Chapter 7 Arrogance—Part Two
If it were any darker, one would need a flashlight to move freely in the mountain forest. Wei WuXian walked for a while, but he didn’t encounter many cultivators. He was quite surprised. Could it be that half the clansmen who came were at Buddha’s Feet arguing and making small talk, while the other half could only return in defeat, like the group of people who had just passed by?
Suddenly there was a scream for help from in front of him.
“Is anybody there?”
“Help us!”
The voices of men and women rang out, all sounding panicked, perhaps not pretending. Cries for help from remote mountains were usually the work of evil beings, designed to trap fools. However, Wei WuXian was actually very happy.
The more evil the creature, the better for him!
He turned his donkey toward the sounds, but found nothing around. When he looked up, instead of spirits or monsters, he saw the village clan he had encountered in the fields earlier, suspended from the trees by giant golden nets.
The middle-aged man was initially patrolling and scouting the forest with several others. However, instead of finding the prey they expected, they fell into a net trap, likely set by a wealthy clan. That’s why they were hanging from a tree, complaining and begging for help.
Upon seeing someone approaching, they were immediately excited, but their hopes faded when they saw that it was a madman who had arrived. Although the threads of the god-binding net were thin, the material was of high quality, making it difficult to break. Whether human, god, demon, spirit, or monster, the intruder would need a long time to fight his way out because the net could only be broken with more sophisticated magical tools. The madman probably didn’t even know what it was, let alone how to get them out.
He was about to call someone else to help him when the sound of breaking twigs and the footsteps of leaves approached. A boy in a light robe appeared from within the dark forest.
The boy had a bright red mark between his eyebrows, and his facial features were delicate yet sharp. He was quite young, about Lan SiZhui’s age—still a teenager. He carried a bamboo quiver filled with feathered arrows and a luminous sword on his back, holding a longbow. The embroidery on his clothes was exquisite, forming a beautiful white peony flower in front of his chest. The golden threads shimmered in the dark shade of the night surrounding him.
Wei WuXian exclaimed in his heart, “How rich!”
This must be a young master studying in the LanlingJin Sect, as that sect is the only one to use the white peony as its clan symbol, using the king of flowers to indicate that they are the kings of all cultivators. The bright red mark implies the meaning of “opening the door to wisdom and aspiration; illuminating the world with bright red light.”
The young master already had an arrow nocked on his bow and was about to shoot it when he realized that the god-binding net only caught humans. After a brief moment of disappointment, he quickly became annoyed, “I always thought you guys were idiots. There are over four hundred god-binding nets on the mountain, but you’ve already destroyed about ten, and I haven’t even seen the prey yet!”
Wei WuXian thought again, “How rich!”
A single god-binding net was already expensive, yet he had set up four hundred of them at once. A smaller clan would surely go bankrupt after buying that many, but, of course, this was the LanlingJin Sect. However, wasting the god-binding net like this and not caring about what they caught shouldn’t be considered night hunting at all. Instead, it was as if they were chasing people away, not giving anyone a chance to contribute to the process. It seemed like the cultivators who had retreated early weren’t doing so because the prey was difficult, but because the sect simply shouldn’t have been angry.
After several days of slow travel and listening to the fascinating conversations at Buddha’s Feet, Wei WuXian gathered a wealth of information about the changes in the cultivation world. As the final victors of the hundred-year cultivation disturbance, the LanlingJin Sect was the leader of all clans and sects—its leader was even called the “commander” of all cultivators.
Even before this, the Jin Clan was already arrogant, adoring extravagant luxury. After years of reigning supreme and strengthening the sect, they had trained all their disciples to do whatever they wanted. Even slightly weaker clans had to submit to their insults, let alone a small, rural clan like this. This was why, even though the people caught in the net were seething with rage, they were unable to retaliate against the boy’s harsh words.
The middle-aged man spoke with great tolerance, “ Young Master , please help us a little and let us enjoy it.”
