A Joint Case

Wuxian's case was outside of the city, belonging to a Merchant's house, the Ke Family specializing in fabrics, and responsible for the supplying of Jiang Sect's uniforms.

'The Ke Family...they're providing the fabric and sewing our uniforms for us...' Jiang Cheng mused as it was here that the compass led them to.

'We should see Master Ke.' said Fengmian with worry in his voice. 'Why hasn't he reported any activity in his house to us yet?' he wondered as they knocked on the large gate.

A servant answered.

'Oh! Jiang-zongzhu! What can I do for you?' the servant inquired.

'One of our recruits detected something in Master Ke's home and we would like to see her at work.' said Fengmian jovially. 'Is Master Ke home?'

'He is, but 3rd miss fell ill that just won't cure no matter how many doctors tried.' said the servant, letting them in and leading them to a grander-looking residence Wuxian felt was the Headmaster's Residence. 'It started ever since second master brought home dolls as gifts to all his nieces from his travels, but only 3rd miss fell ill, 3rd master is furious. We could not ask for help lately as Lotus Pier got attacked by the Wen Clan...we figured we should wait a bit longer...'

'Even so, we will always respond as troubles created by spirits and monsters are always serious.' said Fengmian. 'We are not like other sects. We are more like the Lans that we will aid immediately when called.' he reassured the servant.

'I'll go call Senior Headmaster.' he said as the maids quickly left as well, to bring tea or something. They did.

'Wei Wuxian, what does your compass say?' Jiang Cheng asked Wuxian who looked at her device.

'It's as hot as fresh soup and pointing southwest...where 3rd miss is, most likely.' said Wuxian softly. 'The spirit is still weak, but...'

'But?'

'The energy on the needle is getting stronger by minuscule rates. Most likely siphoning off the girl's natural qi.' the two Jiangs stiffened at her words. 'I need to know how long she has that doll soon...and how old is the girl in question so I'd know how long she has left.'

'That's not reassuring...I really wish the Ke Family spoke up...' said Fengmian in a pained voice as soon, an elderly, but well-groomed pair came to the reception room, and younger adults came.

'I heard you came here to test a new recruit, Jiang-zongshu?' Master Ke asked the cultivators.

'Yes. This one is named Wei Wuxian.' said Wuxian respectfully. 'Rogue Cultivator after graduating Lan-xiansheng's curriculum.' and she showed her certificate at that, and she has high accolades that got them all impressed, but the Jiangs hadn't know she had been in Cloud Recesses recently! Fengmian noted he would mail Lan Qiren a letter later. 'I am slated to join the Sunshot Campaign soon as the Wen Sect is too numerous. They wish to test my ability.'

'A young girl joining war...' Madam Ke shook at the idea fearfully.

'It is alright, Madam Ke...I understand that the campaign needs all hands they can get because if we lose, the Wen Sect under Wen Ruohan will rule like tyrants...that would mean extortionate protection fees and women will pay the price if unable to pay, considering how they reportedly treat women outside their clan.' said Wuxian. 'But for now let us talk about 3rd miss.'

'Right, my poor Gui'er...' one of the men shook. 'Second brother brought home dolls for all girls, yet my daughter...' he sniffled.

'When did the doll come to this home, second master?' Wuxian asked in a gentle, kind voice that brings relaxation to the listeners, as well as showing empathy to the affected family. The Jiangs detected a spell in her voice that induces calm and tranquility since they too, are affected when she talks.

'It was a month ago.' said second master. 'I just got off the ship from Dongying, bringing home their painted silks that would look great as clothes...then my eyes fell on the dolls up for sale in Gongjue Coastal Town...they looked really cute, how can I not bring some home?' he croaked out. 'The girls enjoyed the dolls, but a week later, Gui'er had a fever so call a doctor we did...but she keeps getting worse, to the point she can't eat and drink yet she remained alive...'

'Something's really wrong, but given circumstances...'

'I see...and how long is the doll here?'

