When Wen Xu opened his eyes, his nose was throbbing.
That was a bit of a surprise because the last thing he remembered was Nie Mingjue cutting his head off with that oversized saber of his. So, if this was the afterlife, a throbbing nose was a very strange spillover from his death.
The room he was in was his old bedroom in the Nightless City, and, considering the lack of multiple injuries and scars, he was younger than when he died. Huh. He stood up and walked to the mirror to take a better look and—ah. Of course.
A-Chao had broken his nose when Wen Xu had tried to be a responsible Sect Heir and stop a drunken brawl over…some perceived slight. With A-Chao, it wasn’t always clear if the slight was real or the result of his overactive imagination and inflated ego covering for his chronic self-worth issues.
That meant that he was currently way back in the past, some years before Father’s campaign to overtake the sects began. Or perhaps this was the afterlife and he was forced to relive the past.
However, he had no intention to relive his mistakes. Afterlife or the real past, he would rather, you know, live.
And that meant some drastic changes.
”Xu-er,” Father greeted him as he entered his study. Father was hunched over several journals and scrolls, taking notes in a hurried way. It wasn’t as maniacal or frenzied as it had been before Wen Xu’s death which meant that Father wasn’t completely insane—yet. For a moment, Wen Xu merely looked at him, this man who would soon be lost to the madness of resentful cultivation. He was still his Father but he could already see the shadows licking in the corners of his eyes, trying to gain a hold of him.
”Did you want something?” Father asked without looking up.
”No,” Wen Xu said. ”I came to ask if you needed me for anything.”
”Are you bored?” Father asked, sounding mildly amused. ”Come, take a look at this.” He inclined his head at the scrolls in front of him, and Wen Xu, as a filial son, walked to stand next to him to peer at the scroll. It was something about corrupting a spiritual weapon and inducing a potentially lethal qi-deviation…ah.
That.
”Hm,” Wen Xu said and then acted less like a filial son and plunged his dagger into Father’s neck, severing his spinal cord. It was almost ridiculously easy, what with the absence of hypervigilance and paranoia Father had been stewing in back when Wen Xu had last been alive. He would’ve been offended if he’d cared more.
Father died with a small gasp and surprise in his eyes.
The purge Wen Xu executed in Nightless City to catch Father’s assassins was extensive and wiped the slate clean, so to speak. As a result, all of Father’s henchmen were dead and the remaining Elders properly cowed and relieved of their misplaced convictions of importance.
In the aftermath, Wen Xu showed proper shock and contemplation. He sat down with the less pompous (and therefore more likely to be alive by the end of the year) Elders and deputies to plan where to go from there, including but not limited to reforming the Wen Sect. A-Chao was predictably frothing from the mouth and wanted to declare war—not that he had any fucking clue where to direct his war-mongering. Wen Xu sighed and wished he’d forced the Lan to teach him the silencing spell before burning the Cloud Recesses to the ground.
”Perhaps we should look further back,” Wen Ping suggested carefully.
Wen Xu raised a brow. ”How far back?” he asked.
As if steeling himself against Wen Xu’s possible displeasure, Wen Ping handed him a scroll. His hands were shaking a lot, which was kind of amusing, considering that he was doing exactly what Wen Xu had told him to do.
Wen Xu picked the scroll up and opened it slowly until he reached the spot he was looking for. ”All those who oppress others and do evil relying on the power of their house should be killed,” he intoned. ”Not only that, they should be beheaded for tens of thousands to revile so that those to come would beware."
The silence that followed his recitation was so complete he could hear the way Wen Ping’s heart rabbited in his chest.
”Hm,” Wen Xu said. ”Do you mean to imply that Father deserved his death?” (He totally did.)
”Oh, no, this one wouldn’t dare!” the poor official cried, throwing himself on the floor with such fervor that he hit his forehead with a loud smack.
”What’s that idiocy?” A-Chao shouted. ”That’s bullshit! Where did that even come from?”
Wen Xu felt a need to rub his temples. Instead, he leveled A-Chao a flat look and said, ”That was The Quintessence of the Wens. The words of our founder, Wen Mao. In case you’ve heard of him.”
A-Chao went ugly red and opened his mouth but shut it when Wen Xu raised a finger. He’d have to deal with his idiotic little brother at some point. Probably sooner rather than later.
”Well?” he asked, looking around. ”What do you think? Would that be a good guideline to go forward?”
”With all due respect to our glorious founder,” Wen Ping said and then fell silent.
Wen Xu cocked his head. ”Yes? Respect is well and good. Did you have an actual opinion to top it off?”
”The original text might be slightly too radical for the current day,” Wen Ping said, his voice trailing off into a whisper.
”Huh. You think so?” Wen Xu shrugged. ”I don’t necessarily think so but I trust your judgment.”Everyone in the room looked at him like he’d lost his mind but they (wisely) said nothing. ”Well,” Wen Xu continued. ”I’ll have to think about this. In the meantime, I’d like reports on all campaigns that the Wen have been conducting outside Qishan.”
