Adulthood arrives
Jiang Sect is currently...doing a double-take, in regards to Jiang Cheng's generation.
Reason: the Mo twins.
They came in casual wear and no ribbon, but at least carried their Lan swords and instruments, being Lan Cultivators.
They took action rather quickly, starting with the kitchens, redesigning Jin Ling's baby food that contained eggs, mashed pumpkin, varieties of nuts processed into a type of cream(peanut butter) and other particular things into congee and porridge. As for drinks? Fruit Juice and Soybean milk!
Jiang Cheng never thought milk can actually come from soybeans...well, they determined if Jin Ling has allergies first beforehand.
Jin Ling liked them. They tasted better to be fair...
'These are rather particular, brats.' said Jiang Cheng, looking at the cookbook he was reading. Baby food and food for growing up till his nephew is a Senior Disciple to grow up strong-bodied! Its so detailed he can taste by simply reading it.
'Well its medicinal but unlike the Lan Kitchens we took taste into account.' Xuanyu deadpanned as Jiang Cheng twitched. Yes, Lan Sect food is...crappy...a memory he'd rather go without, he thought with a shudder. 'This way, fussy babies will eat while its also good at the same time.'
'Good for brain, eyes and bones, why else are we Jia-grade twins~?' Xuanli chirped. 'Its best to start good food at a young age so A-Ling grows up smart and not a picky eater!'
The 'brainy food' actually had a hand in little Jin Ling remembering them when children tend to forget some memories as toddlers learning to walk...
The twins thus visit every year and when A-Ling was six?
The dang brats started Jin Ling on Cultivation! Way early!
Then again these brats got Golden Cores at eight...normally, Golden Core Training starts at nine but whoever taught the twins started them too early! Well if the twins turned out better it should be OK...but one thing they DO agree on, was that Jin Ling became a very intelligent, quick-learner, learning basics all kids his age should know.
Xuanyu taught him how to play the flute and Xuanli taught him songs.
Songs that were...popular in 1990s onwards till her death as Harry Potter, that is!
So yes, Jiang Cheng would hear his nephew singing while training. Kinda catchy!
xxx
'Jiang-zongzhu, A-Ling's been heard singing around.' Lanling Jin Conference, an amused Jin Guangyao spoke to Jiang Cheng.
'Blame your meimei, she taught him how to sing.' said Jiang Cheng. 'She knows catchy songs next thing I know my whole sect is singing and it turned out useful for some of my seniors to win their girlfriends over.'
'Oh my!' Guangyao laughed.
'At least its a nice hobby and he's not tone deaf.' said Jiang Cheng wryly. 'Get used to it soon. Xuanli is responsible for helping me with preventing Bratty Picky Eater Syndrome, so give this to the kitchens.' he said, taking out a cookbook. 'Good kids eat vegetables, bad kids are fussy eaters.'
The current Jin heir, is a known singer...and roped in his cousin, Jin Rusong who was a year younger into singing, amusing Madam Jin, Qin Su.
However, Jin Ling hates his other cousins who bullied him for being an orphan, crying to Madam Jin.
Then his only friend Jin Rusong did not live long...
He was murdered after one year, because of Jin Guangyao's political enemies, horrifying Jiang Cheng into taking back Jin Ling until 'he cleans up his enemies' to make Jinlintai safe again.
At this time, the twins are ages 21. Long graduates from Lan Sect Education and are officials of the Lan Sect holding positions.
A lot of things happened since graduating, actually...
Given the goings-on in with her brother in dealing with Xue Yang, a young criminal. He got off too easy and Guangyao defended him back when Jin Guangshan was alive. Yet as of late when her brother became Chief Cultivator he sentenced him to death?
So by recreating the Point Me spell, she found Xue Yang not-quite-dead fleeing Lanling and killed him herself before she was seen by him at night.
She fished his belongings for items and took a few interesting things, before fleeing for home after ensuring no one was around.
xxx
Lan Sect...
Xuanyu works as a teacher for the next generation while Xuanli was going around Night Hunting around Gusu Territory. This was so they're close to home.
She made her way to Lan Qiren, looking grim.
'Mo Xuanli, what is it?' Lan Qiren asked her. 'You said its serious.'
