Chapter Text
“Have you heard? Sect leader Jiang has been torturing anyone who practices demonic cultivation?”
“That’s right! I’ve heard that he doesn’t even look for proof, if he so much has thinks you’ve practiced it he’ll hunt you down,”
“You’d think killing the Yiling Patriarch would have been enough revenge for him, but now he seeks it out on others.”
“Enough revenge? The Yiling Patriarch was his sworn brother, they grew up together until he betrayed the Jiangs! So he should be capturing them I say, we’ve seen how unreliable they all are. If you’re going to use demonic ways, how are you so different from demons themselves!”
It had been two years to the very day since the end of the great siege at the burial mounds and the evil demonic cultivator Wei Wuxian had plummeted to his death.
Wei Wuxian’s death had been the last of the sect's problems, with no more villainous clans or powerful cultivators to bring destruction and grief to their fellow cultivators, those clans that still remained had declared a treaty and peace. Never again would they allow a war amongst clans. The new alliships that had come from the sunshot campaign continued to flourish, fresh wounds became old and scarred and those whose lives were lost in battle were memories beginning to fade away, but still never to be forgotten.
Recovery had been a long and painful process for all cultivators, and even with all the hard work there was much still to do. No matter the age or the sect the sunshot campaign had left it’s bloody fingerprints over everything, the wen sect colour still tainted with the memories of their evil deeds.
While many now swore that the time of peace was here and would be permanent, sticking with them through all their lifetime, there were many -most of them elders who had seen wars and battles come and go- who would say different, that in some years time there would be another clan, another campaign. Clans would turn against each other and alliships would be broken, wars would come back to them once again as a reminder of the prices they must pay for peace. It was rare for anyone to listen to their pessimistic voices, it was the last thing any wanted to hear as they desperately believed all fighting was behind them. That now the suffering and loss could finally be over.
Instead they chose to look towards places that now stood as pillars of hope. Of all the sects that had suffered great losses through the sunshot campaign it was Yunmeng Jiang that stood above the rest. Like a phoenix being reborn, the Jiang sect had pulled itself up from underneath it’s own ashes, beginning it’s new age as a sect determined to be what it once was and more. Many clans surrounding and far looked toward the Jiang sect with awe and although the sect was still young and only just a shadow of its original stature and greatness, many still treated it the same, and through its disciples there was a deep sense of pride for how much they had managed to achieve in such a small time, and every one of them believed it was all thanks to their sect leader, Jiang Wanyin.
With so much attention put on the Jiang sect it didn’t take long for the sect leader, Jiang Wanyin to earn a respectable name for himself as a leader, and not just from his disciples but from all those who had closely watched the Jiang sect affairs from a distance. Old cultivators agreed that the young man was someone who should be admired and that the young cultivators should strive to match his dedication and strength. Even before the sunshot campaign had officially begun, many had witnessed the heavy burden Jiang Wanyin had been settled with so early in life, he was a man trained to be a sect leader for a sect that all thought had burny away, yet they watched as he rose above it, how day after day he kept going. Even when the world seemed to take more and more from him, Jiang Wanyin fought back, to these onlookers he was seen as an unstoppable force.
However, with talk and with time, rumours were bound to be born and to be spread. Jiang Wanyin knew this well, he had been talked off long before he had risen to the rank of sect leader, talk of his parents and sworn brother were deeply entangled in his life, and those old stories began to seep into the new, creating tales from out of nowhere. From high ranking cultivators to humble merchants, the people who spoke of Jiang Wanyin would also discuss in low voices the things they’d heard in passing giving no time to question the reliability of the source.
It had always been a well known fact that after the burial siege many of the involved sects had been on a hunt to find the remains of Wei Wuxian. They would search high and low for any trace of the man. The locals would only watch as each day new people would come to Yiling to begin their own search, but what anyone expected to find remained a mystery, and once questioned what they would do if they found something most were at a loss, having only been swept up in all the excitement. Of all those who began to look, only two of the five -now four- great clans had been noted to have joined the searching. Lanling Jin and Yunmeng Jiang.
Lanling Jin took little notice of the going ons around them. The disciples who had been sent out were focused solely on the mission given to them by their sect leader, no one could get in their way or disturb them even if anyone had the courage to try. Or the interest for that matter, the Jin sect were often ignored even if doing questionable things, no one dared to get in the way of such a rich and powerful clan, especially when their was such a heavy curiosity towards the actions of the Jiang sect
After all, it was common knowledge that Wei Wuxian had been the adopted son of the old Jiang sect leader. The boy had been raised alongside his own children and up until his early adulthood was nearly always seen at Jiang Wanyin’s side until his sudden change of heart.
