#madame yu jiang cheng and wei wuxian all on the same side for once: aBSolUTEly NOT

[winepresswrath]

OK let Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing have a political marriage of convenience and  slowburn fall in love as they desperately try to save their people and are slowly forced via associating with their brothers to grimly take on saving everyone else as well.

[admirableadmiranda]

Forgive me if this was done incorrectly. I am new to Tumblr, but it’s a learn as you go thing I suppose 😂

I’ve been curious about books that have the characters learning or reacting to the actions or events that occur in their stories. I’m in the process of planning to write one, but have stumbled into a small road block. I’ve read some of your other takes on similar topics and believe that hearing (or reading) it from you might show me the right path to take.

I have no idea if this was previously requested, but what is your take on Madam Yu? How do you view her actions in response to Wang Lingjiao’s demand of Wei Wuxian’s punishment for the events of Xuanwu Cave? What is your opinion on her treatment of Wei Wuxian after Jiang Fengmian brings him back to Lotus Pier?

I understand that one’s opinions, experiences, and values can impact how her actions look, but there are some fics that defend her actions and some that label it as abuse. In the case of calling it abuse I have even encountered several people who call it a western view, where the slightest insult or injury seems most detrimental to a person’s overall ability to function or cope. I didn’t really understand what was being referenced when I read that particular part of the post, but maybe it’s something I have no experience with.

I, of course, have my own opinion on this matter, but I find that sometimes my opinion can be quite flawed. I am in no way able to draw a conclusion on this as I would be deciding on how I present her character based on my opinion rather than what lies written in text. For such a problem I believe that two opinions (or more) might be more trustworthy.

Nothing to apologize for, it just always takes me a bit longer to get to these asks that need an essay to respond. I'd rather take the time to think it through and consider my answer before writing one out.

I have only been asked about Madam Yu once before, I get a lot more asks about her son rather than her. Since you've sent me a really good ask for breaking things down, instead of being sassy or snarky, I'll try to keep as level a head as possible about one of my least favorite characters.

Cut for discussions about abuse, physical, mental and emotional

Yu Ziyuan is one of the most unpleasant characters in all of MXTX's works, completely lacking in redeeming traits and actions that can be defined as anything but abusive. She is the viper in the den, she's the poison of Yunmeng Jiang, she's the person who takes the least responsibility for any of her misery and MXTX never minces words about her.

Her actions in the face of Wang Lingjiao's demands are atrocious and shortsighted, both in that she's very happy to whip Wei Wuxian worse than he can ever recall her doing before getting ready to cut off his hand, only stopping when Wang Lingjiao steps "above her station" as Madam Yu sees it. She does not consider any possible way to handle the situation aside from whatever feeds and hurts her pride, making her an easy target for the Wen to lure her into drawing first blood. The only decent choice she makes is sending Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian out of Lotus Pier when it's clear that there's a battle that Yunmeng Jiang will be on the losing side of, and I literally do mean it's the only decent choice she makes. Not good, just decent.

Her treatment of Wei Wuxian is absolutely atrocious. From constantly slandering both of his parents in the same breath, to trash talking him and constantly insulting him to insult her own children, to straight up whipping him for such transgressions as...being too hot on a hot summer day to be fully dressed. For comparison, Lan Wangji straight up had to commit treason to be whipped and it was a one time event. Wei Wuxian mentions being whipped two to three times at a time and sent to kneel in the ancestral hall for hours until Jiang Fengmian would let him out. He's whipped so often that he just shrugs it off. And he's the only one in Lotus Pier treated like that, the younger disciples tease him for taking all the blows for them.

There is no way that her treatment of him can be justified. She invents the fantasy of Wei Wuxian possibly being Jiang Fengmian's bastard to hurt her husband and children because she is an angry person. She doesn't care who or why or what she says, only that she is forever angry at her life and punishes everyone else for it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Jiang Fengmian taking in an orphan as a disciple. We see that in several other clans that there are people who join without being directly connected to the main family, that the Great Clans are hundreds of people large, possibly even thousands. One child is not an unusual event in the slightest.

I can't say why people want to defend her, why they want to claim her treatment of the children under her care is acceptable. I'm sure some of it is a need to protect themselves from the realization that the behavior of some figure like her in their lives is not okay and they shouldn't have to live with it. That it is abusive to be constantly degraded and insulted, to be constantly shamed for not meeting impossible standards, to be struck for such things as talking out of turn or simply existing when someone is angry. Even in the book itself, Yu Ziyuan stands out from every other parental figure barring her own son in how she treats... well the three of Jiang Cheng, Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian in specific, but in general everyone.

I have friends who are both far more qualified than I am to talk about south and east asian media, but they have kindly told me about shifts in some media, because there's also a shift in cultural mores where the treatment is being put under the lens and people are starting to question the nature of such treatment. MXTX is one of these people, her works clearly do look at abuse and the cycle of abuse as things to be addressed, and the cycle of Yu Ziyuan, Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling lay out the cycles of abuse and chosing to end them really starkly in Modaozushi. There is perhaps much more to be said on the levels of how people also treat those who are ranked lower in society than they are and how this also influences Yu Ziyuan's actions and treatment of everyone, but I think I am perhaps not the right person to do so.

As for the post you are referencing having seen, I have never seen this post myself (and hope to never see it as abuse apologia is never a pleasant thing to read) but I think there's a stark difference between say when Wei Wuxian hits Jin Ling on the shoulder in the Guanyin Temple after they get him away from the garrotte hold that Jin Guangyao has him trapped in, where first he hugs him very tightly before slapping his shoulder and scolding him to "not stand close to dangerous people!" and Yu Ziyuan hitting Wei Wuxian with Zidian for various transgressions that are never specifically laid out nor contain any attempt at helping Wei Wuxian to grow. Her actions contain nothing constructive or useful about them, it is just to let out her anger and cause pain.

I understand your doubt in your own opinion here, especially with some of the 'meta' and 'explanations' floating around in the fanbase, but I hope that I can lay it out clearly enough to remove doubts.

I wouldn't even call Yu Ziyuan an antagonist, she is straight up a villain. She is an abuser and a cancer to her own home. She abuses children, she abuses her husband and MXTX does not exonerate her in the slightest. Her every appearance directly makes the scene worse. The omniscient narrator is very clear that her anger has no sense or rational behind it, that she just gets angry and wants to hurt people. She poisons her son, she poisons her daughter and she tortures Wei Wuxian. She has no redeeming qualities and the fact that both CQL and the donghua decided to add a soft side that she did not have makes me very angry. Her son has far more redeeming traits than she does and it's still only enough to raise him up to antagonist, she is that terrible.

There is literally no positive action that she takes or kind word that she says. Even to the bitter end, she is filled with hatred, the scum of the earth that crawled her way onto the earth up from hell by clinging to the lotuses. Everyone in Lotus Pier would have been better off if she'd either never married in or died before she had time to poison everyone with her anger.

[featherfur]

Meng Yao should have been around when Jiang Cheng was running around with his head cut off trying to make disciples out of rogues and convince everyone to get started on the war. I just think he’d see this, probably manic, idiot who needs help and is 100% willing to be bossed around and who really doesn’t care about Meng Yao station in life because he’s just fucking desperate and wants to die but can’t because Yanli and just go “actually I’m interested”. Because Jiang Cheng would riot if he knew Meng Yao wanted to go back to his dad, and well Jiang Cheng is very pathetic when he thinks he’s being left behind (“You’re leaving me for the Jin just like Shijie? Tears and loud words for you! Tears and loud words dor a thousand years!”)

And Meng Yao would have a spot in Lotus Pier where he is VERY clearly wanted, he probably doesn’t become sworn brothers with anyone (or LXC and NMJ realize that no one needs to give the Jin any more influence and become sworn brothers with Jiang Cheng) unless it’s Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian (unfortunately WWX will still probably be killed or hunted at the very least but atleast Qin Su is alive? Maybe having MY around will help calm JC into the fact that LWJ wants to bang his brother and help him so JC can convince WWX to let LWJ atleast play for him, then maybe WWX can accidentally let slip about him already destroying one half and LWJ can help destroy the other half… Dunno if the Wen Remnants survive either sorry, honestly I don’t know if anyone can stop JGS in the long run)

So there’s two ways this goes: (under read more I have Thoughts)

Meng Yao DOES go to the Jin Sect still because JC gets wanting your Dad’s Approval even when he’s a dick AND he protects Yanli who immediately adopted him when JC showed up to the war with him. Without being stuck between a Rock and a Hard place (sorry NMJ not everyone is a annoyingly stubborn with their morals as you and MY is being hurt :( leave him alone :(( ) MY is able to continue being pressured without breaking and even though JGS keeps trying to get him to manipulate JC, MY won’t and won’t manipulate NMJ either and every time he goes to Lotus Pier to ‘look into’ the Jiang Sect he actually just spends the week being plied with children and listening to Jiang Cheng explain the fashion industry Again and talk about silks vs cashmeres vs wool so he just gets a vacay and is more prepared to stand up against his dad.

Also JC and Yanli catch on pretty quick to Madam Jin abusing MY because they were there after Madam Yu would hurt WWX and they know the signs of trying to hide the pain and Yanli suddenly starts Show Up whenever Madam Jin tries anything because that is her Didi now and she will protect him and if anyone ELSE tries to mess with him she will rip them apart like when Jin Zixun tries to bother WWX.

JGS does eventually manage to frame something on WWX but MY intervenes immediately by telling JC the truth and without the ‘did my kinda insane PTSD ridden brother so this?” Panic thoughts JC gets his people and is waiting for the force of Jin and smaller sects, with his two sworn brothers on either side. Because yeah NMJ absolutely hates the Wen but can he really ignore LXC and JC? Plus NHS on the side? He’s only there to protect WWX, anyone else can get fucked and even then he’s only protecting WWX because JC asked him too because NMJ thinks WWX sucks for choosing the wens because he’s very much of the one track ‘the wens suck’ mind. MY pretends he has no idea what’s going on but he does summon Jin Zixuan on ‘accident’ who shows up, annoyed he had to leave his kid, and is like “are we really going to accuse Nie Mingjue, known Wen hater, of protecting Wei Wuxian and lying about his innocence? Because his sword is the same size as my body and I’d rather Not”

(okay he’s more polite and subtle but that’s the gist) somehow Jin Guangshan dies, I’m voting Yanli poisoned him because I think Meng Yao is 100% willing at this point to simply take the abuse because Jiang Cheng and Lan Xichen aren’t essentially telling him to murder his father and that he’s stupid for not holding harder to his morals (sorry NMJ,,, you just,, I love you but MY is hurting and he’s not as stabby as you) NMJ is still very much crankily telling him his dad sucks whenever they meet but Jiang Cheng gets all sparkly whenever MY is around because MY will say he’s Doing Good, so there’s only so much room before JC start just biting anyone who even looks at MY wrong. (NMJ says he’s proud of JC once and JC just starts crying and NMJ UnderstandsTM why MY won’t leave him alone)

But Yanli has to be the one to kill him because MY wouldn’t because he’s a filial son and probably hasn’t lost his hope he will be Loved, Jin Zixuan wouldn’t because he’s like the only one in the entire show not down with murder, Madam Jin is not about to give up the power and money that comes from being the wife of Jin Guangshan even if JZX would take care of her because Yanli clearly is willing to rip everyone apart who fucks with her family and unlike Jiang Cheng is willing to change the status quo, and if JGS dies on a hunt they’ll blame WWX so Yanli just poisons him slowly and he dies from ‘illness’. JZX takes power, Meng Yao is told he’s amazing twelve times a day because JZX can do busy work and argue against anyone but he cannot have a small talk conversation to save his life. Life continues peacefully, Jiang Cheng keeps kidnapping JZX’s advisor because he misses him. Meng Yao knows how to control literally every single great sect but he’s busy chasing down his nephews and helping Jiang Cheng avoid marriage offers to do anything.

Once Jin Guangshan died, LXC and MY both swooped in to have the Wen Remnants moved somewhere else to ‘civilize’ them (using LXC’s own words here) and WWX is very much caught between Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji arguing over who he’s going home with and he’s honestly never felt more Loved TM. WWX spends six months to break the rest of the tiger rally under the grumpy/watchful eye of NMJ who still isn’t happy anyone from the Wen’s is still alive but he’s weak to puppy eyes and also when he’s being strong armed by his sworn brothers, MY, and NHS (though he still keeps an eye on the actual cultivators, he’s pretty much forgotten the rest of the Wen Remnants exist he just cares about the ones who know how to use a sword). Wangxian happens, idk how I’m voting for a wild Jingyi another orphan decides that he wants to meet the Purple Angry Man and body slams into WWX’s legs trying to get to the Purple man and LWJ catches him and it’s a full on romantic moment of staring into each other’s eyes while Jiang Cheng makes disgusted noises and Meng Yao pats his hand and just tells him to accept it.

Or Meng Yao stays in Lotus Pier because Jiang Cheng has problems and Meng Yao loves a messy loudmouth aggressive bitch with a secret heart of gold. Also Jiang Cheng is the exact kind of Demi-aroace dummy to not realize Meng Yao has a crush on LXC and keeps sending him over to Cloud Recesses to help with trade or something and MY gets to hang out with his crush constantly.

MY is Jiang Cheng’s personal advisor since WWX is currently refusing to process his trauma and staying in a very traumatic place. MY does try to help but WWX doesn’t trust him and probably only half trusts him around JC, BUT MY is very good with kids and helps work with JC on how to slip WWX supplies while negotiating directly with Nie and Lan without Jin glaring over him this time, and Jin Zixuan is more than happy to help when he can because again he’s just like the only one with modern morals and wants Lotus Pier to be strong since if all the sects fall then well the fucking demons/ghosts they hunt will eat them. So WWX is slowly atleast not ready to kill him, Meng Yao finds out WWX already destroyed half the Tiger Tally and tries to get him to let NMJ and LXC help him destroy it further (because that ties the three sects closer and so WWX won’t just stab someone if someone isn’t happy about the Wen’s existing)

Yanli poisons Jin Guangshan again because I think that’s the best way for him to go, Meng Yao does grieve but also that lasts for three minutes before Jiang Cheng shows up with some children he found in Yunmeng and Meng Yao needs to explain to him again that just because the kid latches on doesn’t mean you can take them home. But with JGS out of the way it’s a lot easier to strong arm NMJ into letting the Lan take the remnants (JC and NMJ still aren’t happy about it but NMJ can’t fight the three other sects and JC is getting his brother back and he’ll take the Wen living if that means WWX is too) and WWX returns to Lotus Pier. The truth of the golden core comes out probably via WWX having a flashback or panic attack or something (or that one theory of Yanli knowing,,,) words happen, WWX storms off to find LWJ.

Meng Yao wonders why he likes messy cry babies but still helps out Jiang Cheng because they’re technically brother in laws and also because he really does care about him. Wangxian happens and now Jiang Cheng is really pissed but WWX also said he wasn’t going to just up and leave so they’re on a rotating system but honestly everyone’s just waiting for them to move permanently to Lotus Pier because Lan Wangji has this giant hole in his heart for kids who love Wei Wuxian and Lotus Pier is filled with kids who are Jiang and therefore are insane ans love WWX.

Personally I think this one is the least likely but it sounds very nice right?

[vvienne]

SANGCHENG FIC RECS

flight of a one-winged dove by bloodletter

Talking at someone is only fun for so long. That's all being a sect leader is: talking and talking to people bound by courtesy to listen to you. It's so fucking dull. A relief, then, to face one’s equal, and no less an old friend who is inclined to interrupt you whenever you ramble. He likes it. It’s one of Jiang Cheng’s best qualities.

In the years after Guanyin Temple, Nie Huaisang attends to unfinished business.

whipped by reindeercolin

Jiang Cheng blinks. “Dammit, they do think you’re dating one of us! I hate it when Wei Wuxian is right.” “Excuse me?” Nie Huaisang gives him an incredulous look. “First of all, they think I’m dating you, and if anything, they’re getting more aggressive!”

(or, the one in which Jiang Cheng has too many relatives, not enough patience, goes through a brother-divorce and finds out he has a boyfriend - in that order, more or less.)

