How difficult can it be to learn your own self ? Very. Ask Wei Wuxian. He will tell you exactly how strange and intriguing it is and all the more frustrating.
And don’t even get him started on the stares. It’s actually the worst.
After the tears and bickering, and an extremely long conversation with the head healer who was convinced that her patient was not the Yiling Patriarch (she had not seen him much or simply didn’t remember his face), Wei Wuxian found out many things about himself. Basically he had some facial hair to worry about, his lanky form ( he doesn’t remember being THAT tall though teasing Jiang Cheng is more fun now). Then again, he was seventeen. Also his old features garner stares.
Even the healer almost flirted with him!
Damn. Being handsome is tiring.
How he survived being the third most eligible bachelor before is a mystery to Wei Wuxian.
Jiang Cheng had to ban him from stepping foot outside his room and courtyard for a week while he yelled at his disciples and people to stop staring and get it together.
His new core, thrumming in his lower dantian and fuelled by the old and already present energy was growing, thriving with the constant energy transfer Jiang Cheng and the healer did. Though it was still amateur.
There was every possibility that Wei Wuxian would qi deviate or his meridians would simply burst. It was like being seven again; when they first started forming their core. The energy was unstable— not yet adjusted to flow in their meridians in a single direction and with their mind and body not focused enough, it was like controlling two breathing.
They had to balance his energy continuously and so Wei Wuxian spent most of the time indoors, meditating and focusing his qi— the boring way. Lan Zhan would be proud of him.
He still couldn’t believe he had a core. Jiang Cheng had to whack him.
~°•●•°~
After a week, when Wei Wuxian finally thought it was safe to step outside, Nie Huaisang was waiting for him. Just to tempt and tease his friend, he put on his cape. Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow at this but thankfully didn’t say anything.
“Wei Xiong!” Nie Huaisang hadn’t changed at all it seemed. After all the formalities were over and the three of them were the only ones left inside the sword hall, the Nie sect leader dropped all dramatics; his solemn face changing so fast Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng got whiplash.
“Cut the theatrics Nie Xiong. Any news about the trail ?” Wei Wuxian asked, getting straight to the point.
If Nie Huaisang notices the difference in Wei Wuxian’s voice, he doesn’t mention it. A raised eyebrow towards the Jiang Sect Leader is his only expression before he opens his fan, taking out a scroll from the sleeves of his robes.
“Jiang Xiong, you might want to see this too.” He says with a sideway glance to Jiang Cheng.
“Why should I see this ? I don’t care about that Lan Wangji, this idiot here does. For all that I know, I don’t even need to be here!”
Beside him, Wei Wuxian sputters indignantly but is mostly ignored by his brother and friend in favour of focusing on serious matter.
“Ah, I am sure you would definitely want to be here. Jiang Xiong, has there been anything strange happening around here lately?”
“So you know about it.” It was a statement which Nie Huaisang didn’t deny.
“Wei Xiong, Jiang Xiong, you both.....”
“Tell us about your plan and findings first. We can talk nonsense later.”
~—•●•—~
“So it was him.”
“Yes...if you overlook the fact that he was....”
“They both are involved.”
“Li Taiyang must have been insane to agree to such a thing.”
“Is it true?” Both speakers turned towards the third occupant of the room, the one who had been eerily silent since the beginning of the conversation. With the black obscuring his face, the man in front of them had an aura that screamed danger and even Nie Huaisang, who was familiar with danger like one with an old friend, shuddered.
Not knowing whether a lie would save him or aggravate the other, Nie Huaisang nodded. Better to stay safe and tell the truth.
“And he was the one who sent those things?”
“Yes...”
“How did he enter Lan Zhan’s room?”
“I believe he used teleportation talisman. Lan Wangji’s room must have been tampered with, the arrays forbidding such talismans were disrupted to allow such a thing to happen. I had them checked.”
“You mean someone tampered with the protection arrays?”
“.....yes....”
“ That’s worrisome because Jin Ling....” It was Jiang Cheng this time. If the man had done something like that then he must have connections with the servants and other working staff.
And that was quite disturbing knowledge.
“Any idea about how Li Taiyang might have got his hands on such a huge amount of spiritual energy? As far as I know, there’s no way someone can use teleportation talisman three times without blacking out or worst, killing themselves.”
“I don’t know Wei Xiong. For all I know, he could have just walked in because none of my people were there when all this happened. As much as I needed intel, I cannot just....stalk Chief Cultivator, now can I?”
That was also true. But then how did Li Taiyang entered Lan Wangji’s room?
“What if....what if he didn’t.” Both Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian turned towards the Jiang Sect Leader, who looked like he couldn’t quite explain what he thought.
“What if he didn’t have to?”
“Jiang Cheng, are you implying that Li Taiyang didn’t enter Lan Zhan’s room himself or not at all ?”
