Chapter Text
The ancients said: if one had not experienced it oneself, one could not understand the pain.
Lan Xichen felt that this saying suited his current predicament all too well.
If he had not personally fallen into the pit dug by Lanling Jin, he would never have known what it felt like to become the target of their schemes.
For what must have been the umpteenth time that morning, Lan Xichen let out a slow breath.
He was seated before a low table in one of the guest quarters at Jinlintai. His current attire—if seen by Lan Qiren—would surely have drawn a sharp reprimand: “What kind of decency is this!”
Fortunately, the elder was not present. Yet this did nothing to lighten the weight pressing on Lan Xichen’s chest. He was keenly aware that his situation was, frankly, far from good. And he also knew that he needed to begin considering what should be done next—how the matters ahead ought to be arranged.
Despite the pressure weighing on his mind, Lan Xichen still took the time to boil water. Or rather, he needed the quiet ritual of brewing tea to steady himself. Yet the state of his mind betrayed him. When he lifted the teacup, his hand trembled faintly. After taking only a few sips, the cup slipped clumsily from his grasp.
It should have been impossible. The steadiness of a Gusu Lan cultivator’s hands was beyond question. It had to be known that GusuLan's Cultivator's hand strength was indisputable. Such a gaffe would never have occurred had Lan Xichen’s thoughts not been in such disarray.
The half-drunk tea splashed across the floor mats and stained the pristine white robes of the Lan Sect. Lan Xichen paid it no heed. After all, his garments had been stained way more with other unknown traces.
The freshly brewed tea spilled onto his lap, heat seeping through the fabric, but even that drew little reaction. Compared to the faint burning, the stinging marks along his shoulders and back were far more vivid. Those parts of his skin tingled, a constant reminder of what had transpired—and how he had come to bear them.
Lan Xichen sighed deeply.
His gaze drifted, almost involuntarily, toward the figure lying upon the disordered bed within the room—Wei Wuxian.
From where he sat, one of the young man’s slender legs slipped out shyly from beneath the blanket. Faint red marks, in varying shapes, mottled the pale skin. Among them, the most striking was the clear shape of tooth marks. The outline was ostensibly intricate, displaying the neat rows of the teeth owner. Even Lan Xichen had to praise the well-made imprint.
'Perhaps the carving tools were so excellent...And the mould is even more delicate. That's why...' he thought, offering himself such an absurd evaluation, as though it might distract him from the implication behind it.
Yet his gaze lingered. It followed the traces unconsciously—from the well-shaped foot to the pale curve of the calf, then upward, where the marks grew denser near the base of the leg. The moment his eyes reached the inner thigh, Lan Xichen felt heat rise to his face, and a restless, unfamiliar fire stirred once more within him.
As a cultivator who had also studied medicine, Lan Xichen had seen countless men bare-chested, or with their trousers rolled to their thighs, while he treated their wounds during the war.
Besides, as someone from GusuLan Sect, both male and female descendants in the clan were each more good-looking than the next, with stunning features. Even when looking at the mirror, Lan Xichen could see an exceptionally beautiful man in the reflection. In short, he had long been accustomed to fine appearances. Worldly beauty alone should not have been enough to dazzle him.
It's just that——
Once, in his carefree youth, Wei Wuxian had once complained about the injustice he had to bear. He had wondered aloud why that one partcular owner of Lotus Lake in Yunmeng always chose to smack him with an oar, despite — clearly, Jiang Cheng and the other martial brothers had also stolen and eaten lotus pods from the lake.
Back then, his other Shidi didn't hesitate to reply, because among them;
"You are the most handsome."
Another said, "You have the highest Cultivation."
Another added, "With no clothes on, you look the best!"
That was it.
It's because Wei Wuxian unbelievably was — until this time, Lan Xichen would never have expected that a man's body could look so,
dangerously enticing.
He quickly directed his gaze to somewhere else, hoping to see a non-hazardous territory — hence, to the person's face.
But it didn't help. Even if the owner of the face was currently unconscious, his complexion still carried a lingering flush from the night before. The corners of his eyes were reddened from tears. The most conspicuous thing however was, the swollen red lip that had been chewed raw.
'It's over!' Lan Xichen finally surrendered despairingly, no longer trying to run away from the main issue.
At this point, there's really no turning back.
No matter how much he tried to excuse himself, there was no way to evade the “offense” he had inflicted upon the young man. The evidence lay glaring before his eyes, impossible to ignore. Silent proof that he had lost control—and had done indescribable things to someone.
Looking back to what had happened several hours earlier:
It was the day when Lanling Jin had, once again, arranged a banquet at Jinlintai. This time, it was a Flower Banquet, attended by both major and minor sects alike.
Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji walked up side by side and saluted Nie Mingjue, getting a similar gesture in response.
At this time, Lan Wangji had just hit his 20s. His entire being had yet to mature. The expression on his face was frigid and solemn. The whole aura exuded "Don't come near me" and "Don't talk to me" — almost written directly all over his face.
Lan Wangji stood with Lan Xichen. One of them had a gentle demeanor, while the other was frosty. One was holding a Flute, and the other was carrying a Guqin. Both are beautiful in appearance and graceful in style. It's simply 1-Color-2-Tones. It's no wonder that every time the brothers appeared, others couldn't help but marvel at the sight.
"Sect Leader Nie. Sect Leader Lan."
Hearing the greeting, the three of them turned around. Jiang Wanyin stood there in purple robes, one hand resting upon his sword, beside Wei Wuxian, who was dressed in black. Wei Wuxian inclined his head slightly in greeting. His bearing was restrained yet enigmatic, carrying a faint air of majesty—as though he stood in a position from which he could look down upon all living beings.
Lan Wangji's eyebrows imperceptibly twitched at the sight of Wei Wuxian standing next to Jiang Wanyin.
His light-colored eyes soon flickered back, looking straight ahead, appearing extremely dignified.
Jiang Wanyin and Nie Mingjue merely exchanged curt nods, both wearing serious expressions. Neither had much to say. After this brief greeting, the two groups soon went their separate ways.
The person in the black robe, however, spared his glances left and right as he walked. At some point, he caught a glimpse of Lan Wangji once again. His eyes lit up, and he looked like he was about to say something. But at this time, Jiang Wanyin walked over and stood beside him. The two of them lowered their heads, talking to each other with serious faces.
It was unclear what they spoke of, but Wei Wuxian suddenly laughed aloud. Soon after, he continued walking in the opposite direction alongside Jiang Wanyin. The passersby around them instinctively parted, leaving a wide path in their wake.
Nie Mingjue frowned. "Why didn't Wei Ying bring his sword?"
It's quite rude to attend a Flower Banquet held by one prominent Clan without bringing one's sword. As it was seen as a sign of courtesy.
"He probably forgot about it." Lan Wangji said quietly.
"Forgotten?" Nie Mingjue raised his eyebrow. "How could he ever forget?"
Lan Wangji continued to speak, "It's not surprising."
At the side, Lan Xichen smiled and finally said, "This Wei-Gongzi once said that he doesn't want to pay attention to any red tape. Let alone not wearing a sword, even if he doesn't wear clothes, what can others do to him? How youthful."
Lan Wangji huffed, and reacted with a whisper, softly, as if speaking to himself, "...Frivolous."
"Hmm?" Lan Xichen turned his head and asked with a smile, "Why are you still here?"
Lan Wangji looked back in confusion. "Xiongzhang is here. Where should I go?"
"Don't you want to talk to him?" Lan Xichen shifted his gaze to the black-robed young man on the other side, hinting exactly who the person they were talking about. "If you don't quickly go over there, you can't catch up. Look, he's going farther."
It was not difficult for Lan Xichen to discern what his younger brother was thinking. Noticing how Lan Wangji’s gaze drifted toward Wei Wuxian from time to time—appearing as though he wished to speak, yet holding himself back—Lan Xichen understood his intentions.
It felt almost like déjà vu. He recalled the first time he had met that high-spirited youth in the Cloud Recesses. Back then, faced with the exuberant boy, his younger brother had worn much the same expression—seemingly tempted by the idea of going to hunt the Water Ghoul together, yet unwilling to be honest.
After his thought was mercilessly pierced and disclosed by his older brother, Lan Wangji could no longer pretend. He had just taken a step forward when, from another corner of the field, a burst of angry shouting suddenly erupted.
"Jin Zixuan! Are you sick?! Who was dissatisfied with this and that, and made many complaints back then, but now you're pestering my Shijie, do you still have a face?!"
On the other end, Jin Zixuan also said angrily, "I'm asking Sect Leader Jiang, and I didn't ask you! The person I'm asking is also Maiden Jiang, what does it have to do with you!"
Wei Wuxian, "Well said! What does my Shijie have to do with you? What are you even asking about? Don’t forget the words you've said, do you want to eat them back!?"
Jin Zixuan, "Sect Leader Jiang - this is my clan’s Flower Banquet, and this person is from yours. Please, take care of it yourself!"
Lan Xichen noticed the commotion, and couldn’t figure out the situation, wondering, “Huh? Why are they arguing again?”
