The meaning of protecting you with my life

Good enough excuse

Jiang Fengmian and Jiang Cheng stayed behind in the war camp to provide an alibi for the impromptu departure of the rest of their family and most of the Yunmeng Jiang sect disciples. Yu Ziyuan had insisted that they could not lose any second so they did not even wait for the banquet and sneaked out of the camp even before it started.

Just as Jiang Fengmian had feared, the absence of his wife and his two children, as well as Jin Zixuan and Lan Wangji had not gone about unnoticed.

When he and Jiang Cheng stepped inside the former Nightless City palace, now a banquet hall, everyone looked their way as they were greeted by the sect leaders of the other two great sects and Jin Guangyao. Jin Guangshan had apparently not thought of greeting the guests as his duty and he was already sitting at his seat with a cup of liquor in his hand. He only spared them a glance really and his eyes quickly strayed back towards two servant girls which were at his back and call, one holding more liquor and the other a towel.

Lan Xichen gave Jiang Fengmian a knowing nod of his head, he understood why the rest of the Yunmeng Jiang sect would not be attending. Nie Mingjue seemed like he wanted to ask something but he was holding himself back, frowning slightly. Jiang Fengmian could have sworn that he knew something as well but was apparently still curious. As for Jin Guangyao, he did not take any pleasantries, his smile was way too wide and way too welcoming. It was very fake as far as Jiang Fengmian was concerned.

"Sect leader Jiang..." Jin Guangyao started and looked between Jiang Cheng and Jiang Fengmian.

There was a second of awkward silence and after that, Jiang Fengmian took it upon himself to clarify the situation: "Jiang Cheng here is the Yunmeng Jiang sect leader. I have decided to step down from the post, it would be good to leave things to the younger generation now that the war has ended. I have merely been appointed by my son to take his place while he had been indisposed. Now all sect matters should be addressed to him."

Jin Guangyao seemed taken aback for a split second before he regained his balance and smiled sweetly at Jiang Cheng, bowing deeply to him.

"Sect leader Jiang, I welcome you to this banquet. We are grateful that you have agreed to join." The man looked somewhat theatrically around, as if searching for something or someone. "Would it be alright if I asked where Young Master Wei is? We have all been looking forward to meeting the war hero in person."

Oh. So this was all about Wei Wuxian after all. Jiang Fengmian felt anger mixed with dread fill his insides. He was fearing for his son's life now that he was unconscious, utterly unable to protect or defend himself. He could only hope that his wife would take good care of the boy and that they were already far enough to be able to escape any people of ill intentions that anyone could potentially send after them once it would come to be known that Wei Wuxian was in reality not in the camp anymore.

He was thinking about some good excuse which would give them more time to arrive safely to Lotus Pier. He was silently berating himself for not coming up with an explanation in advance, now nothing was coming to his mind and he knew that if they would not be convincing enough, it could cost them dearly.

Apparently, he did not have to worry, he realized when he glanced to the side at Jiang Cheng. His son's back was straight and his expression determined. He looked nothing like the child that Jiang Fengmian had left alone on a boat when he hurried to find his wife while Lotus Pier had been burning. He had become stronger in this last half a year; he was a true sect leader now. Jiang Fengmian could not have been more proud of him.

"Young Master Jin," Jiang Cheng made sure to highlight the difference in status between him and Jin Guangyao, "my brother is still resting. We are here to represent our sect during the banquet. Please kindly show us to our seats."

Jin Guangyao's eyes became cloudy for a heartbeat and if Jiang Fengmian had not been paying attention to him, he would have missed it. But once again, he quickly schooled his expression into a subservient smile and bow and he showed them into the room with one hand.

"Sect Leader Jiang, I understand. I wish Wei Wuxian a full recovery. This way, your seats are on the right side."

Jiang Cheng nodded and without another word he went around Jin Guangyao to the seats the other had indicated. Jiang Fengmian and the rest of the Yunmeng Jiang sect disciples who stayed behind in the war camp followed after him.

The banquet was really more of a farce than anything, a grand way for the Lanling Jin sect to show off their new status as the leading sect of the cultivation world. Now that Jin Guangshan had named himself the Chief cultivator, he apparently wanted everyone to know that the Lanling Jin sect was above all of them. The show was making Jiang Fengmian uneasy, it reminded him too much of Wen Ruohan and the Qishan Wen sect – of course now during the war when the demonic cultivator had been oppressing the other sects for a long time already, but of the days of their youths when Wen Ruohan had just gotten the position of the Chief cultivator with his own achievements.

Although this banquet should have been one to celebrate the end of the war, only little was said about the victory itself during the opening speeches. Both Jin Guangshan and Jin Guangyao only briefly mentioned there had been a war in the first place and then they quickly steered their words to flatter the Lanling Jin sect's exploits and the fact that Jin Guangshan was now the Chief cultivator.

Jiang Fengmian did not know if anyone else had noticed the irony of the Lanling Jin sect's boasting about its power right after one powerful man had been just taken down. He glanced around to judge how the banquet hall reacted to the Lanling Jin sect leader's words and was a bit reassured when he saw that at least Jiang Cheng, Lan Xichen, and the Nie siblings were not buying any of it and were scowling at the gold clad Chief cultivator.

Suddenly, Jiang Fengmian's attention was drawn back to Jin Guangshan who had stopped talking and was now looking to Jin Guangyao with helpless expression. The younger man spoke next and Jiang Fengmian quickly understood what the debate had been all about.

"It is true that Young Master Jin Zixuan cannot attend this gathering as he is indisposed right now. He had sustained injuries in the battle which required treatment. I am sure he will be able to join shortly."

Jiang Fengmian could see how Jin Guangyao quickly glanced towards one side of the room where the Lanling Jin sect disciples had been seated and nodded almost unnoticeably. Once again, if he was not paying attention to these details, he would have completely overlooked this subtle gesture. All the more that Jin Guangyao was still bowing and he could only see from an awkward angle. There was something very suspicious about this new son of Jin Guangshan, Jiang Fengmian was sure of it. Even more so that after the gesture one of the Lanling Jin sect disciples stood up and discreetly disappeared from the banquet hall.