Chapter 118 (1/2)

Chapter 118: Extra—Villainous Friends

Translated by K of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

13 Years ago

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 a.s.sault 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 b.a.s.t.a.r.d! You eat my food, you don't give me money, and you have the guts to wreck my stall?! I…”

Xue Yang's thumb s.h.i.+fted. 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, b.u.mping into one another at times and leaking strange noises from their throat.

It was a corpse training ground.

Back then, Jin GuangShan l.u.s.ted 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 surpa.s.sed 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 a.n.a.lyze 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 s.h.i.+fted 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 pa.s.sed 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 ma.n.u.scripts?”

Jin GuangYao, ”That's right.”

Xue Yang flipped through the pages, his eyes glowing. Soon, he looked up, ”Is this really his actual ma.n.u.scripts? 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 n.o.body can pull it out. What's the use of keeping a f.u.c.king 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 sn.i.g.g.e.red, ”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 sc.u.m—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 sc.u.m? 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 circ.u.mstances, 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 a.s.sa.s.sinate 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 f.u.c.king look! There are nine-year-old children here! Old men who can't even walk! How could they rebel against anything?! Why would they a.s.sa.s.sinate 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, n.o.body 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 br.i.m.m.i.n.g with dread. Clenching his teeth, he roared, ”Jin GuangYao! You'll receive your retribution! You're dad is gonna die among prost.i.tutes sooner or later, and you wouldn't meet a pleasant end either, you son of a prost.i.tute!!!”

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 b.l.o.o.d.y in his hand, snapping at two of the walking corpses beside him, ”Shut him in the cage.”