The Founder of Diabolism

Chapter 118: Extra—Villainous Friends

Chapter 118: Extra—Villainous Friends

Translated by K of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

13 Years ago

Xue Yang sat beside the small, wooden table of a street side vendor, one leg stepping on the bench as he ate a bowl of glutinous rice dumplings soaked in rice wine. He tapped his spoon on his bowl. It was quite a satisfactory meal in the beginning, but in the end, he suddenly realized that even though the dumplings were sticky, the rice wine wasn’t sweet enough.

Xue Yang stood up and kicked the stall over.

The vendor himself had been busying himself all over the place. He was shocked speechless by the kick. He stared as the young man perpetrated his assault and, after the kick, said nothing as he turned around to leave, a wide grin on his face. Only a few moments later did the vendor realize what happened. He caught up and scolded, "What are you doing?!"

Xue Yang, "Wrecking your stall."

The vendor was half-dead with anger, "You’re sick! You’re mad!"

Xue Yang didn’t move an inch. Pointing at his nose, the vendor continued, "You little bastard! You eat my food, you don’t give me money, and you have the guts to wreck my stall?! I…"

Xue Yang’s thumb shifted. The sword at his waist was unsheathed with a ‘clank.’

The sword shone coldly. He gently patted the vendor’s cheek with Jiangzai’s blade, his voice saccharine, "The dumplings were nice. Add more sugar next time."

After he finished, he turned around and continued to march forth.

The vendor was a mixture of shock and fear. He was mad, but he didn’t dare say anything, gaping as he walked into the distance. Suddenly, he was filled with rage and frustration. A moment later, he let out a furious roared, "… Under broad daylight without rhyme or reason—why, why?!"

Xue Yang waved his hand without even looking back, "There’s no why. There are lots of things in this world that happen without rhyme or reason. This is called an unexpected disaster. Goodbye!"

With light paces, he walked past a few blocks. A while later, someone came up from behind him and calmly caught up to his strides, hands folded behind.

Jin GuangYao sighed, "I only turned around for a second and you stirred up so much trouble for me. I only had to pay for a bowl of dumplings in the beginning, and now I have to pay for his table, chairs, pots and pans, and even bowls."

Xue Yang, "You’ll miss the couple of coins?"

Jin GuangYao, "No."

Xue Yang, "Then why are you sighing?"

Jin GuangYao, "I don’t think you’ll miss the couple of coins either. Why can’t you try being a normal customer once in a while?"

Xue Yang, "Back in Kuizhou I never paid for anything I wanted. Just like this." As he spoke, he casually plucked off a stick of sugared haws off a vendor’s pole. It might be the first time the vendor saw such a shameless person. As he stared open-mouthed, Xue Yang took a bite, "Besides, you can deal with the trouble of me wrecking a tiny stall, can’t you?"

Jin GuangYao smiled, "You little delinquent. Wreck stalls however you want. I wouldn’t even care if you burned down the entire street. Just one thing—don’t wear the Stars Amidst Snow robes and cover up your face. Don’t let anyone know who did it, or it’d be trouble for me."

He tossed the money to the vendor. Xue Yang spat out a mouthful of haw pits. Through the corner of his eye, he saw a small area of purple at Jin GuangYao’s forehead that wasn’t hidden properly. He laughed, "Where did that come from?"

Jin GuangYao glanced at him in a somewhat reproachful way. He straightened his cap and hid the bruise properly, "It’s a long story."

Xue Yang, "Nie MingJue did it?"

Jin GuangYao, "If he were the one who did it, do you think I could still be standing here and talking to you?"

Xue Yang felt that it very much made sense.

The two left Lanling City and approached a strange building amongst the wilderness. The building wasn’t pretty. After the tall walls was a row of long, black houses. Before the row was a square, enclosed by steel fencing as high as one’s chest. The fences were packed with red and yellow talismans. Within the field were all kinds of odd tools, like cages, guillotines, like tacked boards. A few "people" dressed in rags also walked slowly by.

All of the "people" had blue skin and empty gazes. They walked around the clearing without any purpose, bumping into one another at times and leaking strange noises from their throat.

It was a corpse training ground.

Back then, Jin GuangShan lusted after the Stygian Tiger Seal. He beat around the bush a couple of times, using all his skills, yet Wei WuXian didn’t give in no matter what, and it made him run into a bunch of obstacles. He thought, If you can do it, why can’t others? I don’t believe that you Wei Ying are the only person in this world who can do it. The day will come when you’re surpassed by someone and laughed at by everyone. Will you still be so arrogant then?

And so, Jin GuangShan sought after all those who imitated Wei WuXian in cultivating the ghostly path and gathered them under his rule. He spent a great amount of money and resources and these people, ordering them to study and analyze the structure of the Tiger Seal in secrecy so that they could replicate and restore it. Among them, not many achieved anything, while the one who walked the furthest was the youngest Xue Yang, recommended by Jin GuangYao alone.

Jin GuangYao was overjoyed. He accepted him as a guest cultivator and gave him high rights and freedom. The corpse training ground was an area of land Jin GuangYao specially requested for Xue Yang for him to research in secrecy, which meant for him to fool around however he wanted to.

When they approached the corpse training ground, two fierce corpses were currently engaged in a fight in the center of the square.

These two were evidently different from the other walking corpses. They were perfectly clothed and had white eyes, holding blades. As the two swords clashed, sparks were sent flying everywhere. Before the steel fence were positioned two chairs. The two sat down at the same time. Jin GuangYao fixed his collar, and a quivering corpse shifted over, presenting a tray.

Xue Yang, "Tea."

Jin GuangYao glanced at it. A purplish, peculiar object rested sunken in the bottom of the teacup, swollen from the soak, whatever it was.

With a smile, he pushed the teacup away, "Thank you."

Xue Yang pushed the teacup here again, asking affectionately, "This is tea I made with my own hands. Why don’t you want to drink it?"

Jin GuangYao pushed the teacup away once more, explaining in a kind tone, "It’s precisely because you made the tea with your own hands that I don’t dare to drink it."

Xue Yang raised a brow. He turned around and continued to watch the corpse battle.

The two fierce corpses fought even harder, using both their swords and their claws as the tore off blood and flesh. The boredom on his face grew even denser. A short moment later, he suddenly snapped with his fingers and made a certain gesture. The two corpses immediately turned their swords around, bodies twitching, and slashed off their own heads. The remaining headless bodies plummeted to the ground, still shaking.

Jin GuangYao, "Hadn’t they just gotten to the interesting part?"

Xue Yang, "They were too slow."

Jin GuangYao, "They were a lot faster than the two I saw last time."

Xue Yang reached out with the hand wrapped in a black glove, extended a finger, and wagged it, "That depends on what you compare them against. Something like this—let alone Wen Ning, they wouldn’t even last long against the average fierce corpses that Wei WuXian controlled with his flute."

Jin GuangYao smiled, "Why the hurry? Even I’m not hurried. You can take it easy. Tell me if you need anything. Right—"

He took out something from within his sleeve and passed it to Xue Yang, "Perhaps you need this?"

As he skimmed through what it was, Xue Yang’s body suddenly sat upright from the chair, "Wei WuXian’s manuscripts?"

Jin GuangYao, "That’s right."

Xue Yang flipped through the pages, his eyes glowing. Soon, he looked up, "Is this really his actual manuscripts? The ones he wrote when he was nineteen?"

Jin GuangYao, "Of course. Everyone fought for it as hard as they could. It took me quite some effort to gather all of them."

Wei WuXian whispered something vulgar, the excitement in his eyes growing even stronger. After he flipped through, he spoke, "It’s not complete."

Jin GuangYao, "The fight and fire on Burial Mound were more than destructive. It’s fortunate enough that I could find these fragments. Cherish them carefully."

Xue Yang, "What about his flute? Can you get me Chenqing?"

Jin GuangYao shrugged, "Not Chenqing. Jiang WanYin took it."

Xue Yang, "Doesn’t he hate Wei WuXian the most? Why would he need Chenqing? Didn’t you also get that sword of Wei WuXian’s? Give him the sword in exchange for the flute. It’s long since Wei WuXian stopped using his sword, while Suibian sealed itself and nobody can pull it out. What’s the use of keeping a fucking piece of decoration?"

Jin GuangYao, "You really ask me to do the impossible, Young Master Xue. Do you think I haven’t tried? How could anything be that simple. That Jiang WanYin has already gone mad. He still thinks Wei WuXian hasn’t died. If Wei WuXian returned, he might not search for his sword, but he’d definitely come for Chenqing. And so, he would definitely not give up Chenqing. A few more words of mine, and he might blow up."

Xue Yang sniggered, "A mad dog."

At this point, two of the LanlingJin Sect’s disciples dragged over a cultivator with hair all tangled.

Jin GuangYao, "Weren’t you going to rebuild your fierce corpses? I’ve come just in time to bring you the materials."

