They travel to Qinghe in an odd little band, the small collection of surviving Jiang sect cultivators, a dozen Gusu Lan disciples and Jiang Yanli with her two Meishan Yu shadows ever present. It’s not a short journey but they have horses and the funds to stay at inns along the way so it’s not completely unbearable but every day Jiang Yanli is glad to be free of her mare.

They’re three days away from Qinghe when Wei Wuxian stops short and looks at Jiang Cheng, face clouded with alarm. “What happened to Wen Ning?” he asks, voice tight.

Jiang Cheng snorts. “He’s in Meishan with his sister and a handful of other Wen survivors from the Yiling supervisory office,” Jiang Cheng says with a roll of his eyes. “They were all in the dungeons there, they even put a baby in the dungeons, what the hell is wrong with them?”

“I’m glad they’re all safe,” Jiang Yanli says from her perch on the mare. “Without them we wouldn’t have been able to retrieve our parents’ bodies and we would not have survived.”

Jiang Cheng looks at her. “We would have found a way, jiejie,” he says, with a slight smile.

Jiang Yanli smiles back. “I have no illusions of my ability to stay on the run from the Wen sect A-Cheng, I would not have survived without them,” she says, voice firm. “We owe them a debt and we must repay it.” She holds his gaze until he nods and smiles.

“When all of this is over we’ll go home and rebuild Lotus Pier,” she says, smiling gently. “No one will be able to tell what they did to us, but we won’t forget and we won’t let it happen again.”

After that they walk on to the next village to find an inn. Jiang Yanli is glad to be off the road and secure in the safety of an inn. She knows it’s an illusion, they’re not safe as long as Wen Ruohan lives but it’s nice to pretend for a little while.

Yu Min and Yu Hui still flank her wherever she goes, even with both of her brothers and one of the Twin Jades with them but she doesn’t mind. It makes her feel like she’s back home, like so many of her sect is not dead. She’s starting to feel resentful energy rise in her when there’s a knock at the door and Yu Min pokes her head inside.

“Lan gongzi is here to see you, Lady Jiang. Will you see him?” Yu Min asks, voice as even and neutral as ever.

Jiang Yanli smiles at her. “Yes, please let him in.” She stands and they exchange bows and she gestures toward the low table. “Please sit.”

She pours the tea, waits for him to drink first and then smiles. “How are you finding this journey?” Jiang Yanli asks, for want of some way to open the conversation.

“It has been fine,” Lan Wangji says, setting his cup back on the table. “I’m anxious to rejoin my brother now that you and Wei Ying have been returned to your family.”

“Yes,” Jiang Yanli says after taking a sip of tea. “I’m very glad that my family is back together but that’s not why you came to see me, is it?”

Lan Wangji looks up at her and shakes his head.

Jiang Yanli smiles again. “I thought you seemed worried, please ask your questions,” she says with a nod. “You have always been important to A-Xian so I will happily ease your worries if I can.”

“You are both using resentful energy to control spirits,” Lan Wangji says, speaking slowly. “But you don’t seem ill or significantly different, how is this possible?”

“Do you remember what I said about my mother's sect?” Jiang Yanli asks, waiting for his nod to proceed. “They have clear guidance for interacting with the dead. We aren’t nearly the first people to harness the power of the dead and we’ve been given instructions to minimize the damage to our minds and bodies.”

Lan Wangji nods and then asks, “And are you following those instructions? This type of cultivation can change your temperament and you might not notice.”

“I’ve noticed,” Jiang Yanli says with a sharp smile. “I don’t think I will ever be the person I was before but I’ve made Wei Wuxian promise to follow my lead; we purge ourselves of the resentful energy when we have finished using it, we adhere to the diet we’ve been given and we don’t just command the dead. We speak to them, ask them to help defend the living, not just avenge the dead.”

“And this has worked?”

Jiang Yanli tilts her head to the side and back. “Yes and no,” she says with a sigh. “It has worked for A-Xian because of the state of his golden core. It protects him so he has an easier time shaking off the tendrils of resentment,” Jiang Yanli says. “He doesn’t seem different, does he?”

“He does not,” Lan Wangji says, swallowing and looking away. “He seems very happy to be reunited with his sword.”

Jiang Yanli laughs. “Yes, I suppose he would be. It was always so precious to him.” She sighs. “As you know I lost my golden core, so that protection is gone for me.”

“I remember,” Lan Wangji says with a nod. “How,” he starts then stops, embarrassed.

Jiang Yanli smiles at him. “It’s okay if you’re curious about how this happened.”

“Wen Zhuliu crushed your golden core?” Lan Wangji asks, horror infusing his voice. “Forgive me, but I don’t understand why he would take yours and leave Wei Ying’s.”

“He didn’t take mine,” she says with a sad smile. “I gave mine up, willingly to save my brother and my sect,” Jiang Yanli says ignoring Lan Wangji’s sharp intake of breath. She’s glad to be unburdened of this, even this small amount. The Yu’s know the truth of it and Wei Wuxian knows and now the person Wei Wuxian trusts the most has entered their circle. It feels good to free herself of that and Lan Wangji has been a trusted friend to her brothers, maybe he can be the same to her. She could use a few friends.

“I haven’t told Jiang Cheng the truth of it yet. But soon, after we kill Wen Ruohan, he’ll know. As for A-Xian, he still has his core, we,” she pauses for a moment, remembering the way Wen Chao tortured him. Jiang Yanli smiles, a shaky thing to force back tears or calling forth the dead. “When we were captured we did everything we could to distract them so that they never thought to try.”

Lan Wangji nods slowly, then raises his hands and bows to her and says, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Jiang Yanli asks, confused. There are many people to blame for their suffering but Lan Wangji has never been one of them.

