Jin Guangyao has long since made permanent residence at the Burial Mounds. Wei Wuxian found it ironic as he used to live there and now Meng Yao is doing the same. It seems Meng Yao is not at all that clever in making up certain plans. He has been planning something for a while now though, and soon, a move has to be made.
The thing about the mounds is that it is very close to Baoshan's portal to her home. So Wuxian and Wangji could easily plan an ambush if they played their cards right. They even had Lan Xichen and Chifeng Zun up to speed on the matter and said they were ready when Wangji and Wuxian were.
Wangji and Wuxian had just finished their training on the elements. They learned well and invented new techniques with those elements which marks them as skilled elemental fighters. The elements were at their mercy and will help them. Wangji was most comfortable with water and air while Wuxian was more comfortable with fire and earth.
Though they both can use all four, they thought they'd stick to what they were comfortable with, and it works out well for them during spars and training sessions. They learn to combine their strengths and cover their weaknesses. Being married and bonded also gives them an advantage too. They could feel each other's strengths and emotions. They could read each other like an open book and no words had to be spoken between them to understand one another.
Since Wangji and Wuxian were ready, Baoshan and Cangse were going to be ready to step in when they were needed. They wanted Wangji, Wuxian, Chifeng Zun, and Lan Xichen to handle the situation first and if it gets to be too much, then they will step in. Lan Qiren will also be with them. There has yet to be any word from Sect Leader Jiang Wanyin on whether he wants to help or not. His pride and ego are both getting the best of him in this matter that he may miss the chance to get proper closure.
Though they had plans set, they had yet to decide when to take action. Lan Xichen, Wei Wuxian and Wangji have been spending some time in one of several of Baoshan's libraries to see if they can find a way to get more of an insight on what Meng Yao was doing.
"We could get a spy," Xichen suggests.
"Who would go in there knowing that Meng Yao could easily guess their true intentions?" Wuxian asked, "if we wanted to go in to have a look around, I could..."
"Wei Ying?" Wangji questioned as he caught the look on Wuxian's face. He had a thought but he was unsure if the others would approve, "tell us what you are thinking?"
"Remember back during lectures when I made that Paperman that crawled on your arm?" Wuxian asked.
"Yes, you put your consciousness into it, right?" Wangji asked.
"I could try to expand and use either a bird or even a corpse. It's risky even just using paper. The mounds is tricky terrain as well as the weather is always unpredictable. A thin sheet of paper will not hold out much but if I could use something else but guarantee my safety I could get a good look around," Wuxian said.
"Baoshan might have an idea on how you can expand on that charm," Xichen said, "isn't if whatever your conscious goes into it could cause damage to you if it is also damaged that you used the charm on?"
"Yes, that's why it can be dangerous but it can be useful for getting us information on what exactly Jin Guangyao is doing in the mounds. He is so close to us and he doesn't even know it," Wuxian explained.
"I say we speak with Baoshan, I am willing to try this as long as we can guarantee you coming back safely," Wangji said.
Wuxian smiled, "I know, it is why we are talking about it. We did promise to be more open about these things, did we not?"
Lan Wangji sighed and couldn't help but smile back at him, "we did," he said.
Lan Xichen was very happy to see how much Wangji has grown since living with Baoshan. He still sticks to the principles he grew up with but he is now becoming a more open person, even if it is to only one person. Wangji was never a person to talk with anyone. Lan Xichen spent years trying to help break that, but it never seemed to work. He saw the first changes happen when he first met Wei Wuxian.
Lan Wangji was very confused about this man in front of him. Wei Wuxian was loud and energetic and unruly and broke every single rule that Wangji lived by. Wei Wuxian changed something in him and Xichen was the first to notice it. When Wei Wuxian was going through his troubles, Lan Xichen worried about his brother. He saw the same boy he saw back in the cold snow coming back. He was afraid to lose someone else but he just wouldn't admit it.
It was when Wei Wuxian jumped to his death did Lan Xichen know his brother's heart towards him. Lan Xichen stood his ground to make sure that no one would hurt his brother for trying to save Wuxian. Wangji was trying to do the right thing and give him a chance when no one else would. When Chenqing took over Wei Wuxian's body, Lan Wangji was determined to save Wuxian.
They were married now and they were both trying to get the real culprit for this mess caught; Jin Guangyao. When Wei Wuxian first returned to his body, the truth about everything started to come out. Lan Wangji found out about Wei Wuxian's past and what he went through for the sake of his martial siblings, only to be thrown away like garbage in the end. It was also revealed about everything that happened and how Jin Guangyao was behind it all. He set it all up so he could pave his way up to being the next heir of the Jin Sect. The Jin heirs are gone as well as Jiang Yanli, but Yanli's child is still alive even if he is a baby, he was next in line. Jin Guangshan was still alive for now but that didn't mean he would be for long.
