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"Pack your things," Wen Xu said without preamble, "We are going to Dafan."
Wei Wuxian frowned at him. "Dafan? Dafan as in..."
"The Dafan Wen, yes."
At that, Wei Wuxian's skeptical expression finally turned excited. "Will I finally get to meet your extended family?"
Wen Xu huffed in amusement. "Most of the people carrying the Wen surname are my extended family." He let out a little sigh, already dreading the chaos this trip was sure to bring. "But yes, I do have direct cousins, more or less. Two of whom are the children of my father's favorite cousin."
"And they live in Dafan," Wei Wuxian concluded.
"Correct. Father wishes to bring them to Nightless City."
Wei Wuxian had never met the siblings, but his eyes lit up as if he were looking forward to reuniting with old friends. Wen Xu suppressed another sigh. He could already see where this was going.
Without a doubt, Wei Wuxian would take a liking to his cousins. Wen Qing because she was a no-nonsense yet compassionate medical prodigy, and Wen Ning because Wei Wuxian insisted on mothering every younger disciple he liked. With Wen Ning's timid but friendly nature, there was no doubt Wei Wuxian would consider him adorable. As for Wen Qing...
If nothing else, those two would delight in having someone to bounce their increasingly complex and unhinged theories off of. Wen Xu was a formidable cultivator drilled in martial forms and the Six Arts to perfection but lacked the same inventive creativity.
"Before you get too excited, there are other reasons for this trip," Wen Xu informed him before Wei Wuxian.
"Oh? What other reasons?"
"There has been unrest of Dafan Mountain for as long as I can remember, but no one has ever taken the time to investigate it. So, this is what we are doing."
Wei Wuxian narrowed his eyes at him. "What kind of unrest?"
"Something about a soul-devouring deity in form of a stone statue that resembles a dancing woman. I believe it is called the Heavenly Maiden."
He attempted to say it as casually as possible in order not to play into Wei Wuxian's easily excitable nature. It was of no use.
Wei Wuxian's eyes went wide, lighting up with the light of curiosity and excitement. "The Heavenly Maiden!? I thought that was just a legend, why has no one told me it was true? Why has no one investigated it? Xu-ge, imagine the possibilities."
Great. Wei Wuxian had somehow gotten even more excited about their little field trip.
Wen Xu barely held back from releasing another sigh, a habit he had gained over the last couple years and associated with Wei Wuxian first and foremost.
"A-Ying."
Wei Wuxian paused in his ramblings and waved his hands. "Sorry, sorry. I will be on my best behavior."
"See that you are. Wen Zhuliu will be accompanying us."
At that, Wei Wuxian threw back his head and let out a groan. This time, Wen Xu did not bother hiding the amused twitch of his lips.
"This is not as tragic as you make it out to be. Wen Zhuliu is a very capable cultivator."
"I mean, yes," Wei Wuxian said, "but that is only as long as you consider his ability to melt cores. Apart from that, his cultivation is pretty average. Which is not the problem. He's just so..."
Wei Wuxian grasped the air in search for the right word. "Intense."
"Wen Zhuliu is very dedicated to repaying his debts to our family, yes," Wen Xu agreed, recalling the words he had been told by that very same cultivator a great many times.
"He would benefit from being a little less serious about it," Wei Wuxian grumbled, "Imagine the havoc he could unleash if left to Wen Chao's devices."
"Fortunately for all of us, we have successfully convinced Father to restrict the authority Wen Chao has over him," Wen Xu pointed out somewhat smugly.
"Thank the heavens. Is he also coming?"
"Wen Chao? No. It is only us and Wen Zhuliu. A couple disciples to help deal with minor disturbances in the area."
Wei Wuxian gave him a questioning look and Wen Xu elaborated. "The Dafan Wen are a branch of medical cultivators. They do not specialize in combat or hauntings."
"Right, makes sense." Wei Wuxian picked up a qiankun pouch and started throwing all sorts of things in there. "Well, I can be ready to leave in... would after dinner be good?"
"No need to hurry. We are leaving tomorrow morning."
"Oh," Wei Wuxian said, blinking. He then proceeded to unpack his pouch again. "Why didn't you say so?"
Wen Xu was almost scared to ask what Wei Wuxian was working on now, so he did not.
"Bring Chenqing," he told him as he was leaving, "along with Suibian."
The younger waved him off with a huff. "Xu-ge, when do I ever leave without either?"
Well. Wen Xu supposed that was true enough. He nodded and left Wei Wuxian to his business.
The next morning, their journey to Dafan goes smoothly. They fly there on their swords, Wen Zhuliu perfectly composed all the way while Wei Wuxian gets impatient every now and again, breaking formation to perform some tricks.
Wen Xu honestly waits for him to fall off. Imagine the entertainment. But alas. Wei Wuxian stays securely atop Suibian. Typical.
