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it took jiang cheng 16 years, a lot of alcohol, and the companionship of his closest compatriot — the only one with an inkling of understanding, nie huaisang, to admit that wei wuxian isn’t coming back.
“i feel the same about da-ge sometimes. like parts of him are still here.”
“i feel the same about da-ge sometimes. like parts of him are still here.”
rebuilding his sect, raising jin ling into a fine young man, chasing after demonic cultivators in vain hopes and being known as the man who killed the yiling laozu. sometimes, what we know is so far from the truth, and sometimes the truth doesn’t matter at all.
jc drinks more.
jc drinks more.
jiang cheng, flushed red, realises he’s crying as he retells a story of when wwx broke his arm falling off a tree.
he quickly dabs at it, but nhs ruefully says, “it’s okay.” he’s in far better composure, twirling his full cup.
“what would you do if you could bring him back?”
he quickly dabs at it, but nhs ruefully says, “it’s okay.” he’s in far better composure, twirling his full cup.
“what would you do if you could bring him back?”
jc considers it. there’s two answers: one as sect leader, the man responsible for his death and the atrocities that hurt his own sect too, and aji—; that he should stay dead, and he deserves worse.
and the one he really means.
“anything.” he whispers, forbidden from the gods.
and the one he really means.
“anything.” he whispers, forbidden from the gods.
jiang cheng is so, so drunk, & even more miserable. nhs is a good friend, one who really knew wwx before it all went to shit. knew his goodness, his laughter, his spirit of justice. how did wwx make friends so easily, yet none of them remain.
wwx had promised. by his side.
wwx had promised. by his side.
“wouldn’t you change things if you could? avenge them?” nhs asks quietly.
“of course.” jc’s head hurts. “but nmj died of a qi deviation, don’t think you can avenge that.”
“hm.” nhs flutters his fan, with a stare like he doesn’t buy that. or maybe he will avenge the gods for it.
“of course.” jc’s head hurts. “but nmj died of a qi deviation, don’t think you can avenge that.”
“hm.” nhs flutters his fan, with a stare like he doesn’t buy that. or maybe he will avenge the gods for it.
“you know something.” jc prods.
“I know nothing.” nhs protests, familiarly. it’s jc’s turn to not buy it. nhs isn’t the boy he was at 15, none of them are. they just got to live past 20.
“and even if I did, sect leader jiang is not too fond of underhanded means of cultivation.”
“I know nothing.” nhs protests, familiarly. it’s jc’s turn to not buy it. nhs isn’t the boy he was at 15, none of them are. they just got to live past 20.
“and even if I did, sect leader jiang is not too fond of underhanded means of cultivation.”
that’s a framework problem. jc doesn’t approve of demonic cultivation in the way it’s usually used to, to subjugate others. the cultivation world are hypocrites like that, using arrays and talismans created by the grandmaster of demonic cultivation himself.
jc is haunted by him.
jc is haunted by him.
“do you ever wonder where it all went?”
jc is too drunk to speak in nhs’s riddles. “where what?”
“everything that made him a mad genius, then a mad murderer. everything he invented, there had to be some record of it. every enemy would want it for himself, and he made many.”
jc is too drunk to speak in nhs’s riddles. “where what?”
“everything that made him a mad genius, then a mad murderer. everything he invented, there had to be some record of it. every enemy would want it for himself, and he made many.”
if this is about that fucking yin iron, that died with wwx himself. seeing how the wens fell, power hungry people began seeing wwx as a weapon.
“jgs is dead.” jc had poured a drink for that bastard getting what he deserves, before penning his condolence letter to jin guangyao.
“jgs is dead.” jc had poured a drink for that bastard getting what he deserves, before penning his condolence letter to jin guangyao.
“he is.” nhs agrees. “he had taken in a demonic cultivator himself, the one who wiped out the yueyang chang clan.”
jc remembers it, the secondary onslaught of what a devoted disciple of the yiling laozu must’ve done such a thing.
“jgy sentenced him to death.” he’s not like jgs.
jc remembers it, the secondary onslaught of what a devoted disciple of the yiling laozu must’ve done such a thing.
“jgy sentenced him to death.” he’s not like jgs.
“yes, I suppose he did.”
jc had known at the height of wwx’s demonic cultivation, that the people who revered him would turn on him the second he was no longer on their side. that he would become a weapon, not a person. and that jc wouldn’t be able to protect him.
nhs hesitates
jc had known at the height of wwx’s demonic cultivation, that the people who revered him would turn on him the second he was no longer on their side. that he would become a weapon, not a person. and that jc wouldn’t be able to protect him.
nhs hesitates