So to onlookers it had made sense why the Jiang sect were hunting for the body. Many theorised that Jiang Wanyin still wanted more revenge, others said that the man was never truly mad at the one he had called his brother and even wanted to bury him with the rest of his family. Whatever the reason, all agreed that they thought the Jiang sect should be the ones to find Wei Wuxian’s corpse.
But there was something unknown to all these people. Something that hadn’t even sprouted amongst many other rumours. The Jiang sect was not only searching for Wei Wuxian’s body but for the man himself. Even though he had watched the man fall to his death and despite all the hatred he’d held for Wei Wuxian over those last years, there was a part of Jiang Wanyin that couldn’t quite believe that his sworn brother -the only other remaining person of his family - was dead.
Everytime he tried to convince himself it really was so, Jiang Wanyin would remember the time when the Wen sect had announced Wei Wuxian was dead, so confidently and so proud, only for Wei Wuxian to miraculously appear out of thin air months later. After all he was the great demonic cultivator Wei Wuxian, the apple of his father’s eye, the one who could truly follow the clan's motto. Jiang Wanyin was sure there was little he couldn’t survive in this world.
After his death, Jiang Wanyin had not wasted much time before he began sending out his endless search parties. Locals would watch as every day Jiang disciples paraded through and around Yiling, looking everywhere for a sign of Wei Wuxian, but each time they returned back to Yunmeng empty handed. A few months went by just like this and silently the Jiang disciples were beginning to worry for their sect leader, he’d always been so stubborn and determined to get his way, but how could he possibly get what he wanted when that one thing was gone forever.
They began to turn to their sect leader’s second in command Jiang Shao for answers. Ever since Jiang Wanyin had taken him in during the war Jiang Shao had stuck to the man’s side like glue, listening to every order and following in his footsteps as much as possible for a cultivator of his level. There was no one as close to Jiang Wanyin than Jiang Shao and there were few who admired Jiang Wanyin as deeply as Jiang Shao.
However even when Jiang Shao had tried to bring it up with him, Jiang Wanyin would wave him off, insisting that he knew Wei Wuxian better than anyone alive, that he was the only one who knew what sort of tricks Wei Wuxian could be capable of. And as the time went on Jiang Wanyin had begun to cast his doubts across anyone who claimed to practice the demonic ways, and if his disciples were to run into any who so much as claimed to be demonic cultivation they were taken to Lotus Pier for questioning.
As several months had come and gone by, the rumours were starting to reach the Jiang disciples, outsiders were calling it torture, saying the Jiang Wanyin was unhingend and even at the slightest hint of his once sworn brother’s name he would unleash Zidian and whip them until near death, others would claim that Jiang Wanyin would mutitlate the demonic cultivators so they would never be able to practice any form of cultivation ever again. The name Sandu Shengshou began to be spoken as one to fear, the admiration most had held for him became short lived as the rumours became more and more common.
Jiang Wanyin did his best to pay little attention to the rumours, not that it was that hard now with his days being completely occupied with his many sect leader duties, but even still the rumours would always play around in the back of his mind before he went to sleep, and just the thought of others accusing him of such deeds left a sour taste in his mouth.
Most of the time Jiang Wanyin had just left the searching to his disciples, with so much work still to do involved with rebuilding his sect to it’s once well known reputation he would only ever go when there was a lead that was deemed promising enough for the sect leader to know. And a year to the day of Wei Wuxian’s death, one promising lead was found
“Sect leader. There’s been another demonic cultivator reported in Yiling, and this one has been heard claiming to be the Yiling Patriarch, and some have said they’ve seen him control corpses!”
Barely a second had flashed by and Jiang Wanyin was out from behind his desk, the papers he had been working on were instantly forgotten. While it wasn’t the first time someone had claimed to be the Yiling Patriarch no one had ever mentioned being incontrol of corpses. It was something that had been so strongly connected to Wei Wuxian and him only, so Jiang Wanyin had of course set off immediately.