”Um,” Wen Angzhen said, raising a hand. ”Why?”
Wen Xu let his lips draw into a cold smile. ”Because if I’m to lead this sect, I need to know what my late father was doing both inside and outside our borders.”
”Ah,” Wen Angzhen said. The word came out slightly strangled and he looked like he was regretting his question.
”Get the reports to me by the end of the week,” Wen Xu said. ”You are dismissed.”
In the weeks following Father’s death, A-Chao’s behavior turned increasingly erratic. It might or might not have something to do with the light dosage of hallucinogenic Wen Xu added to the wine bottles in A-Chao’s personal stash.
Wen Xu mainly let him be and listened to both his ravings and the reports of his misdeeds with an irritated air. It didn’t take long for the whispering to start, at which point Wen Xu decided it was probably a good time to put a stop to it. He waited until A-Chao tried to attack him in front of witnesses and dodged his clumsy attempt with ease, then slapped him. The move was meant to just incapacitate him but he added enough spiritual energy to it to make him tumble down the stairs. The sound of his embarrassment of a brother’s neck breaking was loud in the shocked silence.
”Oh no,” Wen Xu said flatly, looked Wen Zhuliu straight in the eyes, and raised a brow.
Wen Zhuliu inclined his head in a barely-there nod. ”It seems that Young Master was very drunk, Sect Leader,” he said with an equally flat tone.
Good man, that Wen Zhuliu. Dependable. Probably even loyal.
Luckily, A-Chao hadn’t gotten married yet, so there was no awkward official business with widows or offspring to manage, so all he needed to do was to throw his current bedwarmer out of his chambers.
Although it did remind Wen Xu that he should probably get married.
What a bother.
Wen Xu didn’t feel like throwing a funeral for either his father or his brother but he was aware that at some point, he would have to. In the meantime, he sent out missives to other great sects to inform them about Qishan Wen’s tragic double misfortune and that their new, young sect leader would be busy with his sect for at least a year, maybe two.
That would probably be enough time.
”I need a wife,” Wen Xu mused aloud.
In front of him, a look of absolute horror flashed across Wen Qing’s face before she schooled her expression back into a placid mask.
”Oh, not you,” Wen Xu snorted. ”You’re far too valuable to be wasted as my wife.”
Wen Qing blinked, then opened her mouth. She seemed to consider her words carefully before finally asking, ”And what plans does Sect Leader Wen have for me?”
”You’re the most promising doctor in our generation, cousin,” he said, emphasizing the word cousin. ”I’m sorry my father killed your parents because the three of you would’ve been even better than you alone but we can work with what we have.”
”…We can?”
Wen Xu leaned forward, feeling sharply satisfied when Wen Qing held her ground. ”I want you to set up a medical school the Cultivation World has never seen before,” he said. ”I want it to be so prestigious and so good that people will purposefully cause themselves harm just for the chance to be treated there.”
Wen Qing swallowed and asked, ”And if I say no?”
She wouldn’t but Wen Xu appreciated her spine to say that aloud. ”The school wouldn’t be as good as it would be with you leading it,” he said with a shrug. ”Why? Did you think I’d hold your family hostage to ensure your compliance?”
Her expression told him that’s exactly what she thought.
”I’m not my father,” he said flatly.
For a split moment, she just looked at him with narrowed eyes. ”No,” she finally said slowly. ”I suppose you’re not.”
He motioned with his hand and invited her to sit down while he prepared tea. ”What do you need?” he asked.
”Money,” she said.
He refrained from rolling his eyes even though he strongly wanted to. ”Obviously. I meant more about what things you need to be bought with that money.”
She still looked like she was expecting this whole conversation to be a trap which…yes, was understandable, considering where they were. But Wen Xu found himself slightly surprised at how deeply he wanted this to work. He wanted a prestigious medical school in Qishan; he wanted the other sects to grow green with envy, he wanted Wen Qing to be the leading figure of medical cultivation.
”Write me a list,” he said. ”Of people, resources, books, buildings, acupuncture needles, hell, anything you can come up with. Try to imagine the most outrageously splendid medical school you can imagine and then try to make it even grander.”
”Alright,” she said, eyeing him warily as he poured them both tea and downed his cup immediately.
”You can bring your brother in as your assistant if you like,” he added magnanimously.
”My…brother.”
Wen Xu raised a brow. ”Yes, your brother. Isn’t he almost as sharp as you?” When she just stared at him, he shrugged. ”You don’t have to, if you’d rather work on this alone. I don’t really care.” He downed another cup of tea and stood up. ”We’ll talk later, cousin.”
He could feel her stare in the back of his neck as he walked out.
The perk of coming back before Father had managed to corrupt Sect Leader Nie’s saber meant that—hopefully—Nie Mingjue wouldn’t feel as much homicidal rage toward the Wen as he did in Wen Xu’s last life. Obviously, the Nie and the Wen would never be friends but he’d settle for civil relations. Or, who knew—perhaps in the future, Wen Qing’s medical school would figure out a way to help the Nie.
Oh, there’s a thought.
