The designer, JustAFan, asked way more questions about what Wei Wuxian was planning to use the outfit for than he had expected. He wasn't able to night hunt yet, but he was hoping he'd be able to soon. So he laid out the general range of motion he'd need, as well as the type of equipment he'd be carrying.
JustAFan had also asked if he would be participating in any live events, where fans or subscribers would need to see the costume in person. Wei Wuxian told him he was going to go to Moling during the next cultivation conference, in the hopes of selling his talismans to cultivators there. JustAFan had asked if he would be attending the conference, and Wei Wuxian had said he hadn't been invited, but he'd heard that the bar that was in the hotel where the conference was being held was a good place to hang out, since there would be cultivators coming and going to take a break from the conference.
JustAFan had sent Wei Wuxian several sketches for possible outfits based on his criteria for wearability. They all honestly looked amazing, but Wei Wuxian knew he could only afford one. All of them had at least some elements of the traditional cultivator robes that the official sects wore, but they also were absolutely not cultivator robes.
It was genius.
There was a semi-sheer set of robes that looked amazing, but would be very impractical (and even Wei Wuxian had blushed a bit at the amount of skin they would show). But there were some that had a good balance between shock value and practicality. The ones he thought would work the best had a sort of wrap-around-skirt that looked like the skirts of a cultivator's robes, paired with a cropped, form-fitting top that left his midriff bare. JustAFan had sketched out variations for a chest harness that could hold Wei Wuxian's sword and biometric monitoring device. The options for pants that he would wear under the open-wrap cultivator skirt ranged from some sort of mesh-spandex to more traditional cargo pants (though the cargo pants had straps that went around his thighs… Wei Wuxian was unclear if this was for the aesthetic or if they were actually functional).
For the top, it ranged from a basic tank top to a gauzy robe that could be worn open, with a deep cowl in the back that showed his back all the way down to his waistline. The look of that one was really amazing, but it wouldn't be practical on a night hunt, so Wei Wuxian had to rule it out.
He ruled out the spandex for similar reasons… they would not hold up to brambles or branches pulling at them if he had to go to a hunt somewhere outside of a town.
They settled on a design that should have almost looked like a harem outfit, but somehow managed to not. The cargo pants with thigh straps definitely helped to break the look, as did the black leather chest harness. The 'skirt' for the robes was the same length as traditional cultivator robes, made from black silk with a blood red trim. It was open in the front, allowing access to the pockets of the pants, and tied around his waist. The silk looked great, though it wasn't the high-quality weaves used in traditional cultivator robes. Wei Wuxian definitely could not afford that, and—without the protective talismans woven into it—they would be damaged too quickly to make it worth it. Wei Wuxian would have to figure out how to inscribe at least some basic protections onto the fabric. It wouldn't be as good as the ones with them woven in, but it was better than nothing and he didn't have money to burn on replacement robes.
He had asked if the waistline of the skirt was a bit low, since it rode more on his hips than really around his waist, but JustAFan had insisted it was correctly designed.
" You want to get attention for your site, right? Then you need to go with something that shows a bit of skin. I don't make the rules ," the designer had said.
The top was made of some sort of blended fabric that had some of the same lustre as silk, but more stretch to it to allow a full range of motion. Like the rest of the outfit, it was black with deep red trim. The leather arm guards and black combat boots (with buckles instead of laces to match the pants and harness) completed the look.
Wei Wuxian thought it landed somewhere between 'real cultivator' and 'cultivator cosplay', which was probably where he needed to be given both of those areas were already crowded with successful channels. He was hoping to draw from both sides, so he had to have things that would appeal to both.
JustAFan promised he would be able to complete the costume within a week, which would give Wei Wuxian enough time to plan the first few videos he would post. JustAFan insisted on seeing the videos before they went live, to ensure his creation was showcased to the best effect. Given that the designer was giving him a 40% discount on everything but the boots (since he didn't make the boots and had to order them from Taobao at full price), Wei Wuxian couldn't really disagree. And if he wanted Wei Wuxian to add a few shots of him drinking from a water bottle or doing some basic stretches, then who was Wei Wuxian to argue?
Without a golden core, Wei Wuxian had decided to do his first streams to just introduce his talismans. The first was a demonstration of the food preservation talisman, taken at the hospital (they were told not to show anything about the patients, but they could show the hallway). Wen Ning was still spending a lot of time holed up in his room, but he said he was feeling well enough to help Wei Wuxian film his first streams, using a combination of their phone cameras and the bodycam to take the shots.
