#my laolao is the last one

[cardvngreenbriar]

JOY RIDE 2023, dir. Adele Lim

[remma3760]

Consequences

Chapter 13

Summary:

Will Lan Qiren warn Jin Guangshan about Wen Ruohan's attempt on Nie Jiahao's life?

Notes:

I don't now if we were ever told Jin Zixuan age. We do know he was betrothed to Jiang Yanli practically from birth, so I would assume he is close in age to her and also Lan Xichen. In this chapter, he is 10, so more a contemporary of lan Xichen than Wei Ying and Lan Zhan.

Lan Qiren felt a headache coming on as he always did when approaching Koi Tower. So much gold. Would it kill them to leave just one column un-gilded?

Beside him, Wei Ying gawked at all the stairs. "We have to climb all of them?"

"We have more stairs at Cloud Recesses, A-Ying."

"But home is worth the climb, A-Die."

Lan Qiren had to agree. 

They were led up and into the main hall. Just like Wen Ruohan, Jin Guangshan waited on his throne, beckoning them forward. His wife and son sat at a small table just slightly below him. 

"Here at last, Lan Qiren. I suppose I should be grateful you chose to come at all."

"I had only meant to visit my old friend Nie Jiahao when the summons came from Nightless City. No exclusion was intended, Jin Zongzhu." 

"Are we not also friends, Qiren."

They were not. Unable to lie, but equally unable to speak the truth, Lan Qiren kept silent. 

"Of course we are. I will call you Qiren, and you must call me Guangshan. Just two old friends meeting again."

Lan Qiren could not call him Guangshan, so now he couldn't call him anything at all. How inconvenient.

"Come, let me meet your ward, Qiren."

"My son."

"Hm?"

"A-Ying is my adopted son."

"Whatever, whatever. He is the grandson of Baoshen Sanren, is he not?"

Lan Qiren fought hard not to roll his eyes. Of course that was the part that interested Jin Guangshan. "He is." 

"And she is now allied with the Lan?"

"She is family."

"But surely she has returned to the Celestial Mountain? I heard she took no part in the cultivation world."

"That has been the case, however she has expressed a desire to be involved in A-Ying's life so that may change in the future."

"I hope the Lan will be willing to share such an illustrious connection with their friends."

"Baoshan Sanren is a person, not a plate of buns. Who she chooses to associate with is entirely her own decision."

Jin Guangshan humphed, looking displeased. 

Wei Ying tugged on Lan Qiren's sleeve. "A-Die, does this man know Laolao?"

Jin Guangshan's gaze sharpened on Wei Ying. "You call her Laolao?"

"What else would I call her? That's who she is."

"Why did you never tell Jiang Fengmian that Baoshen Sanren was your...Laolao?"

"I didn't know, then. Only when she came to see me adopted she said."

"Is that true, Qiren? The boy didn't know?"

"No-one knew. And she was not only unaware of A-Ying's birth, but also Cangse Sanren's death."

"As you say. You had no idea when you took the boy from Lotus Pier. Simply a lucky chance."

There really was nothing to say to that, so again, Lan Qiren kept silent. 

Jin Guangshan beckoned his son forward. "Come, Zixuan. I know you were looking forward to meeting our guests. Why don't you take the boys to explore while we adults have a boring grown up talk."

Jin Zixuan nodded. "Yes, Father."

He made his way out, looking back to be sure that the others followed him.

***

The exploring was going better than Jin Zixuan had expected. He usually found it hard to talk with his peers, but Lan Xichen made it very easy, and little Wei Ying's constant chatter filled any awkward silences. He had shown them the stables, his mother's flower garden and the archery range. He was wondering where they could go next when Wei Ying suddenly shrieked and clutched at Lan Zhan. What had happened? "What?"

Lan Xichen looked worried. "A dog barked."

"Well, yes. We use spiritual dogs here. They're not dangerous. There's no need to be scared."

"A-Ying lived on the streets before Jiang Fengmian found him. He was chased by dogs. He has bites on his legs."

"Oh. Wait here, I have an idea."

Jin Zixuan took off to the surprise of Lan Xichen. Was he going to make sure the dogs were locked up?

He came back a minute later, something squirming in his hands. He laid a tiny puppy on the ground. "See? He's only two days old. His eyes aren't even open yet and he doesn't have any teeth. He couldn't bite you if he tried. Nothing to be scared of at all."

Wei Ying still hid hid face against Lan Zhan, shaking. Lan Zhan patted his back. "Wei Ying, he is even smaller than the bunnies. Do you want to look?"

Did he? Wei Ying was unsure. Smaller than the bunnies was small, but he was still a dog. He peeked out. He was very small. Wei Ying didn't know what to do. 

