"Mhmm........." Jin Rulan groaned, subconsciously snuggling into his arms.

"You're this weak? A-Ling... come on," Sizhui dragged him to the bed and seated him there. He shuffled the pillow array he had arranged for Mingxia to the corner of the bed and lightly stroked the sleeping infant's hair when she moved, instantly lulling her back to sleep. He laid Jin Ling down on the bed. "When did you get dressed?"

"Left my robes outside the forest, can't walk in here naked or in wolf form..." Jin Ling groaned. "Sorry for troubling you so late at night, it's eleven, isn't it?"

"It's fine, and you know it. Lie down there. Don't sleep, try listen," Sizhui said and seated himself at his table.

"Listen? Listen to what?"

Twang!

Jin Ling turned his head to see the beautiful white man daintily plucking the strings of Ningjing, playing Cleansing. Jin Ling nodded and shut his eyes, letting the music fill him up. As expected, the Lan melody soothed him, the fiendish rage in him reducing to nothing. His feebleness had been out of trying to fight the barbarity of his wolf part back. Now that the savagery was gone, his cooler spiritual energy took over, following the rhythm of the zither music, flowing through his meridians, calming him down, uplifting him. His weak heart caught up to the pace of the song's beat, and he finally felt a dozen times better. Slowly, he sat up on the bed and nodded to Sizhui.

Sizhui nodded back, rose from his seat, and walked to the bed. "Feel better?"

"A lot, thank you, Sizhui." He turned to see his daughter lying amid a hundred pillows safely stacked up in a rectangular pattern on the bed, forming a large and tall fortress for her to cosily doze off in.

Seeing Jin Ling staring at it, Lan Sizhui scratched his nape. "Er... I don't have a cot here, so I had to make do..."

"This is cute," Jin Ling smiled.

"Oh..." Sizhui beamed back. He treaded closer and placed his palm on Jin Rulan's forehead. "Slightly warm. Come have some tea, you'll feel better."

Jin Ling slumped his shoulders, crouching away from Sizhui's hand. The latter sighed and retreated his hand, walking back to the table to get him the tea.

Jin Ling slowly walked over to the table and sat down across Sizhui. "Did she bother you?"

"Not in the least."

"Where's your headband?" Jin Ling pointed to the barren forehead and the loose hair.

Lan Sizhui grinned. "Didn't see?" He nodded to the baby asleep on the bed. "She took it to play, fell asleep holding it, didn't have the heart to take it back. Whenever I did try to tug it off, she'll start wailing," Sizhui laughed. "Reminds me of Meilien with Lan Shushu."

Jin Ling blushed, praying Mingxia will not start calling Sizhui Daddy or something too. "Oh, we had a fight, by the way."

"Fight? Who? Someone attacked you?" Sword gripped in his hand, Sizhui almost ran to the door already.

"Woah, woah, calm down! Not me, Auntie Qiang."

"Ah........ they did say they were planning on tracing the enemy demon tonight... you met them?"

"I was chasing the demon. Blasted thing's a Nine-Tailed Fox. Nine tails would have filled my wolf stomach up just right but she chatted with Daddy for some time and ran off."

"Chatted?"

Jin Ling summed up the events of the night.

"I see... revenge, eh? I do love Grandma, she's so awesome! But if the revenge they want is to kill Daddy, why threaten all five sects with these beasts?"

Jin Ling shook his head with a sigh. "Who knows? Something tells me that fox is only up to chaos. Just here to help Zhang Huli get her revenge and create all the chaos in the world in the process. What was she? I mean, regular Nine-Tailed Foxes can't be so... powerful, right? She actually hypnotised me at first with this weird song of hers, I managed to snap out of it in time and that's when I started chasing her. Any idea, Sizhui?" Jin Ling asked over the tea.

"Nine-Tailed Fox... can't they cultivate to immortality? Maybe this one's an Immortal fox. Hence the superiority in skill. Or maybe she's like Xiangxiang-jiejie, high in status and power. I wonder if she has a name..."

"Aria Ver-some-crap."