“You have all suffered greatly,” he says, not breaking his gaze. “Your allies should have been by your side to help lighten the burden.”

Jiang Yanli smiles at him and says, voice gentle, “Thank you for your kind words but could we really count any sect as our allies at the start of all of this?” She sighs. “Your sect was burned, the Yao and Nie sects were attacked and my betrothal to the Jin sect was ended. Unless you and A-Xian were engaged without any of us knowing, no sect owed it to us to come to our aid.”

Jiang Yanli thinks Lan Wangji looks flustered, or as flustered as he’s willing to show and she once again thinks that she can see why Wei Wuxian thinks so highly of him. She doubts any of the other sects would even consider what they could have done to prevent the deaths at Lotus Pier.

“We are not engaged,” Lan Wangji says, voice choked. “But I think it is the responsibility of all sects to render aid when they can.”

“As do I,” Jiang Yanli says, remembering again how they had nowhere to go after the attack on Lotus Pier. They could have gone to her grandmother but the risk was too great and they had no expectation of aid from any of the other sects, even if pride would have let them try. “But as I said, few sects were in a position to do so and we must not hold it against them, especially when we are at war.”

Lan Wangji nods and says, “As you say,” letting her win the day.

“Excellent,” Jiang Yanli says, clapping her hands. “Now let us enjoy our tea and speak of more pleasant topics, like your intentions toward our XianXian.”

*
They arrive in the Unclean Realm to a flurry of activity, disciples hurrying back and forth as their small party crosses into the fortress. They’re greeted by someone from the sect and then shown to rooms to freshen up before they join the assembled sects.

Jiang Yanli hopes, briefly, that she’ll be excluded from the gathering but she’s been missing for months along with Wei Wuxian and resigns herself to whatever nonsense comes from the leaders of the great sects. When it’s time to fully rejoin the cultivation world via attending this council, Jiang Yanli dresses carefully, donning the hanfu she was gifted by her grandmother, in a red that’s too dark for wedding robes, too close to the color of blood with sleeves in the purple of Yunmeng Jiang.

As she pulls on her final layer she calls out to Yu Min. “Can you please go make sure Wei Wuxian wears the robes my grandmother gave him? We should be a unified front when we arrive.”

“Of course,” Yu Min says and heads for the door, pausing before she leaves. “Should Yu Hui and I also wear Jiang colors? Or those of guest disciples?”

Jiang Yanli frowns. She hadn’t thought of it but looking at the robes Yu Min wears, not quite the shade of purple of the Yunmeng Jiang but not so far off as to stand out, she smiles. “I think your normal robes will be fine. These men,” Jiang Yanli says with a delicate roll of her eyes. “They would not know that you’re wearing Meishan Yu colors instead of Yunmeng Jiang. Let them assume what they will.”

Yu Min nods and heads out to redirect Wei Wuxian’s wardrobe.

By the time they gather they are a united front of Yunmeng Jiang purple. When they enter the hall a hush falls over the room as several pairs of eyes rake over Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian. She wonders if any of them take notice of Yu Min and Yu Hui, but it seems just as likely that they have been glanced at and dismissed.

They make their bows to Nie zongzhu and take their seats and wait for the inevitable onslaught of rude questions. Even during a war Jiang Yanli has no doubt to the cultivation sect's ability to indulge their worst instincts.

“We are all glad to see that you have been returned to your family, Lady Jiang,” Nie zongzhu says, kicking off what Jiang Yanli is sure will be a flood of comments. “And congratulations on your destruction of Wen Chao,” he adds, directing his comment at Wei Wuxian. They haven’t revealed that she was present, that she participated in the deaths but she doubts they can keep such a thing secret for long. Everyone may not have been present to see how they killed him but all of the Jiang and Lan disciples present know she was in the room.

Jiang Yanli inclines her head at Nie Mingjue. “I thank you Nie zongzhu, I am very happy to be back where I belong, with my family.”

“Yes, and how exactly were you returned to your family? Where have you been?” Jin Guangshan asks, gesturing to the room at large. “Disappearing for months!” he says with a laugh. “We nearly thought you had run off to marry that Wei Wuxian.”

Jiang Yanli cuts him a sharp look and feels Yu Min and Yu Hui tense behind her as tendrils of resentful energy silently reach for her. She smiles, pushing all down and lays a hand on Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian’s arms to calm them. “Jin zongzhu, how funny you are,” Jiang Yanli says with a smile that could cut glass. “We in Yunmeng Jiang do not marry our brothers but I thank you for your concerns.”

Jin Guangshan smiles back at her but it’s a greasy, unpleasant smile. “Of course,” he says, nodding and stroking his beard. “But please clear up the confusion, where have you been all these months?”

Wei Wuxian starts to answer but Jiang Yanli looks at him and shakes her head and is gratified when he listens.

“I would not detail such a horrible time in our lives but I see that we will be given no peace until you are satisfied,” Jiang Yanli says, ignoring the indignant squawk from Jin Guangshan. “We were briefly separated from Jiang zongzhu when we were captured by Wen soldiers. Wen Chao tortured my brother, threatened me with acts a lady would never repeat and then threw my brother into the burial mounds,” Jiang Yanli says, pinning Jin Guangshan with a look that dares him to speak again.

“That woman that accompanied him accidentally pushed me in after him. And then we found each other and clawed our way out,” Jiang Yanli says and then she smiles at the men assembled around the room. “Is that a sufficient explanation or will we be required to submit to more painful memories of one of the worst periods in our lives?”

