Every male post puberty is an idiot. Her mother used to say that all the time. So far in her over twenty years of being able to think on her own, the only male who didn't fit this was her brother. Wen Qing frowned at the idiot currently in her way. "No."

"Please…." Wei WuXian whined.

Wen Qing's frown deepened. She turned and swished away from the idiot. She was going to be in enough trouble if the Lotus Pier refugees were caught in her supervisory office. Doing this surgery? Jiang WanYin lying in misery for days trying to starve himself to death was just another idiot. He didn't need saving. He needed to grow up and take his place as Sect Leader.

A Sect Leader with no Core was better than no Sect Leader at all. He had a sister to protect and disciples that escaped the massacre to lead. And yet there he lay, waiting for death, the idiot. Woe is me! Acting like a child instead of a man. Wei WuXian hadn't given up on begging for his brother's life. Too bad you're not an illegitimate son. Other than this constant begging, Wei WuXian wasn't half bad. Not nearly as much of an idiot than most of the other males of her acquaintance.

Wen Qing glared at this idiot and gave in. "Fine. I'll do the surgery. But you need to tell him first."

Wei WuXian was so excited he practically danced into Jiang WanYin's sick room. She followed slowly, but Wei WuXian's voice was loud enough for her to hear the entire tale. She crossed her arms and glared some more at the liar and his ShiDi who was getting all excited himself at the prospect of BaoShan SanRen giving him a new Core. When the story ended, Wen Qing smiled, sharp as a knife. "Now tell him where his new Core is going to come from."

Jiang WanYin looked completely confused. It would have been adorable on a five year old; it looked too out of place on a seventeen year old. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, tell him where his brand new Core is going to come from. It's not like 'BaoShan SanRen' can create a Core for you. You should have learned enough Core Theory to know that. Logically, then, your Core has to come from another person. Wei WuXian, you should also explain exactly who will be playing the part of your mother's grandmaster."

"You promised!" Wei WuXian turned an accusing glare at the doctor. "You promised you wouldn't tell him!"

"And I'm not." Wen Qing held up three fingers in an imitation of this irritating idiot. "I have no intention of telling Jiang WanYin the truth of who he is going to get his Core from nor the truth of who is going to implant it." She smiled again, cuttingly. "You are." And with that, she swept from the sick room, her job done for now.

Behind her, she could hear the two idiots arguing. Ahead of her, she saw her hopefully will never become an idiot brother looking sad. "Jie… you know what you just did…."

"I did what I had to. If Wei WuXian is going to give up his Core, at the very least Jiang WanYin should be given the choice to accept it or not. Not this fairy tale about mythical immortal grandmasters creating Cores from nothing. This is a gift that can never be repaid. Not even Jiang WanYin sacrificing his life for Wei WuXian will repay this. He should know the truth."

In the sick room, Jiang Cheng was sitting up and glaring at his ShiXiong. "If I had the energy, I'd whip you into next week. How dare you try to give me your Core without telling me? Are you completely out of your mind?"

"You're the Sect Leader! You need a Core."

"Wei WuXian!"

The elder smiled sheepishly. "Your parents took me in and raised me for almost ten years. They didn't have to do that. And now… now I'm the reason they're dead and you don't have a Core. Your mother should have just taken my hand back then. It would have appeased Wang LingJiao. Maybe not forever, but long enough for the Sect to prepare for an invasion. I wouldn't have a Core if not for your father. I was no one special for years; I can return to being no one special. ShiDi…."

"Shut up," Jiang Cheng growled. "You would repay my father's kindness by destroying yourself? You, who exemplifies what it means to be a Jiang from Lotus Pier far better than anyone?"

"It is my duty as head disciple to protect the family. Whatever the cost."

"And you think you can protect me without a fucking Core! Wei WuXian! Just who do you think you are?"

"I know who I am. I know my duties. I've known almost since the day I arrived in Lotus Pier."

Jiang Cheng flung his pillow at his brother. "And just what are your duties? Exactly what were you told? How does being head disciple equate to you giving up your Core?"

Wei WuXian threw the pillow back. "Every disciple's first duty is to protect you, the heir. Our second duty is to protect ShiJie and our third is to protect your parents and Lotus Pier. In that order. This was drilled into us almost on a daily basis. Uncle Jiang was so very proud of how well I fought and my level of cultivation because that meant I would be capable of doing my duty to you."

Jiang Cheng scowled. "My father was proud of your abilities because it reflected well on the Sect and him. Not because."

"Yes, because," Wei WuXian interrupted. "He praised me for the same reason you treat a hog well."

"He was not fattening you up for slaughter!"

