#wen answers asks

[labete-du-gevaudan]

I thought you might find this interesting! About 2 years ago, my dad saw his second UFO. This one wasn't a donut shaped cloud moving at outrageous speeds though, it was a string of lights in a slight U shape, tilted forward, flying at airplane speeds silently through the sky. He couldn't tell for sure how big it was, but it seemed huge and was flying low. He drew a picture of it for me and tried to get it on video, but his phone wouldn't focus. Now, about a month ago, he stumbled across a UFO video and was shocked to see the same thing he saw! He's looked up more videos since, and most of them show a bright light coming out of the bottom and ships around it. The one he saw seemed to be alone and had no spotlights.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thesun.ie/news/958263/mysterious-alien-spaceship-spotted-firing-beams-of-light-at-earth-sparks-ufo-fears/amp/

This is so cool. I’ve been listening to a lot of UFO and alien abduction podcasts lately. It’s amazing that your dad was able to find something that matched what he had seen!

[sluttywonwoo]

i wanna sit on juns face i think he’d like it a lot, like he’s be moaning into ur pussy and grinding his hips up into nothing and holding u down on him

he’s been doing something to me lately he’s so evil

“this isn’t working,” jun sighs, lifting his head from between your legs.

“huh?” you’re feeling a little strung out from how many times he’s made you cum already so it’s hard to put together coherent thoughts.

“you keep squirming away from me, i can’t get deep enough.”

“it’s because i’m sensitive!”

“i know, i know,” he murmurs. “sit on my face instead, baby. then i can hold you in place.”

you narrow your eyes at him. “this was your goal all along wasn’t it?”

he grins. “you got me.”

“you’re unbelievable.”

he helps you sit up, pausing to kiss you. predictably, he tastes like you. you moan into the kiss, chasing him when he pulls away moments later.

you switch places so that jun’s the one on his back. his hair is splayed out underneath him on the blankets, a little all over the place from the static electricity in the sheets. it’s been getting longer these days.

“c’mere,” he mumbles, beckoning you closer with his fingers.

you climb on top of him and straddle his waist, grinding down on him. he clenches his jaw and fixes his eyes on the ceiling. you know it’s taking every ounce of self-restraint he has not to give in to the wet heat of your pussy on him.

“let’s just fuck,” you try, kissing his neck.

“not yet,” he grits out. “sit on my face first.”

“but-”

“do you want my dick or not?”

you groan. “fine.”

“atta girl,” he says with a smile. “you’d think i was asking you to do yard work or something.”

“you know i love your mouth, babe. but you already made me cum on your tongue twice just now!”

“and i’m going to make it a third. sit.”

[paintedpatroclus]

may I request.... Wen Ning :O

it’s only been one million years since u sent me this anon but i finally delivered

[not-rude-ginger]

For the ask game: If you ship it at all, I'd love your take on Wen Ning/Jiang Cheng. I personally think that WN telling him the truth would move WN to the "possibly trustworthy??? review later" pile of people and the "unwilling recipient of WWX's unilateral decisions" list, and that their shared hobby of being worried about the juniors would afford JC the chance to observe WN.

Anyway, I love the political fantasy of For What, For All But Myself so much. And I love JC's confusion about LXC's letters. And everything else!

As a general rule I go along with most ships - I can't really think of one I'd actively avoid, it depends on the story whether I'll read it or not.

That being said, I'm not big on NingCheng - but some fics have convinced me it might be doable, but usually in Modern AUs or where things are completely different from the start. In those cases I can see it working out, two younger siblings bonding over over bearing older siblings, or being in the same class and JC not liking WN being bullied/WN being nice to JC when he's having a rough time - sure, I've no objections. Them pairing up in canon, or after canon, I struggle to see how it happens.

The thing for me about the GC reveal is WN went out of his way to be as callous and cruel as possible, knowing he was definitely going to hurt JC badly, and I think he enjoyed it in the moment. Maybe he started to feel bad later, but in the moment I think he enjoyed getting to do that to someone he doesn't like.

