At thirteen, Wei Ying creates an array he calls 'Time Reversal' which he uses to save Jiang Cheng from drowning. At fifteen, he dies in a tragic accident. Two years after that, Wen Ruohan has overcome the Nie-Lan-Jiang rebellion. The small clans as...
Wen Qing interrupted their morning ablutions two days after her wedding. "Strip down to your trousers," she ordered. "Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli say you have scars from Zidian you would like to reduce. I may be able to help."
"I was told Zidian's scars are irreversible," he commented, refraining from asking why she was visiting them so early in the morning and so soon after her wedding.
She gave him a look that clearly stated he didn't know what he was talking about. Wei Ying, apparently, was smarter than he was. Or already understood that Wen Qing's reputation for being no nonsense was to be taken literally and her instructions were to be obeyed instantly. His husband had already removed his outer robe.
When Wei Ying's back was bare, she examined him very closely, tracing each line and curve with her fingertips and pressing harder on what he knew to be acupressure points. "I have a salve," she finally said once her examination was over. "It will help. Combine it with regular sessions in the Cold Pond, a massage given by a professional immediately after, and play Healing as the massage is happening."
Wei Ying accepted the recipe for the salve and asked, "How often is 'regular'?"
"Twice a day, morning and evening, for the salve. Start with every other day for the Cold Pond and the massage. After six months, if there is noticeable improvement, you can go every three days. If there is minimal improvement, switch to every day. You will visit me once a month so I can view your progress or lack thereof."
"Six months?" Wei Ying's eyes were very wide open. "How can I go on night hunts if I have to be sitting in that pond every other day?"
She glared at him and folded her arms. "Six months is just the start. My mistake. I was under the impression that you wanted to minimize the scars. It makes no difference to me. However, you already have decreased mobility in the skin and muscles that were damaged. Over time, that mobility will be reduced even further. Eventually, it will get to the point where you will have trouble holding your sword and using a bow."
Wei Ying mouthed 'I won't be able to use Suibian?'
Wen Qing continued. "I estimate five years on the early side and ten years at the most. The longer you wait to start to take care to reverse the damage, the less you will be able to heal. There will come a day when nothing can be done.
"It's up to you, of course. A year or two of night hunting in the vicinity of Yunshen Buzhichu or in ten years, not being able to night hunt at all? I know which I would choose, but I am not you." He very clearly heard 'I am not an idiot' not spoken aloud. She turned and walked to the door. "Thank you for coming to the wedding."
While Wei Ying shrugged himself back into his robes, he started thinking. "Wen Daifu is only trying to help."
"I know." Wei Ying whined. "Every other day? For up to two years? I like night hunting with you. I like not being restricted to a day's journey from Yunshen Buzhichu. And what if a sect wants me to install the new wards for them? It takes at least a month."
"They can wait. Wei Ying's health is important. Or... Wei Ying can train a few disciples." You're already teaching. You may as well teach what you want alongside the prescribed courses. You could....
"Train? Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan... talisman and array theory are barely taught in any sect. Just basic level 'here are some of the arrays we know how to create and what they do' and 'here are some talismans we know how to write and what they do'. How can I train someone to understand my arrays when they barely understand the basic ones? You saw your brother and uncle when I tried to explain what the ward array does! I thought they were going to fall asleep! Everything I know, I had to teach myself."
He nodded, happy that Wei Ying was agreeing to his proposal. "Yes. It is good that you were curious and researched and taught yourself. Now you can pass that knowledge on. I will speak to Xionxhang about creating a beginner level course on arrays and talismans. We, of course, will open it to all sects. Perhaps later you can teach a more advanced course as well."
Wei Ying's mouth dropped. "You think I should teach an array class? What about my other classes?"
He narrowed his eyes at his husband. Such a question was clearly rhetorical. There are at least a hundred other Gusu Lan disciples who can teach meditation and archery. There might be a hundred other people in the entire jianghu who can teach arrays and talismans like you can. Probably a quarter of that. "If we open it to everyone... we might get too many people for a decent class size."
Wei Ying must have arrived at the same conclusion. "Would ten students be a good number? Lan Xiansheng has up to thirty in his general classes, but... that's too many for talismans. We need space for things to blow up and ensure no one gets hurt. Well, reduce the number of people hurt. I can have two sessions.... So twenty students in all.
"Obviously, I need twenty students who actually want to learn, so... I need some sort of weeding out mechanism."
"You wouldn't want twenty Nie Huaisang's in your class?" He was trying to be funny or lighthearted or something.
Instead, Wei Ying looked thoughtful, like he was seriously considering the idea. "Nie Huaisang and talismans? That might actually be a good fit. I have a few that are good in fights. He should learn how to use the stunning and restraining ones so he can at least run away if he's ever caught." He hmmed and rubbed at his nose. "Those fans of his.... I read a book a few years back where the heroine had fighting fans. The ribs were made of steel and had sheathed knives in them. She would press a button and the knives would come out and she fought off her attackers with it." He started pacing. "I've never seen one in real life, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. And if you had them made with the same material as a spiritual sword? He could use it to protect himself.
"Cultivating with a spiritual fan wouldn't be that different than cultivating with a spiritual sword, would it? I guess he'd have to hire an unconventional sword master to work with him. And a dancing master? Girls use fans to dance with...." He looked up, eyes shining with excitement. "I'll bet that even someone with low cultivation ability could learn to dance with a fan, Lan Zhan. I'll further bet that some of those dances would be very similar to meditation, wouldn't they? Not the static meditation styles, of course, but a moving one. Like when you perform a sword exercise extremely slowly to stretch every moment and work on a perfect execution? That level of meditation?"
"Wei Ying..." he let his gaze sit warm and heavy on his beloved. "Only you can start a conversation about a new class on talismans and arrays and turn it into creating a new style of cultivation. With fans no less."
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Dear readers.
I have a homework assignment for you: Picture the Lan elders seeing WY cultivating with a fan. What percentage has fainted in shock? What percentage has yelled themselves hoarse? Picture NHS trying to learn how to fly on a sword: what is NMJ's reaction?
