The fourth month's dual cultivation was as useless as the first three.
Wei WuXian packed up his belongings and returned to Yunmeng.
Lan WangJi was forbidden to follow.
"You are needed here, Didi," Lan XiChen pleaded. "Your duties are to this Sect. You can continue to assist in his healing with Wen Daifu, but...."
"I understand," Lan WangJi acknowledged.
~*~
Six more months passed before something changed: Lan WangJi yelped when Wei WuXian shoved what little qi he possessed into his friend's body. It stung, much like a branch whipping into one's chest.
Wei Qing nodded happily until she took Wei WuXian's wrist to see his progress.
They had failed again.
~*~
Wei WuXian sent letters the following month declining any more sessions. Lan WangJi read his letter a dozen times, not comprehending any of the words. Or, rather, not wanting to comprehend any of the words.
You can't give up now. I've been hurting you month after month, making you hide away in your head for days on end. And you give up the first time you cause me a small sting? It means what we've been doing is working! I accepted that dual cultivating would hurt me, too. I will not allow you to decide my pain is not worth you gaining a Core.
~*~
The Phoenix Hunt was to be an annual event. Lan WangJi reluctantly accepted the invitation. Wei WuXian would be there; he apparently spent all of his free time in Koi Tower with Jin Xiao Furen and the baby.
Lan WangJi hated Koi Tower. Between the drunken buffoons posturing and strutting and the ever present gold glittering, he was developing a massive headache. "I don't drink," he reminded the idiot currently shoving a wine cup in his face at the evening banquet. He had spent most of the Hunt searching for Wei Ying only to find out the other man had spent the entire Hunt in the observation towers with Jin Xiao Furen.
"You're being rude!" yelled the idiot. "I offered you a toast, hiccup! You must drink. Polite. You Lan are supposed to be polite!"
At least that's what Lan WangJi thought the idiot was saying. He was slurring his words pretty heavily, so maybe....
Then a man in dingy white stood on the dais before Jin GuangShan and held up a small silver box with both hands. "I have the Yin Tiger Seal!"
Lan WangJi's eyes riveted on the item. Wei Ying's box that he put his Seal in last year. How did this person get it? He recognized the cultivator: Su She. We deactivated his token when he betrayed the Sect. We banned him from the grounds even before he started his own clan. So how did he get it? He wanted to ask his brother, but didn't want to call too much attention to their Sect.
"You found my Yin Tiger Seal?" Wei WuXian pushed his way up to the dais. "Excellent! I'll take it, then."
"Not so fast," Jin GuangShan snatched the box from Su MinShan. "We should see if the Seal is in the box first, right?"
"Sure." Wei WuXian grinned. But even from where Lan WangJi was sitting, it wasn't a 'pleased' grin. It was a 'you're not getting away with this' grin. "Where did you find it?" he asked Su MinShan politely. Wei Ying has truly grown up. He's learned patience when faced with an obvious theft?
"A friend of mine found it and gave it to me," the clan leader hedged. The man was a traitor to the GusuLan, but not a complete idiot. He wouldn't easily admit to stealing anything from Lan XiChen's rooms.
Jin GuanShan was turning the box in his hands, prying at the edges, shaking it. "Need help?" Wei WuXian plopped down on one of the dais steps and blew his bangs from his face.
"No."
"Oh. Alright." He turned to Su MinShan. "Do you know how to open the box? I mean... how do you know my Tiger Seal is in there? I'm pretty good at recognizing resentful energy signs, especially my Seal, and I don't sense anything."
Of course you won't. Lan WangJi wanted to snort. You ensured no yin energy would leak. And you ensured that no one but yourself would be able to open it. Or maybe you can sense your Seal and are just brazenly lying about it. None of us will be able to.
Jin GuangYao sidled up to the dais. "Wei Gongzi.... Do you recognize this box? Is it yours?"
"Never seen it in my life," Wei WuXian lied.
Jiang WanYin strode up to the dais, Zidian flashing purple on his hand. "If that box does contain the Yin Tiger Seal, you need to hand it to my Head Disciple. It's his property."
Jin GuangYao bowed. "The item inside may be the Yin Tiger Seal. Wei Gongzi admits it's not his box. Therefore, until we're able to open it and verify its contents, it belongs to Su ZongZhu, doesn't it?"
"No," Lan XiChen stated firmly from his seat. "The box is mine. It was in my bedroom when I left to attend the Hunt. How Su ZongZhu received it needs to be explained clearly."
"You have proof the box is yours?" Jin GuangShan covered as much of the item as his hands could.
