Chapter 40 Grass—Part Eight

If she were a girl her age, she would have screamed immediately. However, because A-Qing had pretended to be blind for so many years, many people let their guard down in front of her, believing her sight to be blind. She was used to seeing people’s more disgusting side, which had hardened her heart. Somehow, she managed to remain silent.

Even so, Wei WuXian could feel the stiffness and numbness spreading upwards from the bottom of his feet.

Standing amidst the many corpses of villagers scattered on the ground, Xiao XingChen sheathed his sword and said in a solemn voice, “How is it possible that there is not a single person alive in this village? They are all walking corpses?”

Xue Yang smiled, but his voice sounded very confused, even a little pained, “Yes. Luckily, your sword itself aimed at the corpse energy. Otherwise, just the two of us, it would have been very difficult to break through.”

Xiao XingChen, “Let’s check the village again. If there’s really nothing left, let’s burn these bodies as soon as possible.”

After they had walked side by side for a distance, A-Qing’s legs finally regained their strength. She slipped out from behind the house to the pile of corpses and looked around. Wei WuXian’s perspective also wavered.

All of these villagers were killed by a sharp, clean stab to the heart, made by Xiao XingChen’s sword. Suddenly, Wei WuXian saw several familiar faces.

A few memories ago, one day the three of them went out and encountered some men playing dice at a village intersection. As the three of them passed by, they looked up and saw a blind man, a blind girl, and a crippled boy. They were all laughing and pointing. A-Qing spat at them and brandished her bamboo stick; Xiao XingChen walked past them calmly, as if he hadn’t heard anything; Xue Yang even smiled, though his eyes didn’t show a hint of amusement.

A-Qing turned over several corpses. Opening their eyelids, she saw that their eyes were all white. Livor mortis had already spread to some of their faces. She breathed a sigh of relief, but Wei WuXian’s heart sank even further.

Even though they look like walking corpses, these people are indeed alive.

Unless they have corpse poisoning.

Near the mouths and noses of some of the corpses, Wei WuXian could also see traces of a reddish-purple powder. Of course, those who had been poisoned a long time ago were already hopeless, having already become walking corpses. However, among them, there were still some who had been poisoned recently. They would begin to develop the characteristics of transformed corpses, such as emitting corpse energy, but they were still conscious and able to speak, which meant they were still alive. If they were helped, they could still be saved, just like Lan JingYi and the others. We had to be extremely careful not to accidentally kill them, as that would be the same as killing a living human.

They should have been able to speak, identify themselves, and scream for help. However, the horrifying thing was that someone had cut out all their tongues beforehand. The corners of all the corpses’ lips were stained with blood, either still warm or already dried.

Although Xiao Xingchen couldn’t see, Shuanghua could sense the direction of the corpse energy. Because these villagers had lost their tongues, they could only emit strange howls that closely resembled the howls of walking corpses. Therefore, he had no doubt that the villagers he had killed were dead.

It was a crazy way to kill others without dirtying his own hands, a cruel way to dirty the hands that fed him.

However, A-Qing didn’t understand how it worked. She only knew the rough process, having heard it mentioned by Xiao XingChen. She muttered, “Is that bastard really helping Daozhang?”

Wei WuXian warned silently,  Please don’t just believe Xue Yang!

Fortunately, A-Qing’s intuition was quite sharp. Although her knowledge didn’t allow her to detect anything suspicious, her wariness of Xue Yang was deeply ingrained in her intuition. She instinctively hated him and refused to reconcile. Therefore, whenever Xue Yang went out night hunting with Xiao XingChen, she secretly followed them. Even when they were in the same house, she didn’t let down her guard.

One night, the winter wind howled outside. The three of them huddled together in a smaller room, warming themselves by the old stove. Xiao Xingchen was repairing a basket whose bamboo slats had broken. A-Qing was wrapped in the only cotton blanket. Wrapped like a zongzi, she sat on his shoulder. Xue Yang held his chin with one hand and did nothing. Hearing A-Qing pester Xiao Xingchen for a story, he became a little annoyed, “Keep it quiet. I’ll tie your tongue if you keep babbling.”

A-Qing didn’t listen to him at all and demanded, “Daozhang, I want to hear a story!”

Xiao XingChen, “When I was little, no one told me stories. How could I know how to tell stories?”

A-Qing continued to throw a tantrum, and was about to roll around on the ground when Xiao XingChen finally agreed, “Fine. I’ll tell you a story that happened on the mountain.”

A-Qing, “Once upon a time there was a mountain and on that mountain there was a  temple  ?”

Xiao XingChen, “No. Long ago, there was a heavenly mountain that no one knew existed. On that mountain, there was a God who attained  enlightenment  . The God accepted many disciples, but he would not let them leave the mountain.”