I just can't see how JC moves past that. He might accept that JL is sorta safe around him, he might let WN into LP to appease WWX, but I struggle to see how he gets from the soul wrenching anger and hate he feels to anything more positive.

To lean into my own version of them, I have tried and tried to make them make peace in the Burn Series that For What is a part of, and every time JC either starts yelling or runs away. He doesn't feel safe around WN, because WN not only killed JZX and could be taken over again and used as a weapon, he's shown himself to be vicious and poisonous with his words when he wants to be. And don't forget, WN saw what the Wen did to JC, he watched it all, and JC is absolutely terrified that one day WN will decide that he doesn't feel like keeping that secret anymore. If he could spill his beloved Wei-gongzi's secret to hurt JC, he would surely think nothing of spilling JC's to hurt him.

It's a clash between JC's observations that WN will protect the juniors, will protect WWX, the understanding that WN was also a victim of WWX's choices, that WN saved him and got his parents bodies back, and his deep seated fear of WN's knowledge, his hatred of him for being the ones WWX chose, and the unforgettable mental and emotional scar that was the reveal.

As the series stands I can't see them ever getting along, it's more teeth gritting silence on both sides for the sake of the others. But you never know, I might get them to coolly courteous one day!

TL;DR As characters they could be very cute as a couple, but you'd probably need to change the whole narrative around them to make it happen.

[lansplaining]

golden core anon again! I haven't gotten the 7s translation yet, but in the ExR translation JC "retracted the whip, but it was already too late" and (a few paragraphs later) the hit actually landed on WN, leaving a scorch mark. I don't which is more accurate, but I've always had the impression that it wasn't really obvious for WN that JC was trying to stop the fight! I'm also 90% sure that WN wasn't lurking nearby to watch the whole exchange, so he's probably working with a lot of incomplete information here (in a lot of ways lol). as for why he immediately decided to deal emotional damage, instead of restraining JC or just punching him in the face (which would've probably made more sense to everyone and also might've made JC's day somewhat better in the end)… my personal interpretation is that WN was already pretty mad at the whole golden core thing? he initially respected WWX's desire to sacrifice the golden core for his brother, went along with his plan so that JC wouldn't suspect anything, watched WWX suffer during the surgery, then watched him destroy himself in the Burial Mounds without a core… and then realized that the guy who prompted so much self-sacrifice is… maybe kind of a dick actually? who has been treating WWX with nothing but anger and resentment whenever WN was present to see it? and now he's actually attacking him? "yeah no, fuck you, no blissful ignorance for you anymore, you should know exactly how much he has done for you and maybe then you'll leave him alone". (don't get me wrong, I agree that WN wasn't exactly fair to JC during the reveal, especially if you know that JC had sacrificed his core for WWX first, but I kinda get where he's coming from emotionally)

The Seven Seas has what I quoted, and yes, Wen Ning does intercept the blow that was going to hit Wangji. I don't speak Chinese and definitely can't get into the business of comparing translations, I'm very specifically talking about the experience of reading this translation and taking it as a story/narrative experience on its own.

I'm not saying that Wen Ning doesn't have personal reasons for revealing the golden core (though imo his emotional state as described both before and after is... weird, but that's part for the course with the unreliability of the narrator re: Wen Ning specifically), and I'm not saying the scene makes no sense. I'm literally just saying it's interesting that as a writer, MXTX chose to make the golden core reveal not actually the climax of a deadly conflict, or the only possible thing that could have stopped Jiang Cheng in his tracks, or even in response to Jiang Cheng actually doing something truly egregious-- it's yet another misunderstanding and disproportionate response to a situation someone bursts into without understanding.

(There's also the irony that right after this, Wen Ning thanks/implicitly forgives Lan Wangji because he spoke up for Wen Ning and Wen Qing before they were executed... but Jiang Cheng also spoke up for them-- to say nothing of facilitating the entire Burial Mounds grace period by arranging the fake fight-- Wen Ning just wasn't there, and it (also) didn't work.)

