The Founder of Diabolism

Chapter 119: Extra—Incense Burner (Part Two)

Chapter 119: Extra—Incense Burner (Part Two)

Translated by K of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

The second morning, Wei WuXian somehow woke up earlier than Lan WangJi did. His legs were shaking throughout the entire day.

The tapir* incense burner was seized and scrutinized by them for a long while. Wei WuXian took it apart and put it back together, but he still couldn’t understand the mystery behind it.

*TN: This refers to the mythical animal in the shape of which the incense burner was built. These creatures are often connected to dreams.

Sitting beside the desk, Wei WuXian pondered, "If it’s not a problem with the incense, then it has to be a problem with the incense burner. What a thing. It feels so real even Empathy might not compare to it. Was it ever recorded in the Library Pavilion?"

Lan WangJi shook his head.

If he shook his head, that meant it was certain nobody had ever recorded it. Wei WuXian, "Oh, well. Its potency has already passed. We should store it properly for now so that other people don’t come into contact with it by accident. If some master of spiritual tools ever visit us, we could take it out again and ask them."

They both thought that the incense burner’s potency has passed already, yet what happened was beyond what they expected.

At night, after a round between the sheets, Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi fell asleep side by side, lying within the Jingshi.

Soon after, he opened his eyes again only to discover that he was again lying below the magnolia tree outside the Library Pavilion. The sunlight spilled onto his face through the flowering branches. Wei WuXian squinted, covering it with his hand. He slowly got up.

This time, however, Lan WangJi wasn’t beside him.

Wei WuXian cupped his right hand around his lips, shouting, "Lan Zhan!"

Nobody answered. Wei WuXian wondered, Looks like the incense burner’s potency hasn’t passed yet. But where’s Lan Zhan? Don’t tell me I’m the only one affected by the incense burner’s leftover powers?

Before the magnolia trees was a small path of white pebbles. A group of the GusuLan Sect’s disciples, wearing white clothes and forehead ribbons, passed carrying a few books each, as though they were about to attend their morning lectures. None of them spared Wei WuXian a single glance, still unable to see him. Wei WuXian went up the Library Pavilion and stole a look. Lan WangJi wasn’t inside, no matter the big one or the small one. And so he got down again, beginning his aimless stroll throughout the Cloud Recesses.

Not long afterwards, he managed to make out the whispering voices of two boys. He walked closer, finding that one of their voices sounded quite familiar, "… Nobody had ever kept any within the bounds of the Cloud Recesses. To do such a thing is unheard of."

After a moment of silence, the other boy answered, somewhat dejected, "I know. But… I have already made my promise. I cannot go against my word."

Wei WuXian picked this up. He sneakily glanced over. As expected, conversing amidst a clearing of green grass was Lan XiChen and Lan WangJi.

It was a spring day vibrant with soft winds. The young brothers seemed to be two immaculate pieces of jade, reflected against each other. Both were dressed in snowy robes, their wide sleeves and forehead ribbons flapping in the wind, almost as if they were a painting. The Lan WangJi at this point in time was also just about sixteen. He frowned slightly, as though he was worried about something. What he held in his arm was a white rabbit, sniffing its pink nose, and beside his foot was another rabbit, its long ears perked up as it stood clinging to his boot, trying to climb up.

Lan XiChen, "How could the casual remarks between two boys be considered a serious promise? Is it really because of this?"

Lan WangJi looked at the ground and said nothing.

Lan XiChen smiled, "Fine. Then if by any chance Uncle asks of this, you must explain things to him properly. These days, you have been spending just a little too much time on them."

Lan WangJi nodded solemnly, "Thank you, Brother." With a pause, he added, "… They will not affect my studies."

Lan XiChen, "I know, WangJi. However, you must not tell Uncle who gave these to you. Or else, out of rage, he would make you send them away no matter what."

Hearing this, it seemed as though Lan WangJi hugged the rabbit in his arms even tighter. Lan XiChen smiled. He reached out and poked the rabbit’s pink nose with his fingertip, before leisurely walking away.

After he left, Lan WangJi stood there for a while, thinking. The rabbit at times flicked its ears, resting within his arms in a comfortable manner. The one by his foot clung even more anxiously. Lan WangJi glanced at it before bending down and picking it up as well. He placed both rabbits inside his arms, stroking gently. The tenderness of his hands contrasted his expression.

Wei WuXian felt his heart itch from just the sight of the scene. He walked out from behind the tree, wanting to get even closer to the young Lan WangJi. Yet, the rabbits fell from Lan WangJi’s hands, and the atmosphere changed at once. He spun around. After he saw whom it was, his piercing gaze immediately faltered, "… You?!"

He was shocked, yet Wei WuXian was even more shocked, "You can see me?"

This was definitely the strangest. Logically, those inside the dream shouldn’t be able to see him. But right now, Lan WangJi looked straight at him, "Of course I can. You are… Wei Ying?"