The atmosphere in the room is heavy, weighted down with embarrassment but Jiang Yanli doubts there is much shame. All her tale has done is make the men respect Wei Wuxian and pity her, while regretting asking a question while a woman was present. But she is comfortable in their discomfort, and will happily inflict more if it encourages some of them to embrace silence.

“Will you,” Jin Zixuan starts and then clears his throat. “I assume this means you will be returning to Lotus Pier for the duration of the campaign? For your safety.”

Jiang Cheng narrows his eyes at him. “Are you implying I cannot insure the safety of my own sister here?”

“Surely, you can’t expect her to stay here while the campaign is ongoing?”

“Where else would I go Jin gongzi?” Jiang Yanli asks, turning her iciest smile toward him. It’s strange, she still feels that same fluttering feeling for him but it does not distract from her anger. She has been separated from her family enough, and she will not leave them unprotected as they face Wen Ruohan. “Almost all of the family I have left to me sits at this table and until we return Lotus Pier still bears the scars of Wen Chao.”

Jin Zixuan flounders for a moment and Jiang Yanli takes pity on him, ruled by her feelings for him for a moment. “I thank you again for your concerns for my safety,” she says, smiling, a near genuine smile at him. “But I trust my brothers and I’m sure there is space for another person to help with the wounded.”

“The sight of a lovely maiden will cheer the men, I’m sure,” Nie zongzhu says, effectively ending the questioning. Jin Guangshan spends the rest of the afternoon pointedly ignoring the Jiang sect as much as he is able but Jiang Yanli prefers that to his attention. One of the many benefits of speaking with the resentful dead instead of just sending onward to do their bidding is that they talk back and they have told her the truth of Jin Guangshan’s character.

She has no expectation that her betrothal to Jin Zixuan will ever be renewed, in the deepest, darkest parts of her mind Jiang Yanli wonders if she’ll ever marry at all or be deemed unworthy when the truth of her lack of golden core is widely known. But she can’t find it in herself to care, they have a task to complete and then a home to rebuild and everything else can wait. She might not live long enough to have regrets and Jiang Yanli takes a measure of comfort from that, though she’ll never voice it.

But those are thoughts for another day, as the conversation in the room turns to war and resources, so Jiang Yanli pastes on a gentle smile and sits back to listen so she can ensure her family’s survival.

*

The next few days pass in a flurry of activity, with war councils taking up most of her brother's days but Jiang Yanli is not surprised to be left behind. They’ve kept the circle that knows of their abilities with resentful energy to only those who were present for the death of Wen Chao and let the gathered sects assume what they will about a woman with a known low cultivation level.

But there is no hiding the ways that she has changed. As Jiang Yanli makes her way through the camp she is always flanked by Yu Min and Yu Hui, quiet and radiating danger as they walk, she smiles to herself to think about the various ways that people treat her have changed. It’s nothing she can point to and claim offense but she notices.

Jiang Yanli makes her way to the area set aside to feed the growing army of cultivators and presents herself to the matron in charge. It’s good to busy her hands doing something useful while her brothers are in war councils but it is also a great source of information.

Normally, Jiang Yanli would frown and discourage the gossip passed around in these kinds of spaces but now she lightly encourages it, slowly nudging the other women to give up the information the men try to hold so dear. When one of the ladies starts complaining about Jin Guangshan and then cuts a quick, nervous glance at Jiang Yanli she smiles.

“Do not trouble yourself auntie, we are among friends here,” Jiang Yanli says, projecting an air of meek shyness.

The auntie pats her cheek and says, “Good girl,” and then “I have to send girls to the Jin tents in groups, there’s no telling what that man will try if he’s been in his wine,” before she moves on.

Jiang Yanli has heard vague rumors about Jin zongzhu before, but nothing in detail; she’s been so often shielded from the worst parts of the men of the cultivation sects but now many things make more sense. The conversation around her shifts to a bit of intrigue among their hosts, the Nie sect and Jiang Yanli focuses on the vegetables she’s cutting, staying quiet to hear what she can.

“...well I heard Meng Yao was thrown out of the sect, he didn’t just leave,” one of the girls further along the line of women preparing food says.

“You don’t know that, you horrible gossip! Maybe he left, you know all those rumors about him being a Jin bastard.”

The girl at the end of the line snorts. “So what? If he was accepted by the Jin sect he’d be here with the rest of them,” she says, then drops her voice. “Besides I heard something better, there’s a rumor there’s a spy in the Wen sect, what if it’s him?”

“Now you have truly lost your mind, what next? Nie zongzhu taking a wife from among the kitchen girls, be serious.”

After that the conversation drifts back to various flirtations some of the younger girls are entertaining and other things and Jiang Yanli excuses herself to go assist with efforts to make bandages. As she walks with Yu Min and Yu Hui she asks, “How likely is it that a Jin bastard could talk his way into being a Wen disciple?”

“If they truly demonstrated their hatred of their former sects?” Yu Min says, it’s not really a question but her voice lilts up as if it is. “Easily, with some proof of loyalty. Wen zongzhu has always enjoyed bitter defectors.”

“Hmm,” Jiang Yanli says in reply. She closes her eyes when they reach the area set up to prep medical supplies and reaches out for a spirit. Jiang Yanli opens her eyes in surprise at the sheer number of vengeful spirits surrounding the Unclean Realm. There should not be so many if the Nie sect was practicing soul cleansing as all cultivation sects should. She thinks of her mother, of her grandmother and decides to find a vengeful spy among the Nie spirits later as she wonders what other secrets are lurking around them.

