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Gossiping was not allowed in the Gusu Lan sect.
However, as was the case with many of the rules, that didn't stop it from happening. The official announcement the Lan sect got from the Yunmeng Jiang sect said that Jiang Wanyin had gone into seclusion to improve his training. Lan Wanji heard many different versions of the story, both while he was traveling and within the walls of Cloud Recesses.
The chatter of an inn common room said that Jiang Wanyin had mysteriously disappeared, or had been killed, and the seclusion story was done to cover up the fact that the sect was now without an heir. A market stall owner, realizing Lan Wanji himself was a cultivator, asked if he knew the truth behind the rumor that Jiang Wanyin was being punished for committing some terrible crime. A chatty cook in the mess hall said that Jiang Wanyin had runaway with a sweetheart (the romantic hearts of the Lan didn't end with the main family apparently).
But rumors were fairly common when such announcements were made, so Lan Wanji didn't concern himself with them. Not until he overheard a particular rumor from an outer Lan disciple.
“I have a friend whose a Jiang disciple.” one boy whispered to another. “She said that Jiang Wanyin burst onto the training grounds while their head disciple, Wei Wuxian, was training them. Jiang Wanyin started making all sorts of crazy accusations about how Wei Wuxian wasn't real and was really some kind of monster, and then tried to attack him!”
“Why would he do that?”
“She didn't know, and none of her friends could figure it out either. She did say that the sect heir had been acting strange for a few weeks before that, and was becoming more and more irritable. She said the relationship between the sect heir and head disciple had always been a bit odd, but that she never thought he'd outright attack the man like that.”
“Maybe he was experiencing a qi deviation?”
“Maybe. That could be why he's in seclusion now, to recover from that. From some of the stories she's told though, I wouldn't be surprised if he just up and snapped from stress. So he could be in seclusion so he can get treatment for his mind rather than his qi.”
Wanji made sure that the disciples received their fair punishment for gossiping so much about another sect, then gave himself a punishment for allowing them to go on for as long as they did and for listening in himself.
His feelings about Wei Ying were...complicated. He didn't like that the man elicited so many new and strange feelings in him, but craved those feelings nonetheless. He'd managed to hit a sort of compromise with himself by seeing Wei Wuxian whenever a competition, discussion conference, or intersect night hunt happened, while focusing on his own clan and cultivation during all other times. It had worked, at first at least. As time went on though, he found it increasingly difficult to ignore his desire to see and interact with Wei Ying. He found himself wishing that competitions or night hunts would come sooner, which was something he hadn't really experienced since he looked forward to going to see his mother once a month.
So hearing about a possible attack against Wei Ying, in his own home, made him more concerned than he cared to admit to anyone but himself.
His brother had always been able to read him like an open book though, and didn't hesitate to ask what was worrying Lan Wanji so much. He admitted to having heard about a possible attack against Wei Ying by his own shidi, and his brother smiled at him.
“It's perfectly understandable to be worried about a friend when you've heard such a thing, Wanji. I can't say for sure if any sort of attack happened, but I think it's unlikely even a great sect would be able to so completely hide it if their head disciple was seriously injured. You could go and visit him if you like, to make sure. He has invited you before hasn't he?”
Lan Wanji nodded slowly.
“Otherwise, there is a night hunt that I was considering asking Yunmeng Jiang to assist with. If they agree, then Wei Wuxian would likely lead the group. You could lead our disciples in turn.”
Sometimes, his brother knew him all too well.
*_*_*_*_*
Lan Wangji was used to feeling strange, new emotions around Wei Wuxian. The mixture of elation and trepidation upon seeing Wei Wuxian whole and healthy was not as surprising to him as it would have once been. But as the night hunt wore on, and he saw and interacted more with Wei Wuxian, his trepidation started to eclipse his other feelings.
There was something off about Wei Wuxian.
He was uncertain why he felt this so strongly. By any and all appearances, Wei Wuxian performed his duties just as well as he always had. He fought with the same level of skill, he made sure all his juniors were properly cared for, and he communicated efficiently and effectively during fights. When there was no fighting going on, Wei Wuxian seemed to laugh and joke as he always had.
But in the past, Wei Wuxian had always gravitated toward Lan Wangji. He consistently sought Lan Wangji out during their time at Cloud Recess, and couldn't resist calling out to him whenever they saw each other at conferences or night hunts. This Wei Wuxian teased him, but he did not seek him out. They spoke to coordinate the night hunt, but otherwise Wei Wuxian did not linger.
Lan Wangji wondered if he was just being too self centered, but decided he wasn't. Wei Wuxian's behavior in this area had been so consistent before. He would seek Lan Wangji out even when Jiang Wanyin was around to scold him for it, and did it even more when the sect heir wasn't present. But now Jiang Wanyin was absent, and Wei Wuxian was speaking to him less.
Why had things changed? Lan Wangji felt he couldn't leave without trying to find an answer. So, once the night hunt was completed and all had returned to the inn for the night, Lan Wangji sought out Wei Wuxian.
“Ah Lan Zhan! What are you doing here? It will be your time to sleep soon, won't it? Though, if you've finally decided to stop being such a fuddy duddy and live a little while you're away from your Gusu Lan, I certainly won't object.” Wei Wuxian winked at him from his spot at the table. “If you have a drink with us, I won't tell a soul. It can be our little secret.”