Some of the local food stalls also agreed to use the talisman, so they filmed a bit there as well. It wasn't particularly showy, but it did at least give them testimonials that people in the area would believe. Wen Ning assured him that, for now, they just needed to build inventory.
Then they moved on to streams with Wei Wuxian explaining how to tell a real talisman from a fake one (there were plenty of online sites that claimed to sell talismans for luck, longevity, or any number of things), how to tell a curse from just a run of bad luck, and what signs to look out for when encountering an area where a gui or yao was rumored to be.
JustAFan sent instructions on camera angles, as well as makeup he wanted Wei Wuxian to wear, but the channel still was only getting a few dozen hits per video.
It wasn't surprising. Wei Wuxian had studied the more successful channels, and he knew that he'd have to deliver something more exciting for people to find it. Wei Wuxian was still making a small amount of money through word of mouth sales on his food preservation talsimans, but it wasn't going to be enough to support himself once he had to start paying rent, much less make enough to help Popo with her retirement funds, or A-Yuan with his school fund.
Didn't you say you did parkour?" JustAFan texted.
Wei Wuxian actually hadn't said he did parkour, only that the clothing needed to be able to hold up to that level of activity. He was running a rogue cultivator channel (or trying to) not actually a parkour one. But JustAFan had a right to want to get more viewership, and listening to Wei Wuxian talk about talisman theory wasn't really taking off. Not that he had expected it to.
Yeah, I can do parkour-like moves, but I want to stick to the rogue cultivation angle. I'm looking for a curse that one of the other sects isn't already handling.
It wasn't long before he got a response.
Look. I sometimes hear some things from the fans who follow different cultivation sects. If I hear about a curse I'll let you know. In the meantime, you need some visuals to draw traffic to your channel. I'm going to send you some suggestions, along with some camera angle instructions.
Wei Wuxian wasn't really sure how much it would help, but he wasn't in a position to argue. It wasn't like he had a better idea, until he found a hunt or curse he could stream.
He really needed to be able to go on a hunt, but that required him to not only find one that a sect wasn't already handling, but also make sure it was dramatic enough to actually get views. Without a core, 'dramatic' hunts would be pretty risky.
Still, it was clear he had to do something . Fake night hunt scenes seemed pretty lame. Curse breaking could be more interesting, and he definitely had some skill in it. He just needed to find a curse that someone wanted him to handle. He was hoping he would be able to get a lead on a curse at the MolingSu cultivation conference. He focused on that, and decided that he would talk to any cultivators willing to chat with him as he tried to get his name out there for work.
Lan Wangji was aware that—while his brother's nickname of 'Jade' alluded primarily to his looks—people usually were equally referring to Lan Wangji's emotionless exterior when they called him the Second Jade. He had never wished more fervently that his ability to keep his emotions from reaching the surface of his skin meant he was equally calm inside.
The MolingSu sect was an absolute travesty, unworthy to even be called a sect, and the conference was an enormously tedious waste of his time.
Even worse, Su Minshan appeared to have taken it as a personal challenge to try to elicit some sort of public recognition from Lan Wangji while at the same time insulting him and his sect at nearly every turn.
It had started when Lan Wangji had first arrived at the conference. Su Minshan had been greeting the guests in order of their arrival, but had called the three parties arriving after Lan Wangji before turning to finally greet him.
"Oh, Hanguang-Jun. Did they only send you? I had expected a larger delegation from the Lan sect. GusuLan has always claimed to be the experts on musical cultivation. I would have thought your uncle and brother would have wanted to be at an important symposium on the topic," Su Minshan had said, puffing up his chest as he bowed using the formal cultivation form in greeting.
The fact that the leader of an extremely minor sect had kept the Lan Sect heir cooling his heels on the doorstep had already drawn attention, which Su Minshan was clearly reveling in. This was the first time Lan Wangji had greeted the man since Su Minshan had been expelled from the GusuLan sect for demanding bribes from civilians requesting aid five years ago.
Lan Wangji wished he could have had another five years free from this man's presence.
It was no secret that the Lan had opposed the formation of the MolingSu sect under such a disreputable leader, but the Jin had backed them with the civilian authorities, likely to increase the number of seats they could influence on the council by adding another sect to its ranks that was indebted to them. MolingSu's formal registration had been allowed to go through three years ago, though their status within the sects remained extremely low. GusuLan was not the only sect who disapproved of Su Minshan's history, but the man had been fixated on Lan Wangji in his quest to be viewed as an important sect leader.
At every Cultivation Conference or Hunt hosted where both MolingSu and GusuLan were in attendance, the GusuLan had completely ignored their presence.
