Chapter 79

Chapter 79: Dan Xin Part 19

The Bloodbath at Bu Ye Tian, a legendary battle in which the Yiling Patriarch, Wei Wuxian, single-handedly slaughtered three thousand cultivators present at the oath-taking ceremony that night.

Some say it was over five thousand. Whether three thousand or five thousand, one thing remains unchanged: that night, the ruins of Bu Ye Tian City were turned into a blood-soaked hell by Wei Wuxian.

Yet, this murderer, despite being attacked from all sides, managed to retreat unscathed and return to the Burial Mounds. No one knows how he did it.

The major families suffered heavy losses in this battle, so after nearly three months of recuperation and planning, the four major families finally succeeded in besieging the demonic lair of the Burial Mounds, turning the tables with a "massacre" against the remaining Wen family remnants and the deranged Yiling Patriarch.

Wei Wuxian looked at the cultivators in front of the Burial Mounds. Their expressions mirrored those of the cultivators who had vowed to annihilate him and the Wen remnants at the oath-taking ceremony. Some were survivors from that night, some were descendants of those cultivators, and more were "righteous people" who shared the same beliefs as those people.

The middle-aged cultivator Yi Weichun, who claimed to have had his leg severed by him and had to be fitted with a wooden prosthetic, said, "The blood debt of three thousand people, you cannot atone for it even if you die ten thousand times!"

Wei Wuxian interrupted him, "Three thousand people? There were indeed over three thousand cultivators present at Bu Ye Tian City that night, but there were also leaders of several major families and elite scholars from various families. With these people present, could I really have killed all three thousand? Are you overestimating me or underestimating them?"

He was merely stating a fact, but the cultivator felt insulted and said angrily, "What do you think I'm discussing with you? Can blood debt be bargained?"

Wei Wuxian said, "I'm not trying to bargain on such matters, but I refuse to shoulder blame for deeds I didn't commit."

Someone said, "Things you didn't do? What didn't you do?"

Wei Wuxian said, "For example, the Crimson Frost Duke being torn apart by five horses wasn't my doing, Madam Jin's suicide at Jin Lingtai wasn't forced by me, and the walking corpses and fierce corpses you encountered on your way up the mountain weren't controlled by me either."

Su She laughed, "Yiling Patriarch, I've only heard of your arrogance, but I didn't expect you to be so modest. If it wasn't you, I really can't think of anyone else in the world who could control so many walking corpses and fierce corpses, making us so miserable."

Wei Wuxian said, "It's not hard to think of. Anyone with the Yin Tiger Tally could do it."

Su She said, "Isn't the Yin Tiger Tally your treasure?"

Wei Wuxian said, "You might want to ask who's so attached to it. Like Wen Ning, some families are terrified of the Ghost General, shouting to kill him, but secretly they've been hiding him for over a decade. Odd, wasn’t it claimed that he had been reduced to ashes?"

Everyone couldn't help but look at the disciples of the Jin family of Lanling present. After all, it was the head of the Jin family of Lanling who was fully responsible for the matter and swore that they had burned the remnants of the Wen family to ashes, and even led the scattering of ashes at Bu Ye Tian City. Su She immediately said, "You don't need to stir up trouble."

At that moment, strange rustling sounds and gurgling noises came from the forest.

Lan Qiren said, "Everyone, be careful! A new wave of fierce corpses is coming!"

Hearing this, half of the people turned to deal with it, while the other half remained vigilant, pointing their swords at the "mob" in front of the Burial Mounds. Wei Wuxian said, "I told you, these fierce corpses are not under my control. Instead of watching me, you should watch them."

There were many famous cultivators present, as well as several family heads and elders, so dealing with a group of fierce corpses was naturally not a problem. Swords clashed and zithers sang, with scant attention paid to them. Jiang Cheng whipped three fierce corpses into pieces with his whip, then turned to Jin Ling and shouted, "Jin Ling! Do you still want your legs?"

Meaning that if Jin Ling didn't come over, he would go back and break his legs, but Jin Ling had heard this threat countless times and it had never been carried out, so he glanced at Jiang Cheng and still didn't move. Jiang Cheng cursed, turned his wrist, and prepared to wrap Purple Lightning around Jin Ling to forcibly pull him back. However, the purple light flowing on the whip suddenly dimmed and then went out.

