Chapter 117 One Hundred and Seventeen
Chapter Summary: [Despite his disgust, Wei Wuxian had no choice but to remain silent to avoid putting Jiang Yanli in a difficult position. ...]
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Despite his dislike, Wei Wuxian had no choice but to remain silent to avoid putting Jiang Yanli in a difficult position. Lan Wangji turned to look at him, seemingly puzzled, but Wei Wuxian didn't have time to explain. He simply put his index finger to his lips as a shushing gesture and continued watching. His pale eyes lingered on those moist, full lips for a moment before looking away.
Jin Zixuan parted the grass, revealing a stout snake-like corpse. He bent down for a moment and said, "Dead."
Jiang Yanli nodded.
Jin Zixuan said, "Measuring human snakes."
Jiang Yanli said, "What?"
Jin Zixuan said, "It's a monster that came from the southern barbarian lands. It can suddenly stand up when it encounters a person, and then it will try to out-lengthen the person. If it is longer, it will devour the person. It's nothing special, just scary to look at."
Jiang Yanli seemed confused as to why he had suddenly started explaining these things to her. Logically, she should have said something like, "Young Master Jin is learned and talented," or "Young Master Jin is calm and composed," but what he had just said was extremely basic common sense, purely making conversation. This kind of insincere flattery, so obviously hypocritical, could probably only be uttered without a trace of shame by Jin Guangyao. Jiang Yanli could only nod again. Wei Wuxian guessed she had probably been nodding the whole way.
A silence followed, the awkward atmosphere seeping through the grass and reaching the faces of the two people behind it. After a while, Jin Zixuan finally led Jiang Yanli back. However, as he walked, he said, "This one-dimensional human-snake has scales on its skin and fangs that extend beyond its lower jaw. It must be a variant, difficult for ordinary people to deal with, and even ordinary people can't pierce through its scales."
He paused, then said in a seemingly nonchalant tone, "But it's not all that great. None of the prey hunted by the Hundred Families this time were any good; they couldn't harm the people of Lanling at all."
Hearing the last two sentences, that arrogant and conceited air resurfaced, making Wei Wuxian feel displeased. He then noticed Lan Wangji staring expressionlessly at Jin Zixuan. Wei Wuxian felt slightly puzzled and followed his gaze, immediately falling silent, thinking to himself, "When did Jin Zixuan start walking with his arms and legs moving in unison?!"
Everyone: ...This is the epitome of awkward conversation.
Many people couldn't help but laugh when they saw Jin Zixuan walking with his arms and legs moving in unison. Then, seeing Jin Zixuan's face gradually turning red, they silently held back their laughter.
Let's give this arrogant young master some face.
However, Nie Huaisang and the others would not be so kind.
Jin Zixuan could hear Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang's laughter echoing in his ears, and Nie Huaisang even remarked in the middle, "It must have been hard for Miss Jiang, hahaha!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yanli couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.
That day, I was completely absorbed in pondering why Jin Zixuan's behavior was so strange. I never expected that from a third-person perspective, their conversation was not only ridiculous but also a kind of hesitation that only young people experience when they are in love.
Jiang Yanli said, "The best outcome is that no one gets hurt during the hunt."
Jin Zixuan said, "What value do prey have if it doesn't harm people? If you go to the private hunting grounds of the Lanling Jin Clan, you can see many rare prey."
Wei Wuxian inwardly scoffed: Who wants to go to your hunting grounds!
To everyone's surprise, Jin Zixuan made the decision on his own, saying, "I happen to be free next month, so I can take you there."
Jiang Yanli said softly, "Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Jin. But there's no need to trouble yourself."
Jin Zixuan was taken aback, then blurted out, "Why?"
How could one possibly answer "why" to such a question? Jiang Yanli seemed uneasy and lowered her head.
Jin Zixuan asked, "You don't like watching the hunt?"
