on the hug.
Feel the love, dear, feel the love~
Goddammit...
"Mother is going to kill us!" Jiang Cheng wails.
I sigh," She's not going to kill you... Me? Probably, but what else is new," I mutter into YanLi's
robes.
YanLi makes a questioning noise and Jiang Cheng starts telling her what happened last night.
Halfway through I peek at her, see her disapproving face, and look back down.
They were younger than me! How did she manage to make me feel like a child caught stealing
from the cookie jar?!
Younger body, less control over your emotions and impulses.
I have exc-...
The last few days in YunmengJiang kind of flutter by the forefront of my mind.
You were saying?
Nothing.
No, go on, what were you going to say?
"A-Cheng," YanLi pushes us back slightly so she can crouch to be at our eye-level," You don't
have to cry, I'm sure Mother is only angry because you were out of bed, she's not going to punish
you harshly," She assures him.
You know...
What?
You should take lessons from her.
Lessons on what?
How to reassure people, how to keep calm, how to be as sweet and gentle as her.
I thought about it. Honestly, there were worse role models out there to base my behavior on, but I
don't think I could keep up the genial and sunny personality YanLi has going for her.
I swear the girl was a reincarnation of GuanYin.
"And A-Ying," She turns to me," What you did was dangerous!" She scolds," What if you had
gotten hurt?"
"By going to the Library?" I could help but doubt," I wasn't bothering anyone..."
YanLi sighs," Little boys should be in bed at night! There's a curfew and you broke it, Mother will
punish you but she's not going to hurt you."
Right, making me kneel under the autumn sun was just a common occurrence.
Given the time period, it probably is.
I sigh and nod.
"Now, let's get you cleaned up," She tells the sniffling Jiang Cheng," And then let's go down to eat
breakfast."
We both nod and I go to tie my hair in the usual ponytail I ended up defaulting to, when Jiang
Cheng turns to me with a pout.
"What?" I ask him with suspicious eyes.
"I want to wear that bun you had when I woke up," He pouts.
I blink, slowly, and process his words," You want me to do your hair?"
He nods and Jiang YanLi, who was sitting on his bed, covers her smile, watched the scene play out
with bemused eyes.
I sigh in a defeated way and pluck my hairbrush off of my bed, gesturing him to come to me.
"Stay still," I tell him and start brushing his hair, careful to work upwards to deal with knots, and
start humming almost subconsciously.
"What song is that?" Jiang Cheng asks.
"Hm?" I blink," What song?" I'm confused.
"You were humming," YanLi chuckles.
"I was?" Habits were hard to beat.
"You were," She tells me, and then hums the same melody.
"Aah!" I recognize the tune," Steady as the beating drum, Singing to the cedar flute~/Seasons go
and seasons come, Bring the corn and bear the fruit~" I sing.
"I don't recognize that song," YanLi smiles.
"It's mine," I tell her, no copyrights were a wonderful thing.
"Really?" Jiang Cheng sounds shocked and flick his head.
"I did sing in taverns to get a free room," I inform them," Want to hear the rest?"
"I do," YanLi smiles," It sounds like a nice song."
It was, one of my favorite disney movies, and perhaps a story I could later tell them.
I sing the rest of the song while putting Jiang Cheng's hair up in a rather elaborate braided bun,
attaching a small simple hair clip thing to keep it in place.
"There," I pat his shoulder," All done, can we go eat now?"
Truthfully, it took me less time doing said hairstyle on someone else than to recreate it on my own
hair.
"It looks really pretty, A-Cheng," YanLi smiled and smoothed his robes, before turning to me and
doing the same with a smiling face.
I tried not to flush a deep red.
This girl was a saint and no one could ever tell me otherwise, I swear she'd be the picked to
become a goddess somewhere.
And all she gets in life is that Jin ZiXuan.
He doesn't deserve her.
Love is love.
Urgh.
Speaking of love!
No! No! Oh, God, no! We are not starting this discussion! Again!
I gently push Jiang Cheng out the door," Gogogogogo..." I tell him.
"Why in such a hurry?" He grumbles.
"Maybe your mother will love your hair so much, she forgets about me!" I grin jokingly.
"So you're using me as bait?" He bats away my hands.
"Exactly!" I cheer," You're so smart, platypus!"
Jiang Cheng makes an annoyed growl and pushes me.
I laugh and push him back, carefully not to throw the kid into anything.
Jiang YanLi sighs and ushers both of us in the direction of the main hall.
Madam Yu hadn't arrived yet and I briefly thanked a lucky star, and sat down on one of the tables
with Jiang Cheng next to me. There were already plates on the table and I followed the siblings
example and waited for either Jiang FengMian or Madam Yu to arrive.
Thankfully, it was Jiang FengMian who arrived first, greeting us with a soft 'Good morning' and
stopped to talk to us before moving to his own desk.
"New hairstyle, A-Cheng?" FengMian smiles," It suits you."
Of course it does, I did it!
Jiang Cheng essentially preens and sits straighter, evidently pleased with himself, and YanLi and I
share amused looks.
"Careful, Platypus," I bait him," Or you might turn into a peacock!"
Jiang Cheng goes red and pinches my cheek," Stop calling me that!"
"Neber!" I laugh as he pinches my cheek.
"Boys," YanLi tuts us, but FengMian only chuckles.
"Let them," He tells her," Boys will be boys."
"Yes, quite," Madam Yu's sudden remark startles us and Jiang Cheng immediately lets go of my
cheek.
How the hell was that woman bypassing all of my senses?
Obviously she's better than you.
...
What?
That makes so much sense.
Ike laughs at me in the back of my mind.
Did you honestly believe you were the only person capable of sneaking around?
...No?
Idiot.
"'Boys will be boys'," Madam Yu sneers," Which was why I found those two out of bed during the
night, all the way on the other side of the Sect Compound," She tells FengMian.
The man blinks before the gears turn in his head and his eyes widen sightly, he frowns and turns to
give a stern look to Jiang Cheng and I," What were you two doing?"
"We weren't doing anything," I explain," I snuck out and Jiang Cheng got out of bed to find me, it
wasn't his fault!" I tell him,"...Sir," I add lamely.
Jiang Cheng elbows me," I chose to go look for him, and he wasn't causing trouble!" He hurries to
tell his father.
Honestly, kid, take the easy way out!
Against better judgement, the kid actually likes you.
Why the hell do you sound so surprised?
Nothing.
"Yes," Madam Yu walks closer to us," Your choice to break curfew, which you are well aware
exists, to find this... this boy, when you had no idea where he could be!" She scolds.
Jiang Cheng looks down not meeting her eyes, effectively cowed.
"Jiang Cheng thought I was leaving," I tell her," He was looking for me to keep me from leaving,
which I wasn't doing," I quickly add when FengMian looks ready to blow a gasket over that
statement.
"No," Madam Yu looks down on me," He was reading."
What the hell?! Was reading a frikin' crime?
"Reading?" Even FengMian looked confused.
"I found him in the Library, in total darkness, starting to read a book under the moonlight," Madam
Yu told him," After having walked on the roof of the Sect, jumped through a window and made
his way into the Library," She elaborates.
Jiang Cheng slowly turns to look at me with wide eyes.
I blink.
"Oh," I intelligently say.
"Do you know how dangerous that is?" FengMian turns to me with a stern expression," You could
have fallen off the roof!"
"I'm used to doing it, though," I tell them.
You're such an idiot.
I blink and process my own worlds before closing my eyes and wishing for a hole to hide in.
"Why were you walking on roofs?" FengMian asks.
I remain tight lipped and silent.
"Wei Ying," FengMian tries again," Answer me!"
I stubbornly stay silent.
"Clearly, you brought home more than you bargained for," Madam Yu laughs at her husband,"
You two," She points at Jiang Cheng and I," You're dismissed from lessons today, go kneel at the
Ancestral Hall, Wei Ying in front of the honor altar," She instructs.
Honor altar?
Jiang Cheng quickly hurries to comply and grabs me firmly by the arm.
"Come on," He hisses," Before Mother gets any angrier."
"She's always angry," I mutter, and get smacked on the arm for my troubles," Right, your mother,
sorry."
He leads me to a separate building in the back of the Sect with very ornate doors and banners
hanging down from the beams. And we get sympathetic glances by older disciples, apparently
kneeling in the Ancestral Hall isn't infrequent.
"Come on!" Jiang Cheng pulls me harder.
"I don't get why I have to kneel before your ancestors," I tell him.
"You're kneeling in front of my ancestors," He rolls his eyes," You're kneeling in front of the honor
altar."
"Who is at the honor altar then?" I ask him, indulgently.
"I don't know," He answers," They were friends of my Father, I think, he was very sad when their
ashes were brought in."
The smile slips off my face instantly.
Instead a ball of lead drops on my stomach.
The ashes of CangSe Sanren and Wei ChangZe had been brought to YunmengJiang years ago.
Oh no...
Oh no.
OH NO!
Ike!
I took a sharp intake of air and felt my hair stand on end.
It couldn't be.
Calm down. Breathe. Don't scare the kid.
I focus on Jiang Cheng's grip on my arm and let out the frozen air in my lungs.
Stay calm. Everything is alright. Be calm.
Yes.
I took shuddering breaths quietly, calming my racing heart, and fought the uneasiness swirling in
my stomach.
Inside, there wasn't much light, the sun still hadn't completely invaded the building, but there was
the smell of incense and of offerings.
"The honor altar is there," Jiang Cheng points to a different wing," Go kneel there and don't dare
leave before my Mother tells you to."
He lets go of my arm and walks deeper into the Ancestral Hall.
I stand there before the intersection connecting to the wing and find myself rooted to the spot.
You're going to have to enter there one way or another.
I am afraid.
It isn't an easy admission to make.
I am right here with you.
I take a deep breath and step forward.
Step by step I inch closer to where the Honor Altar had to be.
I can't bring myself to look as I walk closer and my eyes focus instead on my feet.
I am afraid, Ike.
I am here.
By my feet I can see the base of the altar, and feel the strong smell on incense.
Look up.
I can't.
You can. Look up.
I close my eyes and lift up my head.
Open your eyes.

I... I...
It is alright. Open your eyes.
I am afraid.
I am right here. You are not alone.
I slowly open my eyes and my lungs freeze at what's atop the altar.
There was an intricate sculpted incense burner in the shape of a lotus flower in the center of the
altar, with two empty plates to hold offerings on either side of it, and candles unlit decorating the
altar.
There are two plaques with their names carved on them, and painted in the YunmengJiang purple,
secured on the wall the altar rests against.
And underneath the name plaques there's a stand.
Holding two things I never thought I'd ever see again.
This isn't canon.
This isn't a story.
This isn't a game.
It hurts...
Being held on that stand were ChangZe's and CangSe's swords.
They were my parents swords.
I reverently let my fingertips brush across the sword sheaths, feeling the cool material, and my eyes
immediately watered.
Ike stayed silent, knowing to leave me to my grief, for just a few moments longer.
I traced the characters on both their swords, my mother's JianYu and my father's HuiZhong, and I
clutched at them, at the link they gave me to the both of them.
Knowing they were here, how could I bear to leave them behind?
You can't take them with you.
These belong to them!
And as such they are present on their altar, the closest they can be to them.
My hand goes to clasp the pendant hanging from my neck.
They should be with me.
They should be here.
Why did they have to die?

Follow canon, allow canon to pass, let these people disappear, do not see them as people but
characters on paper...
Impossible.
I love them.
I did not say those words to them often enough.
Looking back, nothing was ever enough.
It hurt...
I leaned on the altar to rest my hand on their swords, crying silently into my arm, and feeling
hopelessly alone.
You are not alone.
I knew I wasn't.
But there were no arms around me. No welcoming hug or a kiss. No warmth.
I miss them, so much.
I miss my family.
Old and new, the people I'd grown old beside of, watching them grow, and those that I'd grown to
love, that I'd watched glow with so much love and kindness and life.
And I missed them.
An ache that kept on throbbing no matter what you tried to do to stop it.
A hole that just kept getting wider and wider in the very center of your being.
Grief was... agonizing.
You thought you'd be ready for when the time come, but time sneaks up on you at the worst
moments, no matter your preparation you are never ready to meet it.
And then you tell yourself, it's okay, we can move on.
But you can't.
You can't because it hurts, it hurts so bad you can't even think, you can't do anything, you just...
hurt.
You can't stay still.
I know.
You have to keep moving.
I know.
Time is running out.

I KNOW!
In my mind I howl at the sky, scream to the very heavens for the injustice they pile on these two
small shoulders, the weight of responsibility and duty, and honor, and devotion the just press down
on me.
Millions of things could go wrong, I could change things and turn this world into a wasteland
devoid of life, so many things that could turn south.
But they won't.
How do you know?
Because I know you.
I know you, and I know what you are like. And I am certain that whoever placed you in this world
knew it too.
To play the game of life is to play blindfolded with only a handful of cards and trying to get the
rest of the stack. And you, my dearest, are playing it beautifully.
Don't give up. Keep going. Keep moving.
You can do this.
I can't.
You can. Do you know why?
Why?
Because you are not alone. See those two blades beneath your hand? Do you know who they
belonged to?
Of course I know who they belonged to! What are you tal-...
They belonged to the first two people who looked at you and said 'I believe you'. The first ones who
held you close and taught you to be yourself. Who never doubted you would take this world by
storm.
It hurts...
You can't stop now. You can't stop here. You made a promise to them, remember? You promised-...
That I would have my mountain.
A mountain that everyone would stare in awe of.
A better future.
I know my promise.
Then hold that promise tight in your hand, hide it deep inside your heart, and remember this:
You are not alone.
I open my eyes to see their name plaques glow as the morning sky filters in.
The water and tears run down my face, I can't stop them no matter how I rub at my eyes.
It hurts.
I miss them.
I wanted them here.
It's okay to cry, to miss them, to just... cling to the ideal of them. But you must keep moving.
I know.
I know!
I just...
I miss them so much.
"When he had them brought here I despised the idea of having them inside this Ancestral Hall,"
Madam Yu speaks from behind me, and I hear her footsteps draw closer to me.
I don't move from my position, still clutching at the swords, and hiding my face in my arm, awash
with tears, and do react to her presence.
Already Ike had a mantra for me to remain calm no matter what.
I just felt empty.
It hurt...
"When they said their child was missing I first thought that they'd find your body soon enough,"
She told me," That my husband's search for you would be in vain."
"But it wasn't," She paused," News spread of a child going on night-hunts. Ludicrous. A sham,"
She scoffs," But it wasn't."
No, it wasn't.
"When he swore he'd bring you here I knew that I wouldn't be able to stand you," She told me,"
And the more time passed, the longer he kept searching for you, the stronger my hate grew."
I remain silent. I wasn't sure if she even wanted me to say anything.
"And then you arrive, and you are nothing like I expected you to be," She says," You do not act
like a child should-..."
"I am not a child," I tell her, voice raw," I'm no longer a child."
Chapter End Notes
Tissues anyone? *presents box*

CangSe's sword JianYu means "Building the Universe" (fitting, in terms of
personality) and ChangZe's HuiZhong means "Wise Loyalty" (again, to fit his
personality and past with JFM)
The names were selected by me, seriously knowing they had to have had swords, and
that nothing remained of them after they died (in canon) always bothered me.
So here, because there was such a huge scandal, everything that had on them the
moment they died was sent to Lotus Pier along with the ashes.
Also, AGF!WWX mental state flip-flops at times (there's a reason for this) so he'll try
to be happy even when he's not really feeling like being happy, but there's only so
much he can bottle inside before having to take a break to cry in a corner.
Seeing his parent's swords just sped up the process.
Madam Yu has the worst timing ever, but!, she knew exactly what she was doing
when she sent him to kneel in front of the swords. (There's also a reason for this,
although I as the author am tight lipped about the matter, sorry not sorry peeps)
I just had this picture in my head of WWX brushing and braiding JC's long hair while
singing tangled, but then I couldn't find a song that fit with the theme so I just went
with Pocahontas. Yay, disney songs make a comeback!
And JC shocked that WWX can actually carry a tune and 'create' his own songs, with
Big Sister just sitting there smiling at her little brothers being too cute together.
The "Jiang Cheng will remember that!" will come into play far off in the future, and I
am going to be crackling all the way until it does.
It's also a reference for a video game, but I'm 80% certain that there was more than
one game that had notifications like that. If not, it's the Walking Dead video game by
Telltale.
Fun fact about me: I once actually got in trouble because I had stayed indoors reading
instead of 'going out' with 'friends'. Like, my mother got angry at me for being a 'good
girl' and staying out of trouble by not following peer pressure and go be like other
teenage girls.
Understanding
Chapter Summary
Where a long overdue discussion happens, truths are laid out, a famous soup makes an
appearance, and letters incoming.
Chapter Notes
"Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain but it takes character and self control to be
understanding and forgiving." - Dale Carnegie
Chapter 44: Understanding
I don't know what led me to say those words, so matter-of-factly, but I just felt the swords
underneath my fingertips and the hollow emptiness in my chest and I just couldn't stop talking.
"A child has a home and a family, a child is carefree and happy and safe," My fingers tighten
around the blades,"A child doesn't spend three years in the wild, under rain and frost, high winds or
scorching heat, they don't carry weapons on their back, or blades at their waist, and look into the
eyes of beasts twice their size with teeth the size of chopsticks!" I rage.
"A child does not startle awake at the barest of sounds because instinct tells them that something is
coming to kill them!" I tell her,"A child should never have to walk the streets and have people just
grab them, as if they were playthings, and wish to have their way with them!" I howl.
"You-..." Madam Yu is shocked.
"I am not a child, and you keep insisting that I am..." I sigh,"I don't remember... What you want me
to pretend to be, I don't remember."
"You are a disciple of YunmengJiang," Madam Yu says,"You have a duty to perform and an image
to maintain. My husband has brought you into the Clan, so you have an honor to be grateful too."
"You hate me," I groan,"You just admitted to it, why keep me here? Why don't you just send me
away?"
I look at her, feeling utterly miserable, and I am confused when she looks away from me.
"Do you know what people are already saying?" She asks me instead.
"No," I answer.
"They are talking about the child the Sect Leader brought home, the child he has spent years
looking for, and when people start talking about that child two things always come up: That it is
the well-known child cultivator the rumors talk about, and that his mother was the woman
FengMian had unsuccessfully courted." She tells me.
"And do you know what the people in the Sect whisper about?" She asks me.
"No," I answer her, closing my eyes.
"Why did the Sect Leader brought the child into the Main House? Why not as a mere guest
disciple? Why foster the child so close to his own family?" She tells me,"And most importantly,
why give such an honor to a servant's child?"
Anger.
I quickly look up at her, eyes blazing silver," My mother was CangSe Sanren, a disciple of the
Great Baoshan Sanren, and I follow in their footsteps and teachings!"
"And your father was Wei ChangZe, the footman of Jiang FengMian since his early childhood,"
She tells me,"And in this world of our sons are always their father's children. In their eyes you will
always be a servant's son, never forget that."
I grit my teeth," Why are you telling me this?"
"Because, like it or not, you will bear the pride of this Sect and you will bear it well," She tells me.
I give her a suspicious look.
"My husband may not see it but I am perfectly aware that we're not even through with half of your
problems," She sniffs,"And I am here to prevent any more."
"Why are you doing this?" I ask her,"You hate me."
"This is my Sect," She hisses,"My home, my family, and I will not have her child destroy it!"
"I don't need to, you're already doing it yourself," I scoff,"You can't send me away, so you yell and
hiss at me, the seven year old, like that would make things better."
"Do not speak to me with such disrespect," Madam Yu warned.
"Sometimes, if one does not speak frankly, one runs the risk of forgetting the important things in
life," I tell her,"You hate me because your husband loved my mother, do you want to know what's
funnier?" I cock an eyebrow at her.
"My mother did not love him," I sneer.
Madam Yu's nostrils flare and Zidian's purple lightning sparks up in her hand, her fingers
subconsciously start toying with the ring.
"My parents loved each other, so much," My voice cracks,"And they are dead. And all you people
care about is a non-existent love affair?" I can't help but to bristle at the words,"I mean, what are
you doing? Condemning the child for the sins of the parents? A non-existing sin, at that!"
"You don't know what your talking about," Madam Yu warns me.
"I do know, actually!" I growl at her,"I do know what it is like to have a family broken apart, and
you're the one who doesn't understand how despicable it is to watch a family, who is whole and
hale, shatter itself because they are acting foolishly!"
Zidian sparks up again, but Madam Yu remains silent.
"I never got to say goodbye," My voice trembles,"They were just gone. And I could never have
them back," I look at her,"If you were gone, right now, if you just disappeared... Wouldn't you
regret it?"
"Regret what?" She asks.
"All the lost chances, the wasted time," I shake my head,"You sit there in the hall, eating, but no
one is talking. Too tense to make a wrong move, too afraid to be 'imperfect'... You fight and the
children get caught in the middle. When you are gone, they'll ask themselves needless questions,
and there will be no one left to answer them."
"Needless questions?" Madam Yu frowns.
"Did they love me? Was I enough? Did they even care about me?" I tell her,"Were they angry with
me? Was it my fault?"
Madam Yu stops playing with her ring.
"And how do you know that children ask themselves those questions?" She asks me.
I look back on their swords,"Because no one is there to answer them."
Madam Yu stares at the swords.
"Why were you reading at night?" She asks.
"Because I had to do something," I answer her,"Everything in here seems so... slow."
"Slow?" Madam Yu frowns.
"I was always moving," I tell her,"Always traveling. I couldn't stop moving. No matter what, I had
to keep going," I continue,"But here... I can't move. I have to sit still and listen and it's so hard
because every part of me is screaming 'move!'."
"It's like having both my feet trapped in mud," I give her a helpless look,"Something's coming,
every hair on my body is standing on end, shrieking at me that something is coming... And I can't
move."
"So you decided to read," Madam Yu had an odd tone to her voice,"Because it was better than
nothing."
I nod, leaning my head on my arm.
"Why did you agree to teach Jiang Cheng?" She asks me.
I look up again.
"He's... a child," I tell her,"It's... sad but, at the same time, happy, to see him be so, well...
childlike," I answer her.
"Because you're not a child?" She sighs.
"I don't remember how to be one, but I thought that, maybe, I could try to be like him?" I shrug,"It's
not working."
"Why not?" Madam Yu asks,"It can't be too hard to listen to lectures and then entertain yourself for
two hours at lunch."
"Even I can't pretend to be happy all the time," I grumble,"And they keep calling me family."
Madam Yu's eyebrow twitches and she frowns.
"No need to look so revolted," I sigh,"I already told them no, several times."
"Why?" She frowns harder.
"Because my family is dead,"I monotonously answer her,"I don't need a replacement one,
especially one where I am not wanted."
"They obviously want you," Madam Yu sneers.
"And you hate me," I give her a soft look and sigh,"You are their mother, I'm just a street rat at this
point. I won't get in the way of your family," I look away from here again,"It'd have been if your
husband had never set out to look for me."
Madam Yu doesn't have anything to say at that.
"You are different that what I expected you to be," She finally tells me.
I snort, amused,"I don't think anyone ever expects me," I chuckle tiredly.
"You are not like her, but sometimes you are," She muses aloud,"I can barely see any trace of
ChangZe in you yet you sometimes manage to convey the unspeakable wisdom he would advise
FengMian with."
I smiled slightly at the thought that I still managed to represent them, despite having only known
them for around two years.
"You are going to remain with the Main House of the YunmengJiang Sect," She told me.
"Why?" I groan, looking at her dejectedly,"You hate me, you don't want me here, why put us both
through the trouble of having to interact with each other on a regular basis? Just send me to the
disciples barracks, punish me for sneaking out, I don't know..."
"I will not," She tells me,"You are not welcomed in the barracks because of what my husband has
already done for you," She explains,"And we can't send you away without sending the message
that YunmengJiang can't handle you."
Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
I turn back to the swords.
"You will join the older students for spars," She tells me,"And if I find you are slacking in any of
the lessons because they're 'too slow' for you, I will make you run the older disciples training
course," She warns me.
I blink, and look up at her bewildered," Uh?"
"You will only bring trouble to this Sect," Madam Yu sneers,"And Gods know my husband will
never see it that it is your fault, so I am taking measures to prevent it. If I find you causing trouble,
I will only have to make sure you don't have enough energy to cause trouble."
...That... That sounds... reasonable.
Madam Yu goes to walk away,"And one more thing," She gives me a chilling look,"If you harm
my children, if you ever bring harm to them because of your problems, I will end you myself."
I nod,"You should probably tell them that you care about them and not letting them guess whether
or not it's true," I tell her.
Zidian sparks in her hand,"Do not interfere with my family's affairs, do you hear me, child," She
sneers.
I tiny little bulb lights up in my brain.
"Yes, Ma'am," I acknowledge her warning.
She leaves and I am left alone with my parents' swords once more.
That was interesting.
That was intense.
No, sh*t, Sherlock.
You're absolutely crazy.
Won't argue with that.
I sigh deeply and slump over the altar, utterly spent, and stroke the CangSe's blade as my eyes
finally stop tearing up.
I'm tired.
I know, dear.
I close my eyes and rest my head on my arm, falling asleep in seconds.
YanLi is the one that comes by later to fetch me, hours later, and find me slumped over the altar
fast asleep.
Having learnt from previous experiences that walking closer to me whilst asleep is a bad idea she
knocks on the stone pillars in the Ancestral Hall loudly, and looks sad when I instantly jump
awake.
After the initial jump-start of adrenaline that sparks my body into awareness, I slowly blink and
relax when I see that there's no danger.
"Shijie?" I mumble, rubbing at my eyes,"Why are you here?"
"A-Ying," She smiles,"Punishment is over, it's lunchtime now, I'll make you my special soup,
come," She reaches out a hand to me.
I blink again and yawn, before pausing to look back at the swords.
"These are my parents' swords," I tell her.
"They are?" She walks closer to the altar,"Father never said, just that they had been good friends of
his."
"I thought that their swords would've been stolen," I tell her,"I didn't think they'd be brought to
Yunmeng with their ashes."
Jiang YanLi puts her arm slowly across my shoulders and I lean into her.
"Their swords will be safe here," She assures me,"You can come her and light incense to them
wherever you wish," She adds.
I nod silently, still tired and emotionally wrung out.
"Come on," YanLi gently starts leading me out of the Ancestral Hall,"A-Cheng always says my
soup makes him feel better, let us see if it does the same to you!" She giggles.
My lips twitch into a soft smile,"Platypus loves you, so he's biased," I pout.
YanLi giggles harder,"A-Cheng is a good boy," YanLi nods,"A-Ying is a good boy too," She pats
me on the head.
I burst out laughing.
"Shijie! Shijie!" I laugh,"I'm totally not a good boy!" I tell her.
"A-Ying is a good boy," She pats me on the head again,"He's just been a little naughty."
Pfft, a 'little' naughty.
I keep laughing.
Seriously, Jiang YanLi had to be a Goddess reincarnated.
There was no other explanation for it.
I let myself lean into her side, warmth and lively presence, and emptied my mind.
Calm. Peace. Quiet.
The wind blew by and carried the scent of salt water and of spices, the sounds of a bustling city just
outside of the gates, of disciples training in the yard and walking around like busy ants, the sun
shone high on the sky and everything glinted underneath it.
One day, all this would be gone.
Could I stop it?
I looked up at YanLi, smiling and carefree, and then thought of Jiang Cheng. Both the sole
remnants of this place in the future, and broken for it, and decided that no, I'd change things.
I would think of something, anything, and change it.
Be better, stronger, cleverer.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
I thought of Madam Yu and her words, her passion to this Sect, and something akin to
understanding blossomed in my mind.
Jiang Cheng was already waiting for us in the kitchen, staring intently at the pot of soup, when we
arrived.
Immediately he looked at me and frowned,"What happened to you?" He asks.
"Why, Platypus, are you saying I don't look like my usual cute self?" I make a scandalized
expression,"How rude!"
Jiang Cheng gives me a deadpan look,"You're fine I see, forget I even asked," He scoffs.
YanLi giggles and ushers me to the seat next to her brother.
"Boys, don't fight," She tells us,"Shijie made soup!"
Jiang Cheng's attention is turned back to the soup pot and he meaningfully extends his bowl.
I roll my eyes at him but do the same, wondering if this was the heavenly pork ribs and lotus root
soup that Wei WuXian had absolutely adored.
YanLi removes the pot cover and immediately my mouth waters.
...
...
Oh, hell yes.
I'm feeling faintly jealous right now.
Why, Ike? Is it because lil'Ike doesn't have a stomach?
Yes, darling dear, it is because I don't have a stomach.
Ooh, I am soooo sorry, poor lil' Ike, he can't eat this delicious soup~
I'll remember this, you know, so expect payback.
Oh, I am sooo scared.
Truthfully, I shouldn't antagonize him, but as YanLi filled in my bowl and I felt his growing envy, I
just couldn't help myself.
"A-Jie, it's delicious!" Jiang Cheng immediately told her.
"It's heavenly, Shijie!" I seconded.
Jiang Cheng paused, as if he was processing the words, and then turned to me with a sh*t-eating
grin,"What was that? I don't think I heard you correctly."
I busied myself eating the soup and did not reply to him.
Not that it stopped him from being all smug for the rest of the day.
"How do you send letters here?" I ask Jiang Cheng,"I used to use the town's post service, but I
doubt your parents will let me leave the Sect Compound so I can post my letters."
Jiang Cheng gives me an odd look,"Letters? Who are you writing to?" He asks.
"Friends," I shrug,"I've not been entirely anti-social these past three years, you know?" I shake my
head in disbelief.
Jiang Cheng frowns but answers,"A servant takes the letters to be posted, you just have to put the
letters in the 'out' box near the Sentinel's station by the gates," He explains.
I smile,"Thanks! It'll be fun to see if they send me replies back, now that I have a fixed mailing
address."
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes,"Who'd want to send letters to you?"
A rural clan heir, the GusuLan heir, an old widow that's profiting off of my amazing talisman-
making skills, a couple odd rogue cultivators with permanent housings in the various regions, a boy
all the way up in the mountains between Lanling and Gusu, and, finally, a Peter Parker wannabe
that I somehow got fond off after one night-hunt.
You have issues.
Tell me something that I don't already know.
I go to my pack and pull back my writing utensils, using the wooden desk Jiang Cheng had in his
room, and started writing my letters, taking great care to make them legible. Jiang Cheng
obviously noticed because he snorted and muttered something about me not 'making enough effort
in class'.
My dear Platypus, when I have my fountain pen, you will never have anything bad to say about my
handwriting ever again.
"What will you teach me?" He asks me.
"What do you want to learn," I ask him as I am writing MingXia's letter,"If you tell me what you
want to learn I can think of something up,"I tell him,"And don't just say night-hunting," I stop him
just as he's about to open his mouth.
He pouts and me and crosses his arms,"Why not?"
"Because you are not ready," I sigh,"You don't know how to use any weapons, you don't know
talismans and much less how to use other cultivator tools."
"Then teach me!" He uncrosses his arms,"How to use weapons, talismans and the other tools!"
Yes... That would be a safe spot to start with, wouldn't it?
"Weapons will have to wait, mine were kind of confiscated," I gesture airily,"But I can teach you
about talismans and the other tools, I still have those with me."
Jiang Cheng brightens.
"Let me just finish writing these and I'll start teaching you the basics," I tell him,"While you're
doing that, I'll get that platypus drawing done."
He frowns,"Won't you have to be paying attention to what I am doing?" He asks me.
I make a 'so-so' gesture with my hand,"I'm giving you a talisman to copy, teaching you where to
start and what you have to do," I answer him,"If you copied it correctly and done everything right,
the talisman works, if not, then you screwed up somewhere and I'll need to show you how to do
that part again."
Pretty basic stuff I didn't really understand why children didn't already know how to do this.
The different components of talismans, at least, should be easy to teach and identify.
They're teaching them calligraphy now, so that there's not as much waste of paper when teaching
them how to correctly make the talismans.
You could teach both things congruently.
Yes, but this is how they've probably always taught their disciples, in their eyes they still have
plenty of time to learn all that.
But in reality they don't.
The world won't end tomorrow.
But they should be ready for it, just in case.
It'd be better to be ready to face anything, than to be caught unaware of the danger lurking outside.
Plans formed from tendrils and vines from the void in my mind, reaching out to every possible
course of action.
What would I change? What would stay the same? What to do differently? What to preserve as is?
Breathe.
I filled my lungs with air and focused on finishing my letters.
I wasn't alone.
I could do this.
I could.
I would keep my promise, I would build a better tomorrow, I would keep them safe.
I would have my mountain, the pinnacle of the future.
Yiling.
Chapter End Notes
Okay so, WWX wasn't just talking about his current life. Thing is, to AGF!WWX, his
life has been a continuous line, he was Sarah before, and now he is Wei Ying, there
was no pause in between so, to him, all of his 'family' and 'past' are mishmashed into a
singular mess of a life.
When he talks to YZY he kind of 'lets down' his guard and gets all this things off his
chest, but he also incidentally confuses Madam Yu, because he's talking about all
these things that make sense to Sarah but not to WWX.
The Madam. Now, way I see it, she's not just jealous she's also crazy
protective/possessive of what she considers hers. Her husband, her children, her sect,
her house. And she's seeing WWX as an extension of CangSe Sanren, the woman she
absolutely despises.
Does it make her actions justifiable, hell no, but it sheds light on why she acts so
irrational towards WWX. They both have issues, AGF!WWX just has a modern view
on them (and several decades of experience dealing with those issues) and is able to
identify his own triggers and what he can do to make them less of a problem.
YZY doesn't. And it makes her a very odd character to write, I need to make her angry,
and hateful, and very hostile to our MC, but at the same time she's, in her mind,
defending what belongs to her from what she sees as a threat. (Even if that threat
comes in the form of a cute-as-a-button seven year old WWX)
The understanding that WWX got from this chapter is that Madam Yu is not entirely
heartless, she's very cold and she will drop-kick anyone calling her soft and 'motherly',
but she's complicated, let us say.
She knew exactly who the ashes, and swords, in the honor altar belonged to. And she
specifically sent WWX there, why?, because she knew that he had to 'let off steam' or
'decompartmentalize' and that was a surefire way to get him to.
You've probably not caught it, but when they're shouting and everything, JC doesn't
show up once. And later, when YanLi comes get him, JC is already in the kitchen.
JC wasn't there when the whole showdown happened, but he was there when WWX
first entered the Ancestral Hall, which was why he asked what had happened for
WWX to look so down.
It's the littlest details in the narrative that I take pride in.
As a side note, I'm feeling slightly ill right now, so Imma lay down, chow down some
chocolate and cue up a movie. I'll reply to comments when I'm feeling better, or
tomorrow (whichever happens first)
Expand
Chapter Summary
In which Platypus gets a gift, the letters arrive and someone gets jealous, and Wei
Ying has a great, very bad, potentially disastrous, ingenious idea.
Chapter Notes
"The secret of business is to know something that nobody else knows." - Aristotle Socrates Onassis
Chapter 45: Expand
Jiang Cheng didn't have a knack for talismans.
And, no, I wasn't being too harsh with the kid, I was being patient and understanding that I was
dealing with a child and not a mini-adult. But, he did not have a knack for talismans.
Oh, he could copy talismans semi-decently, no worries about that, but I had absolutely no hope for
him to ever create his own talismans.
To create talismans one needed to have imagination and creativity, copying already existing
talismans only required you to have decent penmanship and an understanding of the components.
Without those two traits one wouldn't be able to figure out ways to link seals and characters in
ways that, once infused with energy, would activate and cause a reaction.
Hopefully not explosive.
Unless you wanted to make explosives.
Ike, don't give me any bad ideas.
They're not bad ideas, they're just not child-friendly ideas.
I huff.
In the three weeks that had gone by since I had first arrived here, things had... calmed down, for
lack of a better word.
Madam Yu and I were in a very carefully balanced agreement that unless I messed up, badly, I
could exist in her immediate surroundings, but one foot out of the line and, well...
It wasn't pleasant.
Having run the entire perimeter of the Sect hefting a sack of sand on my back and then copying the
older sect disciples during the martial arts formations straight after was brutal.
Having to repeat the same process three times led me to calling it suicide runs.
Because they absolutely killed me.
The first time I had to run that course I had drug myself back to the room and just collapsed on my
bed, pratically going unconscious the moment my head touched my pillow.
Jiang Cheng had sworn off ever tempting his mother into punishing him like that.
I wished him luck.
And, of course, Jiang YanLi was a heaven sent angel to bring me food and not mind when I latched
onto her like a particular clingy koala.
Sue me, I liked her.
If only my nieces had been this good and well-mannered!
They had you as an aunt, it was essentially a lost cause from the very beginning.
I didn't deigned him a reply.
Classes were going. Not much to say about them really, some lessons were good and interesting,
others made me want to nap. Jiang Cheng had taken as his personal duty to prevent me from
blanking out during lessons and to stop doodling whenever I just got too bored, with some success.
I had an afternoon with a art tutor, learning about traditional art styles and using my modern
techniques and knowledge whilst the tutor documented them.
Already I had had to buy the recipes on how the art supplies were made, and had to show the art
tutor how to make them, but thankfully no one had yet questioned about my readily available
supply of them.
Even so, I had grown extremely carefully about using modern art supplies around people, which
was ninety per cent of the time.
Jiang FengMian wasn't taking any chances of me going 'on a walk' across the nation again, so
someone was always with me, and if they weren't then someone had already been alerted and was
keeping an eye out for me.
Honestly, these people had so little faith in me!
Anyway, following talismans, I decided to show Jiang Cheng other cultivator tools, nets and traps
he could set, elixirs and other miscellaneous things cultivators had invented over the generations.
He fared decently well in that area, he was smart and a cunning little thing, and I was pretty proud
of him.
Although gushing about how cute he was when he was all 'see, I did it!' and generally being
adorable was a surefire way to get punched. And kicked. And yelled at.
Honestly, wasn't my platypus just the most huggable thing ever?
You and I clearly have two very distinguishable definitions of 'huggable'.
You just don't know how to appreciate life.

I do know how to appreciate life! Like with a certain Hanguang-Jun-...
And just like that you've lost me, moving on.
I had started to join the other disciples on spars as per Madam Yu's orders and got toss around
more than I'd like. It wasn't that I was weaker than them, but they had the height advantage I didn't
and they shamelessly used it against me every single time.
Being grabbed by my arm and thrown out of the ring was a common occurrence, and it made me
very, very eager to grow more flexible and agile to get close to them to strike them and retreat
before they could retaliate.
That said, that was fighting hand to hand using strict martial art forms, in a brawl I'd have tossed
dirt in the brat's eyes and kicked him in the balls.
But that was 'underhanded' or 'unsportsmanlike' or some other crap.
I couldn't wait to have my daggers back, or Liling.
I'd written to ShouShan telling him I'd had Xiaodan confiscated because of my age and jumpiness,
and I just knew he'd laughed himself silly at that information. And maybe gotten a bit annoyed
because the Bai Clan had gifted me that dagger as a thank-you gift.
MingXia would simply say that it was my own damn fault and that I shouldn't come crying to her
skirts for being a 'precocious brat', her words not mine.
It was kind of your fault that you had them confiscated.
I'm ignoring you!
Like you ignored me when I warned you to stay calm and not be easily provoked?
Lalalalala~!
"What are you doing?" A disciple with a pointy nose asked as he watched me fiddle with piece of
leather and rope.
"I'm making a slingshot," I answered him.
He frowns," A what?"
I don't look up from what I'm doing, just finishing up the last knots and adjusting the pouch," A
slingshot, Jiang Cheng can't fully pull back the string on a bow, so I'm trying something new to
work on his accuracy."
"Crafting Skill leveled up!"
Having finished what I was doing I look up at the older disciple.
He has an ugly look on his face.
"Why are you always with him?" He asks me.
"Why do you want to know?" I shrug," What does it matter to you if I'm always with him?"
"He's the Sect Leaders' son, the heir of the Sect!" The disciple tells me.
I nod," He's also my roommate, and my classmate, and essentially my shidi," I tick off my fingers,"
Again, why should it matter to you if I hang out with him?"
The ugly look on his face darkens," You shouldn't act so high and mighty, you're no better than
us."
I let out a sigh through my nose," I'm not acting high and mighty, I'm merely telling you that what I
do, who I choose to hang out with, or who I choose to be friends with, has nothing to do with you
and your opinions," I tell him.
"You're just a servant's son! You shouldn't even be allowed to become a cultivator," The disciple
spits at my feet.
I smile widely at him and get to my feet, eyes shining silver," The question, shixiong, isn't who's
letting me become a cultivator," I walk to stand right in front of him, slowly like a predator
approaching a cornered prey," It's who's going to stop me."
And then I knee him in the balls.
"Never let down your guard," I airily inform him, already walking away," Hasn't the Madam
taught you that yet?"
"You're paying for this!" The disciple grunts.
I roll my eyes, people were idiots, people with big egos were even greater idiots.
And the world is full of them, if you keep kneeing all of them in the balls there's going to be a
massive dive in population growth.
I snort.
I didn't knee him that hard.
Where's your sense of manly compassion, hitting such a vulnerable area?
Right where I left my sense of dignity after having been bathed by CangSe despite attempts of
telling her I could do it myself.
Ah! I'd forgotten about that!
I find Jiang Cheng in the main yard talking with YanLi.
"Platypus!" I call out," I have something for you!"
"Don't call me that!" Jiang Cheng yells back, red in the face as the disciples in the yard stare
confusedly at him.
I grin genially at him and show him the slingshot I'd made.
"What's that?" He points.
"Come here, I'll show you!" I gesture him closer.
Jiang Cheng warily walks closer to me.
Jeez, only three weeks in and the kid already knows me so well.
I don't think you should take that as a compliment.
Shush you.
"Here," I take his hand and teach him how to hold the slingshot," That's the pouch there, when I put
the rock in, you swing it back and forth to get momentum, and then you take your aim," I instruct
him.
Jiang Cheng doesn't look too impressed but nods.
I take a rock out of my pocket and put in the pouch.
Jiang Cheng follows the instructions and after getting a bit of momentum strikes.
The rock flies into an arch and hits a wooden pillar, shattering on impact.
Jiang Cheng gaps and turns to me with wide eyes.
My grin widens wickedly," Pretty cool, huh?"
You're a terrible role model.
I am an excellent role model!
Doubt.
"Again!" Jiang Cheng snaps me back to reality," Let's do that again!"
I take another rock out of my pocket.
What a lovely way to spend an afternoon. And on the bright side, there's no glass windows to
potentially shatter!
"Letters have arrived, Sect Leader," A servant bowed at the entrance of the main hall as we are
preparing to start our morning meal.
"Thank you, A-She," FengMian smiled and indicated the servant to deliver the letters.
A-She handed the majority of the letters to him but then turned around and handed me a packet.
I read the name on the top-most letter and grinned," Oh, ShouShan wrote me back!"
Jiang Cheng frowned," Who's ShouShan?"
"Ah, he's a friend," I tell him," I stayed with his family for a few weeks before moving further into
Gusu," I clarify.
You know, FengMian doesn't look too happy to me.
At Ike's comment I look back to the front of the hall and see Jiang FengMian staring at the letters
in my hands with a complicated expression on his face.
"A friend?" Madam Yu raise an eyebrow at my words," A peasant?"
Imagine her surprise when you tell her you're on speaking terms with both Gusu Lan heirs.
Hush, she's not learning that!
"No, he's a cultivator," I answer," His family has a clan out in the outskirts of Gusu, bordering
Lanling, Ma'am."
"And they did not know that your appearance was to be reported?" Jiang FengMian asks.
Oh, yeah. That.
"I asked them not to," I inform him," Or to give me a head-start before they did, I didn't really want
to come here at first."
"But you're here now," Jiang Cheng frowns.
I grin at him," Yeah, and now ShouShan can write back to me, I kept correspondence with them,
it's been fun," I shrug," He's my friend."
"I'm your friend too," Jiang Cheng mutters.
I laugh," We share a room, why would I write letters to you when I'm right by your side most of
the day? You really are such a platypus!" I tell him.
Jiang Cheng reddens.
"I'm glad A-Ying can keep in touch with his friends," YanLi says," Friends are important," She
tells me.
I nod," Yeah!"
Jiang FengMian drops the matter, but I can clearly see that it's not over yet.
Honestly, was he upset just because not everyone had complied with his request, not order, to
report to him in case someone ran into me?
Really, after I sent those letters to the Great Sects the searches for me pratically because negligible.
What was he so worked up for?
I checked to see who had written to me, and was surprised at the bulky letter I got from MingXia.
What is so important that she had to write so much?
Maybe the talismans aren't working?
They should be, I made sure to check them before posting them, they worked fine. And it wasn't a
matter of the people not knowing how to use them, you just stuck them on the walls of the house,
everyone knew that.
Then I don't know, read the letter and see for yourself.
I can't read it here, I'll never heard the end of it.
I save the letters inside my robes to read later.
"You have Teacher Fang for the morning, don't you?" I ask Jiang Cheng.
He gives me the stink eye," Yes."

"Meet you in the courtyard for lunch?" I suggest," We can work more on the slingshot."
"Yes!" Jiang Cheng cheers himself up.
"Then it's a plan," I get back to my breakfast."
"A-Jie," Jiang Cheng turns to his sister," Are you joining us? Maybe Wei Ying can make you a
slingshot too!"
I look up," That's not a bad idea."
YanLi smiles at us," I am busy this afternoon, Mother and I are going to Lanling soon to have tea
with Madam Jin."
Jiang Cheng makes a face and I laugh at him," What's that face for?"
He ignores me," Do I have to go too?" Jiang Cheng asks his mother.
Madam Yu gives him a stern look," Not this time, but I expect you to be on your best behavior
whilst I am gone," She tells him, before glaring at me," And that includes you too."
I smile brightly at her," Yes, Ma'am!"
Don't antagonize her.
Jiang Cheng elbows me in the stomach.
Madam Yu gives me one last glare before turning back to her meal.
You have a death wish, that or you are eager to get back to those suicide-runs.
I barely suppress a shiver.
Oh, Gods, no.
Then stop needling her.
I just can't help it!
She makes it so easy!
Like a porcupine!
...
...
Oh, my God, yes!
God, no! No no no no! You are not calling her that!
Madam Porcupine and baby Platypus!
I swear you have a death wish.
Live a little, Ike!

I will live a little if you stop trying to get us killed.
You are such a stick in the mud.
I was excited to read the letters once we got back to the bedroom.
I kicked the boots off and launched myself onto my mattress, Yunru, who had been napping beside
the pillow, jumped and squeaked angrily at me, biting my ear.
"Sorry, sorry! I didn't see you, Yunru! Sorry, sorry!" I laughed," Where have you been girl? Living
the life of a water rat?"
Yunru lets my ear go to curl up back in her spot, completely ignoring me.
"She goes around causing trouble," Jiang Cheng tells me," I think Teacher Fang said something
about a large rat stealing a bun off his meal plate last night."
I laughed harder," Way to go, Yunru! You're so smart!"
"It's not funny!" Jiang Cheng tells me.
"Try saying that without a grin on your face!" I point at him and he quickly covers his twitching
lips," It's not funny!"
I chuckle and roll my eyes, pulling the letters out of my robes and opening ShouShan's first.
It read:
'A-Ying, it's been a while! Man, you are such a treat! I have to say, for being missing
for two years, being caught only now isn't so bad, although it is pretty hilarious, and
when you were eating melon?! Oh, I wanted to be there to see that!'
Of course he'd find this funny.
To be fair, ShouShan does seem like a fellow who'd enjoy a bit of schadenfreude every now and
then.
Ugh.
'A-Xi, you remember her right?, we're going to be married soon, I'll send you an
invitation when it's settled, maybe you can come visit us then! Father is eager to meet
you again, he still hasn't let go the idea of having you join the Bai Clan.
Hell, he'll certainly try to have you marry any daughter I may have!'
Gods, no.
Yeah, you're already taken.
I am not!
You're totally taken.
'But about that idea you had, I was intrigued by it. None of us really know much about
the origins of cultivation, and we use our own family's traditional method, so we can't
really help you much, but it does sound plausible.
If you're that interested in finding out if it is, or isn't, then the GusuLan has the most
extensive Library of all the Great Sects, and I'm sure the YunmengJiang has too, you
can try to look things up there.
And about that MoGui you fought, damn you are crazy, those things are deadly. Well,
who am I kidding, you pratically live to hunt down the deadliest beasts there are out
there. Maybe being in timeout might teach you more patience.'
Oh, ye of so little faith, how you wound me so!
He's totally got you pegged.
'Hope the letter reaches you alright, and before you ask me, again, yes! We got that
kid you recommended to us! Yes, he has talent alright! And, yes, he's doing fine!
Honestly, you'd think that him being older than you would make you stop acting like
such a hen!'
How nice!
I can't believe they actually took him in.
Hey, kid's got a head-start on life, I personally recommended him.
True, but the Bai Clan isn't a sect, to take in an outsider... That's gotta be a first.
Meh, lame first. I'm just glad the kid can have his chance to become a cultivator.
'Anyway, I hope you're doing alright, I'll be waiting for you letter next month.
Now that I can write back to you, let us have actual conversation and not just reports
on what madness you've gotten yourself into now!'
I smiled and put his letter aside.
The next letter was Yan MingXia's packet and I kind of hesitated before opening it.
There were a full five pages of writing, the last three of which were a long, long list of names and
numbers.
What is this?
Read the letter.
'Brat!'
And we are off on a great start.
Shush you.
'Brat! I'm sure you found it funny, jumping all over the place and letting all the good
people worry about you, and don't even get me started on those monsters that would,
most definitely, be able to eat you whole!
Are you an idiot?! Oh, why am I asking? Of course you are! A reckless, bloody idiot!'
Yup, this is Yan MingXia's letter alright.
Oh, how I missed her, she remind me of Mrs. Bert from number 6.
...You know what, I can see what you mean.
Right? It's totally a Mrs. Bert lookalike!
'But fine, it's your life you're endangering anyway. We've got bigger problems.'
Oh? Something happen?
Keep reading.
'...We've got bigger problems.
Apparently someone, who I am certain was that damn Tang Qi and his brood of
gossips, told the nearby villages that I was selling talismans at a lower price than the
norm and I started getting requests for more.
The amount you sent, with extras in case something happened, are all spent within
days of your letters arriving, and there's a waiting list. Business is too damn good!'
Oh... That's a problem?
Apparently?
How is that a problem?
Keep reading.
'...Business is too damn good! I can't keep up with the constant flood of requests and
inquiries about when you're sending the next package, despite them knowing very well
that you only send one every other month, so I had to hire help.'
Hire help?
Keep reading!
'I'm no spring chicken, Wei WuXian, and so I had my distant cousin send in one of his
sons help me manage things. Kid's not too bright but it'll do.'
Ouch, I pity the kid, dealing with MingXia every day? Poor, poor kid.
Oh, my Heavens, keep reading!
'We're expanding business. I don't want to listen to excuses, or arguments, I'm telling
you as it is. We're expanding.
I'm sending you a list of what people are requesting and the quantity they want, no
need to fill out every order, unless you're that crazy and setting a precedent, be smart
brat, but at least get me rid of this headache.
I've also contacted a friend of a friend who's willing to sell your talismans in their
store, they're also on the list, and I'm in the process of getting another shop to consider
your things.'
What?
Oh, my god, what have we done?
Business?
Contraband!
They're my talismans, how is this contraband?
Sects and local clans sell talismans, you're releasing them out into the streets, for pennies!
They're practice...
They were practice, now they're a legitimate business! You can't keep up with this orders forever!
...
I might not need to.
...What?
I might not need to personally write each talisman forever, just for a while longer.
...I don't like that look in your eyes.
I had a brilliant idea.
It's a terrible idea.
Books were hard to print because they all have different characters and sentences. No two pages
are alike.
But talismans... Talismans all looked the same.
You didn't need a printer to copy those.
A wide grin split my face.
You just needed a stamp.
Chapter End Notes
Starting from the top of the chapter, the slingshot WWX made was more of a David
Goliath type of sling, that's a small leather pouch with a string that'll be attached to
your finger. You rotate the sling to gain momentum and then you take aim and shoot.
If anyone's played/seen Plague Tale: Innocence, that's what my idea for the sling was.
This Shixiong is older than him but not by much, I think it gets mentioned in later
chapters (really sorry for constantly typing that out, but as is, I'm writing /on average/
ahead of what you're reading by 5 chapters, so you're reading Chapter 45, and if I
hadn't taken an early night yesterday, I'd be writing Chapter 50), but older disciples of
the Sect are actually pretty impressed with WWX. Half of them wouldn't mind going
over to befriend him, but don't because they're unsure if they're welcomed, and the
other half is content with admiring his skills from afar.
The reason for this difference in attitude is that, older disciple know, pretty damn well,
just how WWX survived out there, and more than a few had been roped into looking
for him. The younger ones? They just know that a new kid arrived and he's getting
treated like a little prince.
Jiang FengMian is totally pissed off that someone out there (actually more than just a
couple of someones) knew where WWX was and did not tell them.
No, he's not calling Madam Yu a porcupine. Ike has thoroughly advised him that,
unless he wanted to spend a week running suicides back to back, it'd be best to let that
one go.
I love ShouShan so much that I kind of forget that I wrote him as an early-twenties heir
that's about to get married. Seriously, WWX is going to have mini ShouShan's running
around by the time he's 17 and freaking out about the war, and he'll get to play cool
auntie again!
I don't want to reveal much about Yan MingXia, because her contraband (It's not really
contraband) operation and her scheme will be very important in later chapters, and
throughout the story, so I won't answer any questions about it (unless it's like, Who's
MingXia again?)
And the stamp! Explained later, like... Next chapter.

Speaking of next chapter! Do you know who's coming up next?
You've guessed it, It's the beloved Lan Brothers! (Is that a fangirl mob I hear?)
Cherished Friend
Chapter Summary
The much awaited return of the Lan Brothers, the Lan Brothers' letters, and a devious
Wei Ying makes the best insane plans that somehow work in his favor (must be the
Luck Stat actually working)
Chapter Notes
"When its gone, you'll know what a gift love was. You'll suffer like this, so go back and fight to
keep it." - Ian McEwan
Chapter 46: Cherished Friend
"Young Master Lan," A fellow disciple stops him on his way to the Gentian House," A letter has
arrived for you, your Uncle instructed us to wait to deliver it personally to you," The disciple bows
holding out the rather bulky letter.
Lan Huan immediately knows who that letter is from and smiles, accepting the letter, and the
disciple quickly bows again and leaves.
Maybe his brother would feel better after reading A-Ying's letter.
Lan Huan resumed his way towards his late mother's former residence. The house nestled deep in
the mountain surrounded by the blue colored gentians looked heavenly under the warm sunlight,
but to him, it was as if there was a perpetual black cloud hanging over it.
Sitting primly on the step in front of the house was Lan Zhan, waiting patiently for the door to be
opened.
Uncle would scold him again for coming here.
"A-Zhan," Lan Huan called him from the path leading to the house," Mother is not here anymore,
A-Zhan," He tells him.
His brother looks at him with saddened golden eyes, so alike his own, and asks him," Where is
Mother?"
Dead.
Lan Huan swallows, throat suddenly dry, and forces a smile onto his face," Mother isn't here, A-
Zhan," He tells him," Come now, Uncle will scold you if you keep coming here."
His brother doesn't move, if anything, his words only make him more resolute in waiting there, on
the step of the house.
Lan Huan sighs, and joins him.
"Mother isn't going to open that door," He tells his brother," Mother is gone, A-Zhan, remember?
Uncle has told us this."
"Where is she?" His brother asks him," Why can't I find her?"
"She's gone," He answers him," She can't be found."
"Why not?" Lan Zhan looks so sad," Why did she leave? Was she unhappy?"
Yes.
"No," Lan Huan smiles," Of course not, A-Zhan. Mother was sick," He tells him instead.
"Oh," His brother looks down on his hands, correctly poised on his lap," Will she come back?"
"No," He answers him," That's why you don't need to keep coming here, as Uncle has told you
many times already."
Lan Zhan's hand clench in his lap.
"I..." He opens his mouth to say something but closes it again.
Lan Huan sighs," Whatever it is that A-Zhan wants to say, I will listen to, and I will not tell Uncle."
His little brother looks up at him with golden eyes shimmering with unshed tears, lips pressed into
a thin line to keep from trembling.
"I want to stay..." He says," I want to stay here waiting."
For what?
Lan Huan does not say anything in response, though he feels his heart is being squeezed between
unforgiving hands, and smiles gently at his brother, nodding," Then Big Brother will stay here with
you."
"Uncle will scold you," His brother tells him," Brother should go."
"No," He smiles," What sort of big brother would I be to leave my little brother to be punished
alone?"
His brother's eyes shimmer and his mouth opens slightly in wonder, before he presses his lips
together again and nods, looking back down on his lap.
Lan Huan looks out over the gentians blooming all around the house hidden deep within the
mountain, lost in thoughts of what has been done and what no one thought to questions about being
'righteous', he restrained his emotions from showing on his face as his thoughts turned to his father.
His father who barely stepped out of seclusion these days and wouldn't even look at his own sons
before retreating like a cowed dog.
A mixture of heavy emotions built up in his stomach and Lan Huan knew he'd have to talk to his
Uncle about how to let them go.
He griped his hands tighter and suddenly remembered the letter.
"A-Zhan," He calls his brother," I almost forgot, a letter came for us."
His brother's eyes light up in interest," From A-Ying?" He asks.
Lan Huan knew that his brother would never call his friend like that to his face, but it lightened his
heart to see him grow so fond of his friend. He hoped they stayed friends even after they grew
older and had their own lives to live.
A friend like A-Ying was a blessing.
"Yes," Lan Huan smiled," Let us see what he's been up to recently."
Immediately his brother gets this tiny knot on his brow, worried and displeased that the slightly
younger boy kept getting into dangerous situations, and Lan Huan has to try very hard to not let his
smile grow wider.
He carefully opens the letter, pretending not to notice his brother's growing restlessness, and pulls
out the paper sheets.
There are two letters, one for him and one for his brother, plus the usual assortment of drawings
that A-Ying loved to send.
His brother reverently held the drawings that A-Ying had sent for him, a city glowing with
lanterns, of fishermen out in their boats, and of a strange creature A-Ying had titled 'Platypus'.
His brother held that drawing the longest, baffled by the creature's appearance, before opening his
letter.
Lan Huan followed suit, and blinked at the first few lines.
'Lan Gege! I hope you're well, I'm doing fine too, no need to worry! In fact, I don't
anyone has to worry about me from now on, Sect Leader Jiang found me this week
and he's brought me back to his sect. I guess I'm a guest disciple here now? Ahah! I
don't really know!'
"He's in Yunmeng," His brother said, blinking in surprise," He's staying with the YunmengJiang
Sect."
Lan Huan tried very hard not to cheer," Well, Sect Leader Jiang has been looking for A-Ying for a
long time, I'm sure he's very happy right now that he's found him."
Lan Zhan nods," He said we could write to him, if we wanted, but he doesn't want them to know
who we are."
Lan Huan blinks," Why not?"
His brother frowns," He says that the other disciples think he's only there because the Sect Leader
favors him, he doesn't want them to know he has friends in other Sects."
Aah, Lan Huan thinks, that would certainly make things difficult for the boy.
Although no one outside GusuLan knew that the two heirs received letters from the much
discussed 'Wei Ying, courtesy WuXian', as he was referred to in every rumor - and the GusuLan
had strong rules against gossiping - it wouldn't be 'proper' for a simple guest disciple to be close
friends with the Two Jades of Lan.
Not that the boy knew they were the heirs, his letters never indicated anything and they'd never
introduced themselves by title, only by their birth names. Certainly, now that he was in a Great
Sect, he'd learn about them, but considering how ditzy A-Ying could be at times, Lan
Huan wouldn't put it past him to think the heirs were simply two other boys that had the same
exact names as his friends.
"Well," Lan Huan cheered up his brother," A-Ying still wants us to write, we'll just not use our
names. Then all that A-Ying can tell them is that we're from Gusu," He proposes.
His brother thinks it through and nods, decisively," I will write to him. Needs more practice in
calligraphy."
Lan Huan let out a chuckle and quickly covered his mouth, not supposed to have laughed at that.
His brother gives him a surprised look before pouting, despite A-Zhan stating, quite vehemently,
that he does not pout," It is not funny."
Lan Huan nods," Yes, it is not funny, A-Zhan. But you should also tell A-Ying about your studies
or Gusu, I'm sure he'd like to hear about you."
And not just complaints against his shaky handwriting.
Lan Zhan looks down at his letter again and slowly nods," Yes, I will write of Gusu."
Lan Huan smiled at his brother and went back to his letter.
"I will tell him of Gusu rules," His brother suddenly says and Lan Huan starts laughing.
He couldn't seem to stop, even when his brother looked startled at his unusual behavior, he just
couldn't seem to stop laughing.
He couldn't help it.
The image of A-Ying getting a letter full of GusuLan rules and a scolding for his handwriting when
all he had sent these past two years had been adventures and beautiful scenery, was just too
humorous to contemplate.
He'd have to write a more elaborate letter to A-Ying to compensate.
After setting MingXia's letter aside to review on it further, I am left with a letter from one merchant
in Qinghe and two letters from Gusu, signed as 'Lan Gege' and 'A-Zhan".
After snorting at the names I picked up Lan Zhan's and opened it.
Oh, this is priceless.
What?
My lips twitched and threatened to break into a wide grin, stomach hurting from trying to contain
the laughter bubbling in my chest, and my hands trembled as I held up the letter to read it.
This is absolutely priceless!
I lost the fight against the hilarity of the situation.
I collapses back on the bed in a fit of giggles, tears leaking out of my eyes with how hard I was
laughing, clutching at my stomach.
"What the hell?" Jiang Cheng looks flabbergasted at my laughing fit," What's wrong?"
I review the letter in my head and handed it to him.
Jiang Cheng takes it with hesitation before reading it.
It's not long before he's laughing just as much as me.
"He's... He's... He's sent you... Tips on... on calligraphy!" Jiang Cheng howled in laughter.
"I know!" I laughed harder in response," And... And he knows me!"
Jiang Cheng was curled up in a ball on the floor, laughing and crying," To you! Of... Of... Of all
people!"
"I know!" I struggled to get enough air to breathe.
Which was how YanLi, whose bedroom was down the hall, found us, having grown worried with
the amount of noise coming from our room," What are you two doing?"
"A-... A-... A-Jie!" Jiang Cheng managed to gasp out between laughter," Letter!" He showed her
the letter.
YanLi takes it and reads it, quickly connecting the dots as to who the letter was addressed to, and
started giggling," To you, A-Ying?"
"I know!" I managed to take a deep breath," A-Zhan... Oh, A-Zhan..."
We're never letting him live this down.
Never.
I'm keeping that letter forever.
He'll be so embarrassed of it years down the road.
I can't wait.
Finally, Jiang Cheng and I manage to calm down our laughter and just laid there, panting and
rubbing at our teary eyes. Jiang YanLi rereading Lan Zhan's letter with a trembling smile, trying
hard not to start giggling again.
"A friend in Gusu?" She asks me once things calm down.
I nod," I met A-Zhan years ago, around the time I met ShouShan, actually, we're close friends!" I
smile at her.
Lan Zhan will totally deny it.
Let him deny it, I have proof.

"It's good A-Ying has such good friends," YanLi says.
"He sounds so stuffy though!" Jiang Cheng interjects," How did you befriend such a boy?" He
wonders.
I ran into him on the streets of Caiyi Town at night, teased him and taught him a nursery rhyme.
"I'm just that lovable," I shrug, with a haughty grin.
Jiang Cheng scoffs," And that's why his letter to you is a bunch of GusuLan Sect rules of conduct
and about six lines of reprimands about your handwriting."
A beat of silence.
I start laughing again and Jiang Cheng desperately tries not to join me.
"What about the other letters?" YanLi asks me.
I rub my eyes and pick Lan XiChen's letter, opening it.
'A-Ying, I'm glad you are all right. YunmengJiang is a very good place for you to stay
in, A-Zhan and I are happy for you. Thank you for all the letters and drawings, Lan
Zhan really likes them. What is that 'platypus' creature you sent? Not even Uncle has
seen such a creature.'
That's why I told you not to send that picture to them.
Shush, this is hilarious.
'Everything has been peaceful here, A-Zhan has begun to learn the guqin, maybe he
can play for you one day? I'm sure he wouldn't mind.'
I just know that Lan XiChen did not ask Lan Zhan about that before writing this.
'...I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Gusu is very beautiful this time of year, if you ever come
here to study I'm certain you'll find many pretty scenes to draw, and the forest
surrounding the mountains will surely delight you.'
Damn, Lan XiChen sure is winning the 'potential hubby award' isn't he?
Oh my God, Ike...
He is! Look, he's even inviting you to go take a stroll through the woods, that's a date invitation if I
ever saw one.
He's just being nice!
Like Walter was nice when he offered to go get coffee with you?
...
Ooh? Is that a bit of red I see on your cheeks, my darling dear?
No! No, it is not! It's totally different!
My, my, your Lan Zhan will really be jealous. Poor thing doesn't even know his brother is
competition yet!
I had to take a deep breath to prevent myself from responding.
I focused back on the letter.
'I wish you good fortune in your studies, there is much to learn at Yunmeng and I am
certain you will make the most of it. Best of wishes, Lan GeGe.'
You're totally calling him that to his face later.
You think I'm that shameless?
...Do you want me to answer that?
Forget it.
Ah, Lan-er-gege~!
IKE!
I suppress a full body shudder and carefully fold Lan XiChen's letter.
"At least his brother knows how to actually write a letter," I chuckle," Those two couldn't be more
different from one another!"
"So why did you befriend the two and not just the social one?" Jiang Cheng asked, getting a soft
wack from YanLi for the impolite question.
I laughed brightly," Where would be the fun in that? I'll get A-Zhan to write an actual letter to me!"
"Keep dreaming..." Jiang Cheng massaged his head," That letter looked like it has been written by
an old man!"
Well... He is the pride and joy of Lan QiRen...
I tried not to break down laughing again.
Really, Lan Zhan made it so easy for me to tease him.
I sent the letters into my inventory once Jiang Cheng had fallen asleep and started to make plans on
how to deal with Yan MingXia's situation and how to get the ball rolling.
Obviously, if I did it and it worked, things were going to change significantly.
I'd have to find a way to make sure this wasn't tracked back to me, because God knew I had enough
problems already without being called out for - unintentionally - creating a whole new market for
working talismans, of high quality because I had standards.
The stamp thing was workable, I'd carve the required stamp on wood or bamboo or whatever
material conducted energy and ink better, then use seals on the sides to be similar to the Wen
branding stick.
But instead of burning it'd press ink.
If I was smart about, I could actually make several talismans at once and then cut them into
separate slips of paper.
Uh, this required further experimentation, Ike make a mental note.
Noted.
Okay, so, the stamp idea was great, and potentially workable, but what about the 'non-traceable'
thing?
Don't use your address? MingXia knows where to find you in case of an emergency.
Not enough. People will want to know who the hell is creating that many talismans and selling
them for discount price.
Technically, you're not selling them. You're providing them for someone else to make a fortune off
of.
It's not like I need the money now, and I have better ideas for future inventions to make money out
of.
You could've had a head-start.
Not needed.
Seriously, my credit in the Store wasn't even the complete amount because I still had piles of loot
to sell.
Back to business, how can I make sure no one thinks to look at me when asking around for this
mysterious rogue cultivator?
...Fake identity? Make a decoy?
...Go on.
So, you don't want people to know it is you doing all these things, so make a decoy, a red herring,
and they'll go on a merry goose chase tracking down this 'rogue cultivator'.
I blink.
Actually... We could use that for more than just the talismans.
We can?
Safe houses, contingency plans for the mountain, stopgaps.
What? You've lost me.
If I can get someone to play decoy for me, I can get to open so many doors of possibilities! Why
settle for one decoy?
Get a network of decoys working with each other to elude detection, have them constantly change
locations, and inspire misdirection.
...You're devious.
I am a genius.
This could backfire immensely on you.
Or it could be the longest heist anyone has ever played on the nation.
How are we doing this?
Thankfully, Jiang Cheng was already fast asleep, the evil grin on my face would've given him
nightmares.
That said, he wouldn't be much better when the wise scope of what I was about to do was finally
unearthed.
All Power to the People.
Chapter End Notes
Show of hands, how many remembered Lan Zhan lost his mother when he was six?
So, yeah, they're back! (Temporarily) How happy are you?
I find it so funny that Lan XiChen went under the name 'Lan GeGe' and I can't wait for
JC to go 'You're the Lan GeGe?!' and LXC just passively smiling 'Yes, I'm A-Ying's
Lan Gege'
(speaking of gege's, Ike totally moaned 'Lan-er-gege' right into WWX's brain, let that
sink in)
The idea WWX just had was/is insane. That's all ya' gonna know.
Grounded
Chapter Summary
Where one needs to be sneaky to get things done, where there's punishment, and cute
little A-Cheng.
Chapter Notes
"He who has a mind to do mischief will always find a pretense." - Publilius Syrus
Chapter 47: Grounded
I had the first packet of talismans ready to go but I couldn't send such a bulky package through the
sect, already I'd used practicing along side Jiang Cheng as an excuse as to why I was writing so
many talismans and had been given odd looks by more than one servant or disciple.
So, I needed to use the Yunmeng City post house.
Now, to find an excuse to be out on the city without Jiang FengMian thinking I was trying to run
away.
"Jiang Cheng," I moaned in despair," I'm so bored! There's nothing to do!"
"There's a lot of things to do!" Jiang Cheng rebuffs me," You could be practicing like me, for one!"
He was going through the basic motions of sparring while I played spotter for him in case he
messed something up.
"But, I don't want to..." I pouted," Can't we go out?"
He stops and looks at me confused," Go out?"
"To the city," I point to the sect gates," Can't we go out and have fun?"
"We're not allowed to leave the Sect Compound until we are ten," Jiang Cheng shakes his head,"
A-Jie goes out but there's always a servant or guard with her nearby, just in case."
"So I can ask Shijie instead?" I perk up," Thanks, platypus!"
Jiang Cheng's eyes widen and he reaches out to grab me," Wait!"
Too late.
I nimbly dodge out of his reach and take off running to where YanLi usually was at this hour. I
could hear Jiang Cheng's hurried footsteps after me, grumbling something along the line of 'crazy
idiot', and so I ran faster, pushing the kid to his limits.
Training came in all sorts of ways, and playing cat and mouse was rather simple, in comparison to
my plans for street parkour when he got some muscle into those arms.
And you can actually leave the sect compound.
That too.
Up ahead I spotted YanLi carefully arranging flowers.
"Shijie!" I called out to her," Jiang Cheng had a brilliant idea!"
"I did not!" Jiang Cheng yelled, offended," This was not my idea!"
YanLi paused what she was doing and looked at us with an exasperated smile," A-Ying, A-Cheng,
what have you done now?"
"I haven't done anything!" Jiang Cheng stomps his feet," I was practicing, this idiot is the one that
wants to get in trouble!" He points at my grinning self.
YanLi turns to me," A-Ying, what have you done now?"
"I haven't done anything yet, Shijie!" I pout at her," I just came to ask you if you were going out to
the city today!"
She blinks," To the city?"
I happily nod," Yes! If you were going, maybe I could come with you for company!" I smile
cheerfully at her.
Jiang Cheng gives me a baffled look.
YanLi chuckles," Well, I don't mind taking a walk to the city," She says," But A-Ying can't go far
from me!" She instructs me.
I nod quickly," I won't! A-Ying promises to be on his best behavior!"
Jiang Cheng's eyes look at me up and down, clearly revealing just how much he believes that
statement.
Jokes on him, I only needed to get in the post house, drop off the package, and be back at her side.
Shouldn't take me more than thirty seconds.
"We are not allowed to leave the sect compound," Jiang Cheng reminds us.
"Eh?!" I grumble," But I'll be with Shijie and I won't go anywhere!"
"It's okay," YanLi smiles," I'll hold A-Ying's hand so he doesn't cause mischief. Does A-Cheng
also want to come with us?" She asks him.
Jiang Cheng looks unsure but I make puppy dog eyes at him, and he crumbles.
No one withstands my puppy dog eyes.
"Then let's go, before lessons start," YanLi gets up and holds out both her hands.
I happily take hers in mine, walking beside her with a skip in my step, grinning all the while.
Jiang Cheng tried to remain perfectly prim and proper but even he was happy to be spending time
with his beloved sister.
Honestly, these kids were just too cute!
We were walking happily through the city and I was subtly luring them closer and closer to the
post house, Jiang Cheng had never been in the city before, unaccompanied by his parents, so he
was watching the markets with wide-eyed amazement and jaw slack.
Too cute.
Jiang YanLi didn't mind taking us on a scenic route, especially knowing that a guard was following
not five feet behind us, and just indulged on letting us pick the direction to walk and running
commentary about what we saw.
Two streets from the post house I released my secret weapon.
I tapped twice on the satchel at my waist and Yunru poked her head out, jumping onto the ground
and taking off running.
"Ah! Yunru!" I take after her, hearing YanLi and Jiang Cheng call out, surprised.
Yunru expertly weaves through the crowd and into the post house, and I enter it not a second later,
having already pulled the packet out of my inventory. I place it on the counter of a stunned teller,
place the sufficient coins on top of it and, after grabbing Yunru, cheerfully wished him a good day
and walked out.
Not even thirty seconds.
"A-Ying!" YanLi and Jiang Cheng catch up to me, and see me 'struggling' to hold a wiggling
Yunru," You had her with you?"
"I didn't even realize she was in the satchel..." I grumble trying to get Yunru to calm down," I
thought she was playing around somewhere."
"Didn't you notice the satchel was heavier?" Jiang Cheng huffs.
"No," I pout at him," I'm used to it."
He rolls his eyes," And this is why dogs are better," He tells me.
This time I roll my eyes," Yes, yes, platypus, we all know how excited you are to be picking after
puppies for the foreseeable future."
Jiang Cheng reddens and cuffs me over the head," Hey! Careful or I might let her go!" I whine.
YanLi sighs," That's enough excitement for one day, let us go back now," She puts her arm over
my shoulders as my hands are occupied with holding Yunru.
You seriously owe Yunru a lot more than just a bowl of berries.
I'll get her a side plate of meat.

Who knew she was such a great actress?
She's mine, what else would you expect?
A lazy procrastinator.
The betrayal!
We start walking back and Jiang Cheng continues his rant about how dogs were infinitely better
than any other animal, and that his dogs would be the best behaved dogs ever.
Knowing what I knew, I was tempted to say his dogs would be the most spoiled dogs ever.
And then our afternoon of friendship goals and subterfuge was over.
Jiang FengMian greets us at the gate.
He doesn't look too happy.
No, I observe the way his eyes fly over the cowed Jiang Cheng and the sheepish YanLi to settle on
my form and stay there, trying to check me for injuries, No, he doesn't look happy at all.
"A-Li," FengMian starts," Where did you go?"
"I took the boys on a walk, Father," She answers," Just a small walk through the city."
"A-Li, they are not allowed outside of the compound yet," FengMian tells her," What if something
had happened?"
YanLi bows," I am sorry, Father, I won't do it again."
"It's not Shijie's fault," I interject, frowning," I asked her to take me outside, so if you're going to
scold anyone, Sect Leader Jiang, it should be me."
Seriously, if he liked me so much he wouldn't ruin me for life by letting me act the way I wanted.
FengMian doesn't even turn to me, instead turning to Jiang Cheng," A-Cheng, why didn't you tell
someone about leaving the compound? I know you know the rules, so why did you decide to break
them?"
Oh, hell no.
"I said," I speak louder," That it was my fault, Sect Leader Jiang."
Jiang Cheng looks at me with wide eyes and YanLi grasps my shoulder in warning.
"A-Ying," FengMian looks kindly down at me," You do not yet understand the rules-..."
"I know the rules! I just wanted to go outside because, need I remind you of all people, I am used to
coming and going as I please!" I tell him," And as I was the one breaking the rules and Jiang Cheng
and Shijie were the ones making sure I wasn't going to cause trouble, then the one that needs to be
punished is me and not them!"
"Well said," Madam Yu claps from around the corner, walking with her two maids behind her,"
You are the one that instigated the children to break the rules, as you have readily admitted, and
has to receive punishment for it."
"My Lady-..." Jiang FengMian goes to interrupt but Madam Yu makes a slash gesture with her
hand, quieting him.
"YanLi and Jiang Cheng could've been hurt or troubled because of this child, you may do as you
wish with it outside of propriety behind close doors, but I am the one responsible for discipline in
the Sect and this is a matter of discipline," She sneers," Wei Ying, you will wait in the training
courtyard, I will be there shortly with more instructions."
To think that of the two, I would appreciate the woman I can't stand to the man I thought I'd grow
fond of.
Expectations not always meet reality.
Disappointing.
I give an awkward bow to the Madam and Sect Leader and hurry away, letting go of Yunru once I
turn the corner.
"I'll get you your reward when I get back in the room, you were a lifesaver, YunYun!" I grin at her.
Yunru squeaks at the nickname and does a quick little donut run before scampering off into the
bushes.
She's cute too.
Lord have mercy on us if you can't find something cute in your vicinity.
If I can't find anything cute in my vicinity it only means that I am the cute thing in the vicinity.
Ego.
Well, you have to stretch your legs somehow, don't you Ike?
Touché.
No disciple really bothers me as I make my way to the training courtyard but I do get a few
unfriendly glares and 'quiet' gossiping behind my back.
Really, these people would learn, sooner or later, that just because they talked about me it didn't
mean that I'd suddenly start paying attention to them.
And the ones spreading rumors were underachieving disciples who, obviously, felt threatened
about my rapid achievements and reputation.
Older disciples I sparred with didn't really care about me either way, and, after seeing my seven
year old body withstand three consecutive suicide-runs, weren't too keen on believing rumors when
proof that I actually worked hard to get to where I was was right in front of their eyes.
Truthfully, I felt like I could perhaps befriend them, but I was already kind of busy with Jiang
Cheng and dealing with my plans for the future that I didn't have the time right now.
So much to do, so little time to accomplish it.
But I would still get it done.
I was going to win this.

It didn't take too long for the Madam to arrive, sneering in such a familiar way the hair on the back
of my neck stood on end, and bark orders for the older disciples to line up.
One of the maids, I don't remember their names at the moment, presents the Madam with a training
sword.
She takes it and tosses it at me, I grab it and nearly drop it, not having expected it to be so heavy.
The sword was almost as tall as me, made of bamboo carved in the shape of a sword, but it was far
heavier than it looked to be.
I gave the sword a suspicious look before looking up at the Madam.
"Disciples," She ordered," You'll spar one by one with this junior, whenever he loses you'll switch,
until he either wins or collapses," And then she walks away.
I stare after her and then down at the sword I had the certainly was tampered with, and I can't help
the bubble of resentment at the punishment.
Liling was perhaps half of the length of this blade, and she knew I wasn't proficient in using it, and
not only that, this blade was too heavy and unwieldy for me to maneuver with it.
Furthermore, these were disciples who had already spent, at the very least, a year studying
swordplay.
I was never going to win this.
Well... She did warn you that she'd tire you out in order to prevent more misbehavior.
This goes a bit beyond 'tiring me out'.
Yeah, well, she doesn't like you very much.
I growled in the back of my throat and walked into the circle of the sparring ring.
I twisted the sword to experiment on fighting stances and had to grimace at how limited my
movements were. That said, I couldn't very well drop the sword and fight hand-to-hand because, if
nothing else, I'd use the sword to block their attacks.
After some hesitation, understandable given the sudden change of plans and how young I looked
like, one of them stepped in the ring with me.
"Don't go easy on him!" Madam Yu yelled out," The one I see holding back will be joining in on
his punishment."
Sure, go right ahead and tell them to split my head open while you're at it!
Temper!
I gripped the sword tightly and glared at my opponent.
I wasn't going down easily.
I never expected you to.

If she thought this was enough to break me, she was wrong.
Give them hell.
I was going to take my mountain, and I was going to raise it high above all others, just taunting my
opponents to try and rival it.
Keep your mind on the target, don't lose focus, stay calm.
I take a deep breath through my nose and exhale out of my mouth.
My eyes start shimmering silver underneath the afternoon sky and my opponent shivers almost
unnoticeably.
Game on, punks.
I don't really remember how long we sparred for, how many times I lost, or how it ended, I really
only remember waking up in the infirmary, in the middle of the night, to Jiang Cheng sneaking in
to snuggle beside me.
Seriously, I woke up to him jostling me awake trying to get under the blanket with me.
Your heart totally melted on the spot.
Shut up.
I ended up helping him get settled, and teased him obviously, before going back to sleep for a few
hours until I get roused a second time.
By YanLi who was looking for Jiang Cheng.
I heaved a sigh and mourned the youth's disregard for valuable sleeping time.
"I was worried," YanLi sat beside the bed," A-Cheng wasn't in his room, he wanted to sleep in my
room but Mother forbid it, he still broke the rules so he still has to kneel in the ancestral hall
tomorrow as well."
Dear Lord in Heaven, these kids needed a cool aunt.
"How are you, A-Ying? Are you hurting?" She asks me, worried, and gently brushing the hair off
my face.
"Not really," I yawn," I'll be bruised and sore tomorrow, but I'm just tired," I answered.
Lie. Your hands are completely raw and they'll be bandaged for a day or two still, your knees got
pretty banged up and you are lucky you have no broken bones.
...Could be worse.
With you? I'm surprised you still haven't split your head open.
"A-Ying..." YanLi frowns," Don't lie."
I give her a sheepish grin," I'm fine, Shijie, you'll see. I'll be back in lessons tomorrow morning!"
She doesn't look very convinced and sighs, pressing her hands gently on my cheeks, fingers
caressing my scar.
"A-Ying gets hurt too much," She tells me.
My smile trembles," Don't worry! I'll get better!" I say.
What else could I tell her?
That I wouldn't get hurt? That I wouldn't do it again? That I wouldn't break the rules again?
It was pratically impossible, in a world like this one, even if there wasn't a war brewing on the
horizon and I dead-set on becoming the world's first necromancer, I'd still get involved in night-
hunting, fighting and a society based around how powerful and influential you were.
I'd get hurt either way.
It wasn't fair to her, a girl too soft and loving for such a lifestyle, to witness what life would bring to
her doorstep and watch it take away bits and pieces of her brother, threatening to leave him a shell
of his younger self.
I couldn't do much, but what I could I promise I would. I'd do my best in making sure her brother
and herself got a better future.
Even if it meant that I would get beaten up by six odd teenagers with bamboo swords.
I'd survived worst punishments.
Besides, it helped me get stronger.
Always find the silver lining. The bright side of a situation. The break in the clouds.
The doctor didn't want to clear me come morning, because underneath my robes I looked like a
mottled grape that had been stepped on, but I had showed him that I was perfectly comfortable with
moving about and was ready to take on the world.
I wasn't, not really, I actually wanted to go lie down on a nice bed and sleep the rest of the
afternoon, but this was a matter of determination.
And pride.
That too, I guess. The look on Madam Yu's face when I walked in like nothing had happened
would be worth it.
Priorities, right?
Not such, more like I can prove that beating me up won't work on me.
She'll just try again.
And I'll survive it again, I shrug, besides I did level up my swordplay skill, leveled up and, this is
kind of important, got close to actually beating one of them.
Sure by the time that nearly happened the disciples were already tired and falling a little behind,
but I'll take improvement in any shape or form I can.
So, when morning arrived I left the infirmary, with permission!, and made my way to the main hall
for breakfast.
Jiang Cheng looked up and stared at me in surprise, and I just couldn't help it:
"What is it, platypus? Shocked by my good looks?" I joked.
Jiang Cheng jolted, frowned, and then started tearing up.
You done goofed.
Oh crap.
I quickly hurry to him and ruffle his hair messing it up," Don't mind, don't mind, I'm fine! What are
you upset about? Want me to join you kneeling in the hall? Ah, but I do that I'll just bore you to
death with my whinging."
Jiang Cheng bats my hands away but leans slightly on me, thankfully not hugging me or something
because that would make it hard not to grimace.
YanLi hadn't arrived yet, so it was only Jiang Cheng in here, which was surprising.
"Where's Shijie? And your parents?" I asked him.
"A-Jie was getting ready," He answers," Mother won't be eating with us today, and I don't know
about Father."
Goddammit, and here I wanted to show off my stamina.
Serves you right, I already told you not to antagonize her.
I can't help it! Whenever she gets this look on her face I just want to shove it under her nose that
she can't control me like that.
Yes, and it works out great for you.
I sighed.
"Are you hurt?" Jiang Cheng asks me.
"Nah," I wave him off," I'm fine."
He frowns," You were hurt last night."
"And now I am fine," I grin," No need to look so down, platypus!"
He gives me a look," Who says I'm sad about you?" He mumbles.
Kid's so cute, seriously, how can such a grumpy kid be so damn cute.
You find him cute because he's grumpy.
Totally.
"We'll if you're not sad about me, what are you sad about?" I ask him," You can tell me, I'm your
shixiong, I'll look after my shidi!"
Jiang Cheng visibly reddens and gets away from me, sitting at his table for breakfast," Who'd want
you as their shixiong? Always getting in trouble, always daydreaming in class, and rude."
I sit down at my own table and clutch my heart," Ah! How could you, platypus! And after I made
you your slingshot too!"
Jiang Cheng looks away and fiddles with his sleeves.
He's too cute for his own good.
"Hey, Jiang Cheng," I call him.
"What?" He grunts.
"Thanks for being my friend," I smile at him," You're a good kid."
He goes red as a tomato all the way to the tips of his ears," Who are you calling a kid?! You're
barely any older than me!"
I laugh, and laugh, and laugh.
If only you knew.
Feeling old again?
A bit, reminiscing mostly.
What are you thinking about?
Colin. He was my daredevil child, little troublemaker always getting into something the minute you
turned your back on him.
Ah, I remember him. He grew up surprisingly well-mannered.
He grew up to be a counselor, certainly not the first thing that came to mind when he was a kid.
Why are you thinking about him?
Jiang Cheng kind of reminds me of his little brother.
Ah?
Yeah, I was wondering if I should use Colin as an example on how to act around him.
Anything worthwhile?
Just that Colin was a good big brother.
You are too.
Coming from the person constantly telling me I'm a bad role model.
You are a bad role model, but you're not a bad caretaker, you just... need a handler, sometimes,
frequently, advisably always.
Gee, thanks.
It's true.
I know.
I rested my head on my hand as I watched Jiang Cheng try to get his composure back, still visibly
red and glaring at nothing, and couldn't help but feel nostalgic.
Only now, instead of being an outsider looking in on these two brothers fooling around, it was a
this serious little boy and myself in a second chance at life.
I still felt like an outsider.
But part of my heart yearned to latch on.
Warmth.
Family.
I missed it.
Chapter End Notes
Yunru is best girl, who's with me?

Also, who can guess who made the rule that children couldn't leave the compound
until they were 10? (It was not Madam Yu, that's for sure)
Speaking of Madam Yu, the punishment might've sounded brutal but! She knows
WWX is not like a normal child, she did not leave for the duration of the punishment
just in case something went wrong, and this gave her an excuse to push WWX to his
limits.
Suicide runs do wonders for stamina, agility, and strength. But he needs to actually
fight using a sword to get practice done (because YZY still remembers the short sword
he had on him)
I get it that, up until this point, I've painted Madam Yu like a big baddy, but take her
actions with a slightly skewed viewpoint. She hates WWX but at the same time, she's
not about to sink so low as to keep him from reaching his full potential.
WWX getting mad at JFM for only scolding his children when he admitted it was his
fault was a bit of self-indulgence. The "Seriously, if he liked me so much he wouldn't
ruin me for life by letting me act the way I wanted." refers to canon!wwx, who grew
up naturally arrogant, and would frequently toss insults back when insulted, or
resorted to violence.
Not only did JFM favoritism cause a rift in the family, he essentially spoiled WWX
into not thinking too much about his actions (whereas JC was lectured, at length, about
never letting any 'harm' befall the family name, to the point where that approach
wasn't the most helpful either)
People are complicated, marriage just adds another level of complication to them. And
these two have a lot of problems to work out between them.
Necessary
Chapter Summary
In which there is much panic, a letter, more friends, and Jiang Cheng has lost all hope
that his best friend could be considered sane.
Good times.
Chapter Notes
Run boy run! This world is not made for you

Run boy run! They're trying to catch you
"Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you." - Satchel Paige
Chapter 48: Necessary
I was late.
Color me surprised.
I was late!
I did warn you.
Oh, dear Lord in Heaven, Goddess GuanYin, all the deities out there that might take pity on this
poor fool, I was fucking late!
I have no sympathy for you.
Ike! I am dead! Do you understand that?! Dead!
I warned you. I told you, you wouldn't make it back in time.
I am so dead.
You are. Run faster, you might make it before the alarm is sounded, and will only scare Jiang
Cheng out of his wits by barreling in through the window.
I push my legs further, dashing through the still deserted streets of Yunmeng to reach the Sect
Compound before the sun rose. Unfortunately, the sky was already lighting up and I could faintly
hear the first fishermen and merchants start their day.
This is not good.
Your fault.
I bit my tongue so that I wouldn't yell profanities in the middle of the empty street and vaulting
through the opening in the lotus insignia on the white walls and dropping into a roll on the ground
on the other side.
I literally hit the ground running and take off towards the residential wing of the main building.
When I get there I scale a tree to jump onto the roof and jump through the window, letting myself
drop to the wooden floor and start getting my robes and boots off.
"What the hell?!" Jiang Cheng startles awake and stares down at me, utterly befuddled about what
just happened.
"Go back to sleep!" I hiss at him,"Lay down and pretend to sleep!"
After getting the clothes and boots off I quickly arrange them neatly at the foot of my bed and toss
the blankets I'd used to fake a body into the adjacent room, I'd find a place to hide those later, and
threw myself in bed, desperately trying to calm down my breathing.
"What's going on?" Jiang Cheng asks me.
"Jiang Cheng," I look at him, dead serious,"Lay down, go to sleep, you do not want to be awake."
"Why?" He complies and lies down,"What did you do?"
"For the sake of your continued health and mine," I bark a, slightly hysterical, laugh,"You really
don't want to know."
Jiang Cheng looks up at the ceiling as if begging for patience," Did anyone see you?" He asks
instead.
"I'm still alive," I chuckle," What do you think? Now sleep, we don't have much time."
Jiang Cheng closes his eyes," Much time for what?"
"Shh!" I hiss and him, already 'calm' and seemingly sleeping peacefully.
There's a lull of silence and I can sense that Jiang Cheng is just about to start talking again when
the bedroom door slams open.
As if rehearsed, Jiang Cheng and I jump 'awake' and stare at the person standing in our doorway.
Jiang FengMian does not look happy.
You are so dead.
Jiang FengMian, in fact, looks like he just spent the last hour chasing a rumor of someone through
a forest and all the way back to his own Sect.
Oh, wait...
"Father?" Jiang Cheng gulps," What's happening?"

Jiang FengMian takes a deep breath to reply before blinking and taking in the scene. Two little
boys sitting up in their beds staring wide-eyed and startled at the person who just burst in their
room.
Boots perfectly placed by the foot of their beds, robes folded for their early start in the morning,
seemingly having been asleep up until he entered the room.
He asks,"Have you... Left the room tonight?"
To which both Jiang Cheng and I shake our heads.
Jiang FengMian slowly nods, observing our room again,"Ah, I see... There were reports of a
disciple out of the Sect Compound at night."
It must've taken a great deal of sheer force of will for Jiang Cheng to not look in my direction.
"Go back to sleep," Jiang FengMian decides,"It's still to early for you to be awake."
He smiles.
I seriously think there can't be anything more terrifying than that.
Even the Bo looked less scary than that.
If he finds out the truth, you are dead.
Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.
Jiang FengMian nods and leaves the room, closing the door on his way out.
I quickly put a finger to my lips, indicating for Jiang Cheng to remain quiet, and get out of bed to
join him in his.
"What did you do?" He whispers in my ear, terrified.
"The letter I received," I whisper back,"A friend asked me to go on a night-hunt like old times."
"You went night-hunting?!" He hisses.
I shush him,"Quiet! Yes and no, I got there and me and my friend got to talking, then someone
must've commented I was there, the next thing I know your father shows up!"
Jiang Cheng's eyes go wide,"Father was leading a night-hunt tonight."
I groaned,"And it just so happened I showed up at the same night-hunt."
He looks at me as if he's never seen me before,"How are you alive?"
I grin at him.
We are never doing this again until we have permission.
I did warn you.
Ike, I want you to put this day marked on my calendar, we are never doing this again.
Won't mean much if you're constantly ignoring my advice.

Never. Doing. This. Again.
*Fifteen hours previously*
"What are you doing?" Jiang Cheng asks me, seeing me work on a slim piece of wood.
"I, my dear shidi," I distractedly answer him," Am about to create something revolutionary."
Jiang Cheng gives me a doubtful look.
Oh, you poor, poor child. You're going to be so grateful to me for what I am about to create.
Yes, it's the invention of the ages, the world couldn't possibly exist without this.
It really couldn't.
I blow the wood chips off and hold up what I have in my hands in front of my eyes, really, in all
honesty, the System was amazing and I'd give it a 11/10 review if I could.
Once you bought a recipe of any kind, the System would guide you on how to actually get it done.
Things like, how your hands should be positioned, how hard you should press or the amount of any
thing you had to add.
It wouldn't just let you know how to get it done, it'd actually show you how.
It was amazing.
Stop idolizing it, it'll probably screw you over soon.
I've told you so many times before, the System loves me.
Doubt.
"What is that?" Jiang Cheng leans in to see it better.
"This?" I grin smugly at him," This is a fountain pen."
I got it.
Stop being so happy about it.
No, I waited almost three years to get my hands on it. I deserve to be enthusiastic about this!
Not to the point where your passionate becomes Jiang Cheng's fanatical.
I roll my eyes.
"What is a fountain pen?" Jiang Cheng pokes at it.
"You use it to write," I explain to him," This is hollow, and it has a cap with a tip, which I still
haven't finished, and then there's this little tub thing that goes inside that has ink on it."
"Like a brush?" He frowns," Won't the ink spill out?"
"I'm working on it," I wave him off," This is better than a brush because it allows you to write
neatly."
"I already write neatly, you're the one that writes like a toddler," Jiang Cheng scoffs.
"How dare you! My handwriting is perfectly legible!" I lie with a straight-face.
Jiang Cheng gives me a disbelieving look," The characters look like chicken scratches."
They're not that bad, kid's exaggerating.
Well, they certainly won't win you any calligraphy awards.
I huff and get back to my crafting, I'd get the tip done later and amaze everyone with the fact that I
could, in fact, write legibly.
"What are you doing this afternoon?" I ask Jiang Cheng.
"I dunno," He pouts," A-Jie went with Mother to see Madam Jin, you're not doing anything, and
Father is busy."
"Really?" I blink," I mean, I know Sect Leader Jiang is usually busy but you never point that out."
Jiang Cheng hits me on the shoulder," Father is leading a night-hunt tonight, so he won't be back
until morning."
That's interesting.
"Well, I'm almost finished here," I inspect the body of the pen," So if you want to do something,
we can."
Jiang Cheng jumps to his feet," I want to spar!"
I groan," Why, of all the things you could ask me to do, is it always something that involves
physical exertion?"
Jiang Cheng frowns and bonks me on the head," You won't teach me the bow yet, the swords are
too heavy, and we can't go outside."
"There's talismans?" I try.
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes," I'm not crazy about them like you, so no, I want to spar," Then he very
noticeably pouts," Besides, what are you complaining about, you never lose."
"I do lose, frequently, just not with you," I chuckle and put the pen in my pocket, or so Jiang Cheng
sees, having sent it to the inventory once it was out of sight.
"Of course you'd lose against the older disciples," Jiang Cheng grumbles.
Eh, if I had my daggers and I wanted to seriously maim them, then it wouldn't be 'of course'.
Ah, but they can't know that can they?
Ugh.
I get up and follow after Jiang Cheng to the training courtyard.
Spending an afternoon rolling around in the dirt, correcting grips and kicks for a couple hours
wasn't the worst that I could be doing.
"Young Master Wei," A servant found Jiang Cheng and I as we were resting under the shade on
one of the covered piers," A letter arrived for you."
I didn't get why half the servants and older disciples liked to call me Wei-gongzi. Really, they just
called me that from day one, and I doubted it was because Jiang FengMian asked them to.
"Thank you," I got up and accepted the letter.
The servant quickly bowed and left.
"Another?" Jiang Cheng sighed," And just one? They usually come in packs, don't they?"
"And early," I nod," I don't think this is my usual type of letter," I turn it around to read who it is
from.
Mao PeiZhi.
Ooh!
I open the letter quickly, eager to see what news he brought me, and wow, word traveled fast that I
was in Yunmeng.
Although, to be fair, I had asked ShouShan to speed up the process for me and try and get into
contact with my other cultivator contacts, just so that FengMian didn't grow too suspicious for me
to receive five letters in reply and send out more than twenty in response.
Of course, with Yan MingXia's decision to become the Godmother of Talisman Contraband (when
it wasn't contraband no matter what Ike said), the option to be out of contact with them for a while
wasn't possible.
Thankfully, and hopefully, ShouShan had explained things correctly to them so I wouldn't have to
worry about foreign cultivators trying to 'break in' into Lotus Pier to talk to me.
I push the thoughts aside and start reading the letter, if it could be called that, they were only a few
paragraphs explaining he'd be appearing on a night-hunt happening in a village nearby and that he
had other of my contacts with him, so if I could meet with them we'd be able to discuss things
properly.
...
...
Damn, I love these people.
You met them when you were five, at best, how the hell did you manage to make such strong
connections?
Like I've said, many times, I am just that lovable.
And you teach them tricks that no one else has figured out yet.
That helps too.
Seeing the names of who'd be there I was surprised at how many small time clans had decided to
travel in order to meet as close to Yunmeng as you could possibly get without actually being in
Yunmeng.
ShouShan probably helped with that too.
Probably.
But, I do have one question.
What?
How are you getting there?
Uh?
It's a night-hunt, even if they're not actually there to participate on the night-hunt.
It's relatively close to Yunmeng, if I leave before midnight, I can be there by 1am.
But you won't be able to make it back in time.
How do you know?
Gut feeling.
You, my dear old friend, don't have any guts.
Fine, my metaphorical gut feeling.
I can totally make it back in time, besides, I need to take this chance. I need to talk to everyone
about what's going to happen in the next few months, a year at the latest.
You think you can get your talisman contraband operation rolling in a few months?
I'm spending my nights bulk drawing talismans, hopefully I can max out the skill before winter,
which is when the talismans hit their peak in orders, and then I'll create the stamp machine. Once
that machine is done, and it works, I can get it to one of my little helpers to send to MingXia, where
another little helper should be helping out.
Hopefully, she wouldn't be too angry at me for suggesting she get a young cultivator from a nearby
clan, well... nearby-ish, to help with actually dealing with the talismans.
And that the kid didn't get on her nerves too much.
Much woodcutting awaits that young padawan.
Ugh.
Anyway, once the first machine was with MingXia, and it was working as it should, we'd stop the
actual door to door selling of the talismans and move things underground, not in the literal sense,
but have merchants pick up the bundle of talismans and inconspicuously leave the money for them,
before going back to their hometowns.
Yan MingXia would handle that part, though, as she was the one in charge of getting the talismans
sold. And was the one that let this get out of hand.
Furthermore, no one would think that a widow past her prime, with no connection whatsoever to
the cultivation world, save for one odd 'rogue cultivator' that spend a few weeks of winter in her
home one year, would be capable of operation such a wide-scale talisman production.
Which was my goal entirely.
Except you did not expect have her ask for over a hundred talismans a month.
And that's why the stamp comes straight after the fountain pen!
"What does the letter say?" Jiang Cheng asks me,"Anything interesting?"
I hum,"You could say that, it's just a friend checking in on me. He heard I was staying here and
wanted to send a letter."
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes, less than impressed,"Well, he sent the letter."
"Platypus, I've told you many times, if you get too jealous you'll really turn into a platypus," I
needle him,"And I will laugh if you do."
He smacks my back - and ouch! - before walking away from the pier, towards the training
courtyard,"Lessons are starting soon, c'mon!"
I roll my eyes and pocket the letter.
It was a lucky night that FengMian and Madam Yu would both be gone for the night.
I only needed to make sure Jiang Cheng didn't wake up during the night and think I had
disappeared.
The pillow trick?
Hmm, yes, that does sound like it could work.
You still won't make it back in time to Lotus Pier.
I will make it back in time! Where's your faith in my skills, Ike?
Lost somewhere between your good luck and your ability to keep your foot out of your mouth.
I was not that bad!
...
I wasn't! Ike!
There's no reply.
FengMian had left shortly after dinner, he was also helping organize the night-hunt he was going
on so he had to be there early, and so, after a bath and a few squabbles in the bedroom about stupid
childish topics, and a lot of needling about my near constant 'practice' of talisman-making, Jiang
Cheng finally went out like a light.
I quickly arranged a mount of robes and blankets I had in my inventory, and would explain their
appearance never, into a vaguely human shaped mound and covered it. I took a step back and
determined that, if Jiang Cheng woke in the middle of the night, he wouldn't notice I wasn't
actually there. Taking my task as completed I when out the window and scaled down a tree to get
off the roof.
Getting out of Yunmeng was a lot harder than getting in, which I presumed was the entire point,
but once you knew the guard's rotations and were small enough to fit through the little 'vent
windows' as I called them, getting out only required you to be creative.
So, before long, I was running towards the village where my contacts awaited me.
You're going to get caught.
I am not getting caught!
You're not making it back in time.
Ike, we've discussed this already, everything will go smoothly.
Uh uh - He didn't sound very impressed - Don't come crying to me when it doesn't.
Nothing is going to go wrong.
See? I told you! Everything's fine!
Yes, yes, I heard you the first three times.
"So, what is going on?" Mao PeiZhi asks me.
"A lot is going on," I chuckled,"What do you know?"
"Bai-gongzi told us one of your projects got out of control," Mao PeiZhi grins.
The other five cultivators around us chuckle in response.
I sigh - ShouShan really liked taking digs at my reputation of troublemaker -"I guess you could say
that, but it wasn't my fault."
Mao PeiZhi grin widens," Of course not, Wei-gongzi, we'd never think that."
I give him a deadpan look - seriously, these guys loved making fun of me -"Here's the thing, I need
you guys to do this-"
And then I explained them my plans.
At some point of the of the cultivators had to sit down before he passed out and held his head in his
hands.
Mao PeiZhi was staring at me with a slack jaw, not saying a word.
"So?" I tilt my head to the side, looking up at him with a smirk,"An investment you are interested
in participating?"
"Yes!" A cultivator gasped," The Tan Clan will take part in this proposal!"
"The Duan Clan as well!" Another one was quick to agree.
"Me too! I'll get my Clan to consider this too!" One of the younger cultivators put his hand up like
a little schoolboy.
"If this works..." Mao PeiZhi finally murmured.

"It has no reason not to work," I inform him,"It might take a few months for it to become
completely independent and longer to show visible results, but I don't see why it shouldn't work."
"If it works," Mao PeiZhi enunciates the word carefully,"Then you will take control of a whole
new trade route."
"Not me," I shake my head,"I'm not the one who started this process, I was only trying to help an
old woman."
Troublesome old woman too!
"And now you may very well be on your way of taking control of a whole new trade route," Mao
PeiZhi repeats.
I roll me eyes,"Fine, yes! Yes, I may be accidentally taking control of a trade route, are you
interested?" I ask him again.
"The Mao Clan stands with you in prosperity," Mao PeiZhi grins,"More so if you marry my
daughter."
The cultivators laugh.
I groan,"I am not marrying anyone!"
Mao PeiZhi just smirks,"She'll grow up to be a beauty, you know, just like her mother."
"Mao-gongzi," I give him a look,"I am not marrying anyone."
He shrugs,"It was worth the try, I wouldn't approve of anyone else marrying my little girl."
I think you might need to cut this short.
Uh? Why?
Listen.
I make a gesture and every one goes quiet, I tilt my head slightly and listen.
At first there's only the usual forest sounds and critters and I start to lose patience at whatever it
was Ike thought he'd noticed, when I hear it.
"They think it was him, Sect Leader," Someone was speaking,"I don't know if it's true, but a
cultivator mentioned seeing a 'Wei WuXian' joining the night-hunt."
"Did they?" Another voice asked.
I freeze in place.
Oh, no.
You're dead.
I quickly look at Mao Peizhi,"We'll have to discuss this through ShouShan, I need to run, you never
saw me tonight!" I point at them.
And then I quickly take off running.

"What do you think happened?" One of the cultivators asked.
"No idea," Mao PeiZhi shrugged,"But it spooked him."
"I don't think it spooked him," Another shook his head,"I think he just didn't want to be seen."
"Seen by who?" Mao PeiZhi asked.
Immediately after his words are spoken three purple clad disciples stumble out of the bushes.
Everyone knows which Sect wears purple robes.
Mao PeiZhi can't quite contain the bark of laughter that overwhelms him.
Apparently someone was out of bed past their bedtime.
Aah, he thought, what interesting times they lived in, where the person who just proposed the most
ambitious and outrageous scheme, was a seven year old kid that had a bedtime curfew.
"Good evening," One of the purple-robed disciples bows politely at them,"Have you seen a young
child in the forest tonight?"
Mao PeiZhi grinned,"No, sorry, can't say I have."
"No, what would a child be doing here anyways?"
"No children here, just this big baby!"
"Hey! No, sorry, haven't any kid around."
"Who would bring their kid on a night-hunt?"
The disciple grimaced and bowed again,"Thank you, anyways, and please have a wonderful night-
hunt."
"You too!" One of the cultivators waves happily as the disciples walk away," Such a polite youth!"
"Don't embarrass them," Mao PeiZhi shakes his head.
God knows we wouldn't stand a chance finding the kid once he stopped looking too young to be
walking around by himself.
"Back to work," Mao PeiZhi ordered,"We'll get our fill of hunting and then it's time to head to
Gusu! Hope you've brought your clean knickers because I am not stopping until we get there."
The others groaned.
"That's what I like to hear!" Mao PeiZhi laughed.
Aah, what a time to be alive.
Chapter End Notes

Hey! Hope you enjoyed a slightly lighthearted chapter (they won't last long)
Okay, so things to discuss:
WWX got his fountain pen! (a prototype, it works meh) But hooray!
JC will know the wonders of this new device, he will be taught the ways of modern
calligraphy. Or else he'll turn into a real Platypus.
Mao PeiZhi, I think you guys will like him, I personally envision him like Rochi from
Naruto (only with black hair and the thing on his face is either paint or non-existent)
slightly short and stocky kind of guy.
He's already in his thirties, married with children (including a little girl he
continuously tries to get WWX to consider marrying) and belongs to a minor clan in
*drum rolls* Qishan.
(Yeah, WWX is going that far to 'steal' Wen Ruohan's 'serfs' right from under his nose.
There's a reason for this but *mimics sipping mouth close* not telling)
The other guys aren't so important, they are from other smallish clans from around the
Qishan area, but Mao is the highest ranking among them so he's something of a leader
during these meetings.
And now they're off to Gusu to pester ShouShan and have many drinks to laugh about
WWX getting chased home because of curfew.
Finally, sorry not to have posted a second chapter last night (to me, at least, for most of
you it's day/afternoon) but this next week schedule is kind of wonky. My brother will
be out of country on holiday, and there's a surgery scheduled for the 16th (not me, but
the person who's getting it might make a run for it)
So, only one chapter per day might be the best until things settle down again.
And thank you for all the comments and support, I know I haven't been replying to all
of them, but I do read them!
Hope I'm not forgetting to address anything (it happens) and I'll see you on the next
chapter!
Familiar
Chapter Summary
Where a portrait is painted, memories made, and what did you just say about my
mother?!
Plus puppies galore and a very, very, very familiar nickname.
Chapter Notes
Another fun chapter before I make you drown in feelz.

Aren't I a considerate author?
"We are best friends. Always remember that when you fall, I'll pick you up, after I finish
laughing." - Unknown
Chapter 49: Familiar
As far as the world knew, I hadn't left the room the entire night. Which was why I was still alive
two weeks later with only the suspicious glares Madam Yu sent my way and the exasperated air
Jiang Cheng had whenever it was brought up.
Maybe the curious mystery kept getting brought up to trip me up?
I don't know.
It's mid-October now, and I was just a week and a half away from turning eight.
Time flies by while you are having fun.
Letters with the Lan Brothers kept being monthly things, but Yan MingXia and ShouShan's were
regular occurrences as we coordinated business efforts. ShouShan's father was unfathomably
entertained by the mess of a project I had created, and wisely staying out of the meat of the
dealings.
ShouShan mentioned he'd be responsible for investing the money they'd earn for helping Yan
MingXia so I worried slightly over that.
XianLiang was no fool, but he could be... exuberant, in his festivities.
And getting a pretty fat paycheck, from what ShouShan had written, certainly boosted one's
merriment.
Wei WuXian, the Godfather of this world's Underground operations.
It's all Yan MingXia's! She can have that title, I'm just... the supplier, of sorts. Temporary supplier!
Once I get the stamp thing up and working everything is getting sent to her and she can decide
what way to go from there.
You're going to need several stamps.
I know, and I'll probably need to figure out a way to get in contact with them faster than letters, just
in case something happens.
How are you doing that?
I don't know, I'll think of something. Now help me concentrate, drive away all unnecessary
thoughts.
I'm busy.
I carefully paint the details of the beautiful lilac and soft pink robes with embroidered lotus flowers
of YanLi's dress robes, Jiang Cheng sitting beside me, completely silent, transfixed at my skill.
This morning, YanLi received a package from Madam Jin, a present they'd apparently discussed
when she had gone over for tea, and it looked so pretty that I had begged her to let me paint her
portrait (which I had sort of forgotten about, oops) with her wearing it.
I even managed to do her hair and a soft shade of makeup.
Jiang Cheng asked me, with an odd look in his eyes, how I knew how to apply makeup.
In my brief panic to find a worthy excuse, I'd blurt out something about courtesans and them being
nice.
Jiang Cheng and Jiang YanLi looked alarmed.
I need to stop doing that.
Yeah, you need to stop doing that.
Thankfully, I managed to divert the conversation back to how pretty YanLi looked and how the
portrait was going to look amazing.
Which led us to now, Jiang Cheng awed at my art skills, and the portrait almost completed.
I was using oil paint, because of how vivid the colors were. And also because no one had ever used
them before and I wanted this painting to be immortalized.
You just want YanLi to be amazed at it.
Shhh, every lowly human wants the admiration of the Goddess that is YanLi.
You're such a bloody sap.
And you can't get rid of me.
"Teach me," Jiang Cheng murmurs.

I grin not taking my eyes off the painting,"I'll teach you, in time, you're still learning how to sketch
properly."
Jiang Cheng nods,"I'll work harder."
I let out a small chuckle,"You're already working hard, Platypus, this things take time, I've been
doing this for years, you've just started what? A month ago?"
"Almost two months," He nods.
"Then you are already pretty advanced for when I was when I first started," I tell him,"Must be my
incredibly good teachings."
Jiang Cheng lets out a huff of breath, already used to my halfhearted and joking bragging.
I add the final details and put the painting brush down,"There," I smile,"All done, Shijie, it just
needs to dry, want to see?"
YanLi gets up from her position and walks over to see the portrait.
"Oh!" She puts her hands over her mouth,"A-Ying, it's beautiful!"
I grin up at her,"I told you, Shijie! I'd paint you the prettiest portrait!"
She smiles and brushes my head, doing the same when Jiang Cheng pouts,"A-Ying did promise,
and A-Ying is a good boy that keeps his promises!"
"A-Ying does!" I agree with her,"Do you like it, Shijie?"
Her smile widens,"Hn," She nods,"It's the most beautiful painting I've seen."
"That's because Shijie is the prettiest, most beautiful person in the world!" I laugh.
YanLi goes pink to the tips of her ears,"Oh, you!" She bats at my head.
Your Lan Zhan will be sooooo jealous.
'My' Lan Zhan can go take a hike to cool off in the cold spring.
Oh, he will, no doubt about it, but he might want you to join him.
Bad thoughts!
Ike laughs at him and continues to laugh until the first few note of 'It's a Small World after all' start
playing.
Then he just shrieks in terror and goes quiet.
"Mother should see it!" Jiang Cheng's eyes lit up as if he just had a brilliant idea.
I look at him in horror,"No!"
"Why not? She can't get mad at you for it!" Jiang Cheng retorts,"Maybe you can paint her
portrait!"
And title it, The Devil wears Purple.

