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It was hard to say where exactly the children's inexhaustible energy came from. They seemed to forget what sleep was, whenever they cared about something, whenever they wanted to play and talk about things which were incredibly important to them. There was no such thing as tiredness then, nor was there silence, for silence wasn't a friend of good fun. The first rays of the sun were able to pull the children out of their beds, like birds singing their morning song aloud.
In the Lotus Pier, no one was surprised anymore by the loud stamping of feet on the wooden planks of the piers, no one looked around anxiously to see exactly what kind of storm rushed towards Sect Leader Jiang's rooms every morning. At first, they tried to explain to the boys that the man often worked late, that he went to bed for barely a few hours when the need came, but it was of little use. It happened later that Jin Ling and Jiang Yuan would sit at the door of Jiang Wanyin's bedroom, trying not to be bored.
Although they tried to be quiet, quite soon they got bored and began to invent all sorts of games, they also talked about everything and nothing, with every moment raising their voices more and more. They also happened to chase each other on the terraces surrounding the leader's rooms, as if they assumed that this way they wouldn't wake him up from his watchful sleep. Some of the women in the Lotus Pier whispered among themselves that Jiang Wanyin acted like a caring mother around the boys, though no one would suspect him of it.
Anyway, there was a lot of talk about Jiang Yuan, who appeared at the Yunmeng Jiang residence quite unexpectedly. People guessed who the boy was. They knew that he was a martial orphan that their leader had brought into the sect after Wei Wuxian's death, but everyone was silent about it. In the entire Lotus Pier, there wasn't a person who wanted to ask about this matter, who wanted to hear any explanation, and even the council of elders only nodded their heads, assuming that here was their sect gaining an heir quite unexpectedly.
Perhaps under other circumstances someone would have objected, someone would have started asking questions, but not when Jiang Wanyin's life had been turned upside down, when he had lost almost his entire family and an unbearable amount of burdens had been placed on his shoulders. Later, it began to be whispered that perhaps it was even a good thing that the man had brought the injured boy to the Lotus Pier, for no one dared to say anything anymore about the need to find a suitable wife candidate for Sect Leader Jiang.
Soon, however, this issue was forgotten, as Jiang Cheng seemed to grow more confident on his feet with each passing day, as he devoted much of his time to Jiang Yuan, teaching him everything he needed to know. When Jin Ling joined him, the Lotus Pier quickly ceased to look like a place full of mourning and began to bloom, filled not only with the laughter of children but also with a strange hope from which one couldn't even escape.
Beautiful kites were built anew, festivals were celebrated with more and more splendor so that future generations of Yunmeng Jiang could fully participate in them, so that they could enjoy what they had without having to deal with the darkness and the problems of war. There were countless delicacies prepared in the kitchens, and when the lotuses first bloomed, the local people thought that their land was truly fortunate.
Soon, Jiang Yuan's presence was accustomed to, and he was even spotted on the streets of the city, where he was allowed to go out with the elders or seniors of Yunmeng Jiang. Jiang Wanyin wasn't in the habit of keeping him under lock and key, although he had been seen watching the boy from afar many times, wanting to make sure that nothing would happen to the boy. He seemed to be incredibly vigilant towards him and was far from complying with all of his requests.
Although actually, it should be said that he didn't fulfill them right away. After all, Jiang Yuan and Jin Ling weren't children who were denied anything. Yes, they were taught patience, shown that some things had to be earned and shown that they really cared about them, but their demands were not rejected. Apart from those, which of course were unfeasible for various reasons, but the boys were also informed of this.
But nothing could change their desire to spend as much time as possible with Jiang Cheng. Nor could anything distract them from waking the man as soon as a new day dawned, to tell him about their dreams and plans, about what they wanted to eat for breakfast or what they wanted to paint or what they wanted to learn. Sometimes the boys even seemed to outdo each other in their ideas, as if they assumed it might put them in a better light, but their little rivalry was nothing dangerous.
Perhaps it was because Jiang Wanyin, mindful of his own memories, problems, and upbringing, tried not to favor any of them. He observed them really carefully, trying to see what specifically each of them was good at, not expecting them to be perfect in everything. He didn't want to compare them either, especially since Jiang Yuan was older after all, had more strength and more opportunities to start learning certain things, while Jin Ling could only follow him.
The last thing Jiang Cheng wanted, however, was for either of them to feel inferior. They both addressed him in the same way, they both treated him as their uncle, they both came to him with all their problems, believing that he would solve them. They loved him in their own way, and Sect Leader Jiang was aware of that, while feeling incredibly bitter about it. A grief that could suffocate him, especially when he went to bed or woke up to hear joyful calls coming from under the door of his room.
