Wei Wuxian bought a bunch of random trinkets in Caiyi Town and brought them back to the Cloud Recesses, which were quickly divided up among the other young disciples. As Lan Qiren had gone to Qinghe, there were no classes for the next few days. The young men played recklessly, crowding into Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng's room to sleep on the floor, staying up all night arm wrestling, rolling dice, eating, drinking, and looking at picture books. One night, Wei Wuxian lost at dice and was sent to sneak out of the Cloud Recesses to buy Emperor's Smile. This time, everyone finally got to taste the famous liquor. However, the next day before dawn, while everyone was still sprawled across the floor in a drunken stupor, someone suddenly opened the door.
The sound of the door opening startled a few people awake. Through bleary eyes, they saw Lan Wangji standing in the doorway with an icy expression, which instantly sobered them up. Nie Huaisang frantically shook Wei Wuxian, who was sleeping with his head down and bottom up, saying, "Brother Wei! Brother Wei!"
Wei Wuxian, still half-asleep, mumbled, "Who? Who else is coming? Is it Jiang Cheng? Bring it on, I'm not afraid!"
Jiang Cheng, who had drunk too much the night before and still had a headache, lay on the ground with his eyes closed. He blindly grabbed something and threw it in the direction of Wei Wuxian's voice, saying, "Shut up!"
The object hit Wei Wuxian's chest and its pages fluttered open. Nie Huaisang looked closely and realized that what Jiang Cheng had thrown at Wei Wuxian was one of his prized rare spring books. He looked up again at Lan Wangji's stern face and nearly fainted. Wei Wuxian hugged the book, muttered something, and fell back asleep. Lan Wangji stepped into the room, grabbed the back of Wei Wuxian's collar with one hand, and began dragging him towards the door.
Wei Wuxian was dragged for a while before he finally woke up a bit more. He turned his head and said, "Lan Zhan, what are you doing?"
Lan Wangji remained silent and continued to drag him along. Wei Wuxian became more alert, and the others sprawled on the floor gradually woke up. When Jiang Cheng saw that Wei Wuxian was once again being grabbed by Lan Wangji, he rushed out and said, "What's going on? What are you doing?"
Lan Wangji turned back and said word by word, "Punishment."
Jiang Cheng, who had been slow to react due to his drunken sleep, suddenly remembered the mess in the room and realized how many rules of the Cloud Recesses they had broken the night before. His face stiffened.
Lan Wangji dragged Wei Wuxian to the ancestral hall of the Gusu Lan Sect, where several older Lan disciples were already waiting. There were eight in total, four of them holding incredibly long discipline rulers made of sandalwood, densely carved with square characters. They all had solemn expressions. Seeing Lan Wangji dragging someone in, two of them immediately came forward and firmly held Wei Wuxian down. Wei Wuxian, kneeling on the ground and unable to struggle, said, "Lan Zhan, are you going to punish me?"
Lan Wangji stared at him coldly, without speaking.
Wei Wuxian said, "I don't accept this."
At this moment, the other young disciples who had mostly sobered up rushed over but were stopped outside the ancestral hall. They all scratched their heads anxiously, looking at the discipline rulers with fear. However, they saw Lan Wangji lift the hem of his white robe and kneel down next to Wei Wuxian.
Seeing this, Wei Wuxian was shocked and tried to get up with all his might, but Lan Wangji shouted, "Hit!"
Wei Wuxian stared in disbelief and quickly said, "Wait, wait, I accept, I accept, Lan Zhan, I was wrong... Ah!"
Both of them received over a hundred strikes on their palms and the backs of their legs. Lan Wangji didn't need anyone to hold him down; he knelt straight and properly throughout. Wei Wuxian, on the other hand, howled and wailed without any restraint, making the watching disciples from various sects wince in pain. After the punishment, Lan Wangji stood up silently, bowed slightly to the disciples inside the ancestral hall, and then walked out, showing no signs of injury. Wei Wuxian was completely opposite; even after Jiang Cheng carried him out of the ancestral hall on his back, he was still moaning continuously. The young disciples crowded around them, asking, "Brother Wei, what exactly happened?"
