Chapter Text
独对无尽骨，江湖血永流
残碑存草没，旧友寻新仇
Alone with infinite bones, the blood of Jianghu flows forever.
Broken, grass-covered ruins linger, while old friends seek new enemies.
Lightning cracked across the night sky, bright and ominous. There was a dark, huddled speck in a muddy trench amongst the mound of corpses. Booming thunder came down along with howling wind; Wei Wuxian cried out to the heavens. Icy shards of rain pelted his face, soaking him to the bone. Jiang Cheng’s severed head was clutched in his embrace, the eyes glazed and unseeing.
‘I’ll be waiting for you in the town back there!’
He had watched Jiang Cheng’s silhouette slowly go up the mountain. That was the last time he’d seen his shidi1 alive.
Numb, shaky hands dug through the cold mud and rot for the rest of Jiang Cheng. The bloodied head was kept close, cradled in his lap.
‘In the future, you’ll be zongzhu2, and I’ll be your subordinate, like your father and my father.’
Wei Wuxian’s mouth hung open as he bawled. Pained, inhumane wails escaped his hollow chest. Drool, snot, and tears ran down his chin, all washed away by the unrelenting rain.
‘Gusu Lan Clan has its Twin Jades, Yunmeng Jiang Clan will have its Twin Prides!’
His mind stumbled while frigid fingers clumsily dug in the dark, feeling through dirt and bodies. Legs, torsos, and other discarded bits were all strewn in the murky ditch. I-I have to… He loosened an arm from the pile. Lightning flared. Zidian was a dull ring on the pale, lifeless hand.
Wei Wuxian hugged the limb along with the head. He screamed into the stormy night.
***
Months later at the Hejian front.
The morning sun spilled over the wreckage of the battlefield. Warm rays kissed the carcasses, accentuating the stench of blood and death.
One of the bodies was rolled onto its back, an unfortunate Nie disciple. He was young with a chubby round face. The boy couldn’t have been older than fourteen. Wei Wuxian touched the neck for a pulse.
Another casualty of war.
It would’ve been faster to simply summon the dead together, but Nie Mingjue insisted that they be personally carried to show respect.
The corpse was thrown over his shoulders, and Wei Wuxian marched off to the makeshift grave. He was a black spot in a river of beige and green uniforms. The body was dumped into the pit, another addition to the growing heap.
Last night’s battle had been challenging. Their casualties were ever increasing. Since Yunmeng Jiang’s eradication, Nie Mingjue had only received support from Gusu Lan Clan and a few minor clans.
“That ershizu!”3 A table shattered under Nie Mingjue’s fist. He was still covered in blood and grime from last night’s battle.
The group they had intercepted was covert support for Wen Xu. Interrogation of the dead revealed a strategic attack against the Lanling Jin Clan. Nie Mingjue immediately sent a talisman to warn Jin Guangshan.
“Nie-zongzhu?” Wei Wuxian approached the table.
“See for yourself!” He tossed the letter to Wei Wuxian.
Nie Mingjue,
Thank you for your concern. The Lanling Jin Clan has no intention of interfering with the conflict between Qinghe Nie, Gusu Lan, and Qishan Wen Clan.
Jin Guangshan
Since the start of the Sunshot Campaign, Jin Guangshan had maintained neutrality. Yunshen Buzhichu4 was burned to the ground, the Jiang Clan was exterminated, and only the Qinghe Nie Clan stood. Jin Guangshan knew the odds were in favor of Qishan, so he didn’t dare to stand against Wen Ruohan. Nie Mingjue’s warning was taken as a hoax intended to entice the Jins into joining the campaign.
“We delayed them, but Wen Xu doesn’t need reinforcements to attack,” said Wei Wuxian.
Wen Xu had single-handedly taken down Gusu. Lanling was not beyond him.
“That fool!” yelled Nig Mingjue. “He thinks he’s safe by kissing up to Wen Ruohan.”
Without Lanling Jin Clan, Nie Mingjue’s allies were slim. The only reason Jin Guangshan hadn’t participated against them was because Lanling was located between Gusu and Qinghe. A battle on two fronts would’ve crushed the Jin Clan. It was rumored that Jin Guangshan was waiting for Nie Mingjue to fall before joining Wen Ruohan.
Gusu Lan Clan guarded the southwest while Qinghe Nie Clan held the northwest. With limited allies, much of the western front between Qinghe and Gusu was left open.
“Something’s wrong,” said Wei Wuxian.
Throughout the war, they received communication from Lan Xichen to plan their attacks. It allowed them to defend successfully, but the recent battle was through a stroke of luck. Wei Wuxian had heard the increasing cries of pain and death; they drew his attention. After questioning some wandering spirits, they were able to locate the approaching squadron of Wen soldiers and ambush them.
