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Wei Wuxian was not a sentimental man. He did believe in justice and unconditional love but he knows better than to believe in 'happily ever after' stories. He's been soul-bonded for a quite a while now and recently he feels like Wangji and him are not on the same page. He hates feeling like this. Like.. he's somehow lacking. He had a family growing up but for some reason most of his actions are never made with shared consequences in mind. He reaped what he sowed.. alone.
Wuxian stood in front of the Quiet Room's door, psyching himself out to man up and face Wangji's anger like an adult. Wen Ning steps behind him and lays the snake back to wind around his body. Wuxian whispers to him: "I feel like a coward."
Wen Ning: "Why?"
Wuxian: "I wanted to drink until I passed out to avoid this moment."
Wen Ning: "Yet.. you're here."
Wuxian takes a deep breath and with unsteady hands opens the door and makes his way in. Wangji was mixing his night potion. He looked up to see who entered and then returned to his task without saying anything. Wuxian stiffly made his way to sit at the table and waited for the fireworks to start.
His hands shook when he took the cup offered by Wangji. He was not delusional. He knew that he suffered from abandonment issues and Wangji's prolonged anger was not helping with his anxiety.
Wangji took the cup from him after he drank it and felt the tremors in his hand: "Wei Ying, are you cold?"
Wuxian closes his eyes and whispers: "If you're angry with me, just yell until you're satisfied. The silent glares and avoidance is stressing me out."
Wangji grabs his hand: "I will not raise my voice at you."
Wuxian opens his eyes and sighs: "I know you're angry. It's alright. I can take it."
Wangji moves to sit next to him: "I am not angry."
Wuxian frowns: "You were earlier. What changed?"
Wangji smiles warmly: "I can never stay angry with you. I had time to reflect and as your partner, the least I can do is respect your need for privacy."
Wuxian: "But.. Zewu Jun yelled at me. I thought you would share his reaction on the matter."
Wangji cups Wuxian's cheek: "You deserve nothing but love and trust from me."
Wuxian pouts: "I drank to prepare myself for this? So lame."
Wangji pulls Wuxian into his lap and buries his face in his neck: "All I want for you is to be happy, healthy and safe."
Wuxian hugs him back and hums in appreciation: "Me too."
They met Zewu Jun the next day to discuss the arrangements he planned for the people hogging the gate. The older man suggested that for the time being Wuxian would meet 5 people for spirit communication and 3 for healing. Zewu Jun will groom a senior disciple to be an assistant during that time and help manage the candidates for the day. This will be applied five days a week and will change based on Wuxian's tolerance to the load.
The Treasure Room was done. The main area was adjusted to welcome the visitors by adding a plantation area to grow the golden leaf. Nie Huaisang sent a gift for Wuxian: a grand throne-like chair with snake engravings. Wuxian loved it and decided to place it at the head of the room.
Nie wasn't the only one who sent gifts. Many other clans took the initiative to, as Jingyi puts it, kiss his butt with offerings to win his favor.
Wuxian looks at all the stuff he received in awe: "I don't understand. What do they want in return?"
Zewu Jun: "Nothing.. for now. This is how politics works."
Wuxian looks suspiciously at the names of people who sent him stuff: "Can we not accept some of them?"
Zewu Jun shakes his head: "That would be impolite."
Wangji: "As my soul-bond, any gifts you receive and like shall be yours. Anything you wish to discard can be stored in the clan treasury for other clan members to use."
Wuxian chose to keep only the chair and a book he thought was interesting. It was a gift from a small cultivator clan he doesn't recognize and had illustrations and detailed descriptions of different kinds of animals.
Tomorrow will be his first day to receive visitors and he was nervous. Zewu Jun introduced him to the new assistant, which to his surprise was a woman: "I thought men and women in Lan Clan are not allowed to mingle?"
The new assistant kneeled before Wuxian then says: "Divine Oracle, I'm senior disciple Lan Ran. It will be my honor to serve you and the ones who are in need of your blessings."
