Backlash Part 1

Chapter 164: A didi

"Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian's alarmed exclamation sparked panic in Lan Wangji. He immediately turned his gaze towards Wei Wuxian. They were in mid air, flying the last leg of their journey. They had anticipated reaching Dafan in a few more hours but as Lan Wangji took in Wei Wuxian's expression, and the compass in his hand that pulsed with urgent light, Lan Wangji knew they did not have the luxury of trying to conserve their energy.

Lan Wangji nodded an acknowledgement and wordlessly urged Bichen faster to meet Wei Wuxian's new desperate pace. Lan Wangji knew this compass corresponded to the jinbu Wei Wuxian had crafted. Wei Wuxian had only made two so far, but he had plans to make more in the future and designed this compass so it could accommodate a greater quantity of signals.

Lan Wangji looked towards Wei Wuxian's hand. The compass was gripped tight. Wei Wuxian glanced down at it periodically as though something might change if he looked away for too long. Lan Wangji could see the soft urgent pastel green glow emanating from the otherwise white compass.

'Wen Ning.' Lan Wangji recognized the pastel green signature of Wen Qionglin's spiritual energy.

Lan Wangji found it interesting that Wen Qing and Wen Qionglin had such disparate energy signatures. Most of the time the spiritual energy of family members would be similar to one another. Almost the entirety of the Lan Clan's spiritual energy was in shades of blue, like Lan Wangji's icy blue energy and Lan Xichen's aquamarine.

Wen Qing's deep maroon energy was about as far from Wen Qionglin's faint pale green energy as was possible. Further solidifying that there was much about spiritual energy that remained unknown. The general acceptance of similarities in spiritual energy within families or between those who studied within the same sect did not offer an explanation as to why sometimes similarities appeared between completely unrelated individuals, or why close siblings in the same sect might have vastly different energy signatures.

Lan Wangji allowed his mind to circle around these thoughts to push back the rising panic of what they might find when they arrived in Dafan. In a different time Lan Wangji might have been sitting with Wei Wuxian discussing theories. In a future where Wei Wuxian and his family were all safe. Lan Wangji could see himself sitting beside Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian would be leaning against Lan Wangji, but his hands would be moving dramatically as he discussed his theories.

Wen Qing would be sitting across from them with several reference texts. She'd interject occasionally in between Wei Wuxian's more outlandish comments, steering the discussion back on topic. Lan Wangji would offer small murmurs of approval or skepticism. Perhaps another family member would join the discussion periodically.

Maybe Jiang Yanli would join them? Lan Wangji could imagine Wei Wuxian preening under the attention of his two Jie's. When he had extra time, Lan Xichen could sit and talk with them. He might have suggestions for books they could reference. He might just sit with them.

A chance to spend time with them and see what they were up to. Lan Xichen had always tried to check in on Lan Wangji. Happening to be nearby throughout the day, and so naturally he wanted to stop and ask what Lan Wangji was up to. Lan Wangji would pretend to not see the flicker of concern in Lan Xichen's eyes, when the answer was always that Lan Wangji was alone.

Lan Wangji did not have to imagine what the warm gleam in Lan Xichen's eyes would look like when he saw Lan Wangji surrounded by family. It would be the same look Lan Xichen had when he saw Wei Wuxian bouncing and talking at Lan Wangji after the first day of lessons at Cloud Recesses. Lan Xichen would be so happy to see Lan Wangji interacting with other people. It was something that had felt unobtainable at one point, but now Lan Wangji thought it would be nice to spend time with Wei Wuxian's family. His two Jie's, and...

His didi. Wei Wuxian considered Wen Qionglin his didi, just like Wen Qing was Wei Wuxian's Jie. Lan Wangji had never questioned this. He had even begun to think about how Wei Wuxian's siblings would become his own siblings once they were married. It had been easy to imagine Wen Qing as his own Jie. As Lan Wangji had gotten to know Jiang Yanli he had been able to imagine her as his Jie as well.

It had never quite sunk in for Lan Wangji that he would be gaining a didi. Lan Wangji didn't know what it was like to have a younger sibling. He had an older sibling. It was not hard to imagine what it might be like to have more older siblings, but having a younger sibling? Lan Wangji had never really considered having a younger sibling.

Wen Qionglin was Wei Wuxian's didi. He would be Lan Wangji's didi when had and Wei Wuxian married. Lan Wangji felt something uncomfortably protective when he thought about it being his didi in danger. Lan Wangji had been worried about him and determined to help before. Purely because Wen Qionglin was Wei Wuxian's didi and losing him would hurt Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji felt a new layer of anxiety on top of the worry he had before. It was different when it was also his own didi.

Lan Wangji heard distant screams as they approached the village. As they grew closer the image presented to them was worse than expected. QishanWen cultivators were everywhere. They were slaughtering people left and right. A glowing sphere of light caught Lan Wangji's eye. It was surrounded by soldiers and Wei Wuxian was steering them directly towards it.

Wen Qionglin's form became visible just as they leapt off their swords. Lan Wangji immediately attacked the cultivators closest to Wei Wuxian. Meanwhile, Wei Wuxian raised Chenqing and began to play. Thick swirls of tangible smoke spiralled out from around Wei Wuxian. Streaks and flashes of red lightning crackled in the black clouds of resentment. It was echoed in Wei Wuxian's glowing ruby eyes.

Even though it was still midday the air seemed to become overcast and dim. Wei Wuxian was cloaked in shadow, crackling with red light. Chenqing made the bright day feel like the middle of the night. Wei Wuxian solidified the resentful energy in the air and launched an attack on the QishanWen sect soldiers. Wen Qionglin appeared minorly injured, but he was protected by the shield that the jinbu had created. Lan Wangji focused on the battle at hand.

As the fighting dragged on Lan Wangji began to truly feel the absence of their allies. Before they had either targeted small groups on their terms, or they were part of a larger army. While this was not the largest battle, they had no allies. There was only so much Wei Wuxian could do. Lan Wangji knew what Wei Wuxian was going to do a second before he knew it.

The Yin Hufu was drawn from Wei Wuxian's robes. It floated into the air beside Wei Wuxian as he channelled resentful energy through it. The resentful energy spilled out across the town in a wave. It flowed into every corpse and raised them to attack the QishanWen cultivators. Fallen soldiers and fallen villagers. It coalesced into distinct forms. Spectres of women and warriors of the past took shape and answered Wei Wuxian's call.

Everything dimmed, casting the town in something like twilight. Wei Wuxian was held high in the air by and endless current of resentful energy. Inky masses cracking with sharp red energy. Wei Wuxian was a sight to behold. Wei Wuxian had already seemed like a divinity of death on the battlefield. Now it was as though he were a master of the underworld and had pulled that world into this one for a time.

Lan Wangji felt awed. He did not even need to raise his sword anymore. There were spirits and fierce corpses at every turn. Attacking and destroying the QishanWen disciples. Guarding Lan Wangji. The civilians were terrified and confused. The sight was horrifying, yet the nightmares were protecting them. Part way through the whirlwind that was Dafan. Lan Wangji spotted Nie Mingjue, similarly bewildered.

They watched Wei Wuxian liberate the entirety of Dafan singlehandedly. It was as though Lan Wangji had stepped into the underworld and seen it displayed before him. The amount of power in what Wei Wuxian was doing was unfathomable. Lan Wangji understood why the Yin Hufu had scared him so much.