"Not a word," Jin Guangyao murmured, smirking slyly. "Or I'll kill him." 

~JIANG CHENG'S POV~

"What the fuck!" Jiang Cheng growled, eyes widening at the sight of his children. Those fuckers. Didn't he tell them to leave? They wouldn't be so stupid as to come back by themselves right? Without Han-Guang Jun and Wei Wuxian? 

"Why are you two here?" he scowled, narrowing his eyes at them. "And where are my reinforcements?" 

Silence. The fools were too busy paling in fear to bother with him. 

"Well?!" 

"M-Mama!" Jingyi finally squeaked, eyes widening, "Y-Your n-neck." 

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, "Yes there's a string around my throat. Gotta problem? Hurry up and find Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji you dimwits!" 

"We did find them uncle!" Jin Ling protested, lips turning down in a pout. 

"THEN WHERE THE FUCK ARE THEY?!" 

"Here Cheng Cheng," a voice piped up as black robes swept into the room. 

Jiang Cheng glared at his brother. "Remind me why the fuck you let my children come in here alone? Where were you? You idiot. What if something happened to them? I'll never fucking forgive you." 

"Cheng Cheng, you're such a mother hen!" Wei Ying whined, pointing an accusing finger at Jin Ling, "It's all your fault! Now my little sister is mad at me!"

"Little sister? Why I'll show you-" 

"Gentleman," a smooth voice cut in. "I believe it's best you first put down your swords." 

Jiang Cheng glowered at the man behind him- the man whose guqin strand wound around his neck. "What the hell do you want Jin Guangyao? You fucking sick bastard." 

Jin Guangyao frowned, tightening the string. A small trickle of warm blood flowed from the cut around his neck. It was a clear warning. 

"WAIT! DON'T HURT MAMA!" Jingyi screamed, holding his hands up in surrender. His sword clanged on the ground, as he dropped it in fear.

"YOU FOOL, HOW DARE YOU! PICK UP YOUR FUCKING SWORD YOU FUCKING DUNCE. DO YOU WANT TO DIE? I SWEAR TO GOD IF I GET OUT OF HERE, I'LL FUCKING BREAK YOUR LEGS!" 

Jin Guangyao tsked, "Now now Sect Leader Jiang, he's just being a filial son. There's nothing wrong with that." 

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" 

Jin Guangyao narrowed his eyes, pulling the string closer. Jiang Cheng's face was turning slightly purple now, and the blood had soaked through his lapel. "Sect Leader Jiang. I assure you, as long as they put down those swords- I won't do anything to anyone. But I'm quite easily scared. If they continue holding those blades up, my hand might accidently slip- and we wouldn't want that, now would we?" 

 "You fucker," Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth, clenching his jaw so hard he felt a tooth chip. "Go rot in hell," he murmured, ignoring the pressure at his throat. 

Jin Guangyao's gaze passed over him as they landed on Jin Ling and Jingyi, "Young Master Lan, please come this way so I can seal your spiritual powers." 

"Why you-" 

"Now now, wouldn't want anything happening to your dear mother now would we?" Jin Guangyao arched a brow, pulling Jiang Cheng closer to him. 

Jingyi blanched a deathly white, "Okay okay! I'll let you seal it! Just don't hurt Mama." 

"Why of course not!" Jin Guangyao smiled pleasantly, loosening the string just enough for Jiang Cheng to breathe. 

Jiang Cheng glared at his son. 'Fucking idiot,' he thought, grumbling to himself. 'Of course Xichen's kids have to be just as selfless and brave as he is. Fucking Lan genes. Of course the foolishness runs in the family.' 

He glowered at Jingyi, making sure to let him know just how displeased he was. But Jingyi ignored him, instead plopping down next to Jin Ling. 

"Han-Guang Jun, please sheathe Bichen. There's no need for violence." 

Lan Zhan narrowed his eyes, his hand not moving from Bichen's hilt. 

Only when Wei Ying nudged him, softly whispering something in his ear- did he relent. 

