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In Chongyang, on a night hunt.
Jiang Cheng has never thought he would meet Wei Wuxian again under these circumstances.
Since the day at Yunping, when they parted at the Guanyin temple, he has never seen his shixiong again. Of course, he has heard all about the rumours of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji’s travels, praises for their efforts in helping the commoners without discrimination. He also knows that Wei Wuxian has a tendency of bringing a group of juniors, alongside the Ghost General, with him on his night hunts. As a result, for him to appear in an area that has been under duress from a high-level resentful spirit should come as no surprise.
But knowing in theory and reality are two different things, and given the situation, Jiang Cheng doesn’t know how he should face him.
In all honesty, they shouldn’t have run into each other in the first place. The small village on the edge of Chongyang had been running out of land with how much their population had grown, and so the farmers had cleared part of a nearby forest to create more arable land. In order to appease the forest, which had been so old that some of the trees have become semi-sentient, the villagers had built a shrine in the heart of what is left of the forest, leaving a portion of their harvest as thanks every year.
However, the offerings have diminished in quantity and quality in recent years as the younger generation had taken over, no longer believing in the forest’s might. In retaliation, the spirits of the dead trees have returned with a vengeance, rendering the farmland infertile and attacking anyone who dares to enter the forest. The shrine itself has been surrounded by a maze array, misleading unwanted visitors to become lost forever.
It is this array that leads them to walk in circles, leads them into each other’s paths. Through the fog, Jiang Cheng sees the vague figures of Wei Wuxian and a few Lan Sect disciples, surprised to see that Lan Wangji is not by his side.
The two of them make eye contact awkwardly for a moment, until Wei Wuxian coughs dryly and says, “Ah, Jiang Cheng, you’re here too.”
Jiang Cheng resists the urge to roll his eyes. “This matter concerns the people of Yunmeng, how can I not?” he replies in cold indifference. Without waiting for a response, he continues, “Since I’m here, there is no need for you to stay.”
One of the disciples—what is his name, again?—steps forward and speaks before Wei Wuxian can dignify himself with an answer. “With all due respect, Sect Leader Jiang, we are not here to steal your prey. However, since we are both here, would it not be better if we worked together?”
Ah yes, his name is Lan Sizhui. The polite one who always tries to play mediator whenever conflict arises.
Jiang Cheng narrows his eyes. “Are you suggesting that I am incapable of disposing of the monster on my own?”
Lan Sizhui bows quickly. “This junior would never deign to make such a suggestion, Sect Leader Jiang.”
Wei Wuxian lets out a force laugh, pulling the young man back. “If Jiang Cheng says he doesn’t need us, then we can just leave, haha. It’s not a big deal.”
Leaving no room for further discussion, he steers the disciples away, flashing Jiang Cheng a false smile before turning away. Jiang Cheng remains rooted in place, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword tightly as he watches them fade from view.
A chill down his spine is all the warning Jiang Cheng gets when something shoots out of the woods, a dark shape moving far too quickly for his eyes to see properly. It heads straight for his heart, making an inhuman growl within the cloud of shadows. He draws his sword in a flash, barely lifting it in time to defend himself, and—
Someone pushes him out of the way harshly, unexpectedly, making him stumble to the side. There’s a pained grunt, and the figure next to him is falling to his knees, pressing a hand against his chest.
“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng shouts before he can stop himself, rushing to Wei Wuxian’s side and helping him sit down. “I told you to leave.”
“Ah, I was going to,” Wei Wuxian says, forcing his tone to be light. “But then I felt the thing, and, well…” he trails off. Something must occur to him, because he sits up suddenly, before hissing in pain. “Sizhui! Jingyi! Ah, shit…”
“The maze array,” Jiang Cheng says, brushing aside Wei Wuxian’s hand to examine his wound. He lets out a sigh of relief when he realizes it is only a surface wound, not poisoned, but the sight of the ugly scratches oozing blood still makes his stomach twist uncomfortably.
Reaching into his qiankun sleeve, he produces a roll of clean cloth bandages, before pushing Wei Wuxian’s robes open to take care of the wound. The actions are practiced—he has spent countless hours in his childhood bandaging up Wei Wuxian—but his shixiong’s new body is slighter, more delicate, like he might crumble under too much pressure.
“Quit moving,” he chastises when Wei Wuxian makes to stand up. “Your little disciples will be fine if they’re even half-competent cultivators, and I’ve seen those Lan kids fight. If you’re worried about them, you shouldn’t have come back.”
“If I didn’t come back, you might’ve gotten hurt—ow! Can you be more careful?!” Wei Wuxian yelps in complaint, pouting.
“Good, I hope it hurts,” Jiang Cheng bites out, even though he stops winding the bandages as tightly. “Maybe that will teach you to stop meddling in things that aren’t your business.”
Wei Wuxian flinches at his words, before falling uncharacteristically silent. It isn’t until Jiang Cheng is pulling his robes back close that he says, quietly, “I don’t like seeing the people I care about get hurt.”
Jiang Cheng’s hands still on the lapels, before he pulls away entirely. In a voice that doesn’t sound like his own, far too calm for the turbulence in his heart, he demands, “Then have you ever considered how I feel? Wei Wuxian, you haven’t changed one bit, playing hero even when things are out of your power. Is it really that hard for you to not interfere?”
