Chapter 62

Chapter 62: Fengxie Part 13.2

His lips quivered slightly as he silently mouthed a few words. Jiang Cheng almost rose to his feet right then.

It was Wei Wuxian!

Yet, apart from the face, this person was not the Wei Wuxian he remembered at all.

Wei Wuxian had been a spirited and striking youth, always smiling with the corners of his eyes and brows, but he never walked properly. In contrast, this person was shrouded in a cold, gloomy aura—handsome, yet pale, with a smile that was utterly sinister.

The sight was so unexpected, and the situation still unclear, that caution was warranted. Despite the shock of the two on the rooftop, neither rushed in; they only pressed their heads lower, getting closer to the gaps in the tiles.

Inside the room, Wei Wuxian, dressed in black, slowly turned around. Wen Chao, covering his face, could barely speak, managing only a faint breath, "Wen Zhuliu... Wen Zhuliu!"

Hearing this, Wei Wuxian's eyes and mouth slowly curved upwards as he said, "To this day, you still think calling for him will help?"

He took a few steps forward and kicked a pale object by his feet. Looking down, he saw it was the meat bun Wen Chao had thrown away.

Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow and said, "What, picky eater?"

Wen Chao fell off the stool, his voice tearing in despair, "I won't eat! I won't eat! I won't eat!"

As he wailed like a ghost, his handless hands crawled across the floor. The black cloak dragging behind him slipped off, revealing his legs. These legs, like useless appendages, were extremely thin and tightly wrapped in bandages, grotesquely hanging under him. Due to his violent movements, gaps appeared between the bandages, exposing the bone, still dripping with fresh red blood and flesh.

The flesh on his legs had been completely scraped off. And perhaps... he had eaten it himself!

Wen Chao's shrill screams echoed in the empty post station, but Wei Wuxian remained unmoved, gently lifting his robe to sit at another table.

A second oil lamp flickered to life, casting a warm, yellowish glow. Half of Wei Wuxian's face was illuminated, the other half in shadow. He lowered his hand, and a pale face emerged from the darkness under the table. From beneath it came the sound of chewing.

A small white child crouched by his feet, like a carnivorous beast, gnawing on something Wei Wuxian had fed it.

Wei Wuxian withdrew his hand and gently patted the ghost child’s sparse-haired head. The ghost child, still chewing, sat by his feet, holding his leg, glaring at Wen Zhuliu with cold, dangerous eyes.

What it was gnawing on were two human fingers.

No doubt, they were Wen Chao's fingers!

Lan Wangji stared at the ghost child, steeped in yin energy, and at Wei Wuxian, who was equally menacing. He tightened his grip on the hilt of Bichen.

Wen Zhuliu still stood protectively in front of Wen Chao. Wei Wuxian, head lowered, making it impossible to see his expression, said, "Wen Zhuliu, do you really think you can save him from me?"

Wen Zhuliu said, "A desperate attempt."

Wei Wuxian sneered and said, "A good, loyal Wen dog."

Wen Zhuliu said, "I cannot repay his kindness with ingratitude."

Wei Wuxian's tone and expression suddenly turned cold and fierce as he said sharply, "Nonsense! Why should others pay for the kindness you owe!"

Before his words even faded, Wen Chao's miserable wailing echoed from behind Wen Zhuliu. Wen Chao crawled to the corner of the room, desperately trying to squeeze himself into the gap in the wooden boards, as if he could escape through the crack. Suddenly, a red figure fell from the ceiling with a loud thud, landing heavily on him. The woman, with her iron-blue face and long black hair, created a stark, terrifying contrast against her red clothes. Her ten fingers grabbed the bandages on Wen Chao's head and tore them off with force.

The bandages had just been reapplied by Wen Zhuliu after administering medicine. The ointment, skin, and bandages were still stuck together. The burned skin, already fragile, was instantly ripped off, along with his unhealed scars and thin skin. Even his lips were torn off. In an instant, his bumpy, bald head turned into a bloody, mangled mess.

Wen Chao fainted on the spot. The moment he screamed, Wen Zhuliu immediately turned to save him. At the same time, Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng on the roof tightened their grip on their swords, ready to strike. But before they could move, the ghost child by Wei Wuxian's feet leaped forward. Wen Zhuliu slapped the ghost child's head with his right hand but felt intense pain as the ghost child's sharp teeth bit into him. Unable to shake it off, Wen Zhuliu ignored it and went straight to save Wen Chao. The ghost child bit a large chunk of flesh from his palm and continued to gnaw down his hand. Wen Zhuliu grabbed the ghost child's head with his left hand, seemingly intending to crush the cold, small skull with his bare hands. The woman with the iron-blue face threw the blood-stained bandages to the ground and, like a four-legged creature, crawled swiftly to Wen Zhuliu's side, slashing ten bloody grooves with her hand. The two sinister creatures, large and small, tore at him relentlessly, leaving Wen Zhuliu flustered and overwhelmed. As he struggled, Wei Wuxian suddenly charged at him.

