Chapter 99

Chapter 99: Hate Born Chapter 21 (2)

Jin Ling stole another glance at Wei Wuxian. With the dog gone, Wei Wuxian's scattered soul finally settled, and he said with a headache, "You kid... What are you doing here so late at night, alone with a dog?"

Wei Wuxian didn’t know that after he, Lan Wangji, and Wen Ning left Lotus Pier by boat, Jin Ling had secretly gone looking for him, only to find him gone. Jin Ling then vented his anger at his uncle, who had gone mad, grabbing people and forcing them to pull out a broken sword. He pointed at his uncle’s nose and yelled that it was all his fault Wei Wuxian had run away. Jiang Cheng knocked him to the ground. So, Jin Ling took matters into his own hands and led Xianzi to track Wei Wuxian. Xianzi did not disappoint, accurately following Wei Wuxian's scent to the vicinity of Guanyin Temple. However, when Jin Ling knocked on the door, Xianzi suddenly sensed the murderous aura inside, turned around, and barked frantically, tugging at Jin Ling's clothes to warn him. Unfortunately, this Guanyin Temple was somewhat peculiar, and Jin Ling felt that even if Wei Wuxian wasn't there, he had to investigate. In the end, he fell into the enemy's hands.

Jin Ling, of course, couldn't tell the truth and only snorted.

Jin Guangyao led a few of his men into the temple. As the door was about to close, he turned and asked his subordinate, "Where's the spirit dog?"

A monk replied, "That black-maned spirit dog is extremely fierce, biting anyone in sight. I failed to catch it, and it escaped."

Jin Guangyao said, "Track it down and kill it. That dog is very smart. If it leads people here, it could cause trouble."

"Yes!"

The monk drew his sword and went out, and the door closed. Jin Ling was stunned and blurted out, "You're really going to kill it? You gave me Xianzi!"

Jin Guangyao didn't answer but instead asked, "A-Ling, why are you here?"

Jin Ling glanced at Wei Wuxian and hesitated before answering. Suddenly, Lan Xichen said, "Sect Leader Jin, Jin Ling is still a child."

Jin Guangyao looked at him and said, "I know."

Lan Xichen continued, "And he is your nephew."

Jin Guangyao chuckled. He said, "Second Brother, what are you thinking? Of course, I know Jin Ling is a child and my nephew. Do you think I would kill him to silence him?"

Lan Xichen remained silent. Jin Guangyao shook his head and said to Jin Ling, "A-Ling, you heard it. If you run around or make noise, I might do something terrible to you. It's up to you."

Jin Ling had always been close to his uncle, and Jin Guangyao had doted on him in the past. Even now, he seemed amiable, but given the circumstances, Jin Ling found it hard to look at him the same way. He silently moved to stand beside Wei Wuxian and Lan Xichen, looking obedient.

Jin Guangyao turned around and said, "Haven't they found it yet? Tell those inside to hurry up!"

A monk responded, "Yes!" and rushed back into the main hall of Guanyin Temple with his sword.

Wei Wuxian finally noticed the strange sounds of digging coming from the main hall of Guanyin Temple, as if many people were digging for something. He thought, "What is he digging? A tunnel? The Yin Tiger Tally? Something sealed away?"

Jin Guangyao said, "Speaking of which, I haven't asked yet. How did Mr. Wei know about this place? Don't tell me you and Hanguang Jun just happened to come here while sightseeing."

Wei Wuxian replied, "Lord Lianfang hid a large stack of land deeds in the secret room of Fangfei Hall, placed together with my manuscripts. Don't you remember?"

Jin Guangyao said, "Ah, that was my oversight. I should have kept them separate."

Wei Wuxian said, "Anyway, we're all in your hands now. Could Lord Lianfang tell me what's sealed in this Guanyin Temple? Just to satisfy my curiosity?"

Jin Guangyao smiled and said, "The price for satisfying curiosity isn't cheap. Are you sure you want to try, Wei gongzi?"

Wei Wuxian said, "Oh. Then I'll pass for now."

