The Frozen Dragon Sect finally made its stance regarding Immortal Hanjian clear to the righteous faction on a sleepy April day.
The day had just broken— the sky was a pallid dark gray, rendering even the loudest morning birds quiet. Xue Xinyou, the supreme authority of this place and infamously the Lunatic of the Demonic Faction, was sitting casually by Wan Zhi’s bedside, peeling fruits.
"You're awake," he cheerfully greeted, popping a piece of tangerine into his mouth, before breaking off another piece and pressing it against Wan Zhi's lips. "You should eat these, they're sweet and refreshing. You'll want energy for what's about to happen today."
Wan Zhi jostled away, despite his daze— his hands gripped at the blankets draped over him as he blearily stared at Xue Xinyou, then the tangerine. The coldness of the morning air further cleared his mind as it clung to him, making him all more aware of the disgusting feel of dried sweat, while the smell of tangerine brought attention to the bitterness in his mouth. Xue Xinyou’s second-in-command had shoved a bowl of something foul down his throat in the dead of night; it had ended his week-long fever, but he didn’t know at what cost. It felt like the lingering taste could not be washed off by anything but a feast, but something like a tangerine would take the edge off.
Still, he resolutely did not open his mouth. It wasn't a matter of poison; Xue Xinyou wanted him alive, that much was clear. But he did not want anything from Xue Xinyou's hand.
Seeing him not cooperating, Xue Xinyou pouted, before a wide unsettling grin suddenly broke out and he leaned in. His breath was uncomfortably damp and hot against Wan Zhi's mouth. As he stared into a pair of heavy, but clearly condemning eyes, he tapped the tangerine once against Wan Zhi's lips and threw it straight into his own mouth.
"An indirect kiss, let's call it that," he said with a bizarre tone of satisfaction. Xue Xinyou straightened up, threw aside the rest of the fruit back to the small side table, and rose to his feet. Then, with a snappy wave of his sleeve, he sauntered out of the room. "Shi Ze, get our good guest here a bathtub and hot water. One of you, bring him clothes. Xue Ying, call Bai Zhu and Shi Ma over for breakfast. It's a good day, I think we can eat outside with some good views. Maybe we can eat over at the top of the walls of Yibi, for the best view of the best show. Hah! Though probably not, it'd be noisy. Let's go with the pavilion."
"Understood."
Most of the entourage dispersed, Wan Zhi could discern by ear, while two remained stationed at the door.
Shi Ze was a massive figure that had to duck down to enter the room, reminding Wan Zhi of Shi Ma. In his arms was a large bathtub, and he maneuvered it with ease before with two deft talismans he filled it with water and heated it. Leave it to the Frozen Dragon Sect to be so wasteful with talismans. Meanwhile, a servant came in with a set of blue and white outfit in hand, laying it politely by the bed, and another placed bathing utensils. A painted silk and carved wood screen was put between the tub and the door for privacy.
Without saying anything, they all left, closing the door behind them.
Wan Zhi had been feeling utterly disgusting, having laid in bed almost comatose for half a month, and in a feverish haze for yet another week. He didn't know the state of the jianghu right now, only able to recall a twinge of guilt— he was so close to the meeting point with Bai Zhu, and he fell. And now Bai Zhu was undoubtedly extorted by Xue Xinyou, who had been hounding Wan Zhi for years by now, to cooperate for his safety.
Shi Ma was here, too. He didn't know what Vermilion Sun Sect had to say about that.
The sun and light gray sky that greeted him were mild enough as to not blind him when he stepped into the world outside. The entourage chaperoning him had gained another notable member, though: upright and still, yet possessing a solemn grace, Ru Peng stood in wait.
Upon hearing the door open, he moved a step back with an acknowledging nod. "The Supreme Leader is already waiting."
“Mm.”
Although Wan Zhi would’ve responded with something less wordy any other time, it seemed impolite to use gestures to reply to a blind man.
Ru Peng led the way with utmost certainty, weaving around the medical wing without faltering. It seemed that they weren’t too far from wherever the central area was, because in less than the time it took for an incense stick to burn, they had arrived. And out in the courtyard was a table of dishes, Xue Xinyou, Bai Zhu and Shi Ma already seated. Behind the sect leader was a female guard in white, expression faint as she stood ready. She, however, sat down beside Xue Xinyou once Ru Peng gestured at Wan Zhi to take his seat, and settled on Xue Xinyou’s other side. The female cultivator must be the counterpart to Ru Peng— the Pale Flame of the Lunatic to his Dark Zither. Ye Zisu.
