So, this is the last chapter. I think I've covered everything I wanted to. It's not like I own the story or characters, but I was able to vent the feelings that the story produced and I am content with the result. It's not 'just a fanfic' when you pour your time and energy into something. The Procession of Lights is based very, very loosely on All Soul's Eve (Halloween) in its traditional sense. I wanted to make a distinction between the zombies and spirits because it's so obvious that Wei Ying's ability could be seen in a beneficial way, but in the original story, no one ever mentions this. Which really griped me, since Inquiry is okay but not something like this?

Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed my twists on things. I did think I was being a bit pretentious with having Wei Ying incarnate within himself and essentially rewriting the story from that point on. I tried not to make the characters too radically different, but I did have to take some liberties in order to remain consistent.

Thanks to everyone who came along and waited so patiently for the chapters! Thanks to all the people who will read this now that it is complete!

Wei Ying stood at the top of a crude adobe wall, at Wei village, and smiled. Behind him, there was the demon slaughtering cave, an open space, a platform, and an armada. That was all he had for now since the majority of his monies and time had gone to the village. The last three years had been pleasant, by comparison, but there had still been upheaval and sorrows. Not just for himself, but for Lan Zhan, Jiang Cheng, and even Jin Guangshan.

He had not been certain that Jin Guangyao was responsible for the events leading to his horrific demise in that other timeline, but Wei Ying had not wanted to take any chances. Thus, he had decided to go the opposite route from what he had in that 'before' he could still remember. Much of the details had faded off and nothing was for-certain any longer, though. He could not predict the future, after all, just as Lan Zhan had insisted. If was too constantly in motion for that. What he did know, was that some people were more likely to do something, so he could plan for that.

And his actions had changed the future. He had lied about the Stygian Seal, even to Lan Zhan. He had lied about so many things he could no longer disentangle one from the next! He had arbitrarily used his mother's name to cultivate that future and he was proud of it. Jin Guangyao was content not to be left out, even though he had no talent for demonic cultivation whatsoever. Even he had acknowledged that after a few months, laughing at his own stupidity.

It was through his aid, as well as that of the other Sects, that Wei Village had a good stone foundation. Each building had a stone base and then a wooden upper. It was all black wood, harvested right there in Burial Mound, and quite beautiful when sanded, buffed, and lacquered. This had been something they could sell in the form of boxes, hair accessories, and staves. Jin Guangyao had aided them by handling the distribution of these things and the funding had allowed them to buy food and put all their labour force into the building.

Adversity had found them in the form of Jin Zixun. For some reason, that man just hated everybody. Wei Ying did not understand him and tried not to think about him too much. He had formed, not a sect, but a coalition. A group comprised of people with one common agenda; to defeat Yiling Patriarch. They had tried to garner sympathy form the other Sects, or at least Sect members, and some had initially responded.

Lan Qi Ren and Madam Yu among them.

Jin Zixuan and, of all people, his father, Jin Guangshan, against them.

For the first time in their lives, very likely, the Jin father and son were of the same mind. Not because they cared anything for Yiling Patriarch but because they knew a war with him would be too costly and dangerous. They had seen the sky go dark, the flames turn green, and the earth rise up at his command. They knew he had a contract with a Roc and could see the Worm-holes. He could travel in soul-form via many different types of poppets and had the ability to create darklings.

And all this was simply natural cultivation of Yin energy. That had not even touched on the command over the undead which was more accurately 'demonic' in people's minds.

Thus, they did not do anything to antagonise him. He did not meddle their affairs. He merely kept his eye on them and communicated to them that he was polite, not easy. Which Jin Zixun did not want to deal with and his raggle-taggle band had gone and done something unforgivable. They had captured not only some of the Wen Clan, but some people from the Lan Sect, Nie Sect, and Jin Sect. All guest cultivators headed for Burial Mound as an assignment. Wei Ying had been open to communal study as long as it was open-minded and allowed the people there to leave whenever they wanted. They could come and go freely, like the wind, like the water. It was not his place to keep them bottled up if they were unhappy there. His only rule was that they play nicely with each other while they were there.

And these people had been killed!

Turning at a tug on his hem, Wei Ying bent and scooped up a three-year-old. He was almost four already! Wen Yuan was quite particular about his ways and disliked loud things. He did not enjoy being swung around in the air and preferred to be held close. Wei Ying had discovered Wen Yuan quite by accident during his disassembly of that self-righteous group, and upon finding him there, in such a similar state to that 'before' he carried with him, he had gone almost insane.

