The tale of the fox and the dragon egg

Chapter 23 - Spider webs

The whispers went around the whole of Koi Tower. Through each corner he heard the servants whispering and Lan Xichen needed to remind himself that he was not in Cloud Recess. But he, too, realised the tensed situation between his younger brother and the fox.

It remained just as those thick clouds, unmoving and suffocating in the sky. When even Lan Xichen felt it, what would it be like for his brother?

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As the heavy clouds finally lifted from the lands, that was when their departure arrived.

Two days had gone after the trial and finally, the sky was starting to clear. Lonely clouds were still left, roaming the clear blue above, but it was everything they needed.

Most of the clan leaders had already made way to their respective homes. Even though they had tried to try and change the decision that was made at the trial a few days back, nothing ever came out of it.

"Clan leader Lan, please think yet again! To leave someone like Wei Wuxian, an old fox, in the care of a young dragon. What could happen!"

Lan Xichen, "Lan Wangji is very capable of protecting himself and those around him."

"He is young and never had the chance to see the power of the Yiling Patriarch by himself."

"And thus, he will not underestimate his powers, should there be a reason to show his own."

Lan Xichen was as stubborn as he was loved – declining every word that wanted to pursue him with a polite smile and a shake of his head. Even though there was a crease of worry on his forehead.

The trial was not just a chance to see and think about what was really going on. It was a chance to see familiar faces again. Especially one of them that made him worry in the past months, through countless reports that were handed to him.

The sun was slowly setting as he stood in front of the splendid doors from one of the clan leaders' rooms, his hand raised in a calm state to knock on the wood.

"It is I, Lan Xichen. May I ask to come in?"

The voice that answered him in return audibly huffed and was rough, truly just as commanding as what the person behind it represented.

"Come in."

Nie Mingjue was polishing his sabre Baxia, seated in front of a table full of letters and other papers, as Lan Xichen stepped into the room and shut the door behind him.

The room was spacious and clearly one of the best in the whole building, worthy for a clan leader such as the Nie. The other hated the luxurious spaces, the walls decorated with finest ornaments and silks. He saw it as a waste of resources and time, but right now it was a statement of power and status.

The heavy robes on Nie Mingjue were green, standing out with intricate golden designs. They did not fit the gruff character that preferred lighter and sturdier materials that were able to hold themselves well in a fight.

As Lan Xichen approached, calloused hands set the sabre down onto the table in front of him. Green eyes were on his figure in an instant and Lan Xichen bowed in a polite gesture, smiling his significant smile.

"Brother Nie, I thank you for following my request to stay here for another day."

"You say that now, Xichen, but your so-called request didn't leave any room for rejection."

"And still, you stayed. So I must thank you."

Again, the Nie only huffed at the others antics. Baxia was silent on the table, but as Lan Xichens brown eyes followed its form and the curved blade shining in the light, he felt a certain restlessness radiating from it.