Table of Contents

Color Gallery
Title Page
Copyrights and Credits
Table of Contents Page
Chapter 16: The Unruly
Chapter 17: Distance
Chapter 18: Night Flight
Chapter 19: Core of the Truehearted
Chapter 20: Day and Night
The Story Concludes
Appendix: Characters
Appendix: Locations
Appendix: Name Guide
Appendix: Pronunciation Guide
Glossary: Genres
Glossary: Terminology
Footnotes
About the Author
Other works by MXTX
Back Cover
Newsletter
 Chapter 16:
The Unruly

— Part 1 —

A T GOLDEN CARP TOWER, Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji strolled side
by side through the sea of Sparks Amidst Snow. Lan Xichen’s hand idly
brushed one of the snow-white flowers, and his touch was so gentle that not
a single drop of dew fell from its blooming petals.
“Wangji,” he said. “Do you have something on your mind? Why do
you look so troubled?”
Though he said Lan Wangji looked troubled, his current expression
was no different from normal to the untrained eye.
Lan Wangji furrowed his brow and shook his head. It was a while
before he replied, quietly, “Xiongzhang. I want to bring someone back to
the Cloud Recesses.”
Lan Xichen was astonished. “Bring someone back to the Cloud
Recesses?”
Lan Wangji nodded. His thoughts clearly weighed heavily on him.
After a brief pause, he added, “Bring him back…and hide him away.”
Lan Xichen’s eyes widened.
Ever since their mother’s passing, his little brother had become
progressively more withdrawn. Confined to his room of his own volition, he
spent his days reading, meditating, writing, playing the guqin, or
cultivating, and would only emerge when summoned for Night Hunts. He
disliked conversation as a rule, and no one but Lan Xichen could coax more
than a few sentences from him. This was the first time he’d heard
something like this come out of Lan Wangji’s mouth.
“Hide him away?” Lan Xichen pressed.
Lan Wangji wrinkled his brow. “But he is unwilling.”
 At that moment, they heard a commotion ahead.
“Do you think you’re allowed to wander around here?” Someone
clicked their tongue. “Who gave you permission?!”
“My apologies,” a young voice replied. “I…”
Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji both looked up at the sound of that voice
and saw two figures standing next to the spirit wall. The one hollering was
Jin Zixun, who stood surrounded by an entourage of servants and
cultivators. The one being hollered at was a young man dressed in white.
When the white-clad young man saw the two Lan brothers, his face went
pale and whatever he was going to say was lost. Jin Zixun glared at him
with contempt.
With his usual impeccable timing, Jin Guangyao made a sudden
appearance to defuse the situation.
“Golden Carp Tower’s paths are intricate. It can’t be helped that Su-
gongzi lost his way.” He gestured to the white-clad youth. “Why don’t you
come with me?”
Jin Zixun snorted when he saw Jin Guangyao pop up. He sidestepped
around them and left.
The white-clad youth was taken aback. “You remember me?”
“Of course.” Jin Guangyao smiled. “Why would I not? Haven’t we
met before? And what splendid sword technique Su Minshan-gongzi
displayed back then. Ever since the Siege Hunt at Mount Baifeng, I’ve been
fretting over what a shame it would be if a budding talent like yourself
never made it to our clan. But here you are! I’m beside myself with joy.
Please, won’t you come this way?”
Countless cultivators who specialized in the sword threw in their lots
with the Jin Clan of Lanling. Su She hadn’t thought many here would know
his name. But not only did Jin Guangyao remember him perfectly, despite
having only a single, rushed encounter with him—he showered him with
praise!
Su She was greatly relieved. He stopped paying attention to the Lan
brothers and quickly left with Jin Guangyao, as if afraid they’d approach to
mock or criticize him.
 After witnessing this scene, Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji took their
seats in Pageantry Hall. As a banquet was not a suitable venue to continue
their previous conversation, they put that topic aside and Lan Wangji
resumed his usual frosty demeanor. The Lan Clan of Gusu was known far
and wide for their distaste of alcohol, so there were no wine cups set on
their tables, only tea and several smaller dishes of refreshments—all thanks
to Jin Guangyao’s thoughtful planning. No one approached them to raise a
toast either. All was peaceful in their vicinity.
But the peace didn’t last long. A man dressed in the Sparks Amidst
Snow uniform walked over with a wine cup in each hand and bellowed
salutations at them.
“Sect Leader Lan, Hanguang-jun, I raise a toast to you both!”
It was Jin Zixun, who had been stumbling around the hall raising
toasts to all present. Jin Guangyao, who knew that Lan Xichen and Lan
Wangji did not care for alcohol, hurried over.
“Zixun, Zewu-jun and Hanguang-jun are both from the Cloud
Recesses. There are three thousand precepts carved on their Wall of
Discipline, as you know. Rather than force them to drink, why not—”
Jin Zixun greatly disapproved of Jin Guangyao. He considered the
circumstances of his birth vulgar and thought it shameful that they belonged
to the same clan. And so, he cut him off before he could finish speaking.
“Our Jin Clan and the Lan Clan are like one family. We’re all on the same
side. And if my Lan brothers won’t drink with me, it means they look down
on me!”
Several of his admirers applauded.
“Such forthrightness!”
“Now that’s how a hero should act!”
Jin Guangyao maintained his smile without flinching but gave a
soundless sigh and rubbed his temples. Lan Xichen rose to his feet to
decline the toast, but Jin Zixun was unrelenting.
“Don’t say anything, Sect Leader Lan. Our families aren’t strangers,
so don’t try and placate me the same way you would an outsider! Give it to
me straight—are you gonna drink or not?!”
 Jin Guangyao’s smiling lips twitched almost to the point of
convulsion. He shot an apologetic look at Lan Xichen. “Sect Leader Lan
still needs to return home on his sword after this,” he said mildly. “Drinking
might affect him…”
Jin Zixun completely disregarded this explanation. “What, is he
gonna drop after a few cups? I can drink eight huge bowls and still soar
around on my sword!”
Whoops and cheers sounded from all around. Lan Wangji remained
seated, glaring frigidly at the cup of liquor Jin Zixun had forced in front of
him. He appeared to be on the verge of speaking when a hand plucked away
the proffered wine cup.
Lan Wangji was briefly startled. Then he looked up, and his knitted
brows suddenly relaxed.
The first thing he saw was a black robe. A flute with a tassel as red as
blood was tucked into the waistband. Standing with one hand behind his
back, the newcomer poured the wine down his throat and showed the empty
cup to Jin Zixun.
“I drank it on his behalf. Are you happy now?”
His eyes seemed to smile on his handsome face, and his tone was
lilting, even as he stood with straight-backed confidence.
“Wei-gongzi?” Lan Xichen said in surprise.
“When did he get here?!” someone exclaimed in a hushed whisper.
Wei Wuxian put down the wine cup and tugged his collar back into
place. “Just now.”
Just now? But no one had announced his arrival, nor greeted him.
How had he gotten inside Pageantry Hall so stealthily, without anyone
noticing? The crowd shuddered violently despite themselves, but Jin
Guangyao recovered quickly and remained as enthusiastic as ever.
“I did not know Wei-gongzi had arrived at Golden Carp Tower. I
apologize for the lack of welcome. Do you require a seat? Oh yes, might
you have an invitation?”
Wei Wuxian didn’t bother with the pleasantries but cut straight to the
point. “No need, and I don’t.” He nodded at Jin Zixun. “Jin-gongzi, might I
have a word?”
“If you’ve got something to say to me, come back after my family’s
banquet is over,” Jin Zixun said.
It was obvious to Wei Wuxian that he had no intention of actually
talking to him. “How long will I have to wait?”
“Maybe six or eight hours. Or maybe ten or twelve. Who knows?
Maybe tomorrow.”
“I’m afraid I can’t wait that long.”
“You’re gonna have to, whether you like it or not,” Jin Zixun said
haughtily.
“And what might Wei-gongzi want Zixun for?” asked Jin Guangyao.
“Is it very urgent?”
“Incredibly so,” Wei Wuxian said. “Not a minute is to be lost.”
Jin Zixun turned to Lan Xichen and raised the other cup in his hand.
“Sect Leader Lan, come, come, come! You haven’t drunk yours yet!”
Seeing him purposely stalling, a shadow passed over Wei Wuxian’s
face. He narrowed his eyes and smirked. “Fine. Then I’ll ask you about it
right here—Jin-gongzi, do you know someone named Wen Ning?”
“Wen Ning?” Jin Zixun repeated the name. “No.”
“I’m sure you do,” Wei Wuxian said. “Last month, you were Night
Hunting in the Ganquan area. While chasing an eight-winged bat, you
entered the settlement of the Wen Clan’s surviving members—or rather, the
area where they’re being detained. You captured a group of Wen sect
disciples. He was their leader.”
After the Sunshot Campaign, the Wen Clan of Qishan had been
completely destroyed. The territory they’d expanded into had been divided
among the rest of the clans, and Ganquan was presently under the banner of
the Jin Clan of Lanling. The Wen Clan now occupied less than a thousandth
of the land they’d once held—they had been driven to a corner of Qishan,
and there they cowered, hanging on by a thread.
“If I don’t remember, I don’t remember,” Jin Zixun said. “I don’t
have enough free time to waste on remembering the name of some Wen
dog.”
“Fine. I don’t mind going into the details,” Wei Wuxian said. “Some
Wen disciples were out investigating a disturbance when they ran into the
Bat King you were unable to catch. You forced them to wear a Spirit-
Attraction Flag and serve as bait. They were scared to obey, and one of
them came forward to try and reason with you. That’s the Wen Ning I’m
talking about; he stutters when he speaks. While everyone was dilly-
dallying around, the Bat King escaped. You beat the Wen cultivators
severely and then took them away by force. Their current whereabouts are
unknown; they have yet to return. Need I say more? I just really don’t know
who to ask besides you, ya know?”
“Wei Wuxian, what are you getting at? Why are you asking me about
them?” Jin Zixun demanded. “You’re not thinking of sticking up for those
Wen dogs, are you?”
Wei Wuxian smiled innocently. “What do you care if I want to stick
up for them or stick their heads on pikes? Hand them over!”
The smile on his face abruptly vanished as he spoke that last phrase,
and his voice grew cold. He had obviously lost his patience. Many within
Pageantry Hall shivered. Jin Zixun felt chills as well, but his fury
immediately resurged.
“Wei Wuxian, what arrogance!” he shouted. “Did the Jin Clan of
Lanling invite you today? To think you’d dare stand here and act so
impudently! Do you really think you’re invincible? That no one would dare
incur your wrath? You want to topple the heavens?”
Wei Wuxian laughed. “You’re comparing yourself to the heavens?
Pardon my bluntness, but that’s a pretty swollen head you got there.”
While Jin Zixun did indeed privately consider the Jin Clan of Lanling
the new authority of the cultivation world, he knew he had misstepped by
saying it aloud. His cheeks reddened, but just as he was about to rebuke Wei
Wuxian for all to hear, Jin Guangshan spoke up from the head seat.
“Gentlemen, why take such offense over such trifles?” He chuckled
amiably. “But Wei-gongzi, allow me to make a fair point—it is truly not
appropriate for you to intrude on the Jin Clan’s private banquet.”
 It was impossible that Jin Guangshan did not care about what had
transpired at the Siege Hunt on Mount Baifeng. That was why he had
simply smiled and watched Jin Zixun mock Wei Wuxian without stopping
him, only stepping in when Jin Zixun was losing the upper hand.
Wei Wuxian bowed his head. “Sect Leader Jin, causing a disturbance
at your private banquet was not my intention. I apologize for the offense.
However, the people Jin-gongzi abducted are nowhere to be found. We
can’t even confirm whether they’re alive or dead. If we delay any further, it
will be too late to save them. I owe my life to one of them, so I cannot stand
by and do nothing. I do not expect magnanimity; I will simply ask for
forgiveness.”
“What matter could be so important that it cannot be set aside for the
moment?” Jin Guangshan asked. “Come, come. Have a seat. We can chat.”
Jin Guangyao had already silently gotten a seat ready for him.
“That’s very kind of Sect Leader Jin, but I must decline,” Wei
Wuxian replied. “This matter cannot be prolonged. Please resolve it as soon
as possible.”
“It cannot be rushed,” Jin Guangshan said. “If we must continue to
squabble, I will note that we also have a number of unresolved issues that
cannot wait. Since you’ve come calling, let’s take this chance to sort
everything out. What do you think?”
Wei Wuxian raised his brows. “What ‘unresolved issues’?”
“Wei-gongzi, we’ve mentioned this to you a few times. You’ve not
forgotten, have you…?” Jin Guangshan asked. “During the Sunshot
Campaign, you used a certain device.”
“Oh, you did mention that thing earlier. The Yin Tiger Tally. What of
it?” Wei Wuxian asked.
“Rumor has it that you forged the Yin Tiger Tally with the spirit of an
iron sword you found inside the cave of the Xuanwu of Slaughter,” Jin
Guangshan said. “You used the device once on the battlefield. It possessed
terrible power, and even affected some of our own cultivator peers—”
Wei Wuxian cut him off. “Get to the point.”
 “That is the point,” Jin Guangshan said. “That battle didn’t just result
in Wen Clan casualties but also casualties on our own side. I am of the
opinion that the spiritual weapon in question is demonstrably difficult to
control. And so for a single person to maintain sole ownership of it, I’m
afraid…”
He hadn’t finished when Wei Wuxian started laughing.
When he was done with his fit of laughter, he said, “Sect Leader Jin.
Please allow me to ask you one question. With the Wen Clan of Qishan
gone, do you think that the Jin Clan of Lanling should take their place?”
Only crickets could be heard within Pageantry Hall.
“Every spiritual device has to be handed over to you, everyone has to
take orders from you. The way the Jin Clan of Lanling is acting—one might
almost think the Wens were still in power,” Wei Wuxian added.
At his words, a sliver of rage borne of shame flashed across Jin
Guangshan’s square face. After the Sunshot Campaign, veiled criticism of
Wei Wuxian and his demonic cultivation had begun to surface within
prominent clans. Bringing up the Yin Tiger Tally was his attempt to threaten
Wei Wuxian and remind him that they held certain things over his head. To
remind him that everyone was watching, and that he should not be so
arrogant, nor consider scorning the command of the Jin Clan. Who
would’ve thought Wei Wuxian would still speak so bluntly and brutally to
him? Jin Guangshan did secretly consider himself the successor to the Wen
Clan’s power, but no one had ever dared accuse him of it so openly—and to
mock the idea, as an added insult.
To his right, a guest cultivator barked, “Wei Wuxian! Mind your
tongue!”
“Am I mistaken? Wei Wuxian asked. “Forcing living people to serve
as bait, beating them at any sign of disobedience—how is that different
from the behavior of the Wen Clan of Qishan?”
Another guest cultivator stood up. “Of course it’s different. The Wen
dogs committed all manner of evil deeds. They deserved to fall in such
disgrace. All we’re doing is retaliating in kind, an eye for an eye. Giving
them a taste of their own medicine. Where’s the fault in that?”
 “Bite the ones that bit you,” Wei Wuxian said. “But Wen Ning’s
branch of the family was never stained with innocent blood. Are you just
punishing them by association?”
“Wei-gongzi, you say that, but are their hands really clean?” someone
reasoned. “That’s only one side of the story, based on your word alone.
Where’s the proof?”
“Isn’t your claim that they killed innocents also a one-sided story?”
Wei Wuxian countered. “Shouldn’t you show proof first? Why are you
asking me?”
The one who had spoken shook his head back and forth, clearly
thinking Wei Wuxian was being unreasonable. Another person in
attendance sneered.
“When the Wen Clan slaughtered our people, they were a thousand
times crueler! They didn’t treat us justly then, so why should we consider
justice now?”
Wei Wuxian laughed. “Oh, I see. Because the Wen dogs committed
so many evil deeds, everyone with the surname of Wen can be killed
without exception—do I understand you right? Many renegade clans from
Qishan surrendered and joined the alliance, and they’ve since found support
with the Jin Clan of Lanling. If I’m not mistaken, I see a few guests at this
very banquet who used to be the family heads of clans affiliated with the
Wen Clan.”
The faces of the family heads in question instantly fell.
“It seems that our anger can be vented at will on anyone surnamed
Wen, regardless of their innocence. Does that mean it’s okay if I go kill
them all right now?” Wei Wuxian continued.
As he spoke, he pressed his hand to Chenqing, which was tucked into
his waistband. In that instant, everyone at the banquet was struck by the
memory of that dark day. It was as if they had returned to the battlefield
where bodies piled as high as mountains and blood flowed as deep as the
sea. They all shot to their feet.
“Wei Ying!” Lan Wangji exclaimed darkly.
 Jin Guangyao was standing closest to Wei Wuxian, but his expression
didn’t change. “Wei-gongzi, please don’t do anything rash,” he beseeched,
his tone still mild. “We can talk things through in a civil manner.”
Jin Guangshan had risen to his feet as well, his face etched with
shock, rage, fear, and hate. “Wei Wuxian! You’re just running riot because
Jiang…because Sect Leader Jiang isn’t here!”
“Do you think I wouldn’t run riot even if he was here?” Wei Wuxian
shot back. “If I want to kill anyone, who can stop me? Who dares to stop
me?!”
“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji said. He stated each word clearly. “Lower
Chenqing.”
Wei Wuxian shot him a look and saw his own half-savage reflection
in those eyes as light as tinted glass. He abruptly twisted his gaze away and
shouted, “Jin Zixun!”
“Zixun!” Jin Guangshan hurriedly called out as well.
“Enough with this crap,” Wei Wuxian said. “I’m sure everyone here
knows my patience is limited. I’ve wasted enough time on you. Where are
they? I’m going to count to three. One!”
Jin Zixun wanted to grit his teeth and tough this out, but his blood ran
cold at the sight of Jin Guangshan’s expression.
“Two!” Wei Wuxian continued.
“…Fine! Fine!” Jin Zixun yelled. “It’s only some Wen dogs. If you
want to make them your lackeys, take them. I don’t feel like dealing with
you today! Go look for them at Qiongqi Path!”
Wei Wuxian snorted. “Well, now. That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
He had come as swiftly as the wind, and now he left in the same
manner. The guests’ gloom finally dispersed as soon as he disappeared.
Those who had sprung to their feet returned to their seats within the banquet
hall. All were drenched in cold sweat. Meanwhile, Jin Guangshan sat in the
head seat, still in a stupor. Moments later, he suddenly flew into a rage and
toppled the small table in front of him with a kick. It rolled down the steps,
scattering the gold and silver flatware.
 Noticing that he’d lost his composure, Jin Guangyao tried to smooth
over the situation. “Fa…”
Before he could finish, Jin Guangshan left the hall in a furious whirl
of tossed sleeves. Jin Zixun felt he had lost face by yielding to Wei Wuxian.
Consumed by fury and hate, he moved to leave the banquet as well.
“Zixun…” Jin Guangyao hurriedly called after him.
Lost in the throes of anger, Jin Zixun hurled aside the cup of wine he
had yet to hand over. It hit Jin Guangyao squarely in his chest, and spilled
liquor blossomed over the brilliant Sparks Amidst Snow embroidered on his
snow-white robe. Everyone at the banquet was too distracted by the chaos
to pay any mind to his embarrassment, and this act of great rudeness went
ignored by most.
Lan Xichen was the only exception. “San-di!” he exclaimed.
“It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine,” Jin Guangyao said quickly. “Stay seated,
er-ge.”
It was inappropriate for Lan Xichen to comment on Jin Zixun’s
behavior, so all he could do was hand Jin Guangyao a white handkerchief.
“Why don’t you go change clothes?”
Jin Guangyao took the handkerchief and wiped himself down with a
wry smile. “But I can’t leave.”
He was the only one at the venue who could clean up this mess, so
how could he possibly pull himself away? He placated the crowd while
sighing, as if his was a sorry plight.
“Wei-gongzi really is much too rash. How can he talk like that, in
front of so many clans?”
“Was he wrong?” Lan Wangji questioned coldly.
Jin Guangyao was stunned, but only for a barely noticeable moment,
before he quickly smiled. “Ha ha. Right. He was right. But it’s precisely
because he was right that he can’t say such things to their faces.”
“Wei-gongzi’s temperament has changed drastically,” Lan Xichen
mused.
 Upon hearing this, a trace of pain flashed in Lan Wangji’s light eyes
and across his tightly furrowed brow.
After descending Golden Carp Tower, Wei Wuxian walked through
the city of Lanling, twisting and turning down its many roads. He turned
several street corners before entering a small alleyway.
“Found them. Let’s go,” he said.
Wen Qing had been waiting for a long time in the alley, so nervous
she was unable to sit or stand still. She charged out the moment she heard
him, but in her weakened state, the sudden motion made her dizzy and she
tripped. Wei Wuxian caught her with a single hand.
“Do you want me to find you a place to rest?” he suggested. “I can go
alone. I’m more than enough. I’ll definitely bring Wen Ning back.”
Wen Qing clutched at him. “No! No! I have to go. I must go!”
After Wen Ning had gone missing, she’d run practically nonstop all
the way from Qishan to Yunmeng on her own two legs. She hadn’t slept for
days, and when she found Wei Wuxian, she’d urged and begged and
pleaded like she’d gone mad. Right now, she barely looked human—her
lips were too pale and her eyes open too wide.
Seeing that she was on the verge of collapse, but knowing they didn’t
have time for her to stop to eat, Wei Wuxian bought her some doughy white
steamed buns from a street vendor. Wen Qing knew she was almost at her
limit and that she needed food. She tore into the buns with her teeth, her
hair a disheveled mess and her eyes bloodshot. Her appearance reminded
Wei Wuxian of himself, back when he and Jiang Cheng were on the run.
“Everything will be all right,” he vowed again. “I’ll definitely bring
Wen Ning back.”
Wen Qing sobbed as she ate. “I knew I shouldn’t have left…but I had
no choice. They transferred me to a different city by force. By the time I got
back, Wen Ning was gone, and so was everyone else! I just knew he
couldn’t handle things alone!”
“He can,” Wei Wuxian assured.
“But he can’t!” Wen Qing broke down. “A-Ning has always been
skittish, ever since he was young. He’s timid and scared of getting into
trouble. He didn’t dare recruit any subordinates who had even the slightest
temper. They were all yes-men, just like him! If he ever ran into trouble
without me, he wouldn’t know what to do!”
When Wei Wuxian had bid her farewell, carrying Jiang Cheng on his
back, Wen Qing had told him this: “No matter how this war ends, we do not
owe each other anything from now on. Our debts are cleared.” Her
haughtiness was clear as day in his memory. But last night, she had clutched
his hand in a death grip and almost dropped to her knees as she pleaded.
“Wei Wuxian…Wei Wuxian…Wei-gongzi. Please help me. I have no
one else to turn to. You have to help me save A-Ning! I really have no one
else, I can only come to you!”
All that pride—all gone.
Qiongqi Path was an old road running through a valley between
mountains. According to legend, it was the place where the founder of the
Wen Clan of Qishan, Wen Mao, gained fame in the span of a single battle.
Centuries ago, Wen Mao had been locked in a fierce battle with a terrible
monster for eighty-one days before he finally slew it. This creature was
called the qiongqi, a chaotic and ancient beast of great evil. It punished the
righteous, praised the wicked, and took great pleasure in eating those who
were just and loyal. It was considered the divine beast of all evildoers. Of
course, there was no way to judge the accuracy of the legend or to
determine if it was simply a boastful exaggeration passed around by the
descendants of the Wen Clan of Qishan.
Over the passage of centuries, the valley had transformed from a
perilous yet important passageway into a tourist attraction, a place where
past accomplishments were praised and remembered. After the Sunshot
Campaign, the clans had divided up the land that belonged to the Wen Clan
of Qishan, and Qiongqi Path had been stuffed into the pockets of the Jin
Clan of Lanling. The vast mountain bluffs that towered over the path on
either side had originally been decorated with carvings depicting the life of
the great ancestor Wen Mao. But of course, once the Jin Clan of Lanling
took over, the glorious past tales of the Wen Clan could not be allowed to
remain. They set out to reconstruct the place—meaning to erase all the
reliefs from both cliffs, cleaning them away entirely to make room for new
carvings. And above all, they had to come up with a new name that would
immortalize the extraordinary bravery of the Jin Clan.
The project required a significant amount of labor, but they had a
most suitable supply of workers—the captive survivors of the Wen Clan,
who had been reduced to a pack of stray dogs after the conclusion of the
Sunshot Campaign.
It was night by the time they arrived at Qiongqi Path. Thin threads of
cold rain fell from the darkened sky. Wen Qing hobbled closely behind Wei
Wuxian, shivering as though racked by chills that emanated from within.
From time to time, Wei Wuxian had to help her along in order to keep them
moving.
A row of makeshift shacks lined the front of the valley, serving as
housing for the captives to rest at night. In the distance, Wei Wuxian and
Wen Qing saw a hunchbacked figure trudging along, carrying a large flag
and being steadily battered by the pouring rain. As they approached, they
saw the flag-bearer was a tottering old granny carrying a toddler. The child
was tied to the old woman’s back, very focused on chewing his finger. The
two of them, old and young, were walking back and forth on the road. The
old woman was having a very hard time carrying the flag and had to pause
and set it down every two steps. Wen Qing’s eyes reddened at the sight.
“Granny! It’s me!” she cried.
The old woman probably had poor eyesight and was equally hard of
hearing. She couldn’t see or hear exactly who they were but could only tell
that someone was approaching and yelling something. Stricken with fear,
she quickly hauled the flag up again, as if terrified she would be discovered
and horribly reprimanded.
Wen Qing ran over and snatched the flag from her. “What is this?
What are you doing?!”
The huge flag was emblazoned with an enormous Wen Clan insignia,
but a giant blood-red X had been painted over it. The flag itself had also
been deliberately shredded.
Ever since the conclusion of the Sunshot Campaign, countless people
had been labeled “stray Wen dogs.” The ways in which they were
tormented by the masses were also countless, all carried out under the
righteous excuse of “encouraging self-reflection.” Wei Wuxian knew this
old woman was too frail to be forced into manual labor like the rest, so the
overseers had cooked up this plan to humiliate her—forcing her to walk
around all day with a tattered Wen flag raised high.
At first, the old woman shrank back. When she finally recognized the
person before her, her jaw dropped.
“Granny, where’s A-Ning?” Wen Qing asked. “Where are Si-shu1 and
the others? Where’s A-Ning?!”
The old woman glanced at Wei Wuxian, who stood behind Wen Qing.
She didn’t dare answer aloud but only stared in the direction of the valley.
Abandoning all care for anything else, Wen Qing dashed off in that
direction.
Torches lined both sides of the spacious valley, and the flames
slightly flickered under the drizzling rain. But their fire still blazed bright,
illuminating the whole of the mountain path—including the hundreds of
figures carrying heavy loads.
The faces of the captives were sickly pale, and their steps were
sluggish. They were not permitted to employ any spiritual power or outside
help in their toils. This was not only a safeguard against retaliation but also
another form of punishment. Over a dozen overseers from the Jin Clan of
Lanling wandered through the crowd on horseback, berating the workers
from beneath their black umbrellas.
Wen Qing charged out into the rain-soaked valley. Her wild eyes
swept over each despondent and tired face. One of the overseers noticed her
and barked a question at her with one hand raised.
“Where’d you come from? Who let you trespass in here?!”
“I’m looking for someone. Please, I’m looking for someone!” Wen
Qing pleaded anxiously.
The overseer rode over on horseback, pulling something from his
waistband and waving it in the air. “I don’t care if you are, get outta here! If
you don’t…”
When he saw the man in black robes who was behind the young
woman, he stopped abruptly, suddenly tongue-tied.
 The young man had a bright and handsome face, but his eyes were
cold, and his stare made the overseer shudder unconsciously. The overseer
quickly realized the young man wasn’t staring at him but rather at the iron
branding rod he was waving.
The overseers’ iron branding rods were exactly the same as the ones
once wielded by the Wen Clan’s servants—exactly the same, except the
design of the brand had been changed from a sun to a peony.
A chilling glint flashed in Wei Wuxian’s eyes when he noticed. Quite
a few of the overseers recognized his face, and despite themselves, silently
pulled their horses back and began whispering to each other. No one dared
to stop Wen Qing as she shouted and searched the crowd.
“A-Ning! A-Ning!”
Her cries were sad and shrill and went unanswered. She searched the
entire valley but found no trace of her younger brother. If Wen Ning truly
had been present, he would’ve long since hurried to her side. The overseers
quietly dismounted and peered hard at Wei Wuxian, seeming hesitant about
whether to greet him.
Wen Qing tackled them with questions. “Where are the Wen
cultivators that were brought in a few days ago?”
The men exchanged dismayed looks and dawdled in their answers.
One of the overseers, who seemed quite good-natured, responded amiably.
“Every captive here is a Wen cultivator. New ones are sent over every day.”
“He’s my little brother, Jin Zixun brought him here!” Wen Qing
frantically explained. “He…he’s about this tall. He doesn’t really talk, and
when he does, he stutters…”
“Come now, miss. Look around,” said the good-natured overseer.
“There are so many people here, how could we possibly remember whether
any of them stutter?”
In her distress, Wen Qing could not help but stamp her foot. “I know
he’s here for sure!”
The good-natured overseer was round and chubby. He smiled
apologetically. “Don’t fret, miss. To be honest, representatives from various
clans often come around to ask for cultivators. Maybe he was taken by one
of them? When we do roll calls, we also sometimes discover there’s been a
runaway.”
“He wouldn’t have run away!” Wen Qing insisted. “Granny and the
others are all here. My little brother wouldn’t have run away on his own.”
“Why don’t you look around for him, then? Take your time,” the
good-natured overseer said. “Everyone we have is here. If you can’t find
him in this valley, then I don’t know what else to tell ya.”
Wei Wuxian suddenly spoke up. “Everyone is here?”
The moment he spoke, the overseers’ faces stiffened. The good-
natured overseer turned to him and replied, “Yeah.”
“All right,” Wei Wuxian said. “I’ll grant you that the living are here,
at least. So what about the rest?”
Wen Qing swayed on her feet.
The opposite of living was, naturally, dead.
“Don’t say that, sir,” the good-natured overseer said hastily. “Even
though it’s only Wen cultivators here, no one would dare take a life…”
As if he hadn’t heard him, Wei Wuxian retrieved the flute at his
waist. The captives who had been arduously trudging along suddenly
shouted at the sight, threw off the burdens on their backs, and fled. The
crowd milling around Wei Wuxian rapidly cleared, and he was left alone at
the center of an empty circle.
The captives hadn’t recognized Wei Wuxian by his face alone. After
all, there was only one outcome for Wen cultivators who encountered Wei
Wuxian on the battlefield during the Sunshot Campaign—complete
annihilation. Most of the Wen cultivators who did see his face quickly
became fierce corpses themselves, bound under his control. It was instead
the red-tasseled black wooden flute which haunted their nightmares, and the
tales of the black-clad youth who controlled it. There were cries of alarm
from all around.
“The hell-flute Chenqing!”
Wei Wuxian raised Chenqing to his lips. The shrill sound of the flute
pierced the night sky like an arrow, slashing through the rain and echoing
through the entire valley. After only one note, Wei Wuxian tucked
Chenqing away and dropped his hands. A smirk lingered on his lips as he
let the rain soak his black hair and black robes.
Not long after, someone asked, “What’s that noise?”
Shrieks of alarm suddenly sounded from the back of the crowd, and
the circle began to break apart as people stumbled and hurried away.
Amidst the drizzling rain, dozens of figures stood unsteadily in the spot
where the crowd had once been. They wore ragged clothing. They were tall
and short, men and women. Some emitted the putrid smell of rot.
At the head of the group stood Wen Ning, his eyes still wide open.2
His face was as ghastly pale as candle wax. His pupils were blown
huge and black, and the blood at the corners of his mouth had already
congealed to a dark brown. Even though his chest did not move with any
breath, it was obvious that one side of his rib cage had been violently caved
in.
No one who saw him could possibly have thought he was still alive.
But Wen Qing still wouldn’t give up. Trembling, she grabbed his wrist to
feel for his pulse. After gripping it for a moment, she burst into tears with a
loud wail.
Over the past few days, she’d been frightened. She’d been terrified.
She’d run so hard and for so long she’d almost gone mad, but she was still
too late. She hadn’t even had a chance to see her little brother breathe his
last.
Wen Qing sobbed as she felt around Wen Ning’s ribs—as if she was
trying to reconnect them, as if she had deluded herself into thinking there
was a slim chance she could restore him to life. Her sweet face was
contorted by weeping, rendering her ugly and unsightly. But when it came
to the truly brokenhearted, there was no beauty in tears.
Confronted with the dead body of her only sibling, not a single shred
of her pride remained.
It was too great a blow. Unable to hold on any longer, Wen Qing
fainted. Wei Wuxian, standing behind her, caught her limp form without
comment and let her lean against his chest.
 He closed his eyes. A brief moment passed before he opened them
again.
“Who killed him?”
His tone was temperate—as if he wasn’t enraged but only thinking
aloud. The chief overseer, thinking this a fortunate development, refused to
admit any fault.
“Wei-gongzi, please don’t speak so irresponsibly. No one here would
dare kill another human being so lightly. He was the one who didn’t take
care while working and rolled down the cliff to his death.”
“‘No one here would dare kill another human being so lightly,’” Wei
Wuxian parroted. “Is that true?”
The overseers all swore solemnly that it was.
“Absolutely true!”
“No word of a lie!”
Wei Wuxian flashed a small smile. “I see. I get it.”
Then he languidly continued, “It’s because they’re Wen dogs, and
Wen dogs aren’t human. So killing them doesn’t count—that’s what you all
meant, right?”
The chief overseer had indeed been thinking exactly that. He paled at
being seen through so quickly.
“Or did you really think that I wouldn’t be able to tell how someone
died?” Wei Wuxian continued.
The overseers fell silent. It was finally dawning on them that things
were going south, and they were beginning to think of backing away. Wei
Wuxian maintained his smile.
“At this point, you’d better just tell the truth. Who killed him? Step
forward on your own, or I’ll have no choice but to kill everyone here. I’d
rather kill someone by mistake than let the culprit off the hook. No fish will
slip through the net if you’re all dead.”
Fear seized everyone present, and chills ran down their spines.
“The Jiang Clan of Yunmeng and the Jin Clan of Lanling are on
friendly terms right now,” the chief overseer mumbled. “Sir, you can’t…”
 Wei Wuxian shot him a look. “You’re very brave,” he said, feigning
shock. “Are you threatening me?”
The chief overseer hastily denied the idea. “No, no, of course not.”
“Congratulations. You have successfully exhausted my patience,”
Wei Wuxian said. “Since none of you will tell me, let’s hear his answer.”
As if he had been waiting for this moment, Wen Ning’s stiffened
corpse suddenly jerked, and he raised his head. The two overseers standing
closest to him didn’t even get the chance to scream before their throats were
seized by a pair of hands as strong as iron bands.
His face expressionless, Wen Ning raised the two short overseers
high into the air. The crowd was pulling further and further away, and the
empty circle surrounding Wei Wuxian in the clearing yawned wider.
“Wei-gongzi! Wei-gongzi!” the chief overseer cried. “Have mercy!
Sir, your impulsive actions will have irreversible consequences!”
The rain was coming down harder and harder. The drops flowed
unceasingly down the contours of Wei Wuxian’s cheekbones and dripped
from his chin.
He whirled around and placed his hand on Wen Ning’s shoulder.
“Wen Qionglin!” he shouted.
As if in answer, Wen Ning let out a long, deafening roar. The ears of
the onlookers throbbed with dull stabs of pain.
Wei Wuxian gave his order slowly and clearly.
“Make everyone who did this to you suffer the exact same fate. I give
you permission to repay them in kind!”
Wen Ning immediately bashed the two overseers in his grip against
each other. Their heads burst like watermelons. Red and white exploded
through the sky with a loud bang, as if celestial maidens were scattering
blossoms in the air.
The scene was gory beyond belief. Screams resounded across the
valley, horses whinnied, and captives scampered. It was pure mayhem. Wei
Wuxian picked up Wen Qing and nonchalantly carried her through the
uproar like nothing was wrong. He took the reins of a horse, but just as he
was about to turn around, a scrawny captive called out to him.
“…Wei-xiansheng!”
Wei Wuxian turned his head. “What?”
The captive pointed in a certain direction and spoke with a quivering
voice. “Th-there’s a house at that end of the valley. It’s where they…lock
people up and beat them. The ones who die are dragged outside and buried.
Maybe some of the people you’re looking for are there…”
“Thank you,” Wei Wuxian said.
He headed in that direction, and sure enough, found a makeshift
shack. Still carrying Wen Qing, he kicked the door open. Inside, about a
dozen people sat in a corner. Each of them had been badly battered, and
their faces were mottled with blue and purple. Startled by his crude kick to
the door, they sprang to their feet. When they saw Wen Qing in Wei
Wuxian’s arms, they stopped caring about their injuries and flung
themselves toward him.
“Miss Qing!”
One of the captives addressed Wei Wuxian, sounding furious. “You…
Who are you? What have you done to the Chief Officer?”
“Nothing,” Wei Wuxian replied. “Which of you are the cultivators
serving under Wen Ning? Enough talk—come out!”
The group exchanged looks of dismay, but Wei Wuxian had already
left, still carrying Wen Qing. They had no choice but to persevere and
follow him, helping each other along. As soon as they left the shack, Wei
Wuxian shouted orders to them before they could see what the chaos in the
valley was about.
“Everyone find a horse. Hurry!”
A middle-aged man began to protest. “No, our Wen Ning-gongzi…”
He was interrupted by a severed head being hurled past him. The
group looked toward it in unison, just in time to see Wen Ning slam a
headless body to the ground. Its limbs were still convulsing. He was about
to disembowel the man with his bare hands when Wei Wuxian barked
another order.
 “Enough!”
A growl erupted from Wen Ning’s throat. It seemed he was yet
unsatisfied. Wei Wuxian blew a short whistle, then ordered again, “Up!”
Wen Ning had no choice but to stand.
“What’re you waiting around for?” Wei Wuxian yelled. “Get on the
horses! Or are you waiting for me to find some swords for you to fly on?!”
Someone remembered there was an elderly woman in their number
and hurriedly led both her and the child over to help them mount a horse.
Wei Wuxian also hopped onto a horse, still carrying the unconscious Wen
Qing. There were only a dozen horses to share, but many dozens of people,
so they rode crowded two or three to a horse.
The old woman couldn’t ride alone and had the child to hold onto, as
well. Seeing them struggle, Wei Wuxian extended his hand.
“Give him to me.”
But the old woman just kept shaking her head, and the child clung
tightly to her neck. Although they were both almost slipping off the horse,
there was unconcealable terror in both of their eyes. Wei Wuxian swiftly
reached out, picked up the child, and tucked him under his arm.
The old woman was horrified. “A-Yuan! A-Yuan!” she cried.
While the child named A-Yuan was still very young, he already knew
that he should be scared. But he didn’t cry—he only vigorously chewed on
his finger and snuck glimpses at Wei Wuxian.
“Move out!” Wei Wuxian barked.
With a flex of his calves, he set off first. The rest of the captives
followed closely behind on horseback, and they all galloped away into the
rainy night.
 — Part 2 —

A WAVE OF SENSATIONAL gossip swept across the cultivation world

that very night.
Come midnight, nearly fifty family heads representing clans both
large and small were seated inside Touchstone Pavilion at Golden Carp
Tower. The head seat was occupied by Jin Guangshan. Jin Zixuan was
away, and Jin Zixun didn’t have the necessary qualifications, so only Jin
Guangyao stood beside the head seat with his hands at his sides. The first
row consisted of family heads and renowned highly ranked cultivators such
as Nie Mingjue, Jiang Cheng, Lan Xichen, and Lan Wangji. Their
expressions were solemn. The row behind them consisted of lower-ranked
family heads and cultivators. Everyone looked like they were preparing to
meet a great foe.
Every so often, whispers could be heard.
“I just knew it.”
“This was going to happen sooner or later.”
“Let’s see how this ends.”
Jiang Cheng was the center of everyone’s attention. He sat in the
front row with gloom clouding his face, and just like the rest, he was
listening to Jin Guangyao speak. The man’s voice was respectful and
cautious, but still gentle and sincere.
“…Four overseers were killed during this incident. Around fifty of
the surviving Wen Clan members escaped. After Wei Wuxian led them to
the Burial Mounds, he summoned hundreds of fierce corpses to patrol and
barricade the bottom of the mountain. Currently, our people cannot take a
single step past its boundaries.”
Once his report concluded, silence reigned inside Touchstone
Pavilion.
It was a moment before Jiang Cheng spoke. “He has certainly acted
out of line. I apologize to Sect Leader Jin on his behalf. Please do not
hesitate to let me know of any way I can remedy the situation, and I will
surely do my utmost to compensate.”
But what Jin Guangshan wanted wasn’t his apology or compensation.
“Sect Leader Jiang,” he began. “It goes without saying that, for your
sake, the Jin Clan of Lanling would normally never say another word on the
subject. But not all the overseers were from the Jin Clan. There were others
involved, so…”
Jiang Cheng deeply furrowed his brow and rubbed his temple, which
never stopped throbbing. He drew a soundless breath. “…My apologies to
the Sect Leaders. You see, the Wen cultivator that Wei Wuxian wanted to
save was named Wen Ning. He and his sister Wen Qing showed the two of
us mercy during the Sunshot Campaign. That is why…”
“Showed mercy how?” Nie Mingjue demanded. “Wasn’t the Wen
Clan of Qishan the culprit behind the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng’s
annihilation?”
Jiang Cheng had constantly worked into the wee hours of the
morning, these past few years. He had been on the verge of being able to
retire early today when the news had hit him like a thunderbolt, jolting him
from his rest and forcing him to rush to Golden Carp Tower overnight. He
was competitive by nature and now irritable from fatigue. From the moment
he arrived, he had seethed with annoyance that he was going to have to bow
his head in apology. Now that Nie Mingjue had brought up the case of his
clan’s annihilation, hatred sprang up within him unbidden.
That hatred was directed at everyone present—but it was also
directed at Wei Wuxian.
After some thought, Lan Xichen answered. “I know a little about
Wen Qing. There has never been talk of her being involved in any of the
massacres associated with the Sunshot Campaign.”
“But she also never stopped any of them,” Nie Mingjue pointed out.
“How could she have done so, when she was one of Wen Ruohan’s
trusted aides?” Lan Xichen asked.
Nie Mingjue was indifferent to such logic. “She remained silent and
raised no objections while the Wen Clan committed atrocities. That is no
different from watching from the sidelines. She can’t presume to enjoy
preferential treatment when the Wens were fanning the flames of disorder,
then refuse to bear the bitter consequences and pay the price when they
were overthrown.”
Lan Xichen fell silent. He knew that Nie Mingjue despised the Wen
dogs the most keenly of everyone present, due to the grudge held by his
clan. He was also the sort of man who would never turn a blind eye to such
unethical behavior.
One of the family heads spoke up. “Sect Leader Nie is right. Besides,
since Wen Qing was Wen Ruohan’s trusted aide, I refuse to believe she
never participated. Who among the Wen dogs doesn’t have blood on their
hands? Maybe we just haven’t found out yet!”
Mention of the Wen Clan’s past crimes immediately ignited the
crowd and set emotions running high. Jin Guangshan was going to speak at
first, but the sight of the commotion made him frown. Observing his
expression, Jin Guangyao quickly raised his voice to address the crowd.
“Please settle down, everyone. That is not the focus of our discussion
today.”
As he spoke, he had the servants bring around frozen sliced fruits to
draw the guests’ attention. Only then did Touchstone Pavilion gradually
quiet down. Jin Guangshan quickly took the chance to speak.
“Sect Leader Jiang, these are the affairs of your own clan. It is not my
place to interfere. But at this point, I must remind you of something
regarding Wei Ying.”
“Please speak, Sect Leader Jin,” Jiang Cheng said.
“Sect Leader Jiang, Wei Ying is both your left and right hand. You
regard him highly, this we know,” Jin Guangshan began. “But it’s difficult
to say whether he respects you, the family head. At least, I’ve been a family
head for many years, and never have I seen a subordinate so arrogant about
his achievements, or so insolent. Have you not heard what they’re saying—
that the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng’s achievements during the battles of the
Sunshot Campaign were all thanks to Wei Wuxian alone? Absolutely
absurd!”
 Jiang Cheng already looked incredibly upset to hear this, but Jin
Guangshan shook his head and continued.
“He had the audacity to utterly humiliate you at a grand event like the
Flower-Viewing Banquet, leaving as he willed. Yesterday, he was even
more insolent behind your back, even daring to utter the words, ‘I couldn’t
care less for Jiang Wanyin, the family head!’ Everyone present at the time
heard…”
“That is untrue,” a cold voice suddenly intercepted.
Jin Guangshan, deeply engrossed in the act of fabricating this tale,
was momentarily stumped by this interruption. Like the rest of the guests
present, he turned toward the one who spoke.
It was Lan Wangji, who sat with calm and proper poise in his seat.
“Never have I heard Wei Ying say such a thing,” he stated. “Nor have I ever
heard him express any disrespect toward Sect Leader Jiang.”
Lan Wangji spoke very rarely when he attended events such as these.
Even during debates at symposiums, he would only respond when others
directed questions and challenges at him. He was succinct and used few
words, cutting right to the point and slicing others’ meandering, verbose
arguments to shreds. Beyond that, he almost never took the initiative to
speak, so Jin Guangshan was initially more surprised than upset by the
interruption. Ultimately, however, he had just been publicly called out for
falsifying and exaggerating the truth, and it left him feeling awkward.
Thankfully, with Jin Guangyao at the ready to come to his rescue, the
discomfort didn’t last long.
“Oh, really?” Jin Guangyao said, sounding surprised. “Well, now.
Wei-gongzi stormed Golden Carp Tower in such a fury that day and said so
many things, every word more shocking than the next. He might have said
something similar, but I can’t remember the details anymore.”
In truth, his memory was just as good as Lan Wangji’s own, if not
better. Nie Mingjue frowned slightly, immediately able to tell that he was
only pretending to be confused.
Jin Guangshan, however, used the excuse he had been provided.
“That’s right. Either way, his attitude has always been arrogant and
insolent.”
 One of the family heads chimed in. “I’ve been wanting to say this for
a long time now. While Wei Wuxian contributed to the Sunshot Campaign,
many others deserved more credit than him. But you don’t see any of them
acting like they’re so great. Not to be blunt, but he’s the son of a servant—
how can someone with that kind of background act with such
presumption?”
The mention of a “son of a servant” naturally made some guests think
of the son of a prostitute who stood among them in the hall. Jin Guangyao
no doubt noticed the unkind looks, but his perfect smile did not falter even
once.
The crowd began to follow the flow of the conversation, expressing
their displeasure.
“Sect Leader Jin approached Wei Ying with good intentions when he
asked him to hand over the Yin Tiger Tally—he did it out of fear that he
might not be able to control it, that he might cause a terrible disaster. And
yet Wei Ying measured the stature of a great man with the yardstick of a
wretch! Does he think everyone covets that spiritual weapon of his? What a
laugh. Who doesn’t have a great treasure or two in their family?”
“Right from the start, I always thought his cultivating the demonic
path would end in trouble. You see? The urge to kill is already starting to
take hold. Indiscriminately killing our own people for the sake of some Wen
dogs…”
Just then, a voice cautiously cut in. “I don’t think it was
indiscriminate…?”
Lan Wangji seemed to have entered a meditative state of emptiness
where nothing entered his ears. But when he heard this, he looked up and
gazed in the direction from which the voice had come.
The one who had spoken was a beautiful young woman standing
beside a family head. Her dissenting opinion was immediately attacked by
nearby cultivators.
“What are you implying?”
The reaction seemed to scare the young woman, who replied with
even greater caution, “I…I’m not implying anything. There’s no need to get
so excited. I just didn’t think ‘indiscriminate’ was the right word.”
 “Whaddya mean?!” another person spat, his spittle spraying. “Ever
since the Sunshot Campaign, Wei Wuxian has developed a habit of killing
indiscriminately. Can you deny that?”
The young woman tried her hardest to argue back. “The Sunshot
Campaign was a war—doesn’t everyone kill indiscriminately on the
battlefield? Judge the facts on their face. I really don’t think what he did can
be considered killing indiscriminately. There was a reason for it, after all. If
the overseers abused the captives and murdered Wen Ning, then he didn’t
kill indiscriminately, he was taking revenge on their behalf…”
“You’re hilarious!” someone exclaimed furiously. “Are you saying
he was right to kill our people? Are you going to praise this as an act of
justice too?!”
Another snorted contemptuously. “And who knows if the overseers
even did such a thing? It’s not like anyone witnessed it.”
“Yeah. All the surviving overseers swore they never abused the
captives and that Wen Ning accidentally fell off the cliff to his death. They
were even generous enough to collect his body and bury him. And this is
their reward. How disheartening!”
“The other overseers were afraid of being held responsible, so of
course they were adamant that Wen Ning fell by accident…” the young
woman countered.
“Enough of your quibbling,” one of the men sneered. “We’re not
interested in listening to someone with an ulterior motive.”
The girl flushed hard and raised her voice. “What do you mean by
that?!”
“You know perfectly well what I mean, as does everyone else. You’re
dead set on defending him just because he flirted with you in the Xuanwu
of Slaughter’s cave, way back when. And even now, you’re still twisting
logic for him, confusing right and wrong. Heh. Women will be women.”
The romantic tale of Wei Wuxian saving a damsel in distress while
trapped in the depths of the Xuanwu of Slaughter’s cave had been a popular
story for some time now. At the mention of it, it finally dawned on many of
the guests that this young woman was that very “Mianmian.”
 Immediately, someone grumbled, “I was gonna say… No wonder
she’s so keen on speaking up for Wei Wuxian…”
Mianmian was furious. “How was I twisting logic or confusing right
and wrong? I’m simply stating the existing facts. What’s that got to do with
me being a woman? Are you attacking me on other fronts just because you
can’t win against my argument?”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Just look at you, acting as if you’re so impartial,”
someone mocked her. “How can you consider the facts when your heart is
so biased?”
“Don’t waste your breath on her. I can’t believe a person like that
belongs to my sect, let alone managed to worm her way into a meeting at
the Touchstone Pavilion. Just standing next to her embarrasses me.”
Many of the ones attacking her were her peers within her own sect,
standing beside her as part of the same group. Mianmian was so angry that
her eyes turned red and began to brim with tears.
Moments later, she exclaimed loudly, “Fine! Your voices are louder
than mine! Fine! You’re the ones in the right!”
With teeth gritted, she tore off her clan uniform and slapped it down
on the table. The resulting bang was so loud that it turned the heads of the
leaders and luminaries in the first few rows who hadn’t been paying
attention. The ones near her were stunned by the action, which meant she
was withdrawing from her clan.
Mianmian turned and left without another word. She had already
been gone for a while before someone loudly yelled after her.
“Don’t even think about putting that thing back on if you’ve got the
guts to take it off…!”
“Who does she think she is… Withdraw, then, for all we care! What’s
she getting in such a snit over?”
Scattered noises of agreement began to surface.
“Women will be women; say a few words to them and they fall apart.
She’ll come crawling back after a few days.”
“That’s for sure. After all, it was just recently that she was finally
promoted from a servant to a sect disciple, heh…”
 Disregarding the hubbub around him, Lan Wangji also rose to his feet
and left. Lan Xichen made inquiries to clarify what the minor disturbance
had been about, and hearing the crowd’s comments going in an increasingly
unsavory direction, he spoke up in a grim tone.
“Everyone, she has already left. Cease your discussion now.”
Thus spoke Zewu-jun, and so the others naturally had to give him
face. The topic was dropped, and disjointed chatter resumed inside
Touchstone Pavilion, rebuking both Wen dogs and Wei Wuxian. Fervent
anger surged through the room, comments were bitten out carelessly
through gritted teeth, and no dissenting voices would be heard.
Taking advantage of the mood, Jin Guangshan turned to Jiang Cheng.
“He’s planned on going to the Burial Mounds for a long time now,
hasn’t he? After all, with his abilities, establishing his own sect would be a
simple matter. He’s using this chance to break from the Jiang Clan. He
plans to fly away, free as a bird. You rebuilt the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng
with such painstaking effort. He’s well aware of his involvement in many
controversies, but he doesn’t restrain himself and constantly causes you
trouble. You’ve never been a factor in his considerations.”
“That’s not the case,” Jiang Cheng replied with forced calm. “Wei
Wuxian has always been like this, ever since he was young. Even my father
couldn’t do anything about him.”
“Could Fengmian-xiong really do nothing about him?” Jin
Guangshan chuckled dryly. “Fengmian-xiong did always favor him so.”
The corners of Jiang Cheng’s lips twitched at the word “favor.”
“Sect Leader Jiang, you are not your father,” Jin Guangshan
continued. “It’s only been a few years since the re-establishment of the
Jiang Clan of Yunmeng. Now is the time for you to assert your might. But
he doesn’t know how to restrain himself or make himself inconspicuous.
What will your new sect disciples think when they see him? Should they
take him as an example and disregard you as well?”
He bombarded Jiang Cheng with one allegation after another, striking
the iron while it was hot.
 “No need to say any more, Sect Leader Jin,” Jiang Cheng replied
slowly. “I will make a trip to the Burial Mounds and resolve this matter.”
While he was inwardly pleased, Jin Guangshan replied with grave
sincerity, “That is the right thing to do. Sect Leader Jiang, there are certain
things—and certain people—that should not be tolerated.”
When the assembly concluded, all the clan leaders felt they had
gained new and exciting topics of conversation. Their steps were as heated
as their discussion, and their passionate fury was undiminished.
The Three Zun gathered behind the sea of Sparks Amidst Snow.
“You have worked hard, san-di.” Lan Xichen said.
Jin Guangyao smiled in response. “Not at all. Sect Leader Jiang’s
table was the hardest worker of us all, bearing up admirably under the
crushing force of his grip. It seems he was particularly furious today.”
Nie Mingjue walked over to join the two of them where they stood.
“Speaking with such eloquence certainly makes for hard work.”
Lan Xichen smiled at this but made no comment. Jin Guangyao,
knowing Nie Mingjue would seize every chance to educate him on how to
be an upstanding man, was resigned. He quickly changed the subject.
“Oh, er-ge—where’s Wangji? I saw him leave the venue early.”
Lan Xichen gestured out front, and Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue
turned to where he was pointing. Amidst the blooming sea of Sparks
Amidst Snow, Lan Wangji and the young woman who had just withdrawn
from her clan inside Touchstone Pavilion stood facing each other.
Glistening tears still brimmed in the young woman’s eyes, while Lan
Wangji appeared solemn. The two of them were discussing something.
Moments later, Lan Wangji bowed his head toward her.
There was solemnity and respect in his bow. The girl returned the
same respect, with even graver solemnity. And then, dressed in a gauze robe
with no clan emblem, she descended Golden Carp Tower with light steps.
“She has more spine than the rest of the rabble in her sect, to be
sure,” Nie Mingjue commented.
Jin Guangyao cheerily agreed to this. “Yeah.”
 Two days later, Jiang Cheng went to Yiling with thirty Yunmeng
disciples.
There were indeed hundreds of loitering fierce corpses at the foot of
the Burial Mounds, in front of the destroyed wall of incantations. They
were unmoved when Jiang Cheng approached but let out a low growl in
warning when the sect disciples behind him drew near. Jiang Cheng had the
disciples wait at the bottom of the mountain and hiked up alone. He went
through a dense forest and walked for a very long time before he heard
voices up ahead.
Next to the mountain path were several round tree stumps. There was
one big one that looked like a table and three small ones like stools. Wei
Wuxian and a woman dressed in red were sitting on two of the stools. Next
to them was a field, and there were several docile, honest-looking men
tilling the ground, the earth crunching as their shovels broke through the
soil.
Wei Wuxian jiggled his leg. “How about we plant potatoes?”
The woman’s response was firm. “Radishes. Radishes are easy to
grow; they don’t die easily. Potatoes are hard to please.”
“Radishes are gross,” Wei Wuxian protested.
Jiang Cheng humphed, and only then did Wei Wuxian and Wen Qing
turn their heads. They didn’t appear surprised by the sight of him. Wei
Wuxian stood up but didn’t say a single word when Jiang Cheng
approached him. Instead, he continued up the mountain with his hands
clasped behind his back. Jiang Cheng also asked no questions but simply
followed him.
It wasn’t long before they came upon another group of men beside
the mountain path. The men were bustling about in front of a wooden
frame. They were likely Wen cultivators, but they had removed their
blazing sun uniforms and exchanged them for coarse fabric clothing. They
climbed up and down and hustled in and out, wielding hammers and saws
in their hands and hefting lumber and straw over their shoulders. They
appeared no different from ordinary farmers and huntsmen. When they saw
Jiang Cheng, they recognized from his clothing and sword that he was a
sect leader of prominence. They stopped their work and looked over
uncertainly, holding their breaths in fear and trepidation.
 Wei Wuxian waved dismissively. “Carry on.”
The group of men seemed relieved to hear this and continued with
their work anew.
“What are they doing?” Jiang Cheng questioned.
“Can’t you tell?” Wei Wuxian replied. “They’re building houses.”
“Building houses?” Jiang Cheng asked. “Then what about the ones I
spotted tilling ground as I came up? Don’t tell me you really plan on
planting crops.”
“Didn’t you overhear all of that? We are planting crops,” Wei
Wuxian said.
Jiang Cheng was incredulous. “You’re planting things on a mountain
made of corpses? Will anything that grows even be edible?”
“Trust me. Anything is edible when you’re hungry enough.”
“Do you really plan on settling here for the long-term?” Jiang Cheng
asked. “Can people even live in a hellish place like this?”
“I lived here for three months before,” Wei Wuxian stated.
There was silence, and then Jiang Cheng asked, “You’re not coming
back to Lotus Pier, then?”
“Yiling and Yunmeng are so close; I’ll just sneak back whenever I
want, I guess,” Wei Wuxian replied lightly.
Jiang Cheng scoffed. “You wish.”
He wanted to say more but felt a sudden weight on his leg. When he
looked down, he saw a very young child of one or two years clinging to
him. The child, who had snuck over without him noticing, was staring at
him with very round black eyes in an equally round face.
He was quite an adorable child, but unfortunately, Jiang Cheng
wasn’t the type to care. He turned to Wei Wuxian and demanded, “Where’d
this kid come from? Get him off me.”
Wei Wuxian bent down and picked up the child, letting him sit on his
own arm. “What do you mean, get him off you? Don’t you know how to
speak nicely? A-Yuan, why do you cling to people’s legs like that? No,
don’t bite your nails, you were just playing in the dirt. Do you know what
kind of dirt this is? Hands off, no touching my face either! Where’s
Granny?”
An old woman with sparse white hair hurried over, wobbling as she
walked with the support of a wooden cane. She recognized Jiang Cheng as
someone important and seemed scared, her hunched figure cowering
further. Wei Wuxian placed the child, who was named A-Yuan, next to her
feet.
“Go play elsewhere.”
The old woman quickly hobbled over and led her young grandson
away. The child looked back at them frequently, causing him to stumble as
they went.
“The clan heads think you rounded up a gang of remnant rebels to
take over this mountain and that you want to raise your flag high and
declare yourself a king. Turns out this ‘gang’ consists of women, children,
and the weak and elderly,” Jiang Cheng mocked. “Nothing but lumpy
melons and split jujubes.”
Wei Wuxian gave a brief self-deprecating smile.
Jiang Cheng then asked, “Where’s Wen Ning?”
“Why are you asking about him all of a sudden?” Wei Wuxian asked.
“Countless people have asked me this very question over the past few
days. But who could I ask? Seems you’re my only option,” Jiang Cheng
replied coldly.
Wei Wuxian pointed ahead, and the two walked side by side until
they arrived before a large, spacious cave. They were hit by a blast of cold,
sinister air from within. Once they entered the cave, they headed straight
through the main tunnel for a stretch until Jiang Cheng’s foot hit something.
When he looked down, he saw that it was half a compass.
“Don’t kick that,” Wei Wuxian said quickly. “It’s not finished yet, but
it’s useful.”
He picked it up just as Jiang Cheng stepped on something else. Jiang
Cheng looked down again and saw a wrinkled flag.
“Be careful where you’re traipsing around!” Wei Wuxian admonished
again. “That’s useful too; I’m almost done with it.”
 “You’re the one who left this mess everywhere!” Jiang Cheng said.
“You can’t blame someone for trampling on things.”
“I live alone. So what if I’m a bit messy?” Wei Wuxian countered.
They kept walking. There were talismans all along the path, plastered
to the walls and thrown on the ground, rolled into balls or ripped to shreds.
It looked as if someone had gone mad and thrown a fit. The deeper they
went into the cave, the messier it became. Jiang Cheng felt like he was
suffocating.
“If you ever dared to leave your room like this at Lotus Pier, I’d have
set fire to your things and burned it clean!”
They entered the main cavern. A person lay on the ground, plastered
with talismans from head to toe. He was completely wrapped in them,
leaving only a pair of white eyes showing. It was Wen Ning.
Jiang Cheng shot Wei Wuxian a glare. “You live here? Where do you
sleep?”
Wei Wuxian tossed the things he had just picked up into a corner and
pointed at a bunch of wrinkled blankets in another corner. “Snuggled up in
those, I can sleep anywhere.”
Jiang Cheng didn’t want to discuss the matter any further. He looked
down commandingly and examined the unmoving Wen Ning.
“What’s with him?”
“He’s a little fierce,” Wei Wuxian answered. “I was afraid things
might get out of hand, so I sealed him to keep him still for the time being.”
“Wasn’t he a stuttering scaredy-cat when he was alive?” Jiang Cheng
asked. “How could he wind up this fierce after death?”
His tone didn’t sound very friendly. Wei Wuxian glanced at him.
“Wen Ning was pretty timid when he was alive,” he agreed. “But
that’s precisely why he’s fierce now. All sorts of emotions were buried deep
inside him: resentment, hatred, anger, fear, anxiety, frustration, pain… Too
much of that built up, and it all erupted after his death. It’s a power you
can’t imagine. Mild-mannered people are always scary when they get angry,
and he runs on the same logic. Folks like him get violent after they die.”
 “Didn’t you always say the fiercer the better?” Jiang Cheng asked.
“The stronger the grudge, the greater the hatred, the stronger the destructive
power.”
“That’s right. But I don’t plan on refining Wen Ning into a corpse
like that,” Wei Wuxian said.
“What do you want to refine him into, then?”
“I want to awaken his mind.”
Jiang Cheng scoffed. “You’re letting your imagination run away with
you again. Awaken the mind of a corpse? How would that make him any
different from a living person? The way I see it, if you can actually manage
that, no one will need to live at all. No one will need to seek the immortal
ways, or follow the path of the Dao—they can just ask you to refine them
into a fierce corpse.”
Wei Wuxian laughed. “Yeah. I’ve also discovered that it’s really
fucking hard. But I already ran my mouth off about it to his sister, and now
all of them believe I can do it. I gotta make it happen. How else can I
possibly recover my poor old dignity…?”
Before he could finish, Jiang Cheng suddenly drew Sandu and aimed
a slash at Wen Ning’s throat, like he intended to slice off his head. Wei
Wuxian reacted miraculously fast, striking Jiang Cheng’s arm and knocking
the attack aside.
“What’re you doing?!” he shouted.
His yell echoed ceaselessly in the spacious Demon-Quelling Cave,
the air buzzing in reverberation.
Jiang Cheng didn’t sheathe his sword. “What am I doing? I should be
asking you that,” he responded sharply. “Wei Wuxian, you’ve been
extraordinary lately, huh?!”
Long before Jiang Cheng hiked up the Burial Mounds, Wei Wuxian
had anticipated that he wouldn’t be journeying here for the simple purpose
of having a friendly, pleasant chat with him. They’d kept things bottled up
for so long to maintain a pretend calm. Although they had been chatting
like nothing was wrong, in reality, their hearts were stretched taut as strings
the entire way here. And now the string had finally snapped.
 “Wen Qing and the others were forced into a corner. I had no other
options. Do you think I’d want to show off otherwise?” Wei Wuxian said.
“They were forced into a corner? I’m being forced into a corner by
you! A few days ago at Golden Carp Tower, I was singled out and
lambasted by all the clans both big and small. They demanded I give them
an explanation! Well, here I am to get one!”
“Demand an explanation for what?” Wei Wuxian said. “The score is
settled. The overseers killed Wen Ning; Wen Ning’s corpse turned fierce
and killed them. A life for a life. The debt is repaid and the case is closed.”
“Case closed? As if!” Jiang Cheng exclaimed. “Do you know how
many eyes are watching you and that Yin Tiger Tally of yours? And now
they’ve seized this chance. Even if you’re in the right, you’re considered at
fault!”
“You said it yourself. Even if I’m in the right, I’m considered at fault.
What other path can I take, aside from staying in a jail of my own making?”
“Other path? Of course there’s another path.” Jiang Cheng pointed at
Wen Ning on the ground with Sandu. “The only way to salvage the situation
is to settle things ourselves, before they make another move!”
“Settle how, exactly?”
“Burn this corpse immediately and hand over that gang of Wen
survivors. That’s how you can avoid becoming the subject of ridicule!”
Jiang Cheng said, raising his sword again to stab.
But Wei Wuxian seized his wrist. “Don’t be ridiculous! If I hand over
Wen Qing and the others, their fates will be sealed!”
“You don’t even know if you can get yourself out of this mess. Why
are you worried about them? If they’re executed, so be it. What’s it to
you?!”
Wei Wuxian was angry now. “Jiang Cheng! You… What are you
saying? Take that back. Don’t make me beat your ass! Don’t you dare forget
who helped us cremate Jiang-shushu and Madam Yu, or who delivered the
ashes that are now interred at Lotus Pier—or who took us in when Wen
Chao was hunting us down!”
 “I’m the one who wants to fucking beat your ass!” Jiang Cheng
snapped back. “Yes, they helped us. But why can’t you understand that the
surviving Wens are public targets? It doesn’t matter who they are—they’re
reprehensible simply by dint of bearing that family name! And anyone who
defends them is risking universal condemnation! Everyone hates the Wen
dogs, everyone wants them to die in the worst possible ways. Anyone who
defends them is setting themselves against the rest of the world. No one will
speak for them, and there won’t be anyone who will speak for you!”
“I don’t need anyone to speak for me,” Wei Wuxian declared.
Jiang Cheng was furious. “Why are you so stubborn? If you can’t do
it, then move! I’ll do it!”
Wei Wuxian’s hold on him tightened, his fingers like an iron shackle.
“Jiang Wanyin!”
“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng yelled. “Don’t you get it? When you’re
on their side, you’re a strange hero, a unique knight-errant, a force to be
reckoned with who’s in a league of his own. But the second you voice an
opinion that differs from theirs, you’re a maniac, immoral, a deviant who
shuns the orthodox path. Do you really think you can just ignore them?
Wander out and about in the secular world and live a carefree life? There is
no such precedent!”
“If there’s no such precedent, then I’ll be the first!” Wei Wuxian
yelled.
The two locked eyes. Their weapons had been drawn, and neither
was willing to be the first to concede.
After a few moments, Jiang Cheng tried again. “Wei Wuxian, do you
still not understand the situation we’re in? Do I have to spell it out for you?
If you’re determined to protect them, then I won’t be able to protect you.”
“No need to protect me. Just drop me,” Wei Wuxian said.
Jiang Cheng’s face started to twist.
“Drop me,” Wei Wuxian repeated. “Tell everyone that I defected. ‘No
matter what Wei Wuxian does going forward, his actions have nothing to do
with the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng.’”
 “…All for the sake of those Wens…?” Jiang Cheng asked. “Wei
Wuxian, do you have some kind of hero complex? Will you die if you don’t
ride forward to save the downtrodden and cause trouble?”
Wei Wuxian was silent.
A moment passed before he said, “Which is why we might as well
cut ties with each other now, so no disaster befalls the Jiang Clan of
Yunmeng in the future.”
If not, he really couldn’t guarantee what else he might be capable of
doing.
“…My mom always said it was in your nature to cause trouble for
our family. She was right,” Jiang Cheng muttered.
Then he sneered and mumbled to himself, “…‘Attempt the
impossible’? Fine. You understand the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng’s motto. You
understand it better than me. You all do.”
He sheathed Sandu with a resonant sching.
“Let’s fight, then,” Jiang Cheng said, sounding indifferent.
Three days later, the head of the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng issued a
challenge to Wei Wuxian. They fought a singularly sensational duel in
Yiling.
Negotiations had failed; the two came to blows. On Wei Wuxian’s
orders, the fierce corpse Wen Ning struck Jiang Cheng and broke one of his
arms, and Jiang Cheng stabbed Wei Wuxian. Neither side triumphed, in the
end. They parted ways, each coughing blood and cursing the other, and well
and truly fell out after that.
Following the duel, Jiang Cheng made this public statement: “Wei
Wuxian has defected from our clan and become a public enemy. The Jiang
Clan of Yunmeng expelled him and has broken all ties with him, drawing a
clear line between his deeds and our own. No matter what this man does
going forward, his actions have nothing to do with the Jiang Clan of
Yunmeng!”
 Chapter 17:
Distance

