Lan Qiren's brows knitted in a frown. His nephew just told him about the most absurd news in his entire life as a cultivator. Wei Wuxian had done something extraordinary, and he didn't know whether he should be proud of the boy or be suspicious of his achievement. With what he accomplished, that greenhorn might have surpassed even him in terms of cultivation level.
That aside, what worried him more was his favorite disciple seemed to grow ridiculously close to the unruly teen. Although, he admitted in his heart, he might have been biased with his judgments knowing that the insufferable boy was a descendant of someone he disliked.
Xiao Zhan had just got out from being flocked by other disciples when he was summoned to Lan Qiren's office. It took him a while to struggle out of a quicksand now he was to go and face the lion. He squirmed in the flat bamboo mat as the Old Man Lan still scanned him from the top of his head to the end of his toe from his seat. The twin of Jades was seated at the opposite side of the aisles.
"Lan-xiansheng, is there a problem?" He couldn't stand the discomforting glare any longer. The hair on his nape stood up with goosebumps.
"I was told of your feat in Caiyi City and most importantly Biling Lake. Xichen had told me the accounts of the event. Is it true that you exterminated the creature?
Xiao Zhan answered plainly, "Yes."
Lan Qiren hummed, stroking his goatee before he directed a question to his nephew, "Wangji, what is the method to exterminate a waterborne abyss?"
Lan Wangji's answer was like whatever written in the textbook. "Waterborne abyss is formed by resentful energy from the watercourse. Water has to be drained, emptied of its sunken materials, then exposed under the sun for 3 to 5 years."
"That is the right method. To seal it temporarily was not an easy task." Lan Qiren nodded. He narrowed his eyes and asked skeptically, "Wei Wuxian, did you do something you should not do?"
Xiao Zhan's expression hardened, What is it that I should not be doing?
"I don't understand what you are implying, Lan-xiansheng?"
Lan Qiren, "How can someone like you manage to do that?"
Someone like me? Hahhh... This old man. The only time I was ill-behaving in front of him was on the first day of the lesson. Isn't it too much to be constantly looking for my faults when I was already punished? I am pretty much a saint compared to the original Wei Wuxian!
Xiao Zhan pursed his lips bitterly. He could see it as bright as day that regardless of how good he behaved; he would always be a target of Lan Qiren. It was probably the right time for a payback. He lifted his face to meet the suspicious eyes of the Old Man Lan with a pallid expression. He asked, "Lan-xiansheng, I apologize in advance for asking this but have you forgotten about the rules that are on the Wall of Disciplines?"
Lan Qiren could feel the blood rushing to his head with the brazen question. "What do you mean by that?!"
Xiao Zhan's face wore the same expression that Lan Wangji always put on, speaking in monotone, "Lan clan disciples must follow the principles of the Lan, do not be suspicious, do not jump to an unfounded conclusion, be careful with your words, do not succumb to rage, do not be unreasonable, correct others by correcting yourself, do not be supercilious, be amicable and united, be strict with yourself, be just, have courtesy and integrity, have affection and gratefulness, be compassionate, be generous, morality is the priority, harmony is the value, do not judge people behind their back, be easy on others, do not hold grudges, be grateful, do not disregard the younger."
"Wei Wuxian!" The elder's face was crimson with fury as he heard the teen recite the rules of his clans as a means to get back at him.
"Lan-xiansheng, you taught all of us this on the first day of the lesson. Let's ask the head of Discipline if there is any mistake in the rules I recited." Xiao Zhan gave Lan Qiren no break at all. He turned his head to Lan Wangji and inquired in a manner that could give one diabetes, "Lan Zhan, are those words I just mentioned, part of the 3000 rules?"
Lan Wangji answered a heartbeat, "Yes."
Lan Qiren exploded out of the chair at that confirmation. He could no longer hold his anger. What in the world went wrong that drove his favorite nephew to openly support that rude descendent of Cangse Sanren! His voice raised a few notes as he scorned, "You are selectively using it to your benefit! How about reciting those you had just broken?"
