Chapter Text
LanLing, Carp Tower
Jin ZiXuan massaged his sore neck and stretched his arms to loosen his shoulders. He patted his wife’s back before returning his arms to his sides, then collapsed onto their shared bed in a heap. “YanLi, stop staring at that old box and come to sleep,” he murmured, eyes already closed, “Wen RuoHan is dead. Your parents have been avenged. We are married. I have done nothing but bow my head to Sect Leaders all day.... tomorrow will be even more tiresome.. We need all the rest we can get.”
Jiang YanLi eked out a half-hearted ‘un’ in response, but continued to stare at the hefty weighted box between her palms. Throughout the Sunshot Campaign the cube box haunted her, with all its seals so densely packed over it, Jiang YanLi still did not even know what the box was made of (let alone its contents). The hidden basement she discovered in Lotus Pier housed nothing but this heavy box, covered with yellow paper drawn full of lotus flowers, peony flowers, and bloody inscriptions. But who could she ask about it? When she first discovered the box, Lotus Pier had freshly burnt to the ground. The Wens were at large, her parents were dead, Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng were both missing. There was no time to ask anything then, the chance had been missed.
What secrets could the object inside the basement be hiding?
She dug her fingernails into the seals covering the box. The seals glowed red and hissed at Jiang YanLi in response, burning her fingers, yet again.
Jin ZiXuan had once identified the seal as a type that can only be undone with the blood of one specific person, nobody else would have a chance. To demonstrate, he even dripped it with his own blood to show Jiang YanLi what would happen when the wrong blood was applied. Curiously, the seals fluttered a little but did not open fully. He commented that ‘the seal must be weak’, Jiang YanLi did not believe a thing. She recognised her Father’s handwriting on the inscriptions – Jiang FengMian’s defensive cultivation was not to be trifled with, the seal must have something to do with Jin ZiXuan, otherwise there is no chance of it moving an inch.
Jin ZiXuan did not wish to fight a losing battle with his wife. “Your parents would wish for you to rest. Sleep early if you can, dear.” He sighed, before closing his eyes and drifting into sleep.
Jiang YanLi checked Jin ZiXuan’s rhythmic breathing and tapped his forehead to check he was deep asleep, before making her way out of their shared bedroom and into the hallways of Carp Tower. As she neared the Sect Leader’s bedroom, the usual arguments between Jin GuangShan and his wife could be heard.
“For the final time, the answer is no! Keep to your place, Jin FeiYan, you are wearing me thin!”
“Who was the one who promised there would be no secrets as long as I was your wife?! Where did that money go?! How many whores are you keeping outside of our gates?”
“I said you would be second in charge, but I am still the top! You have no right to be asking me what I do with Sect finances, do not push me any further.”
“50,000 taels of gold! [1] Just how and where do you expect to need such a large amount of unjustifiable money? If it’s not women, it is men?!”
“Woman, I am giving you three seconds to shut your mouth, or I’ll shut it for you!”
“I am your wife!”
“You are my woman! Women should keep their head low, hair long, and their mouths shut! I fulfilled my end of the bargain, do not push my patience!”
“You piece of trash!”
“How dare you throw things at me?!”
“Throw it back, I dare you!”
“I don’t hit women!”
“You’re just afraid of my Father!”
Jiang YanLi kept herself hidden in the hallway until the sounds of crashing porcelain and clashing blades stopped. Jin GuangShan stormed out of the room with his sword drawn, cursing to himself at having married ‘such a miserable hag’. His hand dripped with fresh blood, droplets of red followed him down the hallway like a spotty snake.
When the coast was clear, Jiang YanLi tip-toed into the Master bedroom, where Jin ZiXuan’s mother, Jin FeiYan, sat. “Mother,” she greeted quietly, “Are you alright?” [2]
Jin FeiYan’s severe expression softened at Jiang YanLi’s voice. She waved her hand in dismissal of her husband, “Huh, that idiot will have to train a hundred years before he can touch a hair on my head. Don’t worry, YanLi, I can stand up for myself.”
The in-laws shared a silent moment before Jiang YanLi bent down and started to pick up shards of broken teacup from the floor. She wrapped the blood-stained pieces carefully in her handkerchief, careful not to accidentally cut her fingers on the sharp edges. “Forgive my impudence… Mother… I could not help but overhear your conversation…”
“Overhear? I’m sure half of Carp Tower could hear that,” Jin FeiYan chuckled bitterly, “Everyone but ZiXuan. That child sleeps like a dead hog.”
Jiang YanLi stifled a laugh herself, before bowing her head low to keep picking up the pieces at Jin FeiYan’s feet. “50,000 taels is a significant amount, let alone taels of gold… Father must have his own purpose.”
