"No!" Xiao Zhan exclaimed when he saw Wang Yibo swinging Bichen carelessly while he imbued some spiritual energy to it unknowingly, almost destroying his room in the process. Thankfully he was fast enough to react and prevented an adversity from happening, saving the furniture in the room from destruction.
"Yah! Bichen is not a toy!" He snapped when he managed to avert the disaster by taking away the silver sword from Wang Yibo's grasp in a flash. The table and the stools still got swept away in the burst of energy though but nothing was broken. It didn't surprise him that Wang Yibo was capable of channeling his spiritual energy into the sword since he already knew that the man had learned from Wei Wuxian on how to use his core. However, in Lan Wangji's body, Wang Yibo could not seem to control the amount of energy he just casually supplied to the sword. It was like his cultivation base had expanded twice its size.
He... has become even more powerful now...
Wang Yibo, on the other hand, was taken aback by Xiao Zhan's nimble martial art move to disarm him in just a couple of moves. "Oops... sorry." he rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I didn't mean to do that."
Xiao Zhan stared incredulously at the other man, not sure whether or not he should be angry with him. Eventually, he just sighed and hand the blade back to Wang Yibo. "Be careful with it. It's very sharp." he admonished gently.
Wang Yibo took it, feeling it buzzed with abundance of spiritual energy as soon as it made contact with his hand. He was of course intrigued by it. "This sword is so cool." He said in, gazing at the sword intently with awe clear in his eyes.
Now, he is really being Wang Yibo.
"Stop playing. Put it back in. You might cut yourself with it." Xiao Zhan reprimanded. There is nothing more dangerous than someone who was stupidly strong but had no idea on how to control his own power or contain it. Wang Yibo was currently this person.
"I am just going to look at it." Wang Yibo said in return, his eyes still fixated on the almost translucent blade while his finger ran along the inscription carved on the blade. The blade glowed with the touch, seemingly happy like a puppy wagging its tail from being pet by its master.
Xiao Zhan shook his head firmly. "I'm not kidding. It's really dangerous." He emphasized the word 'really'. "Put it back in."
"Fine." With reluctance, Wang Yibo did as he was told, sheathing the sword carefully back into its intricate scabbard, pouting ever so slightly.
Xiao Zhan sighed once again. The puppy look was tugging his heartstring. He explained, "Look, as cool as it might look, that sword had seen blood of thousands. I do not want you to accidentally hurt yourself, okay?"
"...Thousands?" Wang Yibo asked in disbelief. "Like... for real?"
Xiao Zhan nodded solemnly, "Yeah, for real."
Wang Yibo blinked several times before he seemed to have finally realized something. He lowered his hand that still clutched tightly on the sheathed sword, clearing his throat. "Ah... right. You really went through a war..." He murmured, glancing sideways at Xiao Zhan, as if unsure as to whether it is alright to talk about that topic.
"Yeah..." Xiao Zhan mumbled, staring at the floor forlornly. The war was not something he would like to be reminded about or talk about.
A silence passed between them for a moment. Wang Yibo cleared his throat then tried speaking. "It must've been hard ..." He trailed off uncertainly.
"... Yeah... It really was." Xiao Zhan replied softly.
Wang Yibo nodded slowly in understanding, before changing the subject. "It sure brings back some memories seeing you like this." He said, pointing at Xiao Zhan's attire. "You always hated to wear multiple layers during filming because it was hot." He recalled how Xiao Zhan always carried his little black fan everywhere and how he almost suffered a heat stroke once due to the thick layering of clothing he had to wear.
"Well, there is a spell inscribed to the robes to keep me cool." Xiao Zhan answered nonchalantly. "Your robes have it too."
Now that Xiao Zhan had mentioned it, he noticed that he did not feel stuffy at all even when he was wearing two layers. His eyes lit up. "Oh... wow. A spell like that exists?"
A knowing smirk crept onto Xiao Zhan's lips, "It sure does." He was the creator of the spell, of course.
"And you know how to use a sword now?" Wang Yibo asked with interest.
Xiao Zhan raised a brow before grinning widely, "Yep!"
"Really?" Wang Yibo enthused with wide eyed glee. "Can you show me?" He asked eagerly.
Xiao Zhan summoned Suibian that was still placed on its stand, out of its sheath with some hand gesture, before letting it hover above his palm in an impressive display of power.