Lan Xichen stroked his hair. "A-Ying, you were right to be scared of those other dogs. They chased you and they hurt you. But this is a different dog. This is a good dog. Do you want to try going closer?"

Wei Ying decided that he did. He would be brave. He inched closer to the sqirming puppy. He really was quite cute and not at all dog like. 

Jin Zixuan picked him up, holding him out. "Do you want to hold him? Think of him as a bunny that barks if that makes him less scary."

Taking a deep breath, Wei Ying nodded, holding out his hands. Bunnies that bark. He could do that. The tiny puppy squirmed in his hold, sucking on his finger. Oh. That was...not so bad. He could do this. He was holding a dog. "Lan Zhan, I'm holding a dog? See, I'm holding a dog!"

"Mn."  

Lan Xichen smiled at Jin Zixuan. "Thank-you. This was thoughtful." 

Wei Ying nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes, you're kind. I like you. Can we be friends?"

Jin Zixuan was surprised. People didn't usually ask to be his friend, and they didn't usually think he was kind. Most people thought he was arrogant and only wanted to be around him because he was a sect leader's son. It would be nice to have friends who actually liked him. "I would like that, yes."

Lan Xichen smiled at him. "Good. We could write. We're both sect heirs after all, so it would be good to talk to someone else who understands."

Jin Zixuan smiled back, a little shy. This day had gone so much better than he had thought it would. "I should take the puppy back to his mother. He's still too small to be away from her for long. Oh, do you want to name him?"

"Really? Oh, oh, I want to call him, uhm, I know. Xiao Tuzi. Because you said to think of him like a bunny who barks. What do you think? Is that a good name?"

Jin Zixuan took the little puppy back with a laugh. "Well, it's an unusual name for a dog, but I think it suits him. Xiao Tuzi he is."

Jin Zixuan handed off the puppy to a servant to be returned to the rest of the litter. Yes, this had been a good day. 

***

Madam Jin didn't know what to think. Wei Ying was not at all what she had expected. She had heard the rumours of his 'rescue' from Lotus Pier of course. Who hadn't? She had discounted them. Yu Ziyuan had told her they were lies and so she chose to believe her friend. Her good friend who would never abuse an innocent child. It had to be an exaggeration. But Lan Qiren had confirmed the facts, and he never lied. Apparently, it was much worse than even the rumours hinted at. Yu Ziyuan had almost killed Cangse Sanren's child. It was unthinkable.

The whole situation was confusing. She knew her husband was angry that the Lans now had access to an Immortal. He wanted that connection for himself. He refused to believe that no-one had known that Baoshen Sanren was Cangse Sanren's mother until recently. He behaved as if he had been plotted against, the child stolen from his clutches. He convinced himself that he had been on the verge of 'rescuing' the child himself when Lan Qiren had swooped in and stolen the glory. The fact that there were actual songs being written about little Lan Zhan and the righteous Lans didn't help. 

Then there was the child himself. Zixuan liked him, and that in itself was unexpected. Ziyuan had spoken about Wei Ying as if he was a demon come to earth. A torment sent upon her to ruin her peace. He was none of the things Ziyuan had claimed. He was a child. Just a child. Sweet and grubby with a smile that could light up a room. 

Wei Ying had been incandescent with joy at having been able to hold a puppy. Such a simple thing. Zixuan, too, had practically glowed with the praise heaped upon him by first Lan Xichen, then also by Lan Qiren once he understood what Zixuan had done.

It had been a good idea. She was proud of her son, and more than pleased at the outcome. Zixuan had three new friends now, one of them a fellow sect heir. Her husband had been pleased about that, at least. 

Nothing was how she had been told it was. What was the truth of the situation? Perhaps she should reserve judgement, for now at least. She would have to think more on this. Ziyuan was still her dearest friend. She could not abandon her. But still, she would have to think more on this.

[plokoonsdisapprovingeyebrows]

windy is promising me storms later on today and god i hope theyre right lmfao. in honor of the occasion or just optimism maybe, here's some weather terminology and discussion for the kel dor conlang:

ranggak = atmosphere. Sometimes langgak depending on dialect. The air you breathe, the movement of winds, all around the planet. Treated in a similar way to the word 'heavens' in colloquial speech, but also used in scientific writing.

yaran = weather. also yina and kssayao, which are regional terms - yaran is standard keldeorinyaa, understood everywhere.

ruu = air, as in the stuff you're actively breathing.

ran = wind. Also lan in some dialects. A very common name among kel dor. If you're talking about a consistently windy day, you can say raran; if it's a soft breeze, you can say peran; for strong wind you say aik or airan; and for the sort of wind that breaks things you say daran.

lao = rain. For soft rain, drizzle, you say palao or plao, or maybe laolao; for heavy rain, the sort that causes flooding, you say dalao. For cold rain or sleet, you say lassi. Hail is ttaka, and snow is riam.