Despite having almost no cultivation of their own design (almost all of it was simply poorly executed Lan techniques), few disciples, and no actual facilities (which was why the conference was being held in a hotel), the MolingSu sect had decided to host a conference on musical cultivation. The primary reason appeared to be simply to have other clans recognize them.
Lan Wangji looked at Su Minshan in silence, without bowing. It would be a major breach in protocol to ignore him and simply walk past, but Su Minshan had already breached protocol by his rudeness in ignoring Lan Wangji.
Su Minshan shifted, his eyes darting slightly to the side, aware of the continued focus on them, belatedly realizing that it could quickly turn against him. Lan Wangji let the moment stretch, completely comfortable in the silence. He could see a small sheen of sweat breaking out on Su Minshan's forehead, and an embarrassed flush rising on his neck.
Finally, Lan Wangji spoke, giving a bow that one would give a civilian host, not a cultivator of equal rank.
"Mm. Shifu and XiongZhang always attend important discussions on musical cultivation," Lan Wangji replied.
Su Minshan blinked, not sure what to say. Lan Wangji took the opportunity to walk past him, ignoring the snickers.
Someone whispered, "Holy shit! Did you hear what Hanguang-Jun just said? "
Lan Wangji did not look back to see how long it took Su Minshan to register the insult. He took a seat in the section marked with the Lan insignia. Pre-registration for the conference had been required, so there was no way Su Minshan had thought anyone other than Lan Wangji was attending from GusuLan. Still, five seats had been reserved, with the Lan colors prominently displayed. He was not sure if MolingSu had hoped to lend credibility to their discussion conference by having a large area showing GusuLan colors, but all it had succeeded in doing was drawing attention to the fact that only one person had bothered to come.
The posturing of the MolingSu sect at the start of the conference only continued as the morning wore on. Lan Wangji had to repeatedly remind himself of the rules around being filial, because he would rather be almost anywhere else at the current moment.
He had an excellent memory for detail, and he decided he would ensure his report of the conference contained every tedious statement made, and he would ensure that every Elder who pressured him into attending this event was forced to read it in its entirety.
He only wished that he could also force them to listen to the current atonal musical performance, which was a poorly bastardized version of the Lan song of Rest. It was so poorly executed that it could perhaps not even be considered a violation of copyright, though he supposed the Lan lawyers would want to pursue it, if for no other reason than it was an insult to the original score.
Lan Wangji honestly could not tell if the MolingSu cultivators were trying to infuse their qi into the music or not, but the notes were so off that it would not have had an effect in either case. He sincerely hoped that they did not actually deploy this travesty on an actual hunt near civilians needing protection.
"The GusuLan sect is often viewed as intolerant of other musical cultivation, but I think it is clear that other sects can be equally accomplished. What do you think, Hanguang-Jun?" Su Minshan asked.
Lan Wangji considered his response. Lying was forbidden, but at least a modicum of propriety was also expected. Finally, he settled on a response.
"The call of the hwamei thrush and that of the hawk-cuckoo are both viewed as accomplished songs to their own kind."
Su Minshan's uncertain expression told Lan Wangji that the man had no knowledge of birds. The cultivator seated next to him pulled out his phone, likely to search the birds up to see what Lan Wangji was referring to. He hoped that anyone who played recordings of the call of the hawk-cuckoo kept their phone on mute. Having one source of auditory annoyance in the meeting room was more than enough.
The conference seemed to drag on for days before they finally reached a break for lunch. Su Minshan appeared to have learned his lesson to not try to solicit input from Lan Wangji for the rest of the morning. Lan Wangji wished he could take the opportunity to leave, as he saw many of his fellow attendees doing. The hall had been far from full in the beginning, but as Su Minshan had droned on and on about some minute details of musical cultivation that were neither particularly insightful nor fully correct, the audience had begun to thin even further. People would get up as though to refresh their tea, and then simply never return to the conference room.
Perhaps the worst part of the conference was the performance Su Minshan gave during lunch. Lan Wangji had been hoping for at least a small break from the excruciatingly tedious and inaccurate symposium so that he could eat in peace and silence. Unfortunately, Su Minshan evidently decided lunch would be an appropriate time for him to demonstrate his complete lack of mastery of the guqin.
Lan Wangji could feel a headache coming on. He had always considered himself a filial child, but surely there were limits. It was not reasonable for his elders to expect him to withstand two full days of this. If his elders were concerned that the MolingSu sect would teach other sects incorrect musical cultivation techniques that would put them at risk, Lan Wangji could safely tell them that the only two sects that appeared to be giving any credibility to the content of the session were the Jin and the Yao. Both of those sects were old enough to know better, and Lan Wangji would feel no responsibility for their poor choices.
