Chapter 77

Chapter 77: Night Run Part 18 2

In the past, it was always others coming to him for advice on what to do. Now, it was him asking others what he should do. And yet, no one could give him an answer.

Suddenly, Wei Wuxian felt a slight pain on the side of his neck, as if he had been pricked by a very fine needle. His whole body went numb. He had been so distracted that he let his guard down. By the time he realized something was wrong, it was already too late. His body involuntarily slumped onto the stone bed. At first, he could still raise his arm, but soon, even his arm fell onto the bed, and his entire body became immobile.

Wen Qing, her eyes red and brimming with tears, slowly retracted her right hand and said, "...I'm sorry."

Originally, with her speed, she would never have been able to hit Wei Wuxian, but Wei Wuxian had been completely off guard just now. The needle was thrust in deeply, and it calmed Wei Wuxian's mind slightly. His Adam's apple bobbed as he spoke, "What are you doing?"

Wen Qing and Wen Ning shared a meaningful glance, then stood together in front of him and bowed solemnly.

Seeing this scene, a wave of restless unease rose in Wei Wuxian's heart. He said, "What are you two doing? What exactly are you planning?"

Wen Qing said, "Just now, when you woke up, we were discussing something. We've almost finished discussing it."

Wei Wuxian said, "Discussing what? Stop beating around the bush and just say it straight!"

Wen Ning slowly stood up from the ground, still keeping his head down, and said, "Sister and I have discussed it. We will go to Jin Lingtai to bear the blame and seek forgiveness."

"Bear the blame?" Wei Wuxian was stunned. "Bear the blame for what? To confess and surrender?"

Wen Qing rubbed her eyes, her expression seemingly calm, and said, "Yes, something like that. While you were lying here these past few days, the Jin family of Lanling sent people to the foot of the Burial Mounds to deliver a message."

Wei Wuxian said, "What message? Stop beating around the bush and just say it straight!"

Wen Qing said, "The Jin family of Lanling wants you to give them an explanation. This explanation is to hand over the two leaders of the remaining Wen family members. Especially the Ghost General."

"..." Wei Wuxian said, "I'm warning you two, pull out this needle right now."

Wen Qing continued, almost as if speaking to herself, "The leaders of the remaining Wen family members are us. From what they said, as long as you hand us over, this matter will be considered temporarily resolved. So, you'll have to lie here for a few more days. The needle in your body will lose its effect in three days. I've already instructed Fourth Uncle and the others to take good care of you. If anything unexpected happens during these three days, they will release you."

Wei Wuxian angrily said, "Shut the fuck up! Things are already a mess! You two better not make things worse. What kind of nonsense is this about bearing the blame? Did I tell you to do this? Pull it out!"

Wen Qing and Wen Ning stood with their hands hanging by their sides, their silence eerily identical. Wei Wuxian's body was powerless, and no matter how hard he struggled, it was futile. No one listened to him, and his heart suddenly felt powerless too.

He couldn't shout, couldn't move, and with a hoarse voice, he said, "Why are you going to Jin Lingtai? That curse wasn't cast by me..."

Wen Qing said, "But they've already decided it was you."

Wei Wuxian desperately tried to think of a solution, and suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind. He said, "Then find the real caster! Jin Zixun must have sought out a curse master. The usual way to deal with such a curse is to reflect it back onto the caster. Even if we can't reflect all of it, we can reflect part of it. We just need to find someone who has the same curse marks!"

Wen Qing said, "It's useless."

Wei Wuxian said, "Why is it useless?"

Wen Qing said, "The world is vast. Where would we even start looking? Should we set up checkpoints on every road in every city and make everyone strip for inspection?"

Wei Wuxian said randomly, "Why not?"

Wen Qing said, "Who would help you set up these checkpoints? And how long would it take? Maybe ten or eight years, but are they willing to wait?"

Wei Wuxian said, "But I don't have any curse marks on me!"

Wen Qing said, "Did they ask you about it when they ambushed you today?"

Wei Wuxian said, "No."

Wen Qing said, "Exactly. They didn't ask you, they just went straight for the kill. Do you understand? They don't need any evidence, and they don't need you to find the truth. Whether or not you have curse marks on you doesn't matter. You are the Yiling Patriarch, the King of Ghosts, you are skilled in dark arts. Even if you don't have curse marks, it wouldn't be strange. And you don't even need to do it yourself, you can send your Wen dogs to do it for you. In any case, it's you, and you can't deny it."

