TFOD Chapter 49

Chapter 47: The Crafty Child, Part 2 (1)

The date for the grand Qingtan conference at the Golden Carp Tower was fast approaching.

Most of the major cultivation sects’ residences were established in places with picturesque landscapes. However, the Lanling Jin Sect’s Golden Carp Tower was situated in the most bustling part of Lanling City. The formal route to visit the tower was a long, two-li (approximately one kilometer) incline with a palanquin path, which was only opened during banquets and Qingtan conferences. According to the rules of the Lanling Jin Sect, one was not allowed to travel quickly on this path. Both sides of the path were filled with colorful paintings and bas-reliefs, all of which depicted the life achievements of Jin clan leaders and renowned figures throughout history. There would also be Lanling Jin Sect disciples driving carriages who would give explanations along the way.

Among them, the current sect leader, Jin Guangyao, occupied the most prominent four depictions. They were “Transmitting Secrets”, “Ambush and Kill”, “Sworn Brotherhood”, and “Kindness and Power”. Naturally, the content was of Jin Guangyao’s infiltration of the Qishan Wen Sect to transmit information during the Sunshot Campaign, his assassination of Wen Ruohan, the brotherhood pact of the three leaders, and the promotion of the Immortal Governor’s decrees after Jin Guangyao became the Immortal Governor. The painter was quite skilled at capturing the essence of a person. At first glance, they seemed refined but not extraordinary. However, upon closer inspection, one could discover that even when Jin Guangyao’s image on the screen was shown stabbing someone from behind or with blood on his face, his eyebrows were still curved, carrying a hint of gentleness and a faint smile, which made one’s scalp tingle slightly.

Following Jin Guangyao were the murals of Jin Zixuan. Usually, sect leaders, in order to emphasize their absolute authority, would deliberately reduce the number of murals depicting their peers, or change to a painter of slightly inferior skill, so they would not be overshadowed. Everyone was aware of this practice and understood. However, Jin Zixuan also occupied four murals, actually standing on equal footing with Jin Guangyao, who was the sect leader. The handsome man in the paintings was radiant and arrogant. Wei Wuxian got out of the carriage and stopped in front of them, watching for a while. Lan Wangji also stopped and quietly waited for him.

Not far away, a disciple said, “Gusu Lan Sect, please enter from here.”

Lan Wangji said, “Let’s go.”

Wei Wuxian did not say anything and walked with him.

Upon arriving at the Golden Carp Tower, there was a wide square paved with fine tiles. It was bustling with people coming and going. In recent years, the Lanling Jin Sect had expanded and renovated it many times. This extravagance was even greater than what Wei Wuxian had seen in the past. In the distance, a nine-tiered jade pedestal supported a grand, multi-eaved, hip-and-gable roofed Han-style hall that overlooked the surroundings. The golden stardust snow waves formed a sea of flowers.

The golden stardust snow waves were the flower emblem on the Lanling Jin Sect’s family crest, originally a type of white peony with excellent qualities. The flower was exquisite, and the name was too. The petals had two layers, an outer layer of large petals that overlapped like waves of snow, and an inner layer of small petals that were slender and beautiful, with threads of golden pistils like glittering gold stars. A single flower was incomparably luxurious, and when tens of thousands of them bloomed together, the magnificent sight could not be praised with words.

Several main roads branched out from the square, with families continuously entering in an orderly manner: “Moling Su Sect, please enter here.”

“Qinghe Nie Sect, please enter here.”

“Yunmeng Jiang Sect, please enter here.”

As soon as Jiang Cheng appeared, he released two sharp glares. He walked over and said coldly, “Zewu-Jun, Hanguang-Jun.”

Lan Xichen also nodded, “Sect Leader Jiang.”

Both of them were absent-minded and exchanged a few perfunctory words. Jiang Cheng said, “In the past, I have never seen Hanguang-Jun at the Qingtan Conferences at the Golden Carp Tower. Why are you interested in coming this time?”

Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji did not speak. Fortunately, Jiang Cheng did not really want to ask this question. His gaze had already turned to Wei Wuxian. With a tone that seemed as if he could shoot a flying sword and nail him at any moment, he said, “You two never bring idlers along when you go out for visits. What’s going on this time? It’s a rare occurrence. Which eminent figure is this? Can you introduce him to Jiang?”

Just then, a smiling voice said, “Second Brother, why didn’t you tell me earlier that Wangji was coming too?”

The master of the Golden Carp Tower, Lianfang-Zun Jin Guangyao, came out to greet them personally.

Lan Xichen returned a smile, and Lan Wangji exchanged nods of courtesy. Wei Wuxian carefully scrutinized this Immortal Governor who led the cultivation world.

Jin Guangyao had a very advantageous face. His skin was fair, and he had a cinnabar mark between his eyebrows. His eyes were clear and bright, agile but not frivolous. His facial features were very clean and smart, with seven parts handsome and three parts clever. The corners of his mouth and eyebrows always carried a slight smile. At first glance, he seemed to be an intelligent and obedient person. Such a face was more than enough to please women, but it would not cause men to feel aversion or vigilance. The elders thought he was cute, and the younger ones thought he was approachable—even if they did not like him, they would not hate him, which was why he was “advantageous.” Although he was a bit short, he possessed a composed demeanor. He wore a soft, gauze Luo cap and the Lanling Jin Sect’s ceremonial robes. On the chest of his round-necked robe was a blooming golden stardust snow wave emblem. He wore a nine-ring belt and six-in-one boots. The way he heavily pressed his right hand on the sword at his waist gave off an aura of inviolable authority.

Jin Ling followed Jin Guangyao out together. He still did not dare to meet Jiang Cheng alone, so he hid behind Jin Guangyao and mumbled, “Uncle.”

Jiang Cheng said sternly, “You still know to call me uncle!”

Jin Ling quickly tugged at the hem of Jin Guangyao’s clothes. Jin Guangyao seemed to have been born to resolve conflicts, and he said, “Oh dear, Sect Leader Jiang, A-Ling already knows he was wrong. He’s been so afraid of your punishment these past few days that he can’t even eat. Children are naughty, you love him the most, don’t fuss over it.”

Jin Ling quickly said, “Yes, yes, Little Uncle can testify, my appetite hasn’t been good these days!”

Jiang Cheng said, “Poor appetite? You look so good, I bet you haven’t skipped many meals!”

Jin Ling was about to say something, but he glanced at Wei Wuxian behind Lan Wangji and was instantly stunned. He blurted out, “Why are you here?!”

Wei Wuxian said, “Came to freeload.”

Jin Ling said with slight anger, “You dare to come! I didn’t warn…” Jin Guangyao patted Jin Ling’s head, pushing him behind him, and said with a smile, “Alright, anyone who comes is a guest. I dare not say much about the Golden Carp Tower, but there’s definitely enough food.” He said to Lan Xichen, “Second Brother, please take your seats first. I’ll go take a look over there. And I’ll get someone to arrange a seat for Wangji.”

Lan Xichen nodded, “There’s no need to go to so much trouble.”

Jin Guangyao said, “How can that be trouble? Second Brother, you’re still being so reserved with me. Really.”

For anyone he had met, Jin Guangyao could remember the person’s appearance, name, age, and title. Even after many years, he could immediately and accurately call them out and warmly greet them with concern. If he had met someone more than twice, he would remember all of their likes and dislikes, and their every preference and aversion, catering to their likes and avoiding their dislikes. This time, because Lan Wangji had suddenly come to the Golden Carp Tower, Jin Guangyao had not prepared a special seat for him. Now, he immediately went to arrange it.

After entering the Dou Yan Hall, they walked slowly along the soft, red carpet. On both sides of the sandalwood low tables stood beautiful maids adorned with kingfisher ornaments and jade rings. All of them smiled generously and appropriately. They were full-figured, with waists so slender one could grasp them. Even their figures were similar, which made them appear aesthetically pleasing and harmonious. Wei Wuxian always could not resist taking a few more glances at beautiful women. After taking his seat, he hooked his mouth at a maid as she was pouring his wine and said, “Thank you.”

