Chapter 92 Ninety-Two

Chapter Summary: [Jiang Cheng is now severely injured and urgently needs medicine and rest. He certainly cannot continue his previous wandering ways…]

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Now that Jiang Cheng is seriously injured and urgently needs medicine and rest, he certainly can no longer wander around like before, going hungry and not eating. Their situation is almost impossible to move forward, and they have no way out. Apart from relying on Wen Ning, Wei Wuxian can't think of any other way!

The day before, he could never have imagined that he and Jiang Cheng would need the help of a member of the Wen clan to escape, and perhaps even fight to the death. But at this moment, Wei Wuxian could only say, "Thank you!"

Wen Ning waved his hand and said, "No...no need. Young Master Wei, this way, I...I have a boat..."

Wei Wuxian carried Jiang Cheng to the boat Wen Ning had hidden beforehand. He settled Jiang Cheng in the cabin, and Wen Ning first quickly tended to Jiang Cheng's wounds, bandaging and applying medicine. Watching his skillful movements, Wei Wuxian couldn't help but recall the way he had seen Wen Ning at the Qishan Hundred Schools Discussion Conference years ago.

It has to be said that everyone present had been curious about Wen Ning, who was dressed in white, in the sky for a long time. However, the scene of Wei Wuxian saving people was too dangerous and attracted most of their attention. Now they could finally see what Wen Ning, who had been described as timid and cowardly by Wei Wuxian and others since he came to the space, was really like.

That grand discussion was the same year that he, Lan Wangji, Lan Xichen, and Jin Zixuan won the top four places in archery.

That day, before the archery competition began, he was wandering alone in the City That Never Sleeps. As he wandered, he passed through a small garden and suddenly heard the sound of a bowstring vibrating in front of him.

Wei Wuxian called Lin Fuye in, where he saw a young man dressed in light white clothes standing there, drawing his bow and releasing the string towards a target.

The boy's profile was quite handsome, and his bow-drawing posture was standard and beautiful. The target, with its red center, was already densely covered with arrows. This arrow, too, had hit the bullseye.

It was a perfect record.

Wei Wuxian exclaimed, "Excellent archery!"

The young man hit the target with a single arrow, drew a new arrow from the quiver on his back, and was about to nock another when he suddenly heard a strange voice from the side. Startled, his hand trembled, and the arrow fell to the ground. Wei Wuxian emerged from behind the flowerbed, laughing, "Which young master of the Wen family are you? Excellent, excellent, beautiful! You shot so well! I've never seen your family's archery so skillful..."

Before he finished speaking, the boy had already thrown down his bow and arrows and disappeared without a trace.

Wei Wuxian was speechless for a moment, then touched his chin, thinking to himself, "Am I that handsome? So handsome that I scare people away?"

Everyone: ...

This is... the Ghost General?

The Ghost General, who can run away faster than a ghost when he sees a stranger?!

Hearing Wei Wuxian's last words, Jiang Cheng couldn't help but roll his eyes again.

This narcissist! If you were handsome enough to scare people away, would you only be ranked fourth?!

It's more like Lan Wangji's face is so scary it could scare people away.

He didn't take it to heart, treating it as just something novel, and returned to the plaza. The competition was about to begin, and the Wen family's side was filled with noise. Wei Wuxian asked Jiang Cheng, "How come their discussion conference is so much of a commotion? There's something going on every day. What's happening today?"

Jiang Cheng said, "What else could it be? There are limited spots, and they're vying for who gets to play." He paused, then said dismissively, "These Wen family members... their archery skills are all terribly bad. What difference does it make who plays? What's the point of vying for it?"

Wen Chao shouted from the other side, "One more! One more! One more! The last one!"

Among the crowd beside him, the white-clad youth from before was also standing, looking left and right, before finally mustering his strength to raise his hand. But he raised it too low, and unlike the others, he didn't dare to directly call out his name. After being pushed and shoved for a while, someone finally noticed him and asked curiously, "Qionglin? You also want to participate?"

The boy called "Qionglin" nodded, and someone else laughed and said, "I've never seen you hold a bow before, what are you doing participating in the competition! Don't waste your spot."

Wen Qionglin seemed to want to defend herself, but the man said again, "Alright, alright, stop being so eager for novelty. This is for performance evaluation. I can't control if you embarrass yourself on stage."

Wei Wuxian thought to himself, "Disgraceful? If there's anyone in your Wen family who can salvage your reputation, it's him."

The man's disdainful tone was so matter-of-fact that it displeased Wei Wuxian. He raised his voice and said, "Who said he's never held a bow before? He has, and he shoots very well!"

Everyone looked at him with slight surprise, then at the young man. Wen Qionglin's face, which had been somewhat pale, turned bright red as everyone's gaze suddenly focused on him, his dark eyes staring intently at Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian walked over with his hands behind his back and said, "Weren't you shooting quite well in the garden just now?"