“Zewu-jun hadn’t warned us,” said Wei Wuxian.
“What does that mean?” asked Nie Mingjue.
“Don’t know, but something isn’t right…” Wei Wuxian’s hand scrubbed down his face as he stared at the growing pile of corpses. “We don’t have time, Lanling will need reinforcements.”
“Forget it.”
“Nie-zongzhu?”
“We’ve been at war for this long without Lanling Jin. I’m not weakening our forces to help that bastard.”
“What about afterwards?” asked Wei Wuxian.
If Wen Xu took down Lanling Jin, it would only make sense for him to advance either north or south. A Wen stronghold in Lanling would divide and conquer the Sunshot Campaign.
“We’re not going,” snarled Nie Mingjue. “I already sent a message to warn them. They’re on their own.”
If Lanling Jin suffered enough losses under the Wens, it could spur them to join the resistance. Qinghe Nie Clan had also been bleeding casualties since the start of the war. Diverting too much resources to Lanling would leave them vulnerable. It had also been a while since they received communication from Lan Xichen. Without his guidance on how to proceed, Nie Mingjue wanted to focus on defending his stronghold.
“If you won’t support them, I’ll go alone,” countered Wei Wuxian. At the very least, he could personally warn them. He still had a handful of ghouls from the burial mounds. The western front was mostly open. Lanling must not fall.
“Hmph,” snorted Nie Mingjue. “When Yunmeng Jiang was annihilated, where was the Lanling Jin Clan?” he sneered. “Are they worth it?”
Jin-furen5 and Yu-furen were as close as sisters, yet after the fall of Yunmeng Jiang Clan, Lanling Jin Clan had kept quiet. As the saying goes, when danger is imminent, every man for himself.6 But regardless of what happened in the past, the fall of the Lanling Jin Clan would mark the inevitable end of the Sunshot Campaign.
“I’m going.”
A sharp whistle reverberated through the field. Two fierce corpses heeded the call and ran to Wei Wuxian’s jianyu.7 They were freshly killed Wen cultivators. Since the removal of his golden core, Wei Wuxian needed an alternate mode of transportation. The light wooden carriage only required two fierce corpses to operate, and it was swift, almost as fast as flying.
Nie Mingjue looked on in disgust.
Their fragile alliance was based on a mutual objective to overthrow the Qishan Wen Clan. For that, Nie Mingjue tolerated the ghost path but had forbidden Wei Wuxian from manipulating deceased Nie disciples.
Wei Wuxian hopped on the jianyu, and the corpses sprinted off. Mountains and forests were no issue. They dashed at amazing speeds and could leap treetop to treetop with ease. Unlike people or animals, the corpses never tired.
It would take three shichen8 to reach Lanling.
That was three shichen too late.
Plumes of black smoke rose from Jinlin Tai. Indeed, Wen Xu did not wait for reinforcements to attack. The man who had burned down Yunshen Buzhichu fought head-to-head against Jin-furen and Jin Guangshan with ease.
The central courtyard was littered with bodies of both Jin and Wen. Outside, the beating of gongs intermingled with the clashing of swords. The floor and walls were splattered with blood. Opposing talismans flew overhead as gory bodies and swords occasionally rained down from the sky. Jin disciples flew to-and-fro with buckets of water to combat the blaze while others fought aggressively to defend their home.
“Bofu!9 Bomu!”10 Jin Zixun soared into the courtyard with several disciples. His face was stained with soot from battling the flames.
“Stay back!” ordered Jin-furen. The brilliant white blade of her sword was coated a dark shade of crimson. She vaulted forward and launched a kick at Wen Xu. A single arm came up to block her attack; the foot landed on his forearm and sent him skidding down the courtyard.
Wen Xu stood and brushed himself off. An amused smirk graced his cold features.
“Where’s Zixuan?” yelled Jin Guangshan. At a quick glance, his son wasn’t present.
“Watch out!” screamed Jin-furen.
Jin Zixun fumbled. Too slow.
Jin-furen immediately sent out a white silk ribbon that wrapped around his waist and yanked him to safety. A sharp wave of energy rippled to where he had stood less than a heartbeat ago. All the disciples that were behind him were sliced apart. The ribbon unraveled, and Jin Zixun was thrown to the ground.
“Zixun!” Jin Zixuan rushed out and helped his cousin to his feet. “Fuqin!11 Muqin!”12
A throng of Wen soldiers that had been chasing him landed. They closed in on the boys. At once, the white ribbon darted out again. This time, it had a protruding spike that slithered through the group with frightening agility, silent and lethal. Before the Wens knew of the threat, their throats were already slit open.