'Teacher, as far as concerned, everyone knows that Xue Yang is executed after Nie Mingjue's death, right?'
'What of it?'
'How come I saw the guy barely alive and clearly escaping, so I did the job myself while ensuring he doesn't see my face...and when I rummaged his belongings, he has this hot potato on him?' the thing she dangled before Lan Qiren horrified the man upon recognizing the item.
'T-the Yinhu Tally! It was supposedly destroyed back at the Siege of Burial Mounds before a bloodbath of corpses happened...how the hell is that reconstructed?!' Lan Qiren was in utter horror.
'Beats us, but for now keep it far away, and only we two will know about this for now.' Xuanli advised. 'Don't let Lan-zongzhu know or Jin Sect will know in an instant, considering they're close friends. Gusu Lan will pay the price for sure.' she warned. 'Something's going on. You can't reconstruct that hot potato without resources...and money.'
'So you suspect Jin Sect of illicit activity.' Lan Qiren frowned darkly. The younger woman nodded.
The Jins were the main mouthpiece regarding the seal and 'how dangerous' Wei Wuxian was because 'he won't surrender'. And when he died destroying half of it, they went and reconstructed it after somehow obtaining the other half during the chaos of man vs. corpse!
What...have they done...?
He realized many things now. And how foolish they all were.
He should have listened to his nephew who was willing to ruin himself for Wei Wuxian.
'Well, according to history, Jin Guangshan was most adamant that the Jins have it in their safekeeping. Wei Wuxian didn't let him have it, going as far as destroying half the tally to make it useless as that's as far as he can go as spiritual backlash killed him before he can finish the job by destroying the other half. There's a clear reason the Yiling Laozu is stubborn and won't let Jin Guangshan have it...yet my brother reconstructed it before Xue Yang made off with it? They must be experimenting. Who knows the Laozu the best?'
'...that would be Wangji, my nephew.' said Qiren in a pained voice, taking the tally from her and put it in his pouch. 'He's hardly around these days...since recovering, he personally mentored his adoptive son who was his whole world now, the last legacy of Wei Wuxian who sheltered the Wen Remnants. That child is the only surviving Wen now. He is hardly seen lately.'
'Who is he to him?'
'...Wangji is in love with him.' that was to Xuanli's shock. 'That he tried to hide Wei Wuxian, attacked 33 of our elders and withstood 33 Discipline Whips. So he was in bed during the Bloodbath of Nightless city.' now her jaws dropped.
Typically, only one or two strikes of the discipline whip are given, as that is considered enough of a punishment for the bearer to remember for their entire life. Just one strike is significantly painful, and takes a significant amount of time to recover from. The scars never disappear after the torture.
And Lan Wangji put up with 33? How the hell is he still alive?
'When he got wind of it, he stubbornly returned to the Burial Mounds and came back with, and adopted a child, got drunk while said child is recovering from a high fever...and branded himself with the Wen Iron on his chest.' he said somberly. 'After that, he is bedridden for several years, but occasionally making public appearances to shut down rumors on behest of the elders.'
xxx
Xuanli looked for Lan Wangji around the recesses.
Her sign is a man with a child as Lan Qiren emphasized that Wangji only is seen with his son Sizhui lately.
She found them in the back mountains, playing with...rabbits!
'Wangji-xiong.' Xuanli greeted.
'...what is it?' dang, the way he talked, its clear nobody is welcome any time soon. He must have not forgiven anybody for Wei Wuxian's death, she felt as he looked like he was mourning his wife who just died. And he wore pure white clothes...mourning forever.
'Teacher said its best to approach you about this.' Xuanli gave him a letter she wrote. 'Please read and burn afterwards. Its not safe to talk about here...only we three are allowed to know for safety's sake, to protect Gusu Lan from an enemy we can't afford.' then she politely dismissed herself.
Wangji looked at the letter...
...but both his uncle and Xuanli are mistaken, he thought mournfully.
The one who knows Wei Ying the best, now hates his guts and the one other, dead. And that one cannot keep something like THIS quiet. This is too important to tell to...just anybody?!
He'll investigate this as soon as his son has mastered all his skills. He too, ensured A-Yuan gets his core at 8 or 9 so he would grow up strong. He has NOT forgotten how the twins got theirs at an early age.