— Part 1 —

A FTER THE FIGHT, Wen Ning gained an unpleasant moniker due to

his terrifying display of ferocity. But that was a story for another time.
Although Jiang Cheng had stabbed him in the gut, Wei Wuxian
wasn’t concerned in the least. He stuffed his intestines back into his belly
like nothing was the matter and ordered Wen Ning to go hunt some
malicious spirits, then bought several large bags of potatoes before heading
back.
Once he returned to the Burial Mounds, Wen Qing bandaged him up
and then proceeded to unleash a torrent of abuse on him—for she had
instructed him to buy radish seeds while he was out.
After that, they managed to live a peaceful and uneventful life for a
while. Wei Wuxian presided over the fifty Wen cultivators, who planted
some crops at the Burial Mounds. He fixed some houses, refined some
corpses, and made some tools. Every day, he took a break to play with Wen
Yuan, the child of one of Wen Qing’s paternal cousins. Wen Yuan was only
a couple years old, and Wei Wuxian would hang him from tree branches or
bury him in the dirt with only his head sticking out—advising him that he
would grow faster if he was watered and got some sun. Then Wen Qing
would yell at him again.
 Many months passed thus. There were no further developments, apart
from the worsening of Wei Wuxian’s already-bad reputation.
Wei Wuxian couldn’t descend the mountain very often. He was the
one who kept all the evil spirits on the Burial Mounds in check, so he could
not go too far, nor leave for too long. But he was also an active person, and
the sort who could never stay in one place—leaving him no choice but to
make frequent runs to the nearby town in the name of procurement to allow
himself the chance to wander around.
There was also the matter of Wen Yuan, who had been stuck in the
Burial Mounds for too long. Wei Wuxian didn’t think a toddler should be
trapped in a place like that, playing in its dirt all the time. So one day, he
took the boy along when he descended the mountain to buy necessities.
Wei Wuxian had visited this town countless times by now. He made
his way to his usual vegetable stall and turned each vegetable this way and
that, inspecting them.
Suddenly, he raised one and exclaimed angrily, “This potato is
sprouted!”
The vegetable vendor was instantly on guard, as if suddenly facing
off against a deadly enemy. “Whaddya want?!”
“Make it cheaper.”
Wen Yuan clung to his leg at first, but Wei Wuxian was walking all
over the place as he selected potatoes and haggled prices. After a while,
Wen Yuan’s short little arms got sore and he couldn’t hang on anymore. He
let go of Wei Wuxian’s leg for only a moment in order to rest—but that was
all the time it took for the flowing crowd to knock him around, and he soon
lost his way. His field of vision was very low, and he couldn’t find Wei
Wuxian’s long legs and black boots no matter where or how far he walked.
Nothing but dusty, dirty, muddy legs and black trousers stretched out before
him.
He felt increasingly helpless, and dizzy on top of that. As he spun
around, he suddenly bumped into someone’s leg.
It was a man wearing a pair of pristine, snow-white boots and
walking at a very slow pace. At this sudden collision, he came to an
immediate stop.
Wen Yuan looked up in trepidation. First, he saw a jade pendant
hanging from the man’s waist. Then, he saw a belt embroidered with rolling
clouds. After that, he saw a meticulously neat collar. Finally, he was staring
into a pair of eyes that were the color of glass and as cold as winter frost.
This stranger had a stern face, and he was looking down at him
commandingly. Wen Yuan was seized with fright.
After all that nitpicking, Wei Wuxian decided not to buy any of the
sprouted potatoes. He might wind up poisoned, and besides, the stall vendor
had scoffed at the very idea of lowering his prices. To his surprise, Wen
Yuan was gone when he turned to look. The color drained from his face,
and he rushed off to scour the streets in search of him.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of a young child bursting into tears and
hurried over to see.
Not far away, nosy passersby had crowded into a circle to gawk at
something. They were whispering to themselves and pointing. When Wei
Wuxian finally managed to push through the crowd, his eyes lit up.
At the very center, surrounded by the crowd, was Lan Wangji. He
was dressed entirely in white, with Bichen strapped to his back, and stood
frozen in place. It was a rare sight to see him looking so helpless, not
knowing what to do. Taking a closer look, Wei Wuxian almost fell over
laughing.
There was a child sitting on the ground, plopped right in front of Lan
Wangji’s feet. He was bawling, tears and snot rolling freely down his face.
Lan Wangji couldn’t leave, couldn’t stay, couldn’t reach out, couldn’t
say a word. His face was stern, like he was considering his options.
The bystanders provided commentary as they peeled and snacked on
melon seeds.
“What’s goin’ on? That itty bitty bean is crying his heart out.”
“Probably got scolded by his dad,” someone said with conviction.
At the suggestion of “dad,” Wei Wuxian sputtered a laugh from his
hiding spot in the crowd. Lan Wangji immediately looked up and denied the
claim.
 “I am not his father.”
Wen Yuan didn’t understand what anyone was talking about, but
children always call for their loved ones when they are frightened. And so,
he sobbed and cried, “Daddy! Daddy! Waaaaaaaaah…”
“Y’hear that? I told you, he’s the dad!” a passerby declared
immediately.
“He’s definitely the father,” commented a passerby who considered
themselves to have a keen eye. “Their noses are cast from the same mold!
It’s a sure thing!”
“Oh, poor boy, he’s crying so hard,” said a sympathetic-looking
passerby. “Did his dad yell at him?”
“What’s going on over there?” a confused passerby exclaimed.
“Excuse me, excuse me, my cart can’t get through!”
“Don’t you know how to pick up your child and comfort him?” a
passerby berated Lan Wangji. “What kind of dad are you, just letting your
son sit on the ground and cry?!”
“You’re so young, this must be your first time being a dad,” a
passerby consoled Lan Wangji understandingly. “I was like that, too, back
when. I didn’t know a dang thing. You’ll get the hang of it once your wife
bears a few more. It all takes time…”
“Don’t cry, baby,” a passerby cooed at the child. “Where’s your
mommy?”
“Yeah, where’s the mom? His dad doesn’t care, so where’s the
mom?”
Lan Wangji was drowning in the wave of noise, and his expression
was growing odder by the second.
Pity the man who was born the darling of the heavens. His every
word and every action were the epitome of elegance; he was the role model
of role models. Never had he encountered such a situation; never had he
been forced to suffer the accusations of the masses. Wei Wuxian was
laughing himself to death, but upon seeing that Wen Yuan was about to pass
out from weeping, he had no choice but to step forward.
 Pretending to have only just discovered the two of them, he
exclaimed in surprise, “Huh? Lan Zhan?”
Lan Wangji’s head shot up, and the two locked eyes. For whatever
reason, Wei Wuxian’s eyes dodged away for a moment. But at the sound of
his voice, Wen Yuan instantly crawled to his feet and ran toward Wei
Wuxian, trailing two streams of tears before clinging to his leg anew.
The passersby were in an uproar.
“Who is this, now? What about the mom? Where’s the mom? Who
exactly is the dad?”
“Move along, move along,” Wei Wuxian waved dismissively.
Seeing that the show was over, the audience reluctantly dispersed.
Wei Wuxian turned his head and smiled at Lan Wangji.
“What a coincidence. What brings you here to Yiling, Lan Zhan?”
“A Night Hunt,” Lan Wangji replied. “I was passing through.”
The tone of his voice was the same as always, with no shred of scorn
or contempt or antagonism. Wei Wuxian suddenly felt relieved.
And then, he heard Lan Wangji ask a hesitant question. “…This
child?”
When his mind was relaxed, Wei Wuxian would always run his
mouth without restraint. “I birthed him,” he responded with confident ease.
Lan Wangji’s brows twitched, and Wei Wuxian burst out laughing.
“I’m joking, obviously. He’s someone else’s kid; I’m just taking him
out to play. What did you do earlier? How’d you make him cry?”
“I did not do anything,” Lan Wangji replied evenly.
Wen Yuan was still sniffling as he hugged Wei Wuxian’s leg. Wei
Wuxian understood what he was going through—while Lan Wangji was
good-looking, a child of A-Yuan’s age probably didn’t know what beauty
was. He could only tell that this person wasn’t very nice, and that he was
cold and stern. He was scared of Lan Wangji’s expression, which was
engraved with deep-seated bitterness. It simply couldn’t be helped.
Wei Wuxian hauled Wen Yuan up into his arms to playfully bounce
him up and down and comfort him with his words. Suddenly, he spotted a
vendor selling a variety of goods on the side of the road. The man was still
watching the three of them with a toothy grin.
Wei Wuxian pointed at the colorful trinkets in the vendor’s selection.
“A-Yuan, look over there. Are they pretty?”
This got Wen Yuan’s attention. He sniffled. “…Yes.”
“Do they smell nice?”
“Yes.”
The vendor beckoned them over hurriedly. “They look nice and smell
nice. Won’t you buy one, young master?”
“Do you want one?” Wei Wuxian asked.
Assuming that he was going to buy him something, Wen Yuan shyly
replied, “Yes.”
However, Wei Wuxian simply started walking in the other direction.
“Ha ha, let’s go.”
It was as if Wen Yuan had been struck by a heavy blow. Tears filled
his eyes once more. Lan Wangji had been coolly watching from the
sidelines but could no longer stand idly by.
“Why will you not purchase an item for him?”
“And why should I?” Wei Wuxian asked curiously.
“You asked if he wanted an item. Was this not an indication of your
intention to buy it for him?”
“Asking is asking, buying is buying. They’re two separate things,”
Wei Wuxian replied in a deliberate tone. “Why do I have to buy something
just because I asked him about it?”
Lan Wangji surprisingly had no answer to this. He stared at Wei
Wuxian for a long while before moving his gaze to Wen Yuan. The intensity
of his gaze set Wen Yuan shuddering again.
But Lan Wangji only asked Wen Yuan, “Which…do you want?”
Wen Yuan didn’t understand, so Lan Wangji pointed at the things in
the vendor’s load and asked again.
“Which of the things here do you want?”
 Wen Yuan stared at him in fear, holding his breath.
Half an incense time later, Wen Yuan had finally stopped crying.
Instead, he kept touching his pocket, which bulged with the trinkets Lan
Wangji had bought for him. Seeing that his tears had finally stopped, Lan
Wangji seemed to sigh in relief—and then to his surprise, Wen Yuan
suddenly shuffled over with blushing cheeks and clung to his leg.
When he looked down, there was now a new addition to his limb.
Lan Wangji was speechless at the sight.
Wei Wuxian laughed hysterically. “Ha ha ha ha ha! Congrats, Lan
Zhan, he likes you! He clings to the legs of anyone he likes. He’ll never let
go now.”
Lan Wangji took two steps. Sure enough, Wen Yuan was firmly
attached to his leg and showed no intention of letting go. His grip was
surprisingly strong.
Wei Wuxian patted his shoulder. “Don’t bother rushing off to your
Night Hunt so soon. How about we go grab a bite first?”
Lan Wangji looked up at him. “A bite?” he parroted, sounding calm.
“Yeah, let’s grab a bite. Don’t be so cold, now. You’re visiting Yiling
for once and oh-so-coincidentally ran into me. Let’s catch up. C’mon, it’ll
be my treat.”
And thus was Lan Wangji hauled into a restaurant, with Wei Wuxian
half pulling, half dragging him, and Wen Yuan still hanging off his leg.
Wei Wuxian took a seat inside their private room. “Go ahead,” he
beckoned. “Order something.”
After being pushed down into a seat, Lan Wangji skimmed through
the menu, then said, “You order.”
“It’s my treat, so you should be the one ordering,” Wei Wuxian
replied. “Get whatever you like, don’t hold back.”
He hadn’t bought those poisonous sprouted potatoes earlier, so it just
so happened that he actually had enough money to pay. Lan Wangji wasn’t
the type to argue back and forth, so he made his selection after a moment of
thought.
 Wei Wuxian laughed when he heard him say the names of the dishes
so evenly. “Dang, Lan Zhan. And here I thought you Gusu folk didn’t eat
spicy food. Your tastes are pretty intense. Want a drink?”
Lan Wangji shook his head.
“As expected of Hanguang-jun; still sticking to the rules even when
out and about,” Wei Wuxian commented. “I won’t order a share for you,
then.”
Wen Yuan sat by Lan Wangji’s feet. Taking the little wooden knife,
the little wooden sword, the clay doll, the straw-woven butterflies, and
other such trinkets, he lined them up on the mat and counted his hoard with
great fondness. Wei Wuxian watched as he attached himself to Lan Wangji,
nuzzling him so relentlessly that it was difficult for Lan Wangji to even
drink his tea.
Wei Wuxian whistled to beckon him over. “A-Yuan, come here.”
Wen Yuan looked at Wei Wuxian, who had buried him in the dirt like
a radish just a few days ago. He then looked at Lan Wangji, who had just
bought him a pile of toys. His butt did not scoot an inch closer, and an
honest response was writ large upon his face: No.
Wei Wuxian tried again. “Come over here, you’re bothering him.”
“It is fine. Let him stay.” Lan Wangji said.
Wen Yuan happily hugged his leg again. This time, his target was Lan
Wangji’s thigh. Wei Wuxian twirled his chopsticks and laughed.
“Whoever gives the milk is Mom; whoever gots the dough is Dad.
Outrageous.”
The dishes and drinks came quickly, filling the table with bright,
flaming red. There was a single bowl of sweet soup, which Lan Wangji had
ordered for Wen Yuan. Wei Wuxian called for him a number of times and
tapped on the bowl, but Wen Yuan still kept his head down, mumbling at
the two butterflies in his hands. One moment he was pretending to be the
butterfly on the left, saying shyly, “…I like you a lot.” The next moment he
pretended to be the butterfly on the right, and replied happily, “I like you a
lot too!” He was having a fantastic time playing as the two butterflies.
 Wei Wuxian laughed so hard he was out of breath, swaying back and
forth in his seat. “Oh my god. A-Yuan, you tiny little thing, who’d you learn
that from? ‘I like you,’ ‘you like me’—do you even know what ‘like’ is?
Stop playing and eat. Your new dad ordered all of this for you. It’s good
stuff.”
Wen Yuan finally tucked the little butterflies away in his pocket and
sat next to Lan Wangji. He picked up the bowl and a small spoon, and
began to eat the sweet soup. Wen Yuan had previously lived at the Qishan
detention camp and later moved to the Burial Mounds. The food in both
places was too foul to describe, which was why this bowl of sweet soup was
a novel delicacy to him. After only a few bites, he was unable to stop eating
—but he still managed to pass the bowl to Wei Wuxian like he was eagerly
offering treasure.
“…Xian-gege… Gege, eat.”
Wei Wuxian obliged and enjoyed the offering. “Mmm, not bad.
Seems you still know to show me some respect.”
“Food is taken in silence,” Lan Wangji said. Then, to help Wen Yuan
understand, he repeated himself in plain speech. “Do not talk while eating.”
Wen Yuan hastily nodded, stopping his chatter and engrossing
himself in his meal.
“This really is outrageous. I have to say something a dozen times
before he listens to me, but he listens to you the moment you speak,” Wei
Wuxian complained. “How absolutely outrageous.”
“You as well—food is taken in silence,” Lan Wangji replied
impassively.
Wei Wuxian grinned and took a drink, then fiddled with the cup in his
hand. “After all these years, you honestly…haven’t changed a single bit.
Hey, Lan Zhan, what are you hunting in Yiling? I know this place well.
Want me to give you pointers?”
“No need,” Lan Wangji said.
The representatives of prominent clans often had secret missions they
couldn’t divulge to others, so Wei Wuxian didn’t pry further. “I finally ran
into an old acquaintance who isn’t avoiding me. I’ve been so cooped up for
the past few months, it’s killin’ me. Anything big happen out there lately?”
“What would be considered ‘big’?” Lan Wangji asked.
“Like a new clan sprouting up somewhere, a clan expanding their
residence, clans forming an alliance, that kinda thing. C’mon, let’s chat a
little. Engage in some casual conversation.”
Ever since his fake falling out with Jiang Cheng, he’d heard no news
of events taking place in the outside world. At best, he only heard the
sundry idle talk in town when he went shopping.
“There will soon be a marriage alliance,” Lan Wangji said.
“Between which families?” Wei Wuxian asked.
“The Jin Clan of Lanling and the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng,” Lan
Wangji answered.
Wei Wuxian’s hand stopped toying with the wine cup and froze
completely. He was dumbfounded.
“My shi… Miss Jiang and Jin Zixuan?”
Lan Wangji inclined his head.
“When did this happen? When’s the wedding?!” Wei Wuxian
exclaimed.
“In seven days,” Lan Wangji said.
Wei Wuxian shakily brought the wine cup to his lips without
realizing it was already empty. A sudden desolation filled him, and he
didn’t know whether it was anger, shock, upset, or resignation.
Although he had expected this long before he left the Jiang Clan,
hearing the actual news so suddenly caused a thousand emotions and a
million words to flood his mind. He wanted desperately to let it all out but
didn’t know where to start. This was such huge news—why hadn’t Jiang
Cheng even thought of a way to tell him yet. If he hadn’t run into Lan
Wangji today, he might’ve learned about it even later!
But then again, what did it matter if anyone thought to tell him? Jiang
Cheng had already made a public announcement and the clans believed his
surface story: Wei Wuxian had defected and was henceforth unrelated to the
Jiang Clan of Yunmeng. Even if he knew about the wedding, he couldn’t
attend the celebration. It was right for Jiang Cheng not to tell him, because
he might have done something impulsive if he had.
It was a long moment before Wei Wuxian mumbled to himself,
“What a score for that Jin Zixuan.”
He poured another cup.
“Lan Zhan, how do you feel about this marriage?” When he received
no response from Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian continued, “Oh yeah, what am I
asking you for? What do you care? You never think about this stuff.”
He tossed back another cup. “I know that a lot of people say my
shijie doesn’t deserve Jin Zixuan. Ha. But in my eyes, it’s Jin Zixuan who
doesn’t deserve my shijie. And yet…”
And yet, Jin Zixuan just had to be the one Jiang Yanli liked.
Wei Wuxian smacked the wine cup down on the table.
“Lan Zhan! My shijie deserves the best person in the whole world,
you know.” He slapped the table, pride coloring his slightly inebriated brow.
“We will make this wedding a grand event; one that awes everyone, one
that will be praised for a hundred years. No one will ever match it. I will see
my shijie marry in absolute glory.”
“Mn,” Lan Wangji acknowledged.
Wei Wuxian scoffed. “What are you ‘mn’-ing for? I can’t actually go
see it anymore.”
Wen Yuan had finished his sweet soup and was playing with the
straw butterflies again. The butterflies’ long antennae had become
entangled, and he couldn’t free them. Seeing how anxious he looked, Lan
Wangji took the butterflies from his hands and untangled the antennae in no
time at all before returning the toys to him.
Wei Wuxian, somewhat distracted by the sight, forced a brief smile.
“A-Yuan, don’t rub your face on him. You have soup smeared all around
your mouth, you’ll stain his clothes.”
Wearing a neutral expression, Lan Wangji produced a plain white
hand towel and wiped the bit of soup from Wen Yuan’s face. Wei Wuxian
whistled.
 “Darn, Lan Zhan. I would never have suspected you were actually
good with kids. If you’re any nicer to him, he won’t wanna go back with
me…”
Wei Wuxian’s face changed all of a sudden. He pulled a talisman
from his robes. Already in flames, the talisman was reduced to ashes in a
few seconds. Lan Wangji’s gaze sharpened, and Wei Wuxian leapt to his
feet.
“Shoot.”
That talisman was the heart of an alarm array he had set up at the
Burial Mounds. Should anything happen at the Burial Mounds while he was
gone—such as the array breaking or blood being spilled—the talisman
would ignite to alert him something was wrong.
Wei Wuxian stuffed Wen Yuan under his arm and hurriedly
explained, “Sorry, Lan Zhan, I gotta go back!”
Something fell from Wen Yuan’s pocket. “Bu…butterfly!” he cried.
But Wei Wuxian had already bolted out of the restaurant with him
under his arm. Moments later, a white silhouette flashed in the corner of his
eye. Lan Wangji had caught up and was running at his side.
“Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian was surprised. “Why are you following
us?”
Lan Wangji handed the dropped butterfly back to Wen Yuan, not
answering the question. Instead, he asked, “Why not travel by sword?”
“Forgot to bring it!” Wei Wuxian answered.
Without a word, Lan Wangji seized his waist and pulled him onto
Bichen. They rose into the sky together. Wen Yuan was too young to have
ever ridden a flying sword, so he should have been quite scared, but Bichen
was so steady that he felt no turbulence at all. Furthermore, the townsfolk
were so shocked at the sight of them so swiftly shooting off into the skies at
will that they crowded around to watch. All Wen Yuan could feel was
excitement at the novelty of the experience. He cheered loudly.
Wei Wuxian breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks.”
“Where to?” Lan Wangji asked.
 “That way!” Wei Wuxian directed.
The three flew at top speed in the direction of the Burial Mounds.
Wei Wuxian grew even tenser at the sight of its black summit breaking
through the clouds.
They could already hear the howling of fierce corpses coming from
the distant black forest. And it wasn’t just one or two—it was a horde of
them. Lan Wangji made a hand seal and Bichen flew even faster, though
their passage remained steady all the while.
The moment they landed, they saw a shrieking black shadow leap
from the woods in pursuit of its human target. Bichen slashed it in half. The
person on the ground was tragically pale, and he yelled to Wei Wuxian the
moment he saw him.
“Wei-gongzi!”
Wei Wuxian hurled out a talisman. “Si-shu, what happened?!”
“The Demon-Quelling Cave… The fierce corpses escaped from the
Demon-Quelling Cave!”
“Didn’t I set up a barrier array? Who touched it?” Wei Wuxian
demanded.
“No one!” Si-shu said. “It was…it was…”
Just then, a woman’s loud cry came from up ahead.
“A-Ning!”
Within the black forest, over a dozen Wen cultivators were
confronting an extremely savage opponent—and that opponent was Wen
Ning. His eyes were rolled all the way back, showing only a field of white,
and barely any of the talismans he’d been wrapped in remained. He was
dragging around two other fierce corpses that he had already ripped apart
with his bare hands, reducing them to almost nothing but bones dripping
with black blood. And yet Wen Ning continued to beat them with ferocious
aggression, slamming them into the ground over and over again, as if he
wouldn’t be satisfied until they were reduced to ashes. Wen Qing stood on
the front lines of the cultivator team, wielding a sword.
“Didn’t I say not to touch the talismans on him?!” Wei Wuxian
yelled.
 Wen Qing didn’t even have time to be surprised by Lan Wangji’s
sudden appearance.
“No one touched them!” she yelled back. “No one even entered the
Demon-Quelling Cave! He went berserk and tore them off on his own! And
he didn’t just rip them off himself, he destroyed the barrier array on the
Blood Pool and the Cave. All the fierce corpses that were in the Blood Pool
have crawled out. Wei Wuxian—go save Granny and the others, hurry!
They can’t hang on any longer!”
A strange hissing noise came from above as she spoke. When the
group looked up, they saw several fierce corpses had climbed into the trees.
They were curled like snakes in the branches, baring their teeth at the
humans below. A disgusting, unknown viscous substance drooled from their
snarling fangs.
Wen Ning looked up and saw them as well. He discarded the broken,
mangled limbs he held and jumped into the trees with a single leap!
The tree he scaled was at least fifteen meters tall. To think he could
jump so high in a single bound! Truly, his explosive strength was shocking
to the extreme. Once he landed atop the tree, it only took two swipes for
him to tear the fierce corpses limb from limb. Body parts flew haphazardly,
and the sky rained blood, but he still wasn’t satisfied. Wen Ning jumped
down from the other side of the tree.
Wei Wuxian pulled out Chenqing. “Lan—!”
He wanted to ask Lan Wangji to save the others first, which would
allow him to face Wen Ning without worry. But when he looked back, the
man was already gone. Just as worry seized him, he heard the heavens
shake with the force of a guqin’s loud, crisp chord. The sound shocked the
crows of the black forest into wild flight.
As it turned out, he hadn’t needed to ask; Lan Wangji had already
taken action. Wei Wuxian relaxed. He brought Chenqing to his lips and let
loose a long trilling note. Wen Ning’s form faltered slightly as he landed,
and Wei Wuxian seized this chance to shout to him.
“Wen Ning! Do you recognize me?!”
The guqin strummed three times and then went quiet, which meant
Lan Wangji had subdued all the runaway fierce corpses with three notes.
Wen Ning drooped a little, a low growl emitting from the bottom of his
throat. He was the very image of an agitated wild beast, alert and ready to
pounce at any given moment.
As Wei Wuxian was about to play his flute once more, he suddenly
noticed Wen Yuan was still firmly clinging to his leg, not daring to breathe.
He had completely forgotten about him all this time!
He hastily picked up Wen Yuan and tossed him in Wen Qing’s
direction.
“Take him and go hide somewhere far away!”
And then Wen Ning tackled him.
It was like he had been hit by a falling boulder. Wei Wuxian was sent
flying backward from the impact, crashing into a tree. Warm blood rose up
his throat and he cursed.
Lan Wangji saw this take place just as he turned around. His face
changed drastically, and he rushed to Wei Wuxian. Wen Qing, who had just
pushed Wen Yuan into someone else’s arms to go check on Wei Wuxian,
was startled to find that Lan Wangji had gotten there before she could. Lan
Wangji had practically folded Wei Wuxian into his embrace, clutching his
hand in his own to directly transfer his spiritual power to him.
“Let go of him, there’s no need for that!” Wen Qing said hurriedly.
“Let me! I am Wen Qing!”
Wen Qing of Qishan was a doctor of the highest caliber. It was only
upon her arrival that Lan Wangji stopped transferring spiritual power and
allowed her to examine Wei Wuxian—but he would not let go of his hand.
However, Wei Wuxian pushed him away. “Don’t let him run off!”
After injuring Wei Wuxian, Wen Ning had begun to walk down the
mountain, his arms hanging slack at his sides. Down the mountain was
where the rest of the Wen cultivators were hiding from the fierce corpses.
“Run! Hurry! He’s heading your way!” Wen Qing yelled down
toward them.
Wei Wuxian struggled free of Lan Wangji, took a deep breath, and
began to pursue Wen Ning. Lan Wangji hurried after him and caught up
again.
 “Where is your sword?”
Wei Wuxian hurled forth twelve talismans. “Who knows where I
tossed it?!”
The twelve yellow talismans formed a row in the air and ignited,
binding Wen Ning with a chain of flame. Lan Wangji strummed his guqin
with a flick of his wrist, and Wen Ning’s legs were bound by an invisible
string. Although he paused for a moment, he then continued arduously
forward.
Wei Wuxian placed Chenqing to his lips. Because of the injury he
had suffered, some blood sprayed forth as he blew a note. His brows
knitted, but he endured the bloody, painful turbulence in his chest and
continued playing the flute without a single tremor.
Thanks to their combined efforts, Wen Ning finally dropped to his
knees. He looked to the sky and let loose a long howl, sending shock waves
through the leaves of the black forest. Wei Wuxian, unable to hold back any
longer, choked out a mouthful of blood.
The sound of the guqin named Wangji suddenly turned sharp, and
Wen Ning curled up on the ground, clutching his head and roaring like mad.
“A-Ning! A-Ning!” Wen Qing cried mournfully.
She rushed over to him, but Wei Wuxian shouted a warning to her.
“Watch out!”
Seeing her little brother so distressed by the sound of the guqin hurt
Wen Qing just as much. She knew he would be a danger to all present in his
current state if they failed to strike decisively and mercilessly, but her heart
nonetheless ached for him.
“Hanguang-jun, please have mercy!”
“Lan Zhan! Go softer with your strikes…” Wei Wuxian urged.
“…Gong…zi…”
Wei Wuxian stopped. “Wait…?” Then he called out, “Lan Zhan,
could you stop for a minute?!”
The voice came from Wen Ning.
 Lan Wangji flattened his hand over the vibrating strings, halting the
resounding note.
“Wen Ning?!” Wei Wuxian called out again.
Wen Ning arduously raised his head.
His eyes were no longer fields of empty, deathly white. Rather…they
were now dotted with a pair of black pupils!
Wen Ning opened and closed his mouth, then tried again. “…Wei…
gongzi…?”
Each word was squeezed out with great effort, and he seemed to
almost bite his own tongue in the process—but the words spoken were
indeed human words. It wasn’t meaningless growling.
Wen Qing was completely dumbfounded. Moments later, she let out a
loud wail and stumbled as she lunged over.
“A-Ning!” she cried.
She tackled him with such force that both of them fell to the ground.
“Jie…jie…” Wen Ning said.
Wen Qing pulled her little brother into a hug, crying and laughing,
and buried her head in his chest. “It’s me! It’s jiejie, it’s jiejie! Oh, A-
Ning!”
She kept crying Wen Ning’s name. The other cultivators looked like
they wanted to join the embrace, but didn’t dare, so they simply cheered
and laughed and randomly hugged each other. Si-shu shouted in crazed
happiness as he ran down the mountain.
“Everything’s good now! It’s done! It’s done! A-Ning’s awake!”
Wei Wuxian walked over and crouched next to Wen Ning.
“How’re you feeling right now?”
Wen Ning lay on the ground, his limbs and neck still somewhat stiff.
“I… I…”
He remained stuck there a while before he finally said, “…I want to
cry really badly, but I can’t. What’s going on…?”
 Wei Wuxian was silent a while, then patted his shoulder. “You
remember, don’t you? That you’re dead.”
Having confirmed Wen Ning was truly conscious, Wei Wuxian
inwardly let out a long sigh of relief.
He had succeeded.
Driven by a momentary angry impulse, he had turned Wen Ning into
a low-level fierce corpse. Although he had been able to prompt Wen Ning
to identify and tear apart the overseers who had murdered him, it had only
made Wen Qing all the more anguished when she woke to a little brother
who didn’t recognize her at all—one who only knew how to growl like a
mad dog, to tear and devour flesh, to guzzle blood like water.
Once he had calmed down, Wei Wuxian swore to her in perfect
confidence that he could return Wen Ning to a conscious state—and no one
was the wiser that he was only talking big to ease her mind. In truth, he
wasn’t at all sure he could succeed, but he had no choice but to brazenly
forge ahead.
He had racked his brain for answers, forgoing sleep and food for days
on end. And now he had finally managed to fulfill his promise.
Wen Qing cupped Wen Ning’s pale face. Fat tears poured from her
eyes like beads, one after another. At last, she could hold it in no longer and
completely dissolved into wailing, crying the same way she had the night
she first saw Wen Ning’s dead body.
Wen Ning rubbed her back with one stiff hand. More and more of the
Wens came up the mountain, either flinging themselves into the pile of
crying people or gazing in respect and gratitude at Wei Wuxian and Lan
Wangji.
Wei Wuxian knew the two siblings probably had a lot to say to each
other, and also that Wen Qing would not want anyone to see her crying like
this. He spoke up.
“Lan Zhan.”
Lan Wangji gazed at him.
“Since you’re here, wanna go inside and sit for a bit?”
 The two of them walked up the mountain and arrived at the mouth of
a cave that spewed forth sinister winds.
“The Demon-Quelling Cave?” Lan Wangji inquired.
“That’s right,” Wei Wuxian said. “I came up with the name, whaddya
think?”
Lan Wangji was silent.
“I know. You must be thinking, ‘It’s not very good,’” Wei Wuxian
answered on his behalf. “I’ve heard everyone gossiping since word of the
name got out. They say I’m a big-time demonic overlord myself, a walker
of the demonic path—how am I not embarrassed to call my little old lair the
‘Demon-Quelling Cave’?”
Lan Wangji didn’t comment. The two had entered the cave at this
point, and Wei Wuxian’s laugh echoed in the empty, spacious interior.
“But they’re wrong. The name I chose doesn’t mean what they think
it does.”
“How so?” Lan Wangji asked.
“Simple,” Wei Wuxian answered. “I named it that because I sleep
here most of the time. An evil overlord sprawled unconscious on the ground
of a cave—isn’t that a ‘demon quelled’?”
Lan Wangji was speechless.
The two entered the main room of the cave system.
“Then what about the Blood Pool?” Lan Wangji asked.
Wei Wuxian pointed at a serene pool. “That’s it, right there.”
The light inside the cave was dim, so it was difficult to tell whether
the pool was black or red. The astringent smell of blood emanated from the
water, neither light nor heavy. There had been a barrier array drawn around
the pool, but Wen Ning had destroyed it. Wei Wuxian constructed and
reinforced a new one.
“It is heavy with yin energy,” Lan Wangji commented.
“Yeah, it’s lousy with it,” Wei Wuxian agreed. “Good for nurturing
evil stuff. This is where I ‘raise’ unfinished fierce corpses. Guess how many
of them lurk beneath?”
 He flashed a brief smile.
“Well, to be honest, even I don’t know how many there are in there.
But the water is starting to smell more and more like blood.”
Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but Wei Wuxian’s face looked
particularly pale, and his smile seemed vaguely sinister. Lan Wangji
watched him quietly.
“Wei Ying.”
“What?”
“Are you really in control?” Lan Wangji asked.
“In control of what?” Wei Wuxian asked. “Oh, you mean Wen Ning?
Of course. See? He regained consciousness already.” He added, sounding
pleased, “A fierce corpse without precedent.”
“What will you do, should he go berserk again?” Lan Wangji
questioned.
“I have plenty of experience dealing with it now. I’m the one
controlling him, so as long as I’m fine, he’ll have no issues.” Wei Wuxian
said.
After a moment’s silence, Lan Wangji pressed, “And if you are not
fine?”
Wei Wuxian firmly dismissed the thought. “That won’t happen.”
“How can you guarantee as much?”
“That won’t happen,” Wei Wuxian reiterated, his tone firm. “It can’t
happen either.”
“Do you plan on staying like this from now on?” Lan Wangji asked.
“And what’s wrong with that?” Wei Wuxian shot back. “Do you
scorn my great domain? This mountain is bigger than your Cloud Recesses,
you know. The food is better too.”
“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji said. “You know what I mean.”
“…Lan Zhan…” Wei Wuxian was exasperated. “You really are
unbelievable. I changed the subject, but you brought it right back.”
 There was a sudden itch in his throat, a sudden surge of blood rushing
up. Wei Wuxian quietly cleared his throat a couple times. Seeing Lan
Wangji move to take his hand again, he dodged away.
“What are you doing?”
“Your injury,” Lan Wangji explained.
“Don’t worry about it,” Wei Wuxian stated. “Why waste spiritual
power on such a minor injury? I just need to sit down for a while, and it’ll
get better on its own.”
Lan Wangji stopped bothering to argue with him and tried grabbing
for his hand again. Just then, two people walked into the cave.
Wen Qing’s voice echoed in the cave. “‘Sit down for a little while
and it’ll get better on its own’? Did you already write me off as dead?”
Following behind her was Wen Ning, who was holding a tea tray.
Wen Ning’s skin was deathly pale, and there were traces of spells on his
neck that hadn’t been completely wiped clean. Wen Yuan hung from his leg.
The moment they entered, he dashed to Wei Wuxian’s side in a flurry of
pitter-pattering feet and transferred himself to his leg instead. Seeing Wei
Wuxian and Lan Wangji look toward him at the same time, Wen Ning’s lips
twitched. It seemed like he wanted to smile, but the muscles of his face
were too stiff to manage the movement. All he could do was greet them
aloud.
“Wei-gongzi… Lan-gongzi…”
Wei Wuxian raised his captive leg into the air, lifting Wen Yuan with
it, and shook. “Why are you guys here? Finished crying already?”
“Just watch how I’ll make you cry later!” Wen Qing rebuked. Though
her words were ferocious, her voice was still nasally from weeping.
“What a joke,” Wei Wuxian shot back. “How can you make me…
Ahh!”
Wen Qing had stridden over and slapped him hard on the back, which
forced Wei Wuxian to sputter out a mouthful of blood. His face was full of
disbelief.
“You… You’re vicious…”
 His eyes closed as soon as he spoke, and he fainted on the spot. Lan
Wangji blanched and caught him.
“Wei Ying!”
Wen Qing flashed three gleaming silver needles. “I have far more
vicious tricks that you haven’t seen yet,” she rebuked. “Get up!”
Wei Wuxian rose from Lan Wangji’s arms like nothing had happened
and wiped away the blood on his lips.
“I’ll pass on that. ‘The most vicious be the heart of a woman,’3 they
say. I don’t wanna witness it firsthand.”
Wen Qing’s slap had simply expelled the bad blood clogging his
lungs. Would Qishan’s greatest doctor, renowned among all the clans, really
not know how to control the strength of her hand? Realizing it was just
another prank, Lan Wangji turned around with an angry flick of his sleeves,
as if not wanting to give such a silly person any more attention.
Wen Ning had only just woken, so his reactions lagged one beat
behind. Struck dumb when he saw Wei Wuxian spew blood, he only now
remembered that he’d been the one to injure him when he was still without
his conscious mind.
“Gongzi, I’m sorry…” he apologized, voice heavy with guilt.
Wei Wuxian waved him off. “All right, that’s enough. Do you really
think that punch of yours could do anything to me?”
Wen Qing’s jet-black eyes observed Lan Wangji’s expression intently.
“Why don’t you have a seat, Hanguang-jun?”
It finally dawned on Wei Wuxian—after entering the cave, Lan
Wangji had never once sat down. No wonder he felt like he had forgotten
something. The only places to sit were the few rock beds, and every single
one of them was covered with miscellaneous oddities. There were flags and
knives and boxes, bloody bandages and half-eaten fruit. It was a devastating
sight to behold.
“But there’s nowhere to sit, I guess,” Wei Wuxian said.
“Of course there is,” Wen Qing said coolly, then ruthlessly swiped
everything on one of the rock beds to the ground. “See? There you go.”
 Wei Wuxian was utterly shocked. “Hey!”
Wen Ning chimed in as well. “Yes, yes, Lan-gongzi, sit and have
some tea…”
He pushed the tray in his hands in Lan Wangji’s direction. There were
two tea cups placed on the tray, washed very clean. But when Wei Wuxian
took a look inside them, he scolded him.
“So shabby, offering plain water to guests. There’s not a single tea
leaf!”
“I asked, and Si-shu said there was no tea in our food stores…” Wen
Ning tried to explain.
Wei Wuxian picked up one of the cups and took a sip. “That’s so not
okay. Gotta prepare some the next time we have guests, ’kay?”
It was only after he spoke that he felt ridiculous for saying it. What
next time? What guests?
“Well, aren’t you shameless?” Wen Qing asked. “Every time you’re
sent down the mountain to make purchases, you always bring back a
random mess of things. Where are the radish seeds I asked you to buy?”
“What do you mean, ‘random mess of things’?” Wei Wuxian
protested. “I’ve been away getting fun toys for A-Yuan. Haven’t I, A-
Yuan?”
But Wen Yuan wasn’t cooperative. “Xian-gege is lying. It was this
gege who bought the toys for me.”
Wei Wuxian was furious. “Preposterous!”
Laughter filled the Demon-Quelling Cave, but Lan Wangji abruptly
turned around without another word and headed toward the exit. Wen Qing
and Wen Ning were both taken aback, while Wei Wuxian called after him.
“Lan Zhan?”
Lan Wangji’s steps paused for a moment. His tone devoid of emotion,
he stated, “It is time for me to leave.”
He exited the Demon-Quelling Cave without looking back. Wen Ning
was panic-stricken once more, as if it were his fault that Lan Wangji was
leaving.
 “Gege!” Wen Yuan called out to him anxiously.
He dashed forward on his short little legs, wanting to chase after him,
but Wei Wuxian caught him easily and tucked him under his arm.
“You guys wait for me here,” he said.
He hurried out of the cave with large strides, combining three steps
into two, and caught up to Lan Wangji.
“You’re leaving? I’ll see you off.”
Lan Wangji was silent and would not respond.
Wen Yuan looked up at Lan Wangji from where he was still tucked
under Wei Wuxian’s arm. “Gege, you’re not gonna stay to eat dinner with
us?”
Lan Wangji glanced at him, then reached out and hesitantly stroked
his head. Wen Yuan thought that meant he was staying, and delight showed
on his face.
“A-Yuan heard a secret,” he whispered. “They said there are lots of
good things to eat today…”
“This gege has food at home, so we won’t be keeping him, ’kay?”
Wei Wuxian said.
“Ohh,” said Wen Yuan, his disappointment beyond words. His head
drooped, and he stopped talking.
The two of them walked quietly the entire way, child in tow, until
they reached the foot of the Burial Mounds. Though they both stopped at
the same time, they still did not speak.
It was a while before Wei Wuxian said, “Lan Zhan, you asked me
earlier if I planned on staying like this. The truth is, I want to ask you a
question too—if I don’t stay like this, what else can I do? Should I abandon
the demonic path? Then what about the folks on this mountain? Should I
give them up? I couldn’t do it. I’m sure if it were you, you couldn’t either.
Can’t anyone give me an easy, broad road? A road I can walk that allows
me to protect the ones I want to protect, without needing to cultivate the
demonic path?”
 Lan Wangji gazed at him. He didn’t respond, but deep down they
both knew the answer.
There was no such path.
There was no solution.
“Thank you for keeping me company today, and thank you for telling
me about my shijie’s wedding,” Wei Wuxian said slowly. “But—right or
wrong, the decision is my own. It doesn’t matter what others think of those
decisions. I will bear the consequences of my actions, whether they be good
or ill. I know what I should do. And I believe everything is still within my
ability to control.”
Lan Wangji inclined his head and closed his eyes. It was as if he had
already anticipated this stance.
This was goodbye.
On the way back up the mountain, Wei Wuxian belatedly realized he
had said he was treating Lan Wangji to a meal. But in the end, the two had
gone their separate ways in such a dreary mood, and he had forgotten to pay
the bill.
Oops. Well, Lan Zhan is so rich, it’s no big deal to make him pick up
the bill again, Wei Wuxian thought to himself. Speaking of which, he
should have some money left, right? He couldn’t have spent it all on just a
few kids’ toys. If anything, I’ll treat him next time… What “next time”?
Honestly…
When he thought about it, he and Lan Wangji always parted on
unhappy terms whenever they met, for one reason or another. Maybe they
really weren’t meant to be friends.
Either way, there was little chance they could try again in the future.
Wen Yuan held Wei Wuxian’s hand with his left hand and wielded the
little wooden sword with his right. The straw butterfly sat on his head.
“Xian-gege, will Rich-gege come again?”
Wei Wuxian sputtered a laugh. “What? Who’s Rich-gege?”
“The rich gege is Rich-gege,” Wen Yuan answered seriously.
“Then what about me?” Wei Wuxian asked.
 Sure enough, Wen Yuan replied, “You’re Xian-gege. Poor-gege.”
Wei Wuxian shot him a look, then suddenly snatched the butterfly
from him. “What, you like him because he’s got money?”
Wen Yuan stood on tiptoe with an anxious cry. “Give it back… That
was bought for me!”
Wei Wuxian was the nonsensical sort of man who could get excited
even when messing with children. He placed the butterfly atop his own
head. “I don’t care. You called him Daddy too. And what do you call me?
Only ‘gege.’ You dropped me in seniority for no good reason!”
Wen Yuan stomped his foot. “I didn’t call him Daddy!”
“You did, I heard you,” Wei Wuxian said. “I don’t care. I wanna be
more senior than ‘gege’ or ‘Daddy’! What should you call me?”
Wen Yuan was aggrieved. “But… But A-Yuan doesn’t wanna call
you Mommy… That’s so weird…”
Wei Wuxian sputtered out another laugh. “Who said to call me
Mommy? The one more senior than your gege and daddy is your
granddaddy! Didn’t you know that? If you really like him so much, then
you should’ve said so earlier. If you had, I would’ve had him take you
along. His family might be rich, but they’re scary. He’ll take you home,
lock you up indoors, and make you copy books day and night. That scare
ya?!”
Wen Yuan quickly shook his head and squeaked in a small voice, “…
I won’t leave…I still want Granny.”
Wei Wuxian continued to press him. “You want your granny but not
me?”
“I do. I want Xian-gege too,” Wen Yuan assured him to ingratiate
himself. He started counting on his fingers, one by one. “I want Rich-gege
too. And A-Qing-jiejie, Ning-gege, Si-shu, Liu-shu…”
Wei Wuxian tossed the butterfly back onto his head. “Enough,
enough. You’re drowning me in that crowd.”
Wen Yuan quickly tucked the straw butterfly back into his pocket,
scared it might get snatched away again. He then pressed Wei Wuxian with
further questions. “So will Rich-gege come again?”
 Wei Wuxian only continued to smile. It was a while before he
answered.
“Probably not.”
“Why not?” Wen Yuan was disappointed.
“No reason,” Wei Wuxian said. “Everyone has their own things to do
out in the world, and their own paths to walk. Our house is busy enough.
How would we have time to concern ourselves with other people’s
families?”
After all, they were not traveling on the same road.
Although he did not quite understand, Wen Yuan still replied with an
“Oh.”
He looked rather down. Wei Wuxian scooped him up and tucked him
under his arm.
“…Who cares about the broad and bustling highway?” He humphed.
“I prefer to follow the single-plank bridge into the darkness… Into! The! …
Into the darkness?”
When he sang out the word “darkness,” he suddenly noticed that it
wasn’t dark at all. The black summit he always returned to was vastly
different tonight.
The area around the few little huts had been swept clean; even the
weeds had been pulled. Several round, vibrantly red lanterns hung in the
nearby woods, dangling from branches. The lanterns were all handmade.
While they were simple and crude, they emitted a warm light that
illuminated the pitch-black forest.
The fifty-odd people would usually have finished their meals and
holed up in their run-down shacks by now, with the lights extinguished. But
tonight, they were all gathered in the most spacious hut. That hut, which
consisted of a rooftop held up by eight wooden stakes, could accommodate
everyone. The small structure next to it was the “kitchen,” so this had
become the dining hall.
Wei Wuxian, finding the sight strange, walked over with Wen Yuan
under his arm. “Why is everyone here today? Not heading off to bed? It’s so
bright with all those lanterns.”
 Wen Qing walked out of the kitchen, carrying a plate. “The lanterns
were hung for your sake, oh elder one. Let’s make more tomorrow and hang
them on the mountain path. It’s not easy to find your way around in the
dark. You’ll trip and break a bone one of these days.”
“Come now, even if I break a bone, don’t we have you?” Wei Wuxian
said.
“I certainly don’t want to do extra work. It’s not like I get paid for it,”
Wen Qing shot back. “If you do break a limb, don’t blame me for bruising
you when I set it.”
Wei Wuxian shuddered and swiftly crept away. As he walked into the
hut, the people inside quickly made room for him. There were three tables,
each laden with seven or eight steaming hot plates of freshly cooked food.
“What, you guys haven’t eaten yet?” Wei Wuxian asked.
“Nah. We were waiting for you,” Wen Qing answered.
“Why are you waiting for me? I already ate,” Wei Wuxian said.
As soon as he spoke, he realized he’d made a mistake. Sure enough,
Wen Qing slammed a plate onto the table, and the red chili peppers
sprinkled over the vegetables bounced with the impact.
“No wonder you didn’t buy anything. You spent everything at a
restaurant, didn’t you?” Wen Qing raged. “I’ve only got so much money,
and I gave it all to you. Look at how carefree you are with your spending!”
“No! I didn’t…” Wei Wuxian tried explaining himself.
Just then, Granny Wen shakily hobbled out of the kitchen, leaning on
her cane and clutching a plate in her free hand. Wen Yuan wriggled and
squirmed out from under Wei Wuxian’s arm, then ran over.
“Granny!”
Wen Qing turned around to help her, complaining all the while. “I
told you not to worry about helping bring the plates out. Just sit, you don’t
have to help. It’s smoky in there. Your legs are bad and your hands aren’t
steady; if you drop a plate, we don’t have many left. It’s not easy
transporting those wares up the mountain…”
 The other cultivators busied themselves with setting out chopsticks
and pouring tea, saving the head seat for Wei Wuxian. Seeing them like this
made him feel uncomfortable about accepting the gesture.
Over the past few months, he had been fully aware that the Wens
were somewhat afraid of him. These people had heard of his vicious name
and his insane deeds during the Sunshot Campaign. They had heard the
widespread rumors of the savage, evil ways he took his anger out on people.
With their own eyes, they had seen him order corpses to murder the living.
In the beginning, old Granny Wen’s legs would shudder nonstop whenever
she saw him, and Wen Yuan would hide behind her. It was many days
before he dared to slowly approach him.
But now, those same fifty pairs of eyes were watching him. Although
there was still some fear in their gazes, it was the sort of fear attached to
respect and reverence. Their eyes also carried a trace of cautiousness, and
some intent to ingratiate themselves. However, it was by and large the same
gratitude and goodwill that shone in the eyes of the Wen siblings.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done, all this time,” Wen Qing said
quietly.
“You…are suddenly being nice to me. I’m kind of scared?” Wei
Wuxian said.
Wen Qing’s knuckles seemed to briefly crack, and Wei Wuxian
immediately shut up. However, she continued her quiet speech.
“…They’ve always wanted to have a meal with you, and to thank
you. But you’re always busy running around or locking yourself up in the
Demon-Quelling Cave for days and telling everyone you’re not to be
disturbed. They were afraid they would distract you from your work or
bother you. They thought you didn’t like to mingle with people and that you
didn’t want to talk to them, so they didn’t want to pester you with any
attempts at conversation. When A-Ning woke up today, Si-shu said we had
to make you sit down for a feast, no matter what… So just sit down, even if
you stuffed yourself to bursting earlier today. It’s fine even if you don’t eat.
Just sit and chat, have a drink, and that’ll be enough.”
Wei Wuxian was struck silent. Then his eyes lit up. “Drink? There’s
booze up here?”
 The elder Wens had been watching them nervously, but as soon as
they heard him say that, one immediately responded.
“Yeah, yeah. There’s drink.” He passed Wei Wuxian several tightly
sealed jugs that had been sitting on the table. “It’s fruit wine. Made from
wild fruits picked on the mountain. It’s got some real body to it!”
“Si-shu also loves to drink,” Wen Ning said from where he was
crouching by the table. “He knows how to make wine and made those
specially for tonight’s dinner. He tried for many days.”
Because he now spoke so slowly, one word at a time, he did not
stutter. Si-shu gave an abashed smile but continued to nervously stare at
Wei Wuxian.
“Is that so?” Wei Wuxian said. “Then I gotta give it a try!”
He sat down at the table, and Si-shu immediately opened a sealed jug
and passed it to him with both hands. Wei Wuxian sniffed it and smiled.
“It does have a pretty nice body!”
The others sat down along with him. After hearing his praise, smiles
split their faces as if they had been greatly commended, and they dug in
with their chopsticks.
For the very first time, Wei Wuxian paid no attention to the wine’s
flavor.
He thought to himself, Follow the path into the darkness…huh?
It wasn’t all that dark.
Suddenly, he felt refreshed and alive.
Fifty people were crammed around three tables, their chopsticks
darting here and there. Wen Yuan sat on his grandmother’s lap and showed
off his new treasures, sparring with the little wooden saber and the little
wooden sword for her to see. The old woman was smiling so hard her
toothless gums could be seen. Wei Wuxian and Si-shu were locked in
heated conversation, sharing their experience with various wines. In the
end, they unanimously agreed that the famous Gusu brew, Emperor’s Smile,
was the uncontested best of all. Wen Qing circled around, pouring fruit
wine for the family elders and their subordinates. After only two rounds, the
jugs were emptied.
 “How is it gone already? I haven’t even drunk that much!” Wei
Wuxian protested.
“There are a few more jugs,” Wen Qing said. “But save those and
drink them slowly. Don’t drink any more today.”
“Well, that’s not gonna happen.” Wei Wuxian said. “As the saying
goes, better a good cup of wine today than posthumous fame tomorrow.
Don’t say any more: fill ’er up, thanks.”
Today was special, so Wen Qing filled his cup. “There is no next
time. I really think you need to lay off the liquor in general. You drink way
too much.”
“This isn’t the Cloud Recesses, there will be no abstaining from
booze!” Wei Wuxian exclaimed.
At the mention of the Cloud Recesses, Wen Qing cast a glance at Wei
Wuxian. “I forgot to ask,” she began, apparently casual. “You’ve never
brought anyone to the Burial Mounds before. What happened today?”
“You mean Lan Zhan?” Wei Wuxian asked. “I ran into him on the
street.”
“Ran into him? Ran into him how? Was it a chance encounter?” Wen
Qing asked.
“Yeah.”
“What a coincidence,” Wen Qing commented. “I recall the two of
you also met by chance in Yunmeng.”
“Nothing strange about it,” Wei Wuxian said. “Cultivators from other
clans frequently roam Yunmeng and Yiling.”
“I heard you calling him by his birth name. Pretty bold, aren’t you?”
Wen Qing said.
“Didn’t he call me by my birth name too?” Wei Wuxian said. “It’s
nothing. A habit from when we were young. Neither of us care about that
sort of thing.”
“Oh? Don’t you two have a bad relationship? Incompatible as fire
and water, everyone says. Always fighting on sight.”
 “That’s just idle gossip,” Wei Wuxian said. “It’s true we didn’t have a
great relationship in the past, and we did get in a few fights during the
Sunshot Campaign, when our tempers ran hot. But these days, it’s not as
bad as the rumors would have you think. We’re on okay terms, I guess.”
Wen Qing gave no further comment.
The group quickly polished off the dishes. Someone tapped on their
bowl and called out.
“Hey, A-Ning, go make a few more dishes, won’t you?”
“Make lots, get a big tub to put it all in!”
“Where are you gonna get a tub? The ones we have are for face-
washing!”
Wen Ning didn’t need to eat, so he had been guarding the hut. He
belatedly heeded the call. “Oh, okay.”
Wei Wuxian, seeing a chance to show off his skills, quickly cut in.
“Stop. Let me cook! Let me, let me!”
Wen Qing was dubious. “You know how to cook?”
Wei Wuxian arched his brows. “But of course. I can both host the
halls and work the kitchens.4 Watch me. Just you wait.”
The group clapped in anticipation. When Wei Wuxian returned and
served up two dishes with a sinister look on his face, Wen Qing gave him a
warning after taking only a single glance at them.
“You better stay the hell away from the kitchen in the future.”
“C’mon, try a bite. You can’t judge it by how it looks,” Wei Wuxian
defended himself. “Try a bite and you’ll know it’s good. This is the flavor.”
“Try a bite, my ass!” Wen Qing rebuked. “A-Yuan just ate some and
now he’s a crying mess! What a waste of food. Everyone, don’t pick up
your chopsticks, he doesn’t deserve the honor!”
 — Part 2 —

