What does he know? Wei Ying thought as he followed the pretty young master through Cloud Recesses.

It was the next day, and Wei Ying barely slept the entire night. How could he? This young master knew something about the monster and he was determined to get to the bottom of the secret.

Wangji was feeling a mixture of annoyed and terrified this morning. This guy had seen him then. It was purely down to carelessness on his part. But it was fine, he didn't know it was him, who would ever come to a conclusion like that based on what they saw?

But the annoying part was he was now following him all over Cloud Recesses. This was bad for two reasons. One, it was annoying. Two, he really wanted to go to the Cold Spring, so it was also inconvenient on top of being annoying.

Fine then, he wanted to play cat and mouse? He could do that.

Wangji sped up ever so slightly and turned a corner. Wei Ying followed him and turned the corner as well. Only to find that he wasn't there.

Turning around, Wei Ying caught sight of some fluttering white robes going behind a wall.

Following, he saw the same thing again. Following him, he ended up at a dead end. Looking around, once again, the ends of robes from the other end.

While pursuing Wangji through the Cloud Recesses, Wei Ying's pace quickened, his steps echoing through the quiet halls as he turned corners desperately trying to catch up. Despite his best efforts, Wangji proved elusive, slipping away from him with ease, disappearing around corners or utilizing unexpected escape routes that left Wei Ying frustrated and breathless.

HOW IS HE DOING THAT?? Wei Ying thought as he leaned on a pillar as he caught his breath.

Finally, I've lost him, Wangji thought as he made his way to the Cold Spring. he let his feet guide him down the long winding path and listened to the sound of bamboo swishing and hitting each other in the breeze.

He had always liked the Cold Springs, but as a cold-blooded merman, well, it was pure bliss.

Not bothering to undress himself fully he just took off his boots and dipped his feet in.

Ah, nothing beats this. Well, maybe if he had some braised fish soup.

Letting himself relax a bit, he lay down on the rocks with his feet still in the pond.

He liked the way the water in the Cold Springs felt. It wasn't really alive per se, but it seemed like it was sleeping, like there was something there, just taking a very long nap.

He couldn't really explain it very well.

Anyway, he was just glad to get away from Wei Wuxian. He finally learned his name after their brief encounter yesterday.

Wei Wuxian, Wei Ying. Wei meaning ghost, and Ying meaning child. It's a nice name, doesn't really suit him, though.

He's far too alive to be a ghost, Wangji thought as he stared at the clouds.

He kicked his feet about as he let out a sigh.

He would have been perfectly happy to stay there for another hour or so, but he raised an eyebrow when he heard the distinct sound of footsteps.

Getting up and looking behind him, he saw the figure of someone in lecture robes walking with such a childish spring in his step it could only be one person.

Why is it that every single time I try to relax in any way possible, something always happens, and I end up having to run for miles to get some well-deserved peace and quiet? He thought as he picked up his boots.

Is it so much to ask just to be alone and have time to himself? Did he have to throw up and ruin his uncle's flowerbed to relax?!

Getting up, he just decided to cross the pond, go around the back hills, and return to Cloud Recesses.

But there was a sudden change in the water. Like whatever was sleeping had just woken up.

Looking between Wei Ying coming down the stone steps and the water, he had to decide quickly.

But the decision was made for him as he felt the ground give way and swallow him whole.

"Finally, I've caught..." Wei Ying huffed as he got to the end of the stairs, only to stop when he saw nothing but a pair of boots floating in the water.

"OH, COME ON!"

Wangji quickly got his head out of the icy water and looked around. He was in a weird glittering cave that seemed to have a light source of its own despite there not being an exit.

Where was this? He had lived in Cloud Recesses his entire life, but he had never been in this place.

There was a single table on which a white zither was lying. Small fluffy things were hopping around that he soon realized were rabbits that, for some reason, were wearing forehead ribbons.

Okay...

Wangji just stood in the water, unsure of whether to do anything.

However, that decision was once again made for him, as with a bright flash he had just turned himself into a merman. Before he could do anything, he fell down face-first into the water.

Okay, he did NOT mean to do that!

Transform back! Why can't I transform back?!

As if this whole situation couldn't get any more unusual, an amused sounding voice rang out.

"Well, I'm not too sure what I was expecting. But it certainly wasn't this."

Wangji slowly managed to prop himself up and roll himself onto his side so he was now sitting up.

He was now looking back at a woman in her fifties wearing Lan Clan robes. She had a kind smile and a few wrinkles near her mouth and eyes. Wangji just owlishly stared at her and swallowed hard.

Transform back, transform back, or I swear to god! Wangji thought as he kept trying to turn his tail back into legs while his tail flopped about.

"Child, the protections I've put in the Cold Pond reveals the true form of all. I'm afraid trying to transform back is of no use." The woman kindly said as she picked up a white rabbit and gently stroked it.

