Chapter Text
Back in the days where the Five Great Sects were really just starting to be called that, there was a small sect with one immensely powerful secret technique—artefact—combination of both. It wasn’t that it couldn’t be duplicated, it was just that it wasn’t needed. The Sect Leader had a mirror that could spy on anyone.
And he used it to steal other Sect’s secret techniques. And that is the thing with secret techniques no one was going to reveal their own method to prove that the outwardly identical Messenger Butterfly was in fact identical. But the Sect Leader got greedy and learned how to enter other’s treasure rooms and stole from them, and that was how he was caught.
The Five Great Sects at that time decided that the mirror could be used for good, for example in times of war. For in those days, wars were often fought against a common enemy. The artefact was split into five components and each given to one of the Great Sects, while all other records were burned and everyone forgot about it.
Lan XiChen had only heard of it when he was going over the extent of the fire damage and the elders had expressed their relief that the Wens had not gotten the Lan portion of the artefact. He could see from his seat that Jiang WanYin was learning what Yao-Zongzhu was talking about in that moment as one of his elders whispered in his ear and more and more sparks seemed to fly from the young sect leader.
It was a good thing that Lan WangJi had not gone to that Yearly Discussion Conference, for it was somehow Yao-Zongzhu who had come into possession of the Wen portion of the artefact and he was suggesting that they spy on Wei WuXian in the Burial Mounds.
It was a serious thing to consider, and the issue wouldn’t be brought up again until the end of the Discussion Conference, to give the sects time to discuss with their people about whether they wanted to take that step or not.
The Lans liked to meditate on an issue individually before coming together to discuss it, so Lan XiChen first spoke to others when he got together with his sworn brothers.
‟WangJi was in Yiling wasn’t he?” asked Nie MingJue.
‟Yes, before Spring Festival,” confirmed Lan XiChen.
‟Did he tell you anything about the situation?” question ChiFeng-Zun.
‟Well, he said it wasn’t what we were led to believe.”
Jin GuangYao added, ‟But remember you said he wanted to bring someone back to Cloud Recesses, I still hold that it must be Wei-Gongzi.”
‟Yes,” Lan XiChen admitted, ‟I, too, believe that my brother has feelings for Wei-Gongzi.”
‟But did he give you any details?” pushed the Nie Sect leader.
‟If he did, could he be trusted?” added LianFang-Zun.
Both Lan XiChen and Nie MingJue looked at Jin GuangYao like he was crazy. He bowed his head and demurred. ‟I just mean that it isn’t a lie if you don’t divulge all the details and he did go and request punishment from Lan-Xiansheng.”
Lan XiChen nodded. ‟I had confronted him about his feelings for Wei-Gongzi right before he had gone to Shufu.”
‟See, he is a biased opinion,” said Jin GuangYao.
‟And we aren’t?” snorted ChiFeng-Zun, ‟We still don’t know all the details from Qiongqi Pass, HuaiSang speaks positively of Wei-Gongzi’s moral compass he insists that if Wei-Gongzi freed Wens then the conditions at Qiongqi could not be as the Jin described.”
‟I said this to WangJi as well, but we need to remember that demonic cultivation distorts the mind,” returned Lan XiChen.
‟But to spy? Qinghe has found no evidence that Wei-Gongzi is actually venturing further then Yiling proper, the rumours are just rumours.”
Jin GuangYao hummed. ‟But that is it, people are scared, we don’t know what Wei-Gongzi is doing in the Burial Mounds, if the people there are still living or not. And we don’t know if what the rumours say are true or not. This method is just there to allay our fears, to dispel rumours. Wei-Gongzi is hold up in the Burial Mounds with dangerous Wen criminals after all, who knows what they are planning and that uncertainty scares people.”
‟The use of demonic cultivation is deplorable, and I do not wish for a Wen-dog to go free. As much as I detest this spying; I can see it being the most reasonable solution compared to this prolonged uncertainty,” said ChiFeng-Zun.
Lan XiChen’s lips twitched like they were about to speak but he held himself back. Internally Lan XiChen hemmed and hawed over the issue—his whole being screamed at him that such an under handed spying technique was wrong.
Jin GuangYao repeated, ‟People are scared, besides having all those Wen criminals free, no one before has entered the Burial Mounds and come back out alive. Even as Da-Ge said, and all the rumours about Wei-Gongzi are not correct, with this method we could safely examine the Burial Mounds and what it has done to those Wens and Wei-Gongzi, we already know that they helped to give birth to the Ghost General.”