"No," Sizhui laughed. "I meant a title. Like 'Scarlet Seductress'."

"Probably Xiangxiang-jiejie herself knows her. We'll tell her this fox's name and see if she recognises it."

"Mn," Sizhui nodded. "Daddy will take care of that. YOU, on the other hand... it's time you took care of yourself. A-Ling, you saw just now. Our Lan music can actually calm you, it's possible that it can help calm your overall wolf part itself. Reduce your pains. It's what Father does every day to Daddy, and that's how Daddy gets to hold on, or his Kun Peng is fiercer than your Sawtooth Blood Wolf, might kill him with demonic rage. So trust me, I can help you. Only if you'll stop walking away from me."

Jin Ling gulped down the tea and placed his cup on the table. "Sizhui, is this tea some medicine? Feels cool and refreshing, not to the throat like usual tea, but straight to the core. Something new?" He asked, avoiding Sizhui's eyes.

Lan Yuan sighed. "Were you even listening to me?"

Silence.

"Yes, the tea's something that I got from Father. I was wondering since when Daddy loves drinking tea so much, but then Father showed me the tea, it's something to help channel your energy properly through the meridians, without flowing too fast, out of control. Apparently, it helps Daddy separate his Kun Peng's resentment energy with his own purer demonic energy, helps him control himself. I figured it would do you some good, so I got some from Father's stash. I'll give you a box soon, find out the shop they use."

Jin Ling was drowning in guilt. This guy cared for him so much, it was just too much for him to take. He nodded his thanks silently. "I should get going."

"You're only wearing your outer robe. Tell me you're not going out in that! It's late winter!"

"I'm fine–"

"No, you're not. No more of your 'fine's or I'm going to lose my wits over your ignorance." Lan Sizhui went to his wardrobe and pulled out a set of his own robes. "Inner robes. Wear your Jin robe on top of them so nobody notices much of a difference. Go in there and get changed," Sizhui pointed to the screen at the corner of the room and sternly shoved the robes into Jin Ling's lap.

Jin Ling nodded submissively and went to put them on in the said order. When he walked out again, he found Sizhui gazing up at the sky from the window. He didn't know why, but he felt a desire to just stand beside him, so he did. After a long time, the two stood side by side, silent and peaceful.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Sizhui asked, nodding to the moon.

"You mean 'she'. Daddy said the moon's a goddess."

"Ah right."

All at once, Jin Ling went silent.

Lan Yuan turned around to see him clutching his head, eyes squinting, a faint tremor shaking his frame. "A-Ling? A-Ling!"

Jin Ling whimpered in pain, gripping his hair, until the shuddering suddenly halted and he stood straight again.

"A-Ling?"

Jin Ling looked up at him. Sizhui gasped, horrified. "A... A-Ling...? Your eyes... green... A-Ling...?"

Jin Ling simply stared at him, eyes lazily half open, standing there like a rock statue, while Sizhui's stone resolve was crumbling at the look of coldness in those green eyes.

Green? Why are they... green... oh no, he's being controlled.

Sizhui wrapped his hands around Jin Ling's neck and pulled him close, hugging him tight. "A—Ling, I know you're in there, wake up," he whispered against the tanned ear, wishing he had a spiritual connection like his fathers so he could call out properly. "A-Ling... wake up!" 

His eyes swelled when he felt a sharp pain burning his neck. 

"Ngh! Ow... A-Ling, stop..." 

No wait, he's being controlled. This isn't even his wolf form, it's his possessed wolf form, Sizhui frowned, gripping Rulan by the shoulders and pushing him away from himself. Jin Ling's mouth was dripping with Sizhui's blood, and the sawtooth fangs showed clearly, having successfully dug into Sizhui's neck. Ignoring the pain that threatened to suffocate him, Lan Sizhui focussed on Rulan and Rulan alone.

Possessed wolf form. I've got to wake him up. Shock. Shock should work. Nodding to himself, he cupped Jin Ling's face. Gulping helplessly, he mumbled an apology and leant in, forcefully arresting Jin Ling's bloodied mouth in his own, kissing him gently, tender and sweet, calm and teasing, the way he always did. Always used to. He kept his eyes open to search for changes.