”You said you needed a wife,” Wen Qing said when they met the next time.
”Did you have someone in mind?” Wen Xu asked while eyeing the list of resources for the medical school she’d prepared for him. ”Are you sure this is all? I feel like there could be more.”
”How grand you want the school to be?” she asked.
”The grandest,” he replied. ”Now. The wife?”
She took a breath and shook her head. ”The major four have no daughters except for Jiang Yanli, and she’s been betrothed to Jin Zixuan since he was born. The branch families of the major four are also not promising. The Nie would never, and I can’t see how a Lan would be a good match. The Jin have a plethora of branch family daughters, but,” she raised a brow, ”are you sure you want to tie yourself to Jin Guangshan?”
”Not really, no,” he said dryly.
”The minor sects…well. There are options, although I think we can rule out Meishan Yu,” Wen Qing said.
”Gladly,” Wen Xu muttered. While he wasn’t as fond of his cock as A-Chao had been, he’d still rather keep it.
”Laoling Qin is subsidiary to the Jin but that might be workable. Baling Ouyang has several daughters, as do Yingchuan Wang—”
”Absolutely fucking no,” Wen Xu interrupted, remembering the annoying Wang woman who had thought she was better than A-Chao’s actual wife. Wen Xu would rather marry a Yu than one of those Wangs.
Wen Qing raised a brow but didn’t comment. ”Tingshan He and Wuzhou Li also have daughters of age but the rest I know of are too young to be married.”
”Who would you recommend?” he asked and watched her open her mouth, then close it. ”Whatever it is, just say it, cousin,” he said, slightly irritated.
”That depends on what you need the wife for,” she snapped. ”Yes, yes, you need an heir, but what else? Do you want someone to look pretty during banquets and push out a baby every other year, or do you want a companion to rule the sect with you?”
Wen Xu pursed his lips. Father had ruled with an iron fist, alone, for as long as he could remember. He had vague memories of Mother, a quiet, withdrawn woman who faded away before she was actually dead. And…suddenly he realized he didn’t want that.
Huh.
”I guess a companion would make leading a sect easier,” he mused and…was that a flicker of approval in Wen Qing’s eyes? Interesting. ”In any case, I don’t have to get married now,” he continued. ”I still need to get this sect sorted out, your medical school started, and I guess I need to have a funeral and some kind of an ascension party.”
”I’ll make a list,” Wen Qing said graciously.
In the coming months, Wen Xu realized that he liked his cousin. Wen Qing was sharp, smart, and in her own way a ruthless woman who knew what she wanted and was ready to fight for it. Luckily for her, she didn’t have to—as soon as Wen Xu bullied her to make actual plans for the school (as in, as ambitious as they could come up with), he backed her up and stared the handful of protesting Elders into submission. It was easy because he’d already killed the ones who would really try to protest against his rule. Forethought was a bliss.
The joint funeral for his father and brother was as modest as he could possibly make it without appearing too unfilial. It was glaringly obvious that the sect representatives were bewildered by the changes Wen Xu had already implemented, thinking him either an idiot or heartbroken by his grief. Wen Xu let them think what they wanted and listened to their insincere condolences and well-wishes with a detached air.
”I will, of course, offer my humble guidance to Sect Leader Wen in the coming times,” Jin Guangshan said.
”Thank you,” Wen Xu said and didn’t add, I’d rather stab myself in the eye with my sword. He narrowed his eyes at the way Jin Guangshan’s greedy gaze followed Wen Qing across the room and said in a voice that carried, ”Speaking of guidance, I’d appreciate if all attending sect representatives would inform their disciples that all Wen women carry hidden weapons and have my blessing to use them on anyone who tries to put their hand where it isn’t welcome.”
He took deep satisfaction in watching Jin Guangshan’s chin quiver and his skin take a slightly greenish hue.
”That’s not even true,” Wen Qing pointed out so late the next night it was early.
”Yet,” Wen Xu said absent-mindedly, trying to read through a frankly incomprehensible trade proposition from Sect Leader Yao. ”I’ve already ordered samples from several artisans and will need your input on what to include.”
”What.”
He looked up at that point. ”What? I’m not a woman. I wouldn’t know what kinds of hidden weapons would work best for maids and female disciples.”
”Cousin,” Wen Qing said quietly, ”what are you doing, exactly?”
He put down Yao’s letter of utter garbage and took a deep breath. ”Let’s say…that I had a nightmare. And it made me think.”
Wen Qing’s eyes were unreadable. ”It must have been quite a nightmare,” she said after a moment. ”To prompt such drastic changes.”
”It was decidedly unpleasant: I died. I was very glad to wake up.”
”Huh.”
For a split moment, he toyed with the idea of telling her. Then he thought about the needles she always carried on her person and decided not to tempt her to use them if she suspected him of qi-deviation. She’d treated him once and he wasn’t too eager to repeat the experience.
”Do you want me to tell you what weapons I’d prefer?” she finally asked.
He pursed his lips. ”No. I trust you to make the most efficient choices, cousin.”
If nothing else, it would make life interesting.
