Chapter Text
To: Sect Leader Lan Xichen, Cloud Recesses, Gusu
From: Lan Wangji, Burial Mounds, Yiling
Situation Report
A. INCIDENT NAME
Egress of Wen Remnants from Qiongqi Path
B. REPORT TYPE
- [ ] Initial
- [X] Update# 2
- [ ] Final
C. REPORT STATUS
- [ ] ADVISORY: No Action Required
- [X] ALERT: Action Required
D. REPORT CREATOR
- UNIT REPORTING: Lan Wangji
- HOME LOCATION: Cloud Recesses, Gusu
- PRESENT LOCATION: Burial Mounds, Yiling
E. INCIDENT/EVENT INFORMATION
- INCIDENT LOCATION: Burial Mounds, Yiling
- JURISDICTION: Unclaimed
- INCIDENT TYPE: Other
- INCIDENT COMPLEXITY LEVEL: Very Complex
F. SITUATION PROGNOSIS
- [ ] WORSENING
- [X] STABLE
- [ ] IMPROVING
G. CURRENT OPERATIONAL AREA SYSTEM CONDITION
- [ ] GREEN – Normal Operations: (Update: Situation Resolved)
- [ ] YELLOW – Under Control: NO Assistance Required
- [ ] ORANGE – Assistance from within the jurisdiction/OA Required
- [X] RED – SOME Assistance required from outside the jurisdiction/OA
- [ ] BLACK – SIGNIFICANT Assistance required from outside the jurisdiction/OA.
- [ ] GREY - Unknown - Conducting Assessments
H. ACTIVITY
Consensus reached in negotiations between affected sects.
- Re: Restitution for deaths of guards at Qiongqi Path prison camp. Laoling Qin, Lanling Jin, and Pingyang Yao report satisfaction with reparations offered by Yunmeng Jiang. Wei Wuxian hereby resolved of any culpability or future consequence related to these deaths. Situation resolved.
- Re: Wen Remnants. Sects agree to consider this a transfer of prisoner internment from Qiongqi Path to Burial Mounds. Freedom of movement for Wen Remnants continues to be restricted; sects agree to refrain from any further harm of prisoners. Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze appointed as supervision, to provide regular reports to major sects regarding activity, threats, and needs of Wen Remnants. Major sects will continue to fund care and sustenance of prisoners, as agreed in Sunshot Accords. Situation ongoing.
I. SITUATION OVERVIEW
Negotiators from affected clans left the area after agreement was reached. Wei Wuxian, Wei Changze, and Cangse Sanren have volunteered to remain in the Burial Mounds with the Wen Remnants. No further sign of the alleged ‘Ghost General’.
Many of the Wen Remnants remain in poor health due to injury or illness incurred while in the Qiongqi Path Camp. Wen Qing is providing medical care, but additional medical supplies are needed.
J. CURRENT PRIORITIES AND CRITICAL ISSUES
- Safety in the Burial Mounds. Wei Wuxian attests that the designated area of the Burial Mounds is habitable for humans. Significant risk remains of yaomoguiguai incursion from surrounding areas. Unknown risk of ill effects from high levels of ambient resentful energy in ground, air, and water – high concern that risk of harm may be elevated for elders and children.
- Supplies and logistics. Jiang Yanli has supplied sufficient provisions for the current residents for approx. 10 days. See enclosed list of additional supplies needed. Further discussion needed on ongoing logistics for supplying the Burial Mounds.
- Communications. Luo Qingyang has volunteered to stay in Yiling proper to facilitate messages passing to and from the Burial Mounds, including Supervisory Reports sent to the major clans. She will also report on any unusual activity in the surrounding areas and any changes to risk assessment.
K. OUTLOOK & ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
- The residents of the Burial Mounds present minimal threat to Jianghu. Wen Remnants do not have weapons, and all but a few are non-combatants. Wei Wuxian retains control of the Stygian Tiger Seal and guards the Burial Mounds with fierce corpses under his control, but these are used purely as defensive measures. No signs of aggression towards neutral parties.
- Control of Stygian Tiger Seal is likely to continue being a point of contention among the sects. Situation unresolved.
- Exile to the Burial Mounds is at best a temporary solution to the incident and presents an unacceptable ongoing level of risk to Wen Remnants, Wen child, and Wei Wuxian’s family.
- Further actions to be determined upon my return to Cloud Recesses in 4 days’ time.
