"Father?"

"Sizhui?"

"What are we headed for today?"

"We don't know. I'm expecting the beast to come to us this time," Lan Wangji answered, walking on between his two Lan sons.

"Father, is this about that Qiong Qi thingie?"

"Yes, Jingyi. Last night, no green-eyed beast. If we do get it tonight..."

"Ey, then wouldn't that mean it's... got a grudge with Daddy?"

"No, Jingyi, grudge doesn't sound right," Sizhui shook his head. "Maybe it's... afraid of Daddy? But Daddy doesn't know this Qiong Qi..."

"Not the Qiong Qi. Those behind it," Lan Zhan explained.

"Whoever's manipulating it is afraid of Daddy?"

"Mn."

"Oooh, this sounds fun," Lan Jingyi smirked. "We could ask Daddy to give us a list of his haters... but... well..."

Lan Wangji nodded, agreeing with him. "Too many."

"Lesser now, right?" Lan Sizhui pouted.

"Mn."

"Oh, Father!" Sizhui pointed to westwards, and tapped his ear, signalling to them both to listen.

Sure enough, something was approaching them. Though... the problem was... the sound wasn't really footsteps...

"Oh no," Lan Jingyi whispered. "Wings!"

The largest crow they would ever see in all their lives fluttered into the space they stood in, probably about seven feet in height. Just like any other crow, it had black feathers, black beak, all of it complete with flaring red eyes. But almost seven feet tall. Just a tad taller than Lan Wangji himself.

Not to mention, three feet. A three-legged monstrous crow.

"Keep an eye out for the green eyes," Lan Zhan instructed and unsheathed his sword.

"Ca-CAW!" Its cry shook the trees around them, when Bichen slashes right through the lower end of its wings. Jingyi nodded when he saw what Lan Zhan was doing and quickly jumped up onto a tree nearby. While the crow flapped its wings and soared over their heads, Lan Jingyi swung from the branch, hand holding onto the wood, body hanging from it, dangling in the wind the bird's wings kicked up. Lan Zhan sliced at the clawed feet, effectively so far having cut off one limb completely.

That's right... Two-wheeled and wingless should do the trick, Jingyi smirked and let go of the tree branch, lading right in time on the crow's back. As he slid off its feathers, he dug his sword into the right wing, dragging it down forcefully while he fell, landing successfully on his feet beside an amazed Sizhui and a proud Wangji.

"Not bad," Lan Zhan nodded, making him proud as ever.

Right wing torn apart, two out of three legs remaining, the bird was at a loss. Lan Wangji had sneakily cut off one of its front limbs so that when on ground with one front limb and its third extra limb at the back, it wasn't really too well-balanced. The bird flopped onto the ground, the glorious ability of flight gifted by God, a bird's pride, having been stripped away.

The instant it crashed to the ground, weak and worn out with pain, red eyes transformed into the sharpest brightest green. This time, the glare lasted longer, as long as three seconds, giving it the boost it needed.

The three nodded to each other and Lan Wangji sighed. His theory had been confirmed. Lan Sizhui took out Ningjing and swung around to dodge when a flap of the left wing thrust towards him. The bird seemed to have gained enough energy to flap its wing at high speed until an entire storm was brewed, forcing the three Lans to step back.

"Not good........." Lan Jingyi groaned, blocking the sand and dust and catapulting blades of grass with his sword. "SIZHUI! Calm the damned thing down!" He shouted, slicing his sword through the storm to block the rocks being hurled at them away.

Slowly, as the guqin melody of Cleansing filled the air, the storm's force began to reduce, strength and ferocity of the bird at the centre of it dropping by a bare inch.

The manipulative energy of the Qiong Qi won't surrender to CLEANSING? Jingyi wondered. Woah... that strong?

"Jingyi."

"Father?"

"Step back."

Lan Jingyi obeyed and watched. Taking advantage of the momentary drop in power, Lan Wangji raised Bichen in the air, and cut through the air, diagonally, slitting the stratosphere apart, the bright blue wave energy emitted by the motion of the sword lacerating the whirlwind, subduing it, dissipating it. In seconds, the sandstorm was gone and the beastly crow's final effort of survival had been tossed away. Weakened under the attack of the blue spiritual energy, its head hung low and the fiend crumbled into the harmony of Cleansing, collapsing to the ground. 

**********

Wei Wuxian rubbed his nose as he sat in the Jingshi's garden, on the grass, with his husband, surrounded by magnolia, roses, tulips, everything he had planted. And the gentians from long ago. "So it did appear. The manipulated beast. This means two things. One, your idea on the pattern of the five major sects being targeted as locations is confirmed. Gusu was the only one left and now that's complete. Two," he sighed, scratching his head. "Your theory on them being afraid of me is correct, too..."

"Mn." Lan Wangji was cultivating, but still listening and talking through the meditation. He could easily split his focus between his core and his beloved's never-ending chatter now.

"But then why afraid of me? Okay, I get that they're afraid but... if they're letting out their manipulated beasts only when I'm not around, then that means... hm... what does it mean...?" He rubbed his nose again. "It's not like I can track them with their green eyes.......................... HEY! Maybe I could use Empathy on a beast!"

