Chapter Text
It's safe to say that the Cultivation world is in chaos.
After the Yiling Patriarch cut off the Burial Mounds and Yiling from the rest of the world in one fell swoop, the traces of resentful energy were few and far in between. Night hunts happened frequently still, and vengeful corpses still made trouble. Ghosts and resentful spirits still possessed innocent people.
But a threat as big as Wen Rouhan hadn't appeared in thirteen years. Or a threat as big as Wei Wuxian, for that matter.
The Yin Iron was lost, pieces scattered, and the Stygian Tiger Seal was within the hold of the Yiling Patriarch.
So, naturally, when abruptly the resentful energy began spreading out like plague, among small and big sects alike, the Cultivation world turned its gaze towards Yiling.
But Yiling was impregnable. The wards surrounding the city and the Burial Mouns could not be broken through. Cultivators tried and tired, but they failed.
Among them, Jiang Wanyin laughed bitterly at their struggles. None of them had grown up with Wei Wuxian. None of them knew Wei Wuxian like he did. None of them had seen the brilliance of Wei Wuxian up close. He wasn't the head disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang for nothing.
If he was brilliant with a golden core and the orthodox path of cultivation, now with demonic cultivation at his command as well, he was practically unstoppable. Frankly, Jiang Wanyin was surprised that it has taken him so long to act against the Cultivation world.
So, Jiang Wanyin offered an alternative.
"We're wasting our time," He announced during a conference meeting among other sect leaders. "There is no way we can simply break through his wards like that."
"Then what do you suggest?" Sect leader Yao questioned.
"Send him a letter." Jiang Wanyin shrugged. "He's a sect leader now, whether we like it or not. I don't think he'd appreciate us attacking his wards. And he's not exactly patient."
"So you're suggesting that we treat him civilly?" Sect Leader Su snarled. "He's no sect leader! He's a tyrant!"
Jin Guangyao spoke up from his place behind Jin Zixuan. "As true as that may be, Sect Leader Jiang is right. Why would Wei Wuxian give us an answer when we treat him with zero respect?"
"Respect?" Lan Qiren spat out rather uncharacteristically. "There is no respect for a man who is corrupt. Do you expect the Gusu Lan sect to treat him with respect when he's stolen away my nephew?"
Jiang Wanyin closed his eyes in irritation. "Yes, I also agree that he definitely isn't a respectable man, but what other choice do we have?"
"Are we about to fall into this... this underhanded method out of sheer desperation?" Sect Leader Ouyang said rather dramatically.
"None of us know how to read, control or understand resentful energy as the Yiling Patriarch does," Lan Xichen stated calmly. "Thus we need his assistance with this problem."
"And if he is the source of this problem?" Jin Zixuan asked.
"We still do what we're meant to do," Jiang Wanyin said, ignoring the pang of pain in his chest. "We remove the threat from the Cultivation world."
The silence that fell on the grand hall of Koi Tower reeked of agreement.
The missive is answered shortly after it's sent.
The reply is rather curt, Jin Ling thinks. Since they sent the letter from Lanling, as the Chief Cultivator is a member of the Jin sect, it's no wonder that Wei Wuxian didn't exactly appreciate the missive.
His mother and uncle has told him lengthy tales of Wei Wuxian's blatant dislike and even disgust towards the Jin sect.
As a child, he used to worry that it would also mean that Wei Wuxian had disdain for him, too. But Wei Wuxian secretly sent him gifts every year for his birthday, delivered with that big, scary, ugly crow. And mom told him how Wei Wuxian had helped choose his name (it is a ridiculous name, chosen by a ridiculous man), and uncle told him that Wei Wuxian basically worshipped his mom, so there's no way he'd hate his Shijie's son.
And sometimes, Jin Ling can't even blame Wei Wuxian for hating his sect. After all, he does attend classes with other disciples, and he does hate every single last one of them.
So he'll give Wei Wuxian that.
But he's seen the letter, the familiar chicken scrawl that he sees in letters that mom hides, he's seen the unfamiliar coldness.
Father shakes his head, looking at the letter. "He hasn't changed."
Mom smiles softly. "He's A-Xian, even when he isn't nice. That's always a relief."
Father smiles back at mom, folding the letter not sent by an ugly crow, but flying on its own like an animate origami bird.
"The letter sending technique is neat," Jin Ling offers. "How can he do that?"
Mom smiles wider instantly. It's almost a sad smile. "A-Xian was always so mischievous with his ways. He used to make papermen that moved on their own."
Ah. Well, that clears it up.
Uncle scoffs. "That idiot. Always so obsessed with annoying Lan Wangji during classes. The number of papermen he sent his way can only be counted as too much."
That's a name Jin Ling knows. Lan Wangji. The once Twin Jade of Lan. The esteemed Hanguang-Jun.
The man whisked away at night by Wei Wuxian after defecting from Gusu Lan.
His reputation paints him as a cold, strict, yet talented cultivator. Alongside his father, Wei Wuxian, and Sect Leader Lan, he's ranked second among the most beautiful young masters, which is one above Jin Ling's father.
