Chapter 8
Fam
:::
I spent the rest of the guest lectures in seclusion, confined to my Jianshi. The only time I really left was my study time in the forbidden library or practicing my sword forms.
It was paradise.
No one talked to me, not even servants. I was self-sufficient enough to do my own laundry and cook my own food. No one whispered about that stupid Thrid Jade bullshit. No one bullied me into babysitting their sticky children. No irritating juniors following me around in a poor attempt at being discreet. Just me, my projects, and the occasional visits from Wangji and Lan Xichen to spar.
Wangji came in on one particular morning with a crease between his eyebrows that seemed confused. In his arms, he held a pair of rabbits, one block and one white.
I blinked at him.
"Wei Ying..." He said. His ears went red. He offered up the pair to me.
Okay, so maybe Wei Wuxian wasn't all bad all the time. The sight of two tiny rabbits just chilling in Wangji's careful arms was beyond adorable. It was like being punched in the gut with sugar. Ugh. Affection for my friend welled up inside me.
I liked Wangji so much it was embarrassing.
"Pets are forbidden," I said, propping up my head on one hand.
Wangji's ears tinted red. "Not pets."
"No?"
"No. Friends."
I laughed. "Well, I suppose I can't argue with that. Introduce them to me. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine, after all."
Wangji gave me a tiny smile and did so.
They were soft and adorable for pets. I didn't like animals any more than I liked children, for much the same reason - I could barely take care of myself on a good day, much less anyone else. I didn't want anyone relying on me who couldn't do the same.
These were Wangji's rabbits, though. Therefore they were already in good hands and absolutely not my responsibility. I could tease and play with them sans guilt.
"Do you have names for them?"
Wangji inclined his head. "This one is Jade. This one is Hop."
Jade and Hop seemed content with sniffing around the table.
"When did he give them to you?" I asked.
The plot was chugging along.
Wangji's lips pressed together. "Two weeks before..."
"Before Wei Wuxian cold clocked the JIn sect heir," I said. "And got booted out on his ass."
Three weeks after I went into seclusion, Wei Wuxian got expelled. It was a fight with Jin Ziyuan, being his typical 'open mouth insert foot' self and showing off his inability to person enough to get through a conversation about his future wife. Lan Xichen actually winced when he relayed the story to me. He wouldn't repeat whatever it was that Jin Ziyuan said.
JIn Ziyuan's negative charisma check vs. Wei Wuxian's love of his shijie: fight!
Of course Jin Ziyuan lost.
Wei Wuxian was the protagonist for a reason.
Wangji tilted his head in acknowledgment. The line of his shoulders hunched just the slightest bit, and he didn't even tell me not to swear. His gold eyes shifted, looking into the middle distance. I could read the disappointment in them, reluctant and stifled as it was. Wangji had been subdued ever since Wei Wuxian left - he couldn't hide it from me.
He was already gone on Wei Wuxian. Already in love.
My presence hadn't made a difference to the plot.
That was good.
Right?
I looked down at the rabbits, obviously fat and happy. One of them wandered up to me and fearlessly butted up against my hands, demanding pets. Wangji deserved to be happy - but his love for Wei Wuxian would only hurt him. This love of Wangji's would make him furious and confused, then worried, then miserable and bereft.
Thirteen years of mourning.
I could say something. If I were any friend, any good person, I would - warn him, give Wangji a hint at least. Kickstart their stupid romance.
If I was a good person…
I looked at my best friend, my only friend. Wangji, with his peerless beauty and his untarnished goodness, thought about him being dead. It felt like being stabbed—first, the shock, then the white-hot pain.
In the book, Wangji lived. He was alive to mourn; he raised a son; he was happy in the end. If Wangji died -
The only thing that's changed about this story is me. Even if his death had nothing to do with me, even if it happened a million miles away, even if no one ever blamed me for it, it doesn't matter! I would know.
I'm a coward.
So I don't say anything.
:::
Unfortunately, every good thing ends. Two months after the guest disciples finished classes, Lan Qiren summoned me to his office with a grave look on his face. I assumed my sabbatical - I mean, seclusion- was over.
I bowed at the threshold. "Grandmaster."
"Ruizhi," Lan Qiren sat at his desk, grading paperwork. "I trust you have reflected properly?"
"This student has, Grandmaster," I said.
Seclusion away from the plot and cannon characters was restful. Ten out of ten would drink and get in trouble again.
Lan Qiren gave me a flat look. "The time for the discussion conference at Qishan has come. You and a select few others shall be attending."
My stomach dropped. "Grandmaster?"
Of course, I knew the Qishan conference was coming up, in a background capacity. Lan Xichen often spoke of preparing the juniors for it when he visited and training himself.
Also, Jin Zixuan kept writing to me for some reason? His letters were mostly complaining, bragging, and panicking in turns about his canceled marriage to Jiang Yanli. The dude had it so bad, and he didn't even realize it. When he wasn't talking about his not-fiance, he was talking about the upcoming conference.