I choke on my spit and hesitate long enough for Jiang Cheng to take off.
That kid is going to get me killed.
You're friends, I think that's their job in life.
You're my friend.
I'm a slightly different variation of friend... I'm literally stuck inside your brain.
Correction, you were born from my brain.
Do you want me to call you Mama?
Die in a ditch.
Madam Yu was faintly impressed, not that she told me such but the fact that she didn't refuse when
I politely - begrudgingly - asked if she wanted me to paint her portrait told me all I needed to know.
She accepted of course, if only to brag about it or have it in plain view of visitors and go 'oh, yes,
disciples of YunmengJiang are very talented' and increase their prestige at my expense.
But whatever, I enjoyed painting quite a lot so I didn't mind it.
And painting a serious Jiang Cheng next to an equally serious Madam Yu was a one in a lifetime
experience.
They'd both gotten dressed up for the portrait, using robes reserved for very special occasions, and
looked quite 'royal-like'.
It made me happy that Jiang Cheng would have a painting of him and his mother together years
down the line.
Because if I had to, I would - and could - recreate this scene from memory. Just with slightly less
details.
It would take a few weeks for the paint to dry completely, so I had warned everyone to place the
portraits where no one could stumble upon them and ruin them, and they might need a second layer
of paint later but as long as the client - which weren't really clients anymore, I wasn't getting paid -
were happy, I was happy.
Or something along those lines, I was eager to go read books or continue working on my plans.
The fountain pen, which was still a prototype until I could devise a better one with the details and
fine writing I wanted, was working wonderfully and I had gloated so much over Jiang Cheng about
my perfect calligraphy.
He said I was cheating.
I was not cheating!
You kind of are cheating.
I am not! My handwriting as always looked like this.

When using a pen, not a brush.
Who writes with brushes anyway...
Are you asking just to waste oxygen or do you want a detailed list of those who write using
brushes?
Shut up.
I carefully painted the light touching Jiang Cheng's bun ornament and the slightly wispy hair
escaping it.
He looks so happy standing by his mother's side.
Don't get emotional now!
But he looks so happy!
So be happy for him, not start crying like an overemotional grandma watching her grandson get
married.
I was never that bad!
Colin's marriage.
...
Need I continue?
No, I see your point.
I was actually less emotional than I was before. Prone to crying whenever I got too stressed or
scared? Sure, but I hadn't had any really big bawling sessions since the basement.
That's a good thing.
Hm, yes I guess. Just weird.
Whilst not a frequent occurrence the times that Walter walked in on me having a meltdown over
something insignificant and then be super bubbly and happy the next would be enough to fill up a
ledger.
One of the things that had contributed to our mutual decision to split.
I had wanted a better life for Walter, a better wife, while he wanted to give me the freedom to be
whoever I wanted to be.
We had both been stupid back then - really stupid - but when we realized that, the love we'd once
had just... simmered down. There was love there still, but no passion.
I wonder if that was the same with Madam Yu and Jiang FengMian.
Had there ever been love? Or were the children just the 'wife's duty to produce heirs'?
It was a sad thought.
If they were, they didn't that. They deserved better.

So much better.
Jiang YanLi marries for love, she builds a family for love.
And Jiang Cheng?
...He was blacklisted by all the single ladies.
I suppressed the bubble of laughter as I remembered that.
Guess, Aunt Sarah still has a few sessions of match-making planned for the future.
And you know what makes this easier?
What?
Girls love dogs, and Jiang Cheng's getting three.
Oh, yeah!
Madam Yu had announced that Jiang Cheng would get to pick his dogs out of a litter on his next
birthday, November Fifth.
Oh, my Heavens, I'm going to have puppies sleeping in my room.
Technically not your puppies.
Technically I don't care, and they won't either as long as I give them treats.
Jiang Cheng will murder you for getting close to the puppies.
Jiang Cheng will murder me for breathing if I do so too loudly, what's the difference?
And you still call the kid cute.
He is cute, adorably so, and I would just squish him in a bear hug if I didn't know he'd kick me in
the kidneys.
Aren't you happy you taught the kid the natural weak spots of the human body?
Well, he's more prepared for the future, so...
Worth it?
Worth it.
Hey, did you tell ShouShan your birthday is coming up?
Yes, I did, why?
Did you ask him not to tell the others?
...
...
Oh, sh*t.
This was getting old.
"So you stay away from him, do you hear us?" The kid in front of me was poking me in the chest
with his still soft fingers.
"Yeah, we don't want you here causing trouble!" Another kid agrees.
How am I causing trouble when all I was doing was showing Jiang Cheng how to get out of a
hold?
Kid wasn't even getting hurt or distressed - in fact, as usual, he was the one pestering me into
teaching him this stuff - he just got called by a servant to go to his mother for something and told
me to wait here, in the middle of the training courtyard, until he got back.
"You're just a servant's son, you don't deserve to be here," One of them jeered.
I stayed quiet, I had no desire to go run suicides with the older disciples or have another sparring
session that left me feeling like a stepped on grape, and silently chanted to myself Mary Poppins
songs to keep myself calm.
I swear if I opened my mouth and responded to them, I would send these children away crying.
And they were just children. They felt it unjust that I was getting different treatment than them
while not knowing who I had been prior to coming here.
Which I couldn't say I understood.
The older disciples obviously knew who I was - having chased after me more than once on night-
hunts - but the younger disciples were ignorant of what I had been doing for years before starting
my formal education on cultivation.
Maybe they didn't want children to try and emulate you and get hurt?
I could see that happening.
"Are you listening?" A hand grabs the front of my robes and jostles me.
Instinct screams at me to thrust out my palm and break their nose.
I stay perfectly still, if tense, and take a deep breath.
Stay calm. Everything is fine. All you got to do is stay calm until Jiang Cheng arrives.
Easy.
"Listen to me, servant!" The kid yells and shakes me,"I'm talking to you!"
No, you are insulting me and yelling. Sorry to correct your misconception, that is not talking.
"What did you expect? Don't you know what they were saying?" The burlier kid sneered,"About
his parents?"
...
...
Stay calm.
I am calm, Ike.
I was, actually, and despite the flicker of anger that came at the mention of them in such tones of
voice, I didn't feel like punching their teeth out.
Good.
"Nothing good comes from bastards," The kid said.
...What?
A flicker of confusion.
Everyone knew my parents were married, for years before my birth even.
Why would anyone refer to me as a bastard?
Unless they're just using the name as an insult and not as the literal meaning to the word.
"The Sect Leader only brought him home because his bastard was causing trouble outside!" The
kid pointed at me.
...The Sect Leader... his bastard?
Oh.
Oh, no.
No no no no.
You did not just imply what I think you did!
Don't do it.
"It's why Madam Yu hates him," The kid laughs,"He's the Sect Leader's bastard!"
I punch him.
"I am Wei WuXian, son of CangSe Sanren and Wei ChanZe, and if you dare say one more word I
am going to beat you so badly you won't be able to talk!" I stand over the kid, eyes blazing, and
anger shrieking at me to just pound him into the ground.
How dare he.
Not only disgrace the memory of two of the brightest cultivators of their generation, but to
besmirch the honor of their own Sect Leader, his wife, and of the Sect as a whole?
How dare they.
Kid is clutching his nose and staring at me like a deer caught in the headlights, and I have the
small split second grasp that these children had never seen me fight.
Before actual sparring lessons as a class I'd been sent to fight with the older disciples, and at most
they saw me get tossed around like a rag-doll. They didn't know I had been night-hunting since I
was four, so they didn't realize I was holding back all the time - especially against Jiang Cheng
who I could seriously hurt if not careful.
They had been poking a sleeping bear and they hadn't even known it.
What was I doing? Beating them up?
"Wei Ying?" Jiang Cheng stood a few feet away, confused.
I looked at him and then back down at the sniveling child that thought they were the best thing
since sliced bread.
"If I were you, I'd go apologize to the Sect Leader now," I said,"And stop trying to insult me, or I
will take offense to your words and no one here will stop me, do you understand?"
"You can't do that!" The kid yelled.
"Oh? Why's that?" I fake confusion,"Because you said not to? Well, tough luck, cookie. I am Wei
WuXian, and if you had thought to ask any senior disciple of this Sect who I am and why I am
here, you'd figure out that I'm not someone you can push around."
I step over him and head towards Jiang Cheng,"Let this be a lesson, unless you know what your
target is, don't taunt it into attacking you. Most likely it'll just try to kill you first and then move on
to its intended victim."
I pull Jiang Cheng away from the scene and punch the wall hard enough to crack it once we're out
of sight.
"Wei Ying?" Jiang Cheng jumps.
"If anyone ever tells you I'm your father's bastard you tell them to go to hell," I tell him,"Do not
believe them for a second, because that will be an insult to both of us."
Jiang Cheng's face twists in confusion, anger, and repulsion,"What are you talking about?"
"Promise me!" I put my hands on his shoulders,"If nothing else, you have to remember that you are
the heir to the Jiang Clan and Sect and I am just Wei WuXian, the weird kid that showed up one
day."
"Why are you telling me this?" Jiang Cheng doesn't push me away.
"Because I don't want you to think for one second that someone can replace you," I tell him,"No
one can ever replace you! Promise me!"
"I promise," He says,"Are you okay?"
I'm fine.
"No," I chuckle,"Want to give me a hug to make me feel better?" I joke.
Jiang Cheng huffs but surprises me by hugging me tight.
"You're not alone," His mouth is muffled against my shoulder,"We're here too."
I chuckle and hug him tighter.
I know. I want to hold you so tightly to me. I want to call you mine.
We're friends. Best friends, perhaps, but I want more.
Let them in.
It hurts.
"Whatever you say, Platypus," I sigh against him.
"Don't call me that," He groans.
I laugh.
I want this.
Then let them in.
I can't.
I can't.
But I want to.
"You know you can only pick three, right?" I smirk down at Jiang Cheng who's currently buried
under a pile of fluffy puppies, sprawled on the floor.
I'm sitting on the floor beside him with a happy puppy with a wagging tail trying to lick my face.
"They're so fluffy!" Jiang Cheng was literally in dog heaven.
Today was November Fifth and, as promised, he was getting to choose three puppies from a well
known and respectable breeder of spiritual dogs. I had somehow ended up tagging along although I
had no desire for a puppy.
Gods knew what Yunru would do to me if I showed up home with yet another small critter to look
after.
Yes, worry about Yunru, not Donkey's reaction or my opinion.
Clearly Yunru's opinion is the only thing that matters in situations like these.
I can see when I am not needed.
He says that and then goes quiet.
What a drama queen.
"Have you decided?" Jiang FengMian comes over and asks.
Dude, he's not leaving this place unless he brings the whole litter.
"...Just a few more minutes?" Jiang Cheng pleads.
I snort,"You sure you don't want another hour? Today's the only birthday you're gonna get until the
next year."
Jiang Cheng gives me a 'Well, duh' look,"No, just a few more minutes."
Jiang FengMian chuckles,"Well, alright. But just a few more minutes." He walks away.
"Which ones are you getting?" I ask him quietly.
Jiang Cheng points to a very light copper colored husky puppy that looked like a creamy white ball
of fluff, then to a black and white puppy, before finally settling on an pie-bald one with what the
breeder called 'a dirt-face'.
I nod - they look pretty cute - "What are you naming them?"
"Princess, Jasmine and Little Love," He answers.
"What?" I laugh.
I look at him only to find him dead serious.
"You can't name them that!" I squawk.
"Why not?" Jiang Cheng frowns,"They're my puppies."
"Yes! Puppies!" I gesture,"So why are you naming them after courtesans?"
Jiang Cheng goes red from his toes to the tip of his ears,"They're not courtesan names!"
"Really?" I grin,"Want to go ask?"
Jiang Cheng growls and pulls the newly dubbed 'Jasmine' closed to him,"They're not courtesan
names."
I snort,"Sure they're not, just try to use their names in polite conversation and watch as everyone
goes confused."
"Like you can name them better!" He yelps.
"I totally can! I named all my weapons and Yunru!" I remind him.
And Donkey.
Shh, that's a point in his favor.
"You named a black rat after clouds!" He points out.
I laugh," She's fluffy like a cloud! Think outside the box, Platypus!"
"Don't call me that!" He hisses.
"Well, what are you going to do about it?" I smirk.
"I'll call you a name too!" He points at me.
That only makes me laugh harder,"You said that months ago! What are you going to call me?"
Jiang Cheng frowns, biting his lower lip, clearly struggling to think of something up.
I open my mouth to tease him on it when he suddenly shouts: "XIANXIAN!"
The whole room goes quiet, the adults turn to stare at us confused beyond belief, and Jiang Cheng
turns redder than a tomato.
"XianXian?" I echo, blinking at the name," From Wei WuXian?"
"A-Xian?" Jiang FengMian, who had been talking to the breeder asks, not having understood the
shout for what it was.
XianXian.
A-Xian.
Oh, god.
I burst out laughing, struggling to breathe, and Jiang Cheng pushes me down to be overwhelmed
by the energetic puppies.
That name!
Of all the possible names he could come up with...
It had to be XianXian!
Chapter End Notes
Painter WWX strikes again, with two beautiful portraits that will be very well-known
in later years.
I can just imagine Jiang Cheng quietly sitting beside WWX and going 'Oh, I want to
do that' whilst being all starry eyed and cute. (Don't tell him I called him cute)
Before anyone asks, no the birthday scene won't be shown, nothing happens (because
WWX quickly writes to ShouShan and tells him not to send anything) but once he gets
older I'll make a note to write one. It's funnier when WWX can legally go get drunk
and have a dozen or so guys from all over the nation come be his embarrassing friends
on a night out.
Progress! WWX didn't immediately flip into a rage. But yeah, don't diss his parents or
make assumptions at what went down between CangSe and FengMian, nothing
happened.
And the kids were lucky Madam Yu wasn't there, they'd have been skinned alive.
(Figuratively speaking)
WWX worried JC heard that conversation and thought it true, AGF!WWX knows
very well what it is like to feel as if they've been replaced by 'a better model' (Sarah
was the second child of her parents, having an older brother, and after three other
younger brothers her mother finally had another daughter. With none of Sarah's
'problems')
What WWX was scared would happen would be that JC would believe he's
dispensable, to be thrown away when no longer needed, and not realize that he's so
much more than what he believes himself to be.
WWX is fighting a losing battle against getting attached to these people, seriously he
should just give up.
But when have I ever made it easy for any of my characters? Muahahahaha
I'm using the dogs from the webcomic flashback we've seen them, and not the
donghua version ones that looked like brown Chow Chow puppies. Yea, they're also
big balls of fluff, but huskies are better.
And WWX totally just invited JC to go check out courtesans without realizing it.
And who saw that nickname coming?

Time Flies
Chapter Summary
Time flies but memories remain.

Or a brief interlude and snippets of a fleeting childhood.
Chapter Notes
"Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness." - Frank Tyger
Chapter 50: Time Flies
"You have to grip the reigns tighter," The instructor was explaining,"If the horse doesn't think
you're in control, it's going to try and control you."
I nod, proving that I was indeed listening, and grasp the reigns tighter.
In truth, sitting on top of a horse, when all my other experiences riding anything were my father's
shoulders, a donkey, and a caravan - and on one memorable occasion Madam Yu's sword - was a
nerve-wrecking experience.
Especially since I knew people could die from being tossed from a horse.
You stared down a Bo when you were four, fought a six foot bear and made a Measuring Snake
explode when you were five, night-hunted by yourself until you were nearly eight, are the first ever
human being to develop a golden core at age ten, and fought off three Water Ghouls with a pole
and a gutting knife a month or so later. What are you afraid of?
Falling off a horse, obviously, I don't need you quoting my achievements back at me, Ike.
"Horses are easily spooked," The instructor tells me,"They feel the rider's energy, if the rider's
energy is too stressed, the horse will be stressed too."
Great, I'm sure this horse is loving me!
Think happy thoughts!
Like what?
I don't know... Teaching Jiang Cheng archery?
I thought back on it.
I adjusted Jiang Cheng's hands on the bow, the recently turned eight year old was stronger than
your usual kid, but he still couldn't pull the string all the way back.
"Breathe in," I teach him,"Focus on the arrow tip, keep your hands steady, and when you're ready
to take your shot remember to aim higher."
"I got this," Jiang Cheng tells me.
I step back and let him take the shot by himself.
He had made a lot of progress over the last year and a half, so much so that it baffled me. In the
novel everyone talked about how Jiang Cheng came second-best in everything he and Wei
WuXian got into, but - in comparison between normal children his age - Jiang Cheng was actually
head and shoulders above them.
He didn't compare to me because I wasn't a child.
Instead I was more like a coach teaching him one-on-one every day. Sparring, giving tips and
advice about all sorts of topics, a friend whenever he needed one.
I was always there.
And he was always there for me when I needed.
Even without asking, I knew he had my back.
The release of an arrow and a 'twack' sound brought me back to reality.
I blink my dry eyes and see Jiang Cheng's arrow hit the bullseye, I smirk.
Jiang Cheng is looking stunned at the target before he beams at me.
"I did it!" He cheers.
"You did, good work," I congratulate him,"If you can hit the next three in a row, we'll go tell your
mother, how does that sound?"
His dark eyes glint and his hands grip the bow tighter.
The next time he nooks the arrow he corrects his position by himself, not even needing me to
correct his feet, and takes his aim.
It's another bullseye.
A bubbly feeling wells up in my chest.
Without question, I know that it's pride.
He's growing up so strong.
I'm happy.
"We're going to start at a steady pace, understand?" The instructor looks me in the eye,"I don't
want none of those tricks you youngsters think are so funny, unless I say so, you do not pick up
speed."
"Understood, sir," I nod.

The instructor doesn't fully believe me but moves on,"Here we go," And kicks his horse into a
steady trot.
I mimic him and my brown mare trots after him.
"We're gonna go through the woods, the trail is completely safe, just twists and turns," The
instructor looks back on me,"Follow after me."
"Yes sir!" I respond.
The man goes back to look straight ahead and turns to trot up this trail.
I carefully maneuver the horse after him, still not used to the long leather reigns.
You're getting better at this.
Thanks.
You are! Last week you were freaking out just by being on top of it.
My lips twitch, thanks for reminding me, Ike.
You're welcome, dearest.
You know what I was thinking about? That time I took Jiang Cheng camping.
The one where you left a note stating 'I'm teaching him how to forage, be back in the morning'?
I chuckle under my breath.
That's the one.
"What is this?" Jiang Cheng gaped at the old weathered tent.
"It's my old tent," I explain,"It's the one I used when I spend my days in the wild."
"It's so big!" He is in awe.
Should we tell him this is actually one of the smallest ones you can buy?
Nah, let him be shocked when I inevitably bring out a bigger one someday in the future.
Oh, he's going to love that.
"Why couldn't we bring the dogs?" Jiang Cheng asks.
"First, you mean to tell me we could've sneaked out of the Compound with three big puppies under
our arms - plus our packs - without being noticed?" I raise an eyebrow at him.
Jiang Cheng pouts. "They're going to miss me."
"Platypus, they're too busy drooling on your pillow to care about where you are right now," I snort.
"They do not drool!" He gasps, affronted.
"You and I know what happened to Shijie's hairbrush," I give him a meaningful look.
Jiang Cheng flushes," That- That wasn't- I mean- I-..." He tries to think of something to say.
"It's okay, Platypus," I pat his head,"At least Shijie wasn't too worried about the missing
hairbrush."
"Don't call me that," He brushes my hand away,"XianXian!"
I chuckle,"You know... It's more embarrassing for you to call me that in public than to actually get
called that, right?"
He huffs,"You're just shameless. You're face is so thick you don't feel a thing."
This culture's way of referring to wounded pride were just too funny. Already I could feel the
corner of my lips threatening to break into a wide smile.
I scratched at my cheek, as I grew older the scar started to become smaller, not by much but
enough to be noticeable. Whereas before it went from above my eyebrow down the side of my face
to the jaw, now it only reached about the lower half of my cheek.
It made me hopeful that by the time I was an adult I didn't look like someone had taken a slash at
my face.
Technically the Bo tried to stab you.
Semantics.
"What are we going to be doing?" Jiang Cheng asks.
"Survival," I smirk,"The basics, I'm teaching you how to make a safe fire, then I'm going to teach
you how to set a perimeter using the talismans I taught you, and finally, I'll take you around the
woods for some good old fashioned foraging session."
Jiang Cheng is sitting at the edge of his seat,"And hunting?"
I look at the sky to check the time and weather,"If you managed to learn the first two quickly, we'll
keep an eye out for game while we forage, but only if they're done correctly!" I playfully wag my
finger at him.
"Yes!" He raises a fist in the air, a gesture he'd learnt from me.
Damn, this kid was too cute.
"Well, then, c'mon," I wave him over,"Let's start today's lesson."
"Do my parents know we're here?" He asks me.
"Don't worry, I left a letter," I roll my eyes,"Everything's fine."
Jiang Cheng didn't look like he fully believed me but dropped the matter when I crouched down
and started explaining how to build a campfire.
And to be fair everything was fine, up until the letter was found and everyone went wild looking
for us.
Bright side? Jiang Cheng's perimeter talismans worked perfectly.

Such a good student I had.
"Jumping over obstacles is the hardest thing to learn when riding," The instructor said,"Once you
master this, then there won't be anything left for me to teach you."
I nod, absentmindedly petting the horse's mane,"Understood."
"I'll lead you through some of the jumps, but you'll have to do them by yourself the rest of the
way," The instructor tells me.
"Understood sir," I nod again, gripping the reigns tightly, and sitting straighter.
The instructor, seeing I was ready, nods picks up the reigns of his own mount,"Let us go."
He starts at a trot before going into a full gallop and I quickly follow after.
The bumps of the horse galloping and the sound of the powerful hoofs hitting the ground
reverberate through my bones.
Stay calm.
I am calm, Ike, I'm not scared.
Are you sure?
Yes.
I felt fine.
Excited even. The wind in my hair, whipping past me and making my long ponytail swish behind
me like a smoky tail, the smell of the forest thick in my nose, the earthly stench of dirt and leaves,
coupled with the scenery around me seemingly flying by...
I couldn't be more at peace.
When the instructor's horse jumps over the first hurdle a brief twist of apprehension bubbles in my
stomach, but it quickly disappears. There's this second where the world stops and my whole body is
filled with light. Energy.
And I feel... free.
I grin. Eyes wide open and aware of everything.
The powerful beast underneath me, the forest and all its critters moving at the edges of my senses,
and the life flowing in my chest.
Perfection.
The horse makes that jump.
I laugh.
I laugh. And laugh. And laugh.
Again. More. Once more!

Let's keep going! Keep moving forward. Keep running!
Let us see more. Feel more. And be more.
I am here, I want to shout at the world, I am here and I am free.
I am free.
I run through the streets of Yunmeng a group of senior disciples bemusedly following after me.
"I am free!" I cheer,"Free I tell you!"
"Don't shout!" One of the disciples shushes me.
"Oh, let him be," Another elbows them good-naturedly,"Remember our first time outside of the
Sect Compound?"
"Hard to forget, you threw me into the river," The other elbows him back.
I admire the sights around me, feeling like it's been forever since I last walked here - which wasn't
true because YanLi let me sneak out with her more than once for shopping - and greeted everyone
with a polite and cheerful smile.
The disciples behind me joked quietly about how I could look so adorable and not as the titan of a
disciple everyone in the Sect knew me as.
Honestly, everyone was spooked of me after I had shown them exactly why I was so well-known
in night-hunts.
Remembering that day brought a smile to my face.
Jiang Cheng and I had been wrestling in the grass after a minor disagreement when one of the
disciples had walked up to us and invited us to join them on their game of 'Shoot the Kite'.
Jiang Cheng wasn't really invited to many group games - not helped by the fact that all the juniors
our age either hated me or were too afraid of me to ask him to join them - and so he was eager to
try it.
I dutifully followed after him, teasing him and joking about his archery skills.
In hindsight, seeing that it had been one of our classmates holding the kite line, I should've
expected a trick.
Jiang Cheng took a perfect position to shoot down the kite and fired his arrow.
The kite suddenly flew higher and the arrow sailed beneath it.
Jiang Cheng's eyes widened in disappointment, and he looked at me as if he expecting a mean

comment about it, unfortunately I wasn't looking at him. I was looking at the smarmy looking
disciple holding the line.
He did that on purpose.
"Guess the great Wei Ying's teachings aren't so great after all," He called out.
The senior disciple frowned, seeing that there was more to this 'accident', and Jiang Cheng opened
his mouth to say something but I stopped him.
I put my hand on his shoulder and took his bow, removing three arrows from the quiver on his
back.
I took my position.
There were three other kites flying high in the sky.
I nook the three arrows at once.
*Hawk's Precision* [Activated]
*Pelting Hail* [Activated]
I fire the arrows.
I see them fly in perfect arches and pierce the three kites simultaneously, dead center.
I lower the bow and take another look at the, now pale, disciple.
I don't need to say anything. Whatever it was that I planned on telling him, looking into his eyes, I
knew that he could think of scarier words.
I gave the bow back to Jiang Cheng and grinned,"So, want to go practice so I can teach you how to
do that?"
Jiang Cheng has stars in his eyes and his smile rivals the sun.
"Yes!"
I chuckle,"Then let's go, come on, didi, let your shixiong teach you his methods!"
Jiang Cheng catches up to me and we walk side by side.
I'd stay if I could, Jiang Cheng, I want to tell him.
If I could, I'd stay this way with you forever. We'd walk side by side and wow the world with our
strength.
But I cannot.
A storm brews on the horizon, and it will tear out the very foundations of the world you grew up
in.
I am sorry, I cannot shelter you from it.
There is only one thing that I can do for you, until the day I am called to walk down the path less
traveled, I will stay here by your side, guiding and teaching you how to be stronger.
I will teach you until there is nothing left for me to teach you other than how to say goodbye.
I am sorry, Jiang Cheng.
I am sorry I cannot stay by your side, brother.

The horse breaks through the treeline ready to take the final jump, and my heart swells in my chest
at seeing the end goal just within grasping distance.
"Go!" I push the horse forward,"We can do this! Go! Push past! Go forward!" I grip the reigns so
tightly in my hand the leather threatens to cut through my skin.
Home is just beyond that final jump.
One more jump and we did it.
It'll be over.
One more jump.
I can barely contain the excitement inside of me.
I feel the powerful muscles underneath me shift and tense and then-
The horse vaults over the obstacle.
The world holds still for a moment, the light of the sun in my eyes makes the skyline of Lotus Pier
glow, and the air in my lungs freezes.
For that single moment, gravity has no hold on me and I float in mid-air an unspeakable connection
to the world shifts and falls in place, and the moment passes.
Time resumes flowing.
The horse's hoofs hit the ground and keep galloping towards Lotus Pier.
I let out a yell of ecstasy.
My instructor, Jiang FengMian, Jiang Cheng and YanLi are waiting in the courtyard for me.
Patiently impatient.
Jiang Cheng is all but trembling in place - talking YanLi's ear off - only being held in place by his
sister's hand on his shoulder.
FengMian is speaking softly to the instructor a knot on his brows, clearly worried about something.
It didn't take much to guess he was worrying about me.
I withheld a sigh and reminded myself that he truly believed he was doing what he thought was
best for me, and we'd already had many, many disagreements over time about how he treated me
differently and was cold to Jiang Cheng.
Not that he saw his behavior as cold, just- There was a certain degree of disconnect between what
he should be doing and what he saw as his role to do at all.
Getting Jiang Cheng his dogs had endeared the boy to his father, but he had done it because
Madam Yu had made it so that Jiang Cheng had to have his own pets - and he had even tried to get
me to accept one of the puppies from the litter, which I had vehemently refused because that had
been Jiang Cheng's special day.
Truly, fathers should seriously take a more direct approach in raising their sons.
I tried to think of any positive father figures in the Great Sects and I could only shrug and maybe
point at Qinghe's Sect Leader, the father of Nie MingJue and HuaiSang sounded like a cool guy
who loved his sons dearly, whilst the rest of the Great Sects...
Yeah, fathers should really learn how to be fathers instead of just leaving them up to their mothers,
nannies, and tutors.
I pulled the reigns and kicked the galloping speed up a notch, eager to burst past the gates and
cheer with Jiang Cheng and YanLi the ending of my riding lessons.
"He's here!" Jiang Cheng spotted me first and waved his arms,"Hey!"
I laughed and halted the horse before I could accidentally trample someone,"Miss me, Platypus?"
"Who'd miss you?!" He shouts.
"A-Xian," YanLi smiles,"Congratulations."
I smiled and jumped off the horse handing the reigns to the stable servant that hurried over - and
who gave me a happy smile in congratulations - and threw an arm over Jiang Cheng's shoulders.
He let out a yelp,"You stink!"
I laughed and pulled him tighter to me,"How cruel! Shijie, did you hear this injustice?"
YanLi giggled and covered her mouth,"A-Xian shouldn't tease A-Cheng too much," She tells me.
I pout and mess with his hair,"Ooh, but he makes it so easy!"
"Stop! XianXian! Stop!" He tries - halfheartedly- to get out of my hold,"I'll tell mother!"
"Not if you stink as much as me you're not!" I put all of my weight on him, essentially draping
myself over him.
"A-Jie!" Jiang Cheng whines - although he holds up my weight surprisingly well - "He's too
heavy!"
I let out a scandalized gasp," Are you calling me fat?!"
Jiang Cheng gives me a serious look but his eyes glint with amusement,"Well, you did eat about
three servings more than usual, so..."
I let him go to clutch at my heart,"How could you? You know I was practicing until late last night!
I was starving!"
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes,"You're always starving, you and that water rat of yours!"
I burst out laughing, Yunru had developed the habit of hogging food out of everyone over the years
and, if she didn't exercise so much and got into so much mischief, I'd worry about her getting too
fat to fit through the small openings she'd find here and there.
"You always badmouth Yunru but never your three mistresses wagging their tails for treats!" I
point at him.
"They do not!" Jiang Cheng turns cherry red.

YanLi covers her mouth again.
Everyone knew I always gave the dogs treats behind Jiang Cheng's back frequently enough that
they always wagged their tails and came over to me when they saw me.
Jiang Cheng thought that it was because we had shared a room for much of their puppyhood, but
everyone else knew the real reason why.
I smirked down at him. Despite there only being a year difference between us, I'd hit a growth
spurt recently and had a couple of inches on him now. Wouldn't last for long, especially once he
entered puberty, but it was funny.
"A-Xian," Jiang FengMian walked over to us,"Congratulations on finishing your riding lessons."
I smile brightly at him, too happy to begrudge him a little 'cute nephew' moment before Jiang
Cheng and I went off on another mischief run.
"Thank you, Sect Leader Jiang!"
He had tried, several times over the years, to get me to call him Shibo as my father's letter had
stated all those years ago.
Almost five years ago.
Time flies.
"You can have the rest of the day off from lessons," He tells me,"You must be tired."
I shake my head,"I still have time to rest, besides next lessons are with Shijie!" I grin.
Man, who'd think you'd actually look forward to those embarrassingly 'feminine' lessons, didn't
they start out as a punishment?
I thought back on it and had to bite the inside of my cheek so as to not break down laughing.
They did.
I was laughing, jumping all over the piers and courtyard with Jiang Cheng futilely trying to catch
me. In my hands I had one of his bun accessories, the one he refused to wear because it was
entirely wrapped in golden flowers - obviously a present from Madam Jin - and was singing
"Mother knows Best" from Tangled at the top of my lungs.
He'd been told to to get ready to head with them for Carp Tower and to wear this headpiece but, in
a brilliant moment of independence (and entirely my bad influence shining through, I was so
proud) he told his mother no, he was not wearing it and that he didn't want to go.
I wasn't present for the fallout, Madam Yu had taken one look at me - torn between horror and
beaming with pride - and sent YanLi and I out of the room. There hadn't been any shouting either,
or none that I heard, but a significantly cowed Jiang Cheng had walked out, grabbed me, and
headed straight to his room to go get ready.
When he had finished getting ready and all that remained was the headpiece I felt his will buckle
under the strain of obeying his mother and, as I was prone to do, I decided to make light of the
situation.
So I took it, escaped out the room and led him on a merry chase around Lotus Pier while singing
that embarrassing song on repeat.
"Mother knows best, listen to your mother~" I sang and dodged yet another tackle from him,"It's a
scary world out there!"
Jiang Cheng laughed,"Stop singing!"
His eyes shone with mirth, even he couldn't keep up his anger when all I had been doing for the
past twenty minutes was being a complete goofball and dramatically crying and making a fool out
of myself.
But hey! My Acting Skill and Acrobatics Skill were going up!
I kept singing and singing until Jiang Cheng suddenly freezes in place and I look behind me to,
obviously, find a very unamused Madam Yu staring down at me.
As punishment, because if I was going to be going around singing in dancing in public I would do
it well, I joined Shijie on her mystery lessons.
Turns out she was learning how to take care of a household and be a good wife.
The lessons were surprisingly fun.
Chapter End Notes
Okay so, after this chapter the timeline goes kind of wonky. Because, if I made it clear
enough, the 'riding lessons' occur throughout a period of time. So it starts when he's
then and the last riding segment actually happens when he's 12/13, because that's the
next big 'stage' in the kids's lives as they go on night-hunts and such.
But the next few chapters still happen when WWX is around 10, so yeah... wonky.
WWX being a proud momma of JC is my life right now. Like, he's teaching him and
sees JC applying that knowledge somewhere else and goes all gooey inside.
That said, mess with his little brother and you're going to regret all that you've done
with your life.
(But don't worry, the occasional bullying will stop after the 'truth' about WWX comes
out. It's one thing to bully a random kid, it's another to bully a sleeping dragon... and
they get warned off by the older disciples)
JC hasn't noticed it yet, and neither has WWX, but he's starting to really value his
opinion about things and is afraid to disappoint him, similarly how he acted with his
parents. (So I guess I could say WWX mother-hen instincts were put to good use)
I imagine Madam Yu looking out the window and just seeing WWX being a typical
drama queen singing the most embarrassing song at the top of his lungs, while her son
is torn between strangling him or collapsing in a fit of giggles.
And sending him to have 'feminine' lessons was half punishment half actual training,
girls usually learn how to be more 'demure' and WWX certainly needs to learn how to
stay quiet and be polite, but they also learn dancing and other forms of
traditional/cultural teachings (like tea ceremony).
And dancing, for example, improves balance and is considered a good hobby/past time
to know. I mean, no one will really look twice at a guy knowing traditional dances, but
they'll certainly stare if the guy is fake crying while leaning on a wall while bellying
out "Mother knows Best".
JC was entirely too amused at his situation to get angry about him taking his hair
ornament. And you best believe he teased the hell out of WWX when he found out
what the lessons were.
Great Storm
Chapter Summary
A passing storm brings things to light, a bond is forged and tempered, and an
unexpected conversation.
Chapter Notes
"When the storm rips you to pieces, you get to decide how to put yourself back together again." -
Bryant H. McGill
Chapter 51: Great Storm
Jiang Cheng and I were in the courtyard practicing with the practice swords - ones that weren't
tampered with to be twice their usual weight - when I first notice the clouds. Dark grey ones
stretching over the sky calling forth rain.
It was summer and two months away from ShouShan's wedding, I had been putting the finishing
touches in his wedding present - one of - and was very excited to have received permission to
attend.
Well, I was technically allowed to wander away from the Sect now that I was ten, but traveling all
the way to Gusu without telling anyone where I was going would most likely restart the manhunts
after me. So I had, after making sure nothing incriminating was written on the invitation, showed it
to Jiang FengMian and Madam Yu and asked permission to attend.
Madam Yu's reaction at seeing that this ShouShan I had frequently talked about was from a minor
Gusu Clan was, in hindsight, amusing. As was Jiang Cheng's when he realizes that the guy sending
me letters and calling me his little brother wasn't just another kid I'd befriended but a grown-up.
Technically a grown-up, ShouShan's personality - so much like his own father - made him look
younger than he was.
Jiang FengMian got that complicated look on his face again but conceded to let me attend their
ceremony and festivities.
But only if one of the adults went with me and I had an escort.
So, unless a saint fell off the altar, Jiang FengMian would come with me to the Bai Clan Residence
- along with Jiang Cheng because it was a good learning experience apparently - come the start of
fall.
It wouldn't be unbearably hot anymore and there were less chances of a monsoon happening.
"You're not paying attention," Jiang Cheng stops, irritated.
I point up at the sky,"It looks like it's going to rain," I tell him,"Might want to head inside."
Jiang Cheng looks up and, after evaluating how dark and thick the clouds seemed to be forming,
nodded. We head inside after putting the practice swords away.
"How are A-Jie's lessons?" Jiang Cheng asks me,"Having fun?"
I grin good-naturedly at him,"We're learning how to sew, why, Platypus, want to join us?"
Jiang Cheng gets a look of horror on his face,"Why are you still going to the lessons, isn't the
punishment over?"
I shrug,"They're fun, Mistress Zhu is actually pretty nice."
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes,"You told me she teaches you dancing and singing."
"She does," I nod, amused,"And poetry too, but I'm not so good at that apparently."
He makes a repulsed noise,"Those are girl jobs."
Yeah, well, I was female about seven years ago before I woke up in this body so...
I shrug again,"I find them entertaining, relaxing if you will, and it's not bothering anyone."
Jiang Cheng scowls but drops the matter, honestly if it impinged on his time with me I'd concede
that he had a point in me going to these 'useless' lessons, but now that I had a Golden Core my free
time had tripled.
I was excused from the remaining classes from Master Xu - now it was my own responsibility to
develop my core further - so I could only keep myself busy until Jiang Cheng's lessons ended to
meet up with him or go join the senior disciples in their lessons.
Or, as I had done, shadow after YanLi and spend two afternoons a week listen to this teacher about
traditional songs, dances, and lessons about how to take care of a household.
I actually fit in so well that Mistress Zhu stopped a lesson mid-way to rant about men and the
practice of concubines only to stop suddenly and look at me alarmed. I was just as confused as she
was until I realized that I was male and therefore should feel offended? Or something?
I just played it off and asked what concubines were.
I honestly couldn't decide whether the practice was a good or bad thing.
If everyone got along and all the women were respected and didn't mind that their husband had
more than one wife under the law, I didn't see a problem? Polyamorous relationships were a thing.
If everyone was fine and happy about it why did it matter?
But then again, I could say the same about same-sex relationships and everyone else would lose
their minds because 'it wasn't natural' or something.
I shrugged, I honestly didn't really care much about what was socially accepted in society, never
had and probably never will.
Jiang Cheng and I had just finished taking our baths, in turns because while we could still fit both
of us in the same bathtub we weren't little kids anymore, I dried and brushed his hair for him.
It wasn't something I regularly did, because we both had busy schedules, but it was relaxing.
Joking and telling little anecdotes to one another while taking turns to do each others hair.
To me, from a western perspective, it was a really girly way to pass the time, but I kept mum about
that little tidbit.
Jasmine, Princess and Little Love - who wasn't so little anymore - were curled up in a pile by the
foot of Jiang Cheng's bed and I could see Yunru's black fur peeking out from under one of their
heads.
"Yunru is loving their fluff," I point it out to Jiang Cheng.
He rolls his eyes. "I swear she gets into everything," He mutters.
I chuckle,"She probably does."
"Why don't you put her on a leash or something?" He grumbles.
"Yunru is wild, she's natural to Qinghe and I probably shouldn't have taken her out of that habitat.
She can come and go as she pleases, I hope that she eventually leaves to start her own family," I
told him.
"You don't want her to stay?" Jiang Cheng frowns.
I look back down at Yunru and notice her beady black eyes peering up at me, I smile at her,"Yunru
is welcome to stay with me for as long as she likes, I will never chase her away."
The eyes blink and disappear back underneath the fluffy pile of dogs.
You're both two bloody saps.
I chuckle,"What do you want to do, Platypus?"
He scowls at the nickname,"We can't do anything outside, it's started to rain," He looks out the
window,"But I don't want to do any talismans or anything like that."
I pondered on what the two of us could do.
What sort of thing did I do with my nephews when there was a rainy day?
Board game?
Yeah, but Jiang Cheng will appreciate it?
He'll be a future Sect Leader and War General in another five or six years.
I want to ease him in it, think that strategy can be fun.
Naval Battle?
I blinked.
"What?" Jiang Cheng gave me a weary look.
He knows you too well.

"I have an idea!" I smile.
He slowly edges away from me,"What idea?"
"A game!" I get up,"I'll be right back, need to grab something from my room."
Upon forming a Golden Core, Jiang FengMian had given me permission to have my own room,
which was right across from Jiang Cheng's, and I had finally got my first taste of privacy since I
first joined the Sect.
Sure, I still had to keep everything hidden or inside my inventory, but now I could actually take
things out and work on my projects.
Like the stamps and ShouShan's gift.
During the last two years I had mastered Talisman-Making - and a couple other Skills - and had set
to work on getting as much work done before the war picked up and I had to put a pause on all my
projects until peace returned to the land.
I had finished perfecting my fountain pen, which I used everywhere except in calligraphy lessons,
and bought all of the crafting recipes I could feasibly create with my current skill set plus all the
books that could help me in the coming years.
Now that I was free to walk through Yunmeng I had set to work on getting to know the people
living here - and jumping back and forth between Yunmeng and Yiling where it was easier to meet
with a random cultivator on 'pick up' duty for Yan MingXia - I could expand my 'home territory'
past the Sect walls.
And Quests had showed up again.
I was pretty damn happy when bubbles started popping up all over Yunmeng and Yiling and I
could restart my hoarding of Stat Points.
The only thing I got upset about was FengMian's rule of 'No Night-Hunting until thirteen' - which
was coincidentally when disciples got their swords - because, dammit, I was so ready to get back
into night-hunting.
I could still try to sneak out.
I was instructed to remind you of how last time went.
...Better to wait.
Yes, it's better to wait. Get your baby brother ready to face the world first.
He's not my baby brother.
I didn't answer him, I got in my room grabbed a bunch of paper sheets and a wooden ruler, and
walked back inside his room.
I set the sheets of paper down and drew rudimental grids on them, as the most basic Naval Battle
portable boards had, and held out a box of crayons for him,"Pick a color."
He eyed the crayons - which he knew perfectly well what they were from my painting lessons - and
picked purple.
I gave him an eye roll and picked red, if he was going to be like that then so was I, before
explaining the game to him.
I had to do quick work on what the various sized ships names were but he got the gist of it.
Each of us sat facing each other and keeping our sheets out of sight, so we couldn't cheat, and after
a trial run to explain rules and the mechanics of it, we started playing for real.
YanLi came looking for us later, wondering why we weren't at the main hall for dinner yet and
found us surrounded by many colorful sheets and Jiang Cheng and I locked in an argument about
who had won the most games.
I had kept track - and I had lost - but it was funny arguing with him, especially when he got all
frustrated and red faced.
Seeing that we had gotten sidetracked we agreed on a truce and followed YanLi to the main hall
for dinner, teasing one another on the strategies used and how many times we screwed the other
over by a single tiny boat in the middle of the grid.
Jiang Cheng regaled his parents with the new game I had come up with, to which I just shrugged -
like it was nothing new to me - and continued eating as usual, and gestured happily when it got to
his victories over me.
I watched him with a fond grin, sharing looks with his sister, and interjected my own anecdotes
here and there but mainly focused on eating.
I was holding my chopsticks and eating some noodles when a flash of lightning followed by a deep
rumble of thunder shake the house framework.
*Crack*
I blink and look down at my snapped chopsticks.
Huh... That's new.
That doesn't look good.
"A-Xian?" YanLi looks concerned.
"It's fine!" I laugh,"I just held them too roughly!"
Another flash of lightning and loud thunder and my hands visibly shook.
Not good.
I try to remain smiling but all of a sudden it feels like a ball of lead is swimming around in my
stomach and I feel sick. I shift in my seat and hide my hands, trying to keep the facade up for Jiang
Cheng who still hasn't noticed.
YanLi looks at me and opens her mouth to say something but her mother interrupts her:
"If you are done eating you are excused," She says with a scowl.
Lifeline.
I take it.
"Yes, Ma'am," I bow and get up off the floor, tensing when the next lightning flash passes and
leaving the room as quickly as I could without making it seem as if I was fleeing.
Lightning storms weren't rare by any means, but they usually happened at night, when everyone
was already in bed and all I had to do was get under several blankets and cover my ears. This one
just had to hit during dinnertime.
Goddammit.
I would definitely get interrogated about this later but I could try to pass it off as a mild aversion
and not the panic-inducing phobia I had developed after that asshat bastard loc- shut the cellar
door.
Already tremors were traveling through my body and my hairs stood on end, which was as much of
a warning as I was gonna get telling me to get into my room asap.
Thankfully the residential wing wasn't too far from the main hall, and there were no people
walking about, so I just got into the room shucked off my boots and got under the covers.
The door was kept slightly open and the window had no glass, which made me feel better because
I wasn't shut in, but, at the same time, it meant that the thunder sounded loud enough to shake my
bones.
I breathed through my nose and curled up tightly into a ball pressing my hands tight over my ears.
I don't know how long I laid like that until something heavy jumps on the bed. I remain unmoving
underneath the blankets.
Then another heavy something jumps on the bed.
And another.
There's a slight pull on the edge of my blanket.
I wearily peek lift the blanket off my face and blink at Jiang Cheng holding Yunru and all his dogs
piled on my bed.
Jiang Cheng doesn't say a word.
I stretch out my legs and make room for him on the bed. He puts down Yunru to kick off his boots
and cuddles up to me.
"I thought you weren't afraid of anything," He whispers to me.
I huff a tired breath,"Everyone is afraid of something, Platypus."
He has his head right beside mine and he holds my hand.
"Mother says that you shouldn't be afraid of anything," He tells me.
I chuckle,"Mothers want their children to be brave," I sigh,"But fear isn't necessarily a bad thing.
It's when fear becomes irrational that there's a problem."
"I don't get that," Jiang Cheng frowns.

I hum,"A man fears losing his family, it's a normal fear to have. He loves them very much and he
doesn't want to see them getting hurt. Rational fear, right? Nothing wrong with that fear."
Jiang Cheng nods.
"Well, that man fears losing his family so much that he one day decides to never let them leave the
house," I continue,"If they never leave the house then they won't ever get hurt! That's an irrational
fear."
Jiang Cheng frowns,"It's wrong, he shouldn't lock them in the house. It's-"
"Cruel. Irrational. Awful," I nod,"But that man let his fear grow until it overwhelmed him. The
man was ruled by his fear, and that is what one must never let happen."
Jiang Cheng nods. "But you're afraid of the storm."
I let out a deep sigh.
I ponder on how to approach this,"The storms is like a... flag," I settled on,"A signal."
"A signal?" Jiang Cheng's dark eyes grow confused.
I nod,"For bad memories. Each time the light flashes or the thunder rumbles the flag waves and
brings out bad memories," I explain.
"So you're not afraid of the storm but of the memories?" He frowns,"They're just memories, why
are they scary?"
I give him a sad smile,"Some memories, A-Cheng, you treasure forever. Others? You wish that
you could forget them," I tell him.
Jiang Cheng snuggles closer to me, his head resting on the crook of my neck, I feel his breathing
on my skin.
The storm outside continues to rage throughout Lotus Pier, the dogs yip and yawn at random
intervals with Yunru squeaking whenever one of them lays too heavily on her.
"I'll protect you," Jiang Cheng finally speaks.
"Protect me from what?" I ask him quietly.
Jiang Cheng snuffles against my neck,"From the memories. If they scare you, you come to me. I'll
protect you from them," He tells me, dead serious.
I hug him tighter against me and chuckle, hiding my face in his hair, glad he can't see my eyes
tearing up.
Well, what do you say to him?
"Okay," I nod slowly,"It's a promise. If my memories ever start frightening me again, I'll come
find you. I'm trusting you here, didi."
Jiang Cheng nods against me," It's a promise."
And I will do the same to you.

If you ever need me, even if you never tell me you do, I will be there for you.
Through thick and thin, I will do my best to look out for you until I know you can brave any storm
that weathers your way.
I promise.
His heart beats through his inner robes, his breathing gradually slows in his sleep, and his body is
soft and relaxed against mine.
It brings back memories of good times.
This warmth. A scene bathed in a glow of love. Family.
I missed this.
Brother.
My heart tells me this. Accepts it. Embraces it.
Brother. Brother. Brother.
My little brother.
I will teach you. I will protect you. I will love you.
I already love you.
My brother.
Thank you.
Words I will never be able to say to you and get you to understand how true they are.
Thank you. So much.
Thank you for being born.
Thank you for being my friend.
Thank you for letting me be your brother.
My perfect Platypus.
I chuckle and breathe in his scent, willing myself to never forget it.
Another little set of hands and feet that plant imprints on my heart.
I welcome them.
This amazingly bright soul curled up next to me, the strong and extraordinary man I know he'll
grow up to me, is unspeakably fragile yet so valiant.
I am so proud of you.
How much you've grown already in such a small amount of time.

So proud.
I love you so much.
Thank you.
The next morning dawns bright and early, quiet as if the storm of last night never occurred, and I
open my eyes to see Jiang Cheng drooling on my arm.
I stifle a chortle and carefully extract myself from the bed, over him and try not to jostle the dog
pile at the foot of my bed. Yunru rolls out from under then and blinks up at me.
I put a finger to my lips.
Pushing the blanket up to cover Jiang Cheng's back I tuck him in carefully and silently get dressed.
It's still too early for breakfast but I have someplace I need to be.
Yunru follows after me so I let her climb up my arm to settle on my shoulders.
I head towards the Ancestral Hall, to my parent's altar, with a light heart.
The storm last night left its marks on the Sect, fallen tree branches and a mess of lotus petals for
the servants or disciples on scut work for the day, and I observe them with barely a thought of
apprehension.
The wound was still there, the fear still kept at bay by delicate threads, but it felt less crushing. A
balm, of sorts.
I felt comfortable, ish, in the presence of the storm's evidence.
I enter the Ancestral Hall unnoticed, the heavy door easily pushed open enough for me to sneak in,
and my feel find the way to CangSe and ChangZe's swords on instinct.
I smile at them and materialize a stick of incense to burn for them, and two buns to place on their
plates.
I press my hands together in prayer.
Too many words are exchanged in silence. Too many promises and dreams and wishes. Far too
many to name.
Footsteps echo behind me but I remain exactly where I am.
If they wish to come over and talk, then it is on them, if they are here merely to observe me then
they can do so at a distance.
The steps halt when they come in view of the altar but after a few seconds they continue walking
towards me.
My eyes are closed and my posture is relaxed but we both know that I am aware of their presence.
They remain silent and wait.
I breath quietly through my nose and open my eyes.

I feel... at peace.
I'm sure that wherever they are, in the Pure World, Underworld, in Heaven or inside the cycle or
reincarnation - hell, they could be living inside of a toddler's body somewhere with a Game System
guiding them through a brand new world, for all I knew - they accepted and understood my actions.
I wasn't replacing anyone, just adding to it.
I look to up to the side and see Madam Yu staring dispassionately at the swords.
"When did you meet them?" I asked her,"In Gusu?"
Madam Yu's sharp eyes cut straight into mine,"Your father was always with Jiang FengMian
growing up, we met when our betrothal contracts were being written. I met your mother the year
after FengMian returned from Gusu," She answered me.
I frowned, confused.
"CangSe Sanren lived here for a short time before marrying your father and leaving," She explains.
I make a noise of understanding and glance at the swords again.
"It's unusual for you to be here so early," She comments.
"I needed to tell them a few things," I don't elaborate further.
Madam Yu gives me a look and I can't help but smile gently up at her.
"Jiang Cheng is my brother," I tell her,"You can hate me all you want, but I cannot hate him. He is
my brother, not in blood, but," I press my hand against my heart.
"He is my brother," I say.
Madam Yu remains silent but her fingers twist Zidian around.
"And if I forbid you from ever speaking to him again?" She asks.
My smile widens and gets a twinge fonder.
"There's no punishment you can charge me with that won't be worth breaking that order," I tell
her,"And if you punish Jiang Cheng for it you'll lose all the respect your son has for you."
Madam Yu stands straighter and her lips thin.
"Do you remember that day on the lake?" She asks, seemingly out of context.
I nod slowly still smiling.
"I do," I answer her," How could I forget?"
How could I forget indeed.
That day, for all the hate you held towards my mother who I am the spitting image of, you still
made a choice.
You chose to dive into those waters and pull me out.

You saved me.
Chapter End Notes
Now before you grab the pitchforks, it's not a redemption Arc! Okay? Don't kill me
just yet.
As for how old they are now, WWX is turning 11 mid-fall, so 3 or so months from this
chapter (in-story), meaning JC is 9 almost turning 10.
The next two chapters (52 and 53) happen around the same time, one to explain what
happened, another to continue this conversation.
54 will be ShouShan's wedding (finally, I know)
Madam Yu realized what WWX was trying to hide immediately, and JYL suspects
something, and let him run off before JFM made things worse by asking questions.
WWX's true phobia will appear, just when they're a bit older and perhaps on a night-
hunt? Or something. I'm not exactly sure. JC will know about it for sure, and JYL too,
but no one else.
And those cute boys will finally refer to each other as brothers! And not go 'uh, no,
you misheard'.
Drowning
Chapter Summary
The event that led to Madam Yu rescuing Wei Ying.
Chapter Notes
Just a reminder, tomorrow there won't be a chapter!

I'll be busy with hospital and caretaker stuff, probably some family drama, and I'll be
too off to do anything other than eat and sleep.
Sorry, I'll be back on the 17th!
"Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light." - Norman B.
Rice
Chapter 52: Drowning
It was the start of summer and already the air was getting to be unbearably hot and humid.
I scratched at the center of my chest, where my heart was, because I still hadn't grown used to the
presence of the Golden Core. It wasn't a 'tangible' thing but because I was very much aware and in
sync with my own energy it felt itchy.
When I had filled the container to the top, right there in front of my eyes, the container and liquid
energy turned solid and began to rotate, faster and faster until I could hear this ringing whistle echo
throughout the void inside of my body.
And then there was light.
All-encompassing light that cut through the void like a falling star.
"Does it feel weird?" Jiang Cheng suddenly asked me.
I looked at him askance and shrugged,"Not really? I'm just not used to it, I guess."
Neither Master Xu or Doctor Wu knew if the sensitivity I was having to the Golden Core was
because of my previous cultivation efforts - which were still unknown to them - or because of my
young age.
I had just turned ten four months previously when I formed my Golden Core.
Officially the youngest human being to form a Golden Core.
Even Madam Yu couldn't deny that there was a bump in YunmengJiang's influence when that fact
went public. Elders from the other Great Sects came to request permission to verify that I had,
indeed, formed a Golden Core.
It was an interesting afternoon, that day.
First came LanlingJin, with a golden robed elder that had snobbishly informed me of the greatness
of their Sect and had repeatedly asked me for my 'secret' on how I formed a core so quickly - when
he finally accepted that I had formed one and that there wasn't a mistake with the scan he had ran -
before being escorted out.
Then came Gusu - and I had held some semblance of hope that it would be Lan QiRen that would
come - with their mourning clothes and poker-faces. The elder had been a serene looking elder with
pure white hair tied in a single long ponytail with silver bangles down its length.
He swept through my energy slowly, and flowing with it instead of against it, until they reached
my core and they gently poke at it to see if it's real. When it stays the same (whereas an illusion
would break) it withdrew just as slowly and naturally as it had entered my system.
They congratulated me and said they'd welcome such a talented youth in Gusu for studying if my
Sect Leader allowed it.
I had thanked them and bowed politely, thinking of sending Lan XiChen and Lan Zhan a letter
telling them of this encounter and asking them if they knew who the elder was.
Because I liked them.
He seemed like a cool elder.
The next Sect to arrive had been Qinghe, with a tall and stocky elder that looked very young in
comparison to the other two elders that came by, and had quickly verified my core, asked me a few
questions and departed just as quickly.
Qinghe was cool too, but the Gusu elder was the coolest.
Well, well, well! So impressed with Hubby's elders.
I ended the conversation right there and then, before it degenerated into a pissing match between
Ike and I.
We awaited a QishanWen elder but none came.
Instead a different kind of news arrived.
The QishanWen had installed a side branch of the main family in Yiling. More specifically, a
branch specializing in medicine and the study of spiritual energy.
Wen Qing and Wen Ning.
The meaning behind this sudden development was obvious. Yiling was as close as you could get to
Yunmeng without being in Yunmeng. And it wasn't a secret that the first thing I did with my
recently earned freedom was to spend an afternoon saying hi to the people in Yiling.
Sue me, I had missed that town.

Of course, I wasn't really supposed to know any of this.
Jiang FengMian had thought to 'protect me' from this information, but news spread far and wide
and I got six or seven small missives, along with three or so long letters explaining everything,
asking if I needed help.
I had thanked each and every one of them but begged them not to get involved and to lay low. To
not stir up trouble or rumors.
I needed them invisible.
The game was still afoot.
But anyway, after that little tidbit of information I wasn't supposed to know, things continued as
they had always been. Except I no longer had lessons with Master Xu - but was invited for tea
every now and then because I was his favorite, cough successful cough, student - and dedicated
much of my time to improve my skills or to upgrade my creations.
Like the fountain pen.
When the final prototype was finished and I started using it in class there was a whole debacle
about whether or not it was acceptable of me to use it, and where I had gotten it from, Jiang
Cheng's commentary on how I had been working on that thing for months and had carved more
than thirty odd pens before settling on this one helped alleviate the rumors I had stolen it from
somewhere.
But the fact remained that no one had ever seen such a creation before.
In the end, after offering to make more for the Sect, they had allowed me to keep it, which was
silly because for all that they could've confiscated that one I'd just make more and get better at
hiding them.
Bright side is that A-Zhan complimented me on my calligraphy the next letter we exchanged. Jiang
Cheng said that I cheated.
He's just mad that his mother warned him not to use it in class, preferring to have him practice his
writing the old way.
I just whispered to him that any homework or punishment where he had to write didn't count as
being in class.
And then there was my new room, which I suspected had been meant to be my room from the very
beginning but Jiang FengMian wanted to keep me under watch 24/7, that Madam Yu insisted on
kicking me into now that there were very few lessons Jiang Cheng and I shared and none of them
early in the morning.
In my fervor to get better and learn more I'd managed to overtake the class in studies so, in order
not to demotivate the other juniors and leave me bored, I would be frequently picked off the class
to join the seniors in sparring and swordplay lessons.
Jiang Cheng had been upset for a while at my vast improvements but once I was gone from the
picture he was suddenly the best in class and everyone wanted to talk to him or ask him advice.
He'd confided in me one night, when he had dragged me to sleep in his bed 'for old time's sake' - an
excuse no one believed - that it made him feel good but at the same time angry. They wanted to be
his friends when I wasn't there but didn't approach him when we were together.
I'd just shrugged and told him there would be people like that throughout his life, and that's why he
had to be careful when making friends. Some only took and never gave, some only wanted to bask
in the glow of that person, and others stewed in silence and shadow waiting for the chance to dim
that glow or take it for themselves.
It was a tough topic to discuss with a nine year old.
"You're not even listening to me are you?" Jiang Cheng grumbles.
I blink, brought back to reality,"Not really, you were saying?"
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes and throws his hands up,"Unbelievable."
Jiang YanLi giggles behind her hands,"A-Xian, A-Cheng was telling you about the sparring match
he won against one of your classmates."
I smile at him,"You won? That's so cool!"
Jiang Cheng perks up at the praise and puffs up in pride.
Really, he was so easy to please.
And you love it.
I do.
Where are we going anyway?
I look out at the rest of the lake and scratch at my cheek. "We've come all this way to pick lotus
seeds?" I ask.
Jiang Cheng gives me a droll look,"A-Jie told you we were coming to a lotus seed lake, what were
you expecting?"
Not this.
"Forgive me for not asking to specify what a lotus seed lake was, it's not like they grow
everywhere," I roll my eyes.
Jiang Cheng mutters under his breath and YanLi chuckles as she gets baskets ready to fill up with
lotus seed pods.
I look back on the water, deep blue-ish green, covered with beautiful lotus in bloom like a blankets
of flowers floating above the water.
I stuck my hand on the water and feel the current the boat is cutting through the still lake.
Something flickers in my senses and I quickly bring my hand out of the water.
"What?" Jiang Cheng frowns at me.
I don't answer him looking between the water at the other boats floating alongside ours.
There's a buzzing in my senses and I slowly move from my position to the other side of the boat,
observing the water and searching for anything out of the ordinary.
But no, there isn't anything that stands out to me. It's just a calm and peaceful lake surface. Nothing
that screams 'danger'.
Yet my senses were never wrong and kept me alive in more than one situation, so I trusted them
far more than I trusted the lake's surface.
After all, even if the surface was calm and peaceful, it did not mean the underneath of it was the
same.
My brain instantly came up with alligators and sharks as the problem, before it connected with the
reality of this world and threw that idea out of the proverbial window.
It wasn't sharks or alligators.
I had an inkling to what this was.
"Hey," I waved at the people in the boat next to ours,"Has there been any drownings in this lake
recently?"
Jiang Cheng's face twisted in disgust and opens his mouth to question why I'd bring this topic up
only to pause and look at me.
Really look at me.
One of the people on the other boat look at me startled for a moment before slowly nodding,"There
was a couple of drownings last week, a string of boats flipped because of the strong winds when
they were trying to return to the port."
I knew it.
I let out a deep sigh through my nose,"Everyone back to shore, and call the Yunmeng Sect or clan
responsible for this area!" I order.
"A-Xian?" YanLi frowns before looking at the water as well,"You don't think...?"
I nod,"There's Water Ghouls on the lake," Another deep sigh,"We need to get out of there."
The boat jostles slightly and I grab Jiang Cheng and put him closer to the center of the boat and
away from the edges, gesturing for YanLi to do the same, before grabbing the large pole used to
guide the boat and start leading us to shore.
Immediately what had been waiting to feast on us start getting agitated and I curse under my breath
our bad luck. The older disciples had decided to stay on the port, seeing as we were only going to
go around picking seed pods, and they were the ones that had the emergency signals to contact the
Sect.
If the people here had been knowledgeable enough to have warned the surrounding areas about the
recent drownings then the sects would've come to check it out to make sure nothing malevolent
bred underneath the water surface.
Or to at least fish out the bodies.
But no, they hadn't. And now I had to worry about the two kids in the boat with me and how to get
them to shore.
Goddammit.
The other boats quickly move to shore but are harassed by the water ghouls on their way, the boats
jostling on the water and sinking slightly at the ghouls try to cling to the underside of them.
I focus on my senses and vaguely 'see' where the ghouls are lying in wait to drag us underwater,
annoyed that of all the resentful-energy fueled beings there were these had to be slightly intelligent.
And dangerous if you didn't have the tools to get rid of them.
"A-Xian," YanLi looks at me, worried.
"It's fine, Shijie," I grin at her,"A-Xian can deal with this, just don't get near the edges of the boat."
"I want to help!" Jiang Cheng speaks," I can help."
No you can't.
"Platypus, keep your sister safe," I tell him,"Water Ghouls can get nasty, so the two of you look out
for one another and keep an eye on the water for me."
Jiang Cheng wants to argue, I know he does, but he acquiesces to my decision.
I can already see the port and one of the faster boats that has already arrived there and is talking to
the disciples there.
I see one of them go into their pocket and pulling out a flare signal.
Well, at least we're not far from Yunmeng to receive aid.
The signal the goes up.
And the Water Ghouls get nasty.
The boat in front of us gets flipped by grey skinned and sunken eyes corpses with long stringy
black hair, mouth opening and closing soundlessly like a fish, and hands that looked like they'd
developed fins connecting their fingers.
All in all, they looked disgusting.
One looked at our boat and I swung the wood pole throwing them back into the water.
"Wow!" Jiang Cheng yelps and then looks at me with a shocked expression.
Guess he's never seen anyone tossing a problem away like that before.
Now's not the time for jokes, Ike.
The people on the water were quickly grabbed by the other boats occupants but that only meant
that they were heavier now, and the disciples on the shore would struggle with carrying the adults
back to shore on their swords.
So they'd have to focus on getting the ghouls.
And for that they needed nets.
I spied the disciples borrowing nets from local fishermen but they needed to prep them before
using them.
I mentally groaned on how easier it would be if everyone just had nets readily prepared in case
situations like this occurred.
Common civilians aren't instructed on how to deal with the supernatural.
Well they should! Because they're usually the first ones to die!
I stabbed the pole in the water to drive us closer to the port, if nothing else the disciples could
come and grab the heirs without too much difficulty, and hit a bump under the water.
"Guess that one didn't look twice before crossing the road," I mutter to myself.
"What?" Jiang Cheng gives me a weird look.
I shrug, not going to explain that little joke.
The boats were rocked once again and I yelled out at the people,"Make it to the port as fast as you
can! They'll try to turn your boat or sink it!"
The people panic briefly before starting to help paddle the boat faster.
"A-Xian," YanLi starts,"The water is darkening."
I look at it and, sure enough, the blue-ish green color is now darker.
I curse.
"That's bad, right?" Jiang Cheng gulps.
Damn, the kid was getting scared.
I grin at him,"Well, ain't this an adventure, Platypus? Don't worry, Shijie and I will make sure no
one gets hurt."
He still worries and I push the pole again.
Only this time something pulls it.
In order to remain on the boat and not get pulled off I have to let go of it, and watch as it sinks into
the darkened depths.
I sigh.
Of course, they wouldn't make it easy for me.
I had one cultivator sword I couldn't pull out without showing my inventory, and no one that could
fly it.
I had a Golden Core but didn't know how to operate a sword like that, Shijie was still working on
hers and Jiang Cheng was in the beginning stages of cultivation.
Goddammit.
I quickly count how long we've been on the water and how far the Sect is. Depending on who they
send it could be three or so minutes until rescue appears.
Three or so minutes doesn't sound like a long time but then you have to take into account that
children can drown in less than one and that's without adding the murderous ghouls trying to take
control of your body.
I remain standing and eyeing the waters distrustfully, expecting the boat to start dipping, jostling or
for the ghouls to try and flip it.
I was not expecting one to launch itself out of the water and try to grab Jiang Cheng.
Time slows down and all I can see are those rotten grey arms and gaping mouth reaching for him.
I don't think twice.
I push him down into his sister, making them topple over the length of the boat, and feel the
broken nails dig into my robes.
The last thing I see before going under is Jiang Cheng's scared eyes.
Damn it.
I'm pulled over board and into the darkened waters of the lake.
I feel the webbed fingers try to grasp a hold of my throat but I kick them off me and struggle
against their hands. From the inventory I pull out my remaining knife, Xiaohui, and stab at it.
The hawkbill-like knife that I had bought as a final resort wouldn't mean much against such them,
especially as I was underwater, but it would buy me time.
I kicked at them and tried to get back to the water surface but the ghouls all diverted their attentions
to keep me under.
I had no techniques I could use underwater, because this was something I hadn't planned for - and
would be quickly remedied once I got out of here - and no spiritual weapons with me.
Plus, the ghouls kept clawing at me and not giving me a respite to open the store or inventory to
check if I had anything I could use in it.
You're going to run out of oxygen.
Goddammit.
I channeled energy into my body and swiped at one of the ghouls, it's head disconnecting from the
rest of the body, and kicked at another feeling bone cave beneath my feet.
I was going to go all out with these bastards.
My eyes glowed silver.
And I push myself upwards breaking the water surface and taking in a gulp of air before getting
dragged back down.
They weren't giving up were they?
The Water Ghouls decided to try another tactic, and dived under whenever I went to strike, as they
were faster under water than I was. It irked me.
And then, when I was just figuring out what patterns they moved in one went and threw itself at
me, I got ready to dodge and swipe when another latched onto my back.
Sh*t!
I tried to curl up to kick the approaching ghoul away only for the third one to grab onto them.
They planned this.
My eyes widen and the final ghoul grabs onto my neck and pushes me down to the lake bed.
Air escapes my lungs in bubbles and I struggle against them but with my legs restricted and being
choked by the monster my options are limited.
The Water Ghoul wrapped around my chest squeezes and I feel my ribs creak.
I reinforce my body with energy to try and withstand the force of the attack but it only minimally
works and I feel a rib snap.
Pain.
My mouth opens in a scream I choke, swallowing water, and not being able to cough it out.
My vision darkens.
I sink the knife into the neck of the ghoul and punch it with my off hand.
I was panicking.
Looking back on it, the minute the ghoul grabbed my legs and I couldn't kick it away I started
panicking.
I punched it again and again, trying to get it to release my throat, but my vision just kept on
darkening.
As they closed and I began to lose consciousness there's this blaze of... something. A glint, maybe?
And then the hands around my throat are gone and something grabs onto the front of my robes and
pulls-...
I violently cough out the water in my lungs when my back is hit with a sharp blow.
I cough and splutter and struggle to inhale, tears forming in the corners of my eyes.
It hurts.
Pain.
Ow.
"Reckless child," Madam Yu hisses to no one in particular, and secures me against her body,
already flying back to the port.
My mind is a mess, I can't seem to focus, and I swim in and out of consciousness. My ears are
ringing and I can't hear a thing.
I vaguely recall Jiang Cheng grabbing my hand and yelling something, eyes red from crying and a
devastated YanLi holding him back, but that's as far as I can remember from when I'm pulled out of
the water.
Afterwards, when I'm lying in the infirmary and no ones looking like they expect me to drop dead
that very second, I finally get the facts straight about what happened.
I had gone under for little over two minutes, Madam Yu being the first one to arrive and grab her
children out of the boat and back onto the port, before going back and diving underwater to find
me.
Jiang Cheng and YanLi remained tight-lipped regarding why she went back for me and not just
send a disciple, considering the fact that Madam Yu never had hidden her dislike of me, before
shrugging it off as not presenting a good image to YunmengJiang.
Still, I had thanked her, once I could bow properly without grimacing and stopped sounding like a
decades-old smoker, but Madam Yu had simply ignored me.
I figured that she didn't want that day to be mentioned again.
But I couldn't forget it.
Chapter End Notes
Okay so, timeline wise this happened before the Storm chapter (he's still ten in this
one).
And no, this isn't a redemption chapter for Madam Yu, we're only seeing this from
WWX's pov and he was unconscious most of the time during recovery/being rescued.
I might come back and write more on here, I just have no idea what to add right now.
Hope you liked the chapter!
Planning
Chapter Summary
Do what you want, Plan for the Future, Get stronger to protect them.
Chapter Notes
"To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time." - Leonard
Bernstein
Chapter 53: Planning
"You saved me," I say to Madam Yu.
Her eyes flicker with something I can't decipher before they turn back to their usual frosty
countenance and she opens her mouth to speak.
"Why are you now referring to my son as your brother?" She asks,"Did you not say you would not
interfere with my family?"
I nodded,"I did, and now I cannot stay true to them. I feel... a longing, in my chest, for something I
once had. Lines are blurring," I explain to her,"I can't keep pushing them out. I don't want to."
Her violet eyes are vicious and cutting but she remains silent as she observes me.
"What are your plans?" She asks me.
I blink.
Confusion.
"My plans?" I echo.
"You say you will leave to find 'your mountain'," She makes air quotes,"What will you do to find
it?"
I frown,"I don't understand the questions, Madam Yu. What will I do to find it?"
She takes a breath,"Will you leave to find your mountain?"
I nod,"Yes."
"Then why care about family when all you'll bring them is heartache by leaving?" She asks.
A faint smile teases the edges of my mouth,"Madam Yu... There is no love without heartache, there
are good and bad moments in life. By leaving I won't be abandoning them, I will still consider
them family, it's just that they won't see me every day."
She frowns,"What does a child know of love?"
My smile blossoms gently on my face,"I know enough."
Her hands grip her sleeves tightly and she nearly glares at me.
"Your eyes... That damn smile," She hisses,"So much like hers."
I don't mind her anger, after living her for two years I'd come to understand that what Madam Yu
wanted more than anything was an apology. Or maybe it was assurance.
One or the other.
She wanted her love to be reciprocated, had always wanted that to happen, but with the era being
what it was and CangSe Sanren leaving that mountain like a bolt from the blue... Expectation does
not always meet reality.
She had loved FengMian, and she had gotten him.
But he had not loved her, and even now showed no signs of it.
I felt for her.
As a woman who had been loved, so much, by her husband. Kept being loved by him even after no
longer being lovers.
To me, Madam Yu was... Mournful.
"I am not my mother," I tell her.
You shouldn't hate the figures of the past. Though they may still cast long shadows, they are not
longer there to be feared, reviled, or hated. They are already gone.
"Are you scared of me? Of my presence here?" I ask her.
Madam Yu scoffs,"What is there to be scared of? As if you could rival me, boy."
I smile,"Scared that I may take Jiang Cheng's place," I clarify.
Madam Yu's lips purse into a thin line and her eyes flicker with anger.
"I do not wish to take anything of his," I assure her,"Jiang Cheng is the heir of YunmengJiang, and
I am only a temporary resident. One day I will leave and Jiang Cheng will wow the world as one of
the best Sect Leaders the world has seen."
Madam Yu strokes her ring,"You speak as if you already know it to be true."
That's because I do.
My smile turns slightly impish,"Your son is a sponge, Madam Yu, and he absorbs everything you
teach him. If you focus on him, give him all the tools he needs to succeed, he might surprise you."
"Do not lecture me how I should raise my son," Madam Yu warns.

"I am not lecturing you," I show her my hands in surrender,"I am merely saying that throwing him
to the wolves and watch him find his footing, instead of teaching him how to control the wolves,
might not be the best approach. He is not you, Madam Yu, and neither is he Sect Leader Jiang."
Zidian sparks once and then twice but Madam Yu remains silent and still.
I wait for her to either dismiss me or to start berating me for my words, but neither happens.
Madam Yu remains stroking her ring, twisting it between her fingers, and watches me with too
knowing eyes.
"Why did you push my children down, that day on the boat?" She asks.
The answer is simple,"To keep them from getting grabbed. The Water Ghoul was reaching for
Jiang Cheng, had I threw him aside another ghoul would've grabbed him from the other side of the
boat. I couldn't pull him so pushing him backwards was the only option."
"To keep them safe..." She mutters.
I wait for her to continue.
"Why do you care?" She asks then.
I tilt my head slightly to the side, confused once again.
"Why do I care? About them? Well, they're my family, of course," I answer.
Madam Yu frowns,"You are not blood."
I laugh,"Family isn't blood, Ma'am. Family are bonds."
Her eyes flicker again and she looks back at the swords on top of the altar.
"I will not accept you as their brother," She tells me,"Do not expect me to ever do. But do what
you children want and do not come crying to me when it all becomes meaningless."
Love is never meaningless, I want to tell her.
But I remain silent.
Instead I bow and head back to my room to get ready for the day.
Yunru nuzzles my cheek as I leave the Hall and I carefully pet her head, feeling the soft fur on my
skin, and smile.
"Don't worry," I tell her,"I am fine. Look, Yunru," I point at the clearing blue sky,"Isn't this world
beautiful?"
Yunru squeaks from where she's perked on my shoulder.
"This world is a gift, Yunru," I tell her,"A gift that we should always cherish. The people who
meet, the family we make for ourselves, the home we create... They are all blessings. And no
matter the price, we should strive to keep them safe," I poke her nose gently.
You're getting too philosophical for me in the morning.

I chuckle.
I'm sorry, am I boring you?
Not necessarily boring me, it's just unlike you to be so introspective.
I hummed.
How much time do we still have left?
For the war? Give or take six years.
What needs to be done?
What?
I'm working on communication, Yan MingXia, ShouShan, and Mao PeiZhi have the rest
underway. What else needs to be done?
Depends. What do you want to do?
I look around me as I walk back to the residential wing.
Damage control.
I'm listening.
I need you to do me a favor, go back to the novel, all the information we have on the attack.
What are you looking for?
They came from water and air, burnt the town and Sect... I want to know who they got so close
unnoticed.
An early warning system?
Yes and no. I have an idea.
You don't look reassured by it.
I don't like playing on such low odds, I hate the fact that I may have to let this place burn.
Change what you know you have the power to change, don't take on too much and tire yourself out.
I won't.
I stroked Yunru's fur and sighed.
Focus.
Think.
It's not yet time for rest.
The real storm is coming.

You mustn't stop yet.
Keep going. Keep moving.
Protect them.
Safe. Safe. Safe.
Keep them safe.
I look up at the sky again and close my eyes and just breathe.
There's still time.
And I will make the most of it.
For them.
I walked into the library and headed for my little niche after picking up my current book and settled
down.
Jiang Cheng was having lessons with the rest of the class and I had nothing to do until the
afternoon so I told him I'd be here. I brought out a few blank sheets of paper and my fountain pen
and started putting thoughts to paper whenever they occurred.
I was using a simple pigpen cipher, which would confuse just about anyone as they didn't even
know latin letters to decipher it with.
The thought of teaching the letters to either the Jiang siblings or my own growing numbers of
correspondents had crossed my mind but I decided against it.
If my creation worked as it should then I wouldn't need to worry about letters being intersected and
read between the different groups working with Yan MingXia.
And there was not yet a need for secret communication between the Jiangs and I. If there ever were
then I'd think about something then.
More immediate concerns were what I was preoccupied about.
I drew a very basic outline of the Jiang Sect Compound and the various wings and halls. I knew
from the information Ike had dug up that the Wens would use a signal to launch the attack and that
Wen Zhuliu would kill the people holding a defensive array up.
I needed to find that array and study it.
I looked up at the books surroundings me.
Arrays hadn't been something I had yet studied. Now that Talisman-Making was mastered I
guessed it was the next step to go, and I was curious about how different they were from talismans.
Back on the paper I scribbled little details I knew about the area and where the attacks would most
likely come from.
Thoughts, ideas and plans swirled in my head and I put many of them on paper, writing and
scratching away at the paper until the pages were nearly bleeding ink.
I rested the pen on the floor and took a deep breath, pressing the bridge of my nose with ink stained
fingers.
Guessed the fountain pen needed yet another update.
Later.
Yes, later.
Focus on important matters.
I was brought back to my plans and coded ramblings and picked all of the written paper, bundled it
up together and sent it to my inventory, before picking up a blank sheet of paper and started to list
what I needed to change. Events, people, incidents and potential victims.
I wrote ideas on how I could potentially avoid them but most were just surrounded with question
marks.
I did not have enough information to make a final judgement about them.
...
What have you thought up this time?
Information.
Huh? Not having enough information?
Yan MingXia's circuit was already walking about the nation, they shouldn't care about a few tag-
alongs, right?
What are you thinking?
How about we get people to join the caravans, as help, only to go around the towns getting
information out of people?
You think people will talk to strangers?
I think people like to gossip, and drink, and there's also pillow talk.
...You know this won't help Mao PeiZhi and ShouShan to stop thinking you're not planning on
taking over the world.
I have no interest in taking over the world. I have interested in keeping my family safe and then I'm
moving to my mountain and the world can figure out what to do with itself for a few years without
my interference.
You know that's probably not gonna happen, right?
That people will let me disappear for a couple of years and not bother me? I'm still holding out
hope.
I scribbled more ideas on paper and started branching out to more long-lasting options and
solutions.
Oh? That one holds merit.

I reread what I have written down and shrug.
History is there for you to learn from, and I know a lot about history.
Remember than enormous book collection Walter got you when you turned forty? The one with the
near identical covers and detailed illustrations.
The memory made me smile.
I do.
Let's try not to replicate those books.
My smile quickly turned into a smirk.
I make no promises.
All's fair in love and war.
I underlined the idea and moved on.
So much to do, so little time.
Jiang YanLi knocked on her mother's door with slight apprehension, no matter how many times
she had practiced what she planned on saying to herself in her room, now that she was actually
here knocking on the door she felt... scared?
She clenched her hands into fists and took a deep breath, doing her best to remain calm and logical.
Her mother would never listen to her if she did otherwise.
After a few seconds of silence the door was opened by JinZhu, who looked surprised to see her.
It was easy to see how, there were no lessons planned with Mother and she was usually practicing
her work in her room or in the kitchens around this time.
YanLi felt slightly guilty to not come over and try to spend more time with her mother, now that A-
Xian was here, and could be trusted not to run too wild with A-Cheng in tow, there was no need for
her to spend most of her time making sure her brother wasn't feeling lonely. She figured she should
come by more often to have tea with her mother.
A-Xian...
JinZhu stepped aside to let her in and YanLi bowed slightly and smiled at her mother's maid.
JinZhu and YinZhu had come with her mother from Meishan and had been constant presences in
hers and A-Cheng's early childhoods. In fact, YanLi could vaguely remember a time where a little
A-Cheng had clung to YinZhu and called her 'Auntie' but that had quickly stopped once A-Cheng
was moved from the nursery and into a proper room.
"A-Li," Her mother put down her cup of tea,"We don't have lessons today."
YanLi bowed to her mother,"I know, Mother, but I..." She hesitated.
Yu ZiYuan's eyes narrowed,"But you?"

It was now or never, YanLi told herself, I need to tell her! Just as I practiced in front of the mirror,
I just need to say it.
But doubt and anxiety roiled her stomach and left her feeling lost.
Was this the right thing to do?
Did she even have what it takes to do this?
Was she strong enough?
Then the memory of how little A-Xian pushed her and her brother down and away from danger,
while endangering himself, without hesitation and was dragged underwater by grey decomposed
hands of Water Ghouls, surfaced in her mind.
The image of her mother carrying him drenched and limp and broken in her hold haunted her
dreams for nights afterwards, and she felt too guilty to come visit him in the infirmary until he was
driving the doctor and nurses up the walls with his repeated escape attempts.
A-Xian... Always so strong and reckless, constantly smiling and joking, needling her brother with
teases and games, so smart and creative. But he was also very sad and tired.
YanLi knew that he did his best not to show it, but sometimes YanLi caught him looking at the
town beyond the river with a near longing look in his eyes. He always hid his true feelings behind a
mask, however the longer he lived here in Yunmeng, the easier it was to see behind that mask.
He lowered it when he felt comfortable, and he was comfortable here despite his near constant
reminders that he's not really family and only staying here temporarily.
At times YanLi thought that he was simply scared of getting attached, which she could understand
given that he had lost his parents when he was little, but then he tried his best to always be there to
teach A-Cheng or just keep him company effectively preventing himself from being able to keep
an aloof personality.
He wanted a family but was too scared to try and have one, that's the feeling YanLi got from him.
The image of him laying unconscious in bed floats in her mind again.
But not scared enough to consider the possibility of getting hurt trying to protect others.
"Mother, I have a request," YanLi finally manages to say.
Doubts and worries still plague her, roil her stomach and carve away at her confident posture. Even
so she stood tall in front of her mother, in the perfect posture Mistress Zhu had taught her (and an
amused A-Xian) and held her head high, she had come her with a decision already set and she
wouldn't back down from it.
For her two little brothers, she would do her best.
She would do better.
"A request, A-Li?" Her mother asked.
"Yes, Mother," She nods,"I have something to ask of you."
Interested, Madam Yu crosses her legs and turns to face her daughter fully," What is it?"
YanLi takes a deep breath to calm the last of her nerves.
"I want you to teach me," She says,"I want you to teach me how to be as strong as you, as the
Violet Spider."
Her mother's eyes widen, definitely not having expected those words to come out of her daughter's
mouth,"Why are you asking this now? You know that when you marry Jin ZiXuan there will be no
need to be a strong cultivator. And you're already at the age where your Golden Core will only get
stronger with strenuous training."
YanLi nods,"I know it will take hard work, I know that Jin ZiXuan is not looking for a strong
cultivation partner but, Mother, I am doing this for myself."
She looks her mother in the eye,"I want to be stronger. Strong enough to protect my little brothers-
brother, and my family if needs be. I don't want want to have to need someone to protect me, I want
to protect myself."
Her mother uncrosses her legs and sits back in her chair, deep in her thoughts.
Jiang YanLi waits, this was it, whether her mother allowed her to become stronger or she'd have,
for the first time, contemplate going against her mother's direct orders and beg her father for tutors.
It would mean a rift between her mother and herself, something she did not want as she loved her
mother dearly and knew she meant no harm in treating her as fragile porcelain and A-Cheng as just
another disciple flagging in his studies.
Which wasn't true, both her little brothers were constantly training on studying something,
constantly improving their abilities and leaving her behind. The only time she sees them relaxing is
when A-Cheng is practicing his painting and A-Xian is either playing his dizi or singing odd songs
with a ethereal glow to him, like he's reaching beyond time and space for words that do not seem to
come from this world.
Perhaps from the same world of myth and legends that he loves to enthrall A-Cheng with when
they're supposed to be sleeping.
More than once A-Cheng had crawled into bed with her, frighten out of his wits, followed by a
snickering A-Xian after the amused boy had told the other a scary story.
Regardless of the warnings he got for making his stories too scary and for scaring A-Cheng when
he has lessons the next morning, A-Xian would only laugh and hug A-Cheng telling him funny
stories to make up for the scare.
Really, her two boys were so much trouble.
And they'd only get into more trouble as they got older.
A-Xian was only ten, A-Cheng was nine. Her father would have to start taking A-Xian on night-
hunts now that he had his own golden core and teach him more advanced forms of the
YunmengJiang Sect fighting style, even though he was still so little.
Nevertheless, rumors had spread of the prodigious son of CangSe Sanren having a Golden Core
and now it was time he made a comeback into the Cultivation World. Her father could try all he
wanted to keep him benched until he was thirteen, as was the general age when disciples were
taken on their first night-hunts, the world was watching for the boy who broke convention.
She'd feel concerned for A-Cheng being jealous if she didn't know that whatever A-Xian learnt
he'd teach A-Cheng immediately after.
Really those two...
"A-Li," Her mother speaks,"Why now?"
Why not when you were younger? Why not when I first asked you all those years ago? What
changed?
"That day on the lake," YanLi began,"I couldn't do anything."
She had just sat there, holding back A-Cheng from diving in after A-Xian, and then sitting still on
the boat watching the perfectly still lake surface and begging every deity out there for A-Xian to
break the water's surface.
All she could do was sit there and wait.
She still couldn't forget A-Cheng's screams when her mother landed with an near-unconscious A-
Xian in her arms.
'Wei Ying! Wei Ying! Brother! BROTHER!'
She couldn't do a thing then.
And it had felt like her chest was full of broken sharks of porcelain cutting deep into her heart, she
had felt like she was going to collapse from the pain, the regret of not being able to do anything for
either of them.
They were running headlong into danger.
Her two precious little brothers.
And she couldn't do a thing.
Not again. Never again.
She was going to grow stronger. The next time her brothers were in danger she would stand beside
them.
She would not be weak.
She might have her father's gentle nature, everyone knew she did, but she was as much of her
mother as she was of her father.
And it was time she proved that.
Chapter End Notes
Finally done with the Madam Yu and WWX segment, next chapter is the wedding!
(Which made me break my rule about 3k words, don't expect it to become a regular
thing, we are nearly on Arc IV)
Or well, the first part of the wedding, it's also two chapters. Oops.
Who was surprised at YanLi's decision to ask her mom for training? 'Weak' Golden
Core aside, she's still relatively young (13) and her mom kicks ass. Don't be surprised
if YanLi gets a bump in reputation by being someone you don't want to mess with.
Before anyone asks how the surgery went, it didn't. Waited two hours for the doctor to
see us in ten minutes and say 'oh, well, it's crooked but they can still breathe fine, just
go home'.
Waste of a day.
Nice Meetings
Chapter Summary
The first part of ShouShan's Wedding!

The journey to the Bai, a very warm welcome, sibling rivalry, and a name!
Also, "ShouShan... don't needle the nine year old."
Chapter Notes
"Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking together in the same direction." -
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Chapter 54: Nice Meetings
We were perhaps fours hours away from the Bai Clan Residence when Jiang FengMian decides to
stop and make camp, I very nearly protested - we were pretty close to the Clan Residence after all -
but shut my mouth and nodded.
The sun was still high in the sky but it would be evening in about two or so hours, meaning we'd
only have reached the Bai after sundown. I understood Jiang FengMian's reasoning for making
camp, I did, but I was somewhat upset we'd only get there tomorrow.
I had things to discuss with ShouShan.
And it was his wedding on top of everything...
You're the one rushing to get things done, you know.
I'm not rushing, I am making preparations. It will take years for everything to be in place and up
and running.
In time for the war?
I grimaced and kicked the brown mare I was riding with A-Cheng into a canter after Jiang
FengMian's stallion.
I don't know.
Jiang Cheng grabbed my shoulders tightly, he had been loving every second of this journey - also,
traveling on horse for the first time - and was excited to make camp and explore.
It was adorable.
I honestly didn't know why he hadn't started horse riding lessons alongside me, but figured it had
been another of FengMian's weird decisions.
Like only being allowed to accompany elder disciples on night-hunts and 'shadow' after them for
experience, but not actually permitted to participate in said night-hunt. Which was because I didn't
have a cultivator sword - Liling didn't count for some stupid reason - and FengMian refused to
back down from his stance of 'cultivator swords only at age thirteen'.
Ugh.
We settled camp in this open field with a forest on one side. We were using tents styled after my
old one, and I had nonchalantly provided sketches for bigger ones, with A-Cheng taking the
initiative and getting right down to business.
The older disciples followed his example and I stayed back to observe him.
It would be his job one day to lead these people (hopefully these people) and he needed to earn
their respect and obedience. Yeah, he was only nine but he wouldn't stay this little forever, and I'd
rather have him prepared and moody over too many lessons than carefree and caught unaware by
the Wens.
I felt a headache form behind my eyes.
Turning around I started going through my pack for one of my bows and a quiver full of arrows.
Once the tents were set up I'd take him foraging and hunting. This terrain and area was different
than what he was used to, so it'd pose a bit of a challenge to him.
We'd see if he had been paying attention to his improvised lessons.
I subconsciously searched my belt and relaxed marginally at feeling Xiaodan's weight at my waist -
given back to me after the lake incident - and suppressed the urge to pull it out and test it.
It felt so good to have my dagger back.
I watched as A-Cheng finished setting up his tent and the other disciples following suit before I
raised the quiver and shook it meaningfully.
I saw his dark eyes light up and he quickly ran up to me, placed the quiver on his back correctly
and took the bow from my hands.
Jiang FengMian opened his mouth before hesitating and letting us wander off into the forest.
We'd already done this before on the journey and he knew just as well as the disciples did that I
could look after him for a few hours.
I improvised an exercise to have him spot, name and explain the uses for every forageable plant he
came across, all while tracking down game. This went on for a few hours before we caught enough
meat to feed everyone back at camp and started heading back.
Jiang Cheng had a skip in his step and I gently teased him for it.
It was an improvement that, instead of growing prickly or angry, pushing me away as he used to,
he'd now tease me right back.
I was so proud.
Stop sounding so bloody emotional, he's not a baby.

He's totally a baby, look at him! Walking like a proud duckling! A strutting platypus!
He's nine, going on ten... He's not a baby.
He'll always be my baby brother though! My littlest brother!
Is Wen Ning older than him?
I think so, wasn't Wen Ning born in April? Or was it May?
I'll check later.
Thank you, Ike! Love you!
You only love me when you need me.
Not true, I love you all the time! You just frequently make me wish to strangle you.
Wow, I am feeling so much love already.
Stop being such a drama queen.
Says the shameless person who sang "Mother Knows Best" in front of twenty people, at a volume
Lan Zhan would consider a damn rock concert.
Lan Zhan would consider a particularly loud sneeze to be the invocation of the anti-christ.
...
Loud rambunctious laughter echoed within the confines of my mind and I suppressed a twitch of
surprise.
It was a conundrum, my mind, how it could be a cavernous expanse you easily lost your way in
and a cluttered mess full of information, plans and random facts that bubbled to the surface of my
thoughts with no rhyme or reason.
Yet, Ike still found a way to make it feel empty enough that only his presence was felt.
It was odd.
It hadn't always been like that. There was a time, not too long ago, where Ike struggled to be heard
inside my head and would be overworked in keeping my thoughts coherent.
Now it was just quiet.
It was eerie.
Nothing wrong with a little peace and quiet.
Unless it leaves you constantly on edge wondering when the other shoe is going to drop.
Have you thought that maybe there isn't another shoe to drop?
Doubt.
"What are you always daydreaming about?" He asks me out of nowhere, while he's putting away
the bow and arrows back in my pack.
"Hm? Daydreaming?" I blink,"Aah~I'm just thinking about things."
Vague answers be too vague for your darling boy.
As Ike said, A-Cheng frowned,"What things?"
I smiled and sat down inside the tent, watching the older disciples and FengMian coordinate stuff -
such as preparing food - with slight disinterest,"Many things. How are things back at Lotus Pier,
what is A-Jie doing, my training with you... How is ShouShan, my Lan friends, memories of
passing through here," I explain to him.
Jiang Cheng finishes packing and sits down beside me,"Why think about all that?"
I knock my shoulder against his with a snort,"You know me, Platypus, I'm always thinking. Woe is
me if I'm not thinking something up!"
"You're worrying," He give me a look,"I know your worried face when I see it, XianXian."
I'm terrified, A-Cheng, not worried.
I'm scared that I'm not doing enough. Scared that I'm muddling up so many things and screwing up
so badly that you'll all die because of me.
I'm scared I won't be able to save you.
Instead of saying any of those truths I laugh, grinning, and put my arm around his shoulders
bringing him closer to me,"Don't mind me, don't mind me! You know how I am, didi, a big
worrywart!"
Jiang Cheng scoffs but doesn't contradict me, leaning on my with how own introspective look in
his eyes.
I turn back to the rest of the camp and memorize the faces - if not the names - of these disciples.
I'd draw a sketch of them later.
Over time I had re-done YanLi's and Madam Yu's - with an adorable A-Cheng - portraits, which
were now hanging on the hallway of the main pavilion, positioned just so guests would see them
and comment on them, and had proceeded to teach Jiang Cheng how to draw smaller portraits by
himself. He was getting the importance of dimensions and perspective beaten into him, unless he
wanted to draw surrealism. Or abstract.
All the while I was getting the traditional chinese art style beaten into me.
The drawings looked so weird.
But you must paint like them, dear one.
Ugh.
Jiang Cheng was actually a pretty good artist, he had an eye for detail - if a bit too much of a
perfectionist - so it was interesting to work with him.
That eye of his would help him in more than just painting, and I wondered about ways to improve
his hand-to-eye coordination.
Maybe get a practice whip for when he got Zidian?
I shook the stray thought away.
I had asked YanLi is she wanted to join us on the painting lessons, even if not to the extremes A-
Cheng was going for, just simple sketches or doodles, but she had declined. Saying she was too
busy with lessons with Madam Yu to spend time with us.
To be fair, she had been surprisingly absent from the Sect, or well, impossible to find within the
Sect Compound.
And she was more tired that usual. Bruises and eye-bags sometimes could be seen before she
quickly hid them or applied make-up over them.
I was sure that nothing horrible was happening, because woe to the one who dare try that with my
Shijie, and she had assured me she was fine, only training and lessons. But I really couldn't help but
worry.
In the end, all I could do was keep an eye out for any red-flags and be there if she needed me.
I could do less for YanLi than I could do for A-Cheng, and that was saying a lot considering she
had inadvertently died trying to save Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng hated my guts for it.
Things will be different this time, that won't come to pass.
Fingers crossed.
This time things would be better.
A better future. A better life. A better home.
Be better. Be better. Be better.
We were besieged with warm welcomes and smiles the minute we stepped foot in the village
nearest to the Bai Clan. I was well-received with peculiar enthusiasm and excitement.
Jiang Cheng had given me an odd look the first time it had happened, but after the fifth or eight he
just glared.
Maybe I should've explained why I was so well-know around here?
Probably should've, but too late now. I'll just enjoy the show.
I sighed inwardly and smiled back at the people.
Jiang FengMian and the older disciples were a mix of curious, bemused, and hesitant.
Your Sect Leader doesn't look too happy either.
I spied FengMian looking indecipherable at the people before pushing us the last stretch of the
journey to the gates of the Bai Clan Residence.
I immediately noticed that it had undergone some renovations, looking newer and more respectable
than it had before.
There were already excited clan members awaiting us at the entrance.
"Welcome, Sect Leader Jiang," They bowed,"The Bai Clan is honored to receive his excellency
into their humble holdings."
Humble for now, XianLiang surely had plans to revamp the whole building.
Hush.
"We are grateful for the invitation," FengMian smiles politely.
Not that you were invited, just so you know.
Hush!
The Bai Clan members took out horses to the stable and quickly bowed and smiled at me - with
quick 'Welcome back, Wei-gongzi' - before hurrying away.
"Sect Leader Jiang," XianLiang walked out of the main building,"I hope you had no difficulties
with your journey, welcome, welcome!"
Jiang Cheng did a quick double take at seeing such a big bearded man smile jovially at his father,
all while his father smiled good-naturedly back at his big bearded man.
"Is that ShouShan?" He asks me in a whisper.
I stifled a snort,"No, that's ShouShan's father, the Bai Clan Leader," I answered.
Jiang Cheng goggled before he processed my words.
"Your friend is the clan heir?!" He yelps. Loudly.
Everyone turns to look at us, FengMian with surprise and XianLiang with way too much
amusement.
"A-Ying," XianLiang speaks,"You didn't tell them who we were?" He asks with mock hurt.
I sigh,"I may have forgotten to mention your titles in the Bai Clan," I fidgeted slightly.
XianLiang laughed,"ShouShan will be hurt that you're embarrassed to be his friends!"
I pouted at him,"Not embarrassed, it just never came up in a conversation."
Like how you know both Jades of Lan and trade monthly letters.
Shhh!
"Really, A-Ying? And here I thought I was an excellent conversation starter," ShouShan smirks at
me as he comes around the corner of the building.
I wave at him,"Sure, whatever you think, ShouShan."
Jiang Cheng gapes at me.
I blink, confused,"What?"
ShouShan laughs,"Rudeness, A-Ying! He's probably thinking you have no manners to address me
so familiarly."
I shrug,"I've been doing it for years, and this coming from the man calling me A-Ying."
"You did it from the very first day we met," ShouShan reminds me.
I nod,"Years ago."
Before the conversation continues any further, FengMian intervenes, smiling sharply,"Hello, you
are the 'Bai ShouShan' our A-Ying replies to, I'm guessing?"
ShouShan bows politely at the Sect Leader and comes to stand a single foot behind his father,"Yes,
Sect Leader Jiang, that would be me."
"And just how did the Bai Clan come to meet A-Ying?" He asks.
I unsuccessfully try to hide behind Jiang Cheng.
ShouShan's smile widens,"Oh he helped us with a snake problem."
I put a palm to my face and sigh, A-Cheng giving me another look, demanding the full story.
"Oh?" FengMian made a sound of curiosity,"A snake problem?"
"Yes, Sect Leader Jiang," XianLiang nodded,"Would you like to know more over tea?"
You're so dead.
Ike, not now...
Hah! FengMian is never letting you out of his sight again!
I sigh.
"Certainly," FengMian agrees.
XianLiang leads FengMian away and ShouShan stays behind, grinning down at us.
"Aren't you happy to be back here, little brother? So much to see!" ShouShan laughs.
Immediately after saying those words Jiang Cheng puts himself in front of me.
"He's my brother, not yours!" He hisses like a scalded cat, puffed tail and all.
ShouShan's grin widens.
I just know that these two meeting is going to be one of my major regrets in life.
Well, you already knew what to expect. They'd either get along or be at each other's throats.
I expected ShouShan to be mature in this situation, he is getting married.
ShouShan? Mature?
He can be!
Very rarely or when conducting business. You were hoping for a miracle.
Apparently.
"Will you stop that, Platypus?" I bonked Jiang Cheng lightly on the head when he started glaring at
an unrepentant ShouShan who smirked smugly down at him,"And would you stop antagonizing
him?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," ShouShan grins.
"Are you being a nuisance, A-Shan?" A young woman wearing a warm robe comes into the room
we were sitting in accompanied by a younger boy. A very familiar younger boy.
"Qin Ru!" I beam,"I was wondering where you were!"
The boy, much taller than when I first met him when I was five, grins at me and places the tray of
tea and snacks down on the low table,"I was helping prepare for your arrival, Wei-gongzi."
I pout at him,"Not you too..."
He laughs,"Well, it's thanks to you that I am here learning after all."
"I dislike formality," I tell him.
"He does," Jiang Cheng comments,"With a passion, he's always butchering his way through
etiquette class and giving his teacher grey hairs."
My lips tremble, trying to contain my wide smirk from showing.
ShouShan laughs,"Of course he is."
Qin Ru ruefully sighs at me and gets up, bowing politely,"I have more chores to do, Wei-gongzi,
but we can try to meet and talk before you leave?"
I smile,"Sure! It was nice seeing you again, you've gotten taller!"
He huffs,"Of course, I have..."
He quickly bows again and leaves.
The woman quickly starts dividing the snacks and serving us tea.
"A-Xi, aren't you happy? A-Ying is back!" ShouShan smiles at his bride.
She turns to me and smiles,"Welcome back, Wei-gongzi, A-Shan was very upset you left him
behind, pouting and everything."
Jiang Cheng snorts into his tea and I smirk widely at ShouShan, who is definitely pouting at his
wife,"Well, it's not like the two of us trade frequent letters or anything. Miss QiuXi, how have you
been?"
Zhong QiuXi was the daughter of a store seller, and - according to ShouShan - the most beautiful
woman in town, and we had spoken briefly when I had been staying here. She found me adorable
and ShouShan's gushing over hadn't made matters any better.
She sits down next to ShouShan and chuckles,"Wei-gongzi doesn't need to be so formal with me,"
She tells me.
"The Miss QiuXi should treat me less formally too," I smile.
She nods,"Then can I call you A-Ying, as A-Shan is so fond of doing?"
I chuckle,"Sure, and I'll call Miss QiuXi, Sister Xi!"
ShouShan perks up,"And you'll call me Brother?"
Jiang Cheng turns sour like he bit into a lemon. I pay him on the head.
"ShouShan... don't needle the nine year old," I gave him an admonishing look.
Sister Xi laughs and pokes ShouShan's cheek,"Jealous of a child, my my A-Shan!"
ShouShan goes slightly red around the edges and looks away with a pout,"Everyone's making fun
of me."
Jiang Cheng puffs up, smug, and Sister Xi and I share knowing looks and leave them to it.
"Are you excited for your wedding?" I ask her.
Sister Xi visibly vibrates in her seat, clearly happy,"Oh, yes! My family is coming tomorrow for
the ceremony and we'll have a banquet and party, aah~"
Jiang Cheng elbows me,"Do they know about your wifely lessons?" He smirks.
I roll my eyes.
"'Wifely lessons'?" ShouShan asks.
I retell him the story and the minute I reveal what the lessons are he falls over laughing, clutching
at his stomach.
Sister Xi is more polite and tries to keep a straight face, even managing to talk to me a bit about the
different lessons I'd already had, but even she couldn't contain her mirth for long.
"You all laugh but they're quite informative," I shrug.
Jiang Cheng mock shudders,"What have you learned in those lessons that you can apply to your
everyday?"
I start ticking my fingers,"I know the full basics of management of a noble household - as that is
what A-Jie is learning - and the inner workings of a household, how information is passed - to
whom it is passed - in between servants and their hierarchy; then I'm being taught the traditional
songs and dances, either folk or specific to Yunmeng, and also the notable works published in
Yunmeng; we also had an interesting class about what's expected of a woman after marriage,"
Jiang Cheng makes a disgusted face,"Yeah, I got kicked out of that one once Mistress Zhu realized
I was present," I laughed.
ShouShan was laughing so hard he was completely red in the face.
Sister Xi had some red in her cheeks once I told her that and tapped lightly on my head,"Not funny,
A-Ying."
I grin,"Sister Xi, A-Ying is telling the truth! I really was kicked out of the lesson!"
Not that that's what she was embarrassed about.
You're the progenitor of discord in this world.
Heh, well... I will be considered the Devil in human shape in a few years so, you're kind of right.
Not that I found anything inherently creepy about digging up corpses and reanimating them, then
again...
You still want a fierce corpse.
I want my own fierce corpse so bad.
You can't have one.
Correction! I can't have one yet.
You goal is to create an undead army?
No, my goal is to have a very cozy, very terrifying mountain surrounded by an undead army. And
life the rest of my life in peace and quiet.
That's never gonna happen.
I will have my mountain and the fierce corpse!
Not that, jesus woman, the 'peace and quiet' part, you think these guys will leave you alone?
I get the distinct feeling Ike is pointing at Jiang Cheng and ShouShan.
One can hope?
Not worth wasting prayers over a lost cause.
You're no fun, Ike.
You aren't either, especially when you still have to find a way to explain to ShouShan how his gift
works and have him check it to see if it does work.
I almost forgot that.
Damn, I needed to find time to sneak out of A-Cheng and FengMian's sight to talk to him in private.
I inconspicuously signaled ShouShan and saw him wink in response, covering it up by teasing his
bride.
Jiang Cheng chokes on his tea as Sister Xi teases him right back.
Seriously, these two were made for each other.
Imagine how their kids will be like.
My lips twitch.
Fun, I bet.
"Ah! We almost forgot!" Sister Xi suddenly sits straighter and looks at me with a beaming
smile,"A-Shan has something to ask you!"
"I do?" ShouShan feigns confusion and is elbowed by his petit - in comparison to him - bride.
A-Cheng and I cough in unison, pretending not to laugh at him.
ShouShan gives us an amused look.
"Anyway," He looks at his bride,"A-Ying I have a request to ask of you."
I sit straighter in my seat,"Oh? What is it?"
Please nothing Yan MingXia related, please let it be nothing to do with our business together.
"A-Xi and I want you to give your firstborn their courtesy name," He requests.
Or something to do with Mao Pei-
Uh?
I blink,"Uh?"
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes,"They asked you to think of a courtesy name."
Courtesy name.
A-Ling. RuLan.
A better tomorrow.
Save them. Save them. Save them.
"A-Ying?" ShouShan frowns.
I shake myself out of that downward spiral to nightmares,"Sorry, ShouShan, you caught me by
surprise."
I drink some tea,"Why ask me, though? Shouldn't your father get to pick? Or suggest a name?"
Sister Xi serves me more tea,"Clan Leader was the one that suggested asking you," She smiles
secretly at me.
Of course he did.
I withheld a sigh and pondered on names.
A name that would mean something, that bore weight, a prayer for this future child and the life it
would lead, just like Wei WuXian did when he thought of RuLan for Jin Ling.
Lan for hopefully growing up to be dignified and righteous.
This child...
Hope.
A better tomorrow.
A new era.
"YingLai," I settle on,"To usher prosperity."
"Bai YingLai,"ShouShan repeats the full name and looks at Sister Xi.
His bride smiles.
ShouShan grins and looks back at me, plopping his big hand on my head and messing up my
hair,"A good name! Our child will be lucky to have been named by the Great Wei WuXian!"
Chapter End Notes
And here we have the first part of the Bai Clan reunion, hope it reached your standards
of cuteness and fluff because I had a lot of fun writing it.
I really, really did. It should be a crime at how much fun I'm having writing this.
Jiang FengMian and Jiang Cheng being possessive over who got rights to WWX,
they're both going 'He's mine! *hiss*'
And ShouShan wastes no time in remind him that 'hey, I was here first, he was my
brother before being yours, so...'
Sister Xi is a heaven-sent angel and probably ShouShan's soulmate, seriously these
two were made for each other. Thei favorite way to pass the time (that is PG13) is
discuss WWX's letters and coo at how utterly adorable he can be at times.
YingLai, I fudged the name. I got the idea from YingTai (Eminent Flower) but my
crappy handwriting in the notebook made it look like an L instead of a T. So I went
and tried to see if it was an actual name (no idea) but Google Translate showed the
word Usher (person who takes others to their seats?) and I decided to say "well, they're
going to usher over a new generation!" and called it quits.
And no, this won't be the last time WWX is suddenly put on the spot to name future
newborns, he's totally getting named godfather of an entire new generation of little
ducklings that may or may not go to study over at YilingWei.
...No, that's not foreshadowing, what are you talking about?
Wedding
Chapter Summary
Second part of the Bai Clan wedding.

Where there's a business discussion, fluff, more fluff, wedding fluff and a bad idea.
Chapter Notes
"The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt
with the heart." - Helen Keller
Chapter 55: Wedding
I waited until everyone was asleep to get up and leave the room on silent feet, taking a last look to
make sure Jiang Cheng remained asleep and that none of the other disciples sharing the room had
woken up. Jiang FengMian had a room for himself but I had faith that he wouldn't notice me gone
before I got back.
I started making my way towards ShouShan's room, carrying the carved wooden box - a copy of
which would be the actual wedding gift - in my arms.
As I walked down the dimly lit hallways I occasionally passed by a Bai Clan member who
immediately bowed, and to who I silently waved and smiled.
These people and their inexplicable adoration of me.
Yes, it's not like you're giving them so much money and development opportunities or shoehorned
their heir into taking part in a scheme that, if it works, will catapult their little no-name rural Clan
into a regional Sect.
Okay, when you put it like that, Ike, I can see that I might be too nice for my own good.
Damn right you are, and now this!
This is a necessity.
And an obvious sign that you are not normal and preparing for something big.
I am pratical to a fault and slightly insane, there was never nothing normal about me to begin with.
...Sorry.
I sighed and paused for a second before straightening my spine and continuing on.
Let's just drop the conversation here, Ike, there's work to be done.
I reached ShouShan's room and knocked. The door was quickly opened and I walked in.
XianLiang was also in the room, sitting down at the low table with an unopened bottle of liquor
and cups, and I blink at it before turning to ShouShan.
"Celebrating your last day as a free man?" I jokingly asked him.
XianLiang chortles while ShouShan looks surprised at me,"A-Ying! I never thought!"
"Clearly," I smirk at him.
XianLiang coughs after choking on his spit. It takes about two seconds for ShouShan to get it and
he gives me an amused 'I am disappointed in you' look.
"But less jokes and more work talk," I sit down at the table,"I have something here for you."
ShouShan sits down in front of his father so I am boxed in between them at the table.
"What have you got?" He asks.
I place the box on the table and open it, there are two talismans attached to the underside of the lid,
in two different colors - one black and one red.
"This is a prototype," I stress out the word," Short distance they worked fine, now comes the real
test," I begin.
ShouShan looks at the talismans,"Short distance?"
"These," I tap the box,"Allow you to communicate with me - the one who has the connected
talismans - without the need for letters."
Both men's eyes snap towards me, astounded.
"No letters?" XianLiang breathes out the words.
I nod,"You activate this one," I point to the red talisman,"And talk. It records your voice and sends
it directly to its twin, which is back in Lotus Pier. Now its twin doesn't record voice but it allows
you to play back the message it received as many times as you wish, until it is replaced of course,"
I point to the black talisman," That's the twin of my recording talisman."
"So we both have an original and a twin," ShouShan thinks out loud,"Each with a recording and
receiver talisman," He muses.
I nod.
XianLiang stares at the talismans for a long time, disbelieving.
ShouShan does the same, alternating between the talismans and me, before sighing,"What made
you come up with these?" He asks me.
"What makes you think I needed anything to happen for me to invent these?" I tilt my head.
ShouShan gives me a look,"I like to think I know you pretty well, A-Ying, and regardless of how I
may look to outsiders you and I both know I am no fool, and neither is Father."
XianLiang's eyes lay heavily on my own.

I take a deep breath and contemplate an answer.
"I... I have this idea," I start,"And it's going to sound crazy, I know, but bear with me. What if
information was received in real time? What if everyone could be kept informed of what's been
happening in the world? Stock rates, market prices, births and deaths, night-hunt locations.
Anything and everything, just... information readily available."
ShouShan leans back in his seat and stares at his empty cup, deciding whether or not this is a
conversation to be having sober. His father takes the decision out of his hands by opening the
bottle and filling their cups. Downing it in one go.
"What made you think of this? Why 'information readily available'?" XianLiang asks.
My eyes grow distant as I remember,"I nearly drowned two months ago," I reveal to them and see
the two adults quickly turn to me in shock,"My siblings and I went to this lake to pick lotus pods,
but with the recent weather a bunch of boats had capsized and people drowned. Water Ghouls. The
citizens didn't think to inform us of that tidbit of information."
"A-Ying..." ShouShan sighs.
"My parents almost died once, when I was four, in the winter," I tap my fingers on the table,"There
was a night-hunt and someone did not inform the next group of a strong prey that had called it its
territory. No one knew and walked inside unaware," I scoffed,"They nearly died because of it."
XianLiang nods slowly,"You want that to stop."
"I want people to be safe, informed and educated on what they can do to prevent more 'incidents',"
I tell them.
"So you want to use this," ShouShan taps the box,"As a means to do that. If it works you make a
couple dozen more, spread them out over the nation, connect them all to each other and make a
closed circuit of information being passed around. All clandestine because who knows what the
Great Sects would do to the people involved."
"I'm sorry, ShouShan," I shift in my seat,"To ask this of you."
He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose,"Why do you care? About all these people? About
whether or not they're safe or educated? For free even! You're doing this and you don't expect
nothing in return!" He asks me.
I look up and him confused,"Why shouldn't I care? You did, when you met me, you didn't know
who I was, how I was like. You brought me here because you worried I was making a wrong
decision and endangering myself. You cared," I smile.
"And others did too, Yan MingXia who put up with me for weeks in the freezing winter, Mao
PeiZhi who very nearly tossed me over his shoulder and carried me to his home because I caught a
small cold, BaoZhai who always halved the price of my supplies whenever I ran into him," I
laugh,"You cared and you asked for nothing in return too. How many did I pass by who sneered at
me or kicked me away, yet you welcomed me with open arms?"
I give him a fond look,"I care because I can and I choose to care because it is the right thing to do."
ShouShan hides his eyes behind his hand and sighs heavily.
XianLiang then breaks the uneasy silence.

