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It's been two days since Wuxian woke up pain-free. He's been doing well and his health was stable enough for him to resume light duties. His daughter on the other hand has not improved. She was stuck like glue to Wuxian, fearful that if she took her eyes off of him for one second.. he would disappear or somehow parish. She refuses to speak and only ate when Wuxian fed her.
Wuxian didn't have problems with coddling the little girl. Wangji did.
Wangji knew that this type of dependence was not healthy for either of them. His soul-bond felt so guilty over scaring the girl, he's willing to let her wallow in her fears. Wangji has to find a way to stop this.
He was sitting at the table in their room, watching Wuxian smiling at his daughter as he fed her lunch when an idea came to him. He placed his chopsticks on the table and gently spoke to his child: "Hweiru, would you mind joining me for a moment?"
The little girl frowned but slowly got up to sit near Wangji, blinking her wide eyes at him and waiting for his commands.
Wangji took her small hands in his: "Little girl, do you know what a bond is?"
She shook her head. Wangji looks up to share a tender smile with Wuxian before explaining it to the small girl: "A bond is a life-long commitment between two or more people. It's like an oath that can only be broken by death."
Wuxian: "Lan Zhan and I are soul-bonded. That means our souls are connected. I have a similar connection with Wen Ning after I shared some of my soul essence to create him. He is my soul-brother."
Wangji nods and looks at the anxious girl before him: "Do you know how bonds are made?"
Hweiru shakes her head. He gently picks her up and places her in his lap so they're facing each other: "A bond can be created with spells, words or feelings. The moment we decided to adopt you, we were both bonded to you by an oath. The moment we shared our love with you, we were both bonded to you by our feelings."
Hweiru swallows hard then whispers: "What about spells?"
Wangji can see the broad smile on Wuxian's face behind the girl when he heard her speak for the first time in a while. The taller man moves closer to whisper: "I will share one with you so you will forever be connected with us. We will never leave you behind or abandon you. Would that make you feel more at ease?"
The girl bites her lips and looks back sadly at Wuxian: "What if mama dies again?"
Wangji: "He won't. I will never let that happen."
Hweiru was shocked by his confidence: "How can you be so sure?"
Wangji places his forehead on hers: "Because we promised each other: Always and forever."
The girl whispers back: "Always and forever?"
Wangji smiles: "That's the spell. Now you are bonded to us too. Always and forever."
They heard Wuxian gasp from his seat on the other side of the table. They turned to look at him when he whispered: "I'm so stupid.."
Wangji frowns: "Wei Ying?"
Wuxian laughs out loud, holding his stomach when it hurts. The taller man and the little girl both looked at him like he had lost his mind. It took awhile to control his hysterical laughter and he says: "Lan Zhan! She's the woman from my vision! The one I saw you embrace.. The one I was jealous of!"
Wangji stares at his soul-bond: "You were jealous?"
Wuxian's face turns red and he ducks his head: "Well.. no.. maybe.. A little?"
Hweiru moves towards Wuxian and puts her hands up: "Mama, we have to do the spell too!"
Wuxian smiles at her and places his forehead on hers as she says: "Always and forever."
He sighs and pulls her close: "Ever after death.."
Wuxian couldn't hide the smile of relief all day. He felt like the weight that's been crushing his heart has lifted. He recognized the look shared between his soul-bond and daughter was identical to the one from his vision. He did feel stupid for doubting Wangji, but he's blaming it on his illness at the time. Mianmian didn't have the heart to call him on it.
Mianmian got involved in investigating the series of events that pertained to the faceless man. According to the counts so far, Biming has been moving from one town to another, asking anything blessed or wise for help. When he gets rejected, which is always to this point, he would retaliate by killing everyone else or undoing their good deeds as a form of revenge. From the information she gathered so far, Biming has visited 13 villages and left nothing but a trail of mayhem and death in his wake. He seems to be collecting souls for protection and to prevent them from passing into the next life. Ran had a theory that the faceless man was collecting the souls for another reason: The silenced cannot speak tales.
Mianmian and Ran joined Wuxian to share their ideas over tea.
Ran poured him a cup and said: "So far, the finders have been able to collect information about Biming's trail but not his destination. He has no clear path and jumps from one side of the continent to the other without reason. He seems to have his own logic in picking the locations that we cannot figure out."
