Chapter Text
It was dusk. The Venerated Triad halted their discussion regarding the upcoming Baifeng Mountain Hunt.
If it were before, the meeting between the three sworn brothers would be ended until at least a few days later, a month wasn't even an exaggeration. The discussion would be lighthearted, while being serious but wouldn't be so direct like a formal meeting. At night, Lan Xichen would have a lot of things to chat with both Jin Guangyao and Nie Mingjue.
With Nie Mingjue while he could talk about the Sect Official matters, he couldn't share his personal interest, since the man had no proficiency in arts. However, with Jin Guangyao he could talk about the visions of their cultivation world while also sharing his interest in arts. In addition, they were both similar in nature. Both were mild-tempered, with reserved gentlemanly vibes.
Today, while they maintained a congenial chat, it couldn't be as genuine as they would have before.
What issues to talk about?
Envisioning the cultivation world together?
HeHe.
Or was it inquiring about the Jin Sect's future target of framing to be exact?
Without pleasantry and friendly chatting under the candlelight, the discussion time was cut a lot and a large part of the topics were resolved in a day.
Since it was dusk, the meeting was adjourned temporarily. Nie Mingjue ushered the 2 sworn brothers to have their dinner. Their guest quarters had also been arranged in the Unclean Realm. Unexpectedly, Lan Xichen politely refused both hospitality.
"Let's have a banquet another time, DaGe. I won't spend the night in Qinghe either. I need to go to a nighthunt."
"Nighthunt?" Nie Mingjue was surprised. "What kind of difficult case need you to hurry? Xichen, you're not bitten by a snake once and getting startled by ropes for the rest of your life, are you?" He gave a side-eye to a certain Third Brother.
Jin Guangyao who was cued didn't seem to be angry but merely showed a helpless and penitent look.
"Don't worry, our Nie Clan will respect their guests to utmost discretion. If you're worried, we can re-inspect the quarter carefully once again." Nie Mingjue offered his guarantee.
Lan Xichen laughed instead. "Rest assured, there is no such thing, DaGe. The nighthunt is not a difficult case either, it's just that Wei-Gongzi is there so I will come and accompany him."
Nie Mingjue was even more surprised. "Isn't there Wei Ying? Why do you have to hurry then?"
Lan Xichen, "Uhh..."
Jin Guangyao, "..."
Nie Huaisang who just came back and accidentally listened to the conversation, "..."
'DaGe, it is exactly because there is Wei Wuxian that he wants to hurry!'
Lan Xichen could only smile modestly and replied, "Indeed. There is Wei-Gongzi so I will have no worries. But one more person is one more help after all. There isn't anything wrong with better preparation."
Nie Mingjue thought what he said made sense. So he could only nod and bid him farewell.
Left behind with only the bad-tempered Nie Mingjue, Jin Guangyao had also cleverly made his way to approach the Nie Second Young Master. Starting to give him the fan he had as a gift and talk about his other interests.
After Shuoyue could no longer be seen on the horizon, Nie Huaisang finally snickered from the side.
"Tsk, married men are indeed different. When being single, they can drink with their brothers all night away, after marriage, they can't wait to hurry home every night. Don't you think so, San-Ge?"
Jin Guangyao smiled. "Is that so? I don't know about that."
In his life, he was more familiar with married men who hurried to the Brothel every night instead of going home.
His eyes flickered slightly. "But it's indeed a surprise. I didn't expect ErGe to be so smitten with Wei-Gongzi."
Nie Huaisang nodded in agreement. "That never had been in my imagination either."
Until today Nie Huaisang still couldn't savor the reality that the Xichen-Gege who was like another elder brother to him, actually had married his past classmate whom he used to mess around with in his teens.
Or to be more honest, he thought the one who would end up banging that classmate of his should be Hanguang-Jun. Who would have thought the pitiful young man was intercepted by the older brother instead?
Thinking about it, Nie Huaisang couldn't help but lament in his heart, 'It's really a Double Jade. Even their taste in person is identical!'
"Married man is indeed different."
Lan Xichen sighed in lamentation as he directed Shuoyue to fly, heading to the village he had dropped by in the morning.
