Jinlin Tai - the Jin Sect's residence in Lanling

Zhang Fu Xian nets - golden-threaded nets Jin Ling uses on night-hunts, translated as 'deity-binding nets'

Zidian - Jiang Cheng's whip, transliterated as 'purple lightning'

shijie – older martial sister

guqin - a plucked seven-stringed instrument played by many GusuLan disciples

xiao shushu – uncle (father's youngest brother). Jin Ling calls Jin Guangyao xiao shushu.

jiujiu – uncle (mother's brother). Jin Ling calls Jiang Cheng jiujiu.

The interrogation would not be easy.

Senior Jin and Senior Kong had hours to prepare an alibi. Jin Ling could only hope there were easily-proven-wrong flaws in the alibi. They probably didn't know the manuscripts had been found, which he guessed gave him the upper hand he desperately needed.

Luckily for him, their loud bickering could be heard through the field.

'Again, this wouldn't have happened if you didn't raise so many corpses!'

'I don't know what happened! It shouldn't have happened!'

'Well it did! Why the hell did you raise so many anyway!?'

'I raised them so if the little brat signalled his uncle they would hold him back! Besides, when they found his body we could easily blame it on the Yiling Patriarch.'

The group moved with the soundless footsteps of trained cultivators, but Jin Ling wondered if they could feel the rage radiating from his uncle and Hanguang-Jun. The energies aggravated the air - one sizzling, one icy.

'Well that plan went flawlessly!'

'I genuinely have no idea why they attacked us!'

'You lost control, that's what happened! I could have taken care of the little brat, and I'd now be in Jinlin Tai a rightful Sect Leader!'

'You? Taken care of him? That little brat was destroying you so badly it literally loses my face to call you my cousin!'

Jin Ling couldn't help but turn to exchange a look with Wei Wuxian. It was only when Wei Wuxian looked unusually uneasy, that he realised his uncle was staring at them with barely-concealed rage.

'Who's there!' Senior Jin called.

Before anyone answered, Sect Leader Lan leaped ahead.

'Sect Leader Lan.' Multiple voices chorused in disunion. Some immediately coughed from the effort of speaking.

'Gentlemen, why are you trapped in Zhang Fu Xian nets on a YunmengJiang hunting ground?'

'The Yiling Patriarch—

'Jin Ling that little—'

'That's right, Jin Ling he—'

'Yeah the corpses were raised—'

'Shut up and let me speak, you idiot!'

'You shut up, I've got this!' Senior Jin composed himself, 'Sect Leader Lan, apologies for the discourteous language. Our very tyrannical Sect Leader dragged us out here, beat us up and tied us up for no reason, we are all very distressed. Please free us.'

'Here are some medicinal herbs for your wounds.'

'Thank you, Sect Leader Lan. Now could you please free us?'

Sect Leader Lan seemed to ignore their request again. 'Did you say Sect Leader Jin dragged all of you out here on his own?'

'No, he had some men with him.'

'Who were the men with him?'

'I don't know-'

Senior Jin cut off Senior Kong. 'Sect Leader Lan, they were wearing uniforms of the YunmengJiang Sect. Because of his uncle, he can ask YunmengJiang disciples to do his dirty work.'

Jin Ling was amazed they couldn't feel the rage radiating from his uncle. In his mind's eye, he could already see his uncle's hand stroking the Zidian ring.

'If I understand correctly, by your account, Sect Leader Jin organised YunmengJiang disciples to capture your team in Lanling and bring you all here?'

'Yes, Sect Leader Lan. They flew us here on their swords.'

'Do you know why the resentful energy is so strong around here?'

'The Yiling Patriarch. The Yiling Patriarch was involved.'

'How was the Yiling Patriarch involved?'

'Corpses. The ones who brought us here were corpses dressed in uniforms of the YunmengJiang Sect.'

'Shut up!' Sect Leader Jin hurried, 'Sect Leader Lan, my apologies, my cousin is delirious from his injuries. We were brought here by YunmengJiang disciples. Alive ones, of course.'

Jin Ling didn't need to be worried about a flawless alibi after all.

Suddenly, purple lightning shot forth in a terrifying arc. As the tall grass collapsed, Jin Ling saw the LanlingJin men face-to-face.

'Enough with the bullshit!' His uncle's roared. 'You have been found guilty for the attempted assassination of Sect Leader Jin.'

