Burial Mounds Au-1
“Wangji?” Lan Xichen asked, placing a comforting hand on the still form of his brother who turned to him with troubled eyes.
“Xiongzhang? This is wrong,” he continued, nodding to the giant mirror placed in the centre of the room.
The rest of the Sect leaders had yet to assemble in the Main Hall of Koi tower which was currently devoid of any cultivators barring the Main Lan contingent and Jin Guangshan with Jin Guangyao by his side.
Lan Qiren cleared his throat,”Wangji, do not oppose your elders. A decision made in unison with all Sects must be honoured.”
Lan Wangji bit his tongue, afraid for the first time in his life that he’d end up cursing out everyone in the cultivation world.
“I AM NOT GIVING MY BROTHER’S ROBES TO YOU! THE HELL KIND OF CREEPS ARE YOU THAT YOU WANT HIS FUCKING CLOTHES?” Came a booming voice from the courtyard as silhouettes grew closer to the the door of the Main Hall.
“A’Cheng,” Came the placating voice of Maiden Jiang.
“Sect Leader Jiang, we only need something that was once your brother’s. It doesn’t matter what it actually is,” Jin Guangyao explained as he trailed behind the two siblings into the Main Hall.
“Would a ribbon do?” Asked Jiang Yanli, earning a surprised look from her brother.
“A’Jie!”
“That would be just fine Young Mistress Jiang,” Jin Guangyao inclined his head with a grateful smile.
Ignoring the incredulous look Jiang Cheng sent her way, Jiang Yanli returned his smile with a stiff one of her own before reaching into her qiankun pouch and pulling out her brother’s red ribbon.
Lan Wangji’s breath faltered after seeing the familiar ribbon.
‘Lan Zhan!’ He’d called out in his usual cheerful voice the morning after their disastrous first meeting, jogging over to Lan Wangji, his ribbon bouncing in the air as he did. The red, a stark contrast to the snowy white of the Gusu Lan robes he donned.
“Lan Zhan,” he’d breathed out against Lan Wangji’s lips when the latter had slotted their lips together in an attempt to tell him what his words failed to. The silky material of his ribbon slipping between Lan Wangji’s fingers as he pulled him into his arms.
“Lan Zhan,” he’d let out like a plea. A plea to let him walk away. A plea Lan Wangji didn’t feel strong enough to hear. The pouring rain only making it worse as it made visible the marks he’d left the night before. The only proof Lan Wangji had that their night of passion wasn’t a figment of his imagination. But standing in the middle of Qiongqi Path, watching him leave, made Lan Wangji reconsider his relief that it had been real. For, had be never been given a taste of what could’ve been, the pain would’ve been bearable.
Running her fingers over the only piece of her brother she had left, Jiang Yanli let out a breath and handed the ribbon to Jin Guangyao who took it with a smile.
Jin Zixuan followed behind his mother who approached Jiang Yanli and walked her to her seat, twitching in discomfort when he noticed the Yunmeng Jiang Sect Leader glaring daggers at him.
It took a while for all the Sect Leaders to gather, but once they had, the mirror was activated by placing the ribbon in front of it.
At first, the mirror the Jin Sect had acquired(stolen) from the Wen Sect after the Sunshot Campaign, seemed to grow hazy, making at cultivators tense up until it cleared up to reveal a.....lotus pond?
Wei Wuxian sat by his lotus pond in the burial mounds, with his feet dangling from the pseudo wall he’d built around it as he peeled lotus seeds from the basket on his lap and hummed a song he’d heard a long time ago but didn’t remember where.
“I wonder what it’s called,” he thought out loud as he popped yet another lotus seed into his mouth.
“WangXian,” Lan Wangji whispered, his ears turned a bright red.
Lan Xichen sighed,”My DiDi is so adorable.”
“XiongZhang,” Lan Wangji protested, his ears turning an even darker shade of red.
“Wei Wuxian! Always causing trouble aren’t you?! Get down from that damn wall before I burst a nerve!” Wen Qing yelled from behind a tree as she wrung a robe dry from her bucket of washed clothes and splayed it on a rock to let it dry.
Wei Wuxian groaned,”Ugh, Wen Qing! Leave us alone.”
Everyone exchanged looks. Us?
“Little Radish, look at your Auntie Qing, isn’t she so mean?” Wei Wuxian spoke as he looked down at the basket, or so it seemed.
Wen Qing scoffed,”Of course I have to be mean! Or you’d go and probably get stabbed again.”
Jiang Cheng winced guiltily.
Lan Wangji frowned, again?
“That was one time!” Wei Wuxian whined, placing the basket onto the wall next to him and unveiling the pot belly behind.
“One time’s too many!” She snapped, grabbing another robe just as he seemed to lose his footing momentarily.
“Be careful!” She yelled, abandoning her chore and rushing to his side just as he regained his balance.
“I know! I know! I’m fine!” Wei Wuxian reassured her with his usual bright smile.
“And why would I believe you? You said the same thing after the golden core transfer to your brother. You were awake two whole days and when asked to rest, you merely said you’d rest in an inn down the mountain. I listened to you and let you leave but at what cost? You were thrown into the burial mounds and were trapped for three months!” Wen Qing glared heatedly, making Wei Wuxian laugh awkwardly.
“That was different. I wasn’t responsible for another life inside of me back the ,” Wei Wuxian argued as he unconsciously caressed his stomach.
“What the fuck?” Jiang Cheng whispered incredulously, the entire hall of people seconded his disbelief as they gasped at Wei Wuxian’s form in the mirror. Lan Wangji sat frozen in his seat. Wei Ying...was pregnant?
“He’s pregnant?” Jin Zixuan blinked.
“How?” He continued.
Nie Mingjue rolled his eyes,”What do you mean how? What, have you never been told how babies are made?”