“I don’t know. But do you think it’s possible to teleport something at a certain place without teleporting yourself ?”
Wei Wuxian drummed his fingers on the low table, considering the possibility.
"I am not sure. I never tried anything like that. Teleportation talismans was never something I meddled with considering the amount of spiritual energy it took but resentment.....” As if struck by a thought, Wei Wuxian stood up abruptly, startling his companions.
“Yes. That’s it! It’s the resentment!”
Jiang Wanyin raised an eyebrow at this, not having believed his little hypothesis to lead them anywhere.
“You mean he used resentment to teleport ? Is that even possible ?”
At this, Wei Wuxian turned away from them but from his clenched fists it was obvious he didn’t want to discuss more about it.
Jiang Cheng announced that the rest will be discussed tomorrow. For now, they must rest. Especially someone in black robes.
~°•●•°~
Winter nights are a relief in Yunmeng. Even with the slight chill, the weather is at its best and the preparations for the Lunar Fair is on the way.
People have starting stocking up already, wine cellars filled or in the process of filling, dried lotus seeds stocked high in their storage, season specials which took weeks to prepare already started. In Lotus Pier, disciples had yet to call it a night, the absence of a rule for bedtime a boon.
Amongst all this peace, this corner of the pier was mostly avoided.
So the sound of footfalls in this area at such an hour was a surprise for the night. The footfalls echoed in the heavy silence, a reprieve from the usual shadow which hung in the atmosphere.
The sound stopped near the railing of the pavillion located in the middle of the louts pond. The person simply stood there in silence before deciding something and going near the person leaning on the railings.
The person was obviously stressed given how strong their grip was on the wooden barrier.
“You are worried.” The visitor spoke after sometime has passed and the other man didn’t show any sign of speaking.
“That’s a statement. Isn’t it ?”
Wei Wuxian sighed. He still had an iron grip on the wood, as if trying to ground himself.
“Berating yourself over the past won’t change anything. You know that.”
Jiang Wanyin looked ahead, the pond was large, larger than it had probably been before and full of lotus leaves and some lotus buds stubborn enough to brave the weather.
A puffed out laugh was his only answer. For a while, the brothers lapsed into silence once again.
“Jiang Cheng, do you know what happens when you use resentment?”
Jiang Wanyin looked at his brother with a raised eyebrow.
“How would I? That’s your expertise.” Another huffed laugh and a small tick of lips, barely a smile.
“So you accept that I am an expert of something ?”
“Don’t start it now. Tell me what you know.”
At this, Wei Wuxian turned to his brother. “I have a hypothesis, nothing solid though.”
“Empathy was also a hypothesis once. You made it possible.” Jiang Cheng turned around too, facing the other.
“Never knew you knew.”
“Jin Ling has been talking. He has much tales of Yi City and other nighthunts.”
“Fine. So here’s what I think happened. Nie Huaisang said that no one went in or out and you suggested that if the things could be teleported without people needing to travel with it. I considered that and this is not exactly what I made but similar to something I had created back in the Burial Mounds. I never got the chance to actually test it so I cannot say mine would have worked but, it’s a possibility.”
“So, are you sure that this is the method Li Taiyang used ?”
“No. There can be every possibility that he simply drugged Lan Zhan and.....wait!" A vision came to his mind, of fighting a masked man with his paperman, a wet and embarrassed Lan Wangji and the closeness.
"The bath! Jiang Cheng, it’s the bath!” Wei Wuxian’s eyes widened, the sudden realisation surprising him. It all clicked in place, the placement of gifts, Sizhui telling him that Lan Wangji had used his talisman to detect a malicious array which would serve as a nice distraction for a cultivator. The bastard didn’t enter three times, he simply had to place the gifts there at once and put an invisibility talisman on it which was lifted as soon as Lan Wangji’s skin came in contact with the surface of the place, disabling the talisman.
Jiang Wanyin, not knowing what his brother was suggesting threw a look at him.
“Jiang Cheng, when I attacked that fool in Lan Zhan’s room during the conference, I noticed something in the bath water. It wasn’t aromatic oil but a drug. I thought it was just used once but now it seems like that bastard used it earlier too.”
“What about your earlier theory....”
“It fits but that’s the general thinking. Anyone would suspect that it was resentment which indirectly points towards me.”
“So you are telling me that whoever planned this complicated mess was targeting you too ?”
Wei Wuxian stopped short. This was only logical. What a complicated mess. “Possible. It could be that the person intended this to be distraction, another boulder to divert attention.”
“But he doesn’t know that it’s you who is after him. Should I call that man foolish or smart ?” Jiang Cheng asked aloud, clearly that man needed a hit on his head to be reminded a few things.
Wei Wuxian grimaced. “Foolish would be better. Though I have a few choice words.”
