Jin Guangshan was sure that his plan would work. He had spent hours upon hours planning how to become the most powerful figure in the cultivation world. He had refrained from joining the Sunshot Campaign until the end to preserve his wealth and disciples, the Jiangs were allied to him through Jin Zixuan's marriage to jiang Yanli, the Lans were in a precarious position trying to rebuild and were also allied to him through sworn brotherhood to his bastard Meng Yao, he would never think of that son of a whore as Jin Guangyao, and his plans to take over the Nie sect via assassination were well underway.
That left one problem, Wei Wuxian, the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, the one person powerful enough to stop him, yet too ostracized to do so. He had even rescued Wen Cultivators from his labor camps! He wanted, no needed, the powerful Stygian Tiger Seal to get what he wants, and he always gets what he wants. Looking down at the array in his hands, he was sure that he would get it. 'There's no way Wei Wuxian can fool anyone after this! The sects will see the Yiling Patriarch's evilness and lead a siege, killing him and the Wen dogs in his army. Then the Stygian Tiger Seal will be mine!' He thought viciously as he sent out summons to an emergency conference about what should be done about the wicked Yiling Patriarch.
. . . . . . .
He observed as the sect leaders gathered in Glamorous Hall. Jiang Wanyin looked as angry as usual, and it appeared that the rumors about the conflict between him and Wei Wuxian were true. Nie Mingjue, with his furious temper, glared at the mere mention of any named Wen.
However, Nie Huiasang had cried and whined and pleaded with his brother to listen first because Wei Wuxian was his 'best friend' and everyone knew that Chifeng-Zun folded like wet paper around his brother. The Lans were as serene as usual, Grandmaster Lan with his standard disapproval, Zewu-Jun with his customary smile, and Lan Wangji with his icy jade-like face. Was he hallucinating, or did Wangji actually look like he was scowling at him? He had done nothing to him.
Before he could properly and gracefully start the meeting, Chifeng-Zun barked out, "Why did you ask us here? What news do you have on the Yiling Patriarch?"
With a smirk, he started, "I have discovered a way to verify the dreadful rumors about the wicked Yiling Patriarch. Guangyao found this array in the Lan Sect Library, and they were so gracious to let us borrow it."
'Hah! Take that, Qiren, you stuck up snob! I am powerful enough to take things out of your library without you even knowing it!' Murmurs broke out through the room, the Lans looked as horrified and angered as expected furiously murmuring among themselves, Chifeng-Zun looked as irritatedly angry as usual, Jiang Wanyin and Jiang Yanli looked horrified.
"Father!" Jin Zixuan broke out in a whisper. "This is a bad idea. You shouldn't do this!"
"Yes Father, the sects might see something unsavory." Jin Guangyao said, sweat dripping down his forehead. "The labor camps contained more than just Wen cultivators as you know, if they are shown then it will cause problems."
"Both of you shut up! Zixuan, go sit with your wife and son and you Guangyao, don't say another word." Jin Zixuan sent him a disgusted stare then went and sat with his wife and child in the Jiang delegation, not the Jin, sending a clear message that he did not approve of what was going on.
"What does the array do, Sect Leader Jin?" Sect Leader Yao asked deferentially.
"Once activated, this array allows you to view anything you wish to see. It will project the scene onto the mirror and will let us hear what is happening. This way, we will all be able to see the villainy of the Yiling Patriarch safely and be able to make prompt steps to deal with this threat." He answered back. 'Finally, no one will be able to dispute the need to eradicate the Wei Wuxian, and I will get the Stygian Tiger Seal!' He thought, excitement bubbling through his veins.
"Now, if we are all ready, I will start the array." Stepping forward, he placed the mirror on a table in the center of the room and started the array. "Show us the Burial Mounds." He commanded, and an image of the burial mounds was projected into the room.
Dry, barren land came into view. Bones poked out of the earth, a sort of gloom and darkness hung over the burial mounds. Slowly, the mirror focused into a tiny settlement in front of a cave in the mountainside. A few huts that looked like they might blow down were scattered around the entrance to the cave. There are a few patches of what appeared to be attempts at gardens were dispersed between the huts. As the image cleared, a faint crying sound could be heard.
'"A'Niang! A'Niang!" could be heard between the sobs. "Don't leave Meimei and me! You can't leave us! Please A'Niang! I'll-I'll be g-good boy! I'll watch Meimei so you can rest! You can eat my food, but please don't leave again! Qing-Ayi! Qing-Ayi!" The voice called as the sobbing intensified. The mirror slowly zoomed in to see where the crying was coming from. A group of elderly people stood grouped around the cave entrance, a look of fear on their faces and tears in their eyes.'