"Demons and soul-eaters, not ghosts or corpses," Lan Zhan curtly replied.

"Aish... then what are they anticipating from me............" he pouted. "Seems like they know of a skill of mine that even I can't remember," he chuckled.

"You have zero memory anyway."

"Lan Zhan!" Wei Wuxian slapped his head cheekily seating himself on the meditating Lan Zhan's lap. He gripped Lan Zhan's hair and tugged at it, waking him up. "I'm not letting you fake-meditate."

"I really was meditating."

"I don't care. Cheeky brats deserve to be punished."

"Oh? Good to know," Lan Wangji smirked and pinned him down onto the grass.

"I DIDN'T MEAN MYSELF!"

"If there's any cheekier brat, it's A-Ying," Lan Zhan whispered warmly against his neck, sending shivers down his spine, before gently nipping his earlobe.

"Ngh! A-Zhan! Not here, you pervert!"

"Why not?"

"WHY NOT? Ex-CUSE me?"

"Our house, our garden, do as we please," Lan Zhan shrugged and bit down harshly on the supple ear.

"A-Zhan! Stop, someone's coming!"

"Who?" Lan Wangji lifted his head and body to look up over the wall.

"Hahahahahaha," Wei Wuxian grinned and toppled him over, rolling around to exchange positions. "Caught ya!"

"I'm stronger," Lan Wangji rolled over again.

"Why is this turning into a wrestling match?" Wei Wuxian laughed, squirming under Lan Zhan's grasp and the stealthy licks of his tongue up his ear. "Ngh! Lan Zhan, p– p– please... this time, I really do sense someone c– coming..."

Lan Zhan chuckled softly against his ear and bit his neck, whispering something hoarsely.

"OI! Hush!" Wei Wuxian slapped his filthy mouth shut to listen. He could easily hear the sound of big robes flapping, somewhere down the path. And a light jingle.... No, two jingling bells...... Clarity Bells! "Get up, fast!"

"It's just them."

"Little Lien's here too!"

"Oh," Lan Wangji pouted and rolled aside. He was too upset to actually sit up, so he lay on the grass, hands on his stomach, staring up at the sky, pouting like a five-year-old who's candy stash was confiscated by his mother.

"Such a baby," Wei Wuxian grinned and sat up, hurriedly crossing his legs and going into fake-meditation mode.

"Hello, hello!" Xichen waved and walked in.

"Oh? Now this is new!" Jiang Cheng laughed. "Whatcha doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Wei Wuxian opened his eyes halfway, palms still on his knees, poise stern and upright.

"Well, obviously cultivating but I was expecting to see more of a dual version..."

"Ahem!" Xichen nudged him, nodding to Jiang Meilien who was running to her uncles.

"Oh, hehe," Jiang Cheng winked at him. "Oh come on, don't glare at me, she doesn't even know what it means yet!"

"That doesn't mean you can go around saying whatever you want!"

"Exactly, A-Cheng! Control your tongue!" Wei Wuxian wagged his finger and loosened his posture when Jiang Meilien ran towards them.

"Don't YOU tell ME! Fix your own manners and I'll listen to you," Jiang Cheng leapt up and sat on the wall, arms crossed, legs dancing. Lan Xichen stayed down on the ground, smiling at his brother.

"Wangji? What's the matter?"

"Gege?"

"You look............. Haha, not truly upset though........ Wuxian said anything mean to you?"

"Mn," Lan Wangji pouted at his brother.

Lan Xichen laughed and knelt on the grass, stoking his hair. "To think I'd ever get to see my baby brother's babyface again after nearly forty years. Wuxian-di, what did you say?"

"I... nothing?" He shrugged, placing Meilien in his lap and hugging her.

"Gege," Lan Zhan whined.

Xichen was exuberant, he had missed his little brother too much. "Tell me, I'll tell him a thing or two back."

"AH!?"

"Gege, he told me to stop."

"Pfft!" Jiang Cheng almost fell over the wall. "I knew it! In vain, next time, we should come here by sword, without a single sound," he sniggered.

"Do you always forget that you've got a freaking daughter now?" Wei Wuxian sighed.

"Susu? What's Daddy saying? Why come here without a single sound? And why's Shushu upset? Stop what?"

"Er... ahem... erm............. Let me see.......... Come here without a sound is...... because I was cultivating and it might disturb me..........." He ignored the agreeing snickers from both Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng. 

"Sure will disturb you." 

"And as for A-Zhan.......... He was......... eating some cotton candy, so I told him to stop and get up to cultivate. See? He's being lazy! Bad Shushu, right?"

"Bad Shushu," Meilien nodded firmly. "Shushu should cultivate and listen to Susu!"

Lan Wangji sulked. "You're on his side, too?" He stifled a grin and sat up beside his brother. "Apparently I was eating candy...... Meilien, want some cotton candy?"

"Yeps! Susu, where is it?"

"Ahhhh? Lan Wangji! That's my personal stash!" He groaned when Lan Wangji walked into the house and brought out cotton candy for them all.

Lan Zhan shrugged as he sat down with his brother and ate his own. Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen nibbled happily and Meilien was slurping ravenously.