The other Jiang disciples, who had been drinking and chatting just moments before, had grown quiet when Lan Wangji approached. This was not unusual, and he paid it no mind. Instead, he chose to focus on Wei Wuxian. That line was exactly the sort of thing Wei Wuxian would say in this situation, but it didn't quite hold the same tone as it would have in their previous interactions. Plus, there was something odd about the way Wei Wuxian looked at him. Wei Wuxian was very careful to keep their eyes from actually meeting for some reason. That part had been happening since the start of the night hunt.
“I did not come to drink. I would like to speak to you in private.”
“Oh my! How forward Lan-er-gongzi! Would you like to speak in your room, or mine?”
Lan Wangji resisted the impulse to say 'shameless!' and kept his neutral expression, though he couldn't stop his ears from reddening a little. “I would like to take a short walk.”
Wei Wuxian laughed. “Alright alright, I'm just teasing, I'll hear what you have to say.”
Wei Wuxian smiled as they walked out together. Neither of them spoke, even after they got outside and stood out in the cool night air. Wei Wuxian didn't let the silence stand for long though.
“Lan Zhan, don't keep me in suspense. What did you want to talk about? Was there an unsatisfactory performance during the night hunt? Do you disapprove of my juniors and I drinking? Surely you can't expect us the follow the rules of Gusu Lan when we aren't actually there.”
Lan Wangji ignored his questions. “I wanted to inquire about Wei Ying's health.”
“My health? Do I seem sickly to you?”
“You do not. I have another cause for concern.”
“Oh?”
“You...have been different. Not like yourself.”
Whatever Wei Wuxian had been expecting Lan Wangji to say, this was apparently not it. It was brief, but Lan Wangi caught the look of surprise that flashed across Wei Wuxian's face before he schooled it back into a playful smile.
“I'm sure I don't know what Lan-er-gonzi means. I believe I performed up to my sect's standards during the night hunt.”
“It is not that.”
“What is it then?”
He wanted to say 'the times in between, the times between us'. He did not, afraid to put his observations into spoken word. It was a form his feelings for Wei Wuxian had never taken on before, and he hesitated to make the transition now.
Besides, there was another, safer option he could choose.
“You have performed as well as always, but not in the same way. Before it was a passion, now it is an obligation.”
Surprise took over Wei Wuxian's face once again. Instead of transitioning back into a smile, it turned into something more considering, something cool and calculating.
“Is that so...”
Wei Wuxian tilted his head to look at Lan Wangji directly. For the first time that night, their eyes locked together.
Alarm bells rang in Lan Wangji's head. Dread slithered up his spine, and his hand went to the hilt of Bichen without conscious thought.
Those were not Wei Ying's eyes.
“What are you?” Lan Wangji demanded, his voice cold and dangerous. The other being smiled, and Lan Wangji wondered how he'd ever mistaken that smile for Wei Ying's.
“Right to the point, I see. No need for that though, I have no plans to hurt you or anyone else here.”
“What are you, and where is Wei Ying?”
The thing was smirking now. Lan Wangji's temper had never been tested like this before.
“How about we make a deal? I'll tell you where you can find your answers, and you promise not to attack me or tell anyone else about me until you've gotten those answers.”
Lan Wangji's grip on the hilt tightened, and his eyes narrowed.
“Come now Lan-er-gongzi, have I done anything to hurt these juniors? Have you heard or seen anything to suggest I plan to hurt them? I'm willing to bet you first approached me because of those rumors about myself and Jiang Cheng, despite the rules against gossiping. If I had been doing anything to hurt someone there, even a little, don't you think you would have heard about those tales as well?”
Lan Wangji didn't change his stance.
“If you don't come back with answers once I tell you where to find them, then you can come back and tell anyone and everyone you think will listen and I won't even deny it. I might even admit to a thing or two. But if you don't agree to go seeking your answers first, then I won't admit a single thing not matter what you do. Just how many people do you think will believe you without any kind of proof?”
Lan Wangji felt sure his brother and uncle would; they would give him the benefit of the doubt at least. But without any real proof his reputation among the other sects would only get him so far. And if this being was telling the truth and would tell him where Wei Ying was...
He could try forcing an answer out of it, but what if that hurt Wei Ying? If it was keeping up Wei Ying's appearance like this, the two might be linked together somehow. He couldn't stand the thought of hurting Wei Ying.
This could so easily be a trap, but if it was the only way to get the information he needed...
“I agree to your terms.”
*_*_*_*_*
Lan Wanji did not mention his conversation with Wei Wuxian's double in his report about the night hunt. He did not lie in his report, he made sure of that, but he hid the truth. He hated that he couldn't explain anything yet, but he'd do what he had to in order to get to the bottom of this. He would submit to any necessary punishment later.
He must not have been hiding his tension as well as he thought though, since both his brother and his uncle comment on how he seemed a bit stressed. He did his best to reassure them, but wasn't sure how successful he was. In either case, he then told them he was going to go traveling again for a while.
They accepted this easily. They trust him greatly. He can only hope that it is not misplaced this time.
He wrote a letter before he left. In it, he gave a full explanation of his conversation with the double, and what his plan was for this trip. He folded it up and placed it on his desk, with a note that said to only open it if he did not return to the sect within his usual time frame. If worse came to worse, he hoped his words of warning would be enough for his brother and uncle to carry on his new mission.
*_*_*_*_*_*
The journey to Yiling took longer than he hoped. As anxious as he was to find answers about what happened to Wei Ying, he couldn't change his nature. When someone was in distress, he stopped to help them. Thankfully he did manage to get close to Yiling before he came across anyone in need of his help. The first was a man with a broken cart, then he treated a young women with a twisted ankle, and finally he helped look for a lost child.