It was just 1 day being apart, who would have thought that his mind couldn't stop wandering back to a certain young man every now and then? It wasn't like they had never been apart for a whole day when they were in the Cloud Recesses. But it was indeed the first time they were apart in a different location.
During the important discussion, he was indeed focused on the topic, but afterward, when they started chatting about something else, his mind would begin to be restless.
When he drank the tea:
A scene had flashed by in his mind. It was from another pleasant night he spent in the Hanshi. Back then Wei Wuxian had excitedly offered "Zewu-Jun, let me brew the tea for you! I'll show you my tea-brewing skill I've hidden from the rest of the world!"
Of course, the end product from the hidden skill tasted the same as Pu erh Tea should be. Though, Lan Xichen had praised him with a smile, "It is indeed a tea brewed by a hidden skill. Extraordinarily fragrant and exceptionally sweet."
The fragrance he said was from the young man's, and sweetness was coming from his own heart.
When eating the prepared meals his attention was immediately attracted to a pot of Dongpo Pork. The meat was coated in a thick savory sauce with a rich aroma, looking juicy and tender. He thought this kind of food, Wei Wuxian would have joyfully devoured them in sight.
So he shamelessly raised his request, "DaGe, may I trouble the Cook here to pack me some portion of Dongpo Pork to bring home?"
Nie Mingjue and Jin Guangyao who were in the middle of their meals almost had their chopsticks dropped from the shock.
Since when did Lan Xichen become so uninhibited asking to pack meals from another Sect's feast!
Lan Xichen was either unaware or uncaring of their astonished gaze, but he kept eating his own bland lunch consisting of pickles, tofu soup, and other stir-fried vegetables.
He was still wondering in his mind, 'It is noon, has Wei-Gongzi eaten his lunch yet? Is there a nearby tavern or the like where they can buy meals in the Village? I forgot to check before. Hey...next time I will pack some snacks or fruits before he goes nighthunting. In case there isn't any place to eat in the location.'
After lunch at the day, when they were presented with confectionaries in the afternoon:
Lan Xichen's focus, had yet again, attracted to something else. Among the refreshments delivered to their tables were colorful glutinous rice balls. His attention was directed to a scarlet ball mixed with roses. Its translucent skin and chewy texture instantly reminded him of another crimson, moist, and chewy texture...in a sensual context.
Seeing Lan Xichen looking so attentively at the glutinous rice balls, Nie Mingjue thought he would request to pack some home again.
So he considerately asked first, "Does the glutinous rice cakes taste good? If you wish, I will tell the Cooks to pack them along with the dish before."
Lan Xichen took the scarlet-colored ball and nibbled on it carefully. He nodded and responded, "Yes. It is really...delectable." His eyelids were lowered slightly, gazing at the half-chewed scarlet glutinous cake.
"If you may please, I would like to have some packed."
Nie Mingjue, "..."
I knew it! The reserved younger brother has gone forever!
It was really a mess.
Lan Xichen covered his face with his palms while flying in the air.
Perhaps his Uncle was right. He really needed to restrain himself and avoid indulging in desire.
Well.
He would definitely try to restrain himself.
Later.
For now, let's meet Wei-Gongzi first.
It was evening.
The GusuLan disciples stood with a tensed muscle. They were prepared to guard this Wei-Gongzi from being stolen by any wild cat outside while Zewu-Jun wasn't here.
However,
"Ahhhhhhh!"
The disciples jumped in reflex. Subconsciously they jumped toward Wei Wuxian altogether. One was holding his waist. One was hugging his arm. Another was grabbing his leg. And the others were also simply clutching anything they could to hide behind the 20-year-old young man.
"Amitabha...Amitabha...Buddha, DaoZu, any DaluoJinxian up there, please provide us your blessing..." They murmured while closing their eyes tightly.
What the hell with a pretty lady!
That was absolutely a monster!
Even if they had shut their visions, their auditory sense still caught the wet sound of dripping water and something heavy being dragged on the ground.
Wei Wuxian was taken aback when every corner of his body was grabbed and used as a shield by the disciples. It was an open area. These disciples had nowhere to hide. At this time, they regarded Wei Wuxian as a tall mountain that could protect them from wind and rain.
