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add1ctedt0you · 1 year

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Everyone in mdzs plays an important role for the plot. Anyway, it seems to me that we know very little about most of the cast and what we know is filtered by the narrator's prospective or is narrated trough rumors. Now I am thinking about the Nie Brothers and in particular about Nie Mingjue. He is the fierce corpe whose mystery drives a huge part of the plot. But, what we know about Nie Mingjue? (disclaimer : these are English translations so a lot is lost from the original text. And these are only my opinions about this character based on some passage)

Someone can suggest this passage to figure nmj out:

As such, the ability to discern people's desires was truly Jin Guangyao's forte. The only person he could never seem to pry any useful information out of was Nie Mingjue.

Wei Wuxian had seen this firsthand, back when Meng Yao had worked under Nie Mingjue's command. The man never laid his hands on women, alcohol, or material wealth; paintings, calligraphy and antiques were all piles of ink and mud in his eyes. Top-grade premium tea tasted the same to him as dregs from a roadside stall. Meng Yao had racked his brain and still failed to identify anything Nie Mingjue might have a taste for, other than training with his saber every day and killing Wen dogs. He was truly an iron bastion, with no weaknesses to exploit.

Volume 2, Page 319

I think that this passage says less about nmj and more about wwx. (I personally think, but maybe I am wrong, that the second passage is from wwx's pov, so I am thinking according to that)

For wwx, based on his observations, nmj hasn't any weaknesses or any hobby because he doesn't like :

Women

Alcohol

Material wealth

Painting/calligraphy/antiques

Tea

For wwx nmj only likes :

To train with his saber

To kill wen dogs

Not even considering that this knowledge comes from wartime, where people, and in particular sect leaders, have to fight against their enemies, I am inclined to interpret this passage in two ways:

Wwx is judging nmj based on what he thinks ordinary sect leaders like best

Wwx is judging nmj based on what he likes best

I don't know what one of them is more appropriate but, again, for me this passage doesn't give any insight on nmj.

In fact I find more interesting this passage:

"... I apologize to all of the Sect Leaders. Everyone, I am afraid you don't know that the Wen Cultivator whom Wei Wuxuan wanted to save was called Wen Ning. We owe him and his sister Wen Qing gratitude for what happened during the Sunshot Campaign"

Nie Mingjue, "You owe them gratitude? Isn't the QishanWen the ones who caused the YunmengJiang Sect's annihilation?"

[...]

Lan Xichen responded a moment later, "I have heard of Wen Qing's name a few of times. I don't remember her having participated in any of the Sunshot Campaign's crimes"

Nie Mingjue, "But she's never stopped them either"

Lan Xichen, "Wen Qing was one of Wen RuoHuan's most trusted people. How could she have stopped them?"

Nie Mingjue spoke coldly, "If she responded with only silence and not opposition when the Wen Sect was causing mayhem, it's the same as indifference. She shouldn't been so disillusioned as to hope that she could be treated with respect when the Wen Sect was doing evil and be unwilling to suffer the consequences and pay the price when the Wen Sect was wiped out"

Lan Xichen knew that because of what happened to his father, Nie Mingjue abhorred Wen dogs more than anything, especially with how intolerable he was toward evil. Lan Xichen didn't say anything else.

Chapter 73

They are discussing about what to do with wwx who has killed jin and other's sects cultivators and has rescued the wen captives.

When jc tries to defend wwx, saying that them owe the wen siblings, nmj immediately intervenes remembering him about what the wen have done to his sect, asking what kind of gratitude they could ever have.

Then, when lxc tries to defend wq, nmj intervenes again saying that she has to take responsibility for her actions. Her silence is indifference, so, why shouldn't she have to suffer the consequences of the Sect she benefits from?

All of this, in my opinions, suggests that nmj is an extremely idealistic person. That doesn't mean that he has a black/white view of the world, only that he has strong principles for which he is ready to fight, even trying to impose himself.

That doesn't make him bad or good. He believes he is right but he respects people who fight for their principles even if these same ideals are opposed to his own.

Nie Mingjue, "The woman has much more backbone than the mob of her sect"

Nmj is talking about MianMian, someone who has tried to speak for wwx. She is mocked for that by other cultivators, because she is a servant woman, because her voice isn't important enough. MianMian stands for her own opinions but understanding that other people aren't really open minded towards dialogue, ("Fine! Your voice are louder! Fine! You are the rational ones!" that's what she says) she leaves her sect. A servant girl, now disciple, is leaving one of the four great sect, after standing her ground! Nmj shows admiration for her, despite she is in his opposite side, saying that she has more backbone than the mob (people who are mocking her but are on nmj's side).

In my view, Nmj has strong principles that he would try to impose but not mocking and demeaning his opponents, who he genuinely can admire.

Plus:

Lan Xichen knew that because of what happened to his father, Nie Mingjue abhorred Wen dogs more than anything, especially with how intolerable he was toward evil.

Nmj is intolerable toward evil, but in this one, my guess is that his past trauma also plays a huge role. Nmj watched in horror as his father's saber broke battling a beast, which then gored him with its horn. He was forced to see his only still alive parental figure being killed indirectly by wrh's hand (wrh has sabotaged his father's saber), and then he was forced to become a young sect leader. The age isn't clear, but he was a teenager. Anyway, I think his trauma plays a huge role on his decisions and that, again, doesn't make him good or bad. We are in a world where people are ready to take their revenge taking down also innocent people: nhs is ready to put in danger innocent Junior's life to take his revenge, wwx kills at least one hundred innocent disciples who are at the siege because it's their role as disciples, because he is emotionally destroyed by his sister's death.

But I am cautious about this last passage because it's from lxc's pov. It's not nmj who says that his past trauma and his principles are driving his decisions, but it's lxc. Maybe this passage says more about lxc who, understanding his friend's motivation, backs off. Ugh.

Anyway, in my view, Nie Mingjue is a man who suffered a lot, who was forced to take huge responsibilities at a young age. He admires other people who fight for their ideals and thinks that everyone has to take responsibility for their own actions.

#Silly thoughts #I don't know if I am making sense #But I find him very interesting #Everyone in mdzs is someone who is shaped by trauma and bad communication #Nie Mingjue #Mdzs

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leatherbookmark · 1 year

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making it a separate post because i’d talk forever and it’s annoying to talk forever in the replies--

gnomeicecream replied to this post:

Makes me wonder if Lan Zhan isn't 'remember that time you thought my boyfriend was evil and nearly whipped me to death? I do' then deliberately not helping. He was left alone for what, three years after?

oh dear, now that's material for a loooooong conversation i'm not sure i'm qualified for, but like. i don't think lwj blames lxc for his punishment!

considering what the punishment is for, he kind of got off lightly; on top of that, lwj says in the banquet extra that "during the years i spent in seclusion, brother would always come visit me and talk to me sincerely", implying that now that the situation is reversed, he can't do the same. he has to feel at least a bit regretful/conflicted about that.

the thing that irks me is that... lxc is just a forever afterthought. this line i just quoted is from literally a three lines long post-coital conversation that happens and fizzes out quickly (wwx then doesn’t reply and they just go to sleep). another occasion lxc is mentioned in the extra is at the beginning of part 2, in which wgxn can’t try fucking while lwj’s doing handstands because “lwj has to visit his brother”. i know the book is about wgxn and the extras are even more so -- just a chance for the readers to bask in their adorable life together -- but from my pov (i don’t really care about wgxn’s adorable life together and i’m heartbroken about xiyao) it’s just... sad.

it’s been a while since i’ve read the chapters earlier than the one with the post-burial mounds lotus pier jgy haters conference, so i don’t remember all instances of the gusu twin jades interacting, but i can’t help but think that the whole jgy business kind of... changed it in a way that i’m not sure is salvageable. what i mean is that after lwj realized wwx is back, he sort of -- yeeted him on the very top of his priority list, and forgot everything and everyone else in the process, well, save for lsz because he’s wwx’s Kid Buddy From The Burial Mounds. he trusts and supports wwx completely, even if he has no real empirical reason for it -- wwx says jgy killed nmj, so jgy killed nmj, duh. the jades have their thing with silent communication, but i don’t remember lwj even showing that he’s in any way concerned with how lxc might feel about this.

in the guanyin temple as well -- i believe they do it out of concern for lxc, but i can’t help but feel bitter when wgxn tell lxc not to talk to jgy, not to believe him and so on, when they don’t want jgy to Tangle LXC In His Web Of Lies Again. i don’t know how to put it, but it’s like -- lxc isn’t a full person in this situation? they sort of assume he’s been tricked by jgy. they treat him almost like a child who doesn’t know better, when he says it himself that it’s not that he didn’t know jgy was up to No Good, he just trusted that he was doing it because he had no other choice. no thought is given to this revelation! jgy is bad, jgy is an excellent actor and a skilled manipulator, so it’s best to just not let him talk to lxc at all.

i think that at this point, lwj doesn’t understand lxc at all. i’m not sure whether he’s aware of this, so focused on wwx. probably not. but before he leaves, he doesn’t do anything to even show lxc... anything, really? i’ll be there for you, brother? i don’t understand, but i feel your pain? anything else, just anything! but there’s nothing. and by the time lxc is mentioned next time, it’s in the context of lwj not trying to help him because “it would be fruitless either way”. doesn’t that sound just fucking bleak.

