Chapter Text
Set the scene – archery competition at the cultivation conference in Qishan
• Plot divergence, a volunteer from the Wen sect shows up before Wen Chao can jump in. Xiao Xiangling. Xiang-ling is the head junior disciple and despite being a girl Wen Rohan allows her to compete.
• Wen Chao wants to upstage the girl and takes someone else’s place.
• Results. 1st place- Wei Wuxian, 2nd place- Xiao Xiang-Ling, third place- Lan Wangji.
• XXL is the only Wen to place. She greets WWX with pride. She thinks its great that two non-sect heirs placed in the top two spots. XXL is called over to her sect to celebrate and Wen Xu who was watching has an idea.
• Wen Xu brings two ideas to his father. First have the top three sit by Wen Rohan, a small show of good faith, also for subtle spying on WWX. Second if WWX is as talented as the rumours say offer a head disciple switch for a season.
• Everyone knows the rumours about the boy, it would be easy to sway him to their side and have him wanting to join their sect, giving the Wen’s the glory the boy would bring.
• WWX, XXL and LWJ are all invited to sit with the chief cultivator at the feast. LWJ remains silent through the meal, but XXL was told to ask WWX about his thoughts on cultivation and how he trained his disciples so well for so many to place.
• If there is one thing WWX loves its Cultivation. He gets to talk about his theories and the histories as much as he likes with XXL. Its pretty nice actually, people don’t often let him rant like this. XXL is impressed. They are the same age, yet WWX has more knowledge on even the most obscure areas of cultivation that he makes her look like a novice.
• Wen Rohan is impressed too. When the food is cleared, instead of speaking with other sect leaders he engages WWX on talks about cultivation.
• WWX is nervous but goes on, he debates the merits and pitfalls of certain areas of study, holding fast to the idea that talismans can do so much more than people give them credit for.
• WRH is fascinated. He wants this boy in his sect, he wants him to teach this to his disciples. Wen Xu was right; he’ll suggest the trade in the morning.
• Jiang Wanyin is furious after the feast. Not only had his sect brother spent the whole night talking to some wen disciple, but he had also taken up sect leader Wen’s time too with his nonsense.
• The next morning WRH presents the idea of a disciple swap to all of the sects, as a fun show of peace and comradery. Everyone is sceptical. The five great sects agree and before the Nie sect can call dibs Wen Xu does. They want Wei Wuxian for the first season, it will be like pass the parcel. One sect each season before returning to their natal sect. a chance to see whether it is the disciples or the teaching that makes or breaks a sect.
• Lan call dibs on Nie, Nie calls dibs on Jin, Jin reluctantly take Lan because they don’t want Wen… Jiang has no choice but to take XXL. The conferences come to a close and everyone heads home, the head disciples all need to pack for a long time away from their sect.
• Madam Jiang is furious when they return. She wants to punish WWX for upstaging her son, until she is told of the trade and gets a vicious idea. The Wens would probably kill the boy for his insolence. She tells him to pack everything and leave, no need to keep the wens waiting.
• A week later the swap happens.
• Wei Wuxian is shocked when he arrives in Qishan. Apparently, Xiao-Jie has her own home because she is head disciple, and land… and a pretty nice pay too.
• The disciples don’t want to listen to some lesser cultivator, so Wei Wuxian pulls a trick he hasn’t had to use in years.
• He has the line up, and one by one he asks them history questions. Every time a person answers wrong, they drop and do push ups until someone gets it right. Five in a row and that person is excused. If someone gets it wrong those already doing push ups can answer right if the question makes it back to them. No one gets five. The disciples are doing push ups for over an hour while they are lectured about the importance of understanding the history behind everything they have learnt. If they do not learn then how are they to avoid repeating the same failings as other.
• Finally, he dismisses them for lunch, they have an hour before they are to be back.
• Wen Xu was watching and is kind of impressed. Those kids only listen to Xiao because they grew up with her and they know she can kick their asses. It’s a bit of a hard hit to know that they are so lacking in their knowledge though.
• WWX spots him and asks if he has a copy of the wen sect precepts. Wen Xu asks why and WWX grins.