Had Lan Zhan not been there, he might have truly turned into a demon. Instead, he had dragged Jin Zixun up to Carp Town by his hair and flung him at the door. He had been taken into custody and confined. A debate had been wrenched open, but Jin Guangshan had aspirations of his own. Some that no one could have anticipated, really. Jin Zixun had been handled strictly due to his ill-treatment of innocent persons. No one really cared if he opposed Yiling Patriarch, but they did care that he had brought everyone else into danger because of it. It had led to a conference among all the Sect Leaders, the result of which had shocked even Wei Ying.

None other than Jin Guangshan had retired from being a Sect Leader and taken up the position of Chief Cultivator. He had gone into seclusion for six months, no less, and come back an almost unrecognisable man. Madam Jin was still his sworn enemy, apparently, and they had begun living separately. This was because Jin Guangshan had declared that he was not particularly good at normal cultivation either and therefore utilized dual-cultivation; thus, he slept with a lot of women.

Those who knew, knew he was lying.

But, those who knew he was lying, knew it was a very good lie.

Unfortunately, A-Yuan had still lost his parents. Wei Ying had held onto him, rocking him, cuddling him, making sure he had eaten, until he was almost delirious. The fear that another kid would end up like him was bitter, but it was also how close he had come to failing. He had presumed that if he never met A-Yuan, then the child would grow up with his parents as he was meant to, and he had been proven wrong.

Wei Ying gritted his teeth, holding him tightly until A-Yuan squawked.

Delicate, if masculine, hands appeared to take the toddler from him. "Wei Ying." It was a mildly chastising tone. "Do not hold him until he cannot breathe."

"Oh, like you're any better!" Wei Ying scoffed, but with a happy smile. "I saw you holding him tightly just the other day!"

Lan Zhan looked away coyly, his eyes angled back at him. "That is an entirely separate matter." He commented. He toted A-Yuan away with him, back to the black armada he called a Jingshi, to continue getting A-Yuan dressed.

Smiling, Wei Ying decided he could count himself lucky to have at least saved A-Yuan. "I guess, it's time." He said, softly, adjusting his mostly red ensemble. It was a festival night, the night of the highest moon, and there was a lot of Yin energy for him to utilize as a result. "Although I feel a little ridiculous. Is this supposed to be my wedding?"

"Well, you're are the one who chose black and red." Wen Qing said as she came up the steps to the top of the wall. "The Procession of Lights, really! All the Sect Leaders are present and ready to come up. You've been putting them off for three years so you'd better put on a decent show. And why not a wedding dress, anyway? You're the Bride of Burial Mound!"

"I'm nobody's bride." Wei Ying snapped, although in his heart he added on 'yet'. He did not think his personality had been changed to such an extent he could include homosexuality; he had never considered being a bride 'before'. On the other hand, 'before' did not exist now. Turning to look back at the Jingshi, an all-black frame with top beams twisted and curved elegantly until it peaked dramatically. It almost looked like a dumpling. There, he had made a place, a haven, for Lan Zhan. So he could keep books and scrolls there, play music there, even sleep there! It was his place. And likewise, at the Cloud Recesses, there was one very untidy room. The only room with jugs of alcohol in it, nude pictures, trash, and bizarre arrays decorating the walls. That simple separate room where he lived during his frequent visits.

"All right, let them ascend the mountain, then." Wei Ying said as Lan Zhan came out. He was wearing a red shawl around his shoulders, over the blindingly white robes. He had seen the procession before and knew what the red represented. A-Yuan had a red coat and was holding a silver bell with a red tassel. He held it up adorably, grinning the entire time. "Thank you." Wei Ying said, before turning to head down the steps of the wall.

They were situated at the half-way point of the mountain. Technically, Burial Mound was made up of a flatland, steppes, and then ragged crags. The tallest was basically a mountain. There was no use in going up any further than that, since that was the Roc's territory. She would not come down that far to hunt them and they did not go up there to bother her nest. Only once in a great while would he go up and make sure she did not have bugs or wraiths affecting her eerie and take a ride on her back. She also seemed to like the company, so it was a good relationship. Her presence protected them from the rather large centipedes infesting the mound...large enough to fill the bell of a Roc anyway.

