chibi comms from earlier this year!

Favorite moments in MDZS manhua, chap 212:

(covers novel chap 81, donghua ep 32, audio drama S3Ep8, & The Untamed ep 45)

Our Junior babies and undead uncle protects everyone alongside WangXian

Those zombies looked vile, love how badass Wen Ning looked.

Ouyang Zizhen is such a good boi! 🥺

Jin Ling risking his life and limb to his uncle's wrath in order to protect everyone. Another good boi!

WangXian beautiful together.

So proud of themmmmm

Uncle Qiren meant well but the look on Lan Zhan's face was still basically 🥺🥺🥺

This fooler. I can never hate him cuz of all consuming adorable moments like this.

I love how the Burial Mounds raid started out being fully anti- Yiling Laozu but by the end, everyone was totally listening to his Greatness. Such a wonderful difference from the raid in the past.

Ok so for the next chapter, the donghua gave us WangXian in red wedding robes basically... wonder if the manhua will do something as creative or just stick to the og script. 😂

~

Official raws of the manhua (behind paywall): https://m.kuaikanmanhua.com/mobile/1749/list/

English release of the og MDZS novels (mother of all adaptations) available for pre-order at Sevenseasdanmei.com

MDZS carrd for all adaptations of MDZS: https://mxtxnovels.carrd.co/#mdzs

from the medieval welsh englynion of canu heledd (ed. and trans. jenny rowland) 

the untamed englyn series

The Rise (MDZS fic)

Okay, so I kept mentioning the Immortal Wei Wuxian MDZS fic I was working on, and now I'm ready to post the first part of it. This hasn't been beta'd and I'm sure it'll be changed somewhat if I formally post it, but for now, here it is.

Don't think there's any trigger warnings here, other than minor character deaths which happen off-screen, and someone attempting to hit a child which is prevented.

*******

There it was again, a nagging sensation similar to a gnat buzzing in one’s ear. Baoshan Sanren frowned as she gave up on meditating, thoroughly annoyed by the mental ‘buzzing’. At least, until she realized the source behind the annoyance.

It was the talisman she’d given Cangse Qi in case she was ever in danger.

Baoshan Sanren surged to her feet and left the simple hut she’d spent the last several months ensconced in for meditation, Zhen Lu already unsheathed and ready to be mounted as soon as she stepped outside.

While her disciples were forbidden from returning once they left, she gave each of them a talisman upon their departure in case they ever faced true danger. So far, only one other than Cangse Qi had ever used it. Knowing how stubborn and independent her disciples were, especially Cangse Qi, Baoshan Sanren realized that something must be truly wrong for the young woman to deploy the talisman and so wasted no time in finding her.

It took little of her vast power to hide her presence as she flew with incredible speed to where the talisman called out from, which turned out to be a small city in the shadows of the Burial Mounds. Yiling had grown from barely more than the farming village it had been the last time she’d visited it, but the presence of the Burial Mounds and the resentful energy it emanated would always repress its surroundings.

Gazing at the ominous sight of the darkness-enshrouded mountain, she hoped that her headstrong disciple hadn’t done anything impulsive, such as take on the Burial Mounds without adequate support. Yet the call of the talisman tugged her toward the heart of Yiling and not the mountain, so if Cangse Qi had been injured fighting the malevolent place or its undead creatures, she had at least retreated back to the city.

Baoshan Sanren landed without a sound on top of a fabric shop then hopped down to ground in a quiet alley beside it; she’d arrived in the late afternoon, when people were busy finishing their work or tasks for the day and wanted to return home. A simple illusion spell and Baoshan Sanren walked among the mortals without any attention paid to her, intent on her goal.

She heard the commotion as she approached an inn, one that appeared affordable and mostly well-maintained; a child was crying while a woman’s sharp voice rang out in anger.

“Go away! There’s nothing here for you, you stupid brat!”

“But Mama told me—“

“She’s gone, I’ve told you that several times! Now go away, too!”

Baoshan Sanren slipped unnoticed through the crowd like a minnow through the roots of lotus plants, until she stood at the front of the people gathered to watch a middle-aged woman dressed in dark brown garments made from cheap fabric swat a broom at a young, crying child who couldn’t be older than three or four years old.

She felt a protective urge toward the boy even before she noticed the talisman carved from white jade which hung from his neck, the same talisman which she’d given to Cangse Qi before her talented, independent disciple left to follow her own path, the same talisman which sent out a beacon for help.

“Mama and Papa said—“

“They’ve abandoned you, you shitty brat. No one wants you!” The woman went to hit the child with the broom, only for it to be cut in pieces by Zhen Lu as Baoshan Sanren stationed herself before whom she suspected to be Cangse Qi’s child—especially once she caught sight of the boy’s silver-grey eyes. As the crowd gasped in surprise and the woman recoiled in fear, Baoshan Sanren reached back with her left hand to gently grasp the child by the shoulder and tug him close; he clung to her skirts without hesitation.

