Chapter 36 Grass—Part Four

Jin Ling and his group felt their hearts almost jump out of their chests, afraid that something had happened to Wei WuXian, who was looking outside and had fainted with his hands covering his eyes. With a cry of ”  ah  ,” the children’s hearts pounded. Even their hair stood on end, “What happened?!”

Wei WuXian spoke as quietly as possible, “Shhh. Don’t talk. I’m looking at it.”

Jin Ling lowered his voice until it was even quieter than Wei WuXian’s, “Then what did you see? What was that thing outside the door?”

Wei WuXian didn’t look away or answer straightforwardly, “Hmmm… Yes… This is amazing. Really amazing.”

The expression on his face was filled with joy, and his praise and exclamations sounded as if they came from the bottom of his heart. The disciples’ curiosity immediately overcame their nervousness. Lan SiZhui couldn’t help but ask, “…Senior Mo, what’s so amazing?”

Wei WuXian, “Wow! She’s so beautiful. Calm down, everyone. Don’t scare her. I haven’t finished looking at her yet.”

Jin Ling, “Move! I want to see.”

“Me too!”

Wei WuXian, “Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

Wei WuXian walked slowly, as if reluctant to leave. Jin Ling was the first to step aside. He looked out through the thin gap between the wooden boards.

It was already evening. Amidst the chilly air, the fog in Yi City had gradually dissipated, leaving only a thin layer of visibility on the road. Jin Ling peered around for a moment. Failing to spot the “stunning” and “beautiful” figure, he was somewhat disappointed, thinking to himself, “  I didn’t chase her away by talking, did I?”

Just as he was about to give up, a small, wrinkled figure suddenly appeared in front of the gap.

Having seen the entity’s entire appearance without any preparation, Jin Ling’s scalp prickled with shock. He nearly exploded, but somehow he managed to suppress the exclamation still pent up in his chest, and managed to remain silent, maintaining a stiff, hunched posture. After the tingling in his head subsided, he turned to Wei WuXian, subconsciously. Wei WuXian, the source of the commotion, was leaning against the window beside the door. With one corner of his mouth curved upwards, he raised an eyebrow and smiled slyly at Jin Ling, “Looks pretty, huh?”

Jin Ling glared back. Knowing that she was deliberately making fun of them, Jin Ling gritted his teeth, “… Yes…”

With a change of heart, he straightened up and replied casually, “Just ordinary at best. Only a little worth looking at!”

After that comment, he stepped aside, waiting for the next person to be fooled. Their deceptive words had piqued the curiosity of the entire group to its peak. Lan SiZhui couldn’t help but remain silent and walked over to the same spot. Just as his eyes neared the gap, he exclaimed, “Ah!”, but honestly, it wasn’t like the previous two. With a panicked expression, he jumped back in surprise. He only found Wei WuXian after spinning around dizzily a few times, then complained, “Senior Mo! There’s… there’s…”

Wei WuXian replied knowingly, “There  is  , right? There’s no need to say it out loud, or it won’t be a pleasant surprise anymore. Let everyone see for themselves.”

It was impossible for the others to still dare to approach after seeing Lan SiZhui’s frightened reaction. Pleasant surprise? More like a terrible fright. They all waved their hands in refusal, “No, thank you. No, thank you.” Jin Ling spat, “The situation is already like this, and you’re still playing tricks. What exactly are you thinking?”

Wei WuXian, “You came too, right? Don’t imitate your uncle’s tone. SiZhui, was that scary?”

Lan SiZhui nodded obediently, “Yes.”

Wei WuXian, “Good. This is a great opportunity for your cultivation. Why do ghosts scare people? It’s because when people are afraid, their consciousness fades while their spirit soars, which makes it the easiest moment to sap their Yang energy. This is why ghosts are most feared by those who are fearless, who are not afraid of them. There’s no opportunity to seize, so there’s nothing the ghosts can do to them. So, as a cultivation disciple, your main goal is to become more courageous!”

Pleased that he didn’t look curious due to being unable to move, Lan JingYi muttered, “Courage is determined at birth. What can you do if you’re born a coward?”