because here, i feel, is the source of the problem, lxc’s crown of the most tragic elder sibling: his little brother doesn’t even know how to help him. there’s nothing he thinks he can do in this situation. does he even have anything to say about jgy, or his relationship with lxc? does he have anything to say about how his beloved helped bring him down? is he sorry about that, does he feel bad that lxc can’t or doesn’t want to face the world?

we just don’t know dot gif.

we do know, though, that at the end of the novel wangxian agree that they’ll tell lxc the truth -- the horrible truth that might make lxc, gasp! realize new things about his friend -- when he asks. which is honestly... well, i think you can guess how i feel about it.

it’s funny, though -- we talk a lot about the yunmeng bros’ reconciliation, is it possible or not, etc, etc, even though through jin ling all things are possible so jot it down. the fact that jl stubbornly points out that jc clearly wanted to say something to wwx -- this, i think, is a hint that they will eventually talk. or at least it would be in a world that i think would make sense; in a world where wwx has relationships other than lwj and the juniors. what should be debated more, i think, is the relationship between the lan brothers. the problem of lxc is often glossed over in fics; of course he leaves seclusion and attends wgxn’s wedding as their first and main shipper&supporter, and of course he finds peace, whatever the fuck it is. but does he really? i think lxc “finding peace” primarily should mean him figuring out what he wants as a person, individual, not “sect leader lan” or “lwj’s big brother”, but he, lan huan courtesy xichen. and i think that one of these things could be... understanding. and i don’t know if lwj can offer him that tbh

#conversating #gnomeicecream #idk if this thing still works but For organization purposes #4 /#5 /#mdzs #shrimp thoughts #i mean. on a logical level i obviously understand this book is primarily about wgxn and their relationship is the most important! really!#and that webnovel writers are underpaid and often write quickly. so maybe mxtx just wanted to get to the Real Meat and then didn't care/#forgot to add something more about lxc when she was revising the novel #but it's kinda :/#it's fascinating though how much like... If I Was To Draw A Chart between lwj/lxc/wwx/jgy. there would be many arrows i think #lwj gains and lxc loses his loved person; wwx and his brother have a dramatic heart-baring conversation and even though they part #ways it's obvious that it's not the end of their relationship at all; meanwhile lwj and his brother... do not talk at all and we don't know #what's going to happen to their relationship. am sad. :(

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dontbesoevil · 1 year

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tia’s CQL fanvid recs - wei wuxian #3

After a more light-hearted break, let us go back some dark wwx, shall we? (I do love a dark!wwx vid I have to admit.)

(If you want more information on the project, you can find that here.)

Please go and give some love to the videos on youtube (and to the vidders on tumblr for those for which i could find a tumblr) and leave a comment.

陈情令 | me and the devil (dark!wuxian) by Spring Child Music: Me and the Devil – Soap&Skin Mood: “me and the devil walking side by side” Strength(s): This is made as a visual appreciation edit and like, yes! The muted dark and red edit works so well for dark!wwx for obvious reasons. This song works SO well him. Notes: You know when one of your favourite vidders start editing for one of your new fandoms and it makes you happy? yeah, that.

the devil within me | wei wuxian/yilling patriarch by wintermin Music: The Devil Within – Digital Daggers Mood: the darkness within Strength(s): A very red and black colouring for yilling patriarch!wwx because those are the rules. this fanvid focuses especially on the darkness of wwx during that period and does a really good job at it! Notes: wwx can be a little evil, as a treat.

The Yilling Patriarch | Me & The Devil by PetitPapillon Music: Me and the Devil – Soap&Skin Mood: “do you think I could have walked another path?” Strength(s): The build-up of this song and the lyrics work SO well with yilling laozu!wwx. The beginning of the song with the post-3 months in burial mounds breakup dialogue and images of dark!wwx does something to me. The dark and muted colouring also add a lot to it. It just works, you know. Notes: This is just so good for him. I have already recced a couple of fanvids with it, but if anyone feels like doing another one, please?

Dance in the dark || Yilling Patriarch – Wei Wuxian (The Untamed FMV) by Polish edition Music: Dance in the Dark – Au/Ra Mood: the inevitable fall into darkness, but make it catchy. Strength(s): A fast-paced edit focused on yilling laozu with some nice editing along to the song. Notes: no dialogue. I love really dark yilling laozu!wwx edits, but it’s nice to have slightly less dark fanvids too.

King of the World || Yilling Laozu (The Untamed FMV) by Polish edition Music: KING OF THE WORLD – WAR*HALL Mood: *jin zixun opened his mouth* *everyone groaned from annoyance* Strength(s): A nice exploration of wwx during his darker phase looking at it more from the arrogance side than from the angsty side of things with some nice editing on the beat at the beginning. Notes: no dialogue.

#the untamed #cql #chen qing ling #mdzs/cql #cql fanvid #tia's cql fanvid recs #wei wuxian #wei ying

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stiricidewrites · 8 days

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All the Things We’ll Leave Behind: ch 30, pt 14

Note: There's a scene break between this and the last chapter, but it's still the same chapter

CW: more explicit talk of the potential of a threesome between the boys, basically just everyone getting on the same page in this and the next update (which is also the end of the chapter)

See you Sunday!

Previously

“Okay!” wwx cheered as he hung up his assistant’s phone—which he had rather forcefully manhandled away from the poor man. “Food’s ordered for you two! Don’t worry, jzxuan~ I won’t count this as repaying you for your help last night.”

jzxuan glared at the phone, a light red dusting over his cheeks.

“Help?” lwj asked. He vaguely remembered his friend mentioning that, in his rundown of the night before. About how his mate had offered him payment in return for moving him to bed, although he had not said what that payment was.

“For moving you,” his mate said, eye glittering with amusement, while his friend’s scent turned embarrassed. “Couldn’t just let my mate sleep on the floor! He did get you to bed, I assume?”

lwj hummed, telling the other man about how they had woken up in bed together. His ears burned, as he explained how his friend had apparently gotten him there. His mate, luckily, only seemed amused by the whole waking up half-naked in bed together.

“What did you offer him?” lwj asked, curious about what would have made jzxuan so desperate to get him to bed that he would resort to bribing him with his scent—he had left out the whole… sucking on his friend’s scent gland thing, though. His mate didn’t need to know that part of the story—he would find it much too amusing. His mate didn’t need more amusement at the moment.

“Oh~” wwx cooed, smiling that evil smile up at him and jzxuan. “You really want to know? What it was the little alpha asked for, as payment for moving you?”

Next to him, jzxuan shifted uneasily. “Wei Wu—”

“What happened to Xian-gege?” wwx asked, head tilting in challenge. “Unless you’ve changed your mind? I guess you didn’t exactly agree last night.”

lwj frowned. “I thought you said he asked for it?”

jzxuan choked slightly, retreating towards the kitchen to grab a glass of water as he coughed.

“Semantics,” wwx said, waving a hand. “He asked without asking, so I suggested. You have to agree too, of course, A-Zhan.”

This time, it was lwj’s turn to shift uneasily. He glanced over at his friend, who had his back turned to them as he gulped down water. The slight sourness of embarrassment, the twist of nervousness, reached his nose and he quickly disappeared down the hall, thinking this conversation better held in private.

“What did…?” he wasn’t exactly sure how to phrase it.

“Well, he asked for a rain check because he was tired, and I joked that a rain check didn’t mean I’d give him just anything. Like, I wouldn’t give him you.”

lwj blushed. “Good.” He was quite happy belonging to wwx, and while the idea of being treated as something his mate could give away sent an erotic surge of wrongness—of dirtiness—through him, he didn’t actually want to be given away.

His mate laughed quietly, and when lwj looked back to his phone, the other man’s eyes were dark and predatory. Just like they had been the night of the party, when they had—

“Xian-gege… offered to…” Again, he wasn’t really sure how to phrase it, even if he could guess at what his mate had hinted might be possible.

“Share?” wwx’s mouth quirked, cocky and knowing—because of course he knew. lwj had straight up told him, in an attempt to make him jealous, about his brief fantasy of topping his friend. That had been before, though—before they had actually become friends.

“It’s up to you, of course,” his mate said, voice so kind—so preemptively accepting of whatever answer lwj was going to give him—that lwj’s heart clenched. “I’m down for it, though, if you are.”

#fanfic #mdzs fanfiction #wangxian #stiricidesbottomji #omegaverse

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wrrinkl · 3 years

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The Yiling No-No-Square

In episode 21, I noticed details in Jiang Cheng's and Wei Wuxian's conversation that seriously fucked me up. It fully changed the way I understand Wei Wuxian's mindset and Jiang Cheng's attitude towards him. Because – OOOF – shit is actually much darker than it seems on first (and second) re-watch.