“Purpose or not, the cultivation clans will want to know what happened to that amount. Even if that whore’s son killed Wen RuoHan and took all the glory, the accounts must be settled. The heroes who helped up in the Sunshot Campaign will not be happy to know 50,000 taels of gold from the Nightless City simply disappeared.” Jin FeiYan grimaced at the thought of explaining Jin GuangShan non-answer to her Father and the various factions of the LanLing Jin Sect. Although she argues with Jin GuangShan on the surface, her concerns mostly lay with how to protect him. “He certainly makes it difficult to stay on his side, that strange man…”
“Mother, despite all you say, you stay by his side,” Jiang YanLi smiled, “You remind me of my own Mother…”
“Oh stop it, you flatter me too much. If ZiYuan could see how mellow I’ve become in a man’s presence, she would whip me a few hundred times. You do not know how valiant I used to be in my younger years!” Jin FeiYan reached forward and patted Jiang YanLi’s head before giving her a good-natured wink, “You are a good girl. Do not concern yourself with our petty arguments, go to bed. Thank you for cleaning up after us, Daughter.”
Jiang YanLi packed her handkerchief full of teacup shards and stood to bow. “Good night, Mother.”
Later that night
Spare room
The shards of teacup with half-congealed blood sat motionless in Jiang YanLi’s hands, almost mocking, just daring Jiang YanLi to place them onto her box of mysteries.
‘Perhaps I have the wrong idea….’ she tried to convince herself out of it, ‘But the seals never moved with my blood. If the seals moved with ZiXuan’s blood a little, surely it can be opened with the blood of his parents. He is an only child, after all…. His mother’s hands were not bleeding, but his father’s was…. Should I really have stolen the blood of the LanLing Jin Sect Leader?’
The box sat still, accusingly.
‘But the box was hidden so deep in the basement, it is clear that the contents are forbidden…. But what kind of forbidden box that opens with Jin Clan blood is my Father keeping in Lotus Pier?’
A single drop of blood from a shard in Jiang YanLi’s hands dropped onto the faded seals. There was no crackle, no resistance, no theatrics – ten layers of sealing paper scrawled full of curses, lotus flowers and peony flowers simply fell open and turned to ash.
“!! Oh…. Heavens….”
The box of secrets was, surprisingly, not nearly as ornate as the seals around it. Less than 6 inches long on its longest side, the plain silver box was so well-polished, Jiang YanLi could clearly see the surprised look on her own face in its reflections. Once the seal was broken, there would be no need for any locks. As she lifted the lid with shaking fingers, Jiang YanLi braced herself for poison, traps or self-destructing mechanisms.
“So far… so good….”
Only 4 items sat in the box.
One clear, polished blue jadeite token 3 by 1.5 inches, cracked through the center and welded together with a thin line of gold. The blue [3] was vibrant like the lakes of YunMeng on a sunny day and clear like glass, one could see their fingers through the other side. Such a piece of jadeite required no decorative carving to show its enormous value, such a shame it was broken.
Beside the jade pendant lay a YunMeng Jiang Sect Clarity Bell. Unlike others, this bell was plated with gold and threaded on a white sash. Its flashy appearance looked more at home in Carp Tower than Lotus Pier, but Jiang YanLi was quick to notice the silver bell under its golden exterior had many dents and scratches. ‘Who would coat a heavily used bell in gold?’
After removing the two artifacts inside the box, the final two objects became clear. The third object was a thin, folded envelope with Jiang FengMian’s handwriting, labelled ‘Jin GuangShan’ and sealed with wax, not meant for her eyes.
The fourth and final object was a single folded sheet of silken paper, slightly crumpled.
Unable to control her curiosity, Jiang YanLi set aside the jadeite token and the Clarity Bell. She opened the sheet of paper and took a peek, before immediately slamming it down onto the table and closing her eyes in shock.
Drawn with meticulous strokes and vibrant colour was a portrait of young Jiang FengMian sleeping – totally unclothed, private parts and all.
Moments before daybreak
Jin GuangShan’s Study
“That FeiYan is sharp… too sharp for her own good. This is why women should not be taught how to read!” Jin GuangShan muttered to himself as he poured over LanLing Jin Sect’s master accounts book. Still, his objectives have been achieved. ‘What can they do apart from be frustrated? If I say nothing, nobody will be able to question me further. Those idiots have no idea that the 50,000 taels of gold are in plain sight, they were just too stupid to realize the original 50,000 taels have been missing from the treasury all along. The hole has been filled, thank you, Wen RuoHan you miserable bastard. Burn in the 18th level of Hell! How does it feel for me to use your gold to rebuild the same Lotus Pier you were intent on burning down? Who’s laughing now, you fucker?!’
An unwelcome knock. “uh…. G-greetings-
“Who the fuck is up at this time of day?!” Jin GuangShan shut away his accounts book and used a flick of his wrist to send the double doors to his study flying open with spiritual power.
Jiang YanLi stood stiffly and squeezed her eyes shut in fear. Would there ever be a good time to confront Jin GuangShan with her father’s history? Unlikely. But in these tumultuous times, lives are fleeting. If the lives of her parents could be lost so quickly, Jiang YanLi did not wish to live the rest of her days in fear of the unknown answer. Deep in her heart, she knew that Jin GuangShan held the key to the question she always wondered but could never her parents – why? Why did nothing about their family make any sense?
Surely, whoever drew the naked picture of her father would be able to tell.