“If you raise a hand to this child again, you’ll lose it,” she promised the woman, who quickly dropped the handle of the broom and bowed in apology. “Where are his parents?” Where was Cangse Qi? Baoshan Sanren refused to believe that her disciple would abandon her own son.

“My…my lady, they’ve disappeared,” the woman said as she clutched at her skirts with trembling hands. “They were cultivators and paid three nights for the room and have been gone for a week. We let the boy stay a couple of extra days in case they returned, but they never did and we’re not an orphanage.”

That explained the child’s dirty and bruised appearance; he must have been living on the street after being thrown out of the inn, remaining nearby in hopes that his parents would return. “What about his parents’ belongings?”

The woman’s round face paled at the question, which made Baoshan Sanren suspect that she’d planned to keep the ‘found’ items, that or sell them. “Give me a minute to retrieve them, my lady.” As she turned to go into the inn, the woman scowled at the crowd. “Go on, nothing to see here!”

People grumbled at being called out for their nosiness but slowly began to disperse. While they did, Baoshan Sanren sheathed her sword then knelt in front of the boy. “What’s your name?” she asked as she used the sleeve of her white and light grey hanfu to gently clean his dirt-streaked face.

“Wei Ying,” he said as he gazed at her with eyes the exact shade as Cangse Qi’s. For a moment, she felt as if she was trapped in an echo of time, was back in Zhouzhuang and had just found an orphaned young girl living among feral cats. Even Wei Ying’s smile was the same as his mother’s. “You’re Mama’s friend.”

“Yes, I am, but how do you know that?” It was just a spark, but he had the beginnings of a golden core, a clear sign that Cangse Qi must have begun his training already.

“Mm! Mama told me if anything happens to her or Papa, to hold this and think real hard for help.” He held up the jade talisman, carved into the shape of a pussy willow branch. His smile faded as tears welled up in his large, silvery-grey eyes. “Mama promised that they’d be back by morning.”

“I’m sure she meant it,” Baoshan Sanren soothed as she hugged the boy close, inwardly appalled that Cangse Qi had left her own child behind to night-hunt with her husband, in Yiling of all places. Had they dared to tackle the Burial Mounds, just the two of them? While they waited for the innkeeper to return, she surreptitiously cast a talisman to look for her wayward disciple.

The odious woman handed over a small bundle filled with a few toys, Wei Ying’s clothes, some odds and ends and two qiankun pouches. Baoshan Sanren suspected that the only reason that any of Cangse Qi’s or her husband’s belongings remained was that the greedy woman couldn’t open the magical bags nor easily sell them. She tucked them into her qiankun sleeve before she picked up Wei Ying and walked away without further word.

“Let’s get you something to eat,” she said, which prompted a faint cheer from the boy; he could use the food, judging from how thin he was, and it would give time for her spell to find Cangse Qi…if the woman was still alive.

Baoshan Sanren doubted there would be such an outcome, but she couldn’t leave without knowing for certain.

They found a stall selling pork-filled baozi; she bought several and had to watch over Wei Ying so he didn’t eat too fast and make himself sick. Once he realized that she wouldn’t take the food away or disappear, he slowed down, his gaze on her the entire time he nibbled on the soft buns like an anxious rabbit.

She’d raised several disciples over the decades, but there was something about this boy, about the intelligence in his eyes and the sweetness of his smile…

There was a rush of sadness when the talisman returned, a tiny ball of dark blue light which she vanished before Wei Ying noticed it. The color indicated that, as she suspected, Cangse Qi was dead and her son now orphaned. Baoshan Sanren had every intention of ensuring that the child would find a safe home, but now…now resolve formed inside of her to keep the boy.

He would be safe with her, could grow to his full potential with her, learn about his mother and follow in Cangse Qi’s footsteps. She didn’t know much about his father, but such things could be found out, she supposed, especially if he decided to leave her mountain one day.

But that was the future, and this was the present. She gathered Wei Ying, sleepy now that his belly was full, in her arms and strode toward a quiet alley where she could teleport them back home. Part of her wanted to rush to Cangse Qi ’s resting place and recover her disciple’s body, but the living was more important than the dead. She’d see to Wei Ying then come back for Cangse Qi and her husband, certain that they’d rather she focus on their son first.

*******

“A-Ying! A-Shen! What are you—aiya! Get down here now!”

Baoshan Sanren sighed as she set her cup of tea aside, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her mouth despite the exasperation and concern in Mo Luli’s voice.

After all, it was quite the common occurrence in the last ten years.

It didn’t take long for Mo Luli to march the two boys into Baoshan Sanren’s study, her assistant’s narrow face set in a scowl while the boys showed obvious signs of flight with the way that their long hair was tousled and their cheeks flushed. “What was it this time?”