So let me dive right in: (major spoilers below the cut)

This conversation takes place during the time Wei Wuxian re-enters the public sphere. After spending three months in the Burial Mounds, he has just met his sister and all the other cultivators again. Gossip is already spreading about his new found craft, and we see the beginning of what will be Wei Wuxian's ostracization from society – another social death. This trajectory is apparent to everyone, especially Jiang Cheng, who, as we know, is all about public relations. So, when he and Wei Wuxian are alone, he engages him in an an awkward conversation, with the goal of assimilating Wei Wuxian back into 'normality'. First mentioning Wei Wuxian's change in attitude towards Lan WangJi and then abruptly changing the topic to Yiling when Wei Wuxian smells the bait.

The thing is, people have been talking a lot about what happened at Yiling. How horrible and mysterious the deaths were. Even Yanli didn't get an answer when she asked. So nobody knows for sure what happened in Yiling except for Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng. What all the rumors have in common though, is how difficult it was to identify Wen Cao's corpse. You know, the guy Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng asked Lan Wangji to leave to them. Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian must have had an (maybe silent) agreement to not mention it to anyone, because now, when Jiang Cheng does, he triggers the following reaction.

Wei Wuxian just STARES him. This is not a surprised stare. This is his -

- you-wanna-fuckin-die-stare! Because Jiang Cheng followed the traces of corpses to Yiling, he saw the aftermath of Wei Wuxian's revenge and he went along with it. Jiang Cheng was there in Yiling WITH him for killing Wen Cao in a way that was apparently so gruesome that it is a topic of concern among people who kill other people. Now, Jiang Cheng has had his revenge, but Wei Wuxian is the one carrying the burden of it – socially and mentally. So, when Jiang Cheng mentions Yiling, Wei Wuxian stares at him like: "GO ON, WHAT ABOUT YILING BRO?!" It is basically a threat. Outwardly, Wei Wuxian will continue to be the brother who takes Jiang Cheng punches and scolding, especially when Yanli is around, but Yiling is where he draws the line.

Jiang Cheng immediately shuts up. And deflects into his role as clan leader.

It is safer for him to tell him off as a clan leader than to push the hard boundary Wei Wuxian just set. Jiang Cheng knows what Wei Wuxian is capable of and he is SCARED. It is easy to miss how fucked up this conversation actually is, because of Wei Wuxian's hilarious mocking faces. We also know that Wei Wuxian has a habit of masking pain and vulnerability.

With this, both have found a role within which they can navigate their relationship. For Jiang Cheng it's the clan leader, for Wei Wuxian it's the unruly disciple. Especially Jiang Cheng will enforce this role whenever they are alone and border the brother-zone again. (For example, when he visits Wei Wuxian in Burial Mounds.) Wei WuXian has threatened Jiang Cheng and, from that point on, it clear to both of them, that despite what they are outwardly portraying, Wei Wuxian holds more power over Jiang Cheng than the other way around. And this is not an empty threat. Look at happens immediately afterward:

Are you seeing this? Right after Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian establish their new association, Wei Wuxian's gaze goes to Jiang Cheng's 丹田 Dantian and he just LOOKS AT IT for a while. Long enough to make Jiang Cheng uncomfortable. Even though Jiang Cheng does not know that it is Wei Wuxian's Dantian, this stare should be enough to remind Jiang Cheng of another secret they promised not to tell anyone. When Jiang Cheng nervously asks him what he's looking at, Wei Wuxian shakes his head, but goes on to say:

Wei Wuxian would never outright mention that Jiang Cheng is indebted to him, but it is clear that he mocks Jiang Cheng's high and mighty attitude towards him – the one who enabled him to stay in his position. With this, Wei Wuxian basically tells Jiang Cheng that it is inappropriate for him to question his methods, and flexes with his power over him. We'll never know what happened in Yiling, and what Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng did to Wen Cao, but it seems severe enough for Wei Wuxian to blackmail Jiang Cheng if he threatens to disturb Wei Wuxian carefully re-constructed conscience.

#This is my third rewatch #it's about the gaze #I got more meta coming #wwx a little more evil as a treat #why am i doing this #cql meta #cql rewatch #cql spoilers #long post #jiang cheng #wei wuixan #power dynamics #boi is dark #murder #cdrama #cql ep 21 #陳情令 #the untamed

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flautistsandpeonies · 2 years

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To Respect a Scholar

Read my Prompt [Here]

Word Length: 5,436

Tags: Wei WuXian Canon Genius, WangXian, not for JC fans, JC Canon Characteristics, JC’s Canon Homophobia, Author!WWX

Wei WuXian was dead.

There were many emotions that Lan Qiren was feeling at that statement. Relief was the most prominent one,as the greatest threat their way of life was gone. Dread was a lesser feeling, at the thought of the discussion conferences to come, what claims people would make to what remained of the Yiling Patriarch and his inventions, but that could not be helped.

However.

He never expected to feel angry.

It had been another long day of teaching. This year’s batch of students were lacking in many areas of cultivation and he was considering writing to their sect leaders and families about ousting the current mentors they had available and choosing persons better suited to the job.

Some of them couldn’t even name their founder’s for goodness sake!

It was nearly curfew and Lan Qiren had long settled into his home, having fixed himself a pot of black tea to calm his nerves and relaxed into his common room with a few scrolls and books at his side.

The first book was a work of fiction, the image of a person with their back to the cover dressed in white and silver robes, a tall, elegant guan in their hair, and their spiritual sword- a shining silver blade with a seafoam green sheath embellished with tiny birds and tree branches stood atop a mountain peak overlooking a small, worn-down village. On the character’s shoulder was an owl, a black, demonic thing with wisps of evil flowing from its tail feathers.

It was titled: The Lost Pearl of Niu Village by Wei WuXian

It was a tale of an older brother searching for his stepsister. Having been accused of being a sorceress at the age of seventeen, the young girl, Feng Yun, ran away from home in fear of execution. The protagonist, Gao Han, was already training to become a cultivator at the time and tried to vouch for his sister’s innocence, but went unheard. Years later, when his training is finished, he takes on the life of a rogue in order to find his long lost sister.

At first, he was a little more than apprehensive at reading anything that that boy had written, having long heard of his tales of debauchery and his many vices. However, he stilled himself, taking a deep breath to remind himself that he had dealt with Wei WuXian at his most rowdiness and could handle anything the adult version threw at him.

He treated the book as he would any other, taking in its plot and themes, doing his best to understand what metaphors the author had made towards certain moments. He even found his lips upturning at the growth the characters within the story underwent. He was so interested that he barely remembered the pot of tea waiting to be consumed beside him. However, as he continued on through the chapters he also couldn’t help but become angrier and angrier.

‘What a waste!, ‘he found himself thinking, ‘What a waste of a great mind!’

It wasn’t as if he didn’t know that Wei WuXian was intelligent; the boy was just as knowledgeable as his youngest nephew- ‘perhaps even more so’ part of his mind whispered to him as the piles of cultivation manuals found inside Wei WuXian’s den surfaced in his mind.

Shaking his head, Lan Qiren continued on with the tale, getting more intrigued with the story and even more angrier at the person who had wrote it.

"Truly a waste, “Lan Qiren grumbled as he lit another candle as the first one flickered out

If anyone was to ask why a candle was burning in his home all night, Lan Qiren would ask them why they were out after curfew.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a year since Wei WuXian died.

And Lan Qiren was annoyed.

It had taken many months, but the elders of the Jin Sect were finally able to get through some of the locking arrays Wei WuXian had put on all of his manuals. The most prominent of the few were the schematics to the Stygian Lure Flag and the Demon Wind Compass. With them, the Jin Sect quickly gathered their most talented weavers and metal workers to create and put the items up for sale for the entire cultivation and civilian worlds.

Lan Qiren was one of the first to receive a compass, and as he eyed the intricate detailing and sigils carved into the sidings and needles, he became angry at Wei WuXian once more.

‘What a waste of a great mind!,’he thought

But that wasn’t the reason he was annoyed.

“But if you really think about it, the Demon Wind Compass isn’t all that useful, is it? I mean, it only gives you a rough estimation of where the creatures are, and it doesn’t tell you how strong it is either, so you really don’t know what you’re up against.”

The time for the guest disciples to leave the Cloud Recesses had come, and their parents had come to get them. For days now, Lan Qiren had had to sit through multiple meetings with sect leaders giving them his personal reports on what their children needed to do in order to excel in their learning.

It was midday now, and most of the Cloud Recesses had settled into the dining hall for lunch, guests included. Many still awaited in line, having their chance to chat before they had to abide by the rule of “No talking while dining”.

Standing near the entrance were a couple of AnpingRong disciples, talking about the newest cultivation tool.

Lan Qiren felt a tick forming on his forehead as the young man continued to flippantly talk down about the device that he had personally seen save civilian lives from certain doom and alert cultivators to danger in their midst.

Lan Qiren couldn’t help but speak.

“It is well known that notes for a second version of the Demon Wind Compass was underway long before the Siege on the Burial Mounds. If one wants a more accurate compass, then one should read the Yiling Laozu’s notes and attempt to create it yourself.”

The two Rong disciples flinched and snapped their heads in his direction. At the sight of his unimpressed eyes, the young disciples shivered and immediately took back what he said.