"So," Wei Wuxian says after he has sufficiently tired himself out, "Tell me more about your cousins, Xu-gege."
Wen Xu rolls his eyes at the teasing tone, but largely ignores it.
"Wen Ning is the younger brother to Wen Qing. After their parents perished on a night hunt, they lived with us for a few years," Wen Xu recalls with some wistfulness. It had been a good time.
"Then Father started going mad and we decided it was better for the siblings to return to their family in Dafan."
Wei Wuxian tilts his head curiously. "What changed now?"
Wen Xu gives him an amused smile. "Father has returned from madness and extended them an invitation. They have accepted it."
To be fair, it was not easy to turn down an invitation from Wen Ruohan. When it came to Sect Leaders, an invitation was essentially a command. Wen Xu had to admit, though, that he hoped his cousins had accepted not just out of obligation.
"Wen Qing has always been a favorite of my father. She is intelligent, competent, and well-spoken. Back when he was only just beginning to lose control of his temper, she would often be there to calm him, be it by way of medical intervention or by redirecting the conversation. Her presence at meetings often soothed others, even though she was hardly even in her teens."
"She seems nice. I can't wait to meet her!" Wei Wuxian concludes.
Wen Xu couldn't help but let out an amused snort. "Do not be fooled. Her politeness is just a veneer. In more casual situations, she can be quite sharp-tongued and rarely bothers to hedge her words."
For some unexplainable reason, Wei Wuxian's eyes light up at those words, almost as if he is thinking 'even better'.
Then, Wei Wuxian smirks and glances over pointedly. Wen Xu can feel the little-brother-induced-headache kind of remark coming as if it is a physical thing.
"So, her politeness is as much a front as your indifference?"
Wen Xu raises an eyebrow at him.
"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about!" Wei Wuxian complains, pointing a finger at him.
"And yet, I have no idea what you are talking about."
Pretending he has no idea what the younger is talking about is exactly what he is doing, but Wei Wuxian does not need to know that. Wen Xu is just glad he isn't being pointed at by his brother's demonic dizi.
Wei Wuxian lets out a derisive snort and crosses his arms. "Please. You always pretend not to care, but you do. You even pretend that you don't like me, which we both know isn't true."
"I never claimed to dislike you," Wen Xu points out, willing to humor the younger for a little longer. He smirks lightly when Wei Wuxian does the predictable thing and groans.
"That's not what I mean! I-"
"Look," Wen Xu changes the topic, "It seems we have arrived."
He gestures at the main village down below. Residents have gathered there to greet them.
"Regardless of what you'll think of Wen Qing," Wen Xu says, though he has no doubt they will get along just fine, "I am positive you will like Wen Ning and the rest of the family."
Wei Wuxian grins, bright as the sun.
__________
The Dafan Wen are a small branch family composed of mainly healers, some with cultivation skills, others without. Their hometown is slowly dying out with its population composed mainly of the elderly. Wen Ning and Wen Qing are the youngest there, and those older than them are few and yet to bear children.
Wen Xu is not entirely sure why there is such a demographic trend, but he supposes it has to do with most Dafan Wen having married out of their branch and the unusual amount of unrest in the area. Their generally low level of cultivation also means they age quicker and are prone to sickness.
The head of the village, a seemingly ancient woman, who is the grandmother of the Dafan Wen siblings, greets them at the gates.
Wen Ning and Wen Qing are standing right next to her, along with an older man they call Fourth Uncle. The bows they execute are immaculate despite their varying physical states. A small voice in Wen Xu's mind that sounds suspiciously like Wei Wuxian chimes in to remark that the bows are kind of unnecessary. They are family, after all.
The village is a refuge in Wen Xu's earliest and fondest childhood memories. A place where he was allowed to be just another child, if only for a small while. His visits were infrequent and short, but they lingered.
Nevertheless, Wen Xu and his contingent reciprocate the bows. He straightens and nods at Granny Wen.
"Wen-popo. These are Wen Zhuliu, Wei Wuxian and some of our promising disciples to aid you in clearing the area."
Granny Wen inclines her head at him, then smiles warmly at the people accompanying him.
"The Dafan Wen welcome you in their home and are grateful for you assistance. My grandchildren will show you to your quarters so you may freshen up after your journey." She then looks back at Wen Xu. "Wen-gongzi, if you would be so kind to follow me."
Wen Xu nods at her, then turns to give Wen Zhuliu and Wei Wuxian, well, not quite a wave, but an aborted sort of motion that is meant to convey that they will meet up again soon.
Wen Zhuliu looks stone-faced as always while Wei Wuxian beams at him and performs a sloppy yet exaggerated bow.
They part ways, Wen Xu following after Granny Wen. She leads them to what appears to be her lodgings, then makes Wen Xu sit down while she brews them both some tea and brings out the goods she claims to have baked together with her grandchildren.
"It has been a while, Wen-gongzi," she says upon sitting down.
