TFOD Chapter 8

The sky would soon be dark enough that one would need to use torches to navigate the mountain forest. Wei Wuxian had been walking for a while and hadn’t encountered many cultivators. He was quite surprised: Could it be that one group from the families who had come was still engaging in endless debates in FoJiao Town while another group, like the people he’d met earlier, was helpless and returned in disappointment?

Suddenly, cries for help came from ahead.

“Help!”

“Someone, please save us!”

The voices, both male and female, were full of panic and helplessness, sounding genuine. In the wilderness, cries for help were usually a sign of evil spirits luring the unwary into a trap. However, Wei Wuxian was overjoyed.

The more evil, the better! He was afraid there wouldn’t be enough!

He spurred his donkey toward the sound, looked around, and finally saw it. It wasn’t some demon or monster, but rather that family of rural villagers he had met by the field. They were hanging from a tree, trapped in a huge, golden net.

The middle-aged man had originally been patrolling the forest with his family, hoping to find prey. Instead, they stumbled into a net trap set by some wealthy person. Now, they were hanging from the tree, complaining bitterly. Seeing someone approach, they were initially delighted, but when they saw it was a madman, they were immediately disappointed. Although the net ropes were thin, they were made of top-quality materials, impossible to break. Once caught, even gods, demons, monsters, and ghosts would struggle. Only superior spiritual tools could cut through it. This madman wouldn’t be able to release them, probably not even knowing what it was.

Just as they were about to try asking him to find someone to help, the sound of light footsteps through the branches and leaves approached, and a youth in light-colored clothes emerged from the dark forest.

This young master had a cinnabar dot between his eyebrows, was handsome with a touch of sharpness, very young, about the same age as Lan Sizhui, still just a teenager. He carried a quiver of arrows, a gleaming golden long sword, and a longbow on his back. The embroidery on his clothes was exquisitely detailed, forming a majestic white peony on his chest, its gold threads shimmering in the dark night.

Wei Wuxian sighed to himself, “Rich!”

This must be some young master from the Lanling Jin Sect. Only their family used the white peony as their family crest, comparing themselves to the national beauty, the king of flowers, secretly proclaiming themselves as the king among immortals; and they used cinnabar dots on their foreheads to signify “enlightenment and ambition, shining light upon the world.”

This young master had initially drawn his bow, ready to shoot, but seeing that the net trapped humans, his disappointment quickly turned into impatience: “It’s always you idiots. There are over four hundred trapping nets in these mountains, and before any prey has been caught, you people have already ruined over a dozen!”

Wei Wuxian thought again, “Rich!”

A single trapping net was already expensive, yet he had set over four hundred of them in one go. A slightly smaller family would have to sell everything, truly worthy of being the Lanling Jin Sect. But such indiscriminate use of the nets, capturing anyone, was not night hunting at all. It was clearly intended to drive others away, preventing them from getting a share of the spoils. It seemed the cultivators who had retreated earlier hadn’t left because the prey was too difficult, but because the renowned sect was hard to deal with.

Over the course of his few days leisurely walking, plus his amused eavesdropping in FoJiao Town, Wei Wuxian had heard a lot about the rise and fall of the cultivation world in recent years. As the ultimate winner of the great century-long cultivation war, the Lanling Jin Sect now commanded and led all families. Even the sect leader was honored as the “Immortal Supervisor.” The Jin family was already arrogant and loved extravagance. In recent years, as they had risen to power and the family became stronger, the younger generation had become even more unruly. Slightly lesser families could only swallow their pride even if they were humiliated. These rural villagers were even less likely to offend them. So, although the youth’s words were harsh, the people hanging in the net blushed but dared not retort. The middle-aged man pleaded in a low voice, “Please, young master, just do us a favor and let us down.”

This youth was annoyed that no prey had appeared yet, so he used these country bumpkins as an outlet, crossing his arms: “Just hang there. That way you won’t run around and bother me. When I catch the Soul-Eating Beast, I’ll remember to let you down.”

If they were left hanging in the trees overnight, they could encounter the thing roaming on Dafan Mountain. Unable to move, they could only have their souls drained. The round-faced girl who had given Wei Wuxian the apple was scared and started crying. Wei Wuxian, who had been sitting cross-legged on the donkey, suddenly had his donkey jolt at the sound of the crying, its long ears twitching. It suddenly bolted forward.

