Chapter 63

Chapter 63: Indecision Chapter Fourteen

Wei Wuxian murmured softly, “... Lan Zhan.”

He reached out and grabbed Lan Wangji's sleeve. Lan Wangji, who had been standing guard beside him, immediately bent down and whispered, “I'm here.”

However, Wei Wuxian was not awake. His eyes remained tightly shut, but his hand held on without letting go, as if he was dreaming. He mumbled, “... You... don't be angry...”

Lan Wangji was slightly stunned and gently said, “I'm not angry.”

Wei Wuxian replied, “... Oh.”

Upon hearing this, he seemed to relax, and his fingers loosened.

Lan Wangji sat beside Wei Wuxian for a while. Seeing that he was still again, he prepared to stand up. But suddenly, Wei Wuxian's other hand grabbed him forcefully, holding onto his arm and shouting, “Take me with you, quick! Bring me back to your home!”

Lan Wangji's eyes widened.

After shouting this, Wei Wuxian seemed to wake himself up. His long lashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze clearing from confusion to lucidity. He suddenly realized that his hands were clutching Lan Wangji as if he were a lifeline or a floating wood in water.

He immediately let go, almost rolling away, but the movement pulled at his abdominal wound, causing him to frown and remember his injury. As golden stars danced before his eyes, many faces—Jin Ling, Jiang Cheng, Jiang Yanli, Jiang Fengmian, Lady Yu—swirled before him. Lan Wangji held him down and asked, “How’s the wound on your abdomen?”

Wei Wuxian said, “The wound? It doesn't hurt...”

Lan Wangji held him firmly, lifted his clothes, and revealed that the wound had been properly bandaged. Upon removing the bandage, he saw that the wound had already healed. He examined his legs and noticed that the malicious curse mark had vanished.

Wei Wuxian asked, “How long have I been lying here?”

After confirming that his injuries were indeed fine, Lan Wangji let go and said, “Four days.”

The wound from Jin Ling's sword was deep, and it was thanks to the high-grade pills of the Gusu Lan Family that it healed without a scar in just four days. Wei Wuxian thanked him and couldn’t help but mock himself, “Reborn into this life, I've become so delicate that I can't handle a single stab.”

Lan Wangji said calmly, “No one can handle being stabbed.”

Wei Wuxian said, “That's not necessarily true. If it were my body from my previous life, I could have stuffed my intestines back in and fought another three hundred battles even while hanging by a thread.”

Seeing Wei Wuxian start to ramble again right after waking up, Lan Wangji shook his head and turned away. Thinking Lan Zhan was about to leave, Wei Wuxian hurriedly said, “Don't go. I was talking nonsense, I was wrong. Don't ignore me.”

Lan Wangji said, “You're afraid of being ignored?”

Wei Wuxian said, “Afraid, afraid.”

He hadn't felt the comfort of waking up injured with someone by his side in a long time.

Lan Wangji, wearing two swords at his waist, took off Suibian and handed it to him. “Your sword.”

Seeing the sword, Wei Wuxian was momentarily stunned before saying, “Thank you.”

Holding the hilt, he gently drew the sword, and the bright blade reflected a pair of eyes. Wei Wuxian stared at the reflection for a moment, then sheathed Suibian and said, “It really has sealed itself?”

Lan Wangji also gripped the hilt of Suibian and tried to pull it out, but it didn't move. Wei Wuxian sighed, patted the blade, and thought, “I knew Jin Guangyao wouldn't dare make things up... It really has sealed itself. What a rare occurrence, one in ten thousand. Now there's ironclad evidence that it was Wei Wuxian who pulled it out, no denying it.”

Glancing around, he saw a clean and simple room, dimly lit except for a paper lantern glowing in the corner. Wei Wuxian asked, “Where are we?”

Lan Wangji said, “Cloud Recesses.”

Wei Wuxian said, “You brought me back to Cloud Recesses? What if your elder brother discovers us here?”

A voice interrupted, “I’ve already discovered it.”

A man stepped out from behind the screen, clad in white and wearing a forehead ribbon. His face was like beautiful jade, and his expression solemn.

Having spent four days recovering in Cloud Recesses without being captured by the Jin family of Lanling, and considering that Lan Xichen likely posed no threat—especially with Lan Wangji by his side—Wei Wuxian didn’t feel particularly wary. He suddenly remembered something and asked, "What happened to Crimson Frost Duke's body?"

Lan Xichen replied, "The different clans have all seen big brother's body. For now, it is in Huaisang's care, and I have assigned trustworthy individuals to look after it."

Wei Wuxian felt slightly relieved and asked, "What was Jin Guangyao's reaction?"

Lan Wangji said, "Absolutely perfect."

Wei Wuxian, having expected Jin Guangyao to put on a perfect show, was only concerned with confirming that he couldn’t destroy the body and erase the evidence. However, Lan Xichen slowly said, "He said that this matter will be pursued to the end, and an explanation will be given. Now that Wei gongzi is awake, shouldn't you give me an explanation too, Wangji?"

Lan Wangji stood up and said, "Brother."

Lan Xichen sighed and said, "Wangji, what can I even say to you?"

Lan Wangji replied, "Big brother, Crimson Frost Duke's head really is in Jin Guangyao's hands."

Lan Xichen asked, "Did you see it with your own eyes?"

Lan Wangji answered, "He saw it with his own eyes."

Lan Xichen asked, "Do you trust him?"

Lan Wangji said, "I do."

His answer was without hesitation, causing Wei Wuxian's chest to warm. Lan Xichen said, "Then what about Jin Guangyao?"

Lan Wangji replied, "Not to be trusted."

Lan Xichen smiled and said, "Wangji, how do you determine whether a person is trustworthy or not?"

Looking at Wei Wuxian, he continued, "You trust Wei gongzi, but I trust Jin Guangyao. Crimson Frost Duke's head is in his hands, and neither of us witnessed this ourselves. We trust their statements based on our understanding of the other person.

"You believe you understand Wei Wuxian, so you trust him; I believe I understand Jin Guangyao, so I trust him. If you trust your own judgment, why shouldn’t I trust mine?"

Fearing that the brothers might start arguing, Wei Wuxian interjected, "Lan Zongzhu!"

He could understand Lan Xichen. Seeing Jin Guangyao through Nie Mingjue's eyes, he noticed his cunning and ambition. However, if Jin Guangyao had always presented himself as a disguise in front of Lan Xichen, there was no reason for him not to trust his sworn brother and instead trust a notorious and bloodthirsty individual.

Lan Xichen nodded and said, "Wei gongzi, there is no need to worry. I will not favor either side nor reveal your whereabouts until the truth comes to light. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let Wangji bring you to my cold chamber and treat your injuries."

Wei Wuxian said, "I appreciate Lan Zongzhu for giving me this opportunity. Crimson Frost Duke's head is definitely in Jin Guangyao's secret chamber. Not only did I see it, but I was also infected by its malice, seeing some things. I wonder if this can serve as proof?"

Lan Xichen calmly said, "Wei gongzi, while you may have seen something, you cannot prove that it was in the Jin family's secret chamber."

Wei Wuxian said, "Hmm. That's true. Let me mention something else then. Crimson Frost Duke's direct cause of death was indeed internal deviation of spiritual energy, but Lan Zongzhu, don't you find the timing too coincidental? The blade spirit haunting was one factor, but have you considered other contributing factors?"

Lan Xichen asked, "What do you think the contributing factor is?"

Wei Wuxian replied, "The Melody of Pure Heart."

Lan Xichen said, "Wei gongzi, do you know that the Melody of Pure Heart he played was personally taught to him by me?"

Wei Wuxian said, "Then, Lan Zongzhu, please listen and tell me if there’s anything unusual about this melody?"

His flute was on the bedside table, and Wei Wuxian picked it up, pondering for a moment before playing it. After finishing the piece, he asked, "Lan Zongzhu, is this the melody you taught Jin Guangyao?"

Lan Xichen replied, "It is."

Wei Wuxian was slightly surprised but remained calm. "What is the title of this piece?"

Lan Xichen said, "This piece is called *Xi Hua*, which has the effect of clearing the mind and stabilizing the spirit."

Wei Wuxian said, "*Xi Hua*. I've heard many famous pieces of our sect, but why do I have no impression of either the title or the melody of this one?"

Lan Wangji said, "This piece is obscure and challenging to master."

Lan Xichen said, "Exactly."

Wei Wuxian said, "Did Jin Guangyao specifically request to learn this one?"

Lan Xichen said, "Yes."

Wei Wuxian said, "Is it really that difficult to master? Then why did Jin Guangyao specifically choose this piece instead of something easier?"

Lan Xichen said, "Because I once told him that *Xi Hua* is difficult to learn but extremely effective. This piece is indeed tricky. Didn't you also make a mistake while playing it, Wei Wuxian?"

Hearing this, Wei Wuxian's heart stirred. "I made a mistake?"

Lan Wangji said, "There was a mistake in the middle section."

Wei Wuxian laughed. "No, no. The mistake wasn't mine. It was Jin Guangyao's! When the resentful energy attacked, that's exactly how he played it. I can guarantee that I played the piece flawlessly."

Lan Xichen, surprised, said, "So he learned it incorrectly? This... shouldn't be possible."

Wei Wuxian said, "Indeed, it shouldn't be possible. For the Concealing Fragrance Duke, with his intelligence and extraordinary memory, how could he have remembered the melody wrong? It's likely deliberate. Let me play it again. Lan Zongzhu, Hanguang Jun, please listen carefully to the part that was 'played wrong.'"

He played it once more, and when he reached the second section near the end, Lan Wangji said, "Stop."

Lan Xichen said, "It was this part just now."

Wei Wuxian took the flute away from his lips and said, "Is it really this part? To me, it doesn't sound discordant."

Lan Xichen said, "Indeed, it doesn't sound discordant. However, it's definitely not part of *Xi Hua*."

If it had been an ordinary mistake in playing, it wouldn't have blended so seamlessly with the rest of the composition. This section of the melody must have been deliberately inserted. And this section, which doesn't belong to *Xi Hua*, but was mixed into it, could very well be the key to Nie Mingjue's death.

After a moment of thought, Lan Xichen said, "Follow me."

They left the room, and Wei Wuxian was slightly startled.

This was a secluded little building, hidden somewhere in Cloud Recesses. The Lan family's estate was nestled deep in the mountains, surrounded by towering pines and junipers. Most of the plants were green trees and orchids, not without flowers, but the flowers were of the subtle and elegant variety, such as magnolias, gardenias, and white chrysanthemums, serving only as sporadic embellishments. In front of this room, however, were purple gentian flowers. The small flowers, with their striking color, were charming and pitiful, glowing faintly in the night, almost dreamlike.

Wei Wuxian sensed something unusual about this place but only had time for a quick glance before they moved on. It was past the hour of 10 PM, and most people in Cloud Recesses had already gone to rest. The place was eerily quiet, and there was no one on the way. Lan Xichen led them directly to the library.

Cloud Recesses had been burned down by a great fire, and the library was no longer the same as it had been before. However, after being rebuilt, it followed the exact same layout. Even the magnolia tree outside the pavilion had been replanted. The three of them entered the library, and Wei Wuxian asked doubtfully, "Lan Zongzhu, will we be able to find the origin of this melody here?"

Lan Xichen said, "Not here."

He walked over to a row of bookshelves, knelt down, lifted the wooden board beneath, and opened the hidden door. "But here, we can."

Under the wooden board was a staircase of more than fifty steps. They descended one by one. What appeared before Wei Wuxian was a dry and spacious underground stone chamber, where their footsteps echoed in the empty space. In the forbidden book chamber stood rows of bookshelves, sparsely populated with dusty books, appearing untouched for many years.

Lan Xichen led them to a row of bookshelves and said, "This shelf contains all the *Yi Pu Zhi*."

The restricted book room had a desk with only a paper lantern on it. Lan Wangji took the paper and brush that had been untouched for years from the shelf and silently wrote down three copies of that segment of the musical score. The three of them sat around the desk, dividing the task among themselves. Each was responsible for dozens of books, going through them page by page, comparing the transcribed scores from the forbidden books to find any parts that matched the melody.

However, after two shichen, none of them had found a score that matched the melody. In other words, they hadn't discovered its origin.

Wei Wuxian skimmed through the dense musical notations, thinking to himself, "Could it be that the Lan family's restricted book room doesn't have this piece recorded in their collection of unusual scores? Impossible. If even the Lan family doesn't have it, it's even less likely to be found elsewhere. It wouldn't be that Jin Guangyao created a divine melody himself, would it? That would be troublesome. To prove that this melody is suspicious, we'd need someone to listen to it for several months to test it. But although he's clever, he's self-taught and wouldn't be smart enough to create something like this on his own..."

Wei Wuxian had been looking at the tiny characters for a long time and was starting to feel dizzy. He still had a few books left and decided to set them aside for now. Lan Wangji had finished his stack and, noticing the few books Wei Wuxian had set down, quietly took them over and continued flipping through them. Lan Xichen slowly looked up, saw this, and hesitated to speak.

Just then, Lan Wangji said, "This book."

He handed the book over, and Wei Wuxian immediately perked up. But after carefully comparing the two pages with the fragment of the score in his hand, he said, "It's completely different, isn't it?"

Lan Wangji stood up and sat next to him, pointing, "Look at the pages before and after this one."

Their heads close together, Lan Wangji’s voice was low and magnetic, right next to his ear. Wei Wuxian's hand trembled slightly, and he nearly dropped the book. He struggled to regain his composure and forced his eyes away from Lan Wangji's long, fair fingers, carefully examining the pages. "Ah, the pages before and after."

On the surface, the score appeared normal, but to someone familiar with musical tones, paying a little more attention would reveal that the piece on the previous page didn't connect with the one on the next page.