Chapter Text
“Lan Zhan…..” Wei Ying called out from the other side of the street. He was so happy to see his beloved friend, he could not stand still. He had to jump up and down in excitement.
“Tch…how embarrassing!” Wei Qingyang muttered into her breath. Wen Ning and Wen Qing looked at her questioningly. “It is Lan Wangji, second master of Lan and a-xian’s friend. My didi would not shut up about him ever since they met two years back.”
Wen Qing snorted. “How sweet!” Wen Ning uttered with admiration. Wei Qingyang pinched his cheeks, “you are sweet”, she giggled. Wen Qing narrowed her eyes on the other woman and looked as if she had something to say to Wei Qingyang. In the end she chose not to say anything.
Wei Ying ignored what was happening next to him.
“Lan Zhan…look over here….” Wei Ying shouted across the street.
Finally, Lan Zhan noticed his friend. He talked to his brother next to him, and they both crossed the street to meet up with their friends.
“Lan Zhan, I am so happy to see you.” Wei Ying linked his arms around the second jade as soon as he came.
“Wei Ying.” Lan Zhan said. He looked visibly happy to see his precious friend. Wei Ying beamed at him. For a few seconds, they looked at each other, cataloguing the changes that had happened in the past two years.
“Lan Zhan, you are taller than me now!” Wei Ying had to tilt his head to look up to his face.
“Mn.”
“How are you? When did you arrive? Do you want to explore Nightless City together? Oh! I am so happy, Lan Zhan” Wei Ying talked non-stop. Before Lan Zhan replied, Lan Xichen cleared his throat.
“Hello, Xichen-ge” Wei Ying waved his hand with a sheepish smile.
“Hello, Wuxian.” Lan Xichen nodded, “How about you introduce others before you forget everything because of my brother.” He teased Wuxian.
“Ha ha…when did I forget anyone? You are exaggerating, right, Lan Zhan?” Wei Ying looked flustered.
“Mn.” Lan Zhan patted Wei Ying’s hand which was holding his arm.
Wei Ying grinned at the gesture and introduced others, “Xichen-ge, this is Wen Qing and Wen Ning, children of sect leader Wen Qiang. You have already met my sister, Wei Qingyang.” He then pointed at Lan brothers and introduced them as well, “this is Lan Xichen, now known as first jade of Lan, And this is his younger brother, Lan Wangji, also known as second jade. If you ask me, my Lan Zhan is second to none. He is an unparalleled gentleman, the untouchable flower of Gusu” Wei Ying said proudly.
Wei Qingyang and Wen Ning giggled. Wen Qing rolled her eyes. Lan Xichen laughed as he looked at his blushing brother.
“Wei Ying!” Lan Zhan said, his ears turning bright red. Fortunately it was hidden inside his hair.
“What? Lan Zhan, it is true.” Wei Ying giggled.
“Ridiculous!” Lan Zhan muttered and pulled Wei Ying away from the others. Wei Ying waved his hands at everyone, “We shall meet at that famous Fire-Dragon restaurant in another two hours,” and ran after Lan Zhan.
The remaining cultivators looked at each other in bewilderment after having been abandoned by the other two. Lan Xichen and Wei Qingyang did not look too shocked, though. They had seen this behaviour two years back when the Wei family had visited Gusu and Wei Ying and Lan Zhan had spent all their time together.
Lan Xichen bowed, “Wen-guniang, Wen-gongzi, this is our first time in Nightless city. Please take care of me.”
“Well, why don’t we walk around. Lan-gongzi, if there is anything interesting, we can take a closer look.” Wen Qing suggested politely.
“Of course. That is a good idea.” Lan Xichen agreed.
“Count us out,” Wei Qingyang took Wen Ning’s hand, “we have our own mission,” and left in a hurry.
“In that case, shall we go this way?” Lan Xichen pointed at a wider street full of shops. Wen Qing nodded her agreement and the two of them walked around the Nightless City for the next two hours.
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Lan Zhan and Wei Ying walked around, with Wei Ying still holding on to Lan Zhan’s arm. There was a comfortable silence. They were meeting after two years. Although they regularly exchanged letters, it was not the same as spending time with each other personally and there should have been some distance, some hesitation having met after a long time. However, that was not the case. It was as if they were never apart. The closeness and belonging they had felt previously was back in full force and their affection had not diminished at all.
“Lan Zhan, is this your first time in Nightless city?” Wei Ying asked after a while.
“Mn.”
“You know, we came here two years back, to buy our spiritual swords. It was just before we went to Gusu.” Wei Ying said.
“Are you close to Wen Qing?” Lan Zhan asked.
“Yes. We are like minded friends.” Wei Ying replied casually.
