Second Time Around

16. Keep Wei Ying Alive: Steps 1 and 2

"And the boy is to be named Jin Ling," Nie HuaiSang breathed. "How did you know this? It's a secret outside of the interior of Koi Tower."

And yet you know about it... Lan WangJi thought. That's why I need access to your spies. "In the vision, on the way to the one month celebration, Wei WuXian was attacked by Jin ZiXun. Jin ZiXuan showed up, too, and was murdered. Wei WuXian was blamed. The Sects went after him, and in the ensuing fight, Jiang YanLi was also murdered. Again, Wei WuXian was blamed even by those who saw who actually murdered her. He committed suicide before the Sects could kill him."

Nie HuaiSang carefully poured out more wine. "You believe the vision was prophetic?"

Lan WangJi nodded. "At around the same time, I played Inquiry to identify one of our dead female disciples. A different spirit answered and informed me that Wei WuXian was going to commit suicide in a few years if people didn't start paying attention to what he was doing and saying."

"Keeping Wei Xiong from killing himself is a worthy occupation," Nie HuaiSang mused, and looked up at the taller man from under his lashes. "I assume you are embracing the role?"

Lan WangJi ignored the innuendo. "I would like to know for certain who cast the curse on Jin ZiXun and who wants Jin ZiXuan dead."

"You don't ask for much, do you?" Nie HuaiSang snapped his fan closed. "Consider it done.

"By the way... in the vision... Did Wei Xiong mention where we were in all that fighting?"

"No. Just the Sects in general against him alone."

"Lan WangJi... why weren't we fighting at his side? Well, I don't fight, obviously, but I would have stood by his side, at the very least. Wouldn't I have?"

Lan WangJi sighed. "I think we weren't paying attention. I think I was still listening to my brother and uncle. Perhaps you were also listening to your brother." Left unsaid was that both of their brothers were sworn brothers with the very man he now believed responsible for the attacks on Wei WuXian. The man who might also have been responsible for Jin ZiXuan's murder in that other life.

The man who had miraculously escaped all forms of justice after being implicated in the imprisonment of the Wen civilians at Qiongqi Path.

Qishan was not a bad place to be. The people there were wary of cultivators, and at the same time were in dire need of their services. Night Hunting was plentiful, and as compensation, Lan WangJi asked for cooking lessons.

The first few lessons were rather unpleasant; the feel of raw meat in his hands made his stomach complain. And more than once, he'd had to leave the kitchen to vomit. At least eating meat wasn't a problem; he'd learned how to tolerate it during the SunShot Campaign when one ate what was served or one didn't eat at all.

A letter from the Unclean Realm came a little over two months after Nie HuaiSang left him. "You have no idea how much money I spent just investigating the hundred holes curse! So many personal servants had to be bribed! It paid off, though. There is a man carrying the marks of the backlash. Perhaps you remember him from that little trip to Biling Lake? He lost his sword trying to prove he was as good as you were." Lan WangJi looked up from the letter and glared at the inoffensive wall. Su MinShan! The man was more arrogant and obnoxious than Wei WuXian could ever have tried to be, and yet, none of the clans were nearly as offended by his actions as they were by Wei WuXian not carrying a sword. "At least exposing him as the one who cursed Jin ZiXun is going to be easy", Nie HuaiSang continued. There were a few clumsy Nie cultivators; at least one could be persuaded to 'accidentally' trip near the MolingSu clan leader and bare enough of his chest to show the holes. It would be slightly harder to arrange this to occur directly in Jin ZiXun's sight; Lan WangJi had complete faith that Nie HuaiSang would manage it without anyone suspecting the reveal was contrived.