The boy was anxious, worried that his prey hadn’t arrived yet, and he felt comfortable venting his anger on the villagers. He crossed his arms, “You should just stay here, in case you mess around and get in my way again! I’ll take you down after I catch that spirit-eating beast, as long as I still remember you.”
If they really did spend the night in the tree and happened to encounter the creature that haunted Dafan Mountain, being immobilized, all they could do was wait for their souls to be sucked away. The round-faced girl who had given Wei WuXian the apple was frightened and began to cry. Wei WuXian had originally been sitting cross-legged on the donkey, but when the donkey heard the sobbing, its long ears trembled, and it suddenly leaped forward.
After the leap, a long neighing could be heard. If not for the terrifying neighing, its unstoppable power could almost be compared to that of a thoroughbred horse. Unprepared for this, Wei WuXian was thrown from the donkey’s back, nearly injuring his head in the fall. The donkey ran sprawling toward the boy as if confident it could knock him over with its head. The boy’s arrow was still nocked in the bow, easily drawing the bow toward him. Wei WuXian didn’t want to find a new mount so soon, so he quickly pulled on the reins. The boy stared at him, a look of surprise suddenly appearing on his face.
A second later, his surprise turned to contempt. His mouth twitched, “So, it’s you.”
His tone was twenty percent surprise and eighty percent disgust, making Wei WuXian blink. The boy spoke again, “Did you lose your marbles after you were thrown back to your village? How could they let you out when you look this weird?”
Had he really just heard something so important?
Could it be , Wei WuXian suddenly realized, that Mo XuanYu’s father was not the head of a small sect, but the famous Jin GuangShan?
Jin GuangShan was the last leader of the LanlingJin Sect, who had passed away. A single sentence about this man wouldn’t be enough to describe the whole story. He had a fierce wife from a noble family, and he was even known to fear her. However, despite his fear, it never stopped him from courting other women. No matter how fierce Madam Jin was, it was impossible for him to follow her around 24/7. Therefore, from noble ladies to prostitutes in the countryside, if he could get his hands on one, he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity. And, although he enjoyed casual relationships and flirting everywhere, having countless illegitimate children, it was very easy for him to get bored.
Once he grew tired of a woman, he would forget about her completely, without any responsibilities or anything else. Among all his illegitimate children, only one proved to be particularly talented and was eventually taken back—the current leader of the LanlingJin Sect, Jin GuangYao. Furthermore, Jin GuangShan didn’t die an honorable death either. He felt old but energetic, and wanted to challenge himself, fooling around with a bunch of women. However, unfortunately, he failed and died in the process. This was too embarrassing, so the LanlingJin Sect told the public that the old leader had died from overwork. All the other clans decided to keep quiet about the matter and pretend they didn’t know anything. After all, that was the real reason behind his “fame.”
During the siege of Luanzang Hill, besides Jiang Cheng, Jin GuangShan was the second biggest contributor. And now, Wei WuXian had taken over the body of his own illegitimate child. He really didn’t know if they were really together.
Seeing him daydreaming, the boy became even more annoyed, “Get out of here! You’re disgusting just looking at me, you fucking gay!”
Judging by his generation, it was highly likely that Mo XuanYu was an elder, perhaps an uncle to the boy. Having been humiliated by a junior like this, Wei WuXian thought that even if it wasn’t for his own sake, he had to avenge the humiliation for Mo XuanYu’s sake, “What an outrageous attitude! I suppose you don’t have a mother to teach you?”
Hearing her words, two flames blazed in the boy’s eyes. He drew the sword on his back and threatened, “What… did you say?”
The sword’s blade radiated a golden light. It was rare and of high quality—most clans probably wouldn’t be able to acquire even a fragment of it, even if they saved up for a lifetime. Wei WuXian examined it carefully, finding it somewhat familiar. However, he had seen high-quality golden swords before. He didn’t think much of it and began to twirl the small cloth bag he was holding.