Lan Wanji was used to hearing gossip when he lent a hand to people. Some would take his silence as a cue not to talk much themselves, but others decided they needed to fill the silence. What was curious this time, was that the gossip was not about the cultivation world or any other political news, but about a local man.
“Why don't you ask that nice young man to help us again?” Asked the wife of the man with the broken cart, who had been lamenting the work it would take to fully fix the cart now that it was back at their house.
“Strange young man, you mean, with that mask he always wears.”
“Strange he may be, but he was still quite friendly and his work was of good quality.”
The husband grumbled, but eventually consented to the idea.
The young woman had been out foraging when she tripped and fell. As Lan Wangji carried her back to town, she told him about her family business.
“We make wine, you see. I had to help out with the bookkeeping part of things for a while because one of our workers had to leave to take care of his elderly parents, but then we got a new part time apprentice. He's tried out just about every part of the job, well, except working at the counter. He insists on wearing a mask, I don't know why, but my parents didn't want to risk him spooking customers. I think it's interesting and mysterious, and he's quite charming, so I think he would do well in the job but no one else want to risk it. But that does mean he spends more time bookkeeping, which I don't like doing, and I get to spend more time talking to customers myself or looking for ingredients, and he doesn't seem to mind the work, so I suppose it all works out.”
Lan Wangi's ability to fly above the treetops on his sword made finding the runaway child quick work. His mother was equal parts relieved and scolding when the boy was returned to her.
“What were you thinking running off like that?!”
“I wanted to see the masked gongzi fight the monster! He must be a cultivator if he's gonna fight a monster, and cultivator fights are supposed to be real amazing and I wanna be able to tell the my friends about it!”
The woman sighed in exasperation. “The gongzi said he'd tell you all about it when he gets back, IF you did as he said and stayed safe inside. Do you want me to tell him you didn't listen?”
“No! No I want to hear the story!”
“Then you'll stay here like he instructed and you'll be doing all your sister's chores as well as your own for the next few days to make up for it!”
Once the mother was done with speaking to her son, Lan Wangji asked for directions. The thing that was not Wei Wuxian said that he would find answers with a woman named Wen Qing. Lan Wangji recognized her as a well-known and talented doctor, but did not know exactly where in Yiling she lived. Thankfully, the family was more than happy to give him detailed directions, since it was the only payment he would accept for finding their overly adventurous child so quickly.
A nervous looking young man in Wen clan robes opened the door to the clinic when Lan Wangji knocked. Lan Wangji was uncertain if that was because the young man recognized him, or if that was just his disposition.
“Ah, greetings to second young master Lan. This one is called Wen Qionglin. Are you in need of assistance?”
“I need to speak with Wen Qing.”
“Oh, I see, um, I will see if she is available.”
Lan Wangji waited at the door as the young man scurried away. A minute later he heard a female voice approaching, and telling 'A-Ning' to stay in the back rooms just before the door opened once again. The woman had long brown hair, just like the young man from before. Given that, plus a few facial similarities and the friendly manner of address he'd heard, he deduced that the two were either siblings or close cousins.
“You asked for me.” Wen Qing acknowledged, her expression neutral.
“I did.”
“What is it you wish to speak to me about? Are you injured?” She looked him up and down, as if trying to deduce where he might be hiding an injure bad enough to keep him from going back to his own sect's doctors.
“I spoke to the Jiang sects's acting head disciple recently.” Lan Wangji started, picking his words carefully. He hadn't noticed anyone else nearby, but it couldn't hurt to be careful. Plus he didn't actually know how much she knew yet. “I had questions for him. He told me to come here for answers.”
Wen Qing's expression did not change, but Lan Wangji was watching closely enough to see her body tense. She studied him again, focusing on his face this time, before she flicked her eyes back and forth. When she didn't see anyone she silently stepped aside and gestured for him to enter.
“Where is Wei Ying?” he asked, as soon as the door closed behind him. She narrowed her eyes at him.
“How should I know where the Jiang head disciple is? He has certainly not come here for medical attention.”
“I know that is not the real Wei Ying. He admitted that to me himself. I asked him for the real Wei Ying, and he directed me here.”
“I don't know why anyone would say that. There is no one who goes by that name living here.”
Lan Wangji felt frustration start to bubble inside him, and did his best to suppress it. He opened his mouth to ask again-
“It's alright, Wen Qing. You don't have to protect me from him.”
Only for that familiar voice to pop every one of those bubbles and let loose a wave of relief.
He made no conscious choice to turn toward the voice, but found himself looking at the young man who had just walked in from the back anyway. Wen Qionglin was standing in the doorway the man had just entered through, looking even more wary than he did before, but Lan Wangji's focus was on the new arrival.
The hair was different than how Wei Ying usually wore it, down instead of up, but the red ribbon was still being used to tie it back. There was a black and silver mask covering the upper half of his face, but his eyes were still visible. Lan Wangji stepped forward until he could look directly into those eyes. No creeping sense of wrongness greeted him, only the familiar light he'd been searching for.
The corner of those eyes crinkled as Wei Ying smiled at him.
“Ah, Lan Zhan, you're gazing at me so long! Did you truly miss this one so much?”
Lan Wangji felt the tips of his ears redden. He took a step back, but did not look away from that masked face. A reflexive part of him wanted to deny it, but he didn't truly want to say that, not after he thought he might have lost Wei Ying. So he just let out an agreeing “Hm.”
Wei Ying's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but the smile lines returned quickly.
“Did you know he was coming?” Wen Qing asked, a note of reproach in her voice.
“I had a feeling he might, but only got it recently. Sorry I didn't give you a heads up. I thought I would beat him here, but the little boy of a family I was helping was very insistent about getting every detail about the night hunt I did for them. The time got a way from me a bit.”
