That's a wonderful outcome, and Meng Yao is very impressed. He takes careful note of each talisman.

Presumably they have already asked the hidden Lan disciples if they know anything about Zewu Jun's whereabouts? So far Meng Yao has interviewed a couple of people who saw someone that could have been Lan Xichen, around the time that the Cloud Recesses burned. He's on the tail of those descriptions.

What they've found out is that Lan Qiren told Zewu-jun to take as much of the library as he could and run. One of the disciples they found was there when the two of them argued over which one should do it. 

That's good to know. Hopefully they will have both found out more the next time they meet.

He will see them here again in four days?

In four days! 

Four days later they have slightly less military progress to report; they found a cave in which a surviving healer was hiding with those who were cut down but not slain whom he had managed to drag off; there weren't very many of them but getting them actual medical supplies was prioritized pretty highly. One of Wei Ying's experimental talismans turned a Wen soldier inside-out. It doesn't scale and it made one of the Lan survivors puke so she doesn't think she'll be using that one again. 

(Every survivor they find is an incredible relief. She knelt in front of the healer and thanked him with tears in her eyes.)

He has nothing but more fragments of potential sightings, but that's leading him somewhere. He feels like he's getting close. He is aware that he could be wrong.

The next few days are busy. The Wens almost find the campsite where the still-injured, unable to move and hide quickly, are located; it takes some adept finagling to move and arrange the bodies so that when they're found it won't direct attention to the actual campsite. Wei Ying gets in a brief argument with Lan Zhan over what does and does not constitute demonic cultivation, which Wei Ying allows herself to, if not lose, at least be tabled into not trying anytime soon on the grounds that her idea wouldn't have been a good idea to try somewhere they would like to be more intact than it currently is rather than less anyway. 

Lan Zhan does not understand why Wei Ying feels a need to walk the line between acceptable and demonic cultivation. She is so skilled at her talismans; it is completely possible for her to focus on approaches that would not even resemble demonic cultivation. So she should do that.

As weary as she remains, she accepts the argument-tabling. Wei Ying is listening to her for now, at least, and there are plenty of other things to worry about.

The next day Lan Zhan misses her period. 

It's... jarring. She cannot remember her bleeding coming even a day late ever before. But these - these are unusual circumstances. She has been under lots of stress: close calls with Wen soldiers, fear and nightmares and memories of the Cloud Recesses burning, and constant, gnawing terror for her Uncle and Brother...

Stress can affect these things. She won't overreact.

Meng Yao enters his fifth inn of the day. Big, bright smile at each innkeeper. Yes, he's passing through town. No, he's just here to meet a friend, but perhaps he will decide to spend the night after looking around. 

Now he will linger in this common area and question everyone he sees: have they seen a man who fits this description, pale and handsome and very tall - 

and then Meng Yao hears the playing of a xiao.

He follows the music. He knocks.

The music stops. 

...he knocks again. "Gongzi?"

At that, there is a flurry of footsteps, and then the door opens. 

"Meng Yao?" 

"Zewu Jun," he gasps, and he desperately wants to embrace the man but his arms stop short and fall into a bow instead.

Lan Xichen reaches out to stop him. "There's really no need for that," he says, "especially not now." 

-- hug. 

Hug. 

"Are you alright? What are you doing here?" 

"I am alright now that I know Zewu Jun to be safe. I have come here to find you."

"It isn't safe, the Wens are searching for me." 

He nods. "I know, Zewu Jun. That is why we wanted to find you, you see; everyone was worried. Sect Leader Nie sent a party to Gusu to assist the Lan survivors, and I am among them."

"That's wonderful news. Thank you. What other survivors have you found?" 

"Lan-guniang is with us."

"A-Zhan is alright? Where is she?"

"She will be at the meeting place outside Caiyi Town in two days. Wei-guniang is with her. They are searching for other survivors; when I last met them we had gathered eleven. We have not yet found Grand Master Lan, but neither have we found indication that further ill has befallen him."

"Thank you," he breathes, squeezing Meng Yao tighter for a moment before letting go.