I T ONLY TOOK THREE days for the cultivation world to learn the
frightening news: Wei Wuxian, the man who had defected from the Jiang
Clan and established his own sect on the peaks of Yiling, had refined a
fierce corpse of the highest caliber ever achieved. It moved quickly, boasted
extraordinary strength, and had no fear. Its movements were brutal and
ruthless, and its mind was intact and capable of higher thought. It was
invincible on Night Hunts!
The people were alarmed—they had lost their hard-won peace! For
they were certain Wei Wuxian was plotting to mass-produce this variety of
fierce corpse, all in the name of fueling his vain attempts of founding a sect
and establishing his supremacy over the other clans! The fresh, young blood
of the cultivation world would surely be lured by his wicked, opportunistic
arts to join his ranks. Clans who adhered to righteous, orthodox ways would
face troubled futures, their prospects growing dark!
In reality, having succeeded in refining such a corpse, Wei Wuxian
felt the biggest benefit was gaining a manual laborer who could transport
goods up the mountain willingly and without complaint. He could only
carry a single case of goods at most, while Wen Ning could single-handedly
tow an entire cart’s worth—plus Wei Wuxian himself, who perched idly
atop that cart with his legs crossed.
But no one believed this. After stealing the show at several Night
Hunts, quite a few people came knocking, drawn by admiration of his
reputation and in hopes of joining the “Grandmaster” to become disciples
under his banner. The once-desolate and barren mountain suddenly had a
front door that was as busy as any market’s.
None of the fierce corpses Wei Wuxian had ordered to patrol the foot
of the mountain actively attacked anyone—the most they did was hurl them
away with teeth bared in a snarl. No one was ever hurt. And so, more and
more people crowded at the foot of the Burial Mounds. Wei Wuxian once
saw a long pennant in the distance, emblazoned with the title “The Supreme
Evil Yiling Patriarch,” and spat out an entire mouthful of fruit wine at the
sight.
He couldn’t take it anymore. He descended the mountain,
unapologetically accepted all the offerings that were presented to him as a
“show of respect to the grandest of all grandmasters,” and started using a
different route to get around from then on.
One fateful day, he was out shopping in Yiling with his trusty worker
in tow when he suddenly spotted a familiar figure at the intersection of the
alley and road ahead. Wei Wuxian squinted, then silently followed after the
person. As he and Wen Ning followed, they darted into a small courtyard.
As soon as they entered, the gates shut behind them.
A cold voice spoke. “Get out.”
Jiang Cheng was standing behind them. He was the one who had
closed the door, and his words were directed at Wen Ning.
Jiang Cheng was the sort to hold grudges. His hatred for the Wen
Clan of Qishan ran deep and included every last member of the family. He
had neither empathy nor a sense of indebtedness when it came to Wen Qing
and Wen Ning, since he had been unconscious for the entirety of the time
that they had rescued and healed him. He simply could not share Wei
Wuxian’s feelings on the matter, which was why he was impolite to Wen
Ning—and also why he had showed no mercy during their previous
encounter.
When Wen Ning saw it was Jiang Cheng, he immediately lowered his
head and retreated.
A woman stood inside the courtyard, wearing a veiled bamboo hat
and black mantle cape. Wei Wuxian felt a lump in his throat.
“…Shijie,” he called.
Hearing his footsteps, the woman turned around and removed her hat
and mantle. There was a bright red wedding robe underneath.
Jiang Yanli stood before him dressed in her dignified bridal best, her
face bright and vibrant with powdered blush. Wei Wuxian took a few steps
toward her.
“Shijie… What are you…?”
 “What is she what? You think she’s marrying you?” Jiang Cheng
said.
“You shut up,” Wei Wuxian said.
Jiang Yanli opened her arms wide to show him her dress, her cheeks
flushing pink. “A-Xian, I’m…I’m about to get married! I’ve come to show
you how I look…”
Wei Wuxian felt the rims of his eyes grow hot.
He couldn’t be present on the day of Jiang Yanli’s marriage. He
wouldn’t be allowed to see his own family dressed in bridal finery. So Jiang
Cheng and Jiang Yanli had hurried over to Yiling in secret and lured him
into this courtyard for the sole purpose of showing him what his sister
would look like on the day of her wedding.
It was a good moment before Wei Wuxian smiled. “I know! I heard
about it…”
“Who’d you hear it from?” Jiang Cheng questioned.
“What do you care?” Wei Wuxian shot back.
“But…it’s only me,” Jiang Yanli said abashedly. “You won’t get to
see the groom.”
Wei Wuxian put on a disdainful look. “Well, I don’t care about seeing
some groom.” He circled around Jiang Yanli twice and then praised,
“Looking beautiful!”
“Jie, I told you so,” Jiang Cheng said. “You really do look beautiful.”
Jiang Yanli, who had always been rather self-aware, said soberly, “It
doesn’t count if you’re the ones saying it. You two can’t be taken seriously.”
Jiang Cheng was exasperated. “You don’t believe me, and you don’t
believe him either. Will you only believe it when what’s-his-face says it?
Hmm?”
Jiang Yanli flushed harder at his words, the blush reaching her pearly
white earlobes. Not even the pink of the rouge could hide it. She quickly
changed the subject.
“A-Xian…pick a courtesy name.”
“Pick what courtesy name?” Wei Wuxian asked.
 “The courtesy name of my not-yet-born nephew,” said Jiang Cheng.
The wedding hadn’t even taken place yet and he already had to think
of a courtesy name for his future nephew? Wei Wuxian didn’t find this odd
in the least, however, and he didn’t hold back. It only took a moment of
thought for him to settle on an answer.
“All right. The character for the next generation of the Jin Clan of
Lanling is ‘ru.’5 How about Jin Rulan, for ‘like an orchid’?”
“Sure!” Jiang Yanli said.
“No. That sounds like the ‘lan’ of the Lan Clan,” Jiang Cheng
protested. “Why does the scion of the Jin Clan of Lanling and the Jiang
Clan of Yunmeng have to be ‘like a Lan’?”
“What’s wrong with the Lans?” Wei Wuxian asked. “The orchid is
the gentleman among flowers; the Lan family are gentlemen among men.
It’s a good name.”
“That’s certainly not what you said in the past,” Jiang Cheng said.
“She’s asking me to come up with a name, not you. What’re you
being all picky for?”
Jiang Yanli quickly intervened. “All right. You know how A-Cheng
is. He was the one who gave me the idea to have you pick the courtesy
name in the first place, you know? Stop your quarreling. I brought soup for
both of you, so wait a second.”
She went inside the house attached to the courtyard to retrieve a pot.
Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng exchanged a look. Moments later, Jiang Yanli
emerged to hand each of them a bowl before going back inside. She brought
out another bowl, smaller than the first two, and walked to the front gate to
address Wen Ning.
“There were no other bowls left except for this little one, I’m sorry.
This is for you.”
Wen Ning had been guarding the gate with his head down, but her
gesture overwhelmed him with the unexpected favor and set him stuttering
again. “Ah… I…I get one too?”
Jiang Cheng was unhappy. “How come he gets soup too?”
 “I brought enough for everyone to have a share,” Jiang Yanli stated.
“Thank you, Miss Jiang… Thank you,” Wen Ning said softly.
He clutched the small bowl, which brimmed with soup ladled into it
just for him, and didn’t have the heart to say, “Thank you, but I can’t eat
this.” Giving a portion to him was a waste, as the dead could not eat. Jiang
Yanli noticed his discomfort. She asked him a few questions on the topic,
then started chatting with him outside the gate.
Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng were still standing inside the courtyard.
Jiang Cheng raised his bowl.
“To the Yiling Patriarch.”
Hearing the title reminded Wei Wuxian of that long pennant fluttering
shamelessly in the wind, and his mind was filled with its huge dazzling
words: “The Supreme Evil Yiling Patriarch.”
“Shut up!” he said.
Jiang Cheng took a sip from his bowl, then asked, “How’s your
injury from last time?”
“It healed a long time ago,” Wei Wuxian replied.
“Hmm.” After a pause, Jiang Cheng asked, “How long did it take?”
“Less than seven days,” Wei Wuxian said. “I told you, something like
that is no big deal with Wen Qing around. But I can’t believe you fucking
stabbed me for real.”
Jiang Cheng ate a piece of lotus root. “You made him crush my arm
first. It took you seven days to heal, but my arm was in a sling for over a
month.”
Wei Wuxian snickered. “It wouldn’t be believable if I wasn’t brutal.
It was your left hand, anyway, it wouldn’t have stopped you from writing. It
takes a hundred days for broken bones and pulled muscles to heal, so they
say. Even three months would have been normal.”
They could faintly hear Wen Ning’s stammered responses from the
courtyard’s entrance. After some silence, Jiang Cheng asked a question.
“You’re gonna stay like this from now on? Do you have any plans?”
 “None at the moment,” Wei Wuxian replied. “They’re all too scared
to descend the mountain, but no one dares mess with me when I head down.
It’ll be fine as long as I don’t actively invite trouble.”
“Actively?” Jiang Cheng sneered. “Wei Wuxian, believe it or not,
trouble comes knocking at your door even when uninvited. And while
there’s often no way to save someone, there are thousands of ways to harm
them.”
Wei Wuxian was engrossed in eating his soup. “One brawny brute
can take down ten skilled martial artists. I’ll kill whoever comes.”
“You never heed any of my advice.” Jiang Cheng said quietly.
“There’ll come a day when you’ll understand that I’m right.”
He finished the rest of his soup in a single mouthful and stood.
“Impressive. Amazing. As expected of the Yiling Patriarch.”
Wei Wuxian spat out a piece of bone. “Are you done?”
As they got ready to depart, Jiang Cheng said, “Don’t bother sending
us off. We don’t want anyone to spot us.”
Wei Wuxian nodded. He knew it hadn’t been easy for the Jiang
siblings to make this trip. If anyone saw them, the act they’d put on for the
rest of the world would be for naught.
“We’ll leave first,” he said.
Once they left the alleyway, Wei Wuxian still walked ahead while
Wen Ning trailed quietly behind. All of a sudden, Wei Wuxian turned to ask
a question.
“Why are you still holding that bowl of soup?”
“Huh? To bring it back… I can’t drink it, but I can give it to someone
else…” Wen Ning explained, unwilling to let go of the bowl.
“…Whatever you want,” Wei Wuxian said. “Hold on tight; don’t spill
it.”
He turned back around. Deep down, he knew it would probably be a
long time before he could reunite with those he’d once known so well.
But…he would soon be reunited with others he also knew well,
wouldn’t he?
 Chapter 18:
Night Flight

— Part 1 —

I NSIDE THE LARGEST Pavilion of Treasures in Lanling City, countless

top-grade spiritual jades and weapons of the highest quality formed a
dazzling display within the charming asymmetrical compartments of the
lattice shelves. Innumerable cultivators were browsing the shop’s wares,
meticulously comparing items and considering prices. Those with time to
spare engaged in idle chitchat for a few minutes.
“Cultivation Chief?” someone said. “Seems like several major clans
have been arguing about that topic as of late. Have they reached an
agreement?”
“What’s there to argue about? They can’t possibly continue being
leaderless and racked by discord. I don’t think it’s a bad idea to name a head
cultivator, one who will supervise and lead the various clans.”
“Well, I don’t think it’s a good idea. If we get another Wen Clan of
Qishan…”
“How is that the same thing? The Cultivation Chief will be elected by
the clans. It’s not the same at all. Not the same.”
“Heh, they may call it an election, but everyone knows it all comes
down to the same few people jockeying for the position. Do others even
stand a chance?”
“Chifeng-zun vehemently objects to it, doesn’t he? How many times
has he rebuffed Jin Guangshan’s overt and covert hints now? They’ve still
got time to grind each other down.”
“Besides, only one person can occupy the position of Cultivation
Chief. On the off chance the proposition goes through, they’ll probably be
fighting for several more years about who gets the spot.”
 “Either way, it’s something for those at the top to worry about. None
of our business. Small fry like us have no say in the matter.”
Someone else changed the subject. “Who here attended the Cloud
Recesses’ opening ceremony for their Library Pavilion last month? I went
and was surprised to see the new building is an exact replica of the original.
That must’ve been difficult to pull off.”
“Indeed. Such a vast abode, such a transcendent, centuries-old realm.
It wasn’t a task to be approached in haste.”
“Come to think of it, there have been many joyous occasions lately.”
“You’re talking about Jin Zixuan’s son’s seventh-day celebration?
They filled the place with bright colors and fancy things, but the child
didn’t like any of it and cried hard enough to bring down Pageantry Hall.
Instead, he kept giggling when he saw his father’s sword, Suihua. That
certainly delighted his parents. Everyone’s saying he’ll be an outstanding
swordsman in the future.”
Not far away, a man in white was examining a tasseled jade pendant.
He smiled upon hearing the words.
A cultivator woman’s voice rang out. “Young Madam Jin really is
blessed… She must have forsaken ascension to heaven in her past life to
garner such good fortune today.”
“Looks like all the talent and skill in the world means nothing
compared to being born into a good family,” her female companion
commented. “She’s obviously nothing special…”
The man in white frowned slightly. Fortunately, that little sour-grapes
remark was promptly drowned out by another loud voice.
“As expected of the Jin Clan of Lanling. Even the celebration for a
week-old infant is ostentatious.”
“Are you forgetting who the baby’s parents are? Do you think they
can afford to be slapdash about this? Not only would Young Madam Jin’s
husband refuse to do a sloppy job, neither her mother-in-law nor her
younger brother would accept the celebration being even a tad more
subdued. The one-month celebration that’s coming up in a few days will be
even more extravagant.”
 “Speaking of which, did you know that they apparently invited…a
certain someone to the one-month celebration?”
“Who?”
“Wei Wuxian!”
A brief silence descended on the Pavilion of Treasures.
“Huh… I thought that was just a baseless rumor?” someone asked in
disbelief. “Don’t tell me they really invited him?!”
“They did! It was just confirmed that Wei Wuxian will be in
attendance.”
“What in the world is the Jin Clan of Lanling thinking?” another said
incredulously. “Have they forgotten how he indiscriminately murdered
innocents at Qiongqi Path?”
“Now that they’ve invited someone like him, who would dare attend
Jin Ling’s one-month celebration? I definitely wouldn’t.”
A number of people mentally mocked his words. You’re never even
going to be invited, so why are you worrying about going or not?!
The man in white’s brows quirked. He selected and paid for his
purchase, then stepped out of the Pavilion of Treasures. Only a few steps
later, he turned into an alley. A figure dressed in black emerged.
“Gongzi, have you finished your shopping?”
Wei Wuxian tossed him the exquisite sandalwood box he had been
holding. Wen Ning caught and opened it and was greeted by the sight of a
white jade pendant decorated with a dangling tassel. Soft light glowed and
gleamed through the translucent stone, almost as if it were alive.
“How pretty!” he exclaimed in delight.
“This pretty little thing wasn’t cheap,” Wei Wuxian said. “Your big
sister’s money was barely enough to buy this after getting a set of new
clothes. Either way, every last penny’s been spent. I’m prepared to get
chewed out when we make it back.”
“She won’t, she won’t,” Wen Ning hurriedly said. “Jiejie won’t scold
you for getting Miss Jiang’s child a gift.”
 “Remember that statement in the future,” Wei Wuxian said. “You’ll
have to cover for me if she does.”
Wen Ning nodded. “The little young master Jin Ling is sure to love
this gift.”
However, Wei Wuxian said, “That’s not the gift I’m going to give
him. It’s just a bauble. What good are any of the trinkets from the Pavilion
of Treasures, other than as eye candy?”
Wen Ning was taken aback. “Then what gift did gongzi prepare?”
“Heaven’s secrets cannot be divulged,” Wei Wuxian said
enigmatically.
“Oh,” Wen Ning said in reply.
And he did not ask again. Wei Wuxian held his tongue for a moment
but then could hold it in no longer.
“Wen Ning, shouldn’t you keep pestering me for an answer out of
burning curiosity? How can you just stop after a mere oh? Don’t you want
to know what the gift is?!”
Wen Ning stared blankly at him until it finally clicked. “…Yes, I do!
Gongzi! What exactly did you prepare?”
Only then did Wei Wuxian produce a small wooden box from his
sleeve. He smiled as he waved it in front of Wen Ning, who accepted the
box and opened it to take a look.
“Such an impressive silver bell!” he blurted.
“Impressive” did not refer to its exquisite craftsmanship, though its
pure silver color and the lifelike nine-petaled lotus etched on its body could
be praised as the pinnacle of artistic perfection. What made Wen Ning
marvel was the powerful energy contained in the tiny silver bell.
“Gongzi,” Wen Ning said. “Is this what you were making when you
locked yourself up in the Demon-Quelling Cave for over a month?”
“That’s right,” Wei Wuxian said. “As long as that nephew of mine
carries this silver bell, not a single low-level evil creature can even think
about getting close to him. You can’t touch it; it’ll affect you too.”
Wen Ning nodded. “I can feel it.”
 Wei Wuxian took the tasseled jade pendant and secured it to the silver
bell. The two complemented each other well, creating an aesthetically
pleasing sight. He was very satisfied.
“But,” Wen Ning said, “since you’re attending little young master Jin
Ling’s full-month celebration, you have to hold yourself back when you see
Miss Jiang’s husband. Don’t get into a fight with him…”
Wei Wuxian waved him off. “Relax. I know not to go too far. Seeing
as Jin Zixuan was the one who invited me this time, I won’t say anything
bad about him for a year.”
Wen Ning scratched his head and said with some embarrassment,
“When Jin-gongzi sent someone to the foot of the Burial Mounds to deliver
the invitation, I was sure it must be a trap. But it turns out it was just a
misunderstanding. I was being unfair. You can’t tell by looking at him, but
Jin-gongzi is a good person…”
At high noon, they passed through Qiongqi Path.
Qiongqi Path had been renamed after its reconstruction. Wei Wuxian
had no idea what it was called now, and it seemed no one else could
remember either, so it was still called Qiongqi Path most of the time.
At first, neither of them sensed anything odd. But as they approached
the heart of the valley, Wei Wuxian began to feel that something was amiss.
There should have been more people around.
“Sense anything peculiar?” Wei Wuxian asked.
Wen Ning rolled his eyes back to reveal the whites. After a moment,
he rolled them down once more. “No,” he answered. “It’s so quiet.”
“Indeed. It’s a tad too quiet,” Wei Wuxian said.
His ears couldn’t pick up even a trace of the cacophony of inhuman
noises he usually heard.
On the alert now, Wei Wuxian hissed under his breath, “Go!”
He had only just turned around when Wen Ning suddenly raised his
hand and intercepted an object.
It was a feathered arrow that had been aimed straight at Wei
Wuxian’s heart!
 Wei Wuxian shot his head up, only to see hordes of people emerging
onto the cliffs on both sides of the valley. There were about three hundred
of them, and although some wore the uniforms of other clans, the majority
wore uniforms emblazoned with the Sparks Amidst Snow symbol. All were
geared up and armed to the teeth—longbows on their backs, swords at their
waists, and wary expressions on their faces. Using both the mountainous
terrain and their fellow cultivators as cover, they aimed their countless
swords and arrows directly at him.
The arrow had been fired by the person leading this ambush. Taking a
closer look, Wei Wuxian saw the leader was a tall man with a dark
complexion and handsome features that looked familiar.
“Who are you?” Wei Wuxian asked.
Having loosed the arrow, the man had fully intended to make a
speech. Faced with this question, he forgot all about that plan and dissolved
into a rage.
“The nerve of you to ask me who I am! I’m Jin Zixun!”
Wei Wuxian remembered now. This was Jin Zixuan’s cousin, whom
he had seen twice before.
His heart sank to the pit of his stomach. He had been on his way to
attend the full-month celebration of Jiang Yanli’s son, brimming with joy—
and now that joyous mood had dispersed like smoke, replaced by gloom
and shadow. But he didn’t want to dwell too deeply on the situation. He
didn’t want to speculate why these people had been lying in wait to ambush
him.
“Wei Wuxian,” Jin Zixun shouted at the top of his voice. “I’m
warning you. Undo the evil curse you cast on me at once, and I will pretend
this never happened.”
Hearing this, Wei Wuxian was stunned. Though he knew it would be
taken as denial, he still had to ask for clarification.
“What evil curse?” he blurted.
Sure enough, Jin Zixun thought he was deliberately asking what he
already knew.
 “How dare you still play dumb?!” He suddenly yanked his collar
open and roared at him, “Fine! I’ll show you exactly what evil curse it is!”
Jin Zixun’s chest was densely pockmarked with craters of all sizes!
In fact, they were evenly distributed all over his body. The smaller
holes were the size of sesame seeds, while the larger ones were as large as
soybeans. It was a sight fit to make one shiver.
Wei Wuxian only took a single glance. “Thousand Sores and
Hundred Holes?”
“That’s right!” Jin Zixun said. “It’s the Thousand Sores and Hundred
Holes!”
The “Thousand Sores and Hundred Holes” was an incredibly
malicious and vicious curse.
Long ago, back when he was supposed to be transcribing lines at the
Lan Library Pavilion, Wei Wuxian had found an ancient book while
rummaging through the stacks. The section that detailed this kind of curse
was accompanied by an illustration. The expression of the person in the
picture was calm, as if he felt no pain, but many black holes the size of
coins had already developed on his body.
At first, the victim would feel nothing. Many would simply assume
their pores had grown coarser than before. But before long, those tiny holes
would grow to the size of sesame seeds—and they would continue to grow
and grow. The craters would widen and proliferate until the victim’s entire
body was covered in holes of all sizes. In the latter stages of the curse, the
victim would resemble a living sieve. It was horrifying beyond belief.
Once the victim’s body was fully consumed by sores, the curse would
begin to fester beneath the skin. The best outcome at this point was
unbearable abdominal pain, while the worst was the ulceration of vital
organs!
To think Jin Zixun had fallen victim to such a repulsive and difficult-
to-dispel curse… Wei Wuxian felt a moment of surprising sympathy for
him. But though he sympathized, he still considered Jin Zixun a fool.
“So you were cursed with the Thousand Sores and Hundred Holes.
But what do you intend by this ambush? What’s that curse got to do with
me?”
Jin Zixun, who also seemed disgusted by the sight of his own chest,
covered himself back up. “Who else would curse me with such a vicious
and malicious spell? Who, other than a treacherous crook like you, who’s
used to employing such deviant arts?”
Oh, there are plenty of people who’d do that to you, Wei Wuxian
thought. Don’t tell me Jin Zixun considers himself a popular guy?
But he didn’t want to aggravate the situation by saying that aloud so
bluntly and enraging Jin Zixun even further. Instead, he said, “Jin Zixun, I
don’t play these underhanded games. When I want to kill someone, I make
sure everyone knows that they died by my hand. Besides, if I really wanted
you to die, you would look a thousand times worse than you do now.”
“Aren’t you always running wild?” Jin Zixun said. “And now you’re
scared to admit what you’ve done?!”
“I’m not the one who did it,” Wei Wuxian answered, “so why should
I admit to anything?”
A murderous glint flashed in Jin Zixun’s eyes. “Words before blows.
Since you’re unwilling to repent, I won’t go easy on you!”
Wei Wuxian stopped in his tracks. “Oh?”
It was obvious what he meant by “won’t go easy.”
There were two ways to lift the Thousand Sores and Hundred Holes
curse. The one who cast the curse could dispel it themselves, though the
effort of doing so would severely damage their own cultivation.
There was also another, simpler solution.
Kill the one who cast the curse!
“‘Won’t go easy on me’? You?” Wei Wuxian said contemptuously.
“With just these few hundred people you brought along?”
Jin Zixun waved his arm, and all the disciples nocked their arrows
and took aim at where Wei Wuxian and Wen Ning stood in the lowest point
of the valley. Wei Wuxian raised Chenqing as well, and the shrill sound of
his flute tore sharply through the silent valley.
Yet after a brief silence, there was no response.
 “We cleared out the entire area to prepare for your arrival,” Jin Zixun
said. “No matter how many times you play that thing, you’ll summon no
helpers. This place is a grave that we’ve meticulously prepared just for
you!”
Wei Wuxian sneered. “You’re asking for it!”
As soon as he spoke, Wen Ning reached out and snapped the red
string tied around his own neck, releasing the talisman it secured. The
instant the red string broke, he swayed. The muscles on his face began to
contort, and strange black cracks appeared on his skin, crawling up his neck
to his cheeks. All of a sudden, he tilted his head back and let loose a long,
inhuman roar!
There was no shortage of Night Hunt veterans among the three
hundred-odd people who had lain in ambush here. But none of them had
ever heard a fierce corpse make such a horrifying sound before, and it made
them all go simultaneously weak at the knees.
Jin Zixun, too, felt a chill crawl up his spine. He raised his arm and
shouted an order. “Release the arrows!”
And arrows rained down in a torrent!
Wen Ning tore a boulder apart with his bare hands and raised it high
to block the barrage. When the volley of arrows, over a hundred cultivators
leapt from the cliff and charged at the two men in the middle of the valley.
Wei Wuxian took several steps back and quickly dodged an incoming sneak
attack from the point of a sword.
While Wen Ning was busy dealing with the hundred attackers, Jin
Zixun seized the chance to strike. He laughed aloud when he saw that Wei
Wuxian did not have a sword with him, only a flute that was temporarily
useless.
“This is the price of your arrogance. Let’s see how well you do
without a sword!”
With a flick of his hand, Wei Wuxian hurled forth a row of talismans
that burned with green flames, dulling Jin Zixun’s sword glare. His laugh
interrupted, a startled Jin Zixun hurriedly focused on dealing with the
attack. As the two of them fought one-on-one, something suddenly flew
from Wei Wuxian’s sleeve. His gaze locked on it, and a sense of dread
overtook him.
It was the gift he had prepared for Jin Ling. He treasured it far too
dearly, had feared he would accidentally break it if he stuffed it somewhere
carelessly and had also wanted to take it out and admire it from time to time
on the trip. And so, he had kept it easily accessible in his sleeve pocket. In
the middle of this intense battle, it had slipped loose and been sent flying
toward Jin Zixun.
Jin Zixun initially intended to dodge, thinking it was a concealed
weapon, poison, or some other wicked ploy, but he changed his mind on
seeing the drastic change in Wei Wuxian’s expression and caught the item
as it flew.
It was a small, exquisite wooden box. There was a line of small
characters carved on it—Jin Ling’s name, as well as the eight characters
corresponding to his date and time of birth.
Jin Zixun was stunned at first, but when he realized what it was, he
burst out laughing.
Wei Wuxian’s face grew grim. He spoke each word of his demand
slowly and clearly. “Give. It. Back.”
Jin Zixun held up the little wooden box. “A present for A-Ling?” he
mocked.
Wen Ning was a short distance ahead of them, fighting a hundred
men on his own and killing with wild abandon.
“You don’t really think you would be allowed to attend A-Ling’s full-
month celebration banquet, do you?” Jin Zixun said.
His words made Wei Wuxian’s hands tremble.
Just then, a voice bellowed, “All of you, stop immediately!”
A figure dressed in white leapt down from atop the mountain valley,
landing light as a feather. He stood between Wei Wuxian and Jin Zixun.
“Zixuan?!” Jin Zixun blurted when he saw who it was. “Why are you
here?”
 Jin Zixuan set one hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. “Why do
you think I’m here?!” he demanded furiously.
“Where’s A-Yao?” Jin Zixun asked.
He had originally planned for Jin Guangyao to be present to back him
up. Only a year ago, he had despised Jin Guangyao and regarded him with
considerable contempt, but their relationship had since improved. It was no
longer quite as strained as it had once been, which was why he now referred
to Jin Guangyao in much more intimate terms.
“I detained him at Golden Carp Tower,” Jin Zixuan replied. “If I
hadn’t noticed his odd expression and called him out, were you both going
to move forward with this absurd plot? Why didn’t you tell me that you’d
been cursed with the Thousand Sores and Hundred Holes? You’d rather do
something like this than just speak up?!”
Being cursed with the Thousand Sores and Hundred Holes was
indeed a difficult subject for Jin Zixun to broach. His face and physique had
always been comely, and he’d always prided himself on cutting a fine
figure. He couldn’t bear the idea of anyone knowing he’d been afflicted
with such a disgusting, unsightly curse. Additionally, the fact that a curse
had been successfully laid upon him in the first place meant his cultivation
was lacking and his spiritual defenses were weak—which made it all the
more difficult for him to come clean about the situation. As such, he had
only confided in Jin Guangshan about his predicament and pleaded with
him to find the best doctors and masters of esoteric spells. But, as it turned
out, not a single one of them could do a thing to help.
Jin Ling’s one-month celebration banquet had coincidentally been
just around the corner, and Jin Zixuan unexpectedly took the initiative to
invite Wei Wuxian. Jin Guangshan, none too pleased by this, had suggested
Jin Zixun take the opportunity and intercept Wei Wuxian on his way to the
banquet and kill him. That way, they wouldn’t need to welcome him to
Golden Carp Tower.
Wei Wuxian was Jiang Yanli’s shidi, and Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan
were an affectionate couple. Jin Zixuan had a tendency to tell his wife about
almost every little thing, regardless of how trivial it was. Those in the know
were worried that he might leak the plan and cause Wei Wuxian to abandon
his trip, so they kept him in the dark. Uncharitable behavior, when all was
said and done.
Seeing that their plot had been uncovered, Jin Zixun’s conscience
pricked him with a measure of guilt. But at the end of the day, he valued his
life. “Zixuan, keep this from my sister-in-law for now. Once I get rid of
these things on me, I’ll come apologize and make amends to you both!”
The last time Wei Wuxian saw Jin Zixuan, the latter had still had the
proud air of youth. Now that he had settled down with a wife and a child, he
seemed to have matured significantly. His tone was forceful as he said, with
a dark look on his face, “There is still time to salvage this situation. All of
you, stay your hands.”
Jin Zixun was both furious and agitated. “What’s there to salvage at
this point? Do you not see these things all over me?!”
Seeing that he was about to yank open his clothes and reveal his hole-
riddled chest again, Jin Zixuan hurriedly ordered him otherwise. “No need!
I already heard about it from Jin Guangyao!”
“Then you should know that I can’t wait,” Jin Zixun said. “Don’t tell
me you’re going to turn a blind eye while your own kin’s life hangs in the
balance, all for the sake of my sister-in-law’s shidi?!”
“You know very well that I’m not that kind of person!” Jin Zixuan
rebuffed. “He might not even be the one who cursed you with the Thousand
Sores and Hundred Holes to begin with. Why are you so impatient?! I was
the one who invited Wei Wuxian to attend A-Ling’s one-month celebration
banquet. When you people act like this, where does that leave me? Where
does that leave my wife?”
Jin Zixun raised his voice. “It’s best if he doesn’t attend! Just who is
Wei Wuxian, anyway? Is he even worthy of attending our family’s
banquet?! Whoever touches him will be stained just as black! Zixuan—
when you invited him, weren’t you afraid that you, my sister-in-law, and A-
Ling would be marred by an indelible stain for the rest of your lives?!”
“Shut your mouth!” Jin Zixuan bellowed.
Infuriated, Jin Zixun clenched his hand and exerted spiritual force.
The little wooden box that contained the silver bell and jade tassel was
crushed to pieces in an instant!
 Wei Wuxian could only watch as the box and its contents turned to
dust. His pupils shrank rapidly, and he struck out toward Jin Zixun with his
hand.
Jin Zixuan, however, still did not know what had been inside the box.
He raised a hand to intercept the blow, shouting as he did, “Wei Wuxian!
Have you not had enough?!”
Wei Wuxian’s chest heaved rapidly, and the rims of his eyes were red.
Jin Zixuan and Jin Zixun were cousins who had known each other since
childhood and shared decades of friendly history. It was indeed ill-advised
for Jin Zixuan to take the side of an outsider right now, and he wasn’t fond
of Wei Wuxian as a person either.
Composing himself, he stated, “Make Wen Ning stop first. Tell him
to stop going berserk and aggravating the situation further.”
“…Why don’t you make them stop first?” Wei Wuxian’s voice was
hoarse as he countered.
There was relentless clamor and fighting all around them. Jin Zixuan
fumed.
“Why are you still so stubborn at a time like this? Calm down, all of
you, and come with me to Golden Carp Tower. We’ll talk, deal with the
issue honestly, and set the record straight. You’ll be fine as long as you
weren’t the one who did it!”
“So I should make Wen Ning stop?” Wei Wuxian said. “The second I
tell him to, arrows will come flying at me and swords will pierce my heart.
I’ll die without an intact corpse! Go to Golden Carp Tower and talk things
over, my foot.”
“That won’t happen!” Jin Zixuan said.
Wei Wuxian scoffed. “No? And how can you guarantee that? Jin
Zixuan, I have a question. When you invited me, did you really not know of
their plan to ambush me on the way?”
Stunned, Jin Zixuan furiously responded, “You! Wei Wuxian, you—
you’re out of your mind!”
Wei Wuxian forced down his towering hatred. “Jin Zixuan, get out of
the way,” he said coldly. “I won’t lay a hand on you, but you better not
provoke me.”
Seeing him still stubbornly refusing to concede, Jin Zixuan suddenly
made a move as if to seize him.
“Why can’t you yield even the slightest bit, for once in your life?! A-
Li is…”
As he reached out to Wei Wuxian, he heard a strange, dull sound.
The sound was much too close by. Jin Zixuan froze for a moment
before looking down. Only then did he see the hand that pierced his chest.
At some point during their argument, Wen Ning had approached. A
few fresh drops of hot blood splattered one half of his expressionless face,
making for a jarring contrast.
Jin Zixuan’s lips moved, his expression a little dumbfounded. But he
still insisted on completing his last sentence.
“…still waiting for you at Golden Carp Tower for A-Ling’s one-
month banquet…”
Wei Wuxian’s face was just as dazed as Jin Zixuan’s. The reality of
what had transpired had yet to sink in.
What happened?
How did things turn like this in the blink of an eye?
That’s not right.
It shouldn’t be like this.
Something must have gone wrong somewhere.
Wen Ning extracted his right hand from Jin Zixuan’s chest, leaving
behind a gaping hole where he had run him through.
Jin Zixuan’s face twitched in agony. For a brief moment, he seemed
to think he might shrug off his wound and keep standing, but his legs gave
out in the end and he fell to his knees.
Cries of panic and terror rose and fell around the valley.
“The…the Ghost General has gone berserk!”
 “He killed, he killed him… Wei Wuxian ordered the Ghost General to
kill Jin Zixuan!”
“Open fire!” Jin Zixun yelled. “What are you people waiting for?!
Fire your arrows!”
But the moment he turned around, a black shadow pressed in close to
him like an approaching wraith. He felt his throat constrict as a pale hand
clutched it in its grip.
“Aaaaaaargh!”
Wei Wuxian stood there, bemused and frozen.
No.
No, he didn’t.
He’d clearly had Wen Ning under control earlier.
Even if he’d ordered Wen Ning to go berserk, he should still have
been able to maintain control.
He had clearly always been able to control him perfectly.
He hadn’t thought about killing Jin Zixuan. Not at all.
He had never intended to kill Jin Zixuan at all! It was just that, for
some reason, he’d somehow failed to control Wen Ning in that moment…
He had suddenly lost control!
Jin Zixuan’s body could finally hold itself up no longer. He leaned
forward heavily and toppled over, hitting the ground with a thud.
All his life, he had been proud and arrogant. He took great pains to
maintain his appearance and demeanor, and was fastidious about cleanliness
to the point of seeming terrified of filth. But now, he cut an extremely sorry
sight as he fell to the ground with one side of his face planted in the dirt.
The fresh blood splattering his face and the vermilion mark at the center of
his forehead were the same shade of crimson.
Wei Wuxian’s mind was in turmoil. He stared into those eyes as the
light slowly faded from them. He had been set adrift in a sea of blood, and
screams washed over him ceaselessly from all around. But he could no
longer hear any of them.
 The only thing he could hear was a voice frantically questioning him
inside his head.
Didn’t you say you knew what you were doing?
Didn’t you say you could keep it under control?
Didn’t you say there was absolutely no problem, that nothing would
ever go wrong?!
Wei Wuxian’s mind went blank. An unknown amount of time later,
his eyes suddenly snapped open.
What he saw was the pitch-black domed ceiling of the Demon-
Quelling Cave.
Both Wen Qing and Wen Ning were inside the cavern with him.
Wen Ning’s pupils had returned to the whites of his eyes, signaling
that he had broken free of his berserk state. He seemed to be in the middle
of whispering something to Wen Qing. When he saw Wei Wuxian open his
eyes, he fell silent and kneeled on the ground. Wen Qing, whose eyes were
red, also did not say a word.
Wei Wuxian sat up. After a moment of silence, a sudden surge of rage
and hatred welled up in him, and he kicked Wen Ning in the chest,
knocking him over.
Startled, Wen Qing shrank back and clenched her fists, but only
lowered her head and pressed her lips together to keep them shut.
“Who did you kill?” Wei Wuxian screamed. “Do you know who you
killed?!”
Wen Yuan ran into the cave just then, wearing a straw-woven
butterfly on his head. He beamed at Wei Wuxian.
“Xian-gege…”
He had wanted to show Wei Wuxian the new colors he had painted
on his butterfly. But having entered the cave, he was faced with the sight of
Wen Ning curled up on the ground and Wei Wuxian looking like a fiend.
All at once, he was stunned speechless.
Wei Wuxian whipped his head around. He had yet to rein in his
emotions, and the expression in his eyes was bone-chilling. Utterly terrified,
Wen Yuan jumped in shock. The butterfly slipped from his head and fell to
the ground. He burst into tears right then and there.
Si-shu hurried into the cave, back hunched, and carried him out.
Having endured the assault, Wen Ning crawled upright and kneeled
once more, not daring to say a word.
Wei Wuxian grabbed him by the collar and yanked him up high. “You
could have killed anyone,” he roared. “Why did you have to kill Jin
Zixuan?!”
Wen Qing watched from the side, shedding tears of sorrow and panic.
She desperately wanted to step forward and protect her little brother, but
forced herself to hold.
“What is shijie supposed to do now that you’ve killed him?!” Wei
Wuxian demanded. “What is shijie’s son supposed to do?! What am I
supposed to do? What am I supposed to do?!”
His roars resonated through the Demon-Quelling Cave and echoed
outside. Wen Yuan cried even harder at the sound.
Hearing the child wailing from afar, staring at this pair of panic-
stricken siblings who were also at a loss for what to do, Wei Wuxian’s heart
sank further and further into despair.
Why in the world did I have to strand myself at the Burial Mounds for
all these years? he asked himself. Why must I be subjected to all this? Why
did I have to go down this path in the first place? Why must I do this to
myself? How does everyone else see me? What, exactly, have I gotten out of
any of this? Am I crazy? Am I crazy? Am I crazy?!
If only he had never chosen this path to begin with.
All of a sudden, Wen Ning whispered, “…I’m…sorry…”
He was a dead man. His face could form no expression, and his eyes
could not redden, much less shed tears. But in this moment, there was
genuine anguish on this dead man’s face.
“I’m sorry…” he repeated. “It’s…it’s all my fault… I’m sorry…”
Listening to him stammer as he apologized over and over again, Wei
Wuxian suddenly found it beyond ludicrous.
 It wasn’t Wen Ning’s fault at all.
It was his own fault.
Wen Ning was nothing but a weapon while he ran berserk. And it was
none other than Wei Wuxian who had created that weapon. Wen Ning
heeded his commands, and those commands were his to give.
Back in the valley, the air had crackled with tension and murderous
intent. On top of that, he never hesitated to show animosity toward Jin
Zixuan in front of Wen Ning. And so when Wen Ning, locked in a state
where he was incapable of conscious thought, saw Jin Zixuan make a move,
he recognized him as an enemy. He executed Wei Wuxian’s order to kill
without a moment’s hesitation.
Wei Wuxian was the one who had failed to control his weapon. It was
he who had thought too highly of his own abilities. And it was also he who
had disregarded all the warning signs, believing he could nip any loss of
control in the bud as soon as it began to show.
Wen Ning was a weapon, but had he willingly volunteered for that
position?
Could such a weak-willed, timid, stuttering person have taken any
pleasure in killing so many people under Wei Wuxian’s command?
When Wen Ning received a bowl of lotus root soup from Jiang Yanli,
he carried it all the way back up to the peak of the Burial Mounds without
spilling a single drop. Although he could not drink it himself, he happily
watched someone else do so, even asking about its taste to allow himself to
imagine it.
He’d killed Jiang Yanli’s husband with his own hands. How could
that bring him any joy at all? And still, he took all the blame upon himself,
apologizing to Wei Wuxian all the while.
As Wei Wuxian clutched Wen Ning’s collar, he stared at his deathly
pale, lifeless face. The face of Jin Zixuan, smeared and soiled with dirt and
blood, suddenly materialized before his eyes. It had been similarly pale and
lifeless.
He remembered Jiang Yanli, who had married the one she loved and
finally tasted sweetness after all the bitterness she had suffered. He also
thought of Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli’s son, A-Ling; the child for whom he
had chosen a courtesy name. Despite being so young, the child could
already grab his dad’s sword, and smile, and make both his parents so very
happy. In a couple of days, it would be his one-month banquet.
As he thought, lost in a daze, Wei Wuxian suddenly broke down in
tears.
He was at an utter loss. “…Who can tell me…what I’m supposed to
do now?”
Other people had always come to him, asking what they should do.
Now, he was the one asking. And no one could give him an answer.
Wei Wuxian felt a slight, sudden pain in the side of his neck, as if an
extremely fine needle had pricked him. His entire body went numb. He had
let his guard down while his mind was in disarray, and it took him a while
to realize something was amiss as the numbing sensation washed over him.
By the time he did, he had already involuntarily slumped over on a stone
bed. At first, he could still raise his arm, but that soon dropped onto the bed
too. He could no longer move at all.
Wen Qing’s eyes were rimmed with red. She slowly withdrew her
hand. “…I’m sorry.”
Normally, she would have never been able to successfully get Wei
Wuxian with one of her needles. Her speed was no match for his. But Wei
Wuxian had not been on his guard at all. That single prick hit him with such
force that his mind calmed slightly. His throat bobbed, and he opened his
mouth.
“What are you doing?”
Wen Qing and Wen Ning traded glances and stood side by side in
front of him. Facing him, they solemnly bowed.
Wei Wuxian felt a manic surge of unease bubble up within him.
“What are you going to do? What exactly are you planning to do?”
“We were talking about it earlier, before you woke up,” Wen Qing
said. “We are more or less done discussing it.”
“Discussing what?” Wei Wuxian said. “Cut the crap. Pull out this
needle and let me go!”
 Wen Ning slowly stood from where he had been kneeling on the
ground, his head still bowed. “Jiejie and I have come to an agreement. We
will go to Golden Carp Tower and plead guilty.”
“Plead guilty?” Wei Wuxian repeated in astonishment. “Plead guilty,
how? Apologize? Or turn yourself in?”
Wen Qing rubbed her eyes and spoke with a seemingly tranquil
expression. “Yeah, more or less. While you were out cold the past few days,
the Jin Clan of Lanling sent men to the foot of the Burial Mounds to shout
their message at us.”
“What message?” Wei Wuxian probed. “Stop saying one thing at a
time and make yourself clear in one go! Spit it all out!”
“The Jin Clan of Lanling wants you to answer for what happened,”
Wen Qing answered. “And by that, they mean they want you to hand over
the two leaders of the Wen Clan survivors. Particularly the Ghost General.”
“…I’m warning you both,” Wei Wuxian stated. “Pull out this needle.
Do it right now.”
Wen Qing paid him no heed, but continued to speak. “The leaders of
the remaining survivors of the Wen Clan would be us. Judging by what they
said, you only need hand us over and this matter will be considered settled
for the time being. And so, we must trouble you to lay here a while longer.
The needle’s effects will wear off in three days. I already told Si-shu and
the others; they’ll take good care of you. And they will release you if
anything unexpected happens during those three days.”
Wei Wuxian fumed. “Shut the fuck up! This is already enough of a
mess, don’t add to my troubles! Plead guilty, my ass! Did I tell you to do
that?! Pull the needle out!”
Wen Qing and Wen Ning stood in identical silence with their hands
hanging by their sides. Wei Wuxian was completely paralyzed and
powerless; his struggles were futile and no one heeded his words. Suddenly,
the strength seemed to leave his heart too.
He couldn’t scream, he couldn’t move. His voice was hoarse as he
rasped, “Why are you going to Golden Carp Tower? I wasn’t the one who
cast the Thousand Sores and Hundred Holes curse…”
 “But they’ve already decided it was you,” Wen Qing said.
Wei Wuxian tried his best to find a solution to the problem. Then it
came to him. “Then find the real caster! Jin Zixun must have looked for
skilled spell practitioners. The usual method for dealing with such
malicious curses is to reflect them back onto the person who cast them.
Even if not all of it can be made to rebound, some of it can. So we only
need to find the person who has the same curse marks!”
“It’s no use,” Wen Qing said.
“Why not?” Wei Wuxian probed.
“There’s a sea of people in the world,” Wen Qing said. “Where and
how will we find that exact individual? Don’t tell me you want to set up
checkpoints on every road, in every city, and make everyone strip for us to
inspect them?”
“Why not?!” Wei Wuxian hastily pressed.
“Who would be willing to set up those checkpoints for you?” Wen
Qing rebuffed. “And how long are you going to keep looking? You might
be able to find them, given eight or ten years, but are they willing to wait?”
“But there’s no sign of the curse rebounding on my body!” Wei
Wuxian argued.
“Did they ask you about that when they ambushed you?” Wen Qing
asked.
“No,” Wei Wuxian answered.
“That’s right,” Wen Qing said. “They didn’t. They went straight for
the kill. Do you get it now? They don’t need any evidence. Nor do they
need you to uncover the truth. Whether there are traces of the curse on your
body is irrelevant. You are the Yiling Patriarch, supreme ruler of the
demonic path. You’re skilled in the diabolical arts. It wouldn’t be surprising
if there were no signs of the curse rebounding on you. Besides, you needn’t
have cast it yourself—you could send forth your Wen dogs, your minions
and lackeys to do your bidding. Either way, you are the culprit. There is no
getting out of it.”
Wei Wuxian broke into a string of curses.
 Wen Qing waited in silence until he was done before she continued.
“So you see, it’s no use. At this point, the identity of the person who cast
the Thousand Sores and Hundred Holes curse is no longer important. What
is important is that over three hundred people…including Jin Zixuan…were
indeed killed by A-Ning on Qiongqi Path.”
“… But…but…” Wei Wuxian sputtered.
But what? Even he couldn’t figure out what followed that “but.” He
couldn’t think of any justifications to acquit himself, or any excuses that
might absolve him of blame.
“…But even so, I ought to be the one going. I was the one who had a
corpse kill them. How is it that the murderer isn’t turning himself in, but his
weapon is?”
“Isn’t it better this way?” Wen Qing asked.
“What’s better about this?!” Wei Wuxian demanded.
“Wei Ying, we both know that Wen Ning is a weapon,” Wen Qing
said quietly. “A weapon that strikes fear in them, but also one they are using
as an excuse to attack you. Once we go, you will lose your weapon—but
they will also no longer have their excuse. And then, perhaps, this will
finally be over and done with.”
Wei Wuxian stared blankly at her and then suddenly let loose a
meaningless howl.
He finally understood why Jiang Cheng was always so furious at the
things he did. Why he was always cursing him for having a hero complex,
and why he was always itching to beat some sense into him. Being unable
to dissuade someone who insisted on shouldering all responsibility and
bearing all the terrible consequences—this was truly a feeling most
detestable, most abominable!
“Do either of you seriously understand what will become of you if
you go to Golden Carp Tower to plead guilty—especially Wen Ning?” Wei
Wuxian said. “Don’t you dote on your little brother most of all?”
“Whatever comes, it is what he deserves,” Wen Qing stated.
No. Wen Ning wasn’t the one who deserved it at all. This was all on
him.
 “Either way, if you think about it, we should have died a long time
ago,” Wen Qing said. “Technically, we got lucky by gaining these extra
days.”
Wen Ning nodded.
He was always like this, nodding his head in agreement at whatever
anyone else said, not once objecting. Never had Wei Wuxian ever loathed
that gesture and that meekness so keenly.
Wen Qing crouched by the bed and stared at his face. Then she
suddenly reached out and flicked Wei Wuxian on the forehead with her
finger.
That flick had a lot of force in it. It hurt so much that it made Wei
Wuxian furrow his brow. Wen Qing’s mood seemed to take a turn for the
better at the sight.
“I’ve said my piece and made my meaning clear, and I’ve also bid
my farewells. So, goodbye.”
“No—” Wei Wuxian started, but Wen Qing cut him off.
“I’ve never really said this to you, but now that it’s come to this, there
are some things that must be said. I really won’t have the chance to in the
future.”
“…Shut up…” Wei Wuxian muttered. “…Release me…”
“I’m sorry,” Wen Qing said. “And thank you.”
 — Part 2 —

W EI WUXIAN LAY there for three full days.

Wen Qing was indeed correct in her calculations. Three full days. Not
a moment more or a moment less. Only then was he able to move.
First his fingers, then his limbs, and finally his neck… When his
almost frozen blood began to circulate anew throughout his body, Wei
Wuxian leapt up and dashed out of the Demon-Quelling Cave.
The rest of the Wens seemed like they hadn’t slept for the past three
days either. They sat in silence around the table in the large hut. Wei
Wuxian didn’t spare them a glance as he dashed madly all the way down
the Burial Mounds.
After running down the mountain in one breath, he stood there in the
middle of the wilderness, bent over with his hands on his knees as he
gasped for breath. It was with difficulty that he straightened up again. But
as he looked at the numerous overgrown mountain paths, he didn’t know
which way to go.
The Burial Mounds? He had just come down from there.
Lotus Pier? He hadn’t been back there in a year.
Golden Carp Tower?
Three days had already passed. If he went now, he’d probably only
see Wen Qing’s corpse and Wen Ning’s ashes.
He stood in a daze. For as vast as the world was, he suddenly realized
he actually had nowhere to go.
Nor did he know what to do either.
And then, a terrible thought sprung up unbidden in his mind.
He had repeatedly rejected this thought over the past three days, but it
kept coming back, refusing to be weeded out so easily now that it had taken
root.
 Wen Qing and Wen Ning had left on their own. Perhaps, deep down,
he was glad they did. Because now, he wouldn’t have to agonize over what
choice to make. They had taken the initiative to make the choice for him,
saving him the trouble.
Wei Wuxian raised a hand and slapped himself, then hissed under his
breath, “What are you thinking?!”
His cheeks stung with searing pain, and he finally suppressed the
terrible thought once more. Instead, he resolved that no matter what, he
should at least bring back the Wen siblings’ ashes.
And so, in the end, he still ran in the direction of Golden Carp Tower.
It wasn’t hard for Wei Wuxian to sneak into a place without making a
sound. Golden Carp Tower was very quiet and surprisingly not as heavily
guarded as he’d expected. He searched the premises for a long time but
found nothing suspicious.
He wandered the halls of Golden Carp Tower like a ghost, hiding
when there were people and moving when there were none. He didn’t know
what exactly he was looking for, or how he should go about looking for it,
but he froze when he heard an infant’s cries. A voice inside him urged him
to go toward the sound.
The cries originated from a grand, unlit hall.
Wei Wuxian snuck soundlessly to the door. He peeked through the
cracks of the wooden windows, which were carved with exquisite fretwork.
A dark coffin rested in the middle of the hall. Two women in white
were sitting on their heels before it.
The woman on the left had a frail build. The sight of her back was
something Wei Wuxian would never mistake—he had been carried on it
countless times since he was young.
It was Jiang Yanli.
Jiang Yanli sat on her heels on a cushion, staring blankly at the
polished black coffin before her. She held an infant in her arms as he uttered
tiny cries.
The woman on the right spoke softly to her. “…A-Li, don’t sit here
any longer. Go take a break.”
 Jiang Yanli shook her head, and Madam Jin sighed.
Madam Jin’s personality was quite similar to that of her good friend,
Madam Yu. She was strong-minded and always spoke in a loud, confident
tone. But when she spoke just now, her voice was quiet and hoarse and
made her sound very old.
“I’ll keep vigil,” Madam Jin insisted. “Don’t sit here any longer. You
won’t be able to take it.”
“Mother, I’m fine,” Jiang Yanli said softly. “I’d like to stay a while
longer.”
After a while, Madam Jin slowly stood. “You can’t go on like this.
I’ll go get you something to eat.”
She had probably been there for a while as well, sitting on her heels
the whole time. Her legs had gone numb, and she tottered slightly as she
stood up, but she steadied herself immediately and turned around. Sure
enough, Wei Wuxian saw the somewhat steely face of Madam Jin.
The Madam Jin in Wei Wuxian’s memory was ruthlessly efficient and
resolute. She always wore a haughty expression and was always surrounded
by a resplendent air of nobility and affluence. She maintained her youthful
looks so well that people would have believed her to be a woman in her
early twenties. But right now, what Wei Wuxian saw was an ordinary
middle-aged woman. She had graying hair at her temples and was dressed
in plain white robes of mourning. She had no makeup on, revealing her
ashen complexion and her dry, cracked lips.
Wei Wuxian immediately dodged away when she walked over, about
to push the door open to exit the hall. With a light tap of his foot, he leapt
onto the corbel brackets spanning the hallway’s ceiling, just as Madam Jin
strode out and closed the door behind her. Her gaze was cold. She drew a
deep breath and adjusted her expression as if she wished to don her usual
air of dignity.
But her eyes reddened before she could fully inhale.
She had never allowed herself to show the slightest hint of sorrow in
front of Jiang Yanli. The moment she stepped outside, however, the corners
of her mouth fell and her features seemed to collapse in on themselves. Her
entire body started to shake.
 This was the second time Wei Wuxian had witnessed such an
unsightly and heartbreaking expression on a woman’s face.
And he really never wanted to see the sight again.
Wei Wuxian clenched his fist without thinking. But his knuckles
unexpectedly made a clear, crisp crack, and the moment she heard the noise,
Madam Jin’s eyebrows immediately shot up.
“Who’s there?!”
She looked up and saw Wei Wuxian hiding next to the corbels.
Madam Jin, who had excellent eyesight, got a good look at the face
concealed in the darkness. Her features contorted for a moment, and then
she screamed a command in a shrill voice.
“Men! All of you, come! Wei Ying—he’s here! He has infiltrated
Golden Carp Tower!”
Wei Wuxian rushed down the long corridor. He heard the frantic
clatter of footsteps as someone else rushed out of the grand hall behind him,
yet he couldn’t help but flee into the night.
He dared not take a single look at the expression on Jiang Yanli’s face
right now, nor listen to a single word she had for him!
After escaping Golden Carp Tower and leaving Lanling City, Wei
Wuxian was directionless once more. He began to wander aimlessly in a
confused stupor, moving unceasingly, losing count of how many cities he
passed through.
Eventually, he came upon a gathering of people in front of a city
wall. They were engaged in heated, animated discussion.
Wei Wuxian initially paid them no mind, but as he walked past, he
heard the whispered words “Ghost General.” He promptly stopped in his
tracks and began to listen with rapt attention.
“The Ghost General really is savage… He said he came to Golden
Carp Tower to plead guilty, but then he suddenly went berserk and went on
a killing spree!”
“Thank goodness I didn’t go that day!”
“As expected of a dog trained by Wei Wuxian. He bites on sight.”
 “That Wei Ying, though… If he can’t control him, then he shouldn’t
have so thoughtlessly created him! He made a mad dog and didn’t even
chain it up. It’ll backfire on him one day, and with how things are going, I
think that day isn’t far off.”
Wei Wuxian listened quietly. His knuckles twitched slightly, as did
his facial muscles.
“Man, the Jin Clan of Lanling is so unlucky.”
“The Lan Clan of Gusu is the real unlucky one! Most of the thirty or
so people killed were from their clan, even though they were clearly just
there for support and to mediate.”
“Good thing they finally destroyed the Ghost General with fire. Just
the thought of a creature like that roaming free and randomly going berserk
is enough to keep me up at night.”
“That’s the end a Wen dog deserves!” someone spat.
“The Ghost General has been reduced to ash. That should show Wei
Wuxian! I heard quite a number of the family heads who will be
participating in the Pledge Rally have already spoken up. How gratifying!”
The more Wei Wuxian heard, the more apathetic his expression
became.
He should’ve known. No matter what he did, they would not utter a
single kind word for him. They feared him when he succeeded and were
elated when he failed.
If wherever his feet touched was the demonic path, what was the
point of all his perseverance, all this time? What had it all been for?
As his eyes grew more bone-chillingly cold, his heart blazed with
wilder and more furious hellfire.
One of the gossips sounded smug, as if he had personally made some
great contribution to the situation. “Yeah, gratifying indeed! If he behaves
himself from now on, and just cowers on that shitty hillock with his tail
tucked between his legs, whatever. But if he dares show his face again?
Heh, as soon as he comes out, I’ll…”
“You’ll what?”
 The crowd who had been gossiping so energetically froze at the
interruption and looked back all at once. Standing behind them was a young
man dressed in black, with a pallid complexion and dark circles under his
eyes.
“If he dares show his face, you’ll what?” he repeated icily.
A sharp-eyed person saw the flute at the man’s waist, and its vivid
red tassel. Seized by great alarm and terror, they screamed, “Chenqing—it’s
Chenqing!”
The Yiling Patriarch, Wei Wuxian, had really showed up!
The crowd fled in all directions in an instant, emptying the area
around Wei Wuxian. He blew a harsh, sharp whistle, and the people
suddenly felt weights push their bodies to the ground. They looked back,
awash in fear and trepidation—only to discover that they had all been
pinned to the ground by spirits of various forms, their mouths dripping with
blood!
Wei Wuxian strolled through the sprawled, immobile crowd. “Hmm?
What’s wrong? Weren’t you so arrogant when discussing me behind my
back? Now that I’ve appeared before you, you’ve suddenly changed face
and prostrated yourselves?”
He meandered over to the man who had blustered most vociferously
and stomped on the man’s face with his boot. Wei Wuxian burst out
laughing.
“Go on, talk. Why aren’t you talking anymore? Oh, chivalrous hero,
what exactly were you going to do to me?!”
The man’s nose was crushed by the blow. Blood flowed like a river,
and his blood-curdling screams stretched on. Several cultivators watched
from atop the city wall, wanting to help but not daring to step forward.
Instead, one of them shouted from afar, “Wei…Wei Ying! If you’re
so powerful, why don’t you go find the clan leaders at the Pledge Rally?
What can you prove by bullying us low-level cultivators who are too
powerless to fight back?”
Wei Wuxian blew another short whistle, and that particular cultivator
suddenly felt a hand yank him hard. He plummeted from the top of the city
wall and broke both legs in the fall, letting loose a long, blood-curdling
howl.
Wei Wuxian spoke over those pitiful screams, expression unchanged.
“Low-level cultivators? I have to tolerate you just because you’re low-level
cultivators? You talk, you reap the consequences. If you know you’re no
better than insects, why don’t you know that you should watch your
tongues?!”
Doom clouded the blanched faces of the crowd, and they were
terrified into silence. When Wei Wuxian didn’t hear another word of idle
gossip after some time had passed, he was satisfied.
“There we go.”
With another kick, he knocked out half of the teeth of the man who
had been the most enthusiastic in his fabrications.
Blood splattered across the ground. Everyone trembled and went
even paler. The man had already passed out from the pain.
Wei Wuxian lowered his head and scrubbed the bloodstained soles of
his boots against the ground, leaving behind several bloody footprints. He
scrutinized them briefly before delivering one last comment in a mild tone.
“But you insects were right about one thing—there’s no point wasting
time on you. You’re telling me to go find those major clans? Very well,
then. I’ll be off. Let’s go settle some scores.”
As soon as he looked up, he saw the huge bulletin posted on the city
wall. It was the one the crowd had gathered around to gossip.
At the top were the words “Pledge Rally.” The contents of the
bulletin were as follows: the four major clans—the Jin Clan of Lanling, the
Nie Clan of Qinghe, the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng, and the Lan Clan of Gusu
—had resolved to scatter the ashes of the Wen Clan’s survivors atop the
abandoned ruins of the Wen Clan of Qishan’s residence, the Nightless City.
They had also resolved to pledge their opposition to the Yiling Patriarch,
who had established his dominion over the Burial Mounds.
A Pledge Rally at Nightless City?
The crowd was still terrified, sure they were about to meet a tragic
end at the hands of the Yiling Patriarch and have their corpses drafted into
his service. But Wei Wuxian was no longer interested in them. After
reading the bulletin, he cast them from his mind and exited the area with his
hands clasped behind him, leaving them on the ground.
He didn’t recall the spirits holding them down. Those who cried out
in pain continued to wail, and those who squirmed continued to writhe. Not
a single person was able to crawl to their feet.
Some time later, a blue sword glare suddenly streaked past them.
Everyone felt the weight lift in an instant.
“I can move now!” someone exclaimed.
A few people, climbing to their feet with some difficulty, saw the
blue sword glare sail back to its wielder’s sheath.
The wielder of the sword was a very young, handsome man with a
refined air about him. He was dressed in white and wore a forehead ribbon,
his expression frosty and solemn, a trace of suppressed worry coloring his
brow. His steps were swift as he walked over, but he did not look at all
hurried. Even his sleeves did not flutter in the wind.
The cultivator whose legs had been broken battled the pain to call out
to him. “Han…Hanguang-jun!”
Lan Wangji walked over to the man and crouched, pressing on his
legs to ascertain the extent of his injuries. Determining them to not be too
severe, he rose to his feet, but the cultivator continued before he could
speak a word.
“Hanguang-jun, you are too late, sir. Wei Wuxian just left!”
Quite a few people knew that Hanguang-jun of the Lan Clan of Gusu
had been trying to track down Wei Wuxian these last few days—surely to
settle the score with him, to make him pay for the dozens of lives the Lan
Clan of Gusu had lost so senselessly.
“Yeah! He just left, less than two hours ago!” someone else quickly
interjected.
“What did he do? Where did he go?” Lan Wangji asked.
The crowd immediately began to vent their grievances to him. “He
attacked us without rhyme or reason! He nearly killed all of us on the spot!”
 Lan Wangji’s hands were concealed under his snow-white wide
sleeves. His fingers twitched slightly, as if he were about to clench them
into fists, but he relaxed them quickly enough.
“But he did say that he was heading to Nightless City, to settle the
score with the four major clans at the Pledge Rally!” the cultivator quickly
added.
After the annihilation of the Wen Clan of Qishan, the halls of
Nightless City had been reduced to a magnificent but empty ruin. At the
highest point of Nightless City stood Scorching Sun Palace. An impossibly
wide public square stretched before it. There had once been three towering
flag poles at the very front of the square, but two were now broken, while
the remaining one flew a blazing sun flag that was tattered and smeared
with blood.
Tonight, the square was densely packed with representatives of
various clans. They had arranged themselves into neat, square formations
both large and small. Each clan’s flag, emblazoned with their family crest,
flew high in the night breeze. A temporary altar had been constructed
before the broken flag poles.
Each clan head stood at the lead of their respective formation. Jin
Guangyao presented each of them with a cup of wine in turn. After they had
all received a cup, the clan leaders raised them high, then poured the wine
on the ground.
The spilled wine seeped into the soil, and Jin Guangshan said with
solemn reverence, “This wine is hereby offered to the deceased heroes of
the cultivation world, irrespective of clan or family name.”
“The souls of the brave departed live on forever,” Nie Mingjue said.
“Rest in peace,” Lan Xichen said.
Jiang Cheng simply looked gloomy. Even after he had poured out the
wine, he did not say a word.
Next, Jin Guangyao stepped forward from the Jin Clan of Lanling’s
formation and held out a square, black metal box with both hands. Jin
Guangshan took the box with a single hand and raised it high.
“Here are the ashes of the surviving Wens!” he bellowed.
 Then he focused his spiritual energy and cracked the metal box with
his bare hand. The box shattered into pieces and white ash scattered in the
chilly night breeze.
Bones crushed to ashes and scattered!
Cheers erupted from the crowd. Jin Guangshan raised both hands and
motioned for everyone to quiet down and listen to his speech. When the
cheers gradually subsided, he continued in a loud voice.
“The ashes scattered tonight were those of the two leaders of the Wen
survivors. Tomorrow, it will be those of the remaining Wen dogs and the
Yiling Patriarch, Wei Ying!”
A low chuckle suddenly interrupted his impassioned speech.
This laugh was untimely, both abrupt and jarring. The crowd instantly
looked to where the sound had come.
Scorching Sun Palace was a magnificent edifice, with a total of
twelve roof ridges and eight divine beasts installed at each end. But, the
crowd suddenly realized, there were nine beasts on one of the ridges. The
chuckle had come from there!
The extra beast shifted slightly. The next second, a boot and a fold of
black clothing now dangled from the eaves, swaying gently.
Everyone brought their hands to their swords. Jiang Cheng’s pupils
shrank, and blue veins bulged on the backs of his hands. Alarmed and
seething with hatred, Jin Guangshan shouted at Wei Wuxian.
“Wei Ying! How dare you show your face here?!”
The man spoke. It was indeed Wei Wuxian, but his voice sounded
very strange.
“Why would I not dare? Are there even three thousand of you here?
Don’t forget I fought alone against five thousand during the Sunshot
Campaign. Three thousand is nothing to me. And besides, doesn’t showing
my face here suit you just fine? It saves you the trouble of making a special
trip to my doorstep tomorrow to crush my bones and scatter my ashes.”
The Nie Clan of Qinghe had also lost several disciples to Wen Ning
going berserk. “Arrogant boy,” Nie Mingjue said coldly.
 “Aren’t I always?” Wei Wuxian said. “Sect Leader Jin, is it fun to eat
your own words? Who was it that said the matter would be over as long as
the Wen siblings went to Golden Carp Tower to plead guilty? And who was
it that said that he would scatter my ashes tomorrow, along with those of the
remaining Wens?”
“That’s a different matter altogether!” Jin Guangshan said. “During
the ambush at Qiongqi Path, you slaughtered over a hundred of my Jin
Sect’s disciples. This is one matter. And then you let Wen Ning commit
murder at Golden Carp Tower, which is another—”
“Then, dare I ask Sect Leader Jin,” Wei Wuxian asked, “who was the
one being ambushed at Qiongqi Path? Who was the one who should have
been killed? Who was the mastermind and who was the target? And at the
root of it all, who provoked me first?!”
The sect disciples standing in their formations felt safe, concealed
among the sea of people, so they summoned their courage and shouted at
him one after another.
“Even if Jin Zixun plotted to ambush you, you shouldn’t have so
ruthlessly killed so many people!”
“Oh?” Wei Wuxian helped the one who’d spoken dissect his
statement. “So if he wants to kill me, he needn’t have any misgivings about
dealing a lethal blow. If I die, that’s just my bad luck. But if I defend
myself, I must have reservations about who I hurt—even about whether I
should touch a single strand of anyone’s hair in the first place. In short, you
can ambush me, but I can’t fight back. Is that right?”
Sect Leader Yao raised his voice. “Fight back? Those hundred-plus
souls were all innocent, as were the thirty lost at Golden Carp Tower. Even
if you were defending yourself, why did you have to involve them?!”
“The fifty or so Wen cultivators on the Burial Mounds are also
innocent. Why do you have to involve them?”
“What great kindness did the Wen dogs do you, to make you so
partial to those scum?” someone else spat.
“I don’t think there was any great kindness at all. He just considers
himself a hero, set against the whole world. He thinks he’s doing chivalrous
deeds, and thinks himself noble for risking universal condemnation!”
 Wei Wuxian fell silent at this.
The crowd below took his silence as a retreat. “When all is said and
done, it’s your fault for casting such a despicable, malicious curse on Jin
Zixun!”
“What proof do you have that I was the one who laid the curse?” Wei
Wuxian asked.
The man who’d asked the question was struck speechless by Wei
Wuxian’s reply. Briefly stumped, he then countered, “And what proof do
you have that you aren’t the culprit?”
Wei Wuxian smiled. “Then let me ask—why couldn’t it have been
you? You don’t have any proof that you didn’t cast the curse, do you?”
The person was both shocked and furious. “Me? How could I
possibly be the same as you? Don’t go confusing right and wrong! You are
the most suspicious of all. Do you think we didn’t know you and Jin Zixun
bore each other a grudge for over a year?!”
“Who exactly is the confused one here?” Wei Wuxian said chillingly.
“That’s right. If I wanted to kill him, I would have done so a year ago. I
wouldn’t need to wait this long. If I waited, I’d forget a character like him
in three days, much less a year.”
Sect Leader Yao was shocked. “…Wei Wuxian, oh, Wei Wuxian.
What an eye-opener today has been. I’ve never seen a crook as
unreasonable as you… You continue to humiliate and insult your victims
even after you kill them. Do you not have the slightest bit of sympathy or
remorse?”
Curses were hurled at him from all directions, but Wei Wuxian
accepted them calmly.
Only fury could suppress the other emotions in his heart.
One of the cultivators standing at the forefront of the formation said,
with bitter grief, “Wei Ying, you truly disappoint me. To think I used to
admire and look up to you! I even said that, if nothing else, you were a
founder, someone who established the first generation of your own sect. It’s
almost nauseating, in retrospect. From now on, you and I stand in
opposition!”
 Wei Wuxian was taken aback by this speech at first but then burst
into hysterical laughter.
“Ha ha ha ha….”
He laughed so hard he could barely breathe.
“You admired me? You say that, but why did I never see you, back
when you admired me? And when everyone began to bay for my blood, you
popped up waving your little flag to cheer in support!”
Wei Wuxian laughed till he was shedding tears.
“That admiration of yours was a bit cheap, wasn’t it? And now
you’re talking about opposing me. All right, then. But what does your
antagonism and animosity matter to me? Your admiration, your contempt—
they’re both so utterly insignificant. How are you not embarrassed to parade
them about like this?”
He had just finished when he suddenly choked. A burst of dull pain
bloomed in his chest. Wei Wuxian dropped his gaze to see a feathered arrow
piercing him, the head buried between two of his ribs.
He looked in the direction the arrow had come from. The archer was
a young cultivator with delicate features, still in his shooting stance as he
stood among the formation of his small clan. His bowstring was still
quivering.
Wei Wuxian could tell the arrow had been aiming for a fatal strike at
his heart. But the archer was not particularly skilled, and the arrow’s
momentum had waned as it flew, causing the shot to miss his heart and
pierce his rib cage instead. The people around the archer were wide-eyed
with shock and even horror as they looked at their fellow, who had made
such a reckless move.
Wei Wuxian raised his head. There was murderous fury on his face as
he yanked out the arrow and flung it back with his might. A horrible cry
rang out—the arrow he had hurled back had struck the young archer right in
the chest!
A young cultivator standing by the archer’s side threw himself atop
his body and wailed. “Ge! Ge!”
 The clan’s formation was instantly thrown into disarray. The leader of
the clan pointed a trembling finger at Wei Wuxian.
“You… You… You’re so vicious!”
Wei Wuxian casually pressed his hand to his chest to temporarily stop
the bleeding.
“What do you mean by that?” he said indifferently. “He dared try a
sneak attack on me. He should have expected that would be his fate if he
missed. You all call me a cultivator of the demonic path—surely you can’t
have hoped I’d be magnanimous enough to let it go?”
“Fall into battle formation!” Jin Guangshan shouted. “We must not
let him leave here alive!”
With this order, the standoff was finally broken. Riding their swords
with bows in hand, several disciples charged forward to encircle the top of
the hall.
They had finally made the first move!
With a sneer, Wei Wuxian took Chenqing from his waist and lifted it
to his lips. At the flute’s sharp cry, countless ghastly pale hands broke
through the ground of Nightless City’s square!
Corpse after corpse pushed up through the paved white stones and
crawled from the depths of the earth. Any cultivators who had only just
mounted their swords were instantly dragged down by the corpses’ grasping
limbs. Wei Wuxian stood on the roof of Scorching Sun Palace, playing his
bamboo flute as his eyes glinted coldly in the darkness of the night.
Seen from above, the clans’ uniforms resembled a pot of boiling dye
of various hues, churning and roiling incessantly, colors scattering and
gathering in turn. Their formations had been thrown into disorder, save for
the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng. Every clan leader was so busy protecting their
own disciples that they were too preoccupied to attack Wei Wuxian.
Right then, the icy notes of a guqin disrupted Chenqing’s song.
Wei Wuxian lowered Chenqing. He looked back to see a person
sitting on another of the roof’s ridges, his guqin laid horizontally across his
lap. His snow-white clothes were almost blinding in the darkness of the
night.
 “Ah, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian called out in a cold voice.
After he had greeted him, he raised the flute to his lips once more.
“You should have known long ago that Purification Tone doesn’t
work on me!”
Lan Wangji flipped his guqin onto his back, drew Bichen, and lunged
directly at Chenqing in an attempt to cleave the hellish flute that created
such diabolical notes.
Wei Wuxian whirled around to sidestep the attack and laughed out
loud. “Very good, very good. I always knew there would come a day when
we’d have to fight for real, like this. You never liked me all that much,
anyway. Bring it on!”
Lan Wangji’s movements stalled when he heard this. “Wei Ying!”
Though he shouted the name forcefully, any sober person would have
been able to tell that Lan Wangji’s voice was trembling. But Wei Wuxian
had already lost all ability to judge such things. He was already half-mad,
half-delirious. His mind infinitely magnified all the ill will people bore him
until he was absolutely certain that every single person in the world loathed
him—for he, too, loathed them all in return. No matter who came at him, he
was not afraid. It was all the same. It didn’t matter who it was. That was all
there was to it.
Amidst the sounds of fighting and killing, Wei Wuxian suddenly
heard a faint shout.
“A-Xian!”
The voice was like a basin of cold water, completely dousing the
vicious fire raging in his heart.
Jiang Yanli?
When had she come to the Pledge Rally?!
The sudden shock left Wei Wuxian almost dead with terror. He
lowered Chenqing, unable to care less about continuing the fight with Lan
Wangji.
“Shijie?!”
 Jiang Cheng had also heard her voice. The color instantly drained
from his face. “Jie? Jie?! Where are you? Where are you?!”
Wei Wuxian leapt from the roof of Scorching Sun Palace and shouted
himself hoarse, just as Jiang Cheng was doing.
“Shijie? Shijie?! Where are you? Where are you?! I don’t see you!”
Disregarding the countless glinting, flashing blades and swords that
came pressing in toward him, he struck out with his palms and fists as he
rushed through the chaotic crowd. All of a sudden, he saw Jiang Yanli’s
white figure submerged in the sea of colors. Wei Wuxian did all he could to
shove through the people blocking his path, advancing with difficulty.
There was still a considerable distance and countless people between them,
and for a moment, Wei Wuxian could not move at all. It was the same for
Jiang Cheng.
To make matters worse, it was at that very moment that they both
realized a half-decayed fierce corpse was swaying to its feet behind Jiang
Yanli.
Dragging a rusty longsword in its grip, it moved toward her.
Seeing this chilling scene unfold, Wei Wuxian barked sharply,
“Scram! Get lost! Don’t touch her!”
“Make it go away!” Jiang Cheng roared.
He hurled Sandu at the fierce corpse. The sword’s purple glare
hurtled forward but was knocked off course midway by another cultivator’s
sword glare.
The more flustered and panicked Wei Wuxian grew, the worse his
control became. The fierce corpse completely ignored his commands.
Instead, it raised the longsword in its grip before bringing it down on Jiang
Yanli!
Wei Wuxian lost his mind completely, screaming as he charged
forward. “Stop! Stop! Stop it now!”
Everyone was busy dealing with the fierce corpses swarming around
them, unable to pay attention to whether someone else was in danger. With
one blow, the fierce corpse split open the flesh of Jiang Yanli’s back!
 Jiang Yanli fell to the ground. The fierce corpse stood behind her and
raised its sword once more.
Just then, a sword glare hurtled forth and sliced off half of its body,
sending it flying!
Lan Wangji landed on the square and smoothly caught hold of Bichen
after he summoned it back. It was only then that Wei Wuxian and Jiang
Cheng rushed over, too preoccupied to even thank him. Jiang Cheng
scooped up Jiang Yanli, beating Wei Wuxian to it. Lan Wangji, on the other
hand, intercepted Wei Wuxian and grabbed him by the collar to haul him
around so they were face-to-face.
“Wei Ying,” he snapped sharply. “Stop the corpses!”
Wei Wuxian barely registered Lan Wangji’s face, much less noticed
his bloodshot eyes. All he cared about right now was Jiang Yanli; all he
wanted to do was go over and see if Jiang Yanli was okay. With reddened
eyes, he shoved Lan Wangji away and threw himself to the ground.
Lan Wangji staggered from the push. He steadied himself and looked
at Wei Wuxian, but before he could make his next move, he suddenly heard
a wretched cry for help in the distance. Suppressing the emotions surging
within him, he rushed over to the rescue.
Jiang Yanli’s back was soaked with blood. Her eyes were closed, but
thankfully, she was still breathing. Jiang Cheng drew back the trembling
hand that he had used to take her pulse and heaved a sigh of relief. All of a
sudden, he punched Wei Wuxian right in the face.
“What’s going on?!” Jiang Cheng screamed at him. “Didn’t you say
you could control it? Didn’t you say there was no problem?!”
Wei Wuxian slumped to the ground, sitting in a stupefied heap. “…I
don’t know either.” Despairingly, he said, “…I can’t control it. I can’t…”
Just then, Jiang Yanli jerked. Jiang Cheng held her tightly in his arms.
“Jiejie! It’s okay! It’s okay. How are you? Fortunately, it was just one
gash. Fortunately,” he rambled on incoherently. “I’ll take you away right
now…”
He moved to lift her as he spoke, but Jiang Yanli suddenly called out.
“…A-Xian.”
 Wei Wuxian shuddered and quickly responded. “Shijie, I…I’m here.”
Jiang Yanli slowly opened her dark eyes. A burst of panic seized Wei
Wuxian.
“…A-Xian.” Speaking seemed to be a terrible effort for her, but she
still continued. “You ran away so fast…last time… I didn’t even get a
chance to take a look at you, or say a single word to you…”
Wei Wuxian’s heart pounded wildly as he listened. He still didn’t
dare look directly at Jiang Yanli, especially right now. Her face was covered
in dirt and blood, just as Jin Zixuan’s face had been back then.
He was even more afraid to hear what she was going to say next.
“I…came here to tell you…” Jiang Yanli said.
Tell him what?
“It’s all right?”
“I don’t hate you?”
“Everything’s okay?”
“I don’t blame you for killing Jin Zixuan?”
Impossible.
But she couldn’t bring herself to say anything to the opposite effect
either. Though she didn’t know what she could say to Wei Wuxian under
the circumstances…
All she knew was that she had to come and see her little brother.
With a sigh, Jiang Yanli said, “A-Xian, stop… You have to stop first.
Don’t… Don’t…”
“Okay,” Wei Wuxian hurriedly replied, “I’ll stop.”
He picked up Chenqing, put it to his lips, lowered his head and began
to play. It took him a great deal of effort to steady his mind. This time, the
fierce corpses no longer ignored his command. One by one, they slowly
prostrated themselves, making strange gurgling sounds in their throats, as if
in complaint.
Lan Wangji paused in his tracks, gazing over at them from afar. Then
he turned back and continued to attack with his sword, helping his
struggling peers irrespective of whether they were from his sect or not.
All of a sudden, Jiang Yanli snapped her eyes open wide. With an
unexpected burst of energy, she shoved Wei Wuxian with both hands!
The force of the shove pushed Wei Wuxian back to the ground. When
he raised his eyes, he saw a long, gleaming sword had pierced her throat.
The one wielding the sword was the same young cultivator who had
thrown himself onto the archer’s body and cried so bitterly. He was still
weeping profusely, tears blurring his vision, as he shouted, “Wei, you
villain! That’s for my older brother!”
Wei Wuxian sat on the filthy ground, staring at Jiang Yanli in
disbelief. Her head hung limply. Blood flowed ceaselessly from her throat.
He was waiting for her to speak, as if to hear her pass her last
judgment upon him.
Jiang Cheng was in a daze as well, still hugging his older sister’s
body. Reality had yet to set in.
A long time passed before Wei Wuxian let loose a grief-stricken
scream.
 Lan Wangji struck with his sword and whirled around.
Only then did the young cultivator realize he had killed the wrong
person. He yanked out his sword, bringing with it a spray of blood. As he
backed away in a panic, he sputtered, “…No, it’s not me, it’s not… I meant
to kill Wei Wuxian, I wanted to avenge my brother… She was the one who
threw herself in the way!”
Wei Wuxian seized him by the throat in a flash of movement.
Sect Leader Yao brandished his sword. “Demon, unhand him!”
Lan Wangji could no longer be bothered to maintain his poise. He
shoved aside the people blocking his way, one after the other, as he dashed
toward Wei Wuxian. But he hadn’t even made it halfway when, in full view
of all present, Wei Wuxian snapped the young cultivator’s neck with his
bare hand.
“You!” a clan leader exclaimed in rage. “You…dragged down Jiang
Fengmian and his wife, you were the one who caused their deaths. And now
you’ve made your shijie share their fate! You have only yourself to blame,
yet you still dare take it out on others! Instead of repenting, you continue to
kill! Wei Ying, you… Your crimes are beyond forgiveness!”
But Wei Wuxian could no longer hear any of the abuse and
condemnation they hurled at him.
It was like he was being controlled by another soul as he reached
both hands into his sleeves to retrieve two objects. Then, before the eyes of
all, he pieced the objects together.
One half at the top, one half at the bottom. The two objects joined as
one, emitting an ominous, resounding clang.
Wei Wuxian held it in his palm and lifted it high.
The Yin Tiger Tally!
 Chapter 19:
Core of the Truehearted