• “If they won’t learn basic history then the least, they can do is prove that they understand and respect their sect values. Plus, if they can’t tell me who said it they get to run laps. We already worked on arm strength, can forget the legs. If they won’t practice swords, they’ll make up the effort elsewhere.”
• Wen Xu is impressed and gets WWX a copy.
• About a quarter of an hour before they are set to return, a small disciple scampers over to WWX.
• She explains she was looking at her class notes and a lot of what she learned in the push up exercise isn’t there. She asks for book recommendations and WWX gives them happily. He is not here to torment these children; he is here to teach them.
• Return from lunch and its back in a line. The children have been restudying their notes in preparation.
• When the first one is given a quote and asks who it was said by he crumples. He can’t answer so he is told to run. One by one they start running until someone finally gets one right. They are all called to rest. Five question rule applies. First four are who said it quotes; the last one is to recite from memory one of the wen sect precepts. The disciple does it and is told to follow. They do not need to run. The trend continues. Wrong and run, five right follows. By the end of the line six disciples have successfully evaded dead runs.
• The running disciples are not told to stop. Those who do are reprimanded and told to keep running.
• The final six are given their orders. Each is to pick a precept and recite it, clear, concise and with their chest. Everyone running is to hear them clearly. The first three do so without issue. Number four refuses. WWX is no Wen. Once the sect leader hears about this WWX will be surely punished. WWX tells the little brat to run. Brat demands that it isn’t fair. WWX says life isn’t fair. Run before he makes you. No.4 runs. Five recites proudly. Six is nervous. Six is not an outspoken person they don’t want their sect brothers and sisters to hate them.
• Remaining 4 think six is going to be told to run for hesitating. WWX instead gets down to their level and speaks softly and kindly to them. On night hunts one must be able to give clear instructions to their fellow cultivators from anywhere in the field. To have the confidence to do so could be life of death. To gain that confidence now with reciting their favourite precept is far easier than to do so in a fight where failure to do so could mean death.
• Little no.6 quotes load and clear. “Those who abuse their family’s influence in order to oppress others and boldly commit crimes all deserve death. And not just any death – beheading, with their heads put on display to be cursed at by millions, serving as a warning to future generations.” (-Wen Mao [chapter 11: Supreme Courage, pg. 35-36, Book 3])
• Wei Wuxian is so proud, the last five standing have five laps to do, once they are done everyone may stop. And yes, the laps are mandatory, running is good for your health and your core.
• The five run without complaint. At the end of the lesson all of the children (Bar 5) are exhausted and want to go home.
• WWX tells them that it will be the same again tomorrow… unless… Unless the children ask, wanting to make sure they never have to do that kind of hell again (Spoiler they will, it’ll be pop quiz time again eventually) Well unless they all have their swords and want to practice that instead…
• The children show up the next day, everyone with sword in hand and a bow and full quiver just in case.
• Its plain sailing from there. WWX makes sure to warn them if they have a quiz coming up, though not about the subject, and the disciples hit the books.
• The Wen teachers have never seen their students so invested before. One is brave enough to ask why the sudden change.
• If they don’t get these questions right Wei-Shifu will kill them with laps again. The teachers are confused until a week later where one goes to watch this quiz.
• They are stunned. All the students in a row, spouting off facts and even formulas for talismans. Those who get it wrong run, they get a break when someone answers right. There are 12 who get five in a row this time. They run a lap for each person left standing.
• The teacher assumed this Wei-Shifu was another new teacher, but this is the visiting head disciple. They take the matter to the sect leader who decided to watch. The next week there are 21 of 40 left standing. WRH calls for a check on all of their cores. Every single one has seen improvements in the last month and a half. Wen Rohan doesn’t want to give him back at this point.
• Alas all good things must come to an end, and it is time to switch disciples. Qinghe Nei already have dibs on WWX next.
• The conference is far different this time around. In sword play Wen places first and fifth. In archery they place first, six and ninth, in writing they place fourth, in music they place third. It’s the best Wen has done in years.
• Jiang does poorly. The disciples who are competing are injured, those who aren’t don’t even look fit for travel. Despite the Wen having given WWX Wen robs for his stay, XXL is not in any jiang colour, and she does not look happy to stand among them.