"What are you trying to keep the people safe from?"
The question weighs over us and I clear my throat.
I have an idea.
I open my mouth and repeat Ike's words:
"What would you do, Clan Leader Bai, if, whenever you closed your eyes, you saw a world on
fire?"
XianLiang's hands curl on the table,"War?"
I nod,"A storm is coming, and I want to keep as many safe from it as I can."
"Swear that my words do not leave this room," I make a decision, looking them in the eyes,"No one
breathes a word of this to anyone."
Both men pause but swear their agreement without question.
A plan is born.
And not a single word is uttered about it for nearly twelve years.
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
Indeed.
The entire residence was a buzz of activity with preparations for the wedding, and I was entirely
too amused at having to spend a whole hour getting ready with Jiang Cheng in YunmengJiang
purple robes that just screamed 'wealth'.
Then Jiang Cheng had the brilliant idea for me to do another elaborate hairstyle and I spend
another half an hour brushing and braiding his hair before turning my usual mess of a mop of long
hair into a decently styled half-braid half-ponytail, complete with a red ribbon and silver pin I
waved off the appearance of.
According to tradition we were supposed to wait until the groom started the procession but when I
asked for Sister Xi's location no one tried to tell me to stay put, and no one sent me away when I
showed up at her family's doorstep either.
Sister Xi was actually pretty happy to see me and poked fun at how I looked like a little prince in
my sect ceremonial robes.
"No worries, Sister Xi," I grin,"No one will be as pretty as you in your wedding!"
The bride flushes a deep red and her mother crackles along with her younger sister's giggles.
Safe to say I got a lot of treats fed to me while I chatted with the bride before I got 'kicked out' so
she could change into her wedding outfit.
I decided to go see how ShouShan was doing - after I passed Jiang Cheng half of the treats I had
been given - and was unsurprised to find the groom quietly freaking out.
"You planned your marriage two years ago," I tease him,"What are you worrying about now?"
"What if she decides she doesn't want to marry me?" He asks with horror.
I roll my eyes,"ShouShan, my silly big brother, Sister Xi is eagerly anticipating your arrival at her
house and if you break her heart for cancelling everything I will show you how my training has
paid off in the years we haven't seen each other."
ShouShan blinks, blinks again, and then jumps to his feet with a cheer,"You called me big
brother!"
He literally bear hugs me off my seat, I hit him on the back.
"Let me go, you crazy groom! You're going to mess up your robes!"
"My little brother finally acknowledges our bond!" He fake cries.
His friends - and fellow clan members - share sympathetic looks with me but their grins and
gleaming eyes betray their amusement at my situation.
I groan.
"By the way, I have something to ask you," ShouShan finally lets me go and continues getting
ready.
"What is it?" I ask with hesitation.
"Can you lead the procession? You can bring the ankle-biter with you too," He shrugs.
"Platypus?" I sigh,"Sure, he'll like to flaunt his way through the village."
I recalled the sudden wedding lessons Mistress Zhu had heaped on my when she found out about
the invite - and I wouldn't be surprised if it had been Madam Yu who had informed her - and there
was something there about a child leading the procession.
To wish luck for future children for the couple, or something.
"Great!" ShouShan said,"Just make sure that his father doesn't kill me, your Sect Leader is scary."
I chuckle and wave him off,"Sure he is, and you haven't even met his wife."
ShouShan understandably pales, everyone knew of the Violet Spider and her reputation.
"And suddenly it makes so much sense that you're growing up to be just as terrifying," He
grumbles.
I smile sweetly at him.
So chinese weddings here were... loud.
Immediately after Jiang Cheng and I started the march fireworks and loud music started - gongs
and stuff - clan members carried lanterns and banners with auspicious saying written on them,
people of the village stopped and cheered as we walked back.
I was correct in assuming Jiang Cheng would love the attention.
Even if we stood out by being two of the only people wearing vivid purple instead of the mess of
red and gold everyone else seemed to have dumped on the place.
Seriously, there was so much red it hurt the eyes.
Well, red is their 'lucky' color, just as white is used in western weddings.
True, this was the first wedding I had attended where the bride wasn't going to be wearing a white
puffy dress.
How many weddings did we attend?
Huh... A lot, nine for the children alone in the immediate family, then there were relatives and
family friends and so forth.
We had a big family.
That we did.
We stopped at the bride's house and ShouShan had dragged A-Cheng and I inside so we could join
in on his embarrassment of having to go through the 'door games'. Jiang Cheng had a blast at
seeing ShouShan recite poem after poem before Sister Xi's younger sisters let him inside.
I gently whisper in his ear,"You're going to go through this when you get married too, I hope you
realize that."
He gets a sour look on his face,"So do you!"
Except you'll be the bride, so no.
Do. Not. Start.
ShouShan is let in and they do the 'bowing to the bride's parents' before we start the trip back to
ShouShan's house. Sister Xi had a beautiful red and gold embroidered veil over her face and her
wedding gown was perfect, ShouShan couldn't take his eyes off of her.
I told Jiang Cheng so and we led the procession snickering over his dazed state.
A red carpet is laid out on the ground before the bride and a low simmering brazier is placed before
the entrance to the residence.
Sister Xi elegantly jumps over the brazier and is led by ShouShan to their family's ancestral plates
where ShouShan's father was already waiting for them, so they could kneel three times.
This was done privately, as it wasn't an influential wedding, and everyone else gathered in the big
hall where the tea ceremony and the banquet would happen.
The 'marriage ceremony' was surprisingly quick, considering how long the banquet would go on
for, but made sense when the marriage itself was running two years behind schedule (oops) and
the bride and groom were more than ready to tie the knot.
So after they arrived and started the tea ceremony I expected that I'd only give my wedding present
to them after it was over and not when ShouShan unexpectedly appeared before me and offered me
a sip of the tea with the two red dates in it.
I froze for a second before Mistress Zhu's lessons kicked in, I took the tea, sipped it and handed
Sister Xi my present. As I had planned the box of red wood had intricate carvings on the sides and
lid, and I had carefully painted flowers with gold leaf (I abused the Store for materials, sue me).
It went against tradition because you were supposed to hand red packets of money, but ShouShan
merely grinned at me bemused and Sister Xi awed over the box.
Then the couple moved on to the next family member and I was left with a confused Jiang Cheng,
awkward senior disciples and a somewhat sour Jiang FengMian. It didn't hit me that ShouShan had
made a very passive and very brief power move by handing me the tea.
He was declaring me family.
I'll be honest, that tickled the tiny mushy piece of me that went 'awww' at everything slightly cute.
The the banquet started.
And my god there was good food at this wedding.
Not Qinghe or YanLi levels of good food but we it was good food nonetheless.
So we ate and we talked and after a couple of hours I found myself looking at the married couple
sitting at the front of the hall, holding hands and smiling at each other.
Sister Xi looked very happy, her veil pushed back now, and ShouShan was completely lost in her
eyes.
They were truly made for one another. Good for them, to being happy together.
I have a question.
What is it, Ike?
On your wedding day, are you getting the veil?
Ike, we are not discussing this now, it's not happening. Ever.
You getting married?
With the person you're insinuating? Yes, it's never happening.
But look at how happy she looks!
I sighed quietly, observing their happiness. I hoped they'd stay this happy for the rest of their
wedded lives, just like Walter and I had been like before we decided to act stupid.
You can still be that happy, it's a new life we're talking about here.
Ike... There's so much stuff we still have to go through without adding romance on top of
everything.
You're thinking short term, I mean for the long run. After the war, what are you planning on doing
then?
After the war I need to make sure my family stays safe and alive, I also have other inventions and
plans to put in motion.
More plans? My darling, you're already scheming on creating a whole new trade market, an
information network that spans the length of the nation, and that foolhardy project of yours that
will make the history books if it's successful.
Go big or go home, am I right?
Dear, there's insanity and then there's godly levels of impossible. If this gets found...
It won't be.
How do you know? There's nothing that tells you that people won't betray your trust in them, and I
am not talking about ShouShan here, I'm talking about the dozens of people you're going to have to
hire to get you this information.
Do you know what people like more than money?
More money?
Life. Respect. A future.
I'm not offering these people just a job, I'm offering them the opportunity to be more. A courtesan
has a child, and is spurned away by the father, what does that child have to strive for?
Nothing.
But we can give them something.
You're devious.
I am human and so I know of human desires.
This could still fail.
I look back on the happy couple and the merriment happening in this room.
Then let us work hard, Ike, so that it does not.
For better future where people can walk together and prosper regardless of their station of birth.
Where children go to school and learn and are safe.
Where no one has to go hungry and sick, invisible in their suffering on the streets.
Where the shadows of war are eclipsed by a bright new dawn.
Where wounds heal into scars and fade over time.
A future, Ike, where I stand on my mountain and can safely say to myself, to my parents, I did it.
I did it.
I kept my promise.
And I was great.
(Are you looking over me wherever you are? Can you hear me? Did I accomplish anything? Hey...
Are you proud of me?)
I yawned as we rode back to Yunmeng. The days we had spent with the Bai had been exciting and
fun but they also tired me out, I could only deal with the Bai characteristic energy and the whole
'omg, Wei-gongzi is back!' the clan members had going on before I needed a break.
And XianLiang was started to get all 'future grandfather' and getting soppy over his oldest son
getting married - and ignoring the fact that ShouShan was his only son - and 'leaving' the clan.
He hadn't, not in a million years, but the couple had temporarily moved to a section of the clan
residence furthest away from the main building for the duration of their honeymoon.
Jiang Cheng had asked why but between knowing smirks and my crackling no one had answered
him.
I could excuse my 'informed knowledge' coming from Mistress Zhu's lessons and not by having
been a married woman myself.
Not that I would be able to escape the 'bird and the bees' talk once I was 'of age'.
Honestly I didn't know if I should dread it or anticipate it, because whatever they tell me is bound
to be hilarious.
And awkward.
Yes, and painfully awkward.
"You're daydreaming again," Jiang Cheng grumbles.
I chuckle,"I am more than half-asleep, my mind wanders," I reason.
Jiang Cheng rests his head against my shoulder, also tired, and mumbles something.
"What?" I ask him.
"I asked, if all marriages are like this," He speaks up.
I hum,"The Bai were relatively low-key,"I inform him,"Great Sect weddings are less festive and
more ceremonial, if that makes sense. So you don't have to have firework displays and loud
cheering if you don't want to, Platypus."
"What about you?" He asks.
"Me? What about me?" I look at him over my shoulder.
"You're getting married to, aren't you?" He frowns.
Ah!
Don't start.
I shrug,"I don't know. I'll be busy for a while and I don't have any rush in getting married, unlike
you who'll need an heir, so I haven't really thought about it," I answer him.
Jiang Cheng grumbles,"Will you leave?"
"Leave Yunmeng? Eventually, didi, I've told you from the start that I was only staying
temporarily," I calmly replied.
"But you'll come back?" He asks me.
"For a visit? Sure," I smile," For your wedding? Of course, someone has to commiserate with the
bride and tell her all of your hilarious childhood stories."
Jiang Cheng punches me in the side and the horse rears her head, startling him.
I laugh and pat the mare's neck,"Don't be frightened, A-Cheng, horses are sensitive to our energy."
Jiang Cheng grumbles under his breath and I chuckle.
"I'll come visit too," He tells me,"When you have your mountain. And I'll stand in the way of your
bride so you'll be sorry then."
Stand in the way of your husband, more like.
Ike. Don't.
"Aw, Platypus," I coo,"Are you striving to forever be my cute little brother?"
"Your bride you laugh at you, XianXian, just you wait," He scowls.
Jiang FengMian turns to look back at us with a fond smile.
I'm saddened to say that smile made me instantly feel apprehensive, especially when it was pointed
at me, FengMian's 'good intentions' didn't always come across that way.
"You call each-others brothers, why don't you make it official?" He asks.
If you plan on asking to adopt me, sorry dude, but I'll pass.
"Official?" Jiang Cheng asks, interested.
This might be a bad topic for conversation.
No kidding, what a minefield.
"Yes," FengMian nods,"Like..."
I dread his answer and my mind bounces between possibilities like a pachinko machine goes
through metal balls.
"Sworn brothers," The Sect Leader says.
I blink.
Uh?
"Oh!" A-Cheng makes a noise of wonderment.
It might not be a bad idea?
Madam Yu.
Damn.
Chapter End Notes
Did I have fun writing JC and WWX talking about future marriages and being
adorable, yes I did. Did WWX just start the process to create mass media, why yes I
think he has.
And we are around 2 chapters (that I still have to write, I'm sleep-deprived and I really
want to end this Arc before napping for a week) from the Arc End.
Yay!
Si vis pacem, para bellum. - If you want peace, prepare for war.
Fitting, right?
Before everyone gets too excited, the actual sworn brothers thing happens off-screen
and is only referenced when he goes to talk Madam Yu about something. Or when
someone is being rude (servant's son, get out of here) and one of the Jiang Siblings
goes 'oh, hell no, you don't talk to my brother like that!'
I don't know what else to write other than, I hope you liked the chapter, thanks you for
all the comments, support and kudos (and bookmarks) and I hope you continue
enjoying this story.
Tinkering
Chapter Summary
A brief interlude chapter before we get to the last stretch of Arc III.
Where there's newbies, plans, tinkering, and arguments.
Oh, and Mad Scientist Wei WuXian is apparently a thing. Oops.
Chapter Notes
Funny story, turns out that my internet device decided to die on us this morning, so
I've been waiting since 9am this morning for some guy to come to out house to fix it.
Hence the late update.
"Invention requires both disciplines, strict common sense and wild imagination." - Vanna Bonta
Chapter: Tinkering
I was sitting on top of a roof - as I was prone to do nowadays when I wanted to get work done
outdoors and not get mobbed by an over enthusiastic junior seeking advice - working on some
ideas I was cooking up, when the notification comes.
"Checkpoint Finished"
I look up at the words and open the Story Arc Page to check the timeline.
There were several little red line depicting various shenanigans Jiang Cheng and I had gotten up to
over the years but my eyes traveled to the newest one.
It was a burning building.
I frowned and tried to picture what that scene could be, there was nothing on fire currently.
Yunping.
Heh?
I know what that building is and so do you.
I do? Ike, my lifelong-friend, if I did I wouldn't be debating whether or not I know what the
building is.
You passed it before coming to Yunmeng.
When I was seven? Are you being purposely obstructive? Ike, you know just as well as I do, that I
can't remember every single thing that crosses my path unless I'm specifically worrying about it.
My memory is good, but not good to the point where it's photographic.
It's Meng Yao's brothel.
...
Oh.
Meng Yao burnt down the brothel he grew up in - with all the workers inside - after the death of his
mother.
Damn.
He supposedly did it in his youth, maybe you delayed it?
I don't know, eleven is still pretty young to me.
I tapped my pen on the corner of the paper I was writing on, eyes wondering up and down the
timeline and checking canon!WeiWuXian's memories to see if there was anything pointing to
Meng Yao's actions.
There wasn't.
Before becoming LianFang-Zun there's no information on him, guy was effectively a ghost before
he decided to stop being invisible.
And even after that only a handful of people knew what he was like.
The majority of which either died or got themselves killed.
Or sacrificed themselves to bring Wei WuXian back to life.
I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.
So? What does this mean?
What does what mean?
What does this mean for me? Will Meng Yao still try to off me from the board because daddy
dearest tells him to? Go through my research?
Probably, you'll never know until the time comes. You can plan ahead all you want but somethings
cannot be planned without enemy input.
And it was still too early for said input to happen.
So the wait and see approach?
There's nothing more you can do really, other than place plants checking in on him and potentially
get called out.
Damn.
I sighed again and closed the page to focus back on my writings.
First off, no one would get their hands on my Yin Energy theories, those I kept with me at all time
in the Inventory and were strictly written using an mix-mash of various latin letter languages, from
french to english and a smattering of german. Let it be known that I hated having any of my
personal writings read without permission and I went to great lengths to discourage nosy peekers.
I would choose to write it in code if it wasn't time consuming to have to pause and quickly decode
my writings whenever I wanted to read them. It was faster and easier this way, even if I had to be
careful about whoever saw me accidentally scribble something in latin letters.
I honestly couldn't wait to have complete privacy to work on my projects and not have someone
goggling at my work every few minutes.
Already I had strictly kept my studies on arrays to the library and it was chaffing at how much I
had to keep hidden because people would lose their minds on the sheer potential they gave me.
Turns out that Arrays were somewhat different than Talismans, and there was actually a subclass of
Arrays that proved to be interesting.
So, short explanation would be that Arrays, unlike Talismans, could be carved or drawn using
various mediums - whilst Talismans were strictly ink (or blood) on paper - anything that could be
applied on other materials, such as cloth, wood, stone, or metal, were considered Arrays.
Now these were interesting because whereas Talismans would dissolve (or combust) once its effect
had passed, Arrays would keep working so long as the person or material it was on had Chi in it.
So say I wrote a simple matrix on my skin, the Array would stay active for as long as I kept
providing sufficient energy for it to work. Which is also how Wen Zhuliu got the YunmengJiang
Protective Array to fall, by killing enough disciples there wasn't enough energy for it to operate.
I planned on tweaking it if I got the chance, still hadn't found the matrix of it and it wasn't
something I could outright ask to study.
And the possibility of arranging a fake attack on Lotus Pier to see in in action was ludicrous.
...Well...
No. It is a terrible, no good, stupid idea.
So those were the major differences between Arrays and Talismans, but now there was that sneaky
little subclass I wouldn't be aware of if it weren't for Mo XuanYu and the Store.
Rituals.
See, these little buggers worked just as Arrays did, they required you to draw a matrix and activate
it using Chi but, and this is where it got interesting, they required sacrifices.
Now, they didn't all require blood of virgins or goats to be slaughtered (although I could probably
find one if I really wanted to) usually incense and food - because why the hell not, food is food -
and are activated, some of the time, via chants.
Because they worked by calling for spiritual beings to work with or for the caster.
I was going to have fun.

I was really, really going to have fun with this.
How come I didn't start studying this sooner?
Because you were busy with talismans?
Ugh, but these are so cool.
"Wei WuXian!" Someone shouted.
What did I do now?
I pack up my work and look over the edge of the room.
I immediately see an unimpressed Madam Yu and a pair of timid junior disciples.
I don't recognize those two.
Me neither, how odd.
Both of our memories failing?
Or they're new disciples and Madam Yu is about to make you responsible for them.
...
Why though?
Because you're slotted to become the Head Disciple of your generation?
Yeah, when I am fifteen or fourteen if I remember FengMian's speech correctly, not when I'm
twelve going on thirteen.
Early practice?
I mentally shrug and drop of of the roof to see what Madam Yu wanted.
"Yes, Madam Yu?" I bowed politely and give the kids a passing glance.
They're either six or seven, two little wide-eyed munchkins that look up at me with apprehension,
clutching at their brand new sect robes.
"These are two of the newer shidi of the Sect," Madam Yu stated the obvious,"You'll give them a
tour of the areas available to the disciples and then guide them to the Master responsible for the
newest juniors at midday."
I look up at the sky, there were still a couple of hours before midday.
"May I ask why am I the one giving them the tour?" I politely ask.
Madam Yu gives me a look.
I nod,"Very well, Ma'am, this disciple will now take these juniors under his care," And bow.
You're learning.
I am, Mistress Zhu was very impressed with me.

Madam Yu sneers and walks away.
The two kids look scared and I wink at them and grin.
Their eyes grow wider with amazement.
I crouch so I'm eye-level with them,"So? Who are you two cute turtle doves?" I ask them with a
light airy tone.
"I'm Zie Cao, this is Gao Hou," The kid standing to my left replies, he has a small mole near his
forehead.
The one standing to my right reddens and clutches at the edge of his new purple robes, his ears are
slightly protruding.
I smile at them,"My name is Wei Ying, courtesy WuXian, you can call me Wei-xiong, I won't
mind!"
"You're the Wei WuXian that has a golden core?" The mole-boy asks with an excited voice.
My smile turns into an impish grin,"The one and only! Aren't you lucky to be my new precious
shidi?" I the stand up and ruffled their hair.
They yelp, surprised, and I laugh.
"Now, let's get on with the tour, or the Madam will come yell at us - or me, more specifically - and
that's not good for her blood pressure," I joke,"So c'mon, this way turtle doves, lots to see!"
They follow after me like two little ducklings and out of sheer indulgence I pass by Jiang Cheng's
lesson and wave cheerfully at him, watching him get confused at the two little kids following me
around.
You're definitely paying for this later.
Aah~ But it'll amuse me until then, besides he'll spend the rest of his lesson trying to figure out
who they were and why I had them with me.
The library was empty save for me and my mountain of paper I was writing on. There were books
scattered around me and every so often I'd dig through them to find a piece of relevant information.
I was midway through my studies in Array-making and already the possibilities of its uses were
starting to pile up.
But I couldn't continuously worry about the arrays, I also had several talismans to work on, namely
the talismans for the communication boxes - which I had started to affectionately nickname Parrots
- and their upgrades.
The ones I had showed ShouShan worked long-distances but only sent short messages and could
only record/repeat one message at a time, so the next upgrade I had done was to try to get around
those two little problems.
I had halfway worked around them, you had thirty seconds to record a message and they now help
up to ten messages before starting to override the oldest one.
You're not giving yourself enough credit, you basically created an antique radio and are the first
ever person to consider the benefits of long-distance instant communication.
I guess.
I'd sent ShouShan more sets of 'Parrots' to divide with the rest of the people in on the project, since
I wouldn't be able to keep a dozen or so boxes inconspicuous in my bedroom, and they didn't work
if I kept the receiver in my Inventory.
Officially, ShouShan was the one responsible for all communications, while Mao PeiZhi was the
on-sight Officer moderating the merchant routes and sniffing out trouble, maneuvering the groups
around so that everyone stayed under the radar.
The news of what I planned on building had went around the crew and I'd gotten a few group
letters telling me that I was crazy but they loved me for it.
They know you.
And they have too much fun with it, too.
Mao PeiZhi in particular asked, while I going through the trouble of taking over the nation, if he
could be declared provincial leader of Qishan since his home was there.
I wrote to him and told him I wasn't taking over anything.
His reply basically came down to 'Oh, yes, pssh, sure. You tell yourself that, kiddo.'
Like I said, they know you.
I am not taking over the nation!
Not intentionally you mean.
I took a deep breath and focused back on my studies.
The Rituals and the beings they called for assistance fascinated me. In records, no one had ever
tried to find out what they were, to the author of the accounts they were simply 'higher beings',
minor deities, or even legit Gods.
I wasn't as easily pacified by those answers, in particular because the Array recipes I got from the
Store described the beings as Spirits or Elementals.
Elements.
Alignments.
I saw a connection.
And, as always, I ran with it to its possible conclusion.
Spiritual Energy was a whole, a Void where everything and nothing coexisted and meant the same
thing in weird timely loops that made my head hurt.
So the Elementals came from the Void, the whole of Spiritual Energy, and were sentient.
Alive.
Well, it made sense since Spiritual Energy was life, flowing in and out of the world and 'feeding'
everything in existence.
But it also made me so curious, interested and piqued my passion for research.
If Spirit Elementals came from Spiritual Energy, were formed from that whole, then did that mean
Spiritual Energy in itself was sentient?
Was Resentful Energy the same?
The System blocked all of my attempts of studying Yin Energy, continuously notifying me that I
couldn't learn Yin Energy cultivation just yet, but it didn't stop me from dissecting Spiritual
Energy.
And if you knew one the balanced half, you better understood the other unbalanced half.
In my mind I figured that if I mastered Spiritual Energy and could mold it to my design, it would
make figuring out Yin Energy that much easier.
However, studying it was like opening a can of worms, I had so many more questions than I had
when I first started.
Who were the Elementals? Could they communicate? Where they always sentient or did they
require Rituals to awaken? Did they live amongst us, invisible to the naked eye?
Or did they have their own world?
A layer of supernatural that one could not access?
Questions. Questions. Questions.
Excitement.
More than once Jiang Cheng or Madam Yu or even YanLi had come across me in one of my
researching sprees and had stared at me as I maniacally scribbled random thoughts and ideas
jumping from book to book, paper to paper, and rambled to myself about a thousand things at once.
They found the shift from goofy and carefree disciple to mad scientist levels of focused and
entranced human being to be... unnerving.
I tried to dial back my enthusiasm after the first few times but it was a doomed attempt, I lost
myself in my research to the point that there were times I literally couldn't be roused back to
awareness until I got all of the ideas and connections out of my head.
Or I ran out of paper.
Whichever came first.
I tried to make light of it and often joked that my fingers hurt and so I couldn't do this or that chore
and if only my Platypus in shining armor was here to help me~
Nevertheless, it still hanged over us, my drive to learn and get to the bottom of something they
considered... moot.
'We already know how to cultivate, we know Yang Energy comes from the Earth around us, why
do you want to know more?'
If you know all the rules you learn all of the loopholes.
Learn to cheat effectively.
Be the exception to the rules.
Break the cycle.
You're taking on too much work, you need to rest.
I'm not.
You are.
I am not.
You are! Look at your work! Look! See your plans!
I look down at the sheets of paper bleeding ink, the incoherent ramblings with footnotes and
sketches drawn here and there.
I pinched the bridge of my nose and notice that my hand is shaking. I take a deep breath and settle
against the wall of the library to meditate for a bit and calm my heart and mind.
Focus.
Go by steps. Little steps. Small goals in the direction of your prize.
Focus.
What do you finish first?
The network.
I need a reliable information source.
It might not be put in motion until the war, but if I can have the Live-Houses and the archives
working by the time I get to Gusu it will be a major improvement.
If not, then by the time Lotus Pier is attacked.
Even if it's only a ten minute warning before the attack comes I can still try to get as many people
out as possible.
Out how?
Focus.
Secret passageways, the records I found on how Lotus Pier was built mention tunnels.
Where?
I do not know.
Focus.
Another goal. Find them.

Yes.
Focus.
What else?
The defense array. I need to check it, if I can improve it. A second array to be added.
Another?
Once activated a temporary shield is erected around the casters, it won't last long but hopefully
enough time will be bought to chase away Wen Zhuliu.
Good. Next?
Next...
Focus.
Safe Houses.
Aren't they already being set by the combined efforts of your people?
They aren't completely safe yet. Once they are 'set up' ShouShan will tell me their location and I
can apply the relevant arrays and talismans to the area.
You think they will be needed?
I do not know. Better safe then sorry. If nothing else, they'll serve as temporary housing for my
eventual looting of Wen encampments.
Take everything not nailed down?
My lips quirk up.
Exactly.
Still... You're overworked.
I grumble under my breath.
So what should I do?
Why don't you think of something else? Something not related to the war?
Like what?
Like... What are you building on your mountain?
What do you mean?
I mean, it's a corpse mountain. Where are you sleeping? In a dank cave? How are you farming?
How are you building on it?
I hum.
Distract yourself for a bit.

There's still so mu-
You'll burn yourself out.
I sigh and open my eyes again.
The sight of paper everywhere and books scattered around gives credence to Ike's warnings.
I need a break.
I collect all the paper and put the books away, leaving the library as organized as it was before
hurricane!me set shop in it, and went in search of Yunru. The little noddle-cloud would sure be up
to an improvised trip to town.
I needed to walk.
And think.
Take a break.
And eat snacks.
I'd figure something to entertain myself that was minimally interesting and restful out there.
I sat on a high wall overlooking the market place and busiest part of Yunmeng town and kicked my
feet back and forth.
I'd bought a few buns and was sharing them with Yunru, who was lazily draping herself over my
shoulders like a fluffy black scarf.
The weather was nice, cold but not awful, and the sky was beautiful. The cloudless blue expanse
above my head seemed endless and as the wind blew across my face and ruffled a few strands of
hair that had escape the ribbon holding my hair back, I felt a sense of yearning to rush at the sky.
To fly.
When you have your sword that can easily be arranged.
Still another year until that happens.
Not a full year.
Too much waiting, I want to fly now.
But I'm not about to start in yet another project that could take me potentially months to work
something out that allows me to fly.
A couple of birds suddenly twitter on a branch and I look at them amused.
Birds were so simple. It made me somewhat envious of them, of how they could just soar across
the sky and go anywhere they wanted.
And poop on people.
I laughed suddenly and Yunru squeaked in question.

Sometimes I forgot that no one else could hear Ike, much less know he existed.
I petted her head and chuckled as her whiskers tickled my cheek.
I remember one of the kids, Martha or maybe it was Landen, got a book from their parents and
brought it to me so I could show them how they were build. It was a really big book with old
airplane models, from Da Vinci's time to the most modern ones.
They had cut-outs you could take off the book and put together as a model.
We spend a whole afternoon tossing paper airplanes up in the air of my studio, which had the most
empty space to run around in, and seeing how they flew.
Paper airplanes...
An idea took bud in my mind.
Wasn't there something Wei WuXian had done in the novel similar to paper airplanes?
There was?
When they were in Lanling, I think?
...The paperman?
Spark.
Paperman!
I have a bad idea about this, remember the dangers he mentioned?
I waved him off, it shouldn't be too hard to get around those, I have time. And you told me to go do
something fun for once!
I didn't mean you should try to possess a slip of paper and go annoy people.
Then maybe you should've given me clearer instructions, honestly Ike, haven't you learnt anything
from our years together?
Apparently not. So that's what you're focused on creating now?
I have other ideas, but those will take time and effort to put in motion, not to mention that they
won't hinge on me alone.
Like what?
Greenhouses for farming, especially in the Burial Mounds, seals and arrays to control the
temperature; house appliances to make life easier and save time; the printer, get education easily
available so that schools might be an actual thing in the future, for everyone and not just the rich.
Then I want to do something about that.
That?
I point at an elderly woman tending a stall, her back is entirely crooked and her legs tremble from
holding her weight up. She can barely walk but still comes tend that stall everyday.
From the gossiping I picked up she had a granddaughter who was pregnant and was very weak.
Why such an innocent piece of information was a gossip?
Well, the granddaughter was unmarried, and rumor had it the father was one of the Magistrate's
sons, who were all married with children of their own.
Oh, and the granddaughter was fourteen.
It made my blood boil. I remembered my nieces at fourteen and there was no way you couldn't
look at them and not see that they were still little girls.
So what do you plan on doing?
Elderly care for one, if they have to work to support their family I'm not standing in their way, just
helping them. A walker to ease their steps, better mattresses, wheelchairs, for example.
Wheelchairs?
Yes, they shouldn't be too hard to build, just a chair and two wheels.
Wooden wheels?
I hummed.
Rubber shouldn't be too hard to produce, in small quantities, all I'll need is an ungodly amount of
dandelions and learn how to process that. I'm sure the System will help me figure that last point
out.
...Dandelions?
Yes, unless you want to go around searching for rubber trees, dandelions are the best way to go.
Think about it, we could have the Burial Mounds overflowing with dandelions!
That would surely be a sight.
Actually... I wouldn't mind getting the Burial Mounds covered in flowers. Make it a completely
different place than the known 'corpse-dumping' ground.
So you plan on spending a couple of months planting flowers on a mountain full of resentful
energy?
Pretty much, yeah.
You're crazy.
Says the voice inside my head.
Chapter End Notes
Paperman WWX! Cheers!

As a sidenote, I actually had that book with the old plane paper models (my brother
got it and I as the little sibling shamelessly took advantage of it) and I swear if I could
find it again, I'd get it.
Because it was sooooooooo cool. My brother doesn't remember getting it, and I have
no idea how old I was exactly, so it's a passing childhood memory. But damn... It was
a good kids book.
Me: *finding out rubber can be made from dandelions* Soooo... We can make the
Burial Mounds a legit flower garden.
Imagines AGF!WWX in a frilly apron with those big ass watering cans just going
around like a housewife tending the flowers.
...
We're totally doing this.
System trying to keep WWX from destroying canon to smithereens, all while WWX
wants to break the laws of this world so he can have his Fierce Corpse cuddly-bug
earlier.
Ike is just done with everything by this point.
Den of Beasts
Chapter Summary
Trip to Lanling, Jins being Jins, and a reunion.

Also, please someone stop Wei Ying from pulling crazy stunts.
(How exactly do you expect us to do that?!)
Chapter Notes
"Reunion reveals friendship potential that haven't yet been emerged in the past." - Toba Beta
Chapter 57: Den of Beasts
"Tell me why we are doing this again?" I ask Jiang Cheng as I finish tying my pack to the horse's
saddle.
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes at me,"Because it's a Discussion Conference and Father thought it was a
good opportunity for us to go and observe the proceedings. Why are you complaining anyway, you
can technically participate in the events open of cultivators,"He grumbles the last part.
I give him a wry grin. I was thirteen as of last week and would soon get my own sword and leave
to go on night-hunts, while poor old platypus had to wait another year before he could join me.
Since the discussion conference activities, such as the archery contest, were open to all cultivators
under the age of twenty and I was, officially, a cultivator I was free to participate.
And you can bet I was going to have fun in the archery competition.
I reach over and ruffle Jiang Cheng's hair, messing up his bun, and dodging out of his retaliation
and running around the horses with him chasing after me.
"Boys," YanLi sighs and puts her hands on her waist,"What are you doing?"
"He started it!" Jiang Cheng immediately points at me.
I give him a look of betrayal and clutch at my heart,"Didi! How could you? A-Jie, didi is being
cruel to me!" I fake sob and throw myself at her.
I was starting to catch up to her height, and it wouldn't be long before I overtook her, so it was an
odd grip I got on her but it worked.
Jiang Cheng made a scandalized noise and YanLi started laughing.
I fake cried louder,"Wah! My siblings so cruel to laugh at my misfortune! Wah!"

"A-Xian!" YanLi pulled me back to give me a fake scolding look,"How old are you?"
I grin widely at her, completely shameless,"XianXian is three!"
Jiang Cheng scoffed,"Obviously, with those attitudes you couldn't be much older, is that what your
poor teacher has to deal with every other day?"
He was talking about Mistress Zhu.
With how YanLi had started to take less and less lessons with the Mistress, and there was no real
reason to keep her in the Sect if YanLi did not need her anymore, Madam Yu had simply shrugged
and increased my lessons with her to add other subjects I don't think I was supposed to find as
interesting as I did.
Like sewing entire outfits.
I had entered the room and seen the mannequins and the rows and rows of cloth and I swear my
eyes must've lit up because Mistress Zhu suddenly had a long-suffering air to her.
Jiang Cheng had laughed himself silly when I came out of the lesson and told him what I had
spend my morning doing.
He didn't laugh as much when I presented him with a perfectly wearable and embroidered robe he
could wear for swordplay practice as it was both practical, with a wide range of motion, and
reinforced with leather to prevent injuries.
Madam Yu's astonished expression (because, yes, I was petty enough to present the robe to Jiang
Cheng at dinnertime) was the cherry on top of the ice-cream sundae.
The one who laughs last, laughs the longest.
And I totally got the last laugh.
"Mistress Zhu and I have an agreement that I won't act up in lessons in return for getting to learn
more advanced techniques," I inform him.
"Advanced techniques of what?" Jiang Cheng asked.
I gave him a secretive smirk,"Aah~ It's a secret between Mistress Zhu's students."
YanLi giggled helplessly in response to that.
Jiang Cheng pouted at me,"Not fair."
"Totally fair, or do you want to join me in lessons, Platypus?" I asked him.
Jiang Cheng jumped away from me and made a disgusted face,"Hell no!" Really, all that missed
from that scene was the sign of the cross and him holding a crucifix at me.
"Are you ready to depart?" FengMian asks us as he walks out of the main hall and blinks at our
current state.
I finally let go of YanLi, stand at attention, and bow politely,"All the horses are tacked and the
bags are firmly secured, Sect Leader Jiang."
Jiang Cheng quickly follows after my example and YanLi giggles again.
I like to think it was part of my charm to be able to flip-flop between comic-relief Wei Ying and
dead-serious Wei WuXian. I did know that I had to behave a certain way around people who did
not know me and I was slotted to become my generations Head Disciple sooner because of my
achievements, but I disliked formality with a passion and would only restrict myself to it when I
had to.
Or I was messing with someone, one or the other.
FengMian smiled,"Then let us depart, we wish to reach LanlingJin before the week is over."
Being inside of the Carp Tower, when I knew about what would happen here in a semi-possible or
inevitable future was... awkward.
My senses were predisposed to suspect anyone moving near me of underhanded intentions and I
was sensibly sticking close to Jiang Cheng, not out of need to have an alibi but I found myself
unjustly wary of letting the kid out of my sight around these people.
Mother-hen.
Yes, well sue me, I'm worried for Platypus.
No one here is crazy enough to mess with the YunmengJiang Sect Leader's son, and heir, right
under the man's nose.
Accidents can happen.
Nothing is going to happen.
Doubt.
"What are you thinking about now?" Jiang Cheng sighs and looks me over,"Or worrying about?"
I crack a grin, kid was getting better at catching my moods or I was getting worse at maintaining
my mask,"I wonder if A-Jie is lonely without us back at home, should we get her a souvenir from
town before going back?"
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes at me,"You're absolutely impossible."
My grin widens,"Oh, Platypus, but you love me!"
"I wonder why, XianXian, you're more trouble than you're worth,"He snipes back.
I chuckle and put my arm around him,"Don't be so mean, didi, my poor heart can't take it," I clutch
at my chest.
Jiang Cheng groans and bears my weight with surprising ease,"You're such a drama queen."
I chuckle again.
"I must say, the prize disciple of YunmengJiang is... something else," A snobbish voice comes
from behind us and I let go of Jiang Cheng to turn around.
There's a small contingency of yellow robed disciples staring at us with an air of self-importance
and disdain.
The one who talked, a fair skinned boy near the same age as me, has a vermilion dot on his
forehead and a carefully blank expression.
But his eyes tell me all I need to know.
I grin,"Well, I'm certainly an original," I joke,"And you, young master, are?"
The boy stands up straighter, indignant, and speaks with perfect diction,"I am Jin ZiXuan, the son
of the Sect Leader Jin GuangShan, and heir to the LanlingJin Sect."
I bow politely to him,"Greetings, Jin-gongzi, I am Wei WuXian, the son of CangSe Sanren and
follower in the Great BaoShan Sanren's teachings, also a disciple of the YunmengJiang Sect," I
smile.
What a mouthful.
Hush you.
"We meet again, Jin-gongzi," Jiang Cheng bows beside me.
Jin ZiXuan bows back, just the bare minimum in terms of respect, and looks down at us from his
nose,"Yes, well met, Jiang-gongzi. My mother has asked that the heirs join the Sect Leaders in the
Discussion room."
Jiang Cheng nods but then pauses and turns to look at me.
I chuckle,"I'll go with you and stand by the door until you get out," I playfully pull at his ear,"Don't
worry about me so much, didi."
One of the yellow-robed disciples squawks.
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes at me and flicks my cheek,"Who'd worry about you, idiot? Just don't go
causing trouble," He tells me.
I widen my eyes and put my hands on my chest,"Me? Causing trouble? Oh, I would never!" I tell
him.
He gives me the most deadpan look of all times,"Try saying that without grinning like a fool."
I shrug with an airy expression.
"If you are quite done," Jin ZiXuan's eyebrow twitches in frustration,"We could go now to the
Discussion Hall."
I want to mess with him more but I realize that time is of the essence,"Sure, we'll follow after you,
Jin-gongzi."
He turns around on his heel and starts strutting back to where he came from, most likely the
Discussion Hall, followed by his equally strutting cronies and Jiang Cheng and I tag along.
The route to the Discussion Hall doesn't take long and we are greeted at the doors by yellow-robed
guards who allow the two heirs to pass. Jiang Cheng gives me one last look but I wave him
onward, and settle back against the opposing wall.
As I'd told him I'd stay here until he got out, effectively keeping myself out of trouble and not
risking YunmengJiang's reputation over anything.
"Are you seriously waiting here?" One of the yellow-robed disciples asks.
I nod,"I told Jiang Cheng I would, it saves him from worrying and means less trouble for me later
on," I shrug.
"Like a well behaved dog," One of the vermilion dotted disciples sneers.
He looks faintly familiar.
"So you say," I give him a crooked grin,"But are any of you Jin disciples in any position to speak to
me in such a way? From where I'm standing I am not only a guest in your Sect but your senior in
terms of cultivation. I wonder what your Madam would say if she heard about such blatant
disrespect!"
The disciples get a shade or two paler and fidget.
The one who badmouthed me grows red,"You're a servant's son, you don't get to threaten us!"
I blink at him,"I'm not threatening you, am I? I'm merely stating the obvious? Or do you think
Madam Jiang won't ask us how the trip to Lanling went? Are you telling me to lie, to my own
Sect?" I put on a shocked expression.
He gets redder and grits his teeth.
"We're sorry," Another disciple quickly apologizes,"Jin-gongzi hasn't been feeling well lately, he's
rather short-tempered today."
Blatant lies but kudos for his quick thinking, there's still hope for that one yet.
I nod,"Oh, I see, well then, let us forget such encounter and proceed on as if nothing happened shall
we?" I smile,"Are any of you participating in any of the events?"
The yellow disciples shake their heads,"We are not allowed to yet," They answer,"Is... Is Wei-
gongzi participating?"
My smile widen,"Yup! The Archery competition! I can barely wait."
The red faced disciple scoffs,"LanlingJin senior disciples are also participating and they aren't soft
targets like you YunmengJiang disciples are used to."
I perhaps show too many teeth in my next smile,"Oh, really? Well, then... All the more fun to show
them real archery!"
The Jin disciples shuffle awkwardly in place and watch as the red-faced Jin steams in anger.
We're blowing the competition out of the water?
Oh, yes, Ike. We are going to show them who's the best sharpshooter around here.
Aren't we glad you brought that new reinforced bow?
My grin turns downright maniacal.
Oh, yes.
This is going to be fun.

There was a single miscalculation on my part for waiting by the doors until the Discussion ended.
It was that the Sect Leaders would leave through the same door.
"Hey, Platypus!" I wave at Jiang Cheng,"Bored to tears?" I tease him.
He punches my shoulder and scowls,"Not funny, why do I have to endure it and you don't?"
"Because I am neither a Sect Leader nor an Heir?" I grin,"Oh, woe is me, Platypus!"
He punches me again, harder this time.
"I see that time has done nothing about your manners," A droll voice comments.
I pause my goofing around and turn to look at the speaker.
Oh my God.
Oh no.
Spotless white robes lined with blue embroidered clouds and an unblemished look overall greet my
eyes.
I know who this is!
Oh no.
And a very easily identifiable goatee.
Lan QiRen looks down at me with a generally distasteful expression.
I gather my wits remarkably fast,"Hello," I bow politely,"Have we met before?"
Jiang Cheng hisses,"That is Lan QiRen!"
And everybody knew who Lan QiRen was.
I widen my eyes and bow again, lower this time,"Many apologies, Mister Lan, this disciple did not
recognize you."
He nods,"Yes, I see," He speaks,"We met before when you were with your parents but you were
perhaps too young to remember that encounter."
No, we remember it.
Shut up, Ike.
Oh, boy, do we remember it.
Shut up!
"Apologies, Mister Lan," I shook my head,"It seems so, I only remember a little of my time with
my parents."
Which was a lie but it was far more likely than revealing I can conjure back up memories since the
time I first arrived in this world.
Besides, in general, I tried to keep the memories of my parents on the down low. I'd say I
remember them vaguely and I'd have more or less of a sense of what the person expected me to
say, but the rule was that, when asked about them or my travels, I'd go 'What? How am I supposed
to remember that, I was four!'
Or well, I could do it with my old travels, the ones I got up to the age of six and a half or seven
were harder to 'forget'.
Then again, I was thirteen now so I would make sense if I forgot about them?
Nah, wouldn't work. Not with the frequent letters and my already incredible repertoire of spiritual
creature encounters.
"Yes, they passed by Gusu when you were barely the height of your father's knee," Lan QiRen
then paused and stared intently at the scar in my face,"Do you remember that?" He asks.
Another frequent question.
I shake my head,"No, I feel as if it has always been there, like one day it just appeared," I shrug.
He lets out a minuscule sigh,"I'd have hoped your parents would know better than to endanger their
child as they did, but knowing them as I did figures something like this would happen."
Careful, bud. You're toeing a fine line there.
You're not going to hit him are you?
Of course not, but I might pull a Wei ChangZe and get a goat in his bedroom like he did. I'm sure I
can get help.
From who? Your platypus?
We'll see.
"Your parents studied in Gusu, did you know that?" Lan QiRen asks me.
I nod,"Yes, along with Sect Leader Jiang I'm told."
"And myself," His lips thin,"When I met your parents years ago, we discussed the possibility of
you studying in Gusu like they had."
"The Lan Elder who visited YunmengJiang said something similar," I inform him,"But whether or
not I am allowed to study in Gusu depends on my Sect Leader, Mister Lan."
Lan QiRen nods,"I will talk to Jiang FengMian then, there are people who'd be glad you studied
there even if only for a season."
I blink and outwardly show no other emotion other than mild surprise.
Internally I'm screaming.
He's going to say it! Oh my God! No! Nononononononono!
Ahahahaha! I've been waiting for this!
Ike! No! It's supposed to be a secret! Oh my God! No!

"Who?" Jiang Cheng frowns,"His Lan friends? The ones he writes to all the time?"
Don't you say it!
Lan QiRen replies,"Wei WuXian met several GusuLan disciples over the years and has interested
the Clan into seeing him reach his full potential. Forming a Golden Core so young means that his
education cannot fall behind of his cultivation. And given his parentage I find that a stricter
discipline wouldn't go amiss."
He totally remembers getting called 'Old Goat' by you.
I was four!
And now you've discovered Lan QiRen can hold grudges for the most petty of things!
Urgh.
Jiang Cheng makes a face but doesn't speak against it, something I feel wronged about, Platypus,
you're supposed to defend my honor here!
No, it's your Lan Zhan's duty to defend your honor, it's Jiang Cheng's role to make fun of you while
you're trying to deny it.
Ike!
What? Don't look at me like that, deary, even Uncle Lan seems okay with you coming to his Sect
and mingle around his perfect nephews!
You're walking on thin ice, mister!
"So this is the kid?" A gruff sounding voice asks, I look around Lan QiRen and have to strain my
neck up to look the person in the eye.
Damn, he's gotten tall.
Nie MingJue looks ten times more terrifying than he did when I met him as a child, which is
saying something as the child!him scared me witless for a good while.
Well, he did think you'd stolen his little brother's toy.
Don't remind me.
"So you're the crazy kid that had everyone up in arms about, huh?" He gives me a look,"You don't
look like much."
I struggle not to smile but my amusement must've shown because there's a hint of approval in his
eyes,"You participating in anything?"
"Archery Competition, Sect Leader Nie," I reply.
Jiang Cheng looks like he's about to lose his mind about me casually talking with a Sect Leader.
Imagine when he find out you do the same, with much more familiarity, with the Lan Heir and his
brother.
Shut. Up. Ike.

It's going to be beautiful.
"I'll tell my disciples to keep an eye out then," Nie MingJue gives me a wicked grin,"Your Sect
Leader has talked about your talent before, I wish to see it for myself."
I have a bad idea.
Don't do it then.
But I might actually like it.
Then it's a terrible idea and you really shouldn't do it.
I open my mouth anyways,"Then how about we do a competition between the two of us? Wouldn't
it be better to see my so-talent for yourself instead of second-hand opinions?"
Jiang Cheng turns to me with shocked eyes, expression telling me 'omg, shut up now!'.
Nie MingJue laughs.
Loudly.
"You've got guts kid, I like that, unfortunately I don't just compete against everyone who asks," He
gives me the same wicked grin,"Impress my disciples and I might consider it."
That's a challenge if I ever heard one.
You are crazy.
Yes, I thought that was past and well-established already, Ike.
You are utterly crazy.
Nothing new there.
I grin genially up at the Sect Leader,"Well, it seems that I must, I hope Sect Leader will be
impressed with the results of tomorrow's archery competition then."
Jiang Cheng looks like he's two seconds from hyperventilation, save the kid, woman.
I turn to see my little brother paling by the second and decide that Ike was right.
"Apologies, Sect Leaders, we must retire for today and meet with the rest of the YunmengJiang
disciples, I bid you a good day," I bow politely and signal Jiang Cheng to do the same.
It's plainly obvious what we're doing but neither man calls us out on it and let us go with no
reprimand or comment.
I grab Jiang Cheng and lead him back out of the halls.
"What's the matter, Platypus? You look as if you've seen a hanged ghost!" I grin at him.
Jiang Cheng bonks me over the head,"Are you crazy?! Did you just challenge THE Sect Leader of
QingheNie?!"
I laugh brightly,"I think I did, isn't your big brother awesome?"

Jiang Cheng lets out a small scream of frustration and pulls at my ponytail.
"Ah! Ow ow ow! Jiang Cheng! Platypus! Didi! Don't pull! Don't pull!" I tell him,"It hurts! It
hurts!" I laugh.
"You're irreprehensible, XianXian! And Mother will know of this!" He hisses at me.
"If I get to really challenge the Sect Leader Nie, then hell yes, we're telling your mother!" I fist
pump.
"You're not challenging him!" He yells.
You're challenging him, aren't you?
Oh, yes I am. I have to show those Jin kids who's boss anyway.
They're kids.
For now, they're my age so they should know better. Besides...
...You want to have fun.
I am going to have so much fun tomorrow.
Squee! I can't wait!
Jiang Cheng was asleep, snoring softly, and I got up from bed to come sit by the window sill. We
were sharing a room, which wasn't atypical during Discussion Conferences, and the Jin's tendency
to display how much money they had grated on my more sensible nerves. The sheer amount of
high quality materials they had as 'spares' in every little cupboard or dresser niggled that little part
of me that screamed 'take it, no one will notice it's gone'.
Alas, I was supposed to set a good example and refrained from indulging in untraceable
kleptomania.
The rooms were very opulent and full of unnecessary clutter to symbolize their wealth but I found
it very hard to sleep in a room so cluttered when I'd spend the last few years with an airy and
simple room. They're mattresses were soft and comfortable but, again, after years of sleeping on
harsher mats whenever I started to doze off it suddenly felt as if the bed was going to swallow me
whole.
And Freddy Krueger references aside - and how YanLi had nearly whopped my butt for telling that
story to Jiang Cheng - I found it discomfiting.
So I instead got up to sit by the window and tire myself mentally enough to fall in bed and get
some REM sleep.
What do you want to talk about?
No idea, anything. Within reason, don't push your luck, Ike.
So no, Lan Zhan.
Definitely no Lan Zhan.

And no Lan Huan?
Are you taking this seriously?
Okay, okay... I was worth the try.
I sigh.
Sister Xi will be giving birth soon, isn't she?
She still has a few months to go.
She and ShouShan wasted no time, huh?
I stifle my snort.
It's been almost two years, give them a break.
They're not getting breaks now, not with a small child they're not!
We should send them a gift, when the baby is born.
What are you planning on sending them?
A quilt? With their name? Aah, but I only have the courtesy name.
Why not send it with that?
I don't think kids are supposed to know theirs until they're of age.
Break tradition.
Or just ask ShouShan.
Or that.
Fantastic.
Chapter End Notes
Surprise, surprise, I somehow managed to increase the number of pre-planned chapters

once again. *sigh*
Due to recent events I'm actually writing in order to update, so no stored chapters, and
just in case I hit a bump in the road and don't update someday is probably because
there was no chapter to update.
Sorry, I've been off this past week, and had to work on Saturday.
For recently asked questions, I finally had an idea to present WWX's claustrophobia!
Hooray! (There's hope for my brain still!)
Next chapter will hopefully have the archery competition, might add some more Jin
ZiXuan is only to call him Peacock (keyword:might), and then good old Nie MingJue.
Then it's back to Yunmeng to get Suibian, ShouShan's firstborn, feelz and other
unmentionable spoilers.
Followed by puberty and Jiang Cheng's freedom on Night-Hunts! Yay!
Depending on how fast I can write it (and how much I write, I might need to add more
chapters) we may reach Arc III ending next week.
Again, don't quote me on this, life happens.
Competition
Chapter Summary
Where kids are kids for a morning, Wei WuXian is too excited for this, and legends
are told about the absolutely crazy stunts that happen on this day.
Chapter Notes
"A good archer is known not by his arrows but by his aim." - Thomas Fuller
Chapter 58: Competition
The next morning dawned bright and early and I took great pleasure in jumping onto Jiang Cheng
with a cry:"Constant Vigilance!"
Jiang Cheng shouted, startled, and it looked like his hair stood on end for a second there. Then he
sees exactly what woke him up and he let's out a cry of rage,"Wei WuXian!"
"Here! I'm here!" I laugh and jump away,"Good morning, didi! Isn't this a great way to start the
day, you're wide awake in an instant!"
Jiang Cheng very nearly foams at the mouth and throws back his blanket to pursue me.
Morning workout?
Like I said, best way to start my morning.
Try not to die.
Sure, it'll just be a few round trips around the bedroom followed by a passive aggressive breakfast
and bath.
He'll trip you down the stairs.
He wouldn't!
I duck under one of Jiang Cheng's lunges and pull my lower eyelid in taunt.
Jiang Cheng visibly reddens in anger.
Yeah he might low-key try to murder me.
Then why are you still taunting him?

Because it's fun, duh.
"Stay still!" Jiang Cheng growls.
I laugh,"That's not how tag works, Platypus, you gotta catch it yourself!"
"Mother is hearing about this!" He yells.
"About how you couldn't catch little old me? Are you sure you want to do that, didi?" Two could
play that 'I'll tell Mom' game.
He growls and continues to chase me around the bedroom, jumping over the beds diving under
tables and generally bouncing around like a monkey until the door opens.
A bedraggled senior disciple peeks in the room and gives us a tired glare,"It's five in the morning,
young masters, why are you making so much noise?"
Immediately after he says those words.
"He started it!" Me.
"It's all his fault!" Jiang Cheng.
The disciple looks heaven-ward and closes the door again, probably going back to bed, and Jiang
Cheng and I proceed to degenerate into a toddlers wrestling match on one of the beds.
"You woke me up!" Jiang Cheng hisses.
"I was doing you the favor of getting you up bright and early!" I excused myself.
No you weren't.
No I wasn't.
"Liar!" Jiang Cheng pulls on my ear.
I laugh,"How cruel!" And pinch his cheeks.
After another five minutes of this the door opens again.
We stop and turn to face it, Jiang FengMian's blank expression trembles and he does his best not to
laugh at our positions, with Jiang Cheng sitting on my legs and trying to strangle me (I'm holding
back his arms), before inquiring,"What are you two doing?"
"Morning exercises!" I answer with a bright smile.
Jiang Cheng gives me the classical 'are you stupid' look.
"Aah, I see..." FengMian, to his credit, manages to reply with an even tone,"The other
contingencies are still asleep however, so perhaps you should continue your morning exercises
outside. Or back at home when you return." He smiles.
That's as much of a warning as you're gonna get.
Yeah, I got that.
"Of course, Sect Leader, we will take your advice into consideration."
"Of course, Father."
FengMian nods once again and leaves.
There's a beat of silence.
And then Jiang Cheng suddenly headbutts me.
"Ow! Platypus! What did I ever do to you?" I yelp.
"You're crazy! Do you want to get us in trouble? Do you even know what Father might do to us if
we wake up the other contingencies? What Mother will do if she finds out?" He hisses at me.
"Hang us from a pagoda?" I suggest with a laugh and push Jiang Cheng off of me before he can try
for another headbutt,"And chill out, A-Cheng, we'd only have to worry about the Nie contingency,
the Lan are already awake because of their weird sleep schedule."
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes,"Yes, brother, only worry about the one contingency who is known for
their fighting prowess!"
I chuckle,"They wouldn't hurt you, Platypus, don't be so worried!"
"But they'd skewer you!" He points at me,"Think about your own safety, idiot!"
I smile fondly at him,"Baby brother worries too much, that's supposed to be my shtick, Platypus," I
flick him on the forehead,"But I'll be more careful, alright?"
He pinkens slightly and looks away with an incoherent grumble under his breath.
Seriously, he's so adorable.
Like one of those yappy terriers or something.
Pfft!
I get up off the bed and head towards the adjoining bathroom to start getting ready.
Honestly it isn't because I'd break drown laughing if I looked at Jiang Cheng's face with Ike's
words floating inside my head.
Really, it wasn't.
Absolutely not.
Nope.
No way.
The small stray thought of a yorkshire terrier Jiang Cheng pops up.
And I hastily cover my mouth to muffle my guffaws.
Jin GuangShan stood on top of some sort of podium and gave a speech about the honor it was to be
here today, how he hoped we'd all show sportsmanship with our fellow cultivators and form lasting
bonds.
Then he went on to explain the rules of the competition, something that was pretty basic and
straightforward. So much so that I dwindled back on my attention to his words and opened the
Player Menu.
I wanted to check out my Stats and make sure everything was in order.


Skills:
+Martial
+Social
+Scholar
+Arts
+Mundane
Equipment:
Lightweight Robes
YunmengJiang Boots
Leather arm-guard(left)
Leather arm-guard(right)
Weapon:
Dagger [Xiaodan]
Bamboo Bow (50) ]
I'd have preferred to be using my own robes and not the ones issued for the competition but I could
at the very least wear my own boots and arm-guards. I couldn't have any talismans on me and I'd
gotten weird looks for keeping Xiaodan at my waist but all FengMian had said was an amused 'Try
not to stab anyone', using more polite wording of course, and that was that.
I checked to see my Stats and popped over to my Talents but everything seemed to be working in
order.
I could barely wait.
It would be the first time in a while that I really let loose all my energy and skills into something.
While night-hunting with the senior disciples I always had to force myself to stay still and follow
their example - most of the time giving them extra information or tips about things that only come
from experience - but here it would be different.
There weren't teams per say and one could just take off as one pleases - and all the seniors agreed
to let me run wild for this one - so it wasn't unusual.
I closed the menu and looked around.
There was a single group of five Wen disciples, accompanied by one elder if the gossip was
correct, and they looked... Well, as I would expect a Wen disciple to be like, if I was being honest.
Arrogant, sure of his own power, and just begging to be thrown off their high-horses.
Really, Wen Ning was truly a rare bird among his people.
Then there were the Nie disciples, who'd grinned at me bemusedly when they noticed me staring
(and to whom I gleefully waved back), and the Gusu disciples in their pristine white robes.
I'd gotten a few curious looks but none had approached me, which was probably for the best
especially if Jiang Cheng remembered to ask who my 'Lan friends' were exactly.
True, I wasn't supposed to know they were heirs - and we hadn't discussed it in any of our letters -
but with how our sect education went we'd learnt the names, if nor the faces, of all the heirs of the
Great Sects. Furthermore, they were already being spoken as 'The Two Jades of Lan' in awed
murmurs, it wouldn't take a genius to put Lan Huan and Lan Zhan to their obvious connection on
the Heraldry lessons I'd endured.
But, again, I had made no mention of it and never breathed a word about their names.
Well... A-Zhan was still called A-Zhan, so at the very least I won't be the only one called obtuse
when this finally comes out.
Aah~ I can't wait!
Maybe they won't find it to be much of a deal?
I can feel Ike's unimpressed stare weighing down on me.
I scratch at my cheek and look away, back to the podium where Jin GuangShan was still talking.
Honestly, I couldn't see how any woman fell for that schmuck's advances, he was definitely not the
'pretty boy' type - like his son would turn out to be (must be the mother's genes alone, lucky boy) in
the future - and it wasn't the age that destroyed his charm.
No, he was... Hmm, I couldn't put my finger on it. I just found him unpleasant, I guess.
With good reason.
Yes, not that that reason was valid yet, it would be, of that I was certain, but not yet.
Seeing him also reminded me of my father's words all those years ago, how one couldn't walk to
any town in Lanling territory and not run into one of his bastards.
Disgusting.
The novel also mentioned he kept visiting Mo XuanYu's mother up until the boy was around six or
so, how the hell does one man look down at a child, know that it is their child, and not care?
Hell, how does anyone look down on a child in need and turn their backs?
But haven't I done the same?
The insidious thought reminds me of all those times I let struggling street kids fend for themselves.
Stop that, you couldn't have done anything to save them, not as you were.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. He was correct, of course, Ike usually was.
Give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you'll feed him for a
lifetime.
Children are similar yet very different at the same time.
With children you must earn trust, children are physically weak and emotionally unbalanced, easily
get too attached and cry when things don't work out. If one has time - and plenty of patience - sure,
you could teach them how to fend for themselves.
However, whilst I had patience, I did not have time.
Even now, when I am around four years away from war, I am still running out of time to get
preparations complete.
With my new found freedom to go night-hunting I would be able to finally start getting the safe-
houses prepared. Once I was back in Yunmeng I would dedicate precious time trying to find any
sort of emergency access tunnels there might be, or a simple escape route if no tunnels exist. Then
it was back to scouring the library and night strolling the grounds of the Sect searching for the
protection array.
It would be a slow work but so beneficial in the long run.
"And now, we'll start the Archery Competition!" Jin GuangShan gestured grandly.
If I could, I'd have rolled my eyes, but I had to maintain a good image so I settled for rolling my
shoulders and counting my arrows. The new bow I got was made of bamboo and was quite sturdy.
Whenever I upped my strength past a certain point I had to be careful not to grip something too
hard or it'd splinter.
And I often got so into shooting targets that I forgot about that little detail.
Come to think of it, the only bow I still had that I hadn't broke was the one my father had carved
for me. I'd eventually bought a new one and stored my old one away and never thought to get rid of
it.
It was nothing more than a silly toy bow now, especially with how tiny I was back then, even so I
couldn't imagine throwing it away or selling it.
A family relic?
I guess it would be considered so, like CangSe's desk and handwritten journals or the personal
items kept inside their bags.
I hadn't taken them out in years.
Wasn't sure I wanted to, to be honest, the sight of the bags and the brand new robes they had
bought that day haunted me, in a way.
One day you'll have to let go.
One day, sure, but today is not that day.
I stood in front of the gate, waiting for the competition to start, and closed my eyes. Diving through
my subconscious to take a deep breath inside the void and hold the warm ball of energy that kept
the void alight.
I had a Golden Core now but I preferred to use my old method of enhancing my body - especially
given the fact that it allowed me to be hyper aware of everything around me and made it easier to
lock on targets - which I kept secret to pretty much everyone.
Oh, sure, there were people who'd seen my eyes glow when I strained too much energy from the
orb but nothing ever came of it.
I let the warm liquid energy trickle down my fingers and pondered again on the true nature of
energy.
The void trembled and I came back to consciousness.
Not a moment too late as there was a loud crack of a firework and the disciples took off running
into the competition area.
I grinned and bow my bow ready.
It was time to roll.
Have fun.
Oh, I will.
My grin turned slightly feral and my seniors slowly edged away from me.
Time to hunt.
I jumped over a fallen tree and streaked past a group of panting Jin disciples and took aim.
One. Two. Three.
I counted in my head.
*Hawk's Precision*
I released the arrow.
A yellowish paper phantom - the targets for this competition - flew from behind a tree and was
immediately shot by my arrow.
A disciple behind me let out a confused noise and I looked over my shoulder to grin at him,"Best
of luck, boys~!"
And then dived through an underbrush to track down the next phantom niggling in the back of my
senses.
This could be considered cheating.
No, this is my utilizing every resource I have available.
Which they don't.
Oh, woe is them. This world! Truly so unfair!

You're having too much fun.
Too much fun? Oh, my dear, dear Ike, I haven't even started!
There were three GusuLan disciples running through the woods, they'd lost track of the paper
phantom they'd been following after and I was going to take shamefully advantage of that.
See, paper phantoms were surprisingly easy to make - depending on how sturdy, persistent, faster
and cleverer you wanted them to be - and even easier to work around.
The concept behind them was simple, you made this phantom out of something, usually paper, and
made your array. Then you'd feed that array with energy and watch it fly off. Phantoms were
usually released inside a containment field, else they'd really just fly off until they ran out of power
- after two or three days depending on how much energy you pumped into them, for those
wondering - and they could either be deactivated by tacking the thing out of the air and disrupting
it's energy, or by the simplest of methods.
Destroying it.
Once activated, phantoms would fly away from the creator or the one who activated them for one
simple reason, the array worked to keep the phantom away from other energy sources. Whenever a
cultivator got near it the phantom would fly off.
But they weren't usually very smart. Kind of like goldfish, they stared at you for a few seconds and
then 'remembered' they were supposed to be fleeing from you. And since these weren't very fast
either, it made it seem as if you spooked them, then stared at you and then leisurely flew off at a
sedate pace.
In short, they were stupid.
Anyway, the three little lambs running slightly below me - I was standing on a mound, would
startle the phantom out of it's hiding spot and I'd shoot it.
Mean of me, I guess, but they really shouldn't have lost track of their prey.
And I was nothing if not opportunistic.
"Gah!" One of the disciples jumps as my arrow flies right in front of his head and hits a fluttery
paper ghost dead center, pining it to a tree.
The disciple quickly turns to catch the one who released that arrow.
But the only thing he sees are two silver eyes shining like twin stars for a second before blinking.
When he looks again there's nothing there.
I was rather ambivalent regarding the Wens. I didn't like them but I wouldn't go out of my way to
antagonize them, furthermore, knowing what I knew, I pitied them.
I was unsure how deep Wen RuoHan's ideals ran or how agreeable the disciples in general found
them to be. Wen Ning and Wen Qing, plus the remnants, proved that there were those who did not
agree with his orders.
But how many did?

It was what made me wary of trying to get Mao PeiZhi to bring more Qishan peers into the fold. I
had a few, and he had a few, but there wasn't enough for what I had in mind.
I needed a complete network and as it was now, there were 'patches' I'd like to fill in correctly.
Why they had to be Qishan and not some other random rogue cultivator?
Because I needed the people to trust that what they spoke, when the time came, was the truth.
And people would much easily trust a known friendly face than a stranger that showed up a few
years ago, no matter how friendly that stranger had been up till then, and especially not in a war.
That said, the people running the circuit under Mao's watchful eye weren't exactly in the know.
They received orders from Mao and knew that some orders came from higher up - ShouShan, who
in turn received orders from me - but they never interacted with the Talisman Factory or with my
budding information network.
I hoped they wouldn't be needed, not to the level of capacity I had ordered it made for, but it never
hurt to be overly prepared.
Sighing, I shook my thoughts away and focused on running. The group of Wen disciples had
decided to follow me, and probably steal my prey given that I was the youngest cultivator in the
competition, and I felt sorry for them.
I'd lead them on a merry chase, knock that phantom out of the sky and lose them before moving on
to the next target.
But really, after all those stories going out about me, you'd think they'd be smart enough to realize I
wasn't that easily trifled with?
Guess some people never learnt?
Guess so.
I nocked an arrow and pushed my legs farther, when the next fallen tree came I jumped on it with
one leg and used it to spring myself up, rotating so that my back was to the ground, and shot the
arrow to what had been behind the Wen group.
I hit the ground with a roll and as the Wens were distracted cut through the undergrowth and back
into the deep forest.
I rolled one of my shoulders with a wince.
I just knew it was going to bruise and hoped none of the tree bark, rough underbrush or rocks had
split skin. They'd heal quickly enough but I didn't want A-Cheng or FengMian to get on my case
for a couple of scratches.
Totally not because you want to look cool in front of your little brother.
I cracked a humored grin, totally not, Ike, who do you take me for?
An idiot.
Touché, my old friend.

The final firework went up and we got called back to the gathering area. I met up with the
Yunmeng Seniors and walked back with them, red-eyed and looking as if I'd rolled around in mud.
They all gave me unimpressed looks and sighed, clearly expecting this to happen.
I grinned up at them and upped my boyish charm,"Did you guys have fun?"
"Yes, Wei-gongzi, we did," One of the seniors replies,"And you?"
I grinned a tad too widely,"Oh, just a tiny bit."
"I'm telling you, man! The kid came out of nowhere, jumped over this huge rock and shot my prey
without even looking!" A disciple in yellow was gesturing angrily at what was most likely his
senior.
My seniors turned to give me looks but I just whistled and stared up at the tree-tops with my arms
crossed behind my head.
"Sect Leader will have words with you," One of them sighs.
"And Madam Yu will secretly approve of my tactics!" I airily responded.
"You're probably the only one who gets berated by her at every single encounter and still needles
her for more," Another senior groans.
"I don't needle her!" I grumble.
"You made her a sash," One of the gives me a deadpan look.
"I was showing her the fruits of my labor! She is the one who got me lessons with Mistress Zhu!" I
defend myself.
"You gave her a bright pink sash with embroidered flowers," He continues.
Aah, I liked that sash. I worked hard on it too.
"It was a pretty sash!" I defended myself again, my lips barely twitching and voice remarkably
even.
"Point is, you gave it to Madam Yu," He shake his head with an air of despair.
"It goes well with her eyes," I tell him with a straight face.
The seniors sigh in unison.
My lips stretch into a smile.
I liked these guys.
"You're crazy," Jiang Cheng gaped at the result panel.
"Eh? What's that, didi? Aren't you proud of your big brother? Next year want to compete with me?"
I bounce around him, laughing.
I got first place. Another of the Yunmeng seniors got third place and the second and third place
belonged to the GusuLan. Fourth place was a Nie disciple and fifth was a Jin disciple.
The Wens didn't even come close to the overall scores.
"You did good, A-Xian," FengMian congratulates me,"And you as well, A-She."
The senior disciple beamed in pride and I grinned at him.
"You're in the lead by fifty points," Jiang Cheng points,"How?!"
I shrug,"I'm just that good, A-Cheng."
"No one's that good!" He grumbles.
I laugh before I see someone in the corner of my eye and cup my hands around my mouth.
"Sect Leader Nie! How's that for you?" I call out.
Jiang Cheng turns to stare at me like I've just lost my mind.
Chapter End Notes
JC is going to have grey hairs by the time WWX finally decides to settle down and be
a respectable adult (wait? That's actually happening?!) and he needs emotional
support.
We should get him a terrier.
Now, I've never had one, but my cousins do. And that dog (called Doll btw) would
start barking if you so much as shifted in your seat. Now not so much because they're
old and sickly, but back in its youth?
My poor ears, especially since I can't stay still in my seat for hours on end. Lying
down, sure, but not sitting.
I imagine FengMian said something like: "Do not stick them with the point end,
okay?" While JC and the seniors watched on with mildly exasperated expressions.
And do you think WWX wouldn't make something for Madam Yu just because? Well,
he would. He totally would.
It was worth the round of extra suicide runs he got for pulling it and no one can tell
him otherwise.
And if that sash was inconspicuously stored with the rest of Madam Yu's sashes then
who's going to know? It's not like someone will go through her drawers.
Respect
Chapter Summary
The Challenge, a banquet, and thoughts.
Chapter Notes
"Treat people the way you want to be treated. Talk to people the way you want to be talked to.
Respect is earned, not given." - Hussein Nishah
Chapter 59: Respect
Noise kind of dies down and everyone turns to stare at me in varying degrees of disbelief. I hear
Jiang Cheng slap a hand over his face and groan, despondent, while the seniors turn hopeful eyes
on their Sect Leader - he'd stop this madness right? - only to silently despair when FengMian
merely smiles bemusedly down at me.
On the other side of the clearing the Sect Leader Nie stops walking and, surrounded by shocked
Nie disciples, turns to face me with a blank expression.
I cheerfully wave at him,"Was that impressive or no? You promised me a challenge!" I call out.
Jiang Cheng grips my shoulder and shakes me,"Shut up! Just stop talking! Oh, GuanYin's Mercy,
just shut up!"
I laugh.
Nie MingJue turns fully to me and starts walking in my direction.
Now, this was a man that was built like a beast, 191cm tall and a powerhouse. One swing of his
sword Baxia and heads would roll, most likely along with body parts that had tried to protect said
heads, and people knew that. They knew that if there was someone you didn't want to offend it was
Nie MingJue.
So, for a shrimp like me - in comparison to the beast stalking towards me - to call this man out, in
broad daylight, and in front of witnesses was inconceivable.
But, then again, I loved to do the impossible. Even before I joined a Sect where the motto was
exactly that: "Attempt the Impossible".
I straightened my back as Nie MingJue approached but still kept my pose relaxed and loose, I
would be able to dodge an attack if the man tried to do so - which he wouldn't - regardless of Sect
Leader Jiang being right at my back.
"You are a mouthy little thing," The Sect Leader Nie stops a foot or so from me,"You think you
can beat me in anything?"
"In archery?" I grin,"Who knows? That's why it's called a challenge, aren't you curious to see the
results?"
"Manners!" Jiang Cheng hisses.
Nie MingJue laughs,"You have spunk! There aren't a lot of people in this world that would dare to
speak to me like that," He smirks down at me.
My grin widens,"There's no one else in this world quite like me, I guess."
Figuratively and literally.
Your platypus looks like he's about to ascend to the heavens through sheer emotional shock.
I fleetingly look over my shoulder and have to suppress my mirth at seeing a wide-eyed and pale
Jiang Cheng gaping at me.
"I'll believe that," Nie MingJue laughs,"I'll entertain you, pick up your bow and arrow, let's ask for
a target to be set up for this little arrangement."
I lit up like a tree on christmas and quickly pick up my bow and extra arrows to follow after the
Sect Leader Nie with a skip in my steps.
The Nie disciples stare at me for a moment before turning to look at my seniors, who morosely
trudge after us along with an incredulous Jiang Cheng and a smiling FengMian.
"Yes, he's always like this," The head disciple of our group answers the unspoken question.
The Nie disciple return to give me aghast looks.
The Wen and Gusu contingencies watch us from a distance - and I don't miss it when Lan QiRen
sighs deeply when talking with a tall disciple in pristine robes - as well as the Jin contingency who
turn to their Sect Leader for a cue on how to react.
Jin GuangShan looks awkwardly lost on how to respond and merely waves a disciple to get a
shooting range area ready.
In a cynical bubble of thought I found such an action to resemble Jin GuangYao's during the
archery competition that happens the first few weeks after the war.
I quite disliked that comparison.
The shooting range was quite simple, there were wooden targets at the end of the range with straw
bails behind them forming a small stacked wall, with the ground being beaten dirt instead of stone
or gravel. It was quite open and the sun illuminated the the area well enough to not require any
assisting torches.
It was a good shooting range and I was memorizing this layout for when I inevitably decided I
wanted my own.
As it was, I had a few ideas on how to improve such a sight.

"The challenge will be simple," Nie MingJue started,"Each one has three arrows, whoever shoots
the best wins."
"Easy enough," I nod,"Are we going at the same time or are we one-upping each other?" I ask him.
There's a sharp intake of air from the crowd.
Nie MingJue laughs,"I'll shoot first, pipsqueak, and we'll see how you can 'one-up' that."
Oh, Nie MingJue, you just jinxed yourself.
My grin was definitely not child-friendly and all it missed was the devil's horns and tails.
"Acceptable," I shrug with a relaxed pose and lean back on the wall, waiting for him to shoot.
If Jiang Cheng was anywhere near me, and not with the rest of the crowd, or - heaven forbid -
Madam Yu I'd be shaken like a ragdoll until my soul escaped my body, but they weren't so I
contended myself to gloat.
I wouldn't be so sure of my win if the man had decided to challenge on anything other than archery
- although perhaps talisman-making was a sure win on my side too - but he hadn't, and everyone
who knew me knew I was a sharpshooter at heart.
Having maxed out the skill, high Stats to pull the bow back without snapping anything or tiring
yourself out, and Talent's that would make a God jealous doesn't hurt either.
No, no it doesn't.
Nie MingJue takes his position and raises his bow, a long bow made of dark wood that's a beauty,
and nooks his first arrow. I can see his back and arm muscles tense and excitement rises.
This was bound to me promising.
He shoots with such speed and strength that the arrows sink into the target halfway through,
leaving only half of the shaft and the fletching visible.
The crowd woos and politely claps.
He takes position again and shoots, the arrow sails through the air and sinks in a different target,
again dead center with only half shaft and fletching remaining.
I trembled in place, blood starting to pump, and I knew exactly what I was doing next.
When he took his last arrow from the quiver and shot, getting the same exact result in a third target,
he turned to me and gave me a smug smirk.
I responded in kind and got up, took my bow and the three arrows from my quiver.
I heard the crowd murmur and blocked their voices out.
I took my position calmly, relaxed like a panther lazily stalking its prey, and took a deep breath.
*Hawk's Precision*
Would target each individual target.

*Pelting Hail Style*
Would allow me to easily release several arrows at once.
*Pin the Fan*
Would narrow my target further, to the exact point where Nie MingJue's arrows hit.
I pull the string back with an impressive show of strength and hold it for a second before releasing
all three arrows at once.
*Thunk* *Thunk* *Thunk*
In quick succession my arrows sank straight through Nie MingJue's to hit the wooden targets,
splitting the arrows in two.
Personally, I'd have preferred mine to sink straight through the target too but there was a limit to
how much I was comfortable showing off in front of so many unknowns.
I turned back to Nie MingJue with the smuggest expression I could pull together and smirked.
The crowd was silent, staring at the targets in utter disbelief, before jumping in fright when Nie
MingJue started laughing madly.
He put one hand to his chest and laughed, and laughed, and laughed.
When he stopped he looked me dead in the eyes and grinned,"I think I quite like you, punk."
I smirk back in kind,"I am honored, Sect Leader Nie."
He barks another laugh and turns to Jiang FengMian,"Next Conference in Qinghe let me borrow
the kid to teach my juniors some things, Sect Leader Jiang, perhaps my fool of a brother might take
an interest then!"
Doubt.
Ike, don't be mean!
Head-Shaker Nie? Taking an interest in archery?
...Yeah, I know. But it's no reason to be mean about it.
He'll probably be more interested in your painting or sewing skills.
I could show him how to incapacitate someone using a knitting needle.
...That's a cursed image if I ever imagined of one.
No, that's a brilliant idea I'll have to implement whenever we do happen to meet.
God saves us all.
"You are crazy," Jiang Cheng throws an arm around my shoulders and pulls me close,"What were
you thinking!"
"That I was totally winning this thing?" I chuckle.

He wastes no time ranting and raging at me for my behavior, chewing me out for such reckless
actions, and I turn pleading eyes to my seniors.
They give me wide unsympathetic grins in return.
My kind of people.
They're lucky I like them so much.
You wouldn't do a thing to them even if you didn't like them.
I could 'accidentally' dump a load of paprika in their dinner like last time.
They're calling you a spice freak after you ate the rest of the meal with a straight face.
Worth it, and it wasn't even that spice, we've eaten spicier food. Remember that traditional thai
restaurant we went to once?
Oh, my god, don't remind me. The burn. The pain. The flavor.
It was delicious.
It was horror.
No, it was utterly delicious.
Walter nearly died.
He did not.
He had to go to the ER with the amount of food he ate.
...He did?
He did, you were there with him and showed absolutely no compassion for the poor man.
Uh, can't remember that.
Granted, his sisters and brother also didn't show much concern and kept bringing it up at random
meetings over the years.
I miss them, we had fun.
We did.
But we still prefer sugar over spice.
Hell yeah we do, bring in the chocolate and the cookie dough!
Imagine this, this kids have never had a single homemade chocolate chip cookie.
...
...
Ike?
What?
Where can we get chocolate, outside of the store, so that I can do this world some good?
It's origin is in the Amazon so you'd need to be the first to plant it to avoid suspicion. Same with
coffee actually.
Damn.
Maybe it's for the best, I wouldn't want to deal with kids on a chocolate hype.
...
No, we are not 'discovering' chocolate.
But the potential!
For chaos and mayhem? We already have you and your future budding corpse army.
...Fierce Corpse girl scouts.
The hell?! How does your mind come up with these things?
I don't know! But imagine them in a cute frilly uniform selling cookies!
You have issues.
I... can't exactly disagree with you on that one.
"Are you even listening to a word I'm saying?" Jiang Cheng growls.
I laugh brightly at him,"Not a single word, Platypus!"
I totally did not deserve that noogie.
Totally.
It was entirely unwarranted.
Really, why is everyone staring at me like that? It's true!
There was a large banquet at the end of the Discussion Conference.
Every Sect and disciples met in the large hall and ate together. Or well, they were supposed to dine
together but every Sect clustered together with their own and only infrequently interacted with the
others.
GusuLan, of course, had the rule of 'No talking over meals' so there wouldn't be anyone conversing
with them.
QingheNie were boisterous but their overly brash manners clashed with the rest of the clans.
LanlingJin were - using the most polite word I could find - snobbish and tended to be off-putting,
especially when they started talking about how wealthy they were.
YunmengJiang, thanks to yours truly, was being talked about by everyone and desperately desiring
to be back home so they could have some peace and quiet.
And the QishanWen contingency was isolated by all fronts by their own doing.
I couldn't help but think they looked lonely, but I shook those thoughts away considering their
attitudes.
If Wen Ning was here, damn the consequences, I would find a way to bundle that kid up in my
pack and take him with me back to Yunmeng.
I pushed around the food in my plate and tried to find something to entertain myself with, I found it
the form of the Sect Leaders.
They were sat on a higher stage separate from the disciples and conversed quietly among
themselves, with the exception of the Wen Elder who dutifully ignored them - including Jin
GuangShan's transparent methods of brown-nosing - and the sight of them made me recall a single
event that happened years ago.
Nie MingJue had been about fourteen when his father died, grievously injured during a night-hunt,
and rose to be the Head of his Clan and Sect Leader soon afterward.
His little brother, Nie HuaiSang, was only about six or seven when it happened and they had no
other living family who could temporarily take over until Nie MingJue was of proper age.
So he had to step up as leader when he was barely out of childhood himself.
Everyone had pitied the young Sect Leader and offered condolences for the unfortunate accident
that led to his father's death but, as very few knew, it hadn't been an accident.
Months before his father's death, Wen RuoHan had received a rare saber and asked guest
cultivators about their opinion of his new prize. Due to how unpredictable Wen RuoHan could be,
laughing one moment and then punishing someone harshly in the next, everyone complimented his
new saber as he liked.
Everyone except one.
This person, either because they wanted to be different or because they held grievances with the
previous Sect Leader Nie, remarked that, while impressive, there was someone who wouldn't find
this rare saber to be interesting.
Wen RuoHan wasn't pleased anymore and called the Sect Leader Nie to his Sect to 'inspect' which
saber was the most remarkable.
The Sect Leader slapped the saber a few times before giving it back, "yes, it really is a good
saber," he said.
Unfortunately, mere days later, the saber shattered into pieces during a night-hunt and the Sect
Leader took ill, due to his anger and resentment festering about the event his wounds never healed,
and he passed away.
As such Nie MingJue has a very justifiable, but very dangerous, hatred towards Wens.
I wondered how he would see me, in the future, when my plans came to light - for they would
inevitably be found out - and if he'd find me just as despicable as the man who killed his father.
You are nothing like Wen RuoHan, nor will you ever be, as if I'd let you become like that.
Hatred is irrational.
"What are you looking at?" A-She, the head disciple at the table asks me.
"The Sect Leaders," I answer," Nie MingJue looks very young sitting there with them."
And he did, even if you ignored the Wen Elder, all the men at the table were over thirty and into
their mid-forties, two of which were married with children the same age as his younger brother.
It made me realize how dire the war would be when the oldest person at the Discussion
Conference in five or six years from now would be Jin GuangShan, followed by Nie MingJue, Lan
XiChen and finally Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng especially would take over his father at age sixteen.
My heart grieved for the loss of innocence I couldn't prevent.
You're doing the best you can, helping him so much, when the war happens you'll have to realize
that at least, you did your best.
I know that. It just hurts.
"Yeah, I guess he does," A-She replies,"He's twenty, I think?"
"Hmm," I mentally turn numbers over in my head,"Sounds about right."
"How come you only befriend people older than you?" Jiang Cheng frowns at me.
I blink,"You're my best friend and you're younger than me, Platypus," I point out.
He rolls his eyes,"I mean, you're friends with Bai ShouShan, those Lan guys, now Nie MingJue.
And there's all those other people who send you letters and randomly show up at night-hunts to
greet you!"
I scratched at my cheek,"Hmm... Well, the easy answer would be that I befriended them when I
was a rogue cultivator and there weren't any other child cultivators walking about so it was the best
I was going to get."
Jiang Cheng poked at his dinner,"You still do it today, you just goof off enough around the kids to
not make it obvious."
Aah... As much as I like to encourage his perceptiveness, see it being turned against me isn't
something I find favorable. To me and my secrets especially.
"Sorry?" I shrug,"It's not meant to offend anyone, I guess I just default to old habits."
A-She waves me off,"No one really minds who you hang out with or befriend, most of those
cultivators are quite friendly and answer questions we have and impart tricks like you often do."
Of course they would, and I bet they were tricks I taught them in the first place.
"You're a good sharpshooter," Someone speaks from the side.
I turn to see it was Jin ZiXuan who spoke, lips pursed in slight distaste,"If you weren't so...
eccentric, you'd become a prime role model for future cultivators."
I grin,"Thank you, Jin-gongzi, although I personally believe that everyone should act true to
themselves. And speaking of good sharpshooters," I point at Jiang Cheng,"My brother, given a
year or two, will be just as good as me."
"You're not brothers, though, are you?" Another Jin disciple frowns,"His father is Jiang FengMian
and yours is Wei ChangZe, unless the rumors are true."
He says the last sentence with an ugly gleam in his eyes and Jiang Cheng bristles. I open my mouth
to intervene, especially if the Platypus starts a scene, when he takes a deep breath and regains his
composure.
"Wei WuXian and I have formed an oath of brotherhood, he is my brother and I am his, regardless
of not sharing a single drop of blood between the two of us," He replies with a calm and even
voice, dark eyes sharp and piercing.
Before my eyes there's a trick of the light where I can imagine an older Jiang Cheng speaking in his
place, a tongue as sharp as his mother's and a calm temper rivaling his fathers, the perfect mix of
both.
A warm feeling pools in my chest.
It's like watching the little hatchling you've been nurturing for ages finally step out of the nest in a
confident bundle of bright new possibilities.
Pride.
The Jin disciple's eyes widen and he lowers his head in respect, I don't fault him for that, nor for
the fine sheen of sweat that built in his forehead.
I'd been under Madam Yu's glares long enough that they didn't affect me much, however, despite
their different eye-color, Jiang Cheng shared Madam Yu's eyes. And you didn't want to be under
Madam Yu's glare, it often meant that you were about to be very, very uncomfortable.
Frequently by running suicides.
Or by being used as a sparring dummy.
Or by cleaning all the decks of the Sect.
Or by by organizing the Sect Archives.
That last one was mildly interesting.
True, but you wouldn't see me willingly waddling through fifteen shelves shock-full of paperwork
again unless you offered me a reasonable reward.
Jin ZiXuan raised his head slightly, feigning superiority, and spoke,"Perhaps a meet between our
Sects would be reasonable, Jiang-gongzi, for training purposes."
Jiang Cheng returned the look of superiority with a distinct air of bemused indulgence,"I will
confer with my Father before giving you a final answer, Jin-gongzi, as I'm sure you'd understand."
Jin ZiXuan nodded,"Of course, Jiang-gongzi, I await your reply then," And bows out of the
conversation and returns to his meal.
Jiang Cheng turns back to his plate and lets out a shaky breath.
I poke at his cheek and smile fondly at him,"You did great, didi, I'm proud of you."
He reddens and scoffs, hastily putting some food in his mouth to avoid replying.
The senior disciples offer kind smiles and pretend they do not see his cherry-red cheeks.
I sit back in my seat and balance my head on one hand.
That air of bemused indulgence was something I had seen before and it made me both happy and
sad.
It was the same attitude I responded to insults and flowery-layered insinuations over the years.
Jiang Cheng was actively using me as an example on how to deal with conflicts.
It made me so happy.
But I couldn't help think of how a son would look to his father or mother for help in these
situations.
I'd hoped that over the years my firm stance on treating Jiang Cheng as an equal and including him
in almost everything I did would clue Jiang FengMian in that he should take a more active role in
his son's life.
It hadn't.
It made me sad.
Jiang Cheng deserved better.
He has you.
I hide a fond smile in my hand and go back to poking at my food.
Yeah... He has me.
For how long, though?
After the war I will have to leave, no doubt about it, I'll have things to do that very few people will
agree with.
Before that even, the matter of the Yin Energy would put a strain on my ability to be there for my
family, and the Burning of Lotus Pier could prove to be disastrous to my siblings.
I was doing the best I could to ensure the safety of as many people as I could, with a secondary
goal of possibly withstanding the attack, but there were two deaths I feared were inevitable.
I would need to do some quick thinking to perhaps prevent them.
But nothing was certain.
Things will work out, you'll see.
I hope they will.

For their above all others, I hope that they'll have a brighter future.
YanLi marries Jin ZiXuan, Wei WuXian leaves for the Burial Mounds and dies.
Jiang Cheng remained alone in Lotus Pier.
I did not want my brother to suffer the same fate. The same loneliness of standing in an empty
house and waiting for a family that will never return, haunted by ghosts of the past and better
memories.
To look at a seemingly normal object and think,'This used to be theirs.'
And feel as if something is driving red-hot knives into their chest.
I did not want him to grieve.
Chapter End Notes
And next chapter it's back to Yunmeng! Hooray!

Everyone's talking about the sheer crazy that is WWX in this chapter, 'did you even
see him shoot those arrows? How?!', and the senior disciples would like to drink a stiff
drink of they could. But they can't so they'll take the second best option and go to
sleep in their beds back home.
Platypus following WWX's example/imitating him when dealing with certain

situations is logical, but it makes my heart hurt. So of course I have to impart that
same hurt into this story.
WWX is so stressed and worried I wouldn't be surprised if he spent those three months
MIA sleeping it off or having fun with corpses.
And he's totally make them wear frilly uniforms and sell cookies door to door.
JC questions his sanity.
NMJ's hatred of Wens is justified but to pass that dislike to every single person
carrying the name Wen is scary. Children, elderly, and normal civilians that had
absolutely nothing to do with that event are suddenly tarred with the same brush.
All 'Wen-dogs' so they effectively can't ask anyone for help.
Except WWX doesn't care about any of that and is already making plans on top of
back-up plans regarding the upcoming situation.
Really, he has plans up to FUBAR levels and he will employ them if it comes down to
it.
(He won't like it, but he will do it)
Panic in the Tunnel
Chapter Summary
Back home and back to causing trouble.

Also, Murphy's Law to the fullest.
(And you've been asking for this, so...)
Chapter Notes
The title of today's chapter is a reference to the Daylight (1996) movie, which in my
country as titled as today's/tonight's chapter.
"Dark, dark! The horror of darkness, like a shroud, wraps me and bears me on through mist and
cloud." - Sophocles
Chapter 60: Panic in the Tunnel
Back home in Yunmeng it was as if nothing has changed. Maybe it hadn't.
News of the Discussion Conference, the results and of my challenge with the Nie MingJue had
made rounds everywhere, rumors and gossip flourished everywhere not two days after the
challenge happened and the different Sects started to return home.
They weren't malicious rumors or anything that could prove dangerous in the future, the usual 'Wei
WuXian isn't normal, can you believe he did this?!' mixed with 'Genius... Pure genius, is this the
legacy of Great BaoShan Sanren?' that rocked the boat just enough to keep people interested but
not enough that they hound after me for more.
For now, they were content to observe from the sidelines what I planned to do next.
It wouldn't always be like this.
Time was running out.
Once I arrived at Yunmeng I got front-row seats to the ground-breaking argument between Madam
Yu and FengMian, - and no I didn't call it ground-breaking because Zidian literally cracked the
ground between the two of them, it's just your imagination, Ike - that was settled when FengMian
retreated to lick his wounds, figuratively speaking, and I got sent to scrub the piers.
That said, the dinner served that night had about three of my favorite dishes and my plates had
slightly larger portions than usual.
But who noticed stuff like that, right?
Psh, I was probably just seeing things.
Yunru had a blast indulging herself on the fruits of my hard labor, I swear I had no idea how she
didn't get fat from all the food she conned out of people. Whenever I saw her she'd either be eating
or napping off her meals.
Same with Donkey, if he didn't get exercise soon he'd grow too used to the sweet life of a barn
animal.
Well, I would have my sword soon enough and be free to explore again, so there was that.
Although everyone will expect you to either ride a horse or fly with your sword.
Mhmm, I hummed in thought, True. I'll have to figure out something with Donkey.
Today I was finishing the quilt for the Bai infant, because they were a rural clan and did not have
an official color or uniform - even though they would wear green often enough to show their
preference - I was being creative and stitching a fairly decent forest scene with various animals
along the border of the quilt.
And if one of those animals happened to be a one-eyed measuring snake, well, if they could make
fun of the incident so could I.
XianLiang hadn't told FengMian the truth, or specifically the whole truth, he'd insinuated enough
that FengMian had given me a lengthy lesson about the dangers of jumping into a situation without
all the facts.
And that taking on a Measuring Snake with a flimsy dagger and my wooden bow and arrow was
idiotic, that I should be thankful my talisman worked and that the Bai were out of line in allowing
me to join their night-hunt at all.
Of course, he didn't say none of this outright, much less to the face of the Bai Clan Leader, so I
found it more amusing than belittling.
I had grumbled about it later, though, to ShouShan who'd grinned and shrugged 'what can you do,
neh?', and Sister Xi had merely laughed at me when I pouted.
It was unfortunate that I wouldn't be able to visit ShouShan and the newborn straight away, I had
very important matters to attend to right now, but I'd be able to visit somewhat frequently once I
was in Gusu.
The baby will be what then?
A year and a half? Around that. I'll miss the cute pudgy little bean moments but will get the giggly
chubby baby ones instead.
What are you doing next, after you finish the quilt?
I've already scoured the library for old prints of the Sect residence, apart from new buildings being
added, renovations done and some expansion there was nothing that could indicate secret access
tunnels or emergency escapes.
So, is this a dead end?

No, I just need to see the problem from a different perspective.
And how are you doing that?
I finished the last stitch and cut the thread, raising the quilt up to see the complete work, I nod and
carefully fold it before placing it on the trunk by my bed.
I'm asking for a second opinion, of course!
That sounds... Surprisingly reasonable, who are you asking?
Someone who's been here for a while and would have no reason to lie to me.
Not FengMian?
No, Imma try my luck with Madam Yu first, then I'll try YanLi. If neither know anything I'll ask
Jiang Cheng before doing my rounds through the servants and senior disciples.
Where are you going to find Madam Yu at this hour?
I look outside my window and see that it's about mid-afternoon.
I hum for a moment before jumping out of my window.
Let's go ask!
"Miss YinZhu!" I call out and wave,"Good afternoon!"
The usually silent handmaid of Madam Yu turns to me with a guarded but neutral expression, she
bows politely at me and I do the same.
"I was wondering if you knew where Madam Yu or Shijie could be at this moment? I have a
question, but they're not in their usual spots," I scratch at my head,"Now that I think about it, Shijie
has been tough to find these past few months."
YinZhu's guard goes up slightly but she answers my query,"The Madam and Miss YanLi are in the
covered piers in the back of the Compound, what question do you have that you cannot find the
answer yourself?" She asks me.
"I went through the entire library and I still couldn't find it," I pouted at her,"I was wondering if the
Sect had any old tunnels or routes that are no longer used by servants or disciples alike. Jiang
Cheng mentioned that the Jins had an entire maze-work of tunnels and access corridors throughout
their Sect. I was curious if YunmengJiang also had them."
YinZhu looks thoughtful,"I do not know but the Madam might," She concedes to my point.
I grin,"Yup, Madam Yu probably does, she's very knowledgeable about the Sect after all."
The maid gives me a look, trying to decipher if my words were honest or had any double meaning
behind them, but I was being completely truthful and genuine when I said them.
Despite our rocky relationship I thought Madam Yu was pretty cool, and we could at least stand
each other, even if normal conversations beyond polite small-talk were still out of our reach. Either
one of us started to insinuate something or there were borderline insults thrown back and forth with
flowery words mixed in.
Madam Yu had a sharp tongue, but I knew which buttons of hers to push.
Granted, it usually ended with me doing suicide runs or sparring until I dropped but she'd never
outright endangered me.
I vaguely recalled a time where I was fighting with a senior and decided to do an all-out attack that
would, in the best case scenario, twist my ankle to get the disciple to lower their guard. Madam Yu
intervened the moment I took position to initiate that attack and then chewed me out in front of the
seniors.
She cared about me, somewhere in her pitch black heart, not that she'd ever admit it.
"Madam Yu is knowledgeable in many things," YinZhu finally replied,"Do you wish me to

accompany you to her?" She asks.
I bow,"If it does not impose on Miss YinZhu, this disciple would be grateful," I reply.
She gives a near silent snort and indicates me to follow after her.
I could nearly picture her comments of how I was only polite when it was convenient for me and
how this was why Madam Yu always grumbled about my manners.
She leads me around the Compound and to a pier where Madam Yu and a composed YanLi sat
drinking tea beneath a waterproof purple canvas. JinZhu, who had been standing slightly behind
Madam Yu, looked up at our approach and her eyes settled on my form and must've made some
sort of warning sound to her Madam because the conversation going on stopped dead in its tracks.
Madam Yu's violet eyes locked onto mine and narrowed.
YanLi gave me a confused look but smiled as I approached.
I grinned brightly at them both and bowed politely,"My ladies, this disciple apologizes for
interrupting your afternoon."
YinZhu joins JinZhu and I see the woman struggle not to roll her eyes at my words.
Yanli chuckles primly,"A-Xian, what have you done now?"
Smart of her to assume you're here to grovel at their feet before your impressive streak of chaos
comes to bite you in the ass.
"I haven't done anything, Shijie!" I pout at her,"I've come to ask a question I'm having trouble
finding an answer to."
Madam Yu raises a brow at me,"Oh? Something the great Wei WuXian cannot figure out? And
here I thought you had already turned our Sect library upside down. Should I send you to the
archives again then?"
I pale slightly,"No! No, Madam Yu, the archives and the library truly have such a wide range of
information and knowledge, this disciple still has much to learn! But this particular question might
not be registered in any book, I'm afraid."
Madam Yu turns fully to me and frowns.
"A-Xian," YanLi looks worried,"What are you working on now? I thought you'd stopped that 'root
of spiritual energy' research?"
Also give her credit for thinking you are looking for trouble with your crazy research sprees.
I sigh,"I'm not working on that right now." I then add,"But I haven't stopped either!"
Madam Yu scoffs,"Ask your question then," She waves her hand at me.
I stand a bit straighter," Does the YunmengJiang possess any tunnel system or different access
routes? LanlingJin do, Jiang Cheng talked to me about them, I wondered if there was something
similar here."
Both women blink and then stop to think on my words.
YanLi answers first,"I don't know, A-Xian, YunmengJiang has never needed any secret tunnels or
servant corridors, we are fairly open and not densely populated, after all."
I nod slowly,"Not even in case of an accident? Like, say, a large fire? The buildings are made of
wood, some stone, and more wood with cloth and furniture. What if something catches on fire?" I
ask.
YanLi claps her hands,"Ah! If there is a large fire all the non-working servants and young disciples
are to gather in the Ancestral Hall. It's been like that for generations."
I think about the position of the Ancestral Hall, the fact that it houses many ancestors ashes and
altars, and then how old the building was compared to the rest of the Sect.
The archives had showed me the rebuilding and improvements done in general, but the Ancestral
Hall - save for a few repairs here and there - remains pretty much the same as when it was first
built.
If there was anything like emergency escape tunnels then they'd have to spawn there or near it.
"The Sect Leader would know this," Madam Yu says,"Why come here to ask this?"
The unspoken 'if you had asked FengMian he'd already have disciples scouring for information'
was heard loud and clear, YanLi shifted in her seat somewhat uneasy.
I bow my head to the Madam,"Correct, but I did not believe this matter was important enough to
concern Sect Leader Jiang."
Or, I don't like his favoritism and he'll just bother me until I tell him what I'm working on.
"So you come to us?" Madam Yu sneers,"Is our time less valuable than our esteemed Sect
Leader?"
I shake my head,"Oh no, Madam Yu, it's just mere fact that of all the people in the Sect, the most
knowledgeable about its buildings and constructions is you."
And it was true, there was a difference to people who arrived at some place and wanted to know
more about it, and people who'd been raised here all their lives and thought it interesting to found
out more.
Whereas the former would constantly question and research about it, the latter would be content in
their knowledge that, if there was something hidden, than in all the years they'd lived here they'd
have found it by now.
Like when one of the juniors asked why we had to remove the cover off of piers before storms
came and another replied 'we just do it because we're told to'. I'd interjected on their conversation
and explained to the boy why we actually did it.
Both had been surprised to find out that it was so that the storm didn't damage both the cover and
the pier, one because he was from further in-land where the only piers were fishing spots and had
no covers, and the other because he'd just never questioned why they did the things they did.
They were just following orders given by their superiors - who they'd been taught early on not to
question - so why would they think twice before doing it?
While FengMian was born and raised here, Madam Yu married in and had quickly taken over as
overseer of all disciples and their training. She had learnt about and studied the construct of the
Compound over the years, making her the obvious person to ask these things from.
Although you might've wanted to bring a peace offering before you approached her, like a box of
confections or something.
I wouldn't put it past her to think I'd poison them. Or make me do extra training rounds because I
obviously have time to go buy confections at the town.
Madam Yu frowns at me but doesn't say anything else, and I bow once again before leaving as
quickly as I arrived.
I had a potential clue to explore, and I was sure Platypus would enjoy an adventure.
"Why are we doing this?" Jiang Cheng groaned for the nth time,"I could be practicing my
swordplay right now instead of crawling through the floor searching for imaginary things."
I sigh,"A-Cheng, dearest didi, you can go if you want, I'm not keeping you prisoner here."
"But you don't want me to go, do you?" He turns to me.
I shrug,"Again, if you want to go I can't stop you. I don't particularly envy doing this alone, no, but
I'm sure I could con a few disciples to help me for a bit."
Jiang Cheng pouts,"So you'd replace me."
I turn around and give him a disproving look,"You know how much I hate when you say that, no,
Jiang Cheng, I would not replace you."
He shuffles a bit, embarrassed,"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."
I sigh again,"I know, it just bugs me when you say it. I'm sorry too, for being curt in response."
"What are you hoping to find here anyway," He gestures to the rest of the Ancestral Hall.
I sit back on the floor and tap the ground,"There must be some kind of trap door or false wall that
leads to a tunnel or something. Old Sects must have them somewhere, in case of an emergency or
evacuation."
Jiang Cheng makes a face,"Why would there need to be an evacuation?"
Lotus Pier was unprepared for the attack. They just stood there in confusion or ran around in a
panic. It was utter slaughter.
Not this time. Not if I could help it.
"Things were different back then, I think," I tell him. "Figured it was worth a shot, if we don't find
anything then the only thing we've lost is time. But if there is something, won't it be cool to be the
one to discover it?"
Play into his sense of adventure and mystery, keep him entertained and focused on the task, work
and play in sync.
"Then shouldn't we start in the older parts of the Ancestral Hall?" He points all the way to the
back.
I ponder on it and concede to his point,"Probably should've started there, you're right."
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes,"You're an idiot, XianXian."
I grin,"And you love me, Platypus!"
He groans at the nickname.
We spend another hour and a half searching the back of the Ancestral Hall and checking every
nook and cranny in there before we come across what we were looking for.
By accident.
I'd jabbed Jiang Cheng in the side when he made one quip too many about how we were wasting
our time and should just give up, and in retaliation he had pushed me against the large table where
offerings were placed. It rattled badly when I fell against it and pushed it to the side.
I groaned and touched the back of my head - which had banged against the corner of the table,
ouch - and gave Jiang Cheng the stink eye before I got up.
And then paused.
"A-Cheng, is that stone darker than the others or am I seeing things?" I point to the corner piece of
a stone that had been hiding under the table.
"It's darker," He confirms,"Maybe because it's been under the table?"
"Maybe," I nod,"Or..."
I push the table again, away from the ancestral altar, until the rest of the stone in uncovered.
There's a small little nook where one can grip the stone slab up and I quickly do so, not wanting
Jiang Cheng to try and run the risk of it being 'too heavy' to lift by ourselves, and reveal a stone
staircase going down into a completely dark tunnel.
I turn to Jiang Cheng with a smug grin.
"Don't you dare say it," He glares.
"I told you so~!" I cheer and make jazz hands.
He slaps me hard on the shoulder and crouches near the stairs,"Where do you think this leads?"
I crouch down beside him and hum,"No clue, it could be a short distance tunnel, like just enough to
quickly get people out on carriages by a road or boats by a river; or it could go for miles still, we
won't know until we go through it."
"You want to go down there?" Jiang Cheng stares at me like I'm crazy,"It's pitch black!"
I shrug,"Then let's go get supplies, maybe tell someone we're going spelunking into the mysterious
depths of the Sect's newfound tunnel - which might be a very good idea - and have fun," I give him
a winning smile, getting up and brushing dirt off of my pants.
Jiang Cheng looks up at me, down at the tunnel, and back at me before sighing. A deep, deep, tired
sigh that just makes my grin widen.
Poor kid was so done with my craziness that he literally couldn't see an end to his suffering, but he
also couldn't bear to let me endanger myself on purpose alone so he could do little more than tag-
along and attempt to curb my impulsiveness.
We left the Ancestral Hall to quickly grab a qiankun bag of supplies, and I ignored his 'why did you
have one readily prepared?' and left a message with a senior about where we were going just in
case we didn't make it back in time for dinner, and descended down the stone steps.
I lit a torch and watched the flame for a moment before turning to Jiang Cheng,"Impromptu lesson,
never light a fire if you are in a trapped area with no air."
"Why?" Jiang Cheng frowns.
"Uh..." I scratch at my cheek,"Well, air has oxygen and fire needs oxygen to keep burning - and
fuel - but so do we. So, if you're trapped somewhere and there's no air flowing you'll need as much
air as you can spare, fire eats at it leaving you with less and less the longer it stays burning. Plus
smoke, you can't breath in smoke."
He gives me a weirded out look,"How do you know this?"
I shrug,"I read it. Somewhere. Or maybe it was a random old person who told me. I forget."
His face tells me just how much he believes my statement.
I start walking not wanting to discuss my advanced knowledge about chemistry, physics and other
'otherworldly' knowledge that people couldn't even begin to understand. Like modern medicine.
I had looked through medicine books in the library, and had pestered the Sect doctor for
information, and really didn't want to be that one person that goes 'I'm opening dead bodies to see
what's inside' in order to start the ball rolling on medicine.
Maybe I could just point it out to Wen Qing and hope she doesn't stab me with a needle?
You want a fierce corpse but you don't want to open dead bodies?
I don't mind opening dead bodies, I just don't want to open dead bodies and go 'For science!' as an
explanation as for why I am opening dead bodies.
Why explain it at all?
Because it's rude to open dead bodies? Without permission.
Ask Lan Zhan to play Inquiry and ask the person for permission.
Yes, I can see how well that conversation would go between the two of us, Ike.
Enchant him with your spicy dancing first, it'll go much smoother after that.
Why do I even bother talking to you?
Oh, c'mon, it was a funny joke!
It's so not happening.
Just you wait!
"Are you spacing out?" Jiang Cheng grumbles.
"No," I tell him,"Why? Want to do small talk, Platypus? Wow, the weather looks great today!"
He shoves me to the side,"Asshole," He grumbles without any heat.
I chuckle and follow after him,"Don't go too far from me, A-Cheng, I'm the one with the light."
He turns on his foot and makes the grabby hands motion. I laugh at him and hand the torch over,
watching as he starts walking again.
It isn't hard catching up to him and I throw my arm around his shoulders, still chuckling, and then
start singing the initial lyrics from "Heigh-Ho" with complementary whistling skills until Jiang
Cheng's patience snaps and he shoves me to the side.
Unfortunately, thanks to what I'll put down as my horrible luck and Murphy's Law, I forgot one
crucial detail about tunnels, especially ones built in ancient warring eras, they came with traps.
My back hits the stone wall just right to loosen it and I fall through to a crudely carved out stone
room, obviously dug from the wall, and barely have enough time to look back at a stunned Jiang
Cheng before the wall suddenly starts closing.
There's a brief 'oh shit' moment where I reach out to grab the wall and Jiang Cheng does the same
but the moment I touch the rock a vermilion array shines on my side of the wall and burns my
hands.
I flinch back and Jiang Cheng's twelve year old strength can't keep the wall from closing.
"Get help!" I yell at him just before the wall closes.
And then I am left alone in the darkness.
Chapter End Notes
I'm so sorry for the late update, I've been sick as a dog and feel completely horrible.
I'll spare you the gritty details but writing as been the last thing on my mind between
miserably curling up in bed or being miserable out of bed.
And I have caretaker duties on the 29th, so there's another day where there won't be
any chapter, sorry in advance.
This chapter has been fighting me tooth and nail, not sure how well I did compared to
my healthier counterpart, so I apologize for the ditzy writing. I'm having trouble
focusing.
But I love you guys and suddenly stop posting without warning made me feel like the
cruelest villain.
Also, WWX is starting to subconsciously 'smooth talk' to the fairer sex and it's so
funny.
In darkness
Chapter Summary
Lots of fear and angst.

Don't leave your Wei Ying trapped somewhere, it requires constant attention and
pampering.
Chapter Notes
Still not feeling 100% (probably something I ate, to be honest) and a reminder that
tomorrow there's no chapter since I have to go to the hospital!
"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming
dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before." - Edgar Allan Poe
Chapter 61: In darkness
Jiang Cheng ran as fast as he could, dropped the qiankun bag on the ground beside the wall and
then he took off running back towards the entrance. He didn't know what made him move faster,
knowing his brother was trapped behind a wall with no way of getting out, or the stricken look he
had in his eyes when he told him to go get help.
Jiang Cheng had never seen his brother looking like that before.
No... He had, hadn't he? Once before?
The day of the storm, his brother had looked scared.
But that look, that wasn't just scared.
That was terrified.
Jiang Cheng never thought he'd see his brother with such a look in his eyes.
His brother was... different. Bold and strong and reckless. Fearless...
"Everyone is afraid of something, Platypus."
His brother had told him that. He had told him that it was okay to be afraid of something, but only
so long as you never let it overwhelm you. You had to fight your fear, face it, but never letting it
rule you.
Jiang Cheng thought that that was the reason his brother was so much stronger than he was.
His brother was brave, braver than anyone else he had met, he thought, to know his fears and still
diving head-straight into danger.
He's in danger now.
He needs help.
I need to find help.
I need to help my brother.
Jiang Cheng ran faster out of the tunnel and up the stone steps, dropping the torch by the entrance
and taking off out of the Ancestral Hall.
Where to get help?
Father!
He took a single step in the direction of the main hall before he was hit with the sense of inequity
and the recollection of dismissive eyes and gestures, the 'Father is too busy right now', 'Go to your
sister', 'A-Cheng, Father can't play with you', and many other sentences that all said the same
thing: I can't be bothered right now.
If he went to his father right now, he'd be told to go away even before he managed to say a single
word. Although his father would surely be interested if it was Wei Ying who talked to him.
There was a prickle of jealousy in his heart but Jiang Cheng immediately ripped it apart.
His brother hated whenever someone compared the two of them.
His brother was always helping him, keeping him company and teaching him.
No matter what everyone said about his brother behind his back, and Jiang Cheng knew his
brother was aware of what was said, he'd still smile at him and wave off the insults.
But Jiang Cheng could see that the words sometimes hurt him, he'd twitch and go to take a step
towards them before he stopped himself and kept walking.
"No one can ever replace you! Promise me!" His brother had shouted at him.
Jiang Cheng could remember the look on his eyes that day, when those boys had dared to suggest
his father had broke his marital vows with his mother to bed Wei Ying's mother.
Jiang Cheng hadn't thought much of it at the time, they were both young and the words didn't
really make sense then, but he now understood what they had meant.
It hurt to consider it, but in the deep recesses of his heart, Jiang Cheng could see how it could be
true. His father had loved Wei Ying's mother.
But his brother was adamant his mother hadn't loved Jiang Cheng's father, that she had never once
considered it and thought of FengMian as a close friend, nothing more.
If Jiang Cheng was someone who wanted to be petty, that thought made him feel better. His father,
who ignored him and disliked his mother, was unloved by the woman he sought after.
But he also realized that he and his brother deserved better than to be dragged into old arguments
and meaningless speculation. Wei Ying was his brother, blood or not, and he'd stand by his brother.
Because his brother always stood by him.
Always. Never asking anything in return, never pondering about reasons to help him, he just did...
And his brother needed help now.
He needed his help.
Jiang Cheng took off in the direction of his mother's quarters.
He remembered that day on the lake, years ago, when his sister was holding him down on the boat,
the terror and panic at the thought of his brother underneath those still waters not resurfacing for
air.
He'd tried to get his sister to let go of him, he had to help his brother!, when his mother arrived.
She'd grabbed the two of them and got them to the pier making sure they were alright.
"Brother!" He had yelled,"Brother is still out there! Mother, please you've got to help him! He
pushed me out of the way!"
He had clutched at his mother's sleeve and begged her to go help his brother.
And she had.
She'd returned with Wei Ying limp and soaked wet in her hold but still alive.
Jiang Cheng hoped she wouldn't refuse to help him this time either.
In the back of his mind he knew his mother wouldn't, not when she had carried him so carefully in
her arms into the infirmary.
He burst into his Mother's room but found it empty, so he quickly thought of where his mother
might be and took off running towards his mother's private piers, infinitely grateful when he saw
her sitting with his sister talking quietly.
"Mother!" He yelled,"Help! We need help!"
His mother's eyes quickly flashed and she got up from the table,"Jiang Cheng! What's happened?"
"The tunnel! We found the tunnel!" He almost tripped over his feet when he halted in front of his
mother,"Wei Ying is trapped! It was an accident! He's trapped in a wall!" He grabbed his mother's
sleeve,"Please, you've got to help! I couldn't get him out!"
"A-Xian?" His sister covers his mouth in horror, eyes widening,"What were you doing in the tun-!"
His sister turns pale and looks up at their mother,"Tunnel... Mother!"
His mother's violet eyes narrow and turn cold as ice,"That idiotic child!" Zidian sparked in her hand
and Jiang Cheng trembled as his mother's eyes locked into his,"Where is he?"
There was a second when Jiang Cheng feared he wouldn't be able to speak because the intensity of
the glare, but then he felt like a hand was placed on his shoulder.
Warm and calm and familiar.
Brother.
"You did, good work," His brother congratulated him as he hit a bullseye on the target.
You can do this, Platypus, you're strong.
Be brave.
"I'll take you there! Come, Mother, please hurry, Brother needs help!" He took his mother's hand
and pulled her.
He could do this. He could be brave.
For his brother, Jiang Cheng could climb the highest mountain and face the strongest foe, because
there was no doubt in his mind that his brother would do the same thing for him.
The dark was suffocating, all consuming and weighing down on me like a heavy blanket, and the
memories came flooding just like before.
LOCKED
IT'SLOCKED
WE'RELOCKED
LETMEOUT
'Mummy, let me out!'
Ike had fallen silent trying to contain the memories as best as he could, and so I was all alone in the
darkness.
I hit the wall in front of me again and the same vermilion array sparked to life, searing flaming hot
pain over my hands again, and my eyes traced the lines trying to read it and find a way to break it.
Unfortunately it was only visible for a split second before it started to fade away.
LOCKED
LETMEOUT
LETMEOUTNOW
PLEASELETMEOUT
'Mummy! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, please, let me out of here!'
ITHURTS
STOPIT
ITHURTS
LETMEOUT
I screamed and hit the wall over and over again until I could feel blood drip from my fingers and it
hurt too much to move them.
ITHURTSITHURTSITHURTS
'MUMMY!'
There's a cacophony of sounds, screams and yells, shrieking terror that reminisce nails on
chalkboard and I claw at my head, walking backwards until I hit the wall behind, and I drop down
onto the floor.
Ghosts of a past that I could never get rid of get out from their hiding places in the recesses of my
mind and tore apart all the safety nets and safeguards I had in place that held them back.
The dark was suffocating. The air thinner and thinner by the second. My heart rabbited out of my
chest and it was getting hard to breathe.
If there was light in this room I was sure my vision was getting dimmer and dimmer.
My thoughts were in chaos, scrambling to comprehend the situation and keep reality coherent and
not the kaleidoscope of colors, visions, and hauntings that had once been common ground.
Phantom hands reached out to me, grabbing a hold of my wrist in deathly cold fingers, biting cold
iron shackles, and pain exploded across my body.
ITHURTS
MAKEITSTOP
PLEASE
I'MSORRY
ITHURTS
IWON'TDOITAGAIN
HELPME
PLEASEMAKEITSTOP
I'MSORRY
I screamed and screamed and screamed.
There was nothing else I could do.
I was all alone in the dark.
And all my demons were out to feast.
HELPME
'Mummy... What did I do wrong?'
ITHURTS
'Do you hate me, Mummy? I'm sorry...'
WHYDOYOUHURTME
'No one cares about me.'
WHATDIDIDOWRONG
'No one will come help me.'
I'MSCARED
I couldn't breathe.
It hurt to breathe.
It hurts... It hurts... It hurts...
HELPME
Someone, please, get me out.
I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry
LETMEOUT
I thought it'd be a blessing if I could lose consciousness, if only so I wouldn't have to endure the
terror that shattered my reality to splinters, but that relief was out of my grasp.
I was helpless.
I could only curl into a ball against the rough stone wall and scream as I'm ripped to pieces.
NOONEWILLHEARME
'Mummy!'
IAMALLALONE
'Come back!'
HELPME
'Don't leave me here!'
I'MSORRY
'I promise I won't do it again!'
LETMEOUT
'Mummy! Please! Please, don't go!'
LOCKED
'I'm sorry! Let me out! Let me out! Anyone! Please!'

