Chapter 71 (1/2)

Chapter 71: Departure—Part Three

Two months later, in Yunmeng.

After the QishanWen Sect collapsed, the city that used to be the most flouris.h.i.+ng of all cities evaporated into thin air in just one night, falling into ruins. A large number of cultivators searched for new locations of activity, diverging into multiple new cities. Among them, Lanling, Yunmeng, Gusu, and Qinghe received the greatest influx of cultivators. On the streets, people hurried to and fro. All of the disciples carried swords by their waists, talking loftily about the fate of the current world. All of them were in high spirits.

Suddenly, the people on the streets lowered their voices slightly. In unison, they looked to the end of the street.

From there, a white-robed man wearing a forehead ribbon slowly approached, carrying with him a sword and a zither.

The man's features were of unparalleled grace, but frost and snow seemed to surround his figure. Before he had even drawn nearer, the cultivators quieted on their own, meeting his eyes in respect. The more well-known ones bravened up and went forth to salute him, ”HanGuang-Jun.”

Lan w.a.n.gJi nodded slightly, returning the salutations without fault, and didn't cease in his steps. The other cultivators didn't dare bother him too much, knowing to back off.

Suddenly, however, from ahead of him came a young, grinning girl dressed in vibrant colors. In a hurry, she brushed shoulders with him, but suddenly tossed something toward his body.

Nimbly, Lan w.a.n.gJi caught the object. He looked down to find the bud of a flower as white as snow.

The bud was delicate and fresh, having gathered some dew. As Lan w.a.n.gJi maintained his silence, another slender figure approached from in front of him. With a wave of her hand, a small, blue flower was tossed at him. It was aiming for his chest, but ended up on his shoulder. Lan w.a.n.gJi caught it as well. When he turned to look, the woman giggled before running away without even a hint of embarra.s.sment.

The third time was a younger girl, who wore her hair in double-buns. Hopping over, in her arms she held a bunch of sprigs dotted with red buds. She fled as soon as she threw them toward his chest.

One after another, Lan w.a.n.gJi had already gathered a bundle of colorful flowers, though he still stood expressionlessly in the middle of the streets. All of the cultivators who recognized HanGuang-Jun didn't dare laugh even if they wanted to. They pretended to be serious, but their eyes kept on lingering. The ordinary people who didn't recognize him, however, had already started to point at him. As Lan w.a.n.gJi pondered with downcast eyes, he suddenly felt something weigh onto his head. He raised his hand. A pink medicinal peony, at the peak of its bloom, had landed flawlessly on the side of his head.

From on top of a building came a grinning voice, ”Lan Zhan—ah, no, HanGuang-Jun—what a coincidence!”

Lan w.a.n.gJi looked up to see an airy pavilion lined with layers and layers of gauze curtains. A black-robed man lay on his side over a red lacquer divan. One hand of his slender body dangled down, holding a fine liquor jar made of black clay. Half of the jar's crimson ta.s.sel wrapped around his arm, while the other half swayed back and forth in the air.

Seeing Wei WuXian's face, the disciples who were watching the scene all grew somewhat uncomfortable. Everyone knew that the YiLing Patriarch and HanGuang-Jun didn't have a good relations.h.i.+p. When they fought together during the Sunshot Campaign, they'd often begin to argue. n.o.body knew what could happen this time. As of the moment, they didn't even bother to put on a polite pretense anymore, staring at the two as hard as they could.

Lan w.a.n.gJi didn't leave with a cold face, contrary to their conjectures. He only said, ”It is you.”

Wei WuXian, ”It's me! Someone who does such a ridiculous thing has to be me. Where did you find the time to come to Yunmeng? If you're not busy, come up here and have a drink?”

A few girls encircled him, all cramped onto the divan, laughing at those down below, ”Yeah, Young Master, come up here and have a drink!”

The girls were the ones who tossed flowers at him earlier on. There was no need to say who was the person that told them to do such a thing.

Lowering his head, Lan w.a.n.gJi turned around and proceeded to leave. Seeing that there was no reaction, Wei WuXian wasn't surprised at all. With a click of his tongue, he rolled down the divan and drank a mouthful of the liquor in his jar. Yet, a few moments later, a series of footsteps came, lighter than heavy, calmer than rushed.

With steady steps, Lan w.a.n.gJi walked up the stairs and parted the curtains as he entered. The bejeweled strings clinked crisply, almost melodically.

