The Black King

Wei Lao

"So, now that you had seen them with your own eyes, the way they act and work as one, can you tell me they are not fit to go to the Burial Mounds?" Lord Zheng asked Wei Lao.

"They are far better than us, I admit. The test had indeed prove that they care for each other, mostly like they are bonded and not only them, the spirits are also the same. Even Suibian seemed to be less afraid of Zilin when defending their group. Nevertheless, they need to grow more before they can even try the skirt of the Burial Mounds. Also, Wuxian needs to master Chenqing in full, otherwise not matter how talented or bonded this young group is, it will not save them and I don't plan to send my sons to their death." Lord Wei said and Lord Zheng arched an eyebrow.

"Sons? I guess you had fully accepted Lan Wangji as your son-in-law, right?" Lord Zheng asked.

"If he is set on him, what else can I do? Besides, the Lan kid is not bad and in fact it will do my son quite good. He is serious and proper, prone to rules and powerful. I have no doubt he will keep Wuxian in balance and protect him if the need arises. I can't ask for a better son-in-law and Sanren like him a lot, not to mention that she likes the idea of stealing a Lan heir from Qiren." Lao laughed.

"Ah yes... Qiren had such a grudge on Sanren for cutting his beard, even if he denies it. He will had a heart attack when he finds out Wangji had fell in love with her son. I can even guess the kids had already married in the Lan way." At that Lao coughed.

"Wait, what? How could they had marry if they are both men? What kind of rule allow that in the Lan Clan? Is it a new one I don't know off?" Lao asked and Zheng laughed.

"It's not an official union, but Wangji gave his ribbon to your son and in the Lan tradition, that's more or less a way to declare his devotion and seriousness of his intention with your son. It's also an unofficial way to said others you had chosen your partner for good and claim him." Lord Zheng explained.

"By the gods, they had just met recently." Wei sighed.

"Nevertheless, it was meant to be. The seer did told Wangji he was going to find his soulmate in this gathering and it was an instant hit for him. They are young Lao and it the time when they are more interested in love. It was the same for you with Sanren back then, although she didn't accept you right away like Wuxian did with Wangji, but circumstances were different back then and these are more troublesome times." Zheng said.

"Ah yes, more troublesome times indeed. I will make sure they are fully prepare to go inside the Burial Mounds, but so you know, I will not sent them there until I'm sure they will be able to come back to us." Lord Wei warned him.

"But of course, it's not like Yang or myself want them killed. They are the future to the Clans, after all." Lord Zheng said and Lao assented.

"True. Still, I will keep an eye in things in the south with Meng Yao and his group. I had a feeling they are going to interfere with the mission of the Burial Mounds and that can be a huge blow for us all." Lord Wei said.

"Sure. We also should make plans of our own, just in case we underestimate that clever fellow. Now, I'm off to teach your son how to master Yin's flute." Lord Zheng told him.

"Teach him well and make sure he meditates after. You know his full story now." Lao said.

"About that, I'm sure Wangji will take care of your son, as he had done so, ever since they met, worry not." Lord Zheng said and after that, he simply disappeared.

Lan Wangji

"Father Zhan, will I be able to play it soon?" Ah Yuan asked to Wangji, after explaining the kid a few things about his zither. Of course, his was too big for little Yuan, but he want him to familiarize with it and the sound of each chord.

"Yes, if you put all your effort on learning." Wangji told him.

"I want to learn and play it as good as you." Yuan told him as he carefully touch a chord of the white zither, then try another, while listening the sound and their difference.

"Then I can be a Lan, right?" The kid asked and Wangji smiled.

"Yes." He affirmed and Wei pouted.

"Ah Yuan, then you don't like your father Xian anymore?" Wei Ying asked and the little son look at him with an expression close to horror.

"I love father Xian too!" The little kid yelled, leaving Wangji's lap to go hug his father Xian and give him a kiss in his cheek. Wangji smirked to his mischievous lover, as Yanli laughed a little.

"A'Xian, don't confuse him like that." She complained.

"But he doesn't pay attention to me anymore. I know father Zhan is awesome and more so in black, but I'm here too." Wen Ning laughed.

"He is always like that." Ning told the others.

"He is an attention seeker." Wen Qing said.

"More like a jealous idiot. I bet the attention he wants is that of his Lan Zhan." Jiang Cheng said and Wei Ying laughed.

"So shameful." Zixuan murmur.

"That I am, but don't my Lan Zhan looks better in black? He is like a black king." Wei Ying asked and Mianmian actually blushed, because he really looked good in black and with his hair lose over his forehead, half covering his ribbon, he looked quite different and even more handsome. Wangji blushed.

"Yeah, yeah, he is a Jade for a reason, don't need to boost his rank even higher." Cheng said.

"But he shines less in black. I like the white king more." Little Yuan said as he looked at his other father.

"Ah, Lan Zhan, my Yuan is already a Lan and he is not even officially adopted yet." Wei Ying nagged and the others laughed.

"Well, you did called Wangji, Hanguang-Jun, right? Then, don't blame the kid now for liking him in white." Cheng intervened.