‟We’ll only see the Burial Mounds from Wei-Gongzi’s perspective, unless you have something of those Wens you can use as a focuser,” reminded Nie MingJue.
‟Blood would be the best method, do the Jiangs even have something suitable to even do this method?” asked Lan XiChen.
‟It is another reason to have all this time to make a decision,” said Jin GuangYao.
They kept going over the issue of using the artefact and the other current issues and then when it was clear that Nie MingJue’s anger spurred from some argument that Lan XiChen couldn’t remember and was focused solely on Jin GuangYao wouldn’t abate they separated. Lan XiChen walked back to the area where GusuLan was staying, to rehash everything again with his own people, at least they would be of a closer mind to Lan XiChen then his sworn brothers.
The annual Discussion Conference that year was hosted by the BalingOuyang Sect and the rooms given over to the Jiang contingent had been between where Lan XiChen had been speaking with his sworn brothers and where the Lans were staying. He didn’t mean to overhear, and Lan XiChen would take the proper punishment when he got back to Cloud Recesses. But despite knowing it was against their precepts he lingered and listened as the Jiang siblings poured out their stress to one another.
‟Will they ever just leave him alone, Jie? He made me break ties with him, he is no longer part of our Sect, he has nothing to do with the cultivation world anymore, he just stays on that cursed mountain farming!”
‟He used Wen QiongLin to kill those guards at Qiongqi Pass and stole those war criminals, A-Cheng that is why people won’t let it go.”
Jiang Cheng snorted. ‟The people I saw there didn’t look like criminals and Wen Ning wasn’t roaming about, Wei WuXian said he was trying to return his spiritual consciousness or something.”
There was a pause and then Jiang YanLi spoke up, ‟If we allow this to happen what are the chances that everyone will see A-Xian as we see him?”
There was another snort. ‟I just walked up the Burial Mounds nothing attacked and when I got to the top all I could see were old farmers and Wei WuXian was arguing with Wen Qing about radishes.”
Jiang YanLi hummed. ‟Radishes are A-Xian’s least favourite, but they are hardy and can grow in poor soil. You visited about a year ago after the last Discussion Conference, I would assume that for the past year A-Xian has been doing his level best to improve the soil of the Burial Mounds so they could grow something other than radishes.”
‟Do you think that would actually take him a year?” asked Jiang Cheng.
‟I guess it depends on how bad the soil is. But think about it A-Cheng, Yao-Zongzhu and the rest they see A-Xian as this horrible person. They want to spy on him so that the sects that are hesitant will finally relent and help to siege the Burial Mounds—”
‟We already know that Jie!”
‟—but what if they see old farmers and A-Xian complaining about how much he hates radishes?”
There was a pause, then Jiang Cheng said, ‟You think we should agree?”
‟Do we think A-Xian has actually changed enough that he is out there killing people and desecrating graves or that he’s sitting on that mountain trying to make an array or talisman that would improve the soil so they could grow something other than radishes?”
It was silent once more then Jiang Cheng admitted, ‟Radishes. All right A-Jie, the Jiang’s will agree, will the Jins?”
Silence reigned once more and Lan XiChen almost left but then Jiang YanLi said, ‟I don’t think this was wholly Yao-Zongzhu’s idea. I think Gongdie is the one that wanted this to happen, and he convinced Yao-Zongzhu to bring it to the floor so if the proposal went over poorly than it wouldn’t be associated with the Jin.”
There was the sound of sparks crackling in the air. ‟Well, then we do this. They’ll be expecting an evil Wei WuXian and that idiot will show him just how stupid a clever person can be.”
Lan XiChen brought back what he had discussed with his sworn brothers to the Lans, while keeping in mind what he had heard from the Jiang siblings. When it came time for the issue to be discussed it was decided that the artefact would be used.
The glass of the artefact was housed at Koi Tower and was arguably the most fragile of the five components. A date about three months later was decided on, as it gave people time to prepare and travel. While the glass was the most fragile the frame was coming from Yunmeng and the stand from Qinghe, safely transporting those components would need time. The Lans like the W—Yaos had a book with the needed spell work and would be meant to only arrive on the day before the showing was set to take place so that no one could use the artefact before the agreed upon time and for the agreed upon purpose.