“They were doing acrobatics in the air,” Mo Luli said with the grievance of one who’d long suffered from Wei Ying’s death-defying antics. “I thought my poor heart would stop when I saw A-Shen falling through the air.”

“We were practicing a special move,” Xiao Shen explained, his expression the usual one of utmost peace and trust as he glanced at his older ‘brother’. “A-Ying always catches me.”

“I would never let him fall,” Wei Ying insisted as he rubbed the hilt of his sword, Ziyou, which used to be Cangse Qi ’s. “I had my binding spell ready just in case.”

“I’m sure you did.” Wei Ying took his job as Xiao Shen’s big brother very seriously, ever since she’d brought home the younger boy five years ago. She motioned for the boys to join her at the table while Mo Luli bowed then left the room. “However, you should give a warning to the others before you practice such things.”

Wei Ying rubbed the side of his nose while he considered her advice then nodded. “Yes, Teacher. I promise to do so from now on.” Beside him, Xiao Shen nodded in agreement.

“Good.” Baoshan Sanren smiled as she poured them tea; she supposed someone else would insist that the boys stop their antics, but she knew her disciples well enough that they’d just find an isolated part of the mountain (easy enough to do) and continue their antics, as well as they were skilled enough to practice them. In all her years, she’d never had a disciple as brilliant and talented as Wei Ying, and Xiao Shen held almost as much promise.

For a moment, she felt a pang of regret that Cangse Qi wasn’t here to watch her son grow up, to witness his potential unfurl, then pushed the emotion aside.

“Now, tell your teacher what you’ve been up to, other than scaring everyone,” she said as she placed cups of tea in front of the boys.

Wei Ying’s grey eyes lightened with delight before he paused and glanced at Xiao Shen so the younger boy could talk first, as thoughtful as always. Xiao Shen’s cheeks flushed a little from the attention as he told her about their day: sword practice, meditation, crafting new talismans and studying the texts she’d assigned them.

He’d be ready for his own sword, soon, which was probably why Wei Ying had involved him in his flying antics. She had them show her the talismans they’d created, as always amazed by Wei Ying’s ingenuity. Xiao Shen wasn’t the innovator that his shidi was, but exposure to Wei Ying’s cleverness benefited him greatly in that he could adapt existing ones to suit his needs.

Which he would need one day.

Baoshan Sanren could already tell that Xiao Shen would leave her mountain one day; she’d long grown adept at spotting the signs. It was the way he gazed longingly down the mountain, the way he soaked up whatever news Mo Luli, Tao Niu or the others brought back whenever they returned from rare supply runs, the way he always asked questions about ‘down there’.

Wei Ying was curious about the world below as well, but he’d sworn to never leave her. At first, she’d thought the words to be a child’s nonsense; the boy trying to cheer her up and thank her for saving him. Yet as each year passed, he continued to assert that he would remain at her side and not abandon her. That he would strive for immortality so she wouldn’t be alone.

As he was the first disciple who had a high probability of reaching immortality…she found herself unable to discourage him. Was it so wrong of her, after watching disciple after disciple throw away so much potential? After watching Cangse Qi, one of her most beloved, do just that, after she had so much hope for the young woman?

Now she had a second chance with Cangse Qi’s son, one she wouldn’t let slip away without a fight.

*******

Wen Ning panted for breath as he crouched behind a mountain laurel, a sleeping Wen Yuan tied tight in a sling against his chest and Wen Lai huddled next to his side. He signaled the young girl, her face pinched with exhaustion, to remain quiet then watched for signs of the remaining Wen and Jin soldiers he hadn’t managed to evade after their last skirmish.

He’d hoped that they’d give up on following him eventually, as he was merely a low-level cultivator, but it seemed his tie to Wen Ruohan was too strong—more likely, his blood-tie to Wen Ruohan was too strong, as was that of the children with him. His core might not be powerful, but the potential of leverage he, A-Yuan and A-Lai held against his sister was too much to let slip.

(That and they must have scented blood.)

Which was in part why he’d run away in the first place, why Wen Zemin had given up his life (such as had been left) in an attempt to free his children from a life of being pawns. Wen Qing hadn’t been happy about their decision, but she’d understood and hadn’t stood in their way.

Wen Ning had run all the way to some faraway mountain reputed to be haunted by the locals, desperate for somewhere to hide (to rest, to recuperate) until the remaining three soldiers finally gave up on following him-that or he could ambush them. When he’d begun his journey, he’d never imagined harming anyone, but now he had two precious lives to protect, two lives he refused to allow his uncle to ever hurt again.

He let go of A-Lai’s hand so he could shrug his unstrung bow free, then carefully slid A-Yuan to the side enough to be out of the way before he strung the bow. He’d just notched an arrow (and bit his lip at the pain which spread through his left side at the motion) and thought he saw one of the soldiers approaching when he realized that A-Lai was no longer at his side.

