Chapter Text
In the hall while no one was around, Jin Guangyao had to let himself smile. Shame he had to ruin the party he spent so long organizing, but it would be worth it for what was to follow. After telling Jin Zixuan he overheard something about their cousin, Jin Zixun, trying to intercept Wei Wuxian on his way to the party, he took off. While the outcome was uncertain, it was likely Jin Guanyao would have a funeral or two to plan afterwards.
All of these so-called great men would fight like dogs at the slightest provocation to their pride. They only needed the right nudge and they would beat each other to death. Sighing, he looked up and tried to determine whose death was more likely to be announced. Jin Zixun? Wei Wuxian? Hopefully both.
Jin Guangyao took careful, measured steps through the hall, stepping out to the courtyard to get just one more breath of fresh air before the newest batch of chaos. Perhaps it wasn't so bad that he was taking some pride in his work- it was no small feat to puppet the great Wei Wuxian and his esteemed Jin relatives. Ah, it was worth cracking another genuine smile, at least.
Just in time, the communication talisman grew hot in his robe, and he pulled it out to reveal the message from Su Minshan:
WEI WUXIAN DID NOT COME
It burned away in his hands.
What?
Was Wei Wuxian delayed? The demonic cultivator no longer flew with his sword, and the only way from Yiling to Carp Tower was through Qiongqi- how could they not encounter him and the Ghost General? He turned over thoughts- there was no news that the Yiling Patriarch had left the Burial Mounds in months, could he have managed to find some way to travel via demonic cultivation? Or had he found out that Jin Zixun wanted him dead and the news had kept him away from even his beloved sister, Jiang Yanli?
Jin Guangyao breathed in the fresh, fragrant air of the courtyard. No matter. Even if it was a wasted opportunity, there would be others.
He put a smile on his face and headed to the main hall where people were beginning to mingle, and waited for the arrival of the family of the hour.
Madam Jin glowered at him as he entered. His father, Jin Guangshan, paid him little mind. He was likely wondering where his favorite son had gone off to.
“Announcing the arrival of the Sect Leader Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji!” Came the voice of the usher from across the room, near the entrance. “Announcing the arrival of Wei Wuxian and his guest!”
Heads turned and conversations stilled. Jin Guangyao realized that Wei Wuxian had escaped the ambush laid for him because he had arrived with the Twin Jades of Lan . When had that been planned? He had received a letter from Lan Xichen not long ago and it had made no mention of that development.
As sure as day, the peerless Jades of Lan, smiling Lan Xichen and stoic Lan Wangji, graced the hall with their appearance. Right beside them, stood the dark robed Wei Wuxian...with someone else.
"Is that a child?" Jin Guangshan asked, standing up to get a better look. Jin Guangyao peered over the crowd to see...yes, there was a child around ten years old clutching Wei Wuxian's sleeves like they were her only tether to life. As the men all strode forward to greet the hosts, the child hung back a step or two. And what a strange child. She wore black robes like Wei Wuxian and tied her hair with a red ribbon like he did, but the color of her hair was more brown than black, and the texture was wild and bushy. Upon closer inspection, her features were subtly off: the shape of her nose, the set of her eyes, and… was he even sure that it was a girl child?
A quick glance around the room told Jin Guangyao that no one else expected this. Sect Leader Jiang Wanyin looked like he had been forced to swallow pond scum. Sect Leader Nie Mingjue leaned forward as if ready to stand, only to be held back by his younger brother, Nie Huaisang, who was trying frantically to whisper into his ear.
The two Lans, as well as Wei Wuxian and his...young guest… bowed to the Jins.
After some initial pleasantries, Jin Guangyao was able to say,
"It is a surprise you all arrived together. May I ask who is this you've brought with you?"
Wei Wuxian grinned widely at him. "Oh, well... see, at first I thought of taking Wen Ning along with me." The room went deathly still at the idea of a Fierce Corpse at their celebration. "I would have walked if it was us, but then I thought- this is a time for family, right? So I should take this opportunity to let my daughter, Wei Huihua, meet my shijie's family."
