Chapter 32

Chapter 32 Morning Dew Part 5

This time, Wei Wuxian didn’t close his eyes all night, staying awake until just before dawn the next morning. Once the numbness and tingling in his body subsided and he could move his limbs again, he calmly took off his upper garment under the covers and threw it onto the floor.

Then, he pulled at Lan Wangji’s clothes and forcibly removed half of his upper garment. He had originally intended to take off all his clothes, but halfway through, seeing the brand below Lan Wangji’s collarbone, Wei Wuxian paused in surprise and involuntarily stopped. He also recalled the whip marks on his back, realizing it was inappropriate, and quickly tried to pull his clothes back up. Due to this delay, Lan Wangji seemed to feel the chill and stirred slightly, furrowing his brows before slowly opening his eyes.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he rolled off the bed.

It really couldn’t be blamed that the elegant Hanguang Jun reacted in such a startled manner, losing all his grace. No guy, waking up with a hangover, could stay calm when they see another dude naked beside them, his own clothes half-pulled off, both of them tightly pressed together in the same bed and under the same covers.

Wei Wuxian, half-covered by the quilt, revealed his smooth, bare shoulders. Lan Wangji said, "You..."

Wei Wuxian hummed with a nasal tone, "Hmm?"

Lan Wangji said, "Last night, I..."

Wei Wuxian winked at him, resting his cheek on one hand, a mischievous smile on his face, "You were quite unrestrained last night, Hanguang Jun."

"..."

Wei Wuxian said, "Don’t you remember anything from last night?"

It was clear he didn’t remember, as Lan Wangji’s face went pale.

It was better that he didn’t remember. Otherwise, if Lan Wangji recalled that Wei Wuxian had secretly met Wen Ning in the middle of the night, it would be awkward whether Wei Wuxian lied or told the truth.

After so many failed attempts and mishaps, Wei Wuxian finally regained some of his former confidence and composure. Although he wanted to press his advantage, he didn’t want Lan Wangji to become wary and guarded in the future. Knowing when to stop, Wei Wuxian threw off the covers, showing his neat pants and boots that were still on, "Oh virtuous man! Hanguang Jun, I only took off our clothes as a joke. Your purity remains intact, undefiled, so rest easy!"

Lan Wangji froze on the spot, unable to respond, when the sound of porcelain shattering came from the center of the room.

This sound was not unfamiliar; it was the second time they had heard it. The Sealed Evil Bag, which had been placed on the table, started to stir again, overturning the teapot and cups. This time, it was more violent, with three bags moving at once. Last night, both of them were too drunk and exhausted to remember the plan to play music together. Wei Wuxian, worried that Lan Wangji might impulsively stab him in shock, hurriedly said, "Let’s handle the important matter first."

He grabbed a piece of clothing, rolled off the bed, and reached out to Lan Wangji, who had just stood up. His intention was to pull him, but it looked like he was going to tear his clothes off. Lan Wangji, still not fully recovered, stepped back, tripping over something on the floor, nearly losing his balance. Looking down, he saw the Bichen sword that had been lying on the floor all night.

At this point, the rope securing the small Sealed Evil Bag had loosened, and a pale hand had crawled halfway out of the small opening. Wei Wuxian reached into Lan Wangji’s half-open clothes and pulled out a flute, saying, "Hanguang Jun, don’t be afraid. I’m not going to do anything to you. You took my flute last night, and I need to take it back." He then kindly helped Lan Wangji pull up his clothes and tie his belt.

Lan Wangji looked at him with a complex expression, seemingly wanting to ask about the details of his actions when he was drunk the previous night, but he prioritized handling the immediate task. Suppressing his curiosity, he retrieved his seven-stringed guqin. The three Sealed Evil Bags—one sealing the left arm, one the legs, and one the torso—were enough to form a significant portion of a body. These parts influenced each other, and their malevolent energy had multiplied, becoming even more troublesome. They played the "Lullaby" three times before the disturbance gradually subsided.

Wei Wuxian put away his flute and was about to clean up the scattered body parts when he suddenly exclaimed, "My good brother has trained well."

The sash of the mortuary robes had come undone, and the collar was askew, revealing a youthful, strong, and powerful body—broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and well-defined abs, a masculine physique that countless men aspired to have. Wei Wuxian couldn’t resist giving his abs a few playful pats, saying, "Hanguang Jun, look at him. If he were alive, a punch from me would probably bounce off and hurt me instead. How was he trained like this?"

Lan Wangji’s brow twitched, but he said nothing. Unexpectedly, Wei Wuxian patted him again, and Lan Wangji finally, expressionless, took the Sealed Evil Bag and began to seal the corpse. Wei Wuxian quickly moved aside. In no time, Lan Wangji had sealed all the limbs, tying several tight knots. Wei Wuxian didn’t notice anything unusual and, looking down at his own physique, raised an eyebrow, tied his sash, and resumed his usual composed appearance.

Noticing Lan Wangji still watching him, either intentionally or not, after putting away the Sealed Evil Bag, Wei Wuxian teased, "Hanguang Jun, why are you looking at me like that? Are you still worried? Trust me, I didn’t do anything to you last night, and you didn’t do anything to me either."

Lan Wangji pondered for a moment, seemingly making a decision, and said in a low voice, "Last night, besides taking the flute, I..."

Wei Wuxian said, "You? You’re wondering what else you did, right? It wasn’t much; you just said a lot of things."

The Adam’s apple in Lan Wangji’s pale neck moved slightly, "...What things."

Wei Wuxian said, "Nothing important. For example, well, you really like..."

Lan Wangji’s gaze froze.

Wei Wuxian said, "You really like rabbits."

"..."

Lan Wangji closed his eyes and turned his head away. Wei Wuxian kindly said, "It's okay! Rabbits are so cute, who wouldn't love them? I do, though I prefer eating them! Hahahahaha! Come on, Hanguang Jun, you drank so much last night... well, not that much, but you were pretty drunk. You probably don't feel great this morning. Wash up, get some water, and take it easy for a bit. Once you're feeling better, we'll head out. This time, we're going southwest. I'll go downstairs to buy breakfast, won't disturb you anymore."

Just as he was about to leave, Lan Wangji coldly said, "Wait."

Wei Wuxian turned back. "What?"

Lan Wangji stared at him for a long moment, then finally said, "Do you have money?"

Wei Wuxian laughed. "Of course! I know where you keep yours. I'll get you some breakfast too, Hanguang Jun. Take your time, no rush."

After closing the door, Wei Wuxian stood in the corridor, silently laughing to himself for a good while.

Lan Wangji seemed taken aback by this and stayed locked in the room for a long time without coming out. While waiting for him, Wei Wuxian leisurely went downstairs, wandered outside the inn for a bit, randomly bought some food, and sat on the steps, munching and basking in the sunlight with his eyes half-closed. After a while, a group of children aged thirteen or fourteen ran past him on the street.

The child at the front was running swiftly, holding a long string. At the end of the string, a kite was bobbing up and down. The children behind him chased the kite with toy bows, shouting as they shot small arrows at it.

Wei Wuxian used to love this game too. Archery was a required skill for young nobles, but most didn't like shooting at regular targets. Apart from hunting demons during night hunts, they enjoyed shooting at kites the most. Each player had a kite, and the one who flew it the highest and farthest, while shooting it the most accurately, was declared the winner. This game was originally popular only among the younger members of noble cultivator families, but it later spread to ordinary children. However, their arrows weren't nearly as powerful as those of the skilled and well-equipped young nobles.

Back in Lotus Pier, Wei Wuxian had played this kite-shooting game with the Jiang family's young nobles and often won first place. Jiang Cheng was always second. His kite either flew too far to be shot down or, if it was shot, didn't fly as far as Wei Wuxian's. Their kites were much larger, shaped like fearsome flying beasts with vibrant colors, gaping mouths, and sharp, fluttering tails. Jiang Fengmian had crafted the frames himself, and Jiang Yanli had painted the intricate designs. From a distance, they looked lively and almost comically adorable, rather than intimidating. Whenever they took the kites out to compete, they felt a sense of pride.

Thinking of this, a faint smile appeared on Wei Wuxian's lips, and he instinctively looked up at the kite the children were flying. It was entirely golden and large and round. He thought, "What on earth is that? A golden pancake? Or some strange creature I've never seen before?"

At that moment, a gust of wind blew. The kite, already not very high, was flying in a non-open area, and the wind caused it to fall. A child cried, "Oh no, the sun has fallen!"

Wei Wuxian immediately understood. These kids were likely reenacting the famous Sunshot Campaign.

This place was Liyang, and during the height of the Wen family's power in Qishan, they had terrorized the area. Since Liyang wasn't far from Qishan, the locals must have endured a lot, whether from the Wen family's rampaging beasts or their overbearing cultivators. After the Sunshot Campaign, the Wen family was crushed by the combined efforts of various families, their century-old foundation collapsing in an instant. Celebrating the Wen family's downfall became a local tradition. This game was likely part of that.

The children stopped chasing the kite and gathered, looking troubled. "What should we do? The sun fell before we could shoot it. Who will be the leader now?"

One child raised their hand. "Of course it should be me! I'm Jin Guangyao, I killed the great villain of the Wen family!"

Sitting on the steps in front of the inn, Wei Wuxian watched with great interest.

In this kind of game, the now illustrious Supervisor of Cultivators, Lord Lianfang, was naturally the most popular character. Although his origins were shameful, that made his rise to power all the more impressive. During the Sunshot Campaign, he had been a spy for years, smoothly deceiving the entire Wen family inside and out, leaking secrets without them knowing. After the campaign, he used every means to rise to the position of Supervisor of Cultivators, becoming the undisputed leader of the cultivation world. Such a life could only be called legendary. If Wei Wuxian were playing, he'd totally want to be Jin Guangyao. It made sense for this child to be the leader!

Another child protested, "I'm Nie Mingjue! I won the most battles and captured the most prisoners. I should be the leader!"

The "Jin Guangyao" said, "But I'm the Supervisor of Cultivators."

"Nie Mingjue" waved his fist. "So what if you're the Supervisor of Cultivators? You're still my third brother and run away with your tail between your legs when you see me."

The "Jin Guangyao," staying very much in character, shrugged and ran off. Another child said, "You're short-lived."

Since they were choosing a cultivation leader to play, they naturally admired that leader. "Nie Mingjue" angrily said, "Jin Zixuan, you died even earlier than I did!"

"Jin Zixuan" retorted, "So what if I died young? I'm ranked third!"

"Ranked third only in terms of your face!"

At this point, one child, seemingly tired from running and standing, came over and sat down next to Wei Wuxian, acting as a peacemaker. "Alright, alright, no need to argue. I'm the Yiling Patriarch, and I'm the strongest. I'll just do everyone a favor and be the leader."

Wei Wuxian: "..."

Looking down, he saw that this child had a small wooden stick tucked into his waist, probably representing the Chenqing flute.

Only kids could be so carefree, not worrying about right or wrong, just competing over who's the strongest.

Another child said, "No, I'm the Three Poisons Saint, and I'm the strongest."

"Yiling Patriarch knows all too well, 'Jiang Cheng, what can you compare with me? You lose to me every time. How can you have the nerve to say you're the strongest? Aren't you embarrassed?'

"Jiang Cheng" snorted, "I don't compare with you? Do you remember how you died?"

Wei Wuxian's faint smile vanished instantly.

It felt like a sudden, sharp sting, as if a poisonous needle had pierced him, and a slight stinging sensation spread through his entire body.

The "Yiling Patriarch" beside him clapped his hands and said, "Look at me! Left hand Chenqing, right hand Tiger Amulet, and add a Ghost General, I'm invincible! Hahahaha..." He raised a stick with his left hand and a stone with his right, laughed wildly for a while, and then said, "Where's Wen Ning? Come out!" A child in the back of the crowd raised his hand weakly and said, "I'm here... But I have to say... I wasn't dead during the Sun-Shooting Expedition..."

Wei Wuxian felt he had to interrupt.

He said, "Respected cultivator leaders, may I ask a question?"

The children were unaccustomed to adults interrupting their games, especially with such a serious question. The "Yiling Patriarch" looked at him suspiciously and defensively, "What is it that you wish to ask?"

Wei Wuxian said, "Why isn't there anyone from the Gusu Lan Family?"

"There is."

"Where?"

The "Yiling Patriarch" pointed to a child who hadn't spoken a word from the beginning, "That one is."

