TFOD Chapter 30

The waiter said, “Don’t rush, I’m about to say it. They all died, but when I said they escaped a disaster, it was only temporary. After a few years, that owner, Chang Ping, still died. This time, he died even more horribly. He was killed by someone who used a sword to inflict death by a thousand cuts! Do you know what death by a thousand cuts is? I don’t need to explain, right? It’s when you take a knife or sword and scrape a person’s body, one cut at a time, scraping three thousand six hundred cuts until the flesh is scraped away, leaving only the bones…”

Wei Wuxian certainly knew what death by a thousand cuts was. If he were to write a book called “A Thousand Ways to Die Miserably”, no one would be more qualified to do it than him. He raised his hand and said, “I understand. Then, my friend, do you know why the Chang family was exterminated?”

The waiter said, “I heard that they were intentionally framed by fellow cultivators. It must be! Otherwise, a group of living people, and cultivators at that, how could they not escape? They must have been trapped inside by something or someone.”

The tavern owner, fearing that they wouldn’t be happy chatting, even brought over two small plates of peanuts and melon seeds. Wei Wuxian nodded his thanks, and while munching on melon seeds, he continued to ask, “Was it ever found out exactly what or who that something or someone was?”

The waiter laughed, “Young master, aren’t you making a joke? How could us ordinary people who are just trying to make a living know about those flying bigwigs? You’re a cultivator, you should know better than me. I just vaguely heard that they seemed to have offended someone they shouldn’t have! Anyway, from then on, no one in the Liyang area cared about demons and monsters anymore.”

Wei Wuxian pondered, “Someone they shouldn’t have offended?”

“Exactly, exactly.” The waiter ate a couple of peanuts. “These grudges between the major sects are very complicated. I think the Chang family must have been targeted by other cultivators. Isn’t killing for treasure common practice? That’s what the storytellers say, that’s what the legends write. Although I don’t know who exactly, it seems to be related to a very famous big demon.”

Wei Wuxian smiled, bringing the wine bowl to his lips, and squinted at him, “I’m guessing you’re going to say you don’t know who this big demon is, right?”

The waiter was amused, “You’re wrong. I do know this one. He seems to be called some old monster… oh, old ancestor, the Yi Ling Patriarch!”

Wei Wuxian choked and spat out a string of bubbles in his wine bowl, “What?”

It’s him again?!

The waiter said affirmatively, “Yes, that’s right! His surname is Wei, and he’s called Wei Wuqian or something. When others mention him, their tone is full of both hatred and fear!”

“…”

Wei Wuxian thought about it repeatedly and confirmed two things: one, he had never been to Liyang in his life, and two, none of the people he had killed were killed by him through death by a thousand cuts. He found it absurd and turned his head to look at Lan Wangji, as if seeking an explanation. Lan Wangji had been waiting a long time for this glance from him and said, “Let’s go.”

Wei Wuxian immediately understood. Lan Wangji had something to say about this, and it wasn’t convenient to say in the tavern in front of others. He stood up and said, “Then let’s go. Settle the bill… oh, it’s already settled. Little brother, keep the wine we bought here for now, and we’ll come back to continue drinking it after we’re done.” He joked, “Don’t try to cheat us.”

The waiter had already finished most of the plate of peanuts and shouted, “How could I! Our shop is honest with everyone. You can leave it here without worry. We won’t close until you come back. Hey hey, you two young masters, are you going to the Chang residence now? Wow, that’s amazing, I, a local, haven’t even been there! I only dare to secretly look at it from a distance. Are you two going to go in? What do you plan to do?”

Wei Wuxian said, “We’re also just going to, secretly look at it from a distance.”

This young waiter had a lively personality and was very familiar, and after talking for a while, he didn’t treat him like an outsider anymore. He leaned over to put his arm around Wei Wuxian’s shoulder, “Is this job of yours hard work? Do you earn a lot? It must be a lot! You look so respectable. Let me ask, is it hard to get into your field? I…”

He was babbling on when he suddenly shut up, looked over there in fear, and whispered, “Young master, the person next to you… why is he glaring at me?”

Wei Wuxian followed his gaze and just saw Lan Wangji turn around and walk out of the tavern. He said, “Oh, him? My friend has been strictly disciplined since childhood, and he doesn’t like to see anyone putting their arm around someone in front of him. Is it a bit strange?”

The waiter took his hand back awkwardly and said in a small voice, “Strange. Looking at his expression, anyone who didn’t know would think that I was putting my arm around his wife…”

With Lan Wangji’s hearing, there was no way he couldn’t hear even if he lowered his voice. Wei Wuxian wondered what he was thinking right now. Wei Wuxian suppressed his laughter until he was internally injured, and quickly said to the waiter, “I’ve finished one jar.”

The waiter said, “What?”

Wei Wuxian pointed at himself, “Standing.”

Only then did the young waiter remember that he had said “If you can finish one jar and still stand, I’ll take your surname”, he hurriedly said, “Oh oh… oh oh oh! This… impressive! It’s not me bragging, but it’s the first time I’ve seen someone finish a jar and stand steady with their tongue not even slurring. What’s your surname, young master?”

Wei Wuxian said, “I…” He thought of what the waiter had said earlier about “Wei Wuqian”, twitched the corner of his mouth, and calmly continued, “My surname is Lan.”

The waiter was also thick-skinned and said loudly without changing his expression, “That’s right, from today on, my surname is Lan!”

Under the bright red wine banner, Lan Wangji’s back seemed to sway for a moment. Wei Wuxian, his face full of mischief, put his hands behind his back and walked up to him, patting him on the shoulder, “Thank you for your kindness in settling the bill, Hanguang-Jun. I had him take your surname.”