The elders looked old enough to be grandparents to most of those present in the hall. Every eye was strained on the image being shown, nothing like they were expecting. They were not cultivators. They were elderly commoners, and a couple looked so hunched over that it was hard to believe they could still stay upright! Jiang Yanli looked terrified, and Zidian was sparkling brightly on Jiang Wanyin's finger. 'Where is the army of wen dogs? Why are there these elderly people here? Why is a child crying, no fuck that, why is there a child in the burial mounds?' Jin Guangshan thought, anxiety beginning to creep into his veins. 'This is not the way it is supposed to go!'
'The sound of an infant's wail cut through the mirror as it finally zeroed in on the interior of the cave. From the light of a few talismen, scraps of paper, dirty rags, and half finished inventions were scattered across the floor. Along the far wall, a slab of stone could be seen sticking out from the cave, just big enough to be considered a bed. A pale, dirty little boy was crouched next to a figure slumped on the stone; a baby held securely in the little boy's arms. The sound of labored breaths could be heard as the figure tried to breath.
A female figure hurried into the cave and leaned over the supine figure on the bed. Wen Qing, the famed Wen doctor, supposed niece of Wen Ruohan; she was thin, emaciated, most likely only sustained by her core. She carefully pulled down the torn cloak that was covering the figure to reveal the person beneath it. There were bruises on their face, strangulation rings around their neck, a face and body so emaciated that it was surprising they were still alive, and a red ribbon in their hair.
"A-Ying, Didi, I am going to open your robes, alright? I need to make sure your wounds are alright." She said gently, carefully taking the infant from A-Yuan and handing him to an elderly woman who had followed her into the room.
"Granny, could you please hold A-Yu? Thank you." Turning to the still sobbing boy, she said gently caressing A-Yuan's head, "A-Yuan, can you cover your eyes for me? I need to check on your A'Niang and I know you won't leave his side. Why don't you lay down next to him while you wait? Don't open them until I tell you to, ok?" The boy whimpered and nodded, closing his still crying eyes. Sighing, she turned to the figure-A-Ying, and everyone in the hall gasped. It was Wei Wuxian, the Yiling Patriarch, paler than death itself, looking like he had been beaten within an inch of his life, with a child calling him A'Niang and a baby.
Tears were pouring from Jiang Yanli's eyes and she turned to Jiang Wanyin asking, "What happened to A'Xian? Why didn't you tell me he had children? Why didn't he tell us?"
Jiang Wanyin whispered back looking both terrified and heartbroken at the same time, "I didn't know! He doesn't tell me anything anymore."
"What the fuck is this, Sect leader Jin? Where is the mighty and powerful wen army and dangerous Yiling Patriarch?" Chifeng-Zun snarled, many in the room nodding along.
"I'm sure it will all be revealed shortly, this is just an illusion." Jin Guangshan said smilingly, while he was internally furious. 'This! This! This is the evil Yiling Patriarch! A sickly, maybe dying young man with two children. Where are the armies? Where are the plots and evil deeds? Where is the wicked Yiling Patriarch committing evil deeds?'
Slowly Wen Qing reached for A-Ying and as soon as her hand touched him, he flinched, weakly trying to pull away. 'No, No, NO! Don't touch me! Don't touch me!' He whisper-yelled, eyes screwed shut, shaking like a leaf. Eyes glassy with tears, Wen Qing lightly tapped on his shoulder to wake him, 'Didi, Didi, you need to wake up! It's just a dream. I'm not going to hurt you.' She said calmly, however there was a distinct tremble at the end. The fearsome Ghost General melted out of the shadows to hold him upright, sadness evident on his death-frozen face.
Glassy silver eyes struggled to open with a murmured, 'JieJie? Jiejie, what happened? Where's A-Yuan and A-Yu?' He said anxiously looking around until he caught sight of A-Yu cradled in Granny's arms and A-Yuan who had fallen asleep next to him. A thin, ghostly white hand reached out to tremblingly caress his head.
'A'Yuan was screaming for me so A'Ning and I came to check on you. I need to check on your wounds and give you some medicine.' She said opening his robes to expose his chest. It was covered with scars. Some purple lightning shaped ones, many scars from the wars, a wen brand on his upper chest, a vertical surgical incision mark across his lower dantian. Bandages revealed a stab wound and a horizontal surgical scar slightly lower than the vertical scar. Both wounds looked like they were healing very poorly, both red and angry with the beginning of inflammation visible. A troubled look crossed over the doctor's face and she knew that without proper medicine it wasn't likely he was going to survive.
