in twilight; in the dead of night

vii. the wanderer

Lan Xichen was posing as a wandering cultivator, forgoing his usual embroidered white and Gusu Lan blue robes and substituting them with dark blues and greens instead while his forehead ribbon, unfortunately, became a temporary bracelet tucked underneath a multitude of layers of clothing, when he heard whispers of the same story again. He had been following the story closely for almost a month now, each account slightly different from the previous one but undoubtedly about the same person. Perhaps he had become obsessed and he needed to meditate often or recite the Lan Sect rules until he remembered each one by heart, yet he could not forget the overwhelming sense of relief and horror that gripped him when he recalled that night two years ago.

He did not have many memories of the former Jiang sect heir except those when he studied in Cloud Recesses. They were few and short moments but gradually became more precious as he reflected on when he found Jiang Cheng practising the Jiang sword form in a clearing deep within the forest at the back of Cloud Recesses. The sun was beginning to set and the afternoon rays cutting through the foliage shone beautifully on one graceful yet deadly boy. His moves were swift and sharp, each twirl and leap an elegant dance, and the thrusts and slices in the air bent the trees to his submission. Lan Xichen had been taking a stroll when he was mesmerised by what he saw and, in a moment of impulsiveness, approached Jiang Cheng who had just finished the final moves in great concentration. Only when he recognised his audience as the First Jadde of Lan did Jiang Cheng sheath Sandu and bowed in greeting, slightly out of breath.

"I must apologise if I intruded on your time, Jiang-gongzi. I was mesmerised by how the Jiang sword form is surprisingly an elegant, lethal dance," Lan Xichen greeted him with a warm smile, mirth dancing in his eyes.

"Not at all, Zewu-jun. As you can see, I have just finished. Ah, forgive me for my unsightly appearance," Jiang Cheng bowed his head slightly, averting his eyes as a light blush dusted his cheeks. Lan Xichen had appeared so suddenly that he had no time to smoothen his hair and robes. How embarrassing.

Lan Xichen chuckled, somehow finding the young boy endearing. His personality was completely different from when he was surrounded by Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian's boisterous and outgoing characters. Or perhaps Jiang Cheng had always been like that?

"Would you like to accompany me for a walk? I was doing so when I passed by."

Jiang Cheng perked up at that, and the smile on his face was like the brightest star in the sky.

Moments like those were what Lan Xichen held on to when he followed the rumours, travelling from village to village, crossing regions, sleeping at inns and under the stars. He didn't know why -- why that particular memory, why he wasn't fighting on the frontlines, why he travelled aimlessly like a ghost looking for his purpose. Yet he did not stop. Even though the stories didn't appear in every village he stayed at, a part of him held out hope that he would appear eventually. Hope was all he had when the rumours first reached the battlefields.

It was surreal, he thought as he sat on the upper floor of a famous tavern drinking the local blend of tea that was a bit too bitter for his tastes. After that night, his initial concern about the demon having been pushed to the back of his mind but not forgotten, Lan Xichen pondered and tried to understand what went wrong. For what reason did Jiang Cheng have to swallow his pride as a cultivator and engage in something so similar to demonic cultivation on top of receiving aid from a demon? Demons were not beings that could be easily summoned. Much like Immortals, those from the Demonic Realm had their own goals and conscience. The possibility of one accepting a mortal's offering from the summoning ritual itself was closer to zero. And yet, Jiang Cheng somehow achieved what no other mortal recorded in history could do. Lan Xichen was both impressed and unsettled. What would this mean then if the Immortal Realm knew and decided one demon's intervention in the Mortal Realm was a precursor for future war?