It was a makeshift “spirit-locking pouch” he’d made a few days ago using scraps. Drawing his sword and approaching, the boy took a human-shaped piece of paper from the spirit-locking pouch. He shifted to the side, avoiding the attack, and pressed the paper against his opponent’s back.
The boy’s movements were already fast, but Wei WuXian had practiced a lot of “tripping someone while slapping a talisman on their back,” which meant that he was faster. The boy suddenly felt his body go numb, his back weakening, and he was forced to the ground, with his sword also falling to the side with a thud . He couldn’t get up no matter how hard he tried, as if there was a mountain on top of him. On his back, there was a ghost that had died from gluttony, crushing him to the point where he couldn’t even breathe. Although the ghost was weak, it was fully capable of dealing with a brat like this. Wei WuXian took his sword, weighed it in his hand, and swung it toward the god-binding net, splitting it in two.
The family fell to the ground awkwardly, but they ran away without a word. The round-faced girl looked like she wanted to thank them, but she was pulled away by an elder, afraid that Young Master Jin would hate them even more. The boy lying on the ground grumbled, “You damned gay! It’s good that you’ve taken this wrong path because you don’t have enough spiritual power to do anything! Take care of yourself! Do you know who’s coming today? Today, I…”
Although the cultivation method he used in the past was often criticized and, in the long run, harmful to the cultivator’s health, it could be mastered quickly. It was also very attractive because there were no limits to a cultivator’s spiritual power or talent, so there were always people who secretly practiced it to find shortcuts. The boy assumed that, after being expelled from the LanlingJin Sect, Mo XuanYu had chosen a dishonorable path, which was a reasonable conclusion, saving Wei WuXian a lot of unnecessary trouble.
The boy pushed against the ground, but couldn’t get up even after several tries. His face was bright red and he gritted his teeth, “If you don’t stop, I’ll report my uncle, and you’ll be waiting for your death!”
Wei WuXian wondered, “Why your uncle and not your father? Who is your uncle, anyway?”
Suddenly a voice came from behind him, a mix of bitter and cold tones.
“I’m his uncle. Any last words?”
Hearing that voice, all of Wei WuXian’s blood rushed to his head and drained away in an instant. Fortunately, his face was already deathly pale. A little more white wouldn’t have made much of a difference.
A young man in purple approached with confident strides, his jianxiu robes fluttering smoothly and his hand pressed against the hilt of his sword. A silver bell hung from his waist, though it made no sound as he walked.
The young man had thin eyebrows and almond eyes. His face was handsome yet sharp, and his eyes radiated a calm spirit, with a hint of attacking intent, seeming like two bolts of lightning as he stared. He stood ten paces away from Wei WuXian, his expression like an arrow nocked on a bow, ready to be released at any moment. Even his posture exuded an air of arrogance and overconfidence.
He frowned, “Jin Ling, why are you lingering here? Do you really need me to come and pick you up? Look at how bad your situation is now, and wake up!”
After his head went numb, Wei WuXian immediately realized what was happening. He reached his finger into his sleeve and made the paper retreat. Jin Ling felt a lightening in his back and immediately rolled over, grabbing his sword. He moved closer to Jiang Cheng and pointed at Wei WuXian accusingly, “I’ll break your legs!”
With the uncle and nephew standing side by side, it was clear that they bore a close resemblance, perhaps even brothers. Jiang Cheng flicked his finger, and the paper doll swiftly slipped from Wei WuXian’s hand and landed in his own. After a glance, a look of hostility flashed across his face. He pressed his fingers, and the paper was burned to dust by the screams of the evil spirits.
Jiang Cheng said grimly, “Break his legs? Didn’t I tell you? If you see such evil and crooked practices, just kill that cultivator and feed him to your dogs!”
Wei WuXian couldn’t even reach for his donkey, quickly retreating. He thought that after all these years, no matter how much hatred Jiang Cheng had for him, it would have long since faded. He didn’t expect that it wouldn’t fade away, instead, it would only grow stronger, like a jar of old alcohol. Now, his hatred had grown to affect even those who were as cultivated as he was!
