Chapter Text
After applying the last dose of powdered medicine and tying the bandage securely, Wen Qing finally let out a long breath.
The person lying before her looked ghastly pale. His cheeks were sunken, and his body was wrapped almost entirely in bandages. Yet upon seeing Wen Qing’s tightly furrowed brows, he still tugged stiffly at the muscles around his mouth, forcing out something resembling a smile.
“...Jie, don’t... I am... fine.”
Wen Qing’s expression softened slightly. She snorted and lightly squeezed his arm instead. “If you still have the energy to speak nonsense, then hurry and recover properly.”
The person on the bed seemed as though he still wished to say something, but upon meeting Wen Qing’s glare, he obediently shut his eyes. Only then did Wen Qing begin tidying the medical kit she had used. Afterward, she walked outside and carefully slid the door shut behind her, making sure not to produce too much noise.
Once she left the room, the tension in her shoulders eased slightly.
Thankfully, despite the severity of his injuries—broken ribs, wounds covering nearly all his skin—Wen Ning was still alive.
Perhaps she had found Wei Wuxian quickly enough in Gusu.
Perhaps Lan Xichen had pinpointed the location of her family’s imprisonment swiftly and arrived in time.
Or perhaps, since her family had been captured for labor in the first place, those people had been unwilling to kill more than necessary for fear of running out of free workers. Wen Ning was young and sturdy; he was useful labor, and it would have been a waste to dispose of him. Killing only those Wen Clan members deemed too weak for hard labor was already enough. While clearing away the “rotten fruit,” the supervisors at QiongqiDao had merely been using the tactic of killing a chicken to frighten the monkeys.
Whatever the reason—
Her most precious younger brother had finally been rescued.
Wen Qing walked toward the main hall of the courtyard where she and her family had been temporarily settled and inadvertently recalled what had happened yesterday.
At this, she had to sigh at the ingenuity of Sect Leader Lan once again.
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Jinlintai, Lanling.
Within the Pageantry Hall.
That day, Lan Xichen spent nearly an entire day digging through every event that had transpired during the Sunshot Campaign.
Naturally, it was not only wrongdoing that he brought forth. He also recounted the merits and achievements of various clans present—even those so obscure that few had ever paid them any attention before. Upon hearing their own contributions acknowledged one by one by the Lan Sect Leader himself, some of the lesser Sect Leaders were so moved they nearly wept tears of gratitude on the spot.
So Zewu-Jun and the GusuLan Sect had remembered their efforts all along!
How could they not feel honored? At that moment, some were so emotional they silently vowed in their hearts. Even in their next life, they would willingly serve the Lan Sect as Horse or Dog alike!
Of course, matters concerning the next life could wait until the next life.
As for what was currently unfolding within the great hall—
With every debt exposed and every merit recounted, even though Lan Xichen had never deliberately targeted anyone by name, it gradually became apparent that the majority of offenses and blood debts belonged to those clans that had once stood beneath the shelter of the QishanWen Sect.
Previously, the Subsidiary Sects of the Wen Clan were generously accepted into the Cultivation World with a simple guarantee from the Jin Sect. Their past involvement during the war was quietly brushed aside. No one pursued the matter further or questioned them too deeply. They only need to pledge their loyalty to the Jin Sect as a reconciliation price.
But how could their hands truly be free of blood?
They couldn't possibly sit tight while the Wen Clan out there was fighting a battle. In the earlier period of the war, just as the entirety of the Wen Clan itself, these subsidiary clans had likewise been obligated to contribute troops, supplies, and manpower. Their swords had also been stained with the blood of the SunShot Campaign Alliance.
Under Lan Xichen’s calm recounting, those old truths were peeled apart layer by layer before the eyes of everyone present.
Finally, someone could no longer endure it and burst out, “We had no choice!”
His voice was filled with indignation.
“At the time, who dared disobey the QishanWen Sect? We merely obeyed orders to survive!”
“Yes!” another person hurriedly added. “It was never our intention! Back then, if we refused Wen Ruohan’s commands, our clans would have been exterminated!”
Lan Xichen listened quietly to their excuses before nodding slightly.
“I see.” His expression remained gentle, almost understanding. “You had no choice.”
The speaker’s face relaxed slightly, as though finally finding common ground—Only to hear Lan Xichen continue,
“You had no choice, but these Wen Clan remnants had a choice?”
The hall fell silent.
The man’s expression stiffened immediately.
“That is different!” he argued through clenched teeth. “How could we possibly compare to them? Wen Ruohan was a madman! Who would dare oppose him?”
“Indeed. Then, do you believe Wen Qing and her family branch possessed the ability to oppose Wen Ruohan?”
“That woman is Wen Ruohan’s niece!” someone snapped back. “If anyone could dissuade him, it should have been her!”
“But has she not already chosen to disobey him?” At this, Lan Xichen actually looked somewhat surprised.
