Chapter Text
“You better be watching yourself, Peacock,” Wei Wuxian spat as he sauntered up to Jin Zixuan. Jiang Yanli just sighed, rolling her eyes a little at her brother’s antics. “If you let your hands stray too much I’ll make sure to alleviate them from your arms.”
“You make such big threats,” Jin Zixuan scoffed, crossing his arms. “And yet I doubt you have any grounds to stand on.”
“Listen here, asshole,” Jiang Cheng stepped in. “We’re not going to lay down and let you take advantage of our sister.”
“A-Cheng!” Jiang Yanli cried out, putting herself between her brother and her fiance. “I don’t need you fighting my battles for me! Young Master Jin has been nothing but a gentleman!”
“Humph.” Wei Wuxian rolled his eyes and looked away.
“Come on, we have better things to be doing.” Jiang Cheng grabbed Wei Wuxian’s sleeve and stormed off. They walked for a few moments, only stopping once they knew they were alone.
“I hate this,” Wei Wuxian sighed. “I never thought I’d say this, but I don’t like being rude to him anymore.”
“Neither do I, but we need to keep up the act,” Jiang Cheng looked equally as frustrated. “If anyone catches on that we've been buddy-buddy, it’ll put a target on his back as soon as shit goes south. If he’s going to be involved, we need to prevent him from being found out.”
“Good thing I’m a fantastic actor,” Wei Wuxian tried to joke, but it made his chest ache. He knew what he was going to have to do, and by the gods did he dread it. Despite hours and hours of plotting and planning, he was sure he would have to defect from the Jiang sect no matter what. Putting that distance between himself and his brother would be what protects him in the end. He really didn’t see any paths in which his reputation stays intact enough to keep the people closest to him safe. “Are you coming to training this afternoon?”
“Mhm,” He hummed. “We’ve been back for four days already. Father says he wants me to join in on the younger disciple’s training since I’ve been on top of my own. He says it’ll be good for me, to see how the disciples are treated for when I become Sect Leader.”
“Thankfully Uncle Fengmian is going away for a few days soon so training will be a little more lax. It’ll give us more of a chance to implement our plans.”
“That’s true-”
“Hey, Wei Wuxian!” A familiar voice called out.
“Peacock!” Wei Wuxian grinned brightly. “Fancy seeing you here.”
“You’re going to send your sister into Qi Deviation if you keep laying it on so thick,” He scowled. “And to think you’d go as far as to ‘humph’ at me?”
“My bad,” Wei Wuxian grinned, scratching the back of his head. “I’m a method actor, after all.”
“You left her alone?” Jiang Cheng asked, raising an eyebrow.
“We ran into her Mother,” Jin Zixuan rolled his eyes as he scowled. “Jiang Furen said she needed A-Li to accompany her for some sect business. Thankfully it seems Jiang Furen has decided to be on her best behavior around me. I guess she wants this betrothal to work out more than even I do... anyway, she asked if it was alright for her to take A-Li away and suggested I join you for training.”
“That woman has never made a suggestion in her life.” Wei Wuxian muttered.
“Suggestion is... a polite way of putting it,” Jin Zixuan agreed. “It was more as though she were ordering me without outright ordering me.”
“Well, I guess we’re stuck with you now,” Wei Wuxian slung an arm over the Jin heir’s shoulders, making Jin Zixuan buckle slightly under the sudden weight. “Just do your best and I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
“It can’t be that bad,” Jin Zixuan said, clearly not believing his own words. “It’s just disciple training, right?”
“Disciple training held under Wei Wuxian’s watchful eye,” Jiang Cheng hummed casually. Jin Zixuan paled a little more. “But like he said - I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
“Come on - they should be getting to the training fields shortly and I like to get things ready before we start.” Wei Wuxian linked his fingers behind his head and began walking towards the training fields. The other two boys fell into step behind him, bickering amongst themselves.
“- and I’m telling you,” Jiang Cheng was getting heated. “That in such a scenario, you can’t throw soldiers at the problem indiscriminately! You have to keep the terrain in mind.”
“And in this hypothetical, how do you plan on doing that?” Jin Zixuan drawled, clearly frustrated in his own way. A casual conversation about boots quickly devolved into a scenario about how to best impediment soldiers on the frontlines if they were stationed on uneven, rocky ground.
“YunmengJiang disciples are trained to be nimble and light on their feet,” Jiang Cheng scoffed in response. “Due to the swampy areas around Lotus Pier, we need to be able to change the trajectory of our steps in the blink of an eye when we deem the ground unstable enough to support your weight. It wouldn’t be tossing our men into the bear’s den, it’s sending a damn scouting mission!”