Unexpectedly, the woman seemed to have been frightened. She glanced at him and then continuously fluttered her eyelashes, averting her gaze. Wei Wuxian was initially slightly puzzled, but he immediately understood. He glanced around and, as expected, the strange looks were not just from her. Almost half of the Lanling Jin Sect disciples did not look right when they looked at him.

He had forgotten for a moment that this was the Golden Carp Tower, where Mo Xuanyu had harassed fellow disciples and was then driven out. Who would have thought that he would dare to come back so brazenly and shamelessly, and even managed to get a top-tier seat by mixing with the Gusu Lan Sect’s Twin Jades?

Wei Wuxian moved closer to Lan Wangji beside him and said in a low voice, “Hanguang-Jun, Hanguang-Jun.”

Lan Wangji said, “What is it?”

Wei Wuxian said, “You can’t leave me. There should be quite a few people here who recognize Mo Xuanyu, or else if someone wants to catch up with me later, I can only continue to talk nonsense and pretend to be crazy. If I make you lose face, don’t blame me.”

Lan Wangji glanced at him and said calmly, “Just don’t take the initiative to provoke others.”

At this time, Jin Guangyao, along with a woman dressed in gorgeous clothes, walked into the hall together. Although this woman’s demeanor was dignified, there was an air of innocence in her expression, and her beautiful appearance also showed a hint of childishness. This was Jin Guangyao’s wife, the mistress of the Golden Carp Tower, Qin Su.

Over the years, the two of them had been the epitome of loving couples among the Xuanmen sects, living in harmony and respecting each other. Everyone knew that Qin Su was from the Leiling Qin Sect, a subsidiary clan of the Lanling Jin Sect, and the Leiling Qin Clan’s leader, Qin Cangye, was an old subordinate who had followed Jin Guangshan for many years. Although Jin Guangyao was Jin Guangshan’s son, their pairing was a bit mismatched due to his mother’s background. However, during the Sunshot Campaign, Qin Su was rescued by Jin Guangyao. She was devoted to him and never left his side. She was determined to marry him, eventually resulting in a harmonious marriage. Jin Guangyao also did not let her down. Although he held the important position of Immortal Governor, his behavior was completely different from his father’s. He never took any concubines, nor did he have any affairs with any other woman, a fact that many sect leader’s wives envied. At this moment, Wei Wuxian saw Jin Guangyao holding his wife’s hand all the way, his expression and actions were all very gentle and considerate, seeming to worry that she might accidentally stumble on the jade steps. He thought, it’s really not false.

After the two of them were seated at the head table, the banquet officially began. Sitting below them was Jin Ling, who was holding his head high and glaring at Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian was used to being watched. He remained composed throughout, eating and drinking as he pleased. At the same time, he listened to the praises of the Dou Yan Hall. The situation was very positive.

The banquet ended in the evening. The Qingtan Conference would not officially start until the next day. The crowd left the Dou Yan Hall in groups of twos and threes. The disciples guided the various sect leaders and esteemed cultivators to their guest quarters. Because Lan Xichen appeared to be somewhat preoccupied, Jin Guangyao seemed to want to ask what was wrong. However, as soon as he walked over and said “Second Brother”, a person rushed over and said, heartbroken, “Third Brother!!!”

Jin Guangyao was nearly knocked backward by him. He quickly held on to his hat and said, “Huaisang, what’s wrong? Speak clearly?”

Such an undignified sect leader could only be the Qinghe Nie Sect’s ‘don’t know anything’. And a ‘don’t know anything’ who was drunk was even more undignified. Nie Huaisang’s face was flushed red, and he grabbed him and refused to let go. He said, “Third Brother!! What should I do? Can you help me one more time? I promise this is the last time!!!”

Jin Guangyao said, “Didn’t I have a few people help you resolve the last incident?”