[malepresentingleg]

Why did they have to show us alan and wen being cute and in love like that? 😭😭😭😭

[righteousinadversity]

Hi! I love your blog and the way you articulate your posts, so I wanted to ask for your opinion on something. Do you think the clans are the second coming of the Wen Remnants? Is that the purpose of the narrative having WWX forgive them? Are the clans in Wei Wuxian's second life what the Wen Remnants were in his first? Do you think the clans and the Wens are in the same situation?

Hi! Thank you so much for all the love! I am so glad you enjoyed my posts! I am sorry for not answering this sooner, but I wanted to think this answer through for some time because there are quite some interesting aspects to be explored about this.

I think there is merit to recognizing the reality that there are undoubtedly cultivators who are part of the Sects who are much like what the Wen Remnants were to the larger Wen Sect – cultivators who don’t really have the power to stand up against the gentry in power and cannot or do not want to leave the sect altogether for a variety of different reasons. Cultivators who are not responsible for the crimes of other sect members and shouldn’t be made into accomplices. When I rant about the cultivation world, my general anger is toward the gentry-centric, classist structure and society, rather than all the individuals involved. It is towards the broken system. Treating everyone in the cultivation world as a monolith evil group is not really fair – especially because we know that is how the Sects treated the Wen Remnants. So, while I may refer to the Clans as a monolith, they are not really so - painting everyone with the same dye as the people who were in power and had the means and responsibility to make good choices (literally any of the clan leaders) and didn’t is not really fair.

So. Are the Clans the second coming of the Wen Remnants in Wei Wuxian’s second life after being the second coming of the tyrannical Wen Sect during the end of his first life?

And the simple answer is no. Now, there is indeed a similarity in how two of the main Clans and many minor Clans were attacked and cruelly killed by the Wen Sect unprovoked and how the Clans attacked and cruelly slaughtered the Wen Remnants unprovoked. But despite this outward similarity, the two incidents are quite different for a variety of reasons, ranging from the circumstances, the consequences, in what they mean to the narrative and to the theme of the novel.

First – the circumstances. The Clans are powerful and wealthy and prestige before being invaded by the Wen Sect – the Wen Remnants are outcasts barely surviving in a place people dared not venture near for centuries. These circumstances are also the ground rock which many of the other differences depends upon. The difference in their circumstance is really best articulated like this : 1) One very powerful country attacks other smaller and less powerful countries targeting the ruling class of those countries and in some cases, trying to outright slaughter everyone in said ruling class. 2) Many countries lead a siege upon a small village of non-combatants living peaceful and slaughters every one of them. Is there is death and destruction in both cases? Yes. Are the situations completely alike? No. This is especially demonstrated by what these circumstances mean for what follows, and that brings us to consequences.

The consequences. The Wen Sect faces the consequences for their atrocities. More importantly, the people in power responsibly for those atrocities faces the consequences. WRH, WC, WX, they all face retribution for their crimes. In fact, it is that retribution when turned into blatant cruelty to be dealt out to anyone carrying the Wen name, became one of the biggest injustices in the novel. But no one in the Clans face any consequences for slaughtering a group of innocents. Not JGS or JGY, not JC, not NMJ or LQR or LXC, no one who was involved with the decisions made. Sure, narratively, none of them gets a fantastic ending. But are also never held accountable for those actions. The Wen Sect gets their punishment – their name and bloodline are almost entirely wiped out. This is because the Clans were in the position of power and prestige to band together and fight back against the Wen Sect. The Wen Remnants simply weren’t. They were outcasts, and the only one standing between them and the Clans who thirsted for their blood was a man the Clans enthusiastically painted to the public as a nefarious villain. Their story is completely erased, turned into the monsters of history with no one left to hold the Clans accountable on their behalf.

Finally. Victors and victims. This is the most jarring difference, and the most obvious one. The Wen Sect lost the war, the Clans won the Siege. In the first case, the tyrannical forces are overthrown, but in the second, the tyrannical forces win and they crowned themselves as righteous warriors who rid the world of terrible villains. Again, the Wen Remnants are outcasts – the literal remnants of the once mammoth like Wen Sect. The Clans in WWX’s second life are not the remnants of the side that lost in his first life – the Clans did not lose at all. They are victors, the ones responsible for the slaughter of non-combatants, a mob brutality they covered up by pretty lies about monsters in mountains and heroes and righteous purges.

