Lan Zhan POV
Night hunting.
Since the verdict, no, since Lan Zhan had seen Suibian...no, that was not correct either. Since Lan Zhan had seen Wei WuXian in the water, when his mother had defended him, he had felt restless.
Angry, upset and annoyed too, but restless.
Livid, blood boiling furious, but restless.
He was supposed to be resting now.
Two hours to go before the night hunt would begin.
It wasn't enough that openly his brother had defended his actions in public, and Uncle Qiren had been supportive, however their consequent words to him privately were laced with disapproval. The Lan family did not "talk it out" much less hug it out, and Lan Zhan felt isolated in a way that reminded him of his childhood.
Many instances stood out, each moment different and unique like each snowflake that landed around him in the winter nights of Gusu.
The time he was cornered by bullies in the library, accused of receiving special treatment just because of his family ties, the moments that followed when he did not snitch on them to his brother, instead remaining tight lipped about the whole incident, but having no explanation for the cuts and the bruises.
His mastery of the sword and the guqin, finally bonding with his instrument to infuse with his own spiritual energy....that was another type of isolation, one that empowered him to face any bully, anyone who thought to take advantage of a weaker person.
Having been on the receiving end of unwarranted hatred and jealousy, a small part of him understood that he was to blame, for he had let his emotions get the better of him, and how the consequences of that could have severe repercussions.
He had to win.
Sitting through the testimonies had been another kind of torture.
Exactly opposite himself, sat the very man who had blown kisses at him, had actually kissed him, stolen his first kiss.
Lan Zhan would have much preferred to have his dancer be the first one...but this upstart Wei WuXian had taken that away too. Lan Zhan was sitting close enough to spot the mole, just under his bottom lip. He could not stop thinking about it.
His dancer had no mole.
Lan Zhan wasn't a fool. He knew the chances of two people, both with moonlit silver eyes, both the cause of his unrest, both making his heart beat out of his chest, was a near impossibility that they were different.
But...the mole.
While the Elders talked, he examined.
It was hard to do, when the object of his discrimination kept staring at him, moments of longing, moments of disbelief...and then disappointment, especially when Wei Changze criminalised Lan Zhan's attack.
Nobody put into words what he felt, what he was still feeling.
All his life, from as early as he could remember, there had been hushed talk about the artifact. The Wei Clan had it, it was what they used to disperse the resentful energy that the Burial Mounds were drowning in, and they, so close living in Yilling, how could they not use it?
Their dishonesty about this, and all the additional lies they presented to the outside world...but Lan Zhan would not be swayed. He had learned that the truth would prevail, shining like the sun to drive away the darkness of the night.
When they found the artifact in the Wei Clan treasury, then...then what?
Would he be any happier? Would that fix the cracks in their family unity? Cracks that were only getting wider as time passed. Lan Zhan felt lost, floating on the winds of uncertainty.
The more his Xiongzhang and uncle made disparaging remarks about the Wei Clan, about the youngster who was wild and out of control, who should be disciplined in order to be tamed, the more he felt alone.
In the back of his mind, in the darkest corner, doubt grew like a fungus, a mushroom of discontent.
What if they were wrong?
His analytical mind refused to drop this chain of thought.
What if after everything, the years of animosity against the liars and the thieves, after this climactic night hunt, the treasuries were searched, nothing was found?
Where would that leave them? And himself?
As XiChen knocked on his door to escort him to where the night hunt would take place, Lan Zhan wanted nothing more than to seek solace in the arms of his dancer. His arms ached with the phantom pain of loss, the need to hold his love once more, to kiss those pink lips one last time.
More because some sixth sense deep within his heart told him that tonight would change everything.
**************************
They were early.
Meishan province was...different.
Lan Zhan stood in between his brother and his uncle, listening to the sounds of his heart beating while they talked. Hushed tones to encourage him, to give advice, when all he wanted was to listen to the wind as it claimed the spaces in between the leaves in all the trees around them.
He drowned them out, focusing on the calls of the night animals, the hooting of an errant owl, the flapping wings of bats as they clicked, and the last squeal of an unfortunate mammal breathing its last.
Cicadas sang the song of death, the passing of countless lives in these small hours of darkness while the moon still glowed high up in the sky and the stars still shone with love. The soft sweet scent of wild jasmine floated in the air towards him, a deception to mask the killing that was to come.
There was no reason for this melancholy, but it seeped in, under his clothes, under his skin, straight towards his heart. A sadness for the time passing, and the time to come, with no explanation of why.
The crackle of unmistakable purple lightning drew him out of his thoughts.
Madam Yu led the party of cultivators and them.
She smirked, her white teeth glinting in the pale moonlight, a smile that reeked of secrets. They had arrived, but Zidian was kept alert and awake, a reminder of her enthusiasm to use it.
There was no need, for Lan Zhan could see the black robes of the Wei Clan behind her, their three most important individuals like shadows chasing the night, right there.
His eyes were drawn to the youngest of the three, his ponytail waving in the mild breeze, the strands of the silver grey ribbon floating away from him. Wei WuXian's fingers were curled around Chenqing, twirling the dizi absent-mindedly while looking around him.
He did not look afraid.
For some reason, this made Lan Zhan feel so much better.
Contests, whether friendly or not, were supposed to be fair. He believed in this as a solid example of why rules were needed, should be adhered to. Especially in a situation like this.
Where both parties stood to attention, a nervous energy like a solid presence between them, and if Lan Zhan wanted to, he could reach out and touch it, this thrumming vibration pulsing through his body, and extending outside to reach the other.
Silver eyes, light as the precious moon, sparkled to life as they met his, the electrifying jolt running through his body which could just as well be nerves.
Wei WuXian missed a step, and was helped by his mother, who turned to see who had caught her son's attention. Lan Zhan saw the bandage on her arm and inexplicably felt guilty. He could not continue looking in their direction when the second set of eyes landed on him.
"If you are all ready..." Madam Yu began, her amethyst eyes scanning both parties. "I will explain the rules. You are not to fight each other, this contest is only to determine your cultivation skills. Once a kill has been made, the mountain has been arrayed to show which clan is responsible with that clan's emblem lighting up the sky. That way, there will be no cheating."
Of course that comment led to murmurs of how they each would not be the ones to cheat, and of course, Madam Yu called for silence in that wonderful way of hers, as Zidian lit up the darkness with her purple crackling flash.
"There are two known Beasts and a third that will remain a mystery until the others are defeated. But know this: your skills will be tested to the extreme. You may begin." She finished and took a step back.
Lan Zhan saw the Jiang siblings comfort his opponent before, and to his complete surprise, Wei WuXian strode towards him. Full of confidence and gaiety, in spite of their situation, he was smiling as bright as the sun on a summer's day.
All thoughts fled as Lan Zhan looked, lost as his mind struggled to catch up, because his opponent was saying something. And now looking at him expectantly.
Lan Zhan stared at the offered hand like it was a snake.
"May the best man win." Wei WuXian repeated, this second time a little hesitantly.
His family was staring at him, and now it was becoming awkward, the longer he stared, until he stopped caring. The pressure of all eyes upon them had him thrusting his hand to meet the one in front of him, relief clearly written in the eyes and face of the beautiful man in front of him.
And where did that thought come from?
He had no time to ponder. Wei WuXian was already walking ahead of him, and he turned to see if Lan Zhan was following. Wei WuXian winked slyly just as Xichen nudged Lan Zhan forward.
"Do your best, Didi." XiChen smiled at him, his eyes conveying everything he didn't have time to say.
With one short sharp nod, Lan Zhan left the comfort of his family and his clan, and strode forth into the night.