Nie Huaisang wailed, “The last matter is resolved, but now there’s a new one! Third Brother, what should I do! I don’t want to live anymore!”

Seeing that he could not explain things clearly for a while, Jin Guangyao could only say, “A-Su, go back first. Huaisang, let’s go over there and sit down to talk, don’t worry…”

He helped Nie Huaisang walk away. On the way, Lan Xichen went over to see what was happening, but he was also grabbed by the drunk Nie Huaisang. Qin Su bowed to Lan Wangji and said, “Hanguang-Jun, it seems that it has been many years since you have come to Lanling to attend the Qingtan Conference. If there is anything we have not done well in entertaining you this time, please forgive us.”

Her voice was soft and sweet, she was truly a beauty that made one feel affectionate. Lan Wangji nodded in acknowledgment. Qin Su’s gaze then fell on Wei Wuxian. After a moment of hesitation, she whispered, “Then, please excuse me.” She then retreated with a maid.

Wei Wuxian asked doubtfully, “Why does everyone here at the Golden Carp Tower look at me so strangely? What did Mo Xuanyu do? Did he make a scene and confess his love publicly? That’s nothing special. The people of the Lanling Jin Sect are really ignorant.”

Lan Wangji shook his head after hearing his nonsense. Wei Wuxian said, “I’m going to find someone to ask about it. Hanguang-Jun, you keep an eye on Jiang Cheng. It’s best if he doesn’t come to me. If he does, help me block him.”

Lan Wangji said, “Don’t go far.”

Wei Wuxian said, “Okay. If I go too far, we’ll meet in the room tonight.”

He searched around the Dou Yan Hall, but he didn’t see the person he was looking for. He thought it was strange. After leaving Lan Wangji, he searched all the way. When he passed a pavilion, someone suddenly popped out of the artificial rockery in a flowerbed and said, “Hey!”

Wei Wuxian thought: Ha! Found him. He turned around and said gloomily, “What hey, you’re so rude. Weren’t we still very close when we parted last time? Why are you so heartless now? I’m hurt.”

Jin Ling got goosebumps all over his body and said, “Shut up! Who was close with you! Haven’t I already warned you not to pester my family again? Why are you back again!”

Wei Wuxian said, “In all conscience, I’ve been obediently following Hanguang-Jun. I’m about to let him tie me to him with a rope. Which eye of yours saw me pestering your family? Pestering your uncle? Clearly he’s the one pestering me, okay?”

Jin Ling was furious. “Get away from me! My uncle is just suspicious of you! Stop talking nonsense. Don’t think I don’t know that you’re still not giving up and want to….”

At this time, a few shouts came from all directions. Suddenly, seven or eight young men wearing Lanling Jin Sect robes jumped out in the garden. Jin Ling stopped speaking.

These seven or eight people slowly surrounded them. The one leading them was a young man about the same age as Jin Ling but who was stouter. He said, “I thought I was seeing things, but it really is him.”

Wei Wuxian pointed at himself: “Me?”

The young man said, “Who else could it be! Mo Xuanyu, you still have the face to come back?”

Jin Ling frowned and said, “Jin Chan, what are you doing here? This is none of your business.”

Wei Wuxian thought: “Oh, it’s probably some kid of Jin Ling’s generation.” Moreover, judging by the looks of it, they were a group of little friends who didn’t get along well with Jin Ling.

Jin Chan said, “If it’s none of my business, is it yours? You can’t control what I want to do.”

As he said that, three or four young men came forward, seemingly going to hold Wei Wuxian down. Jin Ling took a wrong step and stood in front of Wei Wuxian, saying, “Don’t mess around!”

Jin Chan said, “What do you mean by messing around? How can I not discipline one of our sect’s shameless disciples?”

Jin Ling scoffed, “Wake up! He was kicked out long ago! He’s not a disciple of our sect at all.”

Jin Chan said, “So what?”

These words “so what?” were truly justified, making Wei Wuxian speechless. Jin Ling said, “So what? Have you forgotten who he came with today? You want to teach him a lesson? Do you dare to ask Hanguang-Jun first?”

