Chapter 48 The Wind Moves the Shadow
The phoenix kite flew for a full morning, until the spool of string was almost empty, and Wei Wuxian slowly reeled it in. Lan Jingyi, sweating profusely from running, slumped down on the grass, clutching a half-eaten piece of osmanthus cake. "Senior Wei, your kite is incredible! It can actually fly so high!"
Wei Wuxian raised his eyebrows proudly. “That’s right. Back when I was in the Lotus Pier, I made a kite that could fly from the lotus pond to the top of the mountain. Jiang Cheng chased me for a long time before he finally got it.” As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something and pulled out a small wooden sculpture from his pocket. “Here, this is for you.”
It was a palm-sized wooden sculpture of a crane with its wings spread, its wings intricately carved, clearly a work of meticulous care. Lan Jingyi's eyes lit up, and he quickly took it. "Is it for me? Thank you, Senior Wei!" He turned it over and over, "It's even better than Sizhui's wooden kite!"
Sizhui sat aside, stroking the wooden kite his uncle had given him, and said with a smile, "When Daddy carves something, he always says to think about what the other person likes first."
Wei Wuxian patted Sizhui's head, feeling warm inside. He used to think wood carving was a hassle, but since he had Sizhui and Lan Wangji, he found this kind of leisurely time particularly precious.
As they spoke, footsteps could be heard in the distance. It was a disciple of the Lan Clan, delivering a message that Nie Huaisang had sent someone to deliver the dossier. Wei Wuxian's eyes lit up, and he pulled Lan Wangji towards the elegant room, "This must be news from Jun Wushan!"
Lan Jingyi and Sizhui also hurried to catch up. As they followed behind, they heard Wei Wuxian muttering all the way: "Do you think Huaisang will find the Jun family's genealogy? Or the map of Wuyong Kingdom?" Lan Wangji didn't say anything, but instead held his wrist with his backhand, his fingertips carrying a soothing warmth.
Entering the elegant room, they saw a thick wooden box on the table. Nie Huaisang's attendant was standing nearby, waiting. "Master Wei, Second Master Lan," the attendant said, bowing. "My clan leader said these are all the records he could find in the storehouse regarding the Jun clan and the Wuyong Kingdom. Most of them are fragmentary. I hope they can be of some use."
Wei Wuxian eagerly opened the wooden box, and inside, he found a dozen yellowed volumes and several old thread-bound books. He picked up the top volume and, as soon as he flipped to the first page, he was captivated by the handwriting—the handwriting was beautiful, like that of a woman, and it began with the words "Jun's Miscellaneous Notes."
"There's a mention of Junwu Mountain here!" Wei Wuxian pointed to a passage. "'Junwu Mountain has a spirit, protecting the Jun family's bloodline. Anyone not from the clan entering will be punished by heaven.'... Is this referring to the puppet we encountered?"
Lan Wangji leaned over to take a look, his brows gradually furrowing. "There are also records later on that say the Jun family once had a jade pendant that was heirloom and could command the spirit creatures in the mountains. Later, the jade pendant shattered, and the spirit creatures lost control, which is why it became a forbidden area." He looked at the jade pendant in Wei Wuxian's arms. "It seems that your jade pendant is a fragment of that heirloom jade pendant."
Wei WuXian's heart stirred, and he suddenly thought of the white-robed divine soldier. If the jade pendant could truly command spiritual beings, then the man in white could easily shatter the puppet. Could he also be a member of the Jun clan?
At this moment, Si Zhui suddenly pointed to a fragment of a scroll and said, "Dad, look at this." On the fragment was a simple map with the location of "Jun Yang Mountain" marked. Next to it was a line of small words: "Jun Yang is Jun Wu. The mountain was moved and the name was changed only to avoid disaster."
"So Junyang Mountain and Junwu Mountain are the same!" Wei Wuxian suddenly realized. "It seems the Jun family changed the mountain's name to avoid disaster." He turned to the last page, but found that the following pages had been torn off, leaving only a faint mark, like a seal. "What a pity! There must be more important things behind this."
Lan Wangji picked up the fragment and held it up to the light for a long moment. "The tear marks are very fresh, as if they were torn off recently." He looked at Nie Huaisang's attendant. "Did your sect leader say anything?"
The attendant shook his head. "The Sect Master only said to have Young Master Wei and Second Young Master Lan take a closer look. If there's anything else they need, they can send a message to him."
Wei Wuxian stroked his chin, lost in thought. Nie Huaisang had always been so well-informed, so how could he be missing these crucial pages? Could someone be trying to keep them from knowing the truth?
Just as he was thinking, a strong wind suddenly blew outside, making the window frames rattle and the candlelight flicker. The jade pendant in Wei Wuxian's arms suddenly felt slightly warm, as if sensing something. With a sudden impulse, he pulled aside the curtains and looked out. In the distant sky, a dark cloud had gathered at some unknown time and was drifting towards the Cloud Recesses.
"The weather has changed so quickly." Lan Jingyi came over to look, "It was sunny just now."
Lan Wangji's expression turned serious. He walked to the window and looked at the dark cloud. "That's not an ordinary dark cloud. There's resentment flowing inside."
Wei Wuxian also noticed something was amiss. Though faint, the resentment within the dark cloud was strangely eerie, as if it had been deliberately guided. He clutched the jade pendant tightly in his arms, suddenly remembering the white-robed figure's words, "The time has not yet arrived." Could it be that the time was almost here?
"It seems someone doesn't want us to be safe for too long." Wei Wuxian smiled, but a hint of vigilance flashed in his eyes. "That's good. It saves us from searching everywhere for clues." He turned to look at Lan Wangji, "Lan Zhan, are you ready?"
Lan Wangji nodded, and Bichen unsheathed his sword instantly, its blade emitting a clear humming sound. Sizhui also clenched the talisman paper in his hand. Although a little scared, he stood straight and stood beside them like a little adult.
Lan Jingyi was stunned for a moment, then quickly picked up the sword: "Senior Wei, Second Young Master Lan, I can help too!"
The dark clouds drew closer, and the wind grew stronger, making the bamboo forest rustle, as if countless people were whispering. Wei Wuxian looked at the slightly warm jade pendant in his arms and suddenly felt that these peaceful days might really be coming to an end.
But he wasn't afraid. With Lan Wangji by his side, Sizhui and Jingyi, and everyone in the Cloud Recesses, he had the courage to face any storms ahead.
Outside, the wind whipped fallen leaves past, rustling against the window lattice. Inside the elegant room, the candlelight still flickered, illuminating a few determined faces. The secrets of the Jun family, the past of the Wuyong Kingdom, and the mysterious white-clad divine soldier—perhaps soon, their veils will be unveiled.
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