The Sect Leaders and their aides and families were brought within the wall. Wei Village was outside this wall and the scene of a festival. They had been making good foods, serving alcohol, dancing, singing, and mingling all day. Now that it was fully night and the moon was in the sky, it was time to start the real Procession of Lights.

He stood at attention in the middle of the platform. It was cool and everyone was wearing an extra layer. He had given out wraps and shawls for everyone. The children running around, a mix of colours, made him smile. They had black wands with red streamers. There were red lanterns hung on black branches. It was almost gagging in the brutal richness of the colour red, but he did think it was a pretty colour.

As it came on toward the correct time, red lights began to rise from the earth. Each one was a soul-fragment. With Chenqing, he began to play a simple, haunting tune. The fragments drew closer to him, to the lanterns, to the bell A-Yuan rang when prompted. He had a very tensed, determined expression since he believed it was a big role. In a way, it was. The bell helped dispel miasma and allowed the soul-fragments to gather together.

When two fragments of the same soul met, they became whole again. This went on for a while, by which time, there were some mostly formed spirits hovering. Each one had a very bright green core, but they were otherwise dull red in colour. They milled around the platform, almost like a party was going on and they the honoured guests. But, as was their course, they began to shine brilliantly and off they went. They flowed rather than walked. They became spherical in shape, condensing themselves down and migrating toward the distant forever.

The entire procession lasted only one hour.

It was a very beautiful scene, of course, and many people were moved to tears. To them, that was all that had happened. For Wei Ying, the spirits had looked just like people. People with bits missing. With holes in their faces, chests, or limbs. They were sad or happy people. They had been waiting within the mound for so long and it was only right that he help them out. Just one night of the year were they able to gather enough Yin energy to try to migrate, but they could not move on when they were not whole. Some were restless and went back into the earth; they had not found all of their soul fragments and were not ready to make that last journey yet.

Lan Zhan strummed his zither, dispelling the clouds of miasma that had begun to gather at the edges. The wraiths and unhappy dead that were out there also went back to sleep for the year.

A-Yuan's clear bell chimed a precise three times.

Then, it was done.

Bowing to the audience, Wei Ying tipped his head back. "That's it," He said, with a little shrug, as Jin Guangyao and Nie Mengjue came up onto the platform. "That's my job."

"It was beautiful," Guangyao commented. "I think I understand, but then, I also don't. Perhaps I won't until I am on the other side."

"Yeah, well..." Wei Ying giggled, putting a finger to his chin. "...we'll get there soon enough, right? Until then, I'm going to have fun! There are so many things to be done here. And maybe next year, this really will be my wedding dress." He turned his eyes to Jiang Cheng, who was just taking a sip of his drink, and delighted in him choking on it. Laughing, Wei Ying skipped off the platform like a young girl, twirling his sleeves and making a complete mockery of the otherwise solemn event. Because to him, the disapproving looks of others did not matter. There was only one pair of eyes he needed to pay attention, and they were, indeed, fixed on him.

"Lan Zhan!" He said, swooping in with a kiss to his cheek.

The startled expression lasted only a moment. Then he sighed and looked down. "You are drunk." He said, softly.

"Hm?" Wei Ying seated himself, curling up next to him and leaning on his shoulder. "Then why don't you join me?" He suggested. "Unless you'd rather not?"

Lan Zhan eyed him for a moment, then turned and handed A-Yuan off to Wen Ning. Wen Ning who always seemed to be conveniently to hand and also managed to conveniently disappear when the time came. Wei Ying watched him, wondering if he had learned some divine arts at some point, but then was caught by the smell of a very special liquor. Lan Zhan had brought out the Emperor's Smile from somewhere, likely a dimensional bag, and pulled the lid off. "I have to repay a debt." Lan Zhan replied, softly. "I broke your jar of wine."

Startled, Wei Ying blinked at him. Then his cheeks flushed and he burst out laughing. "Yes, you did!" He said, thinking back again. "Oh, how free we were to be idiots." He picked up the jar, drinking a good amount and then handed it out to Lan Zhan. "So now that we are older and wiser, you'll finally accept my offer and have a drink with me."

Lan Zhan took the jug, delicately sipping the wine, his eyes looking up over the jar to never leave their mark.