Wen Qing shook her head and sighed. “Of course it did. You're sure it's okay for him to know?”
“I'll be sure and explain everything to him so he understands the stakes. If he wants to bring attention to what's happening here afterwards, I'll take any negative consequences on myself. You don't have to worry about you and Wen Ning.”
“That's not what I-” Wen Qing started to protest, but cut herself off in frustration. She turned her sharp gaze on Lan Wangji. “He's putting a lot of trust in you right now. If you truly are as righteous as they say, then listen to him fully before you make a decision.”
He gave her a serious nod. That made her relax slightly, and she turned from them to beckon to Wen Qionglin.
“Come A-Ning, there are medicine orders that need to be filled.”
Wen Qionglin nodded rapidly, and finally came through the door. Wei Ying moved toward the door now.
“Would you come with me on a walk, Lan Zhan?”
Lan Wangji moved to follow him before he even started to ask.
*_*_*_*_*_*
Wei Ying walked ahead of him as they left Wen Qing’s clinic. Lan Wangji observed him closely, and was begrudgingly impressed as he remembered the doppelgänger. The double’s attitude toward himself may have tipped Lan Wangji to something being off, but in nearly every other respect he was a perfect copy. Even the way they walked was the same.
“Wei Ying-“
“Sorry, Lan Zhan, not yet. We need to get a bit closer first.”
“Closer?”
“To the Burial Mounds.” Wei Ying paused a beat after LWj’s footfalls stopped. He looked over his shoulder and gave the man a smile. “Ah, no need to be so concerned Lan Zhan. We aren’t going to enter. We just need to be close enough to make sure no one else will come strolling by.”
‘Is he truly that concerned with being overheard?’ Lan Zhan became even more concerned for what was plaguing Wei Ying.
“Ah, here will work.” Wei Ying said once they entered a clearing at the base of the mounds. He sounded relieved as he reached up and removed the mask from his face, “Finally, I can greet the second young master Lan properly.”
He’d seen Wei Ying's eyes earlier, and been comforted by their familiarity. But being able to see WYs face in full made him unwind a little further. Not enough to ignore his pressing questions though.
“Wei Ying, what is going on? How has something taken your place at Lotus Pier? Why are you here instead of confronting this being?”
Lan Zhan almost regretted asking when Wei Ying's smile changed into something sad and pained.
“Even if I could leave here, I could not retake my place in the Jiang sect. It wouldn't be safe, not after what happened.” He noticed Lan Wangji's confusion then, and his tone became a bit more cheerful. “Aiyah, Lan Zhan. My apologies, I should start from the beginning.”
*_*_*_*_*
Amazingly enough, the fact that Jiang Wanyin had snapped and attempted to kill Wei Ying while they were on a night hunt together was not the most unbelievable part of the story.
“Jiang Cheng must have believed I was dead, or soon would be. I'm pretty sure I didn't actually die anyway, though I do wonder sometimes. What I can tell you, is that I remember falling into the burial mounds after Jiang Cheng pushed me over the edge of the cliff. Things are vague after that. I remember hearing a voice, or maybe many voices all speaking as one. Or maybe it started out as many voices and it became one voice.”
____
'Something new-' 'Something fresh-' 'New desires-' 'Fresh memories-' 'Useful' 'Help us...' 'Help you!' 'It's time' 'We can do it' 'Finally...' 'Can help you' 'Help us help you' 'Help you help us'
'If you agree, we can both leave this place.'
____
“They offered help, and I was hardly in a position to refuse. I know it asked for something in exchange, but I had a hard time understanding what it wanted. Normally I would know better than to make such a vague promise to something unknown, but I wasn't exactly thinking clearly at the time.”
Lan Wangji nodded. One might be convinced to do almost anything while delirious from pain and on the brink of death.
“I'm not exactly sure what happened after that. One moment I in the Burial Mounds, and the next I was stumbling out of them.”
____
How was he here? How was he walking? There had been so much pain, he thought he'd never move again. Never wake again. He could move now but the way his body jolted and protested with every step, every movement of muscle, almost made him wish he couldn't. But he couldn't stop, couldn't give in, not when he'd been given this impossible chance. Not with this undefinable thing pushing him forward...
____
Lan Wangji frowned slightly in both confusion and worry. “Wei Ying's wounds were healed by something in the Burial Mounds? How did you go from being thrown into the Burial Mounds after being so wounded to being well enough to walk out?” Wei Ying's strong golden core could possibly account for the healing, given enough time, but...
“Oh no, I was still injured! Maybe not quite as badly as I was before, but it's hard for me to know since I didn't get much of a look at the time it happened. I ran into Wen Ning while I was trying to find my way. He was gathering herbs for his sister.”
____
“Wei-gongzi? Wei-gongzi, is that you?! You're-oh my-what happened?! No, no, that can wait. Please, stop trying to walk! Sit here, I can make something for you to lay on and bring you back. My sister will be able to help you! I can give you-oh gods-I can stem the bleeding but then we need to go. Hold on, please, hold on!”
___
“Did you know I met him once before at a conference? I encouraged him with his archery and tried to get the other Wens to let him into the archery competition, though it took some reminders before I recalled that myself. Anyway, Wen Ning recognized me and was kind enough to help me to Yiling so he and Wen Qing could treat my injuries.”
Lan Wangji felt his respect for the Wen siblings grow. Still, even accounting for Wei Ying's usual memory lapses, it felt like there was something missing. “It is said no one who enters the Burial Mounds ever escapes.” So how did Wei Ying? What was the being or beings that spoke to him?
