.
Wangji was sitting behind his soul-bond, brushing his hair while he drank all the potions prescribed by the healer. He whispers to him: "Why did you agree to train the senior disciple?"
Wuxian: "She's the last of her kind. It would be a shame if that line is cut short because her training is incomplete."
He drinks one more potion then continues: "Cheng told me that he found her almost dead after someone burned her village down. She was the only survivor and after she recovered, she pledged to serve the Jiang Clan. Her only condition is that she'd be allowed to travel in search of someone who can help her complete her training."
Wangji gets up to sit next to his soul-bond and holds his hand: "How can you do that?"
Wuxian smiles: "Easy! All I have to do is ask her teacher."
Wangji smiles, then kisses his ring hand: "Don't overexert yourself."
Wuxian was feeling excited: "This will be fun!"
The next morning, Wuxian leaves his room with Wen Ning to meet Yuxio at the training grounds. He's wearing his dark blue robes with white underneath instead of the usual fancy Lan Clan robes. He had to fight Wangji to wear this for comfort, even though it makes him jealous because of how tight fitting it is. Wuxian grumbled: "No one will find me attractive! I'm too skinny!"
Wangji conceded after a while, which made Wuxian feel like he won an argument for a change. He was greeted by the disciples at the training ground and escorted to where Yuxio was waiting for him.
Wuxian smiles at her: "You're on time."
She looks at him, from top to bottom then sighs wistfully: "Dear heavens, why are you torturing me with this beauty?"
Wuxian shudders and points at her: "Pervert, don't you have a man in your life, who's not bonded to someone else, to flirt with?"
She winks at him: "I have you to look at all day. Why would I look for someone else?"
He turns around to look at Wen Ning, who's trying to hide his laugh, and sighs: "How can a woman be so shameless?"
He moves closer to her and extends his ring hand: "Sword."
She looks confused: "You want my sword?"
Wuxian nods and she reluctantly hands it over to him.
His ring shines for a moment and he hears someone speaking: "She's grown up so much."
He looks up to see a middle aged man with a long beard and wearing yellow and orange robes, smiling at Yuxio who cannot see him. He turns to bow to Wuxian: "Divine one, thank you for allowing me to see my disciple once more."
Wuxian bows back: "I'm Wei Wuxian, Treasure of Gusu Lan."
The man smiles at him: "I know who you are. My name is Yu Xian, grandmaster warrior of the Phoenix order. How may I serve the divine one?"
Wuxian turns to look at a confused Yuxio and says: "You haven't completed her training. It would be a shame to let your legacy die with her."
Yuxio asks: "Who are you talking to?"
Wuxian smiles at her: "Your grandmaster."
Xian bows once more to Wuxian and says: "I would be eternally grateful for this blessing."
Wuxian nods his head and sits down on the ground, placing the sword on his lap and looking at Xian: "Teach me grandmaster, so I can help guide her."
Wuxian sits for hours watching Xian go through drills and body motions, explaining in detail how to execute each move and strike. Wuxian was born a genius. He has the ability to grasp vast amounts of information and learn new things by just watching it once. He asked Xian many questions and memorized all the moves performed to him. A few hours in, Xian stops and looks at him: "I have covered the first phase of nine. She was taught 4 phases before I passed. She lacks proper formation for the first four. I will teach you a phase per day until you master it."
Wuxian nods and gets up, bows to Xian and hands over Yuxio her sword. He looks at his guardian: "Wen Ning, hand me Suibian."
Wen Ning gives him the sword he carries for him most of the time.
Without warning, Wuxian unsheathes Suibian and shocks everyone by repeating the gestures done yesterday by Yuxio and lighting his sword on fire.
She screams: "HOW DID YOU DO THAT?"
Wuxian smirks at her: "No talking. Watch me and follow my lead."
She watched him start the first phase formation and recognized the moves. She followed in confusion and after a few hours of training they stopped for the day.
Yuxio walked up to Wuxian when he sat on the ground to rest afterwards: "Treasure Wei, how did you learn our fighting style?"
Wuxian shows her his ring: "This ring allows me to see the spirits of the dead by touching something that belonged to them in this lifetime. Your grandmaster Yu Xian agreed to teach me the nine phases required to complete your training."
She sits next to him and looks sadly at him: "You saw my grandmaster?"
Wuxian: "I did. Would you like to see him?"
Wen Ning picks up Suibian and cuts them off: "No!"
Wuxian pouts at him: "Just for a few minutes."
Wen Ning frowns: "No!"
Yuxio looks sadly at Wen Ning: "Why not?"