“How close?” Lan Zhan asked. He did not look at his friend.
Wei Ying looked sideways at his companion walking alongside him. Lan Zhan tried not to show his squirming heart. He held himself rigid.
“If you are asking about a romantic interest, then there is none. She is only my friend.” Wei Ying replied calmly. He saw Lan Zhan relax at that.
“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying whispered his name and waited for his friend to look at him. Lan Zhan did, it was not within himself to refuse his friend’s call.
Wei Ying looked into Lan Zhan’s eyes, “Shall I tell you a secret?” He asked.
“Mn”
“I think I am a cut sleeve” Wei Ying tightened his hold on Lan Zhan’s arm.
“Me too.” Lan Zhan whispered back.
“Oh!” Wei Ying looked surprised, and Lan Zhan hoped Wei Ying was also happy with that revelation.
No one spoke for a while. There was a strange sense of anticipation, as if the air between them was on the verge of something.
Suddenly, Wei Ying was jostled from his place by a man who was running through the crowd. Lan Zhan held Wei Ying by his shoulder to steady him and glared at the offender. Unfortunately, this cut through odd tension between them and everything went back to normal.
“Sorry,” The stranger apologized before running away. He looked afraid.
Wei Ying giggled, “You scared him, Lan Zhan”.
“Nonsense.” Lan Zhan replied with a huff.
“I know a small market around here who sell pretty trinkets. Can I take you there?” Wei Ying asked, “don’t worry. It will not be crowded now.”
“Mn”.
For the next two hours, they strolled the market. Wei Ying bought a pair of rabbit miniatures for Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan found him a beautiful set of red ribbons with cloud motifs. Happy and satisfied with their gifts, they went back to the main street where the Fire-Dragon restaurant was located.
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The restaurant was over crowded, filled with cultivators from various sects - all of them looking forward to the start of the discussion conference the next day. There were laughs in the air - friends engaged in friendly banter. There were glares exchanged - enemies meeting at the narrow path. Wine and food flowed endlessly, waiters performing near gymnastics to wade through the throng of people.
Fortunately, Wei Ying and Lan Zhan were early enough to get a private table on the second floor. They sipped their cooling poppy seed sherbet to ward off the heat of the day as they waited for their friends to arrive.
They did not have to wait for long. Wen Qing and Lan Xichen arrived together. They both were engaged in a healthy debate on commercial land taxes and commercial water taxes, and why they should be different. Wei Qingyang and Wen Ning came five minutes later, looking excited.
It took them more than ten minutes to settle on the order, with Wei Wuxian and Wei Qingyang arguing about the dishes on the menu. It was Wen Qing who cut through the nonsense and took it upon herself to place the order with their waiter. She ordered eight dishes with rice for everyone, including four non-spicy vegetarian dishes for the Lan brothers. And for the drinks, poppy seed sherbet won the unanimous vote.
Wei Qingyang stole Wei Ying’s drink, too impatient to wait for her own. Wei Ying protested, “Hey!” and Wei Qingyang stuck out her tongue.
“Guess what we found out!” Wei Qingyany exclaimed to the group. Wen Ning nodded, “Qingyang-jiejie was too good at this.” He looked at her admiringly.
“What did you do with my brother?” Wen Qing asked suspiciously. She looked at Wei Qingyang accusingly. She feared her baby brother would be corrupted in this girl’s company. Wei Qingyang rolled her eyes at Wen Qing.
Wei Ying snorted in amusement.
“Please share, Wei-guniang.” Lan Xichen asked. He studiously ignored the byplay between the ladies.
“Qingyang-jijie wanted to find out about the participants. So, we listened to many people talking in the streets.” Wen Ning answered.
“What did you find out?” Lan Xichen asked curiously.
“Lan Zhan, isn’t gossip forbidden in the Lan clan?” Wei Ying leaned into Lan Zhan’s shoulder and whispered into his ears. Lan Zhan shivered.
“Yes. But we are not in Cloud Recesses.” Lan Zhan murmured back.
Wei Ying grinned. “My friend is a rebel, I see. I do not have to be scared of breaking rules.”
“Mn. Wei Ying can break as many rules as he wants.” Lan Zhan’s eyes softened as he looked at Wei Ying.
Wei Ying leaned further into Lan Zhan and whispered, “spoiling me as always.”
“Mn.”
“Stop flirting and listen to me.” Wei Qingyang shouted at her brother and his friend, from across the table.
Wei Ying blushed and Lan Zhan looked pleased.
“Go on.” Wen Qing waved her hands at Wei Qingyang.