— Part 1 —

T HE NIGHTLESS CITY MASSACRE—that was what they called the

bloody battle on the night of the Pledge Rally. Legend said that the Yiling
Patriarch, Wei Wuxian, single-handedly slaughtered all three thousand
cultivators present. Some said there were over five thousand. But whether
three or five thousand, one thing was certain: that night, Wei Wuxian
transformed the ruins of Nightless City into hell on earth. And, though he
was the target of every cultivator present, the murderer was able to retreat to
the Burial Mounds completely unscathed. No one knew how he had done it.
Every clan suffered heavy casualties in the battle. The four major
clans took three months to rally their strength and solidify their plans before
they launched a successful siege of the demon’s lair, the Burial Mounds.
And thus, they repaid the slaughter in kind to the evil Wen survivors and the
mad Yiling Patriarch.
Wei Wuxian observed the cultivators swarming before the Demon-
Quelling Cave. He had seen nearly the same expressions on the night of the
Pledge Rally, when the attendees had poured out wine and vowed to reduce
him and the Wen survivors to ashes. Some of the cultivators present today
were those who’d been lucky enough to survive that night, and some were
descendants of those who hadn’t. Almost all of them, however, were
“warriors of justice”—and they shared the same beliefs as those people
back then.
“A blood debt of three thousand souls—it won’t be repaid even if you
die a million deaths!” said the middle-aged cultivator named Yi Weichun,
who had claimed that Wei Wuxian had injured his leg so badly he now had
to wear a wooden prosthetic.
Wei Wuxian cut him off. “Three thousand? There were around three
thousand cultivators present that night at Nightless City, but that includes
the leaders and elites of every clan. Could I really have killed all three
thousand people with them around? Do you think too highly of me, or too
little of them?”
He was only indifferently stating a fact, but the cultivator felt
belittled and humiliated.
“What do you think we’re discussing right now?!” he bit back
furiously. “Can a blood debt be haggled over?”
“I’m not trying to haggle. I just don’t want people to so casually
exaggerate my past crimes. I don’t wanna carry the burden of things I didn’t
do.”
“What you didn’t do? What didn’t you do?” one cultivator rebuked.
“Well, I didn’t tear Chifeng-zun to pieces,” Wei Wuxian said. “I
didn’t force Lianfang-zun’s wife, Madam Jin, to commit suicide at Golden
Carp Tower either. I also wasn’t the one manipulating the animated corpses
you met on the way up the mountain.”
Su She chuckled. “Yiling Patriarch, I’ve heard you were
presumptuous, but I never expected you to be humble. Who, if not you,
could control so many animated corpses and force us into this sorry
situation?”
“Is it that hard? Anyone could do it with the Yin Tiger Tally,” Wei
Wuxian said.
“Isn’t the Yin Tiger Tally your spiritual weapon?” Su She countered.
“I think that’s a question for whoever is so obsessed with it,” Wei
Wuxian answered. “It’s just like Wen Ning. A certain prominent clan is
clearly terrified of the Ghost General, and calls for his demise—but they
also kept him around in secret for over a dozen years. Weird. And who was
it again that said he’d been reduced to ashes?”
Everyone unconsciously looked at the Jin sect disciples. After all, the
then-leader of the Jin Clan of Lanling had been wholly responsible for that
affair. He had solemnly sworn the two leaders of the Wen survivors had
been burned to dust, and even taken the lead in scattering their ashes at
Nightless City.
“There’s no need for you to sow discord,” Su She rebuked instantly.
 At that moment, the trees began to rustle anew. Strange gurgling
noises echoed from the depths of the forest.
“Be careful, everyone! A new wave of fierce corpses is
approaching!” Lan Qiren cautioned.
At his words, half of the crowd turned to face the oncoming horde.
The other half remained on guard, keeping their swords pointed at the
“rabble” in front of the Demon-Quelling Cave.
“I already told you,” Wei Wuxian reiterated. “Those fierce corpses
aren’t under my control. If you’ve got time to look at me, why not pay
attention to them instead?”
There were quite a few accomplished cultivators present, including
several clan leaders and elders. A mob of fierce corpses presented no threat.
Sword glares and guqin notes shot forth alike, and most people were too
preoccupied to care what was happening at the cave entrance.
Jiang Cheng reduced three fierce corpses to dust with a single lash of
his whip. He turned to Jin Ling and snapped, “Jin Ling! Are you looking to
have your legs broken?!”
He meant that if Jin Ling didn’t come over that instant, he’d break his
legs when they got home. But Jin Ling had heard him make that threat so
many times now, and not once had it ever been carried out. Though he shot
a glance Jiang Cheng’s way, he did not move. Jiang Cheng cursed and
turned his wrist, aiming to ensnare Jin Ling with Zidian and bring him back
by force.
But unexpectedly, the purple light coursing through Zidian’s body
suddenly dimmed. Moments later, its current was completely extinguished.
The long whip swiftly transformed back into a silver ring and slotted
itself onto Jiang Cheng’s index finger. He stood where he was, stunned and
wordless. Zidian disengaging without being issued a direct command—this
had never happened before.
As he stared at his hand, two drops of blood suddenly hit the center
of his palm.
He raised his hand to wipe his face, and it came away smeared with
red.
 “Jiujiu!” Jin Ling cried out.
One after another, cries of alarm arose from the others fighting the
corpse horde. Most sword glares had gone dim. Nearly half of the
cultivators present were visibly confused as blood freely flowed from their
nostrils. Some were bleeding from the nose and mouth!
One of the sword cultivators began to panic. “What’s going on?!”
“My spiritual powers are gone!”
“Give me a hand, shixiong! Something’s gone wrong over here!”
Bichen hurtled out of its sheath and cut down the two fierce corpses
pursuing the cultivator who had cried for help. But the cries were only
growing more numerous; as one fell, another would rise. The crowd was
gradually gathering closer and closer together and retreating toward the
Demon-Quelling Cave.
The cultivators who had hiked up the Burial Mounds in anticipation
of a major battle had suddenly lost their spiritual powers. Not only had
sword glares disappeared and talismans malfunctioned, but even the Lan
Clan of Gusu and the Su Clan of Moling’s instruments had been reduced to
producing ordinary music that lacked any demon-repelling effects.
A dramatic turn of events!
Lan Wangji took the guqin from his back, and the strum of its strings
shook the heavens. But no matter how skillful or awe-inspiring his
Eradication Tone might be, he was only one man. Wen Ning leapt from the
Demon-Quelling Cave to aid him in driving away the fierce corpses,
suffering the assault of other cultivators in silence. Thankfully, he felt no
pain.
Amidst this utter confusion and chaos, Lan Sizhui suddenly rushed
out of the cave, shouting to the crowd.
“Everyone, come here! Come inside the Demon-Quelling Cave!
There’s a huge array on the ground in there. It’s missing some bits and
pieces, but it should be usable once repaired. Then we can ward off the
fierce corpses for a while!”
Some of the cultivators, their thoughts shaken and scattered by the
carnage, moved to rush into the cave at once. But Su She quickly
admonished them.
“Do not go inside! That will only make us easy prey! There must be
an even more dangerous trap waiting for us in there!”
The crowd startled, regaining their senses at his admonishment, and
grew indecisive. With a slash of his hand, Wei Wuxian hurled out over sixty
fluttering talismans.
“It’s death outside, it’s death inside. You die either way, but you
might be able to buy a little time if you head on in. Why are you so eager
for everyone to die together, huh?”
Although what he’d just said made a lot of sense, even fewer people
now dared to go inside—precisely because he was the one who’d said it.
They continued to hesitate even as they struggled against the fierce corpses.
The others could make do for a while without spiritual powers, but
Nie Huaisang couldn’t wait. It was common knowledge that he was
cowardly and feared trouble; with little in the way of natural talent, his
cultivation was lackluster and he had no motivation to improve. This
sudden turn of events had reduced him to a flustered mess, and he remained
unscathed only due to the efforts of his bodyguards. Seeing the corpses
continue to gather, with no end in sight, he cried out to the crowd.
“Are you guys going inside or not?! If not, I’m gonna go on in! So
sorry. Go, go, go, go, go, everybody hurry!”
Before he even finished speaking, he decided to simply order the Nie
Clan of Qinghe’s sect disciples to retreat into the Demon-Quelling Cave.
Truly, he was as anxious as a lost dog and as panicked as a fugitive, and his
display of frankness made everyone’s jaws drop.
“Dad, stop fighting! Trust me, go inside!” Ouyang Zizhen urged. “We
just came out of the cave, there are no traps in there!”
The rest of the boys also started shouting. “Yeah, there really is a
huge array on the ground inside!”
“Jiujiu, come inside!” Jin Ling beckoned.
Jiang Cheng lunged at the horde with Sandu, which had completely
lost its glare. “Shut up!” he snapped at him ferociously.
 As he yelled, more blood poured from his nose and mouth. Jin Ling
rushed down the steps, seized him, and started dragging him toward the
Demon-Quelling Cave. Jiang Cheng’s spiritual powers were completely
gone by now, and he was physically drained from grappling with the enemy
for half a day, so Jin Ling was able to haul him over just like that. The Jiang
Clan’s cultivators hurried to follow their sect leader.
Nie Huaisang’s overjoyed voice echoed from inside the vast Demon-
Quelling Cave. “Everyone, come in, quick! It’s so spacious in here! Is there
a qianbei who can help with the array on the ground? I dunno how! I dunno
how to fix this!”
At that last bit, the same word blared through everyone’s minds:
Useless!
Fingers never leaving the strings of his guqin, Lan Wangji looked up
and called out, “Shufu!”
Lan Qiren hadn’t wanted to go in, at first. He would rather have
remained outside and fought until the bitter end. However, he was not
waging this battle alone—there were many Lan and Jin Clan cultivators
under his command, and they were not the main force in the fight. He did
not want to treat the lives of those disciples with such disregard. If there
was a thread of hope for survival, he was compelled to seize it.
He didn’t look at Lan Wangji but raised his sword and shouted, “Go
inside and stay vigilant!”
By this point, all four major clans had retreated inside the cave—the
Jin Clan of Lanling, the Lan Clan of Gusu, the Nie Clan of Qinghe, and the
Jiang Clan of Yunmeng. With them taking the lead, the rest of the clans
immediately decided to abandon this dogged, uneven battle. After all, if
there were ferocious beasts or nefarious creatures inside the Demon-
Quelling Cave, the four big guys in front would take care of them.
And so, the minor clans swarmed inside. Only the Su Clan of Moling
did not follow.
“Hmm? Sect Leader Su, are you not coming in?” Wei Wuxian
taunted. “Very well. Stay out here, then. But hasn’t everyone lost their
spiritual powers? Aren’t you throwing your life away by staying outside?
Your courage is commendable.”
 Su She shot him a look, his gloomy face twitching nonstop. In the
end, he still led his disciples inside.
The Demon-Quelling Cave easily held the thousand-plus cultivators
in attendance. Their panting breaths, distressed conversations, and
disquieted voices echoed endlessly in the vast, empty main cavern.
Lan Qiren went to Nie Huaisang’s side the moment he entered, and
under the latter’s ardently hopeful gaze, inspected the damaged array on the
ground. The array was indeed aged and worn. He cut his palm then and
there, filling the gaps in the array with his blood. Wen Ning was guarding
the stairs, blocking several fierce corpses from getting in. The moment the
array was repaired, an invisible barrier sealed the cave against the walking
corpses, putting a temporary stop to the horde’s onslaught.
Wei Wuxian waited until Lan Wangji had packed away his guqin
before they strolled back into the cave. The thousand-plus cultivators had
only just begun to relax when the sight of the black and white pair
descending the stairs made their hearts jumped into their throats again.
No one had foreseen this would be how it ended. They had come to
besiege the Yiling Patriarch but now found themselves surrounded. Worse,
they had to hide inside the Yiling Patriarch’s good old lair to survive even
just a little longer.
Once Lan Qiren had repaired the array on the ground, he moved to
the front of the crowd to block Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian’s path. He held
his head high, standing straight and tall and puffing out his chest—stopping
just short of opening both arms wide. He acted like he was ready to fight to
the bitter end if Wei Wuxian dared try and destroy the array; ready to both
lay down his own life and perish with him if need be.
“…Shufu,” Lan Wangji greeted.
Lan Qiren’s disappointment had yet to recede. For now, he still
couldn’t bring himself to look at his favorite pupil, whom he had taught
since childhood. He looked at Wei Wuxian instead and coldly demanded,
“What, exactly, do you want?”
Wei Wuxian sat down on the steps. “Nothing. Since we’re all inside
now, let’s chat…”
“We have nothing to talk to you about!” Yi Weichun shouted.
 “What do you mean?” Wei Wuxian asked. “I refuse to believe you
guys aren’t curious about why you suddenly lost your powers. Heavens be
my witness, I’m not powerful enough to affect all of you without anyone
noticing.”
Yi Weichun scoffed, but Nie Huaisang spoke up. “Yeah, I think he
makes a good point.”
The crowd glared at him.
“I bet none of you had time to sit down and eat before heading off to
besiege me, so it couldn’t have been poison,” Wei Wuxian continued.
“It’s definitely not poison,” Lan Sizhui joined in. “I’ve never heard of
a poison that can impair spiritual power so suddenly. If such a poison
existed, it would fetch a hefty sum, it would be highly sought after by many
cultivators, and word of its existence would spread like wildfire.”
Many of the cultivators who’d set off on this campaign were doctors.
They grabbed a few test subjects and dragged them over to examine them.
Afterward, the test subjects whispered, “How is it? Is the spiritual
power impairment temporary or permanent?”
This question got everyone’s attention at once. Suddenly, no one had
time to be wary of whatever Wei Wuxian was up to. If their spiritual power
had been permanently impaired and could never be recovered, that was
tantamount to becoming crippled for life. It was a far more terrifying,
agonizing prospect than dying in here.
The doctors conferred for a while. In the end, they concluded, “No
need to worry—everyone’s cores are well and undamaged! This condition
should only be temporary.”
Jiang Cheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he heard it would
pass. He took the handkerchief Jin Ling passed to him and wiped away the
blood on his face.
“Temporary, you said? How long is ‘temporary’?” he demanded.
“When will my powers be restored?”
Hesitantly, one of the doctors answered, “…Probably…at least four
hours…”
Jiang Cheng’s expression turned frighteningly dark. “Four hours?!”
 The cultivators gazed outside the Demon-Quelling Cave, where the
dense horde of fierce corpses swarmed. Their numbers matched those of the
living humans in the expedition. Every single one of the corpses had their
eyes locked on the human heads moving around inside the Demon-Quelling
Cave, captivated by the billowing yang energy. Reluctant to move a single
step away, the swarm was packed together so tight that the corpses were
writhing and rubbing shoulders as they shuffled about outside. They looked
like they would charge inside the moment they saw an opening. Their thick,
putrid stench assaulted the nose.
At least four hours remained before their spiritual powers would
return. They didn’t even know if the damaged array on the ground—which
had been abandoned for years and repaired in haste—could hold for that
long!
And the Yiling Patriarch was in the cave with them. They couldn’t
fathom why he hadn’t made a move—perhaps he was waiting to kill them
after he’d had his fun terrorizing them, like a cat toying with mice? But no
one present could guarantee when or if Wei Wuxian would suddenly do any
harm.
Their gazes fell on him anew.
“I already said you don’t have to look at me like that,” Wei Wuxian
commented. “There are only two groups inside the Demon-Quelling Cave
who still have their spiritual power. Hanguang-jun and I are one, and the
kiddos who were captured and dragged up the mountain are the other. It’s
not unfair of me to say everyone else is powerless, right? If I wanted to do
anything to you, could the kids stop me?”
Su She humphed. “Enough talk. Kill us if you must. If the people
here are heroes, they won’t cry out. Don’t expect anyone to beg for your
mercy either.”
The moment he spoke, quite a number of people started grumbling.
Only about twenty in this group of one thousand bore Wei Wuxian a real
grudge. The rest had joined the siege on impulse when they heard about it;
at best, they were righteous passersby who were aiding the campaign out of
a sense of justice. All they wanted to do was follow the rest of the group’s
lead. If they managed to kill one or two of Wei Wuxian’s fierce corpse
lackeys, that would be an accomplishment, one they could boast of. But if it
meant they needed to pay a real price…there were few people present who
actually wanted to dip their toes in this muddy water.
Wei Wuxian glanced at him. “Real sorry, but who are you again?”
Veins bulged on Su She’s forehead. He was just about to answer
when Lan Jingyi loudly voiced a question.
“And then what? If it’s not poison, what is it?”
Wei Wuxian immediately forgot all about Su She. “There’s no reason
everyone should have lost their spiritual power all at once. There had to
have been a method, as well as an opportunity. You must’ve come into
contact with something, or done something, before or during when you all
were en route to the Burial Mounds. The kiddos were captured a few days
ago, so the timing was staggered. Hanguang-jun and I didn’t take the same
path up the mountain, so our route differed as well. Can everyone think
back on what they did?”
Amidst the sound of crickets, someone answered in a confused tone,
“What’s something we’ve all done… Before we headed up the Burial
Mounds, did we all drink water? Gosh, I can’t remember. I don’t know.”
Who among them would so obliviously respond to Wei Wuxian at a
time like this, let alone do and think as he ordered? None save the Head-
Shaker himself, Nie Huaisang.
Someone finally blurted, despite himself, “No one drank water on the
way up! Who’d dare drink from a corpse mountain?”
Nie Huaisang started guessing at random. “So was it because we
breathed in that fog?”
It certainly made sense that there could be something odd about the
fog in the black forest. “That’s possible!” someone immediately agreed.
But Jin Ling refuted the suggestion just as quickly. “Impossible. The
fog is thicker at the top of the mountain. We were trapped here for two
days, and our spiritual powers are still intact.”
Su She seemed unable to listen to this any longer. “That’s enough!
Do you all really want to discuss this with him? Is it fun, letting the enemy
lead you around by the nose? He…”
 His face changed all of a sudden, and his words came to an abrupt
stop.
“Go on,” Wei Wuxian urged. “Why did you stop?”
The sect disciples of the Su Clan of Moling all shot to their feet.
“Sect Leader!”
“Sect Leader, what’s wrong?!”
Su She brushed aside the sect disciples who came over to assist him.
He raised his hand, first to point at Wei Wuxian, then at Lan Wangji.
The sect disciple nearest to him fumed. “Wei Wuxian. What evil spell
have you cast?!”
“That isn’t an evil spell!” Lan Sizhui tried to explain. “This is…
It’s…”
Lan Wangji had been sitting to the side, poised and proper. He
pressed his right hand to his guqin’s seven strings, halting their vibration.
The babbling sect disciples suddenly made sounds like ducks being choked,
and their clamor came to an abrupt end.
All the Lans present thought to themselves, That’s the Lan Clan
silence spell…
Lan Wangji waited until quiet returned to the clamorous Demon-
Quelling Cave before he turned to Wei Wuxian.
“Continue.”
Rage filled Su She’s eyes. His lips were pressed tight together, his
voice was gone, and his throat was as parched as if it had been burned. But
what frustrated him even more than not being able to verbally assault Wei
Wuxian was the humiliation of being subjected to Lan Wangji’s control.
He rubbed his throat repeatedly, attempting unsuccessfully to release
the spell. He had no choice but to look pleadingly at Lan Qiren—who, to
his surprise, remained stone-faced and didn’t spare him a single glance. Lan
Qiren could’ve released the spell, and Lan Wangji would not have cast it
again out of respect for his position as an elder of the Lan family. But there
was much discontent between the Su Clan of Moling and the Lan Clan of
Gusu, which was why Lan Qiren showed no intent to help him by releasing
the spell.
The people present understood, now. If anyone attempted to quarrel
with Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji would seal their mouth. That terrified the
crowd into silence. However, at times like these, there was always a brave
soul who stepped forward, fearless in the face of death.
That very brave soul mocked, “Wei Wuxian—as expected of the
Yiling Patriarch, eh? Such a bully. You’re not even gonna let people talk
now?”
“How weird,” Wei Wuxian said.
“What’s weird, Wei-qianbei?” Lan Sizhui asked.
“Sect Leader Su has been acting very weird since earlier,” Wei
Wuxian replied. “When the corpses attacked, he was calling for everyone
who’d lost their spiritual powers to pass up a chance at survival and hurry
off to their deaths. Now he’s trying to gag me, not let me ask questions. Not
to mention how he keeps trying to piss me off. It’s like the very idea of you
guys staying alive a single minute longer scares him. What’s the logic here?
Is this how an ally should behave?”
Now that Wei Wuxian mentioned it, a shadow of doubt began to
cloud many people’s thoughts. Sect Leader Su did seem overly talkative
today. But no one else had commented on it, and it wasn’t their place to say
anything, so they had prudently chosen to remain silent.
Another portion of the crowd, however, began to mentally review
what they had done before coming up the mountain or while en route.
Wei Wuxian glanced at the sect disciples of the Su Clan of Moling,
who were standing very far from the sect disciples of the Lan Clan of Gusu
—the latter of whom weren’t sparing the former a single glance. The more
he observed both groups, the more he felt there was something awkward
going on.
He whispered of his curiosity to Lan Wangji. “Hanguang-jun, lemme
ask you something. The Lan Clan of Gusu and the Su Clan of Moling both
cultivate through music, and Gusu and Moling aren’t too far from each
other in the Jiangnan region. Shouldn’t you be on good terms? Why does it
feel like the two clans are at odds?”
 Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi scooted over, and Lan Jingyi provided a
loud response. “Of course we’re at odds!”
“The Su Clan of Moling split off from the Lan Clan of Gusu,” Lan
Wangji explained.
“What?” Wei Wuxian was surprised.
Lan Sizhui covered Lan Jingyi’s mouth, and said in a low voice,
“Wei-qianbei, you may not know this, but the Su Clan of Moling was
established by a non-blood-related sect disciple who left the Lan Clan of
Gusu. Because he couldn’t shake off the influence of his former sect, his
clan’s secret techniques are all pretty much the same as those of the Lan
Clan. They specialize in music, and Sect Leader Su Minshan’s finest
spiritual weapon is even a seven-stringed guqin that resembles Hanguang-
jun’s.”
Shocked into speechlessness, Wei Wuxian turned to glance at the
gloomy Su She. Lan Jingyi struggled free of Lan Sizhui’s hold and
humphed indignantly.
“That’s not all. It gets weirder! Sect Leader Su… All right, I know I
should be quieter, gosh! Sect Leader Su doesn’t just copy everything—it’s
also a sore spot with him if you say he’s just mimicking our Hanguang-jun.
He gets really hostile about it. How can such a person really exist?!”
He was talking louder and louder. Resignedly, Lan Sizhui
admonished him again. “Jingyi!”
However, Su She had already heard everything clearly. His face
turned dark and steely. Anger burned in his eyes, and he coughed up a
mouthful of blood, finally breaking the silence spell by force. But when he
spoke, his voice was as raspy as if he had aged ten years.
“The Lan Clan of Gusu—a sect full of distinguished cultivators,
indeed! Number one in the cultivation world, boasting the motto ‘Elegance
and Righteousness.’ Is this what you teach your disciples?!”
Sect Leader Ouyang spoke up. “Sect Leader Su, we are currently
facing a great foe. Let’s not damage the camaraderie between our own
people.”
 Su She sneered. “Our own people? Take a look at the Lan Clan.
Every one of them is keeping Wei Wuxian’s company—how are they ‘our
own people’?”
It made the rest of the Lan Clan visibly unhappy to hear him say that.
Lan Qiren gave him a look but stayed silent.
One of the older, high-ranking guest cultivators of the Lan Clan
spoke up, his expression surly. “Su Minshan. Even though you are no
longer part of the Lan Clan, you must still watch what you say!”
One of the sect disciples of the Su Clan of Moling immediately
stepped forward. “Our Sect Leader broke with the Lan Clan long ago. What
right do you have to speak to him that way?”
Lan Jingyi, who had long harbored grievances against the Su Clan of
Moling, shouted back at them. “It’s thanks to our Gusu education that your
sect leader enjoys the status he has today! What, are we not allowed to say
anything when he makes false accusations?”
Inside the Demon-Quelling Cave, the two groups traded angry glares
and began to hurl scorn at each other.
Another person from the Su Clan yelled, “There are many sect
disciples in the Lan Clan. Does every single one of them have the ability to
start their own sect? Don’t be so conceited!”
“Who’s the one acting conceited?” someone from the Lan Clan
immediately rebuffed. “Whose clan was it that remained blithely unaware
of all the mistakes they made while playing their evil-repelling songs?!”
The moment he said that, it all became clear to Wei Wuxian!
“It wasn’t food, and it wasn’t the lay of the land on the way up here!”
he said.
Everyone stopped, taken aback.
“Don’t forget, there was another thing you all did after coming up the
mountain,” Wei Wuxian continued.
“What was that?” Lan Sizhui asked.
“Killed walking corpses,” Wei Wuxian said.
 “Ah, could it be like in Yi City, where the corpses had some sort of
poisonous powder in their bodies?” Ouyang Zizhen blurted. “Dad, when
you were killing those animated corpses, did weird-colored powder spray
out of them?”
“There was no powder, nothing!” Sect Leader Ouyang stated.
Ouyang Zizhen pressed further, refusing to give up. “Then…then
what about fluids?”
“Enough,” Jiang Cheng coldly cut in. “We would have had to have
been blind to not notice the walking corpses spraying strange powder or
fluids when we killed them.”
Ouyang Zizhen had thought he was onto something. Now, he could
only flush and scratch at his ear. His father hurriedly pulled his overexcited
son down to sit.
“It is certainly connected to killing walking corpses,” Wei Wuxian
said, “but the problem wasn’t the corpses themselves—it was the ones
doing the killing.”
He turned to Lan Qiren. “Lan-lao-qianbei, may I ask you a
question?”
Lan Qiren glanced at Lan Wangji and replied dispassionately, “Why
not ask him if you have a question? Why ask me?”
While Lan Qiren was pedantic, he was not a reckless man. He had
already sensed something was amiss but had remained patient and listened
all this while. He was still making a sour face—but Wei Wuxian had seen
him make all sorts of faces at him since he was young, and many other
people had pulled faces at him since. He hadn’t cared about such things for
a long time. Considering Lan Qiren was the uncle who had raised Lan
Wangji, there was even less to be angry about.
He stroked his chin and chuckled. “Of course, sir. I was just worried
that you’d get mad if I asked him too many questions in front of you. But
since you’ve given me the okay, I’ll go ahead. Lan Zhan?”
“Mn,” Lan Wangji answered.
“The Su Clan of Moling is a clan that split off from the Lan Clan of
Gusu, right?” Wei Wuxian asked.
 “Mn,” Lan Wangji answered in the affirmative.
“After they split off, the Su Clan used the Lan Clan as a reference for
everything, including their strongest techniques. Correct?”
“Yes,” Lan Wangji replied.
“One of the Lan Clan’s secret techniques, the Eradication Tone, has
evil-repelling effects. The seven-stringed guqin is considered the most
superb and abstruse among instruments, which is also why the guqin arts
are the most widely practiced among the cultivators in the clan. The Su
Clan of Moling followed the Lan Clan’s example, so their clan is also
mostly composed of guqin cultivators, right?”
“Correct,” Lan Wangji answered.
“The clan leader of the Su Clan of Moling left the Lan Clan of Gusu
and established his own sect, but his own guqin skills were lacking. And so,
the disciples he taught also make numerous mistakes while playing, right?”
“Yes,” Lan Wangji answered calmly.
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji traded statements back and forth, asking
questions and giving answers like no one else was around. Those who were
listening gradually discovered that they weren’t just making fun of Su She
but, rather, peeling the layers off an onion. And so, they listened more and
more seriously.
“…So even if there was something off about a section of the battle
music the Su Clan played while killing walking corpses on the trek up to
the Burial Mounds, the Lan Clan wouldn’t think anything of it,” Wei
Wuxian slowly continued. “They would just write it off as the Su Clan
making errors due to their poor technique and poor memory of the score.
They’d never suspect the melody might be deliberately incorrect. Is that
right?”
As he asked that last question, Su She’s pupils contracted. Veins
popped violently on the hand pressed to the hilt of his sword, which he’d
secretly drawn half an inch out of its scabbard. At the same time, Lan
Wangji raised his eyes and saw the mirrored understanding in Wei Wuxian’s
gaze.
He clearly enunciated each word of his answer. “That is correct.”
 Su She drew his sword in full with a sching. Wei Wuxian smiled and
used two fingers to push aside the sharp tip of the blade.
“What’re you doing? Don’t forget you lost all your spiritual power.
What’s the use in threatening me, huh?”
Su She, sword raised, could neither stab nor withdraw. He clenched
his teeth. “You two keep targeting me again and again. What are you trying
to insinuate?!”
“Have I been too subtle in making my point? You thought I was
insinuating?” Wei Wuxian asked curiously. “Let me make myself clearer,
then. Everyone here lost their spiritual power because they all did one thing.
What was that thing? Kill walking corpses. During the slaughter, Sect
Leader Su of the Su Clan of Moling accompanied everyone all the way up
the mountain. He pretended he was repelling evil with his guqin, but in fact,
he had secretly altered part of the battle song into a melody that would
make someone temporarily lose their spiritual power. He seemed to fight
alongside you while you were all knee-deep in the bloodbath, but he was
actually double-crossing you…”
“Slander!” Su She exclaimed.
“There are plenty of guqin cultivators from the Lan Clan here, right?”
Wei Wuxian asked the crowd. “When you were going up the mountain, did
you hear mistakes in the battle song played by the Su Clan?”
No one was more qualified to answer this question than the guqin
cultivators of the Lan Clan of Gusu. They immediately responded in unison,
“We did indeed!”
“Sect Leader Su, you know that many members of the Lan Clan
wholly scorn the Su Clan, so you made use of that contempt,” Wei Wuxian
continued. “While evil songs can cause harm, they also come with certain
requirements regarding the spiritual power of the one playing them. Of
course there’s no way your power alone could fuel a song that would cause
nearly a thousand people to lose their spiritual power—which was why you
brought along all the guqin cultivators of your Su Clan and had them play
with you! Of all the clans present, only the Lan Clan would notice
something amiss, and they wouldn’t pay it any mind. Even if they noticed
you were playing the battle song incorrectly, they would just write it off as
you being incompetent and poorly training your disciples as a result!”
 Nie Huaisang gaped. “Are there really such wicked songs in the
world? Ones that can make people lose their spiritual powers?!”
“How could there not be?” Wei Wuxian said. “The sound of the
guqin can repel evil, so why can’t it summon it? There’s a collection of
Dongying melodies called Collection of Spirit Turmoil. Documented within
it are wicked songs that circulate in the land of Dongying. Some of the
songs can even kill. Why couldn’t there be one that makes people
temporarily lose their spiritual power? Lan Qiren-qianbei is here, ask him.
Is there such a volume inside the Room of Forbidden Books, underneath the
Library Pavilion?”
Su She composed himself, then sneered. “Even if such songs exist, I
wouldn’t have been able to enter the Room of Forbidden Books during my
time studying at the Lan Clan. I’d have no way to see those scores. And
I’ve never set a single foot inside the Cloud Recesses since. Never have I
heard of this book! But you certainly are familiar with this Collection of
Spirit Turmoil, and you’re also abnormally close to Hanguang-jun. Who’s
more likely to have come in contact with it—me or you?”
Wei Wuxian smiled. “Who said it had to be you who entered the
Room of Forbidden Books? If your master could go in and out as he
pleases, that would work fine too, no? He probably gave you the idea to
tamper with the scores in the first place, right?”
An important figure with a great deal of authority, who could go in
and out of the Cloud Recesses as he pleased. There was no need to spell out
who Su She’s master was. Everyone knew it could only be Lianfang-zun!
“What an ingenious plan the two of you hatched,” Wei Wuxian said.
“Capture the juniors of various clans and lure all these people up the Burial
Mounds—the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. He’s
using his injuries to avoid suspicion and as an excuse to not be here. The
two of you have been colluding. One of you plays a wicked song to damage
everyone’s spiritual power, while the other uses the Yin Tiger Tally to
manipulate the fierce corpses to besiege the mountain. In the end, thousands
will be wiped out on my territory—and who would believe me if I said I
didn’t do it, right? You weren’t scared of running into me either. Wei
Wuxian has a notoriously bad rep. New grudges and old hate will come
together, and in the midst of that frenzy, no one’s gonna listen to me try to
explain. Maybe it’ll even provoke me into going on a killing spree—and
wouldn’t that save you the trouble of making the move yourselves?”
“Laughable,” Su She said. “Lianfang-zun is already the Cultivation
Chief and leader of the cultivation world. He has no need to fight you for
power. What does he gain by having so many people deliver themselves to
their deaths on your doorstep? Smear my name if you must, but how dare
you slander Lianfang-zun!”
“If you’re so convinced I’m slandering you, will you dare play the
evil-repelling battle song the Su Clan of Moling was playing while climbing
the mountain? Do it right here, in front of everyone,” Wei Wuxian said.
All the guqin cultivators of the Lan Clan of Gusu were present. If Su
She played something different from what they’d heard earlier, they’d call
him out at once!
Within the Demon-Quelling Cave, people silently shifted farther and
farther away from those of the Su Clan. The space they’d vacated
unintentionally formed a large clearing, with the Su Clan isolated at its
center.
Wei Wuxian seized this chance. “Won’t do it? Fine, that’s okay. Why
don’t you take a look at this, then?”
He retrieved two pieces of yellowing paper from his robes. He waved
them, only letting people get a vague glimpse of the fact that musical scores
were written on the sheets.
“Did you really think we left Golden Carp Tower empty-handed?
Inside the secret chamber behind the bronze mirror of Fragrance Palace, Jin
Guangyao had hidden two pages torn from the Collection of Spirit Turmoil.
And we found them. If we show them to Lan Qiren-qianbei and allow him
to determine whether they match the melody you played, the truth will
come out!”
Su She sneered. “You lie. How do I know if those aren’t random
scores you scribbled down just to slander me?”
“Would I carry two sheets of music around all day, solely on the off
chance I could whip them out?” Wei Wuxian asked back. “Either way, Lan
Qiren-qianbei can tell if it’s a lie with a single look.”
 Su She had suspected deceit at first. Now, his brow wrinkled at the
sight of Wei Wuxian’s sly grin, as well as the certainty in his voice as Lan
Qiren took the sheets.
He tensed and cried, “Lan-qianbei, watch out! It’s a trap!” before he
reached to snatch away the two papers.
Right then, the icy blue sword glare of Bichen struck at him. Su She
drew his sword to block, but as soon as he did, he’d realized he’d been had!
Su She’s sword was named “Nanping.” As it clashed with Bichen, its
sword glare blazed bright. It was very obviously brimming with spiritual
power!
Wei Wuxian folded the two sheets of paper and tucked them back
into his robes at once.
“Do my eyes deceive me? You actually still have spiritual power?” he
said, feigning surprise. “Congrats, congrats. But dare I ask—if you had no
devious scheme, then why did you hide the fact that you hadn’t lost your
spiritual power?”
Of course, those sheets of paper weren’t pages from the Collection of
Spirit Turmoil that they’d found in Golden Carp Tower. They were the score
of the odd melody that Jin Guangyao had played, which Lan Wangji had
written out while inside the Room of Forbidden Books. He’d left a copy for
Lan Xichen to reference, and Wei Wuxian had swiped both, keeping them
on hand to fool people with. Now, he’d successfully made Su She both
skeptical and anxious. And when Wei Wuxian added insult to injury by
repeatedly mocking and provoking him, Su She had grown impatient, as
expected. Lan Wangji had suddenly tested him without Wei Wuxian even
needing to say anything, and Su She had let the cat out of the bag himself.
The crowd quickly dodged away from him. But they didn’t need to—
Lan Wangji moved the way Wei Wuxian talked, pressing at every step,
giving his opponent no room to breathe. It took everything Su She had just
to not fall and put himself at a disadvantage. Stumbling, he backed up until
he hit the stairs. When he looked down, he saw the red spell array beneath
his feet.
Lan Wangji’s eyes sharpened.
 Oh crap! He’s gonna break the array that was just fixed! Wei Wuxian
thought.
Sure enough, Su She bit his tongue and spat a mouthful of blood at
the ground. The dense bloodstain covered the already dull, unclear red
marks. Lan Wangji no longer had time for him—instead, he slashed his left
hand with Bichen’s sharp edge and attempted to redraw the array. Su She
took this opportunity to hurl a talisman at the ground. A blast of blue flames
and smoke erupted.
A Transportation Talisman!
The gravedigger from the Chang Clan of Yueyang’s cemetery was
familiar with Lan Clan sword techniques. Su She used to be a sect disciple
of the Lan Clan, so he met that requirement. Su She was the smoke-masked
man whom they had seen so many times!
Wei Wuxian crouched next to Lan Wangji. “How is it?”
Lan Wangji was using his bleeding fingers to draw on the ground, but
after a while, he shook his head. The new blood had thoroughly covered the
array and destroyed the spell. It could not be repaired. Wei Wuxian took his
hand and used his own sleeve to wipe away the blood and dirt on it.
“If it’s not working, then leave it be.”
The array was broken and on the verge of total collapse. The Su Clan
of Moling’s sect disciples were all clearly confused, so it seemed Su She
never told them that they were playing the wrong song—nor how to avoid
losing their spiritual power. Which meant the Su Clan disciples were
originally meant to die, just like everyone else. They huddled together,
terrified the rest of the group would blame them and seek vengeance.
However, panic had descended upon the Demon-Quelling Cave. No one
had time to try and get even with them.
Several family heads grabbed their sons and exhorted them, “When
the corpse horde charges in here in a few minutes, think of a way to escape.
You have to live on, no matter what! Understand?!”
Jin Ling cringed when he heard them, though deep down, he hoped
his own uncle would say the same. He waited for a long time, shooting
Jiang Cheng looks when he said nothing of the sort. He stared so hard that
Jiang Cheng finally turned his gaze on him. The gloom weighing down his
brows had eased a little, but the furrow between them had not.
“What’s wrong with your eyes?”
“…Nothing!” Jin Ling unhappily snapped back.
Wei Wuxian tore off a clean strip of his sleeve to wipe and wrap the
injury on Lan Wangji’s hand. A figure suddenly rushed at them from
behind, swinging their sword down. Lan Wangji reached out with his right
hand and flicked—there was a metallic sound as he slapped the impertinent
blade aside with his bare hand.
Wei Wuxian squinted. “You again?”
The force of the slap shocked the man back a few steps, making him
fall to the ground. It was Yi Weichun. His eyes were bloodshot as he
brandished his sword once more.
“Wei Wuxian, I don’t believe a single word you just said!”
“The cat’s outta the bag. Su She flashed his sword glare and then ran
off. What part of it do you not believe?” Wei Wuxian asked.
But Yi Weichun simply swung his sword again, screaming, “I don’t
believe you! I don’t believe anything you say!”
Someone blinded by hatred would refuse to accept anything that
could be beneficial to the enemy.
Just then, panic-stricken cries came from ahead of them. “It’s
broken!”
“The array is broken!”
“They’re coming in!”
Wen Ning sent a row of raggedly dressed fierce corpses flying with
his bare hands, but he was only a force of one. After the loss of the blood
array barrier, there was nothing to stop the horde of corpses from swarming
into the Demon-Quelling Cave like a black tide. The putrid smell of rot and
the sound of snarls filled the vast cavern in an instant!
Jin Ling had never seen so many fierce corpses before, and at such
close range. Despite himself, his hair stood on end and his grip on Suihua
tightened. Suddenly, someone peeled open his fingers and stuffed
something cold into his palm. He looked down and was stunned.
“Jiujiu?”
Jiang Cheng rose to his feet with the support of a powerless Sandu,
his body swaying with the effort. “Just try losing Zidian, if you dare!”
Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, and the rest rushed forward, wielding their
swords.
“Ghost General! We’ve come to your aid!”
Sect Leader Ouyang could neither stand up nor hold his son back.
“Zizhen, wait!” he yelled.
Ouyang Zizhen swung his sword with all his might, turning his head
back to shout, “Don’t be scared, Dad! I’ll protect you!”
But the moment he turned his head, a wizened claw went straight for
his throat. “Zizhen!” Sect Leader Ouyang screamed desperately, consumed
by terror.
A sword lopped off the claw in the nick of time. Lan Qiren caught
Ouyang Zizhen and threw him back into the crowd. Leading a group of Lan
Clan sword cultivators, he charged forth to kill. He had been resting for a
while, so he’d recovered more of his strength than the others, and his blade
was fierce and sharp. Many of the spectators’ jaws dropped in surprise.
Lan Sizhui swung his sword like the wind. Suddenly, metal clashed
behind him—someone had helped block a strike at his back. Lan Sizhui was
astonished.
“Jin-gongzi, why are you here too?”
As it turned out, when Jin Ling saw others the same age as him join
the charge, he couldn’t sit still anymore. When Jiang Cheng wasn’t paying
attention, he stuffed the silver ring Zidian back into his hand and squeezed
out of the crowd, rushing to the entrance of the cave—the most dangerous
area.
Jiang Cheng had tried to chase after him, but he could only stumble a
few steps. He tried swinging his sword, only to feel like Sandu weighed a
thousand pounds. Two female corpses tackled him, one on his left and one
on his right. Jiang Cheng swore and raised his sword to keep fighting.
However, another pair of hands ripped the two corpses to pieces.
“Sect Leader Jiang…”
Jiang Cheng flew into a rage when he heard that voice. “Get the fuck
away from me!” He kicked Wen Ning aside and roared, “Jin Ling!”
Lan Jingyi shuddered. “I think you better go back! Your uncle is
gonna eat everyone here alive.”
Jiang Cheng’s roar was more terrifying than the fierce corpses, but
Jin Ling ignored it. “You go back!”
Ouyang Zizhen did not remain in his father’s grip for long before he
charged over again, sword in hand. “Wooow! I had no idea that Lan Qiren-
xiansheng knew how to use a sword. He’s so awesome at it too!”
Lan Jingyi responded as loudly as he always did. “Of course! Who do
you think taught Hanguang-jun and Zewu-jun the art of the sword before
they were sixteen?!”
Sect Leader Ouyang forced himself to swing his sword.“ What are
you waiting for?” he yelled at the people who still stood petrified inside the
cave. “If you don’t fight, then it’s certain death. The juniors are fighting,
what are you sitting around for?!”
Influenced by the sight of the boys fighting as hard as they could,
more and more people drew their swords, using whatever strength and
spiritual power they had left to join in the battle. Gradually, the dense horde
of corpses surrounding the cave was blown into scattered rows. About an
hour later, those rows became groups of twos and threes. The situation was
actually turning in their favor!
By the time Lan Wangji had slashed the last grasping fierce corpse in
twain, the corpses inside the cave were piled as high as a mountain, and
blood flowed like rivers.
Everyone was covered in bloody filth that had long since congealed
and crusted. Their lungs were choked with the powerful stench of blood.
After the hard-won battle, many had already collapsed to the ground, unable
to get up—barely different from the dead bodies littered about. The only
ones who remained standing with the support of their swords were a
handful of clan leaders and energetic youths.
Lan Jingyi stared blankly into space, his face pale. “I…I’ve never
killed so many walking corpses before… All by myself, I killed at least
thirty, no, forty…”
“Me…too…” Ouyang Zizhen agreed.
Then, like the boys had planned it, they dropped to the ground at the
same time with a thud, never wanting to rise again.
Holding himself upright out of sheer willpower, Jiang Cheng walked
to Jin Ling and grabbed the boy. “Were you injured?!”
Even the heavy breaths Jin Ling heaved carried a metallic scent. “No,
I…”
Jiang Cheng immediately smacked him to the ground. “No?! Then
I’ll give you some injuries to teach you a lesson! Stinkin’ brat, you think my
words are nothing but empty air?!” he scolded.
But he couldn’t stay upright after that swing either, and was forced to
sit down heavily. As he panted, his gaze wandered to the two standing near
the opening of the Demon-Quelling Cave.
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were both filthy. Wei Wuxian was
wearing black, so he didn’t look too bad, but Lan Wangji’s white robes were
now dyed various shades of black and red—a terrifying sight. Only his
extraordinarily meaningful forehead ribbon was still mostly clean. He
gripped Bichen in his hand, its blade still steadily coursing with spiritual
power.
This was the first time those present had seen such an unkempt
Hanguang-jun, but no one had the mind to care about that at a time like this.
“Is it…over…?” someone asked.
At the sound of that voice, everyone had the same thought. Nie
Huaisang actually survived a fight like that and still talks with such energy
—what a miracle.
No one had the energy to answer him, but Nie Huaisang was
practically weeping tears of joy.
 “Oh thank heavens, the horde is finally defeated! What blessings
from the ancestors that I was able to survive disaster!”
His emotions were infectious, and the boys also started cheering. One
by one, more and more joined in on the celebration. Over on the Lan Clan’s
side, however, someone gasped in alarm.
“Xiansheng!”
Lan Qiren’s voice immediately followed. “No need to help me!”
Lan Wangji looked over and saw Lan Qiren coughing up more blood.
After dismissively waving off the concern, Lan Qiren sat down in the lotus
position and began to regulate his breathing. Lan Wangji swiftly
approached and briefly checked his pulse, but he was met with protest just
as he was about to channel spiritual power to him.
“No need! My spiritual power has not yet returned. Your efforts will
be in vain, like dropping an ox made of mud into the sea.”
Lan Wangji withdrew his hand and rose to his feet.
“What should we do about this, Hanguang-jun?” the guest cultivators
asked him out of habit.
It was only after the question was posed that they realized the
impropriety of what they’d done. However, Lan Qiren was resting, eyes
closed, and showed no sign of caring.
“Take a moment to rest. Check for casualties. Treat the wounded
without delay,” Lan Wangji answered.
He had always possessed incredible authority within the Lan Clan of
Gusu, and the sect disciples were greatly reassured. With even more energy
than before, they answered in unison, “Yes, sir!”
Before they could move, however, Wei Wuxian suddenly spoke up.
“Quiet.”
He looked serious. The people immediately fell silent. Those who
were excitedly cheering also fell quiet, one by one, gazing disquietedly at
him. There was not a sound inside the Demon-Quelling Cave, aside from
that of soft breathing.
Against this stillness, another sound was becoming increasingly clear.
 It came from outside the Demon-Quelling Cave—the sound of feet
crunching withered branches and leaves underfoot.
It wasn’t just one person either. There were endless footsteps,
crammed and packed together.
The people inside the Demon-Quelling Cave didn’t even dare breathe
anymore. Countless fearful eyes turned to the cavern’s entrance. Something
was slowly moving through the black woods, creeping along. It was hazy,
obscured by darkness, barely visible. But, accompanied by the sound of
trudging footsteps, that something became progressively clearer—until all
present could plainly see the ghastly white faces, the wizened hands, and
the fangs in varying shades of red and yellow.
It was a new wave of corpses.
And it was an even bigger horde than the one before!
The people inside the Demon-Quelling Cave had thought survival
was in sight. Now, a monstrous sense of despair devoured the entire cave in
an instant, and doom enveloped all present. Even Jin Ling, Lan Sizhui, and
the other boys were left petrified, chilled to the bone by hopelessness. Some
simply fainted, seemingly unable to accept that their hopes had been dashed
so swiftly. Some started to weep feebly. But no one had the energy to stand
with sword in hand and keep fighting.
Even if Wen Ning stood guard at the cave’s entrance again, how long
could he last on his own?
Suddenly, Wei Wuxian called, “Hanguang-jun!”
Lan Wangji looked back at him. Wei Wuxian took a breath, then
stated, “I want to do something.”
His words drew the attention of the others present.
“Will you accompany me?” Wei Wuxian added.
Lan Wangji gazed right at him. His answer was clear and decisive.
“Yes.”
Wei Wuxian broke into a wide smile and stripped off his black outer
robe. Under it was a white inner robe that was already half dyed red.
However, that didn’t stop him from smearing a few lines on it with his
bloodstained hand.
As the pattern he drew became clearer and clearer, those watching
him work grew progressively more filled with disbelief, like they were
watching some sort of monster.
Fang Mengchen stood up, then and there. “What are you doing?” he
exclaimed in dismay.
Wei Wuxian ignored him and continued with his drawing.
 By the time he finished, it was no longer a white robe he was wearing
but a bright, conspicuous flag.
A flag that drew the attention of all nefarious creatures to a single
target—a Spirit-Attraction Flag!
Wei Wuxian stood next to Lan Wangji, then waved at Lan Sizhui and
the other boys to beckon them over. The juniors gathered around. Jin Ling
wanted to get up as well but was pushed back down by Jiang Cheng.
“In a few minutes, when the second wave of corpses breaks in, I’ll
lure them to the Blood Pool. Hanguang-jun will be in charge of striking
them down. This,” he said before patting his heart, “will be their target.
They won’t pay attention to you. Do not get distracted by fighting; focus
only on getting out.”
Lan Sizhui raised his voice for once. “What?! No! Absolutely not!”
Sect Leader Ouyang had given up on keeping his son reined in by
now, so Ouyang Zizhen joined in the chorus. “Wei-qianbei, we want to kill
walking corpses too! I can kill another hundred of them!”
Lan Jingyi, on the other hand, was already stripping off his own
clothes. “I’m gonna draw a flag on myself too!”
Torn between laughing and crying, Wei Wuxian quickly stopped him.
“All right, that’s enough, stop messing around. One target is enough.
Hanguang-jun working with me to strike down walking corpses is enough.
Don’t add to this mess, you lot.”
Faced with this situation, everyone inside the Demon-Quelling Cave
was at a complete loss. They all knew what a Spirit-Attraction Flag did.
And even if there was someone willing to use their own flesh and blood to
attract the corpse horde that was about to break through the array,
sacrificing themselves for the safety of others…surely that someone would
never be Wei Wuxian!
Lan Sizhui and the other juniors were about to keep talking, but Lan
Wangji stopped them. “Heed him.”
Then he turned to Lan Qiren and bowed deeply. Lan Qiren opened
his eyes but didn’t speak.
 “Lan-xiansheng! Hanguang-jun, he…he…” Lan Sizhui said
anxiously.
“This is how it should be,” Lan Qiren said impassively.
Lan Sizhui wanted to say more. “But…!”
“Wen Ning! Open the path!” Wei Wuxian shouted.
The black lines spreading from Wen Ning’s neck instantly grew,
crawling across nearly half his face. He no longer blocked the corpses from
entering but let loose a long howl and tore through the thick of the horde to
open a path.
With the barrier gone, the second wave of corpses set foot in the
Demon-Quelling Cave.
Wei Wuxian gave Lan Sizhui a push, urging him, “Go!”
He turned and ran toward the Blood Pool. Lan Wangji never left his
side, running with him shoulder to shoulder. As expected, the blood-red
Spirit-Attraction Flag drawn on his white robe was the best possible target.
Not a single fierce corpse paid any attention to the living humans in the
cave, completely ignoring them even as they brushed past. Every pair of
bloodshot eyes was locked on Wei Wuxian as they charged at him.
Wave after wave of corpses advanced. Every path Wen Ning opened
was swiftly filled again by the shambling dead, forcing him to push back
again and open another. Only about half the people inside the Demon-
Quelling Cave had been successfully evacuated; the remainder included
those who had yet to regain enough energy to walk. They saw the sword
glare of Bichen sweeping across the cave at random, but whenever a row of
fierce corpses was cut down, a new row quickly took their place. Ghastly
wails echoed to the heavens, almost breaking through the domed ceiling of
the Demon-Quelling Cave.
It didn’t take long before a wave of corpses surrounded Wei Wuxian
and Lan Wangji, making it hard for them to approach the Blood Pool. As
the mountain of corpses piled higher and higher, the clear ground
surrounding them continued to shrink. The juniors, fretting terribly at the
sight, drew their swords and turned back around.
 Lan Jingyi spied someone cutting down corpses as they rushed
outside. “Will you please help? If you can still wield a sword, please help!
Every little bit helps!”
“Screw you!” the man yelled.
“Never mind, Jingyi. We’ll just rely on ourselves!” Lan Sizhui said.
Hearing their voices, Wei Wuxian yelled, “Wen Ning! Throw them
outside!”
“Yes, sir!” Wen Ning grabbed Lan Jingyi with one hand and was just
about to grab Lan Sizhui with the other when Lan Sizhui stopped him.
“Ghost General, I can’t go. Let me stay! Otherwise, I will regret it for
the rest of my life!”
The moment they came face-to-face, Wen Ning froze. Seeing he
wasn’t coming after him anymore, Lan Sizhui immediately fought his way
back into the cave. Lan Jingyi and the others also seized this chance to
hurry past Wen Ning. Jin Ling, meanwhile, was being half dragged and half
carried out of the cave by Jiang Cheng, brushing past multiple fierce
corpses in the process. The fierce corpses in question were being baited by
the Spirit-Attraction Flag on Wei Wuxian, their red eyes focused solely on
him. They completely ignored everyone else.
Jin Ling cried out, “Jiujiu! I…”
“If you dare go back in there, don’t bother calling me your jiujiu
anymore!” Jiang Cheng said coldly.
Jin Ling’s head shot up to look at him, but Jiang Cheng threw him out
of the cave with a shout of, “Stay put!” Then he charged back into the
Demon-Quelling Cave with Sandu in his grip.
Jin Ling was taken aback. “Jiujiu, wait for me!” he cried, and
followed him all the same.
Meanwhile, inside the Demon-Quelling Cave, the circle of clear
ground surrounding Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji had shrunk to a radius of
less than three meters.
Bichen’s sword glare was bright as always, and the talismans’ flames
blazed ceaselessly. However, there really were too many fierce corpses!
 Wei Wuxian had just hurled out a handful of talismans when his
sharp senses detected danger. He turned his head to look. Sure enough, a
fierce corpse had climbed onto the pile of bodies nearby, which was as tall
as a grown man—and it was pouncing at him, mouth wide open. Wei
Wuxian’s hands were empty. He cursed and rummaged in his sleeves, but
found nothing. His heart lurched violently.
He’d run out of spell talismans!
Lan Wangji, noticing the danger Wei Wuxian was in, was just about
to reverse his grip and strike when there was a sudden screech. The fierce
corpse had been split in two in midair!
No. It had been torn in two. And the thing that had done it was right
in front of everyone’s eyes!
A fierce corpse that was utterly drenched in crimson blood stood atop
the man-sized heap of bodies. Each hand held one half of the still-
convulsing corpse that had just tried to attack Wei Wuxian. Its head was
lowered, and it was looking down at Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji.
Lan Jingyi’s jaw dropped so low that his mouth could no longer
close.
“…Oh, ancestors… What is that thing?” Ouyang Zizhen muttered.
That was the exact thought running through everyone’s minds. What
is that thing?!
This strange corpse, which had appeared out of nowhere, was unlike
any fierce corpse they had seen before. It dripped with scarlet blood from
head to toe, as if it had just crawled out of the Blood Pool. It was nothing
but skin and bones, and abnormally hideous, to boot.
The mob of corpses controlled by the Yin Tiger Tally were also
drawn to this strange peer. They gave up on surrounding Wei Wuxian and
looked at the bloody corpse with seeming trepidation instead.
The bloody corpse took two steps forward.
It swayed as it walked, its joints cracking almost like it was stretching
its extremities. Dark red blood dripped from its limbs and body, leaving a
trail in its wake.
 Poignantly hostile yin energy overflowed from its body, as well as
intense resentment. As it gradually approached, the other fierce corpses
began to creep backward. A number of the living humans who remained
were pale as ash, terrified into silence.
Lan Wangji stood in front of Wei Wuxian to shield him, but Wei
Wuxian pushed down the hand gripping Bichen.
“…Wait,” he said in a low voice.
He stared hard at the bloody corpse, a theory surfacing in his mind.
His heart started to pound wildly, and he repeated, “Wait.”
The bloody corpse stopped about three meters away from the two of
them. It suddenly tossed its head back and let loose two long howls.
The second howl was shriller than the first. The living covered their
ears.
Small ripples began to appear on the surface of the Blood Pool.
At first, it was like a rock had been tossed into the pool. But the
ripples continued to expand, growing wider and wider, like something
restless lurked beneath the viscous blood.
Suddenly a hand broke through the surface. It seized the shore,
fingers digging deep into the ground. What surfaced next was a scarlet face,
its features half-decayed and indistinct.
A second bloody corpse had crawled out of the Blood Pool.
Soon after, the surface of the crimson pool began to swirl and agitate
like it was boiling. Splash, splash. Head after head floated to the surface of
the water. A third, a fourth, a fifth… Every single one was stained by the
terrifying filth of blood, wore faces most hideous, and snarled shrilly as
they surfaced.
As soon as they crawled out of the Blood Pool, they started to fight
the other fierce corpses. It was as if a whirlwind of sharp red knives had
descended upon the mob of corpses controlled by the Yin Tiger Tally. The
horde was reduced to a flying mess of minced meat, body parts, and black
blood.
Jin Ling was visibly shaken. “…What are those things?! Why does
the Blood Pool have fierce corpses in it? Weren’t all the fierce corpses on
the Burial Mounds burned to ash?!”
Sect Leader Ouyang was shielding his son, who stood next to him.
“Some were not!”
“Which ones weren’t?!” Lan Jingyi asked.
“The…the…” Sect Leader Ouyang replied.
He couldn’t say it.
When the last survivors of the Wen Clan living on the Burial Mounds
were killed during the siege, their fifty-odd corpses had been thrown into
the Blood Pool!
Jin Ling cried out all of a sudden. “Watch out!”
A blood-red figure had landed in front of Lan Sizhui. He brandished
his sword and backed a couple steps away as the blood corpse slowly rose
to its feet.
The figure was smaller than the others and stood hunched over. There
was a gaping hole in its skull, suggesting it had been bludgeoned to death.
Soaking in the bloody water had left its sparse white hair stuck to its
forehead, and with its skin and flesh half decayed on top of that, it was a
repulsive, terrifying, and uncomfortable sight to behold. After it crawled to
its feet, it began to hobble toward Lan Sizhui. Fear-stricken, the juniors
hurried to gather around him.
Now that the living had increased in number, the bloody corpses
grew wary and huffed deep within their throats. The boys tensed like they
were facing a great foe, but Lan Sizhui quickly ordered them otherwise.
“Don’t move!”
While he was also a little nervous, for some reason, he wasn’t scared.
If this skinny, bloody little corpse had eyes, it would have been
staring right at him. It tilted its head and extended its hand. It slowly
reached toward Lan Sizhui, seeming to want to touch him. Its hand was
filthy with blood and looked like a chicken foot that had been gnawed to
pieces. The boys got goosebumps all over.
Jin Ling brandished his sword, wanting to stop the corpse, but Lan
Sizhui blurted, “Jin-gongzi, don’t!”
 “Then what should we do?” Jin Ling demanded.
“Don’t…don’t move, anyone,” Lan Sizhui said.
The bloody corpse let out a few faint cries. After steadying himself,
Lan Sizhui also slowly extended his hand toward it.
Just as he was about to touch it, a new wave of corpses swarmed in.
The blood corpse snapped its head around and let loose a long howl. It leapt
into the air and tackled the horde, tearing and biting like it had gone mad.
Blood and flesh flew everywhere. Its roar was loud and clear and horrible,
its actions swift and ferocious—a complete change from the way it had just
behaved in front of Lan Sizhui.
Wen Ning hurled a number of fierce corpses to the ground. He was
shaking as he shouted to the bloody corpse, “Is it you?!”
The bloody corpse ignored him.
The bloody corpses tore through the fierce corpses like they’d gone
mad, and Wen Ning yelled to them, “Is it you?!”
The Demon-Quelling Cave was filled with shrill cries, high and low,
but not a single one answered him. Not a single one could.
Hardly an hour later, all the voices came to a gradual stop.
Now that it was all over, the Demon-Quelling Cave was the very
image of hell as shown in paintings. The bloody corpses began to slowly
move, gathering where Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji stood. They were of
various heights, sexes, and ages. Each was a bloody, malicious ghost from
the bowels of hell. But in those figures, Wei Wuxian saw familiar shadows.
“Si-shu…” Wen Ning murmured. “Granny…”
He called to them, one by one, and the more he called, the more his
voice trembled.
“Have you been waiting here all this time?” Wen Ning asked.
If he’d been alive, his eyes would surely be red and welling with
tears.
Wei Wuxian’s lips quivered. He wanted to say something. But in the
end, no words were uttered.
He dipped his head low and gave a solemn bow.
 “…Thank you,” he croaked, his voice raspy.
Lan Wangji also bowed.
The group of bloody corpses had been full of ferocity when they were
on their killing spree just moments ago. But as they stood face-to-face with
Wei Wuxian, though their visages remained hideous, their actions now
became almost clumsy and out of sync. Some bowed, while others raised
their hands, as they returned the courtesy.
And then, as if something had sucked the spirit and life from them,
they collapsed in a heap.
The blood-red bodies cracked like fragile porcelain wares. The
fractures spiderwebbed outward, inch by inch, leaving increasingly smaller
fragments. If a gust of wind blew past, nothing of them would remain.
Wen Ning threw himself to the ground to gather the bright red ashes
with his hands. Grabbing handful upon handful, he stuffed them quickly
into his robes until his clothing was full of ashes. At the sight of this, Lan
Jingyi scratched his head and then untied one of his own perfume sachets.
He dumped out the scented filling inside before crouching next to Wen
Ning to hand him the bag.
“Here!”
Seeing this, the other boys all followed suit. Only Jin Ling didn’t
move. He just watched, looking at the other boys, then at Wen Ning, his
expression complicated and his brow clouded by frost. He stepped farther
away.
As for Wen Ning, with so many perfume sachets and cloth bags being
handed to him, he was suddenly at a loss for what to do.
“Do you need help, Ghost General?” Lan Sizhui asked.
“Oh no, you…” Wen Ning quickly said.
“There’re so many bones and ashes, can you collect everything by
yourself?!” Lan Jingyi chimed in.
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji walked over. “Don’t just start grabbing
things at random,” Wei Wuxian chided. “You’ll get corpse poisoning if you
don’t wear gloves.”
 The boys finally abandoned the idea when they heard him.
“Wei-qianbei, Hanguang-jun, and Ghost General, thank you so much
for…” Lan Sizhui started.
“Thank you for what?” a cold voice came suddenly from the crowd.
Lan Sizhui and the others turned their heads. The one who had
spoken was Fang Mengchen.
“What the heck is this?” he demanded furiously, standing up.
Lan Sizhui was confused. “What the heck is what?”
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji gazed toward him as well.
“I’m asking you, what the heck is this?” Fang Mengchen harshly
demanded. “Atonement? You cannot actually be feeling grateful to him!”
Dead silence filled the Demon-Quelling Cave. Not so much as a
whisper could be heard.
Everyone was upset and struggling to take things in. They had come
with great fanfare to launch a siege but ultimately been the ones besieged.
They had shouted at the top of their lungs that they were here to stamp out
evil, but in the end, they had to rely on “evil” to save their own lives.
They didn’t know if they should call this absurd, bizarre, awkward, or
baffling. All they knew was that in this grand theater of righteous
indignation, they, who had jumped up and down so furiously, hadn’t been
honorable in the least.
It felt far too outrageous to tell Wei Wuxian they were grateful to his
face. But he had saved them, after all, so it also didn’t seem appropriate to
tell him they weren’t grateful. Given the circumstances, the best action was
apparently maintaining their silence.
When no one answered him, Fang Mengchen fumed even more and
then lunged with his sword. “Did you think making a show of repentance
with a few good deeds could repay the blood debt you owe?!”
Wei Wuxian dodged his attack. Someone from the crowd tried to
mediate.
“Fang-xiong! Don’t get so riled up. Just forget it…”
 The moment the man said that, he immediately realized he’d
misspoken. Sure enough, Fang Mengchen’s eyes flashed red.
“Forget it?! What do you mean ‘forget it’?! Can my family’s murder
be forgotten just because you said so?!” He continued with a booming
voice, “Wei Wuxian killed my parents—that is the truth. So why does he
suddenly seem to be everyone’s hero?! Can his actions be so easily
forgotten once he does a few good deeds? What do my parents count for,
then?!”
Within the crowd, Jin Ling clenched his fists. There was a sudden
twinge of pain in his shoulder—it was Jiang Cheng, who was gradually
tightening the fingers of the hand he had laid there.
Jin Ling couldn’t see his expression, but he called out to him in a
whisper. “Jiujiu…”
Jiang Cheng let out a grim, indiscernible chuckle.
Wei Wuxian spoke up. “What exactly do you want, then?”
Fang Mengchen blinked, and Wei Wuxian continued.
“What do you want? You want nothing but to see me meet a
miserable end so you can satisfy your hatred. That’s all.”
He pointed at Yi Weichun, who remained unconscious in the crowd.
“He lost a leg, I was torn to shreds; you lost your parents, but my family’s
long dead. I am but a stray dog driven from my home. I never saw a single
grain of my parents’ ashes. Do you still hate the Wen survivors? The evil
Wen survivors you all spoke of already died once, thirteen years ago. And
just now, right here—for my sake, for the sake of saving you—they died
again. This time, they’re gone for good. Poof. So please enlighten me. What
more do you want?”
Fang Mengchen glared hard at him. After a while, he gritted his teeth.
“It’s no use. Let me tell you, Wei Wuxian—no matter what you do, don’t
expect me to forgive you. Or forget the murder of my parents.” He raised
his voice to shout, declaring, “I never will!”
“No one’s telling you to forgive me,” Wei Wuxian said. “You’re not
the only ones who remember what I’ve done. I remember too. You won’t
forget—what makes you think I will?!”
 As they stared at each other, Fang Mengchen felt himself grow
discouraged. Mixed emotions swirled within him. Wei Wuxian and his gang
had indeed saved his life, but he was reluctant to let go of his grudge for the
sake of that alone. And yet…even if he wanted to seek revenge on Wei
Wuxian, he lacked the power and strength to do it.
In the end, he could only let out a loud yell before turning around and
storming out of the Demon-Quelling Cave.
Once he was gone, someone spoke up. “There won’t be any more
waves of corpses coming, right? Are we safe for real this time?!”
The crowd’s heads spun at the sound of that voice. Him again?!
Nie Huaisang looked around. Seeing no one answer him, he added,
“Then does that mean…we can go now?”
That question was certainly the right one. No one could wait to pin
wings to their backs and fly home on their swords.
“Four hours must have passed by now,” one of the female cultivators
said. “How far have people’s spiritual powers recovered?”
A number of people took out talismans to confirm whether they could
ignite them with their spiritual powers. One after the other, the talismans
were feebly set alight, and they called out their answers to the question that
had been posed.
“Mine is around twenty percent recovered.”
“Ten percent for me…”
“It’s coming back so slowly!”
When they’d first set out on this expedition, they’d all thought the
campaign would exceed the first Siege of the Burial Mounds that had taken
place thirteen years ago. They had been certain it would be a tragedy for the
history books. And yet, the number of people descending the mountain
would ultimately be much the same as the number who had ascended. This
second “Siege” certainly would be recorded in the history books—not
because it was tragic, but rather, because it was absolutely the most
ridiculous, the most hilarious, and the most nonsensical campaign the
cultivation world had ever conducted.
 Some were just thankful to have made it out alive, while others
marveled at the winds of change. Several dozen clan leaders gathered
together, and after a brief discussion, came to a unanimous agreement. To
avoid unnecessary complications or unforeseen incidents, they would find a
safe location to rally and regroup until everyone had recovered at least
eighty percent of their power. Only then would they return to their own
respective clans.
It took Wei Wuxian no time at all to realize that the closest “safe
location” to Yiling was, of course, the domain of the Jiang Clan of
Yunmeng.
“So you guys are planning on heading to Lotus Pier?” he asked.
Lan Qiren was leery. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason, I’m just asking,” Wei Wuxian said. “Can I tag along?”
“Wei Wuxian!” Sect Leader Yao exclaimed warily. “You may have
done a good deed today, but that’s an entirely different matter. Let us be
clear—it is impossible for us to associate with you.”
Wei Wuxian was rendered speechless. “Don’t you worry, no one’s
forcing you to associate with me. But we’re technically on the same side
right now, no? The big shot who plotted to murder all of you today has the
Yin Tiger Tally in his grasp. Think you guys can handle it?”
The clan leaders traded looks of dismay. Truthfully, Wei Wuxian was
not wrong. If he was willing to join their alliance, he would surely be a
great help. But they’d all been calling for the death of the Yiling Patriarch
for so many years—they couldn’t suddenly or easily swallow their pride
and work with him.
Lan Wangji turned to Lan Qiren. “Shufu, is there any news of my
elder brother?”
“No,” Lan Qiren replied after a brief silence.
“Zewu-jun might still be under Jin Guangyao’s control,” Wei Wuxian
said. “Lan-xiansheng, every bit of help counts. Even if you have your
concerns about me, at least let Hanguang-jun participate in what you plan to
do next. This concerns his elder brother, after all.”
 With a weary look on his face, Lan Qiren said to Lan Wangji, “…
Come if you must.”
The rest of the group immediately turned their eyes to Jiang Cheng.
Lan Qiren was the most distinguished elder of the three clans present, and
he had made his stance known. Taking Nie Huaisang’s support for any side
into consideration would be a waste of time, so all eyes were now on Jiang
Cheng.
He stood at the other end of the cavern, engaged in channeling his
spiritual power anew to test Zidian. Its current was sporadic; sometimes
sparking to life, sometimes dimming, but at least it wasn’t completely dead.
Purple light illuminated Jiang Cheng’s face, making him appear cryptic and
unreadable. Everyone knew that Sect Leader Jiang had fallen out with Wei
Wuxian years ago and could hardly stand the sight of him. They thought he
would put an end to the discussion, but to their surprise, Jiang Cheng only
sneered.
“You dare return to Lotus Pier?”
Having tossed out that random question, he said nothing more.
Everyone was left baffled, unsure whether that was a yes or a no. But when
the group set off and Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji joined their ranks, Jiang
Cheng didn’t spare them a single glance. They took that to mean he neither
agreed nor disagreed.
 — Part 2 —