The young man in front of him looked over twenty, definitely older than fifteen. And yet, he indeed had the same face as Wei WuXian. Lan WangJi couldn’t figure out the identity of the intruder, maintaining sharp vigilance. If he were wearing his sword right now, he would’ve probably unsheathed Bichen already.

Wei WuXian reacted with extreme swiftness. He fixed his expression at once, "It’s me!"

With such an answer, Lan WangJi’s face seemed even more alarmed as he walked a few steps backward. Wei WuXian put on a wounded expression and tone, "Lan Zhan, I took such great pains to come back and find you—how could you treat me like this?

Lan WangJi, "Are you… truly Wei Ying?"

Wei WuXian, "Of course."

Lan WangJi, "Then why is your appearance different?"

Wei WuXian, "Now that’d be a long story. This is what happened: I’m Wei WuXian indeed, but I’m Wei WuXian from seven years in the future. Seven years later, I discovered a powerful tool that let me travel back in time into the past. I was just in the middle of examining it when I touched it accidentally—and here I am!"

The explanation was so absurd it couldn’t even fool a child. Lan WangJi’s voice was cold, "How can you prove it?"

Wei WuXian, "How do you want me to? I know absolutely everything about you. The rabbit you were hugging as well as the one by your feet—those were from me, weren’t they? You seemed so reluctant when you accepted them, yet now you refuse to let them go even when your brother tells you not to. You’ve fallen in love?"

Hearing this, Lan WangJi’s expression changed slightly. He seemed as if he wanted to say something, yet stopped in the middle, "I…"

Wei WuXian walked a few steps closer, opening his arms with a wide grin, "What’s wrong? You embarrassed?"

Seeing just how peculiar his actions were, Lan WangJi looked as though he faced a formidable enemy, his face full of caution as he walked even more steps back. Wei WuXian hadn’t seen Lan WangJi face him with such an attitude in a long time. He laughed in secret as he feigned anger, "What do you mean by this? What are you avoiding me for? Good for you, Lan Zhan—for ten years you and I have been husband and wife, and now you’ve forgotten about me so easily?"

With this, Lan WangJi’s handsome, icy features snapped instantaneously.

He began. "… For ten years? You… and I? … have been husband and wife?!"

It was only eleven words, yet he only managed to spit them out after a handful of pauses. Wei WuXian seemed as though he finally realized something, "Oh, I forgot. You don’t know about this yet. Doing the maths, it seems like we’ve only just met each other? Did I just leave the Cloud Recesses? No worries. Let me tell you a secret—just a few years, and we’ll become partners in cultivation!"

Lan WangJi, "… Partners in cultivation?"

Wei WuXian gloated, "That’s right! The kind that practices dual cultivation everyday. It was a proper, orthodox marriage—we’ve even prostrated."

Lan WangJi was so enraged that his chest heaved slightly. A moment later, a few words seeped from between his teeth, "… Utterly nonsense!"

Wei WuXian, "You’ll know if it’s nonsense or not if you keep listening for just a bit longer. When you sleep, you like to hug me tightly, and you have to be hugging me or else you won’t be able to sleep; every time you kiss me it’s always so long, and when it ends you like to bite me gently before you leave; oh, right, you like to bite me too when we’re doing that other thing, like on my body…"

Ever since the words ‘hug me tightly’, Lan WangJi’s expression had become twisted. The longer he listened, the greater his reaction was. It was as if he was about to cover his ears to block out the obscenity, lunging forward ready to strike, "Nonsense!"

Wei WuXian dodged to the side, "Nonsense again? At least change things up a bit! And how do you even know I’m talking nonsense? Is this not what you’re like?"

Lan WangJi spoke a word at a time, "I… have never kissed… so how could I know what I like… when I…!"

Wei WuXian thought for a bit, "You’re not wrong. You haven’t kissed anyone yet at this age, so of course you don’t know what you’re like when you kiss someone. Wanna try right now?"

"…" Lan WangJi was in such a rage he had even forgotten to summon the disciples and seize the suspicious intruder. He attacked strike after strike, aiming straight for his wrist*. He was still young at this point, however. Wei WuXian was a lot more skilled, easily avoiding the attacks. Spotting an opening, he pinched somewhere on Lan WangJi’s arm, and Lan WangJi’s movements paused. With this opportunity, Wei WuXian landed a light peck on his cheek.

*TN: At one’s wrist, where the veins are and where the pulse can be felt, is an acupoint that is supposedly deadly.

"…"

After the kiss, Wei WuXian let go of Lan WangJi’s arm and released the restraint.

But Lan WangJi was already a frozen statue, and for a long time he remained so, sent into a daze.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha…" Wei WuXian laughed himself awake from the dream.

He laughed so hard he almost rolled off the bed. Fortunately, Lan WangJi’s arms were always wrapped around his waist. Along with the laughter, his entire body trembled the moment he woke up, making Lan WangJi wake up from his sleep as well. The two sat up together.

Lan WangJi looked down, massaging his temple with one hand, "Just now, I…"

Wei WuXian, "Just now, did you have a dream that you met a twenty-something-year-old me when you were fifteen?"

