To Serenade A Shadow

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/61512430.

Rating: Explicit
Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Category: M/M
Fandoms: 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV), 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī -
Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Relationship: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian
Characters: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Lan Huan | Lan Xichen,
Nie Mingjue, Nie Huaisang
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Yiling Laozu Wei Ying | Wei
Wuxian, Omega Lan WangJi, Alpha Wei WuXian, Bottom Lan Zhan |
Lan Wangji/Top Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics,
Sect Leader Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Attempted Rape/Non-Con,
Background Relationships, Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji & Nie Huaisang
Friendship, Omega Lan Huan | Lan Xichen, Alpha Nie Mingjue
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2024-12-25 Updated: 2025-08-11 Words: 56,371 Chapters:
10/?
 To Serenade A Shadow
by enchanted_tulle

Summary

The Annual Archery Competition wasn't just about whose disciple was the strongest, but also
about finding a suitable spouse for yourself or your children. Therefore, it wasn't surprising
when everyone dressed the best and did their best to catch their target's eyes.

You didn't have to win, but you had to impress.

Second Young Master Lan had been the centre of everyone's attention for years but all he
cared about was to show off his skill, to prove himself. Until Sect Leader Yiling Laozu Wei
Wuxian attended the event for the first time. Just one look and the omega inside of him
screamed.

'Mine.'

But why didn't Yiling Laozu spare Hanguang-Jun a glance?

 Chapter 1
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

The Annual Archery Competition was held to honour the legendary cultivators who
sacrificed themselves during a Beast War, a very dire situation that hit the cultivation world
hundreds of years ago. Legends said that an angry Ghost King opened the gate of hell,
releasing all kinds of demons people could think of into the world. The cultivators joined
together to eradicate them, but only about half of them were truly eliminated. Desperate for
peace, the immortal cultivators decided to do the unthinkable: trap these creatures in the
largest forests in all Five Great Sects. The demons, even though they couldn’t escape,
multiplied and caused a huge scare in the cultivation world. What if the barrier broke and
they attacked the people? Cultivators could fight, but what about the common people?

Therefore, each year, all five great sects sent their best disciples to the forests to decrease the
number of demons inside. Thus, the tradition of the annual archery competition began.

This year the host would be Qishan Wen Sect, and the forest where the disciple would
compete was Muxi Forest in the Muxi Mountain. No one knew why, but the creatures in this
forest always provided more challenges than the rest of the sects. They were more vicious,
dangerous, and hungry for blood. There were always casualties every time the competition
was held in this place. Some people saw it as a reason to stop; some people saw it as a
challenge, and we all knew which side had won the arguments.

However, another tradition that happened during the competition. It was unspoken yet
universally agreed upon by everyone present. Lan Wangji hated this tradition.

Maybe hate was too strong, but the Second Young Master Lan completely disliked how
everyone used the competition to find a mate. Thus, they ignored the decorum. Alphas puffed
their chests and performed recklessly to show off their skill. They would jump in front of an
omega and say that they would protect them. They smiled when they were praised and acted
tough when injured just to get the omegas fussed over them. They attended the banquets in
their finest robes, carrying gifts in their spiritual pouches to give to omegas that caught their
eyes. They wanted to show that they were dependable. The omegas, in turn, threw themselves
at them. They pretended to be damsels in distress who shrieked at the sight of powerful yao
and shivered in a more dangerous area. They deliberately carried more medicine, perfumed
pockets, and fought over who could take care of ‘the brave, injured alpha.’.

In short, it ruined the true meaning of the competition.

Lan Wangji disliked it because it took away a chance for an omega to prove themselves. It
wasn’t to prove that they were above the alphas or betas, but to show that omegas, the pillar
of a household, had to be able to protect as well. They had to know how to protect their pups,
relatives, and themselves. What would they do when an unexpected danger approached and
the alphas left to fight, leaving them alone with the pup when dangers were still around?
Screaming, shrieking, and shouting? No. They fought.
Omegas were already side-eyed, teased, and sometimes even insulted when they joined a
‘masculine’ event like this. Their kind didn’t need more labels. Lan Wangji knew capable
omegas during the competition, yet when alphas were around, they acted like they were
helpless. Why did an omega need to act dumb to get an alpha’s attention?

When he asked his brother about it, Lan Xichen had the audacity to laugh and patted his
head. ‘You’ll know,’ he said. No, Lan Wangji still didn’t know and he wasn't sure if he wanted
to know.

The Second Young Master Lan sighed as he unpacked his spiritual pouch prepared by his
personal servants. Everything was nicely put, but his golden eyes caught unnecessary items
among them. More elaborate robes for the banquet dinners, some beautifully crafted
headpieces and pins, and even a small box of rouge to lighten his cheeks or lips. Why? Why
did he need all of these craps?

“A-Zhan, are you ready? The welcoming banquet will begin soon.” Lan Xichen’s soft voice
reached his ear, and the younger jade sighed. A sweet smile of fresh morning air mixed with
honey and rose hit his nose as the First Jade of Lan walked into the room dressed in very
beautiful, elaborate dark navy robes with silver threads and a large headpiece on his beautiful
bun. There was a hint of reddish pink on his lips, blended nicely and naturally. In short, their
uncle would deviate at the display. In Lan Wangji’s eyes, his brother was ready to seduce an
alpha. A certain hot-headed alpha who towered over everyone in the crowd and was ready to
be on his knee and propose marriage if he finally had the courage to do so.

Lan Wangji watched as his brother took a look at the stuff he had spread on the bed. “Oh, Lan
Xueying packed you amazing stuff. Look at this set of robes and headpieces. You should
wear them tonight. I believe they will make you stand out tonight.”

Hell no, standing out was the last thing Lan Wangji wanted. “I will wear my usual white silk
robe and—“

“No, no.” Lan Xichen said, shaking his head quickly. He turned to his brother with a frown
on his flawless face. “Wangji, this is your seventh year of joining this event since you were
fifteen. You always dress the same. While I know you always stand out among your peers no
matter what you wear, I think maybe it doesn’t hurt to dress up once in a while, right?”

“Xiongzhang, lying is forbidden.” Lan Wangji pointed out simply. Lan Xichen flushed at the
direct warning from his baby brother and sighed. The older sibling put his palms on Lan
Wangji’s plump cheeks and patted them lovingly. A soft smile was on his face as he looked
down to look at Lan Wangji’s face.

“The competition this year is very special because all eligible alphas will be here. Therefore,
everyone is very excited to gather all their potential omegas to find suitable matches during
the competition. The elders want you to find someone; listen to me first.” Lan Xichen raised
his hand when he saw Lan Wangji open his mouth to protest. “I will never let anyone dictate
who you want to marry, even the elders. You will marry who you want and love, Wangji.”
The Lan Sect’s heir said, calming his brother. “However, I have to admit that you have
reached an age where you will be the main target of every alpha here. They have been
waiting for you to reach this age, and you have grown to be a very beautiful omega. I just
want the best alpha for you, someone who is equal to you. Huaisang said-“

“Huaisang?” Lan Wangji frowned cutely when he heard that name. Of course, that gremlin
had a role in this part. Lan Wangji swore he would poke that small omega with Bichen on his
right shoulder. It wouldn’t be a deep wound, just enough for him to be unable to paint for a
few months.

Lan Xichen smiled widely when he saw disgust on his brother’s face. “Now, now, you are
forbidden to do anything to him. A-Sang said that there is a power beneath beautiful and
powerful appearance. He said that there is an unspoken rule when alphas and omegas gather
to find a mate. They only approach a target within their own reach, and this isn’t about
money and power, but to avoid embarrassment during the courting. Embarrassment will
shake an alpha’s ego after all. Now, Huaisang said that if you want to attract a certain alpha,
then you have to make yourself visible to that alpha, which means you have to be on the
person’s radar. You have to present yourselves as if you’re equal to that alpha.”

“Ah, was that why you presented yourself like a Nie in the beginning with those silver, black,
and greenish robes and braids? You were seducing Sect Leader Nie?”

“Wangji!” Lan Xichen gaped and swatted his brother’s arm. He huffed adorably when he saw
Lan Wangji’s amused look. “Well, yes. A-Jue loves an omega who appreciates Nie’s dark
choice of colour, and most omegas love bright things. He also loves powerful omegas who
can hunt very well.”

“Ah, that was why you kicked his ass during the Archery Competition a few years ago. I still
remember Sect Leader Nie’s shocked face.” Lan Wangji felt pride in his chest as his brother
glowed at the praise.

“That’s correct. I got his full attention, right? We, the Lans, aren’t just pretty faces in
glowing, bright robes. He needed to be put in his place.” Lan Xichen’s smile widened.
"Anyway, let’s not stray away from the main topic. A-Zhan, I’m sure you get the point I
make. You don’t have to dress over the top; just dress enough to show that you’re not just
another omega. You’re the Second Young Master Lan, who will kick everyone’s ass during
the competition, who dresses well and wears the most beautiful jewellery. Only an alpha who
can appreciate a strong omega and is wealthy enough to provide you can be close to you.”

“Brother, you make it sound like I'm after wealth.”

“You should go after wealth.” Lan Xichen said, frowning. “I don’t want you to marry a poor
alpha. You need to be spoilt every day. If you don’t have a wealthy husband, how will you
build the schools, orphanages, and food banks you dream of? How could you create a
business to help those who desperately need it?”

“I have my own money.”

“Yes, but you don’t have a connection you need to create those things, right? Now, listen to
your beloved brother, and let’s pick beautiful robes for you. Xiongzhang will style your hair
and choose a beautiful headpiece for your hair, or maybe a pin as well." Lan Xichen said,
gently pushing the younger omega to sit in front of a vanity. Lan Wangji sighed, but he didn’t
say anything. He watched through the mirror how excited his brother was as he kept looking
at the stuff on the bed. Well, he could do it for his brother just tonight, he guessed.

That night, Lan Wangji walked behind his father and brother in beautiful blue robes and sheer
outer robe. His hair was beautifully styled with a headpiece on it. He knew he caught
everyone’s attention when he walked into the crowd. After all, it wasn’t every day to see
Hanguang-Jun looking like this. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Nie Huaisang
looking so smugly at him. Right, he would deal with that gremlin later.

As Lan Wangji walked past the other sects, he could see many young masters straightening
their backs and even fixing their appearance as if they needed to look a certain way when he
passed. Lan Wangji began to see what his brother and Nie Huaisang meant. Just like what his
brother had said, there were more participants this year, mostly around his age, and many of
them dressed more elaborately than usual, Omega especially.

The hairs on his neck rose as he passed the Jin Sect, and he made a mistake glancing over to
see Young Master Jin Zixun looking at him like he was the main course for that night.
Clenching his jaw, he tried to focus his attention on the host, but it was kind of hard when the
alpha whispered something to another alpha next to him, and both looked at him with a lewd
expression on their faces. The omega clenched his jaw and tried to focus on the host who had
been waiting for them.

The Lan sect delegation stopped in front of the throne where the sect leader of the Qishan
Wen Sect was waiting for them. The sect leader was an alpha, Lady Wen Qing, the daughter
of the previous sect leader. She was probably around his brother’s age and ruled the huge sect
with blunt honesty, real threats, and needles. It worked. Her beta brother, a nervous-looking
young man yet considered the fourth-best archer among cultivators of his generation, was
standing behind her.

“Welcome to Qishan Wen Sect. We hope your journey was pleasant, Sect Leader Lan. We do
hope your stay during the archery competition will be pleasant as well.” Sect Leader Wen
said, smiling gently at Lan Wangji’s father.

Qingheng-Jun gestured for a young man who was bringing a gift to come forward. “We thank
you for the hospitality, Sect Leader Wen. We bring something you will like.”

The sect leader Wen’s brother walked forward and received the gift, bowing with his sister as
he returned to his place. He opened the box, and both Wen siblings smiled at whatever Lan
Wangji’s father put inside it. Sect Leader Wen bowed once again and said, “Thank you for
your generosity, Qingheng-Jun. We will use your gift with respect.”

“It seems like we arrive on time.” A cheerful voice hushed the room, and Lan Wangji felt an
icy feeling creep into his body.

“Ah, it seems like the Yiling Wei Sect has arrived.” Sect Leader Wen announced, and Lan
Wangji turned his head to look.
Walking toward them was a delegation dressed in all black from head to toe. The sect leader
walked with such a swagger Lan Wangji only saw in Jin Guangshan. No, he didn’t put them
into the same category of pervert weak cultivators with much wealth. He put them in the
category of someone who knew his worth and power in the cultivation world. The sect leader,
Wei Wuxian, had a beautifully carved silver mask on his face, which brought attention to his
sharp jaw and smirk. The mask, Lan Wangji guessed, also had a huge role in making the man
look more intimidating. The eyes, especially, would appear to be black or red, depending on
the light and shadow that hit the mask.

Lan Wangji felt a nudge and saw that his brother gestured for him to go to their seat. It
seemed like he didn’t notice that his father and Sect Leader Wen had ended their pleasantry
for the new arrival. The Second Young Master Lan dutifully followed and sat behind his
brother.

Lan Wangji slowly raised his eyes as he sipped his tea to carefully glance at where Yiling
Wei Sect was seated. He could see people did the same, especially the newly joined
cultivators, but most of them ignored the sect to mingle with bigger, wealthier, and more
influential sects.

Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian, the hero who single-handedly defeated the power-hungry Wen
Ruohan, the previous Qishan Wen Sect before Lady Wen Qing’s father took over the position,
was here. He was sitting with his own delegation, right next to the Wen cultivators, chatting
with Lady Wen’s beta brother and a young man with a psychopathic grin. Lan Wangji never
met the man since he was just a young child back then, and his father only brought his
brother, not him, to cultivator conferences.

Since the war was over, Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian only attended three cultivator conferences
to claim his prizes and told the other sects what he wanted if they wanted him to join the
stupid politics the sects were playing. Most of the time, Yiling Laozu sent his representatives,
who arrived right when the conference began and left when it ended, for the other cultivator
conferences. No Yiling Wei Sect cultivators had ever participated in the annual Archery
Competition.

Until this year.

Yiling Wei Sect registered ten cultivators, 5 alphas and 5 omegas, to join the Archery
Competition this year. Aside from the ten cultivators, the Yiling Wei delegation had three
cultivators who sat right behind the Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian. All of them looked powerful
in their signature black robes and high ponytail hairstyles with black ribbons. It seemed like
the red ribbon was exclusively for Wei Wuxian.

Lan Wangji still remembered what his brother said when he asked about the famous
cultivator.

‘There is something about him I cannot describe, baby brother. He emitted a unique scent and
aura. Maybe it is because of his cultivation.’

Cultivating resentful energy was considered a myth in the cultivation world. No one really
knew how to cultivate the resentful energy effectively, what items were needed, or even how
to start cultivating it. There was no knowledge about the cultivation except some ancient
manuscripts and those were just introduction. Many elders concluded that it took a person
with unique skills to even start cultivating resentful energy.

The two cultivators known in history to master this technique were Xue Chongmei and Wen
Ruohan, who were considered geniuses of their generation. Both cultivators became crazy in
the end because the technique overpowered them. Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian, on the other
hand, cultivated the resentful energy as if it were just a kid toy. He appeared out of nowhere,
aiding the Sunshot Campaign with only a black flute as if he were performing an art.

Some scholars began to write that maybe the key to cultivating resentful energy was musical
cultivation; thus the Lan Sect became the centre of attention for some time. Until the Nie sect
disciples witnessed that the man didn’t even need to do anything to command the black
energy. He just waved his hand, and the powerful energy swept the Wen cultivators like dust.

So what was the point of the flute? Maybe it served another purpose? Could Lan Wangji do it
with his guqin or maybe his brother with his xiao? It’s almost the same with a dizi, right?

Lan Wangji was busy with his own thoughts when suddenly Yiling Laozu turned his head in
his direction.

Their eyes met.

Lan Wangji felt his heart stop before it beat faster when those silver eyes stared into his own
golden ones. His ears felt hot, and butterflies filled his stomach. Lan Wangji suddenly had an
urge to touch his hair, making sure that it was still as beautiful as he saw in the mirror. He
wanted to smooth his robes, fixing any unwanted knots and folds that made his robes seem
untidy. He yearned for a mirror to check whether the red rouge his brother put on was not red
enough to emphasise his plump lips.

The omega inside him stirred. ‘Mine!’ it suddenly roared, and Lan Wangji immediately took
a deep breath to calm himself. What was happening to him?

They were still staring at each other for a few more seconds before, without showing any
reactions, Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian looked away and continued his conversation with Young
Master Wen as if nothing happened.

Lan Wangji blinked. Wait, what? No alpha looked away that easily after seeing him. Not
when he was dressed up so pretty tonight. Hell, he didn’t even need to make himself pretty to
catch an alpha’s attention. They flocked to him like bees to flowers. He could be just standing
with dirty hair and the ugliest robes in the world, and these alphas were still making poetries
about his beauty and flexing their wealth and power so he would glance at him. Was there
something out of place with his appearance? Was he not pretty enough?

“Wangji, are you alright?” Lan Xichen’s concerned voice averted his attention. Lan Wangji
quickly gave him a soft smile and nodded. “You were frowning unhappily.”

‘Oh, did I?’ Lan Wangji surprised with how he managed to lose control of his emotion. He
fixed his face, returned to the blank, stoic face, and said, “I’m fine.”
The banquet was over, and the small talk and entertainment were happening, but Yiling
Laozu didn't spare a glance at Lan Wangji again. The man spent most of his time talking to
Sect Leader Wen and her brother as if they were old friends. Maybe they were. Then, Sect
Leader Wen would introduce him to Sect Leader Jiang and Young Lady Jiang Yanli. He
seemed to like them enough, judging from the laughter and playful banter.

“What’s wrong, Wangji-Xiong?” A familiar voice greeted him, and he turned to see Nie
Huaisang’s curious face. The small omega was looking down at him, blinking owlishly with
his eyebrows raised. Lan Wangji sighed and poured a glass of tea for both of them. He
gestured for the omega to sit down beside him, which Huaisang immediately did. The small
omega was still looking at him, clearly waiting for an answer to his question.

“Nothing. Tell me how you find this set of robes. Xiongzhang said you helped him choose.”
Lan Wangji said, distracting the Second Young Master Nie, who was observing and asking
dangerous questions. As expected, the small omega’s face brightened, and he began to tell
him a story about how he managed to snatch the best robes and jewellery in a very short time,
fighting with other omegas in Qinghe. He found a set that would look good on Lan Wangji,
so he sent them to Gusu.

As he listened to Huaisang’s story, he couldn’t help but observe the crowd where Yiling
Laozu was cautiously approached by several sect leaders and heirs, including his own father
and brother. He made small talk with them out of decorum, but never once did he glance in
Lan Wangji’s direction. His father even pointed at him, obviously introducing his sons, but
the man just nodded.

“You seem… distracted, Wangji-Xiong?” Huaisang leaned up to him. The small omega
narrowed his eyes playfully and glanced around. “Is someone catching your attention other
than me tonight?”

“No one. I’m just thinking about the tournament.”

“Why do you need to think about the tournament? You will come first. I know it. I have a bet
with Nie Zonghui that you will beat him by 50 targets. We’ll split the money, Wangji-Xiong.
You can finally buy that beautiful fan as a gift for my birthday.” Huaisang said proudly. He
moved closer to Lan Wangji and whispered. “My brother is going to officially propose to
Xichen-Ge soon. He talked about the best wedding robes with Zonghui a few days ago. Do
you think he will do it after or before my birthday? I hope it is before my birthday, I want to
announce to everyone that I gained the most beautiful brother-in-law in the middle of my
banquet. Imagine those jealous faces. Ha!”

Leaving Huaisang to his rambling, Lan Wangji’s eyes followed Yiling Laozu walking
through the crowd and heading toward the doorway. As if they were under his command, the
crowd parted and talks stopped.

And Huaisang’s rambling stopped as well.

“Ho, why are you looking at Yiling Laozu like that, Wangji-Xiong?” Huaisang asked
playfully, the fan covering half of his face, but his eyes were twinkling happily. Lan Wangji
sighed as he realised he just made a mistake.
Chapter End Notes

Marry Christmas to those who celebrate.

 Chapter 2

Second Young Master Lan Wangji sighed as he took off his heavy robes. He had tried his best
to not jump into Huaisang's trap for almost an hour before he managed to escape the small
omega and return to his room. Huaisang tended to ask endless questions and sometimes he
would repeat one question over and over and over again to trigger a reaction and then another
trap question. Lan Wangji had shut his mouth, only glaring at the small omega as he
continued to bombard him with 'Why do you keep staring at him? Did you two meet before?
Have you two met before? Do you find him hot, Wangji-Xiong? I bet you do. Did you talk to
him before the banquet? Did you know any of the Yiling Sect members?' Lan Wangji swore if
this person wasn't his childhood friend and soon-to-be-in-law, he would shut him up and
threaten to make it permanent. There was no permanent silence spell in Gusu Lan, but what
Nie Huaisang didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

Lan Wangji hung the beautiful robes inside his wardrobe, leaving him on in his inner pants
and shirt before sitting down In front of the vanity to take off the headpiece and pins his
brother so happily put in his hair. His long black hair fell freely past his shoulder and down to
his back as he gazed at his image in the mirror. As he gazed at his image in the mirror, the
omega took his comb and started combing his long black hair.

'You’re beautiful.’ A voice said in his head. Lan Wangji’s long pale fingers slowly touch his
long dark hair from the top of his head to the end. His golden eyes then moved from his
forehead to his chin, searching for the imperfection in the perfect face people loved to tell
him. His lips were naturally pink and plump, making everyone crazy when he deliberately
lifted them a little for a small smile. He was tall, yes, maybe too tall for an omega but most of
the alphas were almost the same height as him or taller. Under the light, his skin glowed
giving a moonlight aura around him. He found him staring at his phoenix eyes. His brother’s
eyes were darker, almost light brown. His father said they were a mix of his and their
mother’s. Lan Wangji’s eyes were purely their mother’s. His eyes were a colour of melted
gold, a rare colour he and his brother inherited from their mother.

He was beautiful.

So, why-?

Lan Wangji shook his head in an attempt to get rid of a certain thought. Lan Wangji had more
pressing issues to deal with. He should be concerned about more than just archery this year.
As much as he hated it, his brother was right about how he came to a rip age this year
therefore he also should worry about the alphas who would throw themselves at him during
and after the archery competition. He needed a way to hide from them during the
competition. He could ask Nie Huaisang for help but the smaller omega would be offended
that Lan Wangji didn’t use it to his advantage instead.

In order to survive on his own, he needed to properly prepare his bow, arrows, and clothing
before the tournament started in three days. His thoughts returned to the dark robes of Yiling
Wei Sect. Should he wear darker robes as well? The red outer of Qishan Wen’s would blend
nicely with the black colour. His white robes would still stand out despite the red outer robe,
especially under the sunlight and in the darkness of night.

Lan Wangji made the decision to go see his brother the following morning in order to pick up
more medication. The spirits, monsters, and demons in Qishan Wen were more vicious and
angry than in the other forests, so it was important to prepare well. During the last
competition in this sect, three cultivators died because of a powerful spider demon. He hoped
that no one died this year, or if that was beyond his control, he hoped no one from Gusu died.
His sect led the rank of the most capable and skilful cultivators among the great five sects—
well, six, but no one knew exactly the power of Yiling Wei Sect yet—and that at least calmed
his heart.

The Second Young Master also decided that he would set aside some medicine for Huaisang
as well. The small omega was a well-prepared one, but somehow most of the time whatever
medicine he had in his spiritual pouch didn’t match with the injuries he got during the
competition. It bewildered them, yes, even Huaisang himself.

Lan Wangji felt relieved when he didn’t meet anyone during his short journey from his room
to his brother's. When the door opened before the omega could lift his fist to knock, he was
met with a startled Nie Mingjue. The man was half-dressed with messy hair that escaped
from his usually neat braids. There were visible marks on his neck. A scent of sex hit Lan
Wangji’s nose, and a gasp from behind the alpha was enough for the omega to decide what he
had to do next.

Lan Wangji swung his fist and punched the alpha on his handsome face.

“A-Zhan!” Lan Xichen ran to them, holding Nie Mingjue, who staggered back to the
chamber. Lan Xichen, as the younger omega expected, dressed in his thin—almost sheer—
inner robe, a robe that would send the whole Lan Sect members to qi deviation, and Lan
Wangji knew exactly who gave him those scandalous robes.

“How dare you!” Lan Wangji grabbed Nie Mingjue’s front robes and shook him so hard that
the alpha didn’t have time to react. It was probably the best, though, with how furious the
smaller man looked.

“A-Zhan, be gentle on—“

“How dare you defile my brother before marriage?! Where is that Nie honour you are always
talking about?” Lan Wangji hoped that his furious, deadly tone sent shivers throughout Nie
Mingjue’s body. It seemed to work because he saw a hint of fear in those dark brown eyes.

“A-Zhan, stop it.“ Lan Xichen separated them and stood between the two. His light brown
eyes glared at his baby brother for a second before they softened slightly. The older alpha
could never be angry at his brother for a long time, especially when Lan Wangji was right.
“A-Zhan, we were drunk. I think both of us deserve your anger, not only A-Jue, right?”

Lan Wangji pulled out Bichen, and the sword sang softly, ready to serve its master. The
Second Young Master narrowed his eyes and continued, “He’s an alpha and your childhood
friend. He knows exactly how wine affects us, yet he lets you drink beyond what you can
handle. Then, he also let himself get drunk instead of being the clearer-headed between you
two. What if this truly happens one day? What if it happens outside, and it is someone else
who takes advantage of my brother’s drunken shenanigan? He needs to apologise.”

“A-Zhan, I think you’re too—“

“A-Huan, Wangji is right.” Nie Mingue gently led Lan Xichen to stand behind him while
holding his shoulders. After glancing at the shining blade, the alpha fixed his gaze on Lan
Wangji's amber eyes. He bowed low to the young omega, putting his palms together. “I’m
truly sorry, Wangji. I—we were drunk, and the wine got into our heads. It wasn’t an excuse, I
know, but I will take the responsibility.”

Lan Wangji raised Bichen, its tip pointed at the huge alpha's forehead, and said firmly,
“Kowtow.”

“A-Zhan!”

“Kowtow before my brother, ask for his forgiveness, although I think he would swoon
instead. Then kneel in front of my father and propose a marriage before he hears what you
did from someone else. My father is an unforgiving person.”

Without a word, Nie Mingjue turned to his omega and kowtowed, murmuring his apology
and that he would take responsibility. As expected, Lan Xichen’s eyes watered as he put his
hand on his chest and quickly knelt in front of the alpha before showering his face with
kisses.

Lan Wangji wanted to roll his eyes.

“What happens? What did I miss? What did I miss?” Nie Huaisang's annoying voice
appeared from behind Lan Wangji. The small mega gasped at the sight in front of him before
turning to Lan Wangji with a bright smile on his face. The small omega gripped Lan Wangji’s
long sleeve and shook him strongly as he bounced happily and it took everything in him not
to poke the omega with the tip of his Bichen.

“We’re going to be brother-in-law soon, Wangji-Xiong! And it’s before my birthday.” The
small omega excitedly said. Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes at the happy omega. Before my
birthday? This little gremlin!

Lan Wangji tried his best to tune out the excitedly rambling omega beside him. Nie Mingjue
and Lan Xichen had gone to meet Qingheng-Jun so the alpha could take responsibility.As
they strolled hand in hand towards the location where the sect leaders were being hosted, the
two were beaming with joy. Lan Wangji didn't have to be concerned about them. His father
was fond of Nie Mingjue and even commented that the huge alpha would make a good
husband for his eldest son, sending Lan Xichen to a blushing mess. Their uncle would prefer
for Lan Xichen to have an equally gentle alpha, but he could understand why he was attracted
to Nie Mingjue. The alpha behaved almost exactly like their late mother, a firecracker and
stubborn omega who became Qingheng-Jun’s beloved wife and the elders’ headache.
Lan Wangji was now stranded with Nie Huaisang for the remainder of the day after both of
their older brothers departed. It wasn't that he didn't want to socialise with other omegas,
particularly those from his sect, but Huaisang would accompany anybody he chose to
socialise with. One Huaisang was equal to several omegas gathering together, gossiping
about their targets. Lan Wangji had to admit, however, that the presence of the smaller omega
helped him in some difficult circumstances, especially in a situation when he needed to
converse with others. Huaisang himself was enough for both of them.

“You know, Wangji-Xiong, if you want to get Yiling Laozu’s attention but you are too shy to
do it directly, you can start by talking to his disciples. I suggest his most precious disciple.”
Nie Huaisang said, patting Lan Wangji’s chest with his fan. “Yiling Laozu loves being a
mentor, and there are so many young cultivators and children in the Yiling Wei Sect.
Therefore, he loves someone with a nurturing personality, a person who will be a good wife
and mother not only for their future children but also for every young child and teenager in
the Yilign Wei Sect. He—"

“How do you know that?” Lan Wangji rudely cut Huaisang, eyes looking down curiously.
The second young master Nie blinked up at him, clearly caught off guard with the rude act. It
was one of Lan Sect’s principles to not cut someone.

“Hmm?”

“How do you know that Yiling Laozu likes someone with a nurturing personality?”

Nie Huaisang blinked twice before he grinned widely. His eyes shone with mischief as he
wriggled his eyebrows playfully. In a second, his expensive fan flipped open, covering half of
his face. Oh, Lan Wangji almost regretted asking him that. “Oh, that. Can you guess, Wangji-
Xiong?”

Lan Wangji walked toward the smaller omega; his towering frame looked so intimidating for
a short person like him. However, Nie Huaisang had been his friend since they were babies
and he knew that beneath that stoic and cold persona, Lan Wangji was a sensitive person, so
Nie Huaisang just closed his fan and tapped Lan Wangji’s chest with it.

“Promise me that you’ll help me win a bet and then buy me the fan. Then, I will help you
seduce Yiling Laozu.”

“I’m not seducing Yiling Laozu.” Lan Wangji hissed, walking away. Huaisang skipped beside
him, chuckling to himself. He was about to turn left when the small omega grabbed his arm
and stopped him. The Nie omega was excitedly pointing at his left and when Lan Wangji
followed his finger, hundreds of butterflies filled his stomach.

The Ying Wei delegation -led by their sect leader- was walking rather far away from them but
in seconds, they turned right and walked toward Lan Wangji's and Nie Huaisang's direction.
Lan Wangji guessed that the delegation was heading to the empty field near the Unclean
Realm to train probably since tomorrow the archery competition would begin.

Hanguang-Jun watched as Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian glanced at him as he and his cultivators
stopped in front of them. Lan Wangji and Nie Huaisang, being the lower rank, quickly folded
their hands and bowed deeply at the sect leader.

“Sect Leader Wei,”

"Young Master Nie, Young Master Lan." Yiling Laozu's voice was smooth as he returned
their greeting. However, Lan Wangji frowned a little when the alpha said to him after Nie
Huaisang's. Since he stood out between the two and Huaisang usually hid behind him when
some cultivators he didn't want to see or meet, his name was said first. Why did Yiling
Laozu-? Gosh, it sounded so petty that he wanted to smack his own face.

“Good day, Young Masters.” Yiling Laozu gave them a small smile before walking away past
them. As the Alpha walked past the omegas, a strong scent of spices and fire almost sent both
of them to the ground. He didn't seem to flaunt his scent deliberately, so Lan Wangji assumed
that it was the alpha's natural scent that he couldn't control. There were few alphas like that
and most of them looked intimidating. Nie Mingjue was one of them. Therefore, it may be
just a natural way to help them show off their alphaness. Maybe.

As the delegation walked away, Lan Wangji and Nie Huaisang slowly turned around,
following the mysterious cultivators. Lan Wangji watched as the psychotic-looking teen
smirked, glanced at Lan Wangji, and whispered something to the sect leader, only for Yiling
Laozu to throw him an unimpressed look and shake his head.

What was that? Why did he shake his head?

“You look so disappointed, Wangji-Xiong!” Huaisang gleefully said, bouncing lightly. When
Lan Wangji turned to him and looked like he was ready to open his mouth, the smaller omega
rudely shook his finger in front of him. “Ah, ah, ah, you cannot deny it anymore. You denied
it when I caught you staring at Yiling Laozu during the banquet; now you can’t. You like
Yiling Laozu. You do.” The Second Young Master Lan smirked and wiggled his eyebrows
playfully. “Want me to help you?”

“No.” Lan Wangji turned around and began walking as fast as he could, trying to get away
from him. Unfortunately, Huaisang walked fast beside him, even lifting his skirt to match Lan
Wangji's longer legs.

“Oh, no? You don’t want me to help you? But you don’t deny that you like Yiling Laozu!
Wangji-Xiong, you have grown up.”

“No. I don’t need your help because I don’t like Yiling Laozu.”

“Keep telling yourself that. But you have to know, Wangji-Xiong. My little birds told me that
many omegas began to make Yiling Laozu one of their targets, which is understandable
because who wouldn’t want to be the wife of a sect leader? Yiling Laozu isn’t only a war
hero but a cultivator who has the ability to control the unthinkable, the myth cultivation.
Becoming his wife will be an honour. With my brother out of the market, only Yiling Laozu
Wei Wuxian is on the market for an unmarried alpha sect leader.”

“There are still Jiang Wanyin and Lady Wen Qing.”

“No, no. Jiang Wanyin is already engaged, but it hasn’t been announced yet. Lady Wen Qing
wants a beta male as her mate, so only stubborn omegas will try to get her attention. My birds
swear their lives upon this information." Huaisang walked faster and stopped in front of his
childhood friend. He put his hands on his slim waist and looked up at the taller omega. His
eyes narrowed slightly. "Wangji-Xiong, listen to me. If you want Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian,
you have to make your move. You have a lot of competition. A lot.”

Yes, Hanguang-Jun had a lot of competitions; he was aware of that. However, he didn’t know
that his rivals were almost three-quarters of the omegas, even betas, who attended the event.
As Nie Huaisang had told him, Yiling Laozu had become their target. What number? Who
knew? But he was a target nonetheless.

Lan Wangji watched during the opening ceremony how omegas shamelessly flocked to the
alpha, young and old. Maybe because no one really knew how old the sect leader was, some
older omegas decided to take their chances. It started with the archery show. Each sect had to
send one of their disciples to hit the mark to prove that their sects were worthy to join.

From Jiang Sect was their first disciple, a female beta named Jiang Yang Mi. She did a very
incredible job, which was unsurprising because archery was Jiang Sect’s main skill. The
female beta bowed with a huge smile on her face as claps and loud cheers followed her to
where the Jiang cultivators gathered.

From Jin Sect was an alpha called Jin Zixun who missed all his marks. Lan Wangji didn’t
know why the sect didn’t send their first disciple, Jin Zixuan, or the always-capable yet
overlooked Luo Qingyang, instead of this loudmouth useless alpha. However, seeing Jin
Guangshan's embarrassed red face was entertaining, so Lan Wangji didn’t complain.

From the Lan Sect was their fourth disciple—not that everyone knew that since this was only
the second time he had joined—a male omega, Lan Dan Xin. Lan Wangji nodded
reassuringly at him when he nervously passed him. The reason why Lan Wangji chose him
was to show how capable the Lan cultivators were. If this random unknown omega Lan
cultivator could show how good he was, then what were the rest of the Lan cultivators
capable of? In short, this year, the other cultivators were fucked. Lan Wangji let out a small
but proud smile when Lan Dan Xin hit all his marks perfectly.