N IGHT HAD FALLEN by the time the group reached the foot of the
mountain. When they returned to town, the lights had been extinguished,
and it was quiet all around. Everyone was in a sorry state, drained in both
body and spirit. Even their marching formations were wobbly and askew,
the rows uneven. But after using the last vestiges of their strength to do a
headcount, they were heartened to find their numbers had hardly changed
from when they first set out.
Since most of the group hadn’t fully recovered their spiritual powers,
they couldn’t ride swords. Travel by water was the fastest route to Lotus
Pier, so the travel-weary band of thousands headed toward the harbor near
Yiling. But because the decision to set off had been made on such short
notice, not many boats could be rounded up quickly enough. The clan
leaders had to rent every single boat at the docks regardless of size, even
fishing boats. They stuffed the vessels to full capacity with the various
clans’ disciples and set off down the river.
Dozens of juniors from prominent clans had all been squeezed onto
one fishing boat. The boys, raised in prestigious households, had never been
forced onto such a decrepit, creaky vessel. The boat was old and dismal,
piled everywhere with filthy nets and buckets that reeked of fish. The wind
was stronger at night, making the boats rock up and down and side to side.
Several boys who hailed from the dry north came down with bad cases of
queasiness, and though they tried to endure it, could eventually no longer
hold it in. They all dashed out of the cabin and heaved before slumping
back into dizzy heaps on the deck.
“Argh, for heaven’s sake,” one of the boys complained. “All this
rocking is raising waves in my stomach! Hey, Sizhui-xiong, you’re
throwing up too? Aren’t you from Gusu? You’re not a northerner, so why
are you puking even harder than me?”
Lan Sizhui waved dismissively, looking sickly green. “I…I don’t
know why either. I’ve been like this since I was four or five, every time I’m
on a boat… Maybe I was born this way.”
 As he spoke, queasiness surged within him again. He pulled himself
upright with the support of the boat railing. Just as he was about to vomit
some more, he suddenly saw a pitch-black figure clinging to the boat just
below the railing. Half the man’s body was submerged in the river water,
and he was staring straight at Lan Sizhui.
In that split second, Lan Sizhui was so scared he swallowed back
down everything he was about to vomit. His hand had just reached the hilt
of his sword when he managed to take a closer look.
“Ghost…” he gasped.
Inside the cabin, Jin Ling caught that word and charged out wielding
his sword. “Where’s the ghost? Where? I’ll kill it for you!”
“It’s not a ghost,” Lan Sizhui explained, “it’s the Ghost General!”
The boys swarmed onto the deck and looked where Lan Sizhui was
pointing. Sure enough, the Ghost General Wen Ning was the shadowy black
figure who clung to the boat just below the railing, visible from where they
stood.
Wen Ning had vanished after they had descended the Burial Mounds.
Not one of them had expected him to be silently clinging to the fishing boat
for who knows how long.
While Wen Ning had fought alongside them back at the Burial
Mounds, there had been a lot of people and many elders around. But it was
the middle of the night now, and they were by themselves on the water. Wen
Ning’s sudden and frankly bizarre appearance gave the boys a fright. Both
parties stared at each other, stunned.
Ouyang Zizhen was the first to shrink back. “Why did the Ghost
General come to us on his own?” he said, sitting on the deck.
“No wonder the boat was going so slow,” one of the boys grumbled.
“It was because there’s extra deadweight weighing us down.”
“Why…is he clinging there?”
“Whatever the reason, it’s definitely not to hurt us. Otherwise, he
wouldn’t have protected us during the day at the Burial Mounds.”
“But there’s no danger now, so why did he come find us again…?”
 “Pfft!”
“What’re you laughing about, Jingyi?”
“Look at him,” Lan Jingyi said through his laughter. “He looks like a
big sea turtle, the way he’s clinging to the side of the boat and not moving!”
Now that he mentioned it, some of them realized Wen Ning really did
resemble a big sea turtle. They didn’t laugh, however.
“He’s coming up!” Ouyang Zizhen exclaimed.
Sure enough, Wen Ning had pulled himself out of the water and was
slowly climbing up, using a thick rope that dangled from the deck. The boys
scattered in an instant. A few of the more timid ones ran around the deck in
panic, their feet stomping heavily on the boards as they screamed at
random.
“He’s coming up, he’s coming up! The Ghost General is coming!”
“What’s there to be scared of?” Lan Jingyi asked. “It’s not like we’ve
never seen him before!”
“What do we do? Should we call people over?!”
When a dripping Wen Ning flipped over the railing and landed
heavily on the deck, the entire fishing boat seemed to rock. The boys were
extremely nervous, wishing desperately they could shift to the other side of
the deck. Their hearts were pounding, but they were too abashed to raise a
sword against him.
Wen Ning stared intently at Lan Sizhui’s face, then started to walk
toward him. Lan Sizhui, sensing he was here specifically for him, steadied
himself.
“What…what is your name?” Wen Ning asked him.
Lan Sizhui was slightly taken aback, then stood tall. “I am a junior of
the Lan Clan of Gusu. My name is Lan Yuan.”
“Lan Yuan?” Wen Ning repeated.
Lan Sizhui nodded.
“Do…do you know, who…who gave you that name?” Wen Ning then
asked.
 The dead could not form facial expressions. Maybe it was only Lan
Sizhui’s imagination, but Wen Ning’s eyes seemed to light up. He also
thought Wen Ning looked excited—excited enough to be stumbling over his
words. It was making him excited as well, as if a secret that had been sealed
for years was about to be revealed.
“My name was, of course, given to me by my parents,” Lan Sizhui
answered carefully.
“Then are your parents still alive and well?” Wen Ning asked.
“My parents passed away when I was very young,” Lan Sizhui
replied.
One of the boys tugged on Lan Sizhui’s sleeve and whispered,
“Sizhui, don’t say too much. Watch out for tricks.”
Wen Ning blinked. “Sizhui? Sizhui is your courtesy name?”
“Yes,” Lan Sizhui confirmed.
“Who gave it to you?” Wen Ning asked.
“Hanguang-jun,” Lan Sizhui replied.
Wen Ning lowered his head and silently recited the name “Sizhui” to
himself a few more times. Seeing some sort of understanding dawn on him,
Lan Sizhui asked about it.
“Gen…” He was about to call him General but felt it sounded strange
and chose another address. “Mister Wen? Is there something about my
name?”
“Ah,” Wen Ning looked up and scrutinized his face. What he said
next did not answer the question. “You, you look…a l-lot like one of my
distant relatives…”
This sounded very much like the kind of excuse a low-level cultivator
or a non-blood-related sect disciple would use to try and cozy up to the
juniors of the main household. The group of boys were growing more and
more mystified, not knowing what to make of this.
Lan Sizhui didn’t know how to respond either, so he only replied,
“R…really?”
“Yes!” Wen Ning confirmed enthusiastically.
 He tried hard to lift the muscles at the corners of his lips, as if
wanting to squeeze out a smile. For some reason, the way the “Ghost
General” was acting seemed grievously familiar to Lan Sizhui. A vague
thought surfaced in his mind—he had seen this face somewhere before.
There was a form of address on the tip of his tongue. If he could only blurt
it out, many other things would follow, and everything would become clear.
But at that moment, he saw Jin Ling.
Jin Ling’s face was dark. He looked extremely upset. His grip on his
sword tightened and slackened fitfully, just as the veins on the back of his
hand came and went. Only then did Lan Sizhui remember that the Ghost
General Wen Ning, who seemed so harmless, was the one who had
murdered Jin Ling’s father.
Following his gaze, Wen Ning’s “smile” also gradually vanished. He
slowly turned toward Jin Ling. “Jin Rulan-gongzi?”
“Who’s that?” Jin Ling replied coldly.
Wen Ning fell silent for a moment, then changed his greeting. “Jin
Ling-xiao-gongzi.”
Jin Ling stared hard at him, while the other boys stared nervously at
Jin Ling, afraid he was about to act rashly.
“Jin-gongzi…” Lan Sizhui started.
“Move. This has nothing to do with you,” Jin Ling stated.
But Lan Sizhui could tell this might not be entirely unrelated to him.
He stepped in front of Jin Ling and blocked his path.
“Jin Ling, put your sword away first…”
Jin Ling was already tense as a taut string. With his vision now
obstructed, he snapped without thinking, “Don’t block me!”
He shoved Lan Sizhui. Already queasy and unsteady on his feet, Lan
Sizhui crashed into the railing and almost toppled into the river’s pitch-
black waters. Thankfully, Wen Ning pulled him back just in time. The boys
immediately scrambled over to give Lan Sizhui a helping hand.
“Sizhui-xiong!”
“Lan-gongzi, are you all right? Are you still nauseated?”
 Wen Ning grew distressed at the sight of Lan Sizhui’s blanched face.
“Jin-gongzi, please attack me instead. I, Wen Ning, will never fight back.
But A-Yua…Lan Yuan-gongzi…”
Lan Jingyi was furious. “Jin Ling, why are you like this?!” he
berated. “What did Sizhui do to you?!”
“Sizhui-xiong acted in your own best interests. It’s fine if you don’t
appreciate that, but why push him?”
Jin Ling was also startled by the force of his own reaction, at first.
But the sight of his peers rushing to help Lan Sizhui and turning to scold
him was familiar, matching countless others in his memory. For many
years, everyone said he was spoiled because he was an orphan with no one
to discipline him, that he had a rotten temper and was difficult to get along
with. He had no close friends his own age, whether at Golden Carp Tower
or Lotus Pier. The high status afforded to him by his birth only made his
situation more awkward. When he was little, there were no juniors from the
prominent clans who liked playing with him. Now that he was older, there
were no juniors from the prominent clans who would follow him. The more
he thought about it, the more his eyes reddened.
“That’s right! It’s all my fault!” he suddenly shouted. “I’m just that
terrible of a person! What’re you all gonna do about it?!”
The other boys were stunned by his outburst. They were speechless
until someone grumbled indignantly.
“What? You’re the one who pushed him… What’re you getting mad
at us for?”
“So what?!” Jin Ling spat. “You gonna discipline me?!”
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were riding in the closest boat. At the
sound of all that yelling, Wei Wuxian paused and then rushed outside the
cabin to look at the neighboring vessel.
He immediately spotted Jin Ling in a face-off with the others, and
called over to them, “What’s going on?”
The sight of the two of them always made Lan Sizhui feel like even
the most difficult situation could be resolved. “Hanguang-jun! Wei-
qianbei!” he shouted to them, overjoyed. “Come over, quick!”
 Lan Wangji wrapped his arm around Wei Wuxian’s waist and brought
him onto Bichen. The pair rode the sword across to land on the other fishing
boat. Wei Wuxian teetered a little, but Lan Wangji held him steady.
Once he was settled, Wei Wuxian asked, “Wen Ning, what’s going
on? Didn’t you say you were just gonna take a gander?”
“I’m sorry, gongzi,” Wen Ning said. “It’s my fault. I couldn’t hold
back…”
Jin Ling pointed his sword at him. “Drop the act!” he roared
furiously.
“Jin Ling,” Wei Wuxian said, “put your sword down first.”
“No! I won’t!” Jin Ling said.
Wei Wuxian was about to say more, but Jin Ling unexpectedly burst
into tears.
Everyone was stunned speechless. Wei Wuxian took a step toward
him, bewildered.
“Uhm… What’s wrong?”
Even as tears streamed down Jin Ling’s face, his voice was loud and
furious between sobs. “This is my dad’s sword. I’m not putting it down!”
He hugged Jin Zixuan’s sword, Suihua, tight to his chest. That sword
was the one and only thing his parents had left him.
The sight of Jin Ling wailing aloud in front of an audience evoked
something in Wei Wuxian’s memory. It was almost as if he were looking at
a heartbroken Jiang Yanli, weeping profusely. Some young men of Jin
Ling’s age were already married, while some who were only slightly older
even had children. To them, crying was a humiliating act. One could only
imagine how aggrieved Jin Ling was, to stand there crying for all to see.
Wei Wuxian was momentarily at a loss. He looked pleadingly at Lan
Wangji, as if wanting to ask him for help, but Lan Wangji was even less
likely to have an answer.
A voice suddenly rang out from across the river just then. “A-Ling!”
Five or six large boats surrounded their fishing vessel, each packed
full of cultivators and with a clan leader standing on the bow. The Jiang
Clan of Yunmeng’s boat was the closest, directly to the right of the small
fishing boat, with only sixteen meters between them. The voice they heard
was Jiang Cheng’s, and he stood at the ship’s railing.
The moment he saw his uncle through his teary eyes, Jin Ling wiped
his face haphazardly and sniffled. He looked this way and that, then gritted
his teeth before flying over on his sword and landing beside Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng grabbed him. “What’s going on?” he demanded. “Who
bullied you?!”
Jin Ling rubbed his eyes hard, unwilling to speak. Jiang Cheng
looked up, shooting a grim glance toward the fishing boat. His cold glare
swept over Wen Ning and was just about to stop on Wei Wuxian when Lan
Wangji stepped forward and—whether by accident or by design—very
coincidentally blocked his line of sight.
One of the family heads warily spoke up. “Wei Wuxian, what are you
doing on that boat?”
His tone was suspicious and unpleasant. Clearly, he thought Wei
Wuxian harbored evil intentions.
“Sect Leader Yao,” Ouyang Zizhen said. “Why must you speak like
that? If Wei-qianbei wanted to do anything, no one on the boat would be
sitting here safe and sound right now.”
Many of the older cultivators felt a touch of embarrassment at his
words. Although it was the truth, no one wanted to hear it being voiced so
bluntly.
“Zizhen is right!” Lan Sizhui immediately chimed in.
Many of the boys also agreed in unison.
Jiang Cheng cocked his head and called out, “Sect Leader Ouyang.”
Sect Leader Ouyang’s eye twitched and his heart pounded at being
named.
He heard Jiang Cheng say to him in a frosty tone, “If I remember
correctly, the one speaking to us right now is your son. He certainly is
eloquent.”
 “Zizhen!” Sect Leader Ouyang hurriedly called to his son. “Come
back. Come over to Dad!”
Puzzled, Ouyang Zizhen said, “Dad, weren’t you the one who told
me to stay on this boat and not bother you?”
Sect Leader Ouyang wiped away his sweat. “That’s enough! Haven’t
you made enough of a splash today? Come here right now!”
His sect was based in Baling, which was close to Yunmeng. He
couldn’t possibly compete with the Jiang Clan’s power and influence, and
he had no desire to get in Jiang Cheng’s bad books just because his son kept
speaking up for Wei Wuxian.
Jiang Cheng threw a glare at Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji before
returning to the cabin with his arm around Jin Ling’s shoulders.
Sect Leader Ouyang breathed a sigh of relief and yelled at his son
again. “You, you, you! You only grow more disobedient the older you get!
Are you coming over or not? If not, I’m coming over to nab you myself!”
“Dad, you should go back inside the cabin and rest up too,” Ouyang
Zizhen urged with concern. “Your spiritual power hasn’t recovered yet. I’m
sure there’s no way you can come over. Don’t try to ride your sword so
rashly, okay?”
The majority of the cultivators were still in the process of recovering
their spiritual power. If they tried to force themselves to ride their swords,
they might just plummet headfirst to the ground—which was, of course,
why they’d had to travel by boat to begin with. Sect Leader Ouyang was
also notably tall and burly, and given his weight, it really was impossible
for him to fly over and nab his son. He was so infuriated by the boy that he
stormed off to the cabin in a whirl of sleeves.
From another boat, Nie Huaisang laughed out loud. The other clan
leaders looked at him, speechless, but those who should be dispersing began
to do so. On seeing this, Wei Wuxian heaved a long sigh of relief. A look of
extreme weariness suddenly spread across his face, and he tilted to one side.
Apparently, his unsteadiness earlier wasn’t because he’d been off-
balance on the fishing boat but because he was simply too exhausted to
remain on his feet.
 Unbothered by the blood and filth he was covered in, the boys
scrambled over to help support him as they had just done with Lan Sizhui.
But there was no need for them to do so. Bending slightly at the waist, Lan
Wangji placed an arm around Wei Wuxian’s shoulders, another under his
legs, and picked him up in one swoop.
He carried Wei Wuxian into the cabin like that. There were only four
long wooden benches inside, and no place to lie down. Lan Wangji wrapped
an arm around Wei Wuxian’s waist and let his head rest on his shoulder.
With his other hand, he pushed and pulled the four benches together to
make a surface wide enough to lie on, then gently settled Wei Wuxian there.
Lan Sizhui suddenly noticed that even though Hanguang-jun was
drenched in blood, the bandage Wei Wuxian had torn from his own sleeve
to dress a small wound on the fingers of his left hand was still securely
knotted in place.
Thus far, Lan Wangji had been too preoccupied to bother with
appearances. Only now did he take out his handkerchief and use it to slowly
wipe the coagulated blood from Wei Wuxian’s face. It didn’t take long for
the snow-white handkerchief to be stained shades of black and red, and
despite having cleaned Wei Wuxian’s face, he had yet to wipe his own.
Lan Sizhui hurriedly presented his own handkerchief. “Hanguang-
jun.”
Lan Wangji took it and lowered his head. One swipe of the
handkerchief left a field of snowy white in its wake. The boys were then
able to breathe a sigh of relief. It was true—Hanguang-jun only looked
normal with a face of ice and snow.
“Hanguang-jun,” Ouyang Zizhen asked, “why did Wei-qianbei
collapse?”
“He is tired,” Lan Wangji answered.
Lan Jingyi was astonished. “I thought Wei-qianbei could never tire!”
The other boys were similarly shocked, finding it inconceivable that
the legendary Yiling Patriarch could collapse from exhaustion after dealing
with walking corpses. They’d all thought the Yiling Patriarch could settle
everything with a mere snap of his fingers.
 Lan Wangji, however, shook his head. “We are all human,” he stated
simply.
They were all human. What human would not tire, and what human
would never collapse?
Lan Wangji had pushed all the long benches together, so the boys
could only crouch in a circle and look on helplessly. If Wei Wuxian had
been awake, the cabin would have been alive with his wisecracking and his
glib tongue teasing everyone in turn. But no, he just had to be down for the
count. Which left only Hanguang-jun, who sat straight as a brush beside
him. Normally, someone would start chatting to liven up the atmosphere,
but no one dared say a word when Lan Wangji wasn’t speaking. Even after
they’d been squatting there a long time, dead silence still prevailed inside
the cabin.
The boys grumbled to themselves. How boring.
They were so bored that they started communicating with their eyes.
Why isn’t Hanguang-jun saying anything? Why has Wei-qianbei still
not woken up?
Cupping his cheeks with both hands, Ouyang Zizhen pointed here
and there to express himself. Is Hanguang-jun always this silent? How can
Wei-qianbei stand being around him all day…?
Lan Sizhui gave a grave nod of his head in soundless confirmation.
Hanguang-jun certainly has always been this way!
Suddenly, Wei Wuxian frowned and tilted his head. Lan Wangji
gently moved his head back in place, lest he sprain his neck.
“Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian mumbled.
Everyone was overjoyed, thinking he was about to wake up, but Wei
Wuxian’s eyes remained tightly shut.
Lan Wangji, on the other hand, looked as he usually did. “Mn. I am
here.”
Wei Wuxian said nothing else. He nuzzled against Lan Wangji, as if
feeling safe and reassured, and continued to sleep.
 The boys stared blankly at the two of them. Then, for some reason,
they suddenly blushed. Lan Sizhui was the first to stand up.
“Han…Hanguang-jun, we will go outside for a bit…” he stammered.
They practically fled out onto the deck. Only when the night breeze
blew against them did that awful, suffocating feeling dissipate.
“What the heck?!” someone said. “Why did we have to rush out?!
Why?!”
Ouyang Zizhen covered his face. “I dunno why either, but I suddenly
got the feeling it was really inappropriate to stick around in there!”
They pointed at each other and cried accusations.
“What are you blushing for?!”
“I’m blushing because you’re blushing!”
Wen Ning hadn’t gone over to help support Wei Wuxian in the first
place, nor followed them into the cabin. Instead, he crouched on the deck
outside. The boys had found this strange at first, wondering why he didn’t
go in. It was only now that they realized just how wise the Ghost General
truly was.
There was absolutely no room for anyone else in there!
Wen Ning seemed to have expected them to come out, because he
made room for them to crouch with him. However, only Lan Sizhui walked
over and did so. The other boys muttered among themselves on the other
side of the deck.
“Why does Sizhui seem to be on familiar terms with the Ghost
General?”
“Lan-gongzi, can I call you A-Yuan?” Wen Ning asked.
The boys were inwardly horrified. …To think the Ghost General is so
forward!
However, Lan Sizhui answered him with delight, “Sure!”
“A-Yuan, have you been doing well all these years?” Wen Ning
asked.
“Very well,” Lan Sizhui answered.
 Wen Ning nodded. “Hanguang-jun must have treated you very well.”
Hearing the respect in his tone when he mentioned Lan Wangji made
Lan Sizhui feel even closer to him. “Hanguang-jun treats me as a brother
and a father would. He was the one who taught me to play the guqin.”
“When did Hanguang-jun start raising you?” Wen Ning asked.
Lan Sizhui pondered for a moment, then answered, “I don’t
remember. Probably when I was four or five years old. I don’t have many
memories of my childhood, but Hanguang-jun probably couldn’t have been
the one taking care of me when I was younger than that. He seemed to have
been in seclusion for many years at the time.”
It suddenly occurred to him that the first Siege of the Burial Mounds
had taken place at the same time as Hanguang-jun’s seclusion.
Inside the cabin, Lan Wangji glanced at the door the juniors had
closed when they rushed out, then looked down again at Wei Wuxian,
whose head was tilting to the side once more. His eyebrows were knitted,
and he seemed very uncomfortable, tossing and turning his head. Seeing
this, Lan Wangji stood up and walked to the door to bolt it before returning
to sit beside Wei Wuxian. He pulled Wei Wuxian upright by the shoulders
and let him gently rest in his embrace.
With this change of position, Wei Wuxian’s head finally stopped
flopping back and forth. He burrowed into Lan Wangji’s chest and
eventually found a comfortable position to sleep in.
Seeing him settle down, Lan Wangji lowered his head to gaze at the
face of the man in his arms. His long, black hair cascaded down. All of a
sudden, eyes still closed, Wei Wuxian grabbed Lan Wangji’s collar. His
fingers just so happened to catch hold of the tail of his forehead ribbon.
He gripped the ribbon tight. Lan Wangji tugged at the ribbon tail. Not
only did he fail to pull it from Wei Wuxian’s grip, but his efforts made Wei
Wuxian’s eyelashes quiver.
Not a moment later, Wei Wuxian woke up.
When he slowly opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the
wooden ceiling of the cabin. He sat up. Lan Wangji stood by a wooden
window in the cabin, gazing out into the distance at the luminous moon at
the river’s end.
“Hmm? Hanguang-jun, did I pass out earlier?” Wei Wuxian asked.
Lan Wangji turned his head and answered calmly, “Yes.”
Wei Wuxian followed this with another question. “Where’s your
forehead ribbon?”
“…”
Done with his questions, Wei Wuxian looked down and made a noise
of surprise. “Oops, how’d that happen? It’s right here in my hands!”
He swung his legs off the long benches. “So sorry about that. I like
hugging something while I sleep. If I don’t have anything to hug, I tend to
grab things at random. My bad, ’kay? Here you go.”
Lan Wangji stayed silent a moment longer, then took the forehead
ribbon he handed him. “It is fine.”
Wei Wuxian, however, was trying so hard to suppress his laughter
that he was about to suffer an internal injury. There had certainly been a
moment, earlier, when he’d really wanted to sleep—but he wasn’t quite so
frail that he would faint at the drop of a hat. But who knew? He’d just
teetered a little, and Lan Wangji had swept him up with incomparable haste.
It made Wei Wuxian too embarrassed to say, Hey, don’t worry about it. I
can stand on my own. And honestly, he didn’t want to be set back down—
why stand when you can be carried?
Wei Wuxian rubbed his neck, feeling secretly delighted and smug
even as he lamented to himself. Ahh, Lan Zhan is honestly… Had I known
this would happen, I wouldn’t have woken up. I could have lain in his arms
the entire journey if I was still out cold.
They arrived in Yunmeng just before dawn.
Lotus Pier’s main gates and dock were so brightly illuminated that
their reflection in the waters gleamed with golden light. The dock had rarely
seen so many boats of so many sizes gathered around all at once. Not only
were the guards before the gates stunned at the sight, but even the old men
still selling midnight snacks at the riverside stalls were dumbstruck.
 Jiang Cheng was the first to disembark. He gave a few orders to the
guards, and countless fully geared disciples immediately poured out of the
main gates. The crowd disembarked in batches, and the guest cultivators
from the Jiang Sect arranged for them to enter. Sect Leader Ouyang finally
nabbed his son and dragged him away, lecturing him under his breath. Wei
Wuxian and Lan Wangji walked out of the cabin and hopped off the fishing
boat.
“Gongzi,” Wen Ning called out. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
Wei Wuxian nodded, knowing that Wen Ning would not step through
the main gates of Lotus Pier, and Jiang Cheng would never allow it
regardless.
“Mister Wen, I’ll keep you company,” Lan Sizhui said.
“You will?” Wen Ning exclaimed in delight. He hadn’t expected that
at all.
With a smile, Lan Sizhui said, “Yeah. In any case, the seniors are
going to discuss important matters, so it’s pointless for me to head inside.
Let’s continue our conversation. Where were we just now? Did Wei-qianbei
really plant a two-year-old child in the soil like he would a radish…?”
Although his voice was quiet, the two in front had extremely keen
hearing. Wei Wuxian stumbled in his step. Lan Wangji quirked his
eyebrows for a moment, but he recovered in no time.
After their backs disappeared through the main gates of Lotus Pier,
Lan Sizhui continued in a hushed tone. “That poor child. But actually, I
remember Hanguang-jun once set me down in the middle of a bunch of
rabbits when I was little. The two of them are really quite similar in some
respects…”
Before they entered the main gates of Lotus Pier, Wei Wuxian took a
deep breath to calm himself. But once he strode through, he found he
wasn’t as worked up as he expected to be.
Perhaps it was because too much had been renovated. The drilling
ground had been expanded to twice its size, and the upturned eaves and
corners of dozens of new buildings peeked out from behind each other at
varying heights. It was much more imposing and glorious than before.
But…it was almost unrecognizable compared to the Lotus Pier of his
memory.
Wei Wuxian felt a sense of loss. He didn’t know whether the old
buildings were obstructed from view by the resplendent new ones or if they
had been demolished by now.
After all, they really were very old.
The various sects’ disciples formed into square formations again on
the drilling ground. They settled into the lotus meditation pose to continue
to recuperate and recover their spiritual powers. After nearly a full day and
night of torment, they were utterly exhausted and needed to catch their
breath.
Jiang Cheng led the leaders and important cultivators into the main
hall of the household, Sword Hall, to discuss the day’s events. Wei Wuxian
and Lan Wangji followed them inside. Some found this slightly
inappropriate, but there was nothing they could say about it.
They had only just entered and had yet to take their seats when
someone who looked like a guest cultivator hurried over to Jiang Cheng.
“Sect Leader.”
He moved in close and whispered a few words into Jiang Cheng’s
ear. Jiang Cheng frowned.
“No, I will not meet them. If they have matters to discuss, it can wait
for another day. Can’t you read the room right now?”
“That’s what I told them,” the guest cultivator replied, “but the two
ladies said…today’s matter is precisely why they have come.”
“What’s their background? Which sect do they belong to?” Jiang
Cheng questioned.
“They’re not from any sect, and they aren’t cultivators either,” the
guest cultivator answered. “I’m certain they are both ordinary women,
without spiritual power. They only just arrived today. They brought a batch
of rare and expensive medicinal herbs with them, but didn’t specify which
clan leader sent them. All they said was that they had something to tell you.
It didn’t sound like a trivial matter, the way they said it. I didn’t want them
to feel slighted, so I put them up at the guest house. The medicinal herbs
have not gone into storage yet; I have inspected them for inappropriate
spells and found nothing.”
The head of the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng didn’t meet with just anyone,
especially when they were unwilling to reveal who they were. Even less so
two ordinary women with no spiritual powers and no background to speak
of. But since they had brought with them a batch of rare, expensive
medicinal herbs, the guest cultivator responsible for receiving them did not
dare slight them. Even without the generous gifts, the oddness of the
encounter would have been enough to make him take them seriously.
“Ladies and gentlemen.” Jiang Cheng called for the room’s attention.
“Please make yourselves at home. Allow me to excuse myself for a
moment. I will be right back.”
The crowd responded one after another. “Of course, Sect Leader
Jiang.”
However, Jiang Cheng did not come right back. In fact, he did not
return for a long time. Leaving guests unattended was already a breach of
etiquette, all the more so in these extraordinary circumstances, where
everyone was waiting to discuss important affairs. When Jiang Cheng had
still not appeared almost an hour later, many of the guests started to feel
uneasy or displeased.
It was then that Jiang Cheng finally returned. He had left with a
neutral expression, but his face was now cold and serious. He walked
swiftly and brought two people with him. They were two women—
presumably the same pair that had come calling on him.
At first, everyone assumed there had to be something special about
these women for them to be able to come bearing such generous gifts.
Unexpectedly, neither of them was young, their advanced age evident in the
deep creases at the corners of their eyes and mouths. One looked meek and
apprehensive, while the other was notable not just because she looked like a
strumpet but because of the five or six large, scarred slash marks across her
face. The scars were old, but they looked so horrifying that the cultivators
were utterly repulsed and disappointed. They began grumbling to
themselves, wondering why Jiang Cheng had brought these two women to
Sword Hall, even directing them to the center of the room.
 With a somber expression, Jiang Cheng spoke to the two women,
who were taking their seats in trepidation. “Tell us about it right here.”
“Sect Leader Jiang, what do you mean by this?” Sect Leader Yao
asked.
“What I just learned from them is too appalling to describe. I did not
dare act carelessly, so I questioned them at length. That is why I was
delayed. Everyone, please quiet down and listen to these two.” Jiang Cheng
turned around and asked, “Which of you will start?”
The two women looked at each other. The woman with the weathered
air of a lady of the night was more daring, so she stood up.
“I’ll go first, then!” She casually curtsied to the crowd. “What I’m
about to tell you is an incident that happened roughly eleven years ago.”
Jiang Cheng’s tone told everyone that what the woman was about to
say was significant. They wondered to themselves what could have
happened eleven years ago.
“My name is Sisi,” the woman began. “I used to be a working girl,
and I guess I was pretty popular for a while. Over a decade ago, there was
this wealthy merchant I wanted to marry, but his wife turned out to be a real
scary one. She hired a gang of burly brutes to cut up my face, and that’s
how I got like this.”
The woman spoke without shame and didn’t mince her words. As she
went on, some female cultivators covered their mouths with their sleeves
and some male cultivators frowned.
“With my face like this, life was no longer the same,” Sisi continued.
“No one was willing to spare me a glance, let alone hire me to do my
business. My original brothel threw me out. I have no other skills and
couldn’t find customers anywhere, so I partnered up with some older sisters
in the same line of work. Their customers didn’t demand much, and if they
got any jobs, they would bring me along with them. As long as I covered up
my face, I could make it work.”
At this point, some of the cultivators couldn’t take it anymore. The
naked contempt in their eyes blazed forth, stark and undisguised for all to
see. Some didn’t understand why Jiang Cheng wanted the crowd to hear
this woman speak publicly of her salacious past. The clan leaders, however,
kept their cool and waited for her to continue.
Sure enough, Sisi arrived at the point.
“One day, my sisters who worked out of the same alley as me
suddenly received a job. They hired over twenty of us and took us to the
location in a horse carriage. After discussing the pay, my older sisters were
thrilled to bits as they sat in that carriage, but I felt something wasn’t right.
To put it bluntly, everyone there was either old and faded, like a yellowing
pearl, or scarred like me. But we were paid so much money—and paid in
advance, to boot. Wasn’t it too good to be true? What’s more, the person
who sought us out was awful secretive and sneaky. He pulled up, loaded
everyone right into the carriage, and whisked us away without letting
anyone else see. No matter how you looked at it, he didn’t seem like he
meant well!”
The others in the room thought so as well. Their initial contempt had
been replaced with curiosity.
“When the carriage arrived at the destination, it drove directly into a
courtyard and let us off there,” Sisi continued. “None of us had ever seen
such a tall, glorious house. We were so dazzled by the sight that we didn’t
even dare breathe. There was a boy leaning against the doorway, fiddling
with a dagger. When he saw us, he told us to enter before closing the door
behind us.
“We went inside. In that huge house, there were only two people.
There was a man lying under a brocade quilt on the bed. He was about
thirty or forty years old and looked so sick that he was basically half dead.
When he noticed us enter, he could only move his eyes.”
“Oh!” Someone in Sword Hall suddenly exclaimed in shock as
realization dawned. “Eleven years ago?! That’s… That’s…!”
“Someone had instructed us beforehand about what we should do.
Every single one of us was to pleasure the man on the bed to the fullest
extent of our skills, without even a moment’s pause,” Sisi continued. “I’d
been expecting some kind of extraordinarily manly guy—not an invalid.
Would he even survive us? He’d probably drop dead two rounds in. How
could someone be such a sex maniac? Besides, they were rich. It’s not like
they couldn’t afford young and pretty girls, so why did they insist on hiring
old and ugly ones like us?
“I was still trying to figure it out when I climbed on top of him.
Suddenly, I heard another man laugh. It made me jump. It was only then I
realized there was a curtain beside the bed—and a person sitting behind it!”
Everyone’s heart was in their throats.
“I realized he’d been sitting behind the curtain all along,” Sisi
continued. “The moment he laughed, the man on the bed began to struggle.
He threw me off him and rolled off the bed, and that person only laughed
harder. As he laughed, he said, ‘Father, I’ve brought you the women you
love so much. There are so many of them! Aren’t you happy?’”
Everyone felt their hair stand on end. Although those words had been
spoken by Sisi, their minds could clearly picture them coming from
another’s ever-smiling mouth.
Jin Guangyao!
And the half-dead man on the bed must have been Jin Guangshan!
Jin Guangshan’s death had always been an open secret among the
clans. The man had been a philanderer his whole life, to the extent it was
almost obscene. He left a trail of lovers and offspring in his wake across the
land, and even the cause of his death was related to this hobby. Despite
being the head of the Jin Clan of Lanling, he insisted on making merry with
women even as his health deteriorated. Eventually, he died in the middle of
intercourse, which was too undignified a death to announce to the public.
After suffering the painful loss of her only son and daughter-in-law,
Madam Jin had already been depressed for several years. And then she
learned that her husband had not only not stopped fooling around but even
thrown his life away in the process. This infuriated her so much that she fell
ill and passed away not long after.
The Jin Clan of Lanling attempted to cover up what happened, but
everyone knew the truth. On the surface, they sighed with grief and regret,
but in reality, they all thought that it served him right. He deserved to die in
such a way.
 Who could have dreamed they’d hear an even uglier and more
revolting truth today? Sharp intakes of breath rose and fell one after another
in Sword Hall.
“The middle-aged man wanted to shout and struggle, but he had no
strength left in him,” Sisi carried on. “The boy who had led us inside
opened the door again and entered the room. He dragged the man back onto
the bed, laughing cheekily all the while. Then he trussed him up, tied him
down, and braced his foot against his head as he tightened the rope. He told
us to continue, to not stop even if he died. None of us had ever seen
anything like it. We were scared to death, but we didn’t dare disobey, so we
kept going. By the eleventh or twelfth round, the sister attending to him
suddenly screamed that he was dead. I went up to take a look. He really
wasn’t breathing. But the man behind the curtain said, ‘Didn’t you hear
your orders? Don’t stop, even if he dies!’”
Sect Leader Ouyang couldn’t help but say, “No matter what, Jin
Guangshan was his father by blood. If this is true… It’s really too… Too…”
“When I saw he was dead, I knew it was over,” Sisi said. “We
wouldn’t be escaping that house either. And just as I suspected, every single
one of my twenty or so sisters was killed once the night was done. No one
else was spared…”
“Why did they spare you and only you?” Wei Wuxian asked.
“I don’t know!” Sisi answered. “I pleaded and begged for my life,
told them I didn’t want the money anymore and I’d never say a word about
this. I never thought they actually would spare me. They took me to a house
and locked me up for eleven years. It’s only recently that I was saved by a
stroke of luck and got outta there.”
“Who saved you?” Wei Wuxian asked.
“I don’t know,” Sisi replied. “I never met the person who saved me
face-to-face. But after my savior heard my story, they decided they didn’t
want to allow that immoral hypocrite to keep lying to the world. Even if
that man has hoodwinked the masses, my savior is determined to expose his
deeds and bring justice to his victims. Those twenty or so poor sisters of
mine may yet be able to rest in peace.”
 “Do you have any evidence to back up what you’ve said?” Wei
Wuxian asked.
Sisi hesitated for a moment, then said, “No. But if I told a single lie,
let my corpse rot without even a mat to wrap it in!”
Sect Leader Yao immediately piped up. “She spoke in such clear
detail. She’s definitely not lying!”
Lan Qiren’s brow was locked in a tight furrow. He turned to the other
woman. “I seem to have met you before.”
With a panic-stricken look, the woman said, “Most…most likely.”
Everyone was taken aback. Sisi was a street prostitute, so could this
woman be one as well? How could Lan Qiren have met her before?
“I often accompanied my madam when the Qin Clan of Laoling
hosted symposiums,” the woman said.
“The Qin Clan of Laoling?” a female cultivator asked. “You’re a
maid from the Qin Clan of Laoling?”
A more sharp-eyed female cultivator addressed her directly by name.
“You’re…Bicao! Madam Qin’s handmaid, Bicao! Right?”
The Madam Qin she spoke of was Qin Cangye’s wife, and also the
mother of Qin Su, Jin Guangyao’s wife.
Bicao nodded. “But I’m no longer with the Qin Clan.”
Greatly excited, Sect Leader Yao slapped the table and stood up.
“You have something to tell us too, right?”
With reddened eyes, Bicao said, “The tale I’ve come here to tell took
place a little earlier than the previous one, about twelve or thirteen years
ago.
“I served my madam for many years, and I watched my young miss
grow up. Madam always cared deeply for Miss Su but was in a bad mood in
the days leading up to Miss Su’s marriage. She had nightmares every night
and would spontaneously weep during the day. I thought it was because her
daughter was about to be married and she couldn’t bear to part with her, so I
kept comforting her, telling her that Miss Su’s future husband, Lianfang-zun
Jin Guangyao, was a promising young man. He was gentle, considerate, and
devoted. She would have a blessed life. But surprisingly, Madam only
looked more upset at my words.
“When the wedding day neared, Madam suddenly told me one night
that she was going to see Miss Su’s future husband, and she was going
immediately. She wanted me to accompany her in secret. I told her, ‘Why
not summon him here instead? Why sneak out in the middle of the night to
meet a young man? Imagine the horrible rumors if anyone were to find
out!’ But Madam was determined, so I had no choice but to go with her.
When we arrived, Madam told me to keep watch outside and not go in. I
didn’t hear anything, and I don’t know what exactly she said to Jin
Guangyao. All I know is that a few days later, Miss Su’s wedding day was
set, and Madam fainted the moment she saw the invitation. Even after the
wedding, Madam remained in low spirits. Her distress made her fall ill, and
her condition worsened. Right before she passed away, she couldn’t take it
anymore. She told me everything.”
Bicao wept as she continued.
“Lianfang-zun Jin Guangyao and our Miss Su…how are they
husband and wife? They are brother and sister…”
“What?!”
Even if heavenly thunder had struck Sword Hall at that moment, it
would not have been as shockingly impactful as that single statement.
Qin Su’s pale face surfaced in Wei Wuxian’s mind.
“Oh, my poor madam…” Bicao lamented. “Old Sect Leader Jin was
an animal. He lusted after my madam’s beauty and forced himself on her
one night when he was drunk… How could Madam have been capable of
fighting off his advances? She didn’t dare speak out after the fact either. She
was too terrified to even try, since the master of the house was loyal to that
man. Jin Guangshan didn’t remember whose daughter Miss Su was, but my
madam could never forget. She didn’t dare go to Jin Guangshan, but
knowing that Miss Su was in love with Jin Guangyao, she was conflicted
for a very long time before she finally went to him in secret before the
wedding day. She revealed some of the truth to him and begged him to
think of some way to cancel the wedding, telling him they mustn’t commit
such a grave mistake. Who would have thought…that Jin Guangyao would
still marry Miss Su, despite knowing she was his younger halfsister!”
 Even more frightening—he hadn’t just married her but also had a
child with her!
What an earth-shattering scandal!
Voices rose in wave after wave of discussion, each surging louder
than the last.
“How many years had Old Sect Leader Qin served Jin Guangshan?
To think he’d even lay a hand on the wife of a long-time subordinate. That
Jin Guangshan…!”
“In the end, there is no secret in the world that can be kept forever…”
“If Jin Guangyao wanted to gain a firm foothold in the Jin Clan of
Lanling, he had to have a solid father-in-law like Qin Cangye to give him a
boost. How could he not marry her?”
“He’s a maniac without equal in all the world!”
“No wonder he told Qin Su that A-Song had to die, back when they
were in the secret chamber,” Wei Wuxian whispered to Lan Wangji.
A few others in Sword Hall also thought of A-Song.
“Knowing this, I would wager his son was not actually assassinated
by any outside party…and that he did the deed with his own hands,” Sect
Leader Yao said.
“How so?”
“In all likelihood, a child born to close siblings will be dull-witted,”
Sect Leader Yao analyzed. “Jin Rusong died when he was a few years old—
coincidentally, right around the time when a child would start their
schooling. While no one would notice anything amiss when he was
extremely young, the ways in which he was different from ordinary people
would be exposed as he grew older. Though no one would immediately
suspect blood ties between the parents, Jin Guangyao siring a feebleminded
child would inevitably cause others to gossip and criticize, to say the child
only turned out that way because he has the filthy blood of a prostitute
running in his veins…”
The crowd felt this made great sense.
“Sect Leader Yao is so sharp!”
 Sect Leader Yao added, “Besides, the one who poisoned Jin Rusong
just so happened to be a family head who opposed Jin Guangyao’s
construction of the observation towers. Can there be such a coincidence?”
He sneered. “In any case, he had no need for a son who was very possibly
an idiot. Kill Jin Rusong, frame that family head for it, and openly crusade
against the clan who refused to yield to him in the name of avenging his son
—although it was cold-blooded, he killed two birds with one stone. What a
truly devious ploy, Lianfang-zun!”
Wei Wuxian turned to Bicao. “On the night of the recent symposium
at Golden Carp Tower, did you meet with Qin Su?”
Bicao was taken aback. Wei Wuxian continued to probe.
“That night in Fragrance Palace, Qin Su and Jin Guangyao had an
argument. She said she’d met with someone who told her some things and
given her a letter—and also that this someone would never lie to her. Was it
you?”
“It was me,” Bicao confirmed.
“You guarded this secret for so many years,” Wei Wuxian said. “Why
did you decide to tell her so suddenly? And why the equally sudden
decision to reveal it to us?”
“Because…” Bicao began. “I had to let Miss Su know what kind of
person her husband is. And I didn’t want to make it public at first, but then
Miss Su inexplicably committed suicide at Golden Carp Tower. I must
expose this beast in human clothing and get justice—for my madam as well
as my young miss, whom I watched grow up.”
Wei Wuxian smiled. “But did you never consider the blow you would
deal her by revealing the truth to her? Or are you really that clueless? Qin
Su committed suicide specifically because you told her about this.”
“I…” Bicao started.
“I don’t agree with you,” Sect Leader Yao said with displeasure. “Are
you saying hiding the truth is the right thing to do?”
Someone immediately spoke up in agreement. “You can’t throw
blame around like that. Sigh, Madam Jin… Qin Su was simply too fragile.”
“Poor Qin Su,” several older female cultivators agreed.
 “I even envied her once. What blessed fortune, I thought. Born into a
good family, married a good man…the one and only mistress of Golden
Carp Tower, with a husband who was wholeheartedly devoted to her. Who
knew that… Tsk, tsk.”
“Things that seem beautiful on the surface are always riddled with
flaws beneath. There’s nothing to envy at all,” the wife of one of the
cultivators present commented in an aloof manner.
Qin Su probably chose to kill herself because she couldn’t endure this
kind of gossip, Wei Wuxian thought to himself. It sounds like sympathy on
the surface, but really, it’s just gloating.
He looked down, suddenly noticing a bracelet of jade and gold on
Bicao’s wrist. It was of excellent quality, certainly not something a
handmaid could afford.
“Nice bracelet you’ve got there,” he said with a smile.
Bicao hurriedly pulled down her sleeves and lowered her head,
saying nothing.
“But…” Nie Huaisang said blankly, “who exactly…sent these two
here?”
“Why dwell on this?!” Sect Leader Yao said. “No matter who he is,
we can be sure of one thing—he is a righteous man who is definitely on our
side.”
Cheers of agreement instantly rang out. “That’s right!”
But Wei Wuxian said, “Miss Sisi’s savior is certainly no ordinary
man. He’s rich and has a lot of free time on his hands. But righteous? Who
knows.”
“Many of the details are dubious,” Lan Wangji said.
If Wei Wuxian had been the one to utter those words, not many
people would have paid him much mind. But since the speaker was Lan
Wangji, the crowd immediately quieted down.
“Dubious in what way?” Lan Qiren asked.
“Too many ways,” Wei Wuxian replied. “For instance, Jin Guangyao
is vicious and ruthless, so why did he kill twenty people but spare Sisi? We
have a witness, but where is the material evidence?”
He kept voicing dissenting opinions, which set him at odds with the
mounting public indignation. Some people present were already showing
signs of displeasure.
“The net of Heaven is vast, but it lets nothing through!” Sect Leader
Yao declared in a booming voice.
Wei Wuxian smiled at this and said no more.
He was aware no one would listen to what he had to say right now,
and no one would carefully consider his doubts. If he said any more, they’d
probably start targeting him again. Had he been the person he was a decade
ago, he would have simply ignored them and said his piece anyway, forcing
them to listen whether they wanted to or not. But Wei Wuxian no longer
had any interest in stealing the limelight.
Wave after wave of condemnation crashed over the room, each higher
and louder than the last.
“I can’t believe this man is so ungrateful. That maniac!”
The words “ungrateful” and “maniac” had been almost synonymous
with Wei Wuxian’s name for more than a decade, so when he heard them
uttered, he thought at first that they were cursing him again. It was a while
before he realized they weren’t. The people doing the cursing were the
same, as was the vocabulary they used. But the subject of their abuse was
different, and he was unaccustomed to the change in targets.
Following right after, someone said, “In the past, Jin Guangyao
climbed to the top, one step at a time, only by ingratiating himself with
Chifeng-zun and Zewu-jun. How else could the son of a prostitute sit in his
seat today? To think he would murder Chifeng-zun so viciously! And
Zewu-jun is in his clutches right now—I just hope nothing bad happens to
him!”
At first, none of them had believed Nie Mingjue’s death and
dismemberment had anything to do with Jin Guangyao. Nor had they
believed his involvement with the corpses sieging the Burial Mounds. But
now, they suddenly did.
 “It wasn’t just his sworn brothers—his blood brothers got it even
worse. He spent the last few years before Jin Guangshan’s death busily
clearing the land of his father’s illegitimate sons, for fear that someone
would suddenly pop out of nowhere and challenge him for the position. Mo
Xuanyu was probably one of the lucky ones. Had he not gone crazy and
been booted back home, he would likely have ended up disappearing like
the others.”
“He must have had something to do with Jin Zixuan’s death too!”
“Anyone here still remember Xiao Xingchen? Bright moon, cool
breeze, ever-distant Xiao Xingchen. And the case of the Chang Clan of
Yueyang? Lianfang-zun was the one who did all he could to preserve the
life of the culprit, Xue Yang.”
“Didn’t many clans invite Xiao Xingchen-daozhang to be their guest
cultivator when he first descended from the mountain? The Jin Clan of
Lanling certainly did, but he politely turned them down. They were rather
full of themselves at the time, though, weren’t they? Being rejected by a
minor Daoist cultivator was a loss of face. That old grudge must have been
one of the reasons the Jin Clan of Lanling later protected Xue Yang. At any
rate, they just wanted to see Xiao Xingchen’s story come to a tragic end,
ha.”
“Bah! Who do they think they are? Making you pay if you don’t join
them!”
“Alas, what a pity. I had the privilege of witnessing Xiao Xingchen-
daozhang in his full glory during a Night Hunt. Shuanghua was a sword that
shook the world.”
“Jin Guangyao later got rid of Xue Yang. What a perfect example of
dog biting dog.”
“I heard Jin Guangyao didn’t go undercover in the Wen Clan of
Qishan with honest intentions. He planned to stay with the Wen Clan if the
Sunshot Campaign did not go well, being Wen Ruohan’s toady and helping
him do his evil deeds. But if the Wens fell from power, he would double-
cross them and play the hero.”
“Wen Ruohan’s probably rolling in his grave. He considered Jin
Guangyao his trusted aide and trained him as such. Most of Jin Guangyao’s
sword techniques were taught to him by Wen Ruohan!”
“That’s nothing. I heard Chifeng-zun’s surprise attack on the Wens
failed because he deliberately provided fake intel!”
“I’ll share a secret too. Wasn’t the money and material for the
construction of his observation towers fleeced from various families? All
the clans contributed manpower as well. I heard he always secretly kept…
about this much for himself.”
“Oh, good lord… That much? How utterly shameless. Here I thought
he genuinely wanted to accomplish something. All our good faith’s gone to
the dogs!”
Wei Wuxian found this all a bit hilarious. If they’re just rumors, why
so quick to believe them? If they’re secrets, how would you even know of
them?
This was not the first time these rumors had spread. While Jin
Guangyao was in power, they had been suppressed so well that no one took
them seriously. But tonight, the rumors all seemed to have become hard
facts with irrefutable evidence. They became a solid foundation for Jin
Guangyao’s multitude of crimes, proving just how unscrupulous he was.
“So it seems that this Jin guy killed his father, his brothers, his wife,
his son, his master, his friends…and even committed incest. How
terrifying!”
“The Jin Clan of Lanling is arrogant and overbearing, and Jin
Guangyao is even worse in his dictatorial ways. He never listens to what
others have to say, and now he’s ushered in this awful trend of decadence
and rank-pulling. Does he really think we’ll tolerate this outrage forever?!”
“He probably felt threatened by the other clans’ continued growth
and expansion of power over the years. He feared he would be deposed, just
like the Wen Clan of Qishan was in the past. And that’s why he decided to
go all the way and wipe us out in one fell swoop, right?”
Sect Leader Yao sneered. “In that case, we’ll make his worst fears
come true.” He smacked the table. “We’ll attack Golden Carp Tower!”
Amid the roaring cheers in the hall, Wei Wuxian thought, Before
today, this terrifying figure was still the Lianfang-zun whom everyone
unanimously praised. Now in the course of just one day, everyone’s baying
for his blood.
Suddenly, someone standing at the side of the room turned around.
“Mister Wei, Jin Guangyao has the Yin Tiger Tally in his clutches. We’re
counting on you to deal with this.”
“Huh?” Wei Wuxian blurted.
He hadn’t expected anyone to take the initiative to talk to him, let
alone so enthusiastically. What was more, they had even used “mister,”
rather than disparaging names like “traitor Wei,” “Wei dog,” or the like. He
was a little stunned.
Another clan leader chimed in as well. “That’s right! No one can rival
the Yiling Patriarch in this area!”
“Jin Guangyao bit off more than he can chew with this, ha ha ha
ha…”
For a moment, Wei Wuxian was left speechless. The last time the
masses had heaped praise on him and fawned over him like this had been
during the Sunshot Campaign over a decade ago. Even though he’d
managed to hang in there until someone else finally replaced him as public
enemy number one, Wei Wuxian did not feel moved by the world finally
accepting him. Even after all the bitterness he’d suffered, this did not taste
sweet.
He couldn’t help but wonder, deep down, Was it like this too, back
then? A bunch of them gathering somewhere to have a secret meeting,
working themselves into a frenzy, then ultimately deciding to besiege the
Burial Mounds?
By the time the meeting ended, the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng’s banquet
hall was prepared to receive them too. But when the feast began, there were
two figures missing.
One of the clan leaders wondered, “Why are Wei…the Yiling
Patriarch and Hanguang-jun missing?”
Jiang Cheng, sitting in the head seat, asked the guest cultivator beside
him, “Where are they?”
 “After leaving the inner hall, the two gentlemen went to change
clothes and stated they won’t be joining the feast,” the guest cultivator
replied. “Instead, they are going for a walk and will return later.”
Jiang Cheng snorted. “Still the same old, same old. No manners.”
His criticism seemed to include Lan Wangji, which made Lan Qiren
appear displeased. If Lan Wangji was accused of having no manners, there
was no such thing as manners in the world. At this thought, he gritted his
teeth at Wei Wuxian once more.
Jiang Cheng schooled his expression and addressed the room politely,
“Please begin your meal, everyone. I will invite them back later.”
 — Part 3 —