"It's understandable that Lan Wangji punished you, but why did he also get hit?"
Wei Wuxian, lying on Jiang Cheng's back, sighed deeply, "Ah! Miscalculation! It's a long story!"
Jiang Cheng said, "Stop talking nonsense! What exactly did you do?"
Wei Wuxian said, "I didn't do anything! Last night, didn't I lose at dice and go down to buy Emperor's Smile?"
Jiang Cheng said, "...Don't tell me you ran into him again."
Wei Wuxian said, "You guessed it right. I don't know what kind of luck it was, but when I was climbing back up with the Emperor's Smile, he caught me red-handed. I suspect he's really watching me every day."
Jiang Cheng said, "You think everyone is as idle as you. Then what?"
Wei Wuxian said, "Then I still greeted him, I said 'Lan Zhan! What a coincidence, it's you again!' Of course, he didn't respond to me and just struck out with his palm without a word. I said, hey, what's the need for this? He said if outside guests repeatedly violate curfew, they must go to the Lan ancestral hall for punishment. So I said, there are only two of us here, if you don't tell and I don't tell, who would know whether I violated curfew or not? I promise there won't be a next time, we're so familiar with each other now, can't you do me a favor?"
Everyone looked at him with a painful expression.
Wei Wuxian continued, "Then he said with a straight face that he's not familiar with me and attacked with his sword. I had no choice but to put the Emperor's Smile aside and fight back. He used both fists and palms, chasing me so closely that I couldn't shake him off! Finally, I got really impatient with his chase, and I said, 'Are you really not letting go? Not letting go?!'
"He still said: 'Accept punishment!'"
The young disciples listened with bated breath. Wei Wuxian was so excited in his storytelling that he completely forgot he was still on Jiang Cheng's back. He suddenly slapped Jiang Cheng's shoulder and said, "I said: 'Fine!' Then I stopped dodging, rushed forward, hugged him, and toppled over the wall of the Cloud Recesses!"
"..."
Wei Wuxian said, "So we both fell outside the boundary of the Cloud Recesses! We were so dizzy from the fall."
Nie Huaisang was already stunned, "...He didn't break free from you?"
Wei Wuxian said, "Oh, he tried, but I locked him tightly with my arms and legs. He couldn't break free and couldn't get up from on top of me. He was as stiff as a board. I said, 'How about that, Lan Zhan? Now you're also outside the Cloud Recesses' boundary. We've both violated curfew. You can't be strict with others and lenient with yourself. If you punish me, you have to punish yourself too. Fair and square, right?'"
Wei Wuxian continued, "After he got up, his face looked terrible. I sat beside him and said, 'Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Only heaven, earth, you, and I know about this.' Then he just walked away without a word. Who knew he would do this this morning... Jiang Cheng, walk slower, I'm about to fall off."
Jiang Cheng not only wanted to throw him off but also wanted to smash his head into the ground a few times: "You're being picky even though I'm carrying you!"
Wei Wuxian said, "It wasn't me who asked you to carry me in the first place."
Jiang Cheng was furious: "If I didn't carry you, I bet you'd be rolling around on the floor of their ancestral hall all day without getting up, too embarrassed to move! Lan Wangji got fifty more strikes than you, and he walked away on his own. How dare you pretend to be so badly injured? I don't want to carry you anymore, get off now!"
Wei Wuxian said, "I won't get off, I'm injured."
As the group was pushing and shoving along the white stone path, they encountered someone in white robes carrying books passing by. He stopped in surprise. Lan Xichen smiled and said, "What's going on here?"
Jiang Cheng was very embarrassed and didn't know how to answer, but Nie Huaisang had already blurted out, "Brother Xichen, Wei-xiong was punished with over a hundred strikes. Do you have any medicine?"
