Jin Zixuan lives, because A-Jie has two younger brothers who get into trouble, and she has made them each carry a stack of various healing talismans since childhood. Jin Zixuan lives because A-Jie has always worried for her family, so she gave her husband the same talismans to keep in his robes.
One of those talismans activated as Jin Zixuan lay choking on his own blood in the dust, using the last dregs of his spiritual energy. Its spell sedated his body and slowed his life processes, gave him thirteen minutes to cling to life instead of thirty seconds. Just long enough for a second party of cultivators, Jiang Cheng included, to find the aftermath of the massacre and its single survivor. Inspection of the remarkable talisman proves Jiang Cheng right- the design is Wei Wuxian's. He doesn't know whether to laugh or scream.
Wei Wuxian, however indirectly, nearly kills and manages to save the life of Jin Zixuan. He does not save his own. The slaughter of several hundred Jin and the nephew of the Chief Cultivator is grounds enough for Jin Guangshan to call for his blood.
In the end, Jiang Cheng does not need to kill his brother because of Jin Zixuan. He watches Wei Wuxian fall to his demise, instead, because Jiang Cheng felt A-Jie slump dead in his arms, and she has a husband who still lies unconscious and an infant son waiting for her to come home. Jiang Cheng leaves a broken Lan Wangji at the cliff edge, refuses to look back, look down. Hanguang-Jun may be the one waiting for Wei Wuxian to return, but Jiang Cheng cannot afford to join him. There is family now he needs to protect for the future. The ghost of Wei Wuxian is a regret of the past.
In the days he waits for Jin Zixuan to wake up, Jiang Cheng scours the ravine below and tucks Chenqing into his belt anyway.
~*~
Jinlintai's healers are adept. After a week Jin Zixuan's full recovery is guaranteed, but as soon as he is strong enough to sit up and talk, he requests for Jiang Cheng to move Jin Ling and himself to Lotus Pier.
"Why?" Jiang Cheng can't help but ask. "A-Ling is the heir to the Lanling Jin. So are you."
"A-Yao can handle my duties, and he seems more organized than I am. I'm no use while I still have a hole in my chest, anyway," Jin Zixuan grimaces, shifting in bed to a less straining position. The white bandages crossed over his torso don't quite bury the outline of the wound, a crater of sunken flesh. "And if I have to be working in a sect this large I won't have as much time to see A-Ling. You have room in yours, don't you? I'll help."
Jiang Cheng winces. The halls of his sect are indeed still far too empty. "But you're talking about leading a life in Yunmeng. You're giving up your birthright."
"I'm talking about wanting to raise my own son, because A-Die barely did and I had both parents," Jin Zixuan snaps. "Jin Ling will grow up here with a father who's too busy to see him, and a mother who's dead and those left to tell him about her won't care. You will. The Yunmeng Jiang will."
"I..." Regardless of how much Jin Zixuan has changed since their youth, this is a far larger commitment, one Jiang Cheng didn't think he would make.
"So what if I never end up Chief Cultivator? Other people want it more than me. But unless you want Jin Ling to grow up without really knowing A-Li," a current of anger shakes in Jin Zixuan's voice, "let me take him away from here."
Jiang Cheng starts making preparations the next day.
The negotiation for Jin Zixuan to leave is an ugly one. Of course Jin Guangshan is reluctant to let his legitimate heir to step down, leaving him to settle for Jin Guangyao, but Jin Zixuan is adamant that he'll go with or without his father's blessing. If it's the latter, Jin Guangshan will never see his grandson again.
Only Jin-furen and Jin Guangyao come to see Jin Zixuan and A-Ling off, a month later on a late summer morning. Jin Ling will still have regular visits to Lanling, but Jin Guangyao will inherit the sect. There's no future Jiang Cheng can see where that will be a smooth transition. Though perhaps he'll turn out to be wrong, he thinks, as Jin-furen hugs her son with what might be a genuine smile for once and not a mask. "Make sure he stays safe, Jiang Wanyin," she tells him. It's not a question. Not for the first time, Jiang Cheng wonders how much Jin-furen longs to leave Jinlintai. She seems content enough for Jin Zixuan to be away from their sect, even if it means a child who isn't hers will lead it.
Jin Guangyao does not offer an embrace, but he bows with a murmur of, "Take care, Xuan-ge." He looks a little more than faintly pleased, when Jin Zixuan tells him he'll be a fine Chief Cultivator. It seems he was correct. There are people who want to lead more than Jin Zixuan, who accepted his role because he was born into it.
The boat kicks off from the river shore as sunrise turns the water a molten orange. "Look, A-Ling," Jin Zixuan says to the baby on his lap. "We're heading to your A-Niang's home. Our home, now." Lotus Pier lost two people from those who knew it best. Now, there will be two more among them.
This was a snippet from a years-ago started and promptly abandoned WIP, which unfortunately I will not be picking up again. However, I reread it back and didn't want it to live confined to my notes app forever, so here you go !
bits and pieces form ChengXuan modern AU comics that I've never finished (and now lost the file??), anyway JC and JZX can bond over having too many strict responsibilities and TERRIBLE game (except the difference is jzx is posh and uptight, whereas jc has some rugged humble charm to him thanks to wwx)
THESE TWO GIFS GAVE ME A REALLY GOOD IDEA FOR A CHENGXUAN AU:
𑁤- Jin zixuan had enough of the sect duties and the pressure of being the perfect heir + his parents constant arguments so he decides to runaway from jinlin tai to become a rogue cultivator instead ( eventually will get used to the hard life without pampering ).
𑁤- Jiang Cheng deciding to indulge into demonic cultivation ( like what if he becomes the yiling patriarch's successor ) , so he becomes quite unstoppable.
Credits ( cao yuchen's gif is by @storge , Wang zhoucheng's gif is by @sandushengshou ) .
Ngl I've never thought of rare pair ships until I found out about Chengxuan ( Jiang Cheng x Jin zixuan ) , even though xuanli is my ultimate fav after wangxian but Chengxuan was also DAMN-
I LUV IT 😭💕 especially after reading the Chengxuan au by @tbgkaru-woh & falling in love with their artstyle too !
Ngl knowing that this rarepair has audience made me confident to share some thoughts regarding them or aus .