“I was wondering about that too! In between talking to Wen Ning and getting poked and prodded by Wen Qing, I mean. Everyone does say that no one has ever escaped the Burial Mounds, which I suppose is why no one knows what its really like inside and why I was the first person to- no wait, I'm skipping ahead a bit. Sorry about that, I've only had to explain all this once before, and never all at the same time.”
Lan Wangji let out his usual hum, a subtle encouragement to keep going without rushing Wei Ying. For some reason that made Wei Ying smile again before he continued.
“I found out what happened that first night I fell asleep at the clinic. It turns out that I didn't escape, I was let go.”
Lan Wangji frowned again, and Wei Ying gestured up at the mountain towering above them.
“I had a dream that night, one where someone who looked just like me spoke to me. Do you remember those things I said about resentful energy that got me kicked out of your uncle's first lesson during the disciple exchange? I got some of my theories proven in very unexpected ways. The Burial Mounds have been a fount of resentful energy for so many years that it was able to cultivate enough to gain a mind of its own.”
Lan Wangji's eyes widened as the pieces fell into place in his mind. “The being that has taken your place is a manifestation of the Burial Mounds?”
“Ah! So smart Lan Zhan! I knew you'd figure it out quickly! Yes, it turns out the thing I had deliriously agreed to was to help the Burial Mounds leave Yiling and fulfill its numerous desires. Part of the deal was that it could use my likeness and take up my position in cultivation society.”
“What does it want?” What could a being cultivated from so many restless souls possibly want after so long? How would having Wei Ying's position help it accomplish its goals?
Wei Ying laughed. “What does it want? Anything and everything, really! There truly are too many things to list. Its wants are pulled from the souls that helped to make it, so they are as varied as people are. The majority of those who ended up in the Burial Mounds were cultivators of course, and many of them wanted to continue that life.”
____
“Are you sure you want my position?” Wei Wuxian asked, while standing in the blank void of the shared dream. “I am grateful for the opportunities that Jiang Fengmian has given me, more than I can say after living on the streets, but at the end of the day I am still the son of a servant. I've never minded, but I know others might, especially if you have high born cultivators among your number.”
“Just as you were grateful to leave the streets, we will be grateful to finally leave this place. To be able to live and cultivate and experience once again. Grateful enough to endure some hardship. If one of our number find the insults too great, well, I'm sure we'll find a way to manage.” The other Wei Wuxian smiled.
The original Wei Wuxian hoped that his own smile didn't usually look quite so...concerning. If it did, then he had a lot of maidens to apologize to.
____
“That's why it wanted to take your place? To simply be a part of the cultivation world again?”
Wei Ying nodded rapidly. “Exactly. You see, even if it managed to put together a believable body on its own, it wouldn't be affiliated with any sect. If it tried to be a rogue cultivator it would be hard to become truly involved in the cultivation world. If it tried to join a sect as a new disciple, it would be under scrutiny and it's resentful nature could be exposed.”
“But you are well known in the cultivation world. People already recognize that you belong there.”
“Right. On top of that, the agreement I made gives it a connection with me. So it knows how to act as me and avoid giving anyone a reason to start suspecting anything. Plus, I think something about the connection helps hide the resentful energy altogether. Wen Qing and I have been looking into that, but I can regale you with our studies later as long as it doesn't offend your Lan sensibilities.” he gave Lan Wangi a teasing wink. “So the copy of me is fulfilling the desires of the cultivators who died by going on night hunts and going to conferences and helping its shidis and shimeis and all those sorts of things. But the Burial Mounds weren't only made up of cultivators, you know. Some were civilians, or just had unfulfilled desires that aren't related to cultivation. So I've been working on that side of things.”
“Working on fulfilling the desires of those who died in the Burial Mounds? How?”
“My connection lets my double act as me, but I'm also connected in other ways. We can talk in my dreams, that wasn't just a one time thing, and it can sort of experience things through me. Some of the souls that make up the Burial Mounds wanted to continue their work, and they came from a lot of different jobs, so I can help them feel fulfilled by talking on a bunch of part time work.”
“I heard stories of a masked man helping with various things in the area. That was you, and the Burial Mounds asked you to do those tasks?”
“It's less direct asking and more like a feeling I get. Like having a sudden desire to do some bookkeeping even though I never really enjoyed that in the past.” Wei Ying's smile suddenly turned smugly satisfied. “You know how many people wished they could have one more drink before they died? It's a lot! I've been enjoying fulfilling those requests quite a bit! I've made some new drinking buddies from going out so often, ones that don't mind me wearing a mask all the time. Its a good thing my jobs make enough money to cover the cost.”
“Wei Ying does not seem...distressed.” Lan Wangji observed, somewhat hesitant. Just how deep did the connection between him and the Burial Mounds run? Could it harm Wei Ying if he suggested something that it didn't like?
“Heh, the way its described sounds like it should be awful right? Like I'm forever being subjected to the whims of who knows how many ghosts? But it's honestly not so bad. I would need to work to make money anyway, and I'm trying things that I never considered trying before. Its lead to plenty of discoveries about myself. After everything that happened...it was helpful to have something to do. Something to focus on.”
Something to focus on that wasn't how the sect sibling he'd known since childhood had tried to kill him and effectively stole his future. Lan Wangji needed to take a few moments to stamp down his anger and compose himself before he started a new line of questioning.
“You mentioned working with Wen Qing. Does she know about all this?”
