Chapter Fourteen

"You agreed to spar because you wanted to show off, didn't you." Jiang Cheng sighed as he leaned against the door to his companion's room, watching as Wei Yingyue walked over to grab ivory comb that was a birthday gift from Jiang Yanli when her Meimei came of age.

"No." She sighed as she brushed through her long, black hair gently, looking at the younger male in her doorway. "I agreed because I enjoy sparring with Lan Zhan. It gives me a challenge." She grinned, winking at the younger Cultivator as she began to pull the hair on the crown of her hair into a braided bun, slipping the zen hairpin Lan Xichen had given her through it gently.

It was the last day that Jiang Cheng and Wei Yingyue would be in the Cloud Recesses, Lan Qiren's classes had officially ended and the female Cultivator had decided it was time to return to the place she had grown up. She would be leaving for Lotus Pier with Jiang Cheng today, their boat that would be taking them back would be docking at noon and Lan Wangji had asked permission to spar with his friend one last time.

"You and Wei Ying are the same, talking about how challenging it is to fight Second Brother Lan. Wei Wuxian had the nerve to remark how refreshing it was to have someone, besides you, who could best him in sword fighting." Wei Yue grinned as she lifted her sheathed dual swords, Yin and Yang, while listening to her Didi rant about the relationship she and her twin had with Lan Wangji.

After Wei Wuxian had left with his Senior Sister and Uncle Fengmain, Lan Wangji had not returned back to his Uncle's lessons. Instead of attending the lectures, Wei Yingyue could always find him in her siheyuan, kneeling in her study room as he played his guqin, or sitting in the Library Pavilion. They usually worked in these two places because, now that Sect Leader Fengmain had taken his Older Sister and his Sworn Brother, Jiang Cheng stayed with his Sworn Sister most of the time. Now, due to the absence of a seatmate after losing both of the previous ones and people being afraid of her after the fight, Wei Yue sat beside Jiang Cheng in class. She began to help him study while she gave Lan Wangji the notes she took and practically taught him the lesson herself.

Once the end of the lectures neared, Lan Wangji had gained permission to spar with the female cultivator. She was someone who he rarely crossed swords with, though it was never the same way he had crossed swords with her twin brother. When they did it, it was mere practice or the trading of fighting tricks that the pair knew and wished to share. Wei Yingyue had been traveling and learning about music, literature, medicine, and art from other parts of the world. Some of the things she learned, she often applied to her everyday life. One of the things she loved to learn was fighting techniques, learning them while she traveled from place to place in both peaceful and unfortunate ways. Lan Wangji knew that she had learned some of her moves from raids, attacks, or ambushes that had happened to her while she was on the road of knowledge. That didn't stop him from admiring how she incorporated so many styles of fighting into her life, elevating her to a level of which he thought she could beat him and her brother if she really wanted to.

"Jiejie, are you listening to me?" Jiang Cheng practically whined as he grabbed Wei Yue's wrist, a pouty look on his face as he stopped her from walking.

"Ah-Cheng, you know I always listen to you." She smiled as she patted the side of his head, shaking her own as he grinned widely before walking into the GusuLan training grounds. Lan Wangji was already standing there, Bichen in his grasp as his eyes remained closed.

"Lan Zhan, we're here." Wei Yue called as she followed Jiang Cheng inside, watching as he bowed towards their elder. Lan Wangji bowed his head, his eyes watching as Jiang Cheng walked over to where he usually sat when he decided to join his Jiejie while she spared. When she came he usually went to her rooms or his own, waiting for her to return after a session. Now, since their rooms were packed and he had nothing to do, he walked to his usual seat and sat down, closing his eyes as he leaned against the white stone wall that surrounded the area.

"Are you ready?" Lan Wangji asked as he looked at the girl in front of him, his face stone cold as he watched the sly grin stretch across her face. This, when they were about to spar, was the only time he noticed the similarities between her and her older twin. The way her smile glistened when she trotted around him when he launched forwards, toying with him as she evaded Bichen. He noticed that this was the most he would hear witty remarks from the girl, unless she was in the presence of her older brother. She enjoyed playing with the person she was sparring with, this action was something Jiang Cheng hated when they were growing up but she loved pressing his buttons. Her action, however, did have consequences when Madam Yu happened to watch them practice. She would approach them in the middle of their match and knock Wei Yue off to the side, chastising her for making fun of how slow Jiang Cheng was before turning and yelling at Jiang Cheng for letting the daughter of a servant beat him.

Wei Yingyue avoided taunting Jiang Cheng when they were practicing inside the YunmengJiang Sect's training grounds, but when they were having fun out of his mother's view, Jiang Cheng encouraged the girl to do whatever made her happy, even if it was jumping through the trees faster than Jiang Cheng would fathom. That's what she was doing now as Lan Zhan recovered from his missed hit, watching as she sauntered about, Yin and Yang lolling at her sides as she grinned at him.

"Lan Zhan, if it makes you fight better, pretend I'm Wei Ying." She teased as they circled, giggling lightly as he narrowed his eyes. "Don't give me that look, Second Brother Lan. I just want a good fight before I leave." She explained, he darted forwards as she stopped talking and brought Bichen down. Wei Yue made a scissor hold around his blade, knocking Bichen to the side with Yin as she rose Yang towards Lan Zhan, sucking in air as he kicked off of her. She stumbled slightly as he shot back, recovering to dart towards her at a speed that was as fast as lightning, though she blocked his hits and blows as they rolled, jumped, kicked, and flipped around the space.

