TFOD Chapter 79

That night, a huge storm swept in.

At midnight, in the Hall of Gilded Splendor at the Golden Carp Tower, nearly fifty clan leaders were seated according to rank. At the head was Jin Guangshan. As Jin Zixuan was out and Jin Zixun lacked seniority, only Jin Guangyao stood respectfully by his side. In the front row were leaders and prominent figures like Nie Mingjue, Jiang Cheng, Lan Xichen, and Lan Wangji, all with solemn expressions. The back rows consisted of second-tier clan leaders and cultivators, all on edge, occasionally whispering comments like “I knew it,” “It was bound to happen,” and “Let’s see how this ends.”

Jiang Cheng was the center of everyone’s attention. Seated in the front row, his face was clouded over. He, like the others, listened as Jin Guangyao spoke with a respectful demeanor and gentle tone:

“…Four supervisors were killed, and about fifty escaped Wen clan remnants. After Wei Wuxian took them into the Burial Mounds, he summoned several hundred fierce corpses to patrol the foot of the mountain and block us, so our people still can’t get up there.”

After he finished, the Hall of Gilded Splendor fell silent.

After a long while, Jiang Cheng finally spoke: “This matter is indeed outrageous. I apologize to Sect Leader Jin on his behalf. If there is any way to remedy this, please just tell me, and I will do my best to compensate.”

Jin Guangshan, however, did not want his apology or compensation. He said, “Sect Leader Jiang, originally, out of respect for you, my Lanling Jin Sect would not have said another word, but these supervisors aren’t all from the Jin family, there are a few from other families too. So this is…”

Jiang Cheng frowned deeply and rubbed the throbbing veins at his temples. He silently took a breath and said, “…I apologize to all the sect leaders. As you all may not know, the Wen clan cultivator Wei Wuxian was trying to save is called Wen Ning, and he and his sister, Wen Qing, were once kind to the two of us during the Sunshot Campaign. Therefore…”

Nie Mingjue asked, “What do you mean by kind? Isn’t the Qishan Wen clan the murderer behind the massacre of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect?”

For the past few years, Jiang Cheng had been busy until late every night. He had just intended to rest earlier today, when this thunderbolt of news hit him, forcing him to rush to the Golden Carp Tower overnight. Tired and already suppressing a bit of anger, and coupled with his pride and being forced to apologize in front of everyone, he was already irritated. Now, hearing Nie Mingjue bring up the massacre of his clan, a surge of hatred rose in his heart.

This hatred was directed not only at everyone present, but also at Wei Wuxian.

Lan Xichen pondered, “I know a bit about this Wen Qing. I haven’t heard of her participating in any of the killings during the Sunshot Campaign.”

Nie Mingjue said, “But she didn’t stop them either.”

Lan Xichen said, “Wen Qing was one of Wen Ruohan’s confidantes. How could she have stopped them?”

Nie Mingjue coldly said, “Since she remained silent and did not oppose the Wen clan’s evil deeds, that’s equivalent to standing by and doing nothing. They can’t expect to enjoy special treatment when the Wen clan is wreaking havoc, but refuse to bear the consequences and pay the price when the Wen clan falls.”

Lan Xichen knew that due to his family’s grudge, Nie Mingjue hated the Wen dogs the most. Furthermore, he was an absolutely uncompromising person. So he said nothing more. A clan leader said, “Sect Leader Nie is right. Moreover, since Wen Qing was Wen Ruohan’s confidante, who can believe that she didn’t participate? I don’t. Which Wen dog hasn’t got a few lives on their hands? Maybe we just didn’t discover it yet!”

At the mention of the Qishan Wen clan’s atrocities of the past, the crowd became agitated and noisy. Jin Guangshan was about to speak, but seeing the situation, he was unhappy. Jin Guangyao, noticing his expression, quickly raised his voice and said, “Everyone, please be calm. The main point of discussion today is not this.” As he spoke, he had servants bring out chilled fruit slices to divert their attention, and the Hall of Gilded Splendor gradually calmed down. Jin Guangshan seized the opportunity and said, “Sect Leader Jiang, originally this was your family matter, and it wasn’t appropriate for me to interfere, but now that things have come to this, regarding this Wei Ying, I must remind you.”