After some careful consideration (meaning he had the chance to irritate Jin Guangshan), Wen Xu decided to open marriage negotiations with Laoling Qin. Lady Qin was of marriageable age, she was an only child, and she had been trained in managing a sect. Sure, Laoling Qin was a minor sect but she knew the basics. It probably wouldn’t be too much of a reach to train her to manage a major sect.
Wen Qing approved, and armed with that knowledge, Wen Xu took to his sword and flew to Laoling.
”If you deem me a worthy candidate, it would still mean a long courting period,” Wen Xu said to a pale Sect Leader Qin and Madam Qin, who was looking slightly nauseous. ”I’m still mourning my beloved father and brother, of course.”
”Of course,” Qin Cangye echoed faintly.
”How—” Madam Qin’s voice failed her and she cleared her throat and tried again. ”How long a mourning period are you expecting, Sect Leader Wen?”
He pursed his lips. ”I was thinking about three years.” He leaned slightly forward and Madam Qin flinched. ”Not only do I have to recover from my great loss, but I also have the reforms to consider.”
”Reforms, Sect Leader Wen?” Qin Cangye asked.
Wen Qing and Wen Xu had decided that the Laoling Qin would be the first to know about the medical school plans. It would act as a good test of trust at the same time. It also helped that he had yet to burn down a major sect residence, which made his speech more believable.
”Reforms,” Wen Xu repeated. ”I have long felt that Qishan Wen has strayed too far from our founder’s ideals but, naturally, I couldn’t do anything while my father was alive. Obviously, I’m in no way glad he’s dead but it got me thinking that if there ever was a good time to make a change, this would be it.” He took a deep breath as if bracing himself. ”Now. This is still not widely known outside Qishan, so I would ask your discretion on the matter.”
Qin Cangye and his wife shared a look. ”Of course! Whatever you need, Sect Leader Wen!” Qin Cangye rushed to say.
”Thank you,” Wen Xu said with a small smile. ”Apart from the structural and leadership reforms, my dear cousin Wen Qing, her little brother Qionglin, and I have been thinking about a way to expand and refine the medical knowledge accumulated in the Wen sect and especially in the Dafan Wen branch.” Neither Qin Cangye nor his wife looked properly impressed. ”We’re planning on opening a new medical school.”
”That sounds—” Madam Qin hesitated for a moment, ”auspicious, Sect Leader Wen.”
”Indeed, indeed,” said Qin Cangye.
They clearly had no fucking clue what Wen Xu was talking about. Oh, no matter. ”My cousin’s and mine greatest wish is that the Wen Medical School will grow to be known as the most prestigious medical school between the sea and the great mountains in the West. Our dream is to conduct yearly lessons to a selected group of promising young cultivators so that the knowledge will spread throughout the cultivation world.”
That got a reaction.
”Oh,” Madam Qin breathed. ”Actually, A-Su has been eager to learn the healing arts, hasn’t she, Cangye?”
Qin Cangye blinked. ”Ah. Yes? Yes, yes, she has.” He nodded for a good measure.
Madam Qin visibly perked up. ”Would you like to meet her, Sect Leader Wen? We weren’t sure of the purpose of your visit and didn’t know to—”
Wen Xu raised a hand. ”Please, no need to fret. The fault is completely my own; I know I sprung this on you very suddenly.”
In truth, Qin Su’s parents had probably chosen to keep her away from sight in case Wen Xu was more like Sect Leader Jin. A wise move, considering Jin Guangshan’s everything.
Qin Cangye called for more tea and refreshments while his wife hurried to fetch their daughter. As they waited, Wen Xu engaged in harmless, inane small talk with Qin Cangye, covering topics like the weather, the latest plays Wen Xu hadn’t heard of, the weather, the upcoming cultivation conference in Gusu, the weather, the usual yao and gui in Laoling and the surrounding areas, and the weather. When the doors finally opened to admit Madam Qin and her daughter, Wen Xu was full of tea, snacks, and the weather.
”Sect Leader Wen,” Madam Qin said in a formal voice. ”May I introduce our daughter, Qin Su. A-Su, this is Sect Leader Wen.”
Qin Su bent into a graceful bow. ”Greetings to Sect Leader Wen,” she said in a soft voice and straightened and—
Hm. She was quite pretty.
Wen Xu scrambled up and offered his own bow, perhaps slightly deeper than needed, considering their respective statuses. ”It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Qin. I have heard good things about you; you make your parents proud.”
Qin Su blushed and that made her even prettier.
Well. That would make this whole getting married more pleasant, wouldn’t it?
”—and she’s read Wan Wenqian’s Thoughts on Medical Cultivation and offered some insights you might find interesting, cousin,” Wen Xu said.
Silence.
He looked up and met Wen Qing’s raised brows.
”What?” he asked, feeling slightly defensive.
”You sound smitten,” Wen Qing said. ”Which is a good thing.”
”Qin Su is a young woman with adequate base knowledge of several things that will benefit the reformed Wen Sect and me, personally,” he said and turned his gaze back to the latest report Wen Ping had delivered on his desk.