The eyes of the cultivator were almost flickering with red, and as he struggled, those pupils that looked at Jin GuangYao were about to spew out fire. Xue Yang, "Who’s this?"

Jin GuangYao’s face didn’t change a bit, "Those I bring to you are sinners, of course."

Hearing this, the cultivator lunged forth, somehow managing to spit out the cloth that gagged his mouth along with a mouthful of blood, "Jin GuangYao! You vile, treacherous scum—how dare you call me a sinner? What sins have I committed?!"

One syllable at a time, he spoke as though his words became nails that could potentially pierce through Jin GuangYao. Xue Yang laughed, "What’s up with him?"

The cultivator was restrained by those behind him like they were pulling on a dog’s leash. Jin GuangYao waved his hands, "Hush him up."

Xue Yang, "Why? Let me hear him out, won’t you? How are you a vile, treacherous scum? He’s barking like a dog. I can’t understand what he’s saying."

Jin GuangYao’s tone was somewhat reproachful, "Young Master He Su is a respected cultivator, after all. How could you refer to him in such a disrespectful way?"

The cultivator laughed coldly, "I’ve already fallen in your hands. What are you keeping up the pretense for?"

Jin GuangYao responded with a kind expression, "You don’t have to look at me like that. I also had no choice. To elect a chief cultivator is an irresistible trend. What was the use of stirring up trouble and seeking argument everywhere? I’ve already warned you again and again, yet you were determined not to listen to me. Under these circumstances, things are already beyond redemption. From the bottom of my heart, I, too, feel utmost pain and regret."

He Su, "What was the irresistible trend? What was stirring up trouble? Jin GuangShan wanted to establish the position of chief cultivator

Jin GuangYao smiled, saying nothing. He Su continued, "When you really succeed, all of the world of cultivation would see the true face of the LanlingJin Sect. Do you think killing me alone would put you eternally at ease? How wrong you are! We, the TingshanHe Sect, teem with talent. From now on, we’ll unite and never surrender to you Wen-dogs of another skin!"

Hearing this, Jin GuangYao squinted slightly, the corners of his lips curving up. It was the usual kind, gentle expression. Seeing this, He Su felt his heart skip a beat. At the same time, commotion sounded outside the corpse training ground, among it the cries of women and children.

He Su spun around, only to see a group of LanlingJin Sect cultivators drag inside sixty or seventy people all wearing the same uniform. There were men and women, old and young. Every one of them was a cross between shock and fear, while some were already crying. Both tied up, a girl and a boy kneeled on the ground as they wailed at He Su, "Brother!"

He Su was shocked speechless, his face instantly as white as paper, "Jin GuangYao! What are you doing?! It’s enough if you kill me—why drag my entire sect along?!"

Jin GuangYao looked down and fixed his sleeves, still grinning, "Weren’t you yourself the one who reminded me just now? Even if I killed you, I wouldn’t be put eternally at ease. The TingshanHe Sect teems with talent, and from now on, you’d unite and never surrender—I was quite frightened. After much thought, this was the only thing I could come up with."

He Su felt as though a fist had been shoved down his throat. He couldn’t manage a thing. A moment later, he raged, "To wipe out my entire sect without a reason—are you really not scared of being condemned by all?! Are you really not scared of what would happen if ChiFeng-Zun found out?!"

Hearing him mention Nie MingJue, Jin GuangYao raised his brows. Xue Yang laughed so hard he was about to flop over his chair. Jin GuangYao gave him a look before he turned around and replied calmly, "That’s not the way to go about things, is it? The TingshanHe Sect rebelled and schemed to assassinate Sect Leader Jin with all its forces before it was caught red-handed. How could that be called without a reason?"

The ones over their cried, "Brother! He’s lying! We didn’t, we didn’t!"

He Su, "Utterly nonsense! Open your eyes and fucking look! There are nine-year-old children here! Old men who can’t even walk! How could they rebel against anything?! Why would they assassinate your dad out of nowhere?!"

Jin GuangYao, "Because you made a mistake and committed murder, Young Master He Su, while they refused to accept Koi Tower’s conviction of you, of course."

He Su finally remembered the accusation for which he was transferred to such a creepy place, "It’s all made up! I never killed a cultivator of the LanlingJin Sect! I’ve never even seen the person who died! I don’t even know if he was really a cultivator from your sect! I… I…"

He stammered for a while before eventually caving in, "I… I don’t even know what happened, I don’t even know!"

Yet, at such a place, nobody would listen to his protests. Sitting before him were two villains who already treated him as though he were dead. What they enjoyed was precisely his dying struggle. Smiling, Jin GuangYao leaned back, waving his hand, "Hush him up, hush him up."

Knowing he’d undoubtedly die, He Su was brimming with dread. Clenching his teeth, he roared, "Jin GuangYao! You’ll receive your retribution! You’re dad is gonna die among prostitutes sooner or later, and you wouldn’t meet a pleasant end either, you son of a prostitute!!!"

Xue Yang was in the middle of enjoying the speech, giggling and laughing. Yet all of a sudden, a shadow flashed and a silver light flew past. He Su screeched, covering his mouth.

Blood splattered all over the ground. Over there, the members of He Su’s sect cried and cursed. It was utter chaos, but no matter how chaotic, it was firmly subdued. Standing before the collapsed He Su, Xue Yang tossed something bloody in his hand, snapping at two of the walking corpses beside him, "Shut him in the cage."

Jin GuangYao, "You shut them in alive?"

Xue Yang turned around, curling his lips, "Wei WuXian never used live humans, but I wanna try."

Under his command, the two corpses dragged the legs of He Su who was still screaming and threw them inside the steel cage in the middle of the corpse training ground. As they watched their elder brother bang his head madly against the bars, the boys and girls rushed over wailing. Their cries were so sharp that Jin GuangYao reached up and rubbed his temple, seeming as though he wanted to pick up the tea and have a few sips to steady his nerves. Yet, he looked down only to see the purplish, bloated object at the bottom of the cup. He then looked up at the tongue that Xue Yang was tossing around in his hand. After some thought, he finally realized, "This is what you make the tea out of?"

Xue Yang, "I have a whole jar. You want some?"

"…"

Jin GuangYao, "No thanks. Tidy things up a bit and come pick up someone with me. We can have tea elsewhere."

As though he suddenly remembered something, he fixed his cap, accidentally touching the area of purple hidden at his forehead. Xue Yang gloated, "So what exactly is up with that forehead of yours?"

Jin GuangYao, "I’ve said already. It’s a long story."

Jin GuangShan always threw his tasks whether big or small onto Jin GuangYao’s shoulders, while he indulged himself nights in a row, making Madam Jin throw her rage all around Koi Tower. When Jin ZiXuan was there, he could be the mediator between his parents, but right now it was already past the point of no turning back between the two. Every time Jin GuangShan went out and fooled around with women, he’d use Jin GuangYao to cover him and look for excuses. Madam Jin couldn’t catch him, so she vented on Jin GuangYao instead, shattering an incense burner today and spilling a cup of tea tomorrow. And so, in order for him to be able to live a few more safe days on Koi Tower, Jin GuangYao had to go to brothels himself and retrieve Jin GuangShan on time.

Having familiarized himself with doing such things, Jin GuangYao already knew where he could find Jin GuangShan the quickest. Arriving at an elegant pavilion, Jin GuangShan walked in with hands behind his back. The manager at the main hall welcomed him with a fawning smile, while Jin GuangYao raised a hand to gesture that it was unnecessary. Casually, Xue Yang swiped an apple from a customer’s table before following Jin GuangYao upstairs, only wiping it at his chest before munching down. Soon, the laughter of Jin GuangShan and quite a few women ventured down. The women chirped, "Sect Leader, don’t you think this painting of mine is marvellous? Doesn’t the flower look almost as if it were alive, painted on my body?" "What’s so clever about painting? Sect Leader, look at my calligraphy. What do you think?"

Jin GuangYao had long since gotten used to this. He knew when he should appear and when he should not. He gestured towards Xue Yang and stopped in his tracks. Xue Yang clicked his tongue, his expression quite impatient. Just as he was about to go downstairs and wait, he suddenly heard Jin GuangShan’s gruff voice, "Women—shouldn’t it be enough as long as they water their flowers, powder their faces, and make themselves look as pretty as possible? Calligraphy? What a disappointment."

Those women all wanted to please Jin GuangShan originally. With these words, a flash of awkwardness passed over the pavilion. Jin GuangYao’s figure froze somewhat as well.

Soon, someone giggled, "But I heard that back then in Yunmeng, there was a talented woman who charmed the entire world with her poems and songs—zither, chess, calligraphy, as well as painting!"

It was clear Jin GuangShan was dead drunk. The wine could even be heard from his stammering voice.

He mumbled, "That’s——not how things work. Now I’ve realized. Women shouldn’t play with those useless things. Women who’ve read some books always think they’re a level higher than the other women. They’re the most troublesome, with so many demands and unrealistic fancies."