Forcing himself not to call out her name, he glanced aside and caught a glimpse of his young cousin right before she vanished into nothing a mere few feet away. Stunned by what had just happened, he stumbled toward where she’d disappeared, confused by what had just happened, with an arrow nocked at the ready.

A hand appeared out of thin air to yank him forward.

“What—“

“SHH!”

Wen Ning’s eyes went wide as a hand belonging to a young man around his age covered his mouth to prevent him from speaking; he appeared to be behind a ward of some sort. Two things made him lower his bow: A-Lai was off to the side playing with what looked to be a glowing red swallow, a bright smile on her face, and a sense of immense power roiled off the young man.

“You’re safe behind the wards, they won’t sense them or be able to cross them if someone doesn’t help,” the young man said as he slowly released Wen Ning. His silver-grey eyes widened as he noticed A-Yuan. “Baby! Oh, how cute,” he cooed, his voice pitched low.

“Ah, who are-“

Wen Ning was cut off once again.

“Oh, let me deal with those guys,” the young man-a powerful cultivator, surely, considering the strength of his golden core. “You want them gone, right? They can’t be good if they’re harassing you and these two.”

Wen Ning blinked at the offer and fought to remain on his feet. “Uhm, yes? Yes, pl-please.”

The young man, dressed in dark grey and red, smiled a blindingly bright smile and nodded once, which made his long hair, pulled into a high ponytail, swing back and forth. “Got it!” His voice was pitched low yet still conveyed much emotion.

He stepped toward the ward then waved his right hand in the air; glowing characters appeared in the wake of his fingers, a talisman created in the air instead of paper, a spell propelled forward with a flick of his elegant fingers which slammed into the three cultivators as they searched through the mountain’s brush. Once the magic faded into their bodies, they straightened up and strode down the mountain as if chasing something.

Wondering if the last few minutes were part of a fever dream, Wen Ning gaped at the young man. “Wha-what did yo-you do?”

The youth beamed at him. “Nothing much. The spell will make them head off for a few hundred li, and once it wears off, they won’t remember where they’ve been. That’ll get them far away from here and off your trail.” He frowned at Wen Ning as he rubbed the tip of his nose. “You are running away from them, yes? Teacher and A-Chen tell me I’m too impulsive, but I can’t imagine anyone protecting two kids is a bad person.”

“No! No, I…I th-thank you.” All of a sudden, the last few days caught up with Wen Ning; the world spun around him and he barely had time to free A-Yuan and thrust him toward the young man who’d just saved him before everything went grey.

*******

Everything felt warm and soft around Wen Ning, which was enough to make him to force his eyes open; the last few months had been anything but warm and soft as he sacrificed every comfort for the sake of his cousins. Yet as he took in his surroundings, he realized that he was indeed laid out on a comfortable, clean bed, that the room he’d been placed in was warm, filled with sunlight and airy, that the wound he’d received days ago was mostly healed and no longer infected.

He also was bursting with energy, his golden core fully restored and more powerful than it had ever been.

“How do you feel?”

Oh, there was someone with him, too.

He blinked a few more times before he managed to turn his head to the side (soft pillows, when was the last time his head had rested on such soft pillows?) to find a woman of undetermined age seated next to his bed.

A woman who emanated even more power than the young man from earlier.

“Ah… wu-well, th-thank you.” He blushed over the way he stuttered, uncertain if it was his normal habit or from being in her presence.

The woman hummed for a moment then reached out to brush her cool fingers along his forehead. “That’s good, though what one would expect with the way that A-Ying healed you.” A very slight frown marred her unlined face for a moment. “You were very close to death, you know.”

Yes, which was why he’d been so desperate to find somewhere safe to rest and to lose the soldiers following him. Which led him to question where were the children, who were the young man who’d saved him and this woman, and what was this place? “Uhm…I’m very grateful for everything.” He attempted to sit up so he could bow, but was prevented by the woman’s firm grip on his left shoulder. “Th-this one is Wen Qionglin. Ah, where are th-the children?”

“They’re safe,” she assured him as she sat back in the chair; she tucked aside the full sleeves of her white and grey robes before she reached toward a small table and a pot of tea on top of it. “They’re with A-Ying.” She didn’t speak again until she picked up the full teacup and turned to face him. “This one is Baoshan Sanren, and you’re on my mountain.”

For a moment, Wen Ning wondered if he was still unconscious and this was a fever dream; everyone had heard tales of Baoshan Sanren, a legendary cultivator who’d achieved immortality centuries ago then sequestered herself away on a remote mountain, only to leave it to find the occasional disciple. Those disciples remained on her mountain to learn from her, only leaving it with the understanding that they were never to return. The last known one had been Cangse Sanren, renowned for her powerful cultivation and free spirit, who’d long-since vanished along with her husband.

