Chapter 86

Wei Wuxian said, "Then, do you have any evidence for what you've said?"

Sisi replied, "No."

Sect Leader Yao immediately interjected, "She described the details so clearly; she definitely isn't lying!"

Lan Qiren frowned deeply and turned to the other woman, saying, "I think I've seen you before."

The woman looked terrified and said, "Probably... probably you have."

Others were startled: Sisi was an unlicensed courtesan—could this woman be one too? How could Lan Qiren have met her?

The woman said, "When the Qin family of Leling held their discussion meetings, I often accompanied my mistress."

"The Qin family of Leling?" a female cultivator asked, "Are you a maid from the Qin family of Leling?"

A more observant female cultivator directly called out her name, "You are... Bicao, the personal maid of Lady Qin, Bicao! Right?"

The Lady Qin she referred to was the wife of Qin Cangye and also the mother of Qin Su, the wife of Jin Guangyao. The woman nodded and said, "But now I'm no longer with the Qin family."

Sect Leader Yao was very excited, slapped the table, and stood up, saying, "Do you also have something to tell us?"

Bicao, with red eyes, said, "What I have to say happened a bit earlier, about twelve or thirteen years ago.

"I served my mistress for many years and watched my young lady grow up. My mistress always cared deeply for the young lady, but in the days leading up to her marriage, my mistress was always in a bad mood. She had nightmares every night and would sometimes suddenly burst into tears during the day. I thought it was because she was reluctant to part with the young lady, who was about to marry, and I comforted her, saying that the young lady would be very happy with Jin Guangyao, the Concealing Fragrance Duke, who was young, promising, gentle, considerate, and devoted. But after hearing this, my mistress seemed even more upset.

"Just before the wedding, one night, my mistress suddenly told me she wanted to see the young lady's future husband, and it had to be now, and she wanted me to accompany her secretly. I said, 'You could summon him to see you. Why sneak around to meet a young man in the middle of the night? If people found out, who knows what rumors would spread.' But my mistress was determined, so I had to follow her. However, when we arrived, she told me to wait outside and not enter. So I didn't hear anything; I don't know what she actually said to Jin Guangyao. I only know that a few days later, the wedding date was set. As soon as my mistress saw the invitation, she fainted. And after the young lady got married, my mistress remained depressed, developed a heart condition, and became increasingly ill. Before she passed away, she finally couldn't hold it in anymore and told me everything."

Bicao said through tears, "Jin Guangyao, the Concealing Fragrance Duke, and my young lady, Qin Su, were not husband and wife at all—they were actually siblings..."

"What?!"

Even if a thunderbolt had struck the Sword Testing Hall at that moment, it wouldn't have had a greater impact than this statement. Wei Wuxian's mind flashed with the image of Qin Su's pale face. Bicao continued, "My mistress was truly tragic... That old master Jin was a monster. He lusted after my mistress's beauty, and once, when he was drunk, he forced himself on her... My mistress couldn't resist, and afterward, she didn't dare to speak out. My master was utterly loyal to Jin Guangshan, and she was terrified. Jin Guangshan couldn't remember whose daughter the young lady was, but my mistress could never forget. She didn't dare to confront Jin Guangshan, knowing that the young lady was infatuated with Jin Guangyao. She struggled for a long time but, before the wedding, secretly went to see him, revealed some of the truth, and begged him to find a way to cancel the marriage, to avoid a great mistake. But... but Jin Guangyao, knowing that the young lady was his own sister, still married her!"

Even more horrifying was that not only did he marry her, but they also had a child together!

This was truly a shocking scandal!

The voices of the crowd discussing the matter rose higher and higher. "Old Master Qin had followed Jin Guangshan for so many years, yet he still had to taint the wife of his old subordinate. This Jin Guangshan!"

"There are no walls that wind cannot pass through..."

"Jin Guangyao needed the solid support of Qin Cangye, his father-in-law, to establish himself in the Jin family of Lanling. How could he bear not to marry?"

"In terms of madness, he truly is unparalleled!"

Wei Wuxian whispered to Lan Wangji, "No wonder he said to Qin Su in the secret chamber, 'Asong must die.'"

In the Sword Testing Hall, others also thought of Asong. Sect Leader Yao said, "Given this, I dare to guess that his son was probably not harmed by someone else, but by his own hand."

"How so?"

Sect Leader Yao analyzed, "Children born from close relatives are very likely to be mentally disabled. Jin Rusong died when he was just a few years old, right at the age when children start their education. When children are very young, people can't tell much, but as they grow up, the differences from normal children become apparent. Even if people don't suspect the parents' bloodline, having a mentally disabled child would inevitably lead to gossip and pointing fingers at Jin Guangyao, saying it's because he carries the tainted blood of courtesans that he produced such a child..."