Ponder the Manner of Things by Pip (Moirail)

It's not that Jiang Cheng can't do a quadruple flip followed by a triple toeloop. It's that his mother seems to think that's still not good enough.

Jiang Cheng is grateful that Huaisang doesn’t have the same kind of family life that he does, all - messy with expectations and cravings for closeness and nothing but vague filial piety where love is meant to be.

a matter of time and organ donation by nev_longbottom

This is it. The call he’s been waiting for. His brother had ‘an accident’ or ‘died in his sleep’ or some other lie to cover up the murder.

“Please, Mingjue is missing. He got into one of his moods and he was gone when I came back from grocery shopping. He’s not answering his phone. I don’t know if he left or was kidnapped or if something else happened. Huaisang, please, if you’ve heard anything,” Meng Yao begs.

Nie Huaisang hunts his brother's killer.

no tip necessary by tattletold

With all the nervousness of a virgin in a whorehouse, Jiang Cheng closes the door behind himself and enters, sitting on the low seat across from the escort. The pretty young man keeps his face hidden behind the delicate fan, and Jiang Cheng thinks for a moment that he recognizes the design painted onto it now that he’s closer.

It’s only when he lowers the fan and opens his eyes, wide, does Jiang Cheng paralyze with realization.

They speak at the same time in equally horrified tones.

“Jiang Cheng?”

“Nie Huaisang?”

Your Place in the Family of Things by raisedbyhyenas

No matter what happens, no matter the circumstances, Wei Wuxian will always leave and Jiang Cheng will always get stuck trying to rebuild from whatever’s left.

*************

In which Jiang Cheng makes friends; gets a cat; begins to rebuild a relationship; and maybe, possibly, potentially, learns a little bit how to be happy.

sigh yourself to sleep by merthurlin

“Let me take care of you, A-Cheng.”

No one—no one has ever said that, not to Jiang Cheng. He wasn’t a very sickly child, true, but the few times he remembered being sick it was never—he had a-jie, and later on he had Wei Wuxian, for what it was worth, but he never—

halcyon days by serein

They're in a forest, it seems just the two of them.

"You have to be patient," Nie Huaisang says, "I once waited for three days to catch a sparrow."

"Three days?" Jiang Cheng replies, sceptical. He can't imagine Nie Huaisang having the attention span for that.

"It's not that hard," Nie Huaisang says, "if you know what they want, and find a way to get it for them."

[JC stumbles across an array and gets physically de-aged to be 16/17. NHS kindly offers his help to an old friend, but things... escalate.]

To Distraction by isozyme

It’s the third night of Yunmeng’s kite festival celebrations. Nie Huaisang has come visiting, eager to partake in the food, the arts, and Jiang Cheng.

-

Jiang Cheng wants to forget. Nie Huaisang has some new lube and wants to see if he can put his whole fist in somebody’s ass.

Lights, Camera, Kiss by MissMagus

When Nie Huaisang gets paired with straight porn star Jiang Cheng for a five-part series, he’s sure it will be an utter disaster. Until the cameras start rolling and their chemistry alights like wildfire.

(Or, the five times Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng have sex for their job, and the first time they have sex outside of it.)

Only the Shallow by hamburglar

When Nie Huaisang gets bored and convinces Jiang Cheng to make out with him, he’s probably not expecting to still be dealing with the guy 16 years later.

OR the story where Jiang Cheng goes into: the Cloud Recesses, denial, some bushes, the private porn library at the Unclean Realm, and subspace.

Blind for Love by manamune

Jiang Cheng is poisoned with an aphrodisiac and needs to orgasm repeatedly in order to flush it from his system.

The first person he thinks of going to for help is Nie Huaisang, who does what any good friend would do: he shoves his three decades worth of feelings for Jiang Cheng deep into the recesses of his mind, locks them up so he can pretend they don’t exist, and then fucks him so hard that he passes out.

Descending by lightningwaltz

“I want to… to not be embarrassed.”

“To not be embarrassed during what?”

“During sex.” There. Jiang Cheng can say it. “In general. Also with you right now.”

“Very good.”

“When did you become so authoritative?” Jiang Cheng wants to sound irked, but can’t quite manage anything beyond nervous curiosity.

dark water by Morgan (duckwhatduck)

There are words, somewhere, for this. Words that would put a shape to the thing that sits between them, would seal their understanding. There are words for sympathy, for friendship, for understanding, for that touch, for this feeling.

Jiang Cheng can feel them, somewhere, fluttering formless at the back of his throat, squirming under his ribcage, but he cannot grasp them. They swim beneath the surface, fish in muddy water - and like fish, they will dart away if he grabs for them incautiously, and leave him nothing but cold splashes and grit.

Or: Why talk about things when you could fuck about it instead?

never knew i was a dancer by isozyme

“What’s a stone butch and why aren’t they real?” Jiang Cheng asks, too buzzed to care too much about not being up on lesbian culture.

Huaisang pats Jiang Cheng on the no-man’s-land between her boobs and her shoulder. “You’re so useless, Jiang Cheng. A stone butch is a fictional hottie who doesn’t make you do any work at all, just wants to give head and fuck you stupid on her strap.”

“Fictional?” Jiang Cheng echoes, having - not a moment, per se, but sort of a problem where her thoughts are going too fast for her poor drunken brain to keep up with.

“Nobody actually wants to fuck a chick who’s too lazy to eat you out after,” Huaisang mumbles.

-

After leaving Wei Ying and Lan Zhan’s bachelorette party, Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang decide to experiment with some outdated stereotypical lesbian sex roles.

lights out by rynleaf

“Nie-zongzhu makes the most sense,” Sect Leader Yao nods sagely, to murmurs of assent across the Jin Sect’s gold gilded banquet hall. Jin Ling, clad in opulent robes that look somewhat comical on a boy of sixteen, inclines his head as his scribe makes a notation, and the noise rises as sect leaders pat themselves and each other on the back for a decision well made.

Jiang Cheng groans and downs his cup of wine in one go.

-

In which the Sect Leaders elect a new Chief Cultivator.

shadow eternal by rynleaf

“You want me to distract the Chief Cultivator from the Annual Cultivation Conference, so you and other sect leaders can… what. Sign contracts without adult supervision?”

“If Jiang-zongzhu is amenable,” Sect Leader Ouyang repeats with a nod.

Jiang Cheng pinches the bridge of his nose. The pressure he felt building behind his eyes all morning is swiftly coalescing into a bitch of a headache. “Just what do you all think I’m capable of?”

Sect Leader Ouyang bows with a cheerful smile. “We have utmost faith in Sandu Shengshou’s abilities.”

-

In which a night hunt ends in disaster, Jiang Cheng catches a glimpse of Nie Huaisang's heart, and feelings are discussed after a certain fashion.

Four Days in Lanling by halotolerant

Nie Huaisang looks at him. ‘You are confusing me, Clan Leader Jiang, perhaps I misunderstand, but…’

‘You didn’t misunderstand. You don’t misunderstand. You understand all of it.’ For six months Jiang Cheng has been mulling this over, and now with Nie Huaisang in front of him he can’t figure out if he most wants to knock him down or kneel at his feet. What he does is try and breathe. Clench his hands at his sides. ‘And now I am going to ask you to do something for me. You have to do something for me. You have to help Jin Ling.’

Lean for Love Forever by Pip (Moirail)

Having a crush on your roommate is really embarrassing, except that's apparently the opposite of a problem. Jiang Cheng can't deny that's pretty convenient.

Wei Ying holds it up, a series of straps and buckles and velcro and wow, really a lot of leather. It has absolutely no conceivable form beyond tangled.

Nie Huaisang opens the door at exactly the moment that Wei Ying holds the thing up to Jiang Cheng’s chest, as if he’s trying to imagine how exactly it would fit onto a person, and it falls into a tangled pile between them while they stare at Huaisang in mild mortification.

acquired momentum by mongrelmind

Had Madam Yu known that this is where her son would end up, she would have gouged his eyes out with her bracelet before he made the grave mistake of looking in the direction of Nie Huaisang.

-

in which Nie Huaisang has an art show, Jiang Cheng is begrudgingly topless*, and there are. Shenanigans.

*Nie Huaisang excluded.

[immacaria]

Love Wins

  I speedrun this so I could try to publish it today. I wrote this for your birthday, @vassar177, (In my timezone it’s still it, even though its 11 pm) and I hope you enjoy this. Once again, happy birthday and I hope that you enjoyed your day very much!

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  Jiang Cheng hummed in his sleep, deciding whether it was worth getting up or not, if it was worth facing the world once again after yesterday. He was feeling absolutely drained after all the fights and screams that filled his day, it was yet another horrible fight between his parents that pulled both him and his siblings into their turmoil without caring that they no longer were in their lives. His sister had tried to appease the fight, tried to do what she always did but this time it was too harsh, too sharp and angry for her to actually do something and Wei Wuxian never actually stepped into them, knowing that it would only worsen everything. So Jiang Cheng did it and pushed his siblings away from the front line. 

  He screamed and pointed fingers, let out what he actually thought about both of them, let out all the times when they dismissed him too quickly, when he only served as a pawn in their fights. Not only that, he pulled all the times were Jiang Yanli had to play mother for two children while being a child herself, all the times Wei Wuxian took the blame for things that were no one’s blame, all the times Jiang Fengmian was too quick to put him in a pedestal and Yu Ziyuan even more to pull him out of him. Told them, no, screamed at them how they let their own children grow up craving for something that they would never have, their approval, and how they had no right to keep pulling them into their fights now. 

  Jiang Cheng hadn’t realized he was crying until Jiang Yanli stepped in and pulled him away from their father, who he was grabbing by the lapels of his shirt and too hadn’t realized. His mother had fallen silent, watching him with wide, shocked eyes that later he knew would turn into something dangerous and aggressive. So he let her pull him away from them, from their old house and their parents, away from the fight and the thunderous expressions. All the way home, Wei Wuxian tried talking with him, distracting him from all the dark thoughts running on his mind, but he paid him no attention, focusing on burying the fight and the thoughts the deeper that he could. 

  “Oh, fucking shit.” He growled, throwing his blanket aside and getting up. Well, now all the thoughts were back and his sleep, completely gone. To worsen everything, today was Saturday, the only day that he and his boyfriend, Nie Mingjue, had all to themselves, and he was being a horrible company even to himself. He stepped into the shower and thought that maybe he could ask for Nie Mingjue to come only tomorrow or, better, next week, even if it seemed cowardly on his part. “Why is life so fucking hard?” 

  Sincerely, if he could just order a pizza and retreat back to bed to watch all the Studio Ghibli’s films that Neftlix could offer, he could call it a day happily. And, at the same time, the only thing he wanted was to bury himself into Nie Mingjue’s chest and never leave again while the man talked about his week and Nie Huaisang’s antics. As the water flow turned cold and shocked him awake, Jiang Cheng decided that fuck it, he wants both and he wants it now. 

  So, he texted Nie Mingjue and asked him to come over sooner if he can and ordered their favourite pizza, brushing his teeth quickly and sliding into comfortable clothes that consisted of a grey sweatpants he stole from Wuxian and a green jersey he stole from Nie Huaisang, who had stole it from Nie Mingjue. After a little cleaning around the apartment, he settled back into his bed, burying himself under his fluffy blanket and mindlessly scrolling through his social media. The pizza arrived quickly and he put it on the bedside table, seeing if Nie Mingjue had seen his message and reading that he was already on his way and bringing smoothies! 

  Gods, he loved his boyfriend so much! 

  The moment Nie Mingjue stepped into his living room, which wasn’t even five minutes after the pizza arrived, Jiang Cheng practically materialized in front of him, hugging his middle and burying his face on his chest. Nie Mingjue chuckled and the sound danced into Jiang Cheng’s ears and already made him relax a little bit more. They kept hugging for some time, just breathing into each other and letting all the stress of the week fall off their shoulders and disappear. Gods, he really did love his boyfriend. 

  “You know, you are the perfect height for me to rest my chin on your head.” Nie Mingjue whispered against his hair, stroking the middle of his back. 

  “Fucker.” Jiang Cheng chuckled, face happily buried and with no intention of moving. “The pizza is getting cold.” 

  “Who is the one holding me back?” He said, starting to move awkwardly and slowly. Jiang Cheng didn't do much to help him, too content to let him pull him. They got to his room sometime after and Nie Mingjue sat on his bed, dragging him with him under the covers while he started Nie Mingjue’s favorite Ghibli movie, Tonari no Totoro, and brought the pizza closer to them, snuggling under his arm. 

  The second movie had already started when Nie Mingjue quietly muttered against his head, chin still resting on the top of his head, the son of a bitch. 

  “Do you want to talk about it?” 

  “About what?” Jiang Cheng said, ignoring that maybe one of his siblings had snitched what happened yesterday to him. Wei Wuxian, probably. 

  “The fight you had with your parents.” He said, starting to massage the side of his forearm. 

  “It wasn’t really a fight.” He sighed, because they were past the phase where Jiang Cheng hid things from him. “Well, it was, but I mostly screamed at them and told them how horrible they fucking were.” He started, pausing the movie right when Howl sent the soldiers walking away from Sophie. 

  “You didn’t.” And there was laughter in his voice. “Oh, I wish I could have seen Madam Yu’s face.”

  “She was shocked and I think, for the first time in his life, Father actually noticed how much I took from Mother.” He tried to hold back a chuckle, sitting up to face him. “Shijie had to drag me away from him.” 

  “Fuck, I really wish I was there. I could have filmed everything for our enjoyment later.” He laughed, loud, thunderous and head thrown back. 

  “I don’t think Mother would have enjoyed you filming the whole fight.” Jiang Cheng crossed his legs, still trying to hold back a chuckle. But the thought of Nie Mingjue walking around the three of them, trying to get the best shots and saying ‘Yes, yes! More anger! More screams! Wonderful!’ was making his job very hard. 

  “I think it would have been a wonderful video. Your brother could even play it at our wedding under the name of ‘That one time that Uncle actually saw how awesome A-Cheng is’.” He moved his hands in an arch as he said the title of the video and Jiang Cheng felt the laughter choking on his throat as he stared wide eyed at his boyfriend. 

  “Wedding?” He whispered, trying to breathe. “You… You want to marry me?”

  “Well, yeah. Not now, maybe, even though I would be fully happy if we married now, but one day I want to marry you, Wanyin.” He shrugged, turning to look at him and, fuck, Jiang Cheng thought that maybe he was suffering a heart attack. “What? Is there piz--” He started, before he was attacked by Jiang Cheng suddenly jumping on him.

  “I love you so fucking much.” He muttered against his lips, arms around his neck. “You sappy.” 

  “Your sappy, and, with luck, forever.” He chuckled, moving his head to the side to let him hide his face there. 

  “You don’t need luck to stay with me, your idiot.” Jiang Cheng swatted at his chest, huffing a breath out before returning to his later spot, pressing the play. 

  “I love you too, my soul.” He kissed the top of his head, resting his cheek on it. “Even more because you’re the perfect height for me to rest my chin on your head.”

  Gods, he hated his boyfriend so much. 

  Actually, no, he didn’t.

[scarletjedi]

Untamed Time Travel Fix-It Fic But Make it Mingcheng part 3B

 @piyo-13​

Part 1: The Setup

Part 2A: Gusu Revisited

Part 2B: Gusu Unleashed!

Part 3A: The Return of the Plot

PART 3B: THE ROAD TO WAR

Things happen pretty quickly after that. 

The Nie Soldiers accompany Lan Wangji back to Gusu, beating Wen Xu’s forces there, warning Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen of the coming attack. When Wen Zu arrives, Gusu Lan is ready. With help from the Nie and Lan Wangji, the Wen are beaten back at the gates. Wen Xu retreats to regroup - setting up a siege. The Cloud recesses don’t burn, but they are trapped. 

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian return to Lotus Pier, intending to begin building up subtle defences thinking it’s better to not tip their hand that they know an attack is coming. They are welcomed back, but find Lotus Pier preoccupied: Yanli had asked Madam Yu to arrange a date for the wedding, now that she had spent (supervised) time with Jin Zixuan and they found themselves to be most compatible. This puts Madame Yu into a good enough mood that she doesn’t scold them (much) for coming home the long way ‘round. With the piers distracted, it’s pretty easy for Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng to begin to build their defenses. Wei Wuxian begins to worry about Lan Wangji - he was supposed to meet them in Lotus Pier once the Wens were defeated. 

