Chapter 25 Hatred—Part Three

However, after just one step back, his ankle twisted, and he seemed to be on the verge of collapsing to the ground. With a changed expression, Lan WangJi rushed over and grabbed his wrist tightly, just as he had done the last time on Dafan Mountain. After Wei WuXian calmed down, Lan WangJi knelt down on one knee to examine his leg. Wei WuXian was a little surprised, “N-no, HanGuang-Jun. You don’t have to do this.”

Lan WangJi lifted his head slightly, his bright eyes staring intently at him, then lowered his head again and continued rolling up his pants. Still in his grip, Wei WuXian could do nothing but stare at the sky.

Her entire leg was covered in black bruises from the Curse Mark.

After staring at him for a moment, Lan WangJi said bitterly, “… I was only gone for a few hours.”

Wei WuXian shrugged, “A few hours is a long time. Anything can happen. Okay, okay. Hurry up and get yourself together.”

He pulled Lan WangJi roughly, “It’s just a normal Curse Mark. We can kill it when the time comes to find me. HanGuang-Jun, you have to help me. Otherwise, I won’t be able to handle it. Have you caught the person? Is it him? Where is he now?”

Lan WangJi glanced at the signboard standing in front of a shop at the end of the street. Wei WuXian continued, “Let’s settle the matter of the stone palace first.” He then walked toward the shop. He hadn’t noticed it before, but his legs felt a little numb, probably because of Zidian. Fortunately, Jiang Cheng had controlled Zidian’s power, so he didn’t become a charred corpse from the lightning strike.

Lan Wangji stood behind him. Suddenly he called out, “  Wei Ying  .”

Wei WuXian’s figure stopped. A second later, he pretended not to hear the name, and replied, “What?”

Lan WangJi, “This was transferred from Jin Ling’s body, wasn’t it?”

That’s not a question, but a statement.

Wei WuXian didn’t say anything. Lan WangJi spoke again, “You met Jiang WanYin.”

It wasn’t hard to tell because of the mark Zidian had left on top of the Curse Mark. Wei WuXian turned around, “As long as we both live in this world, we will surely meet, sooner or later.”

Lan WangJi, “Don’t go…”

Wei WuXian, “If I don’t go, how am I going to leave? Are you going to carry me or what?”

“…” Lan WangJi stared at him silently. Wei WuXian’s smile froze on his face, just as a bad feeling crossed his mind.

If it were the old Lan Zhan, he would have been shocked and speechless by those words, then either walk away with a cold face or ignore them completely. However, it was hard to say how Lan Zhan would react now. As he had expected, upon hearing those words, Lan WangJi walked in front of him, as if he were really going to bend down, kneel, and carry Wei WuXian on his back, despite his esteemed status. Wei WuXian was shocked again, “Stop, stop. I didn’t mean it. It’s just numb from Zidian hitting me a few times, not a broken bone. It would look bad for a grown man like me to be carried on someone else’s back.”

Lan WangJi asked, “Will it look bad?”

Wei WuXian replied, “Will it look good?”

After a moment of silence, Lan WangJi replied, “But you’ve also carried me on your back before.”

Wei WuXian, “Has something like that ever happened? Why don’t I remember?”

Lan WangJi replied indifferently, “You never remember such things.”

Wei WuXian, “Everyone says I have a bad memory. Alright, alright. Anyway, I won’t let you carry me on your back.”

Lan WangJi, “Are you sure?”

Wei WuXian answered firmly, “I’m sure.”

The two were silent for a moment. Suddenly, one of Lan WangJi’s arms wrapped around his back, and as Lan WangJi bent slightly, his other arm moved to the back of his knee. 

Wei WuXian was shorter and lighter than him. Therefore, he was easily picked up, his body tightly embraced by a pair of arms. Wei WuXian hadn’t expected the answer to end like this. In both his past and present lives, this was the first time he’d been treated like this by someone. He was shocked, “Lan Zhan!!!”

Carrying him, Lan WangJi walked over and answered him calmly, “You said you didn’t want to be carried on my back.”

Wei WuXian, “I didn’t say I wanted to be carried like this either.”

Fortunately, it was late at night. There weren’t any people walking around on the streets, so it wasn’t too embarrassing. Wei WuXian wasn’t a thin-faced person either. After being carried a few steps, he immediately relaxed. He grinned as he played with the front of Lan WangJi’s shirt, pretending to tug on it. “So, you want to see whose face is thinner?”

The cool scent of sandalwood enveloped him. Paying no attention, Lan WangJi stared straight ahead and remained unresponsive, maintaining a solemn and calm expression. Seeing that nothing could affect him, Wei WuXian thought to himself as he continued to play with Lan WangJi’s clothes,  It seems Lan Zhan’s desire for revenge is actually quite strong. He’ll make me pay for all the times I teased him in the past and rob him of his fun. This is truly a remarkable improvement. Not only has his cultivation level improved, but his face has also improved.

Wei WuXian asked, “Lan Zhan, you already knew it was me since we were at Dafan Mountain, right?”

Lan WangJi, “Ya.”

Wei WuXian wondered, “How did you know?”

Lan WangJi looked at him, “You want to know?”

Wei WuXian menyatakan, “Ya.”

Lan WangJi, “You told me yourself.”

Wei WuXian, “Myself? Because of Jin Ling? Because I called Wen Ning? It’s none of these, right?”