'No-'

'We didn't-'

'It wasn't me-'

After what felt like hours of discussion around punishment interspersed with protests and later shameless begging from the guilty LanlingJin men, Jin Ling could finally breathe as an on-site execution was agreed upon. Executions for intra-sect crimes were rarely if ever witnessed by men from outside the sect, but Jin Ling requested that his uncle be witness.

Because it was to be performed on YunmengJiang grounds, he said.

Because he was victim to the attempted murder and he was his uncle, he said.

In reality, Jin Ling just wanted time to get away from his uncle.

-x-

Before Jin Ling could get very far, Wei Wuxian caught up to him.

Wei Wuxian pulled Jin Ling into a tight hug, ignoring the burst of pain from his side.

Between carrying Wei Wuxian step by step into Lotus Pier, sending messages to the Sects, enduring the interrogation and bring everyone here, Jin Ling's mind had been too busy to allow him to feel. As though everything crashed upon him at once, he wrapped his arms around Wei Wuxian. He was a Sect Leader, but in this moment, he was a child crying into the shoulder of the man who would have been his uncle in an alternate, kinder universe.

At some point, their knees collapsed due to fatigue or injuries or both, and they found themselves on the damp grass. Wei Wuxian was leaning against a rock outcropping while Jin Ling leaned against Wei Wuxian's uninjured side, still sobbing into his shoulder.

Despite trying to hold himself together for Jin Ling, Wei Wuxian felt tears seep out of his closed eyes, flowing down his cheeks. Shijie. I can't protect him from the world. I'm sorry.

Wei Wuxian didn't know how long they'd been on the damp grass listening to one another's shuddering breaths, when a few quiet notes of the guqin reached his ears. Wei Ying. He knew without needing to look around that the execution was complete, and Lan Zhan was waiting for him, giving him space with the boy he considered his nephew despite having long lost his right to call Jiang Yanli his sister. Lan Zhan. He wanted to crawl into Lan Zhan's bed and let Lan Zhan's warm body envelope him in the cold fragrance of sandalwood. He wanted to bury his face into Lan Zhan's neck and feel the way Lan Zhan ran his hands across his back whenever he was upset.

As gently as he could, he untangled himself from Jin Ling. 'A-Ling, I would love to hold you like a child forever, but I need to talk to Lan Zhan and you need to talk to your uncle.'

Seeing Jin Ling's surprised and hesitant expression, Wei Wuxian grabbed his collar with none of the previous gentleness. 'You were not planning to go back to Lanling without talking to your uncle.'

In truth, Jin Ling was too injured and too drained of spiritual energy to get back to Lanling on his own. The last thing he wanted was to ask any of the LanlingJin seniors to take him. He barely knew Sect Leader Lan or Sect Leader Nie, and he certainly couldn't face Hanguang-Jun whose tear-stained face was imprinted into his mind. All he wanted was to take a long nap in the comfortable room in Lotus Pier that was still his, and let the familiar doctor tend to his wounds while the familiar servants brought him soup.

But he was too drained of mental energy to face his uncle. He didn't know what would be worst - his uncle's concern for what could have happened, a lecture on hunting alone at night, or an interrogation on why he signalled Wei Wuxian instead of him. Whatever personal offence his uncle might have to express about his relationship with Wei Wuxian, he could not bear to hear it. Prying Wei Wuxian's fingers off his collar, he stood, ready to leave to perhaps head into town to find himself an inn to stay at for a while.

'Remember when he tried to give you Zidian at the Burial Mounds?'

Jin Ling froze. 'No,' he lied.

'No?' Wei Wuxian asked, 'What about the way he shoved you behind him as Chifeng-Zun moved towards you?'

Jin Ling collapsed back onto the grass as his knees gave out. 'No,' he whimpered. A 'no' of denial to himself rather than a lie to Wei Wuxian.

'He was willing to lay down his life for you, A-Ling. All these years, he's let bitterness and hate define his heart. He loves you, you're the only one who reminds him what that even means. You're really going back to Lanling without even a word with him?' Tears were spilling from Wei Wuxian's eyes.

Jin Ling whimpered, 'What am I going to say?'

'It doesn't matter what you say,' Wei Wuxian croaked. Taking a deep breath to control his voice, he continued, 'just act like you still know he's the uncle who raised you. If he's going to yell at you because that's the only way he knows to express his care for you, then just nod and say sorry like you should for going out on your own in the first place.'

Jin Ling nodded wordlessly, fresh tears running down his cheeks.