An auspicious date is picked for Yanli’s wedding — and then comes the summons for the Wen Indoctrination. Their defences aren’t finished, but it’s more than they had before — and with luck, they would have time after they return. 

The circumstances are different, but the power dynamic is still very much the same. With Gusu under siege instead of burt, the threat is not so absolute, but it’s not enough yet to trigger a full on push back, no matter how much Nie Mingjue campaigns for it (and plans. He has no desire to end up without Baxia at Wen Ruohan’s feet again, no thank you — and no desire to let Meng Yao out of his sight). 

Jiang Fengmain and Madame Yu fight over sending Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian again, but this time, when Wei Wuxian begins to sink into himself, Jiang Cheng grips his knee where they can’t see, offering his support — and warning him to be silent when it looks like he’d talk to defend Jiang Cheng. 

“It’s an impossible situation,” Jiang Cheng says, voice level, and the steel in his voice is enough to make both of his parents stop. “If we go, we’re their hostages. If we stay, we draw their forces down on us like Gusu Lan — and as strong as our rivers are, we don’t have a mountain to keep them at bay. Are we ready to fight off the Wen army?” He looked between his parents. “I know we are strong, and I know we cause no offence enough to be a target, but we are a target. I am willing to go to Qishan, to buy us time at home to prepare.” He looked at Wei Wuxian, scowling when he saw how proud Wei Wuxian looked.

The night before they leave, Jiang Cheng is restless. He knows he’ll get little rest in the coming weeks, but he can’t seem to quiet his mind. So, he does what he has always done, and slips out to the end of the moonlit pier.

It’s not quiet on the water, but the sounds are gentle: water lapping at the pylons, dragonflies buzzing, a frog croaking. It settles him, and he sits with his feet dangling over the darkened water.

He hears his mother approach - a courtesy. She wants him to know she’s coming, and he decides to wait. She is alone, without Jinzou and Yinzou, and that is enough to make him pause. 

He looked at her, curious, when she sits next to him, but she doesn’t say anything, eyes on the moon. 

So, he says nothing either. They sit in silence for several minutes. Long enough that Jiang Cheng is getting ready to excuse himself, when his mother holds out her hand and waits. 

Frowning, Jiang Cheng takes her hand. She grips him right, suddenly, and it’s a good thing because he tries to pull away in surprise when Zidian slides off of her hand and onto his. 

“Mother?!” The word is choked between his teeth, his memory of the last time she had given him Zidian burning fresh in his memory. “I can’t—“

“You will,” she said, cutting him off. “And you will bring it home once more.” 

Jiang Cheng nodded. “I will.” 

She nodded once, and wrapped her arms around him, pressing his cheek to her chest. His mother could be hot tempered, sharp to the point of cruelty, but she was his mother and she loved him fiercely. Jiang Cheng held on. 

They go, with extra provisions hidden on them, trying to figure out a way around giving over their swords - in all of their planning about the war, that was a detail that they had missed. 

Their arrival in Qishan is a little rougher, with the Wen Army engaged rather than victorious, but it still matches pretty evenly to their memories — including the moment when Wen guards drag Lan Wangji up the stairs, alone. Jiang Cheng has to hold Wei Wuxian back, because Gusu wasn’t supposed to have fallen.

When Lan Wangji is close enough, Wei Wuxian still leans in to whisper at him. “Lan Zhan!” But before he can say more than that, Lan Wangji reaches out and cups the side of Wei Wuxian’s face his his hand — it’s shockingly bold, and Jiang Cheng has to stamp down the knee-jerk reaction he has to watching his brother’s shameless romance with his husband - and it’s worth it to hear Jin Zixuan choke behind him, and watch Nie Huaisang hide his laughter behind a furiously moving fan. 

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji said, and that must have meant something to Wei Wuxian, because he smiled widely, even when the guards dragged them apart. 

In the end, there was no way for them to get around it, and their swords were taken from them. Later that night, when the guards had passed, they gathered in the rooms Jiang Cheng shared with Wei Wuxian — all except Lan Wangji, who had been placed under guard, which made Wei Wuxian twitchier than normal. Jin Zixuan was the one pacing, however, clearly discomforted by his lack of sword, even though he had lived through this once before and knew exactly where they were being kept. 

“Jin-xiong,” Nie Huaisang whined, “Please sit down, you are making me dizzy.” 

Jin Zixuan barely spares him a glance. He hadn’t been any better about being without Suihua the first time around, but at least he wasn’t bothering poor Mianmian with it this time. The fact that she hadn’t strangled him before they made it to the Xanwu’s cave...

“Let him be,” Wei Wuxian said. He had finally collapsed backwards onto his bed, next to where Nie Huaisang was fanning himself. His arm was draped dramatically over his eyes and Nie Huaisang fanned him for a moment, in sympathy. “If he wants to waste his energy, that’s on him.” 

“Oh?” Nie Huaisang asked, fake-innocent enough that Jiang Cheng turned to watch. “But Wei-xiong, didn’t you say that—” 

Whatever “Wei-xiong” said, they would never know, because a knock sounded at the door. Almost as if they really were still teenagers, the four time travelers exchanged a panicked “oh shit!” look. 

“Don’t just stand there, hide!” Jiang Cheng hissed, and the knock sounded again — this time, with an accompanying, low:  “Wei-gonzi? It’s me!” 

“Wen Ning!” Wei Wuxian exclaimed, bounding off of the bed. 

“Wei-gonzi?” Jiang Cheng protested, though there was little force behind it. “It’s my room too.” 

Wei Wuxian ushered Wen Ning inside quickly, and shut the door behind him. 

“I don’t have much time,” Wen Ning began, before Wei Wuxian could speak. “But I brought — ” He reached into his robes and pulled out a Qiankun pouch, pushing it into Wei Wuxian’s hands. 

“Hey, food!” Wei Wuxian said, peering inside. He reached in as if to take something, and Jiang Cheng snatched it away. “Hey!”

“They’re feeding us now,” Jiang Cheng said. “We should save this for when they stop.” He turned to Wen Ning with a short bow. “Thank you, Wen Ning.” 

Wen Ning nodded. “There’s medicine, too. Pills to restore qi, to stop bleeding and prevent infection.” He turned back to Wei Wuxian. “I spoke to Huanguan Jun,” he said, and that had Wei Wuxian’s full attention. “He’s not uninjured, but he has no broken bones. The official story is that he was captured outside of the Cloud Recesses and sent as a warning and as leverage, but he says it was a plan to get here, to help with the Xuanwu.” 

“Does he have a plan to return our swords?” Jin Zixuan asked, and — well, it’s an understandable question. None of them had figured it out, after all, but Jiang Cheng’s hope lasted only the moment before Wen Ning shook his head. 

“We did it last time,” Wei Wuxian said. “Injured and with makeshift weapons. We can do it again.” 

“Speak for yourself,” Nie Huaisang said. “I want no part of that.” 

Last time, Nie Huaisang managed to faint just before the night hunt that ended in the Xuanwu and their escape, and — well, to be honest, Jiang Cheng never actually found out how Nie Huaisang made it home. It wasn’t like the Wens would have sent him back after sending the other young masters to their deaths. 

He didn’t escape it this time, marching sullenly along with them. He whined often enough that his feet hurt that Wen Qing managed to convince Wen Chao to call a halt so she could see to them. Judging by the way she paused when he took off his boots, his feet were not nearly in as poor condition as his complaints made them sound. Still — everyone would be better off for a break, and without Lan Wangji’s leg — 

Ah. 

“You’re a menace,” he murmured, leaning against he tree that Nie Huaisang sat beneath. Nie Huaisang flicked open his fan, holding it to shade his face. 

“I have no idea what you mean,” he said, and Jiang Cheng snorted in amusement. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Jiang Cheng kept his voice low, barely letting his mouth move. “You weren’t here last time. How did you get home?” 

“Oh, Meng Yao let me out,” Nie Huaisang said. Jiang Cheng stared at him, but Nie Huaisang didn’t look up. “It was before he came to Wen Ruohan’s attention. I’m sure, if he’d already been granted any sort of position within his court, I’d have been left there to rot until Da-ge came to get me.” 

But, they had changed things. Meng Yao had never killed that general. He was never banished from the Unclean Realm, and never went to the Wen Sect. Nie Huaisang had no man on the inside, and therefore decided to face the Xanwu of Slaughter rather than find another way out of Nightless City. 

Nie Huaisang was a little bit terrifying, and continued to be terrifying all the way until they were in the Xanwu’s cave and fighting both it and the Wens. Not that Jiang Cheng was paying that much attention to him, being that he was currently using Zidian to strangle the life out of Wen Zuhilu much more quickly than he would have liked given the threat-rich environment he was in — but he was aware enough to his surrounding to know that Nie Huaisang’s ever-present fan also doubled as a fucking battle fan which had to have been a later-in-life development for his pre-time-travel self because what the fuck Nie Huaisang!

Other bits of information flashed through his awareness — Mianmian disarming that terrible Wang Lingjiao — Jin Zixuan fighting surprisingly well with a sword taken from a fallen Wen disciple — Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian fighting back to back — the Xuanwu of Slaughter eating Wen Chao —

That was enough to make Jiang Cheng drop his hold on Zidian, dropping Wen Zuhilio to the ground as he stared at where the Xanwu of Slaughter had it’s head reared back as it gobbled up Wen Chao like a snake!

“Oh, gross...” Wei Wuxian muttered. 

Wen Zuhilu’s sword lay at Jiang Cheng’s feet. It was, in the end, a simple thing to pick it up and drive it through Wen Zuhilu’s back, hopefully cutting his heart in two. If he wasn’t dead before, he was surely dead now. Jiang Cheng didn’t spare him another glance as he joined the others in hiding from the Xuanwu as they planned. 

The Xanwu killing Wen Chao fixed one problem, and Jaing Cheng killing The Core Melting Hand solved another. So now, of course, they were faced with a new problem. Previously, Wen Chao’s cowardice meant that none of the Wens had remained in the cave with them to face an angry Xuanwu, and their escape was thus unhampered by the enemy. Now, they had Wang Lingjiao pouting under the influence of the Lan silencing spell, a handful of Wen Chao’s entourage, and Wen Qing - who wasn’t a problem herself, but keeping her sympathy for them a secret certainly was. 

“Well, now what?” Nie Huaisang hissed, fanning himself with his damned war fan, Huaisang! 

“We wait for that thing to calm down and then we leave,” Jin Zixuan said, like it was going to be that easy. It wasn’t like they could go back the way they—

Except they could. Wen Chao never gave the order to retreat and cut the ropes. They could, conceivably, get out the entrance of the cave and not have to deal with the Xanwu again. 

Jiang Cheng met Wei Wuxian’s eyes, saw the same realization there, and then his features set in the same resolve that he had last seen in the burial mounds, when it was all falling to shit. 

“Jiang Cheng—” Wei Wuxian started. 

“I know, I know,” Jiang Cheng interrupted. “I got you the first time.” 

“Then could you share with the rest of the class?” Nie Huaisang asked, only a little dry. 

“We can not leave the Xuanwu here,” Lan Wangji said. Then, after a beat. “Alive.” 

Wei Wuxian was already nodding. “Exactly Lan Zhan. It was sleeping before, and not a threat, but it’s awake now, and if it gets loose it could cause a lot of harm before it could be subdued. If it could be subdued, with everyone distracted by, you know, the war.” 

Jiang Cheng noticed Wen Qing’s attention shoot to Wei Wuxian, and he remembered, belatedly, that they weren’t actually at war yet. Only Qinghe Nie was actively skirmishing, and the Sunshot Campaign wasn’t formed until after the fall of Lotus Pier. Luckily, She seemed to be the only one who noticed the slip — after all, one of their biggest arguments to get the campaign started was that they had already been at war, just not unified. 

“You want to take out the Xuanwu of Slaughter?” aked one of the surviving Wen that Jiang Cheng didn’t know. “Without your swords?” 

“They defeated us easily enough,” Wen Qing snapped. “Do you wish to provoke them? Or would you like to be first chosen as bait?” 

Jiang Cheng exchanged a look with Wei Wuxian, who flashed a quick grin before stroking his chin in a clear impersonation of Lan Qiren. “You know, that’s not a half bad idea.” 

“It was their plan for us,” Jiang Cheng added, playing into the bit. “It would only be fair to use it on them. We could even have Mianmian choose, since she was the first chosen.” He nodded at Mianmian, who seemed surprised to be addressed, but he focused his sharpest grin on Wang Lingjiao, who had paled considerably and no longer struggled against the spell.

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji said quietly, plaintively, and Wei Wuxian pouted at him. 

“Fine,” he said, flouncing dramatically. “I guess we’re better than using live bait.

Jiang Cheng nodded. “I wouldn’t trust ‘em anyway. You need to only bring people you can rely on into a fight as dangerous as with the Xuanwu. Jin Zixuan,” he said, and didn’t bother repressing his smirk when Jin Zixuan stood a little taller at being addressed so suddenly. Turns out his Sect Leader voice was useful, even if his voice still hadn’t settled into it’s full register. “We need someone to lead everyone else away while the Xuanwu is distracted. Can you do that?” 

Jin Zixuan nodded, resolved and not a little bit relieved at not having to fight the Xanwu without his sword. 

“Good,” Jiang Cheng said. “Take Nie Huaisang with you.” He looked at Nie Husaisang. “I don’t want to be the one to tell your brother we took you anywhere near the Xuanwu, no matter how much he nags you to train.” 

Nie Huaisang waved it off with his closed fan. “It’s alright. I have absolutely no desire to go anywhere near that thing. I’m not built for night hunts.” 

“Jiang Cheng,” Wei Wuxian said, voice quiet as he came up beside him, using the soft sounds of the others getting ready to leave as cover. “Last time, Lan Zhan and I could handle it. You should get out too.”

Jiang Cheng bit back his initial spike of anger, telling himself that this came from a place of concern not a dig at his skills — but, being back in this place, this time was dredging up a lot of dirt that he thought he had left behind, and he wasn’t surprised that Wei Wuxian was falling back into old habits as well. 

“Last time, I didn’t have Zidian,” Jiang Cheng said. “And I know Lan Wangji didn’t have those guqin strings on him, either.” Blinking, Wei Wuxian looked over his shoulder to see Lan Wangji pull a coil of strings from his sleeve. “And more importantly, last time, you and Lan Wangji nearly died, and were out of commission for days. With the three of us, we might just walk away.” He gripped Wei Wuxian’s shoulder. “And if you try to sacrifice yourself for me again, I’m telling A-Jie.” 

That cracked a smile on Wei Wuxian’s face, and he nodded, pulling back to stand, arms behind his back as they watched the others make their way back out of the cave. 

Before he left, Jin Zixuan paused and said, “How long should we wait for you?” 

Jiang Cheng blinked and exchanged a look with Wei Wuxian. Lan Wangji spoke: “Six hours.”

A bit surprised, perhaps by the specificity, Jin Zixuan nodded, and followed the others out. 

They have the advantage, this time, of their own weapons — Zidian, the Chord Assassination, and Wei Wuxian’s knowledge of resentful energy. 

“I need a dizi,”  he muttered to himself as they crouched down to draw diagrams in the dirt. 

“I will get you a dizi,” Lan Wangji said before Jiang Cheng could say they probably had some back at Lotus Pier. That caused Wei Wuxian to flush pink and protest quietly, hiding his face in his palms. 

“If you’re going to flirt the entire time, I’m going to leave,” Jiang Cheng said. And, when Lan Wangji shot him a look that said “do it, bitch,” Jiang Cheng continued, “and I’m going to tell everybody you’ve eloped and you won’t be able to go anywhere without a chaperone until my mother and your uncle settle the marriage contract.” 

That shut him up. 