ann = cloud. For a fairweather cumulus-type cloud, you say halann; for a raincloud it is laolann. Fog or mist is korol, sea haze is yassa, high-altitude ice clouds are aral, and stormclouds are balann.

baran = storm. There a few different types of storms, so baran is a wet thunderstorm with damaging winds, occasionally spawning tornadoes (aikaaz). For a tropical cyclone/hurricane, you say eskeran; for a continental-interior storm, you say tsalari, and for an ice storm you say kiyar.

bal = thunder. For quiet, distant thunder, the sort that makes you wonder if there's a storm on the way or just a big truck a few blocks away, you can say balal. There's also iskobal, which are unexplained loud noises the sky just makes sometimes - skyquakes.

hassa = lightning. Sometimes just ssa, which is also a very common kel dor name. For sheet lightning, a flicker of light within the clouds, you say ssassa. For distant lightning with no audible thunder, you say konssa. For ball lightning, you say halmissa (literally 'star lightning') and you consider yourself blessed by the spirits - it's a very good omen. For a bolt of lightning that comes down out of a clear sky, you say ssaossa. (This is an omen of bad luck, and also a mild swearword.)

IN CONVERSATION--

"yaran di kya?" = "What's the weather doing?" "How's the weather?"

kya = ??? a question particle, can translate in a number of ways depending on the sentence. Here we're requesting information on the weather.

"halssao di kya?" = "What is the sky doing?" (what does it look like?)

"hal hassao di." = "It's sunny." "The sky is clear."

"ann meoyssao di." = "It's a cloudy night."

"lao di maakedi danalitta naa." = "There's rain coming later in the day."

maakedi = later on, the near future, soon.

danalitta = future definite tense of danao, to visit -- rain always comes to visit in keldeorinyaa.

"yaran di me maandi naidaa sakan re." = "The weather's been awfully dry lately."

maandi = recently, the close past, not long ago.

naidaa = quantifier, typically means 'all of a thing' but can be used to emphasise qualities, like 'very'. Swap this out for tawidawi if the quality is a pain in the ass. Presence of the me judgemental particle indicates potential concern - the speaker might be wondering if they're headed for a full on drought.

sakan = drought, dry period.

"lao di kohti danao naa." = "It would be nice to have some rain."

kohti = good. Also used, as here, to indicate a desired outcome.

"nekde baran kedi, lao di me ohaila de kuraz voolaiki dal." = "The rain got in and flooded my cellar in that last storm."

nekde = last [x], the one before the current time.

kedi = timing particle, at, in, or during depending on usage.

ohaila = basement, cellar; an underground storeroom.

kuraz = flood. In the most loose sense, this is water where it's not supposed to be.

voolaiki dal = past tense of voolaiki di, to invade. Rain always uses the verb 'to visit'... except for when there's too much of it and your shit gets flooded.

"nekde kyaritvari nna, tawidawi riam di me idaral naa." = "Last winter there was a shit ton of snow."

kyaritvari = winter, cold season.

nna = timing particle, a time frame during which something occurs.

tawidawi = too fuckin much, a shit ton.

idaral = past tense of idari, to fall. The speaker here is saying that they got more than they usually do and it was probably a pain in the ass, but not a disaster.

Snow can take three verbs depending on what it's doing. danao, to visit, for snow that falls but does not settle; idari, to fall, for snow that falls and settles, and garrai, for snow that buries houses and fells trees. (garrai is hard to translate; it's what happens when you get hit by an unexpectedly big wave and it knocks you off your feet and turns you upside down in the water and you panic cause you don't know what way's up or down anymore.)

[holden-caulfield]

(anonymous but you know who this is LOL)

hey laolao we are having problems. or rather i am

i don’t wanna write for hp anymore😐i haven’t done for ages

and now

idk what to do

my entire following base is dedicated to draco and i literally do not care for that character in the slightest omg what to do

but i still love writing

my beloved pischella,

i am afraid to say this but... me too.

i felt like this for some time now and it's nice to know i'm not the only one. i feel like i've overcome my hp phase but i also know that all the people that follow me follow me for that... and i would hate it to let people down, you know??

even the last draco fics i wrote... i wrote them but i wasn't even thinking about him, they felt... blank to me.

i feel like we should do whatever makes us happy and satisfies us because i, too, love writing but i don't feel like writing for draco is my thing anymore...

i think you should keep writing (because i fucking love your style and everything you create <3) but maybe expand your horizons... write for characters that inspire you even if they might not be the ones people followed you for in the first place. there are some who will keep following you for you and there are some who will start following you for your new content and will fall in love with your writing style just like i did😮‍💨

even write new, original content! (i can say that that is really doing miracles for creativity, creating an entirely new universe with your rules makes you feel ✨powerful✨ so i'd definitely recommend!!) create characters if you can't find one that particularly inspires you, but don't let your passion die just because draco malfoy isn't your muse anymore!!

