Chapter Text
It is a truth universally acknowledged that an unmated alpha with high cultivation must be looking for a modest omega spouse.
And any parent with a daughter or an omega son of a certain age must be actively looking for an appropriate match for their child. Another universal truth that became only more obvious when there was more than one such child.
Sect leader Jiang Fengmian and Madam Yu had three dependents in need to marry, and they were determined to conclude a match for at least one of them at the discussion conference at Golden Carp Tower. All major sects and most minor sects had been called together to decide what should be done about the recent increase in walking corpses and monsters in the region, which provided an excellent occasion for some creative matchmaking. After all, there would be an abundance of eligible cultivators present, including two of the most sought-after unmated alpha cultivators, Chifeng-zun and Hanguang-jun.
“We really should look for a good match for Wei Wuxian,” Sect Leader Jiang mused while the members of the Jiang sect were waiting for their turn at the wide doors of the the Pageantry Hall where the Lanling Jin held their banquets. The other major sects were already seated: the Qishan Wen in red and the Gusu Lan in white and blue on the right hand side of the hall, the Qinghe Nie in grey on the left, and the Lanling Jin in yellow on the slightly elevated dais in the middle, with sect leaders and their spouses in the first row and their heirs and other high-ranking sect members seated behind them. The purple-clad Yunmeng Jiang would complete the group and pave the way for the minor sects to make their entries in turn.
“And why should we do that?” Madam Yu replied with an unnecessary bite in her tone, not caring that Wei Wuxian was easily near enough to hear her. “Wei Ying is not a bit better than your own children. He is not half as handsome as A-Cheng, nor half as good humoured and kind as A-Li. But you are always giving him the preference.”
Wei Wuxian could clearly hear what Madam Yu did not say. It’s all because of her. His father Wei Changze had been an outer disciple in the Jiang sect and Jiang Fengmian’s right hand man until his elopement with Cangse-sanren, a rogue cultivator and former disciple of the immortal Baoshan-sanren. When Wei Changze and Cangse-sanren had been killed in a night-hunt near the infamous Burial Mounds ten years after their disappearance from cultivation society, Jiang Fengmian had gone to Yiling to fetch their son and to raise him as his ward in the Yunmeng Jiang sect despite his wife’s objections. There had been rumours after Wei Wuxian had arrived in Lotus Pier that Jiang Fengmian was his sire. There was no truth to the rumour, but it kept creeping up on occasion, including whenever Madam Yu was upset with Uncle Jiang. The argument had started when he was barely nine and it had only worsened when he had been named First Disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang at the age of thirteen.
“They are all good children, each in their own way,” Jiang Fengmian said calmly. “But you must admit that Wei Wuxian has something exceptional.”
Madam Yu gave him a scathing look. “How can you belittle your own children in such a way? A-Li may not have a strong golden core, but she is an excellent cook and well prepared for the duties of a sect leader’s spouse once she marries Jin Zixuan. And A-Cheng may not surpass Wei Ying in cultivation strength, but he is your only son, and he will remain in Lotus Pier with his mate and children. You must enjoy irritating me like this. You have no compassion on my poor nerves!”
Jiang Fengmian only sighed. “You mistake me, san-Niangzi. I highly respect your nerves. Afterall, they have been my constant companion these past twenty-five years.”
The Jiang sect was finally announced by a young Jin cultivator and led to their assigned seats near the dais, next to the Nie sect. Wei Wuxian was happy to find Nie Huaisang, the Nie sect leader’s younger omega brother, seated right next to him in the second row.
“Wei-xiong,” Nie Huaisang greeted Wei Wuxian with a slight seated bow and a friendly smile. “I was not sure you would be here – but I’m delighted you are, make no mistake. I have a few new books I would like to share with you. And naturally with you as well, Jiang-gongzi, if you are interested in furthering your education.”
Jiang Cheng blushed at the suggestion. He was the youngest of the three at eighteen, and Nie Huaisang’s collection of spring books was legendary and left very little to imagination. Wei Wuxian remembered more than one book that had been destroyed by scandalized elders when he had been caught reading them with Huaisang during the Lan sect lectures when they were sixteen.
“Nie-xiong, happy to see you again,” he returned the greeting and the bow before settling in at his table. “I haven’t had the chance to travel north to Qinghe lately, but it does not look like anything much has changed.” He nodded pointedly in the direction of the Nie sect leader. “Your ge is still biding his time?”
