Chapter 20, Part 20
Chapter Summary: [He argued forcefully: "Wei Wuxian is a renowned handsome man, what is this you drew?! Don't draw randomly if you haven't seen the real person, you're misleading young people."]
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He argued forcefully: "Wei Wuxian is a famously handsome man. What is this you drew?! Don't draw things if you haven't seen the real person. You're misleading people."
Just as the doctor was about to speak, Wei Wuxian suddenly felt a gust of wind coming from behind him and dodged it.
He dodged it, but the quack doctor was thrown out, knocking over a roadside windmill stall. People were frantically trying to pick it up. The doctor was about to curse, but when he saw that the person who kicked him was a young master adorned with dazzling gold, clearly wealthy and noble, his arrogance subsided. Then, seeing the young man's chest embroidered with gold stars, snow waves, and white peonies, he completely lost his temper. But unwilling to accept being kicked for no reason, he weakly asked, "Why did you kick me?"
The young master was none other than Jin Ling. He crossed his arms and said coldly, "Kick you? Anyone who dares to mention 'Wei Wuxian' in front of me should be kneeling down and thanking me for not killing him. And you're still yelling and shouting like a banshee in the street. You're asking for death!"
Wei Wuxian hadn't expected Jin Ling to appear here, much less his arrogant behavior. He thought to himself, "I don't know what's wrong with this kid's temperament. He's short-tempered, violent, spoiled, willful, and arrogant. He's learned all the bad traits from his uncle and father, but not a single good thing from his mother. If I don't teach him a lesson, he'll suffer a great loss sooner or later." Seeing that Jin Ling seemed to have vented his anger and took two steps closer to the person on the ground, he interjected, "Jin Ling!"
The doctor dared not utter a sound, his eyes filled with gratitude. Jin Ling indeed turned to Wei Wuxian, saying contemptuously, "You haven't run away yet? Good."
Wei Wuxian laughed and said, "Oh dear, I really don't know who was it that was pinned to the ground and couldn't get up last time?"
Jin Ling chuckled and whistled a short whistle. Wei Wuxian didn't understand its meaning at first, but a moment later, a series of heavy, panting sounds, like those of a beast, suddenly came from afar.
He turned his head and saw a black-maned hound, about half his height, emerge from the street corner and rush straight at him. Screams rose and fell along the street, each one closer and louder than the last: "A vicious dog is biting someone!"
Wei Wuxian's expression changed drastically, and he turned and ran.
To his shame, the Yiling Patriarch, despite his reputation for being invincible, was actually a coward at the sight of dogs. This was unavoidable; before Jiang Fengmian took him in as a child, he roamed the wild, often snatching food from the jaws of vicious dogs. After numerous fights and chases, he suffered many losses and gradually developed a terrifying fear of dogs of all sizes, for which Jiang Cheng often mocked him. This story was not only shameful to tell, but few would believe it, hence its limited circulation. Wei Wuxian was almost scared out of his wits when he suddenly saw a tall, elegant white figure and cried out in anguish, "Lan Zhan, save me!"
? ? ? ?
Everyone in the space stared wide-eyed at Wei Wuxian as he turned and ran away.
Wei Wuxian is afraid of dogs? The Yiling Patriarch is actually afraid of dogs?!
As soon as the dog barked, the Yiling Patriarch in the space also jumped up almost simultaneously, reaching a height of three feet, shouting:
"Lan Zhan!!!"
Lan Wangji quickly pulled him into his arms, covered his ears with his hands, and gently comforted him.
puff
Jin Ling, Lan Jingyi, and the other juniors couldn't help but burst out laughing, and Jiang Yanli, Lan Xichen, and the others also couldn't help but smile.
Jiang Cheng roared with a look of utter despair, "Alright! You're scared like this by just an image? Lan Wangji must have spoiled you rotten!"
Lan Wangji immediately glared at Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng was so angry he couldn't breathe, he was like a pufferfish.
Hearing Wei Wuxian's inner grumbling, Jin Zixuan glared at him and said, "What do you mean by 'learned all the bad things about his uncle and father, but not a single good thing about his mother'? Wei Wuxian, explain yourself!"