The two situations are not similar. And it mainly rounds back to what I said in the beginning about the system – the society of the cultivation world is inherently flawed, and the wide gap left by eliminating the Wen Sect doesn’t change the corruption and the general injustice. It carries on, a relentless wheel crushing victims beneath it as it goes.

Now the second point I want to make in this answer. How the Sects and the Wen Remnants represent polar opposite beliefs and how the Wen Remnants and their choices highlight the theme of the novel about moving on and letting go of resentment.

The Clans are attacked by the Wen Sect, and they take that thirst for vengeance, that resentment against the Wens and turn it into cruelty, into punishment to be exacted upon anyone who bears the same name as the tyrant responsible for the crimes against them. They let that resentment poison them and turn them into terrible people who became part of the mob responsible for the gruesome slaughter of innocents.

The Wen Remnants are chased out of their homes, made to suffer inhumane torture, driven to live in a mountain of death and resentment, slaughtered in the small home they carved out for themselves, and then left to soak in resentment in the Blood Pool, with no mercy even for their souls. But faced with their murderers, faced with the people for whom they would only ever be Wen-dogs, they actively choose to not exact their revenge. They choose to give back the protection Wei Wuxian once gave them, and with that last gift, moves on. They choose to let go of their resentment, even with 13 years of build-up power in their broken, battered bodies.

And the Clans are left largely ashamed of their past that they had desperately tried to hide. The past that was now laid bare in front of the juniors, all of whom realize the truth behind the so-called righteousness of their older generations.

The choice of the Wen Remnants is further reflected in the choices both A-Yuan and Wen Ning make – two of the last surviving victims of the brutality of the Clans. In the end of the Novel, they choose to bury their family with respect and remember their stories. They choose to not pursue the path of violence and revenge, a drastically different choice from the Clans.

Another interesting aspect to this (and frankly what made me take so much time to answer this ask) is what the Wen Sect and the Clans mean to Wei Wuxian, the protagonist.

Both the Wen Sect and the Clans do the exact same thing to Wei Wuxian. The Wen Sect attack and completely slaughter every single member of the Jiang Sect which is largely unable to defend itself. The Clans attack and slaughter every single Wen Remnant when they are wholly unable to defend itself. In both situations, Wei Wuxian is faced with the loss of people akin to family to him. However, Wei Wuxian’s actions against the perpetrators after the brutality are wildly different.

Wei Wuxian had gone down that road of revenge and vengeance before, and while it was completely and utterly deserved, it was also carried out by a Wei Wuxian who was struggling with multiple traumas, topped off with one huge mountain of it from his time in the Burial Mounds. Wei Wuxian recognizes that many of the actions he took during that time are not actions he would do anymore. This is because at his core, Wei Wuxian is the person who saved the Wen Remnants and protected them despite knowing how dangerous of an idea that was, despite the people of the Sect being the cause of much of those very traumas.

For Wei Wuxian, after 13 years of being dead, holding onto that rage and going back for revenge is not particularly appealing for a variety of reasons. For one, he is very particular about holding only the guilty accountable - right out at the beginning, Wei Wuxian actively protects the little Lans, despite the Sect being present at the siege to kill him, because he knows that these tiny Lans are not at fault for the crimes their seniors did.

Another reason is that Wei Wuxian is most likely tired of the violence. He wants to leave his past life in the well, past. It's not really about forgiveness - he is well aware how unfair the Siege was and how the Clans wronged him and the Wen Remnants. In fact, for much of the beginning of his second life, he seems to be actively suppressing the memories he had with them, especially memories of A-Yuan (This is also a narrative choice because it is of course one of the two big reveals that flips the script of the story - but even when he is talking with Wen Ning, Wei Wuxian emphasizes how he doesn't want to linger in the past.)

But you don't have to forgive someone to move on with your life. You sure as hell don't have to forgive someone to not continue the cycle of violence.