“Ah-ah, Lan-Laoshi, this one has spoken too much it seems. I apologize for this one’s arrogance. Wei WuXian was truly thoughtful to leave such an invention behind.”

With a bow, the two disciples hurried along to the food line while Lan Qiren stood in the doorway watching their every move.

...

Despite fears that the Yiling Patriarch would return, Wei WuXian was still dead.

And Lan Qiren was agitated.

While the Lan Sect hadn’t sent as half as many disciples as the Jiang and a quarter of the Jin, to the Siege of the Bural Mounds they still sent enough to be recognized for their efforts. When the Jin claimed all of Wei WuXian’s texts on Diabolism and Jiang WanYin took ChenQing, the Lan and Nie were given the chance to take what they were owed.

Being a clan known for their predilections towards literature and music, the Lan of course secured as many music, fiction, and poetry books as they could.

They’d taken the texts and built a side room on the pavilion dedicated to them, shelving them on dark blue shelves and putting cleaning and banishment talismans all around the room along with the typical fire-resistant talismans of the rebuilt library.

But that wasn’t why he was agitated.

“What in the world is this chicken scratch?! You’d think the Yiling Patriarch could at least write; I mean my four year old cousin can write better than this.”

Two Lan disciples-two juniors no less- sat in the middle of the Diabolism Archive, sets of books in between them. One, a peachy eyed young man looked at their friend with wide eyes as the other scowled down at the books on hand.

Lan Qiren himself was visiting the library to head to this exact archive. He was looking for the second volume of The Good Lord’s Concubine, another one of Wei WuXian’s fiction novels.

“Ugh, this is useless, i can barely even read it, “the Lan junior threw the book to the ground in a fit of frustration

Lan Qiren had little patience for the visiting disciples of the sect not taking proper care of the texts within the library pavilion, so one can imagine how he felt about this.

“It is a known strategy, “the two juniors stood so quickly that you’d thought they’d been stuck with pins, “for a writer to get down information as quickly as possible, no matter how the writing looks, as to not lose any thoughts. They will later rewrite those words into more elegant texts, “Lan Qiren stood in the doorway like a judge, jury, and executioner

“Lan-Laoshi, “the two shivered uncontrollably

“We have multiple of Wei WuXian’s texts that show that his calligraphy is near perfect. The Yiling Patriarch was working on multiple inventions by himself and would have had even less time to rewrite his works, “Lan Qiren’s eyes narrowed, “As he is dead, you can understand that these are the only versions we will ever have of his work....unless you wish to rewrite it yourself?”

One of the boys started to shake their head rapidly, “No, no senior. We...we ourselves are only beginning to understand talismans. To try and rewrite Yiling Laozu’s work and be able to put it into an understandable form is....”

He didn’t have to finish.

Lan Qiren huffed, “For almost damaging intellectual property you will copy “Etiquette” fifteen times, am I clear?”

The boys let out a “Yes, Lan-Laoshi” while nodding their head solemnly.

Not sparing the boys another glace, Lan Qiren walked to the shelf containing the second volume of his current fancy.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wei WuXian was alive.

And Lan Qiren.....didn’t know how to feel about that.

He knew he still didn’t like Wei WuXian. Didn’t want to see him, didn’t want to hear him, didn’t want anyone else in the Cloud Recesses to have to deal with him.

“Do not go near Wei Ying.” He’d carved the rule into the stone just days after WangJi returned from eloping with his husband

But at the same time....

Wei WuXian was barely seen around the Cloud Recesses; he could still be heard at some points however. He spent a lot of time in the Library Pavilion, as he learned from a couple of passing seniors, time to the point where his life was split into three activities: 1. Corrupting the youth who were ignoring the rules, 2. Further corrupting his youngest nephew, and 3. Doing heaven knows what inside the Library Pavilion.

A few of the elders had came to him with concerns about the matter.

“What if he’s inside the Room of Forbidden Books?, “Elder Lan Jiao-long groused to him while pulling at their sleeves, a nervous tick of theirs

“We should tighten security, who knows what he could be thinking up?, “Lan Fai urged him

Lan Qiren tugged at his beard, “I will see to him; be at ease.”

At that, the two smiled and said no more, knowing that he had little tolerance for the Yiling Patriarch as it was, and bowed before continuing on with their day.

He had a bit of time before his next class, so he hurried along the paths towards the library pavilion, certain that Wei WuXian would be there.

By the time he got there, most of the disciples had long cleared out, more than likely going to prepare for their next class. He eyed with displeasure some of the books and scrolls which had been left thrown any which way on the tables, and made a mental note to talk to the class about their behavior. Righting the texts, he continued on through the building looking for the only set of black and red robes in the entire Cloud Recesses.

Despite its large size, even the Library Pavilion had a limit to how large they could actually build it, and at the back of the building sat his in-law.

Wei WuXian was sitting alone- Lan WangJi had taken a quest to Guangling and left his husband, who had finished a nighthunt with the juniors the night before, to rest. Stacks of blank parchment sat to his side along with a pot of ink. On another table sat finished papers laying out to dry.

“Wei WuXian, “Lan Qiren walked up to the man with narrowed eyes

Wei WuXian looked up and gave him a smile, “Lan-laoshi, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

Lan Qiren frowned, “What are you doing?”

“Writing,”Wei WuXian waved his hand, “Just had a fancy for a bit of fiction is all.”

Walking over to the other table, Lan Qiren ignored the diabolist’s side eye and picked up one of the parchments.

He read:

-X-

“I don’t care! I don’t care! Just let it all burn!”

Zhou Su’s scream was consumed by the flames raging all around them. Dropping down to the floor, Gao Han ripped his sleeve clean off and snatched his canteen out of his satchel. Again, ripping the sleeve in two, he doused them with what water he had left and crawled on his belly toward Zhou Su.

The young maiden was curled in the corner, shaking as the shelves around them were engulfed in blue fire. Getting up close to her, Gao Han ran his hand through her white hair causing her to whimper.

“We have to leave,, “Gao Han said, trying to sound as level headed as possible

Zhou Su shook her head from in between her thighs.

“Go, “she muttered, “Just go.”

The young woman pushed at Gao Han, “Leave me!”

‘Not a chance!, “Gao thought, flinching when another shelf fell down behind them

Wrapping his wet sleeve around his mouth, Gao Han swiftly threw his arms under Zhou Su and picked her up. The woman startled.

“What are you-, “Zhou Su gasped in alarm, “Put me down!”

With all her might, Zhou Su struck at Gao Han’s back as the young man hurried to the stairs of the cellar. Her trailing red robes were singed by the the ever looming fire.

“Let me go! Let me die! I don’t want to live anymore!, “Zhou Su shrieked as they neared the top of the stairs

“Stop it, “Gao Han ordered, throwing Zhou Su over his left shoulder to fiddle with the door’s lock

“No, let go!, “Zhou Su shook with whatever strength she had left, forcing Gao Han to drop her on the stairs

“Zhou Su!, “the young rogue got down on his knees to pick her up again

“No!, “the maiden crawled backwards on her hands, “Stay away!”

Hurriedly following after her, Gao Han tried to wrestle Zhou Su back into his hold while the young maiden tried to throw herself back down towards the fire. The flames themselves were not far behind them, the blue inferno had reached the stairwell and smoke was slowly filling the hall.

“Zhou Su, “Gao Han coughed, “Please, stop. Come here.”

Zhou Su swatted at him, “No. No! Get out! Go away; let me be!”

She kicked him in the face and irritation filled the young man’s eyes. Throwing himself at her once more, Gao Han tried to force her hands behind her back.

Gao Han snarled a beastly sound, “Stop it! Stop fighting me, Feng Yun!”

-X-

“This is The Lost Pearl of Niu Village, “Lan Qiren set the sheet down on the table and turned back to his in-law

Wei WuXian blinked, “You’ve...read it before?”

“I read the first installment, “Lan Qiren replied with pursed lips, “You never finished it.”

Wei WuXian huffed and looked back to his writing, “Yeah, I was a bit preoccupied in the afterlife and couldn’t find time to finish it.”

“You are writing more of it?, “Lan Qiren walked and sat down on the other side of the man

“Yes, “Wei WuXian blinked again, “Sizhui loves this story. I made it for him you know, and I wanted to finish it for his birthday as a surprise.”

Lan Qiren looked down at what Wei WuXian was currently writing before looking back up, “Is this all your doing?”

“Hmm?, “the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation quirked a brow at him

“Do you only come to the library to write fiction?, “Lan Qiren already knew the answer but wanted to hear it out of the man’s own lips

“Of course not, “Wei WuXian smirked, “You can’t really expect me to never do any research again, do you?”

“Stay away from the Room of Forbidden Books., “Lan Qiren immediately ordered

“Okay, “the man hmmed, twirling his brush in his hand

Lan Qiren’s eyes narrowed at him once more, suspicious at the easy acquiesce. Wei WuXian met the man’s eyes head on, and his smirk widened.

“I promise I won’t go into the Room of Forbidden Books, Lan-Laoshi, “Wei WuXian spoke, amusement coloring his voice

That just meant that he would probably ask Lan WangJi to go into it for him, the Lan elder immediately realized, and there wasn’t anything Lan Qiren could do considering that banning a blood member of the clan from entering parts of the pavilion was nigh impossible due to the function of their tokens.