Wen Xu represses a sigh at the voice in his head. He really needs it to shut up.
"There is no need for such formality, Granny," he says, waving her off, "We are family, after all. Call me A-Xu."
Granny Wen inclines her head and smiles. "As you wish, A-Xu. How have you been doing?"
She interrogates him on his life and family until their teacups are empty and Wen Xu is contemplating helping himself to a third sweet bun. The voice in his head telling him to just do it sounds a lot like Wei Wuxian, who always spews poetry about That One Bun Stall in Yiling. Really, A-Xian is too big an influence on him.
Right when he is about to grab that third bun, Granny Wen puts her empty cup down decisively and laces her arms within her sleeves, so Wen Xu takes that as a cue to do the same.
"As you know, what troubles us most is the Heavenly Maiden."
"So I have heard. That is why I brought some of our most capable disciples," Wen Xu confirms.
"Excellent. I have to warn you, though. The Dafan Wen may be a branch of medical cultivators, but even we have produced some formidable fighters over the years. Sadly, even they have not been able to subdue the god. Some have perished while attempting to do so."
A sad expression crosses her face. Wen Xu tries and fails to remember how exactly her children died. He feels a pang of shame at that. Wen Xu should know such things.
"When you do venture into the Heavenly Maiden's cave, do not make the mistake of understimating what you will be facing. Take the cultivators you want to bring and double their numbers, but be advised that the cave is small and a large group of people may end up standing in each other's way."
Wen Xu inclines his head. "I will heed your advice."
"Good. As for the other unrest that troubles us, we have compiled a list. I trust you will know best how to allocate your resources," she says and smiles, "A-Xu."
Wen Xu accepts the scroll she offers him and gives a small smile in return. "Leave it to us, Granny. By the end of this week, your worries will be history."
Wen Xu goes to find his disciples after Granny Wen has coaxed him into drinking another cup of tea. Predictably, they are where the noise is. Even more predictably, Wei Wuxian is at the center of it.
The Wen disciples flocking around Wei Wuxian like moths drawn to a flame are nothing new, but Wen Xu is somewhat surprised to spot the village's elderly among the crowd.
The perhaps most amusing thing is that Wei Wuxian is not actively doing anything. He's just standing there, trading stories about this disciple and that, about the night hunt they went on last month with one and the sword form another has absolutely perfected. Something about it draws people in, and although Wen Xu has felt the very same effect, he is hard-pressed to say what exactly causes Wei Wuxian to grow on people the way he does.
"Wei Wuxian," he says, effectively drawing the attention of everyone present. His disciples scramble to bow, though they are much less efficient about it than they had been three years ago.
Wei Wuxian skips over, bowing in what most people would call an improper angle. Wen Xu holds back an amused snort from the sight of him bowing at all.
"Yes?" he chirps.
"We need to discuss our strategy for the Heavenly Maiden. Follow me."
Wen Zhuliu sets out to follow them as well, but Wen Xu tells him to stay put with a gesture. The conversation he intends to have is best kept between Wei Wuxian and him.
He leads the younger all the way to his own guest quarters and flings a silencing talisman at the walls for good measure.
"Granny advises us to take twice as many disciples as we think we need, but not to overdo it as the cave is rather small."
Wei Wuxian tilts his head curiously. "Only you and I were planning to go."
"Us and Wen Zhuliu."
Wei Wuxian grimaces at that, but they both know they will not be able to get rid of Wen Ruohan's most loyal servant.
"Xu-ge, can we really risk having so many people around?"
"We can if they're distracted enough," he replies, already having thought about it, "I recommend taking the Dafan Wen siblings along."
"Wen Ning and Wen Qing?" Wei Wuxian asks, perking up.
"Wen Qing is a capable healer and cultivator, and she will be sufficiently distracted with keeping an eye out for her brother. Wen Ning can work as distraction both for the Heavenly Maiden and for Wen Qing, while I double that distraction and watch everyone's backs. Wen Zhuliu can be convinced to stay back until he is called if we argue it appropriately."
A grin spreads across Wei Wuxian's face. "Smart. You've really thought this through, huh?"
"Of course," Wen Xu replies, feeling just a little warm under the praise and approving grin.
"When do you want to go?" Wei Wuxian asks.
"The day after tomorrow," Wen Xu replies after some consideration, "We will be rested after our journey and you will have gotten some time to get to know the siblings. The sooner we subdue the Heavenly Maiden, the easier it will be to assess the severity of the other reported unrest."
After all, it is not very sensible to enter a fight with complete strangers. Not that a single day would make that much of a difference, normally, but this is Wei Wuxian they are talking about. To be fair, Wen Xu also needs time to reconnect with his cousins, though he suspects it will take him much longer than a day.
"Sounds good," Wei Wuxian says with a nod, eyes glinting in that way Wen Xu has come to associate with his scheming. Perhaps he should stay away from whatever trouble the young cultivator is about to cause.
