Part 6 – A Rare Breed

Lan Wangji nodded at Wei Wuxian’s assessment. More than likely, he’d already deduced as much himself. As the saber zipped by them again, thrown off its deadly course by Wei Wuxian’s flung talisman, Lan Wangji sheathed Bichen and reached for his guqin instead.

Enraged by Wei Wuxian’s deflection spell, the crazed sword burst into flame. Like a fiery, rampaging wasp, it thrashed around in mid-air, while Wen Ning kept swatting it back.

“A saber?!” Lan Jingyi hollered, ducking the spitting flames. “What—how?! What sort of idiot can’t control his own sword?”

“A self-evident question!” Wei Wuxian hollered back. Sprinting off to one side, he readied another talisman in his fingertips. “Pay close attention—this is the sort of supreme idiocy you might only encounter once or twice in your life! But see how dangerous it can be?”

Wei Wuxian’s second talisman brought the sword careening toward the ground like an anvil. The dirt road split, cratered by the sheer force of the saber’s resentment. With Chenqing to his lips, Wei Wuxian held the sword at bay with a high, trilling note, which accompanied perfectly the clear, bell-like thrum of Lan Wangji’s Song of Clarity. Caught up in this potent duet, the saber quelled. Its fierce, fiery hostility was deftly quenched, and as the melody trailed off, it lay cool and dormant once more.

By now, Nie Huaisang and his retinue had finally caught up. “Wei-xiong, Hanguang-Jun! T-thank you for your help…I-I don’t know what came over it, so suddenly…”

Shaking his head, Nie Huaisang peered down at his own spirit blade, visibly reluctant to retrieve it. If Sect Leader Ouyang’s disciples had seemed embarrassed at their leader’s cringeworthy antics, the Qinghe Nie disciples looked as though they wouldn’t terribly mind if the earth swallowed them up right then and there.

Wei Wuxian crossed his arms at the chest. “I’ll give you my take on what happened, Nie Huaisang, and you can correct me if I’m wrong. You’re on your way to the discussion conference at Lotus Pier, just like we are. This saber of yours which you never wield—which you never even touch if you can help it—found itself in your hands for a change, because etiquette demands that you wear it and you’re on thin ice already after the crisis at Guanyin Temple. You unsheathed the saber out of curiosity—perhaps because you haven’t actually seen the blade in years—and this temperamental, utterly neglected weapon full of pent-up yin energy seized viciously at its chance for escape.”

This interpretation of events was delivered so confidently, and with so many damning asides, that Sect Leader Nie could only stand pale and wincing in the wake of it. No one defended him, not even his own disciples. It was pathetic beyond belief. Out of pity, or perhaps simply wishing to bring this awkward moment to a merciful end, Lan Sizhui moved forward to retrieve the abandoned sword.

But Lan Wangji put out a hand to intercept him. “Let him collect the saber himself.”

Whether this was a more or less humiliating turn of events for Nie Huaisang was difficult to say. Once one had already lost all face, what more was there left to lose?

With great reservation, Nie Huaisang ventured forth to retrieve his weapon, only seeming to breathe again once the saber was back safely in its sheath. He wasn’t alone. A collective sigh of relief seemed to pass through everyone in attendance. Sheepishly, Nie Huaisang turned back toward Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji.

“…Brother Xichen,” the sect leader asked hesitantly, glancing around. “Is he not with you…?”

“Xiongzhang remains in meditative seclusion,” Lan Wangji replied, with an icy edge that made Nie Huaisang wince all over again.

“Why else do you think I’m being forced to attend this boring conference?” Wei Wuxian said, stamping his foot. “Because Hanguang-Jun is standing in for Zewu-Jun, of course.”

“Ah…I see…” Nie Huaisang had recovered slightly. “But Wei-xiong, how is that forcing you?”

Wei Wuxian arched a brow, grinning slightly. “Isn’t it obvious, Nie Huaisang? Wherever Lan Zhan goes, I go too.”

Mo Dao Zu Shi © Mo Xiang Tong Xiu