Come Back to Gusu

28. I have thought about it.

"Of course." Wei WuXian stood up, not quite as smoothly as he'd like, and drew Suibian from its sheath. He channeled his spiritual energy into the blade, feeling the blade's 'awareness' slide into himself, creating the intimate connection between cultivator and sword. In response, it glowed softly. "Hello, my friend," he crooned, feeling the connection reach deeper into his body... into his soul. "I missed you, too."

"Where is the Yin Tiger Seal?"

Jin ZiXuan stood, motioning to Lan XiChen. Abruptly, the Jin sect leader's mouth snapped closed. Muffled attempts to yell erupted from his nose. "Jiang ZongZhu, Wei Gongzi, esteemed guests," he bowed low, back parallel to the ground. Standing straight again, he continued, "I must apologize on behalf of my family. My father has a woman... friend in Lanling City who he likes to... spend time with and drink tea with. Unfortunately, one of her other male... friends she drinks tea with has a disease. He shared that disease with my father's friend and she, unfortunately, passed that disease onto my father. This disease is incurable at the moment, and even more unfortunately, it causes the... bearers to have... certain behavior changes. This obsession with the Yin Tiger Seal is just one of the issues to have arisen from this disease. Another, of course, is his belief that he should be named Xiandu. When I left Koi Tower a few nights ago to apologize to my wife's family for my father's actions, my mother insisted she would have my father under control; there is medication that keeps him... more aware of reality. Before she could give him the medicine, though, he overpowered her and sent her to the infirmary for treatment. I am ashamed of his actions, to my mother and to all of you here, and will be taking steps upon my return to Koi Tower to assume the sect leader position."

"Your father caught a disease from a whore?" One man brayed. Jin ZiXuan looked miserably embarrassed as he bowed again.

Jiang YanLi rose. "Come, Husband. Let's take your father home."

Still in a bow, Jin ZiXuan pleaded, "Please forgive my father's actions." He helped Jin GuangShan to stand and led him from the Hall. "Come, Father. Let's go home."

Wei WuXian wanted to laugh in delight. Jin ZiXuan, ostensibly 'assisting' his parent, had instead placed one of Wei WuXian's talismans on the man's shoulder. The talisman forced the wearer to be docile and only do exactly what he was told. Fortunately for him, he was still under Lan Zhan's Silencing spell, so could only shake silently in delight.

This scandal was sufficiently large enough that more people were interested in discussing it than remembering to inquire about the Seal. Which, Wei WuXian supposed, was one of the reasons Jin ZiXuan was willing to humiliate his father and sect like that. The other major reason, of course, being that he now had control over LanlingJin.

Wei WuXian was looking forward to celebrating all of the news he'd heard that night with Lan WangJi.

Except the GusuLan left Lotus Pier almost as quickly as the LanlingJin did.

~*~

Two months later, Wei WuXian dual cultivated with Jiang Cheng. The results were astounding. From one day to the next, he grew strong enough to be able to fly on his sword again. Not that he particularly wanted to fly on Suibian.... He did: he remembered how freeing it felt to be up in the air. He didn't: he remembered free falling.

~*~

A month after that, Jiang YanLi arrived at Lotus Pier for a sword lesson. "Shijie..." Wei WuXian looked closely at his martial sister. "Did you?"

"Dual cultivate with A'Xuan?" She giggled and ducked her head. "Yes. By the way... you're going to be an uncle again."

"You shouldn't be sword fighting while pregnant!"