Jiang Cheng said, “Sect Leader Jin, please speak.”

Jin Guangshan said, “Sect Leader Jiang, Wei Ying is your right-hand man, and we all know that you value him highly. But in return, does he respect you as a sect leader? That’s hard to say. Anyway, I’ve been a sect leader for so many years, and I’ve never seen a subordinate of any family dare to be so self-important and arrogant. Have you heard what’s being said outside? That the Yunmeng Jiang Sect’s victories in the Sunshot Campaign were all due to Wei Wuxian alone? What utter nonsense!”

Hearing this, Jiang Cheng’s face had already turned very ugly. Jin Guangshan shook his head and said, “At the Hundred Clan Banquet, such a grand occasion, he dared to show you disrespect in front of everyone and just leave. Yesterday he was even more outrageous behind your back, even daring to say things like ‘I don’t see Sect Leader Jiang as worthy of respect at all!’ Everyone present heard it with their own ears…”

Suddenly, a cold voice said, “No.”

Jin Guangshan, in the middle of his embellishment, was stunned. He, like everyone else, looked around to see who had spoken.

He saw Lan Wangji sitting upright, his expression calm as he said, “I didn’t hear Wei Ying say those words. Nor did I hear him express the slightest disrespect for Sect Leader Jiang.”

Lan Wangji spoke very little in public. Even at the Discussion Conferences, he only spoke when someone asked him a question or issued a challenge. Then he would answer concisely, getting straight to the point, and defeating others’ eloquent and bombastic arguments. Other than that, he almost never spoke voluntarily. So, Jin Guangshan was more surprised than displeased when he was interrupted. But after all, having his words altered and exaggerated and being called out on it in public did make him feel a bit embarrassed. Fortunately, Jin Guangyao immediately came to his rescue. He said with surprise, “Is that so? Ah, that day, Young Master Wei charged onto the Golden Carp Tower so aggressively and said so much, each sentence more shocking than the last, he might have said something with a similar meaning. I can’t remember exactly.”

His memory was no worse than Lan Wangji’s. Nie Mingjue knew at once that he was deliberately feigning ignorance and frowned slightly. Jin Guangshan took the opportunity to step down and said, “That’s right. Anyway, his attitude is always arrogant and conceited.”

A clan leader said, “Actually, I’ve wanted to say this for a long time. Although this Wei Wuxian made some contributions during the Sunshot Campaign, there were many other guest cultivators who contributed more than him. I’ve never seen anyone so self-important. To put it bluntly, he’s just the son of a servant after all. How can a servant’s son be so arrogant?”

When he mentioned “the son of a servant,” people naturally thought of the “son of a prostitute” still standing in the hall. Jin Guangyao clearly noticed these unkind looks but maintained a perfect smile, not faltering in the slightest. The crowd began to follow suit and express their dissatisfaction:

“Sect Leader Jin asked Wei Ying to present the Stygian Tiger Seal, which was originally done out of goodwill, fearing that he couldn’t control it and would cause a disaster. Yet he assumed the worst of a gentleman, thinking that everyone was coveting his magical artifact? That’s ridiculous. If we’re talking about magical artifacts, which family doesn’t have a few treasures?”

“I thought from the beginning that there would be problems with him cultivating the demonic path sooner or later, and look! His homicidal nature has already begun to show. For a few Wen dogs, he indiscriminately killed our people…”

At this moment, a timid voice interjected, “Was it really indiscriminate killing?”

Lan Wangji, who seemed to have entered a state of detachment, moved at the sound and looked up. The speaker was a pretty young woman, standing beside a clan leader. This out-of-place remark immediately drew attacks from the nearby cultivators: “What do you mean by that?”

The woman seemed startled and said even more cautiously, “No… I don’t mean anything. Everyone, don’t be so agitated. I just think the term ‘indiscriminate killing’ is not quite appropriate.”

Another person spat, “What’s not appropriate? Wei Wuxian has been indiscriminately killing since the Sunshot Campaign. Can you deny that?”

