How did we end up in this situation after passing out and dreaming the past few chapters? Apparently, I have no idea. I never wrote it, and honestly I don't care enough to shoehorn something in. Just go with it. We got here because we're incredible off-screen. We get shit done.
As I've said before, me no likey the sad sad, so I didn't wanna go out of my way to write the whole betrayal scene. I always wanted Nie Xianle off doing something else at the time, and I got lazy and decided I would write the dream sequence instead because honestly it was more fun to write and it gave some context to Nie Xianle's time during Fu Xuanming's sealed state. If Jin Guangyao can pull some amazing and unexplained tricks while no one's looking, so can I. (Seriously how DID he manage to swap out the head so fast?)
Fu Xuanming woke from a dream into a nightmare. She had no idea what Nie Xianle had been thinking to get herself into this situation, but it was very troubling indeed. The last time Fu Xuanming had been surrounded by so many cultivators from so many varying sects, she had been at the receiving end of a siege.
In one hand she wielded Nie Xianle's saber Baofu. In the other, she was holding something she had not been expecting. Without even looking, she could feel the enormous, viscous ferocity of the head whose hair was tangled between her fingers. Nie Xianle had found Nie Mingjue's head, and he was not about to let it go — not for anyone, not for anything.
But if he was to reunite the head with the rest of the body, the animosity of the individual parts would skyrocket to its strongest peak. Nie Mingjue may have been a cultivator, but the Nie Clan's saber spirits were as unyielding and furiously righteous as the clan leaders themselves. Nie Mingjue had died during a qi deviation as well. He was trapped in the state he had been in when he had passed, already going mad with the desire to attack Jin Guangyao, to kill him, but now that he was a fierce corpse, it had become his entire being.
While he was alive, Nie Mingjue might have been able to bring himself back to consciousness because he had other things he cared about. He had his family, he had his sect, he had his pride, he had his life. Now, he had none of that. He had only the desire to kill. A qi deviation, a violent death. Murder, revenge, justice — it all blurred together in this body that continued to hunt its prey even after death.
And his prey was the Cultivation Chief, Lianfang-zun of the Jin Clan of Lanling. As it stood, Nie Xianle looked as though he wished to use Chifeng-zun's corpse to kill Jin Guangyao. The reason didn't matter, not in the heat of battle. Whether it was Nie Xianle acting on his own, or perhaps he was possessed by the resentment lingering on his eldest cousin's corpse. Either way, he had instigated this fight, and he had no intentions of backing down.
Fu Xuanming wondered where Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were. Weren't they investigating to try and find Nie Mingjue's head? Well…mission accomplished.
"A-Le, put down your saber."
Put down your saber, it's me!
A-Le? Is something the matter?
Fu Xuanming was not the one who flicked out Baofu, the sword glare accompanied by the piercing strike of a thin white ribbon filled with demonic ghost qi. Fu Lianmin sliced through both the sword glare as well as Ruoye as she stood in front of Lan Xichen.
"Er-ge, please stay back. You are in no state to face him."
"San-di, if you're in there, you must fight it!" Jin Guangyao urged.
"The head has possessed him." Fu Lianmin flicked her Langying, her face calm and stoic where Jin Guangyao was filled with emotions. "So this is what you did after you saved the life of Xue Yang and hid your practices within Yi City."
"No, Xianle would never work with such a man intentionally," Lan Xichen insisted.
Fu Xuanming understood now. Whatever had happened while she was unconscious, wherever Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji had run off to, Jin Guangyao was the reason why — Jin Guangyao was winning. Nie Xianle had managed to bring Nie Mingjue's head for all to see, but now he was being accused of Jin Guangyao's crimes; working with Xue Yang, saving his life, dismembering the resentful corpse of his da-ge to try and quell its desire for revenge. Good intentions wrapped in poor execution, and something that ultimately backfired. No matter the good or ill will, he could not be called completely innocent, and therefore in the eyes of the cultivation world he might as well be completely guilty.
'Xianle, Xianle, what are you thinking?' Fu Xuanming desperately wished she could ask him. The only way they could communicate now was through Nie Xianle's actions.
The first thing he had done was attack Lan Xichen the moment he had spoken…and then given Fu Lianmin the opportunity to call him mad, possessed. Fu Xuanming instantly recognized such a trick. He needed to separate himself from those he cared about — he needed everyone to know that even Lan Xichen was not exempt from his rampage. That way, no one would accuse Lan Xichen of knowing what Nie Xianle was doing, of aiding and abetting in any way.
Lan Xichen, who was not good at lying or putting on fronts of civility, would have never been safe if he knew everything that Nie Xianle planned to do. If he was too calm, people would cry for his imprisonment at best. At worst, some might call for his execution in place of Nie Xianle, or perhaps used as some kind of hostage to draw Nie Xianle out. He would be harshly interrogated, and Lan Xichen would never be able to keep secrets. He had never been treated as a criminal…at least not in the conventional sense.
Ruoye wrapped itself around Baofu, prepared to strike again at his next target. Fu Xuanming had to defend herself against a number of men who had surrounded Nie Xianle, and the most troublesome of all was Jin Gyangyao.
Jin Guangyao's weapon was the famous ruan jian Hensheng — a softsword. This type of blade was the exact opposite of a saber, highly flexible, not meant for stabbing and slicing. Instead, its sheer attack speed and unpredictable movements made it a formidable weapon to face in battle; it could bend around an enemy's guard and sever arteries in the neck or strike the side or back. True to Jin Guanyao's nature, it was extremely hard to master and equally difficult to defend against.
Back when he was undercover at Wen Ruohan's side, he often hid this softsword around his waist or his wrist for use in dire situations. Hensheng's blade was so soft and so flexible that one might almost believe the sword itself was equally quick to concede and yield — when in fact, it was vicious, sharp, and unrelenting. Once Hensheng was wrapped around its prey, Jin Guangyao would release into it a current of strange spiritual power, and the softsword, which seemed so much like gentle spring waters, would wring its prey to pieces. It had destroyed many famous swords in exactly this way, reducing them to nothing but piles of scrap metal. Facing it even in even combat was like fighting a venomous snake with glimmering silver scales, chasing and biting. One careless move would see her caught between those fangs.
Nie Xianle's fighting style was that of the heavy saber, and so she was at just enough of an advantage to swat away Hensheng whenever it came close to striking true. Nie Xianle continually aimed for Lan Xichen while parrying and warding off every other weapon. The only sword that wasn't drawn against him was Shuoyue, and whether it was for the act or not, that meant Lan Xichen would be the easiest target to either strike down or take hostage.
However, he was blocked specifically by Fu Lianmin, who reached up to her hair to draw a second blade besides her Langying.
Jiang Cheng had a sword called Sandu, matching his sobriquet of Sandu Shengshou of the Three Poisons. However, Fu Xuanming had rarely acknowledged these names (in fact, she had rarely ever called Jiang Cheng by his courtesy name, Wanyin). Jiang Cheng was best known for his unique spiritual weapon, the whip Zidian that he had inherited from his mother. It wasn't unusual for a spiritual weapon to be better associated with someone than their sword, however famous.
Fu Lianmin wielded a saber, but nothing like the conventional types. Hers was a rapier, Pingheng, a sword with the ability to disguise itself as a hairpin and ward off suspicion even to those who managed to know of its unique quirk. It was invaluable while undercover in Qishan, as Fu Lianmin could often move without drawing attention to herself — indeed Pingheng's blessing allowed for all types of clandestine work. Even knowing of Fu Lianmin's abilities, one would often find themselves forgetting about her presence in a room if she truly wanted to disappear. If you managed to remember she was there and even where she was, you might not notice if she moved or even spoke unless she allowed it.
The blade, when fully expanded, resembled the elongated drooping shape of a viscous liquid being poured, frozen in a moment in time. The hilt and handguard formed a teardrop shape that tapered off into the sharpened point of the weapon, and while it was rounded without a designated angle for the blade, that just meant that the rapier could be swung in any direction with the same cutting edge regardless.
It was the blade that had easily taken Wen Ruohan's head and could cut through the bones of humans and beasts alike with very little spiritual energy necessary. In addition to being suited to precision strikes and rapid swings that cut through the air just as well as any proper sword, Pingheng was a force to be reckoned with that no one ever seemed to notice or acknowledge until it was too late.