The spectators were shocked! This wasn't the Mighty Yiling Patriarch, this is a dying young man with two children and a group of elderly who depend on him. It didn't make sense! Wei Wuxian was one of the strongest cultivators in their generation, why wasn't he able to heal himself or perform inedia to sustain himself? Many of the women and weaker cultivators had tears in their eyes as they viewed the pitiful scene.
'I'm dying, aren't I, JieJie?' Wei Wuxian murmured slowly, drinking the cup of water pressed to his lips. 'The stab wound from Jiang Cheng hasn't even begun to heal yet neither is the incision where you had cut out A-Yu because Jiang Cheng's sword thrust nearly killed him and being raped when I went to town four days ago isn't helping any, is it. Especially since I was already pregnant before it happened. I can't even feed A-Yu anymore, nonetheless sustain the child in my womb. Even though I am thankful that I don't carry my rapist's child, I'll never be the same, I'll never have only just been with Lan Zhan. My body has been tainted by more than just resentful qi. I just want to rest JieJie. I'm so tired and I'm in so much pain and there's nothing we can do either. I have no golden core to help me heal and A-Yu used the last of the whatever qi was left in my meridians to survive his traumatic birth leaving me with nothing left. I have just one request, JieJie.'
'What is it, Didi?' Wen Qing asked, sobs shaking her body as she finished wrapping his wounds and covered him back up. 'What can I do for my second favorite little brother, A'Ning is my favorite you understand.' She said with an attempt at humor. Wei Wuxian chuckled softly twice before gasping in pain. After a brief pause to regain composure he slowly started in a slightly stronger voice.
'On my desk, there are a pile of letters, once I pass, please send them to their recipients. For shijie, I made a protective bracelet for Jin Rulan, please make sure he gets it along with shijie's letter. Oh, how I miss her and wish I could have seen her wedding or could go to Jin Ling's one hundred day ceremony. I won't live long enough to see my nephew either. It is probably a good thing I wasn't invited as they would have either tried to assassinate me or accuse me of something I didn't do to make me have to surrender my seal to them and then execute all of us. Please reassure her of my love for her and that I'll miss my shijie, the one who took care of me as a boy to the best of her abilities.
Introduce A-Yuan and A-Yu to her and Jin Ling; I want my shijie to meet her nephew and niece and be able to share with them some of the things she shared with me; a mother's love and care and protection.
There's a letter for Jin Zixuan, telling him to protect Shijie, Jin Ling and any other children they might have. Thanking him for loving shijie and Jin Ling. There's a talisman in his letter that will enable him track down any other siblings he might have so if he wants to help them, get to know them, offer them a place as his siblings he can. I hope he can gain the family he's always dreamed of. There's a letter for Jin Ling apologizing to him for never being able to see him and that I love him and am so proud of the man he will become. Telling him that family is always first and that he does not need to be the best at everything to be loved.
Please give Jiang Cheng my letter and have him open my sword. It is his now as he has my core. Please tell him that I love him and never regretted giving him my core as it has enabled me to see how amazing a Sect leader he has become. Tell him I never wanted to leave Yunmeng, but I did so that I did not put him in a tight spot with the Jins; I would do anything to protect him and keep him safe. Tell him that I have always cherished the memories of him, my brother and have missed him. Ask him to give my sword to A-Yuan when he grows up so he'll have something from me. Ask him to teach A-Yuan and A-Yu sword forms, how to swim, how to pick lotus seeds, how to attempt the impossible as he has always done so well, and how to protect your loved ones as he does best.
There's a letter for Nie Huiasang with the amulet he had so desperately wanted when we were younger. It is a permanent cure for him, Nie Mingjue, and their entire sect from their qi deviations if it is put on each current saber and each new saber that is made. There are instructions on how to make more so please make sure these get to them as it will save lives. Tell him that I have always been so thankful for his friendship and brotherhood, that I am so thankful for coming here and trying to help us as much as possible, and for always being there for me no matter what has happened to me. Thank him for being the best uncle to my children and ask him to protect them as much as in his power.
