Chapter 51 Courage—Part One

Yunmeng is rich in lakes. The YunmengJiang Sect’s “Lotus Pier,” the largest sect residence here, is also built near a lake.

Starting from the end of Lotus Pier, after a short paddle, we will see a vast lotus lake, over a hundred miles long. Its broad, green leaves and delicate pink flowers touch each other. When the wind blows, the petals and leaves sway as if nodding their heads. Amidst its purity and grace, we can also sense a naive awkwardness.

Lotus Pier wasn’t as secretive as other sects, which closed their doors and barred entry for miles. The pier directly in front of Lotus Pier’s entrance was often filled with vendors selling seed pods, water chestnuts, and various pastries. Small children from nearby homes would also sneak into Lotus Pier’s fields to watch the cultivators practice their swords. They wouldn’t be reprimanded even if they were caught. Sometimes they would even play around with the Jiang Sect disciples.

When Wei WuXian was young, he often flew kites by the Lotus Lake.

Jiang Cheng stared intently at his kite, occasionally glancing at Wei WuXian’s. Wei WuXian’s kite was already soaring high into the sky, but he still had no intention of drawing his bow. With his right hand on his forehead, he grinned as he looked up, as if he still felt like he wasn’t far enough away.

Seeing the kite almost flying out of the area he was sure he would hit, Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth. He nocked his arrow and drew his bow. The white-feathered arrow shot out. The kite, painted like a one-eyed monster, was pierced through the eye and fell to the ground. Jiang Cheng’s eyebrows raised, “Got it!”

Right after that, he asked, “Yours has already flown this far. Are you sure you can hit it?”

Wei WuXian, “Mau menebak?”

Finally, he nocked an arrow and aimed. When the bow was drawn to its maximum length, he immediately released it.

Got hit!

Jiang Cheng’s brows furrowed again.  A snort  rang in his nose. All the boys put away their bows and went to retrieve their kites to determine distance rankings. The closest kite would be ranked lowest. Every time, the last one was the eldest, sixth-grade shidi. As usual, they would spend time laughing at him. However, his face was thick enough, so he didn’t care at all. Wei WuXian’s kite was the furthest away. The closest one, ranked second, was Jiang Cheng’s. Both Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng were too lazy to retrieve their kites. The boys rushed into the winding passageway built above the water’s surface. They were frolicking, jumping up and down, when two slender young women appeared before them.

Both were dressed as armed servants, carrying short swords. The taller servant, holding a kite and arrows, blocked their path. He asked coldly, “Who is this?”

All the boys silently cursed their bad luck as they looked at the two women. Wei WuXian touched his chin and stepped forward, “They’re mine.”

The other waiter snorted, “You’re honest, aren’t you?”

They parted and revealed a woman dressed in purple, who also carried a sword.

The woman was pale-skinned and quite beautiful, though her delicate features held a hint of ferocity. The corners of her lips curled into a frown halfway between a frown and a smile—she had a gift for sneering, just like Jiang Cheng. Her flowing purple robes wrapped around her slender waist. Both her face and her right hand, which rested on the hilt of her sword, were as cold as jade. A ring adorned with an amethyst was worn on her right index finger.

Jiang Cheng smiled when he saw her, “Mom!”

Meanwhile, the other boys greeted her respectfully, “Mrs. Yu.”

Madam Yu was Jiang Cheng’s mother, Yu ZiYuan. Naturally, she was Jiang FengMian’s wife, and had also cultivated with him. Naturally, she should be called Madam Jiang. However, for some reason, everyone always called her Madam Yu. Some speculated that it was because she didn’t want to use her husband’s surname due to her assertive personality. In this regard, neither husband nor wife ever argued.

Madam Yu came from the renowned MeishanYu Sect. She ranked third in her clan, thus she was also called Third Madam Yu. In the cultivation world, she was known as the “Purple Spider.” The mere mention of that name could strike fear into many. Since she was young, she had a cold personality and never seemed pleasant when speaking to others. Even after marrying Jiang FengMian, she always hunted at night, not particularly fond of living at the Jiang Sect’s Lotus Pier. Furthermore, her residence at Lotus Pier was different from Jiang FengMian’s. She had her own territory, where only she and a few family members she had brought from the Yu Sect resided. The two young women,  JinZhu and YinZhu  , were her trusted servants. They never left her side.