It’d eventually decided that they would take the same basic strategy as last time. Wei Wuxian would grab the sword pinning it in place, and Lan Wangji would strangle it to death with the Cord Assassination. Only this time, Wei Wuxian would not be crawling into the Xanwu shell, what the fuck, and would be summoning the sword to him from the outside using resentful energy. Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng would both then strangle the beast, and hopefully between the two of them it wouldn’t take a full six hours. 

And, well, that’s pretty much what happens. Wei Wuxian stands out of range while Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng take their place, and then he begins to whistle. The sound of it isn’t loud, but it fills the cavern with an awful pressure, and Jiang Cheng shook his head like there was water in his ear. Then, like a branch giving way, something small but dark and foul rockerted out of the Xanwu’s shell, the Xanwu’s head roaring after. Jiang Cheng reacted, and Zidian wrapped around the Xanwu’s neck in the same instant as Lan Wangji’s chord, and the Xanwu snapped its teeth mere feet away from Wei Wuxian. 

Wei Wuxian smirked, and shouted something that squirmed in Jiang Cheng’s ear, and the sword — the fifth piece of Yin Iron — embedded itself in the top of the Xuanwu’s head. 

The Xanwu roared and Jiang Cheng pulled harder, sending a sharp pulse through Zidian, where it met a similar pulse from Lan Wangji—

And the head of the Xanwu popped clean off, falling to the water below, and sending a small wave up to soak Jiang Cheng’s boots. He kicked his foot, disgusted, and watched as drops of water flicked off. Great. 

Jiang Cheng let Zidian curl back up, dormant, and stared down at the corpse of the Xuanwu. “That took you six hours?” 

Wei Wuxian was blinking at the Xuanwu, equally surprised. “To be fair, Lan Zhan was injured, and we hadn’t eaten in days.” 

“Mm,” Lan Wangji agreed, curling up his chord. “No proper weapons. Wei Ying was also injured, and did not yet have his understanding of resentful energy.” 

“And you weren’t here!” Wei Wuxian. 

Jiang Cheng kicked off his rock and joined the other two. “No, I was running to get help, and I almost didn’t make it in time.” He clapped his hand on Wei Wuxian’s shoulder. “This is better.” 

He turned his back, giving them a moment of privacy while he drew the talisman that would dry his boots. It wasn’t a talisman that he bothered to use often, being wet was part of living on a pier, but it was one that every disciple learned early and learned well. It had saved him from a weeks worth of blisters last time, and it would do the same now. 

It didn’t do anything for the smell, however, and Jiang Cheng resigned himself to needing a new pair of boots. Again. 

Climbing out of the cave wasn’t actually easier than leaving though the water, though if Jiang Cheng had to choose, he would choose not sneaking past the mythical murder beast without a weapon. 

“What are we going to do about the Wens?” Wei Wuxian asked. “I mean, they can all die, as far as I am concerned — except Wen Qing, of course — but...” 

“We can’t let them go back,” Jiang Cheng said. “Wen Chao is dead, and even though it’s not our fault, you know we’ll be blamed. We want to keep that information to ourselves as long as possible.” 

“Hostages?” Wei Wuxian asked. “It’s just - I don’t want that woman anywhere near Lotus Pier and, sorry Lan Zhan, we don’t know if the Cloud Recesses is able to handle a hostage right now.”

Which left Jinlintai or the Unclean Realm. The Jins were closer, but Jiang Cheng knew better than to trust Jin Guangshan and with the Nies already fighting, he didn’t want to anything to make them a bigger target. 

Not that it mattered anyway, because when they climbed out of the cave they found the area filled with Nie cultivators — and Nie Mingjue, who was holding Nie Huaisang while he hung like a limpet, crying about everything he had to endure. It’s only when they appear, and Nie MIngjue relaxes, that Jiang Cheng realized that Nie Huaisang was physically holding Nie Mingue back from rushing into the cave himself. 

He so surprised that it takes Lan Wangji bowing in greeting before Jiang Cheng remembers to bow himself. 

Apparently, Nie Huaisang had planned more than just escaping with them via the Xuanwu, and when they had first left on the hunt, had managed to sent message to Nie Mingjue - along with the other half of a tracking talisman that was attached to Nie Huaisang’s fan. The timing was simply happenstance, and with an actual sect leader present, the decision of what to do with their prisoners was technically no longer Jiang Cheng’s. 

Jin Zixuan stared at them openly. “That was not six hours.” 

“Thank the gods,” Jiang Cheng said, then paused. “How long was it?” 

“About two,” Nie Huaisang said, miraculously no longer a sobbing mess. He joined them, pulling Nie Mingjue with him. Nie Mingjue eyed him sideways, as if aware Huaisang was plotting something, but not truly minding. “Dage said he’ll bring everyone back home, and send official word to Wen Ruohan once he’s sure you are home safe and can muster your defences.” 

Jiang Cheng looked at Nie Mingjue. “Are you sure?” he asked. “That’ll put a lot of heat on you, and more quickly.” 

Nie Mingjue shrugged. “I could execute them here.” Which - wasn’t a terrible plan, except that previous fighting had been on Nie land - an act of war, yes, but Nie killing Wen on Wen land was an act of war that Wen Ruohan would recognize. 

“Not Wen Qing!” Wei Wuxian said quickly, which got him a look from Nie Mingjue. “She’s just as much a hostage as we were. She healed Nie Huaisang’s feet!”  

Nie Huaisang nodded vigorously. “She did.” When Nie Mingjue looked at him to confirm, Jiang Cheng nodded. 

There, in front of the Xanwu cave, Nie Mingjue and the Nie cultivators kill the remaining Wen, and Wen Qing is taken as hostage. 

Later, the histories would mark this moment as the true beginning of the Sunshot Campaign.

Part 3A

Part 4: Sunshot!

[foularcadebanana]

Food, Fights(,Fever) and Brotherly Love (Part 2)

Day 26 Prompt for the Untamed Fall Fest 2020 is ‘Remains’.

Summary: Wei Wuxian finds out that Jiang Cheng has a fever and takes care of him.

READ ON AO3

Jiang Cheng had a fever. It was a mild fever, Shijie had told him, but Jiang Cheng never got a fever. Wei Wuxian was not worried, of course, about Jiang Cheng. He wasn’t supposed to be worried because he wasn’t talking to Jiang Cheng. And he wasn’t talking to Jiang Cheng because they had sort of had a fight two days ago.

Wei Wuxian hadn’t been acting reckless and he hadn’t asked to be drowned in the water. He had thought he’d seen a lotus pod floating somewhere near the docks. How could he have known that it was just overgrown seaweed and waste? And how could he have known that he would get his leg stuck in it? He had tried to be as careful as he could have been, but according to Jiang Cheng, it hadn’t been careful enough.

Jiang Cheng had pulled Wei Wuxian out and then given a lecture about being more careful and asking for help and about how sick and tired he was of saving Wei Wuxian’s stupid ass.

“Fine! Then you don’t have to save me any longer. I didn’t ask you to save me this time either. You could have just let me drown,” Wei Wuxian had angrily yelled back.

“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng had fisted Wei Wuxian’s robes in his hands, with a rage that Wei Wuxian had never seen before. Then he had pushed Wei Wuxian away roughly. “Next time you need help, don’t call for me. Die, and see if I care.”

Jiang Cheng had walked away with those words, leaving Wei Wuxian at the docks. They hadn’t spoken since then. And Wei Wuxian had stayed at the docks until his shijie had called him for dinner. He still wouldn’t admit to wiping the tears in his eyes as he had followed her.

Now here he was, brooding as he sat in the middle of the training grounds and stared into the distance. He was angry about the fact that no one had told him that Jiang Cheng was sick. He had found out when he had loudly asked the teacher and the disciples why Jiang Cheng hadn’t come for training. Jiang Cheng never missed training, not that Wei Wuxian cared.

That was when he had found out that Jiang Cheng had spiked up a sudden fever the night before and it made sense to him why he hadn’t seen his shijie for breakfast this morning. He hadn’t seen Madam Yu or Uncle Jiang, but then he never really saw them during breakfast. He always woke up a little too late for that.

So, Wei Wuxian stood up, wiping dirt off of himself, and decided to grudgingly stomp his way Jiang Cheng’s room. When he opened the door to the room, Shijie was sitting at the bedside, wiping sweat off of Jiang Cheng’s forehead just as Wei Wuxian had predicted. As Shijie turned to him, she seemed slightly surprised to see him, and Jiang Cheng tensed up when he spotted him.

Wei Wuxian didn’t care. He made his way over to his brother, who he had to admit didn’t look too good, and loomed over him. Wei Wuxian crossed his arms and frowned at Jiang Cheng, the same way Jiang Cheng did in front of him sometimes.

After a few seconds of observation, and complete silence (they were all holding their breaths, even Wei Wuxian), Wei Wuxian reached out and gently lay his hand on Jiang Cheng’s forehead. Fucking hell! His brother was burning up! Wei Wuxian would damn whoever had told him that Jiang Cheng was only slightly feverish.

Wei Wuxian’s then held his hand against Jiang Cheng’s cheek and neck, and they felt even hotter.

“Jiang Cheng, you’re really sick,” Wei Wuxian said, worriedly seating next to Shijie at Jiang Cheng’s bedside. Jiang Cheng huffed out a breath and looked away. Wei Wuxian turned to his sister. “Shijie, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I just found out this morning when Mother told me,” Shijie told him. “A-Cheng didn’t tell anyone that he wasn’t feeling well for a while, did you A-Cheng?”

Jiang Cheng continued to look away, his cheeks red. Wei Wuxian couldn’t figure out whether it was from the fever or something else. As Shijie’s words sunk in, Wei Wuxian’s frown deepened. Jiang Cheng’ hadn’t been feeling well for a while? But he had been fine when—

Wei Wuxian suddenly gasped. “Jiang Cheng you— you— you fucker! You asshole! You absolute—!” He shook his brother, with a violence and anger he had never felt towards him before. Jiang Cheng stared at him in shock, eyes widened and mouth gaping slightly.

“A-Xian!” Shijie called out his name alarmed, pulling him away from Jiang Cheng. But Wei Wuxian didn’t care. He was just so— so fucking mad at his brother!

“You fell ill after you jumped into the water to save me, didn’t you?!” Wei Wuxain exclaimed. “You arrogant bastard, you— you—! Why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded to know.

Jiang Cheng blinked at him, and then, to Wei Wuxian’s surprise, a small smile grew on his face. Why was he smiling?

“Now you know how I feel,” Jiang Cheng said softly, and Wei Wuxian wondered how high Jiang Cheng’s fever must be for him to talk nonsense, “every time I have to watch you get hurt. And you never ask for help. I always have to run after you and save you.”

“It’s not the same thing,” Wei Wuxian mumbled, taking the wet cloth from his shijie and sitting where she had been. “You can go Shijie. I’ll take care of this stubborn idiot.”

Shijie nodded, ruffled Wei Wuxian’s hair, gave Jiang Cheng a soft kiss on the forehead and whispered for him to feel better before she walked away.

Jiang Cheng spoke as he watched their sister walk away. “Why is it not the same thing?” he asked. “Is it because you think my life is worth more than yours?”

Yes, Wei Wuxian wanted to scream, your life is worth a lot more than mine. But what he said was, “It’s because you are a future sect leader.” And my brother. Jiang Cheng looked away bitterly. “The Yunmeng Jiang Sect needs you.”

“And what about you?” Jiang Cheng asked. Wei Wuxian swallowed as he put the damp cloth in his hand on Jiang Cheng’s forehead, wiping away new sweat that had gathered there. “Don’t you need me?”

The vulnerability in Jiang Cheng’s voice made Wei Wuxian freeze and finally meet his eyes. I need you more than you could ever know, A-Cheng. “Jiang Cheng,” he said softly, “of course I do. You have no idea how worried I was when I didn’t see you at the training grounds today, and when I heard that you had a fever…. You should have told me.”

Jiang Cheng looked away again and muttered something that didn’t reach Wei Wuxian’s ears, but Wei Wuxian held Jiang Cheng’s chin and tilted it towards himself, careful not to hurt Jiang Cheng in the process. Wei Wuxian gently rubbed the damp cloth against both of Jiang Cheng’s cheeks and then presses it lightly against his neck.

“I wanted to tell you, but I knew you were mad at me and I— I didn’t think you would care.” Jiang Cheng spoke up quietly.

Wei Wuxian looked at Jiang Cheng with disbelief. “You didn’t think that I would care about the fact that my didi had a fever?”

Jiang Cheng refused to look at him. “I—”

“Especially that you had a fever because you had to dive in and save me the day before yesterday?” Wei Wuxian felt like a dam ready to burst, a volcano ready to explode.

“I just thought—” Jiang Cheng hesitantly spoke.

“Well, you thought wrong,” Wei Wuxain interrupted, “and if you ever think like that again or keep things from me, then I’ll— I’ll— I’ll tell Shijie to never make our favourite soup again. Or worse. I’ll tell her to make our favourite soup and then I’ll drink it all up!

Jiang Cheng gasped. “You would never!”

Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? Try me.”

When Wei Wuxian joined his shijie in the kitchen, it was already mid-afternoon. Jiang Cheng had fallen asleep some time after having lunch, and Wei Wuxian had stayed by his side for some more time, checking his fever between intervals, before finally letting him get sleep on his own.

“Shijie, are you making lotus root and pork ribs soup for Jiang Cheng?” Wei Wuxian asked. He could already see the water boiling in a container, and his shijie was popping lotus seeds out of their pods. She looked at him and nodded her head. “I want to help,” Wei Wuxian said.

When Jiang Cheng woke up, Wei Wuxian was by his side keeping a tray of soup in front of him. “Drink up,” he said.

Jiang Cheng looked suspiciously at the soup kept in the bowl for him. “Who made this?”

Wei Wuxian tried not to feel too nervous. He had made the soup entirely on his own, but Shijie had been there all along, instructing him on what to do and exactly how to do it. After all, it was his fault that Jiang Cheng was sick.

“I did,” he said.

Jiang Cheng snorted, “Yeah, right. Tell A-jie I said thank you.” He took a spoonful of soup and then froze after he had taken a sip.

“I really did make it,” Wei Wuxian muttered quietly. “Shijie helped.”

Jiang Cheng slowly looked up from the bowl, his eyes meeting Wei Wuxian’s. He swallowed and then took another spoonful of the soup. Wei Wuxian watched silently as Jiang Cheng finished half of the soup, and then groaned.

“Jiang Cheng.”

“Wei Wuxian, I can’t.” Jiang Cheng admitted, and Wei Wuxian leaned forward with his hand already outstretched to check his temperature. Jiang Cheng swatted away the hand.

“It isn’t that bad,” Wei Wuxian teased, but his brother didn’t take the bait. “Look if you don’t drink up the remaining soup, then I’ll have to go throw it in the lake and let it all go to waste. Would you like that, Jiang Cheng, hmmm?”

Jiang Cheng looked down at the soup in his hands and kept it on the tray. “Maybe the fish will have it,” he replied.

Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes, giving up on convincing his brother. He took the bowl into his own hands and took a spoonful of the soup. Blowing on it once, he pushed the tray away, sidling up next to his brother. “Open up.”

Jiang Cheng groaned. “You have to be kidding me.” But he did as his brother told him to and kept his mouth open.

Wei Wuxian put the spoon into his mouth and watched as Jiang Cheng chewed a bit before swallowing the soup. He pulled the spoon out of his brother’s mouth and repeated the motion until all of the soup was in his brother’s stomach and the bowl was empty.

“There we go,” Wei Wuxian wiped Jiang Cheng’s mouth with his sleeve and kept the bowl aside on the tray.

Jiang Cheng stared at Wei Wuxian, his entire face, neck and his ears red. “Thank you,” he said, so softly that Wei Wuxian wasn’t sure he had heard him correctly at first.

“Don’t be ridiculous, A-Cheng. What are you thanking me for?” Wei Wuxian demanded.

“For making the soup. It was delicious,” Jiang Cheng spoke, his gaze faltering and shifting to his fidgeting hands.

“Was it more delicious than the soup Shijie makes?” Wei Wuxian asked. It was a long-standing joke between him and his brother, ever since the first time Wei Wuxian had made something for him.