"Have a steamed bun," he says, hoping to distract the other. He takes out the bundle of buns hidden in his sleeves and hands it to the younger, whose eyes light up in delight.
"For me?" he asks hopefully.
"All yours," Wen Xu confirms, "Granny Wen has fed me more than my fair share."
"Granny Wen made these?" Wei Wuxian asks, already chewing on one of the buns.
"Together with her grandchildren, yes. There will be more at dinner tomorrow."
"Best buns ever!" Wei Wuxian cheers, "Better than the ones they sell in Yiling, even. Xu-ge, remind me to compliment Granny and the others."
"I do not think you will need that reminder."
"With my terrible memory, you never know."
Wei Wuxian munches on his bun happily. Wen Xu decides not to tell him that he was technically supposed to share with 'his disciples', not 'the one disciple'. He thinks Granny Wen wouldn't hold it against him, anyway.
Over the course of the next day, Wen Xu observes as Wei Wuxian, instead of resting to restore his spiritual energy, wastes all of his energy running around and coaxing the siblings into performing tricks with him.
Wen Ning pours his spiritual energy into the arrows he fires, while Wen Qing might as well put hers into the glares she shoots. For all that glaring, though, she does not look actually irritated, so Wen Xu leaves them to it.
Come evening, Wen Ning has taken to following Wei Wuxian around like ducklings follow their mother and Wen Qing has gotten rid of that subtle-but-not-really frown she usually wears.
Dinner is close to a feast, with countless dishes being heaped upon a long table that the villagers have constructed out of multiple small ones and placed in what could be called the village's town square. If Wen Xu takes a few too many of Granny's sweet buns because they are just that irresistible, everyone else is too busy chatting to notice.
In fact, the village's people seem to be in a competition of who can load the most food on the younger generation's plates, especially so after the first mugs of wine have been emptied. More than once, Wen Xu is distracted for only a small moment, but when he looks back down at his plate, he finds produce on it that he does not remember putting there.
Wei Wuxian, arguably, has it the worst. With his large appetite that is further fueled by his current growth spurt, and his naturally lean frame, the village's elders seem to have made it their mission to feed him like they are fattening their livestock. The younger is ecstatic at first, but starts waving off the offered food after some time.
All the while, Wen Qing looks very amused next to him. She, for her part, has taken to sneakily loading off her food the both Wei Wuxian and her brother's plates. It seems to trick the elders into thinking she is actually eating all their offered goods. Wen Ning just chuckles lightly at the sight and ducks his head whenever the same attention is given to him.
"Xu-ge, I am about to explode!" Wei Wuxian declares later that night, flopping onto Wen Xu's bed, "Seriously, my stomach is about to burst!"
"This just may be the first time I'm hearing you say that and actually mean it", Wen Xu tells him in reply. He tilts his head at the younger, who is currently making himself more comfortable on the bedding. "You do know you have your own quarters?"
Wei Wuxian raises an arm, lets it flop back down and says, "Give me a few moments. I'll get back up once I'm not in danger of losing my balance because of all the food in my belly."
"Don't be ridiculous," Wen Xu tells him, not even bothering to hide his amusement.
"I'm not! I mean it!" Wei Wuxian protests, suddenly finding the strength to turn around and prop himself up on his elbows, "My body won't even be able to digest all that before our meeting with the Heavenly Maiden tomorrow."
"Is that so?" Wen Xu asks, raising an eyebrow. Wei Wuxian's eyes go wide with the realization of his mistake. Wen Xu puts on a serious expression."That won't do, will it? We cannot have our most important fighter indisposed in any way during such an important confrontation. Whatever will we do?"
He pretends to think, all the while delighting in the protest he sees building in Wei Wuxian's eyes. "Perhaps you should go run some drills? Or patrol the perimeter? To help your body digest all the food, I mean."
"No!" Wei Wuxian whines, flopping back down, "Xu-ge, you wouldn't!"
"Wouldn't I?" Wen Xu challenges, knowing fully well that if it came down to it, he would, in fact, not. He has long accepted that there is nothing he could make the younger do if he truly did not wish to do it.
Wei Wuxian whines again, releasing a shapeless sound that reminds him of a fussy newborn.
"Get to it, A-Xian," he says, "or I will have to send Wen Zhuliu with you."
The younger rolls off the bed at that and hops to his feet, shooting a glare at Wen Xu that is almost as convincing as Wen Qing's. The two years in the Wen Clan have taught him well.
"Cruel, Xu-ge! Absolutely cruel! To threaten your favorite disciple like that!"
Wen Xu just gestures at him to get out, releasing a small laugh as Wei Wuxian shuffles off in a greatly exaggerated way, shoulders hanging comically low. He shakes his head to himself and puts a ward talisman on his door before retiring to bed. The lingering amusement eases his worries about tomorrow's confrontation somewhat.