Since Lan Wangji was in charge of punishments at the Cloud Recesses, and Wei Wuxian had been moaning pitifully in the midst of the crowd, seemingly in severe pain, Lan Xichen immediately came forward and said, "Was it Wangji who punished him? Young Master Wei, are you unable to walk? What exactly happened?"
Jiang Cheng naturally didn't want to say what Wei Wuxian had done, and after all, it was their group that had urged Wei Wuxian to go buy alcohol. If anyone were to be punished, everyone should share the blame. He could only vaguely say, "It's nothing, it's nothing, it's not that serious! He can walk. Wei Wuxian, get down now!"
Wei Wuxian said, "I can't walk." He stretched out his swollen, red palm to Lan Xichen and complained, "Zewu-jun, your brother is too fierce."
Lan Xichen looked at his palm and said, "Ah, this punishment was indeed a bit severe. I'm afraid it won't heal for three or four days."
Jiang Cheng, who didn't know the punishment had been so severe, exclaimed in surprise, "What? It won't heal for three or four days? His legs and back were also hit with the discipline ruler. How could Lan Wangji do this?!" The last sentence inadvertently carried a tone of dissatisfaction. Wei Wuxian secretly patted him, and he realized his mistake. Lan Xichen, however, didn't mind and smiled, "But it's not a big deal. There's no need for medicine. Young Master Wei, I'll tell you a method that will make it better in just a few hours."
Evening, in the Cold Springs of the Cloud Recesses.
Lan Wangji was soaking in the icy spring water with his eyes closed, meditating, when suddenly a voice spoke near his ear: "Lan Zhan."
"..."
Lan Wangji's eyes snapped open. Sure enough, Wei Wuxian was lying on the blue stone by the edge of the cold spring, tilting his head and smiling at him.
Lan Wangji blurted out, "How did you get in here?!"
Wei Wuxian slowly got up, untying his belt as he said, "Zewu-jun let me in."
Lan Wangji asked, "What are you doing?"
Wei Wuxian kicked off his boots and started stripping, scattering his clothes all over the ground as he said, "What do you think I'm doing when I'm taking everything off? I heard that your family's cold springs not only help with meditation and calming the mind, but also have healing properties for injuries. So your brother let me come in and soak with you. But it's not very considerate of you to come here alone to heal. Wow, it's really cold, hiss—"
He got into the water and started rolling around the pool, stimulated by the bone-chilling spring water. Lan Wangji quickly distanced himself by ten feet, saying, "I came here for cultivation, not for healing—stop splashing!"
Wei Wuxian said, "But it's so cold, so cold..."
This time, he wasn't exaggerating or causing trouble on purpose. It was indeed difficult for outsiders to adapt to the Gusu Lan Sect's cold springs in a short time. It felt as if staying still for a moment would freeze one's blood and limbs. So he had to keep moving around, trying to warm up. Lan Wangji, who had been peacefully meditating, was now splashed with water droplets sliding down his long eyelashes and black hair. He couldn't bear it anymore and said, "Don't move!"
As he spoke, he reached out with one palm and pressed it on Wei Wuxian's shoulder.
Wei Wuxian immediately felt a warm current flowing from where their bodies connected, making him feel a bit better. He unconsciously moved closer to Lan Wangji, who alertly asked, "What are you doing?"
Wei Wuxian innocently said, "Nothing, it just seems warmer on your side."
Lan Wangji firmly held his palm between them, maintaining distance, and sternly said, "It is not."
Wei Wuxian had originally wanted to get closer to him, to get on his good side and make conversation, but being unable to do so and getting rebuffed, he didn't get angry. He glanced at Lan Wangji's palm and shoulders, and indeed, the marks from the punishment had not yet faded. He really wasn't here for healing. Wei Wuxian sincerely said, "Lan Zhan, I really admire you. You said you would punish yourself and you really did, without any leniency. I have nothing to say."
Lan Wangji closed his eyes again, remaining silent and still.