Wen Ning: "I am sorry Yu Yuxio. Allowing others to communicate with the deceased affects his health. I was instructed by his Excellency and Grandmaster Qiren not to allow any unnecessary harm to come to him."
Yuxio smiles at Wuxian: "I am grateful to you for allowing me to fulfill my legacy. I will not ask for anything more."
A few days have passed. Wuxian would sit for a few hours with grandmaster Xian to learn a phase then spend hours after that with Yuxio teaching her what he learned. It was starting to take a toll on his health progress even though he enjoyed it.
On the third day, he woke up dizzy and chilled. Wangji asked about his health like he does every morning and Wuxian assured him that he's fine.
He arrived at the training ground and sat with Yuxio's sword in his lap to learn from grandmaster Xian. Instead of getting on with demonstrating the new phase, Xian sat in front of Wuxian and looked at him worriedly: "Divine one, you look tired. You should go rest for today."
Wuxian smiles at him: "I can endure."
Xian sees a shiver goes through Wuxian's body: "Are you cold?"
Wuxian chuckles: "Moving around while practicing will help warm me up."
Xian nods and gets up to continue the lesson. Wuxian was having a hard time following the new moves. He barely managed to grasp the fourth phase before he got up to teach it to Yuxio. Cheng was watching from afar. He was present in the training grounds to supervise the new recruits. He saw his brother stagger a few times and worriedly made his way towards Wuxian. He grabs his hand and gets close to whispering: "Go back and rest."
Wuxian taps his back: "I'm fine."
Cheng pulls back to look angrily at him: "You're not fine."
Wuxian hears someone speaking behind him: "He still clings to you like a child."
Cheng tightens his grasp on Wuxian when he hears it too.
A shiver runs through Wuxian at the memory of how painful Zidian's whip is and closes his eyes, leaning into his brother.
Yu Ziyuan walks closer to her son, glaring at him with sharp eyes: "How dare you act like a clingy child in the presence of these young disciples? Have you learned nothing!"
Cheng looks definitely at her: "Mother. I missed you too."
Ziyuan huffs and when Wuxian steps closer to his brother, deeper into his embrace: "Why is he back here? Hasn't his misfortune tainted our clan enough!"
She points her finger at her son and yells: "WHEN WILL YOU BE FREE FROM HIS SHADOW?"
Wen Ning yanks Wuxian from Cheng abruptly, causing Ziyuan to disappear. Wen Ning guided a shaking Wuxian to sit on the ground, while Cheng was still staring at where his mother was a few seconds ago.
Wen Ning looks worriedly at Wuxian: "Master Wei, look at me."
Wuxian looks disoriented, clenching and unclenching his fist that's grabbing Wen Ning's robes. Yuxio sits next to them: "Treasure Wei, what's wrong?"
Cheng takes off Zidian and places it in his robes and sits in front of Wuxian, reaching for his hand. Wuxian flinches away and looks with wide eyes at Cheng. Cheng puts his hands up: "It's off, I won't wear it near you again. I'm sorry."
Wuxian's eyes watered and he took a deep breath before he allowed his brother to help him up. He whispers tiredly to Cheng: "I wasn't prepared to confront her ever again."
Cheng lets out a chuckle: "Her wrath leaves no one unscathed. She scares me too."
Cheng helps Wuxian back to his room and into bed. No one knows how much his mother tortured Wuxian growing up more than him. Half of the beating he got was to block her rage towards Wuxian. He never understood why she despised him.
Wuxian woke up surrounded by warmth. He can feel Wangji's arms around him and opens his eyes to see his soul-bond sleeping peacefully. Wuxian was exhausted but instead of going back to sleep, he started to trace his fingers over Wangji's face; his eyebrow, his eyelashes, his nose and his lips. Wangji opens his eyes after a few minutes: "Wei Ying." Wuxian hums.
Wangji: "Do you feel better?"
Wuxian shakes his head sadly: "I'm tired."
Wangji rises, leans on his arm to look down on Wuxian in worry: "What is bothering you?"
Wuxian: "Do you think people are born good or evil?"
Wangji was surprised by the random question: "We are all born equal, our actions and intent dictates our status in life."
Wuxian: "Why do I feel like I was born evil and all my life has been dedicated to changing that."
Wangji cups his cheek and frowns: "You are not evil."
Wuxian laughs: "You have to say that as my soul-bond. Your opinion is biased."
Wangji: "I do not lie."
Wuxian closes his eyes and takes a shuddered breath: "Jiang Cheng's mother hated me from the moment I set foot on Lotus Pier. She took every opportunity she got to punish me with harsh accusations and her whip. I never fought back because she said I deserved it. Even now, her words sway me."