From Nie Sect, the first disciple, Alpha Nie Zonghui, came forward, sending half of the
omegas to sigh dreamily. Even though Lan Wangji wasn’t interested, he could understand
why he was a catch. The alpha was almost as huge as Nie Mingjue and almost as skilful as
his sect leader. The difference was that he was more approachable with his bright, charming
smile and light jokes. He seemed to enjoy the attention as he winked at the giggling omegas
he passed. He hit all marks perfectly as well.

From the Wen Sect was the sect leader’s younger brother, a timid beta, Wen Qionlin. Despite
his meek appearance, the Young Master was a very talented archer. Always came in third or
fourth place during the competition. Therefore, no one seemed to be surprised when he hit his
marks.

From Yiling Wei Sect was Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian himself. Everyone held their breath,
Lan Wangji included, when the man walked down from his place and smirked at the rows of
competing cultivators. As he positioned himself at the centre, he took a black cloth and
covered his eyes. Without missing a beat, Yiling Laozu released his arrows, and they hit the
mark perfectly.

It was silent for a moment before the whole place erupted with cheers and claps. The loudest
ones, of course, were the Yiling Wei delegation and almost all omegas in that place, yes, even
the omegas from Lan Wangji’s sect. Everyone was mesmerised by how great Yiling Laozu’s
skill was. The omegas, then, showered the alpha with flowers, sighing and giggling as they
did. Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes, and from the corner of his eyes, he could see Nie
Huaisang send him an ‘I told you so’ look at him.

Instead of returning to his seat, Yiling Laozu headed to where his cheering cultivators
gathered. To reach the Yiling Wei Sect delegation, he had to pass the Lan delegation and, of
course, Lan Wangji, who stood as the leader of the Lan cultivators. Lan Wangji prepared their
eyes to meet, and the expected unusual feeling filled his stomach. However, Yiling Laozu
Wei Wuxian walked past him without even glancing at the omega as if Lan Wangji was just
an ordinary, invisible, or unimportant cultivator.

Lan Wangji gripped his Bichen tightly.

Why?

After the archery show-off, the first day of the archery competition began. Some cultivators
scattered to hunt alone, while some of them formed small groups to, at least, stay alive and
avoid any casualties on the first day. Second Young Master Lan wanted to hunt alone, just
like what he had done since his previous competitions. However, his lovely brother came to
him and, with his dark brown eyes, begged his brother to babysit Huaisang. This was the first
time Huaisang joined an archery competition in Qishan. Lan Wangji didn't know that, nor did
he care, because even though Huaisang was always among the crowd, his name wasn't called
the winner; he just assumed that the smaller omega was unskilled in archery, and that was
fine. There were many other talents everyone could have.

After his brother, Nie Migjue came with his struggling little brother in his arms and shoved
him in Lan Wangji's direction. The omega whined, saying that he didn't want to join and
would like to drink tea and paint with Lan Xichen while they waited for fireworks to adorn
the sky. Nie Mingju narrowed his eyes and threatened to burn down all of Huaisang's
wardrobe and sell all his new robes if the Young Master of Nie didn't join the competition. It
was his duty to save the sect's face.

They were wandering through the north of the forest, the area of the first day, almost the
whole afternoon. The sun would be set in two hours, but both hadn't hit a significant number,
well, for Lan Wangji at least. The Hanguang-Jun only managed to hit about 30 targets so far,
a very low number for Lan Wangji. The targets were unexpectedly scarce in this part of the
forest. Maybe he would get a much better result tomorrow when they moved to a more
dangerous area.

“Huaisang, there are two targets in that direction.” Lan Wangji said, glancing at the omega
who was busy fanning his fan on the grassy ground. The omega looked up at him with an
annoyed expression on his pretty face and huffed.
“Yeah, and?”

“You promise your brother that you will at least hit about 20 targets in this competition. You
only need ten more. Hit those and you’ll need only eight more.”

“Ugh, I’m too pretty for this,” Huaisang whined and slowly got up, pocketing his fan. Lan
Wangji just stared at his friend patiently, watching as the small omega raised his bow and
released his arrow. The arrow hit the target perfectly, and the omega let out a sigh. Second
Young Master Lan’s gold eyes watched as Nie fireworks adorned the sky, and he turned his
attention to Huaisang and stared at him calculatingly. Lan Wangji felt that even though they
had been friends since childhood, there were still many things he didn’t know about
Huaisang. Yes, they only spent time during Gusu’s lectures or visitations, and most of the
time, Huaisang would drag him—and their older brothers—to enjoy Qinghe’s festival, arts,
and cuisines instead of sparring or training. If it weren’t for him, both Lan brothers wouldn’t
know how to enjoy life. That was rather correct; even Lan Wangji admitted that.

This was the first time he hunted with Huaisang, and he wasn’t that bad at all in archery.
Sure, Huaisang only could hit slow-moving targets or targets who headed in their direction,
but it was still very good. That was why Lan Wangji saved those easy targets for Huaisang.
He could hit those targets with his eyes closed.

“After this, I’m going to have a bath with that famous scented Yunmeng soap I bought last
week. It smells like roses. Then I will enjoy many cups of hot tea while eating a delicious
snack and having someone massaging my sore feet. You hear me, Hanguang-Jun?” Huaisang
stared at the firework until it dissolved completely and turned to Lan Wangji. “Now, have you
hit at least 70 yet? You need to win the bet to buy me a new fan.”

“Not yet.” Lan Wangji walked on, letting Huaisang bounce beside him. They needed to move
if they wanted to hit more targets. The sun would set soon, and Lan Wangji didn’t want to be
responsible for Huaisang after dark. Even though when the sunset marked the end of the first
day, they still needed to return to the Qishan’s field where their sect leaders were waiting for
them. It took time, and no one knew what they would encounter on their journey to Qishan’s
Palace.

Huaisang groaned as he kept up with Lan Wangji’s long legs. “Oh, come on, Wangji-Xiong.
What did you do these whole afternoons? Usually, you have hit more than 50 targets by
now."

"This is Qishan territory we're dealing with, and there aren't many targets in this area. Maybe
tomorrow, we will move to the southern part of the forest."

"Urgh, my bet with Nie Zonghui is for today. But hey, if you said the targets in this area are
few, maybe Nie Zonghui doesn't get much result as well. How do—Ohhh, Wangji-Xiong,
look! Look!"

There, standing in the middle of a field, kneeling down to observe something on the ground,
was the famous Yiling Laozu.

What is he doing here?

While it didn’t break the rules for sect leaders to wander in the competition area, it was rare
for sect leaders to do so on the first day when the targets were weak. Usually, when the area
was deemed too dangerous for the competitors, the sect leaders would check whether their
cultivators needed help, such as additional medicine for critical injuries. Lan Wangji, since
the first time he joined the competition, only witnessed three times a sect leader appeared in
the competition area himself. They were there to collect their cultivators’ dead bodies, and all
three incidents occurred in Qishan, on the last day, to be exact, where they had to enter the
most dangerous part of the forest.

"Wangji-Xiong, this is your chance. Go before other omegas come." Nie Huaisang said,
pushing the omega to where the mysterious alpha was. Lan Wangji bit his bottom lip, and he
stood unmoving. No, he didn't want to approach this man like other omegas. He didn’t know
how long Yiling Laozu had been in the area, but if he had been there for quite some time,
there was a huge chance that omegas had approached him already before Lan Wangji. He had
seen so many tricks Omega had used to attract an alpha’s attention, and Lan Wangji didn’t
want to act like others. If he wanted the alpha’s attention, he would do it his own way. He had
to be unforgettable.

'I have to make an unforgettable first impression. A strong alpha like him must take an
interest in an equally strong omega.' Lan Wangji's golden eyes saw three targets moving fast,
and he took his chance.
 Chapter 3

'I have to make an unforgettable first impression. A strong alpha like him must take an
interest in an equally strong omega.' Lan Wangji's golden eyes saw three targets moving fast,
and he took his chance.

His arrow shot through the air like lightning and Lan Wangji felt his heart swell with pride
when his silver-bluish spiritual energy sparked from the arrow as it flew just inches from
Yiling Laozu's silver mask. The Sect Leader jerked in surprise and his head snapped to his
right, following the gleaming arrow. Lan Wangji's golden eyes narrowed slightly as the three
targets fell into one line and his arrow -with its terrifying accuracy- destroyed them all. In an
instant, three blue fireworks adorned the sky and Lan Wangji could imagine his father's proud
smile, his uncle's satisfied nod and his brother's delighted smile when they saw that.

"Wow, you're truly amazing, Wangji-Xiong," Huaisang said, clearly amazed with his
childhood friend. If this were their usual playdate, Lan Wangji would just glance at him with
a little smug smile. However, what held interest to him was the stunned alpha metres away
from him. Huaisang's voice thankfully brought Yiling Laozu's attention to them, to him.

Lan Wangji didn't avert his eyes when the alpha finally turned his head to him, silver eyes
staring at him with a mix of surprise and -dare he hope- awe. The omega felt his heart almost
burst and it took everything in him not to say 'What? Never see a strong omega before?' His
heart turned sour when his silver eyes shifted from Lan Wangji to Nie Huaisang.

Hanguang-Jun's hold tightened on his bow. It seemed like Huaisang knew what Lan Wangji
was thinking because the second those bright silver eyes were on him, he jumped behind the
taller omega. People who didn't know the shorter omega would think that he was terrified of
the fearsome Yiling Laozu, but the Second Young Master Lan knew him enough to
distinguish the real scare and the fake one, especially when he could hear the Second Young
Master Nie snickering behind his back. Gremlin!

He was thankful, though, because those eyes focused back on him and him only. They gazed
at each other for a moment before a smile appeared on Yiling Laozu's face. It was a polite
smile that reminded him of the sickening sweet smile on the newly adopted Jin Guangyao.
The alpha put his hands behind his back as he took several steps toward Lan Wangji. To the
dismay of Lan Wangji, he stopped at a good distance from him.

Lan Wangji immediately bowed low, remembering his rank, which was returned by the alpha.
"May I inquire what Yiling Laozu is doing here? The first day is almost finished."

"There's no rule against a Sect Leader to wander around, is it? Therefore, I don't think I need
to explain myself to anyone." The Sect Leader answered.

"Indeed. I'm merely curious because usually, a Sect Leader will come to where his disciples
are. Yiling Wei disciples are at the other side of this forest."
"Like I said, I don't need to explain anything to you, Young Master Lan. You're not my
disciple." Yiling Laozu said with a flat smile. Lan Wangji's right eye twitched at the rather
rude yet acceptable answer. A snort came from behind him and the omega glanced above his
shoulder to see Nie Huaisang covering his mouth with his palm. Sensing his eyes, Huaisang
cleared his throat and slowly peeked from behind him to salute the alpha. Lan Wangji
narrowed his eyes when Yiling Laozu smiled amusedly at the smaller omega. "Second Young
Master Nie, isn't it?"

Huaisang chuckled nervously as he peeked from behind Lan Wangji. "A-Ah, Yiling Laozu.
How wonderful it is to see you here."

"Oh, you feel that way?" The alpha slyly eye-sided Lan Wangji. "How nice. Second Young
Master Lan doesn't seem to feel the same way."

"O-oh, Wangji-Xiong is just a curious person, Yiling Laozu, because well, it is strange that a
sect leader wanders on the first day." Nie Huaisang tried to reason. He glanced up at the taller
omega and noticed that his childhood friend was looking like he was waiting for the man to
say something to him. "Did you see how wonderful Wangji-Xiong's skill is, Yiling Laozu?
He is one of the best cultivators in our generation."

"Yes, it was fine."

Fine? Just fine? Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes slightly at the uncaring tone. Next to him,
Huaisang began fidgeting uncomfortably. Maybe, he expected the alpha to throw
compliments here and there, especially when he witnessed firsthand how great Lan Wangji's
skill was.

"You should see him more, Yiling Laozu. Wangji-Xiong would unleash his real potential as
the days go by when we have more dangerous creatures."

"I can wait for it. However, I'm so curious about how well you will do in this competition. I
heard from my cute disciples that your presence in the archery competition is rare. I have
seen the fireworks, Young Master Nie. You aren't that bad at archery at all. Are you just
hiding your talent all this time?" The alpha asked while looking at Huaisang. The small
omega blinked owlishly at the unwanted attention he was currently receiving. "Anyway, I'll
see you around, Second Young Master Nie." The alpha said, bowing slightly, then, as if he
had just realized that Lan Wangji was there with him. "You too, Young Master Lan."

Dark smoke surrounded the alpha and in seconds, he disappeared from their view. There was
silence for a few seconds, Lan Wangji turned around, stomping his feet as he began walking.

"He's fond of you." Lan Wangji said flatly as he walked away from the smaller omega.
Huaisang gasped and quickly ran to catch up with the larger omega. The sun had set and it
was time for them to return to the palace.

"Eh? What? No, he does not!" Huaisang quickly denied, lifting his robe, whining loudly
when he saw Lan Wangji's face. "Wangji-Xiong, please stop pouting! He doesn't like me at
all. Wangji-Xiong!!"
Lan Wangji felt his back hurt as he accepted the gift from a blushing alpha from a Sect he
didn't even know. He sighed and put it into his spiritual pouch before sitting down. It was just
the beginning of the dinner, but he had lost count of how many alphas came to him and gifted
him hairpins or paintings. This banquet was held to celebrate the success of the first day,
which meant that nobody died. No one died on the first day of the archery competition
because the targets were weak anyway.

He almost sighed when he saw a blushing beta from Yao Sect walking slowly toward him,
however, the man stopped when Sect Leader Wen stood up, silencing the whole room
immediately. Oh, Lan Wangji could kowtow at her.

Lady Wen talked about how great all disciples were as the end result showed that all disciples
managed to hit more than ten targets and she hoped that this archery competition would set a
higher standard for the next one. No one had the lowest point because almost half of them got
the same score, prompting a proud smile on their faces.

"The top ten disciples with the highest mark are," Lady Wen opened the scroll in her hand.
"Ten, Nie Ruoqing. Nine, Lou Qingyang. Eight, Lan Dan Xin. Seven, Lan Zeng Yu. Six,
Jiang Yang Mi. Five, Wen Qionlin. Four, Jin Zixuan. Three, Xue Yang. Second, Nie Zonghui.
First, Lan Wangji."

Lan Wangji's golden eyes quickly went to Yiling Wei's delegation and saw the disciple erupt
into a cheer and patted a disciple with a manic expression on his face. Yiling Laozu Wei
Wuxian laughed and patted the young man's head, clearly proud of him.

"There are still three days of competitions, so there are still many scores to get. Good luck all
of you."

Three days, Lan Wangji thought. A whole three competition days, two days in between each
competition and a huge celebration night until he could come home, away from these
annoying alphas to the peacefulness of Jingshi. Maybe he might consider spending some time
with other omegas in his sect.

“Wei-Xiong, look how much money you gave me!” Huaisang appeared out of nowhere and
sat down beside the taller omega. “I’ll spend these on a new fan for my birthday. Thank you
for your gift.”

A full three days for competition, three days of banquet and a night of celebration until he
could get away from babysitting this one.

Lan Wangji sighed and poured himself a cup of tea, watching Huaisang count his golds.
Judging by his cheerful face, the amount was enough –maybe more than enough- for the
small omega to buy a new fan or two. The second young master Nie quickly put his wallet
into his robes and beamed at Lan Wangji.

The Second Young Master Lan noticed that the omega’s lips were redder than usual, his
flawless face was well-covered by this fragrant powder, some sheer face paint adorned his
eyelids and his braids were more elaborate than usual. His golden eyes eyed the clearly
expensive headpieces and gleaming robes the omega wore tonight. Well, judging how Sect
Leader Nie spoiled his brother, Lan Wangji didn’t need to worry about his brother.

Speaking of his brother, Lan Xichen was standing at the corner of the room surrounded by
giggling omegas from almost all Sects. His charming brother proudly wore Nie braids on his
hair complete with a huge golden hairpin. Lan Wangji was sure his father disapproved of the
braids because they weren’t married yet, but knowing his brother, their father’s protest landed
on deaf ears and knowing their father, Qingheng-Jun would just let his sons be. It would be a
different story if their uncle was here.

From across the room, Nie Mingjue watched with a soft expression on his face, totally
ignoring the sect leaders around him. Once in a while, Lan Xichen would look at him and
wink, sending the alpha to turn bright red and the omegas around him to giggle louder. Lan
Wangji could hear their gushing about how lucky the First Young Master Lan was. They were
right. His brother was lucky.

“Eww, they are disgusting, aren’t they?” Huaisang rolled his eyes and quickly ate the
mooncake on Lan Wangji’s small desk. “But Xichen-Ge is the best person for him and the
best brother-in-law I can hope for my brother. I’m happy for them.”

Wangji didn’t say anything which caused Huaisang to pout. “You’re still angry at me, aren’t
you Wangji-Xiong? I tell you Yiling Laozu isn’t interested in me.”

“I don’t care if he’s interested in you.”

“You lie.”

“Lying is forbidden.”

Huaisang huffed and narrowed his eyes at the stunning omega. He glanced at where the
Yiling Wei Sect delegation was sitting and gasped. “Yiling Laozu is looking at you.”

Lan Wangji made a mistake by immediately looking up and turning in the direction. Yiling
Laozu wasn’t even among the Yiling Wei disciples anymore. He glared at Huaisang who
smirked mischievously at him.

“See! You’re interested.” Huaisang said, opening his fan and glancing at the black-robed
disciples. “It is okay if you are, Wangji-Xiong. People will understand. You’re not the only
one interested in him after all. Who wouldn’t be attracted to him? I mean tall, dark, handsome
and powerful alpha is very attractive.”

There was something in Huaisang’s tone when he said the last line that made Lan Wangji
look at him, only to find a rather disturbing look on the small omega’s face. Well, half of his
face since he was covered, but those eyes were enough for Lan Wangji to conclude what was
behind the beautiful face behind the fan. The small omega was staring at where the Wei
delegation was sitting, but when Lan Wangji shifted his attention to them, no Yiling Wei
cultivators were staring at Huaisang. Who was Huaisang looking at?

“Um, excuse me, Hanguang-Jun.”

Lan Wangji and Nie Huaisang turned to see a blushing red alpha holding two small boxes in
his hands. Nie Huaisang grinned and snapped his fan closed, batting her eyelashes at the
blushing man.

“Can I help you, Young Master Yi?” Huaisang asked sweetly as Lan Wangji frowned at the
unfamiliar name. Yi Sect, huh? He thought as his golden eyes examined the beautiful teal-
dark greenish uniform the handsome alpha wore. He had heard about the sect, but never
actually talked to one of them, let alone to its young master.

“My gifts,” The alpha said hurriedly, presenting the gifts with a bow.

“Thank you, Young Master Yi.” Huaisang took the boxes and put them in front of him and
Lan Wangji. He rudely opened the box in front of him and cooed over the beautiful jade
hairpin inside. “Ohh, it will look good on my hair. Thank you.”

The man opened his mouth when Huaisang moved to put the pin on his braid. His action
caught the omegas' attention and they looked at him puzzled. Young Master Yi rubbed the
back of his head. “Those are just for Hanguang-Jun, Young Master Nie. I’m very sorry. If you
want, I’ll bring something for you tomorrow.”

Lan Wangji raised his teacup to hide his smile when Huaisang’s face darkened and he put the
pin back with a loud Hummp! Lan Wangji bowed at the blushing alpha, muttering gratitude.
Young Master Yi bowed and walked away with a happy smile toward some alphas from his
sect. They cheered and patted his back as he came back as if he had achieved something
great.

“I hate you. Wangji-Xiong.” Nie Huaisang groaned, putting his head on his palm as he stared
at the mountain of gifts beside Lan Wangji. “I just received five gifts tonight and you got,
how many? Twenty? Twenty-five? Why didn’t I get the same?”

“You were standing beside your brother the whole time. You’re scaring them.”

“That’s right! Wow, Wangji-Xiong, who knows you’re that expert on alpha.”

“Xiongzhang used that tactic when he wanted to avoid any alphas before.” Lan Wangji
looked around and his right eye twitched when he saw his brother tugging Sect Leader Nie's
hand while giggling and gesturing to the door. Fortunately, Qingheng-Jun came to them and
with a dangerous smile, took his eldest son's hand and guided him out of the door, leaving the
blushing Sect Leader. There was no question that his father was dragging Lan Xichen to his
chamber since it was near Gusu Lan's bedtime.

"I'll retire," He said to Huaisang, and without waiting for the other omega's answer, he
walked out of the hall with his spiritual pouch filled with gifts. As he walked leisurely
through the enormous and beautiful Nightless City Palace, his mind wondered about a certain
red-robed Sect Leader.

It might be his luck that when he turned right, his body collided with someone, sending him
tumbling and hitting the nearby window loudly. He prayed that the owner of the chamber
wasn't in it yet. He took a deep breath and almost choked when the familiar scent hit his nose.
He looked up and true enough, Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian was hovering above him with an
expression he couldn't guess.

Lan Wangji held his breath as their eyes met. Yiling Laozu’s hands were on each side of his
face, holding the alpha from crashing down on him. A pair of bright silver eyes shone under
the moonlight and silver masks as they looked down at the Second Young Master Lan. Lan
Wangji’s own eyes watched as Yiling Laozu clenched his jaw. From the corner of his eyes,
Lan Wangji could see Yiling Laozu’s hands forming tight fists.

What’s wrong? Does he… want to hit me? Is he angry? The omega couldn’t avert his gaze
from the alpha on top of him. Lan Wangji felt his heart beat fast and he was afraid that the
alpha would hear it. As if someone snapped something in him, Yiling Laozu blinked and
cleared his throat.

“Apologize, Hanguang-Jun. I didn’t see you.” Yiling Laozu pushed himself from him and
bowed. Lan Wangji bowed back hurriedly, trying to control his heartbeat. Before Lan Wangji
could return his bow, the Yiling Wei Sect Leader walked away so fast as if his robe was
burning.

The omega watched in disbelief until the alpha disappeared from his view.

The second day of the competition came, and everyone was too busy to prepare themselves to
woo the omegas. After just a traditional archery competition, in which everyone only needed
to shoot the targets, today there would be more aggressive and fast targets with weak to
average level yao waiting for them at the other part of the forest. Second Young Master Lan
had been in his room all day, watching his brother shoving many medicines into his spiritual
pouch. Lan Xichen even shoved a set of robes despite the younger brother's claim that it was
just a day. Just in case you are wet or dirty, the older omega had argued.

Unlike the first day, which started in the early morning and ended at dusk, the second day
would start at midday and end at 8 in the evening, signalled by a loud Wen firework. It meant
that there was a huge chance they would encounter some powerful demon.

But for Hanguang-Jun and his companion, Second Young Master Nie Huaisang, everything
was fine. They had shot and defeated, well mostly Lan Wangji, some fast targets and
encountered some weird-looking weak Yao. It was an easy task for both of them. Until the
sunset, and a disturbing sound came from the nearby forest just minutes after they arrived at
the river.

A man ran out of the forest, screaming. His face was pale with wide bloody eyes as he went
to where Lan Wangji and Nie Huaisang were resting. Grey energy surrounded the man as his
scream increased.

“Why is there a spirit possession just on the second day?” Nie Huaisang shrieked, jumping on
his feet. Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes before summoning his guqin.

Spirit possession? His long elegant finger quickly moved across the string, playing evocation.
The man was startled, looking at Lan Wangji with his now-white eyes. Without waiting
furthermore, Lan Wangji jumped into action. The possessed man screamed, the music clearly
affected him. Lan Wangji changed the tune as the man fell down to his knee. The man
gasped, eyes bulging from their sockets, before he fell to the ground. Lan Wangji quickly
knelt down, put his hand on the man’s neck and nodded at Huaisang when he found his pulse.
Huaisang slowly approached them, poking the unconscious man cautiously with his fan
before he scanned the robes. When he was sure that the man was free of any kind of spirit
and safe, he scanned the man from head to toe.

“He’s a beta from Yi Sect. He came out from there.” Huaisang pointed with his fan.

Lan Wangji turned his attention toward the forest on their right. The forest was dark and
silent, but the omega didn’t feel anything malicious from there, but then what happened to
him? What spirit possessed him? Who called the spirit? Who controlled the spirit?

There’s one Lan Wangji’s mind supplied. “Stay here,” He said to the omega without averting
his gaze from the suspicious forest where the man came from. Lan Wangji’s golden eyes
scanned the seemingly innocent forest. Something wasn’t right.

As he walked deeper into the dark forest, Lan Wangji’s senses immediately spiked. There
was something in the darkness that made his omega instinct on alert. Pulling out Bichen, the
omega walked cautiously. A part of him was relieved that he left Huaisang to rest near the
river. His golden eyes scanned the darkness.

He stopped in front of a huge stone when he felt someone was watching him. Seconds later,
smoke filled the area and a very strong smell of burning charcoal hit his nose. The omega felt
his legs weaken, fell to his knee and felt his throat was hurting.

“Oh, look! It actually works!” A very familiar voice made Lan Wangji groan inwardly. His
golden eyes glared at an alpha in golden robes. The alpha kicked his sword, making the
omega fall to the ground, before grinning as he knelt in front of him. “Hello, Hanguang-Jun.”

Jin Zixun, the alpha from Jin Sect, was famous for his unruly group of alphas. He was also
known to sexually assault several omegas every time he visited famous brothels at Lanling.
Many turned a deaf ear about this because, well, those omegas were sex workers, but for Lan
Wangji, it was still inhuman to treat anyone like that, even if those people weren’t as
unfortunate as them.

Lan Wangji felt his omega scream in agony inside of him when his nose was assaulted by the
disgusting mixed scent of wine, grass and some flowers coming from the alpha in front of
him. This wasn’t the alpha his omega wanted. It wasn’t the scent that caught his interest.

The omega flinched when Jin Zixun’s face was near his own. He tried to move his face,
avoiding the lips that were heading towards his own. The alpha let out a low chuckle and
kissed his cheek instead. His lips travelled from his cheek, down to his jaw and went lower to
his neck.

“You smell good.” The alpha murmured as his nose touched Lan Wangji’s neck. The omega
shuddered at the husky voice and warm breath. He clenched his fist when he felt Jin Zixun’s
hand move from his waist down to his thigh, rubbing the leg-covered robe there, before
moving to his inner thigh.
Shit! Lan Wangji’s mind screamed. His golden eyes fell on Bichen, who was lying just a few
feet from his hand. Trying to ignore the hand that now moved to his private part, he focused
his spiritual energy, trying to fight off whatever poison or curse was inside his body. His body
felt warm as it glowed in the dark and Lan Wangji felt Bichen fly into his hand. Using all his
spiritual and physical energy, Lan Wangji kicked Jin Zixun and pushed him away. As Jin
Zixun jumped in surprise, he swung Bichen, sending blueish light toward the alpha. The
alpha’s wide eyes watched in horror as the light came toward his neck and quickly bent his
tall body, avoiding being killed by the omega.

“Get your filthy paws off me.” Lan Wangji’s tone was full of venom as he raised his sword to
the alpha. Jin Zixun was silent as he gazed at the sword and let out a chuckle.

“Now, now, Hanguang-Jun. That’s not a good manner for an omega.” He said, slowly pulling
out his own sword.

“Do you know that it is forbidden for an alpha to attack an omega when they are alone? But
then again, it was just you, Jin Zixun, a cowardly young master who can’t do anything
without your status and weapons.”

“You bitch.” Jin Zixun snarled, “You’re just an omega, Lan Wangji. You’re beneath an
alpha.”

Lan Wangji let out a small smirk and infused his spiritual energy into Bichen, making it glow
brighter than before. “Show me how great of an alpha you are then.”

Without a word, Hanguang-Jun jumped forward, sword tight in his hand as he raised it easily
and brought it down with a force that the sounds of the blades hitting each other echoed in the
forest. Lan Wangji’s golden eyes stared at the crouching Jin Zixun who was gritting his teeth
as he tried to block Bichen with his sword. Lan Wangji noticed that Jin Zixun’s sword lacked
a bright yellowish-white light, a significant spiritual energy of the Jin sect. This alpha was
incompetent with his golden core and spiritual energy.

“Useless.” Lan Wangji commented drily before he swung Bichen, aiming for Jin Zixun’s
chest. The alpha shrieked as he clumsily tried to block each attack as if he were a beginner in
a swordfight. No, he wasn’t that bad. Lan Wangji’s attacks were just too fast and too accurate
for a normal person to react, which resulted in them using their fast instinct to block the
attacks, which made those who weren’t used to his fighting style look so incompetent and
clumsy. He wondered if he would find someone who could match him beside his brother.

Hanguang-Jun narrowed his eyes as he saw an opportunity. He swung his sword fast and
slashed Jin Zixun’s right arm deep, making the alpha yelp in pain as blood rushed out from
the wound. The sword fell to the ground and the alpha gritted his teeth as he clutched his
bleeding arm. With that arm wounded, the alpha had no choice but to withdraw from the
competition. He even had to stop fighting for a few weeks in the future.

Should I cut it? Lan Wangji wondered briefly. No. Xiongzhang will scold me.

Jin Zixun snarled and took his sword with his left arm before running away, not without
cursing Lan Wangji with uncreative curses Lan Wangji had ever seen. He had been around
Nie Huaisang and Nie Mingjue enough to know a lot of ways to curse someone but he
wouldn’t say those to anyone no matter how they deserved them.

When Jin Zixun disappeared from his sight, a new powerful spiritual energy almost made
him gasp. He turned around, Bichen ready in his hand as he waited for an attack to come.
There was no attack, but someone walked out of the darkness of the forest with his hands
behind his back. His silver mask gleamed under the moonlight, which chose to appear now.
His robes were grey now, with a black flute with a beautiful red tassel on his waist.

“Yiling Laozu.” He greeted calmly, still with his sword in hand. What is he doing here?

“Ah, we meet again, Hanguang-Jun,” The masked man greeted lightly as he stepped out from
the shadow. “Good job with him. For a moment, I thought I should rescue you but turned out,
you could handle yourself.”

Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes. “What do you want?”

Yiling Laozu smiled.

 Chapter 4
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Lan Wangji’s grip on Bichen tightened slightly when the famous alpha slowly made his way
to him. In the shade cast by the massive stone, his silver mask appeared frightful. The moon
was high and the sun had long since set. In around three hours, the second day would come
to a close, and Lan Wangji would have to return to Huaisang.

"Can I ask you a question, Hanguang-Jun?” Wei Wuxian tilted his head as his silver eyes
stared into the omega’s gold ones; a black flute with a red tassel spun in his fingers. As
someone whose spiritual weapon was a musical instrument, Lan Wangji felt uneasy just
looking at it. “Have you, by any chance, seen a possessed cultivator roam around here? I kind
of have a business with him."

At the question, Hanguang-Jun couldn’t help but feel suspicious. He narrowed his eyes and
gritted his teeth. "So it's you. You're behind the possessed beta."

"So you saw him. Care to tell me where he is now? I assure you that I'm not behind the
possession, but I need to examine the poor beta."

"Why? Give me a good reason why I should tell you where he is."

"I'm sorry I cannot tell you that, Hanguang-Jun."

"Then I won't. I will not give a man up without a good reason."

"Is he with your friend at the river?” Wei Wuxian gestured toward where the river was with a
smirk. Lan Wangji's eyes widened and it was his mistake reacting to that because Yiling
Laozu let out a chuckle as he began to walk away from the omega. "Thank you, Young
Master Lan."

No, Huaisang! "Stop!" Lan Wangji jumped in front of the alpha and raised his sword.
“You’re not going anywhere.”

“I’m sorry, Hanguang-Jun, but I have to get the man,” Yiling Laozu remarked, placing the
flute under his lips. Lan Wangji swiftly attacked, sensing strange energy around them and
attempting to prevent the mighty cultivator from playing his flute. The attack caught Yiling
Laozu off guard, and he jumped several feet back.

The omega swung his sword and white bluish spiritual energy flew like full-speed arrows
toward the dark cultivator. He clenched his jaw when Yiling Laozu expertly avoided them.
His dark red robes flapped with the wind, his red ribbon danced in the air and a chuckle
escaped from his mouth, indicating that the alpha enjoyed this fight. Lan Wangji swirled in
the air and raised his Bichen as he was close enough to Wei Wuxian. As he was above the
alpha, he brought his sword, but surprisingly, Yiling Laozu just calmly raised his black flute
to stop the powerful spiritual sword.

What the hell is this flute?! Lan Wangji could only stare in shock when his sharp blade didn’t
even make a dent in the black flute, let alone slice it in half. Lan Wangji fused his energy into
Bichen and it seemed like Yiling Laozu was doing the same when the black flute began to
glow red. Something dark was inside the flute; A dark spiritual energy so strong that it threw
Lan Wangji to the ground.

While groaning from the pain in his back, he sat up, only to see Yiling Laozu approach him.
Lan Wangji raised his sword in a panic, fusing his spiritual energy into it, and delivered it to
the cultivator in one perfect swing. It was a weak attack because his spiritual energy was
overwhelmed by the previous dark energy, but it was better than nothing. In the blink of an
eye, Yiling Laozu disappeared from his view and appeared right in front of him in a second.
He felt the alpha kicked Bichen from his hands, an act that reminded him of Jin Zixun earlier.

Lan Wangji instantly raised his fist and delivered a strong hit to the alpha's face. It was a
horrible decision. The alpha growled dangerously and let out a strong scent. The Second
Young Master Lan felt suffocated throughout the onslaught, and his omega whimpered as his
body began to weaken. This was a completely different alpha than before. He couldn't win
this. Yiling Laozu took his moment and snapped his fingers, causing Lan Wangji to feel
locked on the earth beneath him. Fuck!

The omega could only helplessly watch as Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian hovered above him, a
smirk on his face, darkened by the shadow of his silver mask. The alpha’s right hand was
beside Lan Wangji’s head which reminded him when they accidently bumped into each other.
The difference was Yiling Laozu didn't look as angry as the omega remembered.

“You’re very strong for your age, Hanguang-Jun, and an omega nonetheless. I learned from
healer cultivators that omegas need to work harder than alphas or betas to be powerful
cultivators because their emotions and inner omegas are just too much. I have heard how Lan
Sect’s omegas changed the way the world saw omegas in the cultivation world. It started with
Lan Yi, wasn’t it? The first omega Sect Leader. I always admire how things work in your
sect.” Yiling Laozu’s voice made Lan Wangji shiver. The alpha raised his left hand and
carefully took Lan Wangji’s long hair between his fingers and kissed it, eyes never leaving
Lan Wangji’s. “I also have heard that beauty and white robes are Lan Sect’s signatures. I hate
your mourning robes but I have to say when I saw you shining under the moonlight while
kicking an arrogant alpha’s arse, I couldn’t breathe or move. You’re truly the jewel of Lan
Sect, Hanguang-Jun.”

Lan Wangji cursed his heart which beat faster and louder. His inner omega who was
previously whimpered in fear was now preening from the praises and persuaded Lan Wangji
to lean forward to steal a kiss. Lan Wangji bit his bottom lips as his golden eyes shifted to the
lips right above him. This is bad!

The omega raised his eyes and saw that Yiling Laozu was peering down at him. There were
hints of red around his pupil, making his silver eyes gleam dangerously in the darkness. His
spicy smokey scent grew more appealing as it tempted the omega's nostrils. A part of him
wanted to put his arms around those muscular shoulders bury his face in the crook of the
neck and inhale the delicious scent. However, another part of him warned him of who he was,
who the alpha above him was, rules no 3120, rule no 2213, and rule no 222.