Wei WuXian, “Were you born with the ability to fly with a sword? People only learn how to do it after practicing and practicing. Similarly, people can get used to something after being afraid and constantly afraid. Does the toilet smell? Is it disgusting? Trust me, if you lived in a toilet for a month, you could even eat there.”

The boys were absolutely terrified. They dismissed the claim in unison, “No, you can’t!!! That’s impossible!!!”

Wei WuXian, “That was just an example. Okay, I admit I’ve never lived in an outdoor latrine before. I don’t know if you can actually eat there. I have no proof. However, you should try the one outside the door. You must not only look at it, but also observe it carefully. Pay attention to the details. From those details, find any hidden weaknesses as soon as possible. You must face the situation calmly and look for opportunities to counterattack. Alright, have I explained enough for you to understand? Most people won’t get the chance to receive my guidance. Take advantage of it. Don’t move any further. Line up one line, please. Look at each one.”

“… Do we really have to do this?”

Wei WuXian, “Of course. I never joke around. I never fool anyone, either. Let’s start with JingYi. Jin Ling and SiZhui have already seen him.”

Lan JingYi, “What? I don’t need to see, right? People who are poisoned by corpses can’t move. You said so yourself.”

Wei WuXian, “Let me see your tongue. Ah.”

Lan JingYi, “Ah.”

Wei WuXian, “Congratulations. You’re healed. Come on, be brave and step forward. Come on!”

Lan JingYi, “I’m cured?! You’re kidding, right?!”

After his protests were rejected, he could only steel himself and walk to the window. He took one look, then looked away. He took another look, then looked away again. Wei WuXian tapped the board, “What are you afraid of? I’m standing right here. The board won’t pierce through, let alone eat your eyeballs or anything.”

Lan JingYi jumped away, “I’m done searching!”

Then, every time someone’s turn came, a sharp, frightened gasp would be heard. After everyone had left, Wei WuXian spoke again, “Are you done searching? Then, everyone, tell the group what details you’ve found. Let’s summarize.”

Jin Ling struggled to speak first, “White eyes. Female. Short and thin. Good-looking. Holding a bamboo stick.”

Lan SiZhui thought for a moment, “That girl was about as tall as my chest. She was wearing only rags and looked unclean, dressed like a beggar wandering the streets. The bamboo pole looked like a white stick. It’s possible that the whites in her eyes didn’t form after her death, but rather because she was blind before she died.”

Wei WuXian commented, “Jin Ling has greater quantity, while SiZhui has higher quality.”

Jin Ling’s lips twitched in dissatisfaction.

A boy said, “That girl is only about fifteen or sixteen years old. Her face is oval, with a cheerful aura behind her delicate features. She ties her long hair with a wooden hairpin, the end of which is carved with a small fox head. She’s not just small—her body is also slender. Although she’s not very neat, she’s not dirty either. With a little makeup, she’ll definitely be a beauty.”

Hearing this, Wei WuXian immediately felt that this child would have a very promising future. He praised enthusiastically, “Very good, very good. Your observations are very detailed and unique. Child, you’ll definitely be the sentimental type when you grow up.”

The boy blushed and turned to face the wall, ignoring his friends’ laughter. Another boy said, “It seems like the sound of the bamboo pole hitting the ground is from when he walked. If he was blind before he died, he wouldn’t be able to see even after becoming a ghost, so he can only rely on that white cane.”

One of the other boys argued, “But how is that possible? You’ve all seen blind people, right? Because they can’t use their eyes, they move and walk slowly, in case they bump into something. However, the ghost outside the door moves very quickly. I’ve never seen a blind person so agile before.”

Wei WuXian smiled, “Good job. Kudos to you for thinking this through. This is how you should analyze things. Don’t ignore any suspicions. Now, let’s invite him in to get the answer.”

As soon as he finished his sentence, he immediately removed one of the boards. Not only the children inside, but even the ghost outside the window jumped in surprise at his sudden movement, cautiously raising his bamboo stick.

Wei WuXian first greeted the ghost, then asked, “Miss, do you have any business here after following them all this way?”

