Chapter Text
Wei Ying and Nie Huaisang sat in the carriage with their large escort surrounding them. FeiFei and TangTang were riding with them for the first half and would switch out with Chunyi and Chunhua for the second half. Xue Yang would have come with them if he was only a couple years older. But he and a'Qing will get to come in a few years and hopefully the two will behave themselves, especially a'Yang since he tends to be very violent. Xiao Xingchen was riding on a horse near the carriage, reciting poetry or telling stories about some of the antics he got up to with his Master and fellow disciples. Wei Ying knows that they cannot claim Baoshan Sanren as their biological family due to the greed and corruption of the current Cultivation world's political climate.
Wei Ying giggles at one story about one her uncle's seniors who was trying to impress some girls by preforming a complex back flip only to end up belly flopping into the pond when he miscalculated his jump and the distance to the water. Huaisang hisses in sympathy, she once accidentally belly flopped into the water and it had stung like a bunch of angry ants crawling all over her front.
"Boys are so stupid." FeiFei rolls her eyes, even as she giggled as well.
"Well they say love makes people do crazy and stupid things. Who knows you might find yourself walking into walls or tripping over thin hair one day if you fall in love and whoever it is might try to serenade you, but either cannot sing or play an instrument." TangTang teases her.
"Oh please, I am to classy for such embarrassing antics!" She sniffs in a mock snobby tone.
"Whoever falls for you will need to be dead since you snore like a tiger with a head cold." The twins chime in from outside and FeiFei squawks like an indignant water fowl.
Their trip passes by in laughter and good cheer, stopping at a town on the boarder between Qinghe and Gusu for the night before they keep going in the morning with the twins riding while FeiFei and TangTang walk, both bickering as they normally do. At one point Wei Ying pulls out her father's Dizi and plays some folk songs which makes everyone happier and soon they are singing or taking turns playing a song or two. Nie Huaisang plays something on her pipa in concert with TangTang on her Xiao. By the time they make it to the bear of Cloud Recesses, they are all lively and in good spirits. The girls climbed down and triple check their luggage and that they have their invite before they start the long climb up the mountain.
They chatter as they climb, which helps them not notice the miles worth of stairs until they create the very top and they go quiet to greet the Land Guards and the Sect Leader who is personally greeting them all. Huaisang gives a sheepish giggle when he asks her if she thinks she will finally pass this year. Wei Ying giggles softly and gets his attention and he blinks in surprise.
"Ah, Er-ge! This is my meimei! Wei Ying this is Da-ge's bestest friend, Lan Xichen!" Huaisang quickly introduces them. "You were away on trips with Xiao-Laoshi whenever he came to visit, so this is the first time you are meeting!"
Wei Ying steps forward and gives a delicate bow of greeting, her smile bright and friendly as she greets him and he in return bows to her with poise and elegance.
"This one greets Zewu-Jun. This one is Wei Ying of Qinghe Nie." She tells him, careful to not mention she is Wuxian, the 'man' behind the revolutionary tools and talismans that are making their way out into the world. She is thankful for her family for nurturing her creativity and even using her things. When she started to sell them, she had originally just wanted to give it away as is, but Mingjue -gege and her uncle had explained why that was a bad idea and had helped her get parents and safety measures out into place using her things and they were very strictly regulating what is out in the market to reduce them being used for evil purposes.
She is pretty sure she can trust the Lan Heir, especially since he is the sworn brother to her Gege, but she will let either Mingjue-gege or Huaisang tell him.
"This one is also pleased to greet Lady Wei. This knew is Lan Huan, Lan Xichen, first master of Gusu Lan." He smiles warmly, finally able to meet the elusive 'Xiao Ying' that his best friend and his sister always claimed to have, but had not seen before now.
They chat a moment longer before the guards that escorted the girls bow and inform them that they would be resting in Caiyi Town before heading back to the Unclean Realms.
"Alright! Be safe and have a good trip back!" Huaisang informs them and they nod and leave. The group of girls and some boys remaining move to allow Xiao Xingchen to move forward.
"Greetings, this one is Xiao Li, Xiao Xingchen. I am a disciple of Lady Baoshan... I ran into my Shijie's daughter and have decided to spend time with her, helping her train and improve." He greets and almost every Lan practically throws themselves down to greet him. Someone ran off to get Grandmaster Lan. Wei Ying giggles into her sleeve as her uncle just casually causes low level Chaos. Even though he appears to be a kind and benevolent man, but he can be a bit of a little gremlin. Wei Ying figured that everyone in her family has to be some kind of chaos agent or gremlin and it explains why they make friends with like minded people as well.
"This one greets Daixiong Xiao!" Lan Xichen bows low and greets him.
"Please, no need for such formalities, I am only here as a chaperone for my niece." He waved at Wei Ying, who giggles and waves at them all as they all nearly fell over in shock. Lan Qiren hurries over to greet Xiao Xingchen, but got distracted by Wei Ying, gasping as he points at her in outrage.
"Eh?" Wei Ying blinks and looks around to make sure she is the only one he was point at and blinks. "Me?"
"I knew those rumors were false! How could you pretend to be dead for so many years!!" He shouts and Wei Ying blinks and the frowns. "Get out, Cangse Sanren!"
"Excuse me... But do not point so rudely at my niece... My master will be most displeased when I update her on this newest development." Xingchen states coldly, which makes everyone flinch. He may be the Gentle Moon, but everyone forgets that the moon also has a dark side. "A'Ying, come here... Lady Nie, I will not allow my niece to attend these lectures if this is how she will be treated by her instructor."
"Oh, oh, no! I understand Xiao-Laoshi!" She quickly bows and in a rare display of spine, she glares at Lan Qiren from the corner of her eye.
"What!?"
"This is my Shijie's daughter, Wei Ying. She is Cangse Sanren's daughter with her husband, Wei Changze." Xingchen informs and the man gapes because now that he was looking at her, he noticed the differences between Wei Ying and Cangse Sanren.
Feeling embarrassed at his grievous break of decorum as well as his uncharacteristic shouting. He quickly bows low and offers an apology as well as assigning himself a punishment for his rude behavior.
"Shushu, please?" Wei Ying asks. And while he would rather not allow her to remain here, Xiao Xingchen relents and turns to him.
"I will allow this to be for now, however if you target a'Ying again. We will leave..." He informs him and he gulps and nods his head as he quickly calls a couple of juniors forward to escort the Nie group.
As soon as they were gone, Xichen turns to see his brother, who had arrived a moment or two ago, but had been unnoticed during the scene his uncle had made. He greets his brother and frowns seeing the stretcher his group of disciples were carrying.
"Take him to the infirmary... Uncle, air do not know what you thought or what happened with the late Last Cangse, but do not forget yourself again. You will copy Chivalry, Etiquette and Gentlemanly Conduct 30 times in handstand." Xichen states, no longer the nephew but the future Leader of his clan.
"Yes, Heir Lan." His Uncle accepts and soon he leaves to start his punishment. Xichen sighs as he turns to greet the next group, not having time to process everything for now...