Chapter 61 Crime—Part One

“Ahhhhhhh…!!!”

Wang LingJiao jumped out of bed screaming. Wen Chao, who had been reading a letter by the table, slammed the table angrily, “What are you crying about in the middle of the night?!”

Wang LingJiao gasped for breath as if she still couldn’t get over the shock, “I… I dreamed of  Wei  again, I dreamed of him again!”

Wen Chao, “It’s been three months since I threw her into the Burial Mound. Why are you still dreaming about her? How many times has it been?!”

Wang LingJiao, “I… I don’t know why either. I’ve been dreaming about him a lot lately.”

Wen Chao was already irritated when he read the letter. He didn’t have time to pay attention to her. He wasn’t as fond of hugging and comforting her as he used to be. He said impatiently, “Then don’t sleep!”

She got up from the bed and threw herself onto Wen Chao’s desk, “Young Master Wen, I… The more I think about it, the more afraid I become. I feel… back then, did we make a huge mistake? … He was thrown into the Burial Mound, but could it be that he didn’t die? Could it be that he…”

The veins on Wen Chao’s temples throbbed, “How is that possible? Before this, how many cultivators did our sect send to clear the Burial Mounds? Did any of them return alive? Now that he’s been thrown in, his corpse is probably already rotting.”

Wang LingJiao, “It’s scary even if he’s dead! If he really does what he says and becomes a vicious ghost and comes back to haunt us…”

As they talked, they both remembered that day, what Wei Ying looked like when she fell, and what her expression was. They both shivered involuntarily.

Wen Chao immediately denied it, “It’s impossible even if he’s dead! The souls of those who die in the Burial Mound are all bound there. Don’t scare yourself. Can’t you see I’m upset?!”

He crumpled the letter in his hand into a ball and threw it, his voice filled with hatred, “What Sunshot Campaign? That Sunshot. Want to shoot down the sun? Dream on!”

Wang LingJiao stood up. She carefully poured him a cup of tea. She silently thought of some flattering words before saying in a sweet voice, “Young Master Wen, those sects can only continue doing as they please for a few more days. Sect Leader Wen will definitely…”

Wen Chao cursed, “Shut up! What do you know?! Go away, don’t bother me anymore!”

Wang LingJiao felt wronged, but she also felt resentment. She put down her teacup. After tidying her hair and robes, she walked out with a smile.

Just as he was about to leave the door, the smile on his face faded. He opened the ball of paper in his hand. At that moment, when he went out, he secretly picked up the letter that Wen Chao had thrown away. He wanted to know what news Wen Chao had received to the point that he was so annoyed. He couldn’t read it well. After looking at it for a while, he finally guessed the contents of the letter: Sect Leader Wen’s eldest son, Wen Chao’s older brother Wen Xu, had been beheaded by one of the prominent sect leaders of the dissidents and displayed on the tip of a sword as a sign of power in front of the battle line!

Wang LingJiao membeku.

The Gusu Lan Sect was burned, the Yunmeng Jiang Sect was destroyed, and many other sects, both large and small, were suppressed. It wasn’t that there were no voices of resistance, but they were always swiftly suppressed by the Qishan Wen Sect. For this reason, three months ago, the Jin, Nie, Lan, and Jiang Sects formed an alliance and led a rebellion. When they emerged under the banner of the ‘Sunshot Campaign’, no one took them seriously.

Sect Leader Wen spoke up at that moment. Among the four sects, the LanlingJin Sect was in a state of hesitation—witnessing how all the sects were furiously going on the expedition, it wanted to join in as well, but if it suffered more defeats than victories, it would soon realize that it was pointless, perhaps even returning to hug Sect Leader Wen’s feet and worship him once more; the sect leader of the QingheNie Sect was so rigid that it would easily snap in two—before long, there would be no need for anyone else to move and he would die at the hands of his own people sooner or later; the GusuLan Sect had already burned to ruins—although Lan XiChen was here to inherit the position of sect leader after he moved the Library Pavilion, he was only a junior and could do little; the most laughable was the YunmengJiang Sect, whose people had been killed or scattered, leaving only Jiang Cheng, who was younger than Lan XiChen and still a child born yesterday, who had no one in his hands but still dared to call himself sect leader, waving the banner of rebellion as he recruited new followers.