"…" Lan WangJi stared at him, "The incense burner."

Wei WuXia nodded, "I thought I only entered the dream again because of the incense burner’s after effects, yet who knew you were the one who was influenced even more heavily."

Tonight’s situation was different from last time’s. Just now, the young Lan Zhan in the dream was Lan WangJi himself.

Those who were dreaming often didn’t know that they were dreaming. And thus, Lan WangJi really thought he was only fifteen in his dream. It was a proper dream at first—morning lectures, strolls, taking care of rabbits. Yet, he ran right into Wei WuXian, who snuck into his dream and decided to make mischief there. After he was caught, what came was a good round of teasing.

Wei WuXian, "I can’t anymore, Lan Zhan. How you looked hugging your rabbit and not letting go, scared out of your wits that your brother and your uncle might not let you have them—I love you so much. Hahahahaha…"

Lan WangJi didn’t know how to respond, "… It is late at night. Your laughter might disturb others."

Wei WuXian, "You think we’re quiet everyday at night? Why did you wake up so early? Wake up a bit later, and I’d drag you to the far mountains of your sect and do bad things with you, letting the young Lan-Ergege have a first taste of the good stuff in life, hahahaha…"

Lan WangJi watched him roll around at the side. He never ended up finding the words. After sitting for a while, he suddenly reached out and pressed Wei WuXian down onto the bed.

The two thought that after the second night passed, the incense burner’s powers should’ve dissipated already. Yet, the third night, Wei WuXian woke up in Lan WangJi’s dream again.

Dressed in black, he sauntered through the white pebble paths of the Cloud Recesses, Chenqing’s red tassel bobbing up and down with each stride of his. Soon, the sound of reciting textbook material floated by.

It was from the direction of the Lanshi. Wei WuXian strutted towards the room. As expected, a couple of the Lan Sect’s disciples were doing their evening studies inside. Lan QiRen wasn’t there. Lan WangJi was still the one who supervised.

The Lan WangJi of tonight’s dream still appeared to be young, but he was more like the one Wei WuXian saw in the Cave of the Xuanwu, about seventeen or eighteen. His features held an elegance that already carried the air of a prominent cultivator, yet still bore the youthful green of a young man. He sat attentively before the room. When someone had a question and came forth to ask, he would take a swift glance before immediately coming up with an answer, his serious expression creating stark contrast against his adolescence.

Wei WuXian leaned against a pillar outside the Lanshi. Having watched for a while, he soundlessly swept up to the roof and placed Chenqing near his lips.

Within the Lanshi, Lan WangJi paused slightly. One of the boys asked, "Young Master, what is it?"

Lan WangJi, "Who is playing the flute at such a time?"

The boys looked at one another. Quickly, one of them replied, "I hear no flute?"

With this, Lan WangJi frowned somewhat. He stood up and went out the door, holding his sword, just in time for Wei WuXian to put his flute away and land nimbly on another roof with a leap.

Lan WangJi noticed the movement, ordering in a lowered voice, "Who is it?!"

Wei WuXian let out two crisp whistles slide out from below his tongue. The sound was already a couple dozen yards away. He laughed, "It’s your husband!"

Hearing the voice, Lan WangJi’s expression changed. He couldn’t be sure, "Wei Ying?"

Wei WuXian didn’t answer him. Lan WangJi unsheathed Bichen from his back and chased after him. With a few hops and leaps, Wei WuXian had already landed atop the tall walls of the Cloud Recesses. He stood up, stepping on a rooftop tile. Lan WangJi landed as well, standing a few feet away from him. Holding Bichen, his forehead ribbon, his sleeves, and the lower hems of his robes flapped in the night wind, almost heavenly.

Wei WuXian put his hands behind his back, grinning, "What a handsome man with what handsome moves. With such a scene, it’d be absolutely perfect if there were to be a handsome jar of Emperor’s Smile."

Lan WangJi stared straight at him. A moment later, he spoke, "Wei Ying, what do you need, visiting the Cloud Recesses at night uninvited?"

Wei WuXian, "Guess?"

"…" Lan WangJi, "Ridiculous!"

Bichen’s blade sliced past, yet Wei WuXian dodged it easily. The young adult Lan WangJi was already adept at the sword, yet in front of the current Wei WuXian, he couldn’t really post much of a threat. Just a few exchanges, and he caught an opening, slapping a talisman onto Lan WangJi’s chest. Lan WangJi’s body froze, unable to move, while Wei WuXian grabbed him and sprinted towards the back mountains of the Cloud Recesses.

Wei WuXian found a thick bush of herb plants. Lan WangJi was placed here, leaning against a white rock, "What do you want?"

Wei WuXian pinched his cheek, his face serious, "Rape."

Lan WangJi couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, face growing pale, "Wei Ying,

Wei WuXian laughed, "You know me. I love acting recklessly." As he spoke, he reached under Lan WangJi’s thick layers and took a squeeze at a critical region of his.