During the war, YunmengJiang came to Langya to aid LanlingJin Sect. Due to the shortage of manpower, Jiang Yanli also came along with Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng. She couldn't be of any help on the battlefield, so she could only do what she's capable of, helping to provide the food for the Cultivators in the camp.
Worried that the 2 younger brothers couldn't eat well, she also prepared 2 extra bowls of soup for Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng. Little did they know that another bowl was also sent to Jin Zixuan. No one knew, and Jiang Yanli never announced it either. But Jin Zixuan, who felt grateful for the anonymous person who'd sent him extra soups, mistakenly recognized a low-level female cultivator as the sender. He immediately favored the woman, took care of her, and promoted her from a servant to a Guest Cultivator of LanlingJin.
One day, he accidentally caught Jiang Yanli loitering near his tent, and when she used the same "excuse" of sending soup, he accused her ruthlessly;
"Don't think that just because you come from a wealthy family, you can steal and trample on other people's efforts. Even if some people come from a humble background, their character is much nobler. Please respect yourself."
Based on his words, Jiang Yanli finally realized what Jin Zixuan had been deeming her as.
From the beginning, Jin Zixuan didn't believe that a daughter from a famous Clan with low cultivation like Jiang Yanli could actually do anything. He's skeptical about how much help she could offer when she comes to a battlefront. To put it bluntly, he felt that she was just looking for a reason to get close to him and was here being a burden.
Jin Zixuan never understood her, nor did he want to understand her. No matter what Jiang Yanli said, it was futile.
At that time, Jiang Yanli stood there and suddenly burst into tears.
When Wei Wuxian came back to the camp, he saw exactly this scene.
Except for the day the 3 of them reunited after the destruction of Lotus Pier and cried loudly while hugging each other, Jiang Yanli had never shed a few tears in front of anyone.
Let alone, crying so loudly in front of many people - looking extremely aggrieved.
When Wei Wuxian saw Jin Zixuan at the side, he understood at once, 'It's this bitch again!'
After figuring out the situation, Wei Wuxian asked someone to drag the female cultivator out. The truth finally came to light. But Wei Wuxian became even more furious, beating Jin Zixuan severely.
If Jiang Yanli hadn't held his hand later, and Jiang Cheng and Jin Guangshan had also come to pull Wei Wuxian away, Jin Zixuan would never have had the chance to participate in any victory banquets, or even in the future Baifeng Mountain hunt.
Back then, their fight had caused quite a big turmoil that all the cultivators in the area came out to see.
At their side, Jiang Cheng finally interrupted the quarrel, "Wei Wuxian, shut up! Jin-Gongzi, thank you for your concern. My sister is fine. We can talk more about it later."
Perhaps it was because Jiang Cheng had only witnessed the scene of Wei Wuxian beating Jin Zixuan, and had not seen how Jiang Yanli had once been humiliated so mercilessly in public — in this case, unlike Wei Wuxian's undisguised displeasure to Jin Zixuan's past humiliation to Jiang Yanli, Jiang Cheng still had the idea of matchmaking his sister and was receptive to the hints.
Wei Wuxian’s mood was thoroughly spoiled, and he no longer had any interest in remaining at such an ostentatious banquet.
He spun around and walked away.
Jiang Cheng shouted, "Come back! Where are you going?"
Wei Wuxian waved his hand and said, "Anywhere is fine! Just don't let me see that face of his. I didn't want to come in the first place, so you can deal with it by yourself here."
Jiang Cheng was left behind by him, and his face turned darker.
Nie Mingjue snorted. Witnessing how Wei Wuxian quarreled openly with the Banquet's host, coupled with the fact that he didn't bring any sword, he commented, "Wei Ying really acts too casually and has abandoned his dignity."
On the other side of the field, Jin Guangyao was smiling and talking to everyone and doing whatever he had to do.
When he saw something was going on here, he came and called out, "Wei-Gongzi, Wei-Gongzi, please stay for a while!"
In another world, Jin Guangyao would not have caught up with him. Wei Wuxian would not have attended this banquet, and his departure would have had little impact on the proceedings. In the end, nothing would have happened.
But even the slightest deviation in trivial moments—a small ripple in the river of time—could set off a chain of butterfly effects. Those minor alterations, intertwining one after another, would eventually lead to a far greater divergence.
It would have been better if he had not heard Jin Guangyao calling out to him. But now that he had, Wei Wuxian could not simply pretend to be deaf and remain silent. No matter how much he disliked Jin Zixuan, he had no intention of letting others bear the brunt of his anger or embarrassing unrelated parties for no reason.
He had no enmity with Jin Guangyao. Besides, personally, Wei Wuxian even thought the newly acknowledged Young Master Jin was more capable than Jin Zixuan.
