Chapter Text
The wind was getting worse, rattling the trees, leaves rustling in the window like a baby rattle being batted around by an angry child. Wompf. Woosh. Wompf. Woosh. It is a bit spooky, but who is Jin Ling to be afraid? With the dark night, it is a bit spooky but who is Jin Ling to be afraid?
He’s the son of Jin Zixaun and Jiang Yanli and he is the nephew of Jiang Cheng and the Yiling Patriarch, Wei Wuxian. With this family history, there is no space, no room for him to be afraid. He was taught well by Jiang Cheng, and Wei Wuxian taught him even more.
Jin Ling used to spit whenever hearing the name Wei Wuxian but these days, he knows that everything isn’t clear cut as it once appeared. It kills him inside that he doesn’t have his parents, but he’s been trying to move past it. He wants to create a life for himself, a life that he can be proud of. He’d love to cut himself free from the Jin Clan, renounce the role of Sect Leader and let someone else handle the difficulties of being sect leader to a pit of vipers. Let someone else make the tough decisions. Let someone else handle hearing the constant complaining from the Jin Clan Elders. Gods know that they would love to replace him! There have been a few assassination attempts since that night in Guayin Temple. But those attempts were quickly cut down at the knees. Fairy is a well-trained spirit hound, and when Wei Wuxian found out about those assassination attempts. Hah. It was beautiful. Wei Wuxian had stayed five months to help him weed out the traitors and instill fear of the damned within the Jin Clan, all the way from the servants to the council members to the Jin Elders.
Wei Wuxian had discovered who had been behind the last assassination attempt, provided plenty of evidence so that Jin Ling could hang his cousin Jin Chan and all his conspirators. This had left him with the problem of needing to find another first disciple, but Wei Wuxian had found an old friend of his father’s, MianMian. It was like a dark magic trick, but she swore she was here out of her own free will. She had left the Jin because of people like his grandfather. But she willingly came back with her small family to be Jin Ling’s first disciple and quickly gained his confidence. Which was why he was able to go night hunting with his friends. She is why he’s able to be here, his heart feeling warm and content even though the night is freezing cold, the warmth of the fire fleeting with the freezing wind that keeps pounding up against their backs.
‘If we get any closer to the fire, we would be on fire,’ Jin Ling thinks uncharitably. But he’s still feeling a smile etch up against the side of his mouth, and he doesn’t know whether its because he’s finally surrounded by friends or because Lan Jingyi is throwing the biggest fit about this demented weather…. ‘Never mind that he was the one who planned this trip in the first place,’ Jin Ling smirks.
"Jin Ling! You are laughing?! Why the hell are you laughing, little Mistress, " Lan Jingyi hisses at him, still wincing at the way the weather is. How did Jingyi describe it? Ah, yes, a woman weeping and wailing in the background.
Jin Ling stops trying to muffle his laughter against the sleeve of his outerwear. He smiles at Jingyi, it’s so sudden and surprising that it shocks both Jin Ling and Lan Jingyi at the same time. Jin ling can't stop laughing. "You call me a little Mistress! But who is the one acting so scared?'
"You--" Jingyi fumes.
Sizhui quickly pulls on Jingyi's sleeve, and whispers something into Jingyi's ear.
"Fine, fine, fine," Jingyi grumbles, "I will let it go.'
"Why should you let it go?!" Jin Ling demands. Honestly, he loves arguing with Jingyi. It’s one of his favorite things to do. Not that he would ever admit it aloud though.
"Lan rules," Sizhui quickly says. Suspiciously quick, in Jin Ling's opinion. Super suspicious considering that Sizhui and Jingyi are eating the pheasant that they had cooked over the fire...when both Lan disciples are supposed to be vegetarians according to Gusu Lan rules.
"Hey, don't insult my sect!" Jin Ling halfheartedly says. Like yeah, sure, the Jin sect is a pit of vipers. Nothing is as straight forward as it appears when it comes to the Jin. The Jin is the sort of clan that beats around the bush, always having an ulterior motive, with one hand claiming peace, and the other hand holding a dagger, hidden behind their back. It is irritating, and awful but it was once his father’s clan, and now it is his. He’s got to be somewhat protective over it, or he would be unfilial.
