Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Pride and Dignity, Part 3

After a few moments of absentmindedly stroking the ring, Jiang Cheng forced himself to suppress his hostility.

Although he was quite displeased, as the head of a prominent family, he had more considerations and could not act as impulsively as someone like Jin Ling. Since the Nie family of Qinghe had declined, the three major cultivation families now included the Lan family of Gusu and the Jin family of Lanling, which were quite close due to the personal friendship of their leaders. Jiang Cheng, who held the reins of the Yunmeng Jiang family independently, found himself in a relatively isolated position among the three clans. HanGuang-Jun Lan Wangji was a highly respected cultivator of the noble families, and his elder brother, ZeWu-Jun Lan Xichen, was the leader of the Gusu Lan Family. The two brothers had always been harmonious, so it was best not to break this fragile peace if possible.

Moreover, Jiang Cheng's sword, *Three Poisons*, had never directly clashed with Lan Wangji's sword, *Dust-Repelling*. It was still uncertain who would emerge victorious in such a confrontation. Although Jiang Cheng possessed the family heirloom, the Purple Lightning whip, Lan Wangji's *WangJi* qin also carried a formidable reputation. Jiang Cheng could not stand being at a disadvantage, and without absolute certainty, he would not consider engaging Lan Wangji in a fight.

Jiang Cheng slowly retracted his left hand from the ring. It seemed that Lan Wangji had already decided to intervene, so it was no longer convenient for him to continue being the antagonist. He would settle this matter in his mind for now. Jiang Cheng weighed his options and turned to see Jin Ling, who was still holding his mouth in anger, and said, "HanGuang-Jun is disciplining you. Just accept his correction this time. It's not easy for him to discipline someone from another family's younger generation."

His tone was sarcastic, though it was unclear whom he was mocking. Lan Wangji never engaged in verbal sparring and acted as if he hadn’t heard anything. Jiang Cheng’s words carried a barb, and he continued, "Why are you still standing there? Waiting for the prey to run into your sword? If you can't bring back anything from Dafan Mountain today, don't bother coming back to me!"

Jin Ling glared fiercely at Wei Wuxian but didn’t dare to glare at Lan Wangji, who had muted him. He sheathed his sword, bowed to both elders, then took his bow and retreated. Lan Sizhui stepped forward and said, "Lord Jiang, the destroyed spirit-binding nets will be compensated in full by the Gusu Lan Family."

Jiang Cheng coldly replied, "No need!" and walked down the mountain in the opposite direction. The retainers behind him fell silent, knowing they would face punishment upon returning, their faces etched with worry.

Once they had disappeared from view, Lan Jingyi said, "Lord Jiang is really something!" He then remembered the Lan family's strict rules against gossiping about others behind their backs, quickly glanced at HanGuang-Jun, and shut his mouth, shrinking back. Lan Sizhui gave Wei Wuxian a faint smile and said, "Mr. Mo, we meet again."

Wei Wuxian smiled weakly. Lan Wangji, however, spoke with a concise and unadorned command, "Get to work."

Several of the younger generation then remembered the purpose of being in Dafan Mountain and quickly set aside their other thoughts, waiting respectfully for further instructions. After a moment, Lan Wangji added, "Do your best. Don't overexert."

His voice was low and magnetic; if one stood close enough, it would surely make their heart tremble. The younger cultivators obediently responded, not daring to linger, and headed deeper into the forest. Wei Wuxian thought to himself that Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji were truly two completely different people; even their words of caution to the younger generation were entirely opposite. Just as he was thinking this, he saw Lan Wangji give him an almost imperceptible nod and couldn't help but be slightly stunned.