Yet here he lay, healed from a festering wound while a woman whose spiritual energy made it difficult to breathe held a cup of tea for him to take. “I…I…”

“Drink,” she commanded, her tone quiet yet determined, her dark brown gaze unwavering.

Wen Ning could do nothing but nod and accept the drink; it soothed his parched throat and tasted of mint and some herb he couldn’t place, and caused a tingling sensation throughout his body. Any lingering mental fugue vanished in the tingling’s wake, replaced by a sense of calmness.

“Thank you,” he said once the cup was empty; she plucked it from his hands to refill it.

“You’re welcome. Now, I’m sure you have many questions.” A slight smile lightened her lovely features when he nodded twice. “I must be honest with you, those who live on my mountain are expected not to interfere with the outside world, especially my disciples. A-Ying knows this well.” She sighed when she handed him the refilled cup. “Yet he wouldn’t be who he is if he allowed harm to come to the children, and he took action to preserve our isolation. The only question now is, what to do with you.”

“Me?” The word came out as a squeak as Wen Ning gazed in surprise (and a hint of fear) at the immortal. “What about me?” He frowned when he realized that he’d said that without a stutter.

“We may be isolated here, but we’re not entirely without news of the world below,” Baoshan Sanren said as she slipped her hands into the opposite sleeves of her robe. “From A-Ying’s description, the men following you wore the colors of the Qishan Wen and Lanling Jin sects. You admitted to being a Wen as well. We’ve heard about the war among the cultivation sects with the Qishan Wen emerging victorious, and how the Lanling Jin have willingly bent their knees before Wen Ruohan. That just leaves what you’ve done to earn your own clan’s ire.”

That was…a bit more up to date than he’d have expected from a supposed hermit living on top of a mountain, but she was an immortal, after all. Wen Ning ducked his head (and noticed that his hair had been cleaned, along with the rest of him) and sipped the tea as he tried to put his jumbled thoughts together.

“Ah…perhaps…perhaps you’ve heard that things aren’t very good now that Sect Leader Wen Ruohan won the war?” He peeked at Baoshan Sanren and let out a slow breath when she nodded, her face impassive. “He found two pieces of the Yin Iron and is cultivating resentful energy, it’s what enabled him to win the war. Everyone lives in fear of his undead army, and of joining it. Not even his own people are spared.”

Baoshan Sanren gazed at him for several seconds before she set the empty cup on the tray. “Using Yin Iron is dangerous and adverse to the body.”

“Yes!” Wen Ning nodded as he sat up straighter on the bed. “That’s why Sect Leader…well, A-jie, my sister, we’re from the Dafan Wens. We’re healers.”

“Yes, I’ve heard of your clan.” There was that faint smile again.

“Oh?” Wen Ning felt a spark of pride that a great immortal knew about the Dafan Wens. “Ah, uhm, well, A-jie-Wen Qing, she’s amazing! She’s the best doctor I know, maybe the best alive, and Sect Leader…” His shoulders drooped as he thought about what Wen Ruohan forced his sister to do. “He knows she’ll do anything to protect me and the rest of our family, so he threatens her with our lives to make her keep him healthy. I thought…I thought if I ran away, along with the children, that would be three less lives held against her.” Everyone else thought it was worth the chance, especially if A-Yuan and A-Lai could grow up free from Wen Ruohan’s influence.

“I see.” A slight frown marred Baoshan Sanren’s smooth forehead as her gaze seemed to turn inward for several seconds, until she gave a slight shake of her head. “I understand the logic of your decision, but we remain above the world’s battles here.”

Wen Ning’s shoulders slumped again; he hadn’t realized it, but there had been a faint hope as he’d told his story that the immortal would decide to descend her mountain and fight his uncle. “I understand.” He joined his hands and began to bow. “Thank you for-“

Once again, she prevented him from completing the act. “We will not involve ourselves, but that doesn’t mean we’ll be less than gracious hosts. There’s also the fact that you’re a cultivator; if you wish to become my disciple, then you are welcome to stay.”

At the mention of becoming the legendary Baoshan Sanren’s disciple, Wen Ning’s thoughts were filled with possibilities; of him learning from the immortal, of his weak core growing stronger, of him becoming strong and powerful, possibly enough to defeat his uncle on his own. Then he realized that they were fantasies, mere wishful thinking; while he was certain he would learn a great many of things from the woman and possibly increase the strength of his core (and maybe overcome the soul illness which had long plagued him), he didn’t have the time when his uncle held his sister captive and was determined to drown the world with the undead.

No, not that he believed himself to be much in the grand scheme of things, but he couldn’t hide on an immortal’s mountain when his family were in danger.

“I’m sorry, but no,” he said with great regret. “But…perhaps you can help me find somewhere safe for the children?”