In the morning, Wen Xu grabs some light breakfast before meeting the others at the outskirts of the village. Wen Qing and Wen Ning are already there, discussing something among themselves. They straighten as Wen Xu approaches and give light bows, which he returns before attempting what he hopes is a reassuring smile.
"Thank you for agreeing to accompany us."
Wen Qing's expression remains carefully blank as she answers, "Of course. Though, I am surprised you requested our help instead of that of your disciples."
"You are a very capable healer," Wen Xu tells his cousin without hesitation, "and the two of you are the only local cultivators here with combat training. My disciples are all sufficiently capable, but they do not have the advantage of being familiar with the area. Or the legends surrounding the Heavenly Maiden, that is."
Wen Qing gazes at him for a long moment, then gives a curt nod, seemingly having accepted his reasoning.
Wen Zhuliu and Wei Wuxia choose that moment to join them, the former stoic as ever and the latter energetic as always. "Good morning!" Wei Wuxian chirps.
"Morning. How was the patrol?" Wen Xu inquires, pushing down his amusment. Wei Wuxian groans.
"I can't believe you made me do that! But it did help. I went around the village and noticed that they have barely any wards in place. Which, you know, would be the sensible thing to do when you live near a place charged with resentful energy. So, I started working on some wards we can implement while we're here!"
"Didn't I tell you to go to sleep after your patrol?" Wen Xu asks, only slightly surprised Wei Wuxian had actually gone on one.
Wei Wuxian waves him off. "I did, I did. Just had to write down some ideas before I forget."
"We know what we're doing after the night hunt, then."
"Yes! The sooner we subdue the Heavenly Maiden, the better, so what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
He startes skipping ahead, turning back to grin at them. Wen Ning looks at Wei Wuxian with a mix of amazement and bafflement.
"Gongzi. You are, uh, impressively nonchalant about confronting a- a literal god."
"Eh," Wei Wuxian replies, "if the stories are to be believed, then there is little god-like left to confront. The Heavenly Maiden is basically just another restless being."
Wen Qing crosses her arms and furrows her eyebrows. "Don't get cocky." she tells him. "Arrogance is what cost the victims their lives."
Wei Wuxian falls serious at that, eyes going dark. "Oh, I know," he replies, "Is arrogance not the root cause of most problems?"
He hums and runs a hand along the dizi hanging at his waist, then smiles. "But rest assured, I am not taking this lightly! You are all under my protection and how embarassing would it be if I let any harm befall you?"
"Under your protection, huh? How very reassuring," Wen Qing says, sounding anything but very reassured.
Already, it seems, she has figured him out.
Wei Wuxian winks at her before he throws an arm around Wen Ning's shoulders and tells the younger to lead the way. Wen Xu answers the look Wen Qing sends him with a shrug. He, for his part, has confidence in both Wei Wuxian and themselves. Despite the careless front the younger so loves to put up, hardly anyone is as intimately familiar with both arrogance and resent as he is. No one in their group is taking this lightly.
When they reach the cave the Heavenly Maiden resides in, Wen Xu takes a moment to collect himself before he starts delegating.
"Wen Qing, come with us but engage in the fight only when strictly necessary. We need you to be ready to step in with your medical knowledge at any moment. Wen Ning, you and I will be responsible for distracting the Heavenly Maiden while Wei Wuxian attacks. He will have to focus on his musical cultivation, so we should keep the statue's attention on the both of us."
Wen Ning nods eagerly, if somewhat nervously, while Wen Qing raises her eyebrows at Wen Xu and Wei Wuxian. "Musical cultivation?"
Wei Wuxian grins at her and taps the dizi hanging at his waist. "Chenqing and I are unstoppable. You'd be surprised how effective musical cultivation can be where force alone does not help."
Wen Qing still looks skeptical, which is fair enough. The musical cultivation is mostly a cover story for Wei Wuxian's demonic cultivation, but it is not untrue. After all, Wei Wuxian does control resentful energy primarily through music.
So, Wen Xu nods to confirm his words. "The Wen Sect does not have many cultivators specializing in it and it has never been tried on the Maiden, correct? Perhaps it is time for a new approach."
Wen Qing purses her lips, but nods. Wen Xu turns to Wen Zhuliu. "Wen Zhuliu, wait for us here."
Wen Zhuliu arches an eyebrow, which is his version of protesting. What is it with his sect members and their eyebrows? Does Wen Xu also do that? He should pay attention to that.
Wen Xu gives a shake of his head. "I know. But we risk overcrowding the cave with too many people and we need someone outside the cave to prevent any interruptions. We will call for you if your assistance is required."
Wen Zhuliu does not look entirely appeased, but he is too deferential to say anything, so all he does is nod and take a step back. Leaving him to guard the entrance, the four of them venture into the cave.
At first, all is quiet. Too quiet, almost. There is something unnatural about the silence, almost as if even sound is hesitant to draw the attention of the god residing within the cave.
