Chapter Text
"A-Xun."
As Jiang Fengmian settles the plate of food that was just finished being tested for poison in front of the redhead, the latter turned to look at him.
"What is it, Sect Leader?"
At the same time, Jin Zixuan carried his son from the redhead, letting him dine peacefully.
"Xue Yang and Xiao Xingchen will arrive in dawn. Would you like to greet them?"
Cale offers him a small smile, "That was fast."
"Indeed. And another thing, Hanguang-jun had sent you a letter."
This time, Cale looks up from his plate as he knit his eyebrows.
Why would Lan Wangji send him a letter when he could always call him through the communication talisman he gave him.
"Here." Sect Leader Jiang says before sliding a piece of paper in front of Cale.
"...I see, thank you."
Then, it was silent.
It always has been, ever since before the siege...since Jiang Cheng and Wei Ying was not there to bicker with one another.
Only the memories linger in a painful manner.
"I'm finished, thank you for the delicious food." Cale says before standing up, grabbing the piece of paper and almost crumpled it in his hand by how tight he's holding it.
When Cale leaves the room, Jiang Fengmian let out a forlorn sigh. He glanced at the plate he had given the redhead and sees the almost untouched food sitting there coldly.
Jin Zixuan looks at his in-laws, feeling helpless before he also stands up with Jin Ling in his arms.
"Snack...give...later..."
It's still so hard to talk with his broken vocal chord, but he canㅡno, he will manage.
He then bows, an attempt to excuse himself and follow the redhead.
When Jin Zixuan turns to look from afar, he sees traces of the redhead's presence before he finally sees his red hair.
"Weiㅡ!"
Ah right, he forgot he couldn't use his voice.
His son looked up at him then, as if sensing his father's intention before he turned and called for his uncle.
"Shishu!"
What a smart child he is.
Jin Zixuan could see Wei Xun stopping from his tracks before turning to look at the father and son duo. He waited for them to reach him before he tilts his head.
"Why did you follow me?"
Before Jin Zixuan could sign his answer, Jin Ling reached his small arms towards the redhead before giving him a smile.
"Shishu!"
Jin Zixuan could see how Wei Xun's eyes turned soft and fond before indulging his nephew, carrying him in his arms as Jin Ling snuggled closer to the redhead.
"Well then, let's go to my room and have some tea."
He just followed the redhead towards his path, considering he was kind enough to host his martial brother-in-law.
The moment they arrived inside and sat into one of the seats on the room, a knock resounded.
"Wei-gongzi, I've brought some snacks and tea."
It was Madam Mo's voice.
"Come in."
The woman excused herself before entering, Mo Xuanyu peeking behind her. Yet the moment he sees his older brother in the room, the boy practically glowed in delight.
"Ah, Zixuan-ge!"
Jin Zixuan waved his hand in greeting and smiled at his half-brother. He pats the space beside him then to signal that he can seat with them.
"Young Master, is it really fine?" Madam Mo hesitantly asks, clearly minding the different class between the two of them.
Jin Zixuan signs something with his hands, and Wei Xun was kind enough to translate it into words.
"He says it's fine since he is his younger brother, so rest easy, Madam Mo."
She sighs in relief, "Then, may I ask for a favor to let him stay here for a while? I need to attend to Madam Yu."
Cale offers her a small smile, "Of course. He is more than welcome."
She bows her head in gratitude, "Thank you very much. If you may excuse me, then I shall go."
The moment she leaves, the redhead glanced at the brother's before looking at the letter in his hand once again.
It took a long time for him to decide to read it. He first made Jin Ling sit comfortably in his lap before he opens the letter.
'This is Wangji.'
Cale couldn't help but let out a small huff at how the first words were written. It was so much like him.
'Dafan Wen visited Gusu when they first heard of brother waking up. Sect Leader Wen Qing went and checked brother herself together with Wen Qionglin.'
The redhead feels Jin Ling patting his thigh before he pats his nephew's head, realizing he was just playing around.
He grabs the cup that is filled with tea as he made an attempt to drink it.
'They then left Wen Yuan in my care, saying that the child wanted to stay by my side.'
They left who now?
Cale almost spat the tea he was drinking, yet he managed to stop himself in fear of making Jin Ling cry who is in his lap.
Jin Zixuan looked at him in concern when he heard the redhead choke.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Don't mind me." Cale coaxed the older when he sees his face.
'They said they would contact you soon in regards of Madam Yu's health.'
Soon enough, he reached the last words of the letter. Yet he sees small characters scribbled, as if Wangji didn't know if he should erase it or not.
'Brother asked me if I know someone with red hair. If you want to talk with him, Shushu and I shall make sure that it'll be possible away from the Elders.'
Cale couldn't help but huff at how rebellious this uncle and nephew duo is. Doing all of this behind Sect Leader Lan's back.
The redhead crumpled the paper in his hands before burning it with his ancient power, letting the ashes scatter outside the window by using his other.
He could see how the half-brothers gawked at him, while Jin Ling simply laughs, finding the rose gold embers fascinating.
At the same time, Cale fished out a communication talisman that is connected to Wangji.
"Hello, Wangji."
"...Xun-ge." The younger greets after a long while, as if he was surprised when the redhead suddenly called him.