Lan Qiren felt a tick wanting to form on his forehead and sighed deeply.

“Let me ask you something, Wei WuXian, “he spoke again

“Hmmm?, “Wei WuXian set down his brush

“It’s about the first installment of your book, “Lan Qiren laid his hands atop one another in his lap

“Yes?, “Wei WuXian rested his head in his hand

“It’s about Huang Ling, “Lan Qiren stated, “I wanted to ask if you intentionally wrote him to be as spoiled as he was, and what his parents had to be like to raise such a discourteous young master!”

Wei WuXian’s eyes widened at the Lan elder before he let out a loud laugh and threw his head back to Lan Qiren’s irritation.

Wei WuXian snickered a bit more, “Well, Lan-Laoshi, do you really want me to spoil the story for you?”

Lan Qiren let out a huff, “If learning a small part of a story ruins the entire thing for me then the story wasn’t worth my time in the first place.”

Wei WuXian shook his head, silver eyes shining with what could only be glee, “Very well then. You see Huang Ling....”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wei WuXian had been back for three years now.

And Lan Qiren was annoyed.

Not at Wei WuXian, if one could imagine that, but at Sect Leader Yao.

“Wei WuXian is a depraved fiend. Everywhere he goes he has to prove how shameless he is! How could he write such dribble?, “the man spat to Sect Leader Qin

The “dribble” the man was referring to was one of Wei WuXian’s newest fiction novels. It was a romance between a young female disciple and the heir of another sect. The young girl was once a street orphan who’d been picked up by a benevolent sect leader and allowed to cultivate. Through hard work, she became well known for her achievements. The sect heir himself was exceptional and was praised for his work all around the Jianghu. The conflict of the novel was the fact the young sect heir’s family and friends didn’t like his relationship with a former street rat and attempt to have the young woman assassinated, implicating the sect heir in the process.

It was titled: In the Valley of the Plum Blossoms and was Lan Qiren’s next read.

Today was the first day of this year’s GusuLan Discussion Conference, and Wei WuXian himself was not present. Instead, he and Lan WangJi had decided to take a trip to Qishan along with Lan Sizhui and Wen Qionglin. Lan Qiren himself had been pleased at the idea, because that meant that the man would not be there to cause dissent within the cultivation world.

But it seemed dissent would start whether he was there or not.

“What does that heretic know of love? It’s common knowledge that he’s used his demonic wiles to seduce Hanguang-jun; it’s an embarrassment to GusuLan that he thinks he can get away with this!, “Sect Leader Yao continued

“It has been added to the fiction section of the pavilion actually, “Lan Qiren said as he strode across the room

Lan Qiren rarely dealt with Sect Leader Yao, barely felt the need to. The man was usually quite crafty with his words and knew who and what to talk about most of the time to get reactions and support out of people. Most of the time, Lan Qiren didn’t let the man get to him.

Today was not that day.

“Lan-Laoshi?, “the sect leader was incredulous

“As Yao-Zongzhu knows, GusuLan collects many forms of literature and other texts. To have another one of Wei WuXian’s works as part of our collection is no embarrassment to us at all, “he said swiftly and concisely

“Ah, “Sect Leader Yao blinked, “I see.”

��If it pleases Yao-Zongzhu further, I have personally read many of Wei WuXian’s works of fiction. They are not filled with debauchery as one might think. Many of them are tales of righteousness and romantic stories, which is a principal of the Lans, “Lan Qiren continued

A sweat formed on the sect leader’s brow, “Is that so? That surely is an interesting development, Lan-Laoshi.”

It was interesting to everyone but the Lan Clan, who knew that Lan Qiren would read everything under the sun as long as it was not obscene material or the waste of parchments known as spring books.

“I read many things Yao-Zongzhu would not believe, Wei WuXian’s works among them., “he slaps his hand with his ruler

One more look from Lan Qiren sends the Yao Sect Leader into a full on cold sweat. Eager to get out of the situation, the man quickly apologizes before engaging the Lan elder in a talk about next years classes.

“Tell me, Lan-Laoshi. What beginners talismans will you teach next year?”

...

It had been five years since Wei WuXian came back.

And Lan Qiren was agitated.

Not at Wei WuXian, somehow, and not at Sect Leader Yao either. Probably because the man wasn’t there.

“It amazes me how shameless you can be, Wei WuXian. Spending other people’s money without a care in the world.”

Lan Qiren could count on his hands the number of times Sect Leader Jiang had visited the Cloud Recesses. The man had made it clear on his third visit, two years before the Siege of the Burial Mounds, that he would much rather wait weeks for correspondences than have to deal with their “onerous” rules.

“Look at all this trash! Does the Lan Sect really allow you to waste your money on- what is that- loquat seeds?”

Today was a special occasion, not because of Jiang WanYin’s visit mind you, but because tomorrow was Wei WuXian’s birthday. Everyone in the Cloud Recesses was surprised to learn that the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation had never celebrated his birthday before, and Lan WangJi had decided that that could not stand and went behind his husband’s back to plan a celebration with Lan XiChen’s support. Lan Qiren assumed that Wei WuXian was a bit in know, as disciples who would not be in the Cloud Recesses on the day of the event had started giving the man gifts a week in advance.

That was the “trash” Jiang WanYin was referring to. The loquat seeds themselves were a gift from Lan JingYi, who was going to Baling for a joint hunt with Ouyang ZiZhen and Jin RuLan to search for a deer yao so they could bring its beast core back as a gift for the diabolist’s research.

“It must bring the Lan elders great shame to know that not only is one of their heirs a cutsleeve, but his husband is a spendthrift to boot! Lan WangJi’s ancestors must be looking down on him in humiliation, “he laughed then

Lan Qiren didn’t even know why the man was here. Was it because he knew Wei WuXian’s birthday was tomorrow and wanted to create strife? Did he know that Jin Zongzhu and Nie Zongzhu were going to attend and thought his presence important?

At the insult to his husband, Wei WuXIan’s eye’s narrowed, “Watch your tongue, Jiang Cheng! Say what you want about me, but don’t you dare insult my Lan Zhan.”

If there was one thing Lan Qiren would never admit, is that he was proud of how protective Wei WuXian was of his nephew.

“Watch his tongue? How dare you tell Jiang Zongzhu what to do?!, “another voice interjected

Lan Qiren set his eyes on the other man. It was Sect Leader Jiang’s head disciple and right hand, Du Lim. He was a pretty average cultivator, followed Jiang WanYin’s teachings and orders to a t. Lan Qiren had personally taught the man once and thought that he didn’t really have a mind of his own, never really quite thinking and always following.

But perhaps that was what Sect Leader Jiang wanted.

Wei WuXian spared the head disciple a quick glance and nothing more, “Jiang Zongzhu has come into my home and insulted my husband. If he cannot even give the barest amounts of respect towards the owners of the home, perhaps he shouldn’t have come.”

Jiang WanYin had snarled then, “You! How dare you? Know your place, Wei WuXian!”

Sandu Shengshou had reached out towards Wei WuXian then, his other hand going for his sword.

Despite knowing the man didn’t need his protection, Lan Qiren found himself standing in front of Wei WuXian.

Jiang WanYin’s fingers were inches from his face.

“Jiang Zongzhu, "Lan Qiren said staring the man down

Unable to hurt another sect’s elder, Jiang WanYin quickly snatched his hand back.

Lan-Laoshi, “the man glared at the cultivator behind him

“Is there a problem?, “Lan Qiren raised an eyebrow

Jiang WanYin scoffed then, “Problem? Just that Wei WuXian never seems to know his place. He has no respect for those in power!”

“His place?, “Lan Qiren’s voice gave away nothing

At that, Jiang WanYin’s gaze shifted towards Wei WuXian once more. The man was looking back at him with no emotion what so ever, like he was a fly trying to annoy him.

“Isn’t his behavior against your rules?, “Sect Leader Jiang looked back at Lan Qiren, “Shouldn’t he be punished?”

“Punished?, “Lan Qiren paused letting the silence reign over them for a moment, “No, not at all.”

Jiang WanYin clenched his fist around his sword, “And why is that?!”

“It seems Jiang Zongzhu had not noticed, but I have been here the entire time, “Lan Qiren starts, “I have heard everything.”

Before the man could open his mouth, Lan Qiren continues, “Wei WuXian has not bought these items, they are gifts from his students and members of the clan. His family gives him these with all the love and respect they can offer.”

Jiang WanYin’s face started to turn a dark shade of red. Behind him, Wei WuXian looked ready to interject, but Lan Qiren started to speak again.

“Further more, know his place? Wei WuXian fully knows his place as the spouse to the sect’s heir, “Lan Qiren’s eyes narrowed, “Heaven’s forbid anything happen to XiChen, but if anything does-as he does not have an heir yet- Lan WangJi would become the sect leader and Wei WuXian would help him lead it.”

Lan Qiren threw an arm behind his back, “I find it appalling that Jiang Zongzhu would come into our home and attempt to attack the heir apparent’s spouse. Such an action is a declaration of war!”