The smile strengthened as Baoshan Sanren rose from the chair and went over to the open door and motioned to someone. “I believe we can assist with that.” She returned, sat down and held out her right hand; it took a moment for Wen Ning to realize she expected him to hold out his arm for her to check his meridians.

He did as she wanted, and shivered in awe when he felt a tendril of electrifying spiritual energy lightly probe at his qi. After a moment, she hummed and released his wrist.

“Have you noticed anything strange?”

“Uhm, yes?” He cradled his wrist against his chest as he once again considered his golden core. “My core…it’s stronger than before,” he admitted. “Did you…ah, I’m sorry, but…” How did he go about asking if an immortal had somehow helped with his cultivation?

Baoshan Sanren shook her head as she fussed with her full sleeves. “That wasn’t me, but A-Ying.” For a moment, an expression of fond exasperation flickered across her pale face. “I’m still trying to figure it out, but whatever he did to bring you back from the brink of death has tied the two of you together and given you additional strength.” As Wen Ning gasped in shock at the news, she shook her head again. “I’d berate him for his impulsiveness, but it’s nudged him closer to immortality.” She sounded pleased with that fact.

“Oh.” Wen Ning placed his right hand against his lower dantian, against the energy thrumming inside of him, and thought about the smiling youth who’d saved his life.

As if summoned by his thoughts, the young cultivator in question burst through the door with a tray held in his hands, a burbling A-Yuan strapped to his chest and a giggling A-Lai clinging to his back. “Teacher! A-Xui’s being mean to me again! She won’t let me try any of the mapo tofu she’s making for dinner!” He came to a sudden halt right before the bed; somehow, nothing on the tray was disturbed. “You’re awake! How are you feeling?”

Wen Ning blinked in surprise since the words were spoken in a rush while Baoshan Sanren chuckled and took the tray from her disciple’s hands; meanwhile, A-Lai cried out and clamored to be let down. The young man—A-Ying, according to Baoshan Sanren-hurried to comply and set her on the bed, where she launched herself at Wen Ning.

“Uncle Ning! Are you better now?”

He returned her hug and kissed the top of her head. “Yes, all better now. How are you and A-Yuan?” She also sported clean clothes, her hair neatly braided and appearance indicating that she’d been cared for while he’d been unconscious.

She smiled as she curled up next to him. “Ying-ge let me pet the baby goats and chicks, and we ate all this good food!” She bounced on the bed in her excitement, which made him smile. “And I got to play with A-Qiang while her mama fed A-Yuan!”

“Speaking of which.” A-Ying sat down on the bed and freed A-Yuan from the sling. “You probably want to see this little fellow.” He held A-Yuan toward Wen Ning, but the infant began to fuss so Wen Ning shook his head. “Aiya, all right, all right, I’ll hold you a little longer.” Despite his chiding tone, A-Ying didn’t seem to mind tending to the baby.

“A-Ying.”

The young man glanced at his teacher, who was holding a bowl of what looked to be some sort of broth out to Wen Ning. “Oh, right!” He stood up and managed a mostly proper bow while holding A-Yuan, who giggled at the motion. “This one is Wei Wuxian, but you can call me Wei Ying.” He smiled as he straightened up then sat down again. “Everyone tells me that I’m not serious enough for a courtesy name.”

Baoshan Sanren gave the youth a heavy look while Wen Ning accepted the bowl. “Were you trying to add more chili oil to our dinner before you came here?”

“Uhmmm….”

“Then I wonder why we believe such a thing.” Yet she seemed amused by her disciple, judging from the fond look she gave him.

“Uhm, thank you for saving me and the children.” Wen Ning bowed as much as he could while holding the bowl of soup. “I owe you our lives.”

“Ah, there’s no need of such things.” Wei Wuxian waved aside his words with a negligent motion of his right hand while he bounced a smiling A-Yuan on his knees. “Who wouldn’t help out someone in need, especially when they have two cuties with them?” He winked at A-Lai before he bent down to nuzzle A-Yuan’s head.

A lot of people, Wen Ning had learned as he’d fled from Qishan. However, before he could say anything, a stern look from Baoshan Sanren made him bow his head again and eat his soup. The broth had a medicinal taste to it as well, but nothing too strong.

“We should leave you to rest,” Baoshan Sanren said as she stood, the motion graceful. “You still need to heal.” She waved her right hand at the tray of food set on the small table by his bed, her white sleeve billowing in the air. “Make sure to eat everything.”

“She’s right, you need to get better,” A-Lai said as she patted Wen Ning’s chest before she wriggled off the bed. “Can I come back later?”

“That’s ‘may I come back later’, and the answer is yes.” Baoshan Sanren held out her hand for A-Lai to take, which the young girl latched onto eagerly, seemingly unaware of the immortal’s power or reputation. Meanwhile, Wei Ying smiled at Wen Ning as he stood as well, a babbling A-Yuan cradled against his chest.

“Don’t worry, I’ll continue to look after your little ones while you focus on healing. Nothing will harm them here.”