'Three weeks now...and counting.' said another man tearfully. 'My daughter...she's so thin now and doesn't recognize us any more! How long does she have left, I don't know...'

'How old is Gui'er?'

'9!'

'And the other daughters?'

'Oldest is 12, 10 and 9 with the youngest being 6.' said Madam Ke.

'9 is an auspicious spiritual number which is also what makes Gui'er safe...but also, a target for the same reason.' said Fengmian grimly. 'Its at the age of 9, that children are at their most spiritually powerful, that children cultivators are often pushed hard at that one year to progress faster at obtaining Golden Core stage.' that was to the horror of the family. 'It seems one of the dolls has one spirit living in it, but upon sensing Gui'er's current spirit level, it latched onto her doll off of the other daughters to sustain itself. But even if the other girls aren't of age, it will bide its time and latch onto your youngest when she turns 9.' he explained.

'Let's visit Gui'er.' said Wuxian as they all left the room, guided to 3rd Master's house. Inside was a nervous atmosphere by maids...and at the bedroom, was a very thin girl she looked withered. By the drawer beside her bed, was the doll. When the talismans activated, the doll's eyes opened and looked at them, creeping the family out.

'Close the door.' Wuxian instructed, taking out Barrier Talismans and sealed the room. She took out additional ones. 'Gui'er, are you awake?' she asked kindly as Gui'er looked at them weakly.

'Doctor?' she croaked out feebly. '...don't bother...nothing works...' she said miserably.

'Maa, as long as one lives, there is hope. Your a-die and a-niang refuse to give up on Gui'er because they love you...and so do your grandparents, aunts and uncles.' said Wuxian kindly as she was already weaving spells at a quick rate...and bound the doll with energy ropes made of sorcery characters.

'You sure you can take me girl? If you take me, this girl dies!' the doll snarled threateningly while also fearing exorcism so it was bluffing.

'Nice try idiot, but you won't fool me.' said Wuxian coolly, her kind, reassuring persona from earlier vanishing in an instant. 'You're a baby shameless ghost, being a kept man to a child no less. You must be a shameful person in life.' she said derisively, taking out a talisman that absorbed the ghost from the doll by force and then took out matches to burn the talisman, causing the ghost inside to scream. 'Recently dead, yet already so contemptible...if Gui'er dies, he will evolve into a Malice-Class Ghost from just one murder, given Gui'er's power.'

'Malice-class?' Fengmian was intrigued. 'Did you make your own classification?'

'Yes...I began making levels of ghosts during my research in my travels before I went to Cloud Recesses for my certification...Evil Spirit is a recently-deceased ghost capable of only possession and spiritual draining to maintain their ego as if they spiritually weaken, they lose themselves, degrading into a harmless Wisp, the weakest type of spirit. Malice-Class Ghosts can kill a single person. Ferocious-Class kills three or more within a short time. Menace-Class can wipe out a household...servants included, by the way...Savage-Class can kill a town or city depending on their strength. I haven't encountered worse than that yet as in the past, I teamed up with other rogues when such a spirit existed.'

'Had this shameless fellow remained undetected, this one has the potential.'

'Mm.' Fengmian agreed with her assessment.

'This man must be a recent deceased in Gongjue town so I'll look into recent deceased of a shameless man...and for ghosts, dolls are easy vessels to inhabit as they semble humans.' Wuxian continued. 'So before buying dolls, always visit a Sect to check for a hidden surprise, and keep a talisman on it so its a safe present to bring home to daughters.' she advised. 'This guest of ours has Gui'er as his first victim, so he's a newbie in this evil business. He has no idea what ghosts can truly do and how far they can go, given enough experience.'

