TFOD Chapter 62

Wei Wuxian was stunned for a moment, then asked, “Passed away?”

Lan Wangji’s tear-streaked face, illuminated by firelight, suddenly flashed in his mind, and he blurted out, “How is Lan Zhan?”

Jiang Cheng said, “What else could he be? He went back. Father originally wanted to send someone to escort him back to Gusu, but he refused. Judging by his appearance, he must have expected this day to come. After all, in the current situation, no family is doing any better than any other.”

The two sat down on the wooden railing again. Wei Wuxian asked, “Then what happened with Lan Xichen?”

Jiang Cheng said, “Wasn’t the Wen family planning to burn down their library pavilion? The Lan family people managed to save some of the tens of thousands of ancient books and scores and should have given them to Lan Xichen, to take them away and protect as many as possible. Otherwise, they’d all be gone. That’s what everyone is guessing.”

Wei Wuxian looked at the sky and said, “How disgusting.”

Jiang Cheng said, “Yeah. The Wen family is so disgusting.”

Wei Wuxian said, “When are they going to stop this? We have so many families, can’t we join forces…”

Just then, a chaotic sound of footsteps came, and a group of teenagers in short clothing, like monkeys, leaped and ran onto the long corridor, all shouting, “Eldest Brother!!!”

The sixth junior brother happily said, “Eldest Brother!!! You’re alive!!!”

Wei Wuxian yelled, “What do you mean I’m alive? I was never dead!”

“Eldest Brother, I heard you killed a great demon beast over four hundred years old?! Is it true?! You killed it?!”

“More than that, I want to know, is it true that you haven’t eaten for seven days?!”

“Did you really not secretly practice a fast without telling us?!”

“Just how big is the Tortoise of Slaughter? Can Lotus Pier Lake hold it?!”

“The Tortoise of Slaughter is just a giant turtle, right?!”

“Eldest Brother, did you spend those seven days with that Lan Wangji from Gusu? He didn’t beat you to death?!”

The slightly solemn atmosphere from before was immediately shattered by a scene of chaos and clamor.

Wei Wuxian’s injuries had not been serious to begin with, it was just that he had not taken medicine in time and had been overly fatigued, without food to fill his stomach. But his body was in great shape. The iron brand mark on his chest no longer felt hot after applying medicine. After a few days of rest, he was full of life again. After the incident with the Tortoise of Slaughter at Muxi Mountain, the Wen Clan’s “Enlightenment Office” in Qishan completely dispersed. The disciples from the various families went back home and Wen Chao’s side also temporarily didn’t pursue the matter. Madam Yu seized the opportunity to scold Wei Wuxian harshly, ordering him not to step out of Lotus Pier even half a step, and not even allowing him to go boating on the lake. Thus, he had no choice but to fly kites with a group of Jiang Clan disciples and students every day.

No matter how fun a game was, playing it every day would become boring. Therefore, after half a month, the interest of the teenagers grew increasingly weak. Wei Wuxian also could not muster up any enthusiasm, shooting aimlessly, and unusually allowing Jiang Cheng to take first place several times.

On this day, as the last round of shooting was completed, Wei Wuxian put his right hand over his eyebrows, shielding his eyes from the setting sun, and said, “Let’s pack up, don’t play anymore. Let’s go home for dinner.”

Jiang Cheng asked, “So early today?”

Wei Wuxian threw down his bow, sat on the ground, and said forlornly, “It’s boring, I don’t want to shoot anymore. Which of you were in the last few places? Go with sixth junior brother to pick them up.”

One of the teenagers said, “Eldest Brother, you’re so cunning, always making others pick them up, so shameless.”

Wei Wuxian waved his hand, “There’s nothing I can do. Madam Yu won’t let me leave. She’s at home now, maybe Gold Pearl and Silver Pearl are crouching in some corner watching me, ready to report me at any time. If I go out, Madam Yu will whip a layer of skin off me.”

The few junior brothers with the worst scores teased him for a bit, and then left, laughing, to pick up the kites. Jiang Cheng stood there while Wei Wuxian sat on the ground. After chatting for a bit, Wei Wuxian asked, “Why hasn’t Uncle Jiang returned from his morning trip? Will he be back in time for dinner?”