Wen Chao also turned around, and asked doubtfully, "Really? You're good at archery? I've never heard of that before?"

Wen Qionglin said in a low voice, "...I...I only started practicing recently..."

He spoke in a low, halting voice, as if he could be cut off at any moment, and indeed he was often interrupted. Wen Chao impatiently interrupted, "Alright, there's a target over there, hurry up and shoot one. If it's good, go for it; if not, get out of the way."

The space around Wen Qionglin suddenly opened up, and he tightened his grip on the bow, looking left and right for help. Wei Wuxian, seeing his lack of confidence, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Relax. Just shoot like before."

Wen Qionglin glanced at him gratefully, took a deep breath, and drew her bow.

Unfortunately, as soon as he drew the bow, Wei Wuxian shook his head inwardly, thinking, "This is going to be bad."

Wen Qionglin had probably never shot an arrow in front of others before; his fingertips and arm trembled, and the arrow flew out but missed the target completely. The Wen family members watching nearby sneered, saying, "Where did you shoot well!"

"I could shoot better than him even with my eyes closed."

"Alright, stop wasting time, hurry up and pick someone to go on stage!"

Wen Qionglin's face turned bright red to his ears. Without needing anyone to wave him away, he fled in panic. Wei Wuxian chased after him, saying, "Hey, don't run! Um... Brother Qionglin, right? Why are you running?"

Hearing him call her from behind, Wen Qionglin stopped, lowered her head, turned around, looking ashamed from head to toe, and said, "...I'm sorry."

Wei Wuxian asked in surprise, "Why are you apologizing to me?"

Wen Qionglin said guiltily, "You...you recommended me, but I've embarrassed you..."

Wei Wuxian said, "What's there to be ashamed of? You don't often shoot arrows in front of others, do you? Were you nervous just now?"

Wen Qionglin nodded, and Wei Wuxian said, "You've got some confidence. Let me be honest with you, you're better at archery than anyone else in your family. Of all the scions of noble families I've ever met, there are definitely no more than three whose archery skills are better than yours."

Jiang Cheng walked over and said, "What are you doing again? Three what?"

Wei Wuxian pointed at him and said, "Look, for example, he didn't shoot as well as you."

Jiang Cheng roared in fury, "You're courting death!"

Wei Wuxian took the slap but said without changing his expression, "Really. There's nothing to be nervous about. Just practice in front of people more often and you'll get used to it. Next time, you'll definitely impress everyone."

This Wen Qionglin was probably a scion of a distant branch of the Wen family, of mediocre status, yet shy and insecure, hesitant and even stuttering when he spoke. He had finally mustered the courage to participate in the competition after much practice, but his nervousness caused him to mess it up. If he wasn't properly guided, this young man might become even more withdrawn and never dare to perform in front of others again. Wei Wuxian encouraged him a few times, briefly pointed out some key points, and corrected some minor mistakes he had made while shooting arrows in the small garden. Wen Qionglin listened intently, nodding repeatedly. Jiang Cheng said, "Stop talking so much nonsense! The competition is about to start, get to the arena now!"

Wei Wuxian said to Wen Qionglin in a serious tone, "I'm going to the competition now. You can watch how I shoot on the field later..."

Jiang Cheng impatiently dragged him away, spitting as he did so, "What are you looking at? Do you think you're some kind of role model?!"

Wei Wuxian thought for a moment, then said strangely, "Yes. Aren't I one?"

"Wei Wuxian! I've never seen anyone so shameless!"

Everyone had seen Wen Ning shooting arrows in the garden earlier, and seeing him so nervous that his hands trembled and he missed the target, they couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

Seeing himself appear on screen again at the very end, Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth, then couldn't help but turn his head sharply:

"Wei Wuxian, why do you always compare me to others? Are you taking advantage of the fact that I'm afraid to hit you?"

Wei Wuxian snorted: "Even if you dare to fight, you can't beat me. Besides, your archery skills are only good for showing off; in a real competition, you really can't compare. *sigh*"

After saying that, he made a face at Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng wanted to go up and hit him, but there was a cold-faced Yama next to him, so he could only sit back down in frustration.

Recalling this scene, Wei Wuxian's gaze shifted from Wen Ning to Jiang Cheng, who was covered in blood and had his eyes closed. His fingers involuntarily clenched into a fist.

They first traveled by water, taking a boat down the river, then transferred to a land route and boarded a horse-drawn carriage prepared by Wen Ning. The next day, they arrived at Yiling.

Wen Ning summoned dozens of his disciples and personally escorted them to a magnificent mansion. He then sneaked in through the back door and led Wei Wuxian to a small hut.

However, Wen Ning had just turned around and closed the door, and before he could even catch his breath, Wei Wuxian grabbed his neck again and asked in a low voice, "Where is this place?!"