The squeeze was quite skillfully executed, between light and heavy. Instantly, Lan WangJi’s expression grew funny.

The corners of his mouth twitched as he sealed his lips together, eventually managing to take control over his face and feign calmness. However, Wei WuXian went even further, untying his sashes and stripping his lower garments in just a few moves. He weighed in his hand the heavy thing that didn’t at all match Lan WangJi’s delicate features, praising from the bottom of his heart, "You’ve truly been talented since a young age, HanGuang-Jun."

After he spoke, he even gave the shaft a light flick. With the such a private part of his body being played with like this, Lan WangJi already looked as if he was about to die from rage. He didn’t have the spare energy to think about whom HanGuang-Jun was either, his voice harsh, "Wei Ying!!!"

Wei WuXian snickered, "Shout all you want. Nobody would come to save you even if you shout your throat hoarse."

Lan WangJi was about to speak again as he watched Wei WuXian finish laughing and, brushing a strand of hair behind his ear, sink down to swallow the length down below.

Shock exploded in Lan WangJi’s eyes. He couldn’t even believe what was happening, his entire body stiff.

The seventeen-year-old Lan WangJi was still surrounded by youthful immaturity, yet the size of that erection was definitely not to be reckoned with. Wei WuXian slowly took the length into his mouth. Even before he could swallow everything, he felt its slippery tip knock against the wall of his throat. The body of the erection was thick and searing. The inside of his mouth could even feel the strong pulse of its veins. His cheeks also puffed from stuffing the foreign object inside. Despite the difficulty, he still patiently sent the remaining bit deeper into his throat.

Wei WuXian was indeed quite experienced with dealing with that member of Lan WangJi’s. He gave it all that he had, sucking and licking with much noise, almost as though he was tasting some sort of delicacy with devotion. Even with Lan WangJi’s ever-so-fair complexion that refused to let out a single tint of red, he was still blushing at his neck and ears, breaths shallow. Wei WuXian spent so long time sucking and swallowing that even his cheeks began to hurt, yet still there was no release. He was quite puzzled as to what was going on—it was impossible he wasn’t even skilled enough to handle the seventeen-year-old Lan WangJi. He glanced up, however, only to find that Lan WangJi’s face was full of endurance. The rod was clearly already as hard as iron, yet he persisted stubbornly, refusing to release almost as if he was trying to protect some last line of defense.

He found it to be quite amusing, his desire to make mischief rising up again. The moist tip of the tongue licked again and again the slit atop the thick glans. With a few deep throats, Lan WangJi finally couldn’t hold it any longer and let it out.

The ejaculate was rather thick, its musky smell pouring into his throat. Wei WuXian straightened up, coughing lightly as he wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. Like before, he swallowed everything. On the other hand, after the release, Lan WangJi stared fixedly at Wei WuXian with red eyes, speechless, whether as his body’s response to the orgasm or simply out of rage and embarrassment.

Wei WuXian felt his heart melt, seeing such a humiliated face. He lay a gentle peck on his cheek, "Alright. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have bullied you."

As he spoke, he wiped his fingers on the length that had just ejaculated and drew his hands back, untying his sash to take off his lower garments.

Wei WuXian had slender legs, his thighs white as jade, lined by smooth muscles. The pair of buttocks was round and full, creating quite an enjoyable scene. On the other hand, leaning against the rock, Lan WangJi was most certainly able to see all that and more that was going on beneath Wei WuXian’s body.

Kneeling among the grass, Wei WuXian turned around and lay prone onto the ground, facing Lan WangJi with his back. He moved the fingers smeared with white towards his lower body. The entrance hid amidst the deep crevice. Wei WuXian only revealed the spot of pink after he parted the cheeks slightly. The slit was soft and rather yielding. It was closed properly at first, yet as Wei WuXian gently massaged Lan WangJi’s semen around the entrance with his two long fingers, it began to open, almost shyly swallowing the fingertip. Wei WuXian sent his finger slowly and firmly all the way inside before starting to move it in and out. A while later, he began to speed up somewhat, and he was growing erect at the front as well.

When watery squelches began to come from behind, Wei WuXian inserted a third finger. He let out a soft breath, as though it was becoming too much for him. He was well aware of his capabilities, and his fingers slowed down again.

Amid the night, these details shouldn’t come across as obvious, but Lan WangJi’s senses were sharp, especially his sight. He could do nothing but watch as the titillating scene carried on in front of his eyes, somehow unable to even look away.

In bed, Wei WuXian liked to reach the peak alongside Lan WangJi. In case he released too early, thus, he avoided the key region within his body during the fingering process. However, Lan WangJi had always taken quite good care of his sensitive spot. Right now, unable to be satisfied, his inner wall tightened more than usual, contracting time after time as though it was discontent. When the fingers at time didn’t touch the spot, his hips would sink uncontrollably, sending the spot towards his fingers. With a few of these near brushes, Wei WuXian felt his thighs tremble weakly, almost unable to keep kneeling any longer. He immediately withdrew his fingers, taking a moment to calm down. Turning back, he caught Lan WangJi off guard with the sudden eye contact. Lan WangJi shut his eyes closed at once.

