Come Back to Gusu

22. You are being exonerated here.

"LianFang-Zen!" Su MinShan screamed as Zidian tightened yet again. "LianFang-Zen gave me the box and told me what to say!"

"A'Yao?" Lan XiChen's disbelief was quite clear on his paling face.

Lan WangJi closed his eyes, remembering that Jin GuangYao had accompanied them from Cloud Recesses to Koi Tower. Jin GuangYao... who held a token to access Cloud Recesses as he pleased. Who was allowed free access to the Hanshi. Who must have returned to the Hanshi to take the box before they all left for the Hunt?

Jin GuangYao who had murdered Jin ZiXun for his part in the Wen hunt and destruction of the rooms in Lotus Pier.

Jin GuangYao, whom no one was defending. Not his father. Not his half-brother, who had stayed silent this entire time. Not the third member of their triumvirate.

"It's not true, Er'Ge," Jin GuangYao begged. "I had nothing to do with this. I didn't steal anything. I never told Su MinShan to claim the Yin Tiger Seal was in that box! How could I know what's in it?"

Lan XiChen opened the box and handed it over. "There's nothing in here," he sighed. "Check all you want. It's just an empty, pretty box."

Lan WangJi kept his face as still as possible. How? Then he realized. Wei Ying must have made it so XiongZhang can open the box. But not so that it will show that the Seal is hidden inside. Clever man. He was feeling extraordinarily proud of his friend. He kept the amusement from his features as the box was handed to each of the sect leaders near the dais to confirm that yes, the box was completely empty. There was no hidden qiankun pocket, no demonic energy emanating from it, no spiritual energy, no indication that it had ever been spelled shut except for a trace of being spelled so only Lan XiChen could open it.

Wei WuXian opened his mouth, perhaps intending to comment. Lan WangJi swiftly cast the silencing spell. You are being exonerated here. Let Jiang ZongZhu and XiongZhang speak for you. Words from a sect leader to another sect leader will have greater impact than from a Head Disciple who cultivates the demonic path ever will. They'll just turn on you. Make you the focus of the discussion again instead of Jin GuangYao and Su MinShan. Wei WuXian glared at Lan XiChen, who didn't notice. So he turned his glare on Lan WangJi, who gave a minuscule shrug in return. It would be best if I could take you out of the Hall. They'd have a harder time trying to pin this on you if you're not even here.

He'd stopped paying attention to exactly what was being said. Jin GuangYao was still protesting his innocence. Su ZongZhu was repeating his statement about merely being a messenger. Jiang ZongZhu was obviously furious; Zidian was sparking, making the clan leader yelp in pain every few breaths. It would have been funny if this were a play. Farcical. This was reality, and the crowd was not laughing.

Lan WangJi guessed that unless Jin GuangShan immediately started protecting his son, Jin GuangYao would be stripped of his titles and position in Koi Tower and banished. Being executed seemed a bit harsh of a punishment. Perhaps he'd lose a hand? Or be branded as a thief? He might even have his Core permanently sealed.... He could not imagine the Jin sect leader simply permitting his bastard son making such mistakes. First, being caught murdering Jin ZiXun and now being credibly accused of theft. From a fellow sect leader, no less. Both actions were most likely done at the order of Jin GuangShan, or at least with his blessing; the man was overly interested in getting his gilded hands on that Seal, after all.

Jiang WanYin suddenly jerked his fist, retracting Zidian, then struck out again. This time Zidian curled around Su MinShan's right elbow. There was another jerk and Su MinShan screamed. "You knowingly accepted stolen goods, and then smeared my Head Disciple's and my sect's reputation. You declined to offer even a reluctant apology for your actions, instead pushing the blame onto your co-conspirator. I accept the loss of your sword hand as reparations." Now Lan WangJi could see the clan leader cradling the stump of his arm to his chest.

More fast talking. This time from Jin GuangShan, attempting to absolve himself of any attachment to Jin GuangYao around this issue. As if the son would steal from another sect leader without his father's permission or order. The son would absolutely spy on Wei Ying, with or without his father's orders....

So who was the spy in Cloud Recesses? Someone followed Wei WuXian around? Was able to get close enough to the Weifengshi to overhear Wei Ying talking to himself? Or to see him placing the spells on the box? Place the Yin Tiger Seal inside? Who among the Lan, and it had to be a Lan, was close enough to Wei Ying to get away with it?

It took a few moments for him to figure it out. Wei Ying has a manservant who cleans his house. Is he the spy? Even if Wei Ying didn't say anything in the man's presence, even leaving his notes around, as he did since he was quite messy on his good days and an absolute slob on his normal ones.... The servant could even have taken a paper or two, found a way to copy them, and then returned the originals without Wei Ying even noticing their absence. He could then have sent the copies to Koi Tower.

Or not even had to make copies at all.... Jin GuangYao visited Lan XiChen at least once a month, usually three or four times a month. It wouldn't be hard for the manservant to spend a few minutes with the Jin.... Jin GuangYao was said to have the ability to read something once and be able to perfectly recall it even years later.

It was all speculation at this point. He'd need to discuss this more thoroughly with his brother and with Wei Ying. They would have additional information to add to his suppositions.

A loud thunk and yet another scream interrupted his musings. Jin GuangYao was kneeling on the floor, holding a bloody stump of his own. Nie MingJue loomed over him, Baxia dripping blood. "The punishment for thievery is to lose a hand. Be thankful I didn't take your life."

Lan XiChen dropped to his knees, "A'Yao.... Let me help you." The wounded man shuffled backwards. "Da Ge," Lan XiChen chastised. "You didn't have to do that. He is our sworn brother."

Nie MingJie wiped his bloody saber with the bottom of one of his skirt panels. "It is because he is our sworn brother that I had to do it. He stole from you, Er Di. Then he made up a story about how it contained the Yin Tiger Seal and had Su MinShan announce it to everyone here. For what purpose? For what end? To merely discredit young Wei WuXian? To discredit the entire YunmengJiang sect? He won't say. He won't admit to anything."

"A lack of confession is not an admission of guilt," Lan XiChen retorted.

"Exactly," Jin GuangShan agreed. "Nie MingJue! You have caused irreparable harm to my disciple and my sect. I demand compensation."

Nie MingJue stared down at the Jin sect leader. "A disciple is he? Just a disciple? Not your son?" He reached into his lapel pocket, pulled out a few coppers, and threw them at the sect leader. "Here. The price of a hand from a mere disciple." He whirled around to face his own disciples still sitting at their places in the Hall. "I'm leaving. This place stinks of corruption and rot."

Lan WangJi turned his attention back to where Wei WuXian should be; he was gone.