"Hey, what are you doing? Let go of me." He tried to shake off his arms and legs that were tied with human baggage all over.
The disciples didn't budge. They adamantly shook their head instead.
"What kind of decency is this while facing a lady tsk tsk tsk...children." Wei Wuxian directed his gaze to his front and smiled politely. "I apologize for my family's children's behavior. They are just...a bit timid."
There was no sound to reply for a while.
Until finally, a muffled, hoarse, and scratching voice was heard. "iT Is aLRigHT...ThEY mUSt HAve bEEn afRAId..."
The disciples tightened their hold even more.
"Hey..." Wei Wuxian sighed.
He flexed his muscles slightly, and at another second, he swung his arms and legs with unprecedented strength. Swatting the disciples into the air.
"Alright, children! It is time to do your nighthunt! Open your eyes properly and be a man!"
"Who are your children!" They subconsciously retorted.
Someone in the group even grumbled softly, "I don't want to be a man, I am a fragile maiden now."
Even after being swatted aside, they also still subconsciously trotted back closer about to surround Wei Wuxian again. However, looking at the half-smiling and half-threatening gaze of the senior, they stopped wisely at an appropriate distance. A few inches away from him.
After gaining their assurance, they finally braved themselves to face their visitor once again.
It was...probably a lady, as Wei Wuxian had said.
The body was bloated beyond recognition. The eyeball was about to burst out. Forget it, one of it already burst out and dangled on the supposed-to-be cheek. The hair was like a seaweed, it also exuded a very fishy smell. The black veins underneath the skin were protruding and wriggling as if it were a creature on its own crawling all over the place.
That's it.
The disciples couldn't bear to savor the image anymore and looked downward, pretending to be obedient children.
"Wei-Gongzi, this lady is..." Instead of asking who was this monster, they followed the way Wei Wuxian had regarded her before.
Wei Wuxian smiled. "Why don't we let the lady introduce herself? Though I know who you are, but I still don't know the Lady's name."
The creature shifted slightly. "mY NAme iS...SOnG yi...dAUgHtER oF SonG JuREN..."
The disciples suddenly looked up. "The daughter of Song Juren? Wasn't that the other twin flowers of Xiao Ming's grandmother?"
"tWIn fLOWers? EhehehHEehHeheheHh..." The creature laughed strangely.
Wei Wuxian just smiled.
During the day when he first saw the grandmother, he was surprised that he had to take a second look.
Because he saw this "lady" hovering around the grandmother, looking like she was about to entangle tightly on her neck but unable to get closer. Indeed like twin flowers.
Being entangled by a ferocious ghost, if such a thing happened normally, a human would definitely fall sick and depleted of their Yang Qi. But Wei Wuxian also noticed some kind of protective charm on the Grandma's body. Protecting her from the evil ghost.
That's why he said to Xiao Ming later "Your grandfather must have treated her well".
Such an efficacious charm could only be provided by at least second-rate Sects if not a Major Sect. To be able to equip his wife with such precious tool from a Cultivator, but still unwilling to call a Cultivator to solve the River God, what else could it be called?
Must be true love.
I love you the most compared to other unimportant villagers.
The disciples turned their heads to look at Wei Wuxian and questioned, "Wei-Gongzi, you've seen her at the day? But why haven't we seen her?"
Wei Wuxian gave a cursory glance at them and replied, "Lady Song here is a Resentful Ghost. She consists of a resentful soul supported with resentful energy. She has no real entities, unlike Fierce Corpses, Ghoul, or Yao. If she doesn't want to show herself, she won't be seen."
The disciples, "Then why can you see her?"
"Hmm? Are you sure you want to hear my answer?" Wei Wuxian curled his lip in a strange grin instead.
"Uh..."
The disciples inadvertently caught a glimpse of the jet black Dizi hanging at his waist, and were suddenly reminded of who this Senior in front of them was.
These past months they had been interacting with Wei Wuxian normally. The Senior was even particularly chatty and approachable compared to others. They were able to converse with him casually like friends. So much that they forgot what this Senior was infamous for.
Wei Wuxian didn't mind the disciples' sudden awkward reactions and began his queries instead.
"Is she the one who killed you?"
"YeS..."
Wei Wuxian asked her again, "Why did she kill you?"