Everyone found this reasoning very plausible and said, "Sect Leader Yao is truly sharp!"

Sect Leader Yao added, "Moreover, the person who poisoned Jin Rusong happened to be the family head who opposed his building of the watchtower—what a coincidence!" He sneered, "In any case, Jin Guangyao didn't need to keep a son who was likely to be an idiot. Killing Jin Rusong, framing the opposing family head, and then avenging his son's death to openly attack the families that opposed him—though ruthless, it was a double win. The Concealing Fragrance Duke truly has good tactics!"

Suddenly, Wei Wuxian turned to Bi Cao and asked, "Did you see Qin Su at the Jin Lingtai discussion conference that night?"

Bi Cao was taken aback. Wei Wuxian continued, "That night in Fangfei Hall, Qin Su and Jin Guangyao had a heated argument. She mentioned meeting someone who told her certain things and gave her a letter. This person would never deceive her. Was that person you?"

Bi Cao replied, "It was me."

Wei Wuxian asked, "You've kept this secret for so many years. Why did you suddenly decide to tell her? And why did you choose to reveal it to the public now?"

Bi Cao said, "Because... I had to let my lady see what kind of man her husband truly is. Originally, I didn't want to make it public, but after my lady inexplicably committed suicide at Jin Lingtai, I had to expose the true nature of this wolf in sheep's clothing to seek justice for my mistress and my lady."

Wei Wuxian smiled and said, "Don't you realize? It was precisely because you told your lady that she ended up taking her own life."

Bi Cao stammered, "I..." Sect Leader Yao interjected, "I disagree with that statement. Are you saying keeping the truth hidden is the right move?"

Immediately, someone chimed in, "It's not anyone else's fault. Alas, Madam Qin... Qin Su was simply too fragile."

Several older female cultivators added, "Qin Su was truly pitiful."

"Back then, I used to envy her. I thought she was so fortunate—born into a good family, married well, the undisputed mistress of Jin Lingtai, with a devoted husband. Who could have known, tsk tsk."

A lady with a detached air said, "So, things that look perfect on the outside are often a mess inside. There's really nothing to envy."

Wei Wuxian thought to himself, "Perhaps Qin Su couldn't bear the seemingly sympathetic but actually gossip-laden chatter of others, which is why she chose to end her life."

He glanced down and noticed a jade-inlaid gold bracelet on Bi Cao's wrist, of exceptional quality—something no maid could afford. He smiled and said, "Nice bracelet."

Bi Cao quickly pulled down her sleeve and lowered her head without a word.

Nie Huaisang asked blankly, "But... but who exactly brought these two here today? What's their background?"

Sect Leader Yao said, "Why dwell on that? Whoever it is, they're clearly on our side—a true ally."

Immediately, voices of agreement rose: "Exactly!"

Wei Wuxian, however, said, "The person who saved Miss Sisi is indeed not ordinary—wealthy and with time to spare. But a righteous person? That's not certain."

Lan Wangji added, "There are plenty of questions."

If Wei Wuxian had said this, few would have paid attention, but since it was Lan Wangji speaking, the crowd immediately quieted down. Lan Qiren asked, "What doubts?"

Wei Wuxian replied, "There are many. For example, why would Jin Guangyao, who is so ruthless, kill twenty people but spare only Sisi? Now we have a witness, but where is the physical evidence?"

His dissenting voice stood out amidst the heated emotions, and some were visibly displeased. Sect Leader Yao loudly declared, "This is what they call 'the net of heaven is vast, but nothing escapes it.'"

Hearing this, Wei Wuxian smiled slightly and said no more.

He knew that no one was listening to him now, nor would anyone carefully consider his doubts. If he spoke a few more words, others might start targeting him again. If this had been over a decade ago, he wouldn't have cared about others and would have said whatever he wanted, whether they listened or not. But now, Wei Wuxian had little interest in making a scene.

Thus, the wave of condemnation in the hall grew louder:

"Who would have thought Jin Guangyao could be so ungrateful and utterly deranged!"

The phrases "ungrateful" and "utterly deranged" had been almost synonymous with Wei Wuxian for over a decade. For a moment, he thought they were cursing him again, but then he realized they were referring to someone else. It felt slightly unfamiliar.

Soon, another person added, "Back then, Jin Guangyao climbed his way up by currying favor with the Crimson Frost Duke and Lord Ze Wu. Otherwise, how could a son of a prostitute rise to such a position? And yet, he dared to poison the Crimson Frost Duke! Lord Ze Wu is still with him now—let's hope nothing happens to him!"