This morning, Jiang Fengmian and Madam Yu had another argument. Although it was more like Madam Yu having a one-sided tantrum as Jiang Fengmian still maintained some poise. Jiang Cheng said, “He went to the Wen family again because of our swords. To think my Three Poisons is possibly held in the hands of some Wen dog right now, it’s really…”

He looked disgusted. Wei Wuxian said, “It’s a shame our swords aren’t smart enough. If they could automatically seal themselves, no one else could use them.”

Jiang Cheng said, “You would need to cultivate for another eighty years, maybe then you could.”

Suddenly, a few teenagers rushed into the training ground of Lotus Pier, shouting in a panic, “Something terrible! Eldest Brother, Senior Brother, something terrible has happened!!!”

These few were the same junior brothers who had gone out to pick up the kites earlier. Wei Wuxian immediately stood up, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Cheng asked, “Where is the sixth junior brother? Why is one person missing?”

Sure enough, it was the sixth junior brother who was running in front when they went out. But he was missing now. A teenager, out of breath, said, “The sixth junior brother was captured!”

“Captured?!”

Wei Wuxian picked up his bow again, and holding a weapon in hand, said, “Who captured him? Why would they capture him?!”

That teenager said, “I don’t know! I don’t know why they captured him!”

Jiang Cheng became anxious, “What do you mean you don’t know why?!”

Wei Wuxian said, “Calm down, all of you. Tell me clearly.”

That teenager said, “Just now, just now, when we went out to pick up the kites, one of them fell over there, way far away. When we went to look for it, we saw dozens of people, they were from the Wen family, wearing their clothes, some were disciples, some were servants. The one in the lead was a young woman. She had a kite in her hand, and a arrow was pierced through the kite. She saw us and asked whose kite it was.”

Another teenager said, “That kite was the sixth junior brother’s, so he said it was his. That woman suddenly changed her expression and said a phrase like ‘What audacity!’, and then told her people to capture the sixth junior brother!”

Wei Wuxian asked, “That’s it?”

The teenagers nodded, saying, “We asked why they wanted to capture the sixth junior brother, and that woman kept saying that he was treasonous and harboring evil intentions, yelling at her subordinates to escort the sixth junior brother away. We had no choice, so we ran back first.”

Jiang Cheng cursed, “They don’t even have a reason for capturing people! Does the Wen family want to go to heaven?!”

“Yeah! It’s completely absurd!”

Wei Wuxian said, “Stop talking. The Wen family people are probably coming soon, don’t let them hear anything and seize an excuse. I’ll ask you, that woman, did she not wear a sword? Is she quite pretty, with a mole on her lip?”

The junior brothers said, “Yes! That’s her!”

Jiang Cheng said resentfully, “Wang Lingjiao! That…”

At this moment, a cold female voice came over, “What’s all the noise? Can’t you let people have a moment of peace!”

Madam Yu, her purple robes fluttering, walked over, Gold Pearl and Silver Pearl still fully armed, one on her left and the other on her right, following her. Jiang Cheng said, “Mother, the Wen family people are here, and the sixth junior brother has been captured!”

Madam Yu said, “You all were shouting so loud, I could hear you from inside. What’s the big deal? They captured him, not killed him, and you’re already stomping your feet and grinding your teeth with anger and hatred. Do you even look like a future sect leader? Stay calm!”

After she finished speaking, she turned to face the front gate of the training ground. More than ten Wen Clan cultivators wearing robes with the sun and flame emblem walked in one after another. Behind these cultivators, a woman in colorful clothing walked in with light and swaying steps.

This woman was graceful, with a charming face, flirting eyes, and lips like a flame. There was a small black mole on her lip, making her quite the beauty. However, her entire body was covered in glittering jewelry, as if wanting to wear a whole jewelry store and show off how favored she was. She was really showing her bad taste. It was Wang Lingjiao, who Wei Wuxian had sent flying with a palm strike, causing her to vomit blood at Qishan last time.

Wang Lingjiao smiled coyly and said, “Madam Yu, I’m here again.”

Madam Yu was expressionless, as if she thought that even speaking a word to her would taint her mouth. Wang Lingjiao walked down the steps of the gate, then Madam Yu spoke, “Why did you capture the disciples of my Yunmeng Jiang Clan?”