Once Sizhui is 15-16, he'll begin investigation on his own.
It all began with the Jin Sect, didn't it...?
Cold fury stirred in his eyes within his poker face.
Wei Ying's death. Cost him and his son a lot more. All because of a power hungry sect.
There was a reason Wei Ying just won't fork it over, going as far as his own death to destroy it.
He burned the paper and bore the contents to memory. He will dedicate his time to Sizhui for a few more years. He lost Wei Ying, he can't lose their son, too. That would kill him with despair.
xxx
Gusu City, not far from Cloud Recesses...
Since the attack on Caiyi Town...a New Mayor was elected since then. Kids became teenagers and mothers and elderly grandmas became House Headmistresses out of circumstances, and began pairing their children up while reopening businesses.
The problem, was the supply of fish for the markets back then.
And due to too many young boys around, singles who were 21 and above could not marry as boys their age and older died. Thus, they were spinsters for life, and dedicated their time in tailor shops for a living, or try to take on a boy's role.
After graduating, the twins were using village finances to help put Caiyi back on its feet.
But even with the Lan Sect's help, business is clearly...not coming back. Even if they waited for two frigging years since entering Gusu Lan.
Caiyi Town was dissolved as a result, with the survivors going to Gusu City instead and settle down there.
To have their own home, Mo Bailing was forced to sell her jewelry this time to pay for a house and lot that belongs to them. Because Xuanyu was the family's only male, they have to build it in a way that he can use it when he marries one day. So a large Master Bedroom, and about four bedrooms upstairs, two large bathrooms, and a kitchen plus pantry with a large living room and dining room, then furnished and decorated nicely without breaking the bank.
They also have a large front and back yard. A beautiful front yard and a backyard useful for laundry hangings and other household production activity. They own six chickens for eggs.
And it was during this time, that Mo Bailing entered her name in a Matchmaking Office, hoping to marry again, even if she was used goods. But at least, her children are highly accomplished and both are Lan Sect students!
She simply said her husband 'died too young' and focused on her children first until old enough to enter a Sect where they'll live in for seven years until graduation and employment as Clan Cultivators.
One man answered, after she got her portrait done with color. He was a well-off man from a merchant house and the eldest son. He had a wife before, but said wife died from a malicious attack from his third brother and his wife and their children didn't make it.
Justice may be served, but it wouldn't bring back what was lost. His father the Headmaster wasn't too happy that their family was stained with murder in family infighting and got harsher at home as a result and took his third son's children into his custody, while comforting his mourning eldest who went out to try to remarry as hello, he needs an heir to the business?
Thus two widowers met and got to know each other for one year...because it has to be confirmed that Bailing's twins are indeed, cultivator hopefuls.
Next is the Bridal Dowry that must be prepared and BOY was THAT stressful.
The twins purchased luxurious silks for bedding, their mother's new clothes and accessories befitting a wealthy woman now, a tea set for the wedding ceremony, a tub full of baby paraphernalia, two pairs of red slippers, and a sewing basket. As for jewelry? Well...it went to building their family home in Gusu they had only a few jeweled bracelets left...it counts. And because the twins were cultivators, they even threw in magical items that provide protection and enhancing good feng shui...and a copy of Lan Sect's Scroll of 3000 rules...this last one as a gag gift as it'll be hilarious if the Mu Family unwound the scroll and find that its reeeaalllyyy loooooong...
Then the Betrothal Gifts, received by the twins, specifically Xuanyu who is acting as the male relative of their family. Its a little weird...
Not only that, being truthful is important and Mo Bailing made it clear she wants nothing to do with her family and just wants a good life with her children and a good marriage. Regarding the wedding bows? Well, she brought her mother's tablet over...she could care less about her heartless father!
So an auspicious date was decided as husband handles all else...and the twins got to see the new family their mother married into.
'You kids really won't move in with us?' the husband, Mu Jing, Zhumeng asked the twins.
'It would be improper given circumstances, not to mention by the time we graduate, we are employed Cultivators. We will use the house we bought full time as its a waste to let it stay unused...when I marry, that house we have is mine, while A-Li will move out to the Lan Sect until she marries...but unlike most people in society, we marry through following the laws of the Sect.' said Xuanyu. 'So we won't be doing what you and mother did in regards to choosing partners.'