“Her and Wen Ning both do. Though I didn't tell them at first. Partially because I needed some time to figure it out for myself, and partially because I thought they might just believe I was crazy. So when Wen Qing brought up the idea of contacting the Jiangs so they could come get me, I told her about what Jiang Cheng did. I told her that I was worried I wouldn't be believed, since he was the sect heir and I was just the son of a servant. I said I just wanted to count myself lucky to be alive and start a new life away from the Jiangs.”
“...do you truly believe that?”
“What?”
“Do you believe that your story would not be believed by the Jiangs or the other sects?”
That actually gave Wei Ying pause for a while. He looked down, and fiddled with the hem of his sleeves in contemplation before saying. “I like to think that Jiang Fengmian would have believed me, but I don't want to tell him. I don't want to put him into the position of having to condemn his own son for me.”
Lan Wangji didn't think Wei Ying would rally for justice for himself, no matter how deserved it was, so he tried a different tactic. “But if Jiang Wanyin is willing to do something so unrighteous and goes unpunished it could lead to problems later, since he is still in line to become sect leader.”
Wei Ying barked a laugh. “You know, I had a similar conversation with the Burial Mounds. It houses a number of souls that want revenge on the ones who killed or otherwise wronged them, though by now the ones who did that are long dead. But I'm connected to it now, and I was wronged by Jiang Cheng. So it didn't really like that I asked it not to kill him, even if it eventually agreed.
____
“You're really going to agree not to kill him?” Wei Wuxian asked suspiciously. He could sense how badly some of those spirits wanted vengeance after all, and Jiang Cheng was now a prime target for those feelings.
“You're giving this one so much, so of course I can agree to something you have such strong feelings about.” The Burial Mounds said. The voice sounded sincere, but there was a sly quirk to its lips. “There are a lot of ways to take revenge after all, and most would be surprised at what a human can live through.”
“I don't want him to be maimed or tortured either.” Wei Wuxian added quickly.
“I can agree to that too, in this instance.” the concerning smile was back.”Honestly? I don't think I'll need to do much of anything to him in order to get what I want.”
____
“...though based on what I've heard, it may have found a way around that.”
“Hm, yes, I have heard such rumors.”
Wei Ying gasped dramatically. “Has the famous second young master Lan been gossiping? Despite the sect rules against it?”
The tips of Lang Wangji ears felt warm. “I cannot help it if others choose to do so in my presence.”
“Alright, alright, I believe you.” Wei Ying said with a laugh. “Everyone else really does love to gossip don't they? Rumors are the reason that I had to come clean to Wen Qing and Wen Ning, you know? After news of 'Wei Wuxian' miraculously returning to life reached us, you can imagine that they had quiet a few questions.”
“They didn't ask you to leave?”
“Wen Qing might have thought about it at first, but she's good at seeing the bigger picture. My connection to the Burial Mounds means she has a stable source of resentful energy on her hands. That's pretty valuable to a doctor that works with a lot of cultivators.” Wei Ying grinned happily. “Well, that and asking me to leave would have made Wen Ning sad. We've grown to be pretty good friends, I think!”
Lan Wangji ignored the brief flare of jealousy with the ease of long practice in order to focus on a more pressing issue. “She's been experimenting on you?”
“We've been doing experiments together, actually. I'm pretty invested in finding out more about resentful energy and my connection to it. We've learned some pretty interesting things already, and Wen Qing is in the process of writing a report about it. She doesn't like to boast about herself, but Wen Ning tells me it could revolutionize medicine for the cultivation world. She'll keep my name out of it of course; it would cause problems if someone asked the other 'me' about something they read in her paper. ”
“And this connection to resentful energy, it isn't affecting your health?” a tinge of worry colored Lan Wangji's voice. Wei Ying shook his head.
“My body and core received some damage from the near death experience, and I'm still recovering from that. Wen Qing thinks my connection to the Burial Mounds and its resentful energy is making my healing process slower, but I usually healed pretty fast for a cultivator. So this has just made my recovery rate a bit slower than what's normal.”
Lan Wangji still felt like there was so much to ask and to clarify, but his mind felt like it was buzzing from so many revelations and the implications that followed them. When he went too long without asking another question, Wei Ying turned to look at him curiously. After a moment, his face softened into understanding.
“Ah, It's a lot to take in isn't it Lan Zhan? It probably doesn't sound like it, but I really needed some time to get used to everything too. How about we take a break, hm? Come on, there's a fallen tree over here that makes for a nice place to sit.”
Lan Wangji trailed after Wei Wuxian to the log he'd indicated. Wei Wuxian sat down on one end, so Lan Wangji settled on the other. He took deep, even breaths and mentally ran through the meditation exercises that had been drilled into him since childhood. As usual, Wei Wuxian found himself unable to sit completely still and quiet, but he had enough restraint not to try and talk Lan Wangji's ear off while he was processing.
Instead he grabbed a nearby stalk of bamboo and took out a knife from his belt. After a minute, he had a makeshift flute. Wei Wuxian played a slow, soothing melody with his new instrument. The music didn't have the spiritual power that was present in the Lan clan's musical cultivation, but Lan Wangji found it calming nonetheless.
“You implied to Wen Qing that you knew I was coming.” Lan Wangji said, after he'd had enough time to sort through his thoughts.
Wei Ying let the last note on the song he was playing peter out before answering. “Yes, it let me know about the confrontation it had with you through my dreams.”
“You didn't try to run away.”
“I didn't.”
“Why not?” Lan Wangji had to know. Why didn't Wei Ying try to hide from him like he was hiding from everyone else?
