Ink Lines

Chapter 5. One Year Ago - August into September

At the end of July, three weeks after the massacre of Lotus Pier, Jiang Cheng took over as the Sect Leader. At the swearing in ceremony, he gave a speech of unity and how he planned to devote the new achievements and the future successes in tribute to his murdered parents.

The first funeral was a cruel media frenzy, as was the massacre itself. Blood spilled over the headlines and the articles were full of condemnation and unanswered questions.

No one talked about the Wen Sect. Never mentioned the obvious connection.

It was the sect funeral and as per tradition, only the clan attended. Wei Ying was hollow eyed and defiant as he put an arm around both his siblings, guarding them. Security guided them from the car, tightened over the potential threat of reprisal from the 'unknown attackers'.

They wore their violet  Jiang Sect uniform coats, belts of white silk and a thin cotton white cloak which was tradition for mourning in sect culture.

On the second day, anyone who wished to pay their respects could, but only friends came to the first.

Lan Xichen and Lan Zhan came as friends and wore mourning white, not their sect uniform as asked. Nie Huaisang was already there and Nie Mingjue and Meng Yao came to support him and to pay their respects. Jin Guangshan sent his condolences but didn't attend, apparently for 'health reasons'.  Several Jin sect members came to support Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli, including a teary-eyed Lady Jin who had been close friends with Lady Yu.

There were no other sect representatives, that came. Everyone else sent messages of condolences, even Wen Xu in a moment of cruelty.

Wei Ying remained with his siblings for the entire time, his face blank and his silence was somehow both condemning and grieving. At the end, he took Jin Ling for Jin Zixuan and went off with his nephew before Lan Zhan had an actual chance to properly give his condolences.

In August, the prosecutions they could secure went ahead.

Not a single one mentioned the Wens and barely spoke at all, with an air of defiance out of bloodied loyalty or out of terror. Not that Lan Zhan was surprised only resentful. He had learned about the Wen methods, trying find justice for Gusu.

For as long as no one confessed or fingered the Wen Clan for the crime, their families would be kept out of it. Kept alive and even paid compensation for the loss of their loved one.

Everyone involved knew it was the Wens, anyone who disagreed was thought of as naive. Everyone in Caiyi SCD knew it was the Wen Sect, the Tribunal knew it was the Wen Sect. But there was nothing.

Every hint was gone, every thread burned before it fully made it to their door.

Wen Chao was apparently at an expensive spa at the beach five hours away. Wen Xu was on business in Caiyi.

The records that Lan Zhan had bitterly expected appeared a week after the massacre. Wen Zhuliu had been thrown out of the Sect for unknown reasons and so the Sect was 'ashamed' but not responsible. 

It was a pathetic thing to give the Jiang siblings,  but Jiang Yanli had held his hand and told him frankly, that she knew, had known for years about his fight for justice and that she knew he had fought for them. She came with Jiang Cheng or her husband, for the trial of the men who kidnapped her. An arduous, painful trial that dragged on far longer than it should have.

Wei Ying never attended and apparently stayed with his nephew if Jin Zixuan wasn't there.

Photos surfaced all over the internet of the grieving family. The photos of Wei Ying showed Lan Zhan clearly how badly he was doing. His face was beautiful, always beautiful, but he had lost so much weight he was gaunt, his eyes sharp and tired. He was also usually in the company of one of his siblings or Nie Huaisang who remained with them despite his own family tensions.