Sure enough, parakeet green faded fast into almond brown, eyes swelling in sheer stupendous shock at the tantalising suck on his lips. Lan Sizhui knew Jin Ling would regret this so he quickly let go as soon as the green disappeared fully.

"There you are."

"W– What... You..."

Lan Sizhui gulped. Rulan looked... profaned. Defiled. Abused, almost. "I'm sorry, I really had nothing else to do. Your eyes turned all green and you lost self-consciousness. That wolf that bit you was a possessed one, right? It's possible you can be manipulated too, just like the other beasts. A-Ling, you've got to take care, God knows when you'll go out of control. I... won't always be around to save you. What if you lose control in Koi Tower? XiaXia? Jin Chan? You've got to resist!"

"I... I did try... just this huge hammer hitting my head and then everything went black. Th– Thank you for s– saving me but... what's up with your mouth!" Jin Ling's eyes widened.

"What? Oh, blood," Sizhui wiped his mouth. "Must have gone into mine through the kiss."

Jin Ling blushed at the word and tapped his own mouth to find it filled with blood. And... WHAT in the world were his fangs doing showing up like this? He clenched his fists and retreated his fangs and gave Sizhui a once-over. Spotting the neck, he gasped. "I... did that?"

"Oh... nothing, really," Sizhui covered the bite on his neck. "Did you forget? You used to do it all the time," Sizhui laughed.

"That's... not what I meant. This is bleeding." The spots where the fangs had cut deep into the skin were like black holes, an irremediable memory of the incident for years to come. "I... I should go," Jin Ling hurried to the bed and picked up Mingxia and rushing to the door.

"A-Ling, you might want to reinforce that bracelet of yours with Baoshan Sanren's help."

Nod.

"Are you going home by sword?"

"That's how I came."

"Hold up," Sizhui rushed to him, stuffing the books into a bag, picking up Suihua lying near the table. He handed them both to Jin Ling, who slung the bag over his shoulder and gripped Suihua tight with his free hand, Mingxia dozing off on the other.

Hearing the scuffles, she woke up. "Mmmm?"

"A-Xia, go to sleep. We're going home."

"En?" Mingxia blinked at him.

"Say goodbye to Sizhui," he nodded to her.

Sizhui wiped his bloody mouth on his sleeve and smiled at her. "Bye, sweetie!"

"B– B– Baba!" She cried, pouting as she looked up at Sizhui, realising it was time for her to leave him for the night.

"B– Baba?" Jin Ling and Sizhui stared at her, both blushing.

Jin Ling cleared his throat. "A-Xia..." He shook his head. "I'm going," he nodded to Sizhui without meeting his eyes, walking fast to the door.

Sizhui beamed at Mingxia as the girl waved at him, winking to her happily. That's right, Mingxia, I didn't name you after 'dawn' for nothing, haha! The brightest light in my life, he smiled at her, waving back. 

"Oh, A-Ling!"

"Mn?"

Sizhui opened the door for him because his hands were full. He threw his cloak around Jin Ling's shoulders and tied it up at the neck, securing it in place. "Too cold outside." When he was done tying, in a flutter of a second, he leant in, kissed his forehead, and stepped back, letting him leave. "Take care on the way home!"

Jin Ling flushed red. "Mn," he nodded and turned around, walking towards the line of houses on the other side of the compound.

"Gate's that way!"

"I'm seeing someone before leaving."

"Okay then, goodbye!" 

Sizhui clenched his fists. Confess, confess, come on, Sizhui, do it! "A-Ling!"

Jin Ling sighed and stopped mid-walk. "Sizhui... what now?"

"A-Ling... Let me help you."

Jin Ling turned his head back to face him. To Sizhui's amazement, he smiled wide and nodded before walking away.

He shut the doors and walked back into his home, clutching his neck in unignorable pain. "That went unexpectedly well."

Knock, knock!

"Who is it?"

"A-Yuan?"

"Ah? Wen Shushu!" Lan Yuan opened the door.

