It was dark but the cave was bright, gems illuminated in the tiny pounds, with ripples and stones. Lan Jingyi was fascinated by the light they gave, each a different color and a different emotion.
"Do you know what it's called? " Madam picked up a tiny stone and placed it on Lan Jingyi's hand.
"It's called a Druzy. They need another stone to grow on."
Madam lift an other stone close to the one in Lan Jingyi's hand and they both radiated.
Perhaps it was fireflies, perhaps it was the pound or perhaps it was the light of all the gem stones. But it glowed so bright that Lan jingyi was mesmerized.
"They shine even brighter when together, just like you and your brother."
The least She could do was make them friends again.
"You two need each other, just like Druzy."
That was how they got their name. Slowly but surely It spread throughout the cultivation sects.
The Twin Druzy of Twin Jades.
. . .
"You're cultivating together with Jingyi? " Lan Shizui confirmed if he misheard.
"I am what???? What are you talking about Shizui? You're scaring me."
Ouyang Zizhen was thrown off by the sudden proposal.
"That's what Jingyi said." Lan Shizui informed the wonder struck Zizhen. Chill ran down his spine. How did such progress happen? Was he asleep when they were chanting vows?
"...All the more reason to not believe it. You know I have heart for Maiden A-Qing." Ouyang Zizhen recovered from the heart attack and elaborated calmly.
"Maiden A-Qing? But she-"
"I know..." Zizhen replied with a small smile.
"You can go back, I will be staying with Jingyi tonight." Ouyang Zizhen assured. Lan Shizui nodded and before long, he returned back to his sect.
When the two were gone, Ouyang Zizhen made his way towards the younger druzy. He was lying on the grass, looking up the sky. He thought the mountain made the stars appear closer.
"Why were you crying?"
Ouyang Zizhen asked, he lied down next to the younger druzy and the two witnessed the starts.
"I don't know... I felt alone."
Lan Jingyi stated calmly, contrary to how he had been behaving all day. But Ouyang Zizhen was perceptive, he figured out the cause.
"Jingyi, I know your heart is in the right place. You're a bit of a trouble but you're worth every beat."
The wind carried his words softly like feather. Little fireflies lit their faces and both stared at each other. Deep into the eyes. All the heavy feelings Lan Jingyi felt became light. As if ,just by drinking those eyes his worries were drifting away. He couldn't break free of the gentle yet profound gaze.
"I will stay with you until we figure out a way together." A smile was bestowed on him (LJY)
He still couldn't stop staring at the man resting beside him. They made a vow under the brilliance of stars.
. . .
Jin ling reached at the designated place. When he saw their flushed faces, he cursed that he missed something major.
"Jin Ling, you made it. Sect leader Jiang let you go?" Lan Shizui spoke first.
"What? do you think my Uncle wouldn't let me come?"
Young mistress had the guts.
"I need to tell you guys about the curse-"
Before Jin Ling could finish ,he read their expressions. They knew.
Lan Shizui signaled everyone to gather outside the cave,
"The Ashes of Yanling Daoran scared the spirits but it doesn't eradicate them."
"How do we get rid of the spirits then?" Lan Jingyi asked.
Are they good now? Nope, not at all. Lan Jingyi didn't look into Lan Shizui at all.
"We can't! Just like Qi deviation, it's unavoidable." Jin Ling informed them about the things he learnt from his Jiujiu.
Zao clan had been scared by the spirits for long, they no longer fear death. Infact they wanted to repay for their sins with their lives. And that didn't sit well with juniors.
Life is precious, they should live.
Ouyang Zizhen suggested,
"Except, Qi deviation doesn't involve evil spirits so this isn't same. Back then, there was no way to subdue the spirits but now there is."
Yiling Patriarch!
The Founder of Demonic cultivation.
. . .
Lan Shizui and Lan Jingyi went back to Cloud Recesses to ask for the Great Yilling Patriarch's help. While Jin Ling and Ouyang Zizhen stayed back with the Zao Clan.
