Lan Zhan opened his eyes in the morning only to find his arms empty and Wei Ying no where to be seen. He jumped from the bed with fear running through his veins even as a taste in his mouth made him drink the water from beside the bed.

'Wei Ying?' he searched through out their home but found everything of his gone, however when he moved the cupboard just enough, he found their personally written oath untouched. No one but the pair of them knew that after they married, they had moved the cupboard and carved My life, heart and body belongs to you forever then each had carved their names into the wood. Also, he still had Wei Yings Suibian, so he knew Wei Ying didn't leave him. instantly he knew his uncle had done something .... May have hurt his wife. 'Wei Ying!' he ripped open the door only to see his uncle walking towards him with a satisfied look on his face. 'Where is Wei Ying?'

'He told me he was leaving and ....'

'He would never leave, what did you do?'

'He left of his own accord. Now I need you to come for a meeting.'

'No, I'm going to look for Wei Ying.' He turned to hurry back into his home only to hear his uncle speak coldly.

'He told me as he left that he is letting you go for the sake of the GusuLan Sect. He said he understands that this marriage is what is needed for the future children of this family and asked for my forgiveness for causing all of this trouble. He finally understands that two men are not able to have children to further the sect and told me to tell you to just do what you know is right.'

Those words struck a wonderful cord deep inside Lan Zhan. 'What I know is right?'

'Yes.' QiRen didn't see Lan Zhan's face as he spoke with is back to him.

'Who is this meeting with?'

'Your future wife and father-in-law are waiting to see what you look like and how you act, so only show a good face to them and do not loose face for the Lan family.'

Lan Zhan refused the tremor that wanted to rip through him from deep within his heart. There is only one thing for him to do ... he would go to the marriage meeting. He lifted his sword with his left hand and his right hand in a fist at his back, and then he indicated for his uncle to lead the way with empty eyes.

QiRen was almost overjoyed to see all the fire leave his nephew's and his obedience return. See, just a few moments away from that man, and I have my perfect student back again. He stopped the happy smile from forming. 'Now WangJi, your wife may not be the most beautiful woman and a few years older than you but she can still bare a few children for this sect and her sect is strong in cultivation so it is imperative that you leave a good impression. I have been in mediation with the sect leader for a few years now, and finally it is settled. They wed into the Lan Sect and we get their full library of rare books and scrolls. They are something that I have been after for half my life but the old man has refused all payments ... but he is willing to give them to us in exchange for you marrying his daughter.'

'I will leave a good impression uncle.' Lan Zhan clenched his fist around his sword. If he didn't do this right, everything would fall apart. He knew how stubborn his uncle was and also knew it would take something very ... special to convince him to say where he hid Wei Ying. Just asking, pleading, demanding or begging would never work with this man. So he walked into the meeting hall and faced a plain woman no less than ten years older than him who all but drooled at the sight of him. Even though his stomach turned over at the thought of lying with her as he did with Wei Ying, he didn't give any expression.

Lan Zhan stood there and looked at the woman with ice in his veins, then turned to his uncle. 'Is this really the woman you are thinking of wedding me too?'

'Yes WangJi it is. The lady's name is ....'

'I care nothing for their names or their insignificant sect name ... if they wish to live long enough to leave this room of their own accord, they better withdraw this prostitute from here quietly and never step foot in Cloud Recesses or the GusuLan Sect domain ever again or I will cut them both down.'

'WangJi! How dare you say such shameful words?'

'Uncle, I give you my word it is true.' He promised to do punishments later for the lies but he will do what ever it takes to get his wife back. 'I am sure I have seen this woman in a brothel that I passed with Wei Ying, she was offering her body to some stray man ....'

Slap.

WangJi stopped talking as the woman raced over and slapped his cheek with a horrified look. It didn't hurt but he was just giving everyone in the room time to take his words in before starting again.

'You dare say such a thing to the first born daughter of ....'

'Yes I do ... and I give you my word of honour, I will repeat it to everyone I come across when I walk from this room and as far as I travel, you will be known as a prostitute.' He glared at her. 'Do you still wish to try my patients any further auntie ...?'

'I am pure of body ... and I'm too young to be called an auntie.'

'You are at least fifteen years older than I am so it is appropriate calling you that. And I guarantee I will find many, many ... many men who will back me up in saying they have had sex with you because I am HanGuang-Jun and they will back me up.' I need to do so many punishments after this is over, what is one more ... now I understand Wei Ying. The right things need doing even if they are against the rules. 'What do you say sect leader? Is this how you wish your sect to be known from this moment on? You sell your first daughter off in a brothel for money for your sect ... as if she could even raise enough for a single bowl of week old rice. Anyone who thinks kindly of Wei Ying will agree to spread this where ever they go, and if you have not heard, that number has grown recently when his name was cleared.'

'WangJi, Wei WuXian is gone and not returning. Why would you destroy this opportunity for a good marriage? He is sure going to be bedding any man he can get ....'

'Shut your mouth about Wei Ying.'

Slap.

Lan Zhan's head twisted to the side at the power his uncle had put into that slap.

'You dare talk to your elders in such a disrespectful way.' He stopped when WangJi turned and looked him in the eyes; he felt a tremble run through him.

'Thank you Master Lan, you just gave me the freedom to .....' He straigtened up and looked Master Lan in the eyes, showing his true feeling at that time. 'I will never be so well restrained as to land such a pathetically weak slap on any person who disrespects Wei Ying before me .... Master Lan.'

BANG.

QiRen found himself on the other side of the room, ten meters from where he had been standing, on the ground with his jaw hurting. Shock ran through him at the idea that his nephew would ever raise a hand against him. To actually land a punch on his own uncle. 'WangJi ... you ... you hit me ... your elder, your fathers brother ... I raised you.' He stood up. 'Do you care nothing for the sect rules any longer?'

'Why should I care about rules made by you, a man so twisted by his own beliefs even when it is hurting those around him?' he then turned to the sect leader. 'I am sorry to inform you that I am a cut sleeve and am unable to sleep with any female ... especially one so old and unpleasant to look at. I am use to the beauty of my Wei Ying who is beyond compare ... not ....' He looked the woman the woman up and down with a disgusted look. 'This!'

'WangJi, what did I tell you. This is the right thing to do and Wei WuXian told you to follow through.' QiRen finally stood up after getting over his shock and walked back over.

'That's right young man ..... The wedding will take place in four days time.'

'No, it will not.' Lan Zhan glared at his so called father in law.

'QiRen, I thought you said he would be accepting of this situation for both sects.' The pudgy, balding man glared unhappy at the words. 'You want to remove the stain of having a cut sleeve in your family and I need to marry off my daughter, but let's not forget about you personally gain, the scrolls and books you have been chasing for all these years and now you have something that is agreeable to me.'

'Trust me, he will be there and wed your dear daugh .....'

'Aghhhhhh.'

Lan QiRen stopped talking at the sounds of terror from the woman he would soon to be niece by marriage and when he turned to look, he found WangJi ... his sword pointed straight at her throat with a look of blind fury filling his features.

Authors Note...

Okay, lets face the truth here shall we.

I had intended this to be a short and fun story of .... well maybe not all fluffy bunny love but .... (forget I mentioned bunnies, I just remembered QiRen killed them all in the last chapter).

It is turning into a much longer story and LAN ZHAN IS GOING OF THE FUxxxNG RAILS........................

I finally worked out the only difference in the two Lan Zhan .......... 

Young Lan Zhan could only grab his arm

Older Lan Zhan will grab just about any part of Wei Ying he wants.