I'MLOCKED
'I want out! Let me out!'
LETMEOUT
'Please...'
ITHURTS
'I'm sorry...'
MAKEITSTOP
"Please..." My throat feels raw and I taste blood in my mouth,"Stop... I can't... I'm sorry... Please,
make it stop..."
There was no answer.
No relief.
There was only the memories, the screaming and terror, the pain of wounds old and new, and the
overwhelming darkness.
I felt the last of my will snap under the strain.
And I lost myself
to
the
darkness.
The tunnel was a tight fit for so many people and Jiang Cheng feared that they wouldn't be able to
push the wall open.
It had taken ten minutes or less to gather some disciples to come down to the tunnel to help pry the
wall open again, but it had felt like hours to Jiang Cheng.
Standing there watching as they tried to push the wall open was worse, so much worse.
They could hear him screaming.
No, not screaming... Wailing.
Loud, piercing wails that stabbed through you, rattling your bones and left you feeling cold.
No one had ever heard someone scream like that.
Bloodcurdling shrieks that threatened to drive them to nightmares.
It sounded like someone was in agonizing pain.
No, not someone...

There as only someone on the other side of that wall.
Wei Ying.
Wei WuXian.
His brother.
His brother was the one screaming.
He was the one hurting.
Jiang Cheng could only stand there and tremble, listening to nightmarish wails coming from the
other side of the wall, clinging to his sister and watching as the seniors got more and more
desperate when the wall refused to give way.
And then the wailing stopped.
Everything went quiet.
Jiang Cheng could not think of any words to describe the terrifying moment when everything just
stopped.
One thought went through all of their minds.
An unfathomable possibility that no one wanted to contemplate.
If he wasn't screaming anymore... could he be de-
"Step aside," His mother ordered with a lethally calm voice.
Zidian sparked with violent arches of electricity and all of the disciples hurriedly complied with her
order and backed away from the wall.
Jiang Cheng's vision swam and his trembling increased, his mother looked worried, he could see it
in her eyes, the worry and the resolute conviction that he couldn't be gone just like that, and he
clutched his sister's hand tightly.
Zidian sparked brighter and his mother formed her famous whip and harshly steps her hand to the
side.
The purple whip struck the wall and numerous vermilion lines sparked over the wall.
"Damn thing," His mother swore.
YanLi held Jiang Cheng tighter and he struggled to hold back his tears.
His mother pulled her arm back again and struck her whip once again against the rock, harder this
time, and the same squiggly vermilion lines resurfaced.
Something niggled in the back of his mind as Zidian struck again and again against the rock.
Jiang Cheng had shared his room with his brother for nearly three years and another three with
constant visits between bedrooms.
Plus, his brother had tutored him in basically anything that cultivators could use whilst on night-
hunts, and Jiang Cheng had been witness to many of his research sprees.
His brother loved Talismans, Arrays and anything that you could potentially draw to cause some
sort of effect.
Jiang Cheng wasn't so enthusiastic about it but endured the long-winded gushing his brother
sometimes descended into whenever something caught his interest.
Arrays are just like Talismans, the seals are organized the same way and function just like
Talismans do. If you know and understand the components of a Talisman, odds are you can dissect
an Array.
In practice Arrays are slightly more complicated than Talismans, but in theory they are the same.
Jiang Cheng focused on the squiggly lines and did his best to separate it into the different sections
his brother had taught him.
'How do you deactivate an array?'
'Hmm, there are a few different ways to deactivate one. But the most practical one and the fastest
would be to disrupt its energy. You focus your Chi and 'break' the array from the inside out.'
Jiang Cheng didn't think twice.
He focused his Chi into his palms and struck the wall.
It felt hot underneath his palms but the vermilion array shone brightly before he felt the wall give
way.
Immediately three other disciples rushed to the wall and pushed it open.
With the glow of more torches they could see a curled up figure against the back wall, hands
pressed against their ears and face hidden behind their knees.
The wall had muffled the screams somewhat but now that it was open they could faintly hear the
gasps and raw whimpering coming from the figure.
One of the seniors reached in to grab him but the minute his hand touched him, he flinched
violently.
His brother looked up and they could barely recognize him. There was blood dripping from his
nose and mouth, which was open in a soundless scream, and his eyes were wide-open and his
pupils were blown wide.
The senior froze and did not attempt to reach out to grab him again.
The wall started to close again.
Everyone struggled to keep it open, using the wall of the tunnel to prop their legs up to prevent it
from closing.
His mother scoffed entered the small room and grabbed Wei Ying in a single swoop.
He kicked at her, struggling out of her grip with gasps and animalistic growls but his mother just
grabbed his tighter to her, one arm keeping his legs trapped under it, and another preventing him
from pushing away from her.
"I want everyone out of this tunnel!" She yelled,"And if I find anyone exploring this again before it
is properly studied and evaluated for more traps, you will not like what I have in store for the
culprit!"
The seniors let go of the wall and allow it to close before picking up their torches and hurrying out
of the tunnel.
Jiang Cheng reaches out to grab his brother's hand but flinches when he twists in his mother's hold.
"Shh," his mother whispers to him,"Calm, it's okay, calm."
She looks at YanLi and his sister grabs Jiang Cheng's hand and pulls him towards the tunnel exit.
His mother follows close behind them, not once struggling or hissing at his brother's attempts of
getting loose.
Jiang Cheng doesn't quite believe he imagined the tears streaming down from his brother's eyes.
He doesn't think he'll be able to forget them either.
The world is out of focus for a while.
I couldn't really move or talk, I heard people talking but everything was muffled, as if they were
speaking underwater. Or maybe I was the one underwater?
I couldn't speak either, my mouth wouldn't cooperate with me and my throat hurt.
Actually, everything hurt. It hurt to swallow, to blink, to breathe. Everything hurt.
But I could feel perfectly fine.
Pain.
Exhaustion.
Confusion.
Warmth.
My body pressed itself closer to the warmth around me and felt fingers run through my hair in
response.
Something colder tried to touch my hands but I flinched away and burrowed closer to the warmth,
fearing what the cold would bring but someone shushed me quietly, and slowly moved my arms
away from the warmth and into the cold.
I tried to form some words, a disagreement or plea but my tongue wouldn't work as it should and I
only managed a pained gasp and a whimper. The warm fingers returned to my hair and the same
shushing voice whispered in my ear.
"...burnt his fingers...take a week...to...fully...I don't...broken...irreparable..." A quiet stern voice

said.
I couldn't make sense of all his words.

What was he saying?
The cold touched my face and my body reacted on instinct kicking out against them, my back
arching, and I open my mouth to scream but only a horrible broken keen was voiced out.
My throat hurt.
The warmth pulled me back against them and forcefully pressed me against them.
"Calm down," A voice said.
The voice was familiar to me but I couldn't pinpoint exactly who it was.
I blinked to clear my sight but it still swam in and out of focus, I could see dark-ish hair and a glint
of gold but nothing else.
The warmth spread through my body and I relaxed under it.
Fingers once again brushed my face and carefully examined my mouth and throat.
"Screamed...raw," The stern voice said,"Warm...soft food only. Plenty...rest."
The cold fingers then examined my head and ears but only hummed and applied some cold liquid
to it.
They reached for my hands again and dipped them into a container of cold liquid.
I made a vague noise of complaint and a huff of breath tickled my nose.
"Is...going...alright?" Another voice asked.
The voice was also familiar, it brought a sense of longing and the need to bring the world back into
focus that instant.
But I couldn't.
My body hurt, I was exhausted, and my thoughts and responses slipped through my fingers like
sand.
I just wanted to sleep and stay curled up next to the warmth.
The stern voice replied something but I didn't catch his words.
I feel something wrapping around my fingers and I try to curl them but they hurt too much to do
that, so they twitch minutely before splaying limply in the hold.
"A-Xian," A soft voice whispers next to my ear,"...afraid...here."
A-Xian... That was me.
Yeah, I recognized the nickname.
Who was calling me?
Aah... I know her...
Who is she?
Aah... It hurts to think.
I'm tired.
I want to sleep.
If I fall asleep, will you disappear?
Don't leave me?
I don't like being alone.
Stay with me.
I won't fight. I won't make a sound. Just...
Please, don't leave me.
I don't want to be alone again.
Being alone is scary.
The world is scary.
But I won't be scared if you're here.
Brave. I will be brave. For you.
If you stay here, I'll be brave.
So you won't be scared.
Stay with me.
The warmth envelops me and I feel my eyes slowly close, I make an odd muffled croak before I
lose the battle against sleep.
Chapter End Notes
Well, now that all those feelz are out of the way, let's jump right to it.
Sarah's Phobia is severe, and I mean SEVERE and the reason why it immediately
escalates to 'omg, if I don't get out of here I'll die' is explained in the future (but author-
san, why make it so mysterious? Well, I have plot revolving around it, so it stays silly
mysterious for now)
As I vaguely alluded to, Ike isn't just a voice in their head but he's not something
paranormal, it makes sense when the full backstory is presented (or it should make
sense by then, idk) but basically whenever these types of incidents happen Ike goes
offline trying to contain the damage.
But it only works for a short while, meaning that if they are trapped for more than
twenty-minutes... Not pretty.
At this point in time I still have a vague dislike for FengMian (but I think that's
partially my failure as an author to not get my personal feelings involved) so I didn't
have JC go to him for help.
Growing up ignored or dismissed by a parent makes it so that when you do need help,
you automatically assume you're going to get ignored and go elsewhere for said help.
For all YZY is strict and very scary, she's already proved that she'd help them if they
needed it.
Also, I read this Naruto fic a while back (or well, one of many I read) that might've or
might not have been a time-travel fic, I forget exactly, but basically Naruto is a Seal
Master but is crap at making seals, not because of practice (he could copy seals no
problem) but because he had no imagination/creativity when it came to seals.
He could, however, dismantle any seal the minute he laid eyes on them.
JC and WWX are always together and from a casual perspective if someone is
constantly working on something or talking about a subject you end up getting some
form of learned knowledge from it.
So, despite having no talent for Talisman-Making (or Arrays) you best believe Purple
Boi can utterly destroy it in a matter of minutes.
Finally, an odd question (especially given the chapter) but - as we're getting to the
puberty part of their lives and WWX being a grown adult with teenage hormones -
how do you want me to portray their sexuality?
Like, should I write actual s*x scenes? Should I just make nuances about it? The
beginning and immediately cut to the end?
They won't be having s*x! Just like... Teenagers. Hormones. HuaiSang's 'special
books'. Get it?
Obviously when they're adults I'll have to think more on this, but then there's the story
rating (that might very well go up, eventually) and I'd like your opinion.
Recovery
Chapter Summary
Recovering from the shock.

Might want to have tissues on hand.
Chapter Notes
Omg, I forgot we have fanart now!

I am so sorry, Sanyok28! I had to quickly upload the chapter and get ready to go back
to the hospital, I didn't even notice!
So sorry!
https://28sanyok09.tumblr.com/post/188623793537/
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." - Confucius
Chapter 62: Recovery
From experience I knew that the first week following an incident involving my phobia is the worst.
Depending on how long I was trapped or how extensive my injuries were, it could take months
before I completely felt like myself again.
Fortunately - or unfortunately, given my state of being - Jiang Cheng and YanLi refused to leave
me alone for more than an hour and had been given a rare exemption of lessons and tutoring to
spend their time with me.
Why both of them and not just one was because the first few nights I had woken up with night
terrors and had attacked myself and whoever tried restraining me.
So it was best if there were two people with me, and a senior stationed outside the room at night,
just in case.
The first day I woke up and felt minimally human was a week after the incident and I had sat up in
bed, tired, sore and confused out of my mind to find an exhausted Jiang Cheng asleep at the foot of
my bed.
I had an headache and my throat felt like sandpaper but I had the presence of mind to pull back my
blanket and toss it over the kid. Before trying to get up off the bed and nearly fall flat on my face
because I felt as weak as soaked noodles.
My knees hit the ground and I let out a garbled expletive catching the attention of YanLi - who had
been rearranging some things in the adjoined bathroom - who poked her head into the room and ran
to help me up.
"A-Xian!" He sighs,"You can't get up just like that, you'll hurt yourself."
"See that," I reply in a croak.
She flinches in surprise and looks me in the eye.
I blink at her slowly, trying to make sense of her shock and surprise, but my thoughts scatter like
flies buzzing in and out of reach.
"You're awake," She breathes,"Oh, thank GuanYin's Mercy, you're awake."
She makes me lie back in bed and tuts when she sees my blanket over Jiang Cheng, but lets him
sleep and just retrieves another from the closet.
"Promise me you'll stay in bed and not try to get up again, ok?" She gives me a hard stare after
she's done smoothing the new blanket,"I'll go in the kitchen and fetch some warm soup, how does
that sound?"
Oh, yes, please.
My stomach grumbles in hunger and her smile widens.
Her eyes have a new light to them.
"Then I'll go get that soup now, stay in bed, A-Xian," She warns me, pointed finger and all.
I pat the blanket and nod.
When she leaves the room I look down at my hands. They're bandaged and feel sort of numb but
warm.
There's a flash of vermilion glow and a searing pain across my palms.
I flinch but the pain is gone in the blink of an eye.
Phantom pains.
It's gone now.
I try to relax and calm my heartbeat down again and look out the window of the room I'm in.
But I only stare out the window for a second before I look around the room.
This wasn't my room.
Why was I here and not in my room?
Why was I here at all?
I got hurt.
Where did I get hurt?

I couldn't immediately recall what happened and decided not to push it.
I had the feeling that remembering wasn't going to be pretty and if I was going to have a breakdown
I'd rather have it after I ate something substantial. And A-Jie's soup was the best.
Although Qinghe won in most other dishes.
I watched Jiang Cheng as he slept, he had dark circles underneath his eyes and I knew, somewhere
in the back of my mind, that they were because of me. I wanted to drag him to curl up next to me,
if only so I could be reassured that he was okay and breathing - and maybe to play with his hair -
but I knew that the moment I tried to move him, he'd wake up.
And he needed to sleep.
So I just laid there in bed, half sitting up, and waited for YanLi to come back.
My eyes focused on my hands again.
I moved my hands and fingers into several shapes and basic finger-spelling BSL, and was confident
I hadn't lost any mobility in them. Even if they felt sore and somewhat 'tight' after a few shapes.
The numbness didn't bother me but it did confuse me.
Did they have painkillers? An ancient version of painkillers?
Or maybe it was the Golden Core?
I know that cultivators have enhanced healing so could they potentially numb wounds once they
are healing?
Ike wasn't here to answer any of my questions.
Where was Ike?
My mind was quiet if disjointed and vaguely empty, like everything had been flushed out of it. Or
blocked.
Ugh, my headache intensified so I settled for being sore and bored in bed instead of curious and
hurting.
I didn't have to worry for long as YanLi returned with a tray with a bowl of soup and some rice
congee.
I immediately felt my mouth water and my stomach growled louder.
Big Sister was an angel and I would fight anyone who dared to contradict me on this.
She placed the platter carefully on the bed and insisted she fed me.
I pouted at her but she refused to budge on this so I internally shrugged my shoulders, bottled up
what little self-consciousness I still had in my body, and opened my mouth like a little baby bird
waiting its meal worm.
Sister's cooking was infinitely better than a simple meal worm anyway, so it wasn't that bad of a
deal.
I was walking about three days after I 'woke up' from my stupor and there were still people
walking on eggshells around me.
I could speak again too!
Though I sounded like a forty-year old smoker most of the time and would rather stay silent until
that passed too.
The bandages around my hands had come off and only showed some signs that they'd been burnt
badly. The scarring would fade with time, if I cared about the scarring at all, and they weren't
particularly visible either way.
Memories of what had happened came filtering through over the next few days and I was
uncomfortably aware that the 'warmth' I had possibly - most definitely - snuggled up to had, most
likely, been Madam Yu.
I could potentially ask Jiang Cheng or YanLi to be sure but I didn't really want to know the answer.
What could be more embarrassing, snuggling up to the woman who disliked you on good days and
wished you were gone from her sight on bad days; or being unsure if you have ever snuggled up to
that woman. Or any woman, and have no clear memory of it?
True, I was in acute stress and wouldn't have been able to tell ShouShan apart from Jiang Cheng
even with my eyes open, but still...
It was just the tiniest little bit embarrassing.
So I was ignoring it.
If she ever came up to me and mentioned it, I'd talk to her, if not... Well, mind over matter. If you
don't mind it, then it doesn't matter!
By far the worst possible situation was that FengMian was aware of my phobia and had decided to
get to the bottom of it, which included trying to 'convince' me to speak to the Sect Doctor and
nurses, and got upset when I rebuffed all of his attempts and got prickly and agitated enough that I
actively avoided him and was not above turning tail and running in the opposite direction if I came
across him.
Really, what was he expecting from me? I didn't know these people, I barely talked to any of them,
and how could I possibly explain a trauma that wasn't even supposed to exist in this life because I'd
gotten it more than fifty-so years ago?
Was it really a surprise that I clammed up faster than retail workers batten down their hatches for
Black Friday?
It made meals very awkward though.
Another thing that didn't help my dislike of him was how he tried to handle the incident.
He tried to punish Jiang Cheng for accidentally locking me in.
I was furious.
Now that I thought about it, that was the first time in a long while that I got upset enough that I was
nearly roaring at the top of my lungs - and aggravating my throat enough that if I were a dragon I'd
be spluttering smoke - and accidentally on purpose might've thrown a bamboo seat at his head.
Sorry, not sorry.
Thankfully Madam Yu was there and she quickly set things straight, plus YanLi backed us up, and
I got to witness something extraordinary.
FengMian apologized to Jiang Cheng and left the room - probably to go stew on his wording and
my anger at him - with minimal fuss.
I'll admit I was surprised, having expected more resistance from him, but let YanLi - and Jiang
Cheng, what the hell - worry about me and my sore throat and sat back down to eat.
On Doctor's orders I was only allowed to eat warm mushy food, which Jiang Cheng wasted no time
teasing me about, and part of my brain drawled out that it looked like baby food.
Infinitely tastier baby food, but baby food nonetheless.
Anyway, I got angry at the situation and the angrier I got at it, the more I got angry at myself for
causing it.
It had been such a stupid mistake, not thinking for one second that a tunnel like that would have
traps, especially considering the time period and circumstances in which such a tunnel would be
exploited. And then make the whole mess worse by shutting down the minute the wall slammed
shut.
I shuddered in remembrance and waved off the concerned look YanLi gave me.
We were currently having a nice, quiet afternoon in one of the piers and I wasn't about to ruin it by
being a grouchy little shit.
The kids deserved some rest, they'd been badly shook by my adverse reaction to the incident and
weren't going to forget it any time soon.
I just hoped everyone else knew how to keep their mouths shut and not speak about it to outsiders.
Although... Apart from the 'walking on eggshells' thing everyone had going on, no one had said a
peep about the incident.
Oh, sure, there was a group of seniors going over every inch of the recently rediscovered tunnel -
and had already found seven other similar traps - but due to it's nature no one was supposed to
know about said tunnel.
One thing that made me feel guiltier about starting the whole 'adventure' with Jiang Cheng before
considering the dangers of it, was that - out of the seven other traps - only one of which was
deactivated.
And that there had been a mummified skeleton next to said deactivated trap.
Go figure, right?
Yeah, I should've been smarter than to think that exploring an old tunnel with a twelve year old -
actually twelve, and not the weird 'it's complicated' answer when people asked me what my age
was - would be a good idea.
It wouldn't happen again, ever again, I swore to myself that I would never do something as stupid
as this again.
Seriously, the right thing to have done then would've been to tell Madam Yu about our discovery
and let them handle it.
But no, I let myself be a cocky little teenager and got Jiang Cheng and I both in hot water.
I startled awake and shivered as the night air blew over my skin. I was covered in cold sweat and
felt disgusting.
It was week two (and a half) of the incident and I still had recurring nightmares of being trapped
behind that wall.
I let my fingers run through my hair and pushed it away from my face, I swore that if I could I'd
just cut if all off. It was now all the way down my back and it got terrible knots whenever I had a
nightmare and trashed around.
And don't even get me started on how heavy it got when wet.
I sighed through my nose and shook my head to clear it, distractions weren't working, my heart still
pounded in my chest like a war drum and I was reasonably jumpy over everything.
I got out of bed and looked out the window, dawn wouldn't be coming for another three or so hours
but damn, I had had earlier starts to my day.
I was going to soak in my bathtub for a while and them make myself scarce for a bit, probably play
some music in a more distant pier and go bother Donkey.
My feet silently made their way to the bathroom but paused when I noticed my Parrot had a slight
glow.
ShouShan had sent me a message.
I walked over to it and open the cedar box, smoothed and polished by yours truly, and press my
fingers to the receiving talisman.
"Hey, kiddo, sorry for the late hour. I wanted to tell you the good news."
The message ended but I noticed that there were other recorded messages, I pressed the talisman
again.
"A-Xi had the baby tonight, well, she started labor in the early afternoon and there were some
complications b-..."
I immediately started the next message, worried out of my mind about Sister Xi, I'd witnessed one
home labor and while part of me would forever long for pregnancy, birth was... Birth was
terrifying.
"But everything's okay! She pulled through, they both did, baby is fine, all red and wrinkly."
I let out a breath of relief and then imagined ShouShan's baby, would it take after the mother or the
father? Would they be tall like ShouShan was, or petite like his wife?
Aah, it made me really sad that I wouldn't get to see them anytime soon.
"It's a little girl, I have a daughter! I'm so happy, A-Ying, you'll love her. She's as cute as a button!"
ShouShan crooned over the message.
I was definitely writing this one down and tell the girl all about it when she was older.
And it wasn't just because ShouShan sounded close to tears as he bragged about his new little girl.
And I was definitely not crying! Nope, no way!
"Her name is Bai Ju, little A-Ju, courtesy YingLai. How lucky of a girl is she, to be named by the
future world conqueror?" ShouShan couldn't help but tease me.
Even over miles and miles away from me he still managed to make me groan and want to slap him
over the head.
Jiang Cheng caused the same reaction in me, whenever he was being particularly dense and
listening to outsider's opinions when they didn't matter, so I guessed it was what having brothers
felt like.
But I was happy.
I was really, really happy.
There were no other recorded messages and I decided not to reply immediately, given my throat
and the fact that I was chocked up slightly from the news.
My vision wavered and I decided to quickly get that bath going.
If only so that no one could question about the water in my eyes.
As I got things ready I barely noticed that I wasn't shivering anymore and that my heart was
beating peacefully in my chest.
The sky was barely beginning to lighten when Madam Yu found me perched on top of a wooden
pillar by a pier.
I was playing one of the songs Mistress Zhu had taught me, a genuinely traditional chinese song,
on my dizi - the one ChangZe had made for me so long ago - and letting the cool air carry away
the tune.
Madam Yu, and YinZhu, approached casually as if taking a normal mid-morning stroll and came to
stop beneath the pillar.
I played the last notes and let them hang in the air for finally looking down at Madam Yu.
She was wearing her usual purple robes, perhaps a bit warmer given the colder weather, and
staring out at the water reflecting the fading moon and stars.
"Good morning," I said voice still hoarse.
"You shouldn't be talking," She looked up at me with a complicated expression,"Neither should

you be walking around whilst everyone is still asleep."
I nod in acknowledgement and look back out at the waters.
"Are you aware that you'll be receiving your cultivator's blade soon?" She speaks.
I turn back to her and nod, slowly, not sure why she'd bring it up.
"YanLi and I will be travelling to Meishan in two weeks, I heard there will be a night-hunt
organized by my old Sect, you will be accompanying us," She tells me.
I blink, startled, and open my mouth to question why when her fierce violet eyes lock into
mine,"Do not speak."
I clamped my mouth shut.
"That night-hunt will do perfectly fine for you to test out your sword and my husband will be too
busy teaching my son his rightful birthright as heir of this Sect, makes it so that he cannot join us
on this travel either," Madam Yu informs me with the barest smirk on her lips.
I lean back on my perch, impressed, and with the very real realization that if I was a betting man -
and one who took sucker's bets - I'd think Madam Yu had planned this whole thing.
"I expect you to be on your best behavior, should you embarrass our Sect you will not like the
consequences," She warns me and then starts to walk away,"And I'll inform Mistress Zhu that she
needs to start you on more complicated works if you can play a famous piece when you're
supposed to be healing."
I winced but bow awkwardly on my perch as the Madam leaves.
When I'm sure she's gone I can't help the huff of laughter that escapes me, and look back on the
waters. The moon was sinking beneath the horizon and all of the stars grew obscured by the dawn's
rise.
The scene would be a pretty sight to send Lan Zhan and XiChen.
I wanted to think of something else to send ShouShan for little A-Ju, especially now since I knew
the gender and name of the child.
A-Ju...
I smiled gently at the sky and closed my eyes.
I prayed that child would grow up happy and loved, healthy and strong, that she could one day
stand proudly of the name I had bestowed her.
Bai Ju, courtesy YingLai.
To usher prosperity.
That child was a new branch on a family tree.
A hope for the future.
She's a promise.
Tomorrow will be better.
Yes, tomorrow will be better, we'll make sure of that.
Welcome back, my friend.
Missed me?
Yes. I missed you very much.
Figures, gone for a few weeks and your world threatens to collapse.
My smile widens.
Then let us try to keep it from happening again.
There's a huff of breath by my ear and I open my eyes again.
Somehow, the world looks brighter and more colorful than before.
I take a deep breath and hold it in before breathing out.
What are we going to do now?
Now?
I ponder for a few seconds and twirl the dizi in my hand, before I decide on what to do and jump
down from the pillar.
Now, we are going to see if Jiang Cheng is awake. If not well, I have in good consciousness that
there's some fluffy puppies in need of petting. Should probably look for Yunru, if she's not sleeping
among their fluff.
Just put some food by a window or something and she'll come running.
I chuckled to myself as I meandered towards the residential wing at a sedate pace.
Yunru had a wonderful sense of smell, which would be amazing in hunting but was put to use by
sniffing out whenever someone was eating or had left some food unattended.
The only reason she didn't sneak into the kitchen pantry was because I had warned her never to do
that, if the food was out of the pantry or kitchen it was fair game, but she was never to take food
from the kitchen.
And never from the people out of the Sect, like guests, because there were limits to how much I
could protect her from.
I worried she wouldn't find a mate, given that Sables were rare this far south, but she refused to
budge and leave to find a mate.
Not that I could bear to send her away, whenever my nightmares got the best of me and I struggled
to fall back asleep, she'd come and snuggle next to my cheek, purring and squeaking.
She'd make a good mother when she finally got her own litter of pups.
The though of a whole litter of constantly hungry water-rats just like Yunru gives me chills.
I snort.
Maybe we'd get them to invade the Cloud Recesses.
My Lord, the chaos, you are absolutely devious.
Thank you, I think so too. Best part is that if I find sables and give them to Lan Zhan instead of
rabbits, he just might do the job for me.
That's even more devious and we are not doing it.
Eh, I'll keep in mind for later use.
Lan QiRen would find a way to murder you if you unleash a wave of ravenous sables down on his
peaceful mountain.
By the time they become an honest problem I'll already be the Yiling Patriarch, and I'd like to see
him pin that event on me just so I can introduce myself as 'Wei Ying, courtesy WuXian, the dark
and evil Yiling Patriarch, the one who raises armies of the dead and releases waves of ferrets down
on his enemies'.
You have issues.
You won't find me arguing, but you can't deny that it makes life interesting.
Chapter End Notes
Reason why it hasn't taken longer for the 'recovery' to happen, a) we're running out of
time for Arc III, and b) the constant soothing presence of people (and perhaps one or
two more doses of spiritual energy) around him helps. A lot.
That said, it took almost 20 days before he could walk around and 'be normal' yet he
still has frequent night-terrors and does not want to get close to the Ancestral Hall
(tunnel).
FengMian's attempt at punishing JC, here's the thing. And this is in no way a correct
form of parenting. Growing up, my brother and I were frequently told that, if we
played rough, and one of us started crying, you could bet your bottom dollar the other
one would start crying soon.
That's mostly because my grandmother had the brilliant idea that if one of her children
came crying to her because one of their siblings did X, Y, or Z to them, then she'd call
them to her and whoop them. So now they were both crying. Fair's fair, right?
Yeah, please don't ever do this. It's a lot more damaging than you think.
Here, he was in some misguided way that WWX would feel vindicated if JC got
punished for hurting him, except WWX thinks the whole thing was his fault because
he was the one that decided to explore the tunnel, and the actual 'incident' was an
accident. Had it been JC locked in things wouldn't have escalated so much (except
Madam Yu would've killed him /WWX/)
I can just imagine ShouShan blubbering over the Parrot about his new amazing
daughter, and omg, A-Ying, you've got to come see her! She's so beautiful *proceeds
to blubber some more*
A few years back there was this little toddler, about one or two years old, that got
some weird fascination with me and demanded that I hold him for a while.
I kid you not, it felt really good to have this tiny little kid snuggling with me. I
would've taken the kid home with me if well, that wasn't kidnapping. And I wasn't
fourteen or so at the time. Yeah.
The song WWX was playing on his Dizi was "Drifting Life Unending",
(https://youtu.be/sd2hDTbm614) which turned out - after reading the comments - that
it was just a chinese instrumental cover from a japanese song "Sakurairo Maukoro",
(https://youtu.be/2nIY9bj37gE).
It works anyways, I have more songs for WWX to play later on (and serenade to LWJ,
when he's totally not doing it on purpose).
No, WWX and Ike won't unleash sables into the Cloud Recesses, he'll still get LWJ
his precious bunnies (who may or may not be mates, heh).
For anyone interested, the doctor's appointment went as great as it could be (meaning I
was emotionally wrung out and utterly exhausted after it) and we're going back today
because that's how serious they're treating this.
Oh, I also got politely asked if I was contemplating suicide, so there's that.
Blood and Water
Chapter Summary
Arrival at Meishan, Suibian is here, and there's more resemblance in the Yu family
than it is first apparent.
Chapter Notes
Remember when Madam Yu first met WWX and tested him?

Yeah, I'll just say it's a family trait/quirk thing.
Fanart!
"The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb." - Old Saying
Chapter 63: Blood and Water
Meishan was different than what I was expecting.
And, to be honest, I wasn't sure exactly of what I was expecting.
Maybe a bunch of Madam Yu's?
If there was ever more than one Madam Yu woe be to the universe if they ever manage to meet.
Imagine of they fell in love with same man?
It would mean war, no doubt about it. Now stop terrifying me and help me not to mess this up.
What are you afraid of messing up?
These damn robes and introductions with Madam Yu's birth family.
Thanks to how culture worked here, girls would literally abandon home and their ancestors when
they got married, and only visited home once in a while as it was now their duty to look after their
husband's family as if they were her own.
Including calling them 'Mother' and 'Father'.
I'd asked Mistress Zhu if even noble ladies had to do that, considering that in Sects bloodlines were
important, and the answer was ambiguous. Some did, some didn't, it all depended on the husband's
desires.
I swore if I heard that slimy Jin GuangShan even try to have A-Jie call him 'Father' I'd find a way
to turn him inside out. Slowly.
You're temper is strangely fluctuating between what we'd consider normal and weirdly quick to
combust.
Yeah, I noticed that. Jiang Cheng is also grumpier than usual, but so far no one has commented on
it.
...
What? You think you know what's wrong?
I do, and you probably know it too, you just haven't stopped to think about it.
About what?
Oh, no, my mouth is sealed, I'll let this one run it's course.
I mentally roll my eyes at him.
"A-Xian," YanLi smiles at me,"Are you feeling alright?"
"Perfectly fine, A-... Shijie," I quickly correct myself.
I called her A-Jie in front of everyone except Madam Yu, same with calling Jiang Cheng Didi. I
knew she knew I called them that, there's no way she doesn't know about the
brotherhood/siblinghood oath we three had made, but to refer to either of them like that in front of
their mother bordered on suicide.
Even if the face she'd make if I ever slipped up promised to be hilarious.
For the 1.2 seconds where you're alive to appreciate it.
True.
"You're not tired? Does your throat hurt?" She asks.
I restrained a sigh and instead smile widely at her,"Why, Shijie! My voice is much better than it as
before! And tired, pssh, I'm not tired. What about you, Shijie? Are you tired?"
She could totally see through me, her eyes twinkled with amusement but let me brush off the
subject,"I'm fine, A-Xian, your shijie doesn't tire easily either."
"We should be arriving soon," Madam Yu speaks before either one of us restarts a
conversation,"Make sure you have everything with you before you leave the boat, whatever you
leave behind belongs to the boat owner."
I highly doubted that if Madam Yu forgot one of her gold ornaments or some piece of jewelry that
she'd let the poor boatman keep it, but I said nothing of my opinion and instead nodded.
Turning to make sure I had everything.

My hand brushes against the the black sheath of my sword.
I pick it up and feel the weight of it, the cool black sheath with the pale metal and red tangling cord
from the pommel, were beautifully made and carved. An excellent example of the high quality
swords Lotus Pier's blacksmith forged.
My fingers trace the characters written on the sheath.
Suibian.
My lips curl into a bemused smile.
I had been excited to get the sword, practically bouncing in place, and driving Jiang Cheng nuts
with the level of energy I managed to exude so early in the morning. He was a bit upset he had to
wait a bit longer to get his own sword but I pacified him by promising to let him swing my sword
around and to teach him all the cool tricks I developed - as if I wasn't doing that already - so the
only thing that really bothered him was the fact that I would start going on Night-Hunts by myself.
Or well, as 'by myself' as I could because I suspected someone had made it an order to have a
senior shadow after me, if either of the my siblings couldn't tag-along to my outside excursions.
Anyways, I had went with FengMian to pick up the newly forged sword and had felt an instant
connection when the sword was placed in my hands.
"Player has received a Spiritual Sword not aligned with the System's requirements."
"Does the Player wish to align this item with the System?"
[YES] [NO]
I paused as my eyes flickered along the glowing blue letters before turning the sword in my hands
to gain time to question the words' meaning.
What did the System mean?
If I said [YES], what would happen, if I said [NO], then did it meant I could never align the sword
later?
"Do you like it?" FengMian smiled down at me.
I pretended to finish inspecting the sword and smiled back in response,"Yes, it's not as heavy as I
thought it would be."
True, I had expected the sword to be much heavier, but then again, I had been practicing with
practice swords for years now and my Strength Stat meant I could probably try to bench press Lan
Zhan with minimal trouble.
So quick to get your hands on your Lan Zhan?
I'm not talking to you.
So cruel.
Jiang FengMian nodded,"As you are used to knives and that short sword of yours I thought it
would benefit you from having a lighter sword, it's just as resistant and durable as heavier swords,
do not worry, it just values speed and accuracy over innate power."
Which explained why Wei WuXian couldn't pull Su She out of the water and up on his sword fast
enough to escape the waterborne abyss. Either way, it didn't really bother me.
"What will you name it?" Jiang FengMian asked me.
I pretended to give it some thought, I had already knew what this sword would be named - and
truthfully had no reason to change it's name - but I couldn't just blurt out 'Suibian' and not offend
either FengMian or the poor blacksmith.
Due to my - what polite word to use - circumstances, everyone and their mothers knew that I was
long over due a cultivator's sword and everyone wanted to be the one who forged YunmengJiang's
prodigy's sword.
Which would be named Suibian.
I could just imagine how unbearable Jiang Cheng's gripping would be when he saw the name, and
how his Mother would probably try and flay me alive for the embarrassing name I chose.
A-Jie might just sigh and mutter how she should've seen this coming.
The glowing words still floated over my head and I couldn't wait to be alone so I could investigate
them.
In the meantime I said about ten or fifteen names I picked off the top of my head before
shrugging,"Well, whatever!"
FengMian smiled,"If that is so, well, why not name it Suibian?"
I pretended that I was amazed at the solution and grinned,"Yes! Suibian!"
FengMian took the sword back to have the characters engraved and the poor blacksmith looked
like he'd just been told his dog had died.
He'd been so happy, and smug, that he would be the one forging this sword. But now he didn't
think he'd have the guts to reveal that the 'masterful' sword he had forged for the prodigy would be
named Suibian.
Wei WuXian and his mighty Whatever!
That could seriously be a book title and I'd buy it if only to learn what the 'whatever' actually was.
Honestly, you've bought weirder titled books.
That I did. The kids loved it, especially when I placed them in open view, and every so often
someone had to do a double take to check if they'd read it right.
Hilarious.
The blacksmith gloomily engraved the characters into the sheath and the sword was handed back
to me. The glowing letters of the notification reappeared the second my hands touched it again.
I really wanted to skedaddle out of here so I could figure out what they meant but it would be
awfully rude to do so, so I had to at least silently endure my curiosity for a few more minutes.
Thankfully it seemed like my luck was shining on me for once and an emergency occurred shortly
after we left the smith, and FengMian was called away when he was mid-way through suggesting
we head towards a practice ground so I could try out my new sword.
When FengMian was gone I wasted no time in booking it to the nearest isolated area so I could
investigate the notification.
"Player has received a Spiritual Sword not aligned with the System's requirements."
"Does the Player wish to align this item with the System?"
[YES] [NO]
'Help, System,' I thought,'Player does not understand notification.'
No answer came.
You might need to be more specific.
Ugh.
'Help, sword not aligned with System's requirements.'
«An item not aligned with the System's requirements cannot explore the full extent of its power and
the Player is limited in its abilities.»
So...It meant that the sword had to be upgraded?
Why are you asking me, I know as much as you do when it comes to this System's weirdness.
It's not weird, don't offend it, the System is cool.
I could feel Ike rolling his eyes.
'Help, align items.'
«Items that can be aligned will be highlighted upon touch if the Player wishes it.»
"Currently the Highlighting Feature is turned [OFF]."
"Does the Player wish to turn it [ON]?"
[YES] [NO]
I pressed [YES] and looked back down at Suibian, which had now a very faint bluish glow to it,
and back at the words.
'Help, not aligning items.'
«Items that are not aligned cannot explore the full extent of their power and limited abilities.»
That just repeats the same thing the other notification said.
'Help, delay aligning.'

You think this will work?
We'll see.
«The Player can refuse to align an Item at the System's prompting and later manually align it.»
That answers it.
You sure?
Sixty per cent sure, which is as much as we're gonna get.
I pressed the [NO] button on the first notification and watched as the words disappeared but the
glow around Suibian remained.
Why did you not align it?
Two reasons, first I don't actually know what the 'aligning' would do to the blade, if it would cause
it to feel 'off' to anyone who doesn't know my weirdness; and secondly, because I want to try and
align something else before I do the same with Suibian.
Surprisingly thoughtful of you. What are you going to align?
I have no idea!
And just like that you're back to the same air-head I am so used to.
I can't think of everything!
Yet you can strategize an entire battle plan to cripple over fifty per cent of the Wen's forces and
create a whole network that will be fully independent and operational in three or so years.
Aren't I just the most awesome human being?
You are the craziest human being and I will laugh at you when this blows up in your face.
It will work out as it should, oh ye' of so little faith.
Yes, I know it will work out. I just wonder what lines you're going to feed people when they asked
how exactly you managed to pull it off.
I have connections.
You started this when you were five.
...It was an accident?
How the hell do you accidentally take over a country?
I am not taking over anything!
Keep telling yourself that.
Okay, you know what, this conversation is done. I am going to look for Jiang Cheng and I'll spend
the rest of my afternoon watching him get torn between delight at my sword and horrified at my
naming sense.
Introductions in Meishan were slightly awkward - and not just because of me - and somewhat
tense.
From canon we knew that Yu ZiYuan came from the MeishanYu Sect and was known as Third
Lady Yu, that she grew up with Madam Jin, and that the Sect had mild influence in the area
because they managed to force FengMian into making an alliance with them.
What canon never explored was the fact that Madam Yu had an older sister who married into
another different Sect - I'd heard it had been to a Lanling region Sect, other's said it was a Gusu
based one - hence her name as 'Third Lady Yu', after her mother and older sister.
And then we had her brother.
Who had greeted us at the door fairly amicably but couldn't quite suppress the smirk of being the
Sect Leader Yu, and straight-up antagonized Madam Yu by calling her Lady Jiang.
I swear I thought the man had a death wish.
YanLi bowed primly at the man,"Greetings, Uncle, it has been a while."
Saintly YanLi, she was a reincarnated Goddess and would ascend to the Heavens through sheer
kindness alone.
"Niece, it is good to see you," The man smiled back,"And who is this?"
The man looks straight at me with a very familiar look in his eyes.
I stand with my back straight and bow politely,"This one is Wei Ying, courtesy WuXian, disciple
of YunmengJiang, Sect Leader Yu."
"Well, who'd have thought you'd stand to travel with that whore's son," The man laughs.
He's not laughing for long.
There's a sudden weight to the air making it hard to breathe, like someone is sitting on your chest,
the man pales and looks at the source of the weight.
And meets chilling silver eyes piercing like a knife up to his throat.
I smile at him, showing perhaps too much teeth, and surreptitiously move my body so the sun
catches on both Suibian and Xiaodan at my waist. I had Xiaotong back in my arm-guard and
Xiaohui in my boot.
You have too many knives.
You can never have too many knives.
You also have a second cultivator's sword in your inventory.
If I ever bring it out and explain it's origins someone will definitely laugh at me.
Why? Because you picked up a corpse's sword when you were four and never used it even nine
years later?
In my defense, I couldn't use it for much of that time, and when I could there was no easy
explanation as to why I had it.
It was a gift?
I'd have to remove it from my inventory, send it somewhere and then ask them to send it back?
Nah, I'll just leave it there in case it's ever needed.
"Wei WuXian," Madam Yu spoke calmly,"Release the killing intent."
I adjusted my posture again and just like that the pressure was gone.
The man stumbled back and gave Madam Yu a sour look, to which she responded with a rather
toothy smirk.
"YunmengJiang's disciples are very spirited, aren't they?" She says,"Don't worry, dear brother, we
won't be staying for long. I have business with Mistress Juan."
The man paled far more than he had when I threatened him and his eyes got very shifty.
Interesting.
He cleared his throat and gestures for his disciples to help up with our luggage.
"It's good to have you back, sister," He said airily in an attempt of keeping his fear hidden.
It didn't work, everyone could see it.
"Yes, it's been a while," Madam Yu barely even looked at him.
"Shijie," I whispered to YanLi,"Who's Mistress Juan?"
YanLi gave me a predatory look I never thought I'd see on her face,"Oh, she's the one who created
Zidian."
I swear she never looked so much as her mother's daughter than she had at that point.
It was bloody terrifying.
And so freaking cool!
I probably had stars in my eyes as I looked up at YanLi - probably my last year of doing it,
actually, I'd probably start growing like a weed once I hit fourteen - and she chuckled at me.
"Is A-Xian impressed with the Mistress or with me?" She asks.
"Shijie is the best person and A-Xian is so lucky to know her!" I laughed.
She bated softly at my head,"Oh, you! A-Xian is too free with his words!"
I pouted,"But Shijie, it's true! Shijie is the best girl in the world! Best shijie! I'll fight any who
argue against it!" I make a show of 'pugilist' fists and watch as she tries not to roll her eyes at me.
"A-Xian, how old are you?" She asks in a bemused tone.
Well, there's only one response to that.

"XianXian is three!" I grin shamelessly.
The five other YunmengJiang senior disciples just collectively sigh and shake their heads, ignoring
the looks they get from the MeishanYu disciples.
Admit it, you just love sowing chaos.
I never denied it, have I?
No, you have not. I apparently just hold some semblance of hope that that thick face of yours thins
enough to realize how stupid you look like when you do this.
Ah! Jokes on you, I'm far too old to be feeling any shame!
Heh, we'll see.
Uh? What does that mean? Ike? What do you mean?
I mean, we'll see.
We'll see what? Ike!
How shameless you truly are.
When?
Oh, you'll see.
Ike!
There's no other reply and I do my best not to sulk outwardly.
Really, Ike was such a big meany at times, he could've at least given me a hint about what I could
possibly be embarrassed about!
"A-Xian," YanLi spoke up again,"After we are settled in, do you want Shijie to show you around?"
I smile brightly,"Yes!"
She giggles,"Then A-Xian has to be on his best behavior, or Mother will ground you."
I pouted at her,"Shijie, how cruel."
She pats me on the head,"Yes, yes, Shijie is very cruel to poor A-Xian."
Have I mentioned how much I love this girl?
Not recently, no.
Because I love my sister. Jin ZiXuan better watch out because if he badmouths her I won't stop at
one punch.
She loves him.
And he better learn how to love her and treat her like the Empress she is!
He's fifteen when you meet him.

Old enough to know how to treat a woman.
I seem to recall one little boy at fifteen that was serving 'timeout' with you at the cafe because he
did something, what was it?
Uhhh...
Oh, that's right! He made fun of a girl for having her cycle.
I mentally groaned as I remembered.
It was Bobby, the oldest of all of my nephews, a real handful of a hellion in his teens. In
comparison, after having him over Colin and Landen were a breeze. At least for the boys, I swear
Caroline and Martha gave them a run for their money with their mood swings.
So, what was that you were saying about fifteen being old enough?
He still doesn't deserve her.
According to you, no one does.
I ignored him and totally did not end the conversation because any response to that statement
would make me sound like a petulant child.
Totally not.
"A-Xian," YanLi said as she sat on one of the chairs in a fairly private courtyard surrounded by
flowers.
"Yes, Shijie?" I look at her and stop poking said flowers.
"What does A-Xian think a family means?" She asks me.
I pause and think over her words, coming to sit on the chair beside hers,"Well, they're people who
care for each other and support each other through life."
YanLi looks a bit surprised at my words,"Not blood?"
I give her a wry grin,"Family doesn't start as blood, family are bonds. Father and Mother weren't
related after all," I laugh.
A-Jie wrinkles her nose at me and tuts,"Really, A-Xian!"
I chuckle and continue,"Family are people who love each other and know each other, they accept
both the good and the bad. Family means... home."
She sighs,"I will leave home when I marry," She tells me.
I nod,"I will leave too, eventually."
She turns back to me with sad eyes,"Why does A-Xian have to leave?"
I give her a sad smile,"I will also leave to make my own home, I'll fulfill the promise I made to my
parents and then... I don't know."
"Doesn't A-Xian want a family?"YanLi asks me.

I laugh,"I already have one! Two actually, since mom and dad still are my parents, even if they're
gone."
"But A-Xian must marry a nice girl one day, A-Xian will make a good father,"She smiles softly at
me.
I shrug,"I don't know, A-Jie, we'll see. I wouldn't mind my family to grow, children..." My eyes
turn sad as I remembered the children - all grown up and living their own lives - I had left behind.
I obviously couldn't get pregnant in this life either, which stung a bit when I thought about it, but it
was an old wound that had long since scarred over.
I hadn't put much thought in making my own family, especially since I was so invested in surviving
this war and making sure that no one died in result of my actions. Actively trying to prevent deaths
and make plans on top of plans to keep as much of this family of mine whole and safe.
It was hard.
Even if I was successful and it all worked out, odds were I'd still be painted as a villain and a
monster. My mountain wouldn't just be my quiet little haven and pet project but my own self-exile
from the rest of the world.
People wouldn't be able to associate with me without political repercussions.
The mess of Qiongqi Path could still happen, my network wasn't foolproof and there was also the
slight problem of capacity (although I was working on, hopefully, an overestimate of refugees) and
shelter. I knew I wouldn't be able to get everybody out, but I was doing everything I could to
diminish the massacre.
No, the genocide.
Because what would happen would be nothing short of genocide.
"What is A-Xian thinking about so intently?" YanLi asks me.
I give her a crooked smile,"Shijie... Can I ask you something weird?"
She blinks,"Weird? What is it, A-Xian?"
"If you had to choose, between doing what was easy and what was right, what would you choose?"
She frowns,"I don't understand, A-Xian."
I chuckled and looked away,"Yeah... I don't think anyone does."
Not until it's too late to turn back.
Chapter End Notes
Interesting fact: "Blood is thicker than water" supposedly 'teaches' us that family wins
out over friendship/bonds outside of blood. But the original full proverb "The blood of
the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb" means that people who spill blood
together (in battle, since covenant is an agreement/vow thing I didn't totally get) are
closer/stronger bonds than familial ones.
Poor Blacksmith, he only wanted to brag about this one sword. And now he can't
because everyone will forever be too embarrassed to say the sword's name (with a
handful of exceptions).
Madam Yu's brother seems like the type of brother who likes to needle his younger
siblings. Unfortunately for him Madam Yu is veery much the same, and she knew
exactly what her brother would say.
Also, give a round of applause for WWX not immediately flying into a rage and
skewering the idiot who called his beloved mother a whore.
Progress!
So, I've been anticipating the odd 'wait, how many nieces/nephews does she have?' so
here's a simple edited version.
Walter's side: 1 brother (Matthew), 2 sisters (Hannah and Abigail).
Brother had 2 children (Bobby and Annie); Sister 1 had 3 daughters (Cynthia, Caroline
and Helen); Sister 2 had 3 children (Martha, Colin and Landen).
When Sarah died 4 of her nieces/nephews had children of their own. So... Yeah, lot's
of family.
*Also, Sarah was considerably younger than Walter's siblings. They were already in
their 30s while Sarah was in her 20s.
Brothers
Chapter Summary
Where Wei Ying misses his Platypus and home; Where Jiang Cheng misses his
XianXian and is troubled; and Oh MY HEAVENS, IKE! Stop laughing!
Chapter Notes
Fanart!
"Brotherhood means laying down your life for somebody, really willing to sacrifice yourself for
somebody else." - Tim Hetherington
Chapter 64: Brothers
Madam Yu had taken YanLi to the Mistress who had created Zidian early the second day at
MeishanYu, I accompanied the other seniors - who'd been here before - to this Sect's training
grounds and sat around to observe them.
Each Sect had slight variations to their martial arts formations, or even swordplay forms, so it was
a good opportunity to observe how differently they did things here.
Unfortunately, given that it was Madam Yu who was responsible for all the disciples training and
discipline, there was little to be learnt from them.
The footwork was, personally, subpar and there were unnecessary motions and wasted movements
because these disciples had little to no improvisation.
It was boring.
Or maybe you're just too used to a certain quality of life, MeishanYu isn't a Great Sect.
They're supposed to have a reputation though.
They did. Years ago.
It made me eager to get to the Cloud Recesses and spar against Lan Zhan. Maybe Lan XiChen if I
could catch him on a free day.
From the novel they were strong opponents and had brilliant swordsmanship, they'd prove to be a
challenge, surely? There were also the Nie and, maybe, Jin ZiXuan. Once we were all disciples I
could ask them to spar, build up my skill and help them gets their up to par.
Actually, Jiang Cheng would love to spar against strong opponents.
Usually he fought against me, who gave him the biggest challenge, and also against some of the
seniors. But he mostly stuck with the Juniors of his generation because they were the ones he'd be
commanding once he took over as Sect Leader.
By the time he became Sect Leader - in his mind, unaware of what the future had in store for him -
it was expected that the majority of the seniors now would be gone, either to start their own
families and serve the YunmengJiang Sect differently (as instructors, guards, or servants) in order
to keep the 'disciples' a fairly young percentage of the Sect.
That's not to mean that they kicked anyone out, it was just that they stopped being disciples.
A handful of former-disciples would stay and exercise great influence in future generations, usually
the Senior Head Disciple of each generation, but not all.
"Are you just going to sit there staring?" A MeishanYu disciple asked with a frown.
"Depends, do you want me to come down and spar against you?" I ask them.
He shrugs,"You've got a sword with you, don't you? Why don't you put it to use?"
I bob my head and get up, walking down the stairs to the training ground and stepping into the
ring.
I pull Suibian out of its sheath and watched the sunlight glint off its blade.
"That's a weak glare," My opponent scoffs,"How new is it?"
"It was forged last week,"I answer,"But don't think this match will be easy for it."
He laughs,"A week? I've had my sword for a year!" And he pulls out his own blade, a mellow glare
coming from it, nothing too spectacular,"I'll show you how MeishanYu disciples fight, not your
copycat style swordsmanship the Third Lady teaches!"
I wanted to comment on how they were calling us copycats when we updated our swordplay
moves and routines every few years - and had big annual reviews on all the forms and teachings -
while the MeishanYu hadn't changed their footwork in thirty or forty years, but wisely kept my
mouth shut.
I had no doubt that the Madam would ground me - or make me apologize - if I embarrassed them
so viciously they wouldn't be able to look me in the eye again.
Honestly, I'd settle for beating them using only the most basic forms I knew of.
No use in letting them know all my attacks.
The boy came at me and I parred his blow without much effort. My wrist twinged slightly from the
impact and I had Ike start making mental notes about improvements to my gear and technique,
whilst I focused on dodging and parring his blows.
Before my eyes I could see the System highlighting weaknesses and openings in their position but I
let him set the pace for the match.
To an inexperienced outsider it looked as if the MeishanYu disciple was driving me to a corner,

chasing me whenever I managed to get a bit of breathing room, but to the experienced eye...
I was playing with him.
The oldest YunmengJiang senior with us took one look at what I was doing and sighed, he knew
this wouldn't end in MeishanYu's favor and short of stopping the spar - and having to explain why
he was stopping it - there was little else he could do but watch the fireworks.
And, dear lord, were their fireworks.
After leading the guy on for about ten minutes he finally clued in that I was messing with him and
he turned angry.
It was a stupid decision on his part.
Getting angry meant that it was as easy to manipulate him into exactly where I wanted him to be, as
it was to annoy Jiang Cheng with a catchy tune or have his dogs come running to me because I had
treats in my pockets.
I suddenly strike, pushing his sword upwards and hitting him with the flat of my blade on the side
of his chest, a soft spot normally protected by the arms. He twists slightly in that direction and I use
the opportunity to point my sword at his jugular.
In a real fight, he'd be dead ten times over.
I didn't really want to think about how I'd be neck deep in war in three or so years time.
The disciple grunts and steps back, conceding the win to me, and I lower Suibian. My seniors cheer
a bit and shake their heads, sharing looks between themselves and poking fun at the MeishanYu
juniors.
I kind of felt bad for not enjoying the spar as much as I should've. It wasn't fun.
I had skill and experience heads and shoulders above them, I wanted a real challenge. If I was a
mean person maybe I'd brag and incite these guys into fighting me all at once but I didn't want that
to happen.
I genuinely just wanted a fun spar, with everyone involved knowing it was just a spar and that it
was meant to be fun.
I wanted to fight someone and learn from their, see their moves and go 'oh, that's smart. I should do
that.' not just... this, I guess.
Maybe YanLi would like a spar?
I hadn't seen her wielding a sword much, although I knew she had one - just like Madam Yu had a
sword herself - and didn't think I ever heard its name, but if she had one she must know how to use
it. And with how she was starting to resemble Madam Yu more and more... Well.
Maybe she'll get a Zidian herself.
It would be interesting to fight against that lightning whip - and try to figure out how it worked -
but since there was only one ever wield of such a thing and said wielder was Madam Yu, I wasn't
exactly sure how to ask.
Could I even ask her for a spar?
That's literally asking her to kill you.
Maybe she'd just tell me to go away and not be offended?
You're thinking of asking her?
It shouldn't hurt to ask?
Unless she takes offense to it.
I can't really see her getting angry at me for asking.
And it wasn't just because I was very aware that I had most likely cuddled into her arms.
I'd ask Ike to block that memory if it wasn't just so... I couldn't even find words to describe it.
It reminded me of CangSe. That safety, the warmth... I missed it.
It... stung. And made me want more. But I firmly drew back from those desires and focused on
other things, on more important matters.
Yet I knew that that longing wouldn't fade. I was a family person at heart, I yearned for a family of
my own who I could stand with and watch as they grew up and got older, who'd talk to me and be
happy together.
Walter had open a door into a world I never knew it could exist. People linked by bonds and not
just blood, loving each other and caring for one another. There were arguments at times, sure, but it
was never that suffocating ambience where you couldn't step one toe out of line for fear of what
they'd do to you.
For the first time I was part of a family and not an outsider looking at them through a window, or
standing on the staircase as they had their holidays and celebrations.
Heck, I remembered that up until I was eight I had never stepped one foot outside of the manor.
Walter opened the door, my parents taught me how to live anew, and the Jiangs were teaching me
how to open my heart into loving more and more people.
But once I got to the Burial Mound the chances for family were slim.
I would have my mountain. I would make it as awe-inspiring and as bright as I could, but to the
Wen remnants - if there were ever any I hadn't managed to get out and hide - it would hopefully be
a mid-stop before I found a more permanent home for them.
I understood that my passion for the mountain wasn't something many would share, and I wouldn't
force anyone to live on what was basically a mountain smothered in Yin Energy.
But it saddened me.
Understanding what I would be giving up, regardless of how willing I was to give that up, was
harsh. Knowing what I'd leave behind and that I could very well never see them again should
things go right (as in, I didn't get anyone killed) hurt.
I didn't want to lose my family.
The big sister that always looked out for you, the little brother who I taught everything I knew and
would share in my misadventures. Even Madam Yu and her prickly self, combined with
FengMian's failed attempts at being nice.
Lotus Pier was home.
I would keep my home safe.
Even if it cost me my position in their lives.
I would see them safe and sound.
I promised myself that.
And that would have to be enough.
Jiang Cheng was happy. And excited. And eager.
Slightly hesitant, too. And the tiniest bit scared.
Mother, A-Jie and Brother had gone to MeishanYu and Father had decided to have their first Heir
lesson. From a rumor he had heard while sneaking into the kitchens for a snack (and he hadn't been
following his brother's pet rat's example!), his mother would be taking both his siblings on a night-
hunt and had told his father to teach him about Heir duties while they were gone.
Something that the kitchen servant had chuckled about, before gossiping that everyone thought he
had been delaying teaching him about it so he could find an excuse to teach his brother as well.
It stung, Jiang Cheng could admit it, that people talked about others behind their backs, and didn't
really care if it was true or not.
His brother had given him a sad smile when he'd complained about it, and explained that people
were gossips because it made them feel better about themselves. Sometimes, although he shouldn't
ever do it because it was incredibly rude, people did it subconsciously. They didn't mean to gossip,
it just came out. Speculation and rumors flying from ear to ear.
Though some did it quite maliciously, other's just... They just talked, he guessed and shrugged,
they didn't mean to hurt you. They just talked.
That's what his brother said, and his brother was very smart.
Even though he could be very stupid about other things.
Like not telling them about his fears, or going on night-hunts when he was four.
When he was younger the prospect of going night-hunting with his father and mother that young
was awesome.
He was a bit stupid when he was younger.
Jiang Cheng was twelve, turning thirteen next year, and would receive his own sword and be
called a Cultivator shortly afterwards.
The thought of going on night-hunts alone was... daunting.
And that was when he had a Golden Core and had been training since he was six!
To do it at four? With little to no education? Using just a tiny wooden bow and arrow?
His brother was crazy.
And stupid.
That's why he needed him and his sister to look after him.
"A-Cheng," FengMian smiled down at him,"Have you been waiting for long?"
Jiang Cheng stood very straight in front of his father, willing himself not to do anything to mess up,
and shook his head no. Truly he hadn't been waiting for long, he had gone to check on the dogs -
and on his brother's sable - before snacking in the kitchen, without Wei Ying here it was startling
to find how boring it was with nothing to do.
Whenever his brother was around no one was ever bored, either because he wouldn't stop fidgeting
or talking about something that had caught his fancy, or because he'd come up with a game or
something. Jiang Cheng didn't ponder too much on just how much time they spent together until
his brother wasn't here and it felt like a part of him was missing.
He'd already turn to speak to him twice alone today, only to twitch in surprise when he
remembered his brother wouldn't be there.
"Well, that's good," FengMian nodded,"I would've like to wait until you were a bit older to start
you into everything but I guess that starting young means I can ease you into the chores and
responsibilities." He gestured him to follow and started walking back to his office.
Jiang Cheng had entered that office perhaps twice in the last five years. When he was little he'd
used to sneak into the office and bother his father, having ditched the nannies tasked with looking
after him, but after he'd turned five he started being scolded harshly for doing so.
His sister had started to take time off her own busy schedule to come spend time with him,
understanding that he was lonely and sorely in need for a friend.
And then his brother had entered his life.
Despite having only come into his life when he was nearly seven, it was astounding how
everything always came back to him.
"We'll start with discussing how the Sect is structured, then we'll slowly go over the people inside
the Sect and how you, as Sect Leader, will have to direct and lead them," FengMian told him.
"Like how the servants have an hierarchy and you're supposed to order the higher ups because they
command the lower ranking ones?" Jiang Cheng asked.
FengMian blinked and looked down at him, surprised,"Yes, I suppose. How do you know that?"
Because, like it or not, he paid attention when his brother talked. He could make it as embarrassing
as possible but his brother imparted a lot of knowledge and advice whenever he talked.
And his brother liked to talk.

A lot.
"B- Uh, Wei WuXian talked about it, he learnt about it in Mistress Zhu's lessons," He answered his
father.
If the thought of taking such lessons, which were firmly 'wifely lessons' regardless of what his
brother said, wasn't so embarrassing he'd consider joining. Some of the lessons sounded very
interesting.
But then he remembered the dancing lesson he had accidentally barged into and quickly dispelled
all thoughts of considering it.
He had never thought he'd see his brother dressed up like that, and whilst he had a good laugh
about it, Jiang Cheng had felt his face flaming like an inferno and wouldn't look him in the eye
without turning red again.
His sister had laughed at him too, which was so not fair!
His father nodded again in understanding,"Ah, yes. A-Xian has... interesting lessons with Madam
Zhu. He will make a good second-in-command when you become the Sect Leader."
The words confused Jiang Cheng. Second-in-command?
He frowned,"What do you mean, Father? Wei WuXian will leave before that, won't he? I'll only
become the Sect Leader when I am an adult and have my own family, Father is still young after all.
Wei WuXian will have left by then, to find his mountain."
Which meant little to Jiang Cheng. He understood he meant finding an actual mountain to live in,
but why a mountain and why it had to be a specific one was beyond him.
His father sighed,"I had hoped he had dropped that childhood notion, A-Xian should stay here in
Yunmeng, given what happened that day and how dangerous the world outside can be, he'd be
safer here. With people who care about his well-being and don't just let him wander off,
gallivanting through the countryside and getting into countless dangers."
Jiang Cheng swallowed thickly.
His brother wanted to leave, he dearly loved Lotus Pier and the people in it - of that Jiang Cheng
had no doubt - but he wanted to leave and find his own place. Him and sister had watched him stare
off into the distance with such longing and yearn that it hurt. He wanted to leave, but wouldn't until
they were grown.
For his father to think that it was only a childhood fancy, that he'd grow out of it, when he had been
speaking about it for years...
Furthermore, Jiang Cheng had the distinct feeling his father was talking about the Bai Clan who,
while they had allowed his brother to continue his old lifestyle, were people his brother cared
about deeply.
He'd gotten a letter just before they'd left for Meishan that ShouShan's wife, Sister Xi, had had her
baby. A little girl. His brother had been so happy...
If his brother heard his father speak like this, he had no doubt he'd be very angry. And hurt.
He wanted to stand up to his father, defend his brother and his dream, but he was scarred.
Jiang Cheng took care to hide his clenched fists from his father's eyes.
He didn't know what angered him most, his inability to stand up to his father, or the fact that he
was too scared to stand up for his brother.
What kind of a brother was he?!
But he couldn't stay angry for long, his brother's face - smiling kindly at him and looking so proud
of him - always appeared in his mind and drove away all those hurtful emotions.
Regardless of everything, his brother loved him and always said how proud he was of him, of his
little brother, and nothing could take that from him.
He would be better. One day.
One day, if anyone ever hurt his brother he would protect him, he would stand up to everyone who
thought to target his brother.
Even when he left for his mountain, he'd remain Jiang Cheng's brother.
Nothing would ever change that.
When YanLi and Madam Yu returned from to the guest rooms it was near evening and I had
conned two of the seniors into playing a few games with me, including poker (which I had
'invented') and was making a rather big sum of pebbles - because if we started gambling with
money I would make many, many enemies - and the seniors were starting to get annoyed with me.
To be fair, you are cheating.
I have no idea what you're talking about.
Not only are you counting the cards, you made a second deck and are shamelessly pulling the
necessary cards out of your inventory to get a good hand.
The corners of my lips twitch and stretch into a wide grin.
Again, I have no idea what you're talking about.
There's a huff of laughter by my ear and Ike goes quiet.
"What are you doing, A-Xian?" YanLi sits down beside me.
"We're playing a card game, Shijie," I tell her. And then I have an unholy idea,"Want me to teach
you how to play? It's easy!"
YanLi looks amused at the disgruntled seniors and at my pile of rocks, and decides to indulge
me,"Alright, Shijie will learn how to play this game of yours."
I start by showing her the cards - therefore pausing the game and allowing the seniors to go mingle
elsewhere or go fetch more pebbles outside - and explaining the rules, what each card meant and
how you played the game, how you won and the 'money' system.
It didn't take long for me to take notice of the new ring in her finger, very similar to Madam Yu's
own ring, and I kind of stared. I was too curious to let it go, but hesitant to ask about it.
Could I ask about it? Would she answer?
YanLi chuckled and fiddled with the ring between her fingers,"So, A-Xian noticed it."
I pouted at her,"Shijie..."
She pinched my cheek,"A-Xian, you shouldn't pout, what would Mother do if she saw you?"
"But Madam Yu isn't here, Shijie!" I grin at her,"Is that ring like Zidian? Does it make a cool
whip?"
YanLi chuckles again and shows me the ring,"This is Chidian, it does form a whip like mother's
but it is shorter. It has a bit of a surprise though, so it's alright if it's shorter."
I stare at the ring in awe, the name doesn't bode well for any foe she encounters and I would be
lying if that doesn't impress me.
"Can we spar?" I ask her,"Not today, tomorrow? Or when we're back at Lotus Pier? Please?" I
almost start bouncing in place.
YanLi gives me a look and makes a big show of thinking it over, watching me as I wilt until I'm
laying on the floor with crocodile tears in my eyes, visibly pouting, and looking as miserable as a
wet kitten.
Finally YanLi puts me out of my misery,"I'll have to ask Mother, but I'm sure she'd allow for one
spar."
I bounce up and hug her,"Thanks, A-Jie! Sister is the best big sister! What would this little brother
do without her?"
YanLi giggles and pats me on the back, pinching my ear,"A-Xian! Really, where's your manners?"
She asks and she giggles, but doesn't push me away, instead she hugs me close.
I'm the one that has to let go first.
I quickly get to my feet and go to run outside,"Ah! I have to go get some rocks to start playing the
game, be right back, sister!"
I ignore her 'But you have pebbles here', and rush outside.
I can feel the heat starting to take over my face.
As I hugged YanLi I felt two very distinct bumps on her chest.
Ike's laughter wasn't helping things, either.
Chapter End Notes
If that doesn't answer the 'does he like girls?' then yes, he can appreciate the fairer sex.
But AGF!WWX will have a 'pretty boy' thing that will make his days in Gusu
hilarious.
WWX is a strong swordplay opponent against anyone that hasn't already spent years
training in swordplay (and good swordplay at that) so whilst he would lose against say,
LXC or NMJ, he'd be even matched with LWJ and JZX (although the Peacock might
get to endure WWX's dirty moves because he feels like being a little shit).
The System highlighting openings and certain moves he can make isn't something
new, just never written about in-story, I think. Once the Player gets to a certain level in
Skills, that happens. It's a way for the System to 'help' the Player without being too
overbearing.
For example, the Foraging Skill highlights all forageables in the area (if there's
visibility or the Player has sufficient level to know how to forage them).
I know very little about swordplay so forgive my inexperience. Apart from the 'stick
them with the pointy end' there's isn't much short of saying 'they were defeated/cut
down/sliced to ribbons'.
A difference over the years, WWX still wants his mountain (and he'll get it) but with
the way he's built things he believes that the mountain might only become something
of a rest stop for the Remnants (meaning, they'll likely leave to go hide/live elsewhere)
/But we knows that's not happening/
For the family thing, he doesn't really plan on interacting with the outside world much
and he wouldn't force anyone to live on the Burial Mounds (he's also not even
considering living with LWJ in Gusu) so it's looking 'bleak'.
(Have no worries tho, because this WWX is going to get a big happy family of his
own)
And maturity means that all the kids going 'I want to be like WWX and nigh-hunt' are
now starting to realize just how easily the kid could've ended up killed. And are very
glad their parents didn't allow them to do it.
Just research Traditional Chinese dancing and let your imagination run wild. WWX
really did get a laugh at the whole thing (and how he convinced Mistress Zhu to teach
them to him /or even let him dress up/ is up to the reader).
FengMian really does hope WWX decides to stay. JC knows better.
YanLi's ring means 'Red Lightning', which will come into play later and serve as a
little nod to her (soon-to-be) infamous 'nickname'/'title'
Poor WWX, his body has recently discovered boobs, and it doesn't know how to react.
Roller-Coaster
Chapter Summary
A brief interlude before I try to get back into regular updates.

(Life's a mess)
Chapter Notes
I'll explain things fully at the end of the chapter.

Sorry for taking so long to update, things have been hard over my side of the screen.
Fanart!
https://sialu-the-arts-cat.tumblr.com/post/189019690663/
"If you just watch a teenager, you see a lot of uncertainty." - Jamie Lee Curtis
Chapter 65: Roller-Coaster
On the spring of my 14th year, I was named Head Disciple of my generation - a full year earlier
than usual - and was granted permission to flutter around the country so long as I returned to
Yunmeng every few weeks - lest, of course, if I sent word I would be going to a further away area
and wouldn't be able to return within that time frame - which was awesome.
Jiang Cheng had turned thirteen a few days after I turned fourteen and was taken to the swordsmith
a week before Christmas. Or well, what I considered to be a week before Christmas as this world
didn't have the holidays I was so used to.
I would never admit it, but I kind of missed Halloween, if only because it was my frikin' birthday
and I'd get to dress up in scary costumes and get free candy from people.
Technically, only the children get to trick or treat.
But people don't need to know that to kick start the holiday into existence.
How you're supposed to be the Head Disciple and yet still remain so childish is beyond me.
I'm surprisingly smart and hardworking, plus there's my reputation for getting things done quickly
and efficiently.
Not that that stops your seniors from bemoaning their luck and poking fun at you for your
misadventures.
I grumbled under my breath as I remembered the various incidents and encounters I had had with...
'spirited' young ladies trying to get lucky with the 'rising star of Yunmeng'.
After the... incident, with YanLi I had quickly discovered that this body was very, very responsive
to stimuli. Active or passive stimuli, at that.
There were an awkward four or so weeks before I managed to get control over them, mind you, it
was a very flimsy control I wouldn't bet money on holding up if the stimuli continued for a few
minutes longer. But I managed to keep myself calm and cool while trying to extricate myself of
that situation and make a run for my dignity.
But, as I ought to do in this life, I rolled with the punches and made the best of my recurring shitty
luck and timing. That is...
You learnt how to flirt.
I bit my tongue to keep from laughing.
While dealing with a handful of junior disciples high on hormones and trying to make themselves
puff up in front of the ladies was, in a polite way, exasperating to say the least, it had also given me
the chance to start one of Wei WuXian's biggest traits.
He was a big flirt.
I never really went anywhere with it, just coy smiles and winks, jokes and small talk with subtle
undertones that left all the girls blushing and boys jealous, but it was something alright.
Jiang Cheng had started puberty shortly after hitting thirteen and wow, it was hilarious.
'Course, it also made him very angry and irritable - or, honestly speaking, more angry and irritable
than usual - and it had prompt us to get the 'birds and the bees' talk from the Sect Doctor,
something that I struggled my hardest not to burst out laughing at the sheer lack of medical or
common knowledge and just full-blown 'this is where you put it' and 'this is what a female body
looks like'.
I had reasoned on whether or not I should pull Jiang Cheng aside and give him a more in-depth talk
and ask him if he had any questions or doubts about something, but seeing him that cherry red and
embarrassed I couldn't bring myself to drag him further into the hell that was hormones.
That said, I almost coughed out a lung when I caught him going through porn - which I was betting
money it had been Gao, a classmate of his, who had given it to him - and grumbling about how
weird the bodies looked.
Apparently he had taken my lessons on how a body was supposed to be drawn to heart, and it was
bloody hilarious.
Less so when he asked me if I had seen a naked body before.
To which you had answered honestly.
"Male or female," I asked him, not even blinking at how out-of-the-blue the question came from,
still focused on what I was working on.
"Female," He grumbled, starting to turn pink.
"I've seen it," I nod absently,"Why? Curious?"
"So you could draw it?" He asks after a pause.
I stop what I am doing and look up, confused, at him.
Did he just..."You're asking me if I can drawn a naked female body?"
He seems to notice just how awkward that question was and made to get up and flee but I grabbed
onto his wrist and pulled him back down.
I looked around to make sure that there were no eavesdroppers and asked him,"And female in
particular you want for the face, just the body, or do I let my imagination run wild?"
Jiang Cheng gapes at me and turns redder by the second.
He still answered, though.
That he did.
"Feng, from the grocer's?" He mumbled, not daring to look me in the eye.
Ike quickly brings up the picture of who that girl was exactly.
"Hmm, I'll see what I can do," I nod,"I'll leave it in your room when I'm finished, don't make a
ruckus when you get it, if I end up punished for it, you're coming down with me, brother."
He purses him lips and nods before getting up and stiffly walking away.
I just need to ask this, did you just agree to draw a porn picture for him?
I think the proposition over in my head.
I guess, yeah.
Friendship goals?
I made a face at his words and shrugged, let the kid be happy. If he gets caught with it, it's not my
problem.
Unless he snitches.
My brother is many things, but a snitch ain't one of them.
And it was true, tell Jiang Cheng a secret and he'll never mumble a word about it.
So, a few days later I left a very, very, very, suggestive sketch of the grocer's daughter in Jiang
Cheng's room. Dinner that night was definitely one for the funniest ones I've had in a long time,
with Jiang Cheng's bright red blush and stiff posture, plus his dodgy eyes and generally nervous
behavior, coupled with Madam Yu's suspicious looks, questions and accusations - in my direction
of course -, to which I had endured with a cheery smile and countenance, which only served to
confuse YanLi and FengMian even more.
Gods, I barely made it back to my room so I could burst out laughing into my pillow.
I completely blocked out any and all thoughts of what Jiang Cheng would be doing with that
sketch; but I definitely gave him a knowing look whenever I saw him.
Soon after that a mysterious package of sugary goods made its way into my bedroom desk.
I didn't need to guess who it had came from.
No, the question was, was this a 'thank you' gift, or a 'hush' bribe?
Does it matter?
Well, if it's a gift, then this is all that I'm getting, if it's a bribe, however, I'd appreciate one or two
more boxes.
You're impossible. What kind of person are you?
What kind of person? What else?
I gave him a very toothy grin.
I'm a man, of course.
Or well... Partly a man, I get confused myself at times.
You're weird that's what you are.
Can't argue with that.
Sparring against Jiang Cheng was... well, it wasn't exactly blood-pumping exciting - but the fault
was entirely mine, fighting against beasts that could kill you in a single swipe of a paw, kind of
took the fear out of facing a not-so-fearsome opponent - but it was fun.
And Suibian needed the exercise.
As my body grew taller and my limbs started to stretch out, I had started to 'update' and 'revise' my
old moves and attack sequences. I was strong and could toss an opponent away with a swing of my
sword, not to mention the 'brawl' like fighting style I would spontaneously bring out during a fight,
but I wanted to keep improving without revealing the sheer brute strength I hid under my slim and
only slightly muscular frame.
Dear GuanYin in Heaven, was I glad that my Strength Stat did not show as muscles. I would look
like a bodybuilder on steroids.
But it was good practice, to learn how to fight on an even level with 'weaker' opponents so as to
know how to not bring attention to your own 'unnaturalness'.
And Suibian did need the exercise.
Cultivation swords gained a 'glint' after a certain level of cultivation/fighting experience was
reached, something that Liling would never get because it wasn't a cultivator's sword.
The exact wording and logistics went right over my head when I had asked the smith in Yiling -
which I frequently wandered off to and totally did not go there just so I could make moon-eyes at
the Burial Mounds - but it all boiled down to the metal it was made from and what that sword's
function was to be.
See, Suibian was my main weapon, with Xiaodan my backup weapon in case something went
south or I had to throw it and pin some prey down, but Liling I had acquired to be a 'support'
weapon.
Back when Xiaodan was my main weapon and I needed something more substantial to deal with
pesky bandits and persistent idiots who thought I was easy to 'rob blind'.
Liling was never to be my main weapon.
And so, apparently, it would never become a cultivator's sword as whoever forged it, made it
unable to conduct Spiritual Energy like Suibian could.
Except, no one had 'forged' it and I could conduct energy perfectly well with it.
I didn't voice my doubts about the man's words and just asked the Sect's smith, who told me pretty
much the same thing.
Liling couldn't conduct Spiritual Energy.
In the privacy of my room I had pulled it out of the sheath and sent my Chi into it. The blade lit up
with energy and I could feel the power bleeding into the metal.
Irrevocably, Liling was able to conduct Spiritual Energy. So what were the smith's talking about?
The answer came when I had asked Jiang Cheng to try and channel Chi into Liling in one of our
bouts.
He couldn't.
Liling didn't spark up like it did with me.
Strange.
It bore more investigation.
I brought out Xiaotong and Xiaohui, the two other blades I had gotten from the Store, - although
this was supposedly Xiaohui 1.2, as the original was lost in that Lotus Seed lake - and tried to
channel my energy into them. They all lit up, just like Liling did, but, once again, Jiang Cheng was
unable to make them spark up.
It was... weird.
Until it wasn't.
I had grabbed Xiaodan and, for the first time, noticed that it had a barely noticeable glow to it. The
same glow Suibian had which was only visible to my eyes.
The glow that let me know that Xiaodan wasn't 'up to System's standards' and could be 'upgraded'.
The other blades did not have this glow. Obviously because they came from the System itself, and
therefore would work perfectly fine with the System.
Xiaodan, on the other hand, was a gift from the Bai. It didn't come from the Store.
I pushed my energy into it and I was still able to do it, except I had to focus harder on maintaining
that energy and not overpowering the blade - which would cause it to shatter -, and there lied my
answer.
My energy wasn't the same as Jiang Cheng's.
I used alignments and the System's own cultivation method, my Golden Core was formed through
the YunmengJiang practices but my energy itself came from the world around me and directly
flowed into my meridians.
My Golden Core was, basically, superfluous.
But at the same time it wasn't.
A Golden Core brought benefits that my usual 'cultivation' couldn't. Such as the stronger body,
faster healing, and the 'no-aging' crap that made forty year olds look like they were in their mid-
twenties.
Without it I would age just like everyone else, something that did not immediately concerned me.
I mean, what was scary about growing old? I knew I wasn't going to live forever, I had already died
of old age once, and apart from not being killed or getting my family and people killed, I was
perfectly fine with aging and dying old and grey in my house on the Burial Mounds.
So the potential to losing my 'core', which was something I couldn't exactly ignore as even if I
prevented Jiang Cheng from losing his, I still ran the risk of getting jumped by Wen Zhuliu.
But I wasn't going to worry about that now.
What interested me in this moment was the fact that Xiaodan did not respond as my other knives
did, yet Suibian reacted as I expected it to react given that it was a cultivator's sword.
Yet Suibian itself was not 'up to System's requirements'.
What did that mean?
Only one way to find out, dearest.
"Does the Player wish to align this item [Xiaodan] with the System?"
[YES] [NO]
I mentally pressed [YES] and watched as Xiaodan started to glow in my hands. The glow fully
encompassed the blade until I couldn't see it, I still felt the weight of it in my hands but I couldn't
look at it without my eyes burning with how bright the glow was.
Then it started fading.
"Item [Xiaodan] fully aligned with the System's requirements."
There were markings running down the blade, upon a closer look they seemed to be swirling
flames, and the blade felt more responsive in my hand. The second my energy touched it, let my
Chi run freely within it. No more 'barrier' or fear of it shattering under the weight of my Spiritual
Energy.
It was certainly something.
But was my Chi that much different from other people's?

If so, wouldn't someone have noticed something was off by now?
Every so often, disciples were required to visit the Sect Doctor for a check-up which involved
making sure that all the meridians and Golden Core were functioning as they should. Because of
my special circumstances, and various stunts I pulled over the years, I was well acquaintance with
this type of check-up and knew that if something was different in my Spiritual Energy then
someone would've already thrown a fit over it.
Remembering the Jin elder that wanted to know my 'secret' for faster cultivation, and the Wen's
rather dodgy attempt at figuring me out, was something that came to mind when I thought of my
variation of Spiritual Energy.
Which wasn't really a variation as much as me using the whole spectrum of Spiritual Energy and
not just bits and pieces of it.
Well, to be fair, I was a well-rounded cultivator, with pretty balanced alignments - although I
tended to side with my Fire Alignment more often than not - with the slight weaker Air Alignment
than I probably should have, considering what was in store for me.
I was also making sure that Jiang Cheng and the other disciples were also growing into their more
latent alignments, while also accepting that there were better ways to accomplish a goal, instead of
always rushing in head-first. Which was a bit hypocritical of me, since I often did rush head-first
into danger, and showed no signs of stopping that.
Which will get you in serious hot water someday, mark my words.
I am aware and I do not care, at the moment, given that my priorities lie elsewhere right now.
Yes, prioritize other's safety while painting a big red target on your own back.
The target was already there to begin with.
You're impossible to argue with sometimes.
Only sometimes? Really, Ike, it seems as if you don't know me.
Unfortunately I do.
So did it have anything to do with my approach to Energy? Or was there something else?
Why would a sword or item have to be altered in order for it to function with the System?
Maybe because people don't know about alignments?
Would that change anything? A sword is a sword, isn't it?
Not if you go by this world's smiths. They said Liling would never be a cultivator's sword because
it wasn't forged for that purpose.
So there was more at play here than just energy... And I really didn't want to get into sword
making.
Why ever not?
Because I'm still trying to get to the bottom of what Spiritual Energy is made of, trying to theorize a
valid way of cultivating Yin Energy without being allowed to properly experiment with it, also
trying to figure out a way to trap Yunmeng to high-heavens for when the Wens come, and, lastly,
conspiring behind everyone's backs to create a hundred-man crew of people that could literally be
called an 'Underground Movement'.
Are there only one hundred of them?
I... I am not sure, exactly. I think I asked ShouShan to stop sending me names and addresses after
the hundredth one.
And when was that?
...
...When.
Two years ago?
So there might be one thousand or more people involved in this.
Technically possible?
If anyone ever finds out about this Network...
No one will, there's very limited information that can get out, considering only ShouShan and
PeiZhi know the full story, only a third or less (considering I'm going by the hundred-man unit)
even know about the Talisman Factory, and even less than that know I'm the one who created this.
From what I understand, I have a pseudonym or 'code-name' in the Network, and only ShouShan
has access to my Parrot, although I've planted several other ones in safe houses that connect to
'live-houses' in case of an emergency.
But you still run the risk of someone finding one of these things and connecting the dots about who
could possibly be the mastermind behind this.
I'm sure there are more valid suspects than the newly turned fourteen year old.
You, 'the newly turned fourteen year old', are the first person to create, or even imagine, long
distance, near instant, communication without the use of third parties. Such as postmen or carrier-
birds.
Someone would think this up eventually.
Yeah, eventually... In about 1000 years or more from now. And don't get me started on your own
'secret' stash of blueprints.
I like architecture, sue me!
You've mapped out an entire city, there's improved road systems and your own 'modern' buildings
like a schoolhouse and a clinic in there!
I was bored!
Oh, and what about the blueprint labelled 'Dream House'?
...A woman can dream, alright! Jeez, why are you prickly, right now?
Because you don't understand how your genius might actually be terrifying to outsiders.
What's so scary about a free-clinic?
You're turning society as it currently is on its head. You plan on making education freely available,
you plan on making books - which only the rich and noble can buy and read - readily printable, not
to mention actually getting the commons to be able to read them, and with the inventions you plan
on adding...
...When you put it like that, yeah, I can see why you'd call it scary.
And if you think some people will just sit back and allow you to do this without opposition is crazy.
You're low-key starting, if not outright instigating, a revolution, at best.
At best?
Yes, at worst, it could be said you're planning to start a revolt.
Because I think society is ass-backwards and needs some fixing up?
Because the rich govern the poor and the poor have no power, whilst you're giving power and
opportunities for the poor and taking away the 'birthright' of the nobles of being above everyone
else.
Screw the nobles, I'm doing what's right!
I'm not stopping you, I'm telling you to be careful! You're not immortal, you idiot!
Bah, who wants to live forever! I'm getting this set up, maybe instruct ShouShan on half a dozen
things, or let PeiZhi and BaoZhai handle them - as they're the ones more versatile when it comes to
merchandising and trading - and live a quiet life in my Burial Mounds.
And the city plans?
...It was an honest art study, I wanted to try and see how to 'invent' plumbing, and what sorts of
alterations you'd have to make to the houses in order for that to be possible.
You haven't figured it out?
You know I have. Mostly. Maybe. Might require some practical testing.
And the Dream House?
I miss my damn house, okay? But I've grown fond of the traditional architecture of this culture, so I
started making up a mix of things.
And you ended with this?
A rather shoddy rendering of what my house supposedly would look like pops up in my mind.
It's not very big, I'd have my room with a big bed and a private bathroom - which would have a very
solid bathtub and a shower (God, I miss showers) - and a private study, so I could stop having to
hide every single piece of paper with my usual ramblings on it. Then I'd have a kitchen and a
eating area, with a living room next to it.
I liked to picture a big yard around it, and one of those cute ponds because I'd also grown used to
Lotus Pier brand of lotus filled lakes.
Only one room?
Why would I need another room?
Kids?
...This house will go on the Burial Mounds, why would children be there?
A-Yuan.
If things work out, and I don't see why it shouldn't, A-Yuan will never end up in Yiling because
him and his family will be safe elsewhere.
And if things don't work out?
The Network. After the war there's about two years or so of 'exile' before my 'death'. I don't want
the Wen Remnants to have to come to the Burial Mounds and be miserable.
Why would they be miserable?
As you've often told me, not that many people would be happy on a mountain of corpses.
I hear a sigh beside my ear.
Listen, when you're done with the Burial Mounds no one would believe that it was once a corpse
dumping ground. What happened to the flower infested Burial Mounds? What happened to the
Burial Mounds that would make everyone stare in awe?
I look down at my hands to see them shake.
I'm scared, Ike. Time is running out.
I go to the Cloud Recesses at fifteen. At sixteen there's my 'first' meeting with the Wens. Seventeen
the XuanYu. And then the war.
One year for 'canon' to start. One year.
As each day passes I feel like a shadow is starting to hang over my head. But I can't show it. I don't
want to worry the others.
Should I tell them? Should I trust someone else with this knowledge? Would they even believe me?
Oh, darling...
I'm scared. Can I even do this?
For all my bravado, can I really save them? Help anyone? Will I get them killed?
Stop this, right now. This kind of mentality will get you nowhere. Get up and get moving. You're
not stopping here.
You've come this far, eleven years have been put into this goal, into this bright and shiny mountain
that will make Jin GuangShan choke on his own ego, and I will not stand and let you bring
yourself down with doubts.
Get. Up.
What am I going to do, Ike?
You're going to do what you do best. Be yourself. Be your damn annoying, cheerful self, the
terrifying self that both adores and exasperates people. You're going to take a break from this hell
that is your studies and experiments and you're going to go out and play with the juniors.
Hell, I don't know, go to Yiling and help out the old man at his store. Go boat riding, go lotus seed
picking with YanLi. Frikin' fly a kite! I don't know. But you're getting out of this room, right now.
Or I swear I will make your dreams of steamy Lan Zhan the steamiest.
I choke on a bark of laughter and shake my head.
Gods no, I liked my sleep and this body was... interesting, to deal with when riled up.
I was so not fond of puberty.
I make no promises, if I start seeing you having these stupid thoughts again, oh, I will make you
regret them.
Aren't teenagers supposed to be angsty?
They're also hormone fueled, do you want me spur you on?
No. Ike, please. See? I'm getting up! I'm going out. I'm going to track down Jiang Cheng and I'll
see if he's up for some fun.
As I put Xiaodan back in its sheath and put away Liling, I couldn't help but smile faintly.
For all the roller-coaster of emotions that I seemed fond of undergoing every so often, Ike always
knew how to make me feel better.
...I could also try and make puppy dog eyes at YanLi and see if she's willing to make some soup.
A-Cheng will help.
And flying a kite doesn't sound like the worst way to spend my time.
Not to mention there were a handful of new little juniors that barely reached my tight that I had yet
to meet.
Really, it was like A-She was trying to keep the impressionable youngsters away from me on
purpose.
My grin turned wry as I opened my bedroom door and walked out.
Surely not.
(Who am I kidding, the seniors are all offering prayers for sanity now that I, technically, have free
reign and range of motion.)
Chapter End Notes

So, I'll start by saying I'm really sorry for taking so long to post another chapter.
November this year is starting to be very hard to my family. As you might (or might
not) know, I'm the caretaker of one of my immediate/nuclear family members.
Their birthday also happens to be in November (the 10th, if you're interested) and this
is possibly the last birthday we'll ever have with them. They turned 53, and the odds of
them seeing their 54th are pretty low.
The start of the month was a big snowball running downhill, getting larger and larger
with each passing day. They've given up, my other family members have given up,
and I'm left holding on to someone who does not have it in them to keep struggling.
Dementia and ALS, by themselves, are devastating. Combined? I'm not even sure how
I'm still reasonably put together.
Dealing with things has been hard. And finding the motivation to write has been hard. I
open my doc tool and I stare at the blank pages, knowing that I have the next Arc all
planned out, I just need to finish this one arc in order to move onto the next. And the
words just don't come.
I've lost track of how many times I've written and rewritten this chapter. Reading all of
your comments (because even if I don't immediately message back, I still read each
and every one) has given me a much needed light and safe harbour.
I'd like to thank you for all your support. It truly means a lot.
After much intense arguing back and forth with my own brain, I had to skip the
planned 'funny WWX discovering his own body' and the awaited 'Night-Hunt with
YanLi'. I really couldn't write them, I'm sorry.
As much as I want to say I could've potentially delayed this chapter further until I
could reliably write those scenes, I desperately need to start writing again.
Stopping now, letting this whole situation drag me under to that black void I know I
won't make it back out again, is something that I cannot do.
So I'm sorry, if you were really excited for those scenes. I could try to add them later?
If I ever revise the previous chapters? An outtake? I don't know.
You guys have been amazing and so damn sweet, that I really wish I could give you all
those good and super cool scenes. But I'm not back at 100% yet.
It's easy to ignore time passing by when there's a lot of it, but when you're at the end of
the line it makes it very, very hard to let go. To deal with.
But I really need to keep my head above water. So I'm tackling on AGF like a lifeline.
Apologies if the writing seems kind of scattered, mind's a mess, most often than not.
Flying
Chapter Summary
Some fun time with the tiny juniors, lessons about loopholes, and Ike is afraid of
heights.
Chapter Notes
Fanart!
https://sialu-the-arts-cat.tumblr.com/post/189019690663/
"Right" he said "Let's get one thing clear. I am not here to teach you law-I am here to teach you
loopholes." ― Catherine Jinks, Evil Genius
Chapter 66: Flying
So, little juniors from ages six to ten usually live in dorms, supervised by older disciples - ages
fourteen through eighteen, they rotate - and they have a light work course. Back when A-Cheng
and I were that young, we usually had the afternoon open to get the energy out of our system
before dinnertime.
Which was a smart move if you didn't want a dozen or so wild hellions hyped on energy before
bedtime.
And, to my delight, all the littlest juniors liked to play together in the main courtyard under the
supervision of any passing senior, making it super easier for me to recruit a troupe of tiny minions
in search of entertainment.
"What are you doing, A-Ying?" Senior Bao, a sixteen year old disciple who I sometimes sparred
with, asked me as I passed him by with my eight ducklings tottering after me.
"Eh? Why the suspicious look, Bao-xiong?" I ask him with an innocent look.
He sighs,"Will you not get the children in trouble?"
I scoff,"Everyone knows that if they get in trouble with me, then I'm the only one punished." I
wave him off,"Besides, we're not going to do anything against the rules, I'm teaching them how to
fly kites."
He blinks. "That's surprisingly reasonable of you."
I roll my eyes,"Oh, ye of so little faith. I am a responsible person, ya' know?"
His expression tells me he believes none of my words.
"Wei-xiong," Little A-Shui, six years old and the youngest of the bunch, pulls a big at my
pants,"Are we not gonna be able to fly kites?"
I smile down at her,"No worries, A-Shui, this senior promised to take you flying kites, and I don't
break my promises!" I boop her on the nose.
She giggles and smiles, showing a small tooth gap.
Seriously, this kid was too adorable for my poor heart.
"Just be careful around the riverbank, I know you know how to swim but they don't," Senior Bao
advises me.
I nod and politely bow in return,"Of course, Bao-xiong, I will keep a careful eye on all of them."
"And don't leave the Sect Compound! They're not allowed until they're...!" Bao calls out as we
walk away.
"I know! Don't worry, senior, this disciples will take good care of the ducklings!" I wave at him
cheerfully.
A-Cui, another little six year old - but still older than A-Shui, poor girl was destined to be the baby
of the bunch - giggled behind her hands, followed by A-Shui and A-Zhi, their classmate and
designated 'protector' as I understood from A-Chan's - seven years old - whispered explanations.
"Alright everyone, listen up, we're gonna pair up. Buddy-system, as I call it, no one goes anywhere
alone and I want everyone to stick together," I inform my little minions. "Oldest one with the
youngest one, and following that pattern, pair up!"
There was some mild confusion and switching around as they got their birthdays involved, but we
were off to gather kites and head to the riverbank where the older disciples usually flew theirs.
I was leading the group with A-Cao, one of the juniors I had given the introduction tour to two
years ago, was at the end of the line with A-Shui, making sure that none of the little ones broke off
and went 'exploring'.
Not that I had to worry, my little juniors were super well-behaved.
To you only, I assure you. Since you spoil them with stories and 'play time', they do their best to
stay on your good side.
No they don't! Ike, really, these tykes are innocent.
In your eyes only, you're a terrible influence.
I mentally roll my eyes at him and get everyone to the riverbank quickly.
The eight year olds - and the nine year old who decided to join us, A-Hu, - could fly kites by
themselves, so it was just making sure they didn't run blindly and fall into the water.
The six year olds needed help keeping their kites flying, thankfully there were only two, so it was
manageable.
"It's flying! It's flying!" A-Shui gleefully yelled, with that shrill little kid's voice that made me
twinge a bit.
I loved kids, but damn they had a set of lungs on them.
And the 'squeaky-toy' whistle stuck in their throats.
I laughed and covered it by ruffling it her hair, pretending I was laughing at her joy and not at my
invisible friend's comment.
"I want mine to fly too! Wei-xiong, help me!" A-Cui pouted at me.
I grinned, bemused, down at her and placed my hands on my hips," What do you have to say, first,
A-Cui?"
She makes puppy dog eyes at me, but, unfortunately for her, I'm immune to them. She holds them
for a few seconds before caving in,"Please help me, Wei-xiong. A-Cui can't make her kite fly."
I chuckle and tweak her nose,"Okay, okay, this senior will help his adorable shimei," I say as I take
her kite from her hands and teach her how to hold the string.
A-Cui preens as I call her adorable, and I don't think I imagined A-Shui cutely glaring at her with a
pout, with A-Zhi inching away from her.
You're start a civil war in the junior dorms if you're not careful, you know.
Eh? What did I do?
Little girls with puppy-crushes.
You think they'd fight it out because I called one adorable?
Remember Martha and her 'bestest friend'?
Oh... Yeah, we'll nip that in the bud if it acts up.
I run a bit to get the kite up and flying before walking back to the group and watching them as they
run around with their kites.
I hear some faint giggling from behind and subtly shift so I can see what it is from the corner of my
eye.
There's a group of older sect disciples, female, who I rarely if ever interacted with - that was more
of A-jie's area - watching me and the juniors from afar. Pointing and whispering to one another
before starting to giggle again, actually they looked a bit re-...
Oh.
I look away from them and twitch, feeling my body grow hotter, and blood threatening to rush to
my face in a luminescent blush.
Damn, they were observing me.

And giggling.
Wei WuXian, the ultimate heart-breaker, what would your Lan Zhan say?
Ike, we are not doing this now!
Weren't you the one who wanted to create an immunity against this sort of attention? Well, there's
not better time to practice then.
I've got literal chills down my spine.
Well, they are pretty, even if we both know that someone is much better good looking than them.
I take a deep breath through my nose and pretend that I can't hear the giggling coming from behind
me.
We don't even know what Lan WangJi looks like. We haven't seen each other since we were like
five years old.
Aah, but we can make a decently educated guess.
And then Ike has the gall to bring up the memory of the portrait I drew for my niece.
...The delicate features of the golden eyed man caught my eye immediately.
Ike, that's foul play!
Oh? Should I take it away then?
Yes!
Well, okay.
The picture disappears only to be replaced by Mistress Zhu dancing a complicated dance with light
silk robes, which curved nicely around her hips and-...
Oh, my dear lord in Heaven, IKE!
There's loud ringing laughter in my ears, and my heart is pounding in my chest. It definitely takes
some focus to keep a blush from rising on my cheeks or neck, and directing it away from my south
bits too.
"Wei-xiong! Look, look!" A-Hou, the shy kid from two years ago, laughed as he ran, looking back
at me.
And promptly tripping over and face-planting onto the ground.
Xian Qiu and Feng Hu snort and look away from him with quivering shoulders, while A-Cao runs
to help him.
I got to make sure the kid hadn't hurt himself anywhere.
"Oww... Ow..." The kid sniffled as I turned his arms and legs to make sure there weren't any cuts
anywhere.
"Just bumps and bruises, buddy," I gently ruffle his head,"Let's be more careful next time, alright?"
He nods, still sniffling, and curls into my side.
I sigh and rub his back until he feels ready to get back to his friends.
If you look back now, I think half the girls are cooing or fainting from the sheer cuteness of the
scene.
Go to hell, Ike.
He chuckles lowly in my ears and ignores me.
"Wei-xiong!" Feng Hu - or A-Hu, as I called him - turns to me, still holding his kite,"Is it hard to
ride a horse?"
I hum,"Not really? It's scary at first because horses are quite big, but apart from learning how to
jump, horse-riding is easy to learn."
"I wish I could ride a horse," A-Shui pouts.
"We're not allowed until we're older," Lei Chan, the oldest girl here, tells her.
"I supposed I could let you ride one with me," I ponder aloud,"You won't technically be riding it."
Feng Hu shoots that down,"Wei-xiong will get in trouble with the Madam!"
All the juniors shiver.
I suppress my amusement and nod,"True... But what if we didn't use a horse?"
The juniors, including the one curled up at my side, look up at me with various degrees of
confusion.
I give them a wide toothy grin.
"Did you know, my sweetest and adorable shidi and shimei, that this senior has a personal mount?"
I ask them.
Their eyes widen.
Your Senior was right to worry about this outing. You are getting into so much trouble.
The rules state that they aren't allowed on horses, specifically stated too, but there's nothing that
says they're not allowed on donkeys.
And you just happen to have one in the stables.
Donkey needs the exercise anyways.
"Why am I not surprised you find yet another rule to break," Jiang Cheng sighs as he watches me
lead Donkey in a circle, with the two littlest juniors on his back, giggling and awing.
Donkey was loving the attention, especially when I whispered that it was the kids' first ride on any
mount and he beat all the horses of the Sect in giving them their first riding lesson.
Every so often he'd look at the mare that resided in the stall opposite to his and snort.
I got the impression that she rolled her eyes at him.
"I'm not breaking anything, didi," I laughed,"Bending them, sure, but no rule breaking happening
here."
"Clearly something that needs to be revised," Madam Yu comments.
I jump, startled, and look back at Jiang Cheng - who's too amused for his continued well-being -
before my eyes fly to the Madam of the Jiang Sect, walking to stand beside her son.
Busted~!
Shut up, you.
Someone's in trouble~!
Shush.
"Oh oh," A-Shui perfectly summarizes the situation.
"We're not getting to ride Sir Donkey again?" A-Zhi asks one of the other minions, and is promptly
shushed.
"Do you want to be punished?" Feng Hu hisses at him.
"'Sir' Donkey? Really, Wei WuXian?" Jiang Cheng snorts.
"Hey, Donkey deserves respect, he's a certified Cultivator's Mount!" I manage to retort with an
even tone of voice.
"Really?!" A-Cui gasps.
A-Shui looks equally impressed.
"Yup," My lips tremble,"But now we need to end this joyride before the Madam comes in the
circuit to drag us all out," I stop Donkey's walk and pluck them both off his back and back to firm
ground,"A-Hu, can you make sure everyone gets back to the dorms?" I ask him.
"Yes, Wei-xiong!" He beams, happy to be helpful.
And get away from the scene without Madam Yu biting his head off.
That too.
"Wei WuXian, you have a talent for finding loopholes everywhere," Madam Yu comments.
"It's purely by accident, Madam Yu, I'm not doing it on purpose," I tell her.
This time, at least.
She scoffs, and probably would've rolled her eyes at me if it was dignified, and gestures for another
disciple to take Donkey's lead from me,"Come, I have a task for you."
I blink and look at Jiang Cheng, but he shrugs and follows after his mother. I quickly catch up to
them.
"You are going night-hunting soon, aren't you?" She asks.

"Yes, Ma'am, I'm planning to tour the surrounding towns before trying to go any further. For Sect
Leader Jiang's peace of mind," I answer.
Madam Yu sneers,"I suspect he tried to make you reconsider that decision."
I nod,"Correct, Ma'am."
Jiang Cheng frowns by my side and I wonder if it is because his father is still showing too much
attention to me.
"You are the Head Disciple of your generation now, a bit too early I suspect, given the activities
you choose to spend your time on," She comments,"It is expected of you to start night-hunting
without supervision, and often times leading night-hunts."
"I understand, Ma'am," I nod.
"Then make sure that whatever activities below that of a Head Disciple of the Jiang Sect are kept
inside the walls of the Compound and never outside them," She warns me.
"This disciple will heed the Madam's words," I lower my head slightly.
Jiang Cheng gives me a sidelong look. I wink at him. He rolls his eyes.
"The exploration of the recently discovered tunnel is over and it has been deemed safe to use,"
Madam Yu speaks.
I flinch at the memory of darkness and bitter agony that was the tiny room, something that neither
Jiang Cheng or Madam Yu miss, but plow through it and take a deep breath before shaking away
the thoughts.
"D-Do you wish for us to secure the tunnel using new seals?" I ask her, clearing my throat at the
first word.
"No," Madam Yu answers,"For all of your gifts and aptitude, Wei WuXian, I am not handing the
responsibility of securing a secret entrance to the heart of the Sect over to a fourteen year old," She
sneers.
Point.
"I want you to work with several other seniors, who have been disciples of this Sect for longer than
both of you have been alive, and are completely loyal to the Sect, to secure the tunnel and it's
entrances," She tells us.
Pretty routine work, Jiang Cheng and I could possibly do it by ourselves - my lovable little brother
had taken a shine to utterly dismantling my talismans and test arrays as a sort of hobby, for some
reason - but I was relieved to not having to go near the tunnels again.
I had already stressed myself enough with walking into the Ancestral Hall in order to visit my
parent's altar every other week, so there was no need to intensify the uncomfortable feeling that
there were nightmare-fuel rooms not twenty feet from me, by going in and out of the tunnels in
order to make it so that anyone not invited in couldn't waltz inside the Sect.
But there was a golden opportunity being dangled in front of my nose right now.
"Won't a new array system beneath the Sect conflict with the already existing defensive array?" I
ask her, mentally crossing my fingers that she didn't know the answer, wouldn't look too into it, and
let me see the array plans and location.
Madam Yu stops walking and turns to look at me, thankfully I was growing taller so it there wasn't
that much of a height difference - hopefully it would disappear entirely before the war started -
"You are studying arrays, aren't you?"
I nod, seeing no point in lying,"Arrays are somewhat more complicated to create than Talismans,
but more rewarding. Plus most are self-sufficient, so there isn't a need to constantly feed the array
Spiritual Energy in order to keep them in pristine condition."
"And how advanced are you in your studies?" Madam Yu asks.
I fidget in place,"I...I'm near a level where I can reliably produce any array I have studied before,
and should start to be able to create my own variations of arrays soon."
Jiang Cheng looks impressed,"Aren't arrays super complicated to change because of how seals
interact with each other?"
I shrug,"If you understand the theory behind the energy, you have a lot more freedom about what
to pick and choose and rearrange."
Jiang Cheng frowns,"You're still going on about how there's more to Spiritual Energy than just
energy."
I sigh,"I'm telling you, it's sentient. And I will prove it!"
Madam Yu breaks up the conversation before it can get off-topic,"I'll see about getting the
defensive array schematics brought up from the vaults."
Vaults?
"vaults?" I echo.
Madam Yu gives me a look,"Just because you are favored by my husband doesn't mean you are
privy to every secret of this Sect, and I strictly forbid you from ever trying to find them."
I raise my hands in a show of submission,"I wasn't going to. I'm already too busy working on my
own projects to go search for more trouble."
"Oh?" She lifts an eyebrow at my words,"And what projects might those be?"
Oh, you got played.
I did not.
Yeah? Well, what are you answering then, genius?
Ugh... Well... Hmm...
"Pillow books," I answer.
Jiang Cheng turns a very unattractive shade of red and looks away from us.
Madam Yu gives me an unimpressed look.

"What are your actual projects," She demands.
Well, it was worth a try.
Writing pillow books isn't a bad idea, think of all the stories we have cooped up in our brain.
Technically it's my brain only, you just reside in it.
Semantics.
"Some talismans I have been working on for a while, they're faulty and I want to improve them.
Arrays bring a wider variety of ways that I can improve them with, and I'm trying to get them
working to a certain standard. Finally, I am interested in knitting." I answer her.
Jiang Cheng looks at be, taken aback,"Knitting?!"
I shrug,"It passes the time."
"You could spend that time sparring!" He tells me.
"Against who?" I ask him,"The oldest disciple that has enough free time to spar now is Senior She,
and he doesn't spar with me after the last time I almost broke his ribs," I inform him.
Jiang Cheng huffs.
"You almost broke his ribs?" Madam Yu frowns.
"We were using practice swords, I used too much strength, my attack hit him in the ribs," I
explained.
"Why were you using practice swords?" Madam Yu is still frowning.
"I wanted to see how far I could go at full strength," Or like, seventy five percent strength,"And
just in case someone got hurt, which it did, I didn't want it to be gashes or open wounds. And it was
my fault, I targeted an opening and Senior She couldn't parry it, struck him firmly in the ribs."
I made sure to tone down on my attacks after that, and only matched pace with my opponent, never
upping the pace unless they did first.
Made worse by the fact that I could read everyone's attacks before they came at me, and it sucked
because the fun of sparring against someone was quickly dwindling down.
"Have you asked YanLi to spar with you again?" Madam Yu asks.
Jiang Cheng grimaces, he'd fought YanLi and he wouldn't want a repeat.
Whoever said our sister was a sweet girl who could do no wrong, clearly had never seen her wield
Chidian. Goddess reincarnated she might be, don't think of messing with her, she'll have you crying
for mercy not two minutes after activating her new weapon.
"I'll think about it," I edge way from giving a definitive answer.
"When you are in the Sect Compound I expect you to spar against her, it's a waste of potential
lounging around the practice grounds. And more so when you bring the moral of the other
disciples down by not even trying when fighting against them," She tells me, booking no argument.
Guess someone's getting their ass kicked pretty frequently from now on.
I can beat Shijie, I just don't like Chidian.
Because it hurts getting hit by it?
I grumble at him and leave the conversation at that.
"We are here, Madam Yu," A man, maybe early to mid-twenties - who knows anymore, Golden
Cores cheat -, bows to her.
"Good, introductions," Madam Yu walks to the side and introduces the four men lined up,"This is
Hai ZheLan, he is the one responsible for this project; Duan YiJun, Hao XinYue, and Tian
JianHao. This is my son Jiang Cheng, and the Head Disciple Wei WuXian, they will help with this
project."
"Greetings," Jiang Cheng and I bow to the men.
"Likewise," The men bow in return,"Should we get started now, Madam?" Hai ZheLan asks.
Madam Yu nods,"Whenever you are ready to start, your rooms have been set up in the guest wind,
I am sure that Sect Leader Jiang will ask for you to be present at dinner tonight."
Hai ZheLan smiles,"We will be honored to attend dinner with the Jiang Clan."
Madam Yu walks away and leaves us after that.
Hai ZheLa turns to look at us and his smile turns the slightly strained.
He has no idea about your abilities and I suspect he might try to condescend you.
Just let him try.
"Should we get started, gentleman?" I ask them,"Have you been informed of what the project
involves and requires?"
They blink, surprised, but they recover quickly,"Of course."
"Then how many layers are we making the array? Or are you making several arrays intertwined
together? Maybe even a single layered array that spans the length of the tunnel?" I ask them in
quick succession.
Jiang Cheng struggles not to show his amusement, having noticed the men's shifting countenance,
and remains standing at my side.
The men fumble to answer.
I grin innocently at them.
Oh, fun days ahead.
This was awesome.
This is crazy and you should go back down. Like. Right now.
Don't be such a wet blanket, Ike, this is perfectly safe.