They’re nearly at the healers when she spots Jin Zixuan walking with a retinue of Jin cultivators and she feels a headache coming on. She remembers a time when she wouldn’t have avoided a run in with him but Jiang Yanli can feel the resentful spirits of the Unclean Realm around her, now that she’s opened her mind to them and she will not be kind.

“I think I’m not feeling well,” Jiang Yanli says, when they’ve nearly joined the healers. She catches Yu Hui’s eye and subtly jerks her head in Jin Zixuan’s direction.

“Oh yes,” Yu Hui says with a frown. “I think we should return you to your quarters, Lady Jiang,” she says and then Jiang Yanli is quickly flanked and steered back to her rooms in the fortress. She apologizes for the lie and then settles on her bed and opens her mind to the spirits of the Qinghe Nie.

It’s overwhelming how many come to her begging for vengeance or release, too many to focus so instead she casts out and asks, do any of you know Meng Yao? and she’s so surprised by the aggression she gets in answer that she has to sit back, eyes snapping open. In front of her she finds a man, dressed in Nie robes that have been drenched in blood.

He takes a step forward and Jiang Yanli sings, “stop,” on instinct before she can think about what to do. “You will control yourself or I will call forward something much worse to destroy you before you ever know vengeance or peace.”

He stops, taking control of himself and bows to Jiang Yanli. “I apologize,” he says, voice sounding like his throat is filled with water. But as Jiang Yanli looks closer she realizes it’s probably the blood he choked on before he died. “We usually,” he starts blinking rapidly at Jiang Yanli without seeing her. “My saber,” he says, drifting off.

Jiang Yanli has not seen a spirit so confused and yet filled with rage so she asks, voice gentle. “What is your name?”

He looks confused as he says, “I can’t remember, it’s all,” he gestures at his head. “A blur, my saber,” he says patting at the empty spot at his hip. “Where is Gui?”

“Is that the name of your saber?” Jiang Yanli asks, keeping her voice lilting and gentle. She’s never encountered a spirit so full of confusion. It bleeds off of him and is trying to cloud her mind but Jiang Yanli knows what she wants so she maintains her focus.

“Yes,” he says, trying to blink away his confusion. “Gui should be with me.”

Jiang Yanli flashes him a gentle smile. “Your sword would not stay with you in death,” she says, voice as gentle as she can make it. “Do you understand that you died?”

“Yes,” he says, shaking his head. Blood flies out of his mouth, hitting the rug covered floor and dissolving into nothingness. “I was cruel and then I was murdered.”

“And you want revenge or maybe justice?”

He looks at her, finally seeing her instead of whatever part of his life or death has been replaying in front of his eyes. “Yes,” he says, voice firm around the blood slowly trickly from between his lips. “He must pay for what he did, the sect is not safe.”

Jiang Yanli nods. “I can help you, but you must help me. I need to confirm some information, can you find Meng Yao and tell me what he is doing?”

The temperature in the room drops and the spirit solidifies more than he has since he appeared and he seems to have more focus, more clarity as he locks eyes with Jiang Yanli. “What reason do you have to seek him out?”

“There are rumors that he’s joined the Wens, there are rumors that he’s a spy. I would know the truth before I let my brothers risk their lives.”

He nods, slowly. “I will do this for you and if he is not a spy, you will let me kill him.”

Jiang Yanli frowns. “Why?”

“He took my life, if he is not doing something to repay my sect for his crimes, I’ll take his.”

Jiang Yanli’s eyes go wide but she nods. “And when you feel you’ve gotten your justice or vengeance I’ll help your soul move on, are we agreed?”

“Yes.”

“Good,” Jiang Yanli says with a smile. “Now go, find him and don’t show yourself.”

He nods and then disappears and Jiang Yanli exhales, feeling the tension she’s held in talking to him.

*
Jiang Yanli doesn’t see him again for days. She spends that time nursing the sick, helping prepare meals and drilling Wei Wuxian to ensure he doesn’t raise the dead where anyone could see. It is difficult to avoid the urge to bring forth more help as they face Wen Ruohan’s puppets but Jiang Yanli has heard the rumors passed around by the women about Jin Guangshan and his attempts at starting a whisper campaign about how they survived in the burial mounds. It hasn’t gained traction yet, but she can see how it could if they let him or any of the other sects see anything of what they can truly do.

It’s the evening before another big push into Qishan and Jiang Yanli has made her pork and lotus root soup to corral her brothers into joining her for dinner when she feels the tell tale chill that means her mother is near.

She sighs. “A-Niang, Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian will be here shortly,” she says, not lifting her head from where she’s stirring the soup.

“You haven’t called me in days, A-Li,” Yu Ziyuan says, drifting in front of Jiang Yanli. “And I hunger. Do not make me go out and satisfy my hunger without your direction.”

“They haven’t made a decision to go after Wen Ruohan yet,” Jiang Yanli says, looking up at her mother. “And Jin Guangshan is trying to start trouble for us, I won’t draw negative attention to our sect.”

Yu Ziyuan snorts. “What a joke. As if that man wouldn’t be surrounded by the spirits of all the women he wronged if Lanling wasn’t so well protected.”

“I’m sure he would be,” Jiang Yanli says with a small frown. “I’ve spent time with the women doing the cooking and making the bandages, the stories they tell of him are awful.”

“Yes, he’s a disgusting man. You must never be alone with him, I will not restrain myself if he touches you.”

Jiang Yanli smiles, warmed in spite of all of her training and manners at the aura of violence emanating from her mother. “Do not worry yourself, I would not risk it and he would not survive if he touched me.”

“Good girl,” Yu Ziyuan says with a smile that’s sharper than most knives. “But I still hunger. And being here with all of these Nie spirits makes it all the more difficult.”

