After the punishment Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji would be seen together most of the time much to Lan Qiren's dismay.

He spat out blood when he saw his prized nephew flirting...AS IN FLIRTING WITH WEl WUXIAN! He would think it would be the other way around but where did he go wrong!? He was rushed to the healers by his older nephew.

If things are going to go the way his nightmare might go then he's going to have to prepare a betrothal letter to Jiang Fengmian.

He knows his nephew would elope just to marry Wei Wuxian it he would not give his permission.

—————————

Wei Wuxian was walking with Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang when they saw the two jades talking. 'It looks serious' he wasn't going to bother them but unfortunately they were too close and fortunately Lan Wangji saw him and his stoic face turned soft and he called him over.

"Wei Yinnngg."

Lan Xichen wanted to laugh...it's not everyday you see your brother acting like this. Lan Wangji sent a glare at him 'Don't you even dare.'

"Lan Zhan! What's up? I saw your expressions earlier, was there something that happened?" He asked.

"There were reports on water ghouls in Caiyi." Lan Wangji said "Water ghouls? Us Yunmeng can help." Lan Wangji scowled at the Jiang Heir but his face only remained stoic looking to the other male.

"I don't-"

"Us of Yunmeng had a lot of experience with water ghouls as we are surrounded by lakes." Jiang Cheng cut Lan Wangji off which was well...first of all RUDE!

Also

It's against the rules to disturb when one is speaking!

—————————

Bustling sounds of a marketplace fill the hall as Caiyi Town comes into view. Boats float leisurely on the river as vendors line the path along the lake...

Wei Wuxian and Jiang Wanyin sit beside a restaurant as they each enjoy a dessert. Wei Wuxian watches the locals haggle and argue in the Gusu dialect.

"These people are so soft spoken and polite when they argue! If they were in Yunmeng it would sound like people are arguing even though they're just chit chatting." Wei Wuxian observed which

Jiang Cheng politely ignored.

"We're in luck! Lan Zhan is busy hunting water spirits with Lan Xichen. Lan Qiren went to the Discussion Conference in Qinghe. Good luck is here and there's no way to stop it!"

"Good luck? You basically offended the Lan Clan already. When Lan Qiren comes back, he'll definitely punish you." Jiang Wanyin spat into his face 'If Yunmeng loses any more face-'

Throwing and arm around his brother's shoulders, Wei Wuxian replied, "You've buried my body so many times already! What difference does one more time make? Come on, I smell rice wine!"

'If only I could bury your actual body then it'll have a nicer feeing.'

With one leap, Wei Wuxian hops onto a boat and steers it in the direction he smells the rice wine. Passing under the walk bridge where Lan Wangji and Lan Xichen were looking out towards the guest disciples, "Brother, why did you invite them to come with us Fighting? Wei Ying, I understand but I don't trust the Jiang heir."

"Young Master Jiang and Young Master Wei have a good reputation in Yunmeng for being highly capable. While I too do not trust him, it would only make us undermine the sect heir capabilities, we do not want to have war against a matter like this especially when we all know the temper of the Violet Spider."

'Bleh! Violet spider? Please spiders? You could step on them and crush them...if you're scared of bugs like I am then burn them! easy as that! How did that disgusting woman even earned her title?'

Back on the water, Wei Wuxian is hailed by the fruit vendors as he sped past. His boat accidentally hits into Jin Zixuan's boat. Wei Wuxian turns to bow in apology. "My apologies, Young Master Jin."

Jin Zixuan wipes the spilled rice wine from his person as he glares at Wei Wuxian. "Wei Wuxian, was that intentional? It's a wide river and you just happen to hit my boat?"

'I May be blind as a bat?????? And peacock I don't really care'

"Just make sure the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng stays away from me."

"Not a difficult thing to do, l'd suggest not even entering Yunmeng and you'll survive."

