Bab 123: Villainous Friend
13 Years ago (Recounting events that happened in the past)
Xue Yang sat beside the small, wooden table of a street side vendor, one leg stepping on the bench as he ate a bowl of glutinous rice dumplings soaked in rice wine. He tapped his spoon on his bowl. It was quite a satisfactory meal in the beginning, but in the end, he suddenly realized that even though the dumplings were sticky, the rice wine wasn't sweet enough.
Xue Yang stood up and kicked the stall over.
The vendor himself had been busying himself all over the place. He was shocked speechless by the kick. He stared as the young man perpetrated his assault and, after the kick, said nothing as he turned around to leave, a wide grin on his face. Only a few moments later did the vendor realize what happened. He caught up and scolded, "What are you doing?!"
Xue Yang, "Wrecking your stall."
The vendor was half-dead with anger, "You're sick! You're mad!"
Xue Yang didn't move an inch. Pointing at his nose, the vendor continued, "You little bastard! You eat my food, you don't give me money, and you have the guts to wreck my stall?! I…"
Xue Yang's thumb shifted. The sword at his waist was unsheathed with a 'clank.'
The sword shone coldly. He gently patted the vendor's cheek with Jiangzai's blade, his voice saccharine, "The dumplings were nice. Add more sugar next time."
After he finished, he turned around and continued to march forth.
The vendor was a mixture of shock and fear. He was mad, but he didn't dare say anything, gaping as he walked into the distance. Suddenly, he was filled with rage and frustration. A moment later, he let out a furious roared, "… Under broad daylight without rhyme or reason—why, why?!"
Xue Yang waved his hand without even looking back, "There's no why. There are lots of things in this world that happen without rhyme or reason. This is called an unexpected disaster. Goodbye!"
With light paces, he walked past a few blocks. A while later, someone came up from behind him and calmly caught up to his strides, hands folded behind.
Jin GuangYao sighed, "I only turned around for a second and you stirred up so much trouble for me. I only had to pay for a bowl of dumplings in the beginning, and now I have to pay for his table, chairs, pots and pans, and even bowls."
Xue Yang, "You'll miss the couple of coins?"
Jin GuangYao, "No."
Xue Yang, "Then why are you sighing?"
Jin GuangYao, "I don't think you'll miss the couple of coins either. Why can't you try being a normal customer once in a while?"
Xue Yang, "Back in Kuizhou I never paid for anything I wanted. Just like this." As he spoke, he casually plucked off a stick of sugared haws off a vendor's pole. It might be the first time the vendor saw such a shameless person. As he stared open-mouthed, Xue Yang took a bite, "Besides, you can deal with the trouble of me wrecking a tiny stall, can't you?"
Jin GuangYao smiled, "You little delinquent. Wreck stalls however you want. I wouldn't even care if you burned down the entire street. Just one thing—don't wear the Stars Amidst Snow robes and cover up your face. Don't let anyone know who did it, or it'd be trouble for me."
He tossed the money to the vendor. Xue Yang spat out a mouthful of haw pits. Through the corner of his eye, he saw a small area of purple at Jin GuangYao's forehead that wasn't hidden properly. He laughed, "Where did that come from?"
Jin GuangYao glanced at him in a somewhat reproachful way. He straightened his cap and hid the bruise properly, "It's a long story."
Xue Yang, "Nie MingJue did it?"
Jin GuangYao, "If he were the one who did it, do you think I could still be standing here and talking to you?"
Xue Yang felt that it very much made sense.
The two left Lanling City and approached a strange building amongst the wilderness. The building wasn't pretty. After the tall walls was a row of long, black houses. Before the row was a square, enclosed by steel fencing as high as one's chest. The fences were packed with red and yellow talismans. Within the field were all kinds of odd tools, like cages, guillotines, like tacked boards. A few "people" dressed in rags also walked slowly by.
All of the "people" had blue skin and empty gazes. They walked around the clearing without any purpose, bumping into one another at times and leaking strange noises from their throat.
It was a corpse training ground.
Back then, Jin GuangShan lusted after the Stygian Tiger Seal. He beat around the bush a couple of times, using all his skills, yet Wei WuXian didn't give in no matter what, and it made him run into a bunch of obstacles. He thought, If you can do it, why can't others? I don't believe that you Wei Ying are the only person in this world who can do it. The day will come when you're surpassed by someone and laughed at by everyone. Will you still be so arrogant then?
And so, Jin GuangShan sought after all those who imitated Wei WuXian in cultivating the ghostly path and gathered them under his rule. He spent a great amount of money and resources and these people, ordering them to study and analyze the structure of the Tiger Seal in secrecy so that they could replicate and restore it. Among them, not many achieved anything, while the one who walked the furthest was the youngest Xue Yang, recommended by Jin GuangYao alone.
Jin GuangYao was overjoyed. He accepted him as a guest cultivator and gave him high rights and freedom. The corpse training ground was an area of land Jin GuangYao specially requested for Xue Yang for him to research in secrecy, which meant for him to fool around however he wanted to.
When they approached the corpse training ground, two fierce corpses were currently engaged in a fight in the center of the square.
These two were evidently different from the other walking corpses. They were perfectly clothed and had white eyes, holding blades. As the two swords clashed, sparks were sent flying everywhere. Before the steel fence were positioned two chairs. The two sat down at the same time. Jin GuangYao fixed his collar, and a quivering corpse shifted over, presenting a tray.