Seeing that the barking had stopped, Wei Wuxian immediately resumed his lively and energetic self, glancing sideways at Jin Zixuan: "Did I say something wrong? Don't you have a bad temper, aren't aggressive, aren't arrogant, aren't willful, and aren't conceited? Besides, is it any of your business if I praise my senior sister?"
Jin Zixuan: ...died of breath.
They were bickering happily when suddenly a voice came from behind:
"If I had known it would turn out like this, wouldn't it have been better to bring a pack of dogs when we raided the mass grave?"
The four major families fell silent instantly.
A group of people looked at the group in the middle, silently wondering: Who gave you the audacity to make such a bold suggestion?
As expected, Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng, Jiang Yanli, Jiang Fengmian and the others immediately turned cold.
Jiang Cheng's expression changed from the speechless look he had when he looked at Wei Wuxian to a sinister one: "Anyone who dares to have such thoughts again, I don't mind letting you taste the mad dog feast of my Yunmeng Jiang Clan. Anyone want to try?"
The space fell silent instantly. Jiang Cheng's stunned expression sent chills down anyone's spine.
Wei Wuxian pulled him down, his face expressionless. He was used to this situation anyway, but seeing his family and friends around him worrying about him, he felt a warmth in his heart.
Jin Ling caught up and, upon seeing Lan Wangji, was horrified: "How come this madman is with him again?!" Lan Wangji was a serious and unsmiling man; even many of his peers in the cultivation world were intimidated by him, let alone these juniors. His intimidation power surpassed even that of Lan Qiren in his prime. The dog, having undergone rigorous training, was no ordinary animal and possessed great intelligence. It seemed to know that it couldn't act wildly in front of this man, barking a few times before tucking its tail between its legs and hiding behind Jin Ling.
This black-maned spirit dog was a precious gift from Jin Guangyao to Jin Ling. Ordinary people, upon hearing it was a gift from Lianfang-zun, would dare to be disrespectful. However, Lan Wangji was no ordinary person. He didn't care who the giver was or who was running the dog; he would punish them severely without exception. When Jin Ling was caught chasing someone in the street with the dog, his heart sank. He thought to himself, "I'm doomed! He'll definitely kill this spirit dog I've worked so hard to train and then give me a good beating!"
Unexpectedly, Wei Wuxian plunged into Lan Wangji's arms, crawling behind him, wishing he could climb up his tall, slender frame as high as the sky. Lan Wangji, encircled by Wei Wuxian's arms, seemed to freeze in place. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Jin Ling whistled twice and fled in panic with his black-maned spirit dog.
The doctor on the ground struggled to his feet, still shaken, and said, "The world is going to the dogs! These days, the scions of noble families are truly something else! Truly something else!"
Hearing the dog barking fade into the distance, Wei Wuxian also circled around from behind Lan Wangji, casually agreeing with his hands behind his back: "Indeed, the world is going to the dogs, and people's hearts are no longer what they used to be."
The doctor now regarded him as his savior, and repeatedly echoed his words. To express his gratitude, he tossed the stack of "Yiling Patriarch's Evil-Suppressing Maps" into Wei Wuxian's hands like a hot potato: "Brother, thank you for earlier! Consider this a token of my gratitude. You can sell them at a discount, three coins each, and you can make a total of three hundred."
Lan Wangji glanced at the burly man with a blue face and fangs in the portrait, offering no comment. Wei Wuxian, seeing his price dropping lower and lower, was both amused and exasperated: "Is this a thank-you gift? If you really want to thank me, at least make the portrait look good! ...Wait, don't go! I have something to ask you. Have you heard of any strange things while you're doing business here? Or seen any unusual phenomena?"
The doctor said, "Strange thing? You've come to the right person. I've been stationed here for many years and am known as the 'Know-It-All of Qinghe.' What kind of strange thing is it?"
Wei Wuxian said, "For example, demons causing trouble, bizarre dismemberment cases, and massacres of entire families."
The doctor said, "There is none here, but if you go five or six miles ahead, there is a mountain ridge called Xinglu Ridge. I advise you not to go there."
Wei Wuxian asked, "What do you mean?"
The doctor said, "This Xinglu Ridge also has a nickname, 'Man-Eating Ridge,' what do you mean by that?"
Man-Eating Ridge?
Everyone was completely confused.
When Nie Mingjue saw this, his sharp gaze turned to Nie Huaisang.
