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Chapter Text

If A-Qing were another girl of the same age, she would’ve started screaming immediately.

And so would some others like Nie HuaiSang if they hadn’t been expecting something like this or hadn’t seen enough shit already.

However, since A-Qing had feigned being blind for so many years, a lot of people had put down their guard in front of her, believing that she couldn’t see. She was used to seeing the more sickening sides of people, which had hardened her heart. She somehow managed to not make a sound.

Even so, Wei WuXian could feel the numbing stiffness that travelled upward from the bottom of her legs.

Standing amid numerous villagers’ corpses that lay scattered on the ground, Xiao XingChen sheathed his sword and spoke in a solemn voice, “How can it be that there isn’t a single living person inside this village? That all of them are walking corpses?”

“So he really doesn’t know.” Lan XiChen breathed out in relief but now that that fear had vanished, a new one completely took over him. What was going to happen to Xiao XingChen if he ever found out then? Even though he wasn’t the one at fault, he would probably still see himself at fault, with what little they already knew if his character.

Xue Yang smiled, but the voice that came out of his mouth sounded extremely confused, even somewhat pained, “Yeah. Good thing that your sword points at corpse energy on its own. Or else, with just the two of us, it would’ve been very difficult to break through.”

“There wouldn’t even have been a problem if you hadn’t done this in the first place!” Jiang Cheng snapped. “He has such a thick face, being the cause of all this and act all innocent.”

Xiao XingChen, “Let’s examine the village again. If there really isn’t anyone left, then let’s burn these corpses as soon as possible.”

After they walked side-by-side into the distance, some strength finally returned to A-Qing’s legs. She sneaked out from behind the house to where the piles of corpses were and glanced around on the ground. Wei WuXian’s viewpoint oscillated as well.

All of these villagers were killed by sharp, clean pierces through the heart, done by Xiao XingChen’s sword. Suddenly, Wei WuXian saw a few familiar faces.

A few pieces of memory ago, the three of them went outside one day and came upon a few men who had too much free time on their hands, playing dice at a the crossroad of a village. As the three passed the village, the men glanced up and saw a blind man, a blind girl, and a boy who limped, they all laughed and pointed. A-Qing spat at them and brandished her bamboo pole; Xiao XingChen walked passed calmly, as if he didn’t hear anything; Xue Yang even smiled, although his eyes held no trace of any amusement.

Nie HuaiSang shivered. “Getting on Xue Yang’s bad side is literally wishing for death.” If he had been in A-Qing’s place, he would’ve already passed a few heart attacks.

A-Qing flipped over quite a few corpses. Opening their eyelids, she saw that all of them had white eyes. Livor mortis had already climbed over some of their faces. She let out a sigh of relief, but Wei WuXian’s heart sunk even lower.

Although they looked a lot like walking corpses, these people were indeed living. Except that they were under corpse poisoning.

Right, without her being a cultivator there was no way the girl would understand something was wrong. To normal people, corpse poisoning looked no different from actual walking corpses and they all mistook them for each other. With this, A-Qing would probably not notice anything wrong. She’d think Xue Yang was really helping Xiao XingChen.

But at the end, it seemed like the girl had learned the truth. Had it been because of Song Lan when he finds Xiao XingChen? Because by now that seemed to be the only logical reason. He was the only one who could see and recognize Xue Yang on the spot and learn of his schemes, and was also a cultivator unlike A-Qing. But at the end, he had also turned into a fierce corpse like Wen Ning, being the second person whom had this happening to him. Because only such geniuses like Wei WuXian and Xue Yang could be able to do something so impossible.

But still, the differences between their doings were as clear as day to the watchers. One, had done so to only help Wen Ning and one, had done so to make the weapon everyone in the cultivation world had accused Wei WuXian of doing.

Near the mouths and noses of a few corpses, Wei WuXian could also see leftover traces of a reddish-purple powder. Of course, the ones who’d been under poisoning for a long time were beyond hope since they had already become walking corpses. However, among them, there were still a few who hadn’t been poisoned for long. They’d start to develop traits of corpses that had transformed, such as emitting corpse energy, but they would still be conscious and be able to speak, which meant that they would still be living. If they were helped, they could still be saved like Lan JingYi and the others. One should truly be careful not to accidentally kill them, since it’d be the same as killing a live human.

They should’ve been able to talk, to say who they were, to shout for help. However, the awful thing was that somebody had cut all of their tongues off before this.

”Fuck! I was thinking why they weren’t saying anything.” Jin Ling cursed, eyes wide at the disgusting sight.

“And having their tongues cut, it makes their cries look exactly as the sound a corpse should be making.” Jiang FengMian pointed out with a look of sorrow, showing how Xue Yang had thought of every loophole and has even used it to his own advantage.

“I guess this confirms it was really Xue Yang who had cut lady A-Qing’s tongue as well.” Nie MingJue said, cursing at himself for not having killed Xue Yang when he had the chance and trusted the fucking Jins with the job. Who had betrayed Jin GuangYao in the court and helped Xue Yang escape? Would it have happened if Nie MingJue hadn’t died? Of course not. If he was still alive, he would’ve make sure Xue Yang would be killed off from the beginning.

The corners of all of the corpse’s lips seeped blood, either still warm or already dried.

Although Xiao XingChen couldn’t see, Shuanghua could point out the directions of corpse energy. Because these villagers lost their tongues, they could only make strange howls that was extremely similar to those of walking corpses. Thus, he didn’t doubt at all that the villagers he killed had already died.

It was a maniatic way to kill others without dirtying his own hand, a merciless way to instead dirty the hand that fed him.

’The head of the Jiang Sect raised him as his own child, yet he defected from them and became the enemy of the cultivation world, bringing shame upon the Jiang Sect, even leading to its near-extermination. He is the prime example of biting the hand that feeds him!’ was what passing through every watcher’s mind suddenly, mostly the Jiangs and causing the slightest of flinches to leave their bodies. The words that were once spoken by the cultivation world about Wei WuXian at the beginning of all this.

The same words taht now Wei WuXian was thinking about Xue Yang.

They knew how those words were not the truth now. They had seen enough of Wei WuXian that even Madam Yu; who was still somehow skeptical, having always thought of Wei WuXian being the cause of the destruction of her home, knew there had to be more to the story. Despite how she’s always said, she knew just as well as her husband how Wei WuXian would sacrifice even himself for their sect. But then, his intentions couldn’t make up for what he had probably caused anyway.

’Don’t you want me dead?! That…wouldn’t that be easier?! I…I’ll bring nothing but destruction to the sect, like you’ve always said! I…just let me die!’

Maybe it wouldn’t be so believing if Jin Ling wasn’t here and defending Wei WuXian that he was innocent. That boy was living proof that not all rumors they heard about Wei WuXian were true, unless, what would justify a boy not only defending the killer of almost his whole family, yet love him so wholeheartedly? Because it was obvious how important Wei WuXian was to this boy and how much he loved him.

Yet for some reason, the world seemed to believe that was not the case. That Wei WuXian was truly this villain who had brought death and destruction to not only his own family, but the whole world as well, having slaughtered thousands of people in one night. But what had happened really if that was not it? What had happened to make the whole world believe Wei WuXian had been the cause? That he had slaughtered so many? To make…even Wei WuXian himself believe the same no matter how many times all these other people from the future had denied those rumors over and over. ’I…I’ll bring nothing but destruction to the sect, like you’ve always said!’ It couldn’t have all been because of Yu ZiYuan’s words, could it?

There had to be more to the story. There had to be. Or else…or else…

A-Qing, however, didn’t understand how this worked. She only knew of the rough process, having heard them sometimes being mentioned by Xiao XingChen. She murmured, “Is the bastard really helping Daozhang?”

Wei WuXian cautioned in silence, Please don’t believe Xue Yang just like this!

And so did all the watchers but knew their words would fall on death ears and there was no way A-Qing could know of any of this, they didn’t say anything aloud.

Luckily, A-Qing’s intuition was rather sharp. Although her knowledge didn’t allow her to find anything suspicious, her vigilance toward Xue Yang was already deeply rooted in her intuition. She instinctively hated him and refused to settle. And so, whenever Xue Yang went out night-hunting with Xiao XingChen, she’d secretly follow them. Even when they were in the same house, she didn’t lower her guard.

The cultivators nodded in approval despite knowing how things would end anyway.

During one night, the winter winds howled outside. The three of them were crammed inside the smaller room, warming up by the old furnace. Xiao XingChen was mending a basket that had a broken strip of bamboo. A-Qing was draped in the only cotton quilt. Wrapping herself as though she was a zongzi, she sat by his shoulder. Xue Yang held his chin with one hand and had nothing to do. Listening to A-Qing pester Xiao XingChen about telling her a story, he was rather annoyed, “Stop being so noisy. I’ll tie your tongue into a knot if you keep on yapping.”

Yu ZiYuan, “Well…he definitely kept that promise…”

A-Qing didn’t listen to him at all and demanded, “Daozhang, I wanna hear a story!”

Xiao XingChen, “When I was young, nobody told me stories. How would I know how to tell one?”

A-Qing continued the tantrum, and was about to start rolling on the ground-

Which for some reason got a small laugh out of Jiang YanLi.

-when Xiao XingChen finally agreed, “Alright. I’ll tell you a story that happened on a mountain.”

A-Qing, “Once upon a time there was a mountain and on the mountain there was a temple?”

Xiao XingChen, “No. Once upon a time, there was a celestial mountain that nobody knew of. On the mountain, there was an Immortal who reached enlightenment. The Immortal accepted a lot of disciples, but she didn’t let them leave the mountain.”

“Wait is he…talking about BaoShan SanRen?!” Jiang Cheng asked, everyone’s eyes growing wide in recognition.

“I think he is…” His father nodded.

On the other hand, his mother’s face seemed to have darkened completely.

After hearing the beginning, Wei WuXian understood at once, She’s BaoShan SanRen.

A-Qing, “Why not?”

Xiao XingChen, “The Immortal only hid in the mountain because she couldn’t understand the world outside it. She told her disciples, ‘If you are going to leave the mountain, then there’s no need for you to come back. Don’t bring the disputes of the outside world into the mountain.’”

“You know, that actually sounded so Lan QiRen-like.” Lan JingYi spoke, realizing what he had said right after the words were out of his mouth, causing him to gulp in horror and cover his mouth, daring to take a small glance at the man from the corner of his eye but looking away immediately at seeing his twitching eye. He was so dead.

“But there’s no way Wei WuXian’s grandmother could be so Lan QiRen-like! From what I heard, his mother was just as troublesome, right?” Jin ZiXuan wondered, having heard a thing or two about the woman from her mother who seemed to have studied alongside her for a while as well. Not very much tho. Since…Madam Yu had always hated people talking about that woman and so her best friend had tried to honor that wish as well. But…why had she? Jin ZiXuan suddenly thought, glancing at his mother for a second and then at Wei WuXian who seemed to have perked up at the words as if he hadn’t heard about his mother at all. He did…once told Lan WangJi he couldn’t even remember how they looked…

“Well maybe, like how a Lan like Lan JingYi can exist, a SanRen like that can exist as well.” Lan QiRen said, his words very clearly directed at a specific Lan who was laughing nervously. But then for a second, his eyes took a glance at Wei WuXian who seemed to be paying complete attention to the words as if trying to savor anything he could hear, and had to look away, feeling guilty for some unknown reason.

A-Qing, “Then how can you withstand the boredom? There’d definitely be disciples who want to go outside and play.”

Xiao XingChen, “You’re right. The first disciple who left was very outstanding. When he first left the mountain, due to his mastery over his skills, everyone praised and admired him, and he became a famous cultivator of the righteous path. But afterward, people don’t know what he went through, but his personality changed drastically, and he suddenly became a villain who killed people without blinking twice. In the end, he died under thousands of swords.”

”What?!” Some of the juniors who did not know that exclaimed.

This was the first disciple of BaoShan SanRen who “didn’t die a peaceful death”—YanLing DaoRen.

The first. But not the last.

What this Shibo of Wei WuXian’s went through after leaving the mountain that caused his personality to change so much remained a mystery. It was likely that nobody would ever find out. After Xiao XingChen finished mending the basket, he felt it a few times. He made sure that it wouldn’t hurt the hand, put it down, and continued, “The second disciple was a girl and also very outstanding.”

Wei WuXian’s chest felt warm.

That one phrase pierced through both Lan QiRen’s and Yu ZiYuan’s hearts like a knife.

She was CangSe SanRen.

A-Qing, “Is she pretty?”

Xiao XingChen, “I don’t know. She was said to be really pretty.”

“Was she?!” OuYang ZiZhen innocently asked, not really having thought beforehand and looked at Wei WuXian who looked both taken aback and a bit uncomfortable at the subject.

But honestly, “I…don’t really remember her. I wouldn’t know.” He said, and for some reason no one who actually remembered the woman said anything. Specially Jiang FengMian, knowing the way his wife would react.

“Oh, uh…” OuYang ZiZhen looked horribly guilty now, and the small elbow from Hin Ling after he had asked the question hadn’t helped either. “I’m sorry.”

Wei Wuysmiled, ruffling his hair. “It’s fine.”

A-Qing, “Then, I know! There must’ve been a lot of people who liked her and wanted to marry her after she left the mountain. And then, she must’ve married a high-ranking official or the leader of a big sect! Heehee.”

Xiao XingChen laughed, “You guessed wrong. She married the servant of the leader of a big sect, and the two lived happily ever after.”

As Xiao XingChen said that, the scene changed for just a second, and a very beautiful road, colored with autumn trees was shown and soon, a couple, one riding on a donkey, while the other held the rope with a kid on his shoulders was shown; both of them laughing and the small child playing with the man’s hair until the donkey stepped on a stone, causing it to lose balance for just a second and the woman almost fell down if her husband Hadn’t caught her; chuckling in embarrassment afterwards.

The faces of the watchers on the other hand, looked a bit confused at the sudden change despite having a very faint idea who these were.

Jiang FengMian, his Wife, Lan QiRen and Madam Jin on the other hand, knowing completely well who these people were had went completely still, their hearts skipping a beat.

“Ch-Chanze?” Jiang FengMian spoke at last, his heart aching at the sight as they watched the child-whom they all now knew who it was-chuckled, placing his small hand on top of the two as if saying he wanted to be included as well.

“A-are those-are they-“ Wei WuXian spoke, startling everyone who were too frozen to say anything and they looked at him, his sorrow-filled-eyes feeling like a stab to their hearts.

“They’re…Those are Cangse SanRen and Wei ChangZe…” Lan QiRen confirmed and Wei WuXian inhaled sharply, his eyes glued to the screen as he took in the way…his parents…looked. It-this was one of the only vague memories he had of them and when Xiao XingChen had been talking about it, he hadn’t been able to stop himself from thinking about it for just a second even tho…he could not remember their faces. But for this spell to actually show it…he hadn’t been expecting anything as such. For this array to be so strong. It probably meant it’d cause so much trouble and reveal so many things he didn’t want anyone knowing so soon but right now…right now that did not matter. That did not happen the slightest because he-he was seeing his parents! This-these were his mom and dad! The beautiful woman smiling so softly at his tall handsome father, was his mom. And the child…it was him. And they looked so…happy…

“They’re your parents?!” Jin Ling finally willed himself to ask, looking at his uncle whose eyes were glued to the screen, tears slowly filling them but he still wouldn’t dare himself to blink, afraid to miss even a second of this. And didn’t Jin Ling know that feeling so well? He himself used to spend hours sitting in front of drawings of his parents, trying to memorize anything he could and imagine them actually beside himself. Something that had…so miraculously become true now. Because of Wei WuXian. His uncle…who unlike him…would never have the chance. Who unlike him, hasn’t even had people telling him about the couple because when Jin Ling was young, he could ask anyone about them and they would tell him everything they could. But just looking at the Jiang Family, Jin Ling didn’t need to be told to know how it’s been. And the look his uncle had in his eyes was all the answer he needed.

“I-I think so…” The demonic cultivator muttered, his trembling hand which was still placed on OuYang ZiZhen’s shoulder slowly and blindly grabbing at Lan WangJi’s sleeve and shaking it. “L-Lan Zhan Lan Zhan, those-those are my parents!” He said, a few droplets of water falling down his eyes, the sight too painful it made the Jiang couple who had been staring between him and the screen with so many complicated emotions to look away, not daring to say anything. Yu ZiYuan could almost, hear Cangse laughing at her from the other world, screaming at her if she’s gotten what she’s always wanted. Keeping Wei WuXian to learn a single thing about his fucking parents.

She sighed, taking a look at her husband beside her and so quickly, felt that feeling of rage and pain that has always been inside her and always will be, filling her whole body. ’Even now…even now that we are here, you’re still staring at the sight in front of you so longingly. She thought, angry at herself for even feeling like this. Because no matter how much she tried, no matter what she would do, she could never change the man’s feelings. But is that Wei WuXian’s fault?! The boy sitting here and staring so desperately at the sight in front of him because he had always been avoided of knowing anything about his parents. Because of her. Was that another reason why he tried to slit his throat, again, because of her?!

On the screen, Cangse chuckled, pinching Wei Ying’s cheek while the boy giggled, trying to reach for him mom which almost ended in him falling down if ChangZe hadn’t been fast to grab at his waist and picked him up from his shoulders and hold him in his arms. “What are you doing, little dumpling?” He chuckled, poking his small nose and causing Wei WuXian to giggle and throw his hands in the air so fast he almost fell again.

If Lan WangJi could smile any wider, he would. And despite the heartbreaking sight knowing how the two had eventually died, no one could help their smile at the cute family. If anyone had heard Wei WuXian’s trembling sob he was so desperately trying to hold back, they didn’t mention it.

He didn’t…he couldn’t remember their voices at all. Nothing. But now…

Lan WangJi just pulled him closer to his chest, kissing the side of his head but not saying anything, knowing how important this moment was to his husband.

”Mama was gonna fall!” Wei Ying’s answered, as if that explained everything.

“Senior Wei! You’re so cute!” Lan JingYi and OuYang ZiZhen both screamed at the same time, throwing themselves on the man who finally got pulled out of his thoughts a bit, chuckling.

“My XianXian was the cutest.” Jiang YanLi also said, feeling happy at seeing her brother getting what he’s always wished for, even if it was so little. It’s not like her mother would’ve allowed him to have even this, and it’s not like her father had ever dared to do otherwise. Neither had she.

At least, despite the scoff visible on her mother’s face, Jiang YanLi was grateful she wasn’t saying anything right now and the look on her father’s face as he looked between his long dead friends and Wei WuXian was filled with pain and regret.

’What would you have said, if you had seen what I’ve done to your son, ChangZe?’ He thought in shame, closing his eyes. ’For letting him be driven to the point of killing himself?’

”What would I do without you, my little hero?” Cangse SanRen chuckled, taking her son from her husband’s hands who sighed fondly, “What should I do with the two of you?” He said as the three laughed, and just like that the scene changed back to Xiao XingChen and A-Qing, the girl not looking the slightest happy about all she had heard.

Wei WuXian thought, looked like as if he had been slapped, trying to memorize every single detail he had seen and heard so he would never forget them again. So he could…maybe draw them when he was out of here and finally have a piece of them with himself. “They looked so happy.” He muttered, smiling at that thought. At least they had a happy life before they died. They were in love. And they loved him.

“Y-young master Wei, that hair r-ribbon you have, I-I think it was the s-same as your m-mother’s!” Wen Ning, probably for the first time, actually spoke to him but Wei WuXian was too taken aback to actually realize that. “It was?” He asked, placing his hand on the one around his hair and looking at the screen, wishing he had recognized it as well. But he had just been too focused on their faces and voices to do that. But now that he thought about it…did she…

“I think it was!” Nie HuaiSang nodded as well.

“Back…when FengMian found you, you had it hidden in your robes.” Yu ZiYuan said after a whole whole of hesitation, taking not only him by surprise, but her children as well. “You wouldn’t let go of it when they took you to give you a bath. That’s how I know.” And tried to get rid of it until you cried so much you almost passed out. She tried to convince herself that she didn’t know back then and had only thought it was a piece of dirty crap but still…did that really justify her actions towards a starved, sick and 10 years old child?!

“I…did?” Wei WuXian muttered, looking at her with a frown as if he was trying so hard to remember something. He reached out his hand, grabbing at the hair ribbon around his lose pony tail and pulled at it, his hair falling around him. He’s always…wore this since he could remember for some reason and never really had the heart to thrown it away until…well he lost it when he was thrown into the burial mounds but having only survived from that hellhole had been a miracle enough that he didn’t care about anything else. But knowing this now…and looking at it…he could remember a very faint memory, buried deep inside his head about her mom giving the ribbon to him before leaving for the night hunt she never came back from. “She…she gave it to me to play with so I would stop…crying…or something. I had…forgotten but…but she did…give it to me.” He muttered, remembering it all so slowly and vaguely, tears welling in his eyes as he hugged the ribbon to his chest. He then, beamed at the Jiang Woman, a smile on his face, “Thank you, Madam Yu!”

The woman, could only look away from the sight.

A-Qing, “I don’t like this. How would an outstanding and beautiful cultivator settle on a servant. This story’s so cliche. It’s probably made up by some poor scholar. And then what happened? How was their life like after they lived happily ever after?”

Xiao XingChen, “And then the two of them accidentally lost their lives during a night-hunt.”

Feeling the slight flinch shaking his husband’s body, Lan WangJi tightened his hold around the man, the children around him also giving him worried and sympathetic looks, Lan SiZhui slowly taking his hand in his and squeezing, not even daring to think how Wei WuXian could possibly be thinking. Yes he had lost his birth parents too. Barely remembered them as well but the pain…had never seemed this much with Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi having filled that hole inside him so perfectly.

Having lost Wei WuXian once and…all the Wens was painful enough to make him shudder at the mere thought of ever losing any of the two. He could now remember how much he had cried and cried and cried after Wei WuXian had hid him before leaving to the point he had passed out under a high fever and didn’t even remember anything after having woken up. Just thinking how his…dad had also went through the same thing…but never really had the chance to have his parents back…broke his heart to no end. Just why…why did he have to suffer so much ever since he was a child?!

A-Qing spat, “What sort of story is this?! She not only married a servant, but they died together! I’m not listening anymore!”

The word servant got a very small flinch shaking Jiang FengMian’s body.

Wei WuXian thought to himself, ’Good thing that Xiao XingChen didn’t go on and tell her that the two of them gave birth to another big villain that everyone wanted to beat up. Or else, she might be spitting about me.’

Hearing that, the people around the room could only give Wei WuXian concerning looks which he so easily payed no attention to, his head still wrapped around what he had seen and his fingers playing back and forth with the ribbon he was so tightly holding in his hand.