Jiang WanYin finally shouted out, “Don’t tell me you’d actually declare war for him? For Wei WuXian?”

“As long as he is married to my nephew, Wei WuXian is a member of the Lan Clan. We are always willing to go to war for our family, “Lan Qiren’s voice was final, “Now, I suggest Jiang Zongzhu and Young Master Du go to their designated guest rooms and await for someone to be able to receive them. Do that, and perhaps I won’t inform Lan XiChen of what has transpired.”

Eyes alighting in what could only be abject rage, Jiang Wanyin looked to be ready to throw another tongue lashing at his former head disciple. However, when he looked at the man, Wei WuXian simply laid his hand on his ChenQing and the words died in Jiang WanYin throat.

Jiang WanYin couldn’t tell if Lan Qiren was bluffing about going to war or not. But at the off chance that he wasn’t, Jiang WanYin wasn’t dumb enough to chance it and end up having to fight an army of the undead along with the entire Lan sect and their subsidary sects.

With one last severe look at the Yiling Laozu, Jiang WanYin muttered a quick, “Fine” before yelling at his head disciple to follow him back to their rooms.

As Jiang WanYin and Du Lim stormed off, Lan Qiren turned back to look at his in-law.

“The disciples should have known better than to weigh you down with so much as once, “he said tersely

Without letting Wei WuXian reply, Lan Qiren picked up a box with what he was sure was stuffed with fans, and books, and jewelry.

Wei WuXian blinked at him in surprise, “Lan-Laoshi?”

“I’m sure you have better things to be doing than standing around here dealing with this nonsense, “Lan Qiren replies before turning around

With that, Lan Qiren started in the direction of the Jingshi. Wei WuXian had no choice but to follow after him.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been ten years since Wei WuXian married into their family.

And right now Lan Qiren was facing a headache.

“There, there, a-die is here, “Wei WuXian cooed

“Waaaahhhh!”

Infants were a blessing, but they were also very very very loud. This little, loud blessing was named Lan Jing. His grandniece.

“Oh, little one, it’s alright, “Wei WuXian stood, turning in slow circles as he rubbed at the girl’s back, “Baba will be back soon to make it all better.”

Lan Jing had become part of their family five months ago. In a trip to Yiling to check up on the cenotaph to the Wen remnants, Wei WuXian and Wen Qionglin had come across and newborn abandoned on the edge of the cursed mountain. Wei WuXian took her as his own merely seconds after his eyes landed on her.

As soon as they two returned with the infant, Lan WangJi too accepted her and the two parents spent the week with the healers getting a check up for their new daughter. Unfortunately, because she was left out in the elements for so long, little a-Jing’s body was weaker than most, and so she was prone to sickness.

The child sniffled in her father’s arms, “Waaahhh!”

“I know, I know, “Wei WuXian smiled as she snuffled closer into his chest, “Baba will be back with your medicine soon.”

As Wei WuXian landed a kiss on the top of the child’s head, Lan Qiren contemplated why he was even there. He was passing by when he spotted Lan Wangji bolting from his home in the direction of the healing pavilion, and simply walked inside without wondering what was going on.

“Bofu, “Lan Sizhui’s voice brought him out of his contemplations, “Here.”

The young man set a cup of black tea in front of him. It was inside one of Wei WuXian’s newest inventions, a cup that would hold tea to the proper temperature without burning one's hand.

He hated to admit it was his favorite invention.

Seeing his grand-uncle take a sip of tea and hum in content, Lan Sizhui turned to his father.

“a-die, I can take her until baba gets back. You should get back to your writing, “Lan Sizhui stood and walked with his arms open, ready to receive his little sister

“Hmm, are you sure Sizhui? She bites!, “Wei WuXian grinned while adjusting the five month old in his arms

“It cannot be that bad, “Sizhui grinned and effortlessly took the young girl from his father

“Mhmm, you’re right about that, nothing can be as bad as a-Yuan’s bites, “Wei WuXian’s grin widened, “I remember when you first started teething you bit me so hard on the chest Wen Qing thought I’d been attacked by a snake!”

A bright blush covered Lan Sizhui’s face, “Ah, I’m sorry!”

Wei WuXian laughed and placed a hand on top of the young man’s shoulder, “I was okay, just surprised!”

Giving the young man a quick pat, Wei WuXian went to sit back at his desk while Lan Sizhui sat the table with his sister, her little cries slightly muffled by his robes.

“There, there, a-Jing, “Lan Sizhui used the same tone as his a-die, “Baba will bring a remedy for your sniffles soon enough.”

Looking at the two sibling a little while Longer, Lan Qiren’s eyes soon shifted to their father in the corner. From what he could see when he walked in the room, Wei WuXian was working on two things at once. One was a set of children’s books that was going to be placed in the newly constructed nursery in the Jingshi. The other was a book about a young village boy who comes to find he has the power of ice manipulation.

He couldn’t wait to read it.

Suddenly, the front door to the Jingshi slammed open and Lan WangJi emerged with a medicine jar in his hands.

Lan WangJi eyed his uncle in surprise, “Shufu?”

Lan Qiren grumbled, waviing his hand towards Sizhui and a-Jing, “WangJi, quickly, come give her the remedy!”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author’s Notes:

Hope you all enjoyed!

Read my Other Prompts and WIPs [Here]

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plan-d-to-i · 2 years

Note

It’s so easily forgotten that JC wanted JZX to die in that cave too. He literally changes the narrative of events when it suits him best. He tells people JFM favoured WWX, he tells people YZY wasn’t too harsh on WWX, he tells people WWX is an enemy of the cultivation worlds, he says WN killed both of JL’s parents, oh but leaves out he said JZX should have been left for dead. Not only does he not take any responsibility for his own actions, he’ll twist other people’s actions to suit his pity party better. None of JC’s words can be trusted yet he’s treated like the most reliable gospel truth of the story but the fandom.

Re THIS post.

YES EXACTLY!! I completely agree.

Side note: jiang cheng is so much like his mother. Like: WWX isn't going to the indoctrination camp??? oh ig ur coddling him bc he's ur fav 😡? What?! WWX IS going to the indoctrination camp!! WOW ?! FREAKING WOW Ofc he can do whatever he wants 😡!! 🤡🤡🤡

jiang cheng has a terrible way of changing the story constantly to make everything wwx's fault. He's absolutely allergic to responsibility himself. Nothing ever happens because of the shitty actions he takes, or bc of his failures as a person. It's all his father being unfair to him and evil WWX showing him up. Even w the incense :

“‘I only’ what? Cat got your tongue? No matter. You can come back to Lotus Pier with me, kneel in front of my mother and father’s souls, and say it slowly.” (Chapter 24)

but then

Jiang Cheng, “Burn some incense? Wei WuXian, are you really that dense? It’s been so long since you were kicked out of our sect, and here you are taking unwelcome people with you to burn incense for my parents?” (Chapter 87)

Jiang Cheng mocked, “Look how forgetful you are. What does unwelcome people mean? Then let me remind you. It was because you played the hero and saved Second Young Master Lan, who’s standing beside you right now, that the entire Lotus Pier and my parents went down with you. (87)

Apparently Jin Zixuan isn't also at fault for being rescued in the XuanWu cave. Or hell any of the other disciples who were going to be turtle kibble INCLUDING JC. It's ALL Lan Wangji's fault. Oh and forget that the whole conflict at Lotus Pier was sparked by his freak of a mother who preferred to see everyone die rather than play nice w WLJ for a little longer instead of stepping on her face.

Then on the defection before he said kicked out now :

Jiang Cheng, “Just how much did we the Jiang Sect give you? I’m supposed to be his son, I’m supposed to be the heir of the YunmengJiang Sect, yet all these years I’ve been outdone by you at every single thing. You paid for your bringing-up with life! The lives of my dad, my mom, my sister, and Jin ZiXuan! Because of you, all that’s left is a parentless Jin Ling!”

Jin Ling trembled. His shoulders sunk, and his face sagged as well. Wei WuXian moved his lips, but he couldn’t say anything. Lan WangJi turned around to hold his hand.

On the other hand, Jiang Cheng refused to give up, shouting, “Wei WuXian, who was the one who broke his promise and betrayed the Jiang Sect first? Tell me.

.....

"He got more agitated as he ranted on, “And in the end? You go and protect outsiders, haha! The Wen Sect’s people, even. How much of their rice did you eat?! Defecting with such resolution!"

Apparently YanLi crashing down on a battlefield of her own choice in the middle of battle and being killed by one of the solders on jc's SIDE, one of the "righteous" cultivators he was gathered there to kill the enemy of the cultivation world with, is somehow WWX's fault. Listen this dude did not give a fuck about Jin Ling's emotions. This was the jiang cheng pity hour. Just like every other hour. Such an insufferable personality type. Can definitely see why his cringe stans project on it so hard...

