Da-ge would put down his saber once Jin Guangshan was dealt with.
Nie Huaisang reread the note for the dozenth time, then passed it to Wen Qing. He couldn't bring himself to ask if his brother even had enough time for that. The truth of the Wen Remnants wouldn't be enough to stop Jin Guangshan. Maybe censor him, maybe remove him as Sect Leader in name, but there were too many people loyal to him.
Which was where San-ge would come in, but Nie Huaisang was waiting to see what really happened during the war. If San-ge was the reason Da-ge was tortured…
He supposed San-ge could wait until after Jin Guangshan was dealt with, but if he caught even a hint of Nie Huaisang's intentions…
This was getting too complicated.
"Assassination is risky," Wen Qing whispered.
"I won't get caught," Nie Huaisang replied.
"Someone will be blamed nonetheless," She warned.
Wei Wuxian being the obvious one. Or Wen Ning. He was pretty sure he could convince Jin Zixuan to ignore it, especially if Nie Huaisang killed Jin Guangshan in a brothel. There had to be a prostitute somewhere who'd be willing to do the deed for enough money. It was a loose end, but as long as no one suspected him they wouldn't go looking for dirt.
Jiang Cheng snorted, "Your brother will know it was you."
Nie Huaisang clutched the note close to him. Would Da-ge go back on this agreement if he murdered Jin Guangshan?
Nie Mingjue stood before the gathered disciples, "Wen Ruohan of the QishanWen intended to annex the Sects greedily. He forged the Yin Iron privately and killed the innocent cruelly. He ordered Wen Xu, Wen Chao, and his men to commit countless crimes, which brought this calamity to our Sects."
"So the world is filled with indignation," Nie Mingjue drew his saber, "Today, I, Nie Mingjue of Qinghe, am leading an army to suppress Wen Ruohan. We'll storm into Nightless City," He lifted the saber, "And chop off his head to sacrifice to the souls of the deceased."
The disciples raised their swords, chanting, "Sunshot!"
"Go!" Nie Mingjue ordered, parting the disciples to lead the way.
Why wasn't Chifeng-Zun the Chief Cultivator?
He was the one who stepped up during the Sunshot Campaign. He was the one who brought everyone together and organized them. He was the one Sandu Shengshou and Hanguang-Jun turned to for their orders. Even Zewu-Jun reported to him.
How did Jin Guangshan manage to rise?
Jin Zixuan and Jin Zixun followed after him with Nie Huaisang. Lan Xichen went after them.
"A-Jie, I'll go first. I'll wait for you at Qishan," Jiang Cheng promised his sister. Jiang Yanli nodded, then he turned to Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, "We should go to Qishan before the others and kill a few rascals from the Wen Sect." He then left.
Wei Wuxian looked at Lan Wangji and nodded. They then departed side by side.
"Oh good, they're back to normal," Nie Huaisang commented.
Jiang Cheng couldn't help but admit that seeing them together looked right.
As much as he wanted Wei Wuxian to fight by his side, it would have given everything away. They wouldn't have been able to fight together as smoothly as they did when Wei Wuxian used a sword. Hell, they both had new weapons going into this war. Him using a whip and Wei Wuxian depending on musical cultivation…
Was it even strategic to fight together? A mid-range weapon and a distance weapon...they couldn't have each others' backs like they used to.
Jiang Cheng would have insisted one of them use a sword. He couldn't because he wanted to use Zidian to win. He wanted the Wen cultivators to die from his mother's weapon. So he would have insisted more on Wei Wuxian taking up his sword.
Either Wei Wuxian wouldn't, leading to a huge argument, or he would try to hide how draining it was and get himself injured on the battlefield.
Hanguang-Jun kept Wei Wuxian safe where Chenqing couldn't.
Where Jiang Cheng couldn't.
When Nie Mingjue left Qinghe, he was flanked by Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, also on horseback.
"Why didn't you just go with them?" Lan Wangji inquired.
Wei Wuxian twirled Chenqing, "I don't want to join in the fun with Jiang Cheng and that colorful peacock."
"Aren't you the one who prefers to join in the fun?" Lan Wangji asked.
Wei Wuxian gave him that one.
From the ramparts, Nie Huaisang watched the army leave. He lifted his fan, "Wei-xiong!"
Wei Wuxian looked back.
"Take care!" Nie Huaisang shouted.
Wei Wuxian lifted his flute in acknowledgement.
Nie Mingjue had noticed that, but he'd just been annoyed that Nie Huaisang was publicly showing how close he was to such a suspicious character.
Now it made more sense. Huaisang was more observant than the rest of them. He noticed every change in his friend. He was experienced enough to know how many of those were trauma related. Yet he couldn't keep him from the battlefield, nor could he expose him without exposing himself, so all he could do was pray for the best.
"No parting words for your brother?" Lady Qin asked.
Huaisang laughed, "This was what Da-ge always wanted. He knew what he was doing. It was just poor luck that he was captured." His gaze flickered to Jin Guangyao, "Nothing anyone could have done about that, much less me."
Jin Guangyao tilted his head, but his posture was tense.
Nie Mingjue had been so caught up in other matters he almost forgot the other memories he'd added to this viewing. Meng Yao torturing him, killing his disciples and taunting him in front of Wen Ruohan.
Did Huaisang think there were more wrongs to add to that?
Everything had happened all at once. Was it all according to Jin Guangyao's plan?
Jin Zixuan struggled on the battlefield. There was a seemingly endless amount of enemies, who cut down their numbers efficiently. Jin Zixuan fought well, but was forced to dodge as his opponents burst into flames and transformed into something more dangerous.
He retreated to observe the battlefield.
Jiang Cheng faced the same difficulties where he fought.
"Go!" Two of his disciples grabbed his arms, dragging him away.
It was a massacre.
"Gongzi," A Jin disciple ran up to Jin Zixuan, "Retreat quickly or we are going to be completely annihilated. Go now!"
Jin Zixuan watched as more died, "Go now!" He agreed reluctantly.