Standing before a window, Xue Yang leaned back, his armed propped on the window as he ate his apple, looking sideways at the scenery outside. And Jin GuangYao’s smile seemed to be locked on his face, his curved eyes motionless.

Up on the pavilion, the women agreed with laughter. As though he remembered something from the past, he murmured to himself, "If I bought her freedom and took her back to Lanling, who knows how much fuss she would’ve made. If she stayed where she was, she might be popular for a few more years and she wouldn’t have to worry about her spendings for the rest of her life. Out of everything, just why did she have to bear a son, a son of a prostitute? What could she have hoped to…"

A woman asked, "Sect Leader Jin, who are you talking about? What son?"

Jin GuangYao’s voice drifted, "Son? Oh, forget it."

"Okay, then we’ll forget it!"

"If you don’t like it when we write and paint, Sect Leader Jin, then we won’t write and paint. How about we do something else?"

Jin GuangYao stood for thirty minutes by the stairs, while Xue Yang gazed at the scenery for thirty minutes as well. The laughter upstairs finally quieted.

A while later, Jin GuangYao turned around, his face calm, and began to slowly walk downstairs. Seeing this, Xue Yang casually tossed the apple core outside. He also followed down, wagging left and right.

The two walked for sometime on the streets. All of a sudden, Xue Yang rudely burst out laughing.

He began, "Hahahahahaha fuck hahahahahaha…"

Jin GuangYao stopped, his voice cold, "What are you laughing at?"

Xue Yang was splitting his sides with laughter, "You should’ve gotten a mirror and looked at your face. That smile was nasty. It was so fucking fake I could throw up."

Jin GuangYao let out a snort, "What do you know, you little delinquent? One has to smile no matter how fake, how disgusting it is."

Xue Yang responded lazily, "You were asking for it. If anyone dared say I was raised by a whore, I’d find his mom first, fuck her a couple hundred times, then drag her out and throw her into a whorehouse for others to fuck a couple hundred times. Then we’ll see which of us was really the one raised by a whore. Simple."

Jin GuangYao laughed as well, "I sure don’t have such refined hobbies."

Xue Yang, "You don’t, but I do. I don’t mind doing it for you. Just hit me up, and I can go fuck them for you, hahahahahaha…"

Jin GuangYao, "No, thanks. Save your energy, Young Master Xue. Will you be free the next few days?"

Xue Yang, "Won’t I have to do it no matter what?"

Jin GuangYao, "Go to Yunmeng for me and tidy up a place for me. Make it clean."

Xue Yang, "They say when Xue Yang attacks, he leaves behind not even the chicken or the dog. Do you have any other misunderstandings as to how clean my work is?"

Jin GuangYao, "I don’t think I’ve ever heard this saying?"

Night had already fallen. It was quiet all around, with few passersby. The two talked as they walked, passing a street side stall. The vendor was in the middle of dejectedly tidying his tables. He looked up and suddenly screamed, jumping backwards.

His scream and his jump were both quite frightening. Even Jin GuangYao paused, his hand moving to Hensheng’s handle at his waist. When he saw that it was only the average street vendor, he immediately ignored it. Yet Xue Yang didn’t say a word before he went over and kicked over the booth again.

The vendor was both shocked and terrified, "It’s you again?! Why?!"

Xue Yang grinned, "Haven’t I told you? There’s no why."

He was just about to kick again when a sharp pain suddenly came from the back of his hand. His pupils shrunk, and he immediately sprang back. He raised his hand only to see that many red marks had already appeared on his hand. He looked up. A black-robed cultivator retracted his horsetail whisk, looking at him coldly.

The cultivator had a slender physique, his features stern and cold. He held a horsetail whisk in his hand and carried a sword on his back, the tassel of which swished alongside the night wind. Killing intent flashed across Xue Yang’s eyes as he struck with his palm. The cultivator brandished his whisk, wanting to fend off the strike, while Xue Yang’s attacks were always bizarre and unpredictable. The direction changed, and he lunged for his heart.

The cultivator frowned slightly. He dodged to the side, yet his left arm was lightly brushed by the hand. His body wasn’t injured, yet frost suddenly fell over his face. It was as though he found it extremely distasteful, almost unbearable.

The slight change in expression fell into Xue Yang’s eyes. He laughed coldly. Before he continued, a snowy figure suddenly cut between the fight. Jin GuangYao had intervened, "For my sake, please let him be, Daozhang Song ZiChen."

The vendor had long since fled the scene. The black-robed cultivator spoke, "LianFang-Zun?"

Jin GuangYao, "Yes, that would be me."

Song ZiChen, "For what reason is LianFang-Zun defending such insolence?"

Jin GuangYao managed a smile, seeming quite helpless, "Daozhang Song, this is a guest cultivator of the LanlingJin Sect."

Song ZiChen, "Why would a guest cultivator do something so lowly?"

Jin GuangYao coughed, "Daozhang Song, you don’t understand. He… has an odd personality, and he’s still quite young. Please excuse him."

At this point, a clear, gentle voice drifted past, "He’s still quite young indeed."

Like a sliver of moonlight amidst the night, a white-clothed cultivator soundlessly appeared beside the three, holding a whisk and carrying on his back a sword.

The cultivator had a lean build. His robes and his sword tassel swayed as he slowly strode forward, as if he was stepping on clouds. Jin GuangYao greeted, "Daozhang Xiao XingChen."

Xiao XingChen returned the salute, smiling, "We parted over a few months ago, but what a surprise that LianFang-Zun hasn’t yet forgotten me."

Jin GuangYao, "Daozhang Xiao XingChen moved the entire world with his swordsmanship. It’d instead be strange if I didn’t remember, wouldn’t it?"

Xiao XingChen smiled, as though he knew Jin GuangYao’s way of adding some flattery into everything he said. He replied, "You overpraise me, LianFang-Zun." Right after, he turned his gaze towards Xue Yang, "However, even if he’s still at a young age, as he has taken a seat amongst Koi Tower’s guest cultivators, it’s still best if he learns restraint. After all, the LanlingJin Sect is one of the most prestigious sects. It needs to lead by example in many aspects."

His dark irises shone bright yet gentle, holding no blame when looking at Xue Yang. And thus, even though it was words of advice, he didn’t sound the least displeasing. Immediately, Jin GuangYao followed calmly, "Of course."

Xue Yang snickered. Hearing his laugh, Xiao XingChen didn’t lose his temper either. He examined him for a while and spoke after some thought, "Moreover, I see that this young man’s method of attack is quite…"

Song ZiChen’s voice was icy, "Hostile."

Hearing this, Xue Yang laughed, "You say I’m still at a young age, but how much older are you? You say I attack with hostility, but who was the one that gave me a taste of his whisk first? It’s absolutely ridiculous the way you two lecture others."

As he spoke, he raised the hand that was criss-crossed with blood and shook it. He was clearly the one who wrecked the stall first, yet right now he turned the tables around with utmost justification. Jin GuangYao didn’t know what a face to make, turning to the two cultivators, "Daozhang, he…"

Xiao XingChen couldn’t help but broke into a smile, "He’s truly…"

Xue Yang squinted, "Truly what? Spit it out, won’t you?"

Jin GuangYao’s voice was warm, "ChengMei*, please hold your tongue for now."

*TN: This is Xue Yang’s courtesy name. The name is originally taken from the phrase ‘to help fulfil the wishes of others’, but can also be interpreted to mean ‘to become pretty’.

Hearing the name, Xue Yang’s face immediately darkened. Jin GuangYao continued, "Daozhang, I’m really sorry for today. For my sake, please don’t mind him."

Song ZiChen shook his head. Xiao XingChen patted his shoulder, "ZiChen, let’s go."

Song ZiChen glanced at him and nodded. The two said goodbye to Jin GuangYao and left together.

Xue Yang glared at their leaving figures with insidious eyes, grinning through clenched teeth, "… Fucking damn cultivators."

Jin GuangYao mused, "They didn’t really do much to you, so why the anger?"

Xue Yang spat, "I find these fake, conceited people the absolute most disgusting. That Xiao XingChen was clearly not even that much older than me, poking his nose into other people’s business—annoying. And he started giving me a lecture. And that Song guy." He sneered, "I only brushed past his arm, so what was with that look he gave me? Sooner or later, I’ll dig out his eyes and shatter his heart. Let’s see what he’ll do when that happens."

Jin GuangYao, "Now that’s a misunderstanding. Daozhang Song is somewhat mysophobic. He doesn’t like contact with others. It wasn’t directed at you."

Xue Yang, "Who are these damn cultivators?"

Jin GuangYao, "After so much, you don’t even know them? Right now, those two are in the midst of their popularity— ‘Xiao XingChen, the bright moon, the gentle breeze; Song ZiChen, the distant snow, the cold frost.’ Haven’t heard that?"