'We exorcised Mr. Shameless but its not over for Gui'er yet.' Wuxian took a stool to sit beside Gui'er and took her hand and began pouring her energy into Gui'er while also creating an energy tether, linking the child to her. 'I'll share some of my qi to revitalize her body while connecting myself to her so she'll stay alive until she gets better...her Yang energy is drained so much she has ten percent left before she dies. Her Yin energy is all gone.' the family and the Jiangs froze in horror. 'And as she cannot eat nor drink for three weeks, possession kept her alive till her soul was fully-drained, but she's also severely dehydrated. How long did she not drink?'

'T-two weeks...' a horrified woman squeaked. Wuxian now looked horrifyingly appalled.

'Humans can only endure three days without water, and one week without food and Gui'er exceeded those limits as a child...so I will stay in your house to keep her alive until she fully recovers from malnutrition and dehydration...if I were to let go...guess.'

No guesses needed as the family was deeply upset, as Wuxian took out a qiankun pouch, and took out a notebook to give to Master Ke.

'Please cook recipes on pages 2, 16, and 22 for Gui'er's daily meals processed as it should be in the recipes...these three medicinal congees will aid her first stage of recovery so I'm sure money is of no object to purchase what's needed.' said Wuxian.

'Of course!' Master Ke choked out. 'We'll purchase what's needed immediately!'

'In the meantime, while we wait for food, let's help Gui'er get some water...she's surely very thirsty now.' the whole family quickly ran off to get what's needed.

'...while the ghost case is solved, the victim is still in danger...I've never seen a case like this in my Night Hunts...' Jiang Cheng shook, shaken as the victim isn't truly saved yet.

'When you do, its a psychological battle between you and ghost.' said Fengmian seriously. 'They will threaten and blackmail you like earlier. So first step is to assess the situation using all your senses, so despite what the ghost says, you will not be deceived. Second step, upon knowing its true nature, plan on how to efficiently exorcise it off the victim and capture it before killing it as final step. Then assess the victim's condition. Because sometimes as you can see...damage remains in some cases, while in other cases, victims recover instantly.'

'Yes a-die.' Jiang Cheng nodded.

'Wuxian, how did you know that he's a baby ghost as you jokingly put it?' Fengmian inquired, amused.

'His ghost has no form as an Evil Spirit should be.' said Wuxian. 'But should he succeed, he will regain his old form in life upon evolving into an Evil Spirit, sembling Fierce Corpses, but with red eyes.'

'You've done well, Wuxian.' Fengmian praised. 'Indeed, we can count on you to join our numbers soon. For now a child is more important than any conflict caused by adults. Is Gui'er OK?'

'Not yet...she exceeded the limits of a human being without water way too much...until her life and body stabilizes, I will remain tethered to her to keep her alive. I'll be here two months minimum and by then its safe for me to let go. And my Compass of Evil is no longer reacting, so this area is alright.'

'Understood.' Fengmian smiled. 'Take good care of Gui'er.'

'Yes.'

xxx

Lan Qiren got a letter from Jiang Fengmian about his former pupil.

She apparently owns a Compass of Evil and has been going around doing cases, that she wound up where Lotus Pier was, following her compass for prey.

His son recruited her for the Sunshot Campaign and Wuxian was willing, but she tackles the problem first...a little girl whose life qi was drained by a recently-deceased Evil Spirit that latched onto a doll purchased by her uncle in Gongjue Harbor...that's near Gusu by the way. She handled the case perfectly well with little fanfare with max efficiency and stayed to keep the victim alive until her body recovers. Wuxian encountered many ghosts that she made classifications based on experience.

But as he hardly heard of 'Wei Wuxian', Fengmian supposed most of her exploits were done as her other persona that had more of a reputation than her 'true identity' did as it was Heixuanfeng-Nu mostly reportedly seen at vicious cases. But Wei Wuxian was known for killing Slave Traders, and giving their blood money to their victims who she frees. And now he's inquiring about her time in Cloud Recesses...

Fengmian, upon getting the reply, regretted asking.

Wuxian got really unlucky, that she worked to keeping her purity intact by all means necessary as the Lan Doctors looked upon getting wind of her past. She was pure. And she has quite the personality and beliefs.

