Backlash Part 2

Chapter 201: The Wealth of Nightless City

The end of a war was not simple. Wen Qing had not been privy to the details of how everything was handled last time, but she already had some idea of what to expect. There would be celebration and gloating. Everyone would be tripping over themselves to either claim credit or endear themselves to those who had claimed high honours during the war.

High honors would mean large rewards. The QishanWen sect had been the largest and most powerful of all the cultivation sects for generations. It was the first sect to adopt the practice of elevating a ruling clan over the sect as a whole. This was the model that every sect now followed. From Jin, Jiang, Lan, and Nie all the way to Yao and Yu. All were the clans, the noble gentry of their own sects.

The largest sect, led by the clan who had held the most power in the entire cultivation world. Power meant wealth. It meant riches, territory, and valuable knowledge of cultivation techniques that were once exclusive to the now toppled sect. It meant a wealth of spiritual tools numbering in the thousands. That was before the QishanWen sect had begun destroying and pilledging other other sects.

Wen Qing expected the coming weeks to be filled with exhaustive negotiations. There would need to be an agreement of how to divide the spoils. Things of pure monetary value would be the simplest to divide. Spiritual tools would have to be classified before they could be divided. Some tools might only answer specific individuals, or carry dangerous curses. Wen Qing was not certain if the sect leaders would wish to have these items tested extensively enough to identify these things before dividing them.

Wen Qing also knew that there would be a discussion regarding the fate of the Wen. Wen Qing and her family technically aided the allied sects. Wen Qing wasn't certain if that would be enough to grant them safety. Even if it was, she fully expected it to be challenged.

It was challenged. Repeatedly it was challenged. Sometimes in overt threats that would begin to escalate in a gathering until Nie Mingjue or Lan Xichen would need to speak up to shut it down. Wen Qing, both as the most well known of the DafanWens and as the only one in the group who had not been visibly aiding the allied sects, seemed to be the focal point.

Wen Qing spent most of her time in Lan Xichen's company. In the month it took for her hands to heal she had steadily become a common sight at Lan Xichen's side. At first it had been a matter of safety. Wen Qing was a frequently accosted by cultivators. Usually those of the LanlingJin or one of their closely affiliated minor sects. It had initially been a problem throughout the sects, but when it became clear that she had the protection of the other major sects most of the minor sects fell in line. Only those who had strong ties with the Jin continued to take aggressive action towards her.

Wen Qing understood it far better than she might have liked. Wen Rouhan's court was full of people taking their cues from a cruel leader. Learning who they can mistreat and who they cannot. Noticing who was out of favour and making an effort to show that they also despised this person in order to show themselves as loyal. It didn't surprise Wen Qing when she overheard Jin Guangyao speaking ill of her.

Wen Qing could give Jin Guangyao credit for his speaking skills. He chose his words perfectly. He expressed his 'concerns' and 'fears' in just the right tone. Making it sound like he was genuinely worried. Making it easy for someone who disagreed or new the truth to simply jump to reassuring him. They could hardly accuse him of slandering her when Jin Guangyao was only expressing his 'very real fears' regarding such a high ranking member of Wen Rouhan's court.

The first time this happened Wen Qing had subconsciously held her breath. Lan XIchen had not given her any reason to believe he would be easily persuaded to doubt her. Not in this life at least. Still, there was a very real memory of Lan Xichen watching her burn. A very real memory of a Lan Xichen who had never conversed with her in anything other than an official capacity. A Lan Xichen who only knew her as Wen Qing 'beloved niece' of Wen Rouhan. Cousin, she was a very distant cousin and Wen Qing hated that no one knew that because of Wen Rouhan claiming more than that.