That caught Wen Xu’s attention. Jin Huashe…13 He launched toward the two boys with his sword drawn.
“Run!” yelled Jin Guangshan. The elder rushed forward and intercepted the attack from Wen Xu. Jin Guangshan’s sword shattered on impact, and blood sprayed from his lips. The force of the blow threw him back, crashing into Jin Zixun and Jin Zixuan, knocking them all to the ground. The cousins supported each of Jin Guangshan’s shaky arms to help him up.
Wen Xu casted an idle glance at them and scoffed.
“Fuqin!” Jin Zixuan pushed himself in front of his father with his sword unsheathed. Jin Zixun was trembling behind him, holding onto his uncle.
Although they were the same generation, Wen Xu was leagues stronger than Jin Zixuan and Jin Zixun combined. Killing them would have been like crushing two ants under his boot.
Jin-furen’s silk ribbon flew out and wrapped coils around Wen Xu. The smirk on his face never faltered. She pulled the ribbon taunt, holding him in place.
“Silly boy, run!” Jin Guangshan surged to his feet and pushed them back. They were thrown to the entrance of the courtyard.
Wen Xu clenched his fists and exploded with spiritual energy. A flurry of white burst into the air. The silk ribbon was torn to shreds, knocking Jin-furen to the ground from the backlash.
“Muqin!”
“Bomu!”
“Run!” yelled Jin Guangshan. He scrambled forward and wrapped both arms around Wen Xu’s legs to stop him.
A slow, lazy glance downwards, and Wen Xu sneered. His fist came down on Jin Guangshan’s shoulder with a sickening CRACK, but the shackle around his legs refused to yield.
“Fuqin!” cried Jin Zixuan.
Jin Guangshan yelled again, “Run!” Blood trickled down his nose and chin. His eyes squeezed shut. “Zixun! Take him and go!” He wouldn’t be able to hold on for long.
Jin Zixun huffed a few shaky breaths to steel himself and ran to pull Jin Zixuan away.
“Don’t look!” he yelled while pushing his cousin. “Run!”
Wen Xu’s fist connected with Jin Guangshan again and again. It was steady and unrushed, purposefully avoiding the head and fatal points. He was playing with them.
Jin-furen’s wobbly figure rose. She formed a seal with her hands, and nine silk ribbons sprouted from her back, each one tipped with a golden dart like the tails of a scorpion.
“Take him away!” she shouted. The blades shot out at Wen Xu.
“Fuqin! Muqin!” cried Jin Zixuan. He struggled against Jin Zixun’s attempts to usher him out of the courtyard.
A group of Jin disciples flew in from the outer terrace.
Buoyed by the reinforcements, Jin Zixun yelled, “Protect shaoye!14 Take him away!”
Jin Zixuan screamed as the group surrounded and dragged him out of the central courtyard.
Outside was chaos. There was fighting and Wen disciples everywhere. Arrows and talismans rained around them like hail.
“Watch out!” Jin Zixun shoved Jin Zixuan out of the way as a sword came down on them. A disciple shielded Jin Zixun from the blade. His chest was cleaved open, spraying a gush of scarlet on the two cousins. Jin Zixuan recovered sooner and stabbed back in a counterattack, killing the Wen.
Jin Zixun was shaking violently. He was never particularly talented in combat. Blood covered the side of his face; his pupils were blown wide.
“Run!” A disciple grabbed the front of Jin Zixun’s robes, pulling him up. The boys were herded away while the disciples struggled to protect them.
Jin Zixun was too scared, too slow. Swords and enemies surrounded them. One by one, their group was dwindling down as they fought their way to the outer terrace towards the main gate.
“Zixun!” A blade came down towards Jin Zixun but through the hazy clamor of fighting and confusion, his reaction lagged. Jin Zixuan shoved his younger cousin out of the way, and there was a fiery pain as his back was sliced open.
“Ge!”15 cried Jin Zixun. In a moment of panic, he thrusted his sword up and skewered the Wen. Jin Zixuan landed heavily in his arms. The sword fell from his grasp. “Ge, Ge!” Jin Zixun cried while clutching his cousin.
Bofu… Bomu… His mind screamed. Shaking hands blindly fumbled with his cousin’s body. He struck acupoints points to staunch the bleeding.
It was too weak.
Jin Zixun was too scared to channel his energy properly. No! No! He struck the points again and again before finally succeeding. Jin Zixun hugged Jin Zixuan close and backed into a wall. His chest heaved with soft whimpers. All around him were the cries of death.