"Of course he was." Wei WuXian looked surprised. "I thought you knew that. I was raised like your brother so I wouldn't hesitate when the time comes. A man may be careful for his own life when he's protecting someone in general, but when he's protecting his family, his own life…. It's not as important. Uncle Jiang made sure I understood. Madame Yu… she didn't think I would be capable. I think that's part of why she whipped me so often…. She was hoping, though. You could see that when she refused to take my hand. There wasn't going to be enough time for me to learn how to use my left hand to fight before the Wens attacked. Had there been more time? I'm not so sure what she would have done."

"And you think your life isn't as important as mine. How can you be so cold and uncaring at the thought of losing your hand?"

"My hand for your life? How could I not accept that deal? Of course my life isn't as important as yours! You're Jiang WanYing! Sect Leader of Lotus Pier. I'm just Wei Ying, the son of a servant. A nobody who happens to be good at cultivation."

Jiang Cheng slumped down onto the bed. "You're wrong, you know. You are incredibly important. To me. To A'Jie. You're my family, too, you know. Even if my parents were as you said. Even if they treated you as a prize pig to be slaughtered. To me and to A'Li… you are our brother. And it's my duty to protect you as much as it's your duty to protect me."

Wei WuXian's face drained of color. "What did you do."

"I didn't do anything."

"Jiang Cheng…. What did you do?"

"I wasn't captured by the Wen randomly."

"What did you do?" Wei WuXian's voice rose in pitch and intensity.

"You were going to get caught. And then they'd kill you, and I…." Jiang Cheng sighed. "I couldn't let them capture my brother. So I…."

"You didn't." Wei WuXian accused.

"I was protecting you!" Jiang Cheng yelled. "You're faster, stronger, smarter, and better at everything! And I'm… I'm just second rate. My parents are gone. Lotus Pier is gone. My home is gone. If the Sect ever rebuilds, it's going to need you as its leader. Not me. A'Jie needs you to protect her. Not me."

Wei WuXian's mouth gaped like a fish while he tried to process this partial confession. "So you let them capture you instead?" he finally managed to ask. "Knowing they'd torture and kill you? Are you stupid or insane!"

Jiang Cheng laughed. "You're asking me if I'm stupid or insane? Look at who's asking the question! The person willing to lose his sword hand if it would gain the Sect a few months? The person who is willing to give away his Core because he thinks he's worth less than me because of who birthed us? How can you think so little of yourself? If my father told you that your value was only in how far you were willing to sacrifice yourself for me?" He laughed bitterly. "I'm not my father. Nor my mother. And I won't let you give up your cultivation for me."

Wei WuXian frowned. "I'm not going to give you a choice. You need this Core more than I do. I can return to being nothing. You? How will you live without one?"

Jiang Cheng smacked a hand towards his brother. "I thought you were the smarter one. You've found a way to transfer a Core from one person to another, right? So…. Who says it has to be you who donates it? There are a few Wens who would be more suitable. And they're not going to need them for much longer, are they?"

"You want to take Wen Chao's."

"Or Wen Xu's. Or the Core Melting Hand's. We'll capture them, dig out their Core while we're torturing them. And then kill them."

"That is acceptable."

Wen Qing was stirring a pot of medicine while mentally making lists. There was a war brewing and her people would definitely be caught up in it. Pain medication, fever reducers, opiates of varying strengths, she was going to need them all. She had done her very best to keep her people together. About eighty percent of the men and women from villages surrounding the base of Dafan Mountain working for Wen RuoHan were living here as her guards. The others…. She would try to get them transferred as quickly as possible.

One who would need the transfer was walking quickly towards her. He bowed and she nodded her head, unable to properly bow and stir the medicine at the same time. "Captain."

Captain Luo stood straight at attention. "I came in advance of my regiment with orders for you." He paused; she waited. There was no use asking when he was ordered to tell her anyways. "I am to tell the Commander here to arrest the former commander and her brother for treason. They are accused of aiding and abetting the enemy."

Wen Qing stilled for a moment, then resumed stirring. "And why are you telling this former commander instead of the current one?"

"You are still the Commander here. Until the paperwork arrives that says otherwise. And if you are aiding and abetting the enemy, there is good reason for it."

"Captain…. Where do your loyalties lie?" Once upon a time, the man's loyalty lay with her father. Later, he transferred it to her uncle, as Sect leader.

"My loyalties are the same as they have always been," Captain Luo replied easily. "To the clan leader of Dafan Mountain. Are we leaving or staying? I think my regiment is still several hours behind me, so you should start packing what is necessary."

Wen Qing nodded. Packing was going to have to be swift and lightweight. She could take nothing obvious with her or the guards at the gates would be suspicious. She needed to look as if she was leaving only for a few hours. To get herbs or something. A trip out of the grounds that she made at least once a day. "I will be ready in a few moments." Anything precious was already stashed in qiankun pouches in her chests. "Can you find me some spare robes? I have guests." That was as far as she was willing to go to admit her treason.