Wei Wuxian tuned them out as he went over the itinerary in his head. He faintly wondered how shocked Lan Zhan would be to know how seriously he took his head disciple duties - actually, he didn’t think Lan Zhan would be all that shocked, the more he thought about it.
Would he be proud, seeing how hard Wei Wuxian was working? Would he look at Wei Wuxian with that little half smile and softened brow - an expression that might have seemed cold to an outsider but filled Wei Wuxian with a type of warmth that scared him?
Would Lan Zhan be proud of him, once he’s done all the awful things he was going to have to do to ensure they survive?
“Hey! Are you even listening?”
“Huh?” Wei Wuxian blinked, the pit in his stomach weighing heavy.
“I thought we were training,” Jiang Cheng huffed, pretending the concern for his brother wasn’t radiating from his body. “What’s with the painting supplies?”
“Oh...” Wei Wuxian looked down at the things he had been pulling from his pouch while he was lost in thought. “The first time, when Wang Lingjiao first came to Lotus Pier, her initial claim was that one of our junior disciples was making a political statement by shooting down a kite with a one-eyed monster on it. She said it clearly was supposed to resemble the sun, and that the disciple shooting it down was treason... clearly it was all bullshit used to segway into her second reason for being here - namely demanding repayment for my insubordination. She ordered Madam Yu to punish me, so she whipped me with Zidian until I nearly blacked out but that wasn’t enough for the whore. She ordered my right hand be cut off so she could take it back to Wen Chao, but Madam Yu refused. It turns out that wasn’t even the real reason for her visit either - she was there to turn Lotus Pier into a Supervisory Office - humiliating me and the Jiang sect was just a bonus.”
“Gods above...” Jin Zixuan breathed out in horror.
“So what’s the plan?” Jiang Cheng asked, tone subdued. Wei Wuxian almost expected him to lash out and shout, but it seemed his brother was maturing in ways he never had the chance to before.
“Once the disciples arrive, I’ll instruct anyone with a one-eyed monster to repaint it,” Wei Wuxian explained. “And tell them from now on to avoid that imagery. I’ll probably need to come up with a realistic reason as to why, but hopefully they’ll just take my word for it.”
“That’s not going to stop her.” Jiang Cheng murmured, holding one of the jars of paint in his hand.
“No,” He agreed, equally as soft. “But it’ll take away one of her excuses. Besides... The disciple that shot the kite was in our youngest class. He barely even had a proper core formed. It won’t stop her from trying to take over Lotus Pier, but it might prevent the child from being captured under false pretenses.”
“So you use kites for archery practice?” Jin Zixuan asked. “That’s genius... it gives just enough movement to make it a challenge without putting anyone at risk. Maybe I should implement something similar in Koi Tower. Gods know our disciples could use better training. When I’m sect leader, I won’t allow LanlingJin to be bested in archery by anyone.”
“Huh...” Wei Wuxian said without thinking.
“What? Is that such an impossible promise?” The older boy asked, only sounding like he was pouting a small bit.
“No, it’s not that,” Wei Wuxian frowned as he laid out the last of the supplies. “It’s just that... in my first life, we never had a reason to get close to one another. In fact, I hated your guts up until Shijie came to Yiling to show me her wedding robes. It was only because of how happy she looked that I stopped despising you so much. Now that we’re friends, I’m learning a lot about you - like the fact that archery is so important to you. I never knew that.”
“LanlingJin is known for its shows of wealth,” Jin Zixuan hummed as he sat on the packed dirt beside Wei Wuxian. “Flashy swordsmanship and flashier weapons... but growing up I was always so fascinated with archery. I saw depictions of cultivators shooting arrows from atop their swords, flying at breakneck speeds while hitting their target every time. I remember wanting to be able to do that because maybe it would please my Father since it would certainly be showy enough.”
“That sounds impossible,” Jiang Cheng scoffed, but it was clear he was trying to work out the schematics of such a move in his head. “Did you ever succeed?”
“Not yet,” The older boy shook his head. “I had planned on focusing on perfecting that particular move when I returned from lectures but now...”
“Plans have changed.” Wei Wuxian felt another pang of guilt. He was still trying to come to terms with the fact that he allowed anyone to help him. He still wondered, as he lay in his bed, unable to sleep, if he had made a crucial mistake.
If he doomed them all to a fate worse than death by allowing them to help him.
“It’s fine,” Jin Zixuan hummed, shooting Wei Wuxian a reassuring smile. “Even if I can’t perfect such a trick move, I’m sure Jin Ling will be able to. If he’s my son, of course he’ll inherit my skills.”