"Wonderful! Han-Guang Jun please take a seat. I have no intention of harming any of you. I'm just here to settle something." 

"What the fuck do you want, you sick son of bitch," Jiang Cheng spat, scowling at Jin Guangyao. 

The Chief Cultivator's nostrils flared as he tightened his hold. "That's quite rude of you, don't you think?"

"Fuck you. Son of a whore." 

Jin Guangyao's eyes flashed with fury as he inched closer, "Careful Sect Leader Jiang. I hold your life in my hands." 

Jiang Cheng snorted. "Oh please, if you want to kill me- then get on with it." 

"MAMA!" 

"Sect Leader Jin," Wei Ying cut in smoothly, "I always wondered about something. Since we're all here, you might as well satisfy my curiosity." 

"Hm?" Jin Guangyao asked, arching a brow. 

"Well you see- I never really understood why you killed Sect Leader Nie. He took you in as an orphan, and gave you a place to stay. Out of gratitude, you shouldn't have killed him. But we all know that mercy means nothing to a snake like you." 

"Your point?" 

"Well even if you didn't care much for his heroics, I got the impression that you cared for him as a person. Weren't you two lovers? So why would you kill him?" 

Jin Guangyao's fists tightened, his eyes widening. "Where did Young Master Wei get that from?" he hissed, schooling his face. 

Too late. Jiang Cheng had already seen the flash of shame that lit up those pale golden eyes. His jaw dropped as he looked at the man behind him. Jin Guangyao was a cut-sleeve? And not just any cut-sleeve- but a slave that fell in love with his master?

Jiang Cheng felt his mind racing with possibility. All those times Qinghe Nie would back up Lanling Jin, all those times when Nie Mingjue would protect his trusted Meng Yao, all those nights when he would see Jin Guangyao sneak into Sect Leader Nie's tent- they all made sense now. 

He had assumed that Nie Mingjue had secrets to discuss with his subordinate, and didn't think much about it at the time. After all, Lotus Pier was still rebuilding, and Yunmeng was in shambles. Jiang Cheng didn't have the time to care for the relationships between master and servant. 

But now that he thought about it- it was a bit unusual wasn't it? Nie Mingjue was a man of very little words- someone full of paranoia and fear. Why would Sect Leader Nie have someone come to his tent so late at night? Why would he put up a silencing talisman everytime Jin Guangyao came? At first, Jiang Cheng had thought that they were discussing secret matters- concerning the Jin and Nie Sects. Perhaps they were even discussing battle plans, as the war with Wens had just ended. But whether trade routes or battle plans- it could've waited until the next morning. So why was Meng Yao allowed in when others weren't? 

The answer was so simple- too simple that it passed right over Jiang Cheng's head. 

He stared in shock at the young man beside him. "Y-You and Chi-Feng Zun... you two were a thing?" he squeaked, a disgusted look on his face. He paled, "A-And then you killed him... you killed your own lover?!" 

Jiang Cheng felt sick to his stomach. Jin Guangyao killed Chi-Feng Zun. He killed his own lover. 

Jiang Cheng wanted to throw up. He had never cared much for the Chief Cultivator in the first place- but because he was Lan Xichen's sworn brother, Jiang Cheng tolerated him. But to hear that this man had killed his brother, his son, his father, his lover- and practically everyone else that had opposed him? Jiang Cheng felt himself shivering in fear. 

He pitied him. He really did. Because Jin Guangyao would never be free from the shackles of guilt that wrapped it's chains around him. He would never be able to live his life, free of any regrets. Jin Guangyao had done so many unspeakable evils, that even Xichen was sure to never forgive him. And for that alone, Jiang Cheng felt a surge of sympathy for the man. He knew how much his lover meant to Jin Guangyao.

"Why?" he murmured, trying to understand the man before him. He would never forgive Jin Guangyao for his crimes- but for Lan Xichen's sake, he would try to understand him.

Jin Guangyao ignored him, instead looking straight at Wei Ying."I see Chuan Han has told you everything." 

"He has."