Oh. That wasn't good.

"If you're uncomfortable, the water on that side is deeper." She gestured with her free hand and continued stroking her rabbit as though meeting a merman was a regular occurrence for her.

Wangji slowly shimmiyed himself over to the part where the woman gestured and found himself in a deeper area where his whole body was now submerged.

Feeling a lot more comfortable, physically at least, he opened his mouth to say something but wasn't sure what to say.

What does one say in this kind of situation? He could maybe talk about the weather...even though they were in a cave.

"Judging by your robes and headband, you're a part of the inner clan? May I know your name?" The woman said as she looked at his tail with slight intrigue.

Wangji nodded and tried to bow but ended up just leaning forward slightly.

"Lan Wangji, son of Madam Lan and Qingheng-jun." Wangji stoically answered.

The woman's eyes faltered a bit before she softened her gaze.

"It seems that you're my grandson."

Wangji's eyes went wide momentarily before going back to normal. Lilac and navy met chestnut brown as Wangji saw his father and uncle in this woman's eyes.

"How..." Wangji started but couldn't really find the right words to say.

"Why do I reside in the Cold Pond Cave?" The woman supplied for him, while Wangji nodded.

"That child is a long story, much like your own I suppose." She gave a half smile as she looked at Wangji's tail. Wangji gave out the tiniest of huffs, as he looked down at his scaly half.

"I am here because I am protecting something and have been for a long time." She gave a sort of neutral smile, but the corners of her mouth seemed to twitch in a kind of sadness.

"And what of you, grandson? I must say, I expected someone a bit more on the human side." She gave a grandmotherly chuckle as the lines around her eyes creased ever so slightly.

Wangji gave a sigh.

"Night hunt near BiLing Lake. I... it just happened." Wangji said as he moved about a bit.

"You said you are protecting something?"

"Yes, child." Lan Yi replied.

"It's in the water. Its..." Wangji's face scrunched up; he didn't like how it felt. Dirty, impure, sinister.

"I've heard that merfolk can understand water better than anything; it seems it is true." Lan Yi sighed as she looked down at her white zither.

"I had made some... mistakes in my youth which led to my seclusion in this place." With a sigh, Lan Yi played a cascade of notes on her zither as a mesmerising mist formed in front of her, forming all sorts of shapes.

In the haze of the mist, a fierce battle took place, five warriors fought against a single man.

He watched as the five had slain the man and each had broken off a piece from his large amulet.

The most swirled about and changed to another scene.

It cleared, showing a young Lan Yi holding a piece of ugly metal in a bamboo clearing, only to be stopped and held at swordpoint by another woman.

"Stop! You cannot do this, Yi'er! You cannot use the Yin Iron. Its wicked nature will only consume the user and turn them into a sensless monster! Remember what happened to Xue Chonghai, Yi'er! "

"I must try! If the Yin Iron can be cleansed, just think of the good it could do! Baoshan, I have to try, you of all people must understand why I must! Please, my friend, trust me!"

The most swirled abaout once more before falling apon the zither and dispersing.

Wangji nodded to himself in understanding. This Yin Iron had corrupted his grandmother and forced her to reside in this cave. It must have been lonely all this time.

"The greed of people is a terrible thing, and if this artefact were to fall into the wrong hands, I shudder to think of what would happen." Lan Yi gave a drawn out sigh as she gingerly ran her fingers across her zither.

"It has been under my protection for far too long. I am afraid there is a limit to my power. And it seems that I have almost run out of time. "

"Wangji, may I request something of you?" Lan Yi gave a kind but oh-so-sad smile.

Immediately, Wangji nodded and looked at his grandmother with his galaxy-like eyes. She was connected to the Cold Spring and was also a part of the water. He could feel her slipping away; her hold on the artefact that resided in the water was fading.

Lan Yi summoned the last of her strength, and on the table, an evil-looking piece of black, corroded metal now lay on the glistening white table. Its obsidian and blood-rusted colouring starkly contrasted the pure white surroundings of the Cold Pond Cave.

"Wangji, destroy it, please. " Lan Yi looked more and more transparent with each passing second. Wangji could feel her fading away slowly, her power draining completely.

"Whether you break it into a thousand pieces until nothing remains but dust or seal it below the depths of the deepest lake you can swim to, please make sure that no one ever lays their hands on it ever again."

Wangji nodded fiercely, his eyes filled with determination. He had only known his grandmother for about twelve minutes, but he would do everything in his power to ensure her dying wish was granted.

"Thank you, Wangji" Lan Yi gave a half nod and a closed eye smile. She looked like she was at peace as she faded and faded and faded...

With a final flicker, Lan Yi disappeared, her white zither being the only trace of her ever being there.