At that moment, Lan Xichen walked over to him. Wei Wuxian noticed that Lan Xichen's sword was drawn an inch, but there was no spiritual light flowing through it. He asked, "Lord Ze Wu, what's this?"

Lan Xichen said, "I'm ashamed. I was deceived and fell into a trap, losing all my spiritual power. Even though Shuoyue and Liefeng are with me, I can't help now."

Wei Wuxian said, "No need to be ashamed. After all, deception is Lord Lianfang's specialty."

Remembering the scene in the shared memory where Meng Yao faked his suicide to ambush Nie Mingjue, and thinking about the news of "Lord Lianfang being severely injured," it wasn't hard to guess how Lan Xichen had lost his spiritual power.

Jin Guangyao instructed a few monks, "Set up an array. When Hanguang Jun arrives later, block him as much as possible."

Wei Wuxian said, "How can you be so sure that Hanguang-Jun will definitely come?"

His mind was still racing, considering whether to tell a lie to make Jin Guangyao lower his guard. Unexpectedly, Jin Guangyao seemed to read his thoughts and smiled slightly, saying, "Of course he will come. Since Young Master Wei has set his sights on this Guanyin Temple, Hanguang-Jun naturally wouldn't be unaware that there's something unusual about this place. Do you think I would believe it if you said he wasn't by your side?"

Wei Wuxian said, "Smart man."

Lan Xichen said, "Young Master Wei, since Wangji is nearby, why isn't he with you?"

Wei Wuxian replied, "We split up to cover more ground."

Lan Xichen was taken aback and said, "I heard you just came down from the Burial Mounds and were injured. How could he split up with you at such a time?"

Wei Wuxian asked, "Who told you that?"

Jin Guangyao said, "I did."

Wei Wuxian glanced at him and said to Lan Xichen, "That's right. I couldn't sleep tonight, so I went for a walk outside the inn. By chance, I ended up here. Hanguang-Jun is staying in another room; he doesn't know I came out."

Jin Guangyao found it strange, "You're staying in separate rooms?"

Wei Wuxian said, "Who told you we would definitely stay in the same room?"

Jin Guangyao just smiled without speaking. Wei Wuxian said, "Oh, I see." Lan Xichen told him.

Wei Wuxian said, "You really share everything with each other."

Lan Xichen, however, was not joking at all and said seriously, "Young Master Wei, is there something wrong between you two?"

His usual gentle smile was gone, replaced by a stern expression, making him look even more like Lan Wangji. But Wei Wuxian didn't understand why he was reacting so strongly. Feeling guilty, he said, "Sect Leader Lan, what could have happened between us? Right now, we should focus on handling him."

He gestured towards Jin Guangyao with his eyes. Reminded by him, Lan Xichen said, "I was too quick to judge. My apologies."

Jin Guangyao, however, laughed and said, "It seems there really is a problem, and it's not a minor one."

Wei Wuxian sneered, "Now that all the sects are about to come after you, Lianfang-zun, you still have the time to worry about others? Quite talkative, aren't you?"

Jin Guangyao said, "I wouldn't dare. I'm just expressing regret. Hanguang-Jun has been waiting for so many years, yet he still hasn't achieved what he desires. Not only does Sect Leader Lan have reason to be anxious, but even bystanders find it hard to bear."

Wei Wuxian suddenly looked at him, "What waiting? What are you talking about?"

Hearing this, both Jin Guangyao and Lan Xichen were surprised. They both carefully studied his expression, as if trying to see if he was pretending to be ignorant. Wei Wuxian's heart suddenly raced, as if something that had been dead for half the night was slowly coming back to life in his chest. He forced himself to remain calm and said, "What do you mean?"

Jin Guangyao said, "What do I mean, Young Master Wei? Do you truly not understand, or are you feigning ignorance? Whether it's true or not, if Hanguang-Jun hears this, it would be quite painful."

Wei Wuxian said, "I truly don't understand. Just tell me directly!!!"