It can be summed up in two words: underpromising and overconfident!

Everyone on the Wen Sect’s side considered the Sunshot Campaign a joke. However, three months later, things were completely different!

Many places in Hejian and Yunmeng had been captured, but that wasn’t the most important thing. Today, even Sect Leader Wen’s eldest son had been beheaded.

In the hall, Wang LingJiao was a little worried. Feeling uneasy, she returned to her room. Her eyelids kept twitching. One hand rubbed her eyelids, while the other pressed against her chest, trying to think of a way out.

She had been following Wen Chao for almost half a year. Half a year was the longest he could spend with a woman, going from loving her to being bored with her. She thought he was different, that he was the only one who could endure until the end. However, Wen Chao’s growing annoyance over the past few days had told her. She was no different from other women.

Wang LingJiao bit her lip, thinking for a moment. Then she crouched down and pulled out a small chest from under her bed.

The chest contained all the valuables and weapons he had accumulated during his half-year by Wen Chao’s side. Valuables he could spend, weapons he could use to protect himself. Though he didn’t want it, the day had finally arrived.

He wanted to count how much was in his inventory. He took out a small key from his belt and muttered as he unlocked it, “You trashy man. You were going to die sooner or later. Now that I don’t have to serve you anymore, I should be the one who’s happy… Ah!”

He fell to the ground.

At that moment, when he opened the chest, he saw what was inside.

None of his beloved possessions,

 just a pale, curled up child!

Wang LingJiao was so shocked that she screamed. Stamping her feet, she couldn’t help but retreat. She always kept the chest locked. The only key she always carried was the key. How could there be a child inside? She didn’t even open it once a month. If there was a child hiding inside, how could she not know? How could the child still be alive?!

He had kicked the box. His mouth was on the ground and his butt was facing this way. For a moment, nothing happened.

Wang LingJiao crawled up from the ground with trembling legs. She wanted to go closer and take another look, but she didn’t dare, thinking to herself,  There’s a ghost, there’s a ghost!

His cultivation was extremely low. He wouldn’t be able to deal with it even if there were ghosts. Suddenly, he remembered that this was the supervisor’s office. Talismans were stuck outside the gate and every house. If there were ghosts, they would definitely be able to protect him. He immediately rushed out, tore off the talisman tucked outside his room, and stuck it in front of his chest.

With the amulet on his body, his mind seemed at ease. He slipped into the room, found a long coat hanger, and turned the chest upside down. Inside, his treasures were neatly stored. There was no child in sight.

Wang LingJiao breathed a sigh of relief. With her stick in hand, she crouched down. Just as she was about to start counting, she suddenly noticed two white lights shining under her bed.

That’s a pair of eyes.

A white-skinned child lay prone under his bed, staring into his eyes.

This was the third time tonight that Wen Chao had heard Wang LingJiao scream. The fire inside him grew even stronger as he shouted, “You bitch! You’re too neurotic, can’t you just let me have a little peace of mind?”

If it weren’t for the constant intrusion of annoying news these past few days, and him not having the time to look for new beauties, afraid of encountering dishonest and untrustworthy female assassins from those small sects, but still wanting someone to warm his bed, he would have sent the woman away long ago. Wen Chao shouted, “Whoever! Tell her to shut up for me!”

No one answered. Wen Chao kicked the bench. He became even angrier, “Where are you all going?!”

Suddenly, the door opened. Wen Chao, “I told you, shut up that bitch, don’t come in…”

As he turned around, part of his sentence caught in his throat. He saw a woman standing in front of his house.

The woman’s face was distorted, as if it had been smashed and then put back together. Her eyes were staring in different directions, up and down, left and right. Her entire face was horribly distorted.

Wen Chao struggled to recognize her from beneath her slightly open robes. It was Wang LingJiao!

Wang LingJiao’s throat gurgled. She took a few steps towards him and reached out, “…Help… Help… Help me…”

Wen Chao shouted. He drew his new sword and slashed at her, “Get lost! Get lost!”

Wang LingJiao’s shoulder was severely injured by the sword. Her expression became increasingly tense as she screamed, “Ahhh… It hurts, ahhhh… It hurts, ahhhh!!!”