Wei WuXian smirked, "Hey, Lan Zhan, what are you doing? Reciting the Lan Sect’s sect rules in your heart?"

With the correct guess, Lan WangJi’s eyelashes flickered. He seemed like he wanted to open his eyes, yet in the end he still held it back.

Wei WuXian continued lazily, "Look at me, won’t you? What are you scared of? It’s not like I’d do anything bad to you."

His voice was pleasant to start with. When he said those words, his tone was so languid and frivolous that it almost seemed like a little hook. Yet, it was as if Lan WangJi was determined to not look, not listen, not speak, and definitely not pay him any regard, refusing to be affected. Wei WuXian, "Are you really gonna be so heartless as to not even give me a look?"

With a few more teasing words, as he saw that Lan WangJi wouldn’t open his eyes no matter what, Wei WuXian raised a brow, "Well, if this is the case, I’ll be borrowing your Bichen for a bit. You won’t mind that, will you?"

As he spoke, he indeed picked up the fallen Bichen.

Lan WangJi’s eyes sprang open, his voice harsh, "What are you going to do?!"

Wei WuXian, "What do you think I’m going to do?"

Lan WangJi, "… I do not know!"

Wei WuXian, "If you don’t know what I’m going to do, why are you being so anxious?"

Lan WangJi, "I! I…"

Wei WuXian stared at him with a grin. He waved Bichen in his hand before he looked down, planting a soft kiss on Bichen’s hilt. Right after, he stuck out the scarlet tip of his tongue and began to lick the hilt.

Bichen’s blade was rather transparent, as if made of ice and snow, yet its hilt was forged from pure, refined silver. It was quite heavy in terms of weight, its carvings ancient and elegant. The scene before him was truly erotic. Lan WangJi seemed as though he was extremely upset, "Let go of Bichen!"

Wei WuXian, "Why?"

Lan WangJi, "It is my sword! You cannot use it to… to…"

Wei WuXian mused, "I know it’s your sword. I’m just really fond of it and wanted to play with it for a bit. What did you think I was gonna do with it?"

"…" Lan WangJi didn’t know what to say.

Wei WuXian laughed, "Hahahahahahahaha, what are you thinking about, Lan Zhan?! Aren’t you a bit too indecent?"

As he saw how Wei WuXian not only denied it, but even instead returned the attack, Lan WangJi’s expression was a spectacle. Having teased him for a while, Wei WuXian was much satisfied as he continued, "If you want me to not touch your sword, you can exchange it with yourself. How about that? Yes or no?"

Lan WangJi could neither say ‘yes’ nor simply let him play with himself using Lan WangJi’s own sword. He didn’t know how to answer the question. Wei WuXian kneeled on the ground with his back straight as he crawled towards him on his knees, coaxing, "If you just say ‘yes’, I’ll give you back your sword and do fun things with you. Yes or no?"

A while later, a word squeezed through Lan WangJi’s clenched teeth, "… No!"

Wei WuXian raised his brows, "Hm. Mark your word." He backed off from Lan WangJi’s body and sat down before him, grinning as he parted his legs, "Then you can watch me play with Bichen."

With such a shameless position of having his legs be spread so widely, Lan WangJi had a more than clear view of the sight at his private regions.

Two fair buttocks parted slightly because of the wide motion, revealing the pink spot in between. With the fingering from before, the entrance was already somewhat swollen, yet with moisture, it seemed even more delicate. Wei WuXian turned Bichen’s blade around and pointed the hilt towards the entrance. He drew in a light breath. Pressing slightly, the thin folds were immediately smoothed, sucking on the tip of Bichen’s hilt. A short length was instantly shoved in.

Bichen’s hilt felt almost as cold as ice or steel, sending a shiver down Wei WuXian’s spine. Suffering the cold, the tunnel squeezed even more, letting out a small portion of the hilt. At once, Wei WuXian clenched Bichen and forced it inside his body with greater strength, starting to push and pull.

The inner walls were sucking tight to begin with, and the hilt was covered with the bumps and dents of ancient carvings. The feeling of it rubbing inside was enough to drive one mad. As it kneaded at a particular spot, Wei WuXian let out a low moan, drawing his legs slightly closer as he felt his head spin and his scalp tingle. He was once again aroused at the front, already erect.

From Lan WangJi’s perspective, it was truly a scene so impossibly obscene. Wei WuXian lay in front of Lan WangJi, opening his legs out of his own will as he held Lan WangJi’s sword Bichen down below. The hilt was hard and cold, making the soft entrance swollen in an almost pitiful way. Even so, Wei WuXian still tried hard as he pushed and pulled it inside his body, his motions quickening as the thrusts became easier and easier. He breathed lightly as he gazed at Lan WangJi with glazed eyes, calling, "Lan Zhan…"

"Lan Zhan…" The calls were tinged with a slightly nasal tone. It seemed like he was begging him, or perhaps like unconscious murmurs that came from the pleasure. Either way, it was enough to muddle one’s mind. Lan WangJi seemed as if he couldn’t even shut his eyes again or even avert his gaze, staring with fervor at his face, at how he struggled under Bichen, at how he shuddered as he touched himself. Lan WangJi’s knuckles cracked.