Just like how he'd never regarded Nie Huaisang as a waste but understood that his intelligence just lay somewhere else other than cultivation, Wei Wuxian had always respected those who were truly capable.
Slowing his pace, he gave a slight nod to Jin Guangyao. His gaze then shifted to the three people standing nearby—Nie Mingjue, Lan Xichen, and Lan Wangji.
To be fair, Wei Wuxian in this era was rather pretentious. He couldn't wait to spread the aura of "You all can't do anything to me"-look.
However, having his earlier outburst witnessed by the three of them still left him faintly embarrassed. Coupled with Jin Guangyao’s tactful words and smiling courtesy, Wei Wuxian found it difficult to refuse outright. Even if only to give the other man some face, he could hardly turn and leave the banquet before it had even begun.
In the end, Wei Wuxian relented and continued to stay.
"Did he agree to stay?" Jin Guangshan eagerly inquired.
Replying to his question was his newly acquired son, Jin Guangyao, who had just finished making arrangements for the banquet’s opening. “Yes. He said he would remain. I have also prepared a guest room for him, as Father instructed earlier.”
Needless to say, the object of their conversation was — Wei Wuxian.
"Alright, that's good! Now things can proceed as intended." Jin Guangshan smiled widely.
Thinking about the plan he'd designed specifically for Wei Wuxian in today's banquet, Jin Guangshan couldn't help but rub his hands in anticipation.
It had not been long since the end of the Sunshot Campaign. The Lanling Jin Sect had already organized several such banquets to “celebrate their victory”—or, more precisely, to assert their dominance in the new era of the cultivation world. Their ambitions were becoming increasingly apparent. From accepting smaller sects that had once been subordinate to Qishan Wen, to hosting frequent gatherings, they were steadily building momentum for the Lanling Jin to assume a leading position among the various clans.
Jin Guangshan wished to become the leader of the Hundred Cultivation Clans. The Jin were already wealthy to begin with, and as the greatest beneficiary of the Sunshot Campaign, they had gained considerable prestige as well. One thing missing would be: Power.
To firmly place themselves above the other sects, the Jin Clan needed power. And in the current world, the thing most synonymous with “power” was the recently infamous Yin Tiger Tally.
They said, the most beautiful woman was a perfect adornment for a Hero.
By that same logic, the finest adornment for a Chief Cultivator would naturally be the most formidable weapon.
This was the very reason why Jin Guangshan was determined to obtain the weapon from Wei Wuxian, no matter the cost. It's a crucial piece to his great cause.
Jin Guangyao smiled slightly.
He was merely the one carrying out orders. He bore no animosity toward Wei Wuxian, nor did he dislike the young man. But when his so-called father decided on something, he, as the dutiful son, could only comply and execute the task according to those instructions.
Wei-Gongzi, please don’t blame me. I have no choice but to wrong you a little, he thought, closing his eyes briefly.
When he opened them again, there was no trace of emotion left on his face. With perfect composure, he stepped forward and politely invited his father to preside over the flower banquet as the host.
It wasn't like Jin Guangshan hadn't tried to secretly recruit cultivators who might have some talent in GuiDao. Among them, Xue Yang whom his cheap son had recommended demonstrated the most progress. The boy was soon given a rank as a Guest Cultivator of LanlingJin. But still, even with the backing of a major clan’s abundant resources, Xue Yang’s research results still failed to satisfy Jin Guangshan.
For this reason, Jin Guangshan did not merely covet the Yin Tiger Tally. He also desired Wei Wuxian’s various methods in the Ghost Path (GuiDao). Preferably, if Wei Wuxian himself could be brought under his control, that would be even better.
If Wei Wuxian could be self-aware and obediently handing over both his weapon and himself, of course, they wouldn't need to rob it forcefully, right?
LanlingJin was, after all, very open-minded and peace-loving.
So, during this time when no heavy grievance had yet to happen between the two parties, Jin Guangshan still hoped to win Wei Wuxian over by amicable means. The plan he had devised for the young man could even be described as “well-intentioned.” To put it simply, it was a beauty trap.
To elaborate, the plan was meant to proceed as follows:
#Wei Wuxian's drink or food would be secretly tampered with an odorless and tasteless, LanlingJin's secret recipe from the Ancestor: Aphrodisiac.
#Later, when he returned to his guest room, the chamber itself would already have been tampered with, concealed array and incense, still courtesy of those same “ancestral” inheritance.
#A Beauty would then be sent to "check" on Wei Wuxian in the room.
#The lonely young man and the vulnerable maiden who met in the middle of the night would inevitably have a ride to the blissful paradise.
