The Story of Their Distance (mdzs fanfiction)

New beginnings

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters and art used in the story. AU and OOC

The warm sun played on his skin while silver eyes blinked in surprise. The view around him was astonishing. It looked nothing like the surroundings outside the gate. The Mountain peak was covered in delicate cherry blossoms with dark red roofs poking around between tree crowns. One side was full of rice fields and vegetable patches, the other contained orchard. He expected a secluded area with a few disciples, but what welcomed him was a large settlement. It could rival any major sect. Then his eyes widened, seeing endless blue stretched till the horizon. One of his journey's goals was to travel the sea, but he never expected to make it. Unwittingly, Wei Ying smiled. It was an excellent place to stay.

"Welcome to the Celestial Mountain," Baoshan Sanren said, standing beside him. "There are a few things you need to know. As my only direct descendant, you will be referred to as my Heir. Here it carries respect you deserve."

His thoughts drifted to years in Lotus Pier. How many times was he called a son of a servant or street rat? No matter how hard he worked to help the sect, no one would ever show him respect. On the contrary, he was there to take the blame for others' shortcomings. Sometimes it made him wonder why they took him in. Did Jiang Fengmian feel an obligation towards his dead parents, which he needed to fulfil at all cost? Wei Ying didn't belong there, always like a thorn in Jiang's family side. Was it his fault they fell apart, or did they use him as an excuse? He was too busy surviving, living up to their expectations, to stop and think back then. But maybe he should have. Respect and love were alien concepts for him. He did not experience much love growing up. Yanli would be nice to him, especially after Madam Yu beat him up or Jiang Cheng had another outburst. In hindsight, she would always make excuses for them. Then he met Lan Wangji. Another illusion someone cared for and accepted him, but the aftermath was more painful than anything else—something he chose to resolve permanently to be free from overbearing heartbreak.

"Once you settle in, you will be free to choose your path," she continued. "I won't push my lifestyle on you, neither our sect members. But there is one restriction we can't change. Time passes differently here; one day outside is equal to five days. It is the main reason no one leaves the mountain, and once they leave, they aren't allowed back."

"What's the point of being here if you don't protect the innocent?"

Baoshan Sanren smiled fondly. Wei Ying sounded like her daughter. 'Protect the innocent and live without regrets, hm?' "You truly are your mother's child."

"I wonder, I can't even remember her...."

"Believe your grandmother," chuckled. During their journey, she discovered no one talked with him about his parents. In Lotus Pier, it was a forbidden topic, while in Gusu, a stigma. Baoshan Sanren could not believe they robbed him of precious knowledge about his parents. Wei Ying deserved to know about them, and she would do everything to bring them closer. "When last time I saw her, Cangse asked me the same question, but I still didn't find an answer."

"It's simple, leave from time to time and help those in need," shrugged. "We passed a village on our way here; why not start there?"

"Unfortunately, it isn't. Every sect member has an array placed on their body to slow down ageing. What will happen if this person wanders into the world with an even slower time flow?"

"They would appear not to age."

"Exactly! You can imagine how much attention it would attract. Once my disciple decides to leave, the array is removed. This is why no one is allowed back."

"I see," replied thoughtfully. "We need to work out a countermeasure, maybe a talisman to block effects of the array while outside the mountain? No, it must be something more practical. Something to avoid traitors, sects would pay a lot for this knowledge. What if we could create an array that is only active here? No, adjustment to the barrier would be more efficient...."