Xue Yang, "Tea."
Jin GuangYao glanced at it. A purplish, peculiar object rested sunken in the bottom of the teacup, swollen from the soak, whatever it was.
With a smile, he pushed the teacup away, "Thank you."
Xue Yang pushed the teacup here again, asking affectionately, "This is tea I made with my own hands. Why don't you want to drink it?"
Jin GuangYao pushed the teacup away once more, explaining in a kind tone, "It's precisely because you made the tea with your own hands that I don't dare to drink it."
Xue Yang raised a brow. He turned around and continued to watch the corpse battle.
The two fierce corpses fought even harder, using both their swords and their claws as the tore off blood and flesh. The boredom on his face grew even denser. A short moment later, he suddenly snapped with his fingers and made a certain gesture. The two corpses immediately turned their swords around, bodies twitching, and slashed off their own heads. The remaining headless bodies plummeted to the ground, still shaking.
Jin GuangYao, "Hadn't they just gotten to the interesting part?"
Xue Yang, "They were too slow."
Jin GuangYao, "They were a lot faster than the two I saw last time."
Xue Yang reached out with the hand wrapped in a black glove, extended a finger, and wagged it, "That depends on what you compare them against. Something like this—let alone Wen Ning, they wouldn't even last long against the average fierce corpses that Wei WuXian controlled with his flute."
Jin GuangYao smiled, "Why the hurry? Even I'm not hurried. You can take it easy. Tell me if you need anything. Right—"
He took out something from within his sleeve and passed it to Xue Yang, "Perhaps you need this?"
As he skimmed through what it was, Xue Yang's body suddenly sat upright from the chair, "Wei WuXian's manuscripts?"
Jin GuangYao, "That's right."
Xue Yang flipped through the pages, his eyes glowing. Soon, he looked up, "Is this really his actual manuscripts? The ones he wrote when he was nineteen?"
Jin GuangYao, "Of course. Everyone fought for it as hard as they could. It took me quite some effort to gather all of them."
Xue Yang whispered something vulgar, the excitement in his eyes growing even stronger. After he flipped through, he spoke, "It's not complete."
Jin GuangYao, "The fight and fire on Burial Mound were more than destructive. It's fortunate enough that I could find these fragments. Cherish them carefully."
Xue Yang, "What about his flute? Can you get me Chenqing?"
Jin GuangYao shrugged, "Not Chenqing. Jiang WanYin took it."
Xue Yang, "Doesn't he hate Wei WuXian the most? Why would he need Chenqing? Didn't you also get that sword of Wei WuXian's? Give him the sword in exchange for the flute. It's long since Wei WuXian stopped using his sword, while Suibian sealed itself and nobody can pull it out. What's the use of keeping a fucking piece of decoration?"
Jin GuangYao, "You really ask me to do the impossible, Young Master Xue. Do you think I haven't tried? How could anything be that simple. That Jiang WanYin has already gone mad. He still thinks Wei WuXian hasn't died. If Wei WuXian returned, he might not search for his sword, but he'd definitely come for Chenqing. And so, he would definitely not give up Chenqing. A few more words of mine, and he might blow up."
Xue Yang sniggered, "A mad dog."
At this point, two of the LanlingJin Sect's disciples dragged over a cultivator with hair all tangled.
Jin GuangYao, "Weren't you going to rebuild your fierce corpses? I've come just in time to bring you the materials."
The eyes of the cultivator were almost flickering with red, and as he struggled, those pupils that looked at Jin GuangYao were about to spew out fire. Xue Yang, "Who's this?"
Jin GuangYao's face didn't change a bit, "Those I bring to you are sinners, of course."
Hearing this, the cultivator lunged forth, somehow managing to spit out the cloth that gagged his mouth along with a mouthful of blood, "Jin GuangYao! You vile, treacherous scum—how dare you call me a sinner? What sins have I committed?!"
One syllable at a time, he spoke as though his words became nails that could potentially pierce through Jin GuangYao. Xue Yang laughed, "What's up with him?"
The cultivator was restrained by those behind him like they were pulling on a dog's leash. Jin GuangYao waved his hands, "Hush him up."
Xue Yang, "Why? Let me hear him out, won't you? How are you a vile, treacherous scum? He's barking like a dog. I can't understand what he's saying."
Jin GuangYao's tone was somewhat reproachful, "Young Master He Su is a respected cultivator, after all. How could you refer to him in such a disrespectful way?"
The cultivator laughed coldly, "I've already fallen in your hands. What are you keeping up the pretense for?"
Jin GuangYao responded with a kind expression, "You don't have to look at me like that. I also had no choice. To elect a chief cultivator is an irresistible trend. What was the use of stirring up trouble and seeking argument everywhere? I've already warned you again and again, yet you were determined not to listen to me. Under these circumstances, things are already beyond redemption. From the bottom of my heart, I, too, feel utmost pain and regret."
He Su, "What was the irresistible trend? What was stirring up trouble? Jin GuangShan wanted to establish the position of chief cultivator only to imitate the QishanWen Sect in being the only ones at the top. Do you think all the world is ignorant? You frame me like this only because I spoke the truth!"
Jin GuangYao smiled, saying nothing. He Su continued, "When you really succeed, all of the world of cultivation would see the true face of the LanlingJin Sect. Do you think killing me alone would put you eternally at ease? How wrong you are! We, the TingshanHe Sect, teem with talent. From now on, we'll unite and never surrender to you Wen-dogs of another skin!"