The woman tried hard to argue, “The Sunshot Campaign was a battlefield. On a battlefield, isn’t everyone ‘indiscriminately killing’? We are just discussing this matter on its own merits. If you call his actions indiscriminate killing, I really don’t think it counts. After all, there was a reason. If those supervisors really abused prisoners and killed Wen Ning, then this is not indiscriminate killing, it’s revenge…”

One person said angrily, “You’re ridiculous! Are you saying that it was justified for him to kill our people? Are you going to praise it as a righteous act?”

Another person sneered, “Whether those supervisors did those things or not is still unknown. No one saw it with their own eyes.”

“That’s right. The supervisors who survived all said they absolutely didn’t abuse the prisoners. Wen Ning accidentally fell from a cliff and died. They even kindly helped to collect his remains and bury them. Who knew that they would suffer such retribution? It’s truly disheartening!”

The woman said, “The other supervisors were afraid of being held accountable for abusing the prisoners and killing people, so of course, they’d insist that he fell on his own…”

Suddenly, one person coldly laughed, “You don’t have to argue anymore. We don’t want to hear the excuses of someone who has a guilty conscience.”

The woman’s face turned red. She raised her voice and said, “Explain yourself. What do you mean by ‘has a guilty conscience’?”

The person said, “No need to explain. You know it, and we all know it. Back then, at the bottom of the Xuanwu Cave, he flirted with you, and you fell for him immediately, didn’t you? Now you’re still trying to justify his actions and distort the truth. Ha, women are just women.”

The affair of Wei Wuxian saving the beauty at the bottom of the Xuanwu Cave had been popular gossip for a while. So, many people immediately realized that this young woman was “MianMian.”

Someone immediately muttered, “I knew it. No wonder she’s so eager to speak up for Wei Wuxian…”

MianMian angrily said, “What do you mean by ‘justifying’ and ‘distorting the truth’? I’m just discussing the matter on its own merits. What does it have to do with me being a woman? If you can’t win an argument with logic, are you just going to attack me with other things?”

Someone sneered, “Tsk, tsk, tsk, you make it sound so innocent and pure. Your heart is clearly biased. How can you talk about discussing matters on their merits?”

“Don’t waste your breath on her. This kind of person is actually from our clan and was even able to get into the Hall of Gilded Splendor. I feel ashamed to stand with her.”

Many of those who attacked her were fellow cultivators from the same clan as her. MianMian was so angry that her eyes turned red with tears. After a long moment, she loudly said, “Fine! You’re louder! Fine! You’re right!”

She gritted her teeth and suddenly tore off the clan-marked robe she was wearing, slamming it hard on the table with a loud bang, attracting the attention of the clan leaders in the front row who had not noticed what was happening. The others were shocked because this action represented “withdrawing from the clan.”

MianMian didn’t say a word, turned around, and walked out. After a while, someone mocked her, “If you dare take it off, then don’t put it back on!”

“Who does she think she is… Leaving just because she leaves, who cares, who does she think she’s throwing a tantrum for?”

Here and there, people started to chime in: “Women are just women, they can’t take a couple of words. She’ll definitely come crawling back after a couple of days.”

“Definitely. After all, it wasn’t easy for her to go from being a slave’s daughter to a disciple, haha…”

Lan Wangji ignored the cacophony of voices behind him. He stood up and walked out. Lan Xichen, after finding out what the small commotion was about, and hearing them say things that were becoming more and more outrageous, said in a low voice, “Everyone, she’s already left, let’s be quiet.”

Zewu-Jun had spoken, so the others naturally had to show some respect. The Hall of Gilded Splendor started up again with a mix of comments denouncing the Wen dogs and Wei Wuxian, with an overwhelming surge of fierce, indiscriminate, and unyielding hatred. Seizing this atmosphere, Jin Guangshan said to Jiang Cheng, “I think he’s been planning this trip to the Burial Mounds for a long time now. After all, with his abilities, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to establish his own sect. So he’s using this opportunity to break away from the Jiang sect, wanting to be free as a bird outside. You painstakingly rebuilt the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, yet he, who has so much controversy surrounding him, still doesn’t restrain himself and is just causing you more trouble. He doesn’t consider you at all.”