It was as if something had sent ripples through Lan WangJi’s eyes. However, those tiny ripples soon faded, and his eyes returned to being calm pools of water.

He spoke in a serious tone, “Think about it.”

Wei WuXian replied, “I asked you because I couldn’t think of a reason.”

This time, no matter how he asked, Lan WangJi refused to answer. With Wei WuXian in his arms, he stepped into an inn. Aside from the receptionist who was choking on his water, no one around him seemed to be acting strangely. Arriving at the door, Wei WuXian said, “Okay. We’re here. It’s time for you to disappoint me. You don’t have a third hand to open the door…”

Before Lan Wangji could finish his sentence, he did something incredibly rude. This was probably the first time in his life he had ever done something so rude.

Carrying Wei WuXian, he kicked the door open.

Both doors opened, and the person sitting inside nervously wailed, “HanGuang-Jun, I don’t know, I don’t know, I…”

After he realized what position they were both in, he stared blankly at them, barely managing to finish his last sentence, “… I really don’t know.”

It was a real “Head Shaker”.

Pretending not to see anything, Lan WangJi carried Wei WuXian inside and laid him down on the bamboo mat. Nie HuaiSang seemed to be unable to bear the sight, and quickly opened his fan, covering his face. Wei WuXian walked around the fan to examine it. Even after so many years, his old classmate hadn’t changed much. He looked the same as ever. Although born with a graceful and attractive face, his expression made it seem as if he could do anything to him. His stylish clothes showed a refined taste in fashion, which meant he had truly thought it through. Compared to the sect leader, he looked more like a wealthy idler. Even if he wore imperial robes, he wouldn’t look like a prince; even if he held a sword, he wouldn’t look like a cultivator.

He continued to deny it, so Lan WangJi placed the cloth the spiritual dog had bitten onto the table. Nie HuaiSang felt his slightly torn sleeve and replied sadly, “I just happened to be passing by. I really don’t know anything.”

Wei WuXian, “If you don’t know, I’ll tell you. As you listen to me, maybe you’ll realize you know some things.”

Nie HuaiSang opened and closed his mouth several times, unable to answer. Wei WuXian continued, “In the Xinglu Qinghe Mountains area, there are rumors of ‘Man-Eating Peak’ and ‘Man-Eating Castle,’ but there haven’t been any casualties, which is why they’re just rumors. Those rumors would make ordinary people avoid the Xinglu Mountains. So, its true function is as a line of defense—the first one, actually.”

If there was a first, there must be a second. The second line of defense was the walking corpses on Xinglu Ridge. Even if someone who wasn’t afraid of the rumors of the Man-Eating Castle accidentally or intentionally entered the ridge, upon seeing the walking corpses, they would definitely flee. However, these walking corpses were few in number and weak in strength, so they wouldn’t pose any significant danger.

The third line of defense was the maze formation near the stone castle. The first two were for defense against ordinary people; only this one was for defense against cultivators. However, this was only effective against ordinary cultivators. If a cultivator wielding a spiritual weapon or a dog and skilled in maze formations arrived, or a cultivator as powerful as HanGuang-Jun, this line of defense would have to be broken.

These three defensive measures were intended to keep the stone castle on Xinglu Ridge hidden from the public. The identity of the people who built the stone castle was quite obvious. This was the Nie Sect’s territory. Besides the Nie Sect, no one else could easily set up these three barriers in Qinghe. Furthermore, you happened to appear near the stone castle and left behind evidence.

What exactly is the QingheNie Sect’s purpose in building the Man-Eating Castle on Xinglu Hill? Where did the corpses on the walls come from? Were they eaten? Sect Leader Nie, if you don’t give us a proper explanation here, I’m afraid that, once this secret is revealed, all the sects and clans will come here to interrogate you. When the time comes, even if you want to explain everything, no one will listen or believe you.

Nie HuaiSang replied desperately, as if he had given up, “… That’s not the Man-Eating Castle at all. That… That’s just my sect’s ancestral cemetery!”

Wei WuXian asked, “Ancestral tomb? Whose ancestral tomb would bury a sword, not a corpse?”

Nie HuaiSang replied with a sullen face, “HanGuang-Jun, before I explain everything, can you promise me something? Considering that our two sects have known each other for a long time and our senior brothers have already sworn an oath, whatever I say after this, you… and the person beside you, must not tell anyone. If this secret is revealed in the future, I would be very grateful if the two of you could say a few good things as witnesses. You always keep your promises. If you promise, I will believe you.”

Lan WangJi, “As you wish.”

Wei WuXian asked, “You said this isn’t the Man-Eating Castle, so does that mean it doesn’t eat anyone?”

Nie HuaiSang gritted his teeth and replied obediently, “…Yes.”

Wei WuXian, “Wah.”

Nie HuaiSang quickly added, “But that was only once! And it wasn’t our sect that was at fault, and that happened decades ago! The rumors about the Man-Eating Castle on Xinglu Hill had already started back then. I… I was just fanning the flames and exaggerating the rumors.”

Translator’s Notes

Wei Ying  : In case anyone forgot (aka people like Addis the Editor), Wei Ying is Wei WuXian’s birth name. A person’s birth name should only be called by close friends/family, otherwise it would be considered impolite. Lan WangJi calls Wei WuXian Wei Ying because they were classmates.