They retreated back to the main camp.
"Why did they become so much more difficult to fight?" Jin Zixuan asked.
He wasn't ashamed of retreating here. It was the only move they could make without losing all their disciples.
"They transformed whenever Wen Ruohan directly used the Yin Iron," Guangyao answered, his voice deceptively light.
"Could Wei Wuxian have done something about them?" Their father asked.
"Not without revealing his Yin Iron," His brother grimaced, "If Wei Wuxian were unprepared…"
"He was unconscious for three days after beating Wen Ruohan," A-Li said.
Three days when he'd had countless battlefields to examine and experiment with. If he'd tried to take control away from Wen Ruohan sooner, would the tyrant have come to face him earlier? Would the final battle have been more devastating? After all, even with the Yin Iron and the puppets out of the way, someone would have to defeat Wen Ruohan.
Guangyao only succeeded because his attack was completely unexpected.
"I just found it surprising he would let others die when he had a possible solution," Their father purposely hinted, "It's so different from before."
"Before he didn't have the future of the cultivation world depending on him," Lan Qiren responded, "Everyone understood death was likely going into this."
Jin Zixuan clenched his hand into a fist. The sooner his father was out of power, the better.
Jin Zixuan and Jiang Cheng waited with the injured and affected until Nie Mingjue emerged from his tent. He wordlessly watched the caged disciples.
Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian ran over as well.
"When we sieged Nightless City," Nie Mingjue took the fighters back to his tent, "Jiang and Jin suffered a great loss owing to my misjudgment. It seems the power of the Yin Iron cannot be underestimated."
"Right," Jiang Cheng agreed, "We attacked the Wen Sect until we arrived at the foot of Qishan. Those puppets were hard to destroy, as if they were unkillable. Even those with broken limbs attacked. If the power of the Yin Iron is really inexhaustible, how can we take over Nightless City?"
"True," Jin Zixuan said, "Even if we had millions of troops, it's impossible for us to fight the unkillable."
"Since we can't attack them directly," Nie Mingjue suggested, "In my opinion, if we capture the leader the gang will collapse."
Lan Xichen turned towards A-Yao, "Could you have prevented Da-ge from being captured?"
He caught the meaning behind Huaisang's words. It wasn't a question he ever thought to ask. They won the war. Da-ge lived. He knew everything he told A-Yao and everything A-Yao told him.
He'd never wondered if A-Yao ambushed Da-ge. If that was the reason Da-ge was dragged before Wen Ruohan and tortured.
The smaller man winced, "No."
"Did you try?" Wangji inquired.
A-Yao sighed, "He killed Wen Xu. Wen Ruohan's focus was on Da-ge from that moment on, and that focus allowed the rest of you into Nightless City."
Meaning it could have been anyone. It just so happened that Da-ge killed Wen Xu. Of course, who else could it have been? Wen Xu was not unskilled, and with his victory in Gusu and his younger brother's in Yunmeng, why wouldn't he turn his ambitions on Qinghe? With how much they sought glory, it was only natural for Wen Xu to face the best of the Nie Sect.
It wasn't something A-Yao could have planned for. Maybe he could have given Wen Xu some advice for how to break through the Unclean Realm's defenses, perhaps made him even more arrogant going into battle with made up flaws in Da-ge's form, but he couldn't have planned for Wen Chao's demise leaving Wen Ruohan without any sons.
Lan Xichen bit back the question of why Wen Ruohan didn't focus on Wei Wuxian. It was obvious through Wen Chao's behavior that he wasn't the favored son.
There needed to be a distraction, otherwise they would have been faced with even more opposition. They'd barely survived as was. It didn't make what A-Yao was about to do easier to face.
"What do you mean?" Jiang Cheng asked.
"I will sneak into Nightless City alone to assassinate Wen Ruohan," Nie Mingjue stated clearly, "If he dies, his puppets will not be controlled. At that moment-"
"Nie-zongzhu," Jin Zixuan interrupted, "It's extremely hard to assassinate Wen Ruohan. How can we let you be in danger?"
Nie Mingjue stood, "As commander-in-chief, how can I sit by and see my men die in vain? If I die, Zewu-Jun will control the situation."
"Nie-zongzhu," Jiang Cheng protested.
"Mingjue-xiong," Lan Xichen walked into the tent, "I have something to present. Please have a look, everyone."
It was a map.
"This is…" Nie Mingjue turned to his friend.
"A formation map of Qishan," Jiang Cheng smiled.
"Impressive," MianMian commented, echoed by many around the room.
"Not when one can remember everything they see," Lianfeng-Zun held his cup tighter.
"You can?" Qin Su frowned, "How...useful?"
MianMian supposed it was useful, when a lot of his time was spent organizing. He probably didn't have to go back and search through records to keep a proper inventory or balance the finances. It also explained how he was able to cultivate so well even with his lack of training. If all he had to do was see something once, there was little he couldn't learn.
"No wonder he's so spiteful," Chifeng-Zun murmured.
The people were lucky Wei Wuxian didn't carry with him any grievances. He was the forgetful type when it came to petty squabbles. Someone could insult him and he wouldn't hold a grudge.
Lianfeng-Zun couldn't forget. His memory didn't allow him to. If she asked, he could likely recite every insult given to him, the time of day the incident happened, and who exactly said it. How could he ever move forward with so much baggage from the past? How could he ever stop inflicting pain when he constantly relived his own?
"Did Lianfeng-Zun do something wrong?" Qin Su lowered her voice.
Many things.
"Ah," She shifted in her seat, "Spy work is not always the most...honorable."
"Is it more honorable than all the desecrated dead on the battlefields?" She asked.
"Those who died in battle saw their deaths coming," Chifeng-Zun tensed, "It wasn't a betrayal."
"What loyalty did he owe you?" Qin Su wondered, her question not quite defensive, but thoughtful in the way of someone inexperienced in their world, "After being thrown out of the Jin and Nie Sect I'd say we are lucky he stayed on our side."