Jiang Cheng tried to remain calm and said, “That won’t happen. Wei Wuxian has always been like this since he was little. Even my father couldn’t do anything about him.”

Jin Guangshan said, “Was Sect Leader Fengmian unable to do anything about him?” He chuckled twice and said, “Sect Leader Fengmian was partial to him.”

Hearing the words “partial to him,” the muscles in the corner of Jiang Cheng’s mouth twitched.

Jin Guangshan continued, “Sect Leader Jiang, you’re different from your father. Now that the Yunmeng Jiang Sect has only been rebuilt for a few years, it’s time for you to establish your authority. Yet he doesn’t avoid suspicion. What will the new disciples of the Jiang Sect think if they see this? Do you want them all to use him as an example and not respect you?”

He spoke one sentence after another, pushing step by step, striking while the iron was hot. Jiang Cheng slowly said, “Sect Leader Jin, there’s no need to say any more. I will go to the Burial Mounds and resolve this matter.”

Jin Guangshan was pleased and said earnestly, “That’s right. Sect Leader Jiang, some people and some matters cannot be tolerated.”

After the meeting concluded, the clan leaders all felt they had obtained some incredible gossip for the day. They walked out while excitedly discussing it, their anger still not lessened. Behind the Sea of Golden Stars and Snow, the three lords gathered. Lan Xichen said, “Third Brother, you’ve worked hard.”

Jin Guangyao smiled and said, “I haven’t worked hard. It’s Sect Leader Jiang and that table who’ve worked hard. He smashed several places on it to pieces. It seems he was really angry.”

Nie Mingjue walked over and said, “With your glib tongue, it’s indeed been hard.”

Hearing this, Lan Xichen just smiled without saying anything. Jin Guangyao knew that Nie Mingjue would take any chance to lecture him to be a good person, and feeling quite helpless, he quickly changed the subject and said, “Ah, Second Brother, where’s Wangji? I saw him leave early just now.”

Lan Xichen motioned to the front. Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue turned around to look. In the Sea of Golden Stars and Snow, Lan Wangji was standing face-to-face with the young woman who had just left her clan in the Hall of Gilded Splendor. The woman still had tears in her eyes, while Lan Wangji had a solemn expression. The two were talking.

A moment later, Lan Wangji bowed his head slightly and gave her a bow.

This bow was respectful and solemn. The woman also returned a more solemn bow. Wearing the gauze robe without her clan’s insignia, she fluttered down the Golden Carp Tower.

Nie Mingjue said, “This woman has more backbone than the rabble of her clan.”

Jin Guangyao said with a smile, “Yes, she does.”

Two days later, Jiang Cheng took thirty disciples to Yiling.

At the foot of the Burial Mounds, in front of the collapsed curse wall, there were indeed hundreds of fierce corpses wandering around. Jiang Cheng approached, but they didn’t react. However, if the disciples behind Jiang Cheng got too close, they would let out a warning growl. Jiang Cheng ordered the disciples to wait at the foot of the mountain and went up the mountain alone. He walked for a long time through the dark forest before hearing human voices in front of him.

Beside the mountain path were several round tree stumps. A large one looked like a table, and three small ones looked like stools. A woman in red and Wei Wuxian were sitting on two of the tree stumps, while a few honest-looking men were diligently turning over the soil in a nearby patch of land.

Wei Wuxian said, swinging his legs, “Let’s plant potatoes.”

The woman said firmly, “Let’s plant radishes. Radishes are easier to grow and don’t die so easily. Potatoes are too troublesome to care for.”

Wei Wuxian said, “Radishes taste terrible.”

Jiang Cheng snorted, and only then did Wei Wuxian and Wen Qing turn around. They weren’t surprised to see him. Wei Wuxian stood up, didn’t say a word, and continued to walk up the mountain with his hands behind his back. Jiang Cheng didn’t ask, but just followed him.