But Jiang Cheng’s words were genuine as he made eye contact with Wei Wuxian. “You know it was.”

[poor-wifi-uwu]

Veil chapter 1

After years of war with the Yunmeng kingdom, it seems the Gusu empire finally found an advantage through the Venerated Triad Alliance. Although it would take a miracle for Yunmeng to win, Emperor Lan Wangji offers a ceasefire in exchange for General Wei Wuxian as a bride. Whether out of love or hate, neither the Jiangs nor Gusu's allies want this.

Wei Wuxian is the only person willing to accept the deal and become a concubine. Although they are enemies, in all their interactions Lan Wangji has been honest and straightforward. So Wei Wuxian sets off in the dead of night to Gusu, but members of all the factions are willing to do whatever it takes to keep him from reaching his destination.

Meanwhile, Lan Wangji is over the moon after receiving the acceptance letter and is excitedly preparing the wedding and his empress’s new pavilion. Unable to wait, he decides to covertly meet his bride halfway and escort him back personally. Although they’ve met, Wei Wuxian has never seen Lan Wangji’s face under his royal headdress, so he doesn’t know what Lan Wangji looks or sounds like.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22680382

He had left at 1:35 in the morning. Late enough that he would have normally gone to bed but early enough to be woken up had someone come to check on him. Lining his departure up with the change in patrol had been easy.

Leaving without saying goodbye had not.

It hurt knowing the last time he might ever see his family was during an argument, but the knowledge of what he had to do quelled his thoughts. No matter what any of them wanted, it doesn’t change the fact that Wei Wuxian going to Gusu is the best option for their country right now.

Yunmeng and Gusu have been at war since before Wei Wuxian had even been taken in by Jiang Fengmian. Cultural differences, moral debates, and minor skirmishes had all built up into a powder keg that finally exploded with a battle where no one knows for sure who shot the first arrow but where both sides were intent to shoot the last one. Yunmeng was in a superior position at first with their fluid and responsive tactics overwhelming the traditional restrictive Gusu style. A perfect example of the new outshining the old. Gusu had even lost an emperor.

However, that saying goes both ways.

Shocking the world with his careful strategy and ruthless efficiency, the new teenage emperor of Gusu, Lan Wangji, created an upset in the war that tipped the balance in Gusu’s favor. While Yunmeng quickly adjusted to the change in combat, what they could not account for was the hearts of the people. Lan Wangji was a rare example of an honest man to lived by his principles rather than his objectives. A stark contrast to previous generations, he made his own decisions rather than relying on the word of his council. If he said they would not confiscate the crops of the peasantry for the war effort, you can be sure it was forbidden from that moment with a sure punishment for any violators. With his silent charisma and endless talent added on top, morale among Gusu skyrocketed along with support for the war effort. It doesn’t need to be said how much it can benefit a war effort when your people actually want to fight.

Wei Wuxian can understand. The first time he saw Lan Wangji across the battlefield it was like looking at the incarnation of the Dragon Emperor. One glance was enough to know one can never defeat him.

So Wei Wuxian took on the challenge.

The day Wei Wuxian joined the war was another turning point. His sister had always hearkened the emperor and Wei Wuxian to two sides of the same coin. Despite seeming to be complete opposites, Wei Wuxian had earned the same respect and admiration for many of the same reasons.

Originally appointed the commander of a royal unit, Wei Wuxian quickly earned the role of General for their army. Every town he passed adored him and every unit he led swore absolute loyalty to him. Along with his genius Wei Wuxian even had an advantage with his inventive and observative nature, the few years he spent in the army producing more technology and innovation than the last hundred years of Gusu’s history. Some would say he should be winning, yet it took everything he had just to maintain a stalemate.

One of the benefits of the strict hierarchical Gusu is how unified they are under the ruling authority and more importantly the emperor, though much can be credited to Lan Wangji’s own charisma. When the emperor makes a decision, it is followed. When he sustains a victory his entire court celebrates. When he suffers a defeat the entire court joins to find a solution.

And where Gusu is united, Yunmeng is divided. Stretching all the way back to Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan’s very engagement, the Yunmeng court can never agree almost on principle. Jiang Fengmian has a faction, Yu Ziyuan has a faction, their son Jiang Cheng has a faction, there’s even a surrender faction. And now Wei Wuxian has a faction.

Wei Wuxian’s faction has the support of the people and it drives Madam Yu up the wall. And it shows. Unlike Lan Wangji, when Wei Wuxian sustains a victory it cannot be celebrated too enthusiastically for fear of madam Yu’s wrath. When Wei Wuxian suffers a defeat he every action is thoroughly scrutinized and cricisized. When they need to be supporting each other, instead they fight for control.

Wei Wuxian is only one man. While he can set his rules and manage his territories, he does not rule the kingdom. His men may not rape or pillage Gusu bordertowns, but that does not mean all Yunmeng troops do not. His men might not burn villages to the ground to flush out the enemy, but other troops might.

The people might support Wei Wuxian but that does not mean they support Yunmeng.

Maintaining their morale in such a delicate balance of power requires absolute confidence. Wei Wuxian cannot show any weakness, not to his troops, not to their people… and not even to his family. Preventing the stress and fatigue from showing had been difficult, but every victory picked him up, every villager’s cheer bolstered him forward.

He may not be a Jiang, but these are his people and he’s going to protect them.

It took Wei Wuxian’s full genius and determination to match Lan Wangji in the war effort. And if he were honest it was exhilarating, tapping into his full potential after having finally met his match, using his every resource, stretching the very limits of his creativity. This rivalry pushed Wei Wuxian to limits he never thought possible. It even overpowered Madam Yu’s scolding him for smiling so brightly in the midst of a wartorn battleground.

Wei Wuxian would like to think the emperor felt the same. Despite never seeing the face behind the Gusu Lan imperial headdress, Wei Wuxian could read it in the intensity of Lan Wangji’s movements, in the hours of planning necessary to combat Wei Wuxian’s tactics. In the strange pattern of movement that would guarantee they would meet on the battlefield soon. Lan Wangji is no general, he is a ruler who lives in the capital and tends to his people, and as such has few opportunities or even reasons to join the battlefield. Yet when the opportunity arises, instead of sending a trusted commander Lan Wangji will meet Wei Wuxian in battle personally.

Jiang Cheng calls his theory ridiculous, but why else would such an important man do such an unnecessary thing unless he felt that same sense of rivalry?

So although it felt like the war would never end, a small part of Wei Wuxian didn’t mind. That was, until the Venerated Triad appeared.

Lan Wangji had an older brother with peerless talent and charisma as well, who also had a skill in maneuvering politics. Having managed many of the late emperor’s responsibilities as well as being entrusted with the throne whenever Lan Wangji is out, it confused the world in more than one way to see him hand the throne to his brother instead. Clearly a wise decision, but confusing all the same.

And this prince, Lan Xichen, is very personable. He shares many of Lan Wangji’s positive traits while also having a special social competence, leading to having many friends. Two such friends are as close as brothers and the three share a loyalty rarely seen in the world. And no one knows how, but Lan Xichen somehow got their territories, the previously neutral Qinghe and Lanling Kingdoms, to ally with Gusu. Although they didn’t throw even half of their resources into the war, both Jin Guanyao and Nie Mingjue had talents and abilities beyond the norm, and their tactics filled the gaps the Gusu army left. With both Lans able to manage the army from different directions and the Nie and Jin compensating any weakness, what was once a one-on-one battle of equals became a four-on-one dogpile. You could even compound their effectiveness as 8x The strain Yunmeng was facing before.

Wei Wuxian is only one man.

But he will not give up. No matter the odds, no matter the struggle, he will not abandon his people.

The impossible is only something that hasn’t happened yet .

With all his genius and creativity seemingly exhausted just to match Lan Wangji, all Wei Wuxian had left was pure effort and his bottom line. What was he willing to sacrifice?

There were a lot of services Wei Wuxian’s army was providing that needed to either be cut or entrusted to another division. Neither of these was ideal, but he hoped leaving it in Jiang Cheng’s hands would be the next best option. He can’t blame Jiang Cheng for being upset about it. He’s been building achievements in battle, but with Madam Yu’s inability to give a compliment, nothing he did ever seemed to be enough because Wei Wuxian would always be left with the bigger responsibilities. Although the reports of those programs not being given the proper attention and resources had been a blow, what can Wei Wuxian say when he himself recalled those very same resources?

Morale was decreasing while casualties were growing. The decisions he was making became harder and faith in him began to waver. It was fine to be so lenient on the Gusu people before when Lan Wangji was lenient on the Yunmeng people, but why continue that kindness when the Jin and Nie follow a different set of rules? Why spare the Gusu villages that could give us necessary resources when the Jin have no qualms about pillaging ours? Why waste time giving the Nie soldiers proper burials when they tear our soldiers apart and leave them to rot?

What was once heralded as heroic acts now became a hero complex. Such a quick turn it gave Wei Wuxian whiplash.

There was not one moment Wei Wuxian let the confident smile leave his face.

It’s not as if he’s lost the support of the people yet. Most of the grumbling comes from the other factions and some soldiers. Even then, many of them simply think him naive or idealistic rather than being genuinely upset with him. He’s young and innocent, and he’ll realize the other side isn’t worth it soon. As if he hasn’t been fighting a war for years.

So Wei Wuxian smiles and shoulders the weight of his country’s expectations, his people’s needs, and his own principles, no matter how close he is to being crushed.

He manages, somehow. With extensive planning, nights without rest, and risky maneuvers that rely on the blind trust of his loyal subordinates, Wei Wuxian manages to resist the barrage of the Triad’s assault. Often making it through by the skin of his teeth, and sometimes having to swallow his pride and retreat without a fight, but surviving regardless.

The other factions were doing less good. Some were winning by bleeding troops, while others were straight up losing. Jiang Cheng was doing well as a support for Wei Wuxian’s forces, but he couldn’t stand having to be on ‘standby’ when they were already lacking numbers. He would take any chance he could get to dash in and join the battle, not seeming to understand the vital importance his forces play in Wei Wuxian’s very delicate plans should even the slightest thing go wrong. Sometimes it helps them win. Other times it makes them lose. Wei Wuxian’s plans are either to win or abandon the position and retreat. Jiang Cheng thinks there’s no difference if they’re going to lose the area anyway, and he just can’t seem to understand the difference between losing and not winning.

As Wei Wuxian is their most effective war force, more and more of the responsibilities and troops are placed under his command. However, just because he can tell them what to do doesn’t mean they’ll listen. These aren’t the people he trained and gained a camaraderie with, they’re other factions. And as their commander, anything they do becomes his problem to deal with.

So when one important noble’s son with relations to the Jiang clan gets himself and his troops captured by the enemy after not following orders, Wei Wuxian is the one who must endure the beratement of the council and lower his head to negotiate for their release.

It made him nauseous, to enter the enemy camp unarmed and ready to give away resources they did not have because some jackass thought he was more capable than anyone else just because his daddy made everyone clap at his school play. Wei Wuxian didn’t know what the Lan would demand in exchange, but he was prepared for anything. Money, supplies, cultural heirlooms… people. People worth more than that piece of shit ever could be.

Wei Wuxian was more surprised than he probably should have been to see the emperor of Gusu at the far end of the negotiation tent. They stared at each other in silence for a few moments, Wei Wuxian struggling to maintain a neutral facade. Finally he couldn’t take it anymore,

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet your highness formally. I just wish it were under more... joyous circumstances.” He grinned.

The emperor only stared at him, “Mn.”

Wei Wuxian took a steadying breath, “So, let’s just get this over with. What do you want in exchange for Yunmeng’s troops?”

The emperor did not respond, only gesturing slightly toward the tea cup in front of Wei Wuxian. Picking up his own, the emperor took a slow, elegant sip of the fine tea, clearly in no rush at all. Wei Wuxian clenched his fists tight in his lap. In another time, he too would have wanted to take his time after finally meeting his archrival, but that time is long gone.

Now he just feels powerless and humiliated.

It takes everything he has to keep his hands from shaking as he picks up the tea cup. To drink something poured by the enemy is reckless at best and goes against every logical decision he should be making. Wei Wuxian doesn’t fight it. Lan Wangji has never been anything less than honest and straightforward. He wouldn’t poison Wei Wuxian’s tea, nor would he let someone else poison his tea. He’s not worried about drinking it. Wei Wuxian just hates that he has no choice but to drink it.

He takes the smallest sip he can, more touching the liquid to his lips than actually ingesting any. A small, petty show of resistance but it’s the best he can manage.

They sit in silence for a few more minutes, silent aside from the gentle tap of the cup whenever Lan Wanji sets it back on the table. Wei Wuxian glances back to check on Wen Ning. His closest ally and best friend, despite being gentle he becomes more bullheaded than anyone when it comes to Wei Wuxian. Even out of all of Wei Wuxian’s stupidly loyal retainers, Wen Ning is many times more stupid and loyal, having been the only one to follow Wei Wuxian to the Lan camp no matter how Wei Wuxian tried to lose him. He was Wei Wuxian’s right hand, and the one person he could not afford to take to the Lan camp.

Wen Ning was not good in these kinds of socially nerve-wracking situations. And true to form, he was tense, though he was holding on well compared to usual. Wen Ning caught his eye and gave a small nod of reassurance. Wei Wuxian huffed a bit.

A slightly louder tap snapped Wei Wuxian’s attention back to the emperor, kicking himself for getting distracted, even if it was literally for only a second.

“Does General dislike the tea?”

Wei Wuxian blinked, unsure of how to answer. He gave a wry grin, “Sorry, I always saw tea as for the study and wine as for the lounge. Social occasions need social drinks!” he laughed.

“Alcohol is forbidden in the Cloud Recesses.”

Wei Wuxian’s smile froze before settling into something a little less genuine, “I see. Forgive me, I did not realize the Cloud recesses moved to Yiling. My mistake.”

The emperor tilted his head slightly and Wei Wuxian kicked himself for losing his temper.

What were once small cultural differences intensified with the bitter fires of war into a vital part of a kingdom’s identity. Just a few years ago something like drinking alcohol didn’t matter, but as the two sides became increasingly more antagonistic towards each other, their views polarized against each other.

What a stupid thing to get upset about. Knowing Lan Wangji he was probably just giving an explanation, no deeper meaning to it. It’s not even a Gusu thing, just a Royal Court rule. Hell, Gusu’s Caiyi town makes the best alcohol in the entire known world, clearly heir emperor doesn’t mind other people drinking it.

Wei Wuxian looks down at his tea cup, “Then again, I’m just a guest in your majesty’s territory. It might as well be the Cloud recesses, who am I to complain?”

“Is it important in Yunmeng?”

“Hm?” Wei Wuxian perks up.

The emperor somehow seemed to straighten up a bit in attention despite already having a perfect posture, “Drinking wine with guests.”

Wei Wuxian blinked and tapped his finger against the rim of his cup. Does it matter?

“Well, I wouldn’t say important , it’s just something we do.” They didn’t have any rules or etiquette about such things, it’s not the Yunmeng way, “We just like to eat and drink and have a good time. You can’t make friends if you have fun!” Wei Wuxian grinned at the end, remembering many a banquet turned drunken karaoke night. His smile softened thinking of those good times.

Looking up, it faded into a polite but neutral expression. Those times are not now.

Wei Wuxian noticed the emperor’s hand clench slightly and hoped he didn’t offend him further. He gestured to the emperor’s cup, “Your cup is empty, do you need another one?”

The emperor doesn’t respond for a moment before raising his chin purposefully, “No need.”

So we’re finally getting to it, huh. Wei Wuxian stops fiddling with his full cup and sets it aside with a light thunk. Let’s get this over with. He looks up with half-lidded eyes, “Name your price, then we can negotiate.”

“Do you have a choice?”

Wei Wuxian froze, anger twitching a challenging smile onto his face, “I’ll try anyway.”

The emperor just hummed in response, but Wei Wuxian got the impression that he was pleased. At the very least, he’s not upset by the insolence if Wei Wuxian’s danger sense says anything about it.

The emperor tapped on the table two times before turning his head to face Wen Ning. Wei Wuxian tensed. He has one unmovable bottom line and that is his loved ones. Screw the consequences, if he damnads Wen Ning in exchange for those fools then Wei Wuxian will just say fuck it and leave.