This morning was no different, as the man, still lying in bed, wondered what would happen if the boys one day discovered the truth about what had happened years ago. What will happen when Jin Ling realizes that his parents were killed by Wei Wuxian? What happens when Jiang Yuan realizes that he is actually a member of the now defunct Qishan Wen? What will happen when it reaches them how much they have been hiding from them, believing perhaps that it would be better that way?
For now, they were obviously too small to deal with all of this, but even so, it was no different for Jiang Wanyin himself, who was also facing the demons of the past, unable to find answers to some questions. He felt an unbearable weight on his heart as he recalled his loved ones, wondering if by acting differently than he did, he would be able to save them. He wanted to believe it, but at the same time pushed the thought away, concluding that it was too painful.
The man rolled onto his side, closing his eyes, trying to fall back into sleep. He didn't want to contemplate all this on this sunny, hot day, didn't want to revisit the memories of the day when he had appeared at Burial Mounds and Wen Yuan had cuddled unexpectedly against his leg. He didn't want to recall the moment when he wanted to deprive Wen Qionglin of this pathetic lifelessness, he didn't want to sink into it all over again. However, he couldn't help the fact that the darkness loved to extend its tentacles towards him at the least expected moments.
Jiang Cheng covered his ears with his hands, curling up into a ball, pulling his legs up to his chest, trying to hide from what was happening to him, from this onslaught of pain and fury that seemed to be bursting him from the inside. He was tired, he felt thirsty, he felt like he needed a deeper breath, and somewhere at the bottom of his heart lurked the urge to run out of the room and jump into the cool waters of the lake, to disappear under the swaying lotuses, to almost drown in the watery muck.
"Uncle?"
The clatter of the door being pushed aside must have drowned somewhere amidst all the frantic thoughts that had accompanied Jiang Wanyin since the moment he unexpectedly awoke. He furrowed his brows, feeling like he was still bobbing on the waters of his memories, and didn't move, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. The boys definitely shouldn't see him like this, not when everything inside him was screaming that he should die too, that he should go away and disappear, dissipate like the morning mist.
"Uncle? Are you asleep?"
"Mn," he muttered in response, realizing he couldn't continue to ignore them.
"Not at all!" stated Jin Ling indignantly at this.
A moment later, the sound of hurried footsteps reached Jiang Wanyin, and he realized that the two boys had climbed onto his bed, as was their custom. They didn't actually care that they had actually interrupted his sleep, although Jiang Yuan asked if he was sure he wouldn't prefer to rest a bit more. The man merely muttered something unintelligible as he tried to pull the covers tighter over himself, which immediately provoked the children to play and Jiang Cheng was actually glad to see such a turn of events.
He knew that if he had been left alone any longer, he probably would have let despair consume him. For there had been times when the darkness had won, when it had devoured him whole, and he had collapsed in the deaths of his parents, then his siblings, in a battle on the Burial Mounds that he hadn't led, though in popular opinion he had. He would then think back to the moment when, wandering amidst the rubble, he had found a boy who, by some miracle, had survived.
Now, just like then, he grasped Jiang Yuan tightly, pulling him towards him, however, making such noises from himself in the process, as if he was a terrible, huge animal and didn't have to wait long to be attacked by Jin Ling. The room was filled with shouts, loud laughter, and a warmth that settled on Jiang Cheng's heart, banishing the nightmares he had been dreaming of just moments before. All around him, there were no ashes, no blood, no senseless suffering.
"Hungry," his nephew stated, sitting down on his stomach.
This confession from Jin Ling didn't surprise him one bit. The boy seemed to be constantly hungry lately, and the servants often mentioned that Young Master Jin was constantly sneaking into the kitchen in search of all sorts of delicacies. Jiang Cheng knew that his nephew was willing to eat the leftover soup or the last of the cookies, and there were times when it really amused him. He was reminded of how he himself and Wei Wuxian would sneak into the kitchen at night to find treats to fill the bellies of two growing men.
Therefore, he didn't forbid his nephew from doing so now, nor did he forbid Jiang Yuan, who had recently started asking if he should learn to cook. This was because he had come to the conclusion that cultivators who went on night hunting trips or in search of some big scary demons also had to eat something, and according to his observations, no servants went with them. Besides, as the boy added, since Sect Leader Jiang himself spent his time in the kitchen preparing his favorite dishes, he too could learn something similar, as it was nothing shameful.