The cavernous hall buzzed with whispers once again. His daughter?! Certainly not by blood. Where had she come from? Was she another of his experiments? The girl hid her face in her father's sleeve.
"A'Hua, that's rude. Come, why don't you greet the Chief Cultivator and his wife?"
She tugged on his sleeve and whispered in his ear. Wei Wuxian looked at her, surprised, then shook his head and laughed.
"Ah- she is shy! She says '’this one's voice is too ugly for this resplendent hall and these beautiful people!' It is true that her grasp of our language still needs work, but she has come a long way in only one year, wouldn't you say, Lan Zhan?"
"Mn." the ever-taciturn Lan Wangji said.
Jin Guangshan stroked his beard. "So... do you mean to say the Lans were aware of this...adoption?"
Impossible, Jin Guangyao thought- Lan Xichen would have mentioned something to him about it. Someone would have said something about it.
Lan Xichen explained. "I learned about it only a short while ago. My brother learned about it, but did not want to gossip, as it is against the decrees of our sect."
The girl, Wei Huihua, was looking up and around at everything, including Jin Guangyao. He tried smiling at her, but she got embarrassed and looked away. She tried to peek out again, but seemed much more comfortable clinging to her father's arm.
Why had he brought a child with him? Did he think people would go easier on him if they thought he was a new parent? There were still plenty who found his unorthodox cultivation, his slaughter of Jin cultivators and his siding with the Wen remnants to be unforgivable. Wei Wuxian must have known he was bringing his daughter into the tiger's den.
"I didn't think she would be so frightened- come on, A'Hua, or have you forgotten our language already?"
She unclenched her father's robes and bowed gracefully.
In a clear voice, though with a strong accent that caught on her words, the child greeted the hosts. "It is an honor to meet the Chief Cultivator and Madam Jin. This one is Wei Huihua, daughter of Wei Wuxian."
Jin Guangshan gave a twitch of a smile. “What a surprise! The infamous Yiling Patriarch has brought such a polite child with him. Wherever did you find her?”
"On the streets of a town in Yiling.” Wei Wuxian said, without any regard to the insult leveled against him, “I guess that's the best place to pick up orphans. When I found her, she could not speak our language at all. As it turns out, she has no memory of how she arrived here, and remembers little of her life in her home country. We are trying to find out how to restore her memories through orthodox cultivation."
Jin Guangyao kept his eyes on the girl. Wei Huihua was quiet as the adults spoke, her eyes now cast demurely towards the floor. Had she truly forgotten her memories? If she was an orphan she could not have gotten far on her own at such a young age, if she were abducted and taken by force, perhaps she had shut away painful memories- ah, that would be quite pitiful. Should they be telling the truth, his heart would indeed go out to the poor child.
"What a mystery. What does she remember then, of her home country?" Jin Guangyao asked.
"Bits and pieces. I asked if she ever had to work, but she was required only to study. She remembers diligent parents and energetic brothers. She played music, but the instrument she used was bigger than a guqin and I haven't yet figured out how to recreate it. She was well educated, wherever she came from- she is literate in her own language, and understands math, various sciences, and the history of her people. "
All of this excited the crowd even further- from the sounds of it, this wasn't an ordinary child off the streets! She was, perhaps, a child of distinction from a far off land, or at least wealthy enough as to not be completely beneath notice.
But there was a worry in Jin Guangyao's mind. Wei Wuxian had this child now, what was he going to do with her? What was the real reason for bringing her there? Was he letting cultivators know that he had an obedient, humble daughter in hopes to secure a match with someone's son? No, if he had any affection for the girl he would hate the idea of marrying her off to the highest bidder.
Before he could think of anything else, an attendant informed him that the family would at last make their appearance.
"Ah- it would appear that Jin Zixuan and his family are ready. Let us all take our seats, yes?"