It wasn't that I wasn't paying attention, but it just… didn't really have anything to do with me?
Every single time a discussion conference or tournament came up, I tried to be busy elsewhere. Conferences were a pointless waste of time meant only for showing off and boasting. It had nothing on real night hunting.
All that attention - sect leaders, arrogant brats, parents with daughters of marriageable age- focused on me?
My skin wanted to crawl off my body at the thought of it.
Lan Qiren knew that.
He sighed. "It is time to show yourself to the cultivation world, Ruizhi. You can remain confined to Gusu for only so long."
Watch me, I thought mutinously. I intended to save the library, do the war thing, and retire to be a librarian in Gusu who never talked to anyone. The last thing I wanted was anyone knowing my name. The third Jade thing was a setback, but I was willing to work around it. I had faith in my bland face and meticulous, boring personality!
"This student does not have confidence in his ability to represent the sect," I said.
Aka, if you force me into this competition, I will lose it badly, without shame or remorse.
Lan Qiren gave me a flat look. "I gathered as much. You will not be required to participate in the competitions, but you must put in an appearance. I have been getting many questions about you since your year of night hunting."
...I just, like, really shot myself in the foot with that, didn't I? I still don't get what was so great about it! It was my job, which was identical to every other cultivator's job.
Why?
Why was it such a big deal?!
Why was the cultivation world so full of contradictory dickhead gossips? Why couldn't everyone just mind their business? Why couldn't I time travel and slap my past self for being a naive idiot?
"This is non-negotiable," Lan Qiren said.
Mrrgghh.
I bowed stiffly. "This student hears and obeys."
If I didn't have to compete, it might be bearable.
Probably.
Maybe.
...Fucking politics.
My Qi fire talismans needed testing. I might be able to irritate a Wen sect member into using Qi fire on me and test it a bit. I was the youngest of six; I had faith in my ability to irritate anyone I wanted!
...Wait, didn't Shuaye-ge write that he was going to be in the area of Qishan in his last letter?
A plan began to form in the back of my mind. Shuaye-ge could probably get the technique for me. My fourth brother was sneaky enough.
"If the Grandmaster orders it, this student will follow," I said with another bow, much less stiff this time.
"I'm sure," Lan Qiren said, voice dry. "Go find Wangji. He will help you prepare. The conference is in three weeks."
I salute and leave the room, plans already forming in my mind. If I was going to get Shuaye-ge's help, I needed to have something to bribe him with. He would probably help me anyway, but … all my elder brothers were a little strange.
They got…. enthusiastic when I asked them for help with things. Weirdly enthusiastic.
(I asked my second eldest brother for embroidering threads when I was ten. He came back with a small fortune in silk thread. I mentioned that I liked cats to my third brother. He brought home an entire litter of spiritual kittens. Da-ge had to be talked down from buying me an entire stable for my eleventh birthday and pouted at me until I accepted one pony.
It was weird. They were weird. Even after years, I wasn't used to dealing with them.
Thank god for Gusu.)
My brothers always went overboard - that was the main reason I tried not to ask them.
A bribe to not go overboard would be a good idea.
The first stages of a particular talisman flickered in the back of my mind.
That would work.
Yes, that would work just fine. Three weeks was long enough to get the basics done if I started right now.
We'll save the 'irritate a wen into using qi fire on me,' or Plan B, for another day.
I had some research to do. To the library!
:::
Qishan was, in a word, stifling.
In two words?
It was fucking hot.
Sure, my golden core was strong enough to make me immune to harsher weather, but it was the principle of the thing! I felt like I was breathing soup. The air was so thick. I'd never been up this far because Qishan was a muggy, horrible place that looked like something out of a comic book villain's lair. I stuck to the Gusu territories and the area around my little village.
I wasn't repeating the Koi Tower incident.
"Qishan, huh. Charming," I said to Wangji, looking at the large steps leading up to the Wen sect stronghold. "So understated and tasteful."
Wangji shifted a bit, mouth pulling up slightly. He thought it was ugly too. Compared to the Cloud Recesses, anywhere was ugly, though. I longed to submerge myself in one of the cold pools. Seven days of dealing with other sects, feasting, stupid games, and wishing I was elsewhere.
I was already tired of it.
"Best behavior, Ruizhi," Lan Xichen said, though I could hear the mirth in his voice.
At the head of the long train of Lan disciples under twenty who wanted to compete, rode Lan Qiren as the acting sect leader. Lan Xichen rode a bit behind him, and Wangji and I were a bit behind him. Wangji was there because he was a direct descendant, and I was there because he didn't want to ride alone the whole way. Also, because I was Lan Qiren's only direct disciple under twenty - but mostly because of Wangji.
GusuLan was one of the last to arrive on the scene. I kept my head high and my gaze forward, ignoring the other cultivators and the mass of civilians in the humbler seats. I felt their eyes crawling over my skin like spiders. Whispers and shouts followed our path.
I wish I could convince myself they were only looking at Wangji.
