Their thoughts
Its only the first WEEK and there's already an INCIDENT.
Never, in his history as a teacher, has this happened, until now! Just how the hell is the Jin Sect raising most of their disciples!
Attempted theft on a classmate whom they thought was a pushover, weak cutsleeve because he looked girly and skinny and didn't have a sword, that even if his cultivation base is higher, it meant nothing to the damn brats because they thought he can't fight back.
Wei Wuxian proved them wrong by fortifying his room ahead of time with powerful magic, as he took that one must be responsible for their belongings seriously in the admission letter. In fact, he and Nie Huaisang were out shopping for painting supplies when the incident happened.
He had Wangji spy on them for a while to know their thoughts of the incident, and what he overheard was...interesting.
Orphan at seven, clearly being a thief to survive and pay for a year here to complete his education as a cultivator as he lacked techniques. Ironic that the thief nearly got stolen from because the brat was prepared.
He also regrets it as he had no choice if he wanted to live, having no other family to support him and saw the worst of people growing up, forcing him to mature and quickly wise up.
Xichen was his teacher in flute class, though Xichen uses his xiao Liebing and notes Wuxian was a delight to teach, and Wuxian used his dizi Chenqing. Chenqing was a spiritually-powerful bamboo flute. Why?
'I raised it as a plant with my spiritual power before plucking a piece with the right size and forging it as store-bought flutes are worthless...they crack and shatter with just one note!' Wuxian whined to his older nephew. 'I cultivate with my flute so its durability also grows.'
Did it have an effect on his cultivation and mind like the Nies with their sabers?
'Nope, Chenqing is born from my energy since its parent plant was a bamboo shoot I nourished with my qi, why would it affect me? It might, if somebody else with shady personality made it and some poor sod used it! Then they'd be mentally-addled. I'm a good guy, but anyone else using my flute will also get influenced by the traces of my personality within the qi of my flute. So its best if a person themselves forge their own weapons to avoid mental invasive influence of someone else. Lots safer for one's health.'
So no problems there.
He was also seen drawing talismans on walls, but when Wangji was about to scold him, Wuxian places his hand over the drawing, infuses the drawing with his power and out comes a fully-formed talisman off the wall! And it's actually usable! And no vandalism on the wall left behind so Wangji had no grounds in the end. He also makes talismans for his newly-made friends. Other than that, no trouble...
He hopes there's only one incident this year.
xxx
Week two...
'W-wow...seriously, wow!' Huaisang's eyes bulged as Wuxian has a really life-like drawing of a nearly-nude woman in a realistically-seductive pose with the important bits covered by long hair because he was dared to draw one by the guys. Thankfully, in his room or they'll get penalized by the Lans.
How this came to be? Huaisang shared his porn books with his friends and Wuxian, unhappy with lousy art style, drew one the night before halfway done and showed them the half-work, which he finished in front of them using charcoal pencil with help from strategically-placed ink lines in various thickness by brushing.
'What do you think? I'm better at drawing porn aren't I?' Wuxian huffed smugly with an armfold.
'It's so damn realistic...' Jiang Cheng croaked out, stunned by the life-like drawing even if its in black, white and gray. 'Hot damn! How soon can you make a book?!' he asked excitedly.
'I charge by 1 silver wen per page guys, and bookbinding it costs additional 2 silver wen.' Wuxian drawled. 'So I make a 100 page porn book? You'll have to tell me your type of woman though, to make it worth the while.'
He got demands sure enough and paid half the price...and it'll take a while as he can only make two detailed drawings per day due to classes and avoiding getting caught.
200 days is a long wait, but worth it!
And as there's incoming end-of-semester exams as there's four semesters? IF they get jia grades, he gives the books for free. If their score is a Yi and less, they're paying!
Shockingly, in first semester?
'Hmm, having good associates influences you well.' said Lan Qiren, pleased that Huaisang FINALLY got a jia grade in his subjects after three successive years of ji grades in his academic work.
Jiang Cheng sweatdropped. If only this guy knew the truth!
'Here, reward~!' Wuxian gave them neatly-compounded porn books he himself book-bound.