Of course, he had definitely used different words, but that was the tone of his statement that had sunk into Jiang Cheng's mind. He didn't know what was so important about it, didn't know what had caught his attention so strongly, but it didn't matter that much. He agreed that whenever the boy had time between studying, he would look into the kitchen and learn how to prepare the simplest of dishes. He was still too small to actually handle it all, but from what he reported to Jiang Wanyin, he tried very hard to follow all instructions to the best of his ability.
"Shall we eat hujiao bing?" asked Jiang Yuan, sitting down comfortably by his side.
"No! Sweet!" interjected Jin Ling at once, croaking visibly.
Sect Leader Jiang didn't even need to ask him what he wanted to eat, convinced that his nephew would choose he hua su without hesitation, as there was nothing tastier lately according to him. The man guessed, however, that at this time of the day one couldn't find such delicacies in the kitchen, so he sighed and rose, grasping both boys tightly, who immediately began to giggle and pull away, as if trying to prove to him that they were so agile that they would immediately escape him.
It wasn't very easy to walk with them to the kitchen, but that didn't matter to Jiang Cheng, for he was enjoying what he had, he was enjoying the fact that the boys seemed to be happy and amidst all sorts of shouts they were telling him what they were going to do that day. They were also doing their best to encourage him to join them, to spend more time with them, and Jiang Yuan asked them to finally try to teach Jin Ling to swim.
The older boy turned out to be really good at it. He was doing great, enjoying his time in the water, chasing himself among the lotuses along with the other Yunmeng Jiang alumni, but his leader felt a strange pain in his chest when he looked at him then. Too many memories hit him as he watched the boy fool around frivolously, how he could place a voluminous lotus leaf on his head to try and dive in with him. There was a lot of life in Jiang Yuan, a lot of warmth, but also a shadow of something that Jiang Cheng associated solely with Wei Wuxian.
He never knew if it was his imagination or if it was really like this, he couldn't answer this question that haunted him, but even now when he was preparing hujiao bing, he had a feeling that Jiang Yuan's attraction to spicy food was related to the fact that he had just been raised by Wei Wuxian before. Just as Jin Ling's fondness was inextricably associated with his late brother-in-law, who even as a grown man had a weakness for anything that was even slightly sweet.
"When will Lan Jingyi be here?" asked Jiang Yuan, handing the man some of the ingredients he needed, while Jin Ling wandered around the kitchen without much purpose, looking in every, interesting place.
"Today," only Jiang Cheng replied, having the impression that they hadn't talked about anything else recently.
"When?" repeated Jin Ling's question, stepping closer.
Jiang Wanyin snorted in exasperation, repeating to them that it took a little longer to travel from the lands of Gusu Lan than it did to run from one end of Lotus Pier to the other, which the boys accepted with understanding. Though, of course, with a shadow of impatience, which seemed so normal, so simple, that even Sect Leader Jiang was able to fully understand it. Although he himself being a child, he had no friends in other sects. To be honest, he didn't actually have anyone besides his siblings.
He shook his head, returning to preparing breakfast for the boys and himself, while listening to what they were talking about, asking him if they could help him with his duties until the guests arrived. The man glared at them threateningly out of the corner of his eye, reminding them that if they made any noise during the meeting with the council of elders, he would break their legs, to which they only giggled in agreement. They weren't afraid of him, and even stubbornly tried to repeat his facial expressions and manner of speaking.
"I'll write everything down," announced Jiang Yuan very seriously, standing on tiptoe, trying to see exactly what his guardian was cutting.
"Will you prepare the entire report for me?" asked Sect Leader Jiang.
"Yes," the boy confirmed after a moment's thought, apparently searching his memory for the meaning of the word used. "A-Ling help me!"
"Yes, we'll write," confirmed the other boy at once.
Jiang Cheng snorted under his breath, knowing full well that nothing like this would happen. The two of them were just beginning to learn how to write, and although they were doing really well, they were far from writing down real, correct reports. Not to mention that they were far too small to be able to understand what exactly was discussed during the important meetings. The political wrangling was far beyond their perception.
The young leader was happy about this, for he didn't want the boys to have to soak up this world too quickly, to have to constantly face the pomp and expectations heaped upon them. He preferred that they eat ji dan bing, run around the harbors, learn how to swim and fight, that they just gradually acquire the knowledge they needed to become good cultivators.
Because of the status they both had, they had to start actively participating in political disputes later on. Even so, Jiang Wanyin didn't believe that the boys would be able to understand by now why not all people agreed with each other, why disputes arose even though they shouldn't. Perhaps it was incredibly naive of him, but he wanted to give them the childhood they deserved, he wanted to give them true happiness, although sometimes he wondered why he was actually doing it.