“Well, everyone’s here now!” Xue Xinyou clapped once, as if with joy. “Time to eat. Eat well, you’ll all need the energy today.”
"Release him first," Bai Zhu said, eyes narrowed.
"You're in no position to be making demands, Bai Zhu. That is, unless it’s about your breakfast." Xue Xinyou was starting to eat now, picking some side dishes to put on Ru Peng’s and Ye Zisu’s plates before clipping some for himself. "Why the hurry? It can't be because you're excited to join the raid outside."
"Raid," Wan Zhi said, tone flat.
Sipping his congee, Xue Xinyou nodded. “Yup. Zhao Lingjun, Linghu Yang, and Lu Kong are all waiting outside the city with some of their sect members. They’re probably going to try breaking through Yibi’s formation in a shichen or something, so eat up before it gets messy ba.”
Despite the current state of the world, the Frozen Dragon Sect ate well. A hearty spread had been laid out before them, varied and enriching, definitely made for more than the six of them. Putting his thoughts behind for the time being, Wan Zhi reached out for some of the vegetable dishes and started eating. Shi Ma joined in. After a long pause, Bai Zhu finally picked up his chopsticks.
It seemed like Xue Xinyou’s comments were not unfounded. Halfway into the meal, before the sun even truly rose above the rooftops, a blizzard picked up outside— beyond an invisible dome that protected the city. Not long after, a brilliant violet light thundered down with a violent cracking sound. It dispersed as rings of crackling energy, faint sounds of fearful shouting in the distance following in the aftermath.
Heavenly Cycle School’s Divine Wrath… They really were serious, Wan Zhi realized.
“Don’t worry about it,” Xue Xinyou said. He seemed truly nonchalant, and only readjusted his sitting position as he continued, “Our Lady Winter doesn’t like people threatening her devotees, and there is me, so the Black Dragon’s protection will hold.”
Wan Zhi had heard before about Frozen Dragon Sect’s unique background. They worshiped two local gods, and believed that the land they lived on was the slumbering body of their dragon god. What he wasn’t familiar with, however, was the fact that it seemed that these gods were active in protecting Yibi and its sect.
“...You have a pact with him?” Bai Zhu’s raised pitch betrayed his disbelief.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I? I’m a Supreme Leader too, and the pact with the Black Dragon isn’t locked behind personality ah.” Picking up his cup of tea, Xue Xinyou finished his meal. Once everyone was done, he waved over a servant to clear the table and looked at his second-in-commands. “Ru-ge, do you have the sorted out agreement?”
At that, Wan Zhi frowned. “Agreement?”
“Bai Zhu, Shi Ma, and other leaders of breakaway fragments of several sects have been holding discussions for the past two weeks,” Ru Peng answered. Though his manners were impeccable, Wan Zhi could feel a hint of a sharp edge to his tone. As the last of the plates were cleared and replaced with tea, refilled by a young woman with an indifferent appearance, Ru Peng pulled out two scrolls from his sleeves. As he laid one of them open on the table, he explained, “As of last night, we have come to an agreement that the former members of Vermilion Sun Sect following Shi Ma will make their base within the White Swallow Sect. Meanwhile, the White Swallow Sect and Frozen Dragon Sect agreed to no longer consider the southeastern slope of the Slumbering Dragon Mountain contested lands, and allow the former members of Heavenly Cycle School and Fire and Water Sect to settle there, with Frozen Dragon Sect providing aid in constructing shelter. In the meantime, we also agree to allow them temporary residence within Yibi while construction is carried out.”
On the scroll were the exact terms of the agreement, followed by names of signees and smeared drops of their blood. As Wan Zhi read, the familiar names of important elders within the various wulin sects on the paper finally made the gravity of the situation sink in.
For the past few years, Wan Zhi had been on the run. Kind common folk and random cultivators had lent him a hand throughout it all, and his sworn siblings Bai Zhu and Shi Ma had been on his side the entire time, but it never felt as though there were people by his side.
He also remembered Xue Xinyou appearing every now and then. Always to give him shelter for a night, a fortnight, without any strings attached, but always with the invitation to come join his cause.