With someone’s support, Jin Ling’s attacks became even more aggressive. Wei WuXian reached two fingers into his spirit-locking pouch, about to take something out, when suddenly, a blue sword light flashed like lightning. It collided with Jin Ling’s sword, shattering the powerful golden light in an instant.
It wasn’t the quality of the swords, but the vast difference in strength between the wielders. Wei WuXian had initially calculated his timing, but his movements were suddenly interrupted by the sword’s glare, causing him to stumble. He fell to the ground, right on top of a pair of snow-white boots. After pausing for a moment, he slowly raised his head.
What first came into his sight was a long, slender blade, gleaming and translucent, as if made of ice.
In the cultivation world, this sword was one of the most renowned. Wei WuXian had experienced its power countless times, including in battles with and against it. The hilt of this sword was forged from pure silver refined with a secret technique. Its blade was extremely thin, almost transparent, emitting a cold breath of ice and snow. Yet, at the same time, it could cut through iron like mud. This was why, although this sword seemed light, as if it could fly at any moment, it was actually quite heavy, unsuitable for ordinary people to wield.
Its name is “ Bichen .”
The blade spun, and the sound of a sword being sheathed resealed rang out from above Wei WuXian. At the same time, Jiang Cheng’s voice rang out from afar, “And I was wondering who it was. So, you’re Second Young Master Lan.”
The pair of white boots passed around Wei WuXian and quietly walked three steps forward. Wei WuXian raised his head and stood up. As he walked past Wei WuXian, he lightly touched their shoulders, then glanced at Wei WuXian for a moment, pretending to be inadvertent.
He radiates a soft moonlight aura. The seven-stringed zither he carries on his back is narrower than most other zithers. Its body is black, made of soft-colored wood.
The man wore a cloud-patterned forehead ribbon. His skin was fair and white, and his features were both refined and elegant, as if he were a piece of polished jade. His eyes were so bright, as if they were made of colored glass, his gaze felt far too distant. His expression held traces of frost and snow, so firm that it was rigid, unwavering even as he looked at Wei WuXian’s ridiculous face.
There wasn’t a speck of dust or a single wrinkle on his body, from head to toe. It was impossible to find any flaws in his appearance. Even so, two capitalized words flashed through Wei WuXian’s mind.
Mourning clothes!
Mourning attire, indeed. Although all the clans in the cultivation world used exaggerated words to describe the GusuLan Sect uniform as the most beautiful and Lan WangJi as a peerless beauty who only appeared once in a blue moon, no one could hold back the bitter expression on his face that made it seem as if his wife had passed away.
In an unlucky year, enemies often find their way to meet; good news always comes alone, but one disaster always follows another… Such is the current situation.
Lan WangJi remained silent, staring straight ahead, standing motionless before Jiang Cheng. Jiang Cheng was already very handsome, but when they were face to face, he still seemed a little inferior. He raised an eyebrow and said, “HanGuang-Jun, you truly live up to your reputation of being ‘present wherever there is chaos.’ So, you happened to come to this remote area today?”
Powerful cultivators from prominent clans usually didn’t bother with low-level prey. However, Lan WangJi was an exception. He never cared about night-hunted prey, and wouldn’t refuse just because it wasn’t threatening enough to boost his reputation. If anyone needed help, he would be there. He had been like this since he was young. “Being present wherever chaos is” was a public comment on his night-hunting, as well as praise for his moral character. At this moment, Jiang Cheng seemed utterly disrespectful when he uttered such words. Even the juniors who had come to follow Lan WangJi seemed uncomfortable hearing it.
Lan JingYi spoke frankly, “Isn’t Sect Leader Jiang here too?”
Jiang Cheng replied gloomily, “ Tsk , do you really think you should butt in while your senior is speaking? The GusuLan Sect has always been known for its respectful attitude. Is this really how they teach their disciples?”