~°•●•°~
“How dare they!” Wei Wuxian was fuming and beside him Jiang Wanyin shared the sentiment, though for a different reason. Nie Huaisang had told them what he found about the night hunt led by Lan Wangji and the events after that.
The discussion and conclusion the night before had already had him on edge and the new information didn’t help in subduing his anger.
The exact location and place of nighthunt which no one was supposed to know about was leaked by someone. The nighthunt was actually a trap and the timing of the incident matching with the start of Cultivation Conference had not been a coincidence.
The servants of the Koi Tower needed to be questioned again and the whole Jin residence needed to be checked for harmful arrays or lack of protection arrays and spells. This was a mess, and a planned mess at that.
The mastermind of this was extremely cunning and clever. So much so that Nie Huaisang had to threaten one of his long serving men to make him spill the beans.
“I never suspected him Jiang Xiong, Wei Xiong. He had helped me since childhood.”
Xui ZhouBan. The man had served the Nie Sect Leader since his infancy and even helped him during his revenge against Jin GuangYao. It was hard to not trust him.
But then, things started happening.
It wasn’t until Nie Huaisang sent ZhouBan on a task and got exactly what he thought he would did he act. But it had been too late till then, the man only uttering the truth before taking his own life. Nie Huaisang found his family, tortured and left to die in a cave near the borders of Qishan. The man who had promised ZhouBan his family’s safety was gone and so was a part of Nie Huaisang’s intel.
“I had no choice but to order my men to keep their family in the Unclean Realm Jiang Xiong. We didn’t know when someone would harm them.”
Even the disciples had become wary, it was like Sunshot Campaign again.
Currently, the Nie Sect Leader was hiding behind his fan as if hoping the feeble paper fan would protect him should Wei Wuxian loose control.
Jiang Cheng seemed unusually calm but Nie Huaisang guessed that the tsundre Sect Leader was more used to seeing his brother like that and need not fear him.
“But, are you sure ? You cannot just point finger at such a high authority. That will get you killed, nothing else.” Just when Nie Huaisang thought that the Jiang Sect Leader was going to be silent for the whole time, Jiang Cheng voiced his concern. He was frowning (nothing new there) and his face was contorted in a twist of worry and something indescribable (that was new).
“Jiang Xiong, do you really have any other explanation?” The Nie Sect Leader asked in an offended voice but Jiang Cheng heard the unspoken question.
Do you really not believe me, after I orchestrated such a complicated scenario which even forced Jin GuangYao to fall ?
Jiang Cheng did. He didn’t doubt Nie Huaisang’s ability of deceit and collecting knowledge.
But Jin GuangYao was someone from cultivation world, someone who was close enough for the Nie Sect Leader to plant spies and traps like one plants a sapling. The imperial palace? No way.
Even if he managed to plant spies in there by means Jiang Cheng would rather not know to sleep peacefully, it would be next to impossible to visit the palace. And who said that no one would suspect a thing ?
The imperial palace was the abode of deceit and malice. Almost everyone was waiting to stab the other from behind. Cunning was he was, Nie Huaisang couldn’t expect to go in the lion’s den and come out unscathed.
“Well you did say that you had this in your hands too but what happened?” Everyone winced at the thought and Jiang Cheng could practically see the dark clouds over his brother.
That was NOT something they needed to be reminded of.
“Nie Xiong, as much as I appreciate your help I don’t want to be the reason of your death. You just now told us what happened to your men. And from the tales and lessons I thankfully remember on the imperial rule, they won’t think below execution when it comes to punishing you.
Apparently, the king wishes to kill the problem at its root...or something like that. Personally, I think that’s foolish but well. Whatever.
This person, whoever they are, know you well. Enough to manipulate your men.
You need to think again.”
When Nie Huaisang raised a brow at this, Wei Wuxian huffed, pointing at him accusingly.
“Don’t forget that you yourself said it was possible that the person behind all this is above your level. I am just spitting facts.”
The three of them stayed silent for a while, contemplating what was said before Nie Huaisang shut his paper fan with an audible click.
“You are worried about entering the palace, correct ?” He said, his fan pointed towards Wei Wuxian who nodded briefly, not knowing where this was going.
“And you, Jiang Xiong. You are worried about the politics and Wei Xiong. Correct?” Jiang Wanyin nodded before the words caught in his head. He glared at the other, causing Nie Huaisang to hide behind his fan.
“I am worried about my nephew! A Ling barely managed to escape death before, no thanks to you. If that Lan Wangji hadn’t arrived when he did, who knows what Li Taiyang would have done! Who’s worried about him ?” Jiang Wanyin shouted, red in face.
“Ow...A-Cheng! You wound me! Did you really forget this brother of yours? After all I did ?”
“YOU—! Get off me! I am a Sect Leader! How can a grown man like you behave like this is beyond me! Lan Wangji must be happy you aren’t there to annoy him.”