Despite everything that had happened in the last few weeks, Wen Ning believed him. “Thank you,” he said with as low as a bow he could manage while sitting in bed.

“Now, now, there’s no need of that between friends! I’ll bring them back after dinner.” Wei Ying gently grasped A-Yuan’s right arm and made the infant ‘wave’ goodbye to him. “We’ll see you then.”

Wen Ning waved back, feeling at peace for the first time that he could remember.

*******

“Look at that shot!” Wei Wuxian crowed while he thumped his brother on the back; Xiao Xingchen smiled at a blushing Wen Ning who ducked his head then hurried to reclaim the arrows from the target. “Ah, A-Ning, you make us look like amateurs, you do!”

Wen Ning blushed an even brighter shade of red as he shook his head. “A-Ying and A-Chen are very talented.”

What a shame; it had taken forever to get the shy young man to call them something other than ‘young Masters’, and now he was leaving. As Wei Wuxian pouted, his brother nudged him in the side. “Don’t be such a bully, A-Ying.”

Wei Wuxian gasped and clutched his hands to his chest in a dramatic manner. “When I am ever a bully?” When Xiao Xingchen and Wen Ning both gave him looks of long suffering, he laughed and flapped his right hand in the air. “All right, all right, stop ganging up on me. However, I speak nothing but the truth in that our dear A-Ning is very talented with the bow.”

“A-Ying…”

“Hm, that is true.” Xiao Xingchen gave a flustered Wen Ning one of his sweetest smiles as he walked over to the youth then patted him on the shoulder. “As Teacher insists, never be ashamed of your talent, merely avoid excessive pride and arrogance.”

“Mm, yes, A-Chen.” Wen Ning nodded twice, his embarrassment fading at the reminder; he may have declined Teacher’s invite to remain and become her disciple, but he’d spent the past few months eagerly soaking up everything she’d deigned to teach him.

Until now.

Xiao Xingchen patted him once more then walked away, leaving the two of them alone. Wei Wuxian sauntered forward with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Do you really have to go?”

Wen Ning paused in unstringing his bow (the bow that Wei Wuxian had made for him, that was a spiritual weapon and imbued with some of the strongest protective spells he knew) to gaze at him, his expression a mix of misery and resolve. “Yes. You know why.”

“I do,” Wei Wuxian sighed as he toed the ground with his left foot. “I just think that it would be better if you stayed a few more months, maybe learned a bit more from Teacher and…well, stayed a bit longer.”

The smile Wen Ning gave him was bittersweet. “I want to, I really do, but she’s already taught me so much, and there’s the copies of the medical texts she’s allowing me to take. If I stay any longer…I’ll never want to leave.”

Wei Wuxian wanted to ask if that was a terrible thing, staying on the mountain with him, Teacher, Xiao Xingchen, and the children, but he knew that Wen Ning had obligations down ‘there’, had family to save and a war to fight. He also knew that not everyone was like him and Teacher, content to remain in the clouds for the rest of their lives, that Xiao Xingchen was already making plans to leave once he felt that he’d learned enough.

To be honest, a part of Wei Wuxian wanted to go with Wen Ning, to be at his side while he fought against his uncle’s tyranny, to wander the world like his mother had set out to do. But there was so much to learn from Teacher; he’d only scratched the surface of what she knew and he wanted it all.

That and she was so lonely; she tried to hide it, but he caught the emotion shimmering in her eyes when she gazed at Xiao Xingchen while he faced toward the bottom of the mountain, whenever she talked about her past disciples, when the passage of time became noticeable on one of her assistants or the people who lived in the small village which saw to most of their needs.

He swore he wouldn’t let her be lonely anymore.

“A-Lai and A-Yuan will miss you.” Wei Wuxian blanched when he realized what that had sounded like and waved his hands about. “Aiya, I didn’t mean…well, they will miss you, but you know I’ll look after them, and I gave you the talismans so you can keep in touch with them and me!” He hadn’t meant for it to seem like he was trying to guilt his friend over leaving the two children behind.

“I know.” Done with his bow, Wen Ning slung it over his back, along with the quiver of arrows, then gingerly knocked their shoulders together. “To be honest, I wouldn’t be able to leave if I wasn’t certain that they have a home here.” He stepped aside so he could bow low. “Thank you for making my family your own.”

“Ah, don’t do that.” Wei Wuxian groaned as he pushed his friend upright. “Teacher may have claimed that I’m responsible for those two darlings since I saved them, but you know that she, A-Chen and A-Song will make sure that they’re raised properly.” At least, A-Chen would as long as he remained here, but Teacher wouldn’t let him fail too badly as a ‘father’, and A-Song was happy to help a fellow ‘parent’ out.

“Still, it’s clear that they adore you.” Wen Ning’s expression grew wistful as they headed back home. “I doubt A-Yuan will even remember me in a few months.”