"...jEAloUSy."
Song Yi then started to tell her story.
It was simply a cliche yet still tragic tale. Two maidens who grew up closely like a pair of sisters. One was Xiao Mei, the daughter of the Xiao Family, and Song Yi, the daughter of a respected Scholar in the village who had become a Juren. Both were beautiful in appearance and talented in the 4 Arts.
Several young men in the village had aspired to become a Scholar. These young men later studied under Song Juren. Among them was an elder brother in the village, Wang Di. The man was handsome, had a good character, and had always treated others kindly. He was respected by his peers. Admired by the younger fellows. And loved by the Elders. Of course, he was very popular among the ladies.
Wang Di had a good prospect to brave into Scholar Examination. He was a close disciple of Song Juren and often visited his home. Accordingly, he had also often interacted with the twin flowers, Xiao Mei and Song Yi. At first, they interacted like they were just brother and sisters. Wang Di often brought gifts for the 2 ladies and was extremely kind like an older brother to them.
Song Juren was very satisfied and even thought of betrothing him to his daughter. However, Song Yi knew that Xiao Mei seemed to harbor different affection for Wang Di. No matter how much Song Yi refused, her father was still adamant to betroth them. Wang Di himself didn't reject the idea, and soon the engagement was about to happen.
It was at this time that Song Yi tried to talk to Xiao Mei. The two girls were often seen walking side by side near the river. Today they also talked while walking at the riverside. However, it was unknown whether it was impulsive anger or deep sadness, Xiao Mei suddenly pushed Song Yi harshly. The girl was pushed aside and fell to the sharp rocky embankment. Before she knew it, Xiao Mei witnessed blood flowing out, pooling under the collapsing girl.
Song Yi was accidentally killed like this.
However, it was not the end.
Xiao Mei who was panicking and was overwhelmed by the fact that she had killed a person, didn't know what to do in such a situation. The person she ended up coming to eventually become Wang Di. When the man came to the Riverside and witnessed the already cold corpse of his about-to-be fiance, Wang Di sighed in sorrow. He looked at Xiao Mei who was crying so heartbreakingly at the side and lamented,
"You are like this...what am I supposed to do? Song Yi is as important as you in my heart...you two are like my younger sisters...now that you've accidentally caused her to be..."
If the accidental murder got out, it would be a scandal. The girl's reputation would be ruined.
Wang Di later said, "Song Yi has loved you like a younger sister, she will understand that you don't have any intention to harm her. If she knows that you suffer from people's judgment, she will be sad in the underworld...listen to me, I have an idea to save both of your reputations."
Therefore, Wang Di cleaned up the murder scene. Tied heavy stones around Song Yi's body and drowned her at the farthest end of the river. The poor maiden didn't get a proper burial but was mercilessly thrown aside and dwelled in resentment under the cold and murky river.
There was a tale of the River God in their village. Wang Di didn't believe in any kind of God that never appeared in front of them. So he had an idea to put the blame on this River God. Perhaps the Heaven above was also helping them, the weather that day was also very suitable. Heavy rain and strong wind. A matching phenomenon for the appearance of a God.
The next day, it was then known that their respected River God had demanded a new type of sacrifice. A virgin maiden with a lovely appearance. As an example, Song Yi, the daughter of Song Juren was first taken by the River God.
Wang Di concluded, "Henceforth, your reputation will be preserved. People will not gossip about the death of Song Yi. Her reputation will also be protected. The only villain will only be the River God."
In this way, the murder case was covered up just like this.
Xiao Mei was indeed hit hard by the overwhelming guilt of having killed a person.
A few years later, Wang Di also succeeded in his Scholar Examination. While he failed to be a Jinshi, he still got himself a Juren.
When he returned to the village to celebrate, Xiao Mei had not yet married.
They were close like brother and sister in the first place. Looking at the maiden who was ridden with sickness and lingered on the bed every day, Wang Di felt pity. After so much hard work and effort, Wang Di's kindness eventually gave courage and strength to the Xiao young lady.
The brother and sister feeling had also changed into a new kind of men and women relationship.