Jin Zixuan was about to ask what he meant until shadows dashed around under the boats, as one dark shadow dashes towards Nie Huaisang's boat. Using its momentum in the water to break

the surface, a water ghoul flies directly at Nie Huaisang.

A bamboo pole swings across the white cloth and slams the water ghoul back into the water. All around, more water ghouls break the surface to climb onto land and attack the merchants and vendors on the street. Wei Wuxian unsheathes Suibian and slashed at the ghouls on land to free

several civilians.

"HELLPPPP!"

Wei Wuxian turns in time to see a heavy set ghoul jump onto Nie Huaisang's boat and sank half of it under water. More ghouls blocked Wei Wuxian and Jin Zixuan's way as they tried to save Nie Huaisang before a pale blue sword glare cut through the ghoul attacking Nie Huaisang.

Climbing out on shaky knees, Nie Huaisang stammers out a thank you before realizing it was Lan Xichen who came to his rescue, "Thank you, Xi...Xichen-ge."

The water ghouls retreat as Jiang Wanyin and Lan Wangji show up and began throwing sealing talismans.

Nie Huaisang returns to the docks as the rest follow Lan Xichen to investigate Biling Lake.

Looking thoughtfully at the water, Wei Wuxian pondered. "So we can't catch it with just nets alone. If only there was something like a compass that can help point out where the ghouls are."

Jiang Cheng, "EY! Focus on the water and catching ghouls. Don't start daydreaming now..." 'Stupid! Who's going to agree with your dumb ideas that's never going to even work.'

"I think a compass to point out resentful spirits would be a great idea." Lan Wangji commented.

Wei Wuxian laughs "See! Lan Zhan agrees with me! Besides, Cultivation and flying on swords used to be crazy dreams too."

Jiang Cheng went red as he gripped tightly on Sandu.

Lan Xichen ordered the Lan disciples to gather and brought his brother, Wei Wuxian, Jin Zixuan and Jiang Wanyin.

Sweeping the surrounding area with a quick glance, Wei Wuxian notices Lan Wangji's boat sitting oddly on the water. Jumping up and down in his boat, Wei Wuxian shouts to get Lan Wangil's attention, "Lan Zhan! Look at me, look at me!"

Lan Wangji who already expected this turns his head towards Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji glimpses a bamboo pole slamming against the water surface as Wei Wuxian's boat barrels towards his

own boat.

Hopping between his boat and Lan Wangji's to land on the top of his own boat, Wei Wuxian uses his bamboo pole to slam against Lan Wangji's boat to flip it high above their heads.

Jumping to Lan Xichen's boat to avoid the collision, Lan Wangji faces Wei Wuxian...he just wants to watch his beloved in action so let him!

Lan Wangi's boat flips upside down as it descended to reveal three water ghouls clinging to the bottom. A Lan Xichen quickly suppresses them as the rest look at Wei Wuxian in awe.

'That's right! That's My boy right there!' Pride is forbidden but who cares!? Only his brother could read through his stoic demeanor.

Water ghouls.

Ah...

'Can't that brat not be the center of attention!? Can't he stop playing hero!? If Lan Wangji gets abducted by the ghoul then let him! He's not as important as Lan Xichen who is the sect heir anyway!' Jiang Cheng glared at the back of Wei Wuxian's head.

"Young Master Wei, how did you know there were spirits on the bottom of Wangji's boat?" Lan Xichen asked as he was impressed.

Smiling as he landed back on his own boat, Wei Wuxlan taps the side of his boat with his bamboo pole.

"Easy! The water disbursement was off. There was only one person on the boat, but it sat deeper than the boat with two people. So there was something was clinging to the bottom of the boat."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Lan Xichen complimented, "You are experienced indeed."

Lan Xichen glanced at his brother 'You chose quite well.'

Lan Wangji huffed 'Tell me something I don't know.'