He handed them their food, taking something for himself as well, and then sat down on the floor, so he could help them consume their breakfast in peace. Watching how close the two boys were, how they treated each other almost like brothers, often pained him, often made him fearful as he wondered if this was the way it should be. Many times he asked himself if, despite everything, he was favoring one of them, doing something he shouldn't be doing.
For of everything in the world, he was most afraid that one day it would turn out that he was no better than his father. He tried to do the exact opposite, but even so, he wasn't convinced he was doing the right thing, wasn't sure he wasn't bringing more trouble on himself by acting this way. Even so, he didn't protest when Jiang Yuan climbed into his lap to wipe the food off his cheek, at the same time listening to Jin Ling's story about how he had chased the scary fish away from under the pier the previous day with Zidian's help.
He knew exactly what his nephew had in mind. He was already very familiar with this weapon , made from a stick and its ribbon, which Jin Ling had stolen from his room and then painted not very skillfully in blue zigzags. He wanted the material to look exactly like lightning, which he completely failed to do, but of course he never found out. Jin Ling was very proud of it, and Jiang Yuan always told him that it was an amazing weapon.
He himself was running around with a wooden sword, far too big for him, but he insisted that he wanted this one to look like Sandu's. Like the weapon of an adult. Like the weapon of a true leader. And while sometimes the boys' games probably made the elders smile, all of them took them very seriously, thanking them more than once and more than twice for their help in getting rid of dangerous ghosts and other demons.
"Sect Leader Jiang?"
The man glanced towards the entrance of the kitchen, spotting one of the seniors in the doorway, who bowed to him with a slight smile, inquiring whether he would show up for training today or tell the teachers to start without him. Jiang Cheng was about to reply when he noticed Jin Ling open his mouth wide, almost losing the breakfast still held in his dirty hands in the process.
"What are you doing?" he asked excitedly.
A member of Yunmeng Jiang hurriedly glanced at his leader, and when he saw that the leader nodded, he quickly began to tell Young Master Jin what the young alumni who would be the first to appear at the training ground were currently doing. Jin Ling's wide eyes and the admiration on his face were enough of an answer for his uncle, who immediately said that he would change his clothes and come to see how the juniors were doing in a moment.
He didn't even have to wait for a cheer from the boys, who hurriedly started stuffing the leftover breakfast in their mouths, looking almost as if they were racing at it, and then took off running towards the exit door, looking back at him with concern. Jin Ling hit one of the tables on the way out, but before he could cry, Jiang Yuan grabbed his hand, shouting something about how all the juniors would definitely want to see how great Zidian fought.
Sect Leader Jiang merely shook his head slightly, watching them for another moment before they finally ran out of the kitchen together, ensuring that they would wait with the other juniors by the training ground. They didn't have to do that, though of course, certain responsibilities applied to them as well. Today, however, they were going to meet their friend, they were going to spend a pleasant time with him, and it seems that this was what Jiang Wanyin wanted most.
However, for Jin Ling and Jiang Yuan, something else also mattered. They wanted to show their best side, clearly already recognizing that they should follow the example of their elders. They had heard many times about how Jiang Cheng had excelled in leading all of Yunmeng Jiang, how he had rebuilt the entire Lotus Pier on his own, how his sect was growing in strength, proud of whoever led them. To the boys, there was nothing more important than these words that made them proud.
There was also no doubt that this was the reason why they had promised themselves to be like Sect Leader Jiang. They never told him about it, keeping it to themselves as their biggest secret, but they always looked at him carefully. This was something the man was aware of, guessing that they were both looking for a role model to follow. They had no parents, and he tried with all his might to replace them, not caring that he had to clean up after them with crumbs of food.
To be honest, there were very few things that bothered Jiang Wanyin. He had learned to work with the boys by his side, he had learned to train his pupils while carrying them both in his arms, allowing them far too much. At least that was the assumption he was coming from, but he wasn't going to worry about whether or not something was appropriate for the young lord. He himself had been through so much that the boundaries concerning these supposed differences and characteristics for given social classes completely blurred in his consciousness.
So if the boys wanted to eat street food or wanted to play in the mud, he didn't forbid them. If they wanted to get something that had its value, they would get it too, because after all there was no reason to deny them. Of course, if this was within his means, he didn't intend to look for money heaven knows where, just to satisfy a momentary whim of one of them.