"Lan-xiansheng, in case you have forgotten, let me remind you once again. I am not a Lan Sect disciple. I am not obligated to follow other clans' rule, am I now?" Xiao Zhan was still speaking in a polite tone, but his intention was nowhere near that. He did not know what came over him as he talked back to an elder without batting an eye. Perhaps Wei Wuxian was trying to take his body back for a moment. He clenched Suibian tightly just in case some sword was to be sent flying towards his direction by the ruffled-up older cultivator.
Lan Xichen stepped in before things could heat up even worse, "Uncle, let's calm down. It was all thanks to Young Master Wei that Caiyi Town has been free from the troublesome waterborne abyss. The water ghouls were entirely eliminated afterward too."
Lan Qiren let out a harsh breath, huffing, "Very well."
"Young Master Wei had taken a lot of damage and has yet to fully recover too. Why not give him a break from the class?" Lan Xichen suggested. He needed to send the Young Master Wei away and be safe from his uncle's sight for now.
"Fine. Do whatever you want." The Old Man Lan said while massaging the back of his neck. He got too riled up with the boy's audacity and he would rather not see him for a few days in his class anyway.
"Thank you, Lan-xiansheng, Zewu-jun!" Xiao Zhan instantly beamed at the decision. Grinning from ear to ear, he immediately got up from his seat and gave a deep bow. "If I may be excused, I will take my leave now."
In a flash, Lan Wangji stood up after him too. "Uncle, Brother. Please allow me to do the same." He said, bowing at them.
Xiao Zhan chuckled, "Let's go together then."
And then, they went off, walking out side by side. They didn't even wait a second longer to hear what Lan Qiren's or Lan Xichen's response would be.
Lan Qiren was frozen in disbelief and his words were robbed out of him. His blood pressure was soaring way higher than usual right at the moment.
The First Jade, on one side, tried his best to swallow his laugh as he shook his head lightly in amusement. Once again, his younger brother had done something unlike him.
"Where are we heading?" Xiao Zhan was just following Lan Wangji's trail. They needed a private place to speak anyway so he left the decision to the real expert of the area. Lan Wangji did not reply but gestured to just keep up with him. When he arrived, he realized where the final destination was. The Cold Spring.
"Woah! This place is seriously amazing." He exclaimed, stunned by the scenic view, "Beautiful."
Admiring the landscape, Xiao Zhan spun round and round looking at the surrounding majestic-looking aqua blue spring, and almost forgot about his original purpose. It was beyond his imagination how ethereal and otherworldly the nature of this world. It was unlike the drama that used CGI and green screens and the filming sets were surrounded with tracks for multiple cameras, props, and busy staff.
Thinking back to the last time in Caiyi town, the water ghouls, corpses, and waterborne abyss were all a hundred times more terrifying than he originally expected although his saneness was protected, and his fear was erased by 'his' body. He realized now the drama he acted in or even the animation was only recreated through the reader's imagination.
Of course. Nothing beats the real stuff!
He kicked away his boots and put one foot in, testing the temperature. He retracted it almost immediately.
"Ack! This is ice cold!" He muttered while shaking his leg, trying to warm it back. "Too cold! Too cold!"
Lan Wangji stated bluntly, "Of course. It's a cold spring."
"Wow, look at you! From whom did you learn to be sarcastic? Who's the bad influence?" Xiao Zhan clicked his tongue.
"You." Lan Wangji answered without hesitation.
"..." Xiao Zhan was rendered speechless.
"It's a good place to heal and cultivate." Lan Wangji clarified.
Xiao Zhan edged closer to him. "Because it can calm down one's heart, clear one's mind, quench one's fire, and so on?" He teased.
Lan Wangji looked away, avoiding his eye contact, "It is good for you."
"Hm? What do you mean?" Xiao Zhan asked, baffled by the insinuation.
Good for me? Did he read my mind or something? Please don't say you have power like that X-Men professor. I've been thinking a lot of weird stuff lately. It's practically a gutter.
