A Means to an End (WangXian)

Principle

The disciples were dragged along like a herd of cattle and ventured off to Mount Muxi for another obnoxious Night Hunt. Wei Wuxian's movements were slow. He had no sleep the night prior, and his mind was swamped of recurring thoughts about the Lotus Pier invasion.

He kept remembering the whips with Zidian. The way the Madam accused Wei Wuxian for causing the mess. He remembered Jiang Fengmian gazing at him for the final time and only demanded that he protect his children. He remembered the way Jiang Wanyin gripped his throat, shoving him and screaming at him, asking him why he had to save that Lan. Why did he have to get involved?

Nie Huaisang quickly became aware of how strange Wei Wuxian was acting. The two had not been given much opportunity to speak. They all agreed they would try not to communicate as much as possible, lest they become suspicious. Nie Huaisang pondered if he should have checked in on him sooner. He was aware of them sneaking around just the other night, but he was not aware of what they had found.

As they traversed into the mountain where the branches above their heads thickened and the trail at their feet began to shrink, Nie Huaisang chose to stay close to Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji had the same idea and kept glancing at Wei Wuxian out of concern.

It's already bad enough that Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were no longer in the same room. He could provide no comfort or ease from negative thoughts and nightmares while they were in the Wen Sect.

The Wen guards that surrounded them kept them from being able to converse, though Lan Wangji and Nie Huaisang were desperate to check in with Wei Wuxian.

Even Jiang Wanyin grew uncomfortable by this blank expression on Wei Wuxian's face. It reminded him of that time that Wei Wuxian apologized to him while crying. 

He didn't like the way it sat in his gut. It pulled and tugged at him in an uncomfortable and slightly nauseating way.

There was no sound from any of the young cultivators. All continued their journey through the mountain, not entirely aware of what they were looking for. 

Many of the disciples grew to hate the silence.

Why wasn't Wei Wuxian cracking jokes like he normally would? Why isn't he saying something completely off topic or even slightly aggravating the Wens like they normally would have expected out of him?

Though, even if many did not know the reason why, they did understand that whatever it was that happened in the Cloud Recesses, it affected and changed Wei Wuxian.

Some people began suspiciously wondering if something happened between Wei Wuxian and the Jiang Sect. Rumors have floated around that he did not go home with the other Jiangs, but chose to remain there.

In any case, many of these young cultivators, who trudged up the mountain in this heat, wished the old Wei Wuxian was back to pass the time.

After a long time in this deafening silence, the group appeared in a small clearing with a gentle stream.

As they all gathered in the clearing, listening to Wen Chao continue to flaunt around his mistress, Jiang Wanyin couldn't help grumbling curses at the Wens from under his breath. Wei Wuxian couldn't suppress his small smile as he heard the Jiang.

It always reassured Wei Wuxian that he wasn't the only one completely annoyed by the obnoxious individuals in front of him. He remembered how last time, it was the both of them cursing under their breaths, daring who could get away with it the longest.

The thought was enough to pull Wei Wuxian from his unpleasant thoughts of Lotus Pier and what he discovered mere nights ago.

Wei Wuxian glanced to the side of him and saw Lan Wangji, head tall, shoulders straight. The Wens were too busy around the stream to notice them talking. "Lan Zhan."