Wei Wuxian cursed.

Wen Qing listened quietly until he finished cursing, then said, "So, you see. It's useless. And now, who caused all these problems doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that the more than three hundred people on Qiongqi Path, and... Jin Zixuan, were indeed killed by A-Ning."

Wei Wuxian said, "...But, but..."

But what? He couldn't even think of what to say. He couldn't think of any reason to refuse, any excuse to exonerate himself.

He said, "...But if anyone should go, it should be me. I was the one who controlled the corpses to kill. Why should the murderer not go, but a weapon instead?"

Wen Qing said, "Wouldn't that be better?"

Wei Wuxian said, "Better how?!"

Wen Qing said calmly, "Wei Ying, we both know. Wen Ning is a weapon, a weapon they fear, but also a weapon they use as an excuse to attack you. If we go, and you no longer have this weapon, they will have no excuse. This matter might just end."

Wei Wuxian stared at her blankly, then suddenly let out a meaningless roar.

He finally understood why Jiang Cheng was always so angry about some of his actions, why he always scolded him for having a hero complex, why he always wanted to beat him up to wake him up. Because this feeling of watching others insist on taking responsibility, insisting on bearing the terrible consequences, and being unable to persuade them, was completely infuriating and unbearable!

Wei Wuxian said, "Do you even understand? Going to Jin Lingtai to plead guilty, what will happen to the two of you, especially Wen Ning? Aren't you the one who cares most about your brother?"

Wen Qing said, "Whatever happens, it's what he has coming."

No. It wasn't what Wen Ning deserved. It was what he deserved.

Wen Qing said, "Anyway, we should have died long ago. These days, we've been living on extra time."

Wen Ning nodded.

He always nodded, agreeing with whatever others said, never opposing. Wei Wuxian had never hated this gesture and this docility so much.

Wen Qing squatted down by the bed, looked at his face, and suddenly reached out, flicking Wei Wuxian's forehead.

This flick was very forceful, causing Wei Wuxian to frown in pain. Seeing this, Wen Qing seemed to be in a much better mood and said, "We've said all that needed to be said, made everything clear, and bid our farewells. So, goodbye."

Wei Wuxian said, "Don't..." Wen Qing interrupted, "I haven't said this to you many times, but today, some things must be said. There really won't be another chance in the future."

Wei Wuxian murmured, "...Shut up... Let me go..."

Wen Qing said, "I'm sorry. And, thank you."

Wei Wuxian lay still for three full days.

Wen Qing's calculation was indeed correct, exactly three days, not a moment more, not a moment less. After three days, he could move again.

First his fingers, then his limbs, his neck... When the almost stiff blood in his body started flowing again, Wei Wuxian leapt up from the steps and rushed out of the Burial Mounds.

The Wen family members seemed to have not slept for these three days either, sitting silently in the large shed, gathered around the table. Wei Wuxian didn't even glance at them as he ran down the Burial Mounds.

After rushing down the mountain, he stood in the wilderness, panting heavily, hands on his knees, barely able to straighten up. However, looking at the overgrown mountain paths, he didn't know where to go.

The Burial Mounds, he had just come down from there.

Lotus Pier, he hadn't been back for a year.

Jin Lingtai?

Three days had passed. If he went now, all he would likely find were Wen Qing's corpse and Wen Ning's ashes.

He stood there in a daze, suddenly feeling the vastness of the world, yet there was nowhere he could go.

He didn’t even know what to do.

Suddenly, a terrifying thought arose in his heart.

This thought had been repeatedly dismissed over the past three days, but it kept resurfacing, stubborn and unrelenting.

Wen Qing and Wen Ning had left on their own, and perhaps, in his heart, he was actually relieved.

Because this way, he wouldn’t have to struggle with what decision to make. They had already taken the initiative to make the decision for him, resolving this trouble.

Wei Wuxian slapped himself across the face, hissing to himself, "What are you thinking?!"

The stinging pain on his face finally suppressed the terrible thought. Instead, he thought that no matter what, he should at least retrieve the remains of the Wen siblings.

And so, he eventually ran in the direction of Jin Lingtai.

If Wei Wuxian wanted to sneak into a place unnoticed, it wasn’t difficult. Jin Lingtai was eerily quiet, lacking the heavy guard presence he had expected. After searching for a long time, he found nothing suspicious.

Like a ghost, he wandered through the halls of Jin Lingtai, hiding when he saw people and advancing when no one was around. He didn’t even know what he was looking for or how to look, but when the sound of a baby’s cry reached his ears, his steps froze, and an inner voice urged his body to move toward the source of the sound.

The crying came from a pitch-black, unlit hall.

Wei Wuxian silently crept to the door and peered through the gaps in the intricately carved wooden window.

In the center of the hall stood a jet-black coffin. In front of the coffin knelt two women dressed in white.

The woman on the left had a frail figure, a silhouette he would never mistake. Since childhood, he had been carried on the back of this person countless times.

It was Jiang Yanli.

Jiang Yanli knelt on a cushion, gazing vacantly at the shiny black coffin in front of her. The baby was cradled in her arms, still letting out soft cries.

The woman on the right whispered, "...A-Li, don’t sit anymore. Go rest for a while."

Jiang Yanli shook her head. Lady Jin sighed.

This was a woman whose temperament was quite similar to her good friend Lady Yu—strong-willed, with a voice that was always loud and commanding. But her words now were low and hoarse, carrying the weight of age.

Lady Jin added, "I’ll keep watch here. You shouldn’t sit any longer; you won’t be able to handle it."

Jiang Yanli said softly, "Mother, I’m fine. I want to sit a little longer."

After a while, Lady Jin slowly stood up and said, "This won’t do. I’ll go get you something to eat."

She must have been kneeling for a long time too, as her legs were numb. After standing up, her body swayed slightly, but she quickly steadied herself. When she turned around, it was indeed the face of a woman with somewhat sharp features.

In Wei Wuxian’s memory, Lady Jin was decisive, with an arrogant demeanor, exuding nobility and radiance. Her appearance was well-maintained, looking so young that one might believe she was in her twenties. But at this moment, what Wei Wuxian saw was an ordinary middle-aged woman dressed in plain white, her temples streaked with frost. Without makeup, her face was pale, and her lips were chapped.

As she walked over to push the door open, Wei Wuxian immediately dodged, lightly stepping onto the corridor’s beam. Lady Jin stepped out, closed the door behind her, and took a deep breath, her expression cold. She adjusted her facial muscles, as if trying to regain her usual authoritative demeanor.

But before she could finish that breath, her eyes reddened.

In front of Jiang Yanli, she had shown no sign of sorrow. Yet, as soon as she stepped outside, her lips trembled, her features contorted, and her entire body shook.

This was the second time Wei Wuxian had seen such an unbearably ugly and heartbroken expression on a woman’s face.

He never again wanted to see such an expression.

Wei Wuxian unintentionally clenched his fist, and his knuckles made a crisp "crack" sound. Hearing this, Madam Jin immediately furrowed her brows and shouted, "Who's there!"

As she looked up, she saw Wei Wuxian hiding near the bracket. Madam Jin had sharp eyes and clearly saw the face hidden in the darkness. Her expression contorted for a moment before she screamed, "Guards! Everyone, come here! Wei Ying—he's here! He's infiltrated Jin Lingtai!"

Wei Wuxian jumped down from the corridor and suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps. Someone rushed out of the hall, and he couldn't help but flee in panic.

At this moment, he didn't dare to look at Jiang Yanli's expression, let alone hear her say a single word to him!

After escaping from Jin Lingtai and leaving Lanling City, Wei Wuxian lost his sense of direction again. He began wandering aimlessly, his mind in a daze, walking without pause. He didn't know how many cities he had passed through when he suddenly saw a crowd gathered in front of a city wall, discussing something fervently, their emotions running high.

Wei Wuxian initially ignored these people, but as he walked past, he suddenly heard the low murmur of "Ghost General" from the crowd. He immediately stopped and listened intently.

"The Ghost General is truly ferocious... He came to apologize, but then suddenly went berserk and started slaughtering people at Jin Lingtai again!"

"Thankfully, I wasn't there that day!"

"Just like a dog trained by Wei Wuxian, biting anyone in sight."

"This Wei Ying is really something. If he can't control it, he shouldn't mess around with it. He created a mad dog and didn't even chain it up. Sooner or later, he'll face the consequences. Judging by the trend, that day isn't far off."

Wei Wuxian listened quietly, his knuckles and facial muscles twitching slightly.

"The Jin clan of Lanling is really unlucky."

