Come Back to Gusu

12. Shameless!

The verdict was delivered at mid-morning the following day: Jin ZiXun was guilty of the murders of twelve men, five women, and one child. The death price was disgustingly low, in Lan WangJi's opinion. The cultivator could pay it with his pocket money, which would be easily replenished. Jiang WanYin suggested Jin GuangShan further punish his disciple with physical punishment or being evicted from the sect. Everyone present knew Jin ZiXun might be sentenced to being banned from night hunts for a week or two. But nothing more strenuous than that.

Jin GuangShan brought up the Tiger Seal no less than ten times as the verdict was being argued. Jiang WanYin repeated over and over that he didn't know where the Seal was. Lan XiChen, looking irritated, also repeated his statement from the night before. Lan WangJi, when appealed to, merely glared at the Jin sect leader until the older man dropped his gaze.

Wei WuXian conveniently did not appear anywhere near Sword Hall.

"Lan Zhan!" Wei WuXian hissed when lunch was over. "Come with me!"

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." Wei WuXian led them outside of the main compound, to where wooden walkways were replaced by dirt paths. At a junction in the path, he grinned. "Don't go down that way; that's for women only." He flipped a sign over, and led the way to a building with four doors. "Inside, you'll use the soap and brushes and scrub down. Then rinse with the second basin. Use the door on the back to leave."

"Where are we? Why do I have to bathe?"

"A hot pool! A Jiang from way back found a way to create them." He handed over a pile of purple cloth. "You can bathe in the pools naked or as clothed as you prefer. Most men use these short trousers for modesty. Leave your regular clothes on the shelf."

"Short trousers?" Lan WangJi held them to his waist; they didn't even reach his knees.

"If you want to preserve your modesty." Wei WuXian grinned, unrepentant. "Some of the men prefer to soak without any barrier between them and the water. I will admit, it's freeing."

"Shameless!"

"That's me!" Wei WuXian laughed. "I'll be wearing mine." He then disappeared behind one of the doors.

Lan WangJi chose the adjacent door, and stripped, feeling very naked. More than he usually did when he was going to bathe. The thought of seeing a wet, nearly naked Wei Ying had his body reacting. The thought that he would also be wet and very nearly naked.... I should take care of this now? Or hope that I can control myself? He tried to change his focus away from his arousal. The soap had a subtle floral scent. Lotus flowers? Orchids? Through the other door, he hears Wei Ying call out, "I like to put my hair up. It tends to get all straggly in the heat. If you want, there's usually a hair pin in one of the drawers." Lan WangJi opened the only drawer he could see, and, yes, there was a hair stick. He carefully removed his guan and forehead ribbon, and wound his hair up into a high bun, securing it in place with the stick. By this time, he was happy to see his erection had softened sufficiently; he would not embarrass himself.

Wei Ying was sitting on a flat rock at the far side of the pool. "I forgot how hot the water is. Compared to the stream in the back of my house in Cloud Recesses, this is practically boiling." He smiled as he said it, though. As if happy just to be back in Lotus Pier.

The water was hot. Much hotter than anything Lan WangJi had experienced before. So he entered slowly, allowing his body to adjust. Allowing his Core to cool him as necessary. Just as it heated him when he soaked in the Cold Springs. "Does it feel hotter because your Core is still damaged?" He used the polite fiction in case there was anyone lurking on the other side of the trees surrounding the pool.