The donkey cried out as it bolted, and if its cry wasn’t so unpleasant, the unstoppable, heroic momentum could have been called a thousand-mile steed without exaggeration. Caught off guard, Wei Wuxian was thrown off its back and nearly hit his head. The donkey charged headfirst at the youth as if it was convinced it could knock him away with its head. The youth still had an arrow nocked, ready to draw his bow on it. Wei Wuxian didn’t want to find a new mount so soon, so he hastily grabbed the reins. The youth looked at him, suddenly showing surprise before turning to scorn, curling his lips: “It’s you.”

His tone was two parts surprise and eight parts disgust, making Wei Wuxian blink. The youth then said, “What? Did you go crazy after being driven back to your hometown? You’ve smeared yourself with that ghastly makeup and still dare to show your face!”

Did he just hear something incredible?!

Could it be—Wei Wuxian slapped his thigh. Could it be that Mo Xuanyu’s father was not some minor sect leader, but rather the infamous Jin Guangshan?!

Jin Guangshan was the previous head of the Lanling Jin Sect, long deceased. It was difficult to sum up this man. He had a powerful wife from a distinguished family, and was well known for being afraid of her, but despite his fear, he still fooled around with other women. Jin’s wife, no matter how powerful, couldn’t keep an eye on him all the time. Therefore, from famous daughters of noble families to village prostitutes, he would not let any woman he could get his hands on go. And although he loved to flirt and have affairs, resulting in numerous illegitimate children, he was fickle, abandoning the women as soon as he got bored of them, without any sense of responsibility. Among all his illegitimate children, only one, Jin Guangyao, was particularly outstanding, and was eventually brought back to the family, now the current leader of the Lanling Jin Sect. And even Jin Guangshan’s death was disgraceful. He was confident in his virility and wanted to challenge himself, fooling around with a group of women, but unfortunately failed and died of a stroke. It was too embarrassing to mention, so the Lanling Jin Sect announced that the former sect leader had died of overwork. And so all the families pretended not to know about it. In short, these were the true reasons for his “infamy.”

During the great siege of the Burial Mounds, besides Jiang Cheng, Jin Guangshan had also made the second-largest contribution. Now Wei Wuxian had taken over the body of his illegitimate son, and he really didn’t know how to settle this debt.

The youth, seeing him in a daze, grew displeased and said, “Hurry up and get lost! Just looking at you is disgusting enough. You dead cut-sleeve.”

In terms of seniority, Mo Xuanyu was potentially this youth’s uncle or elder, yet he was being humiliated by a junior. Wei Wuxian thought that, even if not for himself, for the sake of Mo Xuanyu’s body, he had to insult him back. He said, “You really are a son of a mother but raised by none.”

Upon hearing this, two bursts of fury flashed in the youth’s eyes. He drew the long sword from his back, and with a sinister tone, said, “What did you say?”

The sword shone with a dazzling golden light; it was an extremely rare and superior sword. Many families could not even see one in their entire lives, let alone touch it. Wei Wuxian focused on the sword and found it looked familiar. However, he had seen many superior swords with golden light, so he didn’t dwell on it. Instead, he turned his attention to the small pouch in his hand.

This was a “Soul Locking Bag” he had quickly put together from scraps he had found a few days ago. As the youth slashed his sword at him, Wei Wuxian took out a small paper figurine, dodged the attack, and with a backhand, slapped the paper onto his back.

The youth’s movements were fast, but Wei Wuxian had done many things like tripping people and slapping talismans on their backs, so he was even faster. The youth only felt a numb sensation in his back, and a heavy weight pushed him to the ground, his sword falling to the side. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get up, as if a mountain was pressing down on him. A hungry ghost, who had died of overeating, was now pressing him down, making it difficult to breathe. Though the little ghost was weak, it was more than enough to deal with such a child. Wei Wuxian picked up his sword, weighed it, and with a swing, cut the trapping net.

The family fell to the ground in a disheveled manner. Without a word, they ran away. The round-faced girl seemed to want to thank him, but was pulled away by her elders, for fear of being further resented by this young master. The youth on the ground angrily said, “You dead cut-sleeve! So you resort to evil because you’re weak! You better watch out! Do you know who I am?! Today I…”

Wei Wuxian clutched his chest with insincere fear, “Ah! I’m so scared!”

Although his past cultivation methods were criticized, they had a quick effect despite the damage they inflicted on the practitioner’s body. Furthermore, they were not limited by spiritual power or talent, making them very attractive. There was never a shortage of people who secretly practiced them, hoping for shortcuts. This youth assumed that Mo Xuanyu had turned to evil after being kicked out of the Lanling Jin Sect. This suspicion was reasonable and saved Wei Wuxian a lot of unnecessary trouble.