O UTSIDE LOTUS PIER, Lan Wangji let Wei Wuxian lead him on a
leisurely stroll around the docks without even asking where they were
going.
There were several small food stalls at the docks. Wei Wuxian
walked over to take a look and said with a smile, “It was the right decision
to not eat with the rest of them. Lan Zhan, come, come, come. These
pancakes are delicious. I’ll treat you! Can I have two, please?”
The stall owner was all smiles as he wrapped up two pieces in
greaseproof paper. Wei Wuxian was about to take them when he suddenly
remembered he had no money on him—how was he going to treat Lan
Zhan? However, Lan Wangji had already reached out, taken the food for
him, and paid for it.
“Oops, sorry,” Wei Wuxian said. “Why does this always happen? It’s
like every time I want to treat you to something, it never works out.”
“It is fine,” Lan Wangji said.
Wei Wuxian took a bite of his pancake. “In the past, when I wanted
something to eat on this side of the dock, I never had to pay for anything. I
just took and ate whatever I pleased. Eat and go, grab and run. The stall
owners would submit the tab to Jiang-shushu at the end of every month.”
Lan Wangji left a tiny half-moon gap on the round pancake in his
hands and said quietly, “You do not have to pay now either.”
“Ha ha ha ha ha!” Wei Wuxian hooted with laughter.
He finished the pancake in quick bites and crumpled the greaseproof
paper into a ball. Tossing it up and down in his hand for fun, he looked
around.
“There aren’t many stalls left here. In the past, this place would be
crowded with stalls selling all kinds of food no matter how late it was. Lots
of people in Lotus Pier would come out at night for midnight snacks. There
were lots of boats too. Just as many as the boats over at your place in Caiyi
Town. There are far fewer now,” he continued. “Lan Zhan, you came too
late. You didn’t catch this place at its funnest and busiest.”
“It is never too late,” Lan Wangji said.
Wei Wuxian laughed. “Back when I was studying at the Cloud
Recesses, I told you a few times to come have fun with me in Yunmeng, but
you always ignored me. I should’ve been bossier and hauled you here
outright. Why are you eating so slowly? Food’s not good?”
“Food is taken in silence,” Lan Wangji said.
Whenever he ate, he always chewed carefully and swallowed slowly.
If he had to speak up, he first made sure that there was absolutely nothing
in his mouth.
“Then I’ll stop talking to you. Eat. I thought you didn’t like it—I was
even thinking of telling you to give me the rest,” Wei Wuxian said.
“Another one, please,” Lan Wangji said to the stall owner.
In the end, as Wei Wuxian finished his third pancake, Lan Wangji
was still slowly nibbling on his first. Wei Wuxian was leading him farther
and farther away from Lotus Pier, pointing out this and that to him
everywhere they went.
He really wanted to show Lan Wangji all the places where he’d
grown up, played, and run amok—to tell him of all the trouble he’d caused,
the fights he’d fought, and the pheasants he’d caught. And then he wanted
to observe the subtle changes in Lan Wangji’s expression, anticipating each
and every one of his reactions.
“Lan Zhan!” Wei Wuxian called out. “Look at me. Look at this tree!”
Lan Wangji finished his pancake, folded the greaseproof paper into a
neat little square, and held it in his hand. He looked over to where Wei
Wuxian was pointing. It was just an ordinary tree, with a straight trunk and
branches stretching outward. It was likely several decades old.
Wei Wuxian went up to the tree and circled it a couple of times
before he patted the trunk. “I’ve climbed this tree before.”
“You have climbed every tree we came across,” Lan Wangji said.
 “This tree’s different!” Wei Wuxian said. “This is the first tree I
climbed when I came to Lotus Pier, and I did it in the middle of the night.
My shijie came out with a lantern to look for me. She waited under the tree
to catch me, scared that I’d fall. But how could those skinny arms of hers
catch anything? So I still broke a leg.”
Lan Wangji glanced at his leg. “Why were you climbing trees in the
middle of the night?”
Wei Wuxian bent over with laughter. “No reason. You know me, I
just like fooling around in the middle of the night. Ha ha.”
With that, he caught two branches and started to climb the tree. He
leapt up with practiced ease, stopping only when he reached a spot near the
top.
“Yeah, it was around here.”
He buried his face in a dense cluster of leaves for a long while before
glancing down. His tone was loud and bright, and it seemed to be laced
with a smile.
“I thought it was terrifyingly tall back then, but looking at it now, it
actually doesn’t seem all that high.”
The instant he hugged the tree, his eyes grew hot. His vision was
already blurred when he looked down.
Lan Wangji was standing beneath the tree, gazing up at him. He was
also dressed in white. While he did not have a lantern with him, the
moonlight that cascaded over him made his entire person seem bright and
pure, like he was bathed in a soft glow.
He tilted his head back to gaze at the treetop, his eyes fixed. He then
took a few steps closer to the tree, looking as though he wanted to extend
his arms.
Suddenly, an unusually powerful urge jolted through Wei Wuxian’s
mind.
He wanted to fall again, just as he had back then.
Deep inside him, a voice whispered, If he catches me, I’ll…
At that last word, Wei Wuxian let go.
 Seeing him plunge without warning, Lan Wangji’s eyes instantly
widened. He dashed forward just in time to catch Wei Wuxian—or rather,
for Wei Wuxian to throw himself into his arms.
 By all appearances, Lan Wangji was a well-bred and refined young
master. Although he was slender, his strength was not to be underestimated.
Not only were his arms astoundingly powerful, but his sturdy lower body
gave him rock-solid balance. But this was a grown man who had jumped
from a tree, after all—even though he caught Wei Wuxian, he staggered a
step back before he steadied himself and stood firm. Just as Lan Wangji was
about to release him, he realized that Wei Wuxian’s arms were wound tight
around his neck, keeping him in place.
He couldn’t see Wei Wuxian’s face. Wei Wuxian couldn’t see his
either, but there was no need. He closed his eyes and breathed in deep,
filling his lungs with Lan Wangji’s cool, refreshing sandalwood scent.
“Thanks,” he said in a hoarse voice.
He wasn’t scared of falling. He had fallen many times over the years.
But hitting the ground still hurt.
How wonderful it would be if there was someone there to catch him.
Hearing his thanks, Lan Wangji’s body seemed to freeze for a
moment. The hand he’d been about to place on Wei Wuxian’s back paused
briefly before withdrawing.
After a moment of silence, Lan Wangji answered, “You are
welcome.”
They remained embracing for a while. Once Wei Wuxian separated
from him, straightened up, and got back on his feet, he was back to his
usual self again. As if nothing had happened, he announced, “Let’s go
back!”
“No more sightseeing?” Lan Wangji asked.
“We’re still sightseeing!” Wei Wuxian responded. “But there’s
nothing more to see outside. There’s only wilderness ahead, and we’ve seen
enough of that over the past few days. Let’s go back to Lotus Pier. I’ll show
you one last place.”
The two returned to the docks and re-entered the main gates of Lotus
Pier. When they crossed the drilling grounds and passed a small,
resplendent building, Wei Wuxian paused and did a double take, wearing an
odd expression.
 “What is the matter?” Lan Wangji asked.
Wei Wuxian shook his head. “It’s nothing. The house I used to live in
was here, but now it’s gone. Torn down, just as I thought. These are all
newly built.”
They passed one magnificent building after another until they came
to a quiet spot in the depths of Lotus Pier, standing before a black octagonal
hall. Wei Wuxian pushed the door open gently, as if afraid of startling
someone, and walked inside.
Row after row of memorial tablets were neatly set up in the hall,
placed front and center. This was the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng’s ancestral
hall.
Wei Wuxian fetched a prostration cushion and took three incense
sticks from the altar. He lit them with the candle and stuck them in the
bronze censer before the memorial tablets. Then he kneeled and kowtowed
thrice to two particular memorial tablets.
“I used to be a frequent guest here,” he said to Lan Wangji.
With a look of understanding, Lan Wangji said, “Punishment by
kneeling?”
“How did you know?” Wei Wuxian marveled. “It certainly was.
Madam Yu used to punish me like that almost every other day.”
Lan Wangji nodded. “I have heard a little.”
“How is it a little, if word managed to spread from Yunmeng all the
way to Gusu?” Wei Wuxian said. “But to be honest, I’ve never seen a
woman as bad-tempered as Madam Yu, even after all these years. She’d
order me to march to the ancestral hall and kneel over every little thing, ha
ha ha…”
But other than that, Madam Yu had never genuinely done anything to
harm him.
He suddenly remembered that this was the ancestral hall, and Madam
Yu’s memorial tablet was right in front of him. He hurriedly apologized,
“Sorry, sorry.”
To make up for shooting his mouth off, he lit another three incense
sticks. He was just holding them above his head and mentally apologizing
when a shadow fell over him. Wei Wuxian cocked his head to look and
found Lan Wangji had also kneeled beside him.
Since he had entered an ancestral hall, propriety demanded he pay his
respects. Lan Wangji took three incense sticks and pushed up his sleeve to
light them using a red candle at the side of the altar. His movements were
impeccable, his expression solemn. Wei Wuxian tilted his head and watched
him, the corners of his lips lifting slightly despite himself.
Lan Wangji glanced at him. “Incense ash,” he reminded.
The three incense sticks in Wei Wuxian’s hands had been burning for
a while, and the accumulated ash on top was about to fall off. Still, Wei
Wuxian was reluctant to stick them in the censer.
“Let’s do it together,” he said instead, face serious.
Lan Wangji did not object. With three incense sticks each in hand,
both kneeling before the rows of memorial tablets, they bowed together to
Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan’s names.
Once. Twice.
Their movements were completely in sync.
“It’s done,” Wei Wuxian said before solemnly tucking the incense
sticks into the bronze censer.
He peered at Lan Wangji, who was kneeling in a prim and proper
manner beside him.
 He put his palms together and said silently, Jiang-shushu, Madam Yu
—it’s me again, here to disturb your peace. I really wanted to bring this
person here to show him to you, though. Please consider those two bows
our wedding bows to the Heaven, the Earth, the father, and the mother6. So
please—help me lock this guy down first. Let me owe you the third and final
wedding bow for now. I’ll find a chance to make good on it in the future…
A snort suddenly echoed from behind them.
Wei Wuxian was in the middle of praying, and the sound startled him.
His eyes flew open, and he looked back—only to see Jiang Cheng standing
in the open space outside the ancestral hall, his arms crossed.
“Wei Wuxian, it seems you really don’t consider yourself an outsider.
Coming and going as you please, and bringing people with you too,” Jiang
Cheng said coolly. “Do you still remember who this house belongs to? Or
who its master is?”
Seeing they had been discovered by Jiang Cheng despite avoiding
him earlier, Wei Wuxian knew there was no escaping a bout of verbal
abuse. Not wanting to start an argument, he said, “I didn’t take Hanguang-
jun to any other restricted areas of Lotus Pier. I just came to pay my
respects and offer some incense to Jiang-shushu and Madam Yu. It’s done.
We’re leaving now.”
“If you’re leaving, then please go as far away as possible,” Jiang
Cheng said. “Don’t let me hear or see you fooling around in Lotus Pier
again.”
Wei Wuxian’s eyebrows twitched. He saw Lan Wangji grip the hilt of
his sword and quickly reached out, pressing his hand down to stay the
motion.
“Watch your words,” Lan Wangji said to Jiang Cheng.
“Seems to me you two should watch your behavior instead,” Jiang
Cheng rebutted brusquely.
Wei Wuxian’s eyebrows twitched even harder. His sense of
foreboding intensified.
“Hanguang-jun, let’s go,” he said to Lan Wangji.
 He turned around and kowtowed a few more times in earnest to Jiang
Fengmian and Madam Yu. Only then did he stand together with Lan
Wangji.
Jiang Cheng didn’t forbid him from kowtowing, but he didn’t hold
back his sarcasm either. “You certainly do need to kneel before them—to
apologize for showing up in front of them for no reason, sullying their eyes,
and violating their peace.”
Wei Wuxian glanced at him. “I’m just offering some incense, okay?”
he said calmly.
“Offering incense?” Jiang Cheng said. “Wei Wuxian, do you have no
self-awareness? You were expelled from my family a long time ago. And
yet you bring riffraff here to offer incense to my parents?”
Wei Wuxian had already stepped halfway past him to leave, but when
he heard this, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. “Make yourself clear,” he
said darkly. “Who is this riffraff you’re referring to?”
Had he been alone, he could have pretended not to hear a thing Jiang
Cheng said. But Lan Wangji was with him. No matter what, he didn’t want
Lan Wangji to suffer Jiang Cheng’s increasingly ugly words and aggression.
“You’re so forgetful,” Jiang Cheng said derisively. “What do I mean
by riffraff? Well, let me remind you. All of Lotus Pier perished—including
my parents—because you played the hero to save that Lan-er-gongzi next to
you. But no, that wasn’t enough. You had to go back for a second round.
You just had to save those Wen dogs, and you dragged my jiejie and the
others into your mess. What a great man you are. Even better, you’re so
magnanimous that you brought these two to Lotus Pier—let the Wen dog
wander around in front of our gates and escorted Lan-er-gongzi here to
offer incense. You’re deliberately trying to upset them and me.
“Wei Wuxian,” he continued, “who do you think you are? Who gave
you the right to bring others into my family’s ancestral hall as you please?”
Wei Wuxian had long known that Jiang Cheng wanted to settle this
score with him. Jiang Cheng held Wei Wuxian responsible for the
destruction of Lotus Pier. Not just him—he blamed Wen Ning and Lan
Wangji too. And now all three of the people he refused to extend any
courtesy to were strutting around together, right before his eyes. They had
even invited themselves to Lotus Pier. He had probably been absolutely
livid for a while now, which was another reason why Wei Wuxian had
wanted to do this behind his back.
He had nothing to say in his own defense when Jiang Cheng blamed
him. But there was no way he could tolerate Lan Wangji being vilified.
“Jiang Cheng,” Wei Wuxian said. “Listen to what you’re saying. Is it
even fit for hearing? Don’t forget your status—you’re a family head, after
all. And yet you just insulted a distinguished cultivator of a prominent
cultivation clan, right in front of Jiang-shushu and everyone else’s memorial
tablets. What happened to your upbringing? Where are your manners?”
He meant to remind Jiang Cheng that he ought to show some respect
to Lan Wangji. But to Jiang Cheng’s sensitive ears, it sounded like Wei
Wuxian was insinuating he wasn’t qualified to be the head of the family.
Immediately, darkness touched his countenance. Surprisingly, his
expression bore some resemblance to Madam Yu’s look of fury.
“Who exactly is the one humiliating my parents in front of their
memorial tablets?!” he snapped. “Please recall whose family home you’re
in. Get it through your thick skull. It’s bad enough that you were being so
shamelessly touchy-feely outside. Don’t come to my ancestral hall and fool
around in front of my parents’ memorial tablets! They watched you grow
up, for whatever that’s worth. Even I feel embarrassed for you!”
Never in his wildest dreams had Wei Wuxian imagined such a heavy
blow would strike him, let alone catch him so off guard. Both shocked and
furious, he bellowed, “Shut up!”
Jiang Cheng pointed outside. “Go outside and fool around however
you please, if that’s what you want to do. Whether under a tree or on a boat,
whether you want to hug or do whatever else! Get the hell out of my house
and get the hell out of my sight!”
Wei Wuxian’s heart stopped for a second when he heard “under a
tree” mentioned. Could Jiang Cheng have seen him pounce into Lan
Wangji’s arms?
He had guessed correctly.
Jiang Cheng had indeed personally gone out to look for Wei Wuxian
and Lan Wangji. He had trailed them, following the directions given by the
vendor at the dock. A voice deep inside him seemed to tell him where Wei
Wuxian would go, and he caught up with them after searching for a while.
But when he found them, he was greeted by the sight of Wei Wuxian and
Lan Wangji tightly embracing under a tree—loath to part even as the
minutes ticked by.
Goosebumps had broken out all over Jiang Cheng’s body right then
and there.
Although he had once maliciously speculated about the relationship
between Lan Wangji and the person he’d thought at the time was Mo
Xuanyu, those had just been words meant to embarrass Wei Wuxian, not
genuine suspicion. He had never thought Wei Wuxian would have such
questionable involvement with men. After all, they had grown up together,
and Wei Wuxian had never expressed interest in such things—rather, he had
always been ardently fond of young, pretty girls. It seemed even less
possible for Lan Wangji to have such tendencies—he was famous for his
asceticism and appeared uninterested in men and women alike.
But no matter how Jiang Cheng looked at it, the way they hugged
wasn’t normal. At least, it certainly wasn’t something shared between
normal friends or brothers. He immediately recalled that Wei Wuxian had
stuck like glue to Lan Wangji ever since his return, and also that Lan
Wangji’s attitude toward him was the complete opposite of how it had been
in the past. Jiang Cheng was immediately certain they really were in that
kind of relationship.
He couldn’t turn around and go back, and he didn’t want to step
forward and address the two of them either. So he stayed hidden and
followed them.
Every movement, every look they shared—they all inevitably took on
a different significance under his gaze. For a moment, the feeling of
disbelief, oddness, and slight disgust added up to something that eclipsed
even his hatred.
When Wei Wuxian had brought Lan Wangji into the ancestral hall,
his pent-up fury had reawakened, engulfing his sanity and sense of
decorum.
Wei Wuxian looked as though he was forcibly holding something
back. “Jiang Wanyin, you… Apologize right now.”
 “Apologize? Why should I? For stumbling on your rendezvous?”
Jiang Cheng sneered with biting sarcasm.
“Hanguang-jun and I are just friends,” Wei Wuxian fumed. “What
kind of relationship do you think we have?! I’m warning you—you better
apologize right now! Don’t make me kick your ass!”
Lan Wangji’s expression froze at this.
Jiang Cheng, on the other hand, scoffed. “Then I’ve never seen a
‘friend’ like that in my life. And you’re warning me? On what grounds? If
either of you possessed even the slightest bit of shame, you wouldn’t have
come here…”
Wei Wuxian saw the change in Lan Wangji’s expression and thought
that Jiang Cheng’s words had stung him. He was so angry that his entire
body shook. He didn’t even dare imagine what Lan Wangji thought of being
insulted like that. His fury blazed brighter, the blood rushed to his head, and
he flung out a talisman.
“Are you done?!”
The talisman was fast and merciless. It struck Jiang Cheng on his
right shoulder and exploded with a thunderous bang, causing him to stagger.
He hadn’t expected Wei Wuxian to strike so suddenly, and his own spiritual
powers had yet to fully recover. As a result, the blast caught him head-on
and his shoulder began to bleed.
Disbelief flashed across his face, and Zidian shot from his finger,
sizzling and flashing haphazardly as it lashed out.
Lan Wangji’s Bichen left its sheath to block the attack, and with that,
the three of them were fighting in front of the ancestral hall.
Jiang Cheng’s eyes were bloodshot. “Fine!” he growled. “You want a
fight? Then bring it on! You think I’m afraid of you both?!”
Wei Wuxian haphazardly warded off a few blows, then abruptly came
to his senses. This was the ancestral hall of the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng. He
had just been kneeling here, praying for the blessings of Jiang Fengmian
and Madam Yu. And now he was attacking their son right in front of them,
together with Lan Wangji!
 It was like he’d been doused in icy water. His vision went first dark,
then white. Lan Wangji glanced at him before whirling around to grab his
shoulder.
Jiang Cheng’s expression changed too. He retracted his whip, then
blinked, looking alert.
“Wei Ying?!” Lan Wangji called out.
His low voice buzzed and reverberated incessantly in Wei Wuxian’s
head. Wei Wuxian wondered if his ears had been damaged.
“What’s wrong?”
He felt something creeping down his face and raised his hand to
touch it, only to come away with a palm covered in red. The dizziness was
accompanied by fresh blood trickling from his mouth and nose, dripping to
the ground.
This time, he was finally not faking it.
Wei Wuxian grabbed Lan Wangji’s elbow and managed with some
difficulty to stand. Seeing that Lan Wangji’s newly changed white clothes
were stained with his blood once more, he unconsciously reached out to
wipe them. An untimely worry echoed in his mind: I got his clothes dirty
again.
“How do you feel?!” Lan Wangji demanded urgently.
Wei Wuxian replied without answering the question. “Lan Zhan…
Let’s leave.”
Leave right now.
And never come back.
“All right,” Lan Wangji said.
Lan Wangji had no intention of continuing to wrangle with Jiang
Cheng. Without a word, he lifted Wei Wuxian on his back and made to
leave.
Jiang Cheng was both shocked and suspicious—shocked by the
disturbing sight of Wei Wuxian bleeding so suddenly from his seven
orifices, and suspicious that this was an act he was putting on to escape.
After all, Wei Wuxian often used such tricks to prank others.
 Seeing they were both about to leave, he barked, “Hold it right
there!”
Lan Wangji fumed. “Get lost!”
With his words came an abruptly raging Bichen. Immediately after, a
flash of purple lightning hurtled forth as well. Both divine weapons struck
each other, letting loose a long, ear-piercing yowl. The impact of this noise
gave Wei Wuxian a splitting headache, and like a flickering candle flame
that was finally extinguished, his eyes closed and his head drooped low.
Sensing the sudden weight on his shoulder, Lan Wangji promptly
extracted himself from the melee to feel for his breathing.
With Bichen’s master no longer supplying it with power, Zidian
immediately advanced toward them. Jiang Cheng, who didn’t actually want
to injure Lan Wangji, instantly pulled back his strike—but it seemed it was
still too late.
Just then, a figure leapt down from nowhere and stood between them.
This uninvited guest who had inserted themselves into the fight was
Wen Ning. Jiang Cheng immediately flew into a rage.
“Who said you could enter Lotus Pier?! How dare you?!”
He could tolerate anyone else, if only barely—but he could never
tolerate this Wen dog who had thrust his fist through Jin Zixuan’s heart and
destroyed his elder sister’s happiness and life. Simply laying eyes on him
made Jiang Cheng want to kill him for personal satisfaction alone. To think
he’d dare set foot on Lotus Pier’s soil—he was clearly asking to die!
Wen Ning still felt guilty about those two lost lives, as well as many
other things. He feared Jiang Cheng, as a result, and always made a
conscious effort to avoid him. But now he was facing him directly to shield
Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. He took the brutal lash of the whip, and
though a horrifying scorch mark raked across his chest, he did not shrink
back.
Only when Lan Wangji determined that Wei Wuxian had merely
fallen temporarily unconscious due to exhaustion and rage did he tear his
gaze away. He saw Wen Ning holding something out to Jiang Cheng.
 In Jiang Cheng’s right hand, Zidian shone so bright it was almost
white. The lightning flared, just as his murderous intent did the same. Jiang
Cheng was so furious he had to laugh.
“What do you want?”
Wen Ning was holding Wei Wuxian’s sword, Suibian. Wei Wuxian
had found it a hassle to carry around during their journey, so he’d dumped it
here, there, and everywhere before finally dumping it on Wen Ning for
safekeeping.
Holding it up, Wen Ning said, “Pull it out.”
His tone was resolute, and his gaze firm. It was completely unlike his
habitually absentminded, blank expression.
“I’m warning you,” Jiang Cheng said. “If you don’t want to be
reduced to ashes again, take your feet off the soil of Lotus Pier this instant.
Scram!”
Wen Ning was almost jabbing the hilt of the sword into Jiang
Cheng’s chest. He raised his voice and ordered him again, “Do it. Pull it
out!”
Jiang Cheng bristled with anger and irritation. His heart pounded
wildly for no reason he could identify. Inexplicably, he did as Wen Ning
ordered and grabbed hold of Suibian’s hilt to yank it from its simple,
unadorned sheath—
And the snow-white blade slipped free, bright with a blinding sheen.
Jiang Cheng stared down at the glinting longsword in his hand for a
long time before his mind returned to him.
This sword was Suibian. This was Wei Wuxian’s sword. It had been
taken by the Jin Clan of Lanling after the Siege of the Burial Mounds as a
trophy for their collection. No one had ever been able to unsheathe it after
that, since it had long since sealed itself of its own accord.
How had he managed to pull it out? Had the sword’s seal been lifted?
“It’s not that the sword’s seal has been lifted!” Wen Ning said,
reading his thoughts. “It’s still sealed, even now. If you sheathe it and order
someone else to draw it, they won’t be able to, no matter who they are.”
 Jiang Cheng’s mind and face were both racked with confusion. “Then
why was I able to pull it out?”
“Because the sword recognizes you as Wei-gongzi,” Wen Ning
answered.
Lan Wangji stood up, lifting an unconscious Wei Wuxian on his back.
“What do you mean, it recognizes me as Wei Wuxian?” Jiang Cheng
snapped. “How?! Why me?!”
“Because the golden core presently channeling spiritual power in
your body is his!” Wen Ning snapped back, even harsher.
Jiang Cheng was stunned for a good while before he shouted at him.
“What nonsense are you spouting?!”
However, Wen Ning looked quite composed. “I’m not spouting
nonsense.”
“Shut up! My golden core… My golden core was…”
“Restored by Baoshan-sanren,” Wen Ning finished for him.
“How did you know?” Jiang Cheng snapped. “He even told you
about that?”
“No,” Wen Ning answered. “Wei-gongzi never spoke a word of it to
anyone else. I saw it with my own eyes.”
Jiang Cheng’s eyes were bloodshot as he barked a laugh. “You’re
lying! You were there? How could you have been there? I was the only one
who went up the mountain. You couldn’t have followed me!”
“I didn’t follow you,” Wen Ning said. “I was on that mountain all
along.”
Veins bulged on Jiang Cheng’s forehead. “…You’re lying!”
“Hear me out, and then you can decide for yourself if I’m lying!”
Wen Ning said. “When you went up the mountain, you had a strip of black
cloth covering your eyes and a long tree branch in your hand. When you
were almost at the top of the mountain, you entered a stone forest. It took
you nearly an hour to find your way through it.”
The muscles on Jiang Cheng’s face twitched slightly.
 “Then, you heard the sound of a bell that startled a flock of birds into
flight,” Wen Ning continued. “You gripped the tree branch in your hand
tightly, like you were holding a sword. When the bell stopped sounding, the
tip of a sword pressed against the center of your chest. You heard a
woman’s voice ordering you not to advance.”
Jiang Cheng started shaking.
Wen Ning raised his voice. “You immediately stopped in your tracks,
looking very nervous—even vaguely excited. This woman kept her voice
very low. She asked you who you were and how you found your way here.
You answered…”
“Shut up!” Jiang Cheng bellowed.
Wen Ning shouted over him. “…You answered that you were Wei
Ying, the son of Cangse-sanren! You told her about the slaughter of your
clan, the chaos in Lotus Pier, and how your golden core was dissolved by
Core-Melting Hand, Wen Zhuliu. The woman repeatedly asked you some
questions about your parents. When you answered her final question, you
suddenly caught a whiff of a strange fragrance and lost consciousness…”
Jiang Cheng looked like all he wanted was to cover his own ears.
“How do you know? How can you know all of this?!”
“Didn’t I already tell you?” Wen Ning said. “I was there. Not only
was I there, but Wei-gongzi was too. And it wasn’t just us. My jiejie, Wen
Qing, was there as well. Or rather, it was just the three of us waiting for you
on that mountain. Sect Leader Jiang, did you honestly think…that was
where Baoshan-sanren lives in seclusion? Even Wei-gongzi doesn’t know
where such a place could be. His mother, Cangse-sanren, never divulged
any information about her teacher to such a young child! That mountain
was just some barren hill in Yiling!”
Jiang Cheng screamed himself hoarse repeating the same word over
and over, like he was trying to cover up his sudden dearth of vocabulary
with fearsome ferocity. “Nonsense! Fucking enough! If that’s the case, then
why was my golden core restored?!”
“Your golden core was never restored,” Wen Ning said. “It was
completely dissolved by Wen Zhuliu! The reason you thought it was
restored was because my jiejie, Wen Qing—the best doctor of the Wen Clan
of Qishan—cut Wei-gongzi’s golden core from his body and used it to
replace yours!”
Jiang Cheng’s face went blank for a second. “Replaced mine with
his?”
“That’s right!” Wen Ning said. “Why do you think he never used
Suibian again, and never carried his sword with him when he went out?
Was it really because of some youthful indiscretion? Did he really enjoy it
when others spoke ill of him behind his back or to his face, saying he was
rude and had a poor upbringing? It was because bringing it along would be
pointless! You see…if he brought his sword along when he was invited to
those banquets and Night Hunts, there would inevitably be someone
wanting to duel or spar with him for whatever reason. Without his golden
core, he had no spiritual power. If he drew his sword, he wouldn’t last long
at all…”
Jiang Cheng stood dumbly rooted to the spot. He looked queasy, and
his lips quivered. He even forgot to use Zidian as he suddenly dropped
Suibian to the ground and struck Wen Ning on the chest with his hand.
“You’re lying!” he bellowed.
Wen Ning was forced a couple steps back from the blow. He picked
up Suibian from the ground, sheathed it, and pushed it against Jiang
Cheng’s chest.
“Take it!”
Jiang Cheng unconsciously took the sword. He didn’t move but
looked at a loss as his gaze turned toward Wei Wuxian. He would have been
fine if he hadn’t looked. But when he did, Wei Wuxian’s despondent
expression and ghastly pale face—with blood still gathered at the corners of
his mouth—was like a hammer smashing his heart. Moreover, Lan Wangji’s
gaze chilled him so keenly he felt like he had plunged into a frozen cavern.
“Take that sword and go to the banquet hall, the drilling grounds,
anywhere,” Wen Ning said. “Order everyone you come across to pull it
from its sheath and see if anyone can! Then you’ll see if I’m lying! Sect
Leader Jiang, you…you are such a competitive person. All your life, you
have been competing with and comparing yourself to others. But know this
—you could never have compared to him!”
 Jiang Cheng lashed out at Wen Ning with a kick. He ran stumbling in
the direction of the banquet hall, Suibian in hand. He howled as he ran,
looking utterly crazed.
His kick sent Wen Ning crashing into a tree in the courtyard. Wen
Ning slowly stood up, then hastily turned to look at the other two.
Lan Wangji’s radiantly handsome face was pale beyond belief. His
expression was ice-cold and grave. He cast another glance at the Jiang Clan
of Yunmeng’s ancestral hall, then adjusted his grip on Wei Wuxian, who
was still on his back. Once he had secured his hold, he walked in the other
direction without looking back.
“Lan…Lan-gongzi,” Wen Ning called out. “Wh-where are you
going?”
Lan Wangji paused before the steps. “Earlier, he wanted me to take
him away.”
Wen Ning hurried to catch up with him and followed him through
Lotus Pier’s main gates.
They went to the docks to look around. The various boats they had
taken to get here had all left after delivering them to their destination. Only
a few old, unattended ferryboats remained. They were long and thin, shaped
like willow leaves, and capable of carrying seven or eight people. Both ends
of the boats were slightly upturned, and there were two oars set at an angle
on the stern.
With Wei Wuxian on his back, Lan Wangji stepped onto a boat
without hesitation. Wen Ning hurriedly leapt onto the stern and grabbed the
oars of his own initiative. He paddled a couple of times, and the ferryboat
steadily moved a few meters away from the docks. It didn’t take long for
them to drift toward the center of the river, following the current.
Lan Wangji let Wei Wuxian lean against him as he fed him two pills.
Once he made sure he’d swallowed them properly, he took out a
handkerchief and carefully wiped away the blood on his face.
Suddenly, Wen Ning’s nervous voice rang out. “Lan…Lan-gongzi.”
“What is the matter?” Lan Wangji asked.
 The tough front Wen Ning had displayed in front of Jiang Cheng had
long since vanished without a trace. Steeling himself, he said, “Please…
please don’t tell Wei-gongzi that I revealed he extracted his golden core, for
now. He warned me very sternly to never say a word about it to anyone. I
probably won’t be able to hide it for long, but…”
After a moment of silence, Lan Wangji said, “You can rest assured.”
Wen Ning looked as though he’d breathed a sigh of relief, although
the dead had no breath to expel. He said sincerely, “Thank you, Lan-
gongzi.”
Lan Wangji shook his head.
“Thank you for speaking up for me and my jiejie back then, at
Golden Carp Tower,” Wen Ning continued. “I’ve never forgotten it. I lost
control afterward, and I… I really am very sorry.”
Lan Wangji did not respond.
“And more than that, thank you for caring for A-Yuan all these
years,” Wen Ning went on.
Lan Wangji raised his eyes to look at him.
Wen Ning kept going. “I thought everyone in our family was dead.
That not a single person was spared. I really didn’t expect A-Yuan to still be
alive. He looks so much like my cousin when he was in his twenties.”
“He hid in a hole in a tree for too long,” Lan Wangji said. “He ran a
high fever and was ill for a time.”
Wen Ning nodded. “I knew he must have gotten sick. He doesn’t
remember anything from when he was little. I chatted with him for a long
time, and he kept talking about you.” He continued, a little dejectedly, “In
the past, he used to talk about Wei-gongzi… He never talked about me,
anyway.”
“You did not tell him,” Lan Wangji observed.
“You mean about his past?” Wen Ning asked. “No, I didn’t.”
He turned his back to the two behind him. As he worked hard to row
the boat, he said, “He’s doing very well now. Learning too much,
remembering such heavy things…will make his life harder.”
 “He has to learn eventually,” Lan Wangji said.
Wen Ning was stumped for a moment before he said, “You’re right.
He has to learn eventually.” He gazed at the sky. “Just like Wei-gongzi and
Sect Leader Jiang. Sect Leader Jiang had to learn about the core transfer
eventually. Wei-gongzi couldn’t possibly have kept Sect Leader Jiang in the
dark his whole life.”
The night was still and quiet, and the river’s current was deep and
heavy.
Out of the blue, Lan Wangji asked, “Is it painful?”
“What?” Wen Ning said.
“Extracting one’s core. Is it painful?”
“Lan-gongzi. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you no, would you?”
“I assumed Wen Qing would have found a way.”
“Before going up the mountain, my jiejie prepared many anesthetics
in hopes of alleviating the pain of extracting his core. But later, she realized
such medication would be completely useless. If the subject is in a numbed
state when the golden core is extracted from the body, it affects the core’s
stability. It becomes harder to prevent it from dissipating.”
“…Therefore?” Lan Wangji probed.
Wen Ning pausing in his rowing. “Therefore, the subject of the
golden core extraction procedure has to be completely conscious for its full
duration.”
He had to be conscious as he watched his golden core be cut from his
meridians and extracted from his body. He had to feel his surging spiritual
energy gradually subsiding, calming, turning ordinary—until it became a
pool of stagnant water that could no longer make waves.
It was a long time before Lan Wangji found his voice again. It was a
little raspy, and the words he spoke seemed to tremble. “Its full duration?”
“For one day and two nights,” Wen Ning said. “He remained
conscious throughout.”
“At the time, how confident were you of success?”
“About fifty percent.”
 “Fifty percent.” Lan Wangji soundlessly drew a deep breath and
shook his head. He repeated, “…Fifty percent.”
His hand tightened its hold on Wei Wuxian’s waist, gripping so hard
his knuckles turned white.
“After all, no one had ever conducted any sort of core-swapping
procedure before,” Wen Ning said. “My jiejie had written essays on the
subject, but they were only theoretical. No one would ever let her
experiment on them, so the theories remained untested. The sect’s seniors
said she was indulging in flights of fancy, that the idea was completely
impractical. They knew no one would ever be willing to extract their golden
core and give it to someone else—because if they did, they would be
fundamentally crippled. They would never reach the pinnacle of their
ability but would remain mediocre the rest of their life.
“So when Wei-gongzi returned to seek us out, my jiejie was reluctant
to even attempt the procedure, at first. She warned him that writing an essay
was one thing, but actually doing it was quite another. She wasn’t even
confident she’d have a fifty percent chance of success.
“But Wei-gongzi kept pestering her. He said fifty percent was fine;
the chances of success and failure were equal. Even if it didn’t work out and
his core was wasted, he wasn’t worried about his future—but that wasn’t
the case for Sect Leader Jiang. He was too competitive, too focused on what
he stood to gain and lose in this aspect, since cultivation was his life. And if
Sect Leader Jiang could only ever be an ordinary, mediocre person, his life
would be over.”
Lan Wangji lowered his gaze. His eyes, light as glass, gazed at Wei
Wuxian’s face. He reached out, but ultimately only brushed Wei Wuxian’s
cheek with his fingertips.
Wen Ning glanced back and couldn’t resist asking about his reaction.
“Lan-gongzi, you don’t seem very surprised. Did you…already know?”
“…All I knew was that his spiritual power had likely been damaged
somehow,” Lan Wangji rasped with some difficulty.
But he had not known that this was the truth.
“If not for this…” Wen Ning trailed off.
 If not for the fact that he really had no other path to take…
Just then, the head reclining on Lan Wangji’s shoulder jerked a little.
Wei Wuxian’s eyelashes fluttered as he gradually came to.
 Chapter 20:
Day and Night