The girl widened her eyes. If she were a living person, she would have looked absolutely adorable. However, without pupils and only two streaks of blood flowing from her eyes, it only made her look even more terrifying. Several people behind her flinched. Wei WuXian consoled them, “What are you afraid of? You’ll get used to seeing people bleeding from seven  qiaos  in the future. Only two of the seven qiaos are bleeding right now, and you can’t handle it? This is why I told you to experience more things and become stronger.”

Previously, the girl had been circling irritably in front of their window, tapping the ground with her cane, stomping her feet, glaring at everyone, and waving her arms. But now her actions had changed. She was gesturing, as if trying to convey something. Jin Ling wondered, “That’s strange. Can’t she talk?”

Hearing this, the ghost girl was silent for a moment, then opened her mouth.

Blood poured profusely from his empty mouth. His tongue had been ripped from its root.

The students shuddered, but they felt the same sympathy.  So, that’s why he couldn’t speak. Blind and mute—what a wretch.

Wei WuXian, “Is he using sign language? Does anyone understand?”

No one understood. The girl was so anxious that she stamped her feet, using her stick to write and scribble on the ground. She clearly didn’t come from a well-educated family. She was illiterate and couldn’t write anything. With only messy stick figures, no one could understand what she was trying to say.

Suddenly, from the end of the street came a series of running footsteps and human pants.

The girl’s spirit suddenly vanished. However, she would probably return, so Wei WuXian wasn’t worried. He quickly put the board back and continued peeking through the gap. The other students also wanted to see what was going on outside, and all crowded in front of the door. A row of heads piled up from top to bottom, blocking the entire gap.

Although the fog had thinned, it began to circulate again. A figure clumsily broke through the mist and hurried toward them.

The man was dressed in black. As if injured, he staggered as he ran. A sword hung from his waist, also wrapped in black cloth. Lan JingYi whispered, “Is he that foggy-faced man?”

Lan SiZhui whispered back, “Probably not. That foggy-faced man had very different movements than this person.”

A group of walking corpses followed the man. They quickly caught up to him. The man met the attack by drawing his sword. A bright, clear flash of his sword sliced ​​through the mist. Wei WuXian cheered inwardly, “  Good move!”

However, after the attack, that strange yet familiar explosion sounded again. Black-red powder gushed out from the corpse’s fragments. The person was surrounded by it. With nowhere to hide, he stood where he was, and was instantly engulfed by the powder. Lan SiZhui was shocked by the scene. He urged in a low voice, “Senior Mo, this person, we…”

Another group of walking corpses approached and surrounded the man. The circle grew smaller. His sword slashed again, and more corpse poison powder sprayed out. He also inhaled more of the powder, appearing as if he was starting to lose his balance. Wei WuXian spoke up, “We have to help him.”

Jin Ling, “How do you intend to help him? We can’t go there now. There’s corpse poison powder everywhere. You’ll be poisoned if you go near it.”

After thinking for a moment, Wei WuXian left the window and walked into the living room. The boys couldn’t help but follow him. Paper mannequins of varying postures stood silently between two bouquets of flowers. Wei WuXian stepped in front of them, stopping in front of a pair of female mannequins.

Each paper mannequin looks different. However, this pair looked as if they were deliberately made to be twins. Their makeup, clothing, and facial features were all identical. With arched eyebrows and smiling expressions, their laughter almost sounded “hee-hee.” They wore double buns, red earrings, gold bracelets, and embroidered shoes, resembling a pair of servants from a wealthy family.

Wei WuXian, “What about those two?”

He gently brushed his hand across a boy’s unsheathed sword, causing a cut on his thumb. Turning around, he applied two pairs of eyes, each with four pupils, to the mannequins.

Then, he took a step back. With a faint smile, he sang, “The eyes beneath your curly eyelashes, lips parted, smiling seductively. Never mind good or evil, with my sad eyes I call to you.”

Suddenly, a cold wind blew through the shop. The boys couldn’t help but grip their swords tightly.

Suddenly, the mannequin twin trembled.

The next second, a small “hee-hee” laugh actually escaped their brightly colored lips!

It’s  the Painted Eye Summoning  !

As if they had seen or heard something funny, the two paper mannequins burst out laughing. At the same time, their eyes, painted with human blood, spun rapidly within their sockets. The sight was both breathtaking and terrifying. Standing before them, Wei WuXian bowed his head in respect.