As soon as “Hanguang-Jun” was mentioned, all the young men’s faces turned timid. Even if Lan Wangji was not present, no one dared to say that they were not afraid of Hanguang-Jun. After holding it back for a while, Jin Chan said, “Heh, Jin Ling, weren’t you also very annoyed with him in the past? Why have you suddenly changed your tune today?”

Jin Ling said, “Why are you talking so much nonsense? Whether I dislike him or not is none of your business!”

Jin Chan said, “This person shamelessly pesters Lianfang-Zun, and you’re still defending him?”

Wei Wuxian immediately felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

Pestering who? Lianfang-Zun? Who was Lianfang-Zun? Jin Guangyao?

He had never expected that the person Mo Xuanyu had been harassing and pestering—was Lianfang-Zun Jin Guangyao?!

Before he could recover, Jin Chan and Jin Ling were already arguing back and forth. However, somehow they were about to start fighting. The two sides had never liked each other. At the moment, they were looking for any opportunity to fight. Jin Ling said, “If you want to fight, then fight, am I afraid of you guys!”

One young man said, “Come on! Anyway, when you fight, you’ll only call a dog to help!”

Jin Ling was about to blow his whistle when he heard this and clenched his teeth, yelling, “I won’t call Fairy to help, I can still beat all of you to the ground with my bare hands!!!”

Although he yelled with all his strength, he was still unable to fight against so many. He was faintly retreating and was soon pushed behind Wei Wuxian. Jin Ling was angry when he saw him still standing there, he yelled, “What are you doing just standing there?!”

Wei Wuxian suddenly grabbed his hand. Before Jin Ling could even shout, he felt an irresistible force transmitting from his wrist. His whole body uncontrollably fell to the ground. He yelled in anger, “Do you want to die!!!”

He had suddenly moved to knock down Jin Ling, who was protecting him, and Jin Chan and the others were stunned for a moment. Wei Wuxian said, “Did you get it?”

Jin Ling was also stunned. “What?”

Wei Wuxian turned his hand again and said, “Did you learn it?”

Jin Ling felt a sharp pain travel from his wrist to his whole body. He yelled again, and the extremely quick, small movement he had just made flashed before his eyes. Wei Wuxian said, “Do it one more time, watch closely.”

Just then, a young man rushed forward. Wei Wuxian put one hand behind his back, and with the other, he quickly grabbed the young man’s wrist. In an instant, he threw the young man to the ground again. This time, Jin Ling saw it clearly. The vaguely painful spot on his wrist also told him which acupoint to strike with a spiritual force. He leapt up and said with great enthusiasm, “I got it!”

The situation instantly reversed. In a short while, the garden was filled with the shouts of the young men and their cries of exasperation. Finally, Jin Chan yelled, “Jin Ling, you wait for me!”

The seven or eight young men ran away defeated, cursing all the way. Jin Ling was laughing heartily behind them. When he was done laughing, Wei Wuxian said, “So happy, was that your first win?”

Jin Ling said, “Bah! I always win in a one-on-one fight, but Jin Chan always brings a large group of people to help, so shameless.”

Wei Wuxian was about to say that you could also find a large group of people to help. Fighting is not necessarily a one-on-one thing. Sometimes, it depends on who has more people. But then he thought that Jin Ling had been going out alone several times and he had no peers in his family to follow him. It was likely that he had no one who could help him, so he stopped himself.

Jin Ling said, “Hey, how did you learn that move?”

Wei Wuxian shamelessly pushed the responsibility to Lan Wangji, “Hanguang-Jun taught me.”

Jin Ling didn’t doubt this at all. He had already seen Lan Wangji’s forehead ribbon tied to Wei Wuxian’s hand. He just muttered, “He taught you this?”

Wei Wuxian said, “Yeah. But it’s just a small trick. You’re using it for the first time, they haven’t seen it before, so it worked well. If you use it more often, it will be cracked, and it won’t be so simple next time. How about it, want to learn a few more moves from me?”

