Chapter 5: Sizhui as an Adult
In the blink of an eye, it was deep winter, and the first snow of the year had fallen in the Cloud Recesses. Crystalline icicles hung from the eaves, and the red plum blossoms in the courtyard bloomed brilliantly against the white snow, filling the air with a refreshing, cool fragrance.
Sizhui's fifteenth birthday arrived on such a sunny day after the snow.
According to Lan Clan tradition, a man's jigui ceremony, held at fifteen, marks his official coming of age. A few days ago, Lan Xichen had specially sent a newly forged longsword, its scabbard intricately carved with cloud patterns and its hilt inlaid with a piece of smooth white jade.
"This is made of cold iron that my brother found specially for you. It is lighter than ordinary swords and more suitable for your spiritual power attributes." Lan Wangji handed the sword to Si Zhui with an imperceptible gentleness in his tone.
Si Zhui took it with both hands, his fingertips stroking the cold scabbard, his heart warmed: "Thank you, father, and thank Uncle Xiandu for me."
Wei Wuxian pulled out a small wooden box from his Qiankun bag and handed it to him mysteriously, "This is a gift from Daddy. Wait until no one is around to read it."
Si Zhui shook the box curiously and heard a small sound coming from inside. Just as he was about to open it, Wei Wuxian held his hand back, "Don't be impatient. Wait until the coming-of-age ceremony is over."
The coming-of-age ceremony was scheduled for the hour of Si. Lan Qiren, as the clan elder, personally crowned Sizhui. Sizhui, dressed in a brand-new Lan family formal attire, knelt on a mat in the ancestral hall, listening to Lan Qiren recite the congratulatory message. Suddenly, a sense of panic seized him.
He recalled how he had just arrived at the Cloud Recesses, a timid little kid who dared not even speak loudly. It was his father who taught him how to read and write, his father who took him chasing rabbits in the bamboo forest, his uncle the Immortal Supervisor who always slipped him snacks, and his uncle Jiang Cheng who, despite calling him "idiot," awkwardly gave him the best medicine whenever he got hurt practicing swordplay.
After so many years, he has grown into a young man who can stand on his own.
After the coronation ceremony, Lan Xichen smiled and patted his shoulder: "Good boy, from now on, you are a true son of the Lan family."
Jiang Cheng had arrived at some point, holding a brocade bag and tossing it to Si Zhui: "Here, a birthday gift."
Si Zhui took it and looked inside. Inside was a jade pendant carved with a lotus pattern, exactly the style of the Yunmeng Jiang Clan. His eyes welled up and he bowed, "Thank you, Uncle Jiang Cheng."
"Alright, alright. You're an adult, and you're still crying." Jiang Cheng turned his face away, but his ears turned red.
Nie Huaisang also came over and handed over a folding fan: "My dear nephew Sizhui, the painting on this fan was painted by me myself. You must keep it well."
Si Zhui opened it and saw a few cute little foxes of various shapes painted on the fan. He couldn't help but smile, "Thank you, Sect Master Nie."
After a while of noise, everyone dispersed. When Sizhui returned to the quiet room, Wei Wuxian was sitting at the table fiddling with a food box, while Lan Wangji was warming wine nearby.
"Are you back? Come here and try daddy's cooking." Wei Wuxian waved at him.
The food box contained several delicate side dishes, a bowl of longevity noodles, and two round poached eggs. Si Zhui picked up his chopsticks and took a bite when he felt his eyes ache.
"What's wrong? It doesn't taste good?" Wei Wuxian asked nervously.
"No, it's delicious." Si Zhui sniffed, "I just feel... very happy."
Lan Wangji pushed a cup of warm fruit wine in front of him and said, "After you reach the age of 15, you will become an adult. From now on, you must think twice before you act. Don't be so reckless as before."
"I've got it in mind." Si Zhui picked up the wine glass and took a sip. It was sweet with a fruity aroma.
Wei WuXian suddenly remembered something and nudged him: "Hey, where's the gift I gave you? Didn't you open it and take a look?"
Si Zhui then remembered the wooden box and quickly took it out and opened it. Inside were neatly stacked talisman papers, each with a different spell drawn on it. Next to them was a handwritten copy of "Detailed Explanation of Talismans".
"These are all spells I find practical. You can use them during your night hunts." Wei Wuxian scratched his head. "I know you're better at swordsmanship, but learning more is always good. It can save your life in critical moments."
Si Zhui picked up a piece of "Evil-Breaking Talisman" and stroked the smooth lines on it with his fingertips. Suddenly, he found that there was a small sun pattern drawn in the corner of each piece of talisman paper, which looked very much like the smile that his father always had on his face.
"Thank you, Daddy." His voice was choked and he couldn't say more.
Lan Wangji looked at them, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and he took out a scroll of bamboo slips from his bosom: "This is the 'Essence of Lan's Swordsmanship' that I compiled for you. It contains some of my experience in swordsmanship when I was young, which may be useful to you."
Si Zhui took the bamboo slips, which felt heavy in his hand. He flipped them open and saw not only annotations on sword techniques, but also illustrations of the moves drawn by his father himself, each stroke powerful and vigorous.
"Father……"
"Becoming an adult doesn't mean you have to shoulder everything alone." Lan Wangji interrupted him, his tone calm but firm, "No matter what happens, remember to come home. Your father and I will always be here waiting for you."
That night, Sizhui lay in bed, clutching the bamboo slips his father had given him and cradling the talisman his father had given him. He felt as if he owned the world. Snow was still falling outside the window, but the quiet room was warm as spring.
He knew that his fifteenth birthday was not only a coming-of-age ceremony, but also a heavy responsibility. From now on, he would learn to be as steady and reliable as his father, as passionate as his father, and more importantly, learn to protect this warm home that gave him so much warmth.
But he didn't know then that this heartwarming birthday celebration would be the last peaceful moment of his life in Yunshen. A sudden turbulence of time and space would soon unleash a turbulent storm in his life, his father's life, and his father's. And the promises made at his coming-of-age ceremony would face their most difficult test in this unfamiliar world.
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