“Your skills and his mother’s stubbornness.” Wei Wuxian said without thinking.
“Gods above...” Jiang Cheng’s eyes widened in horror. He turned to Jin Zixuan and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I wish you the best, Peacock. You’re certainly going to need it...”
“Horrifying, thank you,” Jin Zixuan deadpanned. “Anyway, how long before the disciples show up-”
Just then, the thundering of footsteps echoed ominously in the distance. The three had just enough time to stand and brush the dirt from their robes before twenty or so disciples came rushing towards them.
“Welcome, my little ducklings!” Wei Wuxian grinned as they tried to tackle him to the ground. He stood strong, even allowing one of the youngest disciples to swing from his arm as she giggled loudly. “Are we ready for some archery?”
“Yes, Shixiong!” The crowd called back in unison.
“Before we get started, does everyone have their kites?”
“Yes, Shixiong!”
“Let me see them,” Wei Wuxian grinned as they began flapping the fabric to catch his attention. “Hmm very good! Love the details you added to this one. Double check your sticks - they look uneven. It'll make it hard to fly that way. Ah! I can tell how hard you worked on this one! I’m sure you'll get a bullseye on your first try this time.”
“He’s surprisingly good with kids,” Jin Zixuan commented so only Jiang Cheng would hear. They stood off to the side as Wei Wuxian flitted through the crowd, making sure to praise and correct everyone’s work as he went. “I never would have guessed.”
“Most people don’t,” Jiang Cheng chuckled a little. “He’s always been like this, though. There’s a reason he was made head disciple and not me... I don’t have the patience for children, no matter how much I try to.”
“He said he had a son in the Burial Mounds.” Jin Zixuan’s voice dropped even lower.
“Mhm,” Jiang Cheng’s eyes never left the back of his brother’s head. “He always said he never saw himself settling down and having kids but now I wonder... if he never wanted to settle down or if he never thought himself worthy of it.”
“He always speaks of his A-Yuan with such love,” Jin Zixuan took a shaking breath, trying to appear calm from a distance. “To think that-that we will never know the child’s fate after he-”
“We’re going to save him,” Jiang Cheng spared him from finishing the sentence. “He won’t go hungry again... he’ll have a proper childhood this time.”
“There’s no childhood in war,” The older boy said solemnly. “The most we can do is shield him from some of the horrors...”
“Do you think...”
“Hm?”
“Do you think he’s realized that if we save the remnants before they’re sent to the labor camp, that A-Yuan will most likely still have his parents?” Jiang Cheng voiced the question he had been thinking about since he had first been told about everything.
“Oh...” Jin Zixuan’s eyebrows flew up under his bangs as he turned his attention back to Wei Wuxian. “I don’t know if he’s thought about it that way.”
“He’ll be devastated to lose his son again, but he’ll pretend he’s fine,” Jiang Cheng couldn’t help but sigh. “He’ll say it’s better that way - that he’ll have a happier childhood with his birth parents taking care of him.”
“We’ll be saving A-Yuan’s family... but ripping away Wei Wuxian’s.”
“But why can’t we use the one-eyed monsters anymore?” A young voice called out, breaking Jin Zixuan and Jiang Cheng’s conversation. Wei Wuxian grinned and smoothed down the child’s bangs.
“When I was studying in Gusu, I learned about so many types of monsters,” He pretended to gasp, eyes widening as the disciples came closer. “Monsters that are way cooler than a one-eyed one!”
“Like what!?”
“Like a giant lizard that has wings for arms and breathes fire,” Wei Wuxian flapped his arms, pretending to roar as the disciples gasped in awe. “And monstrous hornets that have venom in their stingers potent enough to kill you instantly.”
“Those are way cooler than a one-eyed monster!” One of the younger disciples cried out. “I wanna paint the lizard on my kite!”
“I wanna paint the wasp!”
“See? The one-eyed monster is a classic, but there are so many more interesting beasts we can use,” Wei Wuxian grinned brightly as the disciples began jumping in excitement around him.
“Now, why don’t we do a little practice and once we’ve shot all the kites we can start on the next round?”
“Yes, Shixiong!” The disciples cried as they turned to string their bows and step into position. Wei Wuxian watched with fond eyes as the disciples took turns holding onto the strings that kept the kites in the air and shooting them down.
“Want to give it a shot, Peacock?” Wei Wuxian grinned cockily.
“I wouldn’t want to intrude on their training-” Jin Zixian began only to find himself surrounded by a ring of purple-clad children.
“Yeah!”
“I wanna see you shoot!”
“Are you as good as Shixiong says?”
“Come on!”