Jin Ling glanced at him and couldn’t help but say, “Why are you like this? My little uncle always advises me, and you are actually encouraging me.”

Wei Wuxian said, “Advising you? Advising you what? Not to fight and to get along with people?”

Jin Ling said, “Something like that.”

Wei Wuxian said, “Don’t listen to him. Let me tell you, when you grow up in the future, you will find that there will be more people you want to fight, but you will have to force yourself to get along well with them. So while you are still young, you should fight whoever you want to fight to your heart’s content. If you don’t have a few intense fights in your youth, your life will be incomplete.”

Jin Ling’s expression seemed a little yearning, but he still said disdainfully, “What nonsense are you talking about? My little uncle is doing what’s best for me.” After saying this, he suddenly remembered that Mo Xuanyu used to think of Jin Guangyao as a god, never daring to say anything wrong about Jin Guangyao, but now he was saying “don’t listen to him,” was it possible that he really didn’t have any ulterior motives towards Jin Guangyao?

Wei Wuxian looked at his gaze and guessed what was going on. He said happily, “It seems like I can’t hide it from you. That’s right, I’ve already moved on.”

Jin Ling: “…”

Wei Wuxian said with emotion, “During my time away, I thought about it seriously for a long time, and finally realized that Lianfang-Zun is not the type I like, and he is not very suitable for me either.”

Jin Ling took two steps back.

Wei Wuxian said, “In the past, I couldn’t see my own heart clearly, but after meeting Hanguang-Jun, I was sure.” He took a deep breath and said, “I can’t live without him anymore. I don’t want anyone other than Hanguang-Jun… wait, why are you running? I’m not done talking yet! Jin Ling, Jin Ling!”

Jin Ling turned and ran away. Wei Wuxian shouted a few times behind him, but he didn’t even look back. He was triumphant and thought that Jin Ling should no longer suspect that he still harbored any ulterior motives towards Jin Guangyao. Who would have known that when he turned around, he would see a figure in white as bright as frost under the moon. Less than ten feet behind him, Lan Wangji was looking at him with an unchanged expression.

Wei Wuxian: “…”

If this were back in the days when he had just returned, he would have dared to say something ten times more shameful than that in front of Lan Wangji, but now, being stared at by Lan Wangji like this, he was actually experiencing a delicate sense of shame that he had never felt in his two lives.

Wei Wuxian quickly suppressed this rare sense of shame. He walked over and said with a natural demeanor, “Hanguang-Jun, you’re here! Do you know that Mo Xuanyu was kicked out of the Golden Carp Tower for pestering Jin Guangyao? No wonder everyone’s looks at me are so indescribable!”

Lan Wangji did not say anything and walked beside him. Wei Wuxian said, “Neither you nor Zewu-Jun knew about this, and you don’t even recognize Mo Xuanyu. It seems that the Lanling Jin Sect did this secretly from start to finish. That makes sense, Mo Xuanyu does have the sect leader’s bloodline after all. If Jin Guangshan didn’t want this son, he wouldn’t have brought him back. If it were just simple harassment of fellow disciples, they would only have taught him a lesson at most, but they wouldn’t have kicked him out. However, if the person he was harassing was Jin Guangyao, it would be different. Not only was he Lianfang-Zun, but he was also Mo Xuanyu’s half-brother. It was truly…” It was truly a shameful thing that they had to cut off completely. Of course, they couldn’t target Lianfang-Zun. Therefore, they could only drive Mo Xuanyu away.

Wei Wuxian recalled how Jin Guangyao had acted completely unconcerned and was all smiles when they met at the square. It was as if he did not even recognize Mo Xuanyu. He thought this person was indeed amazing. Jin Ling’s attitude could not hide it. The reason why he disliked Mo Xuanyu was not only because he hated homosexuality but also because Mo Xuanyu was harassing his little uncle.

Thinking of Jin Ling, Wei Wuxian sighed silently. Lan Wangji said, “What’s wrong?”