i started writing for another fandom now and honestly? i feel like i want to write again, i didn't feel like this before... i know that in the future i'll probably get tired of these characters too but that's the fun thing, right? :')

anyway, this was long as fuck, too long, but i was in a mature and wise mood because, y'know, i am mature and wise, the wisest if you will.

just know that i'd 100% support you and i'm sure others will too <3

let me know what you think because i know i just said you should branch out and let hp behind but honestly it kinda scares me too lmao

yours truly,

your laolao

[sunnysmemorydiary]

Laolao

In northern China, we called mom’s mom Laolao and dad’s mom Nainai to distinguish grandmas. Every time people ask me if I like Laolao more or Nainai more, I always say Laolao. Laolao is one of the most important witnesses of my childhood. Laolao was very optimistic and loved to laugh, which helped me become an optimistic person in my growing up. She was very patient with me, knew lots of stories even though she can not read. She was my best childhood playmate, she always played with me with no complaint. When I was in elementary school, when the teacher let us write which person I want to be in the future, I always said I want to be a person like Laolao, super optimistic, never complain and always laugh. She never let anything affect her mood. I always had lots of things I wanted to tell her, because she never judged me, she is the only elder family member I had no secret with.

When I went to middle school, Laolao went back to her hometown to spend her old life. She had two dogs, a cat and two hens in the yard. Every summer vacation I spend two weeks with her, playing with dogs and chasing hens in the yard. When I came back home, Laolao called my mom and said one of the hens would not lay anymore because of my day-to-day chasing, so she cooked chicken soup for herself. I will always remember that night because my mom was really mad at me. But Laolao laughed and said: “Thanks to my little granddaughter, she let me have a chance to try the delicious chicken soup.

Every year she made quilts and sweaters for me and my two cousins, she made me the last quilt at the year I went to UBC, and said: “Laolao is old, let me make this last quilt for you, you can sleep with it every night when you are far away from home, Laolao will always be with you.”

Laola was getting older day by day, and she had Alzheimer’s disease, remembered nobody and refused to get out of bed. I went to see her in the summer of 2019. Surprisingly, she recognized me at a glance. She dragged me aside mysteriously and whispered: “Do you know why I refused to get out of bed? Because I was afraid. I fell down last winter, that hurt. I will never leave bed.”

She passed away in the winter of 2019. My mom did not tell me because she thought I was really far away, and she did not want me to be sad about it. My cousin told me secretly. Instead of being angry with my mom, I really understand her. I lost a grandma, but for my mom, she lost her mom.    

[return2theroad]