Indeed even when in direct combat with it, Fu Xuanming struggled to keep track of where the blade was. Though Fu Lianmin was using common sword techniques, Pingheng's nature was at its most deadly even without the element of surprise from a preemptive strike. Fu Xuanming had faced off against her sister's sword before, which was the only reason she hadn't yet lost any of Nie Xianle's limbs. Pingheng seemed to come out of nowhere, right on the edge of one's peripheral vision, and while working in concert with the normal Langying, Fu Xuanming's attention was constantly prioritizing the latter sword while the former could strike freely and without warning thanks to the distraction.
On top of that, she only had one hand to wield Baofu, Baofu was Nie Xianle's blade and so didn't respond to her as well. It took all of Fu Xuanming's concentration and effort to keep an even pace. She was skilled in saber techniques thanks to wielding Da-mei, and Ruoye was acting as a second hand for her — its sentience acted as a separate entity that could respond even when Fu Xuanming didn't. But she couldn't do this forever.
Wait a second — Ruoye?
Fu Xuanming jumped back to give herself enough time to think. It was only a moment, but that was plenty in a fight against Pingheng — along with all the other cultivators or something; she disregarded most of them easily.
Eming had told her in that paper effigy form that he would handle if the cultivators all turned on her and chased her off down the mountain. Eming wasn't here, but Ruoye was, which meant Eming had to be near with a plan! Ruoye wasn't just a ribbon that could restrain and cut as effectively as a blade. There were all sorts of tricks Fu Xuanming could manage with Ruoye if she knew the correct spell. She just rarely had any reason to use more than the basic offensive and defensive capabilities.
But if she wanted a clean escape? Easy! Ruoye was practically a guarantee!
Fu Xuanming tossed Baofu up and Ruoye shot into the sky. When it descended, it had formed a ring around Fu Xuanming and began glowing brighter and brighter, emitting spiritual energy as Fu Xuanming poured both divine and ghostly energy into the sentient ribbon. Just as nothing short of the most divine of gods or the calamitous of ghost kings could break through Ruoye when it bound someone, it could form a defensive ring just as impenetrable. The only downside was that Ruoye couldn't simultaneously attack while being used in this way; it was a defensive spell and a defensive spell alone.
That was all she needed! She poured more and more energy into Ruoye, and while the cultivators around her were first warded off by the barrier, now they were warded off by the staggeringly blinding light in the darkness of the night.
Fu Xuanming was free to use a gust of wind to launch herself into the air, and Ruoye followed her path with a flash. It then retracted, abruptly darkening to its normal state. Any cultivator whose eyes might have just been adjusting to the light — even with their eyes closed, it was as bright as the sun — were now hindered by the night's lack of light, and the rest of Fu Xuanming's presence could be masked by her normal divine methods. She wrapped light around herself so she couldn't be seen, controlled the sound of her escape, and the very winds she might have kicked up in her flight were also easily neutralized.
She had gotten very good at fleeing from cultivators, over the years. Only the hounds had been able to track her.
Fu Xuanming found Eming at the edges of Golden Carp Tower, as promised, and he guided her out of Lanling without a word. Fu Xuanming hadn't asked questions; there would be time for that later. Eming took her to Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, following a trail of fallen cultivators that had been cut down in their escape.
Fu Xuanming could not reliably fly on Baofu, and though Zhuxin was a powerful blade, it was not one that you simply rode on for fun. The blade could not be drawn unless one wanted to bathe in blood. As such, the two of them had to run on foot to follow Lan Wangji mounted on Bichen, with Wei Wuxian carried on his back.
They weren't alone, at least. It wasn't long before they were joined by Wen Ning, who was also forced to run. For a fierce corpse who didn't even need to breathe, it was no problem for Wen Ning to greet them excitedly as they ran, "Fu-gongzi, Hong-er!"
"Greetings later, running now!" Eming huffed.
"What are you tired for?!" Fu Xuanming snapped. "You're dead too — I'm the only one who can get tired!"
Eming finally seemed to have remembered that he was a ghost; while he could breathe and have a heartbeat if he wanted to, it was more of a personal preference. The signs of life were more just accessories for him that he could wear or not wear as he pleased. He only needed to inhale air for the sake of speaking, but he could be getting that air from a hole in his chest if he wanted to, just so long as he had a throat with intact vocal cords and a tongue to form the shape of the words.
Eming protested, now no longer breathless, "I can get tired! I'm just slowing down for your sake, Shizun."
"Oh don't give me that lip, I'm not in the mood!"
Eming was not confrontational, to Fu Xuanming's knowledge, so the very fact that he was sassing her was an indication that he indeed seemed to be tired — and embarrassed that he had tricked himself into getting tired by forgetting that he didn't need to feel exhaustion if he didn't want to. He'd been keeping up such a flawless human façade over the years, as no one was spreading rumors about the ghost child wielding the hell blade of the Sluag.
"Where are we going?!" Fu Xuanming felt the need to ask.
"We're following Lan-er-gongzi!" Wen Ning replied easily. He was not the one Fu Xuanming was asking, but even she wasn't going to snap at Wen Ning, not even while she was this exhausted.
Eming reasoned, "He's not good at being on the run. He'll go to the one place he knows, and the one place no one would assume he'd run if he were trying to harbor the Yiling Patriarch."
"The Yiling Patriarch? Everyone knows, then?"
Eming nodded and explained the situation. Wei Wuxian had found Nie Mingjue's head in a secret chamber, as well as Qin Su who was distraught over a mysterious letter from a mysterious person. During his escape, Wei Wuxian had found out that his sword Suibian was also in the secret chamber. However, the sword had apparently sealed itself after his death — a rare occurrence, and one that could be used to prove his identity! What horrible luck.
Jin Guangyao had swapped out Nie Mingjue's head with Wen Ruohan's saber. A perfect excuse for being so secretive, for having so many protective talismans and seals to contain the resentment and yin energy. Then, to all of their surprise, Qin Su had killed herself with that very saber!
Fu Xuanming recalled that Eming had warned her that Qin Su had been informed of something. Something so maddening as to take her own life? Or had Jin Guangyao convinced her to do so in order to keep her from revealing the truth? Whether Eming and Nie Xianle and everyone else in on their plan knew Qin Su would die in such a way, it didn't really matter. Jin Guangyao would lose his wife one way or another if he wanted to keep his secrets. That was all they had wanted — for Jin Guangyao to lose. Maybe he had the strength to brush off her death easily, maybe his tears over her death were false or forced. Maybe he had indeed loved Qin Su with all his heart, but he was also strong enough to move past even her death after having steeled himself against loss and hardship all his life. Either way, it was a deliberate attack, and it had succeeded.
Scary, truly scary. Fu Xuanming had tried to be smart throughout her lifetime, but she had always hated clan politics — and this was why. All this backwards and forwards, setups and lies buried within truths. This was a war of intellects, and she was unfortunately a pawn in someone else's game. A pawn who didn't even know why she was on the board.
The Cloud Recesses.
Lan Wangji knew no other place to hide Wei Wuxian, and the Cloud Recesses was indeed the only logical place he could go. Not only would very few people suspect he would be so stupid as to return to the most obvious place he could hide, but the Cloud Recesses already had a barrier in place to know who entered and who left. The only problem would be Lan Xichen.
Fu Xuanming, Eming, and Wen Ning all stayed at the base of the mountain, finding a place to settle down and hide. Wen Ning cheerfully proclaimed that he was used to hiding away in the wilderness and occupying himself while he waited. Being dead had the advantage that he couldn't die of boredom, Fu Xuanming supposed. She was reminded once more how these walking corpses — though their consciousness had been miraculously awoken — had not achieved any sort of immortality. Wen Ning could not properly sleep, eat, or cry; he could barely smile after learning to fight the stiffness of rigor mortis over the years. Wei Wuxian had done what he could to refine Wen Ning, both as a weapon but also as a person. Wen Ning had long since accepted his fate and always tried to make the best of his situation even now.
Eming and Fu Xuanming together worked to suppress Nie Mingjue's head. Without Lan Wangji, all they had was demonic cultivation and whatever Nie Xianle's body could offer. This head was full of more resentful energy than all the other body parts combined, but Eming channeled Zhuxin for the extra strength and managed to seal away the head in a qiankun pouch.