Respectfully, the pair of paper mannequins also bowed slightly, paying respect at a higher level.

Wei WuXian pointed out the door, “Bring the living person back inside. Besides him, get rid of everyone else.”

A shrill laugh erupted from the mouths of the paper mannequins. A terrifying gust of wind blew open the doors!

Side by side, the two mannequins darted out and into the circle of walking corpses. It was unimaginable how, despite being mannequins made of paper cutouts, they possessed such incredible power. With tiny shoes and fluttering sleeves, they lopped off a corpse’s arm with one flick of their hand, then cut off half of its head with another—as if the paper arms had been transformed into sharp knives. Flirtatious laughter echoed throughout the streets, bringing both horror and fascination.

Before long, fifteen or sixteen walking corpses had been chopped into tiny pieces that lay limp on the ground!

The two paper servants achieved absolute victory. Obeying the order, they carried the weak fugitive inside. Then, as they jumped out again, the doors closed by themselves. Each of them guarded both sides of the entrance as if they were lion statues guarding the plantation, and finally fell silent.

The students in the room were shocked and speechless.

They had only seen and heard explanations of this improper cultivation method from books and their own seniors. Back then, they couldn’t understand it.  If it was such an improper method, why were so many people still eager to learn it? Why did the Yi Ling Patriarch still have so many imitators?  And, now that they had seen it with their own eyes, they finally realized how fascinating this kind of practice was. Moreover, this was only the tip of the iceberg—the “Painted Eye Summoning.” Thus, after the youths got over their initial shock, there was no sign of disgust on their faces, but instead, unconcealed joy. They felt it had enriched their experience, allowing for more conversations between them and their juniors. Jin Ling was the only one who looked unwell.

Lan SiZhui approached Wei WuXian to help the stranger. Wei WuXian said, “Don’t come any closer. Be careful not to touch the corpse poison powder. Even physical contact can poison you.”

When the man was brought in by the paper mannequin, he was already semi-conscious, appearing to have little energy left. However, his mind was now clearer. He coughed a few times, covering his mouth with his hand as if to prevent the coughing powder from affecting others. He spoke in a low voice, “Who are you?”

Her voice sounded very tired. She asked not only because she didn’t know who the people in the room were, but also because she couldn’t see anything.

Thick white bandages were wrapped around the man’s eyes. He was most likely blind.

And, not to mention, he was both blind and quite handsome. With his sharp nose and thin, rose-red lips, he could almost be called handsome. He also looked quite young, somewhere between a teenage boy and a grown man, so it was natural that he would attract the sympathy of anyone who met him. Wei WuXian wondered,  Why have I met so many blind people these past few days? Both hearing and sighted; both living and dead.

Suddenly, Jin Ling exclaimed, “Hey. We still don’t know who he is, whether he’s a friend or foe. Why should we save him without careful consideration? If he’s a bad guy, wouldn’t we be letting a snake in?”

Although that was true, it sounded a little awkward to say in such a frank tone in front of the person. Surprisingly, the person wasn’t angry and didn’t seem worried about being kicked out at all. He smiled, revealing the small tips of his two canine teeth. “Young Master, you’re absolutely right.  I ‘d better  go.”

Not expecting such a reaction, Jin Ling was silent for a moment. At a loss for words, he quickly snorted. Lan SiZhui quickly intervened, “But maybe he’s not a bad person. After all, not helping a dying person is against our sect’s rules.”

Jin Ling stubbornly continued, “Fine. You guys are good people. If anyone dies, it’s not my fault.”

Lan JingYi grumbled, “You…” Before he could finish his sentence, it was as if the cat had bitten his tongue.

That was because he saw the sword the man was leaning against the table. The black cloth wrapped around it had come loose slightly, revealing the blade’s body.

The sword was forged with unparalleled craftsmanship. Its scabbard was bronze, with intricate patterns of ice carved into it. Through these patterns, the blade shone as if made of silver stars, shimmering with snowflake-like specks of light. There was a pure yet brilliant beauty within it.