He knew that the members of Yunmeng Jiang were already whispering among themselves about spirit weapons for Jiang Yuan, apparently waiting for when their leader would tell them to start preparing them, but he thought that the boy was still too young for it. However, that didn't mean he didn't think about it, just like the myriad of other things that accompanied him every day, cluttering up his thoughts to the point where he sometimes forgot what he was actually doing.
Even now, as he headed towards the training ground, finishing tying his hair, he seemed somewhat absent-minded. He pondered over the issues presented to him in the letters by the other leaders, looking for the right solutions, but as soon as he spotted Jin Ling running around with Zidian , he smiled barely perceptibly, only to immediately rebuke his nephew with a look of bright eyes.
"Attitude, A-Ling!" he shouted in his direction.
Most of the juniors gathered in the square bowed deeply at the same moment, trying to ignore the offended burps of Young Master Jin, who apparently thought that he was doing a great job with everything. Some even expected that the boy might cry in a moment, but instead, he ran over to Jiang Yuan to participate in the training with him, trying not to show that he was tired or didn't yet have the right abilities to present himself well enough now.
Jiang Cheng kept his attention on him at all times, as well as on Jiang Yuan, trying to keep an eye on them, knowing full well that their enthusiasm wasn't necessarily equal to their strength. It was warm anyway, quite steamy for this time of year, and the young leader had some doubts about how long the children should stay outside the buildings at all. They needed rest, water and food, so they wouldn't accidentally overheat and get sick. Of course, the boys should learn the hardships of cultivator life, but still, even that had its limits.
Therefore, it was no wonder that Sect Leader Jiang recalled the juniors to the classrooms a little earlier than usual, concluding that since even he felt the scorching heat that unexpectedly came from the mainland, it must have been much harder for the trainees. As soon as Jin Ling ran up to him, he noticed his reddened cheeks and wordlessly took the boy in his arms, immediately making sure that Jiang Yuan was also feeling fine. He ordered tea to be prepared for them, and then he and the children headed to the cool room where he would hold a meeting with the council of elders.
"Was it good?" asked Jiang Yuan, who was holding his hand tightly and trying to take steps as long as a man.
"You need to work on your posture, both of you. It's been better than it's been so far, so you must have been practicing" the man stated rather harshly.
"That was better!" interjected Jin Ling rather wryly, thus showing his fatigue, and then he closed his eyes as if he intended to take a nap.
"It was! Uncle just said it!" exclaimed the other boy joyfully, clasping his fingers a little tighter on his hand.
The man looked at him somewhat uncertainly, not entirely convinced that the way he addressed them was appropriate. He tried to be stern with them when necessary, and he wasn't about to be lenient with them when it came to matters of combat. For their lives might one day depend on it, and he didn't want them to lose them in the first scuffle because they wouldn't be able to hold their weapons properly. He feared he would lose them someday if he didn't prepare them for what the world around them could be.
Jiang Cheng looked up at the sky, where it was vain to find even a single cloud, and then walked under the canopy of the great hall, listening involuntarily to the exchange of words between the boys. There was a lot of childish fantasy in their conversation that led to nothing concrete, and they were merely wondering if Lan Jingyi would be willing to hunt the big, scary lake monster with them.
If it weren't for the fact that Jiang Wanyin already knew that they meant the fish that had been swimming closer and closer to the Lotus Pier lately - probably fed by the boys with leftover food - he would have started to fear for their safety and would have called his men to thoroughly sweep the whole area. They did this every day anyway, so it would probably be over-sensitive on his part, but the feeling that they could be attacked at any moment still lived in him.
Having entered the hall with the boys, he set Jin Ling on the ground. He didn't have to wait long for them to rush to a seat just off the rise on which he himself always sat, and the servants hastily brought clean rolls of paper, ink, and brushes for them, knowing full well that both his nephew and his pupil intended to take an active part in the proceedings.
And since Sect Leader Jiang didn't protest and calmly allowed something like this, everyone accepted it with a smile, silently wondering when the boys would be old enough to start daring to express their own opinions in front of the council of elders. Of course, they did it already, asking every now and then how to write down a word, because it sounded strange, or pointing out that it was high time to eat something tasty.
They didn't shy away from it, albeit repeatedly apologizing, noticing the chastising glances from Jiang Wanyin, who warned them that their behavior could lead to ending up with broken legs. The man wasn't always happy with what the boys were doing, but each time he made sure then that they understood their mistakes, that they noticed them and would try to remember them. There were times when he would rather gently try to point out that one of them had behaved better and try to convince them that it was the right thing to do and not the other.
