The Child of Demonic Cultivation

Harsh

WC: 1141

Lan Tian sat there deep in thought. They didn't dare go in the room wit Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, after all not too long ago he just yelled at his dad and the fight never did truly end. They could hear words muttered every few moments but nothing clear enough to discern the situation.

For four days Lan Tian sat outside building grasping their legs to their chest head resting where ever was comfortable at the time. Yet, in those four days Lan Tian and Lan Wangji never spoke to each other, never looked at each other but never stayed to far away. For the longest time it had been just the two of them and a bond like that wasn't easy to break.

Lan Tian watched as his Uncle entered the room and assumed that Wei Wuxian had finally woken up. If he had did that mean that it was time for him to apologize to his father? They scoffed, it felt like an eternity had passed since their last conversation, yet Lan Tian could remember every world perfectly. It was all they thought about every night since. He knew everything he cared about was ruined and it was all his fault. Slowly Lan Tian picked himself up off the ground and sauntered towards the door. They took a deep breath before lifting their hand to knock on the door. In this moment Lan Tian felt as if they had shrunken three sizes and was waiting for the adults to stop talking so they could play.

"Who is it?" The room grew silent as the three men inside waited to see who was at their door. It creaked as the hinges groaned to move revealing Lan Tian's small face. Wei Wuxian was stunned as he watch Lan Tian do something he hadn't truly seen before, Lan Tian bowed and greeted all three of them with formal titles.

"Yiling Patriarch, Sect Leader Lan, Hanguang-jun... I'm sorry for interrupting." It seemed so unnatural that Wei Wuxian questioned if the titles they used were even the right ones. Lan Tian didn't make eye contact with a single one of them as they stood there shaking. "D... Hanguang-jin, I'm sorry for the words I said earlier. They were inappropriate and were said in a moment of anger and confusion. I am willing to receive any punishment you see fit and I hope that I can still accompany you on your travels with Wei Gongzi."

Lan Wangji didn't respond, he barely even looked at Lan Tian because he knew the moment he did, he would no longer be angry, or sad. "I'm sure you can still come with us right Lan Zhan?" He only nodded and looked away.

The three men continued their conversation about the cleansing song and who played it wrong subconsciously aware of Lan Tian's presence. The group listened as Wei Wuxian recreated the cleansing song that Jin Guangyao played earlier. Near the end of the second section Lan Tian and Lan Wangji simultaneously said, "Stop."

All but Wei Wuxian could discern the false section that did not make up cleansing. "All of you come with me." Lan Xichen brought them out of the house. He lead them through the secluded section of the Recesses and to the Library Pavilion.

Lan Tian watch as the three descended down the hidden stairs to the Room of Forbiden Books. It had been a long time since they snuck down there and began learning demonic cultivation. When Lan Xichen brought them to one particualar shelf on unusual musical scores, Lan Tian couldn't help but get distracted by all the other hidden writings in the room. The others didn't bother Lan Tian as they wondered and read books that were hidden long ago.

Getting bored, Lan Tian glanced down at a book that Lan Wangji was looking through and pointed out, "There." If there was one thing that Lan Tian was most gifted and focused on, it was music. For years they had thought themselves different instruments and composed music just because they were lonely.

Wei Wuxian began playing the music and only confirmed Lan Tian's suspicions that a page was taken from the book. When Wei Wuxian flipped over the book, the cover read 'Collection of Sprit Turmoil.'

"A collection of secret songs from Dongying," Lan Wangji explained.

"No wonder they dont sound like anything from over here." Wei Wuxian added.

Lan Xichen explained how the book was compiled by a disciple of the Lan Clan of Guru while trailing around Dongying. If someone infused the book with spiritual energy while playing the song it could harm other. They would loose their five senses, and if they had enough spiritual power the could kill someone.

The group began to speculate and consider if Jin Guangyao used the song to slowly disturb and poison Chifeng-zun's mind. However, Lan Xichen was determined to find answers and purposed, "I... will think of a way to test this. I will test it on myself."

Lan Tian wanted to protest but he knew that he was in no position considering recent events. When Lan Wangji signalled for Lan Tian to lave they did not protest, they couldn't. Outside the stuffy building the warm air danced across the Cloud Reassess, between the simple hypnotizing patterns of the cultivators and the calming weather Lan Tian could only think of the one person they wanted to see most. He knew he screwed up. He screwed up everything like he always does. Sometimes they wonder if their birth parents dropped them on Lan Wangji's door just because they could tell Lan Tian was a screw up.

As they passed their grandmother's old residence they couldn't help but remember how odd it was growing up here. Everyone thought that Lan Tian wouldn't notice something small or wouldn't understand what was being said but they knew everything. Everyone underestimated him so they all told him all their secrets. Yet, even with all this information, Lan Tian was still a screw up. A bad mark on the Cloud Reassess, the Lan Clan of Guru, their family, and their father. They were always the family fuck up.

They went to their own residence and sat alone in the cold dark corner of the plain room. Lan Tian never bothered decorating because they never went to the room. He always like to surround himself with others to avoid the screaming in his head when he was alone, but today he felt like he deserved it. It's not like anyone in the Reassess would risk being seen with him let alone talk to him. The tears came without warning and they pain their heart soon followed. It was in this moment that the gravity of his situation hit him, he was all alone, again.