A Means to an End (WangXian)

Illusion

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian stood in front of the burned Library Pavilion. Lan Wangji let his head fall as he touched the burnt remains of what was considered the most important building of all the Lan cultivators. It held all their knowledge, all their principles, but now it was gone.

"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian called, but Lan Wangji was lost in his own despair. He kept thinking about all the texts he had yet to read. Everything was lost. 

"Lan Zhan." Wei Wuxian set a gentle hand on Lan Wangji's shoulder.

The Lan looked at him and Wei Wuxian couldn't help but smile. "Come on. There's no reason to be upset."

Lan Wangji stared at Wei Wuxian in bewilderment and in slight anger. Sure, Wei Wuxian might not have cared as much about the library, but it was still a considerable loss. Lan Wangji felt saddened that Wei Wuxian didn't seem to care at all about what happened.

Wei Wuxian then burst out laughing at his expression. He could see the irritation and remorse in Lan Wangji's golden eyes geared towards him. "Don't look at me like that!" he exclaimed. "Do you honestly think I would let them destroy the most important thing to the entire sect?"

Lan Wangji's eyebrows furrowed, and he blinked a few times. "What do you mean?"

Wei Wuxian only smiled again before walking towards one of the pillars. He set his hand on the pillar and allowed his spiritual energy to deactivate the hidden talisman. As soon as the talisman was gone, the burnt and destroyed building disappeared and the pristine white Library Pavilion reappeared in its place.

Lan Wangji stared in awe at the library in perfect condition, not even a small scratch or burn mark was present. 

"I-" he cut off. He turned to Wei Wuxian quickly, his eyes wide and watery.

"The Wens wouldn't leave unless they felt like they won something. They knew how important this building was, which is why they targeted it," he explained. "So, I made sure to put some extra protection on this building." Wei Wuxian then smiled cheekily. "Of course, added with an illusion talisman, it was easy to fool the Wens."

Lan Wangji was left entirely speechless. He has never been one for words, and he has lost himself in the unbelievably stunning silver eyes that managed to analyze the situation and protect something that he himself did not care much about. 

Of course, Wei Wuxian does care about the Library Pavilion. After all, it is filled with a wide range of texts on cultivation and the world that, of course, Wei Wuxian would be intrigued. He may have hated spending numerous of hours here copying rules he didn't fully believe in, but this was also the place where he got to see Lan Wangji in his natural element. This is where their relationship began to grow.

Even so, Wei Wuxian would never allow harm to come to this library. He saw how important it was, and he knew it needed to be protected.

The Wen's destroyed it last time and many ancient texts were ruined. At least now they will be safe.

Lan Wangji felt large emotions. All of which he did not know how to properly express. All he could do was pull Wei Wuxian roughly into a hug and held him tightly. 

Wei Wuxian was shocked by the contact, but melted in it nonetheless. If he felt Lan Wangji shake and his breaths come out uneven, he never made a comment about it.

Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, Lan Xichen, and Lan Qiren all stood in the library looking at their final preparations for the indoctrination. The majority of the mess around the Cloud Recesses has been taken care of. However, a few homes were lost and were still being rebuilt. A handful of lives were taken as well, and many of the cultivators here continued to grieve their loss.