Lan Xichen was stunned and said, "Young Master Wei, don't tell me that after being with Wangji for so long, you're unaware of his feelings?"

Wei Wuxian grabbed him, almost kneeling down to beg him to explain clearly, "Sect Leader Lan, Sect Leader Lan, you, you say Lan Zhan's feelings, what feelings?! Is it, is it..."

Lan Xichen abruptly pulled his hand back, incredulous, "It seems you truly have no idea. But have you forgotten how those whip marks on his body came to be? Haven't you noticed the brand on his chest?"

Wei Wuxian said, "Whip marks?!" He grabbed Lan Xichen again and said, "Sect Leader Lan, I really don't know. Please tell me, how did those injuries on his body come about? Could they be related to me?!?"

Lan Xichen's face showed anger, "If they're not related to you, did he harm himself for no reason?"

Ze Wu-jun, who was always very composed, was genuinely angry when it came to Lan Wangji. But after carefully observing Wei Wuxian's expression, his anger slightly subsided, and he tentatively asked, "Are you... experiencing memory loss?"

Wei Wuxian said, "My memory?" He immediately tried hard to recall if there was anything he had forgotten, "I don't remember when my memory... has!"

He truly had a period of hazy memory.

The bloodbath at Nevernight!

That night, he thought Wen Qing and Wen Ning had already been utterly destroyed. Seeing the zealous campaign of the major families, and witnessing Jiang Yanli die before his eyes, he finally lost control, merged the Yin Tiger Tally, and let it unleash a massacre. The dead controlled by the tally killed others, who then turned into new undead, creating an endless stream of killing puppets, thus creating a blood-soaked hell.

Afterwards, although Wei Wuxian managed to stay on his feet, he felt as if he had left the slaughterhouse-like ruined city, but his consciousness was unclear for a long time. When he woke up, he had been sitting at the foot of the Burial Mounds in Yiling for what felt like an eternity.

Lan Xichen asked, "Do you recall now?"

Wei Wuxian murmured, "That night at Nevernight? I always thought I walked back in a daze, but..."

Lan Xichen was so angry he almost laughed, "Wei gongzi! That night at Nevernight, how many people were you facing off against? Three thousand! Even if you were a peerless prodigy, how could you retreat unscathed in such a situation? Impossible!"

Wei Wuxian said, "Lan Zhan... what did Lan Zhan do?"

Lan Xichen said, "What Wangji did, if you don't remember, I'm afraid he will never tell you voluntarily, and you won't ask either. Fine, let me tell you."

He said, "Wei gongzi, that night, you activated the two halves of the Yin Tiger Tally, merged them into one, and after killing enough, you were already at your limit. Wangji was injured by your frenzy, in no better condition than you, barely standing with the help of Bichen. Even so, as soon as he saw you stumbling off, he immediately followed.

"At that time, only a handful remained conscious, and I could hardly move, only able to watch as Wangji, whose spiritual power was almost exhausted, limped after you, grabbed you, and took you away on Bichen, flying off together.

"Two hours later, I regained my spiritual power and hurried back to the Gusu Lan Family to seek reinforcements. I was worried that if other families found you first, Wangji would be seen as your accomplice, at best tarnishing his reputation, at worst being killed without question. So, with my uncle, I assembled thirty-three elders who had always admired Wangji, and we secretly searched for two days before finding your traces in Yiling. Wangji had hidden you in a cave. When we arrived, you were sitting in a daze on a rock inside the cave, Wangji holding your hand, transferring spiritual power to you, and whispering to you.

"And throughout, you kept repeating the same word to him.

"'Leave me alone!'"

Wei Wuxian's throat was dry, his eyes red, unable to speak a word. Lan Xichen said, "My uncle suddenly appeared before him, scolded him, and demanded an explanation. He seemed to have expected us to find him, but said there was nothing to explain, it was just like this. Since childhood, he had never defied my uncle or me. But for you, Wangji not only defied him but also fought against the cultivators of the Gusu Lan Family, severely injuring the thirty-three elders we had brought..."