Jiang Yanli nods. She had not thought of how proximity to so many spirits, so much resentment might impact her mother. But now she can see it, how Yu Ziyuan has fed off the anger, the unavenged dead lurking and waiting for justice. “I will speak to Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian, we will find a solution.”

“Good,” she says then looks away. “They’re here, you know how to call me,” she adds and then she disappears.

Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian enter in a flurry of noise, bickering back and forth as they normally would and Jiang Yanli feels a rush of affection for them both.

“Enough of that,” Jiang Yanli says as they start shoving each other. “Sit before the soup gets cold.”

They eat as a family, small though they may be now, and Jiang Yanli feels warmed through to feed her brothers and see them safe for a few more hours.

“Is there any news?” Jiang Yanli asks as they finish their soup and she clears the tray. “The women have been talking of a possible move against the Wens happening soon.”

She watches as Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian exchange a look and resists the temptation to roll her eyes. “Don’t keep things from me, it will not do any of us any good.”

“There’s talk of us launching multiple offensives against Wen positions,” Jiang Cheng says with a sigh. “But the last time we attacked them they had these very strange puppets, they infected many of the other men. We’re trying to figure out a way around them.”

She looks at Wei Wuxian as he looks down at the table. “You want to use the dead?”

“It would be better than throwing our own people at them and hoping they don't all get infected with whatever this poisoning is,” Wei Wuxian says with a frown. “I didn’t make the suggestion in front of the other sects, shijie, don’t worry.”

“Good,” Jiang Yanli says nodding. “We can’t trust them with that and I won’t have us walking blindly into danger.”

She pauses for a moment. “I think we may have a solution that could solve two problems,” Jiang Yanli says, tapping on the table. “Mother was here, we haven’t been calling her enough and she is hungry.”

“Isn’t that worse?” Wei Wuxian asks, with a frown. “I don’t think we want any of these sects seeing Madame Yu’s hungry ghost as we face down Wen puppets.”

“He’s right, jiejie,” Jiang Cheng adds. “How do we explain that we didn’t have a soul cleansing for our mother and that we haven’t put her spirit to rest? It’s our filial responsibility.”

Jiang Yanli sighs. “Our responsibility is to avenge our sect by any means necessary,” Jiang Yanli says, letting a hint of steel enter her voice. She looks out toward the door seeing without really seeing and has a brief moment of clarity. “I think I have an idea for how we can use mother without any of the sects questioning us.”

“How?” Wei Wuxian asks, leaning forward over the table.

She looks from Wei Wuxian to Jiang Cheng. “All of the sects know that zidian was our mother's weapon, we can use that, make them think that somehow her spirit has become connected.”

Jiang Cheng shakes his head. “That’s not going to work, many of them have seen me use it before.”

“In battle?” Jiang Yanli asks. “How many have truly seen what you can do with zidian?”

Jiang Cheng sits back in his chair and Wei Wuxian frowns at her. “It could work, if you call her prior to the battle and tell her she can’t attack until you use zidian,” Wei Wuxian says, flicking his nose. “We’d have to be careful, make sure she doesn’t show herself before the battle and obviously we’d be too stunned to do anything.”

“Can she feed off of puppets?” Jiang Cheng asks, finally breaking his brief silence.

“I believe so, she feeds off the resentful energy of other spirits, even when she doesn’t want to,” Jiang Yanli says. She’s about to mention the overwhelming number of spirits in the Unclean Realm when the temperature in the room drops. “We’re about to have company,” she says, a moment before the Nie sect cultivator appears in the center of the room, ghostly breath rasping as blood drips from his mouth.

*
Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian are up with their swords out before Jiang Yanli can utter a word and Yu Hui and Yu Min are through the door not long after.

“Everyone please be calm,” Jiang Yanli says, into the chaos, watching the Nie spirit closely. He hasn’t moved to attack her brothers or her guards so she thinks he’s mostly under control but there’s no need to lose her cautiousness. “This is one of the Nie sect spirits, I called him a few days ago.”

“Nie Jianjun,” he rasps, blood slowly spilling across his lips.

Jiang Yanli frowns at him. “I’m sorry,” she says, subtly directing her family to step back. “I don’t recognize that name.”

“It’s mine,” he says, looking up at her. “I’m Nie Jianjun. I was murdered.”

Jiang Yanli smiles at him and says, voice gentle, “Yes, I remember. It is good to officially meet you, Nie Jianjun. Do you have the information I asked about?”

“Yes,” he says, heaving.

Jiang Yanli looks at her brothers, who are watching the exchange with open curiosity. “Please let’s all sit. I asked Nie gongzi to look into a rumor about a possible spy.”

“Jiejie!”

Jiang Yanli just raises an eyebrow at Jiang Cheng. “You’ve been withholding information, A-Cheng, and the women who do so much of the work here, they hear things, see things; I won’t have you going out to lead attacks without knowing the source of the information.”

She turns back to Nie Jianjun. “What have you learned?”

Nie Jianjun takes in a labored breath. It is fascinating to watch him, how he is stuck in the moments around his death in a way that is so unlike any of the other spirits Jiang Yanli has called forth. But it’s also sad, seeing how even in death he’s still suffering.

“Meng Yao is in the Nightless City,” he says, heaving. “He does the same work he did for Nie zongzhu only now he answers to Wen Ruohan.”

Jiang Yanli ignores the signs of shock emanating from her brothers; they don't have time to wonder at Meng Yao’s change in circumstances. She’s never officially met him, but she knows of him and knows of the shameful way he’s been treated by his father's sect.

“Is he a spy or has he truly, fully embraced the ways of Wen Ruohan?”

