Grandmaster of Heavenly Charm

Years later, Wei Wuxian reflected that the roots of his strained relationship with Lan Wangji could be traced back to those three months when he and Jiang Cheng came to study at the Gusu Lan Sect at the age of fifteen. The memory of that time still brought a wry smile to his face, a mixture of fondness and exasperation.

The Gusu Lan Sect boasted an elder of great renown, Lan Qiren, who was known throughout the cultivation world for three distinct qualities: his pedantry, his stubbornness, and his ability to produce exceptional disciples. While the first two traits often made people keep their distance or secretly dislike him, the last one had parents sharpening their wits to get their children under his tutelage. Many outstanding Lan disciples had been trained under his guidance, and even the most unruly students who spent a year or two in his classes would emerge as polished individuals, their manners and deportment vastly improved from before. More than a few parents had been moved to tears of joy upon receiving their transformed sons back.

When reminded of this, Wei Wuxian had quipped, "Am I not already sufficiently presentable?"

To which Jiang Cheng, ever the voice of reason, had prophetically replied, "You're bound to become the most disgraceful mark in his teaching career."

That year, in addition to the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, many young masters from other prominent families had been sent by their parents to study under Lan Qiren's tutelage. These young men, all around fifteen or sixteen years of age, were already familiar with each other due to the frequent interactions between their families. Everyone knew that although Wei Wuxian didn't bear the Jiang surname, he was the son of Jiang Fengmian's old friend and the head disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, treated as if he were Jiang Fengmian's own child. Moreover, young people often cared less about lineage and bloodlines than their elders did, so they quickly warmed up to each other, tossing around terms of brotherly endearment within moments of meeting.

One of the young disciples asked, "Your Lotus Pier must be much more fun than this place, right?"

Wei Wuxian grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Fun is what you make of it. But I'll admit, there are far fewer rules there, and we certainly don't have to wake up at the crack of dawn."

The Gusu Lan Sect was known for its strict schedule: rise at 5 AM, retire at 9 PM, without exception. Another disciple chimed in, "What time do you usually get up? What do you do all day?"

Jiang Cheng snorted derisively. "Him? He rises at 9 AM and doesn't sleep until 1 AM. And instead of practicing sword work or meditation, he spends his days boating, swimming, picking lotus pods, and hunting pheasants."

Wei Wuxian's grin widened. "And no matter how many pheasants are hunted, I'm always the best at it."

A young man from the group exclaimed, "I want to go study in Yunmeng next year! No one can stop me!"

His enthusiasm was immediately doused by a sardonic voice, "No one would stop you. Your elder brother would merely break your legs, that's all."

The young man's excitement deflated instantly. This was Nie Huaisang, the second young master of the Qinghe Nie Sect. His elder brother, Nie Mingjue, was known for his strict and thunderous manner, with a formidable reputation among the great sects. Although the brothers were born of different mothers, their relationship was close, and Nie Mingjue was particularly strict in guiding his younger sibling, especially concerning his studies. As a result, while Nie Huaisang respected his elder brother, he dreaded any mention of his academic progress.

Wei Wuxian, ever the optimist, chimed in, "Actually, Gusu can be quite fun too."

Nie Huaisang leaned in, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Wei-xiong, let me give you a piece of sincere advice. The Cloud Recesses is not like Lotus Pier. There's one person here you absolutely must not provoke."

Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Who? Lan Qiren?"

Nie Huaisang shook his head. "Not that old man. You need to be wary of his prized student, Lan Zhan."

"Lan Zhan? You mean Lan Wangji, one of the Twin Jades of Lan?" Wei Wuxian's curiosity was piqued.

The two sons of the current Lan Sect leader, Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji, were renowned as the Twin Jades of Lan. Their reputation had spread far and wide, with elders from various sects holding them up as exemplars for their own disciples to emulate. Their names were as familiar as thunder to the younger generation.

Nie Huaisang nodded vigorously. "Yes, that's the one. Good heavens, he's our age, but he doesn't have an ounce of youthful spirit in him. He's even more rigid and severe than his uncle, if you can believe it."

Wei Wuxian let out a thoughtful "Oh," before asking, "Is he the rather handsome one?"

Jiang Cheng scoffed. "The Gusu Lan Sect? When have they ever had anyone who wasn't good-looking? They even reject disciples with imperfect features. I dare you to find one among them who's just average-looking."