Xue Yang, "No. I don’t get it. The fuck is that?"

Jin GuangYao, "Nevermind if you haven’t heard it, nevermind if you don’t get it. In any case, they’re gentlemen, so don’t provoke them."

Xue Yang, "Why?"

Jin GuangYao, "They say one should choose offending a crook over offending a gentleman*."

*TN: the real saying goes the opposite way.

Xue Yang looked at him with much suspicion, "Does such a saying exist?"

Jin GuangYao, "Of course. When you offend a crook, you can outright kill them to spare later trouble, and the crowd would even cheer for you; when you offend a gentleman, things become more difficult. These people create the most hassle. They’d chase after you and never let go, and if you lay even a single finger on them, you’d be the target of all. Hence, it’s best to keep them at arm’s length. It was fortunate that today they only thought you were too arrogant due to your youth and that they didn’t know what you did throughout the day. Or else, there’d be no end to it."

Xue Yang mocked, "So many restrictions. I’m not scared of these people."

Jin GuangYao, "You’re not, but I am. One thing less is better than one thing more. Let’s go."

There weren’t many steps to go anyways. Soon, the two arrived at a fork. To the right was Koi Tower; to the left was the corpse training ground.

They exchanged a smile, and parted ways.

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Chapter 125: Extra—Lotus Seed Pod</h3><p>Translated by K of Exiled Rebels Scanlations.</p><p>(We do not allow anyone to post our translations on any other site. Please do not copy our work and post it anywhere else such as Facebook, Wattpad, AO3, your own blog etc. Doing such is considered copyright infringement. If you are reading this on another site, you are reading a stolen copy. Thank you.)</p><h3>Lotus Pier, Yunmeng.</h3><p>Outside the duelling hall, the cicadas sang to the summer; inside, quite a distasteful array of human bodies covered the ground.</p><p>A dozen boys, all topless, lay atop the wooden floor boards of the hall. They flipped themselves over once in a while, like a dozen sizzling pancakes, letting out dying groans.</p><p>"It’s…"</p><p>"So hot…"</p><p>Eyes closed, Wei WuXian thought hazily, If only it were as cool as the Cloud Recesses.</p><p>The temperature of the piece of wood underneath him was assimilated by his body temperature again, and so he flipped over. Coincidentally, Jiang Cheng turned as well. The two brushed against each other, arm over leg. Wei WuXian immediately called out, "Jiang Cheng, move your arm. You’re like a piece of coal."</p><p>Jiang Cheng, "Move your leg."</p><p>Wei WuXian, "An arm’s lighter than a leg. It’s harder for me to move my leg, so you should move your arm instead."</p><p>Jiang Cheng hissed, "I’m warning you, Wei WuXian, don’t overdo it. Shut up and don’t say anything. It gets hotter the more you talk!"</p><p>The sixth shidi joined in, "Stop arguing, alright? I feel hot just listening to you two argue. I’m even sweating faster."</p><p>Over there, arms and legs were already flying in the air, "Fuck off!" "You too!" "No, no, no—please go ahead!" "No, thanks—you can fuck off first!"</p><p>The shidi all complained, "Fight outside if you have to!" "Please fuck off together, won’t you? We’re begging you!"</p><p>Wei WuXian, "You heard it? They’re telling you to leave. Let… go of my leg—it’s gonna break, Sir!"</p><p>Veins popped on Jiang Cheng’s forehead, "They’re clearly telling you to leave… You let go of my arm first!"</p><p>Suddenly, from the wooden hallway outside came the swishes of a long dress brushing against the ground. Like lightning, the two snapped apart. Immediately, the bamboo curtains were lifted, and Jiang YanLi peeked inside, "Oh, so this is where everyone is hiding."</p><p>Everyone greeted her, "Shijie!" "Hello, Shijie." Some of the shier ones couldn’t help but snuck into the corners, covering their chests with their arms.</p><p>Jiang YanLi, "No sword practice today? Slacking off, aren’t you?"</p><p>Wei WuXian protested, "It’s scorching hot today—the training ground’s on fire. We’ll shed a whole layer of skin if we go practice. Don’t tell anyone, Shijie."</p><p>Carefully, Jiang YanLi looked at Jiang Cheng and him from top to bottom, "Were you two fighting again?"</p><p>Wei WuXian, "Nope!"</p><p>The rest of Jiang YanLi’s body also came in. She was holding a plate of something, "Then who made the footprint on A-Cheng’s chest?"</p><p>Hearing that he left evidence, Wei WuXian spun around to check. It was there, indeed, but nobody cared if they’d been fighting any longer. Held in Jiang YanLi’s hands was a large plate of watermelon pieces already cut. The boys buzzed over, distributing the pieces in just a few seconds, and sat on the ground, munching on the watermelon. Soon, peel piled into a small mountain on the plate.</p><p>Whatever they did, Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng had to compete against each other, even when it came to eating watermelon. With both force and guile, they fought so hard that others scurried away, quickly clearing out a whole area for them. At first, Wei WuXian was quite engaged in the act of eating watermelon, but a while later, he suddenly let out a laugh.</p><p>Jiang Cheng was at once alarmed, "What are you gonna do, this time?"</p><p>Wei WuXian grabbed another piece, "Nothing! Don’t misunderstand. I’m not gonna do anything. I just thought of someone."</p><p>Jiang Cheng, "Who?"</p><p>Wei WuXian, "Lan Zhan."</p><p>Jiang Cheng, "Why would you think of him for no reason? Reminiscing what it felt like to copy sect rules?"</p><p>Wei WuXian spat out a seed, "It’s fun to think of him. You don’t even know—he’s just too amusing. I told him, ‘Your sect’s food is disgusting. I’d rather eat stir-fried watermelon peel than eat your food. If you have time, come have fun with us at Lotus Pier…’"</p><p>Before he even finished, Jiang Cheng slapped his watermelon off, "Are you mad? Inviting him to Lotus Pier—are you trying to torture yourself?"</p><p>Wei WuXian, "Why are you so upset? My watermelon almost flew away! I was just being polite. Of course he wouldn’t come. Have you ever heard of him go anywhere by himself to have fun?"</p><p>Jiang Cheng had on a stern expression, "Let’s make this clear. I don’t want him to come, anyhow. Don’t invite him."</p><p>Wei WuXian, "I never knew you hated him so much?"</p><p>Jiang Cheng, "I’ve got nothing against Lan WangJi, but if he really came, my mom might have something to say, comparing me against someone else’s kid, and you wouldn’t have it nice either."</p><p>Wei WuXian, "Don’t worry. There’s nothing to be scared of even if he comes. If he does come, you can tell Uncle Jiang to have him sleep with me. I’ll definitely drive him mad in less than a month."</p><p>Jiang Cheng snorted, "You want to sleep with him for an entire month? I say you’d be stabbed to death within a week."</p><p>Wei WuXian wasn’t concerned, "Am I scared of him? If we really start fighting, he might not even win against me."</p><p>The others immediately cheered him. Jiang Cheng mocked his thick skin on the surface, but he knew that Wei WuXian wasn’t boasting with his words. Jiang YanLi sat down between the two, "Who are you talking about? A friend you made in Gusu?"</p><p>Wei WuXian responded happily, "Yeah!"</p><p>Jiang Cheng, "What a shameless ‘friend’ you are. Go ask Lan WangJi and see if he wants you as one."</p><p>Wei WuXian, "Fuck off. If he doesn’t want me, I’ll bother him to the point that he does." He turned to Jiang YanLi, "Shijie, do you know Lan WangJi?"</p><p>Jiang YanLi, "I do. He’s that Second Young Master Lan whom everyone describes as handsome and talented, isn’t he? Is he really that handsome?"</p><p>Wei WuXian, "He is!"</p><p>Jiang YanLi, "Compared to you?"</p><p>Wei WuXian thought about it for a moment, "Maybe just a bit more handsome than me."</p><p>He formed a quite a tiny length of space between two fingers. Taking the plate away, Jiang YanLi smiled, "He must be truly very handsome, then. It’s a good thing you made a new friend. In the future, you two can visit each other in your free time."</p><p>Hearing this, Jiang Cheng spat out his watermelon. Wei WuXian waved his hands, "Forget it, forget it. All that’s at his place is bad food and a whole lot of rules. I’m not going again."</p><p>Jiang YanLi, "Then you can take him here. This is a good opportunity. Why not invite your friend to come stay at Lotus Pier for sometime?"</p><p>Jiang Cheng, "Don’t listen to his nonsense, Sis. He’s super annoying at Gusu. Lan WangJi would never want to come home with him."</p><p>Wei WuXian, "What do you mean!? He would."</p><p>Jiang Cheng, "Wake up. Lan WangJi told you to get lost, didn’t you hear? You still remember that?"</p><p>Wei WuXian, "What do you know!? Even though he told me to get lost on the surface, I know for sure that he secretly wants to come play with me in Yunmeng—in fact, he would love to."</p><p>Jiang Cheng, "I think of the same question every single day—just where do you find so much confidence?"</p><p>Wei WuXian, "Stop thinking about it. If I thought about a question for so many years and couldn’t find an answer, I would’ve given up long ago."