"I appreciate your concern and thank you for the letter," Cale says in a straightforward manner before continuing, "But I think it'll be better if we don't meet."
It's painful for him to say those words as he buried the yearning he has for the older Lan.
He couldn't keep getting them involved in Yunmeng's problematic affairs. If the whole cultivation world sees that they still interact with them, he's sure that they would face punishment.
Do not interact with evil. And Yunmeng Jiang is considered evil at the current times.
He can't have Lan Wangji suffer again when he's still in great pain. He can't have the people he had left go through painful things again.
Especially Lan Xichen.
"Why?" He hears Wangji ask.
Cale gives him a solemn laugh, "Do not associate yourself with evil, are you not?"
Lan Wangji seemed desperate, "What do youㅡ"
"Yunmeng Jiang is no longer one of the Five Great Sects, Wangji. Perhaps it will be Baling Ouyang or even Moling Su who will be rising to its seat, but the whole cultivation world could care less."
Cale sighs before making eye contact with Jin Zixuan who was looking at him with sad eyes.
"Yunmeng Jiang is now considered a demonic Sect, Wangji."
The new will always surpass the old.
It was silent for a while before they could hear Wangji speak again.
"You will give up brother?"
Cale was stunned for a while before he looks down. After a short while, he could feel Jin Zixuan holding his wrist as if it was an attempt to cheer him up.
The redhead's actions soon surprised Jin Zixuan who felt shivers run down at his spine.
"Give up...?"
Cale huffs, before it turned to chuckle, then it finally turned into a devilish laugh.
"Like hell I would."
His reddish-brown eyes glimmered. Grief, anger, insanity, ambitions swirled inside those auburn eyes.
"Never again, Wangji. Who said I'll donate that seat to someone from other clans? No, I'll fucking reclaim that throne even if I need to ascend to Godhood."
He won't ever give that place to someone else when it was Jiang Cheng's rightful place.
The new may surpass the old, but that doesn't mean that the old cannot surpass the new.
Right, he'll just lend them the position...let them relish the feeling of being in the top before he drags them down to the pits of hell they put them into.
They betrayed the loyalty and trust that the entirety of Yunmeng Jiang had offered. They stomped on their pride and belittled the place who contributed the most in the cultivation world.
In return, they will close all the river pathways so one can freely enter or exit.
It's their own fault of entrusting the entire rivers to Yunmeng.
This is Cale'sㅡno, this is Wei Xun's revenge.
"Let's meet again soon under different circumstances, Hanguang-jun."
The redhead didn't wait for the the younger to answer before he burned the communication talisman until nothing remained.
He couldn't falter now.
Jin Zixuan soon stands up and sat beside the silent redhead, he signals Mo Xuanyu to get his nephew first while he comforts Wei Xun.
Mo Xuanyu soon leaves the room with a sleeping Jin Ling in his small arms.
Jin Zixuan signs, asking if he was okay.
"...Of course, why wouldn't I be?"
He says that, but numerous thoughts run in his head per second.
What if Lan Xichen won't look at him the same way he did the moment he rebuods the reputation of Yunmeng? What if he found someone else other than him?
At that moment, a scene of Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao laughing with one another entered his mind.
Jin Zixuan suddenly knocks the back of his head to cut him off of his trance.
'You needlessly worry for nonsense things.' Jin Zixuan managed to sign, making him regain some clarity.
"...I can't believe I've gone senile first than Sect Leader Jiang."
He could see how Jin Zixuan would shake his head in exasperation and hear Xiao Wang snort in his head.
- There you are.
He hears Super Rock speak, making the redhead at ease.
- I'm glad you're finally scamming someone! Let's burn them all!
- Let's make them pay!
- Their debt is now overdue!
- They should be glad that Cale is merciful!
- Well not anymore!
Cale was glad that he still have someone who would never hesitate to help him commit more atrocities.
At the same time, the bell tower of Yunmeng resounded, indicating that someone is returning home.
"It seems that Xue Yang and Xiao Xingchen are back."
There was a clamor that could be heard from outside, and both of them distinctly heard something intriguing among it.
"Song Zichen is here! The survivor of Baixue Temple is here!"
Jin Zixuan and Cale looked at each other for a while before they scrambled away, already made the decision to see first hand on what is happening outside.
When Cale's sight first landed on the people who were with Xue Yang, the redhead could feel his breath hitch in his throat.
"Will you stop clinging on me? Why are you suddenly being shy?"
"Well, there's too many people!"
"...Please don't mind her, Xiao-gongzi."
"I don't mind at all, Song-gongzi."
The wind suddenly blew, Cale's cheeks were being caressed softly by the breeze as his pupils dilated.
- ...Cale.
When the redhead blinks, he sees the past in the four of them. The past he also had when they were still complete. He forcefully blinks again, and the scene was back to Xue Yang and Xiao Xingchen accompanied by other two people.
"Gege!"
He could see Xue Yang wave at him in greeting, mustering up a large smile.
Cale could feel how his hands tremble uncontrollably, so he hid it behind him and clasped it together as he offers a warm smile towards the younger.
"Welcome home, Xue Yang...Elder Xiao."
Xiao Xingchen also stands beside Xue Yang as he gives the redhead a smile.
"We're home."