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~.O.~
He'd done it! His genius brain had done it!
Wei Wuxian had slaved over the idea day and night, wanting so desperately for it to become a reality that he refused to eat or sleep until he had made some kind of progress. He also wouldn't tell Wen Qing what he was up to and just told her to trust him and his vision. He hadn't wanted to build any false hope.
It was a talisman-array combo. The array would have to be painted on the skin while the talismans would be layered over and over in a circle around the body in question. Everything inside the circle would be affected.
See, he'd promised to bring Wen Ning back, and he'd managed that in a most unprecedented manner. Wen Ning was the first Fierce Corpse to have not only his soul still but his conscience. The success of it shouldn't be overlooked, but it wasn't exactly what he'd been aiming for. And it definitely shouldn't be replicated by anyone!
He still wanted Wen Ning alive and well. Where he could actually live and have a life that he deserved.
Wei Wuxian didn't know much about healing. He picked up some things from his shijie and some things from Wen Qing, but not enough to fully understand everything medical. What he did know was that in death, the body stiffened up and went cold, because blood ceased flowing throughout it.
As a corpse, Wen Ning could not smile any longer. The muscles in his face were simply too stiff now for him to make any expressions. He walked with a jagged sort of pace and lilted forward a bit more than was normal. And he always seemed to be limping a little. This made him very depressed and often left him unhappy when he was reminded of it. And he tried to pretend that it was fine, but it wasn't and he wasn't okay.
So Wei Wuxian sought to change that. He didn't know much about medical arrays and didn't feel comfortable delving that deeply when he wasn't well-versed in medicine, but he did know a lot about spacial arrays and how to center the effects of them appropriately for the most optimal usage.
Therefore, in his experimentation with his stray thought, he'd worked his way up. It started off with applying the array to a rotten radish and dropping it in the center of a small talisman circle. Slowly, the greenish/blue fuzz began to disappear, like it never existed, until the radish was bright white again. And then the shriveled form began to fill out until it was healthy once more.
He'd reversed time on the radish alone and it reverted back to what it had been before it went rotten.
With that success, he tasted the radish and even after three days, he hadn't gotten sick, meaning it had to have been a total success. The vegetable had been rejuvenated entirely and hadn't put his health in any danger!
The experiment was repeated several more times, getting more and more delicate and detailed in the process.
A shriveled tree once again flowed with life and new buds began to grow. A dead bird skeleton no bigger than his palm was reverted back to its living form, feathers and all. The dead cow they'd lost over winter was revived. Animals, to an extent, were all reincarnated souls getting another go at life in some form or another. So when the form was made available, a reincarnated soul took it subconsciously.
He'd brought the dead back to life in essence, and nature just finished the process on its own.
Then, he worked on injuries, starting at small cuts on his own arms, and moving on to larger ones. He reversed the damage to make it so that it seemingly never existed. Cuts and gashes of all sizes vanished as time reversed on the affected area. It was almost humbling to witness.
This meant the procedure would work on Wen Ning if done on a large enough scale. Since he had his soul and conscience already, when his body was reverted back to what it had been while he was alive, he'd actually be present. Other Fierce Corpses would basically be sitting vegetables and wouldn't be able to move, talk, or comprehend basic thought. That would be what set him apart from others.
Wei Wuxian had made a promise and he was going to deliver!
He just had to make certain that he reverted Wen Ning's body back to a time before the slave camp so he didn't return to life with whip marks or stab wounds. Wei Wuxian didn't want his friend to be in any sort of pain at all, and it would take extra energy he didn't have, to fix the injuries after performing the extensive time reversal to reanimate the entire body as it should be.
"Lay here," he instructed his 'Ghost General' and he and his sister watched him warily. The oblong talisman ring was big enough to fit one person in it, and there were arrays already painted on the cave floor. "Take off your robes beforehand though because you won't even need them for this."
Wen Ning looked like he wanted to die all over again and his sister glared. "Why?" she demanded protectively, jaw stiff.
"Arrays. They must be applied directly to the object that will lay in the circle. Skin contact is the most beneficial method. Trust me."
The two siblings glanced at each other before Wen Ning began to disrobe. Wei Wuxian looked away to preserve his modesty, but he'd gotten an eyeful of the corpse's chest and had to admit that he was built very well. All his layers didn't make it seem like it though. He wouldn't mind seeing more some other time.
Was he just realizing that Wen Ning was more than adorable? Yes. Was it the time for him to show such an interest in his friend? No. Later on.
He took up the brush and consulted his notes for the last time, before dipping the bristles in the procured sow's blood and then dragging the brush across Wen Ning's abdomen, carefully detailing one of the many syntaxes that would have to be applied.