"Come with me, quick."

"What is it, Shushu?"

"Look at your neck. Got to treat it, fast. It won't be too much of a pain, but we'll wrap it up in case," Wen Ning explained, tang his hand and walking to the Healing Hall.

"This late at night?"

"Senior Yuanhua's there, too. A-Qiang's recovering there."

"Ah, okay. But wait, how do you know?"

"Young Master Jin told me."

Sizhui smiled, chuckling under his breath. A-Ling, ah A-Ling, you silly boy. 

**********

"Wei Wuxian!"

"Xie Lian!" Wei Wuxian threw his arms around the other and hugged him. "There you are! Hello, Hua Cheng!" He shoulder-hugged the other friend.

"Hello, hello. Everything going good?"

"Well, not as good as you'd hope..." Wei Wuxian invited them to tea and served biscuits while explaining the situation: Jin Ling getting possessed, and the Nine-Tailed Fox. "I asked Xiangxiang about Miss Aria Something, she said she couldn't quite remember but was certain she had heard the name before. Hua Cheng, would you have any clue as to who she is?"

"Aria Something?" Hua Cheng grinned.

"San Lang, I think I know this person too... I can't quite catch the hint though... Aria... Aria..." Xie Lian frowned.

"Aria Verduria," Lan Zhan walked into the Jingshi.

"Hello, darling! Qiang-Er's better?"

"Mn, she went back home."

"Good. Great. And A-Yuan? His neck?" 

"All cleaned by Wen Ning. Zero poison, no harm." 

"Fantastic. I just told them everything. Did you go to see Little Rulan?"

"Mn," Lan Zhan sat beside him and nodded to the other two. "He says he's fine. Sizhui's offered to help."

"Ah, then it's fine. Like you said, they'll work it all out," Wei Ying beamed. "Though we should get this sorted out soon. I don't want him regretting anything he would do when he runs wild under someone else's control..."

"Aria Verduria!" Hua Cheng snapped his fingers suddenly. "That's it! Quick, Wei Wuxian, call Xiangxiang."

Wei Wuxian summoned her and she bowed to them all. "Master, King? What is it?"

"Xiangxiang, don't you remember Aria? Aria Verduria? Wasn't she that Nine-Tailed Fox who came to our realm asking for help with achieving immortality?"

"Oh, right! THAT woman! Sure I remember her, obsessed with reaching immortality she was," Xiao Xiang shook her head. "Though she did seem cool... she was a friend back when she visited, actually..."

"A friend? Then apologies for nearly having slain her last night. She attacked my sister-in-law."

"What?" Xiao Xiang gasped. "Young Mistress Lan? What's got into her?"

"Huli's brainwashed her, probably," Hua Cheng rolled his eyes.

"Sounds right," Wei Wuxian nodded. "What is she? Because I feel like she's..."

"Equal to me, yes," Xiao Xiang nodded. "She's dubbed the Mint Melody. Loves all things mint green, and is mint green herself. And she majors in singing. Fascinating voice, that's her main charm, singing skill."

"Is she under your Beauty Ghost?"

"No," Hua Cheng shook his head. "Yes, she's under the same category, seduction and beauty, but no. Not everyone of them is under Qian Qiao. She's one of those free spirits. Not a renegade or traitor like Mistress Vixen. Just an individualist."

"So even you demons and ghosts have things like our rogue cultivators?"

The three from the Demon Realm nodded.

"Interesting," Lan Wangji bobbed his head.

"Well I can sure beat her at melodies, what with my love-songwriter husband and fabulous students!"

"Not so easy," Xiao Xiang shook her head. "I told you, she's as powerful as I am. I wasn't lying. She can't reach my level with just a whistle of her tongue," she sighed. "She's immortal, she has... powers. Never told me what."

"Then how do you know?"

"There's someone else we know who was strangled to death by her."

"HUH?"

"Yes. Strangled to death. Another demoness. We found her body, neck wrung with vines wrapped all around it."

"Vines...? Curious," Wei Wuxian rubbed his nose. "And the Mint Melody?"