Wang Di ended up marrying into the Xiao Family. He loved only one wife, Xiao Mei, until his death. Their marriage was blessed with a lot of fortunes. A humble Scholar and the daughter of a rich Noble Family. Even their 3rd son later successfully became a Jinshi and got an honored position in the Hanlin Academy in the royal capital.
For decades, they sealed the secret past tightly and continued the tradition of River God's human offering.
GusuLan disciples, "..."
I have an urge to curse but I lack vocabulary for cursing...what should I do?
One of them ended up snorting. "Their love is so deep and touching, right? Other innocent young ladies should be sacrificed to be the foundation of their love. Even the innocent River God should be poured dirty water and framed unknowingly!"
If it was written in cheap romance literature, the readers would probably weep in sorrow like this:
"Ohhhh Wang Di must have been in conflicted feelings. On one hand, he cherishes both Xiao Mei and Song Yi like younger sisters, on another hand Xiao Mei has committed a grave mistake to accidentally kill Song Yi..."
"His heart must have been in so much pain...between remorse and affection. In the end, he chooses to protect both of their reputations and covers up the murder..."
"Xiao Mei is not to be blamed. She didn't mean it. She just wanted to hurt Song Yi a little, who would have thought that the rock would be sharp and hard, and Song Yi died as a result instead?"
"Xiao Mei is really pitiful. She regretted so much and even fell sick from grief. Song Yi has died nevertheless and the important thing is to protect the living left behind...rather than causing chaos to their reputation, Wang Di has to cleverly find a perfect solution."
"Anyway the River God has never come out to bless them after receiving hundreds of years of worship."
"If the River God really exists, when the human sacrifice happens later he should come and solve it himself, right? If he doesn't come, then it is the River God's fault for not caring about his reputation! Maybe the River God truly enjoys the sacrifice and deliberately stays silent."
"Wang Di must have been in so much pain...poor him, every year he has to look at a maiden being killed unjustly, while the Irresponsible River God never came out and seemed to acquiesce this atrocity!"
"Wang Di and Xiao Mei both try to comfort each other. Entangled in both guilt and sorrow, the empathy turns into deep love."
"There is nothing I can do...let me keep this secret to the grave and bear the sin...he said that and bestowed the charm to protect from Evil Spirit to his wife..."
"What a tragic love story!"
Covering up the murder would be seen as a helplessness.
Continuing the human sacrifice with a guilty conscience would be seen as deep love laced with guilt and sorrow.
The resuming barbaric tradition and the unjust death of 50 maidens would be blamed entirely on the River God who failed to react adequately upon being framed.
Wei Wuxian commented blandly, "What a pair of Scumbags."
'That's it! That's right!'
The other disciples nodded vigorously.
The creature, Song Yi, laughed in a strange gurgling voice.
It immediately threw the disciples back to their senses and shifted closer to Wei Wuxian once again.
They asked carefully, "Then...then, Lady Song...you are here, do you want to get revenge on that grandma, Xiao Mei?"
Wei Wuxian shook his head. "You don't want her to die, do you?"
The disciples were surprised. "Huh? She...has been killed like this, why didn't she want revenge?"
Wei Wuxian glanced at them. "Have you seen any Xiao family members lacking hands and feet?"
The disciples tried to recall. "...No? But what's the relation?"
"Oh!" One of the disciples finally realized. "The mons, cough, Lady Song could not harm Grandma Xiao due to the protective charm, but she could have harmed other Xiao family members! Yet none of them had any accident throughout these years..."
"Correct." Wei Wuxian nodded and turned his attention back to Song Yi. "Tell me, what is your wish?"
The expression on the monster's face contorted slightly. She should be sad right now. But for the disciples, her face just became even more frightening.
Song Yi uttered quietly, "...i...I oNCe REAd a bOOk. tHE CAse tOld iN the BooK is SiMIlar to MIne. ThEY SAid if tHE ghOSt dECIded tO hARm thE HUman, wHEN tHe ImMortAl CUltivaToRs cOMe, tHEY wiLL StILL bLAMe thE GhOST anD eXcusE the HuMAns."
The disciples fell silent.
It was indeed true.
No matter which cultivator came, if they found out the Xiao Family had been harmed by an Evil Ghost, their first reaction was to get rid of this ghost.
