Jiang Fengmian had just been woken up to take his shift passing Wei Wuxian spiritual energy when a distressed looking Yunmeng Jiang sect disciple run inside the tent. He stopped dead between the door, taking in the whole room before heading towards Jiang Cheng who was still sleeping, completely exhausted after the rescue operation and keeping Wei Wuxian alive.
Before Jiang Fengmian could intervene and stop the disciple from waking his son up, the deed had already been done. Jiang Cheng sat up on the bed, rubbing his eyes and yawning. With his hair down and only in his sleeping inner robes, he looked very young.
It was only at that moment that it had all downed on Jiang Fengmian. There had been a war and it was not their generation who fought in it, not him and his wife, not Jin Guangshan or Lan Qiren. No, it was their children who had to grow up way too quickly while facing such horrors. He felt ashamed that he had not been any help until now, just resting and taking it easy while his son had to pick up the pieces of the ruined Yunmeng Jiang sect and step up as the sect leader.
It was kind of pitiful that the whole generation of their children had suffered and had been forced to assume responsibilities they were way too young to shoulder. Nie Mingjue was a sect leader, and had already been for several years. Lan Xichen was also the new sect leader of the Gusu Lan sect after Lan Qiren had stepped down, grieving his dead brother. Jin Zixuan was leading the Lanling Jin army while Jin Guangshan was being a coward and hiding in Koi Tower. And Jiang Cheng, he too had to take the place of Jiang Fengmian after the fall of Lotus Pier and singlehandedly rebuilt the whole Yunmeng Jiang sect.
Truly, Wen Ruohan and the war had not only cost many lives, but had also taken so much more. Friends and families, and also youthful innocence and free choice. It has also taken away future of Wei Wuxian, without a golden core, he would no longer be able to become a cultivator. That however would never stop Jiang Fengmian from caring for him as for his own son.
Still, he could not help himself but feel regretful, Wei Wuxian had been such a bright and talented boy, and now everything had been stripped away from him. Jiang Fengmian had to wonder if the loss of his golden core had not broken him as it had been the case with many others. Though, after his wife explained to him that Wei Wuxian had not lost his golden core the day of their escape from the Nightless City palace but way earlier, during the fall of Lotus Pier, Jiang Fengmian had to assume that it had not affected the youth in the same way as it had everyone else.
Wei Wuxian had been fighting even without his golden core and he had even learned demonic cultivation! Jiang Fengmian was not too worried about his future, the boy was smart and resourceful enough to figure everything out and make the most out of his new circumstances. What was of far greater concern was the effects demonic cultivation was having on him, at least according to Lan Wangji.
Thought, Jiang Fengmian could not even imagine stripping Wei Wuxian even of this newly found weapon, it would surely feel like losing his golden core, his only defence, all over again. No matter that the whole family would protect him, Jiang Fengmian could understand the helplessness of someone stripped of their only means for fighting. He had lived through much in the Nightless City dungeons after all. He assumed that they would all had to figure this once Wei Wuxian would wake up.
"Sect Leader, we need you!" the Yunmeng Jiang sect disciple whispered urgently, startling Jiang Fengmian out of his musing. "There is a meeting going on between the great sects, it concerns the Yin iron and Senior martial brother's use of demonic cultivation. You need to go there as well. I am afraid of what would happen to him if no one will speak up for him."
Jiang Fengmian stood up at the same time as Jiang Cheng who was grunting and cursing under his breath as he was getting into his outer robe.
The disciple looked between them, suddenly unsure who was actually coming with him. And Jiang Fengmian understood his hesitance. He had been away from the post for too long and his son had rebuilt the sect from the ashes, since he could not even remember ever meeting this particular disciple, it could even be that he was a new addition and had never been in the sect while he was the sect leader. Though, from the hesitation and confusion on his face, he could tell that he at least recognized him.
Jiang Cheng seemed to not have noticed anything and was already prepared to go out. Jiang Fengmian would be more than happy to let his son go and grow up some more, without a war going on this time, be it not for the look Jiang Cheng shot in Wei Wuxian's direction. It was so full of worry and unease, very open and vulnerable, and so incredibly young, unlike anything Jiang Fengmian had ever seen on his son's face. And he knew that going to the meeting right now was the last thing Jiang Cheng wanted to do.
He was extremely proud of his son for putting the sect before himself and for being ready to sacrifice his personal wish for the good of many. Still, he was here now, healed enough to assume his old responsibilities which he had been secretly running from this whole week. At this moment, he did not want to separate his family again. He went to Jiang Cheng and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly.
"A-Cheng, I will go this time, you can stay at your brother's side. I am proud of you and I am in no way trying to take the position back after all this time, you have done wonders. You have resurrected the whole Yunmeng Jiang sect singlehandedly; you really have followed our sect's motto. But right now, if your heart is telling you to stay with A-Ying, you can follow it. I will step in this time, only as a temporary deputy. We can discuss this after A-Ying will be feeling better, what do you say?"
Jiang Cheng's head snapped up to look at him and Jiang Fengmian saw gratitude and excitement in them. "Thank you, father, I would greatly appreciate this."
Jiang Cheng's cheeks became a suspicious shade of red, he was blushing and smiling as a small child. And Jiang Fengmian realized that the 'thank you' had not been meant as only thanks for his offer but also for the praise he had given. It stung a little because Jiang Fengmian knew that he had not been praising his son's good work often enough in the past. He should do better in the future, the look in Jiang Cheng's eyes was all worth it.
Jiang Fengmian patted his son's shoulder one last time and then he turned to the Yunmeng Jiang sect disciple who was still waiting in the middle of the room, bewildered and apparently not really understanding the situation. He smiled at the youth and gestured for him to lead the way. Still confused, the disciple walked out of the room and Jiang Fengmian followed with one last look back at his family. He would try to deal with this as quickly as possible and come back to them soon.