Chapter 111 One Hundred and Eleven
Chapter Summary: [At first, he listened with interest to the young couple's casual chatter, but suddenly…]
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He had been quite interested in the young couple's casual chatter at first, but suddenly, his head felt incredibly heavy, and he couldn't lift it to see Lan Wangji's expression. He couldn't hear a word the couple said after that.
Just then, a terrifying roar suddenly erupted outside the farmhouse. The family of three, who had been chatting and laughing as they ate, were so startled by the inhuman roar that they dropped a bowl, and the child began to cry. The young man grabbed a hoe and cried, "Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid!"
Not only were they startled, but even Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian flinched slightly. Lan Wangji was about to get up. Wei Wuxian, however, had a sudden thought and grabbed Lan Wangji's clothes, saying, "Don't move."
Lan Wangji slightly opened his eyes. The roar clearly indicated an extremely ferocious and malevolent creature; if the farmer were to deal with it alone, he would surely perish. Wei Wuxian, however, said again, "Don't move."
Wei Wuxian didn't dare look at Lan Wangji's expression, but everyone else saw it, though they couldn't understand it.
All that could be seen was Lan Wangji's pale eyes fixed intently on Wei Wuxian, not because he was afraid Wei Wuxian would run away, but because he was afraid Wei Wuxian would be unhappy.
However, Wei Wuxian always hid his true feelings well in front of him, and at this moment, the smile in his eyes gradually faded.
He knew that Wei Wuxian was very sad, but being bad with words, he had no idea how to comfort him.
The crowd either listened to the young couple's casual conversation or pondered the silence between them.
The sudden roar startled me so much that my soul almost left my body.
Everyone: ...What the heck is this?!
A scream erupted from the courtyard, followed by an even louder, inhuman roar. It was incredibly close; the thing had already entered. Lan Wangji could no longer remain still. He drew his sword, Bichen, with lightning speed, but the three members of the farmhouse had already fled, screaming as they ran. The haystacks were cleaved by Bichen, and amidst the swirling straw, a pitch-black creature stood in the courtyard. Its disheveled hair and sprawling horns made it look both terrifying and comical. Lan Wangji had never seen such a monster before and was slightly startled. Wei Wuxian spoke up, saying, "Wen Ning, it's been so many years since you've uttered a sound; your screams are becoming increasingly frightening."
The dark monster spoke in a human voice, saying helplessly, "Young master... I am, after all, a fierce corpse. When fierce corpses cry out... it's always like this."
Wei Wuxian patted him on the shoulder and said, "Your momentum is impressive."
Wen Ning glanced at Lan Wangji, perhaps remembering that the Gusu Lan Clan disliked those who were unkempt, and nervously smoothed his hair. Wei Wuxian, seeing the pile of twigs stuck in his head and body, and his miserable appearance, plucked one out and said, "Why did you suddenly appear? And why are you all dressed like this? Were you robbed? What's that on your face?"
Wen Ning said, "Your faces were covered in dust and mud from the ground... I saw you go in and didn't come out for a long time..."
Wei Wuxian asked, "Have you been following us the whole time?"
Wen Ning nodded, and Wei Wuxian understood. Wen Ning dared not see anyone other than him, so after they left Cloud Recesses, he secretly followed them. Seeing them enter the farmhouse and remain silent for a long time, he eavesdropped and overheard the young couple discussing him. Feeling awkward, he tried to scare them away so that he and Lan Wangji would come out. Perhaps feeling that his original appearance lacked intimidation, he then smeared a bunch of random things on his face and body.
Everyone: ...
Wen...Wen Ning? Is this the Ghost General?
The Ghost General, who was originally awe-inspiring and ruthless killer, is now a mud figure made of straw and branches, and doesn't look very smart at all.
Then a cultivator overheard his junior saying, "Looking at it this way, the Ghost General is so cute."
Elders: ...These brats have forgotten everything I taught you since they were little!
Wei Wuxian almost laughed himself to death. Wen Ning was wiping the mud off himself with a look of shame when Wei Wuxian suddenly noticed that his hands were covered in blood and asked, "What happened?"
Wen Ning said, "Oh, it's nothing..."
Lan Wangji said, "Bloody."
Wei Wuxian then noticed that Wen Ning did indeed smell of blood, and his heart skipped a beat. Wen Ning quickly waved his hand and said, "It's not blood! No, it is blood, but not the blood of a living person."
Wei Wuxian asked, "Not a living person? Have you fought with anything?"
Wen Ning led them for a while until they came to a wild forest. There were twenty or thirty fresh earthen graves in the forest, and a half-dug pit next to it. Beside the pit was a pile of corpses. It was described as a pile rather than a pile because the corpses were all scattered and dismembered. Wei Wuxian went forward to examine them. Some of the severed limbs were still open and closed, and some of the skulls were still clenching their teeth, making a grinding sound. They had already become zombies.
Wei Wuxian said, "You broke this quite badly."