Lan JingYi widened his eyes, as if he was about to say something. Although Wei WuXian didn’t know what he wanted to say, since the man was covering his sword with a black cloth, he clearly didn’t want his words to be seen. Instinctively, not wanting to alarm the stranger, he covered Lan JingYi’s mouth with one hand and put the index finger of his other hand to his lips, signaling the equally shocked boys to be quiet.

Jin Ling said the two characters to him with his mouth, then used his hand to write the two characters on the dusty table:

“Shuanghua”

…Pedang Shuanghua?

Wei WuXian melontarkan pertanyaannya,  pedang Xiao XingChen—Shuanghua?

Jin Ling and the others nodded in agreement.

The boys had never seen Xiao XingChen himself, but “Shuanghua” was both rare and famous. The sword was not only powerful in spiritual power, but also incredibly intricate. It had been illustrated as part of various versions of the sword catalog, which was why everyone knew about it. Wei WuXian pondered,  If the sword was Shuanghua, and the man was blind…

One of the boys was also thinking the same thing. He couldn’t help but reach out to the bandage wrapped around the man’s eye, hoping to remove it so he could see if his eye was still there. However, just as his hand touched the bandage, a look of pain appeared on the man’s face. He stepped back slightly, as if afraid of touching his eye.

Realizing his own rudeness, the boy immediately withdrew his hand, “Sorry, sorry… It wasn’t intentional.

The man raised his left hand, which was covered in a thin black glove. He wanted to cover his eyes, but he was afraid. Perhaps even the slightest touch had caused unbearable pain—a thin layer of sweat had already formed on his forehead. He struggled, “It’s okay…”

However, his voice trembled slightly.

With such behavior, one could almost be certain that this person was Xiao XingChen, who had disappeared after the YueyangChang Clan case.

Xiao XingChen didn’t yet know his identity had been exposed. After the pain subsided, he fumbled around for Shuanghua. Wei WuXian quickly pulled back the black cloth that had fallen. With Shuanghua in his arms, Xiao XingChen nodded, “Thank you for your help. I’ll take my leave.”

Wei WuXian, “Wait here for a moment. You’re being poisoned by corpse poison.”

Xiao XingChen, “Is it serious?”

Wei WuXian, “That’s right.”

Xiao XingChen, “If it’s that bad, what’s the point of holding on? Besides, hope is long gone. Why not kill a few more corpses before I become one too?”

Hearing how he didn’t care about his own life, the boys felt their blood boil with anger. Lan JingYi shouted, “Who said you guys had no hope? Stay here! He’ll heal you!”

Wei WuXian, “Me? Excuse me, but are you talking about me?” He couldn’t really tell the truth—Xiao XingChen had inhaled too much corpse poison powder. With the deep red hue on his face, he was most likely too sick for rice porridge.

Xiao XingChen, “I’ve killed many corpses in this city. They’ve been following me, and new corpses will soon join them after the old ones die. If I stay here, sooner or later you’ll drown in the sea of ​​corpses.”

Wei WuXian, “Do you know why Yi City became like this?”

Xiao XingChen shook his head, “No. I’m just a wanderer… wandering around here. I heard about the strange occurrences here and decided to go night hunting in the city. You haven’t seen how numerous and powerful the undead and walking corpses are here. Some move too fast to anticipate. Others, when killed, release a corpse-poisoning powder that poisons people on contact. However, if you don’t kill them, they’ll pounce on you and attack. Both of these cause poisoning, which makes them very difficult to deal with. Judging by your voice, there are quite a few young masters in your group, right? You’d better leave as soon as possible.”

Just as he finished his sentence, the sinister laughter of the female mannequins rang out from outside the door. This time, their laughter was sharper than before.

Translator’s Notes

Qiao  : This has been mentioned before. See the vocabulary sheet if you’re experiencing memory loss.

Painted Eye Summoning  : Originates from the story of a man who added pupils to a painting of a dragon, and the dragon became real. The spell here is partly derived from He SiCheng’s poem—Meeting the Beauty in Nanyuan. Since he is not a famous poet and his poem is not a well-known one, it has not been translated into English. So, although I spent quite a bit of time translating it, it is definitely not professional or even close to perfect. Many thanks to Tracy for her help.