Surely his duty could be considered done.
Post-lunch sessions had just begun when Lan Wangji heard a group of cultivators who had been fortunate enough to have escaped the lunch-time performance returned to their seats near him, not bothering to stop the conversation they had been having on their way into the conference room. Normally, Lan Wangji would have considered it rude to be speaking during a presentation, but in the current circumstances, allowances could perhaps be made.
" ... was talking about a talisman that could supposedly lure spirits to a certain location. That can't be real, right?"
"Of course not. We would have heard about it if something like that was available. Just think how much easier night hunting would be!"
"I guess. His explanation made a lot of sense, though."
"You just got suckered in by a pretty face. If he's still at the bar after dinner, why don't you go and see if he's interested in selling something other than talismans."
"Yeah! If he's one of those cultivator wannabes, you can offer to take him back to your room and help him 'build a golden core'."
Was Wei Ying here?
If he was the one selling the talismans, then it would confirm that Wei Ying was Wei Wuxian. All four cultivators snickered, and a strange flare of anger rushed through Lan Wangji. He had heard crude talk before from cultivators who enjoyed the 'benefits' of having a sizeable group of civilians who fetishized cultivation, but for some reason, he found their words particularly annoying at the current moment. He turned and leveled a glare at them, which quickly cut off all conversation.
Wei Ying had not been on the list of registrants, which made sense since the MolingSu was trying to make a play for legitimacy by being exclusive with their invitations. They would not have invited unaffiliated cultivators, much less non-cultivators. But the men who had been talking about the lure talisman had mentioned a bar. Lan Wangji had not paid attention to such things when he arrived, but hotels typically had bars or lounges in them. The MolingSu sect was too small to have a large compound like Koi Tower or Cloud Recesses, so most of the cultivators were staying in the same hotel as the conference room they were using.
They would not have had the ability to bar people from using the public spaces within the hotel. Meaning Wei Wuxian might actually be there. Perhaps he was looking for a job with one of the other sects. Lan Wangji would make him an offer first, before another sect snapped him up. He was sure his uncle would not object, given the way the man had reacted when he'd seen the patents come through.
Lan Wangji decided he had given Su Minshan as much of his time as he was going to get. He stood, ignoring the eyes that flickered to him as he walked over to the exit, not even pretending to get a coffee on his way out.
Perhaps it would even send the signal his sect had desired. He felt fairly confident that he had managed to successfully convey the Lan sect's opinion on MolingSu's musical cultivation. The Lan came and found the event unworthy of their time.
Wei Wuxian leaned on the bar, talking to the slowly growing group of cultivators that had come in seeking refuge from what was, evidently, an insufferable conference on musical cultivation. It was his first time really 'in public' in the cultivation world wearing his new persona, and he was a little nervous about how it would go. If he could walk away with even one contact, or one lead on a curse he would consider it a win.
At least he wouldn't have to worry about running into anyone from his old sect. The Jiang only ever attended the larger discussion conferences hosted by the major sects, and they did not practice any form of musical cultivation. There was no reason any of them would be there. There would be cultivators from the Jin, but Wei Wuxian didn't know many of them, so it should be fine.
He hadn't bothered to show up until around lunch, assuming that most of the cultivators who came for the symposium wouldn't be sneaking out to hit the bar until dinner or later. He was surprised to see quite a few cultivators already in the establishment despite it being barely noon.
"The only reason I even came was to see whether or not Hanguang-Jun was going to use chord assassination on Su Minshan," the Nie cultivator said. "Sect Leader Nie asked me to take a video if it got good. But I think even Su Minshan has gotten the clue that he probably should stop provoking Hanguang-Jun."
A cultivator in robes Wei Wuxian didn't recognize laughed. "Yeah, if it was the First Jade, I wouldn't even have bothered coming because he's polite no matter what. The Second Jade, though, has never been one to mince words if he feels like someone is being incompetent. I have no idea what Su Minshan was thinking, trying to start some sort of knock-off Lan sect and thinking it would go over well. He's lucky the Lan haven't sued him for copyright infringement."
"I think at least half of us were here for the drama. We don't even use musical cultivation in my sect. But when else will we ever be close enough to Hanguang-Jun to hear what he says? At the bigger discussion conferences, the larger sects always have their own tables."
"Did you see Hanguang-Jun's face when they started playing one of the Lan songs? His face always looks like it's made of stone, but I swear you could see the ice forming on the walls of the room the way he glared at them when the 'music' started. He wouldn't even deign to look at the performers."