</p><p>Jiang Cheng shook his head. Just as he was about to throw his watermelon onto the ground, he suddenly heard a violent string of footsteps approaching. The stern voice of a woman drifted over from afar, "I was wondering where everyone went. As expected…"</p><p>The expressions on the boys’ faces changed at once. They dashed out the curtains just in time to see Madam Yu turn around at the other end of the hall, her purple robe flapping with rigor. On her face was a chilling demeanor. As she saw the boys’ unsightly nudity, Madam Yu’s expression twisted, her eyebrows raised high in the air.</p><p>The boys all thought, Oh no! With terror, they spun around and ran. Seeing this, Madam Yu finally realized, enraged, "Jiang Cheng! Go get some clothes on! You look no different than a barbarian! What would people think of me if they saw you?!"</p><p>Jiang Cheng’s top was tied at his waist. Hearing his mother’s chastise, he hastily put it over his head. Madam Yu scolded again, "And you boys! Can’t you see that A-Li’s here? Who taught you brats to dress like this in front of a girl!?"</p><p>Of course, it was needless to think who led the group. Thus, Madam Yu’s next sentence, as usual, was "Wei Ying! Do you want to die!?"</p><p>Wei WuXian yelled, "Sorry! I didn’t know Shijie would come! I’ll go look for my clothes right now!"</p><p>Madam Yu was even angrier, "How dare you run! Come back right now and kneel!" As she spoke, she let loose her whip with a flip of her wrist. Wei WuXian felt a searing pain slash across his back. He loudly exclaimed, "Ow!" And almost tripped on the ground. Yet, all of a sudden, someone’s quiet voice drifted by Madam Yu’s ear, "Mom, do you want to eat some watermelon…"</p><p>Madam Yu was startled by Jiang YanLi, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. With the delay, all of the boys had vanished into thin air. She was so infuriated that she turned to Jiang YanLi and pinched her cheek, "Eat, eat, eat—all you do is eat!"</p><p>Jiang YanLi almost cried from her mother’s pinching, mumbling, "Mom, A-Xian and the others were hiding here to relieve the heat and I came here on my own. Don’t blame them… Do… Do you want some watermelon… I don’t know who gave them to us, but it’s really sweet. Eating watermelon in the summer is great for cooling down and quenching thirst. I’ll cut them for you…"</p><p>The more Madam Yu thought about it, the angrier she became, and with the summer heat on top of all that, she really began to crave watermelon. With all that… she grew even angrier.</p><p>On the other hand, the group finally broke out of Lotus Pier and rushed through the docks, hopping onto a boat. With nobody chasing after them, even after a while, Wei WuXian finally relaxed. Exerting force, he rowed the boat a couple of times. He could still feel some pain in his back, so he tossed the paddles to someone else, sat down, and felt the stinging piece of flesh, "How unfair. Nobody else was wearing anything, but why was I the only one who got scolded and beaten up?"</p><p>Jiang Cheng, "Because you hurt the eye the most with no clothes on, for sure."</p><p>Wei WuXian gave him a look. Suddenly, he took a leap and dove into the water. As though signalled, the others all entered the water as well. In mere seconds, Jiang Cheng was the only one left on the boat.</p><p>Jiang Cheng noticed that something was off, "What the hell are you doing?!"</p><p>Wei WuXian glide to the side of the boat and struck hard. The boat flopped right over, bobbing heavily in the water with its belly facing up. Wei WuXian laughed, jumping onto the boat and criss-crossing his legs, "Do your eyes still hurt, Jiang Cheng? Say something, hey, hey!"</p><p>Even after a few shouts, nothing came except for a string of bubbles. Wei WuXian wiped his face, confused, "Why is he taking so long?"</p><p>Their sixth shidi swam over as well, exclaiming, "Did he drown!?"</p><p>Wei WuXian, "That’s impossible!" Just as he was about to go down and help Jiang Cheng out, he suddenly heard a loud shout come from behind him. With a yelp, he was pushed into the water. Once again, the boat flopped over, dripping with water. After he’d been dunked underwater, Jiang Cheng had swum around and ended up behind Wei WuXian.</p><p>Having both succeeded once with their sneak attacks, the two of them began to circle the boat with vigilance, while the others splashed around underwater, scattered around the lake to watch the drama. Wei WuXian flaunted across the boat, "What’s with the weapon? Put down the paddle, and we can fight with our bare hands."</p><p>Jiang Cheng sneered, "You think I’m an idiot? You’ll take it the moment I let go of it!" Brandishing the paddle, he forced Wei WuXian to dodge and hide. The shidi all cheered him on. Ducking left and right, Wei WuXian finally found the spare time to protest, "How could I be so shameless!?"</p><p>Boos came from all around him, "Da-Shixiong, I can’t believe you have the face to say this!"</p><p>Soon, the crowd sank into a chaotic water-fight, from the Jab of Justice to the Plant of Poison to the Bolt of Brutality—Wei WuXian gave Jiang Cheng a kick before he finally managed to climb onto the boat. Spitting out a mouthful of the lakewater, he waved his hand, "Let’s stop, let’s stop—I call a truce!"</p><p>Everyone wore green water-weeds atop their heads, not yet ready to stop. They hurried, "Why are we stopping? Let’s continue! Let’s continue! Are you begging for mercy just because you’re at a disadvantage?"</p><p>Wei WuXian, "Who said I was begging for mercy? We can fight later. I’m just too hungry to keep going. Let’s get some food first."</p><p>The sixth shidi, "Then should we go back? We can have a few more watermelons before dinner starts."</p><p>Jiang Cheng, "If you go back now, you’ll get nothing but whips."</p><p>Yet, Wei WuXian had an idea. He announced, "We won’t go back. We’ll go pick lotus seed pods!"</p><p>Jiang Cheng mocked, "You mean ‘steal’, don’t you?"</p><p>Wei WuXian, "It’s not like we don’t repay the money every single time!"</p><p>The YunmengJiang Sect often cared for the households of the area, exorcising water ghouls without asking for any compensation. Within over a mile, let alone a few seed pods, the people were willing to even part out an entire lake to plant lotus for them. Every time the sect’s boys went out and ate someone’s watermelon, caught someone’s hen, or spiked someone’s dog food*, Jiang FengMian would send people to make up for everything. As for why they always insisted on stealing, it wasn’t because of arrogance or vulgarity—the boys were simply in love with the fun of being scolded and laughed at and chased around</p><h3>*TN: In rural China, dogs are often used to guard households against thieves. In order to sneak into someone’s house, the boys make sure that the dog is unconscious (but not dead).</h3><p>The group boarded the boat. After paddling for a while, they arrived at a lotus lake.</p><p>It was quite a large body of water, covered in green. The leaves, as small as plates and as big as umbrellas, layered endlessly over one another. The ones on the outside were lower and sparser, forming a flat layer that floated atop the water’s surface; the ones on the inside were taller and more cramped, enough to cover up boats along with the people inside. But at first sight of the lotus leaves’ ruffles, one could tell somebody was hiding within.</p><p>The little boat from Lotus Pier glid into the verdant world. All around it were plump seed pods, hanging low. One person was paddling the boat, while the others got to work. The ample pods dangled from the slender stems, on which grew small, harmless thorns. With just a bit of force, the stems would snap in half. They all broke the pods off along with a long chunk of stem, so that they could get a few bottles when they got back and grow them in the water. Some said that this way, the pods would taste fresh for a few days longer. Wei WuXian only heard this from other people. He didn’t know if it was true or not, either, but he nevertheless told this to others with confidence.</p><p>He broke off a few and peeled one open, tossing the round seeds into his mouth. The juice burst on his tongue. He ate as he absentmindedly hummed something along the lines of, "I’ll treat you to lotus pods, so what will you treat me to?" Jiang Cheng happened to hear this, "Who are you treating?"</p><p>Wei WuXian, "Haha, not you, for sure!" Just as he was about to smash Jiang Cheng in the face with another seed pod, he suddenly made a ‘hush’ sound, "We’re dead. The old man’s here today!"</p><p>The old man referred to the farmer who planted the lotus pods in this particular region. Wei WuXian didn’t know exactly how old he was, either. Anyway, in his opinion, Jiang FengMian was an uncle, so anyone older than Jiang FengMian could be called an old man. He’d been at this lake for as long as Wei WuXian could remember. When he came here to steal seed pods in the summer, he’d be beaten up if he was caught. Wei WuXian often doubted that the old man was a reincarnated spirit of the lotus seed pod, as he knew the number of pods missing from his lake like the back of his hand—the same as the number of smacks Wei WuXian received. When rowing in lotus ponds, the bamboo poles were better than paddles, each blow loud and stinging the flesh.</p><p>The other boys’ had experienced the beatings before as well. Immediately, they shushed, "Let’s run, let’s run!" They grabbed the paddle in a hurry and fled. Scrambling, they rowed out of the lake and snuck a guilty look behind them. The old man’s boat had already pulled out of the layers of leaf, drifting atop the wide waters. Tilting his head, Wei WuXian looked for a while before exclaiming, "How strange!"