”And she’s pretty,” Wen Qing said.
Wen Xu didn’t deign that with an answer.
”So…does that mean you’re not interested in my ideas for courting gifts?”
When Wen Xu didn’t answer, she snorted and turned to leave the room. At the door, she glanced back and said, ”I’ll make a list.”
Being a sect leader tended to leave him with tension migraine more often than not, and the mounting annoyance and frustration added to his foul mood. After watching him for some while, Wen Qing told him to get out and beat things with his sword. It was good advice. Even better, when Wen Zhuliu joined him as a sparring partner.
Ever since Wen Xu had pushed A-Chao down the stairs, Wen Zhuliu had been observing him silently from the sidelines. Wen Xu wasn’t sure what to do with him other than keep him around (he was far too dangerous to let loose, after all). He had no interest in using him as Father had used, but so far, he hadn’t found him a satisfying job. The status of head disciple would’ve been obvious if everyone in the Wen sect weren’t deathly afraid of him, and while some fear for the head disciple was good, it would be detrimental if the disciples couldn’t actually function around him. And besides, no one except for Wen Xu dared to spar with him, so.
”What would you like to do?” he asked when he’d (again) hacked out his frustrations and was leaning against the wall, winded, sweaty, and in a better mood than in weeks. ”It’s not that I don’t enjoy having you around but isn’t it a bit boring?”
Wen Zhuliu looked at him with his unreadable face, then dropped his eyes to his feet. ”I do whatever Sect Leader wishes.”
”Not what I asked,” Wen Xu said, sharper. ”What do you want?” He waited for a moment and added, ”Do you want to help Wen Qing with the school? Or do you want to be, I don’t know, a fucking librarian?”
Wen Zhuliu frowned. ”I don’t know,” he said slowly after a long silence. ”May I think about it?”
”Sure,” Wen Xu shrugged. ”While you’re at it, how about another round?”
Time passed in a blur, filled with paperwork, scouting the Wen territory to update their maps, and building the new hospital. Yes, it was a hospital now: Wen Qing’s plans had sort of overflowed and they were now facing the construction of a massive medical complex with a hospital wing, medical school wing, and dormitories. Wen Xu wasn’t sure what else was included, but as he was satisfied his cousin had finally let go of her doubts and embraced the typical Wen megalomania with enthusiasm, he wasn’t going to stand in her way.
As soon as the marriage negotiations were finalised, Wen Xu handed over the wedding preparations to Wen Ping. He’d almost gotten over his nervousness around Wen Xu, and he was planning on making the man his seneschal after the wedding and was almost sure Wen Ping would appreciate the position. Meanwhile, Wen Xu dedicated what little time he had from his paperwork to scouting the mountain where the Xuanwu slept, and adding several more binding layers on the Dancing Peri statue. Wen Zhuliu accompanied him on these excursions as a silent, stoic shadow, keeping his thoughts on what he wanted to do with his life to himself.
The cultivation conference in Gusu was mind-bogglingly boring. Admittedly, cultivation conferences were rarely highly entertaining unless there was some scandals involved, but there was no wine, the food tasted like wet socks, and the so-called entertainment was so tedious that Wen Xu wanted to cry. He might not yet have experience in holding a conference but he was sure he’d do better than this. At least watching young Lan Wangji directing a seething glare at young Nie Huaisang every time he made the Wei Wuxian laugh was entertaining. He remembered Father mentioning something about Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, especially after the crash-and-burn indoctrination and the fiasco with the Xuanwu of Slaughter—
Hm.
Would it be too dangerous to arrange a crowd hunt to kill the murder turtle?
”Sect Leader Wen,” Qin Cangye greeted, jolting him from his thoughts. Qin Cangye was visibly vibrating with nerves at both addressing him in public and being able to address him in public. Next to him, Madam Qin and Qin Su offered their greetings with small smiles.
”Ah! Sect Leader Qin, Madam Qin!” Wen Xu greeted and then offered Qin Su a respectful bow. ”And Lady Qin. I’m so glad to meet you again. My cousin sends her greetings. She couldn’t attend this time but she wanted me to tell you she enjoyed your latest letter quite a bit. You can expect a lengthy reply in the near future.”
Qin Su ducked her head. ”Qing-jie’s letters are always a delight,” she said.
Wen Xu could feel the room’s interest and curiosity in them. ”If your parents allow, would you walk with me? We have a break before the next part of the discussion, and the weather is very nice.”
He offered his arm and Qin Su took it with a demure smile. Madam Qin trailed after them without a word, and as they left the hall, he heard Qin Cangye say in a nonchalant voice, ”Oh, you didn’t know? Yes, Sect Leader Wen has been courting my daughter for a while now,” and the hall erupted in furious whispering.
Qin Su glanced at him. ”Do you mind that my father announced it like that?”
Wen Xu shrugged. ”It doesn’t make a difference to me. I’m courting you, not the cultivation world. If your father wanted a grand announcement, we would’ve made it. He’s enjoying himself.” Gloating, more like, but Wen Xu saw no reason to tell Qin Su that.