Catching up on Laos

Hard to beat my first two days in Laos. Sorry for all the delays in updating my blog, but through a combination of lousy internet and way colder weather than I expected, I have not had much chance to write. Now is the time. So after a 6 hour flight from Korea to Laos, I arrived at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane and after waiting for about 30 minutes I was picked up and taken to my hotel. This was really only a one night stop over until I flew to Luang Prabang to meet Steve Rutledge form the Adopt A Village Laos charity. Steve and his local contact, Siphan are doing amazing work in Laos. Nine years ago, Steve came to Laos and fell in love with the country and its people. He started his charity to bring clean and healthy water to remote villages. His charity has completed over a dozen school projects, 10 water projects bringing water to several villages and a hospital (imagine a hospital with no water!) and have completed well over 20 toilet banks for schools and villages. He has also provided over 3,277 water filter systems (over 16,000 people!), with 600 more ready for distribution, along with critical hygiene training for families, schools and hospitals to promote longer, healthier and happier lives. His love for the people and total dedication to helping the people of Laos is inspiring. I would encourage all of you to check out his website at https://adoptavillageinlaos.wordpress.com/ . All I can say about my first day in Laos was Wow! After Steve and Siphan picked me up, we drive north from Laung Prabang for just over 2 hours to a town called Namthom and dropped our stuff at the guest house we were going to stay in for two days. From there we drove about 45 minutes north to a Khmu village named Mok Vaet where the whole village had patiently been waiting for us in chairs. The water filters had previously been delivered to the village and were all nicely stacked up ready to go. The first thing they did was escort inside for a fantastic lunch that had been prepared for our visit. I have to admit it was a touch overwhelming for the first few minutes, but little did I know the day was to get even better. Once lunch was over we started the process of getting ready to distribute the water filters, one to each family in the village. This meant we had to unpack them all, attach two stickers, one with the name of the charity, the other with the names of the people who had donated the funds to purchase that filter. What was great, once we got started the people from the village kicked into high gear and helped us get things ready quite quickly. Steve and Siphan have been doing this for a long time and Steve goes through a short presentation where he explains how germs are transferred from one person to another. He had the great idea to use the sparkles kids used to make posters to show how if one person handles something than touches another, the sparkles/germs are transferred to the other person. This was a wonderful way to show them, as the villagers have no idea about this. The filters are quite amazing and have been used throughout the world. All they consist of is a plastic storage base, a special clay pot that acts as the filer and an empty water bottle. With proper cleaning the filter will last 12 years and cost nothing to maintain. During his presentation Steve asks the people who has diarrhea in the last two months. At first, they are shy and than pretty much all hands go up one by one. Steve has told me that once they go back after a few months and ask the same question almost no hands go up. This is amazing as it has had a significant impact on reducing the crazy high infant mortality rate of about 9%. Following the distribution of the water filters, the village had prepared a Baci celebration to honor us. For a full explanation of the Baci see the link below. In short, it consisted of the preparation of the pah kwan or the flower trays and placing at a central location for people to gather around it in reverential prayers. The pa kwan is normally prepared by the elderly ladies of the household or the community. The paw kwan is elaborately prepared on a silver tray on which a cone or horn made of banana leaves is placed at the centre and is decked with flowers and white cotton and silk threads tied to a bamboo stalk as flags. The decoration with flowers is of different flower types with specific connotation of dok huck (symbol of love), dok sampi (longevity), dok daohuang (cheerfulness/brilliance) and so forth.[e The younger generation of people assembled for the occasion first pay obeisance to the elders present in the ceremony. Thereafter, every one in the assembly touches the trays of pah kwan reverentially as a mark of respect, amidst recitation of Buddhist mantras or chants, in a mix of Laotian and Pali languages by the mor phon (the person conducting the ceremony, usually a senior person who has been a Buddhist monk). Buddhist deities, animist deities and spirits are invoked amidst the chants for the return of kwans (souls) from wherever they are back to the body to ensure equilibrium. It is said to be a fusion of the traditions of Hindu and Buddhist religious practices.[1][2][3] At the conclusion of the ceremony, a feast of food is offered to all guests, with bowls of rice wine. This is followed by revelry of Laotian dance and music and as I was soon to discover large amount of LaoLao, rice whisky and BeerLao, the local beer. All I can say is they sure can drink and it turn out to be a fantastic evening filled with a lot of laughter. http://laoheritagefoundation.org/ceremonies/baci.jsp

[remma3760]

Consequences

Chapter 18

Summary:

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are married now. They decide to go on one last night hunt together before the start of the Lan lectures, but the situation quickly desperate.

Notes:

About the lectures. The implication is that they are yearly and run for a year. This makes no sense as it means there was ALWAYS ongoing lectures, so when would the Lans have time to do anything else? Also, who would go to these lectures, and why were all the key players at the same one? So, I have decided that the lectures happen every five years and run for six months. The minimum age is sixteen. Nie Mingjue would have just been the right age for the previous set, so is the only sect heir not expected at the upcoming lectures. And yes, the lectures are seen as a dating opportunity for all the attendees.

Chapter Text

"Lan Zhan, I don't see why A-Die is making us go to the lectures. Lans never attend, so why do we have to? We just got married. Don't you think we should be allowed to travel for a while? Just be together and have some fun?"

"..."

"Don't give me that look, Lan Zhan. Okay, I know A-Die said that most of the other sect heirs will be there so it's a good opportunity for us to spend time with them, but we already know them. They're our friends. And if it's a diplomatic thing, then shouldn't it be Tangge going?"

"..."

"No, you're right, Lan Zhan. I know, Tangge has too much to do so it has to be us that represents our family. I just wish we had more time to just be us. Don't you wish that too?"

"..."

"See, I knew we would agree, Lan Zhan. But at least we get this one last adventure before we have to spend six months in a classroom going over things we already know. Lan Zhan, I'm going to be so bored."

"..."

"Well, yes, there is that. At least we'll be together, Lan Zhan. As long as you are by my side, I can survive anything. Even boredom. Oh, Lan Zhan, my pendant, is yours?"

"Mn."

Wei Wuxian reached into his robes to check his rapidly heating pendant. It was solid black. There was resentment energy somewhere near. "We should check it out."

"Wei Ying, we are at the edge of Qishan territory. Shufu told us we should avoid this area."

"I know, but if someone is in trouble. We could just take a look, no-one needs to know we were here. We can't just leave. Not if there's danger."

"Mn. We will look."

"Yes! You know, it would help if we could tell where exactly the resentment is coming from. Like a compass. A compass of evil. What do you think Lan Zhan? Wouldn't that be helpful?"

"Wei Ying should create one."

"Oh, do you think I could?"

