Thread by @mymonalisas, The newly named Chief Cultivator arrived at Lotus Pier with his retinue. [...]

The newly named Chief Cultivator arrived at Lotus Pier with his retinue. Sect Leader Jiang ordered his disciples to 'drown that useless fool in the lake' The disciples wisely translated this to 'come to the guest pavilion to refresh from the trip. He will receive you shortly.'

Jiang Cheng did ultimately agree to receive Nie Huaisang, through gritted teeth and mild swearing as he fumbled out of his sick robes and into his finer violets. Nie Huaisang, infuriatingly, was composing poetry on the dock when he found him.

"You look well!"

"I look terrible and you know it."

"I wasn't going to say anything but..." Nie Huaisang snapped his fan open and tittered discreetly behind it. "We all thought you'd recovered from your injuries! You were so, ah, active when last we saw you!"

Last they'd met had been Carp Tower, in the wake of some bullshit cooked up by some idiot Jin cousins. Jiang Cheng had held a man over a bridge until he gave up his accomplices. Nie Huaisang had pretended the whole thing hadn't happened. Jin Ling had remained Sect Leader.

"It's not my wound and you know it."

"Oh, but are you quite sure? It would be such a shame to see the Jiang falter, not when you, ah, proved yourself so explosively..."

"It's not that either and you know it."

"What DO I know?" demurred Nie Huaisang.

But when he nodded at the tea tray between them as if he were the host and not Jiang Cheng, it took remembering it had belonged to his mother to stop Jiang Cheng from pitching the whole spread into the lake.

"Don't play," he said. "I'm not in the mood."

The fan snapped shut. "Sect Leader Jiang has gotten so knowing these days."

"Sect Leader Jiang drank your fucking wine at Carp tower!"

"It was good wine," said Nie Huaisang, wide-eyed. "To celebrate your nephew's succession."

"It made me sick as a dog."

"Ah, far be it from me to accuse Sect Leader Jiang of overindulgence..."

"I had one cup," said Jiang Cheng. "And had my people inspect my qi flow once returned. You poisoned me and we both know it."

Nie Huaisang poured himself another cup of tea.

"Oh, well," said Nie Huaisang. "Maybe I should have checked the vintage..."

"The only reason I let you in is because my guard won't let you leave," said Jiang Cheng. "Until you tell me with what and why, you weasely piece of shit."

"...I'd heard rumors you were feeling ill," sighed Nie Huaisang. "But I had no idea it was this bad. Have the doctors at Lotus Pier identified any kind of treatment?"

"Three months of seclusion, a strict diet, and regular qi moderation," grit out Jiang Cheng.

Nie Huaisang clicked his tongue. "No, no, that won't do. We need you properly menacing!"

"You'll see I can still manage that."

"To the ones who want to depose A-Ling," said Nie Huaisang. "I'm sorry. This has been a huge misunderstanding. I saw the label and, ah, whoops."

"'Whoops'? You ACCIDENTALLY gave a SECT LEADER a qi suppressant?!?!"

"There are so many mysteries in the world! And even more wines! How was I to know?!"

"I'll kill you. I'll kill you right here."

"At least let me make it up to you, before you do!"

"Why should I?!"

Nie Huaisang was on the dock covering his head as he wailed, "I brought the antidote!"

Jiang Cheng paused, ready to beat the Chief Cultivator with his own stool. "Hm?"

Nie Huaisang squirmed back upright. "And my personal doctor. They're good, I swear."

Nie Huaisang had been integral to tipping Jiang Cheng off on the last set of conspirators. For that reason, and that reason alone, Nie Huaisang did not die that afternoon. Jiang Cheng returned the medical pavilion. The promised doctor arrived shortly.

"Really, Sect Leader Jiang. You take too many liberties for a sick man." There was no preamble and no respect for decorum. They wore a veiled hat to hide their face, but the height and the lilt was unmistakably female. "We could hear you from across the lake. Let me look."

Jiang Cheng stared. He stared for a good long awhile. He took a deep breath and extended his arm.

"I can trust you, now?"

"You'll have to."

He frowned. His face was really made for it. But when she took his pulse, he shifted his other arm up, to knock the hat off her head.

It clattered to the ground. She gave a beleaguered sigh. He took one look at her face and swore.

"Oh, that son of a bitch," he breathed. "He couldn't have just SAID?"

"No, he couldn't," said the doctor, "Now sit still and let me work."

Jiang Cheng sat still and let her work.

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