Chapter 124 One Hundred and Twenty-Four

Chapter Summary: Following the Sunshot Campaign, the Wen Clan of Qishan was destroyed, and their previously expanded territories were divided among other families…

-------------------------------------

After the Sunshot Campaign, the Qishan Wen Clan was destroyed, and their previously expanded territories were divided among other families. The Ganquan area came under the control of the Lanling Jin Clan. As for the remnants of the Wen Clan, they were all driven to a corner of Qishan, occupying less than one-thousandth of their original territory, living a meager existence there. Jin Zixun said, "If I don't remember, I don't remember. I'm not that idle; I wouldn't bother remembering the name of a Wen dog."

Wei Wuxian said, “Alright, I don’t mind going into more detail. You couldn’t catch the Bat King, and you happened to run into some Wen Clan disciples who came to investigate the strange phenomenon. You forced them to carry the Summoning Banner as bait. They were too afraid, so one of them came out and stammered to argue with you. That person is Wen Ning, whom I mentioned. In the ensuing commotion, the Bat King escaped, and you beat up those Wen Clan cultivators and forcibly took them away. They then disappeared without a trace. Do I need to tell you more details? They haven’t returned yet. Besides asking you, I really don’t know who else to ask.”

Jin Zixun said, "Wei Wuxian, what do you mean? You want me to take care of someone? You wouldn't happen to be trying to stand up for the Wen dogs, would you?"

Wei Wuxian said with a smile, "What do you care whether I want to stand up or get my head chopped off? Just hand it over!"

Wei Wuxian in the shadows smiled broadly, but the cold light in his eyes was as sharp as ice.

The last sentence exploded like a bomb in Jin Zixun's ears, and also in the ears of everyone in the space.

After a few seconds of silence, Lan Jingyi suddenly slapped his thigh and moved closer to the younger generation: "Senior Wei is so handsome!"

Lan Sizhui looked at Lan Qiren's slightly trembling beard, sighed helplessly, and covered Lan Jingyi's mouth with his hand.

Senior Wei may be handsome, but you can't say things like that.

Mr. Lan still has a bad attitude.

But... I think I'll be able to accept it after listening to it a few more times.

[At the last sentence, the smile on his face vanished abruptly, and his voice turned icy cold, clearly indicating he had lost his patience. Many people in the Douyan Hall couldn't help but shudder. Jin Zixun's scalp tingled as well. However, his anger immediately surged up, and he shouted, "Wei Wuxian, how arrogant you are! Did my Lanling Jin Clan invite you today? You dare to stand here so presumptuously? Do you really think you're invincible and no one dares to mess with you? Do you want to turn the world upside down?"]

Wei Wuxian laughed and said, "Are you comparing yourself to the heavens? Forgive my bluntness, but you're being a bit shameless."

Although Jin Zixun had indeed long regarded the Lanling Jin Clan as his new ruler, he knew he had spoken out of turn. His face flushed slightly, and he was about to raise his voice to retort when Jin Guangshan, who was in the chief seat, spoke up.

He chuckled and said, "It wasn't a big deal to begin with, why should a young man get so worked up? But, Young Master Wei, let me be fair. It was really inappropriate of you to barge in when my Lanling Jin Clan was hosting a private banquet."

It's impossible for Jin Guangshan to be indifferent to the Hundred Phoenix Mountain hunt. That's why he had been watching Jin Zixun confront Wei Wuxian with amusement without intervening, only speaking up after Jin Zixun was at a disadvantage. Wei Wuxian nodded and said, "Sect Leader Jin, I had no intention of disturbing the private banquet, and I apologize for the offense. However, the whereabouts of the people this young master Jin took away are currently unknown, and a moment's delay might be too late to save them. One of them saved my life, and I absolutely cannot stand idly by. I hope you will forgive me and make amends in the future."

Jin Guangshan said, "What can't be put off for now? Come, sit down first, and we'll talk about it slowly."

Jin Guangyao had already quietly set up a new table and chairs. Wei Wuxian said, "Sect Leader Jin, you're too kind. I won't sit down. This matter can't be delayed any longer. Please resolve it as soon as possible."

Jin Guangshan said, "We can't rush this. To be honest, we still have some things to settle, and we can't delay any longer. Now that you're here, let's take this opportunity to resolve them all at once, shall we?"

Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are you settling accounts with?"

"Hmph, the Lanling Jin Clan, what arrogance!"

