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Life consists of choices. We pick and choose what we think is right and hope that we live a life without regret. Wuxian walked absentmindedly back to Cloud Recesses pondering the choice he just made. The Slayer asked for something that Wuxian should be able to do.. in two months. Life would've been easier if his actions only impacted him and not all those who depend on him.
Wangji was holding his hand but respecting his space. Wuxian was surprised that the taller man did not fight Wuxian when he asked the Slayer to seek him out after the treaty was signed.. if the treaty was signed.
Wangji stopped walking and Wuxian turned to look at him: "Why did we stop?"
Wangji: "Are you tired?"
Wuxian frowns: "No. Why? Do I look tired?"
Wangji pursed his lips and after a few silent seconds, he asked: "Are you cold?"
Wuxian almost laughed at the constipated look on Wangji's face. The man was clearly holding his opinion on the matter at bay and he's about to burst. Wuxian coughs to hide his smile and says: "Do you mind carrying me?"
That seems to make his soul-bond happy. Wangji didn't waste time carrying Wuxian on his back and enjoying the closeness.
Wuxian whispers into his ear: "If you wanted to carry me, all you had to do is ask."
Wangji: "I did."
Wuxian chuckled: "No you didn't. You danced around it."
Wangji: "You understood me, nevertheless."
Wuxian snuggles closer to his soul-bond and sighs happily: "Don't you need your hands free to protect us?"
Wangji shakes his head: "Not anymore."
Wuxian didn't think that much into his odd response. He saw someone following them from the corner of his eyes. Wangji's warmth and smell lulled him into sleep and the next thing he knew, he was back in their room, in their bed.
Three things came to his attention when consciousness returned. He felt something softly vibrating near his chest: Da Ziran was a cat and she was purring. That made more sense when he felt a soft pressure on his arm: Hweiru must have waited for him to wake up and fell asleep while snuggling with Da Ziran in his arms.
The hand wrapped around his waist tightened and he heard the person lying behind him whisper: "She refused to play with her new toys without you."
Wuxian gently caressed the hand he can reach on his stomach: "Where have you been?"
Wen Ning sighs loudly: "I went looking for you."
Wuxian: "You suck at finding people. I didn't go that far."
Wen Ning: "I ran into.. unexpected company."
Wuxian gently rolls over to see Wen Ning's face without jostling his daughter: "Who?"
Wen Ning's upset face clued him in before he said: "The faceless man."
That got an immediate reaction from Wuxian. He shot up and grabbed Wen Ning, checking him for injuries: "What happened? Did he hurt you? Is he here?"
Wen Ning saw Wuxian was near panic. He grabbed his wandering hands: "Relax. That was a few days ago. We didn't fight. He just gave me a message to pass on to you."
Wuxian hesitated. He didn't know if he actually wanted to hear what Biming wanted to say. Wen Ning took out a folded cloth and passed it to Wuxian: "It's a piece of the book you're looking for. He said: Tell the pretty boy to stop sending people to follow me. I will not stop until I get what I want. Everything and everyone who stands in my way will perish."
An angry look washes over Wen Ning's face: "He said other things that I don't care to repeat but let's just say.. He wants you."
Wuxian frowns: "Wants me for what?"
Wen Ning looks seriously into Wuxian's eyes and says again: "Wants you.. Like Hanguang Jun wants you."
Wuxian gags: "EW!"
Wen Ning scratches his head: "I almost vomited from the stuff he said."
Wuxian scrunches his face: "I think I just did a little in my mouth."
Wen Ning sighs: "What are we going to do?"
Wuxian looks down at his peacefully sleeping daughter: "Until I get a vision or learn something useful from this page you brought, we have to wait."
Wen Ning nods, then inches closer to Wuxian: "Master Wei, I'm still your guardian, right?"
Wuxian was surprised by his doubt: "Why? Do you want to stop?"
Wen Ning immediately starts shaking his head: "NO! Never! I love being your guardian. It's just.. Grandmaster Qiren said something and I think I haven't been doing my job right.."
Wuxian frowns: "What did he say?"
Wen Ning told him the lecture Qiren gave them. Wuxian chuckles: "Don't be stupid. Protecting my daughter is protecting me. If anything happens to her, my heart will break. I would literally die from sadness. So, technically you're still doing your job."
Wen Ning smiles at him: "Really? I didn't do something wrong?"
Wuxian pats his head: "You did good. I'm proud of you."
Hweiru stirs from her slumber and opens her eyes to see Wuxian smiling down at her while stroking her hair: "Did you have a good nap?"
Hweiru sits up and nods while rubbing her eyes. She leans into Wuxian's chest: "Can we play now, Mama?"
Wuxian smoothes her messy hair and says: "I have to go attend the treaty meeting soon. Maybe after?"
Hweiru nods. Wen Ning pats her shoulder: "I would like to play with you. Did you get new toys?"
Hweiru smiles: "Yeah! Mama took me to Gusu City and .." Wuxian tunes them out and he looks worriedly at the covered cloth in his hand. One thing at a time..
Wuxian made it a few minutes late to the meeting. Wangji was there already and his entrance this time was shared with Wen Ning. All the cultivators present stood up and bowed to Wuxian. Wangji stood up as well and kissed his ring hand before intertwining their fingers and taking a seat together at the head of the room. Wangji turned to address the room: "Clan Leaders, do you object to adding Shenhua Clan to our Cultivator's Treaty of Peace?" When no one voiced their objection, he turned to Leader Qi: "Shenhua Clan Leader, do you wish to join our Cultivator's Treaty of Peace?" Leader Qi stands and bows: "I, Shenhua Qi, on behalf of Shenhua Clan hereby accept your request and vow to abide by your rules of cultivator conduct and brotherhood under one condition."
Wangji: "State your condition."
Qi turns and looks directly at Wuxian: "Name us as your official guardians. We will not take you away from your Clan or force you to do anything. We just want to ensure that the future plays out, as it should be."
Wen Ning walks towards Qi and folds his arms: "That's my title."
Leader Qi looks at Wen Ning stoically: "A man once dead cannot protect the living, Master Wen. We have been planning for this role for generations."
Wuxian looks between the two. One is dead and ruled by his uncontrolled emotions while the other is alive and has none. He spoke up before Wen Ning lost his composure: "I cannot give you that title since it belongs to him. What I can do is offer you what I offered my senior disciple when she asked to claim it."
Leader Qi: "How will you offer it?"
Wuxian: "Sign the treaty and I will allow you to fight Wen Ning for his title. If you win, then it's yours."
Leader Qi raises an eyebrow: "You want us to fight a living corpse?"
Wuxian nods: "He is undefeated. If you can prove to us all that you can do a better job then by all means, take your best shot."
Leader Qi: "You will allow us to choose whomever we want to represent our clan?"
Wuxian smirks: "Yes. In fact, I did you a favor. I invited him to Cloud Recesses this morning."
Leader Qi frowns: "You convinced the Slayer to come here?"
Wuxian sighs. He's losing his patience: "Sign the treaty, Leader Qi. Let the future unfold so we can all get along with our lives."
The older man thinks of the option given to him for a few minutes then approaches the table to sign the treaty. He whispers to Wuxian: "I hope you know what you're doing."
Wuxian whispers to himself when Leader Qi returns to his seat after signing the treaty: "I hope so too."
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