Chapter Text
Those in the Sunshot Campaign stared in confusion as Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian - who they thought had gotten kidnapped or were dead - stood in front of the Wen army facing them, as if they themselves were the generals in charge of leading the men. It was hard for the Clan Leaders to make out the Wens standing behind the pair, but Lan Xichen estimated that their force was substantially smaller than the army standing behind him.
“His Excellency would like to know if you concede your loss and admit defeat.” Wei Wuxian’s voice practically boomed over the field, twirling a black dizi in his hand as he looked towards the Sunshot Campaign’s forces as if they were nothing more than ants blocking his path.
Nie Mingjue snarled.
“If Wen Ruohan thinks we will bow down that easily, he can come face us himself!” he shouted, brandishing Baxia as a shout from the Nie troops echoed his sentiment.
Lan Xichen watched a smirk cross Wei Wuxian’s face as he laughed, a deep laugh that sent a chill down his spine as his eyes drifted towards his brother, towards Wangji, who hadn’t spoken a single word from the moment the pair and the Wen army appeared.
Wangji didn’t appear to be in any pain nor discomfort, actually, Lan Xichen was unable to read his brother’s expression - gasping as Wangji’s cold stare landed on him.
There wasn’t an ounce of his brother in that look, not a single glance of love or respect in his gaze. Lan Wangji’s eyes bore into Lan Xichen as if he were seeing his very soul. If he didn’t know any better, Lan Xichen would suspect that Wen Ruohan had done something to his brother, forced him to act a certain way or broken his spirit to such an extent that he no longer held any regard for anyone around him - but the hand on Wei Wuxian’s waist clearly said otherwise.
Wei Wuxian’s laughter came to an end as he leaned against Lan Wangji, their bodies molding together like puzzle pieces, two halves of a whole.
“Chifeng-zun, you certainly are mistaken. Wen Ruohan is dead, has been dead, for almost two years.”
Lan Xichen froze, he felt the collective gasp from the soldiers behind him. Mingjue looked at him, eyes wide as if to ask “Did I hear that correctly?”
Did…did Wei Wuxian just state that the man they had been fighting against for just over two years had been dead the entire time? Who was the one they were fighting then? Who was ordering troops around? Who had taken over leadership of the Wen Clan now that Wen Ruohan was dead?
“And who is this new Xiandu? Who is His Excellency to demand of us to back down when we never even knew of his rise?” Jiang Wanyin spat out.
Despite the Clan Leader’s lost core and sword hand - and his unbelievable story of Wei Wuxian ripping out his core, Lan Wangji shearing off his hand and pulverizing Zidian, and the pair disappearing - he had risen to a powerful strategist position among the Sunshot Campaign’s forces. While he could not and would never wield a spiritual weapon again, that did not make him weak, it did not diminish his thirst for vengeance and revenge on the Wen Clan for the deaths of his parents and those among the Jiang Clan.
Wei Wuxian clapped, a wide smile on his face.
“I’m so glad you asked! It’s none other than Hanguang-jun of course. I cannot think of another person more fitting for the role.” He leaned into Lan Wangji’s side, into the arm wrapped around his waist. “And I think killing the former Xiandu means the position is his, right? It’s only right for him to take the position of the man he killed.”
Lan Xichen looked at the men around him, meeting Nie Mingjue, Jiang Wanyin, and Jin Zixuan’s gaze as they all shared a similar look of shock and disbelief on their faces.
Just as Lan Xichen was about to speak, to demand what on earth was going on, Wei Wuxian spoke, his voice projecting across the entire field.
“Soldiers of the Sunshot Campaign, if you no longer wish to fight, to die in the upcoming battle, your lives will be spared so long as you follow explicit commands.” His voice boomed across the field. “Discard your weapons, sit where you now stand, or you may move to the side of the field. You will not be harmed by friend or foe for your decision, if you abandon all intention of fighting, I assure you your life will be spared.”