Wei Wuxian continued, "Really, I've never met anyone as serious and true to their word as you. I definitely couldn't do what you do. You're amazing."
Lan Wangji still ignored him.
After Wei Wuxian was no longer cold, he started swimming around in the cold spring. After swimming for a while, he couldn't resist swimming to Lan Wangji's front and said, "Lan Zhan, didn't you realize what I was doing just now?"
Lan Wangji said, "I don't know."
Wei Wuxian said, "You don't know? I was complimenting you, trying to get on your good side."
Lan Wangji looked at him and said, "What do you want to do?"
Wei Wuxian said, "Lan Zhan, let's be friends. We're so familiar with each other now."
Lan Wangji said, "We are not familiar."
Wei Wuxian splashed the water and said, "You're no fun like this. Really. Being friends with me has many benefits."
Lan Wangji asked, "Such as?"
Wei Wuxian swam to the edge of the pool, leaned his back against the blue stone, rested his arms on the stone, and said, "I'm always loyal to my friends. For example, when I get new spring pictures, I'll definitely let you see them first... Hey, hey, come back! It's fine if you don't want to see. Have you been to Yunmeng? Yunmeng is a lot of fun, and the food there is delicious. I don't know if it's a problem with Gusu or just the Cloud Recesses, but the food at your place is too bland. If you come to Lotus Pier, you can eat many delicious things. I can take you to pick lotus seeds and water chestnuts. Lan Zhan, will you come?"
Lan Wangji said, "No."
Wei Wuxian said, "Don't always start your sentences with 'no', it sounds so cold. Girls won't like it. Let me tell you, the girls in Yunmeng are especially beautiful, different from the beauties in your Gusu." He winked his left eye at Lan Wangji and said proudly, "Are you sure you won't come?"
Lan Wangji paused for a moment, but still said, "No..."
Wei Wuxian said, "You reject me like this, not giving me any face at all. Aren't you afraid I'll take your clothes when I leave?"
Lan Wangji said, "Get out!!!"
After Lan Qiren returned to Gusu from Qinghe, he didn't make Wei Wuxian copy the Lan Sect rules in the library pavilion again. Instead, he scolded him harshly in front of everyone. Excluding the parts where he quoted classics, the simplified version of his speech was essentially that he had never seen such a mischievous, shameless person, and that Wei Wuxian should leave, leave quickly, and leave as far as possible. He should not get close to other disciples, and especially not taint his prized student Lan Wangji.
While Lan Qiren was scolding him, Wei Wuxian listened with a grin, not feeling embarrassed or angry at all. As soon as Lan Qiren left, Wei Wuxian sat down and said to Jiang Cheng, "Telling me to leave now, isn't it a bit late? The person has already been 'tainted' and now you're telling me to leave. It's too late!"
The water ghoul in Caiyi Town brought great trouble to the Gusu Lan Sect. It couldn't be eradicated, and the Lan family couldn't drive it away to other places like the Wen Sect would. The Lan family's leader was in seclusion year-round, and Lan Qiren was greatly exhausting himself over this matter. His teaching hours became shorter and shorter, while Wei Wuxian's time wandering in the mountains with others became longer and longer.
On this day, he was again surrounded by seven or eight young disciples wanting to go out. As they passed by the Lan family's library pavilion, he looked up from below and, through the obscuring magnolia branches, could just see Lan Wangji sitting alone by the window.
Nie Huaisang puzzled, "Is he looking at us? That's odd, we weren't even being noisy just now. Why is he giving us that look?"
Wei Wuxian said, "He's probably thinking about how to catch us making mistakes."
Jiang Cheng said, "Wrong. It's not 'us', it's 'you'. I think he's only staring at you."
Wei Wuxian said, "Heh. Just wait. You'll see how I deal with him when I get back."
Jiang Cheng said, "Didn't you say he was boring and uninteresting? Then stop provoking him. You're pulling the tiger's whiskers, stirring up trouble. You're always courting death."