"I will take care of it, Shizun," Eming announced.
"You will reunite the head with the body?"
Eming didn't see any point in hiding it, and so nodded in agreement. "Zewu-jun will return to the Cloud Recesses shortly. It is beyond the Lan Clan of Gusu's curfew; if you sneak in now, after Lan Wangji, no one might be alerted to your presence."
Nie Xianle's jade travel token indeed had very high level access, and not only wouldn't set off any alarms, but also wouldn't give any of the night watch disciples a way to know just who had entered even if they saw someone authorized had arrived. Lan Wangji could use such a setting with his jade travel token to mask his arrival too — not that Fu Xuanming thought anyone in the Lan Clan would try to turn him in as some kind of traitor aiding the Yiling Patriarch even once they finally heard the news.
Fu Xuanming stared up at the path to the Cloud Recesses multiple times, even as Eming left without a word.
Nie Xianle wanted his da-ge returned to proper condition. As to whether he truly wanted Jin Guangyao to suffer the consequences of Nie Mingjue's fierce corpse returning, she couldn't yet tell for certain.
By all accounts, Fu Xuanming respected Jin Guangyao. She had feared him to some degree, but mostly because she worried about what he could do if completely unimpeded against her or Fu Lianmin. She didn't worry about Lan Xichen, who had treated Jin Guangyao well and who had never hindered him in any way.
But Jin Guangyao was able to turn the world against Wei Wuxian in an instant, to continue to try hiding his secret the moment he had been found out. Nie Xianle had managed to find Nie Mingjue's head while Jin Guangyao had been distracted putting on a show to discredit Wei Wuxian, but a few honeyed words, excuses, and a perfect reaction and he'd have people doubting their own eyes. Everyone was eager to hate the Yiling Patriarch and exorcize his evil or some such. Two paths: question the pristine reputation of the Cultivation Chief who was kind, generous, intelligent, and loving to all; or turn the ire upon the easy target of Wei Wuxian and ignore all the other mysteries and coincidences that had happened around him.
As different as Jin Guangyao and Jin Guangshan had been, Fu Xuanming couldn't help being reminded of when Jin Guangshan had tried to frame and expose Fu Xuanming in front of everyone. He had forced her to sever ties with the cultivation world, exposed her secrets, and tried to hurt Lan Xichen by association. A means of control, a means of destruction. She could see where Jin Guangyao had inherited some of his father's cruelty, intentionally or not.
Everyone was so used to blaming Wei Wuxian, even this many years after his death. By this point, someone would go to check on Fu Xuanming's body as well, and Zewu-jun would be unable to hide the fact that her body was gone. And so the Yiling Patriarch and Banyue of life and death had returned. For what reason, it didn't matter. The entire cultivation world hated them anyway, so what was the point of finding a reason?
Fu Xuanming would have normally run. The last time the top clan had hunted her down, she had run and run and thought she would never stop. If she managed to find a new place to settle, how long until that fell apart too? What would happen if and when she finally died? Would it be permanent? Would she go back to her deathless body and leave Nie Xianle to die his proper death?
Even if she lived, what was her plan? To go on forever like this — respected and feared and loathed by those jealous?
"Fu-gongzi, are you going up the mountain today?" Wen Ning asked.
Instead of answering, Fu Xuanming said, "Wen Ning? Do you ever think about what we'll do if we somehow manage to work things out? Where we'll go next, what path we will walk?"
Wen Ning had not expected such a question. He seemed to have thought about the future before, but he had long since accepted that his options were limited. He had adjusted to being a fierce corpse who now lived every moment of his life not truly living. Even so, Wen Ning remained as kind-hearted and optimistic as he had been in life. Perhaps it was because he was frozen in time, stuck the way he had been when he died without much hope for change or development. Any living man would go insane after everything Wen Ning had endured.
"I will follow Wei-gongzi," Wen Ning said simply.
"Do you think your paths may one day differ?"
"If they do, I know he will not force me to follow him if I don't want to. That is why I want to follow him — because I know I will never have to, but whatever path he walks, I want to support his happiness." Wen Ning had managed to make a fire for Fu Xuanming, even though he didn't feel the cold. "You both died so horribly. The Burial Mounds were destroyed, and everyone Wei-gongzi tried to save. But…it's like my jiejie once said. We all should have died long ago, and we were just thankful for the extra time he gave us."
"You've got nothing but time now, I suppose." Fu Xuanming stirred the fire with a stick. "All Wei Wuxian wanted to do was look after others. Even in this life, he was having so much fun looking after the new generation of juniors. He even won over Jin Ling, I think."
"The young master Jin? Jin Rulan?"
Fu Xuanming nodded. She didn't know if Jin Ling's courtesy name would still be Jin Rulan. Jiang Cheng might have argued to have it changed, as it was the courtesy name Wei Wuxian had chosen. Jin Ling might absolutely refuse it if he knew of its origins.
He had just gone on his first Night Hunt at Mount Dafan, constantly seeking some kind of glory to live up to the legacy of his elders. Lan Sizhui had taken his courtesy name already, it seemed, but that was because he had been raised well and deemed worthy of it by Lan Wangji. Jin Ling seemed eager to win his fame and glory quickly, to ensure he was more than worthy of receiving his courtesy name long before he'd turned twenty.
Now that he knew who Wei Wuxian was, Jin Ling might never give him the chance he deserved. Wei Wuxian would do whatever it took to protect Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan's son, but that very son rightfully blamed Wei Wuxian for his parents' deaths. He had grown up without parents, and with an uncle who loathed Wei Wuxian to the point of near madness. How could Jin Ling ever forgive such a thing? No matter how many times Wei Wuxian saved his life or helped him, it would never make up for a childhood lost to all of those mistakes.
"Remember how he was always trying to cheer up A-Yuan?" Fu Xuanming said. "He always said the Burial Mounds was a sad place for a child to grow up, but he was always finding mischief to try and teach the boy."
"Wei-gongzi was very good with children," Wen Ning said fondly.
"If we hadn't gotten side tracked by all these mysteries and murders, maybe Wei Wuxian would have spent this new life of his watching over the juniors — teaching them some good life lessons while having fun along the way."
Wen Ning nodded. "Do you think, when gongzi has healed, he might want to disappear and help in secret even so?"
"I think…he'll never stop wanting to help, even if it may all be in vain."
"So what will you do, Fu-gongzi? If you don't want to see Sect Leader Lan, where do you want to go?"
Fu Xuanming tugged at Nie Xianle's robes. Even if she had some kind of plan, she had to factor in the fact that she was essentially holding Nie Xianle hostage. Whatever he had been planning, whatever stain to his reputation now laid upon him, he could fix it eventually. Unlike Wei Wuxian, he could claim to merely be possessed by Fu Xuanming and potentially exorcized. He could claim to have been possessed by Nie Mingjue's fierce corpse.
Was he that desperate to get revenge against Jin Guangyao that he would throw away his life like this? Did he truly not see the value in his freedom to choose how he lived?
Or maybe, she thought bitterly, this was to try and teach her to value her own life in a way she never had. She cared for others above herself, but what if "herself" and "others" had become one and the same? If she wanted to care about Nie Xianle, she had to care about herself.
To think, her own disciple would become so sneaky!
"I'll go visit Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji," Fu Xuanming decided. "Just…just for a little bit. I'll be back to update you on their plans."
If Wen Ning knew of any potential ulterior motives, he gave no indication. He treated her like she had just made the announcement out of the blue and nodded with his smiling eyes and his dead face. "Okay! I'll be here. Oh, and I'll keep watch for if Lan-gongzi returns."
Not that Wen Ning would be able to warn her even if he did spot Lan Xichen arriving over the horizon. "I appreciate that."
Fu Xuanming snuck her way up the mountain. She took more caution than usual, even though she had never been caught before and probably wouldn't even if an alarm went off. Still, she moved with utmost care as she made her way to the Tranquility Room.
