Hearing the name, Nie MingJue raised his brows, as though finding it somewhat surprising.
Wei WuXian knew why. Before Jin GuangYao was accepted into his clan, he was named Meng Yao, after his mother’s last name. This wasn’t a secret at all. In fact, the name used to be quite “well-known”.
Although not many people saw with their own eyes how it was when Jin GuangYao, the one who would later become LianFang-Zun and stand upon Koi Tower with unequivocal power, first came upon the tower, the rumors had already explained things at large. Jin GuangYao’s mother was renowned in one of Yunmeng’s brothels. Back then, she boasted the reputation of being one of the most talented prostitutes. It was said that she could play the guqin well and wrote excellent calligraphy. She was so well-educated that she could almost pass as the young mistress of a wealthy clan. Of course, no matter how great the resemblance was, in the mouths of the people, a prostitute was still a prostitute.
When Jin GuangShan happened to visit Yunmeng once, he definitely dared not miss such a famous prostitute. He lingered around the Meng woman for days and returned with satisfaction after leaving her a keepsake. After he got back, he naturally behaved the same way as he had behaved countless times before this, forgetting all about the amorous woman.
In comparison, Mo XuanYu and his mother were rather favored. At least Jin GuangShan still remembered that he had such a son and brought him back to Koi Tower. Meng Yao, on the other hand, wasn’t as lucky. The son of a prostitute was far from that of a good family. Just like Lady Mo, after she had given birth to one child for Jin GuangShan, she waited with much devotion for the cultivator to take her and her child back. She taught Meng Yao with care, preparing for his future entrance to the cultivation world. Yet, even when he grew past the age of ten, there was still no news of his father, while the Meng woman was already dangerously ill.
Before she passed away, she had given the keepsake that Jin GuangShan left her and told him to find his way out to Koi Tower. And thus, Meng Yao finished packing his belongings and left Yunmeng. After an arduous journey, he arrived in Lanling. When he reached Koi Tower, Meng Yao wasn’t allowed to enter, so he took out the keepsake and asked for the sect leader to be notified.
Jin GuangShan’s keepsake was a pearl button. This wasn’t in any way special in the LanlingJin Sect—one could find such objects everywhere. Their most common usage was as gifts to beautiful women, when Jin GuangShan traveled out to flirt. He’d pretend as though such a pretty little thing was a rare treasure, often in the accompaniment of pledges and vows as well. He gave and forgot about them however he pleased.
Meng Yao really did come at a bad time. The day just happened to be the birthday of Jin ZiXuan. Jin GuangShan and Madam Jin, along with various relatives, were celebrating their darling boy’s special day. Six hours later, it was already late into the evening. As all of them were about to set out for the auspicious ignition of lanterns, the servant finally found a spare moment to notify them. As Madam Jin saw the pearl button and remembered Jin GuangShan’s history, her face darkened at once. Jin GuangShan hurried to crush the pearl into dust and chastised the servant loudly, ordering him to chase away whomever that was outside in case they bumped into him on their outing.
And so, Meng Yao was kicked down Koi Tower. He rolled down the steps, all the way from the top to the bottom.
Allegedly, he didn’t say anything after he got up. Wiping away the blood on his forehead, then dusting off the dirt that got onto his clothes, he picked up his belongings and walked away.
Right after the Sunshot Campaign began, Meng Yao joined the QingheNie Sect’s troops.
The cultivators under Nie MingJue’s command, both rogue cultivators and those from the QingheNie Sect, were stationed in various locations. One of these was a nameless mountain ridge in Hejian. Nie MingJue went up the mountain by foot. Before he was even close to the station, he saw a boy dressed in cloth leave the emerald forest, a bamboo tube in his hand.
The boy seemed as though he had just finished collecting water, legs betraying some fatigue. As he was about to enter the cave, he suddenly stopped. He stood outside the mouth of the cave and listened for a while, as if debating between whether or not to go in. In the end, with the bamboo tube still in his hand, he walked in another direction in silence.
After a while of walking, he found a spot on the side of the road and squatted down. He fished out some white-colored food from his provisions and washed it down with water.
Nie MingJue walked toward him. As the boy was eating, his head hanging low, he suddenly found himself enveloped in a tall shadow. He looked up, then put his food away and stood up, “Sect Leader Nie.”
The boy’s figure was on the smaller side. He had fair skin and dark brows, precisely those favor-gaining features of Jin GuangYao. At this point in time, he hadn’t been accepted by his clan in Koi Tower yet, which was why he didn’t have the bright mark of vermillion on his forehead. Nie MingJue clearly remembered the face, “Meng Yao?”
Meng Yao answered respectfully, “Yes.”
Nie MingJue, “Why didn’t you rest inside the cave like everyone else did?”
Meng Yao opened his mouth, but only smiled awkwardly, as though he didn’t know what to say. Seeing this, Nie MingJue went past him and walked in the direction of the cave. Meng Yao looked as he wanted to pull him back, though he didn’t dare to. Nie MingJue concealed his breathing so that nobody noticed him even as he arrived at the mouth of the cave. The people inside were still chatting loudly.
“… Yep, that’s him.”
“No way! Jin GuangShan’s son? How can Jin GuangShan’s son be living the same way we do? Why doesn’t he go back and find his dad? He’d be relieved of such misery with just a point of his dad’s finger.”
“You think he doesn’t want to go back? What do you think he was doing when he took the keepsake all the way from Yunmeng to Lanling?”
“Then he chose the wrong thing to do. Jin GuangShan’s wife is scary.”
“I mean, Jin GuangShan has so many children outside, at least an entire stack of sons and daughters. Have you seen him accept anyone? Making such a scene was asking for embarrassment.”
“Well, people shouldn’t hope for the hopeless. He got beaten to a pulp, and who’s to blame? He can’t blame anyone. He dug his own grave.”
“He’s such an idiot! With Jin ZiXuan, would Jin GuangShan ever think anything of another son? Much less one from a prostitute mounted by thousands. Who knows whose seed he was. In my opinion, Jin GuangShan probably didn’t dare to accept him because he also had his doubts himself! Hahahaha…”
“Oh really? I bet he didn’t even remember that he had such a thing with the woman.”
“I’m actually feeling quite thrilled that Jin GuangShan’s seed has resigned himself to getting water for us, hahaha…”
“Resigned your ass. He’s put so much energy into this. Don’t you see how hard he’s working? Everyday he runs around trying to get on everyone’s good sides. He’s sick for hoping to accomplish something so that his dad accepts him.”
A flame of anger sprout within Nie MingJue’s heart, burning all the way into Wei WuXian.
His hand immediately pressed onto the hilt of his saber. Meng Yao hurried to stop him, but failed. The saber had unsheathed already, and a boulder in front of the cave crashed down. A few dozens of cultivators originally sat resting within the cave. All of them jumped up and unsheathed their swords, surprised by the fallen boulder. The bamboo tubes in their hands scattered over the ground.