Wang Lingjiao said, “Capture? Are you talking about the one we caught outside just now? Well, that’s a long story. Let’s go inside and sit down, then we can talk slowly.”

A servant, without reporting nor asking for permission to enter, had stepped into the gate of another noble family, then asked, as a matter of course, to enter the main hall and sit down, “Then we can talk slowly”. Madam Yu’s expression became even colder, and her right hand wearing the Purple Electricity silver rings twitched lightly twice. The blue veins on the back of her fair hand were faintly visible.

She said, “Go inside and sit down to talk?”

Wang Lingjiao said, “Of course. When I came last time to give orders, I didn’t have time to sit down and rest. Please.”

Hearing the words “give orders,” Jiang Cheng snorted coldly, and the Gold and Silver Twin Beauties also showed slight signs of anger. However, this Wang Lingjiao was a favorite of Wen Chao, and they could not afford to offend her now. Therefore, although Madam Yu’s face was full of ridicule and sarcasm and her heart full of yin and yang accusations, she still said, “Fine, you can come inside then.”

Wang Lingjiao smiled charmingly and indeed went inside.

However, though she said she wanted to go inside and sit, she did not hurry to do so. Instead, she leisurely strolled around Lotus Pier, making comments everywhere:

“This Lotus Pier is not bad. It’s really big, but the houses are a bit old.”

“The wood is all dark and black, this color is so ugly, not vibrant enough.”

“Madam Yu, you’re quite lacking as the lady of the house. Don’t you know how to arrange and manage things? Next time, hang more red gauze curtains. That would look better.”

She walked along, pointing and commenting, as if this place were her own backyard. Madam Yu’s brows twitched incessantly, and Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng both suspected that she would suddenly erupt and kill someone.

After she finished pointing and touring around, Wang Lingjiao finally sat down in the main hall. Without being invited or offered a seat, she sat herself down in the head seat. After sitting for a while and seeing that no one came to serve her, she frowned and slammed the table, “Where’s the tea?”

Although she was covered in glittering jewelry, her words and actions showed that she had no upbringing nor manners. She was a figure of ugliness, and after watching her all the way here, everyone was no longer surprised by her behavior. Madam Yu sat down in a secondary seat, her wide purple robe and sleeves spreading out, which only further emphasized her slender waist and elegant posture. Gold Pearl and Silver Pearl stood behind her, the corners of their mouths carrying a faint smile of ridicule. Silver Pearl said, “There’s no tea. If you want to drink, pour it yourself.”

Wang Lingjiao’s beautiful eyes widened in surprise and she said, “Does the Jiang family’s servants never do anything?”

Gold Pearl said, “The Jiang family’s servants have more important and proper things to do. There’s no need for others to do things like pouring tea and serving water. You’re not disabled.”

Wang Lingjiao looked them over and said, “Who are you?”

Madam Yu said, “My personal maids.”

Wang Lingjiao said disdainfully, “Madam Yu, your Jiang family is really too outrageous. This will not do. Even your maids dare to interrupt in the main hall. Such servants would be slapped in the face in the Wen family.”

Wei Wuxian thought, “The one saying that is just a servant herself.”

Madam Yu, unflustered, said, “Gold Pearl and Silver Pearl are not ordinary servants. They’ve been by my side since they were young and have never served anyone other than me, and no one can nor dare slap their faces.”

Wang Lingjiao said, “Madam Yu, what are you saying? Among noble families, the distinction between the noble and lowly must be clear, otherwise it would be a mess. Servants should act like servants.”

Madam Yu, however, agreed with the phrase, “servants should act like servants” and after looking at Wei Wuxian, she even somewhat approved of it, and said proudly, “Not bad.”

Then she asked, “What exactly did you do to the disciple of my Yunmeng Jiang Clan you captured?”

Wang Lingjiao said, “Madam Yu, you should distance yourself from that boy. He has evil intentions, and I have already caught him on the spot and had him sent away to be dealt with.”

Madam Yu raised her eyebrows, “Evil intentions?”

Jiang Cheng could not help but ask, “What evil intentions could the sixth junior brother possibly have?”

Wang Lingjiao said, “I have evidence. Bring it here!”

A Wen family disciple presented a kite, and Wang Lingjiao shook the kite and said, “This is the evidence.”

Wei Wuxian scoffed, “This kite is a very common one-eyed monster, what kind of evidence is that?”

