The Past! Way, Waaaaay Back?
Years into the past...when Wei Wuxian was FOUR...
"I didn't mean to travel back THIS far!" Wuxian wailed, as he woke up a little kid. Waaaaaaaaay little! But he perked up. That means he'll see his parents again! They're still alive, if he's sleeping in an inn!
Lan Zhan should be at home...
'A-Xian! Wake up, breakfast!' a woman's voice he forgot due to so long ago, called out as she came into the room to help him dress up.
"A-niang...r-right?" he tried hard not to cry and forced himself to smile, and got off his bed and put on his tiny shoes. 'OK!'
He remembered that when he was six...they never came back home.
And then Uncle Jiang found him when he was nine.
He had to stop that...no matter the cost!
Downstairs is a hustle and bustle of the inn's dining area. All inns have a tavern beneath after all. Meals and booze for adults, tea for youngsters.
He joined his parents for breakfast after getting dressed and his long hair combed into a ponytail.
After breakfast...
'A-die, a-niang, what will we do today?' Wuxian asked his parents.
'Well, we will teach you how to read now that we can afford money for paper, brush and ink.' said his father. 'Its about time you start with the basics.'
'What about Cultivation?'
'Errr you're too young for that, most start at six years old...'
'But a-die, folks from clans start real young. So why can't I?' Wuxian huffed cutely. 'We should do what we want to do as long as we don't annoy anyone.' his parents exchanged looks.
'Well that's not a bad idea a-ze.' said Cangse. 'We're rogue cultivators...it will be hard on a-ying if suddenly we're gone and who'd teach him then?'
'Mmm...well, we start on language while he can cultivate passively...why not?' Changze mused as this got Wuxian a victory.
Thus he learned under his parents, and fully-utilized his prodigy status Yu-furen loathed him for.
His parents were so happy that he was a fast learner, that they poured all teaching they can into him, only going out hunting when money is about to run out.
In a way, Wuxian was able to defy his parents' fate of dying when he was a child. They doted on their 'little genius'...and he formed his Golden Core at eight years old. Once he can passively cultivate now, the focus was more on his academics and body training as well as martial arts.
He also mailed Wen Ning anonymously through a ghost, telling him all about Dongying, should shit happen and so he can protect his branch of the Wens that are only civilian elderly and farmers.
In Yunping, he also got the opportunity to kill Meng Yao, while his parents are out on a Night Hunt. Two of his life's problems, solved.
However, his parents still died...when he was 12. And they're in Laoling within the Jin territory.
Near that hateful bastard Jin Guangshan!
Unlike before, he was able to get his parents' belongings from their b-bodies...and he gained access to homemade notebooks, containing what else Wuxian should do, according to his mother.
Time to track down the bastard's conquests...
...it so happens that he has a paramour in Mo Village, to Mo-erguniang, a girl born to a maid and her father who was Lord Mo. She has a son who's currently eight, Mo Xuanyu.
The Mo family wanted to marry her off quickly, but at the age of sixteen, the Second Lady of Mo encountered Jin Guangshan when he passed through Mo Village. He seduced her and provided the Mo family with plenty of gifts and aid. As a result, the entire village began to envy her.
She bore Jin Guangshan one son, Mo Xuanyu. However, the promiscuous Jin Guangshan eventually grew tired of her and ceased visiting after Mo Xuanyu turned four.
Gradually, Mo Village again began to disdain the Second Lady of Mo. Naturally, treatment of them at home went downhill. Xuanyu was also bullied by his spoiled cousin Mo Ziyuan.
Out of pity as he knows full well what's it like to be vilified by EVERYONE, he approached little Xuanyu and taught him how to cultivate, as well as read, write and math.
Feng Shui at Mo Village is pretty good, if Lord Mo and his family enjoyed a wealthy life.
However, he created Talismans that lure bad luck based on Karma connected to Mo Xuanyu. The Principal Family and all their servants will suffer bad luck based on how much they abuse him and his mother. Physical, verbal, emotional, they've done it.
And Xuanyu hated them all.
Mo Xuanyu wasn't a talented cultivator, but the Feng Shui in Mo Village made up for his lacking, enabling him to form a Golden Core at 11. He raised Xuanyu on the sly with good virtues, teaching him the heart of some of the Rules of Lan Sect, remembering that Lan Wangji loved him according to Huaisang. So he grew up morally sound and just. And so he would be NOTHING like his father.
Didn't stop him from hating his relatives, but unable to act on it that if he ever dies, he'd be like Wen Ning, a powerful Fierce Corpse. So he performed Soul-Calming Ceremonies nightly for him. Thus er-guniang must know he is teaching him.
His mother, er-guniang knows he took a shine to her son when 'he sensed his potential' and tearfully thanked him. But Wuxian urged her to keep this a secret, otherwise it'll be harder for him to operate, and he doesn't wanna teach bad kids who will use Cultivation for wrong.
'Xian-gege, I've done it!' Xuanyu squealed to Wuxian upon forming a core.
'Actively cultivate using all the qi in this village, A-yu.' Wuxian encouraged him. 'And also, train and reshape your body using exercises I taught you.' he said. 'Once you're 13, I'll secure a place for you at Lan Sect not far from here. How's that?'
By the time Xuanyu was 13, its still safe enough to enter Cloud Recesses by then, before shit happens. At least he would be protected.
Xuanyu lit up like a christmas tree.
'Yes please!' Xuanyu chimed happily. Wuxian chuckled fondly.
'Until you're thirteen, develop your Golden Core so we can begin with Talismans and Arrays.' he said. 'Most juniors start learning at thirteen anyway, after a couple years in developing their Golden Core. I will be back for you then.'
'Yes~!'
'A-Xian, why not Lanling Jin?' Mo er-guniang wondered. 'Should he not be with his father?'
'Lanling Jin will get him killed.' Wuxian told him grimly, causing mother and son to gasp. 'The politics in Jinlintai will kill him in just a month. Jin Guangshan has a legal heir, Jin Zixuan. His son with his principal wife Madam Jin. She will kill A-yu for simply existing, as proof he's cheating on her. It won't be long before you're next to die.' his words horrified Mo Er-guniang, making Wuxian wonder what the bastard told her. 'Thus A-yu must get stronger in a safe place, in Gusu Lan Sect where I have ties to.'
He would have said Jiang Sect, but that place will be destroyed. Lan Sect had better security for the kid.
This horrified mother and son.
'A-shan lied to me...' Mo er-guniang whimpered, deeply shaken. Her world shattered which was what Wuxian was aiming for. For her to know what kind of backstabbing bastard her boyfriend is.
'For now, focus on your son. I taught him well so that once he graduates from the Lan's teachings, he can get you out of Mo Village, and start anew elsewhere.' Wuxian told her. 'That way you two have a future.'
After that, he left Mo Village for Caiyi Town.
He has all he needs for a simple, modest life...after raiding Mo Manor off of 20000 taels of silver.
Why he was here for, was for the sake of meeting Lan Zhan...and hopefully, this one IS his Lan Zhan. They did use the array together...right?
He doesn't need to wear robes anymore. He can go sleeveless as much as he likes! Living as a commoner is also fuss free, enabling him more freedom in movement too.
He timed his arrival here, for when the disciples will come for the Guest Lectures. He would soon get an admission letter and a Jade Token.
xxx
Lan Zhan, age five.
He was stunned that he was back a baby, so little! That his core doesn't even exist yet!
It was a little jarring, to say the least.
To his annoyance, judging by the date, he saw his mother only yesterday with his brother.
So he focused on cultivating for now. His lessons will begin at six years old after a year of teaching Life Skills so he would live in Disciple Dorms come age six.
He sneaks out to the Cold Spring at night and hides there to jumpstart Qi Formation. The rest is easy then.
His brother most likely started cultivation by now. He's six, isn't he?
Sneaking to his mother's residence at night to give her a letter is also an activity.
He hopes she runs away to Dongying. He told her about the place and do NOT wear white or she will be easy to find. He also knows where her sword was. And if she was ever ill, go to see the Dafan Wens disguised as a civilian woman and get treatment.
Lan Zhan knows many ways to get Lan Resources on the sly to help his mother as well as help her get past the barrier by taking off what she was made to wear that may possibly be a hidden collar that will alarm anyone to her departure. He prays she does it fast and 'they would see each other again in eleven years' as by then, he will tell A-Huan the truth of his slyness so their mother can be free. He also taught her the Messenger Bird technique of the Lans so she could contact him any time without any Lan the wiser and get past the barriers of the Lan Sect.
He knows he succeeded in persuading his mother when the clan went on an uproar when she went missing along with her sword.
People figured she vanished when her breakfast next day was untouched.
He never knew nor saw his father since his seclusion anyway. It was Uncle Qiren who raised him and his brother. And the truth behind their parents unknown even in his old time.
She died when he was halfway into six years old. He suspected poison but no proof about that now...and his father was useless. He never showed up even on his wife's deathbed.
He resented him.
What filial piety?
So what if he's his father?
All he did was coop up all day and died a useless man eventually.
The one who raised him was uncle even if he was a rule stickler so stickler that he defined his life by the rules and became a subconscious hypocrite as he's known in the future. But he gave him and his brother the paternal figure they needed.
Maybe it was good he ensured she has 10000 taels to pay for her treatments plus that trip to Dongying...
'A-Zhan...' here it is. He must pull a convincing act as he stayed outside of their mother's residence. '...have you heard?' Lan Huan asked his younger brother shakily.
'...they're probably lying.' Lan Zhan sulkily told his brother, hugging his knees. 'Everyone doesn't like a-niang and they never told us why. I'll wait for her to come back.'
'A-Zhan...' and Lan Huan sat with his toddler brother as they sulked together.
Because they took to skipping lessons that Lan Qiren had to persuade the understandably devastated children to come back home and gave them a period of time to let things sink in and understand.
But what annoyed the brothers was that everyone was subtly badmouthing her.
...one day, brother will be angry at him but he can accept that.
Well...think of this as payback for never listening to him in the future that will soon be destroyed.
Education began when he was six.
It was also when he received a messenger bird from his mother since that day at his dorm room at night.
To my beloved, sneaky son,
A-niang is doing well in Dafan...the money you helped me
get came in handy. All this time, through my food and drink,
I was subtly poisoned after you no longer needed my milk,
judging by how damaged my organs were. The poison was
in trace amounts, so I would never feel anything other than
weakness from lack of sunlight over the years. My core was
also weakened to the point I am so drained that I would die
after a short time.
Wait, WHAT?!
Lan Zhan was horrified. Their mother died by poison, not by illness?! WHO IS THE POISONER IN THE CLAN, HUH?!
Doctor Wen Fengshen is treating me aggressively to save my
life as of two years ago and I recovered well just now, enough
to send this messenger bird to my cute son. However, I will
need to keep hiding in Dafan as I recover my drained core and
hide from any Lan around my age and older looking for me.
Maybe I'll hide for five years here before going to Dongying and live
a life of freedom there as you advised me. Learning a new language
will be tricky though, but if that's what it takes, a-niang will do it.
I will survive for my sons. Stay strong and watch over A-Huan, for
he doesn't know anything right now. Maybe my A-Zhan takes after
me more, for there is a huge gap between Intelligence and Being
Smart. If not for A-Zhan, I would never know that I was slowly
being murdered on the sly.
The truth is painful and unimaginable. I lost half my heart...no
thanks to your father. Departing the Recesses with your help is
the best revenge I ever had since I was imprisoned against my will.
I will tell you the truth someday. The truth about me and your father,
and why things are the way they are. The only best thing I ever got from
him and this clan of hypocrites, is you and A-Huan. My two treasures.
A-niang.
"...father clearly did something...but what?"
He translated his mother's words
His father left seclusion to find mother as well to bring her back home.
Good luck with that, she poses as a peasant and will hide in Dafan's hospital until she gets better.