I have also included a plea to Chifeng-Zun, not to pardon you as with his prejudice, he won't do that, but to simply allow you to live unhindered. Even if you are all innocent no one will believe you or me. Thank him for always being the best Da-ge even when we oppose each other. Tell him that I will always have fond memories of the few days I spent in the Unclean Realm with him and his brother, that I wish him well and happy in his life, and that I beg him to use the amulet I created to help him with his cultivational problems.
To Lan Zhan,' and here he paused, a few tears escaping his eyes 'Tell him that I have always, continue to, and will always love him even when he doesn't love me and wishes to lock me up in Cloud Recesses to punish me for marrying him and becoming a demonic cultivator. Ever since he tied his forehead ribbon around my wrist in the cold cave and we bowed to his ancestor and were married, I knew what he was doing and married him with my whole heart as I love him. Yet, not once has he acknowledged our marriage, but he has slept with me three times, giving me my children.
I know by Lan custom, in a case like mine, pressuring me to go to Gusu with him is to lock me up as was done to his mother, to prevent me from marrying someone else and to force me to bear heirs for the Lans. Fortunately, for my children, I doubt he remembers any of the encounters as he only touched me when we were both out of it with fever after fighting the Xuanwu, drunk during the celebration of the end of the Sun shot campaign, or most recently when he was drunk when he came through on a nighthunt. He was so drunk that he didn't even realize that I was covered in bandages or that I didn't want to be intimate with him, but did it because he wanted to.
He can't even remember that he took my virginity or slept with me at all, thus I want you to raise them if you can. Tell Lan Wangji, he will always have my eternal love and that I knew that we were married but understood that that was not something he wished. How I have longed for his presence even when being around him reminds me of what I can not have. I must have done something wicked in my previous life to fall in love with someone who cannot stand me and bear his children but never receive his love. Tell him about the children, make sure that he knows that they will be safely raised elsewhere, not in a place that forcefully secludes people or marries people and refuses to acknowledge the marriage.
If you cannot raise them, perhaps Jiang Cheng or Nie Huiasang can or even Nie Mingjue can. I would ask Shijie and Jin Zixuan but I don't want my precious babies anywhere near that golden den of lying, backstabbing snakes.
Apologize to Lan Wangji that the only reason I did not go with him and let myself be secluded away to satisfy him was to protect A-Yuan at first, then A-Yu, and now my unborn child. If I had submitted myself to the cleansings offered at Gusu, it would have removed the only thing keeping me alive and would have killed me. It might have just been better to do so than to be pregnant with my third child, and then get raped, at least in that case I would have been dead. Give him my letter and only let the children meet him if they want to, please never let them go to Gusu. I don't want them punished for grieving or for running like a normal child would, or for laughing; I want them to have a normal happy childhood and not end up turning into living jade, who are bound by rules and cannot think for themselves.
If they push it, give them a clipping of my hair to signify divorce and the register where it shows I married Wen Ning and he adopted my children so that the Lans can have no claim on my children. With Lan Zhan's refusal of our marriage, my children will be mistreated and slighted there, especially because I'm their mother. Even though Wen Ning is my brother and I could never marry him, it will keep both the children safe and prevent the Lans from even attacking as they would hesitate to put their would-be heirs in danger. This is the best failsafe I can come up with to keep everyone safe and free from interruption from the sects.
Apologize to Lan Xichen for not being able to do my duty to Gusu after marrying in and for not allowing my children to go there. He was always nice to me and treated me with respect even though it didn't appear that he knew I had married his brother or when Lan Qiren treated me with obvious hate simply because he couldn't get over his feelings towards my mother.
There are letters for each one of you, JieJie and DiDi, thanking you for taking care of A-Yuan when I went to war, for loving us and accepting us into your family, for being there for us when we needed it the most. I am sorry that I brought your consciousness back, Didi, as I have doomed you to a life of hate.
Finally, there are two letters, one for A-Yuan and one for A-Yu. Wei Yuan courtesy Suzhui, my little boy and Wei Yu courtesy LiDaiyu, my baby girl. To recollect or long for and my beautiful and strong black jade.
Please tell them how much I love them and regret leaving them. Please tell them stories about me, not the rumors started by the Jins on how wicked I am, but the stories of who I am as a person, of my family, of my fond times at Lotus Pier, of studying at Gusu, of falling in love, of fighting a war, of gaining my second family. Don't tell them that I was unloved by my husband, that I was abused during my childhood, that I was brutally raped more times than I can count by some stranger too weak to even save myself, that their sibling will die with me, that I died a villian to the world because no one but me would or could stand for the truth, that my own brother almost accidentally killed A-Yu in a duel for me to succeed the sect, or that I tried to commit suicide so many times during my life as I was too weak and broken to survive the physical and verbal abuse, the heartbreak of being rejected by my husband, of losing my core or being thrown into the hell of the burial mounds.