"Hum, guys, I think Lan Wangji is too embarrass right now, please have mercy on him." Xiao Xingchen said as he looked at the red faced Wangji and Wei laughed.

"He enjoy that even more. Please ignore him." Wen Qing said, as Lord Zheng came inside their pavilion.

"I see you are in good spirits after been defeated almost by a single man." Lord Zheng said, referring to Zilin.

"That spirit is no man, Zilin is nothing less than a demon. So merciless..." Jiang Cheng said and there were a few who agree and Lord Zheng laughed.

"Ah yes, he is in another level than most. He had live for so long after all. Nevertheless, please don't take it to heart, because he will be joining you to your quest inside the Burial Mounds. Lord Wei had decided that Zilin's power will be of most use to you in such a dangerous place than in here." Lord Zhen told them.

"Wait, won't that leave Lord Wei without a sword? What if something happen while we are in there?" Song Lan asked worriedly.

"Lord Wei doesn't had only one weapon, so worry not. Wei Wuxian, you come with me for a special training with Chenqing, the rest relax a bit and wander around if you like. Wen Qing can give you a tour into the Bamboo Forest." Lord Zheng said and Wangji stood.

"Lord Zheng, can I go too?" He asked, as he worry for his lover.

"Not this time Wangji, but once I'm done with him, he is all yours. Make sure he meditates and balance himself again." Lord Zheng said as he gave him a deeper look that Wangji understood well. Wei Ying was going to use dark energy and this time it was for real.

"Take care of Ah Yuan, I will be back before nightfall." Wei told Wangji as he ruffle the kid's hair.

"I will." Wangji responded and Lord Zheng put a hand over Wei's shoulder, then used a talisman to teleport toward a more dangerous part of the east. A place with a strong dark energy in where Wuxian could manipulate the energy for good.

"Father Zhan, will father Xian be alright?" Little Yuan asked, as he saw him got even more serious.

"Mn." Wangji responded, taking him on his arms.

"If you are the white king he is the black king and he is very strong. He save me from the monsters..." Ah Yuan confessed and Wangji half smiled to his kid, which make little Yuan giggle.

"Can you play for me?" Ah Yuan asked and Wangji assented, sitting once again and play for his kid and companions, as he try not to worry for his lover internal energies.

Wei Ying

He knew the place in where Lord Zheng had bring him. It was one that was forbidden inside the barrier, because there was a stronger concentration of dark energy in that part. It was not close to the Burial Mounds in which Yin was, but perhaps, she stay in that land for a while before she moved to the Burial Mounds for good.

There was so little they knew about the time she went away and the things she did in her madness, but that place was not good for him, under normal circumstances. He once try it, two years ago, but could not resist for long before his head was in a mess of images he couldn't remember later on.

"Handle it for a while. It will better if you get used to it, so you will not be overwhelmed when the time comes. Chenqing, help him with this mess up place." Lord Zheng order, feeling the effects of the dark energy on himself, even when he was a spirit and when the energy there was not near as strong as inside the Burial Mounds.

The flute manifested directly into Wei's hand and Xuanyu ready himself, in case things got out of control. Then Lord Wei ask him to play the second tune that controlled the dark energy. If he got it right, that could save their lives ten thousand times over, but even if he had an affinity with it since birth, that didn't meant, controlling it was easy or safe.

Wei Ying played just for less than a minute and dark energy begin to gather on his feet, but then his nose begin to bleed and his hand tremble, stopping the tune in the act.

"Close yourself to the tune Wuxian, don't let the energy in, and just order it around." Lord Zheng advice as he got a special talisman out, just in case he need it to use it.

Wei Ying clean his nose with his sleeve and sighed, trying to relax, but that place was oppression to his senses and hard to be there, even more than the Stone Garden, despite not having any kind of pressure. Still, Xuanyu decided to give him a helping hand, using his own dark core to create a kind of repelling energy over Wei Ying's body.

"Try it now, Wei Ying." Xuanyu told him seriously as he concentrate in protecting his host.

"Alright... let's give it another shot." Wei agree and begin playing again. This time it was easier to play it, but as the energy he was trying to control was too wild, at the end he failed. That energy wanted to control, not to be controlled, so it resisted the command several times.

He needed to take breaks between tries and thus the day begin to pass without them realizing. Several hours later, Wei Ying was exhausted, but just when he thought he will fail again, he find out the resistance was beginning to be less intense, then an idea pass through his mind.

"Xuanyu, can you cloak my core with your energy?" Wei asked internally and Xuanyu frowned.

"I'm able to release some of my energy into you, mostly because my seal aloud it in small amounts, but your core is different, it already had a protection of its own." Xuanyu told him.

"I know, we all have it in the east, but can you surround the seal in my core? Obviously Yin's core is black, not golden, nor created by white energy, which is why this energy resist me." Wei explained.