Wen Ning said, "If they're not broken into such pieces, they'll keep biting people, and there's no way to stop them. There are these ferocious corpses all along the way..."
Wei Wuxian asked, "The whole way? Did you manage to take care of all these things ahead of us the whole way?"
Wen Ning nodded hesitantly. His ability to identify his own kind was stronger and wider than that of the living. If that was the case, no wonder their journey had been so smooth. Wei Wuxian had been wondering why they hadn't encountered a single fierce corpse, given that a large number of them were supposed to be gathering in Yiling. It turned out Wen Ning had cleared all the obstacles first. Wei Wuxian asked, "When did you join us?"
Lan Wangji said, "Jinlintai."
Wei Wuxian looked at Wen Ning, and Lan Wangji said, "That day when the cultivators from various sects intercepted and fought, he lent a helping hand."
Wei Wuxian sighed, "Didn't I tell you to find a place to hide and not worry about anything for now?"
Wen Ning smiled wryly, "But young master... where can I hide?"
Before, he had a place to return to, and other people to follow. But now, in this world, everyone except Wei Wuxian is a complete stranger to him.
When they saw that Wen Ning's hands were stained with blood, the elders of the children who had just praised Wen Ning for being cute were about to teach their own children a lesson, to see clearly that even if the Ghost General's behavior was strange and stupid, he was still a person who killed indiscriminately.
However, before he could slap the younger generation on the head, Wen Ning revealed the truth.
It turned out that the one they killed was a fierce corpse.
Hands hung awkwardly in the air, then sheepishly withdrew.
Everyone: ...This Ghost General, how could he even kill his own kind? He's truly... ruthless.
She gently patted her younger brother's head.
Wei Wuxian was right. Wen Ning was not suited to appear in front of everyone so casually, and it wasn't just because his identity as the Ghost General made him hateful.
Wen Ning was weak by nature. When he was in the Wen clan, he could stay in Wen Qing's courtyard, help his sister brew medicine and organize medical books. Later, when the Wen clan fell, he was sent to the Burial Mound. After he woke up, he helped his fourth uncle and grandmother with chores every day and followed Wei Wuxian down the mountain to sell radishes. Wei Wuxian and Wen Qing took care of everything for him.
Now that he has regained consciousness, there is no warmth, no Burial Mound as a place to temporarily rest. When Wei Wuxian also wants to let him leave alone to live in seclusion, he doesn't know where to go.
Thirteen years have passed, and everything has changed.
But the only thing that remains unchanged is the human heart.
Wen Ning shouldn't have tried to touch these filthy human hearts.
After a moment of silence, Wei Wuxian stood up, dusted off the hem of his clothes, and said, "Bury it."
Wen Ning nodded hurriedly and continued digging the half-dug hole. Lan Wangji drew his sword, Bichen, and with a burst of sword energy, dirt flew up, and a crack appeared in the ground. Wei Wuxian said, "Hanguang-jun, are you here to dig graves too?"
Lan Wangji turned around, about to speak, when he saw Wen Ning standing behind him, forcing a smile with his stiff lips, and said, "...Young Master Lan, do you need any help? I've finished digging here."
Lan Wangji glanced behind him; rows of dark, gaping pits, piled high and neatly. Wen Ning maintained his "smile" and added, "I do this all the time. I'm experienced. Quick."
As for who made him "do this kind of thing so often," it goes without saying.
Seeing Wen Ning's simple and honest appearance, Lan Jingyi and the other younger members couldn't help but cover their mouths and chuckle.
"Wei Wuxian!"
Wen Qing's already expressionless face grew even more gloomy. Looking at Wei Wuxian sleeping in Lan Wangji's arms, she gritted her teeth and spat out three words.
If it weren't for the fact that he was still unconscious, I would have chopped him up!
To dare to make Wen Ning do this kind of work of digging pits and burying corpses, they must be tired of living.
Still angry, Wen Qing kicked Wei Wuxian's butt, which wasn't blocked by Lan Wangji.
Wei Wuxian groaned softly while unconscious, and Lan Wangji hugged him even tighter upon seeing this.
Wen Qing couldn't help but roll her eyes: Just because Lan Wangji spoils you.
After a moment of silence, Lan Wangji said, "No need. You go help..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly realized that Wei Wuxian hadn't moved at all, remaining squatting nearby watching. He'd casually grabbed a melon when he left the farmhouse and now seemed to be pondering how to cut it. Seeing Lan Wangji's scrutinizing gaze, he said, "Hanguang-jun, don't look at me like that. I'm just out of supplies and my spiritual power is low, you know? Everyone has their specialty, that's for sure. He's the fastest at digging graves. Why don't we discuss how to eat this melon? Bichen's been used to dig up the grave soil, so it's probably unusable for now. Does anyone have any spare knives or swords?"
Wen Ning shook her head: "I'm sorry, I didn't bring any."
