.
Jingyi was over the moon. He never thought that in a million years he'd own a first-class weapon before all his peers. For the first time ever, he felt like the spoiled favorite child. He couldn't hide his wide smile while sitting with Wuxian in his carriage.
Wuxian was eating a snack and listening to Yuxio attempt to sing while riding just outside his closed window. After a few minutes of suffering through hir tone deaf singing, Wuxian had had enough. He yanked the window open, despite the cold, and shouted: "Do you honestly think that your voice is good? WHY ARE YOU TORTURING US?"
Yuxio looks offended: "I will have you all know that men would pay gold just to hear my awesome voice."
Mianmian rubs her ears and whispers: "More like pay to hear you stop singing.."
Wuxian points his finger at her: "I swear to all that is holy, if you don't stop I will.."
They all blinked at him when he stopped mid threat. Wuxian scratched his head then leaned back to whisper to Jingyi: "Help me out.. I will what?"
Jingyi chuckles: "You will plug her nose for a month so she can't sniff you like a weirdo when you're not looking."
Wuxian turns and resumes the finger pointing: "Yeah.. What Jingyi said!"
Yuxio gasps: "You wouldn't do that to me! I love you!"
Wuxian tsks then stares at his daughter, who for some reason chose to ride with the pervert: "Are you blackmailing my daughter or something? Why is she willingly riding with you?"
Hweiru waves at Wuxian enthusiastically: "Mama, she's the only one who rides super close to you!"
Wuxian sighs: "Come inside. You don't have to suffer with Yuxio."
Hweiru snuggles close to Yuxio, who's holding her upfront as they ride the same horse: "She's teaching me things. I like her."
Wuxian frowns: "Yuxio, if you teach my baby inappropriate things I will set Lan Zhan on you!"
Yuxio chuckles: "Don't worry. I will teach her how to sing amazingly.. just like me."
Wuxian closes his eyes and hangs his head: "We are doomed.."
Sizhui rides closer to them: "Lady Yuxio, father actually has an amazing voice. He might help you improve your singing."
Wuxian throws a fist full of hay at his son: "Don't volunteer my services like that!"
Yuxio scratches her chin: "How come I've never heard you sing before?"
Wuxian blushes when he sees Wangji smile from the corner of his eyes and hastily leans back into the carriage and closes the window.
Jingyi snickers: "Smooth.. I'm sure no one noticed."
Wuxian smacks his arm: "Don't tease me! I'm your teacher."
Jingyi's wide smile returns and Wuxian looks at him suspiciously: "Why are you smiling like an idiot?"
Jingyi scooted closer to Wuxian: "Because you like me the best."
Wuxian pats his head: "Good boy."
Jingyi beams under his praise, leans back and looks happily at his new sword: "No one has ever given me a gift before.."
Wuxian was surprised: "Never?"
Jingyi's smile turns a little bit sad and he says: "My parents died when I was young. Grandmaster Qiren found me and brought me back to join Lan Clan and learn how to be a cultivator. I initially thought that he would adopt me but it did not happen. When Sizhui joined our clan, I kinda envied him. Hanguang Jun is like an idol and he paid special attention to Sizhui so I thought if I was close enough to him, his Excellency would adopt me too. But that did not happen either."
Wuxian felt Jingyi's sorrow and reached to grab his hand. Jingyi continued: "When you came along and accepted me as your disciple, it felt like.. It felt like I was finally where I belong. You never scolded me for speaking my mind and defended me when other Lan Clan members wanted to punish me for my loose tongue. I.. I admit that I was a little bit jealous when you adopted the mini-goblin even though I know that I'm too old to be adopted."
He strokes the sword gently and lovingly: "I know that first-class weapons traditionally are either made or inherited. This feels like I've inherited it from you."
Wuxian swallows hard, feeling empathy towards the boy. Wuxian never knew that Jingyi was an orphan. From his positive and outspoken personality, he assumed that a parent or a relative must have enabled the boy to feel this comfortable in his own skin.
Wuxian does the only thing he knows that will comfort them both at this moment. He pulls the boy close and hugs him: "You are like a son to me. Never doubt that. I love you just like I love Sizhui and Hweiru. You don't have to try too hard to gain my favor. You already have it."
Jingyi hugs him back, tightening his hold on Wuxian and taking deep breaths of his comforting smell: "I don't know how.. But you somehow smell like 'acceptance'."
Wuxian chuckles and rubs the boy's back: "Enjoy it while it lasts."
Zewu Jun joined Wuxian when Jingyi's shift was over. He sat watching his brother sleep as he read reports from scouts traveling ahead of them. Wuxian blinks awake to see his brother frown and whispers: "Why do you look troubled?"
Zewu Jun puts down the papers he was reading and smiles at his brother: "We will arrive tomorrow at our destination. Liwei's disciples have lost track of the faceless man. After entering the city, he disappeared and probably changed his face."
Wuxian sits up and rubs his eyes tiredly: "I think I can find him.."
Zewu Jun thinks for a few seconds then asks: "I have some questions for your spirit animal, if she's willing to speak with me." Da Ziran slithers from underneath the blankets covering Wuxian and whispers into Zewu Jun's mind: "Ask away, wise one."
For some reason, having Da Ziran's approval made Zewu Jun happy: "Brother Wei is blessed with the ability to see the future and the past. Is there a way to control it?"
Da Ziran moves closer to Zewu Jun: "There is."
That got both Wuxian and Zewu Jun's attention. Wuxian asks: "How?"
Da Ziran shakes her head: "You have to figure it out yourself, young Oracle. It is part of your journey."
Wuxian pats her head: "Can't you help me figure it out?"
Da Ziran bobs around, relishing under his attention: "Your gift is like a river. It flows in one direction like time. The Deities have chosen specific events and showed them to you because they need you to intervene. You have to understand the flow of the river before you are able to steer your boat through it."
Wuxian stares blankly at his snake then turns to ask his brother: "Did that make any sense to you?"
Zewu Jun smiles over Wuxian's evident confusion: "She is saying that you're not mature enough to take control of your gifts yet."
Wuxian laughs awkwardly: "I can't argue with that. But why did you ask her that question?"
Zewu Jun: "I thought it might yield more information for our upcoming battle."
Wuxian nods and Da Ziran returns to wrapping around Wuxian for warmth.
Zewu Jun looks seriously at Wuxian: "Brother Wei, about the Pegasus Crystal.."
Wuxian takes the box out of his robes and hands it to Zewu Jun: "This could be the next Yin Iron or Stygian Tiger Seal. I don't want another war to start over this."
Zewu Jun takes the box and closely examines the new energy packed object: "How did you know how to use it?"
Wuxian: "It spoke to me.. Just like the Yin Iron and Stygian Tiger Seal."
Zewu Jun frowns: "Spoke to you?"
Wuxian nods: "Well.. not with words. I felt their energy. It's like I can read them like a book but by sensing their power when I touch them.."
Zewu Jun was intrigued: "That is peculiar. I think we need to keep this hidden until we return to Cloud Recesses."
Da Ziran whispers to them: "I can consume it."
Wuxian's eyes widen: "You want to eat it?"
Da Ziran: "Yes."
Zewu Jun: "Will it be destroyed?"
Da Ziran: "No. I can hide its energy and protect it for the young Oracle."
Wuxian smiles and puts the crystal in front of her: "You're chock-full of surprises today."
Da Ziran swallows it whole and whispers: "I am here to aid you, young one. All you have to do is ask."
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