Backlash Part 1

Chapter 140: The Cost of a War

Intellectually Lan Xichen knew that the QishanWen sect was the most powerful cultivation sect. He knew that the numbers, and the sword skills of the QishanWen sect were nothing to joke about. Still, Lan Xichen had not thought the QishanWen sect could hope to stand if the rest of the sects banded together.

Lan Xichen had known this war was coming. He had seen evidence of future knowledge in Wen Qing's mind. He had believed Wei Wuxian when Wei Wuxian told him about the coming war. Lan Xichen believed that a war was coming and that Wei Wuxian had fought in it before. Lan Xichen did not like what he had heard about Wei Wuxian using resentful energy. Lan Xichen fully believed Wei Wuxian felt it had been necessary, but resentful energy was dangerous. It damaged those who used it, physically and mentally.

Lan Xichen had felt certain they would not need it. If all the sects worked together, and if they were able to get reliable intelligence, Lan Xichen felt confident they could overcome the QishanWen sect. Within this mindset Lan Xichen had believed himself prepared for what was to come. He was not prepared.

Getting the sects to agree to work together was a struggle. A greater struggle than Lan Xichen anticipated, especially whenever Jin Guangshan was in the room. To say Jin Guangshan was reluctant to offer support for the war effort was an understatement. Jin Guangshan had undermined the confidence of those who had been in agreement as much as it communicated Jin Guangshan's reluctance to do anything that he felt might be too costly to his sect. It was an obstacle that Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue overcame, with a surprising amount of help from Jiang Yanli.

Jiang Wanyin had been missing during the start of the war. Wen Qing had informed Lan Xichen that she helped Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, and Jiang Wanyin escape Lotus Pier. She had also stated that Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji had informed her they would be missing for some time.

'No more than three months.' As Lan Xichen recalled the message saying. Wen Qing stated she did not know where they were going. She also stated that Jiang Wanyin received medical care from her and buried his parents. She then helped him leave Yiling and told him that the YunmengJiang disciples had planned to regroup in Gusu. Lan Xichen had expected to see Jiang Wanyin within a week, maybe a bit over. Except Jiang Wanyin did not arrive in Gusu.

Lan Xichen was very nervous about that, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. Lan Xichen did not know why Jiang Wanyin did not arrive. He could have gotten captured. Wen Qing could have been lying, although Lan Xichen had a hard time giving that idea much credit. Jiang Wanyin's absence was a concern, but in his absence Jiang Yanli had risen to the occasion.

Lan Xichen had seen Jiang Yanli mediate before, within her family. Seeing those skills turned to outside of her family was a sight to behold. The soft spoken woman seemed to have a particular skill with handling boisterous and obstinate sect leaders. Jabs that many sect leaders would bristle under seemed to wash over her like water. Jiang Yanli was more than happy to offer apologies, even when they were not called for, or acknowledge her own lack of experience.

Lan Xichen had a very fond memory of Jin Guangshan apparently swallowing his own tongue. One minute Jin Guangshan was smiling smugly, preening as Jiang Yanli acknowledged her lack of experience with leadership. The next minute Jiang Yanli was very politely explaining what she 'had thought' were the duties of a righteous cultivator and sect leader.

The curious inquiring tone being used immediately after her acknowledgement of Jin Guangshan's experience had left Jin Guangshan stuck. He could not accuse Jiang Yanli of trying to ridicule him or attack him. The young woman had just phrased these things as a questions that she was asking in order to defer to his wisdom. The words chosen made it quite clear what the righteous thing to do was, and what the responsibilities of what a sect leader were. Those responsibilities being to the common people as well as the disciples under said sect leader. To try and argue that a sect leader had no such duty would fly in the face of every description of a righteous cultivator.