"Hey! Where's mine?"

"Cheeky brats need to be punished, right?"

"YOU!"

"Fighting is prohibited in Cloud Recesses," Jiang Cheng's voice dropped to a low and cold one, stroking an imaginary goatee on his chin.

Wei Wuxian stopped shouting and laughed at it heartily until tears poured out. Definitely not laughter tears. Hugging the surprised girl on his lap closer, he desperately bit on his cheek, gulping down the sobs. "Bl– Blasted idiot, A-Cheng, you h– had to do that..."

"S– Sorry..." Jiang Cheng swallowed his own sorrow and looked down at his feet. "Sometimes, I completely forget and walk straight to the Elders' Hall to find him. You know how he's the first I greet when I come here.... Only to find Jingyi waving at me........ It's still weird.......... Been months..............."

"Never gets old," Wei Wuxian chuckled through the tears, tapping his chin to indicate Qiren's much-loved goatee.

"I can't believe you actually miss it now," Xichen smiled. "You know what? Wangji used to braid it when he was smaller. He may be all cold now, but back when Mother was here, Wangji was naughty. He'd twist and turn Shufu's beard," Lan Xichen laughed, eyes welling up. He instinctively hugged his brother, who had gone silent a while ago.

Lan Zhan was silent out of shock. The sudden change of topic towards his late uncle was... a bit overwhelming. Sure, he had been through a lot thanks to that very uncle, but he couldn't deny that he had always been his uncle's favourite. Always loved him. 

Jiang Meilien watched the four of them breaking down over a Shifu she never got to learn under. Realising the atmosphere was turning gloomier and the cotton candy was melting in their hands, she cleared her throat. She aimed for the only one not crying. "Shushu?"

"Mn?"

"What happened with the night hunts? I saw your letter to Papa. Is it the green eyes again?"

"Mn."

"Oh yes, yes, tell us about it," Lan Xichen rubbed his face and pulled away from the hug, eagerly searching Lan Zhan's face for more answers.

Wei Wuxian explained all about what had passed, from the Bailing monster to the Gusu one, and the missed attack in between thanks to his presence.

"Someone who hates you but is also terrified of provoking you?" Lan Xichen frowned, swallowing the last of the candy.

"Sounds like FatGermYao to me," Jiang Cheng shrugged.

"No... I just realised something a while ago, while talking to A-Zhan."

"What is it?"

"They're not afraid of me being provoked. If they are, they wouldn't dare touch my husband."

"Then what?"

"They're afraid of me being there when a beast attacks."

"Why?"

"Because when the beast attacks..." he smirked. "They're there too."

"What do you mean? You mean the manipulator's there, too?"

"Yes. All throughout the attack, or at least for a second or two, during the fight with a controlled beast, the person behind it is present in the background. Just out of sight and sense, so your auras can't detect them."

"What do you mean detect them?"

"You can't detect them. I can."

"You mean to say," Xichen looked up. "That the person behind this is a ghost? Or something?"

"Definitely not a fierce corpse, they aren't capable. A ghost... won't be strong enough to be able to do something like this. Also can't cooperate with the Qiong Qi."

"If cooperating with the Qiong Qi, then it has to be someone similar...."

"A demon!" Wanyin and Meilien shouted together.

"Yes. A demon. A strong, powerful, known demon. Why else would they be afraid of me being able to sense and track them?"

"How come we didn't notice such a thing in Yunmeng?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"We were too busy trying to protect A-Xuan and Little Lien. I didn't notice."

"Xiao Xiang!" Lan Zhan reminded.

"Huh?"

"My fight at Baipaozixiang. Xiao Xiang was there."

"Right! She might have seen something!" Meilien nodded.

Wei Wuxian blew a sharp whistle, a single note dragged out long enough for a puff of red smoke to appear. "Master," Xiao Xiang bowed. "Oh, Mistress too. Hanguang-Jun, Zewu-Jun, Sandu Shengshou," she nodded to the other three.

Jiang Meilien was in awe. The Scarlet Seductress was a first-class demoness, one of the tops in her own realm. Comparing the realms, she was equal in status to the three here. No wonder she didn't bow to them, but only to Wei Wuxian and Jiang Meilien. Xiangxiang-jiejie's awesome...

"Xiangxiang, remember when you went to save A-Zhan darling?"

"Yes, Master."

"That forest, did you see anyone else there?"

"Anyone else?"

"Yes, like another demon, perhaps?"

"I did sense a strong wave of demonic energy when I first got to the forest, but I thought it was the beast..."

"When you first got to the forest? Afterwards, what happened?"

"The scent vanished."

"Interesting," Wei Wuxian grinned and tapped his nose.

"What is it, didi?" Xichen asked.

"Not only is the person afraid of my presence, but also of Xiangxiang's presence — seems to have run away when she walked in. It's confirmed. The enemy's a demon."

"I wonder if it's someone I... OH!" Xiao Xiang gasped. "Why that whore!" She cried angrily.

"Mistress Vixen?" Lan Xichen asked.

"Zhang Huli!" Jiang Cheng shouted.

"Exactly," Wei Wuxian nodded.