Wei Wuxian said, "Wrong. It's precisely because a living person can be as uninteresting as he is that makes it so interesting."
It was nearly noon when they returned to the Cloud Recesses. Lan Wangji was sitting at his desk, arranging a stack of papers he had written, when he suddenly heard a light tapping on the window lattice. He looked up and saw someone climbing in from outside the window.
Wei Wuxian had climbed up the magnolia tree outside the library pavilion, and with a mischievous expression, he said, "Lan Zhan, I'm back! How about it? After not copying books for a few days, did you miss me?"
Lan Wangji remained as still as an old monk in deep meditation, seeing all things as nothing, and almost mechanically continued to organize the mountain of books and scrolls. Wei Wuxian deliberately misinterpreted his silence: "You don't need to say it, I already know. You must have missed me, otherwise why were you looking at me from the window earlier?"
Lan Wangji immediately glanced at him, his gaze full of silent reproach. Wei Wuxian sat on the windowsill and said, "Look at you, taking the bait after just two sentences. You're too easy to provoke. You can't keep your cool at all."
Lan Wangji: "Leave."
Wei Wuxian: "If I don't leave, will you throw me out?"
Judging by Lan Wangji's face, Wei Wuxian suspected that if he said one more word, Lan Wangji would abandon his remaining composure and directly nail him to the windowsill. He quickly said, "Don't be so scary! I came to bring gifts and apologize."
Lan Wangji, without even thinking, immediately refused: "Don't want it."
Wei Wuxian said, "You really don't want it?" Seeing the wariness in Lan Wangji's eyes, he pulled out two rabbits from his chest like a magician. Holding them by their ears, they looked like two round, fat snowballs. The snowballs were still randomly kicking their legs. He brought them right under Lan Wangji's nose: "It's strange here, there are no pheasants, but there are many wild rabbits that aren't even afraid of people. How about it? Aren't they fat? Do you want them?"
Lan Wangji coldly looked at him.
Wei Wuxian said, "Alright. If you don't want them, I'll give them to someone else. It just so happens that I've been craving some meat these days."
Hearing the last sentence, Lan Wangji said, "Stop."
Wei Wuxian spread his hands: "I haven't left yet."
Lan Wangji said, "Who are you going to give them to?"
Wei Wuxian said, "Whoever can roast rabbit meat the best."
Lan Wangji said, "Killing is forbidden within the Cloud Recesses. It's the third rule on the Wall of Discipline."
Wei Wuxian said, "Fine. I'll go down the mountain, kill them outside the boundary, then bring them back to roast. Since you don't want them anyway, why do you care so much?"
"..." Lan Wangji said word by word: "Give them to me."
Wei Wuxian sat on the windowsill, grinning: "Now you want them? See, you're always like this."
The two rabbits were both fat and round, like two fluffy snowballs. One had dead fish eyes, lying on the ground motionless for a long time, chewing vegetable leaves slowly and deliberately with its pink three-petaled mouth. The other seemed as if it had eaten some sort of stimulant, jumping up and down non-stop, climbing, rolling, and tumbling over its companion, twisting and bouncing, never staying still for a moment. Wei Wuxian tossed a few vegetable leaves he had picked up from somewhere, then suddenly said, "Lan Zhan. Lan Zhan!"
The more active rabbit had previously stepped on Lan Wangji's inkstone, leaving a black inky footprint on the desk. Lan Wangji didn't know what to do and was seriously considering how to wipe it off with a piece of paper. He didn't want to respond, but hearing Wei Wuxian's unusual tone, he thought there might be something important and asked, "What is it?"
Wei Wuxian said, "Look at how they're stacked on top of each other, aren't they...?"
Lan Wangji said, "They're both male!"
Wei Wuxian said, "Male? How strange." He picked them up by the ears to check and confirmed, "Indeed, they are male. So what if they're male? I hadn't even finished speaking, why are you so stern? What were you thinking? By the way, I caught these rabbits, and I didn't even notice if they were male or female. How come you've already looked at their..."