It was quiet for a few moments, before dozens of soldiers threw down their weapons, abandoning their positions and moving to the other side of the field. Shouts rang out, commands for people to get back to their posts, that how dare they abandon their commanders. Voices shouted back.
“I have a wife and kids! If I can go back home to them alive, I don’t care what I have to do!”
“I’m too young to die!”
“I never wanted to fight in this war!”
“I promised my fiance that I would return to him!”
The Sunshot Campaign lost at least half of their forces, but Lan Xichen still thought they outweighed the soldiers that stood behind Wangji and Wei Wuxian. He didn’t understand what was going on, and looking at Jiang Wanyin and Nie Mingjue, neither of them knew what to make of this situation either.
After it appeared that most had made their decisions, Lan Xichen watched a wide, dark smile cross Wei Wuxian’s face as he brought his dizi to his lips.
And blew out a single note.
Later, it would only be described as a bloodbath, what happened on that field in Nightless City.
Later, it would only be those who had abandoned their post, who had chosen their own lives over fighting for the Sunshot Campaign who would be able to speak of what happened.
Later, the clan leaders present would find themselves at the mercy of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, they would find themselves stripped of their titles, kneeling, chained in cells, waiting for whatever punishment the pair thought they were due.
But in that moment, after Wei Wuxian’s single note rang out over the field, the soldiers behind him came to life.
They swung no weapons as they advanced, attacking any person they came into contact with. If they were felled, they stood back up without effort. Losing an arm, a leg, a head - nothing would stop them so long as they had limbs to move, a means to navigate the world around them.
It was when Lan Xichen had cut down the third soldier that he realized it was were corpses they were fighting. They were corpses of Wen soldiers, likely killed by the pair who remained in their spot, watching the carnage as it happened.
Lan Xichen didn’t recognize his brother anymore, if he could even call him that.
Finding out Lan Wangji had killed Wen Ruohan, taking his position as Xiandu, but keeping his death a secret for two years? Letting unnecessary deaths occur over the course of the war take place, no, that wasn’t like Wangji. He would never allow such a thing to take place.
Lan Xichen didn’t realize when the battlefield around him fell silent, when he finally came to and realized that he was among a handful of men still standing. He turned to see Nie Mingjue kneeling on the ground, Baxia shattered before him. Jiang Wanyin was surrounded by corpses, not a single one harming him, but neither allowing him to fight back or move. Jin Zixuan appeared to be the only one who had accepted defeat as he sat on the ground, Suihua sheathed on the ground in front of him, hands resting on his knees.
Xichen turned his head towards movement coming closer, turning Shuoyue towards the approaching figures of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. They merely stared at him, then at his sword - a clear instruction for him to stand down, to sheath his weapon, to admit defeat.
But Lan Xichen would not stand for this, he would not bow down to whatever has possessed his younger brother, whatever had changed him and made him harsh, dark, who had warped his morals and made him into the unrecognizable person he is where he stands.
“I will not bow to whatever…darkness has possessed my brother.” He spoke, glaring at Wei Wuxian - already deciding that he was to blame, that his manipulation of corpses clearly showed that manipulation was not below him, Wangji’s fall from his morals clearly came from him.
He watched Wei Wuxian sigh, before sharing a look with Wangji.
“I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this.” Wei Wuxian spoke, waving his hand.
Within moments, Lan Xichen was forced to his knees, a sickening pop rang out as he felt one of his shoulders dislocate. Shuoyue was removed from his grasp, handed over to Wei Wuxian by one of the corpses. He was restrained by a singular corpse, his hands held together behind his back, unable to move.
Xichen heard Mingjue shouting for him, telling Wangji and Wei Wuxian that they had gone too far, that how dare they do such things to clan leaders who were supposed to be their allies, their families.
Then, Wangji spoke the words that shattered Xichen’s heart.
“I have no family. I will not associate with such men who only seek to do what will keep them comfortable, not what is right and just.” He stared into Xichen’s eyes with the weight of a thousand lives, a thousand sins he was reflecting back into Xichen’s eyes. “I will claim no family among traitors.”