The two on the roof were startled. Lan Wangji slammed his palm down, causing the tiles to shatter and the roof to collapse. He dropped down from the eaves onto the second floor of the post station, standing between Wen Zhuliu and Wei Wuxian. Wen Zhuliu was taken aback, and at that moment, a long whip with circulating purple light lashed forward, wrapping around his neck three times tightly. The tall and heavy Wen Zhuliu was hoisted into the air, and the sound of his neck bones snapping echoed immediately. At the same time, Wei Wuxian's pupils shrank as he pulled out a flute from his waist, spinning to stand up. The ghost child and the woman with the iron-blue face quickly retreated to his side, warily eyeing the two strangers.

Behind them, Wen Zhuliu had not yet died. His face flushed crimson, body convulsing, still struggling desperately, eyes wide and bulging. The ghost child bared its teeth at Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng, full of hostility. Wei Wuxian raised his hand slightly, signaling the child to withdraw its fangs, his gaze shifting between Lan Wangji and Jiang Cheng. The three of them stood in tense silence, each unwilling to break the quiet first.

For a long moment, Jiang Cheng raised his arm and threw something over. Wei Wuxian didn’t even think about it, just raised his hand to catch it. Jiang Cheng said, "Here's your sword!"

Wei Wuxian's hand slowly lowered.

He looked down at Suibian, pausing for a moment before saying, "...Thanks, Jiang Cheng."

Another long silence followed. Suddenly, Jiang Cheng stepped forward and slapped him on the shoulder, saying, "You little punk! Where have you been for the past three months!"

Though it was a scolding, the tone was filled with overwhelming joy. Lan Wangji didn’t step forward, but his gaze remained locked on Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian was startled by the slap but quickly returned it, saying, "Haha, it’s a long story!"

The cold aura around him faded significantly after those two slaps. Jiang Cheng, mixed with anger and joy, hugged him tightly, then pushed him away forcefully, roaring, "Didn’t we agree to meet at that rundown town at the foot of the mountain? I waited for five or six days and didn’t even catch a glimpse of you! If you were going to die, you should have died in front of me! I’ve been so busy these past three months, my head’s been spinning!"

Wei Wuxian lifted his robe and sat down by the table again, waving his hand, "I said it’s a long story. A bunch of Wen dogs were also searching high and low for me. They caught me and threw me into some hellhole."

As he spoke, the woman with the green face crawled towards him on all fours. After the vicious fight earlier, her face was still twisted in rage, but as she lay next to Wei Wuxian, her green face pressed against his leg, resembling a pampered concubine cooing at her master, giggling softly. Wei Wuxian lounged at the table, his right hand stroking her long, silky hair. Lan Wangji watched his actions with an increasingly stern expression. Jiang Cheng felt a bit uncomfortable but was more astonished, saying, "What hellhole? I questioned everyone in town, and no one had ever seen you?!"

Wei Wuxian said, "You asked the people in the town? They’re just simple folk who wouldn’t dare speak up for fear of causing trouble. The Wen dogs must have silenced them, so of course, they said they hadn’t seen me."

Jiang Cheng cursed, "A bunch of old fools!" and then asked, "What hellhole? Qishan? Bu Ye Tian City? How did you get out? And how did you end up like this? What are these two things that actually listen to you? I joined Lan Wangji on a night raid to ambush Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu, but someone beat us to it. I didn’t expect it to be you! Did you also modify those talismans?"

Wei Wuxian glanced at Lan Wangji, who had been watching them, and smiled, saying, "More or less. I found a mysterious cave somewhere, where a mysterious high person left behind mysterious scriptures, and then I came out like this to wreak havoc. Do you believe it?"

Jiang Cheng spat, "Wake up. You’ve been reading too many legend novels. There aren’t that many high persons and secret caves and scriptures everywhere in the world!"

Wei Wuxian shrugged, "See, you don’t believe me. I’ll tell you later when I get the chance."

Jiang Cheng glanced at Lan Wangji, realizing it was probably something not suitable to be said in front of outsiders, and restrained his joy, saying, "Alright. We’ll talk later. It’s good that you’re back."

Wei Wuxian said, "Yeah. It’s good to be back."

Jiang Cheng muttered a few more repetitions of "It’s good that you’re back" and then slapped him again, "You really…! Surviving after being caught by the Wen dogs!"

Wei Wuxian said proudly, "Of course. Who do you think I am?"

Jiang Cheng couldn’t help but curse, "What’s there to be proud of? You didn’t come back early even after surviving!"

Wei Wuxian said, "I just got out. I heard you and Elder Sister were doing well, and you’re rebuilding the Yunmeng Jiang family, forming alliances, and preparing for war, so I went to kill a few Wen dogs to lighten your burden and contribute a bit. These past three months have been hard on you."

Hearing the last sentence, Jiang Cheng seemed to recall the hardships of the past three months, the endless running around, and working day and night. He was slightly moved but then restrained his expression, saying gruffly, "Put away this broken sword of yours! I was waiting for you to come back and take it. I don’t want to carry two swords around and be asked questions all the time!"

Lan Wangji suddenly spoke, "Wei Ying."

He had been standing quietly by the side, and now both Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng turned to him. Wei Wuxian, as if just remembering to greet him, slightly turned his head and said, "Hanguang Jun."

Lan Wangji said, "Was it you who's been killing the Wen family disciples along the way?"

Wei Wuxian said, "Of course."

Jiang Cheng said, "I knew it was you. Why only kill one at a time? What a hassle."

Wei Wuxian said, "For fun, to toy with them. Killing them all at once would be too easy. I killed them one by one, showing them the knife, cutting slowly. As for Wen Chao, I haven’t tortured him enough yet. As for Wen Zhuliu, he received a promotion from Wen Ruohan and changed his surname to join the Wen family, tasked with protecting Wen Ruohan’s precious son." He sneered, "He wants to protect him, but I’ll make sure Wen Chao becomes unrecognizable right in front of him, bit by bit, until he’s neither human nor ghost."

This smile was three parts cold, three parts cruel, and three parts amused. Lan Wangji watched him closely, seeing this expression clearly, and took a step forward, saying, "What method are you using to control these evil spirits?"

Wei Wuxian’s smile faded, and he gave Lan Wangji a sideways glance. Jiang Cheng also sensed the tension and said, "Lan Wangji, what’s the meaning behind that question?"

Lan Wangji stared intently at Wei Wuxian, saying, "Answer."

The ghost child and the woman with the green face became restless. Wei Wuxian looked back at them, and they reluctantly retreated into the darkness. Wei Wuxian then turned to Lan Wangji, raising an eyebrow, "Can I ask... what happens if I don’t answer?"

Suddenly, he dodged to the side, avoiding Lan Wangji's unexpected attempt to grab him, and stepped back three paces. "Lan Zhan, isn't it a bit much to start grabbing people right after we've just reunited?"

Lan Wangji acted without speaking, and Wei Wuxian countered his moves, both of them swift and agile. After deflecting his hand for the third time, Wei Wuxian said, "I thought we should at least be considered acquaintances. Isn't it a bit harsh to start fighting over a minor disagreement? Are you being too ruthless?"

Lan Wangji said, "Answer me!"

Jiang Cheng stepped between them and said, "Lan Wangji!"

Wei Wuxian said, "The things you're asking about are hard to explain clearly and seem rather odd. Besides, if I were to ask you about the secret techniques of the Gusu Lan Family, would you answer me?"

Lan Wangji bypassed Jiang Cheng and came straight for Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian held his flute horizontally in front of him and said, "Isn't this a bit too much? Why so heartless? What exactly do you want, Lan Zhan?"

Lan Wangji said word by word, "Come back to Gusu with me."

Hearing this, both Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng were stunned.

After a moment, Wei Wuxian laughed and said, "Go back to Gusu with you, to Cloud Recesses? Why?"

He suddenly realized, "Oh, I forgot. Your uncle, Lan Qiren, hates people like me who practice dark arts the most. You're his prize student, so naturally, you feel the same way, haha. I refuse."

Jiang Cheng eyed Lan Wangji warily and said, "We understand the family traditions of the Lan family. But previously, at Moxi Mountain, in the Tortoise of Slaughter cave, Wei Wuxian saved your life, and you both went through hardships together. Now, without hesitation, you're trying to take him in, which seems rather heartless."

Wei Wuxian looked at him and said, "Not bad. You have the demeanor of a family head."

Jiang Cheng said, "Shut up."

Lan Wangji said, "I’m not here to arrest him."

Jiang Cheng said, "Then why do you want him to go back to Gusu with you? Lan Wangji, at this critical moment, shouldn't your Gusu Lan Family be focusing on uniting rather than sticking to those rigid teachings?"

Facing both of them, Lan Wangji did not back down and gazed steadily at Wei Wuxian. "Wei Ying, practicing dark arts always comes at a price, as it has throughout history."

Wei Wuxian said, "I can afford the cost."

Seeing his nonchalance, Lan Wangji said in a deep voice, "This path damages the body and even more so the spirit."

Wei Wuxian said, "I know exactly how much it affects my body and spirit. As for my spirit, I am its master, and I have my own judgment."

Lan Wangji said, "There are things beyond your control."

A flicker of displeasure crossed Wei Wuxian's face, and he said, "I can control it."

Lan Wangji took a step closer to him and was about to speak when Wei Wuxian narrowed his eyes and said, "Ultimately, what do others know about my spirit? And what does it have to do with others?"

Lan Wangji was startled for a moment, then suddenly angrily said, "...Wei Wuxian!"

Wei Wuxian also angrily said, "Lan Wangji! Do you really need to make things harder for me right now? Do you want me to go to Cloud Recesses and be imprisoned by your Gusu Lan Family? Who do you think you are, and who do you think the Gusu Lan Family is? Do you really think I won't resist?!"

A fierce aura suddenly arose between them. Lan Wangji's hand on the hilt of Bichen turned white, and Jiang Cheng said coldly, "Does the Gusu Lan Family have to interfere so much? Wei Wuxian is on our side. Are you trying to punish one of our own?"

Wei Wuxian softened his tone and said, "Exactly. As long as it's the Wen dogs being killed, why does it matter how I kill them?"

The two of them had always been able to seamlessly respond to each other since childhood. Jiang Cheng then said, "Don't take this the wrong way, but even if there's a need for accountability, Wei Wuxian isn't part of your family, and it's not your place to punish him. He'll go back with anyone but you."

Hearing this, Lan Wangji's expression stiffened, and he looked up at Wei Wuxian. His throat trembled, and he said, "I..."

Before he could finish, a weak cry came from the corner where Wen Chao was. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's attention immediately shifted. They simultaneously bypassed Lan Wangji and approached Wen Zhuliu and Wen Chao. Wen Zhuliu was suspended by Purple Lightning, still struggling in agony, while Wen Chao was half-dead, slowly lifting his eyelids. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw two faces looming above him.

These two faces were equally young and familiar, having once shown expressions of despair, pain, or bone-deep hatred in front of him. And at this moment, their condescending expressions were equally cold and filled with a chilling light.

Wei Wuxian neither screamed nor tried to escape. Dazed and foolish, he held his handless fingers and drooled. Wei Wuxian kicked him, positioning him in a kneeling posture facing Yunmeng. The exposed bone and flesh ground together, causing Wen Chao to emit a sharp, miserable wail that echoed piercingly through the empty post station. Jiang Cheng said, "Why is his voice so shrill?"

Wei Wuxian replied, "Losing something like that would make anyone sound shrill."

Jiang Cheng said with disgust, "Did you cut them?"

Wei Wuxian said, "Thinking about it is pretty disgusting. Of course, I didn't cut them. His woman went mad and bit them off."

Lan Wangji was still standing behind them, watching. Wei Wuxian suddenly remembered his presence and turned around, smiling. "Lan Wangji, the scene coming up might not be suitable for you to watch. Maybe you should step out."

Although he used the word "please," the tone brooked no argument. Jiang Cheng also politely but distantly said, "Agreed. Lan Wangji, we've got Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu now. The mission is complete, and it's time for us to part ways. What follows is personal revenge. You should return first."

Lan Wangji's gaze was still locked on Wei Wuxian, but Wei Wuxian's attention had already been captured by the enemies on the brink of death. His eyes gleamed as he looked at Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu, a cruel and excited smile on his face. Jiang Cheng wore the same expression. Both were lost in the intoxicating thrill of revenge, and neither had the spare attention to entertain outsiders.

After a pause, Lan Wangji turned and walked away.

Outside the post station, he lingered by the door for a while without leaving.

After what seemed like an eternity, a long, mournful howl shattered the silence.

Lan Wangji looked back up at the building. His white robes and forehead ribbon flapped wildly in the cold wind.

The night had ended, and the sun was about to rise.

But the sun on the ground was sinking.