~~~
A place was brought out for Wei Huihua without anyone needing to ask, and of course she was seated next to her father. Jin Guangyao kept an eye on them, as he kept an eye on everything else going on. Well, at least the party hadn't gone to waste, he thought bitterly. There sat Jin Zixuan with the love of his life and their infant son. His arrogant half-brother, beloved by so many. Jin Guangyao could do nothing but smile by the sidelines. There was a chance things would go well with his courtship of Qin Su, and he was certain soon they would have the blessings of both their fathers with some patience. Then, at least he would have a loving wife of his own, and children who could hold their heads high as accepted members of the Lanling Jin sect.
It was soon time to begin presenting gifts to the baby. Many brought gold and jade trinkets and jewelry- Wei Wuxian offered the child an impressive protective amulet. He delivered it with Wei Huihua, who smiled at the baby.
A look passed between Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan, who held their son. His half-brother despised unclean things, would he demand that the street urchin be kept away from his child? To Jin Guangyao’s shock, his half-brother considered Wei Wuxian’s protege and asked, “Would you like to hold him?”
The girl smiled and offered up her arms. Slowly, she was given that rare, special privilege to hold the baby, a privilege often denied to Jin Guangyao himself.
Her cooing seemed like nonsense until he realized that she was speaking her native language. Jin Guangyao strained to hear the words, but she spoke too softly. Jin Ling looked very confused by her, and started to scrunch up his face- and then she began to sing a strange song. It had a slow, graceful melody and was in that other language, but as she sang small flowers appeared in the air around them. A crown of flowers set itself upon the head of Jiang Yanli, who giggled into her hands. Jin Ling was dazzled by the shining flowers and kept reaching up for them with his hands, but they were all illusory and vanished into light when touched, more delicate than soap bubbles.
Others whispered more. The girl had been studying with Wei Wuxian for a year at most, and she was doing strange illusion magic! He must be teaching her to cultivate- but what kind of cultivation, exactly? Surely the Yiling Patriarch had given her more than lights and flowers. Or was this a new cultivation from her homeland, wherever that may be?
Wei Huihua gave Jin Ling back to Jin Zixuan. "He is a pretty baby. Will I be allowed to play with him again?"
Jiang Yanli smiled as her husband took the baby back. "Jin Ling is your cousin. Family should not be kept apart."
Wei Huihua smiled and waved again to the baby before taking her father's hand and heading back to their seats. Jin Guangyao saw a smile playing upon her lips, and from the back, her hair reminded him of a bushy fox's tail.
That whole scene caused Jin Guangyao to stop and reconsider. She wasn't hiding her cultivation talent. And that short, innocent conversation, painted Wei Wuxian's exile as something cruel to the happy new family. Now children were getting involved in this, and what decent member of the gentry wanted to do ill to innocent children? Wei Wuxian seemed to have gotten a hold of a daughter that no one could criticize on merit, only by her mysterious origins- and even then it was more a thing of mystery and intrigue than outright scandal. No one would be calling her the daughter of a whore, or tittering about her parents eloping out of love.
Just how planned was all of this?
Later on, when little Jin Rulan became hungry and fussy, prompting Jiang Yanli to gracefully excuse herself to care for her son, some of those veils of niceties began to lift.
“Wei Wuxian,” began Jin Guangshan, “in light of the happy occasion, there has been talk of granting you a full pardon, in exchange of course for your surrender of Yiling and turning over the Yin Tiger Tally.”
Wei Wuxian glanced over his cup of wine, and took his time drinking. “So...you want me to surrender, give the Jin clan my hard work, and in exchange I get... a pardon?”
At his side, Wei Huihua was silent but had a look of confusion as she tried to quietly repeat the words to herself. “Pardon? Surrender?” Jin Guangyao saw her mouthing the words, and she looked to Wei Wuxian for an explanation.
“Perhaps your daughter ought to go play somewhere as the adults talk.” Sect Leader Yao interjected, “This is not fit for a child to hear.”
Wei Huihua clung to her father’s arm, too scared to move.
