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He would never admit it out loud, but Jiang Cheng was the happiest he had been in years. Jin Ling had suggested that the two of them go on a night hunt alone, and explained that he missed spending time with him. Jin Ling had been the Jin sect leader for three years, and finally could trust his head disciple to handle affairs for a day or two at a time. So Jiang Cheng decided they could take care of the pack of monstrous dogs on the edge of Jiang Sect territory.

Fairy trotted in front of them, her keen senses searching for their targets. The forest they walked through was thick with vegetation and required their full concentration as they weaved and ducked around protruding branches and roots. Then Fairy scented the air and signalled that she had caught the scent. Jin Ling and Jiang Cheng shared a look and followed her. Jin Ling notched an arrow in preparation, while Jiang Cheng unsheathed Sandu.

Fairy plopped in front of the entrance of a cave and looked at Jin Ling expectantly. He rubbed her ears and whispered praises. Jiang Cheng lit a fire talisman and illuminated the cave. The tunnel appeared to be very deep, and there was no obvious sign of the dogs.

Jin Ling lit his own fire talisman and the three of them entered the cave. The cool autumn air was damp inside the tunnel, and every sound seemed to echo loudly off the walls. They used a little spiritual energy to soften their steps. Jiang Cheng was proud of his nephew’s progress, and he hadn’t felt such easy companionship with a night hunting partner since Wei Wuxian was a Yunmeng Jiang disciple.

They reached a three way fork in the tunnel, and Fairy guided them to the middle passage. It led to a wide cavern, and as they took a step into it they felt something sealing away their spiritual energy. A laugh bounced off the walls of the cavern, and the two moved to stand back to back, searching for the source.

The sound of Fairy’s distressed whine drew their attention. Then light illuminated the entire space. An old man sat on a flat-topped boulder. He had white hair pulled into a braid and a beard that reached his navel. He did not stoop and sat with confidence. In his hand was a glowing leash that wrapped around Fairy’s neck. She seemed to be paralyzed, but sounds of distress continued to spill out of her.

“Fairy!” Jin Ling yelled with great distress. He aimed his arrow straight at the old man, who started to laugh again. 

“This here is a special leash, if you try to attack me I will not spare your darling Fairy.” That was enough for Jin Ling to lower his bow. He caught his uncle’s eye and gave him a look that Jiang Cheng was quite familiar with. It was the pleading look of a child that believed his uncle could fix any problem.

“What do you want?” Jiang Cheng’s voice was pure ice. Hostages were always taken for a reason.

The old man started to laugh again, and both nephew and uncle wanted to punch the smile off his face. “That is the right question! It is quite simple, I want the both of you to put on a show for me and I will let all three of you go.”

Jiang Cheng’s thoughts raced. What kind of show did this freak want? He tried to push away the worst case scenarios that popped into his head. He opened his mouth to ask, but Jin Ling beat him to it.

“What kind of show do you want from us?” He appeared calm, but Jiang Cheng could see the slight trembling in his expression.

The old man took in the tense atmosphere and chuckled. “You both misunderstand me. When I say put on a show, I mean a full singing and dancing performance with costume changes and acrobatics!” He threw identical scrolls their way, which they caught automatically. “I’ve written full instructions on there. I promise you that if you put on a good show no one will get hurt and you’ll get your weapons back.”

Both scowled as their weapons disappeared. Just how powerful was this man?

Jiang Cheng opened the scroll and scowled at the content. He recognized all of the songs and dances, and wait, were those bad jokes? His anger was quickly rising.

“How can we trust you?! Quit messing around, and release Fairy!” Jin Ling demanded.

The old man tugged on his beard and wiggled his nose. “You don’t really have any other choices, unless you want Fairy to die. I’ll tell you what, I’ll give you two some time to practice your parts alone. No switching scrolls, I’ve assigned you specific rolls!” And before either could say anything else, both the old man and Fairy disappeared into thin air.

“What the fuck?!”

“I’m so excited to explore this strange cave!” Wei Wuxian exclaimed as he swung Chenqing in emphasis. Lan Wangji watched his cheerful husband with a indulgent smile. It might have been small to the untrained eye, but to Lan Xichen it was as big as the mountain they grew up on. For the twentieth time that night he regretted his decision to join them on a night hunt, he felt like an unnecessary third boot.

But he just couldn’t say no when Wei Wuxian invited him, especially when he caught the raw look of hope on his brother’s face. This was his first night hunt after exiting seclusion months ago. His first priorities were taking over the duties as sect leader. He didn’t feel like he deserved to go on a night hunt when there was so much to do in the Cloud Recesses, but leave it up to his brother-in-law to pull him out of his comfort zone and into the edge of Lan Sect territory.

“Did I tell you what the only two witnesses said they were told to do in order to survive?” Wei Wuxian asked as they walked through the thick forest.

“You mentioned they had to complete a challenge of some sort.” Lan Xichen replied.

Wei Wuxian laughed. “Yes, but the specific challenges are really strange. The woman said the weird old man made her play weiqi for her life. The man had an even stranger challenge, he had to keep from blinking in the amount of time it takes to burn half an incense stick.”

That was indeed quite strange. Lan Xichen could understand why Wei Wuxian was particularly excited to investigate such an odd case. He recalled that the two were unable to leave the cave without completing the challenges, and the old man could disappear and reappear in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly, all three of them stopped walking. They could sense something powerful surrounding them on all sides. They readied their respective weapons (instruments in some cases), ready to fight, until the low sounds of growls filled the air.

Wei Wuxian flinched, and mentally chanted, no no no nononono, as his hands began to shake. Lan Wangji gave him a worried look and moved closer.

Wei Wuxian’s worst fears were realized when a pack of red eyed dogs menacingly approached them. They were double the height of an average man on all fours, and they bared their glistening fangs. The shrieks that came out of Wei Wuxian were frequencies Lan Xichen didn’t know humans could reach. The poor man grabbed onto Lan Wangji and buried his face into his back.

Lan Wangji frowned, summoned his guqin, and started to attack without hesitation. The dogs instantly tried to jump them, but Lan Xichen managed to push them back with Shuoyue. The whole time the Lan brothers fought, Wei Wuxian was whimpering into his husband’s back until one dog managed to get past both brothers.

Lan Xichen yelled out a warning and sent Shuoyue flying as fast as he could. Wei Wuxian finally opened his eyes and turned. It was actually quite impressive. He took one look at the approaching dog, screamed, and sprinted away. Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen up to that point had managed to take down about half of the dogs, which cleared enough of a pathway for Wei Wuxian to escape.

Shuoyue thankfully met its target before the dog could harm Lan Wangji. He yelled worriedly, “Wei Ying!” Two of the dogs decided to chase after Wei Wuxian, and without hesitation Lan Wangji went after them.

Lan Xichen understood his brother's decision, but he was still not thrilled to be stuck fighting three of these beasts by himself. As he used Shuoyue’s biting blade, he bemoaned the loss of the supposedly interesting and entertaining planned night hunt. 

He could feel that this would be a long night. 

“It’s really too bad Jin Ling couldn’t join us,” said Ouyang Zizhen as he carefully avoided a low hanging branch.

“Ah, don’t worry about it. Young mistress seemed thrilled to go on a night hunt with Sect Leader Jiang,” Lan Jingyi assured him (not so far away Jin Ling sneezed and rubbed his nose while grumbling and reading through his script).

Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi had traveled to Lanling days before to greet their friend before traveling to Baling. Ouyang Zizhen had invited all of three of them, but only the Lan disciples could attend. They couldn’t imagine going on a night hunt with Sect Leader Jiang being much fun, the man had a habit of scolding and lecturing.

There had been rumors of a fierce corpse and horrifying ghosts deep in the forest on the edge of Baling Ouyang territory, and the three were on the case. After a day of investigating, it appeared that the fierce corpse murdered many prostitutes while he was alive, until one of them managed to kill him in self defense. They suspected the horrifying ghosts were actually his victims trying to warn people away from the vicious fierce corpse.

They hoped to find him near the site where he buried his victims. The villagers described how to find the abandoned temple in the woods and they seemed to be going the right way.

