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It was really the most pleasant cursed and haunted forest Wei Wuxian had ever visited.

He swung his flute by his hip as he walked, relishing the pleasure of the warm sunshine dappled through the leaves. Birds and squirrels moved through the upper branches, seeming to be unbothered by the supposed legendary beast that stalked the forest.

In the village, the waiter at the inn had told him that everyone in the region feared the ancient forest, which was the home of a ravenous beast. It was a gigantic monster, twenty feet tall and covered in spikes, and it regularly stole and ate both babies and virgins. (Of course, the waiter didn't know anyone personally who had been eaten, but his cousin's mother-in-law had it on very good authority.) Even renowned cultivators who had come to vanquish the beast had been driven away or never been seen again.

Wei Wuxian had thanked the waiter and then made his way straight to the monster's forest. So far, no monsters. No people, either. Just a nice, quiet forest stroll up the slope of the mountainside.

After Wei Wuxian had walked for an hour or so without seeing anything but gentle wild animals, he caught a glimpse of a rooftop through the trees. It was a pagoda rooftop like a temple, carved of pale and delicate stone that looked like jade, though the expense of jade on a rooftop was unimaginable. Wei Wuxian guessed that this was the retreat of some reclusive cultivator who did not wish to be disturbed by the petty bumbling of common folk, and that was why they had created the rumors.

It would have been polite, he supposed, to go away at that point. He was not invited. But he was very curious, and the glimpse he had of the rooftop made him curious. As he climbed further, he found a wall and followed it for some time without finding a gate.

His curiosity was greater than his caution. Climbing the wall, he swung up over the top of it and dropped into the mysterious castle complex.

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Wei Wuxian must be a brave, curious explorer or a foolish one. But one must wonder if the rumors are actually true if there's truly a beast living inside the castle of a pagoda or if it's truly abandoned?

Should Wei Wuxian explore further deep inside the complex, it looks larger and grander than it looks on the outside. It's a well-kept temple with large chambers and halls with doors leading to unoccupied rooms. The smell of incense and sandalwood is thick in the air. For the most part, it's doesn't seem this pagoda is abandoned but was well-kept by someone who resides here.

The pagoda has a master living here.

However, no sight of the master as Wei Wuxian will discover until he arrived to one of the rooms, a dining hall with a grand feast fit for an emperor being prepared and laid out with candlelights upon the table. Is the dinner prepared for him?

A warm invisible force will be pulling and tugging at his sleeve toward the table. Before his eyes, the chair moves backward by an invisible force. There's a sense of feeling, a warm emotion of "welcome" filling in his chest and a thought telepathically entering in his mind that he is encouraged and is welcomed to "eat" food on the table.

A jar of wine levitates in the mid-air, seemingly floating, and then dips forward to pour into a cup to accompany his meal.

Wei Wuxian doesn't mind terribly that he's trespassing. If--when--he finds the master of this place, he'll apologize for the intrusion, but he doesn't have any regrets about his exploration.

It's all so very different from the rumors. All of it is beautiful, expensive, and very peaceful. He wanders outside at first, but some of the doors were open, so he walked inside, exploring further. No servants greeted him, and no guards stood anywhere in the halls. Despite the incense and the cleanliness of the place, Wei Wuxian still thought that it must be abandoned until he walked into the room with the feast.

The array of food was beautiful, and the smell made his stomach growl, but he hesitated. This feast surely couldn't be for him, an intruder, and he did have the slightest sense of caution over the risks and rumors that he'd heard. Perhaps the monster lured victims with food before it took its own feast from their bodies.

That seemed implausible. This place was so elegant and tidy, and if it was offering him food then it would be a shocking breach of honor for the host to devour its guest.

The jar of wine decided him. As it poured into a cup, Wei Wuxian grinned and accepted the seat. He made a sound of pleasure as he tasted the wine. "You really know how to treat a guest!" He took another mouthful, to make sure it was as good as the first impression. It was. "Your liquor is excellent. Some of the finest that I have ever tasted." Digging into the food, Wei Wuxian sampled several of the dishes and made more noises of appreciation and pleasure at each bite. "Incredible! The villagers believe in old legends that there is a savage beast in these woods, but I see that they could not have been more wrong. Your hospitality is impeccable."