And it was Xue Xinyou who stopped his pursuers on the day Wan Zhi finally dropped to the ground from exhaustion. After an ambush by a coalition of the righteous faction sects, he was pursued by the demonic faction almost halfway through the country. Heavily injured and delirious with untreated poisons, all he could think about was making his way to the White Swallow Sect, where sworn brother was the head disciple. Instead of White Swallow Sect, though—
Xue Xinyou swooped down and wiped out all of the demonic cultivators with a swipe of his sword, but only so that he could use Wan Zhi as a bargaining chip.
In a world embroiled in chaos, help was conditional. He understood that.
Still, a part of him couldn’t help but marvel at the speed at which things came to this point. Within a little more than a month, Shi Ma broke off from the Vermilion Sun Sect, and apparently so did several elders of the two biggest righteous faction sects…
After a moment, Ru Peng rolled up the agreement scroll before laying out the second one. Wan Zhi turned his attention back to the situation at hand.
“Currently, we are waiting for you, Immortal Hanjian, to be fully conscious for the second agreement. The terms are as such: the twenty first Supreme Leader of the Frozen Dragon Sect, Xue Xinyou, promises to provide shelter, aid to the best of his abilities, and not harm Immortal Hanjian, Wan Dujian. In turn, the latter promises to lead the coalition comprising the Frozen Dragon Sect and all participants formally included within the Jade Slips Pavilion Agreement.” Ru Peng offered the scroll to Wan Zhi. “Should you agree to this, naturally, our Supreme Leader will defer to your leadership in regards to this ongoing jianghu conflict. And of course, we would not have any authority to confine you in the Frozen Dragon Sect.”
“...To lead the coalition. Hah.” A dry laugh forced its way out of Wan Zhi’s throat. “I first need you to answer my questions, Xue Xinyou.”
“You only have questions because you never listen to what I have to say, Wan Dujian,” Xue Xinyou complained. “I don’t have a habit of being deceitful, you know. It’s all of you who act like I don’t do exactly as I say.”
The infamous Lunatic of Demonic Faction was dubbed thus because of his… peculiar temperament. It was well-known that he often had periods characterized by obsessive grandiosity, followed by a terrifying plunge into darkness where Ru Peng and Ye Zisu would kill a blood-chilling number of Frozen Dragon Sect’s enemies. He was also the smiling sort. Xue Xinyou had smiles that, at times, would widen into the ‘unnerving’ range, appearing more like fractures on a human face rather than a natural consequence of happiness.
Wan Zhi had actually stayed in the same room as him before, and agreed with the comments that he was not entirely sane.
That being said, many demonic sect leaders were not.
“That’s because we all know you’re half-insane,” Bai Zhu said. Wan Zhi almost jolted— he hadn’t expected him to say it instead of Shi Ma.
The one who responded, however, was Ru Peng. Then again, it was said that the Dark Zither was a former lover of his own sect leader, and thus was protective of him. “Our sect has been nothing but upfront, open, and generous during our dealings thus far, and all because it had been instructed by our Supreme Leader. You have all been treated as guests despite the uncertainty of our alliance. As the acting Sect Leader of your White Swallow Sect, Bai Zhu, please refrain from insulting your potential ally to his face.”
Before Bai Zhu could reply, Xue Xinyou waved his hand.
“Thank you Ru-ge, but I don’t care about that. I want to speak with Wan Dujian alone, can you take the others away? Zisu, take care of the situation at the walls, won’t you please?”
“Understood,” Ye Zisu said. Rising to her feet, she walked away without another word, disappearing within seconds.
With a sigh, Ru Peng stood up as well. “Sect Leader Bai, Cultivator Shi, may I trouble you to follow me?”
"Aight," Shi Ma said as she pushed herself up. The table creaked under her palms. She nudged Bai Zhu's leg with her own. "We still have something to discuss among ourselves."
There was an exchange of looks and glares, with Ru Peng standing off to the side with patience that cemented the fact that he could not see what was happening, before Bai Zhu finally rose and left. That young woman serving tea followed close behind Ru Peng, too. Soon, it was just the two of them.
Attacks continued outside, but now the inhabitants of the city no longer reacted to them bar the loudest, most terrifying ones. Wan Zhi swept his gaze over the bare courtyard, the pure white of snow sitting atop the protective dome blocking out the sky, and then the man in front of him.