On the other hand, Wei WuXian had no idea what was happening here. With Bichen’s torment, he unconsciously drew his legs even nearer, all the way until he squeezed his thighs and buttocks together. The entrance also sucked even tighter on the sword hilt. Wei WuXian let out a breath. Feeling both his arms and his legs drain of strength, he lay sideways on the ground. Just as he wanted to rest for a bit, his knees were suddenly seized by a pair of iron-like hands, and his legs were forced open.

Wei WuXian opened his eyes, only to crash into Lan WangJi’s almost frighteningly red ones, ignited by a strange flame. He grabbed Bichen, pulled it out, and tossed it far away. The moment the hilt left his body, Wei WuXian let out a moan, as if he was dissatisfied.

Lan WangJi raged, "Shameless!!!"

He pressed Wei WuXian onto the ground, shoving the purplish and swollen member inside. The moment he plunged in, he began to thrust with an unstoppable force.

As soon as Lan WangJi entered, Wei WuXian’s legs obediently wrapped around Lan WangJi’s waist as he hugged Lan WangJi’s neck with compliance, in quite a welcoming way. Yet, after just a few thrusts, he felt that it was a bit too much. Lan WangJi’s motions were too rough. Every time it seemed as if he was going to crash backwards from the force, his backside along with his tailbone hurting slightly.

Wei WuXian called, "Gentler! Er-Gege, go a bit gentler…"

Whether unfortunate or not, Wei WuXian forgot that right now he was older than the Lan WangJi inside the dream. Having accidentally blurted out ‘Er-Gege’, he not only didn’t cause Lan WangJi to hold back at all, but instead Lan WangJi thrusted even harder, almost as if he wanted to break Wei WuXian’s buttocks as punishment.

Wei WuXian arched back his neck, drawing in a difficult breath amidst the storm-like rhythm, "It’s… so hot!"

Bichen’s entire body effused cold air. Its shaft having been held within Wei WuXian, it made his insides grow softer, yet somewhat cool to the touch. Meanwhile, Lan WangJi’s manhood was both thicker and warmer than Bichen’s shaft. And thus, every time Lan WangJi sank inside, it felt as if a ball of fire had burned through his stomach, so hot that Wei WuXian wanted to roll all over the ground. Yet, after having touched himself for so long and along with Lan WangJi’s rough motions, his body had long since gone limp, only able to shiver under Lan WangJi’s attacks. Right now, in spite of his level of cultivation being much higher than Lan WangJi’s he was still unable to resist. When he really couldn’t take it any longer, he could only dodge to the side, twisting his waist in desire to escape, yet Lan WangJi pinned him down. With a few deeper thrusts, he couldn’t even make a sound anymore.

Lan WangJi’s harsh yet low voice sounded beside his ear, "Who is the husband?"

At first, Wei WuXian was still dazed and unable to react. Lan WangJi asked again, with a plunge so deep he almost perished from pleasure. He hurried, "You! You! You are, you’re the husband…"

It was all karma for him.

For a while, Wei WuXian clenched his teeth and obediently endured the fucking. The cold inner walls were rubbed warm from the friction, and it finally felt a little better. The top of the shaft was roughly lined, driving into his body, while the tunnel itself was moist and soft, sucking and contracting sporadically. The curvature of the erection within him kneaded over that spot within him again and again. Wei WuXian felt so good that he might go mad, yet he just had to pretend to be feeble and overwhelmed. As he shifted up and down from Lan WangJi’s steady rhythm, he clung to Lan WangJi’s arms and begged, "… Er-Gege… Lan Zhan… Go a bit gentler, won’t you? It hurts… I think I’m bleeding…"

It was indeed quite moist where the two were connected, and the wet squelches also grew louder in volume. Hearing this, Lan WangJi immediately looked down, and was at once frozen.

Wei WuXian whined, "Is it bleeding?"

Lan WangJi let out a heavy breath, "No?"

Wei WuXian, "No? Then what is it?"

Lan WangJi’s deep voice sounded, "You are wet."

No matter for how long, the insides of Wei WuXian’s thighs had already become covered in some sort of fluid, while on Lan WangJi’s dark erection was the same moist reflection. It could only be from within Wei WuXian’s body.

Wei WuXian pretend as if he didn’t believe it, "Really? Really?" He asked as he grabbed Lan WangJi’s hand and led him towards where they were joined. The rod was thick and lined with veins, stretching the small entrance to the maximum. Lan WangJi felt a handful of the viscous fluid, along with the two tightly connected bodies. As if he were stabbed by a needle, he immediately drew his hand away and looked. The fluid was transparent. It was, as expected, not blood.