Wei Wuxian has no such reservations. He steps right up to the statue and crosses his arms, tilting his head as he examines the stone.
"This is the soul-devouring god? How does that even work?"
"Don't provoke it," Wen Qing warns him sharply. Her gaze, wary and attentive, flits between the statue and her brother.
Predictably, Wei Wuxian does the exact opposite of what Wen Qing told him. He skips back to Wen Xu and unsheates Suibian, pointing it at the statue with a grin.
"It's a dancing statue, right? Well then," he flicks his wrists, holding the sword horizontally in front of himself, "it's time to dance."
With a pushing motion, he sends out a burst of spiritual energy. Wen Ning makes a startled sound, but no one can react quickly enough to stop it from colliding with the statue.
For a few precious moments, nothing happens. Then, the stones begin to shift and creak.
"Keep it distracted. See you when this is over!"
Wei Wuxian winks at them before jumping onto his sword and flying off, out of sight for everyone else. Wen Xu resists the urge to rub his temples. He could do without the dramatics, really.
The Heavenly Maiden comes into motion, jumping forward and off the pedestal. How stone can have such freedom of movement, Wen Xu has no idea and, frankly, does not care.
From somewhere within the cave, the haunting melody of a dizi fills the air. When the Heavenly Maiden turns to search for its source, Wen Xu unsheates his own sword and jumps onto it, lifting up into the air to fire a burst of energy at the statue.
It releases an odd version of a scream and turns to swipe at him, but Wen Xu dodges swiftly and repeats the attack, prompting the Heavenly Maiden to turn away from where he presumes Wei Wuxian to be.
"Wen Ning, help me immobilize it!" he calls, not taking his eyes off the statue. He is all too aware of the cautionary tales and very real incidents related to the soul-devouring god. He is just as aware of the people under his protection.
The Heavenly Maiden roars as an arrow lands right in one of her stony eyes. It does not stick, but does seem to have done some damage because the statue turns towards Wen Ning with renewed vigor. The younger visibly pales, but raises his bow to fire another series of arrows. In some small part of his brain, Wen Xu reevaluates his impression of his younger cousin.
From where the first arrow had landed, a thick stream of resentful energy starts emerging. With each additional arrow, another small tendril joins the flock. Wen Xu hopes the Heavenly Maiden is not smart enough to look at where her resentful energy is disappearing to.
Wen Xu should not have hoped. As if reading his thoughts, the statue turns, gaze following the tendrils of energy. Wen Xu thinks he sees a flash of red somewhere among the thick shadows deeper in the cave, but it is gone between one blink and the next. The melody changes and with it does its direction. Wherever Wei Wuxian had moved to, it is a spot that causes the sound to revebrate from every direction, making it impossible to pinpoint the source.
The tendrils of resentful energy start twisting and spinning, flying in every direction. This way, it is truly impossible to tell where the cultivator is controlling them from. A smart move, Wen Xu has to hand it to the younger. Not that he has expected anything else from the other.
One way or another, though, Wen Xu's task is to distract the god, so that is what he will do. He directs his sword downwards, jumping off right next to Wen Ning and slapping a hastily drawn talisman into his hands.
"You know how to activate talismans, right?"
Wen Ning collects himself quickly and tucks his bow away, nodding. "I do. But... I do not have a lot of spiritual energy."
"You won't need much for this one." Wen Xu tells him, already busy drawing the counterpart. "Just attach it to something stable while I wind this around the statue's legs."
He finishes drawing the talisman and activates it. In a blink, a thick and startingly red string appears between the two talismans. "Do not activate it before I tell you to or it will stop stretching."
With that, Wen Xu takes off again. Wen Qing, bless her wits, has taken on the role of distraction while Wen Xu explained to Wen Ning, but now she jumps back out of the way. Wen Xu pushes his sword into a fast flight and starts circling the statue, the red string stretching infinitely as he does.
The resentful energy clinging to the statue makes it difficult to see, but Wei Wuxian's control over it keeps the harm away. Wen Xu makes one final round before calling out to Wen Ning, "Now!"
His cousing slaps the talisman onto a wall and activates it. In the same instant, the string tightens, turning inflexible. Wen Xu pulls.
In any lesser being, the string might have cut the legs clean off. As it is, all the Heavenly Maiden does is stumble as fissures appear in her stony legs. Wen Xu tethers the string to the wall he stopped next to and starts attacking with spiritual energy while the statue is down on her knees.
His cousins do not even need to be instructed to help, they catch up quickly enough and start attacking in whatever way they can. Wen Xu is starting to see why his father wants to bring them back to Nightless City. They are much more resourceful than they seem at first.
Under the relentless slew of attacks, the stone starts to crack and chip, revealing more fissures for the resentful energy to escape from. Wen Xu tries his best to ignore the uneasiness he instinctively feels as the cloud continues to thicken and the tendrils continue to multiply.