“Well, I guess I can’t deny them when they ask so nicely,” Jin Zixuan chuckled, ears burning hot as he accepted the bow from Wei Wuxian. It was already strung so he gave it a few tugs to get a feel for it. It was lighter than his personal bow, but he could feel the strength behind its tension. “Are there any kites left?”
“One last one-eyed monster,” Wei Wuxian held up the kite in question. “It’s fitting, don’t you think?”
“Time to execute the final beast.” Jiang Cheng hummed, crossing his arms. Wei Wuxian’s smile became tinged with something heavy but as quickly as it left, the bright grin was back in its proper place again. He jogged ahead, letting the kite catch air before releasing the string little by little. He tugged at it a little until it was flying properly before turning to give the older boy a thumbs up.
Jin Zixuan notched the arrow, finding himself admiring the craftsmanship of it - the sleek body and the shining feathers from what he assumed was a native waterfowl. He took a deep breath as he drew his arm back, taking aim as he had thousands of times before. Simultaneously, he released his breath and the arrow.
It flew true, striking the one-eyed monster in the dead center. The Jiang disciples immediately burst into cheers, racing over to surround Jin Zixuan once more.
“Not bad, Young Master Jin,” Wei Wuxian came running over, the ruined kite in hand. “I have to say, your form is absolutely impeccable. I might ask you to oversee an archery lesson or two before you go.”
“Ah, I don’t know about that...” Jin Zixuan flushed, holding the bow a little closer to his chest.
“Please!” The disciples cried. “You gotta!”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Jin Zixuan’s face softened. He reached out and pet the hair of one of the younger disciples that was all but clinging to his leg. Wei Wuxian found himself skidding to a stop at the sight.
Jin Zixuan, surprisingly, seemed to be so good with the kids. For a split second, Wei Wuxian saw Jin Zixuan with a different child - one in golden robes and long, dark hair in a high ponytail, a bow in hand and a quiver across his back. In his mind’s eye, the boy began to turn to face Wei Wuxian only for the illusion to shatter before he could see his face.
“The one-eyed monster is no more!” Wei Wuxian shook himself from his stupor with a brilliant grin. “Never again will such a beast look down on YunmengJiang!”
“Talk about dramatic.” Jiang Cheng shook his head with a faint smile. Wei Wuxian nudged his brother in the ribs, his grin never fading.
“Shall we paint our next set of kites now?” He asked the disciples. The children immediately got to work, chattering and laughing as they tried to recreate the creatures Wei Wuxian had described to them.
Wei Wuxian watched, fondness warming his chest. It only strengthened his resolve - he refused to let anything happen to these children, though, wasn’t he a child himself? Weren’t they also children? But they didn’t have the luxury of having a final few months of blissful ignorance. The disciples had no idea what was about to happen, so they were able to laugh and smile so easily.
“After this, we should- Wei Wuxian?” Jiang Cheng glanced over to his brother only to freeze at the look on his face.
“Shit-” Wei Wuxian paled, the resentful energy spiking. He knew what that meant but he couldn’t leave. If she found out he abandoned training, she would find a way to corner him and punish him properly, but if he stayed, he’d have to face her head on.
“What’s- oh shit,” Jiang Cheng looked startled when he saw the look on his brother’s face. “She’s close, isn’t she?”
“And getting closer,” He ground out as a spike of pain went through his skull. He had hoped the intensity of the reaction would dull over time but as far as he could tell it was only marginally more tolerable. He could feel his stomach rolling, bile touching the back of his tongue as he fought to maintain composure. “Prepare yourself... it’s about to get ugly.”
“Wei Wuxian!” A voice called out. Instantly, every disciple that had been vying for Jin Zixuan’s attention snapped into a low bow, their eyes trained on the ground. Jin Zixuan seemed taken aback by the sudden change in behavior until he saw a flash of purple striding towards them with purpose.
“Madame Yu,” Wei Wuxian bowed low as well. He hoped it appeared because he was being respectful and not because he thought he was going to throw up. “We were just finishing archery training for the day.”
“I can see that,” She huffed, already sounding angry. Angry about what, Wei Wuxian couldn’t even begin to guess. “What are these ugly things? I thought YunmengJiang had enough skill in all the arts to be able to draw a monster properly.”
“It’s-it’s a fire breathing lizard, Jiang Furen,” One of the older disciples spoke up, his voice shaking slightly. “It was my first attempt at one... this disciple will strive to do better in the future.”
“A fire breathing lizard?” Even without looking, Wei Wuxian could hear how she was raising a single, incredulous eyebrow. “Absurd - and why are there no one-eyed monsters? Have you all decided to throw tradition into the lake as well?”
