Author Notes: Hello again, everyone! Enjoy this next chapter :)

- Chapter Start -

Lan QiRen rose to his feet.

"Hold your tongue, you ill mannered boy! I have never seen such disrespectful behaviour, let alone at an auspicious occasion like this one!"

He flicked his sleeve in annoyance as he spoke, his words so sharp that everyone half expected to see a bloody cut appear on ZiXun's face. As the latter opened and closed his mouth several times with no sound coming out, Wei Ying bit his lip to keep from grinning outright. He couldn't see Master Lan's face as he sat behind him, but he could well imagine it. The teacher in that man was unable to tolerate rude behaviour no matter where it happened.

Everyone else was staring at Master Lan with almost identical expressions of shock and awe, but Jiang Cheng and Sect Leader Nie' faces also held grim amusement. Nie HuaiSang's eyes were huge, peeping over his trembling fan while XiChen-xiong and Lan Zhan looked almost smug. On the other hand, Jin GuangYao looked about ready to faint. Wei Ying felt another twinge of sympathy for him, but ZiXun gave a snort, drawing his attention once more.

"Disrespectful, Senior Lan? Disrespectful is bringing him here!" ZiXun pointed at Wei Ying.

"ZiXun, you are embarrassing us all!" Madam Jin shot a furious look at her husband who remained seated and looked even more amused than before.

But ZiXun was too far gone in his anger to stop.

"If anyone is embarrassed, it should be the Yiling Patriarch!" He shouted. "Do you know what happened yesterday? My men saw a group of cultivators leaving the Burial Mounds and flying towards Cloud Recesses!"

Amidst a chorus of startled 'What?' from the others, Madam Jin nodded.

"Yes, we know. ZiXuan told us yesterday," she said. Sect Leader Jin still kept quiet.

"But... but... uncle, surely you are aware of what that means?!"

Sect Leader Jin sighed as if the only thing he found annoying was being forced to speak.

"ZiXun, do you remember what day today is?"

"Yes, but-"

"Do you remember why we are all gathered here?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then control yourself."

It wasn't even a slap on the wrist. Sect Leader Nie's eyebrows shot up and Jiang Cheng's Zidian gave an extra loud spark. Madam Jin looked like she could happily murdered her husband with the chopsticks in front of her, never mind the number of witnesses looking on.

"They are harbouring an outlaw and the Wen dogs!" ZiXun looked and sounded incensed. He was a hairsbreadth away from drawing his sword.

"And I told you to HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"

Master Lan stepped out from behind his table. Despite his rage, ZiXun took an involuntary step back. Turning to Wei Ying, Master Lan beckoned him over with an impatient gesture.

Wei Ying hesitated. He had never been one to shun an audience or shy away from attention both good or bad, but this was different. This was shijie's wedding. He appreciated Master Lan's intervention more than he could say, but Gusu Lan had already risked much in bringing him here. He couldn't... shouldn't do anything else to jeopardise their reputation.

A hand closed over his left wrist and squeezed. He turned to see Lan Zhan looking at him with knowing eyes.

"Wei Ying. Do not keep uncle waiting."

Huffing a bit, Wei Ying nodded and patted his hand. Then he stood up and went to stand beside Master Lan, jumping a bit when a firm hand landed on his shoulder.

"As an elder of the Gusu Lan Sect," Master Lan announced, keeping his eyes on Sect Leader Jin, "I give my word that we are not harbouring an evil person, an outlaw or dogs of any kind. We have, however, recently welcomed a heroic young man and his extended family, consisting of women, children and the elderly."

Wei Ying's head snapped to him so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. Master Lan's eyes were steady on him, filled with all the things the older man wanted to say, but couldn't right now. Or perhaps wasn't willing to.

It didn't matter.

Wei Ying's throat was suddenly so tight he couldn't breathe. His chest was aching, his eyes were watering, and he prayed that Master Lan wouldn't say anymore otherwise the shameless Yiling Patriarch would be latched onto his neck and sobbing like a baby. Then Master Lan broke their gaze.

"Jin ZiXun, do you have any objection to that?"

ZiXun opened his mouth and closed it again, his eyes going to his aunt and uncle, and then to Wei Ying, still struggling to hold back his tears, and then back to Master Lan.

"Well? Are you hard of hearing? Have you been struck dumb?" Master Lan demanded as he released Wei Ying's shoulder. "I asked you a question!"

There were a few titters although some people shifted in their seats as though reminded of past lectures in Cloud Recesses. Finally, Sect Leader Jin got to his feet.

"ZiXun, answer Senior Lan."

ZiXun's face turned white.

"No objection," he muttered.

"Then apologise to him at once!" Madam Jin was on her feet as well, her voice still sharp with anger.

ZiXun's face turned red. A vein pulsed in his temple. Turning to Master Lan, he placed his hands together and sketched a short, jerky bow.