Lan-Xiansheng, Lan Qiren, had taught the disciples, the order of exorcism was Liberation-Suppression-Elimination.
Elimination was chosen when the crime of Evil Spirits was unpardonable. Their resentment couldn't be liberated nor suppressed unless by shedding blood. Therefore, elimination.
However, rarely would Cultivators dutifully follow this route. As long as they found out there was an Evil Spirit, it was immediately their target of elimination. So what if the Evil Spirit harmed the human because the human was in the wrong? After all, not my race, no sympathy would be given. Cultivators would subconsciously side with their fellow humans.
The disciples sighed in respect.
This young lady Song Yi was really virtuous. Even after becoming an Evil Spirit, she still retained her awareness. She knew how to restrain herself.
"...iF I HArmeD theM tHEY wiLL bE eXcUSEd aNd PItiEd iNSteaD..."
The disciples nodded. That was most likely the case.
"——I wANt tHeIr PrEDecessOr's CriMe tO BE knOWn aND LET thEIr dEsCendAnts BeAR the ConsEQuences, AtOnIng to ThOse 50 sACrifICed maIdens!"
The disciples were also nodding. Naturally, the perpetrator should bear the consequences.
"——I waNT thEIR xIAO famILY to bE oVErturNEd aND faLL fROm GrACe coMplETely!!"
The disciples, "??"
The Resentful Ghost Lady Song finally bared her already hideous mouth.
"——sInCe XiAO Mei RELied oN her STaTus to cOMMit murDER jusTIFiably, ThEn I wANt her XIAO FamiLy to NeVer be ReCovered Ever AGain!!!"
The disciples, "..."
Okay, the respect from before should be revised.
This lady Song Yi was indeed a very AWARE vengeful ghost!
Very much aware of the current affair she knew how to lie and wait like a gentleman who planned for revenge for decades!
Wei Wuxian still had a smile on his face.
"I understand." He said. "We will try our best to reveal the case and let the perpetrator bear the sin as they should be. Of course, they must also compensate the families whose daughters were cruelly killed under the falsified sacrifice."
Song Yi looked at him closely, as if determining whether this cultivator was just pacifying her or speaking the truth.
However, she also remembered the reason why she came to greet this group of cultivators this evening. It was because she had a hunch these people were exactly what she was waiting for.
During the day, Song Yi knew the leader of the group had obviously noticed her. To her surprise, the man just smiled at her and walked away, without mentioning anything about the Grandma Xiao being haunted by an Evil Ghost. Later, she even heard him saying, "The other lady of twin flowers must have been a very pretty lady herself."
Song Yi had fallen into a daze.
Women after all, either in death or life, they would always be happiest when someone sincerely praised them as "pretty".
So here she was, impulsively betting her chance to show up in front of the man and the other Cultivators around him.
"Are you going to wait until the case is solved? Or are you willing to pass and enter the reincarnation today?" Wei Wuxian asked.
Song Yi replied, "...mAY I waIT unTiL I SeE tHe rESult?"
Wei Wuxian simply nodded. "Of course, you may. Your existence can be proof of the Xiao Family's wrongdoing. There will be another Cultivator proficient in Inquiry later who will examine the case thoroughly once again. Using this technique, played by a strong Cultivator, it can be guaranteed that you can not lie, thus giving your words more credibility."
The monster-like lady curled its body in a gruesome image. She was actually bowing in gratitude. "This lady, Song Yi, thanks these esteemed Cultivators immensely."
The disciples, "!!?"
"So you can speak normally!"
Song Yi giggled at their surprised faces. The monster-like body trembled in a spine-chilling sight.
It was Wei Wuxian who snickered and answered, "Lady Song is obviously teasing you, children! That's why I told you, don't be so scared!"
Song Yi was after all a Resentful Ghost. As a ghost, it was her nature to frighten humans who seemed to be terrified by her. The more scared humans were, the stronger the influence of Evil Ghost would be. The more depleted their Yang Qi would be. Consequently, even the 3 Flames on their head and shoulders might get snuffed out. Hence the death through evil haunting.
That's the reason why people shouldn't show their fear in front of evil spirits. They fed from the negative emotions like fears from the human hearts after all.
Wei Wuxian decided afterward, "When Zewu-Jun comes later, I will tell him that you all should have training to get acquainted with pretty ladies and handsome brothers from several tombs. Be prepared to have this course in the near future."
The disciples wailed in their hearts.
They absolutely refused to grace their presence in front of what Wei Wuxian referred to as "Pretty Ladies" and "Handsome Brothers".
It was very much obvious that their sense of aesthetics was completely different.
They tried to retort, "How do you know Zewu-Jun will come later? Doesn't he have an important discussion in Qinghe?"
Wei Wuxian just smiled meaningfully. "It is an instinct. Only married men would understand."
The disciples, "..."
But they still tried to struggle,
"Wei-Gongzi, even if you tell Zewu-Jun, how can it be easy to decide on a strange course all of a sudden? Lan-Xiansheng will not agree."
Wei Wuxian smirked. "Ho, is that so? Then I will tell Zewu-Jun that his juniors are so frightened that they hug me all over to hide. He shouldn't want to hear such scaredy cat behaviors to be done by the gallant GusuLan Cultivators."
The disciples, "..."
Ah.
Zewu-Jun would definitely agree then.
Due to a completely different reason.
That night, the Xiao Family slept in contentment for the last time.
As tomorrow their family would be pulled down entirely from their decades of glory.
After resolving the real sickening reason behind the sacrificial offerings, the disciples suddenly smacked their thighs as they realized,
"Based on this fact, the so-called evil River God should not exist. It is no wonder the Evil Compass detected nothing!"
"Tsk, and here I am, I got so excited earlier to hunt a Dragon with Wei-Gongzi." One of them sighed regretfully.
They thought, since Wei Wuxian once slayed Xuanwu of Slaughter with their Hanguang-Jun, maybe today they would have a chance to be his partner in slaying a Dragon!
Hanguang-Jun was only 17 years old back then when they slayed such a Mythical Beast. Today, they were also only 17 years old. They couldn't help but have a little wishful thinking in their hearts.
Alas, it turned out, no Dragon caught in sight, but a pair of Scumbags were uprooted instead.
Wei Wuxian suddenly said, "Who said there is no River God?"
"Huh? But, weren't all these sacrifices just man-made lies?"
"Oh!" The disciples recalled something. "Wait a minute, the flood punishment and the drought that happened in the past decades!"
They looked at Wei Wuxian as if confirming their conjecture, "There indeed is a River God. Wait, doesn't that mean, the human sacrifice really was accepted by the River God?"
If this were the case, then the River God was also considered problematic. Even though it didn't start asking for sacrifice, it became the receptor and enjoyed the benefits of the lies.
Wei Wuxian still shook his head at this. "The flood and drought are just natural disasters. There is a climate cycle once every few years that would result in either heavy rains or long droughts. If you look at the map, you will see this village is located in a hundred-year floodplain. The ground is suitable for rice paddies, because it's formed from sedimentation of the materials brought by thousands of years of floods happening since ancient times. Isn't this why I brought you to walk around the village before?"
"Oh..." The disciples recalled their leisure strolling around the village in the day.
They exclaimed, "So it wasn't just you playing around to tire us out? Or finding a new target to get snacks from?"
"Of course not!" Wei Wuxian laughed angrily.
"I brought you to walk around so that you can analyze the local Geographical location! That is why I told you, GusuLan disciples, stop learning boring theories and memorizing 100 family names! Better read more useful knowledge to back your nighthunting!" He smacked their backs one by one.
The disciples bent forward feigning an exaggerated impact from the smack, while grumbling, "If we don't memorize them, how are we supposed to pass Lan-Xiansheng's monthly exam?"
In the end, they still curiously asked Wei Wuxian again, "If the flood and drought are just natural disasters. Then, why did you say there really is a River God?"
Wei Wuxian raised his brows. "Haven't the Xiao Family told us?"
The disciples, "Weren't they lying?"
Wei Wuxian, "What the Family Head said may not be a lie."
Recalling what the family head, Xiao Junqi, had said before, they exclaimed, "The Snake Demon!"
"Half correct!" Wei Wuxian snapped his finger. "It may indeed, have a silhouette similar to a snake, but it should not be a Snake Demon. Okay, why don't you tell me what creature it may be?"