No matter how many times he had returned to the place over the last year, Yiling always managed to bring out the worst moods of Jiang Wanyin, whether the day had been good or not he would return to his home with an out of place feeling that took days to fade away. His disciples knew well that it was best to avoid their sect leader when he returned from trips to Yiling.
Walking through the old streets, Jiang Wanyin ignored how familiar it had all become to him over the past year, not only the streets but those walking along them. His eyes focused straight ahead of him as vendors tried desperately to call out for his attention, but every one of their attempts fell on deaf ears with Jiang Wanyin not even showing a hint of evidence that he could even see them. His focus strictly stayed on the task at hand.
“Where is he?” Jiang Wanyin asked as he approached the small team of disciples who had discovered the cultivator and were now waiting patiently for their sect leader’s arrival.
“Over this way sect leader Jiang, we’ve been watching him since he was discovered. He’s been heard claiming to be the Yi Ling patriarch to multiple people,” One reported dutifully.
The sect leader nodded, a frown deeply etched into his face, with his hand he gestured for the disciple to lead on and take him to the one claiming to be his sworn brother.
Jiang Wanyin had expected it to take years to find Wei Wuxian. he’d assumed that the demonic cultivator would play it safe, choosing to lay low at first, practicing his arts and building himself even stronger before he would make a grand return to the cultivation world. But as they now approached the man who was laying across a tall stone smirking down at those who stood below him as he ranted away, Jiang Wanyin knew how foolish that was. Wei Wuxian was cocky and a show off, of course he wouldn’t allow himself to be in the shadows for so long.
“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Wanyin shouted, immediately getting the attention of all those around them. The crowd who had been listening in to the cultivator dispersed swiftly, hurrying away with their eyes staying fixed at anything that wasn’t Jiang Wanyin or the man high upon the stone, none of them wanting to be up so close to the inevitable fight.
Jiang Wanyin clenched his fist as he glared daggers at the figure who was looking down at him so casual - Wei Wuxian or not it was clear to anyone that Jiang Wanyin was a man of importance and was to be respected. However the figure however seemed nonplussed by Jiang Wanyin screaming out his name. He even had the gall to laugh at him, and while his face and body shape didn’t exactly match the man that Jiang Wanyin had known, everything else about him screamed Wei Wuxian, from the way he dressed and held himself, to the cocky expression on his face.
“Oh are you a follower of the great Yiling Patriarch? Alright, impress me and maybe I’ll accept you as my disciple” This Wei Wuxian smirked, he sat up from his lazy position and looked down at Jiang Wanyin.
“Idiot you dare speak to me that way! Do you always crave your death so publicly?” He said through gritted teeth. Zidian sparked around his hand lighting up with his anger, but he stayed in his place Jiang Wanyin was aware of the talk that had spread over the last several months and had no intention to give more fuel to fire. No one had ever seen Jiang Wanyin himself lay a hand on a demonic cultivator and that was how he intended it to stay -at least in the public's eye-, even if now he felt his patience was truly being tested.
With a subtle flick of his hand he signalled his disciples, a signal that had been used few times before but never as publicly as this. Still the disciples didn’t hesitate and soon ropes shout out from multiple angles capturing the cultivator and pulling him off of the stone.
At first the man wriggled as the ropes tightened around him, the smirk fell from his face and for a brief moment he looked up to Jiang Wanyin in utter shock, as if he truly didn’t expect his current situation. The look only proved to anger Jiang Wanyin further. He thought it was so typical of Wei Wuxian to be surprised at being caught, his sworn brother still saw him as someone beneath him, as if Jiang Wanyin was incapable of stopping him.
Now that their target had been captured, Jiang Wanyin and his disciples made their way back to Yunmeng on sword, the suspicious cultivator riding with Jiang Shao who had no issue letting him dangle dangerously. Wei Wuxian or not that man had still insulted his sect leader and Jiang Shao -who could be just as stubborn as his sect leader- would not be letting that go without any retribution.
Throughout the whole journey back to Yunmeng the cultivator had stayed silent, not even gasping when he was flown dangerously close to hitting something. His cold eyes pinned onto Jiang Wanyin, who didn’t turn back to look at him, not even once.
Too much had happened, the wedge that had been stuck between them finally managed to separate them completely, and now there was no room for forgiveness in his heart and if Wei Wuxian hated him now, so be it, Jiang Wanyin was fine with that, he no longer craved for the approval of the one he’d once looked up to. After all he had done to Jiang Wanyin, did he truly expect the other to still care for him like a brother. After all of his betrayal could he truly be surprised that Jiang Wanyin was no longer willing to welcome him back into his life.
