****
After the war, they thought things would finally settle down, but the reality was far from peaceful. Multiple conferences and celebrations were tiresome, especially with never-ending questions about Yin Hufu. There were voices that such a powerful artefact shouldn't belong to a person unaffiliated with any sect. As a result, Wei Ying snapped and accused Jin Guangshan of being a greedy bastard, acting like Wen Ruohan. It didn't bode well with sects. Then they started to question his close relationship with Hanguang-Jun. It wore him thin. Wei Ying was tired and sometimes wished to vanish from the earth's surface.
Wangji was growing worried about his soulmate. Especially when he noticed that Wei Ying was slowly distancing himself. First, Wei Ying decided it was safer to keep their relationship secret, despite him not having issues with being open about it. He loved him and didn't care what others thought about it. Lan Zhan was sure it was some misguided attempt to protect him, but he would rather go down with Wei Ying than keep his reputation.
Wangji kept watching him during the opening ceremony at Phoenix Mountain, trying to figure out what was happening inside Wei Ying's head. He was so distracted he missed a question directed at his brother. Wangji only realised it must have been bad when Wei Ying's face sank, and he slipped away.
"I'm sure Qin Su would make a lovely wife for Wangji," Xichen agreed, looking at him expectantly.
"Huh? I have no interest in women," he blurted out, then rushed after his soulmate, leaving everyone speechless.
Wei Ying found it hard to breathe, and before he realised it, his feet carried him into the woods. Far from everything... far from the person he needed to survive... the only person he couldn't have. Xichen's words kept echoing in his head, breaking his heart all over.
"Wangji has a bright future ahead, Master Wei. You wouldn't want to be the one to ruin it for him, right? You should start considering how your actions are affecting him. We both know, Wangji deserves a proper family. Can you give him that? I thought so. Why don't you leave him before it is too late?"
Then the sudden marriage proposal nailed his coffin. The life slowly disappeared from his eyes, leaving an empty shell of a man. He felt like nothing. A burden and stain on Lan Zhan's pristine image. It hurt like hell, but it was better this way. He didn't want to ruin Wangji's bond with his brother and end up like him... without family. All he had to do was to push him away and disappear, but his heart wasn't ready to lose his love... His ray of light that kept him alive.
Wangji found him deep in the woods, sitting on a fallen tree. Wei Ying looked so sad and lonely that it broke his heart. Once sparkling with life, eyes were like bottomless pools of emptiness. It seemed like Wei Ying had given up on everything, but he didn't. Wangji made a promise, and he intended to keep it. Lan Zhan would stay by his side no matter what. He would fight for them till the last drop of blood. He approached him, firmly grabbed his hands, and gazed deep into silver orbs, but Wei Ying instantly looked away.
"Stop pushing me away, Wei Ying. I'm not going anywhere."
"Are we wrong to be together?"
His barely audible question broke his heart even further. Was someone filling Wei Ying's head with these stupid ideas? Wangji gently grabbed his chin and forced Wei Ying to look at him. "People who say that we shouldn't be together don't know anything about us," he started, not letting him look away. "My love for you only grows stronger every day, and it won't stop because someone doesn't like seeing us together. No matter who it is," Wangji said firmly. There was a flash of pain in his silver eyes. Did someone close to him say something? Who was important enough to force Wei Ying to distance himself? Suddenly, Wangji understood. "I've waited my whole life for you, Wei Ying. I won't give you up to please my brother."
His eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?"
"I didn't," Wangji shrugged with a cheeky smile. "But I couldn't think of anyone else you would listen to and try to leave me."
"He cares about you...."
"If Xichen cared about me, he wouldn't try to chase my life away," Lan Zhan cut him off. "I don't care about sects' rules or expectations. I can't live without you, can you?"
"You know that I can't... but if me being gone is better for you, I wouldn't hesitate. Your happiness is more important than anything."
"Do you swear you will do everything to make me happy?"
"Mm."
"Perfect, I need you by my side to be happy," Lan Zhan chirped. "Now, you can't escape."
"Lan Zhan!"
"What? All is fair in love and war," he shrugged, then leaned in and kissed him slowly. "I'm going to leave the sect, and we will find a place for ourselves. Far from all of this," he said, looking back in the direction of the banquet.
"What about your marriage proposal?"
"What about it? Are you proposing to me?"
"Yes... I mean the one from that greedy bastard."
"Oh, that... I told them that I was not into women and left. Dunno what happened afterwards."
"You did not!"
"What else did you expect me to say?" Wangji smirked.