Uneasy with the compliment, Wei Wuxian diverts his attention to Wangji, "Lan Zhan, I didn't mean to splash water on you. Water spirits are tricky. If I said anything, they would hear me and run off-"

Lan Wangji cut him off "It is fine, thank you Wei Ying."

"Sure! No problem! What are friends for?!" Wei Wuxian gave the older a dazzling smile.

'Wei Ying! Please! My heart cannot take much of this beauty!'

"Friends?"

Wei Wuxian looked at him betrayed and offended "I thought we were friends!"

"Mn, sorry my mistake."

"Lan Zhan you fuddy duddy."

While the disciples watched in wonder at the two, they were wondering how the loud and sunny disciple managed to get through the icy Jade's wall.

Having had enough of his Shixiong's antics, Jiang Wangin shouted at him. "If you want to help, then stop bothering Second Young Master Lan and come back over here!"

Ignoring his Shidi, Wei Wuxian noticed the water turning a dark color and giddily said, "It's here, it's here!"

Ghastly hands suddenly popped out from under the water to pull at the sides of the boats as thick black bands begin to attack the cultivators directly.

Before Lan Wangji could pull out his sword he saw Suibian already out to cut it all off.

He looked at Wei Wuxian as the sword sheathed itself.

"Nice sword, what's the name of the sword?" He asked as he just remembered that the Lan Wangji in this timeline doesn't know the name of his sword.

"Suibian."

Lan Wangji gives him a confusing look. "This sword has a spirit. It's offensive to address it as I wish."

Rolling his eyes with a small chuckle, Wei Wuxian directed his sword to continue attacking the water ghouls attached to the sides of the boats.

"I wasn't asking you to call it whatever you wanted to. The sword's name really is Suibian! Here, look!"

Pulling his sword back into its sheath, Wei Wuxian passed the sword over for Lan Wangji to see the name engraved on it. True enough, the two characters for Suibian were engraved onto the weapon.

"I know, I know. You want to ask why I picked this name. If there is any special meaning. Actually when Uncle Jiang gave it to me, I had thought of over twenty names, but I wasn't happy with any of them. So I said, whatever. But after the sword had been forged, these two characters were on it. It's not a bad name actually."

'Both you and the sword together is bad enough,.' Jiang Wangin rolled his eyes, as much as he want to say it, they're in public, he shouldn't let them lose face.

"It suits you." Wei Wuxian blushed as he puffed out his cheeks while looking away.

'ADORABLE!'

Noticing black tendrils trying to sneak up on him, Jiang Wangin drew his sword and slashed at it before warning the others, "Be careful. There is something in the water."

Dark shadows swim past the boats in the water as the nets dragged as if it caught something. However, when pulled up, the nets were empty.

"There's something weird going on here. Lan Zhan, beside your boat!"

Bichen is unsheathed and stabbed into the water before Wei Wuxian could finish. After a moment, it returned without piercing anything. As Lan Wangji contemplated his sword, a Lan disciple also drew out his sword and directed it to stab into the water. But the sword never resurfaced no matter how hard the disciple tried to recall it, growing more pale as time went by.

The older disciple sharing his boat berated him for his reckless maneuver.

"Su she! We still don't know what the thing inside the water is. Why did you suddenly send your sword underwater like that?"

Flustered, Su She tried to remain calm as he defended himself, "I saw that Second Young Master also..." Su She cut off as he realized his words and flushed a bright red as if disgraced.

'Pathetic' Lan Wangji thought...he should stay alive though...he could be a perfect bait for the indoctrination.'

The boats continued to float to the center of Biling Lake as the water began to darken and take on a dark green hue. Dark shadows in the water began to condense into one solid shape.

Jiang Wangin, Wei Wuxian, Jin Zixuan, and Lan Wangji drove their swords into the water to attack the mass. Their swords returning moments later throwing what looked like strands of hair onto their boats.

Suddenly realizing what it is, Lan Wangji ordered, "Go back immediately! It's a water demon!"