Ink Lines

Chapter 30. Crashing Down - Meet Me There

The river that snakes through Yunmeng is vast, its tributary waterways bridged by a network of low and high connections spanning the water, forming a spider web that has stood for millennia.

At its heart was Lotus Pier, beautiful during the day but magical at night, lit by warm orbs and lanterns more than the modern artificial lights of the city. The pavilions and watch stops along the banks and the interconnecting bridges were lit with beautiful lotus shaped lights bobbing gently on the currents of the river, pearls against the dark water.

Pausing in his walk back to the motorbike he borrowed from Wei Ying, Lan Zhan admired the serene beauty that reflected Wei Ying he thought, in his most pensive moods or when he was painting. And this scene had appeared so breathtaking in artwork, painted on a massive canvas that adorned the front hallway of Lotus Pier itself now.

He tucked the Lotus token that Wei Ying had given him, allowing him entrance back into the lands of the sect through the wards, back into his pocket before sliding back on the bike, the engine purring as he set off. Night had only just fallen, but he hadn't seen Wei Ying since breakfast. Anxiety he would never admit to was churning in his stomach but he knew that both Jin Zixuan and Wen Qing had been at home, with Wei Ying caught in training, admin and the commemoration ceremony details. Understandably he had not been in the best mood when he left for Lotus Pier, the grief clinging to him.

He had kissed Lan Zhan goodbye and wished him well for his meeting his mother. Officially, he had been Yunmeng on GusuLan sect business, which was thankfully true and he had seen his mother for a few hours, but the was meeting with his network that was his main goal. On a secure line with some of them and others in person, he had discussed their current issues. The meeting had produced worrying news, as well as new evidence.

While he certainly would not wish the misfortune on Nie Huaisang, it appeared that through this, they might actually have the evidence they need to destroy the Wen for good and deal the Jin a solid blow.

As he passed into the sect lands, he thought about what he had learned.

He had Lan Xichen's version, the hacked records thanks to Figbird and others, plus various sources collaborating all this. His team had focused in on this case and it had solved so many unresolved questions, for more than this one case.

On the Nie side, he had been joined by Nie Zonghui and Nie Shicheng who was acting as his lawyer. According to his testimony, an interview conducted by the Qinghe Division Chief of SCD, a Bing Ji and his primary detective Duanmu Guohu - Nie Huaisang had been blackmailed for years but he hadn't been naive enough not to keep evidence.

Evidence that as significant in the sheer amount of it he had and what it contained.

Nie Huaisang had noticed changes in his father that had alerted him to a possible health problem, mood swings and aggression, vomiting and headaches. He had convinced their father to seek the attention of the then-Sect doctor Gu Hongchu. This went on for months, getting progressively worse. Nie Mingjue didn't know because at that point he and his father were estranged over the latter choosing an a different military career. Estranged with strained contact but not disowned.

Huaisang had suggested getting a second opinion, going to a hospital for real tests, requests that were denied or ignored. Eventually, violently with their father throwing Huaisang down some stairs. He had stolen some pills that his father was taking and planned to get them tested. Lady Jin came to see his father and declared that Nie Hauisang was not his child but Jin Guangshan's. This was a lie but things boiled over. Nie Huaisang was thrown out of the sect after declaring he was going to university not in Qinghe but in Caiyi. He planned to come back with the test results after he learned the pills were basically poisoning his father.