"Wangji-Xiong, are you al-Arrgghh!!” Huaisang’s voice snapped the pair from their staring
match. Lan Wangji felt his body was able to move as Yiling Laozu jumped off him. Lan
Wangji turned to see his childhood friend covering his face with his fan as he kept screaming,
“I don't see anything. I don't see anything."

Lan Wangji, who had known this gremlin all his life, was sure that the small omega was
grinning behind that beautiful fan. The Second Young Master Lan quickly headed toward his
friend. “Huaisang, what about the beta?”

“A-Ah, Sect Leader Yi came and took the beta away so I came here immediately. Ah, Yiling
Laozu is gone.”

Lan Wangji turned to where Yiling Laozu was and he found none. The man had disappeared
from their view along with his strong scent as if he wasn’t there in the first place. Then, a
loud bell rang throughout the forest and Lan Wangji frowned. It was when the sun began to
set when he left Huaisang, was it already three hours?

“Huh? We still have an hour. Why did it end early?” Huaisang murmured, looking at the
moon. He gave Lan Wangji his spiritual pouch. “Let’s return. This second day is so boring,
probably the most boring second day I have ever witnessed. The possessed beta was nice but
nothing exciting happened. Last year in Lanling, we had a huge snake demon, right?”

The taller omega let Huaisang chatter as they returned to the Nightless City Palace. The small
omega told him how Sect Leader Yi came with several of his disciples. He said that Sect
Leader Wen informed him about the accident and that he had to get him to Sect Leader Wen
immediately. Lan Wangji hummed in approval. Sect Leader Wen was an exceptional healer,
so the beta would be fine. Maybe he and Huaisang should see her to explain how they found
the poor Yi disciple. His thought was broken by a small tug on his long sleeve. When he
looked down, he saw Nie Huaisang look up at him with his doe eyes.

“So, Wangji-Xiong,” The omega’s eyes twinkled before letting out a naughty smirk. “How
did it feel lying beneath Yiling Laozu earlier?”

Lan Wangji accidentally threw his spiritual pouch at Huaisang’s face.

The Omegas arrived at the Nightless City Palace field and were greeted by a worried
Qingheng-Jun and Nie Mingjue. Lan Wangji assured his father that he was fine and let his
older brother pat and examine his physique. He was fine; he just had some cuts on his hands,
but they would disappear in hours. Lan Wangji's eyes swept the field and saw that almost all
Sect Leaders were there to check their disciples except for Lanling Jin, Yiling Wei and Yi
Sect.

"Why did the second day end early?" Lan Wangji asked, looking at his brother who was
healing the cuts on his palm. The older omega kept fuelling his bluish-white spiritual energy
into Lan Wangji's hand and waited until the cuts disappeared before leading his brother to
their chambers. Lan Wangji waited patiently as his brother held his hand gently.
"We saw a spiritual message from A-Sang. A-Jue panicked, thinking that his baby brother
was hurt, but it said that a Yi disciple was possessed by a feral spirit. Sect Leader Yi then
rushed to help immediately. A-Sang didn't say where he was, just that he was near the river
on the northeast side of the forest. He couldn't launch a firework because then he would be
eliminated, so Sect Leader Wen asked Yiling Laozu's help to detect any dark energy." Lan
Xichen finally answered as they arrived at Lan Wangji's chamber. Lan Wangji raised an
eyebrow at that. If Yiling Laozu was sent to help, then why did Sect Leader Yi arrive at the
precise spot while the dark cultivator was near the huge weird stone where Lan Wangji was
assaulted?

Wait, the beta ran out from the forest, so maybe he was possessed there. The most logical
explanation was that Sect Leader Yi tracked his disciple, so he ended up at the river while
Yiling Laozu tracked the resentful energy from the spirit so he ended up in the forest. One
question, though, why was Jin Zixun in the forest? What did that asshole alpha do?

Lan Xichen didn't seem to notice the deep-thought expression on his baby brother's face as he
quickly helped his brother strip from his dirty robes. "Then, Jin Zixun returned to the field
with bleeding arms. He claimed that the dangerous monster attacked him. His blood was
everywhere so people thought he was losing his arm. Sect Leader Jin freaked out and then
rudely accused Sect Leader Wen of opening the barrier and letting some dangerous monsters
loose. You know Sect Leader Jin and his influences on smaller sects, especially those who are
around Lanling. Some smaller sects defended him so Sect Leader Wen decided to end it early.
It was just an hour so it didn't make any difference."

Ah! Lan Wangji didn't say anything that he was the dangerous monster that hurt Jin Zixun but
his brother didn't ask any further. His brother gently combed his hair, put it into a high
ponytail and thick-braid it quickly before putting it into a bun. This would keep his hair off
the water. Lan Wangji walked behind the privacy screen and took off his inner pants and
shirt. He stepped into the warm water and closed his eyes as his aching body immediately felt
better.

"In my opinion, even if there were dangerous monsters, if the disciples were competent, they
would be fine, right?" Lan Xichen's question made Lan Wangji open his eyes. He splashed
some water into his pale arms as he listened to his brother begin comparing Jin Zixun's skill
to their lowest-skilled disciple who would fare better than the Jin Young Master.

"It's still unfair, Xiongzhang. Dangerous monsters or spirits are saved for the stronger
cultivators. For weak cultivators to fight monsters and spirits beyond their power is unfair."

"It won't matter in real-life situations." Lan Xichen appeared before Lan Wangji, hanging a
dark robe and taking Lan Wangji's inner clothes into his arms. He looked so unimpressed but
couldn't disagree with the younger omega's answer.

"This isn't a real-life situation. It is an archery competition."

"Whatever. Jin Zixun is just weak."

"That he is."
The Lan brothers stared at each other before they broke into laughing. Well, Lan Xichen
laughed prettily while Lan Wangji smiled fondly at his brother. It was a moment like this that
Lan Wangji cherished his time with his brother, bantering and then agreeing about something.
His brother looked extremely beautiful with his bright eyes and flushed cheeks. No wonder
people were head over heels for him.

"Enjoy your warm bath. I'll ask for a light dinner and I want you to just rest the whole day
tomorrow, okay A-Zhan. You can wake up late, play your guqin all day, and stuff your face
with wonderful food. Anything, but training. I forbid it. Oh, I'll prepare your robes for
tomorrow's banquet night," Lan Xichen said, adding as he walked away. The young omega
savoured the warm water and closed his eyes again. His brother had prepared some aromatic
soap, and it smelt amazing. He almost smiled when a beautiful melody from his brother's
xiao filled the room.

The second day's dinner was less formal than the first. Following Sect Leader Wen's address,
everyone was free to mingle with whomever they wanted. The Nie gathered with Lan's
disciples, with whom they had the strongest bond, and Lan Wangji seated Nie Huaisang
alongside him for dinner. The younger omega dressed as elaborately as the last feast, and
Lan Wangji finally had an answer.

Across their seats were Yiling Wei disciples who were with Qishan Wen disciples. One
disciple in particular was gazing at Huaisang with a smirk on his face. His hair was done in
Yiling Wei's signature ponytail but with braids on the sides of his head. The man, Lan Wangji
recognized as Xue Yang the second winner, was playfully blowing a kiss toward Huaisang
who was giggling behind his fan. Lan Wangji raised an eyebrow at the blushing omega
beside him. That alpha? He looked like a psychopath with that creepy smile. Sure, he was
handsome, but he wasn’t as handsome as Yiling- Stop it!

Nie Huaisang seemed to realize that Lan Wangji paid attention to their interaction and
smirked. “Oh, that's the second winner Young Master Xue Yang. It’s his face, isn’t it? He
looks like those psychopaths.” Huaisang giggled, finally giving Lan Wangji his attention
when Xue Yang talked to his fellow disciple. The Nie omega grinned at him. “He said he
likes his face because the Yiling Wei Sects only have a handful of alphas compared to its
omegas and betas. Most omegas and betas were refugees who fled from abuse or injustice
and needed a safe place to stay. It makes his job as one of the sect’s brilliant guards easier.
You see, the sect is often visited by crazy people who want to be Yiling Laozu’s disciples.
Some are accepted and some are rejected. Those who have been rejected often tried to attack
the guards.”

“You seem to know a lot about him and Yiling Sect.”

“Of course, I do. We talked when you abandoned me after the banquet to retire.” Huaisang
looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “Why? Are you jealous of me, Wangji-Xiong, because I
know more about Yiling Sect hm?”

Lan Wangji didn’t answer. His attention was pulled by a figure in the doorway, talking
seriously to Sect Leader Wen. She nodded at him several times before she hurriedly walked
to her place. A bell was hit and everyone's attention was on her.
“Distinguished guests, congratulations to those who managed to finish the second day of the
archery competition. Your scores and rank will be announced after the final day,” She said,
smiling as the room erupted into claps. Almost 70 per cent of disciples from all sects
managed to finish the second day and would continue to the third day. The rest of them were
either found fainted or given up because of injuries. “I would like to express my greatest
gratitude to all of you who have done your best. You have performed well, it isn’t just your
time yet. For those who haven’t succeeded, do not despair. You still have a chance next year.
With hard work and focus, I’m sure you can reach your goal. Let’s drink for all the amazing
disciples in this room.”

Sect Leader Wen then took a large scroll -most likely the regulations for the third and fourth
days- and was about to open her mouth when a loud cough interrupted her. All eyes turned to
see where it came from, and Lan Wangji narrowed his brows as he noticed Jin Guangshan
rise from his seat. Jin Zixuan sat on his right, evidently ashamed, while Jin Zixun stood
behind him, bandages wrapped over his right arm.

“Sect Leader Wen, excuse me for what I’m going to say.” Jin Guangshan began, looking
around the room to ensure he got everyone's attention. “Yesterday, after the sun had set, right
in front of all Sect Leaders and their disciples who were waiting in the field. My nephew Jin
Zixun returned with a grave injury. He encountered a very dangerous yao which caused a
very bad injury in his dominant arm and he had to withdraw from the competition. How did a
dangerous monster, which was supposed to be released on the last day, manage to escape and
attack my nephew?"

Everyone didn't say anything but many guests glanced at the alpha behind Jin Zixuan. Lan
Wangji felt a smugness spread in his chest when Jin Zixun immediately averted his eyes
when their eyes met. A dangerous monster, huh? He was right. Never mess with omegas
because they could be the most dangerous monsters out there.

Lan Wangji considered telling his brother or father about the assault, but he realised that
because they were so protective, he would be unable to find out what had happened. There
was a risk his father would urge him not to continue, something he did not want. He was
strong. He could defend himself against a criminal like Jin Zixun, despite his belief that the
arsehole alpha was the only one who dared to touch him. Let this be their secret. Maybe Lan
Wangji will use it as blackmail in the future.

As Jin Guangshan kept talking about broken wards, he itched to point out that the monsters,
spirits or creatures for the archery competition weren't released. Disciples were sent to the
places where these dangerous creatures were trapped through a special entrance. These places
had very powerful barriers, especially in Qishan which had the most dangerous creatures. Lan
Wangji suddenly wanted to visit the Qishan Wen Library to learn about the barriers in the
Qishan forest.

“It raises a question for me, Sect Leader Wen. Why do these accidents always happen in Wen
territory? Is there any sabotage we have to know, Sect Leader Wen?” Sect Leader Jin looked
around the room again, clearly trying to influence everyone in the room with doubt. Some
sect leaders from small sects nodded their heads at the implication. Lan Wangji glanced at his
father and almost laughed when he saw him rolling his eyes. Sect Leader Jin hadn't finished,
however, and continued, "It is a well-known fact that every time the archery competition is
held in Qishan, there will be casualties. However, we know that it is usually on the last day of
the archery competition when our great disciples have to venture to the deepest part of Muxi
Forest."

The female alpha gazed at him calmly, but everyone could see she became enraged by the
dangerous glints in her eyes. She squinted her eyes and focused on her guests, primarily the
competition. She took a few steps forward and let out her alpha scent, demanding a
command from everyone in the room.

"Distinguished competitors, I will ask some questions and I want you to answer them
truthfully." Her harp eyes swept the entire room of cultivators. Lady Wen Qing looked at Jin
Zixun for a moment before starting her questions.

“Did any disciples meet a very feral spirit?” No one raised a hand.

"Did any disciples encounter a very dangerous monster or yao?" no one raised a hand.

“I'm sure that you suffered injuries during the first and second days, but did any disciples
endure an injury as bad as Young Master Jin Zixun?” No one raised a hand.

Sect Leader Wen turned to Jin Guangshan and looked right into his eyes. “Then it seems that
your nephew is just an incompetent cultivator, Sect Leader Jin.”

There was a snort among the Nie cultivators which Lan Wangji was sure was Nie Huaisang.
Jin Zixun being an incompetent cultivator wasn't a secret, but no one ever mentioned it
before.

“Sect Leader Yi, I’m sure you will help. Your best disciple is possessed, right? It is a sign that
unusual activity is brewing inside Qishan’s famous forest.”

Sect Leader Yi was silent for a moment, glanced at a disciple behind him –the possessed one
who looked fine now- and said, “When the sun set yesterday, I was informed that my first
disciple was possessed by a feral spirit. I found him, already free of the spirit and safe, under
the protection of Hanguang-Jun and Young Master Nie.” Sect Leader Yi bowed at the two
young omegas. “However, Sect Leader Jin, I have to disagree with you about the possibility
of sabotage by the Wen Sect. It is true casualty always happens during archery competitions
and unfortunately, the worst usually happens in Qishan territory. I'm sorry to say that, Sect
Leader Wen."

"No need. It's a fact, Sect Leader Yi." Sect Leader Wen waved her hand in dismissal.

Sect Leader Yi nodded and continued, "However, if Qishan Wen Sect wanted to sabotage the
competition, why do we never have a Wen winner, especially during the reign of Wen
Ruohan? I think everyone here knows who Wen Ruohan is. Sect Leader Jin also seems to
forget about this war called Beast War. Which sect suffered the most during the Beast War?
Qishan Wen. Why? Because the beasts in Qishan Wen territory were and are the most
dangerous among all. I think Sect Leader Jin still remembered how he ran away from a huge
spider Yao in one of the Qishan caves a long time ago when were were the competitors. I was
there with you. This dangerous creature hasn’t been defeated until now.” The old man was
silent for a moment, glanced at his first disciple and sighed, “I do think that the possession
during the second day is something we have to investigate, but I suspect that these creatures
are getting stronger day by day. They are, after all, spiritual creatures. They are special and I
don’t think we will be able to eradicate them at all. We can trap them behind powerful
barriers, we can decrease their number through this archery competition and night hunts, we
can weaken their power but eliminate all of them? I don't think so. This is why the
competition is held, right? To gather together to fight a mutual enemy under the blanket of
archery competition.”

“Thank you, Sect Leader Yi. The investigation about the possession has begun and I assure
you that we will have the answer soon.” Sect Leader Wen bowed deeply at the sect leader.
She turned to the rest of them and took a deep breath. “Sect Leader Yi is correct. We cannot
eradicate these creatures or feral spirits. Each day has a different level of challenge, so when
our disciples fail, it is our job to train them to be stronger than us so that when the worst thing
happens in the future, all of us are ready. These creates are everyone’s problem whether you
want to admit it or not. That is the foundation of the archery competition.”

Sect Leader Nie raised his wine cup. "What Sect Leader Yi and Sect Leader Wen are right.
Let's drink for a successful investigation and future archery competitions."

It was a weird reason for a salute but Lan Wangji suspected that Nie Mingjue just wanted to
end the useless discussion started by Jin Guangshan. Many Sect Leaders raised their cups and
drank in respect for the Sect Leader Wen Qing which shut Jin Guangshan up. For now, at
least.

The next day, Lan Wangji decided to invite his father and brother for tea. Qingheng-Jun
smiled and patted his youngest son, agreeing to the invitation. Lan Xichen was overjoyed,
obviously, and pulled out a package of expensive tea from Qinghe. The older omega proudly
boasted that it was one of Sect Leader Nie's gifts. Zewu-Jun beamed when their father
nodded in approval.

The youngest cultivator frowned when his brother arrived at the gazebo with servants behind
him, carrying the tea. His golden eyes eyed the sparkling headpiece on his brother's head
which looked bigger than the head itself. Expensive small combs adorned the sides of his
head and a long silver chain draped from the top of his head down to his hair. It was as long
as the Lan Sect's ribbon his brother was wearing. The robes he was wearing were dark blue
with Qinghe Nie's signature embroideries. It was definitely a custom-made set of robes,
specially made for the older jewel omega of Lan Sect.

“Do not dress too excessively.” Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes at his older brother who was
happily pouring tea for their father. Lan Xichen pretended that he didn’t hear his brother
complain, but he did deliberately touch his bright dark blue robes with silver threads and
moon embroiders. The younger Lan let out a huff but Qingheng-Jun just chuckled.

“A-Zhan, let your brother be,” Qinghen-Jun gently tapped his youngest’s hand. “We’re not in
Cloud Recesses. Your brother is just wearing what his fiancée has given him, I’m sure he will
dress moderately when we return.” The Gusu Lan Sect Leader gave Lan Xichen a pointed
look. Lan Xichen smiled innocently at his father before mischievously raising an eyebrow at
his adorable little brother. But it seemed like their father didn’t stop there. “Wear what you
want for now, A-Huan, but if Nie Mingjue hurts you, I will make sure he watches you get
married to and be happy with someone else. Then, I will parade your children right in front of
his face and praise your husband relentlessly until Nie Mingjue cries in regret. I’m sure A-
Zhan will help me with that.” Qingheng-Jun almost laughed at the proud face Lan Wangji
was wearing now. The young omega nodded his head at his father and tapped Bichen to show
that he was ready to chop the Sect Leader Nie into pieces if he hurt Lan Xichen.

“Fuqin, he will not hurt me.” The First Jade of Lan said, clearly horrified by his father’s
declaration.

“I will believe that when I die you are still happy with him.” Qingheng-Jun raised an
eyebrow at him, challenging the omega. He pushed a small plate of mooncakes toward the
youngest of them. “Your favourite, A-Zhan.”

“Fuqin, do you think A-Zhan should dress up more? I’m sure you have heard what the elders
were talking about.” Lan Xichen smiled innocently as Lan Wangji glared at him.

“Oh, I know what the elders were talking about. Your uncle almost made me deaf with it
before we came here.”

Lan Wangji let out a small annoyed hum before pouting at his father. “I don’t want to look
like a doll.”

“You already look like a doll without all those things, A-Zhan. You can wear whatever you
want just like Xichen can wear whatever he wants.” Qingheng-Jun sent a warning look when
he caught Lan Xichen smiling behind his cup. “Now, I have a meeting with Sect Leader
Jiang, please don’t fight when I’m not here.”

Second Young Master Lan knew that from the glint in his brother’s eyes, the older omega had
something to say. He was right when their father was finally out of their sight, Lan Xichen
poured himself a cup of tea. “Huaisang told me you are interested in someone right now. He
didn’t tell me who it is, though.”

“Huaisang is lying. I’m not interested in anyone.” Huaisang, how dare you! Lan Wangji
could picture the omega giggling behind his fan in his head.

“Huaisang won’t lie to me, especially when it is about romance. Now, tell your beloved
Xiongzhang. Maybe Xiongzhang can help.”

“Xiongzhang doesn’t have to help because it isn’t true,” Lan Wangji said in a rather sharp
tone. He saw Lan Xichen raise an eyebrow at it and the younger omega murmured an
apology.

"A-Zhan, I just want the best for you. If you really like this person, I will be the first one to
give my blessing. I will make sure you will be with the person you like," Lan Xichen
explained with a gentler tone.
Lan Wangji knew his brother would move the mountain for him. He would even defy the
sect and their father for him. When Lan Wangji's family discussed this topic, he became
irritated and even upset. He had had enough of alphas and betas approaching him, as well as
elders telling him that an omega his age should have a mate by now. These were not their
concerns at all. It was up to Lan Wangji to decide whether he needed or desired an alpha.
Lan Wangji was free to decide whether or not he was interested in someone. He would tell
his family once he was ready.

"I know." Lan Wangji found Nie Mingjue headed toward them with a huge box in his hand
and he used it as his excuse to leave. The omega bowed to his brother and his future brother-
in-law before walking as fast as he could.

His feet brought him to the northern part of Nightless City Palace and he looked around the
huge pavilion curiously. The place was where the Wen put Yiling Wei delegation and Lan
Wangji felt his heart beat fast at the thought of meeting Yiling Laozu here. He looked around
and observed that this space was larger and more luxurious than the other guests' quarters. It
wasn't surprising, given that Yiling Laozu helped win the fight against Wen Ruohan, that the
reclusive sect was regarded as the Wen Sect's closest ally. As a result, it came as no surprise
that Yiling Wei was treated better and that their disciples were closer than those of other
sects. Lady Wen Qing took over the position, and the friendship continued.

Second Young Master Lan wondered if he should be in this place. The guest quarters could
be explored by anyone, so he wouldn’t break any rules, but still. The omega‘s golden eyes
gazed at the empty path on his right. At the end of it was a gate which led to a beautiful
garden and Lan Wangji decided that maybe he could visit for a few minutes. It might be a bad
decision, but he did it anyway.

The garden was, if he compared it to the garden in his quarter, more beautiful. The pond was
shimmering under the sunlight with beautiful lotus flowers on it. It circled a rather huge
gazebo which was surrounded by dandelions and roses, a very tempting place to sit and rest.

Lan Wangji closed his eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the silence for a few seconds
before he turned to his right and followed the path. It was surprising how peaceful this
residence was; maybe because despite the huge place, Yiling Wei had the smaller delegation
among all sects, even compared to smaller sects. The hallways were mostly empty and Lan
Wangji didn’t meet anyone as he strolled the hallway. Its silence reminded him of the quiet
path he usually took when he visited his rabbit field. He was enjoying his quiet journey when
he stopped abruptly when his ears caught familiar voices. He turned his attention to a certain
chamber and without any hesitance, he quickly turned off his spiritual energy and walked
toward the closed window.

Eavesdropping is forbidden! His omega screamed into his head, but his mind told him that
this was fine. He was gathering information. He needed to know what was happening.

The voices were clearly Sect Leader Wen and Sect Leader Wei, talking about Jin Zixun when
Lan Wangji caught the context of their conversation. He heard the sounds of china hitting the
tables before a giggle. It was Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian because the next thing he heard was
Sect Leader Wen snapping at the male alpha.
“What? Did I say something funny?”

“Nothing,” Wei Wuxian was still giggling. “I just think that Jin Zixun deserved his injury.”

“He refused our healers to tend his wound, saying that the Jin Sect brings their own healers
who are superior to ours. I took a look his wound for a second and it wasn’t caused by a
monster. It’s too clean as if it was sliced. Most monsters do not do that even if they have long
sharp nails. They rip flesh.” A silence followed Lady Wen Qing’s question before she said
accusingly, “You did it, didn’t you?”

“What? No.” Yiling Laozu sounded so cheerful when he denied it. Lan Wangji could
imagine Lady Wen narrowing her eyes in disbelief. The male alpha laughed rather
hysterically for a short moment. “Wen Qing, your face! No, no. I didn’t do it. Trust me! Stop
looking at me that way! Jin Zixun was messing with the wrong person. Well, almost all the
participants are more powerful than him anyway. He’s just a big talk.”

“Person? The possessed Yin disciple?”

“No. Someone else.” Wei Wuxian then continued. “I have to say that the possessed Yin
disciple is a sign that it is getting much stronger. I think your uncle hid it behind a powerful
barrier. That’s why we haven’t found it all these years. We have to get hold of it before the
barrier breaks and it manipulates the Yao, demons or spirits around it. We don’t want another
Beast War. Say, Wen Qing. What are the most unsuspicious places in Qishan? Maybe it is
hiding in plain sight, just behind a barrier.”

“Explain unsuspicious places? We have towns, forests, rivers, mountains and villages just
like other sects. We don’t have waterfalls like Gusu Lan Sect or lakes like Yunmeng Jiang, but
I think we have more caves than the rest of the other sects.”

“Caves, huh?” murmured Yiling Laozu. “Anything else?”

“Mass graves? Since the Qishan Wen sect was built, the sect has faced more battles than
others. Wen Mao was a very proud Sect Leader and colonized the smaller sects around the
sect to my uncle who wanted to take over the cultivation world. We buried all casualties from
the last war there as well. You raised two of the mass graves to conquer the Nightless City
Palace.”

“These mass graves are around the back of Muxi Forest, right? It is where the third and
fourth day of the competition will be held.”

“Yes.”

Lan Wangji suspected that the two alphas were moving away judging from the lowered
voices so he quickly composed himself and walked away hurriedly. There were a lot of
questions in his head as he headed toward his chamber, the only place he could think without
anyone interrupting.

He had learned about how the Qishan Wen Sect was built. He had learned about all Sect
Leaders from Wen Mao to Wen Ruohan. He had learned about the Beast War.
 It was clearly something dangerous because it could trigger another Beast War. But, what
is it?

The next morning, Lan Wangji was ambushed by Huaisang when he was walking toward
Qishan's library. He decided to find some information about the barriers around Muxi Forest.
The smaller omega was dressed in simple robes -according to Huaisang's taste, of course- and
a brand new fan.

"Let's go, let's go, Wangji-Xiong."

"I have to go to the library."

"Library? Aisssh, we have days of free time to enjoy and you choose the library? Come one,
Wangji-Xiong! We can eat new food, watch Qishan's street plays and buy new stuff."

"Huaisang, the third and fourth day of the archery competition begins tomorrow. We will
spend three days in the wild so we need to know the forest more now that there's an unusual
accident."

"Haven't you heard, Wangji-Xiong? Sect Leader Jin has been cornering Sect Leader Wen
since the banquet. He dragged other sects as well; the Jiang, the Yao, the Ouyang and many
other smaller sects. Therefore, they postpone the third and fourth-day competition to conduct
the investigation. The competition will begin in seven days. Come, Wangji-Xiong. Let's have
fun."

Lan Wangji allowed himself to be dragged to the gate, his mind still trying to comprehend the
news and what he could do during those seven free days, well, six now because his wrist was
gripped tightly by the smaller omega. He wanted to free himself from the smaller omega, but
if he didn't agree to this sight-seeing on the first day, Huaisang would whine until the last day.
Better now than later.

When they got to the entrance, they saw someone in black robes standing with his arms
crossed. Lan Wangji's eyebrow twitched as he realised Yiling Wei's winner, Xue Yang, was
waiting for them with his distinctive smirk. When they arrived, Huaisang instantly abandoned
him and put his hands around Xue Yang's arm.

"Wangji-Xiong, Young Master Xue will guide us through the crowded market. He has visited
Qishan for years so he knows the good places here," The small omega said, rubbing his cheek
on the alpha's arm. Xue Yang patted Huaisang's head, earning delightful giggles from the
short young man.

This will be a long seven days! Lan Wangji sighed.

Chapter End Notes

Eid Mubarak for Muslim readers who celebrate it.

 Chapter 5

Thirdwheeling Huaisang and Young Master Xue Yang was what Lan Wangji thought it would
be and also what he didn't think it would be. The two were shameless, giggling and
snickering along the busy market. Lan Wangji paid little attention to what they had to say.
He was completely unconcerned. He kept an eye on the couple and spent his time scanning
the market. He had visited Qishan before, when the war ended, to pay respect to the new Wen
Sect Leader -Lady Wen Qing's father- when he was a boy, but the Lan delegation just stayed
in the palace.

The Second Young Master Lan's ears, however, caught the topic shifted from the most
famous Yiling's poems to how Young Master Xue Yang became a member of the mysterious
Yiling Wei Sect. Yiling Laozu was in the market when Young Master Xue Yang
pickedpocketed him and managed to get away with it three times before the alpha caught him
trying to do his fourth crime.

He proudly told Huaisang that he had managed to kick the sect leader on his stomach before
he was manhandled and brought to the inn where the sect leader was staying with some of his
men. After a playful but rather intimidating interrogation, Yiling Laozu declared that Xue
Yang would be a member of his sect.

"Laozu was the one who saw me as more than a street kid, stealing food from the vendors. He
was the only one who helped me when no one even glanced at me. I will do anything for
him." Xue Yang's eyes filled with emotions, Lan Wangji hadn't seen before, a sincere
devotion. From that tone alone, Lan Wangji was sure that this man would die for his master.

Huaisang leaned his head on Young Master Xue Yang's forearm as he hummed thoughtfully.
"From your stories, he sounds like a good man. It is so different from the stories we hear all
around."

"He is misunderstood by people because our sect is just hidden. Not to mention, he opts to
wear that hideous mask. He said it made him awesome. I don't see why, though, because he is
awesome without that mask. It hides his handsome face."

"Oh, Yiling Laozu is handsome?"

"Now, now, Young Master Nie. Should I be jealous?"

"Young Master Xue, this humble omega just likes to have information that people don't
know. No need to be jealous at all."

"If you know his face, every alpha will be jealous of his handsome look. Trust me, he is one
of the most handsome men I have ever met."

"This sounds exciting. Help me see his face, Young Master Xue!"
"Oh, no. I'm so jealous." Xue Yang dramatically responded, and both of them giggled like
crazy men in the middle of a busy road. Lan Wangji sighed wearily as he looked at them
without interest. As he surveyed the sellers surrounding them, he noticed the Young Master
and a few of his sect's pupils, who had given him some gifts at the previous gala dinner. He
was staring seriously at a simple headpiece in his hand while the vendor talked his ear off in
front of him. Whatever the seller said to him seemed to work because the young man paid the
headpiece and put it into his spiritual pouch. He turned to see Lan Wangji gazing at him from
a few meters distant. After blushing, the Young Master hurriedly slipped his spiritual pouch
inside his sleeve and approached the Lan omega.

"A-Ah, Young Master Lan." The Young Master of Yi Sect flushed so hard as he was pushed
slightly by his grinning friends. Lan Wangji stared at him for a moment before bowing. The
Young Master Yi hurriedly returned the bow rather clumsily. Sickers from his shidis slowly
disappeared as they left the poor, blushing young alpha with Lan Wangji.

"Young Master Yi,"

"It's Yi Weiyu. You can call me that, Hanguang-Jun." Yi Weiyu said politely, hands behind
his back and a small smile on his face. He seemed to have

"Oh, let's spend the day together." Huaisang's eyes sparkled happily at the new addition to
their little group. "There will be a play this evening, Young Master Yi. It is the most famous
one in Qishan. Let's four of us watch it together. We can rent an inn after lunch to relax and
take a bath before it starts."

"If Hanguang-Jun doesn't mind." Young Master Yi blushed cutely as he looked at Lan Wangji
hopefully. Lan Wangji gazed at him for a few seconds, thinking about what bad and good
things that could happen with it. Young Master Yi was a well-mannered man from a small yet
respected sect. It would be rude to wave him off anyway, so Lan Wangji nodded.

"Hn."

"Great!

The Young Master turned to his martial brothers and sisters and put his thumb up. The Yi
cultivators cheered and walked away, waving madly at their Young Master as they did so.

Lan Wangji nearly instantly regretted accepting the offer as soon as she entered the packed
restaurant. As they walked to the private quarters, he could feel all eyes on him. Although
Huaisang appeared to relish the attention, Lan Wangji pursed his lips because some of the
looks weren't particularly courteous. Lust and longing were in the alpha's eyes as they took a
deep breath, clearly enjoying Lan Wangji's unique scent.

He was about to follow Young Master Yi Weiyu when the door on his left suddenly opened
and two servants, each with large trays in their hands, walked out of the room in a hurry.
Their faces were as pale as a sheet of paper. Curious, Lan Wangji took a step forward, and his
golden eyes widened at the sight inside the private quarter.
Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian was there, enjoying several bottles of wine and a few plates of red-
looking food. A beautiful female ghost floated above him, carrying a jar of wine. Beside him
was another female ghost and two male ghosts hanging on his shoulder. They were giggling
madly, enjoying the attention the strong cultivator gave them. But it was not the ghosts that
weighed Lan Wangji's heart down. After all, they were spirits, and Yiling Laozu had no more
connection to them than a master and servant. It was the sight of a stunning young lady in
front of him.

He didn't know who she was, and judging from her modest brown-grey robes, she wasn't a
part of any sects he knew. Or if she were, then she was here in disguise. She looked around
his brother's age and looked like an omega, with a sweet, heart-shaped face, full breasts and a
slender figure. She took a bit of the food in front of him, frowned and said something -
possibly something rude, judging from how she pointed her chopsticks at the alpha- which
sent Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian to roar in laughter. The ghosts around him giggled with him
while the woman continued eating with an amused smile on her pretty face.

The omega clenched his jaw and hurried off, making his way to the location where Young
Master Yi Weiyu and Huaisang were waiting for him. While listing various wines, tea, and
snacks, young Master Xue Yang was conversing with a servant.

"Are you alright, Young Master Lan?" Young Master Yi Weiyu asked, looking concerned.
Beside the handsome alpha, Huaisang raised his eyebrows, asking the same question without
muttering any words.

"Hn." Lan Wangji nodded. He followed the young men into their private quarters and sat
beside Huaisang. The omega's eyes watched as Young Master Yi Weiyu poured two cups of
tea for them while Young Master Xue Yang opened two jars of wine. Lan Wangji bowed
slightly in thanks at the alpha in front of him and couldn't help but smile when the handsome
alpha smiled brightly at him.

Well, maybe Lan Wangji should forget what he just saw earlier and enjoy the moment now.

It wasn't exactly a wise decision, it seemed, because the next day, everyone was talking about
the so-called date. No sect was as happy as the Yi Sect at the news of their Young Master and
Young Master Lan spending the day together. Lan Wangji didn't promise another day, but
Young Master Yi was glowing with happiness. Sure enough, many alphas began to approach
him, especially those from bigger sects. The Lan omega had to run away when his nose
caught a scent of an alpha. Huaisang snickered every time he saw the taller omega quicken
his pace and leave in a hurry.

But compared to Lan Xichen, who was beaming broadly during the Lan family meal, Young
Master Yi's joy was nothing. Their father had an amused grin on his face as he gazed at the
older omega. The alpha occasionally looked at his irritated kid. He was aware of what had
occurred, but he would remain silent unless their son decided to tell him.

"Young Master Yi will be a good husband, Didi. I'm so glad you have found him." Lan
Xichen's cheerful approval almost made Lan Wangji choke on his food. Lan Wangji turned in
horror at his brother, who was telling their father about how the Yi sect celebrated the date of
their Young Master with Hanguang-Jun. Their father, unfortunately, looked as excited as the
older omega.

"He is a good young man, A-Zhan. I heard many good things about him. His sect is in the
northern part of Qinghe, and they are full of hard-working members. Their main source of
income is agriculture, and their business even reaches Caiyi Town. Maybe we do consume
their vegetables at home."

"Fuqin, why are you talking about the sect and their business. You should talk about Young
Master Yi." Lan Xicheng glanced at the younger omega with an annoying smile on his
beautiful face.

"We just had lunch together. Huaisang and Young Master Xue Yang were with us." Lan
Wangji glared at his brother, who looked happier than before with the information he had just
provided.

"You had lunch, then a lazy stroll in the crowded market. Oh, you watched that famous
expensive play as well. Yes, with A-Sang and Young Master Xue, so it was a double date."
Lan Xichen concluded happily. After scowling at his brother, Lan Wangji chose to solely
focus on his food. He allowed the older omega to talk endlessly to their father about how
Young Master Yi and Lan Wangji would make a great pair. Qingheng-Jun would glance at
Lan Wangji once in a while, and when the young omega shifted uncomfortably on his seat
when Lan Xichen began to talk about baby Lans, the alpha patted Lan Xichen's cheek and
encouraged him to stop talking and eat.

