I received one last prompt after posting the last response, so here one more! For @gekidasa who requested:
If you’re still taking this, how about Jiang Cheng figures out what Nie Huaisang is planning and confronts him about it? Says he doesn’t have to do it alone.
I'll always take one extra for you my friend!
TW: mentions of NMJ's dismembered corpse.
~ ~ ~
It all started with an innocent question.
"Jiujiu, why does Nie-zongzhu look angry all the time?"
The question itself had been confusing – Jiang Cheng could barely remember Nie Huaisang ever looking angry, and the last time had been during the war. But as he questioned his nephew, he heard all about how the moment Jin Guangyao's back was turned, Nie Huaisang's anger would show itself. Not a blinding rage like the sort Nie Mingjue would have exhibited, but a subtle anger that most would not have noticed.
The only one to notice had been an eight year old boy.
Jiang Cheng began to pay more attention whenever he was at Koi Tower. In general, few people ever tried to engage him in casual conversation, which gave him plenty of opportunity to watch the way Nie Huaisang acted. For the longest time, all he saw was the frivolous, empty-headed Sect Leader Nie who drank, laughed, and occasionally cried on the shoulders of his brother's sworn brothers. But then, for the briefest of brief moments, Jiang Cheng saw it.
Rage. White hot rage that was immediately hidden behind a folding fan.
A small part of him felt vindicated, because back when people had first begun to call Nie Huaisang the Headshaker, Jiang Cheng had been suspicious. He remembered a boy who had schemed to cheat at tests and smuggle contraband into Cloud Recesses, and no matter how suddenly Nie Mingjue had died, surely Nie Huaisang was able to step into his brother's footsteps to lead his clan. He'd even tried to talk to him once, only to be met with wide blinking eyes and a nervous manner.
He'd dismissed it as as old friend who had been broken by loss, and instead focused all of his efforts on taking care of his own sect and his nephew. Apparently, he should have better trusted his initial instincts.
After that night, Jiang Cheng began an investigation of his own. He had a small handful of contacts within Koi Tower that were loyal to him and his nephew, and he ordered them to keep an eye on Sect Leader Nie's activities. He also came to visit more often. If he heard of Nie Huaisang passing through a particular wing, he had it visited as well. For many months he followed on every lead, sensing that something was amiss, and that whatever it was had to do with Lanling Jin.
Which meant that whatever it was, it could touch Jin Ling.
When some of his contacts passed along information on strange patterns in Jin Guangyao's movements as well, he also followed up on those. It was many more months before he finally made his biggest breakthrough; it came in the form of a battle between himself and a gravedigger at the cemetery for the Yueyang Chan clan. His 'prize' had been part of a corpse, a large man's torso that reeked of resentful energy, and it wasn't until he'd turned it over that Jiang Cheng spotted a clue allowing him to identify who it was.
On the corpse's back was a scar on the left shoulderblade. There was no doubt that this was part of a cultivator's body, and... During the war, when he'd been younger and more foolish, he'd almost fallen to a Wen-dog's arrow. He'd been busy fighting off two other soldiers and hadn't properly watched around him, and suddenly he was pushed aside. He'd dispatched his opponents in time to turn around and watch Nie Mingjue grimace as he pulled an arrow from his shoulder – the same shoulder as the scar.
If this torso belonged to Nie Mingjue, then there was something very, very wrong about what everyone had been told about the man's death – wrong enough to bring rage to a man as normally laid-back as Nie Huaisang.
He wrapped the torso in cloth and stuffed it into a qiankun pouch, then didn't waste another moment – he flew all the way North to Qinghe.
~ ~ ~
"Jiang-zongzhu, this is a surprise."
Jiang Cheng pursed his lips sourly at the sheer number of people in the Great Hall of Qinghe Nie. What, were they afraid he was going to flay their sect leader alive? Or perhaps they worried he would take advantage of the incompetence of the Headshaker,
He wondered how many of them, if any, knew the truth.
"I would have sent word ahead, but I came across a grave situation that I needed to address with you immediately, Nie-zongzhu."