Lan Wangji contemplated whether or not it was a good idea to say it. After a long pause, he finally spoke."I saw your eyes. It was red."
"Huh??" Xiao Zhan got even more confused.
Red? Isn't it normal when you almost drown? It is a normal physiological reaction.
"In the lake. After you exterminate it." Lan Wangji tried to explain.
Xiao Zhan still did not get it. "How red are talking about? Be specific. Like conjunctivitis red? Or after crying the whole night red?"
Lan Wangji stared squarely at Xiao Zhan's eyes."Your pupils were glowing in blood red."
"What??" Xiao Zhan was taken aback by the statement. He stayed silent for a while, mulling over his thoughts on this matter.
Did Wei Wuxian's eyes glow red whenever he used demonic cultivation? The novel never mentioned this.
"Are you sure? Did you somehow make a mistake? I was in the water maybe it's just reflection?" Xiao Zhan asked again.
"I did not make a mistake." His gaze fell on Xiao Zhan's hand. "And I checked."
"Check it again." Following the gaze, Xiao Zhan lifted his wrist in front of the second Jade to urge him to examine his core again.
Lan Wangji did what he wanted and after a while, he released his hands. "It's an ominous energy."
"What?? What the fu-" Horrified, Xiao Zhan clasped his hands over his head. He looked up to the sky, searching for the invisible hands that pull the strings.
Did this happen because I said I wouldn't take the same path? Are you kidding me, whoever you are? Why the hell are you doing this to me? This is... Ah... I am going fucking insane.
He inhaled a deep breath and blew out slowly, as he requested politely, "Lan Zhan, please close your ears. I need to cuss. I can't hold it. Quick, before your purity gets tainted."
Lan Wangji shook his head lightly, refusing to do so.
Xiao Zhan scrunched his brows, glowering at his untimely stubbornness. "Fine. Don't tell your uncle you heard this from me. Don't say I never warned you." He said.
And that day, another waterfall formed in Gusu. It wasn't made up of literal falling water but rather a long stream of all sorts of profanities and vulgar words in all languages and dialects that Xiao Zhan had previously learned.
Lan Wangji eventually walked a few feet further to give Xiao Zhan some space to hurl out whatever curses he wanted to get it off his chest. Also, he had heard enough obscenities to fill a textbook or two that he could feel his ears burning. If this was a normal circumstance, he might have dragged Wei Ying to receive punishment himself. Nonetheless, he knew that the person in front of him now just needed to vent his frustration. Just like the day at the waterfall. He should be more understanding. So, he did.
"Okay, a big fuck you to you! You want me to be the terrifying necromancer Patriarch that people would regard as a monster and later try to kill? It's killed or be killed huh? Sure! Fine! But I will do it my way! So, screw you, you damn lunatic beings or demons or whatever boring entity you are!" With those final few words, he stopped yelling at the unseen entities up in the sky. He exhaled another long heavy breath once he had his fill of swearing and cussing at the entities that were pulling a prank on him. His entire body trembled with extreme annoyance that he felt.
Inner peace, Xiao Zhan. Inner peace.
After calming down, he finally noticed Lan Wangji had moved to a different spot. "I'm sorry for that unsightly display and those words. I really needed it." Xiao Zhan said as he approached Lan Wangji again.
"Mn." Lan Wangji nodded.
Xiao Zhan gave him a lackluster smile before setting his eyes on the turquoise-blue pond in front of him. Letting his grievance melt away with the flowing water. A few minutes of silence went by staring into space, he suddenly put down his sword on the ground and took off his outer robes and his belt without giving the other teen a heads up.
Lan Wangji averted his gaze, surprised by the sudden stripping that was happening. "What are you doing?" He asked an obvious question.
"You brought me here to do this. Am I wrong?" Xiao Zhan said, shrugging his clothes casually.
"..." The Second Jade of Gusu Lan looked everywhere but his direction.