"Changze, Cangse, I'm sorry I didn't find her in time..." Fengmian thought in a pained grimace as he burned the letter. His wife's spite and vitriol knows no bounds towards Cangse in her imagined slights towards her no thanks to Sect Leader Yao's gossip she can't see this letter. She would surely use Wuxian past as material against an innocent child. How far will she go, to attack and spite a dead woman, he can imagine!

He really hates Sect Leader Yao and told his son that he and his mother used to have a loving marriage...until his gossip happened. So if anything happens to him, Sect Leader Yao will surely try to reach out to him for an alliance, reminding him of their clans' history...HELL NO. And he tutored his son on politics. A-Cheng didn't embody what a true Jiang means, but he'll do his best somehow and hopes for the future.

And maybe it was also for the best that he never took Wuxian in. If he had, things will surely get worse for his family.

xxx

Three months later...

Though still skinny, Gui'er recovered from constant watery medicinal congees 'treated well' by preparing it as medicine. The congees of the first treatment stages, plus spiritual healing, sharing of qi and a lot of water intake through medicinal tea, plus exposure to sunlight did Gui'er well. Plus no evil spirits around the area as her compass no longer reacts, but for Gui'er's peace of mind, she left the compass to the family to alarm Lotus Pier if there's one near their home while she heals. Wuxian can create another anyway.

'Her organs and soul are strong enough for me to let go now, Master Ke.' said Wuxian. 'But she still needs physical rehabilitation Lotus Pier can provide after she keeps eating the congees for one straight year, and daily sunlight exposure during Chenshi, but half-hour only for two years. Sunlight also counts as purification energy and yang energy that heals the body, but any later than that is bad for skin. Sunburn and darkening of skin will ensue which will damage Gui'er's marriage prospects, especially during summer, so thirty minutes only in summer.' she warned them. 'And there's understandably no sunlight in winter, so don't bother with that. And snack on star fruits, loquats, and seedless rose apples only in these two years. Hawthorn would be healthy, but not candied. All fruits in moderation levels as too much is bad.'

'Thank you for everything, Wei Wuxian.' said the family gratefully, giving her a bag of silver. 'But the war...will you be alright?' Madam Ke asked her worriedly.

'Cultivators walk with death. Its a fact we all know to protect the people that depend on us for safety against the supernatural...and corrupt cultivators.' said Wuxian. 'Everyone must go.'

'That's too sad...I hope you survive. You're so young...' and the family bid her farewell and Wuxian left the city for Qinghe Nie upon seeing where Qinghe is on the family's map as she has no idea where Qinghe was, but being merchants, they'd know.

Thus from Yunmeng, she went straight north after breakfast.

Took her three days, and upon arriving at Qinghe, Hebei City, she asked around for directions...and was later led to greet the very tall, grumpy-looking man. He was with Lan-zongzhu

'Greetings to Nie-zongzhu.' Wuxian greeted. 'This one is rogue cultivator Wei Wuxian, on the backing of Jiang-zongzhu.'

'I heard of you from Jiang-zongzhu...you have done well.' said Nie Mingjue. Destroying Slave Traders, pro-active with the people and was fine with sharing her life to keep a child alive until her body recovers? She is worthy of respect! 'But you know that you will be assigned to locations befitting your strength level, so I will test you.'

'Alright.'

And at the testing grounds, seeing a six-footer against a tiny beautiful girl who looks so tiny in comparison got many people gulping...

'Lan-zongzhu, is that OK? Is that seriously OK?!' a nearby cultivator stammered in fear at Lan Xichen who was just-as-nervous, evident in his smile.

'That looks scary...'

'She's tiny! What the hell?!'

'Nie-zongzhu, a warning in advance...my sword lengthens and shrinks at my whims.' Wuxian warned playfully, drawing her sword which were white and silver, typical of a Lan clan sword as her sword was commissioned by the Lan Sect.

