Author Notes: Hello again, everyone! Enjoy this next chapter :)

Beta: JeanGirlMY

- Chapter Start -

Later that afternoon, ZeWu Jun wrote to Madam Jin, thanking her again for her kind assistance during their recent visit, and expressing the hope that her generous hospitality hadn't caused her any trouble in return.

The answer via a golden Jin butterfly came that evening. Madam Jin brushed aside his thanks and apologised for all the inconvenience they had suffered while at Koi Tower. She also assured him that all was well.

Wei Ying noted the thoughtful expressions on all three Lans's faces once ZeWu Jun finished conveying the message.

"Something has happened," he ventured a guess.

"Mn." Lan Zhan nodded.

"Agreed," ZeWu Jun said. "Despite Sect Leader Jin's promises, I cannot envisage him taking this lying down."

"Are you still expecting a retaliation of some sort?" Master Lan asked.

"If there is, it won't be immediately," Wei Ying replied. "Shijie and the pea- ah, her husband are visiting tomorrow. Jin GuangShan won't do anything while they're here, right?"

"You have a point," ZeWu Jun agreed and gave a small smile. "What a coincidence, Da-ge and HuaiSang are visiting tomorrow as well."

"That's great! Jiang Cheng is coming the day after so it'll be just like old times! Right, Lan Zhan?"

"Mn." Lan Zhan's expression didn't change, but his ears turned pink as if recalling an embarrassing memory.

Master Lan sighed.

"'Alcohol is forbidden inside Cloud Recesses'," he recited, sounding more resigned than anything.

- o -

The Nie brothers arrived the next morning and were brought to the Hanshi by the Twin Jades and Wei Ying. Sect Leader Nie dismissed ZeWu Jun's concern for his shoulder wound, saying he had already forgotten about it. Behind his back, HuaiSang made a face at Wei Ying and shook his head.

GuangYao was sitting up in bed, clad in white guest disciple robes. Wen Qing had already examined him earlier with the result that several of her long needles were now stuck in his temples and neck to keep most of the pain at bay. Looking both pleased and nervous, GuangYao thanked them for coming to see him and for their help in saving his life. When he bowed, the silver accessory keeping his hair in a ponytail was visible, and both Nie brothers did a double take.

Wei Ying hid a grin. He had another of Lan Zhan's hair accessories affixed to his red ribbon today. It looked like ZeWu Jun had taken a leaf out of his younger brother's book.

"San-ge, how are you doing?" HuaiSang went to perch on the bed, holding his fan in one hand and clasping GuangYao's hand in the other. Wei Ying recalled HuaiSang's shock when Jin GuangYao (then Meng Yao) left the Nie sect three years ago. They must have been close once.

When Sect Leader Nie cleared his throat, HuaiSang reluctantly squeezed GuangYao's hand and got up. A flash of trepidation crossed GuangYao's smiling face and he quickly bowed again when Sect Leader Nie strode forward.

"Da-ge, please accept my deepest apologies for not getting up to receive you. Thank you for all the trouble you undertook to fetch Healer Wen."

Sect Leader Nie nodded.

"I'm glad you survived the poison," he said.

"It is thanks to everyone's efforts. I am forever in their debt," GuangYao replied.

Sect Leader Nie regarded him in silence until GuangYao looked nervous again.

"Da-ge?"

"GuangYao, despite your role as spy during the Sunshot Campaign, despite you killing Wen RuoHan, and XiChen vouching for you, I still have my doubts. You know why."

"Yes, Da-ge." GuangYao's voice was low, his eyes downcast.

"Da-ge, why are you bringing up the past again?" ZeWu Jun protested, but Sect Leader Nie paid him no mind.

"When Wen Chao came to the Unclean Realm to taunt me, you killed my Captain because he'd caught you in the act of freeing Xue Yang."

GuangYao swallowed.

"I... yes."

HuaiSang looked devastated as he exchanged a look with Wei Ying who had been there at that time together with Jiang Cheng.

"San-ge, is that true?" HuaiSang asked. "Is that why Da-ge sent you away?"

When GuangYao nodded without looking at him, HuaiSang turned to Sect Leader Nie.

"Then why did you spare his life that day? It's not like you to be... well, merciful."

Sect Leader Nie exhaled, his broad shoulders slumping.

"I was about to kill him for treachery when Wen Zhuliu tried to stab me. GuangYao threw himself in front of me and saved my life. I spared his in return."

"That would account for his injuries that day," Wei Ying commented. "Jiang Cheng tried to speak to you on his behalf-"

Sect Leader Nie turned to glare at him.

"Regardless, he had killed my Captain and he had freed that murderer Xue Yang."

With a suddenness that caught everyone by surprise, GuangYao flung back the blankets and scrambled out of bed, almost falling to the floor.

"A-Yao, what are you doing?!" ZeWu Jun crouched beside him.

"Forgive me, Da-ge!" Kneeling on the floor, GuangYao bowed until his forehead touched the floor. A needle fell out from his neck, falling to the floor with a 'plink'.

"Get up, A-Yao," ZeWu Jun urged and pulled him upright, but he continued to keep his head bowed.

