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There were rumours all over the sects.
People were mumbling.
People were talking way too much recently.
One of the clan leaders had already openly talked about it in one of the Four Great Clans meetings. Jin Ling was very vocal about all the talking on the streets of, well, everywhere, about Yiling Laozu being back to life. The youngster, dressed in fine almost-white-yellowish clothes, didn’t quite believe the veracity of all that babbling, but he sure was mad about all of that. And even though he had reasons to hate so much the sound of any word that resembled that man’s name - he had lost not only his father, but also his mother to the hands of the older man -, Jiang Cheng couldn’t take his nephew acting as if he was superior to the other leaders - let alone his behaviour towards ordinary people of his and other clans.
Leading the Jiang clan was already hard enough for him without knowing what was actually happening in the Burial Mounds. When Jiang Cheng found out about Wei Wuxian being back to life it only made it harder; there was pressure from other clan leaders - and from the people of his own clan - for him to speak about the matter and settle a date for him himself deal with the traitor his long seen brother was; there was his own mind pressuring him to do something about it, and yet all he could do was lay in bed for an extra hour every morning while staring at the ceiling trying to understand why his chest felt so, so tight it was like it was burning everything from his insides.
Being quite honest, it wasn’t like he hadn’t spent more time in bed ever since that fateful morning when he forced his own sword against the black rocks above the abyss. He couldn’t remember a moment when his chest wasn’t burning, nor when it didn’t feel so tight and he could breathe freely. Ever since his final act in The Battle of the Nightless City it was like the air around him was way too dense to be breathable.
Knowing there was a name for that day, a title given to that hellish heap of chaos as if it was a grand war fought against the greatest evil of all times… That was more than enough to keep him up not simply for hours, but for the entirety of his nights. That was one of the reasons why he would take so long to finally be able to get out of bed every morning - cursing yourself all night long might not be very helpful to get some rest after a day full of work.
That and, of course, the bruises and the yet-not-healed-scars on his back.
Jiang Cheng couldn’t help but punish himself for everything that has happened. All the bad things that happened to Wei Wuxian were known to him as his own fault. If he had known better, if he had trusted Wei Wuxian since the beginning, everything would have turned out differently.
And if it didn’t, he should have taken his brother’s side.
He should have taken his hands and held them tightly when he knew the older one needed him the most - but he was too afraid to do so; he was terrified of the unknown. Not only that, how could he ever give up on everything for Wei Wuxian and his views on cultivation when there was no promise from the other man that he wouldn’t be left aside as the master of demonic cultivation got closer and closer to Lan Wangji.
Leading the Jiang clan meant nothing to him when compared to his desire to be once again around Wei Wuxian. He had no idea of how he’d apologize for all of his mistakes; he didn’t know if there was a way of making up for all of his well-intentioned, but badly acted behaviors of the past.
Jiang Cheng hadn’t been so sure of many things lately, but if there was one thing he knew for sure it was that Wei Wuxian could never come to forgive him. But how could he, anyway?
They used to be so close, so familiar, so private and personal when alone. There was not one thing they didn’t talk about; they wouldn't dare to not share their deepest secrets with each other. They cared too much about each other. It was a secret of theirs, of course, because not even their caring, very fraternal A-Jie would understand.
Stopping to think about it, A-Jie was probably the only person they could have told the real extent of their relationship. She wouldn’t actually understand, but she wouldn’t ever blame or judge them; and she would keep their secret and celebrate their happiness.
Until Lan Wangji came, of course.
Maybe Jiang Cheng had been too afraid even before the demonic cultivation, and of course the demonic cultivation didn’t help a single bit. He tried, he did try his best at all times but he wasn’t one not to be consumed by his fears and anger. So when Lan Wangji came, Wei Wuxian ended up finding someone who wasn’t afraid of letting people aware of the extent of their relationship nor afraid of having to give up on everything. Lan Wangji was willing to give everything for Wei Wuxian and to give up on every single thing for that clumsy, messy, noncomformist, idiotic, flirty bastard.
Of course Wei Wuxian wouldn’t forgive him.
— If that’s the case, I’m sure there are ways we can work on it. I assure you that there are very well protected places, that are excluded from people, in the Nie sect, that we can use to enjail Wei Wuxian; and I will personally assist in this case. If he’s really back to life, no matter how this might have happened and what are the extents of his cultivation prowess, he won’t be seen again nor will people be able to talk about his recall to life as no one will know where he is. He will be kept captive. No one other than me, even in my own clan, will know about it. - Nie Huaisang pronounced, not stuttering a single word. It was very uncommon of him to indulge himself in such serious matters; not that he would deny it when asked to do so, but he had never freely taken upon himself to take charge of any chore.
— We don’t actually know what’s happening. - Jiang Cheng said, not caring even a little about the fact that Nie Huaisang clearly had some more things to address to the matter. — As far as we all know, rumours are just rumours.
— I’ll do it. - Lan Wangji pronounced himself for the first time. He was always accompanying his brother to the meetings of the Four Great Clans, but would never speak his mind in any matter as he knew this was a job for his brother as the leader of the Lan clan. — After what happened at the Battle of the Nightless City there are still many things I have to redeem myself for, and to honour my position in the Lan clan and amongst you, leaders of the Four Great Clans that have allowed me a chance to be trusted again after taking Wei Ying’s side at the battle, I charge myself with the custody of him. There’s a place for him to be kept in the Cloud Recesses and never be able to leave.
Of course, everything went badly wrong after Lan Wangji appeared. And there he was again.
Speaking his mind when he was not asked to do so.
Pronouncing the name of Wei Wuxian as if he had the right to sound so close, so familiar, so private and personal with the other man; as if he had the right to speak a single word at the matter of Wei Wuxian in front of him - the man who had lost everything he has ever had because of the white clothed man.
— Your lips should be sealed in a moment like this. You weren’t even supposed to be here in the first place. Your brother is the leader of the Lan clan, not you, so you must not talk in a meeting directed to the leaders only. - Jiang Cheng yelled. His face was red and his fist clenched.
— Hanguang Jun is not the man I am most affectionate with, but you seem to have forgotten the actions of Yiling Laozu. His ways are drastically wrong and because of that, many have died. He not only killed my father and my mother, who happened to be your own sister; he committed too many crimes. Don’t you dare acting in dubious ways; because if you’re even dreaming about protecting him from being severely punished for all his actions, you will also suffer the consequences for all that has happened. - Jin Ling yelled back at the man dressed in purple, not caring if he was his uncle and the leader of another important clan. — I am sure neither Nie Huaisang nor Zewu Jun will neglect severe sanctions for such behavior.
For all the things Jiang Cheng could have answered at that, he chose cold, cruel silence. There was something in his eyes that not even Nie Huaisang, who had known the leader of the Jiang sect for so long, knew what to expect from. It wasn’t like Jiang Cheng to behave like that, nor to be silent when mad; he sure planned something after hearing the words of his nephew.
Jiang Cheng wasn’t so sure of many things lately. But one thing he knew for sure was that no matter what were the circumstances, neither what had caused such a thing, if Wei Wuxian was truly back, Wei Wuxian would have a life away from captivity.
It didn’t matter what he’d have to give up to, nor to what ends he’d come, neither what Lan Wangji would dare to do; he wouldn’t ever again wrong Wei Wuxian; he wouldn’t ever again lose his better half.