Wei Wuxian cocked his head. “Oh? You think so? I disagree. I’ll keep my daughter by my side, thanks. Now, A’Hua...how to say this... ‘surrender’ is when you give yourself up to someone else’s mercy. A ‘pardon’ is when someone forgives you for doing something wrong.”
“Oh...” She seemed able to read the room a little and asked, “Did...did father do something wrong?”
That earned a nervous laugh from some members of those assembled.
She bowed very deeply to those in assembly and said, “This one is sorry for speaking out of turn!”
Jiang Wanyin shouted across the room. “Does she not know, Wei Wuxian? Did you tell her nothing about why you live in the god-forsaken Burial Mounds? You’re just trying to paint yourself in the best light, and share none of your faults. And now, you’re trying to raise children in that place, what’s the matter with you? If you had any shame, you would allow Wei Huihua to be brought up by a respectable sect!”
Wei Wuxian regarded his former sect brother coolly. “Very well. I must have misjudged these sects, if they all would be willing to pick a foreign child off the streets and open their homes to her- it couldn’t possibly be because she is skilled in unique cultivation abilities, which I only discovered by accident after a few months.” He turned his attention to the girl at his side. “Wei Huihua- stand up.”
She scrambled to her feet, shaking a little. Jin Guangyao did not envy the child in the slightest.
“So-“ said Wei Wuxian, “go ahead. Lay bare my crimes- and let her decide if she wants anything to do with me henceforth. Wei Huihua- stand over there. Go.” He gestured to the center of the room, where the shaking child obediently went. She looked up at all the faces of the sect leaders and other higher ups of the cultivation world and bowed deeply.
“Th-this one...wants to know... what did this one’s father do? Please, instruct this lowly, stupid girl.”
No one wanted to be the one to break this dutiful, filial daughter’s of her image of her father, so of course Jin Guangshan turned to Jin Guangyao and said, “List off the crimes.”
Jin Guangyao gave as calm a smile as he could muster. How to explain this to a child? He stepped down from the dias and approached her, then kneeled down so he was below her eye-level. “Does A’Hua know of the Sunshot Campaign?”
She nodded, and let him take her small, soft hand in his. “This one learned. Um... Wen Ruohan was cruel, and killed many people. He wanted to be the strongest. He organized the...the mass...massacres at Gusu Lan and Yunmeng Jiang. But...but then all the other clans worked together and they defeated him. This one heard that it was you, Lianfang-zun, who was the one to land the killing blow on Wen Ruohan!” She looked at Jin Guangyao with admiration. “Was Wen Ruohan scary?” She asked him quietly. “Lianfang-zun must be very brave.”
There were some mixed chuckles at her childish questions.
“Wen Ruohan was a ruthless man who killed innocents, I only did what had to be done. Now, your father Wei Wuxian fought in the Sunshot Campaign, yes?” As she nodded, he continued, “Your father fought very well in the campaign, of course, but the fighting he did...well, has your father explained demonic cultivation to you?”
She shook her head, “Wen Qing said he wasn’t allowed to, and he always listens to Wen Qing. But this one knows it uses resentful energy to help people, like Wen Ning. Wen Ning died after the Sunshot Campaign, but now he can walk and talk and play with this one and A’Yuan! The other day, this one made a flower crown for him and he smiled really big! Um...” she looked down. “Did...did father kill Wen Ning? How did Wen Ning die?”
In his seat, Wei Wuxian helped himself to some more wine. “I didn’t kill Wen Ning, A’Hua. But go ahead, Lianfang-zun , how did Wen Ning die? Look her in the eyes and tell her what the Jin clan did.”
Rumbling murmurs rose up in the crowd.
Jin Guangshan got up from his seat and shouted at him. “Wei Wuxian, he was a war criminal!”
Wei Huihua gripped Jin Guangyao’s hand. “What...the Jin clan did? Does father mean...did you kill him?” Her eyes started to water. “But...He’s so nice! He and Wen Qing saved my father and Jiang-zongzhu from the bad Wen, they took them in and hid them from Wen Chao even though they were in the same clan!”