"Sorry, sorry, " Zhizen says, placating. But it's halfheartedly said too because he could tell that Jin Ling isn't offended. He's always been the best at reading Jin Ling.
"Anyway, " Zhizen says, "We just wanted to steal you away. Give you some time where you could just be yourself without any consequences. And arguing just isn't the way to do it."
Jin Ling notices Zhezin's eyes are dancing in the fire light. Sparkling with humor. Nothing seems to keep Zhezin down. Jin Ling admires that.
Jin Ling blushes, hoping his friends can't see it in the low flickering light of the campfire.
"Thank you," Jin Ling says.
"No problem," Jingyi says, steadily looking into the fire. Almost as if he feels embarrassed.
"It was Jingyi's idea," Sizhui says.
"No-no," Jingyi sputters. "Don't you remember? It was your idea! You have been spending so much time with Wei-qianbi, and your memory is getting just as bad as his!"
"It doesn't matter, " Jin Ling says. "Thank you, guys. This means a lot."
"No problem," Jingyi says. "Anyway, this isn't just a camping trip. I found a case for us to take care of. There are ruins around here. Several missing people. ...some kids."
Everyone flinches. Cases with missing kids are the worst.
"Those cases are the worst," Zizhen sighs.
And that is when it starts to rain. Big fat drops of water pelting the ground.
"Remind me why we didn't get a room at an inn?"Jingyi grumbles.
"They were full," Sizhui sighs. "Come on, let's smother the fire with dirt. Then we can look for a cave or head to the ruins early. If we are lucky, we will find some shelter from the rain there."
Between the rain and the dirt they place over the fire, it is quickly smothered out. Which is nice because this is the sort of rain that quickly soaks poor unsuspecting fools and Jin Ling wants to find shelter from the rain soon. But still, no need to risk setting the bamboo forest on fire.
Sizhui leads the group with his friends following closely at his heels. "I haven't been over on this side of Gusu, but it is remarkablely close to Caiyi. I heard that it used to be Gusu Lan headquarters before the Sunshot Campaign," Sizhui says. "I will just lead us over towards the ruins and if we find a cave to take shelter in, then we can stop there."
"I don't think that we should risk taking shelter in a cave. Never know what could be hiding in there. Bear, Yaoie, resentful spirit," Jingyi says. He sees everyone's incredulous stares. "What? I do listen to Senior Wei!"
Luckily, or unluckily (Jin Ling can’t decide how he feels about it), they don’t find a cave. By the time they reach the ruins, their clothes are soaked, plastered up against their skin. It’s the coldest Jin Ling has been in a long time. They do find shelter at the far edge of the ruins. One of the buildings sort of has a roof. It provides just enough shelter from the rain. They aren’t going to be comfortable, and if they were cultivators with smaller golden cores, they would be getting sick from this night hunt gone wrong. Not that its gone terribly wrong, yet. No one’s dead. That sort of thing can’t be easily fixed.
“Did anyone bring a talisman for fire?” Jin Ling asks.
“I have one!” Zhizhen says. He pulls it out and uses his qui to light it, the burst of flame lights up the ruins that they reside in. Jin Ling doesn’t see ghosts. Which is something. He’s not a big fan of ghosts but there are always worse things to hunt…. Ah… this is not good.
He sees a large array spread out across the ground. Jin Ling asks, “Is that carmine, or is it blood?”
Jingyi gulps. “I don’t know. We best take a closer look.” He pulls out a talisman and lights it as he walks deeper into the half collapsed room. Jin Ling and the others rushing in after him.
Jin Ling grabs onto Jingyi’s sleeve and tugs on it. “Slow down,’ Jin Ling hisses at him. “No need to head into dangerous situations alone, remember?”