Lan WangJi seemed reluctant to chat, glancing at Lan SiZhui. Lan SiZhui understood and told the juniors to talk to each other. Afterward, he said to Jin Ling, “Young Master Jin, the night hunt has always been a fair competition between clans and sects. However, setting up nets all over Dafan Mountain is clearly hindering cultivators, causing them to fall into traps. Is this a violation of the rules of the night hunt?”
Jin Ling’s grim expression was exactly the same as his uncle’s. “What can I do? It’s their own fault for falling into the trap. I’ll settle everything after I catch the prey.”
Lan WangJi frowned. Jin Ling was about to speak again, but suddenly realized that, shockingly, he couldn’t open his mouth or make a sound. Seeing Jin Ling’s upper and lower lips that seemed to be glued together, anger appeared on Jiang Cheng’s face. The careless demeanor he had previously upheld was gone, “You, surnamed Lan! What do you mean by this? It’s not your turn to discipline Jin Ling yet, so release the spell, right now!”
The Lan Sect used the Silence Spell to reprimand its followers. Wei WuXian had suffered greatly from this little trick. Although it wasn’t particularly complex or obscure, only those of the Lan Clan could remove the spell. If one tried to speak by force, one’s lips would be torn and bloody, or one’s throat would be hoarse for several days. The only solution was to remain silent and reflect on one’s mistakes until the punishment period expired. Lan SiZhui said, “Sect Leader Jiang, there’s no need to be angry. As long as he doesn’t break the spell by force, it will be released on its own after thirty minutes.”
Before Jiang Cheng could speak, a man dressed in purple in the Jiang Sect uniform ran toward them from within the forest. He shouted, “Sect Leader!” However, upon seeing Lan WangJi, he hesitated. Jiang Cheng said sarcastically, “Speak. Is there any more bad news?”
The man spoke in a low voice, “Not long ago, a blue sword flew over and destroyed the god-binding net you had set up.”
Jiang Cheng glanced at Lan WangJi sharply, his displeasure written all over his face, “How much is damaged?”
The man answered carefully, “… Everything…”
That’s over four hundred!
Jiang Cheng was boiling with anger.
He hadn’t expected his journey to be this fortunate. He had originally come to help Jin Ling. Jin Ling would be fifteen this year, the age at which he would have made his debut and begun competing with juniors from other clans. Jiang Cheng had carefully considered his decision before choosing Dafan Mountain as the hunting ground. He had also set up a net everywhere and threatened cultivators from other clans, giving them consequences to back down, so that Jin Ling could claim the top prize without anyone opposing him.
Although four hundred god-binding nets was a very high price, it wasn’t too much for the YunmengJiang Sect. Losing a net was a small matter, but losing face was no big deal. With Lan WangJi’s actions, Jiang Cheng felt a whirlpool of anger welling up in his heart, growing stronger with each passing second. He narrowed his eyes, his left hand casually stroking the ring on his right index finger.
This is a dangerous sign.
Everyone knew that the ring was a powerful and threatening magic weapon. Whenever the Jiang Clan Leader touched it, it meant he had murderous intentions.
Translator’s Notes
Dark red mark : In the past, dark red marks were drawn on children to “break through ignorance” in the hope that they would become good students in the future, so the implied meaning is like this.
Young Master : Even though the man is not the boy’s servant, in Ancient China, one would still address the young master of any family as “Young Master”, especially if that family had a higher status than the speaker’s family.
Jianxiu : This is a type of clothing with sleeves that are wider at the shoulder and become quite narrow as they reach the wrists. However, this is not really a problem, as most fanart shows her dressed in other ways.
Jars : In Ancient China, alcohol was stored in large jars made of clay.
Bichen : The name means “to avoid dust.” However, don’t pronounce it like bitchin’. The correct pronunciation is bee-chen , with the en sounding like the en in enough .