She didn't find neither Wei Wuxian or Lan Wangji. The sandalwood incense burner that Lan Wangji seemed to always have burning hadn't been lit in a while — meaning he hadn't even been in here once since they returned from Golden Carp Tower. No one else dared step foot into the Tranquility Room without permission, which Lan Wangji scarcely gave, and so not even servants or Lan disciples would be maintaining the incense burner in the meantime.
Fu Xuanming knew the only other place he could hide. And of course it would be the place with the highest risk of running into Lan Xichen if and when he returned.
She sucked in a deep breath, still getting a whiff of the sandalwood scent that had been burnt into every crevice of Lan Wangji's personal quarters. She could just be in and out, say hello to Lan Wangji if necessary, and come back later if they were both asleep.
When she carefully poked her head up to the window of the Wintry Room, she took in the scene with bated breath. She didn't dare send out a small light to see, but thankfully the room was dark. If Lan Wangji or Wei Wuxian were there, they had to be asleep. Fu Xuanming knew the layout of the Wintry Room well enough, and so she snuck in right beside the bed.
Lan Wangji was still up, she thought warily. She wasn't so worried about being caught by Lan Wangji, so she snuck closer to find that he was not actually awake. He was meditating, sitting on the edge of the bed which was already occupied. He was guarding over Wei Wuxian, ensuring that if he was needed throughout the night, he could be woken in an instant.
Wei Wuxian himself had been changed into the white robes of the Lan Clan, but among the layers was a layer of bandages covering his lower stomach. No wonder he hadn't laid down for proper sleep. Wei Wuxian had gotten properly injured under his watch. It was understandable. They'd been fighting off countless cultivators who were there for the Grand Symposium — most of which were from prominent clans. Lan Wangji was an excellent cultivator, one of the best in the world, but he was only one man.
Sure enough, Lan Wangji sensed the movement as she approached, even vigilant about anyone that might want to harm Wei Wuxian — even his own brother. But he definitely recognized Fu Xuanming's stride when she was trying to he quiet, so Bichen didn't instantly leave its sheath.
Seeing as he wouldn't be the one to speak first, Fu Xuanming asked, "How is he?"
Lan Wangji turned his head back to Wei Wuxian, then reached to take his wrist. "He is stable."
"Has he been asleep this whole time?"
Lan Wangji nodded.
"You gave him some medicinal pills?"
"Mn."
Fu Xuanming reached out to take Wei Wuxian's wrist from him. "Which sword did this?"
Lan Wangji answered slowly, "Suihua."
Jin Ling. Of course it would be the one person Wei Wuxian might let his guard down enough to get stabbed by. Even in the face of Xue Yang and his Jiangzai, Wei Wuxian had dodged and evaded calmly, knowing full well that Xue Yang was taking advantage of Mo Xuanyu's weaker cultivation.
Jin Ling himself had to be going through turmoil knowing the man he owed his life to multiple times over and even maybe started to like — despite all the many grievances he had against Mo Xuanyu — was also Wei Wuxian, the man he had spent his whole life knowing and blaming for his parents' deaths. Stabbing Wei Wuxian was the least of what he probably wanted to do.
"So what now?" Fu Xuanming asked.
"We wait until he wakes," Lan Wangji said simply.
"Did he find something we might be able to use when he found Mingjue-xiong's head?"
"We will know once he explains. Did you find anything?"
"Xianle might have, but he doesn't seem keen on explaining anything. Suffice to say, the head will be reunited with the body soon enough."
Lan Wangji didn't seem to know how to feel about Jin Guangyao potentially being in danger from such a thing. He had put Wei Wuxian at risk by exposing him to the cultivation world. But he also meant a great deal to Lan Xichen. Ultimately, he would wait until Wei Wuxian had made his decision and go from there.
"Suibian?" Fu Xuanming asked.
Lan Wangji wore the sword at his waist beside Bichen. He handed it over to Fu Xuanming, and she tugged at the handle, but it would not be freed from the hilt. So it really had sealed itself. Fu Xuanming should feel honored to get to witness this once in a lifetime phenomenon, but she was only left with a bitter taste in her mouth.
This sword was one Wei Wuxian had basically forfeited all those years ago, when he had sacrificed his golden core. Fu Xuanming could still hear the screams of pain as he could do nothing but endure an agony he was defenseless against. To think Suibian would have gained the strength to seal itself off even so. She wondered if this sword thought as Da-mei had, its spirit more than just a blade to wield in combat. She wondered if it had believed in Wei Wuxian too, even through it all, and just wanted to show how special he was.
"Lan Wangji…when he was exposed to the entire cultivation world, you stood by him anyway."
"Mn."
Fu Xuanming couldn't truly say that about herself. She had stood by Wei Wuxian because she had agreed with him and found it a horrible injustice to blame him for many things out of his control. Just his very existence was a curse that brought the misfortune around him, they said. His shijie died because she had stood by him, the Jiang Clan had been wiped out because he happened to have studied there when the Wen Clan was seeking to crush any opposition.
"What if we can't fix all of this? What are we supposed to do? You can't just be on the run like this forever, surely."
Lan Wangji's bright eyes were soft in the dark night. He gazed down at Wei Wuxian, undeterred. "I will follow him, for the rest of his life or my own."
Fu Xuanming didn't want to say 'Even to the grave, this time?' She already knew what his answer would be.
When everyone was praising him out of fear, Lan Wangji rebuked him to his face. When everyone spat and hated on him, Lan Wangji stood by his side. Wei Wuxian really had found a catch.
"Wen Ning and I will be waiting at the base of the mountain, when he wakes and you decide your next move. If you don't need us, we…I guess I'll take my leave."
"He will want you to stay."
Wei Wuxian…or Lan Xichen?
"Even if the future that awaits us is uncertain…it is best to walk the path together, rather than alone?" Fu Xuanming moved to leave, but spared a final glance back towards Lan Wangji. "You've changed so much, Lan-er-gongzi. You and he are so very much alike."
"Lan Zhan…" Wei Wuxian murmured. He reached out and grabbed one of Lan Zhan's sleeves.
Lan Wangji, who had been keeping watch by his side, immediately leaned over to answer him softly. "I am here."
Wei Wuxian was not quite awake. His eyes were tightly shut, but his grip on Lan Wangji did not loosen. He seemed to be dreaming and mumbling in his sleep. "…Don't…don't be mad…"
Lan Wangji was slightly taken aback. In a gentle voice, he replied, "I am not."
"…Oh," Wei Wuxian murmured. He seemed to be reassured by hearing that and released his grip.
Lan Wangji sat down by Wei Wuxian's side. When Wei Wuxian had stilled once more, he made to get up but was stopped by Wei Wuxian grabbing hold of him again.
Wei Wuxian clung to his arm and pleaded urgently, "I'll return with you. Hurry up and take me back home with you!"
Lan Wangji's eyes widened.
Wei Wuxian seemed to have woken himself up with that shout. His long lashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes. The dazed confusion in his eyes gradually cleared, and he suddenly realized he was clinging to Lan Wangji with both arms like he were a lifeline, or driftwood in water.
He immediately withdrew his hands and made to roll away, but the exaggerated movement aggravated the wound on his abdomen. He muttered an "ouch" and wrinkled his brow, only now remembering that he was still wounded. His vision flared with sparks from the pain, and faces flashed before his eyes: Jin Ling, Jiang Cheng, Jiang Yanli, Jiang Fengmian, Madam Yu…
Lan Wangji held him down to steady him. "Your stomach wound?"
"Wound? I'm fine, it doesn't hurt…"
Lan Wangji firmly held him down and loosened his robes. His abdomen had been properly bandaged, but Lan Wangji unraveled them to check the injuries beneath. Surprisingly enough, the wound had already healed. When Lan Wangji checked his leg, the curse mark there had vanished as well.
"I heard the dulcet tones of Wei Wuxian being in pain and then pretending he's not in pain only to fool you into believing him."
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji looked up as Fu Xuanming came around the screen. She was just happy Lan Wangji had suggested Wei Wuxian be moved out of the Wintry Room once his recovery depended only on how long it took him to wake. She had felt more at home in the Cloud Recesses than she had in a while, and even Nie Xianle managed to feel somewhat at ease.
"One day I'll get used to your words coming out of someone else's mouth, Fu Xu," Wei Wuxian said.
"You should already be used to it now." She moved beside Lan Wangji and patted the bed. "Come, come, let's see those injuries of yours."