Previously, they hadn't believed that Jin Guangyao was involved in Nie Mingjue's death, the dismemberment, or the siege of the Burial Mounds by the corpses. But now, they suddenly believed it all.

"Not just his sworn brother, even his own brothers couldn't escape. In the years before Jin Guangshan's death, he was busy cleaning up his father's illegitimate children, afraid someone might emerge to challenge his position. Mo Xuan Yu was lucky—if he hadn't gone mad and been sent back, he might have disappeared like the others, for one reason or another."

"The death of Jin Zixuan must also be tied to him!"

"Does anyone still remember Xiao Xingchen from those days? Xiao Xingchen, as pure as the bright moon and as gentle as the breeze. And the case of the Chang family of Liyang, where Xue Yang was also protected by Lianfang Zun."

"When Daozhang Xiao Xingchen first made his debut, didn't many families want to invite him as a guest? The Jin family of Lanling also invited him to join, but he politely declined. The Jin family was riding high back then, and being turned down by a mere Taoist was a blow to their pride. So later, when the Jin family of Lanling wanted to protect Xue Yang, it was also due to this old grudge. In short, they wanted to see Xiao Xingchen end up in a miserable state."

"Pah! What do they think they are? If you don't join, they'll make you suffer?"

"Ah, what a pity. Back then, I was fortunate enough to witness Daozhang Xiao Xingchen's prowess during night hunting. With a single strike of Frostmist, he shook the heavens and the earth."

"Later, Jin Guangyao also cleaned up Xue Yang. What a dog-eat-dog situation."

"I heard that when Jin Guangyao was undercover in the Wen family of Qishan, he wasn't honest at all. His plan was: if the Sunshot Campaign didn't go well, he would continue to serve the Wen family, flattering and currying favor with Wen Ruohan. If the Wen family was about to collapse, he would turn against them and play the hero."

"Wen Ruohan would probably be furious in the afterlife. Back then, he treated Jin Guangyao as a trusted confidant. Most of Jin Guangyao's swordsmanship was taught by Wen Ruohan!"

"What's this? I heard that the reason Chifeng Zun's surprise attack failed was because he deliberately transmitted false intelligence!"

"Let me tell you a secret too. The funds and materials for the watchtowers were all extorted from other clans. Every family contributed, but I heard he secretly pocketed... this amount."

"My goodness... so much. Truly shameless. I thought he genuinely wanted to do good deeds. Our trust was completely betrayed!"

Wei Wuxian found it somewhat amusing, thinking, "If these are just rumors, why jump to conclusions? If it's a secret, how did you all find out?"

These rumors hadn't just started circulating today. However, when Jin Guangyao was in power, they were well suppressed, and no one took them seriously. But tonight, the rumors suddenly seemed to become solid evidence, bricks and stones piling up to prove Jin Guangyao's heinous crimes, supporting his madness.

"From this perspective, this Jin fellow killed his father, his brother, his wife, his son, his master, his friend... and even committed incest. Truly terrifying!"

"The Jin family of Lanling is tyrannical and domineering, and Jin Guangyao is even more autocratic, never listening to others' opinions. The current atmosphere of extravagance, debauchery, and bullying is all brought about by Jin Guangyao. Did he really think we would endure this forever?!"

"He noticed that over the years, each family's influence had been growing, their power increasing, and he felt threatened, fearing that he would be overthrown like the Wen family of Qishan was back then. So he decided to go all out and wipe us all out in one fell swoop?"

Sect Leader Yao sneered, "In that case, let's make his worst fear come true." He slammed the table, "Attack Jin Lingtai!"

Amidst the cheers and applause, Wei Wuxian thought, "Just before today, this terrifying figure was still the praised Lianfang Zun. In one day, he's become everyone's target."

Suddenly, someone turned to him and said, "Mr. Wei, Jin Guangyao has the Yin Tiger Tally. We'll need your help with this."

Wei Wuxian said, "Huh?"

He didn't expect someone to actively speak to him, and so warmly at that, even addressing him as "Mr. Wei" instead of the usual derogatory terms like "Wei thief" or "Wei dog." He was slightly stunned. Immediately, another family head said, "Indeed! In this field, no one surpasses the Yiling Patriarch!"

"Now Jin Guangyao has bitten off more than he can chew, hahaha..."

Wei Wuxian was momentarily speechless. The last time people flattered and praised him like this was during the Sunshot Campaign over a decade ago. Although he finally had someone else take his place as the public enemy of the cultivation world, Wei Wuxian didn't feel much of the sweetness of hard-earned success, nor any sense of finally being accepted by the world. He couldn't help but wonder, "Back then, did they also gather in a place like tonight, hold a secret meeting, curse heaven and earth, and then decide to besiege the Burial Mounds?"

