A serenade of the past

Chapter 4

This chapters final editing is done by my friend her name is arena Hawthorne. Hope you enjoy the chapter.
  
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Nie Mingjue was waiting for Lan Xichen to come and meet him. He wanted to talk to Xichen about the letter he received five days ago and started to think about how it all started.

It was a sunny afternoon in the Unclean Realms of Qinghe. Nie Mingjue was training with the discipline as he usually does. His little brother had skipped sabre practice once more to paint fans and chase birds. Sighing from his brother’s lack of interest, he waved off the disciples and told them, “That's enough practice for a day.” 

All the disciples of the Nie sect thanked him as they slumped down on the ground, wiping their foreheads with their sweaty arms and trying to recover their breath. As Nie Mingjue looked on the disciples with a hint of pride, a servant holding a plain-looking envelope ran into the training field, bowed to him and held it out, “Sect leader Nie, a letter for you.” 

Nodding at the servant, Nie Mingjue opened the envelope and started reading the letter. As Nie Mingjue continued reading, his face turned grim and his veins nearly popped. Gripping the thin piece of paper tighter, he knitted his eyebrows and scowled. Sensing his ever-growing anger and the unstable Qi around him, the disciples feared for a Qi deviation and ran off to fetch Nie Huaisang.

Nie Huaisang stumbled into the field and tried to grab his brother’s arm, but was pulled back. “Brother, what is wrong?” he asked worriedly. “You look like you are going into qi deviation! Is everything alright?”

Noting his brother’s odd look and silence, Huaisang’s brows scrunched and snatched the letter from his hand. His face paled as he read through the letter, his hands trembling more and more as he read on. Dropping the letter onto the floor, he stuttered, “Br-br-brother, is it true?”

"This seems suspicious,” Quickly picking up and crumpling the paper, Nie Mingjue shook his head and growled. “Why would this Wen-dog try to help us? I will not have my sect submit to that filthy sect of the Wens!"

Nie Huaisang mumbled, “But...but what if he truly wants to help us? What if that...that is the truth?” Only to have Nie Mingjue huff and stomp away. 

Nie Mingjue recounted the sleepless nights spent on drafting letters to different sect leaders, but eventually only sent out the letter for Lan Xichen. As he wondered when the reply would arrive, someone knocked on his door. “Sect Leader Nie, Zewu-jun is here to meet you,” a servant reported from outside. 

“Send him in,” replied Nie Mingjue and cleared his desk. Lan Xichen was a man of composure, and he couldn’t let him see the mess on his desk. “Bring some tea and snacks for Zewu-jun as well. He has travelled far from Gusu to Qinghe.”

Lan Xichen thanked the servant and entered the room, greeting Nie Mingjue with a bow. “Thank you for coming to Qinghe, Xichen,” Returning his bow, Nie Mingjue gestured to his sworn brother to sit at the desk and said. “I apologise for the short notice.”

Lan Xichen sat down, folding his sleeves in an elegant manner. “It is not a hassle, Da-ge,” he smiled and took a sip of warm tea. “This matter you speak of must be troubling you deeply, may I ask what it is?”

Nie Mingjue took out the letter from his robes and handed it to Lan Xichen. “Xichen, I received this suspicious letter from five days ago, and I would like to know your thoughts on it.” 

Nodding, Lan Xichen took the letter with both hands and started reading. The letter wrote of Wen Ruohan’s ambitions and details of future plans. “Da-ge,” he asked afterwards, “Have you checked the  locations mentioned, especially those that fall under the Nie's jurisdiction?”