Lan JingYi, “Just now I said we brought Lil’ Apple and kept it right outside the temple. And HanGuang-Jun, along with… along with… went to greet Lil’ Apple.”
Lan QiRen, “And then?”
It was needless to say what happened afterwards. Not a sliver of Wei WuXian’s, Lan WangJi’s, and Wen Ning’s shadows remained outside the Guanyin temple.
Lan QiRen watched Lan XiChen who followed behind him sluggishly, still absent-minded, and sighed forcefully before he left with a flip of his sleeves.
Lan JingYi looked around, yelling in surprise, “SiZhui? What happened? When did SiZhui disappear too?”
When Jin Ling heard that Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi were gone, he rushed outside, almost tripping on the threshold of the Guanyin Temple. But no matter how anxious, he was no longer able to find their figures. Fairy giddly ran circles around him, wagging his tongue.
Jiang Cheng stood below a tall, straight tree within the Guanyin Temple. He glanced at him and spoke coldly, “Wipe your face.”
Jin Ling rubbed his eyes roughly, wiping his face before running back, “Where are they?”
Jiang Cheng, “Gone.”
Jin Ling exclaimed, “You let them go just like that?”
Jiang Cheng mocked, “Or else? Have them stay for dinner? Say thank you and sorry after the meal?”
Jin Ling began to simmer, pointing at him, “No wonder he wanted to go. It’s all because of that attitude of yours! Why are you so annoying, Uncle?!”
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng raised his hand with glaring eyes, scolding, “Is this how you talk to someone older than you? You asking to be beaten up?!”
Jin Ling shrunk back. Fairy tucked in its tail as well. Yet Jiang Cheng’s slap never landed at the back of his head. Instead, it was retracted powerlessly.
He spoke, irritated, “Shut up. Jin Ling. Shut up. We’re going back. Each to their own sect.”
Jin Ling paused in surprise. After some hesitation, he shut up obediently. Head hanging, he walked a few steps beside Jiang Cheng before looking up again, “Uncle, you had something to say, didn’t you?”
Jiang Cheng, “What? No.”
Jin Ling, “Just now! I saw it. You wanted to say something to Wei WuXian, and then you didn’t.”
After a moment of silence, Jiang Cheng shook his head, “There’s nothing to say.”
What could he say?
That, back then, I wasn’t caught by the Wen Sect because I wanted to go back to Lotus Pier to retrieve my parents’ corpses. That, at the town we passed on our way, when you were buying food, a group of Wen Sect cultivators caught up. That, I discovered them early and left where I sat, hiding at the corner of the street and didn’t get caught, but they were patrolling the streets and would soon run into you outside.
That this was why I ran out and distracted them.
But just like how the past Wei WuXian couldn’t tell him the truth of giving him his golden core, the current Jiang Cheng wasn’t able to say anything either.
PLEASE DO NOT COMMENT WITH ANY SPOILERS!
Chapter 111: WangXian (Part One)
Translated by K of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
If you are reading this anywhere but on the original exiledrebelsscanlations website, you are reading a STOLEN copy. Thank you.
The sun hadn’t risen yet. It was still quiet over the streets. Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi walked together, hearing only the soft taps of the donkey’s hooves clicking on the ground.
Sitting on the back of the donkey, Wei WuXian gave its buttocks a few pats. The pouch at its girdle was full and hard, filled with apples that were probably snacks from the Lan Sect’s juniors.
Wei WuXian fished out an apple from inside and placed it near his mouth. Staring at Lan WangJi’s handsome face from the side, he gave it quite a loud crunch. Watching its apple be shamelessly stolen, Lil’ Apple was so furious that it flared its nostrils, slamming its hooves. Wei WuXian had no time to pay attention to it, giving it a few more slaps as he stuffed the unfinished apple into its mouth, “Lan Zhan, did you know? The one named SiSi seemed to have been a friend of Jin GuangYao’s mother’s.”
Lan WangJi, “I did not.”
Wei WuXian didn’t know if he should laugh, “I was only making a comment, not that I was really asking you. I saw it back at the Guanyin Temple, in Empathy with the ghoul woman. She looked after Jin GuangYao and his mother quite well.”
With a moment of silence, Lan WangJi replied, “Thus, Jin GuangYao let the woman go.”
Wei WuXian, “It should be the case. I was afraid ZeWu-Jun would go soft on him again, so I didn’t say everything. Even now I still don’t we should tell him.”
Lan WangJi, “If he should ask in the future, I will let him know.”
Wei WuXian, “Might as well.”
He turned and glanced back, letting out a rare sigh, “I don’t want to care about any of those nasty things anymore. This is it.”
Lan WangJi nodded and tightened Lil’ Apple’s reins. He continued to walk with it.
Each could only deal with their own troubles. Even if Lan XiChen was his brother by birth, Lan WangJi couldn’t do anything to help him right now. Comfort was useless. It’d all be in vain.
After a pause, Lan WangJi spoke, “Wei Ying.”
Wei WuXian, “What?”
Lan WangJi, “There is something I have never told you.”
Wei WuXian somehow felt his heart skip a beat, “What is it?”
Lan WangJi stopped and stared straight at him. Just as he was about to speak, from behind the two of them came a series of rushed footsteps. Wei WuXian, “Goodness, somebody’s already caught up with us?”
Somebody had caught up indeed, but it was much better than expected. Lan SiZhui ran over, panting, “H-HanGuang-Jun, Senior Wei!”
Wei WuXian propped his arm on the donkey’s head, “SiZhui-er, I’m eloping with HanGuang-Jun. Why are you here? Aren’t you scared Old Mr. Lan would scold you?”
Lan SiZhui blushed, “Senior Wei, do not be like this. I-I came to ask a very important question!”
Wei WuXian, “What is it?”
Lan SiZhui, “I remembered a few things that I could not confirm, so… so I came to ask HanGuang-Jun and Senior Wei.”
Lan WangJi glanced at him before he looked to Wen Ning. Wen Ning nodded. Wei WuXian, “What things?”
Lan SiZhui puffed up his chest and drew in a deep breath. He began, “Claimed he had top-notch cooking skills, yet made dishes that were pungent both to the eye and to the stomach.”
Wei WuXian, “Huh???”
Lan SiZhui added, “Buried me in a field of carrots, saying I would grow taller quickly with water and sunlight, and maybe a few more children would sprout and play with me.”
Wei WuXian, “…”
Lan SiZhui continued, “Promised to treat HanGuang-Jun to a meal but ran off before paying, leaving HanGuang-Jun to pay again.”
Wei WuXian widened his eyes. He almost couldn’t steady himself on the donkey’s back. He stammered, “You… You…”
Lan SiZhui’s eyes were glued to Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi, “Maybe because I was too young, I cannot remember most of the things from back then. But, I am sure that… my surname used to be Wen.”