Then the examiner and examinee drew their swords and began fighting each other. Because Wuxian clearly used her full skill, Mingjue responded in kind and it was one hell of a battle, even with blunted swords...and she wasn't kidding as there are times her sword's blade was long and there are times she treats it like a dagger!

And she lasted ten minutes against a Sect Leader, a testament to her skill.

WOW.

'Fuhahaha! You're good for a tiny one!' Mingjue laughed jovially as for a tiny girl, she was formidable. One cannot judge by looks indeed! 'I can trust you with high-level jobs indeed! I welcome you to the campaign, Wei Wuxian!'

'This one is grateful.' said Wuxian playfully.

She thus stayed at the Unclean Realm in a tent. Well, her own tent that she warded for a girl's privacy and security.

Her specialties were listed down so where she gets assigned depends on it.

Exorcism, Spiritual Cleansing, Medicinal Cooking, Pharmacy, Magic Tools Crafting, and 'everything a woman can do, except do room-matters with others or I'll kill you'.

*do/have room-matters with someone is euphemism for having sex.

'...what's room-matters?' Lan Xichen asked Mingjue whose face went awkwardly-embarrassed red, instantly getting the meaning and promptly used an ink brush to blot the last part out with a swift stroke.

'...you don't want to know.' Xichen pouted. 'I know that she graduated under the Lan curriculum so this much is expected...'

'Actually, she didn't take Exorcism and Spiritual Cleansing classes, otherwise I'd agree she knows Lan techniques.' Xichen refuted. 'It must be her own skill or her family's skill as her family were all Rogue Cultivators.'

'Probably. But while a formidable fighter enough to spar with me for ten minutes, her skills are mostly supportive. This can go a long way if she can really make magic tools.' said Mingjue. 'What's she doing when you got this list from her?'

'She was making talismans not sold in the market...have you heard of a talisman called 'Explosion' before?'

'...no...otherwise we'd be blown up by now if the Wens purchased such talismans...so far, that clan's unique talisman is that poison fire thing.' said Mingjue. 'For now she will assist in Hejian Front. Right now we are the most understaffed. Damn that coward Jin Guangshan...' he said with a scowl. 'I have no expectations of him.' he said in derision. 'I'll give her first orders soon as soon as I order supplies to come over. But for now I'm curious about her Cleansing Technique.'

And so...in a ritual room...

It was a blood-red array Wuxian drew with magic.

It looked eerie to Xichen's eyes. It was in the shape of a star with unfamiliar symbols within. Things he never saw in magic books of his clan that follow the Orthodix Ways. It was bluish-white before, until Mingjue was told to drop a drop of his blood on it and the array will reflect how bad he has it! And it has tinges of black, which reflected how little time he had left in the world, horrifying them all when Wuxian explained.

'This is Evil Extraction Array as resentful energy is borne from nasty thoughts within spirits.' said Wuxian. 'But its still spirit energy nonetheless. We will extract the 'evil' part to completely soothe the Saber Spirits which in turn will cleanse their Nie Partner. Their qi afterward will be very clean like any other and Qi Deviation Progression will take another sixteen years to form after cleansing.' Wuxian told the Nie bloodline and their most senior members. 'The catch is afterward, the Nie Sect that suffered body damage from progressing Qi Deviation must undergo hospital treatment for a week per patient every periodic cleansing and the Nie Sect will live to see their eighties, assuming our job doesn't kill us first.' she snorted.

'I will also teach how to make the medicine to the clan.'

'Where did you learn a highly-complicated array like this?' Mingjue asked Wuxian.

'From my mother's books...back then, cultivation is anything goes in the time of Baoshan Sanren, until society decided what was black and white in their eyes, that rituals like these vanished forever, valuable knowledge that could have saved lives, lost forever because evil minds twisted rituals like these for their own ends, that people began fearing these techniques as long as the technique name has certain words.' said Wuxian, showing him the page in question for him to read.