Without saying a word, the Lans all agreed to not mention the artefact to Lan WangJi, they all silently admitted that the Second Jade was the better Lan and assigned themselves the appropriate punishment.
Summer grew into early autumn, the air still warm and the weather oscillating between too hot for too long and pleasant, with the occasional chilly day when Lan XiChen called his brother into his office.
‟Xiongzhang.”
‟WangJi, I have a night hunt for you, it is a bit far in old Qishan territory,” said Lan XiChen and he handed over the request letter.
Lan WangJi took the letter and scanned it and nodded then he bowed and turned to leave.
‟WangJi, you can take your time with this, if you hear rumours of more night hunts feel free to pursue them. I need to go to Koi Tower, there is an extension of the Discussion Conference that I need to go to.”
‟Should I not stay and take over your duties?” asked Lan WangJi.
‟A couple of the elders expressed not wanting to make the trip in the heat, they can mind the sect, I know you prefer to be out there night hunting,” returned his brother.
The younger brother nodded then he hesitated and asked, ‟Has something happened to Jin-Shao-Furen?”
Lan XiChen tilted his head in confusion. ‟Why do you ask?”
‟This year’s Discussion Conference was in Baling, but you are going to Lanling now.”
There was a pause and then Lan XiChen waved it off. ‟Just better suited for the extension of the talks.”
It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t really a satisfying answer, luckily Lan XiChen knew his brother and knew that he wouldn’t pry.
‟And Jin-Shao-Furen? How is she?”
‟A-Yao says she is glowing with her pregnancy, she is happy and healthy.”
Lan WangJi hummed and then added, ‟Perhaps I should go with you.”
Words that Lan XiChen never really expected to hear from his brother that hated politics, and crowds, and people. ‟You dislike Discussion Conferences; this isn’t one that requires your presence. Is there a reason you think you should attend this? Something with Jin-Shao-Furen?”
‟I believe that Wei Ying should be allowed to attend Jin-Shao-Furen’s child’s One-Month Celebration, he has not been causing trouble, he should be given the chance to prove his character.”
A stone sunk in Lan XiChen’s gut, heavy with guilt, for in a few days he would be taking a tome from the Forbidden Library and flying it to Koi Tower where they would be taking the chance to prove his character of his own volition from Wei WuXian. But at the same time Jin GuangYao’s voice reminded him that his brother could be blinded by love.
Lan XiChen took a deep, calming breath and then said, ‟The truth is that Wei-Gongzi’s conduct is of paramount importance for this discussion. But I feel that your presence at this conference will only upset you, and anything you say in Wei-Gongzi’s favour may be seen as biased. It is the same reason that Jiang-Zongzhu rarely speaks for Wei-Gongzi.”
The last part made Lan WangJi frown.
‟I’ll bring up the matter for you, if it looks like the reattends body agrees with you then it is only natural as the once Head Disciple of YunmengJiang that he attend the celebration. If they think he needs to prove himself reformed the celebration is a great opportunity.”
‟Thank you Xiongzhang.”
The guilt gnawed at Lan XiChen; he’d have to punish himself again for the whole mess. ‟The conference is in about a week, that night hunt request just recently arrived as I was unsure of how long it would take for you to complete I felt best to tell you now that I was leaving. But like I said take your time, at most the conference should take a week, I can give you news on Wei-Gongzi when I return. Or if you decide to do more night hunting or take your time with this one then I’ll give you news when you return.”
It felt like lying, it was true that Lan XiChen didn’t know how long it would take his brother to complete, but he done the maths and if Lan WangJi, left immediately, flew to the place of the night hunt, then immediately turned around and returned, he would still arrive back at Cloud Recesses after they had left for Koi Tower.
‟I understand, thank you Xiongzhang. I will leave in the morning.”
‟Very well, don’t forget to tell Shufu before you leave, and good luck.”
‟I will and good luck to you as well… Wei Ying and the Wens it is not what people have been saying about him.”
‟I’ll keep that in mind. A lot of people are scared right now, no one before Wei-Gongzi had ever gone into the Burial Mounds like that, a person with that sort of power and then mentality to even think to do it is a scary prospect for those who have never truly met Wei-Gongzi.”
Lan WangJi considered the words and then nodded. ‟I will go and prepare.”
Lan XiChen watched his brother go and hoped that he and the Jiang siblings were correct about Wei WuXian so his rising guilt could be turned from the act of spy to using the result to make his brother happy.