"A-Zhan," Qingheng-Jun called gently. He patted Lan Wangji's head and fixed the ribbon on
his head. "If it were a date, then it's alright. If it were just four friends spending time together,
then it's also fine. You don't have to listen to your brother. He's just being his romantic self
because he is head over heels over that Mingju boy."

Lan Xichen pouted at his father. "Fuqin!"

"It was true. Don't deny it, A-Huan." Qingheng-Jun sent his oldest son a pointed look, which
made him blush heavily. The Lan Sect Leader then looked at the sky and sighed fondly. "I
suddenly remembered when I spent the day with your mother. There was a play at Caiyi
Town, and your uncle was whining about wanting to see it since it told a story about the most
renowned poet, his favourite. I saw her there, with her friend Changse Sanren and her son.
She was so beautiful in her teal-white robes, and I found myself walking straight to a pillar."

Lan Wangji let out a small smile at that. He had heard the story so many times, but his
parents' love story always mesmerised him. Their mother didn't love their father at first, so
Qinghen-Jun had to prove his worth. Then, when they finally fell in love, the elders opposed
their union, and he had to fight so hard for their union. Lan Wangji hoped that his true love
would have the same devotion as his father. The twin jades let their father tell the story as
they enjoyed their lunch and afternoon tea.

A strong wind and the cold of the night pierced through his skin as Hanguang-Jun walked
closer to the dark forest. Inwardly, he cursed his own curiosity and his inner omega. He was
coming back from his brother's chamber rather late at night and saw a certain alpha walk fast
through the guest chamber. His inner omega jumped in joy, and Lan Wangji's own heart sang
at the sight of him, and without his mind even comprehending what happened, he found
himself following the alpha into the dark forest, rather far from the Nightcity Palace. He
wanted to slap himself for it. He had gone astray with his selfish desire.

He needed to reflect on his behaviour after he came back. Maybe punishing himself by doing
handstands for hours while reciting the Gusu Lan Sect's rules would help erase this uncertain
and confusing desire.

His feet brought him to the middle of the clearing, where the alpha was kneeling on the
ground, observing the ground. This was like the first time Hanguang-Jun saw the Yiling
Laozu face to face on the first day of archery competition. Second Young Master Lan looked
down at the ground and slowly tapped it with his boot. There was nothing on it, just the
regular forest ground with nothing special on it.

It wasn't until Yiling Laozu put his lips on his famous black flute and began playing that
something happened.

Lan Wangji watched in wonder as slow but intense music came from Yiling Laozu's black
flute. The music felt heavy with its powerful spiritual energy as it filled the clearing. The
ground shook, and when the omega looked down, he gasped softly. On the ground were
animal tracks, glowing brightly from the spiritual energy in the air. There were two trails, one
of which looked like a big cat's footprint, while the other had numerous holes in the ground
as if they were stabbed.

As the ground kept on glowing brightly, Lan Wangji heard a disturbance from the corner of
the forest. He pulled out Bichen and quickly infused his bluish spiritual energy into it.
Suddenly, an overwhelming resentful energy hit him as a tiger yao, followed by a gigantic
spider yao that burst out from the darkness.

Second Young Master Lan jumped, twirling in the air as he slashed the air with Bichen,
sending spiritual energy toward the spider who was coming at him. On the ground, Yiling
Laozu's head snapped to him, gaping at the dancing omega in the air. His shocked face
changed when the tiger yao charged toward him. Expertly, Yiling Laozu swung his sword at
the tiger yao, easily slashing the weak yao. Resentful energy burst out from the destroyed
tiger, and the dark shadow circled the Yiling Laozu's frame.

In contrast to the alpha, Lan Wangji found the enormous spider challenging. Spiders were
intelligent creatures by nature, and it appeared that their yao was no different. Its eight legs
moved at the blink of an eye, running toward Lan Wangji with incredible speed. Lan Wangji
let out a grunt as he continued to attack, but nothing really changed. Sheathing his sword, he
pulled out Wangji and began to play. The spider yao shrilled as spiritual energy, flew like
arrows before piercing into the spider's huge, dark body. One leg separated from its body,
fleeing fast toward Lan Wangji, who was too busy playing his song.

"Hanguang-Jun!"As the alpha shoved Yiling Laozu aside, one of the spider's jagged legs cut
his arm. The sudden shove sent Lan Wangji tumbling to the ground. Lan Wangji nearly went
deaf from the shrill of Yiling Laozu's rapid flute playing. He covered his ear, grimaced, and
watched as the spider yao was engulfed by the powerful, resentful energy that swirled in the
air. The spider yao shook as the dark energy consumed it, and in a short time, it exploded,
filling the clearing with thick black smoke. Yiling Laozu quickly raised his hand, and the
smoke flew into his palm. Yiling Laozu was absorbing the powerful resentful energy into his
own body.

The alpha gasped, falling to his knees as his body finished absorbing his resentful energy.
The omega quickly grabbed his arm, observed the wound and grabbed his pouch.

"What are you doing here?" Yiling Laozu snapped at the beautiful omega who tried to help
him. The alpha jerked his arms as if he had been burned. His face looked furious.

"I-I'm here to help you."

"You have to leave. Now!"

"Yiling Laozu, you're hurt. I have some medicine in my pouch. Let me help. I-"

"Go!" Yiling Laozu hissed, clenching his chest as he breathed heavily.

"Yiling-" Lan Wangji stopped when he saw the Yiling Laozu's eyes were glowing bright red,
gleaming dangerously in the darkness. The alpha's body was trembling as black, resentful
energy slowly came out of his body, making Yiling Laozu look like he had just burned.
Something was wrong with the alpha, and Lan Wangji didn't know what it was or what to do.

"Get lost!" Yiling Laozu hissed at Lan Wangji. His addictive scent assaulted the omega's
nose, inviting him to move closer and wrap her slender arms around the trembling figure on
the ground. Seeing the beautiful omega didn't leave, Wei Wuxian's expression changed. His
jaw clenched, and a growl escaped from his throat. He opened his mouth and roared at Lan
Wangji, "GET LOST!"

It broke Lan Wangji as the omega inside him whimpered, clearly terrified of the alpha in
front of him. Lan Wangji's mind screamed at him to run as fast as he could, and the next thing
he knew, he did that. As he was about to go through the pathway, he turned around and saw
that the Yiling Laozu was on the ground, one hand holding his chest, while the other was
holding his head.

Lan Wangji flew to the Nightless City Palace and landed in the yard of his guest wing. He
just broke the Qishan's rules of not flying above the residents, but didn't care. He needed a
place to be alone and think. The omega ran to his chamber and quickly closed the door,
leaning his back on it as he slid down to the floor.

"What is happening to him?!" He whispered into the darkness. There was an unusual energy
inside Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian that both attracted and terrified him and his inner omega.
Lan Wangji closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and his mind began working. He wanted
an answer, and there were only two people he could get the answer from, however, he didn't
know if approaching Sect Leader Wen was a good idea. The feisty female alpha had too
much on her plate right now, with Jin Guangshan and his minions cornering her with every
single accusation. The second person wasn't difficult to approach, but after what he witnessed
during the date, Young Master Xue Yang wouldn't give any important information about his
sect, let alone his Sect Leader. It was clear how much the young alpha adored the older alpha,
so if anything, he would not tell Lan Wangji anything. But he could try.

"Huaisang, are you still close with Young Master Xue Yang?"

"Huh? Why? Why do you ask?" The Nie Omega looked at him suspiciously. It was strange
for Lan Wangji to meddle in his childhood friend's relationship, especially with an alpha he
was seeing.

"I'd like to speak with him." Lan Wangji said without hesitation. "Just the two of us."

"You are not stealing my Young Master Xue!" Huaisang scolded him, hands on his hip and
eyes glaring at the taller omega. Lan Wangji wanted to slap the cute little omage with his fan
at the accusation, but he only stared unimpressively at him. Eventually, Huaisang realised
how wrong he was and scoffed, opening his fan again. "What do you want from him?"

Lan Wangji bit his bottom lip as he let Huaisang's curious mind wait for his answer. If he told
him the truth, the teasing wouldn't end because there was no way Huaisang believed him that
he was merely curious about Yiling Laozu. The Lan omega's silence made the Nie omega
narrow his eyes for a moment before a wide grin adorned his pretty face.

"Wangji-Xiong, don't tell me you're trying to find more information about Yiling Laozu?"
When the taller omega didn't say anything to deny it, Huaisang gasped dramatically. "Wangji-
Xiong, I'm so happy you're finally admitting that you are interested in the mysterious alpha.
Oh, I cannot wait to tell Xichen-Ge."

"Go on, tell Xiongzhang, then I'll burn your fan collection."

"You won't"

"Hn." The 'hn' sounded too much like 'try me' in Huaisang's ears, so he pouted at Lan
Wangji.

Huaisang sighed and flipped open his fan, gently taking Lan Wangji's elbow to walk with
him. The garden in the guest wing for the Nie delegation was as beautiful as the Lans, but it
didn't have a gazebo. The Nie omega fanned himself gently, strays of hair dancing around his
heart-shaped face delicately. "As much as I want to help you, Wangji-Xiong, Young Master
Xue said he would be unavailable for me for another two days. He said something about
training. Why should he train anyway? He's the second winner. He's great already."

As the omega let Huaisang rambled about how amazing Young Master Xue was, Lan
Wangji's mind began to find a way to gather more information about the alpha. Yiling Laozu
held his chest and head so that something happened within his body, and Lan Wangji only
knew one person Yiling Laozu would give his permission to examine his body. Sect Leader
Wen Qing, Yiling Laozu's close friend, is also the best healer in the cultivation world right
now.

The last time he managed to get information from them was when he eavesdropped on them
and found out about it. Until now, he didn't even know what it was, and any additional
information would make him dizzy. Lan Wangji seemed like he didn't have any choice but to
eavesdrop on Yiling Laozu and Sect Leader Wen's conversation to find some information.

The Heaven Officials seemed to give their blessings because Lan Wangji saw Sect Leader
Wen drag Yiling Laozu after that night to Yiling's guest wing. The Lan omega waited until
they were out of his sight before quietly heading in the same direction. He carefully
maintained his distance, worried that his bright white robes stood out in the darkness, and
glanced around his surroundings once in a while. When the two finally entered a chamber,
Lan Wangji quickly but quietly positioned himself where he had eavesdropped the last time.

Instead of the clinking sounds of china hitting the table, the omega's sharp ears caught a soft
sound of something placed on the table. Whatever it was, it made a squeaky sound like a
chest being opened. Maybe it was it, Sect Leader Wen's personal medicine box. Or maybe it
consisted of secret scrolls or items only the two of them knew.

"You cannot depend on my tonic forever, Wuxian. It only cleans ten per cent of it. When was
the last time you cleansed it? You know very well what happens if you don't do it regularly."

"And you know very well what happens if I do it." Yiling Laozu's voice sounded so miserable
in Lan Wangji's ears. The man took a deep breath, and a soft thumb was heard inside. Lan
Wangji could picture the alpha leaning his body on the chair or wooden wall, judging by the
sound. "I don't want to kill another omega, Qing-Jie. Why do they have to pay the price for
this? I cannot bear to see the light leave their lively eyes. I can't- I can't handle it anymore."

Lan Wangji blinked. What?!

Later that afternoon, the Lan brothers and Nie brothers were having a lunch date the next day
at the Nie's guest wing. He put a basket of pears near the famous delicacy and colourful cakes
of Qishan. Lan Xichen served his future husband, putting rice into their bowls and some meat
on the small plates. Nie Mingjue didn't let him do everything, and in turn, he would put all
delicious vegetable-based food in front of Lan Xichen, forgetting that his future brother-in-
law ate those as well. Shaking his head, Lan Wangji decided to take a small plate and load it
with the food he wanted to spare from leaning too far from his seat.

"Mingjue-Ge, could you tell me about the Nie technique?" Lan Wangji asked when they had
finished their lunch and were enjoying the dessert.

Nie Mingjue frowned at the unexpected question, and he glanced at Lan Xichen, who
shrugged his shoulders. The Nie Sect Leader leaned to his seat and stared at Lan Wangji for a
moment. "Nie technique? You mean the way we used resentful energy to fuel our blade?
Well, maybe it went back with our ancestors. They were butchers, I'm sure you know. There
is a theory that the resentment energy in our blades comes from animals because of our sect's
history, which leads to a theory that the reason why we behave like animals when our bodies
cannot handle our blades. We growl and snarl at everyone."

"The Cleansing. What does it do when Xiongzhang play it for you? Does it cleanse your
resentful energy?"
"Cleansing helps calm our mind, which helps us in controlling our emotions. It doesn't
cleanse, purify or anything like that. Why do you ask? Do you create a new technique
through Cleansing or something?"

Lan Wangji was about to open his mouth, but Lan Xichen frowned at him.

"A-Jue, Wangji, we're here to have a lovely lunch together. Stop talking about anything else."
Lan Xichen

"I agree with you, Xichen-Ge," Huaisang nodded, snapping his fan closed and rudely
pointing at Lan Wangji and his brother. "Can you two talk about anything else except
cultivation technique? I'm so sick of hearing it all the time. You both just finished sparring
earlier. Do you need more? The third and fourth day will begin in four days. Can we please
enjoy our last few days together without anything related to the archery competition? Da Ge,
you haven't praised Xichen-Ge at all today. He's wearing your favourite robes and headpiece
today, don't you notice that?"

"A-Huan, you look lovely today." Nie Mingjue immediately said, which made Lan Xichen
roll his eyes, but with a fond smile on his beautiful face. "Tell me, what else can I get you? I
heard from Zonghui that one of the merchants in Qinghe informed my sect about the newest
high-quality fabric he has. Do you want it?"

"Hey, that's my fabric! I ordered them." Nie Huaisang slammed his hand on the table, glaring
at his brother, who didn't even glance his way.

"A-Jue, I don't need anything else. You have given me enough."

"Xiongzhang doesn't need another expensive fabric. What he needs is a grand wedding."

"Wangji-Xiong is right, Da Ge! I can help you plan one. What wedding do you want, Xichen-
Ge? Spring or Autumn?"

The conversation then shifted into a wedding plan, which Huaisang apparently had a huge
collection of books about. He casually mentioned five famous wedding-planning books and
described what he thought was the best. Lan Wangji glanced at Nie Mingjue, who didn't say
anything at all. The huge alpha happily poured wine, and then he would stare at Lan Xichen
with his palm supporting his chin. A dopey, clearly in-love smile was on his handsome face
as his dark eyes stared at the oldest omega in the group.

'Gross' Lan Wangji thought fondly.

In the late afternoon, when the birds had stopped chirping, the sun almost set, but the breeze
still played with the leaves outside, Lan Wangji's golden eyes swept the paragraph after
paragraph from the huge scroll he found in the famous Nightless City Library. No one was
there except for the librarians who helped the omega find the cultivation theory section.

'Cleansing doesn't help the Nie, but will it help Yiling Laozu?' Lan Wangji thought as his
finger touched some scrolls on the lowest section. 'From what I heard from them, they have a
different type of resentful-energy cultivation technique. If Nie's source of cultivation is the
resentful energy from their blade, then what is the source of Yiling Laozu's resentful energy?
Is it so dark that it needs regular cleansing? And what about the omega sacrifice thing? Does
he kill them, drink their blood, then eat their flesh?'

The Lan omega rubbed his eyes and walked toward the nearest window. His mind turned its
gear so rapidly that he felt a little dizzy. The beautiful young man closed his eyes, took a deep
breath and opened them only to see Yiling Laozu walk fast across the yard with his men.
Since the powerful man screamed at him to go away, they hadn't crossed paths even once.
Lan Wangji's omega sang inside of him, chanting happily at the sight of the alpha. The
butterfly appeared in his stomach, and his heart thundered inside his chest when their eyes
met.

Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian held the gaze for a moment before he looked away.
 Chapter 6
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

"Look at me, Wangji-Xiong! I look so pretty and desirable. Young Master Xue Yang will be
captivated by me." Nie Huaisang grinned at his reflection and flipped his hair out of his
slender shoulder. Today, he was dressed in his newest robes, which were made of exquisite
gold-greenish fabric and stitched with the finest gold threads. On top of his beautiful, long
hair was a shining headpiece -tied with the Nie's signature braids- that could blind anyone
who saw.

"Hn."

"That hn is very unconvincing."

"Huaisang always looks pretty, it's his personality that is rather questionable."

"That's so rude! What's that supposed to mean?" Huaisang turned around, a pout on his small
mouth and hands on his hips while putting on a hurt expression. Lan Wangji's face softened
slightly at the fake outrage. Huaisang knew exactly what his personality was.

"Huaisang, please mind where you are."

"Oh? You mean here? Right now? What's wrong with me looking at myself in this mirror?
This is such a good one." Huaisang raised an eyebrow and looked around carelessly. So why
should he care that they were in the middle of Qishan's busiest market? People were looking
at them, yes. They were awed by their beauty? Yes. They were talking about them, yes. The
vendors were excitedly trying to catch their eyes, yes. They were two stunning omegas from
prominent Sects, so of course, they were the centre of everyone's attention. They should give
them attention, and Nie Huaisang, one of the most beautiful omegas and the Second Young
Master of Nie Sect, loved it.

The mirror vendor gave the omega a broad smile. As Huaisang continued to spin around in
front of the exquisite mirror, his eyes glistened with excitement and hope. "Maybe Young
Master would like to purchase one since he has spent the last twenty minutes using it?"

"Hmm. This is indeed a very beautiful mirror. The frame is made of Qishan's best wood, and
the carving is exceptional. It tells a story about the Lady of Flowers, doesn't it? Look at these
flowers, Wangji-Xiong. They are so detailed. How many of these do you have? I want to
purchase four mirrors." Huaisang said, taking his heavy pouch. The seller brightened
immediately and unveiled another five exact mirrors for the young master. Huaisang nodded
in approval and put half his pouch into the seller's eager hands. "Here is the money, and can
you send it to Nightless City Palace? Told him this is an order from Young Master Nie
Huaisang."
"Thank you, Young Master. May you be blessed with eternal health and beauty," The seller
praised them excessively and bowed deeply to the rich young masters. He quickly called two
young men to help him send the mirrors to the Nightless City Palace. The omegas continued
their journey, heading to where the jewellery stalls were.

"Four?"

"For you, Xichen-Ge, Da Ge and me. It's a full-length mirror, Hanguang-Jun. Trust me, you'll
need it." Huaisang grinned at Lan Wangji's doubtful expression. Taking hold of his childhood
friend's arm, the small omega pulled him to Qinghe's most renowned craftsmen. It was a big
store where customers could obtain personalised necklaces, bracelets, headdresses, and other
items. Lan Wangji sighed when he saw a familiar Yi sect uniform in the shop. As expected,
the Yi Sect's disciples cheered at the sight of Lan Wangji. They bowed deeply, praised their
beauty, and expressed their well-wishes for them. Lan Wangji considered them a template of
basic decorum. However, some bravely mentioned how their Young Master missed him, but
he was a really shy alpha, and Hanguang-Jun should be patient with him.

Lan Wangji felt so overwhelmed with all the attention that he just kept quiet the whole time,
just nodding most of the time. Huaisang took over the conversation for him, thanking the Yi
disciples for their sweet words and praising how they cared so deeply about their Young
Master. It took a while until the Yi disciples left the shop, and when they did, Hanguang-Jun
let a relieved sigh.

"What are you sighing for? You should be happy with the attention you're getting." Huaisang
tapped his friend's chest with his fan, clearly disapproving of the reaction.

"There is an expectation from the Yi Sect."

"Of course. You did spend the whole day with their Young Master, Wangji-Xiong. It's a huge
deal, you know?" Huaisang replied, taking a beautiful hairpin and observing it carefully. He
turned to Lan Wangji and almost pitied the taller omega, who looked like he was about to cry.
If Huaisang pointed it out, Lan Wangji would strongly disagree, but the small omega had
been his friend since they were babies. He might not be as expert as Lan Xichen, but he knew
when his friend was pouting, fuming or throwing tantrums behind that cold facade. Huaisang
sighed and said gently, "Look, you have never ever shown any interest in anyone. You have
never ever cared to talk to anyone unless it's necessary. Now, in this very particular event,
you talked and spent time with an alpha from another sect. Can you see it is such a huge
deal? I know you were just trying to be nice. You are nice, Wangji-Xiong, but when you
spent the rest of your young life being cold and distant, you shouldn't be surprised when
people go crazy when you suddenly become warm. What will you do if Xichen-Ge suddenly
went cold and distant, out of the sudden, completely ignoring the people around him?
Everyone would freak out, right? Because that wasn't him at all."

Lan Wangji looked at Nie Huaisang for a moment before hesitantly asking, "What should I
do?"

"What?" Huaisang giggled. Oh, the great Hanguang-Jun finally asked for help! This beautiful
young man, despite all his perfection, still had a flaw after all. It was where Huaisang stepped
in, right? "Well, my advice is that one, you should return to your cold and distant self, so
people will stop talking about it. Or two, you have to make it clear to Young Master Yi. Tell
him you're not interested and you already have someone in your heart that no one can
compete with."

Lan Wangji felt silent for a moment and nodded his head. He didn't know what he did, but
Huaisang gasped and looked at him with a playful grin on his face. The small omega took
several steps forward, completely invading Lan Wangji's personal space, and vibrated in
excitement.

"Ahh! You're not denying it, Wangji-Xiong! I said that you have already had someone in your
heart, and you don't deny it!" Huaisang said happily, "Tell me, tell me, tell me! You're my
friend, Wangji-Xiong. It's Yiling Laozu, right? Or is it not? Come on, tell me! You're a nice
person, right? Come on!"

Lan Wangji's right eyebrow twitched, and he turned around angrily. "I'm not nice. I'm cold
and distant. I won't tell you."

"Wangj-Xiong!"

The third archery competition went well at first. The Lan and Nie delegations went through
the entrance at around 9 in the morning, and they split into four groups, two groups of Lan
and two groups of Nie. While the other Lan group moved to the east, Lan Wangji and his
party headed north. Nie Zonghui led the other group to the west, but Nie Huaisang and his
troop chose to remain with Lan Wangji.

As the yao disappeared into black smoke, Lan Wangji's mind couldn't help but go back to a
certain time when he met Sect Leader Wen in the library during his research. The alpha
stopped in her tracks when she saw Lan Wangji was there, holding some books from their
library's particular section. Lan Wangji bowed respectfully and wanted so badly to return to
his research, but the alpha's strong scent made his inner omega whimper slightly.

Sect Leader Wen smiled, crossed her arms in front of her breasts and said, "Young Master
Lan, I'm afraid I have to tell you that whatever you're trying to search for here, you'll find
nothing. Why? Because his case is unique, and no one truly understands how his cultivation
works except for the man himself. Even if I, for example, knew how it worked, you would still
never find it in this library. I wouldn't let anyone gather information about my dearest
friend."

Lan Wangji bowed his he when he was offered some food from his fellow Lan disciple. His
golden eyes scanned the small clearing where his group and Huaisang's group were resting
for the day. The sun was high and he could feel sweat pooling in several parts of his body.
Qishan Wen Sect was, for some reason, hotter than other sects. After eating some food and
drinking his water, the omega decided to close his eyes for a short meditation.

It only took a few seconds before a familiar weight leaned on his left side, and Huaisang's
voice assaulted his ears with his excited gossip. Sighing a little, Lan Wangji slowly opened
his eyes and glared at the cheerful omega beside him. The Second Young Master Nie just
grinned at him and continued filling him with useless news.
"Nie Ruhai asked for Da Ge's permission to marry a Wen, Wangji-Xiong. Can't you believe
it? The shyest alpha from my sect actually tamed an omega and from a Wen Sect,
nonetheless. She was a distant cousin of Lady Wen Qing and rather a skilled healer. She will
be a good addition to my sect, don't you think?" Huaisang nodded approvingly. Well, maybe
not useless news after all. Nie Ruhui was the second disciple of the Nie Sect after Zonghui,
and his father was the late Nie Sect Leader's best friend. His relationship with Sect Leader
Wen's cousin meant that the Nie Sect managed to create a rather important tie to the sect.
Knowing full well that no one could snatch Sect Leader Wen and his brother, the two most
important Qishan Wen Sect members, so far, this was a good move. Nie Mingjue wouldn't
pressure Huaisang to marry Young Master Wen Qiolin just to create a political alliance.
Zonghui had set his heart on someone else, but he would marry a Wen if Nie Mingjue
ordered him to. He was just that loyal. But once again, Sect Leader Nie wouldn't let anyone
from his sect marry because of duty instead of love.

"I heard many courtships were approved, and there were some engagements as well. Nie
Zonghui is trying to woo an omega from your sect, Wangji-Xiong, but he refused to tell me
the name. How dare he! Do you know who it is?" Huasang's sudden question made Lan
Wangji stare at him. The two omegas narrowed their eyes at each other until Huaisang
huffed. "You know! Urgh, but you won't tell me because it is not your business, and they will
announce it when they're ready. Anyway, Young Master Ouyang is officially engaged to
Young Lady Tang Chun Li from the Tang Sect. I heard that the Tang Sect will merge with the
Ouyang because their numbers are too few. Most of them are omegas, so they'll be married
into their spouses' households anyway. Two Yi Sect betas are courting a Wen omega and a
Jiang omega. Let's give them good luck when we meet the Yi Sect. They'll be so happy
Hanguang-Jun is wishing them well. I also heard a rumour that Young Master Wen Ning is
forced to marry someone. Poor him. He is still so young. I wonder who Sect Leader Wen is
pushing him to. Young Master Moling Su Mishan asked a permission to court Lady Qin Su,
but no one knows how it turned out."

Lan Wangji hummed thoughtfully. The Ouyang Sect merged with the Tang Sect, was a
marriage of duty from both heirs with their current situation. The Tang Sect suffered a major
loss at the last four archery competitions. After the sect's second time losing their finest
disciples, the Lan sect had advised during the cultivator conference that the Tang Sect
shouldn't force themselves to participate the next year. They should focus first on their
disciples before sending them to the competition. It was welcomed well at first, until Jin
fucking Zixun put a doubt on everyone's mind that the Lan Sect tried to put Lan Wangji on
the spotlight because it was Lan Wangji's first competition. The Tang Sect's first disciple was
ranked number three at the previous competition, and since it was rare for a small sect to
break into the top 5, the Tang Sect was thrown into unexpected spotlight briefly. The Tang
sect would continue joining the competition because they were confident in their disciples'
skills. They lost more cultivators in the next archery competitions.

Young Master Wen Qionlin was pushed into a marriage? For some reason, Lan Wangji just
couldn’t believe it. According to what he saw, Sect Leader Wen loved her brother just as
much as Lan Xichen loved him. She would never do anything that would cause harm to her
brother. She would sooner die and give her life than force the poor young man into a loveless
marriage, especially just for a sect's politics. Young Master Su Mishan from Moling Su and
Lady Qin Su, though? Moling Sect was one of the small sects that always agreed with
Lanling Jin, and the Qin Sect Leader was Jin Guangshan’s close friend. There was a huge
chance this would be approved. He had never met Young Lady Qin Su, but he heard
wonderful things about her from his brother. He had met Young Master Su Mishan –he tried
to woo him many times before - and he wasn’t impressed at all.

‘Should I offer condolences to her if this leads to marriage?’ Lan Wangji thought with pity.
He continued listening to Huaisang in silence and figuring out the reasons behind each
courtship.

“Hanguang-Jun!” A shout from their left snapped everyone out of their activity. Lan Yinxing
pointed his finger at a dark part of the nearby forest, and a pair of glowing eyes could be seen
from where they were resting. In an instant, everyone was on their feet, swords ready in their
hand.

Both groups quickly formed their formations. The Lan group neatly formed a row, swords in
front of their pretty faces, and eyes focused on their target. Hanguang-Jun stood bravely in
front of them, leading his disciples. The Nie group circle their Second Young Master with
Nie Chen Yuan at the front, ready to strike.

It was a snake demon, a huge fucking snake demon which immediately pounced on them in
seconds with its mouth wide open, two sharp fangs flashed under the afternoon sunlight. It
was strange because they weren't even near a water source. It hissed at them, sharp fangs on
display. Lan Wangji cursed inwardly when the snake transformed in front of them. Its head
multiplied, from one to four. He could hear someone gasp in shock behind him, and he didn’t
blame them. This was the first time he had seen this kind of beast as well.

"We can't defeat them here. The space is too narrow. We can accidentally attack our own
friend." Lan Wangji said to Lan Dan Xin after he observed the size of the beasts. She nodded
and quickly screamed for them to run. The Lan and Nie disciples looked at her like she was
crazy before Nie Huaisang screamed for the Nie to follow her lead.

"Turn left, there's a large field there." Lan Wangji commanded, and the two groups turned in
sync with their swords. They arrived at the clearing large enough for them and the beast
behind them to face each other. However, whether it was a coincidence or fate, the Lan-Nie
groups ran straight to groups of Jin disciples, Yiling disciples and Jiang disciples in a large
clearing, each group with their own beasts behind them.

The groups stared at each other for a moment, completely dumbfounded, before they turned
their attention to the roaring beasts who charged toward them like they were possessed. The
blast of blue, green, purple, gold and black spiritual energy filled the clearing in the middle of
late afternoon. Swords, blades and arrows flew toward the beasts' thick skin.

"What kind of beasts are they? They are very hard to defeat. How can my sword not pierce
through its skin?" A Jiang disciple groaned as he jumped off the way. A blast of gold
appeared in front of his eyes, and one of the snake's heads came off.

"They're high-level beasts, you have to get used to it."

"That was mine, you peacock!"

Lan Wangji's golden eyes observed as the Yiling Wei disciples were dealing with two giant
tigers. Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes when he saw resentful energy bleed out from the tigers.
They moved in a very peculiar way, attacked a specific part of the tigers, and one of them
would hit the tigers' head with the handle of their sword very hard. The tigers then screamed
in agony before falling to the ground and rotting quickly, melting to the ground. He turned to
the other beasts and noticed that their body reeked of resentment energy as well. No wonder
the Yiling Wei Sect was the only one who could handle them.

He was about to tell his fellow Lan disciples when each of Yiling Wei's disciples divided
themselves and guided each sect. Lan Wangji quickly commanded his disciples to follow the
Yiling disciple in front of them, and soon enough, the young cultivators could handle their
beasts easily.

Lan Wangji jumped into the air, raised his sword in the air and narrowed his eyes at his
target. 'Target where the resentful energy came. Slash it as if you're making an opening and
hit it with a blunt object. Be careful, for the resentment could hurt you.'

Right after Lan Wangji slashed one of the snake's heads, he manoeuvred his sword and hit it
with his sword. The resentment energy quickly bled out from the wound like smoke, and
Hanguang-Jun quickly moved away. Three was down, more to go. Unfortunately, some
beasts suddenly appeared out of nowhere as if the scent of the restful energy attracted them.

The fight went on for some time before a group of Yi disciples joined out of nowhere. Lan
Wangji met Young Master Yi, who slashed the screaming bear yao with his gleaming sword.
It didn't die, but it did move away.

"Young Master Yi, what are you-?"

"We're friends, right?" Young Master Yi stated with a smile. "Friends help each other."

"Come here, you ugly beasts. I'm going to fucking skin you alive." Young Master Xue Yang
shouted at the growling beasts in front of them. "I'll cut your stupid bodies into pieces and
feed them to my master's corpses."

"Young Master Xue Yang is so energetic. I cannot keep up with him. Oh, to be young and full
of energy." Young Master Yi said with admiration in his voice. Beside him, a Yi disciple
smacked his head, which caused Lan Wangji to blink.

"You aren't that old! Stop that nonsense! Fight!"

The scene was so bizarre for Lan Wangji, who was used to either fighting alone or with his
Gusu Lan's comrades. Gusu Lan's fighting style was about quiet, grace, but deadly. They
fought in silence, only swinging their blades and spiritual energy flying here and there filled
the battlefield.

Now that everyone knew how to defeat the beasts, the fight transformed into a friendly
rivalry with snickers, taunts, and teasings as the group of young masters and their closest
disciples fought dangerous beasts together. Lan Wangji watched as Jin Zixuan and Jiang
Yang Mi glared at each other whenever they upstaged each other. Young Master Yi would
cheer when his fellow Yi disciple managed to kill one beast, encouraging and praising him.
Young Master Xue was showing off, slashing beasts here and there. His movements matched
his energy, chaotic yet precise.

Nie Huaisang, on the other hand, was sitting on the ground, clapping, cheering and
applauding the other fighters. Once in a while, the small omega would fall silent, watching
the cultivators defeat the beast with their own fighting style with huge eyes and complete
mesmerisation. Bluish, purpleish, black, teal and many signature spiritual energy clashes,
forming a wonderful rainbow in the middle of the dark forest. The small omega completely
trusted his friends to handle everything. Grenmlin!

The fight went on for a while, and when it ended, almost all young cultivators collapsed to
the ground. Huaisang sprang into action, looking at those who still had energy to take care of
the and shoving his medicine into them. Many of those who were standing were omegas who
immediately gathered around their wounded fellow sect members. Just a quick inspection,
Huaisang knew that they were hurt as well; they just had better pain tolerance. The omegas
bowed to the Young Master Nie gratefully before tending their wounded friends. Huaisang
went to Young Master Xue Yang, whose comrades were also injured.

"I always wondered about Yiling Wei Sect's fighting style, but now I have the answer. Your
fighting style is simple fighting with all you get." Huaisang commended, shaking his head as
he wrapped a bandage around Young Master Xue Yang's wound. Young Master Xue Yang
and his fellow disciples laughed at the small omega, and Huaisang pouted at them, silently
asking what was so funny.

"Our sect motto isn't that, Young Master Nie," Young Master Xue Yang said, still laughing
and patting his head. "It's fight first, think later." He added before he and his friends fell into
another laughing fit. Huaisang smiled and stared at them fondly.

"I know omega is awesome, but wow, those creatures' natural nurture instinct is amazing. Do
they realise that they are wounded as well?" One of Yiling Wei's disciples commented as he
stared at the omegas from other sects. Huaisang's expression softened as he watched Lan
Wangji gently heal his fellow Lan disciples, while the stain of blood was clearly visible on
his arm because of his white robes.

"Omega's body is special. It is naturally built to endure a lot of pain, both emotionally and
physically. Physically like heat and child labour." Huaisang explained, shoving his medicine
into his spiritual pouch carefully. "Emotionally like heartbreak. You know Alphas have a
natural instinct to be a dominant figure in a pack, so sometimes, it affects their sexual desire.
It is not unknown for an alpha to have multiple omegas. That hurts, you know."

The omega stood up and clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. When everyone turned
to him, he grinned and held up his and Lan Wangji's storage pouch. "Let's take a rest,
everyone. Don't worry, Hanguang-Jun and I have many foods here, and I'll prepare
everything for you."

"Oh, I have food as well. I'll help you, Young Master Nie." An omega from the Yi Sect
smiled at him, and soon this action triggered the other sects to share their food as well. The
alphas didn't want to be useless, so they began cleaning the clearing and built a bonfire. The
rest of the night was spent with the young cultivators bonding in front of the warm fire.
Taking their chance, some alphas deliberately sat close to some pretty omegas, cracking jokes
to make them giggle and showering them with praises to get their attention. Few of them
were successful, Lan Wangji concluded, when he spotted a Yi sect alpha and a Nie omega
leaning to each other and sharing smiles.

It was not the first time Lan Wangji spent the night like this, but this was the first time with
cultivators from other sects. The Second Young Master Lan's face softened when Young
Master Yi offered him delicacies from the Yi Sect, a sect he hadn't visited yet. After bowing
in gratitude, Hanguang-Jun also offered his favourite Gusu Lan food. He almost smiled when
Young Master Yi made a face at its bland taste, but offered a polite smile to him.

