Chapter 26
Chapter Summary: [He carried Wei Wuxian into the inn. Aside from the receptionist spitting out water, no onlookers did anything too outrageous. They arrived at their room…]
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He carried Wei Wuxian into the inn. Aside from the cashier at the front desk spitting out water, no onlookers made any particularly outrageous moves. They reached the room door, and Wei Wuxian said, "Alright, we're here. Put me down now. You don't have enough hands to open it..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lan Wangji did something extremely impolite. This was perhaps the first time in his life that he had ever acted so rudely.
He held Wei Wuxian in his arms and kicked the door open.
The door was kicked open!
Everyone: ...
Words could not express the shock and speechlessness in their hearts.
Lan Qiren... Lan Qiren is almost autistic and has lost all five senses.
Nie Huaisang touched his face.
The two doors sprang open, and the person sitting awkwardly inside immediately cried out, "Hanguang-jun, I don't know, I don't know, I..."
After seeing how the two people outside the door entered, he blankly finished the last sentence: "...I really don't know."
He truly knew nothing when asked.
Lan Wangji acted as if he hadn't seen anything, carrying Wei Wuxian inside and placing him on the mat. Nie Huaisang found the sight unbearable and immediately unfolded his folding fan to cover his face, indicating "don't look at what you shouldn't see." Wei Wuxian peered over the fan and sized him up.
His former classmate hadn't changed much over the years. He looked exactly the same as he did back then. He had a gentle, easily manipulated face, and his attire was impeccably tasteful, clearly the result of considerable effort. Calling him a leader of a mystical sect was less accurate than calling him a free spirit. Wearing a dragon robe, he didn't resemble a prince; carrying a long sword, he didn't look like a family head.
He stubbornly denied it, so Lan Wangji placed the piece of fabric that the black-maned spirit dog had bitten off on the table. Nie Huaisang covered his torn sleeve, looking utterly dejected, and said, "I just happened to be passing by. I really don't know anything."
Wei Wuxian said, "If you don't know, then I'll tell you, and see if you'll understand as you listen."
Nie Huaisang hesitated, unsure how to respond. Wei Wuxian then spoke.
"There are rumors about 'Man-eating Ridge' and 'Man-eating Fortress' in the Xinglu Ridge area of Qinghe, but there are no real victims. So, it's a rumor. And rumors will keep ordinary people away from Xinglu Ridge. So, it is actually a line of defense. And only the first line."
"From the first, there is a second. The second line of defense is the walking corpses on Xinglu Ridge. Even if ordinary people who are not afraid of the rumors of the Man-Eating Fortress venture up the ridge, or accidentally enter the ridge, they will flee in panic when they see the walking dead. But these walking corpses are few in number and have low lethality, so they will not cause any real harm."
"The third line of defense is the maze near that stone fortress. The first two lines are for ordinary people, but this one is for cultivators of the Xuanmen sect. However, its effectiveness is limited to ordinary cultivators. If they encounter cultivators who possess spiritual weapons or spirit dogs and specialize in breaking mazes, or renowned immortals of the level of Hanguang Jun, this line of defense can only be broken."
"The triple defenses are all to prevent the stone fortress on Xinglu Ridge from being discovered. It's perfectly clear who built the fortress. This is the territory of the Nie family of Qinghe. No one but the Nie family could easily set up these three checkpoints in Qinghe. Besides, you just happened to be near the stone fortress and left evidence. If you insist on saying it's a coincidence, no one will believe it."
"What exactly is the purpose of the Nie family building a man-eating fortress on Xinglu Ridge? Where did the corpses in the walls come from? Did it eat them? Sect Leader Nie, if you don't explain this clearly here today, I'm afraid that if it gets out in the future, all the sects of Xuanmen will condemn and question you. At that time, no one will listen to you or believe what you say."
Nie Huaisang said in a self-deprecating tone, "...That wasn't a man-eating fortress at all. That...that was just my family's ancestral grave!"
Ancestral graves?!
Nie Mingjue, whose face darkened upon seeing Nie Huaisang's appearance, now wore an even darker expression, comparable to Lan Qiren.
Seeing Nie Huaisang's miserable expression and Nie Mingjue's menacing look, Wei Wuxian suddenly spoke up: "Miss Niangui."
Xiao Niangui's figure remained hidden, but his cold voice echoed in the space: "Young Master Wei need not worry. This matter concerns the secrets of the Nie family. Once Tianying is over, I will erase the memories of those who do not know the truth."
Wei Wuxian smiled slightly, and Nie Huaisang nodded gratefully, then immediately felt the almost tangible gaze of his elder brother beside him.
Nie Huaisang: ...Big brother, can I admit defeat?
Wei Wuxian asked in surprise, "Ancestral grave? What family doesn't put corpses in their ancestral graves, but instead has knives inside the coffins?"