Tell them that I struggled, but don't tell them all my tragedies. Tell them to always fight injustice, to stand up for the weak, protect the helpless, to always stand for the truth and with righteousness, not swayed by sly words like Lan Xichen is or moved public opinion or pressure like Jiang Cheng or willfully blind by a self-pious sense of righteousness like Nie Mingjue is. It is hard to stand for the truth, but it is a choice I made, and I never regret it. Teach them to be happy, to learn to laugh, to find joy in life.
Teach them medicine, Didi can teach them archery, together you can teach them how to live righteous lives and to be happy and content with their lives. My greatest wish is for them to be loved and cared for, not abused like I was by Madame Yu. Teach them self-worth and that they are not indebted for the smallest kindness like was drilled into me. They are loved and cared for, and it is not their duty to accept blame for others. Allow my children the life of love and care and freedom from debts that I never had. Please make sure they have enough to eat.
I have written second letters to both Jiang Cheng and Shijie pleading with them to give you either food or money to be able to buy food for them; I know it goes against your pride to do so but please don't hesitate. Apologize to them that I died and their sibling died with me; I never wished to be separated from them. Please take care of them for me. That is my final request.
When I die, place the Stygian Tiger Seal over my heart as the resentment that is holding my body together will be absorbed by my seal and will forever bind it to me, making sure no one will ever use it again. After that is finished, place the seal in the array I drew in the blood pool, and it will forever fuel the wards surrounding the burial mounds while pulling the resentment from burial mounds, thus purifying it.
Burn all of my inventions that are dangerous or incomplete as I don't want to risk anyone getting their hands on it. You will all be able to live here safely. If not, like we planned, leave the cultivation world and head west. There must be lands in the imperial world where you can safely live far away from the reach of the greedy and corrupt cultivation world. Protect them, Didi, I trust you to keep my precious children safe just like I know jiejie will keep you safe. Thank you, Jiejie, Didi. I love you both.
Can I see A-Yu and A-Yuan once more? I don't think I will make it through the night." He whispered, sobs shaking his frail, dying body; weak trembling arms embracing Wen Qing and Wen Ning before A-Yu was passed back to him. Wen Ning gently shuffled A-Yuan to snuggle against Wei Wuxian. A beautiful melody was hummed, two kisses placed, I love yous said, and Wei Wuxian gradually slipped back asleep, still cradling both his children in his arms. As the mirror started to fade, Wen Qing could be seen promising to do that, tears streaming down the proud doctor's face.
There was not a dry eye in the room minus Jin Guangshan's when the array finished. Jin Guangshan was absolutely gobsmacked. It was revealed that he had lied about the prison camps, about Wei Wuxian himself, and that Wei Wuxian had been justified after all. Angry murmurs broke out, not against the fearsome Yiling Patriarch, but against him for deceiving them.
"What the fuck was that shit?!" Chifeng-Zun uttered, promptly summing up everyone's thoughts into one sentence. He leaned over and whispered something to his brother, who promptly fleed the room while he stood up. "I hereby vote to remove Jin Guangshan from the post of Chief Cultivator, and to put him trial for mistreating war prisoners, lying to the assembled sect leaders for his own gain, and slandering Young Master Wei to the point where he is now dying."
"I agree." Jiang Wanyin said, clearing his throat while standing up as well, Jin Ling situated in his arms as Jin Zixuan comforted Jiang Yanli.
"The Lans stand with the Jiang and the Nie and vote to remove Jin Guangshan, have an investigation initiated, and put him to trial for his crimes." Lan Xichen said standing, his eyes red rimmed and a heartbroken look on his face. With the support of three of the four major sects, all the minor sects supported this decision and thus Jin Guangshan was stripped of his title and marched to his own dungeons as a prisoner with his cultivation sealed, guarded by men from each of the major clans and disciples loyal to his wife and his son.
'The son of a whore was right, this was a stupid decision! Why didn't he stop it or change it in our favor? The bastard! Now I am sitting in my very own dungeon as a prisoner with my cultivation sealed waiting for trial! What went wrong?'
. . . . .
Hey everyone!! Please tell me what you think in the comments! What should happen next? I have two different endings in mind and am not sure which is the best! Please let me know so I have some ideas on how to proceed!! I hope you enjoyed this work!