Lan Wangji had always been serious and rigid since he was young, as if he had never been lively or playful. He couldn't tolerate even the smallest transgression, and he strongly disapproved of Wei Wuxian's path of cultivating the demonic path. Lan Sizhui must have already informed Lan Wangji of Wei Wuxian's suspicious behavior at the Mo family estate, yet he still nodded in acknowledgment, likely thanking him for helping the younger members of the Lan family. Without thinking, Wei Wuxian immediately returned the gesture, and by the time he looked up again, Lan Wangji's figure had already vanished.

After a pause, Wei Wuxian turned and walked down the mountain.

No matter what the prey was in Dafan Mountain, Wei Wuxian wouldn't compete with Jin Ling.

It was Jin Ling.

Among all the younger members of the Lanling Jin family, he had not expected to encounter Jin Ling. If he had known, how could he have ever mocked Jin Ling by saying he was "born of a mother but never raised by one"? If someone else had said that to Jin Ling, Wei Wuxian would have taught them the consequences of such words. But it was he himself who had said it.

Standing still for a moment, Wei Wuxian raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face.

The slap was loud and forceful, his right cheek burning. Suddenly, there was a rustling in the nearby bushes, and Wei Wuxian saw a spotted donkey's head poke out. He lowered his hand. This time, the donkey came forward and rubbed against him. Wei Wuxian tugged on its long ears and said with a bitter smile, "You want to be a hero saving the beauty, but you're making me act bravely."

The donkey hummed and snorted as a group of cultivators walked up the path from the other side. After Lan Wangji had cut down all the over four hundred spirit-binding nets with a single flying sword, the cultivators who had been lingering in Fozu Town surged back up the mountain. This group of people were all rivals of Jin Ling. Wei Wuxian considered whether he should knock them back down again but ultimately silently stepped aside to let them pass.

The group of cultivators in mixed attire grumbled as they walked, "This young master Jin is spoiled by both the Jin and Jiang families. He's so domineering at such a young age. If he takes over the Lanling Jin family in the future, heaven knows what will happen. We won't be able to live in peace!"

Wei Wuxian slowed his pace.

A soft-hearted female cultivator sighed, "How can we not spoil him? There are plenty of people who lose their parents at such a young age."

"Junior sister, you can't talk like that. If everyone acted like him, what kind of world would this be?"

"Wei Wuxian really has a heart of stone. Jin Ling's mother was Jiang Cheng's own sister, his elder brother's wife who raised him. How could he do that to her son?"

"Jiang QiongLing was also a victim, raising such an ungrateful person. Jin Zixuan was even more tragic, having had some past conflict with Wei Wuxian, only to end up like this."

"Wei Wuxian seems to have conflicts with everyone..."

"Exactly. Apart from the mad dogs he raised, have you ever heard of him being close to anyone? He has enemies everywhere and is hated by all. Even HanGuang-Jun and he are like fire and water, completely incompatible."

"Speaking of which, we owe thanks to HanGuang-Jun today..."

After walking for a while, the sound of flowing stream water reached Wei Wuxian's ears.

He hadn't heard this when he arrived. Wei Wuxian only then realized that he had taken the wrong path down the mountain and veered onto another route.

Leading the donkey, he arrived by the stream. The moon was rising over the treetops, and the sky above the stream was unobstructed by branches. The water, shimmering with frosty white ripples, shattered his reflection. In the reflection, Wei Wuxian saw a face that flickered unpredictably with the current.

He slammed his palm onto the water, dispersing the ridiculous visage, then lifted his dripping hand and used the stream water to wipe away the makeup.

The reflection in the water revealed a very handsome young man. He was so clean, as if bathed in moonlight, with relaxed brows and bright eyes, and a slightly curved lip. As he gazed intently at himself, water droplets clung to his lashes, falling like tears.

This was a young and unfamiliar face, not the face of the Yiling Patriarch, who had once wreaked havoc and caused bloodshed.

Staring at the face for a long time, Wei Wuxian wiped his face a few more times and rubbed his eyes, then sat heavily by the stream.

It wasn't that he couldn't bear the verbal attacks of others. After all, when he made his choice, he had been fully aware of the path he would face in the future. His heart had long been self-warned: remember the Yunmeng Jiang family's motto—"Do what must be done, even if it seems impossible."

But despite his resolve, he was still human, not immune to emotion.

The little donkey seemed to know he was in a bad mood and, unusually, did not scream impatiently. After a moment of silence, it flicked its tail and left. Wei Wuxian sat by the stream without responding, so it looked back, shook its hooves, and still Wei Wuxian ignored it. The donkey had no choice but to return dejectedly and bite at Wei Wuxian's clothes, tugging at them.

Since it was already biting, Wei Wuxian followed it. The donkey led him to a few trees, circling a patch of grass. A Qiankun Bag lay quietly in the grass, beneath a torn golden net, certainly left behind by some unlucky cultivator who had broken free. Wei Wuxian picked up the bag and opened it to find various items inside: a gourd of medicinal wine, talisman seals, a mirror for detecting demons, and more.

After rummaging for a while, he casually grabbed a talisman. A flame suddenly shot up from his hand.

The burning talisman was a Burning Yin Talisman, which, as the name suggested, burned with Yin energy as fuel. It would automatically ignite in the presence of Yin energy, and the stronger the Yin energy, the more fiercely it would burn. The fact that it ignited as soon as it was taken out meant that there was a Yin spirit nearby.

Wei Wuxian tensed, holding the burning talisman aloft to gauge the direction. When he turned to the east, the fire weakened, but when he turned west, the flame flared up. He took a few steps in that direction and saw a hunched, white-clad figure under a tree.

The ashes of the talisman burned out and fell from his fingertips. An old man was muttering to himself with his back turned to Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian approached slowly, and the old man's mutterings became clearer.

"It hurts, it hurts."

Wei Wuxian asked, "Where does it hurt?"

The old man replied, "My head, my head. It hurts."

Wei Wuxian said, "Let me see."

He stepped to the side and saw a large bloody hole on the old man's forehead. This was a dead soul, most likely murdered by a deadly weapon. He was dressed in funeral clothes, made of excellent materials and craftsmanship, indicating that he had been properly buried. This was not a living person's lost soul.

However, there should not have been such a dead soul on Dafan Mountain.

Wei Wuxian couldn't figure out this inconsistency and felt something was wrong. He jumped onto the donkey's back, slapped it, and urged it to chase in the direction where Jin Ling and the others had entered the mountain.

There were many cultivators wandering near the ancient graves, intending to wait for their prey. Some boldly held up Zhaoyin Flags but only managed to summon a group of wailing Yin spirits. Wei Wuxian pulled the reins, scanned the area, and asked loudly, "Excuse me, can I ask where the young masters of the Jin and Lan families went?"

After washing his face, someone finally responded. A cultivator answered, "They left this place and went to the Heavenly Maiden Shrine."

Wei Wuxian said, "The Heavenly Maiden Shrine?"

A rural family had quietly returned after learning that the Bound Immortal Nets had been destroyed and joined the night patrol. The middle-aged man, seeing this person and his donkey, thought he might be the madman who had just saved them, and felt quite embarrassed. He pretended nothing had happened, but the round-faced girl pointed the way. "Over there. It's a stone cave shrine on this mountain."

Wei Wuxian asked, "What deity is enshrined in the shrine?"

The round-faced girl said, "It's... it's a natural Heavenly Maiden stone statue."

Wei Wuxian nodded and said, "Thank you."

He immediately rushed towards the Heavenly Maiden Shrine in great urgency.

The lazy groom marrying into a family, the heavenly lightning splitting the coffin, the fiancé and father killed by wolves, the splendid funeral clothes... These events began to form a coherent picture, like pieces of a puzzle falling into place. No wonder the wind evil plate couldn't point the direction, and the Zhaoyin Flags didn't work. They had all underestimated the true nature of Dafan Mountain.

It wasn't at all what they thought it was!