“Well, in order to...” god, that girl’s grip was tight, “in order to make sure that none of the Wen would take revenge, the Great Clans decided it would be better to make sure that they couldn’t. So they were made to work instead. We...” There was no way to come out of this that would make sense to a child. “How about this? Wei Huihua, you love your father very much, right?”
“Yes.”
“Now, if someone killed your father, you would want them to be killed too, right?”
She looked at him with wide, tearful eyes and said, “Why would I want that?”
Wei Wuxian burst into laughter. Everyone else looked highly uncomfortable.
“Because...when someone hurts us, we want to hurt them back. That’s just the way of things.”
She tilted her head. “But...when A’Yuan pulls my hair, I don’t pull his hair, I just want him to stop pulling. I don’t want anyone to be hurt. Did Wen Ning hurt somebody? Did he kill somebody?”
“It’s not quite that simple...”
Someone shouted from the crowd, “This is just wasting time! Why are we bothering to explain this to a child?”
“So-“ Wei Wuxian said, “Are you saying that there was no reason for Wen Ning to die? If you can’t give an explanation, maybe his death was unjust.”
Nie Mingjue stood up, “Just because this child can’t understand it doesn’t make it unjust- everyone here knows that it is the way of things. When a member of our clans and families are killed, we take revenge. Eradicating the Wen clan was the only way to ensure peace for the rest of us.”
Jin Guangyao couldn’t help but flinch at his voice.
“What is ‘eradicate’?” Wei Huihua asked.
Wei Wuxian stood up, twirling Chenqing in his hand. “It means ‘kill everyone’. Young and old, male and female, healthy and sick. These noble cultivators put the Wen clan members that did not fight into work camps to die slow, miserable deaths. I liberated them, and killed those who stood in my way.”
Wei Huihua looked from her father to the cultivators. “Everyone? Even Granny? Even A’Yuan? He’s a baby! You...you all wanted to kill my little brother?!” She let go of Jin Guangyao’s hand and ran to her father’s side, crying. “Father- why did you take me to this place? They want to kill A’Yuan! They killed Wen Ning!”
Wei Wuxian patted her head. “There, there. Do you understand now?”
“No!” She wailed, “This one doesn’t understand! They said you did something bad, but you just helped people who helped you! And they killed people who killed no one, just because they’re Wen! Names are just names- father gave this one the name Wei Huihua, now do they want to kill this one because this one is a Wei?”
Wei Wuxian pointed his flute around the room. “Well? Does anyone want to kill her?” He spun her around so they could have a look at her crying, terrified face. “She’s a Wei now. She’s guilty of all the crimes of her father, the same way that the Wen remnants are guilty of the crimes of Wen Ruohan. Go on. If anyone wants to eradicate the Wei clan, now is your best shot.”
A flurry of white shot out onto the floor to join them. There, in his pristine glory, was Hanguang-jun himself. “Wei Ying,don’t provoke them any further.” He turned to address the crowd, “But know that if anyone tries to raise a hand against these two, I will not sit still and watch.”
Lan Xichen stood up. “I also find myself compelled by the Weis. The war is over- the Wens who survived are responsible for none of the atrocities that befell any of our clans. It is the position of Gusu Lan to put an end to this- as sect leader, I motion to allow the remainder of the Wen sect and the Wei clan to live peacefully, never raising arms against each other again.”
Nie Mingjue grunted and shook his head. “If we don’t choke the weed, it will grow. We know that Wei Wuxian is practicing demonic cultivation- we let him build a base in Yiling and soon we’ll have an army of Fierce Corpses at our door.”
“That doesn’t sound like any of the crimes I was accused of, Nie-zongzhu.” Wei Wuxian said, “In fact, that sounds like wild speculation, and I thought better of you.”
Jin Guangshan stroked his beard. “And what does Yunmeng Jiang have to say? He was once your brother, Jiang Wanyin.”