The grounds of the Cloud Recesses were serene and beautiful and carefully manicured. He spotted a bench overlooking a brook and led Qin Su to sit, and then graciously helped Madam Qin to sit as well. He would’ve preferred to sit next to Qin Su but stayed standing due to the lack of a second bench, counting on Madam Qin putting on a good word for him.
They chatted about insignificant things for a moment, and then Qin Su asked, ”All these reforms you’re making…what is your vision, Sect Leader Wen? What are you building?”
A good question. ”My cousin once said that while our motif is the Sun, too much sun scorches and kills,” Wen Xu muses. ”We don’t want—or need—more power; the Wen Sect is already the strongest and biggest sect of the grand five. I want Qishan Wen to be known for other things than just brute strength.”
”Qing-jie is a wise woman,” Qin Su said.
”Wise and smart and driven,” Wen Xu agreed. ”Several people have wondered why I didn’t marry her, but…” he shook his head. ”Wen Qing is meant for bigger things than being Madam Wen.” He looked at Madam Qin and bowed slightly. ”Obviously, this doesn’t mean that my request to court Lady Qin was an afterthought. The position of Madam Wen is an important one; as you are aware, the madam of a sect is tied to the sect leader, and her obligations are pre-set. And, of course, there’s the need for heirs. My cousin’s drive for medicine could not flourish if she were my wife, and I wouldn’t do that to her. She was never even an option.”
Madam Qin tilted her head. ”You appreciate your cousin. I’m glad to hear that.”
Wen Xu snorted. ”She’s like a sister to me. An annoying, nagging big sister I didn’t know I even wanted but that I now have.”
”Indeed,” Madam Qin said. Then she cleared her throat, stood up, and smoothed down her robes. ”I see a beautiful foliage arrangement over there. I think I’ll take a closer look for a moment.”
Qin Su ducked her head and mock-whispered, ”Mother is not subtle.”
When Xu remembered very little of his own mother and in the past timeline, he’d had little to no interactions like these, and now found himself surprisingly delighted. ”She doesn’t have to be,” he said. ”She’s your mother.”
Qin Su smiled and gently tapped at the bench beside her and he sat, far enough to keep her mother happy.
”What about you, Lady Qin?” he asked Qin Su. ”What do you want?”
”I…I want to be useful,” she said softly. ”I want to have a purpose and a place in the world.”
Wen Xu turned to look at her profile. She was gazing straight a head, a slight frown on her face and a contemplating look in her eyes, and it occurred to him that he was looking forward to this union. Before he’d died and traveled back in time, he’d had a wife he’d barely seen, let alone gotten to know, as most of his time was spent on Father’s increasingly power-hungry errands. Now, he had the chance to marry a woman who seemed genuinely interested in what he was trying to build, a woman whose company he found pleasing.
”If you want,” he said, ”you can find that purpose and place by my side.” Feeling ridiculously brave (he had no idea why—he was of Qishan Wen, he didn’t need to feel ’brave’), he placed his hand palm up on the bench between them, and waited for her to look at him.
A blink of an eye later, she did, then she looked at his hand, and back at him. ”I’d like that,” she said and took his hand.
They sat there quietly, hand in hand, until Madam Qin had inspected the bush to her liking and turned around to give their joined hands an unimpressed look.
Before Wen Xu returned home, he requested an audience with Lan Qiren. The man was visibly uncomfortable but thawed when Wen Xu asked his advice in establishing a recurring lecture.
”You need to have a syllabus, of course,” Lan Qiren said, stroking his beard. ”And experienced teachers who know what they’re doing.”
”Of course, of course,” Wen Xu agreed and in his mind, cursed Father for murdering most of Wen Qing’s family. ”If it’s not too much to ask, we would appreciate the help. My cousin has the passion and I have the influence, but neither of us is experienced in this.”
Lan Qiren let out a considering hum, barely managing to cover up his glee at witnessing Qishan Wen asking for help. ”If you’d like, I can ask our head healer to review your syllabus,” he said and added, ”I can review it as well. While I don’t have medical expertise, I have been in charge of the Gusu lectures for well over a decade already.”
”I would be honored, Teacher Lan.”
Lan Qiren’s face twitched as he fought to keep his face from splitting into a smug smile. ”And have you thought what you want to accomplish with the lecture?”
Wen Xu paused. ”Accomplish?”
”Mn,” Lan Qiren said. He snapped his sleeves back and straightened his back, clearly settling into a familiar lecturer’s pose. ”While I’m sure many young cultivators would be eager to spend any time in the Nightless City, you should have a clear goal in mind. What is the reason you want to hold the lecture? What do you want the juniors to learn? What do you want them to take with them and share with their own sects?
”I am in no means oblivious to how dull many visiting disciples find our lecture,” he added dryly, ”but entertainment has never been the goal. Learning discipline, enduring boringly-seeming lessons, practicing calligraphy, even eating our food—it all meant to prepare the heirs and first disciples for their roles.”