L. SUMMARY OF IMPACT
- POPULATION AFFECTED: 55
- FATALITIES: 0 (since arrival at Burial Mounds)
- INJURED/ILL – IMMEDIATE: severe malnourishment in 16 adults and 1 child; severe injury in 3 adults
- INJURED/ILL – DELAY: 12 adults
- INJURED/ILL – MINOR: 8 adults
END OF SITREP
-:-
To: Luo Qingyang, Yiling
From: Qin Su, Laoling
Dear MianMian,
Thank you for staying in Yiling and arranging the post. It’s reassuring to know I can trust communications are getting where they need to go. What a mess this whole thing has been!
The negotiations appeared so bleak for a moment - it seemed impossible Jin Zixuan and Jiang Wanyin would ever come to agreement. I honestly was afraid we were at an impasse and the whole situation would go up in flames from so much as a spark from Zidian. What good timing Jiang Yanli had arriving! Just when things were most tense, she shows up out of nowhere and declares that she’s going into the Burial Mounds to see her Xian-didi and wait for them to find consensus. Suddenly Jin Zixuan and Jiang Wanyin reached agreement within minutes, each of them conceding points where they had dug their heels in previously. A truly unexpected turn of events! Did it seem to you that there were some very interesting glances going on between Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan? Didn’t they have a very dramatic falling out some years ago? I would not have expected her appearance to make such a difference to him now – but every time she looked at him, he seemed to stop breathing and start blushing. I’ve never seen the proud Jin Zixuan in such a state!
I’m glad we were able to avoid further conflict then, but don’t let down your guard – Jin Zixuan may have agreed to the outcomes of the negotiation, but I hear Jin Guangshan was not well pleased with how everything turned out. I don’t know what he intends to do about it. There’s still a lot of gossip about Wei Wuxian and his undead army, too. People are still nervous about what he and the Wen Remnants are up to in the Burial Mounds.
Thank you for your letter – your friendship has always been dear to me and made many a Lanling banquet not only bearable, but enjoyable. I feared with the way everything went down, I would never see you again. Or that you wouldn’t want to see me. I hope the next time we meet it may be under more pleasurable circumstances.
Yours truly,
Qin Su
-:-
To: Qin Su, Laoling
From: Luo Qingyang, Yiling
Dear SuSu,
How did you miss the whole drama that happened with Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli at the Phoenix Mountain Crowd Hunt!? My boy made the biggest fool of himself declaring his affections for her in front of everyone – and then running away! It was amazing. I’m honestly so proud of him, he’s come so far.
I have not heard from him since my secession from the sect. He looked like he wanted to say something while he was here, but never did. I can’t tell if he hates me now. I hope not. I hope there is some way to mend our friendship. If you get a chance, can you put in a little word for me? Let him know I have no ill feelings towards him, and I still consider us friends? Watch out for him when you can, too – no telling what sort of predicaments he’ll get himself into without me there as his People Translator. I do feel bad for leaving him so suddenly like that – but I truly could not stand another minute in Jinlintai. You know how it is. At least you can escape to Laoling.
It was a relief the negotiations went so peacefully, even if the outcome was not ideal. Really, it was only possible because you took the lead and redirected the conversation every time the men were getting ridiculous (it also helped that Lan Wangji stared down Sect Leader Yao every time he opened his big mouth – so much more efficient that way!). If it had been left only to the men, the situation would have indeed been hopeless.
Honestly for a minute there I expected Jiang Yanli to announce she was moving into the Burial Mounds – especially once she caught sight of little Wen Yuan. Jin Zixuan and her brothers looked like they were collectively going to have an aneurysm if she did. But she just made sure the kid was well fed with soup and promised to check up on him (and Wei Wuxian) regularly. She is definitely still pissed that the agreement reached left Wei Wuxian and a small child in the Burial Mounds. Very curious if we’ll end up with another show like what happened at the Crowd Hunt – if you haven’t heard about sweet little Jiang Yanli ruthlessly and oh-so-politely cutting Jin Zixun down to size, you’ve got to ask around about it. Woman of the Year, I swear. (Although, I do wonder if he might yet hold a grudge…)
Things have been going surprisingly well here since then. I’ve been doing a lot of hunting lately, both nighthunting and for meat to share. I like being able to bring something when I go up the mountain with news. Being there for the evening meal is my favorite. At first, the Wens tried to keep out of the way of the cultivators and keep to themselves, but Cangse Sanren and Wei Changse insisted on eating together with everyone. So now everyone gathers around the campfire together and tell stories and it’s all so warm and oddly homey. And Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze have the best stories! Just story after story of their adventures as rogue cultivators and of their friends - who of course are now all well-known seniors among the clans. I will never see Lan Qiren the same way again after hearing of the pranks Cangse Sanren pulled on him - and how he responded, haha! I keep wondering who all Cangse Sanren might have blackmail on. Doesn’t it seem like she would know things people wish she didn’t?