Wei Wuxian said, “Hanguang-Jun, have you noticed that Jin Ling goes out on night hunts alone every time? Don’t tell me Jiang Cheng is following him. His uncle doesn’t count. He’s already in his teens, yet he doesn’t have a peer of his age following him around. We used to…” Lan Wangji raised his eyebrows slightly. Seeing this, Wei Wuxian changed his words and said, “Okay, fine, it’s me, I used to. I wasn’t like this in the past.”

Lan Wangji said calmly, “That’s you. Not everyone is like you.”

Wei Wuxian said, “But children like (rènao – lively scenes) and being with more people. Hanguang-Jun, do you think that Jin Ling might be particularly unsociable and doesn’t have a single friend in his family? Not to mention the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, the juniors of the Lanling Jin Sect don’t seem to get along well with him. They even had a fight just now. Doesn’t Jin Guangyao have a son or daughter of similar age that’s close to him?”

Lan Wangji said, “Jin Guangyao once had a son, but he was killed and died young.”

Wei Wuxian said in surprise, “That was the young master of the Golden Carp Tower. How could he have been killed?”

Lan Wangji said, “The Lookout Tower.”

Wei Wuxian said, “What do you mean?”

It turned out that many people opposed Jin Guangyao’s construction of the Lookout Tower, and he had offended some families. Among the opponents, one of the sect leaders, unable to win the debate, became desperate and killed Jin Guangyao and his wife Qin Su’s only son. This child had a gentle nature and was deeply loved by both parents. In his grief and anger, Jin Guangyao had the entire family uprooted to avenge his son. However, Qin Su was too heartbroken and was never able to conceive again.

After a moment of silence, he said, “Jin Ling has such a temper, he offends people as soon as he opens his mouth, and pokes a hornet’s nest as soon as he makes a move. Your Jingyi was right to call him Missy. If you and I hadn’t protected him several times before, where would his life be now? Jiang Cheng is not someone who knows how to teach children, as for Jin Guangyao…”

Thinking about why they came to the Golden Carp Tower this time, Wei Wuxian got another headache and rubbed his temples. Lan Wangji, who had been watching him quietly, didn’t comfort him, but always listened and answered every question. Wei Wuxian said, “Let’s not talk about it, let’s go back to our room first.”

The two of them returned to the guest quarters arranged for them by the Lanling Jin Sect. The room was extremely spacious and luxurious. There was also a set of exquisite and smooth white porcelain wine cups on the table. Wei Wuxian sat down to the side and played with the cups for a while. It wasn’t until late at night that he started to do something else.

He rummaged through the boxes and cabinets and found a stack of white paper and a pair of scissors. In a few quick movements, he cut out a paper figurine. This paper figurine was only an inch long. It had a round head, and its sleeves were cut extra wide, like a butterfly’s two wings. Wei Wuxian then picked up a pen from the table and drew a few strokes. He threw the pen down, picked up a wine cup, and took a sip. Then, he fell back onto the bed. The paper figurine suddenly trembled and shook. The two wide sleeves, like wings, carried its light body into the air and landed on Lan Wangji’s shoulder.

Lan Wangji turned his head to look at his shoulder. The paper figurine suddenly rushed to his cheek. It then climbed upward, reaching his forehead ribbon. It seemed to adore it and tugged on it. Lan Wangji allowed the paper figurine to play on his forehead ribbon for a long time. Then he reached out a hand to take it off. Seeing this, the paper figurine quickly slipped down. Whether it was intentional or not, it bumped into his lips.

Lan Wangji’s movements paused. His two fingers finally pinched it. “Don’t be mischievous.”

The paper figurine softly curled up, wrapping itself around his slender finger.

Lan Wangji said, “Be very careful on this trip.”

The paper figurine nodded. It flapped its wings and flattened itself on the ground. It then crawled through the crack in the door, sneaking out of the guest quarters.

The security of the Golden Carp Tower was strict. A living person naturally could not move in and out freely. Fortunately, Wei Wuxian had once studied an evil technique: paper-cutting transformation.