Wen Xu, who had never attended the Lan lectures himself because Father had considered them stuffy, pompous, and ascetic, let out a non-committal sound.
”Sect heirs are required to sit in conferences and meetings that are often needlessly long, and when they ascend to sect leaders, they are required to run such meetings at times. First disciples are in charge of night hunts and those require information gathering, conversing with locals, having tea with town officials, and so on, as you are well aware. Our lecture is meant to give the juniors a solid ground on where to stand when they meet later in life.”
Huh. That was actually pretty clever.
Lan Qiren looked him straight in the eyes. ”So, I ask again: what do you want to accomplish with this lecture, Sect Leader Wen?”
”General medical lectures could work,” he said slowly.
”Yes,” Lan Qiren agreed.
Thing was… Wen Xu didn’t want a lecture that could just ”work.” He wanted something that would make the Wen lectures exceptional and unique, something the other sects couldn’t offer. Something like…
”Before my father’s untimely death, he was doing research on resentful energy,” he said carefully. ”In your experience, Teacher Lan, would you think that could be the focus of the lecture?”
”I what way?” Lan Qiren asked, narrowing his eyes.
”All cultivators are taught the basics of how to treat resentful energy poisoning,” Wen Xu said. ”The Lan, of course, are perhaps the most advanced in dealing with resentful energy, considering your musical cultivation. But there are nuances and ways to prepare before entering resentful energy-infested areas, and there are medical ways to treat the poisoning.” He was actually warming up to the idea. ”My cousin, Wen Qing, is the current expert on the matter, so I’ll defer to her. But what do you think, Teacher Lan?”
Lan Qiren hummed and stroked his beard. ”It’s a worthy thought, but it poses many risks,” he said after a long moment. ”Not everyone has the constitution to learn about these things.”
”True,” Wen Xu said. ”Perhaps we could teach the basics to everyone and offer an advanced class for those who show the right mindset?”
”And who would decide that right mindset?” Lan Qiren asked with a raised brow.
”My cousin,” Wen Xu said promptly. ”She has no qualms telling people they’re idiots and not worth her time.”
”Hm,” Lan Qiren said. ”Talk this through with her and then write out your syllabus suggestions for the basic class and the advanced class both, and I’ll take a look,” he said—and then seemed to realize who he was ordering around and added a slightly awkward, ”Sect Leader.”
Wen Xu waved his hand. ”I’ll refer to your expertise and experience, Teacher Lan,” he said. ”I’ll get back to you after I’ve talked with my cousin.” More like ’getting yelled at’ because Wen Qing got annoyed at him whenever he promised things without asking her first.
Wait.
”Would it be alright if my cousin sent her letter straight to you? She’s the one in charge of this.”
Lan Qiren actually pinked slightly. ”I would be honored to correspond with Doctor Wen,” he said.
”Excellent!” Wen Xu exclaimed and bowed deeper than necessary.
He left the Cloud Recesses feeling quite accomplished indeed.
After the promised three years of courting, Wen Xu was married with pomp and splendour that made the other sect leaders sour with envy. He spent their first night and day making his new wife tremble and sigh and cry out, and realized he enjoyed her pleasure almost as much as his own.
”Give this to Su-mei,” Wen Qing said on the second morning when Wen Xu emerged from his (their) bedroom to relieve himself and to get something to eat. Wen Qing was standing right in front of the door, looking highly unimpressed, and holding a small clay jar.
”What’s this?” he asked.
”For the chafing,” she said, nonplussed. ”She’s probably already out of the jar I gave her earlier.” She eyed the nail scrapes on his chest and raised a brow.
He grabbed the front of his robes to cover his chest and then decided not to. When Qing was a doctor, after all, he was sure she wouldn’t be phased by his chest, scratches or not.
”Anything else?” he asked.
Her lips twitched slightly. ”Brew this and add a bit of honey to taste,” she said, taking a pouch from her sleeve. ”It’s a fortifying tea blend that promotes fertility.”
”Thank you,” he said and pretended his cheeks didn’t heat up. ”Anything else?”
”No, I think that was it,” she said.
Qin Su stirred when he returned a short moment later with a tray heaped with food and blinked adorably at him.
”Was that Qing-jie’s voice I heard earlier?” she asked, scrunching her nose. He found it charming.
”Yes. She had some salve and tea for you.”
”Sal—ah. I see.” A light blush rose to her cheeks as she turned and shyly opened her legs. ”Would you apply it?” she asked and added a slightly breathless, ”Husband?”
”With pleasure,” Wen Xu said, want stirring in him again.
The food was forgotten for a good while as they were busy with other things.
When A-Su told him she was pregnant, the protective urge that rose in him took him by surprise. He listened intently to everything Wen Qing said, made sure to renovate the nursery to all A-Su’s wishes, and started an intense vetting process for people who would be allowed near his family.
”Have you figured out what you want to do with your life yet?” he one day asked Wen Zhuliu.
”Do you need me for something, Sect Leader?”
That wasn’t what he asked but… ”I have a job for you, Zhuliu,” he said. ”It is of the highest importance and would require all your attention.”