Wei Wuxian insisted, "No, I mean exceptionally handsome." He gestured to his forehead, "All in white, with a forehead ribbon, carrying a silver sword. Pretty as a picture, but with a face like he's attending a funeral."

Nie Huaisang's eyes widened in recognition. "That's him alright!" He paused, confusion crossing his features. "But he's been in seclusion recently. You only arrived yesterday, when did you see him?"

"Last night," Wei Wuxian replied nonchalantly.

"Last night?!" Jiang Cheng exclaimed, taken aback. "The Cloud Recesses has a curfew. Where did you see him? Why didn't I know about this?"

Wei Wuxian pointed casually. "Over there."

He was indicating a high eave of the wall.

The group fell silent, at a loss for words. Jiang Cheng felt a headache coming on. He gritted his teeth and asked, "What did you do this time?"

Wei Wuxian grinned mischievously. "It's not a big deal. Remember that 'Emperor's Smile' wine shop we passed on our way here? Well, I couldn't resist last night, so I snuck down to town and brought back two jars. You can't get that stuff in Yunmeng, you know."

Jiang Cheng's eyes narrowed. "And where's the wine now?"

"Well," Wei Wuxian began, his grin turning sheepish, "I had just climbed over the wall, one foot barely inside, when he caught me."

One of the young disciples exclaimed, "Wei-xiong, you're so lucky! He must have just finished his seclusion and was on night patrol. You were caught red-handed!"

Jiang Cheng frowned. "Those who return after curfew aren't allowed in until dawn. How did he let you in?"

Wei Wuxian spread his hands. "He didn't! He actually insisted I take my foot back out. Can you believe it? So there I was, straddling the wall, when he swooped up light as a feather and asked what I was carrying."

Jiang Cheng felt a sense of impending doom. "And what did you say?"

"'Emperor's Smile!' I told him. 'I'll share a jar with you if you pretend you didn't see me, deal?'"

Jiang Cheng sighed heavily. "... The Cloud Recesses prohibits alcohol. That's another offense."

Wei Wuxian nodded. "That's exactly what he told me. So I asked him, 'Well, why don't you tell me what isn't prohibited here?' He seemed a bit annoyed and told me to go read the rules carved on the rock at the mountain entrance. Honestly, over three thousand rules, written in seal script no less. Who's going to read all that? Have you read it? Have you? I certainly haven't. I don't see why he got so upset about it."

"Exactly!" The group collectively agreed, launching into a litany of complaints about the Cloud Recesses' bewildering array of rules. "What kind of place has over three thousand non-repetitive family rules? 'No killing within the grounds,' 'No fighting,' 'No licentiousness,' 'No night-wandering,' 'No excessive noise,' 'No running'... those are somewhat understandable. But then they have things like 'No smiling without reason,' 'No improper sitting postures,' 'No eating more than three bowls at a meal'..."

Wei Wuxian's eyes widened. "Wait, fighting is prohibited too?"

Jiang Cheng's voice was flat. "Yes, it is. Please don't tell me you fought with him."

Wei Wuxian's silence was answer enough. "We did. And I may have spilled a jar of Emperor's Smile in the process."

The group collectively groaned, lamenting the waste of good wine.

Realizing the situation couldn't get much worse, Jiang Cheng's focus shifted. "You said you brought two jars. What happened to the other one?"

"I drank it," Wei Wuxian replied matter-of-factly.

"Where?" Jiang Cheng pressed.

"Right in front of him. I said, 'Alright, alcohol is prohibited inside the Cloud Recesses. So if I drink it while standing on the wall, that doesn't count as breaking the rules, right?' Then I downed the whole jar in one go, right there in front of him."

"And then?" Jiang Cheng prompted, already knowing the answer.

"Then we fought," Wei Wuxian confirmed.

"Wei-xiong," Nie Huaisang gasped, "You're so brazen!"

Wei Wuxian shrugged, a hint of admiration in his voice. "Lan Zhan's pretty skilled, I'll give him that."

"You're dead meat, Wei-xiong!" Nie Huaisang exclaimed. "Lan Wangji has never been challenged like this before. He's bound to keep an eye on you now. Be careful! Even though he doesn't study with us, he's in charge of punishments in the Lan Sect!"

Wei Wuxian waved off the concern. "What's there to be afraid of? Isn't Lan Wangji supposed to be some kind of prodigy? He's probably learned everything his uncle could teach him ages ago. He spends all his time in seclusion cultivating. How could he have time to focus on me? I..."

