Lotus Serenade || Mo Dao Zu Shi x Reader

| 二十七 |

──❝Unearthing Truth in the Slippery Depths❞──

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In a swift motion, Lan Wangji knelt, drawing Wei Wuxian into a deep floor bow alongside him. Sensing the significance, [Y/n] mirrored their reverence, opting not to show any hint of disrespect in her actions. "Master Lan Yi. I am Lan Zhan, a descendant from the Lan Clan," he said. "So, she is the one? The only female clan leader of the Lan Clan of Gusu, who created the Chord Assassination Technique. Lan Yi?" [Y/n] nudged Wei Wuxian, silently coaxing him to exhibit a more respectful demeanor. Smiling, Wei Wuxian said, "I am Wei Ying, a disciple from the Jiang Clan. Master Lan Yi," Lan Yi smiled, her eyes holding timeless wisdom as she then regarded [Y/n] who instinctively flinched but calmed under her gentle gaze. To keep the peace, she nodded meekly and said, "It is an honor to meet you. I am Li [Y/n]," Lan Yi's gaze lingered on [Y/n] for a moment, her expression one of quiet contemplation. Under Lan Yi's scrutinizing gaze, [Y/n] couldn't shake off the unease that settled within. Struggling to mask her discomfort, she shifted her weight uneasily and forced a small smile, attempting to convey a sense of ease she didn't truly feel. Time seemed to stand still as they waited for someone to make a move, the tension building with each passing second, and the silence felt like a living entity, closing in on them from all sides.

Wei Wuxian's buoyant voice pierced through the silence, like a ray of sunlight breaking through dark clouds. "Master Lan Yi, so these rabbits with headbands were raised by you?" Lan Yi nodded, gracefully lifting a rabbit that was by her leg and tenderly caressing its pristine, snow-white fur. "They were here to keep me company. But my energy has been fading away throughout the years. They are too fond of playing and thus often come out." she explained, her voice tinged with a hint of melancholy. "Master Lan Yi. The rumor was that you had passed away years ago. How come?" Lan Wangji asked. "Does it have to do with the Yin Iron?" [Y/n] blurted out with inquisitiveness. Lan Yi set the rabbit down and sighed with a heavy heart. "It was my biggest mistake in my lifetime. And I paid the price. With all my power," she admitted, her eyes filled with sorrow. "I kept the Yin Iron in confinement." As she opened her palm, a subtle azure radiance bloomed before coalescing into a fragment of the Yin Iron material. "Master Lan Yi, what is the Yin Iron and where are the shouting and pounding noises coming from?" asked Wei Wuxian. Lan Yi continued, "The seal is beginning to crack as the power gets weaker. My energy is weakening. And here you are. It may be destined."

"Master Lan Yi? Wei Wuxian murmured, urging her to continue. "Hundreds of years ago, when the Yin Iron was not in fragments but still a whole...The Yiling Burial Mounds back then were a celestial land, and Xue Chonghai was the most powerful grandmaster back then. Hundreds years have passed, still, nobody knows why someone like Xue Chonghai, who had everything, would use the Yin Iron to absorb grievance and resentment and use living people as sacrifice. He controlled an ancient monster, the Tortoise of Slaughter. Blood was shed. Lives were taken. It was a great tragedy." [Y/n] pressed her lips together in a thoughtful manner, her mind a receptive vessel eagerly absorbing the deluge of information, much like a sponge greedily soaking up every drop of water. Amidst the flood of details, an unshakable curiosity gnawed at her, compelling her to ponder the unfathomable motives driving Xue Chonghai to perpetrate such atrocious deeds, setting free a cataclysmic wave of devastation upon the once serene land. She chimed in, "It signifies the unity of the Five Clans, culminating in the demise of Xue Chonghai and the termination of his tyrannical rule."