Chapter 101

Chapter 101: Hate Born Chapter Twenty-One, Part 4

Jin Ling bolted upright, shouting, "Uncle!"

Jiang Cheng's gaze swept over him, his voice icy. "Call me now? Why did you run off earlier?"

After speaking, he shifted his gaze, intentionally or unintentionally glancing toward Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. Before their gazes could meet, Su She, using his sword Nanping, struggled to his feet and lunged toward Jiang Cheng. Before Jiang Cheng could act, several barks were heard, and Xianzi, swift as a darting fish, flew into the temple from outside, directly pouncing on Su She. At the sound of the dog's bark, Wei Wuxian's hair stood on end, shrinking into Lan Wangji's embrace, terrified, "Lan Zhan!"

Lan Wangji instinctively wrapped his arms around him, responding, "Hmm! I'm here!"

Without looking, just hearing the voices, Jiang Cheng's face twitched, the corner of his mouth jerking. He seemed tempted to look but restrained himself. Just then, several monks and cultivators rushed out from the back of the temple, swords in hand, attacking. Jiang Cheng sneered, swinging his right hand, and a dazzling purple arc lit up the Guanyin Temple. Anyone struck by the arc was sent flying, while the oil-paper umbrella remained steadily in his left hand. As chaos erupted, people lay sprawled, spasming as if electrified, and Jiang Cheng finally put away the umbrella. Su She, ensnared by the black-maned spirit dog, roared in frustration, while Jin Ling shouted from the side, "Xianzi! Be careful! Xianzi, bite him! Bite his hand!"

Lan Xichen warned, "Family Head Jiang, watch out for the zither!"

Before his words faded, a couple of clear zither notes came from the back of the Guanyin Temple. However, Jiang Cheng had fallen victim to this sinister tune at the Burial Mounds before and was naturally very alert. As soon as the string sound was heard, he kicked the ground, snagging a fallen sword with his toes, tossed the umbrella with his left hand to grasp this sword, and with his right hand drew Three Poisons from his waist, holding a sword in each hand, and fiercely crossed them.

The swords screeched as they clashed, emitting a deafening, ear-splitting noise, drowning out Jin Guangyao's zither music.

A very effective way to break the spell! However, there was only one drawback—the noise was so unbearable it felt like it would pierce eardrums. For Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji, who were from the Gusu Lan Family, it was even more intolerable, both slightly frowning. But Lan Wangji was dutifully holding Wei Wuxian and couldn't cover his ears, so Wei Wuxian, while trembling from the dog's bark, reached out to cover them for him.

Jiang Cheng, grim-faced, gripped both swords tightly, creating this ear-splitting noise while advancing toward the back of the temple. But before he could get there, Jin Guangyao emerged, hands over his ears, saying, "Family Head Jiang, I bow to the power of your move."

Jiang Cheng swung Purple Lightning at him, and Jin Guangyao dodged, saying, "Family Head Jiang! How did you get here?"

Jiang Cheng ignored him. Jin Guangyao, weaker in spiritual power, avoided direct confrontation and could only continuously dodge nimbly, having his subordinates surround Jiang Cheng while he leisurely said, "Did A Ling run around, and you followed him here? Xianzi must have led the way for you. Ah, even though it's the spirit dog I gifted, it doesn't give me any face at all."

Clutched tightly by Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian felt less fear at the dog's bark and could spare some thoughts to ponder. Watching Jin Guangyao fight, his eyes darting and a constant smile on his lips, he thought of someone and whispered, "Just like Xue Yang."

But Lan Wangji didn't respond. Wei Wuxian looked up, realizing he still covered Lan Wangji's ears, so Lan Wangji hadn't heard him speak, hence no reply. He quickly let go. At this moment, Jin Guangyao suddenly changed the topic, smiling, "Family Head Jiang, what's the matter? You've been avoiding looking over there. Is there something over there?"

Jiang Cheng said, "You're the Supervisor of Cultivators—fight if you want, stop the chatter!"

Jin Guangyao continued, "Still avoiding? There's nothing over there, that's your senior brother. Did you really follow A Ling here?"

Jiang Cheng said, "Of course! Who else would I be looking for?!"

Lan Xichen said, "Don't answer him!"