Xiao XingChen sighed, “This was why I said in the beginning that I don’t know how to tell stories.”

A-Qing, “Then, Daozhang, you must remember the night-hunts you’ve been on, right? I like to hear those! Tell me, what sort of monsters have you fought?”

Xue Yang had been unfocused on the story, listening with his eyes shut. Now, though, his expression grew a bit more serious. His pupils shrunk, and he glanced at Xiao XingChen.

Xiao XingChen, “There really are too many.”

Xue Yang suddenly asked, “Really? Then, Daozhang, did you use to night-hunt alone as well?”

“Wei Ying?” Lan WangJi called softly, seeing how everyone’s focus was slowly shifting back to the screen, wanting to hear the answer of Xiao XingChen and what Xue Yang had in his mind now.

Wei WuXian hummed, slowly looking at the man beside him and despite his head being wrapped around his parents and face filled with sorrow, Lan WangJi could still see the small glint of happiness in his eyes at having finally seen the two people he’s always wished to have at least remembered. “Are you okay?”

The younger boy smiled softly, “I can’t possibly be any better!” He beamed. “Lan Zhan! I actually got to see mom and dad! I’ve always wanted to see them but-I just couldn’t remember…now…” he sighed, “you know, I kind of wish they had showed us more but…but even that…even that was more than anything I could’ve ever hoped for.” He smiled, a single tear rolling down his eye which Lan WangJi slowly wiped away.

“I’m so glad you got to see them.” He said, caressing the man’s cheek. “Now I know why my Wei Ying’s so beautiful.”

Despite the bold words and the blush on Wei WuXian’s face, he could only laugh. Genuinely laugh. “Lan Zhan! What did I tell you about warning me, huh?” He giggled, poking the man’s chest. “So you think they’re beautiful? My mom looked like an Angel!”

“Mn. They are. She is.”

Even though Jiang FengMian had no idea why Wei WuXian was laughing like that out of the sudden, he found himself smiling at the sight, feeling a bit lighter and also more saddened at the same time. Even if he had never been able to tell Wei WuXian about his parents or talk to him about it…at least it seemed that Lan WangJi did. And cared. Cared enough to not think of anything anyone would say and just cared about what the boy felt.

Maybe…just maybe…after this…

Remembering his wife’s words back then, he turned his head around to look at the woman beside him who seemed be just as lost in her thoughts. “ZiYuan…” He called, taking a deep breath when he got her attention. “Back then…what you said…I just…wanted to say thank you.”

The sarcastic snort came out of her mouth before she could stop herself. “So now you’re thanking me?”

“My lady-that’s not what I meant-“

“Whatever.” She said, ending the conversation right there and then because she just could not have this right now. Not now. And with that, FengMian just sighed in defeat, looking back at the screen. Even…even if one day-with this chance Wei WuXian had given them-they could heal, it was still so, so far away, if possible. And he knew, he knew unlike last time, he needed to pull himself together and do something to make that happen. And yet…yet why was he again, so quiet?

The corners of his lips curled up, indicating that he was up to no good, yet his voice was filled with simple curiosity. After a pause, Xiao XingChen smiled slightly, “No.”

This got A-Qing interested, “Then who else were with you?”

This time, Xiao XingChen’s pause was longer. After a few moments, he answered, “A very good friend of mine.”

“How dare he even ask about this when he’s the very reason why for everything that’s happened between them?!” Nie MingJue snapped, once again feeling his anger at himself for having let this happen as well, rising. A mistake he would not commit this time. For Xiao XingChen. For A-Qing and Song Lan. For XiChen. And…for his brother.

And if Wei WuXian could really help him suppress the saber’s resentment as he had said, he would forever be in his debt. Thinking about it now, wasn’t this the same about almost everyone here? Wei WuXian had one way or another, showed it not showed yet, helped them all somehow. And yet, no one had ever really recognized it probably. Have even killed him for it.

An eerie light flashed inside Xue Yang’s eyes and his smile grew larger. It seemed that peeling off Xiao XingChen’s scabs gave him quite a lot of pleasure. A-Qing, on the other hand, was actually curious, “Daozhang, who’s this friend of yours? What sort of person are they?”

Xiao XingChen replied calmly, “A sincere man of noble nature.”

Hearing this, Xue Yang rolled his eyes in contempt. His lips moved faintly, as though he cursed at him. However, he purposely pretended that he was confused, “Then, Daozhang, where’s this friend of yours right now? Why hasn’t he come to find you when you’re already like this?”

Wei WuXian, What an insidious knife.

Children really, knew where to stab to hurt the most.

This time, Xiao XingChen didn’t reply. Although A-Qing didn’t know what was going on, she looked as if she also sensed something. Holding her breath, she glared at Xue Yang. She clenched her teeth, as though she wanted to take a bite out of him. After a while of spacing out, Xiao XingChen broke the silence, “Where he is right now, I don’t know either. But, I hope that...”

Before he finished his sentence, he patted A-Qing’s head, “Alright. That’s it for tonight. I really don’t know how to tell stories. It’s quite embarrassing.”

A-Qing replied obediently, “Oh. Okay!”

It seemed like she had finally understood she had touched a subject Xiao XingChen didn’t want to talk about and also looked guilty because of her previous words.

Yet, Xue Yang suddenly spoke up, “Then how about I tell one?”

Lan JingYi rolled his eyes. “What kind of a story can you tell?!” He huffed. “All the people you have killed?!”

A-Qing was just about to feel disappointed. She immediately agreed, “Yes, yes. You tell one.”

Unhurried, Xue Yang began, “Once upon a time, there was a child.”

“The child really liked eating sweet things. But because he had no parents or money, he could rarely eat them. One day, the same as any other day, he was sitting zoned-out on a flight of stairs. Opposite to the stairs, there was a liquor shop. A man sat on a table inside of the shop. As he saw the child, he gestured for him to go over.”

“Is he…talking about himself?” Nie HuaiSang guessed, Wei WuXian simply nodding.

“Oh great.” Jin Ling muttered.

Although this story’s beginning wasn’t that great either, it was definitely a lot better than Xiao XingChen’s cliche one. If A-Qing had a pair of rabbit ears, they must’ve perked up already.

Some cooed at her cute, excited face.

Xue Yang continued, “Being naive and puzzled, the child had nothing to do anyways. He saw someone wave at him, and immediately ran over. The man pointed at a plate of pastries on the table and asked him, ‘Do you want this?’”

“Of course he wanted it. He nodded as fast as he could. So, the man gave the child a piece of paper and said, ‘If you want it, take this to a certain room in a certain place. I’ll give it to you after you take the paper.”

As Xue Yang explained, a small child in ripped black and dark blue clothes and a short pony tail, taking a piece of paper from a man and running away was shown before the scene changed back to the trio.

“Was that Xue Yang as a child?” Wen Qing asked, for a moment forgetting it was a serial killer psychopath they were talking about and not just a homeless child in desperate need of medical attention and food. Just like Wei WuXian had been.

Every other cultivator in the room seemed to have the same reaction as well, having not expected someone like Xue Yang to have been…in such a situation before.

“I guess…” Wei WuXian muttered, also taken aback. Huh, the power some memories had and their effect in the array really was…fascinating. Maybe he could even advance this spell with all these knowledge. It’s not like he had ever really tried using it after creating it. Just small looks and experiments to see if it actually worked and wasn’t harmful.

“The child was really happy. He could have a plate of pastries if he ran the errand, and he earned the plate of pastries himself.

“He didn’t know how to read, so he just took the paper and went to the place. After he opened the door, a huge, brawny man came out. He took over the paper and looked at it, and he gave the child a slap so hard that his nose started bleeding. The man pulled the child’s hair and asked, ‘Who told you to take such a thing over?’”

“What the hell?!” Nie MingJue spat angry. “That’s a fucking child!” No matter what…he was going to do…he was still a child back then.

Maybe they should’ve felt satisfied at the sight, knowing this was what Xue Yang deserved given what he will do but this child…this child didn’t. No child did. It’s what the adult Xue Yang deserved but this…would it maybe had even changed anything if he wasn’t treated like this? Xue Yang did seem to…hold a very strong grudge towards anyone who has wronged him if he still remembered this so detailed after so long.

The child must’ve been Xue Yang himself. A-Qing and Xiao XingChen realized as well.

Wei WuXian could never have imagined that a crafty person like Xue Yang was so honest, so dim-witted when he was young, doing whatever a stranger asked him to do.

And neither had the watchers. But again, that’s just how a normal child would be.

The things written on the piece of paper definitely wasn’t nice. Most likely, the person at the liquor shop and the brawny man had some conflicts. The former didn’t dare curse at the latter in front of his face, so he told a child on the streets to bring over a humiliating letter instead. Such an act could even be described as perverse.

Xue Yang, “He felt scared and pointed the direction. The man went to the liquor shop, carrying the child by pulling his hair. The other man had long been gone. The leftover pastries on the table had been taken away by the waiters as well. The man was so angry that he threw over quite a few tables before storming out.”

“The child was really frustrated. He ran an errand for someone, got beaten up, and was held by his hair on the way back. His scalp was almost pulled off. Of course he wouldn’t settle without the pastries. So, he asked a waiter with tears in his eyes, ‘Where are my pastries? Where are the pastries that he said will be mine?”

Xue Yang continued as he grinned, “The store was in a mess and the waiter was feeling quite cross. He slapped the child a few times, so hard that his ears were even buzzing, and chased him out the door.

“Wha-how are they so heartless? Hitting a child left and right just because he’s homeless and so probably alone?!” Madam Jin snapped, anger burning through her whole body. She looked at Wei WuXian, remembering how he had also been a homeless kid on the street for three years at least but the boy just shrugged at her words as if it was nothing important. Suddenly though, she thought if she would’ve reacted any different if any of Jin GuaingShan’s illegitimate children had appeared in front of her. Would she have thought they were just an innocent, naive child then too?

“That’s right…he…hadn’t done anything here.” Even Jin Ling who hated the man’s guts nodded.

He crawled up and walked for a while. Guess what? Coincidentally, he ran into the man that made him take the letter again.”

“Huh? What happened then?!” OuYang ZiZhen exclaimed, angry at the change of scenery.

Xue Yang had stopped at this point. A-Qing was just getting engrossed in the story. She hurried him, “And then? What happened?”

Xue Yang, “What do you think happened? Just a few more slaps and a few more kicks.”

A-Qing, “This was you, right? He liked sweets—it definitely was you! Why were you like this when you were young? If I were you, I would’ve been like ptew, ptew, ptew and spat in his food, and then I’d hit him, and I’d hit him, and I’d hit him...” She danced around, almost hitting Xiao XingChen, who sat by her side.

Seeing the girl’s reaction some chuckled at her antics. Some couldn’t help but think they would do the same, but with Xue Yang’s condition, that would’ve probably only end up in more kicks and slaps, if not death.

Xiao XingChen quickly spoke, “Alright, alright. You finished listening to the story. It’s time to sleep.”

Even as A-Qing was carried by him to the coffin, she was still angrily complaining, “Ugh! Your stories make me so mad! One is so boring that it makes me mad, and the other is so annoying that it makes me mad! Jeez, that guy who made him take the letter was so annoying! I’m so frustrated!”

Jin ZiXuan chuckled, “Everything aside, these two are horrible at telling stories.

No one disagreed.

“Ugh, I can’t believe I’m feeling sympathetic for that bastard!” OuYang ZiZhen exclaimed, Wei WuXian patting his head with a chuckle. “He was just an innocent child back then. It would’ve been weird if you’d be feeling anything but.”

After Xiao XingChen tucked her, he walked a few steps, then asked, “What happened afterward?”

Xue Yang, “Guess. There was no afterward. You didn’t continue telling your story either, did you?”

Xiao XingChen, “No matter what happened afterward, since right now your life is fairly adequate, there’s no need for you to dwell too much on the past.”

“Well, I feel like that’s the exact opposite case here.” Nie HuaiSang muttered.

Not dwell on the past…it’s…way easier said than done.’ Both Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi thought silently.

Xue Yang, “I’m not dwelling on the past. It’s just that the Little Blind keeps on stealing my candy and even finished them, so now I can’t help but remember the days when I couldn’t have any.”

A-Qing kicked the coffin hard and protested, “Daozhang, don’t listen to him! I didn’t really eat that much!”

All of them knowing it was just a blunt lie, chuckled.

Xiao XingChen laughed softly, “Let’s all rest.”

That night, Xue Yang didn’t follow him. Xiao XingChen went out to night-hunt alone. A-Qing lay motionless inside the coffin, but she couldn’t fall asleep.

When the sky began to brighten, Xiao XingChen came back, not making a sound as he entered.

As he passed the coffin, he put his hand inside. A-Qing pretended as if she were asleep, and only opened her eyes again after Xiao XingChen left the coffin home. She saw a small piece of candy beside her straw pillow.

“That’s…” Jiang YanLi muttered, not really taken aback by the action and smiled. “…so kind of him.”

“He’s really so kind.” Lan JingYi nodded. “Ugh, just why did such a person have to suffer so much and meet such an end?!”

A-Qing stuck her head out and looked into the bedroom. Xue Yang wasn’t asleep either. He sat at the table, appearing as if he was thinking about something.

A piece of candy lay silently on the edge of the table.

The few juniors who felt their eyes watering at the sight, wiped their tears angrily.

“Ugh, this fucking bastard! Xiao XingChen is so kind to him, yet he tortured him like that!” Jin Ling spat, clenching his fists in anger.

But deep down, none of the could help the small feeling of happiness in their hearts after seeing how Xue Yang used to want nothing more than a few candies when he was little.

After the night when they talked at the furnace, Xiao XingChen would give both of them a piece of candy everyday. Of course, A-Qing was quite pleased. Xue Yang expressed neither gratitude nor rejection toward this act, which made A-Qing angry at him for some time.

Yu ZiYuan sighed, “At this point, she’s just angry at whatever he does.”

A few huffed out a small laugh at that, finding A-Qing’s antics amusing putting everything aside.

Xiao XingChen had always been responsible for the three’s meals. Since he was blind, he didn’t know how to select vegetables and was too embarrassed to bargain with others. When he went out alone, it was fine if the vendors were nice, but he sometimes met vendors who purposely took advantage of his blindness. The vegetables that he brought back would be lacking in either quality or quantity. Xiao XingChen didn’t care much himself, or one could say that he didn’t really pay attention to the matter, but A-Qing was often infuriated. In a seething manner, she’d demand to shop for ingredients alongside Xiao XingChen. Unfortunately, even though she could see, she couldn’t express anything. She didn’t dare throw tantrums and knock down the stalls in front of Xiao XingChen either. This was when Xue Yang became useful. With keen eyes and a sharp tongue that came with his delinquent self, if he went outside with them, whenever they wanted to buy something, the first thing he’d do was to shamelessly bargain the price down to a half. If the vendor agreed, he’d bargain even further; if the vendor didn’t, he’d put on a menacing look, and the vendors would start thinking that they were lucky somebody like him would decide to pay at all, hoping for him to leave as soon as possible. Presumably, when he was roaming freely in Kuizhou and Lanling, he probably didn’t have to pay anything for the things he wanted. Now that A-Qing had her anger vented out, out of happiness, she even praised him a few times.

And, thanks to the delightful candy everyday, since then, for a short length of time, a delicate peace was maintained between A-Qing and Xue Yang.

Looking at them like this, no one could really deny how these three looked like a small…normal family. How they could have been, if Xue Yang hadn’t been such a rage-filled psychopath who put revenge over everything else. If only he had just…grown up differently…maybe they really could have been a small happy family. A dad, with her two kids who fought over everything in the world. But now…

However, she could never let down her guard for Xue Yang. The short periods of peace were also often immediately suppressed by multiple doubts and suspicions.

“Her sixth senses are really strong. If it had been anyone else, they would’ve eventually let down their guards.” Jiang FengMian observed. “If she had been a cultivator, she would’ve truly been a successful one.”

The rest of the cultivators agreed without a second thought.

One day, A-Qing was playing on the streets again, pretending to be blind. She had been playing the game for her whole life, and hadn’t grown tired of it even once. As she was knocking her bamboo pole while walking around, suddenly, a voice came from behind her, “Young Maiden, if your eyes can’t see, it’s best if you don’t run so fast.”

It was the voice of a young man, which sounded rather cold. A-Qing turned around to see a tall cultivator who wore black robes, standing a few meters away from her. A sword was carried behind his back while a horsetail whisk was in his arm. With an upright posture and drifting sleeves, he had a proud, aloof air to him.

“That’s Song Lan!” All the teenagers screamed at the top of their lungs.

“Oh dear.” Lan QiRen breathed heavily at the loud noise, his older nephew chuckling.

A-Qing tilted her head. Song Lan had already walked over. Putting his whisk over A-Qing’s shoulder, he led her to the side, “There are less people on the side of the road.”

Wei WuXian commented, ’They really are good friends, aren’t they? Good friends would have to be similar in character.’

A-Qing tittered, “A-Qing is very thankful of Daozhang!”

Song Lan took his whisk back and held it in his arms again. He glanced at her, “Don’t play around too much. The dark energy here is quite strong. In the future, be careful not to linger outside.”

Jin Ling, “They really are so much alike…”

A-Qing, “Okay!”

Song Lan nodded and continued walking, but A-Qing couldn’t help but turn around to watch him. After he walked for a while, he stopped a passerby, “Excuse me. Has anyone seen a blind cultivator who carries a sword in the area?”

“And he’s looking for Xiao XingChen.” Wen Qing said, not sure if she should be feeling happy about the fact or not.

At once, A-Qing started to listen carefully. The passerby replied, “I’m not too sure. Daozhang, you can try asking the people over there.”

Song Lan, “Thank you.”

A-Qing tapped her way over, “Daozhang, why are you searching for the other daozhang?” Song Lan immediately turned around, “Have you seen him?”

A-Qing, “Maybe I have, but maybe I haven’t.”

“Sneaky child.” Lan XiChen chuckled, once again surprised by this girl’s sharp senses and protectiveness despite her age.

Song Lan, “How can I make it so that you’ve seen him?”

A-Qing, “If you answer a few questions for me, then maybe I’ll remember that I have. Are you a friend of the daozhang?”

Song Lan hesitated. He only replied after a few moments, “... Yes.”

Wei WuXian wondered, ’Why did he hesitate?’

Knowing the answer now, the demonic cultivator sighed in pain, thinking how he could help change things for these two this time. Their story was just full of tragedy and despite what they deserved, it had an end just as pitiful. Just why did the world had to be so unjust and cruel all the time?

But now…with them…if only he could take care of the Xue Yang matter and…also Jin GuangYao-or rather Meng Yao, many things could change. Definitely would for A-Qing, Xiao XingChen and Song Lan. He really had to take some matters in his own hands after they got out of here. He just hoped that with watching everything, he could change these people’s perspective and have their support. A feeling, deep down, surprisingly told him he just might be able to.

A-Qing also felt that his answer was somewhat reluctant. Her suspicion grew again, “Do you really know him? How tall is he? Is he pretty or ugly? What is his sword like?”

Song Lan answered straight away, “His height is similar to mine. His appearance is rather fine. His sword is carved with patterns of frost.”

Seeing that he answered everything correctly and didn’t look like a bad guy, A-Qing responded, “I know where he is. Daozhang, follow me!”

“It’s funny how she still despises Xue Yang after so many years yet trusted Song Lan so easily.” Jiang FengMian chuckled. “She could make a great cultivator with such strong senses.”

Song Lan had already been travelling in search for his close friend for a few years, and had been disappointed countless times. Now that he finally heard news of him, he couldn’t even believe his ears. He managed with effort, “... Thank... Thank you...”

A-Qing led him until they were near the coffin home, yet Song Lan stopped in his tracks. A-Qing asked, “What’s wrong? Aren’t you gonna go over?”

“Oh shit. He’s seen Xue Yang! He’s here too!” Nie HuaiSang panicked.

For some reason, Song Lan’s face was extremely pale. He stared at the door of the coffin home, as if he would rush inside if he could, but was too scared to do so. The aloof look that he had was completely gone. Wei WuXian guessed, Maybe he’s nervous since they haven’t seen each other for so long?

Just as he made up his mind and was about to go in, a lackadaisical figure strolled inside before he could.

As he saw who the figure was, Song Lan’s face instantly went from pale to ashen!

“Well shit…” Jin ZiXuan cursed. If they didn’t know the end of the story, he might’ve felt excited and relieved by the flow of events but now…he could only shiver in dread, knowing A-Qing and Xiao XingChen’s quiet and…maybe happy lives were about to finally meet its end.

A series of laughter came from the coffin home. A-Qing snorted, “The annoying one is back.”

Song Lan, “Who is he? Why is he here?”

A-Qing whined, “He’s a bastard. He never told us his name, so who knows who he is? He was saved by Daozhang. Now he sticks to Daozhang all the time. He’s such a pain!”

Song Lan’s face switched between being surprised and exasperated. After a moment, he spoke, “Be quiet!”

“He should be feeling horrible.” Madam Jin started. “Not had he not been beside his friend all this time, he’s also came to find him beside their sworn enemy.”

A-Qing was scared by his expression and obeyed. The two of them silently approached the coffin home, one standing beside the window and the other hiding beneath it. In the coffin home, Xiao XingChen asked, “Whose turn is it today?”

The instant he heard the voice, Song Lan’s hands trembled so much that A-Qing could clearly see it.

Seeing the reaction, some closed their eyes, sending out prayers despite knowing what was to come.

Xue Yang, “What if, from now on, we don’t take turns anymore? Let’s change it up.”

Xiao XingChen, “You only spoke up because it’s your turn today, didn’t you? How do you want to change it?”

Xue Yang, “Here. There are two sticks. If you pick the longer one, you don’t have to go; if you pick the shorter one, then you’ll have to go. What do you think?”

After a moment of silence, Xue Yang laughed, “Yours is short. I win. You’re going!”

“But it’s not…ugh that annoying son of a bitch!” Jin Ling started dumbfounded before exploding in anger as he realized Xue Yang had lied on purpose and again, used Xiao XingChen’s blindness to his advantage.

“It’s funny, how this would just look like any friendly prank if we didn’t know who these were.” Jiang YanLi pointed out, taking the watchers by surprise as they realized the same. This was nothing compared to the pranks A-Cheng and A-Xian played on each other. “But now…”

Xiao XingChen said with reluctance, “Alright. I’ll go.”

He sounded as though he finally stood up and started walking toward the door. Wei WuXian cheered, ’Great. Come outside, quick. It’s best if Song Lan grabs him and runs as soon as he’s out.’