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were still outside with the afflicted.
"How did this happen to them?" Wei Wuxian asked a Nie disciple.
"If you come across the Wen Sect's puppets, it is better to be killed by a sword," The disciple replied, "If we aren't careful enough and touch their bloody cracks, we will be like them."
"It seems that three tactical deployments of Qishan have dramatically increased the Yin Iron's power," Wei Wuxian said thoughtfully.
Lan Wangji continued to try and heal one. Wei Wuxian approached him as he stood, "What's wrong, Lan Zhan?" Lan Wangji didn't respond, "Is it incurable?"
"It requires at least three months' transfusion of spiritual power," Lan Wangji said.
Wei Wuxian absorbed the information with a frown.
It was interesting to see the contrast in planning.
Wei Wuxian and Hanguang-Jun both knew there might be a way to counter the Yin Iron.
While Wei Wuxian hinted that to the others, they didn't fully believe him. Hence their plan to attack Qishan and kill Wen Ruohan.
The Sect Leaders, and Jin Zixuan, would have failed without Wei Wuxian.
They wondered if the same could be said of Wei Wuxian. How much had he needed their army to get to Qishan? He had waited until the very end to unleash his weapon, and even then he wasn't the one to kill Wen Ruohan.
Neither plan could have succeeded without the other.
Before he could make any suggestions a Jin disciple ran up, "Wei-gongzi."
"What happened?" Wei Wuxian asked without fully turning.
"Come and have a look quickly!" The Jin disciple insisted, "Jiang-guniang...Jiang-guniang, she…"
That grabbed Wei Wuxian's attention, and he went running.
"Is this the first time Wei Wuxian attacked you, Zixuan?" Jin Guangshan asked.
Jiang Yanli held back a shudder, "It was a misunderstanding."
"Every action has its consequences," Her father-in-law shook his head, "Attacking an ally during the war…"
"I deserved it," A-Xuan met his father's gaze, "Nothing Wei Wuxian did was wrong."
And yet, that wasn't how the incident was spoken of later. It became twisted to make A-Xian seem more violent. Their fear tainted the truth. With mostly Jin disciples there to confirm the story, of course it would always favor her husband.
A-Cheng couldn't defend him against what he didn't know. Especially when neither of them could say they trusted A-Xian to act completely rational.
"We'll see what really happened," A-Cheng said.
A-Li gripped her husband's hand tighter. She'd long forgiven him for this, but A-Cheng had never had the chance to even be angry over it.
Wei Wuxian quickly found the right tent, shouting, "Shijie!" Ahead of him as he entered, "Shijie."
"A-Xian," Jiang Yanli sniffled through her tears.
He took her arm, "Shijie. What happened to you?"
She shook her head, too upset for words.
"Don't cry," Wei Wuxian comforted, "Tell me. Was there someone who bullied you?" He shot a glare at Jin Zixuan, who was turned away from the situation and flicked his robes at him.
"A-Xian," Jiang Yanli managed, "I'm fine. Let's go."
But Wei Wuxian was immovable. She tugged at his arm, "Come on."
This was surprisingly familiar.
It reminded them all of when Jin Zixuan had insulted Jiang Yanli in the Cloud Recesses.
It was the same protective rage. Not anything new born from his demonic cultivation.
This was still the same Wei Wuxian. There were just harsher consequences to him getting angry.
MianMian entered and gave a shallow bow to Jin Zixuan before turning to Wei Wuxian. Her greeting placed her between the two men. She bowed shallowly again, "Wei-gongzi."
"You came at the right time," Wei Wuxian stated, "Tell me what on earth happened here."
"Wei-gongzi, it's not what you think-" MianMian tried to calm him down.
"Just tell me what you know!" Wei Wuxian raised his voice.
MianMian hesitated, looking at Jin Zixuan, who just gave his permission, "Go ahead. Tell the truth. It looks like we, the Jin Sect, did something shameful."
Wei Wuxian moved Chenqing to his dominant hand, "You-"
Jin Guangyao could almost feel the good reputation Jin Zixuan was building stall.
It was so hard to build something, and so easy for it to break. Everyone was getting another reminder of just how aloof and arrogant Jin Zixuan was. It just seemed to contradict the open, earnest young man who came to help in the war under the guise of returning Jiang Yanli to her only remaining family.
"You did your job well, Lady Luo," Er-ge complimented.
Lady Luo smiled, "I'm sure you understand what it's like to communicate for someone."
Er-ge managed a small huff of laughter, "If only Jin Zixuan used less words."
Making light of this matter was probably the best course of action.
Even if there was a sad undertone to it. Da-ge and Er-ge were childhood best friends. Jiang Wanyin and Wei Wuxian had each other, and their sister. Huaisang found a best friend in Wei Wuxian at an early age as well. Then there was Jin Zixuan and Hanguang-Jun. At least Hanguang-Jun had Er-ge who understood him.
Jin Zixuan didn't have anyone who qualified as a friend. Lady Luo came close, but there was always that gap from status.
It was hard to be alone growing up. It made it hard to be around people later in life.
"Wei-gongzi," MianMian interjected as Jiang Yanli grabbed his arm.
Lan Wangji flipped open the entrance to the tent as she began her explanation.
"Here's the thing," MianMian said, "Since Jiang-guniang is with the army, she has cured the injured while helping with the food." Lan Wangji closed the tent and waited outside, "Every day, Jiang-guniang makes three more bowls of soup, two of which are for you, Wei-gongzi and Jiang-zongzhu. And the third one…" She glanced back, "Is for Jin-gongzi."
"Nonsense," Jin Zixuan faced them, "It's A-Yuan."
"Gongzi, that's not the case," MianMian let out a frustrated huff, "Jiang-guniang was too shy to just give you the soup so she asked Yuan to do it." She glanced back, "Jiang-guniang asked me first, but I thought it was inappropriate. So I gave the mission to Yuan and let her put it in your room secretly. I didn't expect...Gongzi, please don't blame Jiang-guniang."