As expected, the latter covered the fan again.
Nie Mingjue: ...
Nie Huaisang watched Nie Mingjue turn her head away, inwardly groaning: "Miss Niangui, could you please block out those things from me from now on? If my elder brother finds out I revealed what happened at Xinglu Ridge, will I even be able to keep this leg?"
Wei Wuxian said, "Oh, so there are man-eating demons lurking there?"
He had heard similar legends at least a thousand times, and had personally eliminated them hundreds of times, so he couldn't help but feel bored. The doctor's tone rose and fell as he said, "That's right! It is said that in that forest, there is a 'man-eating fortress' where man-eating monsters live. Anyone who accidentally wanders in will be devoured by them until not even bone fragments are left, and no corpse will be found, without exception! Terrifying, isn't it?"
No wonder Jin Ling is here. He failed to defeat the Soul-Eating Goddess of Dafan Mountain last time, so he must be here for the monsters on Xinglu Ridge this time too. Wei Wuxian said, "How terrifying! But since there's not even a bone fragment left, and no corpses can be found, how do we know they were eaten?"
The doctor was speechless for a moment, then said, "Of course someone saw it."
Wei Wuxian said admiringly, "But didn't you just say that anyone who accidentally wanders in will be devoured until there are no bone fragments left, without exception? Then who spread this rumor? They are so powerful that they can see such a scene and still come out alive to spread the message?"
"..." The doctor said, "That's just what the rumors say, how would I know?"
Wei Wuxian: "Do you know how many people were eaten on Xinglu Ridge? When were they eaten? How old were they? Male or female? What were their names? Where did they live?"
Doctor: "I don't know."
Wei Wuxian: "The All-Knowing Scholar of Qinghe? Hmm?"
The doctor angrily hoisted his basket onto his shoulder and shouted, "These rumors were never true!"
Wei Wuxian chuckled and said, "No, no, no, don't go. Let me ask you one more question. Xinglu Ridge is still within Qinghe territory, right? Isn't Qinghe the territory of the Nie family? If there really is a man-eating monster lurking in Xinglu Ridge, will they just sit idly by and do nothing?"
Unexpectedly, this time, the doctor didn't answer "I don't know" again, but instead showed a hint of contempt: "The Nie family? If it were the Nie family of yesteryear, of course they wouldn't sit idly by. The day after such a rumor spread, they would have swiftly raided the place where the evil spirits roamed. But now, the head of the Nie family, hehe, isn't he the one who 'knows nothing'?"
The original head of the Qinghe Nie Clan was Chifeng-zun Nie Mingjue. After his father, the previous head of the clan, was angered to death by Wen Ruohan, the head of the Qishan Wen Clan, Nie Mingjue took over the Nie Clan before he even reached adulthood, known for his upright and forceful style. He was sworn brothers with Zewu-jun Lan Xichen and Lianfang-zun Jin Guangyao. After the Sunshot Campaign, under his leadership, the Nie Clan enjoyed a period of glory and power that rivaled that of the Lanling Jin Clan. However, after he suffered a cultivation mishap and died publicly from a blood explosion, his younger brother Nie Huaisang undoubtedly succeeded him as head of the clan. Wei Wuxian asked, "So you call him 'I know nothing'?"
The doctor said, "Don't you know this story? This Master Nie, when people ask him what he doesn't know, he won't say, and when he does know, he dares not say. If they press him hard, he shakes his head repeatedly, crying and saying, 'I don't know, I don't know, I really don't know!' begging them to let him go. Isn't that being completely clueless?"
Back then, Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang were classmates, and Wei Wuxian could say a few words about him. Nie Huaisang wasn't a bad person, nor was he unintelligent, but he had no interest in studying. He used his intelligence elsewhere—painting fans, catching birds, skipping school, and fishing. He was indeed exceptionally poor at cultivation, barely managing to form his core eight or nine years later than his peers from other clans. Nie Mingjue, in his lifetime, was often disappointed in him and disciplined him strictly, but he remained hopeless. Now, without his elder brother's protection and guidance, the Qinghe Nie Clan, under his leadership, was declining rapidly. After coming of age, especially after becoming the clan head, Nie Huaisang was often overwhelmed by unfamiliar matters, constantly seeking help, especially from his elder brother's two sworn brothers. One day he would go to Jinlintai to cry to Jin Guangyao, the next day he would come to Cloud Recesses to plead his case. Only with the support of the two clan heads of the Jin and Lan families could he barely hold onto his position as clan head. Nowadays, when people mention Nie Huaisang, they don't say it outright, but their faces all have the four-word comment written on them: a useless coward.
Recalling the events of the past inevitably evokes a sense of melancholy.
"Ignorant and clueless? A useless coward? Huh?!"
Nie Mingjue glared at Nie Huaisang through gritted teeth.
Nie Huaisang paused, his hand still holding the fan: "Damn it, how could I forget about this? Brother, can we let this go for the sake of the Nie family's current prosperity?"
Wei Wuxian smiled upon seeing this: "Chifeng-zun, although Brother Nie's swordsmanship is not good, he is extremely intelligent. How could he be completely ignorant?"
It was the same when he studied in Suzhou. Most of the students addressed him as a brother, and very few fawned over him. Was it simply because he was the second young master of the Nie family? Of course not. The young men were naturally very proud, and their status couldn't possibly suppress them.
Thus, it is evident that Nie Huaisang was both principled and adept at handling interpersonal relationships.
How could such a person not be exceptionally intelligent?
As he spoke, he raised an eyebrow at Nie Huaisang. Nie Huaisang, seeing his meaningful gaze, couldn't help but twitch his lips.
I said, Brother Wei, I'm the one who brought you back, why are you so vengeful?
After inquiring about Xinglu Ridge, Wei Wuxian, still wanting to support the doctor's business, bought two boxes of rouge, tucked them into his pocket, and walked back to Lan Wangji's side. The latter still didn't ask him for his money pouch back, and without saying a word, they walked together in the direction the doctor had pointed.
A large cedar forest stretched along Xinglu Ridge, its wide paths rustling in the lush greenery. They walked for quite some time without encountering anything unusual. However, the two hadn't held out much hope; they'd only come as a precaution. If a place's horrifying rumors were true, they would always be able to provide some concrete details. The story of the Soul-Eating Celestial Maiden from Dafan Mountain was well-known; the victims' homes, names, and even Ayan's fiancé's nickname were readily available. But if details about the victims' names were vague and ambiguous, it was likely just hearsay and sensationalism.
Half an hour later, after much hardship, they finally encountered a slight setback. Seven or eight figures staggered towards them, rolling their eyes, dressed in rags, looking as if they could be blown away by the wind, moving incredibly slowly. It turned out to be a line of walking corpses of the lowest rank.
These walking corpses are not only bullied among their own kind, but a single strong living person could easily kick over a whole row of them; a fast-running child could be left far behind. Even if someone is incredibly unlucky and gets caught and has their yang energy drained, it won't kill them. Aside from their ugly appearance and foul smell, they pose no threat whatsoever. Therefore, when encountering them during night hunts, high-level cultivators usually ignore them and leave them to the younger generation. This is similar to the principle of hunting only tigers and leopards, not rats.
Wei Wuxian knew something was wrong when he saw them approaching, so he ducked and retreated behind Lan Wangji. Sure enough, the group of walking corpses staggered to within five or six zhang of them, but upon seeing Wei Wuxian, they immediately turned and fled the way they came, their legs moving two or three times more nimbly than when they had surrounded them. Wei Wuxian rubbed his temples, turned around, and exclaimed in horror, "Heavens, Hanguang-jun, you're amazing! They turned and ran away as soon as they saw you! Heh."
Lan Wangji was speechless.
Everyone: ...
Faced with such a powerful figure as the Yiling Patriarch, we are speechless.
However, the sight of this walking corpse being so frightened by Wei Wuxian that it immediately ran away in a panic was quite amusing.
Wei Wuxian shoved him with a laugh: "Let's go, let's go down the mountain. I don't think there are any other monsters. The people here are really good at spreading rumors. A few pathetic walking corpses can be turned into monsters that eat people without spitting out bones. The 'Man-Eating Fortress' is definitely made up. What a waste of a trip!"
Lan Wangji was pushed several times before he finally took a step. Before Wei Wuxian could catch up, a frantic barking suddenly came from the distance of the cedar forest.