Some of the teenagers cheered as well.

However, before he walked very far, Xue Yang spoke up, “Come back. I’ll go.”

“Oh come on!” Jiang Cheng exclaimed. “It’s the only time you should actually be an asshole, and you’re not!!!”

Xiao XingChen, “Why are you willing to go, now?”

Xue Yang stood up as well, “Are you an idiot? I tricked you. I picked the shorter one. It’s just that I’ve been hiding the longest stick behind me, so whichever one you pick, I can take out a longer one. I’m just exploiting the fact that you can’t see.”

He laughed at Xiao XingChen some more and sauntered out, holding a basket in his hand. A-Qing looked up at Song Lan, whose entire body was shaking. She didn’t understand why he was so angry. Song Lan gestured for her to be quiet. Only after the two walked some distance away did Song Lan start asking A-Qing about the details, “This man, when did Xing... when did the daozhang save him?”

His tone was solemn. A-Qing understood that the situation was no joke, and she answered him seriously as well, “It’s been a long time, a couple of years.”

“Wow it’s…already been so long?” Nie HuaiSang muttered before sighing like an old man. “Time sure flies.”

Nie MingJue could only facepalm.

Song Lan, “The daozhang never found out who he is?”

A-Qing, “No.”

Song Lan, “What has he done during his stay with the daozhang?”

A-Qing, “Joke around, bully me, scare me, and... Oh, he also night-hunts with Daozhang!”

Song Lan frowned, thinking that Xue Yang probably wouldn’t be so nice, “Night-hunt? Night-hunt what things? Do you know?”

A-Qing didn’t dare to be careless. After some thought, she replied, “They used to often night-hunt walking corpses, sometime in the past. Now it’s usually ghosts, animals that behave weirdly, and so on.”

Lan SiZhui, “It’s impressive how she still follows them even after two years…”

As he inquired into the matter, Song Lan also felt that something was strange, but he couldn’t find any clues. He continued, “Is the daozhang close with him?”

Although she didn’t want to admit it, A-Qing still confessed, “I think that Daozhang is really unhappy when he’s alone... He’s finally got someone who cultivates as well... So, I think he sorta likes listening to the bastard tell jokes.”

Song Lan’s face was clouded with both rage and devastation. Amid the confusion, only one thing was for certain: He definitely couldn’t tell Xiao XingChen about this!

Thinking about the devastation Xiao XingChen would feel if he found out the truth, let aside the truth behind the corpses he’s been exorcising, they all agreed.

He cautioned, “Don’t tell the daozhang anything unnecessary.”

As soon as he finished, he went toward the direction that Xue Yang left in. A-Qing asked, “Daozhang, are you going to beat up that bastard?”

Song Lan was already far away from her. Wei WuXian thought, ’Way more than beat him up. He’s going chop Xue Yang into pieces!’

“I’m guessing that is not…how it went?” Wen Qing wondered, Wei WuXian shaking his head sadly. “More like the exact opposite happened.”

With this information, eyes filled with dread got glued to the screen.

Xue Yang went outside holding the vegetable basket. A-Qing knew which path he’d use if he was going to buy vegetables. Taking a shortcut, she sprinted through a part of a forest, her heart beating faster than ever. After chasing for a while, she finally saw Xue Yang’s figure forward of her. He held a basket in one hand, which was filled with cabbages, carrots, steamed buns, and other food. He walked as he yawned lazily. He had probably finished shopping.

Seeing that A-Qing had decided to follow them as well, everyone’s hearts skipped a beat in worry. Yes this…this meant they could also see what was going to happen between the two cultivators but also…it also put the young girl in a whole lot of danger, especially given what Wei WuXian had previously said.

A-Qing had always been good at hiding and eavesdropping. She snuck into a bush beside the forest, moving along with him. Suddenly, Song Lan’s cold voice came from in front of her, “Xue Yang.”

As if someone had poured a bucket of freezing water over his face, or if someone had slapped him awake from a deep sleep, Xue Yang’s expression became scary at once.

Song Lan came out from behind a tree. His sword had already been unsheathed. He held it in his hand, with the tip pointing to the ground.

Xue Yang pretended to be surprised, “Oh, isn’t this Daozhang Song? What a rare guest. You here to get a free meal?”

Song Lan lunged with his sword.

“Gah, A-Qing should’ve just went inside and told Xiao XingChen and then drag him along! Maybe they could’ve defeated the bastard together!” Lan JingYi exclaimed, pulling at his hair. Yes Song Lan had told her to not tell the man anything but…was keeping a secret really worth this?!

Wei WuXian chuckled, “I’m surprised you kids are finally thinking about going to the adults as a solution.” He said, laughing at JingYi’s flabbergasted face. That’s right…with the age she was in…she had exactly done what he or any of his friends would have. Have had, actually.

Xue Yang immediately shook Jiangzai out of his sleeves, blocked the attack, and backed a few steps. He put the basket under a tree, “You damn cultivator. For once I actually wanted to shop for food, and here you fucking are, spoiling my mood!”

In a fury, Song Lan’s attacks were aiming for fatality. He shouted in a low voice, “Just what in the world are you scheming?! Why have you spent so long near Xiao XingChen?!”

“You know…it’s actually weird…I mean, we all know he’s been killing all these people and everything but aside from that…he doesn’t seem to have any real plans?” Nie HuaiSang said, taking everyone’s attention. “It’s more as if…he just wants to continue living with him? Maybe he did want to kill Xiao XingChen at the beginning, I don’t think that’s the case anymore.”

Realizing what he meant, some nodded though still at a loss for words. Because HuaiSang did…have a point but then…

“It did seem to me as well as if…he was growing some kind of a twisted affection towards Xiao XingChen but still couldn’t change who he really was anyway. As if it’s been carved into his soul.” Wei WuXian also agreed, HuaiSang and some others nodding at the words.

“You mean maybe he wanted to change? That Xiao XingChen was-could change him?” Nie MingJue asked, looking at both his brother and Wei WuXian with disbelief.

“I feel like at this point, he was too far gone and had done too many unforgivable things for change to be possible. I mean, he still does what he does with corpse poisoning and everything and has fun doing it. No ounce of regret in that. It is proof enough that he’s beyond saving. But with Xiao XingChen, I’m not sure even he knows of what’s happening to him.” HuaiSang explained, “or if he wants to accept it.”

“Well it seems, like he was the first person to show him kindness.” Lan XiChen added.

Lan JingYi, “It did look like he had suffered a lot in his past.”

“Having a fucked up past doesn’t justify such actions.” Wei WuXian sternly said. “But it does…play a part.”

“Do you…think we can change that, if by any chance, theoretically, we were to find him as a child?” Madam Jin, to his and many other’s surprise was the one to suggest that.

Wei WuXian seemed to hesitate a bit, gazing at Yu ZiYuan for just a second without realizing before answering: “Well, with everything I saw and you guys are also going to see, I feel like Xue Yang is the kind of person, that you have to get at a certain point in his development or he is going to go bad. However, even getting to him at that point... you have be very careful with how you deal with him. His character has a seed in him that doesn't take much nourishment to grow and it is definitely a part of him that needs to be denied any nourishment at all.“ Wei WuXian explained. “I mean, it did just took Song Lan’s return for I’m to go batshit crazy again.” He chuckled. “So, I’m really not sure if we’d be able to change anything. Or if he’s already too far gone or not but, we could try. At least, we’d be able to keep an eye on him this way which is still way better than leaving him do god knows what. And who knows, maybe we can do the impossible.” He said and even if some were looking at him as if he’s lost his mind, especially the future juniors who knew the whole story, they couldn’t help but agree to some point.

“It’s not like we can kill a child either. This Xue Yang hasn’t done anything wrong yet. It’d be unrighteous to do anything but.” Lan WangJi also added on that moment, finally receiving nods of agreement from his uncle and brother who seemed to be trusting him and…Wei WuXian on this. They had already said they were willing to take Xue Yan in as well, once before, over Wei WuXian’s words and…Madam Yu’s disagreement. It made him slime just the slightest.

”If we do that, I don’t think anyone here is crazy enough to actually accept him but you so, have fun kiddo.” Nie MingJue bluntly stated, causing a few and Wei WuXian himself to laugh.

“I…don’t know. It’s…not really my call…” Wei WuXian almost muttered after that, realizing that it really wasn’t and glance at the Jiang sect leaders, only to find them lost in thought as well. He was still…living with them at this point anyway.

“We can discuss this later when we’re finished with all this.” Madam Yu said, trying her hardest to not just snap at the boy right there and then for making decisions for himself like this but…that really wasn’t it, was it? He was asking them for permission and he was not being naive. He was rather doing this just for their future and changing it and stopping a world wide murderer from being born. She also knew for a fact that no matter what, he was a good head disciple and actually knew how to act with and train children so logically, he really was the best person to have Xue Yang if there was a possibility to change the boy. She’s seen it for herself now, how good he is with children and teaching, even if she hadn’t in the past. But still, to just accept something just because Wei WuXian wanted it…No. it wasn’t just Wei WuXian. He did not want this to happen just for himself and he was not the only one who thought this was the best solution they had. He had actually thought over this and clearly found himself capable and deemed this necessary for saving the future that was so broken. To save lives. And…to just save a homeless child suffering abuse in the streets just as he had in his childhood. This wasn’t just about Wei WuXian. Not everything was always just about Wei WuXian. ”But, if we end up doing that, you will have to take full responsibility, as Sect leader Nie said.” She then added, “Only you’d be stupid enough to want to take such a psychopath under your wing anyway.”

“Madam Yu! Thank you!”

She, had never seen Wei WuXian smiling so brightly at her. Or because of her. Not him slicing his throat open because of her.

“I didn’t say I agree.” She couldn’t hold back the comment and yet, the boy didn’t really seem concerned. “Still…” He looked at Jiang FengMian then, as if waiting for his approval too.

The man, though stunned, was quick to right his posture, answering with a cough: “I…guess it could be considered.”

“Senior Wei…” OuYang ZiZhen cried, seeing the smile on Wei WuXian’s face. “You really are crazy.”

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, not sure how he felt about the whole exchange that’s just happened but still, felt a light feeling in his heart. “You had any doubts?!”

Lan WangJi on the other hand, could only smile at his husband and his heart of gold, wondering just how, such a kind person with such a big heart could exist.

Xue Yang laughed, “And I was wondering why Daozhang Song still had business with me. So you want to ask me about this.”

Song Lan raged, “Tell me! Why would a scum like you be so nice as to help him night-hunt?!”

The wind of the sword brushed against his face. A cut appeared on Xue Yang’s cheek, but he wasn’t surprised at all, “How does Daozhang Song understand me so much?”

One of the two fought with skills learned from a proper sect, while the other fought with experience from committing crimes. It was obvious that Song Lan was more skilled than Xue Yang. He pierced through Xue Yang’s arm, “Tell me!”

“Haha, take that!” Lan JingYi cheered, completely forgetting about all the previous conversations.

If not for how the matter was so alarming that Song Lan must know what was going on, the sword might have pierced through the neck instead of the arm. Although Xue Yang was injured, his expression didn’t change at all, “You really wanna hear it? I’m afraid that you might go mad. Some things shouldn’t be made known.”

Song Lan’s voice was colder than ever, “Xue Yang, my patience is running out!”

Everyone held their breaths, scared of how the man would react if he were to learn the truth about the walking corpses A-Qing had mentioned.

With a clang, Xue Yang blocked an attack that was aimed at his eyes. He replied, “Fine, if you’re so keen on hearing it. Do you know what that bestest friend of yours did? He killed a lot of walking corpses. He exercised for the greater good, without asking for anything in return. It’s quite touching, really. Although he dug his eyes out for you and became blind, the good thing was that Shuanghua can point out corpse energy for him. What’s even better? I discovered that if you cut off the tongues of people under corpse poisoning and made it so that they couldn’t speak, Shuanghua couldn’t tell apart living and dead corpses either, so...”

He explained it in an extremely detailed way. Both SongLan’s arm and sword were trembling, “You monster... You vile monster...”

Trembling at seeing just how much Xue Yang was enjoying this and how his eyes were shining in delight, Jin ZiXuan turned to Wei WuXian. “That’s, what you wanna take care of?!”

“It’s a child, I want to take care of!” Wei WuXian protested, pouting. “Trust me, no one wants to cut of the head of that bastard in this room more than I do.”

“Then why!” Lan JingYi cried. “Even if anything changes, it’s going to be creepy as hell living with him after having witnessed all this!”

“Then I’ll have to make sure to have the two of you sleep in the same room.”

“SENIOR WEI!”

Xue Yang, “Daozhang Song, sometimes I feel like that polite people like you are really at a disadvantage when they’re cursing others, because it’s always those few words being repeated over and over again. There’s absolutely no power or creativity at all. I haven’t used these two words to call others ever since I was seven.”

“Huh, you know, that’s exactly what I thought of you back then, Lan Zhan.” Wei WuXian giggled, playfully slapping Lan WangJi’s cheek a couple of time who sighed tiredly.

Lan QiRen, seeing that, could only tremble.

Song Lan was in a towering rage. He attacked again, this time aiming at his throat, “You imposed upon his blindness and fooled him so terribly!”

The attack was both fast and fatal. Xue Yang managed to dodge it, but it pierced his shoulder nonetheless. As if he couldn’t feel anything, he didn’t even flinch, “His blindness? Daozhang Song, have you forgotten who he dug out his own eyes and became blind for?”

Hearing this, both Song Lan’s face and movements stiffened.

“That motherfucker.”

“JingYi!!!”

“Sorry, master Lan!”

Xue Yang continued, “What position are you in to blame me? A friend of his? Are you shameless enough to say that you’re his friend? Hahahaha, Daozhang Song, do I need to remind you of what you said to Xiao XingChen after I wiped out the Baixue Temple? When he worried about you and wanted to help you, what sort of expression did you face him with? What sort of things did you say?”

Song Lan was in a terrible state of mind, “I! At the time, I...”

Xue Yang cut him short, “At the time, you were upset? You were pained? You were grieving? You didn’t know where to vent your anger? And that was why you took it out on him? To be fair, the reason why I wiped out your temple was precisely because of him. It’s quite understandable why you took it out on him. In fact, it was exactly what I wanted.”

Every sentence was a critical strike!

“He…did those for…Xiao XingChen?” Lan XiChen muttered, his face clouded with both confusion and disgust. What…kind of a twisted action was this?

“Poor Song Lan…” Jiang YanLi whispered, eyes filling with tears as many others as they imagined the pain these words should be causing the cultivator.

Lan QiRen frowned. “He’s losing his focus.”

Jiang Cheng cursed.

Both Xue Yang’s speech and attacks quickened. His movements becoming calmer and more difficult to defend, he gradually gained the upper hand, yet Song Lan didn’t notice this at all. Xue Yang added, “Well! Who was the one who said ‘from now on, we won’t need to meet again”? Wasn’t it you, Daozhang Song? He listened to your request and disappeared after he dug out his eyes for you, but why have you come to him now? Isn’t this making it a bit too difficult? Daozhang Xiao XingChen, don’t you agree?”

“What?!” Jin Ling exclaimed, eyes wide as he looked around the screen to see where Xiao XingChen was, only to find nothing. This-this bastard! And ugh, he got fooled by this trick again! “You’re both as disgusting as each other!” He shouted at a very confused Wei WuXian who soon chuckled.

“Don’t tell me you fell for this again.”

“Shut up!”

Everything aside, Xue Yang and Wei WuXian using the same method to fool people like this was…amusing to say the least. Although one was using it to just mess with a kid and another to kill someone. Really, the more they watched, they realized just how much these two were not alike, no matter what anyone says.

Hearing this, Song Lan wavered. His attacks hesitated as well!

“Oh no.” Jiang YanLi shuddered, the rest of the cultivators knowing very well how this mistake would end up.

Being fooled by such a simple trick, it could be seen that Song Lan’s mind and movements were really disrupted by Xue Yang. Taking advantage of such a perfect chance, with a wave of his hand, corpse-poisoning powder rained from above.

Nobody had seen this sort of carefully refined corpse-poisoning powder before, including Song Lan. He accidentally breathed in quite a large amount. Immediately knowing that he was in a bad situation, Song Lan started to cough. However, Xue Yang’s Jiangzai had long been waiting. With a cold flash of the sword’s tip, it shot straight into his mouth!

Some, including the Jiang Lady, Nie HuaiSang and Lan JingYi screamed at the horrifying sight.

“Oh my god that-that-“ Jin ZiXuan was at a loss for words. Never in his life and all the night-hunts he’s went to, he’s ever witnessed such a thing. And so hadn’t all the other juniors.

Instantly, Wei WuXian’s field of vision turned into complete darkness. A-Qing was so scared that she closed her eyes.

Thankfully, that didn’t happen to the watchers but some had already shut their eyes themselves.

“Oh heavens, I had completely forgotten A-Qing was here too!” OuYang ZiZhen said, all eyes focusing on the horribly trembling girl still hiding in the bushes.

Madam Jin, “That poor girl…”

But, Wei WuXian knew already. This was when Song Lan’s tongue had been cut off by Jiangzai. The sounds were terrifying.

A-Qing’s eyes felt warm, but she clenched her teeth tightly, not making a single sound. Her eyes blinked open again. Song Lan managed to keep standing, leaning on his sword. With his other hand, he covered his mouth. Blood seeped incessantly from between his fingers.

Many people had to swallow tightly through their throats to push down the nausea curling up into their mouths; tears falling down their eyes.

With his tongue cut off by Xue Yang’s sudden attack, Song Lan was under so much agony that he couldn’t even walk. Yet, he still pulled his sword from the ground and staggered toward Xue Yang. Xue Yang dodged the attack easily. A bizarre smile was on his face.

The next moment, Wei WuXian saw why he smiled in such a way.

Shuanghua’s silver glare pierced into Song Lan’s chest, then came out from his back.

“Wha-“ Lan XiChen muttered, body frozen and voice caught in his throat.

“No it…it can’t be…” Wen Qing whispered in horror, staring at the familiar sword sticking out of Song Lan’s chest, the would too fatal to be able to survive it.

“What-what happened-why…?” Jiang YanLi asked, her sweaty hand which had been clenching Jin ZiXuan since the start of the battle shaking in disbelief and terror.

Song Lan looked down at Shuanghua’s blade, which penetrated his heart, then slowly looked up again. He saw Xiao XingChen, who calmly held the sword.

Xiao XingChen wasn’t at all aware of the situation, “Are you there?”

“Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck he-he though Xue Yang-his friend-was in trouble and-he came to save him.” Nie HuaiSang shakily said from where he was clinging to his brother.

“He’s blind. Song Lan can’t talk and is poisoned. He’s literally…like a corpse. Just like the other ones Xue Yang’s tricked him to kill.” Jiang FengMian finished spoke, his heart beating too fast for his liking at the horrid and unexpected turn of events.

Song Lan moved his lips soundlessly.

Xue Yang grinned, “I am. Why are you here?”

“Are we sure we can’t kill a child?!”

“Da-Ge!”

Xiao XingChen pulled out Shuanghua and returned it to its sheath, “Shuanghua behaved strangely. I followed its guidance and came to see.” He wondered, “We haven’t seen any walking corpses in this area for quite a while, not to mention one that roamed alone. Did it come here from somewhere else?”

Slowly, Song Lan fell to his knees before Xiao XingChen.

No one could suppress their flinches at the sight. This man…this man had only came to find his old friend he had so many things to fix with, only to be killed by the said friend. But not…in a way anyone from the future had thought like Lan WangJi had explained.

And wasn’t that so familiar?!

Xue Yang glanced down at him, “Probably. It’s making awful noises.”

“It’s-because of you, you fucking piece of shit.” Jiang Cheng snapped, wishing he could somehow just grab that bastard from the screen and tear him apart himself. He was sure, many felt the same way.

At such a time, if Song Lan passed his sword to Xiao XingChen’s hands, Xiao XingChen would’ve immediately known who he was. He’d be able to recognize the sword of his closest friend with just a touch.

Yet, Song Lan could no longer do so. ’Would he pass the sword to Xiao XingChen, tell him who he had just killed with his own hands?’

This was precisely what Xue Yang was aiming for, thus he had nothing to fear. He turned to Xiao XingChen, “Let’s go. It’s time to cook dinner. I’m hungry already.”

“H-how can he-after everything he just did…how..?” Lan JingYi started, completely struck speechless, his eyes wide with pain and disbelief. How can he be so casual and cheerful after just having commuted such crimes?!

“How can someone so heartless even exist?!” Wen Qing screamed. She doubted even Wen RuoHan would be this cruel.

On the other hand, Wei WuXian chuckled coldly, “You’d be surprised.”

And what the fuck was that supposed to mean?!

Xiao XingChen, “Have you bought the vegetables?”

Xue Yang, “Yep. I ran into this thing on my way back. What a bad day.”

“That-he’s not a thing!” Lan XiChen said, remembering how Xue Yang had said the exact same things about Wen Ning and how Wei WuXian had defended him in the same way. Maybe these two did have some similarities but it as clear as day to all of them now, that they were far from being similar.

Xiao XingChen left first. Xue Yang patted the wounds on his shoulder and arm. He picked up the basket again and, as he passed Song Lan, he smiled and looked down, “No food for you.”

After Xue Yang was long gone and had probably reached the coffin home with Xiao XingChen already, A-Qing finally stood up from behind the bush.

Seeing her face, many, specially the woman in the room, felt how much they wanted to just grab the child and hold her in their arms so nothing as such would ever happen to her again.

This was only the beginning and…knowing with what probably awaited this young traumatized girl and Xiao XingChen…they could only shed tears in silence.

Her legs had both numbed after squatting for so long. Holding her pole, she limped and wobbled to Song Lan, whose kneeling corpse had already stiffened.

Song Lan’s death was far from being peaceful. A-Qing jumped from his widely opened eyes. Then, as she saw the blood that spilled out of his mouth, streaming down his chin, staining the front of his shirt, pooling over the ground, large drops of tears rolled from her eyes.

The same reaction could be seen on so many faces in the room as they watched Song Lan dying so painfully.

Although she was scared, A-Qing reached out to close Song Lan’s eyes. She then kneeled in front of him and put her palms together, “Daozhang, please don’t blame me or the other daozhang. If I came out, I’d die anyways, so I had to hide and couldn’t help you. The other daozhang was fooled by that bastard as well. He didn’t do it on purpose. He didn’t know that you were the one he killed!”

She sobbed on, “I’m going back. Please, let your deceased spirit bless me so that I can get Daozhang Xiao XingChen out of there, bless us so that we can escape the demon’s control. I must not let that monster Xue Yang die in peace. I must cut him into pieces so that he never enters reincarnation again!”

