Chapter 70 Seventy
Chapter Summary: [The most aggrieved was Jin Zixuan. He had been pampered by his parents since childhood and had never suffered such humiliation. If it weren't for the other members of the Lanling Jin Clan…]
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The most aggrieved was Jin Zixuan. He had been pampered by his parents since childhood and had never suffered such humiliation. If it weren't for the other members of the Lanling Jin Clan stopping him, and Wen Zhuliu's formidable nature, he would have charged forward and perished alongside Wen Chao on the very first day. Lan Wangji, on the other hand, remained calm and indifferent, as if his soul had left his body. Wei Wuxian, having endured years of elaborate verbal abuse from Madam Yu at Lotus Pier, simply laughed it off, completely disregarding Lan Wangji's tactical brilliance.
Everyone: This description... is quite inaccurate.
Jin Zixuan: ...Damn Wei Wuxian, when have I ever been so reckless?!
On this day, everyone was woken up early by the Wen family servants and driven like a flock of poultry to a new night hunting location.
The hunting ground for this night is called Muxi Mountain.
The deeper one ventures into the forest, the denser the foliage overhead and the more extensive the shadows beneath one's feet become. Apart from the sound of the trees rustling and footsteps, no other sounds can be heard; the chirping of birds, beasts, and insects stands out starkly against the eerie silence.
After a long while, the group met a stream. The water murmured, and maple leaves drifted down with it. The sounds of the stream and the colors of the maple leaves subtly eased the oppressive atmosphere, and even soft, giggling laughter could be heard from ahead.
Upon hearing the name Muxi Mountain, Wei Wuxian instantly raised an eyebrow. The show was about to begin; he was about to witness his handsome figure. Hehehe.
As Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng walked, they muttered curses against the Wen dogs in various ways. Suddenly, Wei Wuxian glanced back and caught sight of a figure in white. Lan Wangji was standing not far behind him.
Because he walked slowly, Lan Wangji fell behind the group. Wei Wuxian had tried several times in the past few days to get closer to him and catch up, but each time Lan Wangji turned away upon seeing him, and Jiang Cheng had repeatedly warned him not to flirt. Now that they were closer, Wei Wuxian couldn't help but be more cautious. He suddenly noticed that although Lan Wangji was trying his best to walk normally, he could still see that his right leg landed lighter than his left, as if he couldn't put enough weight on it.
Seeing this, Wei Wuxian slowed down and landed beside Lan Wangji, walking alongside him, and asked, "What happened to your leg?"
Lan Wangji kept his eyes straight ahead and said, "It's nothing."
Wei Wuxian said, "We're practically acquaintances, aren't we? Why are you being so cold, not even glancing at me? Is your leg really alright?"
Lan Wangji said, "Not familiar with them."
Wei Wuxian turned around and walked backwards, determined to let him see his face, saying, "Don't be reckless. Is your leg injured or broken? When did this happen?"
Everyone: ...
He really has no manners; he can't even walk without teasing Lan Wangji. No wonder even the aloof Lan Wangji was won over by this shameless guy.
Seeing this, Wei Wuxian pouted and pretended to be aggrieved: "Lan Zhan, look how cold you are to me. Every time I ask you, you say we're not close, waaaah..."
Everyone: ...Wei Wuxian, you shameless bastard.
Lan Wangji replied, "Yes, we're very familiar."
Wei Wuxian was instantly happy, and his face, which had just been on the verge of tears, immediately turned into a smile.
Everyone: ...Well, he's an award-winning actor.
Just as he was about to say, "Do you want me to carry you?", a fragrant breeze wafted over. Wei Wuxian turned around and looked to his side, his eyes immediately lighting up.
Seeing him suddenly fall silent, Lan Wangji followed his gaze. He saw three or five girls walking together, the one in the middle wearing a light pink outer robe covered by a thin gauze dress. A gentle breeze blew, causing the gauze dress to flutter, making her figure and silhouette exceptionally beautiful.
Wei Wuxian was looking at this back view.
A young girl laughed and said, "Mianmian, your sachet is really a good thing. After wearing it, the mosquitoes really stopped coming. The scent is also very pleasant. It makes me feel especially refreshed."
The girl called Mianmian indeed spoke in a soft, sweet voice: "The sachets are filled with chopped medicinal herbs, which have many uses. I have a few more here, does anyone want some?"
Wei Wuxian drifted over like a gust of wind: "Mianmian, save one for me too."
The girl was startled, not expecting a strange boy's voice to suddenly interrupt. She turned around and saw a handsome face behind her. She frowned slightly and asked, "Who are you? Why are you also calling me Mianmian?"
Wei Wuxian laughed and said, "I heard them all call you Mianmian, so I thought that was your name. What, isn't it?"
Lan Wangji watched indifferently. Jiang Cheng rolled his eyes when he saw Lan Wangji having another outburst.
Mianmian blushed and said, "You're not allowed to call me that!"
Wei Wuxian said, "Why not? How about this, you tell me your name, and I won't call you Mianmian, okay?"
Mianmian said, "Why should I tell you just because you ask me? You don't even give your own name before asking someone else's name."
Wei Wuxian said, "My name is easy to say. Remember it, my name is 'Yuandao'."