By this point, Jiang Cheng was watching with amazement at how fast the two Cultivators were moving. He watched as the colors of Lan Wangji's pale white-blue and Wei Yue's light silver-grey robes seemed to be blurring together as they moved in sync with one another.

"They have amazing chemistry." Jiang Cheng jumped slightly as a soft, quiet voice erupted from beside him, turning to see that Lan Xichen was standing next to him. He stood and went to bow, though the elder grabbed his arm and smiled. "No need, Young Master Jiang." They turned and watched as Lan Wangji knocked Yang from Wei Yue's grasp, moving to do the same with Yin when she jumped above him, kicked off his back, somersaulted, and grabbed her discarded sword.

"Didn't Lan Wangji train Wei Yue for a while while she was here?" Jiang Cheng asked, looking at his Sworn Sister's fiance as he watched his betrothed and little brother cross blades with one another.

"Yes, in a way." He answered, grinning slightly as he saw a confused look pass over Jiang Cheng's face. "Wangji insisted on fighting with her about how she used dual swords and how it was impractical to use them when you can use a sword like his own, Bichen. Wei Yingyue was annoyed that Wangji was so proud of his "stupid sword" that he thought he had any right to insult her swords, insisting they were amazing because her mother had left them for her when she died." Lan Xichen explained, looking at the boy beside him. "Lan Wangji came to ask for permission to challenge Wei Yingyue to a duel, insisting that he wanted to prove that there was no way that she could win a fight using the "two heavy heaps of metal". When she met him the next day in the yard, I remember watching from this very spot with my Uncle, watching silently as they did this." Lan Xichen gestured to the pair, smiling wider as Wangji tripped Wei Yue, making a small giggle slip through as she began to tease him.

"Come on, Lan Wangji! I know Grandmothers who move faster than you!" She laughed as she stuck her tongue out at him, jumping up onto the wall as she looked down at him.

"This is when you look like him, your punk of a brother." Wangji shot back as he lept at her, crashing into her before they landed on the white stones of the training area.

"When they think no one is listening, while they are dueling mostly, I enjoy watching how Wei Yue manages to allow for Wangji to let his guard down." Jiang Cheng glanced at Lan Xichen as he watched the two younger cultivators, a look of peace along his face as he watched his brother enjoy the last fight he would have with Wei Yingyue for a long time.

After staying in the same spot for a while longer, Lan Xichen turned and gestured for Jiang Cheng to follow him. The two male Cultivator's walked out of the training area, leaving the sounds of the two competitive friends behind them as they walked.

"Can I ask you something, Young Master Jiang?" Lan Xichen asked, looking forwards as he crossed his arms behind his back.

"Of course, Zewu-jun." The younger male answered, nodding gently as he looked at the man beside him.

"Will you tell me why Wei Yingyue has not returned to the Lotus Pier?" Jiang Cheng frowned as he looked forwards, pursing his lips as he clenched his fist slightly. The memories of his mother and his Jiejie flashing across his mind, the memories causing him to tense beside the older man. "Wei Yingyue has either been here or traveling for the past four years." He murmured, looking at Jiang Cheng as he took in his tense stature.

"Wei Yingyue and my mother don't get along, both Wei Ying and Wei Yue were subjected to the wrath of my mother." Jiang Cheng whispered, a grim expression lining his face. "My mother would discipline both of the twins for the smallest of things, but she seemed to take it out on Wei Yue more. Wei Yue always tried to block Wei Wuxian from my mother's anger, and that only seemed to anger her more." He continued, glancing back towards the training grounds.

"Is that why she started traveling?" Lan Xichen asked, his eyes locked in front of him.

"My father sent her here after my mother went too far in punishing Jiejie. My mother had whipped Wei Yingyue with her spiritual weapon, Zidian." Jiang Cheng's voice held pain as he turned back to his elder, his eyes cold as he remembered the day she left. "Wei Wuxian had made a fool of himself in a neighboring town from ours, he got drunk and did something stupid. When Mother came to fetch him for dragging our family name, Wei Yingyue refused to let the woman get a hold of him and blocked the door to her brother's bed chamber. Wei Yue was taken instead and she was whipped in front of the senior disciples, one's who are approaching Wei Ying's age." Lan Xichen felt his hand tighten around his sword, his eyes closing as he pictured Wei Yingyue getting whipped for her brother. "My mother told them that if they dared tarnish the name of the Sect, they would be given the same punishment as the Wei Twins. As soon as my Father returned from the meeting he had to attend that morning, he rushed there as soon as the news reached him about the punishment. Four days later after staying in her bed for recovery with me, my sister, and Wei Ying helping her, Wei Yingyue was sent here for the fourth time. It was the longest time she was here, and it was the last time she was at Lotus Pier." Jiang Cheng finished, looking away as he walked forwards. His fist tightened around his sword as he walked down the trail, his heart beating fast at the thought of her return to Lotus Pier and at the thought of her reunion with his mother.