After hearing the beginning, Wei WuXian immediately understood,  He BaoShan SanRen.

A-Qing, “Why not?”

Xiao XingChen, “The Immortal only hid in the mountains because he couldn’t understand the outside world. He said to his disciples, ‘If you are going to leave the mountains, then you don’t need to come back. Don’t bring the disputes of the outside world into the mountains.’”

A-Qing, “Then how do you manage to endure the boredom? There must be students who want to go out and play.”

Xiao XingChen, “You’re right. The first disciple who left was extremely outstanding. When he first left the mountain, due to his mastery of his skills, everyone praised and admired him, and he became a renowned righteous cultivator. However, after that, people didn’t know what happened to him, but his personality changed drastically, and he suddenly became a villain who killed people without blinking twice. In the end, he died under thousands of swords.”

This was BaoShan SanRen’s first disciple who “did not die in peace”—YanLing DaoRen.

What happened to Wei WuXian’s master  after leaving the mountain that caused his personality to change so drastically remains a mystery. Most likely, no one will ever know. After Xiao XingChen finished repairing the basket, he felt it a few times. He made sure it didn’t hurt his hands, then put it down, and continued, “The second disciple is a girl, and she’s also quite extraordinary.”

Wei WuXian’s chest felt warm.

He is ZangSe SanRen.

A-Qing, “Is she pretty?”

Xiao XingChen, “I don’t know. He said she was very beautiful.”

A-Qing, “Then I know! Many people will definitely like her and want to marry her after she leaves the mountains. And then, she’ll definitely marry a high-ranking official or the leader of a major sect! Hehe.”

Xiao XingChen laughed, “You guessed wrong. She married the servant of the great sect leader, and the two lived happily ever after.”

A-Qing, “I don’t like this. How could a great and beautiful cultivator accept a servant? This story is so cliché. It was probably written by a  poor scholar  . So what happened? What happened to them after they lived happily ever after?”

Xiao XingChen, “Then the two of them accidentally lost their lives while hunting at night.”

A-Qing spat, “What kind of story is this?! Not only did he marry a maid, but they also died together! I don’t want to hear any more!”

Wei WuXian thought to himself,  It’s a good thing Xiao XingChen didn’t continue with the story that the two of them had given birth to another big villain that everyone wanted to eliminate. Otherwise, he might have complained about me.

Xiao XingChen sighed, “That’s why I said from the start that I don’t know how to tell stories.”

A-Qing, “Then, Daozhang, you must remember the night hunt you went on, right? I’d love to hear it! Tell me, what monsters have you fought?”

Xue Yang had been distracted from listening to the story, his eyes closed. However, his expression now turned slightly more serious. His pupils constricted, and he glanced at Xiao XingChen.

Xiao XingChen, “There are too many.”

Xue Yang suddenly asked, “Really? Then, Daozhang, did you also hunt alone at night?”

The corners of his lips curled up, indicating that he was planning something sinister, but his voice was filled with simple curiosity. After a pause, Xiao XingChen smiled faintly, “No.”

This made A-Qing interested, “Then who else is with you?”

This time, Xiao XingChen was silent for a longer time. After a moment, he replied, “A good friend of mine.”

A sinister light flashed across Xue Yang’s eyes, and his smile widened. It seemed like peeling off Xiao XingChen’s scabs was giving him a lot of pleasure. A-Qing, on the other hand, was curious. “Daozhang, who are these friends of yours? What kind of people are they?”

Xiao XingChen replied calmly, “A sincere man with noble character.”

Hearing this, Xue Yang rolled his eyes in disgust. His lips moved slightly, as if cursing. However, he deliberately feigned confusion, “Then, Daozhang, where is this friend of yours now? Why hasn’t he come looking for you when you’re like this?”

Wei WuXian,  what a dangerous knife.

This time, Xiao XingChen didn’t answer. Although A-Qing didn’t know what was going on, she seemed to sense something. Holding her breath, she glared at Xue Yang. She gritted her teeth, as if she wanted to bite him. After a moment of reverie, Xiao XingChen broke the silence, “I don’t know where he is now either. But, I hope…”

Before he could finish his sentence, he patted A-Qing’s head, “Okay. That’s it for tonight. I really don’t know how to tell this story. It’s quite embarrassing.”

A-Qing answered obediently, “Oh. Okay!”

However, Xue Yang suddenly spoke, “Then, how about I tell you?”

A-Qing almost felt disappointed. She immediately agreed, “Yes, yes. You just say it.”

Without haste, Xue Yang began, “One day, there was a child.”

The boy loved sweets. However, because he had no parents or money, he rarely had them. One day, like any other, he sat daydreaming on the stairs. Across the stairs was a liquor store. A man sat at a table inside. Seeing the boy, he beckoned him to come closer.

While the beginning of this story isn’t great either, it’s definitely a lot better than Xiao XingChen’s cliché. If A-Qing had a pair of bunny ears, she’d be even more excited.

Xue Yang continued, “Because he was naive and confused, the child didn’t do anything. He saw someone waving at him and immediately ran over. The man pointed to a plate of pastries on the table and asked, ‘Do you want this?’”

“Of course he wants it.” He nodded as quickly as he could. So the man gave the boy a piece of paper and said, “If you want it, take this to a certain room in a certain place. I’ll give it to you after you take the paper.”

The boy was very happy. He could get a plate of cookies if he did the chores, and he got the plate of cookies himself.

“He couldn’t read, so he just grabbed a newspaper and went to the place. After opening the door, a large, burly man came out. He took the newspaper and looked at it, then slapped the boy so hard that his nose bled. The man grabbed the boy by the hair and asked, ‘Who told you to take something like that?'”

The child must be Xue Yang himself.

Wei WuXian never expected a cunning person like Xue Yang to be so honest, so foolish in his youth, doing whatever a stranger asked. The writing on the note was clearly rude. Most likely, the person at the liquor store and the burly man had a conflict. The man at the liquor store didn’t dare curse the man in front of him, so he had a child on the street carry the insulting note. Such an act could even be called depraved.

Xue Yang, “She was scared and pointed in that direction. The man went into the liquor store, carrying the child by the hair. The other man had long since left. The remaining cakes on the table had also been taken by the waiters. The man was so angry that he slammed several tables before leaving in a rage.”

The boy was utterly frustrated. He had gone out for someone, been beaten, and had his hair pulled out on his way home. His scalp was almost torn off. Of course, he wouldn’t rest without the cookies. So, he asked a servant with tears in his eyes, “Where are my cookies? Where are the cookies I said were mine?”

Xue Yang continued with a grin, “The shop was in a mess, and the waiter was extremely upset. He slapped the kid a few times, so hard that his ears were ringing, and then threw him out the door. He crawled and walked around for a while. Guess what? Coincidentally, he ran into the man who made him take the letter back.”

He stopped at this point. A-Qing had just become engrossed in her story. He pressed her, “And then? What happened?”

Xue Yang, “What do you think happened? Just a few slaps and a few more kicks.”

A-Qing, “It’s you, right? He loves candy—it must be you! Why were you like this when you were little? If I were you, I would have said ptew, ptew, ptew, then spat in his food, then hit him, and hit him, and hit him some more…” She danced around, almost hitting Xiao XingChen who was sitting beside her. 

Xiao XingChen immediately said, “Alright, alright. You’re done listening to the story. It’s time for bed.”

Even as A-Qing was being carried to the coffin, she was still complaining angrily, “Ugh! Your stories make me so angry! One is so boring it makes me angry, and the other is so annoying it makes me angry! Gosh, the person who told her to get the letter is so annoying! I’m so frustrated!”

After Xiao XingChen covered her, he walked a few steps, then asked, “What happened next?”

Xue Yang, “I guess. There was no after. You didn’t continue your story either, did you?”

Xiao XingChen, “No matter what happens afterward, since your life is already good enough now, there’s no need to think too much about the past.”

Xue Yang, “I wasn’t thinking about the past. Little Blind kept stealing my candy and even finishing it, so now I’m reminded of the times when I couldn’t have it.”

A-Qing kicked the coffin hard and protested, “Daozhang, don’t listen to him! I don’t eat that much!”

Xiao XingChen laughed softly, “Let’s take a break.”

That night, Xue Yang didn’t follow her. Xiao Xingchen went hunting alone. A-Qing lay motionless in the coffin, but she couldn’t sleep.

When the sky began to brighten, Xiao XingChen returned, silently entering.

As he passed the coffin, he reached inside. A-Qing pretended to be asleep, only opening her eyes again after Xiao XingChen left the coffin. She saw a small piece of candy beside her straw pillow.

She poked her head into the bedroom and saw that Xue Yang wasn’t asleep yet. He was sitting at the table, seemingly deep in thought.

A piece of candy lay quietly on the edge of the table.

After their night of chatting by the fireplace, Xiao Xingchen would give them both a piece of candy every day. Naturally, A-Qing was quite pleased. Xue Yang showed neither gratitude nor disapproval for this gesture, which made A-Qing angry with him for a while.

Xiao XingChen was always in charge of the three of them’s meals. Because he was blind, he didn’t know how to choose vegetables and was too shy to bargain with others. When he went out alone, it didn’t matter if the vendors were friendly, but sometimes he encountered vendors who deliberately took advantage of his blindness. The vegetables he brought back were usually of poor quality or insufficient quantity. Xiao XingChen himself didn’t really care, or rather, he didn’t pay much attention to it, but A-Qing often got angry. In a rage, she asked to go shopping for ingredients with Xiao XingChen. Unfortunately, even though she could see, she couldn’t express anything. She also didn’t dare to throw a tantrum and tear down stalls in front of Xiao XingChen. This was when Xue Yang came in handy. With his sharp eyes and sharp tongue inherent in his mischievous nature, whenever he went out with them, whenever they wanted to buy something, the first thing he would do was shamelessly bargain the price down by half. If the vendor agreed, he would bargain further; if not, he would put on a menacing face, and the vendors would start thinking they were lucky that someone like him was willing to pay, hoping he would leave immediately. Presumably, when he roamed freely in Kuizhou and Lanling, he probably didn’t have to pay anything for the things he wanted. Now that A-Qing had vented her anger, out of happiness, he even praised her several times. And, thanks to the delicious sweets every day, from then on, for a short time, a fragile peace was maintained between A-Qing and Xue Yang.

However, he could never let his guard down around Xue Yang. Those brief periods of peace were often overshadowed by doubts and suspicions.

One day, A-Qing was playing in the street again, pretending to be blind. She had been playing all her life, and she never got tired of it. As she was walking along, tapping her bamboo stick, a voice suddenly came from behind her, “Young Lady, if you can’t see, you’d better not run so fast.”

A young man’s voice sounded somewhat cold. A-Qing turned around and saw a tall, black-robed cultivator standing a few meters away. A sword was slung across his back, and a horsetail whisk was clutched in his arm. With his upright posture and fluttering sleeves, he exuded an air of arrogance and indifference.

This man happened to be Song Lan.

A-Qing tilted her head. Song Lan was already walking over. Placing the whisk on A-Qing’s shoulder, he led her to the side of the road. “There are fewer people on the side of the road.”

Wei WuXian commented, “  They really are good friends, aren’t they? Good friends should have similar personalities.”

A-Qing giggled, “A-Qing is very grateful to Daozhang!”

Song Lan took back the whisk and held it again. She glanced at him, “Don’t play around too much. The dark energy here is quite strong. In the future, be careful not to linger outside.”

A-Qing, “Oke!”

Song Lan nodded and continued walking, but A-Qing couldn’t help but turn around and observe him. After walking for a while, she stopped a passerby. “Excuse me. Has anyone seen a blind cultivator carrying a sword in this area?”

A-Qing immediately listened intently. The passerby replied, “I’m not too sure. Daozhang, try asking the people there.”

Song Lan, “Thank you.”

A-Qing knocked on the door and said, “Daozhang, why are you looking for another daozhang?”

Song Lan immediately turned around, “Did you see it?”

A-Qing, “Maybe I have, but maybe I haven’t.”

Song Lan, “How can you see it?”

A-Qing, “If you answer a few of my questions, maybe I’ll remember. Are you a friend of the daozhang?”

Song Lan hesitated. After a moment, she answered, “…Yes.”

Wei WuXian wondered,  Why was he hesitant?

A-Qing also felt his answer was a bit reluctant. Her suspicions resurfaced, “Do you really know her? How tall is she? Is she beautiful or ugly? What does her sword look like?”

Song Lan immediately replied, “He’s about my height. He’s quite good-looking. His sword is carved with ice patterns.”

Seeing that Daozhang had answered everything correctly and didn’t look like a bad person, A-Qing replied, “I know where he is. Daozhang, follow me!”

Song Lan had been wandering around looking for her friend for several years, and had been disappointed many times. Now that she had finally heard the news about him, she couldn’t even believe it. With difficulty she said, “… Thank you… Thank you…”

A-Qing led him until they were almost at the coffin house, but Song Lan stopped in the middle of the road. A-Qing asked, “What’s wrong? You don’t want to go there?”

For some reason, Song Lan’s face was extremely pale. He stared at the door of the coffin house, as if he wanted to rush in if he could, but was too afraid. The indifferent look he had had on his face was now completely gone. Wei WuXian suspected,  perhaps he was nervous because they hadn’t seen each other for so long?

Just as he made up his mind and was about to enter, a nonchalant figure walked in before he could.

As soon as he saw who the figure was, Song Lan’s face immediately turned from pale to deathly pale!

A series of laughter rang out from the coffin house. A-Qing snorted, “That annoying one is back.”

Song Lan, “Who is he? Why is he here?”

A-Qing whined, “He’s a bastard. He never told us his name, so who knows who he is? He was saved by Daozhang. Now he’s always sticking to Daozhang. He’s such a pain in the ass!”

Song Lan’s expression shifted between shock and annoyance. After a moment, he said, “Shut up!”

A-Qing was frightened by his expression and complied. The two of them quietly approached the coffin house, one standing by the window and the other hiding underneath. Inside the coffin house, Xiao XingChen asked, “Whose turn is it today?”

As soon as he heard the voice, Song Lan’s hands trembled so much that A-Qing could see it clearly.

Xue Yang, “How about we stop taking turns from now on? Let’s switch.”

Xiao XingChen, “You’re only talking because it’s your turn today, right? How do you want to change it?”

Xue Yang, “Here. There are two sticks. If you choose the long one, you don’t have to go; if you choose the short one, you have to go. What do you think?”

After a moment of silence, Xue Yang laughed, “Yours is short. I win. You go!”

Xiao Xingchen said reluctantly, “Okay. I’ll go.”

It sounded like he finally stood up and started walking toward the door. Wei WuXian cheered, “  Good. Get out, quickly. Song Lan better catch him and run away as soon as he gets out.”

However, before he could go too far, Xue Yang said, “Go back. I’m leaving.”

Xiao XingChen, “Why do you want to leave now?”

Xue Yang stood up as well, “Are you stupid? I tricked you. I chose the shorter one. It’s just that I hid the longest stick behind me, so whichever stick you chose, I could grab the longer one. I was just taking advantage of you because you couldn’t see.”

She laughed at Xiao XingChen again and walked out holding the basket. A-Qing looked up at the trembling Song Lan. Song Lan didn’t understand why she was so angry. Song Lan motioned for her to be quiet. After the two had walked a little further, Song Lan began to ask A-Qing about the details, “This man, when did Xing… when did Daozhang save him?”

His tone was serious. A-Qing understood that the situation was serious, and she answered seriously, “It’s been a long time, several years.”

Song Lan, “Daozhang never knew who he was?”

A-Qing, “No.”

Song Lan, “What has he done during his stay at daozhang?”

A-Qing, “Joking, bullying, scaring, and… Oh, he also night hunts with Daozhang!”

Song Lan frowned, thinking Xue Yang might not be so kind, “Night hunting? Night hunting, what kind? Do you know?”

A-Qing didn’t dare act rashly. After thinking for a moment, she replied, “They used to hunt walking corpses at night. Now, they usually hunt ghosts, strangely acting animals, and so on.”

While investigating the matter, Song Lan also felt something was odd, but she couldn’t find any clues. She continued, “Is the daozhang close to him?”

Even though she didn’t want to admit it, A-Qing still confessed, “I think Daozhang was very unhappy being alone… He finally found someone who also cultivates… So, I think he kind of likes listening to that jerk joke around.”

Song Lan’s face was filled with both anger and devastation. Amidst the confusion, only one thing was certain:

He definitely couldn’t tell Xiao XingChen about this!

He warned, “Don’t tell the daozhang anything unnecessary.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he walked in the direction Xue Yang had left. A-Qing asked, “Daozhang, are you going to beat up that bastard?”

Song Lan was already far away from him. Wei WuXian thought,  More than just beating him up. He’s going to chop Xue Yang to pieces!

Xue Yang came out carrying a basket of vegetables. A-Qing knew which way to go if she wanted to buy vegetables. She took a shortcut and sprinted through a section of woods, her heart pounding. After chasing for a while, she finally saw Xue Yang ahead of her. He was holding a basket filled with cabbage, carrots, steamed buns, and other food in one hand. He walked with a lazy yawn. He was probably done shopping.

A-Qing had always been adept at hiding and eavesdropping. She snuck into the bushes beside the forest, moving alongside it. Suddenly, Song Lan’s cold voice rang out from in front of her, “Xue Yang.”

As if someone had poured a bucket of cold water on his face, or as if someone had slapped him awake from a deep sleep, Xue Yang’s expression instantly became terrifying.

Song Lan emerged from behind a tree. His sword was already drawn. He held it in his hand, the tip pointing toward the ground.

Xue Yang pretended to be surprised, “Oh, isn’t this Daozhang Song? What a rare guest. Are you here for a free meal?”

Song Lan lunged with his sword. Xue Yang immediately released Jiangzai from his sleeve, parried the attack, and took a few steps back. He placed the basket under a tree, “You damn cultivator. This is the first time I’ve actually wanted to go grocery shopping, and here you are, ruining my mood!”

In a rage, Song Lan’s attack was aimed at death. He shouted softly, “What exactly are you planning?! Why are you taking so long to hang around Xiao XingChen?!”

Xue Yang laughed, “And I was curious as to why Daozhang Song was still doing business with me. So you wanted to ask me about this.”

Song Lan raged, “Tell me! Why is a bastard like you so kind to help him hunt at night?!”

The sword wind hit his face. A cut appeared on Xue Yang’s cheek, but he wasn’t surprised at all. “How can Daozhang Song understand me so well?”

One of them fought with skills learned from a proper sect, while the other fought with experience from committing crimes. It was clear that Song Lan was more skilled than Xue Yang. His attack pierced Xue Yang’s arm. “Tell me!”

If the situation hadn’t been so alarming that Song Lan would have known what was going on, the sword might have pierced his neck instead of his arm. Even though Xue Yang was injured, his expression didn’t change at all. “Do you really want to hear it? I’m afraid you’ll go crazy. There are some things that shouldn’t be known.”

Song Lan’s voice was colder than before, “Xue Yang, my patience is running out!”

With a  clang  , Xue Yang deflected the attack aimed at his eyes. He replied, “Okay, if you really want to hear it. Do you know what your friend did? He killed countless undead. He cultivated for the common good, without asking for anything in return. It was truly touching. Although he gouged out his eyes for you and became blind, fortunately Shuanghua was able to display corpse energy for him. What’s even more amazing? I discovered that if you cut off the tongue of a corpse-poisoned person and make them unable to speak, Shuanghua also can’t distinguish between the living and the dead, so…”

He explained it in great detail. SongLan’s arms and sword trembled, “You monster… You vile monster…”

Xue Yang, “Daozhang Song, sometimes I feel like polite people like you are really at a disadvantage when they curse others, because those words are always repeated over and over again. There’s no power or creativity whatsoever. I haven’t used those two words to address anyone since I was seven.”

Song Lan was furious. She attacked again, this time aiming for his throat, “You forced his blindness and completely fooled him!”

The attack was swift and deadly. Xue Yang managed to dodge it, but it still stabbed him in the shoulder. As if feeling nothing, he didn’t even flinch. “His blindness? Daozhang Song, have you forgotten for whom he gouged out his own eyes and became blind?”

Hearing this, Song Lan’s face and movements stiffened. 

Xue Yang continued, “What position are you in that you dare to blame me? His friend? Are you so shameless as to claim to be his friend? Hahahaha, Daozhang Song, need I remind you of what you said to Xiao XingChen after I wiped out Baixue Temple? When he was worried about you and wanted to help you, what kind of expression did you show him? What did you say?”

Song Lan was in a bad state of mind, “I! At that time, I…”

Xue Yang interrupted him, “At that time, you were upset? You were hurt? You were grieving? You didn’t know where to vent your anger? And that’s why you took it out on him? Honestly, the reason I destroyed your temple was precisely because of him. It’s quite understandable why you took it out on him. In fact, that was exactly what I wanted.”

Every sentence is a critical strike!

Both Xue Yang’s words and attacks were getting faster. His movements became quieter and harder to defend against, he was slowly gaining control of the situation, but Song Lan was completely oblivious. Xue Yang added, “Now then! Who said ‘from now on, we don’t need to see each other anymore’? Wasn’t it you, Daozhang Song? He listened to your request and disappeared after gouging out his eyes for you, but why are you coming to him now? Isn’t this making things a bit too difficult for him? Daozhang Xiao XingChen, do you agree?”

Hearing this, Song Lan faltered. Her attack hesitated!

Having been fooled by such a simple trick, it was clear that Song Lan’s thoughts and movements were completely disrupted by Xue Yang. Seizing such a perfect opportunity, with a wave of his hand, corpse poison powder rained down from above.

No one had ever seen such meticulously prepared corpse poison powder before, including Song Lan. He accidentally inhaled a large amount. Song Lan immediately coughed, realizing that he was in a bad situation. However, Xue Yang’s Jiangzai had been waiting for him. With a cold flash of the sword’s tip, the powder shot straight into his mouth!

Instantly, Wei WuXian’s vision turned pitch black. A-Qing was so frightened that she closed her eyes.

But, he already knew. That was when Song Lan’s tongue was cut off by Jiangzai. 

The sound is scary.

A-Qing’s eyes felt warm, but she clenched her teeth tightly, not making a sound. Her eyes flickered open again. Song Lan managed to stay standing, leaning on her sword. With her other hand, she covered her mouth. Blood seeped steadily from between her fingers.

His tongue cut off by Xue Yang’s sudden attack, Song Lan was in so much pain that he couldn’t even walk. However, he still pulled his sword out of the ground and staggered toward Xue Yang. Xue Yang dodged the attack easily, a strange smile on his face.

The next moment, Wei WuXian understood why he was smiling like that.

Shuanghua’s silver gaze pierced Song Lan’s chest, then exited out his back.

Song Lan stared at the Shuanghua sword that had pierced her heart, then slowly looked up again. She saw Xiao Xingchen holding the sword calmly.

Xiao XingChen was completely oblivious to the situation, “Are you there?”

Song Lan moved her lips silently.

Xue Yang grinned, “Right. Why are you here?”

Xiao XingChen took out Shuanghua and returned it to its sheath, “Shuanghua was acting strangely. I followed her instructions and came to take a look.” He wondered, “It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a walking corpse in this area, let alone one wandering alone. Did she come from somewhere else?”

Perlahan, Song Lan berlutut di hadapan Xiao XingChen.

Xue Yang glanced at him, “Maybe. His voice is terrible.”

At that time, if Song Lan had handed his sword to Xiao Xingchen, Xiao Xingchen would have instantly known who he was. He could recognize his friend’s sword with just a touch.

However, Song Lan couldn’t take it anymore. Would he hand the sword over to Xiao Xingchen, telling him who he had just killed with his own hands?

This was what Xue Yang wanted, so he had nothing to fear. He turned to Xiao XingChen, “Let’s go. Time to cook dinner. I’m starving.”

Xiao XingChen, “Have you bought the vegetables?”

Xue Yang, “Yep. I hit this thing on the way home. Bad day.”

Xiao Xingchen left first. Xue Yang patted the wounds on his shoulder and arm. He picked up another basket and, as he passed Song Lan, smiled and bowed, “No food for you.”

After Xue Yang had long since left and had probably arrived at the coffin house with Xiao XingChen, A-Qing finally stood up from behind the bushes.

Both of his legs were numb from squatting for so long. Holding his cane, he limped and staggered toward Song Lan, whose kneeling body was already stiff.

Song Lan’s death was far from peaceful. A-Qing gasped, her eyes wide open. Then, as she watched the blood spill from Song Lan’s mouth, trickle down his chin, stain the front of his shirt, and pool on the ground, large tears welled up in her eyes.

Despite her fear, A-Qing reached out to cover Song Lan’s eyes. She then knelt in front of him and clasped her hands together, “Daozhang, don’t blame me or the other daozhang. If I go out, I’ll die too, so I have to hide and can’t help you. The other daozhang were also tricked by that bastard. He didn’t do it on purpose. He didn’t know it was you he killed!”

She continued to sob, “I will return. Please, may your departed spirit bless me so I can bring Daozhang Xiao XingChen out of there, bless us so we can escape the devil’s control. I must not let that monster Xue Yang die in peace. I must dismember him so he will never reincarnate again!”

After his speech, he kowtowed three times heavily to the ground. He wiped his face roughly, stood up, cheered himself up, and walked towards Yi City.

The sky was already dark when she returned to the coffin house. Xue Yang was peeling apples at the table. Cutting all the apple slices into rabbit-sized pieces, he seemed in a very good mood. Anyone who saw him would think he was a lively young man. No one would be able to imagine what he had just done. Hearing her arrival, Xiao XingChen came out with a plate of cabbage in his hands, “A-Qing, where did you go today? It’s so late.”

As he glanced at her, something suddenly crossed Xue Yang’s eyes, “What’s wrong? Her eyes are so swollen.”

Xiao Xingchen rushed over, “What’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”

Xue Yang, “Bully him? Who could bully him?”

Although she was smiling broadly, she was clearly starting to get suspicious. Suddenly, A-Qing threw the bamboo stick to the ground and began to wail.

She sobbed, her eyes watering and her nose running. Almost choking, she ran into Xiao XingChen’s arms, “Am I ugly? Am I ugly? Daozhang, you have to tell me. Am I really that ugly?”

Xiao XingChen stroked her head, “Of course not. A-Qing is such a beautiful girl. Who said you’re ugly?”

Xue Yang commented disparagingly, “You’re so ugly. You’re even uglier when you cry.”

Xiao XingChen rebuked, “Don’t say that.”

A-Qing cried even harder. She stomped her feet, “Yah, Daozhang, you can’t see! What’s the point of you saying I’m beautiful? You must be lying! He can see. He said I’m ugly, so I must be ugly! Ugly and blind!”

From all the commotion, the two of them naturally believed that some kids had called her “ugly pants” or “white-eyed blind girl” while she was outside today, and were frustrated. Xue Yang retorted, “You came home crying just because they said you’re ugly? Where did your usual unreasonable rudeness go?”

A-Qing, “I’m not rude! Daozhang, do you still have money?”

With a pause, Xiao XingChen replied embarrassedly, “Uh… I guess so.”

Xue Yang interrupted, “I can lend it to you.”

A-Qing spat, “You’ve been living and eating with us for so long, and you still call it a ‘loan’ if we use some of your money! You’re so stingy! You’re shameless! Daozhang, I want to buy some pretty clothes and jewelry. Can you come with me?”

Wei WuXian thought to himself,  So he wants to take Xiao XingChen out of here. But if Xue Yang wants to come along, what should he do?

Xiao XingChen, “Of course you can, but I can’t help you see if it suits you or not.”

Xue Yang interrupted again, “I can help him.”

A-Qing jumped so high that she almost hit Xiao XingChen in the chin, “I don’t care, I don’t care! I only want you! I don’t want him around me at all. He’ll just call me ugly! And he’ll call me Little Blind!”

This wasn’t the first time he’d acted so irrationally. They were both used to it. Xue Yang grimaced at him, while Xiao XingChen agreed, “Okay. How about tomorrow?”

A-Qing, “Tonight!”

Xue Yang, “If you go tonight, all the markets will be closed. Where else can you go?”

Having no other choice, A-Qing gave in, “Okay! Tomorrow then! Promise!”

Having failed on the first try, if she still begged to leave, Xue Yang would surely become suspicious again. A-Qing could only forget about the matter for now and went to the dining table. During the previous commotion, although her appearance was the same as before, appearing more than natural, her stomach had been tightly clenched. She was so nervous that, even now, the hand she used to hold her bowl was still trembling. Xue Yang was sitting directly to her left. When he glanced at her, her legs stiffened again. Because she was too afraid to eat anything, she easily pretended that she was too angry to have an appetite. She spat out her food with every bite. Stabbing at her bowl, she muttered and cursed, “You damned bitch. You filthy maid. Well, I guess you’re no better, bitch!”

Listening to her curse at the non-existent “dirty waiter”, Xue Yang couldn’t help but roll his eyes, while Xiao XingChen said, “Don’t waste food.”

Xue Yang’s gaze shifted from A-Qing to Xiao XingChen’s face. Wei WuXian thought,  it was no wonder the little brat could imitate Xiao XingChen so accurately. After all, they sat across from each other every day. He must have had plenty of time to think about it.

However, Xiao XingChen was completely oblivious to the two pairs of eyes staring at him. After all, he was the only person in the room who was truly blind.

After finishing, Xiao Xingchen cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks and returned to the living room. Unable to sit or stand still, A-Qing wanted to follow her in, but Xue Yang suddenly called out, “A-Qing.”

A-Qing’s heart skipped a beat. Even Wei WuXian felt a chill run down his spine.

He replied, “Why are you suddenly calling my name?!”

Xue Yang, “Didn’t you say yourself that you don’t want to be called Little Blind?”

A-Qing snorted, “People won’t suddenly be nice to others, unless they’re hiding other intentions! What do you want, really?”

Xue Yang smiled, “It’s okay, really. I just wanted to teach you what to do when someone curses you.”

A-Qing, “Huh. Then tell me. What should I do?”

Xue Yang, “If someone calls you ugly, make them even uglier. Cut their face a few dozen times so they won’t dare to come out again. If someone calls you blind, carve one end of your stick sharp, and stab it once in both eyes so they’ll also go blind. Then, see if they dare to badmouth you again.”

A-Qing’s blood ran cold. She pretended as if she thought the man was scaring her, “You scared me again!”

Xue Yang snorted, “Fine, think what you want.”

After finishing, he pushed a plate of rabbit-shaped apple slices in front of her, “Eat up.”

Looking at the plate filled with those beautiful and tender pieces, disgust filled A-Qing and Wei WuXian’s hearts.

The next day, as soon as they woke up, A-Qing begged Xiao XingChen to come shopping for pretty clothes and makeup. Xue Yang was annoyed, “If you two go, I have to buy food again today?”

A-Qing, “Why can’t you buy it? Just think how many times Daozhang has bought it! You’re the one who always bullies and makes fun of Daozhang!”

Xue Yang, “Okay, okay. I’ll buy it. I’ll go now.”

After she left, Xiao XingChen asked, “A-Qing, are you still not ready? Can we go now?”

A-Qing only entered after confirming that Xue Yang was long gone. She closed the door and asked in a trembling voice, “Daozhang, do you know someone named Xue Yang?”

Translator’s Notes

Temple  : The storyline “Once upon a time there was a mountain and on the mountain there was a temple” comes from a classic Chinese nursery rhyme often used by adults to lull children to sleep.

Enlightenment  : This means that he has attained immortality, which every cultivator aspires to achieve.

Shibo  : Ini mirip dengan shishu. Shishu merujuk pada shidi orang tua, sedangkan shibo merujuk pada shixiong orang tua.

Scholars  : In Ancient China, there was a time when scholars were highly frowned upon, primarily due to their association with poverty.