"When did you become so shameless?" Wei Ying asked, bringing their foreheads together. His silver eyes shone full of life and love, gazing into amber gold orbs. It's funny how easily Lan Zhan dispersed his insecurities. It made him feel like a fool for trying to leave.
"I have the best teacher."
His hand rested on Wangji's nape, then pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss. "Thank you for not giving up on me," he whispered.
"I will always stand by your side, Wei Ying."
****
The atmosphere during the afternoon banquet was awkward, to say the least. Xichen's face was tense. He wasn't sure if he should be more embarrassed or angry about his brother. How could Wangji so blatantly reject the marriage proposal he and Jin Guangyao worked so hard to get? Not to mention openly admitting he was a cut-sleeve. Xichen sighed. He was barely able to deal with rumours about Wangji and Wuxian before. Now everyone was convinced they were a couple. Xichen would sooner lock him up than agree with this questionable relationship with a demonic cultivator without sect or family.
"Er-Gege? I heard what happened before the hunt," Jin Guangyao said, approaching him with an innocent smile. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"I don't know what to do, A-Yao," Xichen sighed, pointing at the sitting mat beside him. "Wangji was always so disciplined and respectful towards our rules, but now he stays outside Cloud Recesses because Uncle refused Wei Wuxian entry. He follows him everywhere, and now this...."
"Hangunag-Jun is definitely acting out of character. I didn't want to say anything sooner to not worry you, Er-Gege. Um... during my patrol of hunting grounds, I saw them together in the forest," Guangyao paused, blushing furiously. "They were dishevelled... Wuxian pinned Hanguang-Jun to the tree and kissed him. It was so inappropriate I immediately escaped," he added, looking extremely embarrassed. "What if Wei Wuxian is somehow manipulating him? I don't believe Hanguang-Jun would act like this of his own volition."
Lan Xichen remained speechless for a long time, allowing anger within his to brew. His brother would never act so shamelessly. This must have been Wei Wuxian's doing, and he was going to stop it. First, he needed to separate them somehow and then talk some reason into his brother.
To avoid more questions about Yin Hufu, Wei Ying decided to wait at the market. At the same time, Wangji visited Koi Tower to speak with his brother.
Ignoring curious looks and whispers, Lan Wangji walked to his brother. The latter, as usual, was engrossed in conversation with Jin Guangyao. His instincts told him Guangyao couldn't be trusted, but Xichen always defended him. He even went as far as to argue with Nie Mingjue for the sake of this scheming dwarf.
"Brother."
"Oh, Wangji. I hope you have calmed down and we can discuss your engagement. You must understand the importance of the alliance with Lanling Jin."
"Why you don't get married then?" Wangji questioned him. "Isn't your duty as sect leader to continue our bloodline and other rubbish like this?"
"Wangji!" Xichen whisper-yelled, trying to not gather even more attention.
"Er-Gege is just worried about you, and my sister is a lovely lady," Jin Guangyao stepped in, trying to be helpful.
Lan Zhan only glared at him, then looked coldly at his brother. "If you didn't hear me before. I'm not interested in women. Besides, I already have a partner...," he trailed off when the door burst open, and beyond angry, Wei Ying walked in. "Oh, there he is."
"Jin Zixun, you little piece of shit, where is Wen Ning?!"
Zixun glanced at him and shrugged. "How would I know that?"
"A month ago, you arrived at a place where Wen Remnants are allowed to live for a hunt. You took a group of Wen disciples away," Wei Ying explained, his voice chillingly calm. "Their leader was Wen Ning."
"I'm too busy to remember every Wen bastard," Jin Zixun laughed to mask his uneasiness.
"Fine," his voice dropped another degree. "I don't mind refreshing your memory. You couldn't catch Bat King and run into Wen disciples who came to investigate. You forced them to wear Stygian Lure Flags and act as bait. When they refused, you beat them up. They have been missing since then."
Some cultivators started to look uncomfortable. Most still hated Qishan Wen, but such practices went against moral codes.
"Hand them over," Wuxian hissed with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
Zixun laughed. "Why should I? All Wen deserve to die for atrocities they committed against sects."
"Oh, so now Lanling Jin is going as far as to kill innocents? Are sects doing a collective punishment? You are no better than Wen Ruohan," he said with disgust, then gripped Zixun's collar. "I will ask one more time, where is he?!"
"Stop him, Wangji!" Xichen whispered. "If he makes a mess now, it will also affect your reputation."
"Why? Wei Ying isn't wrong," he shrugged, trusting his soulmate's judgment. "Or maybe you agree with Lanling Jin on abuse of innocent, brother?"
"I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding, right A-Yao?"
