[MDZS] The Dragon and the Fox

How They Met

The news spread to all the major sects of the adoption of a new son into the Jiang Clan. All the major sects were invited along with a few minor ones. The little boy was as cute as a button with his slender body and slightly chubby cheeks which burned red from shyness at that moment. Jiang Fengmian was happy about it, but Madam Yu Ziyuan wasn't. She hated the fact a servant's son was being allowed into the family - especially a nine-tailed fox!

Madam Yu despised foxes. She mostly despised the ninetails. Their ability to seduce others merely through their human forms was disgusting to her. What she didn't realize, however, was nine-tailed foxes weren't seductive at all. Their beauty was natural which made them targets for brothels and sex slave traders. Many of them were killed off just for their furs which were very soft and sold for thousands. Those which weren't, were captured and sold as slaves.

Wei Ying's parents had been among them, being sold off to different masters, until they were bought by the Jiangs. Jiang Fengmian, out of mercy, branded them with the Nine-petaled Lotus - symbol of the Jiang Clan. That meant they would never again be sold to other masters. After Wei Ying was born, Jiang Fengmian gave them a home within Lotus Pier - a small cabin docked somewhere near the water.

Madam Yu despised the family, wishing they had never been bought. She very much wanted to be rid of them, but there was nothing she could do about it accept ban them altogether. She was jealous. Cangse Sanren was very beautiful. Madam Yu noticed the way her husband would stare at the other despite knowing he was married. Even though nothing happened between them, rumors still flew around about the little boy being the Sect Leader's son and not his friend's, Wei Changze.

Everyone from each of the invited clans was gathered in the banquet hall as a feast was being held for the little boy. Wei Ying was only five when his parents were viciously murdered by a pack of slave traders. When Jiang Fengmian found out about it, he was livid. He ordered for the two remaining from the pack of barbaric dogs to be tried and executed at once. Needless to say, Madam Yu did not like the idea, or the way her husband was acting. She especially didn't like it when he announced the pair's child to be adopted as his own.

Many of the clan leaders and their families approached the Jiang Clan Leader with the best intentions, greeting the small boy and wishing him the best in life. The boy hid away from them all, too shy and afraid of the children who were bigger and taller than him. That was, until a young boy of about ten stepped up to him. He was dressed in all white with a ribbon set perfectly upon his forehead. His emotionless face held no malice or ill-intent as the other children's did.

The little boy began to slowly make his way out from behind the sect leader. Those golden orbs waited patiently for him. Fengmian smiled as he watched the little one make his way to the younger son of the Lan Clan.

Wei Ying studied the other boy for a good amount of time. The boy in white didn't move an inch, allowing the other to even touch him. "H-hello..." the little fox spoke hesitantly. "I'm...I'm Wei Ying. Wei Wuxian. It's nice to meet you."

The boy in white stared for a few minutes. Wei Ying was beginning to think the other wasn't able to speak, until they responded. "Lan Zhan. Lan Wangji. Am glad to meet Wei Wuxian."

Wei Ying: "Call me Wei Ying."

Lan Zhan tilted his head ever so slightly, the movement was almost unnoticeable. "Why?" he asked, clearly confused.

Wei Ying: "Because we're friends! That's why!"

Lan Zhan was even more confused. "Friends?"

Wei Ying nodded happily, the bright smile lighting the room. He took Lan Zhan's hand and dragged him away. Lan Zhan willingly followed behind, allowing the boy to drag him off to wherever. Wei Ying took him to a secret place. It was far from prying eyes and no one would bother them. Unbeknownst to the two, Lan Zhan's brother had joined them, following from a distance.

The place was a beautiful garden filled with many flowers and a lotus pond set in the center. Lan Zhan was awed by it, though it didn't show on his face. "My mother liked to garden. This belongs to her." Lan Zhan continued to take in the scenery before him. Various kinds of flowers and stones, all neatly arranged, decorated the entrance to the garden. Some were even scattered throughout. There were several pathways leading through the place. Wei Ying led Lan Zhan down one of them to a cabin. "This is where I lived. Uncle Jiang says I don't need to live here anymore. I will be living with him in the main hall. At least this place will still be here for me to visit."

There was a sound of bushes rustling. Wei Ying grew frightened and hid behind Lan Zhan. "Wangji!" Another boy dressed in white entered the cabin. "There you are! Uncle has been looking for you for some time now. He doesn't appreciate the way Wei Gongzi dragged you off. Are you alright?" Lan Zhan nodded. "Good. We need to go now." He tried grabbing his brother's wrist, but the other pulled his hand away and glared. The older boy sighed. "Alright, Wangji. If you wish to stay with him for a while longer, than I have no problem. Only, don't allow Uncle to catch you. He's in a severely bad mood and will most likely try to kill Wei Gongzi if he can."

After the boy left, Wei Ying curiously inquired, "Who was that?"

Lan Zhan: "Brother. Lan Huan. Lan Xichen. Very protective."

Wei Ying nodded. "I can tell. We should go back now like he said. I wouldn't want to make more trouble for you than I already have."

Lan Zhan saw the hurt in the other's eyes. "Not trouble," he said resolutely. Wei Ying looked up, a bit shocked. "Wei Ying is not trouble. Wei Ying is this one's friend." Wei Ying smiled brightly.

The two returned to the main hall where everyone was waiting for them. Qiren was fuming! "Wangji! Come here!" The boy obeyed. "How dare you drag my nephew away! Are you trying to seduce him?!"

Fengmian: "Grandmaster Lan!"

Qiren huffed. "Wangji! Stay away from that boy. I'm telling you he's nothing but bad luck! You!" he raged, pointing at Wei Ying. "You stay away from my nephews! If I catch you near them, I will tear you to shreds!"

Wei Ying nodded and hid behind Fengmian in fear. He cried from being frightened by the loud man. Fengmian lifted the poor fox boy into his arms to comfort him. "Qiren. I appreciate your protectiveness over your nephews, but I will not tolerate any hollering or hatred while you are here. Do you understand? Wei Ying has just lost his family and needs a friend. If you don't care about that, then you can leave. Remember, if you do, you deprive my adopted son of a need."

Wei Ying's cries had long turned into sobs, sniffles and hiccups. He burried his face in Fengmian's neck to hide more from the mean man in white robes adorning the cloud symbol. Qiren huffed once more and turned away, dismissing everything with a wave of his sleeve. "Come." His nephews followed.

Wei Ying didn't see much of Lan Zhan after that. However, each moment he did spend with him grew into a beautiful and deep friendship.