Lan WangJi, “Can you really control it?”
Wei WuXian, “Control what? You mean Wen Ning? Of course I can. Look, he’s already returned to consciousness.” Wei WuXian gloated, “An unprecedented fierce corpse.”
Lan WangJi, “What would you do if he lost consciousness again?”
Wei WuXian, “I already have experience with dealing with him when he’s out of consciousness. I’m the one who controls him. As long as nothing happens to me, nothing will happen to him either.”
After a while of silence, Lan WangJi asked, “But what if something does happen to you?”
Wei WuXian, “It won’t.“
Lan WangJi, “How could you be sure?”
Wei WuXian’s voice was firm, “It won’t, and it can’t.”
Lan WangJi, “Do you intend on staying like this from now on?”
Wei WuXian, “What’s wrong with staying like this? My place not good enough for you? This mountain here is even bigger than the Cloud Recesses. Our food here is much better too.”
“Wei Ying,” Lan WangJi spoke, “You know what I mean.”
“…” Wei WuXian answered with reluctance, “Lan Zhan, you… really are something out of this world. I’ve already changed the subject of conversation and you pulled it back again.”
Suddenly, he felt an itch at his throat. Blood began to rise up his chest. Trying to restrain it, Wei WuXian coughed a couple of times. Seeing that Lan WangJi was going to grab his hand again, Wei WuXian dodged, “What are you doing?”
Lan WangJi, “Your injuries.”
Wei WuXian, “No need. Why use spiritual energy for such a small wound? It’ll get better after some sitting around.”
Lan WangJi didn’t waste any words with him, grabbing for his hand again. At this point, two people came from outside of the cave. Wen Qing’s voice sounded, “Get better after some sitting around? Did you think I’m dead?”
Following behind her was Wen Ning, holding a tray of tea. Wen Ning’s skin was ashen. Incantations that hadn’t been fully wiped away yet could still be seen at his neck. Wen Yuan was the one hugging Wen Ning’s leg. As soon as he came in, he stumbled toward Wen WuXian and hung himself at his leg instead. Seeing that Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi looked at him in coordination, Wen Ning pulled the corners of his lips up, as if trying to smile. However, the muscles on his face were dead. They couldn’t move.
He could only greet them, “Young Master Wei… Young Master Lan.”
Wei WuXian lifted his leg and picked Wen Yuan up, swaying him in the air, “Why are you here? Finished crying so soon?”
Wen Qing threatened, “Just watch how I make you cry later!” Despite what she said, her voice still sounded nasally.
Wei WuXian, “What a joke! How could you make me… Ah!!!”
Wen Qing walked up to him and gave him a loud slap on the back, so hard that it managed to make Wei WuXian cough up a mouthful of blood. His face is full of disbelief, “You… You’re so cruel…”
After he finished, he shut his eyes and passed out. Lan WangJi’s face paled as he went to catch him, “Wei Ying!”
Wen Qing, however, revealed three silver needles, scolding, “I have crueler things that you haven’t seen yet. Get up!”
As if nothing happened, Wei WuXian got up from Lan WangJi’s arms, wiping away the blood at his mouth, “Please don’t. The cruelest is the woman’s heart. I wouldn’t want to see that.”
It turned out that Wen Qing’s slap only let out the blood that had clogged up within his chest. How could the renowned best medic of Qishan really be so rash? Seeing that it was another prank, Lan WangJi gave a harsh flip of his sleeves and turned around, as though he didn’t want to talk to such a ridiculous person ever again. Wen Ning just woke up, his reaction still slower than others. When he saw Wei WuXian cough up blood, he paused in surprise as well, but now he remembered that he injured Wei WuXian when he was still unconscious.
His spoke with guilt, “Young Master, I’m sorry…”
Wei WuXian waved his hand, “Enough, enough. Did you really think something would happen to me with a punch like that?”
Wen Qing watched Lan WangJi’s expression with her inky eyes, “HanGuang-Jun, have a seat?”
Wei WuXian finally realized. So that was why he felt as though he forgot about something. Lan Zhan had been here for so long and he hadn’t sat down yet. However, all that could be sat on inside the cave were a few stone beds, and strange objects were spread over every single one of them, from flags to sabers to boxes to blood-tattered bandages and unfinished fruits. The scene was almost painful to look at.
Wei WuXian, “But there’s nowhere to sit here, is there?”
Wen Qing was indifferent, “Of course there is.” As she finished, she swept the things on one of the stone beds onto the ground, showing no mercy at all, “Look, now there’s a seat, isn’t there?”
Wei WuXian was shocked, “Hey!”
Wen Ning said as well, “Yeah, Young Master Lan, sit and have some tea…” As he spoke, he shifted the tray in his hands a bit nearer to Lan WangJi. Two teacups, washed extremely clean, sat on the tray.
Yet, Wei WuXian only glanced at them before complaining, “How dingy. Asking a guest to drink plain water—there aren’t even tea leaves in here!”
Wen Ning, “I asked and they said they didn’t have any. Uncle Four said that they didn’t store tea leaves…”
Wei WuXian took up one of the cups and had a gulp, “This really doesn’t seem right. Prepare some the next time a guest comes over.” He only felt how funny it was after he said it. How could there be a next time, and how could there be another guest?
Wen Qing, “So you still have the face to talk about it. Look at what useless things you bought, the few times you were asked to shop down the mountain. Where are the radish seeds I asked you to buy today?”
Wei WuXian, “What useless things did I buy? I went to buy toys for A-Yuan, right, A-Yuan?”
Wen Yuan, however, did not cooperate at all, “Brother Xian is lying. This other brother bought them for me.”
Wei WuXian fumed, “How could this be?”
Laughter was just starting to fill the Demon-Slaughtering Cave when Lan WangJi turned around without saying anything and proceeded to walk out of the cave.
Both Wen Qing and Wen Ning paused in surprise. Wei WuXian, “Lan Zhan?”
Lan WangJi’s footsteps hesitated. No emotions could be distinguished from his tone, “It is time for me to return.”
He walked out the Demon-Slaughtering Cave without turning back. Wen Ning started to panic again, as if thinking that it was his fault. Wen Yuan hurried, “Brother!”
Using his two short legs, he tried to chase after him. Wei WuXian snatched him up at once and tucked him under his arm, “Wait for me here.”
He walked three steps in two and caught up to Lan WangJi, “You’re going? I’ll see you off.”
Lan WangJi stayed silent.
Under Wei WuXian’s arm, Wen Yuan looked up at him, “Brother, you won’t be eating here?”
Lan WangJi glanced at him. He reached out and stroked his head softly.