Nie Huaisang shrugged in reply. “He’s getting quite insistent on finding a mate for me, though.”
“A rich and powerful alpha to provide for you and to keep you filled with pups, I presume?” Wei Wuxian’s tongue-in-cheek suggestion was met with a frown.
“Probably. But not exactly what I’m looking for.”
“I did not take you for a romantic, Huaisang.”
The smaller man played with his fan, appearing to hesitate on how to reply. “I am not,” he finally confirmed, continuing to look somewhere over Wei Wuxian’s shoulder. “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance, and no matter how well one knows their partner beforehand, they always continue to change sufficiently with time to become an irritant. I am not looking for love.”
“So, what are you looking for, then?” Wei Wuxian was truly curious. He was naturally aware of the concept of compatibility of scents between alphas and omegas, but it sounded very theoretical and much too haphazard to form a solid basis for marriage. And very much unlike Nie Huaisang.
Nie Huaisang let out a short laugh that sounded like a bark. “Don’t you think the society places far too many restrictions on what omegas are capable of? Why should your shidi not become the next Jiang-zongzhu instead of needing an alpha mate willing to marry in? Don’t you think he’s capable of leading the sect? And why are my ge and Hanguang-jun being lauded for their skills while you receive almost no recognition for what you have done in Yiling and elsewhere in Yunmeng? The common folk appreciate your efforts, but the cultivation world is not exactly singing your praises.”
“No, they spend much more time criticizing my methods than honestly evaluating the results,” Wei Wuxian agreed. Omega cultivators were accepted in most sects, even if they were uncommon, but they could not become sect leaders. The Jiang clan was thus left without an heir when Jiang Cheng had presented as an omega three years earlier to his parents’ distress and to his own great disappointment. Jiang Fengmian and Madam Yu were forced to start looking for an alpha cultivator willing to marry in; and their son, who had been raised to become the next sect leader, would be reduced to the role of a sect leader’s mate in his own sect. “But I am not sure I follow your logic here. How does any of this relate to your plans for a mate?”
“You don’t? Then I suggest you think about it a little more. And think about it even harder when it comes to choosing a mate for yourself.”
Nie Huaisang said something more to Jiang Cheng, but Wei Wuxian was no longer listening. He had never given much thought to the choosing of his future mate as he had always known that it was likely to be a political match to the advantage of the Yunmeng Jiang sect. Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu were neither a love match, nor a good example of a happy arranged marriage, and while he agreed with his friend that a long courting period did not guarantee a happy life-long union, surely the best marriages were at least partly based on companionship, whether pre-existing or developed after the wedding. And he had to admit that it would be difficult for him to develop companionship with an alpha who did not respect him as a person and as a cultivator and treat him as an equal.
Perhaps he should pay a little more attention, now that most eligible matches were gathered in one place.
He took a good look around the banquet hall. He had told Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli earlier that his future mate was unlikely to be found at the banquet, trying to dissuade them from dressing him up for the event. He was more comfortable in his nondescript black robes than in the Jiang signature purple, and he had not wanted Shijie fuss with his hair. But despite what he had said to his foster siblings, he was confident that Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu would aim for an advantageous match for him. Madam Yu may not have liked him and regularly reminded him that he was not truly a member of the main family, but she had sufficient ambition for herself to not sell him for too low. Great sect heirs like Chifeng-zun and Hanguang-jun were probably out of question, but she would certainly aim for a minor sect heir or for a second-in-command or another high-ranking member from a great sect. And those cultivators were all currently sitting in the Pageantry Hall.
The Lanling Jin did not offer many options. The sect heir, Jin Zixuan, was already promised to Shijie, even if their betrothal had not been officially announced, and there were no other alphas in the main family. There was no clear second-in-command, and the role was usually fulfilled by the leader of an affiliated minor sect who was married and at least twice Wei Wuxian’s age. Sect Leader Jin had several illegitimate children according to rumours, but Wei Wuxian was sure that Madam Yu would not consider any of them out of friendship with Madam Jin.