The blood of a pig was the closest he could get on short notice. Pigs were omnivorous like humans, and most of their organs were exactly the same as those in a human. The blood of a sow, taken while it was alive, had a certain natural energy about it that made it more useful. Human blood would have been best but he didn't want to use any of the near-starving Wens, and using his own would make him too weak to do anything. He also hadn't wanted to kidnap anyone because despite his reputation, murder wasn't really fun or on his to-do list.
Murder didn't really do it for him.
It took a long time to get each section done, and Wen Qing hovered dangerously close, trying to make sense of his scribbles and drawings.
Eventually she seemed to get it. By then, Wen Ning was lying supine in the circle, looking confused but patient as the red blood stood out glaringly against his deathly pale flesh.
"You didn't?" Wen Qing murmured, looking up at him in shock and maybe a bit of horror? He didn't know.
"I did. When the time comes, get some distance just in case."
It was time-consuming, but if he succeeded, then the cramp in his wrist was very much worth it. He'd made a promise.
With Chenqing at his lips, the music began, forcing the marks to react to the build up of Qi around them. It wasn't an easy task because he didn't have a Golden Core any longer and he had to draw Qi from nature instead.
The black lines stretching up Wen Ning's neck began to recede. The blackish look in his eyes seemed to brighten. The greyish pallor of his skin lightened into a more milky pale color.
The arrays were glowing a fiery red, proving that they were working as intended.
Through his skin, they could see a glow emanating from each of his organs as they too were affected. The glow got brighter and brighter, and the cave was filled with an extreme amount of heat from all the gathered Qi. It was kind of intense and the brightness made his eyes burn.
But looking away wasn't an option! Even if he never wrote these notes down for others to find, having them anyway was still important! At least he would know what to expect in the future.
Slowly, Wen Ning's body was returned back to life until the man's chest heaved with a deep breath that rattled in his lungs. Wei Wuxian had discovered how to reverse time on a dead body to return it back to life, so long as it still had its soul and consciousness at least.
This was a type of ability that would surely be coveted if the cultivation world found out. No matter how self-righteous they acted, all of them would salivate over such a power. Essentially, he could modify it and reverse time on the living, making people eternally youthful, which could be considered immortality of a sort.
It was a dangerous power to hold and less people would want him dead if they found out. He'd be the shiny weapon everyone coveted again. But it would be even worse than before.
Wen Ning was officially returned to life right before haishi, in the third month on the ninth day. It was almost like a new birthday for him.
His sister fell to the ground beside him and threw her arms over his shoulders, crying his name over and over in between garbled mumblings of gratitude sent Wei Wuxian's way for what he'd managed to accomplish.
And Wen Ning blinked, eyes wide, showing the most emotion he'd been physically capable of in the past five months. He lifted his hands, staring at them in awe as his fingers curled inward easily, no stiffness lingered. The veins were colored again.
"Gongzi," he said softly, eyes finding Wei Wuxian, "I'm alive again."
He beamed. "It's what I've been working on these past few weeks!"
And not only did it work this way, but it could return spoiled food to the appropriate state and reverse injuries so it'd be like they never happened. He'd have to be very careful with his notes and observations because this should not get into the hands of the wrong people ever.
Jin Guangshan wouldn't have righteous motivations if he got his hands on this information, that was for certain. He was basically a new Wen Ruohan, come to take over the cultivation world. Except he was a coward unlike Wen Ruohan and he had no battle skills to brag about.
For the first time in months, Wei Wuxian felt true peace and relief.
And no, it wasn't because he was physically and spiritually exhausted.
Things changed after that.
Somehow, it felt as if Wen Ning was even closer to him than before. At first he thought it was maybe some lingering feelings about the master/servant thing he'd been operating under for months, but no, it was something else entirely.
Wen Ning got flustered whenever Wei Wuxian spoke to him, but he still tried his best to interact. And he was always happy to spend time with him and A-Yuan. Even taking part in planting A-Yuan in the dirt and telling him he'll get friends to grow if he was patient enough.
It was adorable.
Wei Wuxian wondered what it was between them that felt so nice. He hadn't felt so calm in a long time.
Thankfully it all came forward the day they ran into Lan Zhan in Yiling. A-Yuan had seen him from a distance and declared that Lan Zhan was pretty. He proceeded to push his way through the crowd and latch onto the Second Jade's leg in the process, staring up at him like he was the most amazing thing the boy had ever seen.
Poor Lan Zhan looked terrified! It was great!
And when Wen Ning bowed low in apology for his cousin's actions, Lan Zhan stared at him in very obvious shock considering his usual self-control and stony expression.