Wei Wuxian looked and saw that the child was quite handsome, with a clean forehead wrapped with a white string, serving as a makeshift forehead ribbon. He asked, "Who is he?"

The "Yiling Patriarch" said with a disdainful pout, "Lan Wangji!"

...Well. These children had captured the essence. It was indeed fitting for someone playing Lan Wangji to keep their mouth shut!

Suddenly, Wei Wuxian's lips curled up again.

The pain seemed to vanish as if the poisonous needle had been plucked out and discarded, and all the stinging sensations were swept away in an instant. Wei Wuxian muttered to himself, "How strange. How can such a dull person always make me so happy?"

When Lan Wangji came downstairs, he saw Wei Wuxian sitting on the steps, a group of children sitting next to him sharing buns. Wei Wuxian was instructing two children who were back-to-back in front of him, "...Now, in front of you are thousands of Wen family cultivators, all fully armed, surrounding you tightly. Look sharp, that's right. Okay, Lan Wangji, pay attention. You're not the usual you right now, you're covered in blood! You're full of killing intent! Your eyes are fierce! Wei Wuxian, get closer to him. Can you spin a flute? Spin it with one hand. Be graceful, do you understand what grace means? Here, let me show you." The "Wei Wuxian" oh-ed and handed him a small stick. Wei Wuxian expertly spun the "Chenqing" between his two fingers, causing all the children to gather around in awe.

Lan Wangji: "..."

He walked over quietly. Seeing him approach, Wei Wuxian patted the dust off his bottom and bid farewell to the children. He struggled to stand, still laughing as if under the influence of some strange poison, and continued laughing all the way.

Lan Wangji: "..."

Wei Wuxian laughed, "Sorry, Hanguang Jun, I gave the breakfast I bought for you to them. We'll buy more later, okay?"

Lan Wangji: "Hmm."

Wei Wuxian: "Incidentally, weren't those two children just now quite endearing? The one with the string around his head, who do you think he's trying to imitate? Hahahaha..."

After a pause, Lan Wangji finally asked, "What else did I do last night?"

It couldn't have been that simple; otherwise, why would Wei Wuxian still be laughing so much?

Wei Wuxian waved his hands, "No, no, you didn't do anything. I was just bored, hahahaha... Okay, ahem, Hanguang Jun, I need to talk about something serious."

Lan Wangji said, "Go ahead."

Wei Wuxian said seriously, "The sounds of tapping on coffins at the Chang family tomb have been silent for ten years, but they've started up again. This definitely isn't a coincidence; there must be a trigger."

Lan Wangji said, "What do you think the trigger is?"

Wei Wuxian said, "You ask a good question. I believe the cause is that the torso has been dug up."

Lan Wangji said, "Hmm."

His focused expression reminded Wei Wuxian of the serious look he had when he held onto Wei Wuxian's two fingers while drunk the previous night. Wei Wuxian struggled to suppress a laugh but maintained a serious tone as he said, "I'm thinking that dismemberment isn't just about revenge or venting anger, but a vicious method of suppression. The one who dismembered the body deliberately chose haunted spots to place the body parts."

Lan Wangji said, "Using one evil to counter another, balancing out the forces."

Wei Wuxian said, "Exactly. So, when the grave digger unearthed the torso yesterday, there was nothing left to suppress the Chang family's vengeful spirit, and the sounds of beating on the coffin started again. It works the same way as how the Nie family of Qinghe suppresses blade spirits and wall corpses in their Blade Hall. Perhaps they even learned it from there. It seems this person has significant connections to both the Nie family of Qinghe and the Gusu Lan Family; this person is likely not someone to be taken lightly."

Lan Wangji said, "There aren't many people like that."

Wei Wuxian said, "Hmm. The truth is starting to emerge. And since the other party has begun moving the bodies, it means he or they are getting anxious. There will definitely be more actions to come. Even if we don't go looking for them, they will come looking for us. As they continue to search, they will inevitably make mistakes. Besides, our friend's hand will point us in the right direction. However, we need to move quickly; only the right hand and the head remain, and we must reach them before the other party does."

The two traveled southwest, and this time, the left hand led them to a location in the fog-covered region of eastern Shu.

A ghost city that the locals dared not approach.