"Lan Wangji already checked me out."
Fu Xuanming had already checked to see his curse mark was gone, and then snatched his wrist to check on the rest of his meridians. Jin Ling's aim had been unerring, and the wound hadn't been shallow either. That the injury had healed without leaving the slightest scar was all thanks to the top-grade medicinal pills of the Lan Clan. She was getting better at mixing her own healing prowess with the new resource of spiritual power, and so could now confidently map out his meridians with just his pulse like any other cultivator.
"How long have I been out?"
Lan Wangji replied, "Four days."
"You're a bit stiff from rest, but nothing that a little stretching won't help fix," Fu Xuanming concluded.
Wei Wuxian gave his thanks very specifically in Lan Wangji's direction, and followed up with a self-deprecating jibe. "I might have been reborn, but this new body is so fragile. One little stab and I'm laid low."
"Anyone would be laid low if they were run through by a sword," Lan Wangji replied evenly.
"Not necessarily," Wei Wuxian stated. "Had I been in my old body, even if half of my intestines were hanging out, I'd be able to stuff 'em back in and continue brawling for another three hundred rounds. A-Xu has seen me do it, right?"
Well, that one time Jiang Cheng had stabbed him (in the same place as Jin Ling had, come to think of it), he had indeed brushed off Wen Qing and gone about his day like nothing happened. He was rather tolerant to pain, or just that careless with his health. If Wen Qing hadn't been in the Burial Mounds forcing him to occasionally heal himself before his next reckless stunt, Fu Xuanming would have to have been the one to babysit him. Wei Wuxian was best never left unsupervised.
"Only one hundred rounds, I'd estimate," she said.
"See? A hundred rounds, I don't lie — doctor approved!" Wei Wuxian punched the air like he was already brawling it out right now.
Seeing him spouting such nonsense so soon after waking, Lan Wangji shook his head. He turned away, and assuming he was going to leave, Wei Wuxian quickly called for him.
"Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan! Don't go. I was babbling nonsense, my bad. Don't ignore me."
"You are afraid of being ignored?"
"Yes, yes."
It'd been a long time since he last experienced someone watching over him as he slept off an injury.
Lan Wangji wore two swords at his waist. He removed Suibian and handed it to him. "Your sword."
Wei Wuxian was briefly taken aback at the sight of the sword. After a pause, he said, "Thank you."
He grasped the hilt and slowly drew the shining blade, which reflected a pair of eyes. Wei Wuxian stared at the eyes not originally his own for a moment, then inserted Suibian back into its sheath.
"Did it really seal itself off?"
Lan Wangji also grasped the hilt of Suibian and pulled, but it didn't budge in the slightest. Fu Xuanming followed suit.
Wei Wuxian sighed and patted the sword. "Jin Guangyao wouldn't dare make something like that up without thinking it through. I just had to be the one to experience this kind of one-in-a-million even. Just great."
"Whoever pulls out the sword must be Wei Wuxian, period," Fu Xuanming agreed. "You couldn't deny it even if you wanted to. What a stroke of fortuitous misfortune. Quite indicative of your overall quality of life."
Wei Wuxian didn't even have a sassy remark. He just sighed and looked around. They were in a simple, tidy room lit only by a single paper lantern in a corner.
"Where is this?"
"The Cloud Recesses," Lan Wangji replied.
"You took me back to the Cloud Recesses? What if your brother finds out?"
"I already have."
A man dressed in white and wearing a forehead ribbon walked out from behind the screen. His face was like beautiful jade, and his expression was solemn. Fu Xuanming lowered her head to avoid looking directly his way.
Wei Wuxian and Fu Xuanming had yet to be arrested by the Jin Clan of Lanling despite spending four days recuperating in the Cloud Recesses, so it could be reasonably assumed Lan Xichen didn't pose a threat. Also, Lan Wangji was by his side, so Wei Wuxian wasn't wary.
Wei Wuxian suddenly recalled an important matter. "Where is Chifeng-zun's body?"
"The sects all saw da-ge's body with their own eyes," Lan Xichen said. "At present, it is in Huaisang's custody. I have also sent people I can trust to look after it."
The fact that the curse mark had fully healed might also indicate that the head would soon be reunited with the rest. As Fu Xuanming no longer had the head on her person and had no idea where Eming technically was, she made no comments as to what she thought would certainly happen next.
Wei Wuxian still felt slightly reassured. "And Jin Guangyao's reaction?"
"Flawless," Lan Wangji confirmed.
They all knew Jin Guangyao would put on a perfect act. It wasn't worth worrying about, as long as there was no way he could destroy the body to get rid of the evidence.
"He said he will get to the bottom of the matter and that he will provide us all with an explanation," Lan Xichen stated slowly. "And since Wei-gongzi has now come around…Wangji, should you not provide me with an explanation as well?"
Lan Wangji rose to his feet. "Xiongzhang."
Lan Xichen heaved a long sigh. "Wangji, what am I to do with you?"
"Xiongzhang," Lan Wangji said. "It is a fact that Chifeng-zun's head was in Jin Guangyao's possession."
"And where would it be now?" He asked the question very pointedly towards Fu Xuanming.
"Gone," she said simply.
"You know where it has gone."
"Be at ease. It is to be returned to Mingjue-xiong's body. Huaisang will decide what to do with it, but feel free to send more of your people if you worry that his wrath will not be suppressed. However, once that fierce corpse is made whole, the target of its lingering hatred will be made very clear."
"Xianle —"
"I am Fu Xuanming, and it is none of my business who is in the wrong or right. But from what I've seen, Jin Guangyao went so far as to kill my disciple's and your da-ge, and when the resentment for his untimely end grew so far as to have his corpse turn fierce and seek revenge, Jin Guangyao dismembered the body and kept the head in his possession. Now, he acts as though he were a victim and turns the blame upon Wei Wuxian the moment the opportunity for a distraction arises."
"That's what you believe?" Lan Xichen sighed.
"That's what I believe. I don't know how or why he did it, but I can speculate. Personally, I don't really care. But this body does. The past can't be changed, but it can be buried, and for Xianle's sake, it seems I cannot simply let this matter go."
Lan Xichen, to his credit, very calmly stood his ground. "You personally saw his death?"
"He did," Lan Wangji said, indicating toward Wei Wuxian.
"You believe him?"
"I do." Lan Wangji answered without the slightest hint of hesitation. Wei Wuxian felt warmth bloom in his heart.
"Then," Lan Xichen asked, "what about Jin Guangyao?"
"He is untrustworthy," Lan Wangji stated.
Lan Xichen chuckled. "And how do you judge a person to be trustworthy, Wangji? Fu Xuanming, you once entrusted him with your sister's life; you do to this day."
He looked at Wei Wuxian.
"You trust Wei-gongzi, but I trust Jin Guangyao. Neither of us have evidence of how or why he would kill da-ge, nor any evidence to conclude whether the head was truly in his possession or merely planted. We rely entirely on our own understanding of another, our own trust in their words. You think you understand Wei Wuxian, and that is why you trust him. I also think I understand Jin Guangyao and therefore trust him. You trust your own judgment. Why can I not trust my own judgment too? And as to A-Le…"
Fu Xuanming saw his hand curl into a fist, but it was rather remarkable how the rest of Lan Xichen's body remained relaxed and unmoving. Even his expression was resigned, but calm. He had the same amount of overwhelming self control that his brother did, to a terrifying degree. He wouldn't even allow himself to lash out or get upset in a moment of emotional turmoil. Always rational, but also ever-repressed.
Lan Xichen said with great effort, "It seems none of us truly know the depths of his heart. We know now what A-Le believes to be true, and thus what crusade he intends to pursue — but perhaps he has been misled as well. If we are irrational about this, a true mastermind may just be attempting to put us at each other's throats, and force us to turn on friend and foe while they watch from the sidelines. A-Yao has many enemies, direct or indirect, and there are those who would love to conspire his downfall, but don't have the means to execute it. And thus, they could be framing him, using us as their weapon, taking advantage of you, me, A-Le…all while making us doubt even ourselves. I won't — I can't let that happen to the people I care about. So can we all just take a moment to…breathe?"
