Chapter 29 Dew—Part Two

The servant said, “Don’t worry. I was just about to mention it. Everyone did die. Although I said he survived, it was only for a moment. A few years later, the clan head, Chang Ping, also died. This time, his death was even more gruesome. He was killed by a lingchi with a sword! I don’t need to tell you what a lingchi is, right? Lingchi is the term used for cutting off the flesh on a person’s body piece by piece with a sword or machete three thousand six hundred times, until all the flesh is gone and only the skeleton remains…”

Of course, it was impossible for Wei WuXian not to know what Lingchi was. If someone wanted a book titled  A Thousand Ways to Die an Agonizing Death  , he was the most qualified person to write it. He raised his hand, “I understand. Then, do you know why the Chang Clan was exterminated?”

The servant said, “I heard it was planned by another cultivation sect. That must be it, right? Otherwise, why would a group of people who could cultivate fail to escape? They must have been trapped inside by something or someone.”

Just in case the conversation wasn’t going well, the shopkeeper even brought out two side dishes of peanuts and sunflower seeds. Wei WuXian nodded in agreement, then continued while eating the sunflower seeds, “Does anyone know exactly what that thing or person is?”

The servant laughed, “Young Master, you’re just joking now. How could we, ordinary people just trying to get by, know about those flying creatures in the sky? Logically, you should know more than I do, since you’re all cultivators. I only heard some vague talk about how they offended someone they shouldn’t have! Besides, after that, there would be no one left to take care of the evil creatures surrounding Yueyang.”

Wei WuXian pondered, “Someone they shouldn’t offend?”

“That’s right.” The servant ate two peanuts. “These sects and whatever they are do hold grudges against each other. I think the Chang Clan must have been targeted by other cultivators. Isn’t killing people for treasure a common occurrence? All the books say so. Fairy tales and legends too. Although I don’t know who the perpetrator is, it seems to be related to a very notorious criminal.”

Wei WuXian smiled as he raised the drink to his lips, glancing at her briefly, “Let me guess. Are you saying you don’t know who the criminal is?”

The servant laughed out loud, “Guess again. I know this one very well. He’s called ‘freak’… That’s right, ‘patriarch’. The YiLing Patriarch!”

Wei WuXian choked, letting out a string of bubbles into the bowl of liquor with a splash, “What?”

Him again?!

The servant confirmed, “Yes, that’s right! His surname is Wei. I think his name is  Wei WuQian  . People sound both hateful and afraid when they say it.”

“…”

Wei WuXian thought about it and decided on two things—one: He had never been to Yueyang before, and two: Among all the people he had killed, none had died from Lingchi. He felt this was a bit absurd and looked at Lan WangJi, as if demanding an explanation. Lan WangJi had been waiting for this look for a long time. He replied, “Let’s go.”

Wei WuXian immediately understood. Lan WangJi had something to say to him, and it couldn’t be said in a liquor store, under everyone’s noses. He stood up, “Then let’s go. How much is it… Alright, it’s paid. I’ll leave the drinks here for now. I’ll continue drinking after I’m done.” He added, half-jokingly, “Make sure they’re still here when I get back.”

After finishing more than half of the plate of peanuts, the waiter replied, “Of course! Our shop is honest with everyone, from young to old. Just leave it here and don’t worry. We’ll wait until you return to close up shop. Hey, Young Master, are you going to the Chang Residence now? Wow, that’s so cool—I’m from around here and have never been there before! I only dared to glance at it from afar. Are you two going in? What are you going to do?”

Wei WuXian, “We’ll also peek a few times, from afar.”

The young butler had an outgoing personality, and he warmed up to strangers too quickly. Even though they had only chatted briefly, he already treated Wei WuXian like a friend. He walked over and put his arm around Wei WuXian’s shoulders. “Is your work hard? Do you both make a lot of money? Probably quite a lot, right? It’s an honorable job. Let me ask you—was it difficult to get started? I…”

While babbling, she suddenly covered her mouth and nervously turned her head to the side. She whispered, “Young Master, why is the one next to you… staring at me?”

Wei WuXian followed his gaze and saw Lan WangJi turn around, stand up, and walk out of the liquor store. “Oh, him. This friend of mine has a strict upbringing. He really hates it when people get too cozy with each other in front of him. It’s weird, isn’t it?”

The waiter awkwardly withdrew his arm, then replied in a low voice, “That’s so strange. From the look in his eyes, you’d think I was embracing his wife…”

With Lan WangJi’s hearing, it was impossible for him to miss something just because the voice was low. Imagining how he felt right now, Wei WuXian tried so hard not to laugh until his stomach ached. He quickly said to the waiter, “I finished the entire jar.”

Waiter, “Excuse me?”

Wei WuXian pointed to himself, “I’m standing.”

Finally remembering what he had said earlier, “If you can still stand after drinking this, I’ll use your surname,” he exclaimed, “Oh… Ohhh! Uhm… Wow! I’m not joking, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone who can still stand and speak properly after drinking an entire jar. Young Master, what’s your surname?”

Wei WuXian, “My surname…” Suddenly remembering the “Wei WuQian” the servant had mentioned, the corner of his lips twitched. He smoothly switched, “It’s Lan.”

The servant also had a straight face, announcing without changing his expression, “Yes. From today on, my surname is Lan!”

Under the bright red banner of the liquor store, Lan WangJi’s figure seemed to sway slightly for a moment. With a mischievous smile on his face, Wei WuXian walked over with his hands behind his back and patted him on the shoulder, “HanGuang-Jun, as a thank you for paying the bill, I made it take your surname.”

After they left the city, the two of them walked in the direction the servant had pointed. The number of people gradually dwindled, while the number of trees increased. Wei WuXian asked, “Back then, why didn’t you let me continue asking him?”

Lan WangJi, “I suddenly remembered what happened in Yueyang. There’s no need to ask anymore.”

Wei WuXian, “Before you tell me, let me ask you something. Confirm for me that, uh, the extermination of the Chang Clan wasn’t my fault, right?”

Besides how he died ten years ago and his soul is quite stable, there’s no way he killed the entire clan and doesn’t remember anything!

Lan WangJi, “No.”

Wei WuXian, “Oh.”

It was as if he had returned to those days, before he died, when he was even worse than a sewer rat, hated by everyone. He played a part in everything; he was to blame for everything. Even if his neighbor’s grandson didn’t eat properly and lost five pounds, it was because the child was frightened by stories about the YiLing Patriarch ordering the Ghost General to kill people. 

However, Lan WangJi spoke again, “The murder was not committed by you, but it has something to do with you.”

Wei WuXian, “What does that have to do with anything?”

Lan WangJi, “There are two connections. First, one of the people connected to her has the same past as your mother.”

Wei WuXian stopped in his tracks.

He didn’t know what he was feeling at that moment or what his expression looked like. After a pause, he said, “…My mother?”

Wei WuXian was the son of Wei ChangZe, a servant of the YunmengJiang Sect, and ZangSe  SanRen  , a  rogue cultivator  . Both Jiang FengMian and his wife, Yu ZiYuan, were quite familiar with Wei WuXian’s parents. However, Jiang FengMian never reminisced about his old friend in front of Wei WuXian, and, moreover, Yu ZiYuan never spoke kindly to Wei WuXian at all. He was lucky if he didn’t give him a few lashes and send him to kneel in the ancestral hall, so he kept his distance from Jiang Cheng. Others told him most of what he knew about his parents. He really didn’t know much more than anyone else did.

Lan WangJi also stopped, turning to look at him, “Have you ever heard of the name ‘Xiao XingChen’?”

Wei WuXian searched his memory, “No.”

Lan WangJi, “‘No’ is true. He was famous when he left the mountains twelve years ago. Now, no one mentions him.”

Twelve years ago, coincidentally one year after the siege of LuanZang YiLing Hill, meaning he had just missed it. Wei WuXian asked, “What mountain is that? Who taught him?”

