Lan Xichen Presents

Chapter 4: The Last Straw

It took nearly a month for Jiang Cheng to muster up the courage to attempt to try to talk to Lan Xichen again after the last catastrophe. In fact, he would have liked to have just forgotten the whole business, but his father had been dealing with what felt like countless meetings of individuals about the subject. Quite a number of them were questioning Lan Xichen's ability to rule his sect, and it was beginning to bother Jiang Cheng.

As the future leader of the Jiang Sect his father often insisted on his being there to get an idea of what the job entailed and to see how he handled things. Being a Beta, Sect Leader Jiang Fengmian was fairly good at dealing with and reassuring many types of people. Jiang Cheng knew that he had little to no chance of that himself. Listening to the whining and having to deal with some of the most blatant sexism that he'd had to personally witness was causing him to feel on edge.

Holding back was not what alpha's were particularly known for and Jiang Wanyin felt like he was just about out of tolerance when someone once again decided to ask Jiang Fengmian if he had any intention of supporting Xichen's leadership of the Lan Clan now that they knew he was an omega. Although he had done well up to this point JC's fuse finally hit the powder and he could no more contain his anger than a firework could put out a fire,

"Why are you asking him this?!" The alpha snapped at the chauvinistic man before them.

His father frowned at him, clearly disapprovingly before sending out a warning in the form of a harsh,

"Wanyin!"

Jiang Cheng, who was used to his father's disappointment, didn't even bother to look over at him before standing up to move closer to his target,

"We aren't the Lans, nor are we related to any of them. The Lans are perfectly capable of making their own political choices about their own sect, so why in all of the cultivation world, would you come to us? Better yet why would we, whose motto is literally "attempt the impossible" ever go against the Lan's for something so natural? Why would anyone ever give a damn about the reproductive organs of another sect leader unless it was because they want to procreate with them? I don't give a damn if Lan Xichen sprouts tentacles from his bellybutton let alone that he's an omega!"

Of course this last line caused a scandalized look from both his father and the current last straw perpetrator, but Jiang Wanyin ignored this in favor of continuing to make a point,

"The bottom line is that Zewu Jun is a good leader. People who don't have their heads up their asses listen to him and things work out, he has ties to over half of the major sects due to his friendships alone, and he's managed one of the most interpersonal sects for years without a problem. If his Uncle, who is one of the most well respected men in the Cultivation world trusts him, then I certainly think that the peons need not worry about it."

At this point Jiang Cheng was dangerously close to the man before him. His father walked over, pulling him away from the other and quickly snapping,

"Go cool down."

Jiang Cheng grit his teeth getting more angry at that,

"Why? Do you agree with him? Do you think I'm going to suddenly take a swing at him because I'm an alpha and I'm angry? If I were going to do that I would have just gone to it directly don't you think?" The Alpha growled, but didn't budge, making sure to prove his point, "gender designation doesn't automatically make you an idiot or a monster or basic, it's just the luck of the draw. Any one of us could easily have ended up as something else with just a hairs difference genetically."

Letting out a sigh to calm himself down he added what he felt was the main point,

"Xichen didn't become a weak idiot just because he found out he was an omega. What changed isn't who Xichen is, but your attitudes about him. Now that's the problem you should be dealing with."

Whether he agreed with that or not, Jiang Fengmian kept frowning at him and the younger Jiang was tired of even listening in on this one. Had he been the sect leader he would have shut this down after a few of these comments. It wasn't anyone's business but the Lans who their leader was and honestly there weren't better choices than Lan Qiren or Lan Xichen. Did they expect Wangji to take over? What if he turned out to be an omega when he presented too, would they pick from the scraps of the rest of them? Such thoughts were utterly ridiculous and Jiang Cheng no longer had the tolerance to even look at such sexist scum.

So he turned around and walked away without being dismissed or explaining or any of that. If they wanted to enforce traditional stereotypes and gender roles than speaking down to Betas was an alpha's prerogative, father or no. And although his father was not against Xichen and didn't act like he was a supporter of these roles he toed a line that Wanyin found to be dangerous. Considering their sect it should have been an obvious 'let people do what they want' mentality. Instead of backing Jiang Cheng up and then later admonishing him for the way he said it or whatever his father had chosen to work against him. To disapprove. To glare.

Sometimes Jiang Cheng wanted to know what the hell he had done wrong in his life to deserve the way his father treated him. There must have been something somewhere, for it was glaringly obvious to all that paid any bit of attention that whatever he did he couldn't please him. Not attempting to follow the family motto, not presenting as an alpha, not trying to be just like the son he liked most Wei Wuxian. Nothing. Perhaps that was why he felt he could understand Xichen's current predicament. Life was always just so unfair. If you got one thing you lost another.

It was this particular event and auto pilot walking, then sword gliding that ultimately lead Jiang Cheng back to the gate of Gusu. Being so wrapped up in his own thoughts that it took the guards prompting him for him to realize where he was and what he'd done. Yet when asked what he wanted to do he squared his shoulders and said definitively,

"I wish to speak with Lan Xichen."