The sun had already begun to set when they had found the self claimed Wei Wuxian, so once they finally arrived back in Yunmeng they were covered in a thick veil of night, the half moon shining dully around them. The disciples landed a short distance outside of Lotus Pier, to a small abandoned building where they held their previous interrogations. Jiang Wanyin had refused to allow anymore demonic cultivators to set foot in Lotus Pier, not wanting his home to be tainted by them anymore than it already had been.
The old building had seen much better days, dust clung to every inch of the walls and doors, over the years it had been looted of all possessions and so it stood a hall dripping with emptiness, but that was perfect for the Jiang sect. Especially for tonight.
Once inside the dusty old building the so called Wei Wuxian was thrown to the ground as harshly, his body hurdling back until he was violently stopped by the wall, his head was thrown back connecting to it with a loud, echoing thud.
“Who would have thought the rumours true. Sect leader Jiang really is going out to torture other cultivators. So much for the pride of the Jiang sect,” Wei Wuxian smirked, it was just like the smirk Jiang Wanyin had seen a million times growing up with him, the one that always landed him into even more trouble. And had dragged Jiang Wanyin down with him.
“How many times do you want to die Wei Wuxian?” He shrieked, Zidian unravelling in his hand. He glared down at Wei Wuxian, anyone could see there was murder in his eyes “After all you have done you think I won’t kill you! Jiejie is gone because of you, Jin Ling is growing up without anyone and it’s all your fault! Even your precious Lan Wangji is suffering. Do you feel no remorse?”
“Ha! You truly think I’m the real Yiling Patriarch? You’re just as idiotic as the rest of the world, Anyone can declare themselves to be Wei Wuxian to make easy money. But to think it’s not only easy to fool ordinary people, but to fool the very one that grew up with him. It’s amazing no one else knows how dimwitted you are!” The cultivator laughed madly, his cackles bouncing around the walls.
“Shut it!” Jiang Wanyin roared as he lashed the man with Zidian, the whip flinging itself around the man’s neck, pulling him down from his knees and onto the ground. A sizzling sound could be heard as Zidian was pulled away from his neck, the deep marks seared into his skin instantly.
“Sect leader. It’s not Wei Wuxian shouldn’t we let him go?” A disciple spoke up boldly, he’d never seen Jiang Wanyin so angry,
“You think your sect leader is that dumb? That I’m not already aware of that?” He shouted at the disciple, his whole body shaking with rage. “He has still disrespected the Jiang sect, you think I should allow him to go unpunished for that?”
The young disciple froze as soon as the Jiang Wanyin’s furious glare was directed at him, he dropped to his knees, head hanging low. “No sect leader, please forgive this one for speaking out of turn.”
“A man who leads with fear and violence is no true leader. Just a childish bully who throws tantrums when he’s unable to get what he wants.” the fake Wei Wuxian spoke up, blood was dripping down his chin but still he dared to leave an arrogant expression on his face, as if he were the one looking down at Jiang Wanyin and not the other way around.
For Jiang Wanyin the time for words had passed, his reply came in the form on violence, he whipped and kicked the man into a bloodied pulp. And to make it worse the whole time the man laughed through it, a crazy mechanical laugh, a sound no human should have been able to make, especially in his condition.
“Sect leader! Sect leader!” The Jiang disciples shouted, few dared to latch on to Jiang Wanyin pulling him off and away from the cultivator, they tried to keep the fear they felt detained as Jiang Wanyin writhed like a wild animal in their arms.
“The whole world will see you for how you truly are Jiang Wanyin. Nothing more than a vicious beast!” The cultivator spat, his eyes narrowing as he still stared down the Jiang sect leader. “With an empty heart.”
Something in the words struck Jiang Wanyin, even though it was one of many insults that cultivator had thrown at him in their few hours together, but this was different. The words had an extra weight that Jiang Wanyin could’t even begin to understand
“Sect leader, let’s return to Lotus Pier” Jiang Shao was by his side now, he had noticed the faint change in his sect leaders demeanor, and felt the strange shift in the air around him.
Jiang Wanyin nodded at the words, understanding their meaning but not making any move to leave the building. He didn’t look at the man as he fell to his knees. He couldn’t, but still the last words replayed over and over in his mind no matter how hard he tried to push them out. He was a vicious beast.