"But A-Yuan told me-" Jin Zixuan started.
"Did she blush and deny it vaguely?" Wei Wuxian interrupted.
Jin Zixuan averted his gaze.
A few more people laughed.
If they'd thought Wei Wuxian and Hanguang-Jun's misunderstanding was ridiculous, this was a thousand times more so!
Who taught these young masters about romance?
"All this fuss over soup?"
Qin Su frowned, "Isn't the soup very important to them?"
She thought it was, but she hadn't been there the whole viewing. Maybe she was wrong.
"It is," Luo Qingyang confirmed, "It's like...even though they're on different paths, everyone needs to eat so that's one place they can come together."
Which was just another level of misunderstanding that made it all worse.
Wei Wuxian scoffed, "MianMian, keep going."
MianMian nodded, "Today, Jiang-guniang came across Jin-gongzi when she brought the soup over. Maybe our gongzi thought Jiang-guniang imitated Yuan, so he reminded Jiang-guniang...that they were no longer engaged and let her...he told her…"
"Told her what?" Wei Wuxian demanded.
"Not to steal and trample on others' goodwill," MianMian quoted, "Even if you come from a prestigious clan. Even if someone wasn't born with riches, she has a nobler character than you. Please be self-dignified."
Jiang Yanli started crying again.
"Self-dignified?" Wei Wuxian echoed, his grip tightening on Chenqing. MianMian moved out of his way as he approached, "Jin Zixuan, how dare you tell Shijie to be self-dignified?"
Wen Qing closed her hand around Zidian before it could come to life, "He was just being an idiot."
Many in the room found this incident amusing, but Wen Qing just found it sad.
Jin Zixuan tried to be better than the rest of his family. It was a struggle she was intimately familiar with. He tried to be fair and stand up for those born into lesser fortunes, but he went about it all wrong.
In the end, he would be just as much use as she was in preventing the tragedies done by their Sects.
"Are you alright?" Jiang Wanyin asked, distracting himself from his anger by focusing on her.
"Just...go easy on him," Wen Qing requested, "It's hard to break out of your family's mindset." She glanced at Nie Huaisang.
She couldn't guarantee that Chifeng-Zun had months to live. She would have to inspect the damage first. That he was willing to consider giving it up at all was more than she expected. Half the battle was always getting the patient to accept treatment and to believe things could improve. It might not be enough in Huaisang's eyes.
But it was an attempt by Chifeng-Zun to bridge the gap between them.
It wasn't a bridge Huaisang could burn by taking rash action.
"Wei-gongzi," A Jin disciple spoke up, "Our gongzi actually did nothing. You misunderstood him."
The other Jin disciples agreed, "It was a mistake."
"Mistake?" Wei Wuxian repeated, then drew his fist back and punched Jin Zixuan in the chest. The young man flew back into his desk.
The Jin disciples drew their swords, but Wei Wuxian turned around and brought Chenqing to his lips. With a few notes, he sent out a wave of resentment that knocked the Jin disciples down.
Jin Zixuan rose and faced an angry Wei Wuxian, earning another punch to the face.
Seeing that Jin Zixuan wasn't protecting himself, MianMian threw herself between them again, "Wei-gongzi."
That was hardly an attack. Wei Wuxian restrained himself to just his fists with some resentment behind it to give it the power it would have had if he still had a golden core.
He used Chenqing only when he would have been outnumbered.
"You were just going to let Wei Wuxian beat you up?" Nie Mingjue asked.
"I was the one in the wrong," Jin Zixuan grimaced.
"You couldn't have just apologized?" Huaisang rolled his eyes, "Honestly, how have you survived without MianMian?"
Jiang Wanyin snorted, "He has A-Jie now so he's less stupid."
"I'm sure we will see more reminders of my son's foolishness," Jin Guangshan smiled, and Nie Mingjue fought back the desire to punch it off his face, "He has much to learn."
As though there was anything he could learn from Jin Guangshan that could be beneficial. Jin Zixuan was married with a child. He'd fought in a war. He was older than Jiang Wanyin, who had cemented his position as Sect Leader and ran the Jiang Sect with no difficulties of his own making.
Still, Nie Mingjue plastered on a smile of his own, "You'll have to pass the reins on eventually."
Sect Leader Yao laughed, "Not now, of course. Jin Zixuan's just had a son. Let him adjust to parenthood first!"
How long would that be? Until Jin Rulan could hold a sword himself?
Nie Mingjue chuckled darkly. Jin Guangshan wouldn't be Sect Leader when his grandson learned to walk. His karma would catch up to him by then.
Jiang Yanli grabbed his sleeve, "A-Xian."
Wei Wuxian's fist remained raised to strike again.
Lan Wangji stormed into the tent and grabbed it, "Wei Ying, calm down."
That seemed to break through his rage. He nervously turned to Lan Wangji, then turned and walked out of the tent.
Lan Wangji added that to the evidence of his presence being helpful to Wei Ying.
He had the same effect Jiang Yanli did when Wei Ying fought Jin Zixuan in the Cloud Recesses. He didn't stop instantly, but he managed to regain control of himself and leave the situation.
It was the same scene, just slightly different. There were no guardians to scold him. Uncle couldn't make Wei Ying kneel. There wasn't even an engagement at risk. As long as Jin Zixuan knew he was wrong he wouldn't pull his forces from the war effort.
Really, the worst damage done was to Wei Ying's reputation.
"That wasn't nearly as bad as rumors made it seem," Sect Leader Ouyang said.
"They made Wei Wuxian sound out of control," Sect Leader Qin hummed, "Obviously, there are those who can control him."
A few glances were shot his way, but he didn't meet anyone's gaze. He was still trying to come to terms with the power he held over Wei Ying. He knew he would do anything Wei Ying asked of him. When he'd visited the Burial Mounds he waited for his love to ask him to stay. He was bitterly disappointed when he was sent away.