Since the Wen and Wei Wuxian missed his parents’ epic scene in Jinlintai, I made sure everyone heard the whole story – in great detail – of how Cangse Sanren chewed out all the sect leaders for their hypocrisy and left them all flustered and speechless. Cangse Sanren very nearly blushed! “They had it coming,” was all she said, and no one disagreed.
The last time I was up there, they told the story of the spider demon that had trapped them so near here, for so many years. It was lucky for them that Jiang Fengmian and his disciples were able to kill the spider demon before it came back to eat them back then. I think we’ve about solved the mystery of how they reappeared when they did too – Wei Changze believes they were able to escape because of Wei Wuxian’s manipulating the resentful energy in the area when he brought the Wens into the Burial Mounds, that it finally broke the spider demon’s web that had kept them suspended in deep sleep for so long. But SuSu, if you could have seen how their grief was still so evident in their eyes. I can’t imagine being separated from my child like that. But the sweetest part was how Wei Changze hugged his son closer as they told the story – it really hasn’t taken them long to become close, to start regaining what was lost all those years ago.
Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze tell stories of baby Wei Wuxian, too! The kinds of adoring stories that usually embarrass grown children when they’ve heard the same tales told over and over all their lives. But they are all new to Wei Wuxian, so even if he gets embarrassed sometimes, he mostly has this look of wonder like a child witnessing sword flight for the first time.
I’ve been going up into the Burial Mounds about once a week, but Cangse Sanren comes into town almost every other day, often with her husband. I swear those two are now besties with like half the town. They’ve just charmed everyone here – you wouldn’t believe the deals they get on vegetables in the market – especially if they bring Wen Yuan with them! They’ve become Aunt and Uncle to the whole town. And every time they’re here, Cangse Sanren has another letter to post to one of her old acquaintances or a report to one of the major sects.
I don’t think its just the townspeople they’ve charmed either. Lan Wangji visits regularly, and even Nie Mingjue has been here twice, ostensibly checking up on the Stygian Tiger Seal Jin Guangshan is still trying to make such a fuss about. But every time he’s here, Nie Mingjue and Wen Qing get into these ridiculous squabbles over nothing, like an old married couple. Most of the time Wen Qing stays so quiet, trying not to draw attention to herself or her family she’s protecting. But something about Nie Mingjue brings the fire out in her. It’s fascinating. There’s something in the way he looks at her, too. I wish you could see them together and tell me if it’s all my wishful thinking!
When you get a chance, come back to visit. I would love to see you, and you can check on the situation in the Burial Mounds yourself. You can have dinner with everyone. The ambiance isn’t great, but the company really is delightful.
Honestly, I miss you, SuSu. Things are going so much better than I had feared but…well, this isn’t exactly where I had expected to end up, you know?
Always Yours,
MianMian
-:-
To: Wei Wuxian, Burial Mounds, Yiling
From: Jiang Cheng, Lotus Pier, Yunmeng
Wei Wuxian -
I don’t know what the hell you've been up to lately. One day I hear rumors about how the Yiling Laozu is stealing children in the night and murdering villagers for his undead army, and the next a story about how when Wei Wuxian was a ‘wee lad’ he escaped from his parents in the marketplace and by the time they found him by a honey-seller’s stall, he had upended a whole jar of honey on himself, and how it took three days of baths to rid him of the stickiness.
Yanli is worried about you. Don’t give her more to worry about. Don’t do anything stupid – or at least, more stupid than you already have.
The Peacock has been around a lot lately. I blame you – it’s your fault he has this excuse to show up and bother Yanli all the time. But he does seem motivated to resolve the situation. As long as you don’t stir anything else up, you won’t be stuck in the Burial Mounds forever. Just try not to make things worse.
You looked like shit last time I saw you, so here are some better robes. Don’t you know you need more layers when it gets cold like this. Try not to shame the sect.
- Jiang Cheng
-:-
To: Cangse Sanren, Burial Mounds, Yiling
From: Lan Qiren, Cloud Recesses, Gusu
Dear Cangse,
Your superfluity of recent communications does not go unnoticed, although I cannot help but observe that had you been half as dedicated to timely reports as a student, our teacher would not have despaired of you.
Madam Jin has informed me that her pleas to be left out of such frequent, exhaustive, quotidian reports have gone unheeded. She believes my entreaty may be more successful, so I will say only this: you may find more attentive readers elsewhere than Madam Jin. She does not appear to share your enthusiasm for exploring in depth the provenance and diversities of fertilizer, and their consequent effects on the quality of produce.
Cangse Sanren cultivating radishes! I recall, of course, your interest in exploring new branches of cultivation, but I never imagined I would hear Cangse Sanren had taken up the Radish Path. I do not know whether it is a concern or a comfort to know that even as I advance into my graying years, life will continue to procure the unexpected.
