When the snow began to fall in Gusu, the Gusu Lan entourage travelled to the warmer Yunmeng for the Discussion Conference. Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi were a part of the group accompanying Lan Xichen. Nie Huaisang had painted such a wonderful picture of Yunmeng that they were very excited about the trip. They even got to ride on a boat down the river to get there!
They took two boats. Lan Xichen was in the lead boat with Lan Zhengyi, Lan De, and a few other senior disciples. Lan Jingyi shared a boat with Lan Sizhui, Lan Rende and Lan Shuren, all junior disciples from their class.
There were an assortment of vendors down the riverside, spruiking their products.
There were a plethora of pale figures floating around in the river and on the riverside, which he tried to ignore.
There were a handful of unwanted ghosts openly ogling and admiring Lan Xichen, and Lan Jingyi put in an extra effort to ignore those.
"He's breathtaking!"
"Beauty shining on us like the moonlight on a still night..."
"Skin smooth like a jade statue!"
"Nah, I prefer that little one in white..."
"How shameless they are when they think no-one can hear them!" Shifu tutted, looking as though she could not decide whether to laugh or frown.
He briefly wondered how Lan Xichen would react if he could hear these admiring ghosts. His sect leader was known for his calm politeness, so he would probably just greet them civilly with an amiable smile, and go on his way.
After determining that none of the ghosts was the Mystery Man, Lan Jingyi tuned them out, looking into the river.
"Sizhui, look at the fish!" Lan Jingyi pointed excitedly at the bright fish he spotted. He threw in pieces of his bun into the water, just to see the fish rush to the surface for the free food.
Lan Sizhui said in wonder, "I've never seen ones that colour before!"
Lan Shuren's small figure stood at the front of the boat, peering deeply into the water. "Those yellow ones can only survive here. The climate is ideal, and their predators are limited."
Leaning precariously over the side of the boat, Lan Rende stared at the fish in awe."They are beautiful!"
"Because of their rarity, they are an expensive medicinal ingredient. Their bones, dried and crushed, can be used for..." Shifu went on about the medicinal uses of all the things that could be found in the river. Lan Jingyi was listening to her lesson while running back and forth on the boat to look at said ingredients, causing the boat to rock dangerously, splashing water everywhere.
There was a loud gulp, and Lan Sizhui suddenly paled. Shifu stopped talking and looked at his friend in concern.
"Sizhui, are you feeling sick?" Lan Jingyi asked, immediately halting his running. Lan Sizhui's hand went to cover his mouth. He nodded.
"Here, sit down." Lan Jingyi lead Lan Sizhui to a seat and sat him down. He carefully took his friend's hand, and applied pressure to some meridians on his wrist.
"Good job, Jingyi," he heard Shifu say behind him.
He spent the rest of the trip in silence, patting Lan Sizhui's back and soothing him.
oOo
On arrival, all members of the Gusu Lan entourage were introduced to the Yunmeng Jiang Sect Leader.
Sect Leader Jiang was nothing like the other sect leaders he had met before. Zewu-jun was a gentle-looking man who exuded serenity, while Sect Leader Nie was a timid, weak-looking man who exuded nervousness. Chief Cultivator Jin had a calm demeanour and exuded a quiet confidence.
Jiang Wanyin just looked angry.
Lan Jingyi could see the myriad spirits floating around him, many with bloody injuries, and understood why.
He had learned about the awful Massacre of Lotus Pier in their history lessons. Given the circumstances, he knew that there were bound to be lingering spirits. Though many of the dead may have moved on, there was the distinct possibility that those closest to Jiang Wanyin would have remained.
Indeed, lingering the closest to Jiang Wanyin were two figures who he presumed were the late Sect Leader Jiang and Madam Yu.
oOo
He watched out for any portraits in Lotus Pier.
He inspected the spirits floating around Lotus Pier, taking care not to look too long at any of them.
There was no sign of the Mystery Man.
oOo
The downside of visiting these exciting new places for a Discussion Conference was the Discussion Conference itself; he and Lan Sizhui stood at attention behind Lan Xichen, pretending to pay attention to the boring talks.
Well, Lan Jingyi was pretending.
He really did try to stay alert and learn from the experience.
"Last month, there were ten attacks in the Guangzhou area..."
"We captured another demonic cultivator..."
"The Pei Sect stole our hunt, it was in our jurisdiction!"
"Young Maiden Yue was supposed to marry into our Sect, but she has eyes for that undisciplined rogue..."
"I don't know! I don't know! I really don't know!" Ah, Nie Huaisang was living up to his nickname again.
Jin Guangyao nodded solemnly as he listened to everyone's grievances with the utmost patience. Lan Jingyi had to admire the man for not sticking his sword through some of the cultivators with the more petty complaints. Cultivator Gu owes someone ten taels? Was this really the place for that?