“A Wen remnant?” the emperor tilts his head in interest.

Wei Wuxian narrows his eyes, “A citizen of Yunmeng.”

The emperor hums, “Indeed.”

Turning to face Wei Wuxian as if examining him one more time, the emperor eases back into a more relaxed though no less formal position, “Give me this city.”

Remembering the army camp surrounding them right outside the gates, haven’t they basically captured it already? Wei Wuxian scrunches his brows in confusion. Even if they didn’t, why Yiling? A ragged wartorn area, Yiling is more ruin than city, never having had the chance to recover. There’s no real resources of interest to Gusu, and it’s not a particularly helpful position to hold against Yunmeng anymore.

Is there something hidden in Yiling that he doesn’t know about? Past experience proves it’s possible.

Wei Wuxian raised his eyebrow dramatically, “Pardon my lack of manners, but why would his Highness be asking Yunmeng for a dump Gusu already caught?”

The emperor quickly replied “Not asking Yunmeng,” As Wei Wuxian’s face began to scowl, the emperor continued with purpose, “asking General.”

Wei Wuxian blinked at him. There’s no difference?

The emperor seemed to realize his confusion, “The Yiling Patriarch.”

Wei Wuxian huffed out a bemused laugh, “That’s just a name some random people gave me. Just because I spent some time here doesn’t make me own the place.”

“The locals say otherwise.”

Wei Wuxian looked down. Yiling was one of the many projects he had to abandon when the war ramped up, “Well what can I say, the royal court all looks the same to them. The dress code doesn’t help!” He inclined his head, “And you never answered my question. Yiling is more trouble than it’s worth on a good day. What’s so good about this place that has his majesty the Emperor negotiating hostages for it personally?”

The emperor looks at him, “...Yiling has value to me.”

Wei Wuxian sighs under his breath and slumps into his seat, “If you want it then fine, not like I can take it back anyway.”

“I want to hear it.”

Wei Wuxian looks up. Though he can’t see through the fine veil, Wei Wuxian can almost feel the intensity of his gaze. He hears Wen Ning take a small step forward just in case, but it’s as if the emperor no longer noticed his presence, so focused was he on Wei Wuxian, “...I want to receive it properly.”

Wei Wuxian was silent, hesitating for a moment before straightening up, “Your Majesty-”

“My name.”

Wei Wuxian paused at the uncharacteristic interruption. The emperor inclined his head meaningfully, “Not from general to emperor. From Wei Wuxian to Lan Wangji.”

Wei Wuxian tilted his head with a confused smile. This guy is surprisingly whimsical, how interesting, “Well then, how about I just drop the formalities then?”

He didn’t expect the emperor to actually nod, “...In that case,” Wei Wuxian threw his head back and held his hand out toward the emperor, “Lan Wangji. Yiling is a giant pain, but it is this Laozu’s giant pain. Return Yunmeng’s troops, and I will give it to you.”

Whatever you plan to do, treat her well.

The emperor looked at his hand for so long Wei Wuxian began to wonder if that’s not what he meant after all. Then, hesitantly, he stretched his hand over and lightly clasped Wei Wuxian’s own in a painfully gentle grip before instantly letting go and whipping his arm back down by his side.

Wei Wuxian was sure the trembling he felt was his own, even now feeling the urge to close his hand and savor the feeling. Somehow his hands were soft and calloused at the same time. A little cold, but not unpleasantly so. Despite looking so refined, it was noticeably larger than Wei Wuxian’s own.

Snapped out of his reverie by Wen Ning’s awkward fidgeting, Wei Wuxian hid his hands in his lap, “Then, is that all?”

The emperor replied with calm, “No.”

As expected. No way something that ridiculous would be enough. The emperor was quiet for a moment almost as if deliberating whether or not to speak, then seemed to reach a conclusion, “A token.”

Of what? Of Yunmeng Royalty’s? Of the General’s? Something representing their defeat? It’s not uncommon for one side to display a sign of the other’s loss to humiliate them and showcase their superiority.

Wei Wuxian gripped his Clarity Bell tight. Every member belonging to or serving the Jiang Royal family receives one, with the appropriate ornamentation befitting their status. Each person only gets one, with each promotion adding carvings to the surface. An absolute expression of ability, the clarity bells are the source of pride for anyone who has one. Few things are as humiliating as losing your bell to the enemy. Of course, you get another one made for you but it doesn’t erase that mark of shame.

The emperor’s voice stopped him, “Something personal.”

Wei Wuxian gave him a look, “You’re going to need to be more specific.”

The emperor tilted his head up, “Yiling is valuable to me. Now, something valuable to you.” he added after a moment, “Sentimental.”

Does that mean Yiling is sentimental to Lan Wangji? And what kind of a demand is that coming from an emperor at a hostage negotiation?! Wei Wuxian brought gold and valuable resources, not his childhood toys!

“Haha, this may surprise you but this one did not come prepared for such a request. Not many personal items on me.” The way Lan Wangji clarified his meaning when Wei Wuxian grabbed his bell must mean that’s not what he was looking for. Wei Wuxian’s relief is quickly replaced with confusion. So what does he want?

The emperor observed him in silence before motioning to Wei Wuxian’s head, “That ribbon.”

Wei Wuxian froze for only a second before tugging the ribbon off, his hair cascading across his shoulders. This guy sure knows how to pick them.

Wei Wuxian’s mother came from a reclusive mountain community under the leadership of a rumored immortal. Cut off from the outside world, they have their own unique culture preserved from hundreds of years before. They are a strange but respected people.

Not much is known about their rituals aside from their red ribbons. Signifying love and family, a strip of both the groom and the bride’s wedding robes are embroidered together with good luck charms and bestowed onto their child at birth.

Wei Wuxian keeps his face carefully neutral as the ribbon disappears into the emperor’s sleeve.

It was the only thing he had left of his parents.

No longer able to look at the man, Wei Wuxian jerked his head to the entrance, “Can Yunmeng have its troops back now?”

The emperor inclined his head, “You may.”

Ignoring the noble’s indignant screams to report this to his father on their way back, never had throwing someone out of the army felt so good.

Although things were extremely tense afterwards, especially amongst the Jiangs who understood the ribbon’s meaning, Wei Wuxian acted the same as ever. As if nothing happened and there was nothing to worry about.

In such a delicate situation, how could he afford to show weakness?

At least it would be a while before he saw the emperor again.

Never did Wei Wuxian expect that just a week later the emperor would ride up to the border of their camp with only a few guards, demanding to see him.

Gently handing Wei Wuxian a beautifully crafted box after they entered the tent, the emperor inclined his head, “Apologies. We did not understand its value.”

Wei Wuxian’s eye widened at the ribbon carefully arranged like a jewel on a pillow within the box. Not a crease in sight and without even a change in scent, the ribbon must have been treated with the utmost respect and consideration, even more than Wei Wuxian himself bothers.

Taking a shaky breath, Wei Wuxian faced the emperor with warmth bubbling in his chest. Ah, of course he would be this way, “Your Highness… You have my gratitude, but I cannot accept this back. A deal is a deal and leaving loose ends would not do any of us good.”

The emperor shook his head, “No.”

Then seeing Wei Wuxian prepare to retort, “A substitute.”

Wei Wuxian turned to the entrance. Something personal, huh, “Wen Ning, bring my stuff here!”

Flinching at being caught eavesdropping, Wen Ning scurried off and quickly came back holding a trunk. As he walked past Wei Wuxian to return to his post, Wen Ning whispered, “Don’t worry Young Master, I didn’t take anything important.”

The emperor tensed as he looked inside, asking tersely, “Everything is yours alone?”

Wei Wuxian waved it off, busy tying his ribbon up and ignoring the emperor’s gaze, “Yup! All mine, had it for years. Are they too exotic for His Majesty’s refined tastes?”

The emperor turned his attention back to the trunk, seemingly satisfied.

Taking a glance, Wei Wuxian was surprised to find it really was just some random possessions he carried around. A thought struck him as the emperor excused himself after taking something while Wei Wuxian was distracted. If the emperor originally thought his ribbon was just some scrap of fabric, then why did he want it?

Well, all royalty have their quirks.

With his ribbon back, it’s as if Wei Wuxian regained a lost chunk of strength that carried him through the next few debilitating assaults from the Venerated Triad Alliance. Now truly understanding the gravity of the splintered situation, Wei Wuxian rallied as much of the army under his banner as he could. After advising the Council that anyone not under his command was no longer his burden, Wei Wuxian spent the next few months running through as many plans as he could.

The negotiation incident seems to have left a deep impact on Jiang Cheng. No longer did he look for opportunities to gain achievements, becoming much more cooperative to Wei Wuxian’s plans. As proud as Wei Wuxian was to see his growth in maturity, despite their 5 day age difference, it was just another reminder of the desperate situation they found themselves in.

As the days grew, so did the Triad’s strength. And so did the tension among the Wei Wuxian’s personal advisors. Arguing about which directions to take, Wen Ning had to hold Wen Qing down from needling Jiang Cheng into a coma when he suggested using the Demonic Text.

A product of desperation mixed with unrestrained creativity, the Demonic Text is a secret book of ideas Wei Wuxian had been cataloguing since his first experience with war. Containing everything from torture methods to biological warfare, it is a cold bundle of pages with no respect for any form of life. After denouncing it with his inner circle, Wei Wuxian used it as a sort of grave to dump all his dark ideas so he could put them out of mind and focus.

Never did Wei Wuxian think he would consider using it again.

And in actuality, he wasn’t considering it. He refused to consider it. This war against Gusu is different and for all the bitterness and animosity between the two, Gusu has done nothing to deserve such extreme methods. The problem is that Gusu was not their only enemy now. Even Qinghe, despite their brutal thirst for victory, didn’t warrant the Demonic Text especially with their prior friendly relations.

Lanling is different. Much of the ruling Jin family was greedy and self-serving. Despite being as fractured as Yunmeng, their desires for a common interest unify them just enough. Although Jin Guangyao has so far left a good impression on Wei Wuxian, Koi Tower is poison to the soul and he’ll keep his guard up against any Jin until the day he dies. If anyone was likely to employ the kind of cruel actions that would warrant the Demonic Text, it would be Jin Guangshan.

Shaking his head to erase the thoughts, Wei Wuxian helped pull his favorite wet cats apart so they could finish this strategy meeting and get a drink.

The next few battles tempted Wei Wuxian to reconsider. The Jin had gone all out to seize a vital position from Yunmeng, cutting down anyone in their way. Cruelty is the nature of war, but that doesn’t stop Wei Wuxian’s fists trembling from anger as he directed survivors from a nearby razed village to the medical tent. Wei Wuxian caught Wen Qing’s eye as he passed and knew from the tick in her jaw that she was thinking the same. But in the end there’s no way that text could ever be used. Having no regard for life goes both ways after all.

In the following days thoughts of the Demonic Text plagued his mind, traitorous voices in his head pointing out how page 83 could have won that battle or torture method #42 could have saved those people. The repercussions of losing that position to the Jin were taking their toll.

Every day Wei Wuxian grew more exhausted.

He thought he was hiding it well, but either it shows more than he thought or the emperor is inhumanly perceptive. Jiang Cheng thinks it’s all in his head, but Wei Wuxian can feel how the emperor’s gaze lingers on him longer each time they clash. He seems more restless recently, as if he wants to say something but stops just short. Especially when Wei Wuxian suffers a loss, he can feel the emperor’s gaze on his back even long after they’re out of sight.

And then the day comes. They finally get desperate enough to open the Demonic Text.

Word from their spies said that Lan Xichen, the absolute worldly genius that he is, had discussed giving Lanling a piece of Yunmeng territory and leaving the care of any remaining Yunmeng soldiers under Jin Guangyao’s authority. How could he be so naive as to think that’s in any way a good idea?!

Wei Wuxian looked over at Wen Ning and Wen Qing.

As if he’d let that happen.

Wei Wuxian lets the others pour over the text on their own while he stands off to the side. He may suck at remembering people, but his memory in all other areas is top-notch. He wrote that book, and he knows every word written by heart.

He decides on a plan just as the argument heats up, breaking it apart when MianMian gets ready to choke a bitch. They have work to do.

It was an utter failure. Nothing else could justify the nauseating agony numbing Wei Wuxian to his core as Jiang Cheng leads their forces in a cheer at retaking the Jin’s position. He lets Jiang Cheng take over shouting out orders as Wei Wuxian kneels to close his Sixth Shidi’s eyes.

He lost 22 of his most loyal men that day, 14 of whom had followed him from the very beginning.

That’s not counting the other casualties.

And for what? To get back to their previously still desperate position? All this sacrifice for so little in return?

Wei Wuxian is not so foolish that he went this far without a long-term plan. These situations are his specialty. They can win.

He let his bangs cover his face as he gripped Sixth Shidi’s hand, heaving breaths through clenched teeth.

But at what cost?

Feeling a gaze on his back, Wei Wuxian turned to see the emperor looking at him from across the field. Unable to meet his eyes, for the first time, Wei Wuxian looks away.

The following weeks were quiet as both sides gathered to discuss next steps. While the position was good for Yunmeng, it didn’t necessarily affect the Alliance. They had enough time to learn the terrain and create alternate routes that they had already recovered by the time Wei Wuxian returned to Lotus Pier for their strategy meeting. What it did do was prove to Yunmeng that we’re not over yet.

Dinner was a more lively affair than it had been in recent months. The Jiangs were clearly encouraged by the results of the battle despite it’s bitter nature. Wei Wuxian can’t blame them. At this point they’ll do anything to get out of their desperate situation.

Just then, a letter arrives from the Cloud Recesses.

[obaewankenope]

The Second Life of Sandu Shengshou, chapter 2

[Ao3] 

Getting to Cloud Recesses earlier than the guest lectures that had been the beginning of a whole lot of fucking drama is, Jiang Cheng accepts, easier than he expected only because his parents seem inclined to grant him any wish now he’s not dead anymore.

Apparently, there’s rumours that the son of Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan either a) never really died and eloped with some rogue Cultivator (he’s twelve, what the fuck?) who then spurned him, b) is a fierce corpse that decided to just act like nothing was wrong at all (that’s not how fierce corpses even work, and Jiang Cheng would know since his brother is the Yiling fucking Patriarch) or, c) is a doppelganger with the exact same ability to be absolutely murderously protective of his siblings, going so far as to threaten his own parents if they so much as looked at his shixiong wrong.

The rumours are, naturally, a little bit right and a whole lot wrong. Well, one of them sort of is which is honestly better than he expects of people who know fuck all about him. Jiang Cheng isn’t a doppelganger of course—isn’t he though; it’s not like he’s the same twelve-year-old who died an ignoble death on a night-hunt because he’d been insistent that he could handle it, shut up Wei Wuxian!—but he is absolutely willing to throw down with anyone who bad mouths his brother; including his mother.

His mother, the purple spider who still terrifies him because she’s his mother, but who stops and looks at her son with wide eyes and an honest sort of pride at his very fierce desire to fight her. Gaining some outward display of approval from his mother apparently is as simple as growing a backbone. Who knew?

His mother’s behaviour toward Wei Ying has definitely changed for the better since Jiang Cheng has taken it upon himself to make it very fucking clear that no-one is permitted to hurt him. As much as Yu Ziyuan is the Madam of Lotus Pier, Jiang Cheng is the Sect Heir and he’s lived as a Sect Leader during shitty times, peaceful times, and absolutely soul-destroying times. His mother respects the fact that her son can stop Zidian without being its master.

Jiang Cheng is going to have to address that too because he sort of misses Zidian even if he’s okay with only Sandu right now. He’s thrashed Wei Ying half a dozen times since he “came back” with moves that he knows his brother won’t learn for another year. It’s had the added bonus of encouraging his brother to really go all in for studying how to beat him again, and made his parents look actually sort of proud of him.

The fact that he and Wei Ying both team up to encourage A-Jie to improve her own sword work draws surprise from many because everyone knows A-Jie is going to marry the peacock and will just be an ornament in Koi Tower rather than an actual fighter. Jiang Cheng and his shixiong both resolve to make sure A-Jie is more than what others expect her to be because no. Jiang Cheng lost both his siblings because of others expectations and biases of them. Fuck that.

