asphyxia
In the past few days, Xie Linyang has been helping Jiang Cheng dispel the resentment in his body every day, and Lan Sect Leader and Lan Qiren, who went to the meeting, have finally returned.
Quiet room.
Lan Qiren's gaze swept over Jiang Cheng's pale face, and his brows instantly furrowed into a deep frown: "Sit still and give me your hand."
Jiang Cheng did as he was told, and as soon as Lan Qiren touched his wrist, he heard a very soft sigh.
"How is it?" Lan Xichen asked from the side.
Lan Qiren didn't answer immediately. He probed deeper with his fingertips, and Jiang Cheng felt a cool spiritual energy flowing through his meridians. Wherever it passed, the resentment seemed to be startled and suddenly curled up, making his wrist twitch from the cold.
“The resentment has entered the edge of the dantian.” Lan Qiren finally withdrew his hand, his tone solemn. “This is no ordinary hundred-year-old resentment core. The core is wrapped in ‘spirit-corroding silk.’ This thing specializes in devouring spiritual power. It shrinks when it encounters strength and devours when it encounters weakness. Ordinary exorcism techniques are completely ineffective against it.”
"Spirit-Eating Silk?" Xie Linyang's heart tightened. She had seen records of this silk in ancient books. It was formed from resentment condensed over a hundred years. Once it entered the body, unless it was nurtured daily with pure Yang spiritual power to dissipate it inch by inch, it would gnaw at the foundation of the dantian within three months. At best, one's cultivation would be completely ruined; at worst...
"Can the Yang energy be neutralized?" Jiang Cheng's voice tightened. He could feel the chill spreading in his dantian again, as if countless ice needles were pricking him.
“It can be resolved, but it will be slow.” Lan Qiren opened his medicine chest and took out a yellowed medical book. “It requires the use of Yang-generating spiritual energy as a guide, and must be done once each at Chen Shi (7-9 AM) and Shen Shi (3-5 PM) every day for more than three months to completely dissipate the corrosive spiritual threads. If there is even the slightest mistake during this period, the resentment will retaliate, and the consequences will be unimaginable.”
"March?" Wei Wuxian, with an unfinished apple still in his mouth, almost swallowed the core upon hearing this. "Does that mean we'll have to stay in Cloud Recesses for three months? Jiang Cheng, can you stand the 'ghosting order' here?"
After speaking, he glanced at Lan Wangji, who was sitting upright.
Jiang Cheng ignored him, but his gaze unconsciously drifted to Xie Linyang. She was looking down at the medical book, her brows slightly furrowed, her fingertips repeatedly tracing the words "Yang-generating spiritual energy needs to be nurtured daily," clearly calculating the consumption of spiritual energy. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he suddenly spoke: "There's no need to stay here."
Everyone looked at him.
“Return to Yunmeng.” Jiang Cheng’s tone was resolute, as if he had already thought it through. “Lotus Pier has heavy moisture, which is perfect for suppressing the spread of resentment, and…” He paused, not finishing his sentence. Besides, Yunmeng was his territory, and he couldn’t let Xie Linyang be inconvenienced in Cloud Recesses while trying to heal him.
"The Lan Clan's mental cultivation method will help eliminate resentment faster," Lan Qiren disagreed.
"Don't worry, Mr. Lan." Xie Linyang suddenly looked up, his tone firm. "Nurturing Yang spiritual energy requires 'following the Qi,' not 'forcibly suppressing' it. Yunmeng has a mild climate, and Jiang Cheng grew up here. His meridians are more adapted to the spiritual energy there, so the nourishing effect might be better."
She looked at Jiang Cheng, her eyes filled with a sense of responsibility, "It's just that I need to stay by his side every day to transfer spiritual energy twice a day."
Jiang Cheng abruptly turned his head away: "Who asked you to stay by my side every step of the way..."
"Oh—" Wei Wuxian drawled, winking at Jiang Cheng, "Is Young Master Jiang shy?"
"Wei Wuxian!"
Just then, a voice from the Lan family came from outside the door: "Jiang Fengmian, the sect leader of Yunmeng Sect, requests an audience!"
Jiang Cheng's heart skipped a beat, as if a stone had fallen to the ground, or as if he had been hit by something. His father must have received a message from the Lan Clan and come to pick him up.
