Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Yangyang Part 5

When the heads of noble families went on night hunts, they were often accompanied by a large entourage, with much fanfare. However, Lan Wangji preferred to act alone. Since this arm was particularly eerie and abnormal, and there was a risk it might harm others if not handled carefully, he did not bring any of the younger disciples or other family members. He only took Wei Wuxian along, keeping an even closer eye on him.

Wei Wuxian had originally planned to find a chance to escape when they went down the mountain. However, every time he tried to run away, Lan Wangji would grab him by the collar and pull him back with just one hand. Changing his tactics, Wei Wuxian tried to stick to Lan Wangji as much as possible, especially at night when he would stubbornly climb into Lan Wangji's bed, hoping that Lan Wangji would be so disgusted that he would drive him away with a sword. But no matter how much Wei Wuxian tried, Lan Wangji remained completely unfazed. Whenever Wei Wuxian crawled into his bed, Lan Wangji would gently pat him, causing Wei Wuxian to become stiff, then tuck him into another quilt, arranging him into a proper sleeping position until dawn. After suffering several times, Wei Wuxian woke up sore and aching, cursing inwardly, “This guy has become much less fun than before. In the past, he would at least feel embarrassed when I teased him, and it was quite amusing. But now, not only is he unmoved by anything, he even knows how to fight back. This is really outrageous!”

Following the guidance of the left arm, the two headed northwest. Every day, they played a piece of *Anxi* together to temporarily soothe its anger and killing intent. As they reached the vicinity of Qinghe, the arm, which had been pointing for a long time, suddenly changed, retracting its index finger and forming a fist.

This indicated that whatever the arm had been pointing to was nearby.

As they walked and inquired, they arrived at a small town in Qinghe. It was daytime, and the streets were bustling with people. Used to Lan Wangji’s light sandalwood scent, Wei Wuxian blurted out, “What are you selling? What's that smell?”

The fragrance came from a quack doctor dressed in Taoist robes who looked like he made his living through deceit. The doctor was selling small trinkets to passersby from a box on his back. When Wei Wuxian approached, the doctor, delighted, said, “I sell everything! Cosmetics at affordable prices. Would the young master like to take a look?”

Wei Wuxian said, “Sure, let me see.”

The doctor asked, “Buying for your lady at home?”

Wei Wuxian smiled, “It’s for me.”

The doctor’s smile froze. He thought, “Is he making fun of me?!” But before he could react, another young man returned and, with an expressionless face, said, “If you’re not buying, don’t cause trouble.”

This young man was extraordinarily handsome and elegant, dressed in white with a jade band on his forehead, his light-colored eyes giving off an air of nobility. He wore a long sword at his waist. The quack, a fake Taoist, had only a superficial understanding of the mystical sects. Recognizing the family crest of the Gusu Lan Family, he didn’t dare to act rashly and quickly slung his box over his shoulder and ran off. Wei Wuxian called after him, “Why are you running? I really want to buy something!”

Lan Wangji said, “Do you have money to buy anything?”

Wei Wuxian replied, “If you don’t give me money, how am I supposed to buy anything?” He casually reached into Lan Wangji’s robes, not expecting to find anything. But after a few tries, he actually pulled out a delicate, weighty purse.

This was completely unlike something Lan Wangji would have, but given the many strange things about Lan Wangji recently, Wei Wuxian was no longer surprised. He took the purse and walked off. True to form, Lan Wangji didn’t say a word or show any discontent. If Wei Wuxian didn’t know better, given Lan Wangji’s character and reputation for moral integrity, he might have suspected there was some complicated, unresolved entanglement between Lan Wangji and Mo Xuan Yu.

Otherwise, why would he put up with all this?

As they walked, Wei Wuxian inadvertently looked back and saw Lan Wangji standing still, watching him from a distance.

Wei Wuxian’s pace slowed involuntarily.

For some reason, he felt it wasn’t right to leave Lan Wangji so far behind.

At that moment, someone nearby shouted, “Yiling Patriarch, five coins for one, ten coins for three!”

Wei Wuxian exclaimed, “Who?!”

He rushed to see who was selling his likeness and found it was the same quack doctor from earlier. The doctor had put away his inferior cosmetics and was now selling fierce-looking, intimidating posters. He babbled, “Five coins for one, ten coins for three! You won’t lose money! Buy three. One for the front door, one for the main hall, and one for the bedside. They’re full of fierce energy and can ward off evil spirits. With evil fighting evil and poison countering poison, no demons or ghosts will dare come near!”

Wei Wuxian retorted, “What nonsense! If they’re so effective, why are you selling them for five coins?!”

The doctor said, “If you're not buying, then move along. If you're willing to pay fifty coins each, I’d be happy to sell them to you.”

Wei Wuxian flipped through the stack of “Yiling Patriarch Warding Evil Images” and couldn’t accept that the fierce, fanged, bulging-eyed brute in the pictures was supposed to be him.

He protested, “Wei Wuxian is known for his good looks. What is this supposed to be?! Even if you haven’t seen the real person, don’t just draw whatever you like and mislead others.”