Nie Jianjun doesn’t say anything for several minutes, just standing in the center of the room breathing heavily as incorporeal blood drips from his mouth. Jiang Yanli tilts her head at him, surprised by his resistance.

“We made a deal, Nie gongzi, but perhaps you need reminding?” Jiang Yanli asks, before she casts her mind back and thinks about which poem would help him cooperate and settles on one with a smile.

For ten long years, a sword I whetted,
Its frosty blade, as yet, untried.
Today, I hold it unsheathed before you;
Of you, to whom was justice denied?

She lets her voice drift off into silence as she watches the tension drift out of Nie Jianjun and aims her gentlest smile at him once again. “Tell me the rest of what you saw, Nie Jianjun, we cannot help you if we don’t know.”

“He is there,” Nie Jianjun starts, words slow and labored. “The one who did this to me, he serves at the right hand of Wen Ruohan.”

Jiang Yanli ignores the exclamation from her brothers and focuses on Nie Jianjun. “Is he loyal?”

Nie Jianjun laughs, it’s a horrible shocking thing. Jiang Yanli doesn’t know how to show him that he is dead and does not need to try to breath around his injuries but she wishes she did, for his comfort and hers. “Meng Yao is only loyal to himself.”

“Is he the one feeding us information, Nie Jianjun? Is he the spy?”

Nie Jianjun nods, head moving up and down slowly. “He sends what information he thinks will deliver victories while not angering Wen Ruohan.”

“So he’s useful at least,” Wei Wuxian says with a frown. “Do we think Lan zongzhu knows he killed a Nie sect cultivator?”

Jiang Cheng snorts. “Would a Lan trust the word of a murderer? He can’t possibly know.”

“There must be a reason Nie zongzhu hasn’t told him, if this was enough to get him expelled from the sect,” Jiang Yanli says, looking back at Nie Jianjun. “Do you know why?”

Nie Jianjun nods again. “He saved Nie Mingjue’s life, if he hadn’t he would have met his end on Baxia’s blade.”

“So he killed a Nie cultivator but saved the sect leader?” Wei Wuxian asks, confusion plain on his face. “Why?”

Nie Jianjun says nothing so Jiang Yanli prompts him to speak up. “You are the only one who can answer this, Nie Jianjun, why did Meng Yao kill you?” she asks, a lilt in her voice.

“I was cruel to him, from the moment he entered our sect,” Nie Jianjun says, and for once the rasp is out of his voice. “He accepted it all with a smile and then used the Wen attack as cover to murder me, that is the person you have as a spy.”

Jiang Cheng scoffs in disgust. “So the perfect person to act as a spy then; sneaky, petty and free of morals.”

“We’ll have to be careful about trusting his information,” Jiang Yanli says, looking at her brothers in turn. “If this is his character he’ll surely be trying to play both sides and won’t truly pick a side until he’s sure of the winner.”

“Should we warn the other sects?” Wei Wuxian asks, with a frown. “We know more about this than they do.”

Jiang Yanli frowns. “How would we tell them we know all of this? None of us were present for these events, to tell them is to risk exposure. I won’t let that happen.”

“Jiejie,” Jiang Cheng starts, then stops at Jiang Yanli’s look.

“I know these sects are our allies, but how many of them came to our aid when the Wens attacked Lotus Pier? How do you think they’d react if they knew we could summon the dead?”

Yu Min steps forward. “Lady Jiang is right, young masters. The major sects have never been fond of alternative methods of cultivation, it’s taken them centuries to accept the saber cultivation of the Nie sect.”

“So what can we do?” Jiang Cheng asks, looking from Yu Min to Jiang Yanli. “We can’t do nothing, what if he decides to feed us bad intel?”

Jiang Yanli takes a long look at Nie Jianjun and doesn’t blink when he stares back. “Are you ready to be at rest, Nie gongzi?”

“No.”

“Hmm,” Jiang Yanli says. “I think I may have an idea. You could shadow your sect leader, protect him, if you can - intervene without showing yourself. Can you do that?”

“Yes,” Nie Jianjun says. “If I am able to do this and protect my sect leader I will consider our agreement fulfilled and pass onward.”

Jiang Yanli nods. “Good, that’s good. We might be able to manage this.” She’s about to send him on to Nie Mingjue when she pauses and asks, “Did you see anything else we should know when you were in Nightless City?”

Nie Jianjun nods again. “There are many dead at Nightless City, from all sects. They are trapped as puppets and their spirits cannot move on, they must obey Wen Ruohan.”

“We’ll need to deal with that if we ever move against Nightless City,” Wei Wuxian says, looking at Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng shrugs. “At least we’ll be prepared if we see some of our own men.”

Jiang Yanli ignores them and continues on. “Is there anything else?”

Nie Jianjun slowly moves his head from side to side.

“Good, then you can go. Please protect Nie zongzhu well,” Jiang Yanli says, smiling as Nie Jianjun disappears.

“Is that it then?” Jiang Cheng asks, after Nie Jianjun has gone. “Do we just hope for the best on everything and assume no one will notice the spirit haunting Nie Mingjue?”

“None of the Nie sect will notice,” Wei Wuxian says, thoughtfully. “This place is crawling with the spirits of the dead, they’re just not malevolent. As long as he means Nie zongzhu no harm, they will ignore it.”

Jiang Yanli nods, happy that she isn’t alone in sensing so many of the dead wandering the halls of the Unclean Realm. She wonders for a moment if something similar is happening at Lotus Pier and then shoves that away.

“A-Xian is right, the dead are clearly a part of normal life here. And I think it makes it easier to solve our problem with our mother,” Jiang Yanli says, smiling as the rest of the solution slots into place in her head.

