They left the only home Lan Qiren had ever known on a spring morning. As they ascended into the sky, Lan Teegan carrying Wen Ning on her sword, Lan Qiren kept his gaze straight ahead. He didn't need to look back. He knew what Gusu looked like when the mist hadn't quite dissipated. He wondered if he'd ever see it again. No, he would not think that way. He could not lead their return to Gusu – he couldn't have anyone thinking he'd made a mistake – but surely Lan Teegan would soon realize that cleansing the Burial Mounds was a wasted effort.
They did not fly directly to the Burial Mounds but dropped down into a small town and landed before an inn. Once they were settled on the ground, Lan Teegan bowed to Lan Qiren. "As Elder, it is only appropriate that you select your rooms first."
He kept his countenance by force of will, shocked that he hadn't considered where they would stay. He supposed he ought to be grateful, certain that Wen Ning wasn't above forcing them to live in the Burial Mounds themselves. The man had lived there before, but of course he'd been dead already. The others, the rest of the Wen clan, hadn't been dead though. How had he never wondered what it had been like for them?
He emerged from his musings to see that Lan Teegan was giving him an expectant look. As Lan Qiren stepped into the inn, he asked, "Who else is staying here? Which rooms are available?"
Lan Teegan and Wen Ning shared a glance before bowing before him. "Esteemed Elder," she said, "please forgive our miscommunication. The Lan Sect owns this inn. Your nephew arranged its purchase."
Lan Wangji had bought the inn? Lan Qiren gave it a closer look. It seemed comfortable enough, for an inn. The amenities wouldn't be up to Gusu standards, he was certain of that, but he'd chosen this life. He would suffer in silence.
It wasn't until Lan Qiren had chosen rooms on the third floor, the largest suite in the inn, and had settled on a surprisingly comfortable cushion to meditate that he realized Wangji's purchase might have been driven by more than filial duty. Lan Wangji might want him to remain here indefinitely. In fact, that was almost certainly the message of the inn. Why purchase the building otherwise? This might be an exile of Lan Qiren's own making, but he was certain that his nephew was hoping to make it permanent.