Hearing this, Jin GuangYao squinted slightly, the corners of his lips curving up. It was the usual kind, gentle expression. Seeing this, He Su felt his heart skip a beat. At the same time, commotion sounded outside the corpse training ground, among it the cries of women and children.
He Su spun around, only to see a group of LanlingJin Sect cultivators drag inside sixty or seventy people all wearing the same uniform. There were men and women, old and young. Every one of them was a cross between shock and fear, while some were already crying. Both tied up, a girl and a boy kneeled on the ground as they wailed at He Su, "Brother!"
He Su was shocked speechless, his face instantly as white as paper, "Jin GuangYao! What are you doing?! It's enough if you kill me—why drag my entire sect along?!"
Jin GuangYao looked down and fixed his sleeves, still grinning, "Weren't you yourself the one who reminded me just now? Even if I killed you, I wouldn't be put eternally at ease. The TingshanHe Sect teems with talent, and from now on, you'd unite and never surrender—I was quite frightened. After much thought, this was the only thing I could come up with."
He Su felt as though a fist had been shoved down his throat. He couldn't manage a thing. A moment later, he raged, "To wipe out my entire sect without a reason—are you really not scared of being condemned by all?! Are you really not scared of what would happen if ChiFeng-Zun found out?!"
Hearing him mention Nie MingJue, Jin GuangYao raised his brows. Xue Yang laughed so hard he was about to flop over his chair. Jin GuangYao gave him a look before he turned around and replied calmly, "That's not the way to go about things, is it? The TingshanHe Sect rebelled and schemed to assassinate Sect Leader Jin with all its forces before it was caught red-handed. How could that be called without a reason?"
The ones over their cried, "Brother! He's lying! We didn't, we didn't!"
He Su, "Utterly nonsense! Open your eyes and fucking look! There are nine-year-old children here! Old men who can't even walk! How could they rebel against anything?! Why would they assassinate your dad out of nowhere?!"
Jin GuangYao, "Because you made a mistake and committed murder, Young Master He Su, while they refused to accept Koi Tower's conviction of you, of course."
He Su finally remembered the accusation for which he was transferred to such a creepy place, "It's all made up! I never killed a cultivator of the LanlingJin Sect! I've never even seen the person who died! I don't even know if he was really a cultivator from your sect! I… I…"
He stammered for a while before eventually caving in, "I… I don't even know what happened, I don't even know!"
Yet, at such a place, nobody would listen to his protests. Sitting before him were two villains who already treated him as though he were dead. What they enjoyed was precisely his dying struggle. Smiling, Jin GuangYao leaned back, waving his hand, "Hush him up, hush him up."
Knowing he'd undoubtedly die, He Su was brimming with dread. Clenching his teeth, he roared, "Jin GuangYao! You'll receive your retribution! You're dad is gonna die among prostitutes sooner or later, and you wouldn't meet a pleasant end either, you son of a prostitute!!!"
Xue Yang was in the middle of enjoying the speech, giggling and laughing. Yet all of a sudden, a shadow flashed and a silver light flew past. He Su screeched, covering his mouth.
Blood splattered all over the ground. Over there, the members of He Su's sect cried and cursed. It was utter chaos, but no matter how chaotic, it was firmly subdued. Standing before the collapsed He Su, Xue Yang tossed something bloody in his hand, snapping at two of the walking corpses beside him, "Shut him in the cage."
Jin GuangYao, "You shut them in alive?"
Xue Yang turned around, curling his lips, "Wei WuXian never used live humans, but I wanna try."
Under his command, the two corpses dragged the legs of He Su who was still screaming and threw them inside the steel cage in the middle of the corpse training ground. As they watched their elder brother bang his head madly against the bars, the boys and girls rushed over wailing. Their cries were so sharp that Jin GuangYao reached up and rubbed his temple, seeming as though he wanted to pick up the tea and have a few sips to steady his nerves. Yet, he looked down only to see the purplish, bloated object at the bottom of the cup. He then looked up at the tongue that Xue Yang was tossing around in his hand. After some thought, he finally realized, "This is what you make the tea out of?"
Xue Yang, "I have a whole jar. You want some?"
"…"
Jin GuangYao, "No thanks. Tidy things up a bit and come pick up someone with me. We can have tea elsewhere."
As though he suddenly remembered something, he fixed his cap, accidentally touching the area of purple hidden at his forehead. Xue Yang gloated, "So what exactly is up with that forehead of yours?"
Jin GuangYao, "I've said already. It's a long story."
Jin GuangShan always threw his tasks whether big or small onto Jin GuangYao's shoulders, while he indulged himself nights in a row, making Madam Jin throw her rage all around Koi Tower. When Jin ZiXuan was there, he could be the mediator between his parents, but right now it was already past the point of no turning back between the two. Every time Jin GuangShan went out and fooled around with women, he'd use Jin GuangYao to cover him and look for excuses. Madam Jin couldn't catch him, so she vented on Jin GuangYao instead, shattering an incense burner today and spilling a cup of tea tomorrow. And so, in order for him to be able to live a few more safe days on Koi Tower, Jin GuangYao had to go to brothels himself and retrieve Jin GuangShan on time.