“Why are you so insistent on helping me?”
During the years Wan Zhi was the enemy of the jianghu, Xue Xinyou had extended his hand as often as Wan Zhi’s own sworn siblings. Half the time the offer was not taken, but the frequency and content was notable. What refused to leave Wan Zhi’s mind, however, was the years Xue Xinyou hid his identity to approach him— as a wandering cultivator devoted to restoring justice in the world.
“My name is Gu Yu,” Xue Xinyou had introduced himself then. Sporting a youthful grin, his eyes seemed clear, his back straight. Wearing rough cotton robes, the white hue leaning towards a light gray from stubborn dirt stains, he truly seemed like a simple and honest wanderer. If he had been acting at that time, then Wan Zhi had to say that he was excellent at it. “Do the both of you need a hand?”
In those years, Wan Zhi was still traveling with Quan Su. Before things took a turn for the worst, he had dropped her off by the foot of Mt. Cangshi so that she could hide with his sister. Would she know about his capture? He hoped not.
“...No,” Quan Su had replied, looking distinctly unimpressed.
‘Gu Yu’ actually looked saddened that day, though his mouth continued to make his case. “Oh. But I wanted to make friends.”
There was something so sincere about Gu Yu that Wan Zhi couldn’t quite reconcile with Xue Xinyou. Gu Yu could pass off as a village bumpkin, while Xue Xinyou was dressed in lavish black silks embroidered with gold dragon patterns. On his headpiece were strings of pearls, making soft clacks whenever he turned or tilted his head. The only thing that remained the same between these two personalities were the hands— Xue Xinyou’s hands were visibly rough and calloused, appearing almost out of place among the glossy fabrics and against the gold rings on his fingers.
Wan Zhi turned his gaze back on the agreement spread out on the table.
Xue Xinyou was silent for a long while, as if the question vexed him. Blinking blankly, he said, "I can't let the wulin capture you ah, they'd use you as a scapegoat."
Wan Zhi looked up to meet his eyes. “What does it have to do with you?”
“I don’t want that ah,” Xue Xinyou answered. “First of all, you’re not wrong in your words and actions. Second of all, if they get to you, they can brush everything back under the rug and pretend that they didn’t do anything wrong. That would be a dangerous injustice to let slide, and sets a bad precedent. Thirdly, you’re the best fit for a leader for a faction in this war that opposes both the righteous and demonic factions. These people leaving their sects do so because they have disagreements with how their sects are handling the current situation, especially in regards to their manhunt for you. Who could inspire them more than the man they left their sects for?”
“Are you part of that crowd?”
“Yeah? I admire you, Wan Dujian. I think it’s great that someone is daring enough to stand up against the Wulin Council despite the fact that it would ruin his life, especially when you could’ve had a cushy life otherwise.”
Wan Zhi was silent.
‘I don’t have a habit of being deceitful, you know. It’s all of you who act like I don’t do exactly as I say.’ If he were to take this remark seriously, then perhaps Xue Xinyou was being honest. Perhaps, the things he said as Gu Yu was also his real sentiments.
And frankly, Wan Zhi didn’t know how to feel about it.
“Oh, and your shifu, too,” Xue Xinyou continued. “I thought, if I wasn’t born on the wrong mountain, I really would’ve liked it if I could aspire to be like him.”
“My… shifu?”
“Yeah.” Xue Xinyou rested his chin on his hand, his gaze distant. The pearls of his headpiece made light sounds as they bumped against one another. A string of crashes resounded overhead. The shifts in light and shadow from the interplay between attacks, the blizzard, and debris seemed to change the nuances of Xue Xinyou’s expressions. “He’s someone who really lives up to his ideals, and that’s always hard to do. As a sect leader, though, of course I look up to my own forefathers. I respect the Sect Founder above all else— I think he’s kind of similar to your shifu, in some ways. Very idealistic. I read everything I could about him. They waxed a lot of poetics about him, you know. But after thinking about it thoroughly, the only deed attributed to him was that he stopped the long winter.
“I really liked that, I think. He never really led, you know? He sacrificed himself to secure a future for others, but the one to pick up the pieces afterwards was his best friend, Ye Wanlai. Ye Wanlai wrote pages after pages about how upright and good the Sect Founder was, but he himself was known to be both a cold, empty man, yet one of the best leaders in Yibi history. They said that when he was young, he was a gentle and kind person, very scholarly and well-mannered. Only those who don't have to lead others get to remain their true selves. I really appreciate those people.”