There was the occasional smoky white wisp floating through the Guest Hall, but otherwise, there were no lingering ghosts. Which was fortunate, as any extra input from the spirits would have given Lan Jingyi a headache.
At least Shifu provided some occasional entertainment.
"That man in the blue robes has the symptoms of over-indulgence."
Which man? Ah, Sect Leader Guo.
"Jingyi, do you see over here, how this man's cheeks are rosy and his eyes are yellow? That means he has issues with his liver," she was pointing to one of the Jin underlings.
"That one over there? He probably has irregular bowel movements..."
He bit the side of his cheek to keep his laughter in. Lan Sizhui, paler than usual, gave him a strange look.
Alright, maybe it was not so boring after all. But now, he had to try not to stare at the gathered cultivators and keep his amusement to himself.
oOo
The Lan senior disciples had other duties to attend to with the disciples from the other sects. Lan Jingyi saw Lan Rende and Lan Shuren approach a boy in gold with a black dog. Two pale figures stood over the boy, watching him fondly.
This was too sad!
Lan Sizhui was still feeling unwell from the boat ride and retired to his room for the rest of the day. Shifu offered to keep watch over his friend.
This left Lan Jingyi alone for the day.
After spending many years under Shifu's tutelage, and the many Inquiries he watched Lan Sizhui conduct, he was more comfortable with his gift. He was fine as long as the ghosts did not suddenly surprise him, particularly the ones that died gruesome deaths.
His mother even encouraged the use of his gift for good, provided he kept himself safe.
Because such a gift was a rarity in the cultivation world, and anyone who was different in this world would surely be looked upon with suspicion.
There were too many cultivators meandering around Lotus Pier to approach any of the lingering spirits there.
He could go and explore the area alone, all the while keeping an eye out for the ghost of the Mystery Man, or any paintings of the man.
So he explored the town with a medicine box, prepared to help the ill and the dead. He found his way to Master Huang with the sweet lotus buns, and made a note of the sights to return to the next day when Lan Sizhui was feeling better. He helped any sick people he came across, and communicated with the occasional spirit with simple requests.
oOo
"If you could deliver that portrait to Master Hu?"
While collecting the portrait at the art store, he took the opportunity to scan all the other portraits on display. There were many scenic portraits, some scrolls displaying famous quotes, and a few portraits of people. With the Mystery Man's handsome looks, there was a possibility that he had been a subject to an artist's painting.
Alas, he was not.
Lan Jingyi had zero artistic ability. He should have asked Lan Wangji for those drawings so he could ask the ghosts he came across if they had ever seen the Mystery Man.
oOo
"There's a gold hairpiece buried under that willow tree. I want my daughter to have it."
He briefly contemplated using Yueming to dig into the ground, but respectfully put his spiritual sword aside to attack the dirt with a large tree branch. Sweat dripping copiously down his neck, he lay flat on the ground to stick his whole arm into the dirt to grope around for the hairpiece.
"Why did you have to bury it so deep?" He complained to the ghost, hairpiece in one soiled hand and adjusting his forehead ribbon with the other. The ghost bowed, embarrassed, in apology.
He passed on the hairpiece to a young woman in fine green robes, who ignored his dirty robes and hugged him, sobbing loudly and refusing to let go until she ran out of tears.
His face had burned, but he could do nothing with his arms pinned tightly to his sides.
oOo
"I had a farm just outside the village, I want the animals released."
The ghost neglected to tell him that some of those animals were vicious, untamed creatures that felt threatened by his presence. He hastily escaped on Yueming.
oOo
"I want to eat six bowls of noodle soup."
Lan Jingyi just gaped. Was this ghost an acquaintance of the dumpling girl?
Nevertheless, he bought six bowls of noodle soup under the questioning gaze of the cook, balancing them precariously on two trays to an area out of sight. For the first time, he was grateful that he had suffered many a punishment, making the full trays feel light as feathers.
He put the trays down and lit some incense, gifting the food to the hungry ghost.
When the ghost finished its meal and disappeared, he gave the food to the homeless.
oOo
These were simple requests, and he felt elated being able to fulfill them.
Unfortunately, he was not visiting for long enough to help the ghosts with more challenging requests. It would be up to the Yunmeng Jiang disciples to deal with them.
Otherwise, when he was older, and a more accomplished cultivator who could travel with more freedom, he could come back.
He was buying lotus seeds to take back for Lan Sizhui when he heard light footsteps and desperate puffing behind him.
Turning at the sound, he saw a boy hiding behind some bushes, eyeing the roads through the gaps in the leaves with fear in his eyes. A black tail was sticking out from the leaves, wagging back and forth.
Two pale figures floated nearby.
This was the boy he had seen back at Lotus Pier.