'Awright!' Huaisang squealed, happy that he gets detailed porn without paying a silver and holding up the yellow-covered book, titled in beautiful calligraphy, 'Beautiful Roses at their most beautiful'.
'Oi Huaisang, just remember that suddenly having Jia grades, that old man's gonna expect that a lot from you from now on!' Jiang Cheng warned him.
'Yeah, if you suddenly plummet again, your brother's gonna make Deity Nets out of your intestines!' Wuxian added, making Huaisang freeze in fear. 'So you can't slack off anymore after this.'
'Eep...' Huaisang meeped as indeed, he can no longer afford to be lazy any more.
Two days later on a weekend, on the fateful day that Wuxian once beat up Jin Zixuan?
Never happened as they hung out in a place far away from where they overheard 'that conversation' that resulted in a fist-fight and Wuxian expelled first time, so Wuxian guided them to a garden to read Nie Mingjue's letter to his brother?
'WAHAHAHAHAHAHA!'
Huaisang got a letter from Nie Mingjue on how proud he was of his new grades and hopes he can keep it up, unaware of why Huaisang has such grades.
It was why Jiang Cheng and Wuxian were in utter teary-eyed stitches while Huaisang can only feebly laugh.
'Shit, I think I pulled a stomach muscle! O-ow-owowowow...' Wuxian squeaked as he laughed so hard he breathed wrong and now he has cramps, and Jiang Cheng went hysterical at his expense, red-faced and teary-eyed from laughing harder.
'Dumbass!'
'Yeah yeah, laugh it up...' Huaisang moaned weakly with sagging shoulders. His brother was so proud he finally has jia grades in his schoolwork and hoped he applies the same to his cultivation. If only he knew he aimed for jia grades just so he doesn't have to pay a fortune for a high-quality porn book!
However, when Jiang Cheng sent a letter home after first semester ended?
Jiang Fengmian read his son's first letter home. He also got a letter from Lan Qiren about his son's first semester exam results and he beamed. Jia grades!
A-die,
One semester is over. I did tell you I'll only write every
end of semester so I can write long letters home.
During first day, I got into a little trouble regarding my
missing Jade Token no thanks to those Jin Sect jerks I
was nearly late. Lucky for me Lan Xichen showed up and
helped me out. And waiting in Guishi, there's this icy-skinned
beautiful guy and yes you read this right, beautiful guy who
came into the empty classroom.
Clearly a commoner due to the fabric of his clothes even
if he dressed well in black and gray clothes. His long hair
is also mostly down, tied into a half-pony with a red ribbon,
giving him a frail appearance. He doesn't have a sword as
well, can't afford one. Spirit Swords are expensive thus
fights with music with his flute as I later found out.
Nie Huaisang talked to the guy. His name is Wei Wuxian.
He used courtesy name as he had no idea how to introduce
himself properly since he was on his own growing up and
nobody bothered to teach him so Huaisang taught him. His
birth name is Wei Ying, with Wuxian being the courtesy.
Fengmian stiffened. He never found their son and he made his way to the Recesses after several years AND met his son? He winced as Wuxian grew up with very little education as a result of growing up alone ever since he heard that his friends died, and he never found their son for years he gave up, thinking he's dead when he's alive all along.
Maybe he looked at the wrong places? By looking all over, he found Changze and Cangse's dead bodies and gave them a burial where they died, while keeping their swords and Qiankun Bags as keepsakes. But now, he can return it to Wuxian who's now too old for him to take in, and he himself, can let go.
He lived on his own for years since orphaned at seven, since
his rogue cultivator parents had a 'fatal bad day' and never
returned home as he knows the reality of being Rogue Cultivators
that his parents started him young, and all he has were his mother's
manual books about how to develop his cultivation and how to make
talismans, so music fighter aside, he's also a magic user.
Fatal bad day indeed! Was Wuxian told that incase his parents never returned, they died on a Night Hunt and accept it as fact thus must survive on his own?! Did they prepare their child enough for that? He cannot even imagine being like that for his own children even if he was a flawed, distant father!