#mdzs #answers #jiang cheng #Wei Wuxian

59 notes · View notes

robininthelabyrinth · 3 years

Note

CQL-verse! The characters have the same age gaps between them as their actors and actresses! Wwx and Jyl are the same age, jc is 5 years younger than them. Lxc is 3 years younger than wwx&jyl and lwj is 3 years younger than him. Nmj is two years older than wwx&jyl and nhs is 8 years younger than him and the same age as lwj. (1/2)

Meng Yao is 2 years older than nhs and jzx is 2 years older than MY. I'm leaving the Wen Sibs out of this because otherwise WN would be the same age as wwx and WQ would be 4 years younger than him. But hey! If you want to go with that, go crazy! I was thinking more of Yunmeng Sibs focus, but I will be happy with anything! (2/2)

ao3

Untamed

Nie Mingjue hated the Wen sect to the point of death and war, but he had always had trouble hating sad and gentle Wen Ning.

Wen Ning was technically his peer – there were only two years between them in age – and therefore capable of the same sorts of responsibilities and duties towards righteousness as Nie Mingjue, meaning that he ought to hate him as much as all the rest. But at the same time, Wen Ning was only part of the main branch family indirectly, a ward of Wen Ruohan; he was constantly suppressed and even tormented by Wen Chao, the eldest son of that family. If anything, it seemed almost as if he’d been brought into the family just to act as the family’s scapegoat, the inferior copy that was so hapless that he made that self-indulgent hedonist Wen Chao appear somewhat competent in contrast.

Nie Mingjue couldn’t imagine treating any of his own cousins that way.

He and Wen Chao were often compared, both being about the same age, and their young brothers were of similar age as well, both of them only fourteen; this juxtaposition made sure that every single person in the cultivation world talk of them in the same breath. Nie Mingjue always came out the better in the comparison, and Wen Xu the same for his, which in the minds of most people balanced out, but which caused Wen Chao no end of rage. He knew he couldn’t take out his anger on the talented Wen Xu and so took out on poor Wen Ning instead.

Nie Mingjue hated the Wen sect.

He did not hate Wen Ning.

Wen Ning, who should not be here.

“Please,” Wen Ning said, nearly in tears, as he threw himself down to the floor in front of Nie Mingjue. He’d burst into the room in the inn Nie Mingjue was staying at, the guards that no sect leader could do without no matter what they wanted following close behind in alarm until Nie Mingjue had waved them off with a gesture; he’d been panting so hard that he’d only just now caught his breath. “Please help this useless older brother do one good thing with his life.”

Alarmed, Nie Mingjue reached out and caught Wen Ning by the shoulders, pulling him to stand and even forgetting himself enough to reach forward with a sleeve to dab away the tears staining the other man’s face.

“What is it?” he asked, feeling anxiety curdling in his gut. He’d spoken with Wen Ning before during the discussion conferences, both when he was younger and even, in a few stolen moments, after he became sect leader; he knew Wen Ning had a steady personality, if a weak one from all the bullying he endured, and that he was not given to unnecessary hysterics. If he could tolerate Wen Chao’s endless torment with a faint smile and a don’t worry sect leader Nie once you’re used to it it’s more funny than anything else, then what could make him act like this? “What is that you need help with? I do not understand.”

Wen Ning looked tired. He always had, his health had always been poor, but now it seemed worse than ever; there were circles under his eyes, and Nie Mingjue had no idea how he’d managed to get away from the Nightless City to come find him. The town he was currently in was close to the border the Qinghe Nie shared with Qishan Wen, but it was still an effort, especially for someone like Wen Ning. He might be a member of the Wen family by name, but his freedom was significantly curtailed, and it wasn’t only because he was sickly.

“My little sister is going to be attending the lectures at the Cloud Recesses,” Wen Ning said.

“The - Lan sect lectures?” Nie Mingjue repeated blankly. It was a stupid thing to say; of course it was the Lan sect’s lectures, who else would give lectures at the Cloud Recesses? And yet, at the same time – “The Wen sect hasn’t gone to them in generations.”

“Sect Leader Wen asked A-Qing to look for something,” Wen Ning said. “I don’t know what. He talks to her more than he talks to me, when she’s treating him with acupuncture and other such things – he only wants blood relations treating him now, so she’s passing along what she can do, the doctors all say she’s talented – he told her something, I think, but I don’t know what, he doesn’t talk to me…and she doesn’t talk to me, either.”

“She’s sixteen, they’re like that,” Nie Mingjue said, trying to offer comfort, but he didn’t like the sound of that – Wen Ruohan growing reliant on the medical skills of a teenager, talking with her as if she were an adult…it didn’t speak well to the Chief Cultivator’s state of mind. “So she’s going to go spy on them?”

“She is. And maybe more. There’s – there’s something back in the Nightless City, something Sect Leader Wen is refining in order to increase his power. Whatever it is, it’s powerful and evil.” Wen Ning looked paler than usual, somehow. “It was something that was kept in a cave near our village when we were younger, once. Sect Leader Wen took it away to study, and it made something go crazy, I got hurt, and my parents – anyway, it doesn’t matter. I can’t go near it without losing my senses, so I really don’t know anything about it. But I know that Sect Leader Wen only has a piece – and the Lan sect has another.”

Lan Xichen had never mentioned such a thing, but then again, he wasn’t really old enough that Nie Mingjue would expect him to know everything about his sect – he was after all a full five years younger than Nie Mingjue, three years younger than Wen Ning; he was still only seventeen, having only just graduated from his uncle’s classes the year before. He was only very technically sect leader, in the same way Nie Mingjue had only been technically sect leader after his father’s death, although unlike Lan Xichen Nie Mingjue had fought his way to step up to the task for real early on. He himself was only barely considered an adult at the age of twenty-two; it was no surprise that in the Lan sect, which had Lan Qiren to rely on, Lan Xichen might not know it all.

Or perhaps he knew, and simply didn’t say. Each sect was entitled to its secrets.

“What are you thinking?” Nie Mingjue asked.

“I’m thinking that my sister is constantly afraid for me, even though she’s younger than me,” Wen Ning said solemnly. “I’m thinking that she will break her own principles into pieces to protect me. I’m thinking that she’ll find whatever it is, or find a hint to it, and then Wen Chao will take his forces to burn the Cloud Recesses to the ground in search of it.”

Nie Mingjue could see that.

He didn’t want to, but he could.

“My brother is attending those lectures,” he said blankly. Nie Huaisang was there right now. He could be in danger – no, he would be in danger. Nie Huaisang wasn’t a good cultivator, and at fourteen, he was just a baby. Nie Mingjue had sent Meng Yao with him, nominally as his attendant, but in fact to get the benefit of the classes himself and also bully Nie Huaisang into actually learning something – he’d brought Meng Yao into the Nie sect after Jin Zixuan, full of guilt over how his father had treated a boy only two years his junior, had sent him a letter beseeching him for help following Meng Yao’s public and humiliating rejection from Jinlin Tower – but Meng Yao was only sixteen, of age with Wen Qing; what could he really do?

Moreover, sending Wen Qing and not Wen Xu, even though Wen Xu was the same age as Nie Huaisang and Lan Wangji, indicated that Wen Ruohan didn’t want his more promising son to get involved in whatever it was that he was planning, or maybe in whatever consequences followed. If Wen Chao really were to try something violent, they couldn’t afford to have a weakness already there…

“I need to get A-Qing out of the Wen sect,” Wen Ning said, and Nie Mingjue turned to look at him in shock. “Permanently. I’ve begged her to go, but she won’t leave me, she won’t leave our family of the Dafan Wen, but she has to. Something bad is going to happen soon. I know it. I don’t mind trading my life for hers, but she has to live.”

“Is there any way you can go to the Cloud Recesses as well?” Nie Mingjue asked, his mind already racing. He’d long ago given up on helping Wen Ning because he knew the other man wouldn’t turn traitor against his family, being an upright and filial child, but if his family had reached such a depth of corruption as that, then it was only right to leave them behind. If Wen Ning was finally accepting that, maybe there was something he could do. “You’re sensitive to the – whatever it is. Right? Maybe Wen Qing can suggest bringing you around to help her find her way to it.”

“How would that help?”

“It gets you somewhere safe, while I can rescue Dafan Wen – without a threat to you or to them, your sister would have no reason to insist on staying,” Nie Mingjue said, though it wouldn’t be him, exactly, that did the rescue – he’d need a firm alibi lest Wen Ruohan use it as an excuse to start something with his Nie sect. He might have prepared for war as much as he could, but the Wen sect was still stronger; if war broke out, he needed to make sure that he had the moral high ground.

Luckily, Wei Wuxian, that walking calamity of a head disciple of Yunmeng Jiang, had of late developed the habit of wandering over to visit various other sects, including Qinghe (and Nie Mingjue in specific), at his leisure, and no one ever would think to blame him for such a strange thing as a subsidiary sect of distant Wen sect cousins disappearing.

After all, Wei Wuxian had no reason to know or care about the Dafan Wen, and everyone knew he abjured politics completely, violently and repetitively, so as to make no mistake about anyone who might otherwise see him as competition for the Jiang sect’s true heir, Jiang Cheng. The five-year gap between their ages kept them from being compared – you couldn’t expect a child, and at fifteen Jiang Cheng was still very much a child, to keep up with an adult just turned twenty like Wei Wuxian – but there had always been whispers given everything with Cangse Sanren, and Wei Wuxian had had to work very hard to put a stop to them.

