Confession
Wen Chao's "education" of the children of various families became increasingly strict. They had to recite family precepts under the scorching sun during the day, and their lunches became increasingly bizarre.
Xie Linyang always felt that there was a faint, sweet and fishy smell in the food. She had learned medicine from her master since childhood. She picked up a grain of rice with her fingertips and probed it with her spiritual power. She felt a cold energy flowing along her meridians. Her heart skipped a beat. It was just as she had guessed.
It is "Spirit-Eroding Powder," a chronic and highly toxic poison. At first, one will only feel a stagnation of spiritual energy, followed by high fever, coma, and loss of spiritual energy.
She swallowed the rice grains without making a sound, tasting the familiar poison on her tongue. Did Wen Chao really think he could use this poison to make everyone lose their spiritual power without anyone noticing?
Taking advantage of the shift change among the Wen clan guards, she sneaked into the kitchen and mixed the antidote into the soup. After doing all this, she leisurely returned to the group, and only breathed a sigh of relief after seeing everyone drink the soup.
Just after midnight, Jiang Cheng suddenly sat up from the couch.
He dreamt of Xie Linyang again. In the dream, she lay covered in blood in the Qishan maze, with Meng Yao's gentle face standing behind her. Startled, he threw on his clothes and went outside. As if possessed, he walked to Xie Linyang's room. These past few days, he had been doing this, staring at the moonlight on her window frame at night, watching when the candlelight would flicker and go out, as if if he looked at her one more time, she wouldn't disappear like in his dreams.
The room was unusually quiet today.
Before he even got close, he could faintly hear suppressed coughs and soft voices coming from inside. Jiang Cheng's heart tightened, and he strode forward, not bothering to knock, and flung the door open!
The sight that met his eyes caused his pupils to shrink sharply, and his blood rushed to his head almost instantly—
In the flickering candlelight, Xie Linyang's face was as pale as paper, her lips an unnatural bluish-purple. She leaned weakly against the headboard, her forehead soaked with cold sweat that clung to her cheeks. Beside her, Meng Yao knelt before the bed, holding a bowl of water in one hand and a cloth in the other, gently trying to feed her water and wipe the cold sweat from her forehead.
What was even more striking was that, perhaps because Xie Linyang had struggled or vomited earlier, her outer garment was somewhat loose, revealing part of her inner garment and her slender collarbone. Meng Yao's outer garment had also slipped off halfway and was draped over her arm. Under the dim candlelight, this scene added a touch of ambiguity and intimacy!
"What are you doing!" Jiang Cheng's voice was like ice exploding, filled with unbelievable rage. He rushed forward and, without saying a word, grabbed Meng Yao's wrist and yanked him away from the bedside!
Caught off guard, Meng Yao was pulled so hard that she stumbled and her back slammed heavily against the wall with a thud.
He winced in pain, but quickly regained his balance. He raised his perpetually watery eyes to look at Jiang Cheng, his tone maintaining a facade of respect and grievance, but a cold glint flashed deep within his eyes: "Young Master Jiang? What do you mean? My master is unwell, this disciple merely..."
"It's none of your business to pretend!" Jiang Cheng interrupted him sharply, his gaze sharp as knives as he looked at Meng Yao. The jealousy and worry burning in his chest almost drove him to lose his mind. "Wasn't playing the victim during the day enough to gain sympathy? Meng Yao, do you really think I can't see through all your schemes?!"
Startled awake, Xie Linyang weakly opened his eyes and saw the two facing off. He hoarsely pleaded, "Jiang Cheng... don't treat him like this... A-Yao meant well..."
"Good intentions?" This question was like a spark igniting a powder keg.
Jiang Cheng roughly grabbed Meng Yao's already half-undone collar and practically dragged him out of the room!
"Get out!"
With a loud bang, Jiang Cheng slammed the door shut, shutting out Meng Yao's face, which had instantly turned extremely gloomy but quickly transformed into a tearful expression.