The disorganized manner of Xue Xinyou’s rambling forced Wan Zhi to slow down and think more thoroughly to process his words, but the core of it made him pause.
For a brief moment, his hackles rose, but he realized he felt attacked because it was true. Wan Ji was well known for the fact that he was a person removed from the dust of the world, and acted rarely— this was how his reputation remained so pristine. Lu Kong was his peer and long-time friend, but his involvement in the jianghu as the Wulin Council leader made controversy— and controversial actions— inevitable. As the leader of the Wulin Council, Lu Kong chased down his old friend’s disciple with the intent of publicly executing him, loud dissent from White Swallow Sect and various segments of society be damned.
Wan Zhi was also not blind to the fact that he was free to do as he wished because he acted alone and took no followers. He had even asked Bai Zhu to still his hand, as to not drag the White Swallow Sect down with them.
If he led this coalition, Wan Zhi knew that the responsibility involved would affect his decisions. Without question, he would no longer be able to unflinchingly adhere to his purest ideals.
“If you were born on another mountain, what would you be, then?” he asked, voice a shade softer now.
“Oh! When I was growing up, I always wanted to be a fisherman.” Bizarrely enough, Xue Xinyou actually perked up, his gaze and smile looking almost dreamy. Straightening in his seat, he pushed back his cumbersome sleeves down to his forearms as he started gesticulating. "My first time fishing, I was eleven. I was very slow at cultivating, and Shifu always wanted to beat me up and throw me into seclusion. They said it was impossible for a single root talent to lag behind a three-root disciple, but I did it. One day I snuck out and an old fisherman lent me his rod, and in one evening, I broke through mid Qi Condensation to Foundation Formation."
"...That sounds implausible."
Xue Xinyou grinned. "I realized a lot of profound truths in those few shichen. It's just that the enlightenment was useless for the Heir ah. A sect leader can't apply a policy of non-intervention, can they?"
This conversation reminded Wan Zhi so much of one once forgotten. When he was much younger, and his shifu was still alive, Wan Zhi once recounted an occasion where he met a demonic cultivator who apparently repented. “He became a fisherman,” he told his shifu. “Apparently he spent his days teaching abandoned children in the streets how to fish.”
“And what is the issue?”
“Nothing…” Wan Zhi thought about how to lay down his words in proper order. “It’s perhaps prejudice that I kept thinking that there must be a catch. What does he intend to do with those children? But it has been almost a decade, so they said, and he hasn’t done anything untowards.”
Wan Ji had sighed, that day. “Zhi’er… Nobody in this world is pure. Rarer than anything else is someone who commits acts of evil, yet finds themselves repenting. A good person who does not regret cruel actions, for example, is no better than a villain who spends the rest of their days committing to kindness.”
Wan Zhi was much older now, and understood the words of his shifu. But only today did he realize that though he understood it, he struggled to internalize the message of compassion tucked within.
‘I don’t have a habit of being deceitful, you know. It’s all of you who act like I don’t do exactly as I say.’
It would be a gamble… No. It would not be a gamble. If Wan Zhi was a competent leader, he would not leave it up to chance and instead ensure that the Frozen Dragon Sect knew exactly where the lines were, and what were the consequences of breaking it. Xue Xinyou already expressed his intentions, and had even drafted them into binding agreements. In this regard, Wan Zhi had much to learn from him, and he ought to consult Bai Zhu later as well.
Closing his eyes, he straightened his back.
This was a decision he could not undo, but Wan Zhi had been forced to a cliff’s edge before, and he felt no regrets nor questioned his life’s decisions. There was only forward.
But marching relentlessly forward did not mean that he needed to be a stubborn fool about it.
“I agree to these terms,” he said. “But do not announce it to the world until I figure out the path forward with the leaders of each group. I do not wish to be a foolish figurehead. Furthermore, I need to discuss with you Frozen Dragon Sect’s involvements and goals.”
This time, the wide smile that grew on Xue Xinyou’s face was unequivocally genuine, human. It did not look like a shadow playing on the fractures of a soul.
“I knew I could trust you, Wan Dujian. Consider it all done.”