The whip quickly turned back into a silver ring and slipped onto his index finger. Jiang Cheng was stunned. He had never encountered such a situation where Purple Lightning automatically retracted. He was still looking at his palm when two drops of blood fell onto it.

Jiang Cheng wiped his hand and found it covered in bright red blood. Jin Ling exclaimed, "Uncle!"

In the midst of the battle with the corpses, several exclamations of surprise were heard. Looking around, it turned out that the sword lights of most people had dimmed, and nearly half of the people had two bright red streaks of blood running down their faces—nosebleeds. Some even had blood flowing from their mouths and noses!

A swordsman panicked, "What's going on?!"

"My spiritual energy is gone!"

"Senior brother, help! Something's wrong here!"

Bichen unsheathed and killed the two fierce corpses chasing the cultivator who had called for help. However, more and more cries for help were heard, and the crowd gradually gathered and retreated towards the Burial Mounds.

The cultivators, poised for a grand battle at the Burial Mounds, found their spiritual energy inexplicably drained. Not only had their sword lights dimmed and talismans failed, but even the zither and flute music of the disciples of the Gusu Lan Family and the Suling Su family had become ordinary sounds, losing their demon-repelling effects.

The situation took a sudden turn!

Lan Wangji took the ancient qin from his back, and the sound of the strings resonated powerfully. However, no matter how exquisite and unparalleled his *"Breaking Barriers"* melody was, he was still only one person. Wen Ning leaped down from the Burial Mounds to help him drive away the corpses, while silently enduring the slashes, stabs, punches, and kicks from the cultivators. Fortunately, he felt no pain, so it didn't affect him. Amidst the chaos and confusion, Lan Sizhui suddenly rushed out and shouted, "Everyone, come here, come inside the Burial Mounds! There's a large array on the ground in this hall. It's missing some parts, but if we can repair it, it should be able to hold for a while!"

Some cultivators, driven mad by the killing, immediately wanted to charge in, but Su She urgently shouted, "Don't go in! This must be a trap to catch us all in one go! There must be an even more dangerous trap waiting for us inside!"

Hearing his shout, everyone suddenly woke up and hesitated. Wei Wuxian flung out more than sixty *"Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers"* talismans and said, "Dying outside or inside—it’s death either way. Going in might buy us some time. Why are you so eager to have everyone die together? What's your point?"

Although his words made sense, because they came from him, everyone became even more reluctant to enter, hesitating as they continued to struggle fiercely with the corpses. While others could still hold on for a while without spiritual power, Nie Huaisang couldn't wait any longer. Everyone knew he was timid, untalented, and lazy, never putting effort into cultivation. The sudden turn of events had left him flustered and in a sorry state, relying entirely on his personal guards to protect him from injury. Seeing the horde of corpses growing larger and endless, he hurriedly said, "Are you going in or not? If you're not going, I'll go first. Sorry, let's go, let's go, everyone, hurry inside!"

Before he finished speaking, Nie Huaisang decisively led a group of Nie family of Qinghe disciples into the Burial Mounds, like a dog fleeing a fire or a fish escaping a net. His straightforwardness left everyone else stunned. At that moment, Ouyang Zizhen also shouted, "Father, stop fighting! Trust me, go inside! We just came out of that cave, there's no trap inside!"

Several other youths also called out, "Yes, there really is a large array on the ground inside!"

Jin Ling said, "Uncle, come in!"

Jiang Cheng thrust out his now-dimmed Three Poisons and snarled, "Shut up!"

But as soon as he finished, blood flowed from his nose and mouth again. Jin Ling rushed down the steps, grabbed him, and forcibly dragged him into the Burial Mounds. Jiang Cheng, now devoid of spiritual power and exhausted from half a day of fighting, was dragged in just like that. The Jiang family cultivators quickly followed their family head inside. Just then, Nie Huaisang's delighted voice echoed from the spacious hall: "Everyone, hurry in! It's big inside! Which senior can come in and help repair the array on the ground? I don't know how to fix it!"