"There is a dent on one of the corners from where I accidentally dropped it while cleaning last month. One side of the box is inscribed with the Lan clouds pattern. The other five sides are plain.
"Su ZongZhu, I must insist upon knowing how you came to possess something that a few days ago was in my room."
"It was a gift," the clan leader puffed up his chest and tried to look stern. Compared with the serenity the Lan sect leader exuded naturally, he merely looked sullen.
Nie MingJue stood up from his seat across the Hall from the Lan. "I have seen Lan ZongZhu's box. I will verify if this is the same item." He strode across to the dais and held out one huge hand to the Jin sect leader. "Please." Lan WangJi could see Jin GuangShan's eyes flashing with fury even as he handed the thing to the Nie sect leader. He turned it around a few times, then "Dent." He pointed to one corner. "Clouds." He pointed to one of the sides. "Su MinShan. Who gave you this? And who informed you that it contained the Yin Tiger Seal?"
Surprisingly, Su MinShan's nervous glance went from Nie MingJue to Jin GuangShan, then Jin GuangYao, then back to Jin GuangShan. "I don't remember."
Wei WuXian laughed, a genuine laugh, unlike his earlier smiles. "My memory for people is horrid, but even I remember the names of my friends! Come now... tell us the truth. Which friend gave it to you? I'm sure you're embarrassed knowing one of your friends is a thief. However, I'm sure Lan ZongZhu will appreciate knowing who felt comfortable breaking into his home and stealing his stuff. Better to say who it is so the thief can be apprehended and punished, yes?"
"Punish the thief?" Su MinShan spat onto the dais step at Wei WuXian's feet. "We would be better to punish you! You were asked last year where your Yin Tiger Seal was and you lied! My friend knows exactly what you did! You kept it in your pocket until you purchased this box in Gusu City. You then laid all sorts of protection and sealing spells on this box, put the Seal inside, and gave it to Lan ZongZhu for safekeeping."
Jin GuangShan shifted on his throne. "Wei Gongzi, you kept the Seal on your person? I suppose that's why my deranged nephew was unable to find it. I second Su ZongZhu in recommending you be punished. Lying to sect leaders should not be permitted.
"Perhaps we should keep this box as your punishment. You lied about the Yin Tiger Seal, so now you can't have it."
Lan WangJi looked to his friend to see if he was going to retain his temper or lash out at his accusers. He could see Wei WuXian's cheek muscles clenching, but his lips stayed shut. A quick glance at his brother and Jiang WanYin explained the silence, perhaps. The Jiang sect leader was looking with pleading eyes at XiChen. Lan XiChen looked back at his brother and nodded; he had cast the silence spell over Wei WuXian.
Lan XiChen walked stately to the dais and took the small, silver box from the Nie Sect leader. "It may be that Wei Gongzi lied about not having his Seal that time. Or perhaps he found it afterwards. Regardless, LanlingJin and MolingSu have no claim over Wei Gongzi, nor his Seal; it is not for them to decide whether or not Wei WuXian will be punished.
"What is up for me to decide is: what punishment to give to the thief who stole this from my room. Su MinShan... you will tell me the name of the person who gave you this item or I will be forced to conclude that you are the thief."
"I didn't steal anything!" Su MinShan squealed, and looked again at the Jin sect leader and his bastard son.
Zidian crackled and snapped out to wrap around the clan leader's waist. "Why do you look at them for help?" Jiang WanYin snarled. "You have slandered my Head Disciple and attempted to keep Lan ZongZhu's stolen item from him! I should whip you ten times for your slander alone!"
Jin GuangYao glided across the floor to lay a hand on the Jiang Sect leader's arm. "Be patient, Jiang ZongZhu. Please. Lan ZongZhu has his belonging back; there is no need for violence. No one has been harmed. Let's keep it that way?"
"No one has been harmed?" Jiang WanYin yanked Zidian tighter, causing Su MinShan to yell in real pain this time. "This man called my Head Disciple a liar in front of everyone here, and you say 'no one has been harmed'? My Head Disciple's name and reputation have been damaged. My sect's reputation has been damaged. And this man refuses, still, to name the thief? Nor has he apologized! Not even a fake apology that he doesn't mean!"
Dear readers.
No apologies here. Definitely ended on a cliffhanger on purpose.
But that's because I won't be publishing again until Monday. Traveling to family events where I won't be bringing my laptop. I might try to write a bit on my phone, but that's always iffy. Small screen, small keys = fat finger typing. I've tried it before and I usually end up having to retype half of it.
Anyway. I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Thank you for reading and kudos and, especial thanks to those who comment.
- Aitch.