— Part 1 —

W EN NING QUICKLY went quiet. Amidst the splash of the oars

paddling through the water, Wei Wuxian opened his eyes and found he had
a splitting headache.
He was leaning his full weight on Lan Wangji. Quickly realizing they
were no longer in Lotus Pier, he was confused until he saw Lan Wangji’s
left hand—specifically, the spots of blood on his sleeve. It looked like a
bunch of plum blossoms scattered over snowy ground. Only then did he
recall what had happened before he passed out from vexation.
A variety of grimaces swirled across his face. He abruptly sat up. Lan
Wangji moved to assist him, but the ringing in Wei Wuxian’s ears hadn’t yet
subsided, and there was a clot of bloody qi stifling his chest. He was utterly
miserable.
Worried he’d cough blood all over Lan Wangji, who so valued
neatness and cleanliness, he repeatedly waved him off and turned to the
side. He supported himself against the edge of the boat and tried to endure
the next wave of discomfort. Lan Wangji, who knew he wasn’t feeling well
right now, stayed quiet and asked no questions. He laid a hand on his back,
and a thin, gentle stream of spiritual energy flowed into his body.
Once the metallic taste in his throat had abated, Wei Wuxian finally
turned his head to motion for Lan Wangji to remove his hand. After
meditating briefly, he finally tried to speak.
“Hanguang-jun, how did we escape?”
Wen Ning immediately tensed nervously and stopped paddling. Lan
Wangji kept his word and betrayed nothing of the secrets he had exposed,
but he also did not fabricate a lie.
“There was a fight,” he explained simply.
 Wei Wuxian rubbed at his chest, over his heart, trying to disperse the
blockage there. However, not a few moments later, he was unable to refrain
from venting.
“I just knew Jiang Cheng wouldn’t let us go so easily,” he huffed.
“That little asshole… Absolutely outrageous!”
Lan Wangji’s brow furrowed, and he said darkly, “Do not mention
him.”
A little taken aback by his unfriendly tone, Wei Wuxian immediately
acquiesced. “Okay, we won’t talk about him.”
After a brief moment of deliberation, he said, “Um, Hanguang-jun,
don’t mind what he said, okay?”
“Regarding what?” Lan Wangji asked.
Wei Wuxian’s eyelid twitched forebodingly. “Everything. He’s
always been like that, ever since he was little. Whenever he gets angry, he
throws manners to the wind and forgets to watch his words, so he always
manages to be especially offensive. As long as he can piss people off, he’ll
say whatever nasty things pop into his head. He hasn’t grown up in the
slightest, even after all these years. So don’t you take any of it to heart.”
As he spoke, he secretly observed Lan Wangji’s expression, and his
heart slowly sank.
He had thought, or rather hoped, that Lan Wangji hadn’t taken Jiang
Cheng’s words to heart. But to his surprise, Lan Wangji looked rather upset.
He didn’t even respond with a “mn.” It would seem Lan Wangji had been
more affected by Jiang Cheng’s nasty words than he’d expected. Perhaps he
simply didn’t like Jiang Cheng, period. Or perhaps…he could not tolerate
being called “shameless” or “riffraff.” After all, the Lan Clan of Gusu was a
distinguished, prominent clan whose motto was “Elegance and
Righteousness.” Hanguang-jun had likely never had such words slung at
him before.
In the time they’d been traveling together, he’d gotten the feeling Lan
Wangji thought highly of him. That he thought of him differently than he
once had. But at the end of the day, he didn’t dare guess how far that
“highly” stretched, nor whether “differently” really was the kind of
“different” he assumed.
 Wei Wuxian had never considered confidence a bad thing and was
often smug and frivolous as a result. The cultivation world had once
gossiped that the Yiling Patriarch was the sort who frolicked among the
peach blossoms, always surrounded by the sweet smell of their fragrant
flowers.7 But in reality, he had never experienced this kind of flustered
confusion before. In the past, he had thought Lan Wangji was an open book,
but now he found him difficult to read. He was terrified that he was lost in
this fantasy all alone; that all of this was only his own wishful thinking and
that he was overly confident to presume otherwise.
Lan Wangji was silent, unspeaking. Wei Wuxian wanted to muddle
past this by doing what he was best at—joking around. But he was also
scared that trying to force the conversation into a teasing turn would mire
them in even more awkwardness. He was stuck.
This silent turmoil stretched on for a bit until he abruptly said,
“Where’re we going?”
It was a terribly forced change of subject, but Lan Wangji
cooperatively went along. “Where do you want to go?”
Wei Wuxian rubbed the back of his head. “Zewu-jun’s safety is still
uncertain, and we don’t know what those people back there were planning
to do either. Why don’t we go to Lanling…” Something occurred to him,
and he changed his mind. “No, let’s not go to Lanling. Let’s go to
Yunping.”
“Yunping City?” Lan Wangji asked.
“Yes,” Wei Wuxian said. “Yunping City in Yunmeng. I told you
earlier, right? Back at Golden Carp Tower, I saw my own manuscripts
inside the secret chamber of Fragrance Palace, and next to them, a land
deed for a place in Yunping. The Jin Clan of Lanling is wealthy and
influential. I can’t imagine Jin Guangyao would have hidden that land deed
away so well if it didn’t hold secrets. Maybe we’ll discover something
there.”
Lan Wangji inclined his head in agreement.
“Gongzi,” Wen Ning spoke up just then. “Is this the right direction to
Yunping?”
“What the…” Wei Wuxian blurted.
 He and Lan Wangji were both sitting with their backs to the stern, so
he hadn’t seen Wen Ning. Startled out of his skin to hear someone speak up
behind him all of a sudden, Wei Wuxian tumbled forward. He turned to
look at Wen Ning, visibly shaken.
“Why are you here?!”
Wen Ning stared at him, dumbfounded. “Me? I’ve always been here.”
“Then why didn’t you say something?” Wei Wuxian demanded.
“Gongzi, you and Hanguang-jun were talking, so I didn’t…” Wen
Ning began to explain himself.
“You should still make some noise or something!”
Wen Ning briefly raised one of the oars in his hand to demonstrate.
“Gongzi, I’ve been rowing all this time. I’ve been making noise. Did you
not hear me?”
“…” Wei Wuxian waved him off. “I wasn’t paying attention. Never
mind, never mind. Stop paddling. The current is rapid at night. We’ll travel
fast even if you aren’t rowing.”
He had grown up in Yunmeng and swum through all the waters in the
area, so he was familiar with them. Wen Ning heeded him and put down the
oars, then cautiously sat down at the end of the boat, leaving at least two
meters of distance between himself and the other two.
It had been yin time, the dawn light of morning, when they had
arrived at Lotus Pier. After everything they’d been through, the sun had
grown faintly brighter, and white diffused the blue of the skies. They could
finally see the contours of the river’s shores.
After examining their surroundings, Wei Wuxian said, “I’m hungry.”
Lan Wangji raised his eyes. Wei Wuxian was, of course, not hungry
in the least; he had just eaten three pancakes outside the main gates of Lotus
Pier. But Lan Wangji had only eaten one, and that had been the only thing
he had consumed in almost two days. Wei Wuxian was getting concerned
about him. He knew the road ahead was devoid of settlements, and they
likely faced a very long journey by water before they would encounter a
town or city in which they could rest and buy food.
 Lan Wangji considered this statement briefly before he suggested,
“Pull ashore?”
“There isn’t really anything on the shores nearby,” Wei Wuxian said.
“But I know a place.”
Wen Ning quickly picked up the oars and paddled the boat in the
direction indicated. It didn’t take long before they turned onto a different
branch of the river. After traveling a while, they finally steered into a vast
lake filled with lotuses.
A canopy of lotus leaves covered the water. Their stems varied in
height, though all grew straight and tall. The long, thin ferryboat pushed
through the crowd of stems and steered toward the heart of the pond. Seen
from above, the boat drew a line of nodding green leaves in its wake.
Passing under the cover of these green umbrellas, full, plump lotus seed
pods popped into view once the large leaves were peeled aside. The feeling
in that split second of discovery was very much akin to suddenly finding a
small hoard of treasure.
Wearing a wide grin, Wei Wuxian reached out, ready to start picking
the pods. However, Lan Wangji suddenly called to him.
“Wei Ying.”
“What is it?”
“Does this lotus pond belong to anyone?”
“Of course not,” Wei Wuxian answered, appearing wholly without
qualms.
But of course, it did. Ever since Wei Wuxian was eleven years old,
he’d often stolen lotus seed pods and water chestnuts from the various lakes
in Yunmeng. He had washed his hands of that dirty business for many
years, but they had to get a bite to eat for the road now, so he had no choice
but to come out of retirement.
“I have heard the lotus ponds in this area all have owners,” Lan
Wangji commented evenly.
“…Ha ha ha ha ha, really? How very unfortunate then.” Wei Wuxian
laughed it off. “Wow, you’ve heard so many things that even I don’t know.
Come on, let’s go.”
 Since he’d been exposed, of course he didn’t have the face to make
Lan Wangji join him in mischief. The idea of the esteemed Hanguang-jun
stealing someone’s lotus pods…that was as outrageous as it got. He was just
about to steer them away with the oars, embarrassed, when Lan Wangji
reached out and picked a pod.
He handed it to Wei Wuxian and stated, “There will be no next time.”
Wei Wuxian went on a pod-picking rampage all in one go, utterly
greedy and insatiable, piling the boat so high with them that there was
practically no room left to sit. The three of them sat atop the luscious green
mountain of lotus seed pods. Peeling open the green skin, one could see the
tender seeds hiding inside the dense fibrous head. These seeds, when
plucked one by one, were snow-white and delicately tender, with a faint
sweetness. They were most refreshing and delicious. Their core was also a
fresh, lustrous green, and not bitter in the least.
Wen Ning sat at the boat’s bow and worked nonstop to peel the pods,
while Lan Wangji peeled and ate only a few before stopping. When Wen
Ning handed him some peeled seeds, Lan Wangji shook his head and
indicated that he should give them to Wei Wuxian instead. Wei Wuxian, for
his part, cleaned out the entire boat on his own.
They floated along with the current for a few more hours before
arriving at the pier of Yunping City.
The shallow waters of the harbor were crowded with fishing boats.
There were women gathered by the stone steps washing clothes and some
bare-chested boys with tanned, bronze skin swimming in the river and
doing quick dives beneath the surface. All of a sudden, these people saw a
ferryboat leisurely drifting along. The one at the tail end of the boat kept his
head bowed, but the boat’s other occupants—two young men—were both
extraordinary in appearance. The one sitting with poise at the very front was
a man dressed all in white. While his robes were plain, they were as
dazzling as snow, and his bearing was otherworldly. The pretty boy giggling
next to him was also extremely good-looking. It was rare to see such
characters around these parts, and the people couldn’t help but stare eagerly
with widened eyes.
The swimming boys gathered around the ferryboat like a school of
fish, their heads surfacing next to it.
 “Might I ask if this is Yunping?” Wei Wuxian inquired.
One of the girls washing clothes by the river blushed as she replied,
“Yes, it is.”
“We’re here. Let’s go ashore,” Wei Wuxian said.
They steered the ferryboat to the bank. Lan Wangji was the first to
stand and disembark. He turned around to give Wei Wuxian a hand, and the
two stepped off. Wen Ning, however, was having a hard time getting out of
the boat. The swimming boys had noticed that he kept his head bowed and
remained unspeaking, and saw his ghastly pale skin and the strange patterns
on his neck and face. He looked peculiar, but instead of being scared, they
found it rather interesting. Dozens of hands grabbed the sides of the boat
and started rocking it nonstop, making Wen Ning lose his balance.
When Wei Wuxian turned and saw this, he shouted, “Hey! What’re
you doing? Don’t pick on him.”
“Gongzi, I can’t get down,” Wen Ning quickly said.
As he pleaded for help, two more boys slapped the surface of the
water to splash him. Wen Ning was smiling miserably, at a loss for what to
do. Had the boys known the “person” they were messing with could easily
tear them into bloody chunks and crush the crumbs of their bones to dust
with his bare hands, they probably wouldn’t have dared seek this sort of
fun.
Wei Wuxian hurled out the few remaining lotus seed pods. “Catch!”
The boys scattered in a flurry of motion and swam off to snatch up
the seed pods. Only then did Wen Ning finally jump to shore, though in
quite a sorry state. He patted the dripping wet hems of his robes.
Compared to the region of Yunmeng as a whole, the city of Yunping
was sizable and fairly prosperous. There were fine shops and pedestrians all
along the way as the three of them strolled into the city. Wen Ning didn’t
like crowded places, so after a while, he silently disappeared once more.
Wei Wuxian asked around for directions as they walked, steering
them based on his memory of the address. When they finally reached their
destination and confirmed what they were looking at, they were both a little
surprised.
 Gazing at the extraordinarily magnificent building that teemed with
worshippers, Wei Wuxian asked in an uncertain tone, “This is…a Guanyin
temple?”
“Mn,” Lan Wangji answered in the affirmative.
Jin Guangyao didn’t seem like the devoutly religious sort. The two
exchanged a look and then pushed through the endless crowds of devotees,
crossed the very tall threshold, and entered the temple. The temple had
three gated entrances. Incense smoke and the clacking of wooden fish filled
the air.
It didn’t take them long to make an entire round of the place. The
final building was Guanyin Hall. The two hadn’t been standing for long
outside the entrance before a monk with his hands pressed together in
prayer came to greet them. The two returned the courtesy, and Wei Wuxian
began to exchange some pleasantries.
“Temples are usually built in the mountains. It’s pretty rare to see one
based out of a city,” Wei Wuxian casually commented.
The monk smiled. “The people of the city work hard all day. Do they
not need a temple of Guanyin near them, to pray for good fortune and seek
inner peace?”
Wei Wuxian smiled back. “Won’t Guanyin be disturbed by all the
noise and people?”
“The bodhisattva bring deliverance to the people, so how could they
be disturbed by them?”
“Is Guanyin the only one worshipped in this temple?” Wei Wuxian
asked.
“Yes.”
They’d already walked around the Guanyin temple a few times and
familiarized themselves with it. Once they exited the premises, Wei Wuxian
pulled Lan Wangji into an alley. He picked up a stick and used it to draw a
square array on the ground before discarding it.
“Jin Guangyao sure put in some major work here.”
Lan Wangji picked up the tossed stick and added a few more strokes
to the array. The added details made it obvious that this was an overhead
view of the Guanyin Temple.
Wei Wuxian took the stick from his hand. “There’s another major
array formation inside the temple. Something’s sealed in there.” He pointed
at a spot and said, “The design is complicated and pretty secure, but as soon
as the heart of the array is broken, whatever it’s sealing will come out.”
Lan Wangji rose to his feet. “In the evening, when all is deserted, we
shall unravel the array. Let us seek a place to settle before drafting a plan.”
They didn’t know how formidable the evil spirit sealed within this
Guanyin Temple might be, so they couldn’t risk moving during the day,
when there were crowds around.
“I wonder how long it’ll take to knock out the thing inside this
Guanyin Temple. Will we have time to go to Lanling? Will this delay our
travel plans?”
“Your current condition is uncertain. Do not force yourself,” Lan
Wangji said.
The fight at the Burial Mounds had drained too much of Wei
Wuxian’s strength. His mind and body had been tense for a very a long
time, and it was only hours ago that he’d been so infuriated by Jiang Cheng
that he bled from his apertures. It had taken a while for him to recover.
Though he felt like he was back to normal, on the off chance he’d missed
something, pushing himself to travel to Lanling in a hurry would mean
disaster might strike at a critical moment. He’d only wind up making things
worse. Besides, he wasn’t the only one drained by the events of the past few
days—Lan Wangji had been constantly on the move too. Deciding that Lan
Wangji needed rest even if he didn’t, Wei Wuxian agreed.
“Okay. Let’s find a place to rest, first.”
Wei Wuxian could spend the night anywhere. He could sleep in
mansions when he had the dough and sleep on tree roots when he didn’t.
But with Lan Wangji presently accompanying him, there was no way he
could imagine them lying under a tree or squeezed into some filthy little
room. And so, the two walked for a long time until they finally found an inn
on the other end of Yunping City that was both reputable and extravagant.
The proprietress eagerly rushed out and practically dragged them
inside. The inn was orderly and pristine, and guests filled almost the entire
first floor. It was easy to see that the manager was very good at what she
did. Most of the staff were women, from energetic broom-wielding girls in
their teens to auntie chefs who were broad in the shoulders and waists.
When they saw the latest guests were two young men, their eyes lit up. One
of the girls, who was pouring water for a guest, was so caught up in staring
at Lan Wangji that she didn’t even notice when the spout of her teapot
slanted off course. The boss lady barked at her staff a few times, ordering
them to watch what they were doing, before personally taking Wei Wuxian
and Lan Wangji upstairs to view the rooms.
“How many rooms would the two gongzi like?” she asked as they
walked.
Wei Wuxian tensed and his heart lurched upward at the question.
Without losing his composure, he stole a glimpse at Lan Wangji.
Two months ago, there would’ve been no question. That was right
after he’d returned, and he’d brought out every trick in his arsenal to try and
disgust Lan Wangji, wanting to make a break for it as soon as possible. But
Lan Wangji had figured him out and asked for one room ever since. Even
when they did pay for multiple rooms, Wei Wuxian would still end up
tangled in his bed, regardless.
But that wasn’t all. Emboldened by the fact that no one knew who he
was at the time, Wei Wuxian was fearless in making a fool of himself. The
first night after they descended from the Cloud Recesses, he had eagerly
burrowed into Lan Wangji’s sheets ahead of him. The first thing Lan Wangji
had seen when he entered his room was Wei Wuxian rolling around in his
bed. He had stood there expressionless for a while, then gone to the other
room he had booked.
As if Wei Wuxian would let him off so easily. He had chased after
him, whining about sleeping together. After he crawled into bed with him,
he threw one of the pillows out the window, adamant that Lan Wangji share
with him. He had demanded to know why he was sleeping with his outer
robes still on and then attempted to help him undress by force. Halfway
through the night, he’d stuffed his icy feet under Lan Wangji’s blanket; he
had grabbed his hands and forcibly pressed them to his chest, exclaiming
“Listen to my heartbeat, Hanguang-jun!” He had then proceeded to stare
into his eyes, his gaze exuding innocence and tender love…until at last Lan
Wangji had given him a gentle tap and turned him rigid, unable to move a
single limb. Finally, all was tranquil again.
The past was too unbearable to recall. This was the first time Wei
Wuxian had ever felt shocked by his own shamelessness.
By the third glance he gave him, Lan Wangji’s eyes were still
lowered. He said nothing, and his expression was indiscernible. Since he
was slow to respond, Wei Wuxian’s thoughts started going wild.
Lan Zhan’s always asked for a single room in the past, so why isn’t he
saying anything today? If he switches it up and asks for two rooms this
time, that would mean he really does mind… But if he asks for a single
room as always, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t mind. Maybe he’d only do it so
it looks like he doesn’t mind, so I won’t mind either…
Minding this, minding that, the proprietress resolutely answered her
own question and resoundingly declared, “One room, right? One room is
good enough! All my rooms can comfortably fit two people. The beds are
big.”
When Lan Wangji did not object to this arrangement after a moment,
Wei Wuxian felt his suspended heart and feet temporarily touch solid
ground again.
The proprietress pushed open a set of doors and ushered them inside.
It was a spacious chamber indeed.
“Now then, do you want anything to eat? Our chef is excellent, I tell
ya. I’ll have the food sent up once it’s ready.”
“Yes, please, but not right now. Maybe later in the evening, around xu
time?” Wei Wuxian replied.
The proprietress enthusiastically acknowledged his request and then
left. Wei Wuxian was just about to close the door but then suddenly rushed
out after her instead.
“Boss lady!”
“Does gongzi have any other demands?” the proprietress asked.
Wei Wuxian looked like he had made up his mind about something.
“When delivering dinner later tonight, please bring some liquor as well…
the stronger the better,” he said in a low voice.
 The proprietress smiled. “But of course!”
He returned to the room after making that request, looking as if
nothing was the matter. When he shut the door and sat down by the table,
Lan Wangji reached out and caught his wrist, pressing down to feel for his
pulse. Though Wei Wuxian knew he was just checking on his condition, as
those two long, slender, fair fingers traced up his wrist and started to slowly
knead his pulse point, the fingers of his other hand, which rested under the
table, began to curl slightly.
Lan Wangji spent nearly an hour examining his body before giving
his verdict. “No major issues.”
Wei Wuxian stretched lazily and smiled. “Thanks.”
At the sight of Lan Wangji’s serious face and furrowed brow, he
asked, “Hanguang-jun, are you worried about Zewu-jun? Jin Guangyao still
has some level of respect for Zewu-jun, I think. Besides, Zewu-jun’s
cultivation is higher than his, and he was already on his guard—he might
not fall for his tricks. Let’s crack the array in Guanyin Temple as fast as we
can and aim to get back on our way tomorrow.”
“Something is suspicious about this,” Lan Wangji said.
“What?” Wei Wuxian asked.
“Xiongzhang and Jin Guangyao have shared a close friendship for
many years. Jin Guangyao is not one to kill rashly. He never makes an
impulsive move.”
“Yeah, that’s my impression of him too,” Wei Wuxian agreed. “It’s
not that Jin Guangyao isn’t ruthless, but he doesn’t offend anyone if he can
help it.”
“The incident at the Burial Mounds was both overdone and
impetuous. It is unlike his usual style,” Lan Wangji said.
Wei Wuxian thought for a moment, then said, “If he had succeeded in
his play at the Burial Mounds, then that would’ve been that. But if he had
been exposed, the entire cultivation world would be forced to turn on him.
That was a pretty big risk to take.”
“Perhaps there are other hidden motives that require investigation,”
Lan Wangji said.
 Wei Wuxian sighed to himself. Rather than figuring out all these
hidden and not-hidden motives… I’m more curious about whether being a
cut-sleeve is contractable through the sacrificial ritual!
As he pondered and pondered, the exhaustion of the many past days
surged within him. Wei Wuxian rubbed his temple.
“You should rest,” Lan Wangji stated.
“All righty,” Wei Wuxian replied and went to sit down on the bed. He
kicked off his boots and lay down. “Hanguang-jun, you too…”
But he stopped when he realized an awkward problem.
There was only one bed in this room. If Lan Wangji was going to rest
too, they would have to share. Although he’d lost count of how many times
they’d shared a single bed in the time that had passed, such things seemed
to have become more fraught ever since Jiang Cheng had bawled him out at
the ancestral hall in Lotus Pier. Never mind telling Lan Wangji to come lay
with him—even deciding how many rooms to rent was enough to spark an
internal dilemma.
“No need,” Lan Wangji declined.
Wei Wuxian sat back up a little. “That won’t do. The past few days
have also been hard on you…”
He regretted speaking the moment he did so. If he finished that
sentence, and Lan Wangji reflected on how troublesome this was and
decided it’d be better to get two rooms after all, wouldn’t things be even
more awkward?
“I am fine.” Lan Wangji then added, “You rest.”
Wei Wuxian rubbed his chin. “…Oh. Then I’ll just lay down for a bit.
Wake me up at shen time, ’kay?”
Seeing how Lan Wangji had already closed his eyes to rest where he
sat poised by the table, Wei Wuxian slowly lay down again.
He pillowed his head on his arms and stared at the ceiling for a while,
then flipped over so his back was facing Lan Wangji. Some more time
passed, and his eyes were still wide open. He couldn’t relax enough to
sleep, and restlessness began to rise within him.
 Back when he was busy acting the madman and running wild, he had
declared that he had to lay next to Lan Wangji before he could fall asleep,
among other such things. Of course, it was all nonsense… But somehow,
without his realizing it, that “nonsense” seemed to have become reality.
What should I do? Wei Wuxian thought. Does this mean that from
now on, I can’t fall asleep in any bed that doesn’t have Lan Zhan in it?!
He tossed and turned for a long while before he was finally able to
arduously close his eyes.
His hazy slumber lasted for an unknown length of time. By the time
he woke, the light outside the window had already faded. Shen time was
long past, and you time had probably come and gone.
Wei Wuxian sat up at once. An odd sound came from behind him,
and when he looked back, it was Lan Wangji closing a book.
“Lan Zhan, why didn’t you wake me? Didn’t I say to wake me up at
shen time?”
“Replenish your spirit and regain your strength. There is no rush,”
Lan Wangji said.
Wei Wuxian had slept most of the day away, and in all that time, Lan
Wangji had probably only left the room to go downstairs and retrieve a
book to read. Feeling a little guilty, Wei Wuxian hopped off the bed.
“Sorry about that. I slept way too long. Why don’t you lay down for a
bit too?”
“I am fine,” Lan Wangji declined.
Someone knocked just then, and the proprietress called to them from
outside the door. “Young masters, I’ve brought your dinners.”
That was when Wei Wuxian learned it was already xu time. Lan
Wangji opened the door. There was indeed a flagon and two small wine
cups on the tray the proprietress carried.
As soon as she entered, she commented, “Oh my, seems like you’ve
been sleeping until now?”
Wei Wuxian felt even guiltier and gave a dry laugh in response. The
proprietress placed the tray onto the table.
 “So where do the young masters hail from? You must certainly be
exhausted if you’ve traveled all this way. You need to rest well. Wait till
you’re back on your feet to have fun, right?”
“We’re from Gusu,” Wei Wuxian answered without thinking.
“Is that right? No wonder!” the proprietress said. “I was gonna say.
Such handsome characters as you two gongzi could’ve only been raised in a
fair land like Jiangnan, the water country.”
Lan Wangji acted like he hadn’t heard her. Wei Wuxian laughed
aloud.
“No competition. He’s much more handsome than me.”
“He’s handsome in a smart way, you’re handsome in a charming
way,” the proprietress stated. “It’s not the same; you’re both good-looking!
Oh, that’s right.” Something seemed to have occurred to her. “If you two
are here to see the sights, you can go check out the Guanyin Temple here in
Yunping.”
Wei Wuxian was just going to ask her about the Guanyin Temple, but
she’d brought up the subject herself.
“We saw the Guanyin Temple during the day,” he said. “It’s rare to
see a Guanyin Temple built in the middle of the city, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” the proprietress agreed. “I was shocked, too, when I first saw
it.”
“Boss lady, when did you move to Yunping?” Wei Wuxian asked.
“About eight years ago now, I think.”
“The Guanyin Temple’s been here since then? Have you ever heard
an explanation for why they built one inside the city?”
“I’m not too sure,” the proprietress said. “Either way, the temple is
popular, I tell ya. Whenever anything happens, everyone goes there to pray
to Guanyin for safety. I go there myself to offer some incense when I’ve got
nothing else going on.”
“Why not just go to the cultivation clan stationed here?” Wei Wuxian
casually asked.
 He only remembered after he’d posed the question—wasn’t the Jiang
Clan of Yunmeng in charge of this area?
Unexpectedly, however, the proprietress pursed her lips. “Go to
them? Who would dare?”
“Oh? Why’s that?” Wei Wuxian asked.
“Gongzi, you aren’t from Yunping, so you don’t know this. The
Yunmeng region is under the jurisdiction of the Jiang Clan,” the
proprietress explained. “That clan’s family head has such a violent
temper… It’s super scary. His subordinates say that when a prominent clan
watches over such a large territory, they’re saddled with nearly a hundred
minor cases of little devils or yao causing mischief every day. If they had to
respond to every single one, they’d never be able to keep up. If no one dies,
then it’s not the work of a malicious ghost or evil spirit, and if it’s not the
work of a malicious ghost or evil spirit, then we shouldn’t bother them with
such trifles.” She was wholly indignant. “What nonsense. If someone did
die, wouldn’t it already be too late to seek their help?!”
In truth, there was a mutual, unspoken rule among the larger clans—
if a situation didn’t involve malicious ghosts or evil spirits, they wouldn’t
send anyone to check it out. Although the ideal of “appearing where there is
chaos” had been so highly praised over the years, the only one who actually
lived that maxim to the letter was the man next to him, Lan Wangji.
“Besides, Lotus Pier is much too scary a place,” the proprietress
continued. “Who’d dare go back?!”
Wei Wuxian moved his gaze away from Lan Wangji’s quiet profile
and blinked. “Lotus Pier is scary? Why would Lotus Pier be scary? Have
you been there?”
“Not me, I haven’t,” the proprietress said. “But I know someone who
went because their house was haunted. By his bad luck, when he arrived,
Sect Leader Jiang was lashing someone with a glowing whip in the middle
of their drilling grounds. It was carnage, I tell ya, those horrible screams
reached the skies! One of the clan’s servants told my friend in secret, with
the best of intentions, that the Sect Leader had caught the wrong person
again. He advised my friend that the Sect Leader had been in a bad mood
lately and that deliberately putting himself in his sights would be asking for
trouble. My friend was so scared that he dropped the gifts he had brought
and fled, never daring to visit again.”
Wei Wuxian had long known that Jiang Cheng had been arresting
cultivators of the demonic path for years, all of whom were under suspicion
of being reborn through possession—and that he’d bring them from all over
back to Lotus Pier to torture and flog. It seemed the boss lady’s friend had
just so happened to run into him while he was in the process of taking out
some of that anger. It wasn’t hard to imagine the kind of hideous face Jiang
Cheng might’ve been wearing at the time. No wonder ordinary folk would
flee.
“And,” the proprietress added, “I’ve also heard of another person
who was frightened away.”
“Frightened away by what?” Wei Wuxian asked.
Surely, this person couldn’t also have coincidentally run into Jiang
Cheng using his whip on someone. Just how diligent was Jiang Cheng in
his arrests, and how frequently did he lash people?
“No, no,” the proprietress said. “It was his bad luck too, I guess. His
surname is Wen, and of course, Sect Leader Jiang’s mortal enemy is also
named Wen. He hates every person in the world who bears the name Wen,
and he grits his teeth at the mere sight of them, clearly wanting to skin them
alive. So of course, his face was not a pleasant sight…”
Wei Wuxian dropped his head and squeezed the bridge of his nose,
not responding. Fortunately, his response wasn’t necessary. Having rambled
on this long in one breath, the proprietress was now content.
“I’ve talked too much and delayed your meal, haven’t I? I’ll go
downstairs and leave the two of you alone. Let me know if you need
anything else.”
Wei Wuxian thanked her and walked her to the door, then turned to
address Lan Wangji.
“Looks like we’ll have to delve more than eight years into the past
for what we want to investigate. Tomorrow, let’s go find some locals who
have deep roots here and ask them.”
Lan Wangji inclined his head.
 “But we might not get anything useful,” Wei Wuxian added. “Eight
years is a long time. Many things can be forgotten in such a span.”
Just as he was about to pour the liquor, he hesitated, taking that split
second to warn himself. If he doesn’t drink, then let it go. If he does, just ask
a couple things. Don’t do anything else—just figure out how exactly he
feels. He won’t remember anything once he sobers up, anyway… It won’t
affect anything.
He swore this to himself before he steadily filled the wine cup and
pushed it toward Lan Wangji with perfect nonchalance. He was already
prepared for Lan Wangji to reject the drink—but maybe the other man had
his own worries, for he picked up the cup without a single glance and tossed
it back in one go.
Wei Wuxian brought his own cup to his lips. Whether intentionally or
otherwise, he paid close attention to any movements from the other side of
the table. But as he took a small sip, he immediately choked and coughed
profusely.
What an honest soul, that boss lady. I told her to get me something as
strong as possible, and she really did.
But the truth was, he could usually chug wine ten times stronger than
this without batting an eye. The only reason he’d choked was because he
was distracted. He wiped the liquor from his clothes. By the time he looked
back up, Lan Wangji had already lived up to expectations and entered the
sleep stage.
This time, he’d fallen asleep while still sitting upright. Aside from his
tightly shut eyes and his slightly lowered head, he appeared no different
from how he usually sat. Wei Wuxian waved his hand in front of him a
couple times. No reaction whatsoever. He relaxed and reached out, gently
hooking Lan Wangji’s chin and tilting it up.
“The past few days have been killin’ me,” he said in a soft whisper.
“Hanguang-jun, you’ve finally fallen into my clutches.”
The sleeping Lan Wangji very obediently raised his head. When his
eyes were open, their pale color and the coolness of his gaze made him look
apathetic, stern, and inviolable. But when his eyes were closed, his contours
softened considerably. Like a jade sculpture of a young and handsome
figure, quiet, tranquil, and greatly appealing. The more Wei Wuxian
watched him, the more he was captivated. Irresistibly, the hand hooked
under Lan Wangji’s chin pulled his face closer and closer; so close that it
was crossing the line. A sudden burst of the cool, refreshing scent of
sandalwood snapped him back to reality, and he cursed mentally as he
quickly withdrew his hand. Lan Wangji’s head drooped back down again.
Wei Wuxian’s heart was pounding hard. He rolled around on the
ground to calm himself, then leapt to his feet, chanted “calm down” to
himself a few times, and finally slowly shuffled back to Lan Wangji. He sat
properly for a while, waiting for the man to wake, but was eventually
unable to restrain the urge to do mischief and poked his face. After poking
it a couple times, he suddenly realized that he had never seen Lan Wangji
smile before.
And so, he lifted the corners of Lan Wangji’s lips with two fingers,
wanting to see what his smiling face would look like. Suddenly, he felt a
slight pain in one finger.
Lan Wangji had opened his eyes and was coldly glaring at him. He
was biting Wei Wuxian’s index finger.
“…Let go,” Wei Wuxian demanded.
Lan Wangji held his head high and puffed out his chest, maintaining
his cool, distant gaze. He leaned forward slightly, moving down Wei
Wuxian’s finger, taking it in from the first knuckle to the second. And then
he bit down harder.
“Ow!” Wei Wuxian yelped.
Only then did Lan Wangji slacken his bite a little. Wei Wuxian used
this chance to pull back his finger and scurried away. That bite had freaked
him out—anything that bit reminded him of dogs, and the mere thought of
dogs made his hair stand on end.
Before he could slip far enough away, however, Lan Wangji whipped
out Bichen and stabbed the sitting mat hard, nailing a corner of Wei
Wuxian’s robe to the ground. They had changed clothes at Lotus Pier, so
these robes were made of specialized fabric that was not so easily torn.
Held back by the hem and unable to run too far, Wei Wuxian started
running his mouth instead.
 “Lan Zhan, look at yourself. You poked a hole in the mat and the
floor of someone else’s inn. We’ll have to pay them back…”
Before he could finish, he felt someone grab his collar and drag him
back. His back crashed solidly into someone’s chest, and Lan Wangji’s deep
voice immediately echoed next to his ear.
“I will pay!”
He yanked Bichen out of the floor, looking like he planned to keep
stabbing. Wei Wuxian quickly pounced to stop him.
“Stop! What is it with you? How are you like this after a single cup?
Doing bad things like that?”
His tone was one of admonishment. Lan Wangji looked at him, then
at his own hand, and then at that hole in the floor. As if a realization had
suddenly hit him, he chucked the sword away at once. Bichen crashed to the
ground with a muffled thud and skidded wildly across the floor. Wei
Wuxian grabbed its scabbard. He flipped the scabbard into the air with a
flick of his foot, and Bichen steadily and accurately returned to its sheath.
“Don’t randomly throw such dangerous things,” he reprimanded.
Lan Wangji sat even more upright at his lecture. He bowed his head,
looking like he knew he’d done something wrong and was ready to be
educated. It was always Lan Wangji who lectured Wei Wuxian in such a
serious way. Only after having a drink did he get the chance to turn the
tables on him.
With Bichen tucked against his elbow, Wei Wuxian folded his arms
and tilted his head to watch him. He was suppressing his laughter so hard he
was shaking.
He really, really loved drunk Lan Wangji!
With him drunk, all Wei Wuxian’s dilemmas from the past few days
were swept away in an instant, as if all his wild and pent-up energy had
finally found a chance to demonstrate its power. He circled the prim and
poised Lan Wangji a couple times, then sat next to him in a whirl of
movement. He showed him the torn corner of his robe.
“Look at what you did. You tore my clothes. You’ll have to patch
them for me later, ’kay?”
 Lan Wangji nodded.
“Do you know how?” Wei Wuxian asked.
Lan Wangji shook his head.
“I knew it,” Wei Wuxian said. “If you don’t know how, learn. Either
way, you have to patch up my clothes, got it?”
Seeing Lan Wangji nodding again, Wei Wuxian felt perfectly content.
Before anyone could notice, he grabbed a seat cushion and covered the hole
Bichen had created.
“I hid the hole for you. Now no one will discover your vandalism.”
Lan Wangji took the small, exquisite money pouch from his robes
and held it in front of Wei Wuxian.
“I will pay,” he stated.
“I know you’re rich, put it away… What’re you doing?”
Lan Wangji stuffed the money pouch into Wei Wuxian’s robes. He
felt around the heavy bulge at his chest.
“For me?”
Once the pouch was stuffed inside, Lan Wangji helped adjust Wei
Wuxian’s collar and even gave his chest a pat, like he was afraid Wei
Wuxian would lose his gift.
“Keep it well.”
“You’re really giving this to me?” Wei Wuxian asked. “So much
money.”
“Mn.”
The impoverished Wei Wuxian was overwhelmed with gratitude.
“Thank you! I’m rich!”
Unexpectedly, Lan Wangji’s brow immediately furrowed, and he
reached into Wei Wuxian’s robes to snatch the money pouch back.
“No!”
Wei Wuxian was dumbfounded. He had just received that money, and
now it was gone. “No, what?”
 Lan Wangji looked gravely disappointed but remained restrained. He
listlessly tucked the pouch back into his own robes and silently shook his
head. He seemed a little sad.
“Didn’t you just say you were giving that to me?” Wei Wuxian asked.
“Why’d you take it back? Aren’t you a man of your word?”
Lan Wangji turned around. Wei Wuxian grabbed his shoulders and
turned him back.
“Look at me, don’t run away,” he coaxed. “Come, come, come, look
at me.”
And so Lan Wangji looked at him. They were both staring hard into
each other’s faces, a hair’s breadth away, so close that he could even count
Lan Wangji’s long eyelashes. The cool and refreshing scent of sandalwood,
the faint and indistinct fragrance of liquor—the two scents intertwined
between their barely perceptible breaths.
They locked eyes for a long time, and Wei Wuxian’s heart raced
faster and faster until he could no longer keep up. He conceded defeat first
and averted his gaze.
“Fine! You win,” Wei Wuxian said. “Let’s play a different game. Just
like before, I’ll ask questions and you answer them. No lying…”
He had only just uttered the word “play” when Lan Wangji abruptly
agreed, “All right!”
He grabbed Wei Wuxian’s hand and stole out the door like a blast of
wind, dashing down the stairs. Wei Wuxian’s mind was completely blank as
he was dragged to the lobby. On the first floor, the proprietress and her staff
were eating a meal at a long table. Lan Wangji spared them no glance,
wholly absorbed in dragging Wei Wuxian out the door.
The proprietress rose to her feet. “What’s wrong? Gongzi, was the
food not to your liking?”
Wei Wuxian spared some time in the flurry of action to respond, “It
is! Especially that liquor; it really was potent…”
Before he could finish, Lan Wangji had already run out the door with
him in tow.
 — Part 2 —

E VEN WHEN THEY REACHED the main street, Lan Wangji showed no
signs of stopping as he continued to speed along.
“Wheeere exactly are we going?” Wei Wuxian asked.
Lan Wangji did not respond. When they happened upon the courtyard
of a house, he came to an abrupt stop. Wei Wuxian, finding this strange,
was about to ask questions when Lan Wangji raised a finger and placed it in
front of his own lips.
“Shh.”
He reached out and caught Wei Wuxian around the waist, then
pushed off on the tips of his feet. They both sailed airily onto the house’s
eaves and leaned on the tiles.
“Look,” he whispered.
Wei Wuxian’s curiosity was piqued by this enigmatic behavior, and
his eyes traveled to where Lan Wangji was gazing. Inside the yard, he saw a
chicken coop.
“…This is what you wanted me to see?” Wei Wuxian clarified.
“Let us go,” Lan Wangji whispered.
“To do what?”
But Lan Wangji had already leapt from the eaves and landed in the
center of the yard.
Had the master of the house been awake, he would’ve witnessed the
moonlit arrival of a man dressed in white, with looks and poise that could
shake the heavens. No doubt, he would have suspected him to be a banished
immortal of the Nine Heavens who had descended to the mortal realm…
except Lan Wangji’s actions had none of the grace of a banished immortal
as he sluggishly groped around the yard. The more Wei Wuxian watched,
the more this didn’t feel right, so he jumped down the wall as well.
 He tugged Lan Wangji’s forehead ribbon. “What exactly are you
doing?”
Lan Wangji pressed one hand to his forehead ribbon, while the other
reached into the coop. The hens sleeping soundly inside were abruptly
jolted from their slumber. They flapped their wings like mad, trying to flee.
Lan Wangji’s eyes sharpened, and he moved as fast as lightning to nab the
fattest of the bunch.
Wei Wuxian was stunned.
The orange hen clucked and cawed wildly in Lan Wangji’s grip, and
he very solemnly placed it in Wei Wuxian’s arms.
“Wha—?”
“Chicken,” Lan Wangji said.
“I know it’s a chicken. Why are you giving me a chicken?” Wei
Wuxian asked.
Lan Wangji’s face was pulled tense. “For you.”
“For me… Okay.”
By the look of things, he’d get mad again if he didn’t take the
chicken. Wei Wuxian accepted the offering.
“Lan Zhan, do you know what you’re doing? This chicken has an
owner. This is stealing.”
Hanguang-jun was a distinguished cultivator of an immortal sect. If
word got out that he stole chickens when he got drunk… Wei Wuxian didn’t
dare to imagine.
But at times like these, Lan Wangji only listened to what he wanted
to hear, ignoring everything he didn’t like and pretending he hadn’t heard it.
He remained buried in his work. The coop was a flurry of upset, clucking
chickens and broken eggs. It was terrible to behold.
“I didn’t tell you to do this, ’kay?” Wei Wuxian clarified.
They hopped over the wall, each holding a trembling, terrified hen.
They walked for a while, Wei Wuxian still confused as to why Lan Wangji
had suddenly stolen chickens—did he have a craving for poultry? Just then,
he noticed a chicken feather caught in Lan Wangji’s jet-black hair.
 Pfft. Wei Wuxian couldn’t take it anymore. But just as he was
reaching out to help remove the feather, Lan Wangji unexpectedly leapt
again and soared into a tree.
The tree stood in someone else’s yard, but it was so lushly overgrown
that its branches reached beyond the wall. Lan Wangji sat on one such
branch.
Wei Wuxian looked up. “What’s with you now?!”
Lan Wangji inclined his head. “Shh.”
Upon being shushed, Wei Wuxian felt he was probably planning to
do something similar to the chicken heist earlier. He saw Lan Wangji reach
out and pluck something from the tip of the tree before hurling it to the
ground. Wei Wuxian caught it with the hand that wasn’t holding a hen. He
looked at the object to find it was a big, round, barely ripe jujube.
Just as he’d thought. After stealing chickens, Lan Wangji had now
progressed to stealing jujubes!
Wei Wuxian was no stranger to thievery. In fact, he’d loved pilfering
all sorts of stuff when he was young. He’d even bring people with him and
make a whole event out of it. But if his accomplice tonight was Lan
Wangji…that was a frightening thought. Actually, no, he didn’t count as an
accomplice. Lan Wangji was clearly the ringleader here.
Something suddenly clicked.
When he took Lan Wangji to visit those once-familiar places back at
Lotus Pier, he’d told him many fun stories from his childhood. Among
those tales were many “glorious deeds” similar to tonight’s capers. Could
Lan Wangji have actually been listening, actually remembered, and even
wanted to seize this opportunity to experience the same things?
It seemed pretty likely!
The Lan Clan of Gusu was strict in their teachings. Ever since Lan
Wangji was young, he’d been locked up at home to study and write lines.
Every word he uttered and every action he took was according to the
standard set by his elders. He had never done anything disgraceful or out of
line. He couldn’t do anything while sober, so he acted out while drunk.
 Perched in the jujube tree, Lan Wangji was plucking jujubes as
swiftly as the wind. It didn’t take long for him to empty the branches. He
packed them into his qiankun sleeves before jumping down, then opened
his sleeves to show Wei Wuxian his spoils.
At the sight of those round jujubes, Wei Wuxian really didn’t know
what to say. It took a moment of processing before he praised him.
“…So big, so many, you’re so amazing! Good job!”
Lan Wangji accepted his exaggerated praise with ease. He pulled Wei
Wuxian’s sleeve open and poured the stolen jujubes into it.
“Here. All for you.”
Wei Wuxian played along. “Thanks.”
But then Lan Wangji suddenly withdrew his hand, his sleeve
billowing with the motion. A torrent of jujubes tumbled out and rolled all
over the ground. Wei Wuxian hurriedly bent down to pick them up. He
gathered some but couldn’t carry them all.
“I have changed my mind,” Lan Wangji stated.
He also snatched the chicken Wei Wuxian was holding under his left
arm, now holding one chicken in each hand.
Wei Wuxian pulled at the tail of his forehead ribbon and dragged him
back. “You were fine earlier. Why are you angry again?”
Lan Wangji swept a glance at him. “Do not pull.”
His tone did not sound happy. It even carried a hint of warning. Wei
Wuxian unconsciously let go.
Lan Wangji lowered his head and shifted the two stunned chickens to
his left hand, freeing his right hand to straighten his forehead ribbon and
hair.
He never stopped me in the past, no matter how much I messed with
his forehead ribbon, Wei Wuxian thought. Is he actually angry today?
He felt it extremely necessary to remedy the situation, so he said,
pointing at the hen, “Forget the jujubes. Give that to me. Didn’t you say it
was for me?”
Lan Wangji looked up and stared critically at him.
 “Please, I really want it,” Wei Wuxian said sincerely. “Give it to me,
won’t you?”
At his plea, Lan Wangji lowered his eyes. After a while, he handed
the chicken back to him. Wei Wuxian accepted it, then took out a jujube and
wiped it on the folds of his robes near his chest. He bit it in half with a
crunch.
If Lan Zhan wants to play, he thought, then play with him I will.
“What are we gonna do next?”
They walked over to a wall. Lan Wangji looked left and right to make
sure there was no one around before he drew Bichen from his waist.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh. Streaks of dazzling blue light flashed across the
wall, carving a row of large characters.
 Wei Wuxian moved in for a closer look and saw the large words: Lan
Wangji was here.
He was struck dumb.
Lan Wangji sheathed Bichen and admired his masterpiece. Even
though he was drunk, his handwriting was still incomparably dignified and
elegant. He nodded, looking extremely pleased. After a brief contemplative
look at the wall, he lifted his hand once more. However, he wasn’t writing
this time but drawing. Flashes of his sword slashed across the wall, and a
portrayal of two little kissing figures materialized.
At the sight of the rigorous “brushwork” and the sordid content, Wei
Wuxian slapped his forehead.
Stealing things, wreaking havoc, scribbling and scrawling… He was
certain, now. Lan Wangji really was repeating the things he had told him
about before! There was absolutely no doubt about it. Even the content of
his graffiti was pretty much the same!
He was caught between laughter and tears. But I only did stuff like
this when I was twelve or thirteen!
The more Lan Wangji drew, the more enthusiasm he infused into his
art. He finished with one wall and then moved to another to continue with
his drawings. Watching as the content became ever stranger and more
bizarre, Wei Wuxian felt bad for Bichen. At the same time, he thought, I’ll
have to scribble over where Lan Wangji wrote his name on the wall, later. I
can’t let anyone discover he was the culprit. No, no, no—better wipe the
whole wall clean.
It took Wei Wuxian a great deal of effort to drag Lan Wangji back to
the inn. He tossed the two chickens to the proprietress, saying they had
picked them up on their walk. He then went up the stairs, closed the door,
and turned around.
He hadn’t gotten a good look while they were outside because of the
darkness of the night, but now that they were in their room, the lamplight
showed him the assortment of chicken feathers, leaves, and plaster dust on
Lan Wangji’s clothes, face, and hair. Truly, what a loss of poise.
 As Wei Wuxian helped pat it all off him, he remarked with a laugh,
“So dirty!”
“Wash my face,” Lan Wangji requested.
Wei Wuxian had washed his face for him the first time he was drunk,
and Lan Wangji had seemed to particularly enjoy it. Sure enough, he now
took the initiative to ask for it again. Wei Wuxian also meant to give him a
wash, but given the state he was in, just washing his face alone was far from
enough.
Thus, he asked, “Why don’t I just give you a bath? What do you
think?”
Lan Wangji’s eyes widened slightly at this. Wei Wuxian carefully
examined his expression.
“Yes or no?”
Lan Wangji immediately nodded. “Yes.”
Lan Wangji really has a thing for cleanliness, Wei Wuxian thought.
I’ll help draw him a bath and let him do the rest himself.
The staff at the inn were all women. Wei Wuxian wouldn’t call upon
them to do tedious manual labor, so he instructed Lan Wangji to stay put in
the room while he went downstairs to boil the water and carry it up one
bucket at a time. After filling the bathing tub, he tested the water
temperature before turning around to tell Lan Wangji to strip. When he
looked back, however, he saw that Lan Wangji had already done so of his
own initiative.
Although they had seen each other naked in the cold springs of the
Cloud Recesses during their youth, they had both been innocent boys with
no improper thoughts in their heads. When he had chanced upon Lan
Wangji taking a bath before, he hadn’t harbored any such thoughts either.
Not to mention Lan Wangji’s body had been half submerged in the water
both times. So to suddenly see Hanguang-jun bare it all, in his full nude
glory…it was, needless to say, a huge shock to Wei Wuxian. For a moment,
he didn’t know if he should follow his heart and ogle to his heart’s content
or if he should pretend to be a gentleman and help Lan Wangji cover up.
 Wei Wuxian was getting jittery. He unconsciously backed away,
again and again—but even as he did so, Lan Wangji kept advancing on him.
Now backed into a corner with nowhere to hide, Wei Wuxian had to just
brace himself and watch as Lan Wangji expressionlessly approached him.
His distinct Adam’s apple, his fair complexion, and the smooth, beautiful
contours of his muscles—these sights were forced on him, paraded right in
front of his eyes. It was too much. Not daring to look, he unconsciously
gulped and slightly averted his gaze. Surprisingly, his mouth felt parched.
Wei Wuxian gritted his teeth and was about to speak when Lan
Wangji suddenly reached out and ripped off his sash.
He still looked serious, but his behavior was incredibly rough. Wei
Wuxian jumped in surprise, not having expected him to make a move like
that.
“Stop! Stop! I’m not bathing! I’m not gonna bathe! You go ahead.”
Lan Wangji wrinkled his brow, and Wei Wuxian explained, “You go
ahead first. I like, uh, big bathtubs. That one is a little too crowded for two.”
Lan Wangji cast an indifferent glance at the bathtub and only
reluctantly let it go when he confirmed that the tub was indeed not big
enough. He felt his way to the tub in no particular hurry and slowly dipped
into it, soaking himself in the hot water.
Wei Wuxian heaved a sigh of relief. “Take your time soaking. I’ll go
outside.” He moved to step outside, get some fresh air and cool himself
down, but then heard a splash.
He turned back to look.
“Why’d you come out?!”
“I am not bathing anymore,” Lan Wangji stated with a cold
expression.
“Why not?” Wei Wuxian asked. “You’d be so dirty if you don’t!”
Lan Wangji looked sullen but didn’t elaborate. Instead, he simply
walked over to the screen to begin redressing himself in the same clothes he
had stripped off. Wei Wuxian hurried back over, more or less guessing the
issue at hand.
“You want me to bathe you?” he asked.
 Lan Wangji lowered his eyes, neither admitting nor denying it.
Wei Wuxian’s heart inexplicably softened at this sight of him. I’ll just
wipe him a few times, at most. I won’t do anything else.
And so, he dragged Lan Wangji to the bathtub. “All right then, I’ll
bathe you. C’mere.”
Only then did Lan Wangji allow himself to be dragged back to the
water to soak anew. Wei Wuxian rolled up his sleeves and walked to the
side of the wooden tub.
Lan Wangji’s complexion was fair, and his long, shining jet-black
hair floated gently on the water’s surface. Amidst the trance-like swirl of
rising steam, he was the very picture of a dashing immortal carved from
winter ice, soaking in the springs of the immortals’ abode. Wei Wuxian
found himself thinking it was a pity he hadn’t grabbed some flower petals
or something to float in the water for a more picturesque view.
He scooped some water from the tub with the wooden ladle and
poured a thin stream over Lan Wangji’s head. Lan Wangji kept staring at
him, unblinking. Worried that the water would get into his eyes and make
him uncomfortable, Wei Wuxian said, “Close your eyes.”
Lan Wangji ignored him and continued to stare intently. It was like he
was afraid Wei Wuxian would run away if he so much as blinked. Wei
Wuxian reached out in an attempt to close them for him, and Lan Wangji
evaded by submerging the lower half of his face into the water. He noisily
blew out a string of bubbles.
Wei Wuxian laughed as he lightly pinched Lan Wangji’s cheek. “Er-
gege, how old are you?”
He picked up the soapbox and cloth towel and began to wash Lan
Wangji’s face. As he washed, his movements suddenly stalled.
Earlier, Lan Wangji had taken off both hair and forehead ribbons on
his own, and his black hair had cascaded to cover his body. But as he helped
Lan Wangji brush his dripping wet black hair behind his shoulders and
traced the towel down his chest, the thirty-some discipline whip scars and
the brand on his chest stood out with even more clarity.
Wei Wuxian moved the washing cloth around to Lan Wangji’s back.
 The whip marks extended from his back to his chest, shoulders, and
arms, crawling over a huge expanse of smooth, fair skin. There were scars
both shallow and deep, all of them hideous. They had effectively ruined his
otherwise perfect body.
After watching in silence for a while, Wei Wuxian dabbed the towel
in his hand into the water and washed the scars left by the discipline whip.
His touch was extremely gentle, as if he couldn’t bear to hurt Lan Wangji.
However, these scars were all old. The time when they’d been most painful
had long passed. And even if they were fresh wounds, given Lan Wangji’s
personality, he’d undoubtedly endure the pain in silence, showing no sign of
weakness.
Wei Wuxian really wanted to take this chance to ask him what the
deal was with those scars. The only people in the Lan Clan of Gusu
qualified to use a discipline whip to punish Lan Wangji were Lan Xichen
and Lan Qiren. Whether it was his elder brother, whom he was closer to
than anyone else, or his uncle, who’d single-handedly raised him and
considered him his pride and joy…what exactly had he done to force them
to resort to such ruthless methods?
There was also the Wen Clan of Qishan brand that he could not recall
Lan Wangji having received.
But though the questions were at the tip of his tongue, he held
himself back. If Lan Wangji was unwilling to speak of the matter on his
own, he would not ask. Although he would have no memory of it after
sobering up, the fact that he dared to drink in front of Wei Wuxian meant
that he trusted him. If Wei Wuxian took advantage of his intoxicated state to
pry forth private matters and secrets that Lan Wangji did not want others to
know, wouldn’t that be extremely underhanded of him?
And so, despite getting Lan Wangji drunk, Wei Wuxian spent most of
the night waffling and didn’t manage to ask him a single thing. It wasn’t
that it slipped his mind. In fact, he hadn’t forgotten for a moment that the
reason he had given Lan Wangji alcohol was to ask him, Hanguang-jun,
how do you really see me? But every time the words were about to leave his
mouth, he found all kinds of excuses to back down—There’s no rush; I’ll
play along with him for now, wait until he’s had enough fun before I ask, or
I can’t be so flippant about this, gotta be a little more serious. I’ll ask again
after we’ve sat down…
But despite the many excuses that had him dragging his heels, the
real reason was probably that he was afraid.
He was afraid of getting a different answer from the one he hoped to
hear.
Lan Wangji had originally had his arms resting on the edge of the
bathing tub, but now, he suddenly turned around. It was only then that Wei
Wuxian realized his mind had begun to wander while he was washing him,
leaving him rubbing the same spot for quite some time. The snow-white
skin on Lan Wangji’s back had been scrubbed red. It looked as if someone
had beaten him. Wei Wuxian quickly stopped.
“Sorry, I was lost in thought. Does it hurt?”
Lan Wangji’s back was stinging from Wei Wuxian’s scrubbing, but
even so, he did not say a word and merely shook his head.
Poor thing, Wei Wuxian thought, seeing him sitting so quietly and
obediently in the bathing tub. He was about to hook a finger under his chin
to tickle him, but Lan Wangji grabbed hold of his wrist before his hand
reached him.
Wei Wuxian had already inflicted innumerable playful acts of the sort
on Lan Wangji tonight and grown accustomed to him submissively
accepting them. He had yet to realize what was happening when he was
suddenly caught and stopped.
“Stop touching,” Lan Wangji said, his voice deep.
There were still transparent water droplets on the contours of his
handsome, refined face, even a few on his eyelashes. His expression
seemed cold as ice, but his gaze was so hot it burned.
The alcohol he had ordered tonight was indeed too potent, it seemed.
Wei Wuxian was feeling feverish.
“Stop?” he asked. “Why? Haven’t you been letting me touch you for
a long time?”
Lan Wangji pursed his lips tightly shut and said nothing. His grip on
Wei Wuxian’s wrist did not loosen. It would seem he was insistent on the
matter.
Wei Wuxian’s lips curled up at the corner, and he chuckled softly.
“Considering the state you’re in right now, what do you think you can do to
me if I insist on touching you?”
Lan Wangji stared hard at him. A spark seemed to flash in his eyes.
This face, this expression, this gaze, this situation, and this person—
they all made Wei Wuxian feel like his entire being was being consumed by
a fire that incinerated all reason.
And suddenly, he lost his mind.
Throwing his previous reservations to the wind, he went for it. He
plunged his other hand into the water and ruthlessly cupped a certain part of
Lan Wangji.
“Hanguang-jun, don’t try to pretend you don’t like it when I touch
you like this!” he panted.
As if he had been bitten by a venomous snake, or incensed by Wei
Wuxian’s action, Lan Wangji yanked at him hard. Wei Wuxian felt a wave
of terrifying force assault him, and he was helplessly pulled to Lan Wangji’s
side.
Water splashed, and things spiraled out of control.
He didn’t know who started it, but by the time Wei Wuxian was a
little more clearheaded, he was already sitting on Lan Wangji’s lap. It
seemed he’d been embracing and kissing him in this position for a while.
Their lips were inseparable. They were both soaking wet as they clung
tightly to each other, but the only thing that remained in his mind was
blazing passion and raging desire. That moment of clearheadedness was
fleeting, barely lasting a second. Deep within him, a faint voice told him
that it was wrong and inappropriate to be doing this kind of thing while Lan
Wangji was drunk and unable to distinguish between right and wrong—but
the voice was immediately snuffed out like smoke by another breathless
flurry of kisses.
Both of Wei Wuxian’s arms were wound around Lan Wangji’s neck.
He kissed him in every way he could manage until he could barely tear
himself away. All those assurances he’d repeated to himself earlier—“I’ll
only ask him a few questions,” “I’ll only help him wash,” “I won’t do
anything else”—were thrown to the back of his mind.
 Then he suddenly yelped aloud and broke their kiss to spit out a
curse. “Lan Zhan! Why did you bite me again? Are you a dog?!”
Lan Wangji’s answer to this untimely and minor complaint was to
bite his chin. Wei Wuxian, who was more fearful of biting than anything
else, frowned a little. To retaliate, he reached a hand down to grope the part
of Lan Wangji that he had just teased.
Lan Wangji’s expression abruptly changed. Wei Wuxian heaved a
few gasps of air as he pecked the corner of Lan Wangji’s mouth with his
smiling lips.
“How’s that? Does it hurt? Are you angry yet?” He stripped off his
completely soaked outer robes. “You know, Lan Zhan, I just love the way
you look when you’re angry…”
His voice was full of fearless excitement.
Lan Wangji’s skin was so scalding it felt like he might burst into
flames. One arm locked firmly around Wei Wuxian’s waist, he smacked the
edge of the wooden tub with his free hand. The bathtub broke into pieces in
an instant. The room became a complete mess and a tragic sight, all at once.
But they were much too preoccupied to care about such
inconsequential things. Lan Wangji lifted Wei Wuxian and practically threw
him on the bed. He had only just managed to push himself up on his elbows
when Lan Wangji immediately pinned him flat again. It was a fierce, violent
action, so very unlike the refined and upright Hanguang-jun who was
extolled for his conduct and propriety.
The impact of Wei Wuxian’s back hitting the bed made him yelp in
pain. Lan Wangji stalled for a moment, but Wei Wuxian simply murmured
into his ear.
“I never would’ve guessed you were so ferocious in the sack…”
The earlobe by his lips was white, like gleaming jade. Wei Wuxian
couldn’t help but take a small bite. He then took it into his mouth and
sucked gently. Lan Wangji’s fingers tightened on Wei Wuxian’s shoulders,
so abruptly and with such incredible strength that Wei Wuxian hissed from
the pain. He turned to look at his own shoulder, where five fresh, red finger
marks had been left behind. Meanwhile, Lan Wangji was already reaching
for Wei Wuxian’s waist.
Wei Wuxian smacked his hand away and chuckled, intending to tease
him. “So impatient?”
As he spoke, he pushed one knee between the legs of the man on top
of him and pressed it against his crotch. Lan Wangji’s eyes were faintly red,
as if the blood vessels were bursting.
“It’s not like I’m not stripping,” Wei Wuxian said. “I can do it
myself.”
He readily ripped off his lower garment as promised. Now naked, he
hugged Lan Wangji’s sturdy shoulders and pulled him down, pressing him
close against him.
They were both completely naked, pressed skin to skin. They
caressed each other with perfect intimacy, twisting their necks as they
kissed. Wei Wuxian seized the back of Lan Wangji’s neck in a relentless
grip, refusing to let them part even an inch. He nipped and pressed urgently
against Lan Wangji’s lips, swallowing his breath and saliva while his free
hand wandered along the contours of his strong, beautiful muscles. His
fingers met the uneven texture of the discipline whip’s scars and gently
stroked them.
Lan Wangji’s actions grew even more forward and obscene. Those
long, fair, slender fingers with their strong knuckles wandered all over Wei
Wuxian’s body before eventually greedily lingering about his waist and
hips. Wei Wuxian was strummed relentlessly by that pair of hands, but the
man playing him like a guqin did not possess a single trace of his usual
elegance and coldness. For his part, Wei Wuxian did not sing out the pure,
noble, and piercingly cold melody of the guqin, but brazen and unbridled
moans.
At first, he enjoyed it. But after a while, he felt Lan Wangji begin to
knead the delicate skin near the base of his thighs. It was a sensitive area,
and Lan Wangji’s hand was terrifyingly strong—it didn’t take long for his
pinching to make the skin there prickle and hurt, making him weak and
sending tingles through his body. He choked a little on his own breath and
pulled his red and swollen lips away to gasp for air. Still having strength
enough to tease, he feigned to move this utterly ungentlemanly hand away.
 “Hanguang-jun, I can’t believe you’re this feral when your clothes
are off. What a smudge on your reputation as an elegant… Ah!”
Lan Wangji pinched his nipple hard, and Wei Wuxian shrank back,
trying to dodge away. Lan Wangji let loose an extremely dangerous-
sounding noise.
“All right, okay, don’t be like that,” Wei Wuxian hurriedly relented.
“I’ll let you touch.”
He guided Lan Wangji’s hand down his body and added with a smile,
“Touch me however you want.”
In his euphoria, Wei Wuxian felt like he did actually possess a kind of
natural lewdness when it came to this. But thinking about it and actually
doing it were very different things. He had lived for two lives and still never
felt the touch of anyone’s hand but his own in that intimate region. When
Lan Wangji’s scalding hot palm finally wrapped around him, Wei Wuxian
couldn’t help but shudder, curling in on himself slightly.
However, the feeling of being held and stroked by another person’s
hand was far too good. In no time, Wei Wuxian stretched back out, unable
to help himself. His arms wound their way behind Lan Wangji’s shoulders,
and he began to actively thrust into his hand.
Lan Wangji’s movements quickened. Wei Wuxian’s breath came in
small gasps, and he felt so incredible that his eyelids began to droop. His
fingers wanted to grasp something, but they could only scratch futilely at
Lan Wangji’s strong, bare back.
All of a sudden, it hit him that he shouldn’t be the only one feeling
good right now. And so, he slid his hand down Lan Wangji’s body.
Wei Wuxian felt the hot, thick member suddenly swell a size bigger
the second he touched it. It was as solid and hard as iron as it slapped into
his palm. Just the feel of it made his face burn. He had never thought he’d
ever touch another man like this. It was completely unimaginable. But the
moment he remembered Lan Wangji was the one he was touching, he got so
excited he could barely control his strength. He grabbed his member and
stroked without rhythm, rubbing his bare thighs against it.
Lan Wangji’s breaths turned harsh and heavy, and the veins of his
member pulsed as it grew even more scalding hot in Wei Wuxian’s hand.
Their ears were filled with each other’s increasingly uncontrollable panting,
as well as Wei Wuxian’s insuppressible moans.
He didn’t know how long had passed, but Wei Wuxian felt all the
blood and pleasure in him rush toward a particular area of his lower body.
Awash in the electric sensation, a thin, cracking voice that was near a
whimper escaped from his throat.
“Lan… Lan Zhan, you… Hold on, I…”
Before he could finish, that dangerous burst of pleasure exploded
from his lower body.
Wei Wuxian’s whines were cut short, and his mind went blank for a
moment. When he returned to himself several minutes later, he blearily saw
some faint evidence on Lan Wangji’s taut abdominal muscles that made him
realize he had reached his climax.
Lan Wangji came at almost the same time he did, covering Wei
Wuxian’s inner thighs with white release. As Wei Wuxian shifted in place,
that unspeakable wetness slowly trickled down his thighs and past a
particularly sensitive spot. He didn’t even have to look to know that it was a
mess down there; the stickiness between his legs made it obvious enough. It
was a slightly uncomfortable sensation, but he felt an unparalleled sense of
satisfaction above anything else.
Lan Wangji lay on top of Wei Wuxian, covering his body with his
warmth as he buried his head in his chest.
Wei Wuxian was completely drained. He was weak from the tip of
his fingers to the top of his head, and so lethargic that he didn’t even want
to curl his hands. It was a long time before the raging, feverish tide of
passion ebbed and their breathing calmed.
Although he was being crushed by Lan Wangji’s weight, his heart
was incomparably tranquil and content. He lowered his head and dropped
careful, delicate kisses on the top of Lan Wangji’s head. In addition to the
mild scent of sandalwood enveloping them, there was also a refreshing hint
of soap post-bath. The sensual, musky smell was no longer as obvious.
He’d originally had questions for Lan Wangji, but at this moment,
Wei Wuxian felt there was no longer any need to ask them. He would be the
one to say it, and that would be enough.
 “Lan Zhan… Are you listening?” Wei Wuxian asked in a hushed
voice.
After a moment, Lan Wangji answered with a “Mn.”
“I have something to tell you.”
After a pause, Wei Wuxian continued in a soft, barely perceptible
whisper. “Thank you, Lan Zhan. I…”
If he hadn’t met Lan Wangji after he returned in this new life, Wei
Wuxian did not know what he’d be like today. Regardless, he knew it would
not be better than the way things were now.
However, Lan Wangji’s entire body instantly stiffened when he heard
him.
Wei Wuxian, still oblivious, was about to peck him with another kiss
before he continued, but Lan Wangji suddenly shoved him away and sat up.
Wei Wuxian was caught off guard, his back hitting the bed with a muffled
thud as he was shoved to the other side.
He sat there, bewildered, with his eyes wide.
Lan Wangji’s head was bowed. His chest heaved, and his breaths
came short and quick.
Both of them sat facing each other in silence for a long time. Lan
Wangji was the first to move.
His face was incredibly pale, but his eyes were clear and his
expression entirely sober. He grabbed a piece of white clothing from the
floor to cover Wei Wuxian before he went to find his own robes.
Wei Wuxian could not believe that had just happened.
It seemed like a nightmare had intruded on his tender, enchanting
dream—one that upended a basin of cold water directly over his head and
chilled him to the bone, from head to toe. It was also like he’d been slapped
hard across his face, so hard that his ears rang, his heart pounded, and his
world spun. He couldn’t react for the longest time. It was with difficulty
that he managed to open his mouth, but his voice was hoarse.
“…Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian called out to him, “are you sober?”
 Lan Wangji had already finished dressing. He sat far away at the edge
of the wooden bed and rubbed his hand over his forehead. He turned away
from Wei Wuxian to survey the mess in the room.
After a while, he muttered, “…Mn.”
Although Wei Wuxian didn’t know exactly when he had sobered up,
there was one thing he could be sure of. Since this was Lan Wangji’s
reaction now that he was clearheaded, it meant he’d been an unwilling
participant in what had transpired earlier.
All of a sudden, it dawned on Wei Wuxian. He finally realized what
he had done and just how vile it was.
He saw it all clearly now. All the assurances he’d given himself, like
“I’ll only ask and won’t do anything else,” were simply self-deception.
Lan Wangji was usually utterly upright and self-disciplined, but when
drunk, he would throw tantrums, hit people, and commit all sorts of
outrageous acts—this was more than enough to prove that his intoxicated
actions were not within his control. Wei Wuxian obviously knew this, and
yet he’d still exploited a situation when Lan Wangji was easily susceptible
to manipulation. He deliberately seduced and stimulated him so that he
could have his way with him.
No matter how much of an ascetic Lan Wangji might be, he was still
a man, after all. There was no reason he wouldn’t become aroused when
Wei Wuxian deliberately tantalized him in such a brazen manner. What was
more, Lan Wangji had been insulted by Jiang Cheng regarding this very
matter the day before yesterday and was also still worried about his elder
brother. At a time like this, Wei Wuxian just had to be reckless and make a
mess of things…
After that one “mn,” Lan Wangji did not utter another word. But Wei
Wuxian was already thinking up a storm.
“Shame” was never a word he had learned to write in either lifetime,
but now, he had a sudden and profound understanding of what it meant. His
red, swollen lips still stung, and the stickiness on his lower abdomen and
legs made him feel even more ashamed. He wanted so very badly to slam
his head into the wall and die.
 One of his worst theories had just been confirmed beyond a shadow
of a doubt. Lan Wangji was indeed very nice to him, but…it was probably
not the kind of nice he had been hoping for.
Unwilling to put Lan Wangji in an awkward spot, Wei Wuxian
hurriedly grabbed his clothes and pants. As he began to dress himself, he
patted one side of his head and said in a tone no different from his usual
manner, “You’ve sobered up. My head’s pretty much clear too.”
Lan Wangji looked back at him. Wei Wuxian did not dare to guess
what emotions were contained in his eyes. He grabbed his clothes with
trembling arms and moved to put them on. After a moment of silence, he
saw Lan Wangji reach out to him as if he wanted to help clean off the mess
on his body.
“No need!” Wei Wuxian hurriedly exclaimed.
Lan Wangji’s hand froze mid-reach. As expected, he aborted the
motion.
Wei Wuxian breathed a sigh of relief and murmured, “No need for
you to help. I can do it myself. You don’t have to touch me.”
A man like Lan Wangji would probably think he’d gotten his partner
dirty by doing something like this, but Wei Wuxian was too ashamed to let
him help. He offhandedly grabbed an inner robe and wiped himself all over
before tossing it aside.
“Um… Lan Zhan, we both probably had too much to drink tonight.
Sorry about that, eh.”
Lan Wangji said nothing.
Wei Wuxian continued while he slipped on one boot. “But you don’t
need to feel too embarrassed; it’s, uh, normal for men to do stuff like this
once in a while. Don’t…take it to heart.”
Lan Wangji quietly looked at him. “Normal?”
His voice sounded extremely calm. Wei Wuxian did not dare to
answer.
“Do not take it to heart?” Lan Wangji echoed again.
 He’d initially thought he’d rather have Lan Wangji think him fickle
and abominable than endure the awkwardness of knowing his feelings,
which would surely make their friendship delicate going forward. But now,
he regretted all the foolish things he had just blurted out without thinking.
“…Sorry,” he muttered under his breath.
Lan Wangji jolted to his feet. Wei Wuxian suddenly panicked a little.
Right at this time, the proprietress ran up the stairs and rapped on the door.
“Gongzi. Gongzi! Have you gone to bed?”
Lan Wangji averted his gaze.
Wei Wuxian hurriedly put on the other boot and answered, “Not yet!
I mean, yes, we have. Wait a moment. I’ll come after I put on some
clothes.”
Once Wei Wuxian was dressed, Lan Wangji walked over to open the
door.
“What’s the matter?” Wei Wuxian asked.
The boss lady stood in the corridor, wearing an apologetic smile.
“I’m terribly sorry to disturb your rest so late at night. Please don’t
take offense, but I had no choice. The guest in the suite below yours said
that water was dripping into their room, and since the leak is likely coming
from here, I came to check…” She poked her head into the room and was
instantly shocked by the sight. “What the—?! What happened?!”
Wei Wuxian stroked his chin. “I’m the one who should feel
embarrassed, ma’am. I’m sorry. I drank too much tonight and got crazy
drunk. I wanted to take a bath, and then I struck the tub a couple times
while I was in a merry mood, and it broke. I’m really sorry about that. I’ll
pay you back.”
He had only just said that when it occurred to him: What the heck did
he mean, saying he could pay for it? Lan Wangji was the one who’d borne
all their expenses alone for the entirety of their journey, and he would still
be the one to pay for this in the end.
Although the proprietress kept saying, “It’s all right, it’s all right; no
worries at all,” her expression was incomparably pained. She walked into
the room.
 “Then how did the water leak… How is there even space to put a foot
down in this room…?” She bent over to pick up a few cushions and was,
once again, greatly shocked. “Why is there a hole here?!”
It was the hole that Lan Wangji had made by stabbing Bichen into the
floor.
All Wei Wuxian could do was apologize nonstop, his hand pressed to
his head of mussed hair. “Oops, that was my fault too. I was throwing a
sword around for fun earlier, and…”
Before he could finish, Lan Wangji picked up the money pouch on
the floor and set a silver ingot on the table. The proprietress’s expression
relaxed significantly, but she still couldn’t help but say a few words of
admonishment, one hand clutching at her chest.
“Oh, gongzi, don’t take this the wrong way, but a sword is such a
dangerous thing. How can you just throw one around for fun? It’s no big
deal if you jab a hole in the mat or the floor, but what if you hurt someone?”
“You’re right, you’re absolutely right, ma’am,” Wei Wuxian said.
The proprietress took the money. “Then we’ll leave it at that. It’s so
late now—get some rest. I’ll get you both a new room tonight and repair
this one tomorrow morning.”
“Okay, thank you, sorry for the trouble… Oh, hold on! We’d like to
have two rooms,” Wei Wuxian said.
“Why two rooms now?” the proprietress asked in surprise.
Wei Wuxian didn’t dare look at Lan Wangji as he mumbled an
answer. “…I get crazy when I drink too much. You saw it too. I throw
things around and play with swords and whatnot. I’m worried I might hurt
someone.”
“Oh, true!” said the proprietress.
She arranged for another room as promised and settled them in before
she lifted the hem of her skirt and headed downstairs.
Wei Wuxian said his thanks and opened the door to his room. He
looked back.
 Lan Wangji was standing in the hallway, one hand holding Bichen
and the other toying with his forehead ribbon. His head was bowed, and he
was silent.
He’d wanted to hide himself in the other room immediately, but the
sight of Lan Wangji bound his feet in place. After much deliberation, he
carefully and sincerely said, “Lan Zhan, I’m sorry about what happened
tonight.”
After a moment of silence, Lan Wangji assured him in a low voice,
“There is no need for you to say that word to me.”
He fastened his forehead ribbon correctly and properly, and promptly
reverted to the upright and self-possessed Hanguang-jun. With a slight nod
of his head, he told Wei Wuxian, “Rest well. We will discuss Guanyin
Temple and the trip to Lanling tomorrow.”
Wei Wuxian cheered up a little at this—at least there were still things
they could talk about tomorrow. He smiled.
“Mmm, you too. Rest well. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
He strode into the room, closed the door behind him, and leaned
against the doorframe. When he heard Lan Wangji close his door, he
immediately raised his hand and slapped himself across the face.
He sat down heavily on the wooden bed and buried his burning face
in his hands, but even after waiting a while, the heat still hadn’t subsided.
His face burned just as keenly as he did on the inside. He picked up the
teapot on the table and poured its contents over his head, splashing it into
his face, but to no avail. He was covered in Lan Wangji’s scent from head to
toe.
Wei Wuxian knew that if he stayed here and kept thinking about how
Lan Wangji was just a wall away from him—and of what they had been
doing not long ago—he could forget about having a single moment of peace
tonight. Sticking around here tonight was absolutely out of the question. He
pushed open the wooden window and stepped onto the windowsill. Like a
black cat, he lightly leapt out and landed soundlessly on the street outside
the inn.
It was already late, and the streets were deserted. This was
convenient for Wei Wuxian, who broke into a mad, lonely run.
 He only came to a stop when he ran past the wall that Lan Wangji had
scribbled on earlier while drunk. The wall was packed with a messy jumble
of rabbits, pheasants, and little human figures. As he stared at them, Wei
Wuxian recalled how engrossed Lan Wangji looked when he drew them and
how he had pulled him over to admire them afterward. The corners of his
lips couldn’t help but tug into a smile.
An unparalleled wave of regret washed over him.
If only he hadn’t acted so willfully while drunk…
He could at least still pretend to be honorable and focused, then. He
could still shamelessly snuggle into Lan Wangji’s bed and squeeze in beside
him, pretending to be contentedly asleep or falling into it. Unlike now,
where he was unable to rest in peace even in the middle of the night,
reduced instead to barreling out of the inn like a headless fly and darting
around the streets to work out his feelings.
Wei Wuxian reached out and brushed a hand across two figures with
puckered lips kissing on the wall, before trailing up to the words “Lan
Wangji was here.” The sentence needed to be cleaned away, but before Wei
Wuxian did so, he traced the strokes of Lan Wangji’s name with his
fingertips.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The more he traced them, the more he was loath to part.
All of a sudden, he heard scraping sounds. As it was the middle of the
night, he circled warily around the corner of the wall for a look. To his
surprise, he saw a figure in black scratching at the wall. The figure had a
small file in hand and was concentrating on chipping away the traces of
graffiti.
“…” Wei Wuxian was speechless.
Wen Ning turned around. His face was completely covered in white
dust. “Gongzi, why are you here?”
“What are you doing?” Wei Wuxian asked.
 “Ah,” Wen Ning said. “I saw Lan-gongzi wrote quite a lot on the
wall. It will probably pose an inconvenience to the people living here when
they wake up and see it tomorrow, so I’m scraping it off…” After a pause,
he asked out of curiosity, “Where’s Lan-gongzi?”
Wei Wuxian dropped his head. “He headed off to bed. I came out for
a stroll.”
Sensing that his mood was off, Wen Ning stopped what he was doing.
“Gongzi, did something happen?”
He took a few steps closer to Wei Wuxian, suddenly froze, and then
backed up.
Wei Wuxian was confused. “What are you doing now?”
Wen Ning looked like he had gotten quite a fright. He hurriedly
waved his hands. “No, no. Nothing!”
Wei Wuxian could tell at a glance that Wen Ning was embarrassed.
He unconsciously swept a glance over himself and noticed several red
finger marks on his wrists—Lan Wangji had left those behind when he
grabbed him to pin him down on the bed. He touched his lips, which were
still slightly red and swollen. Back when they were rolling around the bed
in a delirious embrace, wanting so badly to merge into one, Lan Wangji had
bitten him all over. His neck was probably also quite an interesting sight. If
Wen Ning had any color in his face, he would probably be blushing fit to
burst.
Wei Wuxian didn’t know what he should say either. “You… Sigh!”
He sat down by the corner of the wall and sighed again. “I want a
drink.”
“I’ll go buy something,” Wen Ning immediately said.
“Come back!” Wei Wuxian called out. “What are you running for?”
Wen Ning returned. “To find liquor…”
“Oh, you…” Wei Wuxian said. “I was just talking, but you actually
went for it. It’s not like you’re my servant.”
“I know that,” Wen Ning said.
“Besides,” Wei Wuxian continued, “do you have money?”
 “No…” Wen Ning answered.
“See?” Wei Wuxian exclaimed. “I knew it!”
“But Lan-gongzi has a lot…a lot of money…” Wen Ning said
enviously. “…How nice.”
“Ugh.” Wei Wuxian knocked the back of his head against the wall a
few times while sighing repeatedly. “Forget it. I’ll never drink again.”
Wen Ning was stunned. “Why?”
“Drinking ruins everything,” Wei Wuxian said. “I’m gonna quit.”
The corners of Wen Ning’s lips twitched.
“What’s with that look?” Wei Wuxian demanded. “You don’t believe
me?”
“No, no…” Wen Ning spoke haltingly. “But didn’t jiejie fail to make
you quit drinking, back then? Even after she exhausted all the methods she
could think of…”
“Ha ha, ha ha.” Wei Wuxian remembered it now. “Weren’t those
‘methods’ just stabbing me every other day with her needles?”
He’d laughed enough. He suddenly asked, “Wen Ning, have you ever
thought about what you’re gonna do after this mess is over and done with?”
Wen Ning was momentarily stumped. “What I’m going to do…?”
Of the people Wen Ning had once been close to, not a single soul
remained. Even people he once knew were few and far between. He’d never
been good at making decisions. If he wasn’t following Wen Qing, he was
following Wei Wuxian. Aside from that, he probably had no idea where he
should go, or where he could go.
Wei Wuxian still hoped he would find his own path to travel
someday, but if he voiced that thought, it would only sound like he was
trying to chase him off.
Then again…Wen Ning might have no idea of where to go, but was
he not the same? When he was with Lan Wangji, he’d never even thought
about it. He’d taken for granted that they would always continue as they
were, without anything changing. But after tonight, the two of them might
never be able to have that kind of relationship again.
 While leaving Lan Wangji behind and freely roaming the world alone
did not seem an impossible thing to consider…
…a voice deep inside Wei Wuxian told him the clear truth: It was
impossible.
The nonsense he’d spouted back at Golden Carp Tower had really
come true. The Wei Wuxian of today could not do without Lan Wangji.
He heaved a long sigh and said despairingly, “I need a drink.”
The more he thought about it, the more depressed he felt. An anxiety
with no room for release eventually transformed into a full-blown fury.
He leapt to his feet and cursed. “Damn it. Wen Ning, let’s go!”
“Go where?” Wen Ning asked.
“To go cause trouble!” Wei Wuxian answered.
 Characters

The identity of certain characters may be a spoiler; use this guide

with caution on your first read of the novel.
Note on the given name translations: Chinese characters may have
many different readings. Each reading here is just one out of several
possible readings presented for your reference and should not be
considered a definitive translation.

