Chapter 82

Chapter Summary: He recounted the main events of the past few days to Jiang Cheng and his son. Jiang Cheng listened with a complex expression, and after a long pause, said, "With Lan Wangji..."

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He recounted the main events of the past few days to Jiang Cheng and his son. Jiang Cheng listened with a complicated expression, and after a long while, he said, "It's pretty much what Lan Wangji said. So, it was the two of you who killed it together. What's yours is yours, why push it all onto him?"

Wei Wuxian said, "It's not that I'm pushing him. It's just that I feel I didn't put in much effort compared to him."

Jiang Fengmian nodded and said, "Well done."

To be able to slay a giant monster over four hundred years old at the age of seventeen is more than just "doing a good job".

Jiang Cheng said, "Congratulations."

The congratulatory tone was rather strange. Seeing him cross his arms and raise his eyebrows, Wei Wuxian knew his sour grapes were surfacing again. At this moment, Jiang Cheng must be quite resentful, wondering why he wasn't the one left in the cave to slay the demons. If it were him, he would have done this or that. Wei Wuxian laughed heartily, "It's a pity you weren't here. Otherwise, you could have had a share of this head too. You could at least talk to me to relieve my boredom. My goodness, sitting opposite Lan Zhan these past few days has been suffocating me."

Jiang Cheng said, "You deserve to suffocate. You shouldn't have stuck your neck out and meddled in this mess. If you hadn't made a move in the first place..."

Suddenly, Jiang Fengmian said, "Jiang Cheng."

Jiang Cheng was taken aback, then realized he had gone too far and immediately fell silent.

Jiang Fengmian showed no reproach, but his expression changed from calm to solemn. He said, "Do you know what was wrong with what you just said?"

Jiang Cheng lowered his head: "I know."

Wei Wuxian said, "He was just saying it casually out of anger."

Seeing Jiang Cheng's insincere and slightly unconvinced expression, Jiang Fengmian shook his head and said, "A-Cheng, there are some things you shouldn't say even when you're angry. Saying them means you still don't understand the Yunmeng Jiang Clan's family precepts, and you still don't..."

Upon hearing this, most people understood exactly what Jiang Cheng had said and done wrong back then.

But the space was completely silent, and no one spoke. After all, this was a matter for the Jiang family.

Jiang Fengmian, having witnessed this, knew what had happened next. He sighed and placed his hand on Jiang Cheng's shoulder:

“A-Cheng, you and A-Xian have different personalities. You may not have agreed with his actions back then, but you also need to know that we, the people of the Yunmeng Jiang Clan, do not cause trouble, but we are not afraid of trouble either. I don’t want to comment on the past anymore, but I also hope you understand why I said that what you did back then was inappropriate.”

The heads of the various families beside him, all elders, nodded silently. Although Jiang Fengmian seemed gentle, his words were actually quite insightful. Back then, Jiang Cheng was just a teenager, unwilling to stand up for others, only hoping to preserve himself in times of trouble, which was not wrong, but... he lacked the demeanor of a true leader.

Moreover, so many years have passed, and Jiang Cheng has done far more for the Yunmeng Jiang Clan than just a few small things. There is no need to dwell on his inappropriate words and actions back then, but the underlying reasons must be clearly explained.

A cold, sharp female voice came from outside the door: "Yes, he doesn't understand, but what does it matter? It's enough that Wei Ying understands!"

Like a bolt of purple lightning, Madam Yu swept in with a gust of cold wind. She stood five steps from Wei Wuxian's bed, her eyebrows raised, and said, "'Knowing it's impossible but doing it anyway,' isn't that exactly like him? He knows he'll cause trouble for the family, but he still makes a scene!"

Jiang Fengmian asked, "Third Sister, what brings you here?"

Madam Yu said, "What am I doing here? How ridiculous! I'm being questioned like this. Does Sect Leader Jiang remember that I am also the master of Lotus Pier? Does he remember that every inch of this land is my territory? Does he remember which one is your son, the one lying down or the one standing up?"

He had heard this question countless times over the years. Jiang Fengmian replied, "Of course I remember."

Madam Yu sneered, "You remember, but just remembering is useless. This Wei Ying, he's never happy unless he causes trouble! I should have just kept him in Lotus Pier and forbidden him from leaving. Does Wen Chao really dare to do anything to the two young masters of the Gusu Lan Clan and the Lanling Jin Clan? Even if he dares, it's just their bad luck. It's not your turn to play the hero."