Mrs. Yu glanced at Jiang Cheng, “Playing around again? Come on, let me see.”

Jiang Cheng approached him. Madam Yu squeezed his arm with her slender fingers, then patted his shoulder hard, cursing, “Your cultivation hasn’t progressed at all. You’re already seventeen, but you’re still like a foolish child, always playing tricks on others. Are you the same as everyone else? Who knows which ditch others will fall into, but you’re going to become the leader of the Jiang Sect!”

Jiang Cheng staggered from the slap, his head lowered, not daring to protest. Wei WuXian understood—it went without saying that Jiang Cheng was scolding him again, whether overtly or not. Beside him, one of his junior brothers quietly stuck out his tongue at him. Wei WuXian raised an eyebrow at him. Lady Yu, “Wei Ying, what kind of trouble have you caused this time?”

Wei WuXian stood up straight, used to it. Madam Yu scolded, “You’re like this again! If you don’t want to step up, don’t bring Jiang Cheng into your trap. You’ll be a bad influence on him.”

Wei WuXian looked surprised, “I’m not seeking advancement? Why, aren’t I the most advanced in the entire Lotus Pier?”

Young people are never too patient. They will not be satisfied unless they retaliate. Hearing this, Madam Yu’s expression was filled with hostility. Jiang Cheng hurriedly said, “Wei WuXian, be quiet!”

He turned to Madam Yu, “It’s not that we want to fly kites at Lotus Pier, but, right now, aren’t we all not allowed to leave? The Wen Sect has designated all the night hunting areas for itself. Even if I want to hunt at night, I have nowhere to go. I have to stay at home and not go out to provoke or fight over prey with the Wen Sect—isn’t this what you explained to Father?”

Mrs. Yu grinned bitterly, “I’m afraid this time, even if you don’t want to go, you’ll still have to go.”

Jiang Cheng didn’t understand. Madam Yu ignored them again and walked through the hallway, her chin held high. The two maids behind her glared at Wei WuXian, then followed their mistress away.

When night fell, they finally understood what was meant by ‘even if you don’t want to go, you have to go anyway.’

It turned out that the Wen Sect of Qishan had ordered messengers to spread the word. Because other sects were teaching poorly and wasting talent, the Wen Sect demanded that all sects each send at least twenty disciples to Qishan within three days, so they could be taught by experts.

Jiang Cheng was shocked, “The Wen Sect people actually said this? They are shameless, right?”

Wei WuXian, “Well, they think they’re the sun shining above all the sects. This isn’t the first time the Wen Sect has been so shameless. Taking advantage of their large sect and powerful influence, they’ve been banning other sects from hunting at night since last year. How much prey, how much land have they stolen?”

Jiang FengMian sat in the front seat, “Watch your mouth and eat.”

There were only five people in the great hall. In front of them was a small square table, with several plates of food arranged on it. With his head bowed, Wei WuXian had only taken a few bites when someone tugged at the corner of his sleeve. Turning around, he saw Jiang YanLi handing him a small plate. Inside were a dozen peeled lotus seeds, tender and white, fresh and delicious.

Wei WuXian’s voice was soft, “Shijie, thank you.”

Jiang Yanli smiled. Her previously calm expression instantly changed. Yu Ziyuan said coldly, “Eat? In a few days, when they’re at Qishan, we won’t even know if they’ll be fed. Why not just eat a few meals from now on? Let them get used to it!”

The QishanWen Sect’s demands were undeniable. Numerous precedents demonstrated that any sect that dared to defy their orders would be accused of bizarre things like ‘rebellion’ or ‘destruction.’ And, for these reasons, they would be justly exterminated.

Jiang FengMian replied flatly, “Why bother? No matter what happens, today’s meal still has to be eaten.”

Madam Yu was running out of patience. She slammed the table, “I’m anxious? Of course I am! How can you still act so indifferent? Didn’t you hear what the people from the Wen Sect said? A mere servant dares to raise her head in front of me! The twenty disciples sent must include a disciple from the clan. What does that mean? It means that between A-Cheng and A-Li, there must be one among them! Sent there to do what? To be taught? How does each sect teach its own disciples—since when was it the Wen Sect’s turn to interfere?! This is like sending someone for them to toy with, to make a scapegoat!”

Jiang Cheng, “Mom, don’t be so angry. I’ll just go.”

Mrs. Yu scolded, “Of course you’re going! Otherwise, your sister will go? Look at her, still busy peeling lotus seeds. A-Li, stop peeling them. Who are you peeling them for? You’re the master, not the maid!”

Hearing the word ‘servant,’ Wei WuXian didn’t mind it too much. He finished all the lotus seeds on the plate in one go, chewing them while savoring their gentle, refreshing sweetness. Jiang FengMian, on the other hand, slightly raised his head, ”  Madam  .”

Mrs. Yu, “What? What did I say? Servant? You won’t listen? Jiang FengMian, let me ask you—this time, do you intend to let her go?”

Jiang FengMian, “It’s up to him. He can leave if he wants.”

Wei WuXian raised his hand, “I want to go.”

Madam Yu laughed bitterly, “That’s great. He can leave if he wants. If he doesn’t want to, he can definitely stay. Why must A-Cheng leave no matter what? Raising someone else’s child with such passion, Sect Leader Jiang, you are truly a kind person!”

There was a sense of resentment in her heart. She just wanted to vent her anger, even if it was unreasonable. Everyone else was silent, holding back their anger. Jiang FengMian, “Madam, you’re tired. Why don’t you go back and rest?”

Jiang Cheng sat quietly as he looked at her, “Mom.”

Mrs. Yu stood up and sneered, “What do you want from me? Just like your father, you want me to stay silent? You’re such an idiot. I told you long ago that you’ll never surpass the person sitting next to you in your entire life. Not in cultivation, not in night hunting, not even in kite shooting, you’ll never surpass him! What can I do? Who can change the fact that your mother is worse than anyone else’s mother? Even worse. Your mother feels unfair to you, repeatedly forbidding you from playing with her, yet you still defend her. How could I have given birth to a son like you?!”

She left alone, leaving Jiang Cheng sitting there, his face shifting between purple and pale. Jiang YanLi silently placed a plate of peeled lotus seeds on his table.

After sitting for a while, Jiang FengMian said, “Tonight, I will count eighteen more people. You will leave together tomorrow.”

Jiang Cheng nodded, unsure whether he should say anything else. He never knew how to communicate with his father, while Wei WuXian was quite adept. After finishing his soup, he replied, “Uncle Jiang, don’t you have anything to give us?”

Jiang FengMian smiled, “I gave it to you a long time ago. Your sword is by your side, and the saying is in your heart.”

Wei WuXian, “Oh! To ‘attempt the impossible’, right?”

Jiang Cheng immediately warned, “This doesn’t mean you can cause trouble even if you know you’ll cause a mess!”

The atmosphere between them finally improved.

The next day, before departure, Jiang FengMian only uttered one sentence after he informed them of his needs, “The disciples of the YumengJiang Sect are not so weak that they can collapse just because of a single wave of the outside world.”

Jiang Yanli saw them off, accompanying them from street to street. She filled everyone’s hands with various snacks, fearing they would go hungry in the Wen Sect of Qishan. With their clothes full of food, the twenty youths departed from Lotus Pier. Within the Wen Sect’s designated time, they arrived at their designated indoctrination sector in Qishan.

A number of disciples came from every sect, both large and small. They were all juniors. Among the hundreds of people, quite a few boys knew each other. In groups of three or seven, everyone was chatting quietly, none of them showing any happy expressions. It seemed like they had all gathered here in a rather unpleasant manner. Glancing around, Wei WuXian commented, “As expected, people also came from Gusu.”

For some reason, all the boys sent from the GusuLan Sect looked rather pale. Lan WangJi’s face was especially pale, but his expression remained as icy as ever, setting him apart from the others. With his Bichen sword on his back, he stood alone, with no one around. Wei WuXian wanted to go over and greet him, but Jiang Cheng warned him, “Don’t cause any trouble!”

So he could only forget about it.

Suddenly, someone shouted an order from ahead, ordering all the disciples to gather in front of the high platform. Several Wen Sect disciples came over and rebuked, “Quiet, everyone! Don’t talk!”

The man on the platform wasn’t much older than them, appearing to be around eighteen or nineteen. His chest was puffed out, and his facial features hardly matched the word “handsome.” However, like his hair, it felt a little greasy for some reason. He was the youngest son of the QishanWen Sect,  Wen Chao  .

Wen Chao loved to show his face. He had shown himself off to other sects on several occasions, so people were already familiar with his appearance. Behind him stood two people, one on his left and one on his right. To his left stood a glamorous, slender girl. With long eyebrows, large eyes, and bright red lips, her only blemish was a black mole above her upper lip. The mole was in an odd location, as if always inviting others to dig at it. To his right stood a tall, broad-shouldered man, who appeared to be in his twenties. His face held nothing but indifference, shrouded in a cold aura.

Standing on a higher hill, Wen Chao looked down at everyone. With a satisfied expression, he waved his hand, “From now on, one by one, hand over your swords!”

A commotion broke out among the crowd. Someone protested, “Swords should always accompany those who train. Why do you want us to give up our swords?”

Wen Chao, “Who is speaking? Which sect are you from? Please come forward yourself!”

The person who spoke immediately felt too afraid to speak. The crowd below the stage finally fell silent, and Wen Chao finally felt satisfied, “It is precisely because there are still disciples like you, who know nothing about conduct, obedience, and humility, that I am here to indoctrinate you so that your conscience will not rot. You are already so presumptuous and ignorant. If your customs are not straightened out now, in the future, there will certainly be people who try to challenge the authority and surpass the Wen Sect!”

Although everyone knew that he had asked for their swords with malicious intent, with the QishanWen Sect being like the sun in broad daylight, all the sects were treading on thin ice, not daring to oppose him in the slightest. Everyone was afraid that if they displeased him, they would be accused along with their sects, so they could only submit to him.

Jiang Cheng hugged Wei WuXian tightly. Wei WuXian asked in a low voice, “Why are you hugging me?”

Jiang Cheng snorted, “Don’t do unnecessary things.”

Wei WuXian, “You’re thinking too much. No matter how disgusting this is, no matter how much I want to beat him up, I wouldn’t choose a time like this and cause trouble for our sect. Don’t worry.”

Jiang Cheng, “You want to put him in a sack and beat him up again? I don’t think that’s going to work. Did you see that guy next to Wen Chao?”

Wei WuXian, “Yes. His cultivation is high, but his youth was not well-preserved. He seems to have developed late.”

Jiang Cheng, “His name is  Wen ZhuLiu  , also known as the ‘Core Melting Hand’. He is a servant who is always by Wen Chao’s side, mainly to protect him. Don’t provoke him.”

Wei WuXian, “‘Core Melting Hand’?”

Jiang Cheng, “That’s right. His palms are quite terrifying. And he’s that tyrant’s aide. Previously, he helped Wen…”

The two of them stared straight ahead, whispering. Seeing one of the Wen Sect servants approach to retrieve their swords, they immediately fell silent. Confidently, Wei WuXian unsheathed his sword and handed it over. At the same time, he couldn’t help but glance at the GusuLan Sect. He initially thought Lan WangJi would definitely refuse. Unexpectedly, despite Lan WangJi’s cold expression, he still unsheathed his sword.

Madam Yu’s taunts had been a prophecy. After receiving “indoctrination” at Qishan, daily meals were bland. All the snacks Jiang YanLi had hung around them had long been confiscated. Furthermore, among the young disciples, none had practiced inedia. It was hard to say that it wasn’t difficult.

The so-called “indoctrination” of the QishanWen Sect simply involved distributing copies of the “Essence of the Wen Sect,” a booklet filled with stories and quotes from the Wen Sect’s past leaders and greatest practitioners. Everyone had one. They were required to memorize it thoroughly and keep it in mind at all times. Wen Chan, on the other hand, towered over them every day. He would give speeches to everyone and urge them to cheer for him, making him a role model in every word and every action. During night hunts, he would bring his disciples with him and have them run at the forefront. They would scout the way, distract the demons and beasts, and fight with all their might, while he would appear at the last moment and easily take down the prey that had been beaten to a pulp by others. After he beheaded his prey, he would go around boasting that it was all thanks to his own victory. If there was someone he found particularly unpleasant, he would pull them out and scold them in front of everyone, as if they were lower than a pig.

Last year, while attending the QishanWen Sect Discussion Conference, Wen Chao also entered the field with Wei WuXian and the others, on the day of the archery competition. He was so confident that he would win first place, thinking that it was only natural that others would lose to him. As a result, of his first three shots, the first hit, the second missed, and the third hit the wrong paper mannequin. He should have left the field immediately, but he refused, and the others hesitated to reprimand him. In the end, after the calculations, the four with the best results were Wei WuXian, Lan XiChen, Jin ZiXuan, and Lan WangJi. If it weren’t for having to leave early, Lan WangJi would have done even better. Wen Chao felt so humiliated, that he hated these four people the most. Lan XiChen couldn’t come this time, so he fixated on the other three, scolding them every day, showing off his power.

The one who suffered the most was Jin ZiXuan. He had grown up in the arms of his parents. He had never experienced such humiliation before. If it weren’t for how the other LanlingJin Sect disciples had stopped him and the fact that Wen ZhuLiu wasn’t easy to deal with, he would have committed suicide with Wen Chan on the first day. On the other hand, Lan WangJi seemed at peace and completely indifferent, as if his soul had risen from his body. And Wei WuXian had experienced Madam Yu’s various scolding methods for years back when he was at Lotus Pier. He would start laughing every time he stepped off the stage, almost unblinking in the face of such moments.

Today, as usual, the group was awakened again by the Wen Sect disciples. Like a herd of cattle, they were herded to the next night’s hunting ground.

The place they were headed to this time was called Dusk-Creek Mountain.

The deeper they went into the forest, the denser the branches above their heads became, and the shadows beneath them grew. Beyond the sound of leaves and footsteps, they could hear nothing else. The chirping of birds, wild animals, and beetles rang out clearly in the silence.

Soon, the group came across a small stream. Maple leaves scattered along the gurgling water. The harmony of sound and sight unnoticed broke the silence. Giggles could even be heard coming from ahead.

Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng walked along, muttering insults at the Wen dogs in every possible way. Suddenly, he turned around and glanced over, only to see a figure dressed in white. Lan WangJi was standing not far from him.

Due to his slow pace, Lan WangJi was at the very back of the line. In the past few days, Wei WuXian had often wanted to approach him and ask what was going on. However, Lan WangJi always looked away whenever he saw him, and Jiang Cheng had also insisted that he not disturb him. Now that they were closer, he couldn’t help but pay more attention. Wei WuXian suddenly realized that, although Lan WangJi tried to walk as normally as possible, his right foot felt lighter on the ground than his left, as if he couldn’t exert any pressure.

Seeing this, Wei WuXian slowed his pace until he was beside Lan WangJi. Walking side by side with him, he asked, “What’s wrong with your leg?”

Translator’s Notes

JinZhu dan YinZhu  : JinZhu berarti “mutiara emas”, sedangkan YinZhu berarti “mutiara perak”.

Mrs  .: The literal translation is “Wife” or “Mrs.,” then “Third Wife” (which doesn’t fit in English) or “Third Mrs.,” but I personally think that would sound a bit odd. Suggestions are welcome.

Wen Chao  : Chao is usually a meaningless surname, rather than a given name. However, this character is indeed associated with the sun symbol.

Wen ZhuLiu  : ZhuLiu means “chasing the flow”.