Now, he wondered what would have happened if he prepared a counteroffer. If he had once again asked Wei Ying to return to Gusu with him when he ran into Wei Ying and the Wen Remnants at Qiongqi Pass. If he asked Wei Ying to trust him and Xichen to protect the innocent.
Lan Wangji shouldn't be waiting. He should take the initiative.
Nie Mingjue paced in his tent, "Xichen, the map of Qishan has information about the Yin Iron. It's confidential. How did you get it?"
"The QishanWen is as hard as an iron cask, but it still can be permeated by water," Lan Xichen replied vaguely, "It took a few months, so even when there were minor mistakes, they got in." Lan Xichen moved to his side, "Please allow me to report the map painter later, but I have observed the map for several days and it is accurate."
"Otherwise I wouldn't dare give it to you directly," Lan Xichen assured him.
"Anyways," Nie Mingjue dismissed that topic, "You never told me, after Cloud Recesses was burnt down, where on earth did you go? And who saved you?"
Lan Xichen looked away, "Sure enough, Mingjue-xiong is thoughtful."
"So the map painter and your rescuer are the same person," Nie Mingjue confirmed.
"You didn't guess it was me?" Jin Guangyao asked.
It looked like all the pieces were there.
Who knew to go and rescue Er-ge? Who was free at that time? Er-ge had only written to Da-ge. With the attack on Qinghe, no Nie Sect disciples could be spared for a rescue attempt. Hanguang-Jun returned on his own and was accounted for afterwards. Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian returned to Yunmeng, but by then it was too late to assist either.
Da-ge had assumed he would go back to the Jin Sect. Jin Zixuan already told him that wasn't the case.
"What reason did you have to be loyal to us?" Da-ge asked, "You were kicked out of both the Jin and Nie Sects. If I had thought you joined the Wen Sect, it wasn't as a spy."
"My reasons…" Jin Guangyao trailed off, "Er-ge was kind to me, and every kindness should be returned."
It was the Wen Sect's saying. Like most sayings, it had morphed over time. Every kindness should be returned, and so should every insult. Then find a way to take everything as an insult so they could enact vengeance on anyone.
"Wen Ruohan believed I wanted to return every hurt done to me, but he underestimated the kindness of one man," Jin Guangyao finished.
He didn't admit that he'd had backup plans for if the Sunshot Campaign failed. Unless Er-ge failed in battle, he would have been relatively safe whether the allied Sects succeeded or failed. It may not have been the most dignified of lives, but it would have been a life.
Luckily, those plans never had to come to fruition.
"It's not that I don't want to tell you," Lan Xichen evaded, "It's just that the Sunshot Campaign is still unfinished. This person has a secret identity. Without his permission, I dare not share his identity." Nie Mingjue nodded, "So I hope that you, Mingjue-xiong," Lan Xichen bowed, "Don't blame me please."
Nie Mingjue stopped him, "Ay, you are grateful and honest. How can I blame you? Of course I believe you." Meeting his gaze, he nodded encouragingly.
Lan Xichen nodded back.
Nie Mingjue sighed and turned away, "Besides, the map is precise. That asshole put three Yin Irons in three parts at crucial sites. Not only does my fate seem hard to predict, even you…"
"This campaign is making us fight with our backs against the wall," Lan Xichen comforted, "For every one of us, we have no way back."
"Right," Nie Mingjue agreed, "So let's work together. It doesn't matter whether I succeed in killing that bastard or not, we will launch the general attack in seven days, and storm into Nightless City."
There was nothing but awed silence.
What could be said in the face of Chifeng-Zun's determination to win?
There really was no question who contributed the most to the Sunshot Campaign.
Or who contributed the least.
They each led their groups into battle. The enemy was more focused on spreading its poison, in turning allies into enemies. They were also stronger and more brutal.
"How did you make it to Qishan?" Lan Qiren frowned.
"Ah…" Xichen trailed off.
He understood regardless. He wouldn't like the answer.
Which meant this was all a trap.
Jiang Cheng, Wei Wuxian, and Lan Wangji ran into Lan Xichen on the road. They greeted each other, but Lan Xichen focused on his brother, "Wangji, when we were back in the city we came across Wen Ruohan's puppets. Now they may have flanked our rear. Presumably, they are close to us."
"So are those following us," Lan Wangji said.
"Now there are pursuing forces after two armies," Lan Xichen worried, and looked off in one direction, "It seems, now, there is only one way to go."
They glanced towards the path.
"Nightless City," Lan Wangji stated.
Lan Xichen nodded.
This was also different from the retellings.
Instead of storming Qishan, the allied forces were led there. Instead of a courageous attack, it was the only way left to go without facing annihilation.
Many eyes turned to the leaders.
Zewu-Jun and Hanguang-Jun were forbidden by their Sects to gossip. Their Sect also didn't glorify war, so why would they spread such foreboding tales? Then there was Sect Leader Jiang, who was very tight-lipped on any matter regarding the Wen Sect. Considering Wei Wuxian's defection, no one pressed him for details.
Nie Mingjue was already missing from this group, likely captured in his attempt to kill Wen Ruohan. He was also a general who travelled with the main bulk of the army. He didn't see battle the way others did.
Then there were the Jin, who were unsurprisingly absent from the main group as well.
"I am afraid that those three groups of puppets don't want to kill us," Wei Wuxian shared, "Instead, they want to corner us in Nightless City."
"Wen Ruohan tempted us to go deliberately," Lan Xichen lowered his voice, "And Mingjue-xiong disappeared without a trace." He shook his head.
"The appointed time hasn't come yet," Jiang Cheng interjected, "Attacking Qishan recklessly like this may destroy Nie-zongzhu's plan."
Lan Xichen looked puzzled.
"Now we are in a dilemma," Wei Wuxian said darkly, "We are trapped. Going to Nightless City is not up to us."
"So we have a rest here and attack Nightless City," Jiang Cheng decided, leaving before Lan Xichen could agree.