The true wildcard- Jiang Wanyin could go either way. “Wei Wuxian is reckless, and does not think things through. If left completely to his own devices, who knows what he’ll do?” The young sect leader glared at his former martial brother. “But Lan Xichen is right. The war is over- I am satisfied with the revenge I got for my parents and the other fallen members of my sect, I’m not bloodthirsty enough to chase after beggars and cripples just because they share a name with my fallen enemies. If Wei Wuxian rises up, we can put him down. If not, just...leave him be.”
With that, three of the four Great Clans had spoken, two in favor and one against. That left the Jin family, and Jin Guangyao wasn’t sure just how everything had come apart so quickly. Only yesterday, these clans were speaking of trapping Wei Wuxian and forcing him to surrender his Yin Tiger Tally, but at the trembling lip of a child, did they suddenly lose all their convictions?
He donned a smile, but his father spoke before he had the chance.
“Of all the sects, it is Lanling Jin that has the most grievances with Wei Wuxian, as it was our men that he killed to break out the Wen remnants. If turning over the Wens has become an unpopular course of action, we of course don’t want to cause any disharmony between sects. A new kind of compromise can be reached. There is the question of the Yin Tiger Tally- with it, Wei Wuxian maintains control of fierce corpses, and we can all see how that makes him an uncomfortable neighbor.”
“And without it,” Wei Wuxian snapped, “We get overrun. May I suggest a better solution?” He gestured with his flute to his daughter, who had managed to dry her eyes and silently clung to him once more. “Wei Huihua is not only my daughter, you see. I intend to begin a new sect, based on the school systems of old, and she is my first disciple.”
The uproar of the century rang out, only to be silenced as soon as Wei Wuxian brought his flute just a tad closer to his lips.
He continued, “I will start a school in Yiling, and give my inventions freely to other sects, such as my spirit flags and evil-detecting compasses. As for the Tally, it will remain in Yiling, to only be used to protect Yiling, never against or in aid of any other sect.” He gave a simple shrug. “Clan politics bore me, so it is my plan to keep to ourselves, with only a few students, to go on night hunts when requested, and focus on developing new styles of cultivation.”
Even if he only kept one student, she would not stay young and innocent forever! She was surely going to grow and learn her father’s ways, and if one Wei Wuxian was a chaotic nightmare, what would happen if there were two? Five? Ten?
Jin Guangyao cleared his throat. “While you may give your word that your new school will keep to itself, it would put the rest of us at ease if there was something a little more binding. Perhaps if Wei Wuxian would consider leaving half of the Tally with the Main sects, and keeping half in Yiling?”
“Oh? And I assume that it would of course remain with the Chief Cultivator, wouldn’t it? Why should he get to use it himself? Will you pass it between the sects? That sounds like you’re asking for it to be stolen or go missing, and then what? No, I have had to deal with you lot vying for power for too long.”
“Then perhaps…” Jin Guangshan said, looking over the room, “we might be able to secure a friendly relationship through the joining of families. Your daughter is young now, but in a few years she will be old enough to wed.”
Wei Huihua looked confused, but knew she was being spoken of.
Wei Wuxian barked out a laugh, “A marriage?"
"Think about it, Wei Wuxian. Your adopted daughter would be protected, and now it will be easy to find her a match- we are willing to overlook her peculiar origins and appearance. You would have stability and security for yourself and for the Wen remnants, and a good future for Wei Huihua."
Wei Wuxian looked at the surrounding men and sneered, "Do you really think I would let anyone lay a hand on her? I know how you all play- she would be given to some lesser disciple to use, or relegated to a concubine status the second she stepped through your doors. I will not let my only child be treated as such! Besides, she is only ten, and she deserves to find someone and fall in love..." He looked to Wei Huihua, then to Hanguang-Jun, who gave him a solid, piercing look and nodded.
Something passed between them. Wei Wuxian at first opened his mouth and pointed his flute at Lan Wangji, then withdrew and tapped Chenqing against his head. After thinking it over, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
"I hate that this is the only way. If what will stop the violence and revenge cycles is a marriage between the Wei and one of the Great Clans...fine. But I will choose the groom."