The three continued to chat until they reached a clearing where the temple stood. Grass and other plants had started growing in the cracks of the stone and wood. On closer inspection the roof had partially collapsed.

They curiously peeked into the temple. There was something eerily beautiful about the abandoned building retaken by nature.

“I don’t feel any resentful energy, do either of you?” Ouyang Zizhen asked. Lan Jingyi shook his head.

Lan Sizhui had a thoughtful look on his face. “I don’t feel resentful energy, but do you two also feel something off about this place?” Neither Lan Jingyi nor Ouyang Zizhen were as sensitive to it, but with some concentration they knew what Lan Sizhui was talking about.

“What do you think it is?” Lan Jingyi asked as he walked toward the statue of a god he didn’t recognize. As his foot hit the creaking wood floor an array suddenly lit up under them. With a flash, they fell to the floor unconscious.

Only a few minutes passed before the sound of small groans filled the space. Lan Sizhui opened his eyes and blinked up at the rotting ceiling. He could have sworn that he was in a different part of the temple before passing out. He sat up and saw that Wen Ning had come out of his hiding spot to help them. Shockingly, the fierce corpse had also collapsed on the floor, though he was already picking himself up.

Lan Sizhui turned to check on both Ouyang Zizhen and Lan Jingyi when he instead saw himself sitting up and staring at his hands intensely. His eyes widened in shock, and he wasn’t the only one.

“Am I dead?! My skin is so pale and I feel really weird!” Wen Ning screamed, though Lan Sizhui was certain that it wasn’t really Wen Ning. If he had to guess…

“Jingyi?” Lan Sizhui asked cautiously.

“Can’t you see I’m freaking out here Ouyang Zizhen?!” Ah, Lan Sizhui thought, that explained whose body he was in.

“I’m over here!” called out Lan Jingyi’s body. So that left, “Senior Wen?” he inquired to...himself.

“A-Yuan?” Lan Sizhui’s body inquired back.

“I’m Lan Jingyi now? That’s disappointing,” Ouyang Zizhen complained.

Wen Ning’s face scowled. It was actually quite terrifying. “You should be honored to be in my body. You can now tower over the rest of us. At least you’re not dead, no offense Senior Wen,” Lan Jingyi quickly assured Wen Ning, who merely smiled. The expression was familiar on Lan Sizhui’s face, but he wondered if that meant Wen Ning just physically couldn’t smile the way he wanted to anymore.

“At least you’re super strong and fast now. And you’re barely taller than the rest of us,” Ouyang Zizhen shot back.

“How are we going to change back?” Lan Sizhui wondered. He shared a worried look with Wen Ning, while Lan Jingyi tested out his new body by punching a hole in the floorboard and running up a wall with Ouyang Zizhen cheering him on. Watching the once fierce Ghost General whooping ecstatically broke something in Lan Sizhui. Jin Ling was lucky to have skipped out on this particular night hunt. He bet the Jin Sect Leader was valiantly fighting alongside Sandu Shengshou at that very moment.

“This is so stupid!” Jin Ling whined as he flubbed the same line for the third time. 

Jiang Cheng nodded, “This is very stupid.” They glared at the ground and went back to practicing the bad dialogue. Why a song and dance production also needed bad jokes was anyone’s guess. Some of them were quite inappropriate, and the two equally blushed and stuttered their way through them.

They had spent the first five minutes trying to find a way out of the cavern without any success. After some expressions of anger and denial they stopped to work on their performance. 

Jin Ling was shocked at how well his uncle sang. He was not however surprised about the dancing. He knew how graceful and powerful his uncle’s sword work was. Thankfully Jin Ling’s singing voice was unoffensive and his dancing was precise and passionate. The only weakness between them was acting.

Jiang Cheng sounded like he was trying to murder someone with his lines, and Jin Ling sounded like he was discovering what words were for the first time. The two managed to get through a full run of the performance when the old man returned with Fairy. She let out a sad whine, but appeared to be completely unharmed.

“Are you both ready?” The old man asked. The only response he received were twin glares, which he took as an affirmative. “Ah, before I forget! You will need costumes.” With a snap of his fingers Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling found themselves in a new wardrobe. They looked at each other in mild horror, then let out enraged yells as they looked down at themselves.

“Why am I dressed like a courtesan?!” Jiang Cheng yelled. He could see the layers of sheer silks in shades of pale blue and purple draping down into ridiculously long sleeves. Thankfully the skirt was opaque, but the top of his robes were far too revealing. As he moved his head he could hear the tinkling of hair ornaments.

“And why am I dressed like an idiot?” Jin Ling was dressed in what could only be described as wealth without taste. Every item was covered in gold, from the large headpiece to the thread and beads embroidered into the green robes. The weight was comparable to armor, and he was concerned about his ability to dance in it. He couldn’t see it, but the worst item by far was the headpiece, which was shaped into a peacock. Each fabulous feather was fully fanned out and encrusted in jewels. 

Jiang Cheng decided to mercifully not mention it. Jin Ling made the same decision on his uncle’s artful, but bold makeup. The rouge on his lips and around his eyes really brought out his beautiful features.

“For your parts of course. You both look stunning! Now I’ve waited long enough. Let’s see the show.” Another snap of the old man’s finger brought a backdrop of rich blue silks, extra lights, and music. They didn’t have time to think about any of it as the first song’s cue was fast approaching.

Considering the amount of time allowed for practicing, and the inexperience of the performers, it was actually quite good. The dances were flawless, and Jin Ling only sang a few notes off-key. The jokes and other pieces of short dialogue were rough around the edges, but the bad line reads caused the old man to laugh. As Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling held the final poses in the last dance the old man cheered.

“That was spectacular! Truly amazing work. As promised, you are all free to go.” And he once again disappeared. Both blinked in surprise as the feeling of their spiritual energy once again flowed through them, and the familiar weight of their weapons sat in their proper places. Fairy returned to Jin Ling’s side, and the young man gave her a big hug. She happily licked his cheek in return.

“Wait you fucking crazy old man, give us our clothes back!” Jiang Cheng screamed in frustration. Jin Ling was completely distracted by Fairy’s return, but now scowled down at the flashy robes. 

“Jiujiu, do you still want to go looking for those dogs?”

“...I could use the stress relief.”

“Can we promise never to speak about this, ever?”

“Agreed.”

The two of them made their way out of the cave, but when they reached the tunnel with the three way fork the ground below them started to shake, and Jin Ling had to jump back to avoid falling rocks. 

“A-Ling!” Jiang Cheng whirled around, but it was too late. A thick wall of rocks separated them.

“We’re fine jiujiu,” Jin Ling assured him. Jiang Cheng tried moving some of the rock, but the rumbling it caused halted his small progress.

“I’m sure one of these tunnels leads to another exit. Fairy will help us find a way out, and then she’ll help me find you.” Jin Ling could imagine the scowl on his uncle’s face.

Jiang Cheng held in a scream of frustration. “Fine, just be careful. If you don’t find me by sunrise I will call the entire Jiang and Jin sects to search for you.”

“That’s so embarrassing jiujiu. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. See you outside!”

Jiang Cheng waited until the sound of his nephew’s steps disappeared, then walked out the way they first came. He was once again greeted by a dense forest. With a sigh he went in search of another way into the caves.

To the untrained eye Lan Wangji appeared calm as he swiftly walked through the forest, steps soundless, however inside he was a mess of fear and distress. He had successfully dispatched the dogs that chased Wei Wuxian, but was unable to catch up or find him. The dark and dense forest made it difficult to follow a clear trail. He called out for his husband, but was so far unsuccessful.

The thought of Wei Wuxian huddling in fear as more of those monstrous dogs surrounded him distressed him greatly. He reached a small clearing at the base of a mountain, and halted his search as he heard something from a small opening a few feet up.

“Wei Ying?” He desperately called out.

A head peaked out, but it was not his dear husband. Instead it appeared to be young Sect Leader Jin. With a stupidly gaudy peacock on his head.