Wei Wuxian said, "Hanguang-jun, um, is Suibian on you?"
Lan Wangji: "..."
In the end, he still drew Suibian from his Qiankun Sleeve. Wei Wuxian grabbed a watermelon in one hand and a sword in the other, twirled the sword, and swiftly sliced the small watermelon into eight pieces. After finishing, he squatted on the ground, eating watermelon while watching them diligently dig the grave.
Seeing Lan Wangji's discomfiture, Lan Xichen laughed first: "As expected of Wuxian, with him around, Wangji's life is more interesting."
The cultivators behind them, seeing that Lan Xichen did not blame Wei Wuxian at all, thought to themselves: Zewu-jun, this man is directing Hanguang-jun to do things, aren't you going to do anything about it?
But they didn't realize how comforting it was to see their younger brother with someone who could gradually make him more down-to-earth.
Over there, Wen Ning dug a row of identical pits within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. As he placed the scattered corpses into them, he said, "I'm very sorry, everyone. I can no longer distinguish whose corpse is whose. If there are any mistakes, please don't take offense..."
After finishing their meal and burying the remaining corpses, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji continued their journey.
A few days later, the two arrived in Yiling.
The mass grave was less than ten miles in front of the town. Although he didn't know what was waiting for them there, Wei Wuxian could sense that it was definitely not a good thing.
But Lan Wangji was right beside him, his steps steady, his gaze indifferent. Wei Wuxian, who never really felt threatened, couldn't muster any nervousness looking at such a person. Wandering through the small town of Yiling, surrounded by the familiar local dialect, he felt refreshed and incredibly at ease. Even though he wasn't buying anything, he couldn't help but strike up conversations with the street vendors in the local language. Satisfied, he finally turned around and said, "Hanguang-jun, you remember this town, right?"
Lan Wangji nodded slightly and said, "I remember."
Wei Wuxian laughed and said, "I knew your memory was better than mine. We met once before in this town. It just so happened that you came to Yiling for a night hunt, and I said I would treat you to a meal. Do you remember that?"
Lan Wangji said, "I remember."
Wei Wuxian said, "But I'm ashamed to say that you ended up paying the bill, haha!"
He sat cross-legged on the donkey, swaying back and forth, and said casually, "Speaking of which, Lord Hanguang, do you have any plans to retire into seclusion?"
Lan Wangji paused slightly, seemingly pondering for a moment. Wei Wuxian pressed on, asking, "Have you thought about what you'll do after you retire into seclusion?"
Lan Wangji looked at him and said, "I haven't thought of that yet."
Seeing her younger brother acting so foolishly, Wenqing sighed and facepalmed.
Wei Wuxian can only boss these two around; one is a fool, and the other has fallen into the trap of love.
As the two continued chatting, everyone noticed that their conversations always veered off into completely different topics.
Looking at him now, Wei Wuxian's words and actions seemed to be enticing Lan Wangji, and there was a hint of ill intent in them.
really……
Wei Wuxian thought to himself, "Perfect timing! I've thought of everything for you." He wanted to find a secluded, picturesque place to build a large house, and he could also build one for Lan Wangji next door, providing two dishes and a soup every day. Of course, it would be best if Lan Wangji cooked, otherwise, they'd only be able to eat his cooking. The accounts should also be managed by Lan Wangji. He even pictured Lan Wangji wearing coarse cloth clothes, patches on his chest and knees, sitting expressionlessly at a handmade wooden table, counting money one by one, before heading out to work with a hoe. And he... he... what would he be doing?
Wei Wuxian seriously considered what he should do. People say firewood, rice, oil, salt, weaving, and farming; the land is already cultivated, so all that's left is weaving. The thought of himself sitting cross-legged at the loom, shaking his leg, was truly creepy. It's better to let him carry a hoe; letting Lan Wangji weave is more suitable. Fishing and farming by day, hunting with a sword at night, slaying demons and monsters—when he gets tired of that, he can pretend he never retired and re-enter the world. But indeed, he's still missing a little something…
Lan Wangji suddenly asked, "What's so little about it?"
Everyone: ...
More PDA! More PDA! Just fall for his tricks!
Not to mention Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang, even the younger generation like Lan Jingyi and Jin Ling looked at Wei Wuxian with an indescribable expression.
If I remember correctly, we're not even together yet, so why are you thinking so far ahead?
They would also weave cloth and farm. Whether it was Wei Wuxian or Lan Wangji weaving cloth, the thought of this scene made them feel nauseous.
However, they had no idea what Lan Wangji was thinking at that moment.
Lan Wangji looked down at the person in his arms again.
He hadn't expected Wei Ying to care so much about whether or not there was a child.
But if Wei Ying really likes children, he should consider whether he should ask his brother to see how to adopt a junior from a collateral branch after leaving here.
Of course, once adopted, Wei Wuxian couldn't raise the child; otherwise, he might bury the child in the ground again if he didn't see him for a moment.
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