Dearly Detested: Grooms in Hate

Yiling Patriarch? More like Yiling's greatest annoyance.

Hanguang Jun was tired. 

When the Yiling Patriarch began to have nightmares and wreak havoc everywhere, it meant more paperwork for him. Especially since Jin Guangshan and Jin Guangyao had just died under mysterious circumstances, leaving the position of Chief Cultivator unoccupied. Nie Mingjue refused, Jiang Cheng said he was too busy restoring his clan and Jin Zixuan wanted to focus on his wife while dealing with the repercussions of the Carp Tower tragedy.

That left Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji. His brother was too preoccupied with the leading position of the Lan Clan, so the responsibility fell to Lan Wangji. In accordance with the elders’ wishes, he ascended to the position of Chief Cultivator, envied and revered by all.

At 20, he was saddled with the affairs of the Clans, solving disputes and reversing the effects of the war they had just experienced.

Around that time, the scouts in Yiling sent word about the Yiling Patriarch’s insanity. It had already been visible to everyone during the tragedy. Since the Lan Clan specialised in musical cultivation and treating those with mental issues, it naturally fell upon them to help curb this impending threat. Thus, after much discussion, Lan Wangji was chosen as the one who would help Wei Wuxian with his problems, for the safety of the cultivation world. 

That was how Lan Wangji ended up frequenting the Burial Mounds on a daily basis. At first, he would be accompanied by an entourage, to ensure his safety, but now that the Yiling Patriarch’s hostility was low, they only rarely accompanied Hanguang Jun.

It had become a part of his day-to-day life. He would even take along Lan Sizhui, who could calm down the Yiling Patriarch’s anger, due to the depth of their connection. Every day he met and fought with the Yiling Patriarch, who disdained him and sneered at him publicly. And after that he had to go back to Gusu and handle the paperwork, the discussions and the schooling of the students. He was exhausted. 

Then suddenly Wei Wuxian’s temperament began to worsen despite the daily treatments. His powers were becoming more and more bloodthirsty, and even Lan Wangji found it difficult to control the man without being present at all times. Therefore, the Lan elders, under the advice from Lan Xichen, decided to have Lan Wangji marry Wei Wuxian, while also ensuring with the help of Jiang Yanli that the Wens would never rebel again. 

Lan Wangji personally thought the solution was rational, yet he felt uneasy and had his doubts. In his position, having such a wife was not only unconventional, this arrangement also practically forced Wei Wuxian into a marriage with him. Even though the Yiling Patriarch was becoming a  bigger threat by the day, should he be treated like that?

Unfortunately for him, everything was already decided. So he took the betrothal gifts, chosen by the Lan clans elders,  with him, ready to hear the Yiling Patriarch’s snide remarks and rejection.

However, it turned out to be simpler than he had expected. Wei Wuxian was suspiciously nonviolent about it, and agreed only after a short discussion. Maybe the marriage wasn’t that unacceptable to him. 

But as soon as Jiang Yanli left, Wei Wxuian began throwing a tantrum, loudly making everyone stare at him.

"Hanguang Jun! You have some guts to just show up here like this! I'm only marrying you for the Wens, nothing else!"

"Mn."

"Good that you know. And don't you forget it! Now I feel sick from this whole craziness, the audacity! Come, do your duty, make it go away."

Wei Wuxian stormed off dramatically, and Lan Wangji soon followed. The crowd kept talking about how both of them were pitiful, having to put up with and even marry someone whom they hated so much. 

By the time Lan Wangji left the next day, the news had already spread far and wide: "The Yiling Patriarch and the Chief Cultivator are being forced into a marriage. It is a great shame for the Lan Clan, that the Lan Er Furen is a necromancer. However, the Lan Clan is doing this only to protect the rest of the Clans and their people from the Yiling Patriarch's deranged mania."

The common folks felt equally excited and sympathetic. The most powerful cultivator in the world with an unfathomably rich family was getting married, but it was to the person he hated the most. How unfortunate that all his power couldn't protect him from that fate! It was truly the ultimate source of gossip.

Since then the energy between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian slowly changed. Before, Wei Wuxian was openly hostile towards Lan Wangji, screaming at him and throwing things occasionally,  but now he managed to control himself more, by only glaring at him and making faces behind his back. It was as if he was actually considerate?

While their marriage approached, Lan Wangji was extremely busy with preparations, since Wei Wuxian couldn’t do it himself. He had Jiang Yanli helping him, but she was preoccupied with carving her place in the Jin Clan. Of course, Lan Wangji would still make sure he went to meet Wei Wuxian every night, and kept him company to help reduce his mental trauma. 

However, a problem he couldn't have predicted came up. It seemed that there were not one, but two Tortoises of Slaughter. The one that Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji killed in their youth was a mother, and the child had surfaced on the borders of the Nie Clan, injuring a majority of their forces. 

On Nie Mingjue's request for reinforcements, Lan Wangji had to leave for the battlefield, despite the fact that he had so much on his plate already. This was also because his brother was a guest in the Nie Clan at this time, and he worried for him.

That night was the first time Lan Wangji did not make it in time to the Burial Mounds. In fact, he didn't come at all that night. In the moonless night, it was truly a sorrowful absence, one filled with restlessness and anxiety.

Fortunately, Hanguang Jun had dropped Sizhui at the Burial Mounds the day before, just in case. Due to A-Yuan's presence, Wei Wuxian just stopped short of losing all coherence to the pain. However, his powers escaped his control, and tendrils of energy began curling up all around the Burial Mounds, threateningly protecting.

If on this night anyone would have taken a closer look, they could have seen that Wei Wuxian’s face, distorted by agony, was still more worried than furious, but who was awake in the middle of the night and brave enough to get so close to the Yiling Patriarch when his powers were out of control like that?

Just as dawn arrived, a blood-covered Lan Wangji made his way into the Burial Mounds, limping and exhausted. He walked into Wei Wuxian's cave, and was met by a shouting and angry Wei Wuxian, who was irritable because of the power’s drain.

“You… you promised! What took you so long? Did you really take care out there? Did you even consider what will happen to me, if you don't come back? Why are you bleeding so much?" 

“Not mine.”

Wei Wuxian huffed, “Wouldn’t know till we check, would we? This is a nightmare. How could you do this to me?”

He forced himself to calm down and helped to fix up Lan Wangji's wounds. 

“There. You’re good to go, but I suggest you sleep here for the night. How can anyone let you leave while you’re in this state?”

“Mn.”

The next day, they were found fast asleep next to each other.

Of course, the person who found out was none other than Wen Qing, who knew better than to say anything. She had been away with her brother for the past few weeks, but after finding out about Wei Wuxian's wedding, the two had rushed back as soon as they could.

And so the entire Cultivation World heard of the incident where Yiling Laozu almost repeated the incident from eight years ago, until Lan Wangji came at the last minute and stopped him, as he had done before. Every listener shared the same sentiment, 'Ah, they should get married sooner for our safety.'