Jiang Yanli nodded, and Jin Zixuan asked, "Then why did you come this time?"
If it weren't for Madam Jin's strong invitation, Jiang Yanli would never have come. How could she say such a thing?
Seeing Jiang Yanli remain silent, Jin Zixuan's face flushed red and then turned pale, looking extremely unpleasant. After a long pause, he finally managed to utter a harsh question: "Do you not like watching the hunt, or do you not want to be with me?"
Jiang Yanli whispered, "No..."
Wei Wuxian knew that she was afraid Jin Zixuan would invite her because of Madam Jin's wishes, but she herself didn't really want to and didn't want to force him. But Jin Zixuan had no idea about any of this. He only knew that he had never felt so humiliated in his life. Not only was it the first time in his life that he had been rejected by a girl, but it was also the first time that he had been rejected when he invited her. A murderous aura rushed to his brow. After a long while, he suddenly sneered and said, "Fine."
Jiang Yanli said, "I'm sorry."
Jin Zixuan said coldly, "What do you have to apologize for? Think what you want. Anyway, it wasn't my idea to invite you. If you don't want to, then forget it."
Wei Wuxian's blood rushed to his head. He wanted to rush out and fight Jin Zixuan again, but then he thought it was good that his sister saw his true colors and would despise him forever, never wanting to think about him again. So he suppressed his anger and decided to hold back a little longer. Jiang Yanli's lips trembled, but she didn't say anything. She bowed slightly to Jin Zixuan and said in a low voice, "Excuse me."
She turned and walked away silently, heading back alone. Jin Zixuan stood there coldly for a while, looking in another direction, then suddenly said, "Stop!"
Jiang Yanli didn't turn around, which enraged Jin Zixuan even more. He took three steps forward to grab her hand, but a dark shadow flashed before his eyes. Before he could see clearly, he was struck in the chest with a palm strike. Jin Zixuan swung his sword, staggered back several steps, and, after a moment's recollection, roared, "Wei Wuxian, it's you again!"
"Ah Li, I was wrong!" Jin Zixuan hurriedly admitted his mistake.
Turning his head, he saw Jiang Yanli deep in thought.
Jin Zixuan cautiously waved his hand in front of Jiang Yanli and asked, "Ali? What are you thinking about?"
Jiang Yanli snapped out of her reverie and smiled gently: "I was wondering if Miss Niangui had a way to preserve this celestial image for me, as a unique kind of memento. What do you think?"
Jin Zixuan: ...
He suddenly realized that Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's mischievousness was definitely not just a problem of Yunmeng's local customs. When did his A-Li become like this?
Wei Wuxian stood in front of Jiang Yanli, angrily saying, "I haven't even said anything yet, why is it you again?!"
Jin Zixuan said, "Are you crazy to attack without reason!"
Wei Wuxian slapped out and said, "That's exactly what I'm doing! What do you mean 'without cause'? What are you trying to do by grabbing my senior sister in your anger?!"
Jin Zixuan dodged the attack and returned the blow with his sword, saying, "Am I supposed to let her wander around the mountains alone if I don't catch her?!"
This sword beam was deflected by another, shooting straight into the sky. Upon seeing the newcomer, Jin Zixuan exclaimed in surprise, "Hanguang-jun?"
Lan Wangji put away Bichen and stood silently between the three. Wei Wuxian was about to step forward when Jiang Yanli grabbed him, saying, "A-Xian!..."
At the same time, a cacophony of footsteps approached. A large, imposing group of people surged into the woods, the leader shouting, "What's going on!"
It turned out that Lan Wangji and Jin Zixuan's two sword beams had pierced the sky, alarming the nearby cultivators. They immediately recognized the fight and rushed over, just in time to witness the strange standoff between the four in the forest. As fate would have it, the leader was none other than Jin Zixun, who said, "Zixuan, this Wei fellow is causing you trouble again?!"
Jin Zixuan said, "This is none of your business, don't worry about it!" Seeing Wei Wuxian pulling Jiang Yanli away again, he said, "Stop!"
Wei Wuxian said, "You really want to fight? Fine!"
Jin Zixun said, "Hey Wei, what exactly do you mean by targeting Zixuan time and time again?"
Wei Wuxian glanced at him and asked, "Who are you?"
Jin Zixun was taken aback, then flew into a rage: "You don't even know who I am?!"
Wei Wuxian asked curiously, "Why would I need to know who you are?"
Not only did Wei Wuxian not remember who Jin Zixun was, but everyone in the space was also stunned.
Who is this person?
Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the man bore a striking resemblance to Jin Zixuan, and it was then realized that he was Jin Zixuan's cousin.
At the very beginning of the Sunshot Campaign, Jin Zixun was forced to remain at the rear due to injury. He hadn't witnessed Wei Wuxian's actions on the front lines firsthand, relying mostly on hearsay, which he dismissed as exaggerated. Just now, Wei Wuxian's whistle summoned evil spirits from the mountains, causing them to lose several fierce corpses they had almost hunted, wasting their efforts—this already displeased him. Now, Wei Wuxian's direct questioning of his identity only fueled his inexplicable resentment: he recognized Wei Wuxian, yet Wei Wuxian dared not recognize him and even dared to ask him in public, as if he had lost face. The more he thought about it, the more indignant he became. Just as he was about to speak, flashes of golden light appeared in the air, signaling the arrival of the second group.
The group descended on their swords, landing smoothly. Leading them was a woman of strikingly beautiful features, her profile subtly conveying a sense of strength. She moved with a dashing and heroic air while riding her sword, and with an elegant and graceful demeanor as she moved slowly. Jin Zixun said, "Auntie!"
Jin Zixuan was taken aback and said, "Mother! Why are you here?" Then he realized that he and Lan Wangji's sword beams had already reached the sky, and Madam Jin had seen it from the hunting platform, so naturally she wouldn't have left. He looked at the several Lanling Jin Clan cultivators who had come with his mother and said, "Why did you bring so many people? The hunting is none of your business."
Madam Jin retorted, "Don't flatter yourself! Who said I came here to see you!"
She caught sight of Jiang Yanli huddled behind Wei Wuxian, and her expression instantly softened. She stepped forward, took Jiang Yanli's hand, and said softly, "A-Li, why are you like this?"
Jiang Yanli said, "Thank you, Madam, I'm fine."
Madam Jin, being very perceptive, asked, "Did that brat bully you again?"
Jiang Yanli quickly replied, "No."
Jin Zixuan flinched, seemingly wanting to speak but then stopping himself. Madam Jin, unaware of her son's temperament, immediately guessed what was going on and flew into a rage, yelling at him, "Jin Zixuan! Are you trying to kill me?! What did you tell me before we came out?!"
Jin Zixuan said, "Me!..."
Wei Wuxian said, "Regardless of what your son said to you, Madam Jin, from now on he and my senior sister will go their separate ways!"
He was in a fit of anger, and his words were rather impolite. Fortunately, Madam Jin was only focused on comforting Jiang Yanli and didn't dwell on it. However, while she was unconcerned, someone else seized the opportunity to lash out. Jin Zixun shouted, "Wei Wuxian, my aunt is your elder. Isn't it a bit too arrogant of you to speak like that?"
Seeing that Wei Wuxian was still unconscious, Jiang Fengmian turned around and bowed to Madam Jin: "Although there was a reason for this, A-Ying's words were indeed inappropriate. When he wakes up later, he will definitely apologize to you, Madam."
Madam Jin was reasonable. After hearing the whole story, she knew that her son's stubborn temper must have upset A-Li. In addition, Wei Wuxian was extremely protective of his sister, so his words back then were not entirely rude. On the contrary, Zixuan was at fault for not taking good care of A-Li.
