No. Wen Ning didn’t deserve it at all. He was the one who deserved it.
Wen Qing, “Anyhow, we should’ve been dead since a long time ago. These days have been a strike of luck for us.”
Wen Ning nodded.
He was always like this, nodding at whatever others said, agreeing and never objecting. Wei WuXian had never abhorred his nod and his docility so much.
Wen Qing squatted by the bed. Gazing at his face, she suddenly reached out and flicked her finger against Wei WuXian’s forehead.
She put quite some strength into her flick. Wei WuXian frowned from the pain. Seeing this, Wen Qing seemed to be in a much better mood, “I’ve said what I had to say, explained things, said farewell. Then, good-bye.”
Wei WuXian, “No…”
Wen Qing interrupted him, “I’ve never really said such things to you before. But now that it’s today, there are indeed a few things I should say. I really won’t get a chance to say them after this.”
Wei WuXian whispered, “… Shut up… Let me go…”
Wen Qing, “I’m sorry. And, thank you.”
Wei WuXian was lying for the entire three days.
Wen Qing’s calculations were indeed correct. Three days. Not a moment earlier, not a moment too late. He was able to move right after the three days had passed.
First his fingers, then his limbs, his neck… When the almost frozen blood began to flow inside of him once more, Wei WuXian leaped up from the stairs and rushed outside the Demon-Slaughtering Cave.
The Wen Sect’s people seemed like they hadn’t had any shut-eye within the three days either. In silence, they sat within the large shack, around the tables. Wei WuXian didn’t even spare them a single glance. Sprinting as fast as he could, he dashed down Burial Mound.
After he got down the mountain, he stood amid the bushes, catching his breath. Bent down, he propped his hands against his knees for a long while before he stood up straight again. Yet, looking at the wild grasses that covered many of the mountain paths, he didn’t know where to go.
Burial Mound—he’d just gone down from there.
Lotus Pier—he hadn’t been back in over a year.
Koi Tower? Three days had passed already. If he went now, it was likely that Wen Qing’s corpse and Wen Ning’s ashes were the only things left.
He stood blankly. Suddenly, he felt that the world had no place for him, despite how large it was. He didn’t know what to do either.
Out of the blue, a frightening thought emerged from the depths of his heart. Within the three days, he had denied this thought over and over again, but it kept on appearing, unable to be wiped away.
Wen Qing and Wen Ning left on their own. Perhaps, he was glad, somewhere deep inside of him. Because of this, he wouldn’t have to be caught between what choice to make. They had already made the choice for him and dealt with the difficulty.
Wei WuXian raised his hand and slapped himself on the face. In a low voice, he scolded, “What are you thinking?!”
His cheek burned. He was finally able to suppress the frightening thought. Instead, he thought to himself that no matter what, at least he had to bring back the Wen sibling’s ashes.
And so, in the end, he still ran toward the direction of Koi Tower.
It wasn’t difficult for Wei WuXian to sneak into a place if he wanted to. It was very quiet on Koi Tower. Surprisingly, there weren’t any of the heavy lines of defense that he imagined there to be. Searching everywhere, he didn’t find anything he deemed suspicious.
Like a ghost, he roamed about the palaces within Koi Tower. He hid when there were people; he walked when there weren’t. He didn’t know what he was searching for either, or even how to search for it. However, when the sounds of an infant’s cries came over, his footsteps suddenly froze. Inside of him was a voice that urged his body to walk toward where the sound came from.
The cries were from a large, lightless palace.
Wei WuXian snuck to the main doors without making a noise. He looked through the delicate carvings of the wooden windows.
A black coffin rested within the hall. Before the coffin kneeled two women in white.
The woman on the left had a slightly smaller frame. It was a figure he’d never mistake. Throughout his childhood, he’d been carried by this figure for many, many times.
It was Jiang YanLi.
Kneeling on a futon, Jiang YanLi stared blankly at the coffin so black that it seemed to glow. The infant was inside of her arms, still crying softly.
The woman on the right whispered, “… A-Li, you can stop sitting here. Go take a break.”
Jiang YanLi shook her head. Madam Jin sighed.
It was a woman who had a similar personality to that of her best friend, Madam Yu’s. She was extremely assertive, her voice always high. Yet, the few words that she had just spoken sounded so low and so coarse, making her appear to have aged drastically.
Madam Jin insisted, “I’ll stay here. You shouldn’t sit any longer. You won’t be able to hold up.”
Jiang YanLi spoke softly, “Mother, I’m fine. I’d like to sit for a while longer.”
A moment later, Madam Jin stood up slowly, “You won’t be able to hold up if you continue. I’ll get you something to eat.”
She’d probably been sitting here for a long time as well. Legs numb, her body wavered slightly while she was getting up, but she quickly steadied herself. She turned around. It was indeed those somewhat hardened features.
In Wei WuXian’s memories, Madam Jin had always been vigorous and resolute. She always wore on her face an arrogant expression, surrounded by golden splendor. She maintained her youth quite well and seemed quite young, likely able to pass for twenty. But right now, in front of Wei WuXian was a middle-aged woman clothed in white, her temples frosted. She wore no cosmetics. Over her ashen face was a pair of chapped lips.
When she approached and was about to exit, Wei WuXian immediately darted. With a light dip of his foot, he leaped onto the roof of the hallway just as Madam Jin walked out. She shut the door behind her. With a cold expression, she took in a deep breath and adjusted the positioning of her facial muscles, as if she wanted to put on her usual stately expression again.
Yet, before she even finished drawing the breath, her eyes had reddened. Back then, in front of Jiang YanLi, she never displayed any sign of grief. Just as she stepped out, however, the corners of her lips collapsed at once. Her features crumples, and she began to tremble.
It was the second time that Wei WuXian saw such an unsightly, yet despairing expression on a woman’s face.
He really didn’t want to see such an expression once more.
Unconsciously, Wei WuXian clenched his fists, but his knuckles gave out a crisp crunch. Hearing this, Madam Jin glared, “Who’s there?!”
Just as she looked up, she saw Wei WuXian, hiding behind one of the rooftop decorations. Madam Jin had good sight. She saw the features submerged in the darkness, and her face twisted at once. She yelled in a shrill voice, “Everyone! Come, everyone! Wei Ying—he’s here! He crept into Koi Tower!”
Wei WuXian leaped down the roof. Suddenly, he heard a series of hastened footsteps. Somebody hurried out of the palace. He could only make a run for it.
At this point in time, he didn’t dare look at Jiang YanLi, not even a single expression, and not even a single word!