When Jiang Fengmian entered the quiet room, he did not look at his son first. Instead, he bowed to Lan Qiren and then solemnly said to Xie Linyang, "You must be the disciple of Baoshan Sanren. This time, the exorcism was thanks to Miss Xie. My son is unruly and has been tainted by such resentment. I am very grateful to you for your help."
Xie Linyang quickly returned the greeting: "Sect Leader Jiang, you flatter me. I am a guest elder of the Lan Clan, and exorcising evil spirits is my duty. Jiang Cheng's current state is also due to me..."
"What does this have to do with you? It's my own problem that led to me being invaded by resentment."
Jiang Fengmian then turned to Jiang Cheng, his gaze lingering on his pale face for a moment, a barely perceptible pang of heartache flashing in his eyes, but he only said indifferently, "Pack your things, we'll return to Lotus Pier tomorrow."
Jiang Fengmian said to Xie Linyan, "Sect Leader Lan and I have already discussed this. Cheng'er's injuries require Miss Xie's spiritual energy to heal, and returning to Yunmeng is the best choice. I wonder if Miss Xie could accompany us back to Yunmeng as a guest elder?"
“Jiang Cheng is my friend. There is hardly anyone else in this world who possesses such pure Yang spiritual power. I will do my best to heal him.”
Jiang Fengmian nodded, looked at the Lan Clan Head Qinghengjun, and cupped his hands, saying, "I have troubled you for many days. I will take my son and Miss Xie to say goodbye tomorrow."
Sect Leader Lan nodded gently: "Sect Leader Jiang, you are too kind. Wan Yin's injuries are serious. If Miss Xie needs anything in Yunmeng, the Lan Clan's library will be open to you at any time."
With the discussion concluded, the return journey was decided.
As night deepened, only Jiang Cheng and Xie Linyang remained in the quiet room. The candlelight cast their shadows close together on the wall.
"Tomorrow..." Jiang Cheng wanted to say "Be careful on the road," but felt awkward, so he simply changed the subject, "If you feel tired when you transfer spiritual energy, you don't have to force yourself."
Xie Linyang was tidying up the talismans used for transferring spiritual energy when she heard this. She paused and looked up at him. The candlelight reflected in her eyes, shining like crushed stars: "What, are you worried about me?"
Jiang Cheng suddenly stood up, almost knocking over the candlestick: "Who cares about you! I'm afraid that if you collapse, no one will be there to transfer my spiritual power to me!" After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the bed, his steps so fast that it was as if he was running away.
Xie Linyang looked at his tense back and suddenly chuckled softly, feeling that this guy was being hypocritical.
The next morning, Yunmeng's ship docked at the Cloud Recesses Pier.
"Brother Wei, Brother Jiang, Miss Xie, take care on your journey!" Nie Huaisang looked at the three of them with reluctance. Wei Wuxian teased and comforted them, making Nie Huaisang laugh heartily.
"What, since you're already here, won't Young Master Lan do me the honor of saying goodbye?" Wei Wuxian's gaze had already fallen on the quiet white-clad figure to the side.
Didn't you usually dislike him? Why did you come to see them off?
Lan Wangji gave him a deep look, then turned his head away, ignoring him.
"Tch, boring." Wei Wuxian muttered.
"Let's go." Jiang Cheng called out to Wei Wuxian, his voice muffled, and he still felt extremely weak.
Xie Linyang clasped his hands in a fist salute to Sect Leader Lan and said, "Sect Leader Lan, please be prepared to deal with the matter I mentioned that day. I went there to resolve Young Master Jiang's crisis, and I will come to Gusu in due time."
"Take care on your journey."
The oars shattered the morning light on the water's surface, leaving the bamboo shadows, hidden deep in the clouds, far behind.
As the boat approached Lotus Dock, the first thing that wafted in the air was the warm, humid scent of water vapor mixed with the fragrance of lotus blossoms. Unlike the cool, bamboo-scented air of Cloud Recesses, the wind here carried a lively, vibrant quality.
In the distance, young people were navigating small boats on the water. The splashing of bamboo poles, the laughter of the children, and the faint sweet fragrance of lotus roots created a scene like a rich ink painting blurred by water, splashing and splashing into the eyes.
"We're here!" Wei Wuxian was the first to jump onto the dock, where he was immediately surrounded by several young men dressed in Yunmeng purple robes. "Senior Brother! You're finally back! Was Gusu fun? Did you bring back any wine?"
