Chapter 77: Twilight—Part Two

Translated by K from Exiled Rebels Scanlations 

In the past, only others asked him what to do. But now, he was the one asking others what to do, and no one could give him an answer.

Suddenly, Wei WuXian felt a faint pain on the side of his neck, as if he had been stabbed by a sharp needle. He felt his entire body go numb. Caught off guard for a moment, he only realized what had happened after a while. Before he knew it, he was already sitting on the stone bed. At first, he could still raise his arms, but soon, they were slammed down onto the bed. He couldn’t move anymore.

With red eyes, Wen Qing slowly released her right hand, “… I’m sorry.”

With his speed, he shouldn’t have been able to launch an attack on Wei WuXian, but Wei WuXian was caught completely off guard. The pain made Wei WuXian feel a little at ease. His Adam’s apple bobbed before he opened his mouth, “What are you doing?”

Wen Qing and Wen Ning looked at each other. Standing before him, they saluted solemnly in unison. 

Seeing this, a bad feeling arose within Wei WuXian, “What are you going to do? What exactly are you doing?”

Wen Qing, “When you woke up, we were chatting. It seems we’ve come to a conclusion.”

Wei WuXian, “What are you talking about? Stop talking nonsense. Pull out the needle—let me go!”

Wen Ning slowly rose from the ground. His head was still bowed. “Big Brother and I have an agreement. We will go to Koi Tower to surrender.”

“Surrender yourself?” Wei WuXian was shocked, “How? Apologize? Surrender?”

Wen Qing rubbed her eyes, her expression calm, “Yes, more or less. While you were there, the LanlingJin Sect sent someone to deliver a few words at the Burial Mound.”

Wei WuXian, “Tell me a few words about what? Don’t say a single word. Say it all at once! Finish your explanation!”

Wen Qing, “The LanlingJin Sect wants you to give them an answer. The answer is to hand over the two remaining leaders of the Wen Sect, especially the Ghost General.”

“…” Wei WuXian, “I’m warning you both. Get this needle away from me right now.”

Wen Qing continued, “The remaining leaders of the Wen Sect—that’s us. According to them, if you hand us over, this incident will be considered over for the time being. After that, we’ll probably keep you bedridden for a few more days. The effects of the needles inside your bodies will wear off in three days. I’ve already discussed this with Uncle Four. He will keep an eye on you and let you out in case of emergency within three days.”

Wei WuXian raged, “You two can just shut up! Things are already a mess! Stop adding to my troubles. Surrender yourselves to me. Did I tell you to do this? Just spit it out!”

Wen Qing and Wen Ning stood still, their arms limp. Their silence remained the same. Wei WuXian was helpless. His struggles were futile, and no one was listening to him. Suddenly, his heart felt like it had lost its strength.

He couldn’t shout or move, and his voice was hoarse, “Why did you go to the Koi Tower? I was not the one who cursed it with the Hundred Holes at all…”

Wen Qing, “But they already determined that it was you.”

Wei WuXian tried his best to think of a way to resolve it. Suddenly, he remembered something, “Then let’s find out who actually cast the curse! Jin ZiXun must have gone to a curse expert. The most common way to deal with this curse is to counter it, letting the effects rebound back onto the person who cast it. Although not all of its power can be reflected, most of it can. We just need to find someone who has the same curse mark!”

Wen Qing, “It’s no use.”

Wei WuXian, “Why not?”

Wen Qing, “There are so many people—where are we supposed to find them? We should set up checkpoints on every street in every city and have everyone take off their clothes so we can search them?”

Wei WuXian protested, “Why not?”

Wen Qing, “Who is willing to set up this checkpoint for you? And how long do you plan to search for him? We might be able to find him after eight or ten years, but are those people willing to wait?”

Wei WuXian, “But there was no curse mark that bounced off me!”

Wen Qing, “During today’s incident, did they ask you any questions?”

Wei WuXian, “Tidak.”

Wen Qing, “That’s right. They didn’t ask. They just prepared to kill you. Do you understand now? They don’t need proof. They don’t need you to find out the truth, either. Whether or not you have a curse mark on your body doesn’t matter at all. You are the YiLing Patriarch, the King of the Demonic Path. You are skilled in dark curses, so it’s not strange that you don’t have a curse mark. Besides, you didn’t need to do it yourself. You could have just asked Wen-dog, your servant, to do it for you. After all, it’s you. You wouldn’t be able to deny it.”