"Tomorrow is the fourth day. Are you ready for it, Hanguang-Jun?" Young Master Li asked,
looking at the moon above them. "I don't care about winning, I care about keeping my
disciples alive."

The fourth day meant that life would be on the line because this was Qishan territory, and
they were competing in it because the most dangerous beast among others would pass
through the barrier. It was just one, but its level was far beyond everyone's expectations. The
last competition held in this sect cost two Lanlin Jin disciples. In the few years before, a Yao
disciple, a Nie and two Lang disciples died, and that year was declared the worst death in the
last decades. Lan Wangji had heard from his brother, who came out as the winner that year,
that Jin Zixun, with his incompetence, challenged a huge, powerful water monster near the
river. Jin Zixun ran like a coward, leaving the other disciples to handle the monster. Lan
Xichen flew to the sky, tamed and defeated the main monster with his powerful Xiao by
himself.

"My goal in participating in this archery is about proving myself and guiding my fellow
disciples to be better and more experienced fighters. I don't care about being the winner as
well, Young Master Yi."

"Hanguang-Jun, you're really-"

Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!

The conversation at the bonfire immediately went silent when fireworks exploded in the sky.
Gold, green, silver, blue and many familiar fireworks adorned the sky as the young masters
and their disciples could only stare at them. Lan Wangji prayed that the Lan disciples, whose
journey had stopped, were alright without any significant injuries. He was sure that his father
would immediately act once he saw their sect colour. The disciples immediately whispered to
each other, guessing which disciples had died or withdrawn from the competition.

"That's Tang Sect's fireworks, right?"

"Poor Tang Sect, another loss for them."

"Oh, Yao Sect. Didn't they only have two disciples that made it this far?"
"Yeah, I hope it isn't Wu Lian. I hope he doesn't die. I heard that he and a beta from Jin Sect
are officially a couple."

"Don't die, Nie Ruhai," Lan Wangji heard Huaisang murmuring a few feet from him. "Da Ge
just approved your engagement."

The next day, the group’s leaders discussed what they should do on the last day. The last day
meant that dangerous beasts were everywhere, and the point they doubled. The most logical
step was to spread, earning their own point, but staying together was great too, because then
they could avoid being heavily injured or dying. The Jiang decided to walk away from the
rest of the group that morning. The Jin and Yiling Wei sect would go on their way at midday,
while the Yi sect, whose disciples were only four with their Young Master, would stay with
the Lan-Nie group.

The group ate their breakfast cheerfully, waved the Jiang goodbye and headed to the east.
They encountered some beasts, defeated them together and stopped near the river to fill their
water pouch. Young Master Jin Zixuan ordered his group to the west at midday, and they
excused themselves from the Lan-Nie-Yi group.

They just finished bowing to each other when a roar made them jump. Their eyes widened
when Moling Su Sect disciples were running toward them with a raging, furious bear demon
behind them. The bear’s eyes were glowing red, and its claws shone under the hot afternoon
sunlight like intimidating, sharp knives. Before the groups could react, the bear raised his
hand and swung it down, slashing a Moling Su disciple.

The disciple’s head was cut off, rolling on the ground. Screams filled the air at the gruesome
scene, and the alphas shoved the omegas as far as they could while raising their swords. Two
feral bears are running meters away from the first one, ready to charge.

The battle scene was totally different from the previous night, when everyone was joking
around while defeating the beasts. This time, it was only screams of terror in the air as the
bears’ sharp claws slashed the cultivators’ bodies. Red blood splashed on the ground as one
of the bears took hold of a Jin disciple. She let out a horrifying scream when the claws
pierced into her chest and ripped her apart before devouring her. Another bear growled,
grabbing a Lan disciple and sinking its fangs into his neck, killing him in seconds. The bear
threw away the dead cultivator and charged at the other.

Lan Wangji couldn’t breathe as he reached out to the fallen body of his fellow sect brother.
“Lan Zhong Lin, please. Zong Lin, please-“ Tears ran down his face as he stared at the
lifeless eyes. This was too much. They were being slaughtered, and he couldn’t do anything.
Another body fell to his right, and his chest tightened when it was a Nie sect. His leg and arm
were missing, while half of his face was torn apart. He looked up and saw that Huaisang was
wailing while being held by a Nie disciple. A sound of zither played, turned his head and saw
the Lan disciples playing their spiritual instrument. The bears stopped, and Yiling Wei's
disciples jumped, stabbing the bears’ necks. The beasts roared in pain before running toward
the forest.

Rain suddenly fell, washing the tears and blood away. Lan Wangji felt a tap on his shoulder
and turned around to see Lan Dan Xin. “I have sent a signal so that their bodies can be
recovered. There’s a cave over there. Let’s go there until the rain stops, Hanguang-Jun.”

Sobs filled the cave as the young disciples mourned their fallen brothers and sisters. The Yi
sect, which was previously four members, was down to two: Young Master Yi and his first
disciple. The Jin lost most disciples to six. Both Lan and Nie lost three disciples. Yiling Wei
Sect lost one disciple, and Young Master Xue Yang couldn’t stop cursing. The Moling lost
none because they hid and let the others fight for their lives from the beasts they brought to
them.

“The barrier is broken.” Young Master Yi said from the ground. Lan Wangji shifted his
attention away from the crying disciples to the young master. His golden eyes saw his
bleeding arm, and without a word, he knelt down and took his medicine. He could feel Young
Master Yi’s eyes on him as he cleaned, poured the medicine and wrapped the injured arm
with a clean bandage. When Lan Wangji looked up, he saw the alpha was looking at him with
a soft look on his handsome face. Lan Wangji quickly looked down uncomfortably, putting
some distance between them. Young Master Yi cleared his throat and walked to Jin Zixuan
and Nie Huaisang.

“I think the barrier is broken.” Young Master Yi repeated louder. All disciples’ attention was
on him. The alpha looked around and sighed before explaining. “We all know that on the
fourth day, there should be only one dangerous beast -the main beast among others- released
from the barrier. One year, one dangerous beast. That’s the rule, right? Despite the Qishan
Wen Sect usually having more dangerous beasts among all sects, never in the history of the
archery competition has there been more than one dangerous beast. But earlier, we had three
beasts. Yesterday we had, what, four? This is abnormal.”

“If that’s true, how was the barrier broken? Only selected elders can release the beast from
the barrier, and they can only take one. How many powerful elders are involved in the
competition this year that they can draw seven dangerous beasts? Is there a collaborative
scheme?” Young Master Jin Zixuan asked worriedly. Behind him, whispers grew. Each
cultivator had their own theory.

“We need to find a way to hold them back, or they will kill us all. We have seen how
powerful they were. Our technique couldn’t kill them earlier.” Young Master Xue Yang said,
rubbing the sobbing Huaisang in his arms.

“That’s true.” Young Master Yi nodded in agreement. He looked at Young Master Jin Zixuan,
who rubbed his face with his palms, clearly feeling desperate about their situation.

“The most important thing right now is winning the competition. You’re just too weak.”
Young Master Su Mishan suddenly said, frowning at Young Master Yi.

"Who give a fuck about winning this competition anymore? My shidis died protecting me!
All I give a fuck right now is finishing this competition alive." Young Master Yi snapped,
shoving Young Master Su out of his way. The white-robed cultivator stumbled, but only
managed to stay on his feet because his fellow disciple held him.

"The purpose of this archery competition is the honour we bring as the best cultivator for our
sect. I care about that. An unimportant sect like yours will never understand." Young Master
Su Mishan raised his voice, looking at Young Master Yi mockingly.

"Well, good luck with that, Young Master Su, because you're not exactly the best cultivator in
here." Young Master Yi sneered back.

"This competition serves as a training for the best cultivators from each sect as well as a
building relationship among the sects. After all, when these beasts escape from the barrier, it
isn't just one sect's problem. It is everyone's problem. In short, Young Master Su, you need to
be nice to everyone so when these beast attacks your tiny sect, we actually care for you
enough to help you." Young Master Jin Zixuan said rather harshly to the Moling’s Young
Master. Knowing he had offended his sect’s biggest ally, Young Master Su Mishan flustered.

"Young Master Jin, I-"

"Enough. Stop talking." Young Master Jin waved him away. “Keep quiet if you don’t have
anything useful to say.”

The group fell into an uncomfortable silence after that as the rain outside began to slow
down. Lan Wangji sat with his fellow Lan disciples, giving them silent support as they
mourned their fallen brothers. Excessive emotion was forbidden after all, so they couldn’t sob
like the rest of the people there. Hanguang-Jun busied himself scanning the dark cave, lit
only by sunlight coming from the cave’s mouth. He watched as a Nie disciple walked around,
seemingly gathering some wood before lighting it up into a simple torch. There was a lake in
front of them with an unusually huge stone unmoving in the middle of it.

“Does anyone know what cave we are in? There are several caves in Qishan forest, and some
of them have monsters in them.” The Nie disciple asked. His question was answered when
suddenly the huge rock moved, raising its head.

It wasn’t a rock. It was another beast in the form of a tortoise, and once again, screams filled
Lan Wangji’s ear as the beast lunged at them. They quickly headed to the cave entrance, only
to find it was sealed from the outside. There was one group missing, and it was the Moling
Su Sect.

"Fuck you, Su Mishan! How dare you trap us inside!" Jin Zixuan roared angrily. They turned
to face the beast, which was eyeing them from the water. Its jaw snapped, revealing rows of
pointed teeth. Huaisang clutched Lan Wangi's sleeve, visibly frightened. How unlucky they
were today. Lan Wangji's golden eyes scanned the cave, which was now only illuminated by
the Nie disciple's makeshift torch, as the disciples attempted to get as far away from the
moving beast as possible. One red maple leaf floating on the water caught his keen eye.
Could it be-?

"Everyone here can swim, right?" He immediately asked. Many nodded their head, but some
shook theirs, including Huaisang.

Jin Zixuan frowned at the unexpected question in the middle of a dangerous situation. "I can,
Hanguang-Jun. Why?"

“There is a leaf in the water. There must be a hidden way out from here.”
“Oh, I know this cave.” Huaisang joined in. “I read that the Qishan’s caves, which have water
sources inside them, get the water from the nearby river, which means that this lake’s
connected to the river. There must be a hidden passage inside the lake. The river is on the
right side of this cave, right? So that is the only way.” The Second Young Master Nie pointed
at a dark corner. True enough, there were more leaves there.

"Young Master Xue, Young Master Jin, and Young Master Yi can swim. You three can help
everyone get out of here. I'll try to distract the beast."

"What? No, we're not leaving you." Young Master Yi grabbed his hand. Lan Wangji looked at
him seriously, golden eyes clashing with a pair of brown ones.

"Young Master Yi, the beast is unexpectedly affected by my guqin, so I'm the best person to
distract it. Our friends are our priority. I trust them with you, Young Master Yi."

“Come on, Young Master Yi.” Jin Zixuan almost shouted as he watched the rest of the
disciples throw stones at the beast since their swords were useless. At least, the stones could
distract it. “The sooner we get out, the sooner we can save Hanguang-Jun.”

"I'll return to you. Just-" Young Master Yi looked like he was about to cry. His dark brown
eyes gazed at Lan Wangji with such pure worry that the omega couldn't help but feel bad
about him. Young Master Yi took his hand and gripped it tightly. "Just- please, just wait for
me."

"Hn."

Lan Wangji flew into the air, attacking the tortoise with his guqin. Lan Wangji drew his
sword, but it went dull as it tried to pierce the tortoise’s neck. This was bad. Nothing affected
the beast at all. The tortoise slammed its head into Lan Wangji, knocking Bichen from his
weak grip. The omega tried to jump away, but the beast bit his leg. The omega grunted in
pain as he felt blood coming out of his wound. The tortoise threw him to the other side of the
cave, slamming his tired body to the cold stone wall.

‘Shit!’ He cursed inwardly, feeling so exhausted he wasn’t sure he could move anymore.
Then he saw it.

A gleaming sword with resentful energy bleeding from it was hovering at the corner of the
cave.

Crawling with all his energy, Lan Wangji took a deep breath as he took a hold of the sword. It
didn’t reject him. Knowing he didn’t have much time and choice, Lan Wangji turned around,
ready to face the furious tortoise The beast was eyeing him like a prey, sharp teeth was full on
display as it eyes focused entirely on the omega.

It charged toward him and Lan Wangji twirled out of the way before aiming at the beast’s
neck. Using the sword in his hand, the omega stabbed the turtle's neck as hard as he could
with everything he had. The sword gleamed red, and the animal screamed in pain. Lan
Wangji pulled out the sword as the animal waddled away. It continued screaming, writhing in
pain and falling into the water before it went silent, unmoving.
 With a loud clank, the sword in Lan Wangji's hand fell to the ground as his injured, bleeding
leg was no longer able to bear his weight. Sweat and blood in his filthy white robes clung to
his body like a second skin as he inhaled deeply. He closed his eyes when he felt dizzy. He
had used almost all his spiritual energy, so he needed to wait until it disappeared on its own.
At least, until he could get out and go to the medic. He tried to sit up, and his hand touched
the fallen sword beside him. Lan Wangji's eyes snapped open, and he turned to the sword. His
breath quickened as he slowly touched the sword again to make sure that he wasn't imagining
things.

The sword was burning hot.

Lan Wangji withdrew his hand and tried his best, with the remaining low energy he had, to
move away as best as he could, but his body couldn't get any further when the sword floated
in the air with dark, resentful energy coming out of it like a nightmare. The energy danced in
the air, formed thick fog with disturbing spiritual energy and flew into the omega's body at
full speed. Hanguang-Jun gasped before screaming when intense pain spread throughout his
body in seconds. His body felt as if it were being stabbed with a thousand blades. His lungs
burned as he continued to scream. The resentful energy clashed with pure spiritual energy
inside his body, and the result was a powerful spiritual wave that shook the cave.

The pain went away as fast as it came. Lan Wangji's body fell to the hard ground as his mind
went blank because of the pain. A few feet from him, the sword fell to the ground like a piece
of useless metal junk. The Lan omega couldn't feel his body, despite whatever torture he had
endured, had ended. Maybe it was the side effect of it, he didn't know, or he cared. His eyes
were heavy as his mind begged him to just close them. However, he fought so hard to stay
awake, realising that he had made a promise to wait for his friends' help.

'A-Niang?' Lan Wangji called as he felt his unconscious slip away from him. A flash of his
mother's beautiful smiling face appeared in front of him, and he let out a small smile. She
reached out, patted his chubby cheek and murmured his name lovingly. He could feel his eyes
burn as he longed for her gentle hand. Oh, he missed her very much. His body felt numb and
cold 'Am I going to die?'

Chapter End Notes

In case anyone is wondering, here is Young Master Yi looks like:

Young Master Yi
 Chapter 7
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

Why is everything white?

A-niang? Where are you?

Where am I?

"This is your chance, Wuxian. This will be beneficial for both of you."

"Qing-Jie, I can't. I'm not sure it will work that way."

Wuxian? Qing-Jie?

"Then, then I guess we have to inform the Lan Sect that their precious Second Young Master
Lan will die sooner or later. With a strong golden core he had, he'd probably make it to
several years before the resentment energy gnawed his body.”

"..."

What is happening?

Lan Wangji opened his eyes to see himself floating in the air just above his pale, unmoving
body. He gasped and looked down at himself, and all he saw was his transparent, bluish body,
an existence no one saw. Lan Wangji watched as the healers of Qishan Wen fussed over his
body while his father was sitting beside him, looking as if he was about to cry. His older
brother was pacing near the door, with Sect Leader Nie frowned at him. He floated down
beside his father and tried to touch his shoulder, but he couldn't. Huaisang was there, sobbing
slightly, with Nie Zonghui beside him and two Lan disciples. Everyone was looking at him
worriedly.

"Fuqin?" No answer.

"Xiongzhang." No answer.

No one could hear him, so he just sat there.

Sect Leader Wen entered the room like a tornado, barking orders at the healers and glaring at
whoever came close to him. She opened his eyes, put her fingers on his wrist, before put her
index finger on his forehead. She closed his eyes, and a flow of reddish brown spiritual
energy entered his forehead. Lan Wangji's golden eyes moved toward the door when his eyes
caught a glimpse of a black fabric. His heart sang when he saw Yiling Laozu standing at the
door, looking at his body on the bed.
Sect Leader Wen took out a vial from her pouch and forced Lan Wangji's mouth, pouring its
contents. She turned to the healers and ordered them to prepare cold water to wipe his face.
Two healers immediately went to fetch a bucket of cold water and a clean towel. "All of you
out! Only Qingheng-Jun or First Young Master Lan can stay here with Hanguang-Jun." She
ordered, and Nie Mingjue kissed Lan Xichen's forehead before leaving the room with
everyone.

"Yiling Laozu, I need your help." She called, and the man silently walked to her. He knelt
beside his head and replaced her finger with his left palm. He took a deep breath and closed
his eyes. Everyone gasped when the man glowed faint red, and resentful energy began
bleeding out from Lan Wangji's body. Sect Leader Wen moved away, tugging Sect Leader
Lan with her. The resentful energy danced above Lan Wangji's unconscious body, and Sect
Leader Wei raised his right hand. The resentful energy flew into his palm, entering his body
like lightning. Lan Wangji's face flushed, colour returned to his cheeks when the resentful
energy was fully gone. Sect Leader Wen talked to the healers, and she walked out of the
room. The healers hurriedly ran after him.

Lan Wangji floated after her and bowed, even though he knew she couldn't see him, as she
walked out of the room. Lan Xichen and Qingheng-Jun sat beside him without saying a word,
just staring at Lan Wangji's body. Lan Xichen accepted the water and towel from the healers
and began cleaning Lan Wangji's face.

"A-Zhan, it's been three days. Wake up, please." Lan Xichen whispered softly, and the
younger omega felt his chest tighten. "Fuqin, you should return to your room and rest."

"In a moment," Qingheng-Jun answered, standing up and pouring himself a glass of water
from a nearby pitcher. "A-Huan, do you realise that the resentful energy in A-Zhan's body
seems limitless even though Yiling Laozu absorbs it every day?"

"Yes. It is as if his body produces resentful energy as well now. But Sect Leader Wen and
Sect Leader Wei said that resentment is harmful to his body, right? So why does his body
keep producing resentful energy if it clashes with his spiritual energy?

"They said that they needed A-Zhan's explanation about what happened in the cave. Without
that information, they couldn't be sure, and this is the only solution they can offer. We cannot
ask Yiling Laozu to absorb the resentful energy every day. He has a sect to return to. It's so
complicated."

That night, Lan Wangji floated around the empty healing pavilion alone after his brother and
father left the room. He was placed in a special room, away from other patients. He tried to
go out, but his weak, transparent body couldn't go beyond the doorway. So, he sighed and
went to observe his unconscious body. He had a bandage on his leg and was wearing a fresh
pair of robes. Either the blood or the medication left a heavy brown stain on it. Perhaps
someone might change it the following morning. The omega then went to the window and
boredly watched the bright moon when the door was opened slightly. He blinked when Yiling
Laozu and Sect Leader Wen went inside.

"I have a solution in mind, a permanent one." Sect Leader Wen said, walking around Lan
Wangji's body. "And before you opened your mouth to disagree, the answer is no. I have
thought about it and concluded that he will not suffer, let alone die. The effect will be long-
term."

"I don't know, Weng Qing. Doesn't it mean that I put a chain around his neck and wrists? I
will not do that to Hanguang-Jun. He deserves a better life than that."

"So you will let him die?"

"I-I think about something." Yiling Laozu said, rising to his feet. He stared at his body for a
few minutes and walked away with Lady Wen behind him.

"Laozu..." He called softly, and his eyes widened when the man halted as if he heard him.
After slowly turning around and observing his motionless body for a while, Yiling Laozu
shook his head and left. Lan Wangji let out a sigh. Perhaps he believed he was having
hallucinations.

The next day Young Master Yi, Jin Zixuan, and Nie Huaisang entered the chamber covertly
very early in the morning. They moved silently to where he lay, looking around like robbers.
Nie Huaisang instantly whined about how much he missed the taller omega, claiming that
everyone was talking about him in both positive and negative ways. This made Lan Wangji
smile a little. Jin Zixuan shook his head and lit an incense burner, saying softly that this
incense was special for its calming scent. Young Master Yi put fresh flowers into a small pot
and poured some water from the pitcher.

"We miss you, Hanguang-Jun." Young Master Yi sat beside him, looking at his face with
deep sadness. "Please forgive me. I should have come to you sooner. I'm so sorry I couldn't
save you on time. I promised you, but I failed you. All fallen cultivators have been cremated
with a ceremony. Their ashes will be given to their families by the sect leaders. They weren't
just our fellow disciples, right? They were respected heroes, fighting to protect, not just
themselves, but also their friends."

"Young Master Yi, you came for me, right? That's the reason I got the treatment I need right
now." Thank you very much. Yes, they were our beloved heroes, our fellow brothers and
sisters."

"Please wake up soon, Hanguang-Jun." The handsome alpha gently caressed his cheek, but
frowning Nie Huaisang slapped and rudely pointed his fan at him.

"No touching." He warned, and Young Master Yi raised his hands in surrender, a smile on his
face. The three fellow cultivators stayed there for a moment, telling his comatose body some
gossip after the competition ended. There were some approved courtships, then some
disagreements between Sect Leader Jin and Sect Leader Nie. These stories were tame, too
tame, after what happened to Lan Wangji. They had deliberately avoided any heavy topics,
even when Lan Wangji was unconscious.

Lan Wangji felt helpless when the trio left the room, leaving him alone. I have to return to my
body. But how?
"A-Zhan," A very beautiful woman floated right behind him. The omega gasped as his brain
quickly provided him with who she was. Almost crying from longing and love, Lan Wangji
threw himself into the woman's arms.

"A-Niang, A-Niang." He cried. The woman rubbed his back comfortingly, pulled away and
wiped his tears.

"I would like to bring A-Zhan with me, but I know that this isn't your time yet. A-Zhan still
has a long journey ahead." She said, cupping Lan Wangji's cheeks with her palms. "A-Zhan
must return to his body. A-Niang loves all of you so much. I want to see you smile and laugh.
I want to scold Fuqin, your Xiongzhang and little cute A-Zhan when they are naughty, but I
can't. Promise me that A-Zhan will take care of Fuqin and Xiongzhang? Promise me that A-
Zhan will not deny any help he can get?"

"Yes, A-Niang." He said tearfully. She smiled, and a blinding light embraced him, followed by
a terrible pain.

When Lan Wangji woke up, the first thing he saw was his brother sleeping beside him. There
were trails of tears on his brother’s flawless, pale cheeks, and the younger omega felt his
heart tighten. Weakly, he moved his hand to touch his brother’s bigger one. Lan Xichen
immediately looked up as if the simple touch was burning his skin. His beautiful brown orbs
stared at Lan Wangji for a moment, as if he didn’t believe what he saw, before fresh tears ran
down his face.

“A-Zhan, oh, my dear A-Zhan.” Lan Xichen cried as he cupped the younger omega’s face.
He took a glass of water and quickly helped Lan Wangji take a sip. “Wait, I’ll get Lady Wen.”

Lan Wangji watched as his brother ran to the door, screaming for the maids to call the Sect
Leader Wen. The omega felt his body numb a little, but he could feel some parts of his body
aching. He assumed that the strong medicine gave him that effect. He glanced at his leg,
neatly wrapped in a clean bandage. He looked at his arms, pale and flawless, as if the
scratches were never there in the first place.

The omega closed his eyes, and flashes of what happened in the cave bombarded his mind.
He gasped, and as if the memory triggered something in his body, his head was in pain, and
his stomach lurched. He gasped for air as he felt his chest tighten. He lunged to the side of
the bed and threw up.

“A-Zhan!” Lan Xichen immediately went to his side, helplessly holding him. He felt a cloth
wipe his mouth, and he winced when he saw blood there. A lot of it.

“Give him this.” A familiar voice of Sect Leader Wen reached his ear, and a moment later, a
vial was in his view. Closing his eyes, he gulped the disgusting contents of it. He felt his body
gradually warm. The tightness in his chest loosened, and his breathing became easier. His
head was still dizzy, but slowly the pain decreased, clearing the omega’s head. His body went
limp, and he couldn’t move as if what he felt consumed every single energy in his body. His
eyes felt heavy, and soon the darkness embraced him.

I-I can’t breathe!

Fuqin! Xiongzhang! Help!

“Hold him! Call Lady Wen!”

Xiongzhang, hot! My body… hot! Help!

“A-Zhan, please. She’ll come soon. You’ll be fine. Xiongzhang is here.”

Hot! I-I can’t breathe!

“A-Huan, open his mouth. Quick! I need to pour this.”

Fuqin, help! Body… fire… hot!

“Give him this, Qingheng-Jun. You! Bring me cold water. He’s burning up.”

Lady Wen? Fuqin?

“A-Zhan, Fuqin and Xiongzhang are here, okay? We’re here.”

Fuqin!

“A-Ning, call Yiling Laozu.”

Yiling Laozu?

“Please, A-Zhan. Wake up, my darling.”

Fuqin?

“Fuqin?” Lan Wangji called softly. A warm hand immediately wrapped around his own, and
his father’s shooting voice greeted his ear. Lan Wangji felt a cold cloth sweep his face, and he
slowly opened his eyes. His father’s worried face was the first thing he saw, and he couldn’t
help but feel an overwhelming emotion in his chest.

“Hush, A-Zhan. Don’t cry. I’m here.” His father gently wiped his eyes, and a wave of his
father’s shooting scent engulfed him. Lan Wangji didn’t even realise he was crying. He just
felt so scared and so lonely. “Do you want to sit up? Lady Wen said that your condition has
improved.”

Nodding his head, Lan Wangji gripped his father’s arm tightly as he got up. A cup of water
appeared in front of his eyes, and he eagerly drank it as if he hadn’t drunk for a long time.
The cold water felt so good in his dry throat, and he felt his stomach growl. His father patted
his cheek and said something about soup, A-Huan and servants. The omega didn’t pay
attention as he closed his eyes to stop the room from spinning.

When he finally felt like he was fine and opened his eyes, it was his brother in front of him
with his face wet from tears. Lan Wangji felt his heart ache at the sight of his usually cheerful
and mischievous brother looking so sad. It wasn’t Xiongzhang he knew at all.
“Smile,” He said softly, his voice hoarse. Lan Xichen let out a wet chuckle as he wiped his
tears away. The chuckle brought a smile on Lan Wangji’s face, and he leaned on his brother’s
touch when the older alpha patted his face with a cold cloth, just like what his father did
earlier.

“You were unconscious for a week, A-Zhan. Fuqin almost lost his mind.”

“A week after I woke up?”

“Oh, you remember the first time you woke up? Yes. You woke up few days after you were
brought here, and then you fell asleep again. Everyone is worried about you.” Lan Xichen
said, smiling gently at the younger omega. A beta healer came to them, offering a glass of
foul-smelling concoction in one hand, which even Lan Xichen winced at, and a glass of
warm tea in the other. Lan Wangji quickly drank all of it and almost immediately snatched
the warm tea. It wasn't tea.

He blinked at it and looked up at the healer, but the beta just smiled and wished him a quick
recovery. He stared at the brown tea-looking water and tilted his head. It was warm and sweet
like a mix of water with brown sugar, but he was sure it wasn't brown sugar. There was some
spiciness in it, maybe some ginger? Whatever, it tasted very nice.

"Lady Wen said that the critical condition has passed and you'll be in a much healthier
condition when you wake up. I'm glad it's true. She's really a great healer. A-Shang said that
he and the others will come to visit you." Lan Xichen's eyes twinkled with mischief, and the
younger omega narrowed his eyes. "Young Master Yi is among them."

"Xiongzhang!"

"He's so worried about you, A-Zhan. It's so cute."

"Xiongzhang!"

The next day, Huiasang came into the room later in the afternoon with Young Master Xue
Yang and Young Master Yi. There was no Jin Zixuan anywhere, but Huaisang brought a
small box with Qishan's best and most expensive cake. The small omega sat beside him in a
small chair and opened the box. “Jin Zixuan-Xiong sent his regards and this gift. He couldn’t
visit because he had to go to Lotus Pier with Jiang Yanli. I can't believe he finally opens his
eyes, Wangji-Xiong. When you were unconscious, he spent a lot of time with Lady Jiang
Yanli, and then one afternoon, he came to my chamber singing praises about her. He looked
so in love that it made me sick. I kicked him out. He should have known it long ago, given
how popular she was in Yunmeng and Qinghe. If my brother isn't in love with yours, I would
love to have her as his wife. ”

Young Master Xue Yang put a pouch with several vials on the table beside Lan Wangji. There
was his regular medicine now, after that weird, foul medicine he had to drink this morning.
The Young Master grinned at him, showing his fangs, which looked good on his deranged
visage. “I bring your medicine, Hanguang-Jun. I’ll put this here, okay.”

“Thank you, Young Master Xue.”

“No problem. I just happened to meet Sect Leader Wen on my way here with Young Master
Nie. She said she needed somewhere, so she will visit you later. Be careful with her needles,
Hanguang-Jun. They’re dangerous.”

“Hanguang-Jun is so lucky to have the best healer to treat him now. I bet he’ll be fine in just a
few days.” Young Master Yi said, sitting beside Young Master Xue on the empty bed.
"Hanguang-Jun, if you need something, my sect can help. Just send us a letter, okay? We
have amazing herbs. Well, maybe not as complete as Qishan and Gusu, but it is close. You
have our full support, Second Young Master Lan."

“Thank you, Young Master Yi.” His face softened at Young Master Yi's optimism and
positive energy. The alpha flushed and cleared his throat awkwardly. Beside him, Young
Master Xue Yang shook his head with a teasing smile on his face. He leaned and whispered
something into the older alpha's ear, and, whatever it was, Young Master Yi squeaked with a
totally red face.

Lan Wangji accepted the tea from Huaisang and hid his smile as he watched Young Master Yi
bicker with Young Master Xue. Then, Huaisang scolded them for being too noisy in a healing
pavilion. Huaisang was just as noisy as they were, so he shouldn't say anything.

“Here, Hanguang-Jun.” Young Master Xue Yang took out a medal and a pouch of money
from his spiritual pouch. Lan Wangji was familiar with that medal because he had one at his
home.

“Young Master Xue Yang, why do you give me your prize?”

“You deserved this statue than me. You beat that main beast and saved us all. You even got
hurt because of that.” He said, pushing the prizes gently toward the younger man. “The
winner is concluded by the points they got since the first day, Young Master Xue Yang. The
main beast did have the highest score, but if you managed to score more points from the
beasts you defeated, then your win is justified.”

The alpha frowned and looked at the prize in his head, but didn't say anything. Huaisang
came to him, talking softly to him. Leaving Huaisang and Young Master Xue Yang with their
talk, Lan Wangji focused on Young Master Yi, who sat in Huaisang's previous chair and took
out a bundle of cloth. Inside the cloth was a small box made of bamboo with some packages
of tea inside.

“This is our best herbal tea, Hanguang-Jun. This tea could help with dizziness and nausea.
This isn’t much, but I hope it can help you.”

“Thank you, Young Master Yi.” Lan Wangji bowed his hand and accepted the tea. When
Young Master Yi extended his hands to hand the tea to him, the afternoon sunlight hit a
bracelet around his wrist. The green bracelet glowed beautifully in the room, catching the
omega's eyes. Young Master Yi seemed to notice the shift of his attention.

“You’ve never gone to our sect, right? We are a small sect, yes, but you’ll like it there. Since
our main focus is agriculture, you don’t have to worry about your diet. We have a variety of
dishes made from our best vegetables. We also have the best tofu. I heard Gusu Lan Sect
disciples love tofu very much. Next time I visit, I’ll bring you some craft from our Sect,
Second Young Master Lan. This one, for example. This is a bracelet crafted by our best
craftsman from our finest green jade stone. It's beautiful, isn’t it?” Young Master Yi took off
his bracelet and tied it around Lan Wangji's slim, pale wrist. “This bracelet is called Infinity
8. It symbolises health, luck, wealth and the other five prosperity someone needs in life. We
tie this around the people we care about. You should visit us someday, Hanguang-Jun. You’ll
like it.”

Mesmerised at the beautiful jade bracelet around his wrist, Lan Wangji nodded at the
blushing alpha. “Hn. I’ll visit someday.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” The alpha smiled and cleared his throat before standing up.
“Ahem, well, unfortunately, I have to go. My sect will leave in an hour. My father must be
looking for me. Farewell, Hanguang-Jun, Young Master Nie, Young Master Xue Yang.”

“I have to go as well. I’ll visit again later, Hanguang-Jun.” Young Master Xue Yang jumped
to his feet. Two Young Masters folded their hands in front of their chests and saluted
respectfully. Lan Wangji and Nie Huaisang saluted back and watched as they walked out of
the healing pavilion.

When the two disappeared from their sight, Nie Huaisang immediately closed the doors and
angrily walked to Lan Wangji. The Second Young Master Lan blinked curiously at the
sudden change of mood from the smaller omega. Huaisang crossed his arms and paced in the
room angrily, feet stomping the hard floor. "Aren't you curious that we only leave this place
today when the whole competition ended last week?"

"Why?"

“Sect Leader Jin accused Qishan Wen Sect and Yiling Wei Sect of conspiring together to
make Young Master Xue the winner. That old goat!” Huaisang spat angrily. “He said that the
reason why Yiling Wei could beat many beasts was because the beasts released into the
competition ground reeked of resentment energy. That’s Yiling Wei’s expertise, so of course
they won.”

“Young Master Yi and his disciples fared very well during the competition, and they only
sent four disciples. It wasn’t about anyone’s expertise; it was about the disciple’s skill.”

“You think Jin Guangshan could think that reasonable? No. Never. Damn those stupid small
sects who bow to Jin Guangshan. They supported him. Those bastards."

"How did it end then?"

"A new competition without Yiling Wei and Qishan Wen Sect will be held in six month in
Lanling Jin's territory which of course, Jin fucking Guangshan will try to cheat his way so
that his disciples will win."

"Then what about Young Master Xue Yang and his victory?"
"Qishan Wen was the host, which means that the prize and money came from the Qishan Wen
Sect. Stupid Sect Leader Yao said that since there was a conspiracy between Yiling Wei and
Qishan Wen, his victory means nothing regardless they acknowledge it or not. The prize
returned to the conspirators. He called him a fraud winner." Huaisang fumed. Lan Wangji
frowned as his brain tried to assess the situation. Was that the reason why Young Master Xue
Yang tried to give him his prizes? Beneath that psycho face, Lan Wangji could see a loyal,
honest, yet sensitive young alpha, so maybe the talks got into him, and he felt guilty. The
sound of a hardwood slamming the wooden wall snapped the Lan omega from his thoughts.
Huaisang had kicked a small table across the room to express his frustration.

"Urg, can I kill him, Wangji-Xiong? This is a really good motivation for me to practice my
sabre."

Lan Wangji hid a smile. "I don't think Sect Leader Nie will approve of it."

"He doesn't need to know."

"He will be suspicious if you suddenly train. He will interrogate you."

"You're right. But I really want to tie that old man, hang him over a fire and chop his burned
meat into pieces. I know damn well I can't win the next archery competition and you won't
join with your condition. I have no partner to torture Yao, Lanling and those stupid disciples."
The small omega groaned dramatically and sighed like the whole world's problems were on
his shoulders.

"You have Jin Zixuan to help you, and Nie Zonghui."