Captain Luo bowed. "I will find some at the laundry."

"They're taller than you. And one is very slender, the other about your shoulder and waist width." He nodded and left. Wen Qing shut down the flame on her medicine. It was as done as it needed to be for now. Another hour would have been better. That was another hour she didn't have.

Leaving the Supervisory Office was as easy as it was on any other day. Wen Qing rarely accepted guards who weren't DafanWen, so not taking them on this day was normal. Leaving to gather herbs was normal. If there were some extra guards with her, the QishanWen would never know. Well, they might guess after the order for her arrest came through, but they should be sufficiently far enough away from the Office before that happened.

The biggest hiccup was the decision on exactly where to flee to. Jiang WanYin wanted to go to his grandparents in Meishan. Wei WuXian voted for QingHe and the Unclean Realm. Wen Ning voted for wherever XianGe thought was best. Wen Qing scowled at the scowling Jiang WanYin and agreed on QingHe as well. LanLing was out of the question, so that left the Nie as the only major sect left. Also, the Red Blade Master lived in a fortress; also, Wen Xu was under orders to attack and destroy it as he destroyed the Cloud Recesses. Perhaps they could beat the Wen army and help the Nie prepare for war.

If Wen Qing held any reservations about potentially being seen as the enemy while hiding out in a veritable fortress, she kept that to herself. After all, dead was dead whether it was by a friend's hand or foe. At least in QingHe, she would have allies in Jiang WanYin and Wei WuXian.

The second hiccup came when she felt they were far enough away from the Supervisory Office that they would not be detected flying towards QingHe. Jiang WanYin had a tantrum over being carried on someone else's sword. That he didn't have his sword was irrelevant. That he couldn't ride it even if it miraculously appeared was also deemed irrelevant. He was determined to get there on his own power. Wei WuXian, also swordless, was exasperated at his ShiDi, and argued fruitlessly for far too long. It was perhaps only the length of time to burn a stick of incense, but time they did not have to argue. Wen Qing removed a set of acupuncture needles from her sleeve, and not so carefully, flung them at the Coreless Sect Leader. He collapsed, as intended, and a DafanWen disciple picked him up like he was a new bride. Wen Qing raised her hand with another set of needles and an eyebrow to Wei WuXian. He immediately smiled a placating smile and admitted he had no qualms about being carried on another man's sword as long as he was standing on his own two feet. "Being carried like a baby would be absolutely humiliating," he added almost absently. Jiang WanYin looked like he wanted to break his ShiXiong's legs. As the needles rendered him unable to speak as well as move, he was relegated to throwing daggers with his eyes. Wei WuXian, of course, being an idiot, spent much of the time flying making idle comments about how nice it was to ride a sword while not doing any of the work. After the needles wore off that night, Jiang WanYin retaliated by punching Wei WuXian in the face. The head disciple laughed for hours over the mosquito bite-like attack.

He was still giggling when they set off the following morning, Jiang WanYin this time standing on his own instead of being carried.

The third hiccup occurred when they finally reached the Unclean Realm. Nie MingJue was highly cautious about allowing Wen access to his home. Even Wen that Wei WuXian swore up and down were on their side. Wen Qing stepped in front of the protesting idiot to bow respectfully to the Nie Sect leader. "Nie ZongZhu. My people and I request asylum. We are Wen, yes, but DafanWen not QishanWen. You may not see that as a difference, but to us…. Our loyalty is not to Wen RuoHan. We are willing to be segregated as necessary. We are willing to swear allegiance to the QingHeNie."

Nie MingJue and Lan XiChen demanded an oath of non-violence from the DafanWen. They could defend themselves, but not instigate any fights. They would be segregated for their own protection and allowed to prove themselves useful. Wen Qing and Wen Ning were given rooms appropriate to their station and kept under observation. She would call it being under guard, but Lan XiChen insisted it was for her protection. The Lan who escaped the burning of Cloud Recesses and the Jiang who escaped the destruction of Lotus Pier held dark views about every Wen. Most of them vowed to kill every Wen cultivator and soldier they encountered. That placed a rather large target on the Wen siblings' backs, hence, the guards.

For Wen Qing, having a target on her back was nothing new. Needing protection from the soldiers surrounding her was also nothing new. It helped, slightly, knowing that at least it wasn't her own family debating her demise. Being killed by her family's enemies was much preferred over being executed by her uncle or one of her cousins.

All in all, living in QingHe was almost as pleasant as living in her home at Dafan mountain. While her movements were restricted, access to the gardens and herb rooms were unlimited. She resumed her normal business of making medicines and treating the sick and injured who came to her for help.

Her people here were as safe as she could keep them. Her life hadn't changed all that much. Men were still idiots. Except for her brother. If it wasn't for the impending war, she would actually like it there….