Chapter Text
One Year and Four Months After the End of Sunshot Campaign...
The light breeze was perfect for the season as Xichen walked down the familiar stone paths. Liebing rested in his hand, a familiar and comforting weight.
Shuoyue rested in the qiankun pouch he had by his side along, having slept for the whole year since the end of the war. It had taken a full year and two months to cleanse it, day by day, little by little. He had not gone into seclusion, but it felt like it since he could not really do much except meditate, cleanse his sword and answer letters as sect leader. No one had been allowed to visit and even his meals had been left by the entrance to the cave. Uncle and Sizhui had helped with the more public-facing needs of a sect leader while he worked on his sword.
He could not leave his sword alone; the danger of such a weapon holding so much resentful energy that it could have been turned into Stygian Tiger Amulet or perhaps an ancient sword that pierced Xuanwu too great. Even the Elders had been appalled and immediately sent him to the Cold Caves to help with the suppression and dispersion of the energy he brought back with him. It was not three years of seclusion in the Cold Caves like Wangji had experienced, but Xichen supposed the fates did work in mysterious ways to ensure that something resembling their original timeline was repeated – even if it was just a brief spell of a little over a year in the Cold Caves.
Everyone had been utterly shocked at how much resentful energy had poured out of the golden core it had tried to leech onto. Shocked at how someone had survived for so long without becoming corrupted or even instantly turned into a fierce corpse.
Tonight was as much of his first time back in the public eye of the cultivation world as it was a chance for him to seize the moment he had been patiently waiting for. Tonight, if everything went well, he would finally be able to use Shuoyue to night hunt with his partner. His proper partner.
He could still hear the distant roars that he had left behind after his announcement. Normally, he would have stayed to placate the masses, to reassure, but for tonight, he would break the multitude of rules he had followed for his whole life and let someone else deal with it.
That someone else was his Uncle, Wangji and Sizhui, but he was confident between the three they would be able to reassure the Elders that Gusu Lan was in good hands. After all, he could not begrudge Sizhui the chance to put his training and grooming all these years to good use. Jingyi would be able to handle more of the rambunctious Elders, and if anything the visiting Jin Ling and Ouyang Zizhen would be good advocates for Sizhui.
There would still be the transition period between himself, Uncle and Sizhui, but for tonight, Xichen wished to be just a little selfish.
And did not feel sorry at all.
Instead, his smile lifted as another light, gentle breeze sent the familiar scent of meihua towards him. The heavy full-bloom of the familiar tree came into view as he continued his walk down the stone path. Beyond it, one of the many waterfalls that graced Cloud Recesses. A deep blue pond collected the water; a rather serene place, but one that always held a special meaning to him. There was something new in the pond this time, large green pads and stalks of lotuses that dotted the area. The lotuses were not in bloom, out of season against the meihua, but had been a welcomed edition.
A figure, dressed in the varying hues of purple, blended almost into the darkness of the night, but Xichen was able to pick him out quite easily. After all, it was where he had promised to meet him once everything was said and done.
“I can still hear the uproar,” the figure commented, back ramrod straight, broad shoulders filling out the more martial-style of robes worn for tonight. It allowed for easy movement against the creatures or spirits they would be subduing. The creatures were not going to be a challenge, not between the two of them with a combined lifespan of nearly one-hundred and fifty years.
No, the challenge would be what came after; removing those robes. The intricacy of the knots, wraps and layers might have been daunting, but Xichen already planned to take it long and slow after the night's adrenaline of hunting. He also was confident enough that the robes would not be too much of a challenge. Perhaps he could accidentally nick a small cut into the cloth which would make it a little easier to rip them open with his hands. Or not...he was still internally debating the merits, studying the figure before him as he approached. He did like a challenge, especially if it involved the man that stood under the meihua tree.
He stopped next to him.
“Mn,” he replied, “several rules are being broken, but Shufu has it well in hand.”
The other man snorted, a low laugh issuing from his lips. Slate grey-blue eyes rolled in exasperation before his head turned to stare at him. “You enjoyed it.”
“Mn,” he nodded briefly.
“Zewu-Jun, Lan Xichen the First Jade of Gusu, troublemaker.”
“Mn,” he shrugged, an easy smile on his face.
“Your Elders are going to say I've corrupted you.”
“My Elders hold no more sway with me.”
“True,” the man next to him nodded absently before glancing at him. “You sure?”
Xichen reached out and gently squeezed calloused fingers. They were rough with holding the sword for years. More martial than that of brushes, he rubbed his own fingers on the pads, reveling in the feel of them. Bringing their joined hands together, he lifted it and kissed the knuckles gently. He gently nuzzled the slight dip of a scar where it had caught the tail end of a whip, earning a slight hitch of a breath before they resumed their normal pattern. He knew every single scar on the body before him. He loved exploring them with kisses and touches and loved the stories behind each one.
“I am. I've always been sure, ever since I talked with you that night about your capacity for love all those years ago.”
That was the first time he had realized he had fallen in love again, that the sorrow and heartache of loss was dulling. It had been nothing like the love he had for a certain person done up in Jin gold in his life, but rather this one was a fire that was slow to catch, but once it did, it burned hotly, died to embers from time to time, but never fully went out and instead, endured.
There was a stuttering sound, an almost choke, but it seemed it was caught in time and he lowered the hand, looking up to see slate grey-blue eyes staring at him with wonder. The past year since his beloved's recovery had been long for them, but he had been patient and tonight would be the first time that they would be alone for this hunt – like proper cultivation partners. No juniors, no disciples, nothing that they could shackle the responsibilities, the duties towards. This was just for the two of them.
It had been a long road for them, too long some might say, but it was a road he was willing to continue to travel – with the person he loved.
He tugged gently at the hand and smiled fondly.
“Come, my love, the night is young and we have a hunt and many more things to do.”
And perhaps, it was fate that the two of them met once again, on the very same day that a certain sect leader fumbled with an invitation to a Discussion Conference to a sect leader still in seclusion. It had been accepted with an admiration and perhaps candled hope that Lan Xichen would be able to begin to trust someone in his life once more – even if at that time, they were just friends. If he had known then, what their future (and past) held in store for them...
But this time, there were no regrets between them.
~END~