Before long, another group of men appeared beside the mountain path. They were busy working in front of a scaffolding made of wooden beams. They should all be Wen clan cultivators, but after taking off their Flame Sun robes and putting on coarse clothes, holding hammers and saws, carrying wood and straw on their shoulders, and climbing up and down, they were no different from ordinary farmers and hunters. When they saw Jiang Cheng, they recognized him as a great sect leader by his clothing and sword. They seemed a bit fearful and stopped what they were doing, hesitantly looking over at him. They didn’t even dare breathe loudly. Wei Wuxian waved his hand and said, “Continue.”

As soon as he spoke, the group continued working with peace of mind. Jiang Cheng said, “What are they doing?”

Wei Wuxian said, “Can’t you see? Building houses.”

Jiang Cheng said, “Building houses? Then what were those people who were turning over the soil earlier doing? Don’t tell me you really plan to farm.”

Wei Wuxian said, “Didn’t you hear it? They’re farming.”

Jiang Cheng said, “You’re farming on a mountain of corpses? Can the things you grow be eaten?”

Wei Wuxian said, “Believe me, when people are really hungry, they can eat anything.”

Jiang Cheng said, “Do you really plan to settle down here for a long time? Can people stay in this godforsaken place?”

Wei Wuxian said, “I stayed here for three months.”

After a moment of silence, Jiang Cheng said, “Aren’t you going back to Lotus Pier?”

Wei Wuxian said casually, “Yunmeng and Yiling are so close, I can sneak back whenever I want.”

Jiang Cheng sneered, “You’re thinking too much of yourself.”

He was about to say something else when suddenly he felt a weight on his leg. He looked down and saw that, at some unknown time, a one-or-two-year-old child had snuck over and hugged his leg, gazing up at him with his round face and big black eyes.

He was indeed a cute child. Unfortunately, Jiang Cheng had no fondness for children. He said to Wei Wuxian, “Where did this child come from? Get him away.”

Wei Wuxian bent over, picked up the child, and placed him on his arm, saying, “What do you mean ‘get him away’? You don’t know how to talk. A-Yuan, why do you hug people’s legs when you see them? Go! Don’t bite your nails after playing in the mud. Do you know what kind of mud this is? Take your hands away! And don’t touch my face either. Where’s grandma?”

An old woman with sparse white hair limped over with a wooden cane. When she saw Jiang Cheng, she also recognized him as an important figure, looking somewhat fearful, her hunched figure becoming even more hunched. Wei Wuxian put the child, named A-Yuan, down next to her, saying, “Go play over there.”

The old woman quickly took her grandson away, walking with a limp. The little boy stumbled as he walked, still looking back. Jiang Cheng mocked him and said, “Those clan leaders thought you had gathered a group of rebels to wave a flag and occupy this mountain, but they’re just a bunch of old, weak, women, and children.”

Wei Wuxian laughed self-deprecatingly. Jiang Cheng then asked, “Where’s Wen Ning?”

Wei Wuxian said, “Why do you suddenly want to ask about him?”

Jiang Cheng said coldly, “Countless people have been asking me about him these past few days. Who can they ask other than me? I guess I can only ask you.”

Wei Wuxian pointed ahead, and the two of them walked side by side. A gust of cold air swept towards them, and a tall cave appeared before them. After walking straight for a while, Jiang Cheng kicked something. He looked down and saw half of a compass. Wei Wuxian quickly said, “Don’t kick it, I’m not finished with it yet. It’s useful.”

He picked it up. Jiang Cheng stepped on something else. Looking down, he saw a crumpled flag. Wei Wuxian said again, “Be careful not to break it! This is also useful, I’m almost done with it.”

Jiang Cheng said, “You’re the one who throws things around randomly. You can’t blame anyone if they get broken.”

Wei Wuxian said, “This is where I live alone. What’s wrong with throwing things around?”

As they continued forward, there were talismans everywhere, stuck to the walls, thrown on the ground, crumpled into balls, torn into pieces. It looked as if someone had gone crazy and scattered them around. The farther they went, the messier it became. Jiang Cheng felt suffocated. “If you dare make this mess in Lotus Pier, I’ll set fire to everything you own!”

When they entered the main cave, there was a person lying on the ground, completely covered in talismans from head to toe, with only a pair of eyes showing, their whites exposed. It was Wen Ning. Jiang Cheng glanced at him and asked, “You live here? Where do you sleep?”

Wei Wuxian threw the things he had just picked up into a corner and pointed to a crumpled pile of blankets in another corner, saying, “Just wrapped up and you can sleep anywhere.”

Jiang Cheng did not want to continue discussing that topic. He looked down at the motionless Wen Ning and said, “What’s wrong with him?”

Wei Wuxian said, “He’s a bit fierce. I was afraid something would go wrong, so I sealed him off first to stop him from moving for now.”

Jiang Cheng said, “Wasn’t he a timid stutterer when he was alive? How can he be so fierce after death?”

His tone wasn’t friendly. Wei Wuxian looked at him and said, “Wen Ning was indeed a relatively timid person when he was alive. Because of that, he kept all sorts of emotions buried deep inside his heart—resentment, anger, fear, anxiety, and pain. These things accumulated too much. They all exploded after his death, and the power is unimaginable. It’s like how people with a usually good temper are more terrifying when they get angry. The more like that you are, the more fierce you become after death.”

Jiang Cheng said, “Haven’t you always said that the fiercer the better? The more resentment and hatred, the stronger the power?”

Wei Wuxian said, “That’s true. But I don’t plan to refine Wen Ning into that kind of corpse.”

Jiang Cheng said, “Then what kind do you want to refine him into?”

Wei Wuxian said, “I want to awaken his mind.”

Jiang Cheng sneered, “You’re day-dreaming again. Awaken his mind? What would the difference be between a fierce corpse like that and a human? If you can really do that, no one would need to be human, no one would need to seek immortality, everyone would just ask you to refine them into fierce corpses.”

Wei Wuxian laughed and said, “Yeah, I also discovered that it’s really damn hard. But I’ve already bragged to his sister about it a dozen times. Now, they believe that I can definitely do it. I have to refine him, otherwise, where would I put my face…”

Before he finished speaking, Jiang Cheng suddenly drew Sandu and struck at Wen Ning’s throat as if he were about to cut off his head with one strike. Wei Wuxian reacted quickly and hit Jiang Cheng’s arm, deflecting the sword. He shouted, “What are you doing?!”

His voice echoed throughout the empty Demonic Subjugation Cave, buzzing and reverberating. Jiang Cheng didn’t retract his sword. He said sharply, “What am I doing? I should be the one asking you what you’re doing. Wei Wuxian, these past few days you’ve been so impressive, haven’t you?!”

Long before Jiang Cheng went to the Burial Mounds, Wei Wuxian had predicted that this time he was coming, he would not be genuinely coming to chat peacefully with him. Along the way, both of them had a string tightly strung in their hearts. They had been chatting casually for so long now, pretending to be calm and suppressing themselves for so long. Finally, that string snapped.

Wei Wuxian said, “If Wen Qing and the others weren’t forced into a corner, do you think I’d want to be this impressive?”

Jiang Cheng said, “They were forced into a corner? I’ve been forced into a corner by you! A few days ago, the families at the Golden Carp Tower surrounded me, demanding that I give them an explanation about this matter. And now I had to come here!”

Wei Wuxian said, “What explanation is there to give? This matter is already settled. Those supervisors killed Wen Ning, and Wen Ning turned into a corpse and killed them. A life for a life, a debt paid in blood. It ends here.”

Jiang Cheng said, “Ends here? How can it? Do you know how many eyes are watching you, watching your Stygian Tiger Seal? If they catch this opportunity, you’ll lose even if you’re right!”

Wei Wuxian said, “You said it yourself, even if I’m right, I’ll lose. Other than being trapped in my own little world, what else can I do?”

Jiang Cheng said, “What do you mean, what else can you do? Of course there’s something you can do.”

He pointed Sandu at Wen Ning on the ground and said, “The only way to remedy this now is to do it ourselves before they make any further moves! Let’s settle things ourselves!”