*
Things move quickly in the coming days as sects prepare to move out for their next battle but Jiang Yanli remains calm. She spends her days with the other women preparing food or bandages and her evenings speaking to the restless dead of the Qinghe Nie. She doesn’t intend to summon more spirits but once Jiang Yanli opened herself up to their presence it’s impossible to ignore.

There’s a shocking variety to the dead of the Unclean Realm; some are clearly resentful and restlessly waiting for someone to hurt and others are just lost. On the nights when Wei Wuxian is free to join her, when he’s not planning strategy with Jiang Cheng or wandering with Lan Wangji, they make music together and cleanse the souls they can.

“Shijie, we can’t cleanse all of these Nie sect spirits, they don’t want it yet,” Wei Wuxian says two nights before he is due to ride out with the Jiang host. “They have too much resentment built up.”

Jiang Yanli sighs. She feels it too, they’re clamouring for the chance to avenge themselves and their sect, against the Wens, the Jins, anyone who has wronged them. “We can’t have you openly summoning the dead, A-Xian, the sects might be okay with it now but what happens after the war?”

Wei Wuxian taps his chenqing against his chin and says, “I think I might have an idea for that.”

Jiang Yanli raises an eyebrow but stays quiet, urging him on.

“We’re already laying the groundwork in rumors around the camp about Madame Yu and zidian right?”

“Yes,” Jiang Yanli says with a frown. She’s had the Yu’s discuss seeing a shade of the Violet Spider when they’ve seen Jiang Cheng wield zidian, and they’ve managed to spread through the camp that a side effect of Yu spiritual tools is a lingering connection to the previous master that fades with time. It’s ridiculous but the other sect disciples have eaten up the gossip and once she shows herself in battle to protect Jiang Cheng it’ll be all but confirmed.

“Well,” Wei Wuxian starts, still tap, tap, tapping away. “What if we start a similar rumor about us?”

Jiang Yanli crinkles her nose. “I don’t understand.”

“I think we use the rumor mill and some of the dead, have them appear to be following us, protecting us,” Wei Wuxian says, with a frown. “If we start a rumor that some of the dead have followed us from the burial mounds it could explain away their presence.”

Jiang Yanli frowns. “That doesn’t really get us past the sects turning on us,” she says, voice gentle. “We need to find a way to make it about more than us and our experience. Less negative attention, XianXian, not more.”

Wei Wuxian frowns, flicking his nose. He’s quiet for a few minutes before he brightens, sitting up from his slouch. “I have an idea.”

Jiang Yanli raises an elegantly curved eyebrow at him. “I’m listening,” she says, with a smile. “As long as it keeps attention off us, I’m open to anything.”

“What if we start a rumor that we’ve seen more than just puppets?” Wei Wuxian says, he’s not really asking a question but Jiang Yanli plays along.

“What do you mean?”

Wei Wuxian smiles. “Most people would agree that what Wen Ruohan is doing is disturbing the dead, but what if we started a rumor that it’s doing more than that? That it’s causing our ancestors who protect us to show themselves.”

“But we don’t have the spirits of multiple ancestors here,” Jiang Yanli says, thinking through the logistics of such an action. “The only dead I’ve encountered in this fort are of the Nie sect.”

Wei Wuxian laughs and says, “That’s a good thing! We wouldn’t expect to see Jin ancestors in the Unclean Realm but if we start seeing Nie ancestors haunting the halls, protecting the sect then it wouldn’t be as much of a shock to see other sect’s spirits when we go into battle.” He pauses and adds, “Plus it would make Madame Yu’s presence less remarkable.”

Jiang Yanli starts to reply then stops herself and frowns. It’s a great idea; it pulls on several threads she knows have started to worry the assembled sect leaders but there is a large problem Wei Wuxian hasn’t addressed. He doesn’t talk to the dead, he commands, he maneuvers but convincing them to do something and then dissipate of their own remaining free will? It’s not his strength.

“There’s a problem here,” Jiang Yanli says, fingers clenched tight in her lap. She knows what she has to do to make this work but she has no illusions of the reaction she’ll get from her brothers.

Wei Wuxian quirked an eyebrow at her. “I don’t think so, this fixes so many things.”

“A-Xian,” Jiang Yanli says, reaching out to grasp his hand in hers. “When have you actually convinced a resentful spirit to do something other than kill one of our enemies?”

Wei Wuxian opens his mouth to speak and stops, frowning. “I,” he starts and stops again. “Huh.”

“It’s not a bad thing,” Jiang Yanli adds, with a sigh. “Our enemies have deserved the horrors we’ve rained down on them but if we’re to pull this off we’ll need a softer touch.”

Wei Wuxian looks at her and narrows his eyes. “You want to do it, don’t you?”

“I need to do it A-Xian, you know I’m better at talking to them about things other than death.”

“We’ll be in battle, shijie, you’ve never been a fighter and you can’t even wield your sword now,” Wei Wuxian says, not unkindly.

Jiang Yanli sighs. She’s well aware of her deficiencies, even before she gave up her golden core there was nothing fierce about her, her mother had given up on her long before Jiang Cheng was born. “I’m not thinking of riding into battle with you, not really.”

“Then what?” Wei Wuxian asks with a frown. “We’ll be too far away for you to effectively summon any resentful spirits to be useful for us.”

Jiang Yanli smiles then, knowing she’s convinced him even if he doesn’t realize it yet. “The medics travel behind the main host,” Jiang Yanli says with a smile. “If I travel with them and sing to comfort the worried people left behind? No one would ever suspect.”

“Hmm,” Wei Wuxian says, tapping chenqing against his chin. “That could work,” he says, a frown tugging his lips down. “You’d have to have the Yu’s with you in case things went wrong so they could get you out of there as soon as possible.”

