Chapter 37 Grass—Part Five

Lan JingYi peeked through the crack in the door, then immediately blocked it with his body, “There are so many of them!”

Wei WuXian, “Walking corpses? How many are there?”

Lan JingYi, “I don’t know! They’re filling the entire street—maybe hundreds! And there are still more coming! I don’t think the mannequins can hold them back anymore!”

If the mannequins outside failed to guard the door, all the corpses on the street would rush into the shop. If they were killed, one of them would suffer from corpse poisoning and, when resisting, the poison would circulate rapidly; if they weren’t killed, one of them would be torn apart and bitten to death. Holding his sword, Xiao XingChen prepared to leave, most likely hoping to do his best with the last of his strength. However, his face suddenly turned red, and he collapsed to the ground. 

Wei WuXian said, “You just sit back and relax. It will be over in a moment.”

Once again, he sliced ​​his right index finger with Lan Jingyi’s sword. Drops of blood dripped.

Lan JingYi volunteered, “Are you going to use the Summoning Technique again? If you dot twice in each mannequin’s eyes, how much blood will you use? Do you need me to give you some?”

Instantly, several other boys rolled up their sleeves, “I can spare a bit too…”

Wei WuXian didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh, “It’s fine. Do you have any blank talismans?”

The disciples were still relatively young, not yet at the cultivation level that allowed them to write runes directly. Therefore, all the talismans they carried were already inscribed with runes. 

Lan SiZhui shook his head, “No.” 

Wei WuXian wasn’t too worried, “What’s already written is fine too.”

Lan SiZhui took out a stack of yellow talismans from his Qiankun Pouch, but Wei WuXian only took one. After a quick glance, he put the middle and index fingers of his right hand together and scribbled from top to bottom, over the existing cinnabar runes. The crimson blood and vermilion cinnabar formed a new set of runes. With a flick of Wei WuXian’s wrist, the yellow talismans and red runes floated in the air and ignited on their own. Wei WuXian reached out with his left hand to catch the scattering ashes. Then, he clenched his fingers and slightly lowered his head. When he opened his hand again, he gently blew the black ashes toward the row of paper mannequins. He sighed, “  With the prairie fire, it never dies; when the spring breeze blows, it comes back to life.  ”

The ashes flew all over the room.

The Nether Warrior who was standing in front of everyone suddenly took the sharp sword at his feet and carried it on his shoulder.

A woman, with a high bun and a beautiful robe, slowly raised her right hand. Her slender fingers nimbly twirled, as if she were a languid noblewoman, indifferently appreciating her long, blood-red nails. Beside the woman stood  a golden boy and a jade girl  —a pair of child servants. The boy playfully tugged at the girl’s braids, while the girl stuck out her tongue at him. A nearly nine-inch-long tongue swiftly extended from her mouth, piercing a large hole in the boy’s chest as if it were a snake. After the violent attack, the tongue immediately shrank back. The boy opened his mouth wide, revealing two rows of hideous white teeth, and bit into her arm. With this, the two paper children began their own fight.

One by one, dozens of paper mannequins began to sway. As if stretching their limbs, they jerked and whispered to each other. Rustling sounds rose and fell around them. They weren’t human, but they were better than human.

Wei WuXian, “Hold your breath.”

After saying his words, he turned away, leaving the door open. Bowing slightly, he made an inviting gesture.

The wooden doors opened again. The sickeningly sweet smell of corpse poison powder wafted into the room, and the students immediately covered their faces with their sleeves. With a thunderous shout, the Nether Brawler charged out. The other puppets followed.

The doors closed by themselves behind the last paper mannequin. Wei WuXian asked, “No one breathed on it, right?”

Everyone answered in the negative. Wei WuXian helped Xiao XingChen up, intending to find a place for him to lie down. However, with nowhere to go, he could only sit on the cold, dusty ground. Xiao XingChen still clutched Shuanghua tightly. Finally coming out of his coma, he coughed a few times, then spoke weakly, “Is that… the Summoning of the Painted Eyes?”

Wei WuXian, “I know a thing or two.”

After thinking for a moment, Xiao XingChen smiled, “Yes… To eliminate these walking corpses, it is indeed the best method.”

After a pause, he continued, “However, this cultivation path can easily backfire on one’s ghosts and spirits. Even the founder of this path, the YiLing Patriarch, was unscathed. I advise you to be more cautious and refrain from using this path unless you are in a dire situation. You can cultivate other paths…”

Wei WuXian sighed softly, “Thank you for your advice.”

Most renowned cultivators would have taken a firm stance on this matter, drawing a clear line that showed their deep hatred for someone. However, his youngest shishu had still tried to persuade him, even when he was only half-alive himself, and warned him of the dire consequences. He was truly a gentle, kind, and gentle person. Seeing the thick bandages wrapped around Xiao XingChen’s eyes and thinking about what he had been through, Wei WuXian couldn’t help but feel sympathy for him.

Normally, only relatively inexperienced young students would feel more curiosity than disgust at such an inappropriate outing. Except for Jin Ling, who kept a constant expression of disgust, all the other students crowded around the doorway, watching the fight. “Oh my… That female mannequin’s nails are so scary! Just one scratch left five lines.” 

“Why is that little girl’s tongue so long and hard? Is she a hanged ghost?” 

“That man is so strong! How can he lift so many bodies at once? He’s going to drop them to the ground! Look, look! He’s dropping them! They’re crushed!”

After listening to Xiao XingChen’s kind words, Wei WuXian picked up the last remaining bowl of rice porridge, “The poison has already spread. The things in this bowl might slow it down, but they might not work at all, not to mention they taste really bad. Want to try? If you don’t want to live, then forget what I said.”

Xiao XingChen took the bowl with both hands, “Of course. If I’m still alive, there’s no reason not to.”

However, after just one bite, the corners of his mouth began to twitch. He could only restrain himself from spitting it out by pressing his lips tightly together. A moment later, he replied respectfully, “Thank you.”

Wei WuXian turned around, “Did you see that? Did you see that? What did he say? You’re the only ones with such high standards, still complaining even after eating my porridge.”

Jin Ling, “Your porridge? What else did you do, besides adding a lot of strange things to the pot?”

Xiao XingChen, “But, now that I think about it, if I have to eat this every day, I would rather die.”

Jin Ling laughed uncontrollably. Even Lan SiZhui couldn’t help but exclaim, “Pfft.” Silenced, Wei WuXian turned to them, and Lan SiZhui immediately put on a straight face. Lan JingYi spoke up, his voice filled with joy, “It’s over. They’re all killed. We’ve won!”

Xiao XingChen immediately put down his bowl, “Don’t open the door yet. Be careful. There might be more coming…”

Wei WuXian, “Don’t put the bowl down. Pick it up and drink it all.” After that, he approached the wooden door and peeked through the crack. After the inhumane battle, a thin mist and purplish-red powder had enveloped the entire path. The corpse-poisoning powder had begun to dissipate, and a group of paper mannequins quietly surveyed the path. Among the corpses that covered the ground, when any could still move, they would mercilessly trample on them, until all that remained was a puddle of muddy flesh.

Other than that, everything was quiet. Currently, no new bodies were arriving.

Just as Wei WuXian was about to rest, a series of almost inaudible sounds came from above him.

The sounds were incredibly elusive. It was as if someone was walking quickly across the rooftops. However, because the person’s movements were so light, the sound of their footsteps was barely audible. Wei WuXian only caught the faint sounds of roof tiles clashing with each other due to his keen senses. Of course, being blind, Xiao XingChen also noticed the sounds. He warned them, “Upstairs!”

Wei WuXian shouted, “Disperse!”

As soon as he said that, a large hole burst through the ceiling of the living room. Dust, grass, and broken roof tiles rained down. Fortunately, most of the students had already scattered, so no one was injured. A dark figure jumped down from the hole in the roof.

The man wore a black cultivation robe. With a tall stature and a straight back, he exuded the aura of a sturdy pine tree. A ponytail was tied behind his back, and a long sword was held in his hand. His face, though handsome, was slightly raised, revealing a haughty and indifferent personality.

However, there were no pupils in his eyes, only a deathly white field.

That is a violent corpse!

Once everyone knew this fact, he launched an attack with the sword in his hand.

He aimed his attack at Jin Ling, who was closest to him. Jin Ling blocked with his sword. The force of the attack was so powerful that his arm nearly went numb. If not for the spiritual power of his own sword, Suihua, the sword might have broken and he might have died on the spot. After the first attack failed, the black-clothed corpse attacked again. Its movements were smooth and natural, while its attack was sharp and ruthless. This time, it struck Jin Ling’s arm. In desperation, Xiao XingChen, using his sword, defended the attack for Jin Ling. Perhaps due to the corpse’s poisoning acting up again, he finally fainted. 

Lan JingYi panicked, “What is he actually, alive or dead?! I’ve never seen him before…”

A corpse that possesses high speed and great swordsmanship!

He didn’t finish his sentence, because he remembered that he  had  seen her before.

Ghost General is like this too!

Wei WuXian watched the cultivator intently. Thinking quickly, he pulled out the bamboo flute at his waist and played a long, shrill, ear-piercing note. The sound was so painful that everyone present covered their ears. When the cultivator heard the sound, though his body was swaying and his hands were trembling, he still charged at Wei WuXian!

He’s out of control. This corpse belongs to its master!

The sword was as swift as thunder, but Wei WuXian managed to dodge it. As they passed each other, he calmly played another song. A second later, the mannequins patrolling outside also leaped onto the roof and jumped down through the hole. Sensing something was amiss, the corpse stabbed twice with its right hand, splitting the two mannequins vertically into four pieces. With its left hand, it whipped out its whisk. It felt as if the thousands of soft white strands had turned into poisonous spikes on a mace, slashing and stabbing with each lash. If it accidentally touched someone, they would surely be turned into a bloody sieve. 

In the midst of his busyness, Wei WuXian said, “No one should come here. Take good care of yourself and stay in the corner!” 

After speaking his words, he immediately returned to leading the corpses. His flute sounded lively at times, but at other times it sounded fiery. Even though the cultivator used both hands and attacked with hostility, the paper mannequins continuously fell from the roof, surrounding him with attacks. As he fought on one side, more came on the other side; as he killed the ones in front, there would be even more behind him. It was impossible to face them all at once. Suddenly, a Nether Brawler darted down from above and landed on top of him, pinning him to the ground with one foot on his shoulder.

Immediately after, three other Nether Brawlers jumped down from the gap and slammed into his body one by one.

In legend, Nether Brawlers possessed incredible strength. When craftsmen crafted them, several objects were usually added to their bodies to increase their weight. After being possessed by wandering spirits, each one became heavier than the others. Just one of them weighed as much as a mountain. With four of them together, he would have been fine if his guts hadn’t burst out. Thus, the robed corpse was held securely in place by the four Nether Brawlers.

Wei WuXian walked over and discovered that there was a tear in her clothes. After calming her down, he noticed a thin, narrow wound near her left shoulder blade. He ordered, “Turn her over.”

The four Nether Brawlers then turned the cultivator over. With him on his stomach, the examination was easier. Wei WuXian touched his injured finger to each of their lips in appreciation. With their crimson paper tongues, the Nether Brawlers slowly licked the blood off their lips, as if they were truly enjoying the pleasure. Only then did Wei WuXian lower his head and continue his examination. On the cultivator’s left chest, near his heart, was a similar tear, a similar thin, narrow wound. It seemed he had died from a stab wound to the heart.

The corpse struggled with all its might. A low growl escaped its throat, and inky blood dripped from the corner of its lips. Wei WuXian pinched its cheek and forced its mouth open. Inside, its tongue had also been ripped from its root.

Blind eyes, loose tongue. Blind eyes, loose tongue.

Why do these two traits appear so often?

After observing for a while, Wei WuXian began to feel that the corpse resembled Wen Ning when he was controlled by the black spikes. With that thought in mind, he felt the corpse’s temples and, as expected, he actually found two metal tips!

These long nails were used to control high-level vicious corpses, making them lose their consciousness and ability to think for themselves. Without knowing the corpse’s identity and character, Wei WuXian decided not to rashly remove the nails, but to interrogate it first. However, since its tongue was no longer present, even if the corpse regained consciousness, it wouldn’t be able to speak. 

Wei WuXian asked the disciples of the Lan Sect, “Have any of you ever studied  Inquiry  ?”

Lan SiZhui raised his hand, “I did. I did.”

Wei WuXian, “Did you bring your guqin?”

Lan SiZhui, “Yes.” Immediately, he took out a simple guqin, the wood of which still looked shiny, from his Qiankun Pouch.

Seeing that the guqin was still relatively new, Wei WuXian asked, “How is  your qin language  ? Have you ever experienced it yourself? Can the spirit you summoned lie?”

Lan JingYi interrupted, “HanGuang-Jun said that SiZhui’s qin language is fine.”

If Lan WangJi said “it’s fine,” then it was fine. He wouldn’t exaggerate or downplay the matter, so Wei WuXian stopped worrying. Lan SiZhui added, “HanGuang-Jun told me to focus on quality, not quantity. The spirit I summon will be able to avoid answers, but it won’t be able to lie. So, if it’s willing to answer, then it’ll definitely be telling the truth.”

Wei WuXian, “Then, let’s begin.”

The guqin was placed flat in front of the cultivator’s head. Lan SiZhui sat on the ground, his robes flowing neatly. After trying a few notes, he nodded. Wei WuXian began, “First question: who is he?”

After thinking for a moment, Lan SiZhui silently chanted the incantation, and was finally ready to play the first sentence.

A moment later, the guqin strings vibrated. Two notes thundered out, sounding like exploding rocks.

Lan SiZhui widened his eyes. Lan JingYi pressed him, “What did he say?”

Lan SiZhui, “Lagu Lan!”

… Teman kultivasi Xiao XingChen yang paling dekat, Song Lan?!

Simultaneously, everyone turned to look at Xiao Xingchen, who was lying unconscious on the ground. Lan Sizhui whispered, “Does he know that it was Song Lan who came…?”

Jin Ling also lowered his voice, “Maybe not. He’s blind, while Song Lan is mute, and even became a vicious corpse that lost its mind… It’s better that he doesn’t know.”

Wei WuXian, “Second question: who killed him?”

In earnest, Lan SiZhui played another sentence.

This time the silence was three times longer than before.

Just as they were about to conclude that Song Lan’s soul was unwilling to answer this question, the guqin strings vibrated three times, their notes echoing with sorrow.

Lan SiZhui exclaimed, “That’s impossible!”

Wei WuXian, “What did he say?”

Lan SiZhui replied as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard, “He said… Xiao XingChen.”

The person who killed Song Lan was Xiao XingChen?!

They only asked two questions, but the answers were shocking. Jin Ling was skeptical, “You played it wrong, right?”

Lan SiZhui: “But ‘who are you’ and ‘who killed you’ are the two   easiest and most common  Inquiry questions. When someone first learns Inquiry  , these are the first and second sentences they learn. One would practice them at least a thousand times. I checked them before playing. I definitely didn’t play them wrong.”

Jin Ling, “Either you played  the Inquiri wrong  , or you misinterpreted the qin language.”

Lan SiZhui shook his head, “If it’s impossible to play it wrong, it’s even more impossible to interpret it wrong. The name and three characters ‘Xiao XingChen’ are not common in the spirits’ answers at all. If he had answered with a different name and I had interpreted it wrong, it just so happened that the name wouldn’t have appeared.”

Lan JingYi muttered, “… Song Lan went to look for the missing Xiao XingChen, but Xiao XingChen killed him instead. Why would he kill his best friend? He doesn’t seem like that kind of person.”

Wei WuXian, “We don’t need to worry about this for now. SiZhui, ask the third question: who is controlling it?”

With a stern expression, Lan SiZhui didn’t even dare to breathe as he played the third line. All eyes were fixed on the guqin strings, waiting for Song Lan’s response.

Lan SiZhui interpreted the reply word for word, “The. One. Behind. You.”

Everyone turned around as fast as they could. Xiao XingChen, who had been lying on the ground just moments before, was already sitting upright, one hand holding his chin. Smiling, he raised his black-gloved left hand and shouted.

As the crisp sound reached Song Lan’s ears, it seemed to explode right beside him. Song Lan suddenly threw the four Nether Brawlers who had been restraining him away!

He leaped up. Drawing his sword and whisk again, he slashed and twisted the paper mannequin into colorful confetti with both hands, which floated to the ground. His sword pressed against Wei WuXian’s neck, while the whisk pointed menacingly at the disciples.

Within the shop area alone, the situation has changed drastically.

Jin Ling held his sword. Seeing the movement with a glance, Wei WuXian immediately stopped him, “Don’t move. Don’t add to the trouble. In terms of swordsmanship, even everyone together wouldn’t be a match for this… Song Lan.”

His body was weak, and his sword was not by his side. Furthermore, there was also Xiao XingChen—it was still unclear what he wanted to do, or whether he was friend or foe.

Xiao XingChen, “Adults will talk to adults. Children can wait outside.”

He gestured to Song Lan, who immediately obeyed and ushered the disciples out. Wei WuXian comforted them, “Go outside first. You won’t be of much help here. The corpse poison powder should have settled. When you go out, don’t run around and stir up any more dust. Breathe slowly.”

Hearing “you won’t be of much help here,” Jin Ling felt both uncertain and annoyed. He didn’t want to accept defeat, but he knew there was nothing he could do, so he hurried out. Before Lan SiZhui left, he seemed to want to say something. Wei WuXian turned to him, “SiZhui, you’re the wisest one here. Could you give them some pointers, please? Can you do it?”

Lan SiZhui nodded. Wei WuXian added, “Don’t be afraid.”

Lan SiZhui, “Bukan aku.”

“Truly?”

“Really.” Lan SiZhui smiled, “Senior, you look so much like HanGuang-Jun.”

Wei WuXian was confused, “Us? What do we have in common?” They were clearly like fire and ice. However, Lan SiZhui only grinned, then led the rest of the group out.

He continued his thoughts to himself, “  I don’t know either, but they do feel similar. It’s as if if either of those two seniors were present, I wouldn’t have to be afraid or worried about anything.”

Xiao XingChen took out a red potion from nowhere and put it in his mouth, “How touching.”

After eating it, the purplish blush on his face immediately faded. Wei WuXian asked, “The cure for the corpse poison powder?”

Xiao XingChen, “That’s right. Much more effective than your creepy bowl of porridge, right? And it tastes sweet.”

Wei WuXian, “Your performance was incredible. From bravely killing a corpse, to exhaustion, to fending off Jin Ling’s sword, to losing consciousness. All of that was for our entertainment?”

Xiao XingChen raised a finger and waved it in front of his face, “Not for your general amusement, but for your special amusement. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, YiLing Patriarch. It’s better to see for yourself than to just hear stories.”

Wei WuXian didn’t react to his words, his expression remaining unchanged. Xiao XingChen continued, “I guess you haven’t told anyone about your true identity, right? So, I didn’t reveal your secret either, and I sent them out so we could close the door and chat in private. How about it? Wasn’t I considerate?”

Wei WuXian, “All the walking corpses in Yi City are under your control?”

Xiao XingChen, “Of course. As soon as you came in and started whistling, I started to think you were a bit strange, which is why I decided to personally take matters into my own hands and investigate you. As I suspected, someone who could succumb to such a powerful force with the low-level spell of the Painted Eye Summoning must be the founder.”

Xue Yang followed his old path. Since their practices were the same, both using unsavory methods, Wei WuXian couldn’t fool him. Wei WuXian asked, “So, by holding that group of children hostage, what do you want from me?”

Xiao XingChen laughed, “Senior, I need you to do me a favor. A small favor.”

His mother’s shidi called him senior. Their generations were truly mismatched. Just as Wei WuXian chuckled, Xiao XingChen took out a Spirit-Trapping Pouch and placed it on the table, “Please.”

Wei WuXian placed his hand on the pouch and felt it for a moment, as if feeling someone’s pulse. “Whose soul is this? It’s already in disarray. Not even glue can hold it together. There’s only one breath of life left.”

Xiao XingChen, “If this person’s soul was that easy to fuse with, why would I need your help?”

Wei WuXian pulled his hand away, “You want me to repair this soul? No offense, but there really isn’t much left here. When they were alive, the person probably suffered a lot of torture. It should have been quite painful. They probably committed suicide, so they probably don’t want to return to this world. If the soul itself has no desire to live, it’s most likely impossible to save. If I’m not mistaken, the soul was probably forcefully repaired. Once it leaves the Spirit-Trapping Pouch, it will disappear at any moment. You understand this better than anyone.”

Xiao XingChen, “I don’t understand and I don’t care. Even if you don’t want to, you have to help me. Senior, don’t forget that your children are still watching you from outside, waiting for you to help them out of danger.”

His tone sounded a little strange. It sounded affectionate, almost sweet, but it had an aura that seemed to come out of nowhere. It was as if he could call you senior and senior one moment, and then suddenly become your enemy and kill you. Wei WuXian laughed, “I’d rather meet you in person than listen to those stories. Xue Yang, why are you pretending to be a cultivator instead of a real villain?”

With a pause, “Xiao XingChen” raised his hand and removed the bandage around his eyes.

The bandage fell layer by layer, revealing a pair of bright, shining eyes.

A pair of unharmed eyes.

He looked young, friendly, and almost handsome. However, the canines that showed when he smiled were sweet and childish, hiding the wild cruelty in his eyes.

Xue Yang threw the bandage aside, “Uh-oh. You already know.”

Wei WuXian, “Deliberately pretending the pain was unbearable so our consciences wouldn’t allow us to remove your bandages and look; deliberately showing us a bit of Shuanghua; deliberately saying that you were a wandering cultivator by accident. You not only know how to make yourself look hurt and helpless, but also how to gain others’ sympathy. You truly portray the sincere and virtuous Xiao XingChen. If it weren’t for the fact that you’re aware of more things than you should be, I would definitely believe that you were him.”

And, during  the Investigation  , the answer Song Lan gave to the second question was “Xiao XingChen”, while the answer to the third question was “the one behind you”.

If the “person behind you” was also Xiao XingChen, Song Lan wouldn’t have needed to express it any other way.

Except, Xiao XingChen and the “person behind you” weren’t the same person. Song Lan wanted to warn them how dangerous the person behind them was, but if he only answered Xue Yang, they might not know who he was. He could only answer that way.

Xue Yang grinned, “Well, it’s true that his reputation is better than mine. Of course, I pretended to be him. It’s easier to gain others’ trust this way.”

Wei WuXian, “Your acting was truly amazing.”

Xue Yang, “Now you’re just flattering me. I have a very famous friend. His acting is quite extraordinary. I still have a long way to go. Anyway, enough small talk. Senior Wei, you really have to help me.”

Wei WuXian, “You were the one who made the long nails that controlled Song Lan and Wen Ning, weren’t you? You can even restore half of the Stygian Tiger Seal, so why do you need my help to restore your soul?”

Xue Yang, “They’re different. You’re the founder. If you hadn’t created the first part of this seal, I wouldn’t have been able to create the second part on my own. You’re undoubtedly better than me. So, if there’s something I can’t do, you definitely can.”