In front of Jiang Fengmian, Wei Wuxian always had to give his wife some face and never said a word in response, thinking to himself, "They dare not do anything to them? That's not necessarily true."

Madam Yu said, "I'm telling you right now, just you wait and see, one day he'll definitely cause a huge mess for our family!"

Jiang Fengmian stood up and said, "Let's go back and talk."

Madam Yu said, "What would I say back home? Where would I say it? I'm going to say it right here. Anyway, I have a clear conscience! Jiang Cheng, come here."

Caught between his father and mother, Jiang Cheng hesitated for a moment before standing beside his mother. Madam Yu grabbed his shoulders and pushed him towards Jiang Fengmian: "Sect Leader Jiang, there are some things I must say. Look carefully, this is your biological son, the future master of Lotus Pier. Even if you dislike him because he's my son, he still bears the Jiang surname!—I don't believe you don't know what people outside are saying, that Sect Leader Jiang has remained devoted to a certain hermit all these years, treating the son of an old friend as his own, and speculating whether Wei Ying is yours..."

Jiang Fengmian shouted, "Yu Ziyuan!"

Madam Yu also shouted, "Jiang Fengmian! Do you think you can do anything just because you raised your voice?! I know you too well!"

People had only heard that the Jiang couple had incompatible personalities and often quarreled, but they never expected it to be such a suffocating questioning and argument.

Many people looked up at Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian, who were unsure whether to show embarrassment or something else, then looked away, focusing on their own thoughts.

They dared not watch or comment on the other two people arguing; they could only let them resolve this long-standing unease on their own.

"Ah, Third Sister..."

After listening to this, Jiang Fengmian looked at Jiang Cheng's somewhat awkward expression and realized that he had been avoiding dealing with family matters too much. He reached out and took Yu Ziyuan's hand, sighed, and was about to speak when Yu Ziyuan interrupted him.

"Jiang Fengmian, let me tell you, don't try to get sentimental! You haven't made up for Acheng in the past ten years, and you're not allowed to miss a single day of this trip..."

As Yu Ziyuan spoke, her demeanor gradually changed from that of the Purple Spider she usually was.

The problem between them has always been just Jiang Fengmian's attitude. And this attitude is evident in Jiang Fengmian's willingness to return and fight alongside her even though he knows the chances of survival are slim. Even without explanation, they understand each other at the moment of their deaths.

"Zangse and I are just close friends; there's nothing more to our relationship."

Even so, Jiang Fengmian still maintained a proper attitude and offered an explanation, not only to Yu Ziyuan, but also to those spreading rumors, and even more so to Jiang Cheng, that he was the young master of the Jiang family and would never waver because of anyone.

The two went outside to argue, and Madam Yu's anger grew louder and louder along the way. Jiang Fengmian also suppressed his temper and argued with her. Jiang Cheng stood there blankly for a long time, glanced at Wei Wuxian, and then suddenly turned around and walked out as well.

Wei Wuxian said, "Jiang Cheng!"

Jiang Cheng didn't respond, and hurriedly turned into the corridor in a few steps. Wei Wuxian had no choice but to roll off the bed, dragging his sore and stiff body as he chased after him, calling, "Jiang Cheng! Jiang Cheng!"

Jiang Cheng kept his head down and walked forward. Wei Wuxian was furious and pounced on him, grabbing him by the neck: "You heard me and you still didn't respond! You're asking for a beating!"

Jiang Cheng cursed, "Go back to your bed and lie down!"

Wei Wuxian said, "That won't do. We need to make things clear! You absolutely cannot believe those nonsensical lies."

Jiang Cheng coldly replied, "What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

Wei Wuxian said, "Those words are just dirty talk. My parents are people with proper names and identities. I can't stand people giving me names without proper documentation!"

He put his arm around Jiang Cheng's shoulder and pulled him to sit down on the wooden railing by the corridor, saying, "Let's talk this out. Don't be so reserved and keep things to yourself. You are Uncle Jiang's biological son, the future head of the Jiang family. Uncle Jiang will naturally be stricter with you."

Jiang Cheng glanced at him sideways.