"A-Xi! Lan Zhan!" A bright voice called over the noise.
Wangji went still.
I closed my eyes and prayed for a swift death. Was it not enough to be surrounded by probably-hostile, definitely-stupid teenagers? Did I also have to deal with the main character? I could still hear him rambling about my 'nice arms' in my nightmares sometimes. Must I suffer?
Apparently so!
Wei Wuxian came bounding over like an excited puppy, dragging Jiang Cheng and an older girl I didn't recognize like leaves caught in an undertow. My steady mare flicked her tail at his approach. The red of the Wen uniform looked just as good on him as it did on Wangji.
God, I hated being a hormonal teenager.
"A-Xi! Old man Lan finally let you out of seclusion? I didn't think he'd leave you to rot for so long!" Wei Wuxian said, beaming up at me like he'd wasn't a blushing, stuttering mess the last time we talked.
Guess that's why he was the protagonist.
If he was willing to ignore it, I would do the same. "Young Master Wei, Sect Heir Jiang, and…"
Wei Wuxian only laughed and pulled on my sleeve. "Come down, come down, you have to meet my Shijie properly! You too, Lan Zhan!" I had no choice but to dismount or be wrenched from the saddle. Wangji followed a moment later, standing at my right hand to match Wei Wuxian on my left.
"Wei Wuxian," Jiang Cheng hissed, just catching up. "Will you stop being an embarrassment for once in your life? Don't go running around bothering the other sects!"
Wei Wuxian ignored him to beam at Wangji. "It's been a while! I was so lonely, Lan Zhan. No one would challenge me at all, and certainly, no one was so pretty to look at! I even invited you, and you never came!"
The tips of Wangji's ears went red. "Shameless."
I rolled my eyes on the inside. Like Wangji wasn't paralyzed with indecision when he thought about visiting Lotus Pier. He never worked up the courage in the end. Every time he chickened out, I had to deal with him playing sad guqin songs in my room for hours.
"How come you don't have to wear a uniform, A-Xi?" Wei Wuxian asked. The red of the QishanWen was bright against his skin.
"I am not competing," I said. "And don't call me A-Xi."
"Eh? Why not? A-Xi is A-Xi. You should compete! I promise that I won't laugh at you if you're terrible!"
Wangji stiffens at my side. I glanced at him and shook my head. He didn't need to get offended on my behalf.
"There is little point," I said.
Wei Wuxian blinked. "Sure, there is! Winning a competition proves your skills, your place among the top of the cultivation world." He grinned slyly. "Not to mention all the pretty girls who notice you!"
The thought of it sent me into a cold sweat. I could handle the Third Jade title, if barely. It was meaningless in the long run. I planned to disappear into the depths of the Gusu library as soon as it was saved. Let the fame and glory belong to someone else. I would keep my head down and do my job. People would forget about me.
Right?
"Shameless," Wangji hissed, shifting to partially blocking my view of Wei Wuxian. Deja Vu.
"Wei Wuxian!" Jiang Cheng snapped. "I will drag you back to my father if you don't behave. Beside him, the Famous Shijie
I push Wangji out of the way, gently.
"Like I said," I folded my hands behind my back. "LIttle point. I do not desire fame, glory, or attention. My family cares little for such things because they belong to no sect. I do not plan on courting until I am twenty. I do not need a place at the top of the cultivation world. As for fun... I believe we have different definitions."
That was a problem for me. Right now, I had a plan, and I was sticking to it.
Wei Wuxian tilted his head. "You don't seem to want much, A-xi."
"I am a simple person, Young master Wei," I said.
It was even true. I just wanted to be left alone.
Wei Wuxian laughed. "Lying is forbidden. Shame on you, A-xi."
Rude.
"Mm," Wangji said.
Rude!
I glanced at Wangji, offended. That was definitely a noise of agreement. What was this betrayal, Wangji? What on earth did I do to make it so you would side with Wei Wuxian? I wanted to be left alone with my books; it wasn't that complicated!
It was simple! I worked hard at being simple!
Wangji met my eyes stoically. "Ruizhi is not simple."
Wei Wuxian snickered.
I sniffed and looked away from Wangji. If he was going to be like that, see if I cheered for him in the competition.
I hope Jin Zixuan beats both of you.
"A-Xian," The girl broke in for the first time, a gentle smile on her face and a spark of laughter in her eyes. "Introduce me to your friends."
Wei Wuxian blinked, then grinned at her. "Sorry, Shijie! A-Zhi, Lan Zhan, this is Jiang Yanli, the best person in the world, and my shine! Shijie, this is A-Zhi and Lan Zhan! "
"You moron," Jiang Cheng said. "Jiejie, these are the second and third Jades of Lan, Lan Wangji, and Yan Ruizhi. Lan Wangji and Yan Ruizhi, this is my elder sister, firstborn of the Jian, Jiang Yanli."
"Maiden Jiang," I said, bowing. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Maiden Jiang. Your brothers often speak well of you."