• The trade is set to move on, but Yunmeng want to withdraw. Nie calls bullshit and says Jiang have Lan next. Surely, they would not disrespect the Lans like that… nothing to do with wanting to keep WWX. Nie goes to Jin, Jin goes to Wen, Wen goes to Lan, Lan goes to Jiang and Jiang goes to Nei.
• The wen disciples are horrified that they can’t keep their Wei-Shifu. There are tears, there is yelling and demanding. Wei Wuxian waits for them to calm until one suggests taking on the other sects to keep their Wei-Shifu. Wei Wuxian steps in and squashes that idea.
• “A cultivator’s job is to quell evil and protect the common people. We do not threaten harm simply because we do not like what has been done or if we do not get our way. I am not dying; I will see you at the next conference where I am sure I will see even more improvement and skill. Train well and make your sect proud. I have taught you all I could in the short time I was there to train you. Take that knowledge and use it for the betterment of your cultivation and your people. Make me proud. Make your Qishan Wen proud.”
• The Wen disciples are suitably cowed, and each give their Wei Shifu a gift. They knew he would leave they just didn’t want to lose him.
• In the time Wei Wuxian is with the Nie sect he figures out the Saber problem. The Nie want to keep him after he shows them an array to cleanse the blades of resentment and how to have this array forged into the blades when they are being made. The next generation of Nie sect will not have to deal with the curse of the Nie sect Qi deviations.
• Time skip. In the Jin sect Wei Wuxian holds firm to the same strategy used with the Wen sect. while there are those who complain and senior disciples who do not approve, the Jin who participate and try place high above their peers come the next conference.
• Wei Wuxians time in the Lan sect does not go well. The disciples refuse to train with Wei Wuxian. None of his methods work. After a month Wei Wuxian can see that these Lan are too obstinate to listen. He packs his belongings and goes to speak with Lan Qiren.
• “Your disciples feel I would bring nothing of worth to their cultivation. They do not abide by the rules I have set forward, nor do they show any marked improvement in their own attempts to train while ignoring all instruction. I may be brash Lan-Xiansheng, but I know a lost cause when I see one. I will go to town; I will rent a room and I will wait. Either for your disciples to see reason and understand the point of this exchange, or until the next conference is held, where we shall see if any improvement has been seen in the Lan sect since the last. And I will make it known that your disciples refused to take instruction and my departure. I will not stay where I am not wanted.”
• Lan Qiren is actually impressed by the manners Wei Wuxian has shown. He isn’t pleased to hear that the boy has given up with the Lan disciples, but he understands that if one does not wish to learn and continues to refuse to learn then attempting to teach is nothing more than empty words and wasted time. Lan Qiren lets his go.
• Lan Wanji tries to stop WWX from leaving, quoting rules about duty and temper. WWX spent enough time writing the Lan rules that he bites back with them.
• “Do not disrespect the elder, sneering for no reason is prohibited, be modest, be respectful, arrogance is prohibited, be amicable and united, have curtesy and integrity, do not be ill mannered, do not be haughty and complacent, be careful with your words, do not go back on your word, do not be suspicious, learning comes first, do not give up on learning, do not neglect your studies, DO NOT IGNORE OTHER AND BE UNDISCIPLINED. Those are the rules the Lan disciples broke by choosing not to take the teaching from Jiang sect to heart, when they refused to train, when they refused to listen to reason. I will not waste my time any longer. When they have seen reason then perhaps I will forgive. Until then I have no purpose here. Do not jump to unfounded conclusions Lan-er-Gongzi.”
• Word of WWX’s verbal lashing reaches the ears of the elders. The disciples are questioned and punished. They still refuse his teaching and by the time they have agreed to take WWX’s teachings it is too late. The conference is here before he can be fetched.
• Wen disciples encounter WWX in an inn in Caiyi town. They ask if he had come to greet them, excited to see him again. WWX answers the negative explaining the situation with the Lan clan. The Wen are shocked. Hell they might even beat the Lan in music this year if that is the case, after all they had the Lan this year.
• The competitions are heled. The Jiang and Lan clans place lowest while Nie and Wen sect dominate.