Having familiarized himself with doing such things, Jin GuangYao already knew where he could find Jin GuangShan the quickest. Arriving at an elegant pavilion, Jin GuangShan walked in with hands behind his back. The manager at the main hall welcomed him with a fawning smile, while Jin GuangYao raised a hand to gesture that it was unnecessary. Casually, Xue Yang swiped an apple from a customer's table before following Jin GuangYao upstairs, only wiping it at his chest before munching down. Soon, the laughter of Jin GuangShan and quite a few women ventured down. The women chirped, "Sect Leader, don't you think this painting of mine is marvellous? Doesn't the flower look almost as if it were alive, painted on my body?" "What's so clever about painting? Sect Leader, look at my calligraphy. What do you think?"
Jin GuangYao had long since gotten used to this. He knew when he should appear and when he should not. He gestured towards Xue Yang and stopped in his tracks. Xue Yang clicked his tongue, his expression quite impatient. Just as he was about to go downstairs and wait, he suddenly heard Jin GuangShan's gruff voice, "Women—shouldn't it be enough as long as they water their flowers, powder their faces, and make themselves look as pretty as possible? Calligraphy? What a disappointment."
Those women all wanted to please Jin GuangShan originally. With these words, a flash of awkwardness passed over the pavilion. Jin GuangYao's figure froze somewhat as well.
Soon, someone giggled, "But I heard that back then in Yunmeng, there was a talented woman who charmed the entire world with her poems and songs—zither, chess, calligraphy, as well as painting!"
It was clear Jin GuangShan was dead drunk. The wine could even be heard from his stammering voice.
He mumbled, "That's——not how things work. Now I've realized. Women shouldn't play with those useless things. Women who've read some books always think they're a level higher than the other women. They're the most troublesome, with so many demands and unrealistic fancies."
Standing before a window, Xue Yang leaned back, his armed propped on the window as he ate his apple, looking sideways at the scenery outside. And Jin GuangYao's smile seemed to be locked on his face, his curved eyes motionless.
Up on the pavilion, the women agreed with laughter. As though he remembered something from the past, he murmured to himself, "If I bought her freedom and took her back to Lanling, who knows how much fuss she would've made. If she stayed where she was, she might be popular for a few more years and she wouldn't have to worry about her spendings for the rest of her life. Out of everything, just why did she have to bear a son, a son of a prostitute? What could she have hoped to…"
A woman asked, "Sect Leader Jin, who are you talking about? What son?"
Jin GuangShan's voice drifted, "Son? Oh, forget it."
"Okay, then we'll forget it!"
"If you don't like it when we write and paint, Sect Leader Jin, then we won't write and paint. How about we do something else?"
Jin GuangYao stood for thirty minutes by the stairs, while Xue Yang gazed at the scenery for thirty minutes as well. The laughter upstairs finally quieted.
A while later, Jin GuangYao turned around, his face calm, and began to slowly walk downstairs. Seeing this, Xue Yang casually tossed the apple core outside. He also followed down, wagging left and right.
The two walked for sometime on the streets. All of a sudden, Xue Yang rudely burst out laughing.
He began, "Hahahahahaha fuck hahahahahaha…"
Jin GuangYao stopped, his voice cold, "What are you laughing at?"
Xue Yang was splitting his sides with laughter, "You should've gotten a mirror and looked at your face. That smile was nasty. It was so fucking fake I could throw up."
Jin GuangYao let out a snort, "What do you know, you little delinquent? One has to smile no matter how fake, how disgusting it is."
Xue Yang responded lazily, "You were asking for it. If anyone dared say I was raised by a whore, I'd find his mom first, fuck her a couple hundred times, then drag her out and throw her into a whorehouse for others to fuck a couple hundred times. Then we'll see which of us was really the one raised by a whore. Simple."
Jin GuangYao laughed as well, "I sure don't have such refined hobbies."
Xue Yang, "You don't, but I do. I don't mind doing it for you. Just hit me up, and I can go fuck them for you, hahahahahaha…"
Jin GuangYao, "No, thanks. Save your energy, Young Master Xue. Will you be free the next few days?"
Xue Yang, "Won't I have to do it no matter what?"
Jin GuangYao, "Go to Yunmeng for me and tidy up a place for me. Make it clean."
Xue Yang, "They say when Xue Yang attacks, he leaves behind not even the chicken or the dog. Do you have any other misunderstandings as to how clean my work is?"
Jin GuangYao, "I don't think I've ever heard this saying?"
Night had already fallen. It was quiet all around, with few passersby. The two talked as they walked, passing a street side stall. The vendor was in the middle of dejectedly tidying his tables. He looked up and suddenly screamed, jumping backwards.
His scream and his jump were both quite frightening. Even Jin GuangYao paused, his hand moving to Hensheng's handle at his waist. When he saw that it was only the average street vendor, he immediately ignored it. Yet Xue Yang didn't say a word before he went over and kicked over the booth again.
The vendor was both shocked and terrified, "It's you again?! Why?!"
Xue Yang grinned, "Haven't I told you? There's no why."
He was just about to kick again when a sharp pain suddenly came from the back of his hand. His pupils shrunk, and he immediately sprang back. He raised his hand only to see that many red marks had already appeared on his hand. He looked up. A black-robed cultivator retracted his horsetail whisk, looking at him coldly.
The cultivator had a slender physique, his features stern and cold. He held a horsetail whisk in his hand and carried a sword on his back, the tassel of which swished alongside the night wind. Killing intent flashed across Xue Yang's eyes as he struck with his palm. The cultivator brandished his whisk, wanting to fend off the strike, while Xue Yang's attacks were always bizarre and unpredictable. The direction changed, and he lunged for his heart.