Wei Wuxian beamed. "Lan Zhan! You're looking as beautiful as ever, I see!"
The man spared him a small glare of annoyance before asking, "How?" After all, he'd know that Wen Ning was dead. It was public knowledge by now. And yet here he was, alive and well and looking brighter than he ever had in the time Wei Wuxian had known him.
"I have skills," he chose to say. "I said I'd save him and that's what I did. But if someone asks, you know absolutely nothing, okay? This isn't something that should get into the hands of people like Jin Guangshan, because we both know his greedy ass will do horrible things with such a power at his disposal."
Lan Zhan's lips pursed, but he eventually gave a stiff nod, looking between him and Wen Ning. He knew how untrustworthy the new Chief Cultivator was after all, even if he would never say it out loud. He wasn't stupid. And he also didn't seem to trust Jin Guangshan either, which was smart of him.
A-Yuan made a noise of discontent, reaching out for Wei Wuxian. Wen Ning handed the boy over and without even hesitating, A-Yuan wrapped his tiny arms around Wei Wuxian and said, "Diedie."
All three men blinked in shock. On Wei Wuxian's end, he had been 'Xian-gege' up until that morning. Why the sudden change? What had caused it? Why did his eyes start to sting a little in response?
A-Yuan leaned back to softly pat Wen Ning's shoulder and say, "A-Niang."
Wen Ning's face lit up with bright red in his cheeks.
A-Yuan had declared them to be his parents… For some reason his heart was touched by that. A young boy of almost four years viewed him as a parental figure. Looked up to him enough to declare that he was the boy's father.
Could he even be considered parent material? He wasn't mature enough to be a father! He didn't know how to be a role model for others!
Wei Wuxian was dying on the inside, for various reasons. He almost missed Lan Zhan's question because he was so caught up in his own internal issues.
"Are you married?"
He blinked for a moment. "What?"
Lan Zhan stared at Wen Ning intensely. "You want to be with Wei Ying." His voice was almost a whisper. Almost heartbroken maybe? For some reason.
All of a sudden, the usual discomfort that blanketed Wen Ning's shoulders, seemed to melt away, replaced by a hardened visage. His eyes became flinty. "Yes," Wen Ning said firmly, making Wei Wuxian choke on his own saliva.
"What?" he repeated.
"I have fancied you since the day we met," the former Fierce Corpse declared. "I wouldn't mind marrying you, Wei Ying." He even used Wei Wuxian's birth name! Usually he was too nervous to even dare do that!
Between them, Lan Zhan looked like he was about to self-combust for whatever reason. As if he was the one getting confessed to by the most shy person in the world or something.
As for Wei Wuxian… he couldn't help but look Wen Ning over much more closely. He'd noted before that the man was attractive in a more adorable way. And he was built quite nicely too. He had a great personality as well. He was great to be around. And things had been feeling more intense between them as of late.
"Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"You prefer women."
"I never stated I prefer only women," Wei Wuxian specified. He saw a lot more attractive women than he saw attractive men, but that wasn't his fault. He commented on attractiveness whenever he laid eyes on it. It just so happened that pretty girls were everywhere and pretty boys weren't.
Lan Zhan, once again, looked ready to die, but this time from lack of air as he'd frozen in place. His ears were turning red.
As for Wen Ning… he looked hopeful.
Wen Ning fancied him. Had for a long time apparently, and Lan Zhan had recognized it easily!
Sweet and adorable Wen Ning genuinely liked him. "Why me though?" he asked, not really understanding what about him was so great to be worth loving. He was loud, annoying, and arrogant. And while his face was nice, that wasn't a good enough reason to be in love with someone or a reason to marry them. Or a reason to start a family with them.
Wei Wuxian wasn't exactly husband or father material. His numerous relationships with other people impressed this upon him for years. Madam Yu, Jiang Cheng, Lan Zhan, Lan Qiren, Nie Mingjue, and many others who could be considered credible. None of them thought he was anything worth much.
"You're kind," said Wen Ning softly, eyes warm with emotion. "You didn't know me, but you were kind anyway. I'm not used to kindness from people. I'm not used to others offering to help me. I'm not even used to positive attention in general. And no one but jie ever seemed to believe in my skills either.
"Even with how nasty many of my fellow clansmen were to you, you were still nice to me. That's why I've felt so compelled to help you and stay by your side, Wei Ying. And why jie felt that she could trust you to help us in return."
Never would he publicly admit that Wen Ning's words made him tear up. He simply couldn't help himself. They made him very sad and very happy at the same time.
Wen Ning deserved good things. It broke his heart that people hadn't appreciated him.