Wei Wuxian doesn't want to let that wheel of resentment and violence continue to spin. He knows how that story ends - he has seen what it did to the Wen Remnants. He actively chooses to put an end to it. He actively chooses to go against what the clans expect of him. The clans think that much like them, he is going to be driven by revenge and vengeance - they actively expect him to cause unspeakable horrors should he come back to life.

It is an interesting subversion that occurs in the Burial Mounds. The Clans set up one hundred and twenty stone beasts on top of the Burial Mounds and routinely conducted soul-summoning rituals, because they were terrified that he would come back to life and lead a bloody revenge from his lair. And Wei Wuxian does come back to life. And in that very lair, he paints a spirit-attraction flag upon himself to save the very people who pushed him to his death - who were still crying for his death.

Both Wei Wuxian and the Wen Remnants are the victims of much of the cruellest actions in the entire novel. But they also embody one of the major themes of the novel - choosing to let go of resentment and moving on. The Clans, especially the people in power, embody the people who let that resentment rot their morality and let themselves be by-standers and/or directly complicit in the cruel machinations that occurred. That's the thing about choosing to move on. It's not about the justice or the vengeance or the righteous rage (Because it is righteous, make no mistake about it.) It is about choosing what is right for you, what you want for yourself as a person. Wei Wuxian chose to not let violence be his legacy. He had once made that choice during the Sunshot Campaign - and that's not the choice he wants to make now. It is admirable and amazing and the core of the ideology Wei Wuxian represents - remember the things others do for you, not the things you do for others. Only when people don’t hold so much in their hearts would they finally feel free.

[gloriousmonsters]

another tgcf thought upon rereading: knowing about Ling Wen’s somewhat mysterious connection to Bai Jing sure makes me have feelings about how she looked at Xie Lian, a glaringly autistic naive fighting-obsessed martial god, and basically adopted him (’our relationship has always been businesslike’ xie lian she’s been DM-ing you context and hints and updates at a rate i’d bet NOBODY else in court is getting) and how she also seems decently friendly toward Quan Yizhen (proceeding to immediately headcanon that she basically adopted him too and is the reason his finances are still in order despite his horrible grasp of money and also how to be a god in general).

[vallerianella]

∅ stumbling over my feet running 2 ask about hagarian and xueyao 🤪🤪

stumbles over to answer ur ask :-) anything for the hagarianxueyaoium

♛ — 【 HAGANE 】

❝…we're more or less both truants. they hang out in places I frequent, so we've ended up bumping into each other often enough. we've exchanged a cigarette or two before, amongst other things — but nothing really noteworthy, considering neither of us have much to offer. it helps that they’re not much of a talker, though. the way I see it, the less someone talks, the better. they hardly ever ask any questions when I follow behind them. as for why I do… hagane merely partakes in… activities I am interested in recording. you see, nothing beats the intensity and rawness some people have when they act on their desires and such. it's something that deserves to be preserved on a canvas. …well, you probably wouldn't get whatever that means. that's all, right? I've said all there is to be said.❞

♛ — 【 XUEHAI 】

❝xuehai? if you have business with him, you're better off approaching him directly than scooting around. you’ll find him in 3-A. he's my senior. xuehai is about as belligerent as he comes off as — but at the very least, he's sensible enough to know when to pick a fight. there's no bigger headache than someone who lacks tact. even if conflict is inevitable, one should do their best to make sure it's dealt with without inconveniencing others. he does exactly that. besides that, he's fairly responsible. he helps out with minor tasks when asked to with little complaint, and maintains himself and his appearance enough to be kept above reproach. rarely does he appear to be anything but presentable, which is already more than I can ask for when it comes to some people here. at the end of the day, he's someone capable enough to be worthy of respect.❞

[thatswhatsushesaid]

You're right about Ruohan being a dilf and you SHOULD say it

fucking thank you anon, you get me 🤝🤝🤝

[labete-du-gevaudan]

Any cryptids you doubt the existence of but hold out hope cause you like them?

Octosquatch.