The pagoda and decor inside is an elegant palace. Fit for a prince or the emperor himself. Despite the rumors that spread around to keep people out, the master of the pagoda doesn't expect visitors as he never wanted any troublesome people close to his property. Indeed, there's no guards or even the servants inside the residence to be found as they haven't made themselves known yet.

Yet he finds Wei Wuxian intrusion in his residence an interesting occurrence that he's not beyond hospitality. The dinner was indeed made for him that he was allowed to eat peacefully alone without any disturbance. The food was neatly arranged by plate and type, from the vegetables and meats assembled. Eventually, later on floating through the air, plates of sweets and cakes appeared and joins on the table. His host is generous.

As Wei Wuxian helps himself to the feast, a thought-filled inside of his head again. A deep tenor, a male voice. "You are my guest." His tone almost seemed like he is delighted with him.

It happened again. Each time Wei Wuxian drinks his cup until it is empty, the liqour jar floats in the air, dips toward his cup and pours, filling his cup every time.

"You hold your drink well." Despite the invisible voice is resonating inside of his head, the master is nowhere to be seen or found.

The place seems to respond, speaking right inside his head. The words feel warm, and they send a pleasant shiver down Wei Wuxian's spine. The earlier invitations to eat and be welcome were scarcely more than feelings, but now he's having a whole conversation with the unseen master of this place. Unseen perhaps because he is monstrous, after all, but as long as he is friendly and generous Wei Wuxian doesn't much care what he looks like.

Curving his arms, Wei Wuxian performs a seated bow over the table. "I, Wei Wuxian, am thankful for your hospitality." Formal gratitude completed, he picks up his cup again and drinks.

"Will you not come drink with me? Such excellent liquor would surely be even better in company, and I would like to thank my host in person."

There was a deliberate silence at first, as Wei Wuxian dines and drinks alone. But there's a presence, the feeling he's being watched. Not malevolent, but curious.

Then after some time, the answer came, another thought projected in his head "...No. You'll find me unsightly to look at. You don't need to thank me."

When Wei Wuxian finished dining and drinking, having enjoyed the meal, he'll feel an invisible force tugging at his sleeve, to lead him to one of the halls to a vacant bedroom. "You can stay for the night. Tomorrow, you shall take your leave."

Wei Wuxian wondered what "unsightly" meant, and he thought it was interesting, considering the rumors of the savage beast in this forest. His host must be monstrous in some way, in order for Wei Wuxian to find him unsightly.

He's content and sleepy after the food and drink, and it is true that he has had a long day of travel. It's a long walk back to the village, and he has no other plan for the night.

Part of him is wary of the hospitality. There are all those rumors, after all, and he will be vulnerable while he sleeps.

But he follows the tugging, letting it take him to an empty bedroom that is very luxurious. "Are you going to watch over me while I sleep?" Wei Wuxian asks. He's not sure if it'll be a good thing or not, to have this disembodied voice watching him.

Sitting down on the bed, Wei Wuxian tilts his head up toward the ceiling. He doesn't feel tired, though the food and wine certainly made him drowsy. He feels jittery and curious.

"I don't know your name," Wei Wuxian says, hoping to prompt the voice into more conversation.

"Perhaps. It's too dangerous. There are bandits and wolves in the forest if you go and leave now. Go tomorrow..." There's a tone of protectiveness as the voice warns. The invisible entity watches him drifts off to sleep on the bed.

At the question of asking his name, "Wangji. Lan Wangji...and this is my abode" is the answered that entered his mind.

The master lets him sleep peacefully and Wei Wuxian will discover he will be intacted and in one piece the next morning as the morning sun rises and morning light streams through his window. Once again, his host is generous and his sleeves will be tugged again to the same dining hall with hot breakfast being served and prepared just for him.

"There will be a horse outside...tell him where you want to go and he will take you back to the village."

Bandits and wolves. Wei Wuxian didn't quite believe him--anyway, those were threats he could deal with. But he was tired, and even though he wanted to stay awake and press the voice for more information, his limbs were heavy. He slips off to sleep without even undressing.

In the morning, he stretches and gets up. He combs his hair a bit and tries to make himself presentable, but he still feels weary from travel and unenthusiastic about more travel.