From somewhere within the cave, the melody picks up the pace. Wen Xu is too busy attempting to keep the statue on its knees to observe what happens to the energy leaving her, but after a few more moments, the statue makes a noise that can only be described as pained.
Something moves to his left and Wen Xu is momentarily distracted. Wei Wuxian appears next to him, floating on his sword as he continues to play his dizi. His eyes are glowing red, but the cloud of resentful energy is so thick that Wen Xu doubts anyone else can see.
Wei Wuxian pauses in his playing to draw quick, compley strokes in the air before nodding at Wen Xu and telling him, "Help me activate it!"
Wen Xu gives the completed drawing a cursory glance, gathers as much spiritual energy as he can and pushes it into the glowing talisman at the same time as Wei Wuxian does. It takes enough of a toll on him that he sways in the air, threatening to lose his control over his sword. Next to him, Wei Wuxian wobbles.
The talisman hits its target and the Heavenly Maiden releases another inhuman sound before a loud cracking sound fills the air. The air seems to vibrate with the intensity of it and the wave of pressure that follows finally knocks Wen Xu off his sword.
He lands and rolls, breaking his own fall. His sword clatters to the ground somewhere nearby, although he cannot see where exactly. Wei Wuxian, who may or may not have expected the wave, lands next to him nimbly, but sits down heavily and drops both his sword and dizi to the ground, all while keeping them within reach.
Wen Xu watches as the resent either disperses or is drawn into the dizi. The red glow fades from Wei Wuxian's eyes. As the cloud of dust that must have been kicked up at some point settles, all that is left of the Heavenly Maiden is a pile of crumbled stone. Whatever Wen Xu has helped activate, it was mighty.
He looks over at Wei Wuxian, caught between incredulity because what the hell, and simple relief from having defeated the soul-devouring god because what the hell, they did it. In the grand scheme of things, what is one more crazy, signature-Wei-Wuxian invention?
The younger grins at him, visibly exhausted but euphoric. "I've been wanting to try that one out for a while now. Problem is, it requires so much spiritual energy that a single cultivator could completely empty his reserves with one activation alone and send himself in unconsciousness best-case, qi deviation or shock worst-case."
"Thank you for the warning," Wen Xu tells him sarcastically. Indeed, his reserves of spiritual energy feel rather depleted.
Wei Wuxian waves him off. "I knew I could rely on you. You don't do things halfway."
Wen Xu releases an amused huff. "With you around, doing things halfway can quickly become life-threatening."
He holds out a hand. Wei Wuxian startles, but grips it. Wen Xu squeezes and transfers some spiritual energy in the same motion, knowing the younger must have spent even more than him. "Excellent work."
Wei Wuxian beams. "Likewise. And thank you."
Wen Xu shakes his head. "No need."
"Wen Xu! Wei Wuxian!" Wen Qing calls.
"Here!" Wei Wuxian calls back.
The siblings join them with hurried steps. Wen Ning is wide-eyed and dusty, but visibly unharmed. He hangs back as his sister kneels next to them and starts assessing them with her healer's gaze.
"We're fine," Wei Wuxian tells her, "just drained."
Wen Qing takes his words at face value, seeing how they look just as dusty but unharmed as the siblings, and quickly seizes his wrist, initiating a spiritual energy transfer. Wen Xu hopes she does not look too closely at Wei Wuxian's core. Frankly, he has no idea what it looks like and what someone as knowledgable as Wen Qing would be able to tell from it.
Wen Ning kneels down next to Wen Xu, drawing his attention. He, too, starts transfering spiritual energy, brows creasing in concentration. Wen Xu lets him, if only because he lacks the energy to protest and despises feeling as defenseless as he does with his reserves depleted and his sword out of his reach.
The transfer breaks off soon after, but Wen Xu already feels better. Wen Ning smiles apologetically. "I do not have a lot of spiritual energy to share, but jiejie taught me some techniques to make the transfer more effective."
Wen Xu gives him a nod. "I appreciate that. Thank you, I feel better already."
To prove his words, he gets to his feet and offers Wen Ning a hand to pull him up. Wei Wuxian seems to have had enough, too. He starts tapping Wen Qing's shoulder insistently and squirms.
"Enough, enough. We still need energy to get back to town, remember? I'll be fine soon enough."
Wen Qing glares half-heartedly, but stops the transfer and gets to her feet. She looks around the cave, something indecipherable happening in her expression.
"It seems I have underestimated you and your... musical cultivation."
She hesitates before saying the last part, clearly not entirely convinced of their cover story. Clever, his cousin. Wen Xu only hopes the truth is unfantomable enough that even her cleverness does not lead her towards the truth.
"Let us get back," Wen Xu instructs quickly, drawing everyone's attention. There is general agreement on that and they leave, meeting Wen Zhuliu at the entrance. The cultivator looks outwardly composed, but Wen Xu recognizes the twitch in his expression that tells him the man had been seconds away from storming into the cave.