My darling dearest, I don't believe you, can you please stop this and go back down.
Hmm... Alright.
I turn Suibian into making a nose dive out of the sky.
Ike screams in the back of my head.
"Whohoo!" I laugh, narrowly avoiding going 'splat' on the ground and take up to the skies again.
I genuinely believe you hate me at times.
Oh, don't be such a drama queen, Ike. Live a little!
I will make you regret this.
You'll get used to this, just remember, we'll have to start flying about everywhere pretty soon.
Flying swords are unnatural.
Really? Jeez, and here I was thinking that Walking Corpses, Fierce Corpses and all sorts of Beasts
and Ghosts walking about were totally normal.
Sarcasm doesn't suit you.
Chill, Ike. Look, I'm outside and exercising! I'm not cooped up in my room hiding under tons of
paper and scribbles!
Progress.
Don't be such a grouch. Look, just another hour or so and then I promise I'll head back inside so we
can do some quiet time or something.
Quiet time doing what?
Hmm, I'm thinking of working on those robes, ya know, the black and red one?
The Yiling Patriarch robes?
Yeah, I'm going on an estimate on how big I need to make them, given that I'll be, what,
seventeen? when I become the Yiling Patriarch?
I think seventeen is a pretty good guess, and you know the Yiling Patriarch was 186 cm tall.
Yeah, but was I already that tall at seventeen or did I grow a couple inches during the war?
Make it for 186 cm, even if it looks a bit loose on you, we can adapt them temporarily.
True. So it's a plan?
Sure, I'll just go lie down in a corner and block out the outside world until you're ready to go
inside.
What's so scary about this, Ike?
You're flying. On a sword. What if you fall?

Well, it's going to be a pretty damn embarrassing way to die, won't it?
I'm not dealing with this, call me when you're back on firm ground.
Chicken!
I'll pay you back for this.
Oh, I'm so scared!
I'll hit you when you least expect it.
I'm quaking in my pointy toed boots!
Ike grumbles for a few seconds before my mind goes quiet. I can still feel him in there, a
comforting presence, but he's not actively making white noise or acting as my talkative Jiminy
Cricket.
It's weird having 'space' inside my own head to myself.
Having grown so used to his presence and voice, whenever he goes quiet, it's startling obvious
something was missing.
I shake my head and decide to make the most of my time up in the sky.
Flying felt great.
The wind on my face, the whooshing sound of air blowing past my ears, ruffling my hair and
making the loose edges of my robes flap, it was divine. I grinned at the feeling.
The freedom.
Flying was amazing.
For some reason I had the distinct feeling that Suibian felt the same.
The same love for the open air and the freedom that came from being carried by the winds.
The empowering feeling that bubbled forth when you actively went against the winds.
It was amazing.
I took a deep breath of crisp clear air.
It was cold.
I laughed.
I was happy. Really happy.
Aah, I thought, Moments like these are worth it all.
I love this world. This life. This existence.
I love it all.
I lift a hand up at the sky and see the sparkling sun rays through my fingers.
Words are spoken and carried away by the wind.
Nothing more needed to be said.
Chapter End Notes
An early update (to some, it's late over here) yay!

Thank you so much for the responses in the last chapter, you guys are amazing. So
thank you, very much. (You made me cry, and I'm an ugly crier )
I heard this lullaby last week, and I can't get it out of my head (like, I love it.
Unreasonably fascinated with it and I am using it, in many, many future fic. I'll just
make it my go-to Lullaby from now on.) So I just had the urge to hand WWX a cuddly
child to hold (because there's still a bit of time left before he meets baby A-Ju and gets
his rather big brood of children).
So here you go, WWX surrounded by small children where he's at his most natural
and softest.
(LWJ get back here! You're not supposed to appear for two or so chapters yet!)
These juniors will appear later in-story (WWX's minions) and they'll be Jiang Cheng's
main source of headaches.
"S-S-Sir..."
"What is it?" *glaring*
"There's a situation in the courtyard, sir."
"Who's causing it?"
"Uh... Well..."
"Don't tell me. It's the hellions again." *sighs*
"Yes Sir."
"Which ones?"
"All of them."
"F*ck"
I find Ike being scared of heights hilarious. I have no idea why, it just makes me bust a
gut out laughing. So here we go, Ike is terrified of heights.
And he'll totally make WWX pay for this. (he's so waiting for when they arrive in
Gusu)
Also, before I forget (like I did just before coming back to edit the chapter) Arc IV is
starting after the next chapter. So we'll have one final chapter (67) for Arc III, and then
we'll move on with Arc IV Gusu.
Curtain Call
Chapter Summary
When it's the last day before heading to Gusu.

Where there's feels and worrying, and Jiang Cheng is a good little brother.
Chapter Notes
Guess who's back, back again, AGF is back, tell a friend.
Yes, I know, cheesy. But c'mon! It's Christmas and I'm feeling cheery.
Or well, it's the holidays of whichever religion you follow.
And I hope you guys are well and happy and excited for what's to come!
Updates will still be irregular until I get my massive cache of chapters up and running,
so tonight you get a big chapter to devour.
Mind the spelling mistakes though, my computer was wiped clean and it has decided
that it dislikes my writing in english to the point that it ignores it as actual writing and
not squiggles.
"Let's just say that the theater is not for the faint of heart." - Phylicia Rashad
Chapter 67: Curtain Call
There were moments when I woke up or I walked along the Piers of Yunmeng and thought to
myself:
I must be dreaming.
It wasn't that I couldn't believe that I was here, or that something weird was happening.
But because everything was so beautiful, so colorful, bright... Alive.
Everything was so alive. Connected.
Today was the day before last in regards to our departure to study at Gusu.
I was fifteen years old, when I returned to Yunmeng next year I would be sixteen. And a couple of
months after that there would be a Discussion Conference in Qishan, where I would meet Wen
Ning for the first time - and soundly kick the ass of the competition in the Archery Challenge -
before the QishanWen Sect decided to start the downward spiral towards war.
I took a deep breath and felt the cool scent of the lake tickle my nose.
I was fifteen years old.
I had been living in this world for twelve years.
Truly, sometimes, everything felt like a dream.
The sun rose in the sky and chased away the dark hues of the night, the water shimmered under its
rays and I could see the many lotus blossoms floating here and there.
Jiang Cheng was still asleep - as was much of the Sect, seriously I needed to stop waking up at
four in the morning unable to go back to sleep - but Little Love had decided to accompany me on
my early ass walk around the Compound. After about two rounds around it, I decided to come sit
by one of the piers with and gaze out at the water.
Little Love sprawled over my lap and I absently ran my fingers through her thick fur.
Yunru was... somewhere.
Honestly, I woke up some mornings with her curled up beside my head, other times I would only
see her during dinner time when she came to make puppy eyes at my food.
She knew she was coming to Gusu with me, though.
A bad idea.
It's an excellent idea, Ike.
Pets are not allowed in the Cloud Recesses, such as why Jiang Cheng is not allowed to bring his
puppies.
Not that they can be called 'puppies' anymore...
Little Love, Jasmine and Princess were officially joining Jiang Cheng and I during our regular
night-hunts - and Jiang YanLi when she joined us, although more often than not she went with
Madam Yu for special training (which I had experience the results of, and I low-key pitied Jin
ZiXuan if he tried his old tricks on her) - having finished their training to become spiritual dogs.
And boy, were these girls vicious against Yao and Beasts.
I had seen Jasmine rip the hand of a Fierce Corpse right off its decayed arm.
You bet I made sure to give her a nice treat afterwards. Forget getting on their bad side, having
stitches done by the Sect Doctor the old-fashioned way with no anesthesia and proper sterialization
gave me nightmares.
So, how are you planning to smuggle Yunru in?
I'll think of something.
When you inevitably fail, I will laugh and say 'I told you this was a bad idea'.
Shove off, I don't see you spouting suggestions.
How about, leaving the water-rat here and not taking her to Gusu?
I sigh.
Can't.
Can't or won't.
Fine, won't.
Why?
I need Yunru with me.
...Again, why?
I sighed again, deeper this time, and Little Love's ears flickered. She made a low whine sounds and
I scratched her behind the ears.
She went boneless against me, tail wagging lazily to show contentment.
I need her there, I guess. An anchor.
Anchor?
We're out of time, Ike.
There's still months before the war.
No, this is it. Once I reach Gusu everything will be out of my hands. No matter how many more
updates I can do to the Parrots, how many more contigencies I can request to have put in place, or
how many plans I can have squirreled away in my sleeves... This is it.
Showtime.
The snowball has already reached the peak of the mountain.
When they call us to attend the Re-education of the Wens... That will be the last push needed to
send it barreling downhill.
I took a deep breath and savoured the scent of the lake.
My thoughts curled inwards and outwards like thick black vines, growing from the black hole in
my mind and reaching out to everything.
Everything.
Nothing.
Void.
Balance.
I had made a breakthrough regarding the Energy of this world last month, after working on the
defensive Array around the secret tunnel and adding a few extra - and very secret - additions of my
own creation to the Defensive Array around the Compound. I had known that Energy was alive for
a while, mostly because it responded to stimuli differently depending on what you did.
The System and its peculiar view of how Energy was supposed to work - and which I agreed
wholeheartedly - mentioned Rituals.
Rituals which were supposed to contact beings made of Energy.
Or well, I assumed they were made of Energy because they weren't physical beings. They were
invisible to the naked eye but ever-present. They lived in the Energy around us, feeding the world
and everything in it.
When the uninformed cultivator read the rituals all that they thought of them were 'weird practices
involving gods and deities', which wasn't out of the realms of possibilities, but never looked further
into it. Why would one look twice at a scrawled out rune in chalk with a lit incense stick? Weren't
offerings left out on altars a common occurrence? Sure, the rune looked odd and there was no
statue the offerings were given to, but those were details that you could miss unless you were
searching specifically for them.
I knew better.
I had been working on a prototype for an ice-box - don't ask, I was bored - and had used one of the
rituals I had learnt from the Store to coat the inside of the box with ice.
Or... Well... That was what I had been trying to do.
The ritual mentioned offerings of fruit, so me being my usual thoughtless self brought a bunch of
random fruit and placed it in the array while chanting the small invocation - similar to a prayer, so
I could see how people could get the two confused - and half-expecting nothing to happen.
What I was not expecting was for the fruit to decay in seconds - except for the grapes, apparently
ice spirits dislike grapes - and the box to suddenly burst apart because of the giant piece of solid
ice that shot out of the ritual array inside of it.
I had stared at the ice for a solid minute, unable to process what the hell had happened, until Jiang
Cheng opened the door to my room to ask for something.
We both stared at the ice for a few seconds longer before he glared at me.
"What did you do?" He sighs.
I look back at him, betrayed,"Platypus! What makes you think I had anything to do with this?! I
could be innocent!"
Jiang Cheng gives me his 'are you serious' look that makes him look so damn similar to his mother,
and asks:"Do you really want me to answer that? We are in your room. There is a piece of ice in
the middle of your room, when it is not cold enough for it to exist. What did you do?"
I pout at him and cross my arms,"You're so mean to me, A-Cheng, and I've done nothing."
"Then why is there a piece of ice in your room?" He then frowns,"How did you even manage to get
ice in here?"
I blink innocently at him,"A miscalculation, I assure you. It's not like I was trying to create my own
personal flurry."
Jiang Cheng processes my words, opens his mouth to reply, before closing it. Thinking better of it,
he instead shakes his head and asks me whatever it was that lead him to enter my room in the first
place.
I thought that would be the end of it and I could go back to my research notes and figure out what
the hell happened, when a couple of minutes later YanLi and her mother walk in.
I remember YanLi taking one look at the ice and sighing, while her mother simply arched one
eyebrow and walked out.
"Really, A-Xian?" YanLi smiles softly at me,"What have you done now?"
I pout at her,"A-Jie, where's the trust? Why does everything have to be my fault?"
YanLi - saintly, goddess of Mercy, YanLi - nods and sits primly down on my bed,"I'm sorry, A-
Xian. I won't think it's your fault if something happens in your room, with you right there beside it,
with what looks to be another talisman or array you've cooked up."
I whine,"A-Jie! You wound me, your poor didi is wounded."
She laughs and comes down from the bed to kneel beside me and pinch my cheeks.
"Oh, A-Xian." Her eyes gleam with amusement,"Never change."
Never Change.
A thorn under my skin stabbed me when my flesh was tender.
I cannot promise that, sister.
I'm sorry.
I'll try.
I promise that.
I'll try to stay the same.
I will try my best.
Is that enough?
(No...No...It will never be enough. More. I need to do more. Please... I need to do more...It's not
enough...Not yet...)
I had delved deeper into rituals after that.
I had learnt two big things:
First, Energy was very much alive and I could finally prove it.
Second, the practice of using rituals and their correct invocation was either banned or forgotten
from the memories of man.
There were two reasons my relatively small ritual nearly flash froze my room, one was that I
offered too much; and two, the ice spirits - or elementals, I had read both used to describe the
beings - were ecstatic to help.
Except their version of help doesn't really equate all that well in human terms.
At first I had though, oh my lord, this is awesome and super helpful!
And then I read the fine print regarding rituals.
See, there was more to it than just ink or chalk to write the runes with, the offerings, and the
invocation. The beings themselves had to be willing to help you.
And from pop culture and many, many, many warnings about fairies and benevolent invisible
beings, I knew that they were bound to be prickly and temperamental.
I would too if an entire race of people, who cultivated their energy for centuries, simply forgot
about them and never paid them any respect.
And from what I had seen - an entire spike of ice coming out of a small palm sized array - they
certainly deserved respect.
How does one exactly pay respect to these beings?
Easy.
You become religious.
Hush you, it has nothing to do with religion.
You make offerings without asking for nothing in return, your small invocations do sound a lot like
prayers, and you hope that they consider you worthy of attention.
I roll my eyes at his tone of voice.
Anyway, I had ended up making a small guidebook with relevant rituals and their requirements,
since I bought them from the Store individually or in specially made books - which were by
Alignment - and needed a master rulebook of sorts.
So I had worked on that for a while - it was an ongoing project, and another outlet for my
frustration to being unable to prevent future events from happening - between my already packed
schedule with night-hunting, mentoring Jiang Cheng, sparring with YanLi, and being the best
senior disciple the little juniors have ever known.
A-She would be proud of my work with them if it wasn't for the fact that they regularly put my
teachings to good use in pranking him.
This is why I say you're a bad role model for kids.
I am totally not, my nieces and nephews all turned out to be well-functioning and very successful
members of society.
And your apprentice, which was with you 24/7 and absorbed most of your teachings?
...
Is that confirmation enough?
No, artist can be excentric, I honestly believe it is expected of them.

There's excentric and then there's the 'I'm going to paint my whole shop pink for the day, I feel like
painting the shop pink.'
...Why is it, Ike, that you always succeed in making me feel embarrassed?
Because I am literally inside your head and we've been together for... How many years now?
Nearly ninety?
...We're going to be centenarians soon!
That's what you choose to take out of that sentence?
Hey, how many times can you say you've lived past a hundred?
Seeing as I died before seventy, my opinion is already made, but must I remind you we're currently
inside a world where there's a really old wise woman in a mountain that's seemingly immortal.
Speaking of Baoshan Sanren...
I pull out my mother's necklace from inside my robes and hold it up to the dawn sunlight. The
sunrays lick at the mysterious metal, catching on the feathers and reflecting back into my eyes, and
the mountain scene carved into the center piece hold my attention for a few moments.
There would only be three amulets like these in this world, Xiao XingChen; my mother's; and my
mother's shixiong, Yanling Daoren.
In a rare event of sharing, Jiang FengMian had spoken with me about my parents - and kept it
fairly on topic with no deviations into the 'why don't you become a permanent member of this
sect?' - and had told me the story of Yanling Daoren.
Or well... As much of a story as one could have when their whole life was shrouded in mist.
One thing that was consistent in all the legends and spooky stories, however, was that he had his
amulet buried with him. A final sign of respect, Jiang FengMian had said.
I thought otherwise. While I did understand - somewhat - that this culture valued respect above
nearly everything, I doubted that someone wouldn't have tried to take the symbol of Baoshan
Sanren's teachings, if only as a prize and not some scheme to try and fool people into thinking
they're the real deal.
That made me wonder why no amulet had ever been stolen, or imitations made.
Sure, it was a weird metal, but there had to have been attempts, right?
You're distracting me, aren't you?
Uh? What are you talking about?
You're jumping from topic to topic and making me dizzy, you're avoiding something.
My impending panic attack, if you must know, Ike.
I close my eyes and sink into my subconscious, the empty void with a single orb of liquid light,
steadily dripping into the darkness below it, and rippling like a disturbed water surface.
It was funny, there was no ground, yet I walked solidly on something.
There was no liquid, yet there were still ripples.
There was no wind, yet I still felt a breeze on my skin.
I cupped my hands and the swirling light came to rest on my palms, warm and gently revolving like
a tiny sun.
I held it like one would a small bird, carefully and cautiously.
I wasn't afraid of it, far from it, the orb and I were very close acquaintances - after all these years,
we had little choice but to be - but because it was so fragile.
And fleeting.
My Golden Core was one of a kind, it was powerful but steady, like a controlled fire. It
commanded respect but unless you got close to it, it wouldn't burn you. Warm you, certainly, burn
you? No.
Demonic Cultivation, on the other hand, I suspected would be more like a wildfire. An
uncontrolled blaze that ripped through everything in its path.
Dangerous.
Malicious.
Ravenous.
Ever since the System had locked me out of learning more about Demonic Cultivation first-hand,
having to rely on observations made by yours truly - it never said I couldn't stare at the fierce
corpses from a distance - or by other cultivators, I had to try to reverse engineer Spiritual Energy.
Which was not easy.
It was like one of those russian puzzle dolls, you opened something and there were more questions
and inconclusive answers staring back at me.
I sighed once more. Little Love finally had enough of my pessimism and gets off of my lap, sitting
up and giving me an unamused look before trotting off towards the residential wing of the
Compound. I comtemplate going after her, maybe try and catch some shut-eye before I have to
resemble a functioning member of the Sect, but decide against it.
I stare out at the calm waters and pluck my flute from the Inventory, twirling it between my fingers
and seeing the dim sunlight reflect on the polished wood.
The flute ChangZe had carved for me, one so similar to his own, and the one I cherished from the
very moment he first handed it to me.
I put it to my lips and thought of anything that could pass onto my feelings into a melody.
I start playing a song I'd heard before on the radio, I believe, once in my store. The strings don't
quite match up to the flute but the melody is a bit easy to follow and improvise on.
I play for a while, long enough for Jiang Cheng to wake up, get ready and come look for me for
probably not showing up for breakfast. I'd heard a few felow sect disciples spot me and walk away,
knowing better than to intrude upon my privacy when I was in one of my moods, so I figured that I
had been sitting in the same spot for two hours or so.
Except I didn't really take notice of the passage of time.
Truly, this life sometimes felt like a dream.
No matter how many times I had to reassure myself that I wasn't dreaming, that this was way too
complicated for it to be a fever dream in my dying old body, I just couldn't quite grasp the fact that
I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to be here.
To meet these people.
To understand them.
Love them.
Regardless of the hardships that awaited me in the future, I could safely say that I was lucky to be
alive, to be here with them.
With my family.
"Are you moping over something?" Jiang Cheng approaches me, steps quiet but steady.
"Not really, brother." I answer him,"I'm just thinking."
"As usual." He mutters and sits beside me.
He looks out at the water, now reflecting the bright sunlight coming from above. "It's a pretty sight,
here on this pier."
My lips quirk up at the corners,"Yes, it sure is, Platypus."
"What are you worrying over now, idiot?" He asks me.
I slump to the side and rest my head on his shoulder, he fidgets a bit in place to get more
comfortable but doesn't push me away.
"We are leaving for Gusu tomorrow," I tell him.
"I know, Mother won't stop lecturing me about presenting a perfect image of YunmengJiang to the
other Sects, never mind that A-Jie is coming with us, thanks to her interest in furthering her
cultivation." He grumbles.
I chuckle,"I'm sure the thought of catching a glimpse of the Peacock never crossed her mind. Or
your mother's."
Jiang Cheng groans,"Shut up. He doesn't deserve her."
"No one deserves our sister, Platypus." I roll my eyes, feeling myself relax with the usual banter he
and I had going on.
"So... What? You're worried about going to Gusu? Aren't you supposed to be happy, you have
friends already there, don't you?" He asks me.
"Gege and A-Zhan? Yeah, I'm eager to see them again. But..." I sigh.
"But?" Jiang Cheng presses.
"What comes after, A-Cheng?" I ask him.
"After Gusu?" He frowns.
"I will leave." I tell him,"I've been preparing for it for so long, and now that it's here... That it's
time...! I... I worry..."
He opens his mouth, perhaps to say 'You can always just stay here with me', but we both know that
is not possible.
Jiang Cheng would one day be the Sect Leader of YunmengJiang, it was his birthright as Heir, and
I would forever be CangSe Sanren and Wei ChangZe's son. Despite it having been years, rumors of
a potential affair between our parents still managed to trickle in occasionally.
Rumors that, as I outperformed every single disciple in and out of YunmengJiang - my challenge
with Sect Leader Nie had made rounds for months if not years afterwards - I would be chosen to
succeed Jiang FengMian over his real son still existed.
After all this time, I did not think Madam Yu would kick me out. In fact, I had frequently felt that
she bit her tongue to keep herself from voicing any concern or disaproval of my choice for leaving
the Sect sooner rather than later.
But I had to leave.
"Where are you headed?" Jiang Cheng asks instead, his voice trembling slightly.
"Hmm, I'll think I'll stop by Qinghe briefly. I won't stay there, it has beautiful mountains and lots
of open fields - has to because of all the cattle and such - but I want somewhere a bit more isolated,
I guess." I tell him.
"Isolated?" He frowns.
"You think me leaving the Sect and telling the world I'm going into a bit of unorthodox seclusion
is going to stop idiots from trying to recruit me into their Sects?" I chuckle.
"Oh..." Jiang Cheng looks at the water and his eyes narrow,"Would you join another Sect?"
"No." I answer immediately.
He blinks,"That was a fast answer."
I grin a bit at him,"If I joined a Sect, didi, I'd join you. Even if I marry - which is unlikely, no don't
give me that look - I wouldn't join into their clan or Sect, if they have one. I'm going to find my
mountain, Platypus, and I'll make it the most beautiful mountain you'll ever see. Once I find it, I'll
never leave it to live elsewhere."
"But you'll come visit," Jiang Cheng feels the need to ask, once again, if only for the reassurance
of it.
"Yes, brother, I promise I'll definitely come to visit you." I chuckle,"But you'll have to come visit
me also! I need you to gawk at my mountain and hear me gloat about how awesome it is!"
He scoffs,"If you're in charge of that mountain, I'm expecting crooked walls and patchy roofs.
You'll be too engrossed in you maniac research to actually build something... Or if you have, for
you to accidentally blow it up."
I gasp theatrically, clutching at my chest and rolling over to splay all over his legs,"You wound
me! How could you! The Great Wei WuXian, felled by his unfeeling brother! Oh, how the mighty
have fallen!"
I see Jiang Cheng attempt to keep a straight face and not burst out laughing at my goofing around,
and the sight of his twitching lips and gleaming eyes send the last remnants of slow dread and cold
fear back to the darkest corners of my mind.
I finally stop moving and just lay in his lap, looking up at the sky.
"Thing will change soon, Jiang Cheng." I tell him.
He frowns minutely before his face smooths over, his eyes dimming slightly,"Yeah... I know,
dage."
I smile at him,"We'll always be brothers no matter what, though, so don't be too sad about it."
He nods,"And don't you forget it either. You're my brother, you'll always be welcomed here. This
is your home too, you know?"
My smile widens and trembles, my eyes itch and I feel tears threatening to pool in them. I sit up and
hug him close.
"I'll make something for you, a song maybe - I'm good at thinking those up - and give it to you
before I go away." I tell him,"And dont you forget it either, if you ever need me, just call me up
and I'll come running, you hear? You'll always be my precious little brother and I'll kick however
thought to hurt you where the sun doesn't shine."
He laughs and clutches at my robes, fingers curling against the fabric.
"I promise. I won't forget. You're my precious big brother, too." He tells me, voice thick.
I won't let anyone hurt you, A-Cheng.
Not now, not ever.
Until my last breath leaves this body, I will always be ready to stand beside you.
You'll grow so strong, brother, and face so much pain, I'm sorry I can't shield you from it. But
you'll grow so strong...
You'll make everyone proud of you, A-Cheng. Your mother and father will be so happy to see how
far you'll go.
I know the path we'll take won't be easy, brother. It will be the hardest thing either of us has ever
done, but you'll make it out of there alright. I'll make sure of it.
So... Be happy, okay?
For me... For them...
Be happy. And healthy. And strong, you hear me?
I'll always be there with you, every step of the way. But you're going to have to fly out of this nest
and reach the stars all on your own.
I love you, Jiang Cheng. Now and forever.
Always.
I love you.
Even when we part ways, in joy or anger or sadness, please... I beg of you to never forget that. I
love you.
And I believe in you.
You are my one and only littlest brother.
The one I taught and teased and goofed around with. We've had a long run. I'm glad I got to meet
you, befriend you, and call you family.
So glad...
And that's enough.
I've done enough.
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift, and that's why it's called the
present.
However said kids movies didn't have any sort of message clearly hasn't ever seen a 'kids movie'.
Ike was right - as usual - and I had done plenty.
The Network would be up and running without my input or direction in less than three months.
PeiZhi and ShouShan had finally vetoed the last joining members to the organization; from now on
I would only be in contact with ShouShan and PeiZhi sporadically.
I planned on stopping by the Bai Clan's residence while I was in Gusu, with Suibian I could fly
over there in an hour or two and be back by dinner time, so there was that.
All of the safe houses were ready and all of my emergency plans were green lit.
I had done all that I could.
There was no use in worrying now.
What's done is done and what isn't done isn't feasible anymore.
Let go.
Take a deep breath.
Tomorrow will be different.
It will be the first step towards the biggest obstacle in the path before my mountain.
And by all Gods and deities in this world and the next, I would make it bow at my feet and tremble
before my power.
I was Wei Ying, courtesy WuXian, the son of CangSe Sanren and a follower of the Great Baoshan
Sanren's teachings; I am the Head Disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect; I am Jiang Cheng and
Jiang YanLi's brother; I am the creator of so many revolutionary creations that there are too many
to name here; I am the one who founded the biggest underground organization that could shake
society to its knees.
I will be the future Yiling Patriach, the founder of Demonic Cultivation.
And I will be amazing.
The journey's just starting.
The Game isn't over yet.
I laid in bed that night, finishing packing my bags and putting everything else I wanted to bring
along in my Inventory, when the System chimed in at the stroke of midnight.
"Story Arc Completed!"
I looked up at the words and took a deep breath, steadying my hands on the wooden floor.
I opened the timeline and saw the many, many little caricatures of events - checkpoints - scattered
about. A single straight line leading to the last image before a new timeline, this one all knotted up
and brand new, appeared underneath it.
The last picture showed two figures sitting together on a pier.
I smiled.
I've done enough.
Tomorrow will be better.
Everything will be fine.
I will keep them all safe.
I will keep my family safe.
I promise.
(Watch over me, mother, father... Watch carefully... I will blow everyone out of the water. I will
make you proud. I will be strong. I promise. I promise. I promise.)
"Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness
thrust upon them." - William Shakespear
Chapter End Notes
Hey, I know, long time no see.

Life has been chaotic. And then my computer decided to implode on me. I literally just
got it back on the 23rd and the spent the little free time I had - between visiting family
and having my best friend suddenly show up from London - to write this 5k chapter.
Hope you guys liked it!
Wei Ying Arc III Final Stats:

Age: 15 Class: Archer Level: 90
Int: 203 Ste: 193
Str: 203 Cha: 199
Agi: 198 Sen: 213
Sta: 205 Luc: 187
Skills:
[Martial] Acrobatics: MAX; Climbing: MAX; Brawling: MAX; Knife-Handling:
MAX; Swordplay: 14; Archery: MAX; Throwing: MAX; Dueling: 11; Spear-fighting:
2; Flying: 13;
[Scholar] Investigation: MAX; Meditation: MAX; Foraging: MAX; Spiritual: MAX;
Talisman-Making: MAX; Astronomy: 13; Flower Language: MAX; Region: MAX;
Heraldry: MAX; Law: 13; History: MAX; Arrays and Rituals: 13; Warfare: 6;
[Social] Etiquette: 14; Taunting: 14; Intimidation: 13; Storytelling: MAX; Games: 10;
Gossip: 7; Gambling: 6; Tea-Ceremony: MAX; Negotiation: 13; Politics: 7;
[Arts] Flute: MAX; Singing: MAX; Acting: 13; Dancing: 14; Painting: MAX;
Crafting: 14; Composition: 13; Calligraphy: 13; Flower-Arragement: 10;
[Mundane] Writing: MAX; Language: MAX; Animal-Handling: MAX; Swimming:
MAX; Math: MAX; Riding: MAX;
Greetings and Salutations
Chapter Summary
Where one arrives at Gusu and things are found out.
Chapter Notes
I am still alive and kicking, yes.

I am still not at a 100% percent though, so forgive me if uploads are not regular and
the chapters turn out a bit wonky.
The last few months haven't been exactly kind on my psyche.
For the sake of not triggering anyone; please don't read the end Author Notes if you
don't want to deal with my failing mental health. It's not a nice subject.
I hope you enjoy the chapter!
"The deepest definition of youth is life as yet untouched by tragedy." - Alfred North Whitehead
Chapter 68: Greetings and Salutations
We arrived at Gusu mid-afternoon. True, we were only expected at the Cloud Recesses the next
day - as was everyone invited to come study in it - but I had hoped that we'd arrive sooner so I
could show Jiang Cheng and YanLi around.
Alas, it was not to be, thanks to someone taking forever to pack his bags and decide what to bring
with him or leave behind.
You talk big, but you cheat when it comes to packing.
It's not my fault I have a pocket dimension at my disposal that doesn't seem to have a limit to how
much clutter I stuff in it.
Yet you still gloat about it every chance you get.
I have to get my quota of amusement out of something, Ike.
"Where are we staying for the night?" YanLi asks, looking around the quaint little town at the foot
of the mountain where the GusuLan Sect rested on.
"We should find someplace nice but not too nice." I advise.
"Why? We're here to represent the YunmengJiang Sect, you're not expecting us to pig out at some
unclean pit of-..." Jiang Cheng wrinkles his nose.
"Because we're not the only Sect coming to study at the Lans and I'd much rather have some leg
room to myself and not trip over feet when I want to go somewhere," I roll my eyes,"'Sides, lower
class places let me play or sing songs and not only would I get us some more pocket money, it'll
also mean free meals."
"We have money, A-Xian." YanLi points out,"You don't need to do anything like that."
I shrug,"I like to. It brings fond memories."
Jiang Cheng gives me a long look,"Have you been here before?"
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Meet Lan-gege and A-Zhan in a town not too far from here, actually. And I once
drew the GusuLan gate and sent it to them." I smirked as I recalled it.
"That's another thing, isn't it? We're finally going to meet your mysterious Lan friends." Jiang
Cheng says that but he doesn't look particularly amused by the thought of it.
"Aww, are you feeling jealous already, Platypus?" I grin.
A-Cheng's cheeks tinge pink and he hisses at me,"Who's jealous?! As if I wanted a friend whose
first twenty or so letters were all corrections on my calligraphy and all the rules I'd break if I set
foot in his home?"
"Well, look at it positively, A-Zhan has already given me a list of all the ones I need to break
first!" I laugh and jump away as Jiang Cheng reaches his hand out to slap me upside the head.
"We are here to represent our Sect, you especially need to portray a good example of our Sect's
discipline, or are you already forgetting your duties as the Head Disciple?" A-Cheng scolds.
I pout back at him,"Not fair."
YanLi smiles at the two of us and brings us back on track,"Do you have any suggestions about
where we should stay, A-Xian?"
I stand tall and look at the seven odd disciples that are joining us; four are going with YanLi to the
All-Female section of the Cloud Recesses, the rest are joining Jiang Cheng and I. It's not a big
group, LanlingJin and QingheNie had probably sent bigger contigencies considering one likes to
flaunt his wealth and the other Sect Leader is good friends with the future Lan Sect Leader.
"I know a place, not too shabby so it won't offend your sensitivities, A-Cheng, but not rich enough
that everyone will be clamoring to get rooms in it. Plus, I know the owner." I motion them to
follow me.
What you're not telling them is that the owner is a member of your still-unnamed organization and
part of the underground sales group of Talismans.
Did you say something, Ike, I didn't hear you.
Will the guy not blow your cover?
It's a standing rule that no one mentions anything about what we do in the shadows unless I address
them about it first.
And how are you going to explain the starry-eyed looks you're gonna get?
Haven't you heard, Ike? The great Wei WuXian, the Head Disciple of YunmengJiang and the
genius kid that cultivated a Golden Core at age 10, is coming to study at the Cloud Recesses. Not
to mention the fact that he's the only son of CangSe Sanren and a follower of the Great BaoShan
Sanren teachings!
I can't even imagine how long it will take you to name every single one of your achievements in an
official introduction. You'd lose all your breath first.
True, I'd probably have to have several people read them out loud in sections.
Or just cut the ones not important for that specific introduction.
Good point.
"How old were you, Wei-xiong? When you came here, I mean." A junior asks me.
I think about it,"I was young, six or so, maybe." I answer.
"And the GusuLan Disciples didn't find you?" His eyes widen.
I grin mischievously at him,"Don't you know, little Shidi, your Da Shixiong is very good at playing
hide and seek."
"She-xiong still grumbles about all the times where you had chores yet no one could find you to
make you do them," Another junior speaks up from the back of the group.
I laugh,"Senior She loves me and my eccentricities."
Jiang Cheng scoffs,"He'd love you more if you actually acted your age."
"But XianXian is three!" I make big puppy dog eyes at him.
A-Jie giggles behind her sleeve while A-Cheng groans.
"You're impossible." He tells me.
"Very much so," I nod.
Once the moon rises in the sky and I am positive that everyone is asleep, I let Yunru out of her
hiding spot and jump out of the window to walk around the lantern-lit town.
"You've never been here before have you, YunYun?" I speak to her quietly. "I found you after I
first passed through here. It's a beautiful land and the Cloud Recesses even more, the mountains
have a barrier around them so people can't just come and go as they please without permission.
And hunting isn't allowed there, so you're free to roam and be as wild as you want without having
to worry about being hunted."
Yunru squeaks and nuzzles my cheek.
I chuckle and stroke her black fur, it feels just as soft as it did when I first held her eleven years
ago. How time flies when you're having fun.
"Promise me you'll still be careful, for my peace of mind if nothing else," I tease her.
She squeaks again and sneezes.
"I'll leave you in the forest at the foot of the mountain, as close to the barrier as I can without
triggering it, and tomorrow night I'll pick you up and take you inside," I tell her. "The Lans have
rules about pets - even if you're not a pet - and I don't think you can enter the barrier despite being,
technically, wildlife. So you'll have to stay her tonight, I'm sorry."
Her black beady eyes look at me and I get the feeling that she understands me perfectly and is
content with my request.
"I know you'd rather be in Lotus Pier having the good life, but I need you here. How uncool, right?
The Great Wei WuXian needs his Yunru with him because he feels very much alone without you."
I chuckle but my voice sounds a bit watery.
She doesn't say anything back, just presses her head against my chin in a comforting gesture.
And that is enough.
There was already a gathering of people at the gates of the Cloud Recesses when we arrive,
wearing the designated robes we had been informed were mandatory whilst studying here - a white
over robe with soft purple edging and carefully embroidered lotus flowers on the shoulders and
lower half of the white robes. Our under-robes and pants were the same shade of purple, along
with arm guards, whilst our boots were pure with with a small purple lotus at the top.
The colors and symbols changed from sect to sect; LanlingJin with their yellow peonies and
QingheNie with their bronze beast head. If QishanWen ever decided to attend their uniforms would
have the red sun of their insignia.
As we approached I vaguely recognized several faces in the crowd.
"I think I saw that guy on the archery competition a while back. Or was it at a night-hunt?" I mutter
to myself.
"I wouldn't be surprised if you did, no one shut up about it for a year afterwards," A-Cheng
grumbled.
I chuckled.
"Jiang-gongzi," A Nie disciple bowed in greeting as he noticed us," Young Lady Jiang, we should
be allowed entry soon. It is still quite early."
"Classes should all start an hour and a half after dawn, this isn't early for any of them." I smile
wryly," How very sad."
The Nie disciple blinks at me, eyes focusing on my facial scar before doing a feet-to-head sweep,
and then hastily bowing to me as well,"Wei-gongzi! Our Sect Leader was very impressed by your
prowess in the Conference Discussion two years back!"
Jiang Cheng gives me an unimpressed look and I grin brightly in response.
"Ah, yes. I was also very impressed by Sect Leader Nie. He's quite nice, isn't he?" I cheerfully
reply.
Just about everyone within hearing distance stops talking and turns back to stare at me like I've lost
all my sanity.
I notice Jin ZiXuan give me a particularly deadpan look before his eyes notice YanLi beside me
and widen.
Someone obviously wasn't informed that she'd be here.
Can't say that I care much about him. Although, if he tries any of his novel-tricks on her, I'll string
him up with his own intestines.
That'd be quite messy, the Lans would hate you.
I guess I could try to use my newfound skills of flash-freezing stuff.
It'd be inventive if nothing else.
I hummed and open my mouth to joke about their staring when the translucent barrier allowing
entrance to the Cloud Recesses opens.
And out steps Lan QiRen in all his bearded glory, followed by several other disciples.
He doesn't look any older than when we met him years ago.
Really?
The memory flickers to the forefront of my mind before fading away. True to his word, the Old
Goat looks exactly the same.
You can call me a cheater all you want, but no one should be able to look like they're barely hitting
thirty when you're actually somewhere near fifty.
Are you feeling envious, my dear?
Given that I aged badly and by age fifty-five was already experiencing old pains and had to get a
cane, hell yes.
The same shouldn't happen in this life.
Ike, if we make it to thirty I'll be happy.
"Welcome to the Cloud Recesses. You have been invited to study here and learn what it means to
be a true cultivator." Lan QiRen speaks. "I will be teaching you how to become a cultivator worthy
of pride and an asset to your Clans."
I watch as the other disciples stand straighter as he talks, even Jiang Cheng stands proudly beside
me and his eyes gleam with interest, and have to tip my metaphorical hat to the guy. Say whatever
you wish to say about him, but Lan QiRen knows how to make a speech.
"You will be divided here at the gates, ladies to one side, gentleman to the other. You will be
allowed to convene together once per day for two hours before curfew. During longer breaks you
may be allowed to visit the nearby town together - this is a privilege and it will be revoked if it is
abused, you have been warned." He continues and gestures for two disciple, a male and a female, to
do exactly that.
Jiang Cheng and the other male YunmengJiang disciples wave goodbye as YanLi and her friends
walk forward to join the other female cultivators.
"She'll be fine, Platypus. She has Chidian and GuanYin have mercy on whoever dares to try to
mess with her," I whisper to him.
"I know," He sighs. "She can look after herself."
Dear lord, could she ever. Sparring with YanLi was always an adrenaline shot, she may look
delicate but she was fierce and vicious. Like a scorpion.
Not a spider?
Hell no, you see a spider you get the flamethrower. Scorpions are like, you see them and you
admire them, the stinger looks a bit weird. But those things kill you just as quick as vipers.
And you don't call YanLi a viper because?
Aah... When I think of snakes, I think 'smug snake' and instantly connect the dots to either Meng
Yao or Xue Yang.
Hmm. True.
"Your bags will be inspected to make sure that nothing forbidden in the Cloud Recesses is inside;
you will be provided with a list of forbidden items. The Rules you must follow whilst here are
written on the Wall of Discipline, but you may also find them in the Sect Library." Lan QiRen
continued.
"Hey, A-Xian," Jiang Cheng whispered,"How many rules are there?"
"I think A-Zhan's last count of them for me was 3000," I answer him. "If you need to check, I have
the list somewhere with me."
"You already have the Lan Sect rules?" Another disciple wearing a minor sect color asks.
"Ah, yeah. I know two Lan disciples and we correspond in letters." I answer.
"Who?" He asks.
"That's what I want to know too," Jiang Cheng gripes. "Do you see them anywhere?"
I look around as the Lan disciple checks our bags, Lan QiRen waiting for him to finish, already
knowing that Lan Zhan would only return from secluded cultivation later tonight and Lan
XiChen...
I don't actually remember if he's even in the Cloud Recesses at the moment.
I hope he is.
We'll meet him eventually, whether it happens today or tomorrow doesn't really matter.
I shook my head," I don't see either of them. Though I will remind you, didi, that I haven't seen
either of them face to face since I was, what?, five years old?"
"Not even night-hunting?" Jiang Cheng frowns.
"Firstly, when I night-hunted at that age I either did it by myself or with rural clans that wouldn't
snitch about my location to the Great Sects. And after I joined YunmengJiang I only night-hunted
near the Sect, Sect Leader Jiang dislikes me going too far out of reach." I answer with a shrug. "I'll
introduce you when I do see them, A-Zhan might actually study with us, now that I think about it."
"I'd rather meet the one that doesn't write calligraphy observations, thanks." Jiang Cheng snarks.
I stifle a snort and smile bemusedly at him.
Oh, if only he knew he was talking about the Two Jades of Lan.
It's more of, 'Oh, if only I had a camera for when he realizes he's talking about the Two Jades of
Lan'. Unfortunately getting a camera - whilst not impossible - was more trouble than it was worth
at this point in time.
I knew I could make one already, I did have the skills and materials for it, but I didn't want to try
and explain how the hell I thought this one up when we were a year away from civil war.
"You will be residing in dorms, each room will house two, each dorm has twenty rooms. You may
choose your own roommates." Lan QiRen speaks once the final bag is inspected," I will give you a
brief tour of the Sect before leading you to the dorms. You have the rest of the day free to get
acquainted with your new fellow disciples but I expect you to be in the Mess Hall at five thirty,
classes will begin at six thirty sharp."
Jesus, that's early.
I watch as everyone else lets that sink in, struggle not to laugh as a few pale and goggle at the man,
before feeling Jiang Cheng pinch me on the side.
I hiss quietly and give him the stink eyes," What was that for, I haven't done anything yet!"
"When you said that the Lans woke up early and started work early, you could've told me how
early it was!" He hissed back.
"I thought I had told you about their 'rise at 5, sleep at 9' routine," I frowned.
"I didn't realize you were serious!" Jiang Cheng turns slightly pink.
I grin crookedly at him,"Well, now, that's not exactly my fault is it?"
He huffs at me and looks away.
The routine will get old fast though.
While I didn't exactly mind getting up early, I wouldn't be very happy about doing it every single
day. More so when I wouldn't just stop working just because the clock said that it was now 9pm. If
I had to work until midnight for something to be done, I would. I could also survive not sleeping
for more than 3 hours for a day or two; though I wouldn't exactly be pleasant company.
Not to mention all the rules you are supposed to follow in here and will break within 1.3 seconds of
officially studying here.
Also that.
We were being walked to the dormitory when I notice the disciples ahead of us hastily bow.
I tiptoe a bit higher to see over the heads of taller disciples - and hair pieces, as if anyone needed to
be that vain, oh, wait, they were all Jins, never mind then - and blink. And then I blink again
before my eyes widen and I let myself fall back to the base of my feet.
Was that...?
I think it was!
Oh.
Loud, rackety laughter breaks out in my ears.
Damn.
I feel hot under the collar and thank all the gods and deities out there that I have enough self-
control over this body that I do not blush like a preppy school-girl at the sight up ahead.
"What is it?" Jiang Cheng asks.
"It's my Lan Gege, I think." I answer him without thinking.
"Oh?" Jiang Cheng immediately grows more interested. "Wait, you think?"
"Excuse me, if my recollection as a five year old doesn't exactly match what he's supposed to look
now!" I pout.
"Well, call him." Jiang Cheng shrugs.
I blink slowly at him and then look at the front of the line where I know Lan XiChen is passing by.
Here's the deal: I have an image of being completely shameless, alright? That's how everyone who
knows me, thinks of me. Completely bonkers, entirely shameless and with a genius that makes the
Gods of Intellect and Wisdom cry.
What they don't know is that I secretly have a limit with how shameless I can be without mentally
curling into a ball and despairing at my own actions.
And calling out pretty boys whose looks make my insides feel all weird and tingly, is pretty far
past that limit.
What to do. What to do.
Ike, shut up.
My, my, dearest! You seem to be in a pickle here!
Shut. Up.
C'mon, you know you want to call him. Can you just image how happy he'll be to see you?
Ike has the gall to conjure up an image of Lan XiChen smiling, and Oh, dear Lord in Heaven-...
I firmly recite all of the most insipid and boring Lan Rules that I recall and take a deep breath.
In for a penny, in for a pound, darling dear!
"Lan Gege!" I call out. Loudly. While waving my arm up in the air. "Long time no see!"
The crowd ahead goes shock silent. Before they all part like the red sea.
Jiang Cheng looks at the person left standing ahead of us for a second, before he chokes on his
own spit.
There, in all his glory, stands Lan XiChen, ZeWu-Jun, the First Jade of Lan, the future Lan Sect
Leader. But most importantly...
Wei WuXian's Lan Gege.
I smile brightly at him while mentally crying to Ike's bubbling laughter.
"What did you just call him?" A junior of mine asks quietly.
"Are you insane?" A Nie disciple hisses.
"How disrespectful! Does he have no shame?" A Jin disciple.
"A-Ying! I almost didn't recognize you. My, you've certainly grown!" Lan XiChen smiles back and
casually starts walking towards me.
Everyone else loses their minds.
A-Cheng is looking back and forth between the two of us with wide eyes, the Nie are speechless,
and the Jin are gaping at the Lans.
Who, might I mention, are looking as if there's nothing wrong here.
Uh, I'd thought they would turn up their noses at my casualness in addressing their ZeWu-Jun to be
honest.
"I was only five when we met, Gege," I scoff," I better have grown since then."
"Has it been ten years already? Time does fly. WangJi is still in secluded cultivation, he'll be happy
to see you too." Lan XiChen tells me.
"WangJi?" I blink at him.
Jiang Cheng lets out a soft curse word.
I turn to stare at him aghast.
His eyes lock into mine for a second and then he punches me in the shoulder,"Your friends are the
Two Jades of Lan and you didn't tell me?!"
I whine,"What are you talking about, this is Lan Huan! The Two Jades of Lan are the heirs."
Lan XiChen chuckles.
Jiang Cheng isn't as amused,"Wei WuXian, who are the Lan Heirs?"
I continue to play up my act and answer in a confused tone of voice,"Lan Huan and Lan Zhan,
children of Qinghen-Jun."
"And how are your friends called?" Jiang Cheng hisses.
"Lan Huan and Lan Zhan-..." I answer before pausing, going through my words, before looking at
Lan XiChen.
His smile turns a smidge sly," We didn't formally introduced ourselves in our correspondence
either."
"You're the Lan Heir?" I blink.
Jiang Cheng face-palms before he quickly realizes something,"The calligraphy letters were written
by Lan WangJi."
Lan XiChen nods," We are known as Lan XiChen and Lan WangJi nowadays. Though I'm sure
WangJi won't mind you continuing to call him A-Zhan."
Jiang Cheng shakes his head at the same time I reply:
"I wasn't intent on stopping, Gege."
"You can't call him that!" Jiang Cheng shakes my shoulder.
"Why not?" I whine," He just said I could!"
"It's fine, A-Ying has been our friend for years now. He's talked about you as well, and sent some
sketches from sword practice. I'm usually busy with my own duties, but I am sure I can find a time
to spar with you both someday." Lan XiChen airily comments.
Jiang Cheng immediately sings a different tune.
"We'd be honored, ZeWu-Jun!" He puffs a bit and hastily bows.
I refrain from rolling my eyes and just chuckle lightly. Before I perk up,"So A-Zhan's coming back
tomorrow?"
Lan XiChen nods with a soft smile,"Yes, I'm sure he'll come to greet you when he returns."
My smile widens a fraction without meaning to.
"I've kind of missed him, we have so much to talk about. You've written that he plays the guqin,
maybe he would like to see some of the songs I have from Yunmeng."
"I'm sure he'll be delighted," Lan XiChen nods and his presence grows warmer.
"XiChen, there you are." Lan QiRen comes from around the corner. He sees us talking and I have
the vague impression he just mentally sighed.
"Uncle, apologies. I was waylaid for a moment," He bows.
"It's alright. I understand it has been a while since you last met." Lan QiRen replies - and wow, he
doesn't look like he bit into a lemon! - before turning to the rest of the disciples," If you want to
calmly unpack your bags before lunch, I would recommend heading to the dormitories now."
The Lan disciple guiding us back quickly bows and calls for us to continue on.
I pout a bit,"I guess, I'll see you around, Gege?"
Lan XiChen smiles and nods,"Of course, WangJi should be back tonight, so he'll come greet you in
the morning."
"That's a promise!" I call back as we're moving away.

Lan QiRen sighs,"Shouting is forbidden in the Cloud Recesses."
I bite my lips to keep from grinning.
Oh, I know. Your nephews were kind enough to give me an updated list on all the ones I have to
break. And in alphabetical order!
Let the fun begin!
"You just wait until Mother hears of this!" Jiang Cheng hisses. "And A-Jie!"
I slump over,"Platypus! How cruel! What did I do? I didn't know they were the heirs! They never
mentioned it!"
"And you didn't notice they were heirs when you met them?" A Nie disciple asks me, amazed.
I shrug,"To be fair, A-Zhan was five and I thought he was just a random lost kid until I saw his
clothes. And his brother was... well, he was a concerned big brother."
"They are the Two Jades of Lan!" Jin ZiXuan turns around and stares at me,"How did you not
notice that?"
Again, I just shrug,"They were five and... what, was it? Eight? They didn't look all that
impressive."
Jiang Cheng chortles.
"Are there any more heirs you've met and haven't told us about?" He jokingly asks.
"Well, the guy beside you is the Nie heir, does that count?" I answer.
Everyone kind of stops again and turns to look at the disciple wearing a white and bronze uniform.
He hastily pulls out a fan out of nowhere and fans his face,"Eh... You know me?"
I smirk at him,"I've met your brother."
Twice.
And he bought me buns after I found your lost toy.
"Aah... It's nice to meet you?" He kind of stutters.
"Yes, let us have fun together. Hey, did you paint that fan yourself? It looks great!" I tell him.
He sort of face faults, blinks, and his brain reboots. His eyes hesitantly light up.
"Yes! Do you also paint?" He asks me.
My smile widens. Jiang Cheng sighs. And all the YunmengJiang disciples silently pray for mercy.
"I think you and I will be great friends." I tell Nie HuaiSang.
Chapter End Notes

To make a long story short, for the past year I have been looking after my mother
(since Jan 2019 to Jan 2020), she's been recently hospitalized and it has come to the
point where we can no longer have her with us in our home due to her failing health.
Here's where things get complicated. I have looked after her without assistance for a
year. I started when I was 19, continued when I turned 20, and in two months I'll turn
21.
I wasn't ready to be responsible over someone with ALS and dementia. I don't think
anyone is ever ready for that. But the people who are ready and who do work with
patients of that illness, all work with a schedule. They have working hours, they have
breaks and they have vacations.
I didn't.
With my father and older brother working, it was left entirely up to me to make sure
she was eating, went to the doctors and had her medication on time. As a sidenote, I'll
point out it was left up to me because I had just finished 12th grade and I was 'her
daughter'. So of course, I had a duty to look after her.
Not everyone who has children is a mother, I'm sure some will agree on that.
I looked after her for over 12 months. Constantly. I was slapped, kicked and insulted
for doing what was asked of me by my own father, and ignored when I asked for help
because it was all too much and I couldn't do it on my own.
Writing AGF was as much of a lifeline as it was an escape from the world outside my
bedroom.
When my father suddenly had my mother put in a hospital, things kind of... Well, they
imploded a bit.
Without her here, I really didn't have anything to do. All those hours I had spent
worrying, losing sleep, being miserable were now just empty.
And I noticed that I was very much alone.
All my classmates has jobs and were moving on with their lives and I was just stuck.
Stuck in this house, stuck with all these expectations of being the dutiful daughter,
stuck with the feeling that, now that my mother isn't here, I'm pretty much useless.
My dad and my brother could go an entire day without saying one word to me. They
could come home and laugh about all the things they did that day and proceed to
ignore the fact that I hadn't left the house in over a year. Not even on weekends,
because that's when they 'are too tired to go out'. And to all those who wonder why I
don't just go out by myself; after a year locked inside the house, going outside is
literally terrifying. I don't know where I could go, and no one to go with. I have been
laughed at and mocked for it; I have had people say that 'oh, then it's entirely your
fault you're feeling this way' and so, if that's how you feel about it. Please don't
comment. You might not mean it to be hurtful, but it is.
The last month has been the hardest. My father literally came home one night and said,
why aren't you looking for a job?
As if I wasn't holding the last shreds of a stable mindframe. He later said it was 'only
so I could have something to do and get out of the house', but at the time it wasn't
appreciated.
I haven't felt this down since I was 13 and tried to kill myself. I understand that those
years are when the world feels like it's ending and it's normal. But it took me years to
feel minimally human afterwards, and now I'm back on square one.
I will admit that if I went back I would go through with it. If I had that box of pills
again, I would take them.
And if having my dad bury me when he's already going to bury my mother, makes me
a bad person... Then yes, I am a bad person.
But I am also human. And I am tired.
The plan was for me to start going to therapy, but with everything going on, it's been
put on hold.
Rereading the story and all your comments gives me strength. You are so, so amazing.
And I love you. I wish I could say that I could post a chapter every single week, but I
can't.
Some days I barely get out of bed to eat. But I'll try. I'll try because I know many of
you were so excited to read Arc IV of AGF.
And I enjoyed thinking of the plot of AGF. Of creating all the characters. Writing is
like breathing for me, and as I'm struggling to keep my head above water, maybe air is
exactly what I need.
Meeting Anew
Chapter Summary
Dorm room conversations, Jiang Cheng is a tough nut, and oh hello canon reunion.
Chapter Notes
I want to thank everyone for their comments, they really mean a lot.
I'm so grateful to every single one of you. You made me cry, but you also made me so
very happy.
To know that my story does reach out to you and that you do enjoy reading it and
anticipate it.
"Each meeting occurs at the precise moment for which it was meant. Usually, when it will have the
greatest impact on our lives." - Nadia Scrieva
Chapter 69: Meeting Anew
"Did you really paint these?" Nie HuaiSang, officially introduced, carefully inspected a few
charcoal drawings I had with me.
Or, better yet, that I had actually packed with me to show Lan Zhan and not just brought out of the
Inventory. Because I had a lot of drawings in there.
"He did, his drawings are better when they're done in color. Here," Jiang Cheng hands him a small
acrylic painting of a lotus pond.
Nie HuaiSang holds the painting as one would hold a stained glass figurine.
"This is beautiful, Wei-xiong is there anything you're not good at?" Nie HuaiSang despairs.
"I suck at poetry," I answer," Mistress Zhu, she's one of my teachers, gave up after two sessions.
Any more and she'd probably give up on me entirely."
His lips kind of twitch in amusement. "Really?" He asks.
"Really," Jiang Cheng nods.
I look at Jiang Cheng confused.
"A-Jie had one of your poems with her, I read it. You're right, absolutely hopeless." He smirks at
me.
I roll my eyes," I'm not perfect. I do, in fact, fail several times when trying something new.
Whatever people say about me, I need to emphasize that a lot of hard work is put behind it."
Jiang Cheng nods," That's true. I don't think he can go two days without working on something."
Nie HuaiSang nods shyly," I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. My brother, he... He's always trying
to get me to work hard and be the best when I'm a hopeless failure."
"Hey, now, don't say that," I frown at him," Nobody is a failure, all right? I've met your brother, he
cares about you a lot. I don't think he'd want you to be saying those things about yourself."
He gives me a disbelieving look," How can you possibly know my brother cares for me?"
Because not even his deranged fierce corpse tried to kill you once.
And also when Jin GuangYao finally managed to make him snap and go into Chi Deviation, it was
his brother who managed to stop him.
Let's try not to let any of that happen. Maybe make a few contingencies, just in case.
"First, I'm an older brother, so I know that no deserving older big brother wants to hear their
siblings talk about themselves like that. And secondly, you know what your brother and I talked
about when I won against him in Archery?" I tell him.
"What?" He looks hesitant.
"You. He said something like 'Why can't my brother be more like you?'. Now before you think that
that means he doesn't like you," I put my hands up to stop him from interrupting,"That's not the
behavior of someone who doesn't like something."
Nie HuaiSang just looks confused.
"When you dislike something, when you hate something, you do your best to not think about it.
You push it away, you keep it out of sight. Any time someone mentions it you change the subject,
things like that." I explain to him," Your brother? I bet he can't go one conversation without
mentioning you one way or another."
Nie HuaiSang looks thoughtful, he muses over my words for a while. "So you think my brother
pushes me because he cares?"
"I think your brother pushes you because he wants the best for you," I reply. "Tell me, and be
honest we don't get offended over much in here, what do people say about you?"
He turns a bit red and doesn't really want to answer.
"Want me to go on a bit of a limb?" I ask him, resting my head on one hand," I bet you've been
called something like 'weakling' a bit. Maybe people makes jokes about you? Perhaps even bullied
you a bit?"
Nie HuaiSang hungs his head a bit," Is it that obvious?"
I make a 'so-so' gesture with my other hand," If you know the signs, a bit yes, your eyes kind of
give you away." I tell him.
"My eyes?" He blinks.
"'The eyes are the windows to the soul', or something like that," I smile a bit sadly at him. "You
have eyes that scream 'I want that' when you say A-Cheng and I goof around or when I was talking
to Lan-gege." It was kind of amusing to see Jiang Cheng twitch whenever I called the Lan heir that.
Nie HuaiSang winces. "I'm sorry, you must think I am a horr-" I hold up a hand.
"I think you just want a friend, and hey, I like befriending people!" I grin at him. "There's nothing
wrong with wanting something, I know people who would insult me to try and feel better about
themselves. You were ready to put aside all those conflicting emotions the moment I asked about
your fan. True, I bet you were kind of on the back foot for a while, expecting me to turn right
around and mock you."
He blushes and looks down at the painting still in his hands," People don't usually recognize hand-
painted designs on things. You did."
My grin widens," Jiang Cheng here could've spotted it too, he sketches and draws as well. He likes
to paint portraits so that's something you two can talk about. I recognize hard work when I see it
because I value it." I tell him," Besides, it's not really discussed outside of Yunmeng but I am by far
your typical macho man disciple."
He looks up, confused.
Jiang Cheng grins," He likes singing and traditional dancing."
Nie HuaiSang stares at me.
I grin brightly in return," Mistress Zhu was our sisters teacher, I kind of usurped her lessons."
There's a moment of silence.
And then...
"I don't believe you," Nie HuaiSang is still staring.
I laugh,"Want me to show you? Any dance you want to see in particular? Or it's the singing you
want, oh, I do know a lot of good songs!" I stand up excitedly.
"You're not singing any of your weird songs!" Jiang Cheng grabs at me.
"What weird songs? All my songs are masterpieces, I'll have you know!" I laugh and dodge his
hands.
"You're Wei WuXian! You formed a golden core at 10 years old! You're...! You're...!" Nie
HuaiSang gestured at the air.
"I'm what? Crazy, absolutely. I stay up too late coming up with new talismans and arrays. I have
the horrible, horrible habit of speaking what's on my mind even when it's not socially accepted. I
also have the annoying tendency of being overbearing and a 'mother-hen' as my brother constantly
informs me." I shrug.
"I like to sing, and I like to dance. I make my own robes, I even make Jiang Cheng and my sister
robes. I paint, I play an instrument. I like to play games, and drink, and chat up girls until they titter
and blush." I chuckle," I know for a fact, I draw better porn than whatever our disciples find on
sale."
Jiang Cheng chokes," He doesn't need to know that!"
"You draw porn?!" Nie HuaiSang excitedly asks.
"I do! For a price, either food or something interesting. Money works, but it's not necessary." I
inform him.
"Something interesting?" He asks.
"Yeah, like a shiny shell or something. I don't really bother with porn all too much so usually it's
only Jiang Cheng asking me to draw specific girls. Or him asking for specific girls to sell to his
classmates because that's who they like and he's an entrepreneur in the making and I don't mind
him exploiting me." I chatter.
Jiang Cheng is, by now, pure cherry red and looks about ready to start to attempt strangulation.
Nie HuaiSang is still staring.
Did you break him?
I don't think so.
If you broke him I hope you have a good explanation to give to his brother.
I'm innocent?
I can feel Ike's disbelieving look.
"You seriously want to be my friend?" He asks," Why?"
I sit back down and sigh," If you're thinking it's because I think your brother is scary - he is, but I
think he's pretty cool too, - it's not. I genuinely feel like you're interesting and I might like you. I
tend to trust my instincts when it comes to people, saved my skin more than once, and so I want to
be your friend. And I don't know, you might enjoy it?"
Nie HuaiSang ponders about it. "No strings attached?"
"None!" I answer," Unless you want to fly kites together, those do involve strings."
Jiang Cheng bonks me over the head," Don't mind him. He isn't exactly lying when he says he's
crazy. The Nie are known for their fighting prowess, but I'm curious about what else you do. Do
you all just fight with sabers?"
Nie HuaiSang nods," Yes, it's the weapon of our ancestors."
"I could teach you how to use daggers. Or anything really, if you want it badly enough I can assure
you anything can be turned into a weapon." I offer my usual form of enlightned knowledge.
Jiang Cheng doesn't look impressed.
"I wish I could use my fans, maybe then Brother would stop throwing them out," Nie HuaiSang
sighs.
I hum. "I could think something up. Maybe hidden blades? I will discuss with A-Jie, she has
Chidian which is a ring, and I know that there are arrays that can make things deadly. But it'd be an
entirely different fighting method and forms than what your Sect uses." I inform him," If you're up
for some hard work, I think I can try to rig something up."
"Don't joke, please," Nie HuaiSang frowns.
"I'm not joking. Apart from reading every single book in the Library Pavilion, drive A-Zhan up a
wall and have fun, I'm kind of short on projects." I tell him.
It was a bit of a lie, I had a lot of things going on at the moment, but I had a whole year in here to
spend and reading the entire Library wouldn't take me that long. Not once I really got going.
And it could be fun, having never created a fighting style from scratch before it could be good
practice.
Practice for what?
Hmm? Oh, I use the YunmengJiang Swordplay Style as all disciples do. I should probably consider
creating my own style.
"You'd really do that?" He continues to frown,"Why?"
"Because it might be fun and I want to. Who knows, maybe one day all I have to defend myself
with is a fan and this knowledge might save my own life!" I chuckle.
Lunch was an uninteresting affair.
The food is bland and tastes weird. With absolutely no meat.
I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian!
But I digress, it was their culture and I was a guest here. I'd just buy actual food from the inventory
and eat in private.
And if your dorm mates ask you where the food is coming from?
'I am willing to share for a fee, but if I am busted for having it, no one here will ever eat another
bite. Choose wisely.'
What is with you and starting contraband exchanges everywhere?
I did not start any contraband!
So you are not providing hundreds of golden dragons every month to a dozen or more rural clans?
Technically, I also provide work for merchants, but that's not the point! I didn't start it, Yan
MingXia did.
You keep telling yourself that, someday it might come true.
"Are you spacing out already?" Jiang Cheng asks exasperated.
"No," I lie. "Why? Do you need your Dage to pay attention to you while you show the new kids
who's the coolest boy?" I ask him.
Jiang Cheng punches me in the arm, hard. "Very funny, XianXian. No, I was thinking of going to
the sparring yard. Jin ZiXuan and the others are going."
"Will I have to spar too? Cuz let me tell you, didi, if I spar against the Peacock I'mma send him
flying." I joke.
"Could you actually send him flying?" Jiang Cheng asks, starting to lead me to the sparring yard.
"I could try," I settle on.
Could I send him flying, probably. My strength Stat was scarily strong when you put it into the
perspective of a normal human being. But could I do so without revealing my monstrous strength?
That was up in the air.
"What do you think, A-Jie is doing now?" He asks me.
"Taking control of the dorms and frightening all the ladies into doing her bidding," I reply back
with a straight-face.
"She won't do that on her first day here, she'll try to make them feel safe and complacent around
her first," Jiang Cheng shoots back with the same tone of voice.
I let out a bark of laughter.
Have I mentioned how proud I am of this kid?
Not recently no.
Ike, I am so damn proud of this kid.
He is a good kid.
The best.
"She's probably making friends and telling them all sorts of embarrassing stories about us," I
answer him honestly," Don't worry, A-Cheng. The Cloud Recesses are a pretty damn safe place to
be in. The barrier? You can't get in or out of it unless you have one of these jade amulets," I shake
my own for emphasis.
"I know," Jiang Cheng sighs," I just don't get why they separate us."
I shrug and keep all the comments about them being prudes, sexists and backwards to myself. It
wasn't my culture, it wasn't my home, and I was a guest here. Let us not mortally insult them and
get us cursed for eternity.
"We'll see her tomorrow and then she can tell us how much fun she's having already." I tell him.
"And let her know that your 'Lan-gege' and 'A-Zhan' are actually the ZeWu-Jun and Lan WangJi,"
He adds.
"You're surprisingly cruel when you want to be, didi," I huff. "I honestly did not know who they
were, and you also had their names, so you can't put the blame solely on me!"
"Who else has eyes in that shade of gold?" Jiang Cheng throws his hands up.
"I met them at night!" I defend myself.

Or better yet, you're defending your flimsy lie.
If we did not know who they were before we knew them, then we really wouldn't know who they
were.
Except we are considered geniuses and if you thought about it, then it was pretty obvious who they
were.
My seniors know I still write in chicken scratches if I don't use my pens and take a great deal of
enjoyment in stringing along my tiny juniors into believing outlandish stories.
...
So?
Okay, fine. Yes, we can have 'lapses' in intellect that could potentially lead to this big of an
oversight.
Case closed.
We get to the sparring yard and I quickly sit down on the white stone benches, beside a pair of Lan
juniors, and wave Jiang Cheng off.
"Are you not going to spar also, Wei-gongzi?" One brave junior asks me.
He's cute - which doesn't mean much when you're talking about Lans here - and his voice is soft
and melodious.
"Not really, hey, do you play an instrument?" I ask him.
He blinks," Yes, I play the pipa."
"Ah, you have a singer's voice, so I assumed you played an instrument to accompany that." I grin at
him," I play the dizi."
The junior's eyes light up," You knew I sang from just those few words? How?"
I chuckle," I pay attention. People's habits and lifestyle sometimes bleed into a person's voice. For
example, someone who's lived all their life around merchants tends to use exaggeration in their
speech. They like to make big deals out of small things, they are exuberant." I continue," Whereas
someone from further up the mountains or deep within the countryside are more prone to be curt in
speech. You say the things you need to say and then no more, they are people who work a lot and
have no time to lose chattering about inane things. When they do, they're probably working at the
same time."
"Wei-gongzi sure knows a lot!" The other junior says, amazed.
"I'm well versed in travel. I've been to every single town in the country. I've shared a table with
peddlers, merchants, farmers, and Sect Leaders." I chuckle.
"Can you tell us of your travels?" The first junior asks.
"Sure, what do you want to know?" I get comfortable on the seat.
The juniors ask questions and I answer them, I talk all throughout Jiang Cheng showing the other
Sects that he's a tough nut to crack and comes out of the sparring sweaty and smiling, unbeaten.
I say goodbye to the juniors and listen to Jiang Cheng talk about the others fighting styles and what
he's learnt.
Truthfully, Jiang Cheng had skill but what let him win a lot of the spars was his stamina. Having
grown up with me and having chased me around Lotus Pier more often than not, he had developed
quite a bit of endurance. He could out-perform a lot of people like that because I had taught him to
be efficient over showmanship. If you get in a fight you end it as soon as possible.
So while the Jin, for example, favored a good show over actual sword skills, Jiang Cheng was
ruthless in showing them where they could shove those silly extra movements.
"Were you watching?" Jiang Cheng asks.
"Always," I mess up his hair,"You did good. Watch that left foot though, you keep putting it a bit
too far out."
He also liked to ask this of me, despite me trying to assure him that just because I wasn't solely
focused on his sparring, it did not mean I wasn't paying attention.
"Yeah, I think my boot slips sometimes." He frowns," Do you think it's possible to make boots that
don't do that?"
Yes.
"It might." I answer instead. "If I find any, I'll get you a pair."
"Are you working on anything at the moment?" He asks me.
"Like, right now?" I gesture to around me.
He snorts," No, you idiot, I mean... Like, are you making any new clothes at the moment? I know
you brought cloth with you because you were making something on the ride here, but you might've
finished it already." He expands on it.
"Ah, I'm making a dancing robe." I answer," I can't very well wear a dress, although Mistress Zhu
does let me try them on if I ask her to, so I'm making myself something to wear when I feel like
putting on a show."
"You're kidding."
"No, that's exactly what I'm making. Want me to show you when we get back to the room?" I
smile.
"Aren't you..." Jiang Cheng bites his lip.
"Aren't I what?" I look over at him," You can say it, A-Cheng, I won't be sad or mad or whatever
you're worried about."
"Aren't you scared that people will like... call you a cut-sleeve or something?" He winces.
"How long have you been wanting to ask me that?" I give him an odd look.
He shuffles his feet and looks away," You... Sometimes you do things or say things and... And
guys don't say those things!" He huffs.
"If you mean I am more in touch with my feminine side than most, you are correct." I chuckle," I'm
not scared of what people might think because I'm not scared of them. YanLi and I have fun
picking out cloth and embroidering stuff together when we have the time. I like making pieces for
you and her. I like dancing because it's freeing, like painting, you can express something but you're
moving to it."
"I like playing the dizi because it helps me put emotions to where there are no words." I finish by
adding,"If I were a cut-sleeve would you be embarrassed of me?"
"No," Jiang Cheng looks me in the eye," You have always been there for me. Always." He looks
away.
"I just don't want you to get hurt." He says.
I put my arm around his shoulders and pull him close. My eyes sting a bit.
"Thank you, A-Cheng. You don't have to worry though, romance isn't really on my mind. I just
enjoy being weird." I tell him.
He hums, embarrassed.
"You can still show me the robe... If you want! Or anything." He trails off.
I laugh softly under my breath.
"Sure, it's almost finished, I only need to finish the sleeves and the details I want it to have." I tell
him, and proceed to chatter about what else I've been working on that's safe for him to know.
One day, I hope I can hold him this close and know that I did not let him down.
That I did my best in keeping him safe.
That I gave him the best future I could possibly give him.
One day, I hope he forgives me for the decisions I have made.
The path I am willing to take.
I hope he forgives me for keeping him in the light, while I sink further and further into the dark.
All those years sneaking around Lotus Pier turned out to be useful for something.
The Cloud Recesses was an unknown environment, so I had to pay attention to where I was going
or I ran the risk of getting turned around somewhere; I had to be doubly paying attention to where I
was going in the odd chance of running into a patrol.
I jumped on top of roofs and expertly walked silently over the tiles as I made my way to the border
of the barrier.
Jumping over the wall and making my way down the mountain to pick up Yunru was the easy part.
I just whistled once I got far enough away from the gate that they wouldn't hear it, and waiting for
my little bundle of fluff to come running.
Once I had her in my hands I buried my face in her fur, she nuzzled my cheek and squeaked in
greeting.
I smiled at her and let her rest on my shoulders.
"Did you have fun?" I ask her, giving her a berry from my Inventory.
Yunru took it and started munching on it.
I kept feeding her berries as we made our way back.
The mountain at night was silent. You could hear the nocturnal animals a bit, but the wind that
blew through the trees and shook their leaves curled around your body like silk. Cold fingers
brushing through your hair and skin.
The earth smelled of spring still. Of rain showers and the promise of warmth now that winter was
over.
I quietly sang a bit to myself as I walked. It was a song Mistress Zhu had taught me, from
Yunmeng, about a flock of birds taking flight over the lake. It showed how beautiful it was, and at
the same time sad.
To watch as a flock of geese took flight, to travel around the world, and to possibly never return.
Parting is painful, but isn't it beautiful? Life goes on and on, next year another flock of birds will
take flight from this lake. Look, maybe these are the same geese as last year. Ask it then, what
have you seen? Have you traveled far? Rest a while, beneath my roof, I welcome you to my home.
Rest and grow strong, spring has come and with it hope blooms across the water.
I jumped up on the wall leading into the Cloud Recesses and stared up at the moon.
"What a beautiful world this is, ever-changing, ever-lasting/Wave goodbye, once more, to the
flying geese~" I sang. "I'll await the birth of spring and the sound of wings." I sigh out the last
words.
"Disciples that break curfew are only allowed back inside after breakfast," A voice startles me so
bad I almost fall out of the wall I'm standing on.
I turn around and see a white-robed disciple staring up at me from the ground.
I open my mouth to make a quip or something about Lan disciples needing to wear bells or how it
was impolite to listen to someone sing their hearts out and not applaud afterwards, but-...
But the words kind of die on my tongue.
Bathed in moonlight the cold white of the Lan robes gleam, the wind makes the long, long dark
hair flutter, even as it is trapped in a top bun, his long bangs adorning the sides of his face. A face
that is still soft with youth but already shows a sharp jaw and a narrow bridge of the nose.
His lips are thin, pressed in a line and obviously unused to smiling. My eyes look into his eyes
and...
And my heart skips a beat.
The air in my lungs escape as they breathe out a name.
"A-Zhan...?"
Golden eyes look into my own, their color reflects back the moon high in the sky, and my fingers
itch to draw them.
To sketch the perfect lines and to paint them carefully, painstakingly making sure that they are
exactly the same.
I watch as they shift from guarded to confused before realization sinks into them.
The lips part slightly before they press together again.
The eyes look away.
It feels as if a weight has been removed from over my shoulders. I feel as if I want to sway in place,
or maybe sit down and take a few deep breaths.
Instead my hands seek Yunru's fur and I hide my face slightly in her fur. My heart is beating in my
chest to pounds of a drum, batum~ batum~ batum~
My skin tingles under the cold night air and yet I still feel hot under my collar.
What is this?
"What are you doing here?" Lan Zhan manages to sneak up on me again and is now standing over
the wall same as me.
I refrain from jumping out of my skin, and turn to look at him and know that he sees Yunru plain as
day.
"I couldn't leave her outside," I explain," I know you told me pets are forbidden, and I know that
you have every right to kick me down this wall and back outside, but can you turn a blind eye on
her, please?" I plea with him," She'll stay hidden, no one has to know she's inside the barrier."
"Why bring her?" He asks.
I bit my lip," You'll think this stupid, but I really couldn't bear to leave her behind. She's been with
me since I was five. I raised her." I smile at her as she nuzzles me cheek," When I was packing my
bags to come here, the idea of leaving her in Lotus Pier... Not seeing her everyday, of having her
near..."
"It's stupid, I know." I sigh," I'm sorry, for breaking the rules. I'll just go wait outside 'til morning."
"Wait," Lan Zhan stops me.
He looks conflicted.
"You may go back to the dorms, but tomorrow you'll face punishment." He offers.
I blink at him.
What?
"Are you sure?" I ask him," Won't you be breaking the rules too then? I don't want you to do that,
A-Zhan. It's okay. I know I shouldn't have done this and still did it." I reason with him.
"No one has seen you break curfew. I will inform Uncle myself. Tomorrow you will face
punishment for breaking curfew, return to the dorms." He goes to walk away.
"Wait... What about Yunru?" I ask him.
He stops his back towards me.
"I have seen nothing other than a disciple out of bounds past curfew." Is what he says and then he's
gone.
I stare at his back as he leaves, in disbelief before snapping out of it and quickly getting back into
my shared room with Jiang Cheng. Yunru could make herself scarce come morning, for now she
was sleeping with me.
I sat on my bed and pulled my boots off.
Why would he do this? Why would he let me get away with breaking curfew?
Lan WangJi, the enforcer of all of the Lan Sect rules, the shining example of what a Lan Disciple
is meant to embody; let Wei WuXian, a known troublemaker, get away with breaking the rules.
True, I was going to be punished for it tomorrow, but...
But he let me keep Yunru.
My chest tightens.
I'll try to be nicer to him, get him a few more drawings or maybe a song?
As my head hit my pillow that night, try as I might, the vision of golden eyes haunted my every
dream.
Chapter End Notes
I went a bit back and forth with NHS and WWX in my notes. First I wanted NHS to be
more suspicious, more reserved, but when you look at the novel/donghua/drama series,
NHS, JC and WWX hit it off pretty quickly. So I found middle ground, NHS isn't
100% trusting of WWX and JC but he's willing to try.
And WWX is nothing if not persistent. And he does like to mother everything that
moves.
I like the idea of NHS fighting with fans, though I myself prefer stabby objects like
swords and knives (I can't be the only person who bought a katana they found on a
yard sale) so I'll work both angles.
I wonder if many realize that Ike was absolutely silent during the exchange between
WWX and LWJ (and my, wasn't that interesting? Definitely some attraction at first
sight!) *Though to be fair, any woman meeting LWJ for the 1st time since teeny tiny
baby years, is going to have a massive 'oh sh*t, puberty done well' moment.
Also, I wish I could have like video of WWX meeting LWJ, trying to remain cool, and
then have that squidward sound thing where he goes "oh no, he's hot!"
Your support the last chapter blew me away. You are so awesome. Thank you.
I really don't have any other words than to say thank you for everything. When I'm
writing I don't initially think about what people will think of it, and I am somehow
always surprised when people actually like it.
Before writing AGF I was working on my first long-running fic "Cloudy Rain and
Thunder", and its first chapter literally came to be because I wasn't feeling so well. I
had just turned 16 and moved schools with a friend who left me there to go back
within a week.
I wasn't doing so good. So I wrote that chapter about what it would feel like to just die
without saying goodbye, without letting others know how I felt. I reasoned with
myself then that, if I hadn't gone through with it years before, I didn't actually want to
die. I wanted to keep trying.
And in that same school, in that same classroom that gave me the emotions to put into
that chapter, I found my best friend. We've been attached at the hip since then, four
going on five years, and she's been keeping me afloat a lot these days.
Whenever I write something she always reads it for me, even when she has no idea of
what's going on and who's who. She means a lot to me, and as I was sharing how
amazing you guys are to her, she was kind of smug in telling me 'I told you so, you
know I'm always right' about my writing and how 'cool' it is.
On a more happier note, given that it's the mode of communication I most use, would
you guys like to have a discord channel related to the fic? I could create one and post
the invite in the next chapter, if that is something you'd like.
Musings
Chapter Summary
The morning after and lasting impressions. Also quiet library time, cuz I'm a sap right
now.
Chapter Notes
Before I forget, I want to thank all of you for all your comments and support.
Also, I have finished creating the Discord Server for AGF, and you are all welcomed
to join me.
Here's the invite! (It shouldn't expire, but let me know if it does)
https://discord.gg/7cXNUPF
"Open the window of fantasy to know what reality can bring." - Raul D. Arellano
Chapter 70: Musings
The sun streamed in through the window beside the bed up on the second floor of the studio. The
wind made the soft curtains sway, the clay wind chime my nieces has made for me in art class
hung from a string attached to the curtain rod.
Little bells twinkled with each sway of the curtain. The only sounds you could hear from outside
were passersby going about their morning, cars rolling by beneath the window, horns echoing from
far away.
It was a peaceful morning.
I take a deep breath and feel my body stretch beneath the linen sheets, the soft mattress underneath
me warm and comfortable. I let out a yawn and go to push the covers away from me to get up.
An arm snakes around me and pulls me back against a warm and very male chest.
"Don't get up yet, it's still early," The man mumbles quietly by my ear, warm puffs of air that make
the hairs on my arms stand up.
Walter.
A smile worms its way up on my face and I turn around to give him a few choice of words about
the 'early bird getting the worm' and that it was not that early, when-
When I look at the man snuggling my shoulder and immediately see that it is not Walter.
Long, long black hair spread out like a halo on the grey sheets of my bed, long lashes brush his
cheeks as the eyes close as he blinks, eyes the color of golden zircon - gleaming just like the real
gemstones - hazy with sleep, and then he smiles-...
I'm brought back to reality by the loud ringing on a gong and blink at the wood ceiling of my dorm
room in the Cloud Recesses.
Yunru squeaks awake, upset at the unconventional wake-up method, and rolls under my covers to
get comfortable in the warmth there.
My heart is racing inside my chest and my stomach feels weird.
It isn't the only thing feeling weird is it, darling dear?
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, the urge to throttle Ike is strong but him not having a
physical body kind of defeats that ambition.
"What time is it?" Jiang Cheng whines from beneath his own bed covers.
"Five in the morning, breakfast is in half an hour, so if you want to get ready and not hurry up, I'd
advise to get up now." I answer him as I carefully extricate myself from the bed without moving
Yunru.
My boots are still resting at the foot of the bed and merely the sight of them brings back the
encounter from last night.
I groan.
"What is wrong with you now?" Jiang Cheng sighs.
"I'm getting scolded by Mister Lan and punished," I tell him.
Jiang Cheng looks at me in confusion," Why?"
"I broke curfew," I start to explain.
"You what?! Damn it, you were in bed when I fell asleep!" Jiang Cheng throws his hand up in the
air.
"What's happening?" Nie HuaiSang peeks into the room," The walls are kind of thin, we can hear
you shouting from two doors down."
"This idiot got himself caught by Mister Lan breaking curfew!" Jiang Cheng told him.
"I didn't get caught by Mister Lan," I say.
"Aren't disciples caught out of bed past curfew forbidden to stay inside the Cloud Recesses until
morning?" Nie HuaiSang speaks at the same time.
Both boys look at each other before staring at me.
"I got found out by A-Zhan, he let me stay inside but he was going to tell his uncle about this." I
explain with a sigh.
One Mississippi. Two Mississippi.
"You got found by Lan WangJi?!" Jiang Cheng yells,"How are you not dead?"
I huff at him," A-Zhan wasn't going to kill me. He's not that scary."
Just unfairly handsome.
I did tell you he wasn't going to stay little forever.
You shut up until I ask for your opinion.
HuaiSang and A-Cheng are still staring at me agog.
"Now Mister Lan is another thing altogether, he I totally believe would kill me." I make light of the
situation.
"Yet you still decided to break curfew anyway," Jiang Cheng gives me a look.
I put a hand on my chest and pretend to be mortally offended," See if I ever buy you a jar of
Emperor's Smile!"
Nie HuaiSang's eyes widen," Lan WangJi found you sneaking in alcohol?"
"No!" I scoff," He found me climbing over the wall, that's it. Have a bit of respect for me, I do
have some self-preservation instincts."
"A statement I still have my doubts about," Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes heavenward. "If Mother
hears of this, you are on your own."
"She won't know if you don't tell her," I shrug. "I'll get a lecture and a punishment, that should be
the end of it."
"Should?" Nie HuaiSang stresses out the word.
"This is Mister Lan we're talking about here, I wouldn't put it past him to make the entire
classroom endure him reading all 3000 rules just so the excuse 'I didn't know the rules' could be
used as defense." I start putting my robes on.
As he had, in fact, done in the novel.
Nie HuaiSang and Jiang Cheng share despairing looks but the former quickly leaves the room to
finish getting ready himself and Jiang Cheng and I are left alone again.
"How was he?" Jiang Cheng asks me," Your friend."
He made a face at the word 'friend'.
I smile a bit as I brush my hair to loosen knots and potentially braid it.
"Older." I chuckle,"He's way taller than he was at five, but that's sort to be expected. He looked..."
Cold.
Distant.
Heavenly.
I push the last one away with all the grace of a tantruming toddler.
"Lonely," I settle on. "He's our age but he felt older."
"I don't believe someone who's idea of writing a letter revolves around all your spelling mistakes
and horrid handwriting from your previous reply to have had made many friends." Jiang Cheng
reasons.
I sigh," I know. I... I guess I just hoped people would see past that."
Jiang Cheng gives me a queer look," How much did you talk last night?"
I blink at his question," Uh? Well, he found me and didn't immediately recognize me, I said his
name, he realized it was me, and told me I could either go back over the wall and wait there until I
was let back in or come straight to the dorms and face punishment in the morning."
"That's it?!" Jiang Cheng gapes at me.
"Yes?" I frown and tilt my head to the side," He also said he was telling his uncle."
"You haven't talked once since you were five, and probably didn't exchange more than half a dozen
words, how the hell do you know he feels lonely?" He frowns at me.
I roll my eyes," We did exchange letters for ten years, and his brother does write more descriptive
letters about A-Zhan."
Sure, let's go with that explanation and not the fact we know every detail about his life and how
isolated he is because of his personality.
Perceived personality, Lan Zhan is like an onion, you keep peeling back layers from around him
the more you learn of him.
I thought he was a cabbage? Wasn't that what that saying said? About pigs and cabbages?
I mentally snort and go back to ignoring him.
"Is he coming to meet you again, like ZeWu-Jun said?" Jiang Cheng wondered aloud as we exited
the dormitory.
God, I hope so.
I barely managed to catch myself before tripping over my own feet at the abrupt screeching halt to
my thought patterns.
Where the hell had that come from? Ike?
It wasn't me this time, darling.
His voice radiated smug amusement.
Not. One. Word.
I mentally picture him mimicking the 'seal my mouth shut' gesture.
The walk to the Mess Hall is mercifully short. Mister Lan gives me a look when he sees me but
doesn't say a word yet, so I assumed he was only chastising me when class started.
Lan WangJi did not join us in the Mess Hall.
Neither did he join us in the classroom.
I pretended not to feel the tiniest bit disappointed.
Ike did not have the same restraint, and proceeded to spend the long thirty minutes of Lan QiRen
spewing his usual lecture, about obeying curfew and the other Sect Rules, basically sighing and
bringing the empty desk beside mine to my attention.
He could sit there, and then we'd have the perfect view of that straight nose, and that jaw! Gods,
whatever fairy godmother blessed those two brothers did a good job.
Some might say it did a 'too good of a job'.
Why, dear, are you thinking about all the love rivals you'll face when wooing your Jades of Lan?
Go to hell, Ike.
Temper, temper. Why are you so upset?
I am not upset.
No? Then why are you so prickly?
Because you haven't shut up once since he started talking!
Do you really want to listen to him monologuing about the virtues of being a proper gentleman?
...No.
Ike laughs.
Think of it this way, he's sending you to copy the section of Righteousness pertaining to obeying
curfew. You're going to have to go to the Library Pavilion to get the book, and you know odds are
you Lan Zhan will be hiding there.
I thought out it.
The only reason I rejoiced at that thought was because I could use that opportunity to give him the
drawings I had packed for him.
It was absolutely the only reason.
Seriously.
The only reason!
I tuned back into Lan QiRen's voice as he paused to drink a bit of water, straightened his robes
needlessly, and finally started the actual first lesson.
My mind wandered not ten minutes after doing so.
Behind my eyes, the image that formed inside my brain was of Lan WangJi's silhouette bathed in
moonlight. Ike preserved the memory exactly like it was when it occurred so, I picked more and
more details the more I focused on it.
The way his robes were pristine and pressed perfectly, the way the long wide sleeves moved with
the light breeze, the beautifully embroidered blue clouds.
Golden eyes that cast a weight on you when they landed upon my frame.
Distrust. Confusion. Realization.
They were so expressive.
I watched them change, no... flow, they flowed from one emotion to the other. Like a beautiful
metamorphosis.
A sharp rap on my desk makes me wince, and I look up to see the unimpressed stare of Lan QiRen.
"Um... What was the question?" I sheepishly smile at the man.
Jiang Cheng looks skyward as if for patience through the corner of my eye, the rest of the
Yunmeng contingency probably following his example, while Nie HuaiSang's fan was out and
fluttering nervously.
Only the Jin looked pleased with this development.
"Is the topic of this discussion too much below your usual level of difficulty?" Lan QiRen asks.
I don't know if that is a trick question or not.
Answer and find out.
Why thank you, Ike, that was very helpful!
You're welcome.
I hiss obscenities at him and outwardly sit up a bit straighter," No, Mister Lan, I was just thinking
about one of my projects."
Lan QiRen, in his defense, didn't immediately shut me down and steamroll over my words.
"And what project would that be?" He asks.
Marrying your nephew. Or nephews.
I ignored my annoying jiminy cricket and answer probably the safest topic I was working on.
"Spiritual Energy, I am working towards finding out the root of it. What it is composed of and how
sentient is it." I tell him.
The Old Goat wasn't expecting me to say that.
His thoughts visibly stutter to a halt, processing my words slowly, before giving me a look.
"The Studies of Spiritual Energy are well documented." He tells me.
And they are so outdated and wrong on so many levels that they gives me hives just reading them.
"I am working to disprove many of them, actually." My lips kind of twitch into a smirk.
Lan QiRen gives me a look," Spiritual Energy has been studied since the dawn of Cultivation. If it
was flawed in any way I am certain scholars with decades if not centuries of knowledge would've
already taken notice."
He turns back to the lesson after that.
Well, here's someone who is in for a surprise when I finally get my theories to work properly.
You mean when they stop overloading and exploding in your face?
Yes, Ike, that's exactly what I meant.
I sigh and try to remain focused on the lesson.
It was nothing new but A-Cheng and A-Jie would be disappointed with me if I didn't at least try to
participate in them.
Honestly, when was the last time we were in a classroom environment?
Heraldry lessons with Jiang Cheng or learning a new step formation with the seniors.
That long ago?
Yup.
Yikes.
Want to play mental tic-tac-toe?
As always, the novel really didn't do justice to describe how beautiful this world is.
The GusuLan Sect was primarily built with wood and a white stone, blue graceful clouds were
painted or carved everywhere and nature worked with the buildings and not just around them.
There were trees dotted randomly throughout the streets and gardens.
And there were a lot of gardens.
The Library Pavilion stood on a small mound, a stone staircase led to the double doors made of
dark wood, a large magnolia tree grew just outside one of the side windows.
I knew from the novel that Lan WangJi seemed to gravitate towards the desk propped beneath that
window.
The tree wasn't blooming yet, the buds still green and small, but as the weather grew warmer, the
seasons changed... Pink blossoms would spread all around the ground in a blanket of flower petals.
The wind would pick them up and they would dance across the sky, the fragrance of them tickled
my nose but I knew it all to be a trick of my mind.
Long, long dark hair spread out in a halo, the contrast of the soft pink color to the pure charcoal
adorning sharp features and gol-
I slapped both my hands over my cheeks - thank the Heavens there was no one around to see this -
and cursed my Gods-be-Damned hormones and my good taste in men.
If you're so opposed to the match, there's always his brother.

Lan XiChen's smile filters in, eyes closed in curved moons and serene expression, and my blood is
confused on whether it wants to flow north or south.
You are an utter bastard, Ike.
Mmm, so you say, but personally I think I'm doing this world a favor.
By causing me to have a stroke?
By making you face the fact that you are totally getting together with him.
I take a deep breath and straighten my robes before walking up the steps to the Library Pavilion.
We have discussed this, at length, and it is not happening.
Why are you so sure of it?
Ike, listen to me!
My hands hover over the handle of the doors, in my mind my voice echoes loud and sharp and
remains ringing in my ears.
We can talk about this again later, when we are alone and in private, but do not play your tricks
while I am in front of Lan Zhan, do you understand me?
I am dead serious. Despite Ike doing whatever he wished with my thoughts and memories, running
commentary as I go about my life, I did have the ability to shut him out.
I just hated doing so.
Ike was a part of me. A crucial part of me just like my arms and legs. To shut him down was akin
to losing a limb, it was why his absence felt so suffocating.
We had been together for nigh on ninety years. When I died in my first life, I had only ever shut Ike
out twice out of my own volition.
And I hated every single second of it.
I would do it if I had to, but I would feel like crap for doing so.
Ike doesn't respond, but I can picture him standing and looking off to the side. To the cracks in the
walls around me and knowing that if he pushes them too far they'll crumble and fall and then we'll
both regret our actions.
I sigh and push the doors open.
Inside the room is done in lighter colored wood with the floor having tatami panels, there are tall
shelves filled with books and scrolls all over the building. A small but wide area is left open,
surrounded by windows, with desks and mats for visitors to use.
As predicted, Lan WangJi sits on the mat beneath the side window. You could see the magnolia
branches tremble as the wind shook them, and the vision from before rushes to surface.
I squash it beneath my boots and focus on reality.
It's not any less perfect than that fantasy.

Sitting ramrod straight in his seat, Lan Zhan is poised like a jade statue, transcribing a bamboo
scroll onto paper.
I stare - probably for longer than it is normally and socially accepted, oh well - until he looks up.
"Hello, A-Zhan. Good morning? Or is it afternoon for you already?" I greet him, walking towards
him.
"Wei Ying," He nods in greeting. "Are you here for your punishment?" He asks.
"Yup," I grin. "I have to transcribe all curfew related sections of Righteousness, can you point me
to where it is?"
Lan Zhan slides a weighty volume across the desk towards me.
My lips twitch into a wider grin," Well, then. I'll just get started on work, huh?"
I sit in front of him and pull a few sheets of paper from the book bag I dragged along with me.
He doesn't say anything about not wanting to share a desk so I don't mention or tease him about it. I
also know to keep my mouth shut and not ramble my musings as that a) would certainly annoy him,
and b) would be a very bad idea, given my most recent musings.
I set my things to work and pull my most used fountain pen out of my pocket.
Lan Zhan stops writing for a moment to stare. He doesn't say anything until he sees me write a few
lines with it.
"What is that?" He breaks the silence.
I blink at him and follow his eyes to my hands. "My fountain pen? Oh, right! Sect Leader Jiang
probably didn't make it common knowledge, especially not that many people use them." I hum.
I go to my pocket - actually just stuff my hand inside an empty sleeve and open the Inventory - and
pull out another fountain pen. "Here, you can try that one. Usually I wouldn't let anyone use mine,
the pen adapts to the hand of the user and all that, but you can see if you'd like me to make you
one."
He takes the pen and inspects it.
"You made this?" He looks up from the pen and into my eyes.
The back of my neck feels hot.
I grin widely at him," Sure did! I've made all of the fountain pens in YunmengJiang, actually. But
that's mostly because it takes quite a bit of work to make one and no one wants to waste time on
them when making brushes is so much faster." I explain.
"Then why did you make them?" He asks.
"I like to use them better than brushes, unless I'm writing seals." I shrug.
He uses the pen to carefully write a few lines himself," It writes neatly." He says.
I'll take that as a huge compliment coming from you.

I smile at him," Do you want me to make you one? You have slightly longer fingers than me, so
yours would be a bit longer. Maybe more sturdy as you're used to brushes." I muse.
His eyes focus back on me," Would you?"
My heart skips a beat and my brain betrays me with a thousand and one renditions of those words
in very different situations.
"Of course," My voice is remarkably even," We're friends."
Golden orbs gleam and shift in the sunlight, it catches and reflects back glints of pure amber, and
they all scream back disbelief, hope, and want.
My pulse speeds up. And I pinch my leg hard from under the table.
"Hm." He looks away again.
I force myself to return to my own work.
We don't say anything else. We just resume writing our lines.
The sounds of paper pages, the scratch of pen tips as they write, the wind outside the building; they
preserve my memory just like the colors of the coming afternoon tinge the white of his robes,
catches on the vibrant blue of the clouds on his clothes, and slides down his clean black hair.
Golden eyes and pink lips.
A peaceful moment in the midst of the calm before the storm.
Just two teens sharing a desk underneath the magnolia tree.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
(Hey... Do you remember that day? It was so long ago...)
We start packing our things twenty or so minutes before the call for dinner comes.
I stretch my arms and back as we make our way outside of the Library Pavilion, before I remember
something.
"Ah! I have something for you!" I rummage through my bag.
Lan Zhan stops and looks back at me as I search for it.
"Found them," I grin. "Here, I think you'll like these," I hand over several colored paintings and
charcoal sketches of Yunmeng and Yiling.
He takes them and carefully examines the pictures.
I avidly watch him going through them, observing all the little expressions I can briefly catch in his
eyes.
If there was any other reason to up my Senses Stat it was that it made reading people all the more
easy.
And I was sure that I could only read Lan Zhan half as much as I could because I was vaguely
aware of how he should be reacting.
Even if he had already caught me by surprise by letting me go and not throwing me off the roof
last night.
He pauses over a drawing of Yiling's market. In it there's a group of ladies haggling over wares;
they are in focus in the picture, having caught my attention by the clothes they wore. Rich and
professionally detailed, they were very beautiful in my eyes.
I hadn't paid much attention to their faces but taken notice of their hairstyles and baubles.
Lan WangJi takes a few more seconds to examine it before moving to the next one.
The action looked oddly mechanical to me but I didn't voice my confusion over it.
He finishes going through them and carefully places them inside his robes.
"Thank you," He tells me.
I grin brightly at him," Did you like them? I'm always drawing or sketching when I have free time
or when I'm not working on something, so I usually have a lot of drawings scattered around my
room. I picked the nicest ones to give you." I ramble a bit.
He doesn't tell me to stop talking though.
"We haven't seen each other in so long though!" I laugh," I'll have to paint a portrait of you before I
go back to Yunmeng, and Lan-Gege mentioned the sights of the mountains to me, so I have to see
those too!"
We make our way towards the Mess Hall, Lan WangJi enduring my endless chattering with patient
restraint.
I was sure he'd be telling me to shut up if he wasn't trying to be nice.
And I did try to curb my motor-mouth. But every time I saw him I remembered another thing I had
wanted to tell him about and hadn't made it into our letters, either because it was something I was
working on or I couldn't quite find the words to properly explain it through monthly letters.
We parted at the door of the Mess Hall, I joined the other guest disciples and Jiang Cheng while he
went to sit with his brother and uncle.
I did my best not to feel prickly over our conversation being cut short, instead joking with A-Cheng
and learning what he had been doing that afternoon.
When the meal was over and we went to go see YanLi for the day before retiring to the dorms, I
looked to see where Lan Zhan was but couldn't find him.
Well, he's probably busy with something. I do know he's supposed to be the one responsible for
maintaining discipline despite his youth.
Jiang Cheng calls for my attention and I skip towards him, throwing my arm around his shoulders
and laugh as he tries to get me off.
I pretend to not be consciously aware of the fact that Lan WangJi never returned my spare fountain
pen.
Chapter End Notes
There are a few bits and pieces of unreliable narrator that I am internally crackling
about but I'll let you guys try to figure them out or spot them. (I'm having fun here,
especially when making notes - or altering already existing notes - to bring up at a
later chapter)
I was midway through the library scene when I realized I was having LWJ actually
talk and not just the 'Mm' that he's so known about. But I liked their little interaction so
I just said, ok he's got a quota on how much he can say to WWX but he won't always
stay silent.
Probably LXC's influence in telling him 'friends talk to each other, WangJi' for 10yrs.
Possibly. Maybe. Idk.
I also tried to dip my toes in having WWX dream not so subtle dreams (that may or
may not be influenced by Ike, we'll never know) about a certain handsome someone.
My brain also crackles every time I try to have WWX despair over his hormones going
all over the place but understand why they are going all over the place and agreeing
with them that LWJ is a rather rare piece of eye-candy. He would just prefer if his
hormones decided to act up in private and not run the risk of him making a fool of
himself.
They don't always comply.
Next up, should be a brief Ike/WWX discussion about just why not pursue a
relationship (with a bit more detail), and then I have (and I quote my handy planner
notebook) "LWJ joins the class; WWX is very distracted; WWX be very embarrassed;
Ike is endlessly amused."
Also some more NHS and WWX conversations.
Well I'll see you all either on Discord or when I do write that chapter and publish it!
Hope you guys stay safe and a big hug for all of you!
The King and Pawn
Chapter Summary
Where YanLi is amused, the boys have fun, Ike and WWX have a chat, and someone
is very embarrassed.
Chapter Notes
Hey, another chapter for all you guys.

If you haven't joined the discord channel, the invite should work but if not let me
know. (But you don't have to join if you don't want to!)
Hope you're all staying safe out there!
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying,
'We'll try again tomorrow'." - Mary Anne Radmacher
Chapter 71: The King and Pawn
YanLi found the identities of my 'Lan friends' very amusing. Couple with a few side looks about
having been rude and never invited them to come to Lotus Pier.
She also agreed that Madam Yu wouldn't find it as funny as I did.
As expected, YanLi was having fun and was already making friends with the other female
disciples.
I watched as yet another girl casually walked by our position and giggled into her sleeve.
"Should I ask what you told them?" I grin wryly at YanLi.
My sister gives me a serene smile but doesn't answer.
"Are they being nice to you?" Jiang Cheng asks, eyeing another passing disciple.
YanLi doesn't roll her eyes but she does pinch his cheek," Your sister can take care of herself, and I
am the daughter of the Violet Spider, do you think they dare being unkind to me?"
I concede to her point by smirking at Jiang Cheng," I told you so~!"
He huffs - he's most definitely not pouting! - and crosses his arms," If someones does dare, you'll
tell us, though, right?"
She smiles softly at him and brushes a few loose strands of hair out of his face. "A-Cheng shouldn't
worry, but if it makes A-Cheng happier, A-Li promises to tell her brothers."
"If they do I'll tell A-Zhan, I'm sure he knows who's the Lan responsible for your side of the Cloud
Recesses," I offer.
Now it's Jiang Cheng giving me a look. YanLi chuckles.
"Why are you laughing? And what's up with that look!" I mess up Jiang Cheng's hair bun," He's
responsible over discipline in the disciples. Technically something like that is reported, right?"
Jiang Cheng pushes my hands away and scoffs," Like you totally report back to the responsible
seniors in Yunmeng when your ducklings are being messed with."
I open my mouth to refute his words but end up closing it again.
Touché.
It had only happened twice before with some juniors picking on their slightly younger juniors. Each
time, instead of going to their 'dorm mother', they had come running to me and I had showed them
exactly why you didn't pick on my turtle ducks.
Sure, I had been scolded by Madam Yu for not following protocol - and telling the senior
responsible over them - but it's not like getting reprimanded had ever stopped me before.
"You'll have to bring your friends over for me to meet, they sound very interesting," YanLi tells
me.
Jiang Cheng mutters something along the lines of," That's one way to put it," but is shushed by
Shijie.
I hadn't thought about having Lan Zhan and ZeWu-Jun meet YanLi before, but that was a good
idea.
Yes, because they'll need to impress her if they want to court you later.
No, because she comes here when the war breaks out.
Oh, not because you want your hubbies to meet the family?
A hundred possible replies churn in my stomach but I bite my tongue and let none of them be
formed.
"What are you doing tomorrow?" YanLi asks.
"Jin-gongzi wants to have that archery meet," Jiang Cheng tells her.
"Eh? Really?" I blink.
"How wonderful," YanLi smiles. "I wished I could come see it, but we're not allowed past the
designated meeting areas."
"A pity, I'm sure you'd love to see your favorite brother show him up in archery," I smirk.
Jiang Cheng reddens," Who's her favorite brother! I was her brother first!"
YanLi giggles," A-Cheng, A-Xian, don't fight. A-Li loves both her brothers equally."
"But she secretly loves me more," I jump away from the bench before Jiang Cheng can punch me.
"What was that, Platypus? I taught you how to throw a punch better than that!"
He growls and goes to grab me but I dodge his hands.
"Stay still!" He tells me after a brief cat and mouse chase.
"That's still not how this works!" I laugh and jump up onto a high wall in a single leap.
Jiang Cheng huffs and goes to jump after me when a gong rings off in the distance. He stops and
looks over with a grimace," We're supposed to head back to the dormitory now."
I nod," Seems like it. Unless you want to follow my example and be sneaky?" I wink at him.
"Behave you two," A-Jie tells us," I'll see you again tomorrow, you can tell me how the archery
meet went."
"I'll be sure to describe Jin ZiXuan's sore loser expression!" I joke.
Jiang Cheng tries not to be amused when YanLi gives me a look eerily familiar to FengMian's 'I
am not impressed' one.
The betrothal was still on between YanLi and Jin ZiXuan but neither Jiang Cheng and I ever lied
about liking the match, usually pointing out that YanLi deserved much better than the peacock. But
YanLi had a soft spot for the guy so we settled with poking fun at him every now and then.
She found them just as funny as we did. She just didn't show it.
Jiang Cheng was asleep and I sat up in my bed to meditate. Yunru had returned from her day
frolicking in the mountains to bed for treats and shamelessly take advantage of my body warmth.
I found myself staring at the orb of liquid light inside of my navel and sighed.
We should talk about the future, Ike.
Like why you are so adamant that you and Lan Zhan won't work. Or Lan XiChen, you never know.
I roll my eyes.
Have you thought about any reason it might work? Seriously put things into perspective?
Ike, there's going to be war, okay? Have you seen the countdown? A year. We are a year away
from total civil war.
But after the war-
After the war I want my mountain, Ike.
I sigh and let myself sink down to rest on the ground, the emptiness of the void beneath me.
After the war I'll want to rest. Build a place for myself where I can just be me. No more hiding my
research, no more looking over my shoulder at what others might possibly see me doing.
And you can't have anyone with you?
Lan WangJi's home is here. And his brother will be Sect Leader! The Cloud Recesses is beautiful,
Ike, but it will not be my mountain.
How could such a relationship possibly work? Stay with them and be miserable, always longing for
something that is two territories away, or have them with me and away from the place where they
belong.
It doesn't have to be like that, darling.
Ike, I will become the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation. There's no ifs or buts, I will become
it. Not because of wanting my own Fierce Corpse, not because the Burials Mounds is a current
cesspit of Resentful Energy, no, I will become it because I want to.
And everyone will hate me for it.
My hands tremble and I press them tightly together to make them stop.
They won't hate you.
They'll fear me.
(Oh, God. What will my siblings think of me? Will ShouShan even talk to me again? Will any of
the others?)
They won't fear you.
Lying to my face now?
...They won't all fear you. They know you, who you are on the inside. They'll help you.
I smiled up at the orb of light.
I fear that they will. And then the world will hate them for it.
Is your fear of what will happen next that keeps you from trying to live today?
I give him a rueful grin.
What do you want me to do, Ike? Go up to a teenager that probably has no idea what love even is
and tell them I think they are attractive?
When we are both males? Can you believe the situation that would cause? The YunmengJiang and
the GusuLan Sect would never accept such a relationship, not when this society views it as
unnatural!
Jiang Cheng wouldn't mind it. Neither would YanLi, I imagine.
My grins grows fonder at the thought of them.
And ShouShan, PeiZhi and MingXia would all just laugh at you and joke about you being the
blushing bride at your own wedding.
I let out a snort at the thought.

I sigh and let my head slump down.
It just won't work, Ike. I can't bear the thought of pursuing a relationship only to have to cut it short
because of what I'll become. I won't make them face the world's wrath for me.
What if they wish to?
I can imagine Jiang Cheng throwing a fit over someone calling me names behind my back. YanLi
sparking up Chidian and being terrifying despite her soft nature. ShouShan loudly proclaiming his
ties to me, with PeiZhi and the rest of the Network joining in on the chaos.
I imagine the world rising in revolt and splintering into factions, a war that was only meant to last
two or so years suddenly lasting for far longer, the goal changing but the end result remaining.
Total annihilation.
They mustn't. They have to stay safe. They have to live.
(Please, let them live. I cannot bear to lose them. Please, don't take anymore of my family...)
They will be safe. You will protect them. You'll keep them safe.
I press my hands in prayer and rest my forehead in them.
The fact remained that there were still many events that could prove disastrous.
My actions in the future would all be a balancing act between keeping as many people as I could
safe and putting down as many threats as I could without being immediately labelled the biggest
threat of all.
This was my last year of freedom.
My eyes found themselves drawn to the countdown once more, the blue digits ticking down every
second.
After the Wen Discussion Conference, all heirs from Cultivation Sects would be called to attend a
'Reeducation' program, when we arrive there we learn that Wen Xu - the firstborn son of Wen
Ruohan - has burnt the Cloud Recesses to the ground. Many dead, with ZeWu-Jun missing and
Sect Leader dying.
There I'd fight the XuanWu with Lan Zhan. The thought of the cave wasn't something I anticipated
eagerly, in fact I had pondered many times in the possibility that I may be able to circumvent it
altogether, but, as Ike constantly reminds me, I have a lot of bad luck.
So, I'd nearly die - several times - before being found and rescued. And then Lotus Pier would
burn.
I had altered the original Protective Array to be more effective, the tunnel passageway was as safe
as you could get it to be, and I had plans to make sure that they wouldn't be harmed after leaving it.
That left me worried on how I'd get to the Burial Mounds.
I had to keep Jiang Cheng safe. Under no circumstances was that bastard Wen Zhuliu allowed to
come anywhere near my brother.
No plan survives the first contact with the enemy.

Then I just have to work harder at it.
Will you isolate yourself from the world after everything has passed? Do you think others will let
you?
I don't have an answer to give him. After everything... That was such a broad term.
'After everything' we might not even be alive. I know my Quest pertains to the Siege of the Burial
Mounds, but the possibility that I might still die there is a real thing.
(I don't want to die. No, no, I don't want to die. I don't want to leave more family behind.)
I had to make sure everyone was safe. And then I had to plan for someone else to keep them safe in
case I was not there to ensure it.
You cannot bear the weight of the world on your shoulders alone.
I am not.
Are you really?
My thoughts drift back to a leather bound book I had been working on for months. It was pure
insanity to create it at all. But it was a last ditch attempt in case everything went belly up and I had
to flounder in order to secure a tomorrow for my family.
Let us drop this matter please, Ike.
I don't agree with you, dear, I hope you understand why.
My lips smile sadly up at where I imagine him to have stood if he could.
I know, friend. I just can't entertain such a dream right now.
One day, maybe ten years from now - and yes, you will be alive to see it - these dreams will be
reality. You will have your mountain, and it will be beautiful, but you will also have someone who
stands by your side and says 'I love you'.
My eyes water.
And you will say, wholeheartedly, 'I love you' back.
Let us dream then. But don't ask me to pursue them. Tease, but don't push. I can't deal with that
right now, Ike.
Okay. I won't push, I am here for you and only you. You and I are part of the same whole,
soulmates in to the very essence of the word, I remain by your side to keep you safe.
Thank you. And I'm sorry.
Yes. I'm sorry too.
The golden light illuminates the void. The light drops into the abyss beneath it and the surface
quivers. Ripples spread and spread endlessly on.
The next day dawned bright an early, I yawned as we made our way to the Mess Hall. I had
decided to just pull my hair into a very messy bun and not care overly much to get it all proper and
prim like Jiang Cheng always made sure his were - even when I was the one conned into doing his
hair for him - and carried a ribbon or two wrapped around my wrist to get my hair out of my face
when the Archery practice started.
I noticed Lan Zhan sitting beside Lan XiChen and their uncle and waved sleepily at him before
settling down beside a Yunmeng junior and Nie HuaiSang, Jiang Cheng sat in front of me with two
other juniors on both sides.
Breakfast was... well, bleak.
"Lan-Gege is friends with your brother, why can't he share Qinghe's culinary expertise?" I sigh.
Nie HuaiSang coughs.
Jiang Cheng twitches before glaring at me," You could at least me a little bit respectful, that is a
Sect Leader and a Heir you're talking about."
I give him a bored look," Do you even know me, Platypus?"
"Unfortunately yes," He groans.
Nie HuaiSang pipes up," What's a Platypus?"
Jiang Cheng groans louder while I let out a startled bark of laughter.
A Lan disciple nearby sends me a disapproving look.
"Right, right, no loud noises allowed, sorry!" I apologize quietly.
The disciple turns back to his breakfast.
"It's an mythical animal, I'll tell you the story later," I tell Nie HuaiSang.
"You're not telling him anything," Jiang Cheng has a bit of red on his cheeks.
"Why, didi, do you want to be the one extolling the virtues of your spirit animal?" I smirk at him.
He goes even redder and hisses at me," Careful there, XianXian, two can play this game."
My smirk widens in a predatory way - like a shark - and the juniors move away from the two of us,
Nie HuaiSang stares wide-eyed.
"If you think you can win, Brother, you are welcomed to try. I do so love free reign to cause
mayhem."
Jiang Cheng pauses briefly, his eyes conflicted, and I can see him truly ponder on whether or not
the Cloud Recesses can handle the fallout of our 'spat'. Or if whatever punishment awaits us after it
is over is worth it.
"Oh, what can you possibly do?" A Jin disciple sneers," You're just one person."
My eyes gleam a vibrant silver," Is that a challenge, I hear?"
Jiang Cheng pales," No! No, it is not. You'll get kicked out, you idiot!"
I tilt my head to the side and nod slowly," True, but only if they find out it was me."
"Who else would be crazy enough to do the things that you do?" Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes.
"If there's no proof then they can't very well punish me!" I grin.
He looks me in the eyes with a dead-serious expression," Don't. I know you like to play around,
Dage, but not here."
I accept his decision and nod," I won't, don't worry, A-Cheng. I won't create trouble for no reason."
The Jin disciple sneers and goes to say more but falters when all of the YunmengJiang disciples
turn to glare at him.
Aw, they do care!
I hid a grin behind one of my hands and look bemusedly at the Jin disciple.
No today, dummy. You aren't turning my family against me today.
Not today. Not ever.
Never. Never. Never.
Lan WangJi joined our class.
I blinked at him, surprised and pleased in equal measure - and slightly awkward because Ike was
right and he chose the desk right next to mine - and cocked a grin at him when he saw me staring.
He turned back to the lesson without saying anything.
I tried to do the same but my eyes always came back to rest on his form. The perfect posture, his
profile highlighted by the light coming in from the windows, catching in his golden eyes and long
lashes and-
And his long fingers holding his brush as he writes.
My fingers twitch to sketch him.
I let them.
Pulling up a blank sheet of paper from my bag, I select a thin brush and dip it in the ink. I would
prefer to use charcoal sticks but this way Lan QiRen would not immediately notice how I was so
not paying attention to him.
Ike held the vision of Lan Zhan's profile so I didn't need to stare at him while drawing - only
stealing small glances every so often, to keep up appearances, of course - and I lost myself in
drawing.
First his profile, then his hands holding the brush, his eyes... They were sadly left blank as I
couldn't explain pulling out my watercolors in the middle of the lesson.
A shadow falls over my page and I blink.
Huh?
I look up.
Lan QiRen's eyes are fixed on the page.
...I can't tell if the widening of his eyes is amazement, incredulity, or anger.
Perhaps a bit of everything.
His hand is held out for it and I hand him the paper, cheeks pinking slightly. I see Jiang Cheng sigh
and shake his head through the corner of my eye.
I can feel Lan WangJi's eyes on me.
"Wei-gongzi, what are the Five Virtues that all Cultivators are supposed to follow?" Lan QiRen
asks, eyes still focused on the drawings.
"Ren, the virtue of Benevolence; Yi, the virtue of Honesty; Zhi, the virtue of Knowledge; Xin, the
virtue of Integrity; and Li, the virtue of Propriety." I answer.
He nods," And if I ask what you were doing just now?" He looks down at me.
Shamelessly eyeing your handsome nephew.
I make a sound similar to a boiling kettle in response to him.
"Lan Zhan is the perfect example of what a cultivator should strive to be. I was making a point to
remind me of them," I answer.
It's a bold-faced lie. A big fat lie. The lie of all lies.
It's not like I'll admit to his face that I was admiring his nephew's appearance!
Lan QiRen stares at me for a few seconds longer before he replies:
"If Wei-gongzi wishes to be like my nephew, then perhaps paying attention to the lesson would be
a good place to start."
And walks away with my drawings.
Jiang Cheng is giving me a 'seriously?' look before rolling his eyes heavenward and going back to
his work. Nie HuaiSang is fanning his face but his eyes are full of mirth. The Yunmeng disciples
have all varying expressions of the incredulity spectrum.
The Nie disciples are confused as to what they're supposed to do.
The Jin are mildly disdaining. Sneers and scoffs directed at me.
I pointedly do not turn to look back at Lan WangJi.
Not when his staring feels hot over my skin and a very red blush threatens to paint across my face.
The second the class ends I grab Jiang Cheng and Nie HuaiSang's arms and drag them out of the
classroom towards the archery field.
"Not one word!" I hiss at them.
Jiang Cheng smirks at me but doesn't say anything.