Lan WangJi, “I don’t know which mountain it is. It is taught by a cultivator. Xiao XingChen is a disciple of BaoShan SanRen.”

Wei WuXian finally understood why Lan WangJi said that this person had the same past as his mother, “So, that means Xiao XingChen is  my shishu  .”

ZangSe SanRen is also a disciple of BaoShan SanRen.

BaoShan SanRen was a solitary cultivator, rumored to be of the same generation as Wen Mao and Lan An. Most of the heroes of that generation have already returned to dust, but BaoShan SanRen is said to still remain steadfast. If so, he must be hundreds of years old and have a fairly high cultivation level. At that time, under Wen Mao’s leadership, the cultivation world focused on the rise of clans, rather than sects, and cultivation forces connected by bloodlines rose like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. Without exception, every cultivator with even a little renown chose to establish a sect. However, this cultivator decided to go into seclusion, living on a mountain under the name of  cultivating  BaoShan  SanRen. However, no one knew which mountain he embraced. By the way, it was called seclusion because no one knew. If after seclusion, they could still be easily found, it would no longer be called seclusion.

He resides on  an unknown celestial mountain  and often secretly takes abandoned children up to become his disciples. However, all disciples must vow to devote their entire lives to cultivation, never leaving the mountain or entering human society. Otherwise, for whatever reason, they will never return. They must rely on themselves to survive in the mortal world, severing all ties with their master.

Everyone praised BaoShan SanRen for his foresight in establishing this rule. This was because, over hundreds of years, only three of his disciples had left the mountain—YanLing  DaoRen  , ZangSe SanRen, and Xiao XingChen. Of these three disciples, none died peacefully.

Wei WuXian had known the fates of his first and second disciples since childhood, so no further explanation was necessary. Therefore, Lan WangJi told the story of his last disciple, his shishu.

When Xiao XingChen left the mountain, he was only seventeen years old. Lan WangJi had never met him in person, but he had heard of Xiao XingChen’s talents from others.

At that time, the Sunshot Campaign had just ended a few years ago, and the siege of Yiling Luanzang Hill had just ended. All the leading sects were recruiting qualified cultivators from all over to join them. Xiao XingChen left the mountain in the hope of saving the world. With his extraordinary talent and his capable teacher, during his first night hunt, he wielded  a horsetail whisk  in one hand and a long sword in the other, entered the mountain alone and secured first place—he became famous overnight.

Seeing such a brilliant and talented cultivator at such a young age, the sects all invited him to join their sects. However, Xiao XingChen rejected all offers. He stated that he didn’t want to rely on any sect, but wanted to establish a new sect with a close friend who didn’t value bloodlines. 

He has a gentle personality but a strong heart, gentle on the outside but resolute on the inside. Whenever someone faces a difficult problem, the first thing they think of is to ask for his help. As a man of moral integrity, he also never refuses, which is why people often praise him.

That was the time when the extermination of the Yueyang Clan took place.

Translator’s Notes

Wei WuQian  : WuXian means “not envious”, while WuQian means “penniless”.

Evil cultivators  : Evil cultivators are cultivators who do not belong to any sect and cultivate alone.

SanRen  : This roughly means “naughty cultivator”, but still uses pinyin to maintain the flow of the story.

Shishu  : Similar to shidi and shijie, shishu is used by someone to refer to their “student uncle”, their mother’s shidi.

Cultivation Name  : This is just another type of name. It’s not important at all, so don’t panic, “Oh my gosh, they already have three or four names, and then another one comes up.”

BaoShan  : Literally means “hugging the mountain”.

Heavenly mountain  : This refers to a mountain, but it is more celestial/spiritual in nature, allowing cultivators to absorb more energy there and reach higher levels more quickly.

DaoRen  : Similar to SanRen, this simply means “cultivator”.

Horsetail whisk  : The horsetail whisk is often used by cultivators and Taoists in general. It has various meanings, and none of them are essential. Understanding that it’s likely white and makes Xiao XingChen look like a white lotus is enough.