Wen Chao didn’t even dare to draw his sword. He grabbed a stool and threw it at Wen Chao. After hitting Wen Chao, the stool shattered into pieces. Wang LingJiao staggered before kneeling and falling to the ground, as if kowtowing, muttering, “…Forgive me… Forgive me… Let me go, let me go, let me go…”

As her head hit the ground, blood dripped from her qiqiao. Because Wen Chao was blocking the entrance, she couldn’t get out. She could only open the window and scream at the top of her lungs, “Wen ZhuLiu! Wen ZhuLiu!!!”

On the ground, Wang LingJiao had already picked up one of the stool legs, frantically stuffing it into her mouth, laughing, “Alright, alright, I’ll eat it, I’ll eat it! Haha, I’ll eat it!”

The entire leg section has been filled by him!

Wen Chao nearly died of shock. Just as he was about to jump out the window and escape, he suddenly noticed that in the courtyard, a black figure was standing on the ground, amidst a pool of moonlight.

At the same time.

Jiang Cheng stood in front of the forest. Noticing someone approaching, he turned his head slightly. The person was dressed entirely in white. He wore a forehead ribbon, the ends swept back along with his hair. His face, more handsome than anything else, was as white as jade. Under the moonlight, his entire body seemed to be enveloped in a soft glow.

Jiang Cheng spoke in a cold voice, “Second Young Master Lan.”

Lan Wangji’s expression was serious. He nodded, “Sect Leader Jiang.”

After the two acknowledged each other, they said nothing more. Each carrying their own cultivator, they flew away on their swords in silence.

Two months ago, the Two Jade Lans teamed up in a surprise attack with Jiang Cheng. They retrieved the swords collected from their respective sects’ disciples in Wen Chao’s ‘indoctrination sector’ and returned them to their owners. Only then did Sandu and Bichen return to them.

Lan Wangji’s bright eyes glanced at the other sword at Jiang Cheng’s waist. He averted his gaze.

A moment later, staring straight ahead, he asked, “Is Wei Ying still not showing up?”

Jiang Cheng looked at her, as if surprised by her sudden question about Wei Ying. He replied, “No.”

He looked at the Suibian hanging from his waist, “My people still haven’t heard from him. But when he returns, he’ll definitely find me. Once he appears, I’ll give him his sword.”

Soon, leading a group of cultivators, the two arrived at the surveillance office where Wen Chao was hiding, preparing for a night raid. Before they entered, Lan WangJi’s face stiffened. Jiang Cheng frowned.

Dark and hateful energy was almost spilling out of the place.

However, the talismans on both sides of the door remained intact. Jiang Cheng signaled his cultivators to scatter and hide behind the walls. On the other hand, he swung Sandu. Sword energy struck and shattered the door.

Before entering, Lan WangJi’s eyes scanned the talisman beside the door.

The scene inside the surveillance office was more than horrific.

In the courtyard, bodies were lying everywhere. Not only there, the bushes, alleys, fences, even the roofs were filled with bodies.

All the corpses were dressed in sun robes. They were disciples of the Wen Sect. Using Sandu, Jiang Cheng turned one of the corpses over and saw streaks of blood crisscrossing its pale face. “Bleeding from the qi qiao.”

Lan WangJi stood on the other side, “This one doesn’t.”

Jiang Cheng walked over. He saw that the corpse’s eyes were closed. Its face was mangled. Yellow bile dripped from its mouth. He was scared to death.

One of the students below him reported, “Chairman Secretary General, we’ve finished the examination. Everyone is dead. And, each body died in a different way.”

Strangled, burned, drowned, poisoned, frozen, slit in the throat, stabbed in the head… After Jiang Cheng finished listening, he spoke in a cold tone, “It seems like there is something else that helped us complete the task tonight.”

Lan Wangji didn’t say anything, he was the first to enter the house.

The door to Wen Chao’s room was wide open. Only a single female corpse remained inside. She was wearing thin clothing. Half a stool leg had been stuffed down her throat. She had committed suicide by forcing the stool leg into her stomach.

Jiang Cheng turned the corpse’s twisted face over. After observing it for a moment, he let out a cold laugh. Grasping the leg of the stool, he inserted it into the woman’s mouth, somehow managing to fit the half that was outside inside her as well.