MAIN CHARACTERS

Wei Wuxian
BIRTH NAME: Wei Ying ( / Surname Wei, “Infant”)
COURTESY NAME: Wei Wuxian ( / Surname Wei, “Having no
envy”)
SOBRIQUET: Yiling Patriarch
WEAPON:

Sword: Suiban ( / “Whatever”)

Hufu/Tiger Tally: Yin Tiger Tally ( )
INSTRUMENT:

Dizi (side-blown flute): Chenqing ( / “To explain one’s situation in

detail.” This is a reference to a line in a collection of poems, Chu Ci [ ],
by famous poet Qu Yuan)
Unnamed dizi (side-blown flute)
In his previous life, Wei Wuxian was the feared Yiling Patriarch. He
commanded an army of the living dead with his wicked flute Chenqing and
laid waste to the cultivation world in an orgy of blood that eventually
resulted in his death. Thirteen years later, a troubled young man sacrifices
his soul to resurrect Wei Wuxian in his own body, hoping the terrible Yiling
Patriarch will enact revenge on his behalf. Awakening confused and
disoriented in this new body, Wei Wuxian stumbles forth into his second
chance at life. Now, he must piece together the mystery surrounding his
return—and face the lingering consequences of his last life, which continue
to dog him even beyond death.
Wei Wuxian is mischievous and highly intelligent. He seems
physically incapable of keeping his mouth shut and also can’t seem to stop
himself from teasing people who catch his interest—with Lan Wangji being
a perennial favorite target, even after thirteen years away from the land of
the living. He has a soft spot for children and can often be found scolding
junior disciples for endangering themselves during missions.

Lan Wangji
BIRTH NAME: Lan Zhan ( / “Blue,” “Clear” or “Deep”)
COURTESY NAME: Lan Wangji ( / “Blue,” “Free of worldly
concerns”)
SOBRIQUET: Hanguang-jun ( / “Light-bringer,” honorific “-jun”)
WEAPON: Sword: Bichen ( / “Shunning worldly affairs”)
INSTRUMENT: Guqin (zither): Wangji ( / “Free of worldly
concerns”)
Lan Wangji’s perfection as a cultivator is matched by none. Shunning
petty politics and social prejudices, he appears wherever there is chaos to
quell it with his sword Bichen, and evildoers quake in fear at the sound of
strumming guqin strings. His remarkable grace and beauty have won him
renown far and wide, even though his perpetual frown makes him look like
a widower.
Younger brother to the current Lan Sect leader, Lan Xichen, Lan
Wangji is stern, reserved, highly principled, and an avid fan of rabbits.
While he was easily affected by teasing in his youth, he seems harder to
perturb these days.
 SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

Baoshan-sanren
COURTESY NAME: Baoshan-sanren ( / “To embrace,”
“Mountain,” “Scattered One”)
A mysterious immortal cultivator. She lives the life of a hermit on a
secluded mountain, far removed from the chaos and pain of the outside
world. She frequently takes in orphaned children to be brought up as
cultivators under her tutelage and has but a single rule for her students to
follow: If they ever choose to leave the mountain, they will never be
allowed to return. She was the teacher of Xiao Xingchen and Cangse-
sanren.

Cangse-sanren
COURTESY NAME: Cangse-sanren ( / “Hidden,” “Colors,”
“Scattered One”)
A famous cultivator of remarkable skill and beauty who studied
under Baoshan-sanren. Upon leaving her teacher’s secluded mountain, she
fell in love with Wei Changze ( / Surname Wei, “Long-Lasting” or
“Large,” “Benevolence” or “Lake”), a servant boy from the Jiang Clan of
Yunmeng, and they ran away together. They eventually perished during a
Night Hunt gone wrong, leaving behind their young son, Wei Wuxian.

Jiang Cheng
BIRTH NAME: Jiang Cheng ( / “River,” “Clear”)
COURTESY NAME: Jiang Wanyin ( / “River,” “Night,”
“Recitation”)
SOBRIQUET: Sandu Shengshou ( / “Three Poisons,” a reference
to the Buddhist three roots of suffering: greed, anger, and ignorance, “Sage
Hand”
WEAPON:

Whip: Zidian ( / “Purple,” “Lightning”)

 Sword: Sandu ( / “Three Poisons”)
Jiang Cheng is the leader of the Jiang Sect and Jin Ling’s maternal
uncle. Known to be stern and unrelenting, he possesses a longstanding
grudge against Wei Wuxian even after the latter’s death. This is a far cry
from the way things once were—Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian grew up
together at Lotus Pier when the homeless and orphaned Wei Wuxian was
taken in by Jiang Cheng’s father, and were the closest of friends as well as
martial siblings. However, after Wei Wuxian’s rise as the Yiling Patriarch,
their friendship ended alongside the many people who died at his hands…or
so it seems.

Jiang Fengmian
COURTESY NAME: Jiang Fengmian ( / “River,” “Maple,” “To
sleep”)
The former head of the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng, husband of Yu
Ziyuan, and father of Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng. Jiang Fengmian is a
mild-mannered man who prefers keeping the peace. He is rumored to have
been in unrequited love with Wei Wuxian’s mother, Cangse-sanren. He took
in the orphaned Wei Wuxian and maintains a warm and fatherly relationship
toward him. He treated Wei Wuxian with visibly more affection than his
biological children, which further aggravated his already strained
relationships with his wife and Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Yanli
BIRTH NAME: Jiang Yanli ( / “River,” “To dislike separation”)
WEAPON: Love, patience, soup
The eldest daughter of the Jiang Clan, older sister to Jiang Cheng,
and older martial sister to Wei Wuxian. She is Jin Zixuan’s wife and Jin
Ling’s mother, and is warmly remembered by Wei Wuxian as being
unconditionally kind and caring—and also an amazing chef. Though she
possessed weak cultivation and no talent for combat, Jiang Yanli’s
boundless compassion touched the lives of many and changed the course of
the cultivation world more profoundly than any bloody war ever could.
 Yu Ziyuan
BIRTH NAME: Yu Ziyuan ( / “Apprehension” or “To worry,”
“Purple,” “Kite [species of bird]”)
SOBRIQUET: Zi Zhizhu ( / “Purple Spider”)
WEAPON: Whip: Zidian ( / “Purple,” “Lightning”)
The wife of Jiang Fengmian and mother of Jiang Yanli and Jiang
Cheng. Originally from the Yu Clan of Meishan, she was a famous
cultivator in her own right. She was a stern and unrelenting woman but
loved her children deeply. That being said, she never warmed up to Wei
Wuxian, the orphaned ward her husband brought home against her wishes.
She was close with Madam Jin, and it was their lifelong friendship that
prompted the arranged marriage of Jiang Yanli and Jin Zixuan.
Madam Yu has two personal maidservants who serve as her right and
left hands when it comes to sect matters, named Jinzhu ( / “Golden
Bead”) and Yinzhu ( / “Silver Bead”). They are able to interpret their
mistress’s commands without a single word being spoken.

Jin Ling
BIRTH NAME: Jin Ling ( / “Gold,” “Tower aloft”)
COURTESY NAME: Jin Rulan ( / “Gold,” “Like” or “As if,”
“Orchid”)
WEAPON:

Sword: Suihua ( / “Passage of time”), previously owned by Jin

Zixuan
Fairy (spirit dog)
Unnamed bow
The young heir to the Jin Clan and son of Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli.
Jin Ling grew up a lonely child, bullied by his peers and overly doted on by
his caretakers out of pity. Though Jin Ling remains quite spoiled and
unmanageable in temperament, he strongly dislikes being looked down
upon and seeks to prove himself as a cultivator. He is often seen squabbling
with his maternal uncle and sometimes-caretaker Jiang Cheng or hurling
himself headlong into mortal peril alongside his loyal spirit dog Fairy.

Jin Guangshan
COURTESY NAME: Jin Guangshan ( / “Gold,” “Light and glory,”
“Kindness”)
The former Jin Sect head and father to Jin Zixuan, Jin Guangyao, Mo
Xuanyu, and many, many more. He was a womanizer who would abandon
his lovers just as quickly as he would any children born of his dalliances.
Despite this ravenous appetite, he only sired one child (Jin Zixuan) with his
lawful wife. Under his rule, the Jin Sect was loathed by the cultivation
world for its shameless abuses, corruption, and excess. Thankfully, he
eventually died of exhaustion during an orgy and was succeeded by Jin
Guangyao.

Jin Guangyao
BIRTH NAME: Meng Yao ( / “Eldest,” “Jade”)
COURTESY NAME: Jin Guangyao ( / “Gold,” “Light and glory,”
“Jade”)
SOBRIQUET: Lianfang-zun ( / “Hidden fragrance,” honorific “-
zun”)
WEAPON: Softsword: Hensheng ( / “To hate life/birth”)
INSTRUMENT: Unnamed guqin
The current Jin Sect leader. He is half siblings with Jin Zixuan, Mo
Xuanyu, and countless other children born of Jin Guangshan’s wandering
libido. He is also sworn brothers with Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue, and
together, they are known as the Three Zun. He is particularly close to Lan
Xichen and could easily be named the man’s most trusted companion.
However, Jin Guangyao had a considerably more troubled relationship with
Nie Mingjue before the man’s death, and they frequently had heated
disagreements over their conflicting worldviews.
 Jin Guangyao rose from humble circumstances and became not only
the head of the Jin Sect but also the Cultivation Chief of the inter-sect
alliance. His work as an undercover spy was instrumental in the success of
the Sunshot Campaign. His skill at politicking and networking is matched
by none, and through restructuring and reparations he was able to largely
make up for the damage done to the Jin Sect’s reputation by his father’s
rule.

Jin Zixuan
COURTESY NAME: Jin Zixuan ( / “Gold,” common male prefix
“Son,” “Pavilion”)
WEAPON: Sword: Suihua ( / “Passage of time”)
The Jin Clan heir and the only legitimate son of Jin Guangshan. He
married Jiang Yanli and together they had a son, Jin Ling. He attended
school at the Cloud Recesses in his youth and was classmates with Wei
Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, and Nie Huaisang. Due to his status, his natural skill,
and his good looks, Jin Zixuan was generally rather prideful and arrogant,
and was disliked by his peers.
He was initially resentful of his betrothal to Jiang Yanli, as it was
arranged by his mother without his input or consent. However, he
eventually began to regret his rude behavior and developed real feelings for
her. Jiang Yanli seemed charmed by his earnest and extremely inept
attempts to woo her, and the result was a brief but happy marriage.

Jin Zixun
COURTESY NAME: Jin Zixun ( / “Gold,” common male prefix
“Son,” “Meritorious deed”)
Jin Zixuan’s younger paternal cousin. Like his cousin, he is arrogant
and prideful regarding his appearance and skills, but unlike his cousin, these
feelings do not have much basis in reality. Jin Zixun’s cultivation level is
unremarkable, and this coupled with his inability to keep a cool head often
makes him a liability in tense situations.
 Madam Jin
The lawful wife of Jin Guangshan and mother of Jin Zixuan. While
her proper name is never revealed, her forceful personality is not so easily
forgotten. She was close with Madam Yu, and it was their lifelong
friendship that prompted the arranged marriage of Jiang Yanli and Jin
Zixuan. She despises her husband’s constant philandering (as well as any
reminders of it in the form of illegitimate children), and although he fears
her wrath, it does not stop him from continuing apace. She is equally
unamused by her son’s attitude problems and not afraid to reprimand him in
public should the need arise.

Lan Jingyi
COURTESY NAME: Lan Jingyi ( / “Blue,” “Scenery,” “Bearing” or
“Appearance”)
WEAPON: Unnamed sword
A junior disciple in the Lan Sect. He is close friends with Lan Sizhui
and appears to have a special kind of admiration for Lan Wangji. Although
he was raised in such a strict sect, Lan Jingyi is distinctly un-Lan-like in his
mannerisms, being loud, bluntly honest, and easily worked up into a tizzy.
That being said, like any Lan, he is still very quick to spot and accuse
instances of rule-breaking on the Cloud Recesses’ premises.

Lan Qiren
COURTESY NAME: Lan Qiren ( / “Blue,” “Open” or “Awaken,”
“Benevolence”)
WEAPON: Long lectures, closed-book exams
A Lan Clan elder and the paternal uncle of Lan Xichen and Lan
Wangji. He is well known across the cultivation world as an exemplary (and
extremely strict) teacher who consistently produces equally exemplary
students. He loves his nephews deeply and is clearly extremely proud of
their accomplishments and skill as cultivators and gentlemen both.
However, he does not exclude them from the prescribed clan punishments
on the rare occasion that such things are warranted. Lan Qiren saw how his
older brother Qingheng-jun was ruined by love and is desperate to keep his
nephews from making the same mistakes as their father.

Lan Sizhui
BIRTH NAME: Lan Yuan ( / “Blue,” “Wish”)
COURTESY NAME: Lan Sizhui ( / “Blue,” “To remember and long
for”)
WEAPON: Unnamed sword
INSTRUMENT: Unnamed guqin
A junior disciple in the Lan Sect. He is close friends with Lan Jingyi
and appears to have a special kind of admiration for Lan Wangji. Lan Sizhui
is poised and quite mature for his age and is a natural leader of his peers
when the juniors are sent out on investigations. Although raised in such a
strict sect, Lan Sizhui retains an air of warmth about him. He is kind,
intuitive, and willing to see beyond surface appearances.
Unbeknownst to most, he is the last surviving member of the Wen
Clan as the child of Wen Qing and Wen Ning’s cousin (paternal side). Lan
Sizhui does not remember his childhood years. He was raised by Lan
Wangji after the first Siege of the Burial Mounds, who changed the writing
of “Yuan” from / “garden” to / “wish” and gave him the Lan clan name,
as well as the courtesy name “Sizhui.”

Lan Xichen
BIRTH NAME: Lan Huan ( / “Blue,” “Melt” or “Dissipate”)
COURTESY NAME: Lan Xichen ( / “Blue,” “Sunlight,” “Minister”
or “Subject”)
SOBRIQUET: Zewu-jun ( / “Moss-shaded pool,” honorific “-jun”)
WEAPON: Sword: Shuoyue ( / “New moon”)
INSTRUMENT: Xiao (end-blown flute): Liebing ( / “Cracked,”
“Ice”)
Unnamed guqin
 The current Lan Sect head and Lan Wangji’s elder brother. He is also
sworn brothers with Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue, and together they are
known as the Three Zun.
Lan Xichen possesses a warm and gentle personality and can easily
get along with anyone and everyone. He possesses the unique and curious
ability to understand his reticent little brother at a glance. He is as calm and
undisturbed as the shaded pool from which he takes his sobriquet and will
lend an ear to anyone who approaches, whatever their social standing.

Mianmian
SOBRIQUET: Mianmian ( / “Continuous”)
A young female cultivator from a minor clan. She is harassed by the
lecherous Wen Chao when imprisoned at his clan’s training facilities, and
this provokes the furious jealousy of Wang Lingjiao. As Wei Wuxian never
wheedled her real name out of her during their brief meeting, she is known
to him by her nickname only. He used this nickname to tease her
flirtatiously by referencing the lady lead of a romantic folksong from the
Han dynasty. The verse in question used is Mianmian si yuandao,
“Unendingly do I long for [my husband].”

Mo Xuanyu
COURTESY NAME: Mo Xuanyu ( / “Nothing” or “There is none
who,” “Mysterious” or “Black,” “Feathers”)
The young man who offered up his own body to bring Wei Wuxian
back into the land of the living at a most horrible price: the obliteration of
his own soul. He is one of the many illegitimate sons of Jin Guangshan.
After he was expelled from the Jin Sect, the humiliation took a dreadful toll
on his mind. He endured years of relentless abuse by the Mo household and
eventually turned to demonic cultivation to exact revenge on those who
tormented him. With his soul destroyed, Mo Xuanyu himself is now but a
memory, and Wei Wuxian inhabits his body.

Nie Huaisang
 COURTESY NAME: Nie Huaisang ( / “Whisper,” “Cherish,”
“Mulberry”)
SOBRIQUET: Head-Shaker ( / “One Question, Three Don’t-
Knows”)
WEAPON:

Unnamed saber (ostensibly)

Crying (actually)
The current Nie Sect head and Nie Mingjue’s younger half brother.
When they were young, he attended school at the Cloud Recesses with Wei
Wuxian and Jiang Cheng. Nie Huaisang is a dilettante dandy who possesses
a passionate love of fashion and the arts, but unfortunately possesses no
such innate genius for politics or management. He is frequently seen
looking stricken and panicked, and largely relies on the compassion and
assistance of his older brother’s sworn brothers (Lan Xichen and Jin
Guangyao) to keep the Nie Sect struggling along.

Nie Mingjue
COURTESY NAME: Nie Mingjue ( / “Whisper,” “Bright” or
“Righteousness,” “Jade ring”)
SOBRIQUET: Chifeng-zun ( / “Crimson Blade,” honorific “-zun”)
WEAPON: Saber: Baxia ( / “To be ruled by force,” also the name of
one of the mythical Dragon King’s nine sons.)
The former Nie Sect head and Nie Huaisang’s older half brother. He
is also sworn brothers with Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao, and together
they are known as the Three Zun. Nie Mingjue was a fierce man who was
quick to use violence as a solution. He was unable to tolerate injustice or
underhanded behavior, and was fearless in calling out even those in the
highest seats of power. Unfortunately, his temperament eventually got the
better of him, and he died at a young age from a qi deviation.

Ouyang Zizhen
 BIRTH NAME: Ouyang Zizhen ( / Surname Ouyang, common
male prefix “Son,” “Genuine,” “Truth”)
WEAPON: A sentimental heart
One of the junior disciples who was rescued by Wei Wuxian as they
found themselves lost in Yi City’s fog. He is described by Wei Wuxian as
having a sentimental outlook on the world. Ouyang Zizhen does not forget
the kind deeds others have done for him, and he will not hesitate to stand up
to defend a friend even in the face of an army.

Sect Leader Ouyang

NAME: Sect Leader Ouyang ( / Surname Ouyang, “sect leader”)
The leader of the Ouyang Sect and head of the Ouyang Clan, based in
Baling. He is Ouyang Zizhen’s father.

Qin Su
BIRTH NAME: Qin Su ( / Surname Qin, “Sincerity”)
Jin Guangyao’s wife. Despite her high social status, she pushed to be
allowed to marry for love and got her way. She is devoted to her husband,
Jin Guangyao, with whom she had one child, Jin Rusong ( / “Gold,”
“Like/as if,” “Pine tree”), who died tragically at a young age. Jin Rusong’s
name uses the same character for “pine” that is in the poem from which the
Cloud Recesses takes its name, in honor of the close friendship between Jin
Guangyao and Lan Xichen.

Bicao
NAME: Bicao ( / “Green grass”) [no family name given]
The ex-handmaid of the late Madam Qin of the Qin Clan of Laoling.
She was deeply trusted by her late madam and watched Qin Su grow up.

Sect Leader Yao

NAME: Sect Leader Yao ( / Surname Yao, “sect leader”)
 The leader of the Yao Sect and head of the Yao Clan. He is very
quick to speak in public and does so at great length and with considerable
pretension.

Sisi
NAME: Sisi ( / “Pining” or “Longing”) [no family name given]
An ex-prostitute with a heavily scarred face. The sole surviving
witness to a shocking incident, she was secretly held under house arrest for
over a decade. Thanks to the assistance of a mysterious benefactor, she
recently escaped her imprisonment and is now determined to tell the world
the truth of what she saw that fateful day.

Su She
BIRTH NAME: Su She ( / “Tassel” or “Revival,” “Experience” or
“Involve”)
COURTESY NAME: Su Minshan ( / “Tassel” or “Revival,”
“Compassion” or “Kindness”)
WEAPON: Sword: Nanping ( / “Difficult to quell”)
INSTRUMENT: Unnamed guqin
The leader of the Su Sect of Moling and head of the Su Clan.
Originally a disciple of the Lan Sect, Su She eventually left to form his own
sect. Insecure about his abilities as a cultivator, he has a tendency to copy
Lan techniques, which has led to bad blood between the sects.

Wen Ning
BIRTH NAME: Wen Ning ( / “Mild” or “Warm,” “Peaceful”)
COURTESY NAME: Wen Qionglin ( / “Mild” or “Warm,”
“Beautiful” or “Fine jade,” “Forest”)
SOBRIQUET: Ghost General ( )
WEAPON: Fists, feet, and metal chains
 A fierce corpse known as the Ghost General. One of the Yiling
Patriarch’s finest creations, Wen Ning retains his mind and personality.
Coupled with the strength to crush steel to dust with his bare fists, it is no
wonder that he was once Wei Wuxian’s right-hand man.
Wen Ning wasn’t always so powerful, nor always so dead. In life, he
served under the Wen Clan as the leader of a minor squadron. His
compassion and meekness were always at odds with the orders passed down
from on high, and he also suffered from a minor stutter. Despite the lack of
respect from his peers, he maintained his position in the Wen Clan due to
family ties. He is the beloved younger brother of the Wen Clan’s most
famous doctor, Wen Qing, and the son of Wen Ruohan’s cousin.

Wen Qing
COURTESY NAME: Wen Qing ( / “Mild” or “Warm,” “Sentiment”;
taken as a single word means “Tenderness”)
WEAPON: A steady hand and an endless supply of acupuncture
needles
A famous and highly decorated doctor and a member of the Wen
Clan. She has a no-nonsense personality and a decided lack of bedside
manner. Although she can come across as arrogant, no one in the cultivation
world could deny that her abilities are truly exceptional. Wen Qing is the
daughter of Wen Ruohan’s maternal cousin and is a personal favorite of the
mad tyrant himself. While she does not share her relative’s taste for cruelty,
she doesn’t consider it something she needs to personally concern herself
with—after all, her prime directive is to ensure the survival of her beloved
younger brother, Wen Ning, at all costs.

Wen Ruohan
COURTESY NAME: Wen Ruohan ( / “Mild” or “Warm,” “As
though,” “Cold” or “Tremble”)
The leader of the Wen Clan of Qishan and an immensely powerful
cultivator. He is cruel and power-hungry, and will stop at nothing to ensure
that the Wen Clan crushes all other clans beneath its heel. He has an
extensive collection of torture devices and does not hesitate to use them to
toy with his victims until death releases them.

Fairy
WEAPON: Claws, jaws, and the only brain in the room (usually)
INSTRUMENT: Woof!
Jin Ling’s loyal spirit dog. As a spirit dog, Fairy possesses
intelligence of a level above the average canine and can detect supernatural
beings. Regarding the pup’s name, “Fairy” could refer to the Chinese xianzi
( ), a female celestial being, but it is also a common way to describe a
woman with ethereal, otherworldly beauty. That being said, Fairy’s gender
is never specified in the text.

Little Apple
WEAPON: Hooves, teeth, and raw fury
A spotted donkey that Wei Wuxian stole from Mo Manor as he made
his escape after the ghost arm incident. Little Apple is imperious, hard to
please, and very temperamental; however, it possesses a strong sense of
justice and a heart brave enough to put even the most renown cultivators to
shame. It also really loves apples. Little Apple’s gender is never specified in
the text.
 Locations

HUBEI
Burial Mounds ( )
A foreboding mountainous ridge located near Yiling. It is said to be
the spot where an ancient and most terrible battle was waged. It is heavily
ravaged by resentful energy and packed to the brim with walking corpses
and vengeful ghosts. It has proven to be extremely resistant to any attempts
at purification from top cultivation sects, and as such it was sealed off with
magical barriers and written off as a lost cause. That is, until the dreaded
Yiling Patriarch claimed it as his base of operations.

Lotus Pier ( )
The residence of the Jiang Clan of Yunmeng, located on the shores of
a vast lake rich with blooming lotuses. The picturesque scenery is a perfect
setting for a myriad of outdoor activities, such as boating, kite-flying, and
playfully roughhousing with one’s martial siblings.
Lotus Pier is always bustling with cultivators and common folk alike,
which is in stark contrast to other sects. Merchants line the piers to hawk
food and wares, and local children scamper about to gawk in awe as the
disciples of the Jiang Sect do their daily training.

Yiling ( )
An area located near Yunmeng. While Yiling itself is bustling with
life, it is most infamous for its proximity to the Burial Mounds.

Yunmeng ( )
A county in the Hubei area. Its many lakes and waterways make it a
prime juncture point for trade.
 Yunping( )
A city in the Hubei area, near Yunmeng. Located on the shores of a
river that cuts through the region, it sees a considerable amount of trade and
tourism. It also boasts a most peculiar feature: a temple located in the heart
of the city that is dedicated to the beloved goddess Guanyin.

JIANGNAN
Cloud Recesses ( )
The residence of the Lan Clan of Gusu, located on a remote
mountaintop. The Cloud Recesses is a tranquil place constantly shrouded in
mist. Beside the entrance there looms the Wall of Discipline, carved with
the three thousand (later four thousand) rules of the Lan Clan.
The Cloud Recesses is home to the Library Pavilion where many rare
and ancient texts are housed, the Tranquility Room where Lan Wangji
resides, and the Orchid Room where Lan Qiren hosts lectures. There is also
the Nether Room, a tower in which spirit-summoning rituals are performed,
as well as a cold spring for bathing. On the back of the mountain is a
secluded meadow where Lan Wangji keeps his pet rabbits.
The Cloud Recesses’ name translates more literally to “Somewhere
Hidden in Clouds” ( ) and is a reference to a line in the poem
“Failing to Find the Hermit,” by Jia Dao:

I asked the young disciple beneath the pine;

“My master is gone to pick herbs,” he answered.
“Though within this mountain he is,
The recesses of clouds hide his trail.”

Gusu ( )
A city in the Jiangnan region. Jiangnan is famous for its rich, fertile
land and its abundant agricultural goods. Its hazy, drizzling weather and the
soft sweet dialect make it a popular setting in Chinese romance literature.
 HEBEI
Qinghe ( )
A county in the Hebei region. Qinghe is the home territory of the Nie
Clan and is where their residence is located.

Impure Realm ( )
The residence of the Nie Clan of Qinghe. Its name may be a reference
to Patikulamanasikara (in Chinese, written as / Impure View), a set of
Buddhist sutras meant to help overcome mortal desires. It thus serves both
as a goal for the Nie Clan to aspire to and a reminder of their background as
butchers.

SHAANXI
Qishan ( )
A county in the Shaanxi region. Qishan is the home territory of the
Wen Clan and is where their residence is located.

Nightless City ( )
The residence of the Wen Clan of Qishan. Its name is derived from
the fact that the expansive complex is vast enough to be comparable to the
size of a city, as well as the brazen declaration of the Wen Clan that the sun
never sets upon their domain—since it is their clan crest. The Scorching
Sun Palace is the seat of Wen Ruohan’s power, and the Inferno Palace is
where he stores and demonstrates his vast collection of torture devices on
unlucky guests.

SHANDONG
Lanling ( )
A county in the Shandong region.
 Golden Carp Tower ( )
The residence of the Jin Clan of Lanling, located at the heart of the
city of Lanling. The main road to the tower is only opened when events are
being hosted, and this grand avenue is lavishly decorated with murals and
statuary. Upon reaching the tower base, travelers must scale the numerous
levels of steep staircases that lead to the tower proper. These staircases are a
reference to the legend from which Golden Carp Tower derives its name—it
is said that if an ordinary carp is able to leap to the top of a waterfall, it can
turn into a glorious dragon.
Once the arduous journey to the top is complete, one will find
themselves overlooking the city of Lanling from on high and vast gardens
of the Jin Clan of Lanling’s signature flower: the cultivar peony, Sparks
Amidst Snow. The Jin Sect’s wealth and influence, as well as current leader
Jin Guangyao’s position as Cultivation Chief, sees Golden Carp Tower
hosting frequent symposiums and banquets with VIP guests from the
cultivation world’s most powerful sects.

MISCELLANEOUS
Dongying ( )
The name used for the country of Japan in ancient China.

Qiongqi Path ( )
An old road running through a mountain valley. It was previously a
tourist attraction that boasted murals depicting the brave deeds of the Wen
Clan’s founder, Wen Mao. After the Sunshot Campaign’s conclusion, the
area was reassigned to the Jin Clan of Lanling, who wasted no time in
removing the Wen murals to rebrand it as their own.
 Name Guide

Courtesy Names
A courtesy name is given to an individual when they come of age.
Traditionally, this was at the age of twenty during one’s crowning
ceremony, but it can also be presented when an elder or teacher deems the
recipient worthy. Generally a male-only tradition, there is historical
precedent for women adopting a courtesy name after marriage. Courtesy
names were a tradition reserved for the upper class.
It was considered disrespectful for one’s peers of the same generation
to address someone by their birth name, especially in formal or written
communication. Use of one’s birth name was reserved for only elders, close
friends, and spouses.
This practice is no longer used in modern China but is commonly
seen in wuxia and xianxia media. As such, many characters have more than
one name. Its implementation in novels is irregular and is often treated
malleably for the sake of storytelling. For example, in Grandmaster of
Demonic Cultivation, characters as young as fifteen years of age are
referred to only by their courtesy names, while traditionally they would not
have been permitted to use them until the age of twenty.

Sobriquet
The term used in this translation for hao ( ). Hao can also be
translated as “art name.” These names are generally chosen by an individual
for themselves, but they can also be bestowed upon them in light of their
accomplishments or traits. They were often used as pen names or respectful
titles for scholars, government officials, or martial heroes. They could be
derived from a number of possible subjects, including their place of birth, a
poetic quote, a feat that the person in question was famous for, and more.

Names, Honorifics, & Titles

 Diminutives, Nicknames, and Name Tags
XIAO-: A diminutive meaning “little.” Always a prefix.
LAO-: A diminutive meaning “old.”
-ER: A word for “son” or “child.” Added to a name, it expresses
affection. Similar to calling someone “Little” or “Sonny.”
A-:Friendly diminutive. Always a prefix. Usually for monosyllabic
names, or one syllable out of a two-syllable name.
EXAMPLE: A-Qing, A-Yuan, A-Xian (For Wei Wuxian)
Doubling a syllable of a person’s name can be a nickname, and has
childish or cutesy connotations.
EXAMPLE: Xianxian (for Wei Wuxian, referring to himself).

Family
BOMU: Aunt (non-biological, wife of father’s elder brother).
DI:Younger brother or younger male friend. Can be used alone or as
an honorific.
DIDI: Younger brother or a younger male friend. Casual.
XIAO-DI: Does not mean “little brother”, and instead refers to one’s
lackey or subordinate, someone a leader took under their wings.
GE: Older brother or older male friend.
GEGE: Older brother or an older male friend. Casual and has a
cutesier feel than “ge,” so it can be used in a flirtatious manner.
JIE: Older sister or older female friend. Can be used alone or as an
honorific.
JIEJIE: Older sister or an unrelated older female friend. Casual.
JIUJIU: Uncle (maternal, biological).
MEI: Younger sister or younger female friend. Can be used alone or as
an honorific.
MEIMEI: Younger sister or an unrelated younger female friend.
Casual.
 SHUFU: Uncle (paternal, biological) Formal address for one’s father’s
younger brother.
SHUSHU: An affectionate version of “Shufu.”
XIAO-SHU OR XIAO-SHUSHU: Little (paternal) uncle; affectionate.
XIONG: Older brother. Generally used as an honorific. Formal, but
also used informally between male friends of equal status.
XIONGZHANG: Eldest brother. Very formal, blood related-only.
XIANSHENG: Historically “teacher,” but modern usage is “Mister.”
Also an affectionate way for wives to refer to their husband.

If multiple relatives in the same category are present (multiple older

brothers, for example), everyone is assigned a number in order of birthdate,
starting with the eldest as number one, the second oldest as number two,
etc. These numbers are then used to differentiate one person from another.
This goes for all of the categories above, whether it’s siblings, cousins,
aunts, uncles, and so on.
EXAMPLES: If you have three older brothers, the oldest would be
referred to as “da-ge,” the second oldest “er-ge,” and the third oldest “san-
ge.” If you have two younger brothers you (as the oldest) would be number
one. Your second-youngest brother would be “er-di,” and the youngest of
your two younger brothers would be “san-di.”
 Cultivation and Martial Arts

GENERAL
GONGZI: Young master of an affluent household
-JUN: A suffix meaning “lord.”
A respectful suffix for someone older, more experienced,
-QIANBEI:
and/or more skilled in a particular discipline. Not to be used for blood
relatives.
-ZUN: A suffix meaning “esteemed, venerable.” More respectful than
“-jun.”

SECTS

SHIDI: Younger martial brother. For junior male members of one’s

own sect.
Teacher/master. For one’s master in one’s own sect. Gender
SHIFU:
neutral. Mostly interchangeable with Shizun, but has a slightly less formal
feel.
SHIJIE: Older martial sister. For senior female members of one’s own
sect.
SHIMEI: Younger martial sister. For junior female members of one’s
own sect.
SHINIANG: The wife of a shifu/shizun.
SHISHU: The younger martial sibling of one’s master. Can be male or
female.
SHIXIONG: Older martial brother. For senior male members of one’s
own sect.
SHIZUN:Honorific address (as opposed to shifu) of one’s
teacher/master.

Cultivators and Immortals

DAOREN: “Cultivator.”
 DAOZHANG: A polite address for cultivators. Equivalent to “Mr.
Cultivator.” Can be used alone as a title or attached to someone’s name
EXAMPLE:referring to Xiao Xingchen as “Daozhang” or “Xiao
Xingchen-daozhang.”
SANREN: “Scattered One.” For cultivators/immortals who are not tied
to a specific sect.
 Pronunciation Guide

Mandarin Chinese is the official state language of China. It is a

tonal language, so correct pronunciation is vital to being understood! As
many readers may not be familiar with the use and sound of tonal marks,
below is a very simplified guide on the pronunciation of select character
names and terms from MXTX’s series to help get you started.
More resources are available at sevenseasdanmei.com

Series Names
SCUM VILLAIN’S SELF-SAVING SYSTEM (RÉN ZHĀ FAˇN PÀI ZÌ JIÙ XÌ TOˇNG):

en jaa faan pie zzh zioh she tone

GRANDMASTER OF DEMONIC CULTIVATION (MÓ DÀO ZUˇ SHĪ):
mwuh dow zoo shrr
HEAVEN OFFICIAL’S BLESSING (TIĀN GUĀN CÌ FÚ):

tee-yan gwen tsz fuu

Character Names
SHĚN QĪNGQIŪ: Shhen Ching-cheeoh
LUÒ BĪNGHÉ: Loo-uh Bing-huhh
WÈI WÚXIÀN: Way Woo-shee-ahn
LÁN WÀNGJĪ: Lahn Wong-gee
XIÈ LIÁN: Shee-yay Lee-yan
HUĀ CHÉNG: Hoo-wah Cch-yung

XIAˇO-: shee-ow
-ER: ahrr
A-: ah
GŌNGZIˇ: gong-zzh
DÀOZHAˇNG: dow-jon
-JŪN: june
DÌDÌ: dee-dee
GĒGĒ: guh-guh
JIĚJIĚ: gee-ay-gee-ay
MÈIMEI: may-may
-XIÓNG: shong

Terms
DĀNMĚI: dann-may
WUˇXIÁ: woo-sheeah
XIĀNXIÁ: sheeyan-sheeah
QÌ: chee

General Consonants & Vowels

X: similar to English sh (sheep)
Q: similar to English ch (charm)
C: similar to English ts (pants)
IU: yoh
UO: wuh
ZHI: jrr
CHI: chrr
SHI: shrr
RI: rrr
ZI: zzz
CI: tsz
SI: ssz
 U: When u follows a y, j, q, or x, the sound is actually ü, pronounced
like eee with your lips rounded like ooo. This applies for yu, yuan, jun, etc.
 Glossary

While not required reading, this glossary is intended to offer

further context to the many concepts and terms utilized throughout this
novel and provide a starting point for learning more about the rich
Chinese culture from which these stories were written.
China is home to dozens of cultures, and its history spans
thousands of years. The provided definitions are not strictly universal
across all these cultural groups, and this simplified overview is meant for
new readers unfamiliar with the concepts. This glossary should not be
considered a definitive source, especially for more complex ideas.

GENRES
Danmei
Danmei ( / “indulgence in beauty”) is a Chinese fiction genre
focused on romanticized tales of love and attraction between men. It is
analogous to the BL (boys’ love) genre in Japanese media. The majority of
well-known danmei writers are women writing for women, although all
genders produce and enjoy the genre.

Wuxia
Wuxia ( / “martial heroes”) is one of the oldest Chinese literary
genres and consists of tales of noble heroes fighting evil and injustice. It
often follows martial artists, monks, or rogues, who live apart from the
ruling government, which is often seen as useless or corrupt. These societal
outcasts—both voluntary and not—settle disputes among themselves,
adhering to their own moral codes.
Characters in wuxia focus primarily on human concerns, such as
political strife between factions and advancing their own personal sense of
justice. True wuxia is low on magical or supernatural elements. To Western
moviegoers, a well-known example is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
 Xianxia
Xianxia ( / “immortal heroes”) is a genre related to wuxia that
places more emphasis on the supernatural. Its characters often strive to
become stronger, with the end goal of extending their life span or achieving
immortality.
Xianxia heavily features Daoist themes, while cultivation and the
pursuit of immortality are both genre requirements. If these are not the
story’s central focus, it is not xianxia. The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving
System, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, and Heaven Official’s
Blessing are all considered part of both the danmei and xianxia genres.

Webnovels
Webnovels are novels serialized by chapter online, and the websites
that host them are considered spaces for indie and amateur writers. Many
novels, dramas, comics, and animated shows produced in China are based
on popular webnovels.
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation was first serialized on the
website JJWXC.
 TERMINOLOGY

ARRAY: Area-of-effect magic circles. Anyone within the array falls

under the effect of the array’s associated spell(s).

ASCENSION: A Daoist concept, ascension refers to the process of a

person gaining enlightenment through cultivation, whereupon they shed
their mortal form and are removed from the corporeal world. In most
xianxia, gods are distinct from immortals in that gods are conceived
naturally and born divine, while immortals cannot attain godhood but can
achieve great longevity.

BOWING: As is seen in other Asian cultures, standing bows are a

traditional greeting and are also used when giving an apology. A deeper
bow shows greater respect.

BUDDHISM: The central belief of Buddhism is that life is a cycle of

suffering and rebirth, only to be escaped by reaching enlightenment
(nirvana). Buddhists believe in karma, that a person’s actions will influence
their fortune in this life and future lives. The teachings of the Buddha are
known as The Middle Way and emphasize a practice that is neither extreme
asceticism nor extreme indulgence.

CLANS: Cultivation clans are large blood-related families that share a

surname. Clans are led by family elders, and while only family members
can be leaders, disciples can join regardless of blood relation. They may
eventually take on the family name, depending on whether the family
chooses to offer it. This could be accomplished via adoption or marriage.
Clans tend to have a signature cultivation or martial art that is passed down
through generations along with ancestral magical artifacts and weapons.

Colors
 WHITE: Death, mourning, purity. Used in funerals for both the
deceased and mourners.
BLACK: Represents the Heavens and the Dao.
RED: Happiness, good luck. Used for weddings.
YELLOW/GOLD: Wealth and prosperity, and often reserved for the
emperor.
BLUE/GREEN (CYAN): Health, prosperity, and harmony.
PURPLE: Divinity and immortality, often associated with nobility.

CONFUCIANISM: Confucianism is a philosophy based on the teachings

of Confucius. Its influence on all aspects of Chinese culture is incalculable.
Confucius placed heavy importance on respect for one’s elders and family, a
concept broadly known as xiao ( / “filial piety”). The family structure is
used in other contexts to urge similar behaviors, such as respect of a student
towards a teacher, or people of a country towards their ruler.

CORES/GOLDEN CORES: The formation of a jindan ( / “golden

core”) is a key step in any cultivator’s journey to immortality. The Golden
Core forms within the lower dantian, becoming an internal source of power
for the cultivator. Golden Core formation is only accomplished after a great
deal of intense training and qi cultivation.
Cultivators can detonate their Golden Core as a last-ditch move to
take out a dangerous opponent, but this almost always kills the cultivator. A
core’s destruction or removal is permanent. In almost all instances, it cannot
be re-cultivated. Its destruction also prevents the individual from ever being
able to process or cultivate qi normally again.

COURTESY NAMES: A courtesy name is given to an individual when

they come of age. (See Name Guide for more information.)

CULTIVATORS/CULTIVATION: Cultivators are practitioners of spirituality

and martial artists who seek to gain understanding of the will of the
universe while also attaining personal strength and expanding their life
span.
Cultivation is a long process marked by “stages.” There are
traditionally nine stages, but this is often simplified in fiction. Some
common stages are noted below, though exact definitions of each stage may
depend on the setting.
◇ Qi Condensation/Qi Refining ( / )
◇ Foundation Establishment ( )
◇ Core Formation/Golden Core ( / )
◇ Nascent Soul ( )
◇ Deity Transformation ( )
◇ Great Ascension ( )
◇ Heavenly Tribulation ( )

CULTIVATION MANUAL: Cultivation manuals and sutras are common

plot devices in xianxia/wuxia novels. They provide detailed instructions on
a secret/advanced training technique, and are sought out by those who wish
to advance their cultivation levels.

CURRENCY: The currency system during most dynasties was based on

the exchange of silver and gold coinage. Weight was also used to measure
denominations of money. An example is something being marked with a
price of “one liang of silver.”

CUT-SLEEVE: A term for a gay man. Comes from a tale about an

emperor’s love for, and relationship with, a male politician. The emperor
was called to the morning assembly, but his lover was asleep on his sleeve.
Rather than wake him, the emperor cut off his sleeve.

DANTIAN: Dantian ( / “cinnabar field”) refers to three regions in

the body where qi is concentrated and refined. The Lower is located three
finger widths below and two finger widths behind the navel. This is where a
cultivator’s golden core would be formed and is where the qi metabolism
process begins and progresses upward. The Middle is located at the center
of the chest, at level with the heart, while the Upper is located on the
forehead, between the eyebrows.

DAOISM: Daoism is the philosophy of the Dao ( / “the way”)

Following the Dao involves coming into harmony with the natural order of
the universe, which makes someone a “true human,” safe from external
harm and able to affect the world without intentional action. Cultivation is a
concept based on Daoist beliefs.

DEMONS: A race of immensely powerful and innately supernatural

beings. They are almost always aligned with evil. Evil-aligned cultivators
who seek power are said to follow the demonic cultivation path.

DISCIPLES: Clan and sect juniors are known as disciples. Disciples

live on sect grounds and have a strict hierarchy based on skill and seniority.
They are divided into Core, Inner, and Outer rankings, with Core being the
highest. Higher-ranked disciples get better lodging and other resources.
For non-clan members, when formally joining a sect as a disciple, the
sect becomes like the disciple’s new family: teachers are parents and peers
are siblings. Because of this, a betrayal or abandonment of one’s sect is
considered a deep transgression of Confucian values of filial piety. This is
also the origin of many of the honorifics and titles used for martial arts.

A flute held horizontally. They are considered an instrument for

DIZI:
commoners, as they are easy to craft from bamboo or wood.

FACE: Mianzi ( ), generally translated as “face,” is an important

concept in Chinese society. It is a metaphor for a person’s reputation and
can be extended to further descriptive metaphors. For example, “having
face” refers to having a good reputation, and “losing face” refers to having
one’s reputation hurt. Meanwhile, “giving face” means deferring to
someone else to help improve their reputation, while “not wanting face”
implies that a person is acting so poorly/shamelessly that they clearly don’t
care about their reputation at all. “Thin face” refers to someone easily
embarrassed or prone to offense at perceived slights. Conversely, “thick
face” refers to someone not easily embarrassed and immune to insults.

FAIRY/XIANZI: A term commonly used in novels to describe a woman

possessing ethereal, heavenly beauty. Xianzi is the female counterpart to
xianren (“immortal”), and is also used to describe celestials that have
descended from heaven.

FENG SHUI: Feng shui ( / “wind-water”) is a Daoist practice

centered around the philosophy of achieving spiritual accord between
people, objects, and the universe at large. Practitioners usually focus on
positioning and orientation, believing this can optimize the flow of qi in
their environment. Having good feng shui means being in harmony with the
natural order.

THE FIVE ELEMENTS: Also known as the wuxing ( / “Five Phases”).

Rather than Western concepts of elemental magic, Chinese phases are more
commonly used to describe the interactions and relationships between
things. The phases can both beget and overcome each other.
Wood ( / mu)
Fire ( / huo)
Earth ( / tu)
Metal ( / jin)
Water ( / shui)

Flower Symbolism
LOTUS: Associated with Buddhism. It rises untainted from the muddy
waters it grows in, and thus symbolizes ultimate purity of the heart and
mind.
PEONY:Symbolizes wealth and power. Was considered the “emperor”
of flowers. Sparks Amidst Snow, the signature flower of the Jin Clan of
Lanling in Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, is based on the real-life
Paeonia suffruticosa cultivar ( ).
PINE (TREE): A symbol of evergreen sentiment / everlasting affection.
WILLOW (TREE):A symbol of lasting affection and friendship. Also a
symbol of farewell and can mean “urging someone to stay.”

FUNERALS: Chinese funerals last anywhere from three to seven days,

and the mourning period lasts for forty-nine days. A Buddhist or Daoist
ceremony is held every seventh day during these seven weeks. A vigil is
held during the first week and ends when the body is interred. During this
period, a family member (usually the eldest son or a spouse) needs to
remain with the deceased’s body for companionship. This duty is usually
shared in shifts.
During the funeral ceremony, mourners can present the deceased with
offerings of food, incense, and joss paper. If deceased ancestors have no
patrilineal descendants to give them offerings, they may starve in the
afterlife and become hungry ghosts. Wiping out a whole family is
punishment for more than just the living.
After the funeral, the coffin is nailed shut and sealed with paper
talismans to protect the body from evil spirits. The deceased is transported
in a procession to their final resting place, often accompanied by loud music
to scare off evil spirits. Cemeteries are usually on hillsides; the higher a
grave is located, the better the feng shui. The traditional mourning color is
white.
Keeping the corpse intact is a demonstration of respect for the dead.
Dismemberment and cremation with no proper burial is a sign of profound
disrespect and hatred and is mostly reserved for criminals.

GHOST:Ghosts ( ) are the restless spirits of deceased sentient

creatures. Ghosts produce yin energy and crave yang energy. They come in
a variety of types: they can be malevolent or helpful, can retain their former
personalities or be fully mindless, and can actively try to interact with the
living world to achieve a goal or be little more than a remnant shadow of
their former lives.

GOLDEN CROW: A Golden Crow ( )—also known as Three-legged

Crow ( )—is a tripedal crow that is often used to represent the sun. A
myth explains that there were once ten of these crows, which nested in the
Valley of the Sun and came out one at a time to cross the sky. One day they
all came out at once and began to cause chaos, causing the world to burn.
The divine archer Houyi shot down nine of the ten crows to save humanity.
This myth is directly referenced in Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation as
the meaning behind the name of the Sunshot Campaign.

GUQIN: A seven-stringed zither, played by plucking with the fingers.

Sometimes called a qin. It is fairly large and is meant to be laid flat on a
surface or on one’s lap while playing.

HAND GESTURES: The baoquan ( / “hold fist”) is a martial arts

salute where one places their closed right fist against their open left palm.
The gongshou ( / “arch hand”) is a more generic salute not specific to
martial artists, where one drapes their open left palm over their closed right
fist. The orientation of both of these salutes is reversed for women. During
funerals, the closed hand in both salutes switches, where men will use their
left fist and women their right.

HAND SEALS: Refers to various hand and finger gestures used by

cultivators to cast spells, or used while meditating. A cultivator may be able
to control their sword remotely with a hand seal.

IMMORTAL-BINDING ROPES OR CABLES: Ropes, nets, and other

restraints enchanted to withstand the power of an immortal or god. They
can only be cut by high-powered spiritual items or weapons and often limit
the abilities of those trapped by them.

INCENSE TIME: A common way to tell time in ancient China, referring

to how long it takes for a single incense stick to burn. Standardized incense
sticks were manufactured and calibrated for specific time measurements: a
half hour, an hour, a day, etc. These were available to people of all social
classes. When referenced in Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, a single
incense time is usually about thirty minutes.

INEDIA: A common ability that allows an immortal to survive without

mortal food or sleep by sustaining themselves on purer forms of energy
based on Daoist fasting. Depending on the setting, immortals who have
achieved inedia may be unable to tolerate mortal food, or they may be able
to choose to eat when desired.

JADE: Jade is a culturally and spiritually important mineral in China.

Its durability, beauty, and the ease with which it can be utilized for crafting
both decorative and functional pieces alike has made it widely beloved
since ancient times. The word might cause Westerners to think of green jade
(the mineral jadeite), but Chinese texts are often referring to white jade (the
mineral nephrite). This is the color referenced when a person’s skin is
described as “the color of jade.”

JOSS PAPER: Also referred to as ghost paper, joss paper is a form of

paper crafting used to make offerings to the deceased. The paper can be
folded into various shapes and is burned as an offering, allowing the
deceased person to utilize the gift the paper represents in the realm of the
dead. Common gifts include paper money, houses, clothing, toiletries, and
dolls to act as the deceased’s servants.

NEW BABY: New baby traditions: A mother is confined to the house to

recuperate for the first thirty days after giving birth. This postpartum
confinement period is known as zuoyuezi ( / “sitting the month”).
During this month, new mothers are tended to by their mother-in-law (or
their own mother). Visitors, sometimes even immediate family members,
are barred from entry until the period is over.
The conclusion of the thirty days is known as manyue ( / “full
month”) or miyue ( / “complete month”). The occasion of the baby’s
birth can be celebrated at this time, and it is known as zuomanyue ( /
/ “doing the full month” or “full month banquet”), or miyuezhixi ( /
“complete month bash”). This is when the baby is formally inducted into
the family and presented to the ancestors. During the full month celebration,
family and friends are invited to a banquet and to witness the zhuazhou (
) tradition, a ceremony in which various symbolic items are placed in front
of the baby. Whichever item the baby selects first is said to predict their
future fortunes. (For example, picking up a pen indicates they will be a
scholar, picking up an abacus means they will be successful in business,
etc.)
The Chinese calendar uses the Tian Gan Di Zhi (Heavenly Stems,
Earthly Branches) system to mark the years. There are ten heavenly stems
and twelve earthly branches, each represented by a written character. The
set of characters associated with the year/month/date/time of a person’s
birth is known as , or “eight characters of birth date/time.”

Numbers
TWO: Two ( / “er”) is considered a good number and is referenced in
the common idiom “good things come in pairs.” It is common practice to
repeat characters in pairs for added effect.
THREE: Three ( / “san”) sounds like sheng ( / “living”) and also
like san ( / “separation”).
FOUR: Four ( / “si”) sounds like si ( / “death”). A very unlucky
number.
SEVEN: Seven ( / “qi”) sounds like qi ( / “together”), making it a
good number for love-related things. However, it also sounds like qi ( /
“deception”).
 EIGHT: Eight ( / “ba”) sounds like fa ( / “prosperity”), causing it to
be considered a very lucky number.
Nine ( / “jiu”) is associated with matters surrounding the
NINE:
Emperor and Heaven, and is as such considered an auspicious number.
MXTX’s work has subtle numerical theming around its love interests.
In Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, her second book, Lan Wangji is
frequently called Lan-er-gege (“second brother Lan”) as a nickname by Wei
Wuxian. In her third book, Heaven Official’s Blessing, Hua Cheng is the
third son of his family and gives the name San Lang (“third youth”) when
Xie Lian asks what to call him.

PAPER EFFIGIES: Zhizha ( ) is a form of Daoist paper craft. Zhizha

effigies can be used in place of living sacrifices to one’s ancestors in the
afterlife, or to gods. Joss paper can be considered a form of zhizha
specifically for the deceased, though unlike zhizha, it is not specifically
Daoist in nature.

PILLS AND ELIXIRS: Magic medicines that can heal wounds, improve
cultivation, extend life, etc. In Chinese culture, these things are usually
delivered in pill form. These pills are created in special kilns.

PRIMORDIAL SPIRIT: The essence of one’s existence beyond the

physical. The body perishes, the soul enters the karmic wheel, but the spirit
that makes one unique is eternal.

QI: Qi ( ) is the energy in all living things. There is both righteous qi

and evil or poisonous qi.
Cultivators strive to cultivate qi by absorbing it from the natural
world and refining it within themselves to improve their cultivation base. A
cultivation base refers to the amount of qi a cultivator possesses or is able to
possess. In xianxia, natural locations such as caves, mountains, or other
secluded places with beautiful scenery are often rich in qi, and practicing
there can allow a cultivator to make rapid progress in their cultivation.
 Cultivators and other qi manipulators can utilize their life force in a
variety of ways, including imbuing objects with it to transform them into
lethal weapons or sending out blasts of energy to do powerful damage.
Cultivators also refine their senses beyond normal human levels. For
instance, they may cast out their spiritual sense to gain total awareness of
everything in a region around them or to feel for potential danger.

QI CIRCULATION: The metabolic cycle of qi in the body, where it

flows from the dantian to the meridians and back. This cycle purifies and
refines qi, and good circulation is essential to cultivation. In xianxia, qi can
be transferred from one person to another through physical contact and can
heal someone who is wounded if the donor is trained in the art.

QI DEVIATION: A qi deviation ( / “to catch fire and enter

demonhood”) occurs when one’s cultivation base becomes unstable.
Common causes include an unstable emotional state, practicing cultivation
methods incorrectly, reckless use of forbidden or high-level arts, or
succumbing to the influence of demons and devils.
Symptoms of qi deviation in fiction include panic, paranoia, sensory
hallucinations, and death, whether by the qi deviation itself causing
irreparable damage to the body or as a result of its symptoms such as
leaping to one’s death to escape a hallucination. Common treatments of qi
deviation in fiction include relaxation (voluntary or forced by an external
party), massage, meditation, or qi transfer from another individual.

QIANKUN: ( / “universe”) Common tools used in fantasy novels.

The primary function of these magical items is to provide unlimited storage
space. Examples include pouches, the sleeve of a robe, magical jewelry, a
weapon, and more.

SECT: A cultivation sect is an organization of individuals united by

their dedication to the practice of a particular method of cultivation or
martial arts. A sect may have a signature style. Sects are led by a single
leader, who is supported by senior sect members. They are not necessarily
related by blood.

SEVEN APERTURES/QIQIAO: ( ) The seven facial apertures: the two

eyes, nose, mouth, tongue, and two ears. The essential qi of vital organs are
said to connect to the seven apertures, and illness in the vital organs may
cause symptoms there. People who are ill or seriously injured may be
“bleeding from the seven apertures.”

SHICHEN: Days were split into twelve intervals of two hours apiece
called shichen ( / “time”). Each of these shichen has an associated term.
Pre-Han dynasty used semi-descriptive terms, but in Post-Han dynasty, the
shichen were renamed to correspond to the twelve zodiac animals.
ZI, MIDNIGHT: 11pm - 1am
CHOU: 1am - 3am
YIN: 3am - 5am
MAO, SUNRISE: 5am - 7am
CHEN: 7am - 9am
SI: 9am - 11am
WU, NOON: 11am - 1pm
WEI: 1pm - 3pm
SHEN: 3pm - 5pm
YOU, SUNSET: 5pm - 7pm
XU, DUSK: 7pm - 9pm
HAI: 9pm - 11pm

SHIDI, SHIXIONG, SHIZUN, ETC.: Chinese titles and terms used to

indicate a person’s role or rank in relation to the speaker. Because of the
robust nature of this naming system, and a lack of nuance in translating
many to English, the original titles have been maintained. (See Name Guide
for more information.)

THE SIX ARTS: Six disciplines that any well-bred gentleman in Ancient
China was expected to be learned in. The Six Arts were: Rites, Music,
Archery, Chariotry or Equestrianism, Calligraphy, and Mathematics.

SPIRIT-ATTRACTION FLAG: A banner or flag intended to guide spirits.

Can be hung from a building or tree to mark a location or carried around on
a staff.

SWORDS: A cultivator’s sword is an important part of their cultivation

practice. In many instances, swords are spiritually bound to their owner and
may have been bestowed to them by their master, a family member, or
obtained through a ritual. Cultivators in fiction are able to use their swords
as transportation by standing atop the flat of the blade and riding it as it flies
through the air. Skilled cultivators can summon their swords to fly into their
hand, command the sword to fight on its own, or release energy attacks
from the edge of the blade.

SWORD GLARE: Jianguang ( / “sword light”), an energy attack

released from a sword’s edge.

SWORN BROTHERS/SISTERS/FAMILIES: In China, sworn brotherhood

describes a binding social pact made by two or more unrelated individuals.
Such a pact can be entered into for social, political, and/or personal reasons.
It was most common among men but was not unheard of among women or
between people of different genders.
The participants treat members of each other’s families as their own
and assist them in the ways an extended family would: providing mutual
support and aid, support in political alliances, etc. Sworn siblings will refer
to themselves as brother or sister, but this is not to be confused with familial
relations like blood siblings or adoption. It is sometimes used in Chinese
media, particularly danmei, to imply romantic relationships that could
otherwise be prone to censorship.

TALISMANS: Strips of paper with incantations written on them, often

done so with cinnabar ink or blood. They can serve as seals or be used as
one-time spells.

TIGER TALLY: A hufu ( / “tiger tally”), was used by Ancient

Chinese emperors to signal their approval to dispatch troops in battle. A
hufu was in two parts: one in the possession of the emperor, and the other in
the possession of a general in the field. To signal approval, the emperor
would send his half of the hufu to the general. If the two sides matched,
troops would advance.

WEDDING TRADITIONS (BOWING): During a wedding ceremony, the

couple must bow three times: one bow to worship the heavens and earth,
one bow to respect their parents, and one bow to respect each other.

WHISK: A whisk held by a cultivator is not a baking tool, but a Daoist

symbol and martial arts weapon. Usually made of horsehair bound to a
wooden stick, the whisk is based off a tool used to brush away flies without
killing them, and is symbolically meant for wandering Daoist monks to
brush away thoughts that would lure them back to secular life. Wudang
Daoist Monks created a fighting style based on wielding it as a weapon.

YAO: Animals, plants, or objects that have gained spiritual

consciousness due to prolonged absorption of qi. Especially high-level or
long-lived yao are able to take on a human form. This concept is
comparable to Japanese yokai, which is a loanword from the Chinese yao.
Yao are not evil by nature but often come into conflict with humans for
various reasons, one being that the cores they develop can be harvested by
human cultivators to increase their own abilities.
 YIN ENERGY AND YANG ENERGY: Yin and yang is a concept in Chinese
philosophy that describes the complementary interdependence of
opposite/contrary forces. It can be applied to all forms of change and
differences. Yang represents the sun, masculinity, and the living, while yin
represents the shadows, femininity, and the dead, including spirits and
ghosts. In fiction, imbalances between yin and yang energy can do serious
harm to the body or act as the driving force for malevolent spirits seeking to
replenish themselves of whichever they lack.
 Footnotes

1. “Si-shu” / “Uncle Number Four” is an address as well as a name. It

is common to use numbers when addressing relatives by title.

2. The Chinese saying “To die with [one’s] eyes closed” is similar in
meaning to the English phrase “to rest in peace.”

3. A common saying which dates back to the sixteenth century Ming

Dynasty. Originated from the highly influential fantasy novel Investiture of
the Gods.

4. A compliment usually reserved for women which indicates they

are wellrounded in household affairs.

5. Referencing a Han Chinese naming convention. In a given clan,

members of the same genera-tion share the same first character in their
given name.

6. During a wedding ceremony, the couple must bow three times: one
bow to worship the heavens and earth, one bow to respect their parents, and
one bow to respect each other.

7. Peach blossoms are a common symbol of love in Chinese art and

literature, and are used to symbolize affairs and relationships.
 About the Author

“A young superstitious girl,

renowned poster of memes;
a gourmet world goof, who takes photos with shaky hands;
and types cursedly slow, finishing stories depending on the mood.
...All lies.

I actually enjoy a refreshing cup of tea in the afternoon, staring into

the far-off distance as I open my beloved notebook to write poetry.
...No, no, no, that’s even more of a lie.

All right, actually, I'm just someone

who writes.

Yep.”

Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (MXTX) is a globally renowned and New York

Times bestselling author whose works are often cited as the most well-
known of the modern danmei genre. Originally self-published via the novel
serialization website, JJWXC, her current titles include The Scum Villain’s
Self-Saving System, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, and Heaven
Official’s Blessing. Her series have received multiple adaptations and have
been published in numerous languages around the world.
 Thank you for reading!
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