• At the discussion the head disciples are brought to speak about their experience in each clan. The Nie sect head disciple goes first, he found the easiest disciples to train were Jiang and Wen, the Jin and Lan had too many who did not seem to care for outside influence in their clan. The Lan head disciple said that Nie and Wen were most amicable to their style of teaching. Jiang sect were too unrestrained as is their nature to suit the more restrained teaching style of Lan. Jin did not care to listen to reason. The Jin sect head disciple answered Wen and Nie, Jiang held too much animosity to the Jin for breaking the heart of their beloved Shijie, and Lan did not care for the more ostentatious training style the Jin Sect favoured. The last two head disciples were more thorough.
• XXL went over the virtues of the sect she visited. The Jiang disciples are eager to learn new techniques but were quelled by the overly critical sect madame who dolled out punishment for even the smallest of infraction, her independence as a head disciple was undermined by this sect madame and the Wen sect style was thrown aside for what ever the sect madame decided. Lan sect were calm and listened to lectured but were too stuck in their ways to take any improvements or suggestions from XXL to heart and refused to participate in anything that did not compliment their own sects teachings. The Jin were more amicable though many made their distaste are a woman cultivator known, XXL made the best of it, taking to teaching those willing to learn leaving the rest to train as they saw fit. XXL agreed with her fellow head disciples. Nie sect was the most promising in XXL’s opinion. While they had a different style they were eager to learn, showing knowledge and willingness to try anything she showed them at least once to see if they could incorporate it into their own style. Despite her sect, despite the sect’s animosity to anything Wen they did not disparage her but accepting her teaching and put in the effort to learn. Even the young master Nie had come to train with the sect disciples and had seen improvement in his cultivation.
• WWX had debated sugar coating the other sects deficits but after hearing the previous testimony decided to be brutally honest.
• 1)Jin sect had few disciples worth teaching, many refusing to take instruction from those deemed below them. The Jin saving grace was that there were disciples willing to listen and learn in order to improve their cultivation and their sect, this small group were the shining stars of the Jin Sect, with their Sect heir among them insisting on joining his disciples and learning beside them, despite their own misgivings with each other there was a mutual respect in cultivation there that had not been there before
• 2) Nie Sect had taken to his teachings with vigour, with an understanding and appreciation of what was taught. All disciples had participated and shown knowledge of their sect’s style and even some understanding of the teachings of other sects. While Nie-er-Gongzi had initially been hesitant to join he did improve during Wei Wuxians time at the sect, having taken advice on other ways to improve cultivation that had previously been unknown to him.
• 3)while initially Wen sect had been unwilling to learn from someone not their Xiao-Shijie they were quick to realise their own failing and to take the lessons to heart and to put those teaching into practice. While Wen-er-Gonzi did not participate in any capacity, the rest of the wen sect took to helping the disciples take the knowledge from his lessons and apply it to the ways of their sect. Wen Xu had helped in several demonstrations showing that the main family like the Jin and Nie were willing to stand with their disciples to improve their sect. The Wen disciples had seen the most improvement during Wei Wuxians time at the sect in comparison to other sects. Though Nie sect were certainly a very close second.
• 4)Lan sect had the shortest explanation. “The Lan disciples refused to participate or take instruction from myself, not one showed any interest and no method I could think of would sway them. After a month and a half of wasting my time I informed Lan-Xiansheng that I would take my leave until a decision could be made by the disciples.” As he had never been retrieved, he could call this exchange and this exchange alone a failure, nothing more than a stain on his name as a head disciple.
• The rest of the sects had nodded along with WWX as he spoke. The other head disciples could agree with most of what was said. Most having faced the same treatment from most sects as well. The Lan head disciple lowered his head in shame at the description of his sect’s disciple’s conduct. The rest of the sects were shocked by the Lans conduct and expected some argument about broken rules by WWX, but Lan Qiren had said nothing and had a solum look about him. Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji did not look happy at the description of their sect but could not argue.
• The next order of business was to question the HDs on their conditions during this exchange. Housing, pay, hospitality and anything else they could think of, of consequence. While most sects have similar pay and accommodations, Jiang sect did not. They received little more than pocket change, were told to have venders charge any purchases to the jiang sect, there were not given leave to wear Jiang sect colours, not even as guest disciples, they were given a small room hardly big enough for anything other than sleeping, no room to spread out, no courtyard to train in private, no private bathing quarters. There was not even room for a bath in the room. And the punishments. Kneeling for hours on end for scolding the jiang heir for being late and disrespectful, food withheld for the smallest of offences. XXL even spoke of the sect madame’s threat of whipping before sect leader Jiang intervened. Wei Wuxian was silent in the discussion on the Jiang sects’ failings. It was nothing new to him. That was his every day, except no one intervened on his behalf.
