The Untamed 陈情令 Fanfic - Untold Stories

Chapter 10 - "Lotus Pier Part 3"

Her name was Cangse Sanren.

A wandering cultivator, a student of the legendary Baoshan Sanren. Well known from her time, not for her beauty, though she was beautiful. Many wanted to court her, while others denied their attraction. For such a wildflower, tame she was not, but a challenge she was. A flower, blown in the breeze, could not be easily captured, no status or wealth, power of one's strength, could possess.

Yet, simply it was, for her heart to falter was none other than him. Most said Wei Wuxian took after his mother, but none had thought of his father. A steadfast dutiful man. A person with barely a name. Rumor had it, for decades even now, that the Leader of Jiang Sect had courted this unattainable lady, but in the end, she was stolen by none other than his sworn brother. How could that be, a servant no less, obtain what others could not, a beauty, though wild, still, she was the woman of the hour.

None had realized because they were not astute. Yes, it was the future leader of Jiang Sect, Jiang Fengmain who openly courted, but it was not he, who actually started.

One day, of a forgotten past, Wei Changze, Jiang Fengmain's second in command, offered to assist his bosom friend to capture the attention of the woman of their heart. Actions aside, the quiet man may not be good with spoken words, but his written ones beg to differ. Not just letters, but countless messages from dragonflies, which floated to her side. Clumsy she may be, yet, this lady of her time wasn't easily deceived.

A man, hidden from the shadows of another for all of his life, was now in her sight.

She coaxed, teased, and flirted, but Wei Changze's loyalty refused to waver. Cangse Sanren, with no other recourse, unconventional others had claimed, pounced on this stubborn but faltered man. Plainly put, his chastity was taken, by this eccentric maiden.

Hence, such a stoic invisible person had become the man of the hour.

Disregarding, the blessing that was given, he stole his master's lady, the world proclaimed. To this day and time of the past, such a gossip persisted. The pure love that was shamed, for no other reason than the status that was to blame.

A shadow of the past, wherever their child passed.

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Today, with low clouds and a light breeze, Wei Wuxian took Lan Wangji to the most northern part of the Lotus Pier river, opening to a great Lake. His father's hometown, but not too close to Lotus Pier. Much quieter than the southern river, full of activities, countless boats, endless festivities. His soft-spoken father, unlike his mother, chose to remain hidden whenever they dropped by. A habit, but more of a consideration.

Although Wei Changze was a powerful cultivator in his own rights, his name was barely mentioned. In records nor word of mouths. A shadow figure, the right-hand man, Wei Changze, an existence to this day and time remained unheard.

In contrast, Wei Wuxian was not given such a path upon his arrival at Lotus Pier. Others' rumors were that it was all due to Uncle Jiang's love for the woman he was unable to court. None had actually paid much attention to the brotherly bond, beyond romance that could not be said.

As Wei Wuxian took in the familiar surrounding, a particular memory rose. His parents had brought him here that early winter, Wei Wuxian recalled. They took shelter beyond the riverside. An old traveler's hut, protected from the elements, because his father was injured from a night hunt at the time. When his mother was away searching for medicinal herb, a man in purple arrived.