Wei WuXian mengutuk.

Wen Qing waited quietly until he finished cursing, “So, you see? It’s useless. In this situation, the identity of the person who cast the Hundred Holes curse is no longer important. What matters is the fact that hundreds of people in the Qiongqi path and… Jin ZiXuan were indeed killed by A-Ning.”

Wei WuXian, “… Tapi, tapi…”

But what? He himself didn’t even know what to add after the word ‘but’. He couldn’t think of a reason to give, a justification to use.

He said, “… But even then, I should have been the one to leave. I was the one who made those corpses kill people. Why did the knife leave, not the killer?”

Wen Qing, “Isn’t it better like this?”

Wei WuXian, “Better in what way?!”

Wen Qing’s voice was calm, “Wei Ying, we both know. Wen Ning is a knife, a knife that scares them, but also a knife they use as an excuse to attack you. If we leave, without that knife, they won’t have an excuse anymore. This might all finally be over.”

Wei WuXian stared at him in shock. Suddenly, he let out a meaningless roar.

He finally understood why Jiang Cheng always expressed such intense anger towards certain things he did, why he always said that he had a hero complex, why he always seemed like he wanted to beat him up. Seeing someone else shoulder the responsibility no matter what, insisting on bearing all the negative consequences, and being completely unstoppable—that feeling was truly disgusting!

Wei WuXian, “Do you two understand? If you give up on Koi Tower—what will happen to you two, especially Wen Ning? Aren’t you the ones who love your little brother the most?”

Wen Qing, “Whatever happened to him, it was what he deserved.”

No. Wen Ning doesn’t deserve it at all. He deserves it.

Wen Qing, “Besides, we should have died a long time ago. These days are truly lucky for us.”

Wen Ning nodded.

She was always like this, nodding along to whatever others said, agreeing, and never objecting. Wei WuXian had never hated her nodding and obedience so much.

Wen Qing crouched beside the bed. While staring at his face, she suddenly reached out and flicked her finger on Wei WuXian’s forehead.

She used all her strength to wave her hand away. Wei WuXian frowned at the pain. Seeing this, Wen Qing’s mood seemed much better. “I’ve said what I wanted to say, explained everything, and said goodbye. Then, goodbye.”

Wei WuXian, “Tidak…” 

Wen Qing interrupted, “I’ve never said anything like that to you before. But since today has come, there are indeed some things I must say. I really won’t have time to say them after this.”

Wei WuXian whispered, “…Shut up… Let me go…”

Wen Qing, “Sorry. And thank you.”

Wei WuXian lied for three whole days.

Wen Qing’s calculations were correct. Three days. Not too early, not too late. She could move exactly three days later.

First his fingers, then his limbs, his neck… As the nearly frozen blood began to well up inside him once more, Wei WuXian jumped off the stairs and rushed out of the Demon-Slaying Cave.

The Wen Sect members also looked as if they hadn’t slept in three days. They sat silently inside the large hut, surrounding the tables. Wei WuXian didn’t even spare them a glance. Running as fast as he could, he dashed down the Burial Mound.

After descending the mountain, he stood among the bushes, catching his breath. Hunched over, he rested his hands on his knees for a long time before finally standing upright. However, looking at the wild grass that covered many of the mountain paths, he was at a loss for direction.

Burial Mound—he just came down from there.

Lotus Pier—he didn’t return for over a year.

Koi Tower? Three days had already passed. If he left now, only Wen Qing’s corpse and Wen Ning’s ashes would likely remain.

He stood there, frozen. Suddenly, he felt like the world no longer had room for him, no matter how vast it was. He didn’t know what to do.

Suddenly, a terrifying thought arose from the depths of his heart. For three days, he had repeatedly denied this thought, but it persisted, unwavering.

Wen Qing and Wen Ning left on their own. Perhaps, deep down, she felt relieved. Because of this, she no longer needed to be torn between choices. They had already made the choice for her and resolved her difficulties.

Wei WuXian raised his hand and slapped himself across the face. In a low voice, he snapped, “What are you thinking?!”

Her cheeks felt hot. She finally managed to suppress the terrifying thought. Instead, she thought to herself, no matter what, she had to at least bring back Brother Wen’s ashes.

And finally, he still ran towards the Koi Tower.

It wouldn’t be difficult for Wei WuXian to sneak in if he wanted to. The atmosphere in Koi Tower was eerily quiet. Surprisingly, there wasn’t a particularly strong line of defense as he had imagined. After searching everywhere, he found nothing suspicious.

Like a ghost, he roamed the palaces within Koi Tower. He hid when people were around; he walked when they weren’t. He didn’t know what he was looking for, or even how to find it. However, when he heard the sound of a baby crying, his footsteps suddenly stopped. A voice inside him urged him to walk toward the source of the sound.

The cry came from a large, lightless palace.

Wei WuXian slipped through the main door without making a sound. He peered through the delicate carvings on the wooden window.

A black coffin was placed in the hall. In front of the coffin, two women dressed in white knelt.

The woman on the left was slightly smaller. He could never mistake her for a figure. Throughout his childhood, he had been carried by this figure countless times.

It was Jiang Yan Li.

Kneeling on the futon, Jiang Yanli stared blankly at the coffin, so black it seemed to glow. The baby lay in her arms, still crying softly.

The woman on the right whispered, “… A-Li, you can stop sitting here. Take a break.”

Jiang Yanli shook her head. Mrs. Jin sighed.

The woman had a personality similar to her best friend, Mrs. Yu. She was very assertive, and her voice was always high. However, the few words she had just spoken sounded so low and harsh, making her appear to have aged drastically.

Mrs. Jin insisted, “I will stay here. You can’t sit here any longer. You won’t be able to hold out.”

Jiang Yanli said softly, “Mom, I’m fine. I want to sit a little longer.”

A moment later, Mrs. Jin stood up slowly, “You won’t be able to hold on if you keep this up. I’ll get you something to eat.”

He’d probably been sitting there for a while. His legs felt numb, and his body swayed slightly as he stood, but he quickly composed himself. He turned around. It was indeed his face that was somewhat hardened.

In Wei WuXian’s memory, Madam Jin had always been energetic and determined. She always wore an arrogant expression on her face, surrounded by a brilliant golden light. She maintained her youthful appearance quite well and looked quite young, perhaps even twenty years old. But now, before Wei WuXian stood a middle-aged woman dressed in white, her temples furrowed. She wore no makeup. Atop her pale face were a pair of chapped lips.

As she approached and was about to exit, Wei WuXian immediately darted. With a slight dip of his feet, he leaped onto the roof of the hallway just as Madam Jin exited. Madam Jin closed the door behind her. With a cold expression, she took a deep breath and adjusted the muscles of her face, as if trying to regain her usual graceful expression.

However, before he could even catch his breath, his eyes were already red. Back then, in front of Jiang YanLi, he had never shown any signs of sadness. However, as soon as he stepped out, the corners of his lips immediately curled into a frown. His face contorted, and he began to tremble.

This was the second time Wei WuXian had seen such an unsightly, yet desperate expression on a woman’s face.

He really didn’t want to see that kind of expression again.

Unconsciously, Wei WuXian clenched his fists, but his knuckles cracked loudly. Hearing this, Madam Jin glared, “Who’s there?!”

Looking up, she saw Wei WuXian hiding behind one of the eaves. Madam Jin’s eyesight was sharp. She saw the figures sinking into the darkness, and her face immediately grimaced. She shouted in a shrill voice, “Everyone! Come on, everyone! Wei Ying—he’s here! He’s sneaked into Koi Tower!”

Wei WuXian jumped down from the roof. Suddenly, he heard a series of hurried footsteps. Someone rushed out of the palace. He could only run.

At this moment, he didn’t dare to look at Jiang YanLi, not even a single expression, and not even a single word!

After leaving Koi Tower and Lanling City, Wei WuXian lost his bearings once again. He wandered aimlessly, his mind clouded. He didn’t stop even once. He didn’t know how many cities he had passed when he suddenly saw a group of people gathered around the city gates. They were having a heated and animated discussion.

Wei WuXian intended to ignore these people, but as he walked past, he happened to hear the words ‘Ghost General’. He immediately stopped, focusing on the conversation.

“That Ghost General is indeed fierce… He said he was there to surrender, but suddenly he became enraged. He massacred again, this time at Koi Tower.”

“Luckily I didn’t go that day!”

“He’s a dog trained by Wei WuXian. No wonder he bites anyone who gets in his way.”

“Wei Ying, he shouldn’t have created it if he couldn’t control it. He created a mad dog and didn’t restrain it. Sooner or later, he’ll face qi deviation. With the current situation, I doubt that day will come too soon.”