"Woahhh!" Wang Yibo gasped with wide eyed wonderment. "This is... uh... Suibian?" He shook his head slightly as he said the ridiculous name of the first class spiritual weapon.
"It is." Xiao Zhan answered, smiling at the other's keen reaction.
"This is really the world of cultivation, huh?" Wang Yibo asked absentmindedly as he admired the levitating silver blade in front of him. "So, you can really fly with this sword?"
"Mhmm." Xiao Zhan hummed an answer, still grinning
Wang Yibo's eyes shimmered with excitement. "Cool!" Although Wei Wuxian had been taught him how to cultivate, he never really got a chance to apply it in real life. There wasn't a sword for him to use. It did cross his mind a few times that he would imbue his skateboard with spiritual power and fly with it for fun but after the first one, his very precious and expensive limited edition one, shattered to smithereens from being unable to contain the force of spiritual energy, he didn't dare to try anymore. He treasured his collections too much to test his curiosity.
Right about then, a voice came from outside the door. "Xiumo-jun, Hanguang-jun." A servant spoke. "Chifeng-zun had asked for your presence in two hours." She announced.
"Alright. We'll be there." Xiao Zhan answered. "Also, send someone to draw some hot water for bath." He instructed.
"Right away, Xiumo-jun." The servant replied respectfully before leaving.
"Xiumo-jun?" Wang Yibo inquired.
"It's a bestowed title." Xiao Zhan explained.
"I thought it's Yiling Laozu?" Wang Yibo asked again.
Xiao Zhan snorted, "That too. I have two titles now."
"I see. I see. You're famous even in this world." Wang Yibo stated, his eyes had a glint of mischief.
Xiao Zhan shrugged, "You are famous too, okay?" He pointed out.
They continued to chat for a while longer, catching up with each other before a few servants appeared, carrying a basin which held steaming hot water. They began pouring in a large amount into the tub at the adjacent room, filling it in. Soon enough, steam rose from the surface of the water, filling the room, making it seem like the place had turned into a sauna. Xiao Zhan went over to talk to one of the maids who was looking surprise by his request before giving him a polite nod in understanding. Once the task was done, the servants left the room without delay.
"You know, you are like a rich young master now." Wang Yibo commented with a grin, looking at how Xiao Zhan seemed very accustomed to the life here.
Xiao Zhan smirked. "Well, maybe because I am." Being a well-known cultivator whose inventions were widely sold and used in the cultivation world and being the youngest Master in a noble home came with the perk of wealth. If there is a list of top 10 of the richest Young Master under the age of 30 in cultivation world, he was among the top half.
Wang Yibo chuckled lightly at that, "You really are something. You had adapted to life here. Just as I expected you would."
Xiao Zhan's smile faltered slightly before he said, "It's for survival's sake. This world is a cruel one but I already got used to it." He then gestured to the prepared tub, "You can take a bath first." He told Wang Yibo.
Wang Yibo nodded obediently, "Okay." He then glanced at Xiao Zhan who was getting himself a set of clean change of clothing.
"Where are you going?" Wang Yibo asked curiously.
"I'll wash up somewhere else. I'll come back soon." Xiao Zhan said before heading towards the door. He usually washed up with Lan Wangji every day but he couldn't do that now. He couldn't help but to miss that version of Lan Zhan already.
Wang Yibo watched as the dark mahogany door slid shut. He then shrugged before he stripped and climbed into the tub, submerging himself under the warm water. Frankly, everything still felt like a dream to him. he hadn't fully adjusted yet to being in another time, realm and world. His eyes dropped at the bowls on the side table next to the tub which contained soap beans and fragrance essences, wondering which one to use first. He didn't take too long to think and just grabbed whichever closest to him. As long as he is clean and smells good, nothing else matters.
When Xiao Zhan returned to the room half an hour later, Wang Yibo was already out of the water, cladded in a towel, looking like a male god descending out of paradise albeit a very confused one. He was drying his long silky hair with towel, abdominal muscles flexed and contracted as he did so.
Xiao Zhan swallowed thickly. How could he not? His everyday routine with Lan Wangji usually started with a tight embrace and lots of kisses. But he couldn't do that with this version of Lan Wangji. Same soul, different era.
"Zhan Ge, how did you get ready so fast?" Wang Yibo remarked upon seeing Xiao Zhan coming into the room, all dressed up to the toe. "Your hair is all tied up neatly. Did you not wash your hair?"