Wei Wuxian, worried that the two brothers and the two lovers would quarrel against Lan Xichen from all sides because of this, quickly interjected, "Sect Leader Lan…"
According to Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian had been forced into an Empathy session when he had discovered Nie Mingjue's head in his paper effigy form. Without the protection of his real body, he'd had no defenses against the pure hatred rolling off of Chifeng-zun.
Thanks to the connections Fu Xuanming and Lan Wangji had placed on Wei Wuxian, they had sensed something was wrong. Fu Xuanming was pulled into a world of Nie Xianle's dreams, and Lan Wangji was able to pull Wei Wuxian back to his senses, getting slight hints of the story as well and occasionally making out what Wei Wuxian was seeing. However only Wei Wuxian could say for certain everything he had properly witnessed and felt within the forced Empathy session.
He had witnessed Jin Guangyao's treachery, cunning, and ambition all from the perspective of Nie Mingjue, but if Jin Guangyao had worn a mask in front of Lan Xichen for all these years, then there was no reason for Lan Xichen to distrust his own sworn brother in favor of someone who was notorious for bloody deeds.
Lan Xichen nodded. "Wei-gongzi, there's no need for you to worry. I will not be partial to any one side until the truth is uncovered, nor will I reveal your whereabouts. Otherwise, I would not have allowed Wangji to bring you to my Wintry Room or helped treat your injuries."
Fu Xuanming couldn't help but say, "That heart of yours. I always said it would be your downfall." She rose to her feet and held up a hand before he could speak. "But it's ever so beautiful, even now. Whatever is truth, whatever is false, don't lose it. I'd like very much to be proven wrong."
For a moment, Lan Xichen just stared at her. He was not smiling. His eyes seemed to be digging through hers, searching for the soul beyond the face. It was like he could not see Fu Xuanming, but he also couldn't see Nie Xianle. Whoever this person before him was, all he knew was that he felt this wretched ache in his heart — the pain of separation, of being unable to find them, but wanting nothing more than to have them in his arms.
He couldn't understand either of their minds, no matter how he rationalized it. He couldn't reach them. The way they thought would always differ from him, it seemed, but that was just how people were. It would be more jarring if someone like Fu Xuanming abruptly started agreeing with anything and everything Lan Xichen said.
Fu Xuanming, he knew, didn't truly care. This whole affair didn't involve her, she felt nothing personally for or against Jin Guangyao or Nie Mingjue. At best, she was a spectator, watching a play unfold before her, behind a curtain of disconnect.
Nie Xianle felt isolated from everyone, tending only to his own personal feelings and affairs, regardless of what anyone else thought of him. He had always felt alone, misunderstood, and even when he found someone to love and be loved by, he still ultimately felt like he was let down by them…or being the one to let them.
Lan Xichen had tried to make an effort to reach out to him, as he once had with Fu Xuanming. Someone who he may disapprove of at times, but who he would always make an effort to understand before passing judgment. Lan Xichen refused to believe that Nie Xianle's heart hadn't touched his at least once. How could he accept that Nie Xianle would abandon all of that for this revenge plot — that Lan Xichen couldn't find a way to save him from himself?
"Many thanks to Sect Leader Lan for giving us a chance," Wei Wuxian said. "Chifeng-zun's head was in Jin Guangyao's secret chamber — that's the honest truth. It wasn't planted, it wasn't brought by one of the guests or snuck in just that day; it was specifically sealed there, and Jin Guangyao knew it. Not only did I see the head, but I was also assaulted by its aura of resentment and saw some other stuff in the process. I wonder if any of that could be considered proof?"
With composure, Lan Xichen said, "Wei-gongzi, perhaps you did indeed see some…things. But you cannot prove that you saw them in the secret chamber of Golden Carp Tower."
"That's true." Wei Wuxian grunted. "Then lemme say something else. Chifeng-zun's direct cause of death certainly was qi deviation, but Sect Leader Lan, don't you think the timing was too great a coincidence? The saber spirit's influence is one thing, but did you ever consider that there could be other causes behind it?"
"And what might those causes be, do you think?" Lan Xichen asked.
"A spiritual song of purification," Wei Wuxian said.
"Wei-gongzi," Lan Xichen said, "are you aware that I personally taught Jin Guangyao how to play that song of purification?"
"In that case, I'd like to ask Sect Leader Lan to listen and see if there's anything off about this melody."
Fu Xuanming immediately tossed Wei Wuxian a newly-made bamboo flute. This one would hopefully be in even better tune than the last. Lan Wangji had been making it while he waited for Wei Wuxian to wake.
He lowered his head and thought for a moment before he began to play. Once the song was over, he asked, "Sect Leader Lan, is this really the song you taught Jin Guangyao?"
"It is," Lan Xichen confirmed.
Wei Wuxian was a little surprised, but he kept his cool. "What's it called?"
"This piece is called 'Cleansing.' It can purify the heart and calm the mind. I have taught it to Fu Xuanming as well."
"Cleansing," Wei Wuxian echoed. "I've listened to plenty of famous songs from around the cultivation world, so why have I never heard this name or its melody before?"
"The piece is obscure," Fu Xuanming agreed, "and difficult to learn. Huan-xiansheng thought to try and keep me distracted while I was on house arrest back in our Gusu days. Little did he know, I have a divine sense when it comes to music. Did Jin Guangyao specifically ask to learn this piece?"
"Correct," Lan Xichen confirmed.
"And you've yet witnessed his mastery of it?"
He agreed once more, "I told him that even though Cleansing is hard to learn, it is of the utmost effectiveness. The piece is indeed tricky. Did Wei-gongzi not just play one of the sections incorrectly?"
Something clicked in Wei Wuxian's mind when he heard this. "I played it wrong?"
"There was a section in the middle that was incorrect," Lan Wangji confirmed.
Wei Wuxian laughed. "Nah. It wasn't me who was wrong — it was Jin Guangyao! That was definitely what he played during the assault of resentful energy. I guarantee you that I replayed that version without a single mistake."
"Nie Xianle's memories tell me the same," Fu Xuanming said. "That was the melody he played whenever he came to the Impure Realm — although at the time, Nie Xianle was not so musically inclined as to hear anything of note."
Lan Xichen was astonished. "Then he was the one who learned it wrong? That…is impossible."
"That's true indeed. Lianfang-zun is awfully smart and has an excellent memory. How could he have misremembered the melody? I'm afraid it's most likely intentional. You said it happened every time he played for Chifeng-zun?"
"Every time Nie Xianle was present to witness it, yes." Fu Xuanming sung the basic ups and downs of the tune, but specifically sped up until she reached a certain section. "I'd never forget such a charming melody — and the new section that did ever so confuse me at first."
"I'll play it again. Sect Leader Lan, Hanguang-jun, this time, please listen carefully to the 'incorrect' bit."
He lifted his flute to his lips again, careful to emphasize each note. Wei Wuxian's musical talent was indeed on par with that of the Twin Jades of Lan — at least enough to have actually mastered playing Cleansing just from memory after hearing it through a resentful Empathy!
When he neared the end of the second section, Lan Wangji said, "Stop."
"It is the section you just played," Lan Xichen said.
Wei Wuxian withdrew the flute from his lips. "Really? It doesn't sound out of place to me."
"It certainly is not discordant," Fu Xuanming agreed, "but it does not form part of Cleansing."
If it had been an ordinary mistake, it would not have blended so seamlessly with the rest of the original melody, like milk in water. This particular revision must have been deliberately polished before its inclusion. And the unfamiliar melody that had crept its way into Cleansing was very possibly the key to Nie Mingjue's death.
Fu Xuanming hummed the incorrect piece to herself, over and over. "It sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before? Hm-hm-hmhm-hm…"
She continued the piece into a new melody, then restarted and tried another continuation, then another.
"Oh! I have heard it before! Well, I haven't heard it, but I've read the piece. It's harder to recognize when I didn't go to the effort of translating it on an instrument."
"So this is from another proper piece and not just improvised?" Wei Wuxian followed.
"Technically, all music is improvised. Anyway, just follow me."
As they stepped out of the house, Wei Wuxian was slightly taken aback. They had been in a small and secluded cottage located in some hidden corner of the Cloud Recesses.
