Oh no is Xuanwu ON THE LOOSE what has he done???

"What happened."

"It ate Wen Xu and a bunch of other Wen cultivators during a brief rampage before they finally managed to kill it. And now everyone's saying that the mysterious attacks by mobs of fierce corpses are some curse it let off when it died or something." 

Oh.

"Lan Zhan, I know I didn't do anything whatever about the Xuanwu of Slaughter, so you must have, and I definitely want to know what you did, but also remember when you said you wanted to be the one to kill Wen Xu? It looks like you got your wish!" 

"Mn." He is pleased.

He takes a few more moments to feel pleased, and relieved, and something fainter and uglier that he feels whenever he thinks about Wen Xu.

"Sent letters to Qishan, written as messages to Clan Leader Nie. I described treasure in the cave. I had only hoped they would kill it."

"Ahah, that's brilliant." Cheeksmooch. "I guess Wen Xu isn't at Nightless City after all, then, looks like you got several of our problems to cancel out."

Kiss. "Wen Ruohan?" Should they move on him next, he means. "If he thinks a curse is closing in on him, he might move faster."

"Yeah, no point burning out random outposts that don't have even a chance of containing anyone who really needs to die. Hmm. He tortures people to death, right? People he tortured to death would make really strong fierce corpses for the purpose of ripping him specifically to shreds." 

"He might not leave the bodies intact, or nearby."

"He didn't during the Sunshot Campaign but that was after, uh, months of publicly existing at Wen forces to devastating effect...but this might have the same effect even if he doesn't know there's a person behind it. Damn. Hmmmm. How did he die last time, it was your brother's friend Jin Guangyao, right? He fake defected and then stabbed him while he was distracted? Could try disguising something as a servant and sending it inside, not necessarily a fierce corpse even, I could do something with the summoning of painted eyes..."

"Mn. Summoning of painted eyes is a good idea. If the attempt fails, it should not cost us."

"As long as we're careful enough about sourcing the materials that nobody connects some teenagers buying grave goods to the violent puppets inside Nightless City."

“Mn.”

"You know, if you went, with your forehead ribbon off and wearing those ruined clothes, nobody who heard the description would ever believe it was you." 

While Lan Wangji would normally hate dressing sloppily among the general public, the idea of having been fucked into disguise by Wei Ying is very appealing.

"I will."

"Perfect. Let's find a different town, though, since Jiang Cheng's already been to this one and not being seen by the same people as him can only help." 

"Mn." Time for flying. Wangji enjoys flying while carrying Wei Ying very much; he does not mind moving to a different town at all.

At some point when this is all over and he goes back for Suibian he'll be able to fly on his own but he bets they'll manage to work something unbelievably sappy out even then. 

Before sending Lan Zhan into town he carefully removes the forehead ribbon, somehow still miraculously pristine despite everything, folds it up, tucks it over his heart, and sets about mussing up Lan Zhan's hair to complete the disguise. 

Well, this is exceedingly strange. His hair feels much lighter and looser than he's accustomed to; it takes concentration not to reach up and fix it.

He kisses Wei Ying and thanks him for his artistry.

"Ah, Lan Zhan, being unruly is what I'm best at, don't you know that?" Kiss. He considers his artistry critically, bends down, and scoops up a handful of road dust and smears it lightly across Lan Zhan's cheeks. 

"There we go. Hurry back and I'll help you wash it off." 

He makes a Face about the dust, but doesn't wipe it off.

Now it is time to go into town and discover where he can purchase some Materials.

Materials can be obtained! People are probably going to remember him, he definitely looks kind of sketchy, but he's sketchy with money so he can purchase Materials and as long as nobody makes the absolutely insane leap between ????probably a criminal of some kind???? dude and the esteemed second Second Jade of Lan, mission success and home free. 

When he gets back, Wei Wuxian is talking to Jiang Cheng, but when he sees Lan Zhan he breaks off mid-sentence and bounds up to hug and kiss him. 

Kiss! He rubbed off the dirt on his way back from town, but otherwise he still looks much shabbier than usual. "I found everything you needed."

"Thank you, Lan Zhan. I love you, Lan Zhan. I want to drag you off and have sex with you while you're still attractively rumpled, Lan Zhan."