"I don't think he looked at Su Minshan for more than three seconds the entire session so far, except for one scathing glare."
"Did you hear what he said when Su Minshan asked him what he thought about the seminar he gave on musical cultivation theory?" A cultivator in teal silk robes asked, laughing with a tinge of disbelief and awe.
"Holy shit. I had to search up the birds he mentioned, and then I had to leave the room because I was laughing so hard. Su Minshan didn't even know he'd been cut until he had basically bled out on the floor. Everyone was trying to keep from laughing!"
"Everyone always says how the Second Jade is scary, but I always just thought they meant in terms of his cultivation strength. This was my first time actually seeing him in person. I don't know how he managed to be both cuttingly polite but also a total ice-cold bitch at the same time. I finally get what the fuss is all about with him. I'd offer to buy him a drink if he didn't look like he'd cut my arm off for it!"
"I heard that Su Minshan has been obsessed with Hanguang-Jun for years. It's why he dresses just like him, and tried to set up a sect just like the Lan."
Several cultivators nodded, as though this was not new news.
"Well if he was so obsessed with him, you think he'd know better than to provoke him like that. What did he think was going to happen? Say what you want about Su Minshan, but I would have been terrified to keep Hanguang-Jun waiting and then call him out like that in front of everyone at the start of the conference."
There were murmurs of general agreement. Wei Wuxian thought it was amusing that Lan Wangji was evidently terrifying to the cultivation world in general, not (only) because of his cultivation prowess but because he had a reputation for giving absolutely no fucks about political posturing. If Lan Wangji were any less of a cultivator, there would be severe consequences for him, but in any tournament he competed in, he took either first or second, and his night hunt record was unbeatable.
Wei Wuxian figured that, as long as Lan Wangji could back what he said, he didn't really have a problem with it. It actually was pretty hilarious.
Wei Wuxian didn't know a lot about inter-sect politics, having been kept out of that by the Jiang, so he didn't have anything to contribute. But he listened with rapt attention, laughing along with the other cultivators at the description of Lan Wangji's razor-sharp bitchiness. He could definitely imagine the frigid stare Lan Wangji would give anyone who tried to ingratiate themselves or be overly familiar. He'd already been on the receiving end of one. Even though he'd been drunk at the time, he still remembered it with perfect clarity.
Unlike the other cultivators, Lan Wangji's sharp edges only made Wei Wuxian want to poke at him even more the next time he saw him. He didn't find it intimidating. He wasn't exactly sure what he would call the zing of adrenaline that shot through him at the thought of Lan Wangji's cold, angry gaze directed at him, but it made him want to laugh and say something brazen just to get an even bigger reaction out of him.
It was really too bad Wei Wuxian hadn't been able to get into the conference. It sounded like there were plenty of open seats, especially with the way the bar was filling up with more and more cultivators wanting to get away and gossip about the slow-motion trainwreck of a conference that was happening. He settled back with his beer and soaked up every scrap of information he could on which sects got along with each other, or had rivalries, and which might be somewhat less skilled and maybe looking to outsource some work.
A small group of Nie cultivators entered. One of them was dressed in exquisite robes, indicating he must be a high rank in the sect, but Wei Wuxian could sense that he had a below average core. He must be a blood relative of the inner clan to have earned that position without the cultivation prowess to back it, but Wei Wuxian didn't know enough about the other sects to recognize him.
The man had met his gaze, his eyes strangely sharp as he fluttered his elegant fan.
"I haven't seen you before," the man said. "I'm Nie Huaisang."
Wei Wuxian recognized the name, and introduced himself.
"Your robes are very interesting. Where did you get them?" Nie Huaisang asked.
Wei Wuxian dutifully answered as JustAFan had requested, and even offered a card, but the Nie sect heir declined, walking back to join the small contingent of Nie cultivators seated at a table near the bar.
While Wei Wuxian was enjoying hearing about the conference, he was not having much luck selling his talismans. While people were happy to talk with him and a few had indicated they'd be also happy to do more than talk with him, they were skeptical about talisman designs from an unknown cultivator.
"If there was a talisman that drew ghosts to you, don't you think I would have heard about it before?" A Jin disciple scoffed. "That would completely change the way night hunting was done. Do you really think I'm gullible enough to believe some nobody cultivator who wasn't strong enough to get into even one of the minor sects could come up with it?"
Wei Wuxian felt his temper prickle, not so much at the reminder that he didn't belong to a sect, but at the idea that only sect-cultivators were smart enough to invent things. Most of the sect used the same techniques and talismans that had been handed down in their sects for centuries. They were not exactly known as a bastion for innovation.