"She vanished from the realm. Think she returned to his one then."

"San Lang, you knew of this?" Xie Lian asked, eyebrows raised sternly.

"No, gege," Hua Cheng shook his head. "I'm not the only one, there's others, I'm not bothered to look into every thing. Fights like that happen every other day, right, Xiangxiang?" Hua Cheng called for help because Xie Lian was glaring at him.

"Y– Yes, yes, Crown Prince," Xiao Xiang nodded. 

Wei Wuxian chuckled. "Your Ghost Realm sounds like my Lotus Pier sometimes."

"Mn," Lan Wangji nodded in absolute agreement, making the other three laugh and Wei Wuxian gawk at him. 

"I don't believe your increasing impudence, A-Zhan!" Wei Wuxian laughed. "Anyways, where were we? Ah, the Mint Melody's usage of vines to kill... interesting... I guess we've got to encounter her to know her true powers?"

"Someone like Master or Hanguang-Jun won't have trouble dealing with her!"

"But unless we go together, there's no way either of us falling as bait again. We've prohibited each other from doing so."

"Oh..."

"Never mind. For the moment, we'll let the Chief Cultivator know of all this. Xiangxiang, sit down, whatcha standing for?"

"Er... M– Master..."

"Ah, His Royal Ghostly Majesty won't kill you!" Wei Wuxian laughed. "Sit here, with me, he won't say a word."

"You're his demoness, it's fine," Hua Cheng nodded.

"Hey! She's not my underling! She's my..." he counted on his fingers. "A-Zhan, I'm losing count," he pouted.

Lan Zhan sighed. "Millionth child."

"LAN ZHAN!" Wei Wuxian smacked his arm.

"Seventeenth," he answered with an unapologetic, smug smirk.

"Woah!" Hua Cheng exclaimed.

"I suggest you put up an orphanage," Xie Lian snickered.

"They do have parents, all of them. But still, my kiddos too!"

"Who on earth?" Xiao Xiang turned to him, eyes round as teacups. "I can't recall sixteen..."

Wei Wuxian clenched both fists and pulled out finger by finger at each name. "Jin Ling, Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, Ouyang Zizhen, Jin Xiyi, Shen Xiuying, Lan Hao, Nie Xiyuan, Jin Chan, Jiang Liwei..." 

He bent towards his husband and grabbed his hands, placing them on the table and counting on Lan Zhan's fingers because his own ten were up. 

"Jiang Meilien, Zhao Haoxuan, Jiang Ai, Nie Zhilan, Nie Zian, Jin Mingxia, and you, Xiao Xiang." He patted the three remaining white fingers folded in. "We need three more, haha!"

"Count me in!"

"Xie Lian, you're eight hundred years older than me," Wei Wuxian laughed.

"Oh right! Two of your sons are getting their children next month, right? So you've only got to find one more!"

"I'll wait for Nie Xiyuan and Lan Hao to get together for that," he chortled. "Their fling seems to be going pretty well, seeing as neither are sect leaders."

"That reminds me. What was that about your youngest being possessed? So Aria and Huli can control him?" Hua Cheng asked.

"Seems like it."

"Green eyes," Xie Lian nodded. "She was right. It fits."

"Who?"

"Ling Wen! Look here," Xie Lian pulled out a scroll from his sleeve. The painting had a box with a note at the corner, a note full of all the details of the Qiong Qi that they knew so far.

But the painting explained a lot.

The red wings and vermilion fur of the Winged Tiger were bright and sharp in contrast with its bright green eyes, flaring like emeralds. But what was also contrasting, perhaps even more so, was that the Qiong Qi was breathing fire like a dragon, mouth wide open in a roar, chartreuse flames shooting out, blazing with fury, viridian smoke drifting up and filling up the sky painted in the background.

"This was a painting of the Qiong Qi when it took part in one of the Heavenly Realm's major battles with the Demon Realm. Apparently, the fire was made of wholly evil energy. Burns you to death, obviously."