Wei Wuxian hesitated to follow him, "Zewu-Jun, who gave you the map?"
That brought a small smile to his face, "An old friend did."
Wei Wuxian nodded, then followed his brother.
Lan Wangji waited for him to go, "Xiongzhang."
"Wangji," Lan Xichen cut him off, "You don't have to ask me about his identity. He is a friend, not an enemy. Even today, it is he who tempts us into Nightless City. He must have a reason."
They both turned to where they could see Nightless City off in the distance.
"This was your plan?" Nie Huaisang asked.
San-ge paused, then nodded, "Yes."
There were whispers around the room about how risky it was.
"It was necessary," San-ge explained, "We were never going to get into Qishan unless Wen Ruohan allowed you to. It was a gamble, but it was the only chance the Sunshot Campaign had of succeeding. A quick, decisive victory."
"With Da-ge as the distraction," Nie Huaisang narrowed his eyes.
The logical part of his brain understood it was the only distraction that could keep Wen Ruohan from immediately springing his trap. Da-ge killed Wen Xu. That was worthy of a long, drawn out punishment.
It was also a way to ensure San-ge was in the room. If he infiltrated the Wen Sect by claiming he desired revenge on the Nie Sect, then of course Wen Ruohan would delight in seeing his favored servant get that revenge. Which meant San-ge could draw it out as long as he needed to get Er-ge, or Hanguang-Jun, or Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian there.
It's what Nie Huaisang would have done if their fortunes were reversed.
But still…
"Did you risk anything?" The bitter question slipped from his lips without his permission.
It was his brother who suffered.
San-ge didn't act until Wei Wuxian did. San-ge had no way of anticipating the effectiveness of the Stygian Tiger Amulet. If Wei Wuxian hadn't pulled a miracle at the end, would San-ge have stuck his sword through Wen Ruohan's back?
"Not as much as others," San-ge answered slowly, "But I suppose I was the only one thinking of life after defeat."
"There wasn't a life for us after defeat," Da-ge growled.
"Not for you," San-ge closed his eyes, "But I had some sway over Wen Ruohan. I could have convinced him Huaisang wasn't a threat. That Jin Guangshan could control his son. That as long as we had one Lan brother, we could control the other. That as long as we had Wen Qionglin, we could control Wen Qing, and she could marry into the Jiang Sect."
"If a quick, decisive victory was impossible, I was prepared to play the long game," San-ge looked down, "Surviving can be humiliating, but I prefer even the lowest of circumstances to death."
Unlike Wen Ruohan, who would have enjoyed seeing them bowed low more than their deaths.
"Don't act like playing both sides is honorable," Madam Jin snapped.
San-ge's eyes just flickered to her husband, who coughed, "One shouldn't put all their eggs into one basket."
Nie Mingjue stood before Wen Ruohan in his throne room.
Wen Ruohan held the pieces of the Yin Iron, "Nie Mingjue, you claimed my Yin Iron was a wicked trick. Today, I am going to show you the righteous man and how powerful our wicked tricks are."
Wen Ruohan sent out a burst of energy, laughing as Nie Mingjue's pain forced him to his knees.
Meng Yao walked by him and bowed to Wen Ruohan, turning slowly to his former master, "Nie-zongzhu, long time no see." Meng Yao smiled darkly.
"You…" Nie Mingjue growled, "It's you."
Meng Yao tutted, crouching down in front of him, "I would never have expected that you could look so miserable today." He brushed his shoulder.
"Get lost!" Nie Mingjue shoved him away.
Meng Yao laughed, "Do you think you're a king?" He rose and addressed the other disciples, "Look closely. This is the Sun Palace."
"What palace?" One Nie disciple asked defiantly, "This is just the den of Wen dogs."
Meng Yao pulled his sword and ruthlessly cut him down.
"Jackal! Kill me too if you can!" Another shouted.
"With pleasure," Meng Yao lifted his sword and stabbed him through the heart, "Anyone else feel like saying that word?"
Jin Zixuan shuddered, unsure how much of this was an act and how much of this was just how his brother would act if he had the power to get revenge on all those who slighted him.
No, this had Wen Ruohan for an audience. This had to be performative.
"Are you trying to act like Wen Chao?" Jiang Wanyin asked.
"Wen Chao acted like Wen Ruohan wanted him to act," Guangyao kept looking down, "He was just useless."
No one asked if there was another way.
Guangyao couldn't hesitate at such a crucial part. Wen Ruohan might have trusted him, but that didn't mean there weren't still doubts. Especially where the Nie Sect was concerned. Wen Zhuliu had seen him take a sword for Chifeng-Zun. The only way to not arouse Wen Ruohan's suspicions was to be unflinchingly brutal.
Guangyao had already betrayed Chifeng-Zun once. How brutal was it for that betrayal to happen again?
Meanwhile, the combined forces of the Lan and Jiang had reached Nightless City. They fought their way inside, right up to the steps of Wen Ruohan's palace. The Sect Leaders and their brothers fought impressively, avoiding injury. Wei Wuxian fought only with his flute, not even playing it, just using it as a sword.
The scene went back to Nie Mingjue, who summoned the strength to rise, "Jackal."
"So it really was at the same time," Lan Xichen whispered.
They reached the palace only because Wen Ruohan was too busy with Da-ge.
No. It wasn't Wen Ruohan doing anything. Wen Ruohan was just watching. It was A-Yao who controlled that scene, who dragged it out.
"All according to plan," A-Yao replied.
Lan Xichen was tempted to ask how. There were too many factors beyond his control, how could he have anticipated so many things correctly? This only made him more aware of the plan Huaisang had exposed. Would he really have managed to get rid of Jin Zixuan and Wei Wuxian?
Meng Yao turned to face him, "Nie-zongzhu, please have a look at this." It was Baxia, "Nie-zongzhu, I've held Baxia many times before." He dragged his hand along the blade, "Isn't it a little too late for you to be angry now?"