”Of course, Sect Leader,” Wen Zhuliu said and inclined his head. ”My life is yours.”
He waved his hand. ”I’m not interested in your life but your skills and loyalty. I want you to guard my wife and keep her safe and, when our child is born, keep them safe as well.”
”Husband!” A-Su exclaimed sharply from her seat. ”I don’t need a minder!”
”It’s not—” he started and then went on his knees in front of her and took her hands in his. ”Despite the reforms I’ve made, the Wen still have a lot of enemies. I still have a lot of enemies. It would ease my mind to know you and our children will be safe.”
She gave him a long, searching look before nodding slowly. ”Fine. For you.”
”Thank you,” he said and pressed a kiss on her knuckles before turning to Wen Zhuliu again. He had turned slightly sideways to give them a modicum of privacy.
”Zhuliu,” he said. ”From now on, Madam Wen and her children are your priority. You take orders from her and only her, and if she is compromised, you refer to Wen Qing. You guard her and her children—with your life, if needed, but I’d prefer you stayed alive as well.”
”And you?” Wen Zhuliu asked placidly.
”Madam Wen and her children come first,” he repeated. ”You keep them safe—even from me, if you have to.”
”Yes, Sect Leader!” Wen Zhuliu said and gave him a deep bow.
On the day the Wen had attacked the Unclean Realm, A-Su gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Wen Xu cried when he held his son the first time, and then got emotionally drunk and tried to compose poetry in honor of his wife and son.
Wen Zhuliu, obeying his mistress, carried him to the cot in his office, tucked him in, and set a bucket next to the cot for the morning.
The next day, Wen Xu had a raging hangover and regretted nothing.
On the day the Cloud Recesses had burned, he sent out lavish invites to his son’s 100th day celebration.
On the day the sect heirs had been thrown to the mercy of the Xuanwu of Slaughter, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji claimed the highest prize of the Great Qishan Crowd Hunt. This happened after the pair had been found in a compromised state where the illustrious Second Jade had trapped the Jiang First Disciple against a tree and was busy kissing him senseless.
The pair got engaged right there and then, to the great amusement of everyone present. (The ones not present, namely Lan Qiren and Madam Yu, were less impressed.)
Wen Xu was totally (mostly) alright with them stealing the attention from A-Rong.
On the day the allied sects had declared war and started the Sunshot Campaign, Wen Xu and Wen Qing welcomed the first disciples to the Wen Medical Lecture. He wasn’t surprised by the number of eager participants (or the presence of one Wei Wuxian), but he was surprised that Nie Huaisang was in attendance. His companion, Meng Yao, made a shiver go down Wen Xu’s spine, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on why.
Hm.
Perhaps he should mention it to Wen Qing.
On the day that Wen Xu had died, he decided to take a day off and persuaded A-Su and A-Rong to stay in as well. A-Su, exhausted and nauseous due to her pregnancy, was quick to agree.
Instead of taking care of paperwork, Wen Xu lay on his side and tickled his son under his chin until he laughed so hard he puked. (He sighed and cleaned up the mess, and then settled back with A-Rong on his chest, humming a raunchy song he’d heard in an inn years ago.)
Instead of meeting with Wen Ping and Wen Angzhen, he stretched and picked up a silly romance book A-Su had been reading the previous week. (He was reading it for the plot, obviously. If he managed to find the sections that had made A-Su flush bright red, well, that was just a bonus.)
Instead of observing the sword drills, he trailed his fingers lightly along A-Su’s swelling stomach and pressed his head on her chest to listen to the steady beating of her heart as she slept. (He hoped it would be a girl this time. The thought of a daughter felt very pleasing to him.)
Instead of having dinner in the hall with his disciples, he patiently fed his son and explained the contents of each spoonful, making up dishes like ’essence of the cloud above the volcano’ and ’the hot breath of a traveling dragon.’ (He obediently opened his mouth as A-Rong wanted to feed him for a change and suppressed a grimace at the slimy, half-chewed dumpling he was offered.)
Instead of retiring to his rooms in the evening, he didn’t leave the whole day.
”Are you alright, husband?” A-Su asked when they settled down for the night. ”You’ve been…strange today.”
He reached to grip her hand. ”Ah. Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you,” he said, slightly sheepish. ”I just felt like I wanted to be here with you the whole day.”
”Hm,” she said, giving him a doubtful look. ”Don’t think you can get away with this tomorrow, A-Xu. You have a sect to lead.”
”Of course,” he said and pressed a kiss on her fingers. ”This one thanks his wife for the reminder.”
She huffed as he wrapped his arms around her and twined their fingers together to rest on her belly.
As the day when Wen Xu had died and traveled back in time turned into a night, he pressed his nose into the nape of her neck and breathed in her scent. There was still a lot to be done; he needed to get rid of Jin Guangshan, poach Wei Wuxian into the Wen, and persuade the Nie to let Wen Qing take a look at their sabers. But that was a thing for later.
Tomorrow would be, quite literally, a brand new day.