Wei WuXian’s and Lan WangJi’s bodies were quite compatible with each other’s. At the peak of arousal, of course the body would react on its own. Right now, however, Wei WuXian was intent on teasing him. Seeing his curved lips, Lan WangJi knew that he’d been fooled, once again burying himself inside. Wei WuXian’s breath was shattered into pieces from the thrusts. He hurried, "… Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, let me get up, let me be on top, alright?"

Lan WangJi seemed as though he didn’t understand what Wei WuXian meant by ‘on top’, hesitating slightly. Wei WuXian hugged him and struggled hard to flip the two, switching their positions.

At the moment, Lan WangJi lay flat on the ground while Wei WuXian sat on top of him, the two of them connected hips to buttocks. In the process of the position switch, the thick, scorching erection remained deep within Wei WuXian. It never left for a single moment, only subtly stirring around his insides. Wei WuXian squinted from the pleasure, feeling his head begin to spin again.

He looked down. Whether an illusion or not, he kept on feeling that his flat abdomen swelled slightly from Lan WangJi’s member being inside. He couldn’t help but reached down and touched his stomach. Soon, Lan WangJi lifted his buttocks and forced him to start moving.

Wei WuXian rose and fell from his hands. As he rose, he’d go so high up that only the stiff tip was inside his body; as he fell, he’d take the object below his hips all the way into the deepest parts of his body, so deep that he couldn’t help but frown. On top of that, the pace was so fast it almost didn’t allow any room to breathe. In the past, every time the two made love, such a position had to be involved, as it went the deepest and Wei WuXian enjoyed it the most. Yet right now, he suffered rather greatly from the unbearable depth. The seventeen-year-old Lan WangJi of the dream had gone mad from the teasing, unable to control his force at all. And yet Wei WuXian was fucked so hard that his legs shivered. He couldn’t even stand, much less have the strength to struggle out. With such an unfortunate situation, he could only prop his hands on Lan WangJi’s firm abdomen, gasping slightly.

Wei WuXian was born with a thin waist and thin hips, but there was quite a lot of flesh on his backside. Lan WangJi’s fingers sank deep into the meat, squeezing and rubbing. Soon, there was a noticeable area of bruising. Wei WuXian felt his entire body itch from the inside out, his buttocks aching from the rubbing. He couldn’t help but push away one of Lan WangJi’s hands. Yet, Lan Wangji seemed to be extremely dissatisfied by such a gesture. Frowning, his face darkened, and Wei WuXian’s buttcheek was afflicted with a loud, hard slap. The sound echoed crisply.

Wei WuXian was shocked speechless by the slap.

In his whole life, not many people had hit him in such a place. Even when he misbehaved when he was young, Madam Yu had only whipped him on his back or his palms, much less Jiang FengMian and Jiang YanLi who cared for him too much to hit him at all. When he watched children from other families be stripped of their trousers and beaten on the backside, he felt that it was shameful in every way, gloating that he’d never been beaten like that before. Yet right now, Lan WangJi had broken this streak of his, and not to mention… it was the seventeen-year-old Lan WangJi as well.

Immediately, Wei WuXian’s face flashed between red and white. This was the first time the uncontrollable sense of shame arose within him in bed.

The more he thought about it, the more he couldn’t keep going. Even half his backside was still stinging. He quickly shouted, "I’m not doing it anymore!" And rolled to the side, off of Lan WangJi’s body.

Dragging two limp legs, he struggled to crawl away, searching for his trousers. Lan WangJi was in the middle of arousal. Besides, he’d been squeezed and pinched and flicked and kissed and touched and threatened by Wei WuXian for such a long time. He was filled to the brim by an unspeakable rage. Having suddenly discovered that Wei WuXian was especially scared of others hitting him on the buttocks, how could he let go of him so easily? He waved his hand, and the trousers that Wei WuXian had just pulled up to his knees immediately tore into pieces. Lan WangJi flipped his whole person over, locked his wrists behind his back, and landed another heavy hit on the snowy flesh.

Alongside the crisp sound, Wei WuXian’s entire body trembled. He wailed, "It hurts!"

It didn’t actually hurt. It was only just so unbearably embarrassing. In bed, Wei WuXian never tried to suppress his sounds, and thus every time his voice would go somewhat hoarse in the middle. It didn’t really sound like a cry of pain, but rather more like a tempting moan. Hearing this, Lan WangJi paused, his gaze lowering.

Below his palms were the two round halves. Because of the two slaps, a light tint of pink shone through the fair skin, criss-crossed with rough fingerprints. Having been forcefully separated and fucked for so long, the crevice parted slightly, revealing the timidly contracting entrance, which seemed even softer now that it was swollen, almost making one doubt how it was able to swallow the hilt of Bichen and that horrifyingly-sized member of Lan WangJi’s. Near his buttocks and his inner thighs was lined with thin streaks of liquid.

