Muxi mountain lies hidden under swirling low clouds at sunset when they arrive at its base. As far as the eye can see, golden rays paint dusky mists that hide their destination, and as the great ball of light finally dips below the horizon, the brilliance of the sight mellows into something richer, like a canvas dipped into tea.
They've passed the river, having walked along the path leading to it, and both Lan Zhan and Wei Ying are distracted, remembering a different time, and different circumstances. Having endured the Wen indoctrination farce, they'd both been too tired, and Lan Zhan's leg was broken.
Wei Ying remembers worrying about Lan Zhan's condition, how much he was visibly struggling and trying not to let it show, putting up a barricade against his true feelings rather than let their captors enjoy the barbaric satisfaction of his suffering. And despite Jiang Cheng warning him off, Wei Ying had approached the solitary figure dressed in white, needing to help him, and fighting against the fear in his belly that Lan Zhan would reject it.
Lan Zhan was remembering Wei Ying's attempt to lighten everyone's moods by acting the fool. At the time, he'd felt exasperated at his antics, knowing that Wei Ying was only doing what he was great at: riling people up. But one had to be extremely brave, or extremely stupid to rile up someone as evil as Wen Chao.
It's only now that he thinks better of Wei Ying, knowing that Wei Ying had behaved that way to relieve the stress of others, how he had hoped that by making Wen Chao look like a fool, it would make him less intimidating to the others, who were already frightened by the uncertainty of their situation and Wen Chao's penchant for violence.
Worse still was when they dragged Wei Ying away and the bottomless pit of worry, a chasm that kept growing wider deep inside Lan Zhan then, and he wished his beloved would listen to his brother for once and not get himself into more trouble. When Wei Ying came back the next morning, he kept up the facade of camaraderie with Huaisang and Jiang Cheng, but Lan Zhan noticed the blood around his dark collar, his bruised knuckles and the way his hands shook when he took the bao bun from his brother.
Somehow, things just kept getting worse for Wei Ying.
His cockiness, his cheerful outward appearance and clearly superior intelligence that never failed to catch Wen Chao out, made him a target for the bully and he pushed him down that terrible ravine inside Muxi Mountain.
Both are shaken out of their thoughts by Lan Qiren, who guides them to sit down on the flattened grass.
On Lan Qiren's orders, Wen Tang Changpu has sent back her husband, Wen Ning, and Wen Zhang with the extra disciples, so now it's just the handful of Lan disciples, Wen Qing, Lan Zhan and Wei Ying, plus the three Sect Leaders.
They set up camp and light a fire, and Wen Tang Changpu makes a big pot of congee flavoured with sweet potatoes and chillies, which are carefully removed by the Lans and gratefully, eagerly added to Wei Ying's bowl by his request.
Tonight, the stories shared by the campfire are amusing instead of the popular ghost stories usually told, and the night flares with laughter matching the orange sparks that sizzle up into the air.
When it's time to go to sleep, Lan Qiren makes Wen Qing go to join her mother in their own tent, and he stays with A-Zhan and A-Ying in theirs. They have an early start tomorrow morning, and he hopes sleep will come quickly, but it does not.
He tosses and turns, careful not to disturb the two children sleeping next to him, and then he finds himself thinking about them anyway.
A few weeks ago, he had sat them down in his office, just the two of them and himself, and said, "What aren't you telling me? Every time we talk about the Yin Iron, both of you look shifty. Explain."
