The Demonic Clan of Yiling (MDZS Fanfic)

A Distant Friend (Pt.1)

It had been just over a week since the Wen siblings had turned up at the village and since Wen Qing's speech several people had been turning up at the cottage for help. Thankfully the amount of people hadn't overwhelmed the doctor at all and she had gone through treating them all with care, while using Wen Ning as an assistant. 

As time went by the amount patients started to thin. Leaving only those who had come in gravely ill for Wen Qing to deal with, though they too were getting better. It was at this point that Wen Qing turned to her brother with a smile and said that he could finally go and visit an old friend.

"Just make sure you tell her I said hi." Was the one condition she gave and with that Wen Ning was off. Heading to the village just south of the one they were staying at.

He hadn't been there many times because it was so far away from Yiling, but he knew the place well enough to know where he was going. Wei Ying had been there once in awhile. He liked visiting her too. It was nice to just catch up now and then.

He wandered the streets, nodding greetings to those who seemed to recognise him. It was like the whole reputation of the clan and Wei Ying didn't exist here. Here he wasn't The Ghost General, he was Wen Ning. He felt like a person...

With a nervous smile Wen Ning reached up a hand and knocked on the door, waiting to be greeted by a familiar smile. However several minutes passed where he went unanswered. He knocked again. Still no answer. He was about to knock a third time when someone let out an excited squeal and he felt something wrap around his legs in seconds.

"Ning-Jiujiu!" The little girl said with clear joy in her face as she looked up at him.

"Hello A-Min." Wen Ning smiled at her, then looked around for the girl's mother.

"I wasn't expecting a visit." A woman in soft pink robes said as she approached. Carrying a basket of what seemed to be berries. Wen Ning's smile grew.

Luo Qingyang. An old acquittance of Wei Ying's that eventually grew into a good friend over the years. They'd met a long time ago. Back when Wen Chao called cultivators from each clan to help him hunt Xuanwu. From what both she and Wei Ying said, they didn't really get along well at first. Or more Qingyang didn't like Wei Ying because he was being an idiot. That changed later though. Even more so when Qingyang decided to leave the cultivation world and live a different life.

She remained in contact with Wei Ying after that though. She even helped back when the clan and Wen village were just being set up. That was how she met Wen Ning and Wen Qing. They thought she'd surely hate them after the things Wen Chao did to her, but they soon found out that she was a lot like Wei Ying. She too didn't hold them accountable for what others in their clan did.

When she had her daughter, she encouraged her to call all of them aunties and uncles. So now
A-Min even calls A-Yuan gege. It's cute.

"I was in the area." Wen Ning explained, carefully taking the basket from Qingyang was she went to open the door.

"Well, it's nice to see you anyway." 

Wen Ning waited for Qingyang to shoo A-Min into the house before going in after the little girl and setting the basket down on the table, just as Qingyang closed the door.

"Is your husband still at work?" Wen Ning asked noticing that the always smiling man was not around.

"He is. It's a shame, I'm sure he would've liked to see you." She grinned at him, while reaching over to take a berry and placing it in her mouth.

There was a second of silence and then a flash of colour as A-Min came running back into the room. Her bright pink robes dancing at her feet, something red clutched in her little hand and a big smile still on her cute little face.

"Jiujiu, look what I made!" She called, holding up the object for Wen Ning to see. He held out a hand and the little girl carefully placed the object in his palm, watching with wonder as he examined it.
"Its a butterfly! Like the ones Yuan-ge taught me to make." She said making Wen Ning suddenly feel a lump in his throat.
"Do you think he'll like it? Will you give it to him when you go back home?"

"He'll love it." Wen Ning croaked. The sound just passing for his normal voice. He knelt down to the girls height and met her shining eyes.
"He's going to love it." Was all he managed to say, but it made A-Min happy all the same.

"Then I'll go make so more!" She cried cheerily before running out of the room and disappearing.

Wen Ning sighed, putting the butterfly into his pocket with care and having the strangest feeling come over him. He could still remember when A-Yuan was that small, running up to him with the butterflies he used to make for everyone. That shine of pure joy shimmering in his big eyes. For the first time Wen Ning felt old... He couldn't believe how quickly time had gone. Fuck... none of the kids were really kids anymore...

"You alright?" Qingyang asked, sensing the man's sadness and wanting to check on him.

"They grow up so fast." Wen Ning croaked again, making Qingyang chuckle.

"They sure do! Its weird watching them grow into little people, isn't it?" She smiled. 

He nodded in agreement though the sadness still remained. He missed being able to call the other disciples little people... Especially since both Xue Yang and A-Yuan were almost taller than him now and A-Yuan was still growing!

"So how is the clan? I heard you came out of seclusion last year and a few other rumours. Are your disciples still causing you trouble or has Wen Qing finally whipped them into shape?" Qingyang asked, taking a seat at the table and helping herself to more berries.

"You know there's no such thing as whipping those kids into shape." Wen Ning chuckled, also taking a seat.

"Huh... Tell me at least Wei Ying has gotten his act together. Surely he's not still pining over Hanguang-jun."

Wen Ning gave her a look at tell her that, yes, that was indeed the case, and she scoffed loudly.

"Well he's committed, I'll give him that." She said before throwing a berry into her mouth.

"Xuanyu and Xue Yang are a couple now." Wen Ning mentioned casually while playing with his fingers absentmindedly.

"You're kidding!" Qingyang squealed, leaning forward. 

She, like everyone else in the clan, had seen those two boys together and knew first hand how deeply they wanted each other. Xuanyu was always a little more obvious than Xue Yang. It was they way he acted around the older boy that gave him away. Xue Yang on the other hand could sometimes be mistaken for joking. That made it a little more difficult to understand what his feelings were. But there were always subtle things, he stood closer to Xuanyu, touched him more, was perceptive to his feelings more than others. Only those who knew him would be able to tell, but it was still there.

"Tell them I said I was happy for them, will you? Actually no, I'll send them a letter! Oh this is wonderful for them! And it's about time! I hardly ever see you guys and even I was sick of their tension!" She continued a big smile on her face.

"Yeah, that hasn't gone away." Wen Ning chuckled at the last part. "Them being together has only made the whole tension thing worse. Honestly, you have to shout before you leave a room because you might find them kissing in a hall." Wen Ning explained making Qingyang laugh.

"Oh, teenagers. How I miss those days." She sighed while whipping the tears from her eyes.
"What about A-Qing? Does she still find the whole love thing gross, or has she been lured to the other side?" She asked. Wen Ning smiled again.

"You know she'll never change. Love and romance just aren't her thing." He said. Qingyang nodded in agreement.

"It's A-Yuan's thing though. How's he doing? How's his treatment." At her questions Wen Ning's face fell and Qingyang instantly picked up on this. Sensing the sudden sombreness in the air and knowing whatever it was he wasn't telling her wasn't going to be nice.
"We should go for a walk." She said. 

Wen Ning instantly got up, nodding slightly.

"We should." Was all he said.