It was already discovered that Meng Yao has tried to get rid of Chifeng Zun and he even tried to ask Lan Xichen about Chenqing way back when he first took over Wuxian's body. A lot has happened and they had yet to resolve it all. Lan Xichen left the two lovers to find Baoshan and talk to her about Wei Wuxian's idea about the paperman. He wanted to make sure to help find a solution so his brother could worry less about his husband getting hurt.
Wei Wuxian was blushing as he turned back to the book in his hand and cleared his throat, "our flirting sent your brother away again," he said.
"Mnn, must have felt lonely," Wangji said.
Wuxian laughed as he picked up on Wangji teasing his brother, "Lan Zhan, teasing Zewu Jun behind his back?"
"He is my brother, I can if I want to," Wangji said, "and as my husband, you can too."
"I am still within hearing distance of the library," Lan Xichen said from outside the library.
"I know," Wangji said, "Brother has good hearing. I'm sure his partner will come to love that they will have a good person to talk to."
"You know, you are absolutely right, Lan Zhan," Wuxian said, "how is he still single?"
"I do not know," Wangji said.
Lan Xichen came back to them quickly, "I'll have you both know I am still single because I have not met anyone who suits me yet. I will probably have to marry for the sect anyway to produce an heir so I will probably not have a choice in a partner."
"Right now you do," Wuxian said, "if you find someone, you have a right to pursue them. As for an heir to the sect, though he is adopted, we still have A'Yuan. I'm sure that counts for something."
"It can but knowing the elders, they want an heir of the main bloodline not an adopted heir," Xichen said.
"Have you seen any of the disciples that are here at Baoshan's mountain? I'm sure someone would have stood out to you?" Wuxian questioned.
"I guess whenever I come here I am more focused on my time with you two," Xichen said.
"Have you thought about what you want in a partner?" Wuxian asked, "do you actually want it to be a female or are you open to a male relationship?"
"I would be open to either...I guess even though we have such strict teachings, we still are okay with equality and the right to choose who we love. We never discriminated against same gender couples," Xichen explained.
"It's just a matter of who the person is and their background," Wuxian added and rolled his eyes, "how do I fit into that?"
"Wei Ying, do not stick to rules and live how you want to," Wangji said, "you are a Wei and many people have heard of your parents."
"That may be true but I never got respect, at least I felt like I didn't," Wuxian replied
"Your parents have such high respect that it should have followed down to you. The Jiang's are the only people who managed to make your name unruly. They spread rumors that your father was a servant when he was a head disciple like you were. Head disciples are not servants but they are helpers to the sect leader when they are busy. They put a curse to the head disciple title and now many just assume that's what they are, servants," Xichen explained, "but it's not. Many people have misunderstood you, A'Xian...and honestly, I may have been one of them at some point because I thought the resentful energy you used was getting to be too much for you and I worried that it would harm you. In then end, harm my brother in the process. I am sorry for ever hurting you. And I'm sorry it took me this long to even consider an apology to you."
Wei Wuxian was in tears as he stared at the two Lan brothers. He had always admired Wangji from the beginning, but when it came to Lan Xichen, Wuxian had a different kind of respect. He wanted Xichen's support and trust in ways that he could turn to him like he was another brother. He never thought that he'd ever get Xichen's attention in such a way. It meant a lot to him that Xichen apologized to him, even if it took some time to do so.
"I have long forgiven you, Zewu Jun," Wuxian told him.
"Then call me Ge, from now on, okay," Xichen told him, "and if you continue talking about be with Wangji behind my back—"
"Oh, what will you do?" Wangji interrupted, glaring at him, "you dare threaten my husband in front of me? Even if you are my brother?"
Xichen laughed, "I catch you talking about me behind my back, I will share an embarrassing story from your childhood to A'Xian. I have plenty of memories to share."
"You wouldn't," Wangji growled.
"Try me," Xichen said, slightly provoking him.
"We will talk about you secretly," Wangji said.
"Then I will share them secretly as well. I'm sure A'Xian would love to hear about your childhood," Xichen said.
"It does sound interesting," Wuxian said.
"This is war, Xiongzhang," Wangji warned.
"Bring it on, Little Brother," Xichen told him.
Wei Wuxian just happened to witness a little sibling rivalry. He smiled as he saw that Wangji and Xichen had such a great relationship. He was a little sad though, as he didn't have that kind of relationship anymore with his martial siblings, with one being dead and the other who hated him, it was just him now. He had his mother back and his grandmother, as well as a husband, but that sibling relationship will be something he will miss most. Whether it be with Wen Qing and Wen Ning, or Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli.