Chapter 43 Attraction—Part One

He never expected Lan WangJi to drink with him, and immediately finished his own glass. However, as he stared at him silently, Lan WangJi gently pushed back his sleeve. He poured himself a glass as well, and after a pause, he slowly took a sip.

Wei WuXian was quite surprised, “HanGuang-Jun, you really care, huh? You really want to have a drink with me?”

The last time they drank together, Wei WuXian hadn’t paid much attention to Lan WangJi’s expression. However, this time, he made a concerted effort to observe him.

Lan WangJi closed his eyes as he drank. With a slight frown, he finished his drink, then opened his eyes again after pursing his lips gently. A thick mist even seemed to cover his eyes.

Resting his chin on his hand, Wei WuXian began counting silently. As expected, when he reached eight, Lan WangJi put down his cup. He touched his forehead, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

Wei WuXian was completely convinced—Lan WangJi had actually fallen asleep before he woke up drunk!

For some reason, he started to feel a little excited. After downing the rest of his liquor in one gulp, Wei WuXian stood up and paced around the room, his hands clasped behind his back. After a while, he walked up to Lan WangJi, bent down, and whispered in his ear, “Lan Zhan?”

There was no answer. Wei WuXian continued, “WangJi-xiong?”

Lan Wangji rested his head on his right hand. His breathing was calmer than before.

Her face and the palm of her hand on her forehead were flawlessly white, looking like pure jade.

The faint scent of sandalwood that enveloped her had initially felt cool, somewhat gloomy. But now, as it blended with the soft aroma of the liquor, a hint of warmth rippled through the chill. As if a sweet whisper had crept in, the aroma could almost be described as intoxicating.

Now that Wei WuXian was close enough, his scent mingled with his breath. He couldn’t help but lean in further to get closer to Lan WangJi. Vaguely, he thought,  Strange… Why is it starting to feel a little hot in here?

Amidst the mix of liquor and sandalwood, his face drew closer, completely oblivious to her. Her voice lowered. In a slightly seductive tone, she murmured, “Second… Bro-…”

Suddenly, a voice entered his ears, “Young Master…”

Wei WuXian’s face was less than an inch from Lan WangJi’s. The word “Brother” was almost out of his mouth. Startled by the sound, he nearly fell to the ground, his feet slipping.

He immediately positioned himself in front of Lan Wangji. Then, he turned to the wooden window where the voice came from.

A cautious knock sounded through the window, then a small voice came through the crack, “Young Master…”

Wei WuXian finally realized his heart was beating a little too fast. He thought about it again, then calmed down. Walking over, he lifted the window and saw a figure in black hanging upside down with his feet dangling from the ceiling, ready to knock once more. Wei WuXian immediately opened the window, which then hit the person’s head. The figure exclaimed with a  light “ah  .” Holding the window with both hands, he finally looked at Wei WuXian.

A cold wind blew into the room. Wen Ning’s eyes opened, no longer pale white, but a pair of silent black pupils.

The two of them remained like this, one standing, one hanging, and stared at each other for a few moments.

Wei WuXian, “Get down.”

Suddenly losing his balance, Wen Ning fell and slammed onto the ground outside the inn.

Wei WuXian wiped away the non-existent sweat from his forehead.

He commented,  We really picked the right place!

Luckily, they had chosen this inn. For the sake of tranquility, the windows of the private rooms faced a small forest, not the street. Using a support pole, Wei WuXian left the window open and looked down, leaning out. With his heavy body, Wen Ning carved a human-shaped indentation in the ground. He still stared at Wei WuXian even as he lay in the indentation.

In a low voice, Wei WuXian shouted at him, “I told you to get down, don’t get down. ‘Come here,’ do you understand?”

Wen Ning looked up at him. Brushing the dust off his clothes, he crawled out of the dent and hurriedly replied, “Oh. I’m coming.”

Once she was done, she grabbed onto the pillar and prepared to climb up. Wei WuXian immediately interrupted, “Stop! Stay where you are. I’ll pick you up.”

He returned to Lan WangJi and leaned down to his ear, “Lan Zhan, oh, Lan Zhan.  Sleep  a little longer. I’ll be back before you know it. Will you be a good boy?”

After speaking, he felt a strange urge. He couldn’t help but brush Lan Wangji’s eyelashes with his fingertips.