His heart felt better that he was able to save his mother in his own way. But investigation will have to wait. Right now he is weak.
He sighed.
He must work hard and regain his old strength.
At age six...he was already in Foundation Establishment 'shortly' after Qi Formation, stunning everyone with his talent. People felt he would soon get a golden core at eight or nine.
Thus he became very, very active. He must regain his lost strength.
He wondered how is Wei Ying now...did he too, make a difference with his parents? His parents and his own mother died when they were both six years old. Was he able to make a difference on his end?
Years later...
By being twice as active and as dedicated, he could happily call himself 'the strongest' of his generation in this Sect. He closed his heart from these people who badmouthed his mother and he and Xichen are as close as ever, sharing their woes and this Xichen was embittered by what he's hearing their relatives say as well, that distanced him from everyone.
He wasn't the smiley, gentle person in the past either. If any, he became as stoic and aloof as he. Their father also has yet to come home.
He is now thirteen years old, his brother fifteen. But one thing that stayed constant, was his friendship with Nie Mingjue, a boy older than he by four years.
As Wuxian had regretted as Huaisang was actually a true friend, Wangji also befriended him and listened to his fears as to why he was slacking off on purpose. Wangji was:
"What would Wei Ying do?"
Wei Ying was the Pioneer of Demonic Cultivation. He knows Resentful Energy the best.
But for now, he'll settle with teaching Huaisang the Guqin, and the Song of Clarity. Their older brothers are friends after all.
'But Huaisang, you must improve your cultivation...if not the Nie way with the Saber, the Orthodox way through standard means. It will go a long way that you'll soon be strong enough to perform this song.' he encouraged. 'Once you can perform this song start to finish without tiring, you can help your clansmen this way.'
'T-thank you so much, Lan-xiong!' Huaisang went on a sobfest on him.
Well, he was very emotional, a whiner and a crybaby...which never changed at adulthood. But he was cunning on the sly too, enough to master Demonic Cultivation to help him and Wei Ying out.
His talent lies in being a planner, and being a magic user.
He pointed Huaisang in that direction, motivating him into cultivating at long last. Huaisang is two years younger than him that he still has a chance to form a core at a young age...
And Wangji is a year older than Wei Ying. Wei Ying is now twelve this year...and news about the deaths of his parents on a Night Hunt spread as the couple has a powerful reputation.
Come to think of it, last year his uncle had a damn near conniption?
He snuck into his uncle's office to root out potential causes...
He found a box with letters from Cangse Sanren.
The letters are meticulously arranged in order, thank GOD.
Wei Ying wanted to start Cultivation at a young age. AT FOUR! He made a compelling argument that the couple caved in...and discovered what a genius their son is!
They dedicated as much time as possible 'pouring all they had' into their 'prized munchkin'. Wei Ying was a quick learner in Academics and cultivation, and works hard to master everything to the point 'he requires little effort'.
Golden Core at eight! EIGHT years old! - this was proof alone, that Wei Ying was here with him and hard at work.
More progress reports...
At last year, Cangse Sanren asked Lan Qiren to enroll her son in Cloud Recesses...and after that, was happy he accepted Wei Ying as a student come age fifteen.
'My son is a little weird and his mind tends to wander into ideas...one of which will no doubt send you into a conniption, but we put a lid on it. I know you a little too well RenRen. He's a genius like your nephew Lan Wangji, but his genius lies in magic and arrays while yours is in sword and your spirit music. What a pair they make, huh?'
That's probably about Demonic Cultivation.
'Oh yes, our kid is a little hyper...to er settle him down, wear him out with physical activity alright? Otherwise he can't sleep on your schedule and end up staying all night! Poor sleep hours makes his memory foggy...'
That may explain why Wei Ying has lousy memory as he puts it.
But he knows one thing.
Wei Ying will arrive in Caiyi Town a month before the lectures begins. Its so by then, he would get his letter and token.
Lan Wangji waited for 'that time' to come, before rushing out of home.
How is he now, now that he made changes in his past?