Hunger and curiosity drive him to follow the tugging to the dining hall, and he eats hungrily, though he's very hesitant about leaving. He has too many questions.

"But I've only just arrived, Lan Wangji," Wei Wuxian says. "Won't you tell me more about the history of this place? How did it come into being?"

He wonders what will happen if he asks his host for a tour.

There was silence at first, because the master really considers it. He could send the guest away on his journey and forget all about him. But it's very rare that a stranger has taken a keen interests in his abode. If Wei Wuxian is fated to be eaten by the beast of the castle, he would have been eaten last night, but the event did not occur.

Because the master was bored, having lived here a long time, he might as well play a game with his new company. Maybe the guest can be his friend and he believes in fate.

"Please wait. I'll send you my servant, Lan Zhan..."

After a few long moments, eventually, at the double door of the dining room, the said servant appears. He's tall, elegant, and wears a snow-white robe with swirl of gold patterns with long flowing sleeves and dress that wisps the walls and floor with his graceful steps. He has long black-hair, which he ties it up and adorn with a jade hairpin and jeweled ornament in his hair to keep it in place.

However, his face cannot be seen as he covers his face with a white fox mask with a fix expression, though his golden eyes seems piercing and perception. He made a small bow to Wei Wuxian.

"I am the servant of my Master. I am Lan Zhan." The fox man servant introduce himself.

This is a very unexpected turn of events. Wei Ying immediately sits up, curious to see what kind of servant works in such a place.

The man who steps through the door is elegant and striking, with molten gold eyes that seem almost supernatural. His robes are so expensive and beautiful that they would bring esteem to the leader of any clan, but in this place they worn by a servant.

Still seated, Wei Wuxian makes a small bow in return. "Pleased to meet you, Lan Zhan. I am Wei Wuxian. Are you a human like me? I expected the servant of this place to be a glowing wisp or a wild squirrel!"

Knocking back the rest of his tea, Wei Wuxian sets down his cup and rises with a smile. He comes closer to Lan Zhan, inspecting him playfully but staying a polite step away. "Are you going to give me a tour, Lan Zhan?"

"...Mn." That's all the answer he is given. He won't relent the answer as to whether he is human or not, but he does appear to be human wearing that elegant snow robe and a fox mask to hide his appearance. "No glowing wisps or squirrels. Just Master and me."

Remembering his question and request from before, "Yes. I'm giving you a tour with the Master's permission. This is his pavilion and home and you're his guest. After Master's uncle died and the brother took over the clan, the Master moved here in these mountains to study to become a peak lord or lord of this mountain. As his servant, I am his only disciple."

Good thing the mask covers his facial expression. He's greatly amused fooling him for now.

"Shall I show you the garden? Usually Master forbid anyone, including myself. But today, he would like to show you to appreciate the flowers there that he grows himself."

Wei Ying is fascinated by the story of this place. So the ‘unsightly’ monster, whatever he is, has a brother, and a clan. He must be either a very powerful master cultivator who achieved immortality or some kind of god or divine spirit. Wei Ying thinks he might once have heard a story about the Lan clan, but he does not think they exist in the world anymore outside of this place, unless they are all as reclusive as Wangji.

“I would be honored to see the garden,” Wei Ying says. He’s cheerful and relaxed as they walk, confident now as a guest in this place. Whatever the master is here, he sets a good table and he has been extremely generous and hospitable. Wei Ying likes it here, and he’s in no hurry to move on. “Where do you come from, Lan Zhan?”

It seems impolite to ask if he’s a prisoner, but if he was raised in the local town, they certainly didn’t mention him being here.

If Wei Ying can recall any stories about the Lan Clan, they are famous for being a clan for their powerful cultivation powers that some people believed to be miracles and wonders. However, there are no written accounts as such. Most likely a tall tale of a mysterious clan where their powers are kept secret and whoever is the witness, it was long forgotten.

Wei Ying is good guesses as to what kind of host he could be. For now, the fox masked man give an air of mystery and nodded, "Mn. Following me." There's no indication he's being treated as a prisoner as the servant made no intention to hold Wei Ying against his will. More so, the servant is keen on entertaining him as his guest and ensure his comfort.