"Mn."

"Maybe I could put some ideas together and show Laolao. I could base the idea around the way the pendants detect danger, but make it more focused. I don't know, it's not easy."

"Wei Ying will succeed."

Wei Wuxian laughed and hugged his husband. "Well, if Lan Zhan says so, then how could Wei Ying ever fail?"

"Mn."

***

They heard the screams as they approached the trees and started to run. They reached the stumbling woman only moments before the fierce corpses that pursued her. Wei Wuxian grabbed for her, pulling her behind him. She was injured, claw marks raked accross her back. And she was pregnant. Very pregnant. Who was she? Why was she out here in the middle of nowhere alone and in such a state?

There was no time to think as the wall of corpses surged forward. No, they weren't fierce corpses,not quite. Dark lines rose up around their necks, their sightless white eyes staring. But they were not dead. They were like puppets, living puppets controlled by resentful energy. Wei Wuxian had never seen anything like them before. 

They fought viciously, clearly trying to get to the young woman. Lan Wangji fought a little ahead of him, trying to keep as many as possible occupied so Wei Wuxian would be able to better protect the woman.

She was sobbing, had collapsed from pain and exhaustion. More and more of the puppets were coming. This situation was not sustainable. Wei Wuxian swung at a puppet who made it past Lan Wangji's guard. A killing blow, but the puppet didn't die. Instead it transformed, became monstrous. It roared in anger, swiping at Wei Wuxian before he could dodge away. He gasped in pain as the claws ripped against his chest. He jumped back, taking off it's head with a single blow. Yet already, he could feel himself fading. looking down, he could see that his pendant had turned blood red. Poison. There was poison on the claws. 

Desperately, he pulled out a transportation talisman, but he no longer had the strength to activate it. "Lan Zhan. I can't. We have to get out of here, but I can't."

He held out the talisman as Lan Wangji turned. He saw the terror on his husband's face as Lan Wangji ran to them, snatching up the talisman to wrap himself around Wei Wuxian and the woman. And then they were gone. 

***

There were shouts from the healers as the three bodies appeared in front of them. They ran to them, instantly recognising  Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. Lan Baojie felt for their cores. Lan Wangji's was stable, but depleted. Wei Wuxian's, however was erratic and fading fast. What was happening here? Then he saw the pendant and shouted out, "poison! They've been poisoned. It's affecting Wuxian's core. we must flush it out immediately. The woman too. Huang Feiyu, you take care of Wangji, feed him energy.

They jumped to work, needing to neutralise the poison before too much harm was done. A disciple looked in, worried at the shouts he had heard. Lan Baojie sent him for Lan Qiren but never paused in his work. There was no time. No time.

***

The healers had done all they could. All that was left for them was to wait. Lan Qiren sat between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian holding both their hands. Lan Xichen stood beside him, their fear evident. 

Lan Qiren shook his head. What had happened here? Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were two of the most powerful cultivators of their generation; together they were almost invincible. What could have done this to them? And who was the woman they had brought back with them? "Baojie, report."

Lan Baojie stood forward, drained from the long fight to save his patients. 

"Wangji is unharmed. His core was seriously depleted from the fight and then having to transport three people accross a large distance. he is resting now and will recover his energy soon. Both Wuxian and the woman were poisoned. Not one I recognise. In fact, I've never seen anything quite like it. Insidious. Vile. It attacks the golden core and if left untreated, would destroy it completely."

"Baojie"

"I know. But we got to him on time, thank the gods. That pendant Baoshen Sanren gave him was burning red, so we knew immediately what we were dealing with and were able to counter the effects before any permanent harm was done. Still, it was bad enough. He will recover, but not anytime soon. We have had to seal his core to give it the time it needs to heal itself. I predict months of recovery will be needed before it is fully restored."

"Months?"

"Yes. You need to contact Baoshen Sanren. She may know more about this poison and have a way to shorten the recovery time."

"Of course. I was waiting until we knew more before writing but will do so urgently. And the woman?"

Lan Baojie looked regretful. "Ah, I'm afraid it is much worse for her. Her core was weak to begin with, and she had the poison in her body for longer. In addition, what core she had worked hardest to protect her unborn child, to divert the poison away from the baby. We have been able to purge the poison, but there was a lot of internal damage before we could do so. Her core is gone. We can only monitor her condition and hope for the best. It may become necessary to deliver her baby early."

"But who is she?"

"I don't know, Qiren. She should regain consciousness soon. We can question her then, but be gentle. She has suffered a great trauma."

Lan Qiren sighed. He would send for Boashen Sanren. Even if she could do nothing to help, she would want to be present for her grandson's recovery. Until then, they would just have to wait. Wait and hope.

