It's been thirteen years since Lan Zhan was last in a room with Wei Wuxian, but its been five minutes since he saw Wei Ying teaching art online. Devising a complex plan to save Wei Ying from being framed from murder, Lan Zhan throws his life and he...
Wei Ying was going to be a guest speaker during the lectures.
Well technically, the Lan Sect had invited him to give a lecture on technology to the Lan Sect Seniors, not to the guest students or the Juniors. And they had made it seem as though, the Lan were trying to fulfill their foreign disciples quota all in the same month.
The Juniors were excited to simply see Wei Ying, which pleased Lan Zhan greatly. Regardless of what the more conservative said, Wei Ying was a hero in the modern cultivation world and considered rightly, one of the greatest innovators of the century.
His textbook on talismans was going to be added to the curriculum soon and this was a good opportunity for a live demonstration of the simpler forms and his new determination system that ranked evil far more effectively.
And if Lan Zhan could have a signed copy, he was going be elated.
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It says something about fear and the tangible grip of memory, of trepidation that hangs in the air like sour pollution, filtering into every crevice of the Cloud Recesses, that neither Uncle nor Wei Ying himself is willing to completely address their dislike of each other.
One was a proponent of technology, of new techniques and adapting cultivation practices to suit the modern world. Who developed new determination levels for Night Hunts and a better understanding of resentful energies. Who invented talismans their ancestors would have given anything to possess, who pushed boundaries like shoving open doors.
The other was steeped in tradition and secrets. Guarding their heritage with an iron will and dogged determination. A proponent of never trusting technology, of keeping life and cultivation simple and pure. Of isolation and seclusion, of duty and maintaining a tightly knitted family culture.
They had clashed thirteen years ago and neither had a good word to say about the other. Neither really pretended to have respect for the other either, but in fairness Wei Ying was far kinder about Lan Qiren than Uncle was about Wei Wuxian.
The very idea of the Wen Sect returning here in Gusu though, that was enough to unify Lan Qiren and Wei Ying faster and more securely than anything else.
Because Uncle if he had known, or had been close enough would have stood with Jiang Fengmian that day. Would have searched for the Jiang siblings if he hadn't been in hospital himself for a cardiac check-up.
He doubted Wei Ying would believe that, but it didn't stop him offering aid to the Lan Sect now. It hadn't stopped him talking Jiang Cheng into this clever idea or from putting Furong a little more into the hot seat.
It hadn't stopped Uncle from browbeating the more archaic of the Elders into agreeing.
Because right now, Gusu is not ready for an attack.