"Put your hand away," Nie Mingjue growled.
"Your blade can barely be deemed first-class," Meng Yao insulted, "Nevertheless, compared to your father's blade, it's a bit inferior. Why not have a guess how many times Wen-zongzhu hit it until it broke?" Meng Yao stepped closer, "I remember that when your father received his broken blade, he died," Their faces were inches away, "Of wrath."
Jin Guangyao understood now what would have happened.
It was a good thing they didn't get that far.
Killing Da-ge was never part of the plan. He'd long convinced Wen Ruohan to make him into a living puppet. But if he'd broken the saber and triggered a qi deviation fueled by the saber spirit's resentment…
Could Da-ge have killed Wen Ruohan in that state? Would his uncontrolled rage have been able to withstand the power of the Yin Iron?
Outside, the battle continued. Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian stayed together. Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng held their own.
The fighting seemed endless.
Inseparable on the battlefield.
Jiang Yanli only wished they could be so close off of it as well. She knew A-Xian was only conserving his energy so he could act in a critical moment, but it still displayed so much trust in Hanguang-Jun.
Maybe this was his way of letting Hanguang-Jun help him.
Nie Mingjue shoved Meng Yao.
Meng Yao returned the kick, knocking Nie Mingjue to the ground, "How dare you be so rude in front of Wen-zongzhu!" Meng Yao shouted.
Nie Mingjue pushed himself into the air to strike at him. Meng Yao fell to the ground, and Wen Ruohan prevented him from being hit again. As he was pulled back, Nie Mingjue caught a Wen disciple and threw him at Wen Ruohan. With this distraction, he summoned Baxia back to his hand and took down the Wen disciples with one sweep.
Nie Mingjue spat blood, roared, and moved to strike Wen Ruohan.
He wasn't successful.
Meng Yao watched him fall to the floor, unconscious, then forced himself to his feet.
It was impossible to guess what Jin Guangyao genuinely planned.
Nie Mingjue wondered if this was his younger sworn brother's way of letting him try to carry out his mission. Jin Guangyao had taken a sword to the gut and managed to walk away. His strike wasn't hard enough to keep him down that long, yet he stayed on the ground until his attack failed.
Playing both sides indeed. It was cowardly. It was despicable.
It was very much like Jin Guangyao.
Wen Ruohan rose from his throne. Meng Yao met him in the middle, "I'm so incompetent to bother Wen-zongzhu."
"Trash," Wen Ruohan dismissed, standing over Nie Mingjue's body, "Did he kill Wen Xu?"
Meng Yao hesitated, but didn't answer.
"Things are getting interesting outside the palace," Wen Ruohan observed, "Meng Yao, this was your doing. Don't you want to see?" He threw the Yin Iron into an array. Meng Yao's eyes lit up.
"This was your doing," Jin Guangshan repeated.
It wasn't an accusation. If anything, it was a compliment.
He'd known his bastard was competent, but the skill he displayed here astonished Jin Guangshan.
It also made him doubt his bastard's loyalty. There Wen Ruohan stood, convinced by his servant to bring all the pieces of the Yin Iron together and to allow the enemy within his gates, completely unaware of the betrayal that was about to happen. He saw his servant be viscous with a smile, not knowing that aggression would turn on him.
For the first time, he understood what his wife complained about.
Jin Guangyao was dangerous.
Jin Guangshan thought he controlled him, but hadn't Chifeng-Zun? Hadn't Wen Ruohan? Hadn't they both been wrong?
Outside, the fighting died down. There was a sudden lull in the battle.
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji stood together, as did Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng. The survivors formed a ring together in the middle.
"Wei-gongzi, what should we do now? Shall we march over there?" A Jiang disciple asked.
They watched as energy descended from the palace, disintegrating four of the surviving disciples.
"There are so many puppets!" A Lan disciple panicked.
An army of puppets marched towards them from both sides, trapping them within Nightless City.
MianMian wrapped an arm around Qin Su.
A part of her was relieved she'd missed the final battle. She wasn't sure she could have survived this.
"It will be over soon," MianMian whispered in comfort, "Wei Wuxian saves the day."
As he always seemed to do for those in need.
"Given the quantity of those puppets, we know Wen Ruohan has hurt many people," Jiang Cheng said, facing those coming from the gate.
"Lan Zhan," Wei Wuxian faced the ones coming from the palace, "What method can we take now to escape?"
"Fight," Lan Wangji answered.
Surrounded, they prepared to fight.
And fight they did. For so long, as more and more died.
It seemed hopeless.
The Nie, Lan, and Jiang had given nearly everything, just for the trap to spring at an inopportune moment.
And of course, the Jin Sect was nowhere to be seen.
Jin Zixuan bit back the question in his mind. Did Guangyao deliberately delay them? Why weren't they forced to Qishan like everyone else? Did he purposely keep them from helping?
Or was it Wen Ruohan's decision? Did Wen Ruohan hope to win over his father by returning him unharmed from the war?
He desperately wanted to ask, but he didn't want to damage his brother's reputation more than it already was by seeing him undercover. Nor did he want to give his mother any more ammunition to use in her war against Guangyao. She was only silent now because Guangyao was the biggest contributor to the war effort from the Jin Sect.
She would love to blame him for their lack of achievement, and he couldn't raise that question unless he was more certain of the answer.
It seemed like Jiang Cheng, Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian and Lan Xichen were the only ones left standing. Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian remained together throughout it all.
Wei Wuxian lifted himself up to the top of a statue. He looked out over the battlefield and shared a regretful look with Lan Wangji. He lifted Chenqing to his lips and began to play, letting the resentment wash over him. He summoned more resentment. It hovered around him, waiting for a purpose.
The allied disciples kept fighting, Lan Wangji sparing a glance in Wei Wuxian's directions with every other kill.
Jiang Cheng found himself forced back, stuck in a deadlock.
That's when Wei Wuxian sent the resentment out.
This...this was the true power of the Yiling Patriarch.
One man who could topple an army.