Wei Wuxian said, “What do you mean settle?”

Jiang Cheng said, “You must immediately burn this corpse, and hand back this group of Wen clan rebels, only then will we not give anyone an excuse to attack us!” As he said this, he raised his sword to strike again. Wei Wuxian, however, grabbed his wrist tightly, saying, “You’re joking! If we hand Wen Qing and the others back now, the only thing waiting for them is to be wiped out!”

Jiang Cheng said, “You’re having trouble clearing yourself now, and yet you’re still worrying about their fate. Let them be wiped out. What’s it got to do with you!”

Wei Wuxian was furious. “Jiang Cheng! You—what are you talking about? Take it back, don’t force me to hit you! Don’t forget, who helped us cremate Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu’s bodies? Who brought the ashes that are buried in Lotus Pier right now? Who took us in when we were being chased by Wen Chao back then!”

Jiang Cheng said, “I want to beat you to death! Yes, they did help us, but why can’t you understand that the Wen clan remnants are now the target of everyone? No matter who it is, just by having the name of Wen, they are guilty! And protecting those who are named Wen is a crime against the world! Everyone hates the Wen dogs, wishing they would die as miserable as possible. If anyone protects them, they’re going against everyone, no one will speak up for them, and even more so, no one will speak up for you!”

Wei Wuxian said, “I don’t need others to speak up for me.”

Jiang Cheng said angrily, “What are you so stubborn about? If you can’t do it, then step aside, and I will do it!”

Wei Wuxian gripped him tighter, his fingers like iron hoops. “Jiang Wanyin!”

Jiang Cheng said, “Wei Wuxian! Do you even understand? When you stand with them, you’re a maverick, a hero, a giant, the best of the best. But as soon as you express a different opinion from them, you become a madman, disregarding morality, a demonic heretic. Do you think you can stay aloof and live freely outside the world? There’s no precedent for that!”

Wei Wuxian shouted, “If there’s no precedent, then I’ll be the precedent!”

The two glared at each other, neither willing to back down. After a long pause, Jiang Cheng said, “Wei Wuxian, can’t you see the situation? Do you really want me to spell it out for you? If you insist on protecting them, I won’t be able to protect you.”

Wei Wuxian said, “There’s no need to protect me. Just abandon me.”

Jiang Cheng’s face twisted.

Wei Wuxian said, “Just abandon me. Tell the world that I’ve rebelled. From now on, whatever Wei Wuxian does, it will have nothing to do with the Yunmeng Jiang Sect.”

Jiang Cheng said, “…Just for this group of Wens…?”

Jiang Cheng said, “Wei Wuxian, are you suffering from hero syndrome? Are you going to die if you don’t make a scene or cause trouble?”

Wei Wuxian was silent.

A moment later, he said, “So it’s better to cut ties now, to prevent the Yunmeng Jiang Sect from being implicated in the future.”

“…” Jiang Cheng muttered, “My mother said, you’re just here to bring trouble to our family. It’s really true.”

He sneered and said to himself, “…‘Knowing it is impossible, yet still doing it’? Good, you understand the Yunmeng Jiang Sect’s family precept, you understand it better than I do. You all understand.”

He sheathed Sandu and said calmly, “Then, let’s have a duel.”

Three days later, the Yunmeng Jiang Sect’s Leader Jiang Cheng challenged Wei Wuxian to a duel, resulting in a sensational fight in Yiling.

The negotiation failed, and the two engaged in a fierce battle. Wei Wuxian, using the fierce corpse Wen Ning, hit Jiang Cheng with a palm, breaking his arm. Jiang Cheng stabbed Wei Wuxian with a sword. Both were badly injured and coughed up blood. They cursed each other and left, completely breaking ties.

After this battle, Jiang Cheng publicly declared that Wei Wuxian had rebelled against the sect, was openly an enemy of the cultivation world, and had been expelled from the Yunmeng Jiang Sect. From that point on, their friendship was severed and there was a clear demarcation between them. From now on, no matter what this person does, it will have nothing to do with the Yunmeng Jiang Sect!