However… Madam Jin’s expression darkened as she looked at Kim Ja-hoon in the sky.
She had initially thought that this boy was arrogant and disrespectful, but since he was related to Jin Zixuan by blood and Jin Guangshan had also put him in charge of some affairs, she didn't pay much attention to him.
Who knew things would turn out this way?
Everyone around agreed, and they all chimed in. Wei Wuxian said, "I'm not targeting Madam Jin. Your cousin has repeatedly spoken ill of my senior sister. If my Yunmeng Jiang Clan could tolerate this, we wouldn't deserve to call ourselves a noble family! Where is our arrogance?"
Jin Zixun sneered, "Where is your arrogance? What part of you isn't arrogant? On this grand day of the Hundred Families Hunt, you've certainly shown off quite a bit, haven't you? You've taken 30% of the prey by yourself, aren't you feeling quite proud of yourself?"
Lan Wangji tilted his head slightly and said, "Thirty percent of the prey?"
Although the hundred or so people who came with Jin Zixun all had deep resentment on their faces, when Lan Wangji, who was rumored to have a very bad relationship with Wei Wuxian, spoke up as if asking a question, someone immediately said impatiently: "Hanguang-jun, you don't know yet, do you? Just now when we were hunting in Baifeng Mountain, we searched for a long time and found that there wasn't a single fierce corpse or vengeful spirit left in the hunting grounds!"
"We sent someone to ask Lianfangzun at the hunting platform and learned that less than half an hour after the hunt began, a flute melody came from Baifeng Mountain. Then, almost all the fierce corpses and vengeful spirits walked into the Yunmeng Jiang Clan's camp one after another and walked into their trap!"
"Of the three main types of prey in Hundred Phoenix Mountain, only demons and monsters remain now..."
"As for the ghosts, they have all been summoned away by Wei Wuxian alone..."
Jin Zixun said, "You completely disregard others and only care about yourself. Isn't that arrogant enough?"
Wei Wuxian suddenly realized. It turned out it was all just a pretext. He laughed, "Didn't you say? What's an opening arrow? Let's see who's the real deal on the night hunt."
"Thirty percent of the prey?"
Nie Huaisang listened to Lan Wangji's question from the shadowy figure in the sky and repeated it. After thinking for a while, he suddenly spoke:
"Didn't my elder brother also manage to catch 30% of the prey during that hunt at Baifeng Mountain?"
Upon hearing this, the space, which had been filled with whispers, fell completely silent.
Yes, I remember when the game was finally counted, the Jiang and Nie families had almost the same amount of prey. Some people even cheered for Nie Mingjue and praised the patriarch of the Nie family for his heroic and extraordinary deeds.
In the same hunting ground, and with only one person's strength.
But why does this incident become arrogance and conceit when it happens to Wei Wuxian?
Ultimately, it's nothing more than those who are less skilled but refuse to admit their incompetence desperately making excuses for themselves, unable to bear seeing a young man who has just come of age surpass them and stand out, and taking advantage of the fact that the Jiang family had just been rebuilt and Wei Wuxian only had the young Jiang Cheng as his backer to bully the weak and fear the strong.
However, apart from the four major families, few people present dared to criticize those in Tianying who echoed them. Who could say that they weren't one of them back then?
Jin Zixun chuckled, seemingly finding it amusing, and said, "What you're relying on is nothing but evil and crooked methods, not real skill. Playing a few notes on the flute is nothing special."
Wei Wuxian asked in surprise, "I didn't use any tricks or schemes, so why doesn't it count? You could also play a few notes on your flute and see if any fierce corpses or vengeful spirits would go with you."
Jin Zixun said, "Your disregard for the rules is hardly better than resorting to scheming and trickery!"
Hearing this, Lan Wangji frowned. Madam Jin seemed to only then notice the argument and said calmly, "Zixun, that's enough."
Wei Wuxian was too lazy to argue with him and laughed, "Alright, I don't even know what true skill is anymore. Please show me what it is and let me see it."