"Get up, XiChen, this doesn't concern you," Sect Leader Nie said in exasperation.

ZeWu Jun shook his head.

"Whatever concerns A-Yao also concerns me."

Sect Leader Nie's eyes flashed in annoyance.

"GuangYao, you were lauded as a hero in the Sunshot Campaign and you won your father's acknowledgement. But what do you have now?"

"Nothing," GuangYao said at once.

"No," ZeWu Jun declared. "He has me and all of Gusu Lan."

"You were always too kind, XiChen." Sect Leader Nie gave a pointed look at the silver accessory in GuangYao's hair before he sighed. "GuangYao, I know you have no other recourse now except to accept his help. I just don't know if I can trust you with his well being."

GuangYao's head snapped up. He looked horrified.

"I will never hurt Er-ge. I swear it!"

"A-Yao, I believe you. You don't have to promise anything," ZeWu Jun protested.

"Yes, he does," Sect Leader Nie insisted. "Swear it. Swear on your late mother's name that you will never directly or indirectly, harm or plot to harm, XiChen and the Gusu Lan Sect, regardless of what they do or say."

"I swear it," GuangYao said at once.

Sect Leader Nie nodded.

"Very well. That was to ensure the safety of your new home and the people in it. But to prove your loyalty to the cultivation world at large..."

GuangYao licked his lips.

"Name it," he said, his voice hoarse.

Wei Ying exchanged a look with Lan Zhan, wondering if Sect Leader Nie would demand a sacrifice of a limb or something similar.

"Clean up your own mistake. Bring me the head of Xue Yang."

- o -

At Koi Tower...

After lunch, Madam Jin made her way to Jin GuangShan's rooms, accompanied by two of her maids. She left them in the main hall and entered the master bedroom alone, closing the door behind her.

"Good afternoon, husband," she said and glided to the visitor chair beside the enormous bed. "You look like you didn't sleep well."

Jin GuangShan was awake and aiming a venomous glare at her. Smiling, she seated herself and arranged her silk robes to her satisfaction.

"Don't look at me like that," she chided. "ZiXuan knows what happened that night so of course I had to tell A-Li. Consider yourself lucky she didn't stab you with a chopstick last night. No one would blame her!"

Her voice hardened at the last few words and she looked away, taking a moment to calm down before smiling at him again.

"After all, a husband should never keep secrets from his wife, don't you agree?"

When ZiXuan and A-Li joined her for dinner yesterday, she had explained that her husband wouldn't be joining them, but they could visit him after dinner. She had bided her time, urging ZiXuan to pick choice morsels of each dish for A-Li and enjoying the loving glances they traded. She had even waited for another half an hour after dinner before breaking the news. It had been painful to watch A-Li's happy face lose all colour as she pressed a trembling hand to her mouth, looking like she would throw up whatever she had eaten. ZiXuan had wrapped his arms around her, apologising repeatedly for what hadn't been his fault.

After she had calmed down and heard the whole story including the part GuangYao played, A-Li straightened up. Her face was still pale but composed as she requested to see GuangShan.

Madam Jin hadn't forgotten how A-Li had demanded an apology from ZiXun for Wei WuXian at Phoenix Mountain two years back. She had intervened that time, trying to persuade A-Li to back down. This time, she stood to one side as A-Li denounced GuangShan as the worst father-in-law anyone could hope for and vowed never to pay him any respect or speak to him again for attempting to kill her beloved younger brother.

It was very satisfying to see GuangShan lying there, completely paralysed by the poison, and unable to utter a single word in his defence as A-Li spun on her heel to leave, head held high.

Smiling at the memory, Madam Jin examined her nails for a moment, aware of the glare still directed at her. She had already compensated and dismissed all his personal guards and servants, and replaced them with her own. She had also given orders that no one was to enter his rooms without her consent. Her most trusted maids would take turns to care for his daily needs and feed him liquid foods, but pay no attention to him otherwise.

"In any case, I promised I would keep you updated," she continued after a while. "GuangYao is recovering from his ordeal thanks to ZeWu Jun and Healer Wen's care. I dare say he will make a complete recovery by the end of the week. In fact, ZiXuan and A-Li left a few minutes ago to visit him and of course, Wei WuXian. When they return, we will announce that you have suffered a major stroke after the excesses of the wedding feast. ZiXuan will be appointed as your successor."

Jin GuangShan blinked urgently a few times as if trying to convey an urgent message, but Madam Jin just patted his hand.

"Of course I'll let him know you're as proud of him as I am. He will make a fine leader," her eyes hardened, "and a fine husband who knows what fidelity and loyalty means!"

Again, she struggled with her anger and then she exhaled, her eyes just as hard as his.

"Trust me, dear husband, I have thought about killing you many, many times throughout our marriage. But now that I can, I won't. I refused to mar ZiXuan and A-Li's marriage with a funeral. At least, not until they have their first child. I'm sure it won't take too long. Your golden core should be strong enough to keep you alive until then."

She held up her needle pouch of pale gold silk.

"And if it isn't, I will do everything in my power to make sure you last that long."

- Chapter End -

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you enjoyed it and stay safe :)