Lan WangJi’s eyelashes trembled slightly and his eyebrows twitched. He seemed a little uneasy. Wei WuXian released his hand and jumped out the window. He bounced a few times on the branches near the roof, then landed on the ground. Just as he turned around, Wen Ning knelt before him.

Wei WuXian, “What are you doing?” 

Wen Ning said nothing, her head bowed. 

Wei WuXian asked again, “Do you really have to talk to me like this?”

Wen Ning lowered his voice, “Young Master, I apologize.”

Wei WuXian, “Then.”

Immediately after speaking, he knelt down in front of Wen Ning. Surprised, Wen Ning kowtowed to him, and Wei WuXian immediately returned the favor. Wen Ning was so shocked that he jumped up. Only then did Wei WuXian stand up again, brushing the dust off the cuffs of his pants. “You can just stand up straight and talk to me, okay?”

Wen Ning was still staring at the ground, afraid to say anything. Wei WuXian asked, “When did you regain consciousness?”

Wen Ning, “Just now.”

Wei WuXian, “Do you still remember what happened when the nails were still stuck in your head?”

Wen Ning, “Some… but not all.”

Wei WuXian, “What do you remember?”

Wen Ning, “That I was chained in a very dark place. I think people sometimes come to check on me.”

Wei WuXian, “Do you remember who they are?”

Wen Ning, “No, it’s just that someone nailed something to my head.”

Wei WuXian, “It was most likely Xue Yang. He also used those nails to control Song Lan. He used to be a guest cultivator at the LanlingJin Sect, but we still don’t know if he did such a thing of his own volition or at the whim of the LanlingJin Sect.” After thinking about it for a moment, he continued, “Most likely, it was at the whim of the LanlingJin Sect. Back then, they all said that you had been completely annihilated. If the LanlingJin Sect wasn’t involved in this, he wouldn’t have been able to hide the truth on his own.” After a pause, he asked again, “Then, what happened afterward? How did you get to Dafan Mountain?”

Wen Ning, “After that, I don’t know how much time passed, but suddenly I heard someone clapping, and then, Young Master, you said ‘wake up,’ so I… struggled to break free from the chains and rushed out…”

That was the order Wei WuXian gave to the three ferocious corpses in Mo Village.

In the past, Wei Wuxian had given countless orders to the Ghost General. Therefore, he also heard the first order Wei Wuxian gave after returning to this world.

Thus, in a state of confusion, Wen Ning followed the other corpses’ directions and Wei WuXian’s orders. The LanlingJin Sect, on the other hand, knew that they couldn’t publicize the fact that they had hidden the Ghost General. Otherwise, if news leaked, not only would their own reputation be damaged, but the people would also panic. That’s why even though Wen Ning escaped, they didn’t dare pursue him with fanfare. After a tiring journey, Wen Ning finally encountered Wei WuXian, who was playing the flute on the peak of Dafan Mountain, and the two were reunited.

Wei WuXian sighed, “You said you ‘don’t know how long it’s been.’ It’s been over ten years.” He continued after a short pause, “Well, to be honest, I don’t know much more than you do. Would you mind telling me some of what happened?”

Wen Ning, “I’ve heard of some.”

Wei WuXian, “What is it like?”

Wen Ning, “I heard that  the Burial Mounds  are gone, that everyone… is gone.”

Honestly, Wei WuXian had only wanted to share some trivial gossip, like how the Lan Sect’s rules had increased from three thousand to four thousand. Not expecting Wen Ning to bring up such a serious topic, he could only remain silent.

Despite the seriousness of the topic, Wen Ning’s tone wasn’t the slightest bit sad, as if he’d known it would happen. But in reality, it was. They’d anticipated the worst-case scenario countless times, even over a decade ago.

After a moment of silence, Wei WuXian asked again, “What else did you hear?”

Wen Ning whispered, “The Jiang Sect Leader, Jiang Cheng, surrounded the Burial Mound. And he killed you.”

Wei WuXian, “I have to clarify something first. He didn’t kill me. I died from the return fire.”

Wen Ning finally looked at him, “But, Sect Leader Jiang clearly…”

Wei WuXian, “No one can walk safely on a single-plank bridge for the rest of their lives. It can’t be helped.”