"Zonghui will report to Da Ge. Jin Zixuan?" He wrinkled his nose."Maybe? But making him
a winner means that Lanling Jin becomes the winner."

"We have Young Master Yi."

"That's right, we have-wait," Huaisang blinked when his brain caught up with the quick shots
of conversation. He dropped beside Lan Wangji and grinned mischievously at the older
omega. He wriggled his eyebrows, and his grin widened when Lan Wangji felt his ears turn
red. "Ho ho ho, Wangji-Xiong. If I didn't know you better, you're interested in him. Have
your attraction to Yiling Laozu waver."

"Ridiculous. Yong Master Yi has proven himself to be a very capable cultivator. His only
flaw is that he tends to take care of his fellow disciples rather than running for the winner
himself. He is a kind-hearted man as well." He defended himself. What was so surprising
when he showed compassion to another disciple? Lan Wangji wasn't blind and would
recognise someone's kindness and skill regardless of their status. Why did it cause such a
reaction when he actually praised someone or was kind to someone, especially an alpha?

"I see, I see."

"What?"
"Nothing."

"Huaisang,"

"Wangji-Xiong,"

"Huaisang,"

"..."

"..."

"I have to go."

The next morning, Lan Wangji's leg had healed well, and he let out a small relieved sigh
when he was finally able to get up from the bed. With the help of Lan Xichen, Lan Wangji
went to the bathroom and soaked his body in a tub of warm water. His brother was busy
preparing for a simple but elegant outfit, looking so happy with Lan Wangji's health.

Lan Wangji had been consuming the vials from Sect Leader Wen, and they did wonder to his
body. The only thing that Lan Wangji didn't witness after he woke up was the resentment
energy absorption by Yiling Laozu. The omega raised his hand and stared at the thin, nearly
invisible black energy around his hand. He didn't know what happened, but he felt like there
was something inside his body, merging with his spiritual energy. There was still dizziness
and blood when he coughed, but overall, his body was fine. Would he depend on the vial just
like Yiling Laozu? What was the vial made of? Why hadn't Yiling Laozu absorbed the
resentful energy from his body? It had been days.

Lan Xichen helped him out of the tub and dressed him in a comfortable set of robes. Lan
Wangji eyed the beautiful robes, embroidered in glimmering blue and golden threads. He
looked up at his brother, who smiled happily at him.

"A gift from A-Jue. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Hn." Lan Wangji smiled and closed his eyes as his brother gently undid his simple knot and
began combing his long, soft hair. Lan Xichen hummed a Gusu folk song as he entangled the
hair and put some coconut oil in his brother's hair.

“I met A-Niang.” Lan Wangji said suddenly. Lan Xichen stopped combing his hair in shock.

“Sorry?”

“I met A-Niang, Xiongzhang. She was caressing my cheeks while smiling so beautifully. A-
Niang said that she loved us very much. She wanted to see me smile, to hear your laugh and
to scold Fuqin and Shufu. I’m glad I could see her face again. I’m afraid I will forget what
she looks like.” This was probably the longest sentence Lan Wangji had ever said in his life,
but it was about his mother, so he couldn't help it.

Lan Xichen knelt in front of him and took his hands into his larger ones. "Our mother was the
most beautiful omega in Gusu. So beautiful that Fuqin fell in love at first sight. You must
 miss her so much."

"Hn. Fuqin and Xiongzhang must miss her as well."

"We all are, aren't we? She was so wonderful. Oh, I can draw her portrait for you.”

“Xiongzhang, you can’t draw to save your life.” Lan Wangji simply stated. Lan Xichen stared
at him with a stunned face and slapped his brother's shoulder playfully. The younger omega
smiled. It was so nice to see his brother like that.

"You're right." Lan Xichen laughed softly and was about to open his mouth when the door
opened and Sect Leader Wen Qing and Sect Leader Wei Wuxian strolled into the room. Lan
Xichen stood up and saluted the two sect leaders.

"I'm sorry for interrupting the moment, Zewu-Jun, but I need information from your brother.
His condition has improved, so I think this is time for us to discuss an important matter.
Hanguang-Jun, can you tell us what happened before you passed out inside the cave?" Sect
Leader Wen ordered, sitting down in front of him. Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji looked at each
other before the older omega nodded at his brother. Lan Wangji's golden eyes glanced at
Yiling Laozu, who dragged a chair and seated himself beside Lady Wen.

Lan Wangji took a deep breath and began to tell them everything from the abnormal number
of beasts to Young Master Su to the cave. He also emphasised Young Master Xue Yang's
amazing performance during the last two days to show that he didn't agree with the fraud
winner label on him.

The two Sect Leaders didn't show any emotion when he told them about the beasts. Maybe
they had investigated the cause and controlled the situation, but they did look very invested in
the cave, the tortoise and the sword. Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian cursed when he finished
telling them about the sword and the resentful energy that flew into his body, causing
immense pain in him.

Sect Leader Wei looked at him for a moment before he sighed, rubbing his face with his
palms. Lan Wangji turned to Lan Xichen, whose eyes were misty from hearing the
experience his brother had to endure inside the cave. He took his brother's hand and squeezed
it comfortingly. In front of them, Sect Leader Wei cleared his throat.

"Hanguang-Jun, I invite you to visit my home, Yiling Wei Sect."

Chapter End Notes

Here is a Chinese green bracelet for health, luck and wealth:

Infinity 8 green bracelet
 Chapter 8
Chapter Notes

We will have a lighter chapter with this one, just a life in the Yiling Wei Sect.

“Excuse me?”

“I invite you to my sect as soon as possible. You don’t have to come alone, of course.” Yiling
Laozu said, waving his hand carelessly as he gazed at Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen for a
moment. “I believe I have something to help you, Hanguang-Jun. The medicine you consume
from Wen Qing will not help you survive for a long time. It’s just delaying what will come. I
know because I also drink it.”

The older omega gave Wei Wuxian a sidelong glance. “But you seem fine.”

“The difference between me and your brother, Zewu-Jun, is that my spiritual energy is
completely made from resentful energy; Hanguang-Jun’s spiritual energy, however, is
corrupted by the resentful energy.” He took Lan Wangji’s hand and put the omega’s slender
palm on top of his own. Resentful energy immediately came out from Lan Wangji’s hand and
wrapped around Yiling Laozu’s before it was absorbed into the tan skin. “Wen Qing’s tonic
works depend on someone’s body. I need a constant supply of it, so the tonic will break down
the resentful energy in my body into pieces, giving my body the illusion that it has been fed.
Hanguang-Jun needs to expel the resentful energy out of his body so it won’t corrupt his
golden core and body, so the tonic weakens the resentful energy’s growth and suppresses it in
his body. In time, he needs to expel it or his body will explode.”

“What?” The explanation caused Lan Xichen to jump in astonishment. He looked at his little
omega brother with terror. After removing his hand from over Yiling Laozu's, Lan Wangji
pulled his brother's sleeves and urged him to return to his seat next to him. Lan Xichen took a
deep breath and nodded reassuringly. “And you can help?”

“I have a theory, but I need my work room to make it happen and also Hanguang-Jun, of
course, to test if it works. The choices are he comes to Yiling, or I come to Cloud Recesses
every time I finish a prototype.” Yiling Laozu smiled at the beautiful omegas. His silver mask
glowed under the morning light that escaped from the window. “Or Hanguang-Jun can just
come with me to Yiling. It will make everything easier. I can’t promise how long, though.”

Without making a sound, Lan Wangji's golden eyes gazed at the man for a considerable
amount of time. Lan Xichen appeared extremely concerned next to him, most likely due to
his imagination of the potential dangers of his poor brother entering a demonic cultivator's
territory, let alone staying there indefinitely. It required permission to enter the Yiling Wei
Sect and its settlements since they were shielded from the rest of the cultivated world by a
strong ward.

“You said I didn’t have to come alone.” Lan Wangji confirmed and Yiling Laozu nodded,
crossing his arms in front of his chest. The omega shook his head inwardly after taking a
quick look at his sibling. He couldn't ask for his brother because he was needed in their sect.
He knew that whoever he chose to accompany him, his martial brothers and sisters would
gladly come with him. The problem was that he didn’t have anyone close to him. “I accept.”

“Very well.” The alpha stood up, looking down at the omega. “We’re leaving tomorrow. You
should tell Qinghen-Jun and your companions.”

That night, Lan Wangji was left alone. Lan Xichen was tasked with finding and telling his
father, and with his skill with words, the older omega would persuade Qingheng-Jun. The
younger omega sighed as he combed his dark hair in front of the vanity. This morning was
the first time he conversed with Yiling Laozu without the man averting his gaze from him.
The omega inside him danced happily when he remembered that the usually cold alpha
smiled at him. Maybe this was a start? But the alpha didn’t show any interest other than
helping him. No romantic gesture, no secret hints or flirts.

With a sigh, the omega examined the spiritual bag his brother had prepared for him. For some
reason, he didn't want to bring the several robes and jewellery that were within that pouch—
gifts from alphas throughout the competition—to Yiling Laozu's Sect. He unpacked the
pouch carefully, placing his own clothing and jewellery inside. He took a minute to reflect
while glancing at the exquisite jade bracelet encircling his left wrist. He would leave it at
that.

The next morning, Lan Wangji, the Lan delegation and Nie delegation waited for Yiling Wei
at the gate of Nightless City Palace. Qingheng-Jun and Lan Xichen looked tense, standing on
Lan Wangji’s sides as they watched the dark-robed cultivators arrive with Sect Leader Wen at
the front. He would be accompanied by Lan Dan Xin and Lan Mu Yue during his stay, the
third and fourth disciples of Gusu Lan Sect. Both were omegas. Qingheng-Jun wanted to
send more people with him, but Lan Xichen prevented it, saying that too many disciples
could send a different signal to the demonic cultivator. Sect Leader Wen Qing had assured
their father that if anything happened to Lan Wangji and the two Lan disciples because of
Yiling Wei disciples, including Wei Wuxian, she would take the responsibility. The Nie
delegation stood silently behind the Lan and bowed respectfully when the Yiling Wei Sect
arrived. Words and farewell were exchanged and a large portal appeared in front of them. Lan
Wangji caught Nie Huaisang’s worried eyes and nodded at him before walking into the portal
with his companions.

The portal sent them in front of a glowing ward, cracking threateningly at whoever dared to
break it. Yiling Laozu tapped the ward and it opened, forming a huge hole for everyone to
enter. Calming his racing heart, Lan Wangji stepped into the ward and gasped when they
arrived at a bustling village. As if in command, the villagers froze, turning their heads toward
their small delegation, before cheering and creating a way for them to pass.

People waved at the delegation, which was returned by the Yiling Sect’s disciples with the
same enthusiasm. Young Master Xue Yang sent kisses to a group of young omegas, sending
them into a hysterical scream. If Huaisang were here, he would be proud of his intended’s
popularity rather than be jealous of it. Children ran to Yiling Laozu with flowers in their
hands and broad smiles on their adorable faces. Grandmothers and grandfathers came
forward, petting and pinching the demonic cultivator’s cheek as if he were their own son or
grandson. Brave omegas offered him some bottles of wine, which he accepted gratefully,
praising them as the only thoughtful people among the crowd to know his favourite, as
expected from cute and dependable omegas, he said with a flirtatious tone. He was whacked
on the head by Sect Leader Wen, which earned laughter from the crowd. Judging from the
reaction, it was a regular occurrence. He did it again when another group of omegas shoved
flowers, cakes, or trinkets into his hands.

Lan Wangji frowned at the obvious flirtation. Yiling Laozu, who was aloof and quiet during
the tournament, acted very differently today, acting bold and cheerful. Since this was his
people, perhaps? The two poor Lan disciples were staring at each other, obviously wondering
what they were seeing, when he glanced at his company. Among the excitement, Lan Wangji
felt invisible. No one glanced at him. No one whispered about him. No one shoved things at
him. No one pointed their fingers at him. All attention was focused on the Yiling Laozu and
his disciples and he felt relief.

They stopped at the edge of the market where huge stairs separated it from the other area.
Yiling Laozu raised his hand, stopping everyone from walking and walked up the stairs. He
looked at the gathering crowd with a broad smile and grabbed Xue Yang.

“Everyone, guess what? Our Xue Yang, yes, this Xue Yang,” He patted the scowling alpha,
“won this year's archery competition!”

The crowd roared, clapping and cheering like crazy. With smiles on their lovely faces and
swords under their armpits, Lan Dan Xin and Lan Mu Yue gave a courteous clap. The young
alpha blushed at the attention, and Lan Wangji smiled as warmth and joy surged through his
chest.

“Xue Yang, say something.”

Young Master Xue Yang grinned like a psycho at the crows, fangs visible under the bright
sun. “Worship me.” He said, and the crowd laughed at his confidence. Some people clapped
and threw flowers at him, which Young Master Xue Yang loved.

They proceeded into a dense forest with a relatively wide road bordered by wild flowers.
Given how lovely their path was, one would think they would go to Cloud Recesses if no one
knew they were on their way to the Burial Mound.

“We have many towns and villages. That was Yiling, the closest town to Burial Mound.”
Yiling Laozu explained, turning to Lan Wangji for a moment with a smile. “The people of
Yiling Town took care of me when I was just a street rat. Unfortunately, most of them have
passed away because of old age. Their children and grandchildren are good people supporting
our small sect with everything they have until now. With our towns and villages, we managed
to trade with each other instead of other sects. We have everything here, Hanguang-Jun, from
agriculture to textiles to wine. Everything.”
‘We don’t need you’ was spoken very clearly without saying the words, and Lan Wangji
couldn’t blame him for that. Gusu was big, but it didn’t have all the resources to provide
everything to everyone, given how crowded it was.

“Welcome to my humble abode, Hanguang-Jun and companies.” Yiling Laozu said as they
passed through the blue-lit ward. When they reached a big, exquisite house, Lan Wangji
gaped. The largest structure stood tall, encircled by gardens, ponds, and smaller homes. It
wasn’t as bright as Lotus Pier, but it wasn’t as dark as The Unclean Realm or Nightless City
Palace and it wasn’t definitely calm and quiet like Cloud Recesses.

Unlike the disciples who wore black robes, the people who were working at the ponds and
gardens were wearing more colourful colours. People greeted them with smiles and warm
greetings as they moved deeper and bowed respectfully. They appeared to be pleased to see
them, even though they weren't as boisterous as the villagers. The people grew bolder as they
ventured farther. Many congratulated Xue Yang and Yiling Laozu, claiming to have heard of
the young alpha's triumph. People appeared to act more boldly towards Yiling Laozu and his
followers the closer they got to the main building. When they arrived at the main building, an
old woman ran toward Yiling Laozu and hugged him.

“Granny Wen,” Yiling Laozu greeted, hugging the old woman tightly and playfully lifting the
frail frame off the ground.

Granny Wen? Lan Mu Yue mouthed.

“Oh, A-Xian, you come back with a bride.” The woman claimed loudly, earning the attention
of the people there. It was such an unexpected greeting that Lan Wangji almost choked on his
own spit. Granny Wen dragged his body to stand in front of her, pinching his cheeks and
patting his robes. “You are so beautiful, my dear. Look at you standing straight with your
hand on your back, so proper and elegant. A-Xian, you are so lucky!”

“No, no, no, Granny!” Yiling Laozu pulled her back and started flailing his arms like a
toddler. The woman looked at him, confused, while the Yiling disciples were holding back
their laughter. “This isn’t my bride. This is the Second Young Master Lan Wangji. He’s a
guest.”

“Oh, you two are still courting? Why? You look perfect for each other. Just get married
already. I married my husband when we only knew each other for a few weeks.” Granny Wen
had her hands on her hips as she scolded the demonic cultivator. Yiling Laozu sputtered,
trying to explain why the three Lan disciples were here, especially the one in the middle, the
prettiest one with golden eyes and beautiful headpiece, the alpha said but Granny Wen looked
unconvinced as she glanced at Lan Wangji. Completely ignoring everything he said, she then
scolded him for making her wait this long to see the love of his life and demanded a huge
wedding and many great-grandchildren soon. Lan Wangji tried his best not to blush when
everyone giggled and the alpha groaned in defeat.

With a suppressed smile, Sect Leader Wen placed her hands on the elderly woman's shoulder
and guided her to the house. After clearing his throat, Yiling Laozu ushered them into the
house.
“Welcome to my Burial Mound Manor, Hanguang-Jun. This residence is my personal house.
You will stay at the guest wing on the left side of this building. Xue Yang will lead you there.
You may take some rest, walk in the gardens or just explore this place. I will see you at
dinner, okay. I have some things to do first.” Yiling Laozu said and left with the rest of his
disciples. Young Master Xue Yang grinned at him and gestured for them to follow him
through the left corridor.

“Okay, while we’re walking there. I’ll explain a few things in Burial Mound.” Young Master
Xue Yang said as they passed the third beautiful lotus pond. “Burial Mound Palace is Yiling
Laozu’s residence with a private chamber at the back of it. It is where he accepts his guests
and holds celebrations. If you need to find him, he is usually there or in his workroom. You’ll
see his workroom tomorrow, I think. This place consists of four rings. The closer the ring is
to the Manor, the closer the people are to Yiling Laozu. The fourth ring consists of guards
and gardeners who take care of our gardens and residences near the entrance. Some of the
workers are from a nearby village and only work during the day. The third rings are servants
who take care of laundry and agriculture. The second rings are cooks, healers, academics,
librarians and disciples who have access to all places here to take care of everything related
to their jobs. The first ring is the inner circle, which consists of people who helped Yiling
Laozu build this sect when he was very young; that’s why most of them are middle-aged or
elderly people. Some of them were rough cultivators who served as his advisors and personal
servants. He doesn’t have family, so you can say that the first ring is his family.”

When they got there, they saw a rather big pavilion. Although it wasn't the second-largest
structure there, it was most likely near the third. Three female maids greeted young master
Xue Yang as he entered and turned right. When Lan Wangji saw them, his jaws tightened.

'Three female corpse servants.’ He thought as their pale faces stared at them curiously. It was
really impressive that they had a reasonable level of expressiveness for corpses. Being a
young boy at the time, the omega wasn’t informed about and brought to the war against Wen
Ruohan and his corpse army; nevertheless, he did witness a corpse in Cloud Recesses that his
uncle brought home for him to examine. He sneaked behind his brother’s tall frame.

“We have ten guest rooms. These four rooms are the closest to the next garden that connects
the Burial Mound Manor to the guest pavilion, since I guess Hanguang-Jun wants good
access to our Laozu.” Young Master Xue Yang grinned and winked at the omega. The
corpses giggled with a terrifying grin on their faces. “These are your personal servants. Since
they are corpses, you don’t need to worry about them. You can ask them to do anything from
doing your laundry, helping you bathe, or even as dangerous as sparring with you. Well,
maybe not as good as our disciples, but they are good enough. One servant for each of you if
you want. You’re free to do whatever you wish until dinner.”

Two servants followed Lan Wangji into his chamber while the others followed Lan Dan Xin
and Lan Mu Yue. Being followed -by a human or a corpse- made the omega uneasy, but he
was in someone else's domain, and decorum was crucial to prevent misunderstandings. He
shouldn't challenge the local customs because he was a guest. He wouldn't speak as long as
the corpse didn't go too far.
“What’s your name?” He asked. He raised an eyebrow when the corpse started, blinking
rapidly at him.

“Why do you want to know my name, beautiful Young Master? I’m just a servant, a corpse
nonetheless. No guest has ever bothered to ask before.” She said, smiling at him. Her unusual
red eyes stared at him with a mixture of wonder, maybe. It was hard to deduce how creepy
they were. “My name is Manman, Young Master. I can do everything you ask me to do.”

Lan Wangji nodded and politely asked her to leave. Manman smiled and nodded, giving a
small bell for him if he needed her and saying that she would be at the door outside. The
omega stared at the bell for a moment and put it inside his sleeve. He hung his robes inside a
massive closet in the corner after unpacking his spiritual pouch. The room was the same size
as the guest room in Cloud Recesses, although it was not as spacious as the ones in Lanling
Jin or Nightless City. He completed unpacking and then went to the large window to see the
garden that Young Master Xue had mentioned. There was a tiny gazebo and a traditional
fountain in the lovely yard. His eyes followed the hard path which began from the front door
to the garden to the Burial Mound Manor. Lan Wangji’s sharp eyes notice a building behind
the Burial Mound Manor, hiding slightly behind green bamboos.

After spending his time playing his guqin and meditating, Lan Wangji called Manman to
prepare him a bath before dinner. As he stripped behind the privacy screen, he pretended to
busy himself with the liquid soap as he threw his first question.

“How long have you been working here, Manman? You look so young.”

“I have been working here for eight years, and I am eighteen years old, Young Master. Yiling
Laozu found my corpse on a cliff when he passed. I was thrown by a man who raped me.” It
was very disturbing to hear such a story being told casually. Maybe she didn’t think of it
anymore.

It turned out that one simple question was what Lan Wangji needed to gather information
about Yiling Laozu and his closest family. Yiling Laozu sheltered Sect Leader Wen’s family
in Burial Mound before helping Wen Mo Fang, Sect Leader Wen Qing’s father. Together,
they took down Wen Ruohan and Sect Leader Wen Mo Fang helped build the Yiling Wei
Sect, which became a heaven for rough cultivators and people who sought new life. It started
with Yiling town, and it flourished unexpectedly. With the Jiang Sect still recovering from the
war, many villages and towns that were closer to Yiling than Yunmeng chose to be under the
rule of Yiling Laozu, expanding the ward further. Yiling Laozu ruled with an iron fist, killing
corrupted officials in public to warn everyone who tried to take advantage of his generosity,
whipping criminals and torturing unjust people. However, despite his violent tendencies, as
long as you were good people, he would be very kind to you. When corrupt and unjust people
diminished, the crime rate dropped to zero and everyone was flourishing. Celebrations were
held so excessively and gifts were given. Yiling Laozu was also seen blending, joking,
flirting, and celebrating with everyone, gathering trust and loyalty from his people.

Lan Wangji began to understand why they wanted to stay away from the cultivator world,
which is full of those sick people with their dirty politics, manipulative tendencies, and greed
for wealth and power. He didn’t want those bastards to taint what he had built.
Granny Wen was Sect Leader Wen Qing’s grandmother from his mother's side. When the rest
of the Dafan Wen family moved to the Nightless City Palace, the old grandmother chose to
stay here with several others, claiming that Yiling Laozu needed someone to take care of him.
To be honest, she didn't want to cause her family any hardship. Bringing her would prolong
the trip because she was elderly and required more care than the other remnants, particularly
because his knees were not as strong as they once were. She was so precious and everyone
loved her, especially the children who were spoiled rotten if they were around her. Her
position in the Yiling Wei Sect was equal to a Dowager in a Kingdom.

There was also Xiao Xingchen, Yiling Laozu’s uncle and second in command, who took care
of everything when the Laozu was away. He was the purest and kindest person Manman I had
ever known. Yiling Laozu even ordered everyone to put him at the first rank when it came to
respect in the Sect, then Granny Wen and then Yiling Laozu himself. Besides, the Laozu’s ire,
they would endure his husband’s fury, the terrifying Song Zichen or Song Lan, who was the
head of the security, Yiling Laozu’s first general. This couple were also the ones who brought
Xue Yang into their sect after the boy stole Xiao Xingchen’s money pouch with his sister.
There was also a Head of the healers, a Head Cook and others. Their names went over his
head.

After bathing, Lan Wangji met with Lan Dan Xin and Lan Mu Yue to take a walk in the
garden since the sun hadn’t set yet. The place was busy with people walking around in
hurried steps, some holding trays of food and wines, clearly preparing for tonight's feast. The
sound of laughter brought the three Lan disciples to the small pond and garden to the east of
the Burial Mound Manor, and they saw a bunch of children wearing their best clothes and
playing some game. When they noticed the omegas were watching them, they froze.

“So pretty,” some whispered. It broke the spell, and soon Lan Wangji found himself
surrounded by the children who were awing and oohing at them, touching his beautiful robes
and long hair. Lan Dan Xin had a girl holding her hand, swinging their joined hands together,
while Lan Mu Yue had some boys touching her sword.

“Pretty-Gege, play with us.” A small girl with two cute buns tugged on Lan Wangji’s long
sleeve. Soon, the children shouted over their friends, each demanding different things.

“Yeah, let’s play princesses and dragons, JieJie.”

“Or the Yiling Laozu versus Wen Ruohan. You can be the ethereal God who granted Yiling
Laozu his power.”

“You have a sword, Pretty-JieJie. Can we watch you train?”

“Can you sing, Pretty-Gege? Pretty people sing well.”

“Wow, where do you come from, Gege? Can I come with you?”

“You shouldn’t disturb them, you rascals! That’s the great Hanguang-Jun and his amazing
friends, you know.” Yiling Laozu’s voice snapped all heads toward his direction. The
children squealed and left them to throw themselves at the leader of the Sect. Laughter and
giggling filled the garden as Yiling Laozu was buried under the multitude of happy children.
The man held two children on his shoulders like sacks of potatoes, and something was
missing on his face.

Yiling Laozu didn’t wear his silver mask. Lan Wangji felt like his breath was taken away.

In front of him was a very handsome man with high cheekbones and strong jaws. There was a
beauty mark under his lips and some cuts on his jaw. Without the silver mask, the grey eyes
shone bright under the afternoon sunlight, twinkling and sparkling with mischief and life,
Lan Wangji had never seen before. He looked so young despite being much older than Lan
Wangji. If he calculated it, his brother was three years older than he and Yiling Laozu was
five years older than his brother. Being a cultivator had its perks, including looking youthful,
but the alpha looked like he was around Lan Wangji’s age.

“A token for you if you want to enter my work room. It’s sealed with a special talisman and
ward for, uh, special purpose.” Yiling Laozu offered a black pendant to the omega, children
still hanging on his back and legs. The omega remained motionless, gazing at the nude face
with his golden eyes. The alpha shook the pendant in front of the omega's face and arched an
eyebrow. Accepting it, Lan Wangji blinked and cleared his throat before bowing and
mumbling his gratitude. The alpha took the smallest child and bounced him in his arms.
“What was with the stare? Oh, is this handsome face charming you already, Hanguang-Jun?
You must be. Wei-Gege is the best Gege, right?”

“Right!” The children shouted dutifully.

“The kindest Gege, right?”

“Right!”

“The most handsome Gege, right?”

“…”

Yiling Laozu tsked and stared down at the little people with a disappointed expression. He
flicked their foreheads playfully as he pouted at them. “Oi, why are you so quiet? Don’t you
agree that I’m the most handsome Gege?”

“I don’t know. Song Lan-Gege is the most handsome.” A little girl in pink robes shrugged.

“Yeah, yeah. He is. Xue Yang-Gege is handsome too, right?” A boy with green robes nodded
in agreement.

A small boy with grey robes and a black shash had his hands on his waist. “You’re wrong!
The most handsome Gege is me, A-Ping. Right, Pretty-Gege?” Six pairs of eyes looked up at
him. The little boy, A-Ping, stood in front of him, looking up with his huge brown eyes and
grinned charmingly. The two Lan behind him smiled, so used to the cute act used as a
weapon back then in Cloud Recesses.

“No, it was me! Right, Pretty-Gege?” Another boy shouted confidently, raising his small
hand in the air.
Yiling Laozu grinned and patted the two boys while looking at the omega expectedly. “So,
what is Hanguang-Jun’s judgement? Who is the most handsome? Me, Song Lan, A-Pin or A-
Shao here?”

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Lan Wangji said shortly. He noticed the children
blinked before they pouted and wrinkled their noses in reaction to his response. The children
started whispering among themselves, heads shaking, shoulders shrugging, and the female
omegas behind him giggled softly at the cute, puzzled faces in front of them.

“What does it mean?”

“I don’t know.”

“So? Who is the most handsome? I don’t understand.”

“Pretty-Gege's answer sounds weird but smart, so unlike Wei Gege’s answer.”

“Yeah, Wei Gege’s answers are always so silly, like planting us in soil so we can grow taller.”

“Very silly.”

“Hey, that’s so rude.” Yiling Laozu slapped the boy’s head playfully before grinning at the
stunning omega.“Hanguang-Jun, your words are too complicated for their small brains. What
Hanguang-Jun means is that all of you are pretty. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Now,
scram. The dinner will be ready soon and we don’t want your mother to scold you because
your beautiful robes are dirty. Shoo!”

The children ran away, giggling and shouting about the delicious dinner. Yiling Laozu
watched until the children were out of their view before turning around, facing Lan Wangji.
The omega's golden eyes stared into a pair of lovely grey ones, so full of life and so different
from the cold stare he received during the archery competition. With a small smile, Yiling
Lazou gestured with his hand for them to walk first. Bowing in respect, Lan Wangji walked
forward, heading toward the Burial Manor with a puzzled mind.

Yiling Laozu hid in his office the following morning, leaving Lan Wangji to set Sect Leader
Wen off at the gate. The female Sect Leader had given him and Wei Wuxian a large box of
vials to drink -twice a day for him and once a week for Yiling Laozu- and some meditation
books for him to read. She said that since Burial Mound was the centre of resentment energy,
his health would be better here than any place in the world. The energy, unfortunately, would
always be a permanent part of him forever. The only solution was draining out a large amount
of energy regularly. That was what Yiling Laozu was trying to figure out.

‘I only know one very effective method, but you two won’t agree to it.’ She said, sighing.
Whatever she meant by that.

Lan Wangji wasn’t easily impressed. His brother said that because he could almost do
everything that other people do. Almost was the key word here because he was certain he
couldn’t do what he witnessed when he was in this lair. He had witnessed the red ward of
Yiling Sects, a huge dome covering numerous towns and villages, then a blue ward which
protected the main sect of Burial Mound, and now a black ward which protected the Yiling
Laozu’s workroom.

When he arrived, the building looked like an ordinary house, visible to everyone. It wasn’t
until he passed through the circles very close to the building that he saw a black ward
covering the work room. It looked like a giant black egg. He took out the pendant Wei
Wuxian had given him and the ward reacted.

The omega became a little alarmed when the ward cracked. He backed a few paces, and
gradually the ward created a hole that was big enough for one person. As he slipped inside,
the ward vanished and turned transparent once more as if nothing had occurred. Lan Wangji
wondered how powerful Yiling Laozu was to be able to form so many powerful wards and
maintain them. Lan Wangji was sure he couldn’t do it, not even his father, the most powerful
cultivator he knew. He was totally impressed.

The omega opened the door and Yiling Laozu was sitting on a stone table at the centre of the
room. The room wasn’t bright, and only half of it was lit by the sunlight from the windows.
The alpha’s face brightened as he approached him. He raised a black sword from the table.

“Do you remember this sword?” He asked and Lan Wangji shook his head. The alpha
chuckled and twirled the sword dangerously in his hand. “This is a sword which was found
beside your body inside the cave, Hanguang-Jun. I noticed that it has resentful energy in it, so
I brought it with me when I brought you back.”

Lan Wangji gasped and blinked at him. “You were the one who rescued me. I apologise. I
haven’t said thank you.” The omega immediately bowed deeply and wanted to hit his own
head as realisation hit him.

“No need. I was in the area when I met Xue Yang when he escaped with the others. You have
great friends, Hanguang-Jun. They were really worried about you, I have to say, tough, you
were so light, too skinny. You needed to eat more.” The alpha grinned playfully when his
grey eyes looked at the omega. Lan Wangji felt his cheek warm. If he could say that, then the
alpha had carried him in his arms, right?

Yiling Laozu examined the sword carefully, grey eyes moved from its tip to the handle,
fingers traced the sharp blade with huge interest. Tendrils of resentful energy immediately
came out from the blade and wrapped themselves around the sect leader’s arm. The alpha
looked up at the omega and smiled reassuringly. “I’m going to create something especially
for you, Hangung-Jun, with the source of the resentment in your body.”

Lan Wangji could only bow gratefully. He watched the demonic cultivator draw several
interesting pictures for a moment, staring at his serious face. Was this the face beneath the
silver mask during the archery competition? Serious. Maybe, since there were many
spectacles at that time. The omega's golden eyes moved from the alpha's handsome face to
his neck. There were several scars there, barely visible unless you were close. Most
importantly, there were no bite marks, so he was single. The omega blinked at the sudden
thought. What was he thinking about that?
As Yiling Laozu continued his drawing, several papers were blown by the wind and fell to
the floor. The omega immediately stood up, bent down to retrieve them and handed them to
the creator.

"Thank you," They froze when they realised how close they were, just two centimetres away
from each other. The omega could feel his warm breath on his face and the heated gaze in his
eyes. Yiling Laozu took a deep breath, their scents were probably mixing together. Lan
Wangji's heart beat faster when the alpha immediately closed his eyes, and his grip on his
brush tightened significantly. So tight that it broke into two.

"You need to leave." The alpha stood up, walking toward a rack full of books. He didn't do
anything, just gripping the wood with his hands, veins visible on the back of his hands. "I-I
need a clear head to work."

Lan Wangji bowed and left. He was still allowed to stay in the workroom with the cultivator,
with some distance between them, only coming near him when he discovered something or
needed him for the experiment. Was his scent that unappealing for the alpha? Knowing his
place, the omega decided to occupy himself reading scrolls and books that were available in
the room. But he started to worry when a week and a half had gone by with no improvement.

His golden eyes scanned the training ground where Lan Dan Xin and Lan Mu Yue were
sparring with Young Master Xue Yang and his disciples. During their time here, Lan Wangji
had given them complete freedom to do as they pleased. They had no obligation to care for
him because they were his friends and not his servants. He had Manman with him for that.
The young female corpse had been a wonderful company for him in silence. The two omegas
took it very well, wandering the huge sects with Yiling Wei disciples, training with them,
visiting the healing pavilion, and even playing with adorable children.

Only two days after their arrival, he could vividly recall the conversation they had that
evening. Knowing full well that he was well above them in rank, the two were extremely
stiff about him. After the supper, Lan Wangji surprised the omegas by making them tea and
sharing some smuggled snacks. He said simply that he was craving sweets before bed and he
thought they should eat together since they were friends. The atmosphere melted immediately
and soon the two females began gossiping about the place, the disciples and the sect leader.
They would make good companions for Huaisang. Lan Wangji opted to listen, gathering
some information here and there.

The omega’s golden eyes went to where Yiling Laozu’s office room stood proudly behind the
Burial Mound Manor. He tried his best not to comment every time he was in the workroom.
He even tried not to go there every day so he wouldn't be seen as He didn’t a nagging guest.
Sometimes, he would take the lunch from the servant and bring it to the sect leader himself.
Inside the room, Yiling Laozu would focus on destroying the blade and assembling it into
some form of artefact. Then, when the alpha noticed him, he would grab his wrist and sit him
down beside him. Then, his wrist would be wrapped in a talisman. A shapeless item made
from several pieces of a blunt blade was put in his palm. Spiritual energy was then infused
into his palm.

Sometimes, nothing happened and he was sent away immediately. Sometimes-

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Explosions would shake the Yiling Wei Sect, followed by dark smoke covering the place.
Thunderous footsteps ran toward the workroom. Granny Wen then would shake her head as
she looked at the smoke and broken building with a scowl. Then Lan Wangji and Wei
Wuxian would come out of the black smoke with a guilty expression on their faces like
children caught in mischief.

It was almost his bedtime when Manman left the room and left Lan Wangji combing his hair
in front of his vanity. His hair was down his back, untied from its customary tight knot or
ribbon, and he was wearing his plain white inner robes. Breeze, playing with his thin robes
and dark hair, came in through the open window of his room. Sighing, Lan Wangji stood up
and walked toward the window, looking up at the bright silver moon. His eyes shifted from
the moon to the silhouette of Yiling Laozu’s work room. His mind flew back to what
happened earlier when they left that building together.

