"We should set the lure flags here, and here. Explore this area, to make sure that we minimize the amount of disturbance we cause to the others in Mo village." Lan Sizhui paused for a moment, looking uncertainly at Xuemi, but the senior motioned him to continue on.
Sizhui turned back to the array. "These flags in the center should be enough, but each of us can hold one, just to make sure that the beings target us instead of the others in Mo manor. Jingyi and I will go on the west roof. The rest of you, pair up and go on the other cardinal roofs."
Xuemi nodded in approval, then approached the flags at the center and on the roofs, inspecting their positions. She then rearranged five of them, changing the formation drastically, but it would prove to be much more effective than the previous one.
Sizhui noticed this. He walked up to her. "Qianbei, why would we arrange the flags in such a manner?"
The elder inclined her head politely. "Your name?"
"This disciple is called Lan Yuan, courtesy name Sizhui."
"Lan Yuan… Sizhui…" she mused. Lan Yuan. Wen Yuan… A-Yuan?
Her eyes snapped back to the disciple, narrowing as she studied him. Sizhui was confused. "Lin-qianbei?"
Xuemi's attention was brought back to the present. "Ah. Yes. Okay, first, think. How big is the radius of the flags?"
Sizhui frowned in thought. "Ten li?"
Xuemi shook her head. "These flags were painted in a manner that would only attract spirits within five li."
Sizhui looked chastised, but Xuemi didn't blame him. Spirit-lure flags were indeed hard to paint.
"Let me ask you another question. Where would you prefer to fight the spirit?"
"The center."
"Correct. That is precisely why you want more flags in the center. The talismans woven into your clothes will dampen the effectiveness of the flags, so the majority of the flags should be a bit away from you. Putting them on the roofs is still a smart idea, so you can attract more, but you want to leave an opening, allowing the spirit to sense the flags in the center. Once the spirit senses the flags in the center, it will not hesitate to go where the energy is strongest. You can flank it then."
Sizhui's eyes lit up as he understood. "Oh! This disciple thanks Lin-qianbei for her teachings. However, I have another question. The energy in the center is the same as the yin energy on the roofs, so there isn't anything special. Even though there is more in the center, if the spirit is lazy enough, it will only approach the flags on the roof. How will we assure that the evil thing will go to the array?"
Xuemi smiled. "How much do you know of me?"
Sizhui's smile dropped. "Sect Leader Lan said that you were a sister to both him and Fa- Hanguang-jun."
Xuemi didn't miss that correction. Wangji adopted him. Of course.
Sizhui continued. "He also said that you were outwardly cold, but you cared for your family very much, just like Qingxue-jie."
"Qingxue-jie?"
"Uncle adopted her. She's my age."
Xuemi nodded. "Did he say anything about my birth?"
"You were Yanling-Daoren and Wen Ming's daughter, and-" Sizhui stopped. "Oh."
She didn't quite smirk, but the sentiment was definitely there. "It took you some time."
"Oh." Sizhui repeated dumbly.
"Anything else?" Xuemi asked, twirling her hairpin (that was very much normal and not the one that Xichen gave her, sadly).
"Actually, yes." Sizhui realized. "About the flags, which strokes-"
"What are you doing?" Jingyi's voice interrupted their conversation. The two Lans turned around and saw Wei Wuxian/Mo Xuanyu taking one of the flags. "You shouldn't be here!"
Wei Wuxian began taking the flag off the stick. Jingyi shouted again, and shouting is forbidden but Xuemi found the rule breaking slightly endearing. (I'm allowing rule breaking. What happened to me? She wonders.) "Stop that! It's not something you should fiddle with!"
"No no no! I want this! I want this!" Wei Wuxian whined, and in that moment he was so much like Mo Xuanyu that Xuemi nearly doubted, but at this point she was sure that he was Wei Wuxian, as sure that she was not Mo Yifan.
Wei Wuxian stuffed the flag into his robes and ran off. But he didn't get very far, because Jingyi. The boisterous Lan flew down from the roof he was previously standing on and landed in front of Wei Wuxian, who balked.
"Are you giving it back? If not, I'm going to hit you!" Jingyi threatened.
"No no no! I want it!" Wei Wuxian whined again.
Sizhui smiled fondly and quickly walked (because running is forbidden) to his friend, putting a hand on his arm, effectively calming him. "Jingyi. It's fine, let's just talk to him."
"It's not like I really hit him. Look at him, he ruined our formation." Jingyi grumbled.
During this time, Wei Wuxian took the time to examine the flag, apparently drawing the same conclusions that Xuemi did, nodding and muttering to himself; definitely acting much more lucid than he was supposed to be. Thankfully (or not?) this went unnoticed by the juniors.