Wen Ning looked like he wanted to sigh, but he couldn’t breathe. Wei WuXian ended the conversation, “Alright. Let’s not talk about him anymore. Have you heard anything else?”

“Yes.” Wen Ning looked at him, “Young Master Wei, your death was terrible.”

“…” Seeing how miserable she looked, Wei WuXian sighed, “So you haven’t heard the good news?”

Wen Ning frowned, “No. Nothing.”

“…” Wei WuXian terdiam.

Suddenly, a loud noise erupted from the main hall on the first floor. Lan SiZhui’s voice followed, “Weren’t we talking about Xue Yang? Why are we arguing about this now?”

Jin Ling, “We  ’re  talking about Xue Yang. What did I say wrong? What did Xue Yang do? He’s worse than trash, and Wei Ying is even more disgusting than him! What do you mean ‘we shouldn’t generalize them’? These monsters are pests to our world! We must kill, slaughter, and slaughter them all!”

Wen Ning flinched. Wei WuXian motioned for him to be quiet. Lan JingYi, on the other hand, chimed in, “Why are you so angry? SiZhui didn’t say Wei WuXian shouldn’t have been killed. He just said that not everyone who cultivates the ghost path is the same type of person as Xue Yang. Do you have to throw things? I haven’t had a chance to eat them yet…”

Jin Ling sneered, “Didn’t he also say ‘the founder of this path might not have any ill intentions’? Who is ‘the founder of this path’? Come on, tell me, who else could it be if not Wei Ying?! I really don’t understand what you mean. Your GusuLan Sect is also a prominent sect, and back then you also lost quite a lot of people at Wei Ying’s hands, right? How difficult is it to kill all the corpses and spirits under his control? Lan Yuan, why are you speaking from such a strange perspective? From the way you’re speaking, don’t tell me you’re making excuses for Wei Ying!”

Lan Yuan was Lan SiZhui’s birth name. He protested, “I’m not making excuses for him. I’m just suggesting that we shouldn’t jump to conclusions before understanding the entire situation. You know, before we came to Yi City, many people also claimed that Chang Ping of the YueyangChang Clan was killed by Daozhang Xiao XingChen for revenge, right? But what really happened?”

Jin Ling, “No one actually saw whether Chang Ping was killed by Daozhang Xiao XingChen or not. They were just guessing, so why do you call it a claim? Just count how many cultivators died because of Wei Ying, Wen Ning, and the Tiger Seal during the battles of Qiongqi Pass and Nightless Day! This is a truth that everyone accepts, one that no one can deny! And what I will never forget is that he ordered Wen Ning to kill my father and mother!”

If Wen Ning had even a little blood on his skin, it would have already disappeared from his face.

He whispered, “…Virgin Jiang’s son?”

Wei WuXian remained silent.

Jin Ling continued, “My uncle grew up with him, my grandfather treated him like his own son, my grandmother wasn’t mean to him either, but what did he do? He made Lotus Pier the Wen Sect’s lair, he destroyed the entire YunmengJiang Sect, he caused the deaths of both my parents and grandparents, and now only my uncle is left! He caused his own death through the chaos he created and ended up leaving no corpse behind! What part of this whole situation don’t you understand? What other excuses are you still making for him?!”

He denied it firmly, while Lan SiZhui didn’t respond at all. A moment later, another boy spoke up, “Why are we suddenly getting so heated over something like that? Let’s just drop the topic, okay? We haven’t finished eating yet. The food will get cold.”

Judging by his tone, he was the “sentimental” person Wei WuXian had been teasing. The others agreed, “ZiZhen is right. We should stop arguing. SiZhui simply forgot to choose his words carefully. It was just a casual comment—how could he possibly think so much? Sit down, Young Master Jin. Let’s continue eating.”

“That’s right. We all just left Yi City, so technically we’ve been through life and death together… We shouldn’t be arguing over such a frivolous mistake.”

Jin Ling snorted. Lan SiZhui finally replied, his tone as polite as ever, “Sorry. I should have thought more carefully about my words. Young Master Jin, please sit back down. We don’t want to drag HanGuang-Jun into this too.”

The mention of HanGuang-Jun’s name was a brilliant move. Instantly, Jin Ling stopped, not even making a sound. The sound of tables and chairs shifting could be heard. It seemed he had sat down again. The hall was immediately filled with commotion, and the boys’ voices were quickly drowned out by the clattering of bowls and plates. However, Wei WuXian and Wen Ning remained still in the woods, their expressions stern.