#The following morning, Jin Guangshan would arrive under some pretext and “catch” them in the act.
#Wei Wuxian would then be left with no choice but to be responsible for the girl and marry her.
#In this way, LanlingJin would obtain a weakness (his wife) that they could use to dictate Wei Wuxian in the future.
~Happy ending for both parties.
Don't get them wrong, the Beauty that they'd arranged for him had been carefully selected. She was the daughter of a family closely connected to the Jin clan’s main branch. Look, if Wei Wuxian and the maiden were to successfully "achieve the good thing", he would have the honor to marry a lady from a respectable family.
Even Jin Guangyao, the plan enforcer, felt that it was not a bad deal.
The maiden was a Beauty. Her family was wealthy. The in-laws were also, very much enthusiastic to welcome Wei Wuxian as their son-in-law.
So what if Wei Wuxian had to be wronged a little in the process by being framed?
Xiao-Tao was one of the newly recruited maidservants at Jinlintai.
She was originally an ignorant young lady from a rather affluent family in the north. She'd been pampered at home. So much so that she dared to run away from her arranged marriage in pursuit of her so-called true love.
Alas, reality had brutally taught humans how to behave. Without money, the young lovers' elopement soon faced a crisis. In the end, the two could only seek temporary employment—she as a maid of the Jin Clan, and he as a lowly servant.
During this period, when LanlingJin kept hosting banquets one after another, the servants were busier than ever. Xiao-Tao was responsible for preparing and delivering the countless drinks and delicacies to the banquet hall. She also had to be ready to entertain and respond to the guests' requests.
In tonight's feast, finally, she shouldered the most important mission in her whole career.
“Listen carefully. Stay calm. Don’t let any nervousness show on your face,” the head maid reminded her one last time.
Xiao-Tao nodded solemnly. "This little one understands."
The Head Maid smiled. "I know that I can count on you. Among the other maids, you're the most good-looking, quick wit, and the most adaptable in unexpected situations."
“Thank you, Aunt Zhang, for entrusting me with this responsibility!” Xiao-Tao hurried to express her gratitude in return.
The Head Maid, Aunt Zhang, shook her head and smiled at her fondly.
"After this, you will be rewarded generously. With that money, you can quit this job. I don't know where you're from, but you can go back and make your family proud with your earnings." She gave Xiao-Tao’s hand an encouraging squeeze.
Xiao-Tao once again thanked her earnestly.
Her conversation earlier sounded like she was about to embark on a life-or-death assignment.
To be honest, Xiao-Tao did not quite think so herself. She had merely responded in the way she believed Aunt Zhang expected. In truth, she felt the head maid was making too much of it.
Look, her task was simple. She just needed to serve this "specifically prepared" food and drink to a particular guest at the banquet: Wei Wuxian. Afterward, she needed to watch closely when the man came out from the hall, and escorted him to the "specifically arranged" guest quarter.
Xiao-Tao was newly recruited. She had been taught some basic knowledge about the cultivation world, but at the time, her mind had been filled with pink, dreamy thoughts, busy exchanging glances with her elopement partner. In other words—she had not paid attention at all!
But who cared? It's not like she planned to join any cultivation sect. Learning about cultivators seemed useless to her.
Now, however, a problem arose. She didn't know which one of them was Wei Wuxian.
The only thing she learnt about Wei Wuxian was: He was a young cultivator. A bright and charming handsome man. Recently, though, he was said to be somewhat intimidating toward men, but still gentle and romantic with women.
Most importantly, Wei Wuxian was known far and wide for his flute, ChenQing!
Nowadays, the trademark of carrying a flute in their waist as a weapon could only be correlated with one person, everyone knew, it's Wei Wuxian.
Scanning the brightly lit hall, paying particular attention to the main seats where the major sects’ cultivators were gathered, Xiao-Tao finally found her target.
There he was, the only male Cultivator in the hall with a flute hanging at his waist.
As she approached to serve him, she could not help but marvel inwardly.
'As expected. The rumors are true. Wei Wuxian really is gentle toward women.'
However, some rumors seemed inaccurate. It was said Wei Wuxian liked to wear black, yet the “Wei Wuxian” before her was dressed in spotless white robes. It was also said he enjoyed drinking wine, but when she offered to pour him a cup, he gently declined and politely asked for tea instead.
Fortunately, just as Aunt Zhang had said, Xiao-Tao was quick-witted. She had not only brought wine laced with the special medicine, but also—just in case—prepared similarly tampered tea. She adapted smoothly to the change.
Afterward, she walked out of the hall with her back straight, and her chest pushed upward.
She'd successfully completed half of her task!