“Lan Zhan,” Wei Ying said the name with an uncharacteristic amount of solemnness “as much as I like to poke fun at your sect and its thousands of rules, I've known you long enough to know that you're willing to bend those rules for the greater good. Even if you decide that doing so requires you to punish yourself later. So...I trusted that you would give me the chance to explain myself rather than immediately sounding the alarm on what you had discovered.”
“You do not believe I will tell anyone else now?” Lan Wangji asked, his tone curious. Wei Ying's solemnity disappeared and was replaced with an excited grin.
“You might, if all I had to tell you is that the Burial Mounds is running around the cultivation world as a person. But I haven't told you the best part yet. Do you know why I'm so confident no one will come here and see us?”
Lan Wangi shook his head, and Wei Ying grinned wider.
“Because the tree we're sitting on used to be within the territory of the Burial Mounds' resentment.”
Lan Wangji's eyes widened. “The area of the Burial Mounds affect is shrinking?”
“It is! Wen Qing and I have been keeping an eye on it ever since I told them about my copy. It was already a little bit smaller after the Burial Mounds started acting as me, probably an affect of its consciousness leaving the area, but it's been getting smaller bit by bit since then. I think that our work in fulfilling the last desires of the souls is slowly allowing the resentment to disperse. Or it could be just condensing into one part of the Burial Mounds. Either way, this area is clearing up, and that means it could be used by people again someday!”
Lan Wangji could certainly understand Wei Ying's excitement. The Burial Mounds presence and the creatures that tended to emerge from it had plagued the area for so long; the idea that the place could be cleansed in such a way was almost unthinkable. It would be an amazing accomplishment that would help a lot of people. But it may never come to pass if the wrong person heard about what had happened and convinced others to rally against the Burial Mounds' newfound persona.
The fact that Wei Ying had trusted him to keep this secret was astounding, and made something in his chest feel light and warm. But still...
“I would like to take you to Gusu. For a second opinion. To be safe.” Lan Wangji said. Transforming the Burial Mounds would be amazing, but he did not want it to come at the cost of Wei Ying's life.
“Ah well, there's a few reasons we can't do that. First of all because Wen Qing might murder us if we imply her work isn't good enough. The second is that having someone else examine me might lead to questions we can't fully answer and that could risk the whole story coming out. But the main reason is that I can't go. Ever since I made my deal with the Burial Mounds, I haven't been able to leave the Yiling area. It's like I'm tied to this place now. If I get too far from it, I start to get ill.”
Lan Wangji sat up ramrod straight. That was even more of a reason to get someone else to check in on Wei Ying's health! If the Burial Mounds could keep him here, then what else could it be doing to him in the long term?
“Aiyah, Lan Zhan!” Wei Ying waved his arms at Lan Zhan's alarmed expression “Don't look at me like that! Wen Qing and I have been doing our due diligence to investigate this too, and we believe the problem will solve itself with time. You see, just as the Burial Mounds area of affect is slowly receding, the length I can go from the Burial Mounds is steadily increasing as well. I'll be able to travel in time, it will just be a while until I can go as far as someplace like Gusu Lan.”
“...so...Wei Ying is stuck here. But it is only temporary?”
“Yes, that's what all our observations suggest. My new twin also implied something along those lines when I asked him about all this, but it can be hard to get a straight answer out of him. Sometimes I think he takes after me a little too much.” Wei Ying laughed.
Lan Zhen nodded slowly, a decision solidifying in his mind. “Then I will visit Wei Ying.”
Now it was Wei Ying's turn to look startled. “What?”
“I will visit Wei Ying. Check on him myself, since he cannot leave. Can bring him things too, if that will help fulfill the desires of the souls faster.”
“I...Lan Zhan, you don't have to do any of that! The three of us have things handled here, and I know you have a lot to do as a sect heir. I could send you letters if you want to keep in touch, though I'd have to leave them unsigned or come up with a new name for myself...”
“I often leave by myself, to find and help people. Brother and Uncle take good care of the sect. It will not burden me to stop here during my night hunts.”
“Oh. Well, if you're going out and about anyway, then I guess there's no harm in it.” Wei Ying took a moment to think over and accept the idea, then his smile turned sly once again. “I think I will send you letters anyway though. I'm sure now that I know you'll be visiting I'll just get unbearably lonely without you! I think I'll pick out a woman's name to sign the letters with though, that will really give the cultivation world something to talk about!”
“I do not share my mail with others.”
“Not even for a great prank?! Come now, Lan Zhan! Don't deny me my fun while I'm stuck here all on my own!”
Lan Zhan could only smile. So much had changed, and he couldn't tell anyone about it. But as he listened to Wei Ying tease and cajole him, he felt that something in his world has slid back into its proper place.
Epilogue
As Lan Wangji expected, Wei Ying did follow through on his 'threat' to send letters to him signed with a woman's name. Not only did he sign it as a woman, he also wrote the words in a more 'feminine' way and sprayed the outside with perfume. He didn't quite expect his brother to be so relentless in asking him who 'Xuiying' was though. He really should have known better than to open one of the letters when he wasn't alone.
Lan Xichen promised to keep the name a secret. Lan Wangi was certain he kept that promise because the news that he was regularly receiving mail that smelled of perfume spread throughout the sects, and eventually the common people; but the name 'Xuiying' did not. The next time he went on a joint night hunt with Yunmeng Jiang, 'Wei Wuxian' made a point of teasing him about the rumors with an overly knowing glint in its eye.
Lan Wangji's suspicions of the Burial Mounds were not entirely swayed in that first meeting with Wei Ying. He made sure to ask subsequent questions during his following visits. One of the things he asked was whether or not there was a chance that the Burial Mounds was planning to take more than revenge by sidelining Jiang Wanyin. If Jiang Wanyin never recovered, and Jiang Yanli eventually married, would it not be possible for the head disciple to become the sect heir?