"We defeated the Heavenly Maiden!" Wei Wuxian tells him without much ceremony. "She kind of crumbled into a big pile of rocks and dust, which is why we look like dust bunnies."
Wen Zhuliu accepts that with a nod as he so often does and waits for Wen Xu to start down the path before doing the same.
Needless to say, when they arrive in town with the joyous news, cheers and celebration break out. They are thanked and hugged and congratulated with no regards to their dusty appearence. So dusty, in fact, that some of those eagerly hugging the less prickly members of their party have to step back and cough to free their airways of the dust.
Granny Wen smiles at them and thanks them with a low bow before sending them all off to bathe. Wen Xu, for his part, gladly follows her orders.
No one comes to bother him that day, except for Granny Wen herself delivering some food to his doorstep. The remaining days of their stay, the air is filled with buzzing excitement and a sense of relief. The Dafan Wen all seem to have been relieved of a massive burden. They stand a little straighter and talk in less hushed voices.
The days pass and Wen Xu barely has time to think about the cave and the Heavenly Maiden, busy as him and his disciples are with clearing the area of minor disturbances. All the more surprised he is when they return from a minor night hunt on the last day of their scheduled stay and find the village transformed once more.
Similar to when they arrived, tables have been brought outside and pushed together to seat the entire village's population and their guests, ladden with dishes. Wei Wuxian, who is flying next to him, makes a delighted sound.
"Xu-ge, we should visit more often," he whisper-shuouts at him, loud enough for Wen Xu to hear but quiet enough that no one else does.
"We attend banquets monthly," Wen Xu reminds him.
"But those aren't nearly as fun!"
Well. Wen Xu may have to concede that point.
With most of the unrest cleared from the area, the villagers are more lively than ever. Before Wen Xu has cleared his plate, several villagers have somehow managed to turn the dinner banquet into a celebration that includes dance and music.
Someone, it seems, has been inspired by the tales of Chenqing and dug their age-old instruments out of whatever shack they had been stored in. The music sounds, frankly, a little off-key, but no one seems to care.
Wen Xu has never been one for dancing, so he sits back and observes, not in the slightest bit surprised that Wei Wuxian quickly becomes the life of the party, and coaxes both Wen siblings into joining him among the dancing elders. Wen Qing's expression is too carefully blank to be natural, but she sways along to the music politely.
No, what is more surprising to see is the way in which the Wen disciples let loose, laughing and dancing with each other and the Dafan Wen. After most of them had grown up as disciples under a temperamental and at times brutal sect leader, Wen Xu is oddly pleased to see them so carefree. Both his status as Wen Ruohan's heir and his generally aloof personality usually keep him from experiencing such sights.
He sips his wine and ponders once more what possessed him back in Yiling when he decided to bring a stray child into the Wen Sect. Whatever divine force it had been, Wen Xu sends it a silent thank you and tips his goblet at the heavens.
The trip to Dafan has turned out to be a surprisingly pleasent retreat. Perhaps Wei Wuxian was onto something and they really should visit more often.
All things, good or bad, come to an end eventually. When Wen Xu finishes packing the next day and joins his entourage for the trip home after having made his rounds to say goodbye, he feels oddly relieved at seeing Wen Qing and Wen Ning among them. What's more, they look far less unhappy with having to leave than he feared.
Wei Wuxian spots him as he approaches and starts bouncing on his feet, waving as he does. "Wen Xu! Did you sleep well? Granny Wen prepared some buns for us! I told her we don't need them because we will not be stopping for rest, but she insisted and who am I to turn down perfectly good food?"
He pats a pouch hanging at his belt, presumably the one containing said buns. Wen Xu notes that the disciples, too, seem equipped with pouches of food. Wen Xu has his own stored in his sleeves.
Wei Wuxian hums. "Perhaps Wen-zhongzhu will like some? Do you think he'll let us visit more often if he gets delicious buns out of it?"
Wen Xu feels his lips twitch up into an amused half-smile. "Certainly."
"Wonderful. See, Wen Ning, Wen Qing? It'll be fine! We'll have such a great time and visit often!"
Wen Ning nods eagerly while Wen Qing rolls her eyes. Even Wen Xu can tell that it's half-hearted, though.
Wei Wuxian turns back towards Wen Xu and twirls Suibian. "Ready to head home?"
Home.
Nightless City has always been home for Wen Xu, but he has rarely refered to it as such, even in his own thoughts. Now, he is a little startled to note that the title rings true.
"Yes." he tells Wei Wuxian, then turns to face his disciples with a small but genuine smile. "On your swords! We head for Nightless City... with one or two optional breaks."
The disciples cheer at that, delighted at the prospect of not flying the whole distance in one go. Wen Xu jumps onto his own sword and heads off first, leading the way for his people to follow.