For the most part, however, Jiang Cheng felt a sense of pride as he looked at Jiang Yuan improving the brush in Jin Ling's hand. He also felt that there was a feeling nestled at the bottom of his heart that was much deeper than the attachment or care he had for the two boys, hoping that they would one day turn out to be strong and wise leaders. He feared sometimes that he would spoil them too much, allowing far more than he should, but he concentrated on making sure they led peaceful lives.
Probably because of this, the other sects soon came to the conclusion that Yunmeng Jiang was acting very diplomatically, building his power not on an army, but on connections and various colligations that others might have overlooked at first glance. Jiang Wanyin looked for allies, helping where he could, sending his alumni on more night hunts, or offering specific resources to those in need. People began to flock to the Lotus Pier, which in barely a few years had become a truly enormous, perfectly fortified place.
The city spilled over into the surrounding forests, the lake seemed to be blooming not only with lotuses but also with a whole host of other goods that could then be sold at a profit. There was no doubt that Jiang Wanyin was courting the friendship of the other great sects, that he still maintained good relations with Nie Huaisang, that he had already secured a place for Jiang Yuan among the disciples sent to Cloud Recesses. If that wasn't enough, everyone knew about the youthful friendship between the heirs of the three great sects.
Jiang Wanyin smiled slightly at that thought, deviating from what one of his trusted advisors had said, focusing on the boys who were actually trying to take notes. At least Jiang Yuan was laboriously writing something, as Jin Ling gave the impression that he was trying to draw something but had more ink on his face than on paper. Sect Leader Jiang wrinkled his nose slightly at this, but decided that he would temporarily not pay attention to it.
He remembered his father admonishing him for literally everything. He wanted him to always be perfect, always prepared for the possibility that others might look at him, that they might want something from him, as if anyone really expected a five-year-old to be able to have a really high level discussion with them. Jiang Cheng hoped that his behavior was better, that his parenting methods were going to result in something more appropriate someday than the sense of rejection, the sense of weakness that he himself had to face for a really long time.
There were days when he was afraid that the boy he had taken in would turn out to resemble Wei Wuxian. There were also days when he was afraid that the same cruelty and anger that characterized much of his family would be awakened in Jiang Yuan. He still didn't know what awaited them all once he learned the truth about his background, but he was already trying to tell him that the war had never been fair, and he regretted some of the decisions he had made during it.
He twitched slightly as a quiet clatter reached him, and he looked over at Jin Ling, noticing that the latter had put the brush into the teapot full of tea, yawning rather protracted in the process. He was clearly tired of what was going on and was getting awfully grouchy, tugging at Jiang Yuan's sleeve, who tried to quiet him down by reminding him that they had promised to take notes and take care of everything. This, however, clearly wasn't able to calm the younger boy, who just wanted to rest, mumbling something about Lan Jingyi.
"Jin Ling," Jiang Cheng said quietly yet firmly after raising his hand, stopping any more advisors from voicing their opinions. "Come here. Jiang Yuan, I haven't seen you drink anything."
The boys hurriedly looked after each other, and then immediately set about following the instructions they had actually received from their leader. Soon, Jin Ling's deep, calm breathing could be heard in the hall, and he fell asleep on his uncle's lap, snuggling up to him quite tightly, while Jiang Yuan put the brush aside and politely drank his tea, also eating pieces of the fruit given to him by the servants.
With that, the assembled people were able to peacefully return to the proceedings, which were somewhat tedious as always, but Jiang Wanyin nevertheless did his best to focus on them. At least, as long as it wasn't announced to him that Sect Leader Lan had finally arrived along with his alumni, which the man quipped with a slight smile. He ordered them to be led to one of the gazebos on the water and given a meal, as they were probably tired from their journey, and then he made a few more arrangements with his council of elders.
Everyone saw Jiang Yuan move impatiently in his seat, and when he noticed Sect Leader Jiang nodding slightly, he immediately rose to run up to him. With a joyful shout, he woke Jin Ling up, then pulling him by the hand, he ran out of the hall, so they could head over to greet their friend. Their guardian didn't even bother to tell them that they were all dirty from ink and food, concluding that it didn't matter anyway since they were going to turn the entire Lotus Pier upside down in a moment.
He himself headed right after them to the gazebo, where he greeted the guests and then took a seat across from Lan Xichen, casting only a hasty glance toward the three boys who were just heading for the marina exit. He shouted further in their direction that they were to be careful, and if any of them didn't surface for too long, as soon as he fished them out, he would make sure they couldn't even sit down for a month.
"Don't scare them," Lan Huan said softly, sending his pupils off to rest in the rooms prepared for them.
"I'm not threatening them. They know very well that I won't do anything to them," muttered Jiang Cheng at once, squinting his eyes.