He went to the Recesses upon learning they do musical fighting like he
does so he went to get better and get a complete Cultivator Education.
But he admitted that to pay for the fees, he uh, in his words, 'did many
things Huaisang and I would frown on to get by' and the implications,
were obvious. He claims he nearly qi-deviated when he saw how much,
was the tuition fee. 500 silver taels. I didn't know that either!
Yes, Fengmian thought with a grimace, even he can guess. A child can easily steal.
Well, if he did it to survive, its somewhat OK in a morally-grey area.
Its only a crime if one enjoys doing it. So after graduating this year, he
says would start working to earn legally as graduating from the Recesses
will boost his qualifications even if he'll be a Rogue Cultivator. But frankly,
he can also make a living as a painter or an artist. Huaisang dared him
to draw porno and hot damn, he drew a realistic lifelike portrait of a
prostitute in charcoal pencil and ink! How he never thought of that was
beyond us as his drawings can easily sell for 50 silver wen a page.
He was stunned with shock, and whacked himself with his own pillow for
his own stupidity as he drew the porno in his room with us in it to safely
avoid Lan Patrol and punishment as ahem, no illegal goods in the recesses.
Fengmian twitched. His son and their friend dared Wuxian to draw porno? And Wuxian was actually a masterhand that they were stunned at his lifelike porn drawing? They better throw it away! In his time with Qingheng-Jun's father, his idea of punishment by having porn around was they eat raw bitter gourds for three months! It was disgusting! Needless to say, he and his friends LEARNED.
I think I'll do my best to graduate here with high grades, just so
mother won't chuck me back here. Wuxian jokingly reckons the
reason why Lan Qiren has a stellar record as teacher was because
of the incredibly stifling lifestyle here as well as shitty food nobody'd
want to come back here ever again. Come on a-die, vegetables are
supposed to be sweet dammit, how'd they make it bitter?!
Fengmian knows how his son feels VERY much regarding food.
The only thing that tasted good was the rice! Even the tea was bitter!
Wuxian detected medicinal smell and said, 'maybe they focused too
much on the medicinal benefits for blood and qi flow and blended it
all in but forgot how the taste will turn out and decided afterward its
worth the sacrifice.' Well, for power there's a price to pay and in the
case of the Lans, he said, they grew up with yucky food all their lives.
Poor bastards, not knowing the joy of delicious gourmet cuisine...
Yeah, I'll do anything just to not come back here! I miss jiejie's
cooking! Huaisang and Wuxian often come out after school to buy
ahem, rations in the form of large, juicy steamed buns they share
with me every after meals, I'm kinda embarrassed so please send
me money, I'm not a freeloader!
Why, didn't his generation think of that, that they suffered for a year there...? Did the rules change now?
Oh yes, there's also an incident in first week alone that after that,
everyone behaved as they found out the hard way, how harsh the
punishments are. Some Jins thought they can make fun of Wuxian
by stealing his stuff while he's out, thinking he's a wussy cutsleeve
by how girly he looks, only for the dumbasses to learn the hard way
he turned his room into a magical fortress Jin Dongli howled for the
world to hear and he was found electrocuted with a spirit chain
chaining his wrist to the door.
Jin Zixuan was pissed as his cousins caused criminal trouble the
first day and Huaisang and Wuxian got back from shopping, hearing
the screaming and so did Lan Qiren and his nephews. Jin Zixuan angrily
reported his cousins' infractions, unaware there's more Jins involved
which we found out the next day.
Wuxian said he already got indirect revenge thanks to his booby
traps while shopping, so he left the rest to teacher and Jin Zixuan
to deliver their brand of punishment. Morons got punished by cleaning
the stinky urinals and copying the broken rules in 1000 pages of paper,
back to back for a week and teacher sent Madam Jin a letter.
