Backlash Part 2

Chapter 224: Primary Suspect

Lan Xichen had planned to spend most of the day with Lan Wangji. Nie Mingjue had written to ask if a visit would be welcome. Lan Xichen had appreciated the desire to provide support, especially from Nie Mingjue, but he wrote back to ask Nie Mingjue to visit the following day instead.

Nie Mingjue had already offered assistance in the search for Wei Wuxian. He was more subtle about it than YunmengJiang. A decision intended to try and mitigate any dramatic reactions from the other sects. Nie Mingjue said 'other sects,' but Lan Xichen was quite certain that Nie Mingjue meant the LanlingJin sect. Given their response to the GusuLan sect searching for Wei Wuxian outside of Gusu... Lan Xichen thought Nie Mingjue was probably correct to proceed carefully.

Instead of openly providing disciples to create additional search parties, Nie Mingjue quietly dispatched disciples to act as guides to the GusuLan sect's search parties. One or two disciples would join up with each group to aid in searching the QingheNie sect's territory. Having disciples familiar with the terrain and known problem areas made for a much faster search.

Lan Xichen wished Wei Wuxian was in QingheNie sect territory. Lan Xichen was confident that they would find him before long if he was in the Nie's territory. Unfortunately Lan Xichen was not naive enough to believe that just anyone would be able to capture Wei Wuxian.

Lan Wangji and Wei Qing both had a primary suspect. They had experienced the future. They knew better than Lan Xichen did, who might hold a grudge against Wei Wuxian. Lan Xichen had to defer to their wisdom in this manner, no matter if he liked the conclusion they had come to or not.

Lan Xichen did not want to believe any Great Sect would kidnap someone, let alone also kidnap a sick child. However, even Lan Xichen could agree that no voice that spoke against Wei Wuxian had been louder than that of Jin Guangshan. Even Sect Leader Yao had not slandered Wei Wuxian as much as the LanlingJin sect had. A truly impressive feat given that Sect Leader Yao always strove to be the loudest voice in the room.

It was not always Jin Guangshan, and it was not always in the tone of an accusation. But that did not dismiss the facts. Jin Guangshan had repeatedly disparaged Wei Wuxian's abilities. He did this by downplaying Wei Wuxian's achievements. While also inflating the severity of Wei Wuxian's less respectful behavior. Wei Wuxian was occasionally rude, but Jin Guangshan always expanded on those breaches of etiquette like they were a sign of rebellion and an unstable temper.

Jin Zixun had repeatedly attacked Wei Wuxian in public. Verbal assaults and threats mostly, Jin Zixun would not actually pose much of a challenge to Wei Wuxian in a fight. But Jin Zixun was fond of accusing Wei Wuxian publicly whenever Wei Wuxian drew the slightest attention to himself.

Even Jin Guangyao spoke about Wei Wuxian often. Lan Xichen couldn't say whether Jin Guangyao was genuinely concerned after hearing countless alarming rumours, or if there was a more nefarious intention behind A-Yao's continued attention toward rumours that Lan Xichen had assured him were false.

To an extent it didn't matter which was the case. Lan Xichen had to set his own hopes and ideals for the cultivation world aside. He promised to trust his didi. He could only do that by placing Lan Wangji's word above all others. So he would. After all, Lan Xichen had doubted Lan Wangji before. It resulted in innocent people dying and Lan Wangji being whipped for treason. Lan Xichen was determined to walk a different path in this life.

So, he considered Jin Guangyao's frequent repetition of concerns and rumours to be a further mark against LanlingJin. Whether someone was whispering in Jin Guangyao's ear so much that he couldn't let his concerns go, or whether he was deliberately repeating these things because he was told to. Either option meant someone in the LanlingJin sect was entirely too focused on Wei Wuxian.