“F-Father… I-
“Father. In. Law. You are using the wrong term. I am not your Father, impudent girl,” Jin GuangShan chastised. Everything about Jiang YanLi annoyed him. The meek voice, the average features, Jiang FengMian’s large, innocent eyes and her heart of gold made him want to push her face into the floor and scrape it into the stone tiles. Why did the useless girl who married his son have to inherit Jiang FengMian’s best features and stare at him all day? ‘Useless seed, at least pass it onto your son!’
“Father-in-law,” Jiang YanLi corrected, “Do you have a moment?”
“The moment has been made. Talk.”
Jiang YanLi swallowed hard and produced the silver box from her sleeve. She opened it to produce the repaired blue jadeite token and carefully presented it on her palm. “Do you know what this is?”
“………..!!!”
Jin GuangShan lunged forward at a superhuman speed. Jiang YanLi had no time to even let out a scream before the door was slammed shut, the box and jade forcefully ripped from her hands, and Jin GuangShan’s strong hand was squeezing the air out of her throat.
“Where did you get this?” he asked coldly even as his breathing became ragged and uneven, “I will not ask again.”
No answer.
The man himself did not realize how much force and spiritual power he had unleashed, his daughter-in-law’s lips began to lose colour and the life drained out of her eyes. Jin GuangShan hurriedly pulled back his hand from her neck and muttered a non-apology as she spluttered to gain back her breath. As hateful as it was to admit it, there was no possibility of him killing Jiang FengMian’s offspring. Not after all the effort he used to save them.
“Talk,” Jin GuangShan ordered.
“I- I found this sealed box.... after Lotus Pier burnt down…. No time to ask…. But now I know, the seal could only be undone by you…” Jiang YanLi explained between hungry gulps of air, “There is a letter…. It belongs to you…. And the golden Clarity Bell…..”
Jin GuangShan stared at the jade token, broken in half but still lovingly mended, spiteful yet too precious to crush. The golden Clarity Bell lay silently in the silver box and looked accusingly at him, its thin layer of gold unable to fill every crack on its surface, Jin GuangShan could still clearly see the indents his fingernails made and a flattened surface where the bell hit the floor. He did not need to open the folded paper to know which painting that held, he knew by the texture of the sheet.
“What use is it to repair and keep such lousy artifacts?” he whispered at the items and blamed the owner, “You are dead. There is no use. I will not forgive you.”
“What history do you have with my Father?” Jiang YanLi asked, emboldened by Jin GuangShan’s clear disturbance, “Are you the reason that my parents did not get along?”
“One more word, and I will kill you!” Jin GuangShan carefully placed Jiang FengMian’s things onto a nearby table and continued his empty threats, “Forget it!”
“You helped us, am I right?” Jiang YanLi pressed on, “When Lotus Pier was burnt down and our clansmen killed, you helped Ah-Cheng rebuild, did you not? The insurmountable deficit in funds was filled almost overnight, Ah-Cheng and Ah-Xian never found their benefactor… everything was too simple. I was attacked so many times by the Wens on my way back from MeiShan, but never knew who helped me either. Please, tell me the truth!”
“Put away that dumb expression, you have no right to interrogate me! After all you promised me, everything we have been through, you go ahead and pick whichever BITCH you want to marry at the time! I’ll kill you a thousand times myself!” Jin GuangShan’s vision blurred with frustrated tears, he no longer knew whether he was looking at Jiang FengMian’s daughter or Jiang FengMian’s ghost. He shook Jiang YanLi’s shoulders hard the whiplash drove a tear out of his eye and onto his cheek.
Vision cleared.
Jiang FengMian is gone.
“F-father-in-law….” Jiang YanLi stammered, before her knees gave way and she collapsed onto the floor, “Please…. We know so little…. But Father never had a bad thing to say about you. Is there truly nothing you can tell me?”
Jin GuangShan let his guard shatter and joined his daughter-in-law on the floor of his study. The earliest peeks of sunlight filtered through the cracks in the window frame and joined the orange glow of his lamps together to cast a warm glow over the two slumped figures. “What the Hell… Jiang YanLi, listen to me: I love your bastard of a Father with everything I have. Whether you believe it or not, here is our story… 27 years ago, at a tournament…..”
[1] In the Song Dynasty (close enough to what era I think MDZS is set in, that’s what I’ve been assuming through all of these fics) 1 tael of gold was worth approx 4500-9000 CNY in dollar value, based on the price of rice at the time. So 50,000 taels of gold would be worth roughly the equivalent of CNY 350million. That’s a lot of money to suddenly go missing, even in the Jin Sect.
[2] It is customary to call your in-laws you Mother and Father, there is sometimes no distinction between which one is your blood parents and which one is your in-laws. Jiang YanLi is polite, after all.
[3] Jadeite 翡翠feicui is a type of hard jade, prized for its different colours and clarity. Green and white are classic, but purple and blue are quite rare and hard to find specimens for. The higher the clarity and more shiny they are when polished, the higher the price, kind of like gemstones. Types of Jadeite with no cotton-like opacities are extremely expensive, a properly blue (not grey, turquoise or green-like) piece could easily costs millions of CNY if the colour and clarity are remotely nice. Just assume the token YanLi found is worth a few million USD, I will explain later.