Burial Mound was the scene of some celebration. Wei Ying looked up from his daydreaming and set the large cup of Emperor's Smile down with withered fingers. He was a little drunk. He swept his white hair back from his face as he turned to a youth of thirty, dressed in a red and gold coat of his black robes, his hair up proudly. A black guqin was at his side and his long fingers plucked a flirtatious tune suitable to the event. The sun was such that Wei Ying could not see his face clearly but he knew who it was and a sense of pride and happiness swelled up from within that he could almost not contain.
Turning his attention to the other way, were a path of black sandstone steps and pale green stone unique to Burial Mound wound off into a hazy forever, a pair of siblings was approaching. With them, there was a youth holding a long bow and black arrows with crimson fletching. He walked up to the groom and put his hands up in a brotherly salute, grinning impishly.
"Wei Ying?" A voice spoke to him, right next to his ear, making a shiver run down his spine. "Wei Ying?"
"Hm. No, not yet." Wei Ying mumbled, thinking he really was drunk. He turned to the flutter of white silk sleeves and the sun hitting light coloured eyes as his vision blurred. "Lan Zhan." He said, looking up at his lover from the crook of an alcove style bed. His hair was black. He was still there in Carp City, covered in wounds and scars and a bit dishevelled, as usual.
And as usual, Lan Zhan was perfect.
Reaching up, touching his hair fondly, Wei Ying smiled.
His fight with Xue Yang had been short and sweet. Proving himself the Grandmaster was not difficult. All the ones who knew already did not even need to question it. The look of smug arrogance had turned to confusion and shock because Xue Yang really could not see them. In the end, he had retreated with a wary look in his intelligent eyes.
He was not done, by any means.
Wei Ying had collapsed after all that and hovered inside his body, afraid to open his eyes, for the last five days. He had heard everything during that time. The first two days Lan Zhan had forbid anyone coming into the room. After that, he had relaxed enough that Cheng had been able to bring Yanli up to the bedside. Wei Ying had heard her soft sobs and regretted not being able to reach out to comfort her. Even more, there was poor Wen Ning. He had collapsed onto his knees and had to be taken out of the room by his sister, sobbing, and declaring over and over that his son would carry the name 'Wei'.
Wei Ying had been dreadfully curious about what the child's name actually was and he had been very thankful that Lan Zhan had told him quietly later on.
Fengmian had come in to check up on him along with Nie Huaisang. It seemed that everyone was taking turns mentoring Huaisang so that he could become a clan leader without trying to fill his brother's very big shoes.
Jin Zixuan and Guangyao had come to the door, looking at him with mixed emotions spinning around them, but not said anything. Lan Zhan had been an guard the most with Guangyao there, staring into the room, but Wei Ying did not know why.
The rest of the time, he had been alone with his own thoughts.
At times, he had drifted off into dreams or perhaps other lives in other worlds. Each time he had 'awoken' he had felt that it was too clear and real to be 'a dream'. Yet he had never forgotten that he was laying on bed in Carp City. He was not sure if he was anchored to any one time or reality anymore. It was very possible that he was not.
But, as he stroked Lan Zhan's youthful hair, he could not help but smile. "Until old and grey, in this or the next, under heaven and above hell, as long as you call for me."
Lan Zhan eyes widened eversoslightly before they narrowed. The scent of sandalwood enveloped them both as he bent, a smile on his lips, tears hovering on his lower lashes.