Wangji echoed my bow. "Maiden Jiang. Pleasure."
The famed Jiang Yanli had a smile like a warm breeze. She was pretty, with dark, soft hair, kind eyes, and a gentle face. When she smiled, her nose crinkled up, and it was adorable.
...In what way was she plain? Was that peacock blind? Jiang Yanli was at least an eight on the cultivator scale. "There is no need for such formality, Young Master Yan, Young Master Lan. A-Xian has told me so much about both of you; I feel as if I already know you. Please feel free to address me by name. You as well, Young Master Lan."
I blinked, genuinely startled. "That would be far too forward of me, Maiden Jiang!"
"Mm," Wangji said.
Though her cultivation might be low, Jiang Yanli was a lady born and bred. Someone like me, without any real cultivation background, addressing her informally was - beyond thinking about. Wangji might be able to get away with it, but I absolutely would not. Not to mention that she was my elder!
Absolutely not! I refused!
"I insist," she says with a smile that dripped fondness.
Shit. I could already feel my resolve weakening. The - the kindness practically radiated off her.
This was going to be trouble.
Jiang Yanli was exactly as nice as advertised by her brothers - it was like talking to a female Lan Xichen.
I, like an asshole and a coward, had a certain weakness for genuinely kind people. I - admired them. It took a lot of effort to be kind, to choose to care about other people, and it was an effort that I just couldn't sustain.
Jiang Cheng snorted. "What's rude is refusing my A-Jie's grace. If she says it's okay, it's okay."
I hesitated, sweating, because - I didn't want to make friends with any more canon characters. I knew too many already! A glance at Lan Xichen watching this little by play from a bit away, amused, showed no help would be coming from that quarter.
Jiang Yanli smiled at me with that same patient smile, like she could wait an eternity for my inevitable capitulation.
Scary.
Salvation came from an unexpected source.
"Xichen!" A voice called out, catching my attention.
Oh shit. Oh fuck. Oh no.
Wasn't I already suffering? Why must the world test me?
Lan Xichen smiled and finally joined the conversation. "Mingjue."
Nie Mingjue joined our little group with ground eating strides. He was tall, built, and handsome as always. His biceps strained at his clothes when he slapped Lan Xichen on the back. His dark eyes flicked over the group. "Wei Wuxian, Jiang Wanyin. Huiasang mentioned he was looking for you."
Jiang Yanli said something I didn't hear - I was too busy ogling Nie Mingjue. He was even taller and broader than the last time I saw him. My head barely reached his chest. His arms were the size of my legs. His biceps were very, very obvious under the thick fabric of his Nie uniform. I could feel my IQ dropping.
Nie Mingjue turned and bowed slightly to her, giving me a perfect view of That Ass. I choked. His clothes did nothing to hide Nie Mingue's assets.
Hng.
Boy hot.
Boy superhot.
Abort, abort, abort!
I ripped my eyes away from Nie Mingjue's beef; I found Wei Wuxian grinning at me. I felt my face heat up. I couldn't help it! Nie Mingjue wasn't just a snack; he was a full course meal!
I was weak, okay?
Looking Wei Wuxian dead in the eye, I drew my thumb over my throat. If he breathed a word to Nie Mingjue, I'd beat his ass so hard he'd wish he'd ended up in the burial grounds.
Wei Wuxian's shoulders shook with silent laughter.
I elected to ignore him in favor of whispering to Wangji. "My brother is around here, and I promised to meet him. Tell Lan-[honorific if he asks, okay?"
Wangji nodded, already used to me dipping out from social situations. "Do not get in trouble."
I snicker. "No promises."
I left as the rest of the group focused on the Manly Arm Clasp Lan Xichen and Nie Mingju exchanged.
Lan Xichen beamed. "Mingjue! How was the trip over?"
Nie Mingjue shrugged. "Same old same old. The Wen sect doesn't change."
The mood abruptly dropped.
Awkward.
Time for me to leave! Wangji had to stay because he was important. I, on the other hand, had a previous appointment to keep.
Ah, the joys of being a background character.
:::
Twenty paces. I made it twenty paces before I was captured in a politeness vortex again. This time by Jin. What was the technical term for a group of Jin cultivators anyway? A gossip of Jins? An embarrassment of Jins? An ambush of Jins?
It...Probably the last one. They seemed fond of it, and I felt pretty fucking ambushed at the moment. Jin Zixuan and his posse decided they just had to get all up in my business.
I really wished there was some way to stop tripping over Sect Heirs. Why couldn't they take a page from Nie Huisang's book and avoid me at all costs? He was my favorite - after Wangji, of course.
Jin Zixuan looked down his nose at me, his natural arrogance amplified by having his clan around him. "Yan Ruizhi."
"Jin Zixuan," I said.
One of the interchangeable Jin lackeys bristled. "Who gave you permission to address our sect heir in such an informal way, your dog?"
Motherfucker, your precious heir started it! I sure as hell didn't want to be in such an informal relationship with the heir of the sect I like least. He was the one who kept looking for me. I was innocent!
