The Return of the lost Lotus Flower

Chapter 12

Gusu Lan Sect; Cloud Recess Gate Entrance: Lan Huan/Xichen Pov.

Lan Xichen stood by and watched as the new group of disciples for this year's studies are welcomed inside one by one. His brother Wangji records and confirms their names along with the jade token that they had received courtesy of the Lan Sect beforehand prior to their arrival whilst the other disciples inspect each and every one of their belongings.

Once they were clear to go Lan Xichen welcomes them in with a polite bow and introduces them to their new home for the next year or half a year depending on who would be sent to participate in the exchange program. It was such a shame that as the heir he was ineligible to join the program. They simply couldn't risk sending their most precious heirs out to the uncharted dangerous enchanted territories, especially in the care of those wretched uncivilized barbarians who could stab them in the back at any given time.

His Shufu agreed with the elders that it would be best that at least for the first half of the program they send out some of their most skilled and experienced disciples to scout for information first before making any concrete decisions as to who to send in the next half of the program.

Maybe depending on how things went they could potentially have at the very least Wangji sent over to join the program. Lan Xichen remembers how much Wangji used to love hearing the tales of the mystical lands from their mother who always told them with a great big smile on her face. Both the young brothers were mesmerized by the wonderous tales and legends their mother explained to them down to even the tiniest details. They even dreamed of one day traveling to the region themselves just as their mother had when she had been a small child. But alas due to the Eastern Region's extremely strict border control their mother's dream had remained all but a child's dream.

However, now with this program, it might no longer remain a hopeless child's dream for both him and his brother. It could very well come to a reality that is if both sects played their cards right. Lan Xichen might not be able to visit the region this year but he might be able to in the near future if the alliance between the cultivation world of the two respective regions pulls through.

So, he was absolutely determined to make this program a success. Shufu approved of his firey determination and rock-solid dedication to this program while Wangji was doing what he can to fully support his brother through everything.

It makes him appreciate just how fortunate he is for having such a wonderful family standing by him at his side. He couldn't ever be more grateful to the both of them for always being there for him especially when he needed them the most.

Especially his Shufu who took him and his brother in despite him being not much younger than the disciples that come to study at their sect now. He was only 14 years old when he had been suddenly thrust into the role of parenthood soon after his nephew's birth. In an ideal world, Lan Xichen should have been raised under the care of either one of his parents but unfortunately, neither was available forcing his uncle to take responsibility for the small infant in his arms.

He had a hard time raising a child when he was only but one himself. As if that wasn't enough with his father's seclusion his uncle also had to step up as the acting sect leader of the sect as the heir was far too young to shoulder his father's duties as the heir. The stress and pressure of all of it took a detrimental toll on his uncle's already weak body (and severely crippled his health beyond repair unbeknownst to the twin jades of Lan). Even though he was still in his early 30s he looked far much older than everyone else in his generation.

Looking at him now one could hardly believe that this man was once called the lone delicate flower of the Cloud Recess. He was a different kind of beauty compared to the Lans with delicate dainty feminine features soft supple porcelain white skin that would even make the celestial maidens above in the heavens seethe in envy. Apparently, back in the days of his uncle's generation, there were hundreds of people waiting in line vying to get a glimpse of the beautiful isolated flower hidden away in the enclosures of the high mountains. His uncle received so many engagement proposals even from those in the upper aristocratic social circle which his father had supposedly all but burned into ashes.