“Then would you rather that I stand to the side like a fool as the people I care about suffer? Apologies, but I can’t do it,” Wei Wuxian replies, and when he looks up, there is a fiery determination in his eyes. “I’d rather have you hate me and be safe, than be hurt knowing I could’ve prevented it.”
As if Wei Wuxian’s words break a dam in his chest, Jiang Cheng can longer hold back. “You get upset when you see your loved ones suffer, do I not get upset when I see my loved ones suffer?” In his anger, he blurts out, “Back then, if I wasn’t scared of losing you, would I have—” he cuts himself off when he realizes what he’s saying, but it’s too late.
Wei Wuxian freezes. “Jiang Cheng,” he says slowly, his eyes never leaving Jiang Cheng’s face.”What are you talking about?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Jiang Cheng spits, turning away. “Like you said, it’s all in the past. Move on.”
“Jiang Cheng!” Wei Wuxian surges forward despite his injuries to grip his shoulders, shaking him slightly. “Talk properly!”
Jiang Cheng laughs bitterly. “You really think I’m that stupid? That I would go back to Lotus Pier on my own even for my parents’ bodies?”
Wei Wuxian must have turned to stone, his face frozen in an unreadable expression.
Ignoring him, Jiang Cheng continues, letting all the feelings he’s suppressed for thirteen years flood out. With the way things have developed, there is no going back. “I was the Jiang Sect heir and you were the son of a servant. They would have killed you without a second thought. Wen Chao literally threw you into the Burial Mounds.
“I’m sorry to break it to you, Wei Wuxian, but you aren’t all-powerful. Every time, you always rush in to save the day, and I’m always the person who has to deal with the consequences. The one time I try to do the opposite, you ended up sacrificing for me anyway.”
“Jiang Cheng—”
Jiang Cheng laughs, feeling a hollowness in his chest where he once held his emotions tightly. “You know, A-Die must be so happy under the Nine Springs. It’s your core in me. I’d be nothing without it, so in a way, you became the heir he’d always wanted for Lotus Pier.”
“Jiang Cheng, why didn’t you ever tell me?” Wei Wuxian asks, lost in a way he hasn’t been since their youth. There is almost a lifelessness in his eyes, and Jiang Cheng hates seeing him like this.
“Because of this exact reason. I don’t need your pity or understanding, Wei Wuxian. It doesn’t change a thing. Just like you didn’t tell me about the golden core. If your pet fierce corpse hadn’t taken Suibian, would you have ever told me?”
Wei Wuxian’s silence tells him enough.
“Take your own advice, let go of the past,” Jiang Cheng says dismissively, standing up and straightening his robes.
Wei Wuxian lets out a small laugh, but there is no mirth in his voice. “I’ll never be cleared of my debt to the Jiangs, huh.”
“There is no debt to be repaid,” Jiang Cheng answers, feeling calm now that the truth is out. Then, knowing his next words could very well backfire on him, he says carefully, “If you view our entire relationship as nothing but a transaction, then you might as well forget everything and just leave.”
Wei Wuxian scrambles to his feet quickly, looking at Jiang Cheng in shock. Jiang Cheng hates the way his face flickers through a million emotions as he hears what Jiang Cheng isn’t saying. He’s always had a way to read his mind.
After a beat, Wei Wuxian throws his arms around Jiang Cheng, and even though the new height difference is unfamiliar, the way Wei Wuxian hugs isn’t. It takes him a moment to realize that Wei Wuxian is crying.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he says wetly into Jiang Cheng robes.
Sighing, Jiang Cheng lifts his arms up to pat his back awkwardly. He hates the strange new dynamic between them, so he falls into the easy pattern of making fun of Wei Wuxian. “Since when do you know the words ‘I’m sorry’? Alright, I got it, so stop crying. Don’t tell me you want me to comfort you.”
“Jiang Cheng,” Wei Wuxian wails, smacking him half-heartedly. “We’re having a moment.”
“All I see is you doing your best Nie Huaisang impression,” he shoots back without missing a beat. “Alright, quit it, there’s still a tree spirit to dispatch.”
Wei Wuxian pulls away, sniffling, wiping at his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he says again. “And thank you. I’ll visit, I promise.”
Jiang Cheng snorts. “Stop making promises, I won’t believe anything you say anymore.”
“I’m serious!” Wei Wuxian squawks indignantly, and he scoffs.
Still, he softens. “Even if we walk different paths now, Lotus Pier will always be your home,” he says quietly.
Wei Wuxian starts sniffling harder, and Jiang Cheng has to force himself to look away before he starts crying, heat prickling at his eyes as his nose sours.
“Jiang Cheng, my good shidi, I always knew you cared,” Wei Wuxian says dramatically.
Well, that is one way to stop his tears before they can start flowing.
Jiang Cheng rolls his eyes. “Who’s your shidi?” He smacks Wei Wuxian’s shoulder lightly. “Come on, let’s go.”
Wei Wuxian laughs and agrees, wiping away the rest of his tears.
As they stalk off together, walking side by side the way they used to during night hunts in Yunmeng, Jiang Cheng feels something settle in his chest. The two of them may be different now, the naive notion of the Twin Prides of Yunmeng shattered in blood and fires, but in this instant, they are with one another, and that’s enough.