"The Gusu Lan Family is even more unlucky! Most of the thirty-some people killed were from their family, even though they were just there to help mediate the situation."

"Fortunately, the Ghost General has finally been burned to ashes. Otherwise, just thinking about such a thing wandering around outside, occasionally going berserk, would make it hard to sleep peacefully."

Someone snapped, "The Wen dogs deserve such an end!"

"The Ghost General has been reduced to ashes. Now Wei Wuxian should finally understand the consequences, right? I heard many family heads who were planning to attend the oath-taking ceremony have already spoken out. It's satisfying!"

The more Wei Wuxian listened, the more detached his expression became.

He should have known this long ago. No matter what he did, these people would never have a single good word to say about him. When he was successful, others feared him; when he failed, others rejoiced.

No matter what, he was always branded a heretic. So what did all his persistence amount to? What was it all for?

However, the colder his eyes became, the more fiercely the raging fire in his heart burned.

One person spoke with great pride, as if he had achieved something monumental, "Yes, it's satisfying! If he stays low and behaves himself on that broken hill from now on, that's fine. But if he dares to show his face again? Heh, as soon as he appears, we'll..."

"We'll what?"

The people who were passionately discussing this were startled and turned around in unison.

They saw a pale-faced young man in black standing behind them, with dark circles under his eyes. He coldly asked, "As soon as he appears, what will you do?"

Someone with sharp eyes noticed the flute with a bright red tassel at his waist and was instantly terrified, exclaiming, "Chenqing! It's Chenqing!"

The Yiling Patriarch, Wei Wuxian, had truly appeared!

In an instant, the crowd scattered in all directions, leaving a large empty space around Wei Wuxian. He blew a sharp, piercing whistle, and suddenly, everyone felt their bodies grow heavy, collapsing to the ground. Trembling, they looked back and saw that everyone, including themselves, was being weighed down by several dark spirits of various shapes, their mouths dripping with blood!

Wei Wuxian strolled casually through the crowd, who were now lying on the ground, unable to move. As he walked, he said, "Oh, what's wrong with you all? Weren't you so bold when talking about me behind my back? Why do you look so submissive now that I'm here?"

He walked up to the person who had spoken the most viciously and suddenly stomped on his face, laughing, "Speak! Why aren't you speaking now?—Hero, what exactly are you going to do to me?!"

The man's nose was broken, and blood gushed out as he screamed in pain. Several cultivators watching from the top of the city wall wanted to help but didn't dare to approach. They shouted from a distance, "Wei... Wei Ying! If you're really so powerful, why don't you go after the big families and family heads at the oath-taking ceremony? Bullying us low-ranking cultivators who can't fight back, what kind of skill is that?"

Wei Wuxian blew another short whistle, and the cultivator who had shouted suddenly felt a hand yank him violently, causing him to fall from the top of the city wall, breaking both his legs and letting out a long, agonized scream.

Amidst the wails, Wei Wuxian remained expressionless and said, "Low-ranking cultivators? Just because you're low-ranking cultivators, should I have to put up with you? If you dare to speak, you must dare to bear the consequences. Since you know you're insignificant, worthless scum, why don't you learn to keep your mouths shut!"

The crowd turned ashen, dead silent. After a while, when Wei Wuxian no longer heard any idle chatter, he smirked in satisfaction and said, "That's right, just like this."

With that, he delivered another kick, knocking out half his teeth of the person who had been the most vocal!

Blood splattered everywhere, and everyone trembled in fear. The man had already passed out from the pain. Wei Wuxian lowered his head, grinding the bloodstains on his boot into the ground, leaving behind a few bloody footprints. After studying them for a moment, he said indifferently, "However, you scum did get one thing right. Dealing with trash like you is a waste of time. You want me to go after those big families? Fine, I'll go and settle accounts with them."

He looked up and saw the large notice posted on the city wall. The group had been gathered around this notice earlier, discussing it.

At the top of the notice were the words "Pledge Conference." The content stated that the four major families—the Jin family of Lanling, the Nie family of Qinghe, the Jiang family of Yunmeng, and the Lan family of Gusu—would gather at the ruins of the abandoned immortal residence of the Wen family of Qishan, the Nightless City, to scatter the ashes of the Wen family remnants. They would also pledge to stand against the Yiling Patriarch, who occupied the Burial Mounds.

Nightless City? A Pledge Conference?