Sizhui walked around Wei Wuxian to try to get his attention. "Mo-gongzi, it's going to get dark soon."
A blatant lie, but Xuemi will let that slide for now. Well, she supposed it could be considered not a lie, because "soon" is a matter of perspective… Look at me, making excuses and finding loopholes…
"We will be fighting an evil spirit. It's better for you to return to your room, since it's dangerous at night. Whatever you hear in the evening, please don't come out."
Wei Wuxian first rolled his eyes, but then he scanned Sizhui's uniform, and all of a sudden he seemed crestfallen.
Wangji. There's no way you never thought that Wei Wuxian hated you.
The demonic cultivator squatted down, much less energetic than he was a minute ago. Sizhui lowered himself to speak with him face to face. "Mo-gongzi, what's wrong?"
Wei Wuxian snapped out of his reverie. "It's just some rug with paint. Even I can paint better!" Standing up, he threw the flag down and stepped on it, though he was careful not to smudge the lines. He then proceeded to run away.
Sizhui stood up, and Jingyi picked up the flag. "What a psycho." He muttered.
Lan Sizhui got a slight crease between his eyebrows. "Don't say that. Let's just do what we're supposed to do." Even as he said it, Lan Yuan seemed to stare after Wei Wuxian thoughtfully.
Jingyi pouted. "The flags are already arranged, all we can do is wait."
Everyone heard a loud ring as Xuemi's sword was drawn from her sheath.
"Why don't we take that time to do some practice?"
"Stab! Block with your sheath, then slash under! Duck! Dodge and slash! Get back! Sword glare! Block! Use your spiritual energy!"
Currently, Sizhui was having a very hard time keeping up with Xuemi as she called out instructions, speeding up whenever Sizhui looked like he was getting comfortable. Which he never was.
It did look pretty bad when she sparred with Jingyi, but wow.
By the time his turn was over, Sizhui was exhausted. Meanwhile, Xuemi hasn't even broken a sweat.
"You fight much like Wangji." She said conversationally.
Sizhui wasn't sure how to react. He was too out of breath to say anything, anyway.
Suddenly, Mo-furen was in the west yard. "You!" She screeched, a finger pointing at her.
Xuemi raised an eyebrow. "How may this one be of assistance?"
"YOU! How dare you, stealing Mo Ziyuan's cultivating opportunity! My son is much more talented than you are, and yet you dare take what's rightfully his!" Beside her, Mo Ziyuan preened at the compliment.
The Lady of White thinks that she can see Mo-furen's spittle.
Jingyi looked like he was ready to explode. Now that he confirmed the lady's identity, he was ready to defend her image, and nearly snapped in Mo-furen's face. However, Sizhui had much more tact and stepped in before his friend could.
"Mo-furen. If there isn't anything else, please leave the west yard. After all, Lin- Mo-guniang's instruction has been of great help, and we would like to make the most out of the time left."
Mo Yifan's aunt seemed to grow even redder, as Mo Ziyuan only stared in shock. Without sparing them another glance, Xuemi called up Jingyi again, who groaned but stood up anyway. She spared no mercy and attacked him, calling out instructions again, speeding up faster and faster.
If anyone asked later, she did not flick a stone in Mo Ziyuan's direction to make them leave. Not like they needed much encouragement.
This went on for a long time, until there were thirty minutes to sunset. Xuemi gave them all a small spiritual energy infusion (and Sizhui couldn't shake the fact that it was so familiar, but he put the thought aside for now), then instructed them to take their positions.
Once the sun went down, the half-demon cut her palm and painted a lure flag on a blank talisman, setting it in the dead center of the array.
All they had to do now was wait.
Half of the night has passed without incident. Well, some low-level spirits had fallen into the center of the array, but they were definitely not what the Mo village had called them over for. Whatever thing had been haunting Mo village was definitely clever.
She stood silently, waiting. And waiting…
Midnight was approaching soon.
A lilting melody rang out, sad and melancholic, in the cold night.
Xuemi's eyes snapped open, immediately recognizing it. On the west roof, Jingyi and Sizhui turned their heads toward the music as well. To one of them, it was just a regular melody played by someone in Mo manor. To the other, however…
"Jingyi… this melody is familiar. I think it's one of Gusu's tunes." Sizhui muttered. "Have we heard it before?"
"I don't think so. It's played badly, too. I'm pretty sure I haven't heard it." Jingyi turned away, but Sizhui continued to look in the direction of the music, trying to piece together the bits of memories he doesn't have.
Fortunately, the melody reached its end, stopping the taunt of the childhood Sizhui never remembered. He immediately refocused his attention to the resentful energy around him.
Wait, resentful energy?
"Drag him out and report him to the officials."
"Yes!"
"Don't just drag him out, beat him to death!"