“Hanguang-Jun?” The young man asked as he jumped down. The clothing he wore was almost as ridiculous as the shiny headpiece. His dog followed right after, and Lan Wangji couldn’t help but frown at her after the night he had. If Jin Ling noticed he didn’t comment.

“Sect Leader Jin,” Lan Wangji greeted.

“What are you doing out here?”

“Night hunt. Looking for Wei Ying.”

“You two got separated?” Then Jin Ling remembered their original night hunt target and understood why Lan Wangji seemed a little off. “Oh, there are demonic dogs out in the forest. I can help you find him.”

Lan Wangji gave him a look that Jin Ling couldn’t decipher. The two stared at each other. They stared until it went past even the point of uncomfortableness, when something in Jin Ling seemed to click. He suddenly knew what Lan Wangji was trying to communicate.

“Jiujiu and I originally came out here to deal with them, but instead we ended up dealing with some weird spirit inside a cave. If you have something of Wei Wuxian’s, Fairy can find his scent.” Well, that mostly explained why Jin Ling looked like a spoiled little lord, more than usual at least.

The thought of sending another dog after his already spooked husband upset Lan Wangji, but it would be much faster than his current search options. He took out his qiankun pouch and pulled out a single red ribbon. Jin Ling instructed Fairy to sniff the item, and they were on their way.

Jin Ling was very aware of Hanguang-Jun and his uncle’s contentious relationship. He was also aware that Hanguang-Jun didn’t seem to know what to do with him. In some ways he must have reminded the man of his uncle too much, but Wei Wuxian wished to have a good relationship with him. So Lan Wangji was silently polite, but mostly left him alone. 

What Jin Ling was trying to say was that this was really awkward. Really, super awkward. The great Hanguang-Jun split his attention between concern for Wei Wuxian, judgement over Jin Ling’s clothes, and distrust of Fairy.

He didn’t know what type of magic passed through their staring contest, but Jin Ling realized that he now understood every tiny change in Hanguang-Jun’s expression and mood. He just knew he’d come to regret it.

Lan Xichen managed to kill the three monstrous dogs left, and searched for his brother and brother-in-law. In theory they shouldn’t be too far away, but Wei Wuxian’s cynophobia greatly improved his speed. 

He heard the sound of rustling branches and went to investigate the noise. The sight that greeted him was extremely unexpected.

“Zewu-Jun? What are you doing here?” Sect Leader Jiang’s unmistakable voice rang out. The borderline rude question could also not have come from anyone else. The only unusual thing was the other sect leader’s appearance, which rendered Lan Xichen completely speechless.

Now Lan Xichen had seen men dressed as women in the past, and never thought anything of it. When Meng Yao helped him hide he saw slender men wearing delicate hanfu and skirts to attract a certain type of clientele. They were so convincing, that from far away they didn’t appear much different from their female counterparts. 

Lan Xichen had also seen an occasional performance or play where male actors played female characters. It often seemed that they chose the smallest male actor to take these parts, regardless of facial features or ability. More often than not, it felt like these actors had never actually met a woman before.             

But Sect Leader Jiang didn’t look like any of them. He wore sheer robes in soft colors that showed off the man’s broad shoulders and defined clavicle. The tight sash accentuated a tiny waist, and sheer silk ribbons flowed down the long skirts. The rouge around his eyes made them look a stormy blue. Crimson coated and accentuated sensual lips. The man’s hair was still pulled back, but instead of a severe bun, the hair was intricately braided and held up by delicate silver pins and silk flowers. The largest hairpiece stuck out and the thin sheets of metal tinkled in the cool breeze.

The contrast of feminine and masculine features and clothes on Sect Leader Jiang was striking. Lan Xichen could feel his racing heart and heat crawling across his cheeks. He mentally berated himself. How unfair it was to have a sexual revelation so late in life, but he couldn’t help it, the way Sect Leader Jiang looked struck something deep within him.

“Zewu-Jun, are you listening?” Jiang Cheng scowled, and oh, that did not help the tumultuous emotions rolling through Lan Xichen.

“Yes, apologies Sect Leader Jiang. I am on a night hunt with my brother and Wei Wuxian, but we were separated and now I’m trying to locate them. How about you?”

“I’m also on a night hunt. Wait, Wei Wuxian is out here too?” Lan Xichen hid a wince. The relationship between the two had slowly moved from purposeful strangers to acquaintances that sometimes had stilted conversations.

“Yes, we were supposed to investigate an odd spirit in a cave.”

Jiang Cheng scowl managed to intensify. “Don’t bother. I can assure you that it isn’t worth it, and don’t you dare ask me anything about how I look. A-Ling and I were here on reports of demonic dogs. You should really try and find Wei Wuxian.” Coming into contact with the cave explained the unusual clothing. Perhaps Lan Xichen should thank his brother-in-law for the choice in night hunt.

“We unfortunately already ran into them, which is how we came to be separated,” Lan Xichen admitted. “It’s admirable that you’re looking out for him though.”

Oh no, Lan Xichen thought, the blush on Sect Leader Jiang’s cheeks was too much. He pushed down the inappropriate thoughts and tried to focus on the real problems at hand.

“Don’t be ridiculous, I’ve done no such thing,” Jiang Cheng spat.

“Of course. Where is Sect Leader Jin?”

Jiang Cheng sighed. “There was a cave-in and A-Ling had to find a different way out.” Lan Xichen easily read the worry on the man’s face. 

“Sect Leader Jin has grown up to be a strong cultivator. I’m sure he will find you soon,” Lan Xichen assured him.

“That brat has come a long way,” Jiang Cheng agreed with a faraway look.

“Perhaps we should search for our companions together.” It was quite selfish of him, but Lan Xichen wanted to enjoy looking at Sect Leader Jiang for as long as possible. 

Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. “Only if we focus on finding A-Ling first.”

“That is agreeable, Wangji will take good care of Wei Wuxian,” Lan Xichen said with a big smile. He missed Jiang Cheng muttering a, I’m sure he will, under his breath.

“All right, let’s not waste anymore time then.” Jiang Cheng turned around and Lan Xichen’s mind went blank. The undergarment the man wore on his chest was tied back with criss crossed, thin strings, and nothing else. Lan Xichen knew this fact because the sheer silks left nothing to the imagination. From the back, Jiang Cheng’s skin was on full display from neck to waist.

Jiang Cheng turned around and snapped, “Well are you coming or not?” Lan Xichen blinked a few times and briskly walked to close the gap.

“Are you cold Sect Leader Jiang?”

The man in question gave him a questioning look. “No, I am perfectly capable of circulating my qi to keep me warm.”

Well, if the man was not cold, then Lan Xichen would not feel guilty about keeping his outer robe to himself. He would have gladly given it away if asked, but until then he would enjoy the view. Yes, he would need to thank his brother-in-law later.

Wei Wuxian’s legs burned. The fear and adrenaline had worn off, and he paid the price for running away so quickly and so far. In his panic he had lost his dear husband. He climbed up a tree and decided to wait until Lan Wangji found him. Hopefully those were the last of those beasts. He had been so excited for this night hunt, and now he just wanted to go home.

The sound of cracking twigs and rustling broke his pity party, and he prepared himself for the worst. A petite figure wearing a dark traveling cloak and a simple lantern emerged from the trees. The light illuminated a pale and pretty face. Wei Wuxian frowned. She didn’t seem to be anything other than human, though he would keep his guard up. It wasn’t safe for a young woman to be wandering around alone in the dark forest.

“You really shouldn’t be out here alone,” he commented as he jumped down from his hiding place. He winced at the shriek that came out of the young woman’s mouth. She whirled around and held out the lantern in front of her like a weapon.

“I didn’t mean to scare you, but it’s really not safe to be walking through the forest alone at night,” Wei Wuxian remarked as he held up his hands in a peaceful gesture.

It didn’t seem to help. “What are you? A monster in disguise? A bandit? Stay back!” Her eyes flashed and she brandished the lantern threateningly.

“I’m just a lowly cultivator on a night hunt. I promise I mean no harm.” It was sensible for her to be cautious, but then why was she doing something so reckless in the first place, Wei Wuxian wondered.