Jin Zixuan apologized again on behalf of the Sect the next day, and
Wuxian made the guy sputter with a blush, saying 'the future of Jin
Sect is bright if he's the next head' because he did the right thing by
addressing his cousins' wrongdoing and seeing how angry he was
last night about it, earning him Wuxian's good will. Goodwill given is
goodwill returned and ill will given is ill will returned as he puts it,
so Wuxian says he'll repay him someday. Jin Zixuan BLUSHED! To
be fair, Wuxian's smiles, are deadly...if he can even make men blush.
To be honest, Fengmian thought, given who the boy's father was, he feared the apple won't fall far from the tree and Yanli will suffer like Madam Jin did, but Madam Jin must have raised Zixuan differently as its known that Guangshan is hardly around being a lecher with an insatiable appetite for sex yet hardly touched his own wife after Zixuan was born. So maybe Madam Jin raised Zixuan to NOT be anything like his father? Can he trust the boy with his daughter as the two women 'browbeated' their husbands into agreeing?
I was against jiejie's arrangement as let's face it, we never met the guy
our whole lives and she'll marry an unknown person as what a-niang
wants, she gets whether we like it or not. So I'm keeping an eye on her
fiancee till end of term. I have yet to hear what he thinks of jiejie or if
he's OK with marrying her and he hasn't even met her yet. I hope this
turns out well. If he's a jerk with his opinion of jiejie, I'll break his nose,
expulsion-be-damned so again, I'm on the fence about the peacock.
And A-Cheng is being a good son as he keeps an eye on Zixuan out of worry since there's no helping it now. Indeed, San-Niang will get what she wants whether they like it or not. That arguing with her is a lost cause he worries for his sister, given...what stellar example his children has, of a marital life. He has no idea how to address this to his children as how can he teach, what he himself never knew?
No incident happened ever again, classes are normal but I don't see
Huaisang and Wuxian on last period as our last periods are different.
Huaisang has political studies and Wuxian has Spirit Music class due
to his fighting style he wants to refine. Every after school, we either
goof off or bathe in that icy Cold Spring here to boost our cultivation
and Wuxian drags Huaisang over to boost his cultivation. They were
closer buddies as both were not into violence. Huaisang deliberately
slacks in his training and Wuxian fights with music so no physical
violence on his part.
First try? Shit, its ice water! Too damn cold, colder than ice itself! And
there's a way around this as Wuxian has a cheat code that also helps
boost cultivation considering he unwittingly developed the method
during nasty winters and Lan Wangji pointed out his technique and
Lan Technique for cultivating in the pool was the exact same which he
developed by sheer accident. By circulating our qi like blood in the
water while absorbing qi, we stay warm without freezing...and he
was right.
And he's no skinny guy...sure he's slim with narrow shoulders,
and a tiny waist by male standards even Huaisang was broader,
but he was actually sculpted muscle under his flowy clothes. Its
only his face that's girly. Holy crap, he can crossdress and trick
people! But Wuxian says he won't dare, because men get horny
easily and he'll get in trouble. So he dresses like a man and he
deepens his voice on purpose in public while in private like up
here, we hear his real voice.
Sooo yes. Studies and goofing off aside, we also bathe in that
spring every after dinner to level up while chatting and treated
said spring like a resort. Since Huaisang fears his family style,
he still should boost his level as he doesn't even have a golden
core at his age, so to get better, the spring was a safer method.
Since it's technically school activity, this was a loophole in the
rules which suits Huaisang just fine and it also helps him without
losing himself which was why he slacks off out of fear of eventual
Qi Deviation like the rest of his family.
By doing this till curfew, we think he might have a core by end
of the year. We have a week vacation before second semester
starts, so we'll marinade ourselves in the spring. Again, please
send me money so I can buy my own rations or I won't survive!
If the Lans think eating is only for living and medication to ward
off illness in advance, eating here for outsiders such as us, is
suffering! Help! And I need to repay the guys about 6 silver
and 200 copper wen each since they buy me food outside to
wash off that shit every after meals...those large steamed buns
cost 20 copper wen so I eat 60 copper wens' worth a day.
-A-Cheng
His son's letter was indeed, long he sent it as a missive scroll long enough to contain his thoughts. Well, by the end of the year, he wants to meet Wuxian at least once, and give him back his parents' effects.