"Gusu." The servant answered. "A province not far from here. Near the mountains where my clan lives in Cloud Recesses. This mountain is one of the peaks."

Eventually, he was being led to a double door where the servant opens the door to reveal a garden that looks like a celestial paradise. All manner of exotic flowers from roses, orchids, to jasmine are being grown, fruits trees where the fruit looks vibrant sweet by just looking at them, and flora can be found by looking around. Flowing waters can be heard, so there is a spring and waterfall close by.

"This is my Master's garden. It brings him great honor to show you. Stay on the path. The garden is big. There's a waterfall here that is part of this mountain if you want to have a drink. If you get lost, I'll find you."

Should Wei Ying explore the garden on his own, eventually the tall masked man gives him a fruit from one of the trees. A sweet fuzzy perfectly round peach.

"For you, Wei Wuxian. It's sweet."

The garden is breathtakingly beautiful, and Wei Wuxian feels as though he could wander for days just in the garden. He does stay on the path, for now, though he's desperately curious about areas beyond the path and what might happen to him if he strays. So far, he's not quite willing to give offense or take risks. He's already being given and shown so much.

"It must be a great honor to be a servant in such a place," Wei Wuxian remarks. "Did you come here like I did, or were you brought here?

Smelling flowers as he wanders, Wei Wuxian considers the risks of stealing fruits or flowers from this place. It's possible that the fruits would have some sort of ill effects upon his health. Everything here is magic. For now, yet again, he's careful not to touch, though he does breathe the scents of all the beautiful flowers.

The peach makes him smile, and he brings it to his lips, breathing in the fragrance before he bites down. It's the most exquisite peach he's ever tasted, sweet and delicate as liquor, and he gives a moan at the taste of it. "Good!" he remarks, licking up the juice as it spills down the skin of the peach. "It's good. Thank you." Pleased, he flashes a grin at his guide, and then takes another bite, groaning with pleasure.

The beautiful garden is vast as far the eye could see. The snow-capped mountains at the distance can be seen with the naked eye. At the moment, Wei Wuxian isn't in any danger while he haphazardly throwing caution away, despite the rumors of the beast who is the Master of the castle. If he's curious enough to explore further, all he will find is more flowers and fruit trees growing, butterflies fluttering among the flowers, collecting nectar.

Walking side by side for a stroll, beneath the mask, Lan Zhan was wary at first of this stranger, but seeing his guest is curious and somewhat trusting, he has found his place beautiful. It seems the stranger isn't a thief who comes to plunder his treasures, but a genuine foolhardy thrill-seeker who is lost. With the discovery of the garden, Wei Wuxian did discover the castle's ultimate treasure.

"..." Lan Zhan cannot answer to that, because he rather answers his question honestly by his virtue. The mask was there to gain his trust and hide his acquired divinity. So at the end of the path while Wei Wuxian is eating his fruit and admires the flowers.

"Wait..." He said. Lan Zhan reached for the back of his mask to lift the strap over his head and removes it, revealing his handsome face. A handsome man with fair jade-like skin and golden eyes, almost piercing and wild with long black hair and while beautiful, carrying melancholy expression. "Long ago, I come here as a servant to the previous master of the castle. Then when he passed away, I become the Master of this castle."

With a simple bow, almost shy. "As you can see, there's no beast to eat you. It's only me living here in this castle."

Wei Wuxian is startled when the mask comes off, revealing a handsome man with otherworldly beauty. It's the sort of beauty that would make everyone in the street turn and stare, so Wei Wuxian can't be blamed for gaping.

"Lan Wangji, you tricked me!" he scolds. He's blushing a bit and tries to cover it by teasing. "Saying I would find you unsightly!"

Thoughtless, Wei Wuxian plucks the nearest pretty flower and twirls it between his fingers. He'd been careful earlier, but he's flustered now and not thinking, and he has an idea for this flower. "Is this the real reason for the rumors of the hideous beast? To keep the admiring throngs away from your door? If you walked down a street like this, you'd be buried under a shower of admiring flowers." Holding the flower with the tips of his fingers, he lays the back of his hand against Lan Wangji's chest, implying the thrown flower of admiration but holding it carefully so that Lan Wangji can take it if he wants.