'I see...'
And thus they now have a baby brother, having divined when to conceive to ensure it's a boy. They already picked names. Jun for a birth name, and Zhupi for courtesy name after nine months. And two years later another son named Xing and courtesy name Zhubang. Thus Mu Zhumeng regained what he lost through treachery and exceeded his losses. Because for someone who's 35, his wife did NOT look 35, he has two stepchildren he doesn't have to worry about but can count on them for help, and two more sons, but it doesn't mean he would forget his late children.
Right now that Xuanli visited home at 21, her little half-brothers are now toddlers, eating baby food her mother personally makes it safe in a household like theirs.
If Xuanyu chose to be a teacher for the next generation, Xuanli was more into Night Hunts thus always out. Her salary was high because of Hazard Pay involved...800 silver, while her twin who's safely in a classroom, is 500 silver. She's saving up for marriage, though thankfully, her stepfather will foot the jewelry part of her dowry.
Xuanyu will also save up for his betrothal gifts for the first ten years of his bachelorhood which was their plan. Marriage sure is expensive...they're not in a rush to marry as they aim for Love Marriage, but it will be embarrassing if everything happened too soon, and they're UNprepared!
She tends to visit the babies, with the twins taking turns visiting...and they also check on little Jin Ling who's not so little anymore...
BUT!
'Yao-gege, just how the hell are the Jin relatives raising their kids in this Sect?! These damn brats know how to be cruel at a young age already!' Xuanli was very, very cross in her visit and found a couple of Jin kids taunting Jin Ling for being an orphan. 'They taunt A-Ling for being an orphan, a really low blow! They're bullying our A-Ling by the Lotus Gardens!' Guangyao, seeing how furious his half-sister was, ordered a maid to go get tea.
'That is something even I'm powerless in, A-Li.' said Guangyao mournfully. 'I have no control in how they raise their children and they're bringing shame upon the clan so I'm somewhat strict on Jin Ling myself so he would grow up righteous and moral when its is turn to lead. I'm just glad Jiang-zongzhu and you guys laid a good foundation before its my turn parenting him with A-Su. I gave him a pet dog he named Fairy as company but that can never replace companionship of humans.' he lamented.
'Well, those damn brats are gonna be damn vipers, A-Ling cannot count on relatives here if anything were to happen to you who keeps pests away.' Xuanli was utterly dismayed. 'I hope that among these damn brats, there are peers A-Ling can count on while you clean up Sect Trash and toss out problem people. Sect Leader as a future, dear lord, politics alone...' she shivered. 'And are you and saozi alright since A-Song? I heard you trashed a whole sect for the murder even if it won't bring my nephew back. A-Ling was devastated as A-Song is his first friend in life.'
'Well, getting over it was hard...A-Su was in a bad shape.' Guangyao sighed. 'Erge and my in-laws helps us out so we have some support. We also can't try again as a result, fearing we will lose another. We also have our hands full with A-Ling as he is a child of two sects. Sometimes I wonder if he's safer in Lotus Pier than here, but out of laws, A-Ling really has to learn here. I have his father's personal tutor teach and protect him while I keep the Sect clean so he's OK. Though while I approve that he works hard, how he goes about it is wrong as there's a good reason he has no friends and you saw why.' he said. 'He covers up his loneliness by studying and training. But at least it'll pay off at his teens...'
'Ugggghhh...I think our lazy bum of a sire did so much damage just by being a useless lecher.' Xuanli groaned with a facepalm. 'What possessed grandfather to make him his successor? Has he any idea what damages he caused that Jin Sect is a laughingstock behind its back during his tenure? People only kiss his ass for benefits!'
'Sadly, we can't ask who's long dead. I never even met our paternal grandparents.' said Guangyao wryly with a strained smile. 'That even if erge tried a full-power Inquiry, he can't call grandfather back. He's long since passed on. I'm trying to create a clean sect and cleaning up our image, but easier said than done. He's left me so much mess its not even funny any more. A-Su is handling Administration and Housekeeping Issues and she's just as suffering as I am ever since Madam Jin died it dawned on us how much work she's doing now that she's gone. And to think we split the work in half...'