One man that wouldn't unless he was given no other choice.
Or they could just never bring together an army to fight him. That was always an option. Considering he had yet to choose evil for selfish reasons, it was becoming an increasingly favorable option.
The enemy froze as Wei Wuxian's resentment poured into them. Then they turned on each other. This stopped an attack on Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng, who both retreated to observe better.
Lan Wangji placed himself at the bottom of the stairs, watching the puppets fight each other.
Inside the palace, Wen Ruohan tried to summon the Yin Iron to himself. He failed, "Why isn't the Yin Iron working? Who is it? Who?" He stuck his arms to the side.
Realizing it wouldn't work, he quickly left the palace. Meng Yao watched him disappear, then pulled his sword out and followed him.
Many sighs of relief were let out.
Hearing Lianfeng-Zun talk, it was almost as though he wouldn't carry out the assassination. But he was armed the entire time, and chose not to let Wen Ruohan know that.
"Do you...still carry that blade, Lianfeng-Zun?" Sect Leader Yao wondered.
It was flexible by design. Truly an assassin's weapon. They all knew Lianfeng-Zun didn't carry a traditional sword in his hand, but that didn't mean this wasn't hidden somewhere on his body. Always prepared to strike should he ever genuinely be threatened.
"Do I have a need to arm myself?" Lianfeng-Zun replied.
Which wasn't a yes or no.
Lan Wangji, Lan Xichen, and Jiang Cheng all noticed Wen Ruohan's emergence.
"It's you," Wen Ruohan said.
Wei Wuxian stopped playing and turned to face him. He smiled, "Wen-zongzhu. I'm happy to meet you."
"Where did you get your shard of Yin Iron?" Wen Ruohan demanded.
"I died once," Wei Wuxian replied, "We, of course, came from hell."
They weren't sure which event he equated with death.
Was it when he passed out for days in the Xuanwu cave? Or did he consider himself dead when he gave up his core for his brother and doomed himself to demonic cultivation? Or was it when he was tossed in the Burial Mounds and learned to master demonic cultivation?
Wen Ruohan narrowed his eyes.
Wei Wuxian glanced at the battlefield, "Wen-zongzhu. My spiritual tool has just been refined. No one has seen it yet."
"What is it?" Wen Ruohan asked suspiciously, "How can it control the Yin Iron? Did Xue Yang give it to you? What is it?"
Wei Wuxian just looked away again, before lifting his hands. Some energy drifted into his hands, the resentment clinging to it fading away as he spoke, "Wen-zongzhu. This spiritual tool is not called Yin Iron. It is called Stygian Tiger Amulet."
Wen Ruohan stuck out a hand to draw him closer.
Wei Wuxian tossed his weapons up into the air and was dragged closer.
They should have moved faster.
Lan Xichen had just stood there next to Jiang Wanyin. Both of them were too dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events to take advantage of them. As soon as the puppets were taken care of they should have gone to Wei Wuxian's side. They should have initiated a fight against Wen Ruohan.
Instead, they stood there as Wei Wuxian was choked.
If nothing else, Lan Xichen owed him a life debt. It shouldn't have mattered how Wei Wuxian stopped the army. What mattered was that Lan Xichen came out of a hopeless situation alive, and Wei Wuxian was the one to thank for that.
Wen Ruohan held him up by the neck, but it was too late. The Amulet was already letting out more energy, this time controlling the whole battlefield and forcing the puppets down.
Wei Wuxian smirked.
Lan Wangji started up the stairs.
Meng Yao made his move.
"Stygian Tiger Amulet…" Wen Ruohan muttered as he was stabbed through the back. He fell to the side, dead.
Wei Wuxian collapsed into Lan Wangji's arms.
"Wei Ying!"
They both looked up as Wen Ruohan's body fell to the side, revealing Meng Yao. His hand shook as he dropped the blade.
"Wei Ying," Lan Wangji repeated as he passed out.
A quick, decisive victory.
But at what cost?
So many had expected the victory to be fulfilling. They came to watch Wen Ruohan's downfall with their own eyes. Instead, they learned why their heroes seldom spoke of this battle.
Chifeng-Zun was tortured to unconsciousness, unknowingly used as a distraction.
Wei Wuxian poured everything into stopping Wen Ruohan's Yin Iron, and would have had his neck snapped if it weren't for the timely actions of Lianfeng-Zun.
Lianfeng-Zun, whose role in the war was far more complicated than a spy turned assassin. Just how deep had he gone to win Wen Ruohan's trust? Obviously the conflicted expression on his face wasn't from killing. He'd killed others with no change in expression. Or was he just conflicted about finally choosing a side?
Not that it was much of a choice in the end. There was an obvious winner by then.
If Lianfeng-Zun hadn't struck, Hanguang-Jun would have.
Anything for the love of his life, who he cradled in his arms next to the cooling corpse of the enemy.
Then stood Zewu-Jun and Sandu Shengshou, almost alone amongst the corpses of friends and enemies alike. The blood stained robes made it hard to tell who belonged to which Sect. The cracks along their faces made it even harder to tell who possibly survived, and who was long dead.
All this for what? Because one man decided his power only had meaning as long as he was the only one to wield it? Because one man wanted to burn their world to ashes and rebuild it in his image?
They'd never know for certain, but no reason could justify such carnage.
This was the sight Jin Zixuan arrived to. He ran further into Nightless City, searching for survivors among the countless dead on the ground. Lan Xichen and Jiang Cheng moved to meet him, but in the distance, he could see Meng Yao and Lan Wangji.
"The Wen Sect is dead!" A Jin disciple cheered, "We won!"
The other Jin disciples took up the chant.
Jiang Cheng managed a small smile. Lan Xichen closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, "The sun has finally set."
The Wen Sect had fallen, replaced by two powers.
The Jin Sect rose. They'd lost the least in the war. While everyone else was focused on recovery, they started on expansion.
The Yiling Patriarch also rose.
Who was good and who was evil?