"Ah... Well." He walked over to his direction and got him to sit on the stool before he casted a quick incantation. Within mere moments, a glowing small array appeared above Wang Yibo's head and he could feel the water that was damping his hair rapidly evaporated into the air. "This is a spell too?" He questioned, looking up at the mini formation that was doing its job effectively.
"Yes. A spell to dry the hair." Xiao Zhan stated indifferently.
"Oooh! How convenient." Wang Yibo said, his tone bored nothing but amazement.
Xiao Zhan looked at Wang Yibo with a faint smile on his lips before his gaze fell onto Wang Yibo's bare chest. He averted his eyes and cleared his throat. "You can wear your clothes now." He moved away from his vicinity to avoid any more unnecessary stares.
Wang Yibo dressed up rather quickly but he came to a halt when it came to the styling his hair. Even when his hair was short in the modern world, he never cared to style them himself because he had hairstylist to do it for him. Now, he had long hair that reached his butt and putting it up with a ribbon was already a struggle.
Xiao Zhan saw his predicament and stepped in to help him. "Let me do it. Hand me the forehead ribbon first." He requested, taking the cloth from Wang Yibo's hands. Without hesitation, Wang Yibo gave him the ribbon. Xiao Zhan made sure that the forehead ribbon was not crooked before grabbing another the hair tie and putting the long locks into a half updo. He then placed the usual hair accessories that Lan Wangji would wear usually, pinning it in securely in place. "Done." He declared, stepping back to let Wang Yibo see himself from every angle in the bronze mirror.
It was the face that Wang Yibo had never seen in almost five years since the filming ended, save for the light golden irises. It finally sank in. He is currently Lan Wangji. That being said, he was beginning to feel bothered about what was happening in the world he came from. He wasn't that worried about Wei Wuxian because he trusted that man to be capable of handling himself. The same couldn't be said about Lan Wangji. His career could be at stake if his 'past-self' did not inherit any of his memory.
"Come on. We have to go now." Xiao Zhan said after he was satisfied with Wang Yibo's appearance, cutting the former of out of his budding anxiety. "I will brief you on things you need to know along the way." He added. Even if he wanted to fix this soul-switch situation, it was out of his hand for the time being. So, it was better for him to focus on the other urgent matter.
Wang Yibo nodded, walking beside Xiao Zhan out of the room and down the hallways with him and listening as Xiao Zhan summarized the important points he needed to know, explaining what kind of situation they were in.
"Zhan G-" Wang Yibo started, only to be cut off by Xiao Zhan.
"Don't call me that." Xiao Zhan interrupted, stopping abruptly. "Not outside." He said, looking around the sides of the walkway that had some servants and disciples loitering about, doing their daily activities.
"Ah... Okay." Wang Yibo complied, "Wei Ying." He corrected himself. "So, what do we do now?" Wang Yibo inquired.
Xiao Zhan shook his head, "You don't need to do anything. I will handle everything." He informed calmly.
Wang Yibo frowned slightly, "Why can't I help?" He complained.
Xiao Zhan sighed, "You are in no position to help." He reminded. "It's better if you sit still."
"Fine." Wang Yibo grumbled but nevertheless nodded reluctantly.
"Just bear with me for today." Xiao Zhan said. He took a deep breath then proceeded to walk forward until they reached the entrance of the Sword Hall. There, the disciples bowed respectfully as soon as they walked in.
Wang Yibo tilted his head curiously at the sight of all of them bowing. There seemed to be more people than he expected. But of course, he couldn't compare this setting with a filming set. Rows and rows of people in emerald green robes with sabers strapped on their backs and cladded with light armors. He managed a composed demeanor as he returned their greetings with a light tip of his head. He was an actor and he had played this role before, so it was not hard to keep an even façade. Plus, the character was his past self, thus some traits still overlapped with his own. But still, that did not mean that he was acting a hundred percent like the ever so reserved Second Jade of Lan. After all, he just arrived from the modern world the day before.
"A-Ying, Wangji." Jiang Fengmian said as soon as he saw them both entering. "I came as soon as I heard that you found a clue to your father's case."
"Hello, Uncle Jiang." Xiao Zhan greeted, smiling gently.
Wang Yibo followed suit, "Hello, Uncle Jiang." He said in monotonous voice.
Xiao Zhan wanted to facepalm himself when he heard that.
Crap... I forgot to tell him what to call Uncle Jiang.