“Cultivator? So there is something out there?” The young woman shifted his gaze side-to-side, as if a monster could be found in her periphery.

“There were, but hopefully we managed to kill all of them,” Wei Wuxian assured her. “Why are you out here all alone?”

The young woman once again shifted her eyes side-to-side, but what she was looking out for was a mystery. She searched Wei Wuxian’s face for any sign of deceit, and after a few seconds her tense shoulders lowered.

“You must swear to secrecy.”

Wei Wuxian blinked in confusion, then he put on his most charming smile and said, “I promise, your secret is safe with me.”

“I’m running away from home and eloping with my true love.” She gripped the edges of her traveling cloak tightly as her eyes sparkled with passion.

“That’s great!” And that was all it took to gain her full trust.

“You really think so?”

Wei Wuxian grinned. “Of course. I’m guessing your families don’t approve?”

“No, they do not. When they found out they forbade me from leaving our residence and my mother had our servants spy on me. But my love still managed to sneak me letters, and tonight is the night we start our lives together as husband and wife.”

“Ah, I completely understand. Our families don’t approve of our marriage either,” Wei Wuxian admitted with a sad smile.

Her eyes widened further in an expression of raw hope. “You do? Why don’t they approve?”

“My husband’s family is very strict. They have over three thousand rules and I’ve broken at least half of them right in front of them since I was young.” The young woman was surprised to learn that the strange cultivator was a cut sleeve, but she understood that love struck without care for propriety or good sense.

“And what about your family?” A dark look passed over Wei Wuxian’s face, and she regretted asking the question, but in a flash the look was replaced with a wide grin once again.

“I don’t really have a family anymore, but if I were to presume, I would guess that he just doesn’t approve of anything I do anymore. But what really matters is the family you find and make your own.”

“How did you meet?” She couldn’t help but ask. She adored love stories, and she just knew this man would not disappoint.

With an excited smile, Wei Wuxian proceeded to tell her the story of how he met and eventually fell in love with the illustrious Hanguang-Jun. The story of course required some context, so he included some information about the Jiang family, the Wens, Xuanwu, losing his golden core, the Sunshot Campaign, the Jins, the siege on the Burial Mounds, and his death.

The young woman was the perfect audience. She laughed and cried at the right moments. She held in rants on his behalf and cheered as the Wens fell. She paused completely however when he slipped up and told her he had died. In his retelling, he had glossed over the use of demonic cultivation. He didn’t want to scare the poor girl.

“You died?! Is this some sort of joke?”

He held his hands up placatingly, “No, it’s not a joke. There’s uh, a special ritual, that cultivators can do in order to bring back the dead. But it has a terrible price. And it’s not guaranteed to work.”

She lifted an eyebrow at that explanation, but she wanted to hear more. So she nodded and waited for him to continue.

He described waking up in Mo Xuanyu’s body and running into the exact individuals he didn’t want to see. The investigation, Nie Mingjue’s body, and the thrilling conclusion at Guanyin Temple.

Silent tears dripped down her face and she opened and closed her mouth a few times before she spoke, “So Hanguang-Jun mourned you for over a decade and never sought another?”

This time Wei Wuxian’s smile was both blinding and melancholic. It hurt to look at. “Yes, they say that Lans only love once, and they love deeply. Very deeply.” His gaze seemed to take him somewhere else that she couldn’t follow.

“That’s so romantic. You both defied death to be together. That’s so amazing,” as she spoke the tears fell harder.

“So as you can see, love is worth even the greatest sacrifices,” Wei Wuxian assured her. “I would be happy to escort you safely to your meeting place.”

She covered her eyes with her hand and tried to stem the tears. “Thank you for telling me your story, it’s taught me a very important lesson.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, I can’t go through with this elopement!”

Wei Wuxian thoughts all halted with a short screeching sound. “What,” was the only thing he could vocalize. He didn’t even say it like it was a question.

“I thought I was truly in love, but you have shown me that this is nothing but a fleeting infatuation. We would never make such bold exclamations in words or actions. We cannot come close to comparing.”

Wei Wuxian wanted to use his normally very clever words, but he was still in a state of shock. “Wait, no.”

“Thank you,” she said earnestly as she grasped one of his hands. “I was about to make a terrible mistake. Please, if you see my almost husband, tell him I’m immensely sorry, but I can’t marry him.”

“But,” Wei Wuxian spat out, but was promptly ignored.

“The way out of this forest is nearby, I must sneak back into my rooms before my family notices I’m gone. I wish you great happiness, strange cultivator.” And with that she turned around and rushed out the way she arrived.

Wei Wuxian couldn’t do anything but gape in total confusion. Did, did he just ruin a relationship? How was that what she learned from his life story? He realized after a few minutes that she didn’t even tell him where to find her would-be husband. The poor man would be waiting quite a while, and this forest was not safe.

Perhaps she was correct in her assessment of the relationship.

“Fuck,” he muttered as he thought about what to do next. He knew Lan Wangji would be looking for him, and it would do no one any good if he wandered aimlessly around the dense woods looking for a man he had never met. Once Lan Wangji found him they could discuss what to do next.

He climbed back up into the tree and waited.

The four of them managed to get back on track. They carefully tried to reactivate the array, or at least find a way to study it, but even recreating the original scenario didn’t work. After they exhausted their other options, they decided to carefully look around the abandoned temple for clues about their original mission and a way to switch back.

Each took a different corner to explore. Lan Sizhui in Ouyang Zizhen's body was examining broken pottery when a yell and a few violent coughs caught his attention. They rushed over to Ouyang Zizhen in Lan Jingyi’s body to find him holding onto the wall for support as coughs wracked his body. Below him was an open chest and something in the air around him started to settle.

“Ouyang Zizhen?” Lan Jingyi in Wen Ning’s body called out cautiously. Ouyang Zizhen turned around and opened his mouth to assure his friend that he was fine, he had just accidentally choked on an abnormally large amount of dust, when his heart skipped a beat.

He had never noticed before, but Senior Wen was actually quite lovely to look at once you say past the grey skin and black eyes. He walked toward the man, who started to look even more concerned.

Ouyang Zizhen took Wen Ning’s cold hands in his own. “You’re so beautiful and strong, it would make me the happiest man alive if you accepted my courtship.”

“What?!” yelled every other occupant in the room in varying levels of volume. Lan Jangyi in Wen Ning’s body yanked his hands away and started backing up. Watching himself act so shamelessly was just too much. Then it got even worse, he watched his own eyes well up with tears.

“Please, if you do not accept my courtship, I don’t know how I’d survive,” Ouyang Zizhen begged as he walked toward the retreating Lan Jingyi. He tried to hug Wen Ning’s body, but an aggressive hand on his forehead pushed him back.

“Are you two just going to stand there?” Lan Jingyi yelled as he stopped his own crying body from embracing him.

“Ah, sorry Jingyi!” Lan Sizhui apologized as he reached out to politely suggest that Ouyang Zizhen calm down, but the love crazed man continued to struggle.

“My one and only, please allow me to express my adoration. I wish to have you in my arms for this life and the next.”

“Shut up Ouyang Zizhen! Do you know how embarrassing it is to watch myself say such ridiculous things!” Lan Jingyi scowled. Wen Ning in Lan Sizhui’s body could relate to the young man’s embarrassment as his own body continued to push away Ouyang Zizhen.

Lan Sizhui carefully approached the chest and stared at the light blue powder on the floor around it. “Do you think Ouyang Zizhen accidentally swallowed some sort of poison?”

Lan Jingyi in Wen Ning’s body was tired of pushing away Ouyang Zizhen in Lan Jingyi’s body, so the former shoved the latter away and made a run for the still standing rafters. He had miscalculated Ouyang Zizhen’s persistence as the young man leapt for him. The two collided mid-air and crashed into the wall behind them. The force was enough to set off another array.