"Wei qianbei." Both greeted the Great Yilling Laozu; who had an army of corpses under his control -- playing with the white rabbits. Terrifying indeed.
"You guys are back already! good good I was getting bored anyway, Lan Zhan is too busy with his duties. Come play with me." Yiling Patriarch smiled at them and welcomed them to join.
"I'm going to report Hanguang-Jun about our night hunt." Lan Jingyi knew that he would get punished for giving into Yilling Patriarch tactics so he chose the safe side of the mission. He left Lan Shizui to deal with the terrifying Patriarch.
"Wei qianbei-" Lan Shizui was cut off by man playing with the white rabbits. Rabbits circled around him and some were on top of him, gathered in his lap.
"How many times do i have to tell you A-Yuan, don't call me that."
"but I-"
"No buts, I am not listening to you until you stop calling that."
The Great Yilling Patriarch was a stubborn one and Heaven knows what he'll do if he didn't get what he wanted. Lan Shizui took a deep breath before continuing,
"Baba..."
"See? much better."
Lan Jingyi who went to look for Hanguang-Jun came back shortly and caught the conversation, it reminded him of a similar conversation they had few days ago.
In the rabbit field with just two of them while Lan Jingyi was behind the bushes there to deliver the message from elder Lan. He was planning on scaring the two but they scared him.
"If I call you that, they will ask many questions and I'm afraid I can't answer those."
"A Yuan, do you hate that I adopted you? or do you hate that you're a Wen?"
Lan Jingyi dropped his jaws. just to make sure that he didn't misheard he stepped closer to them behind the tree.
"That's not it! that's not it." Lan Shizui looked down at the rabbits playing in the grass. He remembered the time when Hanguang-Jun buried him under rabbits when he was too young. It was a distant memory but a very precious one.
With much perseverance, Lan Shizui continued,
" Why was I the only one left to live? Why didn't I die with them? They all deserved to live, and when I die, that would be the end of Qishan Wen."
The reality hit Lan Jingyi like the bombshell, shock was the underrated word.
Suddenly everything made sense, Why Ghost General was so attached to him? Why he had good alcohol tolerance? and why those corpses of Wen Remnants in the demon slaughtering cave wanted to caress him?
Because he was a Wen himself.
Those Wens who brought war upon their seniors, who destroyed many families and Wen Xu caused Cloud recesses to burn down, resulting in the death of their previous leader - Qingheng Jun. Lan Jingyi covered his mouth with both his hands feared that they might hear his screams of disbelief. The brother he grew up with was the son of Wen Dogs.
Wei Wuxian placed a rabbit on top of Wen Yuan's head,
"A-Yuan, I was given this second chance in life. I will make sure that this time people will see the The Healers who saved more lives than they could count, I will tell them about Wen Qing and Yiling branch of Wens. I will tell them how I owe them my life."
Tears were built in the corner of his (LS) eyes, his long forgotten family, his long hated family still had a place in their hearts. Wei Wuxian closed Wen Yuan in an embrace,
"A-Yuan, Lan Zhan brought you and raised you, You're his proof of love for me and You're the family who accepted me when the world was against me."
"You know, Wen Ning will start crying if he heard you say stuff like that."
Wei Wuxian and Wen Yuan rolled on the ground, they laughed and cried together. They were a family, no blood no ties just pure love.
" You encountered quite the challenge, can't you kids just stay put and be lazy like me? hahahaha" Wei Wuxian got off the ground and dusted off his clothes, he was still laughing.
and they call me the trouble!
"Alright, A-Yuan lets go and don't let Hanguang-Jun know. Bichen will not spare us if he figured where we're going, hahahaha."
Lan Shizui tailed behind his father, when his laughter filled the clear sky. It was more pleasant sound than any Zither.
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sorry for grammatical errors and thank you for reading.