Jin Zixuan scowled at his lackey. "Shut up."
The lackey flinched back into the ambush of Jins. One more anonymous face in the crowd.
I was horribly jealous.
"My mother wanted to meet you before the ceremony," Jin Zixuan said to me. "She's waiting for us."
...why?!
Sansheng! You are! Useless!
:::
There was literally no way to refuse a personal invitation from Madame Jin politely, so Jin Zixuan dragged my unwilling carcass all the way up to the sect leaders' area.
"What does your mother want to speak about?" I asked Jin Zixuan, sotto voice.
"I have no idea," He said just as quietly.
Fuck.
A pause.
"You were speaking to Maiden Jiang," Jin Zixuan said.
I gave him a bright, plastic smile. "Was I."
He cleared his throat, opened his mouth, and hesitated. He cleared his throat again and gave me a look.
Bitch, you're leading me into a trap. You don't get the good gossip!
Jin Ziyuan can suffer.
Only pure will and social conventions kept me from breaking through the ring of horrible Jin disciples and booking it.
Lan Qiren would be in the box. If I could just get an SOS to him somehow, he could send me back out without ruffling anyone's feathers. Or Nie Mingjue! Lan Xichen liked me, and Nie Mingjue liked Lan Xichen! He'd probably help me if I looked pathetic enough!
We arrived at the box, and my hopes withered like a ghost in the sunlight. Wen, Jiang, and Jin were present, but Lan blue was absent. Lan Qiren wasn't in there yet.
Fuck.
Neither was Nie Mingjue.
Double Fuck!
There was no escaping my fate. Madame Jin had already beckoned us inside. Only Jin Zixuan and I entered. The rest of the ambush was left out in the cold. I could feel hateful stares following me the whole way, jealous of the special attention. They were all morons, and I desperately wanted to be among them.
The only bright spot was that Jin Guangshan was also missing. I spotted a flash of gold up in the seat Wen Rohan - ahhhh - selected, sitting above everyone else, before I tore my eyes away. Oh god, I was way too close to the plot. My heart was in my throat.
Okay. Okay, plan time.
I was: Polite. Meaningless. A bit stupid. Shallow as a puddle.
I could do it! I had faith in my own willful ignorance!
I wanted to scream.
"Mother, I brought him," Jin Zixuan said.
"Yan Ruizhi," Madame Jin said, her voice cool. "Hm," She said. "My son speaks highly of you. You assisted him with some of his tasks at the cloud recesses?"
My eyes flicked down to the Jiang sect below, looking for Jiang Yanli for a split second.
Yeah, you could say that.
Okay, time for my least favorite sport: competitive lying!
Also known as polite small talk.
I bowed at Madame Jin again. "This one is grateful for the Madame's kind words. Sect Heir Jin was most," UH, think of a compliment quickly! "- dedicated to his tasks. It was a pleasure to assist him."
Madame Jin's face softened the slightest bit. "I see. You seem like a nice boy. Thank you for assisting my hopeless son. It seems that my husband has been bothering you as well? If he ever crosses the line, you come to me, and I'll set him straight."
Hahaha, no fucking way. I wasn't touching any Jin business without a twenty-foot pole and riot gear. Getting between Madame Jin and her gross husband sounded like a good way to get shanked.
"Madame Jin is most generous," I saluted again.
Madame Jin looked even more pleased. "You will come to join us in the Jin tower seats. The view from there is much better than down here."
Jin Ziyuan shifted, obviously uncomfortable. "Mother, Yan Ruizhi already has plans elsewhere."
"Oh?" Madame JIn looked at me.
I take back almost everything I've ever thought about you, Jin Ziyuan. You are a god amongst men.
I seized the lifeline with both hands and bowed deeply. "This one is truly sorry to say that he made plans in advance. If it were not an errand from this one's own Grandmother, this one would have been happy to stay. May Madame Jin not be offended, and extend an invitation another time. This one would be happy to accept then."
After a long moment, Madame Jin sighed lightly. "You are a filial child. If it is for your grandmother, I suppose there is no helping it. I only wanted to meet you and make sure our Ziyuan was making the right type of friends, but it seems there is no worry."
Since when was I friends with Jin Zixuan?
I didn't say anything.
Madame Jin looked at me. "You will attend to my son's next party, and we will chat."
It wasn't a question.
Hahaha, fuck me.
I bowed again. "This one would be honored."
:::
Okay. Leaving that terrible conversation and all it's horrible implications behind me!
First things first: I desperately needed to test my Qi fire talismans against actual Qi fire. I had a viable talisman array. I thought so, anyway. It worked against normal fire.
The problem was that I couldn't be sure.
To protect the library, I needed to be sure.
(If I was right, perhaps I could sow it into Wangji's robes. It was the tiniest part of the story I could affect, the least bit of protection.
I had to be sure.)