Your previous letters also indicated your husband and son have been experimenting with advances in talismanic sanitation systems, with mixed and somewhat messy results. While I question the wisdom of such experiments – are the Burial Mounds not dangerous enough already, without Wei Wuxian inventing new combustible compounds? – I urge you to at least proceed with all due caution. If you have need of appropriate personal protective equipment, I will send it with my nephew when he next visits.
Sincerely,
Lan Qiren
-:-
To: Hanguang-Jun, Cloud Recesses, Gusu
From: Wei Wuxian, Burial Mounds, Yiling
Hey Lan Zhan,
I can’t believe it’s only been three days since you were last here, it feels like you’ve been gone forever. I hardly have a moment to myself these days, so how is it that I notice every minute you’re not here? Of course, I know Hanguang-Jun doesn’t really belong here, and so many people need you. It’s good for you to be at home – what would the Cloud Recesses be, absent of Hanguang-Jun? But you’ll come back and visit when you can, yeah?
Don’t push your luck though – I don’t want your uncle more upset with me than he already is. In all seriousness, Lan Zhan, you don’t know how relieved I was that you weren’t in worse trouble with your sect after everything that happened. I couldn’t stand it if things went badly for you because of me.
Fortunes can shift so quickly. So unexpectedly. Not sure whether the right response is to fear the uncertainty of the future, or just say fuck it, I’ve only got the one life anyway and no one knows what’s going to happen next – might as well live life on my terms. What do you think?
These past months have been surreal. I keep waiting to wake up back in Lotus Pier to Jiang Cheng shaking me awake saying I’m late to practice and Madam Yu is furious. But those carefree days are long gone, aren’t they?
Maybe strangest of all is that when a decision has to be made, everyone looks to me and Wen Qing. Not that they believe we have all the answers, just that they trust our judgment. Even my parents. I wouldn’t have expected they would treat me so much like an equal, but maybe it’s strange for them too, meeting me as I am now. I mean they do their share of fussing, and every time I turn around at the dinner table, I find more meat and vegetables in my bowl that weren’t there a moment before. But they trust me. They offer perspectives and advice, but they don’t tell anyone here what to do. Just pitch in where work needs to be done and start up conversations with anyone who might be feeling left out. Is this what family is like?
I have parents, Lan Zhan. And they’re like, actually really cool? I still feel kind of odd calling them A-Niang and A-Die, but anything else feels too wrong.
I found out A-Die also gets a kick out of tinkering with talismans, so we’ve been working on projects together. I never even knew enough to have this kind of fantasy growing up, it’s so much better than anything I pictured. (I mean, the living in the Burial Mounds thing kinda sucks, but you can’t have everything, right?) Next time you come, I’ll show you what we’ve been working on. Probably. If we can work out the kinks by then. Otherwise, I’ll just tell you about it and not risk the wrath of Old Man Lan when I accidentally fry off his beloved nephew’s eyebrows. (I would never, Lan Zhan! Every hair on your head is much too precious).
Turns out I also have a green thumb? Greenish anyway. I’m learning. Uncle Four has been teaching me and A-Niang both – we’re learning together.
It’s all made me realize maybe it doesn’t take so much to be happy. I find myself daydreaming about just having a little cottage in the countryside with a kitchen garden out back. Can’t you just picture it? Breathing in the sunshine and scent of warm soil and green, growing things. I could build a swing in a big shade tree for A-Yuan if he wants to come play. And what if you were there? Would you visit me in my little cottage? What do you think about that kind of life? Ah, but it’s just a fantasy anyway.
In answer to the question in your last letter, yes, I am dressing warm enough. You wouldn’t believe the stock of robes Jiang Cheng sent – he said they were for me, but curiously they are in an assortment of sizes. Including some that just happen to be perfect for A-Yuan. There’s an awful lot of purple mixed in with the grays and maroons – you think he’s trying to tell me something?
And did you know your uncle has been exchanging letters with my mom? Although you may want to be on the lookout for an imposter or signs of possession – he included a joke in his last letter! Hand to heaven, I’m telling the truth – I saw it with my own eyes. I had no idea the old man had it in him.
A-Yuan misses you. He keeps asking me when Rich-gege is coming back, as if he didn’t already have a whole collection of toys from you. Thanks again for everything you’ve done for him. Really, it’s not surprising you and A-Yuan have bonded – after all, you’re the two best people I know.
Wen Qing is calling me – apparently I was on laundry duty today. Whoops. Write me when you can, Lan Zhan. A word from you is always the best part of my day.
Always,
Wei Wuxian
P.S. If you hear any rumors about me don’t listen to them, they are all malicious falsehoods.