'As far as I'm concerned, only students of Baoshan Sanren knows this medical spell and I who studied mother's books. And I'm the only one down here who does these. This classifies as Heretic Cultivation Techniques. You surface people began fearing these, without truly understanding it. They're simply innocent tools. How they are wielded by the wielder makes them what they are.'

'I see...so its if one makes a poison, you naturally create an antidote.' Nie Huaisang said thoughtfully.

'Exactly. Resentful Energy is energy but unlike spiritual ki harnessed by orthodox wielders, it is stronger this has double the effects in boosting one's cultivational base.' Wuxian began, 'But it has a side effect of amplifying our negative emotions created in our daily lives. Like for example, you're annoyed at someone for pulling your hair that instead of a chide, you punch their face in anger as an example. But over time, that punch will become that person bashing you to death with a chair.' her listeners did a double-take that mental image presented. 'Or a heartbroken person made to wear the green hat into wondering where they went wrong, to suddenly killing their lover for cheating on them or kill the lover of their partner.'

'But as Resentful Energy is Energy-Based Emotion, it will be countered when these people are surrounded by people they trust, and those who truly love them wholeheartedly. The positive energy Love brings, is like sunlight, a natural deterrent for illnesses which radiates from their bodies in a passive manner through interacting with that person or simple hearing their voice. Otherwise a typical Nie Cultivator won't last longer than 16 years. Read page 15 please, Nie-zongzhu.' sputtering, Mingjue flipped through the pages.

Five minutes later, he was red-faced and embarrassed and gave her back her book. The others wondered what exactly he read that made the usual stern, irritable man utterly awkward.

'I'll take the cleansing.' he said in utterly-embarrassed, resigned manner. 'As the leader of the Sunshot Campaign, I of all people, should not be mentally-compromised in my leadership. It will affect those who put their trust in me to lead them well.'

'Let's begin. Lie down in the middle now, saber right beside you, sheathed...' Mingjue lied down, and Wuxian made five handseals, slow on purpose for everyone to see, before saying the word, 'Purge!' and the array triggered, that a cloud of black fog was extracted from Mingjue and his saber.

"S-so much..." Nie Huaisang shook, horrified as in six more years, he won't see his brother again, if not for this lucky find...

...he swallowed audibly, his mind in a whirl at how close he had it to being all alone in less than a decade from now.

Soon, from eerie dark blood red...the array turned blue the more Nie Mingjue and his sword was purged off of the resentment within his qi. Once the array was bluish-white, the color of natural spiritual qi, it was over and the array vanished, its purpose served.

'Dage!' Huaisang and Xichen rushed to Mingjue's side.

'How do you feel?' Xichen asked Mingjue anxiously.

'...' Mingjue got up, looking dazed as he never felt so...so...calm? Peaceful? "Is this how Xichen feels most of the time?" he wondered. Because he was so dazed as he tried to get his bearings, Xichen diagnosed him himself.

'H-he's spiritually clean!' he was amazed. 'Not a trace of resentful energy from before!'

'He's not used to being...mentally-peaceful just yet. Teach him how.' Wuxian snorted. 'He cannot describe the feeling of peacefulness well so he's a little dazed and trying to make sense of things. I'll let you take turns reading page 15 later.'

'Wuxian, teach this skill to everyone in this room.' Mingjue told her as he looked at members present. 'My family and most senior members must be capable of this ritual to help our clan out, and I trust Xichen incase we're incapacitated to do it ourselves and it happens you're too far to call.' he said. 'And for our safety, knowledge of this ritual is to never leave this room, our mouths and our writing hands ever again. My people is on the line here.'

'Understood.'

Since the ritual, Xichen advised that he does deskwork and strategy work until he heals using medicine for a week as Wuxian advised, after Wuxian whipped up medicine. Again, they saw the recipe. But it has to be spiritually-processed to make it work its cure after a weekly consumption. Otherwise if made the mundane way, Mingjue will be hospitalized FOR A YEAR.

Wuxian's job had quickly changed to 'cleanse the whole clan first'.