❃ 𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 ❃

🔹𝕰𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖞 𝕺𝖓𝖊🔹

Everyone knew Lan Qiren hated Wei Wuxian. Everyone knew this. Not because Lan Qiren was verbal about that fact in anyway but because anyone could see how much Wei Wuxian annoyed him each and every day during the lectures. Wei Wuxian had been the only black mark in his 40 years of teaching carrer. But seeing his nephew smile for the first time after a long time, Lan Qiren couldn't help but feel grateful.

He was grateful for Wei Wuxian for coming back and to making his nephew smile again.

But what bothered him was that... What Lan Xichen had told him last night. About Wei Wuxian's lost golden core and his new cultivation.

Lan Qiren had faith in his nephew, he knew his nephew wouldn't fall into evil's hands so easily. And he knew Wei Wuxian wasn't evil. He had Benn the most noble person he had ever seen!

But, not everyone would understand it!

Lan Qiren held the letter Jin Guanshan had sent him and sighed for the nth time. He had never been so puzzled and muddled in his entire life.

He looked across the hall to find Lan Xichen and Jiang Fengmian wearing the similar worried expressions and sighed again.

May be, the surname Wei meant nothing but trouble!

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji came not long later and Lan Qiren indicated them to have a seat over the other side of the table placed in the hall.

"Wei Wuxian, how are you doing?" Lan Qiren inquired first.

"I am doing good." Wei Wuxian replied honestly. "My husband is taking god care of me. Right, Lan Zhan?" He nudged Lan Wangji's shoulder playfully for which Lan Wangji hummed in sync.

"It's good to know that you are doing good." Lan Qiren said. "Xichen told me all the things about your core and new cultivation path."

"Oh," Wei Wuxian mouthed.

"Wei Wuxian, you should know that resentful energy is harmful to both your body and mind. You know its consequences. But I won't discuss further on this as this has no much point in talking. What's done is done and all that we could do is change the future. So, I would like to ask you, do you know that Wangji is pregnant?"

"Yes." Wei Wuxian affirmed, slightly confused by Lan Qiren's words.

"Then, do you wish to live with him for the rest of your life?" Lan Qiren asked next.

"I do, of course."

"Then, please hand in over the Wen's that you have hidden away." Lan Qiren stated.

"Wen's?" Lan Wangji asked, puzzled.

"Lan Zhan, I-..." Wei Wuxian clenched the tea cup on his hands and racked his brain for an answer.

He should have told Lan Wangji sooner. He shouldn't have kept it hidden. He hadn't meant to. He had just thought that it wasn't important at the time being and that they could discuss of it later. But, wait, how did Lan Qiren find out?

Wei Wuxian looked up at Lan Qiren, "How did you know?"

"Clan leader Jin had sent me a letter. He had written about the commotion that you had created in Koi tower. He has mentioned that your entrance at the Koi tower had been similar to that one of the incidents while they were capturing the Wen's. Some unexpected dark energy had killed the Jin soldiers and had taken away the Wen's. They had come to a solution that it was you and we too do not have any objections regarding it. Except Wen Ruohan, the only demonic cultivator alive, is you."

Lan Qiren finished with another sigh and took a sip of tea to calm himself down.

"A-Xian, please hand in over the Wen's." Jiang Fengmian said. "Lan Wangji and your baby needs you. They are your priority and they be your only priority right now."

"Jiang-shushu," Wei Wuxian demanded, "They are innocent!"

"They are Wen's!" Lan Qiren barked.

"Wei Ying, you... You never told me of this." Lan Wangji said, beside him.

"I am sorry, Lan Zhan. I didn't mean to hide it from you. I thought, may be I could say it to you later. I am sorry."

"How many?" Lan Wangji inquired next.

"Around thirty five."

"The letter says it's around fifty five to sixty." Lan Xichen spoke.

"Where will I hide so many of people? I am not rich." Wei Wuxian justified.

"Where have you hid them?" It was Jiang Fengmian.

"In the Burial Mounds. There is no other place that the Jin's will let them survive." Wei Wuxian told.

"You care for them, then what about Wangji and the baby?!"

"What does these two have to do with each other?" Wei Wuxian was so muddled.

He just could not understand how these two could be related.

"The whole cultivation world including major and minor sects have demanded to hand the Wen'z over or... Or they would take you captive."

"Enough!" Lan Wangji slapped his hand on the table, making the tea cup fall over and break into pieces. Then he spoke through gritted teeth, "They would have to come to me first."

"Lan Zhan, calm down." Wei Wuxian soothed his husband.

"Grand Master Qiren, Jiang-Shushu, Zewu Jun," Wei Wuxian addressed, "I am not building an army. The people I have hidden away are only the old and a baby, including Wen Qing and Wen Ning."

"Wen Qing?" Lan Wangji asked. "She is alive?"

"Yes. I have hidden away only her family. Their only fault is carrying the surname Wen. Other than that, they are all innocent. What crime did they do to deserve death?!"

Wei Wuxian took a hold of his Chenqing, gradually losing his control.

"Wei Wuxian, do you understand what you are speaking?!" Lan Qiren yelled. "Not handing in over then Wen's is an unreturnable path against orthodoxy!"

"There is no going back!" Jiang Fengmian joined.

Wei Wuxian stood up.

"Against the orthodoxy! What orthodoxy is that?" Wei Wuxian clenched Chenqing hard which had already begun to emit dark energy.

"Wei Ying! Calm down. Put down Chenqing!" Lan Wangji stood up beside him, grounding him.

Wei Wuxian turned towards Lan Wangji with teary eyes, "Lan Zhan, do you still remember the promise we made to each other? I hope I can eliminate the traitors and help the weak all my life. Now you tell me, who is strong and who is weak! Who is black and who is white! Besides, I have to save them. If it weren't for Wen Qing giving you the antidote that day, Wen Chao would have tried to lay his hands on you again. If it weren't for Wen Qing and Wen Ning, I would have been dead already!"

"Wei Wuxian, the Jin's will take you captive if you don't surrender them." Lan Xichen reminded.

"Then I shall fight to death."

He then knelt down in front of Lan Qiren, Jiang Fengmian and Lan Xichen and bowed deep. "This one has failed to act up to your expectations. I hope you can forgive me. Thank you for everything and let this be our final meeting. From now on, I will not impose on either Gusu Lan or Yunmeng Jiang. What I do will not have anything to do with you. Let this be our farewell!"

Wei Wuxian's eyes had already welled up with tears and it hurt him. He had just reunited with his family and he has to leave them already!

Wei Wuxian turned around to leave, not giving a single glance to Lan Wangji, afraid that he would have to see something that he could not bear to see. Just when he was about to leave, a hand stopped him.

As expected, it was Lan Wangji.

"Lan Zhan, are you stopping me?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"No, I am coming with you."