Jingyi stops, sheepishly looking over at Jin Ling. “Yeah, you are right. Sorry.”
Jin Ling pats him on the shoulder. “No need,” Jin Ling says, patting him once on the shoulder. Which is when things start to go wrong. He hears something muttering in the darkness, feels malice, anger, rage filtering into the room. He feels like he’s walking over a desecrated tomb. Jin Ling pulls out his sword. With his other hand, he reaches for his Jiang bell, that dispels darkness and reclaims minds from evil beings.
“Do you guys hear that?” he asks his friends.
“Yes, “ Sizhui says, taking the opportunity to set off a firework to call for help from the nearest sect disciples. Jin Ling had heard that last time, with Lan Juniors hadn’t called for help right away when things had taken a turn for the worst that Wei Wuxian had scolded them. Something about not seeking for glory and not trying to eat more than one can chew in a single bit because when you reach too far, people start dying.
Jin Ling rings the Jiang Bell. The darkness shrieks angrily. Sizhui pulls out his quin, and starts playing, ‘Rest.’ And then there is a blast of red light. Jin Ling can’t see a thing. Can’t even see the firework light up the sky.
There is the clear blast of red light, and then nothing.
Jin Ling wakes up slowly, noticing the smells of the infirmary where the sick and wounded are kept. He smells the sandalwood incense burning. He hears healers muttering under their breaths. Hears classic Lan Clan healing music played from a guquin. He thinks he hears Lan Xinchen.
Jin Ling wants to open up his eyes but its hard. Stupid eyes don’t want to cooperate with him. But eventually they do. He can see the light coming from the open window, the blue gauzy curtains floating lazily due to a small breeze coming in from the window.
He feels dry, warm. Tucked in between thick blankets and a warming stone placed by his feet. It feels really nice. It’s clear that he’s back with the Lan Clan. He looks around, hoping to see his friends but he doesn’t see them. But there is a boy by his feet, wearing the Jin uniform. He’s fast asleep, his head resting against one arm with his other arm holding Jin Ling’s hand. He looks like he’s Jin Ling’s age, but Jin Ling doesn’t know him. He tries to tug his hand out of the boy’s grasp but the kid is holding on tight.
“Hey, you!” Jin Ling blusters, “Let go!”
The boy finally wakes up, and smiles at him, leaping forward to pull Jin Ling into a hug. “Thank the gods you are awake, Mother would have my head if anything happened to you.”
Its shock that keeps Jin Ling wrapped up in the other boy’s arm. Definitely shock, Jin Ling thinks to himself. Only explanation as for why he’s letting this stranger hug him.
“Who are you? And where are my friends?”
The boy pulls back slightly from the hug, his arms loosening up around Jin Ling. “You don’t remember me? “ He asks, his voice wavering a little as he lets go of Jin Ling.
“No,” Jin Ling says, firmly.
“I am going to go get a healer, stay here,” the boy says, rushing out of the room.
Once the boy leaves the room, Jin Ling tries to get off of the bed but his stupid legs won’t hold his weight, and he falls to the ground with a thud. Jin Ling groans, raising his hand to cover his eyes. This is just not his day.
It takes some time for Jin Ling to parse everything out. Here there are no Gusu ruins. No one know his friends, everyone looks at him like he might have hit his head too hard when he supposedly fell off of his sword when flying. The boy that was resting at his beside says that his name is Jin Zixuan and that Jin Ling is Jin Zixun.
Jin Ling thinks that the situation is absolutely bonkers. Everyone is off of their rocker, insane—there is no way that boy is who he claims to be. Jin Zixuan died ages ago. But trying to convince the boy of that, to get him to give up his joke is like telling a fish that it needs to fly. Upsetting all around. And Jin Zixaun is getting frustrated too. Things die down though.
He attends the Gusu Lan lectures with all of the other disciples. Which is when things get even crazier because he sees his uncles, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian. Instead of being distant from each other, they are happy, laughing in each others arms. He briefly meets Jiang Yanli too, and can’t stop staring at her with starstruck eyes.