Eyes red, he stood up. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Lan WangJi standing in front of the door, contemplating something. He walked over. Following Lan WangJi’s gaze, he saw a yellow and red talisman stick stuck in the door.

Although the amulet does not appear to be any different at first glance, upon closer inspection, one will discover some small spots that cause a lot of discomfort.

Lan WangJi, “Too much.”

Jiang Cheng became stern, “As expected.”

They were able to memorize the technique for drawing this type of residential talisman by the time they were fifteen or sixteen. However, among the dark red scribbles on the talisman, there appeared to be several additional brushstrokes. These brushstrokes completely transformed the talisman’s pattern. Now, upon closer inspection, the talisman affixed to the door resembled a face, smiling eerily.

Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu’s bodies were not found in the surveillance office. Speculating that they had fled towards Qishan, Jiang Cheng immediately led his men out of the abandoned surveillance office and pursued them with swords. However, Lan Wangji returned to Gusu first.

The second day, Lan Wangji finally caught up with Jiang Cheng. He took out the talisman he had brought earlier, “This talisman has been reversed.”

Jiang Cheng, “Upside down? What do you mean upside down?”

Lan WangJi, “Ordinary amulets repel evil. This amulet attracts them.”

Jiang Cheng was shocked, “A talisman… can attract evil? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

Lan WangJi, “It’s indeed unheard of. However, based on testing, it has been proven to have the ability to attract evil.”

Jiang Cheng took the amulet and examined it carefully, “Just a few brush strokes added, and the entire function of the amulet was reversed? Is this human work?”

Lan WangJi, “Four brushstrokes were added. They were drawn using human blood. All the talismans in the supervision office have been changed. The strokes came from the same person.”

Jiang Cheng, “Then who is this person? Among all the famous cultivators, I have never heard of anyone who could do such a thing.” 

Immediately after, he continued, “But no matter who they are, it doesn’t matter as long as their goal is the same as ours—to kill all of Wen’s dogs!”

The two of them headed north according to the information. Everywhere they went, they heard reports of strange corpses appearing there. All of the corpses were cultivators of the Wen Sect, dressed in sun robes. They were all high-ranking and possessed profound cultivation. However, they all died in various gruesome ways, and they were all left in public for everyone to see. 

Jiang Cheng, “Do you think these people were also killed by that person?”

Lan WangJi, “The dark energy is quite heavy. It should have been done by the same person.”

Jiang Cheng snorted, “Dark? In this world, is there anything darker than Wen’s dogs?!”

They continued their pursuit until late into the fourth night. The two finally spotted Wen Zhuliu at a courier post in a remote mountain town.

The courier station was two stories high. A stable was right next to the building. When Lan WangJi and Jiang Cheng arrived, they happened to see a tall figure rush in and lock the door behind him. Afraid of Wen ZhuLiu’s “Essence-Melting Hands,” the two decided not to alert the enemy and jumped onto the roof instead of entering through the door. Jiang Cheng suppressed the hatred welling up within him. Gritting his teeth, he stared unblinkingly down through the gaps between the roof tiles.

Wen Zhuliu looked as if he were traveling. He held another figure in his arms. As if dragging his feet, he walked up to the second floor and placed the figure beside the table. He then ran to all the windows and closed the curtains to prevent even a breeze from entering. Finally, he returned to the table and lit the oil lamp.

The dim light illuminated his face. His face was still pale, still cold, but two deep dark circles were visible under his eyes. Another person near the table was completely covered. Even his face was hidden behind a cloak. As if in a fragile cocoon, the person shivered beneath the cloak, gasping for breath as he suddenly exclaimed, “Don’t turn on the light! What if he finds us?!”

Lan Wangji looked up and exchanged glances with Jiang Cheng. Both of them were equally confused.

This person must be Wen Chao. But how could Wen Chao’s voice be like this? So thin and sharp, that it didn’t sound like Wen Chao at all?

Wen Zhuliu lowered his head and rummaged through his sleeves. “If we don’t turn on the lights, won’t he be able to find us?”

Wen Chao panted, “W-We’ve run so far, for so long. H-He shouldn’t be able to catch up to us, right?”

Wen ZhuLiu looked indifferent, “Maybe.”

Wen Chao grumbled, “What do you mean maybe?! If we haven’t managed to escape from him, why did you stop?!”

Wen ZhuLiu, “You need ointment. Otherwise, you will surely die.”

As he spoke, he took off Wen Chao’s robe. The two people on the roof were shocked.

Under the robe, what was visible was not Wen Chao’s proud and handsome face, but a bald head wrapped in bandages!

Wen Zhuliu peeled off the bandages layer by layer, revealing the bald man’s skin. Scars and burns were scattered all over his face, making him look like he had been cooked. Ugly, hideous, they couldn’t see a trace of his former self!

Wen ZhuLiu took out a medicine bottle. She gave him a few round pills first before taking out some ointment and applying it to the burn marks on his head and face. Wen Chao groaned in pain, but Wen ZhuLiu stopped him, “Don’t cry. Otherwise, tears will cause the wounds to fester and worsen the pain.”

Wen Chao could only hold back his tears, unable to even cry. Under the flickering firelight, a bald, burnt man scrunched up his face, strange, muffled sounds coming from his mouth. The fire was nearly extinguished, a dim yellow. The sight was truly terrifying.

Suddenly, Wen Chao shouted, “Flute! Flute! What is a flute?! I heard him playing the flute again!”

Wen ZhuLiu, “Bukan! Itu angin.”

However, Wen Chao was so frightened that he fell to the ground, wailing. Wen Zhuliu carried him back. Something seemed to have happened to Wen Chao’s leg, and he couldn’t walk on his own.

After Wen Zhuliu finished applying the ointment, he took out some buns from his collar and placed one in her hand, “Eat some. We’ll continue after you’re done.”

With trembling hands, Wen Chao cupped it and took a bite. Seeing this, Jiang Cheng remembered how much he and Wei WuXian had suffered while they were escaping. They hadn’t even had food. Such a situation was truly karma!

His heart was filled with joy, the corners of his hair stood up and he laughed out loud but was speechless.

Suddenly, Wen Chao looked as if he had just bitten into something that made him react with a terrified expression. He threw the bun away and shouted, “I don’t want to eat meat! I don’t want to! I don’t want to! I don’t want to eat meat!”

Wen ZhuLiu gave him another one, “This one is not meat.”

Wen Chao, “I don’t want to eat! Take it away! Get lost! I’m going to find my father. When can we see my father again?!”

Wen ZhuLiu, “At this rate, two more days.”

Her words were quite honest, without any emphasis or pretense. However, that honesty actually tormented Wen Chao. “Two days? Two days?! Do you see how I am now? If I wait two more days, what will happen to me then?! You useless bastard!”

Wen ZhuLiu suddenly stood up. Wen Chao gasped in fear. He had thought he was going to escape alone, and was immediately terrified. All the guards were dying before him one by one. Wen ZhuLiu was his strongest and last support. He quickly changed his words, “No, no, no, Wen ZhuLiu, Brother Wen! Don’t go, don’t leave me. If you can bring me back to my father, I’ll let you be promoted to the highest level of guest cultivator! No, no, no, you saved me, so you’re my brother—I’ll let you be recognized by him as a member of the main clan! From now on, you’ll be my big brother!”

Wen ZhuLiu looked towards the stairs, “No need.”

It wasn’t just him who heard it; Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng heard it too. The sound of footsteps, one after another, came from the stairs of the courier station.

A person is climbing the stairs, step by step.

All the excess blood had drained from Wen Chao’s burned face. Trembling, he pulled his hands out of his robes and covered his face, as if he was so scared he wanted to cover his eyes in self-defense, pretending nothing had happened. On the other hand, both his palms were empty, without a single finger!

Knock, knock, knock.

The man slowly walked up. He was dressed in black. His body was slender, he held a flute at his waist, and his hands were behind his back.

On the rooftop, Lan WangJi and Jiang Cheng both pressed their hands to the hilts of their swords.

However, as the person climbed the stairs and turned around, with a smile on his face, Lan WangJi’s eyes opened wide, having seen that bright face before.

Translator’s Notes

Wei  : In full, this means “person with the surname Wei.” This expression is considered very impolite in China, although it is not always used among good friends in jest (in the joking wei).