"A-Ling, why are you hiding from your minders?" The male ghost asked exasperatedly.
"A-Xuan, he just wants to prove he is a big boy and doesn't need to be babysat," the female ghost said gently. "He's like A-Cheng that way."
"I wish he was more sensible like us," the male ghost responded, but offered the female a soft look.
"Like us?" The female said teasingly.
When Lan Jingyi made eye contact with the boy, the boy put a finger to his lips in a 'shushing' motion. At that moment, Lan Jingyi saw two men clad in purple approaching the boy's hiding spot. Lan Jingyi moved to stand in front of the bush, effectively blocking the gaps.
The pursuers passed by without giving Lan Jingyi any notice. He exhaled in relief; he would have had difficulty lying to them if they had questioned him.
Disappearing around the corner, the boys waited a moment longer before relaxing together. The boy made his way around the bush, and bowed.
"Thank you," the golden boy said gratefully. The dog sniffed Lan Jingyi's hand, and he automatically petted the dog's head.
"Why were you hiding from those men?" He asked, even though he knew the reason already from the ghosts.
"I don't need babysitters!" The boy said haughtily, arms crossed.
"I think you do, son," male ghost sighed, saying what Lan Jingyi was thinking.
The female ghost just smiled behind her pale hand.
The boy continued, as if suddenly remembering his manners, "my name is Jin Ling." He held clasped his hands in front of him and bowed seriously. Then straightened, "and this is Fairy."
Lan Jingyi returned the bow. "My name is Lan Jingyi." Holding his hands in front of him, he saw the packet of seeds in his hand.
"Here, have some lotus seeds!" He offered.
Jin Ling's eyes lit up at the offer. "Thank you! Those are very good!" He took some lotus seeds, expertly peeling them and stuffing them in his mouth.
The ghosts looked on happily, and was shocked when Lan Jingyi made eye contact with them.
"You can see us?" The man said.
Lan Jingyi nodded, then looked back at Jin Ling. "I had some earlier, but I was buying them for my friend," he said.
"You should get your friend some sweet lotus buns from Master Huang down by the river. They are the best!" Jin Ling said.
"My friend is actually unwell today, so I don't think he could stomach it. We'll come out again tomorrow. Do you want to come with us?"
Jin Ling looked excited "Yes! Hopefully, jiujiu won't think I need a babysitter if I'm with you!" He eyed the sword at Lan Jingyi's waist, then looked the older boy up and down. "Why are you so dirty?"
Lan Jingyi said, "umm... I fell?"
Jin Ling frowned at his new friend, "are you asking me?"
"What? No! I'm not asking! I fell!" Lan Jingyi spoke louder.
"Why are you yelling at me?" Jin Ling's voice suddenly rose as well.
"I'm not yelling!"
The boys stared at each other for a moment, then simultaneously burst into laughter.
oOo
With the sun almost set and the moon visible in the violet sky, he made his way back to Lotus Pier with Jin Ling, hands full of packets of lotus seeds for Lan Sizhui. They definitely had to go out again tomorrow to try all of the other snacks!
Lan Jingyi initially felt sorry for the lonely looking boy, particularly when he saw the expressions on the pair of ghosts. However, he discovered that he liked the other boy. Jin Ling was only a few years younger than him, and knew a lot about the area. Although a bit brash, there was genuine care in Jin Ling's voice when he spoke of his uncles and Lotus Pier.
A furious voice boomed, "Jin Ling! Why did you run away? Come here right now!"
Jiang Wanyin was standing at the entrance to Lotus Pier. His flaming eyes swept between his nephew and the dirty Lan sect disciple.
"Jiujiu! Jingyi-ge found me and brought me back."
Lan Jingyi stared at the boy, stunned by his easy lie. He quickly bowed in greeting.
"Sect Leader Jiang," he said.
Jiang Wanyin nodded.
"Jiujiu, can I go out with Jingyi-ge and his friend tomorrow?"
"What? You need to be punished for running away today!" Jiang Wanyin growled.
"But Jingyi-ge will only be here a few more days!"
Jiang Wanyin's expression soured with uncertainty.
"See you tomorrow, Jingyi-ge!" Jin Ling said before Jiang Wanyin could respond, waving cheekily and running inside ahead of his uncle, a barking Fairy hot on his heels.
Lan Jingyi quickly bowed to the sect leader. The ghosts remained when Jiang Wanyin and Jin Ling left.
"Young Master Lan, I am Jin Zixuan. This is my wife Jiang Yanli." The two ghosts bowed. "Thank you for looking after our son today."
Lan Jingyi glanced around, making sure that they were alone.
Seeing this, Jiang Yanli said, "follow me, I'll show you somewhere we can talk."
He followed the ghosts to an empty room, closing the door and placing a silencing talisman on the door. He had started carrying around silencing talismans for occasions like these.