The room was instantly empty except for the two of them and the faint crackling of the candlelight.
Jiang Cheng was panting heavily, his chest heaving violently. He quickly returned to the bedside and looked at Xie Linyang's weak and painful appearance. All his anger turned into overwhelming heartache and panic.
He hurriedly poured out water, held the medicine to her lips, his voice trembling slightly from lingering fear and anger: "...Eat this! That bastard Wen Chao dared to poison your food! Why did you have to test it on yourself? Now...how do you feel?"
His fingertips recoiled sharply when they touched her burning skin; the intense heat sent shivers down his spine.
"...You trust him that much?" In the darkness, Jiang Cheng's voice suddenly lowered, carrying a sob and hoarseness that even he himself was unaware of, as if he were questioning, or as if he were pleading, "That Meng Yao of unknown origin, full of scheming...you'd rather believe him than tell me you've been poisoned?"
Xie Linyang groaned in a daze and reached out to grab his sleeve, but he grabbed her fingers and pressed them down on the couch.
In the darkness, he leaned down, his forehead pressed against hers, his hot breath spraying onto her face: "Do you know that every night I stare at the little bit of moonlight that shines through the crack in your door... afraid that in the blink of an eye... you'll get hurt again for some stranger, and end up like this again... Do you know that when I see Meng Yao touch you, I want to chop his hand off?"
Xie Linyang's eyelashes trembled, and she murmured as if half-awake, "Jiang Cheng...so noisy..."
"Noisy?" He chuckled softly, his laughter filled with despair. "Then let me tell you something even noisier—"
He suddenly buried his face in the crook of her shoulder, and the warm, wet liquid soaked her clothes—his tears.
Xie Linyang was in a daze, only to feel a sudden warmth on her neck. It was him pressing his forehead against her shoulder, his heavy breath spraying onto her skin, bringing a shiver.
He suppressed his emotions, as if using all his strength, to squeeze out broken, burning words from between his teeth:
"Xie Linyang... I admit it..." He seemed to have given up all resistance, his voice hoarse, filled with a desperate urgency, "I'm jealous... I'm fucking insanely jealous!"
He suddenly raised his head, and in the dim light, his eyes, which always seemed sharp and stubborn, were now covered with a rare glimmer of tears, filled with struggle, pain, and naked emotions that could no longer be concealed.
Outside the door, Meng Yao, who had been forcibly pushed out, did not leave immediately.
He leaned against the cold wall and slowly straightened up. The whispers coming from inside the room, especially Jiang Cheng's almost out-of-control confession at the end, reached his ears word for word.
The usual docile expression on his face had vanished, replaced by an extreme coldness. Moonlight shone on half of his face, revealing a chilling and eerie smile that slowly curled at the corners of his mouth.
very good.
He turned and left, his figure disappearing into the night, leaving only a deep bloodstain on his palm.
The next morning, Xie Linyang woke up to the smell of medicine.
Her head was still a little dizzy. Her memory of last night was like being shrouded in a thick fog. She only remembered that Jiang Cheng seemed very angry, and also seemed to... cry? She shook her head and saw a bowl of warm medicine on the bedside table, with a note next to it. It was written in Jiang Cheng's strong handwriting: "Drink the medicine."
She picked up the bowl, took a sip, and frowned; it was so bitter.
Not knowing what happened last night, Xie Linyang felt that Jiang Cheng and Meng Yao were acting strangely. Before he could think about it or ask any questions, the commemorative grass burned again.
She "saw" it—
Wen Chao's arrogant face was distorted in the firelight. He brandished his whip, driving the young men of various families like livestock, forcibly taking them to a deep mountain shrouded in mist and filled with the roars of demonic beasts—Mount Muxi!
In the cold, damp cave, the stench of blood mingled with the putrid smell. The colossal body of the Slaughtering Xuanwu lay coiled in the center of the pool, its scales gleaming with an eerie blue light, its gaping maw spewing poisonous mist. Lan Wangji's white robes were stained with blood, and Wei Wuxian's eyes were red.
In the scene, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian finally join forces to defeat the demonic beast. However, a long sword, entirely black and wreathed in ominous black energy, with a strange shape, suddenly flew out from the demonic beast's body, emanating a chilling and resentful aura that sends shivers down one's spine!
That sword... seemed to be the embodiment of countless vengeful spirits! Wei Wuxian subconsciously reached out and grasped the sword in his hand!
The image began to blur, as if shrouded in a layer of blood mist. The Yin Iron Sword twisted and deformed in Wei Wuxian's hand, gradually transforming into a black token engraved with a ferocious beast head: "Yin Tiger Tally!"
"...A living person who goes in will never return, body and soul..."
"...evil and heretical forces...torn to pieces..."
"Hand over the Yin Tiger Seal! Accept your judgment!"
"Wei Wuxian's crimes are heinous and deserve a hundred deaths to atone for them!"
These words were like poisoned needles, piercing Xie Linyang's heart.
She saw Wei Wuxian standing atop a mountain of corpses and a sea of bones, his black robes billowing, the Yin Tiger Seal in his hand summoning countless vengeful spirits, the sky blood red, and the air filled with shrill screams.
He looked back, his eyes empty, devoid of the youthful spirit he once had, replaced only by cold numbness.
"No..." Xie Linyang murmured unconsciously, her fingertips gripping the memory grass tightly, the heat of the grass leaves almost burning through her skin.
The last image depicts a compromise among the various sects of the immortal cultivation world.
The Wen clan monks, wielding branding irons, hung plaques reading "Wen Clan Supervisory Office" on the gates of various clans.
There was no resistance, no alliance, only humiliation and swallowing one's anger.
Xie Linyang recalled his master's words: "If the immortal sect loses its integrity, how is it any different from demons?"
But this group of people in front of me, who clearly possess spiritual power, don't even have the courage to say "no"!
The red glow of the foliage gradually faded, returning to its ordinary emerald green, yet it remained incredibly hot.
Xie Linyang snapped back to reality, finding herself drenched in cold sweat, her clothes soaked through, her chest heaving violently, as if she had just escaped a suffocating nightmare. She slumped onto the edge of the bed, the memory grass in her hand trembling slightly, as if conveying lingering fear.
Yin Iron... Yin Tiger Seal... Ghost Path... Mass Grave...
These fragments intertwined wildly in her mind, weaving a vast net that bound her tightly. Why did Wei Wuxian create the Yin Tiger Seal? Why did he become that ghostly figure? Was it true that her colleague said he was "pushed off the Burial Mound"? Did he cultivate the demonic path voluntarily, or was he forced?
She clutched the memory grass tightly, her fingertips icy cold. The memory grass offered no answer; the future seemed shrouded in thick fog, revealing only its most menacing corner, yet enough to send shivers down her spine.
"Wei Wuxian..." she murmured the name.
The morning mist outside the window had dissipated at some point, and sunlight shone through the window frame, but it couldn't dispel the chill in her heart.
Reality arrived sooner than expected. The next day, Wen Chao arrogantly announced that he would "lead" the young men from various families to Muxi Mountain for "practical education."
Wang Lingjiao nestled beside him, smiling sweetly, but her eyes were filled with malicious glee. Meanwhile, Wen Zhuliu, the Core Formation Master, followed closely behind like a silent shadow, accompanied by dozens of imposing Wen Clan cultivators. His icy gaze swept over the crowd, bringing an invisible pressure.
The group was forced to enter the territory of Muxi Mountain. The mountain was shrouded in miasma, ancient trees reached for the sky, the light was dim, and a faint, pungent smell of decay hung in the air. The occasional roars of unknown beasts sent chills down their spines. Wen Chao, disregarding the safety of the group, roughly ordered the disciples of each family to scatter and search for the entrance to the monster's lair.
The group struggled along the rugged mountain path. In the oppressive atmosphere, Wei Wuxian, perhaps to lighten the mood or simply out of his nature, began to tease the Jin Clan's female disciple named Mianmian with a grin. Although his words were not malicious, they made the young girl blush.
Looking at Wei Wuxian's lively and vivid appearance, and then comparing it with the future figure in the Memory Grass—with its black robes billowing, empty eyes, and ghostly aura—Xie Linyang felt a sudden pang in his heart, and an indescribable bitterness and worry welled up inside him.
She couldn't help but quicken her pace to Wei Wuxian's side. Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unusual seriousness as she interrupted his joke: "Wei Wuxian."
"Hmm? Lin Yang, what's wrong?" Wei Wuxian turned his head, a smile still lingering on his face.
Xie Linyang looked directly into his eyes and asked, word by word, "If... I mean, if one day you are forced by circumstances, or for something you believe you must protect, to embark on... a path that everyone opposes, a path that everyone considers heretical, what would you do?"
The question came abruptly and with a heavy weight. Wei Wuxian's smile froze slightly, clearly stunned. Jiang Cheng, standing beside him, also frowned, looking at Xie Linyang with confusion.
Wei Wuxian touched his nose, his eyes flickered a few times, and then he regained his nonchalant demeanor, but his tone inadvertently revealed a hidden stubbornness and seriousness: "What else can I do? Just walk the path I think is right!" He shrugged, seemingly relaxed, but his next words carried a hint of coldness and determination, "If... if that day really comes and no one in the whole world is on my side... hey, then I can't guarantee what I might do."
As he said this, a habitual smirk even lingered on his lips, but a deep vortex seemed to flash across his always bright eyes.
Just then, Lan Wangji, who was walking slightly ahead, seemed to have heard their conversation. He paused almost imperceptibly and slowly turned around. His cool gaze swept over everyone and landed precisely on Wei Wuxian, giving him a deep look.
Wei Wuxian had already regained his playful demeanor and was whispering something to Jiang Cheng, which made Jiang Cheng raise his foot to kick him. But Xie Lin Yang couldn't forget his words, "I don't know what he'll do," nor could he forget the almost destructive fire in his eyes.
That wasn't a joke; it was a prophecy, the prelude to that chilling figure in the shadowy grass.
A sudden warmth filled my heart, not from fear, but from a burning determination.
She recalled the compromises made by the various sects in the shadowy grass, Wen Chao's arrogant face, and Wei Wuxian's hollow eyes when he held the Yin Iron Sword.
Why? Why should good people be driven to the brink of despair, and why should evil people act with impunity?
The ephemeral grass allows her to foresee the future, not so that she can watch tragedy unfold, but so that she can prevent it.
Xie Linyang lowered his head, concealing the murderous intent that suddenly ignited in his eyes.
Wen Chao, Wen Zhuliu...
She silently repeated those two names in her heart. "In the Shadow Grass, you were able to escape from Xuanwu Cave because no one dared to stop you, but this time, I'm here."
Even if Wei Wuxian truly embarks on the path of demonic cultivation in the future, even if he truly wields the Yin Tiger Seal and becomes an enemy of the entire cultivation world, as long as his original aspirations remain intact, as long as he does not willingly fall into darkness, she, Xie Lin Yang, will definitely stand up and become one of the people who support him. She will never let him stand alone amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, his eyes empty and numb, as she foresaw.
A clear yet dangerous plan quickly took shape in Xie Linyang's mind—she would use this trip to Xuanwu Cave to devise a scheme to keep Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu forever in the dark depths of that cave!
The thought made her heart race and her palms sweat, but her eyes grew increasingly resolute. She silently observed her surroundings, calculating possible opportunities, her gaze sweeping over the backs of Wen Chao and Wen Zhuliu ahead, cold as frost.
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