</p><p>Jiang Cheng stood up as well, "Why is the boat going so fast?"</p><p>Everyone looked. The old man, standing with his back to them, was counting the seed pods on the boat one by one, his bamboo pole lying motionlessly on the side. Yet, the boat travelled with both stability and speed. It was even faster than the juniors’ boat.</p><p>As the two boats grew nearer, everyone was finally able to see that underneath the old man’s boat was a vague white shadow, swimming underwater!</p><p>Wei WuXian turned around, his index finger pressing his lips, reminding the others to be careful not to alert the old man or the water ghoul beneath. Jiang Cheng nodded. His rowing let out only </p><p>Moments later, the shells of two lotus seeds floated to the water’s surface.</p><p>The boys were shocked speechless, "Wow, so even water ghouls steal lotus pods!"</p><p>The old man finally realized people had snuck up to him from behind, spinning around with a big seed pod in one hand and his bamboo pole in the other. The motion alarmed the water ghoul. With a splash, the white shadow was gone. The boys called, "Come back here!"</p><p>Wei WuXian crashed into the water and dove underneath. Soon, he slinked up with something in his hand, "I caught it!"</p><p>From his hand hung a small water ghoul, its skin pale. It looked as though it were a child no more than thirteen years old. With fright, it almost curled into a ball under the boys’ eyes.</p><p>Suddenly, the old man’s pole swished around as he cursed, "Messing around again!"</p><p>Wei WuXian had just received a whip on his back, and now here came another blow. With a yelp, he almost loosened his hands. Jiang Cheng raged, "Talk nicely—why would you hit him all of a sudden? How ungrateful!"</p><p>Wei WuXian hurried, "I’m fine, I’m fine, Old-… Sir, look carefully. We’re not ghouls. This one is the ghoul."</p><p>The old man, "Nonsense. I’m only old, not blind. Hurry up and let it go!"</p><p>Wei WuXian was startled. The water ghoul caught by him clasped its hands together in salutation, its dark eyes glistening in quite a piteous way. It was still gripping the plump lotus pod it stole, reluctant to let go. The pod had been broken already. It seemed as though it had just a couple of bites before Wei WuXian pulled it out.</p><p>Jiang Cheng thought to himself that the old man was absolutely insane. He turned to Wei WuXian, "Don’t let it go. Let’s take it back."</p><p>Hearing this, the old man held up his bamboo pole again. Wei WuXian immediately called, "Don’t, don’t! I’ll let it go, that’s all."</p><p>Jiang Cheng, "Don’t! What if it kills someone?!"</p><p>Wei WuXian, "There’s no scent of blood on it. It’s too young to swim out of this area, while there hasn’t been a word of any deaths in this area. It’s probably never killed anyone."</p><p>Jiang Cheng, "Just because it hasn’t killed anyone, doesn’t mean that in the future…"</p><p>Before he even finished, the bamboo pole swung towards him. Having taken a blow, Jiang Cheng was furious, "Are you out of your mind, old man?! You know it’s a ghoul—aren’t you scared it might kill you?!"</p><p>The old man was also quite assured, "Why would a man who’s halfway across the threshold be scared of a ghoul?"</p><p>Knowing it wouldn’t swim far, Wei WuXian interrupted, "Stop fighting, stop fighting. I’m letting go!"</p><p>Indeed, he let go. With a splash, the water ghoul slipped behind the old man’s boat, as if it was scared to come out.</p><p>Soaked in water, Wei WuXian climbed onto the boat. The old man grabbed a seed pod from the boat and tossed it into the water. The water ghoul paid it no attention. The old man chose a bigger one and tossed it inside again. The pod bounced a couple of times on the water’s surface before half a white forehead snuck out and, like a big, white fish, carried the two green pods underwater in its mouth. Soon, some more white floated above the water. Revealing its shoulders and hands, the water ghoul hid behind the boat as it crunched down.</p><p>Watching it savor the pods, the boys were all quite bewildered.</p><p>The old man tossed another pod into the water. Wei WuXian felt his chin, unsure of how to feel, "Sir, why is it that when it steals your lotus pods, you let it steal them and even gives it to them, but when we do it, you always beat us?"</p><p>The old man, "It helps me with the boat, so what’s with giving it a couple of pods? And you lot, on the other hand? How many did you steal today?"</p><p>The boys were embarrassed. Wei WuXian glanced with the corner of his eye. Noticing the many dozens of pods hidden in the boat’s stomach, he knew it wouldn’t go well, quickly calling, "Let’s go!"</p><p>At once, the boys went for the paddle. Wielding the bamboo pole, the old man came at them like a typhoon. They could feel their scalps tingle as they thought that the pole would hit them any minute, paddling madly. The two boats chased around the lotus lake for a couple of circles. As the two came closer and closer, Wei WuXian had already received a few blows, and on top of that he realized that the pole was directed at nobody but him. He covered his head and yelled, "It’s not fair! Why do you only hit me! Why is it only me again!"</p><p>The shidi, "Keep it up, Shixiong! It’s all up to you!"</p><p>Jiang Cheng added, "Yeah, keep it up."</p><p>Wei WuXian spat, "No! I’m not taking it anymore!" He grabbed a lotus seed pod from the boat and hurled it out, "Catch!"</p><p>It was quite a big pod, making a loud splash as it hit the water. As expected, the old man’s boat paused. The water ghoul swam over giddily, collecting the pod.</p><p>Using the opportunity, the boat from Lotus Pier finally had the chance to run away.</p><p>When they returned, one of the shidi asked, "Da-Shixiong, do ghouls taste anything?"</p><p>Wei WuXian, "Usually not, I think. But I say that this little one, probably… probably… Ah-… Ah-choo!"</p><p>The sun had set and the wind had come. It felt quite cold in the breeze. Wei WuXian sneezed and rubbed his face, continuing, "Probably couldn’t get any lotus pods before it died, and drowned in the lake when it snuck inside to steal some. And so… Ah-… Ah-…"</p><p>Jiang Cheng, "And so it ate lotus pods because that was its wish. It gets a sense of fulfilment from it."</p><p>Wei WuXian, "Uh-huh, that’s right."</p><p>He felt his back, covered in scars both old and new, and still couldn’t hold back the question he’d be thinking about, "How awfully unfair. Why is it that I’m the only one who gets beaten up, whenever something happens?"</p><p>One of the shidi replied, "You’re the most handsome."</p><p>Another one, "You have the highest level of cultivation."</p><p>And another, "You look the best with no clothes on."</p><p>Everyone nodded. Wei WuXian, "Thanks for the praise, you guys. I’m even starting to feel some goose bumps."</p><p>The shidi, "You’re welcome, Da-Shixiong. You protect us every single time. You deserve even more!"</p><p>Wei WuXian, with surprise, "Oh? There are more? Let me hear them."</p><p>Jiang Cheng couldn’t listen any longer, "Shut up! If you guys still won’t talk properly, I’ll stab the boat through and we can all die together."</p><p>As he spoke, they passed through an area of water with farmland on either side. In the farms were a few petite-figured farmer women, working in the fields. As they saw their boat pass, they ran to the shore and greeted them from afar, "Hey—!"</p><p>The boys responded in the same way, before all nudging at Wei WuXian, "Shixiong, they’re calling you! They’re calling you!"</p><p>Wei WuXian looked carefully. Indeed, the women had encountered them before while he was leading the group. His mood immediately lifted and he stood up to wave, grinning, "What’s up!?"</p><p>The boat drifted alongside the water’s currents. The women followed it on the shore, chatting, You boys went to steal lotus seed pods again, didn’t you!?"</p><p>"Tell us how many hits you got!"</p><p>"Or did you spike someone’s dog food this time?"</p><p>Listening, Jiang Cheng almost wanted to kick him off the boat, filled with distaste, "Your reputation sure loses face for our sect."</p><p>Wei WuXian protested, "They said ‘you boys’. We’re in the same boat, alright? Even if I’m losing face, we’re all losing face together."</p><p>As the two argued, another one of the women called out, "Was it good?"</p><p>Wei WuXian managed to reply, "What?"</p><p>The woman, "The watermelon we gave you. Was it good?"</p><p>Wei WuXian realized, "So you were the ones who gave us the watermelon. It was delicious! Why didn’t you come in and sit? We could’ve poured you some tea!"</p><p>The woman smiled, "You lot weren’t there when we visited, so we left without going in. I’m glad to hear it tasted good!"</p><p>Wei WuXian, "Thank you!" He fished out a couple of big seed pods from the bottom of the boat, "Here are some lotus seed pods. Next time you visit, come me and watch me train!"</p><p>Jiang Cheng snorted, "Would anyone want to watch you train?"</p><p>Wei WuXian threw the seed pods toward the shore. It was a far distance, but they landed lightly in the women’s hands. He grabbed a few more and stuffed them into Jiang Cheng’s arms, shoving, "What are you doing, just standing there? Hurry up."