It was raining so hard since early afternoon that the atmosphere in the Burial Mound was
sombre. There was no busy sound or children’s laughter throughout the day; only corpse
servants and guards were walking around doing errands. Thus, Lan Wangji had been locked
inside Yiling Laozu’s workroom for almost the whole day and it drove him crazy. The alpha
had put some distance as usual. However, when they left together that night, when the rain
finally stopped, there was a small flood outside the workroom. The path leading to the
building was lower than the ground around it and with concrete, the water couldn’t be
absorbed.

Lan Wangji frowned as he looked at the water and his robes. It was such a great morning
with bright sunlight, so he wore a set of rather elaborate robes he had with a rather long
train, a gift from his brother. He regretted it now. Sighing, he put his Bichen into his spiritual
pouch before bending down, trying to gather the train into his arm.

“What’s wrong?”

“The path is flooded.”

“Yes, and?” The alpha asked curiously.

“My bottom robes will get wet.”

“Ah, so Hanguang-Jun is just like other omegas after all.” Yiling Laozu chuckled, amused.
Lan Wanji almost rolled his eyes and looked up to say something. However, before he could
open his mouth, Lan Wangji felt strong arms on his back and under his knees and he was
lifted, face crashing onto a broad hard chest. Gasping in surprise, the omega immediately
wrapped his arms around the alpha’s neck. His golden eyes stared at the handsome face very
close to his own and he could hear his inner omega howling happily inside him.

“This way, you won’t worry about your robes being wet.” The alpha walked past the path
with the omega in his arms. Feeling so safe, Lan Wangji put his head on his shoulder and
took a deep breath. Familiar, smoky and spicy scent filled his nose and it calmed his mind.
The alpha put him down in front of his room, right before Manman, who looked at the two
with a mischievous smile. The alpha grinned at her and left the place after wishing the omega
a good night.

Lan Wangji gazed at the enormous building in the middle of the compound, Yiling Laozu’s
private residence, Burial Mound Manor. His room was somewhere inside, probably at the
back, near the workroom. What was the alpha doing right now? Was he thinking about Lan
Wangji?

Which one was his genuine reaction when it came to him? The ones when he clenched his fist
and shouted for him to get lost? Or the one when he smiled warmly and carried him in his
arms? The cold aloof alpha, or this bright warm one?

Come to think of it, after ignoring him during the archery competition, Yiling Laozu finally
took an interest in him after the incident, which caused his body to host a large amount of
resentful energy. Was that the reason why? Was all of this because of the dark energy inside
him? If Lan Wangji died or lost all the dark energy, would Yiling Laozu still treat him the
same way?

The omega took a deep breath and closed his eyes, feeling dizzy. He had never had these
many unanswered questions in his life before and it drained all his energy.

His eyes noticed the jade bracelet around his wrist and he gently took it off. Despite his
fluttering heart every time Yiling Laozu was in his view, they both barely interacted during
the archery competition. The longest interaction they had was the fight under the moonlight.
In addition, his cold attitude toward the omega made Lan Wangji sure that the famous alpha
found him undesirable. Therefore, he looked the other way, and there Young Master Yi was
standing and smiling at him. He was seeing him as more than an omega, treating him with
respect he deserved and giving him affection he liked, not too much but not too little. A
perfect balance he craved. So was it his fault if he began to give the alpha a chance?

His mind said a name, but his heart said another.

Even if his heart kept longing for the Yiling Laozu, did the alpha even feel the same?

Lan Wangji peeked from the scroll about resentful energy manipulation, which consisted of
detailed descriptions and explanations, written directly by Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian, judging
from the horrible handwriting. The omega had seen his writing, so he knew. However,
despite the interesting content, his golden eyes were drawn to the demonic cultivator who
was curled up in the corner of the room, busy hitting something with his hammer. The alpha
had been there for hours without moving.

Second Young Master Lan almost jumped from his seat when Yiling Laozu shouted in
excitement and ran toward him in a flash. The older man grinned and grabbed his hand,
putting something in his palm. It was a metal, shaped like a cat or a tiger. It was clearly
unfinished with its rough edges, unshapen lumps and small holes.

“This is?”
“This is what will save you, Hanguang-Jun. I’ll make it to the most practical shape so you
can hold it easily and hopefully hide it easily as well inside that long sleeve of yours or
disguise it as a token or headpiece. It still looks rough because I haven’t finished it yet. See
the line here. I’ll make it so it can be split into two, so you have a spare. I will make one half
powerful enough for you. I’ll explain to you when I have finished this, okay, so everything
will make more sense.” Yiling Laozu grinned at Lan Wangji and he spun the item on his
palm. The omega looked up to the alpha, staring at the sparking of life in those proud pair of
grey eyes.

“What is it called?”

“Yīn Hǔ Fú, Yin Tiger Tally.”

 Chapter 9

Yiling Laozu was harassed by Head Healer Qianlong to take a break after working in the
workroom for days. The physician suggested that he would benefit from some fresh air, and
the alpha abruptly exited the room without asking any questions. Healer Qianlong was an
apprentice of Sect Leader Wen Qing, Manman informed Lan Wangji, and he had learnt the
needlework which greatly frightened him.

As they strolled around the sect, Yiling Laozu pointed at his people's works and praised them
heavily. The omega could feel how much love the demonic cultivator had for these people,
regardless of which ring they belonged to. Once in a while, when they passed the sect's fruit
garden, the alpa would pick apples, grapes and other fruits for Lan Wangji, who accepted it
gratefully. It reminded him of Cloud Recesses' garden, even though the majority of plants that
were grown there were herbs.

As they passed the homes in the second circle, they saw relaxed disciples mingling with their
families. They stood up and bowed while children were running around them, giggling as
they yelled their sect leader's title. Yiling Laozu would laugh and sometimes lift the loudest
child, earning shrieks from them. As he observed from the sidelines, Lan Wangji grinned,
recalling the families he frequently saw at Cloud Recesses.

They were about to enter the third circle when Granny Wen and a flustered young woman
were walking fast, excitedly. The young woman had an amused but apologetic smile on her
face as Granny Wen stopped in front of them.

"A-Ying, A-Ying's bride, look at what we just finished." Granny Wen happily pulled out two
pieces of fabric from the young woman’s hands. Besides Lan Wangji, Yiling Laozu sighed,
rubbing his temples.

"Granny, his name is Lan Wangji or Hanguang-Jun. He's not my bride." He murmured rather
desperately, but Granny Wen, like always, didn’t listen. Lan Wangji was suspicious that she
didn't want to listen. The old woman turned to the young woman behind her and observed
whatever she was holding.

Lan Wangji tilted his head as he heard the unfamiliar name. "A-Ying?"

"It's my name,” The alpha said, turning to the omega and bowing deeply. “Wei Ying, courtesy
name Wei Wuxian. You can start calling me that, Hanguang-Jun."

"Lan Zhan, courtesy name Lan Wangji."

"A-Ying and A-Zhan, what a wonderful pair of names. If we go to Wen Zhuo, she will tell
you the best date to marry. Here, here, I made this for you." Granny Wen grinned widely and
shoved a square cloth into Lan Wangji’s hands while a long, harder piece into Wei Wuxian's
hands. For a minute, Lan Wangji gazed at the exquisitely embroidered crimson cloth in his
hands, glanced at the young woman who giggled behind her hands and glanced at Wei
Wuxian, who rubbed his face with his palm, covering his slightly red face.
Granny Wen took the fabric from Lan Wangji’s hand and spread it out, showing the beautiful
details of the embroidery of phoenix, lotus, and clouds. "It's a wedding veil. I purchased the
best fabric for you, A-Xian's bride. I sewed it myself with the help of A-Mei here. We asked
around about Gusu and they said that you live in Cloud Recesses, so I added cloud to the
design. I love Phoenix. It symbolises strength and reborn that I hope, whatever happens in the
future with both of you, you will stay strong and reborn again, just like a phoenix. Lotus is A-
Xian’s favourite flower. For A-Xian, I made that belt with the same design so you two will
complete each other. They are beautiful, aren't they?"

Lan Wangji’s golden eyes stared at the happy and sincere face of the old woman. He looked
down at the hands which were caressing the veil and noticed several bandages on her
wrinkled fingers. This woman had loved Yiling Laozu very much that she made him
something precious. Lan Wangji might not be the one who deserved all the love and hope
Granny Wen was looking for, but for now, let him grant the old woman’s wish.

Therefore, before Yiling Laozu opened his mouth, the omega accepted the veil and bowed
lowly. “Lan Wangji is thankful for Granny Wen’s gift. They are very beautiful."

"Such a wonderful boy." Granny Wen took Lan Wangji’s hands and gently raised him. She
patted the omega’s cheeks as she stared at him with glassy eyes as if she was about to cry at
any moment. “Please, take care of A-Ying.”

They both watched A-Mei, the young woman, lead the happy Granny Wen away from them
to her home silently. Once in a while, the old woman would turn around and Wei Wuxian
would grin and wave at her. They didn’t say anything until the two females disappeared
behind a house.

"You don't have to do that, you know. She'll forget soon when she doesn't see you for a week.
Her dementia is getting worse with age."

"I don't mind. She is a wonderful grandmother. She loves you very much. I don't want to see
her sad."

"Well, you can keep it if you want. As a souvenir, when you return to your sect.” Yiling
Laozu Wei Wuxian said, looking at the veil in Lan Wangji’s hand. He put the belt into his
robe and walked ahead with a smile. Lan Wangji didn’t say anything as he folded the veil. It
was indeed very beautiful, which made him wonder how skilful Granny Wen had to be when
she was young. He had learnt that the Wen Sect was divided into several branches. The two
most famous branches were Qishan, which was famous for its cultivators and Dafan, which
was famous for its healers. Granny Wen was Sect Leader Wen Qing’s grandmother and she
came from the Dafan Wen branch. Maybe Granny Wen was married into the Dafan Wen
branch.

They stopped when they reached a stream. The water was crystal clear, glittering under the
sunlight. Around the stream were green trees, wild flowers and wild birds. This place
reminded him very much of his sect and with the gentle sound of water and warm sunlight,
this place was suitable for meditation. Yiling Laozu sat beneath a tree and lay down.
"This is my favourite place, Hanguang-Jun. Peaceful, isn't it? I bet you like this place." He
smiled at the omega. Lan Wangji let out a 'hn' and sat down beside him. The two stayed silent
side by side, enjoying the calmness around them.

Their quiet time was interrupted by the excited screaming of children, and in just a few
seconds, five giggling four to five-year-olds appeared on the path with an angry man running
and screaming playfully behind them. Lan Wangji blinked and pressed his lips together to
prevent a laugh that almost escaped when they were finally in his view. Young Master Xue
Yang was covered from head to toes in white stuff, which Lan Wangji guessed was flour. His
robes were wet, making the flour stick like disgusting liquid in his robes and on his body. The
giggling children ran behind Yiling Laozu at first for protection, but the man was too busy
bending down, laughing like a mad man. Since they were smart, they turned their direction to
Lan Wangji, clinging to his white robes while shouting, 'Help us, Pretty Gege!'

Young Master Xue Yang gave the laughing alpha a flat stare for a moment before glaring at
the children behind the omega. The small people shrieked, both in delight and scared,
spreading Lan Wangji's outer robes to cover all of them. It looked so ridiculous. Lan Wangji
loved it.

“I’ll eat all of you for dinner tonight.” Young Master Xue Yang threatened, but knowing full
well it was an empty threat, the children just kept giggling. The bravest one, a young boy
around five, raised the outer robe over his head and grinned.

“We’re sorry, Yang-Gege,” He said without any trace of sorrow in his voice.” It was meant
for Ning-Gege, but you were on our way.”

“You’re lucky you’re behind Hanguang-Jun. If you were behind this stupid laughing alpha, I
would throw him out of my way and grab all of you.”

“Hey!” Wei Wuxian stopped laughing to glare at the young alpha. His glare wasn’t effective
with the amused tone in his voice. He glanced at the children before walking toward the
fuming Xue Yang. “Good job, everyone, for finding the perfect cover to avoid the danger in
front of you.” He gave them a thumbs-up, which made Lan Wangji let out a very small smile.

Wei Wuxian then wrapped his arm around Young Master Xue Yang, ignoring the dirt that
began staining his black robes and led the grumbling alpha away, winking at the children as
he did so. Lan Wangji looked down to see that he children were still using his outer robes as a
shield and gently prayed it off their little fingers. Five adorable, innocent faces looked up to
him and for a moment, he found himself admiring these cheerful children. Widening his
smile a little, he knelt down in front of them.

“You should apologise to Young Master Xue Yang. Ah ah-“ He raised his hand when the
boldest child opened his mouth. “You didn’t do it on purpose is why you should apologise to
him. He had important jobs to do, but because of you, he had to delay them. He has to endure
a prank meant for someone else. You do realise what his job is, right?”

“He is our guard,” The littlest child, a girl around four, said in a small voice. Guilt was
dripping from her tone.
“Yes, and do you know how important that job is?” Five small heads nodded in unison as Lan
Wangji’s sharp eyes scanned all of them. “Very good. Therefore, what should you do when
you see him again?”

“Say sorry. We'll say sorry after we take a bath, Pretty Gege.” The boldest boy said. Lan
Wangji patted their head, murmuring praise. The children’s faces brightened immediately,
and one by one, they hugged Lan Wangji’s legs. The tallest of them took the omega’s hands
and dragged him to the main village, skipping all the way there.

Lan Wangji felt his ears burn as they entered the village and caught everyone’s attention.
There were smiles on the elders' faces when they passed them. Lan Wangji bowed his head
politely, sending the elder men and women to smile wider before whispering with each other
rapidly. Eavesdropping was forbidden, so Lan Wangji quickened his pace. He nodded at older
disciples who were training at the training ground, waving madly at him while screaming his
name. If this happened in Cloud Recesses, his uncle would turn purple from anger. The
children shouted back, giggling when some disciples blew them kisses. They seemed to
arrive at the children's houses as half of them ran toward a row of houses near the second
ring. Half of them slammed opened their door and yelled for their parents, ready to take a
bath. Lan Wangji watched the family for a while before turning around and returning to his
chamber.

Late in the afternoon, Lan Wangji was wearing his thin robe and had just finished his bath
when he felt a sharp pain in his head. With a gasp, he hit the nearby table, causing it to fall to
the ground along with the pot and glasses. His stomach clenched and his chest tightened. His
golden eyes eyed the box near his bed and he tried to reach it.

“Young Master!” Manman ran inside the chamber, pulled the omega into her arms and
slapped his pale cheeks lightly, calling for him. Lan Wangji coughed and felt his headache
increase when he saw red spots on Manman’s sleeve. If she could, Manman would have
screamed in horror. She lifted Lan Wangji and carried him to the bed before running out of
the room. She came back minutes later with Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian.

The demonic cultivator ordered the servant to grab the box and cursed when the box was
empty. He placed his palm on Lan Wangji’s forehead and a very cold energy entered his head.
The omega groaned when it spread uncomfortably throughout his body. He breathed heavily
and felt nothing.

He woke up the next morning with Manman playing with the cups with an innocent smile on
his face. His expression softened as the young girl playfully hit the ceramics with a small
wooden chopstick, creating a beautiful melody. She should have had a life full of laughter
with girls her age, dancing, playing music, going to festivals, or chasing after her love life.
Yet, she was a victim of a cruel act.

“Young Master, you awake.” She stood up and took a small vial from his medicine box. Lan
Wangji gripped her arm as she helped him sit up to drink the vial.

“Yiling Laozu immediately sent an urgent message to Sect Leader Wen asking for a huge
dose of medicine. Young Master doesn’t have to worry if you run out of them again. He said
that the Young Master’s sickness is special and needs a special treatment directly from Sect
Leader Wen. I pray for Young Master to get well soon.” Manman said as she stared at the
pale omega. Lan Wangji turned his gaze to the corpse and gave her a small smile.

“Thank you.” He whispered softly. He took a deep breath as he felt the vial starting to show
its effect. The omega glanced at the window and saw that the sun was high already. “I slept
for a long time.”

“You did, Young Master. Fifteen hours. It’s nine in the morning now. After Yiling Laozu
treated you, uh, I didn’t know what he did but he put his hand on your forehead and it
glowed. Anyway, you felt unconscious.” After getting a pot of water and a cloth, Manman
soaked the cloth in the cool water and used it to wipe Lan Wangji's face. The omega avoided
her hand, grabbed the cloth from her gently, and used it to clean his face on his own. Manman
simply grinned and got to her feet. “He asked me to take care of you, Young Master. He
wants you to take a rest today. I will bring your breakfast, okay.”

“Hn.”

The breakfast came right after Lan Wangji changed into a new set of robes with Lan Dan Xin
and Lan Ming Yue. Since Lan Wangji was unable to provide them with any information, he
could only reassure them that he was simply feeling under the weather as a result of working
too hard with Yiling Laozu to complete the project they were working on. He patted Lan Dan
Xin’s hand gently when she looked at him with doubt on her pretty face. Knowing that he
wouldn’t say anything else, the two omegas sighed and nodded.

After sitting down with them, Lan Wangji asked about their plans for the day. He hid his
smile behind his cup when the two omegas launched to a chaotic plan of kicking Yiling Wei
best disciples’ asses in this afternoon practice completely ignoring the fact that that eating
while speaking was forbidden. Well, they weren’t at Cloud Recesses anyway. He could
ignore the rules for now.

Yīn Hǔ Fú or Yin Tiger Tally was a strange artefact in a good way. Its shape was not exactly
unique but how it could be split into two parts and had the same power, which meant if it was
in its original one true form, it would be quite powerful. Lan Wangji stared at the unfinished
artefact silently. Yiling Laozu was meters away from him, creating some new seals to be
added to the tally. His eyes bounced from the tally to the busy cultivator and back to the tally.

“Sect Leader Wei?”

“Hm?”

"This Yīn Hǔ Fú collects the resentment energy inside it, right?"

"Yes, it traps the energy inside and neutralises it; therefore, you don't have to worry about it
being full. It balances your energy with the natural energy around you, so it should be with
you all the time. It doesn't have to be on your body, but as long as it is near you, it's enough.
Once a week, or when you feel an unnatural headache, grab it and infuse your energy into it.
Do not stop until your headache is gone."
Lan Wangji took the artefact and observed it closely. There was a line, a mark where Yiling
Laozu would cut it in half later. There were small holes on top of the tiger’s head, maybe they
were for his resentful energy to enter. "Can we let it out before it is neutralised?"

"Of course, but only three days after it is inside. More than that, the energy will be
neutralised already. Why?" Wei Wuxian took the artefact from his hand and turned it around.
“I will lock your spiritual energy here. Do you know that Lan’s spiritual energy is regarded as
the purest among all. Maybe that’s why your golden core isn’t wholly corrupted. I have to
say, Hanguang-Jun, that your spiritual energy is the purest among all of them. It will help
with the neutralisation.” The alpha took his hand and put it on Lan Wangji’s palm. They
watched as a very thin tendril of spiritual energy leaked from Lan Wangji’s finger and danced
around the tally. "It reacts well toward its previous container.” He added and extended his
finger. The tendril then moved toward the demonic cultivator’s finger and it disappeared,
absorbed by him.

"The sword in the cave was a container of the resentment energy in my body. Someone with
bad intentions locked resentment energy in this sword. This was why you wandered around
the archery arena. You were looking for the sword. However, before you found it, this sword
caused that disciple to be possessed." Lan Wangji fired question after question, suddenly
feeling excited by the mystery behind Yiling Laozu's weirdness at that time.

"True, false and I don't know." Yiling Laozu answered, waving his finger at the omega.
"Somebody locked the resentment energy in this sword is true. Was it a bad person with a bad
intention? I don't know. This sword was why I wandered around the archery arena is false.
Did this sword cause the disciple to be possessed? I don't know."

"Then what did you investigate during the tournament?" Lan Wangji pushed and almost
leaned over when Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian opened his mouth to reply, before he caught
himself. The alpha leaned over and pinched Lan Wangji's cheek playfully. The omega jumped
in surprise, hand on his cheek.

"That information is not for you." The alpha said before he tilted his head and looked at his
fingers. "Oh, wow. Your cheek is so chubby, Hanguang-Jun. Let me pinch it again. It's so
squeezy." The alpha extended his hand to reach for the omega's cheek but the omega slapped
his hand and took several steps back, which caused the alpha to laugh. Lan Wangji narrowed
his eyes as Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian walked to the corner of the room, pouring a cup of
water.

"What exactly happened to my body? I always thought ordinary cultivator would die when
their golden core is corrupted by powerful resentment energy."

"You are not an ordinary cultivator. You have the purest spiritual energy I have ever seen,
Hanguang-Jun. I don't know what kind of routine you have back at your Sect, but your
discipline creates the most extraordinary spiritual energy. That energy saves you from being
one hundred per cent corrupted."

"But I'm still corrupted."

"Yup. No one is perfect, you know. Even the resentment in my body has a bad effect."
"Why did the resentment react, escape and enter my body? Would it happen to someone
else?"

Yiling Laozu smiled and leaned as if he was about to give a secret answer. "Because it likes
you. I know from experience." He poured another cup of water, drank it and stared at the
china silently.

Lan Wangji carefully walked toward the table near Wei Wuxian and poured himself a cup of
water. Slowly, he sat down at the empty chair. When Wei Wuxian didn't stay away, he raised
the cup to his lip and drank. He looked at the unfinished tally on the table. “You said that
your body needs resentment energy, right? It feeds on resentment energy and that's the main
reason why you live here in Burial Mound. You're stronger here, and even though you still
need Sect Leader Wen's medicine, you don't use it very often."

"I was created here, so naturally I’m stronger in my own home. This place balances my dark
spiritual energy. But of course, nothing is always going well. Sometimes, the resentment
inside me attacks my golden core, screaming for a large dose of energy, especially during-"
Wei Wuxian stopped talking and blushing a little before shifting his attention to the omega.
“Anyway, what do you want to say?”

"I just thought that after everything is solved, after this tally is finished, maybe we can meet
once a week?” Lan Wangji looked up and immediately blushed as his words registered in his
mind. “ I can give you the tally full of resentment energy, so your body can feed from it." He
added hurriedly. Wei Wuxian looked at him for a moment before letting out a teasing smile.
The alpha leaned down, grey eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Hanguang-Jun, if I'm not mistaken, I think you're asking for a weekly date with me."

"I-I don't- I mean, I just-" Lan Wangji felt his ear burn as he sputtered incoherently.

"Kidding! Kidding! Sorry, Hanguang-Jun. Your flushed face is just so cute.” Wei Wuxian
threw his head back as he let out a gleeful laugh. Lan Wangji almost pouted as he watched,
but he couldn’t help but smile, for this was the first time he had seen the alpha laugh like that.
Sure, the man laughed when his family surrounded him, but that teasing glint in his lovely
eyes wasn’t there. It reminded him of when Nie Mingjue teased his brother. A tease between
lovers.

Eventually, the laughter subsided, and the alpha cleared his throat. “Don't worry, I understand
that no one wants to have a demonic cultivator as a life partner." He sat down and looked up
at him with a soft smile. "You truly live up to your title, huh, Hanguang-Jun. You're really so
kind. What you said is true, I can feed on the resentful energy inside Yin Hu Fu. We have
high positions in our sects, so I don't think we have time to meet each other weekly. Maybe
once in a while, or when we attend a conference together, or when we meet accidentally. This
Yiling Laozu is very grateful for your generous offer.”

"It is I who is grateful for Yiling Laozu's help. I’m just thinking of a way to repay Yiling
Laozu’s kindness." Lan Wangji bowed. When he rose, Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian was already
standing in front of him. The alpha stared at him for a while, grey eyes bored into his golden
ones. The alpha raised his hand and patted Lan Wangji’s cheek gently, making the pale skin
blush slightly. He gave him a bright yet suspicious smile.

"Nothing. You don't need to give me anything. By helping you, I gain the information I
need."

Two days later, Lan Wangji didn't see Yiling Laozu at all for a whole day. There was no sight
of him in the workroom as well, and the Tiger Tally was safely kept inside its wooden box.
He wandered to the training ground, kitchen, healing ward and other parts of the sect, but he
still couldn't find the alpha. There was one place left, but he didn't dare to even knock on the
door. He decided to meditate at the river that Yiling Laozu had shown him.

It was at night, when Lan Wangji was returning from the river, that Lan Wangji saw Yiling
Laozu heading toward his room, holding his head. His steps were shaky and slow, one hand
holding the wall for support. His eyes were closed tightly; his face was twisted in pain as he
let out a painful groan.

“Laozu? What happens?” Lan Wangji hurried toward the alpha, but Wei Wuxian pushed him
away, groaning as he leaned against the window.

“Go. Away.” Yiling Laozu gritted his teeth. Lan Wangji stubbornly held onto his arm,
ignoring how hot it was. Wei Wuxian jerked his hand and glared at him. His red eyes almost
made the omega’s heart stop.

“I-“ Lan Wangji moved forward again but before he could say more, Wei Wuxian gripped his
hand and pulled him toward his bigger and stronger body. The omega froze when the alpha
buried his face on his neck, nuzzling at his scent gland. His fingers gripped the omega’s arms
so strongly that he hissed in pain and was sure they would leave bruises in a few hours. The
alpha took a deep breath as

“Laozu?” Lan Wangji called softly. The alpha didn’t seem to hear him as his grip was getting
tighter, so painful for Lan Wangji to endure. The Second Young Master Lan bit his bottom lip
in pain. “Wei Ying.”

The alpha went still as his birth name escaped from the omega’s mouth. Wei Wuxian’s eyes
snapped open and he pulled himself from Lan Wangji, staring at the omega with a horrified
expression on his handsome face. In seconds, Wei Wuxian threw Lan Wangji harshly to the
left, and a loud sound echoed the empty hallway as the omega hit the wooden window. The
omega held his right side that hit the window as he was too stunned to speak, as his golden
eyes stared at the alpha, who was kneeling on the ground, holding his chest this time.

The sounds of frantic footsteps approached them and Healer Qianlong came into view with a
male and a female servant corpse behind him. The Head Healer instructed the two corpses to
hold the Sect Leader as he knelt before Lan Wangji. He asked whether the omega was alright
and Lan Wangji nodded.

“What is happening?” He asked the beta healer, who glanced at the groaning alpha mutely.
He shook his head, refusing to answer as he helped the omega stand to his feet.
“Young Master Lan, you should stay away.” Healer Qianlong commanded, holding the
groaning man in his arms. Their eyes shifted to Wei Wuxian, who was calling for the healer’s
name in a desperate tone. The sect leader looked so weak in the servants’ arms, with sweat on
his forehead and flushed tan skin as if he were suffering from fever.

“I can help.”

“No, you can’t.” The healer shook his head and looked at him firmly. He then turned his full
attention to the corpses who gripped Wei Wuxian tightly, waiting for an order. “Xunxun,
Pingping, bring him to his chamber. Tie him to the bed with the enchanted silk on the table.
Let him stay like that for three hours before opening the window. He’ll be unconscious by
then. Pour his medicine into his mouth, and after two hours, close the window and lock the
door with a talisman. Guard the door. No one except me is allowed to enter. I’ll visit
tomorrow with more medicine in the afternoon after I send a message to Sect Leader Wen.”

“Yes, Healer Qianlong”, they answered and quickly dragged the sect leader to his room.
Healer Qianlong turned to Lan Wangji, who was looking at him silently. His eyes were full of
curiosity as he looked at the beta’s face, demanding an explanation. The beta sighed and
nodded in understanding.

“Follow me. I will explain to you.” The healer walked away without waiting for an answer.
The omega glanced at Wei Wuxian’s closed door briefly before hurriedly walking away,
following the healer. They arrived at a gazebo beside the guest pavilion where Lan Wangji
resided. After a long silence, the beta took a deep breath and began explaining. “Yiling Laozu
is in a rut. You will be in danger if you’re too close. I’m sure you have seen an alpha in a rut
before, but Yiling Laozu’s case is very different. The resentment energy inside him will
overwhelm his body, affecting his hormones and emotions. He will be violent to those around
him. If the alpha inside him caught a scent of an omega, it would go feral and the activity
would be very rough.”

“He can’t control it?”

The beta shook his head tiredly. “I don’t know. Maybe he can, maybe he cannot. We never
have enough time to actually do some experiments because Sect Leader Wei was too
horrified with what he had done that he swore not to take an omega into his bed again. The
omegas, who were unfortunate enough to serve him during his rut, were found unconscious
and died the next day. Their body bruised badly and their spiritual energy was sucked dry.”
Healer Qianlong sighed and looked at the omega with a pleading look. “So, please listen to
this healer, Hanguang-Jun. Stay away from Yiling Laozu for the time being. The rut will end
in a few days, but with his condition, it usually takes about two weeks. If something happens
to you, Yiling Laozu will never be able to forgive himself.”

With that, Healer Qianlong excused himself, leaving Lan Wangji alone in the gazebo with his
thoughts.
 Chapter 10

Blazing fire from the torches shone in the dark forest as ten disciples wearing golden robes
circled the area. Their faces were tense as their golden cores sensed danger approaching
them. Their hands tightened on their swords as the wind hit their red faces and messy hair.
The leader of the group glanced at his fellow cultivators and grimaced when his eyes fell to
the blood and wounds on his sect brother's body. They wouldn't make it alive from here.

Seeing that he didn't have any choice, he grabbed the healthiest among them and looked him
in the eyes. The young man stared back at him with eyes full of terror. He put his palms on
his cheeks, forcing the young man to look him in the eyes. "Listen to me, Jin Hui. When they
arrive, you have to run."

"But-"

"Shut the fuck up and listen." He growled harshly. "We'll take care of them. You have to run.
Go to the sect leader and report this. Tell him the beasts escaped. Many of them. Do you
understand me?" He asked, gripping the man's shoulders very tightly.
"Do.You.Understand.Me?"

When the young man nodded, he let out a shaky breath. He turned around sharply when
movements were heard just meters away from them, coming from their right. He nodded at
his fellow sect brothers, who formed a line in front of their appointed sole survivor.
Yellowish spiritual energy wrapped around the cultivators as three giant wolves jumped out
of the forest. Red eyes glared at them. Fangs were fully on display, threatening the humans.
Dark energy was emitted from their unusually large body.

"Run!" The leader hissed before he charged forward with a war cry. The young man took
steps back and watched in horror as, one by one, his fellow cultivators were ripped apart.
Blood splattered on his face and clothes as he stared with wide eyes at the mutilated bodies of
his martial brothers. The man turned around and fled with his sword as fast as he could. He
closed his ears as the screams of his martial brothers accompanied him running away. He
wouldn't let them die in vain even if he arrived with a depleted qi at Lanling Jin's Koi Tower.

At Cloud Recesses, Second Young Master Lan sat silently at the Yīn Hǔ Fú in his palm.
Gently, the beautiful omega split the artefact into two and put the other half inside an
enchanted box wrapped in Yiling Laozu's special talisman. The omega carefully plucked
some tunes with his guqin, and a certain piece of wood from his floor raised slightly. He took
the wood and put the box inside the empty space before playing the same tunes, and the wood
was tightly sealed. Lan Wangji caressed the wooden floor gently before the dizziness in his
head reminded him why he needed the item.

Second Young Master Lan closed his eyes as his head felt like someone had hammered into
it. Hissing as he stood up, he walked to the window and let the cold wind hit his face. He
opened his eyes, put the Yīn Hǔ Fú on his palm, and gently inserted a little bit of his spiritual
energy into it. As he had seen before, his blackish-light blue spiritual power triggered the
item, and in a few seconds it glowed slightly. Tendrils of dark, cursed, resentful energy came
out from his pores, making him shiver slightly. The Tiger Tally glowed brighter, and his
dizziness slowly dissipated as the tally fed on the resentment energy from Lan Wangji. When
it finished, Lan Wangji quickly put it inside his multiple robes. The omega poured himself a
cup of cold tea despite the coldness of the night. He closed his eyes as the bittersweet liquid
went down his throat.

Speaking of bittersweet, the word was a perfect word to describe his last week in Burial
Mound. After his rut, Wei Wuxian had been distant, opting to continue working on Yīn Hǔ
Fú alone without anyone's interference, including Lan Wangji. Manman told him that Yiling
Laozu had found a way to perfect the item so that Lan Wangji's presence wasn't needed.

It hurt.

Lan Wangji only saw him a week later. Yiling Laozu emerged from his workroom with a pale
face and dark circles under his eyes. Head Healer Qianlong rushed to the alpha when he saw
him, but Wei Wuxian brushed him off with a promise of visiting the healer after his work was
done and walked directly to Lan Wangji. He was then dragged to his room and presented the
completed Yīn Hǔ Fú. Yiling Laozu then instructed him to insert just a little spiritual energy
into the item, and they smiled at each other when it worked.

Hanguang-Jun left the Burial Mound the next day, escorted by Young Master Xue Yang to the
border of Yiling Town.

Walking to his simple vanity, Lan Wangji took off his bun, letting all his dark hair fall free to
his back. He opened his jewelry box and paused when a certain green bracelet caught his
eyes. Avoiding even touching the beautiful jewelry, Lan Wangji took his comb and began
combing his long hair slowly. His eyes caught a glint of red among the carefully folded
handkerchiefs in the basket near the vanity. Putting down his comb, he took the red fabric and
smiled. It was the gift from Granny Wen. He caressed the cloth with his long, elegant fingers
for a moment. Catching his reflection in the mirror, Lan Wangji reluctantly raised the cloth
over his head and slowly brought it down, covering his dark head. His beautiful face relaxed
as he stared at his reflection fondly.

He felt most beautiful wearing the red veil.

The next morning, Lan Wangji on his way to visit his father in his residence when he met Lan
Dan Xin whose face looked worried. She hurriedly bowed to the Second Young Master Lan
and murmured an apology. The female omega then asked whether the Second Young Master
knew where Sect Leader Lan or Grandmaster Lan Qiren were because they weren’t in their
residences and with Lan Xichen was visiting Nie Mingjue, she didn’t know where else to go
except searching for Lan Wangji.

It turned out that there was a messenger from Lanling Jin Sect and the man didn’t want to
leave until he got a ‘yes’ answer from the Lan Sect. Frowning at the fellow omega, Lan
Wangji quickly followed her to the Orchid Room. There, an alpha cultivator with his glowing
gold robes was waiting silently with a scroll in his hand. The alpha stared at the beautiful
omega for few seconds before he cleared his throat and bowed respectfully. His cheeks were
rather red in embarrassment. From the corner of his eyes, Lan Wangji could see Lan Dan Xin
narrowed her eyes and was ready to smack the alpha on the head.

“Hanguang-Jun,” the man greeted. His eyes went over the omega’s shoulders as if Qingheng-
Jun or Grandmaster Lan Qiren would appear.

“Apologize, my father is indisposed.” Lan Wangji stated, looking straight at the man in front
of him. “Sect Leader Jin’s message can be passed through me.”

The alpha was hesitated, looking at the scroll in his hand for a moment before looking at the
omega with an apologetic expression on his face. “Hanguang-Jun, this message is the utmost
important. I am expected an answer from the behalf of the Lan Sect immediately. I’m afraid
that I need to meet Qingheng-Jun or Grandmaster Lan Qiren.”

Lan Wangji understood his position within the sect. As the Second Young Master Lan, he
ranked just below three others: his father, his uncle, and his brother. He didn’t have the
authority to make decisions on behalf of the sect—especially now, when no one else was
available. But if the message was truly urgent, he was confident that whatever he chose
would align with his family’s judgment.