The Qishan Wen were seated immediately below the Jin. Their sect leader Wen Ruohan was highly respected, but his sons were somewhat less so. The eldest was not present at the conference, but Wei Wuxian could see the younger son slouched in his seat behind his father. Wen Chao had the appearance of a spoiled young master, his muscular build leaning toward rotund, and his features and skin puffy and reddened from overindulgence. He fulfilled the criteria of being a high-ranking alpha cultivator from a great family, and an alliance with the Qishan Wen could be very useful for the Yunmeng Jiang, but Wei Wuxian shuddered at the very idea of marrying the man. Wen Chao was well known for his somewhat barbarian opinions about omegas and their place in society.
The Qinghe Nie sect leader Nie Mingjue or Chifeng-zun was not yet married and was widely considered as an excellent catch, but Wei Wuxian did not believe they were compatible. Although he did not know the Nie alpha very well, he had heard enough from Nie Huaisang to conclude that Chifeng-zun was looking for a more conventional omega – and most likely already had someone specific in mind. His second-in-command was a fearsome warrior and cultivator, almost as strong as Chifeng-zun himself, and Wei Wuxian chanced a look at the cultivator on Nie Huaisang’s left. Nie Shuchang wore the customary Nie braids around his top knot, the severe hair style bringing forth slight touches of silver amongst the black. Although unmated and unmarried, Nie Shuchang was from another generation, which gave Wei Wuxian some pause. Otherwise, he had nothing against the man.
He let his gaze wander further down the ranks toward minor sects. The sect leader of Pingyang Yao was a pompous idiot and his heir took unfortunately after his father. The Baling Ouyang heir was much more agreeable but a beta. Wei Wuxian thought he had a younger alpha brother, but the boy was barely out of nursery, the same as the Yueyang Chang sect heir. The Tingshan He sect heir represented a more serious alternative, however. The alpha was perhaps a year younger than Wei Wuxian, but his cultivation levels were decent enough, and his smile had just the right degree of cockiness to be interesting instead of intolerable, in contrast to the Anping Rong alpha heir whose leer only gave Wei Wuxian shivers. And not the right kind of shivers.
After mentally excluding the Zhoushan Zhao (too young), Laoling Qin (no alpha heir), and Meishan Yu (Madam Yu was more than enough, thank you), Wei Wuxian brought his gaze back to the clan in front of him. The Gusu Lan were one of the five great sects, reputed for their gathering and preservation of knowledge and their over three thousand stone-carved principles that their sect disciples had to follow. They hosted biannual lectures for junior disciples from other sects, where young cultivators learned cultivation history, ethics and proper conduct and often made friends amongst themselves. Wei Wuxian had been invited to the lectures as was fitting for the First Disciple of a great sect, and he had fond memories of the Great Library and the sect grounds, in addition to the hours spent with Nie Huaisang reading questionable literature. The Gusu Lan rules and their spiceless vegetarian menu had left him a more negative impression, though, and he could not claim to be particularly enthusiastic about the idea of permanently living there.
The Gusu Lan sect was represented by Lan Qiren, their acting leader and main council to his nephew and upcoming sect leader Lan Wangji, more widely known as Hanguang-jun, who was seated at his side. Similarly to Chifeng-zun, Hanguang-jun was highly sought after by matchmakers for his cultivation and his pedigree. Wei Wuxian had never met the Lan sect heir in person, but he was renowned for his cultivation and night-hunting skills, helping commoners and cultivators alike, and in general going where the chaos was. It sounded very similar to what Wei Wuxian was doing in Yunmeng and the environs and what he wished to be able to continue doing even after finding his mate, most likely together with his mate, but it was not something that a sect leader could be expected to have time for. And the expressionless alpha Wei Wuxian observed across the banquet hall did not look like someone who would happily lead the life of a traveling cultivator, no matter his reputation. His layered silk robes were white and pale blue, embroidered with silver, and his long jet-black hair was carefully brushed and coiffed, half held up with a silver guan, half cascading down below his waist. He appeared only haughty and cold, better pleased with himself than the rest of the cultivation society around him, and fully deserving of his other sobriquet, the Alpha Jade of Gusu.
No, the Lan sect heir’s reputation of benevolence and righteousness was most likely based on exaggeration if not completely fabricated.
And Wei Wuxian was confident that it would be a cold day in hell before Grandmaster Lan Qiren would consider him as a potential mate for his nephew.