“She’s so brave.” Jiang YanLi smiled painfully, closing her eyes and sending prayers for all these three people who had, or were going to die so bravely.

After her speech, she kowtowed on the ground three loud times. She wiped her face harshly, stood up, encouraged herself, and walked in the direction of Yi City.

“Not so many people would’ve had the guts to go back.” Nie MingJue said. “Let alone a common girl against one of the most crazed and strongest cultivators.”

The sky had already darkened when she returned to the coffin home. Xue Yang was peeling apples at the table. Cutting all of the slices into rabbits, he seemed to be in a wonderful mood. Anyone who saw him would think that this must be a lively youth. Nobody would be able to imagine what he had just done.

And nobody, could hold back their disgusted comments at the sight.

Hearing her entrance, Xiao XingChen came out with a plate of cabbage in his hand, “A-Qing, where did you go today? It’s already so late.”

Glancing at her, something suddenly flashed in Xue Yang’s eyes, “What’s wrong? Her eyes are so swollen.”

If anyone saw a flash of worry in his eyes, they were too disgusted to mention it. At the end, he had cut out that girl’s tongue and eyes anyway, no matter what was going on inside his crazed head now.

Xiao XingChen hurried over, “What happened? Did someone bully you?”

Xue Yang, “Bully her? Who’d be able to bully her?”

Although he wore a broad smile, he was clearly growing suspicious. Suddenly, A-Qing threw the bamboo pole onto the ground, and started wailing.
She cried with both tears and a runny nose. Almost hiccuping, she flew into Xiao XingChen’s arms, “Am I ugly? Am I ugly? Daozhang, you have to tell me. Am I really that ugly?”

Completely taken aback, many made sounds of confusion at the words.

“…eh?!”

Wen Qing, “Is she…trying to fool them, maybe?”

Xiao XingChen stroked her head, “Of course not. A-Qing is such a pretty girl. Who said that you’re ugly?”

It was adorable, seeing how despite being blind, Xiao XingChen didn’t hesitate for even a second before assuring her like this.

Xue Yang commented with disdain, “You’re so ugly. You’re even uglier when you cry.”

“You shut you’re fucking mouth! She’s so pretty you won’t ever be able to compare to her!” OuYang Zizhen snapped, clenching his fists angrily.

Wei WuXian chuckled. “Is she now?”

“I-Senior Wei!”

Xiao XingChen chided, “Don’t say that.”

A-Qing cried harder. She stomped her feet, “Well, Daozhang, it’s not like you can see! What’s the use if you say I’m pretty? You’re definitely lying to me! He can see. He said I’m ugly, so I must really be that ugly! Both ugly and blind!”

“She’s…truly one hell of an actor.” Madam Jin found herself commenting with a small chuckle, slowly wiping at her eyes with her sleeve to get rid of the few tears that had fallen down from her eyes.

From all the fuss, both of them naturally believed that some children called her “ugly-pants” or “white-eyed blind girl” when she was outside today, and was feeling frustrated. Xue Yang dismissed, “You came back crying just because they said you’re ugly? Where did your usual unreasonable rudeness go?”

A-Qing, “I’m not rude! Daozhang, do you have any money left?”

With a pause, Xiao XingChen replied in embarrassment, “Uh... I think so.”

Xue Yang interrupted, “I can lend you some.”

“Who would want your money?!” Jin Ling snapped before adding, “Ugh, why is he like this?! One second he’s ripping out tongues and eyes, another second is lending money out of the kindness of his heart! What’s his problem?!”

A-Qing spat, “You’ve been living and eating with us for so long, and you still call it ‘lending’ if we use some of your money! What a miser! You have no shame! Daozhang, I wanna buy pretty clothes and pretty jewelry. Can you come with me?”

“Oh! That’s so clever!” Understanding her plan eventually, many praised.

Wei WuXian thought to himself, ’So she wants to lead Xiao XingChen out of here. But if Xue Yang wants to follow, what should she do?’

Xiao XingChen, “Of course I can, but I won’t be able to help you see if they suit you or not.”

Xue Yang interrupted again, “I can help her.”

A-Qing jumped so high that she almost hit Xiao XingChen’s chin, “I don’t care, I don’t care! I only want you! I don’t want him beside me at all. All he’ll say is that I’m ugly! And he’ll call me Little Blind!”

Nie MingJue chuckled, “Clever girl.” Who knew throwing a tantrum could be so helpful?!

It wasn’t the first time that she acted in such an unreasonable way. The two of them were already used to it. Xue Yang pulled a face at her, while Xiao XingChen agreed, “Alright. How about tomorrow?”

A-Qing, “Tonight!”

Xue Yang, “If you go tonight, all of the markets will have closed. Where else could you possibly go?”

Having no other choice, A-Qing gave in, “Fine! Then tomorrow it is! It’s a promise!”

“I just know nothing is going to go as planned tomorrow.” Nie HuaiSang shivered.

Having failed a first attempt, if she still begged to go outside, Xue Yang would definitely be suspicious again. A-Qing could only drop the matter for now and go to the table for dinner. During the previous ruckus, although her performance was the same as before, appearing more than natural, her stomach had been stretched taut throughout. She had been so nervous that, even now, the hand that she held her bowl with was still trembling. Xue Yang was sitting right at her left. As he glanced sideways at her, her legs stiffened again. Since she was too frightened to eat anything, she conveniently pretended that she was too furious to have an appetite. She spat the food out every time she had a bite. Stabbing her bowl, she muttered and cursed, “You damned bitch. You filthy maid. Well I don’t think you’re any better, slut!”

“She has…wow. She really has such a wide vocabulary.” Jin ZiXuan said, somehow trying to light up the mood a bit after everything they had just witnessed; still feeling shaken by it all.

Nie HuaiSang chuckled, “And I’m betting they are originally directed at Xue Yang.”

Listening to her curse at the nonexistent “filthy maid”, Xue Yang couldn’t hold himself from rolling his eyes, while Xiao XingChen spoke, “Don’t waste food.”

Xue Yang’s eyes left A-Qing and turned to Xiao XingChen’s face instead. Wei WuXian thought,
’It could indeed be justified how the little delinquent could imitate Xiao XingChen in such an accurate way. After all, they sat in front of each other every single day. He’d have lots of time to figure it out.’

However, Xiao XingChen was not at all aware of the two pairs of eyes that pointed at him. After all, he was the only one in the room who was truly blind.

“That…is actually quite painful.” Jin Ling groaned. “Ugh, I had no idea having a pair of eyes could solve so many problems.”

“Well, I can dig out your eyes for you young mistress and test the theory.” Lan JingYi said with a cackle, only receiving a harsh elbow to the guts.

After they finished, Xiao XingChen cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks, and went in the central chamber again. Unable to sit or stand still, A-Qing wanted to follow him inside, but Xue Yang suddenly called her, “A-Qing.”

A-Qing’s heart immediately skipped a beat. Even Wei WuXian felt the chills that ran from her head down her back.

She responded, “Why did you suddenly call my name?!”

Jin Ling, “Yeah, like that was creepy!”

Xue Yang, “Didn’t you say yourself that you didn’t wanna be called Little Blind?”

A-Qing humphed, “People don’t just suddenly act nice to others, unless they’re hiding other intentions! Just what do you want?”

Xue Yang smiled, “Nothing, really. I just want to teach you what you should do the next time others curse at you.”

A-Qing, “Huh. Tell me, then. What should I do?”

“The poor girl. She should be feeling so terrified, just talking to him.” Wen Qing said, the watchers feeling goosebumps through their whole bodies at just thinking about being in the same situation as she was.

Xue Yang, “If someone calls you ugly, then make her even uglier. Cut a few dozens of times on her face so that she’ll never have the guts to go outside again. If someone calls you blind, then carve one end of your pole sharp, and stab once in both of her eyes so that she’ll also be blind. Then, see if she dares to bad mouth you again.”

A-Qing’s blood ran cold. She pretended as if she thought he was frightening her, “You’re scaring me again!”

Feeling the same, Nie HuaiSang trembled, “I…can not decide wether he’s saying these out of concern or…if it’s just fun to do so.”

Wei WuXian shrugged. “Probably both. Though mostly the latter.”

Xue Yang snorted, “Well, think what you want.”

As he finished, he pushed the plate that held the rabbit-shaped apple slices in front of her, “Eat up.”

Looking at the plate of cute, delicate slices, disgust filled both A-Qing’s and Wei WuXian’s hearts.

And so did the heart of the watchers who had no idea what to think about this.

The next day, just as they got up, A-Qing pleaded Xiao XingChen to shop for pretty clothes and makeup alongside her. Xue Yang was annoyed, “If you two are gone, then I’d have to buy today’s food again?”

A-Qing, “Why can’t you buy it? Think about how many times Daozhang bought them! You’re the only one who bullies and plays tricks on Daozhang all the time!”

Xue Yang, “Okay, okay. I’ll go buy it. I’ll go right now.”

“Finally!” Seeing Xue Yang leaving the house, Jiang Cheng shouted, throwing both hands in the air in annoyance.

After he was gone, Xiao XingChen asked, “A-Qing, are you still not ready yet? Can we go now?”

A-Qing only came inside after she made sure that Xue Yang was long gone. She closed the door and asked in a trembling voice, “Daozhang, do you happen to know someone called Xue Yang?”

Nie HuaiSang swallowed, “Oh fuck, here we go.”

Xiao XingChen’s smile froze.

The words “Xue Yang” were too big of a shock to him. His complexion was quite pale to start with. After he heard the name, all of the blood drained from his face. His lips were almost a shade of pink-tinted white.

As if he wasn’t sure, Xiao XingChen asked in a low voice, “... Xue Yang?” He was suddenly startled, “A-Qing, how did you learn of this name?”

If he was already like this, god know how his reactions will be if he learns the whole truth, and no one was sure if they wanted to see that.

A-Qing, “Xue Yang is the person with us! He’s that bastard!”

Xiao XingChen stammered in confusion, “The person with us? ... The person with us...” He shook his head, as though he was feeling somewhat dizzy, “How did you know?”

A-Qing, “I heard him kill someone!”

“Is-is she going to tell him?” Jin ZiXuan muttered, taken aback and impatient.

“I…don’t know.” Jiang YanLi muttered, she herself frowning. But if she told her about Song Lan…

Xiao XingChen, “He killed someone? Who did he kill?”

A-Qing, “A woman! She’s very young. I think she had a sword with her. Xue Yang was hiding a sword on him as well. It was because I heard them fighting. They were really loud. The woman kept on calling him ‘Xue Yang’, and said that he ‘wiped out the temple’, that he ‘killed countless people’, and that he should be ‘rightfully punished’. Oh heaven, he’s out of his mind! He’s been hiding beside us all along, and I don’t even know what he’s trying to do!”

Jiang YanLi let out a breath, “So that’s what she’s come up with.” It wasn’t completely a lie. And would still let Xiao XingChen understand the truth without completely knowing everything that would break his soul.

The soul…that had completely shattered in the future.

’You want me to fix this soul? No offense, but there really isn't much left of it in here. When they were still alive, the person probably suffered from a lot of torture. It should've been rather painful. They probably committed suicide, so they probably don't want to come back to this world.’ She remembered what Wei WuXian had said and to be honest, she was not sure she’d be able to handle this if that was the case. And she was sure many, especially her family, felt the same.

A-Qing stayed awake the whole night, making up lies in her mind. First, she definitely couldn’t let Daozhang know that he killed living humans thinking that they were walking corpses. She couldn’t let him know that he killed Song Lan with his own hands either. So, although it’d be unfair to Daozhang, she couldn’t tell him about Daozhang Song’s death no matter what. The best would be for Xiao XingChen to run away as far as he could after he discovered who Xue Yang was!

The weight of the burden this little girl had to carry…

Yet, the news was too hard for him to accept. And, it also sounded rather absurd. Xiao XingChen couldn’t believe it at all, “But his voice is different. And...”

A-Qing was so frustrated that she kept on knocking her pole on the ground, “He purposely made it so that his voice is different! He’s afraid that you’ll recognize him!” Suddenly, an idea popped up, “Oh right! Right, right! He has nine fingers. Daozhang, do you know? Did Xue Yang also have nine fingers? You’ve definitely seen him before, right?”

“Wait-is she blowing up her cover?” Jiang Cheng asked, looking shocked. His mother nodded, “Seems like it.”

Xiao XingChen staggered, almost falling to the ground.

A-Qing immediately helped him to the table, where they both sat down slowly. After a while, Xiao XingChen spoke again, “But, A-Qing, how did you find out that he has nine fingers? Have you touched his hand before? If he really is Xue Yang, though, how would he have let you touch his left hand for you to discover it?”

A-Qing clenched her teeth, “... Daozhang! Let me tell you the truth! I’m not blind. I can see! I didn’t touch his hands, but saw them instead!”

Each shock was greater than the previous. Xiao XingChen was almost at a loss for words, “What did you say? You can see?”

Nie HuaiSang sighed loudly. “Poor guy. His head’s probably about to explode.”

Although A-Qing was afraid, she couldn’t hide the truth any longer. She apologized and apologized, “I’m sorry, Daozhang! I didn’t lie to you on purpose! I was scared that if you knew that I’m not blind, you’d chase me away! But please don’t blame me for now. Let’s run away together. He’ll be back after he finishes shopping for food!”

“Yes, just run away for now! You can talk later!” Lan JingYi, despite knowing how impossible that was, begged.

Suddenly, she closed her mouth.

The bandages that wrapped around Xiao XingChen’s eyes were initially white. Now, though, two smudges of red seeped from within. The blood grew more and more and eventually leaked through the bandages, trickling down from where his eyes once were.

A-Qing cried out, “Daozhang, you’re bleeding!”

“Fuck, those wounds are still…fresh…?” OuYang ZiZhen muttered, his stomach churning.

“Well, we don’t know how magically digging out your eyes and giving them to someone else…is like.” Jin Ling answered, shuddering at the words. ’Right…Xiao XingChen had dig out his eyes out of guilt and given them to his friend, without probably having been at fault and yet…felt it was his responsibility to do so. And Song Lan had also deemed him guilty on that moment, despite knowing as well, what’s happened to his clan
wasn’t his friend’s fault. Now…why did this all seem so familiar to Jin Ling? And even if at the end, Song Lan had came to find him and apologize…it didn’t make anything better. He died at the hands of his blind friend and everything had ended up much much worse.

Xiao XingChen seemed as if he had just noticed. With a faint exclamation, he reached his hand to his face. When he took it away, it was covered in blood. With quivering hands, A-Qing helped him wipe some off. Yet, the harder she tried, the more blood there was. Xiao XingChen raised a hand, “I’m fine... I’m fine.”

Originally, the injury of his eyes would bleed whenever he had excessive thoughts or emotions, but it hadn’t recurred in quite a long while. Wei WuXian even thought that it had healed already. Today, though, it started to bleed again.

Xiao XingChen murmured, “But... But if he really is Xue Yang, why would it be like this? Why didn’t he kill me in the beginning, and even stayed by my side for so many years? Why would this be Xue Yang?”

“That’s, exactly what we want to know as well and makes everything so complicated and confusing.” Nie HuaiSang said.

A-Qing, “Of course he wanted to kill you in the beginning! I’ve seen his eyes before. They were meaner than mean and scarier than scary! But since he was injured and couldn’t move, he needed someone to care for him! I didn’t know him. If I did and knew that he was a killing machine, I would’ve stabbed him to death when he was in the bush! Daozhang, let’s run! Alright?”

Yet, in his heart, Wei WuXian sighed, That’d be impossible. ’If she didn’t tell Xiao XingChen, he would’ve continued living like this with Xue Yang. Now that she told Xiao XingChen, he wouldn’t simply run away either. He’d definitely ask Xue Yang directly. There’s no solution to this.’

As he had expected, after Xiao XingChen managed to calm down, he told A-Qing, “A-Qing, run away.”

Knowing very well this would happen anyway, no one could help their disappointment and frustration.

His voice was slightly hoarse. A-Qing sounded somewhat scared, “Me? Daozhang, let’s run away together!”

Xiao XingChen shook his head, “I can’t go. I need to find out what exactly he’s trying to do. He definitely has a goal, and tried to reach this goal in the past few years by pretending to be somebody else and staying by my side. If I left him here alone, I’m afraid that the people of Yi City would sink into his hands. Xue Yang has always been this way.”

And isn’t that exactly what happened anyway?

This time, A-Qing’s sobs weren’t faked anymore. She tossed the bamboo pole to the side and clung to Xiao XingChen’s leg, “Me? Daozhang, how can I go by myself? I wanna stay with you. If you’re not leaving, then I’m not leaving either. If worst comes to worst we’ll just be murdered by him. I’ll be so lonely that I die if I’m roaming outside by myself anyways. I know you don’t want this to happen so me, so let’s run away together!”

The sight, suddenly brought back memories to Wei WuXian he no longer wished to remember, yet still haunted him day and night. The sight of his A-Yuan, his little A-Yuan begging to him, playing over and over in his head ever since the moment he’s been brought back to this world. Even after having him back by his side…even after knowing he was alive, he still could see him crying and begging for him to not leave him alive while clinging to his leg as thousands of cultivators were waging towards the burial mounds to kill the Wen army.

He shook his head, trying to get rid of the image as his hand unconsciously grabbed at his son beside him, startling the boy who was too focused on the screen for a second before looking at him a bit strangely while Wei WuXian pretended as if he hadn’t noticed anything.

The Wei WuXian on the screen was also hit by a sudden feeling of painful nostalgia, making him want to look away from the scene but couldn’t.

Immediately realizing the reason why behind his father’s reaction, Lan SiZhui tightened his hold around the man’s fingers, slightly crawling closer to him.

Others, could only share confused glances at the thought since no further explanation was given.

Unfortunately, after the secret that she wasn’t blind was revealed, her tactic of using this to gain sympathy no longer worked. Xiao XingChen replied, “A-Qing, you can see and you’re very clever. I trust that you’ll be able to live a good life. You don’t know how scary Xue Yang is. You can’t stay. You mustn’t go near him again, either.”

Wei WuXian could even hear A-Qing silently screaming, ’I do know! I know how scary he is!’ But she couldn’t open her mouth and speak the truth.

Knowing he was probably going to find out anyway with what Wei WuXian had said happened to Xiao XingChen’s soul, Nie HuaiSang groaned, wanting to scream at the girl to just tell him already and take the man away as well. But then, even if she told her, there was still no way Xiao XingChen would follow her.

Only a coward would.

Suddenly, a series of brisk footsteps came from outside.

Xue Yang was back!

“Oh no…”

Xiao XingChen looked up in alarm, returning to the level of keenness he had when he night-hunted. He quickly pulled A-Qing over and whispered, “When he comes in, I’ll handle him while you use the chance to escape. Listen to me!”

A-Qing was so scared that she could only nod, tears still brimming in her eyes. Xue Yang kicked the door, “What are you guys doing? I’m already back, and you haven’t left yet? If you’re still in there then open the hatch and let me inside. I’m so tired.”

Simply from the tone and the voice, one would think that he was only a boy-next-door, a cheerful shidi. However, who’d ever imagine that the person who stood outside was a villain who had no sense of morality, a demon who wore the facade of a human!

Although the door wasn’t locked, it had been bolted from the inside. If they didn’t open the door anytime soon, Xue Yang would definitely be suspicious. Then, when he entered, he’d definitely be somewhat vigilant. A-Qing wiped her face, “How are you tired?! It’s only such a small distance from here to the market, and you’re already tired?! I’m just a bit slow since I’m seeing which outfit is better. How does it concern you?!”

It was impressive how even in such a situation she could still hold her act.

Xue Yang mocked, “How many outfits do you even have? No matter how much you change, you’ll look the same. Come, come, open the door.”

Even when A-Qing’s legs wobbled, she still spat in a strong voice, “Hmph! I’m not gonna open it for you. Kick however you please.”

“Oh, he will.” Lan JingYi said.

Xue Yang laughed, “Mark your words. Daozhang, fix the door afterwards. Don’t blame it on me.”

After he spoke, he immediately kicked the wooden door open. He stepped over the high threshold and walked inside. He held the basket filled with vegetables on one hand, and a crimson apple on the other. Just as he took a bite out of it, he looked down only to see Shuanghua, which sunk into his stomach.

“Holy shit, that happened so fast!” Nie HuaiSang shrieked. “How is he so fast?!”

Xiao XingChen was truly an amazing cultivator, able to use his sword like and have such speed this even blind that the people watching would sometimes even forget about the fact and the restrictions it should cause. And yet, even he, who was obviously very better at Song Lan in terms of cultivation had fallen victim to Xue Yang whom despite his strong cultivation, has his cunning and immoral, twisted ways of breaking people.

The basket dropped to the ground. The cabbage, carrots, apples, and steam buns rolled onto the floor.
Xiao XingChen shouted in a low voice, “A-Qing, run!”

Moving as fast as she could, A-Qing barged through the door of the coffin home. Immediately afterward, she went on another path and crept back again. She climbed to her usual hiding spot, the one she used most often and was most familiar with, and even popped her head out to watch what was going on inside.

Even if the watchers were glad over the fact that they’d be able to see what was going on, it didn’t help their growing worry for the defenseless girl.

Xiao XingChen asked coldly, “Was it fun?”

Xue Yang took another bite into the apple that was still in his hand. He only replied after calmly chewing for a while and swallowing the fruit, “Yes. Of course it was fun.”

He used his original voice again.

Well, there was nothing to hide anymore, anyway.

Xiao XingChen, “Just what do you want to do, having stayed with me for all these years?”

Xue Yang, “Who knows? Maybe I’m bored.”

Xiao XingChen pulled out Shuanghua and got ready to attack again. Xue Yang added, “Daozhang Xiao XingChen, do you still want to hear the second half of the story that I didn’t finish?”

Xiao XingChen, “No.”

Although he refused, his head tilted slightly forward and his sword paused as well.

“Ugh, just-just kill him. Don’t…listen. He’s only trying to fool you!” Jin ZiXuan begged, despite how he also wanted to know what’s happened after that. What’s happened to make Xue Yang the way he was now. It couldn’t have been just the pastries story no matter how cruel it had been. To turn into a blood hungry sociopath just by that…but then again…this was Xue Yang. A man filled with hatred and seeking revenge for all his life. He wouldn’t be surprised if he learned how that event and the anger held inside him had slowly grown to this.

Xue Yang replied, “Well, I’m gonna tell it anyways. After you hear it, if you still think it’s my fault, you can do whatever you want.”