“The message can pass through me.” He stated with a firm tone and opening his palm. The
Jin cultivator frowned, looking at the omega uncertainly. He glanced at the sky, probably
wondering how long he had to wait if he was too stubborn. Taking a deep sigh, the man
finally put the scroll in Lan Wangji’s hand.

Slowly, the Second Young Master Lan untied the slender yellow cord sealing the message
and unfurled the scroll. His golden eyes scanned the elegantly penned characters. A few
careless strokes and inconsistencies revealed the note had been written in haste.

“The Gusu Lan Sect will attend.” Lan Wangji gave the answer once he was finished reading
the scroll. The Lanling Jin cultivator nodded and bowed before excusing himself to return to
Lanling. He watched with a puzzle on his beautiful face as the alpha disappeared behind his
view. He then turned to Lan Dan Xin who was waiting for an order and said, “Lan Dan Xin,
you and nine senior disciples will come to Lanling Jin with my father and I tomorrow early in
the morning.”

“Yes, Hanguang-Jun.” She bowed and walked away.

Tucking the scroll into his sleeve, Lan Wangji made his way toward the rabbit meadow with a
relaxed gait. According to Lan Dan Xin, his father wasn’t in residence; he was with his uncle.
Wherever they were, Lan Wangji’s instincts told him something was wrong. The omega
settled on the soft grass and waited patiently until one of his cherished rabbits spotted him. It
didn’t take long for the little creature to bound over excitedly, soon drawing the attention of
the others.

“Good morning,” He greeted the ones who jumped into his lap with a soft smile. He rubbed
their head lovingly as he basked under the bright sunlight. “I’ll leave tomorrow. I don’t know
when I will return. There is an emergency.” A certain face then appeared in his mind as he
thought about the message.
Will Wei Ying be there?

“You seem lost in thought.” His father’s voice snapped his thought. The man sat down
gracefully beside him, taking one of the rabbits which was hopping near Lan Wangji. His
father’s calming scent eased Lan Wangji’s worry and he took a moment to let it embrace him.

“A Lanling’s messenger came earlier.” Lan Wangji took the scroll from his sleeve and handed
it to Qingheng-Jun. “He needed an immediate answer. Since Fuqin and Shufu were nowhere
to be found, I answered on the behalf of you. I said yes.”

His father was quiet and his eyes -similar to Lan Xichen’s dark brown ones- were darkened
as he read it. Lan Wangji watched as his father’s jaws clenched. It seemed like his father
knew what happened.

“Fuqin, do you know why Sect Leader Jin decides to hold an emergency Cultivator
Conference tomorrow?” He asked but there was no answer from him. “The Emergency
Cultivation Conference will be held in three days. Why doesn’t he send a Jin butterfly instead
of a messenger? It takes two days from Lanling to Gusu. We won’t have enough time to rest
until the conference began.”

Qingheng-Jun put the scroll inside his sleeve and took the rabbit into his lap. “It’s suspicious,
isn’t it? There is a part of me that Jin Guangshan’s motive in sending a messager, despite
knowing very well that his own sect’s messager butterfly is faster, is that he wants us not in
our right mind.”

“What?”

“I believe that the topic Sect Leader Jin wants to talk about is definitely an urgent one, but
doesn’t have a strong foundation. Therefore, in order to get the result he wants, he purposedly
invites us too close to the conference day. I think he did this to other sects as well.”
Qingheng-Jun explained, lifting the bunny and putting it to his youngest son’s lap. “When
groups of exhausted people are required to make a decision, a light trigger is enough for them
to make a mistake.”

“Sect Leader Jin wants us to make a bad decision?”

Qingheng-Jun shook his head, “He wants us to make a decision he wants, but knowing him,
the decision is probably a bad one. Wangji, I don’t want you to come with me tomorrow to
Koi Tower. I have a bad feeling about it. Stay here and help handle the sect with your uncle,
okay.”

“Let me come with you. The sect will be fine, but you need someone to be by your side if
something goes wrong. Xiongzhang is in Qinghe and from the last letter he sent, he was a
little under the weather.”

“He is sick? Is he pregnant?” His father fired another question and sighed heavily. “I’m not
surprise if he is. How come my sweet little A-Huan becoming wilder and wilder as time goes
by? He was such a clear-header kid and grows up to be a charming young man. He used to
turn down all alphas who asked for his hand and yet Nie Mingjue-“ His father paused and an
understanding crossed his handsome face before he closed his eyes. “That alpha!”
Unexpectedly, his father turned to Lan Wangji with a very serious expression on his face. "A-
Zhan, please promise me to stay away from a tall, dark, handsome alpha."

Lan Wangji blushed slightly, but he didn't promise anything. The omega smiled a little and
put his hand on his father's hand. “Father, Xiongzhang doesn’t mention any symptom of
pregnancy in his letter, but he mentioned allergic reactions.”

“A-Huan is allergic of something? This is the first time I have heard about this.”

“Hn. Xiongzhang tried a new Qinghe’s dish brought by Huaisang. He said that Sect Leader
Nie was instructing an investigation about it. They are trying to find out the ingredients of it.”

“I see.” Qingheng-Jun nodded. Singhing, the Sect Leader Lan stood and gracelly and looked
at his youngest son. "Tomorrow, I want you to stay by my side, A-Zhan. I don't want you
wandering around Koi Tower. That place is full of snakes."

"Understood."

The Lan delegation arrived at the Koi Tower early in the morning, which was a terrible
timing because the conference would be held in two hours. The Lan disciples behind Lan
Wangji showed irritated expressions as they were immediately ushered to the conference hall
after they took a bath. Lan Wangji himself had chosen his simplest Lan clothes, with just
three layers, so that he could arrive on time with his martial brothers and sisters.

As usual, despite wearing his most plain robes and simple headpiece, Lan Wangji could feel
eyes on him as they walked into the room. His eyes caught the present of Young Master Su
Mishan, sitting beside Jin fucking Zixun. There was a regret in his chest when he saw the
alpha’s limp arm. He should have cut it off that time. The omega kept walking and passed the
Nie delegation and raised an eyebrow when Nie Huaisang boldly waving at him from his
seat. He nodded at Sect Leader Nie and his childhood friend slightly. His face relaxed and a
small smile appeared on his beautiful face when he saw The Yi Sect sitting not far away. A
smile crept up his face when his golden eyes were locked with Young Master Yi’s brown
ones. But his heart almost jumped out of his chest when his golden eyes saw Yiling Wei Sect
already present, sitting beside the Qishan Wen Sect.

Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian’s silver mask concealed half his face, but the omega could clearly
see the fury burning silently in his gaze as he stared at Jin Guangshan, who sat confidently
upon his golden throne. Sect Leader Wen made no effort to hide her displeasure; she boldly
plunged a silver needle into her wine—or tea, or whatever was in her cup—as a quiet but
pointed rebuke to the Jin Sect. Yet, no one dared to voice a word.

Moments after the Lan Delegation took their seats, Sect Leader Jin rose from his throne and
descended the steps. His eyes briefly flicked toward Yiling Wei Sect before he raised his
arms, greeting the assembly

“Two weeks ago, a terrible incident had occurred within my sect’s territory.” Sect Leader Jin
Guangshan began, eyes scanning everyone. Some Sect Leaders looked at each other in
confused.
Two weeks ago? Yet, they just notified? Why not sooner if it was that terrible?

“A group of my best cultivators were attacked at the border of Lanling Jin, Yunmeng and
Yiling. Their bodies scattered in the middle of dark forest. Some of their body’s parts were
missing, presumably being eaten by the monsters. A single brave cultivator managed to
escape and return to report to me. He said that these monsters were probably beasts which
escaped. How? Which part of the forest? We don’t know yet. However, there was one thing
that I was sure of.” Jin Guangshan then turned his body, directly facing Yiling Laozu Wei
Wuxian. “According to the brave cultivator, there was resentment energy coming from these
beasts. There is only one person who manages to control that cursed energy in the whole
cultivation world; Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian.”

All heads turned to the only alpha with a silver mask. Yiling Laozu didn’t react, sipping his
wine bottle calmly. Lan Wangji saw Sect Leader Wen rolled her eyes and Jin Guangshan’s
attention shifted to her for a moment. The omega could read what was in Jin Guangshan’s
mind right now.

“This man-“ Jin Guangshan rudely pointed at Sect Leader Wei. “is the one behind this
terrible event. He broke our shield, let the bests escaped and attacked my best cultivators.”

“Is that so? They were your best cultivators, you said? I’m surprise that your best cultivator
isn’t Young Master Jin Zixuan here. Oh, I’m worried about this sect’s future.” Yiling Laozu
Wei Wuxian rose his eyes, looking directly at Sect Leader Jin. “But then again, you yourself
wasn’t Lanling Jin Sect’s best cultivator so I shouldn’t be surprise anyway.”

Nie Huaisang’s rude snort bounced on the conference hall’s wall when everyone was too
stunned at the comeback. Jin Guangshan’s face was purple with anger as he furiously stared
at the young Sect Leader. “You, a pathetic excuse of a cultivator! How dare you! You think
you’re so strong with that cursed energy inside you, huh? You’re nothing but an anomaly in
this world, a person who hides inside a shadow of Burial Mound with no light to guide you.”
Jin Guangshan growled. “But then I don’t expect a son of a disgrace servant and a rough
cultivator to be in a straight path.”

If Lan Wangji was the one who received that insult, he wouldn’t be able to stay calm. But
Yiling Laozu wasn’t him. The alpha sat calmly, a ghost of smirk adorned his face. He stood
up, hands behind his back and with a taunting smile, he said, “You don’t need to expect
anything, Sect Leader Jin. After all, no one expected that Great Sects with famous heirs and
renowned cultivators couldn’t beat Wen Ruohan, right? It took a cursed son of a disgrace
servant and a rough cultivator to end the war for them.”

“You bastard! How dare you insulted us.” Jin Zixun slammed the table, stood up and pointed
at Yiling Laozu. “How dare you insulted us who did our best in the war. Have a decency to
respect those who had fallen!”

“Decency? Did Lanling Jin Sect had a decency to respect all the fallen cultivators by sending
more troops and helps?” Yiling Laozu tilted his head. “As far as I know, Yunmeng Jiang,
Gusu Lan Sect and Qinghe Nie Sect were the ones who suffered the most. What was Lanling
Jin’s contribution in the war? Oh, right. A small army led by Young Master Jin Zixuan. Well,
at least the heir is a good person. Maybe there’s a hope for this sect after all. You didn’t
contribute anything, did you?”

“Wei Wuxian!” Suddenly, Jin Zixun snatched up a wine jar and hurled it at the masked man.
But the jar shattered against an invisible barrier mere centimeters away from its target. The
crowd gasped, eyes widening at the unexpected display of power.

Lan Wangji had to surprise an excited feeling from his inner omega. It wasn’t the right time.

Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian stared at Jin Zixun for a moment, as if he just noticed that this was
the one who joined his conversation with Sect Leader Jin. He tilted his head and looked at the
alpha from head to toe. "Hm? You look familiar, Young Master. I think I have seen you
before. Weren't you the one who assaulted Hanguang-Jun during the archery competition in
Qinghe?"

Lan Wangji was too stunned to speak. Eyes turned to him in shock, especially his father
whose face began to turn red in anger when he saw flashes of emotion in his omega son. Jin
Zixun glanced at them in panic before snarling at the demonic cultivator.

"How dare you, demonic cultivator!"

"Oh, I dare. Why don't we ask Hanguang-Jun?" Yiling Laozu’s silver mask glinted under the
sunlight when he turned to Lan Wangji. The omega looked up and his golden eyes met with
the beautiful silver ones. However, before Lan Wangji could opened his mouth to answer, Jin
Zixun huffed loudly. The Jin alpha was looking at Lan Wangji with disgust on his face.

"Lan Wangji will vouch for you because the Gusu Lan owed you for helping him when he
was found in the cave. You have forced them to bow to you.”

“What?” From his tone, it was clear that even Yiling Laozu didn’t expect that accusation.

"You are Yiling Laozu. The dark cultivator who uses an unorthodox method to gain victory.
A cursed cultivator with nothing but lies. You don't expect us to believe all the words you
say. How dare you accuse my nephew? It is because you're too cowardly to attack my heir
and me." Jin Guangshan began again, his nose flaring as he walked to his nephew. From the
look on his face, people would assume that Yiling Laozu had killed his entire family. He
turned to the attendance, waving his hand at the alpha. "Never believe anything this demonic
cultivation’s words! He is trying to manipulate you. Think about it! When Hanguang-Jun was
found in a cave in a fucking Qishan, he was suffered from a strange illness caused by
resentment energy. Gusu Lan Sect who has been famous for its purifying techniques for
centuries couldn’t cure him. Yet, this man could. He was the only one who could cure him. I
find that suspicious! How come he could do that? Think about it! He had to be the one behind
the attack!"

“This cursed alpha! Not only he’s behind the attack of Hanguang-Jun, he accuses my nephew
and now he breaks the secret barrier of Lanling Jin Sect! He let the beasts escaped and
attacked my disciples.” Jin Guangshan’s words caused an uproar from the attendance. Sect
Leaders from small sects shrieked and began creating noise throughout the hall. The Four
Great Sects were looking uncomfortable as they silently looked at each other.
“What do you mean that the barrier has been broken?” Nie Mingjue’s powerful alpha voice
boomed, demanding all attention from everyone. The huge man stood up, glaring at Jin
Guangshan dangerously. For the first time, Lan Wangji saw Jin Guangshan faced Nie
Mingjue without fear, clearly confident with his accusation.

“Like I have said, Sect Leader Nie. The sacred barrier of Lanling Jin Sect has been broken. If
you don’t believe, then come with me.” Jin Guangshan said, walking away. The Sect Leaders,
their heirs and first disciples went after the host, leaving the rest of their disciples in the hall.
Lan Wangji blinked when Young Master Yi and Nie Huaisang immediately went to his sides,
shielding him from the rest of the alpha. The Lan’s precious omega looked at Young Master
Yi who was smiling at him. A guilt passed in his chest when he realized that he left his gift at
home.

The Lanling Jin Sect possessed the smallest forest compared to the vast, untamed
wildernesses of the Gusu Lan, Qinghe Nie, Yunmeng Jiang, and Qishan Wen Sects. The
creatures sealed within their lands had long been subdued—mild and far less aggressive than
those from the fierce Qishan region. Despite their modest terrain, the Jin Sect had always
been the wealthiest since its inception, thanks to the founders' clever and forward-thinking
trade practices. Prosperity spurred expansion: forests were cleared, and villages rose in their
place. By the end of the Beast War, the number of beasts sealed in the Sang Yin Pun Forest
on Lanling’s western edge was barely a quarter of what Yunmeng Jiang had contained.

Jin Guangshan led the way briskly, his cultivators hurrying behind him. Without a word, they
drew their swords and took to the skies, flying toward Sang Yin Pun Forest. The area lay far
from the main settlements, nearly brushing the border of the Yingchuan Wang Sect. As they
neared their destination, Lan Wangji couldn’t help but notice the growing unease in the
group. Tension simmered beneath the surface—some disciples tightened their grip on their
hilts as they reached the outer perimeter, where a few Jin elders stood waiting with two senior
disciples. The sect’s golden barrier shimmered faintly, its soft hue a clear mark of the Lanling
Jin.

“Look at that,” Young Master Yi whispered, gesturing at the left side of the barrier, near the
oldest Jin elder. There was a large triangle-like hole brimming with dark resentful energy. On
his left side, Huaisang was gripping his forearm in a tight grip.

“It looks scary.” The small omega whimpered. “Wangji-Xiong, it looks scary.”

“Hn.”

Everyone stopped right in front of the hole, some of them winced at the sight of it. The hole
was as tall as three Nie Mingjue to enter and the size of these beasts were no joke then.

“See?” Jin Guangshan growled, glaring furiously at everyone who doubted him. He then
focused his attention to Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian who was staring at the hole curiously.
“Who else is strong enough here to break a barrier like this? That cursed alpha must be the
one who did it.”

Yiling Laozu’s head turned to Jin Guangshan. A shadow passed his silver mask, making his
eyes invisible for everyone. “Do you have proof, Sect Leader Jin?”
“This resentful energy is the proof. You’re the only one who could control the energy.” Jin
Guangshan snarled. Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian didn’t say anything but his head raised
slightly. Lan Wangji had a suspicion that the alpha was rolling his eyes. The omega turned to
his father who let out a hum softly.

No one said anything when Qingheng-Jun walked forward to inspect the ward, even the Jin
elders moved out his way when he was near them. The alpha raised his hand and gently
reached out to the ward, only to be electrocuted by the angry resentful energy. He took
several steps back and turned to Jin Guangshan.

“The decades old wards was build together by our ancestor to seal the beasts inside. There is
a significant reason why only selected elders are given the honorable task of opening the
ward during Archery Competition. Not only because of their wisdom, but also because only
someone from the sect’s bloodline had the possible ability to open the ward,” Qingheng-Jun
began, staring at the crowd. “Even if the ward is opened forcefully, without a trace of the
sect’s bloodline through spiritual energy, the ward would never be easily opened. This ward
was thoughtfully designed by our ancestor. Let me show you. Apologize, Sect Leader Jin, but
I am stronger than you.” Sect Leader Lan said and pulled out his sword. A wave of bluish-
white spiritual energy pulsed from the blade, captivating everyone present. Raising the sword
high, he struck the barrier with all his strength. The blow was clean and precise—powerful
enough to shatter stone. Yet, the ward held firm. Not even a hairline fracture appeared. “See.
Nothing happens. The resentful energy cannot be used a proof because all forests with beasts
contain resentful energy. The beasts have resentful energy inside their bodies and that makes
them powerful and lose control. Wen Ruohan was someone with the same skill as Yiling
Laozu Wei Wuxian, but he couldn’t break any wards beside Qishan’s. Even then, since his
mind wasn’t on the right place, he only broke a small part of Qishan’s ward. That is a further
proof that only those with direct bloodline can break or open the ward.”

No one dared to argue with Qingheng-Jun’s explanation. Lan Wangji felt a pride in him as his
father’s demanding aura flared, challenging anyone to speak. The Lan Sect Leader then
raised an eyebrow at Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian and let out a rare smile on his handsome face.
“Unless Yiling Laozu is Sect Leader Jin's son or any son from a member of the Lanling Jin
Sect's main family, it’s impossible.”

Beside Lan Wangji, both Young Master Yi and Nie Huaisang let out a snort. Lan Wangji
himself couldn’t help but to look down, hiding a smile.

“Qingheng-Jun!” Yiling Laozu dramatically put his hand on his chest. “I thought Gusu Lan
Sect is a place for the best and most well-mannered cultivators. The Sect Leader is seen as
the best example, followed by his beautiful Twin Jades sons. I cannot believe the great
Qingheng-Jun accused me of being Jin Guangshan’s son. I’m affronted! I’m so affronted! It
is a huge slander.”

Almost everyone blinked at the different display of personality from the demonic cultivator.
Why did Yiling Laozu Wei Wuxian behaved differently now? The dark cultivator they knew
was the cold and silent predator but the dramatic and over-the-top cultivator just now. Did
they miss something?
"Maybe you are." Sect Leader Wen snorted, crossing her arms in front of her chest, looking
so unladylike. There was an amused smile on her face though, telling everyone that she was
not serious. "You don't remember your parents, right? Maybe they were Jins."

"Qing-Jie!” Yiling Laozu whined.

“Qing-Jie?” Both Nie Huaisang and Young Master Yi murmured simultaneously in

confusion. Lan Wangji pressed his lips together to avoid a bigger smile.

“My name is Wei Wuxian. My father's name is Wei Changze, okay? WEI! I accept no other.
My mother was a maiden raised by Baosan Sanren herself and she wasn’t from any sect. She
was just a commoner with huge talent and caught Baosan Sanren’s eyes."

"People tend to change their names to avoid any unwanted attention or conflicts."

"Wen Qing, stop it. You'll give me a nightmare. Look at this!” Yiling Laozu pointed at his
masked face. “My handsome face doesn't match those peacocks' ugly faces. Right,
Hanguang-Jun?"

"Hn." Lan Wangji blinked when he just answered the question without thinking. The
unexpected question from Yiling Laozu caught him off guard. His inner omega giggled inside
him and he felt both men beside him shook. Huaisang snickered behind his fan while Young
Master Yi nudged him with his elbow, holding his own laugh.

"See! Hanguang-Jun agrees with me." Yiling Laozu said proudly. Before anyone opened their
mouths to comment, a Jin cultivator suddenly ran to the small crowd, his right side was
covered with blood. His horrifying state and arrival made everyone gasp.

“There are-there are-“ The Jin cultivator tried to explain breathlessly. “Several holes are
found. Some beasts are creating chaos, Sect Leader. West, southeast and east direction.”

Everyone immediately on their swords. They flew to the three different directions with their
sect leaders at the front. Lan Wangji followed his father to the southeast direction with Yi
Sect and Wang Sect behind them. When they arrived, two Jin cultivators were on the ground
in a very terrible condition. Their heads, limbs and arms were scattered. Their bodies were
torn into pieces. Their inner organs were missing, probably eaten by the beasts.

Roars was heard from several directions and Lan Wangji flew toward one of them. The
Second Young Master Lan landed in a bamboo forest. As the party scattered, Lan Wangji’s
eyes found a path among the darkness of the bamboos. Curiously, he followed the path and
heard a woman sobbing near an abandoned gazebo. Sensing a danger, the omega ran, Bichen
was ready in his hand.

Instead of a beast, what Lan Wangji found was Jin fucking Zixun was trying to force his way
toward a young female omega. Lan Wangji felt anger rapidly rose from his heart to his head,
clouding his sense and mind. Without hesitation, he flew toward them and kicked Jin Zixun
from the omega. As the alpha landed on the ground, Lan Wangji shielded the poor omega
behind him. He could hear her pitiful sob as she tried to cover herself.
“Lan Wangji!” Jin Zixun snarled like an animal he was. His hand reached to his sword and
Lan Wangji wanted to scoff when once again, he didn’t see Jin’s golden spiritual energy. This
mas was just as pathetic as before. Now that he thought about it, he had never seen Jin
Zixun’s spiritual energy. Even during years of important events like Archery Competition or
a mere friendly night hunts, he had never seen it. Mostly because Jin Zixun hid behind his
lackeys and his cousin all the time.

“I should have followed my heart, not my head.” Lan Wangji infused spiritual energy into
Bichen who sang happily, beautiful bright bluish-white energy shone among the dim forest.
Lan Wangji had damaged Jin Zixun badly, hoping that it would teach the man a lesson. No
matter what, Jin Zixun was a Young Master and avoiding war between the Jin and Lan Sect
was Lan Wangji’s main priority. He had hoped that it was enough for the alpha not to repeat
his shameful action and went back to brothels and other dark places he desired. However, it
seemed like Lan Wangji was wrong.

Jin Zixun screamed as he lunged toward Lan Wangji, swinging his sword to the omega. Lan
Wangji gently pushed the female omega off the way before raising his sword high and brough
it down. A loud clash of two metals echoed as Jin Zixun blocked the attack. Sword raised on
top of his head and his knee was deep on the ground. He gritted his teeth as his knee was
sinking to the muddy ground. The omega’s golden eyes shifted to Jin Zixun’s leg and he
jumped back when that long leg was swung toward his own knee. Lan Wangji narrowed his
eyes as he twirled away, avoiding Jin Zixun’s attacks. The attacks felt faster than before, so
the omega put his weight on his left leg and charged forward. His sword movements were
fast. His wrist blended with his sword as they danced gracefully and beautifully.

Jin Zixun snarled when Lan Wangji successfully pushed him back. Bluish-white spiritual
energy smashed to Jin Zixun’s chest and blood soaked his robes as deep cuts were visible to
Lan Wangji’s eyes. As Jin Zixun coughed blood on the ground, Lan Wangji’s ears caught roar
of a beast. Whatever it was was heading toward where they were and with a frown, the
omega stared at the blood on Jin Zixun’s body. Did he just lure the beast with the scent of
blood?

“I’ll kill you, Lan Wangji!” Jin Zixun glared furiously as the omega as he slowly stood up.
His ribbon was undone, making his hair fell down to his shoulder messily. Lan Wangji turned
to his left and took several steps away which Jin Zixun mistook it as the man wanted to run
away. “You coward, Hanguang-Jun!”

When the alpha was about to attack again, A huge wolf beast jumped out of nowhere, biting
Jin Zixun’s neck. Lan Wangji gasped and he quickly moved away. Jin Zixun’s horrifying
scream was deafening as the beast quickly tore his body. Arms were thrown out and chest
was exposed, showing the dark red heart and lungs. The female omega shrieked beside him
and Lan Wangji immediately raised his long sleeve, covering the gruesome scene from the
omega's view. The omega grabbed his long sleeve and her eyes closed tightly. As the scream
ended, it was replaced by disgusting noise of the beast chewing the internal organs of the
alpha. The Second Young Master Lan felt his head went dizzy at the scene.

He was snapped by his inner omega when the wolf turned toward them, mouth and fangs
covered with blood. The female omega whimpered in fear and Lan Wangji gently pushed her
behind him. “Do not move.” He murmured.

Lan Wangji gripped Bichen tightly as the wolf run toward him. He jumped as high as he
could to find the source of resentful energy. His golden eyes caught a dark black smoke from
the top of its head and without another thought, the omega swung his sword as hard as he
could into it. After Bichen slashed the head opened, he hit it with the handle of his sword.
The wolf roared pitifully and slumped to the ground. It whined a little before slowly its body
melted to the ground.

“Qin Su!”

“A-Die!” the female omega threw herself to a middle-aged man Lan Wangji recognized as
Sect Leader Qin. Behind the man, Lan Sect and Yi Sect appeared. Qingheng-Jun’s and Sect
leader Yi’s eyes immediately went on the beast and Jin Zixun’s body on the ground. Sect
Leader Yi knelt down to inspect the dismembered body of Jin Zixun while Qingheng-Jun’s
dark brown eyes scanned the melting remain of the beast.

“Are you alright, Hanguang-Jun?” Young Master Yi asked gently, eyes scanning Lan
Wangji’s body. His gentle scent of that reminded him of green tea relaxed Lan Wangji’s body.
The alpha’s eyes lingered on Lan Wangji’s empty wrists for a moment. No sign of his gift.

“I’m fine.” Lan Wangji’s answered snapped the man’s attention off his wrist. Their eyes met
and they stared at each other for a moment until Young Master Yi’s eyes showed an
understanding in them. Lan Wangji braced himself for a harsh reaction from him but the
handsome alpha nodded with a smile. He took Lan Wangji’s left hand and patted it gently.

“Then I’m glad.”

“Wangji,” Qingheng-Jun called, walking toward them. His eyes locked on their joined hand
and his eyes went to Young Master Yi who flustered and dropped it, cheeks were red. The
Sect Leader’s eyes returned to his son and he gently demanded to be told what happened. Lan
Wangji glanced at the female omega who was looking at him nervously.

"I found Young Master Jin with Young Lady Qin when I was searching for a beast. Young
Master Jin was about to sexually assault Young Lady Qin-“

“Bastard!” Sect Leader Qin cursed, kicking Jin Zixun’s arm which was near his foot. “That
bastard took after his uncle!”

The other cultivators murmured in agreement, casting sympathetic glances at the trembling
Young Lady. Qingheng-Jun glanced at his son, raised an eyebrow, and motioned for him to
continue.

“When I was rescuing Young Lady Qin from Jin Zixun, a wolf beast suddenly appeared and
attacked him. It killed him. Then it turned on us, so I had to kill it. Young Lady Qin was both
the victim and the witness to the entire incident.”

All eyes shifted to Young Lady Qin Su, the female omega nestled in her father’s arms. She
nodded timidly. “Y-Yes, Hanguang-Jun is right.”
“Hanguang-Jun is always right,” Young Master Yi said, folding his arms over his chest and
glaring fiercely at the scattered remains of the Jin alpha. “Given how twisted Jin Zixun was,
and with this accident, I believe Yiling Laozu.”

“Let’s head back to Koi Tower to report this,” Qingheng-Jun said, taking his youngest son’s
hand and leading him away from Young Master Yi. When Lan Wangji gave the alpha a
regretful look, Young Master Yi simply smiled and nodded in understanding before striding
toward his own sect.

When they returned to Koi Tower, Lan Wangji didn’t see Yiling Wei and Qishan Wen Sects at
all. He was ushered to his room by his father to take some rest and never left the room until
lunch was served. Lan Wangji wouldn’t be surprised that his father was heading to a private
sect leaders meeting right now with others. As he sipped his cold tea, he hoped that the
meeting went well despite how horrible it progresses. The omega could have predicted
already what Jin Guangshan and his followers said to corner Wei Wuxian and Sect Leader
Wen during this meeting.

Lunch was served much later than expected—delayed, most likely, by the extended meeting
between the sect leaders. With no immediate orders, the visiting cultivators wandered around
Lanling and Koi Tower, awaiting further instructions. So far, no news had surfaced about
another barrier breaking, but security had visibly tightened. Jin Zixuan seemed to be
everywhere at once, coordinating patrols with the Lanling Jin cultivators. Some from
Yunmeng Jiang had joined the rounds as well. After all, his wedding to Jiang Yanli was only
two weeks away—and amidst the brewing tension, it was hard to say whether Sect Leader
Jiang was more concerned about the beasts or the wedding preparations.

As Lan Wangji turned right, he was immediately hugged by Nie Huaisang who was whining
about getting too hungry to think. Hah, as if he would believe that. This cute little omega had
a brain no one expected and Lan Wangji had fallen into his scheming since their childhood
day. He wouldn’t doubt that Huaisang’s spies were spread out already getting juicy news
from everyone.

“Wangji-Xiong, everyone was talking about Jin Zixun. Young Master Yi said that he dead
horribly.” Huaisang cling to his long robes. Behind him, Young Master Yi appeared with a
slight guilty expression on his handsome face.

“His condition is told worse than its actual condition, but he did die horribly.” The alpha
shrugged with an apologetic smile.

Huaisang snapped opened his fan and looked around before whispering loud enough for his
friends, “It served him right to die this way. No, he should have died worse than this way.
This alpha had became the Lanling Jin’s headache since forever. Even Jin Guangshan himself
complained about him, you know. Young Master Jin Zixuan told me when he were drunk
together one time.”

“He defended Young Master Jin Zixun earlier though?”

“It’s an act, Young Master Yi. You don’t need to call that bastard Young Master Jin anyway.
He’s died.”
“But he was still a young master, Young Master Huaisang.”

“Yeah, but he was a despicable man. Have you heard what happened to Qin Su? Poor girl.
Did he want to sabotage Jin Guangyao’s marriage by violating his soon-to-be wife?”

The news of Jin Zixun, Young Lady Qin Su and the beast spread out like wildfire in Koi
Tower. It stopped momentarily when lunch ended but with Huaisang sat beside him, Lan
Wangji couldn’t escape further talk about it. Even if the small omega was the only one who
talked. Young Master Yi was seating beside him as well, eating in silence. Once in a while his
eyes would fall on Lan Wangji’s empty wrist. He knew what the alpha was searching and
despite his guilt, Lan Wangji didn’t regret not wearing the bracelet.

His golden eyes went to his father’s empty seat. All sect leaders would have their lunch and
dinner inside the meeting room. That was why the seating arrangement was in disarray.
People gathered with their allies and friends alike. Since the only Yiling Wei disciples Lan
Wangji familiar with was only Young Master Xue Yang, the rest of Yiling Wei cultivators
didn’t approach him. Instead, they decided to spend their time in the town, and probably in an
inn away from the rest of them.

Dinner was the same, so when he finished his dinner, he decided to leave the dinning hall. He
could hear Huaisang and Young Master Yi following him but he didn’t mind. Maybe he could
catch one or two information from them. He stopped suddenly when Young Lady Qin Su
stopped him from walking further. He felt Huaisang bumped onto his back hard.

“Oww, Wangji-Xiong, why do you stop?”

Young Master Yi peeked around Lan Wangji, blinking twice. “Eh, Young Lady Qin Su?”

“Young Lady Qin Su?” Huaisang moved around, standing beside his friend and stared at the
beautiful female omega in confusion. Young Lady Qin Su was fidgeting with her long hands,
eyes on the floor and cheeks blushed slightly. She took a deep breath before looking up at
Lan Wangji and bowing deeply.

“Hanguang-Jun, I want to express my gratitude to you.” She said softly, her rose scent hit Lan
Wangji’s nose and he winced slightly. “Thank you very much for saving me.”

“No need.” He returned her bow.

Young Lady Qin Su stood up straight and reached for her long sleeve. She pulled out a small
package and offered it to Lan Wangji. “I heard that Hanguang-Jun is fond of jasmine tea. This
is my sect best tea. It may not measure up to your usual tea, but I think it’s close.”

“Thank you, Young Lady Qin.”

“No need. I hope you like it. I heard that Hanguang-Jun has the highest standard of
everything. You only consume the best Jasmine tea from Qishan, right?” Young Lady Qin Su
said, smiling wider than before. Lan Wangji resisted the urge to wince. Rumors had long
circulated, fueled by a seemingly innocent event: years ago, his brother, only fifteen at the
time, had visited the Wang Sect and deliberately ordered a stock of Qishan tea to avoid
drinking the local brew. The story went that the eldest Young Master Wang had been
infatuated with Zewu-Jun and once attempted to spike his tea. In response, Lan Xichen had
ordered Qishan tea—tightly guarded by Nie Zonghui—to ensure the safety of his drink. Lan
Xichen would joke that it was his adorable little brother who had converted him to Qinghe
tea, praising its superior quality. And that, supposedly, was why his preferences had changed
so suddenly.

Huaisang seemed to notice his reaction. He grinned behind his fan and with sparkling eyes,
asking the young lady. “How do you know, Young Lady Qin Su?”

“I often heard my father’s disciples talking about Second Young Master Lan. I got a lot of my
information from them.” The young lady let out an amused laugh, her nervousness
disappeared when Huaisang and Young Master Yi laughed with her. Lan Wangji let out a sigh
which caused the three people around him to laugh harder.

“Wangji-Xiong is truly famous, isn’t he? I’m so jealous!” Huaisang whined.

“Young Master Nie is famous too.” Young Master Yi patted the small omega’s head. “Do you
know what my people call you, Young Master Nie?”

Nie Huaisang’s eyes sparkled and bounced excitedly on his toes, earning a laugh from the
only female in their circle. Young Master Yi grinned and leaned down slightly. “Lord
Clueless or Wúzhī de-Jun.”

“What?” Young Master Nie shrieked, pouted and slapped Young Master Yi’s shoulder. The
alpha just let the small weak omega did that. He and Young Lady Qin Su laughed at Nie
Huaisang’s ridiculousness. Even Lan Wangji let out a smile at the scene, his heart eased a
little.

A breeze brushed his face, prompting him to glance sideways. His heart skipped a beat.
There, bathed in moonlight at the edge of Koi Tower’s yard, stood a figure so familiar it stole
the air from his lungs. The noise around him faded into nothing, his focus narrowing to that
one man. Tall, clad in black robes that merged with the night, a red ribbon fluttering faintly in
the wind. As the man lifted his head, the moonlight caught on a silver mask, obscuring his
identity. Lan Wangji’s breath caught—he couldn’t be certain who he was looking at.

‘Did the meeting end already? Should I approach him?’ Lan Wangji thought. His inner
omega was screaming at him but he couldn’t make his leg moved. ‘Wei Ying, what are you
thinking?’
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