“Okay. Xichen-ge, I did try to find out as much as possible about the senior category. Nie sect heir, Nie Mingjue would be participating in sword fighting. People believe him to be a solid contender for the first place. There are also Ouyang and He clan cultivators who are famous for their sword fighting. The Bai clan has sent their best archer. Of course, there are many who are betting on the first jade of Lan. I too for sure believe Xichen-ge will win.” Wei Qingyang shared.
“Thank you, Wei-guniang.” Lan Xichen replied.
“What about the junior category?” Wei Ying asked.
“This is where it gets interesting.” Wen Ning replied excitedly.
“Yes. This year’s junior group has many prominent cultivators. Jin Zixuan, the son of former Jin sect leader, Jin Guangshan, is famous for his archery skills.” Wei Qingyang said.
“What about the son of the current sect leader, Jin Guangchan?” Wen Qing asked,
“Jin Zixun? Many people say he is an idiot, a pompous ass. No one talks about his skills. Maybe he is not good enough.” Wei Qingyang replied.
Wen Qing nodded. “Continue…”
“Well, everyone is also eager to see how the Jiang sect heir would perform. This is the first time he is participating and they are all wondering how the son of Violet Spider would fare in the competition.” Wei Qingyang added.
“What about Jiang-guniang? I believe Jiang-gongzi has an elder sister.” Wei Ying asked.
“You are right. However, I have heard that she suffered an illness during her childhood and is unable to cultivate. She is, however, attending the conference to support her brother and her fiance.” It was Wen Qing who answered.
“I remember. Jiang-giniang is engaged to Jin Zixuan.” Lan Xichen commented.
“Yes. They will probably marry within five years.” Wen Qing replied.
“And the most famous is our Lan Wangji, second jade of Lan.” Wei Qingyang said excitedly.
“Of course, it is only natural. Lan Zhan will win first prize in both sword and archery. It is a pity there is no competition arranged for musical cultivation. He would come first in that as well.” Wei Ying declared proudly and squeezed Lan Zhan's arms.
“Wei Ying!”
“Now, don’t scold, Lan Zhan. Instead, why don’t you make my words come true!” Wei Ying challenged.
“As Wei Ying wishes.” Lan Zhan looked at Wei Ying with a burning intensity.
Just then, a knock on their private room diverted their attention. It was their waiter who came with their food and drinks.
Soon, they were busy filling their stomachs. Within half an hour, they managed to finish everything they had ordered. As the oldest of the group, Lan Xichen paid for the meal. After, everyone went back to their guest quarters to rest and also prepare for the opening dinner ceremony that night.
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“Welcome to the 469th discussion conference,” Wen Qiang, the Wen sect leader, raised a toast to everyone present in the hall, “Today let us enjoy the banquet laid in front of us. There is wine for everyone. And for those who do not prefer wine, there is tea,” he looked at the Lan contingent seated nearby, “as we have been blessed with many years of peace and prosperity, I have taken this occasion to invite our rogue cultivator friends into our fold. They say that walking a thousand kilometres is better than reading a thousand books. With their practical night hunting experiences and the knowledge of the people, along with our noble education, my hope is to have a friendly exchange of ideas and thoughts. With that, I once again welcome everyone. Let the feast begin.”
Cultivators from all the major and minor sects were in attendance. They all were seated according to their prominence on either side of the sect leader Wen. There were also a few rogue cultivators, including Wei Changze, who had formed a small group and were seated at the end. All of them clapped enthusiastically and started partaking in the dishes and drinks presented to them. The disciples who would be participating in the competitions were not present as they needed to be in top form to win glory to their respective clans.
The dinner was over too soon. But the revelry did not end. There was an endless supply of wine and tea. Once the formal meal was over, it was time for the cultivators to walk around and mingle with each other.
It was then that Wei Changze and his family were noticed by the Jiang sect leader. It had been almost five years since they last had contact.
“Changze, how are you?” Jiang Fengmian greeted him happily.
“Greeting, sect leader Jiang. I am doing fine. I hope you and your family are well.” Wei Changze bowed formally.
“Come now, Changze. No need to be so formal.” Jiang Fengmian gently admonished.
Wei Changze shook his head in disagreement, “Etiquette must be followed. Manners must not be forgotten.”
“You!” Jiang Fengmian exclaimed, “forget it. How is Cangse Sanren? And your children must also be attending.”
“My wife is well and she is with the children. Wei Wuxian will be participating in talisman theory discussions tomorrow. And my daughter, Wei Qingyang, would fight with her sword.” Wei Changze answered. He looked proud of his children.
“Oh, I did not realise you gave your name to the adopted daughter.” Jiang Fengmian was surprised.
“Yes. I do not think there should be any difference between real born and adopted children. If you are going to call someone a daughter, then make it formal and lasting. There is no need to do a half-hearted attempt.” Wei Changze replied gently.