I have the distinct feeling that I may have shot myself in the foot by teaching him that very
expression.
The Lan archery field is pretty and practical, I had to give them that, but I begrudgingly agreed
with Jin ZiXuan that the Jin archery field was better.
A few Lan disciples had joined us on this meet but thankfully not Lan Zhan. I could do without
having my attention split between the unfairly handsome teen and the numerous sharp projectiles
being released by more hormone-addled teens.
Even if their hormones worked against them by having them hyper-competitive and not a flustered
mess.
"Nie-xiong, aren't you joining us?" I asked HuaiSang, who sat near me as I was awaiting my turn.
He fans himself slowly, speaking quietly," I'm not really any good at it."
I hum," Is that what you actually believe or is that what other people say about you?"
His expression twists and I nod.
"Here's a piece of advice, 'Remember that no one can make you feel inferior without your
consent.'" I tell him," Just because people tell you that, doesn't mean that's what you are."
Nie HuaiSang huffs," Wei-xiong can talk, no one can make you feel inferior to anybody."
I smile sadly at him and look up at the sky," Listen, A-Sang," He startles at the nickname.
"You are your Brother's heir. You are the Nie Sect Heir, you, not them. So flaunt it, so what if
you're not like your brother. Who are they to tell you what to do? Who to be?"
"It's not that easy," He shakes his head," I'm not strong like my brother. I don't fight like he does, I
am weak. How can my brother have an Heir like me?" He scoffs.
"So what if you don't fight with a saber? Just because you don't have a blade doesn't mean that you
aren't sharp." I decide to take a chance," Do you like board games, like Go?" I ask him.
Nie HuaiSang blinks,"...Yes? Why?"
"Here's another thing to remember, 'At the end of the game,the king and pawn go back in the same
box'. Every piece on the board is important, a good player knows to value each and every one of
them." I tell him," Just because they aren't all the same doesn't mean they don't have strengths or
power."
I nod at him," I already told you I'd think something up with your fans. Give me a little bit of time,
we still have a whole year here."
"Why are you helping me?" Nie HuaiSang asks me, again.
I look him over," Because I want to. Because I can. Because I want to be your friend. Pick one, they
are all true."
"I don't have anything to give you in return," He tells me.
I laugh and get up from the bench, my turn to beat Jin ZiXuan was coming up, and say:" Just
promise me you'll remember this: You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and
smarter than you think. And having a soft heart in a cruel world is courage, not weakness."
I turn my back on him and walk towards the others. I don't look back to see if my words have
reached him.
Truthfully, I wasn't being entirely benevolent in helping him. I did have my own goals to achieve,
but Nie HuaiSang was a powerful piece that could change the game entirely.
For one, I don't really remember him being in the XuanWu cave, but he must've been there because
he was the Nie heir - then again, MingJue might've just forbidden all Nie disciples to stay clear of
the Wen, having already lost his father I doubt he'd gamble losing his brother too - and he stayed
safe during the war.
He didn't fight, of that I was sure, but I am also suspicious he was involved in it somehow. Maybe
a strategist? An adviser? I don't know.
But what I do know is that MingJue values his opinion. And even if he doesn't, unless MingJue
marries and has an heir, HuaiSang is still the one inheriting the Sect.
When I become the Yiling Patriarch I need to make sure that I'm not seen as the next Big Bad Guy
looming in the horizon. I'll need allies.
Not to fight with me but to just stay on the sidelines and not attack. To not raise their banners
against me.
Even if I died, I could leave information to warn him about Meng Yao and what he will do. Derail
canon even if I failed in changing my doomed fate.
You're not going to die because we're not making the same mistakes.
True. But we don't know what completing the Quest will do.
Killing you after making sure that you didn't die in the Siege would be kind of redundant.
I mentally shrug.
I think the fact that war is almost here is driving me a bit spare.
A bit?
Okay, fine, a lot. I just want to make sure we have all our bases covered.
There really isn't a lot we can do now but finish tying the last strings and wait for the fireworks to
go off.
There's always something we overlooked.
Yes, just like all your plans could fall in ashes before any of them are enacted, you must have hope
and faith that things will work out.
I take a deep breath and pull the string back from my bow, ready to show the smirking Jin heir who
is the boss in archery.
You have done all that you could.

I let the arrow fly.
Chapter End Notes
AGF!WWX is a worrywart and even if all of his plans went off without a hitch -
which they don't muahahaha - he'd still worry.
We also learn more about why WWX is reluctant to get close to anyone in any
relationship that's not friendship/family. Any romantical ties would just have to be cut
short because of what he believes will happen.
(LWJ, listen buddy, you just have to show him how wrong he is. Go woo that silly
necromancer's heart! /if you don't I'll ask your brother, don't you think I won't/)
*No threesome is happening, my own Ike brain just seriously managed to infect me
with the thought that it *could* work. And that maybe LXC x WWX is a thing I might
ponder about in another fic. Or a what-if scenario. Or if I decide to kill LWJ. You
never know, the poll is still open.
I don't think Lan QiRen gets that WWX finds LWJ attractive. I'm sure he'd blow a
gasket if he knew. But he also doesn't want to outright ask because somethings -
usually the inner workings of a hormone addled teen - are best left unknown.
In the future will LQR be supportive of the relationship (or any relationship, really)?
Idk. What are your thoughts?
I like NHS. I also think he has so much potential in AGF (especially if he finds out
about the Network and how they can communicate near-instantly) but he's also very
suspicious of good intentions. If you've been kicked enough times I highly doubt you'd
be trusting of other people, even if they come in the form of pretty crazy boys. NHS
doesn't know why WWX is willing to help him, doesn't get why he wants them to be
friends and he isn't sure that WWX isn't doing all this to ask for something later in
return.
He isn't taking any chances.
WWX is genuine in the fact that he does want to help NHS, but he isn't entirely
selfless. He does have an agenda to accomplish and NHS is a good piece on the board
to have in your favor, because if you get him riled up enough, NHS can change the
board in his favor so perfectly that no one - not even you, smart manipulative bean
JGY - notices before its too late for them.
That said, NHS will play a part in this story, just don't expect it all to be in plain view.
A lot of WWX's plots aren't out in the open and they only come to light when the
situation goes FUBAR.
Frightening Theories
Chapter Summary
In which Wei WuXian gets too caught up in his head to realize that he really should
stop talking.
Chapter Notes
Hey! Welcome back to another chapter of AGF!

I have been going back and forth with the classroom scene for days now. Still not
totally happy with it, but if anything I'll just go back and change it if it ever bothers me
enough that it is necessary.
"Your ability to use mind whatever way you choose is outrageous. Much will depend upon how
intensely you approach the study and the state of mind in which you begin." - Frederick Lenz
Chapter 72: Frightening Theories
I woke up the next day with Yunru poking at my cheek insistently.
I groaned. "YunYun, why must you hate me so..."
She squeaked and backed off, her job apparently complete.
I go to sit up on my elbows and end up pulling at my own hair, I lift my elbow up to free it.
Jiang Cheng is already awake and dressed, only his long hair is still loose and unbraided.
"I should just cut this whole mess and go bald," I grumble at him.
He rolls his eyes at me," You love your hair too much to ever do that."
True, it would be a pain in the butt to grow it back to the same length. And let's not mention the
reactions of everyone else.
I groaned again and sat up on the bed, stretching until my back popped.
"I'm old, Platypus," I tell him.
He scoffs and doesn't offer a single comment.
How rude!
He's just so done with your drama.
The betrayal!
I get up and take off my sleeping robe to exchange it for a clean one, it's at that very moment when
I'm standing there naked that Nie HuaiSang slams the door open.
Jiang Cheng and I stare at him, and he stares back wide-eyed.
I break the silence.
"Well, do you mind? Unless someone here is propositioning me, I don't want the whole world to
see my birthday suit." I snark at him.
Nie HuaiSang shuts the door so fast I'm surprised he didn't smack himself in the face with it.
"Must you be so... so... yourself?!" Jiang Cheng gestures.
I give him a look as I reach for a clean robe," Is that a question that needs answering, A-Cheng?"
He sighs.
"Do you want me to braid your hair or will you do it yourself?" I ask him as I put on the guest
disciple uniform on.
"I got it handled, just get dressed so we're not late to breakfast," He tells me.
"Yes, because breakfast is the most important meal of the day and GuanYin forgive us if we
missed out on the delicacy that is GusuLan food."
Jiang Cheng throws his pillow at me.
I catch it and toss it back, grabbing my boots and shoving them on my feet.
"Are you braiding your hair?" Jiang Cheng asks me.
I think about it. "Nah, I'll just tie it up, I'll put it in a braid if I need to later."
And I just grab my hair up into a high ponytail and tie it with a simple purple ribbon.
"You can make amazing hairstyles, but you barely style your own hair." Jiang Cheng grumbles.
"Why put in the effort, I'm already gorgeous enough without a pretty hairstyle," I shrug as I open
the door, smirking at the red faced Nie HuaiSang.
Jiang Cheng shoves past me with a scoff.
"So...? What had you in such a rush to greet us this morning, Nie-xiong?" I ask him.
Nie HuaiSang clears his throat a bit. "Umm... You said- Before... Uh..."
"A-Sang," He startles at the address," Whatever it is, just say it. Jiang Cheng can attest to it, there's
very little you can say to my face that will anger or upset me."
Nie HuaiSang fans himself as we walk towards the Mess Hall, seemingly to gather strength.
And gather strength he does because he quickly burst out with a "You said before that you can
draw picture books!" Right as Lan QiRen rounded the corner.
The Lan professor stops and slowly looks at us.
Nie HuaiSang could just about die on the spot.
I didn't get the memo.
"Well, yes, the human form is fascinating. And very flexible. Why, were you interested in
something in specific?" I ask him, cool as a cucumber.
Nie HuaiSang looks at me like I could've hung the stars, the moon and the sun all by myself.
"Wei WuXian!" Lan QiRen is red-faced and steam could literally be coming out of his ears. "The
sheer profanity of such actions!"
I blinked innocently at him,"But Mister Lan... It's only art. People have been drawing other people
since before Cultivation was learnt!"
Jiang Cheng glares at me.
Lan QiRen obviously wanted to say something more - and probably appoint some punishment
while he was at it - but before he could he got called by one of the elders. His robes swished as he
furiously stomped - more like he put slightly more force in the super soft footsteps the GusuLan
disciples were used to, and promptly terrified them into getting out of his way - towards the main
table in the Mess Hall.
Nie HuaiSang is still staring at me.
I grin at him," What is this? Is it admiration for your super cool xiong?"
"He's just now realizing how insane you actually are, and probably wondering how you're still
alive." Jiang Cheng grabs my wrist and pulls me into the Mess Hall and down onto an open seat.
"Aww, you wound me, didi!" I clutch at my chest.
"I'm not burying your corpse if Mother finds out about your behavior here," He tells me.
"No need, A-Jie would probably revive me with her soup, burying me at that point would just be a
hassle."
He groans," Just shut up and eat."
I grin at him but obey, winking at Nie HuaiSang.
Class was a tense affair, Lan QiRen obviously remembered this morning's encounter, and he was
out for blood.
The guy remembers you calling him an Old Goat back when you were four.
Fair point.
Lan WangJi had also heard about it if the disapproving look he had given me before the lesson
started was anything to go by.
Oh, well.
On a spare piece of paper I start noting down all that HuaiSang would need in a fighting style. The
Nie used sabers instead of swords, they were heavier but still perfectly sharp and precise, I would
have to see the entire Nie move formation in order to check the footwork.
And then I had to see HuaiSang in particular so I could adjust the footwork to work for him
specifically.
He wasn't tall and he still didn't have a Golden Core, so his cultivation speed was quite low,
meaning anything too strenuous and he was out for the count.
What could he focus on right now?
Endurance.
I tap my fountain pen against my chin in thought.
He needs to be able to either defeat an opponent at his level, or stay fighting long enough to find an
opening to escape a stronger opponent.
I had a year and a bit to create it and put it to use. The Nie had very firm footing, I would bet they
were very much Earth-aligned, although Fire was also a good alignment that they could have.
HuaiSang would benefit more from Air and Water alignments.
Quick movements, a singular footwork that could adapt quickly to what was needed.
A fan would be dismissed as a non-dangerous weapon and that was something Nie HuaiSang
would thrive with.
But how do you weaponize a hand-held fan?
I drew a quick sketch of an open fan.
It would have to conduct Spiritual Energy - obviously, in order to be considered to be a cultivation

tool - and withstand it. It would be considered little more than a trinket if it broke into pieces after
only one use.
It shouldn't be easily detectable either. Anything that absorbed energy was bound to be picked up
by our senses, it needed to be seen as a simple and ordinary folding fan.
What are Nie's fans made out of?
I paused. Tilting my head a bit, I thought back on materials used in making fans.
They had to be light, wood and paper were the most commonly used - bamboo as well, if I
remembered correctly - but I knew that it was possible to make them out of metal.
Again, it comes back down to making it inconspicuous enough that people don't look twice at him
carrying it everywhere.
Fans were used in war to signal troops, to protect from arrows, as throwing weapons and in aid of
swimming.
Paper went right out of the window there, it would take power to make it durable using Energy and
the main point of creating such a weapon was for a low-level cultivator to be able to use it.
Carve an array on the guard for durability and a primary offensive array on the leaves?
I could add blades to the ribs, a mechanism could release them out of the leaves, or even as
projectiles.
Poison could be HuaiSang's new best-friend.
Except anything that can kill the target quickly also runs the risk of killing the wielder, Cultivators
cheat against most poisons, and I don't think you can start a Poisons 101 class while inside the
Cloud Recesses.
Ugh.
I sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose, focus in on what Lan QiRen is lecturing about for a few
seconds before diving back down into the hyper-focus of innovation.
I mentally picture what HuaiSang would have to do while fighting with a fan against another
cultivator.
One on one, HuaiSang's biggest threat was distance. A sword or saber's reach was much bigger
than a fan, either HuaiSang was quick and adept enough at dodging and getting inside their
personal space or he was stuck on the defensive.
I thought back to Zidian and Chidian.
Those were whips but it could be possible to use a closed fan as a mace, of sorts.
A boomerang?
If the fan was fully open and the leaves sharp enough then it could be.
But if it missed the target? If it got stuck? If the target caught it?
HuaiSang would lose his weapon and be defenseless.
A recall ability?
Again, it cannot be anything too taxing on the wielder, teleportation was ridiculously time-
consuming to activate and let's not get started on the sheer amount of Spiritual Energy it takes to
create one in the first place.
No matter how many times I ran a simulation of sorts on what HuaiSang would have to do to win
against an opponent one-on-one, it always indicated it would be a fight stacked against him from
the start.
So he doesn't fight out in the open. He's a mastermind, he works better at controlling troops than
actually fighting beside them.
So strictly a self-defense tool.
That didn't sit well with me.
Well, what else can you do?

I'm thinking on it.
"Wei-gongzi!" Lan QiRen's voice sharply breaks through my focus.
I look up at him distractedly.
"Yes, Mister Lan?" I blink.
He clearly struggles with what he wants to say to me first - or yell at me, either works - before he
takes a deep breath.
"What, pray tell, is so important that you continuously ignore my lesson?" He asks.
I ponder on how to word my response. "How do you create distance between yourself and an
opponent? Or how do you get close to your opponent without being cut down? Unarmed, of
course."
Lan QiRen gives me a look," And why are you unarmed in this scenario?"
A brilliant opportunity comes to me," Your sword has been taken from you, you neither know
where it is nor how to retrieve it."
He gives it some thought," What cultivation tools do you have with you?"
"None, you are completely unarmed. Or well, I guess you can have a folding fan with you." I
answer.
Nie HuaiSang stares at me.
Lan QiRen's eyes briefly go to him before he focus back on me.
"You would have to disarm the opponent, but you already know that. If the opponent has a biggest
cultivation base than you, they will be both faster and stronger than you. Running away is only an
option if you are certain you can outrun him. To attack with such odds... failure is the likeliest
outcome." He answers.
Nie HuaiSang wilts behind me.
"Distractions to increase distance, and something else to deal a final blow in close quarters," I
muse. "Quick footwork and flexibility, pragmatism and enough stamina to be able to withstand
that."
"How would you fight in such circumstances?" Lan QiRen asks me," You are unarmed with a
single fan. What do you do?"
I hum," I'd cheat, probably. My opponent might believe I am weak without my sword and ignore
the fact that I was a rogue cultivator for years before being taken in by the Jiang Clan. When they
attack I could drop low to the ground, get inside their guard and disarm then by dislocating their
shoulder, it's surprisingly an easy thing to do."
"Or I could grab a handful of dirt, sand, water, or rocks - depends on what's at hand - and throw it at
them. Either it hits them and their sight is impaired, or they dodge, either way it distracts them for a
second or so. That's a second I can use to either get away from them, or get close to them.
Regardless, even without a sword I'm still stronger than most cultivators."
"What arrogance!" A Jin disciple snorts.

"He's actually right," Jiang Cheng sighs," It's been a while since he's fought all out against
someone, especially after nearly breaking a senior's ribs with a single blow to the chest."
The class focus on me with wide-eyes.
"It was an accident?" I scratch at my cheek, right where my scar ends.
Lan QiRen gets the class back on topic," What do you believe an unarmed low-level cultivator
against a stronger, armed, opponent would have to do in order to defeat them?"
I kind of lean back as I think about it," They need to be fast, which isn't easy with a low-level
cultivation base. They need to be quick thinkers, to improvise and strategize their way out of the
situation or find the weak points in the opponent's guard." I cross my arms.
"Use the fan to defend against the sword, if it cannot be used offensively, then use it defensively. If
the opponent cannot be disarmed, then it needs to be neutralized."
"How?" Lan QiRen questions further.
I chew on my bottom lip," A hairpin can be used to stab them; the throat, eye, between the ribs, and
other soft areas are all good targets. I guess that stunning them using a surge of Chi is also
possible, maybe. But it's something that I have yet to try out. Harder too."
Lan QiRen straightens suddenly.
"Stunning them?" His eyes look straight into mine.
I blink slowly. "Yes? It could work, I think. I love working with arrays, and you either break those
through one by using force or by destabilizing them, so could you not do the same with humans?
We have our meridians and a constant flow of Chi in our bodies, so is it not possible to send a surge
of our own energy into an opponent and effectively hinder their Chi?"
I continue going down on that road without thinking twice about it.
"Energy is sentient so it is possible to control it through intent alone, if I sent a spike of my own
Chi into someone and intentionally wanted it to harm their Cultivation base... Chi Deviation? Ah."
I focus back on my surrounding.
"You can do that?" A white robed disciple looks horrified at the very idea.
You done goofed.
I realize that.
I make a so-so hand gesture," It's a theory. You send Spiritual Energy into someone to help them
heal, right? Well, then you can do the same but with the intent of harming them."
Lan QiRen cuts in sharply before anyone can say anything in response," You will copy all the rules
regarding the righteous uses of Spiritual Energy five times. This discussion will be relayed back to
your Sect Leader, I am sure Sect Leader Jiang would like to know about such theories."
I open my mouth to argue but Jiang Cheng sends me a look.
I sigh and nod instead.
Lan QiRen returns to his lecture but several students continue to look at me in evident disgust and
fear.
Chi Deviation was a serious thing. A deadly thing, especially to QingheNie cultivators.
In hindsight, this might've not been place to discuss such a theory openly.
Better here than in the midst of QishanWen cultivators.
True, but I highly doubt anyone is going to forget I admitted to possibly being able to induce Chi
Deviation in someone, in front of Lan QiRen himself.
I thought about it some more.
Is he going easy on me? I'd assume he'd yell or rant at me first, try to put the fear of going against
the natural order of cultivation in me. Or something.
Maybe he's waiting until the class is over? So there aren't any witnesses to such fallout?
Doubt. Lan QiRen had no such reservations when Wei WuXian talked about harnessing Yin
Energy.
Guess we'll have to wait and see.
I hummed in reply, trying to keep paying attention to the lecture while mentally going over my
notes on how to help HuaiSang.
Once class was over Jiang Cheng grabbed me by the arm and pulled me out of the classroom and
away from the rest of the students. Something that was easily accomplished since most of them
parted like the Red Sea when they saw me.
"What were you thinking?!" Jiang Cheng nearly growls at me.
"I wasn't?" I wince. "I'm sorry, I just got caught up in a line of thinking and it sucked me in."
Jiang Cheng lets go of my arm and starts pacing back and forth. "Could you do it? I'm asking for
an honest answer," He looks me in the eye.
I think about it logically. "I am reasonably sure that I could, yes. Regardless of expertise on the
matter or the strength of the Golden Core, energy is sentient. It listens, it remembers, it knows. If
you can heal someone with it, then it's all but certain that you can harm someone with it. After all,
healing is much more difficult than destroying something."
I lean against a wall and cross my arms," Think of it this way, Wen Zhuliu is known as the Core-
Melting-Hand, how does he do it?"
Jiang Cheng pales a bit. When I said 'known' I might've been exaggerating a bit, no one dared to
talk about the Wens and their ways of amassing power, and few even dared to talk about the
shadowy techniques the Wen employed in amassing said power.
At least, never in polite company, anyway.
I, on the other hand, had a very handy information network that kept me posted on just about
everything you could think of. PeiZhi was my main informant about what went on in Wen territory
but he was hardly the only one, and the Wens were arrogant enough to believe that even if they
talked out loud on the streets of Qishan that no one would dare to mention it to outsiders.
They believed wrong.
Since the Parrots were secretly distributed into Live-Houses, people that wanted to reveal all the
dirty little secrets the Wen didn't have to do it out in the open. A trip to the local tailor or the
vegetable stand down the corner could serve as a relay point, the Network agents that were told
this information would then record it and send it to ShouShan.
And just like that, it would then be sent to more than two hundred other Parrots and it would be out
for the world to see.
Or... Well... Some things. ShouShan and I did keep certain pieces of information from the general
population - there was no need to spark mass panic by revealing that villages were being razed to
the ground up north, past even Qinghe - but we made sure that cultivators and other Sects and
Clans inside the Network were kept updated on the situation.
So, I knew a lot about what was happening and the dangers one needed to keep an eye on.
As if you required the Network to know that.
No, but it gives me a plausible excuse to give to people as to why I know about it in the first place.
Wen Zhuliu had been a hot topic floating around Qishan for months before it simmered down to
fearful whispers. The fact that such a powerful cultivator - and highly dangerous - was at the beck
and call of Wen Ruohan's most detested son was worrying.
That amount of power on the hands of an overgrown toddler made people uneasy.
And that made my Parrots chatter like crazy.
"If the name indicates anything it's that the technique does not require a tool. His hand is the
weapon, so he must channel his Chi and use it to destroy the Golden Core." I reason, blurring the
lines between what I had heard and what I knew from the novel. "How does his Chi do that? Can it
be countered? If you cannot withstand a direct hit, can you evade it? Redirect it? Does a glancing
blow affect you too?"
"You're so fucking scary when you do that, you know?" Jiang Cheng interrupts me. "How do you
do that? How do you pick something and just... Just tear it apart to analyse it? How do you find out
how something works so quickly?"
I shrug," If you're looking for an easy answer, there isn't one. I just do it and to me it's incredibly
easy. I... I... I am vaguely aware that it is scary to you, to anyone hearing me rambling, but to me
it's... It's natural. It's just something that I do."
Jiang Cheng stops pacing, sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose like he has a bad headache.
"One day, you're going to suggest something, or theorize something that is so outrageous and
dangerous that the whole Cultivation World will fear you." He tells me.
There's an awkward beat of silence.
Jiang Cheng looks up suddenly and fixes me with a look.
"Tell me you haven't."
I grimace with a wince. "I haven't done anything?"

Yet.
Jiang Cheng slaps both hands to his cheek and groans.
I scratch at my cheek," It's not something I will try unless I have an airtight theory, I promise. And
it's not something that I will shout about from the rooftops of the Koi Tower either."
Jiang Cheng still looks worried. He opens his mouth before closing it again, undecided on whether
he wants to ask or if it's better not knowing.
"I don't want to talk about it," I make the decision for him. "I promise, I won't do it unless I know
exactly what I am doing."
"I'll hold you to that," He slumps against the wall next to me.
*Jiang Cheng will remember that!*
I ignore the notification through the corner of my eye.
"What do you think your dad will say when he gets Lan QiRen's letter?" I ask him. "Madam Yu is
going to be angry that I blurted it out in class, but I doubt she'd be surprised."
Jiang Cheng sighs," I doubt he's going to punish you. But he might come here to talk to you."
"I'm sorry, A-Cheng," I tell him, although I wasn't exactly sure what I was apologizing for.
"It's not your fault. Father... Father doesn't listen," He sighs again. "Have you thought about it?
Your mountain?"
I hum," A bit. Why?"
"I want to see it," He tells me, smiling faintly. "I want to see you build your mountain and show it
off. You better make it huge and awesome, though, or I'll laugh at you."
I chuckle. "I'll miss you, Platypus."
Jiang Cheng's expression sours," You're not leaving now."
"No... But soon I will." I put my arm around his shoulders and hide my face in his hair.
Jiang Cheng is silent for a few seconds. "How soon?" His voice trembles slightly.
"You're an adult at 17. That's the minimum age for a disciple to leave on their own. This year I will
see my 16th birthday." I tell him quietly.
"So you might leave either at the end of the next year or the spring of the year after." Jiang Cheng
swallows thickly.
No, brother. By the end of the next year our home will be a smoldering wreck, by the spring of the
year after we will be fighting a war.
I want to hold him close and never let go of him. I want to keep him safe from all harm. I want to
protect him from the world.
He needs to learn how to stand on his own two feet. He will be Sect Leader during the war. He will
need to lead on his own, if he falters then... If he relies entirely on you then...
Then he will never be trusted with his birthright.
He will be seen as weak. As a fool. As a child.
And he won't be able to be a child anymore, he will need to be a man.
I'm so sorry brother, I have done all that I can. Until the very last second, I will watch your back
and never let them harm you. But you'll be on your own afterwards.
I hope I have done enough.
Let me have done enough.
(The roofs are burning, stone cracking from the heat, and the children cry in fear. I push you away
one last time. Yelling the same command over and over again. I pretend not to see your tears, I turn
a deaf ear on your words, and I turn my back on you. This isn't a final goodbye... But a point of no
return.)
Chapter End Notes
Now! Starting from the top:

LWJ is not going to be happy if he ever finds out that NHS got a full frontal view of
his Bunny Rabbit before he put the ribbon on it. (Author, that wasn't funny. Please
stop.)
WWX is very shameless regarding nudity and artwork featuring nudity, so he has a bit
(read: a lot) of fun mentioning his most graphic picture books out in the open. Also,
Sarah comes from an age of internet, granny or not, she *knows* just how flexible the
human body can be.
And here comes the classroom scene that has been giving me a headache for the past
week. WWX wastes little time in getting things done, especially when he's running out
of time in general to do anything other than last second backup planning and striking
down bullet-points on his to-do list.
Creating an entire new cultivation weapon and a new set of footwork to go with it
takes time. And time is something that WWX does not play around with, so he's
getting right down to business.
LQR immediately knew what WWX was coming from, it's hard not to when there's
very few people that his "hypothetical situation" could apply towards. He was
reasonable sure that by telling WWX all the ways it could not work a) NHS would
focus more in improving himself; b) he could get an insight in how wwx's mind
worked.
He succeeded in the latter. He's a bit frightened by the implications.
WWX will teach NHS how to stab someone in vital part of the body in order to either
incapacitate them or neutralize the threat. He will also teach him a bit more ninja-style
footwork he uses himself to get around unnoticed, secret signaling gestures and ways
that he can check escape routes or if someone's focused on you.
I'll get back on WWX's answer to the scenario on another chapter, since it's going to be
referenced later. Short note on it is that WWX could very well succeed without
cultivation, he uses the System and all the perks it brings him. His Stats make it so that
even bare-handed he could do a lot of damage, and reality is foes will believe him to
be defenseless without a weapon when he can actually just buy more and have them
appear out of nothing for as long as he has Coin.
LQR isn't going easy on him, but he's slightly more invested in WWX than canon!lqr.
This WWX is friends with both his nephews, and his nephews value this friendship, so
he very much wants to sit WWX down and wrap him in bubble wrap so the kid doesn't
go off and get himself killed by doing something stupid.
I believe the scariest part of WWX is his intelligence. With his skills and the ability to
just improvise on the stop, there's very little you can do to counter him. And
AGF!WWX simply does not care about "what is accepted by society", if he thinks
something might work better than the commonly method, he will use that instead.
Jiang Cheng worries for his brother, he really does. But he understands that WWX
isn't malicious in intent, he just... forgets that some things just aren't spoken in public.
He's also very disillusioned about his father. JFM has shown that he doesn't want
WWX to leave, even going as far as to refer to WWX's dream as "a phase", whereas
JC knows his brother longs for his mountain. Does he want WWX to leave, no, but he
accepts that his brother won't remain by his side forever. Something JFM is resolute in
ignoring.
Headcanon is that JFM sees JC and WWX as replicas of himself and ChangZe; and
doesn't want "history to repeat itself" but is ignoring the fact that the kids are far from
their father's copies.
There was an Attempt
Chapter Summary
A not so nice conversation with Lan WangJi.

A nicer conversation with Nie HuaiSang.
Oh, and there come some pesky Jins.
Uh... Weren't we short on guinea-pigs?
Chapter Notes
Hello, hello!
Hope you guys are excited for today's chapter, cuz I sure as hell was writing it!
Also, for my delightful murder of crows over on Discord, chapters starting from this
one are not to be brought into the Grammar Nazi competition going on. Points will be
assigned from Chapter 1 to Chapter 72; until this competition is over, all new chapters
are to be left alone.
Then you can have another go at my messy writing.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win." - Mahatma
Gandhi
Chapter 73: There was an Attempt
The moment I enter the Library Pavilion, to copy the sections Lan QiRen had chosen as
punishment, I immediately notice the tension in the air. Lan WangJi is sitting at the desk
underneath the window with Righteousness in front of him, poised perfectly so that I could copy it
facing him.
I sigh.
"I guess this isn't going to be a nice conversation, huh, A-Zhan?"
Cool golden eyes settled on me for a moment - a bolt of energy rushing through me - before
pointedly staring at the book in front of him.
I slowly walk towards the desk and sit down, placing my bag beside me and pulling my writing
materials out.
Lan WangJi either isn't sure how to start this conversation or he has enough patience to wait until I
have completed my punishment because I am finishing the last sentence when he finally speaks.
"To disrupt the flow of Chi in someone's body is wrong," He tells me.
I hum, finishing the line I was writing, before putting my pen down. I straighten in my seat.
"Wrong and right cannot be measured by mortals, in truth. Why is it wrong? Because it could very
well cause Chi Deviation? What if someone is trying to kill you and doing so is the only way to
protect yourself?"
Lan WangJi gets a tight vein over his brow. "It goes against our practices of Cultivation."
I smile a bit," Our practices of Cultivation are still incomplete, we learn more about it every single
day. It may be impossible to fully understand everything about it even if we studied it from the
moment we are born to when we possibly ascend to the Heavens."
Lan WangJi frowns but doesn't say anything else.
"Think about it, if we know how something happens then why shouldn't we be able to find how to
fix it? If disrupting the flow of Chi causes Chi Deviation, then is it possible for one to heal one
from Chi Deviation? What if someone is on the brink of Deviation and someone quickly snaps
them out of it?" I try to explain, gesturing a bit with my hands.
"It is dangerous," He tells me.
I huff and nearly roll my eyes. "Everything in life is dangerous, Lan Zhan, you could trip and fall
out of your bed in the morning and split your skull open. You still get up in the morning and don't
let that stop you from going about with your day."
His lips purse into a tight line, his whole body exudes tension. "It is not the same."
I paused and struggle to find a way to explain just why he was being unreasonable in his
stubbornness while also acknowledging he wasn't being stubborn for the hell of it.
"Okay... Let's try this way, why does it go against the practices of Cultivation?" I ask him.
Lan WangJi answers promptly," We are taught to cultivate the righteous path towards Immortality,
we purify evil and remain virtuous in our actions. We serve the population in fighting back unclean
beasts that target humans."
"Nowhere in there states that one cannot study the effects of disrupting someone's Chi," I point out.
He's not impressed with me. "It goes against our practices."
"Who decided that?" I press the bridge of my nose. "I understand why you believe it to be wrong,
but I do not agree with your opinion, Lan Zhan. Nor do I require you to agree with mine."
He doesn't reply with anything other than stiff silence.
Having finished my lines, I start to pack up. It's still light out so I plan on finding HuaiSang and
getting some work done before turning in for the night.
"How would you prove your theory?" Lan WangJi surprises me by speaking up just as I am about
to get up.
I tilt my head slightly before getting comfortable in my seat again.
"The Chi Deviation one? Well, obviously I won't just go up to someone and disrupt their Chi if
that's what you're worried about, A-Zhan." I offer him a crooked grin.
"I guess the easiest way to prove it would be to study my own flow of energy and disrupt it at
different levels and lengths. Chi is ever-flowing and circulates through our body like blood does in
our veins. It strengthens and protects the body. A small shock may very well just briefly pause that
circulation and cause no lasting effects, just as a large enough shock may cripple circulation
severely."
He looks visibly worried and his hands clench into fists on top of the desk. "It is dangerous."
"Very much so," I nod. "That's why I said that I wouldn't just go up to someone and test it on
them."
"But you would try it on yourself?" He frowns.
I shrug," I already promised Platypus that I wouldn't try anything that I didn't have absolute
certainty that I could reverse it, or that I was unsure if it would work at all."
Something flickers in his eyes. "Platypus?"
His confused expression startles a snort out of me," A-Cheng, Jiang Cheng, my adorable little
brother, my one and only Platypus!" I laugh.
His expression clears but then shifts again," Your brother allows you to test this?"
I rest my head on one hand, arm propped up on the desk, and sigh at him.
"I'll be honest with you, A-Zhan, even if Jiang Cheng asked me to fully stop theorizing this things,
I highly doubt I'd stop," I tell him. "We simply follow two very different ways of life, while you
are content with your 3000 plus rules and strict guidelines, I will always test and extend my
knowledge at by any means necessary."
"Why?" He struggles with voicing his thoughts, although they are clear in his eyes.
I hum," Long answer short, I do not believe that pursuing knowledge is something to be forbidden.
I acknowledge that it is dangerous to be given full reign on what one can learn and experiment on,
but I stand by my opinion that everyone should be free to investigate what they want."
"'Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more so
that we may fear less.'" I quote at him.
He mulls over my words. "To delve in such theories... is wrong." He says.
I give him a sad smile," That is your opinion, my friend. While I can respect it, I do not have to
agree with it, nor do I have to obey it."
He looks at me sternly but before he can reply I interrupt him.
"I am not of GusuLan. I will follow your rules whilst studying here because that is the polite thing
to do, I am a visitor after all, but do not mistake my politeness for agreement, Lan WangJi. You are
my friend - yes, a very dear friend of mine - but that does not mean you have the right to tell me
what to do or not to do." I look him in the eye.
He doesn't say anything in reply, but I am unsure if that was because he had nothing to say back -
which I doubt, though whether he knew how to phrase his thoughts was another matter entirely - or
if he was biting his tongue to keep from saying something that he might regret later.
Lans and their repressed upbringing, seriously, if I time-traveled to the past I would have some
serious words with Lan An. Maybe smack some sense into the guy and make him understand that
human beings were not robots that could be programmed to act a certain way with no outlet of
stress or emotion.
I get up and bow a bit at Lan Zhan, to show respect for his position as the one overseer of
discipline if nothing else, and make my way out of the Library Pavilion. I stretch until my back
pops and stare up at the blue sky.
He was simply concerned for you.
I know that, that's why I'm not mad at him for thinking I don't understand the dangers of messing
around with Spiritual Energy. Seriously, after all the years I spend studying and poking at it, I
probably know more on the subject than the elders here.
That I don't doubt.
It's just... annoying, I guess.
To be worried over?
No, to be seen as stupid or ignorant. I've been sending letters to him since we were five! You'd
think he'd acknowledge that I might know what I'm doing!
Ike hums in the back of my head, a noise of consideration to both sides of the story.
His personal views of you clash with how he has been raised, it's not that he doubts you but that
his entire upbringing has taught him that you are in the wrong and doing a very grave mistake.
I nod at his words.
That makes sense. But it is still annoying. The entire situation where someone tells everyone else
that doing something is forbidden but then doesn't actually state why, just that it is... Humans are
always evolving, always learning, they thrive in improving things. What might very well be a good
rule a hundred years ago is practically obsolete nowadays because we are fundamentally different
in thinking and way of life.
Except you're looking at things from a point of view that won't be common at least for another 500
or so years, and even then you come from an entirely different culture.
I grimace.
Too true. It's easy to forget about that, as if I don't get blindsided by it often enough.
In reality, I had honestly gotten used to living in this world. This body was my body, I was this
person who lived, breathed, and existed in this world. These were my friends, my family, my
actions and my aspirations. This was me.
I am Wei Ying, courtesy WuXian.
But at the same time, I once was Sarah Windsor. I died old in a hospital surrounded by my family
and loved ones, in modern day Britain.
It feels as if that was a lifetime ago.
Well... technically...
You don't need to finish that thought, Ike, I get it.
I huff a laugh.
Let's go find HuaiSang and make him use his saber, I need to know what I'm working with here.
He's going to whine about it.
Tough cookies, it's not like he can outrun me or stop me from throwing him over one shoulder and
tossing him into the sparring ring.
The sight of HuaiSang actually trying to outrun me flickers into existence behind my eyes, a very
vivid scenario where even HuaiSang's look of 'omg, I gotta run now' looks admirably realistic.
I chuckle.
Thanks, Ike. You're the best, you know that right?
Ike chuckles back, warmth coating his words.
Always at your service, dearest.
When you're not being a massive asshole, that is.
His noise of betrayal makes me laugh.
I catch Nie HuaiSang as he's walking towards the dorms with two other Nie disciples.
"Nie-xiong!" I call out happily to him.
Nie HuaiSang pauses and slowly turns to look at me. At the sight of my wide smile I can clearly
see trepidation grow behind his eyes, and the gears of his brain turning, pondering on the best
course of action to get out of any mess I am about to invite him into.
Unfortunately for him, he's the guest of honor and I'm about to make an offer he can't refuse.
My grin widens and I quickly skip towards them. "Man, oh man, am I glad to find you so quickly!
I was worried you had already gotten to the dorms despite it still being so early!"
The Nie disciples slightly step in front of Nie HuaiSang to protect him.
I stop a few feet away from them, giving them an exasperated expression but raising both my hands
to be in full view of everyone.
"I'm not going to do anything nefarious, jeez, you talk out loud about one theory and suddenly
you're the scariest person in the classroom," I roll my eyes. "And anyways, you can come too, since
I'm sure Nie-xiong will appreciate the moral support."
Nie HuaiSang looks cautious. "You need me? For what, Wei-xiong?"
"I need to see your swordplay so I can adapt your footwork to work with fans!" I answer him with a
bright smile.
Nie HuaiSang face-faults, his entire expression freezing in a grimace of "I don't want to". I laugh in
response.
"Don't be like that, don't you want to be cool with a war fan?" I wiggle my eyebrows.
The Nie disciples release all the tension in their bodies, in their minds they're going "this is who we
were scared of just five minutes ago? this idiot? he probably couldn't find his way out of a wet
paper bag".
It's a talent, really, to be able to make people forget you are the most dangerous person in the
room the majority of the time.
And one that needs to be kept a secret from the Wen for at least two more years.
And the Jin.
I mentally nod at his words.
Totally keeping that fact from the Jin too.
"Wei-xiong... What do you need exactly?" Nie HuaiSang sighs.
"I only need for you to go through the Nie swordplay formation, do it as you'd normally do it in
training. I only need to see it once and then you're free to escape the tortures of swordplay." I
explain.
"Only once?" The Nie disciples eye me with disbelief.
I put a finger to my lips," I am the Head Disciple of the YunmengJiang Sect, give me some credit I
did work to be worthy of such title."
Even if the title was all but guaranteed due to Jiang FengMian's misguided favoritism.
"Are you sure you only need to see it once?" Nie HuaiSang asks me.
And if I was anyone else - and did not have Ike - I would've missed the brief glint of something
else, of a second-nature that few were aware Nie HuaiSang had, that flashed in his eyes.
I smile toothily at him," Yes, I'm sure. So? Let us go have fun, A-Sang!"
He sighs and hides his mouth behind his ever-present fan," Just once!"
I nod and happily skip towards him.
"Ah!" Nie HuaiSang makes a vague noise of realization.
"What? No take-backs, Nie-xiong! You already agreed!" I whine.
"No no no! I just... I forgot where I left my saber..." He admits.
The Nie disciples burst into protest.
"Nie-gongzi! How?! You know what Nie-zonghzu will say if he hears about this!"
"Oh, why must you do this, Nie-gongzi!"
Watching Nie HuaiSang go through the motions of the rigid and exact footwork that the Nie Sect
had created was an experience.
It was obvious straightaway that it was a poor match-up with Nie HuaiSang's own body movement.
He was surprisingly light on his feet - something I would attribute to tip-toeing around Nie
MingJue in order to go about his hobbies and interests - and, with just a little bit of work, I would
guess quite a bit flexible. He would never grow into the beast of a man that was his brother but he
could be an incredible asset and a power-house all on his own merit.
He just needed the right tools.
Interesting genetics between the two, though.
I hummed in response, eyes still fixed on HuaiSang's work.
I'm going to guess he takes after his mother more than his father, but you never know. Recessive
genes can be quite weird when they come forth.
True.
The Nie disciples sitting with me grimaced at the Sect Heir but remained silent, they were quite
loyal to Nie HuaiSang but I was still unsure if that was because they were under orders to do so or
if they genuinely liked Nie HuaiSang. Regardless, I would keep an eye on them, I was going to
work hard on getting Nie HuaiSang to reach his full potential and anyone messing with his progress
would regret it.
Are you adopting this little chick into your flock of ducklings?
He's too old to be one of my ducklings. And Jiang Cheng doesn't count!
Ike scoffed but did not say anything else.
As the final form of the Nie swordplay came to an end, Nie HuaiSang let the saber drop and
panted.
"Wei-xiong! This is already hard, why must you stare at me so intently?" He cried.
I laughed," I was committing your footwork into memory, you're quite agile on your feet. It makes
my work easier!"
Nie HuaiSang looked taken aback while the other two disciples looked confused.
I got up and joined Nie HuaiSang on the dirt circle I had discovered for us to use. It was a bit of a
way off from the regular sparring area that guest disciples were told to use, so I assumed it was
either private or no longer in-use. The latter was perfect because it meant no one would bother us
here, the former meant that I might have to hunt down Lan XiChen or QiRen and inform them of
our soon to be regular appearances here.
While I disliked using my connections to higher-status people to get what I wanted, I was not above
using them at all.
I took the saber from Nie HuaiSang's hand and tested its weight.
"It's heavier than a sword, wider blade but just as sharp. Do you practice slicing motions in order to
gain the arm-strength to use it, or do you use any other method?" I ask him.
Nie HuaiSang stutters for a bit before answering," The same as with swords."
I hummed. Testing the weight for myself but refraining from infusing any energy into the saber, I
wasn't sure how it'd affect the saber and I wasn't about to find out.
Using Ike's recall, I go through three basic Nie swordplay forms before turning back to Nie
HuaiSang. He stares at me agog.
I smile. "It's a good style if you're focused on your feet and keep a wide stance, but you're much
more suited for a fast and flighty type of fighting style. You're quick on your feet, that's good, so
we'll work on your reflexes and flexibility." I tell him.
"The full weight of a saber holds you down, so the fan would need to be lighter - that much is
obvious - and a lot shorter than the blade, but I'm already going through some ideas regarding
that." I add.
And I was. While paying close attention to him, my mind was going a mile a minute striking down
materials, designs and any potential arrays that I could add to the weapon. From the ashes of the
discarded ideas, new and improved ones rose. My fingers itched for pen and paper to ink down my
ideas, my tongue laid heavy in my mouth from refraining of spewing them all into the open air.
I wanted to talk to Jiang Cheng, to let him know about what I was thinking and what he thought in
return.
"Are you still going on about that?" A new voice brings me out of my reverie.
I look to the side and watch as four Jin disciples saunter into the clearing, sneering.
"One would think you'd have given up about that stupid idea that you could make a fan superior to
a sword," One of them said.
"What do you expect from a servant's son?" Another scoffed," He thinks he's so smart, but
everyone knows that Nie HuaiSang will never be more than a sniveling coward hiding behind his
brother."
I am aware of Nie HuaiSang flinching behind me. Just as I am aware that the Nie disciples reach
for their sabers, taking offense to the words they are saying.
One, I could step back from this and not get involved. Two, I could get involved and cut this short.
Consequences of the first option: the Jin and Nie will probably clash swords; they'll probably be
caught and their respective Sects notified of their actions; while the Jin will surely barely get a slap
on their wrists, it is entirely possible for Nie MingJue to come here himself to chastise his brother
and try to get him to improve his sword-skills; any progress I have done with getting Nie HuaiSang
to trust me will crash down to ground zero.
Consequences of option number two: I will most likely clash swords with the Jin; Madam Yu will
hear of this and will not be amused by it; Nie HuaiSang will escape from his brother's punishment.
All in all, an obvious choice to make.
"Yet here I am, a servant's son, easily proving that birth status is meaningless if you do not have
the skills to back it up," I laugh. "And HuaiSang, a coward? He's braver than ten of you. And I bet
that in ten years he will be worth more than a hundred of you."
The Nie disciples pause and look at me with disbelief in their eyes.
The Jin do not notice. They focus their sneers on me.

"You should learn your place and not talk to your betters," The 'leader' of this sorry group tells me.
I laugh louder," I should learn my place?"
I cut off my laughter and smile at them with piercing eyes, silver blades pointed at their jugulars," I
am the son of CangSe Sanren, I follow in the teachings of the Great BaoShan Sanren, I am the
Head Disciple of the YunmengJiang Sect - one of the Five Great Sects - and I am the sworn brother
of Jiang WanYin, the Heir of Lotus Pier. I am very well aware of where my place is, and I assure
you, it's much higher than any you could ever hope to achieve."
A vision of a mountain glowing bright and awe-inspiring, surrounded by dark clouds of obscure
resentful energy no one before me could've ever dreamed to tame.
A wave of people marching towards a brand new future, armed with knowledge and opportunities
that had never before been in their reach.
I will become the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation.
I will have my mountain.
And I will be exceptional.
We will leave a footprint in this world that none could ever hope to surpass. We will hold a torch to
future generations and taunt them, if they wish to be greater than you, then they will have to work
hard. If any ever wish to supplant your place in this world then they will have to be better.
They will have to do better.
My eyes looked at these boys and revealed only one statement.
You will never be better than me.
The leader of the group turns red and his vision is clouded by the embarrassment they feel. The
others turn pink and avert their eyes from mine, their boots a much more important sight.
"Fight me! If you think you're so amazing, let us test it out right now!" The Jin disciple shouts.
My smirk widens and I tilt my head to the side. Glancing at the humiliated disciple in front of me
up and down several times before I looked back at Nie HuaiSang.
"A-Sang," I ask him," Let me borrow your fan, please."
Nie HuaiSang stares wide-eyed at me.
"This will only take a minute."
Suibian is in my dorm room along with Sandu, I could use this saber but I have a much better plan.
Nothing beats putting ideas into practice and well... They did interrupt me showing Nie HuaiSang
what I planned on teaching him.
If they are so eager to volunteer to be my sparring partners then surely they won't begrudge being
my guinea-pigs for this one small lesson.
Nie HuaiSang sees something in my eyes because he gulps and hands me his fan, taking the saber
from me and hurrying out of the dirt circle. The Jin disciple blusters and spits a few insulting words
but I pay him no mind.
I open and close the fan, testing its weight and length, and settle into a faux-rest position. A stance
that made me look like I wasn't paying attention to my opponent but, in actuality, was ready to
spring away in any direction at the first flexing muscle of the foe.
Ike pushes all my thoughts away from the forefront of my brain, leaving behind only what would
be essential for this fight, and I sink into a peaceful stare of hyper-focus and contemplation.
Are you ready?
Always.
I smile, eyes settling on the Jin disciple in front of me, and my blood burns in anticipation.
My heart beats steadily in my chest, each pound awakening excitement and a frenzy of dizzying
thirst for battle.
My body breathed with the world around it, welcoming its presence and energy, and thrummed in
response to the cool breeze wafting by.


Skills:
+Martial
+Social
+Scholar
+Arts
+Mundane
Equipment:
Guest-Disciple Robes
Guest-Disciple Boots
Plain arm-guard(left)
Plain arm-guard(right)
Weapon:
Dagger [Xiaodan]
Dagger [Xiaotong] ]
Settling into a Sect may have meant that I had to control and subdue my abilities to match those of
my fellow seniors and juniors, but I had never let them get rusty. I was and would always be the
boy that brought down a Measuring Snake with only a throwing dagger; the one that brought down
a monstrous bear with a broken bow; the same child that killed a Bo with a knife and sheer dumb
luck.
There was no bloodlust, no thrill for carnage and destruction, but I craved battle.
I was a fighter.
It had long since been ingrained in me the enjoyment of thriving in combat.
It did not meant that I was ruthless, uncaring, and a complete nut-job.
However, it very well meant that this ignorant boy had just made a very bad choice in his life.
And I was going to relish in it.
Nie HuaiSang would swear up and down for years to come that, in that clearing under the warm
afternoon sun, my eyes had glowed a fierce silver and my smile was just a bit too wide, my teeth
just a bit too sharp, just enough that it was decided right then and there one undeniable truth.
YunmengJiang had raised a monster.
And it was the absolute craziest, kindest and most ridiculous kind of man that anyone could ever
possibly meet.
Chapter End Notes
Ooooh, I hope you guys are excited for the next chapter, cuz I sure as hell am!
God, I sometimes forget how awesome it is to write Wei WuXian in his wild and free
state. The Jin are always going to be trying to one-up AGF!WWX.
And they will always fail.
But I'll have fun. And I hope you guys will have fun reading it too!
Lan WangJi is still very much stuck in the mentality Lan QiRen has instilled in him,
and does not have the life experience to mediate between the extreme of "I must follow
all the rules, with no exceptions" and "screw the rules, I am the rules".
He will learn, right now he's just the Perfect GusuLan disciple. WWX will break
down a lot of his barriers during this year.
I can imagine one off-screen encounter between Lan WangJi and Jiang Cheng that
leads JC into being very petty during WWX's wedding door-games. This kid can hold
a grudge, and no one tells him he's not properly looking after his brother to his face
and gets away with it. (*muttering* what does my brother even see in that guy? Why
couldn't he pick the more sensible brother?)
Nie HuaiSang is turning out to be a blast to write, and I can totally see Wei WuXian
slowly taking over protecting him like a very endearing mother duck. Or a vicious
goose only sweet to his ducklings. Him eyeing the Nie disciples and mentally going "I
don't trust you around this kid, and if you make him cry, I will make you hurt" is
hilarious.
Ike just knows that wwx is going to take so many people under his wing, he's not even
trying to stop it anymore. He just keeps a list and will poke fun at wwx later.
As for wwx copying a completely different swordplay style straight off the bat, he did
it slowly to test out what he had already observed, and although he could try sparring
using it, it would be very basic. He'd revert back to the Yunmeng Style or mix things
up as he usually does.
He can copy, but it doesn't mean he's immediately proficient at it. (He will enjoy
messing with people later tho, when he just mixes styles left and right in fights)
Wei WuXian loves a good fight. He'll never be a berserker type like Nie MingJue, but
he will always have that connection to battle. It's natural, he has been night-hunting
since he was 5 years old and he's made a name for himself because of it. Sparring
scratches the itch, but never quite fulfills it. And this asshole was just asking for it.
Equal Exchange
Chapter Summary
The "fight"; talk with Nie HuaiSang; and more sibling-bonding!
Chapter Notes
Hi! Surprised over the new chapter!

Wow, Author, you work so fast!
Nyehehehe, I got excited over the fighting scene, let me know what you thought of it!
"Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are
always asking, 'What's in it for me '" - Brian Tracy
Chapter 74: Equal Exchange
The Jin strike first.
Pulling his sword out of its scabbard, he lunges at me for a quick strike, intent on stabbing me
either on the shoulder or upper body. As they reach me I swiftly spin on the heel of my foot and
kick him in the back of his own knees.
He trips and nearly falls to his knees on the ground.
Pressure points in the back of his neck and between his shoulder-blades.
Strike fast and strike efficiently, in-depth anatomy study is required.
I twirl away from the Jin disciple and casually toss the fan from one hand to the other and catch the
wrist wielding the blade with that hand, twisting it and causing him to drop the sword.
More pressure points in the jaw, sides of the neck, and near the clavicle.
I jump away and let him recover his sword.
"Fight me! What are you doing, jumping and spinning like a fool?!" He yells.
"I'm working on creating training plans and wondering if I should've brought my dancing shoes for
this," I answer him airily.
I hear a loud noise of anger and Nie HuaiSang's shout.

"Wei-xiong, look out!"
I bend backwards and the sword cuts through air above me. I casually finish a back handspring and
get back to my feet and spin away from another lunge.
I throw the open fan from one hand to the other.
The Jin disciple's eyes track the movement of the fan and forget to watch out for my now free
hand.
Throat, solar plexus, kidneys, groin are all within reach.
Before my eyes I visualize the internal circulation of energy inside their body, the meridians, the
dantian, and the Golden Core. A surge of Chi as sharp as any blade could cut, stab or stun it.
Is it possible to form a weapon through pure Chi alone?
Focus.
I breathe in through my nose and startle the disciple by placing myself right in his face as he was
distracted by the holding-fan. A well-placed foot means he trips backwards and loses his balance.
Again, so many pressure points, so many opportunities to neutralize the target.
Speed, flexibility, accuracy, and stamina. That's what I have to drill into Nie HuaiSang.
"You're a joke! You call yourself a cultivator? You haven't attacked once!" He shouts at me.
I ignore him. Moving on to harder maneuvers I knew and wanted to try, I danced in and out of
reach, dodging and redirecting the blade with minimal effort. The sword glints off sunlight but I
scoff at its shine.
Weak.
So very weak.
He keeps trying to hit me, though, so I'd give him points for tenacity.
If he wasn't already losing points for stupidity.
I brought his eyes away from me with the fan and lightly taped on areas that would seriously hurt
if I wanted them to.
A brightly colored fan would be a boon, a distraction, but in war that's not what you want someone
to be wielding. It paints a target on you.
So perhaps not a color? A design?
I hum.
"Fight me!" The Jin disciple yells.
Birds scatter from tree branches.
Something flutters at the edge of my senses.
We're about to have company.

What to do, what to do?
End it.
But how?
Take his sword away, point it at his throat. Kick his feet from under him, pin him down with a foot
on his throat. Punch him in the kidneys and watch him fall to the ground like a puppet with his
strings cut. Kick him in the groin.
All of these solve the problem. But none gives me the satisfaction of using the fan to neutralize
him.
Then use the fan.
An idea bursts into my mind.
Dark tendrils curl around my brain and bloom, ideas - so many ideas - burst forth to life and I start
to focus on my own energy. It needs to be soft, calm and patient. It needs to lie in wait until it's
time to strike him down.
I seamlessly lure him into the center of the dirt circle with careful dancing steps, sweeping in and
out of range of his sword enough to frustrate him but not enough to drive him over the edge in rage.
I get him into position just as white robes etched with blue clouds step out of the bushes.
I raise the hand holding the fan, my Chi had long since seeped into the wood, slinking down the
ribs and spreading across the leaves. I held tightly the guard and took a deep breath.
I should probably apologize to Nie HuaiSang for frying his fan.
And I open it with a slicing motion towards the Jin disciple.
*Air Fist*
The edges of the fan spark up and start smoking, the wood cracks slightly under my grip. But the
Talent activates just as it should.
A powerful gust of wind lashes out of the leaves and slams into the disciple, sending him flying
into a tree trunk.
In the corner of my eye I see a flashing timer run out of time.
Air Fist was a Talent that upon activation lasted 30 seconds, and any attack you did would have the
aid of a large gust of wind. Kicks or punches, slices or chops, they'd all have that additional
reaction.
But 30 seconds was so little time that the Player could activate it again and again, until they
inevitably ran out of stamina.
Oh, and of course, practice makes perfect. The more times you used it, the easier it was to summon
and control.
Like flight.
You don't have to sound so frightened of it.

Humans were not made to fly, they were made to stick to solid ground and not invent ways to slam
into the earth and die.
Suibian would never let me fall to my death.
Ike mutters something I can't quite pick up but I ignore him in favor of watching the rest of the Jins
run towards their fallen leader, the Nie staring at me as if I grew a second head, and Nie HuaiSang
clutching at his sleeves.
He looks at me and there's something in his eyes - a gleam or shift, I don't quite get it - that has the
hairs in the back of my neck stand on end.
What?
I smile disarmingly at him and laugh," A-Sang, so many apologies, I'll get you a new fan! This one
is..." I look down at the slightly burnt fan, the leaves are charred quite a bit on the edges, and the
ribs are singed. The wood cracked in places where I had gripped it and my Chi threatened to
splinter it to bits.
"...Is a bit... in need of repairs," I finish lamely.
Nie HuaiSang's eyes travel from me to the fan, then back again, before his expression twists and he
wails. "My fan! My precious fan! Wei-xiong, you said you were only borrowing it! It was a
collection piece!"
The Nie disciples startle out of their staring at his blubbering.
"Nie-gongzi... He slammed his opponent into a tree using it," One says.
"Wasn't that awesome? You could learn how to do that!" The other continues.
And then the realization of what I want to teach Nie HuaiSang sinks into their minds.
"You can learn how to do that..." They look at Nie HuaiSang with new eyes.
Oh, yes. I'm going to teach him that and some more, dare anyone else to mess with him afterwards.
You still need to create an array that will work as that Talent did.
I know, but arrays are easy. The hardest part is getting him through the paces.
The Nie disciples look happy, they'll help you get HuaiSang into shape. And when he inevitably
tries to run away, you've always loved games of cat and mouse.
My smile widens in response.
Nie HuaiSang jumps slightly and gulps.
"Wei-xiong?" He asks.
"Yes?" I blink at him.
He points at something behind me.
I turn and a very red-faced and trembling Lan QiRen stands on the edge of the clearing, three other
Lan disciples around him, one of which goes to check on the Jin.
"Wei WuXian!" He shouts.
I add fuel to the fire.
"Here! I'm here!" I give him a cheery little wave.
You are an idiot.
So you've said.
Why would you do that?
Lan QiRen chokes on air and he turns almost purple in color.
Does that answer your query?
...I will laugh at you when Madam Yu sends you to wash the piers with a toothbrush.
How cruel!
"My office. Now!" Lan QiRen orders me. "And take that boy to the infirmary. The rest of you, go
kneel in the main courtyard someone will come to you to assign punishment!"
Walking out of Lan QiRen's office minutes before the dinner bell rings is probably going to
become a regular occurrence.
I couldn't quite bring myself to care overly much about it.
That's because he hasn't kicked you out but instead threatened to add this incident to the letter he
was already sending to Jiang FengMian.
Ah, but he threatened, he didn't specify whether he was actually going to add it to the letter. And
even if he did, I technically can't be punished for anything other than fighting without permission.
As if Lan QiRen isn't already figuring out the wording of "don't slam disciples into trees using
secret techniques" to add onto the Wall of Discipline.
I know there's four thousand rules in the Wall of Discipline in the future, but do you think we
could be the cause for all them?
With you, I never doubt anything, dearest.
Aww, you smooth talker you.
I stretch my arms over my head and smile up at the darkening sky. The clouds still visible in the
sky move along leisurely, puffy and white, forming indistinct shapes. A light breeze ruffles the
few wisps of hair that have escaped my pony tail, I puff a breath of air at them.
"Wei-xiong," Nie HuaiSang's voice has me blink and stop my meandering towards the Mess Hall. I
turn to look over my shoulder and spot Nie HuaiSang wringing his hands beside a wall near Lan
QiRen's office.
In fact, it was in such a perfect location that it had perfect sight to the door of the office but was
obscured from view so that those entering/exiting the office wouldn't spot them.
And they call this kid an idiot.
I smile at him," Nie-xiong, were you waiting for me? We would've certainly seen each other at
dinner."
Nie HuaiSang hesitantly walks up to stand beside me. He looks up at me and then back at his feet,
unsure of how to voice his thoughts.
"Are you worried about what Mister Lan punished me with?" I ask him. "Well, you don't need to
worry, I got a few days of kneeling in the discipline hall and then A-Zhan has me for another week
of copying texts. It gives me enough time to put together a legit training regimen and start working
on prototypes for the war fan," I tell him.
"Why are you doing this?!" Nie HuaiSang bursts out. He wrings his hands tightly together, his
nails biting into the soft skin of his palms.
I click my tongue and take his hands in mine, pulling them apart and checking them over. Nie
HuaiSang freezes.
"I'm not doing this because I want something from you, A-Sang. Trust me, I'm a straightforward
enough person that if I wanted something, I'd either ask you directly or work my own ass off for
it." I tell him.
Sighing, I look up from his hands and flick him on the forehead," We're friends, that means if I can
do something to help you and keep you safe I will do it. Your brother is a Sect Leader, you are the
heir, people will look at you and judge you based on him and your Sect's reputation. That's not fair
to you, you are your own person."
"People will call you weak. A coward. They'll comment on how you're so different from your
brother, surely he must be disappointed with you? Ah, but he yells at his brother so much that I'm
surprised he hasn't kicked him out of the Sect yet! If he did that, the kid would surely die within a
week." I impersonate various comments that had floated around taverns, inns and villages the past
few years.
"Screw those people," I tell him. "You like painting? You like fans? You like poetry and the finer-
arts? Well, here's the deal, I can teach you how to turn those 'weaknesses' into strengths. I can help
you be someone that others will hesitate to cross. And I will help you not because I expect to be
helped back or repaid but because I want to help you."
"Why?" Nie HuaiSang chokes out the word.
I ruffle his hair," Because you're someone worth helping, you're my friend and I can see you
hurting."
I pull him along to start walking again towards the Mess Hall, not minding the quiet.
Seriously, all these kids need a hug, hot chocolate and someone to tell them they're proud of them. I
understand that in this culture and time period men need to be seen as these big burly guys that can
face anything life throws at them and women are the fragile, emotional flowers that poems are
written about, but- Ugh!
You're doing the best you can.
It's not enough! One year, Ike! One year to try and get it into his head that he can be just as strong
and fierce as his brother while also allowing him to be his gentle self.
It's like Platypus self-esteem issues all over again.
You got through those.
I take a deep breath and exhale through me nose.
I did. And I'll succeed this time also. Watch me, I'll make Nie HuaiSang so powerful that Nie
MingJue himself will ask me to teach him my awesomeness.
And I'll be there to record it for posterity.
The bell rings to call for dinner, the sound bouncing off the walls and resounding across the entire
Sect. For a place that despised noise, they sure did know who to use echoes efficiently.
Nie HuaiSang suddenly grabs my hand and pulls me to face him. I stare at him confused.
Kid's got some hidden arm strength.
Sabers are heavier than swords.
Point.
"You have to tell me a way to pay you back!" He demands.
"I don't need you to-" I try to say.
"No! You name your price! I won't do anything until you tell me how to repay you!" His cheeks
redden as he grabs the front of my robes and gives me a good shake.
Aah, he's adorable.
Just as Jiang Cheng was adorable?
Platypus was cuter but yes.
You have issues.
That's not a denial!
Ike huffs.
I sigh at Nie HuaiSang and look up at the sky, trying to think of something. The thing was, if I
named something 'too cheap' he'd probably just get angrier and think I'm mocking him - possibly -
but I realistically did not want to ask for anything, period.
Anything that I might require of Nie HuaiSang would only be feasible in the future, that is 'please
ask your brother not to try to kill me, pretty please'. I would like to pick at his brain, since I knew
he hid his smarts behind that foolish-facade, but again, I was in no hurry to do so. I could just get
him a board game like chess and play a few rounds with him.
I had a lot of game boards that I could play with Nie HuaiSang actually.
But nothing that I could reasonably name as a 'price' for teaching him.
A flock of birds fly over us.
A memory.
Nie HuaiSang raises birds, doesn't he?
In the future, I believe.
Not now?
I... I am unsure.
I look back down at him.
"Hey, you know a lot about birds, right? I think I heard something about you and songbirds," I ask
him.
Nie HuaiSang blinks, confused. "Yes... I... Have a few birds."
"Do you know anything about falconry?" I ask him," I know exactly zilch on the subject."
"I do," He answers slowly," The Nie sometimes raise falcons for hunting game."
I clap my hands," There we go! I'll teach you how to fight efficiently and you'll teach me
falconry!"
He frowns," What about the fan?"
I tilt my head," The fan? The one I broke? Aah, I'll pay you back? I mean, I could try to repair it if
you'd prefer?"
"No, the war fan," He lets go of my robes to pull another fan out of his sleeves.
My lips twitch at the new fan but I reply anyways," Well... I guess you could help me catch a
falcon later?"
Nie HuaiSang doesn't seem enthusiastic about the prospect but thinks about it.
He nods, and then gives me his hand to shake. "It's a deal."
I shake it.
Nie HuaiSang's eyes sharpen like onyx gem shards.
The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
We get to the Mess Hall quickly after that, going our separate ways to eat within the circles of our
own Sects, but the uneasy feeling that I got from shaking his hand.
My brain didn't start sending me warning signs to get the hell away, so there was no harmful or
killing intent behind his focus, but something in me shook.
We'll keep an eye on him.
We were going to do that regardless, I honestly do not believe we are in danger from Nie
HuaiSang. It was just a weird feeling.
Trust your instincts, dear.
I am trusting my instincts. They tell me Nie HuaiSang means no harm to me.

Are you absolutely sure?
I watch him through the corner of my eye, seemingly immersed in my conversation with Jiang
Cheng - who has heard something about the Jin incident if him stabbing his poor rice with
chopsticks is any indication -, but nothing jumps out at me. No weird vibes coming off of him at
all. Even when the Nie disciples obviously recount the incident amongst themselves and gaze at
Nie HuaiSang with wonder, he remains focused on eating and shyly answering a few queries.
Yes.
I knew there was nothing to fear from Nie HuaiSang.
"Really, A-Xian, not even a week inside the Cloud Recesses and you're already getting set to spend
two weeks serving punishment," Jiang YanLi sighs.
I smile unrepentantly back at her. "Sister, I did nothing wrong! Well, I did fight, but they were
asking for it! I mean, so what if I'm going to teach A-Sang how to fight with a fan? It's none of
their business!"
Jiang Cheng groans," Can you not call the Nie Sect Heir, A-Sang?! What will people say?"
"That I am shameless and have such a thick face that propriety just flies over my head," I give him
a deadpan reply.
He facepalms. Jiang YanLi giggles.
"He's right... Dear GuanYin in the Heavens, that's exactly what people will say," He grumbles.
I laugh at him," C'mon, Platypus, you know me. I'll try to be proper in public, but sometimes my
tongue escapes me."
"Sometimes?" He gives me a disbelieving look. "You literally called Lan XiChen, Lan Gege in
front of our entire class."
"We're friends, so what?" I shrug.
"You call Lan Wangji, 'A-Zhan'," Jiang Cheng says.
"He doesn't mind it."
Jiang Cheng groans, closing his eyes and pressing the palms of his hands over them," That's not the
point!"
Our sister laughs at our antics, soothingly patting our heads,"Now, now, don't fight you two."
"We're not fighting, jiejie!" I pout at her," XianXian has being very well-behaved today!"
"Truly?" Jiang YanLi's lips threaten to split into a wide grin, but she smothers it and turns to Jiang
Cheng," Has XianXian been behaving today?"
Jiang Cheng huffs and rolls his eyes," Yes. He didn't get called out in class today, did his kneeling
as he was told to, and hasn't been broken a rule yet."
"You sound annoyed by that, didi!" I smirk at him.

"Because I know you're just waiting until the punishment is over to start messing around again!"
He scowls.
"Well, obviously," I roll my eyes at him. "Punishment is lighter if you're not adding to your already
heavy load."
"You should learn from your punishment! Not go repeat it all again!" He growls.
"And I have learnt! I have so many new ideas to try out next time!" I chirp happily.
Jiang Cheng throws his hands up," Mother will kill you. One of these days, Lan QiRen is going to
send a letter home and it's not Father that comes knocking but Mother, and she's going to strangle
you with Zidian."
My shoulders shake with suppressed laughter.
"It's not funny, you idiot!" Jiang Cheng reddens.
"No, it's adorable seeing you get all worried over me." I reply.
He bonks me over the head with his fist.
"Ow! Shijie! Platypus is being mean to me!" I fake-cry and hide my face in her shoulder.
"You're fifteen, act like it!" Jiang Cheng yells.
"XianXian is three!" I childishly cry back.
"You two..." Jiang YanLi giggles," What am I going to do with you?"
"Love us!" I answer brightly at her.
She smiles gently at me," As if there was any question."
Jiang Cheng scoffs quietly under his breath but I see him blush at her words.
"Ah, that's right! I wanted to ask you something, Shijie," I remember.
"What is it, A-Xian?" She turns to me.
"Chidian, when you throw out the whip does it cost you to pull it back to you? Does it take any
additional effort?" I ask her.
Jiang YanLi hums and taps her finger to her lips," No? Once Chidian is active all I focus on is
keeping the flow of Chi even along it's length. As you know, Chidian has a shorter reach than
Zidian. It's main purpose is to thicker and split into tails at the end, so that it can harm several
targets at once. Because I have a smaller cultivation base than Mother I cannot keep Chidian active
as long."
I nod along her words. Jiang YanLi was certainly stronger than her canon-counterpart but she was
nowhere near the level of Jiang Cheng or Madam Yu. She could use a sword and Chidian to fight
but she had a strict time-limit of activity before she started to slow down. It was why she never
went on night-hunts alone despite being able to fight off prey by herself.
It was more "just in case" scenario than actual lack of talent, not that rumormongers would let you
believe that. According to them, Jiang YanLi has a very weak cultivation base and her only worth is
that she's engaged to Jin ZiXuan. Oh, she's a very nice and proper young lady, but in the
Cultivation World she's not what one would look for in a cultivation-partner.
I swear if I found who started those rumors, I would have them go one-on-one against Chidian, that
whip hurt and YanLi was devious in knowing exactly what to target in order to get her opponent
down on the ground and staying there.
"Hmm," I hum. "So you never notice if it takes more focus in pulling it back?"
YanLi shakes her head. She pulls her sleeve back and Chidian sparks blood-red before the whip is
summoned out. It flies out in an arch, five tails splitting apart at the end, and slap some leaves off
of the tree in front of us. Electricity crackles through the air as YanLi pulls the whip back into the
ring.
She frowns at the ring before turning to me again," I can't notice anything, I focused on the balance
of Chi in Chidian but there was nothing odd about it."
"What about the pull of your Chi? Does it tug harder when pulling it back?" I ask her.
She shakes her head with a faint smile," A-Xian... It's very difficult to notice that unless one's using
their last reserves of energy. How do you measure how much water is in a lake until you've drained
it?"
I make a vague sound of disagreement but I'm cut off when YanLi takes my hand in hers.
She removes Chidian and places it on my finger, the metal resizing to fit it.
"How about you try it?" She smiles," You've seen me practice with it enough times, you know
what to do."
I stare at the crimson ring. "What?"
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes," She said to try it out."
I look at him," To use Chidian."
Both of them send me the 'yes, that's exactly what I've just said' looks.
"Shijie," I try to think of a way to sort out my thoughts. "You can't just hand me Chidian and say
'well, try it yourself', this is your spiritual weapon."
"Exactly," She nods. "Chidian is mine to use as I see fit, and I'm telling you to try it. You're not one
to ask needless questions, A-Xian. Why were you asking about if pulling Chidian back is tiring?"
"...A pull back function on the fan for Nie HuaiSang," I answer her.
She smiles wider," And because he has a weaker cultivation than yours you wanted to know if he
could have that without tiring himself faster."
I mulishly nod at her.
"You're an idiot," Jiang Cheng comments.
"Try it, A-Xian. You know a lot more about Chi than any of us here," She pulls at my arm.
I sigh and look down at Chidian. It shimmers with the weak blue glow of the System - letting me
know it's not 'up to System standards' - but unlike the knives or Suibian I could feel it.
A prickle at the edge of my senses, a slim thread of energy wanting to connect with my circulation
system.
Actually...
I closed my eyes and focused on it. It was already connected to me but it was inactive, letting me
know that I only had to push energy into it and let it flare alive.
I open my eyes and take a deep breath, I move my fingers a bit and think back on all the lessons -
and sparring sessions - I had witnessed YanLi use her whip.
It's quite simple. Send the energy into Chidian, maintain a controlled and balance flow of Chi in
order for the whip to take shape, and then let it fly out.
Both Zidian and Chidian were controlled more by mental and spiritual effort than physical stamina,
it targeted who you wished it to target, it followed your commands.
Focusing on the same tree, I throw my hand out watching as Chidian sparks and roars to life in my
ears.
It's completely different from a sword.
My Chi is solid, visible, and it extends outside of my body. The link means that I feel the course
the whip takes as it sails through the air, it tells me when it hits the leaves on the tree, and then
when I pull it back...
There's no pull.
You're not using more energy, it's your own Chi in physical form, it returns into your body.
You regain Chi.
Oh.
Oh, that makes sense.
Why did I not think of that?
Obviously because neither of us have had any experience wielding such a weapon.
It makes so much sense.
"Ah, you've found something," YanLi smiles impishly at me.
"Sister, you're a genius," I tell her.
She laughs," A-Xian is much smarter than me."
"He's insane, you're much better than him, A-Jie," Jiang Cheng complains.
"So mean!" I stick my tongue at him. Removing Chidian from my finger I give it back to YanLi,"
Thank you, sister!"
She takes it and places it back on her finger," What has A-Xian figured out?" She asks.
"You don't waste Chi returning the whip, it's your own Chi so it naturally returns to your body.
You tire from keeping control over its shape and moving it around, but not from pulling it back," I
tell her excitedly.
"I'd have to adjust such a thing to work for HuaiSang specifically, the fan is something solid and
made of materials - not solid Chi alone - but it's a workable concept!" I add.
"You're still serving punishment for the next week and spare," Jiang Cheng reminds me.
"That doesn't stop me from coming up with ideas, I just have to wait to put them to practice." I
wave him away.
He still needs to get into shape before being able to use the wipe.
Something you are eager to help him with.
Oh, I can't wait.
Chapter End Notes
We'll do this one differently and start working from the bottom up.
Chidian. Okay, so if you remember a while back when WWX went to MeishanYu
with Madam Yu and YanLi (Chapter 63 and 64) there was a night-hunt there. And it
was then that YanLi got Chidian. There was supposed to be a whole scene of WWX
and YanLi night-hunting together and you - the reader - would've seen Chidian in
action for the first time.
Unfortunately, stuff happened and I could not write that scene. It's in my plans to write
it as a short Side-Story chapter, but in-story it's been a couple of years since Chidian
was created.
And WWX is *very* well acquaintanced with it because Madam Yu makes WWX
spar with YanLi quite a few times.
For two reasons: a) YanLi gets fighting experienced with someone vastly superior in
terms of cultivation; and b) WWX gets to sneakily learn how to fight against a whip.
(As if Madam Yu would be straightforward enough to teach him herself)
But basically, WWX has seen YanLi use her whip many, many times and he knows
just what Chidian means to YanLi. She would never inherit Zidian because she is still
quite a bit weaker than her brothers, she can fight now but she cannot stay fighting for
long. So Zidian (which consumes a lot of Chi to use in battle) will be passed down to
JC. By having Chidian made, Madam Yu has basically let YanLi know that she too is
a part of her mother's legacy.
It's an honor to wield a weapon similar to her mother's.
To literally bond WWX to Chidian (the same thing that Madam Yu did to JC when
Lotus Pier was attacked in canon) is like saying, "here, you can also be a part of this
legacy". To WWX this is something not done lightly, and the fact that YanLi just did
it without hesitation made him feel quite mushy and soft inside.
JC and YanLi saw no problem with it because they are family, of course he can try out
Chidian.
As for Chidian specifics: it has a shorter range than Zidian, but the same attributes (so
it can also expel spirits from possessed bodies) and the tip of the whip actual spreads
out into several tails (the wielder can somewhat split it into more tails but the more
tails there are, the weaker the attack is). In general, YanLi splits it into 5 tails and has
a reach of 13.6 feet (415 cm). *As for why it's that specific reach, it's the height of a
basketball hoop thingy, counting from the base to the backboard where the hoop is
attacked.
Nie HuaiSang isn't planning anything nefarious and WWX really does have nothing to
fear from the guy. NHS just went "omfg, this genius and super strong guy is going to
get himself killed because he's too nice" and has officially decided that he needs to
keep an eye on him and discourage anyone from taking advantage of him.
WWX is completely blind to this because in his eyes, NHS is a kid that needs hot
chocolate and all the cookies WWX can feed him and be cuddled with. "Someone get
this kid a self-esteem and confidence to show this world who's boss!" - And promptly
forgets that NHS orchestrated JGY's fall from greatness.
As for the falconry, it's going to get discussed later but WWX is killing two birds with
one stone. Mao PeiZhi's family used to practice falconry but the tradition died out, and
he wants to revive it. Unfortunately he hasn't gotten around to do it, so WWX is going
to learn and then teach PeiZhi. Basically mail him falcon chicks over the mail, at some
point.
Lan QiRen is so done with WWX, it's not even been a week since that brat arrived and
he doesn't know what to do with him already. Why, oh why, couldn't his nephews
have befriended someone else and not the one soul whose dharma* is probably to
drive him into an early grave.
Dharma = your role in this life, until you've finished it you'll be reincarnated.
I had fun writing the fight scene. The Jin went in all cocky and then WWX is just like
"hmm, these boots aren't well suited for this, I really should've worn my dancing
shoes. Those are more comfortable!"
Also, the Jin believing WWX is fooling around and this guy is actually dissecting all
the ways he could utterly destroy him in few seconds flat.
WWX fights dirty, he has no compulsions over shared man-pain, and kneeing
someone in the groin isn't the worth thing he could do to an opponent.
The Nie realizing NHS could be terrifying was also very entertaining to write.
What did you guys thing of it? I like hearing your thoughts, you guys are too nice.
Silence
Chapter Summary
"ZeWu-Jun! Second Young Master Lan and Young Master Wei are fighting in the
Library Pavilion!" The disciple quickly told him.
Oh, that doesn't sound good.
Or, where Lan WangJi can't unsee what he just saw and does something stupid.
Chapter Notes
Hey, guys! Welcome back with more AGF!

Okay, so I guess I could say this chapter contains mild trigger of past child abuse? I'm
not entirely sure, it's very mild, is triggering at all -to me, my opinion isn't the same as
yours obviously- just letting you know.
Hope you guys are staying safe out there!
"Your silence will not protect you." - Audre Lorde
Chapter 75: Silence
"Wei-xiong..." Nie HuaiSang groans. "Can we please... please, just stop for... for a bit?" He's lying
in a heap on the ground, panting and sweating like he probably has never sweat before.
I make a show of humming loudly and pretending to be considering his request when I'm actually
focused on the book I have in my hands.
"Did you run the five laps?" I ask him, already knowing the answer to that question.
Nie HuaiSang whimpers," Wei-xiong! Five laps around the three sparring fields is too much! And
you know running is forbidden in the Cloud Recesses!"
I look up from my book and give him a wide smirk,"Ah, but to be able to walk fast - technically not
running - around those three courtyards five times is a great way to strengthen those leg muscles.
Be thankful I haven't found Lan XiChen yet to ask him permission to scour the back mountain and
tag a nice all-terrain trail for us to use."
Nie HuaiSang looks at me in complete betrayal," Wei-xiong! Why?! Not even Brother makes me
run all over a mountain!"
My smirk has perhaps too many teeth to be considered politely amused," Ah, but I'm not Sect
Leader Nie, A-Sang."
He whines again, unintelligible words mixed in with muttered grumbles and complaints about the
unfairness of it all," And I even got you that Spring Book you wanted!"
"You probably shouldn't yell about giving me porn, A-Sang." I laugh, "Especially not in such an
open space! What if Lan QiRen heard you?"
Nie HuaiSang pales and immediately starts looking around, completely expecting the old fuddy-
duddy to jump out from a bush.
To be fair, if he knew what you were reading he probably would.
I hum.
"If you have enough energy to flail around, get back to your laps. Chop chop! You know I'm not
letting you leave until you finish them," I tell him.
Nie HuaiSang valiantly glares at me but gets up off the ground anyway, "Only the laps, or do you
have more exercises planned for me afterwards?"
I chuckle, "The laps and the cool-down exercises I taught you, I have some books I want to go read
in the Library Pavilion before curfew, so I would greatly appreciate we not still be here when that
times comes and force me to sneak in at night to find them."
Nie HuaiSang pauses. "You wouldn't actually break curfew just to go read books, right?"
"Oh? So Jiang Cheng hasn't told you about my nightly escapades around Yunmeng? Trust me, A-
Sang, I've snuck off to do sillier things."
Like sneaking off to meet old acquaintances on a night-hunt and have to run back before being
caught by your Sect Leader.
I was going to say 'put a bucket of oil above the door and have the victim trigger a shower of
feathers trying to dismantle the device' but sure, that one works too.
Nie HuaiSang looks torn on wanting to ask and knowing that he's probably better off not knowing.
He sighs dejectedly and starts his fast waddle out of the sparring area we've commandeered for our
lessons.
And I go back to my book.
What would your sister think if she saw you reading this in public?
Firstly, there's a sleeve on it that makes it look like it's a book of sutras. And secondly, there's a
very minimal chance of her seeing me reading this given that female disciples are not allowed on
this side of the Cloud Recesses.
You're not even interested in porn.
Well... Not in badly drawn porn. I mean, look at all the skewed dimensions? And let's not start
talking about the faces.
Then why read it?

I like the backgrounds. The level of detail on some of them is astounding, to individually paint
each and every leave in a tree? And then the actual 'porn' is a disappointment.
You sound so sad about that.
Weren't you the one that said something about dealing with my hormones a few years back?
That I was, but I'm also not the one dreaming about a certain someone every other week or so.
I sigh and roll my eyes.
You're exaggerating. I dream about many things, not just Lan Zhan's ridiculously beautiful eyes.
True, but you like those dreams.
I don't deny it. Whether it is because those dreams are usually quite peaceful - sometimes merging
my past life with my current one - or because they are surprisingly restful, I do enjoy dreaming of
Lan Zhan.
The first one I had of him in my bed back home in my studio-apartment above my store was a fun
one.
Ones where we're on a pier sunbathing, the water lapping at our feet and the sky so blue you could
get lost in it, are probably my favorites.
They would be quite innocent dreams if one forgot to mention wandering hands and how close
we'd be to one another; waking up flustered and sweating, heart beating out of my chest was not
how I would prefer my waking moments to start though.
I close the book with another deep sigh and toss it inside my bag, resting my head on one hand
propped up on a knee.
We were nearing the start of our third week here in the Cloud Recesses and I knew that the
Discussion Conference in Qinghe was approaching. Another week or so from now, Lan QiRen
would leave and the Waterborne Abyss would be discovered.
I am not sure how to deal with it.
Obviously I can do something, especially since I'm going in knowing full well what I am about to
face. But I am not certain on how much I can interfere.
If I show up prepared to fight a Waterborne Abyss, I bring suspicion on myself. But I also cannot
bear the thought of letting Jiang Cheng near that thing without some assurance that he's protected,
in some way.
What can you make for him that won't immediately shout you knew he was going to be in danger?
Talismans, because I'm always creating those. But it's on water so I need to find a reason to make
things water-proof.
Yunmeng is an area of lakes and rivers.
True.
Protections on his clothes? I could get away with sewing an array on his robes that could hinder
the Waterborne Abyss.
How so?
The GusuLan robes the disciples wore in the future had protections sewed on them that made it
impossible for the Possessed Hand to grab it without getting hurt.
A one-use only protection.
That's because they're not protections made by me.
Okay, so talismans and sewn arrays. Anything else?
Su She.
I grimace.
Ike hums. If I could see him he'd be sitting beside me with one arm crossed around his wait and the
other holding up his chin.
What do you want to do to him?
I groan.
I don't know! If I try to talk to him then I might make things worst!
Ike reviews all that we know about him - which isn't much - and rationally thinks this through.
Su She idolizes Lan WangJi but believes that he is too arrogant to take notice of him, which isn't
true - at all - Lan Zhan just plain ignores everyone because he doesn't know social interactions if
they hit him in the face.
At Biling Lake, Su She will attempt to copy Lan WangJi controlling Bichen to cut down water
ghouls and lose his sword. Thus, when Lan XiChen orders everyone to fly off the boats to safety,
he is unable to do so.
Wei WuXian goes to save him but they're both caught by the Waterborne Abyss, Lan WangJi
rescuing them both.
Later, in the XuanWu Cave, Su She gets MianMian out from the protection of Jin ZiXuan and Lan
WangJi to appease the Wens. And also shoots Wei WuXian with an arrow causing the XuanWu to
go ballistic at the scent of blood.
Years later, Su She will lay down the Hundred-Holes Curse on Jin ZiXun - who will accuse Wei
WuXian and use Jin Ling's one-month celebration as an opportunity to ambush and kill the Yiling
Patriarch - and goes unpunished. Probably due to Jin GuangYao's help, since he's already in the
guy's pocket then.
He will help Jin GuangYao hide Nie MingJue's body parts and try to retrieve them from Wei
WuXian and Lan WangJi's possession. Kidnapping the juniors and framing Wei WuXian again
over something he did not commit.
There's also the guqin song that cuts off spiritual energy he learns from Jin GuangYao.
His entire Sect was a cheap copy of GusuLan.
Honestly, I had little interest in getting involved with Su She. Either I let things be and have the
future minimally predictable or I stuck my nose in it and make things worse.
Why worse?
I am friends with both Jades of Lan, the Heirs of YunmengJiang and QingheNie, and have the
reputation of the greatest genius of my generation. Someone like me talking to Su She isn't going to
go over well.
Ike makes a vague noise from the back of his throat.
I will try, but I make no promises. Honestly, my opinion was that Su She was a short-sighted
young man with entitlement issues. I mean, if you want to go toe-to-toe with the HanGuang-Jun,
you need to have your own techniques not copies of GusuLan ones.
He's young still.
I sigh but refrain from answering as Nie HuaiSang stumbles back into the sparring area and throws
himself on the ground.
"No more, Wei-xiong! No more!" He cries. "I can't feel my legs anymore! You'll have to carry me!
I'm not moving another muscle today!"
I snort and grab my bag, getting up and walking up to Nie HuaiSang.
"Good work, A-Sang! You're worked hard today," I smile kindly at him. "Want me to drop you off
at the dorms or with your fellow Nie juniors?" I ask him.
Nie HuaiSang pouts at me, "The dorms..."
I nod and sling one of his arms over my shoulders and easily get him back to his feet. He leans
heavily on my side and whines again, "Ow! Ow ow ow ow! Be careful, Wei-xiong! My whole
body hurts!"
I chuckle lowly, "You'll get used to it, don't forget, A-Sang, this is the easiest part of training!"
Nie HuaiSang gives me a pitiful look and I can't help but laugh harder.
When I enter the Library Pavilion there's no one inside, so I leave my bag by the desk under the
Magnolia window and go wander through the shelves picking up books that might be of interest
and bringing them back to the desk.
My bag is a mess - seriously, I had picked bad organisation habits due to having the Inventory at
my disposal - so I remove everything I have in it, separating my paper and pens to one side and the
rest of odds and ends on another side.
I'll put everything back in the bag before I leave.
I open the first book and settle down to read.
The book - a fairly old one about Spiritual creatures - tells me nothing that I wasn't already aware
or hadn't learnt before but I don't mind it. Apart from historic events told from the different sect's
views, there was little that I hadn't already learnt about from the Yunmeng Library or the System's
Shop.
Not surprisingly, the System's books were a lot more interesting than the old records I scrounged
up from a dusty corner of the library in Lotus Pier. I had to be careful about not reading them
where others could read over my shoulder though, so my back got well acquaintanced with the clay
tiles of the hanging roofs of various buildings inside the Sect.
As I was reading I occasionally took notes about some detail that I wanted to explore about at a
later date, or put down a vague theory about what the book was saying, or how I could contradict
it.
The books weren't that big to begin with, and the perfect calligraphy made them easy on the eyes,
so I plowed my way through them easily.
As soon as I finished the books I had taken off the shelves I got up and put them back, before going
to write down my observations on the books in general. Ike's ability to memorize basically
anything I had seen was a godsend and we shamelessly used it to our advantage in everyday
hobbies, such as painting and writing.
We wrote a lot.
If it weren't for the System's ability to materialize things out of thin air, Ike and I might've
deforested the YunmengJiang territory.
Once that was done, I got up again and fluttered around the book shelves and took out another pile
of books to read, it was my goal to read the entire GusuLan collection within the year and I saw no
reason as to why I could teach Nie HuaiSang, create a brand new fighting formation with war fans,
have my ongoing periphery projects not disturb anything.
They were mostly self-sufficient already, consisting of Network plans and the Talisman Factory
upgrades.
That reminds me, we need to write to MingXia about securing the Factory and the equipment in
case the Wens come across it.
Which would require you to talk about the upcoming war.
Or just me being my paranoid self about the increasing activity the Factory has been having.
Having made the creation of Talismans more or less automatic - a cultivator needed to infuse the
ink with energy and refill the stamps with ink; while someone else had to take out the paper and
place another sheet under the stamps - MingXia had gotten off my case about providing the stamps
but bugged a lot more about creating more variations of talismans.
There were no talismans that could be used as weapons, only protection talismans that you stuck to
the walls of your house or around your farming fields, but it kept people safe and satisfied.
The war would bring an influx of frenzied requests for talismans to ward off evil spirits, intent, and
keep the dead from coming back as walking or fierce corpses.
So we were going to have to talk to MingXia one way or another, and having the conversation here
means that she might not come down for her house in Qinghe to hit me with her headrest over
turning her business on its head.
You would think, but I have no doubt she'd show up at the gates of Gusu to whoop you.
Too true.
As I pick up another book from the shelf to see what it's about, I hear the doors of the Library
Pavilion open.
Soft footsteps echo but whoever entered doesn't say a word. I hear them walking further into the
Library Pavilion before coming to a stop in front of the desk.
A beat of silence.
"Wei Ying?" Lan WangJi's quiet inquiry breaks it.
"Lan Zhan, it's you! Ah, I'm doing some research, you can use the desk if you want, just push my
things to one corner if you need space!" I call out to him.
What are the odds.
Honestly, Ike, we both know that if he's not in the Library doing something, then he's off practicing
the guqin somewhere else. There's not a lot of things you can catch Lan WangJi doing at this age.
So boring. Lan XiChen got all the social skills of their bloodline, we spot him walking to and fro
meetings with several Gusu disciples every so often.
Lan XiChen also has the busiest schedule between the two and what little time he has to himself,
I'm sure he prefers to spend it alone.
Ike grumbles under his breath but I ignore him and focus on picking books.
After selecting a few more on creatures and yao, I walk back to the desk. Lan WangJi has made
himself right at home on the opposite side I was using, my belongings neatly placed on one side of
the desk.
He's sitting with a perfect posture and writing on a long scroll.
Curiosity nibbles at me.
I smile at him as I sit down, placing my books on the desk, but he doesn't really look at me at all.
Don't look so disappointed, dear.
Die in a ditch.
I pick up the first book and start to read, the only sounds filling the room being the turning of
pages and the brush sliding down the scroll.
As I make my notes I can feel eyes on me but I decide not to comment on it or show that I have
noticed them at all.
They are brief and far in between, but they lay a physical weight on me and it makes it hard for me
to focus on the characters written in front of me.
Ike's amusement also grew with each passing moment, making me fidget in place.
Finally, when I felt the stare on me again I looked up.
Lan WangJi looked entirely too focused on his scroll and not one hair was out of place. It could've
been my imagination if one did not take pointed notice of the red ears he bore.
"A-Zhan!" I grinned, "Were you trying to catch my attention? You can look at my books if you'd
like, I'm legitimately studying here!"
"Ridiculous," Lan WangJi tells me, ears reddening further.
I bite my lips to keep me from teasing him further, but the corners of my mouth tremble and I hide
my face behind a sleeve before I can break into laughter.
It was just so silly, how he'd act so poised and perfect, look as if dust couldn't settle on his form,
but then be so...so...
Cute.
Lan Zhan was undeniably cute.
XiChen is cuter.
Ike. I do not need, nor appreciate, your input on this.
Duly noted. But my opinion stands.
It was satisfying, in a way, to know that despite living in a place with over three-thousand rules he
was still a teenager, someone who blushed when caught staring and looked away to pretend they
hadn't been staring.
I briefly wondered what had caught his attention.
Was it the fact that I had been more or less well-behaved in class? Or maybe he wanted to restart
the argument about my theories?
After the first one we had, he usually tried to get me to reconsider my stance on experimenting
about them by citing centuries old studies or pointing out what could go wrong and grew frustrated
when I broke apart his argument with solid logic and my own observations on Chi.
I let the matter go, it wasn't important, and focus back on the book.
The staring continues periodically but apart from a quirk of the lips I don't mention it again, leaving
him be. Once the books have been read and put back in their place I start writing down my notes
again.
"What about this one?" Lan WangJi's voice has me blinking slowly in confusion.
I look at him and he has a book in his hands.
A book of sutras.
My eyes widen at the same time Ike yells in my mind.
That's Nie HuaiSang's book!
"Don't open that!" I shout and go to fish the book out of his hands.
Too late, Lan WangJi opens in on a random page.
And drops it so fast as if burnt.
He stumbles to his feet, bumping against the window behind him, his face was pale but his ears
and neck were painted a vivid red - I almost wondered if that's how he'd look with a sunburn - his
hands trembling at his sides.
"Y-You!" He struggled in saying.
"Aah~" My shoulders slumped, "I should've out that one back in my bag, I'm sorry, Lan Zhan, I
tried to warn you."
I bend down to pick up the fallen book and hear the sound of a sword being unsheathed. My eyes
widen and I grab the book quickly to jump back, I had left Suibian back in the dorms, no use in
carrying it around when I wasn't going to use it.
I mentally count the knives I have with me and how fast I can get them out to block Bichen.
"Manners, Second Young Master Lan! Manners!" I remind him, staring at the glowing blade of his
sword. It's gleam telling me that he'd prove to be a challenge if I wanted to spar with him.
My fingers itched.
"You... What on Earth are you?!" Lan WangJi asks, hands still trembling.
I blink at him, "I'm a man, it's just a Spring Book, Lan Zhan." I shake my head, "I'm sorry you
picked it up, I should've put it in my bag when you walked in."
"Shut up!" He shouts. And a blaze of Chi erupts from him.
A shock runs through my body, his energy feels cold and swift like a cool winter breeze, but as I
start running my own energy through my body I can clearly see it's turbulent current. It's a
whirlwind of cold bitter energy, and it's ready to be turned into a blizzard.
This doesn't look good, my friend.
Ike, any advice?
Try not to bring the roof down on your heads?
So helpful.
"You..." Lan WangJi trembles once more. "You are really shameless!" He glares and strikes with
his sword.
I immediately bring out Xiaotong from my arm-guard and block it. The red blade a sharp contrast
with the pale iron of Bichen.
"Lan Zhan! Calm down! It was an accident!" I tell him.
A hand tries to reach for the book again but I dodge it, stuffing the book into my robes - and
immediately send it to the Inventory, one less thing to worry about - and have to crouch down to
the ground to avoid the next strike of the sword.
"Lan Zhan!" I call out, "I already said I was sorry, we can't fight in the Library Pavilion! We'll
destroy something!"
"Shut up!" Lan WangJi rages and strikes at me again.
Xiaotong blocks it and I bring out Xiaodan from my other arm-guard, I knew from experience that
it was easier to block swords using two blades. I put some distance between us and get in the
YunmengJiang standard form of swordplay, eyeing the exit.
"Lan Zhan," I start, trying to slowly edge my way towards the door - I was not about to fight in
here and bring the ire of the Cloud Recesses down on my head, I was trying to stay here for a
whole year! - but Bichen flies to block me.
Lan WangJi doesn't even say another word he just rushes to grab at me and I sweep under his arms
and strike him in the ribs with the pommel of my knife.
"Stop! Lan Zhan we can't fight in here! I already said I am sorry!" I tell him, back to the magnolia
window.
Golden eyes glare into my own, their usually warm color replaced with deadly glass shards.
"Shut. Up." He tells me.
I huff, "Lan WangJi, are you listening to what I am saying? I am apolog-" My voice cuts off.
No. It doesn't cut off.
My jaw snaps shut with a click, my lips sealing themselves together without permission.
Mouth glued shut and all words trapped in my throat.
My tongue numbs itself inside my mouth.
I struggle to pull my mouth open, to say something - anything - but my mouth would not cooperate.
The GusuLan silencing spell.
A spell.
My eyes widen and stare at Lan WangJi.
He's silenced me.
"Wei Ying!" He glares.
'Sarah Eloise Windsor!'
Ice.
Listen to me.
Ice in my veins.
Listen to me!
My heart races in my chest. It beats like a marching drum, the strikes sending more and more
chilling ice down my veins.
I'm right here!
The edges of my eyes darken, my vision dims, my whole world starts to blur.
Listen to me! I am right here!
I see a hand reach out to grab me.

'No! Please, no!'
The air is trapped inside my lungs. My mouth cannot open to let out a scream.
'I didn't do it! I swear I didn't do it! I'm sorry! Please! Please, listen to me!'
The hand is near. Too near. It's going to grab me.
It's going to hurt me.
I cannot scream.
My mouth will not open.
Why can I not scream?
Why will my mouth not open?
'Listen girls are to be seen and not heard.'
A hand grabs me.
Something shatters.
A wild rush of wildfire explodes from inside me. It burns and consumes me and I scream.
A swirling mass of energy just explodes from inside me.
I howl at the pain consuming me and I fight back.
Ah, I always wanted to fight back.
'I'm sorry! Please, I'm sorry! Let me out!'
I turn on my heel and pull the arm grabbing at me closer, their chest to my back, and I send my
elbow sharply into their side. A pained gasp, a breath of air brushing by my ear, the hand holding
my wrist lets go. For good measure I stomp down on their foot and spin away from them again.
The world is in sharp contrast. I can see the movement of everything around me, but not just see it I
can feel it. I can feel the wind move around this room, the smell of paper and ink nearly drowning
out the perfume of sandalwood.
I can hear it.
The floor creaking under my feet, the wind in the trees outside, the sound of cloth rustling as
someone lunges and-
I strike faster than the eye can see.
A silver blade sinking into flesh. A gasp. The scent of iron in the air, it settles on my tongue and I
freeze.
Blood.
"Wei... Ying..." A voice.
Lan Zhan.
The world spins on its axis, reality is brought back into focus, the edge of all my nerves go out like
a wick in the wind.
Golden eyes are pained and staring into mine.
I see piercing glowing silver eyes reflecting back in his brilliant pale orbs.
A hand touches my cheek.
All the air rushes back into my lungs and I startle back, the blade sticking between Lan WangJi's
lower ribs slides out, dripping red, I drop it. Staring at my own blood-coated fingers.
Oh no.
My thoughts are distant. Disjointed. Like sand falling in between my open hands.
Oh no.
I look back at Lan WangJi, at the hand he has over his wound, at the red that is spreading on his
white, white robes.
"Lan-er-gongzi! Wei-gongzi! Is everything alright?" An unfamiliar voice comes from the other
side of the door.
Lan WangJi opens his mouth.
I spin on my heel and jump out of the window. I hit the ground below it running.
And I keep on running until I hit the trees ahead of me.
And running until I leave those trees behind me and head towards the walls of GusuLan.
I vault over the walls in a single leap and keep on running.
And running. And running. And running.
I run until my lungs burn for air.
I run until my legs give out from underneath me.
I run until the adrenaline crashes and the shock wears out.
And then...
Then I stop running.
And the past sinks its claws into my flesh and tears me open once more.
Moments before, Lan XiChen was going over papers that his Uncle had asked him to look over
pertaining the upcoming Discussion Conference he was attending in the Sect Leader's place.
The old faint sting of his Father's choices was brushed away with well-practiced ease.
As he reached for another piece of paper he felt a wave of bright Chi wash over the area.
Birds startled and took flight from the nearby trees.

Lan XiChen stood and decided to investigate what had just happened. As he opened the door of his
office he saw panicked disciples running towards him.
"ZeWu-Jun! Second Young Master Lan and Young Master Wei are fighting in the Library
Pavilion!" The disciple quickly told him.
Oh, that doesn't sound good.
Another wave of Chi passed over the area.
"Go fetch my Uncle," Lan XiChen told one of the disciples. "The rest follow me, WangJi and A-
Ying wouldn't fight over small matters, something's wrong."
He hoped they hadn't damaged the books yet, though. He really didn't want to see his Uncle's
reaction if they brought down the Library Pavilion down to its foundations.
Chapter End Notes
Going back to the discussions about agf!wwx and sexuality, while he is mentally
somewhere in the 90s, he has been living as Wei WuXian for 12yrs now. Some days
he wakes up and it never crosses his mind that he was once Sarah. It's why I refer to
wwx as He; Sarah as She; and on the occasions I'm referring to them both, They.
While there is no romance between WWX until after the War Arc (and probably the
Trials Arc too) it doesn't mean he can't feel attraction or have his body react to
something that appeals him.
Lan WangJi is a cute guy; his brother is another cute guy; agf!wwx likes cute things.
(And the golden eyes are totally unfair in his honest opinion). So he knows he finds
LWJ attractive, but he's not about to do anything to the guy.
He's also pretty dense at times not realizing that LWJ finds him just as cute -but in his
case, he has no idea how to go about dealing with such thoughts- and not just staring at
him because LWJ wants to pester him about his life-choices.
The fight. Sarah's backstory isn't fully explored until later, so talking about what
exactly happened to her is full of landmines. The very short version is that she grew up
in an extremely controlling and strict household and was emotionally abused (does
locking her in a room count as physical abuse?). While her phobias are the biggest
problems deriving from her past, she has milder triggers that spark her PTSD.
The sentence "little girls are to be seen, not heard" was something Sarah was told, a
lot. And it was usually followed with a stay in the White Room, so Sarah's flight or
fight instinct kicked in at the worst possible moment. LWJ is lucky that their senses
returned after one stab wound - briefly returned, they went back to freaking out once
they were a safe enough distance away - and that they didn't actually bring the roof
down on them. Possibly Ike's interference, he is tasked with damage control in these
type of situations.
Lan WangJi did something stupid but he didn't mean any of this to happen. He had no
idea that Silencing WWX was such a big deal - but thank heavens they did this in a
private environment and not in a classroom full of kids - and he stopped his 'rage'
when he realized that something was very *very* wrong.
As for why he wasn't listening to agf!wwx's apologies: he was embarrassed and he's
16yrs; I'd like to know one occasion where you didn't make a situation worse by
overreacting.
Poor Lan XiChen though, the minute he heard "your brother and his friend are
fighting" he immediately started hearing Boss Music.
Guilt and Lies
Chapter Summary
Lan WangJi regrets; someone remembers; Lan XiChen asks for help; someone hates.
Chapter Notes
Hah! Bet you didn't expect to see me back so soon, did'ya!?
Okay, so Warning for Child abuse? (Author, you wrote the chapter and you don't
know? Well, yes, I did. But I also won't lie and say my childhood was sunshine and
kittens.)
Possible panic attack warning.
Sarah's past isn't a walk in the park and you get to see a tiny bit of it! Yay! (Author, no,
just no.)
"Life sucks, but you have the option to sit there and cry about it or you can simply move on and
become stronger." - Leah Iacono
Chapter 76: Guilt and Lies
The doors of the Library Pavilion opened so fast that they hit the walls behind them. His brother
stood at the front of the group of white-robed disciples peering into the room and staring wide-
eyed at the chaos inside.
Books had fallen off the shelves from the wave of Chi Wei Ying had released, papers were strewn
everywhere - some just finally fluttering down to the ground - and Bichen lay unsheathed beside
him, fallen to the ground after...
The hand clutching at my wound tightened.
I was already circulating my energy to heal the wound, already I knew that there wouldn't even be
a scar left within three days, sooner still if I went to the Cold Springs to heal.
The wound wasn't made by a spiritual weapon, of course it would heal without any complications.
Spiritual weapon...
Wei Ying didn't have his sword with him.
The red blade that he had first pulled from his sleeves flickered behind my eyes.
I knew I had felt Wei Ying's Chi through that blade when he blocked Bichen. It'd hummed against
his sword, its strange metal reflecting back Bichen's gleam and whispered of secrets hidden within
it.
That was a Spiritual weapon.
But the blade he used...
My eyes travel to the bloody knife on the floor, simple iron with no gleam or reflection of energy, a
common blade.
"WangJi?" His brother gasps and rushes to my side, "What happened?"
What happened?
Shame settles in my bones.
"My fault," I tell him. "I... I attacked Wei Ying."
"You?" Lan XiChen looks surprised - he would be too, if their roles had been reversed - but
quickly turns back to the more important matter, "Where is Young Master Wei?"
"Ran," I answer him. "Xiongzhan, Wei Ying needs help," I add.
His brother's eyes sharpen, "Is he injured as well?"
"Chi Deviation," He shakes his head, his voice a quiet murmur. "I caused it."
He had. It was his fault.
I didn't mean to.
His shame sharpened and cut into him, it mocked him about feeling bad when he had hurt his
friend.
Over what?
'I'm a man, it's just a Spring Book, Lan Zhan.'
Anger fueled by his embarrassment grew inside of him.
He broke the rules. He possessed a forbidden item. He made me see something impure.
But did he really?
'Lan Zhan! Calm down! It was an accident!'
The book had been amongst Wei Ying's things which I moved in order to share the desk. It had
been put to the side and had been covered by sheets of paper before I moved them. The title had
caught my attention as a book I had not yet read, obviously not belonging to the Library, so I
assumed it was Wei Ying's. I wanted to ask if I could read it, but I had not thrummed up the
courage to ask him.
Instead you opened it without permission.
'Don't open that!'

He tried to stop you.
Too late. I opened it and...
And you blamed him.
'Stop! Lan Zhan we can't fight in here! I already said I am sorry!'
He apologized.
'I already said I was sorry, we can't fight in the Library Pavilion! We'll destroy something!'
Several times.
'Lan WangJi, are you listening to what I am saying?'
You did not listen. Worse-
I silenced him.
The memory of it was perfectly clear. Even in his anger, he could still remember exactly what
happened.
His jaw clicked shut, his pink lips locked together, and he went pale.
His eyes widened.
Pure silver eyes, the color of rainy clouds, of stars and of the moon, a cold color that warmed his
heart whenever they settled on him and smile-
Not this time.
No, not this time.
This time they went colder than the bitterest winter that plagued the secluded villages up in the
highest mountains of Qinghe.
They widened once, fear and something else - panic, disbelief, confusion, betrayal? - flashing for a
moment - before they went blank.
Dead.
Anger was immediately forgotten. Extinguished as if buckets of cold water were dumped over the
bright flames of a campfire. Replaced with worry.
Something's wrong, his mind had whispered.
He reached out to him. He reached out to help him.
But you were the one who hurt him in the first place.
Everything turned to chaos within a split second.
Wei Ying's eyes flashed alive, but they were no longer Wei Ying's. They belonged to a wild thing,
to a beast that howled - blood spilling from their lips as the Silencing spell was forcefully broken,
the skin tearing itself free - and raged against a threat.
A threat too close for comfort.
Wei Ying was strong, he knew that, he had known that for years now - each letter that arrived
detailing another achievement of his friend was carefully kept inside a sealed wooden box, so that
not even time could destroy proof of it - but this time it was different.
He felt the strength behind the pull of his arm and it hurt, the impact of an elbow into his side a
sharp burst of stars in his eyes. The stomp on his foot immediately numbing it.
This wasn't Wei Ying.
Chi Deviation.
He looks into the glowing silver eyes - glowing so bright they'd be mistaken for falling stars - and
fear bubbles to the surface of his thoughts.
All of his Uncle's lectures on the subject flash in his mind.
He needs to snap out of this. Wei Ying needs help!
I reached out to him, I reached out to grab him and pull him close, I reached out to help him!
But how was he supposed to know that when you were the one who hurt him?
In hindsight, he should've expected to be stabbed the moment he decided not to grab his wrists and
disarm Wei Ying before attempting to calm him down.
But Wei Ying returned - briefly - to his senses.
Lan WangJi almost wishes he hadn't.
Cold realization filled those eyes. Horror at their actions.
I touched his cheek, wanting to tell him it was okay.
But I made it worse.
It hurt when the blade exited the wound, but he tried to tell him it was fine. The words never came,
they failed him time and time again - Why are words so difficult to say? Why is it so hard to speak
when I need to?! - and this time it was no different.
'Lan-er-gongzi! Wei-gongzi! Is everything alright?' A senior of the Clan speaks from outside of the
door.
Wei Ying's eyes widen again with terror.
I open my mouth to tell him there was no need to worry, nothing was going to happen to him, he
would not let anything happen to him. But before he can say any of them Wei Ying is already
jumping out of the window and he is too stunned to follow after him.
Shock weighs him down and he sinks to the floor beside his fallen Bichen.
"WangJi!" His brother brings his mind back to focus.
"Xiongzhang, Wei Ying needs help," I would not let him be blamed for my mistake. "I attacked
him, he tried to run out of the Library Pavilion and I did not let him. I silenced him and... And he
went into Chi Deviation. Xiongzhan, you need to find Wei Ying! He needs help!"
His brother's warm brown eyes harden and he nods, "I will find him, WangJi, do not worry. A-
Ying is going to be fine."
His brother got up and turns to disciples standing unsure by the door, "Take my brother to the
Infirmary to get his wound checked out. He is to wait for me at the Discipline Hall afterwards, tell
my Uncle to meet me there after... After I have found Wei-gongzi. The rest of you, clear the mess,
whatever piece of paper that does not belong in the Library Pavilion is to be placed in my Office
along with Wei-gongzi's belongings."
He picks up the bloody knife from the floor and walks out of the Library Pavilion.
Immediately a senior helps me to my feet and starts pulling me out of the Library Pavilion towards
the Infirmary.
His brother would find Wei Ying.
Wei Ying would be safe.
Everything would be alright.
But will it really?
You hurt him. For what? A book?
He'll never look at you again. Why would he? What a great friend he has, the moment he sees
something he doesn't like he pulls out his sword and tries to cut him down.
I wouldn't have hurt him.
But haven't you done that already?
Shame curled inside of him and sank in his stomach like a stone.
Guilt stung like salt poured over wounds.
I didn't mean to.
But you still did it.
What a disgrace.
Ungrateful.
Unworthy.
Someone like you doesn't deserve a friend like him.
I know.
I know.
But...I don't want to lose him.
There's a party going on downstairs.