Lan Wangji was surprised that the suggestion made Wei Ying laugh. He was of the opinion that, even if Jiang Wanyin was indisposed, Madame Yu would die before letting 'Wei Wuxian' anywhere near the sect leader position. Wei Ying assured him that if Jiang Wanyin was deemed unfit to lead and the Jiang leaders had no more children, then the position would get passed onto a branch family; or perhaps one of Jiang Yanli's future children. In either case, there was no chance of the Burial Mounds assuming control of the sect.
Apparently, the idea that Madame Yu might be someone whom the Burial Mounds decided to target to relieve its desire for revenge did not occur to Wei Ying. Despite his admittance that she would whip him for the slightest of infractions, and seemed to be keeping up that behavior, Wei Ying did not seem to think she had done anything worth getting revenge for. There was even plenty of opportunity, considering how often she left on night hunts. If Madame Yu was not around to voice an objection, then that could change things.
All of that made Lan Wangji suspicious, but suspicions were not the same as evidence. So far, he had no evidence that the Burial Mounds had done anything evil or truly unjust, and no evidence that it planned to do so in the future. So, Lan Wangji decided he would continue to observe. If things changed in the future, then he and Wei Ying could formulate a plan then.
Wen Qing did eventually publish her findings, alongside an invention of Wei Ying's as a proof of concept. Wen Ning was proven right in his judgment.
Wei Ying would say that the cultivation world was in a tizzy over the research, or some other equally frivolous term. Lan Wangji would call it more of an uproar.
The proof of concept was something that Wei Ying called a Spirit Attraction Flag. In no time at all, sects were using it to increase the efficiency of their night hunts. The flags were in very high demand, and the Wens were currently the only ones able to provide them. The money that the Wen sect made as a result of that ensured that any thoughts of war that may have been percolating in the back of Wen Ruohan's mind were firmly shut down. He already had a way to keep the other sects subservient to him after all, no need to go through the risks that a war would bring.
Wen Qing acknowledged that the Spirit Attraction Flags were not her invention, but did not give out the name of the real inventor. When Sect Leader Wen asked, Wen Qing told him that it was a family member of hers who wished to remain anonymous for their own safety. Considering that this person was giving them access to such amazing inventions without asking for anything in return, Wen Ruohan did not see a need to pry. He used his position as Chief Cultivator to keep anyone else from prying too.
The news of Jiang Wanyin's strange seclusion eventually became old news. In it's place came stories of 'Wei Wuxian', of his talent and his good deeds. They were stories of Wei Wuxian helping common people in need, and rooting out corruption. First corruption among the common people, and later corruption throughout the cultivation world. Lan Wangji would join him on some these missions and adventures when he could. Both to help, and to keep an eye on 'Wei Wuxian'. It didn't take long for their names to start being associated together.
Rooting out this corruption made it so that, when Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli eventually figured themselves out, they were able to marry into a sect that had quite a few less deadly plots going on. 'Wei Wuian' attended Jiang Yanli's wedding, of course, that was to be expected. What was not expected was the fact that Lan Wangji brought a guest with him. An unknown woman in fine robes and who kept a weimo on through the entire event, so no one could see her face. The woman introduced herself as Wu Xuiying, and Lan Wangji was overhead referring to her as 'A-Ying'.
Old rumors got new life breathed into them. Rumors that were stoked even further when Lan Wangji visited Jin Ling's one month celebration with the same woman, who continued to keep her face covered.
Some said she kept her face covered because she was horribly scarred, while others insisted it must be because she was indescribably beautiful and she did not wish outshine Jiang Yanli or Jin Zixuan on such momentous occasions. Some said she was hiding her identity because she was secretly a criminal or related to one, and others said she might be royalty in disguise. One rumor insisted that the woman must have a very over protective family who didn't want anyone looking upon their daughter before she was married. Another declared that Lan Wangji was the one who made her wear it, to protect her from any enemies of the Lan or those upset that one of the cultivation worlds most eligible bachelors might not be eligible for much longer.
Wei Ying took special delight in telling Lan Wangji and the Wen siblings every new rumor he heard about 'Wu Xuiying'. Lan Wanji could even admit that it was somewhat fascinating, seeing how the cultivation world reacted to someone whom they couldn't immediately slot into a box.
Just as predicted, the area that was designated as the Burial Mounds continued to shrink. Once the people of Yiling noticed, they were able to put the land to use after so many years. This was quite the boon for local farmers and businesses. The cultivation world noticed the strange phenomenon too. It caused plenty of curiosity, as well as concern among the sects. The major sects wanted to investigate thoroughly, but Wen Ruohan was strict about who he would allow in the area. Probably because Wen Qing had told him about how vital the Burial Mounds resentment had been to her research. Eventually only the highest parts of the mountains remained too tainted to enter.
As the Burial Mounds shrank, the range that Wei Ying was able to travel grew. When it stopped shrinking, Wei Ying surprised Lan Wangji with a donkey, and a request to travel together. Lan Wangji didn't hesitate to agree.
Lan Wangji smiled as he lead Wei Ying and the donkey down the road. Maybe Wei Ying would one day be able to show his face openly again, no matter where he was, or maybe he wouldn't. Maybe they would eventually get married, or maybe they would spend the rest of their lives just like this. Maybe they would eventually have to deal with a Burial Mounds that wanted more than the cultivation world was willing to give it.
But for now, both Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian were more than happy to live in the moment, basking in each others presence as the sun set behind them.