He placed the bundle of flowers that had hit him onto the small table, ”Your flowers.”

Wei WuXian slanted his body until he could reach the table, ”You're welcome. I'll give them to you. These are your flowers now.”

Lan w.a.n.gJi, ”Why?”

Wei WuXian, ”Why not? I just wanted to see how you'd react to such a thing.”

Lan w.a.n.gJi, ”Ridiculous.”

Wei WuXian, ”Ridiculous is exactly what I am. Or else I wouldn't have been so bored as to get you up here… Hey, hey, hey, don't go. You're already here. You won't have a few sips?”

Lan w.a.n.gJi, ”Liquor is prohibited.”

Wei WuXian, ”I know that liquor is prohibited in your sect, but it's not like it's the Cloud Recesses here. It's fine if you have some.”

The girls immediately took out a new cup. After they poured it full, they pushed it toward the bundle of flowers. Lan w.a.n.gJi still didn't seem like he was going to sit down, but he didn't seem like he was going to leave either.

Wei WuXian, ”You finally came to Yunmeng for once, and you won't even try the delicious liquor here? But, though the liquor is delicious, it'll never even compare to the Emperor's Smile at Gusu where you live. It really is the best of all liquor. In the future, if I have the chance to go to Gusu again, I'll definitely save half or a dozen and drink them all at once. Just look at you—what's wrong with you? The seats are right there, and you're still standing. Go sit, won't you?”

The girls urged him on, ”Go sit, won't you?” ”Go sit!”

Lan w.a.n.gJi's light eyes examined the sensual girls coldly. Immediately after, his gaze landed on the coal-black, red-ta.s.seled flute by Wei WuXian's waist. His eyes looked down, as if he was thinking of the best wording. Seeing this, Wei WuXian raised a brow, mostly able to guess what he was going to say next.

As he expected, Lan w.a.n.gJi said, slowly, ”You should not accompany yourself with inhuman beings for so long.”

The smiles of the girls who were t.i.ttering around Wei WuXian immediately disappeared.

The gauze curtains swayed, at times blocking out the sunlight. The pavilion s.h.i.+fted between light and dark. Now, their snow-white cheeks seemed a bit too pale, so drained of blood that they almost seemed ashen. Their eyes were glued to Lan w.a.n.gJi as well. Out of the blue came a chilling eeriness.

Wei WuXian lifted his hand, gesturing for them to move to the side. He shook his head as he spoke, ”Lan Zhan, you really do become more boring the older you grow. You're still so young. It's not like you're in your seventies, so don't copy your uncle all the time, thinking of nothing but scolding others.”

Lan w.a.n.gJi turned around and walked a step closer to him, ”Wei Ying, it is still best if you come back to Gusu with me.”

”…” Wei WuXian, ”I really haven't heard this in a long time. The Sunshot Campaign is already over. I thought you've given up long ago.”

Lan w.a.n.gJi, ”Last time, during the hunt on Phoenix Mountain, have you noticed certain signs?”

Wei WuXian, ”What signs?”

Lan w.a.n.gJi, ”The loss of control.”

Wei WuXian, ”You mean me almost getting into a fight with Jin ZiXuan? I think you got something wrong. I want to fight with Jin ZiXuan whenever I see him.”

Lan w.a.n.gJi, ”And the things you said afterwards.”

Wei WuXian, ”What things? I say so many things every day. I've long since forgotten about the things I said two months ago.”

Lan w.a.n.gJi looked at him, as though he could tell at once that he didn't take it seriously. He took in deep breath, ”Wei Ying.”

He continued stubbornly, ”The ghost path harms the body and the heart.”

Wei WuXian seemed as if his head began to hurt, ”Lan Zhan, you… I've heard more than enough of these words that you say, and you still feel that you haven't said them enough? You say that it harms the body, but I'm fine right now. You say that it harms the heart, but I haven't become that frenzied, have I?”

Lan w.a.n.gJi, ”It is not too late yet. In the future, even if you regret…”

Without waiting for him to finish talking, Wei WuXian's expression changed. He suddenly stood up, ”Lan Zhan!”

Behind him, red light had begun to glow within the eyes of the girls. Wei WuXian, ”Stop it.”

Thus, the girls lowered their heads and retreated, but still they stared unwaveringly at Lan w.a.n.gJi. Wei WuXian turned to him, ”What can I say? Even though I don't think that I'll regret it, I don't like it when people take guesses at how I'm going to be in the future, either.”