I look out the window - standing on the tips of my toes to see over the windowsill - and gaze at the
garden below. There's white clothed tables covered in colorful food, fancy-dressed people milling
around them eating and snacking.
Mother stands surrounded by a group of other women, talking about something I could never force
myself to pay much attention to.
Probably gossiping about Mrs. Wells recent affair with the milkman.
"Shh, Ike," I whisper to him.
No one but you can hear me, darling. There is no need to fear being overheard.
I look to the side and give him a look.
Fair enough, I shan't mention the hypocritical behavior of that woman and her cronies.
Rolling my eyes I look back down at the garden.
"The party looks fun..." I confess to him.
I can see Anthony running around with some other boys that he was friends with - sons of Father's
business partners - while Little Arthur clung to Mother's skirts while she talked, too shy to let go
and play around with the other children nearer his age.
Do you want to go down there?
I bite my lip and let my feet rest fully on the floor. I rock a bit on the spot, unsure of how to
proceed, before turning away from the window and quietly walking towards the marble staircase
leading to the downstairs reception hall.
My black mary-jane shoes are so polished that they reflect the sunlight streaming through the
windows. I pause briefly to pull up the white socks that go over my calf but don't quite reach my
knees, annoyed at how they keep sliding down.
I don't think I could ever get used to those things.
And that's why you don't wear actual clothes.
Ike makes an offended noise as he walks beside me, towering over my small frame, and puts his
hands on his waist.
I'll have you know that I wear the height of fashion!
I giggle behind one hand as I kneel down by the railing at the top of the stairs, being able to see the
people milling around downstairs but still hidden from view.
But your clothes are the same color as you are! You can't see them!
Ike huffs and sits down beside me, legs spread out in front of him.
So you say, I stand by my statement that my clothes are ten time- no! A hundred times better than
any that old matron has you stuffed into.
"This isn't so bad," I tell him. Leaning away from the railing to pull at the circle skirt of my light
pink gathered dress. The hem trails only slightly over my knee when I'm standing up and flutters
when I spin around.
There's a ribbon wrapped around my waist, tied at the back in a neat bow, and the dress is buttoned
up at the back. The buttons themselves are covered by the small vest jacket - in a darker, warmer
pink color - with embroidered red flowers all around the edges. The vest buttons are white roses
and I kind of liked it a lot.
My hair had been brushed thoroughly and had been braided in two french braids, tied off with little
white ribbons.
All in all I looked like a little princess.
Ike chuckles. I turn to pout at him.
You always look like a princess. The most beautiful and charming princess.
"Sweet talker," I grumble at him.
I feel him smiling at me.
I speak but the truth, dearest lady.
I look back down on the staircase.
Do you want to join the party? The Baroness hasn't forbidden you from appearing.
I bite my lip again.
"But what if I go down there... And... And..." I struggle to finish the sentence.
I am here. Listen to me. It'll be okay.
"But are you sure?" I ask him quietly.
We'll go downstairs, walk a bit in the sun and if it gets too much we'll come right back inside, how
does that sound?
I consider his words but slowly nod.
Ike gets back to his feet with envious ease, hands back on his waist and leaning over me with a
smile.
Then let us show these ungraceful people the prettiest, most beautiful princess in the whole world!
I smile back at him.
"You don't know that! There's thousands of people more pretty than me!" I tell him.
Ike's smile softened.
You will always be the most beautiful one to me, no matter how many years pass us by or how
many people we meet, dearest one.
"Together forever, right?" I get up and smooth over my dress skirt. I look up at him and smile,
green eyes reflecting all of colors.
Together forever, to death and beyond.

"You always say that," I murmur to him, holding onto the railing as I descend the marble staircase.
"But I'm not sick, I won't die. Ever! I'll live forever!" I grin at him, still standing at the top of the
steps.
For some reason, he looks so unbearably sad.
Lan XiChen walked hurriedly towards the area where their guest disciples spend their free-time in,
with any luck Jiang WanYin would be easy enough to spot and privately inform of the current
situation.
Family would be better equipped to track down and soothe someone undergoing Chi Deviation. Or
at least hold their attention while Lan XiChen played the Song of Clarity or - if the situation is
worsening too rapidly - Cleansing.
Thanfully, he was right.
Jiang WanYin was watching his juniors sparring against the QingheNie disciples - an alliance
between these two Sects seemed to be forming because of A-Ying helping A-Sang - and looked up
when he noticed the First Jade of Lan entering the courtyard.
He stood and bowed, "ZeWu-Jun," He greeted.
"Jiang WanYin," He bows in return, "An urgent matter has come up, will you come with me. It
need to be discussed in private."
Jiang WanYin frowns but nods slowly.
They leave the courtyard together and Lan XiChen withholds the sigh that wants to escape when
he sees all the guest disciples forming close groups to whisper to each other questions.
"What is going on?" Jiang WanYin questions.
Lan XiChen shows him the blade Wei Ying had dropped. He notices the exact second when Jiang
WanYin recognizes the blade, and then the moment he realizes it's bloodied.
"Where is my brother?" Jiang WanYin's eyes have a ferocious shadow to them.
"My brother and Wei-gongzi had an altercation in the Library Pavilion," He starts to explain.
"My brother wouldn't fight in a Library, he loves books," Jiang WanYin rudely cuts in.
Lan XiChen sighs. "WangJi started the altercation, he will be punished I assure you, but the
problem is that Wei-gongzi seems to have gone into Chi Devia-"
He's interrupted again.
"He's what?!" Jiang WanYin's eyes flash, the next words that come out of his mouth are growls of
an angered predator. "Where is my brother?"
"Missing," Lan XiChen doesn't beat around the bush. "We must find him, regardless of what
happened, Chi Deviation can be fatal if not treated right away."
Jiang WanYin pales, then reddens, before turning pale again. Lan XiChen worries about him
undergoing Chi Deviation also.
"Yunru is sleeping in our dorm room, if anyone can find him when he's hiding, it's Yunru," Jiang
WanYin tells him and starts running towards the dorms.
Yunru?
Lan XiChen follows him, matching his pace, "Who is Yunru?"
Jiang WanYin groans, "My brother's sable, he smuggled it in. Is that really important?!" He glares.
Point.
Lan XiChen makes a mental note to return to this topic on a later date, perhaps when someone he
thinks of as a dear friend isn't possibly bleeding out somewhere in the Cloud Recesses.
Jiang WanYin opens the door to their room and he immediately spots the pile of black fur that's
curled up in a ball on Wei Ying's bed. A small head with two small pointy ears and beady black
eyes pokes up from the mound of fur.
Lan XiChen thinks that it's entirely in character for Wei Ying to have smuggled such a cute critter
into the Cloud Recesses, and wonders if he has shown it to WangJi.
"Yunru," Jiang WanYin crouches in front of it. "Find my brother, he's hurt. We need to find him
now!"
Yunru immediately uncurls from its ball and its fur stands on end. The fluffy black fur stands on
end and it hisses before jumping off the bed and starting to run out of the dorms.
Jiang WanYin immediately follows.
"Are you certain it will leads us to him?" Lan XiChen feels the need to ask.
"My brother raised her since she was a babe," Jiang WanYin tells me. "You never see one without
the other being close behind. My brother literally smuggled her in because he couldn't be parted
with her despite knowing she'd be perfectly safe and well looked after in Lotus Pier. No matter
where he tries to hide, Yunru will find him." He speaks with such conviction that Lan XiChen
cannot doubt his words.
Wei Ying... It's going to be okay. Just hold on for a little while longer.
It was unnerving to be surrounded by adults.
It's okay, they aren't looking at you. It's safe.
Ike's hand is warm on my shoulder. A comforting weight that only I can see and feel.
Slowly stepping out into the garden, I quietly inspect the party. Sneakily taking bites off the sweets
that lay on the tables and hiding underneath it to eat larger slices of cake or sandwiches.
Under one such table I find another girl.
She blinks at me startled and I slowly blink back.
"Who are you?" She asks.
"Sarah," I answer her in a whisper.

"Why are you whispering," She asks.
"Why not?" I ask in turn.
The girl laughs. "My name is Claire. My parents were invited to come to this party, but it's very
boring. Did you know, the Windsors don't have daughters so people don't bring little girls to these
parties. They say it makes the Baroness sad!" She tells me.
Gossip. Don't listen to her.
"But they brought you?" I blink at her.
Claire laughs. "My mommy loves me. She buys me all these dresses and shows me off to her
friends. Everyone comes to the Windsor's parties, so why wouldn't she bring me too?"
Ike huffs.
I eat my sweet and poke my head from under the table. I don't feel like being her anymore.
We can leave if you want, nothing is stopping us. The party isn't that great anyway, I much prefer
our tea parties!
I giggle.
"What?" Claire pushes me to look at where I was staring. "There's nothing there."
I shrug, not knowing what else to do and crawl from under the table to head back upstairs.
"Where are you going?" She follows after me.
I pause at the entrance doorway and fidget a bit in place. I don't want her to follow me.
Tell her not to follow you then, all you have to do is ask her not to.
"My room, please don't follow me," I follow Ike's advice.
She doesn't listen.
"Your room? Why do you have a room here?" She asks me and steps closer to me.
I inch away from her. Not answering.
"Tell me!" She frowns. She's taller than me - no surprises there - and that makes me nervous.
I'm right here. It's okay. Listen to me.
"Please don't follow me," I tell her, my hands tremble so I clutch at my skirt.
The girl scowls. "I am older than you! You don't tell me what to do!" She yells.
People turn to look at us and I pale.
I feel cold, Ike.
It's okay. I'm right here! I am right here, listen to my voice.
I'm scared.
Listen to me, breathe in, hold it, breathe out. It's okay.
"Claire, honey?" A pointy nose woman comes closer to us, a few other women trailing after her.
The Baroness included.
Ike!
Cold. Cold. Cold.
Listen to me! You have to breathe.
I can't! I'm scared! Help!
It's so cold.
"Sarah?" The Baroness immediately focus on me. " What have you done?"
The girl, immediately seizing the opportunity to make things worse, points at me. "She told me to
leave! Mommy, she was rude to me! Who is she?"
"That's not true!" I yelp, eyes wide. "You're following me!"
"I am not!" She lies. "You were rude to me!"
I open my mouth to refute it but before I can a hand clamps itself around my wrist. It's so tight it
hurts.
It hurts, Ike!
It's okay, listen. You have to listen to me. Focus on me, darling.
I can't see him. If I turn to look for him it's only going to make things worse. But I know he isn't
standing here with me anymore.
Ike!
"How many times have I told you?" The Baroness looks down at me with such piercing eyes that
my own start to sting.
My mouth snaps shut, too scared to open and make a single sound.
"Little girls are to be seen and not heard," The Baroness tells me. "Apologize, now."
The girl has her mother's hands on her shoulders and is preening under the fussing.
"Sarah." The Baroness' voice holds a threat under it. "Apologize."
Apologize. Apologize. Apologize.
Why?
I didn't do it.
She lied.
Lied. Lied. Lied.

Static.
APolOgIZe sArAH
Cold.
It's so cold.
Ike.
Ike, where are you?
ApoLOgIZE nOW
Something wraps itself around my throat. Cold and unfeeling and not-real.
Why?
aPoLOgiZe GirL
It tightens.
I didn't do it!
"I'm not telling you again, Sarah," The Baroness warns me.
My heart is racing in my chest, spreading ice inside my veins, I feel like my whole body is
shivering from how cold is it. My lungs struggle to receive oxygen.
List-
Ike?
The static drowns out his voice.
Brea-
Ike!
The cold eats away at the warmth he brings me.
-ere!
The hand around my wrist burns.
The one around my neck freezes.
You're standing on the tip of a needle.
Unbalanced.
You're going to fall.
Inevitable.
You're nothing to them.

Pain.
It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.
aPolOGIze OR eLSe
The girl is smiling at me.
Smiling. Smiling. Smiling.
I hate her.
A clamor inside my head. Thunder ringing in my ears. Static clinging to my skin. Ice inside my
veins.
Anger. Anger. Anger.
"Liar!"
The vice grip tightens and my bones ache.
The world is jostled when I am pulled inside of the manor, my feet trip over themselves trying to
keep up with the larger legs of the Baroness.
"How many times... How many times!" The Baroness spits. "Why must you never learn! How hard
is it for you not to act out! Why are you incapable of learning!"
"I didn't do it! I swear I didn't! I'm telling the truth!" I tell her.
"Silence!" The Baroness drags me forward.
"Please! Please, listen to me!" I plea.
"Little girls are to be seen and not heard!" The Baroness ignores me and pulls me inside the room.
The White Room.
"No! Please, no!" I grab her skirt.
"Let go, Sarah," She pushes me away from her.
I fall backwards and the door slams shut.
"I'm sorry! Please, I'm sorry! Let me out!" I hit the palms of my hands on the door.
"I'll apologize!" I scream. "Let me out! Let me out! Mummy, let me out! Please!"
It hurts. Please. It hurts.
It's so cold.
Ike.
Ike!
Where are you?!

I can't see you!
Come back!
Ike, come back!
ComE BAcK
YEs
Leave me alone!
Ike!
"Let me out!"
Music is playing far away.
Everything hurts. My visions darkens around the edges. Reality splinters and opens itself to the
void.
I'm so cold.
Help...
It sounds like nothing I've ever heard before.
Ike...
It grows louder.
Help me...
A squeak.
Huh?
Soft fur brushes against my face, nuzzles my cheek, and squeaks.
I open my eyes, not knowing that I had closed them.
The White Room is gone.
I'm kneeling in the middle of a forest clearing, the sun shines down on the trees, their leaves
moving with the wind.
A furry nose nuzzles my cheek again, it squeaks and purrs and grounds me.
"Yunru?" The words come half choked and I cough.
My throat hurts.
"Thank GuanYin's Mercy," Jiang Cheng's voice breathes out in relief.
The music stops.
I blink slowly and look up to see Jiang Cheng hesitantly kneeling in front of me. "What did you do
now, you idiot?"
He reaches for me but pauses, unsure.
My whole body feels sore but I obligingly open my arms, Yunru jumping on my shoulders.
He quickly pulls me closer to him and hugs me.
I hug him back.
"Do you know how worried I was?" He's voice is choked up too.
I hum but end up coughing. "Sorry."
"Not your fault, idiot," Jiang Cheng tightens his grip on me.
"I'm sorry," My eyes tear up. "I'm sorry."
Yunru clambers off of my shoulders and nuzzles my cheek again. Her fur grows wet as it soaks up
my tears.
"I'm sorry," I choke out.
"Shh," Jiang Cheng puts one hand on the back of my head and the other arm pulls me ever closer.
"It's okay. You're okay."
I'm not.
"I'm tired," I tell him.
"I bet," He snorts.
"Your mom is going to kill me," I tell him. "She said not to stab someone."
Jiang Cheng's shoulder twitches, "I won't tell her if you don't."
"And if Lan QiRen does?" I ask him tiredly, my eyes already drooping shut.
"Aah, you can leave my Uncle to me, A-Ying." Another voice answers.
I struggle to keep my eyes open long enough for me to clearly see Lan XiChen.
"I stabbed A-Zhan," I tell him.
Lan XiChen isn't smiling, he looks tired too, "Rest, A-Ying."
My eyes close.
Between one breath and the next I fall asleep.
Chapter End Notes
Wild ride, this chapter.

Okay so, let's unpack what happened.
My understanding is that LWJ has to have some sort of self-esteem issues - I mean, the
Golden Child Syndrome is a thing, and you cannot tell me that LQR and the rest of the
GusuLan didn't treat the Jades of Lan as if they were some sort of perfect little
cultivators to show off.
So, in here, LXC is going to have a very serious conversation with LWJ about how
"Communication is Key" and you should probably talk things out before bringing out
the swords. Which is going to be a big step for LWJ and save a lot of grief for a lot of
people. (And LWJ does acknowledge that communication is not his forte)
Lan XiChen going to Jiang Cheng to ask for help in finding WWX was a smart
decision, but telling JC that LWJ accidentally caused WWX to go into -what they
believe to be- Chi Deviation probably did not endear either brother to him. And pray
that YanLi doesn't find out about this before WWX has a change to reassure her he's
fine.
The Jiangs don't forgive easily.
Also, of course JC would know the best way to find WWX, just find Yunru and let her
do the serious work. Yunru always finds WWX and everyone in Lotus Pier knows
this.
Sarah and Ike. Ugh, man these two have some serious past together.
This happens when Sarah is still 'little' perhaps around 6 or 7 years old. Ike is still
learning the ropes of being a 24/7 companion to a small child and how to best keep her
safe.
But it's sweet seeing him being so doting on tiny child!Sarah and you cannot tell me
otherwise.
I believe I have mentioned it before but Ike sometimes goes 'offline' when dealing with
bad memories/trauma - he is compartmentalizing stuff so that Sarah/WWX doesn't go
catatonic. This has always happened and was obviously a very Bad Thing when Sarah
was young -later it stopped being such a world-ending event because Sarah was more
mature and knew what was going on- because the co-dependency between these two
was at an all-time high.
Also, shout-out to CyanRoses over on discord who helped me figure out how to add
color to text!
Blame Game
Chapter Summary
Lan XiChen and Lan QiRen talk to Lan WangJi. Jiang Cheng and Wei WuXian talk.
The morning after the Incident.
Chapter Notes
Hey, hope you're having an awesome day/afternoon/night, and that you're staying safe
out there!
"You can't keep blaming yourself. Just blame yourself once, and move on." - Dan Castellaneta
Chapter 77: Blame Game
"XiChen," His Uncle was already waiting for him at the entrance to the Discipline Hall. "What is
this I heard about WangJi being stabbed?"
I sigh. "An incident occurred in the Library Pavilion this afternoon," He answered.
His Uncle's expression sours, "So WangJi was stabbed. Who was the instigator of this incident?"
"WangJi, it appears." XiChen takes no pleasure in the stunned look his Uncle gets when those
words click in his head.
"Ridiculous!" Lan QiRen blusters. "Who accuses him?"
"WangJi himself," XiChen tells him. "From what he told me, WangJi and Wei-gongzi had an
altercation, WangJi pulled his sword on Wei-gongzi and Silenced him when he tried to leave the
Library Pavilion-"
"And where is Wei WuXian?" His Uncle asked.
"In the infirmary, I had to play the Song of Clarity for him after tracking him down in the heart of
the back mountain after he suffered a Chi Deviation as a result of WangJi Silencing him," XiChen
answered.
Lan QiRen stopped and turned to him. "Is he alright?"
"Exhausted," XiChen informed him. "The healers will keep him overnight, he tore the skin off his
lips and his meridians showed signs of stress. Luckily it doesn't look like there will be lasting
damages, but better be safe than sorry."
Lan QiRen nods. "Do we know why WangJi attacked Wei WuXian?"
XiChen shakes his head, "My priorities when entering the Library Pavilion were to assess WangJi's
wounds and finding Wei-gongzi. Apart from WangJi telling me he attacked Wei-gongzi and
caused him to Chi Deviate I do not know anything else."
"Then we must get to the bottom of this," Lan QiRen nods.
They entered the Discipline Hall and noticed WangJi immediately, kneeling in the courtyard inside
with perfect posture. He was wearing clean robes and two seniors were with him, making sure that
the disciple stayed in place until punishment was assigned.
It was an awkward affair for them as WangJi was usually the one responsible over handling these
matters, so they stood very stiffly as his uncle and XiChen entered the Hall.
"ZeWu-Jun, Mister Lan," The disciples greeted them both.
"Thank you for staying with my brother," He told them. "You may go back to your previous
duties."
The disciples bowed again and - hurriedly - left the scene.
"WangJi," His Uncle started, "What is your account of the incident?"
"How is Wei Ying?" His brother asked.
"A-Ying is in the infirmary, there seems to be no lasting damage to his cultivation but our healers
will keep an eye on his condition," I answered him.
WangJi's posture softened as if a weight had been removed off his shoulders.
Their Uncle made a vague sound from the back of his throat but didn't comment. He did, however,
look pointedly at WangJi to remind him he hadn't answered his question.
"I entered the Library Pavilion to copy scriptures, I found it already to be in use but Wei Ying
agreed to share a desk. I arranged his things on one side of the desk and settled down to finish my
work," WangJi began. "Wei Ying returned with several books on Spiritual Creatures, he read and
made notes of his work before returning them to the shelves."
"There... There was a book on the desk when I walked in, the cover said it was a book of Sutras I
did not recognize the title of," WangJi hesitated briefly, looking uncomfortable. "When Wei Ying
got up to place the books back on their shelves I picked it up, I asked him what it was about and
went to open it. Wei Ying tried to stop me, warned me not to open it, but I already had. It... It... It
was not a book of Sutras."
XiChen was friends with Nie MingJue, seeing how red his brother's ears were turning he had a
pretty good guess on what that book must've been. He mentally counted back all the rules A-Ying
had apparently broken since coming here and wondered how many more he'd break in the coming
months, but reasoned that a such a book wasn't an offense that needed force to be dealt with.
Much like XiChen, though this time it was due to having been a teacher for many years - and a
classmate of CangSe Sanren in his youth - Lan QiRen immediately realized what the book must've
been and took a few deep breaths to remain calm.
The urge to admonish Wei WuXian was great - and the fact that he had stabbed his nephew did not
let him think many kind things about the youth - but he refrained from doing so until he got the full
picture of the incident. One does not go suffer from Chi Deviation over nothing, and between a stab
wound that would be considered little more than a flesh wound in the coming days, and a very
dangerous threat to a cultivator's meridians and cultivation, Wei WuXian certainly received the
worst injury from the altercation.
"Wei Ying apologized," His brother's hands tightened into fists on his knees. "He apologized for
not having put that book away properly when I entered the Library Pavilion, he attempted to warn
me before I opened it and apologized for not having been quick enough."
"If Wei-gongzi apologized why did the two of you descended into a physical altercation inside the
Library Pavilion? Did he perhaps refuse to be punished for it?" XiChen asked his brother.
In his mind the situation had become pretty clear, WangJi was embarrassed over the book and
demanded A-Ying to accompany him to the Discipline Hall, A-Ying - seeing as he had tried to
warn WangJi from opening the book, and hadn't handed the book over to him on purpose - argued
that there was no reason he should be punished for such an accident. WangJi could be pretty
fixated on mistakes and had not taken well to that answer, they fought and WangJi pulled on
Bichen.
Which resulted in A-Ying pulling on his knife and perhaps WangJi silenced him then. But then
why did A-Ying Chi Deviate upon being silenced?
"I pulled Bichen out of his sheath and attacked him," His brother puts a halt to that train of thought.
"You what?!" Lan QiRen startles. "WangJi... You immediately attacked Wei WuXian? After he
apologized?"
His brother bowed his head, "Wei Ying apologized again, even after I drew Bichen on him, and he
kept apologizing and trying to get me to stop, stating that we might damage the Library Pavilion.
He blocked Bichen with knives he had with him."
"Knives? Not knife?" I asked him, absolutely certain that there had only been one knife found in the
Library and none on the forest floor A-Ying had been kneeling in.
WangJi nodded. "A red bladed knife and a simple iron one. The red blade was a cultivation tool,
the plain one wasn't."
So the blade that stabbed his brother...
"He used the weaker blade to stab you with, and avoided your vital organs even whilst under Chi
Deviation," He breathed out, feeling tired.
"Wei Ying did not mean to hurt me," His brother stated, adamant. "I did not listen to his apologies.
I attacked him and he did not fight back, he tried to get away, not once did he go on the offensive
until-..."
"Until?" Their Uncle pressed.
"I Silenced him," WangJi answered, sounding ashamed. "I stopped then, I knew something was
wrong immediately, but before I could remove the spell, Wei Ying started to Chi Deviate. I tried to
grab him... I made the situation worse," He admits.
Lan QiRen exhales deeply though his nose, "Are you certain that the Chi Deviation started the
moment after you used the Silencing Spell on him?"
WangJi nods.
"Then it is not your fault, there has never been a case where the Silencing Spell triggered Chi
Deviation in someone," He tells him.
WangJi immediately drops to a kowtow at their Uncle's feet, "WangJi is at fault! I attacked an
unarmed disciple, I ignored the disciple's words of apology, I Silenced him with no just reason!"
Lan QiRen closes his eyes and struggles for a moment.
XiChen takes matters into his own hands, "WangJi, it was not your fault for A-Ying's Chi
Deviation. Uncle and I shall discuss possibilities with our Head Physician, but there has never been
any case of Chi Deviation as a result of the Silencing Spell, meaning that there was an underlying
case to it that we were not informed about."
"That said, Brother, you will be punished for - as you said - attacking an unarmed disciple and for
fighting without permission. Do you recall the punishment for such actions?" He asks despite
knowing the answer.
"I request to be punished heavily, Acting Sect-Leader," His brother bows his head to their Uncle.
XiChen sighs, a prickle of annoyance and resentment stinging his heart but he brushes it aside.
Their Uncle still looks troubled but nods with weary resignation, "You shall be struck with the
discipline paddle fifty times, twenty-five for each offense; and you shall transcribe Righteous'
sections four and five."
XiChen struggles not to show his discomfort at the sentence, but at least his Uncle had been
reasonable enough not to bring out the discipline whip - and if XiChen ever had an inkling that that
was what his brother had been requesting, he was going to have serious words with his little brother
- and shouldn't hinder his studies and health in any way.
"How many times should I transcribe the sections, Acting Sect Leader?" WangJi doesn't hesitate to
ask.
"Until they sink in," His Uncle answered with finality.
Then he might as well be transcribing them for years, Uncle, is what XiChen thought at those
words.
"As for Wei WuXian..." Their Uncle sighed here and tugged briefly on his beard. "He shall copy
lines for bringing in a forbidden item into the Cloud Recesses. His... 'Assault' on a fellow disciple
shall be dismissed due to his Chi Deviation, his actions were not conscious and shan't be punished.
He will require supervision however, just in case that there are delayed side-effects or a second Chi
Deviation."
"I can supervise his punishment," XiChen decides. "I can always play the Song of Clarity or
Cleansing if it happens again, and it won't disturb my schedule at all as I'll be in my office
regardless."
Lan QiRen doesn't look too happy about it but nods. "So it shall be, Wei WuXian will remain in the
Infirmary for observation, he may start his punishment tomorrow after class. WangJi however-"
"I understand," His brother straightens his back. "WangJi accepts punishment."
"I will call the disciples back in, I have to check in with the Head Physician," XiChen tells them,
not really enthused about seeing his brother punished so heavily.
Not that he didn't deserve punishment - it was obvious WangJi had overreacted and accidentally
caused a bigger incident than A-Ying's absent-minded theory speech in class - and he needed to
have an honest conversation with him after this.
He walked out of the Discipline Hall and headed to the Infirmary.
When I opened my eyes again it was to the white ceiling of the GusuLan Infirmary. The world was
quiet and slightly fuzzy around the edges.
My whole body was sore and slow.
'Player Menu,' I thought sluggishly.


Skills:
+Martial
+Social
+Scholar
+Arts
+Mundane
Equipment:
Guest-Disciple Robes
Guest-Disciple Boots
Plain arm-guard(left)
Plain arm-guard(right)
Weapon:
Dagger [Xiaotong] ]
I groaned. No wonder I felt like crap.
My thoughts were scattered and the quiet was unnerving, but I managed to piece together what
happened. I should probably be thankful I had only strained my body by pulling on the natural
energy my body absorbs and not any of my Talents. I did not want to think about what people
would say if I blew the roof off the Library Pavilion by punching Lan WangJi with a wind
powered punch.
Not that stabbing him is any less of a concern.

God, I stabbed Lan Zhan.
I groaned again.
A sleepy squeak has me blinking and looking to the side. Yunru is curled up in a ball on my pillow,
head poking out and yawning. She looks at me with tired beady eyes.
I smile tiredly back at her, "Hey, girl. Rough day?" I joke.
She gives me a look.
"Too soon?" I chuckle.
"Yes, you absolute idiot. 'Too soon' is right when you nearly died," Jiang Cheng appears at the foot
of my bed so fast that I would've believed he had materialized out of thin air.
I smile at him too, "Morning, Platypus."
He mellows down, "Idiot. Do you know how worried I was when ZeWu-Jun came up to me with
your bloody knife and told me you were missing?" He grumbles, coming to sit down beside me
bed.
"ZeWu-Jun has Xiaodan?" I blinked. "I thought Lan QiRen would've confiscated it or something."
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes, "I have it, you can have it back after you get out of this place." He tells
me.
"Am I getting kicked out?" I ask him.
"No," He shakes his head. "ZeWu-Jun and Mister Lan talked to Lan WangJi, he told them what
happened. You stabbed him after Chi Deviating, so it's not your fault. Besides, you didn't start the
conflict."
Uh, was not expecting that. And Chi Deviation? What?
Ike? What are your thoughts?
There was no answer and the silence hurt.
'Aah, that's right... Ike's asleep,' I remembered.
"No need to sound so surprised, Didi," I tried to grin bemusedly at him.
Evidently I failed because Jiang Cheng scowled. "You're still getting punished, which is bullshit
because Lan WangJi is the guilty party here."
"Language, Platypus," I sighed. "And A-Zhan didn't know that Silencing me would make me freak
out."
Jiang Cheng's eyes sharpened.
"You knew that'd happen?" He looks one wrong answer away from shouting at me. Or strangling
me, depends on whether he considers me healthy enough to do so.
"No?" I try. "Well... I never thought about it, but it kind of makes sense?"
He reddens and his hands clench into fists. "...Was... Was it a Chi Deviation?" He asks me in a
near whisper.
I sigh and think about it.
"Not a normal one," I answer him back just as quietly. "I really do not remember much about what
happened between A-Zhan silencing me and him getting stabbed. I... I woke up when I stabbed
him and... I know I ran. I had to run else... Else I might do worse, I was going under again. I had to
get away."
"But it wasn't a Chi Deviation? Your meridians were shot to hell," Jiang Cheng frowns.
"Aah, yes... That happens," I chuckle drily.
"'That happens'?!" Jiang Cheng hisses. "What do you mean 'that happens'?!"
I am tempted to beg this infirmary cot to swallow me whole. For Freddy Kruger to invite me into
his parlor.
'Said the Spider to the Fly.'
I groan. "Platypus, can we... Can we not?" I plea with him. "It's nothing dangerous. Usually."
My brother clearly does is not inclined to drop the matter, nor does he believe my words - which,
fair enough, had the roles been reversed I wouldn't either - but he relaxes his hands and smooths
over the blanket over me.
"Fine," He sighs. "But I'm telling A-Jie about this."
I groan louder. "Platypus! My dear and precious little brother, do you not know how that's going to
turn out? Sister will come barging in here with Chidian!"
"You deserve it," My cute little brother doesn't even blink at me, totally unimpressed and
unrepentant.
"A-Cheng~!" I whine at him. "Yunru, are you seeing this? Look at how he treats me!"
Yunru sends me another look and turns away from me, burying her head back in her fur to sleep.
"Wow, so much betrayal. I raised you, you know?" I grumble at her without any heat.
"Sleep, idiot," Jiang Cheng sighs. "You're exhausted."
Well, yes, I am. But...
"I don't want to," I quietly tell him.
Jiang Cheng leans closer to me and hums, "Nightmares?"
I sigh. "Not sure if they're nightmares or memories," I answer him. "The line between the two blurs
with time."
"I won't let anything happen to you," Jiang Cheng frowns. "I'll stay here and watch over you."
I smile at him, my hand coming up to brush his cheek. We both ignore how slow it moves,
trembling all the while. He places his own hand over mine, eyes gaining a watery shine to them.
"I know, A-Cheng," I tell him. "You're strong, Didi. So proud of you."
"I wasn't there to help you," His voice cracks as he whispers to me.
I smile sadly at him, "It's not your fault this happened. We aren't attached at the hip, brother, and
there was no way anyone knew this was going to happen."
"You could've died!" He hisses, eyes closing and expression pained. The hand he has over mine
curls its fingers around it.
"I wouldn't have died," I assure him. "I'm not that easy to kill, A-Cheng."
"You don't know that!" He looks ready to cry. "You were just kneeling there, struggling to keep
breathing, and your Chi was going haywire."
I hum. "I'd have passed out sooner or later," I told him, resigned. "It has happened before."
His eyes widen. "When?!"
"Before we met," I answered him. "Not important, Platypus. I wouldn't have died. Though
I am grateful you snapped me out of it before that happened."
"How is that not important?!" He hisses. "That is extremely important!"
I huff a breath at him, "Hardly. Listen, I'm sorry. It's something I'm going to have to work around
from now on, I've learnt that it's a thing that happens as a result of the Silencing Spell and will need
to break that trigger."
"Trigger?" He frowns.
"A stimuli that causes a specific reaction," I explain. "Don't be too hard on A-Zhan, he had no idea
that would happen."
Jiang Cheng glares, "He pulled a sword on you! Over a porn book!"
My lips threaten to stretch into a small smirk, "He was very embarrassed, A-Cheng."
He snorts, "That doesn't excuse him!"
"It doesn't," I nod. "But please don't go looking for trouble with him. Or retribution. You have the
YunmengJiang reputation to look after, if you become antagonistic towards A-Zhan the juniors
will follow you."
Jiang Cheng scowls and grumbles something under his breath.
I smile at him, "My prickly Platypus, so worried about his big brother."
He gives me a look and huffs, "Just get better, idiot. I'm still telling A-Jie how you ended up here."
"Forget I said anything, cold and cruel Didi!" I pout at him, but my eyes crinkle as I speak.
This feels nice.
The world is still too quiet. Unnervingly so. But this is nice.
Warm.
Ah, I missed this warmth.
Things are different now. They have been different for years now. I wasn't that scared little girl
anymore.
Little girls are to be seen and not heard? Ah!
Bitterness and resentment stabs at my heart but they were old wounds. Times long since past.
That scared little girl grew up, strong and dedicated to her work and family. She learnt the sound of
laughter and how it felt when someone held your hand and spun you around in a circle. Smiles
could be kind and true and meaningful.
She left.
She found a home.
She lived.
She found her peace.
She died.
And so they lived anew.
This life is different.
This life is a gift.
This life is beautiful.
"Thank you," I told him.
Jiang Cheng doesn't say anything in reply, but I know he understood what I was trying to tell him.
"This is highly irregular," The Head Physician frowned at me as he read my Chi. "No sigh of the
strain remains."
I smile politely at him, "My cultivation has always been strong, I apologize for the fright but there's
nothing wrong with me."
The doctor gives me a look and clicks his tongue, "You had a Chi Deviation, Wei-gongzi. At 15."
My smile remains fixed on my face, "I am aware. But I assure you that I am perfectly fine."
It wasn't an actual Chi Deviation anyway, I just flooded energy into my body to increase my
durability, stamina and reflexes - much like I had done several times in the past - and accidentally
went over my limit, straining my meridians for a couple of hours before my Chi was replenished
and my healing kicked in.
I still felt odds aches and some soreness in my joints but they'd go away in a few hours.
"Wei-gongzi," The doctor, took a deep breath and seemingly prayed for patience, "Chi Deviation is
a grave peril for cultivators."
"Doctor," I nod at their words, "I formed my Golden Core when I was ten, I know what dangers to
keep an eye on. I am aware of what set off my Deviation and I will take steps to ensure it does not
repeat itself."
My words had the exact opposite of reassure the Doctor that I knew what I was doing.
If Ike was here I was sure he'd be laughing himself silly at this.
"At ten?! Aah, yes, I remember now. The news hit the Cultivation World by surprise, I had
forgotten the name of the child who had cultivated the core, however. I see," The man frowns.
"Perhaps it is a more vulnerable core because of how young you were when you formed it?"
"My Golden Core is stable and perfectly healthy, Doctor." I answer him. "May I please be
excused? I would like to eat breakfast with my juniors before class."
The Lan physician doesn't really want to let me leave but he also hasn't found any reasons that keep
me from leaving, so he inevitably has to bow to my request and grant me permission to go.
I would've jumped out of the window and found my way into class had he kept me in the
Infirmary, but I'd rather not have to keep a constant look-out for a pissed-off Lan senior.
The pale morning sky was cloudless and the breeze slightly chilly, I walked leasuredly towards the
Mess Hall and ignored the stares from the Lan disciples. Obviously everyone already knew what
had happened, but I wondered if their staring was because I had gone through 'Chi Deviation' or
had stabbed Lan WangJi and lived to tell the tale.
Not that there was much of a tale, as far as I remembered Xiaodan hadn't hit any vital organs and
was probably little more than a flesh-wound for someone of A-Zhan's cultivation level. He also
hadn't been in the Infirmary during my stay there, of that I was absolutely certain. Jiang Cheng
would've been spitting and making a ruckus if he had.
Speaking of the Jiang Cheng.
"Platypus! Look at you, still half-asleep?" I grinned at him, pulling on his loose hair.
He scowls at me. "Don't you start, I was pestered to hell and back when I went back to the dorms
by the juniors. They wouldn't let me sleep until they knew where you were!"
Then he seems to blink and realize that I'm standing beside him.
"What the hell are you doing here?! So help me, XianXian, if I find you sneaked off the Infirmary
I will break your legs!" He yells at me.
"I was given a clean bill of health, Platypus! Seriously, why the lack of trust?" I inform him.
"As if you wouldn't have sneaked out of the Infirmary if you were still sick," Jiang Cheng scowls.
"I never said that I wouldn't," I point out. "There was no need, however, since I do have a clean bill
of health and I don't really want to spend the day staring at the ceiling."
"Idiot," Jiang Cheng sighs. "Are you sure you're fine?"
I nod at him, "I swear on my honor, A-Cheng, I am fine. Yesterday was just a scare, it won't
happen again."
"It better," Jiang Cheng says. "Lan QiRen isn't going to be happy with you, though," He tells me.
"Yeah, I figured he wouldn't. I did stab his nephew," I nod. "Speaking of, what happened to Lan
Zhan?"
Jiang Cheng turns away from me," ZeWu-Jun told me he received punishment and went to
cultivate in seclusion. He won't be in class for a while."
"Aah," I wince. "Do you think he's very upset with me? I mean... I did stab him." I ask him.
"Who cares?" Jiang Cheng glares at me. "He pulled a sword on you! Why should you be worried if
he's upset with you?!"
"He's my friend," I answer.
"He pulled a sword on you!" Jiang Cheng stresses.
"I stabbed him," I shrug.
"He caused you to go into Chi Deviation!" Jiang Cheng hisses at me in a quieter tone of voice.
"On accident," I remind him. "Are we really doing this now? Before breakfast? I was given a
watery bowl of congee with medicinal herbs for dinner last night, I'm hungry," I pout at him.
Jiang Cheng huffs but drops the matter - for now - and we start heading in to the Mess Hall.
The moment I enter it, however, a tense silence overtakes the room. The YunmengJiang disciples
light up when they see me, as well as the QingheNie ones, but the LanlingJin disciples give me
side-looks and snide comments under their breaths.
The GusuLan disciples are a mixed bag of reactions, there are some who look at me up-and-down
in the manner of checking if I was still in one piece, and others who glared at me with animosity.
"Wei-xiong!" Nie HuaiSang waved at me to sit with him. "We were so worried!"
I smiled at him, "I apologize for the fright, it wasn't anything serious."
"Don't believe him, he's lying about the danger he was in," Jiang Cheng scoffs.
I give him a look, "No need to frighten people, Platypus, I am perfectly fine now."
"Was it a Chi Deviation?" Nie HuaiSang asks me.
I sigh, "A very minor one, there's no harm done to my cultivation and it won't happen again."
"They're saying that Lan WangJi caused it," Nie HuaiSang tells me.
I groan, "It was an accident, A-Zhan had no idea I was going to react like that."
"He did pull a sword at you," Jiang Cheng can't help but remark.
"And I stabbed him, I assure you, A-Cheng, we're pretty much even."
"So it's true you stabbed Lan WangJi?!" Nie HuaiSang fans himself quickly, eyes wide.
I slump in my seat, "Madam Yu is going to kill me when she finds out. She's going to have me
skinned and strung up from a pagoda as a warning to all the other disciples."
"Useless warning, no one else would ever be crazy enough to stab one of the Jades of Lan," Jiang
Cheng shrugs.
"Thank you, brother, so much for your opinion," I grab a bowl of congee and a cup of tea. "Do any
of you know what's my punishment for said stab?"
"ZeWu-Jun mentioned coming to pick you up after class," Jiang Cheng tells me, frowning. "I think
he said something about writing lines?"
I look at Jiang Cheng in disbelief, "Writing lines? I stabbed his brother."
"Something I would ask you to be mindful of repeating, A-Ying," Lan XiChen's voice behind me
startles me.
Damn, my senses are still fried.
"Gege!" I turn to him in surprise.
Jiang Cheng hisses at me, "Be respectful!"
"ZeWu-Jun," I correct.
Lan XiChen smiles tiredly at me, "It's alright, A-Ying, I do not mind the familiarity. We have been
friends for a long time now. I assure Jiang WanYin that no offense is being taken."
"I'm sorry for hurting A-Zhan. Is he okay?" I apologize.
Lan XiChen's smile turns sad, "WangJi has been punished and is currently in seclusion to reflect on
his actions."
I grimace, "It's not his fault. It was an accident. If anyone is to blame then it's me for not putting the
book away in the first place."
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes.
XiChen smile softens. "WangJi attacked A-Ying with no provocation or reason. He broke the
rules," He tells me.
"I also broke the rules. And I stabbed him," I remind him. "Pretty sure there's a rule about that."
XiChen smile turns wry, "Uncle is making sure that if there isn't, then there will soon be one. And
you are also being punished, which I am overseeing."
I blink, "You're overseeing my punishment?"
Lan XiChen smiles at me, "Yes."
Chapter End Notes
I feel the need to explain the timeline of this chapter, 1st scene happens about 1-2h
after the fight happened; 2nd scene happens several hours after that, probably mid-late
afternoon (WWX was being cute when he said 'Morning, Platypus', it was not in fact
morning.
The final scene happens the day after the Incident. Sorry, if it caused any confusion!
Lan XiChen and Lan WangJi are going to have a serious talk later, if not in the next
chapter, then in the one after that. Depends on how long some scenes run. But a brief
overview of the next chapters (three at most, I do have plot to get to, if my brain
doesn't side-track me *again*) is lots of awkwardness, wwx dealing with stuff, lwj
dealing with stuff, lxc and jc being exasperated brothers, wwx and jyl talk, plus some
nhs and wwx perhaps.
Now, as to why LQR sides with WWX getting minimal punishment in this. Between
getting stabbed in a non-vital area with - what essentially is - a common non-cultivator
knife; and going into Chi Deviation - that can lead to death in extreme cases, and 'scar'
the meridians in milder ones - after being attacked, Chi Deviation is worse.
So, despite favoring his nephew over Wei WuXian; LQR has to be impartial towards
the incident. Doesn't mean he won't forget that WWX stabbed LWJ, though. So expect
some pointed comments about that. And how WWX can't seem to keep out of trouble.
LXC has issues with family being gluttons for punishment. Instead of apologizing,
setting things straight and move on, LWJ has decided that he needs to be harshly
punished and then isolates himself because he doesn't know what else to do. It helps
that WWX is clearly not blaming LWJ for the incident and expressing worry over him,
but LXC also needs a hug.
JC, my poor JC, he tries so hard. He also low-key believes that WWX has trauma from
his time night-hunting alone as a child and hides it by saying he was very happy and
nothing happened.
Persevere
Chapter Summary
Wei Ying needs a pep talk. Lan XiChen talks some sense into Lan WangJi.
Chapter Notes
I am very late. Yes. I am aware. I got distracted.

No, you read that right. I got very distracted. My Discord Crows convinced me to
finally read Heaven's Official Blessing (which was the last MXTX novel that I needed
to read) and I only stopped when I read all 5 volumes.
...And then I went on the hunt for fanfics. Sue me, I'm a fangirl too!
Ah, and then yesterday Summer in Mara came out, I had been waiting for a while for
this game, so I didn't quite finish this chapter yesterday.
You poor readers, I'm sorry! I'll try to get into a semi-consistent schedule again. I have
the attention span of a pigeon, if it looks like I'm not updating for a while, feel free to
send me a "what are you doing and have you been writing?" message. Odds are, I'm
stuck reading or watching some series and the world passes me by.
+ A Game for a Fool +
"Life's greatest rewards are reserved for those who demonstrate a never-ending commitment to act
until they achieve." - Anthony Robbins
Chapter 78: Persevere
Entering the classroom was... different today.
The Lan disciples were divided between giving me the cold shoulder and glaring at my head -
while pretending that they were doing no such thing - while the Jin smirked and sneered behind
their hands, tittering rumors and being their usual annoying selves.
Nie HuaiSang and his juniors offered polite company as we walked but they too looked at me with
curiosity and distrust - was it distrust? I couldn't pinpoint the exact emotion I was picking up from
them, Ike would definitely know - when they thought I wasn't paying attention to them.
YunmengJiang closed ranks around me, Jiang Cheng sticking to my side as if glued to it.
My worrywart of a brother... Seriously, it wasn't as if I'd kneel over the moment he took his eyes
off of me.
Ike would laugh at me if he was here now.

Ike...
The silence in my mind was unnerving.
Disquieting.
The empty desk beside mine did nothing to alleviate those feelings.
I sat down and pulled a few blanks sheets of paper out of my bag - all of my notes had been taken
somewhere and I would need to inquire Lan XiChen for their whereabouts, but my belongings were
otherwise unmolested - and waited for the teacher to arrive.
I wasn't exactly brimming with excitement for that specific arrival.
Gods knew what Lan QiRen would do, or say, to me once he saw me sitting here. In class. As if
nothing had happened. While his nephew...
While his nephew was somewhere, in seclusion because of a stupid accident.
I sighed and closed my eyes. Breathing in deeply and letting it our softly through my nose.
I dived into my subconsciousness.
The darkness greeted me with warmth and the barely there breeze of some unknown kind. One two
things shed light in this abyss.
One was the countdown, numbers ticking down and down and down, bathed in blue light.
The other was a sphere made of liquid light, gold spiraling on and on and on, that dripped down
into the nothing below my feet.
The unseen floor rippled with each drop of energy that fell from the globe.
I walked closer to it, felt the warmth grow as I drew nearer, and poked at it.
It trembled, wavering, before going back to its normal shape.
Unstable.
I sighed, louder this time.
In here, in this nothingness that held everything, it was easier to feel the exhaustion that hovered at
the edge of my senses. The aches and pains in my joints and bones, tiredness that clung to my
muscles and veins.
The smart thing to do after an incident such as this was to just find somewhere peaceful and...
sleep. Rest. Get some perspective on things.
Unfortunately, I couldn't. Not right now. Not here.
Oh, I was very much aware that no one would begrudge me the day - or week - off, probably
expected that of me in fact, but this accident...
Hindsight is always 20/20.
I should've thought more about the Silencing Spell the Lan were so fond of using, especially since
I knew of its existence and the effects it had on people. I should've realized that getting Silenced
would trigger Sarah's memories.
But I didn't.
I didn't think - not for a second - about them.
As sad as it was to ponder about it, some days I'd wake up and 'Sarah' wouldn't cross my mind. I
wasn't that person anymore, it was that simple.
Except it really wasn't simple. At all.
That person was gone. Dead and turned to dust already. Probably. Most likely. Near certainty. She
was never coming back.
I didn't want her to, to be honest.
I was Wei WuXian. This was me now. Who I was and who I decided to be.
It was... freeing. As if I had been wearing a misfitting skin all these years and finally found
something that fit me perfectly.
In here, there was no past to run from, only a goal to walk towards.
In here, I could be just me.
So why is it that a past long gone still haunts my footsteps?
What is it that clings to me and always manages to drag me back under?
Why does it still hold so much power over me?
No answer came from within the darkness. No mythical voice of God or Reason that bestowed
wisdom to mortals. No straightforward solutions.
Just the warmth of a golden ball of light, an unseen breeze wafting by, and the utter silence within
me.
It hurt.
I understood Ike's disappearance, had long since grown used to it, but the complete lack of chaos
and cacophony in my mind was a gaping hole inside of me.
Whereas before it had been an ongoing war of loud noises and incomprehensible muttering
intermingled with screaming and madness, now there was nothing.
A mess that had been incredibly easy to get suckered into and get lost in, gone.
Even after marrying - and divorcing - Walter, whilst running my cafe and training my protege, my
mind had been... Well... Calmer than my youth had been. Calmer than my last days would be like,
certainly.
But it hadn't been, by no means or definitions, quiet.
Waking up in this world, a brand new world full of new things to discover and sights to see,
disoriented and lost had led me to not wonder too much about it. There were more important things
to do at the moment, so invested I was in making things right that everything else was put on the
back-burner.
Sarah's memory had felt like getting a bucket of icy water dumped on my back.
A disturbing and sudden realization that something was so inherently different that it deepened the
lines between the Now and Before.
But there should be no line.
This wasn't... This wasn't just closing one book and pulling a new one out of the shelf.
If anything, this was a continuation of the previous volume.
Sarah was gone. Now there was Wei WuXian.
Memories were memories. The past was the past.
Let live and let go.
...
Impossible.
It's not that simple.
Obviously.
Frustration burnt in my stomach.
Why couldn't things ever be simple!
I growled in the back of my throat and scrubbed my hands over my face.
My fingers felt the smooth patch of skin of my scar.
It taunted me.
When has Wei WuXian ever backed away from a challenge?
Never.
When has Wei WuXian ever given up?
Never.
I stood up, the bell at my waist rang out softly and I looked down at it.
Silver engraved with lotus flowers and water ripples, a purple tassel swaying in the breeze.
Words murmured by the wind brushed against my ear.
To attempt the Impossible.
Right.
I could do this. I would do this. I'm not standing still. I'm not stopping here.
Wallowing in misery was never my thing, anyway.
I slapped my cheeks and took a final deep breath.
I had work to do.
Time was running out and I refused to let everything I had worked towards fall apart at the first
bump in the road. There would certainly be more to come.
What to do. What to work on. What to drop and leave behind.
Accidents like these had to stop. This was a controlled environment in friendly territory, if this
happened in the middle of war I'd die and everyone I care about would probably die too.
Unacceptable.
Dig out the triggers. Destroy them. If unable to do so, then they need to be rewired. I cannot shut-
down just because that horrible excuse of a human being dug her claws so deep in my psyche, she
still manages to scratch me from the afterlife.
Damage control.
Desperately need to do damage control.
Jiang Cheng was unlikely to forget this incident - and its unfortunate instigator - and I knew my
brother well enough that the odds of him holding a grudge over this were stacked against infinity.
Our sister would probably help him hide the evidence too. Say what you want about Jiang YanLi,
but if I had learnt anything from sparring against her it was that she was definitely her mother's
daughter.
Her friendly smile hid a terrible, terrible temper. She was the smooth, calm lake that hid untold
dangers underneath its clear surface.
However, the YunmengJiang could not afford to have bad relations with GusuLan. When the war
came and battle-lines were drawn, we would need allies - during and after the fighting - be they
political or not. The influence of the Network in YunmengJiang Territory wasn't that big, I much
preferred to have them focus in the wider, more rural areas or inside the den of beasts - both
clothed in red and white or golden yellow - and it would be better if Jiang Cheng was the one
wrangling that particular clowder of cats.
He would be the future Sect Leader, these would be his vassals and subsidiaries, Jiang Cheng
would need to earn their respect himself. I wouldn't interfere.
Focus on the Nie. Better relationships with the QingheNie mean that YunmengJiang would -
hopefully - balance out Jin GuangShan's attempt at making himself the most well-connected by
using Jin GuangYao's sworn brotherhood.
If I could get Nie HuaiSang to a point where he could, at the very least, hold his own against a
mid-level opponent, then Nie MingJue might withhold judgement on putting me to the sword. If
they could not be fully converted into supporting my decision to protect the Wen Remnants, I'd
take him being Neutral in the long run.
So long as I only had the Jin to look out for, I could stop jumping at shadows.
Try as I might, that still sounded like a lie to my own ears. I knew myself well enough that me
stopping being so paranoid about potential dangers/enemies would never truly fade.
I'd just hide it better.
Speaking of the Nie... Their Chi Deviation problem might be something to look into in my spare
time. Saving Nie MingJue from an early death would earn my Nie HuaiSang's eternal gratitude if
nothing else. It would also strengthen the Nie Sect in general, therefor having them climb the ranks
of both martial prowess and reputation.
Taking the title of Chief Cultivator from Jin GuangShan's hands and placing it on Nie MingJue
would definitely be a nice incentive for me.
So, talk to my siblings, train Nie HuaiSang into the ground, poke at Chi Deviation, and bullshit my
way through improvised home-made therapy.
Lovely.
I still needed to talk to ShouShan and MingXia. It would be impossible for me to go over to Qinghe
to visit the spunky old lady, but the Bai lived relatively close by to GusuLan - especially if I flew -
so it was workable.
Lan QiRen would be leaving for the Discussion Conference, so all classes would be postponed. I'd
see if I could get permission to spend a day or three with the Bai. True, nothing was stopping me -
except perhaps the Lan sending out a search party - from simply packing an overnight bag and
waltzing out of the gates, but asking first was the polite thing to do.
Maybe I'd offer to bring Lan Zhan along, Gods knew he also needed some fresh air. Preferably
somewhere where there weren't any rules about breathing too deeply or too loud.
Lan XiChen would totally side with me on this one.
I shook myself from my reverie. I had a plan of action and I was feeling significantly more
confident and calmer than I had moments before.
I could do this.
I would do this.
Nothing is going to stop me from having my mountain.
I let out a breath and opened my eyes just as the door of the classroom opened and Lan QiRen
walked in.
To attempt the Impossible.
As easy as cake.
A very layered and extensively decorated cake, but cake nonetheless.
"WangJi," Lan XiChen sighed as he entered the room his brother had chosen to seclude himself in,
finding him sitting straight-backed at a desk dutifully writing the rules as his punishment dictated.
"Xiongzhan," his brother replied, carefully finishing the sentence he was on before putting down
the brush and turning to face him. His golden eyes - just a shade or two lighter than his own -
blinked at the tray of food he carried in his arms.
"The kitchen matron informed me that you refused to eat breakfast," Lan XiChen answered the
unspoken question.
He walked up the desk and, after his brother pushed a significant amount of paper aside, placed the
tray gently on the table and sat facing his brother.
On any ordinary day such a scene wouldn't be too unexpected, their Uncle took great pride in
having WangJi copy their prized books and sutras that were beginning to show unfavorable traces
of age.
Unfortunately this wasn't an ordinary day.
"Have you been here since this morning?" XiChen asked him as meaningfully pushed the tray
closer to him.
"Yes," His brother nodded and reluctantly began to eat.
Talking during mealtimes is forbidden.
Silence reigned inside this room.
Lan XiChen isn't too bothered by it, the quiet allows him to think. The conversation he's about to
have with his brother won't be an easy one, nor a short one. But XiChen will allow the thought that
it is perhaps one that is long overdue.
The smoldering embers of resentment that dwell in his stomach spark, attempting to burn hotter,
brighter, perhaps even burn through his very soul. He had realized early on just how fallible his
father and his Sect could be at times. How life wasn't as white and black as the scriptures and
lectures portrayed it to be.
The first time he was stung by hatred was when his father first met his brother.
He had been five years old, nearly turning six, and A-Zhan was just barely three. They had been
playing in the garden under the watch of one of their wet-nurses when the woman suddenly stood
up and bowed in greeting.
A-Zhan was closest to her and looked up at this gaunt, pale faced man, and offered a shaky bow
himself - just as their uncle had taught him to do - and XiChen hurried over. He knew who this
man was, as the Heir he had been tutored extensively the minute that he could sit still for longer
than an hour without needing a nap.
"Father," He bowed. "Have you come to meet, A-Zhan?"
"Who?" His father asked.
His brother blinked, big golden eyes turning to him, confused. He opened his mouth to say
something, perhaps ask who this strange man was, when the man speaks again.
"I have to go now, I see you are healthy," And turns to leave.
"Brother?" A-Zhan frowned at him. His soft pudgy hand touching his.
His hand was curled in a fist.
The overwhelming burning sensation that assaulted him at his father's words had yet been
unknown and nameless at that time.
XiChen knew better the second time it happened.
At the sight of his brother kneeling for the first time in front of their mother's cottage. Waiting for a
woman that would never open those doors again.
Each passing day was a struggle to keep from saying something he'd regret, a lesson on how to
keep his emotions in check and away from his facial expression, an exercise of patience in staying
true to himself while also being the Lan Sect Heir.
He'd hoped - when he had been significantly younger than now - that his brother would be freer to
choose his own path in life. As the second son, WangJi could decide whether he wanted to remain
in the Sect or travel, what he chose to do with his life - what to study, what to train himself in -,
even choose to marry for love if he so desired.
Or, at least, that was how it was supposed to be.
In an attempt to curb any and all possibilities that either brother would accidentally fall victim of
the same folly as their sire, the Sect Elders and their Uncle had taken a strict approach to their
lessons and time-management.
XiChen was taught everything he would need to know as a Sect Leader, he was expected to take
his father's mantle sooner rather than later. The Sect needed a Leader that would actually be
present and responsible over the Sect.
WangJi was made to known all the Sect Rules by rote as soon as he could read and write. Poised to
be the epitome of what GusuLan Righteousness stood for.
There was no doubt in his mind that the price for such a unrealistic goal was the person's own will.
Every day, he thanked all the Gods and Deities that existed in all the Heavens for the little snag in
the Elders' plans.
A snag called Wei Ying.
A slip of a child that no one could make up their minds about.
Here was a young child that no one knew about until a year or two ago.
Here was a young child that was night-hunting alone.
Here was a young child that was overpowering Beasts and Yao that gave trouble to regular
cultivators.
Here was a young child... That behaved like no child ever did.
And WangJi took to him.
Letters and drawings arrived right on time every month. Anecdotes and tales of adventures that
WangJi read over and over again until he could recite them by rote as well.
WangJi was taught to obey. A-Ying had to question everything.

His brother was taught about strict boundaries of thought. A-Ying's thoughts were as scattered as
leaves blowing in the wind.
His brother required rules. A-Ying was befuddled by them.
Opposites in nearly every way.
Clashes between the two were expected, guaranteed even.
It was entirely normal in friendships. MingJue had once decided to undermine XiChen's own
opinions on a subject and they hadn't spoken for months, it wasn't until the late Sect Leader Nie -
Nie MingJue's father - had sent MingJue to personally kneel in front of XiChen's quarters and
apologize for his careless words that they started talking again.
And even then, it took several more weeks for their friendship to go back to normal.
It was normal.
It happened.
But what his brother was doing, wasn't.
The hindsight of this situation was that, as mature his brother was, he was still a young teenager.
He wasn't a grown man. He wasn't a wise elder. He was just a sixteen year old boy that had little to
no knowledge of the world outside the gates of the Cloud Recesses.
That there was more to the world than just rules carved on stone walls.
XiChen hoped that Wei Ying could wear down the walls his brother wrapped his heart around
enough for him to see the world for himself. Not requiring to be dragged kicking and screaming -
not that WangJi would ever act in such an undignified way - into it.
He hoped that the bond the two had was still salvageable.
Wei Ying's apology and worry this morning was a good sign.
But it took two to make a friendship work.
And here laid the crux of the problem.
The soft clink of chopsticks being placed on top of an empty bowl has him focusing back to the
present time. He helped his brother place the empty bowls back in the tray.
Afterwards he got up and placed the tray outside of the door, knowing that someone would take it
away, and returned back to his seat.
"Wei Ying returned to class this morning," XiChen tells him.
WangJi twitches minutely in his seat. His eyebrows pull together and his lips press in a displeased
line.
"I spoke to the Head Physician, apart from some faint stress to his meridians and some exhaustion
he was perfectly fine. As far as they could see no scars or permanent damage was done to his
cultivation," XiChen assures him.
In the back of his mind, XiChen made a note to keep a closer eye on the younger teen, such an
event was unprecedented and hard to believe.
"He apologized for stabbing you," XiChen added.
"Not his fault," His brother immediately replies.
"No, it was an accident. As was his brief Chi Deviation," XiChen nods.
WangJi shakes his head, "I caused the Chi Deviation."
"Unintentionally," XiChen stresses. "In the hundred years that Lan have used the Silencing Spell
since its creation, not once has anyone ever entered Chi Deviation after its application."
"I attacked him," His brother sounds so brokenhearted that XiChen struggles not to pull him into a
hug.
"Yes," He nods. "And you have been punished for it. How much longer are you going to sit in this
room writing lines?"
"My punishment is to last until the words of Righteousness sink in," WangJi answers him.
"What are you punishing yourself for?" XiChen has to ask. "What are you hiding from, A-Zhan?"
His brother turns his face away from him but XiChen still saw that tremble in his gaze. Still heard
the unspoken words that tormented his brother.
'What if Wei Ying no longer wants to be my friend?'
'I hurt him. What if he hates me?'
'How could I have hurt my friend? How can anyone hurt their friend?'
'How can Wei Ying ever forgive me?'
'How can I forgive myself?'
"Oh, WangJi..." XiChen sighed, gazing softly at his brother. "You know A-Ying would never hold
this incident against you. He asked about you when I saw him, he worried about how you were. He
worried you would hate him for harming you."
"Wei Ying did no harm," His brother says.
"Perhaps. But the reality right now, brother, is that Wei WuXian suffered a Chi Deviation after a
fight ignited between the two. And since the incident no one has seen you, leading some to believe
you are recuperating in seclusion, and not serving punishment," XiChen informs him.
Golden eyes widen, "That is not true."
"It isn't, but it is what is being said," XiChen sighed.
"Uncle-" WangJi begins but XiChen raises a hand to stop him.
"Uncle believes that if Wei Ying had obeyed the rules perfectly and adhered to common sense, this
incident would've never happened," He told him. "Alas, Chi Deviation is a serious matter and
recovery is imperative. Any punishment Uncle might've bestowed him for rule-breaking is
dismissed."
"I opened the... the book," WangJi reddened slightly in remembrance. "Had I not done so, Wei
Ying's reading material would not have been found."
"Ignoring the fact that such books are forbidden within the Cloud Recesses," XiChen nods. "Same
as bringing pets inside."
WangJi looks him in the eye and there's no surprise or confusion in them. He suddenly remembers
that WangJi caught A-Ying past curfew jumping over one of the outer walls his first night in the
Cloud Recesses. The reason as to what he might've been doing outside becomes clear.
"Ah," Xichen smiles. "I take it that you have met Yunru?"
His brother's ears redden further, it takes a great deal of willpower and self-control to keep himself
from laughing at the sight.
"Has Uncle banished her from the Cloud Recesses?" WangJi asks.
"No," XiChen answers. "As long as it does not interrupt any classes or cause any other disruptions
inside of the Sect, Uncle has decided to turn a blind eye to its presence."
WangJi looked relieved.
XiChen decided not to add that their Uncle had tried to, but despite having pitch black fur and
being small enough that one could wear it around their shoulders like a shawl, the sable had proven
to be sneaky and pertinacious in refusing to be caught by anyone. After many attempts - and
embarrassment for the disciples - Uncle called off the search.
Not two minutes afterwards, the Head Physician told him, Yunru had appeared from under one of
the Infirmary storage chests and curled up beside Wei Ying's head.
He wasn't exactly surprised that the tiny critter had taken to Wei Ying as fiercely as it had - even if
Jiang WanYin stated it had been raised since infancy by the teen - since they obviously shared
traits and a love for mischief.
"Are you going to stay in seclusion?" XiChen asks when the silence stretches for a few moments.
"Mn," Lan WangJi nods. "I will stay."
"For how long?" XiChen struggles not to sigh, hating the disappointment he feels for his brother.
WangJi doesn't answer him immediately.
"Until the disciples leave in the next spring?" XiChen asks him.
"No," WangJi denies.
"Then when, WangJi?" XiChen's shoulders slump slightly. "The longer you stay away from A-
Ying, the more he'll believe you hate him for what happened."
He hates that he's relentlessly pushing his brother past his comfort zone, but XiChen hardens his
heart into doing what is best for him and not what is easy.
WangJi bites him lip, hands pressed together in his lap, and his expression grows distressed.
As much as he hates it, XiChen breathes in to drive the point harder but is surprised by his
brother's voice.
"A week," Lan WangJi answers him softly.
"A week, WangJi?" XiChen echoes. "And then you will return to class?"
"Mn," He nods. "I will return."
That takes a huge weight off of his shoulders. XiChen can let out the air in his lungs and relax
minutely in his seat.
"I shall inform Uncle then, mayhaps such news will lighten his temperament," XiChen smiles.
His brother is too well-behaved to roll his eyes or grumble about the tease, but he can still see him
pursing his mouth into a pout just as clearly as he did when he was a young boy and XiChen placed
Liebing out of his reach and pudgy hands.
With a smile he gets up from his seat and heads for the door.
With any luck he'd have a few hours to do some paperwork before his Uncle's class was over and
he'd pick up A-Ying. Knowing just how much the younger teen hated standing still, Lan XiChen
hoped to have dealt with all serious matters before he needed to pay attention to what Wei Ying
was doing.
Maybe if he was subtle about it he could learn more about those theories of his. Make sure that the
Chi Deviation problem wasn't something of an occurrence one needed to worry about when it came
to his misadventures.
Dear Goddess of Mercy knew that the years he'd spent night-hunting as a Rogue Cultivator had
made the teen believe they were immortal or something.
Chapter End Notes
Hey, hey!
So, this chapter did not go according to my notes, lol. I was writing the 1st scene and
then I saw how wordy it was getting and I had to sigh. For your amusement, I did a
little count of how many more chapters Arc IV would possibly get before it is done,
and I got 15. So I have 15 official planned chapters. But, as *this* chapter reveals -
that count is probably higher. So expect me to reach the 3 digits chapter count before
Arc V War happens. (I cry. I cry so much. Back when I started writing AGF my plans
were to have everything wrapped up in like... 80 chapters. And that seemed too many
at the time. Look at where we are now
Okay so, onward to the chapter analysis.

WWX is stressed. He's trying to ignore it, but he's very stressed. You know that
feeling when you know something bad is about to happen, so you try to mentally
prepare yourself for it, but all you end up doing is getting more and more worked up?
Yeah, that's what's happening.
The colors I used for the flashback were to give you a visual of how messy and chaotic
Sarah's mind was back then. That was normal. And that might've been a mild example.
I don't really want to spoil anything yet, cuz I know the full Sarah's backstory reveal
happens later - but there's also world-building elements that never make it to the
screen time. Either I'll adapt them into a short scene in the outtakes, or I'll just
comment about it randomly.
As I'm not certain however, I'm not going into too much detail with it.
XiChen tries so hard. He wants to be a good big brother. Problem is, his little brother
is too damn stubborn.
Anyways, so! I don't like how the Lan Sect works. At all. But I try to not let my
opinion color too much of my writing, apologies if it bleeds over though.
In AGF the Jades met WWX when they were 5 (they turned 6 the following January;
they were in November or something then) and 8-9 years old. WWX got to WangJi
early enough that he could somewhat temper the indoctrination that was going on, but
WWX's letters could only do so much.
My headcanon was that, by having WWX, WangJi got a glimpse of an outside world
that he wanted to be part of, but could not understand. So he's a lot more open to
spending time with WWX - he's his best-friend, now if only the other annoying guest
disciples would stop trying to spend time with him that'd be great - but his brain is
constantly reminding him of the rules. Oh the rules, the rules, you must obey the rules!
Because that's what he's always been told since he was a small child. As XiChen put it,
to curb all possibilities that either of the Jades might turn like their father, the Sect
made sure that every minute of their day was filled with something "productive" and
according to what they wanted the perfect disciple to do. Even if the cost of such
training was their own free-will.
Don't bash too much on LQR tho! Half of the time he tries, but he's also very flawed in
his reasoning. So his attempts only work as they should 4/10 times.
But his side of the story is that his older brother threw his life and potential away after
1 bad decision. And then he kept making it worse by refusing to move past it. Raising
his nephews in a way - an extreme way, however - that such an event does not repeat
itself is a coping mechanism. (But not a very good one)
Also, LWJ is getting back in the classroom in a week, but that does not mean he and
WWX go back to being immediate besties. Lots of awkwardness and avoidance still
abound. They both try, though. I'll give them that.
Next chapter, we'll hopefully have some classroom drama, some LWJ POV, and
perhaps the start of the WWX and XiChen scene. Perhaps!
I don't know why I do chapter planning when my writing gets away from me and my
chapter count keeps getting fatter.
Come chat with my on Discord! We have lots of random conversations and frequent
food pictures!
https://discord.gg/7cXNUPF
Group Work
Chapter Summary
Lan QiRen's lecture and Wei WuXian talks to Jin ZiXuan without someone getting
punched.
Chapter Notes
OK, first off, this chapter kind of got the best of me. It was supposed to be several
scenes and it just ended up being a single, very long scene.
But I hope you guys like it!
Also, I am going to be away for a week, I leave on the 29th, should be back in 4 or 5th
of July(?) but during that time I won't have my computer with me or any internet.
Which was why I dearly wanted to finish and publish this chapter before I left cuz then
you guys would have to wait another 2 weeks before getting any AGF goodness.
Let me know what you guys thought of the chapter tho!
"There's more to us than the moment we made a bad decision." - Jenji Kohan
Chapter 79: Group Work
Just as I expected, Lan QiRen entered the classroom in a mood, clearly he had already been
informed of my presence amongst the students - and was not the tiniest bit happy about it - as his
eyes cut straight into mine as soon as he went through the threshold. To be fair to his fuddy-duddy-
ness, he didn't direct a single threatening word to me or glare, merely pulled slightly at his goatee
and 'politely' ignored my existence.
I did stab his nephew - self-defense or not; intentionally or not - so I would try not to invoke his
wrath any more than I probably already had. For now, at least. I'd give it a month or two before I
gave him another potential heart-attack.
...
I have the faintest feeling I'm forgetting something really important.
Or that I've just jinxed myself.
Oh, well. Surely it's nothing serious.
"We will devote today's lesson to the intricacies of Golden Cores," Lan QiRen tells the class.
I blink as his words filter through my brain and connect to their meaning.
Apart from Nie HuaiSang - and his actual well-founded stubbornness in not cultivating a method
that'd see him dead or dying within two decades - everyone else in this class had already formed
their Golden Cores. Possibly had them for years now.
Jiang Cheng had his formed by age 13, and it wasn't a weak core by any means - I had personally
seen to that - and he'd be turning 15 in November. So, roughly two years.
I had formed mine at 10 - but I used my own method of cultivation, not the known one - so it'd be
six years for me.
"How are Golden Cores formed?" Lan QiRen asks the class.
Several hands rose in the air.
Well, that is an easy question. Before forming a core, a disciple trains immensely in meditation and
theory before actually getting to work on forming one. Jiang Cheng was stuck in meditation classes
for several years before he was deemed ready to start harnessing Spiritual Energy from his dantian
and turning it into a solid core in his chest.
Actually forming the core was an excruciatingly slow process and apart from a few benefits such
as a physically strong body and not aging properly - once the cultivation got to a certain level - it
was obsolete. I had been using Chi since I was four years old. I could match mid-level cultivators
without a Golden Core by the time I was seven.
The known cultivation method was a faulty one and I had no way of revealing that without
screwing myself over in the future.
"The strength of a Golden Core lies in three factors: the method of cultivation, the level of
cultivation, and the innate talent of the cultivator."
Heh, it isn't as straight-forward as that, actually.
I'm fairly sure that I could get a group of random, run-of-the-mill civilians to form a core using my
method, and they'd more or less be able to go toe-to-toe with sect cultivators. The problem laid in
the fact that - much more important than a Golden Core - to train their bodies for swordplay and
fighting would need years of physical training.
The difference in strengths between my hypothetical cultivators and the rest of the sects cultivators
would be whether they pursued a life as a cultivator or not. Forming a Golden Core would be easy,
but it was meaningless if they didn't want to be a cultivator at all.
Honestly, I could see farmers wish to form a Golden Core just so that their bodies would be hardier
and healthier to withstand their lifestyle of dawn-to-dusk backbreaking labour.
It wasn't feasible, however, because that pipe-dream led straight into a civil war years down the
line.
'Innate Talent' referred more to the adaptability of the human body to the incomplete method of
cultivation they encountered than anything else. Cultivation wasn't as 'cookie-cutter perfect' as
people made it out to be, there were a lot of risks when cultivating, the most commonly known
being Chi Dev-
...
Ah.
I see.
So that's why he's doing this lecture.
I sigh, absentmindedly scratching at a piece of paper with my pen.
Obviously, it was too much to ask of Lan QiRen to ignore the incident entirely. Or, at the very
least, discuss the situation with me alone. Never mind that both parties involved in the Incident
wanted nothing more than to shelf it and move on.
It wasn't a bad topic to discuss - reading all of the Lan Sect rules would be very unappealing right
now - it was quite informative if done correctly. Unfortunately, Lan QiRen was pointedly doing it
as a subtle way of snubbing me, which...
I looked at Jiang Cheng sitting to my left.
My brother did not look happy. Having reached the same conclusion as I had, he was holding his
calligraphy brush so tightly that I feared it might break at any second. Already little cracks were
starting to appear on the wood.
Bad fuddy-duddy! Platypus will curse you to grow bald!
I curse in my head and looked down at the paper I had been scratching on. Perhaps the random
inked lines contained all the secrets of the universe.
"Chi Deviation is a constant concern for Cultivators. Even a strong cultivator may be felled by Chi
Deviation," Lan QiRen droned on. "Even a mild case of it may leave wounds and scars on the
Golden Core, weakening it further and increasing the risk of a repeat deviation. It is a risk many of
you will face in life, and as of recent events it seems prudent to-"
The sound of wood splintering instantly silences the classroom. I briefly closed my eyes in
resignation before looking back at my brother.
The poor wooden brush with the soft lotus flowers craved into the handle laid in pieces, broken
beyond repair, and Jiang Cheng was still shaking splinters from his palms.
"Apologies, teacher," Jiang Cheng tells Lan QiRen tersely. "I misjudged my grip."
If he could, A-Cheng's eyes would be sparking electricity. Also he looked like what he really
wanted to wring was Lan QiRen's neck, which was not a good thing for his continued good
behavior.
He didn't look happy.
At all.
Ugh, this wasn't good.
Damage control.
I need to do damage control.
Asap.
I put on a smile and laughed brightly, "Platypus! What's this? The last time you splintered a brush
you were eleven and practicing calligraphy when I called you for dinner."
Jiang Cheng twitches in place, nearly growling, but he tears his eyes away from mentally whipping
Lan QiRen with imaginary-Zidian to glare at me.
"You snuck up behind me and yelled in my ear," He corrects me.
I make a show of slowly blinking at him and cocking my head to the side, "Really? That isn't how I
remember it happening."
"No surprises there, idiot." He scoffs.
I grin at him.
"Enough!" Lan QiRen takes a deep breath and visibly struggles not to say something he would
regret. "Focus back on the lesson!" And goes back to his lecture.
I wink at Jiang Cheng and turn back to my paper.
To the world at large, I'm just as carefree as always.
In reality, my mind is empty and cold and my body aches.
Perhaps it would've been better if I had walked out of the Infirmary and spent my day sunbathing
somewhere. Curled up with Yunru on a soft patch of grass, ruminating on useless and baseless
thoughts while Ike rested and recuperated from the shock of this accident.
Away from the pointed lectures, the looks and the knowledge that I messed up.
Looking back on it, I should've given thought about how the Silencing Spell might be triggering to
Sarah. But I didn't.
I didn't because it's so easy to forget.
Everything is so different.
I want it to be different.
I breathed in through my nose and softly let it out. Trying to focus on anything that could derail
these maudlin thoughts. Inevitably I tuned back in to the lecture.
"I know the majority of your Sect's teaching practices and I hope you paid attention to them. Today
we will be examining past night-hunt reports and identifying where these disciples failed and what
mistakes they committed whilst doing so," Lan QiRen was saying. "You will be grouped in pairs,
and no, you cannot decide your own pairings, I will choose them."
If Lan QiRen didn't ease up, A-Cheng's spare brush is going to meet the same unfortunate fate as
its predecessor.
"Jiang WanYin, Lan ZhangTian," Lan QiRen paired him off. A GusuLan disciple with a cloud
embroidered forehead ribbon stands up and bows to Jiang Cheng in deference to his status as a Sect
Heir - and also to possibly tell him who he was since every GusuLan disciple looked exactly the
same in their mourning clothes - before sitting back down and wait for the teacher to finish pairing
off students.
He named quite a few other people and I watched as the pool of students left grew smaller and
smaller.
I frowned.
We were at an odd number because Lan Zhan was missing, so the last group would probably have
three people instead of two. If Lan QiRen wanted to pair me off with a Lan he'd have to either add
a Nie or - as I feared - a Jin, as there weren't any YunmengJiang disciples left. We weren't a large
contingency in the first place, so there wasn't any surprise there.
Annoyance, yes, but no surprise.
"Nie HuaiSang, Su MingShan," Lan QiRen eyebrow twitches. "Jin ZiXuan, Wei WuXian, Lan
QingLing."
I look at Lan QiRen astonished for a moment before looking behind me to see a grimacing Jin
ZiXuan petulantly glaring at me and a Lan disciple from further back in the classroom bowing at
Jin ZiXuan - and getting ignored because he's staring at me - before sitting back down. Despite
having a perfectly controlled facial expression I can just feel the aura of 'why me?' exuding off of
him.
Jiang Cheng opens his mouth to say something - I could take a few guesses as to what - and I
quickly drop my pen on my desk so that it made noise and gave him pause.
His dark eyes - very annoyed and furious eyes - found mine and I shook my head at him, giving
him a silent warning.
Jiang Cheng bit his tongue but he did not try to say anything else. I just knew I was going to spend
a few hours listening to him gripe about the unfairness of everything and that he was going to tell
his mother.
Would Madam Yu knowing help? Not really.
I was expecting to receive a very wordy letter from her as soon as news of my "Chi Deviation"
arrived at Yunmeng. And that was if Jiang FengMian did not decide to come and check me over
himself. Demand that I return to the Sect Compound and take a break to recover.
I couldn't.
Time was running out.
I had to stay. I had to keep standing. These were the last scenes before they called for the curtain
call before Act II. I couldn't leave. Not now, not three months from now, not until this year of
study was over.
I was staying here.
A few setbacks would not make my plans collapse like a house of cards. No, they were made of
steel and this was only going to temper them further.
It was going to work.
It had to work.

"You'll each have three reports to analyse. I expect you to have this assignment done before class is
finished for the day. You may move your desks so that you sit by your pair, but discussion of the
work is only permitted within your assigned group." Lan QiRen turned back to his desk and
gathered a pile of paper sheets and gave us a look to get up and get moving.
Since I didn't use a brush I didn't have to waste any time closing ink bottles and placing brushes
into their boxes, I just tossed it inside my bag after putting the cap back on and my sheets of
scribbled paper soon joined it, before picking up my desk and sitting mat and joining the Lan
disciple at his desk. Jin ZiXuan could join both of us, I wasn't sitting surrounded by Jins on all
sides - even if they each had a Jiang, Nie or Lan that would put a stop to any comments - plus, the
Lan had the corner seat so there was a lot more space to move around.
I placed my desk facing him and sat down. Pulling clean paper and my pen back out.
"What is that?" Lan QingLing asked.
"My fountain pen? Something I made, I write better in it than using brushes," I tell him, twirling
my pen with my fingertips.
"And Teacher Lan lets you use it in class?" He frowns.
I grin at him, "There isn't a rule stating I have to use a brush to write my notes in the classroom. I'm
not disturbing anyone using it, so why make a big fuss about it? Now, if everyone was using one, I
can see Mister Lan speaking up about it, but as it's only me... Well... Why bother?" I shrugged.
"Should you even be here?" Jin ZiXuan joined us. "You were in the Infirmary last night."
"And up until a couple hours ago," I nod. "I'm fine, there's nothing to worry about."
"You Chi Deviated," Lan QingLing stresses out the words. "How can you be so arrogant to think
that is not something to worry about?"
I sigh. "I'm not being arrogant, what happened was something no one could've have predicted and
it revolved around extenuating circumstances. My cultivation is fine and it will bear no marks,
signs or repercussions of this incident."
"How can you be so sure?" Jin ZiXuan sneers, "What makes you an expert on the subject?"
"It's my cultivation we're talking about here, I am the person who nurtured it and made it to where
it is now, I think that is what makes me the expert on the matter," I snap at him. "Furthermore, I
have studied - at length - Spiritual Energy and all its properties combined, enough that should you
have any questions on it, I assure you, I have the answer for it."
Jin ZiXuan's cheeks turn red and his glare grows more pronounced.
"Teacher Lan only allowed discussions about our work," Lan QingLing seems to - conveniently -
remember that rule at the perfect time.
Lan QiRen sweeps over our group and hands several sheets of paper to Lan QingLing.
"How are we going to do this?" Lan QingLing asks us.
"There's three reports, right? We can either all read one, mark our findings and then pass them to
the next person until we've all read the three reports; or, we can do this one by one." I suggest.
"We should each read one and then pass them along. We can analyse them further in depth once
we have pointed out all the mistakes," Jin ZiXuan nods.
"Very well," Lan QingLing agrees and passes a report to each of us.
Mine turns out to be a report made by a senior disciple recounting how his group ran into several
fierce corpses on a night-hunt unexpectedly. I was less than three sentences in when I start seeing
mistakes, and less than half the page through when I have to pause, sigh, and refrain from pulling
out red ink and start scribbling admonishments on the edges of the pages.
"Who made this? How old are they? Who can they even be leading a night-hunt if this is the
quality of their work?" I mutter to myself.
Lan QingLing mutters back with "Talking behind others back is forbidden."
"Then tell me who they are so I can go say it to their faces," I retort.
Jin ZiXuan snorts and then coughs to pretend as if nothing had happened.
I roll my eyes at him.
"You're so knowledgeable," Lan QingLing tells me, "How old were you when you first led a night-
hunt?"
"Depends on how you view 'leading a night-hunt'," I answer him. "I was only allowed to night-hunt
for YunmengJiang at thirteen, but I led several groups of rogue cultivators back when I was six and
seven."
There's a moment of silence.
"What?" Jin ZiXuan is staring at me, brows knit together. Lan QingLing is doing the same, but his
emotions are more complicated to pin down.
I tilt my head sideways, confused. "Is it really that unknown? I was a rogue cultivator for a few
years before Sect Leader Jiang found me and brought me to join YunmengJiang."
"How old were you?" Jin ZiXuan asks.
"Seven nearly eight? Or was it eight nearly nine?" I scratch at my scar. "It was a long time ago, I
don't really think about it much anymore. The age at least, I didn't really think it was that big of a
deal at the time."
"How old were you when you went on your first night-hunt?" QingLing asks me quietly.
"Four," I answer him, stunning them into silence. I smile thinking back on it, without Ike I couldn't
picture their faces or voices anymore - the memory too old for me to recall alone - but I still
remembered it. "I joined my parents night-hunting to learn properly. I didn't do much for the
dozens of night-hunts we went on at first, I was only meant to shadow them. Then one day they put
my bow and arrow in my hands and shadowed me."
"I was so happy," My eyes grow distant. "People made all sorts of comments about them, about
how they were mistreating me, but it was nothing like that. I wanted to join them night-hunting,
and I trained so hard to be able to do that. When I finally could... I was over the moon really."
"Your parents... Wei ChangZe and... Lady CangSe of the Celestial Mountain?" QingLing
murmured.
I chuckled, "Yes, although that's the first time I hear someone call my mom that. She'd have hated
being called a Lady."
"They died many years ago," QingLing cleared his throat.
"When I was turning five. A month before." I nodded.
"You remember?" Jin ZiXuan asks.
"Wouldn't anyone remember the day they become an orphan?" I give him a crooked smile. "They
died on the night of the mid-autumn festival, it's an easy enough date to remember."
"I'm sorry," Jin ZiXuan tells me, looking down at his desk.
"It's fine," I shrug. "It's been nearly eleven years since, it doesn't... hurt like it once did."
"But don't you miss them?" QingLing frowns.
"Everyday," I nod. "But my grief for them does not mean I will drop everything to mourn them.
They were gone one night and I had to keep going. I night-hunted just as I did with them before, I
traveled just as we used to do, eventually it all just... stopped hurting."
"Did you not know anyone to ask for help? To take you in?" Jin ZiXuan questions me.
I hummed. "Yes and no. I met many people, I just saw no reason to stop what I was doing."
They look uncomfortable so I tap my desk, "We're getting off topic here, now I believe Teacher
Lan when he says I'm corrupting his students, I thought we weren't allowed to make conversation
outside of our report discussions?"
Lan QingLing coughs. "Indeed, Wei-gongzi. We should go back to work."
Jin ZiXuan nodded but his dark eyes looked far away, they turned to look down at the paper in
their hands but kept flickering back up to me and then skittered away.
I internally sighed, focusing back on my own report. I understood how odd it must be, to know that
someone their age has lived a drastically different life than them. It must also be at odds with how
they see me.
If they were to know me by name alone, then all they'd hear was that my father was Wei ChangZe,
the former footman of Jiang FengMian, and that my mother was CangSe Sanren, a former disciple
of the Great BaoShan Sanren. That I was the Head Disciple of the YunmengJiang, favored in the
eyes of its Sect Leader.
Slightly more obscure was the fact that I was sworn siblings with both Jiang children and that I was
a rogue cultivator prior to being brought into the Sect. The formation of my Golden Core at age 10
was somewhere in the middle of both, it wasn't something discussed much anymore.
I turned my head to see how Jiang Cheng was doing and I watch as he verbally squashes that little
Lan's hopes and dreams as he dismantles whatever argument his partner had said.
I sighed, I would have to have a talk about being nice to other people. And promptly get lectured
about how I should take my own advice and then that - after thinking over his words - I should
actually be less nice to people, especially if they have accidentally led me to "Chi Deviate".
Shaking my head and dispelling my thoughts by myself, I fully turn back to my work.
This night-hunt went from bad to worse after the idiot leading it made several near-fatal mistakes
and got half of the group sick with corpse poisoning. It then escalated when another disciple, a
junior that wasn't sick, demanded that he spark the signal flares to ask for backup and was refused.
When the idiot senior kept going despite his group flagging and getting progressively sicker, the
junior attacked the senior in order to grab the signal flares and use them himself.
Unfortunately, the senior had some skills and beat the junior back. It seemed that at that point the
sickness had spread enough that the poisoned disciples collapsed and the junior-...
Ah.
I dearly hope that not every report is like this.
After the disciples collapsed, the junior went into Chi Deviation and attacked the senior, winning
this time and sparked the flares. His Chi Deviation damaged his meridians however and the report
ended with him still being in the Infirmary, awaiting a final prognosis.
I reviewed all that I had read and started writing down my observations, going a step forward and
writing down several solutions to the various problems they encountered and what they should
have done.
Once I was done I waited for either Jin ZiXuan or Lan QingLing to finish their own reports.
Lan QingLing finished first and we traded reports.
This wasn't any better than the previous one.
A village reported an increase in people going missing, being found lost deep within the woods,
dazed and drained. The group sent to investigate deduced - wrongly - that it was just a mid-level
Yao that was getting a taste for human lifeforce.
It wasn't a mid-level Yao.
It was a nest of several troublesome Yao known as Dadu Zi, a round bellied Yao that loved to feed
on the lifeforce of nearby humans and animals. The more they fed, the fatter they got. And the
fatter they got, the more they reproduced.
It was a very vicious cycle of finding a victim, feeding off of it, then going away to multiply.
Usually, they were little more than annoying mosquitoes to cultivators. They weren't very strong
and the only "attack" that they had was to drain the cultivator of their lifeforce.
The problem on this night-hunt was that there were so, so many of these Yao that the disciples
couldn't keep up with their reproduction, especially since whenever they went to attack the nest,
they only ended up feeding them first-class lifeforce. Eventually the futility of what they were
doing dawned on the group leader and - realizing that they were going to make things worse -
decided to call of their efforts and inform the GusuLan that they needed a different strategy.
One member did not obey and decided to go try again, the Dadu Zi drained him and grew fat and
the disciple finally lost it and Chi Deviated. Trying to force Chi into his meridians when his body
was too tired to handle it and doing so in a weak frame of mind was the ultimate stupid move.
The Yao absorbed this Chi until the disciple collapsed and reproduced so much that they formed
more nests in neighboring forests.
The group returned with the body of the disciple and several emergency night-hunt requests by the
newly afflicted villages.
This report was quite old, I remember hearing about this incident years ago, when I was still
eagerly awaiting my 13th birthday in order to have my own sword and be able to leave the Sect
Compound.
I worked swiftly and diligently to correct all the mistakes done and exchanged my report for Jin
ZiXuan's - who had finally finished and was forced to wait for one of us to switch with him.
I swept my eyes over the report and, sure enough, I spot another Chi Deviation.
Honestly, at this point, I just held hope that it was just my group that got all the Chi Deviation
reports. Jiang Cheng hadn't flipped his desk yet but he'd surely make the little Lan cry if he glared
any harder.
The report was short and to the point, lacking a few more details than I would like it to have, and
was probably as mild as a slightly eventful night-hunt might go. The night-hunt itself went well,
nothing occurred in it. It was afterwards, when an argument sparked between two groups of
cultivators that things escalated.
Someone Chi Deviated and the cultivators tried - and failed - to calm them down. The lesson here
was that one needed to know how to deal with Chi Deviation in others and how fast someone could
Chi Deviate.
It was incredibly easy to miss the signs if you didn't know about them, or had reasons to suspect
they might go into Chi Deviation.
"What do you mean 'create a boundary around the nest and tell the villagers to stay away from it
for three months'? How does that solve the problem?" Jin ZiXuan interrupts me as I am writing
down my observations.
I blink at him. "Dadu Zi have short lifespans. They live for about a month before dying, what
makes them a dangerous Yao to encounter is their speed of reproduction. You create a boundary
around the nest, ward it off with talismans or an array, and tell people to stay away from it.
Animals are sensitive to boundaries too, so they'd stay away naturally. Eventually, the Yao would
die out and the disciples would just have to come back and remove the talismans or array. Making
sure that the nest was truly empty."
Jin ZiXuan thinks about it and slowly nods. "Talismans and arrays would need maintenance,
wouldn't they?"
"Depends on the type of paper and array you use," I answer him. "Wax paper doesn't get wet, you
could also use spiritual ropes along with the talismans and they'd be protected from the elements as
long as they stayed attached to the rope. An array can be fully written within a character, meaning
you could carve that character on tree trunks in a circle around the nest and then activate it. It
would work just as well as burying carved stones or drawing that array in blood."
"That's..."Jin ZiXuan pauses. "You know a lot about the subject."
I laugh. "I am a master Talisman-Maker in Yunmeng. I'm working on having the same expertise
for Array-Creation, but I still need some more practice."
"Do you use them on your arrows?" He asks.

"Are you asking because you think I cheat on archery competitions?" I ask him, amused.
He flushes, "No!"
"I don't," I tell him. "I just have a lot of practice in archery. It was my main weapon for night-
hunting with my knives being my secondary weapon. Your Sect also has a lot of good archers."
Jin ZiXuan preens. "The LanLing Jin have mountainous regions too, along with wide valleys,
which are rich in game and strong beasts, we are taught archery from childhood and frequently use
it alongside our cultivation swords."
"Good strategy," I nod at him. "YunmengJiang also has great archers. Jiang Cheng might give you
a challenge at it, and he's easily conned into having a competition." I told him.
He rolls his eyes, " Aren't you supposed to not badmouth your shidi?"
"I can badmouth my brother all I want," I grin. "If other people do it though, I'll take offense."
Jin ZiXuan scoffs and goes back to his work.
I oddly found myself not minding his company as much as I thought I would. There was more to
him than just the stupid youth that made YanLi cry.
...Or would make her cry.
Knowing the future did not mean I knew them at all.
Chapter End Notes
OK so!
Also, I am going to be away for a week, I leave on the 29th, should be back in 4 or 5th
of July(?) but during that time I won't have my computer with me or any internet.
Which was why I dearly wanted to finish and publish this chapter before I left cuz then
you guys would have to wait another 2 weeks before getting any AGF goodness.
Let me know what you guys thought of the chapter tho! (Apologies if you already read
the warning at the top, I just thought it'd be better to repeat myself in case anyone
missed it)
LQR is being his fuddy-duddy self. He wants to be impartial but he truly sees the
situation as his precious nephew being harshly punished for an accident and the person
he's suffering that punishment for walking around looking like they don't see anything
wrong with what happened.
He's being pissy basically, but he also needs to be seen as The Righteous Lan teacher,
so he doesn't want to just call out WWX and be done with it. Nah, he wants the lesson
to stick.
JC is just over there taking offense and mentally noting down every single pointed
comment to retaliate at a later date. Like when he's a Sect Leader and makes pointed
comments back at him, that way no one can tell him to stop.
WWX is tired. He really is. But this poor guys is going to fight! He's going to hang in
there and keep it together! Maybe Big Brother Lan will take pity on his poor soul and
have them drink tea and amicably chat as his punishment after class.
Speaking of Lan XiChen!
It has recently come to my attention that I might need to - once again - reiterate that A
Game for the Fool is solely WangXian. That means that the final, official pairing is
Lan WangJi x Wei WuXian.
The teasing about WWX ending up with LXC or both Lan Brothers is a joke. Okay?
It's a very funny joke that I started and I got so into it that I kept making it.
That said, AFTER AGF is done and fully completed, I will be working on spin-offs of
it (that means that the "Quest" stays the same, but I mess around with the plot) one of
which will be Lan XiChen x Wei WuXian; and another that will be Lan XiChen x Lan
WangJi x Wei WuXian.
But the first spin-off that I will work on is a Child-God!AU, so you won't be seeing
any of that any time soon. AGF isn't even at its half-point mark.
Lan QingLing is growing on me and I need help, I did not accidentally create an OC
just to grow fond of it. I literally wrote his name out of the blue and called it a done
job.
Jin ZiXuan is also growing on me for some strange reason and my notebooks are
crying out that I cannot just start changing stuff up and make them be friends.
...
But then agf!wwx mothers anything that moves and if he sees how jzx is lonely and
wants friends he's gonna adopt him too. ;-;
Help.
Introspection
Chapter Summary
An incredibly sappy scene with Lan WangJi and some quality XiChen and WWX
interaction.
Chapter Notes
Not entirely happy with today's chapter but I'm currently living through a heat wave
and my brain is melting.
It's amazing how Fall and Winter months (plus some of Spring) lead you to forget the
miserable, unbearable, hellish months of summer.
"A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails." - Donna Roberts
Chapter 80: Introspection
After his brother left the room Lan WangJi stared down at his desk, lost in thought.
Wei Ying was well, no lasting damage done to his cultivation or Core. Wei Ying was healing and
had returned to class - far too soon, in his opinion, Wei Ying should rest for a while longer. Wei
Ying was asking about him, worried that he had harmed him or that he would hate Wei Ying for
stabbing him.
Ridiculous.
There was nothing to apologize for - although, perhaps, Wei Ying could heed the rules about
bringing... unmentionables into the Cloud Recesses - and nothing to forgive.
"Lan Zhan is the perfect example of what a cultivator should strive to be. I was making a point to
remind me of them."
The words come unbidden to his mind, the memory flickering over his eyes, and his heart falters in
his chest.
Wei Ying sitting at his desk, wearing the white and purple robes assigned to Yunmeng Guest
Disciples - a combination that suited Wei Ying, that has his eyes focused on him and him alone -
defending his mischief to his Uncle's face.
The beautiful sketch of Lan WangJi's profile done in ink on the paper his Uncle holds in his hands.
A foreign sensation burns in his chest, fire coursing through his veins and igniting his nerves. He
shivers inconspicuously in his seat, goose skin in his arms and in the back of his neck. A thought
pops in his mind and refuses to leave.
Shameless.
Another follows.
I should ask Uncle if I can keep it.
Confusion blazes to life inside his head and heart then, "why am I thinking this?" "why am I
reacting this way?" "what is wrong with me?". Frustration scalds me like boiling water dumped
over my skin.
Yet my eyes return to stare at Wei Ying, sitting at his desk with his head bowed - he shouldn't do
that, Wei Ying should never bow his head, Wei Ying is free and bold and bright - embarrassed at
the situation. He pointedly avoids looking at Lan WangJi, something that has his heart constricting.
He doesn't like the feeling.
He is confused about his emotions.
He is reluctant to let them stop him from being beside his friend.
"Regardless, even without a sword I'm still stronger than most cultivators."
Yes. So strong.
Letters upon letters had arrived at the Cloud Recesses containing night-hunt details that had him
gripping the paper tightly, worried that his friend had gotten injured and was making light of his
wounds, and incredible drawings of Yao, Beasts and Ghosts that many would think twice about
approaching.
Lan WangJi felt a different bubbling sensation in his stomach as he remembered them.
This one, he knew intimately and could properly name:
Pride.
He was proud of Wei Ying, of his accomplishments and strength.
"Wrong and right cannot be measured by mortals, in truth. Why is it wrong? Because it could very
well cause Chi Deviation? What if someone is trying to kill you and doing so is the only way to
protect yourself?"
It's dangerous.
"It goes against our practices of Cultivation," He had said.
You will get hurt.
He smiles at him, " Our practices of Cultivation are still incomplete, we learn more about it every
single day. It may be impossible to fully understand everything about it even if we studied it from
the moment we are born to when we possibly ascend to the Heavens."
GusuLan Rule #1450 - Do not give up on learning.

Unsure how to argue against his words he stays silent.
"Think about it, if we know how something happens then why shouldn't we be able to find how to
fix it? If disrupting the flow of Chi causes Chi Deviation, then is it possible for one to heal one
from Chi Deviation? What if someone is on the brink of Deviation and someone quickly snaps them
out of it?" He tries to sound reasonable.
"It is dangerous." He stresses. Pleading Wei Ying to see why it was wrong to theorize such things.
He huffs, "Everything in life is dangerous, Lan Zhan, you could trip and fall out of your bed in the
morning and split your skull open. You still get up in the morning and don't let that stop you from
going about with your day."
Lan WangJi fights back the impulse of pinching the bridge of his nose in aggravation, "Is is not the
same."
Why must you be so stubborn?
"We simply follow two very different ways of life, while you are content with your 3000 plus rules
and strict guidelines, I will always test and extend my knowledge at by any means necessary."
"Why?" He had asked him.
Why question? Why investigate? Why poke and prod at everything existing in this world? Why
must you need to get to the bottom of every single notion you are taught?
Why can I not do the same?
"Long answer short, I do not believe that pursuing knowledge is something to be forbidden. I
acknowledge that it is dangerous to be given full reign on what one can learn and experiment on,
but I stand by my opinion that everyone should be free to investigate what they want."
"'Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more so
that we may fear less.'" His words are spoken softly but lined with steel.
How free. How inspiring. How utterly alien of a mindset.
What would it be like, to think alike him?
Fear.
Insecurity.
Unease.
No. Lan WangJi cannot indulge in such observations, the Rules exist for a reason. The Rules keep
the mind clear and illuminate the righteous path of cultivation.
Yet, Wei Ying shines bright like the midday sun and beacons him to follow, laughing, smiling,
free-
No!
"To delve in such theories... is wrong," He tells him.
Wei Ying smiles sadly, the light of his smile dimming, "That is your opinion, my friend. While I
can respect it, I do not have to agree with it, nor do I have to obey it."
But the Rules-!
"I am not of GusuLan. I will follow your rules whilst studying here because that is the polite thing
to do, I am a visitor after all, but do not mistake my politeness for agreement, Lan WangJi. You are
my friend - yes, a very dear friend of mine - but that does not mean you have the right to tell me
what to do or not to do."
He looks me in the eye and there's nothing I can say in reply to that.
'I am not of GusuLan'.
The words prickle him, like thorns catching on his sleeves.
'You are my friend'.
The words buoyed my heart. He wishes he can say the same to his face - would his eye lit up like
shooting stars? would he smile widely, his eyes curving into half moons? would he laugh, bright
and clear and happy? - but they lay thick on his tongue, forever left unsaid.
'...but that does not mean you have the right to tell me what to do or not to do'.
Grief.
He has taken a misstep. It was never his intent to control Wei Ying, to restrict him - but isn't
exactly that what the Rules say to do? To stop his questioning, to cage his free spirit, to deny him
his change to shine brightly enough to rival the sun? - to have him believe that Lan WangJi wants
him to be anything other than his own self.
He must apologize. He must explain that was not his intent.
However, much like the yearn to call him his friend - his best-and-only-friend - to his face, the
words just will not come.
He stays silent.
Wei Ying gets up, bows, and walks away.
Lan WangJi immediately wishes him to be back beside him. The Library Pavilion feels empty and
cold without Wei Ying's presence within it.
If his Uncle saw him then he'd surely be ordered to kneel in the Ancestral Hall or meditate under
the spray of the cold water springs. If his Brother saw him then he'd surely be questioned at length
about his thoughts and feelings.
XiChen would definitely know the names of the emotions that plagued him. Could advise him on
how to best deal with them. How to push them away and clear his mind of their intrusion.
But do I truly want that?
The confusion, the frustration, the worry, the aggravation, the-...
A smile. "Do you want me to make you one?" "Would you?" "Of course, we're friends."
The warmth.
"Ah! I have something for you!"
The gratitude.
"A-Zhan...?"
The hope.
"Hey, want to hear a song I know?"
The wonder.
His heart beats to the melody that echoes in his ears. His fingers itch to follow the tune with
WangJi, plucking at the strings as childish words flow across time and space to bring him back to
the night he first met Wei Ying.
To a warm hand holding his own.
To a smile that chased away the creeping shadows.
To a song that shattered every preconception of music he had had up until that point.
Soft notes and softer words suddenly rearranging the world around him.
Hands linked together swinging back and forth as we walk under the darkening sky.
"Eh?! Why not? And here I thought we were going to be great friends, A-Zhan!"
Heat blooming in his chest.
"My parents are dead, you know, I don't have a home to go back to."
Stinging empathy.
All alone. Unprotected. Unafraid.
"Come to Gusu."
Stay.
"No worries, one day we'll see each other again and there's no escaping from me then!"
A promise.
A rattle drum, an indulgent treat his Uncle had given him - something Lan WangJi immediately
promised to cherish and keep safe -, handed over without a second thought.
"Thank you, A-Zhan, it's a beautiful gift."
Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Stay. Come with me. Don't leave.
'No worries, one day we'll see each other again...'

I will wait.
A routine nightly patrol along the outer wall of the Cloud Recesses, a voice carried by the wind,
singing verses of yearning and hope. Lan WangJi looks up at the high wall keeping intruders out
and sees a guest disciple - from Yunmeng if the cut of his robes is anything to go by - and speaks
the words he's been taught to say in such situations.
"Disciples that break curfew are only allowed back inside after breakfast."
They startle, not expecting to be caught, and look down at him.
Their eyes meet.
Silver eyes meet golden.
"A-Zhan...?"
Wei Ying.
His heart skips once and then hurries to catch up, beating progressively faster in an odd attempt at
making up for its mistake. He jumps to meet him atop the wall.
He's taller than Wei Ying.
Wei Ying is here.
Wei Ying is back.
He kept his promise.
"I'll just go wait outside 'til morning."
No!
Don't go. Stay. Don't leave me.
"Wait."
The Rules say it is forbidden to go out at night, to break curfew. Wei Ying broke the Rules, he
must be punished.
Those that break curfew are not allowed inside until morning.
Lan WangJi must abide by the Rules. But...
Wei Ying is here.
By grace of his repeated reciting of the Rules, his mind conjures up another that satisfies him.
Rule #2549 - Be easy on others.
"You may go back to the dorms, but tomorrow you'll face punishment."
His heart is torn between distress at breaking the Rules that guide him, and contentment in
knowing he does not have to turn his friend away.
He will make sure to properly kneel and transcribe Righteousness tomorrow in penance for his
decision.
No one has to know.
Which is more important to you, the Rules or Wei Ying?
Lan WangJi does not know.
He can only be certain of one thing:
He does not want Wei Ying to leave his side again.
The rest of the class dragged on.
Lan QingLing and Jin ZiXuan weren't as bad of a company as I expected them to be, but they still
wouldn't be my preferred choice when it comes to group work. After reading all three reports and
writing down our solutions to the situations presented, we had to discuss them - and defend them -
between each other.
It was blatantly apparent that my way of doing things straddled the line between being pragmatic
and sounding like total nonsense but working rather efficiently. I wasn't going to lie and say I
wasn't proud of that.
In a time like this, without modern comforts yet knowing they would one day exist, the
conventional methods on how to respond to situations were lacking in information and incomplete
because of it.
It was easy to say "go deal with this fire" but what people are mostly unaware of is that there's
different types of fires and equally different ways of dealing with them.
The same process applied to the supernatural creatures Cultivators encountered whilst night-
hunting.
Although I wasn't having a hard time making my views understood and appreciated within the
group, I also wasn't going to lie and say it wasn't tiring to be questioned about every single little
divergence I had done to the "traditional" methods.
I knew what I was doing. I had studied the environment and the creatures within this world - at
length - to be able to understand all the tiniest intricacies that existed so that I could maneuver my
actions accordingly.
Ike had pondered once if my obsession with doing so wasn't in part of my fear of creating bigger
ripples in the long-term planning I was doing than I could safely handle. Butterfly effect and all its
jazz.
Truthfully I wasn't sure. This world... fascinated me.
At times, I could wake up and go through my day and it felt as if I had never existed beyond this
world. This is where I was born and raised and lived.
I belonged here.
Then the reality that it hadn't always been so, that I was both an intruder and an impostor, hit me
with the grace of a sledgehammer.
And it hurt.
Perhaps in a tiny, frightened, vulnerable part of my brain I clung to the studies of this world's
Energy and Balance in the change that, if I truly understood everything that there was to be
understood in this universe, I might be allowed to call this world mine.
Mine. Mine. Mine.
The fierceness of my thoughts and the sheer passion that lined every bone of my body as I worked
surprised me.
Sarah had never dared to be this greedy.
Wei Ying had the audacity of standing in front of an army of enemies and planting himself like a
tree and dared them to try and take his most precious people from him.
The difference between the two was startling at times.
But I flowed between both names, both existences, both lives and carved myself from their
experiences.
I was bold enough to try and face an entire army at my doorstep to keep my people safe, but I never
presumed that they would wish to stay under my protection - under my shadow and mistakes and
failures - so I would rather make myself a target and let them fade from people's memory.
I was greedy.
I wanted it all. My family alive and safe. My friends healthy and thriving. My mountain ever
gleaming like a lantern in the night. Myself, forgiven.
I want. I want. I want.
I shuddered against the creeping burn in my chest. My senses buzzed alight underneath my skin,
anticipation and trepidation of what's to come combined with the dread of reality sinking its claws
into my soul.
There was a war coming.
There would be fire and blood and bone stretching far across the nation.
There would be tales and rumors of monsters birthed from this war.
And I would be the scariest of them all.
(Yiling Laozu? Pah, Platypus, do I look like anyone's Patriarch?)
"Class dismissed!" Lan QiRen's stern voice cut through my haze and I blinked, taking a deep
breath as I tried to reconnect my brain to reality.
I really should stop doing that.
I packed my things back in my bag and stood up, stretching until my back popped - and getting a
mild glare from Lan QingLing, the guy should learn to loosen up (oh, wait, he's a Lan, they're
practically allergic to that) - and went to put my desk back where it belonged.
"ZeWu-Jun? Is there any assignment that you require us to do?" A white robed disciple asks to the
figure standing in the doorway.
Lan XiChen smiles, "Ah, no. Thank you Su-gongzi, but I'm here to pick up A-Ying for his
supervised punishment with me."
"Ah! Lan-Gege! Let me just place my desk back, I'll be right there!" I wave at him from where I'm
standing.
I hear Jiang Cheng hiss like a scalded cat from somewhere on my left.
"Would it pain you to show proper respect?!" He asks me.
I roll my eyes at him, "You know the answer to that and, again, I have permission to call him that.
We're friends."
"ZeWu-Jun... Is it safe for you to do that? He just Chi Deviated yesterday, who knows if it will
happen again!" Su... Su She? Was that Su She? The Su-guy told XiChen.
"Thank you, Su-gongzi, but I must remind you that gossiping is forbidden within the Cloud
Recesses. As is talking behind someone's back." Lan XiChen's smile is particularly fixed on his
face.
"Ah! Of course, ZeWu-Jun! This disciple apologizes!" The Su-guy bows to him.
I set my desk down and hurry to XiChen's side, throwing Jiang Cheng a final warning look -
because God knew I did not need to be called to QiRen's office again to discuss my brother's
violent tendencies and, obviously, my corrupting nature rubbing off on him - before smiling up at
the oldest Jade of Lan.
"Gege! So what are you having me do today? Are we headed to the Library Pavilion?" I ask him.
"We're going to my office, I have some paperwork to attend to - nothing too important - and my
Uncle has you writing lines." XiChen answers me.
"Lines? Again? Lan-Gege, all my fingers are going to come off from all the lines I'm writing!" I
whine at him without any real meaning.
"Truly? Do you not write more when doing your research?" He asks.
Had Ike been there with me, he might've pointed out how subtle XiChen was being in expressing
interest in my theories. Alas, he was not.
And I'm confident in myself enough to admit that I can be as dense as space rocks.
"Aah~ Lan-Gege, save me some face, please!" I genuinely whine. "A-Cheng and A-Jie are always
complaining that they're going to find me passed out under a sea of paper one of these days. The
lack of trust, I tell you! I can't say that I write too much. Truthfully the more you dig into it the
more you have to research. But it's certainly never boring."
"Is it really? I wouldn't think that Spiritual Energy would be all that exciting to research about,
especially since A-Ying is known to struggle with keeping still," He chuckles.
I hum. "I typically lose track of time when I'm in one of my research binges, so I honestly do not
notice how much time has passed by. But you're correct in assuming that I cannot sit still for too
long. At some point I just need to go stretch my legs, get some fresh air and possibly hunt down
either one of my siblings - or Juniors - to brainstorm some ideas."
"Like triggering Chi Deviation?" He asks me.
I sigh. "XiChen... It was an accident. Lan Zhan... He Silenced me and I freaked out, my Chi went
haywire and - in turn - I went ballistic. I'm sorry that happened." I tell him.
"But it had nothing to do with my theories. It had nothing to do with my cultivation. It was a
genuine accident," I push my bangs back behind my ear and try to figure out a way to string my
words correctly succinctly.
"It won't happen again. I know what Silencing does now, I won't let it happen ever again."
"But how can you be certain that one of the Lan's signature spells will never have that effect on
you? If the spell is interfering with the inner Chi circulation then there may be something that
needs to be fixed," XiChen tells me.
I am close to groaning. "It... It had nothing to do with cultivation, Lan-Gege... The spell didn't
affect my Golden Core or my meridians."
"Then why did you Chi Deviate?" XiChen frowns as he too tries to analyse the situation and find
the answer.
He wouldn't be able to.
Not with how the Lan are mentally brainwashed into living.
"It had nothing to do with Cultivation and everything to do with the mind," I reluctantly answer
him. "I personally do not deal well with not being able to speak. The Silencing Spell affected me,
and I reacted... explosively. It won't happen again," I promised.
Lan XiChen looks down at me, warm brown eyes - a few shades darker than Lan Zhan's brilliant
golden ones - confused and worried. "A-Ying? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah," I lie through my teeth. "Hey! I had something I wanted to ask you!"
XiChen blinks, "What is it?"
"Can I use your back mountains? The forested area? I need to get A-Sang to run through some
paces and the training grounds are all even and open. His training would so much nicely in rough
terrain and lots of hidey-holes," I grin at him.
XiChen chuckles. "I will have to ask my Uncle but I can't see why not. So long as you take an older
disciple with you so that - just in case you get lost - he can guide you back."
I fist-pump happily, "Yes! Once A-Sang's stamina and endurance are up to par I can start showing
him some nice moves. Then finally move on to actual spars. It's going to be great, Lan-Gege!"
"I'm sure MingJue will appreciate your efforts, A-Ying," The First Jade of Lan tells me with an
amused tilt on his lips.
I laugh.
"Sect Leader Nie wanted me to spend some time in his Sect in the past, he sent Sect Leader Jiang a
request to have me train some of his juniors in archery and in return would let me poke around their
Sect Library," I tell him.
"Ah. I remember MingJue telling me that Sect Leader Jiang had refused," XiChen frowns
minutely.
"Sect Leader Jiang dislikes it when I show interest in other Sects," I confess to him. "He wishes for
me to remain with YunmengJiang despite my decision to leave once I'm of age."
"You'll leave YunmengJiang?" XiChen frowns.
"Yes," I nod to him. "Did I not mention that in my letters? I wish to follow in the steps of my
mother's teacher, the Great Baoshan Sanren."
"But won't that mean abandoning your siblings?" XiChen stops and turns to look me in the eye. "It
is a lonely and difficult path, Wei Ying."
I smile warmly at him, "I know. But I am not frightened of it. And abandoning my siblings? Never.
We just won't see each other every day. It isn't all that much different than a daughter marrying and
moving into her husband's home."
XiChen nods slowly and resumes walking. "But Sect Leader is not supportive of your decision?"
I grimace. "Sect Leader Jiang... worries. My parents did die on a night-hunt because they had no
backup or support from a Great Sect, and they were good friends of his. But I am not my parents. I
don't think he always realizes that."
XiChen hums. "It is difficult for one to step away fully from their predecessors shadows."
He looks sad. Eyes downcast and lips in a thin line. His hands curl around his sleeves.
I reach out to touch them.
He startles.
"I'm sorry," I tell him. "Did not mean to give you a fright."
"No apologies necessary, A-Ying," He chuckles. "I just got lost in thought."
"XiChen, can I ask you something?"
"What is it?" He wonders.
"The next Discussion Conference, are you attending?" I ask him.
"No," He shakes his head. "My Uncle will go in my Father's stead. During the duration of which
you won't have classes, although I'd appreciate if you wouldn't get into any more trouble," He grins
at me.
I nod, "I'll try. But I wanted to know because I have friends that live in a village nearby. If we do
not have classes, would it be alright for me to go visit them? Just a day or two, I'll hurry back
afterwards."
XiChen pauses. "It's... not usual for guest disciples to leave the premises unaccompanied..."
"Then someone can come with me!" I suggest.
And suddenly I dug myself a grave.