He casually wiped the wound on his stomach, suppressing it so that it didn’t bleed excessively, “The child saw the man who fooled him to take the letter. He felt both frustrated and happy. He threw himself to the man as he cried, and said to him, ‘I brought the letter there, but the pastries are gone and I was beaten up. Can you give me another plate?’

“The man seemed like he had been caught by the brawnier one and had been beaten as well. His face was injured. Seeing the dirty little child clinging onto his leg, he couldn’t help but felt annoyed and kicked him away at once.

Despite the actions of the adult Xue Yang and the watchers’ anger at everything he had recently done and was going to do, they still couldn’t help but think how he had done nothing wrong here. As a homeless child, he had just wanted some…sweets. As simple as that. And yet, his feelings, emotions, everything, had been abused by the adults who were supposed to act mature.

“He climbed up the ox cart and told the cart driver to leave at once. The child climbed up from the ground and kept on chasing the cart. He really wanted to eat the plate of sugary pastries. Having finally chased up to it, he waved his arms in front of the cart for them to stop. The man was too irritated by his crying. Snatching the driver’s whip, he lashed at his head and threw him onto the ground.”

“What the hell?!” Some snapped as the screen changed to show the events once more, disgusted at seeing the way the whip hit Xue Yang through the face, leaving a harsh scar behind.

And then, the wheels of the cart ground over the child’s hand, one finger at a time.

Some screamed, shouted, or at least gasped at the horrifying unexpected answer to what had happened to Xue Yang’s missing finger; not sure how to feel about that. But what they were sure of, was that they were disgusted by this man.

He was seven! The bones of his left hand were crushed, while one finger was ground into battered flesh on the spot! This man was Chang Ping’s father.

“Wait…Chang Ping’s father? As in, from the clan Xue Yang massacred?” Jiang Cheng asked, both Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi nodding.

It…okay, maybe it would’ve been logical to some point of Xue Yang had taken some kind of a revenge from this man but…but to have massacred the whole clan over his finger and what happened…just how much hate the boy should’ve held while growing up, for it to have reached such a point?

“Did he say seven?” Lan XiChen asked, Nie MingJue nodding as he was pulled out of his daze. “I guess.”

“It was said that he massacred the Chang clan a year…after young master Wei had…passed.” He started, trying to push away the disturbing feeling saying those words out loud caused. Or maybe it was the unbothered look Wei WuXian was giving him or his brother’s pained expression. He was not sure. “And that he was 18 then. If so-“

Realizing what he was trying to understand, Wei WuXian nodded. “Ah, right. I’m not quite sure when I died. Kind of lost track of it but-I don’t know. Probably 21? 22? I’m not sure but…it should’ve been around that…” He said, each word causing more distress and pain to Lan XiChen and the other people around him.

Jiang YanLi could even feel her eyes tearing up at just how young her little brother had died.

Yu ZiYuan, could almost feel faint, thinking how young Wei WuXian had killed-

Oblivious to their thoughts, the boy continued. “So, Xue Yang is at least, 10 or…11 now?” He sighed. “Well that’s bothersome.”

“So it means…these events have already happened.” Lan QiRen realized as well. “Do you think it’s already too late then?”

“I’m not sure. But seeing how deep Xue Yang’s hate can run, I hope it’s not.”

Everyone did as well.

“Daozhang Xiao XingChen, you were so just, so stern when you brought me to Koi Tower! You condemned me and asked me why I wiped out an entire sect simply because of some suspicion. Is it that, since the fingers weren’t yours, you guys were incapable of feeling the pain?! You guys didn’t know how horrifying screams sounded like out of your own mouths? Why didn’t you ask him why he decided to amuse himself with me without a single reason?! The current Xue Yang was bestowed upon you by the past Chang CiAn! The YueyangChang CLAN was only reaping what it had sown!”

“He…can’t be serious…” Jiang FengMian muttered unbelievably.

Xiao XingChen spoke as though he couldn’t believe Xue Yang’s words, “Chang CiAn broke one of your fingers in the past. If you sought revenge, you could’ve simply broken one of his fingers as well. If you really took the matter to heart, you could’ve broken two, or even all ten! Even if you had cut off an entire arm of his, things wouldn’t have been like this. Why did you have to kill his entire clan? Don’t tell me that a single finger of yours was equal to more than fifty human lives!”

Xue Yang actually pondered upon the matter, as if he found Xiao XingChen’s questions strange, “Of course. My finger was my own, while those lives were other peoples’. They wouldn’t be equal no matter how many lives I killed. It was only around fifty. How could it have possibly been equal to one of my fingers?”

“What?” Nie MingJue snapped. “How can a finger be equal to-an entire clan?! There were innocent people there!”

Wei WuXian almost couldn’t hold back a comment, saying ’Oh, now you can see not everyone from a sect are criminals?!’ but managed to do so on time and only clenched his fists, taking a deep breath as he glanced at his two Wen siblings and then Nie MingJue and the rest of the watchers, deciding to count this as a victory. Because this time, maybe they would be able to see that.

Xiao XingChen’s face grew paler and paler from Xue Yang’s confident tone. He shouted, “Then what about others?! Then why did you wipe out Baixue Temple? Why did you blind Daozhang Song ZiChen’s eyes?!”

Xue Yang asked in reply, “Then why did you stop me? Why did you hinder what I wanted to do? Why did you stand up for those dregs of the Chang Clan? You wanted to help CiAn? Or Chang Ping? Hahahaha, how did Chang Ping first cry tears of gratitude? And how did he later beg you not to help him? Daozhang Xiao XingChen, this matter had been your fault, ever since the beginning. You shouldn’t have meddled with the rights and wrongs of other people. Who was right, who was wrong; would an outsider be able to understand? Or, maybe you shouldn’t have even left the mountain in the first place. Your teacher, BaoShan SanRen, was indeed smart. Why didn’t you listen to her and obediently cultivate in the mountains? If you couldn’t understand the happenings of this world, then you shouldn’t have come!”

It was more than Xiao XingChen could bear, “... Xue Yang, you really are... too disgusting...”

Hearing this, the killing intent that hadn’t flashed through Xue Yang’s eyes for quite a long while had appeared again.

“Fuck…he’s dead now…”

But out of everything else, this is what Xue Yang felt sensitive about…?

He laughed bitterly, “Xiao XingChen, this is why I hate you. The people that I hate the most are ones like you who say they’re righteous, who think they’re virtuous, precisely stupid, naive, dumb idiots like you who think the world’s better just because you did something good! You think I’m disgusting? Very well. Would I care if anybody thinks I’m disgusting? But, on the other hand, are you in a position to be disgusted by me?”

The watchers paled very slightly. Was Xue Yang going to…?

Xiao XingChen paused slightly, “What do you mean?”

Lan XiChen, “But-he can’t!”

A-Qing’s and Wei WuXian’s hearts were about to jump out of their chests!

And so were the watchers’.

Xue Yang spoke in an affectionate manner, “Recently, we haven’t went out at night to kill walking corpses, have we? But, a few years ago, didn’t we go outside and kill a bunch every couple of days?”

Xiao XingChen’s lips moved, as though he was feeling somewhat uneasy, “Why are you bringing this up now?”

Xue Yang, “Nothing, really. It’s just really unfortunate that you’re blind. You dug out both of your eyes, so you couldn’t see those ‘walking corpses’ that you killed. They were so scared, so pained when you pierced them through the heart. Some even kneeled down and cried and kowtowed for you to let off the young and elderly of their families. If not for how I cut off all of their tongues, I bet they would’ve been wailing and shouting ‘Daozhang, spare us’.”

“Fuck, that…that bastard…” Nie MingJue trembled. “Children?! Elderly?! What kind of a person are you?!”

’Yes, truly, what kind of a person is he?!’ Wei WuXian thought bitterly.

Xiao XingChen’s entire body started to tremble.
After a long while, he managed, “You deceived me. You wanted to deceive me.”

Xue Yang, “Yes, I deceived you. I’ve been deceiving you all along. Who would’ve known that you believed me when I was deceiving you, but now you don’t believe me when I’m speaking the truth?”

Xiao XingChen staggered and swung his word toward Xue Yang, shouting, “Be quiet! Be quiet!”

Seeing the trembling hand holding the sword and the unfocused attack, the watchers slowly lost all hope they had. Xue Yang had already swayed Xiao XingChen’s mind, he couldn’t fight like this. Just like what he had done to Song Lan.

It was impressive, really. The power such words could hold over two of the most strong and promising cultivators to history, breaking them to the point they became nothing in front of a disgusting street rat. Impressive, how words could deep much, much deeper that blades and arrows.

Xue Yang pressed his abdominal area. Snapping with his left hand, he calmly backed away. The expression on his face wasn’t that of a human anymore. Green light shone from his eyes. Along with the canine teeth that showed when he smiled, he looked as though he was a living monster. He shouted, “Alright! I’ll be quiet! If you still don’t believe me, then pass a few moves with the one standing behind you. Make him tell you that if I’m deceiving you or not!”

“…what?” Jiang YanLi felt her heart stop at the sight. “No…”

A sword brought a gust of wind toward him. Xiao XingChen naturally blocked it with Shuanghua. As the two swords clashed, his face immediately grew blank. Or, one could say that his entire body instantly became a stone statue depicting a withered human.

Xiao XingChen asked with utmost cautiousness, “... Is that you, ZiChen?”

The sorrow, desperation, pain, and hope visible in his voice made almost everyone flinch.

There was no answer.

Song Lan’s corpse stood behind him. He appeared as if he was gazing at Xiao XingChen, but there were no pupils within his eyes. He held the sword that clashed with Shuanghua.

The two of them had definitely often learnt from each other by exchanging blows. Even if the two swords had just clashed, Xiao XingChen should be able to tell who the other was from only the strength of the attack. Yet, Xiao XingChen seemed as though he wasn’t sure. He turned around slowly and reached out a quivering hand, feeling for the blade of Song Lan’s sword.

The constant trembling of his hand was enough to make the watchers look away, not being able to stand looking at the sight.

Song Lan didn’t move. Xiao XingChen moved his hand upward from the tip. Finally, one stroke after another, he traced over the characters “Fuxue” that had been carved on the sword.

Xiao XingChen’s face grew even paler.

Almost stupefied, he touched the blade of Fuxue, not even noticing that his palm had been grazed. He was trembling so much that even his voice sounded as though it was scattered on the ground, “... ZiChen... Daozhang Song... Daozhang Song... Is that you...?”

He was begging. Xiao XingChen, the kind, elegant, proud cultivator whose smile shined so bright, was begging, tears-or rather blood-streaming down his twisted face to have his friend back. To have the friend he himself had killed back. He was begging, because of Xue Yang, the man who had the audacity to look as if he enjoyed this.

Song Lan looked at him without making a sound.

Two frightening holes had already been soaked through the bandages that was wrapped around Xiao XingChen’s eyes by blood that never seemed to stop seeping. He wanted to reach out and touch the person who held the sword, but he was too afraid, reaching out, then putting his arms back again. Waves of tearing pain rippled through A-Qing’s chest. Both Wei WuXian and she had difficulties breathing. Unable to breathe, tears poured out of her eyes.

The watchers were in no better state, some who had weaker hearts already crying out their eyes at what they were seeing.

Wei WuXian who had witnessed this all once couldn’t help the way his heart was reaching out for the man, once again feeling just as helpless as he had felt being stuck in A-Qing’s body and not being able to do anything.

Lan WangJi on the other hand, could only clench his fists in anger, thinking if he could’ve by any chance, changed things if he hadn’t been bedridden back then because of the wounds on his back.

Nie MingJue felt no better, cursing at himself over and over again because of this. This was all his fault. If he had still been alive and not dead because of his fucking stubbornness, maybe he could’ve changed things. Had Xue Yang properly executed. If only he hadn’t died-

Even Yu ZiYuan looked as if she wanted to do something. To somehow reach out and save this total stranger who had done nothing wrong in his life to have deserved this. Who had done nothing but show kindness so blindly to the people he didn’t even know and was now, dying because of that exact person. He had brought this upon himself, she wanted to say. But having witnessed everything, couldn’t do so. Because at the end, Xiao XingChen was just…human. Not someone like her.

Xiao XingChen stood where he was, at a loss of what to do, “... What happened...? Say something...”

He had completely fallen apart, “Can anybody say something?!”

As he had wished, Xue Yang spoke, “Would I still need to tell you who exactly was the walking corpse that you had killed yesterday?”

“Shut up! Just shut up!” Lan JingYi shouted, wishing he could somehow reach out and smack that fucking smile off of Xue Yang’s face. This time, not even Lan QiRen could find it in himself to reprimand the boy when he himself felt the exact same.

A clang.

Shuanghua fell onto the ground.

Xue Yang burst out in laughter.

“Just shut the fuck up…”

Xiao XingChen stood blankly in front of Song Lan. Putting his hands on his head, he wailed as though he was ripping his chest apart.

And every sound stabbed into the watchers hearts like knives. To see such a person getting reddened to this state…it hurt. It was wrong. It was so damn fucking wrong. He shouldn’t be crying and begging like this in front of a man as disgusting as Xue Yang. Such a person shouldn’t even be experiencing such things! He didn’t…deserve any of it. He didn’t. He just didn’t. And to think how everyone in the future thought he was some crazed murderer and blamed him for what Xue Yang had done…

Xue Yang laughed so hard that tears formed in the corners of his eyes. He scowled, “What’s wrong?! You’re so touched to see your old friend again that you’re even crying! Do you want to give him a hug?!”

“God I have never, never wanted to fucking cut out a person’s tongue!” Jin ZiXuan snapped, feeling just how much he wanted to give Xue Yang a taste of his own medicine.

A-Qing covered her mouth as firm as she could, refusing to let out any trace of her whimpered crying. Inside of the coffin home, Xue Yang paced from one side to the other as he cursed with a terrifying tone of both wrath and ecstasy, “Saving the world! What a joke. You can’t even save yourself!”

Series of sharp pains stabbed at Wei WuXian’s head. This time, the pain wasn’t from A-Qing’s soul.

People’s worry for the two only grew as well; realizing just how fucked up and dangerous Empathy should be even if they, without actually being present in one of the victim’s bodies and feeling everything they did, were feeling like this.

Crestfallen, Xiao XingChen kneeled on the ground, beside Song Lan’s feet. He squeezed himself close, as though he had shrunk into a small, weak lump of something, almost hoping that he’d disappear from this world. His snowy white robes had already been covered in dust and blood. Xue Yang shouted at him, “You couldn’t do anything, you’ve failed miserably, you’re the only one to blame-you asked for all of this!”

At this moment, Wei WuXian saw himself in Xiao XingChen. If anything, he had heard those words over and over again from the moment he could remember, to the moment he had died. And Xiao XingChen’s end, didn’t seem to be going to be any different from his end either.

Every word stab into the Jiang family’s hearts like daggers and they were not the only ones feeling…responsible or pained and worried because of them.

’Xiao XingChen’s end, didn’t seem to be going to be any different from his end either.’ Echoed in Yu ZiYuan’s mind.

Him, who failed miserably as he stood drenched in blood, who couldn’t do anything except silently acknowledge the critiques and accusations, who was wholly beyond hope, who could only cry in despair!

“A-Xian…?” Jiang YanLi silently called, looking at her brother with her tear stained face, the man only giving her a small smile as if trying to assure her everything was okay. That he was okay. Like he does all the time and yet, cuts his throat open and smiles the same way before shutting his eyes for good. Heavens…she was going to be sick.

The white bandages had been stained entirely red. Xiao XingChen’s face was covered in blood. Without eyes to cry with, he could only bleed tears. Having been deceived for years, he took his enemy as a friend, and all of his kindness was stepped over. He thought that he was exorcising ghosts, but his hands were bathed in the blood of the innocent. He even killed his closest friend!

He could only whimper in pain, “Please. Let me go.”

Xue Yang, “Didn’t you want to stab me to death with your sword just a moment ago? Why are you begging me to let you go, now?”

“Just…just let him go. Just let this be over…” OuYang ZiZhen, also begged.

He clearly knew that, with Song Lan’s corpse protecting him, Xiao XingChen wouldn’t be able to pick up his sword again.

He won again. It was an overwhelming victory.

“This…how can you feel any joy in this?!” Nie HuaiSang exclaimed, eyes blown wide in disbelief and his brother shook his head, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. This was all…somehow…his fault as well.

Suddenly, Xiao XingChen snatched up Shuanghua, which had been lying on the ground. Turning the body of the sword, he placed the sharp edge by his neck. The clear radiance of a silver sword glare flashed across Xue Yang’s dark, lightless eyes. Xiao XingChen loosened his hands. Crimson blood trickled down Shuanghua’s blade.

“Wh…what…?” Jiang YanLi blanked, Jiang FengMian paled and Yu ZiYuan froze. Inside their minds, suddenly, the image of Xiao XingChen commuting suicide was replaced with Wei WuXian cutting open his throat in a far too similar way, his motionless body falling limp just as Xiao XingChen’s did, hitting the ground with a deafening thump that had them all flinching unconsciously; even Wei WuXian himself.

But what was also similar? How Xue Yang had screamed at him on the top of his lungs, laughing, accusing, and blaming him for every thing he had no fault at and torturing him and torturing him and keep going nonstop, not shutting up for even a god damn fucking second as he kept throwing those words like arrows to Xiao XingChen until he had so silently, without even a word, given up. Given up and accepted and believed every word as if everything was truly his fault, and sliced open his throat to just end everything. To quiet everything. To finally-stop the voice screaming at him how worthless and troublesome he was. Screaming at him until there was no coming back from.

Yu ZiYuan hated it. Hated it with her whole being how, she could suddenly see herself in the place of Xue Yang, screaming at Xiao XingChen-at Wei WuXian who was nothing but a bleeding corpse in front of her, dying little by little; the wound on his throat cutting deeper and deeper with every word she spat at him without a single care in the world; deciding how he was the cause of every problem in her goddamn miserable life, because of a long dead woman.

’Sick? Is that the new trick he’s pulling to get away with what he’s done?! Breaking A-Li’s marriage? Wei WuXian! Do you think you can escape this with pretending to be sick?!’ She had screamed without bothering to even take a look at the boy; Zidian sparkling on her finger.

’A-Li how long are you going to keep falling for his tricks?! Can’t you see he’s just acting to made himself look innocent like all always?! How many times do I have to tell you that he’ll bring nothing but shame and destruction to our sect?! This was just the start! What do you think he’ll do next?! Are you going to keep-‘ She had screamed, until Wei WuXian had so easily and effortlessly, put the sword on his neck in such a fast motion none of them could’ve seen coming, running the blade through his flesh without a care in the world before falling limply into her husband’s arms who had at least been fast enough to catch him; and then smiled while closing his eyes, chocking on the blood pooling in his mouth and apologized. Apologized, as if it all had truly been his fault, when he had only been defending her daughter’s honor-what Yu ZiYuan seemed to consider more important than anything in the world-in the cloud recess. Maybe he had gone a little too far, but what about her? Hadn’t she gone too far off as well? He was a child and yet, she was an adult. Hadn’t she been going too far, all this time?

But then, Wei WuXian still hadn’t done the same as he’s done in his past life when he got kicked out of Cloud Recess, as they were shown. But this time, he had. He had done so, for some reason, truly believing in her words and how his death would somehow solve every problem they had faced in the future. The thought suddenly made the woman gasp in pain as she thought of what else she could’ve possibly done to him to make him believe so, so easily.

She shut her eyes, feeling the ringing inside her skull, the sound of Wei WuXian choking on blood as if he was taking his last breaths becoming too loud to handle. A-Li’s desperate scream, A-Cheng’s, FengMian’s, ZiXuan’s and-wait-no why-why were all these people screaming so suddenly?

She shook her head, focusing on where all the sound was coming from, only to find almost everyone in the room crowding around someone-no-not someone. Her daughter! Her daughter who suddenly looked so pale and motionless as if she had fainted; leaning on Jin ZiXuan, while Wei WuXian and A-Cheng were calling out to her over and over again.

“A-A-Li!” She cried, rushing to her daughter’s side despite of the numbness that had spread through her whole body, to see what on earth had happened.

What on earth happened to her to have not noticed all this?

“A-Li! A-Li!” She called, shaking the girl’s shoulder desperately who’s eyes were slowly coming into focus once more, her head which was resting on Jin ZiXuan’s shoulder looking towards her.

“I-I’m fine-mother.” She whispered, her voice shaking. “I…I’m okay. I’m sorry.” She said, as if that’s all she needed to say-as if she couldn’t bear to look at her mother-before her eyes started searching for someone-no-for Wei WuXian who was sitting right beside her and clinging to her so worriedly and reached out, wrapping her hands around the boy who hugged her back just as tightly, probably knowing why this has happened-because of Yu ZiYuan-given how he started assuring her so quickly.

Speaking in a voice so clear and loving, and not the hoarse one Yu ZiYuan could still remember he had spoken with after having woken up in the healer’s wards because of both the wound, and how much he had screamed. Screamed before he had tried once more, to take his own life with trying to rip open the wound on his throat with his bare hands.

“Everyone, I think it’s really better if you give them some space! Stop crowding her so much!” Someone, -Wen Qing, she soon realized-spoke, and she almost snapped at the woman if she hadn’t stopped her. “Madam Yu, I can clearly feel your worry, but that’s not needed right now, you don’t need to worry. It seems like she was having something close to a panic attack but it’s thankfully passed. Right now, the best thing to do is to not crowd around her and cause more distress.” She explained and for a second Yu ZiYuan had to wonder if the woman would talk to her so respectfully if she were to see all she had done to Wei WuXian.

The boy seemed to care deeply for her and her brother. She was a just woman, a doctor, who had clearly helped her daughter right now. And also A-Cheng and Wei WuXian in the other time line after the massacre of her home. And yet, dead in the future because of being a Wen. Because of people accusing her of the crimes she had not committed. Now, wasn’t this getting too familiar now?

She just nodded silently, retrieving to her own seat just as everyone else did, leaving her daughter with Wei WuXian and for once, realizing that maybe this was what she needed. Both of them needed. He was her brother. That was all. Nothing else, like anyone had ever said or thought. Even Jin ZiXuan looked like he completely understood that despite how worriedly he was looking at the girl, sitting not too far away from her. Just as did Wen Qing and…A-Cheng.

A-Cheng, who looked just as pale as the rest of them knowing very well why his sister looked like this, gazing at his siblings with pain and worry dancing in his eyes.

Yu ZiYuan wasn’t sure if he’d be sitting here like this if he had been present in Lotus Pier on that day as well.

Feeling the situation having calmed down a bit; despite their worry at the sight knowing very well what has caused this, the rest of the audience decided to keep quiet as well and give the two some privacy, instead, focusing back on the screen where Xiao XingChen laid, now dead and completely silent; his previous cries nothing but distant echoes.