It took some coaxing but eventually the disciples were able to bring Jiang Wanyin up to standing again, each of them keeping an eye on their sect leader as they left. Most of the disciples with him had been some of the first to join the Jiang sect after it’s massacre, they had seen Jiang Wanyin through some of the worst moments of his life, and yet nothing could have prepared them for what they had just seen. Jiang Wayin had lost all form of control, he’d acted irrationally and wildly, it was something each disciple wished to never see again as they walked away from the abandoned building.
The whole group remained silent as they returned to Lotus Pier, even upon arrival they silence lingered around the small group. A high tension lingered in the air as everyone - including Jiang Wanyin- tried to come to terms with what they had just seen and done. All thoughts were on that man, whoever he had been. There seemed to be something inhuman about him, with the way he had laughed through each of Jiang Wanyin’s blows, like he didn’t even feel the pain of zidian as red chunks of flesh had fallen from him.
Now they were home, the disciples disbanded, each one heading towards one of the few sleeping quarters, leaving Jiang Wanyin with his second in command left standing in the courtyard. Since they had left the abandoned building Jiang Shao had hovered over his sect leader, the concern he felt was clearly shown over his face, but he still kept his mouth shut.
“Jiang Shao.” Jiang Wanyin called out to him “You have something to say then say it.”
“Me? No sect leader. It’s nothing,” Jiang Shao answered quickly after being caught off guard. But with another look from Jiang Wanyin he sighed “I was just wondering about you… If you were alright.”
The concern in the second in command’s voice was real, but to Jiang Wanyin it felt like some sort of pity. As if Jiang Shao was checking in with a child who had lost a game and not his sect leader. Jiang Wanyin’s hand curled into an angry fist, “If I’m alright?” He sneered.
Jiang Shao took a step back, to him it had been subconsciously but Jiang Wanyin noticed. “If I’m alright? What is it to you? You’re my disciple, my underling who do you think you are to ask me such questions!”
“I’m sorry sect leader, I didn’t mean it in that way, it’s just that, well. We never.. Treated someone like that before. I know he was similar to Wei Wuxi-”
“Don’t. Say that name.” Jiang Wanyin growled, but there was something off about it, an animalistic sort of sound was attached, like whatever had made that sound was not entirely human. Except the sound had come from Jiang Wanyin’s own mouth.
Something wasn’t right. Jiang Shao wasn’t sure what ,but he had spent enough time around his sect leader to know that the way he was talking and how he acted before wasn’t him. Not the real him anyways. There was more to all this, something else had happened, but if he tried to stay and find out now, he knew it wouldn’t end well.
“Yes sect leader. Please forgive this one for being so disrespectful.” Jiang Shao dropped to his knees and bowed deeply, “I will take my leave now, and allow the sect leader to rest.”
“Not so fast.” Jiang Wanyin frowned, his eyes glinting with a newfound wickedness, one that Jiang Shao had only ever been seen earlier that night, when Jiang Wanying had looked at the Wei Wuxian imposter. Jiang Shao had to look away, he felt sparks of fear in his chest. His mind telling him that if he looked back now, what he would see wasn’t entirely Jiang Wanyin, or even human. “Do not think I will so easily accept such insolence. Until sunrise you are to do laps around Lotus Pier. If you are caught resting then I will extend it all day.”
Something in him felt good to give out such a punishment, his heart filling with an awful glee at the thought of how Jiang Shao would suffer, it felt good. Too good. And that wasn’t right.
Before Jiang Shao could walk away a clear thought screamed in Jiang Wanyin’s mind, breaking through the hazy giddiness he had been feeling. This wasn’t him. He wasn’t like this, had never been like this. While he was known to be strict and easy to discipline his disciple, Jiang Wanyin had only ever chosen tasks that would improve his disciples strength, not ones that would cause them to struggle
“At least 10 laps must be done. Then you can leave,” He corrected, but for some reason it didn’t make him feel as thrilled as before. Even with seeing the relief over his second in command’s face.
Jiang Wanyin’s robes swished around him as he spun on his heel and back to his room, his skin felt burning hot, and a headache pulsed his brain, everything felt too much and the world was spinning. He willed himself to walk on, not to show a hint of weakness even though he felt any second he might pass out, and when he finally entered his room with the door slammed behind him he collapsed to his knees, a dizzying blackness swirling about his mind.