However in a room full of sect-affiliated cultivators, they were probably not likely to concede the point.
"If you don't have a library of existing sect techniques to use, then you have to make some up yourself. Look. I can show you how it works. Is there going to be a group hunt during the conference?" Wei Wuxian asked hopefully.
If there was a hunt, maybe he could sneak in and use his spirit lure talisman to show how it worked.
One of the Nie cultivators snorted. "Are you kidding? The last thing the MolingSu sect wants is an actual cultivation competition. Everyone knows they are the worst sect when it comes to doing anything other than bragging or shit-talking. Maybe in a few hundred years they'll have managed to come up with a cultivation style of their own that actually works, but right now everyone knows it's basically just a knock-off form of GusuLan's techniques."
There was general agreement around the room at the statement.
Nie Huaisang chimed in.
"Actually, there might be a night hunt that you could take on to show your new talisman. I heard about a ghost in Yiling that the locals have been having trouble with. It doesn't appear in a regular location, with sightings coming up over a pretty wide spread in the mountains there. There's a lot of forest in the area that makes searching for it hard. It hasn't caused enough damage for any of the sects to take it seriously, no one has wanted to take it on. It's a bit far from here, but it would be a good way to test your lure."
Wei Wuxian huffed out a skeptical laugh. "And I suppose the fact that Yiling is one of the poorest districts has nothing to do with the fact that no one wants to take it on."
It was an old argument he'd had with Jiang Fengmian. Wei Wuxian had wanted to fold it into their territory, but Madam Yu had been adamant that it would just be a drain on their resources.
"Nothing good ever comes from there," Madam Yu had said, pointedly looking at Wei Wuxian.
"Madam," Fengmian had replied tiredly, clearly unhappy at the blunt reference to Wei Wuxian having been found on the streets there as an orphan. But in the end he had agreed with his wife without further dissent, as usual, and Yiling had been left outside of any sect's official hunting grounds.
Nie Huaisang fanned himself languidly with his beautifully painted fan. "I wouldn't know. I really wouldn't know. You had just asked about a hunt, and I happened to have heard of one."
"Where is Yiling again?" one of the other cultivators asked.
"It's between the Jiang and Wen territories," another replied. "Closer to the Jiang, though."
"Well, no surprise that no one's bothered with it, then," another cultivator said.
Wei Wuxian heard the slightly derisive tone in the man's voice.
"What do you mean?" Wei Wuxian asked sharply, his immediate instinct to defend his former sect.
Nie Huaisang looked at him with a flash of surprise that quickly turned assessing, then calculating before being hidden behind his fan.
"Haven't you heard?" a Jin disciple said, joining the group. "After the Jiang sect leader was killed on a night hunt, the sect has been having trouble. Evidently a few of their top disciples have been sending out applications to transfer to other sects. Madam Yu has been trying to block them through the council, but the sect is a mess. No one knows what happened, but the sect is going through it right now. They've been avoiding all the cultivation conferences, trying to keep a lid on whatever's going on. They wouldn't do any hunting outside of their territory right now."
Wei Wuxian didn't know how he felt about the news. Even if the disciples didn't know about the core transfer, they had seen him whipped and then expelled from the sect. He supposed it wasn't entirely surprising that they were unhappy about it, or maybe even afraid that Madam Yu would do the same to them. Wei Wuxian wished he could assure them that her hatred was primarily reserved for himself. He was torn between wanting to defend the Jiang, and wanting to do battle with the Cultivation Council so that every one of his shidis and shimeis who wanted to leave the sect could do so without having to be carted away with only the shredded skin on their backs.
Suddenly, he didn't want to be there.
He wasn't going to sell any of his talismans to cultivators who thought no one from outside an established sect could do anything worthwhile. Why had he even bothered to come?
He needed to prove himself in night hunts. That was the only thing that would matter. And even though he had a lead on one, he either needed a core to be able to do that, unless he got extremely lucky.
Maybe he could make his own luck.
Either way, his time would be better spent either looking for a cultivation partner (and no one here had a core that was worth attempting it), or he needed to figure out how to plan his hunt so that he could do it without using spiritual energy. It was probably time to have to talk to Wen Qing about what she had seen on the video of his last night hunt with the Jiang that had made her insist on him wearing a biometric sensor.
He could feel eyes on him, and he turned to see the Nie cultivator watching him with an intensity that made him slightly uncomfortable. The man's eyes shifted slightly behind him, widening in shock.