Dead, like Wei WuXian might’ve ended up if the Jiangs hadn’t been fast enough to save him.

Lan WangJi was going to throw up. If he had not been training in keeping his posture no matter the situation since he was very young, he doubted he would’ve been any different from how Lady Jiang was right now.

Following the limpid echo of the sword tumbling to the ground, both Xue Yang’s movement and laughter halted.

After a while of silence, he walked to Xiao XingChen’s motionless corpse. He looked down with bloodshot eyes, the twisted curvature of his lips gradually sinking. Wei WuXian didn’t know if he had accidentally saw wrong, but it seemed that the rim of Xue Yang’s eyes were brimming a reddish tint.

“Is…is he…crying…?” Jin Ling muttered, trying to somehow take off some of the attention on her mother and uncle, despite the very disturbing feeling in his guts telling him there was something terribly wrong going on here and he, and maybe his other 3 friends had no idea about. He was not sure, if he wanted to know the answer to that either.

Immediately afterward, he glowered through clenched teeth, “You forced me to do this!”

“He…what?” Lan QiRen spoke, his disbelief growing more and more with everything that came out of Xue Yang’s mouth. “How-how dare he blame him?!”

He then laughed grimly, and spoke to himself, “A dead one is better! Only dead people listen.”

And so many people flinches at that, specially Yu ZiYuan. ’Don’t you want me dead?!’

Xue Yang felt for Xiao XingChen’s breathing and squeezed his wrist, as though he thought that he wasn’t dead enough, that he wasn’t rigid enough. He stood up, went into the bedroom on the side, and carried out a basin of water. Using a clean towel, he wiped away all of the blood on Xiao XingChen’s face. He even exchanged the old bandages with new ones, carefully wrapping them around him.

Looking at the sight, none of the watchers could help but feel nausea crawling up their throats. Xue Yang was truly out of his mind…

He painted an array on the ground, prepared the materials needed, and properly placed Xiao XingChen inside. He only remembered to look after his own abdominal wound after he had done so many things.

Probably thinking that the two of them would be able to meet after just a short while, his mood grew better and better. He picked up all of the fruits and vegetables that had been scattered on the ground and organized them into the basket again. Out of a rare surge of diligence, he even cleaned the house and placed a new layer of straws into A-Qing’s coffin. At last, he took out the piece of candy that Xiao XingChen gave him last night.

“This is…this is so disturbing.” Lan JingYi muttered. “Nothing about this makes any sense. Nothing…why would he-is he-“

Just as he was about to put it in his mouth, he thought for a bit. Holding the urge back, he put it back again. With one hand holding his chin out of boredom, he waited for Xiao XingChen to sit up.

But it never happened.

The sky had been darkening, and so had Xue Yang’s expression. He tapped his fingers irritatedly on the table.

“He’s not going to wake up. He never is.” Madam Jin muttered, closing her eyes in sorrow and taking a few deep breaths before looking at YanLi, feeling relieved at seeing her having calmed down a bit in her younger brother’s arms. Her brother, who could’ve probably ended up the same as Xiao XingChen not more than a day ago and was the reason why A-Li had reacted so harshly at what’s happened.

Seriously…what on earth had just happened in Lotus Pier back then?

She gazed at her friend beside her, finding the expression on her face to unnerving that she found herself looking away, already having a very good idea about that but not wanting to believe it. Then again, she herself wouldn’t have acted any different from how ZiYuan had probably acted, would she? She would’ve just, blamed an innocent child over what their father had once done.

When dusk fell completely, he kicked the table and cursed. Standing up, he half-kneeled in front of Xiao XingChen’s corpse, checking over the array and incantations that he had painted. After repeated examinations, he felt that there was nothing wrong. However, after frowning for a moment, he still wiped away all of them and redrew the entire thing.

This time, Xue Yang directly sat on the ground, staring patiently at Xiao XingChen. He waited for another while. A-Qing’s legs had already went through three stages of numbness. Now, they both itched and hurt, as though thousands of ants were nibbling on them. Her eyes had been swollen as well from crying. Her sight was a bit blurry.

The fact that the girl looked no better than Xiao XingChen’s corpse made them all to almost tear up once more.

After another two hours, Xue Yang finally discovered that the situation had gotten out of control.

He put his hand onto Xiao XingChen’s forehead, closing his eyes for detection. A moment later, his eyes flew open.

Wei WuXian knew. What he could still detect was probably just a few strands of a fragmented soul.
And, a soul that was broken in such a way that it could never be used to create a fierce corpse.

Some, found themselves even relieved over the fact. Because that meant he was at least, finally free of Xue Yang and all the pain he had brought to him.

It seemed that Xue Yang had never expected something like this to happen. On his face, which constantly grinned, an emptiness appeared for the first time.

Without thinking, although it was too late, he pressed his hands against the wound on Xiao XingChen’s neck. However, all of the blood had already drained away. Xiao XingChen’s face was whiter than paper. Large areas of dark-red blood dried up on his neck. Covering the wound now would do nothing.

The way some felt satisfied at the sight was so wrong, yet seemed so right on that moment.

Xiao XingChen had died. He had died completely.

Even his soul had shattered.

The child in Xue Yang’s story who cried because he couldn’t eat pastries was too different from the present him. It was almost impossible to link the two together. Yet, in the current moment, Wei WuXian could finally catch a few traces of that ignorant, confused child on Xue Yang’s face.

And for some reason, it hurt at the same time it disgusted them.

In an instant, red veins climbed over Xue Yang’s eyes. He stood up suddenly. Squeezing both of his hands into fists, he rampaged around the coffin home. He kicked and thrashed, noisily destroying the house that he had just cleaned a few seconds ago.

At this point, his expression, the sounds that he made were closer to the word “insane” than all of his past attitudes added together.

After he smashed everything the house, he calmed down again. He squatted where he had been and called out in a small voice, “Xiao XingChen.”

He continued, “If you don’t get up, I’ll make your dear friend Song Lan murder people.

“Just let him go! Is that too much to ask?!” Jin Ling snapped, feeling disgusted at what this bastard was saying even after all he’s done. After all the pain he had caused Xiao XingChen to the point he had killed himself. And somehow, even after death, he still didn’t seem to get enough.

“I’ll kill off everyone in the entire Yi City and make them into living corpses. You’ve been living here for such a long time. Is it really okay for you not to care?

And he had done that, the watchers realized, recalling the old woman living in the house Wei WuXian and the juniors had made congee in.

“I’ll strangle that little blind A-Qing and leave her corpse in the fields for wild dogs to gobble her up.”

A-Qing shivered soundlessly. So did Wei WuXian, suddenly very grateful that is at least not what’s happened to A-Qing at the end.

Those who had learned of this fear as well, felt their hearts skipping a beat.

Having received no reply, Xue Yang suddenly shouted out of rage, “Xiao XingChen!”

A few jumped at the sudden outrage.

He yanked at Xiao XingChen’s collars, even though it did nothing, and shook it a couple of times as he stared at the lifeless face in his hands.

Suddenly, pulling Xiao XingChen’s arm, he lifted him onto his back.

Xue Yang carried the corpse toward the door. As if he had lost his mind, he ranted in a whisper, “Spirit-trapping Pouch, Spirit-trapping Pouch. Right, a Spirit-trapping Pouch. I need a Spirit- trapping Pouch, a Spirit-trapping Pouch, a Spirit-trapping Pouch...”

Nie MingJue, “He really…sounds insane.”

Only after he was far away did A-Qing dare to move slightly.

Unable to balance herself, she tumbled to the ground, and only crawled up again after writhing for a while. She managed to walk a few more steps forward. As her muscles stretched, she walked faster and faster and faster, and started to run.

After she ran so far that Yi City was far behind her, she finally let out the cries that she buried within herself, “Daozhang! Daozhang! Aaah, Daozhang!...”

Out of everyone in this whole damn thing, this girl was the only one who hadn’t deserved any of it. Not even the slightest bit of it. And she had been so brave and strong and just-done everything correctly and in the best way she could have. Tried as best as she could to save…to save the man who had been like a caring father to her since they met. The father, she had just watched die by his own hands.

This girl…this poor kind hurt, had never, not even once, done anything wrong despite probably having had a very similar past to Xue Yang, having lived in the street.

And even if she had scaped now, she would sooner or later be falling victim to Xue Yang just like so many others had.

The scenario suddenly changed and turned to somewhere else.

At this point, A-Qing had probably already been on the run for a couple of days. She was walking in an unfamiliar town, holding a bamboo pole and pretending to be blind again. She asked whoever came toward her, “Excuse me, are there any big sects around here?”

Seeing her once again in the situation she had been before meeting Xiao XingChen, hurt more that it should have.

“Excuse me, are there any really powerful people around the area? Powerful people who cultivate.”

“God she’s…still trying to help…” Lan XiChen sadly, spoke.

Wei WuXian also thought to himself, ’She’s searching for people who can help her seek revenge for Xiao XingChen.’

Unfortunately, nobody took her questions seriously. They’d often walk away after just a few half-hearted sentences. A-Qing wasn’t discouraged, either. She tirelessly asked, even if she had been shooed away all those times. Seeing that she couldn’t get any answers here, she left and went on a smaller path.

Which for some reason, made an ominous feeling start to form in the watchers’ stomachs.

She had been walking and asking for an entire day. Exhausted, she dragged her heavy legs toward a brook. She cupped her hands and drank a few sips of the water, soothing her dry throat. Through the water, she saw a wooden hairpin in her hair, and reached for it.

Looking at the hairpin, A-Qing puckered her lips, wanting to cry again. Her stomach growled, and she took a small, white money pouch out of her lapel. This was the one she stole from Xiao XingChen. She then dug out a small candy from within it, and licked it carefully. After the tip of her tongue tasted the sweetness, she put the candy back again.

The sight, was painful enough to bring back the tears into the eyes of the watchers.

This was the last piece of candy Xiao XingChen gave her.

Some of the juniors, were openly crying now.

A-Qing looked down and packed the pouch away again. With a glance, she suddenly found that another person’s shadow appeared within the reflection of the water. Standing in the reflection, Xue Yang was smiling at her.

The way Nie HuaiSang and some of the other teenagers screamed could reach the skies. Even the other watchers couldn’t hold back their gasps of horror at Xue Yang’s sudden appearance, not having expected it to be so soon or so…sudden.

With a startled scream, A-Qing immediately scrambled away.

And here goes her cover of being blind, if Xue Yang still hadn’t realized it by any chance.

Ever since sometime, Xue Yang had been standing behind her. With Shuanghua in his hand, he opened his arms and made the gesture of a hug. He spoke happily, “A-Qing, why are you running away? We haven’t seen each other in such a long time. Don’t you miss me?”

“Get the fuck away from her!” Nie MingJue roared before he could stop himself.

A-Qing shrieked, “Help me!”

Yet, this was already an obscure mountain path. Nobody would come to help her. And the watchers, could do nothing but watch.

Xue Yang raised a brow, “I just happened to have ran into you when you were asking around in the city after I finished my business in Yueyang. What a wonderful turn of fate. Speaking of it, your acting is superb. You even fooled me for such a long time. Well done.”

Thinking back on it not, her job had truly been remarkable; having been able to fool Xue Yang of all people all this time, who was a master at doing so himself.

A-Qing knew that there was no chance of escaping death this time. After the shock, thinking to herself that she’d die anyway, why couldn’t die after cursing all she wanted? Becoming bolder again, she jumped up and spat, “You animal! Thankless wretch! Lower than low bastard! Your parents must’ve made love in a pigpen for a son of a bitch like you to happen! You’re just a germ who grew up eating shit!”

Having used to roam the marketplaces, she had heard more than a great deal of curses and arguments. She spat out whatever profanities that came to her mind. Xue Yang only grinned and listened, “You’re quite good at this, aren’t you? Why haven’t I heard you act so rude in front of Xiao XingChen? You got more coming?”

A-Qing continued, “Fuck you shameless filth! And you still dare to mention Daozhang and hold Daozhang’s sword! Do you deserve to hold it? You’re dirtying his belonging!”

And yet, that sword was probably what Xue Yang had used to kill A-Qing as well. Just like Song Lan. Just like…Xiao XingChen.

Xue Yang held up Shuanghua with his left hand, “Oh, you mean this? It’s mine now. Did you think your daozhang is any cleaner? After this, he’ll also be my...”

A-Qing, “You piece of shit! Dream on! You don’t deserve to call Daozhang unclean. You’re just a pool of spittle! Daozhang must be the unluckiest man in the world to have met you! You’re the only one who’s dirty! It’s only a disgusting pool of spittle like you!”

Xue Yang’s expression finally darkened.

Having been on the edge for such a long time, now that the moment had finally arrived, A-Qing felt strangely relieved.

The watchers, even the Lans, allowed themselves to feel the smallest bit of satisfaction at A-Qing’s river of curses.

Xue Yang spoke in a cold tone, “Since you like pretending to be blind so much, why don’t you become truly blind?”

With a wave of his hand, some sort of powder came at her face and went into her eyes. Immediately, everything she could see became a bloody red, then turned into darkness.

Stung by the scorching pain on her eyes, A-Qing let out a blood-curdling screech. Xue Yang’s voice came again, “You’re too talkative. You won’t need your tongue anymore, either.”

It all, happened so fast that the only reaction anyone could have were screams and gasps of horrors, their hands flying to their hearts.

“Did she-did she just-“ OuYang ZiZhen muttered, not being able to really finish the sentence.

Lan SiZhui solemnly nodded, “I guess…”

“But…but she can’t…” Wen Ning muttered, feeling his eyes tearing up again and Wen Qing took his hand for comfort, she herself not feeling any better.

“Xue Yang better die painfully or so help me…” Nie HuaiSang muttered, the amount of anger he was feeling even surprise himself. But-but that bastard…none of them, none of these people he had just killed deserved that. “He had lived with A-Qing for so many years and yet he-he-he killed her without an ounce of guilt on his face! How is he even a human?!”

The crisp rings of the silver bell sounded as though they were right beside Wei WuXian, yet he was still immersed in A-Qing’s emotions, unable to come back to his senses. His head spun as well.

“Fuck.” Nie MingJue cursed, realization hitting him. “Fuck, you had just also-“

Lan JingYi waved a hand in front of him, “There is not reaction? What if he lost his marbles?!”

“JingYi, I never, thought I’d be this happy to see you again.” Wei WuXian joked, speaking for the first time after a while and causing the boy to pout, the only thing keeping him from saying something back being the small laugh that broke out of the Jiang lady and some others. “Hmph.”

Jin Ling, “I said already that Empathy is very dangerous!”

Lan JingYi, “Well it was because your head was up in the clouds and did not ring the bell in time.”

Jin Ling’s face froze, “I...”

Luckily, Wei WuXian had finally came to. He stood up against the coffin. A-Qing, having already left his body, leaned on the coffin as well. The boys swarmed around him as though they were a litter of piglets and all talk at the same time, “He’s up, he’s up!”

“Kids…you might wanna lower your voices when someone’s just come out of Empathy.” Wen Qing lightly scolded, sighing when the said kids smiled at her sheepishly. But honestly, she as well was just as happy to see them once more.

“Whew, he hasn’t lost his marbles.”

“Hasn’t he lost his marbles to begin with?”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

With loud chatters surrounding his ears, Wei WuXian spoke up, “Don’t be so loud. My head feels awful.” He said, his tongue suddenly feeling so strange in his mouth after having it just cut out. And so did his eyes and…his head which hurt like a bitch.

Realizing that as well, the watchers paled, giving Wei WuXian worried looks and soon scanning him to see if he was hurt or anything; without even realizing.

How was he even being so calm on the screen?!

“A-Xian…” Jiang YanLi muttered worriedly from where she was now slightly leaning on Wei WuXian, still holding his hand. “ShiJie, I’m okay. Those didn’t really happen to me, I’m fine. I’m here.” Wei WuXian whispered back, hating himself even more for the look on Jiang YanLi’s face and her current state which was also his fault.

They quieted at once. Wei WuXian looked down, reached into the coffin, and slightly opened Xiao XingChen’s collars. As he had expected, at his neck, there was a thin yet fatal wound.

If some, specially the Jiangs, flinched at the sight; no one said anything.

Wei WuXian sighed in silence and turned to A-Qing, “Thanks for all the trouble.”

The reason why A-Qing’s ghost was blind but she wasn’t as slow or careful as other blind people was that she only became truly blind the moment before she died. Before, she had always been such a fast, lively maiden.

In these years, she hid alone within the fog of Yi City, stealthily going against Xue Yang by scaring away the humans who had entered the city and warning them, directing them outside. Just how much courage and dedication did she have to be able to do this?

Even after her death, she had never stopped helping people as much as she could, even going so far as staying in such a haunted city with Xue Yang, for thirteen years. She was truly, one of the most remarkable people to have ever stepped foot on earth.

Beside the edge of the coffin, A-Qing put her palms together and saluted Wei WuXian for a couple of times. Then, using her bamboo pole as a sword, she made the “kill, kill, kill” gestures that she had always played around with.

Wei WuXian replied, “Don’t worry.” He turned to the disciples, “Stay here, all of you. The walking corpses in the city won’t be able to come here. I’ll be back soon.”

Lan JingYi couldn’t help but asked, “Just what did you see during Empathy?”

Wei WuXian, “It’s too long of a story. I’ll tell you later.”

Jin Ling, “Can’t you sum it up? Don’t leave us at a cliffhanger!”

Wei WuXian, “In summary: Xue Yang must die.”

“Yes.” Nie MingJue nodded. “Let’s kill the bastard.”

Amid the dense fog that stretched as far as the eye could see, the knocks of A-Qing’s pole led the way for him. The two moved rapidly and immediately returned to where the fight happened.

Lan WangJi and Xue Yang had already went outside. The sword glares of Bichen and Jiangzai clashed—the fight was at a critical moment. Bichen was calm and unhurried, gaining the upper hand, while Jiangzai lashed out as though it was a rabid dog, somehow managing to keep up. However, within the dreadful white fog, Lan WangJi had difficulties with vision, yet since Xue Yang had lived so many years in the city like A-Qing, he was able to know where he was even if he closed his eyes. Thus, the fight was in a deadlock.

Both Lan QiRen and his older nephew closed their eyes, not being able to hold themselves back from praying for Lan WangJi despite knowing very well he had survived this, and just how strong he was. It was just that after watching everything they had, and seen how despite being much weaker, Xue Yang had easily takes out both Xiao XingChen and Song Lan; made them feel worried for the man.

Notes of the guqin sometimes thundered through the fog, preventing the groups of walking corpses that wanted to approach. Just as Wei WuXian was about to take out his flute, two black figures slammed in front of him as if they were two iron pagodas. Wen Ning was pressing Song Lan onto the ground. Both corpses held each other’s necks with their hands, their knuckles cracking loudly.

The sight once again, make the Wen woman flinch in pain though this time, with much much more force. She had already seen what happed to Somg Lan to turn him into a fierce corpse. What was done to him by Xue Yang. What he went through before dying. The hopelessness, the pain, the anger and the despair he should’ve felt to turn him into such a fierce corpse. She hoped, she truly hoped, that hadn’t been the case with A-Ning.

Wei WuXian commanded, “Hold him down!”

He bent down and quickly found the ends of the two nails that went through Song Lan’s head. He felt relieved at once. The nails were a lot thinner than the ones inside Wen Ning’s head and the material used was different as well. It shouldn’t be too difficult to bring Song Lan back to consciousness.

“If I could get my hands on that bastard, I would gladly show her how that feels.” Wen Qing spat, her tone sending shivers running down even Nie MingJue’s spine.

But realizing how Wen Ning had also become a victim of Xue Yang even after his death, made them shiver, sending looks of sympathy at the equally terrified boy whose eyes were still red and puffy because of crying over Xiao XingChen’s tragic story.

He immediately pinched the two ends and started to slowly pull the nails out. Feeling strange objects stirring within his head, Song Lan widened his eyes and growled in a low voice. Wen Ning only prevented him from breaking loose after he exerted more strength on him. When the nails had been pulled out, at once, as though he was a puppet whose strings had been cut off, he collapsed on the ground and ceased to move.

Relieved that Song Lan was at lest finally free of this man, the cultivators relaxed a bit.

Suddenly, a furious roar came from where the other two fought, “Give it back!”

Lan WangJi’s sword had slashed across Xue Yang’s chest. Not only did he bleed, the Spirit-trapping Pouch that he hid in his lapels had been taken out by Bichen’s tip as well.

Finally, the long dead man could get some peace.

Wei WuXian, though, couldn’t see what was happening, “Xue Yang! What do you want him to give back to you? Shuanghua? It’s not like Shuanghua is your sword to begin with, so why do you say ‘give it back’? Do you know no shame?”

Xue Yang laughed loudly, “Senior Wei, you really don’t want to show me any mercy, do you?”

“You know, him calling you Senior Wei sounds so weird.” OuYang ZiZhen shivered, “It’s creepy.”

Wei WuXian chuckled. “I’m actually shocked how you guys didn’t hear him then.”

“Oh, we’re shifting our pants and JingYi was crying like a baby so-ow!”

Wei WuXian, “Laugh. Go on. Even if you die laughing, you won’t be able to piece together Xiao XingChen’s soul. He was so disgusted by you, yet you still want to bring him back to play games.”

Abruptly, Xue Yang shouted, “Who wants to play games with him?!”

Wei WuXian, “Then why did you kneel and beg me so that I can help you mend his soul?”

Of course, someone as sharp as Xue Yang knew that Wei WuXian was purposely diverting him, first to distract him with anger, second to make him raise his voice so that Lan WangJi could tell where he was and attack.

Nie MingJue smiled, “That’s clever boy.”

“Thank you, sect leader Nie.” Wei WuXian bowed after a couple of seconds of hesitation as if he had been waiting for a snarl from a certain woman.

Even so, he replied in spite of himself. He spoke in a cruel voice, “Why did I do so? Hah! How can you not know? I want to make him into a fierce corpse, an evil spirit, so that I can control him! Didn’t he want to be a virtuous person? Then, I’ll make it so that he never stops killing, so that he’ll never be at peace!”

“Why can’t you just let him be?! He’s dead because of you for heaven’s sake! Haven’t you tortured him enough already?!” Jiang Cheng snapped, clenching his fists angrily and wanting to somehow let out all the emotions that’s been bottling inside his ever since that very specific scene which had left his sister so shaken. And maybe-maybe he just wanted to go to his sibling’s side and make sure they were okay. Yet somehow, something, or maybe, the fear of someone, was keeping him from doing so.