"A-Yi still believes that one day he will deserve to break her legs."
"And you believe anything I would do to him?"
"No. You would probably put his broken bones together yourself and check that he was taking all the recommended herbs. Though I believe you'd be excusing him from the mindless ghouls at the same time."
Jiang Wanyin parted his lips to say something, but only snorted quietly, hearing Lan Xichen laugh warmly. The older man looked towards the boys, who had actually entered the water, but were in a shallow area where they could wade in looking for fish and trying to pick lotuses. He was sure that if there was just something going on, they would have had time to react, besides, Jiang Yuan seemed like he was willing to watch the other boys every step of the way.
However, that didn't mean that he wasn't going to play with them and accost them. Zewu-Jun wasn't too surprised when it was the Yunmeng Jiang alum who was the first to splash his companions with water, while laughing out loud. However, he did it in such a way as to make sure that none of his friends would fall over and do themselves any harm, which indicated that he was receiving a really good education.
"Don't you sometimes think about..." began Lan Xichen quietly, turning his gaze away from the boys to refocus on Jiang Cheng.
"I don't want to talk about it," the other leader interrupted him immediately. "I know you guessed it, but I don't want to tear it up."
The older man closed his eyes and immediately nodded. Sect leader Jiang was grateful to him for that, for the way he acted, the way he didn't raise any objections, the way he simply allowed Lan Jingyi to spend time with his peers whose past wasn't at all as beautiful and pure as it should have been. Once, Zewu-Jun had mentioned to him that his decision had taken great courage, but he hadn't tried to bring it up overmuch, waiting for him to make his move.
He would ask him about Jiang Yuan occasionally, like today, but would back off whenever the younger man wished. This fully suited Jiang Cheng, who now focused on talking quite casually about what was going on around them. They could also easily discuss art, music, anything, letting it consume them. Sect Leader Jiang had to admit that it always put him at ease and swayed him, completely, as if he was floating on gentle waves.
He probably would have allowed himself to be completely carried away by them if not for the fact that a beautiful mask depicting a fox's snout was suddenly placed under his face. Right behind it was Jiang Yuan, whose eyes were shining with excitement and a kind of anticipation that he couldn't even fully describe. Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling had just come running over to stand right behind the boy, and all at once, they started asking if they had received a beautiful gift from Lord Chen.
The man had long been making many of the ornaments that could be found in the Lotus Pier, and most of the kites were coming out of his hands. Jiang Cheng was never surprised that the boys would run to his studio, fascinated by his works, wanting to know more about them. Apparently they had gained his favor and affection, since he was willing to give them such valuable gifts. But it didn't matter now, as the young leader obscured his face with his mask, smiling behind it with amusement, and let out something like a growl.
"Demon!" shouted Lan Jingyi at once, throwing himself towards Jiang Yuan's wooden training sword.
"Watch out!" joined Jin Ling immediately, trying to push Lan Xichen aside, which was obviously impossible, but the man succumbed to his movements.
"We will defend you!" assured Jiang Yuan still.
Zewu-Jun tried to remain serious and not to laugh too loudly as the other leader chased around the gazebo and the nearest harbors with the boys. Jiang Cheng heard him but didn't comment on it in any way, fully concentrating on pretending to be an evil, cruel, fox demon who wouldn't be at peace until he defeated the menacing cultivators. At times, he felt like laughing out loud as the boys tried to imitate the adults.
He felt a warm wave spread through his heart. He was truly happy, and to know that the children were able to have so much fun together was almost extraordinary to him. There were no divisions or feuds between them, they accepted each other as they were, enjoying literally everything they had, enjoying what was around them, having nothing for the time being of the past that had orphaned them all. Jiang Cheng pushed that bitter thought away as he grabbed Jiang Yuan in his arms, causing all the boys to squeal loudly.
"Bind him!"
Jiang Wanyin snickered upon hearing Lan Xichen's outcry, which he had absolutely not expected, not even imagining that the man could do something similar. However, he wasn't going to argue with him, wasn't going to question his behavior, and simply let Jin Ling actually try to entangle him with Zidian after a moment. He let go of Jiang Yuan as soon as Lan Jingyi attacked his hands with a battle cry, having a real duel with him for a moment to the delight of the Gusu Lan alum.
The simple joy that emanated from the children's clearly tired faces caused Jiang Cheng to smile warmly behind his mask. Immediately, however, he made another unidentifiable sound, allowing the boys to finally knock him to the ground and declare themselves the victors, tangling with his robes, trying to completely tie him up and crush him to the wooden terrace, which was difficult, but Jiang Wanyin made it easy for them every step of the way.