The cultivator frowned slightly. He dodged to the side, yet his left arm was lightly brushed by the hand. His body wasn't injured, yet frost suddenly fell over his face. It was as though he found it extremely distasteful, almost unbearable.
The slight change in expression fell into Xue Yang's eyes. He laughed coldly. Before he continued, a snowy figure suddenly cut between the fight. Jin GuangYao had intervened, "For my sake, please let him be, Daozhang Song ZiChen."
The vendor had long since fled the scene. The black-robed cultivator spoke, "LianFang-Zun?"
Jin GuangYao, "Yes, that would be me."
Song ZiChen, "For what reason is LianFang-Zun defending such insolence?"
Jin GuangYao managed a smile, seeming quite helpless, "Daozhang Song, this is a guest cultivator of the LanlingJin Sect."
Song ZiChen, "Why would a guest cultivator do something so lowly?"
Jin GuangYao coughed, "Daozhang Song, you don't understand. He… has an odd personality, and he's still quite young. Please excuse him."
At this point, a clear, gentle voice drifted past, "He's still quite young indeed."
Like a sliver of moonlight amidst the night, a white-clothed cultivator soundlessly appeared beside the three, holding a whisk and carrying on his back a sword.
The cultivator had a lean build. His robes and his sword tassel swayed as he slowly strode forward, as if he was stepping on clouds. Jin GuangYao greeted, "Daozhang Xiao XingChen."
Xiao XingChen returned the salute, smiling, "We parted over a few months ago, but what a surprise that LianFang-Zun hasn't yet forgotten me."
Jin GuangYao, "Daozhang Xiao XingChen moved the entire world with his swordsmanship. It'd instead be strange if I didn't remember, wouldn't it?"
Xiao XingChen smiled, as though he knew Jin GuangYao's way of adding some flattery into everything he said. He replied, "You overpraise me, LianFang-Zun." Right after, he turned his gaze towards Xue Yang, "However, even if he's still at a young age, as he has taken a seat amongst Koi Tower's guest cultivators, it's still best if he learns restraint. After all, the LanlingJin Sect is one of the most prestigious sects. It needs to lead by example in many aspects."
His dark irises shone bright yet gentle, holding no blame when looking at Xue Yang. And thus, even though it was words of advice, he didn't sound the least displeasing. Immediately, Jin GuangYao followed calmly, "Of course."
Xue Yang snickered. Hearing his laugh, Xiao XingChen didn't lose his temper either. He examined him for a while and spoke after some thought, "Moreover, I see that this young man's method of attack is quite…"
Song ZiChen's voice was icy, "Hostile."
Hearing this, Xue Yang laughed, "You say I'm still at a young age, but how much older are you? You say I attack with hostility, but who was the one that gave me a taste of his whisk first? It's absolutely ridiculous the way you two lecture others."
As he spoke, he raised the hand that was criss-crossed with blood and shook it. He was clearly the one who wrecked the stall first, yet right now he turned the tables around with utmost justification. Jin GuangYao didn't know what a face to make, turning to the two cultivators, "Daozhang, he…"
Xiao XingChen couldn't help but broke into a smile, "He's truly…"
Xue Yang squinted, "Truly what? Spit it out, won't you?"
Jin GuangYao's voice was warm, "ChengMei*, please hold your tongue for now."
*TN: This is Xue Yang's courtesy name. The name is originally taken from the phrase 'to help fulfil the wishes of others', but can also be interpreted to mean 'to become pretty'.
Hearing the name, Xue Yang's face immediately darkened. Jin GuangYao continued, "Daozhang, I'm really sorry for today. For my sake, please don't mind him."
Song ZiChen shook his head. Xiao XingChen patted his shoulder, "ZiChen, let's go."
Song ZiChen glanced at him and nodded. The two said goodbye to Jin GuangYao and left together.
Xue Yang glared at their leaving figures with insidious eyes, grinning through clenched teeth, "… Fucking damn cultivators."
Jin GuangYao mused, "They didn't really do much to you, so why the anger?"
Xue Yang spat, "I find these fake, conceited people the absolute most disgusting. That Xiao XingChen was clearly not even that much older than me, poking his nose into other people's business—annoying. And he started giving me a lecture. And that Song guy." He sneered, "I only brushed past his arm, so what was with that look he gave me? Sooner or later, I'll dig out his eyes and shatter his heart. Let's see what he'll do when that happens."
Jin GuangYao, "Now that's a misunderstanding. Daozhang Song is somewhat mysophobic. He doesn't like contact with others. It wasn't directed at you."
Xue Yang, "Who are these damn cultivators?"
Jin GuangYao, "After so much, you don't even know them? Right now, those two are in the midst of their popularity— 'Xiao XingChen, the bright moon, the gentle breeze; Song ZiChen, the distant snow, the cold frost.' Haven't heard that?"
Xue Yang, "No. I don't get it. The fuck is that?"
Jin GuangYao, "Nevermind if you haven't heard it, nevermind if you don't get it. In any case, they're gentlemen, so don't provoke them."
Xue Yang, "Why?"
Jin GuangYao, "They say one should choose offending a crook over offending a gentleman*."
*TN: the real saying goes the opposite way.
Xue Yang looked at him with much suspicion, "Does such a saying exist?"