Mianmian quietly repeated the name "Yuandao" twice to herself. She couldn't remember which noble family's young master had this name, but judging from his appearance and demeanor, he didn't seem to be an unknown person. Looking at the rather playful smile on Wei Wuxian's lips, she was puzzled.
Suddenly, Lan Wangji's cold whisper came from the side: "Playing with words."
She suddenly realized that this was a joke, a play on the phrase "longing for someone far away," and stamped her foot angrily, saying, "Who misses you? You shameless bastard!"
Several girls burst into laughter, exclaiming, "Wei Wuxian, you're so shameless!"
"I've never seen anyone as annoying as you!"
"Let me tell you, her name is..."
Mianmian pulled them away, saying, "Go, go! You're not allowed to tell him."
Wei Wuxian called out from behind, "You can leave, but give me a sachet! You're ignoring me? You won't give it to me? If you won't give it to me, I'll ask someone else for your name, someone will eventually tell me..."
Before he could finish speaking, a sachet was thrown from in front, hitting him squarely in the chest. Wei Wuxian cried out in feigned pain, the sachet's strap twirling rapidly around his fingers as he walked back to Lan Wangji's side, still laughing as he twirled. Seeing Lan Wangji's increasingly cold expression, he asked, "What? Why are you looking at me like that again? By the way, where were we? Let's continue. How about I carry you?"
Everyone: ...
Seeing Lan Wangji's increasingly gloomy expression both inside and outside the Heavenly Shadow, everyone's faces began to twitch. Wei Wuxian's reckless behavior made them want to laugh but dared not.
Luo Qingyang, sitting behind everyone, was also sitting with his face flushed. He thought, "Hanguang-jun, please don't misunderstand. You should blame Wei Gongzi for his foul mouth back then!"
Wei Wuxian: ...Miss Niangui, how come there are still some!
Niangui Girl said, "Who told you to have so many embarrassing pasts?"
However, although Lan Wangji's face was gloomy at this moment, he did not do anything else out of jealousy. He had seen the whole thing and now that he was sure that Wei Wuxian was in love with him, what was there to be jealous about?
Lan Wangji looked at him quietly and said, "Do you act like this with everyone?"
Wei Wuxian thought for a moment and said, "It seems so?"
Lan Wangji lowered his eyes, and after a long while, he finally said, "Reckless!"
These two words seemed to be uttered through gritted teeth, carrying a hint of inexplicable hatred. He wouldn't even deign to glare at him again. Lan Wangji forced himself to quicken his pace and walk forward. Seeing him trying to be brave again, Wei Wuxian quickly said, "Alright. You don't need to walk so fast, I'll walk." He took three steps at a time and caught up with Jiang Cheng.
To his surprise, Jiang Cheng didn't give him a friendly look either, and said fiercely, "You're so boring!"
Wei Wuxian said, "You're not Lan Zhan, so why are you mimicking him saying he's bored? His face is even more sour than usual today, and what's wrong with his legs?"
Jiang Cheng said irritably, "You still have the leisure to pay attention to him? Pay attention to yourself! I don't know what kind of cave Wen Chao drove us to Muxi Mountain to find, or what kind of trouble he's up to. Don't let it be like last time when we killed the tree demon, where we were surrounded and made to act as meat shields."
A disciple whispered, "His expression is naturally not good. You didn't know that Cloud Recesses was burned down last month."
Wei Wuxian was shocked upon hearing this: "Burned?!"
Jiang Cheng had heard many similar stories in the past few days, so he wasn't surprised. He asked, "Was it burned by the Wen family?"
The disciple said, "You could say that. Or you could say... the Lan family burned it themselves. Wen Xu, the eldest son of the Wen family, went to Gusu and, I don't know what crime he accused the Lan family head of, forcing the Lan family of Gusu to burn down their own immortal abode! They called it cleaning house and a fresh start. Most of Cloud Recesses and the surrounding mountains were burned down. A hundred-year-old immortal realm was destroyed just like that. The Lan family head was seriously injured, and his life hangs in the balance. Alas..."
Wei Wuxian asked, "Does Lan Zhan's leg have anything to do with this?"
The disciple said, "Of course. Wen Xu first ordered them to burn down the library, saying that anyone who refused would be in trouble. Lan Wangji refused and was attacked by Wen Xu's men, breaking his leg. He hasn't even recovered yet, and now he's been dragged out again, I don't know what he's doing!"
Wei Wuxian thought about it carefully. In the past few days, aside from being scolded by Wen Chao, Lan Wangji had indeed rarely moved around. He was always either standing or sitting, without saying a word. He was a person who valued his appearance highly, so naturally he wouldn't let anyone notice the injury on his leg.
Upon hearing this, the people of the Gusu Lan Clan immediately became depressed. Even though most of them were now juniors, that history was unforgettable for all the elders, and they would teach it to all the younger generation as part of their regular lectures.
Later, someone who had witnessed the Lan Clan's tragic state said, "The Wen Clan was truly heinous. What a pity that the Lan Clan's century-old pavilions and towers were destroyed..."
Wei Wuxian gently held Lan Wangji's hand. Although he knew Lan Wangji seemed fine, this incident remained a thorn in his side. Back then, his father had died, his brother had fled, and he was left alone as a hostage in the Wen Clan, unable to do anything for the Lan Clan. He had tasted that kind of pain before.
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