"Aiyo Lan Zhan, relax, would you? You'll be surprised how skimpy the clothing can be in my world." Xiao Zhan said while he was already in the last layer of his clothing. Modern world Xiao Zhan did not feel that it was a big deal to strip half-naked in front of others. Topless, he made his way into the cold spring bare-chested. In waist-deep water, he fumbled around inside the bone-chilling pond, "This is not just cold! This is freezing! How is this going to help calm one's heart? By cutting off blood circulation? I mean, if you are dead, your heart technically will be calm eternally." He complained loudly.
Lan Wangji shook his head out of incredulity. "Ridiculous".
"Hey, it was very a logical argument! Oh, actually you're right, it sure does calm the mind because all you think about is how not to freeze to death!" Xiao Zhan yapped while jumping up and down trying to fight the cold. "Why are you still up there? Come on! You brought me here. We should suffer together!"
Lan Wangji merely shot him a pointed look at the invitation.
Xiao Zhan cackled at his reaction. "You literally hugged me tight yesterday. Why are you so embarrassed now?"
"..." Lan Wangji's ears burned bright pink as he recalled that particular memory of physical touch.
Xiao Zhan was doubling up with laughter before he stopped abruptly in surprise when Lan Wangji suddenly stripped himself to his pants and stepped into the water despite being embarrassed. Xiao Zhan didn't expect him to actually do it. And he definitely did not expect to see that bare upper body that Lan Wangji came in with. He swallowed a big gulp.
Oh boy.
Lan Wangji was standing beside him with a hand on his shoulder. A surge of warmness was radiating in from the hand that made contact with his skin. "Your lips are purple." He stated with a hint of concern in his voice.
Xiao Zhan was stunned with the gesture but he was grateful nonetheless. "Thank you."
As they stood there silently side-by-side, he couldn't stop himself from admiring the ivory-chiseled figure. His eyes unintentionally made a national geographic exploration of the newfound territory.
Why is this guy so perfect in everything? Look, talents, brain, and body. Very sweet and kind as a bonus. He's going to be super popular if he is in the entertainment industry. Wait, 'he' is already super popular! Come to think of it, apart from the stark difference in personality, they are pretty much the same. Lan Zhan dances with his sword, and Yibo dances with choreography. This one plays Guqin, and the other sings and raps. Both are smart and stubborn. Perhaps Yibo is his reincarnation. Do I like him? Or him? Wait, what am I saying? I am losing my sound mind. This damned teenager's body. I need a much colder shower than this.
Xiao Zhan noticed he no longer felt cold since Lan Wangji came in. He felt like he was in a hot spring at the moment despite being in a cold spring. He splashed some water to his face, to wake himself up from his star-struck stupor.
Some water accidentally splashed onto Lan Wangji's face and his long eyelashes fluttered as his eyes opened. A few droplets trickle down his ink-black hair. "Do not move." Lan Wangji growled.
"Oops, this is my mistake. Forgive me?" Xiao Zhan asked, there was a hint of teasing in his voice.
A splash was sent his way as an answer.
"...!!" Xiao Zhan gasped and blinked his eyes rapidly at the unanticipated counterattack. He then narrowed his eyes, "So, you have chosen war." he said before he made his offense, sending a couple of splashes toward Lan Wangji.
"Do not play around!" Lan Wangji warned, defending his face with his hands.
"Why not? You ought to play more at this age. You have to enjoy your youth and loosen up once in a while. You don't have to be so serious all the time. It's bad for your health you know?" Xiao Zhan said before drenching Lan Wangji with another big wave.
"You!" Lan Wangji snapped.
"Oho, are you imitating your uncle now?" Xiao Zhan boldly provoked.
Finally reaching the end of his endurance, Lan Wangji retaliated. Soon, they broke out into a full-blown water combat.
"Wow, you're serious even when you play." Xiao Zhan chuckled. Dodging the incoming blitz attack, he twirled around and lightly tapped Lan Wangji on the shoulder. "Bring it on then," he challenged with a look of mischief.