Though a large folding fan hid half of Nie Huaisang's face, his eyes nevertheless held nothing but curiosity. "I don't know what I can do for Jiang-zongzhu, but Qinghe Nie is always here for our allies."
"All I need is a moment of your time, alone."
There was a cough from nearby. "I don't believe that would be appropriate, Jiang-zongzhu," an Elder interjected. "We are Nie-zongzhu's advisors, and we must be present to assist with any matters you may have to address with our sect."
Jiang Cheng sneered. "Since when can't two sect leaders speak alone together?" The only response was a wave of discomfort, no doubt as none of them were willing to outright admit that they didn't trust their sect leader to make decisions without them. He looked away from them, focusing on where Nie Huaisang looked so small dwarfed by the throne where his brother had once sat. "Nie-xiong, this is important."
There was a flash of recognition above the blades of the folding fan that was immediately flipped shut.
"My apologies," Nie Huaisang offered, "but my advisors sometimes forget that Jiang-zongzhu and I used to be friends. I'm certain if you were here on official sect business, then of course my advisors could attend, but sometimes two old friends simply need to reconnect and catch up on gossip, don't they?" He blinked innocently at the Elder, who looked like he wanted to protest. "Ah, Advisor Qian?"
There was movement at the back and a middle-aged woman stepped forward, plain and nondescript, and Jiang Cheng realized he hadn't even noticed her presence in the room until now. Impressive.
"Yes, Nie-zongzhu?"
"Could you please bring the rest of the advisors to the kitchens? Cook had some recommendations for the upcoming banquet we'll be holding for the Northern nomads next week, and you all know how horrible I am at making decisions."
The woman folded in a formal bow. "Of course, Nie-zongzhu."
"And I'll be bringing Jiang-zongzhu to my personal rooms. No worries about him spotting any silly confidential sect documents there."
There were a few sounds of protest from the various advisors, but with a few words from Advisor Qian, they followed her out of the room, many sounding like they thought leaving was their idea.
He followed Nie Huaisang down a few corridors until they reached a heavy wooden door, and the moment it had closed behind them, the other man's demeanour changed entirely, shoulders going from rounded to straight and chin lifting.
"You haven't called me that in over eight years," Nie Huaisang announced.
Jiang Cheng looked around the space, a small receiving area with a beaded curtain at the back, no doubt the entrance to the bedroom. He didn't get the sense of anything powerful nearby, nor did he spot any out-of-place talismans.
"I never thought I would again, especially not since the jianghu met the Headshaker." He huffed and focused back on Nie Huaisang. "He never really existed, did he."
Nie Huaisang's eyes narrowed. "And it only took you how many years to figure it out? Truly, I'm offended, Jiang-xiong. Would you like something to drink? Some rice wine, or something stronger?"
He stepped over to a table with two seats and tugged at his belt, untying a qiankun pouch that he placed in the middle of the table. "If you still have some of that grain liquor you brought out during the war, I think we might need it."
A decanter and two stone bowls were placed on the table, then Nie Huaisang looked from the bag to Jiang Cheng. "What's in it?"
He filled his own bowl and lifted it to his lips, hissing as the liquor burned its way down his throat. He only just kept himself from slamming the bowl down.
"I've been watching you, for several months now."
A lifted eyebrow. "Awww, Jiang-xiong, I'm flattered, really."
"Will you shut up for a fucking moment already." The eyebrow remained. "I know your brother's death isn't what we were led to believe, and I know you know that. I also know you've been glaring daggers at Jin Guangyao when you think nobody is watching."
There merest hint of panic in Nie Huaisang's eyes, quickly covered up with something akin to amusement. "Well, San-ge can be annoying sometimes, I admit, though I think he would say the same about me."
Jiang Cheng loosened the drawstring holding the qiankun pouch closed, then left it opened on the table. "Take a good drink, then look inside."
Nie Huaisang pursed his lips but did as suggested, and Jiang Cheng noticed he didn't even make a sound as the strong liquor passed his lips. Slim artist's fingers reached into the bag and then paused. Brows furrowed, and Nie Huaisang hurriedly opened the bag wider to pull out the content.