Not blamed at all. For once, which is a rare occurrence, Lan Zhan actually laughed in amusement, then shyly tuck a stray bang behind his ear.

"I'm sorry. It seems you caught me. Lan Wangji is my courtesy name. Lan Zhan is my name." It's a play on his name all the long. Now with the mask off, he can see well that his trespasser is a handsome youth. Long black hair tied with a red ribbon, bright eyes, and fine profile when he smiles. Also with a talent of the speech of the tongue as well.

To be buried in fruits and flowers, however Lan Wangji is more interested in tending to actual flowers in his garden. "Yes. To keep them away from my treasure, which is my garden. But the garden isn't that all you see, my friend. There are more secrets in my castle that I would like to show you."

Usually, a part of him is wary of sharing with outsiders. Wei Wuxian is the first to ever visit him. Being a Master and Peak Lord, he's normally shy, preferring to live the life as a lonely recluse. Seeing him now, a part of him, his heart races and trembles the possibility of having a friend for company, especially one that is handsome and clever.

"If you want to stay with me longer as my guest, I can show you the rest of my castle. I think you would leave me if your family will miss you so you may leave whenever you wish. I do have a horse waiting for you to bring you back home." Though showing his garden to him now, part of Lan Zhan now wished for his friend to stay with him for the company.

He held his hands together and finds his hands warm so that Wei Wuxian can hold the flower tighter.

"Keep that. It's for you. My gift to you if you like it."

Edited 2019-11-19 05:39 (UTC)

When Lan Wangji smiled and laughed, his countenance became more human, but also more dazzling.

“I can stay,” Wei Wuxian assured him. “I am a wanderer, and my family will be glad of a reprieve from me. I can stay for several weeks, or until you start wanting a reprieve from me.”

He tucks the flower into his lapel for safekeeping, so that the blossom rests over his heart.

“Show me these secrets,” he says, smiling. He’s glad to have an invitation to stay and explore, and he’s curious about Lan Wangji.

That gotten him curious. Is Wei Wuxian a burden? It's not common however if it's one less mouth to feed. Lan Wangji feels a sense of pity and sympathy for him, and if he's good company he would like him to stay for as long as he wished.

Seeing he keeps the flower close to his heart, he hopes he likes his gift and keeps the flower for he knew Wei Wuxian had intended to give it to him, but Lan Wangji truly wants him to have it, and if he's truly pleased with it, there are more flowers he would like to give him. The magical fruit he has eaten is meant as a refreshment to his body and spirit.

"How come your family wants to reprieve of you?" In the meanwhile, they kept walking around the garden for a simple pleasure of walking until he leads him back to the castle. "Don't you have a home to return to...?"

"I can show you some paintings I collected and painted myself. Or how about my library if you like to study and read books. I collect books in my travels as far as the western lands of Arabia, Greece, and Egypt."

Edited 2019-11-20 05:19 (UTC)

"My parents died when I was young. I was taken in by the Jiang clan of Yunmeng," Wei Wuxian explains. "I am grateful to them, and I do not wish to cause trouble for them. I am a troublemaker by nature, you see." He taps the side of his nose, playful and rueful at the same time. "Very mischievous. Soon enough you will tire of me and you will want a reprieve, too." He says it light and playful, almost teasing, as he takes the blame for the situation onto himself so as to not speak ill of his adoptive family and their very conditional love for him.

"I would like to see these paintings and this library. Arabia and Greece! You have traveled so far? I have never left the lands of the cultivators." Wei Ying grins with delight as they walk back toward the castle, folding his arms behind his head as they stroll. "Do you need a traveling companion? I happen to very much like traveling."

He simply nods in understanding. "Ah. The Jiang Clan. They are known to carry their silver bells with them to calm their mind during meditation. Is that true with you too?"

At the interests of travelling, perhaps he is interested to see the world with him. "You wanted to go travelling with me? Are you sure? The journey is long and perilous. I tend to travel to make expeditions. I would join a group of merchants to make travel for trade on the silk road and go further west. Taking that route, depending on where we wanted to go, we can go to Greece, Rome, Persia, or even India. In every land I go, there are empires and wonderous cities to discover."