Jiang Cheng was the first to react at that unusual diminutive used by this Lan Wangji, his eyes were round as he looked at Wang Yibo in incredulity. "Uncle?" He echoed.
Jiang Fengmian, on the other hand, looked pleased as he felt that perhaps Lan Wangji was getting more familiar with him and closer. Even Lan Qiren did not get the privilege of getting called 'Shushu' and still stuck with the formal 'Shufu'. "Yes, hello, Wangji." He beamed.
Phew... I need to brief him on what to call people after this...
Xiao Zhan secretly heaved a sigh of relief while Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes skyward as his father looked like he was fawning over his future nephew-in-law.
"Wei Wuxian, what did you find?" Jiang Cheng asked, tapping his feet impatiently.
Xiao Zhan's expression immediately turned somber upon hearing that, "Uncle Jiang..." he paused hesitantly.
Jiang Fengmian sensed the atmosphere immediately and furrowed his brows, "What happened? Speak your mind."
"I'll tell you after this." Xiao Zhan said, shaking his head. No one else apart from the five of them knew about the finding yesterday and he didn't want to cause a scene in front of many people. Especially with Jiang Chen here. That short fused person would definitely scream and yell with what he was about to say soon. He stepped forward in front of the group Qinghe Nie's disciples before giving a command, "You all can leave for morning training." Since the Third Young Master had spoken, they all complied and filed out one by one.
Once there was no one else except them in the vicinity, Xiao Zhan drew a heavy breath, choosing his words carefully, "Uncle Jiang..." He started, "It's your gift."
Jiang Fengmian raised an eyebrow, "My gift? What about it?" He paused, pressing his lips together into a thin line as he caught the meaning. "Are you suspecting me, A-Ying?" He asked in a grim voice.
"No. No, it's not like that." Xiao Zhan quickly denied. He exhaled heavily before saying, "The lanyard seems to be the cause of Father's collapse."
Jiang Fengmian's eyes widened. "W-what?" He stammered.
"Wei Wuxian! You bastard! How dare you make such wild accusation about Father!" Jiang Cheng yelled; his face was red in anger.
"I am not making a wild accusation. There are malevolent inscriptions found on the beads of the lanyard." Xiao Zhan stated flatly, watching as his uncle's expression went from surprised to horrified. He couldn't help but feel sorry for his uncle. He was sure that his uncle is not the culprit but he couldn't do anything until they found concrete evidence proving otherwise. Being suspected for something he wasn't guilty of is not something one would want to experience. "The traces matched." He informed.
"You!" Before Jiang Cheng could explode further into expletives of fury, Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang came in.
They both gave the stupefied elder an obeisance, "Uncle Jiang." They both greeted.
"Let's have a seat first, Uncle Jiang." Nie Mingjue said, keeping his tone respectful but firm.
"...Alright." Jiang Fengmian agreed, a frown still marred his face but he still took a seat. "A-Cheng, sit down." He ordered his son who was still huffing and puffing.
"Hmph!" Jiang Cheng gritted his words, obviously not pleased with the circumstances. He begrudgingly sat down, still glaring at Xiao Zhan who ignored him entirely.
Nie Mingjue began by asking, "Uncle Jiang, where did you get the lanyard?"
"I purchased it at the well-known sword accessories store in Yunping a couple of days before the ceremony." Jiang Fengmian was saying in a voice as gentle as ever despite his obvious uneasiness.
"I can vouch for Father! I was with him when he bought that lanyard." Jiang Cheng said, his expression was hard. So was his tone.
Nie Mingjue waved his hand, taking out the item that was already sealed to prevent any harm. He showed it to Jiang Fengmian, "Is this your gift, Uncle Jiang?"
Jiang Fengmian looked at the item intently. His brows furrowed when he noticed something. "Wait, this is not what I bought." His face twisted into confusion as he examined it more closely. "It looks almost the same but the beads are different."
Xiao Zhan's eyebrows creased together as the scene started to unravel. "Are you sure, Uncle Jiang?"
"Yes! There's no mistake!" Jiang Fengmian declared. "The beads on the lanyard I bought was made from pure gold but those beads here are made from brass." He then mentioned confidently to Xiao Zhan, "A-Ying, you can use Empathy on me and see it for yourself if that can be a prove to my innocence." Xiao Zhan's technique was no longer a secret to him since Jiang Cheng had a big mouth and told him all about it when Xiao Zhan used it on Wen Chao back in the war time.