Jin GuangYao, "Of course. When you offend a crook, you can outright kill them to spare later trouble, and the crowd would even cheer for you; when you offend a gentleman, things become more difficult. These people create the most hassle. They'd chase after you and never let go, and if you lay even a single finger on them, you'd be the target of all. Hence, it's best to keep them at arm's length. It was fortunate that today they only thought you were too arrogant due to your youth and that they didn't know what you did throughout the day. Or else, there'd be no end to it."
Xue Yang mocked, "So many restrictions. I'm not scared of these people."
Jin GuangYao, "You're not, but I am. One thing less is better than one thing more. Let's go."
There weren't many steps to go anyways. Soon, the two arrived at a fork. To the right was Koi Tower; to the left was the corpse training ground.
They exchanged a smile, and parted ways.
Bab 124: Dusk Till Dawn SPECIAL EXTRA
It was already long past nine, yet Wei WuXian still hadn't returned yet. The paper lamp on the desk was still lit. Lan WangJi stared at its blurry aura, his eyes unblinking. A moment later, he stood up, walked to the entrance of the Jingshi, and opened the wooden door.
Having stayed still for a second, he seemed as if he was finally going to step outside when an odd thump suddenly came from behind him.
Lan WangJi spun around only to see that the window had some time ago opened without him noticing, its flaps still swaying amidst the night wind. A large bulge rose from within the thin blanket on the bed. It seemed as if something had broken in through the window, rolled inside, and was currently curled up within, shifting and shuffling.
After a moment of silence, Lan WangJi shut the door gently. He went back inside the room, on his way blowing the lamp out, closed the window, and got onto the bed. He lay beside the considerable bulge. Quietly pulling over the other blanket, he shut his eyes.
Soon, something big and cold suddenly snuck inside his sheets. The thing snuggled onto his body, right against his chest, and giddily exclaimed, "Lan Zhan, I'm back! You should welcome me."
Lan WangJi wrapped his arms around the other, "Why are you so cold?"
Wei WuXian, "I was outside in the wind for more than half the day! Let me borrow your heat."
So that was why he was covered in grass and dust. He must have again taken the juniors of the Cloud Recesses to disturb the beasts and monsters of remote mountains.
Wei WuXian rolled around his bed and his sheets in such filthy clothes, yet Lan WangJi didn't seem bothered at all, despite his usual preference for cleanliness. He tightened his arms slightly, hugging Wei WuXian even closer.
After a while of warming the other with his body, Lan WangJi spoke, "Take your shoes off at least."
Wei WuXian replied, "Sure." And he kicked off his boots against each of his legs before sneaking into the blanket again to freeze Lan WangJi.
Lan WangJi spoke, his voice thin, "Do not mess around."
Wei WuXian, "I'm in your bed already, and you're telling me not to mess around?"
Lan WangJi, "Uncle has returned."
Lan QiRen's residence was not far away from Lan WangJi's Jingshi. He never liked Wei WuXian in the first place. If they happened to elicit some inappropriate sounds, the very next day he would probably stomp his feet angrily, throwing another fit at Wei WuXian.
Yet Wei WuXian shoved his knee between Lan WangJi's legs, rubbing it against him with both arousal and mischief to straightforwardly express his attitude using action.
After a moment of silence, Lan WangJi flipped him around with force and pushed Wei WuXian down under him.
The motion was so wide and force so strong that the two made a loud knock against the wooden bed.
"Slow down, slow down, slow down… Slow… down!"
Lan WangJi pinned Wei WuXian on the bed, entering with irresistible vigor as he thrust inside, all the way until his abdomen was tight against Wei WuXian's naked buttocks. Only when he couldn't dive any deeper did he stop.
Wei WuXian drew in a few breaths, shaking his head. Feeling a bit scared to move, he rolled his eyes and wriggled in discomfort, wanting to move it out a bit, yet Lan WangJi noticed what he was trying to do and clenched his waist to plunge back in again.
Wei WuXian responded with an "ah", exclaiming, "HanGuang-Jun!"
Lan WangJi spoke after a while of endurance, "You asked for it." With a pause, he began to thrust.
Wei WuXian was firmly restrained underneath Lan WangJi with his legs curled up, hair dishevelled and cheeks red. With every movement, his body would bob upward. Each time Lan WangJi drove inside, Wei WuXian would let out a moan with much obedience. After a while of toil, Lan WangJi finally couldn't let him continue like this any longer. He forced back the heavy breaths that were about to escape his chest, keeping his voice low, "Be… Be quieter."
Wei WuXian reached out and touched his face. He found it quite strange—Lan Zhan's thin face was clearly so warm to the touch, yet it didn't show the slightest hint of red, still so snowy and handsome that he almost couldn't control his racing heart. It was only the earlobes that were tinted with a light pink. He breathed, "Er-Gege, you don't want to hear me moan?"
Lan WangJi, "…"
Seeing how he looked, too ashamed to speak the truth yet too upright to lie, Wei WuXian could feel his entire body fill with unspeakable pleasure, so much that he could swallow Lan WangJi whole right then. He continued, "Scared my moans would be heard by someone? Easy—just silence me."
Lan WangJi's chest heaved up and down, his eyes slightly bloodshot. Wei WuXian urged, "Come on! Silence me and fuck me however you want to. I won't be able to make a sound even if you fuck me to death…"
Before he finished, Lan WangJi bent down and covered his lips.