Mister Mo strode in with an entourage of servants, and dragged Wei Wuxian out of his shed. With a nod to each other, Sizhui and Jingyi jumped down from the roof, followed by Xuemi. The others stayed in their places, wary of any other spirits that might come.
The three cultivators hurried to the direction of the resentful energy, and found Mo Ziyuan- definitely possessed- restrained by four of the servants. Wei Wuxian was thrown at the juniors' feet. Sizhui and Jingyi didn't pay attention to him, but Wei Wuxian turned around, trying to hide his face. Not like it mattered. The former then noticed.
"Mo-gongzi, why don't you stand up first?" Sizhui asked kindly.
Wei Wuxian seemed relieved that the Lans didn't recognize him, but he remained wary of the veiled lady dressed in red, with a Gusu Lan headband crowning her forehead.
At this moment, Mo Ziyuan broke free of the servants with a growl, throwing them onto tables which broke under the strain. Sizhui and Jingyi were quick to bind him with ropes, and the three Lans approached the possessed young master.
Mo Ziyuan's servant- A-Tong, she believed- was currently tugging on the junior's sleeves, understandably terrified. The two senior cultivators' eyes traced the outline of Mo Ziyuan's body, looking for clues.
The black marks on his neck were a pretty big indicator.
"Puppet." Wei Wuxian muttered, coming to the same conclusion as Xuemi. (Mo-furen had come in and cried out "Yuan-er!", but right now, that wasn't important. Unless, of course, Mo-furen would decide to kill Wei Wuxian in misguided revenge.) The juniors struggled for a bit longer.
"Did the evil possess him?" Jingyi asked.
"I don't think so. Look at the black marks on his neck. It seems like a special symbol." Sizhui replied and they continued to discuss different possibilities.
Mo Ziyuan continued to thrash in his bonds as Xuemi walked in a slow circle around him. His left arm was twisted oddly. Despite a small warning from Jingyi, she took the hand in hers and studied it, feeling it for resentful energy.
The spirit possesses the left hand.
Jingyi kept on observing, drawing conclusions a bit slower now that Sizhui was occupied with preventing Mo-furen from beating Wei Wuxian to death. Xuemi continued to cleanse the hand before Mo Ziyuan threw his head back with a yell, his pupils turning white.
The non-cultivators were all terrified to death.
Wei Wuxian and Lan Sizhui were quick to draw talismans on either side of his chest, and once they were activated, Mo Ziyuan fell silent, slumping.
The resentful energy was no longer in his hand, either.
Things are going horribly wrong. And I don't have my Guqin, either…
Xuemi clutched her sword tightly, running her spiritual energy along the blade. At the same time, Wei Wuxian pulled out a lure flag from his robes.
A lure flag?
Mo-furen shook the young master. "Yuan-er!" she wailed. Then she turned on the cultivators. "What did you do to my son?!"
Sizhui replied smoothly. "Please rest assured, he's only unconscious."
There clearly wasn't a pulse, but she'll allow that Lan Yuan didn't notice.
"You useless people! What cultivators, what exorcism?! You can't even protect a child!"
If they were Yunmeng Jiang, or Lanling Jin, or even Qinghe Nie cultivators, they wouldn't have just stood like Lan Sizhui was currently and accepted the insult.
As it was, they were Gusu Lan cultivators, and their 3000 rules (4000 now, she heard) prevented them from formulating a response. So, the only non-Lan cultivator stepped up for them.
"Wo-pei!" Wei Wuxian spat. "You really take them as your servants, huh? They've come from far away to help you exorcise the evil being without charge. Do tell, how old is your son? He should be at least twenty. Doesn't he understand the human language? The cultivators told us again and again to not go to the west yard, and to not touch anything there. But he left his room and stole the flag. Is the blame on him, or me?"
"You-!"
Apparently, even Mo-furen couldn't come up with a response to that. She immediately ordered Mo-Laoye to call everyone here, but he nearly smacked her with a backhand. He was then escorted away by A-Tong.
And it turns out, Mo-Laoye was the next victim.
A mangled scream interrupted the two servants that were going to carry Mo Ziyuan back to his room, and the four cultivators- screw the rules, at this point- ran outside. There, Mo-Laoye had pupils of solid white, and was currently strangling A-Tong. Mo-furen had passed out.
Immediately, Jingyi brought the attention of Mo-Laoye to them, and Sizhui sent out another rope to bind him. The other cultivators leapt down from their positions on the roof and surrounded him, their swords completely unsheathed.
At this point, even the juniors were panicking. The thing killed four people in the span of an incense stick's time, and they still had no leads. Sizhui and Jingyi turned to Xuemi, pleading for a way out, guidance, anything.
Her face was stony when she ordered, "Send a flare to Wangji."