Wei Wuxian's expression changed drastically. He instantly flashed behind Lan Wangji, hugged his waist, and squatted down into a ball.
Lan Wangji: "...We're still far away, what are you hiding for?"
Wei Wuxian: "First, first, first, first, first, first, first, first, first, first, first, first, first, first, first, hide! Where is it? Where is it?!"
Lan Wangji listened for a moment and said, "It's Jin Ling's black-maned spirit dog."
Upon hearing Jin Ling's name, Wei Wuxian stood up, but was immediately forced to crouch down again by the barking dogs. Lan Wangji said, "The spirit dog is barking wildly; it must have encountered something."
Wei Wuxian groaned incessantly, then shakily stood up, saying, "Then...then...then...then...then...let's go take a look!"
Lan Wangji didn't budge an inch, so Wei Wuxian said, "Hanguang-jun, move! Move a little! What am I supposed to do if you don't move?"
After a moment of silence, Lan Wangji said, "You... let go first."
The two stumbled and struggled, following the sound of barking dogs, but ended up circling the cedar forest twice. The barking of the black-maned spirit dog seemed to come and go. After listening to the barking for a while, Wei Wuxian finally got used to it and managed to speak without stuttering: "Is there a maze here?"
This maze is clearly man-made. Just now we said that the rumors about Xinglu Ridge were all unfounded, but now it's quite interesting.
The black-maned spirit dog roared for half an incense stick's time and was still full of energy. After the two figured out the maze, they followed the sound and soon, in the cedar forest, the outlines of a series of towering stone castles appeared.
The stone fortresses are all built of gray-white stones, covered with green vines and fallen leaves. Each one is built in a strange semi-circular shape, like several large bowls placed upside down on the ground.
There really is such a stone fortress in Xinglu Ridge, so it seems the rumors weren't unfounded. But whether it's a "man-eating fortress" or what's inside is hard to say.
Jin Ling's black-maned spirit dog ran around the perimeter of the stone fortress, sometimes purring softly, sometimes barking loudly. Seeing Lan Wangji approach, it retreated slightly in fear, but didn't flee. Instead, it barked even louder at them, glancing at the stone fortress, its front paws digging into the ground, sending dirt flying, clearly restless. Wei Wuxian, hiding behind Lan Wangji, cried out in anguish, "Why isn't it leaving... Where's its master? Where did its master go?!"
Since hearing the dog barking, there hasn't been a sound from Jin Ling, not even a cry for help. This black-maned spirit dog must have been brought here by him, and it must have broken the illusion array; it's as if a living person has simply vanished.
Lan Wangji said, "Let's go in and take a look."
Wei Wuxian said, "How do I get in? There's no way."
No way. The grayish-white stones were sealed tightly, with no doors or windows. The black-maned spirit dog jumped up, howling, seemingly wanting to bite Lan Wangji's hem, but not daring to, so it went around him and bit Wei Wuxian's hem, dragging him out.
Wei Wuxian was practically out of his body, stretching out his hands to Lan Wangji: "Lan Zhan... Lan Zhan Lan Zhan... Lan Zhan Lan Zhan Lan Zhan!!!"
The black-maned spirit dog dragged Wei Wuxian, who in turn dragged Lan Wangji. The dog pulled them around halfway around the stone fortress. There, they found a nearly human-high opening. Its shape was irregular, and the ground was littered with large and small pebbles, clearly indicating it had just been blasted open with a violent magical artifact. The opening was pitch black inside, with a faint red glow emanating from it. The black-maned spirit dog released its grip, barking wildly into the opening, then wagging its tail frantically at the two.
Everyone: ...
It seems that after leaving here, the image of the Yiling Patriarch being afraid of dogs will become deeply ingrained in people's minds.
Jiang Yanli felt a lump in her throat when she saw Wei Wuxian standing up to save Jin Ling despite being so frightened.
It wasn't because Wei Wuxian cared about Jin Ling, but rather because he felt that this care was much heavier than the usual uncle-nephew relationship. The mark from back then was truly imprinted on his heart.
Jiang Cheng sneered at the sight, but felt a pang of unease in his heart.
So he slapped Jin Ling on the back of the head:
"I tried to talk to you nicely, but you wouldn't listen. Why did you run away? And you were stupid enough to get yourself killed!"
Jin Ling: ...
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