“Of course,” Jiang Yanli says, seriously. “They would not let me go anywhere near a battle without them.”

Wei Wuxian sighs and nods, defeated. “Okay but you have to convince Jiang Cheng, I’m not getting into that.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” Jiang Yanli says with a smile. Now they might have a chance to win and come out of this with their family reputation unscathed.

*
It’s surprisingly easy to convince Jiang Cheng, with Yu Hui and Yu Min standing at her back and a promise to stay as far from the fighting as possible Jiang Yanli secures her role in the coming battle. She calls forth her mother and lets her know of the plan and then gets to work preparing to depart at the back of the host.

Jiang Yanli is in the tent that’s been set aside for medical supplies, busy collecting bandages and trying to determine how many satchels of healing herbs she’ll need when Yu Min pokes her head in the tent.

“Lady Jiang?” Yu Min asks, voice lilting up in a question.

Jiang Yanli looks up with a smile and asks, “Yes?” The Yu’s have mostly left her to her own devices as she preps materials but she’s happy for a distraction.

“Jin gongzi is out here, he wanted to speak with you,” Yu Min says, face placid in a way Jiang Yanli has taken to mean that she’s annoyed but refusing to show it.

Jiang Yanli sighs but flashes Yu Min a quick smile. “It’s okay, you can let him in. He might be injured.”

Yu Min rolls her eyes but ducks back out and a moment later the tent flap flips up and Jin Zixuan enters.

Jiang Yanli bows to Jin Zixuan before welcoming him into the medical tent. “Please, come in,” she says, gesturing to the room. “Was there something specific you needed, Jin gongzi?”

“There’s a rumor that a group of medics and nurses will be following our fighting force to battle, do you know of this?” Jin Zixuan asks, hands clasped behind his back.

Jiang Yanli frowns. “Yes, of course.”

“And you approve of this?”

“I suggested it,” Jiang Yanli says, resisting the urge to raise a brow at him. “As we learned with the last battle time is of the essence for our injured cultivators, it makes no sense to wait here for them when we can be near the battle.”

Jin Zixuan snorts. “It’s nice that you are so concerned but a battlefield is no place for a woman.”

“Women usually have no choice when the battle comes to them,” Jiang Yanli replies, thinking of all the spirits she’s encountered of women killed in battles they could not fight by men who didn’t care that they were bystanders. “The only way I can help my sect and my brothers is by offering my services as a nurse and I’m of more use closer to the battles than behind the walls of the Unclean Realm.”

Jin Zixuan looks at her like she’s insane. “Surely you cannot think this is a good idea, it’s inappropriate for you to be that close to men fighting and dying, you’ll be better off here where it is safe,” Jin Zixuan says, nodding as if because he’s said it everything has been decided.

Jiang Yanli smiles at him and she knows it’s not a pleasant smile, as she fights to keep the resentful energy from building around her. “I thank you for your concerns but my presence at or away from the battlefield is the responsibility of the Yunmeng Jiang sect not the Jin sect,” she says, voice gone sharp. “And my brother, my sect leader has already made his decision.”

“How can you be so unconcerned about your reputation?” Jin Zixuan asks, his face a portrait of incredulity. “You have already spent months alone with Wei Wuxian, you must understand that this will only further damage your marriage prospects.”

Jiang Yanli narrows her eyes at him. She can nearly feel her mother clawing at her back, demanding to reveal herself and to remove Jin Zixuan from existence but she holds her and the others back, refusing to surrender to the pull.

“Marriage prospects are the least of my worries, Jin gongzi,” Jiang Yanli says, trying to think calming, happy thoughts to keep the resentful spirits at bay. “My sect was nearly destroyed, my parents murdered and all I truly have left to me are my two brothers, because Wei Wuxian is my brother, if not in blood then in my heart,” she says, breathing slowly to control her newly discovered temper.

“I don’t understand why you of all people would care about the state of my marriage prospects, you have happily rid yourself of any obligations to me and my reputation will not damage your standing.”

Jin Zixuan stands before her for a moment floundering. “I wasn’t trying to suggest, that is to say, I didn’t,” he stops, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. “I meant no disrespect, Lady Jiang,” Jin Zixuan finally says, bowing deeply. “I was concerned for your safety and didn’t express myself well.”

“My cultivation may be low,” Jiang Yanli says, feeling the sting of the lie in her very soul. “But I can take care of myself, and my grandmother sent the Yu’s along to ensure my safety.”

“I’m sure they are very fierce in battle,” Jin Zixuan says, voice serious. “Again I apologize, I spoke without thinking.”

Jiang Yanli nods and flashes him a brief, nearly genuine smile. “I accept your apology, I’m sure emotions are running high as you all prepare.”

“They are but that is no excuse for my behavior,” Jin Zixuan says.

“No, but we can overlook it anyway,” Jiang Yanli says, letting them both move past this conversation. “Was there something else you needed? I’m nearly done packing supplies but I’m happy to help find what you need.”

Jin Zixuan shakes his head. “No, I should be returning to my men, but thank you.”

He walks toward the entrance of the tent and then turns back to her before he lifts the flap. “I wasn’t happy,” Jin Zixuan says, facing the opening of the tent.

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Jiang Yanli says, confused. She feels like she has momentarily lost the thread of their conversation.

“To be rid of you,” he blurts out, looking over his shoulder for a second before turning back to the tent opening. “I wasn’t happy about it, I thought you should know,” he adds and then he ducks out of the tent and is gone, leaving Jiang Yanli to stand stock still in the center of the tent, shocked.