He looked at his mother, surprised the woman hadn’t said anything yet, only to find her focusing on anything but Wei WuXian and Jiang YanLi on that moment, and rather looked lost in her own world, not really paying any attention to what was going on on the screen either, even if that’s where she was looking at. She looked…distant. Pained. And if Jiang Cheng’s eyes weren’t deceiving him, guilty. For what, he wasn’t sure of. Or maybe he was but just couldn’t accept it. Couldn’t accept it because it just sounded so impossible to be true. For anything to ever change in this family. In his mother. In his father. In everything.

Yet it seemed after…what had happened in Lotus Pier in his absent, something has changed. And he was not yet sure if that was a good thing or not. Yet deep down, he couldn’t help the small feeling of hope blooming inside him.

Wei WuXian, “Hmm? You hate him that much? Then why did you kill Chang Ping?”

Xue Yang sneered, “Why did I kill Chang Ping? Did you really need to ask, YiLing Patriach?! Haven’t I told you? I said that I was going to wipe out the entire YueyangChang Clan, so I won’t even leave a dog behind!”

Whenever he talked, it was as though he was announcing his location. The sounds of a blade piercing through flesh kept coming, but Xue Yang’s tolerance for pain was much higher than those of normal people. Wei WuXian had seen during Empathy that even if he was pierced through the stomach, he could laugh as if nothing had happened.

Wei WuXian continued, “That’s a great reason you came up with. Unfortunately, the years don’t add up. Someone like you who seeks revenge for the smallest things and murders in such ruthless ways wouldn’t have waited so many years to finish off one clan, would you? You know the reason why you killed Chang Ping.”

Xue Yang, “Then, tell me. What do I know? What do I know?!”

Some of the watchers also tilted their heads, wanting to know the answer to that though some of them, already felt like they did.

He shouted the last sentence. Wei WuXian asked again, “You didn’t just kill him. Why did you choose to use lingchi, the torture that represents ‘punishment’? If you were avenging for yourself, why did you use Shuanghua, instead of your own Jiangzai? Why did you dig out his eyes and make it so that he was just like Xiao XingChen?”

Xue Yang shouted himself hoarse, “Nonsense! That’s all nonsense! It’s revenge—why in the world would I have let him die comfortably?”

Wei WuXian, “You were indeed seeking revenge, but whose revenge were you actually seeking? What a joke. If you wanted to seek revenge, the one you should’ve executed lingchi on is yourself!”

“You’re…doing exactly what he did to Xiao XingChen and Song Lan before killing them.” Jin ZiXuan muttered as he realized, frowning as he turned to look at the man sitting with his fiancé who thankfully looked much calmer now despite her still visible worry as she watched everything unfold on the screen.

“You mean using his own emotions against him to break his mind? Sounded fitting.” Wei WuXian said, nodding with a smile and despite agreeing, Jin ZiXuan couldn’t help but shiver a bit.

Nie HuaiSang seemed to feel exactly the same. “Wei-Xiong, you really know how to be terrifying.”

The man’s cackled did not help the slightest, “It didn’t work for long though. He was smarter than that.”

With two whooshes, the sharp noises of something slicing the air came right at him. Wei WuXian didn’t even flinch. Wen Ning darted in front of him and intercepted two nails that shone a cruel, black light.

Despite the sudden worry for Wei WuXian that had almost made her jump out of her seat and then the appearance of her dead brother, Wen Qing couldn’t help but feel a bit warm at seeing the amount of trust Wei WuXian had towards A-Ning.

Xue Yang let off a series of horrifying laughter, as though he was a screeching owl. The laughter died down at once, and he quieted. He ceased to pay heed to Wei WuXian and went back to fighting with Lan WangJi amid the fog.

Wei WuXian thought in silence, ’The little delinquent has got such a high vitality. It’s as if he can’t feel pain at all and will be fine no matter where he’s injured. If only he talks a bit more and Lan Zhan stabs him a few more times. I’m sure that he won’t be able to jump around anymore after his arms and legs are chopped off. Well, unfortunately, he’s no longer taking the bait!’

A few also groaned at that.

Suddenly, a series of crisp knocks came from within the fog.

“A-Qing!” Jiang YanLi gasped.

So did Jin ZiXuan, “Is she, trying to point out where he is?!” He asked, and Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi nodded, the latter saying: “If it hadn’t been for her, I couldn’t have finished him off so easily.”

This girl, truly, didn’t fail to impress them more and more with each of her actions. And it seemed that at the end…she had somehow…gotten her revenge. But at this point, did it even matter?

Thinking quick, Wei WuXian shouted, “Lan Zhan, attack where the pole knocks!”

Lan WangJi lunged at once. Xue Yang let out a suppressed moan. A moment later, the bamboo pole sounded again, at a place a few meters away!
Lan WangJi continued to attack where the noise came from. Xue Yang threatened, “Little Blind, aren’t you scared that I’ll break you into pieces, following me around like that?”

No one could help but worry for A-Qing’s ghost, knowing very well what a strong opponent was against her once more. But again, that had never stopped her, had it?

Ever since she was killed by Xue Yang, A-Qing had always been hiding so that he didn’t find her. However, for some reason, Xue Yang didn’t really care about such a ghost either, as though he felt that she was too weak to be cautious of. Now, though, A-Qing followed behind Xue Yang as if she was his shadow. Knocking her bamboo pole and revealing his location, she pointed out to Lan WangJi where he should attack!

The cultivators’ respect towards her grew even more than they thought was possible.

Xue Yang’s movements were extremely quick. He immediately appeared somewhere else. When she lived, A-Qing had also been a fast runner. Now that she was a ghost, she stuck closely to him as though she was a curse. She knocked her pole on the ground as quickly as she could. The crisp taps sounded near and far, left and right, in front and behind. They were impossible to avoid. As soon as they sounded, Bichen’s sword glare followed immediately!

“She’s amazing.” OuYang ZiZhen, whispered between his sobs.

In the beginning, Xue Yang moved through the fog as though a fish amid water. He could both hide and sneak attacks however he wanted to. Yet, now, he had to spare attention to deal with A- Qing. With a curse, he quickly threw a talisman behind him. Immediately after the split second of distraction, following A-Qing’s bone-chilling screech, Bichen pierced through his chest!

At the same time, A-Qing’s ghost fell off the tree she was standing on behind the demonic cultivator, tho smiling at the outcome and as if finally pleased with her self, she threw her hands open as her ghost disappeared, accepting death with open arms.

“A-A-Qing…?” Madam Jin whispered through the sudden deadly silence that had filled the room; their minds not being able to process what was happening. “Is she-but that was…all that was left of her soul, she can’t…” She couldn’t complete herself, but the cries of the future juniors and the looks of sorrow on Wei WuXian’s and Lan WangJi’s faces were all the answer she needed.

Quickly, she and everyone present in the room closed their eyes, sending prayers and thanks to the girl who had been indeed a true hero, standing against of everything that’s happened and deserved none of it at all. They would by all means, make sure she got all that she was worth it and much more in this time line. They would not let any of her efforts go to waste again.

Although A-Qing’s ghost had already been destroyed by Xue Yang’s talisman and there ceased to be any noise that revealed where he was, the attack was vital. Xue Yang couldn’t continue to be as unpredictable as before!

“He’s not going to make it for so long, with that wound.” Wen Qing said, sounding very pleased and the watchers soon found themselves smiling even though this was nothing even close to what this bastard deserved.

From amid the fog came the noises of someone coughing up blood. Wei WuXian tossed out a Spirit-trapping Pouch for it to save A-Qing’s soul.

Seeing that, they all let out breaths of relief, thankful for at least this miracle.

With heavy steps, Xue Yang walked for a while, then suddenly launched forward. With his hands extended, he roared, “Give me it!”

Bichen’s blue light split through the air. Lan WangJi cleanly severed off one of his arms.

Nie MingJue whistled before a pained laugh broke out of his mouth. Finally.

But really, no one could find it in themselves to be truly happy after everything. Even if they had managed to defeat Xue Yang, still so much…had been lost.

Blood spurted out at once. In front of Wei WuXian, a large area of white fog had been stained red. The scent of blood was so overwhelming that even a single breath brought in a moist, rusty odor. However, he didn’t care about it at all. He concentrated on solely searching and absorbing the soul of A-Qing that had been scattered.

The sight, brought soft smiled on Jiang YanLi’s and so many others’ faces.

On the other hand, although Xue Yang didn’t make a single noise, there came the heavy sound of knees dropping onto the ground. It seemed that he had lost so much blood that he finally collapsed, unable to walk any further.

Lan WangJi summoned Bichen again. The next attack would cut off Xue Yang’s head! Yet, suddenly, blue flames shot from the fog-covered earth to the sky.

It was fire from a transportation talisman!

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Nie MingJue shouted so loud, the cultivators could almost feel the ground under them shake.

Wei WuXian knew that the situation wasn’t bright. Not caring for the dangers within the fog, he rushed over. Immediately afterward, he had almost slipped on the ground. Where the bloody scent was strongest, the ground was covered in wet, still-fresh blood, all from Xue Yang’s severed arm.

However, Xue Yang was gone.

“That’s great. That’s fucking great! Gah, who took him?! He couldn’t have done it himself, right?!” The younger Nie also snapped, throwing his hands in the air. Just when they had thought Xue Yang was done for-

Wen Qing nodded, “Xue Yang’s most vital organs had been injured by Bichen, and he lost an arm as well. Judging from the amount of blood loss, he’d die for sure. It’d have been impossible for him to still have enough energy and spiritual powers to use a transportation talisman. I can assure you he can’t possibly survive his injuries. He’s probably, already dead.” She explained, looking just as relieved as the rest over the news.

“But who was that? Who took him? And why?!” Lan XiChen asked, squeezing the bridge of his nose because of the frustration.

Lan WangJi walked over. Wei WuXian asked, “The gravedigger?”

“Of course it’s him!” Jiang Cheng snapped. But why? What did Xue Yang have with him?!

Lan WangJi nodded slightly, “I gave the gravedigger three blows. As he was close to being captured, a group of walking corpses attacked and allowed him the opportunity to escape.”

Wei WuXian spoke with a serious expression, “Although he was injured, the gravedigger still brought away Xue Yang’s corpse, even though it cost him extensive spiritual powers. He probably knew who Xue Yang was and what he could do. Bringing away Xue Yang’s corpse... was to search if he carried the Stygian Tiger Seal with him.”

“Oh,” Lan QiRen remembered. And so did the rest.

Jiang FengMian sighed, looking so tired. “Right…there’s that too.”

It was rumored that, after Xue Yang had been “eliminated” by Jin GuangYao, the Stygian Tiger Seal was lost. But, seeing from the current situation, it was very likely that he carried the seal with him. Tens of thousands of walking corpses, even fierce corpses, had been gathered in Yi City. They would’ve been extremely difficult to control with only corpse-poisoning powder and nails through the skull. Only the Stygian Tiger Seal could explain how Xue Yang commanded them at his wish, ordering them to obey him and attack for him.

“It’s…really that powerful?” Nie MingJue asked as he looked at Wei WuXian, though as his younger brother noticed, there was no signs of disgust or anything visible on his face anymore. If anything, are all that’s happened, Nie MingJue only felt more respect towards his friend.

Wei WuXian sighed. “It was what made controlling armies of corpses in the war possible for me. But after seeing its owner, I never used it again after that one time. Controlling it was almost impossible, given the amount of resentment it gave that would corrupt the mind.” It had played a great deal in him losing his mind anyway, which made him think if he could push himself to become strong enough to stand against the Wens the same as he had before without creating the Tiger Seal. It was not, something he wanted to bring back to this world again. It had caused enough trouble in his first life. He did not need any of that happening ever again.

’Armies of corpses.’ Right, they keep forgetting about that. How this is probably why they’ve been able to defeat the Wens. How without Wei WuXian or the Tiger Seal they would’ve lost the war in a blink of an eye. Because none of them, could ignore how larger the Wen army was compare to them, even if all the other great sects had join hands. This fact had always been what’s that’s been holding them back from standing against the Wens for so long and it seemed like their fear wasn’t unreasonable.

They hated how it meant they probably had to do things the same way if the Wens were to attack again. As these people said, it was most likely that they were so few in numbers even combined, that Wei WuXian had to bring armies of corpses to change the course of war. There wasn’t a way they could be able to get so many allies and build such armies in such a short amount of time. They were already using and training all the man power they had. Given that…it probably meant they’d end up needing Wei WuXian’s help again. But then, it seemed like that had been enough to turn the world against this boy and get him killed at the end despite his innocence because of some humans seeking even more power for themselves and using him to get to their goals. He had been the easiest target, inventing the most dangerous and hated cultivation path. And that, was something they did not want to happen again. Ever again.

Because now, they knew how much anything anyone told about this boy in the future was just a bunch of lies without having to even witness the truth behind everything. Now they knew how he wouldn’t miss a second to risk his life defending some children he didn’t even know. Children of the fathers who probably hated him and had a hand in his death. How he had saved two Wens no matter what anyone had said just because he knew they were innocent. Just because they had showed him kindness as well and how he had stayed on his words till the end and obeyed the Lan rules better than any of the Lans seemed to have had. How he had believed in them even if their sect had massacred his family, because he knew Wen Qing and Wen Ning hadn’t done so. How he was fighting this demonic cultivator who worshipped him by all means and everyone thought was so like him but in truth, shared almost nothing in common with the man except the shitty past they’ve gone through. How he was trying to help solve a murder for the people who had most definitely, been involved in his death. His death, by the hands of the corpses under his own command while all the great sects were out to murder him. When even his own brother was up to murder him and yet, Wei WuXian never seemed to blame him or any of the Jiangs and loved them so wholeheartedly. How even when creating a Fierce Corpse, he had been thinking of nothing but saving a friend. How he always, put everyone else before himself no matter how wrong it was.

They all could see that. They all knew that, even if some of them were still too stubborn or dwelling on the past that they wouldn’t admit to it; they all knew it. And they knew, they would protect him this time.

And they knew, even if the whole world would still stand against him, he had a very well present Jade and four ducklings who’d go to the ends of the world for him.

They knew, they would not let anything destroy this. Just as Wei WuXian was doing the same for them, saving them from the hell to come and giving them the second chance many of them, probably didn’t even deserve.

“I’ll have to see if I can manage things without creating that thing this time though. The events following the creation of the Tiger Seal are not…ones I’d ever want to repeat.” Wei WuXian said, completely oblivious to their thoughts and slowly pulling the cultivators out them. No one dared to ask just what events, he was referring to. But knew, they would not let them again no matter what they were. And it seemed like just as Wei WuXian had said, preventing the creation of this Seal seemed to be the first step they needed to do to prevent that, since so many power hungry people wanted it in the future and had done so many unforgivable crimes to have it.

Somebody as crafty and mistrustful as him definitely wouldn’t put the Tiger Seal somewhere they couldn’t see. Only keeping it on him at all times would’ve made him feel a sense of security. When the gravedigger brought away his corpse, he brought away the Stygian Tiger Seal as well.

This was no trivial matter at all. Wei WuXian’s voice was stern, “Now that the situation is already like this, we can only hope that there’s a limit to the powers of the Tiger Seal that Xue Yang restored.”

“Was there?” Madam Jin asked.

“Yes, thankfully.” Wei WuXian nodded. “Although it was still too strong.”

Suddenly, with a light toss, Lan WangJi passed something to him. Wei WuXian caught it perfectly, “What is it?”

Lan WangJi, “The right hand.”

He had tossed over a new Qiankun Pouch. Having finally remembered why they had came to Yi City at the first place, Wei WuXian brightened up, “The right hand of our dear friend?”

Lan WangJi, “Mnn.”

“Oh! I had completely forgotten about that!” Jin ZiXuan jumped, sounding a bit embarrassed by that. Right, this is what they had come for in the first place.

Under the obstructions of the gravedigger, the groups of walking corpses, and the thick fog, Lan WangJi still managed to successfully find the right hand of the corpse. Wei WuXian was more than pleased. He praised, “I expected no less from HanGuang-Jun! Now, we’re one step ahead of them again. What a pity that it’s not the head. I wanted to see what our dear friend looks like. Well, I guess it’d happen soon enough... Where’s Song Lan?”

Taken aback by the sudden change of subject, the watchers almost looked dumbfounded for a couple of seconds before they remembered the cultivator as well, looking around to see if they could find him anywhere close.

After Xue Yang’s corpse disappeared, the circulation of the fog quickened. It seemed to have thinned and the surroundings became somewhat easier to see. Because of this, Wei WuXian suddenly noticed that Song Lan was gone. At where he had originally lay, only Wen Ning still squatted on the ground, staring at them blankly.

“Aw, he looks so cute!” Lan JingYi cooed before he could stop himself and surprisingly, even Wen Qing found herself chuckling at that because the boy was not wrong. Her brother did look adorable like this. As if nothing was different.

Wen Ning, could only chuckle at the sudden exclaim, almost looking shy.

“Yeah, who could imagine he was tossing around one of the most strong cultivators to exist like a toy, not longer than a few minutes ago.” Jin ZiXuan also laughed. Well, now that Wen Qing thought about it, this was probably the only good outcome of this. That her brother could so easily protect himself now.

Lan WangJi put his hand back to Bichen, which he had already unsheathed. Wei WuXian stopped him, “It’s fine. There’s no need to be alarmed. Song Lan, or the fierce corpse back there, probably doesn’t have killing intentions anymore, or else Wen Ning would’ve alerted us. It’s likely that he regained consciousness and left on his own.”

He whistled lightly. Wen Ning stood up and proceeded to leave, his figure disappearing into the fog. The noises of chains dragging on the ground gradually faded into the distance.

And caused a very slight flinch to shake Wen Qing’s body.

Lan WangJi didn’t say anything more. He calmly turned to Wei WuXian, “Let us go.”

Just as they were about to leave, suddenly, Wei WuXian stopped, “Wait.”

He saw something lying alone in the blood.
It was a severed left arm. Four of the fingers were closed tightly. The little finger was missing.

The fist of the arm was firmly clenched. Wei WuXian squatted down. Only by using most of his strength did he succeed in prying the fingers open one by one. After the fist had been opened, he found that it held a small piece of candy.

“Is that…?” Jiang YanLi muttered, feeling her heart actually clenching in sympathy after everything Xue Yang had one. “The last piece of candy Xiao XingChen Daozhang gave him. He kept it…just like A-Qing did.”

And no matter how twisted it was, it’s probably been the only thing to have kept him going up until now. That, and the hope of one day, having Xiao XingChen back beside him who had been the first person to have ever showed him kindness so openly, even going as far as giving him candies on every occasion he could just because of what Xue Yang had told him of his childhood.

The piece of candy was tinted slightly black. It was definitely not edible anymore. It had been clenched so tightly that it was almost crushed.

Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi returned to the coffin home together. The doors were open. As they had expected, Song Lan was standing beside the coffin that Xiao XingChen lay in, looking inside with his head hanging low.

The sight was too painful some of the watchers had to look away.

All of the disciples unsheathed their swords. They huddled on the side, staring cautiously at the fierce corpse that had just attacked them. Seeing that Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi returned, they looked as if their lives had been saved, yet they were too scared to make any noise, afraid of alarming or infuriating Song Lan.

A few couldn’t help their small huffs of laugh at how cute the boys looked like. Man, they really hadn’t realized how much they missed them and the brightness they brought with them in this hellhole until now, had they?

Wei WuXian walked into the coffin home and introduced to Lan WangJi, “This is Song Lan, Daozhang Song ZiChen.”

Standing by the coffin, Song Lan raised his head and turned to them. Lifting up the hem of his robes, Lan WangJi stepped over the high threshold in an elegant manner, then nodded.

“My sexy HanGuang-Jun!”

The comment was too sudden, even Lan WamgJi had to take a few seconds to process it but before he could say anything, he heard an specific man snap, face burning red. “Wei WuXian!!!”

Now, it’s been a while since they’ve heard this, hasn’t it?

Since Song Lan had regained his consciousness, his pupils returned as well. A pair of clear, black eyes stared back at them.

Amid the eyes that had originally been Xiao XingChen’s, a deep, indescribable sorrow brimmed.
Thus, there was no need to ask any questions. Wei WuXian knew already. During the period that Xue Yang made him into a fierce corpse and commanded him, he saw and remembered everything.

“Fuck he…remembers it all?” Jin ZiXuan whispered, swallowing down his disgust. “Even…even…”

Wei WuXian, “Probably…”

No matter how much more they inquired, how much more they talked, it’d only lay more emphasis on the pain and hopelessness.

Nothing anyone said, could possibly smooth the pain and guilt this man had to carry for the rest of his life. And with him being a corpse, it would be a very long, agonizing one.

After a moment of silence, Wei WuXian took out two Spirit-trapping Pouches of the same small size. He handed them to Song Lan, “Daozhang Xiao XingChen and Maiden A-Qing.”

Even though A-Qing was extremely scared of Xue Yang, a while ago, she still followed closely behind the one who killed her, refusing to let him dodge or escape until, finally, he was pierced through the heart by Bichen and got what he deserved. From a slap of the talisman, she had almost disappeared. Wei WuXian only brought back a few fragments by searching and piecing as hard as he could. However, now, it was also rather scattered, the same as Xiao XingChen.

The words hurt way more than they should have as the crowd realized how, the only thing having kept A-Qing whole this whole time and kept her from completely letting ho and breaking apart as Xiao XingChen had, was protecting people from coming to this city and save them from Xue Yang while hoping, she’d be able to finally avenge Xiao XingChen at the end. Except for this, she, no longer had any will to live either.

Of the two lumps of weak souls, each was curled up in its Spirit-trapping Pouch. It was as if just a slight bump would cause them to dissipate within the pouch. With shaking hands, Song Lan took them over and rested them on top of his palm. He didn’t even dare to carry them by the strings, afraid that they’d sway too much.

Wei WuXian asked, “Daozhang Song, what do you intend on doing with Daozhang Xiao XingChen’s corpse?”

With one hand carefully cupping the two pouches, he pulled out Fuxue with his other hand and wrote two lines on the ground,

Because he could no longer even speak.

“Incinerate the corpse. Look after the soul.”

Now that Xiao XingChen’s soul was so shattered, it definitely couldn’t return to its body, so incinerating the corpse wouldn’t be a bad idea. With the body gone and only a pure soul left, after being diligently looked after, maybe the day would come when it returned again.

No matter how impossible it sounded, some people dared to let a small spark of hope light up in their hearts.

Wei WuXian nodded, “What do you intend on doing afterwards?”

Song Lan wrote, “Roam this world with Shuanghua. Exorcise evil beings alongside XingChen.” After a pause, he continued, “When he wakes, say I’m sorry, it wasn’t your fault.”