I really doubt there’s a 4 foot tall octopus covered in hair that likes to take strolls alongside roads in the Spanish mountainside. But I would also love for them to be real. Look at this funky little dude.

[theleakypen]

Chengqing + Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen?

This may have been done already but it's the Mr & Mrs Smith AU. Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing are secretly assassins but she thinks he's an accountant and he thinks she's an oncology nurse. They meet at a rock climbing gym, hit it off, and marry, and everything is fine and dandy until they get assigned each other as targets. Then it's them against their former bosses. :D

[ninereadytoanswer]

Humiliation - Watched by Mocking Enemy

[askbox game!]

(answering out of order; this was number 3)

This one has a lot of Untamed potential!

First formed up idea: before Wen Chao throws Wei Wuxian in the Burial Mounds, he has his men gang rape him. He doesn’t touch him himself - he won’t lower himself or dirty himself with the son of a servant. (Maybe he says, he didn’t quite get a chance at the actual Jiang heir this last time. But, next time…) But he definitely watches and has quite a bit to say.

[ninjakk]

I've read loads of your posts. They are so good!

I came across your Wen Qing post and just wanted to know what you thought of her as a character overall?

Hi Anon!

Thank you so much ☺️

I've got a lot of time for WQ. Although she isn't in the novel as much as some characters, I think her character comes across so well in the handful of scenes she is in.

WQ has managed to make a name for herself in a rather male dominated world. To me, she is one of the most impressive female characters in the novel. She manages to forge quite a reputation, especially considering the sexism that is very much a part of the world she lives in.

But the reason I like her most, is because she literally doesn't take any shit from WWX. She's the total opposite of JYL (although I love her too, so don't get me wrong!) - she is just more vocal and doesn't let WWX get away with anything!

As I've mentioned in previous meta, I think she spotted something between LWJ and WWX. Perhaps more from LWJ, and the way he reacted to WWX while he was hurt, pretended to be unconscious. Although I'm sure WWX's more relaxed and bubbly nature seemed a little more apparent to her while LWJ was there with him. I also love how she spotted that WWX had a bit of a drinking problem during his period of depression, and attempted to wean him off alcohol. She was tough, but kind and caring underneath.

Not to mention how utterly extraordinary it was that she successfully managed to perform a procedure she not only theorised herself, but had never actually put into practice prior.

Her sacrifice at the end of WWX's first life, although sadly in vain, was incredibly brave and honourable.

More love for WQ in my opinion!

[lansplaining]

I usually love lesbian HCs, but lesbian Wen Qing kinda bugs me and IDK WHYYYYYYYY

(Do I ship ChengQing? Yeah, but like…Ace4Ace ChengQing so…)

It bugs me because it’s ubiquitous AND no one ever does anything interesting with it. Why is she so clearly a lesbian? oh uh because she’s so much smarter than the guys and she deserves better than any man and she’s so sassy! it’s just another means of girlbossing her character into something utterly boring :/

[shanastoryteller]

happy holidays! could you do mdzs for prompts? thank you c:

Wei Wuxian knows he should be grateful that Lan Xichen is here now, smiling at them from behind Lan Wangji’s shoulder, that they’re not going to be forced to wait outside the entrance of Cloud Recesses in a humiliating manner. But mostly he’s just pissed off, at Jin Zixuan for being a jerk, and at Lan Wangji for the same reason, for thinking forgetting an invitation was an appropriate reason to treat them like this. Shijie and Jiang Cheng are clan heirs, just like Lan Wangji is. He’s pretty sure the idea is for them all to get along here.

It’s an insult, plain and simple, and Wei Wuxian isn’t willing to let the Jiang enter Cloud Recesses like this.

“You are most generous,” he says to Lan Xichen, making a subtle hand gesture behind his back that causes all the Jiang disciples to freeze and fall back, no longer walking towards the entrance. He can practically hear Jiang Cheng grinding his teeth from here, but he doesn’t protest. Rank is a tricky thing with them and the disciples and the best solution they’ve found is to never, ever contradict each other when it counts, even when they think the other person is being an idiot. “However, before we enter, I must request you put up your regular wards. I understand the entrance is currently being guarded,” he inclines his head to the two Lan at the gates like he hadn’t been giving them shit thirty minutes ago, “but that’s no reason to be complacent.”