Wei Wuxian turned to find Lan Wangji staring at him with a stony face, his right hand gripping the hilt of his sword so tightly his knuckles were white.
It was just his luck that the only cultivator that had a core that pulled at Wei Wuxian was one who had decided to hate him on sight.
Oh, well , Wei Wuixian thought. If Lan Wangji thought he could intimidate Wei Wuxian with just a glare, then he was sorely underestimating how thick a skin Wei Wuxian had grown under Madam Yu.
Well. If he was going to have someone look down on him, then at least he was going to have some fun deserving it. He put on his cockiest grin and stood, walking right over to one of the highest ranking cultivators in the world.
"Hey, Lan Zhan! Did you come here to see me?"
Lan Wangji's eyes darkened in anger, and Wei Wuxian suddenly felt lighter than he had a few minutes ago. He'd been hearing stories for the past two hours about how many cultivators were evidently terrified of the Second Jade of Lan, but honestly, Wei Wuxian loved the fact that he was able to get a reaction (even if it was an angry one) from a man so well-known for his extreme reserve.
He might not qualify as a cultivator anymore, but he evidently still had a unique ability to crack the emotionless shell of famed Second Jade of Lan. Su Minshan had set up an entire sect to try to get the guy's attention, but Wei Wuxian was evidently significantly better at knowing how to get under someone's skin and annoy them.
Indecent.
The word flared through Lan Wangji's mind the instant he laid eyes on Wei Wuxian where he was sprawled negligently in one of the stools near the bar surrounded by cultivators from varying sects. His clothing was a mockery of the traditional cultivator robes.
The skirt was cut to flow in the same length and drape as a proper cultivation robes, but that was where the similarity ended. Rather than the modest, shoulder-to-ankle coverage that cultivation robes provided, the robes Wei Wuxian was wearing were missing the middle section. The black silk skirt appeared to be wrapped low around his hips, well below his narrow waist. The smooth tan skin was bare for all to see at the narrow vee of his waist and flare of his hips.
The skirt did fall all the way to his ankles (which were encased in functional-looking, black civilian combat boots) but it was open in the front to reveal a pair of cargo pants worn beneath. Like the boots, the black cargo pants looked rugged and functional, but the series of black leather straps with buckles that encircled each of his thighs, drawing attention to his long, leanly muscled legs.
They appeared to serve no purpose other than the visual they created, as though daring the observer to slide their hands inside the straps and spread the man's thighs. Thoughts that Lan Wangji had never entertained in his life flickered distractingly through his mind, and he pushed them back ruthlessly. He had no time for such things, and the undisciplined images irritated him.
Based on the number of appreciative looks Wei Wuxian was receiving, Lan Wangji was not the only one thinking about it. The idea of that irritated him more than it should. It was not his business what cultivators from other sects chose to do in their free time.
Lan Wangji found himself noticing more details of Wei Wuxian's attire. The strap theme was carried through to a black leather harness that clasped around Wei Wuxian's shoulders and chest. The harness, at least, appeared to have a purpose, as it carried what looked to be an actual cultivator's sword on his back. Lan Wangji wondered who the blade belonged to, as—typically—a cultivator did not earn a spiritual sword until their core was sufficiently developed to wield it.
The silk was neither the heavy, high-quality silk of the Jin or Nie cultivator robes, nor was it the multiple layers of extremely fine, flowing silk used by the Lan. This was a cheaper silk, that draped and clung to the curves of his body rather than modestly flowing around them.
The shirt he was wearing was tightly fitted and short-sleeved, fashioned in a wrap-style so the collar followed the same lines as traditional cultivators' robes. But it was cut off before the end of his ribcage, leaving a full hand's breadth of bare skin at Wei Wuxian's waist
Lan Wangji found his gaze fixed on the band of smooth, tan skin and the flat plane of Wei Wuxian's stomach. He had thought it could not get worse, but then Wei Wuxian shifted to talk with someone further down the bar, turning and leaning over slightly. The new position shamelessly revealed the two dimples at the base of his spine, just above the round curve of his ass.
The cheap silk of his robes clung to the rounded lines of his body in a display that was surely inappropriate for a professional forum. Lan Wangji forced his gaze away from the sight. He was here to offer Wei Wuxian an interview for the guest lecturer position, not assess his... wardrobe.
Some of the cultivators at the bar had noticed his arrival, and Wei Wuxian turned as attention shifted to Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian looked at him for a moment, then threw a brazen grin at him as he stood and began to walk over.
"Hey, Lan Zhan! Did you come here to see me?"