“Apologies, Madame Yu,” Wei Wuxian said. From the corner of his eye, he saw Jiang Cheng shooting him a loaded look. “I was regaling them of the creatures I learned of in Gusu, and encouraged them to challenge themselves.”
“Of course you did,” The venom in her voice made everyone flinch. “Is nothing sacred to you? Shall we burn the sect uniforms and adopt another color entirely? Shall we melt down our swords and allow ourselves to grow fat and lazy rather than maintain the structure and routine we once boasted so proudly?”
“Of course not,” He could hear the way his voice trembled faintly. “That’s not what I-”
“Not what you what?” She cut him off. The resentful energy spiked, and he didn’t have time to reach into his robe to brush the handkerchief that normally worked so well at calming him down before he was opening his mouth again.
“If you would allow me to speak,” He spat, straightening from his bow. He stared her straight in the eye, feeling the familiar burn of the resentful energy in his eyes. He saw the way she faltered slightly and the resentful energy cheered. “You would have heard me admit that it was never my intention to undermine any traditions. I only wished to make training more suitable for my disciples.”
“What insolence,” She hissed, eyes narrowing. Zidian crackled on her finger, and those standing closest to her tried to subtly take a step back. Wei Wuxian, however, stood his ground, refusing to break the eye contact first. “I should have known allowing you to be head disciple would only spell ruin for our sect. I-”
“You what?” He challenged, smirking a little as his shoulders relaxed. He wasn’t as tall as he was as the Yiling Patriarch - he still had another growth spurt on the nearby horizon - but he knew he was muscular. He knew the impact he could have, should he hold himself with the right intentions. He knew the sort of silhouette he had cast while malnourished and dying, which meant he knew what sort of power he could hold in his current state. He may appear to others - to Madame Yu - as a fifteen year old boy, but he was so much more than that. “You and I both know the truth, yet you continue to use it as an excuse.”
“And just what truth are you speaking of?” Her voice was low, her body language dangerous. The disciples watching the interaction took another step back, leaving ample room around Wei Wuxian. Jiang Cheng tried to step in but Wei Wuxian put his hand out.
“You and I both know I am fully and wholly the child of Wei Changze and Cangse Sanren - there is no Jiang blood running through my veins, and yet you use the whispers and rumors as reason to take your anger out on me. You saw an injured, starving, terrified child and decided he would be the perfect outlet for your frustrations towards your own shortcomings in your relationship. Now, you come to interrupt my training... for what? Are you bitter that you haven’t had the chance to hurt me further? Or because you’re jealous?”
“How dare you!?” She screeched, Zidian crackling to life. The disciples scattered fully, running far away enough to be safely out of the whip’s range but still close enough to watch the scene unfolding before them. Wei Wuxian didn’t budge, didn’t even blink, as Zidian came rushing towards him.
“Wei Wuxian-” Jiang Cheng cried out only for the warning to die on his tongue in shock and horror at what he witnessed next.
Wei Wuxian simply reached out and caught the end of the whip, allowing her sizzling tip to wrap around his hand like the tail of a cat. His body instantly cried out in pain but he stood strong. It wasn’t the first time he felt Zidian’s caress on his skin, but it was the first time he felt he had the upper hand - the first time he was in control.
“Is that all you have?” He asked, almost casually. Zidian crackled brighter, biting and burning into his skin. “Zidian is such a beautiful weapon, yet she’s wasted on a master like you.”
“You-”
“Don’t worry, though,” He turned his attention to his hand, as though he were speaking to Zidian itself. “You’ll soon have a master worthy of your majesty - a master that will wield you with honor and strength the likes you’ve never known. Behave until then, yeah?”
Much to the shock of everyone watching, Zidian seemed to twitch before immediately returning to its ring form. Even Madame Yu was speechless, her jaw agape as she watched her own spiritual weapon seemingly not only react, but obey the words of another.
“What’s all the commotion?” Another voice decided to join the fray. Wei Wuxian held his injured hand close to his chest, trying not to show how badly he was hurting. Both Jiang Cheng and Jin Zixuan were by his side in the blink of an eye, offering him silent support.
“Uncle Fengmian,” Wei Wuxian found his voice first. “We were simply finishing up archery training.”
“And how would archery training provoke my Lady to bring out Zidian?” Jiang Fengmian asked, stopping several paces away from his wife, who was still silently fuming at her own spiritual weapon. “Please, enlighten this one.”