After the meeting ended, the banquet hall of the Yunmeng Jiang family was also ready. However, when the banquet began, two figures were missing. A family head asked curiously, "Why are Wei... the Yiling Patriarch and Hanguang Jun missing?"

Jiang Cheng, sitting at the head of the table, asked the guest beside him, "Where are they?"

The guest replied, "After leaving the inner hall, they went to change clothes and said they wouldn't join the banquet. They went out for a walk and will return later."

Jiang Cheng sneered, "Still the same old disrespectful self."

This remark seemed to include Lan Wangji, and Lan Qiren looked displeased. If Lan Wangji could be said to lack manners, then there was no such thing as manners in the world. Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth at Wei Wuxian again. Jiang Cheng adjusted his expression and politely said, "Everyone, please start the meal. I'll go invite them back later."

Outside Lotus Pier, at the dock, Lan Wangji let Wei Wuxian lead him without asking where they were going, strolling leisurely.

There were still a few food stalls at the dock. Wei Wuxian walked over, looked, and smiled, "Not eating with them was the right choice. Lan Zhan, come here, this pancake is delicious. My treat! Two, please."

The vendor cheerfully wrapped two cakes in oiled paper. Just as Wei Wuxian was about to take them, he suddenly remembered he had no money on him. What could he use to pay? Lan Wangji had already taken them on his behalf and paid with one hand. Wei Wuxian said, "Ah, sorry. Why does it always end up like this? It seems like every time I try to treat you, it just doesn’t happen."

Lan Wangji replied, "It’s fine."

Wei Wuxian lowered his head and took a bite, saying, "In the past, when I wanted to eat something at the docks, I didn’t have to pay. I could just eat and take whatever I wanted, eat and leave, grab and run. After a month, the vendors would naturally go to Uncle Jiang to settle the bills."

Lan Wangji left a small crescent-shaped bite mark on the round cake in his hand and said calmly, "You don’t have to pay now either."

Wei Wuxian burst into laughter, "Hahahahahahahahahahaha!"

He quickly finished his cake, crumpled the oiled paper into a ball, and tossed it playfully in his hand while looking around. "There aren’t many other stalls here now. In the past, no matter how late it was, this place would be packed with stalls selling all kinds of food. There were quite a few people from Lotus Pier who came out for midnight snacks. There were also plenty of boats, just as many as in your Caiyi Town."

He added, "Now there are far fewer. Lan Zhan, you came too late. You missed the most fun and lively times here."

Lan Wangji said, "It’s not late."

Wei Wuxian laughed, "Back when we were studying at the Cloud Recesses, I asked you several times to come to Yunmeng with me, but you ignored me. I should’ve been more pushy and just dragged you along. Why are you eating so slowly? Doesn’t it taste good?"

Lan Wangji said, "No talking while eating."

He always ate slowly and chewed thoroughly. If he had to speak, he made sure there was absolutely nothing in his mouth. Wei Wuxian said, "Then I won’t talk to you. You eat. I thought you didn’t like it and was about to ask you to hand over the rest."

Lan Wangji said to the vendor, "Please give me another one."

By the time Wei Wuxian had polished off his third cake, Lan Wangji was still slowly nibbling on his first, and Wei Wuxian had already led him further and further away from Lotus Pier, pointing out various things along the way.

He was eager to show Lan Wangji all the places where he had grown up, played, and gotten into trouble, to tell him about the trouble he had caused, the fights he had been in, and the pheasants he had caught, and then observe the subtle changes in Lan Wangji’s expression, anticipating every reaction.

Wei Wuxian said, "Lan Zhan! Look at me, look at this tree."

Lan Wangji had also finished his cake, folding the oiled paper into a neat little square and holding it in his hand. He followed Wei Wuxian’s gesture and looked. It was just an ordinary tree, with a straight trunk and spreading branches, probably several decades old. Wei Wuxian walked to the tree, circled it twice, patted the trunk, and said, "I’ve climbed this tree."

Lan Wangji said, "On the way here, you’ve climbed every tree."

Wei Wuxian said, "This one is different! It’s the first tree I climbed after coming to Lotus Pier. I climbed it in the middle of the night. My elder sister came out with a lantern to look for me, afraid I’d fall, and tried to catch me under the tree. But her arms were so slender, what could she possibly catch? So I still broke a leg."

Glancing at his leg, Lan Wangji asked, "Why did you climb the tree in the middle of the night?"

Wei Wuxian bent over and laughed, "No reason. You know me, I just like to roam around at night. Haha."