Nie Mingjue snorted coldly. Back then, the Nie family suffered heavy casualties, and Qinghe also had a lot of affairs to handle.

In addition, the Jin family still had sufficient financial and material resources, and the various aristocratic families also needed such banquets to unite their hearts.

Therefore, even though he understood Jin Guangshan's ambition to dominate, he couldn't do anything to him for the time being. Moreover, Nie Mingjue was an upright but not shrewd person who was not sensitive to the undercurrents between the various families. As long as he had no intention of harming them, he had no intention of getting involved in their struggles.

The Jin family formation fell silent. Even though the Jin family had such a tradition, and every cultivator there was arrogant, it was still embarrassing for them to openly display their true feelings in front of everyone.

"What is Sect Master Jin planning to settle scores with?"

Lan Jingyi noticed Jin Guangshan's words and quietly asked Lan Sizhui.

Lan Sizhui shook his head, indicating that he should continue watching quietly.

Lan Jingyi was surprised, but he had a vague feeling that Senior Wei's skills, which he had brought from the mass grave, were going to be disliked.

Jin Guangshan said, “Young Master Wei, we have mentioned this matter to you a few times before. You haven’t forgotten, have you? During the Sunshot Campaign, you used something.”

Wei Wuxian said, "Oh, you mentioned it before. The Yin Tiger Seal. What happened?"

Jin Guangshan said, "It is said that this Yin Tiger Seal was forged from the iron essence of an iron sword you obtained from the bottom of the Xuanwu Cave. You used it once on the battlefield, and its power was terrifying, causing some fellow cultivators to be affected by its residual force..."

Wei Wuxian interrupted, "Please get to the point."

Jin Guangshan said, "That's the key point. In that great battle, not only the Wen clan suffered losses, but our side also lost quite a bit. I thought such a magical artifact would be difficult to control, and it would be risky to leave it to one person to keep..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wei Wuxian suddenly burst into laughter.

Upon hearing this, Lan Sizhui thought to himself: It's true!

I knew Jin Guangshan was going to talk about this, but I didn't expect him to be so blunt.

The Jiang family members present, along with Qingheng Jun, Madam Lan, and others, couldn't help but frown.

No one present was a fool. Jin Guangshan's words brought out the unspoken thoughts in everyone's hearts.

Wei Wuxian's fame soared after he used the Yin Tiger Seal to fight Wen Ruohan during the Sunshot Campaign, but at the same time, it also brought fear and apprehension from many cultivators and major clans.

Fearing his immense strength and his reckless nature, Jiang Cheng, Lan Wangji, and Nie Huaisang understood Wei Wuxian's character. Having such a powerful companion was a good thing, but the powerful clans did not trust Wei Wuxian.

If Wen Ruohan, who once possessed divine skills, could cause such a major disaster, who can guarantee that Wei Wuxian won't be the next Wen Ruohan?

Wei Wuxian was never a caged beast, willing to be manipulated by the aristocratic families.

He was originally an unruly person, but fortunately, he was kept in check by the Jiang couple and Jiang Yanli. Now, after this great calamity, he is even more capricious in his actions.

It's not surprising that people have such thoughts, but they forget that this person was once their savior. It's no wonder they've turned their backs on them.

He chuckled a few times and said, "Sect Leader Jin, allow me to ask another question. Do you think that with the Qishan Wen Clan gone, the Lanling Jin Clan should rightfully take their place?"

The hall fell silent instantly.

Wei Wuxian continued, "Everything has to be handed over to you, and everyone has to listen to you? Judging from the way the Lanling Jin Clan acts, I almost thought it was still the golden age of the Wen King."

Everyone could hear the Jin family's ambition to seize power, but who dared to point it out as clearly as Wei Wuxian?

All the younger generation wanted to applaud Wei Wuxian.

At the banquet, everyone was like a mute, powerless and unwilling to resist the overwhelming power of the Jin family. Their inner fears told them that at this moment, Wei Wuxian was the only one they should oppose, and for this reason, they could completely submit to the Lanling Jin family.

Upon hearing this, a flash of anger and embarrassment crossed Jin Guangshan's square face. After the Sunshot Campaign, the various clans had been increasingly critical of Wei Wuxian's cultivation of demonic arts. His intention in mentioning the Yin Tiger Seal was to threaten Wei Wuxian, reminding him that he still had leverage, that everyone was watching him, and that he shouldn't be too arrogant or try to ride roughshod over their families. Who knew Wei Wuxian would speak so bluntly and brutally? Although he had long harbored the ambition to succeed the Wen clan, no one had ever dared to so openly and openly reveal it, let alone mock him. A retainer to his right shouted, "Wei Wuxian! How dare you speak like that!"