Before the doctor could respond, Wei Wuxian sensed a gust of wind behind him and dodged just in time. He avoided the attack, but the quack doctor was sent flying, crashing into a street vendor’s display of windmills. People hurried to help the doctor up and gather his scattered items. The doctor, about to yell, saw who had kicked him—a young lord glowing with a golden aura. The doctor’s confidence immediately faltered. Upon noticing the White Peony crest of the Gusu Lan Family on the young lord’s chest, the doctor was too intimidated to say anything further. However, not wanting to let the matter drop, he weakly asked, “Why did you kick me?”

The young man was indeed Jin Ling. He stood with his arms crossed, his voice icy as he said, "Kick you? Anyone who dares mention the name 'Wei Wuxian' in front of me should kneel down and thank me for not killing them. And you were shouting on the street. Are you courting death?"

Wei Wuxian hadn't expected Jin Ling to be there, nor for him to behave so arrogantly. He thought, "This child's temperament is really something. He's got a short temper and a strong sense of entitlement, completely disregarding others. He's learned all the bad traits from his uncle and father, but none of the good traits from his mother. If I don't teach him a lesson, he's going to suffer a big loss in the future." Seeing that Jin Ling seemed to still be angry, advancing a couple of steps toward the man on the ground, Wei Wuxian interjected, "Jin Ling!"

The physician didn't dare to make a sound, his eyes full of gratitude. Jin Ling indeed turned toward Wei Wuxian, saying with disdain, "You haven't run away? Well, good."

Wei Wuxian laughed, "Oh, I wonder who was it that was pinned to the ground and couldn't get up last time?"

Jin Ling snorted, blowing a short whistle. At first, Wei Wuxian didn't understand its meaning, but after a moment, a rough, heavy animalistic panting came from the distance.

He turned to see a black-maned spiritual dog, half the height of a man, turning the corner of the street and charging straight at him. The screams on the street grew louder and more frantic, "A vicious dog is biting people!"

Wei Wuxian's expression changed drastically, and he bolted.

It was embarrassing to admit, but the Yiling Patriarch, despite his invincible reputation, was terrified of dogs. This was inevitable. Before Jiang Fengmian of the Jiang clan had taken him in, Wei Wuxian had grown up on the streets, often fighting for food in the jaws of vicious dogs. After being chased and bitten multiple times, he developed a deep fear of dogs, both big and small. Jiang Cheng had mocked him about it many times. Terrified out of his wits, Wei Wuxian spotted a tall, white figure and desperately screamed, "Lan Zhan, save me!"

When Jin Ling saw Lan Wangji, he was greatly startled. "How is this madman with him again?!" Lan Wangji was known for his stern demeanor and rarely smiled. Even many of his peers in the cultivation world found him intimidating, let alone the younger generation. His ability to instill fear was no less than Lan Qiren's back in the day. The dog, well-trained and no ordinary beast, seemed to understand that it couldn't act wild in front of this man. It whimpered and hid behind Jin Ling, tail tucked between its legs.

This black-maned spiritual dog was a precious breed given to Jin Ling by Jin Guangyao. Normally, upon hearing that it was a gift from the Lianfang Zun, no one would dare to slight it. However, Lan Wangji was not an ordinary person. He didn't care who had given the gift or who was controlling the dog. He would punish wrongdoing severely and show no mercy. Jin Ling, having been caught letting his dog chase someone on the street, felt his heart sink. He thought, "I'm doomed. He's going to kill my precious trained dog and give me a severe scolding!"

Unexpectedly, Wei Wuxian dived under Lan Wangji's arm, hiding behind him, wishing he could climb up the tall figure and escape to the heavens. Lan Wangji stiffened as Wei Wuxian wrapped his arms around him. Seizing the opportunity, Jin Ling blew two more short whistles and fled with his black-maned spiritual dog.

The physician, struggling to stand, said, "The behavior of these young nobles nowadays is really something!"

After hearing the dog's barking fade away, Wei Wuxian emerged from behind Lan Wangji, casually placing his hands behind his back in agreement. "Indeed, the morals of today are declining, and people's hearts are not as they used to be."

The physician now saw Wei Wuxian as a savior, nodding vigorously in agreement. As a token of gratitude, he hastily threw the stack of "Yiling Patriarch Warding Images" into Wei Wuxian's hands. "Sir, thank you for earlier! You can sell these for a few coins each and still make a decent profit."

Lan Wangji glanced at the image of the fearsome, fanged man but offered no comment. Wei Wuxian, seeing his own "price" drop further, couldn't help but laugh. "Is this supposed to be a thank-you gift? If you really want to thank me, at least make me look good in the picture!"

The physician said, "Strange events? You've asked the right person. I've been stationed here for a long time, known as the Qinghe Know-It-All. What kind of strange events are you talking about?"

Wei Wuxian said, "Like demonic hauntings, gruesome murders, or entire families being wiped out."

The physician said, "Nothing like that has happened here, but if you go five or six miles ahead, there's a mountain ridge called Traveler's Ridge. I advise you not to go there."

Wei Wuxian asked, "Why not?"

The physician replied, "This Traveler's Ridge has another nickname called the 'Devil's Ridge.' What do you think?"