Wang Lingjiao sneered, “Do you think I’m blind? Look closely.”

Her index fingers painted with bright red nail polish moved back and forth on the kite as she analyzed, “What color is this kite? Golden. What shape is the one-eyed monster? Round.”

Madam Yu asked, “So?”

Wang Lingjiao said, “So? Madam Yu, haven’t you realized it? Golden, round, what does that resemble? —The sun!”

Amidst everyone’s stunned silence, she said triumphantly, “So many kinds of kites? Why did he have to make it a one-eyed monster? Why did it have to be painted gold? Couldn’t he have made it another shape? Why not another color? Surely you’re not going to say it was a coincidence, right? Of course not. This person must have done it on purpose. He shot such a kite, actually using it as a way to imply ‘Shooting the Sun’! He wants to shoot down the sun! This is a great disrespect to the Qishan Wen Clan, is this not harboring evil intentions?”

Watching her perform her self-righteous, far-fetched analysis, Jiang Cheng finally could not hold back any longer and said, “This kite, although it’s golden and round, is ten thousand miles away from the sun, what part of it looks like it? It doesn’t resemble it in the slightest!”

Wei Wuxian said, “Then according to you, we can’t eat oranges. Aren’t oranges golden and round as well? But I seem to remember you having eaten them more than once?”

Wang Lingjiao glared fiercely at him. Madam Yu said coldly, “So, you came this time just for this kite?”

Wang Lingjiao said, “Of course not. This time I am here representing the Wen family and Young Master Wen to punish someone.”

Wei Wuxian’s heart skipped a beat.

Sure enough, in the next moment, Wang Lingjiao pointed at him and said, “This boy, at Muxi Mountain, when Young Master Wen was bravely fighting against the Tortoise of Slaughter, was disrespectful and stirred up trouble many times, making Young Master Wen exhausted and almost losing his grip, even losing his sword!”

Hearing her twist the truth and fabricate lies, Jiang Cheng laughed with anger. Wei Wuxian thought of Jiang Fengmian who had left this morning and thought, “They deliberately chose this time to come. Or they deliberately lured Uncle Jiang away!”

Wang Lingjiao said, “Fortunately! The heavens are helping Young Master Wen. Even though he lost his sword, he still managed to take down the Tortoise of Slaughter without any real danger. But this boy really can’t be tolerated! Today I’m here under the orders of Young Master Wen, requesting Madam Yu to punish this person severely and set an example for the others in the Yunmeng Jiang Clan!”

Jiang Cheng said, “Mother…”

Madam Yu said, “Shut up!”

Seeing Madam Yu’s reaction, Wang Lingjiao was very satisfied, and said, “This Wei Ying, if I remember correctly, is a servant of the Yunmeng Jiang Clan? Now that Sect Leader Jiang is not here, I believe Madam Yu can see the seriousness of the matter. Otherwise, if the Yunmeng Jiang Clan were to protect him, it would really make one suspect… some rumors… whether they are true or not…hehe.”

She sat in the head seat where Jiang Fengmian usually sat, covering her mouth and laughing. Madam Yu’s face darkened as she turned to look at her. Jiang Cheng, hearing her innuendo, asked angrily, “What rumors?!”

Wang Lingjiao giggled, “What rumors do you think? Aren’t they just some old romantic debts of Sect Leader Jiang…”

Seeing this woman dare to slander Jiang Fengmian to his face, Wei Wuxian’s anger flared, and he yelled, “You…” But suddenly, he felt a pain in his back, and his knees buckled involuntarily. It was Madam Yu who suddenly attacked, whipping him.

Jiang Cheng cried out, “Mother!”

Madam Yu had already stood up, and Zidian turned into a whip, with crackling sparks of electricity flowing between her cold, jade-like hands. She shouted, “Jiang Cheng, get out of the way, or you will kneel too!”

Wei Wuxian struggled to support himself and get up, “Jiang Cheng, get out of the way! Don’t interfere!”

Madam Yu whipped him again, sending him crashing back to the ground, gritting her teeth and saying, “…I told you long ago, you… you undisciplined thing! Sooner or later you’ll bring great trouble to the Jiang family!”