I waited politely on the edge of the training ground, hands folded behind my back. Anxiety made my fingers itch for my newest project, so I pulled out my newest project.
I worked hard on my stitching skills so that the Gusu Tailors would teach me a few more protection arrays. I already knew a few of the simpler ones, such as warding off dirt or malicious intent. I wanted to work up to making something stab-proof, like a bulletproof vest, cultivation style.
I ignored the glances my stitching earned me.
I understood that most cultivators looked down on civilians and 'girlish' tasks, like cooking, sewing, and cleaning up after themselves. You know, despite most cultivators eating and wearing clothes and being toddlers who can't pick up their own shit.
I don't get it.
Anyway. My head was an adrenaline riddled mess, and I deserved to stab some fabric! Fuck respectability!
The training grounds were sparsely populated, but the few Wen I saw didn't impress. They couldn't be new, but their training was half-hearted at best. I don't think I'd even need to draw Sansheng to defeat them.
It also took them too long to notice me. How did they night hunt with such poor spatial awareness? A few of the Wen disciples broke off to approach me. A group of four approached me, scowls on their faces.
"Spying on us, Gusu-mongrel," The leader drawled. He was ahead, taller, and a few years older than me. Handsome, in an aristocratic slimy meathead sort of way. "Who exactly gave you the guts?"
I gave him a perfect bow, smiling pleasantly. Trying to intimidate me with sword skills like that? Please. Trying again when you're at Wangji's level. "Espionage and dishonesty are forbidden, Young Master Wen."
Bro, even if I wanted to spy on you, you don't have anything worth spying on. A hundred of you might scratch Lan Xichen's clothes if he was having an off day - but I doubt it.
The Wen was all about quantity over quality.
The Wen cultivator laughed. "The famous rules of GusuLan. Is it true that you'll suck cock for anyone that takes your precious forehead ribbon? You're pretty enough, even though you talk like an old book."
His lackeys pull in behind him, nasty smiles on their faces.
...I've heard a lot of rumors about forehead ribbons, but that was a new one.
My smile doesn't flicker. "This one is unsure of what you mean, Young Master Wen."
The guy reached out. "Let me show you, Lan."
I have a split second to consider.
Should I let the guy take my forehead ribbon?
This Wen cultivator's personality wasn't great, but you didn't have to like someone to sleep with them. His face was a solid seven on the cultivator scale. He was tall and broad, even if his sword skills were lacking - and maybe his terrible sword skills worked in my favor anyway. If he tried to incapacitate me, I could deal with him and his friends without breaking a sweat. No real problem, and I'd benefit...
Wangji would disapprove, but Wangji wasn't here, was he?
He was off with Wei Wuxian.
If Wangji got to flirt with his gay crush, I don't see why I couldn't sleep with a random Wen I was never going to see again.
The Wen's hand stopped a fraction of an inch from brushing my forehead ribbon. He looked down at me. "What, not going to resist, little Lan?"
I looked up at him through my eyelashes. "Perhaps Young Master Wen should put his money where his mouth is?'
The young man blinked - and flushed a pretty pink.
Hm.
I tilted my head. "Young Master Wen? Were you not going to show me… something?"
And add slight breathiness for effect! The Wen cultivator went from pink to red. "I- I -" He glanced over his shoulder at his minions as if looking for help. Unfortunately, they were just as dumb as they looked and only gave him confused looks back.
This guy had no idea how to flirt with a dude, did he?
Well. Guess he was going to find out.
"Ruizhi, what are you doing?" A delighted voice broke through the tension.
I blinked, and the Wen blinked, and both of us looked up to find my fourth brother grinning at us. His hair was done up in a crown with the QuishanWen flame pinning it up. He had an elaborate scabbard I'd never seen before strapped to his waist. His robes were deep red, the flame of the WEn clinging up his sleeves, denoting him as a branch member of the Wen bloodline.
Standing behind him like a soldier in parade, the rest was his twin and my fifth brother. Who was also wearing Wen colors?
….?
The Wen flinched back like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Wen Shuaye! Wen Hefeng! I was - What are you doing here?"
Whomst?
Shuaye-ge bowed. "Forgive this one for interrupting, Young Master Wen Chao. Your lady was asking for you and ordered this one to inform you."
I carefully did not react.
Wen Chao.
I'd flirted with -
I'm going into seclusion, and I am never coming out. Clearly, I can't be trusted by myself.
Wen fucking Chao straightened, braggadocio swiftly returning. "Of course, my JiaoJaio misses me. You two - take care of the Lan."
He turned tail and strode off at a pace just short of a run, his lackeys following a step behind him. He was as built in the back as he was in the front, and I was going to wash my brain out with bleach.
Shuaye-ge grinned at me. "So."
"No, shut up," I interrupted. My younger sibling's alarm was going off.
Shuaye-ge ignored me, of course. "Little A-xi is all grown up and seducing Sect Heirs away from their terrible concubines? Laolao is going to be so proud. Though, your taste could use some work, Mouse. You'd get bored Wen Chao in an hour. He's a spineless little worm."