As he spoke, he sees he captivated his friend's interest. "If you would like to go, I would like you as a travelling companion. However, I have no idea when."

For now, Lan Zhan shows him the wonders inside of his castle which is a world by itself. Built like an imperial palace to fit an Emperor, there are many halls and rooms, but so far Lan Zhan is the only occupant with no guards and servant in sight.

Lan Zhan leads him down the hallway to open the double door to reveal his library where it's a wonder by itself and a collection of books are shelved neatly from bottom to top. "Please come in, this is my library."

"I don't mind long and perilous," Wei Ying promises, grinning cheerfully at the prospect. "We will have adventures! I would like that very much. Please accept me as a traveling companion, whenever you go."

Exploring the palace is enough for now. Wei Ying looks around in delight at all the wonders, fascinated and curious. When they reach the library, he gives a little cry of awe and wanders forward to explore. Much of it is in languages he doesn't know, from the foreign lands Lan Zhan has visited. His heart aches with longing to learn the languages and read the books.

"Ah, Lan Zhan. It's wonderful." Selecting a book filled with intricate maps and illustrations, Wei Ying takes it to a table, laying it out as he looks through it. "I am envious, Lan Zhan. I want to read every book in your library."

"You don't mind joining me as my companion? It will be a while before I go on an expedition. I need to make plans and preparations. I was thinking of going to Tibet where the mountainous areas is my next destination. It's quiet though, but it's the best place to go study cultivation in meditation and solitude. Or perhaps I go to India and their cities to simply eat their spicy curries and join in their festivals."

Lan Zhan realized he was rambling openly to a friend he just met, but as Wei Ying studies his collection of books, some in foreign languages written in words that he couldn't understand. "Are you envious...?" He said quietly. "If you want to read every book in the library, you're welcome to it. I had been alone for a long time." His golden eyes darted to him.

"Wei Ying, if we are to be companions, then you must know. I'm not an ordinary man." Reaching up, he reached for a book with a leather-bound cover on the shelf. "You might like this book. It's called One Thousand and One Arabian nights. This volume is translated in mandarin, so you could read it."

As Lan Zhan, handed the book to Wei Ying. A few moments ago, he looks like an ordinary man, and now he truly looks like a fox with a pair of pointed fox ears, almost elf-like, and wisps of foxtails begin to unravel, almost ethereal like with a glow to his tails in puffs of ethereal light and snow-white fur.

"Wei Ying, I'm a fox fairy. I do not have mortal like yourself for a companion before. If you don't find me unsightly...but I find you are very handsome. When I heard your wish, I would like to show you the world." And he didn't want Wei Ying to go be alone in the world, so he has made up his mind to be his companion and grant his wishes as long Wei Ying never tires of him.

As he spoke, a warm, wispy tail reaches playfully brushed against his cheek. Gently, "Wei Ying, do you want to stay with me in this castle? If you're tired of wandering from town to town, I might have some work for you if you want to work here as well."

Wei Ying keeps a polite face at the trip of solitude and meditation, but he perks up immediately at the opposite suggestion. "Spicy curries and festivals! Let's do that, Lan Wangji, please. I want to see India."

He accepted the offered book, immediately starting to look through it, and then laughing in surprise when he sees Lan Zhan's transformation. "Lan Zhan!" He forgets to be courteous for a moment, delighted by how cute the ears are on this dignified and respectable man.

The tail tickles his cheek and Wei Ying catches it between his fingertips, giving Lan Zhan a playful smile. "Lan Zhan, look how cute you are. How can I resist ruffling your ears? I will be constantly tempted if I stay here, whenever I see those ears, that I will desire to ruffle them. Is that really a risk you want to take?"

Hearing what he's more interested in. "It will take planning, but we will go together someday if the season permits." While keeping a cool expression, he playfully brushed a tail against his soft cheek while he reaches another book to read. He pretends to appear bored, but he's more interested in brushing his soft tails against his cheek and then against his hips.

"...Ears." With a book in hand, he then turns around to look at him, gazing at him seriously as he took his words as a request.

He leans forward to bend his head so that Wei Ying could reach to pet him. "You may ruffle them. There's no risk if you wish to feel them for yourself." The pair of real fox ears are within reach if Wei Ying reaches for it.