Bring him home

The Yiling Patriarch is alive...

It was a couple of hours before the return of the Yiling Patriarch was to be announced.

All the clans were there. 

Waiting.

To find out who the esteemed Haungan-Jun was going to marry.

A couple of clan leaders that knew Lan Wangji was curious if he was to marry a boy or girl.

Wei Ying was anxious. 

He knew he was not really a popular guy. In fact, at one point, almost everyone at the wedding wanted him dead.

How was he going to face a whole crowd that had once hung a price on his head? People who had killed the remnants of the Wen Clan. The people he fought hard to protect. 

He had Lan Zhan by his side, and that comforted him a little.

His sister and brother had not seemed like they wanted him dead. Jiang Cheng almost looked... Relieved that he was alive. Wei Wuxian could not be sure. 

When Wen Ning had found him, he felt like something was completed. He had missed Wen Ning. The boy was like a younger sibling. 

" A-Ying," his sister's voice rang out clear as day. He turned to face her almost blindly.

" Hm," he said absentmindedly.

" Everything will be ok; we are together again," Jiang Yanli smiled lovingly. 

" They killed them," Wei Ying said. His words were soft, almost a whisper. But Yanli heard them. She knew who he was speaking of. She knew he had a special kind of love for the Wen's after he had rescued him. " You know, their sacrifice is the only reason I am here," he told her. 

Yanli's eyebrows rose in initial shock. " What do you mean," she asked.

"For a soul to be allowed back onto earth, someone has to give theirs willingly. When Wen Qing and Wen Ning left with the Wen clan, that is what they did; they knowingly sacrificed themselves so I could live. But because of my actions, I ruined the life they gave me, and I died," Wei Ying choked out.

Yanli was at a loss for words. She did not know any of that.

" Wei Ying, we never blamed you," a new voice says. Yanli tilts her head, and Wei Ying turns around altogether to see Wen Ning standing there. He looked sad.

" How could you not, she is dead because of me, they all are," Wei Ying cried face tight with emotion. 

" No, they died because we saw something good, someone, who could change the world. Someone worth dying for. You know A-Qing would not want you to talk like this. They did it willingly, we all did," Wen Ning said.

Yanli just looked at him. This was supposed to be the cold-hearted monster that killed for the fun of it. The monster that killed her husband. But right now she couldn't see that. Couldn't find the cold-hearted killer in him. All she could see is a boy who missed his sister and loved her brother as much as she did. 

" A-Ning," Wei Ying said. He had so many regrets. So many people he wanted to apologize to. Wen Ning was someone who deserved his upmost gratitude. He was no more than a mere boy with the name of Ghost General thrust upon him by Wei Ying's own shadow of the title the  Yiling Patriarch. It killed him inside. 

And he knew what death felt like. Though so did Wen Ning.

" Today is your wedding day. You get to mary Second young master, don't be sad for us," Wen Ning said, and with that, he made his exit. 

Wei Ying sniffled. Right at that moment, he swears he saw the burning fire of Wen Qing's eyes in Wen Ning's own. He even sounded a bit like her when she would scold him.

But Wen Ning was right. Today he would marry his soulmate. The man of his dreams. A man that no one in the heavens could compete with. He was lucky.

" Will you help me get ready," Wei Ying asked Yanli as he stepped away from the window he had been looking out.

" Of course A- Ying, it is every big sister's dream to help their little brother get ready for his wedding day," she said, making Wei Ying beam at her. A real smile one that he used his teeth for. A smile he wasn't even aware he was able to give after death.

When the time came, he would be ready. 

He would face the crowd of nameless people without fear. 

He stilled as he heard the voice of Lan Qiren addressing the crowd.

" Good morning, I am sure you all are curious as to whom Lan Wangji is to wed today," Lan Qiren said, and the crowd mumbled in unison. 

" We would like to say first, that anyone who thinks to react poorly at the reveal of the groom will be dealt with accordingly," Lan Xichen said. 

Another mumble went through the crowd. 

" Lan Zhan's groom to be is, Wei Wuxian," Lan Qiren said.

At first, there was silence.

Then a cry of " The Yiling Patriarch,"

The Yiling Patriarch was alive.

Wei Wuxian was not dead.

Wei Ying lived.