After his mouth was muffled, all four of Wei WuXian's limbs slithered up. The two rolled around on the bed in a tight embrace. The blankets had long since been thrown onto the ground. In bed, Lan WangJi never usually changed positions frequently. After having endured it for almost an hour, Wei WuXian was already numb all the way from his back to his legs, suspicious that he might be fucked like this for the entire night. Seeing Lan WangJi's fervor that showed no sign of stopping, he felt that it might really happen. And thus, Wei WuXian took the initiative to flip around and sit atop Lan WangJi's body. He wrapped his arms around Lan WangJi's neck, riding as he bit Lan WangJi's earlobe, "Is it deep?"
The low whisper was warm and wet. Lan WangJi reached out and pressed his shoulder down hard.
It was a deep plunge indeed. Wei WuXian exclaimed. Hugging him back, Lan WangJi rubbed the back of his waist, "Is it deep?"
Wei WuXian still hadn't returned from the surprise. His lips quivered for a bit. Before he could answer, he suddenly cried again, face wrinkled, "Ah! Wait! N-N-Nine shallow's and a deep*!"
*TN: The phrase 'nine shallow's and a deep' refers to a technique in bed that I assume is quite easy to understand. The phrase itself is very commonly known in China, nowadays more often used as a gag/joke than being taken as serious sex advice.
In vain, he covered his abdomen with one hand as he dug the other into the firm yet not too bulky muscles of Lan WangJi's shoulder. He shouted with the force of everything he had, "Lan Zhan! Don't you understand what nine shallow's and a deep is?! You, don't, have, to, always, be, so, so…"
The last sentence was broken into fragments from the thrust. Lan WangJi, "I do not!"
Although at first he cried and wailed, saying anything possible to beg for mercy, yet in the second half of the night, after two rounds had finished, Wei WuXian still had his legs locked firmly around Lan WangJi's waist, refusing to let him go.
Lan WangJi's body covered Wei WuXian's, careful not to let the weight of his body fall onto Wei WuXian. Where the two connected was still wet and slippery. Lan WangJi seemed as if he was going to rise, yet with just a slight movement, Wei WuXian drew his legs back in, and the small segment that had just parted was stuffed smoothly back inside.
Wei WuXian spoke lazily, "Don't move. The wind's gonna come in. Let's rest for a bit."
Lan WangJi listened and stopped moving. A while later, he turned to Wei WuXian, "Do you not feel uncomfortable?"
Wei WuXian made an unfortunate face, "I do. I feel like I'm filled to the brim. Couldn't you hear how miserable my moans were?"
"…" Lan WangJi, "I will come out."
Wei WuXian immediately switched to another expression, his words frank, "I just love it when I'm filled by you like this. It's quite great, really."
As he spoke, he tightened suddenly. Lan WangJi's face changed—even his breaths paused for a moment. After holding it back for a long while, he finally replied in a hoarse voice, "… Shameless!"
Seeing how he was almost driven mad, Wei WuXian laughed loudly and planted a kiss on his lips, "Er-Gege, what haven't we done so far? What's the use of shame now?"
Lan WangJi couldn't help but shake his head. He spoke in a low voice, "Let me out. You need to bathe."
Wei WuXian was already a bit tired. He responded through the haze, "Not gonna bathe. I'll do it tomorrow. I'm so tired today."
Lan WangJi kissed his forehead, "Bathe, or you might fall ill."
Wei WuXian was so tired that he couldn't restrain Lan WangJi any longer. Finally, he let his soft limbs fall. Lan WangJi got off the bed and first picked up the blankets that had been thrown onto the ground, covering Wei WuXian's naked body tightly. Then, he hung the disordered clothes tossed all about the room onto the screen. He put on his clothes, quickly making sure that everything was neat, and went out to bring water for the bath.
Fifteen minutes later, Wei WuXian who had almost fallen asleep was picked up and put into the wooden tub. The tub was placed right beside Lan WangJi's desk. After having soaked for a while, Wei WuXian felt energized again, patting the edge of the tub, "Not gonna join me, HanGuang-Jun?"
Lan WangJi, "Later."
Wei WuXian, "Why later? Come in now!"
Lan WangJi glanced at him, as if thinking about something. A moment later, he spoke, "We have been back for four days, and four of the Jingshi's bathtubs have fallen apart."
That glance made Wei WuXian feel like he had to protest for himself, "It wasn't my fault the one from last time broke."
Lan WangJi put the box holding the soap somewhere Wei WuXian was able to reach, his voice calm, "It was mine."
Wei WuXian splattered a handful of water onto his neck, making the string of red kiss marks even brighter, "Yeah. The one from that time before wasn't my fault either. Actually, let's be honest here—you broke them every single time. You haven't gotten over this habit ever since our first time."
Lan WangJi got up. When he returned, he rested a jar of Emperor's Smile by Wei WuXian's hand before sitting down at the desk, "Yes."
If Wei WuXian extended his arm just a bit longer, he'd be able to scratch Lan WangJi's chin. And indeed, that was what he did. Lan WangJi took up a few pieces of paper, all covered in words, and began to read them as he wrote down lines that resembled simple comments. Immersed in water, Wei WuXian opened the jar and took a gulp before asking, "What are you looking at?"
Lan WangJi, "Night-hunt notes."
Wei WuXian, "By the children? You're not the one responsible for making notes, are you? I thought it was supposed to be your uncle."
Lan WangJi, "When Uncle is busy, I occasionally mark them."
