It took them three more days to reach the end of NanLing city. They were extremely lucky to find shelter for Dunshi, and Wei Ying loved the domesticity of living in a hotel, however short the duration.

Each night that passed by, they felt rejuvenated, and feeling refreshed, it made them ready to face the open road again. Plus this time spent alone, just the two of them, felt like a healing time, something they both sorely needed. Lan Zhan was slowly letting go of the past, and Wei Ying simply missed being alone with him.

When they were with the others, aside from a few chaste kisses, the physical side to their relationship suffered, and they were both able to mend that part of their marriage in the last few days spent in NanLing City.

On their final day, they left Dunshi and Xiao Zei in an abandoned shed with Master Dashi and Chihong and Xinghong to mind him. He still was prone to running away if the mood took him, and Hongse was having to keep a closer eye upon him.

Wei Ying enthusiastically finished his meal of noodles and dumplings under Lan Zhan's watchful eyes, while he was able to undulge in a meal that so resembled those served in Cloud Recesses that even Wei Ying was shocked.

But this time, when the six adults and three children left the restaurant, they were surprised to see decorations and lanterns being put up.

There was an air of excitement floating around them, and the shops were beginning to close, even though it was quite early in the afternoon.

Vendors were packing up their wares and others who had already done so, were decorating their stalls with flower garlands and red lanterns, with the characters for dragon Festival in beautiful calligraphy drawn upon them.

Fellows had climbed ladders on either side of the street and were hanging smaller lanterns from one side to the other on a thick, wiry ropes, and to the children who had come out to watch, adults were handing them paper windmills with bright red ribbons.

Tables were being set up with elaborate silk cloths, upon which a myriad of delicacies were being laid out and as the travellers were walking past on their way to collect the rest of their group, they were stopped and offered snacks. Not wishing to be rude, Wei Ying accepted them and paused to speak with the old lady currently wrapping sweet haws in bamboo leaves for them to take with them.

"Po po, we are new to NanLing. Can you kindly tell us what's going on?"

She beamed back at him, her many wrinkles even more prominent lining her face, her dark eyes sparkling with joy and mischief.

"Of course! Today is the great Wandering Dragon festival. Today, we give out sweets and cakes, the whole town comes out to celebrate and at the end, after the firework show, there will be a dragon dance." She leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "and, it is even said, young master, that real dragons attracted by the noise, pomp and ceremony, come here to watch. Our NanLing is famous for the great Dragon dance, and while it is going on, while people are busy watching down here, up there," She pointed towards the sky, looking in particular at Li XiWang and Rumi holding hands and Klem in her father's arms, watching her back with big eyes, "they come just to see. You have arrived at a most auspicious time, my friends. Do not leave before you see the show tonight." She winked at Wei Ying.

He nodded enthusiastically and waved as they walked away, thanking her.

"That sounds exciting, huh, children?" He said to their shining faces.

"Will we be able to stay, Father?" Li XiWang asked, turning back to them.

"Do you want to?" Wei Ying pretended not to see the longing on all their faces. He became quite serious, as if he was thinking hard.

And the longer it went on, and the anticipation grew on their faces, Wei Ying felt his hand being squeezed by Lan Zhan, who was also becoming antsy, and he wanted to laugh out loud at his family, and then it really was Lan Zhan who couldn't take it any more!

"Mn. We can stay." He said, pointedly staring at Wei Ying, daring him to argue back.

Wei Ying giggled and laughed, clutching his sides and holding his poor hand still bearing the marks of Lan Zhan’s prompting.

"All of you are so funny!" He gasped, trying to catch his breath. "You really thought I was going to say no?"

They smiled and laughed with him, as he picked up first Li XiWang and whirled her around, kissing her rosy cheeks when she was put down again and Rumi was picked up, thrown into the air with delight.

Passersby looked on at the happy family as they resumed walking back into the town.

"But you, my love...you were the best!" Wei Ying sidled up to Lan Zhan, whispering in his hot ear.

Lan Zhan, never a fan of being teased except by this man, turned his face sharply and caught Wei Ying's lips in a hot kiss, ending with a bite. He smiled at his handywork, humming with satisfaction and carried on walking as if he hadn't just marked his husband again.

"You're so mean, to your husband...." Wei Ying pretended to pout.

"Then, Wei Ying should behave himself." Lan Zhan looked unrepentant at him first, and then warmly at their children.

"Who would have thought that the great Hanguang-Jun was a pushover when it came to his children...?" Wei Ying wasn't teasing any more, his silver eyes filled with enough love to cover the whole world.

Those golden eyes were burning with a deep fire at those words when Lan Zhan looked at him again. He brought their joined hands to his lips and said simply:

"Mn."

***********

The dragon dance was taking place later, more towards the evening after a show of fireworks and light.

Wei Ying didn't think it would be a good idea to have Dunshi come out while the streets were packed with people; who knew the reaction they would get, and the worst thing would be if it was a negative one.

His experience with people had always been that they were frightened of what they did not understand, and poor Dunshi might be attacked for no reason other than fear about his size.

As the late evening turned into night, the streets began filling up with more families, young children, and old, chatting with their parents and grandparents, munching on free cakes and sugar sweets.

What Wei Ying loved about this was that they were as a unit, Hui Gai, Oge and Klem, were also accepted and welcomed by the people standing around, the vendors treating them all as normal, not batting an eye at Hui Gai's frankly could-be-terrifying smile.

They were standing shoulder to shoulder with strangers, accepted as their own.

And then a single, solitary drum rang out.

A hush descended upon the crowd, an anticipatory silence humming while they parted, making a huge circle of space in the centre.

A man's voice shouted out into the quiet.

"Welcome one, welcome all, to the legendary Dragon Dance in the month of Falling flowers. Cheer and shout and welcome the spirits of the Dragons as they bless our NanLing city."

Lots of drums began playing, their practiced beating as one, a rhythm setting the stage and then cheers and whistles, shouts and applause were heard as a long, winding dragon, its body made up of around twenty dancers lifting the costume made with silk and ribbons fluttering in the light of the lanterns, descended into the empty circle.

Its face had big eyes and eyelids with long lashes, huge teeth gaping wide and big, the talented dancers bobbing and weaving among the crowds to the sudden music playing around them.

Wei Ying watched his children who were no strangers to dragons at all, being already acquaintances with Shen Ling and his family, and of course the wonderful Suanni, totally mesmerised by this Dragon dance, their eyes shining brightly with excitement as they cheered.

And as the dragon turned in a full circle, teasing and pretending to attack the watching crowd, fireworks lit up the night sky.

Reds and greens, purples and blues and golds blew up into the dark, illuminating the faces of wonder as they stared up into the sky.

And Wei Ying thought, what a wonderful way to end their visit to NanLing city.