The youth pushed on the ground, but couldn’t stand up after several attempts. His face was flushed and he gritted his teeth: “If you don’t get out of here, I’ll tell my uncle! You can wait to die!”

Wei Wuxian found it strange and said, “Why uncle and not father? Which uncle of yours?”

A voice sounded from behind, three parts cold and seven parts chilling:

“His uncle is me, do you have any last words?”

Upon hearing this voice, the blood in Wei Wuxian’s body seemed to rush to his head and then retreat again. Luckily, his face was already pale white, so it was not noticeable.

A youth dressed in purple walked leisurely over. His sleeves were narrow, his robes light, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. He wore a silver bell at his waist, but it made no sound as he walked.

This youth had delicate brows and apricot-shaped eyes, with a sharp and striking handsomeness. His gaze was intense, carrying an undercurrent of aggression, and when he looked at people it was like two bolts of lightning. He stood ten steps away from Wei Wuxian, still and composed, his expression like a drawn bowstring, ready to launch. Even his posture exuded arrogance and self-confidence.

He frowned, “Jin Ling, why are you taking so long? Do I have to come over and escort you back? You look so ugly, get up!”

After the initial numbness passed, Wei Wuxian quickly recovered. He curled a finger in his sleeve and withdrew the paper figurine. Jin Ling felt his back lighten, and immediately rolled over, grabbing his sword. He stood up, moved next to Jiang Cheng, and pointed at Wei Wuxian, scolding, “I will break your legs!”

These two relatives standing together had a two to three percent resemblance in their features, almost like brothers. Jiang Cheng moved his finger, and the paper figurine shot out of Wei Wuxian’s hand, flying into his own. He glanced at it, a fierce look rising in his eyes. He crushed the paper, and it burst into flames, turning to ashes amidst the screams of the resentful spirit.

Jiang Cheng said coldly, “Break his legs? Haven’t I told you, when you encounter those demonic ways, kill them directly and feed them to your dog!”

Wei Wuxian didn’t even care about the donkey and flew back. He had thought that after so many years, even if Jiang Cheng had great hatred for him, it would have faded away. Who knew things would be so different? Not only had it not faded, it had become like aged wine, becoming stronger with time. Now it was even spilling onto everyone who practiced similar cultivation!

With someone covering him, Jin Ling slashed even more fiercely. Wei Wuxian reached into the Soul Locking Bag, ready to act. But a beam of blue sword light flashed out like lightning, colliding with Jin Ling’s sword, instantly shattering the golden light of the superior sword.

It wasn’t a matter of the swords themselves, but rather the difference in the strength of the wielders. Wei Wuxian had calculated his timing but was thrown off by the sword light. He stumbled and fell, sprawling right in front of a pair of snow-white boots. He froze for a moment, and slowly looked up.

The first thing that came into view was a long, slender blade, as clear and sparkling as frozen ice.

Among all the sects, this sword was very famous. Wei Wuxian had experienced its power countless times, during both their time fighting alongside each other and against each other. The hilt was made of pure silver that had been refined using secret methods. The blade was thin, clear, and transparent, emitting a cold, snowy aura, but could still cut through steel like mud. Therefore, the entire sword appeared light and ethereal, like a divine weapon, but was, in fact, very heavy, impossible for ordinary people to even wield.

—— “Bichen.”

The blade turned and with a clear, sharp sound, it went back into its sheath. At the same time, Jiang Cheng’s voice came from a distance, “Who do I see here? It’s Second Young Master Lan.”

The pair of white boots walked past Wei Wuxian, slowly taking three steps forward. Wei Wuxian raised his head and stood up. As they passed each other, they made eye contact for a fleeting moment.

The newcomer was bathed in moonlight, and he carried a seven-stringed zither on his back. The zither was narrower than normal, completely black, with a smooth wooden surface.

This man wore a cloud patterned forehead ribbon, his skin was fair, his features exquisite, as if carved from jade. The color of his eyes was very light, like glass, making his gaze appear excessively cold. His expression was like frost and snow, an almost rigid sternness. Even upon seeing Wei Wuxian’s ridiculous face, there was not a single ripple in his gaze.

From head to toe, he was spotless, perfectly dressed, without a single hint of impropriety. Yet, four words popped into Wei Wuxian’s mind:

“Wearing mourning clothes!”