Wei Wuxian said, "Did I say something wrong? Forcing living people as bait and suppressing them in every way if they disobey in the slightest, is that any different from the Wen Clan of Qishan?"

Another retainer stood up and said, “Of course there is a difference. The Wen dogs committed numerous evils, and they deserved their fate. We are merely giving them a taste of their own medicine, letting them reap the consequences of their own evil deeds. What is there to criticize?”

Wei Wuxian said, "Whoever bit you, you should make them pay back. Wen Ning's side hasn't had any blood on their hands. Are you trying to pull the chain of guilt by association?"

One of them said, "Young Master Wei, you're saying they didn't have any blood on their hands? That's just your side of the story. Where's the evidence?"

Wei Wuxian said, "You think they killed indiscriminately, but isn't that just your one-sided account? Shouldn't you be the one to provide evidence first? Why are you asking me for it instead?"

The man shook his head repeatedly, his face saying, "This person is unreasonable." The other man sneered, "When the Wen family slaughtered our people back then, they were a thousand times more cruel than this! They didn't even talk to us about morality, so why should we talk to them about morality?"

Wei Wuxian laughed and said, "Oh. So the Wen dogs have committed many evils, so all those with the surname Wen can be killed? That doesn't make sense. Many of the traitors who surrendered from Qishan are now thriving. Aren't there a few of you here who were originally heads of affiliated families of the Wen clan?"

The expressions of the clan leaders changed immediately upon recognizing him. Wei Wuxian then said, "Since anyone with the surname Wen can be used to vent their anger, regardless of whether they are innocent or not, does that mean I can kill them all right now?"

Wen Qing stared at the scene in the sky where Wei Wuxian was speaking for them, her eyes flashing with complex emotions.

She admitted that she had dragged Wei Wuxian into this mess.

But she won't admit to things she shouldn't.

Back then, if these people claimed they were being implicated because of the Wen surname, she would have had no objection. History is written by the victors, and since she was valued by Wen Ruohan for her medical skills, being implicated now was understandable. But their reason for this ruthless extermination—that their branch of the family was stained with blood—was something she refused to accept.

In the silence, a warm voice rang out:

"I want to reiterate that the lineage of compassion in medicine is dedicated to saving lives and never taking them."

Before he finished speaking, he pressed his hand down onto Chenqing, the flute clasped at his waist. In an instant, everyone in the banquet hall was awakened to certain memories, as if they had been transported back to that dark, blood-soaked battlefield. People around them suddenly stood up, and Lan Wangji said in a deep voice, "Wei Ying!"

Jin Guangyao, who was closest to Wei Wuxian, remained calm and said gently, "Young Master Wei, please don't do anything rash. Everything can be discussed."

Jin Guangshan also stood up, his face filled with shock, anger, fear, and hatred: "Wei Wuxian! Sect Leader Jiang... Sect Leader Jiang isn't here, yet you act so recklessly!"

Wei Wuxian retorted sharply, "Do you think I wouldn't act recklessly just because he's here? If I want to kill someone, who can stop me, and who dares to stop me?!"

Lan Wangji said, word by word, "Wei Ying, put down Chenqing."

Wei Wuxian glanced at him and saw his own almost ferocious reflection in those eyes, which were as clear as glass. He suddenly turned his head and shouted, "Jin Zixun!"

At this moment, we are connected by empathy.

Everyone could feel the sudden surge of anger that Wei Wuxian felt at that moment.

Whether it was due to the Ghost Path or not, everyone felt that the anger was gradually getting out of control, not to mention that there was a Chenqing flute at their side that was about to be suppressed.

But the moment Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji locked eyes, the grotesque reflection seemed to send a refreshing breeze through Wei Wuxian's heart, like a sudden, sharp revelation to a person who had gone mad with demonic possession.

"Thank you, Second Young Master Lan."

Jiang Fengmian could tell that if it weren't for Lan Wangji's words and glance, Wei Wuxian would probably have lost control by now, and wouldn't have been able to wait for the Qiongqi Path and Nightless City that everyone was talking about.

"It's what I should do, and thankfully, it was helpful to him."

Lan Wangji returned the greeting and slowly let out a long breath.

At that time, I thought Wei Wuxian was just trying to scare everyone present.

Unexpectedly, there really was a premonition.