“Zixun…d-don’t be scared,” gasped Jin Zixuan. “Leave me… S-Save yourself.”
Hearing the soft words, tears welled in Jin Zixun’s eyes. His throat clenched shut, and his head shook vigorously. No… The two were as close as brothers. Jin Zixun’s arm wrapped around Jin Zixuan, and his hand gripped the sticky sword to push them up. Bofu… Bomu… His heart lurched. Jin Zixun gave a hoarse shout, “Protect shaoye!”
He charged forward with Jin Zixuan on his back. The other disciples shielded them while he ran. He was only one person. One weak and scared person. Another wave of Wen disciples landed. The Jin numbers had become scant. Jin Zixun blocked and narrowly dodged an arrow that flew towards him. Bodies rained from the sky.
“L-Leave…me,” whispered Jin Zixuan. “Save yourself.”
There was thunderous pounding in Jin Zixun’s ears. A sharp blade thrusted forward, and he immediately swerved to the side. His boot landed on a slick pool of blood from a neighboring corpse. Jin Zixun lost his footing and tumbled to the ground. Jin Zixuan slipped from his grasp.
There was a sharp glint from a blade coming down on his cousin. Jin Zixun’s eyes widened and in a mad dash, he scrambled forward on all fours to shield Jin Zixuan. His eyes squeezed shut.
The blade never came down.
A small, carnivorous infant had latched itself onto the cultivator’s neck, ravaging the delicate arteries and tendons.
“Ah!” he screamed as blood gurgled from his throat
The little ghoul was voracious and fast. It scurried on all fours and leapt from cultivator to cultivator gouging mouthfuls of flesh from their necks. The creature scampered off, running from the terrace to the central courtyard.
Jin Zixun wiped the snot and sweat from his face. Confused, he looked up, and there was a figure in black by the gate.
Wei Wuxian snapped his fingers, and several corpses sprang to their feet. They joined the little monster and fought back against the Wens. The unconscious figure behind Jin Zixun caught Wei Wuxian’s attention.
“Jin Zixuan?”
“W-Who are you?” A sword was brought up between them. Jin Zixun’s hand quivered like a leaf as he stood between Wei Wuxian and his unconscious cousin.
“Head disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang Clan, Wei Wuxian.16 I’m here to help. Where’s Jin-zongzhu and Jin-furen?”
“Y-Yunmeng?” Jin Zixun was also familiar with Jin Zixuan’s engagement to Jiang Yanli of Yunmeng Jiang Clan. He heard the entire family had been eradicated except for Jiang Yanli who was hiding in Meishan.
A bright flash and sharp squeal emanated from the courtyard, the infant along with the fierce corpses had just been slayed. Wei Wuxian blew a bright whistle and more corpses jumped in. Although he couldn’t see the battle, he could feel the terrifying waves of energy that surged from within. The corpses were hacked apart like haystacks.
“Wen Xu?” asked Wei Wuxian. There weren’t many people with such raw power.
Hearing the name, Jin Zixun snapped back to awareness. He grabbed Jin Zixuan and tossed him to Wei Wuxian.
“Take him away.” Jin Zixun took a sharp breath before grabbing his own sword with two hands. “Jinlin Tai won’t be able to hold up much longer.”
“But—"
“Take him and run,” begged Jin Zixun. Tears welled in his eyes. “Bofu, Bomu…” Jin Zixun stared back at the main courtyard, and his lips quivered.
The fierce corpses were barely buying any time. There was another violent burst of energy, and severed parts rained from the sky in a gory shower. They would run out of corpses at this rate. Several Jin disciples rushed to join the battle following the waves of undead.
Jin Zixun steadied himself on his feet. With two shaky hands, he lifted his blade and gave a hoarse shout, “As long as A-Ge is alive, the Jin family will rise again! Take him and run fast!” He rushed forward, charging back to the main courtyard. “Bofu! Bomu!”
A flurry of arrows hailed from the sky; more Wens were flying in. Jin Zixuan was also severely wounded. Wei Wuxian would not be able to fight them all while protecting him. Given his current state, Wei Wuxian couldn’t defeat Wen Xu.
Shit. He threw Jin Zixuan on his back and whistled a few times. A ghastly woman in red sailed into the courtyard after Jin Zixun. Corpses escorted Wei Wuxian to his jianyu while others continued storming the courtyard. Arrows and talismans pelted towards them. The chair was intended for speed, not safety.
A few more sharp whistles echoed out. ‘Take me to Gusu.’ The arrows struck him like hot iron. Wei Wuxian gritted his teeth and shielded Jin Zixuan from the attacks. Several talismans flew out, striking down the pursuing Wen cultivators.