After leaving the city, the two walked in the direction the waiter had pointed. The number of pedestrians gradually decreased, and the number of trees gradually increased. Wei Wuxian said, “Why didn’t you let me keep asking just now?”

Lan Wangji said, “I suddenly recalled that I had heard something about the Chang family of Liyang. Therefore, there’s no need to ask further.”

Wei Wuxian said, “Before you tell me, let me ask first, you should help me confirm indirectly, that, well, the extermination of the Chang family wasn’t done by me, right?”

Not to mention that he had already died ten years ago, and his soul was also very well-behaved. It wasn’t like he had gone to their door and killed their whole family, and he wouldn’t remember it!

Lan Wangji said, “It wasn’t.”

Wei Wuxian said, “Oh.” It was as if he had returned to some time in his previous life when everyone was yelling and cursing at him, and he was worse than a rat in the gutter. Any bad thing that happened could be counted on him, and he would be accused with no rhyme or reason. The old man next door’s little grandson lost three pounds because he wouldn’t eat; it was blamed on the Yi Ling Patriarch for scaring him by telling stories of the Ghost General killing people.

Who knew that Lan Wangji would say, “Although it wasn’t you who killed them, it’s related to you.”

Wei Wuxian said, “What’s the connection?”

Lan Wangji said, “There are two connections. First, there is a person involved in this matter who has a connection with your mother.”

Wei Wuxian stopped walking.

He didn’t know what to feel, or what expression to make. He hesitated and said, “…My mother?”

Wei Wuxian was the son of Wei Changze, a servant of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, and Cangse Sanren, a wandering cultivator. Jiang Fengmian and his wife were both familiar with his parents, but Jiang Fengmian rarely reminisced about his old friends to him. Jiang Fengmian’s wife, Yu Ziyuan, never spoke nicely to him, and it was good if she didn’t whip him a few times, tell him to go kneel in the ancestral hall, and stay away from Jiang Cheng. A lot of his parents’ stories were told to him by others, and he didn’t actually know more than anyone else.

Lan Wangji also stopped, turned to face him, and said, “Have you ever heard the name Xiao Xingchen?”

Wei Wuxian thought about it seriously, “Never.”

Lan Wangji said, “It’s right that you’ve never heard of him. This person became famous after coming down from the mountain just twelve years ago. Now, no one mentions him anymore.”

Twelve years ago was just one year after the great siege of the Burial Mounds in Yiling, which was exactly when he was gone. Wei Wuxian asked, “Which mountain was he from, and who was his master?”

Lan Wangji said, “The mountain is unknown. His master was from the Taoist sect. Xiao Xingchen was a disciple of Baoshan Sanren.”

Only now did Wei Wuxian realize why he was said to have a connection with his mother. He said, “So that means this Xiao Xingchen was my martial uncle.”

Cangse Sanren also came from Baoshan Sanren’s sect.

This Baoshan Sanren was a recluse, and it was said that she was a cultivator who came up at the same time as Wen Mao and Lan An. Those influential figures of that generation had long since vanished, and only Baoshan Sanren was rumored to have not yet passed away. If this was true, then she would have to be several hundred years old, which was enough to show her level of cultivation. In the past, with Wen Mao at the lead, family clans were rising while sects were declining, and cultivator forces based on blood ties were springing up like bamboo shoots after the rain. Almost every cultivator with a bit of fame had founded their own sect. But this highly skilled person chose to retreat into the mountains, with the title Baoshan. Which mountain she held, no one knew. And of course, it was exactly because no one knew, that it was called seclusion. If one could still find her easily after she secluded herself, it wouldn’t be called seclusion.

This senior hid on some unknown sacred mountain, and from time to time would quietly bring some lonely and helpless children up the mountain and take them as disciples. But all disciples had to swear: in this life, they would only concentrate on cultivating the Dao, they could not go down the mountain, and could not enter the secular world. Otherwise, no matter the reason, they could never return. They would have to fend for themselves, struggle and make their way in the mortal world, and would have no further connection with their sect.

People all said that Baoshan Sanren was worthy of being a high-level cultivator, and the rule she had established was truly forward-looking. Because over the centuries, only three of her disciples went down the mountain: Yanling Daoren, Cangse Sanren, and Xiao Xingchen. And all three of her disciples did not have good ends.

Wei Wuxian had known about the first two disciples since he was young and didn’t need to hear it again. So what Lan Wangji was telling him succinctly was the story of his last martial uncle.

Xiao Xingchen was only seventeen years old when he came down the mountain. Although Lan Wangji had never met him, he had heard about his charm from others.

At that time, the Sunshot Campaign had ended a few years prior, and the great siege of the Burial Mounds in Yiling was still fresh. The major sects were rampant, recruiting talents everywhere to serve their own purposes. Xiao Xingchen, with the thought of saving the world in his mind, had descended from the mountain. He had excellent aptitude, and came from a highly skilled master. In his first night hunt, with only a horsetail whisk and a long sword, he had entered the mountain alone and won first place, becoming famous in one battle.

When the various families saw this clear-minded young Taoist with good looks and excellent cultivation, they were all very impressed and sent out invitations. However, Xiao Xingchen politely declined them all, and stated that he did not wish to rely on any sect. Instead, he and a very close friend were determined to establish a new sect that did not focus on blood ties.

This person’s nature was like reeds, his heart was like a rock, his exterior was gentle, but his interior was firm, and he was a clean person. At that time, whenever anyone had a difficult or troublesome matter, the first person they thought of to seek help from was him, and he never refused. Thus, he was highly regarded.

The Liyang Chang family extermination case was what happened at that time.