XiChen's eyes light up. "Uncle will only leave for Qinghe in a week or so, WangJi should be out of
seclusion then. I'm sure he wouldn't mind going with you."
Ugh.
Urk.
Lan XiChen... I literally just stabbed your brother less than 48 hours ago... What do you mean 'I'm
sure he wouldn't mind going with you'?!
"Great!" I smile at him, internally crying at my misfortune. "Well, next week I'll send them a letter
saying I'll come visit them. Hopefully, Lan Zhan won't be too upset with tagging along with me."
XiChen's smile widens. "WangJi will love the opportunity to spend time with his friend."
...
What did Lan Zhan do to upset his brother and where can I find out so that I know what to never,
ever, do to Lan XiChen?
Chapter End Notes
LWJ is internally so sappy and confused and hormone-addled that I have no idea how
I wrote that scene and I have no idea how happy I am with it.
in AGF, LWJ started seeing a whole different lifestyle and being influenced by wwx's
brand of craziness much earlier. So, here, LWJ's emotions aren't as 'compressed' as
canon!LWJ but his upbringing still means that he has literally no clue what *exactly*
is happening.
(Lol, Author-san, did you mean to write a LWJ with a fluttering Puppy Crush on bad-
boy-internally-freaking-out-WWX? No, I did not intentionally write that... But I guess
this is the pit I die in now.)
I'm slowly going to bring back the Gamer-Elements that Arc III was lacking in, but I'm
trying to allude to the fact that Alignments are very important in AGF.
Even in narration, you can typically see which Character fluctuates around which
Alignment simply through their actions/interactions.
WWX is an all-rounder (although he's playing catch up with his Air-Alignment, he
absolutely hates politics so that brings his score down a bit) meaning he tries his best
to have all his Alignments roughly on the same level.
*BUT* WWX's primary Alignment is Fire (and also Water, but Fire is the go-to-
Alignment for him) so when he gets really in tune with the world around him (through
his System Energy cheating) odds are, you're going to find some Fire allusion written
into it.
XiChen's conversation with WWX... Not entirely happy with it either.

They're both troubled by recent events (and, in WWX's case, an alarming case of
panicky-worrying) so they're not focusing fully on the conversation at hand.
They're also bad at changing the subject when it no longer conveniences them.
Things to take from this conversation:
- XiChen worries that WWX's theories might be what's affecting his cultivation
(WWX says they're not, but what does a 15yr really know, right?)
- WWX has tried to explain to LXC that the Incident happened not because of Spiritual
Energy but because of WWX's mind (LXC is torn between thinking Trauma and
Depression/Cry for Help - hence why he asked if WWX was okay)
- LXC has somethings he'd like to say to his dear-old-Dad but Lan upbringing does not
permit him to (WWX picked up on this)
- LXC can be petty and if it means having his Brother unable to refuse to accompany
WWX outside of the CR (and thus away from the Elders influence and their peers
comments/rumor-mongering) he'll throw his brother to the wolves (or Bai, in this case)
- WWX has learnt that if there's one person you do not want to cross, it is definitely
LXC.
Obviously
Chapter Summary
In which a week has gone by, Nie HuaiSang and Wei WuXian are friends, there's a
dream, and XiChen is The One Person you DO NOT cross.
Chapter Notes
Hey, Hey!
It's been a few weeks, right? Lost track of time again, BNHA suckered me back into
the fandom. Oh, woe is my brain right now.
Anyways, hope you guys are ready for more AGF! Please excuse the scattered
writing, I was either sleep-deprived and running on caffeine and sugar or my brain was
literally about to crash and this was its dying wail.
"There are two ways to pass a hurdle: leaping over or plowing through... There needs to be a
monster truck option." - Jeph Jacques
Chapter 81: Obviously
Lan Zhan returned to class exactly one week after the Incident.
One would think that, by being present in the class, the rumors and tension would die down. Since
he was here and bore no signs that he had even been injured - and Lan XiChen assured me that the
stab wound had healed within a day without leaving a mark - people would stop suspecting that my
"Chi Deviation" had been violent and problematic.
None of that happened.
Lan Zhan and I were... well... Avoiding each other.
Well, there's a good solution to that problem.
Yeah, Ike, it's not as simple as going up to him and saying 'Hi'.
Do you think his brother has told him about your upcoming excursion?
Given the fact that no one has mentioned anything about favoritism and how dangerous it is to
leave the Second Jade of Lan alone with me for a few days? Lan XiChen is probably only going to
talk to Lan WangJi on the eve of our departure.
And you're not saying anything to Lan WangJi, because?
Two reasons. First, every time I go to talk to him, Lan Zhan turns right around and starts walking in
the opposite direction. Secondly, I'm busy.
Oh, yes. Very busy.
I casually keep track of Nie HuaiSang's progress on the rough terrain course I'd marked out for his
training. Thanks to my ability to sense my surroundings, it was incredibly easy to know for sure
just where he was and if he was actually working.
After the first lesson here, A-Sang had tried to be smart and cheat a bit, only to be caught flat-
footed when I snuck up on him and told him that his tricks would neither work on me and that he'd
just have to do it all over again. After that - though with many, many pleas and whining - HuaiSang
had learnt that my lessons with him would go much smoother if he just accepted his fate and did
the work required.
All in all, he was a good student. Though quite the mouthy little thing when he realized I didn't
really begrudge his complaints and often snarked back at him. I would also carry him back to the
dorms if he was genuinely too tired to do so and provided water and food as-needed during our
lessons.
You mean you bribe good behavior.
I stand by my opinion that it's not a bribe, it's an incentive.
Anyway, this past week had been an experience.
Ike had returned after a couple of days, morose and tired but awake again, so he'd missed YanLi
tearing into me after Jiang Cheng - the snitch - told her about the Incident.
My reputation was in tatters with the female population. There was no going back to the cool guy
persona after they'd seen me kneel and beg for mercy at the feet of my sister.
And people still think she's the incarnation of the Goddess GuanYin.
My sister is a Goddess, but Heavens help you if you cross her temper.
Or get into a fight and "Chi Deviate" on accident.
I sigh.
YanLi and Jiang Cheng both wanted answers as to what exactly happened, and they grew frustrated
with me when I remained mum about it. They understood that it wasn't something to discuss out in
the open but... They worried.
It's good that you understand that.
It doesn't help me in not feeling like crap for not telling them the truth.
In all fairness, the 'truth' isn't... Easy to comprehend.
Between my siblings worrying and Lan XiChen's passive probing during my sessions in his office,
I felt... Trapped.
Well, not trapped, trapped. If I told them to stop talking about it, they would and move the
conversation elsewhere. But at times the lies I toss out to divert attention or to get people off my
back, they... Kind of pile up.
You need a break.
I snort.
The understatement of the century. I know. I sent a letter to ShouShan already, the Bai will be
expecting my arrival next Monday.
It'll be nice to see them again.
Even if their excitement at your presence is overbearing.
True. But it is kind of sweet.
And embarrassing.
Definitely embarrassing.
"Wei-xiong!" Nie HuaiSang whines just as he stumbles into view, having finished the course.
"Why are you so cruel to me?"
"A mystery for the ages," I tell him. "How do you feel?"
"I'm exhausted! You made me climb the hill five times!" He cries.
"Oh? Well, if you're already exhausted then you won't mind we run some footwork formation," I
get up and stretch my back, Nie HuaiSang's high-pitched whine being music to my ears.
"Wei-xiong! Why?! What have I done in a past life to deserve this?!" He has crocodile tears in his
eyes.
I laugh. "Up! Up! We're wasting daylight, A-Sang!"
"I don't want to! You're too cruel! I'm so tired, Wei-xiong!" He stays down on the ground, kind of
like a floppy starfish.
"If you were actually tired you wouldn't have such a set of lungs on you. And you wouldn't have
avoided the trip-wire I set at the entrance to the clearing," I give him an amused smirk. "Props for
your determination in attempting to fool me, I applaud your efforts."
Nie HuaiSang goes quiet and still on the ground. He slowly looks up to me with a pout, "You're an
evil being. I refuse to believe you're human."
I smile toothily at him, "You wound my poor fragile heart, A-Sang! How could you hurt my
feelings so easily!"
"Demon," He grumbles under his breath.
My laughter is carried by the wind swaying the tree branches. The world seems brighter in these
moments. The air lighter and clearer.
I look back that them fondly.
("It was your own fault those lessons lasted as long as they did." "No, it was not! You were just
being cruel and overly perfectionist!" "True. But still entirely your fault.")
"My Uncle will be leaving for Qinghe tomorrow," Lan XiChen tells me.
He's sitting at his desk going over some paperwork - the bane of any type of administration job and
I am so happy that I won't have to deal with any of that, ever - that a disciple brought in with an
apologetic look on his face. Lan XiChen had visibly drooped when he saw the amount of paper he
now had to go through.
I had learnt that he tried to get all his work done before it was time for me to arrive for my
supervised punishment, and I assured him that he needn't work so hard. I wasn't going to Chi
Deviate just from writing lines, and my meridians and pathways had healed fully. To any outsider
checking in on my status, it'd look as if the Deviation had never happened in the first place.
Which, technically, it never did.
But saying that would raise so many questions.
Exactly. So we just pretend that what happened was very, very minor and put up with their careful-
not-so-subtle surveillance.
You say 'not so subtle' but you needed me to point out what was happening.
You are a blessing and my faithful helper, I wouldn't survive without you. Ike, my one and only
soulmate.
Stop the brown-nosing. It's annoying.
Then don't fish for compliments.
You're impossible.
And you're stuck with me anyway.
I demand a refund, your personality wasn't like this when I signed up for this babysitting duty.
Unfortunately for you, this is a life-long commitment and there's no take-backs.
"Can't say I'm going to miss his classes," I tell him. "They're not boring, but is it too much to ask
for him to stop insinuating that I'm a terrible, no-good, corrupting influence on the rest of the
students?"
Lan XiChen paused in his reading and looks up to me surprised, "What has made Uncle say that?"
"He was talking about Night-Hunting policies and how villagers requests go through the process of
being accepted by the Great Sects," I lean back in my seat, twirling my pen with my fingers. "Then
Jiang Cheng mentioned that in Yunmeng all requests that come in are divided into 'Does it require
an experienced team', 'Does it require a whole team', and 'Does it require cultivators at all'."
Lan XiChen blinks. "I'm sorry, I don't understand your process."
I sigh. "Well, if it's an obvious problem that's going to require a lot of work, then it's usually left up
for the seniors to handle. If it's actually something minor that can be handled by a few juniors
either in a group or just in pairs, then that's sorted. The last one is when the 'problem' is actually a
minor nuisance. Usually we just give the petitioner talismans with clear instructions on how to use
them and keep an eye out on the situation without actively intervening," I explain.
He frowns. "But why?"
I scratch at my scar, "YunmengJiang isn't that big - compared to the other Great Sects - and Sect
Leader Jiang dislikes sending teams too far out of the Sect unless they are accompanied by him.
Either that or I'm there with them. And if I'm there with them, then we have a strict time-frame to
get there, solve the problem, and get back."
"Furthermore, it actually helps the population by being a bit independent from the Sect. Some of
the solutions to their problems does not require a cultivator to solve, like spreading ashes of oak
and some herbs around crop fields to discourage Yao from coming near them. It aids the economy
in poorer villages that suffer a bit since they cannot pay for our assistance."
Lan XiChen has a look on his face as if a conversation anywhere near this topic was previously
unthinkable.
"Sects are maintained through the services they provide to the settlements inside their territory,"
He tells me.
"I know, but the biggest income Great Sects have is actually taxes. We pay taxes to the Emperor
but every single village, town, and city has to pay taxes to the Great Sect overseeing the territory
they reside in. Then they also pay for our services which - depending on which Sect they are
asking assistance from - can become quite pricey even when all a cultivator has to do is slap a few
talismans on the house's foundations," I sigh.
"Despite not being Yunmeng territory I spend a lot of time in Yiling, if they ask me for help in
doing something I will help them and I don't really accept payment for it. It really doesn't cost me
anything but a bit of time teaching the citizens how to work around some issues," I shrug.
"Does Jiang-Zhongzhu have an opinion on your actions?" Lan XiChen asks me.
"He probably does. Madam Yu often yells at me that I seem to have way too much free-time on my
hands and that she should increase my training hours or have me run more drills with the juniors," I
chuckle.
"So my Uncle was angry because... Jiang-gongzi spoke of YunmengJiang's practices?" Lan XiChen
frowns.
"No. He got angry when Jin ZiXuan and Jiang Cheng started arguing about it. And then Lan
QingLing got in on the mess by siding with Jin ZiXuan, at which point the Nie disciples
commented that Jiang Cheng had a point," I groan, my shoulders slumping. "It was a right mess.
And, of course, the cause of all this was obviously me because never before has there been such a
debacle before my arrival!"
Lan XiChen blinks slowly, clearly processing my words, before his lips thin.
Then they quiver.
At which point, the first Jade of Lan loses the battle against his own amusement and dissolves into
giggles.
"Oh, laughing at me! Real mature! It isn't funny, Lan-Gege!" I voice my indignation with an even
voice, but my lips are twitching too.
"Apologies, A-Ying," Lan XiChen attempts to smother his laughter but his shoulders tremble.
"That was rude of me."
"Probably goes against a few dozen of your GusuLan rules, but I promise, Lan-Gege," I raise three
fingers to my chest. "I won't speak of it to anyone."
You could either write about it or record it with a Parrot, both technically do not involve you
'speaking' to anyone.
Loopholes, gotta love them.
"I'll be sure to talk to Uncle about it," Lan XiChen nods. "Have you informed your siblings that
you are going to visit friends?"
"Yes," I nod. "Jiang Cheng was prickly that I hadn't invited him but then acknowledged that he'd
much rather stay in the Cloud Recesses with YanLi, who still has lessons with her teachers. Plus, I
think A-Cheng wants to trounce Jin ZiXuan in archery without me being present."
"Ah," Lan XiChen nods. "There's been some noted rivalry between the two heirs."
"Jin ZiXuan is engaged to A-Jie and he doesn't deserve her," I promptly inform him.
XiChen chuckles, "I'm sure your opinion as Maiden Jiang's brother is completely unbiased."
"Obviously," I smirk.
"I shall inform WangJi to pack for a short trip tomorrow after Uncle has left," XiChen nods.
I eye him warily. "I thought you needed to inform your Uncle about my plans. Wouldn't he have
told Lan Zhan already?" I ask him.
Lan XiChen's smile is a terrible, terrible thing. "Oh? Not to Uncle directly, as long as an Elder has
been informed and has approved there's no issue."
"Wouldn't the Elder have mentioned it to your Uncle then?" The cogs in my brain turning.
"Ah," Lan XiChen chuckles. "I called in a favor."
Well, that certainly doesn't sound ominous.
"What are your plans for when you visit your friend?" He asks me.
"Hm?" I hum. "I want to see A-Ju," I smile.
"A-Ju?" He queries.
"ShouShan's daughter, she should be around two years old now. I didn't get to visit sooner, which
makes me sad, but I finally get to see her now!" My smile widens.
"Ah," Lan XiChen's expression softens. "Are you excited to see her?"
"I can't wait to see her! Babies are so cute, Lan-Gege! ShouShan keeps sending me letters telling
me all about the things I've missed - which I bet were attempts at making me visit sooner - and
Sister Xi wrote that she misses me!" I whine, splaying out on the ground beside the desk I'm
working on.
XiChen laughs. "I wasn't expecting you to be so enthused about children."
I blink at him. "Why not? I'm great with kids! I'll have you know that my tiny juniors absolutely
adore me!" I pout at him.
"Of that I have no doubts," He nods with a chuckle.
"I am very lovable," I inform him.
"Indeed, A-Ying is very lovable," He agrees with a straight-face.
"And very cute!" I tell him.
Lan XiChen pauses before turning to me and with an incredulous look. I burst out laughing.
"I'm sorry, Lan-Gege! But your face!" I choke out.
I'm clutching at my stomach and curled up in a ball. My ribs ache from laughing.
I hear a sigh from XiChen and a near inaudible mumble, "Adorably so."
I choke on my own spit and my laughter cuts off into startled coughing.
Oh, he's perfect.
Don't you dare say a word, Ike!
The morning light comes in through the window. It's slightly open to fight back the heat of the
summer so the grey curtains sway with the light breeze, the sun-rays streaking across the wall and
catching on the wind-chime my nieces made for me with seashells and clay.
The bed sheets are soft and warm on my skin, I breathe in and smell the soft scent of orange
blossom. I stretch on the bed, feel the way my muscles are pulled taut and then relax as I roll over
onto my stomach.
I sigh. Utter bliss.
Home.
Long black hair covers my back and spills from my shoulders to cover my face. I push it way,
letting my fingers run through the smooth strands. My hands are calloused from sword-practice,
they bear scars from nicks and cuts of my time playing with knives. These hands have long fingers
and are distinctively male.
They are mine and I'm proud of what they've accomplished.
I play with my hair a bit more, curling it between my fingers as I lay in bed and breathe, listening to
the world outside my window.
The door behind me opens with a creak. Feet walk over to me, muffled in the thick carpet I had
Walter and his brother carry over from the store and up the narrow staircase up to my studio above
the cafe.
I was very happy with my choice in the carpet. Walter and Matthew swore they would never do
this ever again.
The mattress sinks as someone settles down behind me. I hear a faint huff of amusement before
fingers brush the hair running down my back, teasing the warm skin underneath it and leaving
goose-skin in its wake.
A kiss is placed on my shoulder.
"It's time to wake up," The man behind me murmurs against my skin. Their lips soft and teasing,
their voice warm and husky.
"I'm having a good dream," I tell them, refusing to turn and look at them.
They chuckle against my shoulder, a smooth cheek nuzzles it. "Oh?" They sound curious, "What is
the dream about?"
"Sleeping in uninterrupted," I inform them bluntly.
They snort, their head falling against my neck. Their body shakes with laughter and I feel them
breath puffing just below my ear.
A shiver runs up and down my spine. A hand settles against my waist.
Fire igniting at my nerves.
"If we don't open the cafe now, we're gonna be late," They tell me, voice low and deep.
"An hour or so delay won't hurt anybody," I tell them.
"Of sleeping in?" They ask, kissing my shoulder again.
"Whatever else?" I roll the words on my tongue.
"Oh, darling, I can think of a few things," Teeth scrape my skin. The hand on my waist tightens.
I feel them moving closer to me, their chest coming to rest over my back, I can feel their body heat
through their clothes and-...
"Wake up already!" Jiang Cheng throws a pillow straight at my head.
It bounces off as I don't even put in the effort of lifting my arm to catch it.
I'm laying on my stomach in bed, my hair a total mess from moving during the night, and my body
aching with need.
"You asshole," I growl.
I'm not to blame for this.
"You're gonna be late for breakfast," Jiang Cheng tells me as he moves about the room.
"Fuck breakfast, I was sleeping!" I curl up further in bed. "There's not even classes today, what the
hell do you need me at breakfast for?!"
"Wow, someone's in a mood today," Jiang Cheng stops and looks over at me. "Everything okay?"
"Just peachy," I snarl.
"Yeah... I totally believe you," He drawls. "Fine, do what you want, see if I care."
A series of incomprehensible noises are the answer to his words and he leaves the room without a
backwards glance.
That was rude.
Screw you.
You're not my type, and your Lan bunny would die of a broken heart.
Stop.
Or devote himself to proving you that he's the best consort.
Oh my God, Ike, please shut up.
It's too early in the morning for you to be so upset, my dear.
Exactly, so please leave me to bemoan my bad luck in peace.
Your brother is right, you are in a mood today. Lan QiRen should depart after breakfast, at which
point Lan XiChen is going to tell Lan WangJi about the field trip, are you all packed?
You know that 'packing' takes me less than five minutes if I'm truly hurrying.
You need to keep up appearances of being a regular human being and not someone with a
hammer-space at their fingertips.
Ugh... I have one or two empty Qiankun bags, I'll use those.
Have you told everyone that you're leaving for a few days?
Jiang Cheng, YanLi and the juniors know. Nie HuaiSang... Ah, I'll tell him before I leave. He'll be
happy that our training sessions will be put on hold for a bit.
Except he'll despair once he realizes that you'll put him through twice the paces to make up for lost
time.
My lips curl into a satisfied smirk.
You're evil.
Excuse me? I'm the paragon of Virtue!
Ike's disbelieving laughter was completely uncalled for.
"What do you mean you're leaving?!" Nie HuaiSang gapes at me.
"Exactly what those words mean, A-Sang. I'm visiting friends for a few days," I tell him, taking a
bite out of the apple I'm eating.
"But... But... But you can't!" He tells me.
"I can't?" I give him an amused look. "I already have permission and who would even stop me
from doing anything?"
He splutters. "ZeWu-Jun...!"
"Already knows and was the one that got me permission," I smirk. "Lan QiRen is going to be out of
the Cloud Recesses long enough for me to go, spend a few times with my friends, and come back
before he realizes I ever left. My siblings already go and don't mind my trip. Who else?"
"What about me?!" He whines.
I laugh. "Did you want to come, A-Sang? Aah, I'll keep that in mind next time. ShouShan's been
asking me to visit for a while now, I just never had the right opportunity to go. But, hey, once
school ends you could come spend a while in Lotus Pier? We could continue our sessions... Oh,
that would be an excellent opportunity to practice your dodging, with all the piers and stuff."
Nie HuaiSang pales, "No need! No need! Wei-xiong deserves a break from all the tort- uh,
training sessions! I've taken so much of Wei-xiong's time, you need to go see your friends! Yes, it's
totally okay! No need to worry about lil' old me!"
I laugh brightly at him, "Ah! A-Sang is too kind! Training you is a pleasure, not a chore!"
"That's because you're a complete demon," Nie HuaiSang mumbles under his breath.
"What was that?" I grin at him.
"Nothing!" He yelps.
"Loud noises are forbidden within the Cloud Recesses," Lan Zhan speaks as he turns around the
corner, Lan XiChen smiling sweetly just behind him.
Wow, he totally doesn't look like he's being led to his execution.
Ike wasn't wrong, per say, Lan Zhan looked distinctively uncomfortable and tense - high-strung, I
guess would be another correct adjective, moving like a robot would be a good alternative - and his
expression was closed off.
But his eyes were all but screaming "Oh, God, why me?"
Uh... I think I recognize some similarities between his expression and Lan QingLing's, but then
again, being blood-related Lan and all that, I'm not exactly surprised about it.
Though I wonder just how closely related they are.
Well, couldn't have been by his father, Lan QiRen has no kids. Couldn't have been through their
mother either.
So, grandparents?
Perhaps. Or it could just be the general Lan genes that every person in the clan carries.
Also true, especially given their preponderance to birthing unfairly pretty humans.
I agree with that statement.
You would, wouldn't you?
"Ah, Lan Zhan!" I awkwardly smile at him. "Sorry, sorry, I apologize for making noise. A-Sang
was just saddened to see me go away for a few days."
Nie HuaiSang snaps open one of his fans - a cream colored one with carefully inked characters,
that one looks new - and hides his face behind it.
"Nie-gongzi needn't worry, A-Ying and WangJi won't be gone for long," XiChen's smile widens.
"They'll be back within the week, correct?"
"Yes!" I nod. "The XuJingBai Sect live relatively close by, flying will only take an hour or two.
We'll stay roughly for two nights and be back before the week ends, definitely."
"XuJingBai... They are a relatively new Minor Sect, I believe?" XiChen hums. "They are quite far
from Yunmeng."
"Oh, I met them when I was four," I laugh. "We stayed in touch and I think of them as close friends
of mine."
"Ah, yes, I remember you wrote to us several times that you kept in touch with various cultivators
you came across in your travels," XiChen nods. "The XuJingBai are slowly rising in predominance
in their territory, they are capable cultivators and very polite in all our brief encounters with them."
They're also running a great part of an underground network, racking in more money than sense,
and slowly positioning cultivators into key places to aid our upcoming war efforts.
Details.
"Are you all packed?" XiChen asks.
"Yes! I have all my essentials here," I pull out a light lavender Qiankun pouch to show him.
"Perfect! WangJi is also ready to go," XiChen brightly speaks - and dear Lord, it's obvious that
Lan Zhan had no saying on the matter because he looks spooked - before starting to usher us to the
GusuLan gate.
"Aah?" I blink. "Are you sure? It's still early, we can wait a bit longer before leaving?"
Lan QiRen literally just left for Qinghe not an hour ago, what's the hurry?
Uhm... Ooh!
What?
Nothing.
Ike. I'm warning you, if you're trying to pull something.
I am completely innocent and anyone who says I'm scheming something is lying.
...Why don't I believe you?
The woes of being familiar with me. But this time it is true, I have done nothing.
But you know something.
Yes.
What?
Nothing that you should worry your pretty head about.

That sounds like something you'd say when there is something I should be worrying about.
It's not. Just enjoy the vacation. Weren't you practically bouncing off the walls in excitement of
finally getting to see A-Ju?
You're dodging the subject, but I'll take it.
"Time flies by when you're having fun, or so they say, you haven't seen your friends for almost two
years, correct?" XiChen airily says, "Then won't it be better to get there early so as to have more
time with them?"
"Well... Yes, but-..." I concede to the point.
"Uncle is flying in the opposite direction so even if he was still nearby - which he is not, Uncle
values punctuality and wishes to arrive early to Qinghe due to our close alliance - you wouldn't be
seen," XiChen is cutting off all of my arguments and it's kind of hard not to assume he's trying to
get rid of us.
I guess I have been kind of a headache for him, and by being away when there's no classes the odds
of me creating a massive incident - again -, which would mean more paperwork for XiChen,
significantly decrease.
"Take your time to walk through the nearest town for souvenirs perhaps! WangJi will be happy to
help!" Lan XiChen lies through his teeth.
Both Nie HuaiSang and I stare at XiChen in disbelief.
Lan WangJi looks so uncomfortable and desperate for this whole ordeal to stop that he just might
be the first human being to teleport through sheer determination alone.
"...As you say, Gege..." I decide that agreeing and just accept my fate is probably the easiest course
of action if I wish to survive any encounter with Lan XiChen.
Before long we're at the gates, XiChen gives us one last cheerful look and nearly dropkicks us
down the stairs.
Yeah... He's totally done with my bullshit.
You're not exactly wrong here, but you're also missing enough cues that I worry about your brain
cells.
Hey!
Yes, yes, shutting up now. Have fun being alone with Lan Bunny. Try not to stab him again.
I don't know why I put up with you.
"So..." I break the awkward silence that has settled around us.
Lan Zhan is stubbornly looking ahead and matching my pace mechanically.
It's obvious that he wishes he could run back up those stairs and never be within my presence
again.
"I haven't apologized properly to you, have I, Lan Zhan?" I sigh. "Though I can't blame you for
avoiding me, I... I messed up badly that day."
Lan Zhan stops and turns to face me so suddenly I nearly startle out of my own skin.
"Wei Ying did nothing wrong," He gravely speaks.
"I stabbed you," I remind him.
A beat of silence.
"...No evil intent," He argues.
"I traumatized you with porn," I deadpan.
The silence stretches.
"..." His ears redden.
Can't exactly deny that, can you?
Chapter End Notes
Ike is back and he gives me life, he truly does.

Also, he absolutely loves LXC and this whole situation is only making that love
increase. Poor him that WWX is solely slotted to be LWJ's bunny honey.
Just as WWX affected LWJ growing up, he has also affected LXC (perhaps to a lesser
extent than full-blown infatuation -in this universe, at least-) so he's a lot more open
and true to his own personality around WWX.
He has decided that this trip is the perfect opportunity for his brother and his best-
friend to talk things out, and, by all the Gods and Deities, they better have talked by
the time they come back. Or LXC will have no scruples about locking them together in
a room.
Or tying them together at the wrists. (Reminiscing about a certain scene are we? No
idea why you're looking at me like that, I have no plans of the sort. Or do I?
Nyehehehehe)
Nie HuaiSang and Wei WuXian are becoming very dear to me. NHS sees WWX's
intelligence as a good way to increase his skills (WWX *is* technically teaching him
how to be a good ninja) and snarking back and forth with the totally-not-human-
demon-hybrid is a fun way to pass the time.
It helps that WWX is entirely genuine in his affections/help/advice.
It's official, LQL and JZX are becoming friends (headcanon is that they banded
together after being in the group with WWX because they realized they're probably
the only sane people there).
So, whenever JZX and JC butt heads, you can expect LQL to appear and either defuse
the situation or accidentally cause a bigger incident.
The Nie literally saw the Jin and Lan alliance and went "Not on our watch, we will
defend Wei-gongzi's family!"
LQR is going to naturally go bald with all the stress WWX is causing, while WWX is
just sitting there playing Tic-Tac-Toe with Ike and trying to ignore his own gay
thoughts about the cutie sitting beside him.
The dreams. I'll leave up to the imagination if it was Walter or Lan WangJi that WWX
dreamt of.
But in this dream it was definitely WWX's body that materialized. It goes back and
forth between Sarah's body and WWX's most of the time, that will slowly die down
with time.
Although the space where the dream sequences occur won't. Sarah's studio house is a
permanent fixture in this story, I quite like it.
LXC basically caught LWJ the moment their Uncle left for Qinghe and dragged him to
the Jinshi and started packing things for him while LWJ's brain stopped working at the
words "You're going to accompany WWX on a trip - alone - aren't you excited,
WangJi?" and he was distinctly still processing what was happening by the time they
met up near the Gates.
It's both why he was very quiet and transparently unsure of what was reality right then
and there.
The name XuJing means "Forever Strong" and is the region that the Bai Sect reside in.
They are somewhat closer to Lanling borders and they were - originally, when WWX
first met them - a Rural Sect.
They are now considered a Minor Sect (having a bigger territory and overseeing
several other villages and not just the one that has been mentioned before).
The rating of Sects goes: Rural -> Minor -> Noble -> Great; and have different
requirements needed before a Sect can apply to 'upgrade' their rank.
Hug it Out
Chapter Summary
Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi talk. Wei WuXian wishes murder on someone. Or
several someones, the jury is still out and we're not exactly too picky at this point in
time.
Where they find a curious little shrine. And citizens are entirely too happy to see Wei
WuXian return to their village.
Chapter Notes
Hey! Long time no see again.

I'm sorry for the time it takes for me to consistently update but the end notes will
probably talk a bit more about that.
Hope you enjoy today's chapter.
"I have learned that there is more power in a good strong hug than in a thousand meaningful
words." - Ann Hood
Chapter 82: Hug it Out
This world often made me wonder if it was truly the past of a modern world - I was supposing that
it wasn't the past of my world because of the novel existed and I doubted that any of the people
involved would be happy about such a book existing - and what finally clued people in that
repressing someone's entire personality just wasn't done.
But then I realized that even the modern world had this issue and I lost a little bit of faith in
humanity in general.
I really hate the GusuLan's teachings and the forced upbringing their members endured.
"Look," I sigh. "We're going to have to put all the cards on the table for this. And I'm going to need
you to talk to me, okay?" I tell Lan Zhan.
"This situation isn't solved with a snap of my fingertips, this needs to be talked out. I know you hate
talking, trust me I do actually understand the aversion, but even if you don't talk much, you need to
at least try." I add.
Lan WangJi looks uncomfortable and tense but he still nods.
"Alright," I let out a relieved sigh. "Let's walk and talk, the conversation might take a bit and we
have enough time that rushing to ShouShan's house isn't needed," I start walking again.
Awkward footsteps trail after me.
This conversation is going to suck.
It would've been an easier conversation if it hadn't been postponed for almost a week and a half.
Again, it wasn't me that was avoiding the other. I tried!
I know. Lan WangJi is...
He's lost.
If you ignored the emotions that disturbed my inner peace into a chaotic mess of hormones, it was
startling clear that Lan WangJi was struggling with something. And thanks to both the novel and
my own experience exchanging letters with Lan Zhan, I knew that communication
- healthy communication, I must stress out that part - is entirely foreign to him.
He gets taught rules. He gets ordered to do chores. He is "advised" on how to become the perfect
symbol of Righteousness.
But not once is he asked "what do you want to do?".
He is given choices that aren't really choices because they all lead back to the same result, the
prime example of what GusuLan wants people to see them as.
And I hate it.
To take a child and forcefully mold them into what they want them to be, not what the child wishes
to become...
At some point did Lan WangJi ever question his own upbringing?
After Wei WuXian died, after he lost the love of his live, did he ever wonder just how different
things would've turned out if he had just questioned-...
Not worth it.
It angered me that here was a boy suffering and I had no idea how to help him.
I tried to find similarities between what was done to Sarah and what was done to him, but the
pieces did not match. In the end, how we coped with the situation was entirely difference.
I fought.
I fought so hard. Always, always fighting. Bruised and bloodied and exhausted but I still fought.
Lan Zhan... Bent.
But... Was it his choice to bend? Or did it never occur to him that there was another option?
He was cooped up on that mountain and isolated so much that he never really interacted with
another sensible human being other than me.
And I'm not exactly the poster child of stability and good-parenting-tactics.
It frustrated me.
I wanted to understand him. I really, really did.
But I just could not understand how one could stand this environment.
How could anyone live this half-life?
"That day in the Library," I started, knowing that my prolonged silence would only make Lan Zhan
freak out more. "I had a book with me that I should not have brought out. I'm sorry that you saw it,
though I must point out that I did try to stop you from opening it."
"...Mn," Lan Zhan nods, his ears a vibrant red.
"You... overreacted," I tell him. "I... don't understand why you got so mad about it."
"...It is immoral," Lan WangJi spoke after a long pause.
"Porn?" I scoff. "Immoral? Dear Heavens, I don't even know where to begin on that one. Are you
also going to tell me that women are naturally wicked and their only purpose in life is to pleasure
men?" I can't help but mockingly add.
Lan Zhan frowns, "...That wasn't what I meant."
I sigh, "I know. I'm sorry. We just have really different worldviews and any time someone
mentions sex as immoral I feel the need to remind them that they only exist because two someones
committed an apparently immoral act."
If his blush increases any more, his ears are going to start smoking.
God, please don't point that out to me, I'm already controlling myself not to pinch them.
"Furthermore, I didn't actually have that book with me for the 'immoral acts' - I can draw better
scenes than that - but for the scenery. I don't usually draw using such a classical technique, so I
asked to borrow that book as reference," I explain to him.
He doesn't say anything in reply.
"But you overreacted. And... I also overreacted," I scratch at my scar to avoid pinching the bridge
of my nose. "I don't deal well with being silenced. Not only your Gusu Spell but just... being
silenced in general."
"You Chi Deviated," Lan WangJi looks down at his feet. "My fault."
"No one's fault," I slap at his arm. "It was an accident. You overreacted, I overreacted, we fought."
"When I was little," I start. "I once got trapped in a cellar."
Just thinking about it has chills creeping up my spine. Ghostly impressions of terror and stress and
panic trying to plunge my consciousness into nightmares.
"I got trapped and I couldn't get out," I clear my throat, forcing my words out.
Breathe. I am here.
"I called for help but there was a horrible storm going on. No one could hear me," I explain to him.
"I was... I was alone. And no matter how hard I tried, no one could hear me."
I cross my arms to hide away my shaking hands.
"When you Silenced me, it... It came back. The memory," Not that memory exactly, but my trauma
isn't too picky about choosing which rope to hang me with. "And I... I reacted. I'm sorry."
"There's no need to apologize, I did not know," Lan Zhan's expression pinches. His eyes betray his
inner hurt.
"No one knows," I sigh, stopping in my tracks. "Not Jiang Cheng, not YanLi, not ShouShan or
PeiZhi or any of my other friends, juniors or seniors. No one knows, A-Zhan," I tell him. "I never
told anyone about what happened, except you, now."
Because the problem runs much deeper than this memory.
It came to being in a life that is both in the past yet belongs to a future time.
Lan WangJi looks stunned. Golden eyes widening in incredulity. Soft lips minimally slackened -
though it would probably be akin to gaping, I was certain of it - in shock.
It was an humorous expression on the Second Jade of Lan.
I chuckle, despite the serious discussion. "Ah, A-Zhan, A-Zhan... I never thought I'd see the day
when I caught you so off guard!"
"You... You haven't told your siblings?" He schools his expressions back under control.
"Ah..." I look away, my eyes observing the trees around us. "No. The topic has come up, several
times in fact, but I don't want them to think too much about it. It was..." I trail off, lost in the
phantom feelings for a brief second before Ike pulls me back. I shake my head to clear it, "It's all
over now. No need to disturb the past."
Lan Zhan is frowning but he doesn't say another word.
"So, what I really want to tell you, is that you really don't have to feel guilty. It wasn't your fault," I
tell him. "It was an honest mistake, anyone could've made it."
I was expecting that to be the end of it. Bygones would be bygones and we could just keep on with
our lives. We wouldn't have to ever mention this again. Move on.
The next words out of Lan WangJi's mouth pretty much obliterate that notion.
"I hurt you," Lan Zhan chokes out.
They are raw. They truly sound as if they clawed themselves out of his throat, uncaring of what
state they left it in, and screamed their intentions to the world.
"I hurt you," He repeats.
I turn away from the trees to look at him.
Oh.
I realize with a start that there are tears in his eyes.

Oh.
I realize with a sinking heart that he is crying because of me.
"I'm sorry," The words sound strangled, as if his throat was closing and even so he forced himself
to speak.
Ah, a part of my brain lights up in remembrance, isn't this familiar?
For a moment I didn't see him. I didn't see the tall, proud, and strong Lan WangJi, the future
HanGuang-Jun, the Second Jade of Lan.
For a moment, for a single second, a trick of the light must've toyed with my eyes, because I saw
Sarah.
Twenty years old and about to marry Walter. Twenty years old and lost on what family was
supposed to be. Twenty years old and terrified because they had just thrown a plate at the wall
beside Walter's mother.
They had gotten cut on one of the shards.
I can't even begin to describe the fear, panic, remorse-... Chaos, that that had caused inside my
brain. Too many words trying to spill from my lips but a long-ingrained terror that any word I
spoke would only increase my punishment tried to keep me mute.
If I stay silent, then they won't hurt me.
If I stay silent, then it will be over quicker.
If I stay silent, then I won't be able to apologize.
If I stay silent, then I am just the crazy woman their son is about to marry.
I need to speak.
I need to stay quiet.
I must apologize.
I must stay silent.
Speak. Silent. Speak. Silent. Speak. Silent.
I am sorry!
I didn't need to think twice about what to do.
"No, no, no," I wrap my arms around him, my hand guides his head to rest against my neck, and I
hush him. "It's okay, I'm fine, it's okay, shh..."
I rub circles on his back. He trembles against me. But he doesn't fight my grip.
He clutches at the back of my robes.
When was the last time someone hugged him?

My heart breaks for this boy, and it howls for the blood of those who hurt him.
"It's okay," I tell him. "I'm okay, I'm fine. Everything will be okay," I whisper to him, blinking
away my own tears.
He shakes with the force of his sobs.
But they are silent.
No one cries without making a sound... Unless they have need to.
Anger. Anger. Anger.
Who hurt you? I'll kill them.
I take a deep breath to try and calm the inferno boiling in the pit of my stomach. I take another to
try and soothe my hypersensitivity to the world around me.
Without the need to check I know that my eyes are blazing silver and that anyone crossing my path
right now would think that I was there to shatter their soul with my own hands.
"Listen to me," I quietly tell him. "It was an accident, and that's okay. Alright? It is okay to make
mistakes, accidents happen everyday, it's a part of life, A-Zhan."
"If you don't ever make mistakes then you won't ever learn how to fix them. Don't you remember
how we met? You got lost after you wandered off, if you had never wandered off then we might've
only met when I came over here to study. If you had never made that mistake, we wouldn't be
where we are now," I pointed out.
"I hurt you," He chokes out again, trembling against me.
"I hurt you too," I hug him close. We're not that different in height so it isn't too awkward and
neither has to stand on their tippy-toes. "It's alright, my friend. People make mistakes. People get
hurt and hurt others. It happens."
"We just have to say we're sorry and learn from it," I tell him honestly. "We're friends, Lan WangJi,
and being my friend means that we're bound to get into fights and arguments every now and then,
just ask my brother. But it also means that, if you're willing, we can work through every single one
of those incidents and move past them. Is a friendship like ours really that weak that a stab wound
and a mild Chi Deviation is enough to break us apart?" I jokingly add.
"No," Lan Zhan's arms tighten around me. "You are my friend."
I laugh. "And you are my friend too! The best of friends, and I'm sort of a connoisseur when it
comes to those, so I know best!"
"Mn," He agrees.
I hum in agreement. Breathing in the scent of sandalwood that clings to his hair and robes - and I
already knew that it'd become engraved in my mind, if Ike wasn't already planning on doing it, the
asshole - and looking out at the swaying trees around us.
I wondered what people would say if they chanced upon us in this instance. How many wild
rumors would fly about regarding the Second Jade of Lan and the Senior Disciple of the
YunmengJiang hugging it out in the middle of a dirt road.
I couldn't quite smother the chuckle that bubbled in my chest.
Lan Zhan made a vague sound of inquiry.
Thinking quickly, words spilled from my lips.
"I just remembered, Lan Zhan. Didn't I tell you when we were younger that the next time we met,
you would be able to escape a hug from me? Well, here we are then!" I laugh.
The hands on my back twitch, fingers digging into the fabric of my robes, before splaying out
again. The heat emanating from them at odds with the chills and goose-skin they left behind.
A puff of breath tickled the side of my neck.
"Wei Ying..." He said.
It was a reprimand.
Yet.
It sounded very much amused.
A grin stretched on my face, the fire in my chest stoked back to a controlled blaze of power and not
the ravaging fury from before. It warmed me but did not burn away what made me.
The world still shimmered, but it wasn't due to my need to know everything that surrounded me in
search for a target, but because this moment...
This moment was right.
Life is hard. Life hurts. Life sucks sometimes.
But life is so, so beautiful.
("If I've told you once, then I have told you a thousand times, Lan Zhan. 'Wear a smile and have
friends. Wear a frown and have wrinkles!'" "Mn." "Lan Zhan, don't ignore me!")
The flight to XuJingBai wasn't very long. Firstly because Lan WangJi and I were strong cultivators,
so going full throttle on our swords meant that we got there pretty early. Since ShouShan was only
expecting us closer to the afternoon - and knowing the Bai there was bound to be some celebration
at my arrival and I didn't want to disappoint them by arriving before everything was as perfect as
they wanted it to be - I signaled Lan Zhan to land once we got to the border of the territory.
"Let's just walk our way there," I tell him. "It's way too early, Lan-Gege really kicked us out of the
Cloud Recesses the first chance he got, huh?"
"Mn," Lan WangJi nods. "Brother was excited."
I laugh, "And to think that I naturally assumed Platypus was the only brother that would gladly get
rid of me!"
Lan Zhan gives me a look.
I shake my head and start walking, "Anyway, we should see the main village soon. Word of
warning, people might be way too happy to see me."
"You are well-known to the area?" He asks.
"You could say that," I slowly nod. "My travels are well-known to them because of the Bai, and I
tried to visit as often as I could. I even came to ShouShan's wedding!"
"Wei Ying's travels... When you were young?" He frowns.
I laugh again, "Yup! Back when I was tiny and had no idea why everyone was freaking out about
it."
"It was reckless," Lan Zhan says.
"Extremely reckless! I am infinitely glad that no one else was as crazy as me to try and get their
kids to emulate me," I get shivers just thinking about it.
"You have no regrets," Lan WangJi poses it as both a question and a statement. Truly, it was
something that didn't really require me to answer at all.
"None whatsoever!" I twirl on my heel and start walking backwards, facing him.
His eyebrows minutely twitch in irritation and his lips thin.
I smile widely back at him. "Even a hundred years from now, it would be a lie to say that I regret
having seen all the sights I've seen. All the people I've met. Was it hard? Yes, it was incredibly
hard at times. Lonely. Dangerous, very much so. But I loved every second of it."
"The world was my oyster and I could go anywhere I wanted then. No rules or schedules. I simply
chose a direction to walk towards and let life guide me wherever it wanted me to go," I smile just
thinking about it.
"Will you go back?" Lan Zhan asks me.
"To travel around?" I clarify. "Mhm, perhaps. I will find my mountain and remain there, whether I
travel outside of it afterwards... To visit my brother, to see my sister... Perhaps," I look up at the
sky.
The truth was that, after claiming the Burial Mounds, there was a lot more uncertainty whether I'd
be able to keep all my promises to Jiang Cheng and YanLi. After becoming the Yiling Patriarch,
was it really okay for me to visit Yunmeng? Could I still be seen as their brother, even when the
whole world howled for my blood?
You don't know if the world will do that.
I do know. There's no way the civilized world will allow an existence such as the Yiling Patriarch
to remain. At least, not free.
Again and again, the solution my mind kept returning to was exile.
To live on my mountain and never step foot outside of it. Communicate through Parrots, letters,
maybe even catch glimpses of people in Yiling Town, but never craving more than that.
I won't let that happen. We will make this world a better place.
Dreams and wishes are all well and good, Ike, but please... Let us be realistic. What do you think
will happen when my Demonic Cultivation comes out?
...
Exactly. Fear. Greed. Heartache. Everything will change.
Just because things will be different doesn't mean that everything must change. You won't lose your
friends and family.
I-...
"What is that?" Lan WangJi's voice brings me out of my head.
I blink and turn around to see what Lan Zhan was pointing out.
On the side of the road there's a small shrine resting on a smooth boulder. It was obvious at a
glance that the stone had been purposefully smoothed out so that the shrine could be placed on top
of it.
But the stone itself seemed to have adapted to its new shape, so it wasn't a recent development.
"That... A shrine?" I guessed. "I don't remember that being there but, then again, it's been nearly
three years since I last passed by this area."
I walked up to it. It was square and had a tiled roof, somewhat at waist height, and there were
offerings around it.
Inside of the shrine sat a small figurine, cross-legged and grinning widely at the passerby, its hands
hold something in its lap. I crouched down to get a better look at what it was.
Is that...?
A lantern?
The grinning statue held up a small hand-held lantern. It was such an odd thing for a deity to hold
in their hands.
I'm more impressed by the fact that someone made that lantern as small as it is and placed it in the
hands of the figurine, that isn't carved. It's a handmade lantern.
What?
I peer at it closer.
Ike was indeed correct, whilst the deity was made of carefully sculpted stone, the lantern was made
of paper and the tiniest pieces of silver that I'd ever seen.
"Lan Zhan, doesn't it look cool?" I ask him, "The sheer amount of work this must've taken to do!"
"I do not recall any deity similar to this one," He says.
"Eh," I lean away from the shrine, done with me inspection of it. "True, it looks very small.
Young, I guess."
"We should leave an offering, Lan Zhan!" I stand up, searching my sleeves, quickly opening my
Inventory for a loose piece of fruit to offer. I fish out a pair of persimmons from my sleeves and
hand him one.
Lan Zhan looks confused at the sudden appearance of the fruit but takes it from my hand.
"What is the name of the deity?" He asks me.
I look at the carefully inked characters written on the paper glued to the shrine.
"Qiaohuang?" I read out. "What an interesting name. I'll ask ShouShan more about it, he's bound to
know more about it since he lives here."
"Mn, bold," Lan Zhan hums. He places the offered persimmon among the rest of the offerings and
sends a quiet prayer for safe travels, same as me.
We restart our journey and after walking for another ten minutes we start seeing rice fields and
farmers. They raise their heads to see who's approaching and I catch the moment they recognize me
as their expressions turn joyful.
"Wei-gongzi! Oh, how wonderful for you to return!" A farmer calls out to me.
I cheerfully wave back at him, "It's good to be back! ShouShan wouldn't stop pestering me about
visiting sooner!"
The farmer laughs, "Oh, Bai-ZhongZhu and Bai-gongzi were very happy to receive word of your
arrival."
"I'm sure they were," I shake my head. "Should I be worried about what's waiting for me at the
compound?"
The rest of the farmers start laughing. "The prodigal son returns, Wei-gongzi, there's a whole feast
ready for you!"
I sigh, faking disappointment, "Just as I expected, dear me, what will we do now, Lan Zhan. Make
a run for it?"
"Wei Ying," He gives me another look.
"Fine, fine, I'll stop playing around," I pout at him, before turning back to the farmers. "Then we'll
get going, don't want them to start getting worried and send a search party looking for us."
The farmers laugh as they wave us off, returning to their work.
As we walk, the rice fields soon turn into small wooden houses as we reach the outer parts of the
village. Children run about in glee but stop briefly to point at us before scurrying off to their
mothers, probably.
Which soon becomes apparent as more and more people come out to see us and wave at us in
greeting.
"Wei-gongzi, welcome back!" "Long time no see, Wei-gongzi!" "Wei-gongzi, how were your
travels?"
"You are well-known," Lan Zhan quietly murmurs.
I chuckle, "Mah, ShouShan and I met when I was five? I think I was five. We kept in touch since
then and every so often I'd pass by their house and stay for a while before moving on someplace
else. These people have seen me grow, so to speak."
"It's good," Lan WangJi says. "That Wei Ying is so well liked."
"They're way too nice, Lan Zhan. They get so happy when I get here, they constantly try to give
me things like buns! Don't even accept my money when I pay!"
He nods, "It's good."
"It's not good!" I pout at him.
"Mn," He hums but says nothing more on the subject.
Oh, yes, because it's so awful to be loved by the people you're providing cheap but efficient
protection, while also having so much revenue that you're basically handing out gold by the
handful.
I am not.
You say that now, I wonder if you've ever been curious enough to ask Yan MingXia for the
accounting records.
You're exaggerating, Ike.
Pretty sure I'm undermining just how much money you've given away, but fine. Suit yourself.
"Wei-gongzi!" A Bai disciple spots me.
Their clothes have changed from before. They wore a loose tunic in dark green cloth, there were
some silver embroidering done on the sleeves and the neck of the tunic. The sleeves were tight
around the wrists and there were a lighter green cloth wrapping around them, like makeshift
bandages.
The pants were made of thick dark brown cloth, very resistant to tears but still flexible enough that
the wearer would have no problem vaulting over fallen tree trunks or scampering up a tree to hide
in the foliage. The same lighter green cloth bandages started below the knee and probably went up
to their ankles, which were hidden inside the dark green boots with the same silver embroidering as
the tunic.
It was nice to see that my advice when it came to working Cultivation robes was listened to.
Even if the subtle reminder of how the Bai met me was entirely unnecessary.
Around the disciples waist was a belt made of black cloth and its length was covered in its entirely
with a light green embroidered measuring snake.
"Sect Leader will be overjoyed at your return!" The disciple beams up at us, "Are you staying
long?"
"Ah, just a day or two," I shake my head. "I only got permission because Teacher Lan had to go to
the Qinghe Discussion Conference, and so classes were postponed until his return. We're
technically not allowed to leave the Cloud Recesses for the duration of the year," I explained.
He nods in understanding, "Even so, the Bai Sect has been eagerly awaiting your arrival!"
I suddenly remember Lan Zhan's presence by my side.
"Ah! This here is my friend, Lan WangJi. I was permitted to come with a companion," I introduce
the two.
The disciple politely bows to Lan Zhan, "Greetings, Lan-gongzi, the XuJingBai Sect offers you
guest rights for the duration of your stay. It is an auspicious event, meeting a close friend of Wei-
gongzi!"
"Mah," I wave him off. "You're going to scare Lan Zhan away with your enthusiasm."
The disciple has the gall to smile widely at me.
Gremlins the lot of them.
And yet this only makes you grow fonder of them.
Hush you.
"Is ShouShan busy?" I ask the disciple as we start walking up to the gates of the Sect compound.
There have been more renovations done, the walls have been reinforced and painted with the new
Bai colors. If I was inclined to do so, I'd bet that ShouShan would ask me about defensive arrays to
be placed down around the perimeter of it. Which wouldn't be too hard to do, though it might take
me a bit to design one that fit all my requirements.
You mean your perfectionist streak and overprotective tendencies?
I prefer to call it long-term satisfaction.
Ike mutters something to himself that I don't quite catch.
Whatever.
"Bai-gongzi has been staying close to Madam Bai, they've both been busy recently," The disciple
answers me.
"Aha, I'm guessing A-Ju is being a handful? Toddlers are a delight," I laugh.
The disciple grins in kind.
"You wouldn't think so if you were woken up every morning at dawn with said 'delight' yelling in
your ear," ShouShan speaks up from the gates.
He's grown a goatee.
Ike guffaws inside my mind and I bite my lip not to do the same at the sight of him. Of all his
attempts at looking older, why did it have to be a goatee?
"ShouShan," I smile in greeting. "Long time no see, huh?"
He pouts at me, "I'd have seen you sooner if you visited more often. How cruel of my little brother,
to neglect his family so."
I roll my eyes at him.
Sometimes I wonder just what made me miss this insufferable man.
You love him really.

Heavens only know why.
Chapter End Notes
Okay, so!
First things first, sorry for the long wait. I had another breakdown a couple weeks ago,
so writing wasn't something I felt up to do.
Relevant to this chapter, and it didn't make the cut - at all, not even my notes really
mentioned this all that much - was Sarah's memory.
The way I wrote it made it seem like she purposefully 'attacked' Walter's mother, but it
was no such thing. Sarah was in the kitchen while the rest of the family was having a
get together, and Sarah was starting to experience her condition, Ike was doing damage
control but we all know that he is not infallible. Walter's mother came up to the
kitchen to see how Sarah was doing but they accidentally spooked her, and in her fright
she reacted by throwing a plate at them.
It was an accident, and no one was seriously injured, but it reminded AGF!WWX of
that incident. Because LWJ is terrified that he just destroyed his chances at a
friendship over something accidental. Meaning, there were no malicious intent
whatsoever behind doing what they both did.
Sarah then believed that she'd just ruined her budding marriage with Walter - because
his family would know just how "messed up" she really was.
For those who didn't quite pick up on it, that was totally a shrine dedicated to Wei
WuXian's persona as a mischievous deity/cryptid that showed up and dealt with
problems before they grew to be unmanageable.
It was a group effort from the Network to get the "information" about said new deity
consistent. ShouShan will be very amused to reveal the existence of many, many
similar shrines all across the nation.
Now, the name! (And I have to thank 羡羡3岁 over on Discord that helps me settle on
names, they're a Godsend, so share the love!)
Qiaohuang - "Qiao means clever, artful, skillful, cunning. Can also possibly mean
deceitful and coincidental.
Huang means bright, light, brilliant. Also homophone for emperor without outright
being called emperor, which would be treason (technically kind of borderline, but not
to the point people will do more than comment that it's bold). Emperors are revered
and powerful and meant to be eternal (common greeting chant to emperor is "may the
emperor live 10,000, another 10,000, and another 100,000,000 years)."
(Yes, you're also picking up on the fact that the Network is subtly poking fun at the
fact WWX is slowly "conquering" the nation)
Lan Zhan doing some mental gymnastics trying to figure out why WWX had a pair of
persimmons up his sleeves and also how he had not noticed WWX had a pair of
persimmons up his sleeves.
Also Lan Zhan: my best friend is popular and it's a good thing. *Woman starts flirting
with WWX* I revoke my statement, it is a terrible and horrible thing and I should
remove WWX from this environment ASAP.
ShouShan makes an appearance.

For all of two or so sentences because we reached my word limit.
But still! It counts!
Alright, my lovelies, I'll see you all on the next chapter.

Remember, if you have any questions/suggestions don't be afraid to sent them my way.
I may not reply immediately, but I'll reply eventually!
Adorable Secrets
Chapter Summary
ShouShan and Wei WuXian being brothers. Wei WuXian being a new uncle that is
shamelessly cooing at their niece. Where someone kept a secret and is an evil, evil
man. Wei WuXian is such a grandma at heart, it's a miracle he hasn't adopted every
child inside Lotus Pier (wait you mean to tell me he hasn't already???)
Also, XianLiang meets Lan Zhan and wastes no time in embarrassing Wei WuXian.
To be fair, he should've really tried to visit sooner.
Chapter Notes
Hey Hey!
Back again with more AGF!
Hope you guys are all doing well and staying safe!
"Not flesh of my flesh, nor bone of my bone, but still miraculously my own. Never forget for a
single minute, you didn't grow under my heart, but in it." - Fleur Conkling Heylinger
Chapter 83: Adorable Secrets
"This is Lan WangJi, the friend I wrote letters to all these years," I introduce him. "Lan Zhan, this
is Bai ShouShan, he's the Sect Leader's son and likes to call himself my older brother. Don't let him
poke too much fun at you, he's just jealous I have more friends than him."
ShouShan lets out an offended gasp and clutches at his chest. "A-Ying, how cruel!"
I roll my eyes at him, turning to give Lan Zhan a deadpan expression, "See?"
Lan Zhan blinked slowly before bowing to ShouShan with all the grace and politeness of the
GusuLan Righteousness teachings.
ShouShan's lips twitched in place, threatening to break out into a little grin, and before I could
warn Lan Zhan - a lie, I totally saw this coming, but a bit of aggressive friendliness wouldn't hurt
him - ShouShan slaps his back. Hard.
Lan Zhan lets out a huff of air as the oxygen in his lungs is forced out. He looks up at ShouShan
with a deadly polite frigidness that could only mean that he was extremely close to snapping and
murdering ShouShan with a spoon.
ShouShan laughs brightly.
Lan Zhan looks at me and I just shrug minutely. "Welcome to the Bai," I tell him.
Oh, the poor guy is regretting all his life's choices.
Eh, he needs to live a little.
The Bai are not, by any means, the definition of "live a little".
Tosh, they're just a friendly bunch.
Look me in the eye and tell that to my face without bursting out in laughter.
I don't need to take that bet to know I'm right.
Sure, sure. You just know you'd lose before uttering a single world.
Lies and slander.
"Anyways, you should come inside. Father is out right now, he's dealing with a noble sect making
noise about our promotion," ShouShan explains as he leads us inside the gates.
"Do those happen a lot?" I frown. "I heard that there had been some unrest when you increased
your territory, but most of the smaller villages were quite happy with the change."
"They are," ShouShan nods. "But the previous overseers of those villages aren't. Since we were a
Rural Sect up until a while ago, the noble sects in the area look down on us. The Minor sects
sometimes do it also, but they're more familiar with the process of what we've just done. Unless we
mess around with their borders, they leave us alone."
"But the noble sects are now realizing that there's competition for their territory," I nod. "Because
of all the mountains and rivers, the supervision of the territory hasn't been all that great. Cultivators
are spread too thin to cover the whole territory, it's why the Great Sects - with notable exceptions -
allow and encourage the promotion of sects," I explain to Lan Zhan who's looking a bit confused.
"But, and here's human nature at its finest, the noble sects lose direct control over land with these
promotions. Rural and Minor Sects are under the supervision of Noble Sects, who are supervised
in turn by the Great Sects. The land that doesn't have any cultivation clan residing in it are kind of
left to fend for themselves or at the grace of some cultivator's sporadic appearance." I continue.
"Usually these are really isolated villages, not very big or profitable, so they're left alone. But some
sects decide that, since it takes longer to get there and they have no one else to turn to, they can
overcharge their services," I sneer. "Of course, this business is frowned upon and most sects are
told off for doing this, but only if they're found. And if they're told to stop then there's always the
chance that the cultivators just stop visiting those areas entirely."
Lan Zhan frowns, "But the promotion of sects means that they are afforded more territory to
oversee."
"Exactly!" I grin. "The Great Sects mess around with the borders a bit. They take territory from the
direct control of the Noble Sects - or even Minor Sects in some cases - and give it to the newly
promoted. Usually they do try to keep the newly added territory close to the 'home base' of the
promoted Sect, but sometimes - like the Bai - you have this village and the next village under their
control, and then they have another two villages up on that mountain over there," I point over his
shoulder at the barely visible mountain in the distance.
Lan Zhan frowns harder, "But travel..."
"Is extremely hard," ShouShan tells him. "We are building another Sect Compound in the area and
placing branch family members in charge," He adds.
I hum.
"At least until either A-Ju marries or I have another son," ShouShan quickly says.
Huh?
What?
"Diedie?" A kid suddenly appears at the doorway of the main house.
They're tiny, in a two-piece hanfu, a faint green shirt with bronze thread 'buttons' and a darker
green skirt. A pair of teeny, tiny boots on her feet. Dark hair tied in two little buns on the sides of
her head, yellow ribbons falling from them.
She looked up at us and I immediately noticed her resemblance to Sister Xi, the nose and
cheekbones and her wide eyes. Her lips were ShouShan's though, they would look identical
whenever she pouted, I guessed.
Bai Ju, YingLai.
My heart skipped two beats and then started working overtime to compensate. I didn't really need
to hear ShouShan's snort of amusement to know my features had lit up like a christmas tree.
You cooed.
I cooed.
"Is that A-Ju? Oh, she's so big! Oh, dear Heavens, she's so cute!" I gushed, crouching to be at eye
level with her.
The girl, A-Ju, half hid behind the door but kept peeking at me. Curious but shy at the attention.
Her eyes turned to ShouShan's for direction.
The man in question laughs, loudly, before pointing at me. "See here, A-Ju, this is your Shushu.
He's come a long way to visit us, won't you come say hello?"
"Shushu?" She blinks, stepping out of her hiding spot.
"Oh, she's so cute!" I cooed again. "Ah, my heart! So adorable!"
"She's my daughter, of course she's adorable!" ShouShan points out.
"Sure, sure. She's Sister Xi's daughter, of course her daughter would be adorable," I respond in
kind.
ShouShan gasps, appalled. "The betrayal!"
A-Ju giggles, skippering towards me. "Shushu, hello?"

Oh, dear God, I swear there are sparkles behind her when she smiles.
It's all in your head.
That doesn't mean they're not real, you're in my head.
"Hi!" I squealed. "You're so big! Oh, look at you! So cute!"
She preened under my words. Puffing out her chest to the amusement of everyone.
"Lan Zhan! Look at her, isn't she the most adorable kid ever?" I look at the stunned - and he was
stunned, golden eyes staring unblinkingly at us, lips parted in astonishment - boy over my shoulder.
A-Ju looked up at him and gasped. Hiding her face in my chest.
I cooed again. "Ah? What's this? Did Lan Zhan scare you? Oh, he may look like a fuddy-duddy but
he's super nice!" I prattled to her.
"...Pretty," She mumbled to my chest.
ShouShan chokes.
I burst out laughing.
"He is! He is! Lan Zhan is very pretty!" I agree with her.
Lan Zhan lets out a choked sound himself. "Wei Ying!" He reprimands.
"I know, I know! Shameless, right? But that's me, I'm the great shameless one!" I'm still laughing.
Without any effort I pick up A-Ju and set her on my hip, carefully keeping my hold firm but not
restricting, and get back to my feet. She blinks up at me for the sudden change in height but then
grins at me.
I grin back.
"A-Ju, is Mother still asleep?" ShouShan asks.
"No, A-Niang is feeding A-Hui," A-Ju answers him with a cute smile.
Who?
"A-Hui?" I blink at the unknown name.
"My didi!" She chirps in my arms.
...
What? Didi? What?
Ike's guffaws in the back of my mind.
"Didi?" I echo, confused, and look over at ShouShan.
Who suddenly looks like the cat that ate the canary, got the cream and blamed the cat, getting
away scotch-free.
"Oh? Did I not mention him to you?" He sounds positively, wickedly, delighted despite trying to
pretend to be completely innocent. "A-Xi just gave birth to a son not even a week ago. I thought I
had sent you a letter?"
It's only through my training - and Ike immediately stepping in to prevent an accident - that I don't
drop the child in my arms as they nearly go slack with shock.
"Sister Xi had a baby?" I echo, blinking owlishly.
"Yup! A boy! My little A-Hui!" ShouShan grins.
Damn, I didn't think he had it in him to hide this from you.
"What do you mean, she had a baby?" My brain is probably malfunctioning so badly right now.
ShouShan chuckles.
"A-Niang had a baby in her belly!" A-Ju steps up to the plate of answering me, she's beaming in
happiness. "Now he's out and A-Niang says that I can play with him when he's a bit bigger!"
"Oh, is that all?" I faintly nod.
There's a beat of silence as I process that information.
"Shushu?" A-Ju blinks at me, confused.
I shake myself out of my stupor, giving her a toothy smile, before giving ShouShan a sharper
toothy smile. "We will be discussing this delay in information later," I tell him.
ShouShan smartly nods and encourages us to get inside the main house. Lan Zhan dutifully
following behind me, I look at him over my shoulder - the one currently not occupied by a toddler's
head, squee - and smile. "Lan Zhan, are you tired? You can rest for a bit while I go see Sister Xi."
"Not tired," Lan Zhan immediately replies.
I laugh.
ShouShan looks at us with an amused expression. "Well, A-Xi will be happy to see you and meet
your friend."
"Let us go then, oh, I can't wait," I pratically skip down the hall, knowing where the heir and his
wife would reside in following their honeymoon period. "A-Ju, are you happy having a didi? Is he
cute?"
"He's ugly," A-Ju answers honestly. "He's all wrinkles!"
I snort. Oh, how many of my nieces and nephews had said the same when presented with a
younger sibling. Or the pitifully crying expression when they discover that they're having a
brother/sister when they wanted the other.
"He sleeps a lot! A-Niang said it's because he's small," A-Ju adds.
"Yes! Babies are very small when they're young. You were that small once," I nod along with her
words. "And now you're all big and a bundle of energy!"
"Unfortunately," ShouShan sighs.

I cackle.
Serves him right.
You're just upset he pulled the wool over your eyes and didn't tell you about the new baby.
Did you say something Ike? I don't think I heard you?
You're just up-...
Eeek, sorry the communication is breaking up. Wow! So much static, sorry can't hear you!
How is there stat-...
The unbearable sound of nyan cat starts playing.
Nothing! I said nothing! Dear God, please stop it!
Glad we could've come to an understanding.
You are evil and I don't know why I love you.
Because you're my soulmate and if I'm evil what does that say about you?
Touché.
The door to ShouShan and Sister Xi's room appears as we round a corner, I feel anxious energy
buzzing up and down my body, excitement mixed with apprehension. My heart drum-rolled a
speed march inside my chest, thudding so fast that I was sure everyone could hear it.
I knocked on the door, "Sister Xi? Can we come in?" I ask, knowing better than to open the door of
a lady without knowing if she was proper - better not to traumatize Lan Zhan again so soon.
"A-Ying? Ah, you can come in, you arrived sooner than we thought you would! Did you rush
here?" Her voice is muffled through the door but still understandable.
"Ahaha! Lan-Gege kicked my friend and I out as soon as he could. I've apparently been a menace
since I started studying there!" I told her jokingly as I pushed open the door.
Sister Xi is modestly dressed and sitting at a chair, a wrapped bundle of cloth in her arms. She is
smiling as I open the door and her smile only widens when she sees A-Ju at my hip.
She's also visibly tired. Which I completely understood, nine months of carrying and nurturing a
human being inside your body and then pushing them out through a very small hole was the very
definition of exhausting. Labor itself was a whole nightmare scenario I thought about a lot when
Walter and I had been trying to have our own kids, which never came to be.
"Sister Xi!" I smiled widely at her, keeping my voice down just in case the baby was sleeping.
"A-Niang! Shushu came to visit us!" A-Ju tells her.
Sister Xi's shoulders move up and down silently as she stifles her chuckles at the toddler's words.
"Indeed, A-Ju! Is your Shushu being nice to you?" She asks.
"Yes!" A-Ju nods quickly. "Shushu is strong! He made Diedie laugh!"

"Shushu is the strongest," I quickly correct her.
Sister Xi does chuckle this time.
A-Ju looks at me intently, eyes focusing on my scar, before nodding. "The strongest."
"Hah! My own daughter!" ShouShan's 'hushed' gasp can be heard at the door. "Even she betrays
me."
Sister Xi's smile turns fonder. "A-Ying, have you come to see the baby?"
I pout at her," I came to see Sister Xi, I was so excited to visit and then I arrive and find out you've
been keeping secrets from me. How could you, Sister Xi? I could've brought a present for the baby
too and not just for A-Ju!"
Wrong thing to say.
"Present?!" A-Ju squeals.
I laugh at her enthusiasm, "Yes, I brought you a present. I'll give it to you after I greet your mother
and brother, okay? Can you be patient for me?" I calmly ask her.
A-Ju pouts at me - and I was correct in my guess at her resemblance to ShouShan in this
expression, she also got his eyebrows - but nods.
I kiss her head, "Good girl."
"You're good with her," Sister Xi remarks.
"Children love me," I'm allowed to be smug about that fact. "I'm the head disciple of the
YunmengJiang, I teach the juniors and guide them as they become proper disciples for my Sect.
Being good with kids is a basic requirement."
"But you like it," She tells me.
"I love it," I agree. "And A-Ju is just so cute, isn't she? So, so cute! The cutest Bai in the room!"
A-Ju giggles at my antics.
"Well, then what do you think of A-Hui? He's a Bai too, you know," She shows me the bundle in
her arms.
A wrinkly face with wisps of dark hair on the top of its head greets me.
"Awww," I coo. "He's perfect," I tell her. "All ten fingers and toes?"
"All ten fingers and toes," She nods, eyes lighting up with pride. "Why don't you put A-Ju down
and hold him? Do you know how to hold an infant?" She remembers to ask.
"I'm honestly out of practice, but I know the basics," I ruefully answer her, carefully placing A-Ju
back on the ground.
Sister Xi slowly transfers the bundle of cloth into my arms, making sure that my hold was the
correct one, before stepping back.
Muscle memory is a wonderful thing.

Wei WuXian had never held any babies in his life but Sarah had. Sarah had held so, so many
babies. Each and every single one of them leaving a footprint in her heart, each gummy smile
lighting her soul and casting further back the loneliness and pain of her childhood.
They still remembered the first baby they held in their arms unassisted.
Colin.
Walter's father had been rushed to the emergency room while the two of them - Sarah and Walter -
had been babysitting for his siblings. Back then it was only Annie, Martha and little Colin. Annie
was the oldest at age five, followed by Martha age two and then Colin who was only six months.
Walter didn't think twice about leaving me alone with the children in order to go see his father, and
I didn't even think of contradicting him. Priority-wise, his father was the one that needed the most
attention then.
It wasn't until I distracted the two oldest children and Colin started to cry that I realized that I had
never been left alone with any child before.
Ike had had to talk me down from having a full-blown panic attack in front of the children and
carefully guided me through the motions of what one did to soothe an infant. It was something I
knew how to do, in theory, but had never necessarily put into practice without someone else
quickly taking care of it instead.
I held him so carefully as if he'd break the moment I touched him, just as I was holding this baby
now. I held him and I soothed him and I kept him in my arms until Walter and his siblings rushed
home when they realized the children had been left with me.
And just as that baby gripped my heart in his tiny hands and took my breath away from my chest,
this one did the same.
I had started to cry before I even realized that there were tears gathering in them.
"He's so beautiful," I sobbed. "How precious."
"Oh, dear," Sister Xi hugged me. "There's no need to cry, A-Ying."
"But he's so small," I sounded ridiculous. I knew I sounded ridiculous. I did not care one wink that
I sounded ridiculous.
"Well, yes, he's only a few days old, silly," Sister Xi rubbed circles on my back. "He's supposed to
be this small for now."
"I know," I tell her. "But he's so small."
"Mah, if I knew this is how you'd react I'd have handed you one sooner," ShouShan joked.
"Shut up," I gave him the stink eye. "You didn't tell me there was a newborn for me to hold, I
didn't have the time to mentally prepare myself for this."
ShouShan chuckled. "Should've visited sooner then," He shrugs.
"Meanie," I grumble, and sniff. Looking back down at the baby, A-Hui. "Sister Xi, does he have a
courtesy name already or are you going to ask me again?"
Sister Xi smiles, "XiFeng, his grandfather picked it."

"Flourishing phoenix," I nod. "A good name, he'll do it proud."
"How do you know?" ShouShan asks., interested in the answer.
"How could he not? With a grandfather's blessing and an uncle who follows the motto 'Attempt the
Impossible'?" I smirk at him.
"Hey, I exist too!" ShouShan pouts at me.
"Ah, a side-note in his history," I tease him.
Sister Xi laughs, "You two... Really, who are the children in this room?"
"XianXian is three," The words fly out of my mouth before I can swallow them back up. I blink.
Everyone else blinks.
And then ShouShan just burst out laughing, so hard that he had to hold onto the door frame to keep
standing.
Oh, the wonders of word association. You should've known that sooner or later you were going to
say that out of context regarding you.
True. Usually when that sentence starts it's because Jiang Cheng and I are mucking about.
"Ah, Platypus must feel so vindicated right now," I tell myself.
Ike graciously conjures up the vision of a smug Jiang Cheng, arms crossed over his chest whilst
puffing it out to look taller, back straight and robes in a pristine state.
Thank you, Ike. Just what I needed.
You're welcome, dear.
Drown in a puddle.
XianLiang was ecstatic to find I had arrived once he returned.
With a booming laugh and a wide grin on his bearded face he pulled me into a bear hug so strong I
heard my ribs creak.
"My ribs, my ribs," I pat his back. "Nice to see you again, sir."
"Ayah, so polite! Is that what they've been teaching you in Gusu?" He laughs again.
"Heh, I'm technically their worst nightmare come to life, but sure they've taught me manners," I
joke.
XianLiang laughs and laughs. "Have you seen my wonderful grandchildren? My adorable little A-
Ju? The dashing A-Hui?" He asks me.
"A-Ju is indeed very adorable, but in terms of dashing I'll have to say Lan Zhan is the most dashing
one. A-Hui is extremely cute, though," I have to be fair and impartial, obviously.
Obviously.
Shut up, the peanut gallery wasn't asked for their opinions.
Yet you shall still receive them.
The moment I can physically lay my hands on you, you'll regret ever tempting me into murder.
'Till then I quake in my boots.
"Ah, yes! Is this 'Lan Zhan' the friend you've brought home?" XianLiang smirks. "While not the
first time you've brought someone home to introduce to us - and I'm reasonably sure it won't be the
last, I know you, A-Ying - it's the first time it's someone your own age."
I redden at his words. "Mah, I'm not that bad." I grumble.
XianLiang's smirk doesn't diminish.
I cough and gesture to the stunned speechless Lan Zhan who's been hovering at my back since we
first walked into the Bai Residence. "This is Lan Zhan, courtesy WangJi, the Second Jade of Lan.
He's my friend since I started travelling on my own."
Lan Zhan straightens as XianLiang's whole attention focuses on him.
Despite acting like a big fool, not unlike ShouShan's teasing of Jiang Cheng all those years ago,
XianLiang was a Sect Leader. Might not be as powerful, or as rich, or as well known as the Sect
Leaders of Great Sects, but he is still one nonetheless.
And it showed.
If Mao PeiZhi's eyes sharpened like a hawk's every time he needed to call someone to attention,
then XianLiang's resembled the sharp edges of a cliff. If you weren't careful, you were getting
pushed over and crash to your demise.
After years of our acquaintance, XianLiang and ShouShan had reaped many benefits from knowing
me and interacting with me on a frequent basis. While they were aware that I did not share
everything I knew - and they respected that - they still listened to every word I spoke about reforms
and corrections in cultivation. They were outclassed in a fight with several noble sects or any of the
Great Sects, but in terms of Minor Sects, the Bai were up there along with the Mao and a handful
of others.
They were strong.
And they weren't afraid to use that strength coupled with their odd personalities to throw people off
their balance.
As much as I knew I should've prepared - or at least gave an honest to God warning - Lan Zhan for
this meeting, I also thought that being caught off-guard would better prepare him for the future.
Everyone wore masks, some were obvious, some were nigh impossible to spot, but everyone had
them. And we had to remember that when meeting someone. First impressions created an
immediate 'opinion' on that person. ShouShan and his father usually got the 'goofy, happy-go-
lucky, buffoons that live surrounded by woods and mountains' by pretty much anyone that they
came across at first glance. But PeiZhi also got called 'the tamed dog of the Wens' and he was
actively conspiring against them by digging holes in their defenses and opening lines of
untraceable communication across their territory.
I wanted Lan Zhan to become aware - in a safe environment - not to take first impressions too
seriously. Just because someone helped you once doesn't mean they will do it again. Just because
they seem honest in their helpfulness does not mean they actually are.
It is a lesson Lan XiChen seemingly forgot or was never taught.
I wasn't going to let Lan WangJi dismiss this lesson. If nothing else, if he learnt and doubted Meng
Yao then he'd hopefully pay better attention as to what the man was learning off of his brother.
Though I wonder if Lan XiChen honestly just taught GusuLan teachings to any close friend that
they made. And if so, if it wasn't a symptom of how the Jades were raised - though indoctrinated is
a more accurate word - by their Sect.
'If I give you something that holds your attention, will you return and pay attention to me?'
I hoped it wasn't.
GusuLan's elders wouldn't live long if it was. Lan QiRen and his brother included if I saw that they
honestly did not care much about the Jades welfare.
"Our A-Ying has brought you to our home, we offer you guest rights with our utmost respect. A-
Ying's friends are friends to the XuJingBai," He tells Lan Zhan.
Lan Zhan bows in respect for the Sect Leader, despite his title, reputation and lineage technically
meaning he outranks XianLiang. "This one thanks Bai-Zongzhu for his kindness."
XianLiang observes him for a moment longer before he grins and looks down at me again, "I like
this one."
I laugh. "It's Lan Zhan! What is there not to like?"
XianLiang shakes his head with a snort, "Says the boy who ranted at me about girls trailing after
you singing your praises. Aren't you doing the same to your friend?"
I sputter in shock. Lan Zhan twitches in place.
XianLiang barks out another booming laughter and then gestures to the clan members around us.
"Alas, I have arrived and our guest has been greeted! Let us move onwards with the feast in
celebration for our A-Ying's return!" He orders.
The Bai cheer in response and immediately scattered like busy worker ants. Eager and happy to
show their appreciation to their Wei-Gongzi, and to impress the young master he'd brought home
to introduce to the family.
If whispered comments passed around that they should've expected a young master and not a
young mistress, then they were quickly hushed with words that all but spelled out "It's still too early
to tell for sure, and you never know... He just might bring both!"
Much laughter and revelry filled the XuJingBai Halls that night.
No one would have it any other way.
Chapter End Notes

It's funny, the more we approach to Arc V the more little snippets of Sarah's past I am
apparently smuggling into the chapters.
This one happens either just before Walter and Sarah got married or soon after their
return from their honeymoon. Walter's father had an accident while he was doing some
home renovations and was rushed to the hospital by his 2nd son - Walter's younger
brother - who then called the rest of their siblings to tell them what happened.
Walter and Sarah had been babysitting for that Brother (Annie is their eldest child,
they had Bobby a few years later), and for Walter's youngest sister (who had Martha,
then Colin, and then years later had Landen). And it's important to note that while they
trusted Sarah around the children, she had never been left alone with them. Not even in
the same room unless another adult was there with her.
And it's not because they believe she'd intentionally hurt them - they knew that she
loved the children as if they were her own flesh and blood - it was just that they didn't
want any accidents to potentially happen.
Walter, however, did not even remember about this when he rushed out of the house to
go check on his father - they obviously couldn't bundle the children and bring them
along. And it was only when his brother and sister asked where the children were and
he'd casually replied that they were with Sarah back at the house, that he realized what
he'd done.
They rushed home fully expecting a panicking Sarah doing her best to stay calm and
not let her state distress the children.
They instead arrived to see Annie watching a disney movie with Martha, Colin
napping in Sarah's arms as she commented on the movie and enthused about the story.
Not a hair out of place on the children.
Sarah did panic, but she overcame it. And this was a pivotal moment in her life. Never
before had she been trusted enough by someone that "loved" her to watch over any
child, her parents did not even allow her unsupervised access to her own siblings and
actively told the other children to stay away from Sarah.
So, children and being able to hold them are an extremely cherished opportunity to
them. And they covet it. Furthermore, whether he realizes it or not, he does somewhat
see ShouShan as family. AGF!WWX does not love easily, but when he does it's all the
way and it's forever.
XianLiang saying "(...)it's the first time it's someone your own age." Refers to him
bringing Network future partners (like PeiZhi) to the Bai, he's not forgetting Jiang
Cheng, but it wasn't WWX's choice to bring him along, that was JFM deciding to
accompany WWX to the wedding and bringing JC along cuz it was a good experience
to have.
XianLiang lives to tease his children and you cannot tell me otherwise. The Bai thrive
off of that energy.
If anyone asks "why are they not weirded out or comment on WWX possibly being a
Cut-Sleeve", the Bai don't care. The Bai *will* care, however, if you decide to
disrespect WWX based on that.
They just want him to be happy, and if he's happy having a husband instead of a wife,
well... He's no less of a hero in their eyes.
Poor Lan Zhan. In this chapter he's been teased and poked fun at by the Bai Sect
Leader and his son, has had to endure the sight of WWX being cute and cooing over
children and babies - having also seen WWX in tears, not a good thing for his heart
and blood pressure - and has to endure the Bai being their odd selves for a two or three
more days.
If he doesn't crash into his bed and scream profanities into his pillow upon his return
to the Cloud Recesses, then I am not doing a god job as an author.
I Swear
Chapter Summary
In which a feast happens, Wei WuXian shares plots and later wonders just why he
loves these idiots.
Chapter Notes
Hey! Long time no see, sorry for the long departure from writing, stuff happened.
I'll explain it all in the end author notes, but everything is okay with me, no need to
worry, life has just been... well, Life.
15/09 Edit - Oops, sorry guys, I never thought I'd say this but, hey, if you guys want to
buy me a coffee I have a new Ko-Fi account, also it links to my tumblr and I have a
vague sense that I might post little tidbits of the System Multiverse as a whole. Even if
it's just me grumbling about my brain and its madness -
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/ladycroftundead
"The fire you kindle for your enemy often burns yourself more than them." - Chinese Proverb
Chapter 84: I Swear
WangJi sat quietly in his seat beside Wei Ying's table, unsure of how to act or react to
the... exuberance around him.
The dining hall of the XuJingBai wasn't as large or grand as, say, QingheNie's, but they certainly
attempted to match them in vivaciousness and volume. That said, WangJi couldn't say that he was
upset about it.
All around the room people cheered as Bai-zongzhu welcomed Wei Ying back into their ancestral
seat, laughed at how happy he was to have him here again, and kindly joked at all the news they'd
heard of him.
WangJi had been about to interject when the - he supposed - teasing started, unsure if he wanted
Wei Ying to be the target of duplicitous words, however Wei Ying had laughed and grinned widely
at the tall bearded man and teased him right back.
So he had sat back in his chair and watched as Wei Ying's being lit up in happiness.
The ever-present fire in his eyes making the silver in them glint like stars burning brighter and
brighter. If WangJi wanted to be poetic, and allow himself a smidgen of confusing pleasure at such
improper thoughts, he would liken Wei Ying to a flower blooming in the warmth of this hall.
Wei Ying is happy here.
I want him to be happy by my side.
Inconspicuously shaking himself away from that line of thought, WangJi focuses back to the
present.
The young madam they'd visited upon their arrival - who Wei Ying had been so happy to see,
happier still when he'd held the newborn babe in his arms, beaming and smiling despite of the tears
running down his face - wasn't present at the feast, obviously resting along with both small
children - the memory of Wei Ying holding a small girl in his arms, smiling down at her and
laughing, pressing their cheeks together and turning to look at him, eyes reflecting back only
contentment and something else that WangJi did not understand enough to name - but her husband,
the man who'd come greet them at the gates was.
He sat on the right side of Bai-zongzhu's seat, as was the proper seat for the Heir, and grinned and
laughed and joked as his father talked, sometimes poking fun at Wei Ying also. His eyes would
frequently look back at WangJi and glinted with something, his lips quirking up at the corners,
bemused for some reason.
WangJi did not understand him.
WangJi wasn't sure he liked the man very much either.
The rough 'pat' the man had given him made it very tempting to simply never be near the man ever
again - not even Nie-zongzhu at the height of his impudent years, back when he thought Brother
should accommodate him instead of working together, had treated him in such a fashion.
But Wei Ying liked the man.
He pretended to be hurt and outraged that the man hadn't told him about the newest Bai arrival - or
that such an arrival was even approaching - but it was a farce. WangJi didn't quite understand why
Wei Ying would pretend to feel something but he chalked it up to same teasing and ribbing Wei
Ying loved to use on everyone.
Wei Ying had brightened when this man had come greet them. Wei Ying liked this man's family
and easily accepted that he was a part of it, the children's uncle, this man's 'brother'.
WangJi absentmindedly mused that Jiang WanYin - if he knew of this man, and there was no
reason why he shouldn't - probably didn't like this man much either. WangJi was aware that Jiang
WanYin disliked people who took too much of his sworn brother's attention - and he himself had
been feeling the brunt of the youth's dislike ever since the 'Incident' happened, as well as the cold
temperate disapproval from the boys' older sister.
(Even years later, WangJi still couldn't find himself surprised that, of all the people Wei Ying
could've befriended, he befriended the loudest, most stubborn and unflinchingly loyal people that
one could ever meet.)
"And now a toast!" Bai XianLiang shouted, the room cheers.
A servant hands him a glass of wine, he takes it out of politeness but before he even has it in his
hand for more than two seconds Wei Ying suddenly takes it from him. He wags a finger at me, a
crooked smirk on his face, "Ah Ah Ah, Lan Zhan! None for you! Your Uncle would have me
skinned if I enticed you into breaking GusuLan rules so freely."
"Just one glass couldn't possibly mean much," The man suggests.
Wei Ying laughs, cheerfully remarking, "Yeah, no. The Lans are very much lightweights and their
arm strength is out of this world, you do not want to meet a drunk Lan Zhan. He will fight you,
win, and then won't even remember it the next morning."
That... That sounded highly specific.
WangJi furrows his brows at Wei Ying, who simply shrugs at him.
Had he drunk anything before? He had no recollection of even an event where he might've been
offered liquor, so how did Wei Ying know how he acted when drunk?
"A-Ying! Getting boys drunk behind their guardian's back?" Bai-zongzhu asks, in an amused
voice.
Wei Ying's cheeks pink slightly and he pouts, "How rude! To distrust me so! I'll have you know
that I've been entirely too busy to go out drinking."
"So you haven't snuck alcohol into the famed Cloud Recesses?" Bai-gongzi asks.
"Now, now, ShouShan, I did not say that," Wei Ying scoffs. "I might casually drink a cup or two as
I'm working on my projects in private, but I don't drink as freely as I do in Lotus Pier. Haven't got
that many drinking companions either, Jiang Cheng has desisted his attempts of out-drinking me
and only a handful of juniors - of which only two came with us - still agree to go out with me."
...WangJi was not surprised Wei Ying had managed to smuggle alcohol into the Cloud Recesses,
Brother would have to be made aware - whether to help hide any evidence of such substance or to
punish the rule-breaking, WangJi was still undecided; his heart warred with his mind on the proper
course of action, giving him a dull headache.
The crowd chuckles at his words.
"Jiang WanYin is a smart young man," Bai XianLiang nods. "Only fools attempt to drink you
under the table."
Wei Ying beams up at the man and Bai-gongzi groans, loudly.
...WangJi senses that he's missing something here.
"Anyway! Lan Zhan!" Wei Ying turns back to him, knocking back the cup of liquor, "Are you
enjoying the feast? I had already asked for there to be simple non-meat dishes but I wasn't sure if
you'd like any of them."
A bubble of warmth formed in his stomach at the care and thought Wei Ying had put into the
feast's menu.
The warmth burned hotter when the second thought of 'he remembered I don't eat meat and spices'
registered in his mind.
"The food was pleasant," He answered him.
Wei Ying's smile turned softer, "I'm glad. The Bai always have excellent food, it's mostly
homegrown so it's a lot more satisfying to eat it because of all the work you put into it."
I give a quizzing look to Wei Ying.
He laughs, "I did the talismans protecting the farming fields and I've always helped during sowing
or harvest season if I'm in town when it happens."
I nod, that was exactly what he thought Wei Ying would do.
"Wei-Gongzi, how are your studies at the famed Cloud Recesses going?" A sect disciple asks.
Wei Ying turns to them and laughs, "I am most certainly on the right track to forever be
immortalized as the number one nuisance that ever entered their halls!"
The whole room burst into laughter and whistles, clearly this is a common enough exploit that the
Bai find amusing.
WangJi isn't sure how to feel about Wei Ying's statement; on one hand, it is very much true, on the
other hand, Wei Ying should always be welcomed back in GusuLan territory.
Wei Ying should be warmly welcomed everywhere.
The hall raucous laughter is harsh against his ears and he occupies himself with eating and
observing the peoples' merriment - he very dearly wishes they do not push him into reciprocating
their socializing but so far he's been left alone and only politely addressed if Wei Ying is beside
him and they approach him. The XuJingBai were radically different than what WangJi was used to.
And he was weirdly fine with that.
It was... interesting, seeing how other Sects operated. What they did for work, what they dealt with
on a daily basis, what problems they ran into, what they feared. Wei Ying knew these people since
he was five years old, even before he had met WangJi and befriended him, and it showed with just
how much Wei Ying knew of these people.
Their history, their culture, their likes and dislikes. Wei Ying was part of them, an intrinsically
important part at that, and they knew just as much about him in turn.
WangJi bemusedly listened to yet another disciple recount a mishap Wei Ying had been involved
in.
It seemed to be a trend of Wei Ying accidentally running into a situation, solving it with extreme
efficiency, and then be confused when people thank him and throw feasts in his honor.
Apparently - and WangJi internally sighed because, of course this is how it happened - Wei Ying
actually met the XuJingBai when they were having trouble with a Beast and single-handedly
figured out what the problem was and helped solve it.
There was a warm feeling resting inside his chest as he listened to all the words spoken about Wei
Ying.
Gratitude, because these people had Wei Ying's back and looked out for him.
But a larger, hotter, feeling that ran inside his veins and traversed his body like Chi swelled. Still
nameless, confusing, and unknown.
WangJi was fearful of it, fearful of what it might implicate, yet he welcomed it. Reveled in it, held
it close with careful hands, because it felt good.
It felt good and freeing and right.
The feast continued for some hours past his usual bedtime and WangJi endured the sleep clinging
to his form to stay and listen to more stories, to bask in the same warmth that brought out Wei
Ying's brightness. When he did retire, accompanied by Wei Ying to a guest bedroom in the Main
Residence - apparently Wei Ying had a bedroom to his name there and the Bai had simply
arranged WangJi to stay near him because they were friends - he was out like a light the second his
head hit his pillow.
He dreamt of impossible things.
Because my reputation preceded me - and ShouShan and his father simply knew me all too well -
the two men were already sitting at the low table with cups of good liquor when I entered the
private room, activating the privacy talismans that had been placed by either one of them.
"So? What great and dangerous scheme are you going to involves us in now?" ShouShan asks with
a grin.
"None as you're already involved in it," I roll my eyes at him, sitting down at the table. From the
inside of my robes I pull a large leather bound tome, a copy of the original I had in my possession,
and my craziest decision to date.
I push the book towards the center to the table but my hand remains of top of it, keeping them from
picking it up and opening it.
"We are relatively a year and a half away from war," I inform them.
XianLiang throws back a glass of liquor and refills it. "Do we have an exact date?"
"No," I shake my head. "Not for the official start of it, but I know what directly precedes it."
"Oh?" ShouShan leans forward.
"The QishanWen Discussion Conference next year," I tell them. "Because of their terrible showing,
Wen RuoHan will demand that every Great Sect send a member of their main house to attend
Indoctrination inside their territory, although they might also demand Noble Sects affiliated to the
Great Sects to send members also."
"A blatant hostage situation," XianLiang scowls.
I nod, "I believe GusuLan refuses them and as a consequence Wen Xu leads an army up the
mountain and burns the Sect to the ground, taking Lan Zhan and a few other disciples back to be
indoctrinated. ZeWu-Jun goes missing and Lan-Zongzhu dies in the attack."
Both men startle. "They burn the GusuLan!?"
"To the ground," I glare at the table. "Rebuilding it takes years and their immense library has to be
copied from memory, the loss of knowledge, culture, and history immeasurable."
"Does your friend know?" ShouShan asks.
"No," I shake my head, sighing tiredly. "Explaining any of this would take too long and would
invite too much scrutiny into all of my actions."
"What is this book?" XianLiang tries to change the subject.
"This is the Playbook," I answer. "A gift that can be considered a curse."
ShouShan blinks slowly at the book, "Well, doesn't that sound lovely."
I grin wearily at him, "Yeah, it was a headache and a half to put together, so I hope you appreciate
it. But I do need your word that no one opens it until the Cloud Recesses is attacked."
Both men blink at me and narrow their eyes.
"Why?" ShouShan asks.
"Because this is the key to winning the war but act too soon and you'll destroy any and all
advantages we might have," I tell him, staring straight into his eyes. "The Playbook isn't something
to be taken lightly, I have written - extensively, I will add - how things must play out. And I know
that it sounds crazy, and you'll probably hate me for a thousand and one things inside of it, but I
need you to promise me, no, I need you to swear to me, right here, right now, that you
will not open this book until it is time. And that whatever is written within it must be followed to
the letter."
"A-Ying..." ShouShan whispers quietly, leaning across the table and closer to me, "What are you
so worried about?"
I laugh. Coldly and without any sort of amusement or lightness to it, "ShouShan... It will be war.
People are going to die. I can't stop this war, I can only finish it."
"That's fine," He tells me. "A-Ying, no one expects you to single handedly deal with a war, we're
here. PeiZhi will help you too. So will the Network, you know that."
"I do know," I close my eyes, the enormity of the situation feels like an unsurpassable mountain but
I am piling all of my gear at the base of it, slowly, carefully, amassing an arsenal that will break
this mountain down to a single sharp pebble.
"It is because I know that I worry, ShouShan. Because I know, I fear," I give him a tired look. "I
cannot afford any deviancy from what I know with absolute certainty will happen and will have to
happen, ShouShan. I am not playing war games, I am not thinking up theoretical scenarios."
My eyes well up with tears, lips trembling and my voice wavers, "These are people, ShouShan.
And I am going to play with their lives as if I were a God."
ShouShan slowly puts an arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer to his chest. He takes a
shuddering breath.
"How bad of a scenario are we talking about here? Has the dream changed?" He asks.
"It hasn't," I shake my head. "The war lasts roughly two years, the QishanWen side loses, their old
territory divide amongst the victors. All Wens of QishanWen are driven to extinction."
"There are more than four thousand Wens," XianLiang speaks, shadows of horror underline his
words.
"Yes," I turn to look at him, exhausted and saddened beyond belief. "Yet five years from now only
forty or fifty Wens remain, and a year after that there are none."
"And PeiZhi?" ShouShan straightens, his arms around my shoulders tightens.
"Why do you think I'm trying so hard to change it?" I say.
ShouShan takes a deep breath, "I swear no one will open the book until it is time. Whatever is
written within it will be followed. I swear on my name and honor of all of my ancestors."
He them pushes me away from him so he can look me in the eye.
"And I swear to you, Wei WuXian, that no matter the contents of the book, the XuJingBai will
stand with you. I will call PeiZhi and we will rally the Network to your side the second you need
us."
I grab his hands in mine, "What I need ShouShan, is for the Network to work unnoticed as ghosts. I
need you to help me without the world ever knowing of their actions. The moment anyone is tipped
off..."
"Everything is compromised," XianLiang takes another swing of the cup. "You wrote that book
because you won't be involved in it."
He looks me in the eye, a severe expression on his face, "Wei WuXian... Why hand this book to
ShouShan? Why not hold onto it and use it yourself?"
I bite my lips, closing my eyes. Of course XianLiang would take notice of that.
"When the war starts... When it truly starts and the battle-lines are drawn... I... I... I won't be
available," I answer, carefully picking my words.
ShouShan twitches. "You've seen the end of the war and years afterwards," ShouShan speaks in a
haunted tone of voice. "You see it because you experience it, right?"
Yes.
And no.
"I will be unavailable for three months, I believe, when war is declared. No one needs to worry, I
just cannot hold the reigns of command over the Network and the Playbook until I return," I
answer, dodging his true question of 'you'll be alive when the war ends and the dust settles,
correct?'.
"And afterwards?" XianLiang presses.
"Afterwards... I will fight," I close my eyes.
"Wei Ying..." XianLiang quietly speaks.
I open my eyes and look him firmly in the eye, "I must do this. I will see this through. I will protect
my family."
I will. I will. I will.
"Tell the Network to start rallying underground. Tell them... Tell them to get ready," I speak,
taking a deep breath.
"War is upon us, it is time to meet it at the doors."

I hope they forgive me.
I hope that when the fire dies down, when bodies stop dropping, when blood isn't flowing like
rivers anymore, I hope they forgive me for what I had to do, what I will have to keep doing.
It will be okay, Ike whispers in my ear. They will understand. They will help you.
But will everyone else?
I wrote the Playbook firstly as a mean to keep track of the early warning signs of the war, then as a
rather extensive list of potential backup plans and divergent points in the war.
In the end, after years of adding to it, editing it, of crossing out decisions and writing down twice as
many, the final version of the Playbook became something akin to a book of prophecies.
It starts with a rough timeline of war events, dates and locations, people involved - whether
certainly or potentially - and targets. On the margins of the timeline I add any details that might be
relevant to the event. In a differently colored ink I wrote down any and all potential courses of
action, with added immediate and long-term consequences, and below that I wrote my reasons for
choosing a particular path.
The three months I spend in the Burial Mounds aren't mentioned, only that I will be out of touch
and that I would return on a specific date Ike had settled on.
Ike had been instrumental in the Playbook's creation.
Whereas the start of the war is largely done by guessing how events will happen and filling in the
blanks with a lot of underhanded plans to be done by the Network, the moment I exit the Burial
Mounds, the timeline comes into clear focus.
Precise dates and locations of events, a narration of battles and battle plans, of any and all
involvement of the Sects and their motivations. I added more and more information with every
rewrite, more and more details every time I opened it again and read through it. What had started
out as a simple book became a massive leather bound tome.
If my previous discussions with ShouShan and XianLiang had given them a preview of how my
mind worked, then this tome would toss them into the abyss of my madness.
It was one thing to 'guess' how things were supposed to go, with plans upon plans of any possible
deviation.
It was another entirely different beast to write down exactly what was going to happen and what
would change because of our previous actions. To read of a potential consequence and then read
exactly what it affected and how.
But what drove me to the edge of my humanity, were the soldiers.
These were living people.
They had lives, and families, and futures.
And I had written down where they were supposed to head, who they were supposed to fight, and
where they were going to die.
War is never waged without bloodshed.

No matter how righteous it can be, no matter how selfless, no matter how well supplied, no matter
how supported or backed it may be; war never happens without losses.
Without collateral.
Without innocence lost and hatred created.
I had a goal. A goal that I could not stray from. A goal that went against my own beliefs from a
moral standpoint.
Yet.
I had a goal to accomplish. And all the Heavens and the Seven Hells have mercy on the ones that
tried to stop me from accomplish it.
People were going to die.
By my hand, word or action, they were going to die.
(In my darkest hours, nestled away in my room while everyone else slept peacefully, I wondered
what made me the biggest monster. Was it the power to raise the dead, control them with a tune of
my flute, to carve their bones with sigils and reform their flesh made iron? Was it the boundary and
all of its dangers, inhabitants who whispered directly into my ear and beckoned me deeper and
deeper into their side, the lone watcher who always remained in the corner of my eye, hungry and
triumphant? Or was it the ability to simply all manner of lives down to numbers on paper, symbols
written with astonishing ease down on battle plans, and directed with nigh a thought about who
would live or die there beyond the added note of 'expect casualties'?)
Morning dawned early. It came with birdsong and refreshing winds. It came with titters of servants
getting everything ready for breakfast and morning baths.
It came with a surprising release of the weight on my shoulders.
I had spent many hours, days, weeks, perhaps even months, dreading the time to enter the Burial
Mounds because it meant leaving my people, my family, my friends, with no protection.
No way of communicating with them, of warning them, of keeping them safe.
The copy of the Playbook I had given ShouShan meant that there would be someone aware of what
needed to be done and in control of the power required to see it done.
In the Network, ShouShan, PeiZhi, and BaoZhai were the three most high-ranked members and
who - technically - answered directly to me. ShouShan played a vital role in controlling
communication and passing down orders to the other two circle leaders, who in turn got the
Network going in field matters. PeiZhi in anything involving scheming and combat, while BaoZhai
saw it that the Network was always supplied and that the correct hands were greased enough to
turn a blind eye to certain matters.
Manus manum lavat.
One hand washes the other.
In itself, the Network is largely self-sufficient by now, the only real 'job' that I still have to do is
direct them towards problems I need solving - and even that is starting to slow down because my
commanders are becoming extremely efficient troubleshooters - plus keeping the Talisman Factory
supplied and upgraded every so often.
Speaking of which...
You still have to talk to MingXia, Ike states.
I am not excited about how that conversation is going to go.
She's nearing eighty or something by now, it's not like she can grab you and toss you out a window.
Honestly, I wouldn't put it past her.
The Great Wei WuXian afraid of a geriatric.
The same geriatric who essentially created the original Talisman Factory and conned me into
making it bigger.
...
...
Okay, yes, your fears are well founded, Ike concedes to that point.
A knock at my door interrupts me as I go to reply.
"Wei-gongzi? Are you awake?" A young girl, probably a servant, asks.
"Yes, is something wrong?" I ask, usually when they woke me up in the morning was to tell me
that my bath was ready in the adjacent room.
"Uh..." The girl hesitates. "Bai-gongzi is fightingyourguestinthemaincourtyard," She speaks in a

rush.
I blink at the closed door, eyebrows drawn, as I slowly process her words.
Then they connect in my brain and make sense.
I jump out of the bed with a yelp, "What do you mean ShouShan is fighting Lan Zhan?!"
Ho ho, Ike chuckles, the shovel talk got out of hand?
Do. Not. Start. Ike.
I hurry to get some clothes on, tripping over my feet as I shove them into boots to run out the door
and stop both idiots from skewing each other.
I've had no hand in the matter, if you didn't want Big Brother to get involved then maybe you
should've hidden your crush better.
I do not have a crush on Lan Zhan!
So you keep telling yourself, Ike shrugs, yet it's not like you talk about Jiang Cheng the same way
you speak of Lan WangJi.
A-Cheng is my brother!
You won't stop talking about Lan WangJi, attempt to have him participate in any activity,
conversation, and discussion that you have - let's not mention the fact that he followed you around
like a lost duckling all day yesterday - and you introduced him as 'my friend'.
So? What does it matter that I introduced him as my friend?!
The only person you brought here and introduced as 'my friend' was PeiZhi, Ike manages to give
the impression that he's rolling his eyes despite me not being able to see him physically outside of
my mind anymore.
No, it wasn't! I brought BaoZhai here too!
And you introduced him as 'an acquaintance of the Talisman Factory', Ike retorts.
I open my mouth to deny it but Ike goes a step forward and replays the memory before my eyes.
He speaks the truth.
As usual, Ike points out.
Still doesn't explain why ShouShan would get it into his head to have a fight with Lan Zhan!
...You do remember that he did the same with PeiZhi, correct? You went on a hunt and ShouShan
attempted to one-up him, only for PeiZhi to do the same, and they slowly descended into a boyish
fight of 'but I bet you can't do this', Ike scoffs.
So why not take Lan Zhan out for a hunt too?
Because A) Lan Zhan wouldn't leave the compound without you, and B) Lan Zhan would never
lower himself to the same level of maturity ShouShan defaults to when it comes to petty jealousy
that you have more friends than he does.
I... I can't fault your reasoning.
Finally, after exiting the main building and running towards the main courtyard - which is
surrounded by a large crowd of amazed onlookers who part like the red sea when they notice me
approaching - I come face to face with the most ridiculous sight.
Lan Zhan is red faced and practically smoking in embarrassment while ShouShan is standing in
front of him, Bichen pointed at his throat, naked because of one - most likely Lan Zhan's - sword
strikes had cut the ribbon holding his robes closed, laughing boisterously.
And the damned man-child had decided to do his 'morning workout' without any inner robes.
Ike broke into peals of laughter at the scene and I felt my eye twitch.
"What is the meaning of this?! ShouShan! Have you no shame?! I'm going to tell Sister Xi about
this!" I yell across the courtyard.
Several males wince at my words.
Sister Xi was a dainty woman, but she kept ShouShan in line by the balls.
ShouShan closes his robes so fast that you'd think Sister Xi was going to materialize at the mere
mention of her name.
"A-Ying!" The man smiles widely at me. "How are you this fine morning?"
Lan Zhan, off to the side, has since lowered Bichen and is point a mighty fine impression of
someone who wants the ground to swallow him whole.
I am surrounded by idiots.
And you love it.
Unfortunately.
Chapter End Notes
Alright, so. The reason I haven't been updated until now is because my Mom died.
She had been very sick for a very long time and on the morning of the 25th of August a
nurse found her to have passed in her sleep.
Since I had been taking care of her from January 2019 to January 2020, I was already
aware that she would die. I had come to terms with it and knew that all of my
grievances with her would go unanswered and unfulfilled.
My father and brother, on the other hand, hadn't. And there were a tough few days
leading to her funeral and after it. Coupled with the fact that my paternal aunt
contracted a professional cleaning company to come and remove all the hoarding my
mother (and later also my father) had accumulated over the course of the two-ish years
of my mom's illness.
I was a week without my computer and then spent the following week too busy with
organizing the house again and starting to settle back into a routine to write. Honestly,
some days I sit down and just want to go to sleep with how exhausted the day's been.
It's not all bad news though, I may potentially start working as early as next week. I
plan to tutor children in english - I have a soft spot (and kind of a yearning) to nurture
the same love I have for the language to another child. I started learning english at age
7-8, so that's... roughly 14 years ago, and I initially hated it. It was only a very patient
(and smart, my teacher bribed good behavior and cooperation with candy and snacks)
teacher that took the time to make me realize how valuable it was.
So, apologies in advance if some updates come later and later. I'll try my best to keep
track of how long it's been since I updated, but I also can't make any promises.
Anyway, I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, wish you guys all the best. A
hug to you all!
Relating to today's chapter:

Today's quote refers to the fact that WWX's plotting against the Wens actually hurts
him more than it does them, because WRH and his ilk would never care about their
citizens and soldiers, while WWX is more than aware that these are innocent people
and he will have to send them off to battles where they won't all return from.
Ya'll asked for a LWJ pov and I hope that I delivered.
I believe I have referenced the Playbook before, if not, then oops. The problem with
having nigh omniscience over a situation is that, unless you are present every single
second in every single location, you can't change much despite theoretically knowing
how. This is where the Network - and ShouShan in particular - comes in.
By having every single Network member 'in the know' about what has to happen, what
has to be avoided, what has to change, WWX cuts down a lot of his headaches.
The Network's primary Goal - and also WWX's - is to stop the war with minimal
collateral losses. This means depriving the Wen of potential soldiers and meat-shields,
while also getting on the shit list of the Winner Faction because they're directly
'protecting the enemy'.
The Playbook encaptures so much of WWX's analytical and long-term plans that
anyone reading it will honestly be terrified by the implications - that there is someone
who can literally 'see', record, and outsmart whole years of battles and do it seemingly
effortlessly.
ShouShan and XianLiang have an added stress factor, they see WWX as a family
member (brother and a son, respectively) and they are very aware that WWX is
currenly 15-16, in a year he'll be 17, barely an adult. And he's going to fight in a WAR.
They want to make sure that he knows he has support and someone he can lean on,
that he doesn't need to do it all himself.
*Also, when I say Book of Prophecies, it's not the biblical-related book, but the
Kingdom of Hearts' one.
Lol, ShouShan was doing a "let's see if this boy is worthy of my little brother" and
then decided to play a practical prank on him. He was planning on flashing LWJ to
make him lose composure, not to give the poor kid a front viewing, but... well... LWJ
accidentally cut the ribbon/belt.
ShouShan was laughing so hard because LWJ's brain instantly stopped working - and
he has learnt since the previous nudity-involving incident because he did not
immediately fly into a rage - and his face just went from polished pale jade to the
brightest of QishanWen crimson.
WWX has realized he's surrounded by idiots and wonders just how this is his life.
15/09 Edit - Oops, sorry guys (double sorry if you've already read this on the top
author's note), I never thought I'd say this but, hey, if you guys want to buy me a
coffee I have a new Ko-Fi account, also it links to my tumblr and I have a vague sense
that I might post little tidbits of the System Multiverse as a whole. Even if it's just me
grumbling about my brain and its madness -
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/ladycroftundead
Works inspired by this The

one Idiot's Guide to Transmigration by justpeachy37, Though Once Was
Enough by Liu_Feiran, the morning will come again by slytherinne_ambition
Please drop by the archive and comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!

A Game For The Fool

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A Game for the Fool

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/20593805.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

A Game for the Fool

How do you want to be remembered?

"Quest: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation"

Inspired by Cradle by Dragonesque

+ A Game for the Fool +

Chapter 1: How it starts

How do you want to be remembered?

How do you want to be remembered?

But is that how you will be remembered?

But did we succeed?

Could I have done more? Been something more?

Possibly. If situations had changed and somethings different, then certainly.

But I wouldn't trade the life I'd lived away.

I died in comfort. I died knowing I was loved.

I wonder why, then, did I find myself in such a peculiar situation?

"A New Quest has become Available!"

"Do you wish to view New Quest?"

"Quest: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation"

Whose birth name happened to be Wei Ying.

What if it truly was?

Question was, should I change it?

'And no knowledge of his "happy ending", go figure.'

The information was too vague, I needed to know more.

This made no sense...

"Will you accept this Quest?"

My heart quivered in my chest. I hesitated.

Why would I do this? Should I do this? At what cost? For what?

What do you have to lose?

A new life... One filled with the potential to be someone great.

The next great adventure!

Really, what else would be my answer?

I pressed the button.

"You have accepted the Quest: Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation."

+ A Game for the Fool +

"Fate laughs at probabilities." - Edward George Earle Bulwer-Lytton

Chapter 2: A new life begins

Waking up as a preteen Wei WuXian in Lotus Pier? Possible.

Oh, and cherry on top of the ice-cream sundae?

Wait... Did that make her my mother now?

"New (Main) Quest Available!"

"Do you wish to view this Quest?"

"My head hurts..." I tell her, dazed.

...Holy hell, I wanted to be like her...

Apparently my father also had a stubble... Would wonders never cease?

I was not proud to say that I laughed at that.

And then my thoughts soured.

"That hurts..." I whine.

"Shoulders?" I perk up.

...I was not going to die. No way, no how.

"New (Main) Quest Available!"

"Do you wish to view this Quest?"

The Quest box opened.

"Quest: Welcome to the Basics!"

"View Quest Objectives?"

Truly, how was this my life now?

Where there's a basic tutorial for life.

+ A Game for the Fool +

Chapter 3: What's that?

"View Quest Objectives?"

'Yes,' I mentally press the button.