A-Jie doesn’t thank them in the beginning because she has spent years accepting the fact that her cultivation isn’t high enough, but Jiang Cheng knows that a core can be strengthened through a variety of ways. A-Jie needs to be passably good with a sword for focus reasons, and also because sometimes having a sword helps stave off danger because no one likes a sword pointed at them, but the primary tools Jiang Cheng and A-Ying agree A-Jie should learn are talismans and arrays.

Talismans are useful for any cultivator, especially when the cultivator knows someone as insanely creative as A-Ying or someone with an unfair advantage like Jiang Cheng. He definitely isn’t smug about “coming up” with new talismans that are definitely ones A-Ying would have thought of eventually. He really isn’t.

Gusu Lan invites the Sect Heir of Yunmeng Jiang to Cloud Recesses two months after he makes the request of them. He politely informs Lan Qiren—acting in the place of his secluded brother until his eldest son can take his place—that A-Jie and A-Xian will be accompanying him. The fact that he doesn’t word it as a request for Lan Qiren to extend the invitation to his siblings is irrelevant because Jiang Cheng refuses to leave them in Lotus Pier without him there to make sure they’re safe.

Sect Leader Lan responds that the siblings of Jiang Wanyin are welcome also to Cloud Recesses.

How wise of him.

Of course, Jiang Cheng is well-aware that Lan Qiren will regret allowing A-Xian to enter Cloud Recesses and get anywhere near his precious second nephew, but Jiang Cheng doesn’t care about how Lan Qiren will feel about it when he knows Wei Ying will be happy with Lan Wangji.

After Jiang Cheng has a chat with Wei Ying about teasing and flirting and how they’re one-in-the-fucking-same when it comes to a certain Lan. He’s well-aware the conversation is going to be excruciatingly awkward for them both but Jiang Cheng raised a nephew alone and rebuilt a Sect; he watched the world change and grow and helped it do so. He can tell his brother that when he talks about how nice a certain cultivator’s eyes are, his ears, his fucking nose that Wei Ying wants to marry said cultivator even if they happen to be made out of fucking jade and have no facial expressions to speak of!

Wei Ying is very confused and assumes Jiang Cheng has a crush.

He pushes him in the river and leaves him to swim to shore, shouting at A-Xian that he’s an idiot who won’t know love when it literally ties them together with a white ribbon in a damned cave.

Yeah, Jiang Cheng learnt about that little event thirty-seven-years after it happened! He’s still a little sore about not being told his brother had gotten married at fifteen.

Just a little, mind.

* * * *

Acting Sect Leader Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen greet Jiang Cheng and his siblings when they are presented in the Welcoming Hall of Cloud Recess. Lan Wangji is standing off to the side, near his brother but further back, clearly showing that he is there because it is his duty and not because he cares about Yunmeng Jiang invading Cloud Recess.

Jiang Cheng doesn’t really care about how Lan Wangji feels about their arrival disrupting the Second Jade’s seclusion. He’s more interested in shoving Lan Wangji and his brother at each other while also possibly dropping as many hints as he can that Wen Ruohan wants to destroy Cloud Recesses because he’s an evil bastard who needs to die, die, die.

Just a normal day for Jiang Cheng.

“Welcome, Jiang-gongzi, Wei-gongzi and Jiang-guniang,” Lan Qiren says and he sounds mostly sincere about the welcoming. Jiang Cheng knows that won’t last the moment A-Xian opens his mouth. “I hope your stay at Cloud Recess will be peaceful and beneficial to you.”

Jiang Cheng and his siblings bow in unison, a practised move that he roped A-Jie into who then roped A-Xian into by giving him that look of hers neither of them can resist.

“Jiang Wanyin, Wei Wuxian, and Jiang Yanli are honoured by your hosting of us at Cloud Recess,” Jiang Cheng replies, still bowing, and he’s pretty pleased that he doesn’t mess up the words or sound unnecessarily aggressive. Decades of playing politics makes interactions that would have once had him a nervous mess at twelve seem like a breeze.

He could probably even talk to Wen Ruohan without cursing in the bastards face. Jiang Cheng straightens from his bow. No, no he couldn’t, actually. Wen Ruohan is too much even for Jiang Cheng to handle without attempting murder outright.

Sect Conferences are going to be a challenge.

Rooms have been prepared for them and they are directed to them by Lan Wangji who, Jiang Cheng notices, keeps an exceptionally tight grip of his sword. A grip that seems to tighten even more whenever Wei Ying smiles or laughs with his Shijie. It’s almost nauseating to realise that Lan Wangji was interested in Wei Ying from the start.

Jiang Cheng is appalled. It’s not romantic. Nope. Not at all.

His brother is horrifyingly oblivious if he didn’t notice this about Lan Wangji. Even now, three years before they would have originally met, Lan Wangji seems interested in Wei Ying in a way the Second Jade obviously isn’t in Jiang Cheng or A-Jie

Jiang Cheng sighs.

Why does Jiang Cheng have to suffer having such an oblivious genius for a shixiong?

He’s going to have to include A-Jie in his scheming for shoving Lan Wangji and Wei Ying together. His sister, Jiang Cheng knows, will assist without hesitation. A-Jie has always gone above and beyond for her XianXian. So much so, she died for him.

That will not be allowed to happen again.

First things first, Jiang Cheng needs to figure out a way to talk to Lan Xichen and build up some sort of rapport with the soon to be Sect Leader. One of the biggest issues he faced in his first life was the way Yunmeng Jiang was isolated from the other elite sects; partly due to Jiang Cheng being Jiang Cheng but also due to scheming bastards who he will not allow the chance to start scheming this time around.

That means he needs to engage with Lan Xichen, Zewu-Jun, First Jade of Lan, and not make a fucking fool of himself. Easy.

It is not easy.

Getting the chance to talk to Lan Xichen is easy but the chance to talk to him alone without Lan Qiren or Lan fucking Wangji following and joining in and talking—well, Lan Qiren joins in, Lan Wangji just stands there like an ice sculpture that someone didn’t even bother trying to make look human—is next to impossible.

In the end, Jiang Cheng employs both of his siblings as distractions just so he can at least say five damned words to Lan Xichen without one of his relatives lurking.

He doesn’t want to know how A-Xian keeps Lan Wangji distracted, he doesn’t, but A-Jie at least will distract Lan Qiren with discussions on the running of a sect. Bless his sister. Also bless his brother, but silently; A-Ying’s ego is big enough as it is.

Lan Xichen is, at least, pleasantly polite about talking with Jiang Cheng alone which is nice. Nice and with the expression on Zewu-Jun’s face, apparently alarming. What does he think Jiang Cheng is going to do; attack him in Cloud Recess?

Jiang Cheng is an angry twelve-year-old with a lifetime of experiences. He’s not stupid, just rash sometimes.

“I assume Zewu-Jun is aware,” Jiang Cheng says with all the seriousness a twelve-year-old can muster; a lot when that twelve-year-old is a scowling ex-sect leader, “of the rumours surrounding my being alive.” Lan Xichen nods. “They’re wrong. Mostly.”

“Your request to visit Cloud Recess was intriguing young master Jiang,” Lan Xichen says with that bland smile of his that absolutely screams discomfort at the topic but a stubborn refusal to admit discomfort. Jiang Cheng had seen it a lot in relation to Jin Guangyao in those later years. “Sect Leader Jiang informed us of your death and your return. It has caused some discussion among the Elders.”

Some discussion is probably Lan-code for quiet shouting about wicked sorcery to bring him back to life or something equally fucking stupid from them. Jiang Cheng doesn’t roll his eyes but he wants to.

“I have no idea how I came back,” he tells Lan Xichen because it’s true, he doesn’t. “I remember dying and then waking in a forest clearing with a fierce corpse trying to eat my face.” Lan Xichen doesn’t grimace at the mental image like A-Ying had, but there’s still a flicker of horror.

“That must have been an unexpected surprise,” Lan Xichen says with all the tact of a Lan.

“Bigger surprise was my own parents taking turns trying to kill me,” Jiang Cheng replies with a shrug and that makes Lan Xichen grimace a little.

Jiang Cheng finds the expressiveness of this still-teenaged Lan Xichen to be very fascinating. In an academic sort of way. Lan Wangji, even as a teenager, is more like a wall of ice whilst his older brother has more emotional nuance. It’s interesting.

“That’s not the important thing,” Jiang Cheng continues, ignoring how Lan Xichen’s expression very much says that is the important thing. It’s not, but he can understand how Lan Xichen thinks it is.

Parents trying to kill their child is sort of a big deal, but Jiang Cheng honestly is just pleasantly pleased that he has parents still. It’s almost novel.

“What, then, is the important thing, Jiang-gongzi?”

There’s a little note of frustration in Lan Xichen’s words that makes Jiang Cheng want to smirk at the other. It’s a reminder of dull Sect Conferences where Jiang Cheng got to watch Lan Xichen become steadily more and more annoyed with people. He finds it somewhat reassuring to know that the Sect Leader Jiang Cheng came to know in a distant acquaintance sort of way isn’t all that different from this young Sect Leader now. Well, Sect Heir, still, but Jiang Cheng knows that’s not going to last much longer.

“The important thing is that I’m a lot older than twelve and have been for a long, long time,” Jiang Cheng says, holding up a hand when Lan Xichen frowns at him. “My mother attacked me with Zidian which protects against possession, so no, I’m not possessed. I’m still me, just not the me who died on a fucking night-hunt I shouldn’t have actually snook out to join.”

Jiang Cheng watches Lan Xichen closely. The First Jade isn’t reaching for his sword, or liebing, but also doesn’t seem to be reacting at all to Jiang Cheng’s words.

Maybe he’s in shock?

“I became Sect Leader at seventeen, after Lotus Pier was attacked and my Sect was decimated. Only my brother and sister and I escaped because of my mother.” Jiang Cheng’s voice doesn’t break or tremble as he says this out loud for the first time. It doesn’t. It just gets a little... Just a little.

“I lost my core and my brother, the idiot, gave me his and I went to war. We won but my brother paid the price for fear and hatred, and I didn’t save him. I lost him” Jiang Cheng confesses, quietly. “I lost them both.”

There’s tears in his eyes and the Jiang Cheng of ten, twenty years ago would have wiped them away angrily, denying that he was crying at all. But Jiang Cheng had died an old man who suffered so much and learnt to value the happiness he seldom had.

He doesn’t wipe away the tears.

He lets Lan Xichen see them.

He's earned the right to be unashamed of feeling.

“I came back and I don’t know why but they’re alive and they’re safe and I need your help to keep them that way,” Jiang Cheng tells Lan Xichen with more seriousness than he’d ever possessed as a twelve-year-old. “I need you help to protect everyone.”

Lan Xichen finally speaks. “From what?”

Jiang Cheng scowls. He knows there’s a hatred in his eyes, he can’t and won’t hide it. “Wen Ruohan,” he spits the name like he’s coughing up poisoned blood. “He tried to take over the cultivation world. Attacked Cloud Recess and Lotus Pier. Your brother was captured in the attack here.” Lan Xichen looks at Jiang Cheng with the horror of an older brother who is tasked with the care of a younger.

“He survived the war,” Jiang Cheng tells him, because Lan Xichen was many things in Jiang Cheng’s life, but right now in this time, Lan Xichen is an older brother who hasn’t done anything against Jiang Cheng or those he loves. He can be kind.

The relief on Lan Xichen’s face reminds Jiang Cheng of the relief he felt after those three months. It stings.

“Why are you telling me this?” Lan Xichen asks. “What do you believe I can do?”

Jiang Cheng is silent. The question of what he wants Lan Xichen to do is difficult to answer. It’s not that he wants Zewu-Jun to do anything specifically; Jiang Cheng is well aware that Lan Xichen has obligations and duties here at Cloud Recess. He doesn’t want to ask Lan Xichen to help him kill Wen Ruohan before the bastard starts a war, but he sort of does because help would be nice.

Really, what Jiang Cheng wants Lan Xichen to do boils down to don’t fall for a lunatic with a chip on his shoulder just because he’s the son of a whore, and don’t let said lunatic kill one of the only decent people who has some fucking integrity as well as, maybe, don’t just sit by and let an entire people be wiped fucking out in an outright act of genocide. Also, support your brother and be happy for him being with A-Ying without being biased against my brother.

He can’t actually tell Lan Xichen any of that, of course, because Jiang Cheng doesn’t know how to.

He’s silent long enough that Lan Xichen finally speaks again.

“Jiang-gongzi?”

“Protect Cloud Recess from attack,” Jiang Cheng blurts, saying something at least. He wants to tell Lan Xichen more, he needs to tell someone but Zewu-Jun isn’t who he wants to actually talk to about all this.

His siblings are.

“Ward it, protect your treasures better, your library,” Jiang Cheng bites out. “Don’t ignore your responsibilities even when you’re grieving. Don’t let your brother suffer for being righteous. Don’t let my brother suffer for doing the right fucking thing! Just- just don’t fuck up.”

Jiang Cheng stands quickly. Lan Xichen rises also; he looks distressed. Or worried.

“Thank you for your time, Sect Leader Lan.” Jiang Cheng bows. His body feels like he’s jumped into the cold pool that he knows exists at Cloud Recess. There’s a sharp ache in his chest and his lower dantian burns. “I must go.”

Lan Xichen isn’t finished with his own bow before Jiang Cheng is rushing out the room.

A-Jie and A-Ying aren’t in the guest rooms they’ve been given for their visit. Jiang Cheng takes the opportunity presented by this to throw himself into their shared room and slam the door behind him. His knees fold of their own accord and Jiang Cheng ends up leaning against the wall by the door, knees tucked to his chest as he tries to just breathe.

Thinking about what he needs to do is one thing, saying it out loud is something different. Lan Xichen had asked him what Jiang Cheng wanted him to do.

Jiang Cheng doesn’t even know what he wants to do.

Writing to Cloud Recess and arranging his brothers introduction to Lan Wangji was something Jiang Cheng did because he wants his brother happy. Lan Wangji makes A-Ying happy. He’s planning on dragging Jin Zixuan to Lotus Pier at some point for A-Jie, but that requires more planning than a letter to Cloud Recesses did.

Jiang Cheng has lived an entire life where he ended up almost entirely alone. He had only a nephew for sixteen years and a Sect he had to rebuild in a place that was burnt to the ground. A-Ying came back and it still took Jiang Cheng so, so long to accept his brother again and not drive him away with his anger and inability to communicate.

Things are better now, in this second life, but the first has left Jiang Cheng wounded in ways he can’t explain.

Before everything went wrong, the three of them were inseparable. The Twin Prides of Yunmeng who were wrangled by their beloved A-Jie. Jiang Cheng has already endeavoured to improve A-Jie’s cultivation, with A-Ying’s help, and he is determined for them to be known as a trio rather than a pair.

The only people Jiang Cheng can really talk to about what he has lived through are the two people he loves more than he has ever loved anyone else besides his nephew.

A-Jie, Jiang Cheng knows, will handle what he tells her better than A-Ying. A-Ying will learn of how he was an excuse to destroy their Sect and how he, Jiang Cheng, blamed him for years for things A-Ying was tricked into.

Jiang Cheng is terrified he will drive his brother away with the truth.

But Jiang Cheng knows A-Ying deserves to know.

He just hopes A-Jie will be willing to wrangle them both a little longer and keep A-Ying from fleeing out of misplaced guilt.

Jiang Cheng let’s out a choked laugh, wiping at his face with his sleeve. Who is he kidding, A-Jie can wrangle them both with a look; Jiang Cheng knows A-Jie will be able to keep A-Ying from running from them.

Jiang Cheng will help.

He lost his brother once before, he will never let that happen again. Never.

* * * *

Jiang Cheng is introduced to the Elders of the Lan Sect and decides, almost immediately, that he hates them. They’re stuffy, obnoxious, and make him long for the days when being angry and intimidating made up the majority of his tools for interacting with other Sects.

Unfortunately, he’s twelve.