"Well, we can give it a try. Brace yourself Wei Ying, it may hurt a bit." He said and Wei mentally prepared for the worst. He felt as Xuanyu's familiar energy exit the seal, in just a tiny amount and travel over his veins turning them black as it go out to his core. Then, like a hand, it gently enclose the bright seal of the golden core.

However, in the process, Wei Ying felt as a part of Xuanyu's consciousness also joined his and when he open his eyes, Lord Zheng was stoned to find that they had change color, not fully red, neither fully brown, but something in between, a deep mahogany. Still, Wei Ying was in full control of both his body and mind and feeling a bit more in tune with the dark energy surrendering him, he put Chenqing over his lips and play the tune once more.

This time, the dark energy begin to respond, moving around him as he wanted, but not trying to get inside of him. He played the tune for ten minutes, finally conquering it, but then he find out that his core rejected Xuanyu's energy and dispel it, making him puke some blood as the dark energy retrieved back inside Xuanyu's core.

"Hey kid, are you alight?" Lord Zheng asked as he came closer, but Wei simply assented. His eyes had turned back to the usual dark brown, but his body felt weaker by the second.

"It seems to have a limited time. No more than ten minutes with the seal in my golden core." Wei said as Chenqing go out of the flute and held Wei Ying.

"Ah, but even if it was for just ten minutes, you succeeded at something only Yin can do. Boy, you are indeed quite something. Next, let's see just how much can you do in those ten minutes, but that will be for another occasion. Bring him back to Wangji, Chenqing and tell him that Wuxian needs to rest the whole night, as well as to meditate for a few hours." Lord Zheng instructed him.

"Got it." Chenqing said as he used his own dark energy and teleported back to the Bamboo pavilion, in which Wangji was eagerly waiting for him.

As soon as Wangji saw him, he was instantly taking him from Chenqing and holding him in his place, telling the dark spirit he will take care of him from then on. Chenqing bowed to him and went away, mostly to stay on guard for that night, just in case something happen, but Wei Ying was already used to Xuanyu's energy and the one they used was small, not enough to make Wuxian lose control.

The room was empty at that hour, close to nightfall and Wei notice that Lan Zhan's usual expressionless face, now showed a hint of worry, but Wei simply smiled at him, slightly touching his face, then giving him a feathery kiss.

"I'm fine Lan Zhan, just tired." But Wangji gave him a closer look, finding traces of blood on his clothes and on the corner of his mouth.

"You bleed." It was not a question, but a statement and Wei simply rubbed his nose.

"Just a bit... Ah, Lan Zhan, seriously..." Wei pouted, but his Lan Zhan ignore him and sense his pulse.

"You are off balance. Come." Wangi said as he help him walk toward a room he had already choose for them to spend that night, as it was quite late. Yanli had taken Ah Yuan with her and the others were already on theirs.

As soon as he open the door of their room, a fabulous smell assaulted his nose, making Wei Ying conscious that he was in fact starving. Wei's mouth was watering just by the smell alone. He let go of his black Hanguang-Jun and sat by the table that had a plate of food, still warm on it, as well as that spicy tea Lan Zhan made for him last time.

"Mmm, this smell good. Who make it? The Clan members in here don't have much cooking skills." Wei said as he took off the protection and really smell the content of the plate.

"I did." Wangji told him and Wei Ying was quite surprised.

"Really? I thought you only eat healthy stuff and definitely no meat." Wei said just before he dig in to taste it and be pleasantly surprised yet again as it was very good.

"My Lan Zhan this is heavenly, marry me right now." Wei teased and Wangji smirked.

"Since you had the energy, then meditate after this." Wei Ying smile dropped.

"I'm fine." He protested.

"Even so, you will." Even if I had to force you, his gaze said, even if Wangji didn't voice it and Wei Ying sighed.

"Alright..." He gave in and enjoyed his lover first meal for him. After he finish the tea and food, he make Wei Ying meditate over their bed and as he concentrate of regaining his balance, he order warm water for Wei to take a bath, even if eventually it will get cold.

A few hours later, Wei Ying open his eyes, exhausted and saw the big wooden tube waiting for him. He was going to suggest for Wangji to join him, but he was quite tired. However, his lover seems to have a duty and help him bathe, then to get dressed in new black robes.

"Lan Zhan..." Wei said as he passed his arms over his shoulders and kiss him, but after a few minutes, Wangji guide him back to the bed and make him lay down.

"Now, rest." Wangji told him as he hug him, after covering both of them with the sheet.

"I became a black king today." Wei told him.

"Can you handle it now?" Wangji asked curiously.

"For ten minutes. It's not as easy as it seems." Wei said.

"Mn. Be careful." Wangji advise him, as he held him closer. The young man was too precious for him now to lose him to the dark energy.

"Yeah, love you, my Lan Zhan." Wei whisper, a bit sleepy.

"Love you more, my Wei Ying." Wangji responded and concentrate in Wei Ying's heartbeats until he fall asleep.

AN: Thank you my darlings. Now, Wei Ying is more like the Patriarch, although he will not embrace resentful energy in here like he did out of necessity in both the drama and the novel. Hope you like it. Until next time, please take care. 😙💖❤😄