The torso was large and heavy and Nie Huaisang didn't even try lifting it, simply unwrapping the quankun pouch from around it to leave it sitting in the middle of the table.
"Da-ge?" There was sudden noise and movement from the bedroom. "Shit! It's going to-"
And then to Jiang Cheng's shock, something came sailing through the beaded curtain, flying across the receiving room to land on the torso. His mouth dropped open as he realized it was – or had once been – an arm, and its fingers were now running along the torso's abdomen.
Nie Huaisang picked up the arm like a parent claiming their errant child, and carefully lay it next to the torso, placing them so that the severed end of one met that of the other, fitting together near perfectly. The fingers began tapping around on the table, but Nie Huaisang lay his hand over them and whispered something under his breath. The tapping stopped and the hand seemed to calm down.
"What do you know?" Nie Huaisang asked, his eyes flickering up to meet Jiang Cheng.
"Not as much as I'd like. I know this is your brother's torso, that it's full of resentful energy. I believe the only way his body would be dismembered like this is if he was murdered, and I believe that you think Jin Guangyao did it." The only reaction was the movement of Nie Huaisang's throat as he swallowed. "If he's capable of doing this to his sworn brother, I don't know what else he'd be capable of doing. My nephew... if there's a chance that he'd ever hurt A-Ling, then I need to know."
"He also murdered his father." Nie Huaisang's voice was soft but certain. "A public service, really, but it doesn't speak well for his filial nature. But he didn't just kill my brother. Whatever he did... Da-ge can never be reborn like this." He shook his head and sighed. "You should go back to Yunmeng and forget all about this."
"Bullshit." His jaw was hurting from how tense he was. "You think I can forget about any of this? And what, let you do whatever you have planned on your own? No, that's not going to happen. You're going to tell me everything, every stupid little detail, and then you're going to tell me what you have planned."
"I don't know!" Nie Huaisang's fingers clutched at the edge of the table. "At least I haven't decided on much yet. I did want to find the rest of my brother's body and bury him properly. But then..." The fingers tightened even further.
"You want him dead," Jiang Cheng said plainly. "You want to see him die for what he did to your brother, and to you."
"I want him to pay with everything he has." The way Nie Huaisang's words were squeezed through gritted teeth evoked something familiar in Jiang Cheng, memories of many years ago and the sight of his parents dead on the ground of Lotus Pier. "I want him to be destroyed."
"You can't do it alone. You'll need help."
A sniff. "You don't think I'm capable of it."
"I never said that-"
"The last thing I need is another condescending voice telling me I'm a useless fool. If so, you can get back on your sword and head back to Yunmeng."
He breathed in and out deeply to calm the regular buzz of anger under his skin. "I'm offering to help."
"Out of the goodness of your heart, Jiang-xiong?" Nie Huaisang sneered. "For old time's sake?"
"You know exactly why I'm offering, because this is something that could hurt A-Ling and I will NOT let that happen. Besides, someone needs to be here to make sure you don't destroy the whole fucking jianghu while you're at it."
Nie Huaisang blinked, and his lips curved. "Almost like old times. You trying to talk sense into us when I and W-" He paused. "-when I had a mind to play pranks or cheat in class."
"It gave me loads of practice in damage control. Actually prepared me for life as a sect leader better than anything I learned from my parents."
A sigh, and Nie Huaisang's hand rested on the torso's shoulder. "Thank you, for bringing me part of Da-ge," he whispered.
Jiang Cheng stood up and walked over to his old friend's side. "If someone had done that to my sister... I'd want someone to bring me what was left of her, too."
"This will get ugly." Nie Huaisang's eyes met his. "I don't want him to die easy or slow, not without paying for all the pain he caused us."
"I can live with that," Jiang Cheng nodded. "As long as he's the only one who suffers."
"And he will suffer."
They exchanged nods.
Nie Huaisang reached out for the bottle and refilled their bowls, then lifted his. "To working together again."
Jiang Cheng lifted his and tapped it against Nie Huaisang's.
The liquor didn't burn quite as much the second time.
