Honor and Cultivation (WoH×MDZS)

Ghost General

They were nearly there.

According to the route Wangji had outlined for Zishu on the map, they were nearly at the Golden Carp Tower. They were gonna part from all the non-Lan juniors at that point, and return to Cloud Recesses with all the Lan juniors and Wangji.

So now, by the campfire waiting for Wangji to come back from scouting was thr last chance for Zishu to ask them about Wei Ying.

"May I ask a couple questions?"

"Sure."

"Who's Wei Ying?"

The juniors all exchanged spooked looks at the question- without context, it looked like Zishu had just tried to summon the devil. Some of them went pale with fear, others red with hate- so fast Zishu was surprised.

Only 1 face remained unmoved.

The disciple that had introduced himself as Lan Sizhui.

It was also Lan Sizhui who began, "Wei Ying's more common name is Wei Wuxian, also known as the Yiling Patriarch. He founded demonic cultivation when he was thrown into the Burial Mounds and returned to kill Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu. Later though... he fell from grace because he wanted to protect the Wens and died over 13 years ago."

He... died- I have a lot to ask Lan Wangji, Zishu decided silently.

Another disciple snorted. This was the one with golden robes and a vermillion mark on his forehead- Zishu remembered his name was Jin Ling. He snapped, "You've always been way too soft on that denon, Sizhui. Don't you remember the Battle of Nightless City?! Don't you know how many people died there?! My parents died because of that monster!!"

"Young Master Jin-"

"My mom as good as raised him and he killed her in cold blood!"

"Hold up- slow down," Zishu interrupted. "I'm really sorry but remind me who your parents are??"

Jin Ling huffed and replied, "My mom was the Yunmeng Jiang Sect's Jiang Yanli, and my dad was the Lanling Jin Sect's Jin Zixuan. When the Yiling Patriarch was no better than a dog on the streets, the Yunmeng Jiang Sect took him in and made him their eldest disciple, my mom loved and defended him like her younger brother."

"And he killed her."

"...I see." Remembering what Wangji had said about rumors and the truth being more complicated, Zishu asked, "Who told you all this?"

"My uncle. Current leader of the Jiang Sect, Jiang Cheng Jiang Wanyin."

"I see."

"All because of some Wen remanents," Jin Ling spat- it seemed that the boy held a lot of hatred for Wei Wuxian, passed down from his uncle. "Who cares anyway! The Wen Sect were tyrants- they got what they deserved."

"That was the main sect," Sizhui jumped in calmly. "The Wens Wei Wuxian tried to protect were a branch family that hadn't killed anyone or done any harm. Before the demise of the Wen Sect, people had even hoped this branch family could take over, led by Lady Wen Qing."

"Who did you hear this from?" Zishu asked. "You couldn't have been more than 4 years old 13 years ago."

"I was 3, yeah. Hanguang Jun and Zewu Jun told me that."

"Does that excuse what he did on Qiongqi Path?!" Jin Ling snapped, drawing the subject back to Wei Wuxian. "He cursed my cousin and killed my dad!! When all my dad wanted to do was stop the fight!!"

"Of course that's not what Sizhui means!" Jingyi snapped, standing up. "Sizhui knows right from wrong! He's always been fair- pointing out the good Wei Wuxian did, since you seem to have the bad covered!!"