“Ha…ha….you are right.” Jinag Fengmian agreed.
“What about Madam Yu, your son and daughter?” Wei Changze asked.
“Sanniang did not want to attend. She is busy with her night hunts. You know how she is.” Jiang Fengmian asked. Wei Changze nodded - he really knew how she was.
“My a-cheng would participate in archery and sword fighting. I have high hopes. And Yanli is here too. Although she cannot participate, it is good for her to talk to her peers and build connections.” Jiang Fengmian added.
“Of course. Then I wish your son and daughter all the best. Now, please excuse me, sect leader Jiang. Lan Qiren wanted to have a word with me.” Wei Changze bowed.
“Sure. Go ahead. Lan and their bedtimes. Don’t keep him waiting.” Jiang Fengmian dismissed with a wave of his hand.
Wei Changze bowed once again and hurriedly walked towards the Lan side of the hall. It really was not just an excuse. Although Wei Changze wanted to have as little contact as possible with the Jiang sect, he did want to talk to Lan Qiren.
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Next morning, Lan Zhan pulled his brother and uncle towards the hall where cultivators who had achievements in the discipline of talismans, arrays, and formation, would give a talk. He could not wait to see Wei Ying and learn about his new inventions.
“Wei Ying would be sharing his new inventions, uncle. You did like the copy talismans he gave last time when he was at Gusu, didn’t you?” Lan Zhan persuaded his uncle, and Lan Qiren had to acknowledge he was curious as well. Lan Xichen did not need any persuasion. He readily followed his brother.
There were only twenty or so cultivators present in the hall - a pitiful number, indeed. The Lan cultivators were last to arrive.
There were five talisman experts who would give a talk that day, the youngest being Wei Wuxian, who was only fourteen years old. First one to get up was a fifty year old cultivator from Zhu, a small clan south of Qishan. He spoke for half an hour about the functions of the cinnabar used to draw the talismans and how the quality of the ink itself affects the effectiveness of the result.
He was followed by a female cultivator who looked to be thirty five years old who presented a new talisman writing brush, which was smudge proof and aided easy drawing. This caught Lan Qiren’s attention.
“Xichen, make a note of it. We will order a few and see if it is good.” Lan Qiren instructed his nephew.
“Yes, uncle. I will get all the details from this cultivator.” Xichen agreed.
The next two talks were not interesting. And then it was Wei Ying’s turn. Lan Zhan sat straight and corrected his posture in attention - although it was already Lan perfect. Wei Ying noticed Lan Zhan and waved enthusiastically from the stage. Lan Zhan nodded at Wei Ying in encouragement.
“Well, I do not have any topic to discuss. I do have my new invention that I would like to present. I thank the Wen sect leader for giving me this opportunity,” Wei Ying bowed to the audience and took out two compasses. “I call this Compass of Evil. The compass essentially points at the concentration of the resentful energy. There are two versions of this. The brown compass is for the ordinary people and they can be operated without spiritual energy. It has only a basic function, in that, it only points in the direction of resentful energy. WIth the help of this, they can escape from danger. The black compass is for the cultivators and it needs their qi to operate. It has colour indicators inside the disk. Along with pointing at the mass of resentment, the colour indicators will decide the intensity of the energy, thus helping cultivators to deduce the opponent they might face.” Wei Ying finished.
There was a round of applause as all of them were impressed by the young cultivator. Wei Ying was the last one to speak and then the discussion was concluded for lunch. Afternoon was for discussion arrays and formations.
“Wei Wuxian, please come here.” Lan Qiren called. Lan Zhan looked at his uncle curiously and was surprised. He had never seen his uncle this excited.
“Lan Laoshi.” Wei Wuxian bowed to Lan Qiren. Lan Zhan saw his uncle pleased with the way he was addressed and suddenly understood. Of course, his uncle would be impressed with Wei Ying’s intellect.
“Do you have plans for this afternoon?” Lan Qiren asked Wei Wuxian.
“No. I am free. I am supposed to have lunch with my family, though.” Wei Wuxian replied.
“Then, I have lunch with us. I will ask your family to join us as well. I want to discuss your compass.” Lan Qiren invited Wei Wuxian.
“Of course, Lan Laoshi. I would be honoured.” Wei Wuxian bowed respectfully.
“Xichen, invite Wei Wuxian’s parents and his sister to our guest quarters. And make sure you ask someone to serve us lunch there.” Lan Qiren instructed his nephew.
“Yes, of course.” Lan Xichen bowed and left to do as his uncle bid.
“Come with us, then” Lan Qiren led the way towards their rooms assigned by the Wen sect. Wei Ying and Lan Zhan followed dutifully.