Wen Ning and Lan Sizhui ran over immediately to check on the other two and were shocked to find two young children lying on the floor where two young men landed. They both appeared to be five years of age, and Ouyang Zizhen in Lan Jingyi’s child body had wrapped himself securely around Lan Jingyi in Wen Ning’s child body. The little Wen boy was very much alive and thrashing in the forced embrace.

“What just happened?!” Little Lan Jingyi in Wen Ning’s body cried out.

“I believe you activated another array. This one has de-aged your bodies…” Lan Sizhui didn’t know how to calm down his friend. He turned to look at Wen Ning in his body, and they shared a nod.

Wen Ning easily pulled Ouyang Zizhen away from Lan Jingyi. Lan Sizhui bent over to help the small Lan Jingyi off the floor. Ouyang Zizhen cried and screamed and thrashed as he tried to return to Lan Jingyi’s side. Wen Ning made a grab for his legs, but then the little boy slammed his head back straight into Wen Ning’s noise. Lan Sizhui winced. When he returned to his body that would most certainly hurt.

Ouyang Zizhen ran toward Lan Jingyi as Wen Ning stumbled back. Lan Jingyi tensed up and started running as well. A small amount of blood fell from Wen Ning in Lan Sizhui’s body and onto the floor. They were horrified to see another array activated.

This time he found a large white mouse sitting where his body should have been. Lan Sizhui in Ouyang Zizhen’s body was now terrified to make any move. The large white mouse scurried towards him and plopped its little chin on his boot. He picked up the mouse and curled it into his arm. This was certainly going to be a long night.

“Wei Ying!” Lan Wangji called out as he followed Fairy and the young Jin Sect Leader. He had called out the name of his husband many times since the two started their journey, but finally he heard a reply.

The three increased their pace until they heard a scream above them. Wei Wuxian stared at Fairy in complete terror. Jin Ling commanded her to wait behind some bushes, while Lan Wangji jumped up and comforted his scared husband. With the dog out of sight, Wei Wuxian squeezed Lan Wangji’s hand in appreciation as they stared into one another’s eyes.

Some might coo over the couple’s mental communication, but now that Jin Ling could read Lan Wangji the whole sight was horrifying. The amount of affection and devotion was sweet, but the thoughts of what the two would do together once they returned to the Jingshi made Jin Ling want to turn right around.

“ Ahem ,” Jin Ling loudly coughed out. Wei Wuxian turned to look down at the slightly blushing young man and froze in shock. This lasted for less than a second before he burst into laughter.

“What are you wearing?” Wei Wuxian asked between gasps of laughter. The flush of anger on Jin Ling’s face did not help control the man’s mirth.

“It is none of your business.” Jin Ling crossed his arms and glared. Wei Wuxian merely fell backwards off the tree branch and easily landed on his feet. He poked at the gaudy peacock headpiece and began to laugh again. 

“You’re more like your father than I thought,” Wei Wuxian commented. The anger drained from the young sect leader at the comparison to his father. He did not realize that Wei Wuxian was not giving either of them a compliment.

Lan Wangji jumped down. “They found that cave,” he explained to his husband.

Wei Wuxian’s face lit up, “You found that cave? What were you asked to do?”

Jin Ling returned to scowling. “Jiujiu and I were trying to hunt the monstrous dogs you ran into,” Wei Wuxian shivered at the memory, “but instead we had to entertain some weird old man.”

“Jiang Cheng is here? Where is he? Also what kind of entertainment? It’s not fair that we ended up dealing with those horrifying monsters.”

“There was a cave-in and we got separated. Actually I need to go find him before he really starts to worry.” He purposefully ignored the last question, which Wei Wuxian noticed immediately. The man in black opened his mouth to push the issue, but Jin Ling interrupted him. “I helped you find each other, now I must search for jiujiu before the sun rises.”

The young man turned to leave, but Wei Wuxian moved to stand next to him and gave him a wide smile. “Then it is our just and righteous duty to help you find Jiang Cheng.”

Jin Ling raised an eyebrow and looked at Lan Wangji in confirmation. Hanguang-Jun was not thrilled at the prospect of interacting with the Jiang Sect Leader, but he agreed with his husband’s wishes.

“Fine, but you’ll need to hang back so Fairy can guide me.”

“Ah, my Lan Zhan can stay up front with Fairy while the two of us can catch up. It’s been so long since we last spoke.”

Jin Ling held in a look of shock at the expression on Lan Wangji’s face. The man was not happy at this suggestion. Who knew Hanguang-Jun could get this jealous? But he nodded his head and made his way to Fairy.

“So what did the old man tell you to do? You must have done it well since you were able to leave the cave,” Wei Wuxian wheedled as they ducked branches and avoided roots.

“I’m not telling you, so just drop it.”

“So mean! This information could be essential to other cultivators.”

“There is no information to tell.”

“My my, your face has certainly gotten thicker if you can say such blatant lies.”

Jin Ling opened his mouth to reply, but Wei Wuxian had stopped walking. His eyes were wide and his mouth was open in shock.

It was as if Lan Wangji had a sixth sense for when Wei Wuxian was distressed. The man commanded Fairy to stop and he turned around in concern. “Wei Ying?”

Wei Wuxian looked into his eyes and said, “Wait, where is Zewu-Jun?”

Lan Wangji froze. Jin Ling was able to read the worry and guilt, and he couldn’t help but blurt out, “You forgot about your own brother?!”

The man looked incredibly ashamed.

Jin Ling sighed. “Once we find jiujiu, Fairy will help you find Zewu-Jun.” But all he really wanted to do was go home. 

Wei Wuxian sent a comforting look to husband, before turning to Jin Ling. “We are in your debt. Who knows, maybe we will get lucky and the two of them will be together.”

“Is there something on my back?” Jiang Cheng’s sharp voice cut through Lan Xichen’s less than appropriate thoughts.

The Lan Sect Leader smiled, but mentally chided himself. “No, why do you ask?”

Jiang Cheng’s eyes narrowed. He did not look impressed. “I can feel you staring at it,” he accused.

“Apologies, my thoughts wandered while following behind you. I did not mean to offend you in any way.” This was the truth. Stripped of details perhaps, but his thoughts were wandering while he intently followed the man’s back.

The other sect leader did not seem fully convinced, but dropped the line of questioning. It wasn’t worth his time. Jiang Cheng couldn’t put his finger on it, but Zewu-Jun was acting strangely. He wondered if seclusion had dulled his night hunting abilities. If that were the case then he would need to stay extra alert for the both of them. If Zewu-Jun died, Jiang Cheng was certain he would be blamed for it. 

The other sect leader was staring again.

When they met up with Wei Wuxian, he would need to quietly apprise his former shixiong of Zewu-Jun’s lack of focus. He wasn’t sure how the man would react to it. Would it be as stilted and superficial as their previous interactions? Or would he tease him for it like in the past? The former seemed more likely, which suited him just fine.

A loud yell brought both men out of their thoughts. They unsheathed their swords and quickened their pace as they moved toward the sound. A young man was running from a fierce corpse. The two cultivators made quick work of the malevolent being.

Quite a few ghostly women appeared. They wore suggestive clothing and thanked the two cultivators for bringing down the fierce corpse. As they disappeared with grateful smiles on their faces, Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen thought the moment would have been more meaningful if they knew what was going on.

The young man cautiously approached them. “Th-thank you esteemed cultivators,” he said in a low bow.

A delicate, pale hand beckoned him up, “No need for that. Are you unharmed?” The young man looked up at the warm smile on an ethereal face, softened by moonlight. The white robes and ribbon denoted the Gusu Lan sect.

“I have no injuries thanks to the both of you.”

“Why are you out here alone?” A sharp voice questioned. The young man turned to look directly at the other cultivator and he felt like he had been punched in the stomach. The man in front of him was a vision. He hadn’t realized that he was staring until the voice cut in again, “Were you hit in the head? What is wrong with you?”

The young man blushed and sputtered out, “S-sorry. I came out here to elope with my darling Biyu, but she never came.”

Perhaps it was a good thing she didn’t. The young man’s heart raced as he drank in the sight of the stunning man in sheer silks. Biyu understood him more than anyone he had ever met, but his blood had never pumped as passionately as it did then.