Hearing his last sentence, everyone thought two words: "Useless!"

Lan Wangji, his fingers never leaving the strings, looked up and said, "Uncle!"

Lan Qiren originally had no intention of entering the hall. He would rather fight alone outside until the last moment. However, he was not alone now; there were many Lan family cultivators and Jin family cultivators under his command, and he was not the main force in the battle. Unwilling to disregard the lives of these disciples, he decided to seize any chance of survival. Without looking at Lan Wangji, he raised his sword and shouted, "Be careful when entering!"

At this point, the four great families—the Jin family of Lanling, the Gusu Lan Family, the Nie family of Qinghe, and the Yunmeng Jiang family—had all entered the hall. With them leading the way, the remaining people immediately decided to stop resisting stubbornly. Even if there were some monstrous beasts or demons inside, the four tall figures at the front would bear the brunt of it, so they quickly swarmed in. Finally, only the group from the Suling Su family remained unmoved. Wei Wuxian said, "Huh, Su family head, aren't you going in? Fine, then stay outside. But since everyone has lost their spiritual power, staying outside would be suicide. Bold move."

Su She glanced at him, his gloomy brows twitching, and then led his disciples into the hall as well.

The Burial Mounds easily accommodated the thousand or so people. The sounds of a thousand people—panting, speaking urgently, and panicking—echoed endlessly in the spacious main hall. As soon as Lan Qiren entered, he went to Nie Huaisang's side and, under his eager gaze, inspected the incomplete parts of the array on the ground. The array on the ground was indeed ancient. He immediately cut his palm and used his blood to repair the array. Wen Ning stood guard on the steps, throwing away the nearest corpses. Once the array was repaired, the corpses seemed to be blocked by an invisible barrier and could no longer charge in.

Wei Wuxian waited for Lan Wangji to put away his qin before slowly walking into the hall with him. The cultivators, who had just relaxed upon entering the hall, immediately tensed up again when they saw the pair of black and white figures descending the steps.

No one had expected things to turn out this way. They had come to besiege the Yiling Patriarch, but now it seemed they were the ones being besieged, forced to take refuge in the Yiling Patriarch's main hall to survive for a moment longer. Lan Qiren, after repairing the array on the ground, stood in front of the crowd, blocking the two men's path. He stood tall and straight, almost as if he were ready to spread his arms and stop them, determined to fight Wei Wuxian to the death if he dared to destroy the array.

Lan Wangji said, "...Uncle."

Lan Qiren, still disappointed, couldn't bring himself to look at his proud disciple, whom he had taught since childhood. Instead, he looked at Wei Wuxian and said coldly, "What exactly do you want?"

Wei Wuxian sat down on the steps and said, "Nothing much. Since we're all here, why not have a chat..."

Yi Weichun shouted, "We have nothing to say to you!"

Wei Wuxian said, "How can there be nothing to say? I don't believe you don't want to know why you suddenly lost your spiritual power. I swear, I couldn’t possibly make all of you lose your spiritual power without anyone noticing."

Yi Weichun had just spat in disgust when Nie Huaisang said, "Actually, I think he makes a good point."

Everyone glared at him.

Wei Wuxian continued, "I guess before you came to besiege me, you didn't have time to gather for a meal, so it's unlikely you were poisoned."

Lan Sizhui said, "It definitely wasn't poison. I've never heard of any poison that can suddenly cause spiritual power to dissipate. If such a poison existed, it would have been highly sought after by many cultivators and caused a huge uproar."

Among the cultivators present were several physicians. They grabbed a few people and examined them, then whispered, "What's the situation? Is the loss of spiritual power temporary or permanent?"

This question immediately attracted the attention of many, leaving them no time to be wary of Wei Wuxian. After all, if their spiritual power was permanently lost, it would be worse than death—a fate more terrifying and painful. After some discussion, the physicians finally said, "Everyone's core is intact and undamaged, so there's no need to worry! It should be temporary."

Jiang Cheng, hearing that it was temporary, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He took the handkerchief Jin Ling handed him and wiped the blood from his face, then asked, "Temporary? How long is temporary? When will it recover?"

A physician said, "...I'm afraid... at least two hours..."

Jiang Cheng's face darkened with fury: "Two hours?!"

Everyone looked up at the densely packed crowd of fierce corpses surrounding the hall, their numbers not fewer than the living people who had come this time. Each one stared intently at the bustling, yang energy-filled interior of the Burial Mounds, unwilling to take even half a step away, milling about outside shoulder to shoulder, as if ready to charge in at any moment. The stench of decay was overwhelming.

At least two hours to recover spiritual power? This long-abandoned, hastily repaired broken array on the ground—who knows if it can even hold for two hours!

Moreover, the Yiling Patriarch is currently in the same space as them. Although it's unclear why he hasn't made a move yet—perhaps like a cat playing with a mouse, wanting to play enough and scare them before crushing them—no one dares to guarantee that Wei Wuxian won't suddenly lash out.

Their gazes refocused on Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian said, "I told you not to look at me. Right now, in this Burial Mounds, there are only two groups with spiritual power left: me, Hanguang Jun, and this group of kids who were captured and brought up the mountain a few days ago. As for the rest of you, it's no stretch to say you're as helpless as chickens. If I wanted to do something to you, could these kids stop me?"

Su She snorted, "Cut the crap. If you want to kill, then kill. If anyone here cries out, they're no hero, and don't expect anyone to beg for mercy from you."

His words made many people think twice. Among these thousands, only about twenty truly had a grudge against Wei Wuxian. The rest had joined the siege without a second thought, merely righteous bystanders who came to fight out of a sense of duty. These people just wanted to follow the crowd and go with the flow, killing a couple of Wei Wuxian's fierce corpses to gain some fame. But if it really came down to paying a price, few would be willing to wade into this mess.

Wei Wuxian glanced at him and said, "Sorry, but may I ask, who are you?"

Su She's forehead vein bulged slightly, and just as he was about to speak, Lan Jingyi loudly said, "And then? If it's not poison, then what?"

Wei Wuxian immediately forgot about Su She and said, "Then, people don't just suddenly lose their spiritual power. There must be a way and a trigger. Before or during your ascent to the Burial Mounds, you must have all come into contact with something or done something. These kids were captured a few days ago, missing the timing, and Hanguang Jun and I took a different path up the mountain, missing the route. Is anyone willing to think about what exactly you all did?"

In the silence, someone said blankly, "What did we do? When we went up the Burial Mounds, did we all drink water? Ah, I can't remember, I don't know."

Who would be so clueless as to actively respond to Wei Wuxian at a time like this, doing whatever he says and thinking whatever he wants? Only that "know-nothing" Nie Huaisang. Someone couldn't help but say, "No one drank water on the way up the mountain! Who would dare drink water from this corpse-filled mountain?"

Nie Huaisang guessed wildly again, "Then did we all inhale the mountain mist?"

If there was something off about the mist in this dark forest, it would make sense. Immediately, someone agreed, "That's possible!" But Jin Ling quickly said, "No way. The mist is denser at the mountain top, but we were tied up there for two days, and our spiritual power was still intact."

Su She seemed to have had enough and said, "Enough already? Are you all really going to discuss this with him, letting the enemy lead you by the nose? Is it fun? He..."

Suddenly, his expression changed, and he cut off mid-sentence. Wei Wuxian said, "Go on. Why don't you continue?"

The disciples of the Suling Su family stood up in succession: "Family Head! Family Head, what's going on?!"

Su She shook off the disciples trying to support him, raised his arm, first pointed at Wei Wuxian, then directly at Lan Wangji. The disciple closest to him angrily said, "Wei Wuxian, what kind of demonic magic have you used again?!"

Lan Sizhui said, "This isn't demonic magic! This is... this is..."

Lan Wangji, sitting calmly nearby, pressed the fingers of his right hand on the seven strings, stilling the trembling of the qin strings. The group of disciples, chattering and agitated, suddenly fell silent like a flock of ducks with their necks wrung.

The Lan family members present thought to themselves: This is the Gusu Lan Family's silencing technique...