After a while of silence, Lan w.a.n.gJi replied, ”I am the one who was out of line.”

Wei WuXian, ”Not really. But, indeed, looks like I shouldn't have invited you up here. Today was because of my presumption.”

Lan w.a.n.gJi, ”It was not.”

Wei WuXian smiled, his words polite, ”Really? That's good, then.”

He finished in one gulp the half cup of liquor that was left, ”But, no matter what, I should still thank you. I'll take it as you're concerned for me.”

Wei WuXian waved his hand, ”Then, I won't bother HanGuang-Jun any longer. Let's meet again if the chance comes up.”

When Wei WuXian returned to Lotus Pier, Jiang Cheng was wiping his sword. He lifted his eyes, ”You're back?”

Wei WuXian, ”I'm back.”

Jiang Cheng, ”Your face looks terrible. Don't tell me you ran into Jin ZiXuan?”

Wei WuXian, ”Worse than Jin ZiXuan. Guess who.”

Jiang Cheng, ”Give me a hint.”

Wei WuXian, ”Wants to lock me up.”

Jiang Cheng frowned, ”Lan Zhan? Why is he at Yunmeng?”

Wei WuXian, ”No idea. He's in the streets, probably searching for someone. After the Sunshot Campaign, he hasn't brought this up in such a long time. Now he's at it again.”

Jiang Cheng, ”It's your fault for calling him over first.”

Wei WuXian, ”How did you know that it was me who called him over first?”

Jiang Cheng, ”Do you even have to ask? Which time has it not been you? You're a strange one as well. Clearly every time you part with him on bad terms, so why do you keep on trying to get him annoyed?”

Wei WuXian thought about it, ”I'm ridiculous?”

Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, So you do know. His eyes went to his sword again. Wei WuXian, ”Just how many times do you have to wipe your sword in one day?”

Jiang Cheng, ”Three times. And your sword? How long has it been since you last wiped it?”

Wei WuXian took a pear and bit into it, ”Tossed it into my room. Once a month is good enough.”

Jiang Cheng, ”From now on, carry your sword in important events like hunts or Discussion Conferences. That's a ripe example of lack of discipline for others to laugh at.”

Wei WuXian, ”It's not like you don't know. I hate it the most when others force me to do things. The more they force me to do something, the less I want to do it. I'm not carrying my sword—what are they going to do about it?”

Jiang Cheng glared at him. Wei WuXian added, ”And I don't want to be pulled into a sword duel by people I don't even know. Whenever my sword unsheathes, there has to be blood. Unless they give me a few people to kill, n.o.body can bother me. So I'll just not take it. Solves everything. It's better that way.”

Jiang Cheng, ”Didn't you use to love showing off your sword skills in front of others?”

Wei WuXian, ”I used to be a kid. Can't be a kid forever, can't I?”

Jiang Cheng smirked, ”Don't carry your sword, then. It doesn't matter. But don't provoke Jin ZiXuan from now on. He's Jin GuangShan's only son, after all. The future leader of the LanlingJin Sect will be him. If you beat him up, what should I, the sect leader, do? Beat him up with you? Or punish you?”

Wei WuXian, ”Isn't Jin GuangYao here now? Jin GuangYao seems so much better than him.”

Jiang Cheng finished wiping his sword. After he scrutinized it for a while, he finally put Sandu back into its sheath, ”So what, if he's better? No matter how much better he is, no matter how clever, he could only be a servant who greets the guests. That's all there is to his life. He can't compare with Jin ZiXuan.”

Wei WuXian found his tone to be even somewhat praising of Jin ZiXuan, ”Jiang Cheng, be honest with me—what do you mean? Last time you went all the way to take s.h.i.+jie over. You can't actually want s.h.i.+jie to…?”

Jiang Cheng, ”It's not impossible.”

Wei WuXian, ”It's not impossible? Have you forgotten what he did in Langya? You're telling me that it's not impossible?”

Jiang Cheng, ”He's probably regretting it.”

Wei WuXian, ”Who cares if he regrets it. Do we have to forgive him just because he apologized? Look at what his dad's like. Maybe he'll be the G.o.dd.a.m.n same in the future, killing time searching everywhere for women. Have s.h.i.+jie be with him? You could take it?”

Jiang Cheng's voice was frozen, ”See if he dares!”

After a pause, Jiang Cheng glanced at him before he continued, ”But, it's not like you have a say in whether he's forgiven or not. Sister likes him, so what can we do?”