The meaning of protecting you with my life

Successful search

After joining the Sunshot campaign's war efforts as the new sect leader of the Yunmeng Jiang sect, Jiang Cheng had fully thrown himself into fighting. It helped him to keep himself occupied so he would not have to think too much about the rest of his family; he only had Jiang Yanli by his side, the fate of the remaining members still stayed a mystery to him.

He obeyed Nie Mingjue's orders to the letter and went where he had been sent, but he never stopped looking for any signs or rumours about his parents or Wei Wuxian. And if he sometimes volunteered himself to be sent closer to Lotus Pier, no one ever mentioned that.

Strangely enough, he found himself often on the same battlefronts as Lan Wangji. It seemed like the Second Jade had changed. Not that Jiang Cheng had known him all that well before the war but it seemed like he had mellowed down and became even stricter at the same time. It was unnerving for him to try and decrypt what exactly the change meant but from what he could tell, Lan Wangji and him had for some reason the same goal: to find Wei Wuxian, alive or dead.

Sometimes, Lan Wangji came to him to ask if he had any news or if there was any progress in his search and following to that, Jiang Cheng would go seek him out whenever the Second Jade had come back from an assignment to see if he had learned something about his brother. Jiang Cheng would not say they had become close, far from that actually as the Second Jade remained as inaccessible and cold towards him as ever, but they had at least one thing in common and he was glad that someone else also cared about his brother in this way.

It seemed like Wei Wuxian had wormed his way into Lan Wangji's heart as Jiang Yanli had called it. Jiang Cheng could not really tell himself, it did not look to him like the Second Jade of Gusu could be interested in his shameless and nuisance of a brother in a romantic way. Then again, he trusted his sister's intuition for these things and always indulged Lan Wangji when it came to sharing intel.

One day, when he had just returned to the Unclean Realm, Nie Huisang came to him as soon as he had passed through the gate. His friend was visibly distressed and perhaps even somehow excited, he could not stop flapping his fan as he all but run across the courtyard and was already tugging Jiang Cheng to come with him.

They headed towards Jiang Yanli's rooms and Jiang Cheng was getting anxious now. Had something happened to his sister while he had been away? If it did, he would never be able to forgive himself. He could not bear it anymore and he stopped on the spot, making Nie Huisang who had been until now dragging him by his arm to look at him with surprise.

Even if Jiang Cheng did not want his voice to sound this harsh, he barked at Nie Huisang, his patience all but gone: "Brother Nie, what is it? Why are you dragging me like this? I still have to report to your brother."

Nie Huisang looked at him with now hardly hidden excitement: "Brother Jiang, believe me, you will be glad to hear the news. But not here, we need to get to your sister's room first." Jiang Cheng still did not move, he only raised one eyebrow to show that he was waiting for a more detailed explanation. Nie Huisang sighed audibly and then he whispered with his fan covering his mouth: "It concerns Brother Wei."

At once, it was Jiang Cheng who was dragging Nie Huisang to Jiang Yanli's room and entering without even knocking. Luckily, his sister, although surprised, only smiled at the two of them and did not comment their abrupt and rude barging in in any way.

Jiang Cheng could not wait even until they all sat down and were served some tea as would be appropriate for a conversation. He only turned to Nie Huisang, finally releasing his wrist and asked with barely hidden anxiety: "So, what is it about my brother?"

He did not want to start hoping, not now, not after more than three months after Wei Wuxian had disappeared. But he could not help himself. Nie Huisang did not look like he was about to tell them that they had found his brother's dead body, he looked too excited and cheerful for that. But he did not look like he was about to share some happy news either. His face was a mixture of sorrow, excitement and apology, his lips pursed together as much as could be seen around the fan still covering his face, and Jiang Cheng already dreaded the news.

At last, Nie Huisang let his fan fall to his side and looked at both of them – Jiang Yanli had joined them and was now standing next to Jiang Cheng, holding his hand in silent support, her own hand cold and trembling slightly – and informed them in a grave voice: "Brother Jiang, Jiang Yanli, I have finally found out what had happened to Brother Wei. He had apparently been captured as you had feared, not long after leaving the small town you had been hiding in after escaping Lotus Pier. He was brought back there and stayed imprisoned for a week. Then he had been dragged out by Wen Chao, they probably wanted to take him to Nightless City but that I do not know for sure. And..." Nie Huisang's breath hitched a bit and he had to swallow to be able to continue: "He had tried to escape and ended up falling into the Burial Mounds."

There was a long silence when Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli were trying to process all the information. Then, Jiang Yanli's free hand, the one which was not currently crushing her brother's, flew up to her mouth as she gasped for air and tears spilled from her eyes. Jiang Cheng's reaction, although less violent was no weaker. He could have sworn that his heart stopped beating altogether and his chest was so tight he was sure that he would not be able to actually take a breath even if he tried.

Nie Huisang was looking at both of them with sadness in his eyes: "Brother Jiang, Jiang Yanli, I am sorry I do not have better news..." Another silence, this time a shorter one when Nie Huisang's head turned solely to Jiang Cheng and he said, his tone still apologetic: "I have already explained everything to my brother. You have a week to go investigate in Yiling or anywhere else you see fit. I cannot promise you anything more... Sorry..."

Jiang Cheng's blood was now boiling and despite thinking he would not be able to breathe ever again, he was now angrily fuming while panting heavily.

How could his brother had been so stupid to throw himself willingly into the Burial Mounds? They had heard stories about that place ever since being small children, he could not have thought he would be safe there, could he? But then again, it was Wei Wuxian they were talking about, perhaps this was just a part of some crazy plan of his. Jiang Cheng could not even tell if he was mad at his brother or at Wen Chao who had captured, and surely tortured him, making him take this decision in the first place.

It was Jiang Yanli who calmed herself first and addressed Nie Huisang who was just standing awkwardly with his back against the door, apparently not knowing how he should face their violent reactions: "Nie Huisang, thank you for the news. I am glad we now know where to start looking for our brother. I am sure A-Cheng would like to go there immediately. And perhaps take Lan Wangji with him. We could use all the help there is."

Jiang Cheng did not even wait for his sister to finish and he was already pushing past Nie Huisang and back into the hallway. He had to find Lan Wangji quickly so they could go to Yiling and look for Wei Wuxian. He refused to give up hope, he knew his brother, he would have surely not jumped to the Burial Mounds without any plan to get back out.