This was what he couldn’t tell Xiao XingChen before he died.

The fog of Yi City was gradually melted away. One could already manage to see the roads and intersections. Lan WangJi and Wei WuXian led the group of disciples out of the deserted city. In front of the city gates, Song Lan parted with them.

He still wore the dark cultivation robes. Standing alone, he carried two swords, Shuanghua and Fuxue, he brought two souls, Xiao XingChen and A-Qing, and walked another path.

Not the one that led them to Yi City.

At that, the cultivators lowers their heads, paying respect to the leaving cultivator and wishing that somehow, this would be the end of his suffering. Those three would for sure, always have a very special place in the heart of the watchers. One filled with pain and regret.

Lan SiZhui stared at his leaving figure, “‘Xiao XingChen, the bright moon, the gentle breeze; Song ZiChen, the distant snow, the bitter frost’... I wonder if the two of them would be able to meet each other again.”

“In this world, they’ll never have to part ways from the beginning.” Nie MingJue, firmly, decided on that moment and everyone else, wasted no time in agreeing with the man.

He would not repeat the mistakes of his previous life. None of them would.

Wei WuXian walked over the road covered in weeds. Suddenly, he saw a patch of grass and thought to himself, Back then, this was where Xiao XingChen and A-Qing took Xue Yang back.’

Lan JingYi, “Now you should tell us what you really saw during Empathy, right? Why would the person be Xue Yang? Why did he pretend to be Xiao XingChen?”

“And, also, was that the Ghost General? Where did the Ghost General go? Why do we not see him anymore? Is he still in Yi City? Why did he appear so suddenly?”

Wei WuXian pretended as though he didn’t hear the second series of questions, “Well, this is a very complicated story...”

“Man, having heard it all before had been painful enough. But witnessing it…ugh I still feel like I wanna cry!” Lan JingYi said, voicing out how many people still felt.

“I’m definitely going to have nightmares about this for so long.” OuYang ZiZhen added before sniffing, “Lady A-Qiiiing! Daozhang Xiao XingCheeeen’l

As they walked, after he finished telling the story, everyone was so depressed that nobody still remembered the Ghost General.

“Poor Wen Ning.” Nie HuaiSang chuckled.

Lan JingYi was the first one to cry, “Why would something like this exist?!”

“I had only heard the story back then, and I looked like this!” Lan JingYi exclaimed, his eyes almost blurry after all the crying he had done this time. “I feel like I’m about to lose my eyes now.” As he said that, once again, tears started pouring out.

Jin Ling raged, “That Xue Yang is such a filthy scumbag! Death was letting him off too lightly! If Fairy were here, I would’ve made her chomp him to death!”

Wei WuXian was terrified. If Fairy had been here, before Xue Yang died, he himself would’ve been scared to death.

Jin Ling, very nervously laughed at his words. But seriously…it still didn’t sound that bad to him…

The boy who had complimented A-Qing through the door slit stomped his feet, “Maiden A-Qing, oh, Maiden A-Qing!”

The OuYang ZiZhen beside them had the same reaction. “Lady A-Qing…” He sniffed, then suddenly realized something, “Senior Wei, you still didn’t know my name then?!” He asked, almost sounding betrayed. Wei WuXian could only laugh, reaching out to ruffle his hair. “I’m sorry my little duckling.”

Lan JingYi cried the loudest. He looked awful, but this time, nobody reminded him to keep his voice low, since Lan SiZhui’s eyes were red as well. It was fortunate that Lan WangJi didn’t silence him. Lan JingYi suggested through snot and tears, “We should go burn some paper money for Daozhang Xiao XingChen and Maiden A-Qing. There is a village in front of the road fork over there, right? Let us buy some things and pray for them.”

Everyone agreed, “Sure, sure!”

A few of the adults smiled softly at that, feeling a little proud at the boys and their honor for the dead. Despite, well…despite this probably not being necessary…

As they talked, they arrived at the village. Lan JingYi and Lan SiZhui impatiently scurried inside and carried out a few random incense sticks, candles, and paper money. Walking over to the side, they built something that resembled a stove using bricks and rocks. The boys then squatted around it and started to burn paper money, muttering as they fanned the fire. Wei WuXian wasn’t in a great mood either. On the way here, he didn’t even tell many jokes. Seeing this, though, he finally couldn’t bear it any longer. He turned to Lan WangJi, “HanGuang-Jun, look at what they’re doing right in front of other people’s doors. You’re not even stopping them.”

That was when the people watching realized how, they had so stupidly missed that side of him and all his stupid jokes and none senses. Even the Wei WuXian beside them had been very quiet, which was only fair, given how his sister looked and what, watching all this has reminded him of.

A few of the cultivators looked over at the young Maiden Jiang, looking relieved at finding her having finally camped down and sitting straight beside her brother, smiling to what the man and her son, along with the other three juniors were telling.

Soon, Jin ZiXuan also moved closer to the group, even turning around and gesturing at Nie HuaiSang and Jiang Cheng to join them as well, who had been sitting so quietly since what happened to his sister. Soon, the Jin heir had also dragged Wen Ning-who was close by because of Wen Qing and him having changed seats to be close to Jiang YanLi-beside them as well, despite the boy’s surprise and embarrassment tho he still looked…happy by it. The sight, brought a small smile to the watchers’s lips, seeing the children they were trying so hard to protect, so happy together.

Lan WangJi replied in an indifferent tone, “You can stop them.”

Wei WuXian, “Fine. I’ll discipline them for you.”

“Wow, I never thought I’d see the day.” Nie HuaiSang joked, Wei WuXian rolling his eyes at the comment.

And Wei WuXian went over, “Am I seeing things? All of you are disciples of prominent sects. Your parents and relatives must’ve taught you that dead people can’t receive paper money, right? Why would dead people want money? They can’t receive those. And, you’re in front of somebody’s doors. If you burn them here...”

Lan JingYi waved at him, “Shoo, shoo. You are blocking the wind. It will not be able to burn anymore. And, it is not like you have died, so how do you know that dead people do not receive paper money?”

“Oh JingYi,” Jin Ling laughed mockingly, “You were so stupid.”

“Hey! It’s not like I knew he had died!”

If a few people had flinches at the childish banter, they didn’t notice.

With a face covered in tears and ashes, another boy turned to him and agreed, “That’s right. How do you know? What if they can actually receive them?”

Wei WuXian murmured, “How do I know?” Of course he knew!

“Senior Wei, you really can’t receive them?” OuYang ZiZhen asked, and despite how uneasy the subject made some people feel, they couldn’t help their curiosity either. After all..there hadn’t been anyone else who had died and came back to life except him. None of them could ever have known anything about the other side because of this.

“Not as far as I know. I didn’t receive any.” The boy answered. “And I’m sure that’s not because no one burned any for me! I refuse to believe that! There should’ve at least been one!” He then added, sounding so childish despite the hurtful words he was saying. He really believed…no one had burned him anything? And…was that actually the truth?

“Young master Wei, if you don’t mind me asking; how…was it?” Lan XiChen, couldn’t help but ask, his curiosity getting the best of him.

“Well…” Wei WuXian started, feeling a bit uncomfortable of all the eyes suddenly on him. “As far as I remember it was only…darkness and silence. Something close to an eternal peace. If there had been anything else, I can’t quite remember. But honestly, there really wasn’t much. No eternal light or hellish flames or anything. Just quiet. As in a…comfortable kind of quiet that I slowly started to forget how much time has passed after a while.” He explained, everyone listening to him attentively. “I could hear some voices here and there but since I didn’t really want anything to do with the world of the living anymore, I didn’t pay them any mind or came looking for them or looked for the people I knew. So, not much I can say about that.” He said, and with that they all nodded, taking the information in as they realized Wei WuXian probably didn’t want to say anything more on the matter. But…if what he had said was true…death…was kind of much different from what they had all expected.

While everyone thought about that, Yu ZiYuan could only think of what ’I didn’t really want anything to do with the world of the living anymore’ could possibly mean.

During the ten-or-so years when he had been dead, he hadn’t even received one single piece of paper money!

Lan JingYi stabbed another knife into his heart, “Even if you could not receive them, it was probably because nobody burned them for you.”

“Senior Wei, I promise I’ll burn some for you this time! I’m sorry!” Lan JingYi said, his words making Wei WuXian want to facepalm more than anything else. Some people, actually did so though.

Wei WuXian asked himself in silence, ’How come? Was I really that much of a failure? Was there not a single person who burned paper money for me? Was it really because nobody burned them that I didn’t receive any?’

“I’m…sure that hasn’t been the case…right?” Lan XiChen tried to comfort, only for Wei WuXian to give a simple shrug.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was impossible. He turned around and whispered to Lan WangJi, “HanGuang-Jun, have you burnt paper money for me? At least you’ve burnt paper money for me, right?”

Lan WangJi glanced at him. He looked down, dusting away the ashes that stuck to the bottom of his sleeve, then stared quietly into the distance, giving not a single word in reply.

Looking at his calm face, Wei WuXian thought to himself, ’Really? Had he really not burnt anything?!’

Seeing the utter look of betrayal on Wei WuXian’s face, some even found themselves chuckling.

Lan WangJi, “I’m…sorry?”

Wei WuXian laughed, waving him off. “Lan Zhan! I just said how stupid I think doing that is! What was I going to do with money anyway?! If there had been liquor there, I would’ve for sure felt angry! But there wasn’t!” Wei WuXian exclaimed and even though Lan WangJi knew very well how he was saying all this to lighten up the mood, he couldn’t stop himself from smiling slightly at his husbands antics while a few laughed at them. This man truly knew how to make people smile so easily.

Suddenly, a villager walked over with a bow on his back. He seemed rather annoyed, “Why are you burning these here? It’s in front of my house. How ominous!”

“Kids, you are fucked.” MingJue said, laughing at the junior’s horrified expressions on the screen. Seriously…he had missed this kids and the joy they brought with themselves. This whole thing just felt so much…more depressing and hard to take without them. These kids really had the power to brighten up even such dark moments that many of them already felt lighter.

These boys hadn’t done anything like this before and didn’t know that it was ominous to burn paper money in front of someone’s house. All of them apologized. Lan SiZhui hurried to wipe his face, “Is that your house over there?”

The villager, “Hey, brat, look at what you’re saying. My family’s been here for three generations. How can it possibly be anything but my house?”

Hearing his tone, Jin Ling grew unhappy at once and was about to stand up, “How dare you talk to us like this?”

“Jin Ling, I can’t believe I’m saying this I’ve missed your short temper.” Nie HuaiSang said, laughing at the boy’s face. The fact that both his parents were laughing as well did not hel the slightest.

Wei WuXian pressed his head and held him down again. Lan SiZhui continued, “I understand now. Sorry, I did not mean anything else with the question I asked. It was just that, the last time we passed this house, we saw another hunter, which was why we were confused.”

The villager was puzzled, “Another hunter? What do you mean another hunter?”

“Oh, the one that lead you to Yi city.” Jin ZiXuan remembered. But then…had that also been Xue Yang himself? Or the gravedigger? Had they been working together then as well? Or someone else had send that man? The one…Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi said was helping them? But no, this couldn’t have been their doing if their intentions are good. Seriously…were, were also involved in all this?

He made a “three” with his fingers, “This house was passed straight down through the three generations. There’s only me, no other brothers! My dad passed away long ago and I haven’t even married much less had a child. Where on Earth would there be another hunter?”

Lan JingYi, “There really was!”

He stood up as well, “He wore a lot of clothes and had a big cap on, sitting right in your yard repairing his bow and arrows, as though he was going to hunt soon. When we arrived, we even asked him for the directions. He was the one who pointed us to Yi City!”

The villager spat, “Nonsense! You really saw him in my yard? Nobody like him exists in my household! Even ghosts could beat up humans in a place like Yi City. He directed you there? More like he wanted to kill you! The thing you saw was definitely a ghost!”

“Well, not arguing with that. He did want to kill you.” Madam Jin said and the kids shivered, remembering once more what could’ve happened to them if it hadn’t been for Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi.

He spat a couple of times, venting out his anger, then shook his head and turned around to leave. The boys were left staring at one another. Lan JingYi was still protesting, “But he really was sitting in this yard. I remember really clearly that...”

Wei WuXian said a few things to Lan WangJi. He then turned around, “You understand now? Somebody led you to Yi City. The hunter who directed you there wasn’t a villager here at all. He was disguised by someone with ill intentions.”

Jin Ling, “Was it that somebody had been leading us here ever since the corpses of the cats? Was the fake hunter the one who did all those things?”

Nie HuaiSang trembled, wrapping his hands around himself. “That was still one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen!”

Wei WuXian, “Most likely so.”

Lan SiZhui wondered, “Why did he spend so much effort leading us to Yi City?”

Wei WuXian, “We still don’t know. But, after this, please be careful. If you run into such strange things again, don’t go tracking them down alone. First contact your sects and work together with a large group of people. If not for how HanGuang-Jun also happened to be at Yi City, you might’ve even died.”

Wei WuXian sighed, “At this point, I don’t know why I’m still bothering.”

“They did not listen to anything you said, did they?” Wen Qing asked, having not expected anything else either.

The said children, only laughed sheepishly.

Imagining what would’ve happened if they were stuck in Yi City, a lot of the disciples felt their hair standing up. No matter if they ended up surrounded by groups of corpses or facing the living demon Xue Yang, the situation would’ve been absolutely terrifying.

“You guys were truly lucky these love birds found you.”

“HuaiSang!!’l

Walking with the disciples, after a while, when the sky had almost darkened, Lan WangJi and Wei WuXian finally arrived at the city where the dog and donkey had been placed.

The city was not only brightly lit, but also filled with the chatter of people. The disciples all exclaimed that this finally seemed like a place where humans lived.

Wei WuXian extended his arms toward the donkey and shouted, “Lil’ Apple!”

“Ugh, that demon again!” Lan JingYi snapped.

Lil’ Apple brayed as though it was mad. Immediately, Wei WuXian heard the barks of a dog. He darted behind Lan WangJi at once. Fairy had also rushed over. The dog and the donkey stood on opposite sides and snarled at each other.

The Wei WuXian beside them also had the same reaction of jumping out of his skin and was soon clinging to Jiang YanLi and Jin ZiXuan who had been the closest to him. His sister, was quick to tighten her hold on him and Jin ZiXuan while completely taken aback and frozen, willed himself to reach out and pat his shoulder stiffly. What surprised him thought, was the sudden worry and protectiveness that had came to him without a second thought.

Lan WangJi, “Leash it. It is time to eat.”

Dragging Wei WuXian, who was almost glued to his back, he walked toward the second floor, following the tea servant.

Seeing the dog was no longer in the screen, Wei WuXian breathed, immediately letting go of the two people he was clinging to as he realized it was Jin ZiXuan he’s been grasping all this time. Oh man…he was so doomed. He would probably tease him to no end for this now.

But surprisingly, no matter how much he waited, that was not what happened at all. If anything, the boy looked concerned. Weird. So weird, and so wrong. He…out of everyone…did not have to feel concern towards Wei WuXian. He really…shouldn’t. Not after what Wei WuXian had done…

Jin Ling and the rest wanted to follow, yet Lan WangJi turned around and gave them an obscure glance. Lan SiZhui immediately told the others, “The elders’ and the juniors’ rooms should be separated. We can stay on the first floor.”

“Yes, leave them to their own business. I assure you, you do not want to see that.” Nie HuaiSang said, and his brother would have definitely slapped him in the back of his head if he was still not feeling so tired. Whatever. After everything that’s happened in the Yi City, he guessed this wasn’t really what was important right now.

Lan WangJi nodded and continued to walk up, his face as detached as always. Jin Ling stood on the stairs hesitantly, unsure of whether to go up or down. Wei WuXian turned around and grinned, “The adults and the children should be separated. It’s best if you don’t see some of the things that happen.”

“Oh A-Xian.” Jiang YanLi found herself laughing at the words and her son’s flushed face.

Jin Ling’s lips twitched, “Who’d want to see that!”

Lan WangJi told a servant to prepare one table downstairs for the group of disciples and a private room upstairs for Wei WuXian and him. The two sat across from each other.

Wei WuXian, “HanGuang-Jun, listen to me. Please don’t have your sect handle all of the aftermath of Yi City alone. It’s such a big city. If you really want to tidy the place up, it’d cost you a lot in terms of many aspects. It’ll be quite difficult. Shuzhong isn’t under the administration of the GusuLan Sect anyways. Count the disciples downstairs and see which sects they came from. Add their sects up as well. Those sects should also help you.”

“Thank you, Young master Wei.” Lan XiChen spoke, slightly bowing his head in gratitude and even his uncle did the same, giving the boy a small nod in thanks which Wei WuXian beamed at.

Lan WangJi, “I will consider it.”

Wei WuXian, “Yes, please do. Everyone likes to fight for the preys and push around the responsibilities. Now, if your sect is taken advantage of, even if it’s for the good of them, they might not feel grateful or understand why you did it. If this repeats too much, they’d take it as granted that your sect always takes care of such things. That’s how things are in this world.”

’And how would you know about that so well?’

After a pause, he continued, “But, speaking of it, they really are unlucky. Yi City is too remote and there aren’t any lookout towers around it. Or else, Jin Ling, SiZhui, and the rest wouldn’t have accidentally barged in. Maiden A-Qing and Daozhang Xiao XingChen’s souls wouldn’t have stayed hidden for all these years either.”

No matter how big or how small, there were as many cultivational sects as stars in a night sky. Most were situated at flourishing cities that could be conveniently accessed or spiritual grounds with beautiful scenery. The sects, however, were unwilling to be stationed at certain remote areas. Rogue cultivators rarely travelled to those places either. Thus, when evil beings haunted, the dwellers there usually suffered in silence, unable to find help anywhere.

With how true those words were, the cultivators could only lower their heads in shame, promising on that moment, that they’d do everything in their power to change this. To not let such tragedies as Xiao XingChen’s ever happen again if they could help it.

When the previous leader of the LanlingJin Sect, Jin GuangShan, was still alive, Jin GuangYao had brought the matter up before. However, it would have cost a great deal and Jin GuangShan wasn’t overly enthusiastic about the idea either. Also since, back then, the LanlingJin Sect’s leadership wasn’t as powerful, the matter wasn’t seen as important, and nothing ended up happening.

Madam Jin, was squeezing her fists so hard she could almost feel her nails digging into the skin. That worthless, manwhore of a husband had done nothing worthy in his whole worthless life, had he? Hell he had even been the one to have let Xue Yang escape death and stay alive for so long, leading to all of this happening. Which was something, she would do everything in her power to prevent this time. She would not, let his crimes continue any more. Never again.

And she tried so hard to not think over the fact that how, a bastard son of his had been the only person to have objected to this, as it seemed. Yet, his words had never been heard, probably because of her and her hatred if she had still been alive then; which seemed to be the case. Would it have been any different, if she had backed him up as well and not disagree with him, as she feared she had in this time-line? To not back up the truth and the right way only because of her stupid hatred over an innocent boy?

After Jin GuangYao officially succeeded the position of Sect Leader and became the Chief Cultivator, he immediately gathered people and resources from the sects, and started to carry out his past goals. In the beginning, the voices of opposition were deafening. A lot of people suspected that the LanlingJin Sect used it to gain personal benefits and stuff its own pockets. With a smiling face, Jin GuangYao persisted for five years. During the years, he allied but also fell out with countless people. Using both gentle and forceful methods, he did all that he could and what he wished for was finally completed. More than twelve hundred “lookout towers” had been built.

“Wow he..he’s truly an honorable man.” Jin ZiXuan muttered, amazed by how this man had single-handedly done what none of these great sects had ever had the guts or the care to do.

Lan XiChen, also impressed, nodded. “He is.” No wonder he and MingJue had become sworn brothers with the man.

No one, saw the way the faces of the future people darkened at the words. Yes…what a cunning man, who knew had to reach his own dirty goals while making it so that he was doing everything for the good of others and make a saint out of himself. Truly, what an honorable man.

These “lookout towers” were scattered around the more remote places. Every one of them were assigned disciples from certain sects. If anything strange happened, they’d take action at once. When they couldn’t deal with the matter, they’d send out messages to other sects or rogue cultivators for help. Even if the cultivators who came wanted something in return while the locals were too poor to give them any, the money that the LanlingJin Sect gathered throughout each year would be enough to support them.

All of these happened after the death of the YiLing Patriarch. Wei WuXian only heard the ins and outs from Lan WangJi after they passed a few lookout towers during their journey. Rumors had it that Koi Tower was preparing to build the next batch of lookout towers, increasing them to three thousand in number so that they covered a greater area. Although after the first lookout towers were built, they received widespread approvals due to their notable effects, the voices of suspicion and ridicule had never died either. When the time came, the cultivation world would definitely be thrown into chaos again.

Jiang FengMian sighed tiredly, “Just when is the cultivation world not in chaos?”

Not long later, both the food and the liquor arrived. Wei WuXian glanced over the table, pretending as if he didn’t mean it. Almost all of the dishes were covered in red. Paying attention to Lan WangJi’s chopsticks, he notes that he ate mostly from the milder dishes, rarely the bright-red ones. Even when he did, his expression remained the exact same. Wei WuXian felt something tug at his heart.

“He finally realized!” Nie HuaiSang cried, though a part of him screamed at him that no, Wei WuXian was still too stupid to realize the meaning behind this text

Having noticed his gaze, Lan WangJi asked, “What is wrong?”

Wei WuXian slowly poured himself a cup of liquor, “I want somebody to drink with me.”

Lan QiRen’s desperate sigh could almost be mistaken with a pained cry.

Lan XiChen, trying to calm him, chuckled, “Now now uncle, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have a break after the hell we witnessed.” He said, patting the man’s back who after a whole of thinking, couldn’t help but agree, not finding the strength in himself to feel angry over this after all that’s happened in the previous days. “Well, I guess he’s not really breaking any rules.”

Wei WuXian, was openly gaping now. “Lan Zhan, did your uncle just give you permission to drink, or am I hallucinating?”

No one could find it in themselves to feel anything but surprise either. Was this man truly Lan QiRen? Or possessed?

“I didn’t say I give-Wei WuXian! Don’t put words in my mouth!”

“Okay okay, uncle. Don’t kill me!”

“And don’t call me that!” He said, though it was obvious those words no longer held any heat.

Chuckling, Wei WuXian added: “Actually, what do you guys say we take an actual break? I’m not sure we’ll have the chance to do so again…knowing what’s to come after this.” He said, his words not really helping with the stress that was still very present in the heart of everyone in this room. Because what, did he mean by that?!