</p><p>After a few shoves, Jiang Cheng could only accept them, "Hurry up and do what?"</p><p>Wei WuXian, "You ate the watermelon too, so you also have to return the gift, don’t you? Here, here, don’t be embarrassed. Start throwing, start throwing."</p><p>Jiang Cheng snorted again, "You must be joking. What’s there to be embarrassed about?" Whatever he said, however, even after all of the shidi began to throw seed pods, he still didn’t start to move. Wei WuXian urged, "Then throw some! If you throw some this time, next time you can ask them if the seed pods tasted good, and you’ll be able to make conversation again!"</p><p>The shidi were in awe, "So that’s why! What a lesson. You have so much experience with these things, Shixiong!"</p><p>"You can tell he does this on a regular basis!"</p><p>"Oh, shucks, hahahaha…"</p><p>Jiang Cheng was just about to throw one when he realized how shameless it was the moment he heard it. He peeled a seed pod and ate it by himself.</p><p>As the boat floated in the water, the maiden chased it in small steps on the shore, catching the green lotus seed pods that the boys in the boat were tossing toward them, laughing as they ran. Wei WuXian put his right hand above his brows, taking in the scenery. Amid the laughter, he let out a sigh. The others asked, "What’s wrong, Da-Shixiong?" "You’re sighing even when girls are chasing after you?"</p><p>Wei WuXian swung the paddle onto his shoulder, grinning, "It’s nothing. I was just thinking that I invited Lan Zhan in all sincerity to come visit Yunmeng, yet he still dared to decline the offer."</p><p>The boys all put up their thumbs, "Wow, that’s Lan WangJi, for sure!"</p><p>Wei WuXian stated in high spirits, "Shut up! Someday, I’ll drag him here and kick him off the boat. I’ll fool him into stealing lotus seed pods and let the old man beat him up with the bamboo pole and he’ll be chasing after me from behind, hahahaha…"</p><p>After a while of laughter, he turned around and looked at Jiang Cheng, who was sitting at the front of the boat eating seed pods with a long face. His smile gradually disappeared as he sighed, "Well, what an unteachable child."</p><p>Jiang Cheng fumed, "So what if I want to eat alone?"</p><p>Wei WuXian, "Look at you, Jiang Cheng. Nevermind. You’re hopeless. Just wait to eat alone your whole life!"</p><p>Anyhow, the boat that departed to steal lotus seed pods had once again returned with riches.</p><p>(We do not allow anyone to post our translations on any other site. Please do not copy our work and post it anywhere else such as Facebook, Wattpad, AO3, your own blog etc. Doing such is considered copyright infringement. If you are reading this on another site, you are reading a stolen copy. Thank you.)</p><h3>The Cloud Recesses.</h3><p>Outside the mountains was the sizzling June summer. Inside the mountains, however, was a world of coolness and quietude.</p><p>Before the Lanshi, two white figures stood by the hall. As a breeze swept by, their robes fluttered gently, yet they remained motionless.</p><p>Lan XiChen and Lan WangJi were standing.</p><p>Upside-down.</p><p>Neither of the two said a thing, as though they were already in a state of meditation. The only sounds that could be heard were the murmurs of water and the trills of birds. In contrast, their surroundings seemed even quieter.</p><p>A while later, Lan WangJi suddenly spoke up, "Brother."</p><p>Lan XiChen calmly withdrew from his state of meditation, his eyes unwavering, "Yes?"</p><p>After a moment of silence, Lan WangJi asked, "Have you picked lotus seed pods before?"</p><p>Lan XiChen looked at him, "… No."</p><p>If a disciple of the GusuLan Sect wanted to eat lotus seeds, of course they didn’t have to pick seed pods by themselves.</p><p>Lan WangJi tilted his head downward, "Brother, did you know?"</p><p>Lan XiChen, "Know what?"</p><p>Lan WangJi, "Lotus seed pods with their stems attached taste better than those without."</p><p>Lan XiChen, "Oh? Now that would be something I have never heard of. Why do you ask, all of a sudden?"</p><p>Lan WangJi, "It is nothing. The time is up. The other hand."</p><p>The two changed the hand with which they propped themselves up from the right to the left. The motion was extremely uniform, steady and soundless.</p><p>Lan XiChen was about to ask again when his eyes focused on something and he smiled, "WangJi, you have guests."</p><p>At the edge of the wooden hallway, a white, furry rabbit slowly crept over. It clung to Lan WangJi’s left hand, its pink nose sniffing.</p><p>Lan XiChen, "How did it find its way here?"</p><p>Lan WangJi spoke to it, "Go back."</p><p>And yet the rabbit didn’t listen. It nipped an end of Lan WangJi’s forehead ribbon and pulled with force, as though it wanted to drag Lan WangJi away just like that.</p><p>Lan XiChen commented calmly, "Perhaps it wants you as company."</p><p>The rabbit, unable to move him, hopped around the two in a fury. Lan XiChen was quite amused, "Is this the boisterous one?"</p><p>Lan WangJi, "Too much so."</p><p>Lan XiChen, "There is no harm in being boisterous. It is lovely, after all. If I recall correctly, there should be two of them. The two are often together, are they not? Why has only one of them come? Does the other one prefer quietude as opposed to playing outside?"</p><p>Lan WangJi, "It will come."</p><p>Just as expected, soon later, another snowy white head hovered above the edge of the wooden hall. The other rabbit had also come, in search for its companion.</p><p>The two snowballs chased each other for a while. In the end, they found a spot, which was beside Lan WangJi’s left hand, to cuddle together.</p><p>The rabbits snuggled against each other, forming quite an adorable scene even when seen upside-down. Lan XiChen, "What are their names?"</p><p>Lan WangJi shook his head, either to say they had no names or simply refusing to say them out loud.</p><p>Lan XiChen, however, added, "I heard you call them by their names last time."</p><p>"…"</p><p>Sincerely, Lan XiChen commented, "They have lovely names."</p><p>Lan WangJi switched his hand. Lan XiChen, "The time is not up yet."</p><p>In silence, Lan WangJi switched his hand back.</p><p>Thirty minutes later, their time was up and the training ended. The two returned to the Yashi, sitting quietly.</p><p>A servant presented them iced fruits to relieve the heat. The watermelon had been peeled. The pulp was cut into neat pieces and spread out in the jade plate, their translucent red appealing to the eyes. The two brothers sat kneeling on the mats. After they exchanged a few quiet words, discussing what they learnt after yesterday’s lessons, they finally began to eat.</p><p>Lan XiChen took a piece of watermelon. However, as he saw Lan WangJi stare at the plate without clear intention, he instinctively stopped.</p><p>With no surprise, Lan WangJi spoke up. He called, "Brother."</p><p>Lan XiChen, "What is it?"</p><p>Lan WangJi, "Have you had watermelon peel before?"</p><p>"…" Lan XiChen, "Is watermelon peel edible?"</p><p>After a moment of silence, Lan WangJi replied, "I heard it can be stir-fried."</p><p>Lan XiChen, "Perhaps it can."</p><p>Lan WangJi, "I heard it tastes quite good."</p><p>"I have never tried it."</p><p>"Neither have I."</p><p>"Hm…" Lan XiChen, "Do you want someone to try to stir-fry some for you?"</p><p>After some thought, Lan WangJi shook his head, his expression solemn.</p><p>Lan XiChen let out a sigh of relief.</p><p>For some reason, he felt he didn’t need to ask the question ‘from whom did you hear this’…</p><p>The second day, Lan WangJi went down the mountain alone.</p><p>It wasn’t that he rarely went down the mountain, but instead that he rarely went to the cramped marketplace alone.</p><p>People came and went everywhere. No matter within the sects sects or in mountainous hunting grounds, there wouldn’t be so many people. Even during the crowded discussion conferences, there were a lot of people only in an organized way, rather than this kind of congested. It seemed as if there’d be no surprise if one stepped on another’s foot or bumped into another’s carriage. Lan WangJi never liked to have body contact with others. Seeing this situation, he hesitated slightly, yet didn’t stop entirely. Instead, he decided to ask someone the way. Even after a while, however, he couldn’t find anyone to ask.</p><p>Only now did Lan WangJi realize that not only did he not want to approach others, others didn’t want to approach him either.</p><p>He was truly too different, too pristine, as compared to the hustle of the marketplace. He was even carrying a sword on his back. The vendors, farmers, and passersby rarely saw young masters such as him, all of them hurrying to avoid him. They either feared that he was an arrogant heir, scared they’d accidentally offend him, or feared his cold expression. After all, even Lan XiChen had once joked that no life could remain unfrozen within six feet of Lan WangJi. Only the women, when passing Lan WangJi, wanted to look at him but didn’t dare look too much. Pretending that they were busy, they faced down while peeking up. When he passed, they’d gather up and giggle behind his back.</p><p>Lan WangJi had been walking for a long time when he finally saw an old woman sweeping the ground before her house. He asked, "Excuse me. Where is the closest lotus lake from here?"