Wei WuXian listened quietly, the muscles in his face and fingers twitching slightly.

“What a misfortune for the LanlingJin Sect.”

“The situation is even worse for the GusuLan Sect! More than half of those thirty or so people are from their sect. They’re clearly only there to help calm things down.”

“It’s a good thing the Ghost General was eventually burned. Otherwise, just the thought of such a creature roaming around outside, occasionally going on a rampage, would be enough to give me nightmares.”

Someone spat, “That’s the end all Wen dogs should have!”

“The Ghost General is almost completely burned to the ground. This time, Wei WuXian should know what’s going on, right? I heard that many of the sect leaders who will be attending the oath conference have already spoken. That’s amazing!”

The longer Wei WuXian listened, the colder his expression became.

He should have understood this long ago. No matter what he did, not a single kind word would come out of these people’s mouths. When he won, others feared; when he lost, others rejoiced.

He’s been on a tortuous path, so what exactly does his persistence all these years mean? What exactly is it for?

However, the colder his gaze became, the greater the fire that burned in his heart.

One of the group members cheered, as if he had made a major contribution to this, “Yeah, great! It’s fine if he obediently cowers inside that damn mountain from now on. If he dares to appear outside again? Ha, once he comes out, I’ll…”

“What are you going to do?”

In the midst of their heated conversation, the men stopped in unison. They all turned their heads.

They saw a pale young man in a black robe standing behind them, two dark circles under his eyes, his voice cold, “If he dares to come out, what will you do?”

Those with sharp eyes saw a bright red-fringed flute hanging from the young man’s waist. They immediately gasped and exclaimed, “Chenqing, it’s Chenqing!”

The YiLing Patriarch, Wei WuXian, actually came out!

In an instant, a large circle formed with Wei WuXian at the center. People scattered everywhere. As Wei WuXian whistled shrilly, the people suddenly felt their bodies sink. They all fell to the ground. As they turned around trembling, they realized that everyone, including themselves, was carrying various dark and bloody spirits on their backs!

Among the scattered and crippled crowd, Wei WuXian walked patiently, muttering, “Huh, what’s wrong? Weren’t you all cultivators when you were talking about me behind my back? Why is it that now, now that you’re in front of me, you can only lie on the ground?”

He walked up to the one who was the most rude and stomped his foot in his face, laughing, “Speak. Why aren’t you talking anymore? Mr. Hero, what are you going to do to me?!”

The man’s nose was broken by the tremendous force, bleeding and screaming uncontrollably. Many cultivators watched from the city gates. They wanted to help, but they didn’t dare approach the scene. 

One of them shouted from a distance, “Wei… Wei Ying! If you’re that powerful, why don’t you go find the sect leaders participating in the oath conference? What can you prove by attacking us, powerless low-level cultivators?”

Wei WuXian let out another short whistle. The screaming cultivator felt a hand suddenly pull him down. He fell from the city gate, both his legs broken, and began to scream.

Amidst the wailing, Wei WuXian’s expression remained unchanged. “Lowly cultivators? Am I supposed to tolerate you just because you’re lowly cultivators? If you dare to say such things, you should be willing to bear the consequences. If you know you’re nothing but trash as filthy as ants, why don’t you know to think before you speak?!”

Everyone was deathly pale, speechless. A moment later, when Wei WuXian heard no more chatter, he continued with satisfaction, “Yes, that’s the spirit.”

Just as he finished speaking, he kicked again, and knocked out half the teeth of the person who had spread the most of his fabricated stories!

Blood splattered the ground. Everyone shuddered as they watched, as the man fainted from the pain. Wei WuXian bent down and pressed his feet into the ground, leaving several bloody footprints. 

He thought for a moment before speaking again, his voice emotionless, “But, you bastards are right about one thing. There’s no point wasting my time with you. You want me to find those bigger sects? Fine. I’ll go now to settle some matters with them.”

He looked up and saw a large notice displayed on the city gate. A crowd of people was busy chatting about it.

At the top of the announcement were the words ‘Pledge Conference’. It stated that the four leading sects—the LanlingJin Sect, the QingheNie Sect, the YunmengJiang Sect, and the GusuLan Sect—would scatter the ashes of the Wen Sect’s remains over the ruins of the QishanWen Sect’s abandoned residence—Nightless City. At the same time, they would swear to eternally oppose the YiLing Patriarch, who had occupied the Burial Mound.

A promise conference in Nightless City?