"Well I suppose it makes no difference now if I said anything. Very well then. Yes. I was the one that killed Chi-Feng Zun." 

Gasps echoed across the hall, as sect leaders and disciples alike, looked at each other in dawning horror. "Wh-"

"You all want to know why right?" Jin Guangyao cut Jingyi off, carefully pulling Jiang Cheng in front of him. "Then I'll tell you why." 

Jiang Cheng grunted, the movement causing a sharp pain to flare up his neck. But he kept silent. He too, wanted to hear about this. 

"Because he deserved it. It's not like you don't know his personality. How could he possibly allow me to live after what I did for the Wens? He hated me, kept pushing me away. I tried to explain to him- I really did. I tried to make him understand that I had no choice. I had to serve Wen Ruohan- it was the only way to survive. But he never listened to me. He was far too harsh and unforgiving. All he saw was a traitor that caused the death of innocents. I tried to tell him. In war, there must be sacrifice. What were a few lives lost compared to the thousands of cultivators saved? But did he listen? No! He never does. All he saw were my faults, and the innocent blood on my hands. Nevermind that I was the one that helped them win the war. Nevermind I risked my life to provide them with crucial information and battle plans. Nevermind I was the man that killed Wen Ruohan when everyone else failed," Jin Guangyao was raving now, his spit flying everywhere as his face contorted in anger.  "Oh no! Nie Mingjue simply refused to acknowledge the big picture. He refused to believe me innocent. Tell me, how could I possibly love a man that wanted me dead? How could our love possibly outweigh his sense for justice?" 

Jiang Cheng was shocked. For some reason, he could feel a strange sort of understanding towards the man. He had felt the same way when Lan Xichen refused to listen to his protests of Jin Guangyao. He had always known Sect Leader Jin was a two faced viper- he just didn't know the full extent of it. 

"Well you didn't need to kill him!" Wei Ying exclaimed, lips turning down in a frown. "Wasn't it enough to just leave him?" 

"Don't you think I tried?!" Jin Guangyao was livid, his face was red with fury, "But no! He couldn't even let me leave in peace! He just had to kill me- just had to avenge all the innocent blood that I spilled! How can I let him live when he wanted to kill me? If he had just backed up a tiny bit, then I wouldn't have been forced to take action!" 

"Forced?" Wei Ying spluttered, narrowing his eyes, "Killing someone is a choice! No one forced you to do anything!" 

"Easy for you to say. You were the Yiling Patriarch, you never gave a damn what people thought. I wasn't afforded the same luxury." 

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?!" 

"It has everything to do with it! I had to watch people's faces! I had to make sure every step I took was carefully calculated, had to keep one step ahead of everyone else! Because unlike you- I had everything to lose! They were all looking at me, waiting for me to make a wrong move so they could attack. How could I possibly let them get a handle over me? How could I possibly not kill them?" 

"Chi-Feng Zun did nothing! And you still killed him!" 

"I had no choice! I-"

"Is it true then? A-Yao, is it true that you kill Da-Ge?" a pained voice interrupted, as Lan Xichen stepped into the Swords Hall. Behind him, a throng of juniors surrounded Lotus Pier- all of them in flowing blue and white robes. 

Jiang Cheng gave a sound of relief when he saw his lover's face, but Xichen paled as he took in the sight before him. Blood still flowed from the cut on Jiang Cheng's throat as Jin Guangyao's grip on the guqin string slackened. 

Jingyi immediately slid Zidian over to him, and the whip latched itself onto Jiang Cheng's hand. He turned, quickly twisting his body away as Zidian shot out, wrapping itself around Jin Guangyao's hand and squeezing. 

Shocked, the Chief Cultivator dropped his string, and Jiang Cheng danced out the way. 

He narrowed his eyes, and Zidian extended to tie itself around Jin Guangyao, binding him in it's ropes. 

"Now now," Jiang Cheng murmured darkly, rubbing the sore spot on his neck. "Either you tell us everything that happened, or I will personally throw you off a cliff and strangle you."