Chapter Text
Years after the chaos of the cultivation world had subsided, the leaders of the great sects had grown old. The Yiling Patriarch's story had long since passed into history. Even the fierce Sandu Shengshou was no longer the hot-tempered young sect leader who had once chased every demonic cultivator because they claimed to be the Yiling Patriarch.
Time softened everything almost everything Jiang Cheng stood alone on the pier of Lotus Pier one evening, watching the sun sink beneath the earth, disciples laughed somewhere behind him the sect was thriving he should have been satisfied. Instead, he found himself thinking of a boy in black robes laughing as he stole lotus pods, thinking of promises broken by war, thinking of a family that no longer existed.
For the first time in many years, the bitterness was gone, and only exhaustion remained. He turned and started to head back to his room when Jin Ling appeared in front of him. "Jiujiu, there you are." Jin Ling appeared in front of him and began to walk with him. As they walked, he started to tell him about his recent night hunt.
Jiang Cheng listened as he thought about the recent years. It has been five years since Guanyin Temple and Jin Ling is a proud and powerful sect leader. He has grown a lot from the 15-year-old sect leader, always asking for advice from his jiujiu, to a sect leader who can lead conferences and make on-the-spot decisions for his sect. Jiang Cheng can feel the pride in his chest.
"Jiujiu, are you even listening to me?" Jin Ling said, looking at him. " No, I wasn't," he replied. "Jiujiu!" Jin Ling yelled as he threw his hands up in exasperation. "Jiujiu! I spent the last ten minutes telling you how I tracked that water ghoul through three villages!" Jiang Cheng snorted."If it took you three villages to catch a water ghoul, maybe I don't want to hear it."
"It wasn't just a water ghoul!" "Mm." "It had absorbed resentful energy from an abandoned burial ground!" "Mm." Jin Ling narrowed his eyes. "You really weren't listening."No." Jiang Cheng replied."Then why did you keep answering?" Jin Ling questioned."I was hoping you'd stop talking." "Jiujiu!"
The familiar complaint echoed through Lotus Pier's walkways, drawing a few amused glances from nearby disciples. Jiang Cheng ignored them. Jin Ling looked offended for all of three seconds before falling into step beside him again. Despite his words, Jiang Cheng listened as the younger man resumed his story. Five years, five years since Guanyin Temple the worst day of his life. Five years since the truth had been dragged into the light for everyone to see.
Jin Ling was twenty now, and old enough that no one could call him a child. But young enough that Jiang Cheng still occasionally forgot. The awkward teenager who had followed him everywhere, demanding answers, was gone in his place stood the Jin Sect Leader, respected throughout the cultivation world.
Sometimes Jiang Cheng would hear other sect leaders praise Jin Ling's competence and had to resist the urge to tell them, Of course he's capable. Who do you think raised him? The thought filled him with a quiet satisfaction. The kind of pride that came from seeing someone surpass the need for your protection.
"...and then Fairy bit it right on the leg." Jiang Cheng blinked. "You brought Fairy?" "Of course I brought Fairy." "Then why were you struggling?" Jin Ling sputtered. "Because that's not the point!" "It sounds like the point." "You're impossible." Jiang Cheng's lips twitched. Some things never changed. As they approached the sect leader's rooms, Jin Ling slowed.
"Jiujiu." "Hm?" The younger man's voice was quieter now. "Are you happy?" Jiang Cheng glanced at him. The question seemed to surprise even Jin Ling for a moment, neither spoke. Happy It was a strange word. Once, Jiang Cheng would have answered no without hesitation. How could he be? His parents were dead, his siblings were gone, and his golden core had been sacrificed. The last gift from his 'brother' to him and his family His life had been shaped by loss after loss. But that was years ago. Now Lotus Pier stood strong. The disciples were thriving, and the Jiang Sect was respected. Jin Ling was capable enough to stand on his own, Wei Wuxian was alive in another's body but alive, and Lan Wangji was alive. Even if they rarely saw each other, they existed somewhere beneath the same sky.
The wounds remained, they always would. But they no longer bled. Jiang Cheng looked out across the moonlit lake the lotus flowers swayed gently in the breeze. Finally, he said, "I think so." Jin Ling stared at him for several seconds. Then he smiled not the arrogant grin of a Jin cultivator. Not the mischievous expression he inherited from Wei Wuxian just a simple, genuine smile. "Good."
Something tightened painfully in Jiang Cheng's chest. Because for a fleeting moment, Jin Ling looked so much like Jiang Yanli that it hurt. And yet, for once, the hurt wasn't unbearable It was warm. A reminder rather than a wound. Jiang Cheng reached out and smacked the back of Jin Ling's head. "Ow!" "If you're done asking stupid questions, go back to your room." "Why did you hit me?!" "Because I felt like it." "That's not a reason!" "It is for me." "Jiujiu!"
Ignoring the indignant yelling behind him, Jiang Cheng continued walking toward his quarters. The sound of Jin Ling's complaints followed him all the way down the corridor. For perhaps the thousandth time, Jiang Cheng thought that raising this child had been exhausting. And perhaps for the thousandth time, he also thought it had been worth it.
As Jiang Cheng got ready for bed he felt drained not unusual for him but concerning he hadn't felt like this in a long time. `I'll just sleep it off no need to worry.` As he lay there staring at the ceiling. He couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right, `Why am I still thinking about this it will go away in the morning`.
The feeling did not in fact leave.
By dawn, it had only grown worse. Jiang Cheng woke before sunrise, his body heavy and strangely cold. Every breath felt laborious, as though he had spent days fighting fierce corpses without rest. He sat up slowly, pressing a hand against his chest, something was wrong. Outside, Lotus Pier was beginning to stir. Disciples moved through the courtyards, preparing for another ordinary day.
Jiang Cheng rose to his feet. His vision blurred. The room tilted. For one brief moment, he thought of Jin Ling's question. ~Are you happy?~ ~I think so.~
Then darkness swallowed everything.