Without a word, Wen Ning knelt down again. Wei WuXian only realized this after a brief pause. Waving his hand weakly, he replied, “It’s not your fault.”

Just as Wen Ning was about to open his mouth again, he suddenly turned his head behind Wei WuXian and hesitated. Before Wei WuXian could turn around, a white-robed figure walked past him and kicked Wen Ning in the shoulder.

Wen Ning created another human-shaped indentation in the ground.

Wei WuXian rushed to pull Lan WangJi, who looked like he was about to kick again, “HanGuang-Jun, HanGuang-Jun! Calm down!”

It seemed that the time for “sleeping” had passed, while the time for “getting drunk” had arrived, and thus Lan WangJi found a way out.

The situation felt somewhat familiar—history did repeat itself, didn’t it? However, this time, Lan WangJi seemed more normal than before. He hadn’t worn his boots wrong, either. Even when he kicked Wen Ning roughly, his expression remained composed. No one could find fault with him. After Wei WuXian pulled him back, he adjusted his sleeves and nodded. He stood proudly where he was, restraining himself from kicking again. 

Wei WuXian took the time to ask Wen Ning, “How are you?”

Wen Ning, “I’m fine.”

Wei WuXian, “If you’re fine, just stand up! Why are you still kneeling?”

Wen Ning crawled and hesitated, “Young Master Lan.”

Lan WangJi frowned and covered his ears. He then turned his back to Wen Ning. Facing Wei WuXian, he used his own body to block their eye contact.

Wen Ning, “…”

Wei WuXian, “You shouldn’t be standing there. Lan Zhan, uh, doesn’t like the sight of you.”

Wen Ning, “… What happened to Young Master Lan?”

Wei WuXian, “It’s okay. He’s just drunk.”

“What?” Wen Ning’s face was blank, as if he couldn’t accept such a thing. After a moment, he finally continued, “Then… what are you going to do?”

Wei WuXian, “Okay, what can I do? I’ll carry him in and cover him.”

Lan WangJi, “Oke.”

Wei WuXian, “Hmm? You didn’t cover your ears? How come you can suddenly hear me again?”

This time, Lan WangJi refused to answer, pretending that the person who interrupted them a moment ago wasn’t him. Wei WuXian wasn’t sure how to react. He turned to Wen Ning, “Be careful too.”

Wen Ning nodded. He couldn’t help but glance at Lan WangJi again. Just as he was about to leave, Wei WuXian stopped him, “Wen Ning, why don’t you… find a place to hide first?”

Wen Ning was silent for a moment. Wei WuXian added, “You could say you’ve died twice. Get some rest.”

After he left, Wei WuXian let go of Lan WangJi’s hands that were covering his ears, “Alright. He’s gone. You can’t hear or see him anymore.”

Lan Wangji finally released his ear. He stared blankly at Wei Wuxian with those bright eyes.

Her eyes were so clear, so honest, that a mischievous desire flared within Wei WuXian. As if something had ignited within him, he smiled seductively, “Lan Zhan, are you still willing to answer whatever I ask? Do whatever I tell you to?”

Lan WangJi, “Mnn.”

Wei WuXian, “Remove the tape from your forehead.”

Obediently, Lan WangJi reached behind his head and slowly untied it. He removed the white forehead ribbon sewn with a floating cloud motif.

Holding the ribbon, Wei WuXian flipped it over a few times, examining every corner, “So, there’s actually nothing special about it, huh? And I thought it was hiding some kind of big secret. But back then, why were you so angry when I took it off?” Or perhaps the Lan WangJi of the past had actually hated him, despite everything he had done?

Suddenly, he felt something tighten around his wrists. Lan WangJi had tied his hands together with a forehead ribbon and was beginning to tie a knot.

Wei WuXian, “What are you doing?”

He wanted to know what Lan WangJi was trying to do, so he let him continue. After Lan WangJi brought his hands together, he first tied a simple knot. He thought for a moment and, as if feeling something wasn’t quite right, changed it to a tighter knot. He then thought about it again, still unsatisfied, and tied another knot on top.