Wei Wuxian continued, "But I'm different. I'm someone else's son. My parents are both good friends of Uncle Jiang, so of course he'll be more polite to me. You must understand that, right?"

Jiang Cheng snorted, "He's not being strict with me, he just doesn't like me."

Wei Wuxian said, "Who doesn't love their own son? Don't think nonsense! I beat up those gossipy rumor-mongers every time I see them, until their own mothers wouldn't recognize them."

Jiang Cheng said, "Yes, that's right. He doesn't like my mother, and by extension, he doesn't like me either."

That statement is truly hard to refute.

It was common knowledge among the immortal sects that Third Sister Yu and Jiang Fengmian had been fellow cultivators since their youth, knowing each other since their teens. Jiang Fengmian was gentle and refined, while Yu Ziyuan was strong and aloof. Their interactions were not deep, so although they were well-matched in social standing, few people ever considered them a couple. Later, the hermit Cangse Sanren emerged, passing through Yunmeng, where she met and befriended Jiang Fengmian, even hunting together several times. They both greatly admired each other. Everyone speculated that Cangse Sanren was highly likely to become the next mistress of Lotus Pier.

Unexpectedly, not long after, the Yu family of Meishan suddenly proposed a marriage alliance with the Jiang family of Yunmeng.

The Jiang family patriarch at the time was quite interested in this, but Jiang Fengmian had no such intention. He disliked Yu Ziyuan's character and thought the two were not a good match, so he politely declined several times. However, the Yu family of Meishan used various means to put strong pressure on Jiang Fengmian, who was still young and had no foundation at the time. In addition, not long after, Cangse Sanren and Wei Changze, Jiang Fengmian's most loyal servant, became Daoist partners and went far away to travel. Jiang Fengmian finally lost his way.

Although Jiang and Yu were married, they became a pair of resentful lovers, living apart for years and never getting along. Aside from consolidating their family's power, it's unclear what else they gained.

Jiang Chi, the founding ancestor of the Yunmeng Jiang Clan, was a wandering knight-errant. The family values ​​a magnanimous, upright, and unrestrained spirit, which is completely contrary to Madam Yu's character. Jiang Cheng's appearance and temperament are like his mother's, and he was never to Jiang Fengmian's liking. Despite various upbringings, he could never be changed, so Jiang Fengmian always seemed to dislike him.

Jiang Cheng brushed Wei Wuxian's hand away, stood up, and vented, "I know! I'm not the kind of person he likes, not the heir he wants. He thinks I'm unworthy to be the head of the family, don't understand the Jiang family's precepts, and lack the Jiang family's integrity in the slightest. Yes!"

Jiang Yanli, who had been silently watching from behind, took Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian's hands. She knew that Jiang Cheng had always been influenced by his mother and deeply felt that his father did not like him. Coupled with his awkward personality, it was normal for him to have a wrong idea for a moment.

Wei Wuxian was right. He shouldn't have doubted Jiang Fengmian's feelings for him. As the future leader of the Jiang Clan, he needed to demonstrate proper composure and demeanor in every word and action. Wei Wuxian's impulsive behavior was part of his personality, and also because he didn't need to bear such a heavy responsibility. But Jiang Cheng was different. He carried a heavy burden on his shoulders, and he should understand his father's intention to help him become independent.

"Acheng, because of my guilt towards Changze and Cangse, I've paid more attention to Aying. But in my heart, you will always be the future head of the Jiang family. My high expectations of you in the past stemmed from my hope that you could become the head of the Jiang family and lead it to even greater prosperity. Even after such a devastating blow, you still managed to do it, so don't doubt yourself. You are my greatest pride."

Jiang Fengmian's voice rang out at the right time. The father and son had not been very close since childhood, and at this moment Jiang Fengmian simply put his hand on Jiang Cheng's shoulder.

But everyone clearly saw Jiang Cheng's slightly reddened eyes. After enduring decades alone, he finally received his father's affirmation.

Wei Wuxian couldn't help but laugh when he saw this.

Unexpectedly, the arm holding him suddenly tightened.

Looking up, he saw a hint of heartache and worry hidden in Lan Wangji's light eyes, and he reached out to hug him back.

Seeing that Uncle Jiang, Madam Yu, and Jiang Cheng were able to talk things out about their issues made him feel very satisfied; that was enough.

Let bygones be bygones.