Even though Wen Ning had saved him, he couldn't completely let down his guard against the Wen family so quickly, and remained cautious. Just now, as he followed Wen Ning through the house, passing many rooms, he overheard snippets of conversation from the Qishan accents of the people inside. From these fragmented conversations, he gleaned the words "Supervision Office"!

Wen Ning hurriedly waved his hands: "No... I..."

Wei Wuxian said, "What do you mean 'not'? Isn't this the Supervisory Office set up in Yiling? And whose unfortunate clan's territory did we take over? What do you want with us here?"

Wen Ning tried to explain, "Young Master Wei, you, you listen to me, this is the Supervisory Office. But... but I absolutely did not intend to harm you. If I wanted to harm you, I could have changed my mind immediately after entering Lotus Pier last night, and I wouldn't have needed to specifically lead you here."

Wei Wuxian had been on edge for the past few days, unable to relax for a moment, easily agitated, his mind reeling. Hearing this, he remained skeptical. Wen Ning continued, "This is indeed the Surveillance Bureau. If there's any place the Wen family wouldn't search, it would only be here. You can stay here, but whatever you do, don't let anyone else find you..."

After a pause, Wei Wuxian finally forced himself to withdraw his hand, whispered a thank you and an apology, and gently laid Jiang Cheng's body flat on the wooden couch in the room.

Unexpectedly, at that moment, the wooden door of the hut was suddenly opened, and a woman's voice said, "I was just looking for you! You'd better explain yourself..."

I just said not to be discovered, and I was discovered immediately!

Wei Wuxian broke out in a cold sweat and quickly stepped in front of the bed to block her. Wen Ning was so frightened that he couldn't even speak.

The two stared stiffly at the woman standing in the doorway. Or rather, the girl. Her skin was slightly dark, and she possessed a sweet face, yet her brows and eyes held an inexplicable arrogance. She wore a robe of blazing flames, the bright red of which seemed to dance on her sleeves and collar.

His rank is extremely high, on par with Wen Chao!

Wen Qing looked at Wei Wuxian's evaluation of her appearance and clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction.

Upon hearing the final phrase "on par with Wen Chao," most people concluded in their hearts that someone who could sit in such a high position and oversee an entire supervisory office must have taken countless lives.

However, given the previous examples of people being banned, glared at, and threatened for swearing, everyone only dared to mutter to themselves.

Those in front could only hear the buzzing of mosquitoes from behind.

Although I don't know what they're talking about, I can tell it's not anything nice.

It seems that Xiao Niangui came not only to show them the truth, but also to test their anger levels.

The three remained locked in a tense standoff for a long while when hurried footsteps sounded outside. Wei Wuxian steeled himself, about to make a move, but the girl acted first, slamming the door shut with a loud bang.

A voice outside the door asked, "Master Wen, what's going on?"

The girl said indifferently, "Nothing much. My brother is back. He's listless again. Don't bother him. Let's go back and continue talking."

The people outside responded and followed her away. Wen Ning breathed a sigh of relief and explained to Wei Wuxian, "I...my sister."

Wei Wuxian asked, "Is Wen Qing your sister?"

Wen Ning nodded somewhat shyly and said, "My sister. She's very capable."

That's really impressive.

Wen Qing was considered a notable figure in the Qishan Wen Clan. She wasn't the biological daughter of Wen Ruohan, the clan head, but rather a descendant of one of his cousins. Although a distant cousin, Wen Ruohan and this cousin had a good relationship since childhood. Furthermore, Wen Qing excelled in literary examinations and was skilled in medicine, making her a talented individual. Therefore, she was highly favored by Wen Ruohan and frequently accompanied him to various grand banquets held by the Qishan Wen Clan. Wei Wuxian had some recollection of her face; after all, she was quite beautiful. He also vaguely heard that she seemed to have an older or younger brother, but perhaps because they were far less outstanding than Wen Qing, no one talked about them much.

Wei Wuxian asked in surprise, "Are you really Wen Qing's younger brother?"

Wen Ning assumed he was surprised that such an outstanding and famous older sister had such an unremarkable younger brother, and admitted, "Yeah. My sister is amazing, I... can't."

Hearing Wen Ning's self-deprecating remark from back then, Wei Wuxian frowned. He was about to say something to Wen Ning when Wen Qing spoke first.

“Ah Ning, remember this: not everyone has to be a chosen one. You are serious, meticulous, patient, and gentle. These are your strengths. Don’t let others’ nonsense make you deny yourself.”

After saying that, he glanced sideways at Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian: ...? ? ?

Sister Qing, why are you looking at me like that? You know I've never thought of it that way.

Madam Lan suddenly spoke up, "Qionglin, a forest of jade trees, is a beautiful and precious name. You are a clear-minded child, which already surpasses others by a hundredfold. There is no need to belittle yourself."

Hearing this, Wen Ning was flattered and quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your praise, Madam Lan."