Pre-Capture

[herb_and_needle]

Ill fortune has haunted Wen Qing’s life ever since she was a child. It first manifested when her family and the rest of the Dafan Wen clan were killed when the Dancing Goddess statue came to life and wreaked havoc on the nearby area. Orphaned with only her brother, Wen Ning, and a few clan members alive, they were taken in by the Quishan Wen Clan.

It struck again when Wen Ruohan, the leader of the Quishan Wen Clan, began experiments with the Yin Iron and fell into cruelty and tyranny, a path that lead to the other cultivator clans rising up and wiping out the Wen Clan. Again she, her brother, and a few of their Dafan Wens survived but she had been separated from her brother. She’d found him with the help of Wei Wuxian but too late. He’d already been killed. In anger at the death of his friend and the mistreatment of the Wens, Wei Wuxian raised Wen Ning as a fierce corpse to attack the guards and exact a just punishment.

Later, Wei Wuxian promised to get Wen Ning's spirit back and together they led what remained of the Dafan Wen Clan to the Burial Mounds where they might hid and live out of view from the other clans. True to his word, Wei Wuxian brought Wen Ning’s spirit back and the family and clan found a measure of peace.

And now ill fortune returns as Wen Ning walks into the clearing carrying an unconscious Wei Wuxian to their little villiage in the Burial Mounds.

She is running. Behind her the sound of her rake clatters against the ground. She sees the blood on Wen Ning’s hands and knows something horrible has happened.

A ragged nail catches on Wen Ning’s sleeve as she reaches out to him, searching him and Wei Wuxian for injuries. Seeing nothing obvious, she directs them to the cave Wei Wuxian has taken to calling the Demon Cultivation Hall.

Comments

[undead_radish_seller]

Wen Ning's hands are bloody, but mostly, he seems deeply upset.

"It's all my fault!" he declares.

[herb_and_needle]

With her other hand, she holds his cheek for a moment before turning and leading the way.

"Not here. We'll talk inside."

[undead_radish_seller]

He nods, but that doesn't mean he'll stop sobbing as he follows inside. "Everything went to hell, and I killed his brother-in-law!"

[herb_and_needle]

She freezes for a moment, turning pale. This is bad, so very bad.

"Lay him down here," she directs and as soon as Wen Qing's arms are free she's hugging him. Pulling back, she searches his eyes with a look of sadness. "Tell me what happened. Why did you kill his brother-in-law?"

She knows they are doomed, the Jin Clan will be hunting for them now, but she at least wants to know why.

[undead_radish_seller]

"We were ambushed, and Wei-gongzi sent me to fight them," Wen Ning says. "And then I -- I couldn't stop!"

[herb_and_needle]

At his words, she pauses and grabs his shoulder; the old familiar assurance. Desperately she hopes it was an accident and not what A-Ning is implying.

"Lay him here," she says and busies her hands at making Wei Wuxian comfortable and checking for injuries. "Did the battle move too quickly?"

[undead_radish_seller]

"There were so many opponents, which I kept having to kick," Wen Ning says, watching her take care of Wei-gongzi. "And then it was like a rush to the head, and I just -- kept going. I couldn't stop."

He gives a little dry sob.

"I had no control, jie-jie! I'm dangerous after all. It may have been nwronng to raise me."

[herb_and_needle]

She drops the washcloth she'd been using to cool Wei Wuxian's forehead and grabs her brother's hand.

"No, didi, do not say that!" she says adamantly while meeting his eyes. "You are no more dangerous than any other man and kinder than most. Never forget that!"

[undead_radish_seller]

"But I -- I killed -- it was my fault!" he sobs, even though no tears can come. "And now the Jin -- the Jin will have a reason..."

[herb_and_needle]

"I care nothing for what the Jin might think," Wen Qing replies firmly before sighing. "But you have a point. They will come now, using this as the justification to attack us again. Us and Wei Wuxian."

She closes her eyes in acceptance.

[undead_radish_seller]

"And A-Yuan," Wen Ning says, sobbing less but still as sad and horrified, "and Granny!"

[herb_and_needle]

Wen Qing nods along, proud of her brother for thinking of the clan.

"And Uncle and all the rest." She pauses, her back bending under the weight of their duty for a moment before she straightens again. "We must protect them as best we can. I think if we turn ourselves over to the Jin clan, their revenge will stay away from our Clan. We would suffer but A-Yuan, Granny, Uncle, and the rest--even Wei Wuxian--should be safe."

[undead_radish_seller]

"Something like -- conditional surrender?" Wen Ning says.

Pause.

"I should do that alone. You did nothing wrong."

[herb_and_needle]

She just shakes her head.

"And what sort of sister would I be if I allowed that? No, I fear the Jin Clan would just see me as a threat since I am the highest rank of the Wen Clan left."

[undead_radish_seller]

"Jie-jie," he says, but then he falls silent as he knows that he can't contradict his sister. He never could; she always won.

"If you think Wei-gongzi, A-Yuan and the others will be safe..."

[herb_and_needle]

A tear spills down her cheek at his trust and she smiles sadly.

"I do not know for certain, but it seems reasonable that they will. What use are they to the Jin? They are farmers and brewers, elderly and children."

[undead_radish_seller]

"We're no use to them, either, dead," Wen Ning says, quietly. "But they want us that way. Let us wait until Wei-gongzi wakes up, apologise to him, and go."