Wuxian looks at the papers they present him with the information gathered from the finders: "That's not an issue for now. My visions can guide us to his next target. What I want to know is why? What is he looking for? What is he asking these guardians and wise men for them to refuse every single time?"
Mianmian nods: "His motives seem like the drive that makes him act violent. It is safe to assume that he is asking for something unattainable or unrealistic to be rejected 13 or more times."
Ran moves some items around and takes out the book Zewu Jun showed Wuxian yesterday: "We know what he is. We know part of his history and we know his methods. What we need to find out is his endgame and skills."
Wuxian nods: "He doesn't carry any visible weapons like a sword."
Ran: "But he has a big amount of spirits that he controls and can appear and disappear between realms."
Mianmian looks at the text pertaining to the Wraith: "From this book, we can safely assume that when he shifts into the other realm, he cannot control or affect our reality. That means he cannot attack or interact with us unless he's visible."
Wuxian sighs: "That doesn't make much of a difference. If he can move undetected and appear at will, it will be hard to stop him when the time comes."
Ran: "Lady Lou and I thought of visiting the neighboring cities and search for more information about the Wraith. Don't tell the elders, but I know a guy in Gusu city that deals with black market scripts and forbidden books. He might know something about the Wraith that can help us."
Wuxian smirks at her: "Sister Ran, I didn't know you had a mischievous side?"
Ran chuckles awkwardly: "I'm willing to do what it takes to acquire knowledge."
Wuxian wiggles his eyebrows at her: "Mhmm.. knowledge.."
Mianmian chuckles at them then remembers something: "Master Wei, I got word from the keeper that Cloud Recesses will be under lockdown in a few days. Do you know why?"
Ran sighs: "He has a class planned that day."
Wuxian was offended: "I thought Keeper Daozi was joking about the lockdown! My teaching methods are not that extreme!"
Ran glares at him: "Says the man who made his disciples fight a mammoth just for fun."
Mianmian frowns in confusion: "What's a mammoth?"
Ran stood up and retrieved the book of animals to show her a drawing of the giant animal. Mianmian gasps and looks at him in shock: "WHY?"
Wuxian groans: "You people lack imagination. They are stronger than their peers and can proudly say that they fought an extinct animal. How many other disciples can claim that feat?"
Ran whispers under her breath: "The most they got were emotional scars if you ask my opinion."
Wuxian hears her and says in a warning voice: "Kaoji is not here and we have an open spot for the next class. Care to join in?"
Ran shakes her head violently: "NO! I like my organs where they are! If you want to torture someone, ask Yuxio. She expressed her boredom on more than one occasion."
Mianmian chuckles at her dramatic reaction: "Way to throw a friend in fire, Lan Ran. I'm starting to question your loyalties."
Ran huffs: "It's revenge for constantly blackmailing me."
Wuxian laughs: "Ladies, since you are not willing to participate, may I count on your help setting up for the day after tomorrow?"
Mianmian was curious: "Sure. I'd like to see what you have planned."
Ran narrows her eyes at him: "Does it involve fire or explosives?"
Wuxian frowns at her weird question and shakes his head.
Ran: "Will I suffer irreparable damage?"
Wuxian shakes his head again.
Ran: "Will it get me flogged or sentenced into isolation?"
Wuxian shakes his head again.
Ran: "Will it involve cleaning a colossal mess?"
Wuxian scratches his head and thinks for a second: "I don't know.. Maybe?"
Ran opens her mouth to ask more questions until Wuxian stops her: "Stop being so jaded! It's just a simple exercise!"
Ran huffs: "I highly doubt that you know what the word 'simple' means."
Wuxian smiles at her: "You're my assistant. It's not like you have a choice in the matter. So let's enjoy watching my kids squirm for a few hours.."
Mianmian pats Ran's sagging shoulders: "Look at it this way: If we get into trouble, we can always blame Master Wei and make a run for it."
Wuxian mouth hangs: "HEY! That's not fair!"
Mianmian winks at him: "You can flutter your eyes and wave your golden hair at Hanguang Jun and he will pull you out of trouble. You have an epic love to save you."
Wuxian sighs: "I knew you would hold this against me until the end of days."
He stood up and said on his way out: "Let's go pave the future of my kids."
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