The Elders expect Jiang Cheng to answer their questions and don’t like it when he does because there are no records of any cultivator having returned to a previous time in their life, it is not possible!

Jiang Cheng, personally, doesn’t really care if they think its possible or not because he’s living proof that it is.

There’s very little he can do to convince them so, in a burst of temper, Jiang Cheng snaps at the Elder currently denying his existence.

“The late Madam Lan didn’t die until Lan Wangji was six.”

The Elders fall silent. Lan Qiren is in the room and he goes pale at Jiang Cheng’s words.

Another Elder, not the one who drove Jiang Cheng to snap, asks him: “how do you know this?”

“Lan Wangji told my brother and I about her after drinking a cup of wine that had been mistakenly placed in front of him at an Inn we were staying at,” Jiang Cheng answers. “He did not recall the conversation in the morning and my brother and I decided not to mention it to him because it clearly distressed Hanguang-Jun even fifty years later.”

“Fifty years...” Lan Qiren says softly, staring at Jiang Cheng.

“Summon Lan Wangji.” The Elder who had been denying Jiang Cheng’s existence as someone who had died and returned to his life ordered. “I do not believe this fantasy. Let us ask Lan Wangji if he has informed Jiang-gongzi of his mother.”

The way the Elder says ‘mother’ has Jiang Cheng wishing he could give the man a tongue lashing that’d make his mother weep with pride. So much disdain for one who is gone.

How un-Lan-like of that Elder.

Lan Wangji arrives quickly and comes to stand near to Jiang Cheng. He’s close enough that Jiang Cheng can see the tension in the Second Jade at this unexpected summoning.

Lan Wangji has—this time—done nothing wrong and whatever he’s expecting of the Elders, the order to discuss his mother is definitely not something he ever expected judging by the actual emotion Jiang Cheng witnesses cross Lan Wangji’s face. There’s a raw sort of pain in his expression that Jiang Cheng understands on a level he doesn’t think any of these fucking Elders have ever experienced.

Losing a parent hurts. Losing one that loves you hurts worse.

“When did you drink alcohol with Jiang-gongzi?” That same Elder demands of Lan Wangji, not mentioning Jiang Cheng’s brother.

“Alcohol is forbidden in Cloud Recess,” Lan Wangji replies. The Elder scowls at him.

“When, Lan Wangji, did you drink with Wei Wuxian? ” The Elder presses and Jiang Cheng really doesn’t like the way he says A-Ying’s name. “When did you act so shamefully?”

“Lan Wangji has not drank alcohol at all,” Lan Wangji replies. “Not with Jiang Wanyin. Not with Wei Ying.”

If there’s one thing Jiang Cheng will take from this clusterfuck of a meeting with the Lan Elders, it will be hearing Lan Wangji call his brother Wei Ying.

“Lan Wangji does not lie, Elder Yu,” Lan Qiren says, before Elder Yu—Jiang Cheng will remember him—can say anything. “It is a well known fact that my nephew has never lied.”

“This is true, Lan Qiren,” another Elder says, her expression serene. “If it is true that Lan Wangji had not drank alcohol with either Jiang-gongzi or Wei-gongzi, then we must accept Jiang-gongzi’s word as truth. Just because such an event has never been recorded before in the history of cultivation does not mean it has no happened, or is impossible.”

Jiang Cheng decides that he likes this particular Lan Elder. They have a brain, that’s nice to know.

“If Jiang-qianbei is willing,” the Elder continues, “then his wisdom will be welcomed.”

Oh, Jiang Cheng definitely likes this Elder.

Lan Wangji is dismissed and Jiang Cheng, having thought on it in his room before his siblings returned after his talk with Lan Xichen, keeps what he shares with them both vague and informational enough to have them curious and eventually respectful.

Except Elder Yu. He seems to just dislike everything Jiang Cheng has to say. Fortunately, the other Elders are more interested in hearing about Jiang Cheng living an entire life, dying and then waking up as a twelve-year-old.

He doesn’t mention the Sunshot Campaign or what happened to his brother and family. He does mention his Sect being attacked and his becoming Sect Leader, but he doesn’t tell them the when, who, or how of it all. The Elders seem more interested in the academic aspect of his return.

Jiang Cheng can use that.

The Lan Elders are, since they’re Lans, pretty well respected across the cultivation world. Their belief and interest in his circumstances will help him in the long-run.

Jiang Cheng learnt the hard way that sometimes you have to set a plan in motion years in advance. This time, however, he’s the one setting the plan and he’s not going to fuck it up.

The Sunshot Campaign will happen, it has to; the Wen are too powerful even without Wen Ruohan in charge and his heirs are fucking nightmares. Jiang Cheng will have to fight a war and see his disciples die in it. He will see his siblings fear for him and for each other. All of it, for a second time.

But the end result will be different, Jiang Cheng is determined to make it different. The Wen were powerful and not all of them deserved their fates. The Jin cannot be allowed to steal political power in the vacuum that the obliteration of the Wen, the destruction of the Jiang, and the decimation of the Lan allowed them to take. The Nie cannot be harmed by the violent death of their Leader.

So many things need to be taken care of early on.

One of those things is the payment for a prostitute to be freed. Another is a child to be collected by a Jiang disciple before another can set them down a dark path.

Jiang Cheng has more than just his hope that things will be better in this second life; he has a century’s worth of experience, knowledge, and skill and the stubborn will and determination to make the impossible a reality.

Fate and destiny will not rule him. They will not rule those he loves.

Jiang Cheng will fight the world for those he loves. The world will learn to back down because, this time, Jiang Cheng won’t.

[antiquecompass]

Ficlet: Found

Wherein Lan Wangji is on a mission to find his law-brother, his nephew, and his soul mate. (Also on Ao3).

Gossip was forbidden in the Cloud Recesses proper, indulged in the greater Winter Court, and required in most of the world to pick apart the threads of truth at the core of all the fantastical stories bred out of rumors. Lan Wangji did not participate in gossip, but he had ears, and he’d always been the most observant of the Winter Court. Many assumed that because he did not speak often, or at length, that he remained aloof to all around him, as if his desire to be left to his own thoughts somehow made him deaf to the words that swirled around him. He never corrected that assumption; it allowed him to do his job and do it well.

He was the Crown Prince of the Winter Court, but more importantly, he was the Winter King’s most trusted weapon. And his brother, absent a portion of his memory, missing half his heart and soul, deprived of the silent power and strength that came from his husband, needed his most trusted weapon, his brother, his confidant, to do his job and do it well.

Escaping to the Other Side was easy. Claiming that it was to find Wei Ying was a partial-truth, and one everyone in the Court would believe. He would find Wei Ying, he had to, to see with his own eyes that he was well, but his ultimate goal was to find his law-brother and bring him home.

Lan Wangji understood the need to run, to protect, to hide, but their family was strongest together and the Winter Court would not lose one of its own again. Not under his watch and not under his brother’s reign. His brother would not become the shell that had once been their father before he faded into nothingness. And while father’s had been a slow death, Xichen’s would be quick, even for the Sidhe.

The one major downfall of true soulmates and love matches.

Even though he knew Jiang Cheng had held back from fully combining their powers, their souls, and their wills, had done it to protect the Winter King should he be harmed or killed, Xichen didn’t know how to love but with everything in him.

Wangji was equally matched with his brother in this, as he was with so much else.

The risk and cost were worth it, for when a Lan gave their heart, they gave it full and true.

Gossip led him to a tavern in a city called Cambridge on the water of a river call Charles. The Temple looked perfectly normal from the outside, like any other building, its glamour strong and holding, its protective shield’s roots deep and strong. For those with a touch of magic in their blood, the oil street lamps outside of it burned with welcoming flames, beckoned them closer. This was a place for Wanderers and Wayfarers alike, but it had been built by Wayfarers and it called them home.

Lan Wangji shifted in the unfamiliar stiff clothing he wore. The denim jeans rough against his skin, the plaid shirt too tight for his liking, but he was to fit in here and the Realm Jumper, Varro, promised him that these clothes would work best. Wangji missed the softness of his robes, the heavy, grounding weight of his hair piece and circlet, the comfort of Bichen by his side. They were all packed up in the pouch now shrunk to what Varro called ‘wallet-sized’ and stuffed in one of his pockets.

Inside he found the typical stink of a bar, added to it the stench of wolves and bears, some demons, wizards, and various other magical folk. A Sprite stood in the corner, a source of calm, light-green energy surrounding him, but all eyes were on the Sidhe standing on top of the bar, drunkenly singing a horribly inappropriate tune.

Absolutely shameless.

Wei Ying would join him, surely, if he were here.

The Sidhe stopped mid-song as Wangji fully crossed the barrier into the establishment, his power sending a series of warning flames to the candles spaced throughout the tavern. His presence was powerful, even masked, and by the Right of Hospitality, he could not hide it stepping into this place of business and home.

The Summer Sidhe at the bar raised his glass.

“All hail the Crown Prince of the Winter Court!” he yelled, golden hair flying about him. “Those ice statue fucks rarely come down from their mountain hall. What brings you to the Other Side, little prince? Ready to finally rid yourself of your maidenhead?”

Wangji didn’t spare him a glance as he walked further into the bar.

“I was speaking to you, Ice Prince,” the Sidhe called after him.

“You are not qualified to speak to me,” Wangji said as he continued on, further into the bar, past the tables full of patrons, to a back corner where a Puck sat.

Bard Nasir had once been the golden jewel of Ville. Like so many Pucks he had been chained there by tradition and law, but it was Wei Ying and Jiang Cheng who helped the Sidhe Queen of Ville’s plan to smuggle him out, the Winter Court that offered a refuge, and it was now that Wangji came to collect on those favors.

Nasir pulled away from the wolf draped across him and immediately stood and bowed.

“Unnecessary,” Wangji said.

Nasir laughed. “Ever the same, Prince Wangji. I take it you are not here with glad tidings?”

He shook his head. “Lotus Pier was fallen. I seek news of Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng.”

“Are they not together?” Nasir asked. A worried look crossed his face, causing the wolf from earlier to stand behind him, a menacing glare thrown Wangji's ways. Mates then. Nasir had found and done the impossible, Curse of the Pucks be damned.

“The Winter King’s husband is missing?” Nasir said, voice shocked.

Wangji stayed silent and still as the news hit Nasir. A streak of curses followed that brought an entire pack of wolves around them.

“Stand down,” Nasir ordered. “He is a friend.”

“He is a Sidhe,” a blonde she-wolf hissed.

“He is of the Winter Court, Saxa,” Nasir explained. “And they offered refuge and care when the Summer Court brought pain and destruction. He brings me news of people I owe my freedom to, and I will gladly help find them, if they are lost.”

“It was the Wens,” Wangji said.

Nasir cursed again. “Were any left standing?”

“All were frozen or burnt to death, at least those who didn’t drown or have lotus blossoms take root and bloom and explode inside them,” he explained.

The mess he’d found at Lotus Pier once his brother returned to the Winter Court had shocked him. The bodies of Jiang Yanli and her husband were still missing. An entire group of Jiang Clan survivors had been found, safe, locked in a protective bubble under the throne room of Lotus Pier. A Yu cousin was leading the survivors now, their own little pocket in the Winter Court, a marriage contract honored even if the Winter King’s husband was gone.

Lan Wangji took a soothing, deep breath. He needed to find Wei Ying. He needed to find Jiang Cheng. And he would, even if he'd have to beg. He would have his family restored.

“I thought Lotus Pier was a warm place,” one of the wolves said, the low light catching on the gleam of his nose-ring. “How does a fire demon freeze to death?”

“The Winter King is far more powerful than people give him credit for,” Nasir explained. “He is kind as a summer, yes, but ruthless when it comes to his family.”

“What does that mean?” the wolf asked.

“It means he called to the water inside of the blood of the attackers and froze them from the inside out,” a ghost, hovering over the wolf’s shoulder, said.

“Holy shit,” the wolf said.

“Indeed,” Wangji agreed. “Have you heard any news? Jiang Cheng would be traveling with a babe, possibly in its pup form.”

And Jiang Cheng, tall, powerful, glowing violet eyes and a frown for miles would stand out with a small child or pup strapped to him. There had to be some gossip out there Wangji could use to find his trail.

“He stole a pup?” one of the wolves roared.

“Peace, Donar,” Nasir said, speaking to a mountain of a wolf. “It is his nephew. Madame Jiang, Wizard Jiang, was mated to a member of the Nie-Jin Pack.” He turned to Wangji. “Would he seek refuge with them? Would they extend it?”

Possibly, but Jiang Cheng had come in through the Southern Seas, at least that’s what he’d heard from the rumors, and that was far removed from the Nie Pack territory. Still, it was a thing to consider.

A commotion at the front door stopped his next words. The entire bar went silent as the warning flames shot up around them, turned black, and then died all at once.

“What the fuck? A Necromancer? Here?”

“Black flames? What do black flames mean?”

“Why does it feel like a Dementor is about to descend?”

“For the last time, Duro, Harry Potter isn’t real.”

“Lan Zhan! Lan Zhan! You’re here!”

Wangji braced himself as Wei Ying barreled through the bar, launching himself into the air and landing in Wangji’s arms.

“I told you my tracking spell and compass would work!” he said, eyes and smile bright.

“That’s a Necromancer?”

“More of a mad scientist,” he heard Nasir explain.

Wangji nearly collapsed with relief at having Wei Ying whole and hale in front of him. There were no wounds he could see, no physical pain he could sense, his eyes glowed briefly, the hidden, powerful red, as his smile relaxed to something softer. He was beautiful and alive and here.

The words were there, on his tongue, words he had yet to say, words his cousins and brother had urged him not to hold back, not anymore.

But those words were selfish now, with the news he had to impart. So he kept them to himself, even as his heart and soul screamed at him to give them voice. Just a little bit longer, he vowed. Just until they found Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling.

“Wei Ying,” he said.

“I know,” Wei Ying said, curling up and resting his head on Wangji’s shoulder. “I know Lotus Pier fell. I was trying to give one last burst of energy, but my magic malfunctioned and dropped me off on Lan Yi’s table. Right on it. Right in the middle of her breakfast. Got syrup in places no one should. My parents found me and told me of the rest.”

“Your brother?” he asked.

Wei Ying lifted his head and frowned. “I’m still searching for him. My compass lit up once, but it was gone in the blink of an eye and his path hidden. He’s always been so good at protection spells, and the water will hide him if he asks it. I’ve been waiting for a reply to come from the Nie Pack, but you know the Alpha Mate can’t stand me.”

Wei Ying had raised an entire pack of dead ancestral Nie Wolves at Rusong’s Naming. It was little wonder Meng Yao wanted Wei Ying far away from his pack, his son, and his home.

“Did you find my sister?” he asked.

“Wei Ying,” Wangji said, sadness in his words.

“She’s not dead,” Wei Ying insisted, his eyes flashing red again, the scent of sulfur briefly in the air. “I would know. My parents would know. She wouldn’t leave us or her son. She’d be a ghost. And she’s not.”

“Her body was not at Lotus Pier. Nor her mate’s,” Wangji said.

“Then Jiang Cheng got them out,” Wei Ying said. “He had to have done it. Sent them off to the Sirens to heal. I know him. He’d do that. He’d sacrifice everything to protect the family.”

He would. He did. He had.

The Sprite approached them, his calming energy soothing the ruffled fur and feathers and feelings of all in the bar.

“Not that we don’t welcome all here who have good hearts and good intentions,” he said.

“Yes, yes, I make people nervous,” Wei Ying said. He slid out of Wangji’s arms and grabbed hold of one of his sleeves. “Lan Zhan, let’s get some food. I’m hungry. And then we can go see our Grand Dames. Can we get some fried dough? It’s so good.”

Wangji nodded to Nasir in acknowledgment as Wei Ying pulled him towards the door. As they passed all the flames came back, the bar started to live and breathe again, the noise returning.

Wangji only had eyes for the Necromancer in front of him, his high ponytail bouncing as he listed all his favorite new foods.

Wangji hadn’t had a reason to smile in many days, but now he allowed himself this one selfish moment of joy.

Wei Ying slung an arm around his shoulder once they were in the streets. “I knew you would find me,” he said. “You always do.”

And all the gods willing, he always would.