“It wasn’t Wei Wuxian’s fault,” Jiang Cheng said instantly. “He didn’t-”
“Don’t bother,” Wei Wuxian cut him off. The resentful energy was screaming inside his skull, making his vision falter. “It won’t matter if you try to defend me to him. All he sees when he looks at me is the ghost of my parents come to haunt him. He turns a blind eye to the way his own wife breaks down his heir, allowing her to plant seeds of hatred and distrust in his heart, all the while pretending he isn’t causing just as much harm by being a passive accessory to the abuse.”
“Now, A-Xian, isn’t that a little-”
“No, you don’t get to call me that,” Wei Wuxian snapped, holding his injured hand closer to his chest. “Only three people are allowed to use that name, and you will never be one of them. You know I’m right, yet you can’t even bring yourself to defend your actions, can you? I know what people think of me - I know they whisper that I was given this position because you’re my sire but just like her,” He gestured to Madame Yu with his chin. “You are also aware that such rumors are completely false. I gained my title as head disciple by working my ass off for this sect - I earned my title by dedicating my heart, body, and soul to the success of YunmengJiang over any personal victories. Strip me of it if you’d like, but that doesn’t change how I got here, or how much I sacrificed for this family.”
“Sacrificed?” Madame Yu scoffed, her voice only a little faint. “What sacrifices have you possibly made? We’ve given you everything. You’ve had the cushiest life one could possibly ask for.”
“You don’t want to know the things I’ve sacrificed,” Wei Wuxian said, words low and dangerous. “And you want to know what I will sacrifice in the near future even less.”
“Young Master Jin,” Jiang Fengmian ignored Wei Wuxian’s statement, instead turning his attention to their guest. “YunmengJiang apologizes for what you’ve seen. This was a family matter, and should have been handled behind closed doors. I hope this hasn’t impacted your decision about the betrothal.”
“The betrothal?” Jin Zixuan parroted, sounding almost affronted that the man would even bring it up. “Sect Leader Jiang... the only reason I’m here at all is because of Wei Wuxian and Jiang Wanyin. They’re the ones who convinced me to give the arrangement a proper chance. Nothing they do could change my stance on the betrothal... and quite frankly I’m insulted that you would insinuate such a thing.”
“I-” Jiang Fengmian faltered, his eyes widening a fraction. It was the most genuine response Wei Wuxian had seen from the man in years. “I apologized again, then. I never meant to insult you...”
“And yet you continue to do so,” Jin Zixuan stood firm, his spine straight and his chin up. “My decisions are my own. I am not the type of heir to bend to the whims of others, so when I take the advice of someone, it is because I genuinely believe it to be the best course of action. Both Wei Wuxian and Jiang Wanyin are dear friends to me, and I will not tolerate them being belittled in front of my face.”
“I see...” Jiang Fengmian looked pale. He glanced towards his wife, as if asking for help, only to realize she was looking off in the distance, fully ignoring him.
“As for the betrothal, my decision has already been made,” Jin Zixuan continued. That got Madame Yu’s attention, her head snapping to look at the boy. “I still plan to stay the full two weeks, but my mind has been made up and nothing is going to change that.”
“And what decision have you come to?” Madame Yu sounded both excited and terrified by what she might hear next.
“I will wed Jiang Yanli and make her the next Jin Furen,” Jin Zixuan announced, loud and firm. “And in doing so, I will make Jiang Wanyin and Wei Wuxian my brothers... and I will defend my family with everything I have.”
“There goes our cover...” Jiang Cheng muttered under his breath, but Wei Wuxian could hear the pride in his words regardless.
“Wonderful news,” Madame Yu regained some of her composure, offering Jin Zixuan a smile. “I shall go write to your mother, then. We will have to begin wedding preparations quickly if we want to hold the ceremony on the proper date.”
Wei Wuxian watched Madame Yu turn on her heel and walk away. Jiang Fengmian hesitated, turning to his sons for a moment as if he wanted to say something to them only to turn and trail after his wife. The training fields were silent for several beats, but once the Sect Leader and his wife were safely out of earshot, the disciples exploded.
“That was so scary!”
“You caught Zidian like it was nothing!”
“Shixiong is like a hero!”
“Gather your things,” Wei Wuxian addressed the crowd of young cultivators. He tried to appear his normal, chipper self, but given the way the disciples deflated he could tell he failed in the endeavor. “I think we’ve all earned a free afternoon. We won’t have evening training, but in exchange I want each of you to go to the library and find me one creature that interests you. Jot down a few sentences about the creature and sketch it if you can. I will be collecting the assignment tomorrow before we begin sword drills.”