'I know it's not easy, A-Ling. Life is asking a lot from you.' Wei Wuxian reached out to wipe the fresh tears from Jin Ling's face. 'I promise I and the Lan Sect will do everything we can to support you through these times. Zewu-Jun can get the support of the Nie Sect too. But for now, please talk to your uncle.'

'A-Ling!'

He turned to see his violet-clothed uncle standing by a tree, expression darker than ever.

He said he would talk to his uncle, but seeing his expression, his childhood instincts took over as he ducked behind Wei Wuxian, tugging his sleeve.

Wei Wuxian pulled his sleeve out from Jin Ling's hands. 'What are you hiding behind me for? I'm not your xiao shushu, you think I can protect you from your jiujiu's temper?'

'A-Ling! Get over here!'

Jin Ling stepped out from behind Wei Wuxian, looking back and forth between him and his uncle. Just as he willed himself to move towards his uncle, his uncle's furious voice pierced his ears.

'What? You're not gonna listen to me anymore?' His uncle turned to Wei Wuxian, eyes landing on the spot on his robe where he'd hung the YunmengJiang bell earlier. Wei Wuxian must have taken it off when he'd woken up, but Jin Ling knew his uncle had not forgotten. 'Wei Wuxian!'

'Uncle, don't—' Jin Ling tried to calm his down his uncle's temper, but stopped short as his uncle's face only contorted more in fury.

'You!' His uncle took a step towards Wei Wuxian. 'You've always undermined me. Compared to you, I was not good enough a cultivator, not good enough a son, not good enough a brother. Now, it's crystal clear I'm not good enough an uncle, not good enough to even be called to my nephew's aid!'

'Uncle! That's not true!' Jin Ling blurted.

His uncle turned to him. 'Not true? How many times did I run into you as you were about to leave Yunmeng, with no intention of coming to see me? You stopped bringing your dog places with you – a different bullshit excuse each time! Did you really think I didn't recognise his moves when you fought your sect's kids on the pier? You trust him to teach you swordplay, you trust him with your sect problems and even your life! How many creative ways are there to tell me I'm not the uncle you wanted, like I'm not the heir my father wanted!'

'Uncle—' Jin Ling didn't know what to say, and was glad to be interrupted by the sound of the guqin. He watched as Wei Wuxian took his flute out of his sleeve and played a short tune.

'I had to tell Lan Zhan not to come and beat anyone up,' Wei Wuxian explained.

'Jiang Cheng,' Wei Wuxian continued, 'You helped him secure his position as Sect Leader. You frequently visited Jinlin Tai to support him while hostile seniors from the side branches eyed the both of you. He doesn't want talk to you about his problems at Jinlin Tai because if he did, you'd get involved, and if you got involved, you might be targeted like he was targeted. He doesn't involve you precisely because he does care about you as his uncle. You can understand that, can't you?'

Wei Wuxian had found words were Jin Ling had not. Jin Ling watched the expression on his uncle's face, hoping Wei Wuxian's words would calm his uncle.

'You were trying to protect me?' His uncle looked incredulous. To Jin Ling's dismay, his uncle's face only twisted. 'I don't need you to protect me! I don't need you to put on a nonchalant face for me and suffer in silence! What would you have me do if anything really happened? Search the grounds for your remains wondering why you never told me anything, wondering just what I've done to deserve being left alone in the world?' His uncle's voice shook.

Jin Ling had not expected the outburst. He watched the way his uncle's eyes were not directly drilling into him, but locked into Wei Wuxian's, both pairs brimming with tears. It brought back a traumatic memory from what felt like a long time ago, his uncle bawling on the floor of Guanyin Temple demanding answers from an equally emotional Wei Wuxian.

'Jiang Cheng…' Wei Wuxian choked.

Jin Ling understood now. This wasn't only about what happened – or could have happened – today. Remembering he had earlier planned to hide himself in an inn to avoid talking to his uncle, a surge of guilt rose within him, bringing with it a flood of tears.

If there were words that could make this situation better, Jin Ling had neither the mind to find them nor the voice to speak them. He could only put one foot in front of another, closing the distance between him and his uncle. He then did the thing he never thought he'd do – wrap his arms around the uncle who punished him more often than he held him even when he was a small child.

His uncle froze. For a moment, Jin Ling feared his uncle might push him away. As he was about to step back, his uncle hugged him back tightly, repeating his name.