Wei Wuxian pushed Jiang Cheng away and bit his lip, taking the blows, without saying a word, without moving. Although Madam Yu had always spoken harshly to him in the past, she had never really been cruel to him. At most, she would whip him two or three times and order him to kneel as punishment, and soon, Jiang Fengmian would let him out. This time, she whipped him dozens of heavy blows in a row, causing his back to feel hot and burning, his whole body numb and painful, hard to endure, yet he had to endure it. If he wasn’t punished severely enough to satisfy Wang Lingjiao, to satisfy the people from the Qishan Wen Clan, this matter would not be over!

Wang Lingjiao watched with a smile on her face. After Madam Yu finished whipping, she quickly retracted Zidian. Wei Wuxian knelt on the ground, his upper body swayed forward, as if he was about to collapse. Jiang Cheng wanted to go up to help, but Madam Yu said sternly, “Stand back. You’re not allowed to help him!”

Jiang Cheng was held back tightly by Gold Pearl and Silver Pearl. Wei Wuxian persisted for a while, but still fell heavily to the ground, lying prone and motionless.

Wang Lingjiao was surprised, “Is that it?”

Madam Yu snorted, “Or what else?”

Wang Lingjiao said, “Just like that?”

Madam Yu raised both her eyebrows, and said, “What do you mean ‘just like that’? What kind of spiritual instrument do you think Zidian is? After he took this beating, he won’t be better for a month. He’ll suffer!”

Wang Lingjiao said, “But he will still recover one day!”

Jiang Cheng said angrily, “What else do you want?!”

Wang Lingjiao said with a tone of blame, “Madam Yu, since it’s a punishment, of course, you have to make him remember this lesson for the rest of his life, to regret it for the rest of his life, and never dare to do it again. If it’s just a beating with a whip, he’ll recover after a period of rest and be full of energy again, then what is it as punishment? Boys at this age are most likely to forget the pain once the wound is healed, it’s completely ineffective.”

Madam Yu said, “What do you suggest then? Cut off his legs, so he can’t be energetic again?”

Wang Lingjiao said, “Young Master Wen is kind and would not do such cruel things like cutting off legs. As long as you chop off his right hand, he will never cause any more trouble.”

This woman was just using the Wen Clan to bully others, relying on Wen Chao to avenge the palm strike she suffered from Wei Wuxian in the cave of Muxi Mountain!

Madam Yu glanced at Wei Wuxian, and said, “Chop off his right hand?”

Wang Lingjiao said, “That’s right.”

Yu Ziyuan stood up, circled around Wei Wuxian, and began to walk slowly, as if she was considering this idea. Wei Wuxian was in so much pain that he could not even lift his head. Jiang Cheng broke free from Gold Pearl and Silver Pearl, and knelt down with a thud, protecting Wei Wuxian, saying, “Mother, mother, please don’t… the matter isn’t like how she is saying it…”

Wang Lingjiao raised her voice and said, “Young Master Jiang, are you saying that I am a liar?”

Wei Wuxian was lying on the ground, unable to even turn over. He thought, “A liar? What’s a liar?” Suddenly, he thought, “It’s a fabrication! This woman was originally a servant of Wen Chao’s wife, she had not read books and didn’t know many words, but she insisted on pretending to be cultured, using sophisticated words, she didn’t know the meaning but pretended she did, mispronouncing them!” At this moment, the situation was clearly critical, but the more it was like this, the more chaotic one’s mind became, unable to concentrate, and full of crazy, random thoughts. When Wei Wuxian understood this, he actually found it quite funny. Wang Lingjiao was completely oblivious to the fact that she had made a fool of herself, and said, “Madam Yu, think it over carefully, the Qishan Wen Clan must pursue this matter. If you cut off his hand and let me take it back, we’ll have something to account for, and the Yunmeng Jiang Clan will be fine. Otherwise, when Young Master Wen asks about it next time, it won’t be so simple!”

A cold light flashed in Madam Yu’s eyes, and she said darkly, “Gold Pearl, Silver Pearl, go, close the door. Don’t let the blood be seen by others.”

As long as Madam Yu gave the order, Gold Pearl and Silver Pearl would obey without exception. Together they replied crisply, “Yes!”, and then firmly closed the main doors of the hall.

Wei Wuxian heard the sound of the closing door, and the light on the ground disappeared. His heart filled with fear, “Are they really going to cut off my hand?”

