Holding the person he had yearned for day and night, Lan Wangji lay awake for a long time. Sensing Wei Wuxian's steady breathing, Lan Wangji gently opened his eyes, his gaze filled with endless tenderness as he looked at the man in his arms. "Wei Ying, you are mine. Don't ever think of leaving me behind again!"
As if hearing his name called, Wei Wuxian stirred and gave a soft murmur in response. "Lan Zhan."
Closing his eyes, Lan Wangji soon drifted off to sleep as well, spending the night in sweet dreams.The next day at the rabbit hour, Lan Wangji opened his eyes. A wave of deep contentment washed over him as he looked at the person clinging to him like a koala. Gently withdrawing his arm, Lan Wangji got up, washed up, and went downstairs. Downstairs, several Lan Clan disciples were already awake, sitting in the main hall. Seeing Lan Wangji descend, the disciples all stood up and bowed.
"Hanguang-Jun," the Lan Clan disciples greeted.
"Father, when are we returning to the Cloud Recesses?" Lan Sizhui asked.
Looking at Lan Sizhui, a gentle expression surfaced on Lan Wangji's face. "No rush. We'll head back once your father wakes up. A-Yuan, you take the others to have breakfast first."
"Yes, Father," Lan Sizhui replied.
Lan Wangji turned and asked the innkeeper for some congee and side dishes, then carried them upstairs.
In the room, Wei Wuxian was still fast asleep. The sound of the door opening only caused him to turn over before he plunged back into deep slumber. Using his spiritual energy to keep the breakfast warm, Lan Wangji sat quietly to the side to meditate and cultivate.At a quarter past the dragon hour, Wei Wuxian stirred and opened his eyes. Seeing Lan Wangji beside him, he asked, "Lan Zhan, what time is it?"
Hearing the question, Lan Wangji stopped his cultivation and walked over to the bed."A quarter past the dragon hour. Wei Ying, get up and have some breakfast, and we'll head back to the Cloud Recesses."
"Oh," Wei Wuxian acknowledged. He sat up, letting Lan Wangji help him dress. After washing up, the two sat down at the table to eat breakfast.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to Lan Wangji. He looked up and asked, "Wei Ying, you mentioned before that you are now a Ghost King. Do you still have spiritual energy? Will entering the Cloud Recesses affect you?"
Hearing this, Wei Wuxian shook his head. "Mm, Lan Zhan, you don't need to worry. The barriers and spiritual energy of the Cloud Recesses can't affect me at all. My magical power is very high now; I can basically come and go as I please across this realm. However, Lan Zhan, I can't practice sword flying."
Lan Wangji asked, puzzled, "Why can't you fly on a sword?"
"Wherever I want to go, I just use the thousand-mile shrinking technique. I don't need to fly on a sword!" Wei Wuxian explained. "Lan Zhan, why don't I go ahead and wait for you in Caiyi Town, and pick up some Emperor's Smile while I'm at it?"
"I can take you by sword flying, or... if that method of yours can carry me too, that works as well," Lan Wangji offered.
Wei Wuxian chuckled. "All right, I'll take you with me then! You can have them head out first, and we'll rendezvous in Caiyi Town. Oh, right, Lan Zhan, if you bring me back to the Cloud Recesses, won't your Uncle and Brother chase me out?"
"No," Lan Wangji answered. "My feelings are known to both Uncle and Brother. With me here, you have nothing to worry about."
"Good enough!" With that, Lan Wangji went downstairs and found Lan Sizhui. "A-Yuan, take the disciples and get moving. We will rendezvous with you in Caiyi Town shortly."
"Yes, Father," Lan Sizhui replied.
Wei Wuxian leisurely finished his breakfast, and the two took a stroll around the area before preparing to leave. Suddenly, two dice appeared in Wei Wuxian's hand. He had seen Hua Cheng use them with great convenience and had refined this pair himself; their purpose was to traverse a thousand miles in a single step. Throwing the dice to the ground, two bright red sixes appeared. Wei Wuxian pulled Lan Wangji forward, and the next second, the two of them appeared just outside Caiyi Town.
"Wei Ying, those two dice are..." Lan Wangji began, looking at them with curiosity.
"Oh, a magical treasure that can shrink a thousand miles into a single step," Wei Wuxian replied. "I saw Hua Cheng using something similar and thought it was quite useful, so I refined a pair myself. This is much more convenient than sword flying."
"Who is Hua Cheng?" Lan Wangji asked.
"Another Devastation-class Ghost King in the Ghost Realm," Wei Wuxian explained. "Right now, there are three Devastation-class Ghost Kings in total: Crimson Rain Seeks Flower Hua Cheng, Black Water Submerging Boats He Xuan, and yours truly."