Pointing out Cloud Recesses nonsensical security system is petty, and a bit of an easy target, but it’s better than nothing.

Except Lan Xichen raises an eyebrow and asks, “What do you mean?”

This is just asking Wei Wuxian to trash his clan’s decisions, which makes no sense. Or he genuinely doesn’t know what Wei Wuxian is talking about, which is concerning enough that this is no longer about making a token protest. “You shouldn’t put up weaker wards just because you have guards here now. Even if it’s an energy drain, you should always have your strongest wards up.”

Lan Wangji is giving him a super bitchy look, which is at least what he’d been expecting. Lan Xichen’s voice is still perfectly pleasant when he says, “We do not alter the wards for shifts. I assure you that our wards are constantly set up to provide maximum protection.”

Uh.

Um.

He looks behind him, partially to hide whatever his face is doing, and partially to look at his siblings. Jiang Cheng shrugs and Shijie presses her lips together and gives a slight shake of her head. Okay, wards are his thing, he hadn’t exactly expected his siblings to notice, but from Shijie’s reaction the Lan brothers aren’t messing with him right now.

“I can’t let my shijie stay here if this is your maximum protection,” he says apologetically. He will march them all down back to Caiyi and put them on the first boat to Lotus Pier.

Lan Xichen’s smile becomes a little fixed. “Our wards are put in place by our clan elders. You have nothing to worry about.”

He could stand here and argue with them about it, but. He sketches a talisman in the air, not even bothering to ink it on paper, and sends it forward with an arrogant flick of his hand that he learned from Madam Yu.

As soon as it hits the wards it fizzles, then it all dissolves, the barrier breaking down like a string being cut.

The Lans all turn to it, incredulous. He didn’t know they had facial expressions, but that’s shock if he’s ever seen it. “They are inadequate. They are ancient and predictable and weak.” He starts sketching in the air again, and this is something that he should grab talisman paper for, but it’s easier for them to see this way. “You use silver as your grounding base, right? The air around it tastes like it. Copper is basic and old and resists meddling better, although iron will give you more flexibility for modifications. Your also weakened by using a continuous line rather than a feedback loop. Once one section breaks, the rest follow suit, which means someone only needs to find one weak spot to bring it down.” He has to put his weight into this one, shoving the glowing characters into the nearest pillar and watching his red spiritual energy flare across it. The warding barrier is back up, but different than it was before. Better. “That’ll do for now. The Jiang are happy to provide aid in updating your wards.”

If they don’t accept that help, they’re going home. He cannot handle the stress of being worried about all his martial brothers and sisters all the time because the Lan haven’t updated their practices since Lan An.

They’re all staring at him now. He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, not liking their stares, because he’s not sure what to do with them. They’re not hostile, he doesn’t think.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Shijie says, voice sweet and full of false politeness. “We may have neglected to introduce ourselves properly. This is Wei Wuxian.”

Those stares are sharper now. “Wei Wuxian,” Lan Xichen repeats slowly. “The Jiang’s first disciple is Wei Wuxian.”

“That’s me,” he agrees cheerfully.

“You are – young,” Lan Xichen settles on finally.

“The invitation said all disciples below twenty one,” Wei Wuxian says, blinking. “I’m fifteen, so I’m here. I distributed my duties among the senior disciples before I left.”

“I encourage you to accept his aid. Senior Brother Wei is a master of talismans.” Ooh, Jiang Cheng must have been more pissed off by all this than he let one. He never calls him Senior Brother.

Lan Xichen looks back at the barrier he’d just put up and says, “I see that.” His smile when he looks at them is somehow both more fixed and more genuine. “I will discuss it with my uncle, but perhaps we do need a bit of an update.” He bows and gestures to the gate. “We welcome the Jiang to Cloud Recesses.”

Wei Wuxian falls back enough so he can walk side by side with Jiang Cheng and tries not to let Lan Wangji’s heavy gaze bother him.