Jiang Cheng was terrified, and hugged his mother’s leg, saying, “Mother? Mother! What are you going to do? You absolutely can’t cut off his hand!”

After the fear, Wei Wuxian gritted his teeth, and with a ruthless resolve, thought, “…Alright! If it can bring peace to my family… one hand is just one hand, damn it, at worst, I will just learn to use a sword with my left hand!!!”

Wang Lingjiao clapped her hands and said, “Madam Yu, I knew you must be the most loyal subordinate of the Qishan Wen Clan! Come, hold this boy down!”

Madam Yu said, “There’s no need for you to do it.” Gold Pearl and Silver Pearl walked over, and Wang Lingjiao said, “Oh, are you going to let these two maids hold him down? Fine.”

Jiang Cheng said, “Mother! Mother, listen to me! I beg you! Don’t cut off his hand! If Father knew about this…”

He would have been better off not mentioning Jiang Fengmian. Mentioning him caused Madam Yu’s expression to suddenly change, she yelled, “Don’t mention your father to me! What can he do if he knows? Kill me?!”

Wang Lingjiao said happily, “Madam Yu, I really admire you so much! It seems that we will definitely get along well in the Surveillance Office in the future!”

Madam Yu pulled back her leg and purple skirt that Jiang Cheng had grabbed onto and turned around, raising an eyebrow, she asked, “Surveillance Office?”

Wang Lingjiao said with a smile, “That’s right, Surveillance Office. That’s the second important thing I came to Yunmeng for. The Qishan Wen Clan has just issued a new Surveillance Order, and a Surveillance Office will be set up in every city. I now declare that in the future, Lotus Pier will be the Wen family’s Surveillance Office in Yunmeng.”

No wonder she was walking around Lotus Pier earlier, acting as if this was her own mansion. Turns out she had truly intended to turn Lotus Pier into her base in Yunmeng!

Jiang Cheng, with red eyes, said, “What Surveillance Office?! This is my home!!!”

Wang Lingjiao frowned, “Madam Yu, you must teach your son well. For hundreds of years, all the families have been subordinate to the Wen family. In front of an envoy of the Wen family, how can you say things like my home and your home? I was originally still hesitating whether Lotus Pier, being so old and having a few rebellious people, could shoulder the responsibility of the Surveillance Office, but seeing how obedient you are to my orders and your temper suits my taste, I decided to bestow this honor…”

Before she could finish her words, Madam Yu slapped her so hard it was deafening.

This slap was so powerful and loud that it was earth-shattering. Wang Lingjiao was slapped so hard that she spun around several times before falling to the ground. Her nose was bleeding, and her beautiful eyes were wide with shock.

The several Wen family disciples in the hall all drew their swords. Madam Yu waved her hand and Zidian released a dazzling purple light, causing them all to collapse.

Madam Yu walked to Wang Lingjiao’s side with an elegant air. She looked down at her and suddenly bent down, grabbing Wang Lingjiao’s hair, and then raised her up for another violent slap to the face. “How dare you, you vile servant!”

She had been enduring for a long time, and now her face was distorted. With Wang Lingjiao close, she scared her so much that she shrieked with half a face swollen. Madam Yu slapped her again, cutting off her ear-piercing scream. She yelled, “You have to look at your master when beating a dog! You barge into my house, right in front of my face, wanting to punish my people? What are you, to act so wildly!”

After speaking, she threw Wang Lingjiao’s head away, as if it was dirty, took out a handkerchief to wipe her hand. Gold Pearl and Silver Pearl stood behind her, with the same contemptuous smile on their faces. Wang Lingjiao covered her face with trembling hands and, with tearful eyes, said, “You… you dare to do this… The Qishan Wen Clan and the Yingchuan Wang Clan will not let you go!”

Madam Yu threw the handkerchief on the ground and kicked Wang Lingjiao over. She cursed, “Shut up! You vile servant, my Meishan Yu Clan, a noble family that has dominated the immortal path for hundreds of years, has never heard of the Yingchuan Wang Clan! What backwater, lowly family are you from? Are all of you like you? Speaking of nobility in front of me? I will teach you what nobility means! I am noble, and you are lowly!”

Nearby, Jiang Cheng had already helped Wei Wuxian up halfway. Looking at this scene, both of them were stunned.