As if the conversation has taken a morbid route, Wei Wuxian blinked, speaking slowly “Lan Zhan doesn’t hate me, does he?” His hold on Jiang Cheng slack, Wei Wuxian turned to his brother and friend, his body language screaming insecurity.
Both Jiang Wanyin and Nie Huaisang looked at each other with a raised eyebrow, both having the same thought.
Where the hell did that came from?
“Uh...Wei Xiong—”
A palm was slapped on his mouth, rather loudly and Nie Huaisang glared at the alleged person. But Jiang Cheng seemed to be having the time of his life. If not for the twinkle in his eyes, Nie Huaisang would never believe that the usually short tempered sect leader was plotting something.
“Or what ? Do you expect him to follow you ? Worship you and give his sacred ribbon for annoying him?”
At the mention of the sacred ribbon, Wei Wuxian whipped his head in the direction of the duo. Even with the black veil and bamboo hat hiding his face, Jiang Wanyin swore he saw the other panic.
“Wait!...Jiang Cheng, the forehead ribbon! What...what does that symbolise?”
“Wei Wuxian! Don’t tell me you forgot such a thing!”
“I might have...”
“Wei Xiong....don’t tell me you....touched it?”
“Ah...I—”
“You touched Lan Wangji’s ribbon?”
“I swear that was only once—”
“What do you mean just once? Don’t you dare lie!”
“I really—”
“Wei Xiong! Really?”
“No wonder His Excellency hates you!”
“But—”
“Tell me Wei Xiong, was it really once ?”
A thump echoed in the room, the table they were sitting at making a sound similar to cracking with the tea set and other things kept there clattering.
The two sect leaders stopped talking or yelling in an instant, all attention fixed on the back robed man breathing heavily with his fist on the table surface.
“Now, will you two listen or should I just let you blow off some of the excitement ?”
When no one spoke, Nie Huaisang spoke slowly from behind his fan,
“You speak Wei Xiong. I think that would be the best....”
“I thought so.
So first, I only remember touching Lan Zhan’s ribbon once. Don’t ask me why. You know my memory is hell.
Second, if I really knew the meaning or importance of that simple piece of cloth then I wouldn’t be asking you obviously. You can stop frowning Jiang Cheng, it makes you look twice as old.”
Wei Wuxian stopped, looking at his brother. Said brother was turning purple slowly and Wei Wuxian was worried that one day Jiang Cheng’s face would settle into that colour permanently.
“Third, Nie Xiong you really need to answer a few questions of mine and tell me everything or seriously; I cannot guarantee that you will see tomorrow’s day. Is that understood?”
The weight of the glare was physical and Nie Huaisang swore he felt goose bumps at that voice.
“Wei Xiong, I promise I would never lie to you!”
“Lying and hiding are two different words, remember Nie zhongzhu.”
When no one uttered a word, Wei Wuxian stood up. “Good. Then come with me, I have a plan.”
—•●•—
“You must remember this. We won’t get another chance.”
“The imperial rule is out of our reach but that doesn’t mean we can’t lure the culprit out.”
“But how are you going to lure the culprit? The imperial family doesn’t lack anything. What are you going to use as your lure ?”
“ A fish never lacks anything in its home, yet it comes out when a worm is let down in a hook. Ever wondered why ?”
Nie Huaisang looked at his friend in confusion, not knowing how instructions on fishing would help them. It appeared that the Jiang Sect Leader shared his thoughts, he was just....vocal about it.
“Cut it out. Tell us already what you want to say.”
Wei Wuxian huffed.
“ You are no fun Jiang Cheng. Nie Xiong, you ?”
“Ahhahhaah....Wei Xiong I really don’t—” A withering glare and Nie Huaisang was stuttering out,
“I know! I know!........Greed?”
“Ah Nie Xiong! That wasn’t very difficult now, was it ?” Wei Wuxian chirped, contrary to his earlier scary demeanour. Nie Huaisang worried for his health. This much scare was surely not healthy. Even for him.
They continued to discuss the details of the plan for hours, only stopping after a servant knocked on the door to convey the message that a Sect Leader from one of the minor clans had come.
Jiang Cheng excused himself, grumbling about stupid people and stupid timings.....It was only Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian now.
“Wei Xiong...”
“What ?”
“ You know we should have something as a failsafe too....”
Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow at this, intrigued. Oh, the gears of his friend’s mind had started turning it seems.
“I am listening.....”
~°○•●•○°~
S
o what is Nie Huaisang’s failsafe ? How many of you guessed this turn of events ? Who is the mastermind behind this all? How will Wei Wuxian save Lan Wangji?
Will they ever get peace in life ?
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See you in another update!
Stay safe everyone.
20 January, 2022——2 February, 2022