"..." Lan Wangji did not reply but he made an effort to catch his affronting hand.
Xiao Zhan laughed heartily as he weaved around Lan WangJi almost like he was dancing with incredible ease, outmaneuvering the Second Jade persistent chase. Meanwhile, Lan Wangji was capable of using his surroundings to his advantage and tried to get a step ahead of his agile moves. Due to the nature of Xiao Zhan's agility, the police and thief chase went on for a while.
"Lan Zhan, how are you going to win against me like this?" Xiao Zhan continued to run his mouth. "You need to catch me to obtain victory."
Lan Wangji's patience was reaching its end. He used his brute force to make a big splash that obscured Xiao Zhan's field of vision. Taking advantage of the few seconds of opening, he didn't hesitate to go straight for the upper limb and overpowered the head disciple of Yunmeng Jiang with his arm strength. Holding a giggling Xiao Zhan his wrist in one hand in front of their chests, "I caught you." he declared.
In that proximity, Lan Wangji's voice was so low, it sent shivers to Xiao Zhan's core and he froze in place as his wide twinkling eyes met the frosty gaze that went straight into his young blood soul. His heart galloped again. His previous job might have required a lot of body contact with others, and this was not his first rodeo with physical contact like this. He had plenty of experience in romantic scenes, and he even fooled around like this a lot with someone who looked exactly like the person holding him prisoner now. Somehow, with this usually uptight doppelgänger of Wang Yibo, this moment felt even more intimate. Way too intimate. He swallowed a gulp when his eyes landed on the moist (kissable) lips. "I admit defeat." he breathed.
Lan Wangji promptly released the other's hands from his grip. His ears were red. They looked away at once, though both remained rooted in place.
Xiao Zhan fanned his heated face with his hands.
I can confirm now. The cold spring is a hoax. Quench the fire? This place itself is a pool of gasoline. Calm the heart? Bullshit! My mind is even more messy now. The silence is making it even more awkward now...
Xiao Zhan faked a cough, "Wasn't that fun?" he asked.
Lan Wangji's lips set into a smile. "It was," he admitted.
Xiao Zhan lost his ability to talk again seeing that wonderful smile. Gosh. My idiot heart. I have huge problems on my plate and all I can think about is that rare, beautiful smile. Wei Wuxian, why are you like this? Why do you have low resistance to this? Wait, he's me now. Why am I like this?
"You know what? The water is too cold. I'm going up. You can stay if you want. I'll take a walk around." With that said, Xiao Zhan hastily went up to the shore. The billowing breeze hit his wet body, and he shivered. He quickly wrapped himself up in his robes, got dressed, and took a stroll. Staying still would be torture at the moment.
Lan Wangji stayed still in the water with his eyes tightly shut, making use of the so-called miraculous benefits of the cold spring. He too was in desperate need to compose himself.
Wei Ying was right. Maybe he should let loose once in a while. It was fun, and he was...happy. He had never played around like this with anyone before, not even with his brother. He had been taught to adhere strictly to the rules and regulations since he was a toddler. He had thought that was the only way to live and that life was only about being righteous and being taken seriously. But now, it felt like he was finally seeing the sunlight after years of staying in the dark.
Meanwhile, Xiao Zhan wandered around and found a willow tree not too far away. "It's my lucky day!" He jumped in excitement before remembering his real age.
Ah, damn it! This young body affected not only my reasoning and emotions but my mental age as well.
Willow twigs are perfect for making charcoal pencils, and he learned this during his art school days. He then selected a few branches that were thin, straight, and solid enough and cut them carefully with Suibian. He sat cross-legged with the few branches on his lap and began cutting them to about the length of a pencil. He took his time with each piece as it was a delicate process, plus he only had his sword right now. He hummed melodies of songs, one after another while cutting, and once he finished, he peeled the bark of each twig slowly with the utmost care. He was soon lost in his world.
"Wei Ying."
Xiao Zhan snapped back to reality and looked in the direction where the voice came from. "Oh heavens, do make some noise when you walk." He complained.