As for his kindness… Wei Wuxian just did what he thought was right. "I'm nice because being mean takes a lot of effort. Being cruel to everyone won't make me happy. It won't make me feel better. I know what it's like to be alone and struggling to make it through each day. I don't want to feel that way again. I don't want anyone to feel that way. That's why I smile even when I'm not happy," he confessed. "You never know when your smile could make someone's day a little better."
"And that is why I love you," Wen Ning said plainly.
Three words. I. Love. You. He just said them outright, regardless of potential witnesses. No fear. No stuttering. Wen Ning was more sure of himself now than he'd probably ever been before. He didn't even break eye contact.
Wei Wuxian was tearing up again. In front of Lan Wangji, perfect strangers, and his young charge, Wen Ning had him in tears.
He hadn't felt this cared for since the last time he'd been able to speak to his shijie. She'd been the only person to ever make him feel this loved. Not even Uncle Jiang had managed it.
And yet...
"But what if I'm not capable of loving you back?" he asked, feeling guilty. "I do like you, and I do want you to remain my friend, but I don't know if love is possible for someone like me." He felt weak admitting to it. He'd never actually thought he'd be in love some day. He had thought that his duty would be to the Jiang Sect and that he'd have to marry whoever was chosen for him and father strong children for the sect's future, and that would be it.
He had many faults. Many unpleasant faults. Kindness aside, he really didn't have many positive personality traits.
Wen Ning placed a calming hand on his forearm. "Love isn't about selfishness, Wei Ying. I love you and I want you to be happy. If I'm not what will make you happy in that way, then that's okay. I'm fine with being your friend. Just being in your presence is enough. Just knowing that you hold me in some regard no matter what, is most certainly enough."
"...That was the most profound thing I've ever heard to be honest," Wei Wuxian admitted, not sure if he was shocked or emotional or some weird mixture of the two. "Wen Ning, I may not be in love with you right now, but I'm definitely willing to try if you'll put up with me."
If anyone would be willing to put up with him he'd give it a shot.
Wen Ning looked like he'd been brought back to life again.
As for Lan Zhan… why did he look so lost? He wasn't the one in a romantic predicament! Or maybe his delicate Lan sensibilities couldn't handle public displays of affection. Probably that.
"A-Niang! Diedie!" A-Yuan clapped, drawing their attention back to him. He smiled up at his favorite adults and rested his head on Wei Wuxian's shoulder. "Can we see the birds on the way home?" the boy asked softly, obviously on the verge of falling asleep.
Wen Ning looked to him for the answer, and he smiled, suddenly feeling like this was very much possible. Like how even with their unfortunate circumstances at present, things could potentially get better in the future if they just stuck together.
He felt lighter now. It was brighter now.
"Finally," Wen Qing declared the moment they reappeared with Lan Zhan in toe. "I've been waiting for this to happen forever." She then sent Wei Wuxian a very stern look and said, "If you break his heart, I know how to make your special friend only work for urination purposes."
While the threat was indeed terrifying… did everyone know that Wen Ning was in love with him?!
"Yes," Wen Qing said plainly. "You are the most oblivious person I've ever met. Now hand me that roll of bandages."
Well then.
"Why is Hanguang-Jun here?" she asked as she organized her station.
"To bear witness to how we're living up here. Since he doesn't lie, not even for the sake of his family, his word is very important. He insisted on coming for some reason."
The woman gave him a long, searching look, before shaking her head. "As I said, you're oblivious."
"Hey!" He was offended even if he didn't really know why.
Still… at least it seemed like Lan Zhan wasn't against them, which was nice. After the tempestuous relationship they'd had over the past few years, it seemed as if he'd calmed down some. Mellowed out a little and became less of a hard ass.
Though him constantly looking like he lost his wife was just weird. Wei Wuxian might prefer the angry Lan Wangji over this one who seemed like his life was cut short in front of his eyes.
"Wei Ying," said Wen Ning softly, "I made your bowl for you."
Rice, steamed vegetables, and roasted pheasant greeted him and for a moment, he was struck with a vision of Wen Ning in his usual red robes of the Wen Sect. Except these were a lot more detailed and trimmed with golden thread. And in these robes, Wen Ning presented him with a bowl of food, a cup of tea, and a smile while their siblings stood not too far off, smiling.
Suddenly, he wanted that. He wanted to clothe Wen Ning in wedding robes unlike any ever made before. He wanted to see the entire event planned just for them. Wanted to see him happy where he deserved to be.
Slowly, he smiled, accepting the bowl and planting a kiss on the other's cheek in exchange. "Thank you, A-Ning."
The pleased curl of the other's lip made his heart sputter in his chest.
No matter how shifty the future seemed, in this moment, he was happy and felt hope.
~.O.~
A/N: FINISHED!
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