Wangji sighed with annoyance. "Wei Ying wouldn't come here over a misunderstanding. Since when Gusu Lan supports using war prisoners as targets in the competition? Disciples must obey sect rules and the leader's orders. Even if they disagree, what can they do? Resist? How? Without Wei Ying, all four sects combined didn't have a chance against Wen Ruohan. What could they do? They have already lost everything. Why must you punish them like this? Use for your own amusement? When our sect fell so low?"
Xichen looked at him speechlessly, unable to argue with his logic. Were these Wangji's thoughts, or did Wei Wuxian poison his mind against sects?
"My cousin acted rashly during the ceremony, but I assure you we would never abuse prisoners, Hanguang-Jun."
"You are not qualified to talk to me," Wangji hissed, glaring at him. "Get lost."
"Wangji! A-Yao is my dear friend. You have no right to treat him like this!"
"What gave you the right to demand from Wei Ying to leave me? Did you really think I won't discover the truth?"
Despite raging inside feelings, Xichen remained calm. "Wangji, I would never do that. I'm not sure what Master Wei told you, but it wasn't true."
"Rule twenty-one: do not tell lies," Lan Zhan reminded him. "Wei Ying didn't say anything. I figured it out myself. Imagine he still tried to defend you. How shameful of you, Xichen, to disrespect the person that saved everyone in this room. I would rather not be associated with Gusu under your leadership," he added, slamming his headband on the table, then swiftly turned around and left.
"Er-Gege? I'm sure Wangji will come around once Wei Wuxian can no longer influence him. Maybe both of them are poisoned by Yin Hufu? It seems like a dangerous artefact."
Xichen slowly nodded. It must have been Wei Wuxian's fault.
****
After learning the prisoners' location, Lan Wangji left the Koi Tower without looking back. He figured Wei Ying must have already set off to rescue them. Wangji was about to rush after him when he realised they may need medical assistance and food. He glanced at Jin's storage room and smirked. This would be perfect compensation. Without an ounce of remorse, Wangji filled multiple qiankun pouches with herbs, medicines, robes, food and silver.
Lan Zhan walked into the inn. He stayed with Wei Ying for the last two weeks to collect their belongings. As expected, everything was exactly how they had left it in the morning. Even Suibian. He gently caressed the wooden sheath. "Why does Wei Ying not use you anymore?"
He wanted to ask about it many times, but Wei Ying was extremely evasive when others mentioned it. Others would criticise him on every occasion, but Wangji noticed his pain. Every time, silver eyes would fill with regret and longing. It made him a question. Why someone unrivalled in swordsmanship would suddenly completely abandon it? It didn't make sense, but he wanted to respect Wei Ying's choices. Give him time to work through his issues and discuss them once he is ready.
On his way out, he stopped by a vendor and purchased a white headband. It felt too weird without one.
"I saw your companion with a young lady today. They seemed quite close," the vendor told him with a suggestive smile. "Is your friend getting married?"
"Yes, he proposed to me this morning."
The merchant sputtered in shock, then switched to the next customer. Wnagji jumped on his sword with a satisfied smirk and headed towards Qiongi Path. He suspected that mentioned woman was Wen Qing. Why else would Wei Ying look for her brother? They would most likely be on foot, leaving him enough time to catch up.
The heavy dark clouds covered the sky with thunder roaring in the distance. Soon heavy rain fell like a curtain, forcing Wangji to continue on foot. Shielded by a large umbrella, he approached the bridge near Qiongi Path. He was worried about Wei Ying. His soulmate would often jump without thinking in difficult situations if he could save someone in return.
"He could at least wait for me," he sighed.
Part of him worried that Wei Ying decided to do it on his own to not cause him problems. Wangji sighed again. This was the most obvious explanation. He promised to give his soulmate another stern talk about partnership. Inches from teaching him a lesson, Wangji lifted an umbrella and looked at a group of horses led by his troublesome soulmate.
"Lan Zhan?"
"Wei Ying."
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm looking for you, obviously," he sighed, rubbing his left temple. "What were you thinking?! Injured people need supplies and a safe place to stay," Wangji said, inspecting survivors. "Planning, Wei Ying, saving people involves planning. Not to mention leaving me behind. I really thought we had been through it. I swear, sometimes I want to strangle you to preserve my sanity."
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't involve you in this. Sects will never forgive me for saving them."
"And I care about their forgiveness because?"
"What about your family, Lan Zhan?"
"I'm sure he's soaked, but besides, that looks fine," Wangji replied, smiling at him. "We promised to protect the innocent together, Wei Ying."
