Way too untamed, way too wild

Injured people needs to rest

Lan Wangji turned around to go play with the children while he would wait for Wei Ying to have his wound treated. He would have gone with him but he was not sure the other would be comfortable with his presence, seeing that it had been Lan Wangji who had injured him in the first place. He was ashamed of himself, he had forgotten about the boy's injury until now; and it had already been several days since he had brought him any medicine, he was pretty sure that there were no herbs to be found in this dead place.

He would have to bring some in the morning, when he would come back. The only thing which he could do now was to play with the children while they waited for their care taker to come back. He would also have to bring more food this time, enough so they would all be able to get a full stomach. It would be no problem, his money pouch was still pretty full and if he should find himself in need of more funds, he could always go back to the Cloud Recessed to refill it.

Already almost turned around, he suddenly realized that Wei Ying was not moving and was only staring at him instead. He was looking very sad now and Lan Wangji wondered what was wrong this time. It seemed like the boy was so expressive that he could swing from extreme happiness to looking completely dejected in a matter of seconds.

He did not even have to ask as Wei Ying was already inquiring, his voice uncertain and small: "Lan Zhan, will you still come back tomorrow?"

Oh, so that was it. Was Wei Ying afraid that he would not come back anymore after his first experience here? Lan Wangji turned to face him again and nodded his head gravely while promising: "I will wait here."

The boy beamed at him and then turned on his heel and skipped towards the cave entrance with his hands joined behind his back, immediately being reprimanded by Wen Qing that a wounded person should act like one. Lan Wangji had to smile to himself, it seemed like these inhabitants of the Burial Mounds did not get their living conditions nor the resentment surrounding them affect them. They seemed lively enough, and they also apparently cared for each other.

Lan Wangji watched the cave entrance for a while after the boy had disappeared inside, still not sure whether he should not follow after all, perhaps he would be able help somehow even if his medical knowledge was limited. But he did not have any herbs on him, he would probably only get in the way. Wen Qing had said after all that she had been taking care of the wound this whole time, she must have known what she was doing.

After another minute or two of just standing there, he felt a tug at his clothes. He looked down and saw one of the children sucking at their thumb and looking up at him. The boy could not have been older than three or four and Lan Wangji's heart felt bad for him, the child was so small yet it already knew so many hardships in his life.

Slowly, as not to scare the boy, Lan Wangji kneeled down to be at his level and to be able to look him in the eyes. He gently patted the child's head, realizing with no small amount of surprise that the boy's hair had actually been quite smooth and brushed, not all tangled as he would expect in this kind of place and circumstances. For some reason, it was making him feel relieved to know that at least the children were taken care of properly, if only to the best of the abilities of those not much older than them.

The child was looking at him with hopeful eyes, not fearing him at all. Lan Wangji stopped patting his head and asked: "What is wrong, little one?"

He could not remember the boy's name but he hoped that the other would not be too upset with him for it. Fortunately, the boy seemed fine.

He watched him for a moment longer before he spoke softly, his thumb never leaving his mouth, making his words adorably slurred: "Big brother, will you stay here now? Did Big Brother Wei also rescued you from bad people?"

Lan Wangji was saddened by the boy's words. It was only another confirmation of what he had already known, the children here had been rescued from the streets or perhaps from even worse conditions by Wei Ying and possibly also Wen Qing and Wen Ning as they were the oldest ones here. Or at least as far as he could tell since he had yet to see any adults. He still had a hard time believing that this group of children somehow managed to survive here for who knew how long already. They seemed completely at home, he supposed that it was not a short time since their arrival.

He did not know what to answer to the child, he was not sure he could stay here for longer than a few hours. He had to go back to Yiling and write a report about all of this. For now, it would probably be wiser to not inform all the sects just yet, not before he confirmed for sure that there was no danger and that there was only one demonic cultivator in the Burial Mounds, and that he was basically harmless. He should however write a report for his brother and uncle lest they start worry about him and probably send someone to look for him.

In the end, he decided to tell the child the truth, hoping that he was old enough to understand. Lan Wangji had literally no experience talking with children and now this fact did not cease to bother him.

"I cannot stay here. I need to go back to the town." He saw the boy's eyes widening and he wondered what he was thinking about his words. But he did not want to disappoint him so he quickly added: "I will come back soon."

The boy's expression now changed into hopeful, his eyes were sparkling when he asked him another question, his excitement and eagerness clearly audible in his voice: "Will you bring more food?"

Lan Wangji made his best to smile at the child: "Yes."

Of course he would; the children needed it and it would also take some of the burden away from Wei Ying. He was injured, a fact that Lan Wangji had been forgetting about a lot these past few days, he needed rest to heal properly. Perhaps he could even suggest to take him to a doctor. Lan Wangji was however not sure how Wei Ying would react to such an offer.

The boy in front of him suddenly gave out a happy shout and turned around only to run to his friends to tell them the news. Lan Wangji watched as all the children became immediately just as excited as the small boy, their eyes all sparkling in happiness. They were glancing at him and whispering something between themselves.

Lan Wangji made one step towards them to offer to play with them until Wei Ying would come back, but he was stopped in place by a stern voice: "Hanguang-Jun."

He recognized the sharp tone even before he turned around to see who was calling him. Wen Qing had her hands crossed in front of her chest and she had a serious expression on her face, Lan Wangji wondered what was wrong. Her posture was very stiff, her back completely straight. Her eyes were looking at him coldly.

He schooled his expression again, she did not have to know how fondly he had been looking at the children. She seemed protective enough of them, he did not want to give her any pretext to start wondering what his intentions were. Although she probably already did, her next words were proof enough that she wanted to ask him something.

"Second Young Master Lan, can I please talk to you for a minute? Somewhere private."

She gestured a little away from the cave entrance and Lan Wangji realized that there was another free space in the wall of the rocky mountain not far from there. This one was more open and he could see a few pieces of clothes laying here and there inside, and some other things which he supposed were toys or everyday necessities; it was probably the children's room.

He nodded and followed her when she went to stand in the free space in the middle of the second cave.