If he could win, Jin Zixun wouldn't be so frustrated right now. He choked for a moment, growing angrier the more he thought about it, and mocked, "But it's no wonder you don't think you've done anything wrong. This isn't the first time Young Master Wei has broken the rules. You didn't wear a sword at the last flower banquet or this hunting party. On such a grand occasion, you don't show any manners at all. Where do you put those of us who attended with you?"
Wei Wuxian ignored him and turned to Lan Wangji, saying, "Lan Zhan, I forgot to mention, you blocked that sword for me just now, thanks."
Seeing Wei Wuxian's dismissive attitude, Jin Zixun gritted his teeth and said, "The Yunmeng Jiang Clan's upbringing is nothing special!"
These words immediately caused an uproar in the Jiang family's policy.
Yu Ziyuan was even more furious: "How dare a mere child judge the upbringing of my Jiang family?!"
Even though she wasn't close to Wei Wuxian and often scolded and beat him, she believed she had never mistreated him in terms of life or education.
Which member of the Jiang family isn't better than Jin Zixun?
Madam Jin's brows furrowed, and she scolded, "Zixun!"
Upon hearing this, Wei Wuxian's smile vanished.
He asked, "Home education?"
He slowly turned around and said, "Evil and heretical path?"
Lan Wangji said in a deep voice, "Wei Ying."
Jin Zixun and the others also sensed the unusual atmosphere and held their breath, watching him. Wei Wuxian smiled again and said, "Want to know why I don't carry a sword? I might as well tell you."
He turned around and said, word by word, "Because I want you to know that even without a sword, I can still leave you all far behind with what you call 'heretical and unorthodox methods'."
Upon hearing this, almost everyone present was stunned.
No other scion of a noble family had ever dared to utter such arrogant words in front of so many people. After a long while, Jin Zixun finally came to his senses and shouted, "Wei Wuxian! You're just the son of a servant, how dare you be so arrogant!!!"
Not to mention everyone in the space, even the elders like Lan Qiren and Jiang Fengmian were quite shocked by Wei Wuxian's words.
However, upon further reflection, he realized that although Wei Wuxian's words were not humble, he was not wrong.
Everyone here has experienced the pain and despair of Wei Wuxian's core removal and his miraculous survival at Burial Mound. Yet, they only endured it for a few short hours. Wei Wuxian, on the other hand, not only suffered this pain every moment for those months, but also had to bear all the consequences of that pain.
Now he's just using his own methods to try and make the Jiang family, which was weak and vulnerable after the great calamity, respected by all the major and minor cultivation families. Is that wrong?
They didn't even realize that since arriving in the Heavenly Realm, their acceptance of the Ghost Path had been increasing.
But what about all those people from before?
Even Jin Zixun, who wasn't even a direct descendant, could blurt out "son of a servant" to Wei Wuxian, who was the eldest direct disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang Clan.
It must be admitted that Wei Wuxian was exceptionally intelligent and talented. Even without his golden core, he was able to transform himself back into a powerful figure who made everyone feel inferior. As people who had been born with mediocre talent for decades, they naturally could not accept that a young cultivator could surpass their years of hard work in a short period of time, and even threaten their status and interests.
However, they disguised this jealousy in the name of justice, using the excuse that Wei Wuxian was practicing unorthodox methods to deepen people's prejudice against him and to severely belittle him.
As a young man, Wei Wuxian was flamboyant and unconventional. After experiencing great changes, he preferred to do things his own way. This genius, who refused to conform, was constantly besieged by public criticism for the slightest thing that displeased them, with the banner of morality always weighing heavily on him. Having acted so much, he began to believe it himself; having proclaimed justice for so long, he forgot whether his justice was genuine or not.
All of this stemmed from their jealousy and resentment. Why was it that the brilliant young man was the one who ultimately suffered all of this?
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