"Apologies," he muttered.

Master Lan didn't bat an eye.

"It wasn't me alone you have offended, but also Young Master Wei, his family and all of Gusu Lan."

Again, ZiXun's mouth opened and closed without any words coming out, face going from red to white and back to red.

"Apologise now or leave this hall." Sect Leader Jin's tone was final.

ZiXun's eyes went to Wei Ying who had recovered enough to raise an eyebrow at him, and then his face contorted and he spun on his heel.

"We are leaving," he growled to his cohorts who quickly got up and hurried after him.

The atmosphere in the hall remained tense and uneasy as voices broke out among the smaller sects in light of Master Lan's disclosure. Then a hearty laugh broke it.

"Ahaha, the youth nowadays are so hotheaded!" Sect Leader Jin shook his head, still laughing. "Anyway, he's apologised so let's forget all that and have a toast to celebrate ZiXuan's wedding!"

Master Lan stayed silent, affronted disapproval radiating from every inch of his stiff figure until Sect Leader Jin's smile started to slip. Seeing the Twin Jades' calm expressions, Wei Ying took a deep breath and nudged Master Lan's arm with his elbow.

"Master Lan, I thought you'd use the silencing spell on ZiXun," he said in a low voice.

"Hmmph." Master Lan gave him a sideways glance. "That would only stop him from continuing to make a fool of himself. And I wouldn't get to announce that you, Wei WuXian, are now one of us."

Wei Ying huffed out a soft laugh and shook his head, blinking more tears away.

"I think I could hug you right now," he whispered, only half joking.

Master Lan's eyes widened in alarm.

"Don't you dare!"

But he didn't look nearly as shocked as he should. Still, now wasn't the time to put his forbearance to the test. And as much as Wei Ying enjoyed making Sect Leader Jin sweat and wait, he also didn't want shijie and the Peacock to walk in on this. Reaching out, he caught a fold of Master Lan's sleeve between two fingers and gave a light tug.

"But the longer we stand here, the more I feel like I should."

"Shameless boy!" Master Lan hissed and snatched his sleeve free.

In the next moment, he was seated behind his table once more, leaving Wei Ying blinking and standing there alone. Biting back a smile, he returned to his seat and winked at Lan Zhan whose lips twitched the tiniest bit.

"Wei WuXian." Although Sect Leader Jin was still smiling, his eyes were not. "As Cloud Recesses is now your home, I trust you will not object to participating in the toast with tea?"

The servant holding the teapot quickly hurried forward with a clean cup. Madam Jin pressed her lips together but didn't say anything. Seeing the frown forming between Lan Zhan's eyebrows again, Wei Ying smiled.

"I don't mind, Sect Leader Jin," he replied politely. "I'm sure I will have other opportunities to sample the finest liquor in Lanling."

The side glance Lan Zhan gave indicated he would buy Wei Ying a whole crate of it if he asked. Or even if he didn't.

"My apologies, Sect Leader Jin." Jiang Cheng stood up and everyone's gaze snapped to him. "We are not at Cloud Recesses now so my brother may have the Jiang Sect's share."

Going over to the female servant who still hadn't said anything, he plucked the bottle from her hands and set it down on Wei Ying's table before going back to his seat.

"Jiang Cheng?" Wei Ying whispered.

"Shut up," Jiang Cheng growled.

Everyone stared from him to Wei Ying to Sect Leader Jin. Then someone chuckled, low and amused.

"Sect Leader Jiang, even I know that one bottle isn't enough for Young Master Wei. I'll give him the Nie Sect's share as well." With those words, Sect Leader Nie came over to thump another bottle on Wei Ying's table before walking back to his seat.

This time, everyone stared at him and then at Nie HuaiSang whose face was hidden behind his fan and then at Sect Leader Jin whose face seemed carved in stone.

For a long, long moment, no one dared to say a word. Then one of the female servants standing at the doors made a frantic signal with her hand.

"Ah! The bride and groom have completed their bridal chamber ceremony," Jin GuangYao announced, his voice too loud in the silent hall, and his smile as brittle as glass. "They will now join us for the feast."

That seemed to be the signal for Sect Leader Jin to throw back his head with an even heartier laugh.

"Ahaha, how can I allow the Nie Sect and Jiang Sect to make a toast with tea? The Lanling Jin Sect would never live down this shame! GuangYao, quickly now!"

Jin GuangYao had already anticipated his order and more servants began circulating with hall with bottles of liquor. Beaming as though the past few minutes hadn't happened at all, Sect Leader Jin held up his cup with both hands, Madam Jin copying him.

"Thank you again for coming here to witness this happy occasion! While we wait for ZiXuan and A-Li to join us, let us drink a toast to their happy marriage!"

- Chapter End -

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you enjoyed this chapter :)