</p><p>The woman didn’t have excellent eyesight, and on top of that the dust blurred her eyes. She panted, unable to see him clearly, "Go two or three miles this way. One house has planted over an acre of lotus."</p><p>Lan WangJi nodded, "Thank you."</p><p>The old woman, "Young Master, the lake doesn’t let anyone inside at night. If you want to go, you should hurry up and get there before dusk."</p><p>Lan WangJi repeated, "Thank you."</p><p>Just as he was about to leave, he saw the woman hold her thin bamboo pole high up in the air, unable to knock down a branch stuck under the roof. With a point of his finger, his sword energy struck the branch off, and he turned around to leave.</p><p>Two or three miles wouldn’t take long at his speed. Lan WangJi followed the direction that the woman showed him and didn’t stop.</p><p>In half a mile, he’d left the market; just a bit further, the buildings grew sparser; after more than a mile, all that was beside him had already turned into fields of green and criss-crossed paths. Only once in a while would he encounter a small, crooked cottage, emitting crooked wafts of smoke from its chimney. A few grimey toddlers wearing high braids were squatting in the field, throwing mud at one another as they giggled. It was such an interesting scene that Lan WangJi paused to look, although he was discovered soon later. The toddlers were all young and shy, scrambling away in just a blink of the eye. He finally took a step forward and continued to walk. When he was just a bit over halfway there, Lan WangJi felt something cool on his cheek. It was a strand of rain, sent over by the breeze.</p><p>He looked at the sky. Sure enough, the gray, rolling clouds seemed as though they’d fall from the sky. He immediately walked faster, yet the rain came faster than him.</p><p>Suddenly, he saw half a dozen people standing by the field ahead of him.</p><p>The strands of rain had already turned into droplets. Yet, the people neither held umbrellas nor sought for shelter. They seemed as if they formed a circle around something, without no time to pay attention to anything else. Lan WangJi went over. He saw a farmer lying on the ground, moaning in pain.</p><p>After listening to just a few words, Lan WangJi understood what had happened. When the farmer was in the fields, an ox ran into him. Right now, he was unable to get up, having hurt either his back or his leg. The ox that committed the crime was chased to the far end of the field, swinging its tail and too afraid to approach. The owner of the ox ran to find a doctor, while the rest of the farmers didn’t dare move the wounded carelessly in fear that they’d dislocate his bones. This was the only way they could take care of him. Unfortunately, it had begun to rain. It was just a bearable drizzle at first, but soon it became a storm.</p><p>As the rain grew heavier and heavier, one of the farmers dashed home in quest for an umbrella. His home was far, however, and he couldn’t come back just yet. The rest of the group was anxious despite not being able to do a thing, blocking as much rain for the wounded farmer as possible. But nothing would come out of this, if this went on. Even if the umbrella arrived, there’d only be one. They couldn’t simply cover up a few and leave out the others, could they?"</p><p>One of them cursed under their breath, "Damn it, it’s only been a minute and the rain is crashing down."</p><p>At this point, another one of the farmers spoke up, "Let’s prop up the shed over there. It’d hold up at least for a while."</p><p>Not too far away, there was an old, abandoned shed, propped up by four pieces of wood. One of them was slanted, while another one had rotten after years of weathering.</p><p>One farmer hesitated, "Aren’t we not supposed to move him?"</p><p>"A… A few steps should be fine."</p><p>Everyone lending a hand, the farmers carefully carried the wounded man over. Two of them went to hold up the shed, yet even two farmers couldn’t lift the roof. As the others urged them, they used all their strength, their faces flushed red, yet it still didn’t budge an inch. Two more people came, but it still wouldn’t move!</p><p>The roof of the shed was had a wooden frame and was covered in tiles, hay, and layers of dirt. It wasn’t light, but it definitely wasn’t so heavy that even four farmers who worked in the fields all year long couldn’t lift.</p><p>Even before he approached, Lan WangJi knew what was going on. He walked to the shed, bent down, raised a corner of the roof, and lifted it up with a single hand.</p><p>The farmers were shocked speechless.</p><p>The young man single-handedly lifted the roof even four farmers couldn’t!</p><p>A few moments later, one of the farmers whispered something to the others. With only some hesitation, they proceeded to carry the wounded man over. When they went inside the shed, all of them glanced at Lan WangJi. Lan WangJi looked straight ahead.</p><p>After they let the person down, two people came over, "Y-… Young Master, let go of it. We can do it."</p><p>Lan WangJi shook his head. The two farmers insisted, "You’re too young. You won’t hold out."</p><p>As they spoke, they raised their hands, wanting to help him with the roof. Lan WangJi only glanced at him. He didn’t say anything, only retracting some of the strength he exerted. At once, the farmers’ expressions changed.</p><p>Lan WangJi turned back around, letting his strength flow back. Embarrassed, the farmers went back to squatting.</p><p>The wooden roof had proven to be heavier than they imagined. If the boy let go, they wouldn’t be able to hold it up at all.</p><p>Someone shivered, "How strange. Why is it colder now that we’re inside?"</p><p>None of them could see that right now, hanging in the middle of the shed was a ragged figure, hair tangled and tongue stretched out.</p><p>As wind and rain hit the shed from outside, the figure swung back and forth under the shed, carrying forth an eerie gust of wind.</p><p>It was this spirit that made the roof abnormally heavy, unable to be lifted by ordinary people no matter what.</p><p>Lan WangJi didn’t bring the tools used to liberate spirits. Since the creature had no intent to harm others, of course he couldn’t beat its soul apart without a care. As of the moment, it looked like he wouldn’t be able to persuade it to let down its hanging corpse, either, so he could only prop up the roof for now. He’d report it afterward and sent people to deal with it.</p><p>The spirit swished back and forth behind Lan WangJi, blown here and there by the wind. It complained, "It’s so cold…"</p><p>"…"</p><p>It looked around and found a farmer to lean on, likely in search for some warmth. The farmer suddenly shivered. Lan WangJi tilted his head slightly, giving it quite a stern, sideways look.</p><p>The spirit shivered as well, returning in misery. Still, it extended its tongue and complained, "Th-Th rain is so heavy. And it’s wide open like this… It’s really so cold…"</p><p>"…"</p><p>Even until the doctor arrived, the farmers never gathered up the courage to talk to Lan WangJi. When the rain stopped, the moved the wounded out of the shed. Lan WangJi laid the roof down and went away without saying anything.</p><p>When he arrived at the lake, it was already past dawn. He was just about to enter when a small boat came from the other side, a middle-aged woman on the boat, "Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing here?"</p><p>Lan WangJi, "To pick lotus seed pods."</p><p>The woman, "It’s after dawn. We don’t let anyone in when it’s dark. Today is not gonna work. Come here some other time!"</p><p>Lan WangJi, "I will not stay for long. I only need a while."</p><p>The woman, "No means no. That’s the rule. I don’t make the rules here. You can go ask our owner."</p><p>Lan WangJi, "Where is the owner of the lake?"</p><p>The woman, "He went home long ago, so it’s no use asking me. If I let you in, the owner of the lake wouldn’t go easy on me, either. Don’t make this so difficult for me."</p><p>At this point, Lan WangJi didn’t force her any longer. He nodded, "Apologies for the disturbance."</p><p>Even though his expression was calm, everything about it gave off a sense of disappointment.</p><p>Seeing that even though his clothes were white, half was soaked by the rain and his boots were covered in mud as well, the woman softened her tone, "You came too late today. Come earlier tomorrow. Where are you from? The rain was so heavy earlier. You child, you didn’t run over here in the rain, did you? Why didn’t you take an umbrella? How far is your home from here?"</p><p>Lan WangJi replied honestly, "Ten and a half miles."</p><p>The woman choked as she heard it, "So far?! You took a long time getting here, didn’t you? If you really want to eat lotus seed, you should go buy some in the streets. There are plenty."</p><p>Lan WangJi was just about to turn around when he heard this and stopped, "The lotus seed pods sold on the streets do not have stems on them."</p><p>The woman was amused, "Do they have to have stems on them? It’s not like they taste any different."</p><p>Lan WangJi, "They do."</p><p>"They don’t!"</p><p>Lan WangJi insisted, "They do. Somebody told me they do."</p><p>The woman broke into laughter, "Who in the world told you? What a stubborn young master you are. You must’ve been possessed by something*!"</p><h3>*TN: By love.

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