Then he felt a powerful stare. He reluctantly pulled his attention away and almost jumped as he matched the heavy gaze of the Gusu Lan cultivator. The man was still smiling, but the warmth was completely gone. He never knew a smile could be so terrifying.

“Why did you both think meeting up in the woods at night was a good idea? Are you trying to die?” Compared to the terrifying smile, the other cultivator’s scowl seemed pleasant. The furrowed brow and flushed cheeks added to the allure, but the young man almost squeaked as he noticed the Gusu Lan cultivator’s expression grow even darker. 

“I’m so sorry!” The young man yelled before running back home. He would take his chances with whatever monsters lived in the shadows.

Jiang Cheng was too shocked to do anything other than yell, “Don’t run away you idiot!” But the young man was long gone. He turned to look at Lan Xichen, who gave him a small smile. “What the fuck was wrong with him?”

“I am unsure. Hopefully he makes it home safely.”

Jiang Cheng rubbed his temples in frustration. “Hopefully the woman he spoke of grew some sense, and is not wandering the forest.”

“I agree, if we do see her we can offer to escort her home.” Jiang Cheng nodded. As expected, Zewu-Jun was a true gentleman. The two began their search once again. Jiang Cheng felt Lan Xichen's heavy gaze on his back. The man had had no trouble taking down the fierce corpse, so his night hunting abilities weren’t completely rusty, but not focusing on the present was still dangerous. Jiang Cheng hoped they would find his nephew and Wei Wuxian quickly, then he could return home with no regrets.

Jin Ling had managed to ignore his not-uncle’s questions and sly comments. He had made a promise to pretend that the events in the cave didn’t happen, and that’s what he would do. Fairy’s ears perked up, and as they walked further the distant sounds of yelling were audible.

The four of them picked up their pace. What greeted them stopped them completely. A small child was tied to a tree. His head thrashed side to side as he tearfully called out to his love. Another small child had his hands over his ears, and tried his best to ignore the loud pleas.

Ouyang Zizhen was drawing what looked like an array in the dirt using a long stick, and shockingly what appeared to be another Ouyang Zizhen dressed all in black sat on a boulder while smirking. On closer inspection the first Ouyang Zizhen seemed to be talking to a white mouse.

Lan Wangji thought the boy tied to the tree looked exactly like Lan Jingyi when he was a child, but he did not recognize the other child.

“What is going on?!” Jin Ling yelled.

“Young mistress!” the unknown child not tied to a tree greeted as Ouyang Zizhen called out, “Jin Ling!”

“Wait, what are you wearing?” The unknown child snorted at the ridiculous sight. As Jin Ling spluttered, they gave equally exuberant and relieved greetings to Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian.

“All right, I think you should start from the beginning,” Wei Wuxian requested. Lan Wangji had tired of the background screaming, and put a silencing spell on the child tied to the tree.

“Thank you! Ouyang Zizhen wouldn’t shut up,” the unknown child whined. This added to the confusion as who they thought was Ouyang Zizhen started to explain.

“In order to take care of a fierce corpse, our research led us to this temple, but instead we accidentally activated an array that switched our bodies. I’m actually Lan Sizhui. Ouyang Zizhen ended up in Jingyi’s body, Jingyi ended up Senior Wen’s body, and Senior Wen ended up in my body.”

That actually explained very little, and so Lan Sizhui in Ouyang Zizhen’s body continued. “Then something happened to Ouyang Zizhen, and all of a sudden he started proposing and chasing Jingyi. They accidentally activated an array that made them into children, but Ouyang Zizhen still pursued Jingyi. In trying to separate them Senior Wen bled and activated another array and turned into a mouse.” The mouse in question squeaked in confirmation. 

“As we moved out of the temple, an old cloth fell from the ceiling and covered me. When I pushed the cloth off I realized there were now two of me, well of Ouyang Zizhen’s body.”

Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow. “Why is he wearing all black?”

For the first time the other Ouyang Zizhen piped up, “Because I look a hell of a lot better in it than you do.”

Before Wei Wuxian could reply, Lan Sizhui as Ouyang Zizhen quickly said, “Please ignore him. We believe he might be the bad-tempered version of me.”

Lan Jingyi snorted, which was very cute coming from Wen Ning’s child body. “Luckily for us, the bad version of Sizhui mostly just refuses to help, and then occasionally calls out mild insults.”

“And then at some point you ended up tying Lan-no wait-Ouyang Zizhen to a tree?” Jin Ling asked. The boy was still silently thrashing.

Lan Sizhui nodded, “Yes, he was becoming a danger to himself and us in his attempts to get to Jingyi. Senior Wen also tripped a truth telling array, one of the few that we recognized on sight, but it only hit him and Jingyi.”

“Apparently I already tell the truth so much that it hasn’t made much of a difference,” Lan Jingyi confirmed. What went unsaid was that no one could tell if a mouse was telling the truth or not.

Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, and Jin Ling stared at them until Wei Wuxian and Jin Ling started laughing. 

“Oi! Stop laughing! It isn’t funny,” Lan Jingyi protested.

“It’s pretty funny,” the black clad Ouyang Zizhen (Lan Sizhui?) called out.

“Oh shut up!”

After another minute, Wei Wuxian and Jin Ling had calmed down. Then Jin Ling remembered, “I still need to find Jiujiu and Zewu-Jun.”

“Zewu-Jun is here too?” Lan Jingyi asked. 

“How did the night hunt with Sect Leader Jiang go?” That question came from Lan Sizhui.

“I don’t want to talk about it. We all ended up separated, and I really need to find them,” Jin Ling said as he crossed his arms.

“I should stay here and help put them back to normal. Lan Zhan, would you help Jin Ling find Jiang Cheng and your brother?” Based on Lan Wangji’s expression, he would reluctantly agree. Jin Ling thought about offering to find them on his own, but he could already hear the arguments Wei Wuxian would make. The man was almost as protective as jiujiu, but expressed it very differently.

Lan Wangji and Jin Ling shared a tired look, and Lan Wangji nodded in agreement.

“Great! Hopefully by the time you’ve returned everyone will be back to normal,” Wei Wuxian exclaimed with a confident grin on his face.

Jin Ling and Lan Wangji once again found themselves silently following Fairy’s lead. The atmosphere was less tense, but still awkward. Jin Ling debated about using his new found ability to read Hanguang-Jun, and after an extended period of time he gave into the temptation. He was both relieved and disappointed to see that the man was thinking about what meal he would prepare for Wei Wuxian.

The thoughts didn’t drift from the topic. The man couldn’t decide on which dishes to pair together. When Fairy let out an excited bark, Jin Ling internally cheered.

Jiang Cheng’s hand pushed away a low hanging branch, and his expression softened as he caught sight of his nephew. Then he saw Lan Wangji.

He properly greeted the man, then walked over to his nephew. Lan Wangji did have a small look of surprise on his face when he saw the Jiang Sect Leader’s back through the sheer silk. He wondered if the sect leader was aware of it. 

Lan Xichen pushed the same low hanging branch and smiled at his brother and the young Jin Sect Leader.

“What took you so long? I was ready to call in the Jiang disciples to find you,” Jiang Cheng scolded Jin Ling as he straightened the young man’s headpiece. The only thing worse than an ostentatious peacock headpiece, was an off-center, ostentatious peacock headpiece.

Jin Ling swatted his fingers away. “We had to find Wei Wuxian first, and then Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, and Ouyang Zizhen ran into some trouble.”

Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow, and Jin Ling gave a quick explanation of what had happened after the cave-in.

Lan Wangji watched his brother’s fixated stare at Jiang Cheng, and his blood ran cold. No, he thought, no, no, no. He must be mistaken.

“Xiongzhang?” Lan Wangji asked. The slight desperation caught Jin Ling’s attention, and he turned to look at the Twin Jades of Lan.

Lan Xichen looked slightly embarrassed, and the two of them had a silent conversation. By the end of it Lan Wangji looked horrified to those who could read him (so everyone except for Jiang Cheng).