"I wasn't seducing anyone."
He slung an arm around my shoulders. "Sure looked like it to me. Feng-er was our youngest seducing a sect heir."
The tiniest smirk crossed Hefeng-ge's face. "Looked like it."
Ugh.
Brothers.
"Why the hell are you two idiots wearing Wen robes?" I elected to move past the seduction bit. The two of them were impossible to argue with because they always backed each other up.
Shuaye-ge practically lit up. He twirled in a circle to show off his robes. "You like them? Personally, I thought it was a bit much, but there are so many Wen branches. Nobody even noticed two more! It was almost insultingly easy to infiltrate."
I blinked. "So you got..."
I hesitated. This wasn't something I wanted to ask out in the open, especially in Qishan. I sketched a muffling talisman in the air and felt it settle over us like a warm blanket. It was hellish in the humid air of Qishan, but needs must. Being overheard here would be a one-way ticket to deadsville.
Shuaye-ge gave me a long, amused look.
I bristled. "What? Did I do it wrong?"
He shook his head, then ruffled my hair violently. "You're ridiculous as always."
"Ge, stop!" I fended him off.
My hair would take forever to get neat again!
"Never mind, never mind. Feng-er, bring the scroll, would you?"
He does, slinging his arm around my shoulders. I rolled my eyes inwardly. All of my siblings loved to treat me as a convenient piece of furniture, just because I was the youngest generation by a large gap. Between the little cousins, nieces, and nephews running around, I felt like I spent all my time at home acting as furniture.
Hefeng-ge was the quietest of my brothers, barely speaking when he had Shuaye-ge there to speak for him. He messed up my hair, too, before handing me an innocuous-looking scroll.
I went to open it, but a hand over mine stopped me. I looked up and met Hefeng-ge's eyes, utterly serious.
"I know you can take care of yourself. You wouldn't ask for something like this if it wasn't serious," He said. "What's going on, Ruizhi?"
I considered, for one moment, lying to them. They wouldn't push.
...I couldn't. Not when they risked their lives to get the information I desperately needed, not when they stole a family technique from one of the most powerful cultivation clans in China on my request with only a few week's notice.
Besides, they were my brothers.
I wanted them safe.
"A few months ago, a Waterborne abyss appeared in Caiyi lake," I said softly.
The same conversation with Lan Qiren. It had the same effect because it was still true. Hefeng-ge tensed against me.
"Caiyi town is famous for having strong swimmers," Shuaye-ge murmured. "Caiyi town is also downstream from Qishan. I heard some bad things, but I didn't think it was at this level yet."
"We can pull you out of Gusu," Hefeng-ge said quietly.
I can't say I wasn't tempted. To just - leave. To go and not deal with the obvious war coming. I wanted that, desperately.
But.
The library. All those books, all that knowledge. The thought of losing all that history made me feel sick.
I had no choice. I needed to test out my talismans. I had to.
The library depended on it.
(Wangji's home depended on it.)
"GusuLan has the best library in the cultivation world," I said. "I don't think Wen Ruohan would let that go."
"...He does," Shuaye-ge said, exchanging a glance with his twin.
Having something better than the Wen sect was unacceptable to Wen Rohan.
The twins sighed in unison.
"Should have known it was about the books," Shuaye-ge said.
"We tried," Hefeng-ge shrugged. "Da-ge will just have to deal."
What does Da-ge have to do with anything? I glance at the two of them, suspicious.
"What about Da-ge?"
They exchanged another resigned look.
"He worries," Shuaye-ge said. "Why did you decide to come to this stupid conference anyway, Mouse? You hate these things."
I made a face but accepted the subject change. "Grandmaster Lan said I had to come."
Hefeng-ge tilted his head. "Huh."
"Trust me; I don't get it either."
Hefeng-ge shrugged. "No, I got it. I just didn't expect it to happen this soon."
"Didn't expect what to happen?"
"Obviously, he wants you to make connections while you're here," Shuaye-ge flashed an obnoxious smile. "A sect leader's right-hand needs them, after all."
I rolled my eyes. Everyone in my family kept teasing me about becoming the next Lan Qiren just because I liked to study. Even my cousins and their parents picked up on the in-joke.
Just because I liked to read didn't mean Lan Qiren wanted me to make me his heir. That position will obviously go to Wangji in the future. Once Wangji gets to be, and I say this of all my affection, less of a bitch, he would prove to be an amazing teacher. When I had trouble with the Gusu techniques, Wangji always explained them very well.
Hefeng-ge rolled his eyes. "Still dead set on being a nobody, little brother?"
"Absolutely," I said.
Shuaye-ge laughed. "Well, you're doing a terrible job! Mr. Third Jade of Lan."
Ugh.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said firmly.
When in doubt: Deny, deny, deny.
"Oh, I had something for you," I dug through my qiankun pouch for my newest talisman.
"Something for me? Little brother, you didn't have to get me anything," Shuaye-ge's voice was delighted despite his words.