Xiao Zhan hummed as he pondered about it for a moment. He couldn't think of any reasons for the failed Empathy sessions and he couldn't help the anxiety that started building up whenever he thought about what would happen if he couldn't figure this one out anytime soon.
Still... I need to bring Lan Zhan back. I need to figure this out.
However, before Xiao Zhan could agree, Wang Yibo grabbed his hand to stop him, looking concerned. "Wei Ying." He spoke, "You are still hurt from earlier." He reminded firmly; his brows knitted deeply in alarm.
Xiao Zhan stared at him for a moment before smiling faintly, "It's okay. I need to do this." He stated. He needed to know if it was Empathy per se failed or was it just Wang Yibo's consciousness that he couldn't reach into. "I know when to pull back now." He reassured.
Seeing his determination, Wang Yibo released his hold reluctantly. "Be careful." The worry was still evident in his voice.
"Eh? Were you hurt, Didi?" Nie Huaisang asked.
Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes and huffed, "Hurt? Who can hurt the invincible one?" He said sarcastically.
"Enough." Nie Mingjue said as he shot a glare at Jiang Cheng and that promptly shut him up.
Xiao Zhan simply ignored Jiang Cheng's remark and spoke to Jiang Fengmian, "Let's do it, Uncle Jiang."
When they were in position, Xiao Zhan closed his eyes, concentrating and willing himself to reach into Jiang Fengmian's subconsciousness. It didn't take long for him to be inside of Jiang Fengmian's mindscape.
So, it is not Empathy that failed. It must be something about Yibo. Or Lan Zhan.
After reaching that conclusion, he began to search through his uncle's memory banks and soon enough, he found what he was looking for. He inspected the scene played before him carefully, looking intently at the purchase that was happening. Jiang Fengmian was right. What he had bought was different than the enchanted item that had caused Sect Leader Nie's Qi poisoning. Up to the point of gifting the carved box containing the lanyard, there was no sign of the item being tampered with.
"Uncle Jiang is telling the truth." Xiao Zhan spoke softly after opening his eyes, massaging his temples as headache began to form in them. Using this mind skill for the third time in just few hours took a lot of his reserve. Not to mention that the side effects from the rebound still lingered. He leaned heavily against Wang Yibo.
"Of course, Father is telling the truth, idiot! Do you think that Father would lie?" Jiang Cheng said, he was still bitter about his father being put under suspicion. "Why would you do you even have a doubt on that! What an ungrateful dumbass." He gritted his teeth.
Wang Yibo flashed a cold and sharp gaze at Jiang Cheng as he spoke, "What is with you? So disrespectful and unreasonable." He snapped. He didn't like the way Jiang Cheng talked to Xiao Zhan since he first met him and he was never one to tolerate other people talking shit about people he cared about.
Jiang Cheng froze, his eyes widening for a brief moment and before he could say another word, Xiao Zhan beat him to the punch, speaking in a calm tone, "It's fine. Let it be." He patted Wang Yibo's on his forearm, trying to keep the man calm and ultimately quiet. If he didn't do that, Wang Yibo would probably start cursing the other out.
"But..." Wang Yibo started before Xiao Zhan held up a hand to silence him again.
"Let it be." Xiao Zhan repeated, his tone brooked no argument.
Wang Yibo frowned but didn't say anything else afterwards. He then noticed the paler complexion on Xiao Zhan's face. He instinctively knew that he would be more useful if he transferred some of his into Xiao Zhan. So, he did.
Xiao Zhan was startled at first but otherwise didn't reject his advance. The familiar energy eased away the throbbing ache in his skull.
"Ahem. So back to the business." Nie Huaisang spoke up. Although Lan Wangji's atypical reactions caught his attention, he was more interested on who tried to hurt his father for the moment. "So, this is a different lanyard?"
Xiao Zhan nodded his head. "Yes. What Uncle Jiang had given to Father was indeed not the same one."
"If that is the case. Someone must've swapped it out then," Nie Mingjue surmised.
Jiang Fengmian's expression darkened, a storm brewing in his eyes, "Who would go to such length to hurt my brother and frame me for it?"
Xiao Zhan's eyes narrowed slightly, rubbing his chin as he tried to piece together the puzzle in front of him. This whole thing reeked of Jin Guangshan's hand in it. "Didn't Lanling Jin Sect arrive late to the ceremony?" He stated. "Their fancy entrance could be a distraction to swap the gift."