"Uh, you're welcome. Did you have any final wishes?"
The ghosts looked at each other, then Jiang Yanli said, "we merely wish to see our remaining family happy, and to see our A-Ling grow up. A-Cheng has trouble letting go of the past and moving on, and A-Ling has had such a lonely childhood. It was lovely that you showed him such kindness."
"He could do with more companions his age," Jin Zixuan said with some weight. Lan Jingyi had a feeling that the man was speaking from experience.
"Um, it was no problem." He had a good idea who they were when they introduced themselves. Both were mentioned in relation to the Yiling Patriarch's fall in history class. There were large patches of blood on their ghostly robes, and Jin Zixuan's injury looked particularly ghastly.
"And don't mind A-Cheng, he is grateful that you were looking after A-Ling, he just has trouble expressing his feelings."
That's what grateful looked like? Lan Jingyi said, "well, I would appreciate it if you don't tell others about me. I don't want other ghosts coming to find me all of the time."
The ghosts both nodded in understanding. Jin Zixuan said, "of course, we understand."
They bowed in farewell, and Lan Jingyi was left sighing in the empty room.
He needed to get the snacks to his friend and have a nice long bath.
While walking through the halls of Lotus Pier he heard snippets of a conversation.
"In death, that brat still causes our son agony!"
"Ziyuan..." a disapproving tone.
A sigh. "I know, but his happiness..."
He curiously followed the voices to a garden, with an inkling of who the voices belonged to. Standing beside a pond was the dead Jiang couple, looking into a hall where Jiang Wanyin knelt. About ten other ghosts were present, listening to the exchange with troubled expressions.
"If only he knew that we're proud of him..." Yu Ziyuan said.
"We can try entering his dreams again..."
"That's not enough! He really thought he was just dreaming!"
Well, maybe just one more thing for the night...
"Greetings, Sect Leader Jiang, Madam Yu, Yunmeng cultivators," Lan Jingyi boldly greeted, hands clasped and bowing deeply in respect. "My name is Lan Jingyi. Perhaps I can be of assistance?"
The ghosts all turned around in surprise. Their deaths had been very violent, and he tried to avoid looking at the obvious causes of their deaths. Realising that he was indeed talking to them, they all returned the greeting.
"Young Master Lan, if you could assist us, we would be most grateful," Jiang Fengmian said.
"You can pass on our message?" Yu Ziyuan said, a slight quiver in her voice.
"Hmm, I don't think a letter would do, and I can't just tell him that I can see you all."
He had given this some thought during a lull in Shifu's fascinating commentary at the Conference. It would be hard to believe the ghosts would convey a message to a stranger through a dream, even if the stranger was a pupil of the prestigious Gusu Lan Sect.
If he left a written letter, Jiang Wanyin would try to hunt down the letter writer. He had heard rumours about Jiang Wanyin's treatment of demonic cultivators. He did not want that man hunting him down. Ever.
Telling Jiang Wanyin that he could see ghosts was out of the question.
The easiest solution was to pretend that he was possessed, and then he could conveniently 'forget' about the possession when the message was delivered.
"I think he would believe it if I pretended to be possessed by you, then you could have a proper conversation."
The ghostly couple looked at each other, having a silent conversation. As senior members of a major cultivation sect, they were well aware of the potential dangers of a true spirit possession. This was an ideal alternative. The other ghostly disciples were looking at him hopefully.
"Fengmian, you should do the talking then."
Jiang Fengmian shook his head. "Ziyuan, A-Cheng seeks your approval..."
"And he seeks your love!"
"Ah... you could both talk?"
Lan Shuren (樹人) from the saying 十年樹木，百年樹人 (shinian shumu, bainian shuren), 'ten years to cultivate wood, a hundred years to cultivate a man'
Lan Rende (仁德)- kind-heartedness, benevolence
Yunmeng Jiang disciples- I don't think that every single disciple would have lingered at Lotus Pier. I think that some of the dead would have moved on, and some would have gone to their families. Others would have also moved on after they had been avenged, and some would have moved on after seeing Jiang Cheng successfully re-establishing the sect.
OOCness- I hope the characters weren't too OOC. I think Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling would have gotten along better given different initial meetings. Also, I think Lan Jingyi would be more forgiving of Jin Ling's behaviour given the lingering Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan.
Ghosts eating- I think I've seen those Chinese movies where ghosts can eat by breathing in incense or the steam from food.
Jiujiuu 舅舅- uncle (mother's brother). I've decided to go with this rather than the generic Uncle, as any old man can be your Uncle, but Jin Ling only has the one Jiujiu. The use of Jiujiu is a little more personal and shows their close relationship.
Although I've made up some of the medicinal stuff, I've read that yellowed eyes is related to liver issues.