I handed him one of the talismans.
"What does this do? I've never seen it before."
I smiled. "I made it. Watch this." I closed my eyes and placed the talisman against my chest. A burst of spiritual energy later, and I felt my body shifting. It didn't hurt because of the numbing agent worked into the talisman.
When I opened my eyes, I found my brothers staring at me.
"Ruizhi," Shuaye-ge said slowly, "Did you invent a talisman that changes your gender?"
His voice was utterly delighted.
"Uh," I said. "Yes?"
Because I did, it seemed like the most useful thing for a spy. Men were always stupider around pretty women. Shuaye-ge wouldn't have a problem dressing up as a woman when the grandmother showed us how to do it.
"Oh gods," Hefeng-ge pinched his nose. "Like we don't get in enough trouble?
Shuaye-ge clutched the talisman to his chest. There were stars in his eyes. "I am going to get so much blackmail. You are my favorite brother."
I am starting to get the impression that I have made a mistake.
:::
I sulked by myself in the stands, stabbing at my embroidery more violently than strictly necessary. My brothers were so annoying. Eventually, they left but not before teasing me about literally everything from my hair to my stupid reputation.
The last details on colorful wings formed under my hands. A tiny flock of sparrows flying across a dark blue blanket. It was a gift for my second brother's third child, currently expected in one or two months. Truthfully it was a bit too fancy for a baby, but hey - it wasn't like the baby would care. It was purely for my own vanity that it was as complicated as it was. I liked it.
A shadow fell over my seat. I glanced up to find Jiang Yanli and an older lady in costly clothes standing over me.
"Maiden Jiang," I said, startled. I stood up and saluted her. She stopped me before I got halfway down, one pretty hand resting on my arm.
"There's no need for such pleasantries," She said. "I had no idea you practiced embroidery."
"It is a useful skill, Maiden Jiang," I said.
"I have no doubt. I confess I have very little proficiency in such things myself - my only real accomplishment is being above average in cooking," Jiang Yanli admits. Her sheepishness was adorable.
Seriously. JIn Zixuan must be blind. It was the only explanation.
"Young Master Wei often spoke about your cooking. He had nothing but praise for it," I said.
Jiang Yanli's whole face went soft. "Ah, that child. Please, don't take his words to heart - he exaggerates so often."
I sweated. Okay, I didn't like the air in here. The older lady was staring down at me with brutal intensity. It reminded me of my grandmother when she forgot to hide her intense nature. Her painted mouth was pursed. Her expensive hair ornaments glinted in the light, and so did the silver bracelet wrapped around her wrist.
I had a sinking feeling I knew who she was.
"A-Li, introduce us," the lady said.
Jiang Yanli smiled. "Of course. Young Master Yan, this is my lady mother, Madame Yu."
Man, I fucking hated being right.
Please don't be weird about me as your ward. Or your son. Or your daughter, now. Or you entire damn sect - you know what?
Please just be neutral for once. Please? I'll love you forever.
Madame Yu looked down on me as I might a bug under a microscope. That was encouraging! Sort of! I mean, it kind of seemed like she was going to squish me under her heels, but at least she wasn't thanking me for being friends with her son?
"A-Li, inform the servants. Yan Ruizhi will be joining us."
Eh?
Jiang Yanli bowed her head. "Of course, Mother."
I stared at the two of them, searching desperately for an excuse - any excuse. There were none. I was stuck. If I was rude here, Lan Qiren might take away my forbidden library privileges.
What was with sect leaders' wives and making offers I couldn't refuse?
"Come along then," Madame Yu turned and sailed away, the crowds parting around her.
I watched her quickly retreating.
My peace and quiet...
Jiang Yanli gave me a sweet smile. "It will be alright, Young Master Yan. Mother only seems intimidating. She only wished to get to know you. Madame Jin has nothing but praise for you, and Mother values her opinions highly."
Ah. So Madame Jin said, 'my son is friends with this boy' and Madame Yu decided to pump me for information about Jin Ziyuan.
That's just…
I can't win.
I smiled, though I was screaming on the inside. "Thank you, Maiden Jiang. Please lead the way."
:::
Hey, it's the fam :)
Yan Shuaye: ninja, bro. 23 years old. yrz might have once explained the concept of an information network that spanned the continent (aka the internet), and he just kind of took it and ran (oops). Enjoys getting paid to be a nosy bitch. Most like a mother. Sneak level 1000. Single.
刷 - shuā - to brush / to paint / to daub. 烨 - yè - blaze of fire / glorious
Yan Hefeng: soldier bro. 23 years old, younger twin of ninja bro, the yan that inevitably took to being a soldier. Most like their dad. he used to carry yrz under his arm like a football. Best swordsmen among the siblings. Single.
和 - Hé - harmony, peace; peaceful. 风 - fēng - wind; air; manners, atmosphere
::::
i edited out like 2000 words of this monstrosity lol. merry Christmas and happy holidays. here's my gift to you :)