Nie Huaisang said with a mournful face, "Hanguang-jun, before I speak, could you make a vow? Considering our families' long-standing friendship and the fact that my elder brother and your elder brother have sworn brotherhood, whatever I say next, you... and the person next to you, must not spread it. If it gets out later, you two should also say a few words for me and be my witnesses. You have always been the most trustworthy; as long as you make a vow, I will believe you."
Lan Wangji said, "As you wish."
Wei Wuxian said, "You're saying it's not some kind of man-eating fortress at all, so it hasn't eaten any people?"
Nie Huaisang gritted his teeth and honestly replied, "...I've eaten."
He immediately added, "But it only happened once! And the main fault doesn't lie with our family, and it happened decades ago. The rumors about the cannibalistic fortress on Xinglu Ridge started circulating around that time. I... I just fanned the flames and amplified the rumors several times over."
Lan Wangji politely replied, "I would like to hear the details."
The moment he sat down, his words carried the weight of a threat, and Nie Huaisang reluctantly began to confess.
Wei Wuxian glanced at Lan Wangji beside him with some surprise. Although Lan Wangji's expression was cold, he still had a touch of gentleness. He thought to himself: Thirteen years have passed and Lan Zhan hasn't changed much. How come Jin Ling is afraid of him and Nie Huaisang is afraid of him too?
Then he thought again: No, thirteen years ago, Nie Huaisang was also afraid of Lan Wangji.
If Nie Huaisang heard this, he'd probably throw a folding fan at him: "Brother Wei, is this the time to be thinking about such nonsense? My life is almost over!"
He said, “Hanguang-jun, as you know, our Nie family is different from other immortal sects and families. This is because our ancestor was a butcher. Other families cultivate immortal swords, but our family cultivates the way of the sword.”
This was no secret. The Nie family of Qinghe even had a family crest with a ferocious, dog-like or pig-like beast head. Nie Huaisang continued, "Because our cultivation path is different from other families, and our founding ancestor was a butcher, bloodshed was inevitable. The swords carried by our family heads throughout the generations were extremely fierce and murderous. Almost every family head went mad from cultivation and died a violent death. Their volatile temper was also largely due to this."
Take, for example, Nie Huaisang's elder brother, Nie Mingjue. This young immortal leader was sworn brothers with Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao. Chifeng-zun was decisive and dignified; Zewu-jun was gentle and refined, of noble character; and Lianfang-zun was shrewd and astute. The three swore brotherhood during the Sunshot Campaign, each with their own legendary tales, and were later collectively known as the Three Venerables. However, at the height of his fame, Nie Mingjue suffered a qi deviation and died violently at an important gathering. Many attendees were also injured by his attacks during his rampage. A lifetime of renown ended in such a tragic manner.
Nie Huaisang must have thought of his elder brother, his expression darkened, and he said, "...When these family heads were alive, the restlessness of their swords could be suppressed by their masters. But after their masters died, they were left uncontrolled and became murder weapons."
Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow: "This is almost bordering on evil and heretical."
Nie Huaisang hurriedly said, "This is different! Evil spirits are evil because they want to take people's lives. But our family's sword doesn't want people, but rather those vengeful ghosts, fierce spirits, demons, and monsters. They spend their whole lives killing these things, and if there are no such things to get rid of them, they will cause trouble on their own, making our home restless. The sword spirit only recognizes one master and cannot be used by others. We, the descendants, cannot melt the sword down. Firstly, it would be disrespectful to our ancestors, and secondly, melting it down might not solve the problem."
Wei Wuxian commented, "Master."
Nie Huaisang said, "That's right. The sword that has followed our ancestors through thick and thin, seeking immortality and enlightenment, is inherently the master."
No wonder the Nie family of Qinghe never publicly condemned his cultivation methods. Although they participated in the siege of the mass grave, it was only for revenge. It turns out their family's cultivation methods over generations were highly questionable.
Immediately, everyone's gaze towards the Nie family of Qinghe changed, but due to the Nie family's power and the presence of the formidable Nie Mingjue, no one dared to voice their condemnation.
Wei Wuxian didn't seem to have any particular thoughts and continued to look at Tianying in a nonchalant manner.
Meanwhile, Wen Qing's gaze swept around the group of people who only dared to whisper behind their backs, and she couldn't help but sneer inwardly: bullies who prey on the weak.
If Wei Wuxian had a sect protecting him back then, or if he had a reputation so great that no one dared to provoke him, would all those subsequent events have occurred?
Nie Huaisang continued, "As each generation of the family head's cultivation improved, this problem became more and more serious. Until the sixth generation of our family head came up with a solution."
Wei Wuxian asked, "So you're talking about building a man-eating fortress?"