The Jin sect had a reputation for organizing extravagant and pompous events, and the opening banquet was no exception. There was an abundance of food and drink, musicians and dancers, and long-winding speeches. It was thus well past sunset, almost zishí, when Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang slipped out of the Pageantry Hall with the intention to continue drinking in Huaisang’s room – and to look at some of the ‘educational’ materials the Nie omega had recently acquired.
They had barely managed more than a dozen steps outside when Wei Wuxian suddenly noticed a strong waft of sandalwood and sea breeze in the air and felt Nie Huaisang’s touch on his arm, making him stop. He could sense better than see two cultivators slightly ahead of them on the path that circled the banquet hall. Both men were tall but the one with his back to them was perhaps a cùn shorter than the other and wearing the yellow robes of the Jin. The other man was in Gusu Lan colours, including the unmistakeable white headband decorated with clouds for the inner family, which together with his wide shoulders and muscular build identified him clearly as Hanguang-jun.
“Come, Wangji, I hate to see you hiding by yourself here in the gardens,” the Jin cultivator said in a cheery voice, clearly meant to convince the other man to join him in returning to the banquet. “You should come and meet the young ladies and omegas from the other sects. You know Lan-xiansheng insists on it.”
“I most certainly will not, Zixuan,” Hanguang-jun replied in a low voice that Wei Wuxian found strangely appealing. “You know how I despise idle conversation with strangers. It would be a punishment to me to stay at the banquet any longer.”
“I may not be as selective as you are, but I never met with so many pleasant ladies and omegas in my life,” Jin Zixuan cajoled. “And several of them are exceptionally pretty.”
Wei Wuxian was annoyed by the comment. Jin Zixuan was already promised to Jiang Yanli. They had been tacitly engaged since their childhood, although the betrothal had not yet been officialised. The Peacock had no right or reason to be ogling other women, no matter how pleasant or pretty. Shijie was pretty enough to anyone’s tastes, and Wei Wuxian was willing to fight anyone who said otherwise.
“Your cousin is the only omega that I know at the banquet,” Hanguang-jun argued stubbornly. “Except for Nie Huaisang, of course. You had better return to enjoy your evening. You are wasting your time with me.”
“Oh! But there were two Jiang omegas sitting down just next to Nie-gongzi. They are both very pretty, and I dare say, very agreeable. We should ask Nie Huaisang to introduce you.”
“The one in black was tolerable, I suppose; but not handsome enough to tempt me,” Hanguang-jun replied in a brisk tone, “and I am in no mood at present to give consequence to outer disciples. I will see you tomorrow at the discussion.”
He bowed curtly to Jin Zixuan and while doing so seemed to suddenly notice they were not alone. His eyes certainly lingered a few moments in Wei Wuxian’s and Nie Huaisang’s general direction, allowing Wei Wuxian to notice their unique pale amber shade and to inhale another intense waft of sandalwood. However, the Lan alpha made no attempt to acknowledge that his words might have been overheard or to excuse himself for his comments before promptly turning around and heading toward the rooms reserved for the major clans. Jin Zixuan simply nodded to himself and returned to the Pageantry Hall through a side door, thus leaving Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang laughing together on the garden path.
“Well, don’t they say that eavesdroppers rarely hear anything positive about themselves,” Wei Wuxian managed between bouts of laughter. “Although I suppose I should be proud to know that Peacock finds me ‘very pretty, and I dare say, very agreeable.’”
“Why do you call him Peacock?” Nie Huaisang wanted to know.
“Because he was always strutting around like a proud peacock, displaying his feathers, when he was younger and visiting us in Lotus Pier,” Wei Wuxian explained. “It has been a while since I last saw him, but I doubt his manners have improved much, hearing him admire other ‘ladies’ when he is already betrothed to the sweetest and kindest woman I know.”
“I have heard it mentioned once or twice that Jin Zixuan is perhaps not fully committed to an engagement with Jiang Yanli, but how does she feel about him?”
“I think Shijie is happy with the match, much happier than she should be. She is guarded about her feelings, but she likes him very much and she is very much looking forward to marrying him.”
“Then she should show her affection more,” Nie Huaisang stated to Wei Wuxian’s surprise. “There is so much vanity in getting really attached to someone. It is easy to become attracted to a face, to a scent, to a voice; but rare are those who have the courage to be really in love without some help. Jin Zixuan may like your shijie or even find her pretty, but he may never do more than like her, if she does not give him some form of encouragement.”