Lan WangJi’s eyes darkened.

On the other hand, having been seized by him, Wei WuXian was scared he’d hit him again. He hurried to squeeze his entrance behind, trying hard to avert Lan WangJi’s attention by making the slit open and close, hoping that he’d pay attention to the real deal and stop being so fixated on these two pieces of his flesh. As expected, he could hear Lan WangJi’s breaths grow heavier from behind. He flipped his body around and sunk in again. The entry was more than smooth. Feeling his body be filled up again, Wei WuXian finally let out a breath of relief.

However, before he could even let out his breath completely, Lan WangJi landed another slap at his backside. Wei WuXian shivered from the strike, tightening uncontrollably. As the tip kneaded across his sensitive spot, he grew more erect as well, secreting drops of white.

And then, every time time Lan WangJi thrusted, he’d strike his buttcheeks, which meant every time Wei WuXian’s insides would tighten to the most when the front of Lan WangJi’s erection dug into that vital spot as he grew harder at the front. It was three layers of stimulation layering on top of one another. He felt almost as if he was in the midst of a terrifying tempest, whimpering softly, "Don’t be like this… Lan Zhan… Stop… Stop it… Wake up! Wake up, Lan Zhan…"

He knew Lan WangJi had always been aggressive in bed, and he’d always loved his aggression. Yet, this was the first time he was forced into such a corner.

With dozens of slaps, Wei WuXian’s buttcheeks were both red and warm, slightly swollen. It felt stinging to the touch, and his body grew more sensitive as well. When Lan WangJi plunged into the depths again, he lowered his head and kissed Wei WuXian’s lips. Wei WuXian weakly hugged his shoulder, melting into the kiss. Exhausted, he finally released.

The milky fluid splattered between their abdomens. Following him, Lan WangJi also released to his content inside Wei WuXian’s body.

After staying obediently for a while within the embrace, Wei WuXian spoke, his voice hoarse, "… It hurts…"

After having released the second time, it seemed as if Lan WangJi finally returned to his senses. Lying top of him, he somewhat helplessly asked, "… Where?"

Wei WuXian, "…"

Of course he couldn’t say his ass hurt. He only whispered, "Lan Zhan, kiss me some more, hurry up…"

Seeing how he looked down, behaving so oddly proper, pink crawled upon Lan WangJi’s white earlobes. He did as he was told and hugged Wei WuXian tightly, putting his lips around Wei WuXian’s as he initiated the tender kiss.

When their lips parted, Lan WangJi indeed placed a light bite over Wei WuXian’s lower lip.

And then both of them awakened.

Lying atop the wooden bed of the Jingshi, the two looked across at each other for a few moments. Lan WangJi pulled Wei WuXian into his arms again.

In the embrace, Wei WuXian was kissed for a long while. Satisfied, he shut his eyes, "Lan Zhan… Let me ask you a question. By coming inside of me every time, is it that you want me to bear a little Young Master Lan for you?"

In the dream he teased Lan WangJi and ended up digging his own grave, so when he woke up and saw Lan WangJi again, he couldn’t help but to spout out nonsense again. But Lan WangJi wasn’t as easily flustered as before either. He only asked, "How could you?"

Wei WuXian shifted his sore arms, using them as a pillow for his head, "Ugh, if I could, with how much you fuck me all the time, there would’ve long since been a den of little ones running on the ground."

Lan WangJi could never bear listening to such indecent words, "… Stop it."

Wei WuXian propped up one leg, grinning, "Embarrassed again? I…" Before he even finished, he suddenly felt Lan WangJi lay a light pat on his buttocks. Wei WuXian almost fell off the bed, "What are you doing?!!"

Lan WangJi, "Let me see."

Wei WuXian crawled up at once, ignoring his shaky legs, "No thanks, Lan Zhan, I certainly remember what wonderful things you did in your dream. Nobody had ever treated me like this!!! In the future you’re not allowed to this either. Really, if you wanna fuck me then do it, I’ll open my legs and let you do whatever you want—just don’t hit me!!"

Lan WangJi pulled him back onto the bed, "I will not."

Having acquired his promise, Wei WuXian was relieved, "HanGuang-Jun, mark your words."

Lan WangJi, "Mn."

With three nights of toil, he felt the fatigue slowly rise. Wei WuXian couldn’t keep going either. He snuggled into Lan WangJi’s arms again and mumbled, "Nobody had ever treated me like this…"

Lan WangJi stroked his hair and landed a kiss on his forehead. Shaking his head, he smiled.

(Editor Note: Addis here, I have had a lot of people emailing me about making the rest of GDC into an epub so you guys can read offline. However, due to our epub for chapter 1 to 45 being found on other sites where people are paying for it, we have decided not to continue posting offline formats for our novels. I hope you guys understand. If you would like to create your own version, not to be shared anywhere, we are fine with that. We would just like to ask that you please don’t share it so others come to our site. Since we do not allow our translations on ANY other site, such as Wattpad, Facebook etc.

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Next chapters

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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