Wuxian walks up to her and smiles: "It's my pleasure to make your acquaintance. Rise."
She stood up and smiled back: "I have experience mitigating difficult encounters and resolving conflicts. I was chosen by Zewu Jun for my experience. Gusu Lan Clan will allow the bending of rules out of necessity."
Wuxian nods: "You're going to have your hands full. I'm well known for attracting trouble."
She chuckles: "I am well aware. Don't worry. As our treasure, protecting you is also my priority."
Zewu Jun: "I will be attending with you for the first week until you find a comfortable rhythm. Brother, please be honest and clear with what you can and cannot do. We're here to help people but not at the expense of your health. Understood?"
Wuxian grunts his approval and whispers under his breath: '.. definitely not the nice one anymore.'
Lan Ran openly stared at Da Ziran. She was fascinated by how the snake was moving with Wuxian as he gestured and shifted in his new chair. Wuxian notices her and says: "You like snakes?"
Ran was snapped out of her trance and shakes her head: "Not in particular. I'm just curious. I heard your spirit animal can shift form, is that true?"
Wuxian: "Don't know yet. Da Ziran shifted to a horse a couple of times but that was it."
Ran: "Do you mind if we experiment later with different forms?"
Wuxian nods at her: "That would be fun."
The next day, Wuxian took extra care getting ready. This is the first time his room will be open to the public and he will officially start his duties as Divine Oracle and Treasure of Gusu Lan Clan. He was excited to test his limits but nervous about representing an entire clan. He was a man who thrives under pressure and today will be the day he shines for sure.
Wangji took his hand and walked him to the Treasure Room. Wuxian remembered something as they walked: "Lan Zhan, Keeper Daozi told me that you requested to keep the back area of the Treasure Room off limits. Why?"
Wangji smiles at him: "You have to wait."
Wuxian pouts: "For how long?"
Wangji didn't reply and opted to kiss his hand and continued the walk in silence.
Wuxian enters the new place to find all his young disciples and few more Lan Clansmen present. He turns to look at Ran: "Why is there an army in my main hall?"
Ran: "Disciples for protection and healers to help the ill."
Wuxian sits on his chair and all the people present kneeled. He sighs: "Rise. We are all equal."
Sizhui goes to stand next to his father: "Are you feeling well today?"
Wuxian smiles at him and nods. Wangji kisses his hand and when he receives a reassuring nod leaves to attend to his duties. People were ushered in one at a time. Some demanding justice for a wrongful death, some wanting reassurances from a loved one who passed and some demanded answers from the deceased. All were simple cases that were solved easily by lunch time. Sizhui kept a close eye on his father's health while Ran and Zewu Jun regulated his interaction with the visitors.
Things started going awry by the time the ill were ushered in. Wuxian used the soil in his plantation at the main hall to make the golden leaf mini trees. The healers would handle the rest. By the second growth, Wuxian started to feel fatigued. He looked at the silently weeping mother who's holding her sick child and felt his heart break a little. Suddenly, healing three people a day felt selfish and cruel.
Sizhui touched his shoulder and whispered: "Treasure Wei, are you alright?"
Wuxian looks at him in confusion and suddenly realizes that he too was shedding tears in silence. Her suppressed agony was affecting him.
He whispers to Sizhui: "I'm fine."
The leaf didn't work. The boy has passed the point of recovery. Even with the blessings of the Mother Tree, death cannot be cheated.
The mother held her son's body and composed herself. She bowed deeply and said: "Divine Oracle, thank you for seeing us and blessing us with hope. It was his time. May he join our ancestors in the afterlife and they rest in peace."
Wuxian wrapped his arms around his body and felt dread freeze his thoughts. He failed. A boy is dead because he failed. He feels someone touch his shoulder to get his attention. Zewu Jun: "Brother, calm down."
Wuxian was in shock. This was not supposed to happen. Zewu Jun frowns at the unresponsive Wuxian: "Brother, do you wish to retire for the day?"