“She does encourage him, as much as is in her nature,” Wei Wuxian said a little defensively. Shijiewas very sweet and kind, but it was true that she was not very demonstrative of her feelings. Even so, it was easy enough to perceive her affection for the Peacock, and the Jin heir had to be an idiot indeed not to see it too. “But they have not met often in recent years, and she still has some doubts about his character. Sect Leader Jin is his father, after all. I would not wish a man like that on anyone, let alone on Shijie.”
“Yet, I doubt that studying his every movement and facial expression for another year will significantly improve her chance of happiness,” Nie Huaisang replied. “I wish Jiang-guniang success with all my heart; but her husband will have habits that annoy her. Everyone has a defect or two, even you and me. It is probably better to know in advance as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life.”
Wei Wuxian laughed at his friend’s self-deprecating expression. “You make me laugh, Huaisang, but it is not sound. You know it is not sound, and I’m sure you would never act in this way yourself. You always plan for contingencies. You would not be able to do that without access to enough information.”
Wei Wuxian was still thinking about his conversation with Nie Huaisang the following afternoon. Jiang Cheng was attending the discussion with his parents, leaving Wei Wuxian alone with Jiang Yanli in their sitting room. He supposed he should have been listening in on the conference as well, but he had very little patience for useless posturing. Once the sects had decided on taking action, he would be happy to put his talents to use. In the meanwhile, he would rather leave intersect relations and diplomacy to someone else.
Jiang Yanli was preparing tea for them both, and Wei Wuxian was prattling along, describing previous night’s events. He did not mention Jin Zixuan’s praise for others, only that Shijie’s fiancé considered Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian sufficiently pretty to recommend them to Hanguang-jun. Which naturally forced him to also recount the Lan alpha’s reply.
“Hanguang-jun certainly lives up to his reputation of being proud, cold, and unapproachable,” Wei Wuxian concluded with a wry smile. The alpha was also breathtakingly handsome, with broad shoulders and features fine as if they had been carved in priceless jade, but there was no need to acknowledge that he had noticed. Or that he found the scent of sandalwood mixed with sea breeze appealing.
“His pride does not offend me so much as pride often does,” Jiang Yanli replied, pushing the second teacup closer to him as she settled on a pile of cushions. “Hanguang-jun has almost a right to be proud, being such a handsome and strong young alpha, leader of a major sect. It would be more surprising if he did not think highly of himself.”
“I could more easily forgive his pride if he had not mortified mine.”
Wei Wuxian did not consider himself vain. He cared very little about what the cultivation world in general thought of him, particularly of his appearance and marriageability. He was tall for an omega, with a slim but strong and agile build, which suited well with the fluid sword style of the Yunmeng Jiang, and he knew he was attractive enough, especially when he was smiling. He also knew very well that omega males were sufficiently rare that it would not be difficult for Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu to find a high-ranking alpha cultivator to marry him off to, even if he was personally in no great hurry.
However, he was proud of his accomplishments as cultivator. He had spent most of his time before the conference traveling all over Yunmeng, participating in night-hunts and helping smaller communities without resident cultivators to upgrade their protection arrays and talismans. And his combat skills and cultivation level had led him to be named the First Disciple of the Jiang sect before he even presented and allowed him to maintain his position despite his presentation as an omega. While omega cultivators were at least tolerated if not universally accepted, they were rarely found in positions of influence or power, except as healers. Wei Wuxian was not only the strongest omega cultivator of his generation but also the only one in history to hold the position of first disciple in a major sect. Hanguang-jun having summarily dismissed him as an outer disciple unworthy of attention had therefore stung.
Jiang Cheng had sometimes implied that Wei Wuxian did not act like a member of the Jiang sect but more like a rogue cultivator, and he was honest enough to admit that there may have been some truth to the accusation. However, the reason was not that he was looking for glory to himself rather than to his sect. Wei Wuxian simply knew that one day he would no longer be part of the Yunmeng Jiang, either because Madam Yu finally threw him out in a fit of rage, or because he would be forced to marry out without any blood ties to sustain a link to his previous sect, and he did not wish to depend on the association.
And even if wearing Jiang colours had given him more consideration in Hanguang-jun’s eyes, what would it have mattered?