Live Again, Love Anew

Chapter 17- Fate: A Beginner's Guide

Summary

Baoshan Sanren explains a few things.

Beginning  Note

Hope you guys like the chapter!

Wei Wuxian

The silver haired woman bows to the two children. "Forgive me, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. I believe the tragedy that happened in your last lives was indirectly my fault."

Wei Wuxian blinks. She knows. Somehow, she knows who they are, and somehow knows about the time travel thing. He doesn't bother playing dumb and says. "I have a few questions."

The woman makes a pained face. "Before you start asking, will you please let me explain a few things?"

Wei Wuxian nods. If she's going to start talking first, he has no objections.

She sighs. "My name is Baoshan Sanren." Wei Wuxian startles, and sees the minute up-ticks in Lan Zhan's eyebrows that tell the same. "As an immortal, I am granted a few... privileges. There is a group of us with the same privileges that I will call the Fate Readers."

"So... privileges mean powers, and your specific group can read fate." Wei Wuxian says, receiving a nod. "So do you guys like, look at someone and it gives you their whole life story or something?"

Baoshan Sanren considers the question before nodding. "That's not entirely correct, but that's as much as I am allowed to explain."

Wei Wuxian frowns. "What do you mean? Are you not allowed to tell us certain things? Because of the Fate Readers?"

Baoshan Sanren stills. "I am not allowed to tell you because one of the Fate Readers broke a principal law, altering both of your lives permanently and breaking a cycle that has been going on since the start of time. There is only a small trusted group of us left, while the rest are under suspicion. Because of the interference last time, while we are allowed to help you, we may not influence your lives' main events."

"Wait, wait, wait." Wei Wuxian waves his hands. "So you're saying that one of you Fate Readers broke some really important rules, ruined our lives, and now that we get to start over, you can bend the rules a little, but you don't want to end up a rule-breaker like the other guy? Or girl?"

Baoshan Sanren nods.

"Your group sent us back in time." Lan Zhan says. Wei Wuxian whips his head around to stare at him.

It sounds like a statement, but Baoshan Sanren nods anyway.

"Wait, really?" Wei Wuxian says. "Well, I guess it would make sense." He says after a few seconds. "You guys deal with fate, so dealing with time wouldn't be that much of a leap. But why us? There were plenty of people who deserved a second chance, and I'm not ungrateful or anything, but I've killed people. Lan Zhan isn't called Hanguang-jun for no reason, but I'm different. I killed people, and raised corpses, and was hated just as much as Wen Ruohan. So I guess my question is, 'Why me?'"

Baoshan Sanren stays quiet and focuses on her hands in her lap. She finally shakes her head. "I can't tell you. My partner is supposed to find you later in your lives, and if you have reached a certain milestone, she will be able to answer your question and a lot more."

Wei Wuxian considers this. "So it's not that you can't tell us, it's just that you can't tell us now, before we... hit a certain milestone? Like reaching a certain point in our cultivation or something?"

Baoshan Sanren hums. "In essence, yes. But instead of cultivation, it has to do with an aspect of your fates." She sighs and shakes her head. "I fear there is not much more I can tell you." She takes another herb sachet out of her sleeve. "Here." She hands it to Wei Wuxian. "My partner is skilled in the healing arts and has taught me a few things. These herbs will heal some of the worst burns to your meridians. Make it into a tea and drink it once a day until the herbs are gone. Preferably at the same time everyday."

Wei Wuxian takes the herbs and nods. "Thank you."

Baoshan Sanren smiles. "Think nothing of it. I am your grandmother. It is my job to care for you in your mother's absence."

"Thank you... Granny?" Wei Wuxian makes it a question, and smiles when Baoshan Sanren nods.

"You too, Lan Wangji. You will call me 'Granny' or not at all." Granny says.

Wei Wuxian almost laughs at Lan Zhan's expression. It would be improper to call someone he isn't related to 'Granny', but at the same time, calling her anything but the name she tells him to could be taken as an insult. Lan Zhan bows before saying, "Thank you for helping Wei Ying... Grandmother." His face twists up, like he's just eaten something particularly sour, but he doesn't retract the name.

Baoshan Sanren softly laughs. "Acceptable. What good young men you are, being so polite to your elders." She stands and fixes her robes. "I have to leave now." She says. "I will send letters once every few months. I will add as much information as I can about your situation once I've talked with the others, and I will also add stories about your mothers."

They both look at her with wide eyes.

She smiles. "They will be sent by a talisman designed by myself, so they will pass through the Cloud Recesses wards and be sent directly to your home. The letter will remain invisible to others until it is touched by either of you." She bows. "I will be on my way now. My partner will find you when the time is right. Good luck." With that she leaves, disappearing in a flash of light once she leaves the infirmary.

Seeing that Granny is gone, the adults trickle back into the room, visibly relieved to see him awake. Wei Wuxian blinks at the two unfamiliar faces.

"Xiao Xingchen and Song Zichen. Your uncle and his cultivation partner." Lan Zhan says quietly.

Wei Wuxian turns wide eyes to Lan Zhan. "Uncle? Like-" He motions after Granny. Lan Zhan nods.

Xiao Xingchen smiles as he sees Wei Wuxian awake and clutching the herb sachet. "I see my Master has left you with some medicine. That looks to be the tea for curing meridian burns." He turns to Uncle. "That will need to be made into a tea once a day until the herbs are gone. It works best if it's at the same time each day." Uncle nods and takes the herbs to store in his sleeves.

A healer approaches Wei Wuxian and does a last check on his meridians. "His meridians look stable even when he is awake, so I will let him leave the infirmary for now. I want him back every day of the Conference for a check-up, and then a check-up once a week back at the Lan Sect. Have the healers check him before he drinks the tea so they know what to look for. If he has another incident, I want to be notified so I can travel to Cloud Recesses. I also want medical records of any known family sent to Lotus Pier. I am going to make myself an expert on this boy's condition." She looks at everyone assembled. "Do I make myself clear?" Everyone nods.

She smiles. "Good. Now please leave my infirmary. The boy is well and you have a Conference to get to."

End Note

Thoughts? Who's Baoshan's partner? What's up with the Fate Squad?

See you next week!