The disciples looked at each other, and again shouted in unison, "JiaoLong!"
"Ding Ding! Correct answer." Wei Wuxian clapped and grinned in praise.
JiaoLong was both a Dragon but also not a real Dragon(Long). Dragons were divine creatures just like the Mythical Beasts of the 4 Directions, Xuanwu, QiongQi, BaiHu, and Taowu. The difference lay in the body shape. JiaoLong had the appearance of both a fish and a snake. A tiger-like head, a fish-like scaly body, and a snake tail, with four legs and 2 pairs of claws. Unlike the Divine Dragons who had horns in their heads, Jiaolong had no horns.
They usually lived in seclusion underwater, either in a cave under the ponds, creeks, or rivers.
If they succeeded in their cultivation, they would soar to the Sky or float through the rivers to the Sea, finally turning into real Dragons.
The disciples exclaimed, "What the 1st generation of the Village Head told in the legend was true all along! He saw a fish leaping through the Dragon Gate and turned into a Dragon. It was the JiaoLong's first transformation hundreds of years ago!"
Another also said, "And what Xiao Junqi saw, a snake-like creature lingering in the clouds above the river was also true. It should be the JiaoLong coming out from its seclusion every once in a while, and was accidentally seen by him!"
Wei Wuxian added, "That's right. And if you look at the map once again, this village is located in the northern part of Gusu. Upward there will be Lanling. But before Lanling, there is also a small but old Buddhist Temple upstream of this river's tributaries."
The disciples recalled the nearby Buddhist Temple, and understood. "Ah! BaiXue Temple."
"From ancient times to the present, the chance for JiaoLong to gain enlightenment can either be from Immortal's blessing, accidentally consumed or occupying precious Spiritual Treasure of Heaven and Earth, or..." Wei Wuxian deliberately halted his words.
The disciples had their eyes brightened as they caught the clue. "——Or being enlightened by Buddhist Scriptures reading!"
"So that's it..." They sighed with wonder.
One of them also thought out loud, "Oh...so Mr. JiaoLong here is a Buddhist Dragon..."
Wei Wuxian started to nag them in a chastising manner, "Correct! Now, Mr. JiaoLong has been pitifully framed and may be burdened by a karma he doesn't even know about. Even you, Children, almost accused him wrongly before! Why don't you apologize to him?"
The Disciples looked down in a guilty conscience.
Almost, the innocent JiaoLong who knew nothing almost implicated by a sin other Scumbags had put on his head.
There was another characteristic of a JiaoLong. While this creature lived mostly in seclusion, it had a very bad temper! If humans or other creatures disturbed its tranquility, they would be extremely ferocious.
If some heroic and righteous Cultivators came here, when they saw the Resentful Ghost Lady Song they might exorcise her without mercy. They would totally miss the real truth of cause and effect. Afterward, when they went to the River to exact justice and besieged the unaware but temperamental JiaoLong, the should be innocent JiaoLong would then be completely judged as a bloodthirsty monster that needed to be obliterated.
The JiaoLong had spent hundreds of years, living peacefully in seclusion. Despite its power and ferocity it never harmed humans. And yet someday, some Heroes just knock on his door to slay the Dragon. Because some Scumbags had plastered a title of an Evil Demon on his head. Just how wronged the JiaoLong would be? How much injustice he would have to bear when he got slain in the end?
The disciples couldn't help but feel culpable. They looked at Wei Wuxian, again seeking for advice, "Then...what should we do to apologize and compensate Mr. JiaoLong?"
Wei Wuxian suddenly grinned widely. "Since Mr. JiaoLong got enlightened through Buddhist Scriptures, then you all should recite scriptures here for him!"
This was exactly the scene that Lan Xichen saw when he arrived here at Haishi.
Lan Xichen, "???"
What happened?
The young disciples were kneeling seriously facing the calm river. In their hands were the Buddhist Scriptures.
Under the clear Sky of July, with the millions of stars sprinkled throughout the night sky,
The sound of their chantings resounded among the soft summer breeze, creating a scene of tranquility......
——If only there was no Wei Wuxian cracking the boiled peanuts in the background that is.