He truly looked like he was wearing mourning clothes. No matter how much the sects praised the Gusu Lan Sect uniform as the most beautiful of all, no matter how much they praised Lan Wangji as an unparalleled, once-in-a-lifetime beauty, it couldn’t hide his face that was like someone whose wife had just died. He seemed to carry so much pain and resentment.

Bad luck always came at the worst times. It never rained but it poured.

Without a word, Lan Wangji stood quietly, looking straight ahead, facing Jiang Cheng. Jiang Cheng was already an extremely handsome and outstanding individual, yet standing face to face with him, he seemed to pale in comparison, becoming more restless. He raised an eyebrow and said, “Hanguang-Jun truly lives up to his reputation of ‘appearing whenever there is trouble’. How is it that you have time to come to these remote mountains and forests today?”

The heads of the renowned cultivation families usually looked down on low-level monsters, and wouldn’t bother with hunting them. Lan Wangji was an exception. He never chose his night hunting targets. He would not refuse to come just because the demon wasn’t fierce enough or if there wasn’t any glory in killing it. As long as someone asked for help, he would be there. He had been like this since he was young. Therefore, “appearing whenever there is trouble” was the public’s evaluation of Hanguang-Jun’s night hunting trips, and also a praise for his character. When Jiang Cheng said it in this tone, it was obviously not very polite. A group of younger members from the Lan family who had followed him felt uncomfortable. Lan Jingyi was straightforward and said, “Isn’t Sect Leader Jiang here as well?”

Jiang Cheng coldly said, “Tsk, it’s not your place to interrupt elders. The Gusu Lan Sect prides itself as a family of etiquette, is this how you train the younger generation?”

Lan Wangji seemed unwilling to converse with him. He looked at Lan Sizhui, and the latter understood. It was better to let the juniors talk to each other. Lan Sizhui stepped forward and said to Jin Ling, “Young Master Jin, night hunting is supposed to be a fair competition between sects, yet Young Master Jin has set nets all over Dafan Mountain, making it difficult for other sects to move. They are worried about falling into traps. Hasn’t that already violated the rules of night hunting?”

Jin Ling’s cold expression was just like his uncle’s: “It’s their own fault for being stupid and falling into the traps. What can I do? We’ll talk about this when I catch the prey.”

Lan Wangji frowned. Jin Ling was about to speak when he suddenly realized he couldn’t open his mouth, and no sound came out of his throat. He was immediately shocked. Jiang Cheng saw that Jin Ling’s lips were stuck together and unable to separate. He showed visible anger, and abandoning his perfunctory manners, he said: “Lan! It is not your place to discipline Jin Ling. Release him!”

This silencing spell was used by the Lan family to punish their own members. Wei Wuxian had suffered from this trick many times. It wasn’t a complex or profound spell, but those who weren’t Lan family members didn’t know how to undo it. If one insisted on speaking, either their lips would be torn and bleeding or their throat would become hoarse for days. They must remain silent and reflect until the punishment was over. Lan Sizhui said, “Sect Leader Jiang need not be angry. As long as he doesn’t force it, it will automatically release after a stick of incense.”

Before Jiang Cheng could speak, a figure in Jiang’s sect colors ran from the forest, shouting, “Sect Leader!” Upon seeing Lan Wangji standing there, his face showed hesitation. Jiang Cheng said sarcastically, “Speak, what more bad news do you have for me?”

The guest disciple said quietly, “Not long ago, a blue flying sword destroyed all of the trapping nets you arranged.”

Jiang Cheng glared at Lan Wangji, his displeasure evident on his face. He asked, “How many were destroyed?”

The guest disciple said cautiously, “…All of them…”

Over four hundred!

Jiang Cheng became extremely annoyed.

He really hadn’t expected such bad luck on this trip. He had originally come to support Jin Ling. This year, Jin Ling was sixteen years old, and it was time for him to debut and compete with the younger generation of other sects. Jiang Cheng had carefully selected and chosen the Dafan Mountain hunting grounds for him, spreading nets everywhere and intimidating other cultivators, preventing them from moving an inch and forcing them to retreat. This was to make sure Jin Ling would win, and prevent others from getting in his way. Over four hundred trapping nets, although close to astronomical cost, it wasn’t that much for Yunmeng Jiang Sect. But the destruction of the nets was not as important as losing face. Lan Wangji’s actions made Jiang Cheng feel like a ball of rage swirling in his heart, rising higher and higher. He narrowed his eyes, his left hand moving absently over the ring on his right index finger.

This was a dangerous gesture.

Everyone knew that ring was a deadly powerful treasure. Once the head of the Jiang family began to touch it, it meant he had killing intent.