***

[remma3760]

Consequences

Chapter 7

Summary:

Madam Yu attacked Wei Ying and that had consequences for the Jiiangs and the Lans. Now, the ripples of that one incident start to spread out into the rest of the cultivation world.

Baoshen Sanren watched her grandsons play while she sat with Lan Qiren drinking ever more tea. Very good tea, admittedly, but gods, did she miss a good jug of wine. And food with actual flavour. What even was that strangely grey stew they had yesterday? At least there had been sweet treats at her little Ying's celebration meal. So, they could make good food here, they just chose not too. First thing she would do once she left Cloud Recesses was head to a good inn and eat herself into a food coma. Speaking of, "Qiren, I will be leaving tomorrow."

Predictably, this brought on a round of wailing denial and pleas to stay 'just a bit longer' from Wei Ying and inexplicably, 'rule 27' from Lan Zhan. Lan Qiren choked, turning a stern gaze on his little nephew. "A-Zhan, I don't believe rule 27 applies here."

Still, Lan Zhan was mutinous. "Rule 27."

Baoshen Sanren had to know. "A-Zhan, what is rule 27?" 

"Do not mistreat the younger."

She laughed so hard she nearly fell off her chair, so Lan Zhan added, "rule 10. Do not laugh for no reason."

"I don't like that rule, Lan Zhan."

Lan Zhan looked at Wei Ying, shocked. "It's a rule."

"Well, yes, but Lan Zhan, how can you know if there's no reason? Maybe Laolao does have a reason to laugh. Maybe...maybe a bug tickled Laolao's toes, or...or she thought of a joke. That's not laughing for no reason. That's allowed."

Lan Zhan was sceptical. "What bug?"

"Any bug."

Lan Zhan looked to Baoshen Sanren, seeking clarification. "I fear there was no bug. Yet I did have reason to laugh. I was happy to be here with you both."

"Then why are you going, Laolao? You can stay with us always, then you'll always have a reason to be happy and laugh."

"A tempting offer, A-Ying, but I have my own home, disciples waiting there for me. I must go, but I will come and visit again, that I promise. So you see, A-Zhan, I won't be breaking rule 27. I'm not leaving to hurt A-Ying or you. I go because I must. I will come back because I wish to. Now come and give Laolao a hug."

Both boys ran into her arms, holding tightly as she squeezed them in return. She looked away, staring up at the mountain behind them. She still had one last thing to do here at Cloud Recesses before going back to her mountain. Something it would be better Lan Qiren not know. 

***

Cloud Recesses was quiet at night. Almost deserted with all good little Lans abed by nine. There would be patrols, but nothing that could deter an immortal. Baoshen Sanren made her way into the back hills, feeling for the spiritual signature she had sensed the moment she entered Cloud Recesses. There, behind those rocks. The wards were no impediment. After all, she had helped create them. 

The cave was ice cold and as still as the grave. Quite beautiful. She snorted at the herd of snow white rabbits all wearing their little Lan ribbons. Ridiculous. Also ridiculously cute. She tried to catch one, but it bit her and hopped away. A lovely pure white guqin sat on a rock against the far wall and she could feel it's power growing, ready to protect the inhabitants. But when the wave came, it did her no ha, rather embracing and welcoming her in. 

"Baoshan."

"Lan Yi."

"I never thought to see you again, my friend. Why are you here?"

"My grandson is here. I came to meet and felt your presence. How could I leave without seeing you?"

"Your grandson?"

"I adopted a child. And my child had a child."

"I see. You look well, Baoshen."

"As do you. How are you here still, Lan Yi?"

"Can't you guess? You were right, Baoshan. So right. I wish I had listened to you. I couldn't purify the Yin Iron, and once I broke the seal there was no going back. I sealed myself inside this cave with the shard to keep the world safe, but some day my strength will fail and then I fear this piece and all the others will fall into the wrong hands. I was an arrogant fool."

"You made a mistake. But how will sitting around in the cold playing with bunnies and a guqin fix anything?"

"What else can I do?"

"Almost anything. You said yourself, some day your strength will fail. All you're doing is delaying the inevitable and moving the problem onto the shoulders of the next generation. My grandson's generation."

"Baoshan, believe me, if I could seal this abomination, I would do so, then toss it into the deepest ocean so it could never trouble our world again."

"There might be a way. If you are willing."

Lan Yi stood, taking an impulsive step forward. "Tell me, and I will do it."

"Come to my mountain. I know why you use this cave. The pure energy suppresses the resentment of the Yin Iron, right?"

At Lan Yi's nod, Baoshen Sanren continued. "Well, my whole mountain has been purified. It resonates with spiritual energy. I have discovered a way to subdue resentment energy. You could recover your  strength and together we can find a way to purify and destroy the Yin Iron."

"You would help me ? I thought you wanted to stay secluded from the world?"