“I won’t let him forget you.”

“Mm.”

It was quiet after that; Wei Wuxian wracked his brain to think of anything else he could give his friend before he left the next morning, never to return to the mountain. He wasn’t happy with Teacher’s decree, especially since it meant that Wen Ning had to leave behind his young cousins, but all Wen Ning cared about was that they were safe and well-cared for.

At least the young man had the talismans which would allow him to remain in contact with Wei Wuxian and the children, along with the nebulous bound between them. He still didn’t understand what he’d done when he’d attempted to heal Wen Ning, but somehow there was a connection between their cores which granted Wen Ning increased strength and vitality, as well as a ‘sense’ of Wei Wuxian’s presence.

Hopefully, it would keep him safe once he left the mountain.

They parted ways once they neared the cluster of buildings which made up the village of Teacher’s sanctuary; Wen Ning went to collect the children, who were with A-Song and A-Qiang, while Wei Wuxian intended to return to his own house (which he now shared with A-Lai and A-Yuan).

Halfway there, he came across Teacher as if she was waiting for him, her hands tucked into the sleeves of her pale grey robes. She gave him a gentle look as she fell in step beside him.

“You’re very close to immortality, A-Ying.”

He rubbed his nose with the knuckle of his right forefinger. “So you’ve said.” His core was so warm inside of him, like a miniature sun, filling him with near-boundless energy.

“If it’s still a path you intend to walk, then you must be aware that it’s a narrow one,” she continued, her gaze fixed ahead but her presence comforting beside him. “You must grow used to letting people go. There is much you can do once you achieve immortality, but not everything.” Her jaw tightened as if she were in pain for a moment. “And people aren’t like your talismans and arrays, something for you to tweak until you make them do whatever you want.”

It was quiet for a minute while he thought about what had been said, and then he nudged her arm. “I know, Teacher. But you’re on the path with me, no? So it’s not that narrow.”

Teacher didn’t say anything for a couple of seconds, until a slight huff of amusement slipped past her lips. “Incorrigible brat.”

“Your incorrigible brat.” He smiled at her, the expression brightening when she slowly returned it.

“Mine indeed.” She slipped her left arm through his elbow as they walked together on the same path.

*******

OK, so WWX isn't immortal YET. Give him a little longer (like the next part?). It's happening soon. Also happening soon, more characters appearing.

So, I know Baoshan Sanren is a title, as is Cangse Sanren. Right now I'm going with WWX's mom keeping the same 'family' name, but that's not set in stone. Thoughts? I really don't know what to do about Baoshan Sanren...

Also, this is a mix of MDZS/CQL.

I'm posting it here since IDK when I'll be able to focus on it so I'm hoping to throw bits up here and there. I've got another couple of stories I need to work on.

Early morning thoughts of cat jiang cheng and chinchilla wen ning

2019 parody doodles based on some tweets from incorrectmxtx!

veins. roots. vines. decay.

rebirth.

a-yuan + family

a nice... calm...? boat ride...

This is the most unappreciated mdzs/cql tiktok out there I’m sobbing with the accuracy

Couples in a friend group should include...

+ Bonus:

“Gusu Lan Sect, Lan Wangji.”

“Wei Ying.”

“Emperor’s Smile, I’ll share one with you, can you pretend you didn’t see me?”

“Why would I not dare to turn up here? I’ve faced 3000 people myself before.”

“Ah Xian.”

“I’d like to see just what minor and small evil spirits dare to create trouble here.”

“Becoming strong... this is something that is within my expectations.”

“Being hardworking in studies and practice is a priority for all Lan disciples.”

“How boring, where’s Fairy?”

“Walking quickly is forbidden in Cloud Recesses!”

“Who has summoned me? It sounds so familiar...”

“How did I end up meeting him again?”

陈情令 The Untamed Game Official PV 1

And we have a bonus character who literally has no character card because he’s that extra:

wwx: damn, look at that, the ex, the best friend and the winner! that's a whole harem!

them: 

wwx: and he doesn't even notice it ahahahahahahaha

The Untamed + Text Posts Pt. 6

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

ep 50 → wei “i brought you into this world and i can take you out of it” wuxian

Sleeby...

pt.1 // pt.2

the untamed + text post meme part 3 / part 1 / part 2

The absolutely stunning art of the MDZS donghua season 2 (end credits).

Edit: @sauvechouris pointed out in their tags that Jin Ling had been cropped out from the Jiang Cheng image. In the donghua, the end credit texts are scrolling over the art on the right hand side of the images, so I cropped that part out (perhaps one fourth or third of the width), and lost Jin Ling. That started bothering me though, so I went back and managed to get a screenshot where the text did not cover Jin Ling's face, and editing the text out from around him turned out not to mess the image up too badly (yay for water-colour texture). So now he's there 😊.

a series of siblings!