Perhaps because Lan QiRen was busy with other, more important jobs, this task had temporarily be delegated to Lan WangJi. Wei WuXian grabbed a few pages and flipped through, "Back then, your uncle would comment hundreds of characters after just a couple of lines before doing summaries at the end that were almost a thousand characters long. I don't even know where he got the time to write those comments. Well, your comments are quite short, aren't they?"
Lan WangJi, "And is that not good?"
Wei WuXian, "It is! Short and sweet."
It definitely wasn't out of cutting corners that Lan WangJi's comments were short. He wouldn't slack off in the slightest way, no matter how simple the task was. Rather, it was his habit to be as concise as possible, no matter in words or writing. Wei WuXian buried his head in the water and didn't come up again after a long while, his hair wet. With one hand, he grabbed the soap and rubbed it on his hair, while with the other, he took one of the notes from atop the desk. After a look, he suddenly burst out laughing, "Who wrote this? There are so many mistakes—hahahahahahahaha, I just knew it was JingYi. You gave him a Yi*."
*TN: Refresher: Jia is A, Yi is B, Bing is C, and Ding is You Don't Deserve To Be A Cultivator.
Lan WangJi, "Yes."
Wei WuXian, "There are so many notes and he's the only Yi I've seen. Poor kid."
Lan WangJi, "His are verbose and prone to errors."
Wei WuXian, "What happens when you get a Yi?"
Lan WangJi, "Nothing. Rewrite."
Wei WuXian, "He should be thankful. It's better than punishment by standing upside-down, after all."
Quietly, Lan WangJi collected the papers that he messed with and put them straight before laying them in a neat stack at the side. Watching his movements, Wei WuXian felt his lips naturally curl into a smile. He asked again, "What did you give SiZhui?"
Lan WangJi pulled out two of the notes and passed them to him, "Jia."
Wei WuXian accepted it and scanned, "His handwriting is quite neat."
Lan WangJi, "His are logically organized and substantially apropos."
Having flipped through the stack in his hands, he looked across at the one on the desk that hadn't been marked yet, "You have to look through all of these? Want me to help you with a few?"
Lan WangJi, "Yes."
Wei WuXian, "I'll just mark any mistakes I see and comment on them, right?"
He reached out and grabbed the larger half. Lan WangJi was about to take it back when Wei WuXian retracted his hand, "What are you doing?"
Lan WangJi, "Those are too much. You should bathe."
Wei WuXian grabbed the Emperor's Smile again and took a sip, taking up a brush pen, "I'm bathing. It's not like I have anything else to do. It's quite fun reading these notes and essays written by the children."
Lan WangJi, "You have to rest after you bathe."
Wei WuXian flaunted, "You think I look like I could fall asleep now? I think I'd have no problem with two more rounds, even."
As he watched Wei WuXian cling to the edge of the tub, reading the notes carefully and at times propping an elbow on the desk to write, the candlelight reflected against Lan WangJi's eyes seemed to flicker with warmth.
Although his words were rather bold, claiming he could go two more rounds and such, it was difficult for him to not feel the fatigue, having run amok in the mountains with the boys for the whole day, messed around in bed for half the night, and marked a stack of notes. After he forced himself to meticulously mark his portion, he tossed it onto the desk before sliding into the water. Quickly yet gently, Lan WangJi picked him up, wiped him dry, and transferred him onto the bed.
After Lan WangJi took a quick bath and got in bed as well, hugging Wei WuXian in his arms, Wei WuXian continued to be awake for a short while, hazily whispering by his collarbone, "The kids in your sect are quite good at writing essays. They're just missing that tiny bit when it comes to night-hunting."
Lan WangJi, "Mn."
Wei WuXian, "But that's no problem… I'll make them cram hard while I'm at the Cloud Recesses. Tomorrow… I'll take them to wreck the mountain demon nests again."
The single-legged mountain demon was powerful and covered in black fur. It ate people like munching on vegetables. If it were someone else, from the way he said it, they would've thought he was taking a group of runny-nosed toddlers to the rooftop to steal bird eggs.
The corners of Lan WangJi's lips moved slightly, as if he was about to smile, "Today was mountain demons again?"
Wei WuXian, "Yeah. That's why I said they've got more work to do. After all, mountain demons only have one leg. They almost couldn't escape from single-legged ones, so if later on they meet four-legged lizards, eight-legged spiders, or hundred-legged centipedes, wouldn't they have to wait for their deaths… Oh, right. HanGuang-Jun, I'm out of money. Give me a bit more, won't you?"
Lan WangJi, "Simply take the jade token to withdraw the money."
Wei WuXian let out a muffled laugh, "Apart from letting me in and out of the barrier, that jade token you gave me… can also let me draw money?"
"Yes." Lan WangJi, "Did you ruin the stall or residence of a passersby?"
Wei WuXian, "No… Of course not… I spent all the money because after the night-hunt, I took them to that Hunan cuisine at Caiyi Town… The exact one you never agreed to go no matter how much I tried to persuade you… I'm so tired… Stop talking to me, Lan Zhan…"
Lan WangJi, "Yes."
Wei WuXian, "… I told you to stop talking… Even if you say just one word, I won't be able to hold myself from responding… Okay, Lan Zhan, let's sleep. I… can't anymore… I really have to sleep… See you tomorrow, Lan Zhan…"
He kissed Lan Zhan's neck, and indeed soon fell heavily asleep.
It was all darkness and silence amidst the Jingshi.
A moment later, Lan WangJi planted a gentle kiss in the center of Wei WuXian's forehead.
He whispered, "Wei Ying, see you tomorrow."
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