The Lan Clan's residence was situated deep in the mountains, and its territory was capped by towering pine trees. Most of the scenery consisted of lush green trees and eupatorium grass. There were some flowers, but they were all simple, elegant varieties such as magnolias, gardenias, and white chrysanthemums — and even then, they were rare and fleeing sights, serving mainly as occasional ornaments.
But the area around this cottage was abundant with purple gentian. The flowers were dainty and delicate, and their color was vivid and captivating, capable of ensnaring the hearts of all who wandered there. They seemed to emit a faint glow under the night's dark sky. The sight was beautiful, like a dream, an illusion.
Wei Wuxian felt there must be something special about this place, but he was only able to take a quick glance, not examine it in detail. Hai time had already passed, and most of the Cloud Recesses had retired for the night. It was incomparably still and silent, and as Lan Xichen and Fu Xuanming led them to the Library Pavilion, they did not encounter a single soul.
The Cloud Recesses had once been burnt to the ground. While this Library Pavilion was no longer the one of the past, its layout was no different from the original after its reconstruction. Even the magnolia tree outside the pavilion had finally grown to resemble the old one.
The four entered the pavilion, and Wei Wuxian voiced his doubt. "We can find the source of that melody here?"
"As if you've read enough of the texts in here to doubt me," Fu Xuanming huffed.
Wei Wuxian bowed deeply in an exaggerated motion. "Oh, my apologies, humble one. Please, grace me with your boring book wisdom."
"What we seek is not here exactly," Lan Xichen said. He walked to a particular row of bookshelves and crouched down to lift a mat that covered a wooden panel. "…But here, yes."
A secret door lay beneath the wooden panel.
"Didn't even need a flute or a riddle, I see," Fu Xuanming said.
Lan Xichen chuckled to himself. "Privileges of the Sect Leader's company."
Wei Wuxian was still slightly confused. "What's this all about? Your secret stash of —?"
Fu Xuanming flicked him before he could finish with something scandalous.
"The Room of Forbidden Books," Lan Wangji explained.
Under the secret door was a dark staircase that went on for more than fifty steps. The four descended the dark steps and a dry, spacious underground stone chamber materialized before their eyes. The sound of their footsteps resonated hollowly.
"Just as cheery as the previous one," Fu Xuanming sighed. Even the books were dusty from years of neglect. "Did you organize everything the same as before?"
"See, when I snuck around, it was to do fun things," Wei Wuxian said, "but you just snuck around to read books."
"I still can't read, dumbass." Fu Xuanming wanted to smack him with a book, but felt it would be slightly disrespectful. "Musical scores, however, now those I can read."
In truth, Fu Xuanming had not read anything from the Room of Forbidden Books in the room itself. She only had the opportunity when she was on the run with Lan Xichen, trying to occupy herself with the only books that she could make sense of.
Lan Xichen brought them to a particular shelf. "All the books in this section are records of unusual music scores."
There was still just a single desk in the Room of Forbidden Books, which had only one paper lamp on it. Lan Wangji took the papers and brushes that had been untouched for many years from the shelf and made four copies of the score for the altered section of Cleansing from memory. Fu Xuanming made a few more copies, trying to recreate the continuation of the melody in a way that looked familiar.
The four of them sat around the desk and divided the work, with each responsible for a few dozen books. Book after book, page after page, they compared the melodies listed in the forbidden books to the transcribed section, looking for anything that matched,
"A blue book? That seems familiar…though maybe not. It definitely wasn't a scroll…I think."
Wei Wuxian balled up one of Fu Xuanming's music sheets and tossed it at her. "And you make fun of me for having a bad memory."
She caught it and tossed it back. "You do have a poor memory. Even worse than mine, which is saying something."
Lan Wangji caught the paper before Wei Wuxian could hurl it back. "Do not waste."
He smoothed out the sheet as best he could and went back to searching.
After four hours, the four of them still had not found anything that matched that section of the song. In other words, they were unsuccessful in finding its source.
Fu Xuanming wondered if Lan Xichen had stored some of her own work down here. All the dangerous texts she had from Wen Ruohan, along with the experimentation from demonic cultivation — even if it was horribly taboo to have such information, it was also valuable to keep it stored away just in case another tried to use it. What was the Room of Forbidden Books if not for the most forbidden of books?
If Fu Xuanming was going crazy and Jin Guangyao had composed the magic melody on his own, the only way to test it would be having someone replicate listening to it for months straight. But although he was clever, composing was far more difficult than regular playing. Especially to such a very specific end, finding the right spiritual energy to infuse within the song, it was not something one could simply do at random.
Fu Xuanming did feel sympathy for Jin Guangyao. He had overcome much adversity to be where he was in life, constantly teetering on the edge of losing everything no matter how low he began or how high he rose. Was Nie Mingjue a bit of a self-righteous pain in the ass? Yes. But he got things done, he wanted to fight the horrible injustices of the world with his own sense of honor and honesty.
If Fu Xuanming had been the target of his wrath (actually, she had been at certain instances), she might have done something similar if keeping her reputation was at all important to her. But Fu Xuanming was not Jin Guangyao. She had always had the benefit of knowing even if she was killed, that wouldn't ever be enough to stop her. If she didn't like how she was being treated and didn't feel like comprimising, she would make her intentions clear and accept any and all consequences. For those who did fear death, even the slightest misstep was enough to end a whole life's worth of potential.
In the end, it was all Jin Guangshan's fault. Having so many children, then abandoning them so harshly. And for some reason, so many of them just wanted acknowledgement from their father.
She wondered if Jin Zixuan would have led the Jin Clan of Lanling differently. He had changed significantly in the process of marrying Jiang Yanli, caring more about family and loyalty and faithfulness. He might have properly taken in many of his half-siblings if ever they came to him. Even Mo Xuanyu might have found his place, somehow. But that was all speculation; Mo Xuanyu was troublesome enough even when he was sane.
After having stared at tiny, tightly packed words for so long, Wei Wuxian's vision was getting a little blurry. He had several books still left in his stack, so he planned on coming back to them after he took a short break. Lan Wangji had already finished reviewing his own pile. He quietly took the books that Wei Wuxian had set aside and lowered his head as he continued to flip through them.
Lan Xichen witnessed this scene when he glanced up. He seemed to want to say something but ultimately held himself back.
Fu Xuanming had kept handing him books with actual words to read, only skimming through the parts with musical scores. Not even being Nie Xianle would get her to learn how to read, even if she enjoyed fumbling around writing characters when there was something in it for her. With the free time she saved, she kept sketching out different variations of the song that sounded like they might be right.
Lan Xichen reached over and guided her brush to produce the potential music score that could follow their confirmed portion. Then, he realized how inappropriate it was, he wordlessly returned to flipping through his pile of texts.
Fu Xuanming, unable to help herself, slid closer in her seat and leaned her head over his shoulder, pretending to read what he did. After a period, Lan Xichen finally turned to glance at her, but she continued the act and even reached down to flip to the next page.
Finally realizing what she was doing, Lan Xichen debated how to respond. For a time, he just continued to stare at her, and Fu Xuanming didn't crack and continued avoiding his gaze.
Finally, he dropped his head to continue reading, and found that Fu Xuanming had skipped through half the book in front of him to get to the portion with the music scores. For some inexplicable reason, this brought a smile to his face.
Lan Wangji witnessed their interactions every now and then upon glancing up, but didn't say anything as he continued through Wei Wuxian's pile.
Just then, Lan Wangji said, "This one."
He passed over the book he held. Wei Wuxian promptly perked up. He eagerly looked over the two pages Lan Wangji had presented to him, comparing it to the fragmentary score in his hands.
"…It's not the same at all?"
Lan Wangji moved to sit down beside him and point out the detail he'd spotted. "Consider these pages in sequence."
Wei Wuxian seemed slightly distracted with Lan Wangji so close, his voice right next to his ear, low and magnetic. Fu Xuanming cycled through some of her drawings and then turned them upside down to line up with the book as Wei Wuxian was forced to set it on the table before he lost his grip. With some difficulty, he collected himself and forced himself to tear his eyes away from Lan Wangji's long, fair, slender fingers.
He carefully compared the pages before him. "This part does seem pretty similar…oh. The front and back."