His words trailed off as they rounded a corner, passing a latticed window. There, sitting ramrod straight in the classroom, was a young man in white robes. His long hair was bound neatly, a forehead ribbon in place, and an aura of frost seemed to emanate from his very being. He cast a cold glance their way.

Suddenly, all dozen or so mouths fell silent, as if struck by a silencing spell. They filed into the classroom quietly, each choosing a seat, leaving a conspicuous space around Lan Wangji's desk.

Jiang Cheng patted Wei Wuxian's shoulder, whispering, "He's got his eye on you now. Good luck."

Wei Wuxian turned his head, catching a glimpse of Lan Wangji's profile. His eyelashes were long and delicate, his features exquisitely refined. He sat with perfect posture, gazing straight ahead. Wei Wuxian was about to strike up a conversation when Lan Qiren entered the room.

Lan Qiren was tall and thin, his back as straight as a pine. Despite his long, black goatee, he didn't look particularly old; and true to the Lan Sect's tradition of producing beautiful men, he certainly wasn't ugly. However, he exuded such an air of rigidity and pedantry that calling him an old man didn't seem out of place at all. He entered carrying a scroll, which he unfurled to reveal an impossibly long list that rolled across the floor. To everyone's dismay, he began reciting the Lan family rules from this scroll. The young disciples' faces turned various shades of green as they listened.

Wei Wuxian, bored out of his mind, let his gaze wander, eventually landing on Lan Wangji's profile. To his amazement, Lan Wangji's expression was one of genuine attention and seriousness. "How can he listen to such dull stuff so intently?" Wei Wuxian marveled.

Suddenly, Lan Qiren slammed the scroll down, his cold laughter cutting through the air. "The rules are carved on stone walls, yet no one bothers to read them. That's why I'm reciting them one by one, to ensure no one can use ignorance as an excuse for breaking them. And yet, some still allow their minds to wander. Very well, let's discuss something else."

While this statement could have applied to anyone in the room, Wei Wuxian had a feeling it was directed at him. Sure enough, Lan Qiren called out, "Wei Ying."

"Yes, sir," Wei Wuxian responded, his tone light.

"I ask you, are demons, ghosts, and monsters the same thing?"

Wei Wuxian smiled. "No, they're not."

"Why not? How do you distinguish between them?"

"Demons are non-human living things that have transformed; monsters are transformed from living humans; ghosts are transformed from the dead; and strange beings are transformed from non-human dead things."

"'Demons' and 'strange beings' are easily confused. Give an example to distinguish them."

"Certainly," Wei Wuxian said, pointing to the lush trees outside the classroom. "If a living tree, steeped in scholarly energy for a hundred years, gains consciousness and causes mischief, that's a 'demon'. If I were to take an axe and chop it down, leaving only a dead stump, and that stump then gained consciousness, that would be a 'strange being'."

"What was the ancestral occupation of the Qinghe Nie Sect?"

"Butchers."

"The Lanling Jin Sect's emblem is a white peony. Which variety?"

"The Golden Star Snow Wave."

"Who was the first person to elevate family clans over sects in the cultivation world?"

"The ancestor of the Qishan Wen Sect, Wen Mao."

As Wei Wuxian answered each question without hesitation, the other students listened with a mix of admiration and relief, silently praying that he would continue to answer correctly and spare them from being called upon. However, Lan Qiren seemed unimpressed.

"As a disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, you should know these facts by heart. There's nothing to be proud of in answering them correctly," Lan Qiren said dismissively. "Let me ask you this: A executioner, with living parents, wife, and children, has beheaded over a hundred people in his lifetime. He dies a violent death in the streets, his corpse left exposed for seven days. Resentful energy accumulates, and he becomes a vengeful spirit causing havoc. What would you do?"

This time, Wei Wuxian didn't immediately respond. The other students, assuming he was stumped, grew uneasy. Lan Qiren barked, "Why are you all looking at him? Think for yourselves. No peeking at books!"

The disciples hastily withdrew their hands from the books they were about to consult, now also grappling with the difficult question. A violent death in the streets, a corpse exposed for seven days - this was undoubtedly a powerful, malevolent ghost, a dangerous corpse. It would be extremely difficult to deal with. They all silently hoped Lan Qiren wouldn't call on them to answer.

Seeing Wei Wuxian lost in thought, Lan Qiren turned to Lan Wangji. "Wangji, you tell him how to handle this situation."