Lan Wangji was used to being the focus of attention, so it was not surprising when the vast majority of the eyes in the bar snapped towards him. Many looked stunned by Wei Wuxian's use of his birth name, and appeared to be holding their breath to see what his response would be.
Lan Wangji narrowed his eyes at the over-familiarity, but Wei Wuxian's grin only widened. There was something about his smile that made Lan Wangji's blood churn with a restless sort of anger and frustration, wiping out his usual calm detachment.
"Wei Wuxian," he replied tightly. He decided not to acknowledge that Wei Wuxian was correct… Lan Wangji had come to the bar seeking him. But Wei Wuxian's wording and the suggestive tilt of his head made that fact sound somehow elicit. Lan Wangji was here simply to pass on his uncle's offer for an interview, not an assignation .
"Ah, Lan Zhan! Why so formal? You called me Wei Ying the last time we met." Wei Wuxian smirked, his intelligent eyes locked on Lan Wangji as he taunted him.
In fact, Lan Wangji hadn't called Wei Wuxian anything the last time they'd met. The fact that he'd been referring to him as 'Wei Ying' in his head was only due to the fact that he'd had no other name to use.
"You did not provide your courtesy name on your application," Lan Wangji said, trying to take control of the conversation before Wei Wuxian could say something even more outrageous. "Cloud Recesses is willing to extend you an offer to interview for the guest lecturer role, given your recent patents."
Wei Wuxian tilted his head to the side in a way that drew attention to the long, slender column of his throat. Lan Wangji did not understand how such a simple movement could somehow come across so provocatively. Lan Wangji was so distracted by it that he nearly missed Wei Wuxian's reply.
"Hm. Well, I appreciate the offer, but I'm afraid I'm no longer interested in the job."
Lan Wangji blinked in surprise. Had Wei Wuxian already agreed to join another sect? His gaze flickered to the group of cultivators who were watching them avidly from the bar, wondering who it could be. GusuLan was more prestigious than any of the others, except maybe the Nie. But the Nie were not known for their focus on taslimans or new knowledge.
Who else could it be? The Jin always had money to throw around, but they were not likely to be interested in something as academic as genius talisman designs until they could clearly see how much money they were worth. Of course, the way Wei Wuxian was dressed, it was possible their interest in him resided elsewhere.
The idea made his hands clench into fists, though he had no idea why. There was a flicker of movement in his peripheral vision, and he looked to find Nie Huaisang watching them with keen interest from behind his fan.
"Unless you were here to offer me something else?" Wei Wuxian asked, giving him a weaponized smile.
Lan Wangji felt his ears heat, along with his temper.
"Shameless!" Lan Wangji bit out.
Wei Wuxian threw his head back and laughed. Lan Wangji refused to notice the way the man's scandalous outfit made it easy to see the way the muscles in his toned stomach moved with each breath.
"Ah, Lan Zhan. Don't worry. I know that you're above such things. I had no idea you were so famous the first time we met. Number one on the CILF list! I know when I'm reaching above myself."
Annoyance and embarrassment surged through Lan Wangji at the reminder of that ridiculous list that his brother teased him endlessly about. The only solace he had was that his uncle was also on the list, and was even more incensed about it that Lan Wangji was. He could hear a shocked, choked out laugh coming from behind Wei Wuxian, but he did not gratify it with a response.
Wei Wuxian seemed to not be fazed by either his silence nor his clear annoyance as he walked up and leaned close to Lan Wangji, invading his personal space. For some reason, Lan Wangji didn't find himself pulling back the way he always did when others got too close.
"Well, since I'm not interested in your offer, and you're not interested in mine , then I suppose it's time for me to be on my way."
Wei Wuxian brushed past him, not looking back as he headed out of the hotel bar.
Lan Wangji was momentarily surprised. For some reason, he had expected Wei Wuxian to be more persistent.
Not that he had wanted him to. The man's behavior was truly shameless.
It occurred to him that the man had not been serious in his offer. He had likely made it knowing Lan Wangji would be annoyed by it, and used that as an excuse to cut off the conversation about the job at Cloud Recesses.
Lan Wangji wondered what had changed in the short few weeks since Wei Wuxian had shown up desperate for a job. The robes he had worn were definitely not from any established sect, but they also were a far step up from the ill-fitting civilian clothing he had worn when he'd come to Cloud Recesses to apply for the job. Wei Wuxian had turned him down for an interview, but the man had also shown up to a cultivation conference he hadn't been invited to hoping to sell his talismans.
Did the man need work, or did he not?
The disappointment Lan Wangji felt was surely due to the fact that his uncle would be disappointed that he had declined the interview.