Jin Zixuan sputtered,”Well, obviously I know how! I just meant...who would sleep with him?! I mean, sure, he’s gorgeous and he was well built, not that dull in the head either and well, he is gorgeous—“
Nie Huaisang casually interrupted, snapping his hand fan close and pointing it at Jin Zixuan,”You said gorgeous twice.”
Lan Wangji blinked out of his incredulity and instead turned to glare venomously at the Jin Sect Heir.
Jin Zixuan’s face turned a bright red,”So? He is!”
“I thought you hated him?” Lan Xichen asked curiously.
“I do!” Jin Zixuan snapped.
“Doesn’t seem like it,” Nie Huaisang sang playfully as he continued fanning himself.
“Again, Do I need to remind you that you voluntarily got stabbed by your hot headed brother when you were three months along?” Wen Qing glared heatedly, making him chuckle awkwardly as he rubbed his protruding abdomen.
Jiang Yanli blinked out of her stupor, turning to her youngest brother who had his jaw clenched and his robes bunched up inside his fists.
“A’Cheng?” She whispered in disbelief.
Jiang Cheng refused to look up from where he’d had his eyes downcast.
“But we’re both fine!” Wei Wuxian argued.
“So what? You want me to wait until you’re both not? Wei Wuxian, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Burial Mounds is not a place to have a child! Your baby could undergo a Qi deviation from the amount of resentful energy in here!” Wen Qing snapped with barely held anger.
“I know that,” Wei Wuxian whispered.
“Then why don’t you tell Lan Wan—“
“He doesn’t need to know,” Wei Wuxian interrupted petulantly.
Lan Xichen raised an eyebrow. His brother sure was advanced.
Jiang Yanli turned to glare at Lan Wangji who’d shrunk into himself, frowning at Wen Qing’s question.
Jiang Cheng frowned in offence,”Why would he tell Lan Wangji anything? We’re his family, not him.”
Jin Zixuan rolled his eyes,”Isn’t it obvious? He’s the father!”
Lan Qiren actually spit out blood in that moment, shaking like a leaf during a summer breeze.
Nie Huaisang tutted,”Jin-xiong, you sound like you’re jealous of Lan-xiong. Are you sure you’re not in love with Wei-xiong?”
Jin Zixuan cursed under his breath. Him? In love with Wei Wuxian? That was the most absurd thing he’d ever heard. Sure, he was gorgeous and had a smile that could brighten up the universe but he was insufferable. The way he’d just pull dumb pranks and then laugh was infuriating! Even if his laugh was akin to tolling bells.... so loud yet something he wouldn’t mind hearing for the rest of his—- oh.
Fuck, he thought as he glanced at Wei Wuxian’s set face through the mirror.
“I’m in love with Wei Wuxian,” he whispered in horror.
“Finally,” Jiang Yanli whispered in relief. Her best friend was really slow when it came to things like this.
Jin Guangshan’s eyes brightened,”Excellent! Then Sect Leader Jiang, how about we change the terms of the betrothal. We would like Zixuan’s betrothed to be your brother instead of Maiden Jiang.”
Jiang Cheng glared at the Jin Sect Leader,”What the fuck? You think you can break my sister’s heart like that? And my siblings aren’t bargaining chips you fucking potato!”
Jiang Yanli rolled her eyes,”First off, there is no betrothal between Young Master Jin and I. We’re just friends—“
“A’Jie? But you were in love with him...?” Jiang Cheng interrupted confusedly.
“A’Cheng, I like women. Jin Zixuan is most definitely not one. As far as the person I’m in love with goes, it’s for her to decide whether or not she wants to be named,” Jiang Yanli waved her hand dismissively.
“What I will not stand for is you, Sect Leader Jin, talking about my brother as though he were a mere pawn,” she continued as she shot a glare at Jin Guangshan who merely rolled his eyes.
“He’s the father!” Wen Qing argued.
“Yes he is! But he doesn’t know that,” Wei Wuxian shot back.
“Which is exactly why you should tell him!” Wen Qing glared.
“You know what? I’m not having this conversation right now. Lan Zhan and I are just friends. He was really drunk that night. And that was the only reason why he slept with me. I don’t want to forcefully tie him to me. I can manage just fine on my own,” Wei Wuxian huffed, picking up his basket of lotus pods as he stood up.
“Drunk and sleeping with someone in one night? Way to go Wangji!” Nie Mingjue grinned as he clapped Lan Wangji on the back, the latter, to his credit, barely moved an inch.
Lan Qiren gagged, hunching over as he vomited out more blood into the golden bucket a Jin Sect disciple was holding in front of him.
Lan Xichen nodded with a frown,”Wangji? Did you, perhaps, correct him the morning after and reassure him that whatever happened was something you wanted?”
Lan Wangji hesitated, making Lan Xichen sigh,”Oh Wangji—“
“YOU SLEPT WITH MY BROTHER AND KNOCKED HIM UP?!” Jiang Cheng yelled as he shot out of his seat.
“Yeah! Lan-xiong, not fair! You should’ve told us exactly when it had happened. Maybe we could’ve watched,” Nie Huaisang grinned behind his fan.
Lan Qiren gagged, yet again spitting out more blood. The disciple grimaced, half expecting the old man to cough up an organ.
“I’m in love with Wei Wuxian,” Jin Zixuan repeated in disbelief.
“It’s ok, you’ll get it eventually,” Jiang Yanli patted his arm sympathetically as she turned back to glaring at Lan Wangji.
Just then Jin Guangyao came running into the Main Hall which startled everyone since they hadn’t even noticed him leaving to begin with,”We have a problem. A few disciples just informed me that they saw Jin Zixun leave with a couple hundred disciples with him. They said he told them he planned on raiding the Burial Mounds.”