The GusuLan Sect’s forehead ribbon was a piece of cloth that hung down the back after being tied. When moved, it fluttered gracefully in the air, which was why it was rather long. Lan WangJi tied seven or eight knots on the ribbon, forming a small, ugly-looking pile, and finally felt satisfied enough to stop.

Wei WuXian, “Hey, do you still want this ribbon of yours?”

Lan WangJi’s frown disappeared. Holding the other end of the forehead ribbon, he lifted Wei WuXian’s hand in front of him, as if admiring the masterpiece he had just created. With his hand outstretched in the air, Wei WuXian thought,  I probably look like a villain right now… Wait, why am I toying with him like this? Shouldn’t I be the one toying with him?

Wei WuXian finally realized, “Let go.”

Lan WangJi excitedly grabbed his collar and sash, repeating the exact same motion as before. Wei WuXian shouted, “Don’t take this off! Let go of the thing in my hand. The thing you used to tie me up. The ribbon.”

If Lan WangJi not only tied his hands but also stripped him of his clothes, the scene would be absolutely terrifying!

Hearing his request, Lan WangJi frowned again, then did nothing. Wei WuXian raised his hand and coaxed, “You said you’d listen to me, right? Be a good boy and let go.”

Lan WangJi glanced at him, then silently averted his gaze, as if he didn’t understand what Wei WuXian had said and needed to ponder it a little longer. Wei WuXian sighed, “Oh, now I get it! You’re so eager when I tell you to tie me up, but you wouldn’t understand if I told you to untie me. Is that right?”

The Lan Sect’s forehead ribbons were made of the same material as their uniforms. Although they looked thin, they were actually quite sturdy. And because Lan WangJi had wrapped them tightly and tied them in long knots, Wei WuXian couldn’t untie them no matter how hard he tried. He thought to himself, ”  I really shot myself in the foot, huh? Luckily, it was just a forehead ribbon, not some strange magical rope, otherwise, he would have really tied me up.”

Lan WangJi stared into the distance as he tugged at the ends of his forehead ribbon, swinging it around contentedly. Wei WuXian pleaded, “Can you untie it? HanGuang-Jun, how could someone as elegant as you do such a thing? What’s the point of tying me up like this? It’ll look terrible if anyone sees us like this, won’t it?”

Hearing the last sentence, Lan WangJi started to drag him down the street.

Pulled by Lan WangJi, Wei WuXian staggered, “W-wait a minute. I mean, it would be bad if anyone saw this, not that you  should  let anyone see this. Hey! You’re just pretending not to understand me, right? Are you doing this on purpose? So you’ll only understand what you want to understand? Lan Zhan, Lan WangJi!”

Before he could finish speaking, Lan Wangji had already dragged him out of the forest. They walked around the street and re-entered the main hall through the first floor.

The juniors were still eating and joking around. Even if there was a slight disagreement, the youngsters always quickly forgot about it. They were engrossed in a drinking game. Some of the bolder Lan Sect juniors also wanted to join in. There was always someone watching the stairs to the second floor, keeping an eye on Lan WangJi. No one expected Lan WangJi to suddenly drag Wei WuXian through the main entrance, a place they had never noticed. They were all shocked when they turned around.

As Lan JingYi threw himself at the liquor glass on the table, hoping to cover it, he knocked over several bowls and plates along the way. The object he was trying to cover became increasingly obvious. Lan SiZhui stood up, “H-HanGuang-Jun, why did you come in through this door again?”

Wei WuXian laughed, “Haha. Your HanGuang-Jun was a little hot and decided to go out for a walk so he could surprise you all too. See? You guys were drinking when you shouldn’t have.”

He silently prayed that Lan WangJi would quickly take him upstairs, without doing or saying anything unnecessary. If he remained silent and maintained his cool demeanor, no one would notice anything wrong with him.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Lan WangJi dragged him to the junior table.

Lan SiZhui was very surprised, “HanGuang-Jun, your forehead ribbon…”

Before he could finish his words, he saw Wei WuXian’s hand.

HanGuang-Jun’s forehead ribbon was tied around Wei WuXian’s wrist.

As if feeling that not enough people were aware of this fact, holding the end of the ribbon, Lan WangJi lifted Wei WuXian’s hand and showed it for everyone to see.

Translator’s Notes

Burial Mounds  : Okay, now that we have Cloud Recesses, Lotus Pier, and Koi Tower, why not give Luanzang Hill a proper name too?