Wei Wuxian’s wandering habit had started back when he’d been trying to find Jiang Yanli a new fiancée to replace the engagement he’d broken by fighting with Jin Zixuan, however shameful it was for him to fight with a boy two years his junior. It was for that that he had come to Qinghe to meet Nie Mingjue, leading to them hitting it off as friends despite Nie Mingjue expressing that he had absolutely no interest in getting married to Jiang Yanli, or indeed to any nice young lady at all; then, in turn, Nie Mingjue had brought him to the Lan sect to meet Lan Xichen. They’d gotten along as well, although the most notable outcome of that visit had been little Lan Wangji developing a crush on his elder brother’s new friend while Wei Wuxian remained blissfully oblivious. His wanderings had continued even after Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan had found their way back to each other, affianced once again through their own choice rather than their parents’.

Said parents had not yet been informed of this new situation, as they were waiting for the right time to mention it. Or perhaps more accurately, the right situation to exploit with it…

Now, Nie Mingjue thought. Now was the time. It would work perfectly.

And not just as a distraction.

“Are you sure…?”

“I am,” Nie Mingjue said. “Whatever it is, Wen Ruohan must be kept from obtaining all of the pieces; he’s already too powerful, and more power will only make him more arrogant. I’ll speak with Lan Qiren. Once I take the Dafan Wen back to the Nie sect, your sister will be able to testify to whatever it is that she was asked to search for, which will give Lan Qiren the evidence he needs to get his sect’s approval for retaliatory measures. Moreover, using Wei Wuxian to help me will force Jiang Fengmian to support me as well; there’s no way he’d ever refuse to back him to the hilt.”

“The Jin sect –”

“Will join us,” Nie Mingjue said, thinking of Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan’s yet-to-be-announced engagement. Once Jin Guangshan realized that he would be pulled into the same boat as the rest of them whether he wanted to or not, any resistance he had would crumble like a structure made of sand being beaten down by the tide. “They won’t have a choice. Is there anything else I should know?”

“There’s a child,” Wen Ning said, biting his lips. “Around the same age as your brother or my sister, or maybe the Jiang sect heir, I don’t know, around that. He helps Sect Leader Wen with whatever he’s doing.”

“A child helps him?”

Nie Mingjue didn’t like the sound of that.

“I don’t know. Some secret his family knows, I think…his surname is Xue.”

Nie Mingjue frowned.

“I don’t know much about him,” Wen Ning added. “Only that he has some history with the Yueyang Chang clan. Bad history.”

“That’s a good start,” Nie Mingjue said. He realized that he hadn’t yet released Wen Ning’s shoulders, and gave them a small squeeze before doing so. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will do everything I can to help you.”

Wen Ning looked at him with admiration in his eyes, making Nie Mingjue feel a little hot under the collar.

“Thank you, Chifeng-zun,” he murmured, and Nie Mingjue shook his head.

“Call me by name,” he said, and tried to smile. “You’ll be here a lot in the future, if all goes well.”

Nie Mingjue hated the Wen sect, but he didn’t hate gentle and sad Wen Ning.

He didn’t hate him at all.

#mdzs #nie mingjue #wen ning #my fic #my fics #count your age #I know you said Yunmeng focus but this is what came out #sorry #full list of ages on the ao3 page

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llycaons · 1 year

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ep7: ah, young love

okay so this episode had a lot of EXCELLENT scenes but also some that don’t land very well and read as a little tryhard and poorly thought out. imo

since we weren’t done being beaten over the head with the parallels yet 😭

exchanging significant looks! the first (?) of MANY. they will have a long career in staring at each other ahead of them

oh damn is that what the original plan was? fuck, this plot is boring

this is so sweet. wwx got a little connection to his grandmaster

I remember wwx having much bigger ‘rip to you but I’m different’ vibes but he seems more chill here this rewatch

FAKE ROCKS LMAO

this is actually one of my least favorite tropes/moments for wx. it just feels like a contrived situation that’s designed to make the audience go ‘oohhh, that’s gay!!!’ without any intentional input or decisionmaking from the characters. like it turns them from subjects into objects? it’s hard to explain but I think this is annoying and meaningless as a romantic writing choice

I love how I can read lwj again now. and he looks SO hurt and betrayed

also his face/nose look rounder than usual. he’s always had round features but they look accentuated in this shot. another reason that lines about lwj’s sharp jawline confuse me in fics

aw shit did he say zhiji

wwx is so cute when he’s serious

lwj writing off wwx as telling stories and being silly, internally rolling his eyes, and then VISIBLY reassessing when he realizes that wwx is actually being very clever in misdirecting nhs. like ‘OH. he’s smart!’

wwx literally looked at lwj for five seconds and jc lost it lmao

all of his looks of sadness tend to be so...private? inwardly directed? he’s out theoretically in public but he’s experiencing this sorrow entirely unconnected from anyone else. wwx tends to be expressive when he’s sad, jc is loud and physical, jyl reaches out to others. but lwj usually doesn’t let anyone else see, then just tucks it away like this

this shot is so fucking funny. wx and xy awkwardly standing in the waiting room as the evil cc does heretical experiments in his throne room

I usually don’t endorse assigning a character top/bottom status because it’s dumb and unrelated to how real life people act. that being said this man is a slut and I fully believe he knows what he’s doing. where’s that post about him being erotically darth vader chocked by wrh

awww jyl is so pretty

man, wwx really was a dick to nhs

ah I love this scene. so pretty!

mm! lxc and lqr being there too is so nice. it’s easy to forget that they’re teachers too and they look after these kids

CLASSIC SHOT. I fully endorse the ‘lwj had a crush he was confused and frustrated by, and at this moment his crush compounded into genuine and very intense young love’ I don’t endorse love at first sight I think it’s silly

at first I felt bad because jzx didn’t want to be in an arranged marriage (fair) and wwx kept going after him for it but nah. look at his face. what a tool

wwx trying so hard to protect his sister’s heart/reputation bc he loves her but his public freakouts just embarrass and humiliate her more 😭

I love that lwj has never looked this confused before or since

I love youuuuu

so funny that this is how we’re introduced to jfm, who is notorious for having no backbone

this is what I mean when I say wwx seems to be from a different setting than other characters. nobody else would do this type of exaggerated posturing. it gives him such a distinct personality and mannerisms, which is probably really hard to write coherently

interesting you say that, with your history. you who never married, hm?

I cannot believe that people genuinely think jfm was as bad or worse than myu. for all his faults, he stood up against jgs to ensure his daughter didn’t end up in an unwanted marriage like his. and he doesn’t treat wwx (or jc) as well as he should, but myu would never have taken wwx in and never would have loved him or defenced him or taught the way jfm clearly does. he does treat jc badly, but it’s not like myu treats jc much better, and the fact that she treats him worse because wwx is around and better than him at stuff doesn’t reflect on jfm or wwx, but rather on her as a person. I have a soft spot for jfm despite not really respecting him at all

the song playing here is SO sad god he misses her so much

jyl saying wwx will marry a beautiful woman, because she thinks him flirting with guys is a phase or something?. I actually read her as very sweet and loving to wwx, but straight and not really totally understanding how his attraction to men is just as important to him, if not moreso, than his attraction to women. a few explanations for his response

1. he means it because he’s not bi as speculated, he’s gay (possible - he’s been very forward with the porn and the insinuations)

2. he means it because he’s already sold on marrying lwj (VERY early for this to be the case imo. also he was laughing about living in CR and the idea of someone marrying lwj just a few eps ago)

3. he means it because he genuinely doesn’t want to get married he just wants to hang out with his big sister (if so: 🥺😭)

4. he’s pretending to joke around but he really means it but he doesn’t know why yet (given how good he is at masking his own desires and avoiding his own feelings, perhaps this is most likely)

5. he’s fully joking in order to make her happy (he doesn’t seem that serious to me)

imo if the writers wanted this to be a legitimate moment of wwx expressing his desires that conflict with jyl’s (and the rest of society’s) views on what marriage should be, they should have maybe not framed it so lighthearted? ah, it’s wwx, he hides what he really wants under jokes all the time

in the book he actually inspired like, dozens of disciples to drink and shirk their classwork instead of just nhs and jc. very funny ngl

hard to see in this shot but wwx’s look of what I can only describe as awe when lwj walks in. my boy

I love his confidence he’s so funny

oh everything hurts

he’s so funny playing around with the bunnies and making them talk. too much ‘chaos gremlin’ wwx not enough ‘playful and sweet’ wwx

something I really love about these early arcs, despite that yin metal plot being so boring I could cry, is how protective wwx is of lwj. he really cares about him and wants him to be okay!

overall despite adoring young wwx and lwj, and enjoying many of the scenes in this episode, I still think this arc has the least compelling wx. but it's laying really important groundwork for plots and relationship dynamics that will become delicious later, so I don't mind

personal highlights

lwj’s confused face

wwx being very dramatic

jfm defending jyl and jzx’s right to decide who they marry

xy, for being very entertaining in his sluttiness

wwx making the bunny talk

wwx being protective of lwj

#cql re-rewatch #im so tired fuck this took a long time

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