"I'm like sinking ship on fire, Lan Zhan," Wei Ying said quietly. "Are you sure you want to throw away everything for me?"
"Why would I care about everything else if you are in front of me?" he replied, jumping on the horse behind him. Wangji wrapped his arms around Wei Ying's waist and supported his chin on his shoulder. "I took care of supplies. Courtesy of Lanling Jin, poorly guarded storage rooms. And we are not done!"
Wei Ying couldn't help but laugh. "You are impossible, Lan Zhan!"
Suddenly, Qianqiao materialised before them. "Master, the Burial Mounds are ready, and pursuit is approaching. I suggest you leave now and flirt with your husband later."
They rode through the night, successfully avoiding pursuit. At dawn, the group arrived at the shrouded in resentment Burial Mounds. Horses refused to move any further, forcing them to continue on foot. Everyone seemed hesitant about entering the thick black mist.
"Are you sure we can leave there, Wei Ying?"
Wuxian looked at his soulmate, surprised. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. This is part of the outer barrier," he said, gently brushing his fingers through the resentment. "Large area near the mountain is safe."
"How?"
"I cleansed it with little help," he explained, twirling Chenqing in his fingers. "It's getting brighter. We should hide before someone notices we are here. I will need time to set up proper defences."
"You need to add 'we' to your vocabulary," Wangji deadpanned.
Their surroundings were harsh, with very little vegetation, but there was a clear stream nearby and a cave large enough to fit everyone. It was a temporary solution, but they were safe.
"What should we do about Wen Ning, Master Wei?"
"Bring him here," he signalled for them to follow him deeper into the cave.
It was a small room with a natural stone table and what looked like a pool of blood. Ignoring questioning looks, Wei Ying secured Wen Ning with spiritual ropes and talismans. Then he removed Yin Hufu from his sleeve. His eyes turned crimson red as Wei Ying kept the seal suspended above the unconscious man. Black whisps were pulled from the body into Yin Hufu. Wei Ying winced when various emotions assaulted his mind, but he pushed past it, searching for Wen Ning's soul. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he registered a gentle embrace supporting him. It was a long and exhausting process, but he found it.
"His spirit is still here," he said, leaning on his soulmate. "Wen Ning is still alive. I mean, he kind of will be once we cleanse him from resentment."
"How?"
"Yin Hufu will slowly absorb it, while talismans will keep him asleep. Right now, his mind is lost to pain and grief. Wen Ning would go on the rampage, but once we are done, he should be his usual calm self. Just much stronger... he will be like a fierce corpse with consciousness."
Wangji glanced at the sleeping cultivator. Wen Ning didn't deserve to die like this, and if Wei Ying could give him some semblance of life, Wangji would support him.
"Now, the barriers."
Wangji pulled him to a stop. "When did you eat last time?"
"Huh?"
"To look after others, you need to take care of yourself, Wei Ying," he said sternly, dragging him to the common area.
"Why is he so pale?" Wen Qing asked, rushing to them.
"Not eating. Exhausted. Soaked. Cold. Fever. Refuses to rest...."
"I get it!" Wei Ying cut him off, rolling his eyes. "I will be fine."
"I warned you!" she yelled at him. "You need to look after yourself since... mmmph," her voice became inaudible when Wei Ying suddenly covered her mouth with his hand.
"Barriers, I need to deal with barriers," he uttered, then dashed outside, leaving stunned Wangji and angry Wen Qing behind.
"Since what?" Lan Zhan asked, looking at her suspiciously.
"I'm sorry, but if he didn't tell you, I won't either," she said, looking after him. Wei Wuxian started to feel like a little brother to her. Since classes in Cloud Recesses, he was the only person that treated her and A-Ning with genuine kindness. He stood up for them when no one would. It was her turn to look after him, luckily she wasn't alone. "Promise you will look after him, Hanguang-Jun."
"Wangji is enough," he replied, growing more worried about his soulmate. "I will. Otherwise, he will forget food and sleep exist."
"I'm glad you are by his side."
Within the next few weeks, barriers were erected, and first simple houses were built. The area near the stream was covered in vegetable patches. It was hard work, but they were free. Before they noticed, Dafan Wen absorbed the couple as part of their family. A genuinely loving and caring family neither of them experienced.
Soon Wei Ying and Lan Zhan had the cave mostly to themselves. Especially after others made a division wall to give their bedroom privacy. It was Wen Qing's idea after A-Yuan walked on them during make out session and kept asking everyone why Xian-Gege and Ji-Gege tried to eat each other.
Living in Burial Mounds wasn't easy, but they wouldn't exchange their little village for all the treasures in the world.