"I've been secluded and my daughter died without me even knowing she was gone. I missed so much with her, and I refuse to make the same mistake with her child. Besides, I have it on good authority that I would be breaking rule 27 if I abandon him."

Lan Yi laughed. "Who told you that?"

"One of your descendants. A delightful little boy with the strongest moral code I have ever encountered. Also deliciously petty and quite probably manipulative to boot. You can meet him if you leave this icy prison and come with me."

"I want to. You have no idea how much. But it's the spiritual energy of the cave that sustains me. While I could survive on your mountain, I would never make it there alive. My soul would begin to dissipate the moment I step out of the wards."

"Then you don't step out. I can send you directly to my home with a talisman. You would be safe, Lan Yi."

"That could work. What about the Yin Iron? Not the piece I have, but the rest of it?"

"I suppose it would make sense to cleans all of it and besides, I could use a new project. I've already decided that Xingcheng will be my last disciple so I might as well devote my time to making the world a safer place for the children. Do you know where the rest is?"

"I don't, but if you take this piece, it can sense the presence of the others."

"It's decided, then. I'll collect all the Yin Iron, we put it in my suppression chamber and find a way to cleanse it."

"You have a suppression chamber?"

"Well, it's more of a box covered in talismans, but Suppression chamber sounds more impressive, don't you think?"

"All this time, Baoshen, and you haven't changed at all."

Laughing, Baoshen Sanren drew out her qiankun pouch, summoning the Yin Iron into it before sealing it tightly. "Ready?"

At Lan Yi's nod, Baoshen Sanren's talisman sent her to her new home in the Celestial Mountain.

***

She had already said her goodbyes to the children, sending them off to their lessons with a final hug and a kiss. She had asked Lan Qiren to accompany her to the gate so she could let him know of the changes that had occured in his home.

"Qiren, I have the Yin Iron."

Shocked, he stared at her. What? "How?"

"I was here, in Cloud Recesses when Lan Yi decided to break the seal. I warned her, even tried to stop her, but she wouldn't listen. As soon as I came back here I felt her presence. Last night, I went to her and we spoke."

"She gave you the Yin Iron? Will she return to the world then?"

"Not yet. She is greatly weakened but I was able to transport her to my mountain. She will recover there and some day, will come with me when I visit the boys."

This was beyond anything Lan Qiren had ever believed possible. "How can this be? What will you do with the Yin Iron?"

"I am going now to collect the rest of it. I am convinced that in time, we can find away to purify or destroy it. The world will be a safer place with it gone."

"I agree, of course. We thought there was no way. If you truly mean to do this, then you have the gratitude of the Lan sect. If ever there is anything we can do for you, you need only ask."

"Well, now that you mention it."

With a long suffering sigh, lan Qiren indicated for her to continue.

"You need to do something about the rules."

"The rules."

"They're ridiculous. Not all of them. But come on. Bed at nine, wake at five. sit properly, don't smile foolishly, don't be too sad, don't be too happy and on and on. Ridiculous. I'm not saying forget them altogether, only that they shouldn't sit alongside the really important stuff. Do not bully, do not kill, do not use your position to oppress others. Surely you can see the difference?"

"The Elders would never agree."

"The Elders, the Elders. You talk about the Elders as if they were one unified entity, but they're not. They're a group of respected individuals some of whom are undoubtedly assholes but not all. Chooses the most sensible and work with them. have fewer absolute rules and then a code of conduct. Degrees of importance. You make it virtually impossible for your disciples to follow all the rules and that is setting them up for failure. I won't have my grandson grow up afraid to laugh and be happy."

Lan Qiren was thoughtful. She certainly had a point about the rules being contradictory at times. But they were the rules. Could they really be changed?

"Tell me, Qiren, were there always as many rules as there are now? I can't imagine Lan An wasting his time worrying about dress codes and the like."

"No, no there were less. More have been added over time."

"There, see? The rules are not sacrosant. If you can add, you can subtract. Go back to Lan An. Make this a sect he can truly be proud of."

Maybe they could. His son should not live in fear of breaking a rule that made no sense in the first place. They could do this. "I will try, I give you my word."

"Wonderful, wonderful. Oh, one more thing. Don't look so worried, Qiren. It's nothng terrible. Only that when the time comes, I would like to give Wei Ying his sword."

Relieved, Lan Qiren agreed. "Of course. That is your right."

With a wave, Baoshen Sanren turned to leave. "Oh, before I forget. You might want to check the back hill for bunnies."

What? Bunnies? "Excuse me?" What?

"Bunnies. Lan Yi had them in the cave with her, but now that she's gone, they'll probably start making their way out. So, keep an eye out for them. Don't want the little critters overrunning the kitchens. Bye now."

And with that, she was gone.