So, no wonder that the Cultivation world never forgot about how Wei Wuxian stole him away and imprisoned him behind the wards of Yiling.
'He was always obsessed with him,' Uncle had once said. 'Always vying for his attention, even dooming our sect to save his life. No wonder he stole him once he had the chance.'
So Jin Ling is generally confused. On one hand, his mom holds Wei Wuxian in such high regards. She's perhaps the only person who doesn't refer to him by his full name or his famed title of Yiling Patriarch. On the other hand, the rest of the Cultivation world sees him as a demon, a monster, a man who feasted on day and night with corpses, a vile creature who stole away the purest, most talented cultivator from the world for his own sick, wicked means.
So, Jin Ling never made a decision about Wei Wuxian. He appreciated his gifts, fed his very ugly crow, and sneakily read his letters to his mom, but never said a word about him. Good or bad alike.
Also, Jin Ling hates him a little bit, at least. The idiot never sent him a letter. As if Jin Ling wasn't important enough to talk to. Who cares if he asks mom about Jin Ling in his letters? If he bothered to ask Jin Ling himself, Jin Ling would tell him that he's very fine, thank you.
The answer to the missive is announced the day after, in a conference.
"The Yiling Patriarch sends his regards," Jin Guangyao clears his throat, before he begins actually reading the letter. "'To Sect Leader Jin; Your concern is recognized. The source of the issue is unknown to me, although I assure you, no one is going to believe that. However, I see no reason in trying to meddle with a world I forsook thirteen years ago. The problem you speak of has reached the borders of Yiling, and we are busy with investigating the issue ourselves. If the esteemed sects are willing, I will also agree to a meeting for discussing this common problem.'" He pauses. "It is signed as Wei Wuxian."
Jin Ling almost snorts. Uncle Jin referred to Wei Wuxian as the Yiling Patriarch, but maybe Wei Wuxian is not as much of an idiot as Uncle Jiang thinks. Because, as if knowing how they will refer to him, Wei Wuxian hadn't signed his letter with his title as the Yiling Wei Sect Leader, or the Yiling Patriarch. He's signed as Wei Wuxian.
"What are we to do now?" Sect Leader Nie says from behind his trembling fan, eyes jumping across the room.
"Would suggesting a meeting be wise?" Sect Leader Ouyang whispers. Behind him, Ouyang Zizhen shoots Jin Ling a look. Jin Ling answers with a glare.
"We're not meeting him in Yiling," Uncle Jiang says. "Because of the Burial Mounds, he'll be too powerful there. If we meet him here, he will be more vulnerable."
"Wherever we meet him," Sect Leader Yao exclaims. "We should clear out all corpses from the area. Who knows what he'll do!"
He's met with sounds of agreement from across the hall. Jin Ling resists rolling his eyes.
"Shall we suggest meeting him in Lanling, then?" Father asks, addressing the room at large.
Uncle Jiang snorts. "We should. He'll be annoyed as all hell. That'll make an statement. We're not willing to bend to his whims and wishes."
Jin Ling sighs silently. He has to admit – like the rest of the people at the hall – that it's rather smart. Wei Wuxian does hate the Jin sect. Having him in the heart of Lanling Jin would definitely annoy him.
"Are we sure that it would not backfire?" Sect Leader Lan asks carefully, the personification of the voice of reason. "We know in what miserable shape his temperament was before he departed with the Wens. Would annoying him be wise?"
"He will be outnumbered." Sect Leader Su shrugs. "He may be annoyed, but he's be suicidal if he tries anything."
Jin Ling sighs again, and picks up his now cooled teacup. This is going to be a long week.
The missive is sent. The answer comes the day after.
"He's accepted to meet us in Koi Tower." Jin Guangyao announces in the meeting held early in the morning.
Or, well. Early by other people's standards. For Lan Jingyi, it's practically noon.
Lan Jingyi doesn't pay much attention to the meeting. Frankly, it's very boring. But as they leave the grand hall with Sect Leader Lan Xichen and Grandmaster Lan Qiren, chatter picks up among the senior disciples.
"Do you think he'll bring Hanguang-Jun?" One disciple whispers as they walk back to their guest chmbers.
"Why would he?" Another hisses. "He's taken Hanguang-Jun prisoner. Why would he bring him along?"
"Poor Hanguang-Jun." One bemoans.
"It was his own fault for standing beside that beast." Another one scoffs. "Why are you pitying him?"
"Gossip is forbidden." Grandmaster Lan says curtly from the front, and everyone falls silent.
However, once the disciples settle in a different chamber from Sect Leader Lan and Grandmaster Lan, the chatter picks up again.
"You guys have seen Hanguang-Jun, right?" Lan Jingyi asks a few older disciples. They nod. "What was he like?"
One of them, Lan Lie, sighs longingly. "He was, simply put, elegant."
"He was a great cultivator," Another one, Lan Jinhai, nods sagely. "And a great teacher. He used to sometimes teach younger disciples whenever the teachers weren't present. His presence was always so calming."
A girl sitting next to Lan Jingyi, Lan Ming, leans forward. "I've heard that the Yiling Patriarch and Hanguang-Jun were friends, long ago. Is that true?"