“Yes, Shixiong!” The disciples cried before hastily gathering their supplies. Wei Wuxian watched them run back towards Lotus Pier, wishing he could share in their youthful enthusiasm. There was a time when he, too, would have been too giddy about the prospect of a free afternoon to care about such a small assignment. He would have gone straight to the library, spent maybe five minutes flipping through the first beastiary he came across and picked a random creature. He would write two or three messy sentences but spend a few extra minutes making the sketch as detailed as he could before letting the ink dry and running off to create mischief.
Now, he watched his disciples laugh and joke around as they left to do his assignment, and there was a strange feeling brewing in his chest. Melancholy and nostalgia went head to head, but on the sidelines were grief and mourning. Deep in the shadows, where Wei Wuxian would never admit, was jealousy that burned so bright it made him wince.
He no longer had the option to be carefree. He could no longer be a child again.
“How’s your hand?” Jiang Cheng asked, already reaching his own out in a silent request. Wei Wuxian complied, allowing his brother to take his hand and turn it over to see the extent of the damage.
“It’s not too bad,” He murmured. “I’ve had worse.”
“What’s happening?” Jin Zixuan looked over Wei Wuxian’s shoulder.
“I-” The words died in his throat as he watched the shadows that normally stay by his feet like a dog waiting for a command swirl over his hand. He couldn't sense the resentful energy doing anything to the wound other than covering it while his spiritual energy worked overtime to begin healing the burns.
“It’s... acting like a bandage?” Jiang Cheng asked, eyes wide. He seemed hesitant to let the shadows touch him, but more so he seemed hesitant to release Wei Wuxian’s hand.
“I guess we can use this as evidence to back up Lan Zhan’s claims about resentful energy being able to heal,” Wei Wuxian felt his mind racing - what did this mean? Why would the resentful energy be acting in such a way? “Though Master Qiren already knows we’re all close... he might use it as evidence against me instead, if that’s the conclusion he’s working towards - who knows with him, honestly.”
“Sorry,” Jin Zixuan sighed, hanging his head. “I know we planned on keeping up the facade that we’re still at odds but I just couldn’t help myself.”
“Eh, it’ll be fine,” Wei Wuxian chuckled, waving off his concern. “It was bound to come out that we’re all friends anyway. It was worth blowing our cover to see the look on Madame Yu’s face though! Maybe now she’ll think twice before treating us like shit.”
“I’m sure Maidan Jiang will hear of my decision shortly,” Jin Zixuan’s ears turned red. He was quiet for a moment before he began steaming. “This is mortifying! How will I ever face her again!?”
“You know? I’m starting to understand what she sees in him.” Wei Wuxian murmured to his brother, who simply scoffed.
“I don’t,” He crossed his arms. “But... I can see why they would compliment each other, I guess.”
“What do you mean?” Jin Zixuan asked, lifting his head to expose the painful looking blush on his face.
“You’ll figure it out,” Jiang Cheng snapped with no fire behind his words. “More importantly, now that we have a free afternoon we can focus on reinforcing the wards while we can. We only have a few more days before the Peacock heads back to Lanling so we should get as much done as we can.”
“Yes sir!” Wei Wuxian grinned brightly, giving Jiang Cheng a salute.
“You’re so full of shit-”
“Wah~ Jiang Cheng you’re so rough with me!”
“I’ll show you rough, you little bastard!”
Jin Zixuan watched the brothers bicker with a smile on his lips. He might not know what the future holds - well, he did, but he didn’t truly understand the true implications of it all - but he did know one thing.
As long as he followed Wei Wuxian’s lead, they can’t possibly lose.
“Safe travels, Young Master Jin,” Wei Wuxian grinned. “Can’t have you falling into the lake and drawing just yet, now can we?”
“You’re going to curse him if you keep talking like that,” Jiang Cheng smacked his brother in the back of the head. “If he falls in, it’ll be your fault somehow.”
“I’ll be fine,” Jin Zixuan laughed. “Even if I fall in, I do know how to swim. Either way, it’s not that long of a boat ride to the caravan and it’ll be a few hours by carriage after that. I should be back in Koi Tower before sundown. I wish I could just fly but I wouldn’t feel right leaving all my luggage on its own.”
“Write to us when you get back.” Wei Wuxian tugged on his sleeve.
“I will,” He promised with a soft chuckle. “I’m planning on going through with my promises to bring everyone to Koi Tower. I’ll be sending the official invites out as soon as I return. With the discussion conference in just a few weeks, we’d have to wait until after but I’m determined to get everyone together before the reeducation.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it!”
“Hey,” Jin Zixuan paused. “I... I want to say thanks.”
“For what?” Wei Wuxian tilted his head to the side.