Wei Wuxian buried his hands in his hair, saying, "...I, I didn't know... I really..."

Apart from repeating that he really didn't know, he couldn't say anything else. Lan Xichen, after holding back for a while, still said, "Thirty-three whip scars! All in one go, one for each person. You should know how painful it is, how long the recovery takes! After defiantly sending you back to the Burial Mounds, he came back to receive his punishment, kneeling before the disciplinary stone for so long! When I went to see him, I told him, Wei gongzi has already made a grave mistake, why add to it? But he said... he couldn't judge the right or wrong of your actions, but regardless, he was willing to bear all the consequences with you. Those years of so-called seclusion were actually due to severe injuries. Even so, after learning of your death, he dragged his body to the Burial Mounds to take one last look...

"When he rescued you and hid you in the cave, the way he spoke to you, how he looked at you, even if blind and deaf, you couldn't possibly not understand his feelings, which is why my uncle was so furious. Wangji was a model disciple in his youth, an esteemed cultivator in his later years, always upright and untainted, the only mistake in his life was you! And yet... you say you didn't know. Wei gongzi, after you were resurrected through Xianshe, how did you confess to him, how did you pester him every night... and yet you say you didn't know? If you didn't know, why did you do all these things?"

Wei Wuxian really wanted to go back in time and kill himself. It was precisely because he didn't know that he dared to do these things!

He suddenly felt terrified. If Lan Wangji didn't know that he had no memory of the days after the bloodbath at Nevernight, if he thought Wei Wuxian had always known his feelings, then what had he been doing since his return?

At first, he acted so outrageously, doing all sorts of outlandish acts, just to make Lan Wangji quickly disgusted with him, throw him out of the Cloud Recesses, and then they would never see each other again, each going their separate ways. Lan Wangji couldn't possibly not see through his true attitude. But even so, he still... insisted on keeping him by his side, not letting Jiang Cheng have a chance to approach or trouble him. Answering every question, fulfilling every request, indulging him in every way, tolerating him in every manner. Faced with Wei Wuxian's endless, almost malicious teasing, he remained restrained and never overstepped.

So, earlier in the inn, when he suddenly shoved him aside, could it also be because... he thought it was just another one of his reckless whims?

Wei Wuxian really couldn't think anymore. He suddenly rushed out of the Guanyin Temple, several cultivators immediately blocking his way. Jin Guangyao said, "Wei gongzi, I can understand your excitement..."

Wei Wuxian only wanted to rush back to the inn, to Lan Wangji's side, to incoherently tell him his feelings. With a single palm strike, he knocked down two monks trying to restrain him, roaring, "You understand nothing!"

With that strike, seven or eight people pounced on him. Wei Wuxian's vision went black for a moment. Jin Guangyao, standing nearby, insisted on finishing his sentence, "...I just wanted to tell you, there's no need to rush so urgently, your Hanguang Jun, he has already arrived."

An icy blue sword light descended from the sky, sharply forcing back the figures surrounding Wei Wuxian, returning to one person's hand. Lan Wangji landed silently in front of the Guanyin Temple, glanced at him, his expression no different from usual, but Wei Wuxian felt a wave of nervousness. The words he had just wanted to say suddenly crumpled into a ball in his stomach, his abdomen spasming, and he could only murmur, "...Lan Zhan."

Jin Ling, who had been stunned by Lan Xichen's words, was overjoyed to see Lan Wangji arrive, but then, seeing the look exchanged between him and Wei Wuxian, his expression turned strange. Jin Guangyao sighed, "See, I told you, Wei gongzi, if you're here, Hanguang Jun will surely come."

Lan Wangji's wrist holding Bichen flipped, about to act, but Jin Guangyao smiled and said, "Hanguang Jun, you'd better step back five paces."

Wei Wuxian suddenly felt a slight sharp pain at his neck. Lan Xichen whispered to him, "Be careful. Don't move!"

Lan Wangji's gaze fixed on Wei Wuxian's neck, his face slightly pale.

A nearly imperceptible golden string was tied around Wei Wuxian's throat.