Lan Wangji finally threw him out of the library pavilion window.
Wei Wuxian shouted in mid-air, "Hahahahahahahahahahaha!"
With a loud "bang", Lan Wangji slammed the window shut and collapsed back into his seat by the desk.
He glanced at the messy papers and inky footprints all over the floor, and the two white rabbits rolling around with vegetable leaves, closed his eyes, and covered his ears.
The trembling magnolia branches were now shut outside the window, but no matter how he tried to resist, Wei Wuxian's joyful and unrestrained laughter simply couldn't be shut out.
The next day, Lan Wangji finally stopped attending classes with them.
Wei Wuxian had changed his seat three times. He was originally sitting with Jiang Cheng, but Jiang Cheng was serious about his studies and wanted to perform well to bring honor to the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, so he moved to the front row. This position was too conspicuous and didn't allow Wei Wuxian to misbehave, so he abandoned Jiang Cheng and moved to sit behind Lan Wangji. When Lan Qiren was lecturing, Lan Wangji sat as straight as a wall, and Wei Wuxian would either sleep soundly or doodle aimlessly behind him. Except for the occasional times when Lan Wangji would suddenly raise his hand to intercept paper balls Wei Wuxian was throwing at others, it could be said to be a prime location. But later, Lan Qiren discovered this arrangement and switched their positions. From then on, whenever Wei Wuxian's posture was slightly improper, he would feel two cold, sharp gazes pinned on his back, and Lan Qiren would also glare at him fiercely. Being constantly monitored by both the old and the young, from front and back, was extremely uncomfortable. After the spring book incident and the rabbit incident, Lan Qiren determined that Wei Wuxian was a bad influence, fearing that his prized student would be tainted by him. Believing that one takes on the color of one's company, he hurriedly told Lan Wangji not to come anymore. So Wei Wuxian moved back to his old spot, and things were peaceful for about half a month.
Unfortunately, for someone like Wei Wuxian, good times never last long.
Within the Cloud Recesses, there was a long wall with lattice windows. Every seven steps, there was a carved flower window on the wall. Each carving was different, depicting scenes such as playing the guqin in the mountains, flying on swords, or slaying monsters. Lan Qiren explained that each lattice window on this wall depicted the life story of an ancestor of the Gusu Lan Sect. Among them, the four oldest and most famous windows told the life story of Lan An, the founding ancestor of the Lan Sect.
This ancestor was born in a temple, grew up listening to Buddhist chants, was intelligent and spiritual, and was a famous monk at a young age. At the age of twenty, he took "Lan" from "Qielan" (Sanskrit: Sanghārama) as his surname and returned to secular life as a musician. While seeking the Dao, he met his "destined person" in Gusu, became Dao partners with them, and together they laid the foundation for the Lan family. After his immortal partner passed away, he returned to the temple to end his mortal life. These four lattice windows depicted "Qielan," "Learning Music," "Dao Partners," and "Returning to Stillness" respectively.
For the first time in many days, something interesting was being taught, and although Lan Qiren made it sound as dry as a chronology, Wei Wuxian finally paid attention. After class, he laughed and said, "So the Lan family's ancestor was a monk, no wonder. Entering the mortal world to meet one person, when the person is gone, I too shall leave, this body not lingering in the dust. But with such an ancestor, how did they produce such unromantic descendants?"
Everyone was surprised to learn that the Lan family, known for being rigid, had such an ancestor, and they began to discuss it. As the discussion went on, the focus shifted to "Dao partners," and they started to talk about their ideal immortal companions and evaluate the famous young cultivators of various sects. At this point, someone asked, "Brother Zixuan, which young lady do you think is the most outstanding?"
Upon hearing this, Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng simultaneously looked towards a young man in the front row of the Orchid Room.
This young man had proud and handsome features, with a cinnabar mark between his eyebrows. His collar, cuffs, and belt were embroidered with golden stars, snow waves, and white peonies. He was Jin Zixuan, the young master of the Lanling Jin Sect who had been sent to Gusu for education.
Another person said, "You shouldn't ask Brother Zixuan this. He already has a fiancée, so of course he'll say it's his fiancée."
Hearing the word "fiancée," Jin Zixuan's lips seemed to twitch, revealing a hint of displeasure. The disciple who first asked the question, unable to read the atmosphere, continued to ask happily, "Really? Which sect's young lady is it? She must be incredibly talented and beautiful!"
Jin Zixuan raised an eyebrow and said, "There's no need to mention it further."
Wei Wuxian suddenly said, "What do you mean there's no need to mention it further?"
Everyone in the Orchid Room turned to look at him in surprise. Usually, Wei Wuxian was always smiling, even when scolded or punished, he never truly got angry. But at this moment, there was a visible trace of hostility between his brows. Even Jiang Cheng, who usually reprimanded Wei Wuxian for causing trouble, sat beside him with a very unpleasant expression.
Jin Zixuan arrogantly said, "Is 'no need to mention it further' so difficult to understand?"
Wei Wuxian coldly laughed, "The words aren't difficult to understand, but what exactly are you dissatisfied with about my shijie? That's hard to comprehend."
Others whispered among themselves, and after a few words, they finally understood. It turned out that those few sentences had unintentionally stirred up a hornet's nest. Jin Zixuan's fiancée was none other than Jiang Yanli of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect.
Jiang Yanli was the eldest daughter of Jiang Fengmian and Jiang Cheng's older sister. She had an unassuming personality, without striking looks; her speech was steady, without any memorable flavor. She was of above-average appearance, and her talents were not world-shaking. Among the group of young cultivators from various sects, she inevitably appeared somewhat lackluster. Her fiancé Jin Zixuan, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. He was the only son of Jin Guangshan's main wife, with outstanding looks and dazzling talent. Judging by Jiang Yanli's own qualities, she indeed didn't seem to match him. She didn't even have the qualifications to compete with other young ladies from prominent sects. The reason Jiang Yanli was able to be engaged to Jin Zixuan was because her mother was from the Meishan Yu Sect, and the Meishan Yu Sect was friendly with Jin Zixuan's mother's family. The two madams had grown up together and were close friends.
The Jin family was known for their pride, and Jin Zixuan had inherited this trait completely. He had very high standards and had long been dissatisfied with this engagement. Not only was he dissatisfied with the choice, but he was even more dissatisfied that his mother had decided his marriage for him, making him increasingly rebellious. Today, he seized the opportunity to act out. Jin Zixuan retorted, "Why don't you ask, what is there about her that satisfies me?"
Jiang Cheng stood up abruptly.
Wei Wuxian pushed him aside and stepped in front, sneering, "Who do you think you are to be so picky? Where do you get the confidence to be so choosy?"
Because of this engagement, Jin Zixuan had never had a good impression of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect, and he had long disliked Wei Wuxian's behavior. Moreover, he prided himself as being unparalleled among the younger generation and had never been looked down upon like this. In a moment of anger, he blurted out, "If she's not satisfied, you can tell her to break off the engagement! In any case, I don't care for your precious shijie. If you care so much, why don't you ask her father for her hand? Doesn't he treat you better than his own son?"
Hearing the last sentence, Jiang Cheng's gaze hardened, and Wei Wuxian, unable to contain his anger, flew at Jin Zixuan with his fist raised. Although Jin Zixuan was prepared, he didn't expect Wei Wuxian to attack so swiftly. Before he could finish speaking, Wei Wuxian was upon him. He took a punch that immediately numbed half his face, and without a word, he immediately struck back.
This fight alarmed both great sects. Jiang Fengmian and Jin Guangshan rushed to Gusu from Yunmeng and Lanling that very day.
The two sect leaders looked at the two young men kneeling in punishment, then faced Lan Qiren to receive a harsh scolding. Both wiped their sweat and exchanged a few pleasantries before Jiang Fengmian proposed to dissolve the engagement.