“For giving me a chance,” The older boy looked away. “You had every reason to kick me out that night - to tell me to ignore everything I heard, to threaten me into submission... but you took that gamble and allowed me to help with something so catastrophically important. I-I don’t know if I can do what you seem to think I can, but I want to do everything in my power to prove that-that you didn’t make a mistake.”
“You’ve already done that,” Wei Wuxian said immediately, tone so sincere that Jin Zixuan’s eyes began to sting. “You’ve already proven yourself time and time again... There’s nothing more you need to do to prove yourself. Just keep doing what you’ve been doing and we’re destined to succeed.”
“I-”
“We’ll talk soon.” Wei Wuxian spared the older boy from needing to say anything more.
“Mhm.” Jin Zixuan nodded and turned towards the boat. He took one step in its direction before spinning back around and pulling both Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng into an awkward embrace.
It only lasted for a moment before he was racing towards the boat. Before either of the brothers could figure out what just happened, the boat was pushing away from the dock, their friend’s golden robes quickly disappearing as the river pulled him away.
“Well...” Wei Wuxian let out an incredulous laugh. “I suppose we should get back to it.”
“We should write to Lan Wangji and Nie Huaisang,” Jiang Cheng hummed. “Fill them in on the last few days.”
“Sounds good! I’ve been dying to write to Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian grinned, causing his brother to faux gag behind him. “Ah, I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but I’m looking forward to going to Koi Tower. It’ll be nice to have everyone together again. I know we’ll see them in Qishan but it won’t be the same! At least in Lanling we’ll be able to actually sit down and have some tea.”
“Yeah... it’ll be good to speak to each other face to face.”
“We just have to wait a few more weeks,” Wei Wuxian hummed, absentmindedly reaching into his robes to run a finger along the handkerchief that sat close to his heart, as it had every day since he received it. “Then we can be together again.”
“We made a lot of progress thanks to Jin Zixuan’s help but there’s still more we need to do,” Jiang Cheng shot his brother a strange look - one that was completely missed by Wei Wuxian. “The wards have been reinforced, as have the physical walls. The disciple training has been moved more to the offensive and their archery skills have improved... We still need to plan an escape route for those who cannot fight and find a way to hide YunmengJiang’s treasures so the Wens can’t get their treacherous hands on them.”
“I have an idea for the treasures, but we shouldn’t do it just yet,” Wei Wuxian’s voice dropped to a whisper. He couldn’t see anyone around, but he wasn’t about to risk blowing their whole plan.
“I’ll need to do a few more tests, but I’ve begun designing a talisman that can completely waterproof an object.”
“And how could that possibly help us?”
“Ideally we’ll be able to fill chests with the items we need to hide. When we slap the talisman on the wood, we’ll be able to sink them in the deepest lake and the items inside will remain completely dry until we can pull them up again.”
“That’s... smart,” Jiang Cheng hummed, looking thoughtful. “But how would we know where they are?”
“I’ll figure that out as we go,” Wei Wuxian laced his fingers behind his head. “I was thinking maybe attaching a rope with a false lotus attached to the end. The Wens wouldn’t be able to tell the difference but we would.”
“And it would blend in with the other plants in the water already,” Jiang Cheng nodded, his mind whirring with ideas. “But you’re right - we can’t do that any time soon. If someone realizes all the Jiang treasures are missing, we’ll be cleaning up an even bigger mess.”
“Exactly.”
“So now we should focus on continuing the work we’ve been doing.”
“I’m planning on introducing a new style of sparring with the senior disciples,” Wei Wuxian hummed. “Normally we do one-on-one, but I’m going to see if we can try doing one against the rest.”
“Get them prepared to fight an army...”
“I hate it as much as you do, but it’s their best chance at surviving,” Wei Wuxian’s smile dropped. “I just hope the others will be able to prepare their own people before the blade drops.”
“And we don’t have much more time before that happens.” Jiang Cheng took a deep, steadying breath.
“Come on,” Wei Wuxian tugged on his brother’s sleeve. “We have far too much work to do to be standing around feeling sorry for ourselves!”
“I hate when you’re right.” He rolled his eyes, bringing the smile back to Wei Wuxian’s face.
No matter how much they work - no matter how many failsafes they try to put into place or drills they try to implement - there was no way to be completely prepared for war. Even with Wei Wuxian’s knowledge of what was to befall them, it would be impossible to get through to the other side of the bloodshed unscathed.
Wei Wuxian knew this, but he would be damned if he wasn’t going to go down kicking and screaming. He swore he would give everything he had, and he wasn’t going to skimp out on that promise. He would bring the others to the other side of the war...
With or without him by their sides.