He could hear Lan Xichen laughing as he congratulated the boys on their victory and thanked them for their help, which may not have sounded overly convincing, but no one seemed to care. The ribbons holding the mask in place had come loose during the fight and the mask slipped off Sect Leader Jiang's face, almost completely exposing it, which the boys still wrestling with him didn't notice, but the other man did.
"Oh, did you remove the curse?" he asked with undue concern.
The children actually immediately reacted to this, noticing what had happened and began to make joyful shouts, testifying to their contentment and happiness, but they clearly had no intention of solving the demon they had caught. Lan Jingyi even stated that they needed to make sure that this foul spirit wasn't tricking them, and after just a moment, they began to look for a suitable solution to the problem they were facing.
Eventually, Lan Xichen cautiously suggested to them that perhaps they should look for something spicy to eat, which Jin Ling picked up on immediately and without waiting for anything, the boys took off at a run towards the kitchen. Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, turning to the side to look at the older man who had just knelt down beside him, smiling at him gently yet incredibly cheerfully.
"If they bring me peppers dipped in hot spices, you'll eat them yourself, Zewu-Jun" stated Sect Leader Jiang, looking at him menacingly, but he still didn't rise from the ground.
"Then I'm afraid your medics will have something to do for the rest of the coming night," replied Lan Huan quietly.
"Oh yeah? So you assume that I eat similar things every day and my stomach is indestructible?"
"Perhaps? Ultimately, I don't know everything about you, Wanyin. I didn't know you had such an open heart for all of them."
Sect Leader Jiang rolled his eyes again, then rather abruptly sat down on the platform, feeling his cheeks cover with a deep blush. He felt stunned by what he had just heard, at the same time having to admit that the older man was right. He didn't see anything wrong with giving all three of them a reason to be happy, to play with them, nor did he see any reason to deny it to the other children.
Perhaps it was actually his need to right the wrongs that had been done to himself, perhaps it was something else, but whatever the truth, he was happy nonetheless. There was a lot of evil lurking beneath that joy, hiding the nightmares he had tried to run from, but he still felt like he had gotten what he wanted. He looked now from under his closed eyelids, at the man sitting next to him, then shrugged his shoulders awkwardly.
Lan Xichen smiled at him, tilting his head slightly, then reached for the mask that was still lying on the platform to carefully twist it in his fingers. He was about to say something when they heard hurried footsteps and spotted the boys coming back towards them, laughing very loudly. They were followed by the servants who were carrying the evening meal, knowing full well that it was already high time for the children to rest. Although the sun was still standing high, it was evident that the youngest had already had enough excitement for the day.
Lan Jingyi stopped first, gesturing towards Lan Xichen, who smiled slightly at him, only to be immediately accosted with questions about how he had managed to undo the curse. The man laughed quietly, and Jiang Wanyin, without really knowing why, felt himself blushing rapidly, which drew Jin Ling's attention. His nephew immediately went over to him, to check if he had a fever, but a moment later he ran after his friends to eat dinner.
"Did we also lose interest in some things so quickly?" asked Jiang Cheng, shaking his head.
"Dragonflies have always been more important to you," replied Lan Huan quietly.
The younger man wrinkled his eyebrows and then looked at him in disbelief, wanting to ask if he really remembered so old times. However, something remained in their memory from the days full of safety and happiness, full of freedom, which they never had again, although they constantly aspired to it, believing that it was still possible. They didn't chase it, but were convinced it existed.
It was like that moment when they were just sitting on the pier, looking ahead at the lotuses bobbing on the water, watching as the rays of the sun that were bending towards the horizon began to gild them. There was a kind of magic and beauty about it that was impossible to forget, something to which the eye fled, allowing it to be distracted from the noises coming from the gazebo.
These soon quieted down, however, and when the leaders looked in that direction, they realized that the boys had fallen asleep, huddled together, apparently full to the top of their ears. They must have been tired after all their fun, after running and chasing demons, after all that had happened. But they were undoubtedly happy, and that mattered immensely. And actually, that was all that mattered.
"You didn't tell them how you removed the curse," Jiang Cheng said quietly.
"No. But that can remain my secret," replied Lan Huan, looking at him carefully.
The younger man smiled at him with the corner of his mouth and then turned his head to look at the lotuses again. He didn't have to wait long, however, until he felt a gentle touch on his hand and until he closed his eyes, taking pleasure in this simple moment that he wouldn't even be able to describe. It was sweet. And it was taking some of the fears, insecurities, and memories with it forever, making room for a whole new feeling.