Wuxian shakes his head and whispers: "Just one more left."
After he made the last golden leaf for the day, he hastily made his way out, across the grounds and headed to where he knew Wangji would be. He enters the library and without uttering a word, lands on a surprised Wangji's lap, curls up and burrows his face in his chest. He sobbed quietly while clutching his robes.
Wangji was not expecting such blatant demand for comfort from Wuxian but rubs his back anyways: "Wei Ying, what troubles you?"
Wuxian: "A boy is dead!"
Wangji: "How?"
Wuxian: "I was supposed to heal him.. I made the leaf.. but it didn't work.. then he died.. his mother was weeping.. she thanked me anyways.."
Wangji was barely putting together the mumbling coming from the face buried in his chest.
Wangji: "You cannot save them all. You are not a God or a Holy Deity."
Wuxian wails: "A BOY IS DEAD!"
Wangji sighs and just silently comforts the distressed man in his arms. It took an hour to calm Wuxian. During that time, Zewu Jun joined them silently, while Wen Ning blocked the library door for privacy. Wuxian cried himself to exhaustion and ended up leaning on Wangji, still hiding his face but fresh out of tears.
Wuxian lets out an agony filled sigh and his hair starts to glow in waves of gold. Both brothers were taken back by the golden glimmer of light emanating from Wuxian's hair. They looked at each other then simultaneously reached to gently touch the golden hair. They were immediately assaulted by memories that were not their own.
'A woman holding her newborn baby boy, crying tears of joy.. Feeding him and taking care of him as he grows.. watching him walk and talk for the first time.. Working three jobs to keep him alive and happy after her husband dies from an overturned cart.. Seeing the boy cry because his tummy hurts.. Spending all her money visiting healer after healer, moving from one village to another.. Hearing the women gossip about the most beautiful man alive blessed by a Deity who can heal all illnesses and summon the spirits of the dead.. Carrying her child, day and night, without rest to reach an overcrowded gate.. She had no money and was relieved to hear that he didn't demand compensation.. Begging the people to let her go first.. She knew her son was going to die but a mother's job is to never give up.. She laid eyes on the blessed man and her heart was filled with hope when he smiled at her with warmth.. Seeing him shed tears for her.. Witnessing him empathizing with her grief.. All she can do is thank him for his blessings.. Maybe next time she can come and request to see her son again..'
They were both assaulted with emotions so hyped, tears ran down their faces without their permission. Wangji struggled with the emotions he felt and looked down to see Wuxian had finally succumbed to exhaustion and fallen asleep. It took a few minutes for both brothers to rein in the rogue emotions transferred from what they saw.
Zewu Jun: "What did we just witness?"
Wangji tightened his embrace around Wuxian: "Someone else's emotions and memories."
Zewu Jun: "But how? I made sure no one was allowed to touch him."
Wangji looks worriedly at his brother: "His hair.."
Zewu Jun frowns: "I've never seen anything like it before."
Wangji stands, carrying Wuxian with him and moves towards the door. Zewu Jung and Wen Ning follow him silently. After Wangji settles Wuxian in their bed and turns to continue his conversation with his brother: "We need to start documenting all the changes he's going through."
Zewu Jun: "I don't even know how to describe what just happened."
Wangji takes out the prophecy he took from Wuxian and shows it to his brother: "It says: He will see what was, what will be. Do you think that means the past and the future?"
Zewu Jun's expression darkens: "That's too much of a burden for one man. How can the Deity be so cruel?"
Wangji closes his eyes when he feels sadness wash over him: "I can still feel her pain. Even empathy doesn't have this strong of an effect when performed."
Zewu Jun looks sadly at a sleeping Wuxian: "No wonder he ran to you for comfort. He probably never felt this emotionally overwhelmed before."
Wangji looks desperately at his brother: "This kind of emotional displacement could be debilitating. What should we do?"
Zewu Jun shakes his head: "Uncle will arrive tomorrow. I pray to the heavens he has answers because this is clearly out of our element."
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