Jin Ling’s gaze swung from Lan to Lan as they communicated, and while he was not as adept at understanding Lan Xichen, he read Lan Wangji loud and clear. “What?!” He blurted out before he could stop it.

Everyone stared at him. “What’s wrong with you?” His uncle chided.

“Nothing!” Jin Ling was not about to explain to his uncle what Hanguang-Jun had confirmed from Zewu-Jun. He was happy to pretend he had never learned about it, but his precious jiujiu’s honor was at stake. Lan Xichen returned his gaze to Jiang Cheng’s back, and Jin Ling jumped into action.

He removed the outer robe and held it out for his uncle. “It’s a cold night jiujiu, you should wear more layers.”

“I am perfectly capable of keeping my body warm using qi. Also that robe is offensive. I am not wearing that catastrophe.” Jiang Cheng crossed his arms and scowled.

“Take mine,” Lan Wangji offered his own white outer robe. Three pairs of wide eyes stared at him. Then Lan Xichen narrowed his eyes at the thought of Jiang Cheng wearing his brother’s robes. His jealousy warred with his shame and common sense.

“Wha-no!” Jiang Cheng exclaimed in confusion. Lan Wangji continued to hold out his robe to the Jiang Sect Leader.

“Are you deaf? I am not cold, and even if I were you would be the last person I’d ever accept clothing from,” Jiang Cheng spat. Lan Wangji’s stare intensified, but he did not lower his arm. Jin Ling could tell he was planning on how he could force the stubborn man into the robe without the least amount of destruction.

Lan Xichen broke through the tension with a sunny smile. “Then you can take mine,” he announced as he also held out his outer robe to Jiang Cheng. While he admired the view, something deep within him was pleased at the idea of Sect Leader Jiang wearing his outer robe in front of others.

“What is wrong with all of you? I am not taking any of your damn robes, so put them back on.” Zidian sparked at his words.

“But jiujiu!” Jin Ling might have resorted to whining, but it was for a good cause.

“No, and that’s final. A-Ling, let’s go.”

Jin Ling sighed. “I really want to make sure my friends are okay, but you can head back to the Lotus Pier. I promise I will check in later.”

“I’m not leaving you here. Let’s just get this over with. Where are those brats?” Jin Ling gave up. He knew his uncle was incredibly stubborn, and that explaining his lack of dress would only embarrass the both of them.

As Jin Ling and Jiang Cheng followed Fairy and walked in front of the Lan brothers, Lan Xichen returned to staring at Jiang Cheng. He was a little disappointed that the man refused to wear his robe, but at least he hadn’t accepted any of them. Lan Wangji felt ill at how blatant his brother’s...affections...for the other sect leader were.

Sandu Shengshou was not an acceptable partner for his brother. The man was angry and cruel. Lan Wangji had always imagined his brother with a sweet and quiet woman who would support him wholeheartedly and give him many even-tempered babies. Now the image was being replaced with a sharp eyed and tongued Jiang Cheng glaring from behind Lan Xichen’s back. He would berate Lan Xichen, who would do anything to placate the man, and then they would have a bunch of ill-tempered babies.

He could not allow that to happen. Thankfully the Jiang Sect Leader seemed unaware of his brother’s interest. Hopefully once Sect Leader Jiang returned to his normal look, the interest would pass.

Jin Ling frowned bewilderedly as he interpreted Lan Wangji’s thoughts. Where did Hanguang-Jun expect these ill-tempered babies to come from? Maybe the Cloud Recesses didn’t explain where babies came from to their disciples very well. 

Jiang Cheng was unaware of the raging thoughts around him. It was for the best.

Jin Ling was relieved as they arrived at the abandoned temple. The bad version of Lan Sizhui still sat on the boulder, while the normal Lan Sizhui helped Wei Wuxian with his notes. Wen Ning was still a mouse, and he sat on Lan Sizhui’s head. Lan Jingyi was still in the body of Wen Ning as a child, and he was staring at some of the papers. Ouyang Zizhen in little Lan Jingyi’s body was still tied to the tree, but the silencing spell had worn off. Lan Wangji quickly placed it again.

Wei Wuxian looked up from the pile of papers and ink he had taken out from his qiankun pouch and smiled at his husband. He moved his gaze from person to person until he stopped on Jiang Cheng. The man looked like something else in make-up and gauzy silk robes. It was not a comical sight like Jin Ling’s princely outfit, but the instinct to tease his little brother rose within him. He grasped it with both hands and pushed it down. There was no need to antagonize the man, it would only lead to more chaos, and the younger disciples had already triggered too many arrays and mysterious items. 

But oh how he wanted to.

“You got something to say,” Jiang Cheng challenged. Wei Wuxian realized he was staring, and quickly sent the man a normal smile.

“I’m glad Jin Ling was able to track the both of you down. Did he explain the mess these disciples got into?” Jiang Cheng searched for any hint of mockery, but eventually lowered his shoulders and lessened his scowl ever so slightly.

“Yes, have you made any progress?”

“I’m trying to undo each array in reverse order. So far we managed to remove the truth spell.”

“I’m a giant flying water buffalo,” Lan Jingyi announced happily. “No truth spell for me anymore!”

Jin Ling walked over to his friends that were not currently tied to a tree, and soon he and Lan Jingyi started to bicker as usual.

Wei Wuxian spread out his notes and gestured at the three men. “I have drawn out the arrays they activated. What I’m not sure about is the banner that created the bad version of Lan Sizhui in Ouyang Zizhen’s body, and Ouyang Zizhen in Lan Jingyi’s body’s obsession with marrying Lan Jingyi in Wen Ning’s body.”

At the mention of Wen Ning, Jiang Cheng internally flinched. The fact that Wen Ning’s body was that of a child, and the actual Wen Ning was currently a mouse helped his anxiety. 

“I’ll take a look at the strange banner,” Jiang Cheng announced. He was happy to put some space between himself and everyone else. He somehow managed to not scream when Zewu-Jun said he would join him.

He did not see the distressed look on Lan Wangji’s face, but Wei Wuxian did. Before Wei Wuxian asked his husband what was wrong, he saw Jiang Cheng’s back as the man walked toward the banner in question.

He covered his mouth and turned to Lan Wangji with a desperate look. “I’m trying so hard not to tease him, but how can I not? What is he even wearing? Please help me Lan Zhan before I say something I regret.”

“Brother…” Lan Wangji couldn’t say the words. This did help distract Wei Wuxian for the moment, and he turned to look at Lan Xichen. The Lan Sect Leader appeared to be discussing something with Jiang Cheng, but on closer scrutiny his gaze was heavy. When Jiang Cheng looked down at the banner, Lan Xichen hungrily stared at him.

Wei Wuxian was tempted to rub his eyes, as if it was a trick of the light, or his own mind playing tricks on him. It couldn’t be. He turned back to Lan Wangji, and it was his husband’s turn to give him a look of desperation.

“With Jiang Cheng?” Wei Wuxian asked. Lan Wangji hesitantly nodded. “Well, at least I don’t think Jiang Cheng would return his interest.”

Lan Wangji was a little offended at the thought of anyone turning down his brother. They would be a fool to do so.

“Who would have thought the esteemed Zewu-Jun was attracted to such an appearance? Do you think he wants to bend Jiang Cheng over a table, or do you think he wants Jiang Cheng to step on him?”

“Wei Ying!” Lan Wangji’s ears were bright red and he was mortified. 

“If I can’t tease Jiang Cheng, then I will just have to tease my dear husband. You flush so prettily, I can’t help it.”   

 “I’d like to go home before dawn. Can’t you wait until we’re finished to flirt so shamelessly?” Jin Ling cut in with his hands on his hips. Lan Sizhui averted his eyes, a blush pronounced on Ouyang Zizhen’s face. Lan Jingyi stared up curiously at the four of them.

“Don’t be jealous Jin Ling, I will happily tease you too. I’m going to assume that you actually enjoy that horrendous metal peacock sitting on your head since you haven’t removed it,” Wei Wuxian commented slyly.