At first glance, there didn't seem to be anything strange about the pages. But if those familiar with music were to pay close attention, they would notice that the tune on one page did not connect to the tune on the next.
Wei Wuxian took out his flute and followed along with the score. Sure enough, the two melodies were disconnected: the half score on the previous page did not belong to the same piece as the half score on the next. While Fu Xuanming was slightly off on all of her variations of the song, the common theme she had made did indeed make the following page seem like it could have been another of her guesses.
There should have been another page between these two. Someone had carefully torn it out without leaving any traces behind. The removal had been extremely meticulous — not a single shred of the page remained, making it difficult to notice.
Wei Wuxian flipped the book over to see its title. Four words marked the book's dark blue cover.
"Ha, I knew it was blue!" Fu Xuanming exclaimed.
"Collection of Spirit Turmoil," Wei Wuxian read. "What is this book? The pieces in here sound a little weird."
"A collection of secret songs from Dongying," Lan Wangji explained.
"Oh, Dongying." Fu Xuanming flipped through the book and skimmed the music. "No wonder they don't sound like anything from over here."
Lan Xichen wore a complicated expression. "…It has been said that the Collection of Spirit Turmoil was compiled by a disciple of the Lan Clan of Gusu during his years spent wandering Dongying after drifting there by boat. It is a collection of wicked songs. If one were to infuse spiritual energy into any of the pieces in this book while playing them, the songs could be used to harm others."
"One could make their victim waste away, drive them to irascible moods, agitate their vital energy, lose their five senses…" Fu Xuanming agreed. "Those possessing great spiritual power could even end a person's life within seven notes. If someone was weaker in spiritual power and only using a fraction of the song…"
Wei Wuxian smacked the desk. "This is it!"
In his moment of joy, the blow almost knocked over the paper lantern on the desk. A keen-eyed Lan Wangji deftly caught it in time.
"Sect Leader Lan, is there a song in the Collection of Spirit Turmoil that can disturb someone's mind, agitate their primordial spirit, unsettle their vital energy, and make them easily prone to anger?"
"…There should be," Lan Xichen granted.
"Jin Guangyao's spiritual power isn't high enough to take someone's life within seven notes, and that method is far too conspicuous anyway. He wouldn't choose a song that kills directly." Wei Wuxian worked out his thoughts aloud. "But if he spent three straight months playing spiritual purification music under the pretext of helping Chifeng-zun calm his mind…then is it possible for such a song to act as a catalyst for Chifeng-zun's eventual outburst, like a slow-acting poison?"
"…Yes," Lan Xichen answered. Fu Xuanming watched as his expression became more and more calm. No, that wasn't the word for it. It was like watching his energy drain from his eyes, until he was nothing but a statue. A man carved of fine jade, beautiful but lifeless. Calm. Calm? Calm. Terrifyingly calm.
Unrelenting, Wei Wuxian went on, "Then my deduction makes sense. The section that didn't belong to Cleansing came from the lost page of the Collection of Spirit Turmoil. All the wicked songs of Dongying documented in the Collection of Spirit Turmoil are complicated and hard to learn. He didn't have time to copy it out in the Room of Forbidden Books, so he had no other option but to tear — no, that's not right. Jin Guangyao can memorize something with a single glance."
"He tore the page out not because he wouldn't be able to recall it but because he didn't want to leave proof behind," Fu Xuanming agreed. "To ensure that, if his scheme was unraveled one day or if he was caught red-handed, there would be no way to determine the song's origin."
Wei Wuxian admonished, "Everything he's ever done, he's done with extreme caution. He played the real version of Cleansing when you were present. Chifeng-zun wasn't a man who was interested in artistic pursuits, but he had a basic impression of the melody from hearing Sect Leader Lan play it. Because of that, Jin Guangyao didn't dare play the wicked song outright. Instead, he went to significant trouble to fuse two tunes with very different styles and completely opposite effects. To think he could knit them into a seamless whole — his musical talent is outstanding! My guess is that he infused very little spiritual energy when playing Cleansing but went all out when he got to the but from the Collection of Spirit Turmoil. Chifeng-zun wasn't familiar with this cultivation technique. He would never have been able to tell that Cleansing had been altered by Jin Guangyao into a deadly, diabolical ditty!"
"Please never say diabolical ditty again," Fu Xuanming sighed.
After a long stretch of silence, Lan Xichen said quietly, "…Although he frequents the Cloud Recesses, I have never told him of the Library Pavilion's Room of Forbidden Books."
Fu Xuanming sighed. "Forgive me for being blunt, Huan-xiansheng, but Lianfang-zun was an undercover agent in the Wen Clan of Qishan's Nightless City during the Sunshot Campaign. And an exceptional one, at that. He was able to find Wen Ruohan's secret chamber and sneak into it unnoticed to memorize all the maps and records there, then transcribe the information from memory to send back to Golden Carp Tower. To him, the Lan Library Pavilion's Room of Forbidden Books really is nothing."
Lan Xichen stared at the fragmented melody in his hand for a moment, then said, "I…will think of a way to test this."
"Xiongzhang?" Lan Wangji asked.
"When da-ge passed away, the Siege of the Burial Mounds had already concluded. Wei-gongzi and Fu-gongzi were no longer with us," Lan Xichen said. "If the tests prove your deductions to be true and not a fabrication, if they prove this fragmented score is capable of disturbing the mind, I…"
"Zewu-jun," Wei Wuxian said, "testing a wicked song on a living person probably goes against the Lan Clan's precepts."
"I will test it on myself," Lan Xichen stated.
As the head of the Lan Clan of Gusu, to say something so preposterous made it obvious his mind was in turmoil.
"Listen to you," Fu Xuanming tried to tease. "Your mind is already disturbed before you've heard a single note. Nevermind that. I'll do it — I'm not part of the Lan Clan, and I'll make a counter-song to reverse the effects while we study it."
"Xiongzhang," Lan Wangji urged.
"Wangji," he said quietly, sounding pained. "The Jin Guangyao I know is a completely different person from the Jin Guangyao the two of you know — and the Jin Guangyao the rest of the world knows! All these years, he has always…suffered in silence to do his duty. He cares about all living beings. He is respectful of his superiors and compassionate to his subordinates. I have always firmly believed that the world's denunciation of him is born from misunderstanding and that the person I know is the real him. You want me to believe that everything this man has shown me has been a lie? That he plotted to kill one of his own sworn brothers and that I was a pawn in his scheme, who even lent him a helping hand… Would you please allow me the chance to exercise some prudence before passing judgment?"
Lan Xichen had been mindful of the bad blood between Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao, wanting them to bury the hatchet and reconcile. That was why he had taught Jin Guangyao purification music and asked him to calm Nie Mingjue's heart and mind on his behalf. Who could possibly have predicted that his good intentions would play into Jin Guangyao's schemes? How was he to live with himself? How could Lan Xichen not blame himself for what Jin Guangyao had done, because he had not been able to stop it?
"People can be more than one thing, Lan Xichen." Fu Xuanming began cleaning up the books and papers to return to their proper places. "Hey, I don't want to denounce him either. I believe that if he were given everything he had been due in return for his efforts, this accusation would have been impossibly far-fetched. But this world is not so kind. Every man must snap eventually when he gives everything and receives nothing in return. What he does when he snaps is what I tend to judge, not that he snapped itself. Once he finally received something, I have to wonder why it was only when others had things taken in turn. I have no stakes in this — I want to believe in all the good he's done and might continue to do and I want to admire the sheer twisted genius of all the treachery."
"You would," Wei Wuxian murmured.
"You have stakes in this, though, and so does Xianle," Fu Xuanming continued. "If you must do anything, don't do it alone."
Lan Xichen took a deep, controlled breath. "You have always told me not to trust. Are you telling me to trust you now?"
"Oh certainly not. I've been honest with you about how dishonest I can be. Hell, I don't even trust myself sometimes. You have to accept that sometimes lies and truth are not absolute in a person." Fu Xuanming lowered her voice and tried to dispel her natural dismissive nature. "But if he does end up being false, don't blame yourself. Don't hate yourself, and don't stop trusting in yourself. I won't — none of us will, and none of us should. If Xianle brought me back for no other reason, it's to stubbornly keep you from self-deprecating into an early grave."