"Go away, go away," Wei Wuxian laughed, pushing away the boy who was clinging to his neck, and casually ruffling the other's hair. "All you ever think about is alcohol! Have you guys been practicing properly lately?"
The boy whose name was called immediately turned to Jiang Cheng, his eyes sparkling: "Young Sect Master!"
Jiang Cheng had just stepped onto the dock when he snorted with a stern face, "Finished training for today?"
"It's already over!" the boys replied with laughter, their curious gazes falling on Xie Linyang behind them.
Who is this?
“Miss Xie is a guest of Yunmeng,” Jiang Fengmian said gently. “She will be staying at Lotus Pier for a while, so please treat her with respect.”
"Greetings, Elder Sister!" The young men immediately bowed and greeted her, their voices loud and clear, much more at ease than when they were at Cloud Recesses. Xie Lin Yang nodded slightly, inwardly sighing: Just as Jiang Cheng said, the winds of Yunmeng are truly alive.
Just then, light footsteps came from the direction of the bamboo house, and a woman dressed in a light purple dress walked quickly towards them. She had an elegant lotus hairpin in her hair, carried a food box in her hand, and had a gentle smile on her face: "Father, A-Cheng, Xianxian, you're back."
It is Jiang Yanli.
She walked up to Jiang Cheng, naturally straightened his slightly disheveled collar, her fingertips touched the cool back of his hand, and asked softly, "I've heard everything about you from Mother. How are you feeling?"
Jiang Cheng felt a warmth in his body and heart, and whispered, "Much better."
“Xianxian,” Jiang Yanli turned to Wei Wuxian again and handed him the food box, “You’ve lost weight. Take this and eat it on the way.”
"Senior Sister is still the best!" Wei Wuxian took the food box, opened it, and took a deep breath. "Wow, it smells so good! It's a hundred times better than the vegetable porridge at Cloud Recesses!"
Jiang Yanli smiled and patted him, then turned her gaze to Xie Linyang, her voice gentle with apology: "This must be Miss Xie, right? Father sent a message mentioning you. You must be tired from your journey. Come in and rest with me."
Xie Linyang replied with a slight smile: "Thank you, Miss Jiang."
Looking at Jiang Yanli's gentle features, she felt a slight stirring in her heart. Perhaps Jiang Cheng's awkward gentleness was learned from this older sister.
Passing through the courtyard filled with lotus flowers, the noise of the bamboo house was gradually left behind, and the closer you got to the main courtyard, the heavier the atmosphere became.
Jiang Fengmian slowed his pace and said to Xie Linyang in a low voice, "My wife is straightforward. If she says anything inappropriate, I hope Miss Xie will forgive her."
Xie Linyang understood and nodded, saying, "Sect Leader Jiang, rest assured, I understand."
As soon as he entered the main hall, he saw a woman in purple sitting in the main seat. She had sharp eyes and a tightly pursed mouth. She raised her eyes and glanced over, her gaze lingering on Xie Linyang for a moment before she sneered, "You're back? You still know how to come back."
It was Lady Yu.
These words were spoken very softly, but the last syllable was like a needle chilled to ice, piercing straight at Jiang Fengmian.
He had just stepped onto the third step when he heard this and paused, as if the dust on his body had frozen.
Xie Linyang stood half a step behind him and clearly saw his fingers, which were holding the jade pendant, curl up almost imperceptibly. It was a posture of restraint, as if it had been repeatedly rubbed by something, but it still refused to break.
Jiang Fengmian took a deep breath, suppressing the weariness between his brows, and stepped forward: "Third Miss, this is Miss Xie Linyan, a highly accomplished disciple of Baoshan Sanren, and now..."
"The disciple of Baoshan Sanren?"
Yu Ziyuan suddenly laughed, but the smile didn't reach her eyes; it only made the fine lines at the corners of her eyes appear sharper. She finally looked directly at Xie Linyan, her gaze like two icy shards, sweeping from the hem of her pale blue robe to the gold hairpin in her hair, finally settling on her calm, expressionless face. Suddenly, she let out a sneer: "Who do we have here? It's an old friend. What, has the Hermit of Baoshan finally allowed his disciple to descend the mountain for training? Or perhaps…"
She drew out the melody, carefully turning the ring on her finger.
"...Or do you think my position as a guest elder in Yunmeng is worthy of a great figure like Junior Sister Cangse Sanren?"
She emphasized the four characters "藏色散人" (Cangse Sanren) very heavily.