Wangji leans down to place his forehead on Wuxian: "Her anger was misplaced. Do not let it bother you."
Wuxian: "It hurts when it's coming from someone who has seen you grow."
Wangji lays back down and pulls Wuxian tightly: "I will praise you until her words are washed away."
Wuxian borrows deeper into Wangji's warmth: "It won't change the feeling of worthlessness that I feel."
Wangji: "I believe it will. Now rest."
The next time Wuxian wakes up, it's morning. He looks around to see Wangji is sitting at the table nearby, sipping tea in silence.
He got up to join him and the world turned hazy. When it cleared up, he's on the ground being cradled by his soul-bond. He opens his eyes to see Wangji's worried face: "Wei Ying! What's wrong?"
Wuxian couldn't speak. He blinks tiredly at him, then things around him start to change their shape.
'He's back. The glowing sky, the soft sand and the white snake were waiting. This time, his mind was clear: "What do you want from me?" The snake slithers closer and he hears its voice once more in his head: "We require nothing. It is you who needs us." Wuxian: "I never asked for this." The snake: "But you did. In a time of desperation. In a place where you were hopeless. Nevertheless, we care not for what you need. We care for the greater good and if finding you is the way, then so be it." Wuxian reaches out to touch the snake. Surprisingly, it doesn't bite him but moves to wrap around his arm: "Fear us not, young oracle. We will find you soon." Wuxian was mesmerized by the snake's movement and whispered: "I know you." The snake slithers to his ear and hisses, caressing his cheek: "Once we were one. And soon we will be again."'
Wuxian sits up with a loud gasp. He feels like his lungs are burning and his head is pounding. He feels panicked hands petting him, trying to calm him: "You're alright.. Just breathe.. Everything is well.."
He turns around to see Wangji sitting on the ground behind him, trying to soothe him. He swallows and says with a low voice: "What happened?"
Wangji was beyond freaking out: "Your eyes turned gold. You wouldn't respond to my call."
Wuxian looks around in confusion: "For how long?"
Wangji stops patting him and grabs him, pulling him into an embrace: "A few minutes."
The sudden embrace knocks the wind out of Wuxian: "Too.. tight!"
Wangji was shaking: "You scared me! What was that? Never do that again!"
Wuxian can feel Wangji losing his composure and instead of fighting him, he melts into the embrace: "I'm alright. Calm down. Don't be scared."
It took a long time for Wangji to calm enough to loosen his tight embrace and whisper shakily: "What.. What happened?"
Wuxian, who was leaning his head on his shoulder, whispered tiredly: "I think it was another vision. I saw the snake."
Wangji moves his hand to cup the back or Wuxian's neck: "You were awake."
Wuxian hums, comforted by the warmth coming from Wangji's hand.
Wangji: "You were awake and your eyes turned gold."
Wuxian nods his understanding then after a few minutes of silence, Wen Ning steps in.
He looks at the tear tracks under Wangji's eyes and drops next to them hastily: "What happened? Is Master Wei alright?"
Wuxian pushed away from Wangji and turned to smile at Wen Ning: "I'm fine."
Wangji stands up and pulls Wuxian with him. Wen Ning looks skeptically at them: "Why were you on the floor?"
Wuxian made his way to the table and they followed him. He calmly pours a cup of tea for himself and the others and after drinking it, he shares his vision with them both.
Wangji: "You recognized it this time?"
Wuxian rubs his nose: "More like.. I had a feeling we knew each other very well. I don't have any clear memories of it."
Wen Ning: "According to the previous vision, the snake will find you in two weeks."
Wuxian nods: "I guess we have to wait and see what it wants."
Wangji: "These visions are happening now while you're awake."
Wuxian smiles reassuringly: "At least now we know.. so no one else will freak out when it happens again."
Wangji shudders: "It was unsettling to witness."
Wuxian grabs his hand: "I'm sorry."
Wangji turns his hand to intertwine their fingers: "It's fine. I'm calm now."
Wuxian turns to Wen Ning: "Can you tell Yuxio that we can resume our training tomorrow. I want to rest for today."
Wen Ning nods and leaves to inform her.
Wangji: "Are you feeling unwell?"
Wuxian smiles: "No. I'm fine. Are you? I've never seen you panic like that."
Wangji pulls Wuxian next to him and moves close to take a deep breath from his comforting scent: "I've never felt so helpless. I thought you were dying again."
Wuxian plays with Wangji's hair and smiles: "I think I've proven that I don't die easy."
Wangji nods and pulls Wuxian closer until he was almost in his lap: "When will our lives settle down."
Wuxian chuckles: "With my luck, never."
.