Nie Huaisang said, "No, no, although there is a connection, we didn't think of this method at first. This sixth-generation patriarch did it this way. He used his father's and grandfather's knives to make two coffins and dug a tomb. He didn't put any valuable treasures in the tomb, but instead placed hundreds of corpses that were about to turn into monsters."
Lan Wangji frowned slightly, and Nie Huaisang immediately exclaimed in fright, "Hanguang-jun, let me explain! These corpses weren't killed by our family! They were painstakingly collected from all over the country! Many were even bought at great expense. The sixth patriarch said that if these sword spirits wanted to fight against the evil spirits, then let the evil spirits fight endlessly. Burying these corpses, which were about to turn into zombies, along with the sword coffins was to use them as burial offerings for the sword spirits. The sword spirits would suppress the zombie transformation of the corpses, while at the same time, these corpses could alleviate the sword spirits' needs and madness. This balance of power maintained the status quo and ensured a balance between the two. It was through this method that we have enjoyed peace for generations to come."
Wei Wuxian asked, "Then why was the stone fortress built later? Why were the corpses buried in the walls? And you said it ate people?"
Nie Huaisang said, "These questions are actually the same one. It could be considered... cannibalism. But it wasn't intentional!!! For six generations, our family has been specializing in tomb raiding, which is to build a very common type of tomb. Later generations have all followed suit. But more than fifty years ago, this tomb was dug up by a group of tomb raiders."
Wei Wuxian said "Oh," thinking to himself, "This is really like provoking a powerful figure."
Nie Huaisang said, "Such a major undertaking as tomb construction, no matter how cautious and discreet we are, will inevitably leave some word. That group of tomb raiders made inquiries from various sources and determined that there was a large tomb from a previous dynasty on Xinglu Ridge. They had already scouted the location and came prepared. Surprisingly, one or two of them were truly skilled individuals who managed to pinpoint the location, break through the maze, and find our family's tomb. They dug a hole and entered the tomb. People in this line of work have seen countless corpses and are not afraid of the dead inside. However, they were rummaging through the tomb for gold and jewels, showing no restraint, breathing next to the corpses, and each of them was a young and strong man full of yang energy. You must know that those lying inside are all corpses on the verge of becoming zombies!"
"As you can imagine, something happened. More than a dozen corpses were instantly turned into carnage."
"But these tomb raiders were highly skilled and daring, and they were fully equipped. They managed to kill all the zombies that had turned into walking corpses again, even though they were fighting fiercely and the ground was littered with pieces of corpses. Only then did they realize the danger of the tomb and prepare to leave. It was during this retreat that they were eaten!"
"The number of corpses placed in the tomb is strictly controlled, not one more, not one less, just enough to maintain a balance with the sword spirit. If this group of tomb raiders had only caused a zombie apocalypse, it wouldn't have been so bad; the sword spirit would have suppressed it after they left. But they deliberately shattered all the corpses into pieces, losing more than ten at once. To maintain a sufficient number of fierce corpses to counteract the sword spirit, the tomb... had no choice but to... automatically seal itself off, trapping them inside and forcing them to fill the void they created..."
"After the destruction of the sword tomb, the head of the family at the time began to think of other ways. He selected a new site on Xinglu Ridge and instead of building a new tomb, he built a sacrificial hall for the sword. To prevent tomb robbers from visiting again, he hid the corpse in the walls to avoid being seen."
"This Sacrificial Hall is the infamous 'Man-Eating Fortress.' Those tomb raiders came to Qinghe, disguised themselves as hunters, entered Xinglu Ridge, and never came out again. No remains were found, so rumors spread that they had been devoured by a monster in the ridge. Later, when the stone fortress was built, before the new maze was set up, someone accidentally passed by and saw it. Fortunately, none of the stone fortresses had doors, so he couldn't enter. But after descending the ridge, he told everyone he met that there was a strange white fortress on Xinglu Ridge, and that the man-eating monster must live inside. Our family thought it would be good to amplify the rumor so that no one would dare approach that area, so we embellished it and created the legend of the 'Man-Eating Fortress.' But it really does eat people!"
Nie Huaisang took out a handkerchief and a white stone the size of a garlic bulb from his sleeve. He used the handkerchief to wipe his sweat, and handed over the white stone, saying, "You two can take a look at this."
Wei Wuxian took the white stone and examined it closely. He discovered a small white object peeking out from the stone powder, which looked like... a human finger bone.