Lan Lie scoffs. "Friends? Hanguang-Jun hated the Yiling Patriarch. No one annoyed him more than he did. My mother says that, once, she saw Hanguang-Jun storm out of the library with his face red in anger, the Yiling Patriarch laughing at him. Hanguang-Jun was never known for showing excessive emotion. Imagine how angry he must've been!"
"The Yiling Patriarch was a rude, arrogant boy." Lan Jinhai sits behind a table, settling into a meditation pose. "It's no wonder that he turned out the way he did. He had a blatant disregard and disrespect for rules."
Lan Jingyi frowns. "But if him and Hanguang-Jun truly hated each other, why would he steal Hanguang-Jun away?"
"Why would an evil man do anything?" Lan Jinhai says calmly. "Because he wishes to cause others pain."
That night, Lan Jingyi lies in his bed at Hai Shi, and he stares at the ceiling.
Everything the seniors have said makes sense. Except it doesn't.
Because if Hanguang-Jun truly hated the Yiling Patriarch, why would he defect from Gusu Lan sect on his own? Why would he even be with the Patriarch in the first place?
As Lan Jingyi falls asleep, he has one last thought.
If the Yiling Patriarch truly hated Hanguang-Jun, why would he tolerate his presence for over ten years in his realm? Causing someone pain doesn't take ten years. And the Yiling Patriarch would get bored of his toy eventually. Ten years is enough for any man to break, after all.
So why, after twelve years, hadn't Hanguang-Jun returned to the Cultivation world?
The day finally arrives.
Koi Tower is frantic. The servants run around like headless chicken. The disciples can barely focus through their lessons and trainings. The sect advisors chatter almost endlessly. Even the picture of calm that is Jin Guangyao is nervous.
Jin Ling can understand. Since this morning, even mom and father are acting strange. Even Jin Ling feels strange.
There had been fights during conferences, from what little Jin Ling has witnessed. No one had known how to welcome the Yiling Patriarch. It's as if they hadn't thought this through.
Well, they actually hadn't. After thirteen years, no one has expected Wei Wuxian to accept the invitation. There had been troubles, before. And usually, one missive sent to Yiling, and the problem would miraculously just vanish. There had never been the need for such drastic measures.
They decide that they won't offer him a place among other sects to sit. He has to stand. They also decide that, unless he wishes to stay for lunch, he wouldn't be offered food, or drinks. They also decide that they should carry their weapons inside the conference hall – an odd occasion. Usually, meetings take place without weapons, as a sign of mutual agreement on peace.
Jin Ling is sitting behind his father and beside mom. She has insisted to be present. Father was reluctant, but mom has give him a look, and he's backed down. The thought still makes Jin Ling smile behind his sleeve.
They've also decided that Lan Xichen should do the calmer talking, while Uncle Jiang should be the one who would press Wei Wuxian, if there need be. Jin Ling almost finds it funny, how Lan Xichen has politely asked Sect Leader Yao to please, if it's possible, he would not voice his opinion during the meeting. Sect Leader Yao couldn't possibly deny Zewu-Jun, so he has agreed begrudgingly.
The fourth incense stick since breakfast finally stops burning, when the wind whistles through the hall.
The disciples standing by the doors rush to hold them in place; The wind is strong, and it almost closes the doors. The smoke of the incense stick fades away, and everyone raises one arm to block out the harsh wind.
As Jin Ling closes his eyes to stop them from stinging, he feels the energy inside the hall shift, as if the world has somehow tilted to one side.
When Jin Ling opens his eyes again, a man is standing in the doorway.
Just as Wei Wuxian appears on the doorway of the hall, the wind calms down and stops.
Jin Ling stares.
Wei Wuxian is tall, and slim. He has high cheekbones, red lips, and fair skin. He looks young, so much younger than he probably is. At least, his face does. His eyes are a different matter completely.
Because his eyes are old. Jin Ling would go as far as calling them ageless.
His robes aren't exactly fancy, but they're expensive. Jin Ling has grown up in pools of money and gold, and he recognizes a well-made fabric when he sees one. He's wearing an outer robe, as dark as night, with almost invisible lines of silver decorating it. They probably make distinct shapes under direct light. Beneath it, he wears a maroon inner robe, made of silk. The colors bring out each other so starkly, that Jin Ling immediately knows that this man is bold. Even without knowing him firsthand.
His hair is well kept, raven black, and properly oiled. Two bangs hang from the sides of his forehead, as the rest is gathered up in a high ponytail atop his head, tied by a long, red ribbon. The rest of his hair falls on his back freely, moving like shadows in the last blows of the wind.
Just like Jin Ling has been told, he doesn't carry a sword. Instead, at his leather sash, is a black flute. A dizi, to be specific. Jin Ling already knows the name of the instrument. Chenqing.
There's a few moments of utter silence, absolute stillness.
Then, Wei Wuxian looks around once, and he smiles.
Jin Ling shivers.
The smile is wrong. Cold. Unnerving. His lips smile, but his eyes glower.
"Well, this is quite the crowd." He says, in lieu of greeting.
Jin Ling closes his eyes. It's going to be a long, long day.