Only you know my name

Chapter 26

Lan Wangji had seen that Wei Wuxian had been nervous to approach Lan Qiren but he had not put too much importance to it. His uncle was the ruler of the Heavenly Court after all and his presence and authority were intimidating to say at least. Even he himself had sometimes problems to not cower in front of him when Lan Qiren was angry.

However, just as his uncle touched Wei Wuxian's hand, the boy he was still holding onto tightly in silent support went completely rigid and he started breathing very quickly. His eyes turned upwards and the only thing which could be seen anymore was the white, it looked terrifying. And then, before Lan Wangji could tell his uncle that something was wrong, Wei Wuxian staggered and Lan Wangji had to lower him to the ground, sitting him there and holding him upright by his shoulders.

From very far away, he could hear his uncle talking. Even though he did not want to listen to him right now, long years of experience were making him unable to concentrate fully on Wei Wuxian and he still understood what was being said: "Good fortune smiled on us today. This is Mo Xuanyu, the good of wisdom and mischief who had been lost for more than a thousand years. He had finally come back to us. Although his reincarnation was apparently very long, now everything would be better; the mortals need him to guide them, just as we gods do. Today is a day for celebration!"

All the present gods started cheering at once. Lan Wangji could not understand what was happening anymore. He was here, out of his mind for Wei Wuxian who was limply suspended in his arms and looked like he was going through something terrible, and the whole Heavenly Court was celebrating and surely already planning how they would be able to use him for their own benefits. Just as they had wanted to use Lan Wangji.

He felt disgusted with them at once. How come he had not seen this hypocrisy earlier? How come he needed Wei Wuxian to open his eyes to all the intrigues around him? Although some gods in the Heavenly Court were good and righteous, his instincts were telling him that there were many more who would do anything to gain more power and manipulate whomever they could to arrive to their unrighteous goals.

He filtered everyone out and instead focused on Wei Wuxian. His heart almost jumped out of his chest when he saw how terrible the boy looked. His brows were knitted together tightly and his whole body was still and rigid. Lan Wangji could tell he was suffering.

He did not know how he had come up with that idea, but he immediately opened his mind just as he had done earlier that day when his back was leaning against the boulder where Wei Wuxian had been sealed, apparently for more than a thousand years. He did not believe his uncle in this regard, he knew that Wei Wuxian would never lie to him and he had seen how confused he had been upon waking up. This was not what reincarnation did to a god.

He pulled the now limp body closer to himself and their foreheads touched. Suddenly, he felt like he was being swept away by a strong current. He had not felt this way when he had talked with Wei Wuxian in his mind previously, this was new. This was a complete chaos instead of the steady and warm presence he had come to know. Images were flashing in front of him and he was lost in the colourful flood.

Only until he fixed on a series of images specifically. There was a man who looked just like him playing with the child Wei Wuxian. Then, the man had to leave and the child was pleading him to stay, he did not. Next part was the child being brought in front of Lan Qiren without his iconic beard, he looked very angry. There were no sounds but Lan Wangji could tell from the scene before him that his uncle had decided to punish the young Wei Wuxian. And then, there was only darkness and nothing more and Lan Wangji felt extremely scared and alone.

He was suddenly ejected from his half meditative state. He understood only now that those must have been Wei Wuxian's memories before he had been sealed away. He felt a tear escape his eyes and he could not tell if it was because he was so angry at how his uncle had treated a young god because of a simple prank or if he was sad for Wei Wuxian and the suffering he had gone through sealed away all alone in a dark and small place. Most probably both.

He only needed a glance to confirm that Wei Wuxian had been freed from his memories as well and he was already glaring at his uncle with such potent righteous anger that the elder actually took a step back. If Wei Wuxian was not trembling like a leaf in his arms – his body somehow more mature than before and larger as well, he noticed but immediately let go of the thought as there were other matters he should be concentrating on – he would have jumped up to his feet and stormed to take hold of his uncle and shake some sense into him.

Instead, he contented himself with half shouting half whispering: "Uncle, you taught me righteousness and justness. You said that the rules of the Heavenly Court are there to be obeyed without question in order to uphold justice. But, what I had seen right now, you have disobeyed you own rules and had wronged Wei Wuxian terribly."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes to gather himself. He was the god of justice, if he pronounced a judgement, it had to be carried out. He knew he was talking about Lan Qiren, his uncle, the ruler of the Heavenly Court, that was however still no excuse to punish a simple childish prank with thousand years of suffering. Wei Wuxian had only been a child! He had not assumed his duties yet so he could not have known any better.

Before he could pronounce the judgment – he had already a perfect one picked, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth – he felt someone's hand on his forearm. It distracted him enough to look at the intruder to his personal space and to see that his brother was now standing right next to him with a worried expression on his face.

"Lan Zhan, what is wrong?" he asked as if there was nothing wrong. As if the whole Heavenly Court had not wronged Wei Wuxian terribly and had not had to pay for that.

Lan Wangji turned his burning eyes towards his uncle again and pointed his finger at him accusingly: "Brother, Uncle had committed a terrible crime. For just a childish and harmless prank, he had condemned Wei Wuxian to a thousand years of being sealed away."

Lan Xichen held his hand a little tighter but Lan Wangji paid him no mind. He only continued to glare at their uncle who now looked utterly confused. "I did no such thing; I do even know anyone named Wei Wuxian in the first place." He tried to defend himself but everything was falling on Lan Wangji's deaf ears.

Lan Xichen now sided with his uncle and he immediately had his hand shrugged off by his brother: "Lan Zhan, see, this is just a misunderstanding. Let us sit down calmly and clear everything up before doing something inappropriate. We are in the middle of the Heavenly Court after all."

Lan Wangji had had enough of the rest of his family. Why did they both pretend like nothing had ever happened? He had seen them both clearly in Wei Wuxian's memories. They were guilty and he would make sure to uphold his duties without any delay.

"As the god of justice, I proclaim..."

He never got to finish the sentence because he felt another hand gently caress one of his wrists and heard Wei Wuxian whisper: "Lan Wangji, it is fine. Do not be hasty lest you will regret it later on."