He understood perfectly. Nie Huaisang wiped his sweat and said, "That...Young Master Jin...I don't know how he managed to blast a hole in the wall. He could blast through such a thick wall, so he must have been carrying a lot of magical treasures. But that's not the point...I mean, the place he blasted was right next to the earliest sacrificial hall our family built on Xinglu Ridge. Back then, we hadn't thought of plastering the walls with bricks and then using mud in the middle to isolate the yang energy and prevent them from easily turning into corpses. We just poured the corpses directly into the mortar. So Young Master Jin blasted a hole, but he didn't realize that he had also shattered a skeleton buried in the wall. Not long after he went in, he was sucked into the stone fortress wall, replacing the corpse he blasted...I regularly go to Xinglu Ridge to check on things. Today, as soon as I went, I saw this. I just picked up a stone, and a dog came and bit me. Sigh...The sacrificial hall is almost like our family's ancestral graveyard. I'm really..."
Nie Huaisang grew increasingly distressed as he spoke, saying, "Ordinary cultivators, knowing this is my family's territory, would never hunt at night in the Qinghe area. Who knew..."
Who knew he'd be so unlucky? First, Jin Ling, who never followed the rules, set his sights on Xinglu Ridge, and then Lan Wangji and Wei Yingluo, who were coming from the direction indicated by the Ghost Hand, arrived. He added, "Hanguang-jun, and this one too… I've already told you, you absolutely mustn't spread this around. Otherwise…"
Otherwise, the Nie family of Qinghe is already half-dead, and if such a thing were to happen again, Nie Huaisang would become a sinner for all time, and he would have no face to face his ancestors in the afterlife.
Wei Wuxian looked at Nie Huaisang and thought to himself that he had indeed had a hard time these past years. No wonder Nie Huaisang would rather be the laughingstock of the various clans than diligently cultivate, and he dared not sharpen his sword for so long. If he were to succeed in his cultivation, his temperament would become increasingly volatile, and he would eventually go mad and explode like his elder brother and all his ancestors, and even after death, his sword would haunt the world, causing unrest for his entire family. It would be better for him to have accomplished nothing.
There's no solution. The Nie family has lived this way since their first ancestor; are they really going to deny the path and foundation laid by their ancestors? Each immortal sect has its strengths. Just as the Lan Clan of Gusu excels in music, and the Nie Clan of Qinghe is renowned for the ferocity and destructive power of their sword spirits—that's why they stand out. If they were to abandon their ancestors' teachings and start anew, seeking a new path, who knows how many years it would take, and success is still uncertain. And Nie Huaisang dares not betray the Nie family and pursue another path. Therefore, he can only remain a useless, incompetent fool.
If he hadn't become the head of the family, he could have lived a much more carefree life, like when he was at Cloud Recesses, spending his days boating on the lake, painting fans, catching fish, and playing with birds. But now that his elder brother had passed away, and despite his declining strength, he could only shoulder the heavy burden of the family alone and stumble forward.
Wei Wuxian's thoughtful gaze swept over Nie Mingjue's Baxia sword lying horizontally in front of him. He stroked his chin enigmatically with one hand and suddenly said:
“Lord Chifeng, I do have a way to cure your sword spirit problem.”
"real?!"
Before Nie Mingjue could speak, Nie Huaisang jumped up in surprise.
"This sword spirit is a weapon spirit just like the sword spirit, but it has been exposed to too much blood and is tainted with resentment. If a seal can be drawn on the sword to seal the sword spirit together with other resentful spirits that are similar to... well, ferocious beasts, the two will fight each other to achieve a balance, and the sword tomb will naturally be safe."
Wei Wuxian nodded, then said:
"I can solve the seal, but the vengeful spirits will have to be hunted by the Nie family members themselves, and they must hunt vengeful spirits that are in balance with their own sword spirits."
Nie Mingjue listened with a serious expression, and after Wei Wuxian finished speaking, he nodded in agreement: "This is indeed a good way to gain experience, but regarding the sealing..."
For the first time, this resolute and upright man with a stern face showed a hint of gratitude and gentleness: "Thank you for your trouble, Young Master Wei."
That being said, he also knew how difficult it was to seal two vengeful spirits with completely different attributes. So at this moment, he admired Wei Wuxian not only because he was willing to help the Nie Clan despite past grievances, but also because of his own efforts.
Wei Wuxian accepted Nie Mingjue's thanks, but Lan Wangji held his hand.
He gently squeezed her hand back, reassuring her, "It's okay, I'm confident."
That's true. Ever since he learned about the sword spirit, he's been researching it, not only because of the cannibalistic fortress, but also because of the time he spent with Nie Huaisang when he was young. He wanted to do his best to help this friend who seemed to know nothing.
Now, we should probably add another point: if it weren't for Nie Huaisang, he might still be wandering somewhere, and how would he have had the chance to come back, say goodbye to Lan Zhan, Jiang Cheng, and Jin Ling?
So no matter what, he was determined to help.
Lan Wangji knew his intentions and did not stop him, but simply said, "Take good care of your health, and take one knife at a time."
Wei Wuxian: ...
Nie Mingjue: ...
Nie Huaisang: ...
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