He said to Jin Guangshan, "This engagement was originally insisted upon by A-Li's mother. I didn't agree. Now it seems that neither party is very happy with it, so we shouldn't force it."
Jin Guangshan was surprised and hesitated slightly. After all, breaking off an engagement with another great sect was not a good thing. He said, "What do children know? Let them have their quarrel, Brother Fengmian. We don't need to pay attention to it."
Jiang Fengmian said, "Brother Guangshan, although we can arrange engagements for them, we can't fulfill the engagements on their behalf. After all, it's they who will have to spend their lives together."
This marriage wasn't originally Jin Guangshan's idea. If he wanted to form alliances with other sects to consolidate power, the Yunmeng Jiang Sect wasn't the only choice, nor was it the best choice. He had always been afraid to go against Madam Jin's wishes. Since it was the Jiang family who proposed to break off the engagement, and the Jin family was the groom's side, they didn't have as many concerns as the bride's side. So why should they persist? Moreover, he knew that Jin Zixuan had always been dissatisfied with Jiang Yanli as his fiancée. After some consideration, Jin Guangshan boldly agreed to this matter.
At this time, Wei Wuxian still didn't know what his fight had dissolved. He was kneeling on the stone path designated by Lan Qiren. Jiang Cheng walked over from afar and sarcastically said, "You're kneeling quite obediently."
Wei Wuxian gloated, "You know I'm used to kneeling. But that Jin Zixuan must be pampered and has never knelt before. If I don't make him cry for his parents today, I'll change my surname."
Jiang Cheng lowered his head for a moment, then said flatly, "Father is here."
Wei Wuxian asked, "Shijie didn't come, did she?"
Jiang Cheng replied, "What would she come for? To see how you embarrass her? If she had come, wouldn't she be here keeping you company and bringing you medicine?"
Wei Wuxian sighed and said, "...It would've been good if shijie had come. It's fortunate you didn't throw a punch."
Jiang Cheng said, "I would have if you hadn't pushed me away. Jin Zixuan's other cheek wouldn't be looking so good either."
Wei Wuxian said, "Better not. His face being asymmetrical now makes him even uglier. I heard that this peacock really cherishes his face. I wonder what he thinks when he looks in the mirror now? Hahahaha..." After laughing heartily for a while, Wei Wuxian continued, "Actually, I should have let you hit him, and I could have stood aside watching. Maybe then Uncle Jiang wouldn't have come. But I couldn't help it!"
Jiang Cheng snorted and said softly, "You wish."
Wei Wuxian's words were just casual talk, but his emotions were actually quite complex. Because he knew very well that this wasn't a lie.
Jiang Fengmian had never rushed to another sect within a day because of anything he had done. Whether it was good or bad, big or small.
Never.
Seeing Jiang Cheng's gloomy expression, Wei Wuxian thought he was still upset about what Jin Zixuan had said. He said, "You should go, don't stay with me. In case Lan Wangji comes again, he'll catch you too. Go watch Jin Zixuan being punished if you have time."
Jiang Cheng was slightly surprised, "Lan Wangji? What would he come for? He still dares to see you?"
Wei Wuxian said, "Yeah, I'm also surprised he still dares to see me. Really admirable courage. Probably his uncle sent him to check if I'm kneeling properly."
Jiang Cheng had an instinctive bad feeling, "So were you kneeling properly then?"
Wei Wuxian said, "I was kneeling properly at first. After he walked away for a bit, I took a tree branch and started digging a hole in the dirt next to me, right by your feet. There's an ant nest there that I had trouble finding. When he turned back, he saw my shoulders moving and probably thought I was crying or something, so he came over to ask. You should have seen his expression when he saw the ant nest."
"..." Jiang Cheng said, "You should just hurry back to Yunmeng! I think he never wants to see you again."
So, that evening, Wei Wuxian packed his things and rolled back to Yunmeng with Jiang Fengmian.