This technique was useful, but it had many limitations. Not only was there a strict time limit, but the paper figurine had to return in the same state without any damage. If it was torn or destroyed in any way, the soul would suffer equal damage. Light injuries would result in a loss of consciousness for a year and a half, and serious injuries would result in permanent dementia. One had to be very careful.

Wei Wuxian was attached to the paper figurine. Sometimes it would stick to the hem of a cultivator’s robes, sometimes it would flatten its body to slip through cracks in the door, and sometimes it would spread out its sleeves, pretending to be a piece of waste paper or a butterfly flying in the night sky, looking down below. Suddenly, he faintly heard crying below. Looking down, he saw Jin Guangyao’s detached villa, the Zhan Garden, below.

Wei Wuxian flew to the eaves and saw three people sitting in the reception hall. Nie Huaisang was grabbing Lan Xichen with one hand and Jin Guangyao with the other, drunk and incoherent. He didn’t know what he was crying about. Behind the reception hall was a study. Wei Wuxian took advantage of the fact that no one was in the study and went in to take a look. The table was covered with blueprints annotated in red ink. On the walls hung four landscape paintings of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Wei Wuxian hadn’t planned to look at them closely, but after a single glance, he could not help but praise the painter’s skill. Every stroke and color used was gentle, but they portrayed an expansive scene. It was clearly just a scene on paper, but it was as if it contained thousands of mountains and rivers. Wei Wuxian thought that this level of skill could be compared with Lan Xichen. He could not help but take a few more glances. However, when he looked closely, he found that the four scenes were all actually done by Lan Xichen.

After flying out of the Zhan Garden, Wei Wuxian saw a wide five-ridged hall in the distance. The roof of the hall was covered with bright gold glazed tiles, and there were thirty-two golden pillars outside. It was magnificent. That should be one of the most heavily guarded places in the entire Golden Carp Tower, the resting hall of the past Lanling Jin Sect leaders, the Fangfei Hall.

In addition to the cultivators dressed in golden stardust snow wave robes, Wei Wuxian could also sense that the ground and sky of the Fangfei Hall were filled with dense arrays. He flew to the base of the golden stardust snow wave pillar and rested for a moment. Then, he spent a great deal of effort squeezing through the crack in the door.

Compared to the Zhan Garden, the Fangfei Hall was a typical Golden Carp Tower building with carved beams and painted rafters. The hall was luxurious and magnificent. Inside the main hall, layers upon layers of gauze curtains hung down to the floor. A beast-shaped incense burner on the incense table gently released orchid smoke, giving off a lazy and sickly-sweet decadent feeling amidst the luxury.

Jin Guangyao was meeting with Lan Xichen and Nie Huaisang in the Zhan Garden. There was no one in the Fangfei Hall, so it was convenient for him to carefully investigate here. The paper figurine flew around the Fangfei Hall, searching for anything suspicious. Suddenly, it saw a piece of agate paperweight on the table, and under the paperweight was a letter.

The letter had already been opened. The envelope did not have anyone’s name or any crest, but based on its thickness, it was clearly not an empty envelope. He flapped his sleeves and landed on the table. He wanted to see what was in the letter. However, when he grabbed the edge of the envelope with his “hands” and tried to drag it out, it did not budge even after a long while.

His current body was a light, flimsy piece of paper. He simply could not move the heavy agate paperweight.

The paper figurine circled the agate paperweight a few times. It pushed, kicked, jumped and hopped, but it just stood there still. It had no choice but to give up for the time being and see if there were any other suspicious places. Just then, a side door in the hall was opened slightly.

Wei Wuxian quickly flew off the table and remained motionless against the corner of the table.

The person who came in was Qin Su. It turned out that there was someone in the Fangfei Hall. It was just that Qin Su had not made a sound in the inner room.

It was normal for the mistress of the Golden Carp Tower to appear in the Fangfei Hall. However, at this moment, she seemed extremely abnormal. This was because her face was as white as snow, without any trace