"I did." Already dressed up, prim and proper, Lan Wangji approached. "What are those?"
"The first charcoal pencil in this world."
"..."
"A portable, inkless, and more convenient writing tool. I need your help with the last step."
"What do you need?"
"A metal pot. Or cauldron. Or similar. Or if you can find a way to burn these twigs without fire that would be awesome."
"Tell me the process."
"By normal means, these twigs need to be put in a metal pot, covered tightly, leaving only 1 tiny hole on top to let out the pressure. The metal pot then goes into high-temperature flame for an hour or so. After that take it out of fire and cover the tiny hole to prevent air from coming in which will ruin the entire thing. Let it cool down and you will get charcoal. Technically, those twigs need to be put in a high-pressure container with high heat from the outer layer and cooled down in a vacuum space. Does it make any sense?"
Lan Wangji was quiet for a while as he was thinking. "Pass me one."
"Alright", He handed over a twig. Lan Wang Ji inspected the thin twig thoroughly before returning it.
"Spells are your expertise." He took out an empty piece of talisman and gave it to Xiao Zhan. Pointing at where his core is, he added, "Fire. Wind. Metal. Focus on these elements."
Well, Wei Wuxian is a genius, but he likes to invent weird spells and tools that are either defensive or deadly assault weapons, or something that would attract ghosts and spiritsâor just plain weird stuff. Never a pencil or writing tool. That's why his writing was a sloppy mess. On the contrary, my idea was just a plain science projectâa simple home DIY without supernatural powers.
Xiao Zhan took the empty talisman, staring at the paper he said, "What do you want me to do?" He was still lost as to Lan Wangji's insinuation.
"Adjust the intensities and apply them as spells. Combine them into that talisman." Lan Wangji said as he took over the twigs in Xiao Zhan's grasp.
Ah, isn't this similar to my improvisation of the explosion the other day? He did indeed catch up to scientific methods quite quickly, even applying the theory to the magic in this world. Well, it's a given. He is described as a genius too.
Xiao Zhan eventually got the gist of what Lan Wangji just said and closed his eyes. Channeling the energy drawn from his core to the spells he created as he manipulates the elements. Increasing the firepower, erasing the surrounding wind to create aan rtificial vacuum and confine compress both elements with metal. One spell for each and stacking the individual spells on top of each other. Finally, he wrote the combination of spells on the empty talisman.
Lan Wangji handed him a twig without a word. Xiao Zhan stuck the talisman onto it and activated the talisman with his spiritual energy. Like magic, the twig caught on a flash of blue flame and hardened as it turned into charcoal.
"Oh my God! Lan Zhan, you're a freaking genius!" Xiao Zhan yelled excitedly and jumped like a kid who had just gotten candy. Taking his notebook from his spatial bag, he tried it on immediately. "And it works!" He announced it to Lan Wangji, who had already seen that it did work.
And that, was how the first charcoal pencil was created in the world of cultivation.
Xiao Zhan hummed happily as he began sketching a portrait. He tore a page and made a paper stump as a blender and began to smudge around the lines, creating a vivid, realistic image. Personally, the two best ways for him to de-stress were singing and painting. He felt his tense muscles relax as time went on.
Lan Wangji was entirely silent as he gazed at the strange tool that glided like smooth butter on the paper. It did not require ink and could be manipulated by a piece of rolled paper or a finger. It remained dry as well. Wei Ying was using it expertly, and his talent in drawing was remarkable. Regardless, what captured his attention the most was the portrait that formed on the paper.
"Here." Xiao Zhan took off the page and handed the finished product to Lan Wangji, whose eyes had never left the paper since he started sketching. "For you."Of course, the first person he drew to celebrate the creation of the charcoal pencil was Lan Wangji.
Lan Wangji accepted it with a smile. He had been smiling a lot more recently that he no longer tried to hold it back. "Thank you." He said quietly.
Xiao Zhan smiled back at him.