The hall fell into a deathly silence. Even the cicadas chirping outside the window seemed to have their necks snapped, leaving only the cold, trembling sound of silver bells.
Xie Linyang's heart sank. She finally understood that Madam Yu's hostility wasn't directed at "Baoshan Sanren's disciple" at all, but at "Cangse Sanren's junior sister." That phrase "old friend" was clearly a sarcastic remark.
Her fingers, hanging by her side, curled slightly. It turned out that the rumor that Jiang Fengmian and Cangse Sanren had an affair had spread so far that it had become a thorn in Madam Yu's heart that she could not remove.
Wei Wuxian had confessed to her long ago about his mother's relationship with Jiang Zongzhu. The two were originally just friends who admired each other, with no romantic involvement whatsoever. She hadn't asked much at the time, but now she realized that Wei Wuxian had probably not been doing well all these years.
Jiang Yanli stood beside Xie Linyang, the silk handkerchief in her hand already crumpled into a ball. She subconsciously wanted to step forward, but was pinned to the spot by Yu Ziyuan's sharp glare. The look was so fierce that she could only cast a pleading glance at Jiang Fengmian, only to see her father's face pale and his lips tightly pressed together, clearly also stung by the sudden accusation.
"Mother!" Jiang Cheng suddenly called out in a low voice, his voice carrying the composure a young man was trying to maintain, but unable to hide the tremor at the end of his words, "Miss Xie is here to heal my injuries, it has nothing to do with anyone else!"
"Unrelated?" Yu Ziyuan turned her head sharply to look at him, her gaze like a knife, making Jiang Cheng's cheek sting. "How is it unrelated? If you weren't so stupid! You couldn't even pick up a package properly, and you weren't possessed by resentment, needing to ask this person of unknown origin to 'heal' you? You've completely disgraced the Jiang family!"
"I didn't..." Jiang Cheng's face flushed red instantly, then turned pale in an instant.
He wanted to say, "The Corrosion Silk is the core of a century-old grudge," and to defend Xie Linyang, but the disappointment in Yu Ziyuan's eyes stung his throat. He knew his mother was always strict, but the word "stupid" felt like a red-hot iron, burning his heart.
He was the future sect leader of Yunmeng, yet he couldn't even protect himself, and he even dragged others down with him, and his mother even used such words to humiliate him... The brocade robe in his fingertips was clenched so tightly that it became deformed, his knuckles turned white, and they were almost embedded in his flesh.
"And you too!"
Yu Ziyuan's gaze suddenly shifted to Wei Wuxian in the corner, lashing out like a poisoned whip: "What are you doing cowering there? Do you think Jiang Fengmian will protect you? Let me tell you, Wei Wuxian, don't think that just because your mother is Cangse Sanren, Jiang Fengmian will treat you like his own son! Now even his junior sister has moved into Lotus Pier. What, are you planning to treat this place as the backyard of your Cangse Sanren lineage?"
Wei Wuxian suddenly looked up, his eyes instantly reddening.
He wanted to argue, but the words stuck in his throat and he bit his lower lip hard. He knew he had no right to refute; he was an orphan living under someone else's roof, someone who, according to Madam Yu, was "tainted by the bad luck of Cangse Sanren." Any explanation he offered would be seen as "ungrateful."
It's always like this... It's always the same. No matter what he does, no matter how well he does it, in Madam Yu's eyes it's all wrong, it will implicate Jiang Cheng, and it will put Sect Leader Jiang in a difficult position. A deep, almost ingrained sense of inferiority and powerlessness enveloped him.
"Madam Yu."
Xie Lin Yang finally spoke, her voice still calm, but with a hint of solemnity. She turned slightly to avoid Yu Zi Yuan's gaze directed at Wei Wu Xian, and curtsied to the person in the main seat, her posture neither humble nor arrogant: "Although Cangse Sanren and I both graduated from Baoshan Sanren's sect, we have never met. Before my master went into seclusion, he only instructed me to go down the mountain to gain experience and protect the common people, without mentioning any old acquaintances or past events. As for Young Sect Leader Jiang's injuries—"
She paused, then looked up at Yu Ziyuan, her gaze clear and firm: "It was diagnosed by Mr. Lan Qiren and Sect Master Lan that the Corroding Spirit Silk requires three months of nurturing with Yang spiritual energy to dissipate. As a guest elder of Yunmeng, I will do my best to heal the wound and have no intention of overstepping my bounds. If Madam still has doubts, I may leave Lotus Pier immediately and seek another expert."