Jin Ling froze before quickly lifting his hands to touch the headpiece he long ignored. Lan Jingyi and Wei Wuxian laughed, and Lan Sizhui hid a smile into his sleeve. Jin Ling pulled at the headpiece, which resulted in his hair tangling in the small spaces and thin metalwork. Lan Sizhui helped him take the piece off, and Jin Ling peered down at the jewel encrusted, proud, solid gold peacock. It’s beak was even open.

“Jiujiu, why didn’t you tell me I was wearing such a stupid thing on my head?!” He yelled at his uncle in complete betrayal.

“I didn’t think it was important. Don’t talk to your elders in such a way!” His uncle yelled back.

Jin Ling threw the offending headpiece and it made a satisfying thump as it hit a tree. Everyone who had ever experienced financial strain winced.

Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng walked back to the larger group. Jiang Cheng picked up the peacock headpiece and placed it into his qiankun bag. If it was actually made of precious materials, he could invest it into the Lotus Pier. It’s not like the Jin Sect needed more shiny objects lying around.

“We think we have figured out how the banner split Lan Sizhui as Ouyang Zizhen into two,” Lan Xichen stated. He went into detail on the cleansing spell woven into the cloth and everyone aptly listened to his explanation.

“So how do we put the two Lan Sizhui’s back together?” Jin Ling asked.

“Maybe we should just tie them together with the banner,” Lan Jingyi jokingly suggested. Before Jin Ling could tell him how stupid that suggestion sounded, the bad version of Lan Sizhui made a move to escape.

Jiang Cheng sent out Zidian to immobilize the dark clothed Lan Sizhui, and the spiritual weapon sparked and crackled strangely. “What?” Jiang Cheng wondered aloud before the sparks intensified. “Zidian, stop!” But it was too late. Whatever Zidian had perceived, she acted accordingly. Her violet light flashed so brightly that everyone had to close their eyes and look away.

When they reopened their eyes and blinked away the spots in their vision, the bad Lan Sizhui had disappeared. The only remnant left was a black smudge on the ground and scraps of cloth. Zidian returned to Jiang Cheng’s finger and she vibrated with smug satisfaction.

“Did, did Sect Leader Jiang just blow up Sizhui?” Lan Jingyi broke the silence.

It was a novel experience to see the normally fierce Jiang Cheng imitate a koi fish as he stood there in shock.

“I felt something return to me, so I think I’m partially back to normal thanks to Sect Leader Jiang,” Lan Sizhui defended, still in Ouyang Zizhen’s body.

Wei Wuxian couldn’t help it. He started to laugh. This night had just been too much, and the ridiculousness of the situation combined with the initial, nervous fear made him laugh so hard that tears spilled down.

“That’s it. I’m leaving,” Jiang Cheng was also at his limit. He couldn’t wait to return to the Lotus Pier, change, break an army’s worth of training dummies, and then take a very long bath. Wei Wuxian wanted to call out for him to wait, but he couldn’t stop laughing.

“Jiujiu, don’t go. What if we need you to use Zidian to put them back into the right bodies?” Jin Ling ran to meet his uncle.

“No way! What if Zidian makes all of us explode? Or just Senior Wen’s fierce corpse body?!” Lan Jingyi yelled and clutched at his chest defensively. A small squeak mirrored his concerns.

“Perhaps testing Zidian’s abilities in this case is too risky, but Sect Leader Jiang’s knowledge was indispensable in figuring out the cleansing banner. We could really use your expertise and experience in this matter,” Lan Xichen urged him to stay. Who knew if he would ever see the man dressed so perfectly again? Watching him use Zidian was a transcendent experience.

Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, and Jin Ling all had the same thought: wow, he’s sure laying it on thick.

Jiang Cheng was a little suspicious of the man’s sincerity. When you grow up without any compliments, you both crave them and reject them as they feel so foreign. He glanced at Wei Wuxian, who was finally able to hold in his laughter, and back to the warm and pleading eyes of his nephew and Zewu-Jun. He sighed and returned to the drawings of the arrays.

Whatever spell was on Ouyang Zizhen finally wore off. He was mortified. They almost managed to turn Wen Ning in Lan Sizhui’s body back to normal on the first try. Wei Wuxian was fascinated with the mouse ears, and after a few more tries the body was back to fully human.

It appeared that the age transformation on Ouyang Zizhen and Lan Jingyi would also eventually wear off, but they were reluctant on trying to reverse the body switching array before the two had returned to their normal ages.

Eventually they succeeded in speeding up the age transformation, though Lan Jingyi swore his body looked a little younger then it was supposed to, and all that was left was returning everyone to their correct bodies. The first attempt led to Lan Jingyi returning to his body, but the other three were scrambled. The second, third, and fourth attempts just scrambled them further, but the fifth attempt set everything right. 

By the time they finished, the sun had not only risen, but it was almost directly above them. Even Wei Wuxian was starting to feel tired after the long night.

“All right, we can all finally go home!” He exclaimed as he stretched and yawned.

“Oh wait, what about our case with the fierce corpse and the ghosts?” Ouyang Zizhen remembered. Both Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui groaned at the thought of spending more time in the forest.

“Ah, Sect Leader Jiang and I brought down a fierce corpse before Sect Leader Jin found us, perhaps it was the one you were looking for,” Lan Xichen offered with a smile. After exchanging some details, the young disciples were happy to confirm that they didn’t need to continue searching for it. Ouyang Zizhen was a little disappointed that they missed the ghostly women moving on.

Jiang Cheng managed to slightly separate Wei Wuxian from the rest of the group. The man in black was very curious about what Jiang Cheng wanted to tell him. What came out of Jiang Cheng’s mouth was not anything he expected.

“Zewu-Jun seemed very distracted during this night hunt. As we traveled through the woods he would stare and his mind would drift. Make sure you remain vigilant on the next night hunt you have with him,” Jiang Cheng waited for Wei Wuxian to tease him about showing concern for the Lan Sect Leader, but instead he received an unimpressed stare and then an incredulous look.

“What?!” Jiang Cheng crossed his arms and glared.

“Oh nothing. Sure, I’ll keep an eye out for Zewu-Jun.” Wei Wuxian was mystified on how Jiang Cheng managed to misinterpret Lan Xichen’s almost constant gaze. Perhaps in the future he would do something to help out his brother-in-law, but at the moment all he wanted to do was return to the Jingshi.

As everyone was preparing to depart, the sound of low growls echoed around them. Wei Wuxian screamed in terror and threw himself behind Jiang Cheng. While everyone was exhausted, there was also a level of frustration that had grown.

The monstrous dogs didn’t know what hit them. Both literally and figuratively, as a cacophony of spiritual weapons, instruments, talismans, and swords flew at them. It was overkill.

Their farewells were rushed as the blood around them cooled. Everyone silently agreed to never bring up the events of the night for the sake of their sanity.

As Jin Ling mounted his sword, he turned to Lan Wangji and said, “I think you should make spicy fish stew.” Then flew off. Lan Wangji looked shocked, and didn’t respond to any of the questioning looks he received. 

“Thank you for working with me on this night hunt,” Lan Xichen told Jiang Cheng as the Jiang Sect Leader mounted Sandu. The Lan Sect Leader had an aura of melancholy around him. Jiang Cheng wondered if the man was at his limit, or if he was somehow ashamed of needing to rely on another sect leader during the night hunt.

“It’s good to have you back,” Jiang Cheng gave him a slight smile before flying back to the Lotus Pier.

He did not see Lan Xichen’s legs buckle, as the remaining cultivators rushed to the man’s side. Lan Xichen’s sight did not waver from where Jiang Cheng once was as he asked, “How can I get him to look at me like that again?”

“What?!” Lan Jingyi summarized what everyone present was thinking. Wei Wuxian laughed nervously and pushed the young disciples and Wen Ning to head back to Baling and relax. Lan Wangji stood there with the expression of someone who had bit into a deeply sour fruit, until the three of them finally made their way to the Cloud Recesses.

Back at the Lotus Pier, a furious yell echoed off the walls. “Why didn’t anyone tell me what I was wearing?!” By the time he saw the makeup on his face his screams were unintelligible.