"Black, red and green. Darkness, regret and malevolence. I remember this from reinforcing my core long ago to destroy the Seal. So the green energy usually depicts malevolence, makes sense. So they're using the Qiong Qi's superior malevolent energy to channel it into the soul-eating or other demonic beasts, thus taking control of them?"

"Nice!" Xie Lian clapped. "That sounds perfect."

"Transferred to Rulan in the wolf bite," Lan Wangji added.

"Oh yes... dear me, what should we do?"

"Protect him, at all costs," Hua Cheng affirmed. "Don't let him go on night hunts alone like he does now, he needs someone capable of bringing him out of their control by his side."

"Well, only A-Yuan can do that..."

"Your older son?"

"They're not blood-related whatsoever. Lovers, actually, but probably never going to admit it," Wei Wuxian sighed. "Shy little Sizhui didn't tell me, but I figured him kissing Rulan woke Little Rulan up instantly," he sneered.

"Oh wow... aren't they together?"

"Not really. Sizhui can't stay by his side as you say because both are sect leaders."

"OH WOW!" Xie Lian gasped. "This is one intriguing romance! But what now?"

"I believe seeing his daughter will wake him just right, so he's safe in the day. But when he goes on night hunts... A-Zhan, we'll take XiaXia into our care at night, let Sizhui go with him."

"Mn, that should do."

"Then it's solved!" Hua Cheng nodded. "As for Aria Verduria... that demoness who was strangled, Xiangxiang, can you talk to her? Get to know Aria's skills?"

"I will."

"Wasn't she strangled to death?" Lan Zhan asked.

"You can't kill a demon, A-Zhan," Wei Wuxian grinned. "See? My armies, unlike your sect ones, are far more invincible! Humans die, demons don't!"

"It works both ways." 

"What do you mean it works both ways? Our demonic energy can kill you, destroy your cores, almost, cut through them like CAKE! And KILL you! You guys can't kill demons!" 

"But they can be destroyed with our own energy. Spiritual energy destructs demons." 

"But dark energy is–"

"Hey hey hey, no debating here, we're leaving!" Xie Lian flailed his hands and stood.

"Xiangxiang, come with me, we've got something to do back home. That idiot is wrecking the place," Hua Cheng shook his head.

"Qi Rong?"

"Yes. He Xuan sent a message. Come help," he called and taking Xie Lian's hand, disappeared.

"Master, I'll go?"

"Go go, this sounds like a fun problem to solve," Wei Wuxian winked and waved her out of his house. "REMIND ME TO MEET THIS FUNNY QI RONG OF YOURS, WE MIGHT BE BEST FRIENDS!" He shouted when Xiao Xiang disappeared in a puff of red smoke. Lan Wangji had already begun writing a letter to Jin Ling about the plans, so Wei Wuxian sat beside him and wrote another letter to Nie Huaisang about all of it. "Should we go to Lotus Pier?"

"Tell gege? Mn."

"Good thing I became immortal, or my core will ear out with all the teleportation talismans," Wei Ying laughed.

"A-Ying doesn't need to tire yourself out. We'll go by boat today."

"Hm........? Is my darling husband planning something...?"

"Nothing," Lan Zhan shook his head. "I just thought you could swim along half the way, and I'll ride you, and the rest of the way we'll go by boat."

"OOH! Fantastic! Which part swimming, which part boat?"

"Boat until we leave Gusu's borders. I want to buy you loquats," Lan Zhan answered, not looking up from the paper he was busily writing.

Wei Wuxian's own brush almost fell from his hands at the words. "A-Zhan..." he grinned and rose a bit to kiss his cheek before returning to work, chuckling at the red ears.

Lan Wangji smiled, soft and happy. Being in a good mood, he inadvertently added an unforeseen ending to Jin Ling's letter.

Hoping Sizhui's confession went well.

Love,

Father. 

"A-Zhan, about Aria Verduria... About her being so powerful. No Nine-Tailed Fox can be as invincible as the Scarlet Seductress. What's that thing Xiangxiang let slip while talking?" 

"Mn." Lan Zhan nodded and folded up Jin Ling's letter. "She's immortal."