Wei WuXian really didn’t understand why foreigners always had such an inexplicable sense of confidence. He touched his chin, hesitating whether they should compliment each other as a sign of respect, “You’re too modest.”

Xue Yang, “That’s not self-deprecation. It’s the truth. I don’t like to exaggerate when I speak. If I say I’ll kill someone’s entire clan, I will really kill their entire clan. I won’t even leave a single dog behind.”

Wei WuXian, “Misalnya, Klan YueyangChang?”

Before Xue Yang could answer, a black-robed shadow passed by.

Wei WuXian and Xue Yang stepped back simultaneously and left the table. Xue Yang immediately grabbed the Spirit Trapping Pouch. Lightly pressing his hand against the table, Song Lan flipped through the air and landed on it. After calming down, he immediately turned to look at the door. Black streaks of blood ran down his cheeks.

With the iron chain behind him, Wen Ning burst through the door amidst the white mist and cold wind.

As soon as his flute played the first note, Wei WuXian had already given the order to summon Wen Ning. He ordered, “Fight outside. Be careful not to beat him too badly. Keep an eye on the living and don’t let the other corpses get close to them.”

Wen Ning raised his left hand, and one of the chains swung. As Song Lan met the attack with his whip, it collided with the chain, and the two tangled together. Wen Ning pulled the chain and retreated. Song Lan didn’t let go either, and was dragged out the door. The disciples had already hidden inside another shop nearby, each of them craning their necks and staring intently at the scene. With the horsetail whisk, the iron chains, and the long swords, there was a cacophony of clanking and clashing. They could see that the fight between the two ferocious corpses was indeed intense. Every vicious move, every fatal strike—only two corpses could fight so brutally. If two living humans fought like this, they would surely be nothing more than severed limbs and battered flesh!

Xue Yang, “Guess who will win?”

Wei WuXian, “Do I need to guess? Of course it’s Wen Ning.”

Xue Yang, “It’s a shame that even though I’ve given him so many nails in the head, he still won’t obey. Being overly loyal is quite troublesome.”

Wei WuXian replied in an indifferent tone, “Wen Ning is nothing.”

Xue Yang laughed, “Don’t you see that what you said can be interpreted differently?” The moment the word “be” left his mouth, he suddenly drew his sword and attacked. 

Wei WuXian darted to the side, “Do you often sneak up on people while you’re talking?”

Xue Yang’s voice was filled with surprise, “Of course. I’m a thug, right? I’m sure you already know that. Besides, I don’t want to kill you. I just want to immobilize you. Then I can take you back and you can take your time to repair your soul for me.”

Wei WuXian, “I told you I can’t do anything.”

Xue Yang, “Don’t be so eager to reject me. If you don’t know what to do, we can discuss it together.” Before he could finish his sentence, he lunged once more. Wei WuXian kept dodging, surrounded by the tattered pieces of paper that covered the ground. He thought,  this little rascal has a surefire move.  Seeing Xue Yang’s attacks become faster and more deadly, Wei WuXian couldn’t help but exclaim, “Are you really taking advantage of my body’s low spiritual power?”

Xue Yang, “That’s right!”

Wei WuXian finally met someone more shameless than him. He returned the smile, “It’s better to anger a hero than to anger a villain, which in this case is you. I don’t want to deal with you anymore. Let’s find someone else.”

Xue Yang grinned, “Who else? That HanGuang-Jun? I have over three hundred walking corpses to gang up on him. He…”

Before he could finish his sentence, a figure in a white robe descended from the sky. Bichen’s cold blue gaze swept over him.

Translator’s Notes

With the prairie fire, it fails to die, when the spring wind blows, it comes back to life.  : This is taken from Bai JuYi’s poem,  Grass  .

A golden boy and a jade girl  : This is a saying in China, referring to the servants of heavenly places.

Qin language  : This refers to the language of the guqin. Each note, combined with its different timbre, volume, tonality, etc., has a different Chinese character meaning. Of course, this is largely fictional.