She put the choice aside, which both made her stance clear and did not interfere in the Jiang family's internal affairs, striking the perfect balance.
"You dare!" Yu Ziyuan slammed her hand on the table. "Is Yunmeng a place you can come and go as you please? Or do you think that by using this 'playing hard to get' tactic, you can make Jiang Fengmian protect you, his 'old friend and junior sister'?"
"Yu Ziyuan!"
Jiang Fengmian finally lost his temper. He stepped forward, blocking Xie Linyang's path, his usually gentle eyes now filled with anger as he stared directly at Yu Ziyuan: "Have you made enough of a scene? Linyang is a guest who came to heal Acheng! How dare you slander her like this, slander Cangse Sanren?!"
"Slander?" Yu Ziyuan laughed as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world, tears welling up in her eyes, but her fingers tightened even more. "Jiang Fengmian, do you dare to say you have nothing to hide? Back when Cangse Sanren died, you sat in silence before her memorial tablet for three days and three nights! Now that her junior sister has arrived, you're in a hurry to invite her into Lotus Pier as a 'guest elder,' do you think I'm blind?!"
"That's because Cangse Sanren is my savior! I respect her like a younger sister!" Jiang Fengmian's voice rose, his chest heaving violently. "You knew perfectly well that those were rumors, why did you insist on believing them?!"
"Rumors?" Yu Ziyuan's voice suddenly lowered, carrying an almost broken sharpness. "If it's not a rumor, why do you never explain? If it's not a rumor, why would you rather give me the cold shoulder for three months than say 'I have nothing to do with her'? Jiang Fengmian, tell me!"
Her eyes reddened, and a crack finally appeared in her sharp mask, revealing the deep-seated grievances and resentment beneath. She loved this marriage, which began as an arranged marriage between families, with utmost care, and Cangse Sanren was the icy thorn that constantly pricked her, making even breathing painful.
"I..." Jiang Fengmian opened his mouth, but found his throat tightening.
He wanted to say, "I thought you understood," and "Would you believe me if I explained?" But looking at Yu Ziyuan's reddened eyes, all the words stuck in his throat. He knew he owed her, owed this marriage, but he never intended to hurt her…
"Enough!"
Jiang Yanli finally couldn't hold back any longer and rushed over to grab Yu Ziyuan's arm, her voice trembling with tears: "Mother! Father! Stop arguing! Acheng is still sick, and Miss Xie is still here..."
Yu Ziyuan abruptly shook off her hand, and Zidian crashed to the ground. She looked at Jiang Fengmian, the last trace of warmth vanishing from her eyes, leaving only icy mockery: "Fine, very well. Jiang Fengmian, you protect your 'old friend' and your 'good disciple,' I don't care anymore!"
She turned to leave, but stopped abruptly as her purple robes swept across the threshold. Without turning back, she said, "Jiang Cheng," her voice as cold as ice, "remember that you are the future sect leader of the Yunmeng Jiang Clan. If you dare to be so stupid again, don't acknowledge me as your mother."
The footsteps faded into the distance, leaving behind a mess in the hall.
Jiang Fengmian slumped against a pillar, his face ashen. Wei Wuxian kept his head down, his shoulders trembling slightly, the bloodstains on his palms glowing red in the twilight. Jiang Cheng stood rooted to the spot, the black aura behind him seeming to thicken further; he stared intently at the crack in the ground, as if trying to pierce through it. Jiang Yanli, her eyes red-rimmed, looked from one person to another, finally letting out a silent sigh.
Xie Linyang stood in the shadows, looking at the shattered family ties, and suddenly his mind became clear.
Jiang Cheng's forbearance and sharpness, Wei Wuxian's inferiority complex and ingratiation, Jiang Yanli's gentleness and weariness... all stemmed from this. This marriage, trapped by rumors and suspicion, was like an airtight net, trapping everyone inside, making even the air feel suffocatingly painful.
She took a soft breath, suppressing the bitterness in her heart. Turning to look at Jiang Cheng, she found him looking up at her, his eyes filled with an unprecedented bewilderment, like a lost child.
Xie Linyang suddenly understood that what she wanted to dispel might not only be the corrosive spirit silk in his body, but also the chill called "home" that had trapped him for more than ten years.
The cicadas outside the window finally started chirping again, but this time it was no longer crisp; it was just a long, annoying cacophony.
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