• Wen sect is furious that their head disciple with threatened with a Whip of all things. Such this are reserved for treason not minor infractions. If the madame is so quick to anger, she should not be allowed near the disciples. WWX keeps quiet with his head down. Madame Yu furiously responds that she is madame of the sect it is her right to punish disciples as she sees fit.
• Nie Mingjue gets a very, very bad feeling. Has that whip been used on any of the disciples. He didn’t want to know, but to not know could mean leaving some poor children to be abused.
• “Xiao-guniang did you hear about or witness any other disciples being punished with a whip for small infractions?” Nie Mingjue is praying that the answer is no. Gods above let this just be a hatred towards the Wen taken too far. Don’t let this have happened yet.
• The anger on XXL’s face is not a good sign.
• “While I did not witness the act itself, I helped treat several disciples in my time at lotus pier for wounds made by a whip, with signs of lightning damage in the same wound. I have also heard rumours about the treatment of the Jiang Sects head disciple. What I have heard has been nothing short of horrifying concerning Wei-gongzi’s treatment under the Jiang Sect madame.”
• Wei Wuxian visibly flinches at that. He hopes no one notices. But they do. Wei Wuxian knows he bears the proof of this on his body, but he had never known Madame Yu to whip the other disciples. He is ordered to remove his robes when Sect leader Jiang denied these allegations. He is hesitant but does so. Seeing the scars the other sects are horrified.
• The discussion takes a sharp turn from comparisons to how do we protect these damn kids. Madam Yu is arrested for abusing disciples and will await trial while they gather more evidence, not that they need it do you see the state of that poor Wei boy. The Wen say hold my damn War plans and get moving. They take control of the mess, call for the removal of Wei Wuxian from the Jiang, claiming custody as they have healers who have studied the golden core and how to repair meridian and nerve damage and the Wen will bet good money that the nerves and meridians in that boy’s back are fucked.
• The Nie want to argue but this gives Wei Wuxian the best chance at recovery. They’ll fight for custody later, deal with the Jiang’s first.
• The head disciples are asked to leave the hall while the sect leaders get down to business.
• Their sect siblings are all waiting for their return. The Wen are hopeful that their Wei-Shifu will come over and speak with them, but he goes straight to the Jiang and starts sorting them into groups. The rest of the disciples don’t get how he is sorting them, but the head disciples can guess.
• At the end of the conference, several Jiang disciples have been removed from the sect for their own safety and they families have been invited to move to their new sects and are fully informed of they why.
• Wei Wuxian is brought to Qishan and given to Wen Qing, who will now forever be known as Qing-Jie to Wei Wuxian, Wen Xu decided that this *holds up a struggling Wei Wuxian* is his new younger brother, look at how feisty he is he’d make a perfect Wen-San-gongzi.
• Wei Wuxian is talked into swearing brotherhood to Nie Huaisang because they have been best friends for years and the Nie are not letting the Wen have full custody of Wei Wuxian that would be a catastrophe. The Wen and Nie get split custody, with we Xu and Nie Mingjue both calling dibs on being Da-Ge. Wei Wuxian calls them both Da-Ge when they are apart and calls them Xu-Ge and Ming-Ge if they are together and who could be mad that that face. Despite wen Chao technically being Er-Ge Wei Wuxian fucks with him by assigning that title to Wen Zhuliu who he commiserates with on having to deal with the bullshit rules of the gentry.
• The Jiang sect lose all face, disciples are leaving in droves, trade deals are drying up and they are not having a good time over here. The Lan had a full overhaul of their disciple’s discipline because how could you dishonour our sect like that in front of visitors, they have a not good time while they restructure everything but then they are back to their usual Lan-ly-ness. The Jin sect is majorly unaffected and are happily watching the drama unfold just happy that for once the custody battle doesn’t involve sect leader Jin for once in their damn lives.