Jin Guangyao was skilled in sweet talk. Once Jiang Cheng started conversing with him, he would be distracted and involuntarily swayed by emotions. Jin Guangyao said, "Alright, Mr. Wei, did you see? Your junior brother isn't here for you, doesn't even want to look at you."

Wei Wuxian laughed, "That's strange, Family Head Jiang's attitude toward me isn't new, why do you need to remind me here."

Hearing this, the corner of Jiang Cheng's mouth twisted slightly, the veins on the back of his hand holding Purple Lightning bulging. Jin Guangyao turned to him again, sighing, "Family Head Jiang, you see, being your senior brother is really not easy."

Hearing Jin Guangyao constantly steering the topic toward him, Wei Wuxian became alert. Jiang Cheng retorted, "Family Head Jin, being your sworn brother must be even harder!"

Jin Guangyao completely ignored whether Jiang Cheng was listening, saying, "Family Head Jiang, I heard you caused a scene at Lotus Pier yesterday for no reason, running around with the sword the Yiling Patriarch used to wield, asking everyone to draw it."

Jiang Cheng's expression instantly turned terrifying.

Wei Wuxian suddenly sat up from Lan Wangji's embrace, his heart skipping a beat, a voice in his head saying, "My sword? Suibian? Didn't I throw it to Wen Ning? No, from yesterday to today, I haven't seen him holding it... how did it end up with Jiang Cheng?! Why is Jiang Cheng asking others to draw the sword?! Has he tried drawing it himself?"

Just as he was tensing up, Lan Wangji stroked his back a couple of times, and Wei Wuxian calmed down a bit. Seeing Jiang Cheng suddenly silent, Jin Guangyao's eyes gleamed, saying, "I also heard that no one could draw that sword, but you yourself drew it. How strange, it's been sealed since I collected it thirteen years ago, only the Yiling Patriarch himself could draw it..."

Jiang Cheng summoned both Purple Lightning and Three Poisons, angrily saying, "Shut up!"

But Jin Guangyao continued smilingly, "Then I remembered, back then, Wei gongzi was truly reckless, never carrying a sword wherever he went, always finding different excuses. I always found it very strange, don't you think?"

Jiang Cheng roared, "What exactly are you trying to say?!"

Jin Guangyao raised his voice, "Jiang-zongzhu, you are truly remarkable, the youngest family head, who single-handedly rebuilt the Yunmeng Jiang family. I greatly admire you. However, I remember that you were never able to surpass Mr. Wei in anything before. Can you tell me how you turned things around after the Sunshot Campaign? Did you take some miraculous golden elixir?"

He enunciated "golden elixir" with razor-sharp precision. Jiang Cheng's face twisted in fury, and Purple Lightning emitted a dangerous white light. In his state of mental turmoil, a slight flaw appeared in his movements.

Jin Guangyao had been waiting for this moment of vulnerability and immediately flicked out a hidden qin string. Jiang Cheng quickly regained his composure to counter, and Purple Lightning tangled with the qin string. Jin Guangyao felt a numbness in his palm and immediately withdrew his hand. However, he then chuckled lightly and swung another qin string with his left hand, aiming it towards Wei Wuxian!

Jiang Cheng's eyes narrowed to slits, and he redirected Purple Lightning to intercept the string. Jin Ling, however, cried out in alarm, "Uncle, be careful!"

Seizing the opportunity, Jin Guangyao drew the sword that had been coiled around his waist and thrust it towards Jiang Cheng's heart!

Jiang Cheng's face turned ashen as he clutched his chest. Blood gushed from between his fingers, quickly soaking his chest in a dark purple-black hue. After intercepting the qin string, Purple Lightning instantly reverted to its silver ring form and slipped back onto his finger. When the owner is severely injured or loses too much blood, spiritual artifacts will instinctively revert to their least energy-consuming form. Taking advantage of this, Jin Guangyao stepped forward, sealed Jiang Cheng's spiritual pathways, and took out a handkerchief from his sleeve to clean his soft sword before coiling it back around his waist.

Jin Ling had already rushed over to support Jiang Cheng, and Lan Xichen sighed, "Don't move him carelessly. Help him sit down gently."