“Wen Qing refused to let her family branch partake in taking human lives, and acted solely as a group of Medical Cultivators. If rejecting Wen Ruohan’s orders in such a manner is not considered defiance… then what has she done called otherwise?”
The crowd was momentarily speechless.
Yet unwilling to concede, someone still forced out bitterly, “Even so, they remained bystanders! They still bore the Wen surname! They couldn't very well think that they could be free and avoid any association.”
“Who said they were bystanders and possessed no merit during the Sunshot Campaign?”
As if waiting for this very accusation, Lan Xichen actually laughed heartily.
At last, he turned his head and faced a certain individual. That person had not uttered a single word from the beginning to the present. His face was dark and gloomy, as if his cloudy expression could even generate thunder just as his ancestral weapon would emit.
"Sect Leader Jiang," Lan Xichen called him.
The person being named, Jiang Cheng, lifted his eyes, replying in a low voice, "...Yes."
“During the war, Wen Qing and her brother assisted the Jiang Sect. They recovered the bodies of your parents so they could be properly cremated, allowing you to fulfill your filial piety. They also sheltered and treated both you and Wei Wuxian for a period of time, regardless of the risk.”
Lan Xichen paused briefly.
“—Is this true?”
Jiang Cheng’s jaw tightened.
In his mind, the events of the previous day replayed themselves over again.
Ever since the marriage between Lan Xichen and Wei Wuxian, the latter had rarely returned to Lotus Pier. According to Wei Wuxian himself, this was out of consideration for Jiang Cheng’s mood—lest the sight of a pair of cut-sleeves constantly flaunting themselves before him ruin the purity of his eyes. He had even shamelessly declared that if Sect Leader Jiang truly missed him, he was welcome to visit Gusu instead, and Wei Wuxian might reluctantly spare him some attention.
Naturally, Jiang Cheng had responded by cursing him to “Get lost!” and had never once set foot in Gusu afterward.
The last time Wei Wuxian returned to Lotus Pier was when he established the Teleportation Array between Gusu and Yunmeng.
Not only had he arrived together with Lan Xichen, but he had also dragged Lan Wangji along as well.
Watching those three constantly sticking close together wherever they went, Jiang Cheng had wanted to say something. Yet after a brief moment of consideration, he concluded that some matters were better left unknown. Thus, he simply told them to do whatever they pleased before promptly leaving.
Out of sight, out of mind!
Therefore, when one day he suddenly saw Lan Xichen standing alone outside the gates of Lotus Pier, the very first thought that crossed Jiang Cheng’s mind was:
“Has that Shixiong of mine finally divorced this fellow and run off wandering the jianghu?”
Not only did he feel no sympathy whatsoever toward Lan Xichen, but he even thought it served him right. Did this man think raising one Wei Wuxian was easy? Unfortunately, to Jiang Cheng’s great disappointment, Wei Wuxian had not divorced him after all.
Worse still, Lan Xichen had come to Lotus Pier specifically to discuss Wen Qing and Wen Ning.
At the time, he had calmly proposed, “Sect Leader Jiang, I do not require you to speak in defense of the Wen Clan remnants. What I ask for is merely honesty. I trust your character and disposition. Surely, you would never call black white, nor white black.”
Jiang Cheng had immediately sneered coldly. “What? Are you asking me to acknowledge their kindness and worship them like ancestors?”
If he were to let those surnamed Wen enter even one step in Lotus Pier in the name of repaying gratitude, then he might as well be known as an ingrate!
The resentment buried in his heart since the day the Wen Sect drenched Lotus Pier in blood had never faded. From that moment onward, Jiang Cheng had sworn that so long as he lived, no outsider would ever again so easily violate the place where he had grown up. Lotus Pier would never again be stained by another’s filth. Much less by people bearing the surname Wen.
Lan Xichen seemed to understand his sentiments and quickly explained, “Rest assured. Whatever becomes of them afterward, I guarantee you will bear no obligation toward them. There is only one thing I ask of you—to acknowledge the truth for what it is.”
Even so, Jiang Cheng still felt as if he had swallowed a fly. What could possibly be more humiliating than allowing the entire cultivation world to learn that the very people he loathes most had once helped him fulfill his filial duties? His displeasure had been obvious on his face.
Yet at that moment, someone gently tugged at his sleeve. “A-Cheng…”
It was his sister.
Jiang Yanli looked at him with her usual placid expression, yet her eyes were clear and firm.
“If A-Die and A-Niang knew that you had the courage to stand up for what is right, they would be very proud of you. And A-Xian too…” She paused before letting out a soft laugh. “If he knows you speak on his behalf, perhaps he would rush here and praise you endlessly.”
The mere image of Wei Wuxian rushing all the way from Gusu to Yunmeng while loudly shouting “Jiang Cheng! Jiang Cheng!” before throwing himself into a sticky bear hug immediately made Jiang Cheng shudder in disgust.
Then again…If he truly did something worthy of boasting about for once, he could stand there smugly afterward and order Wei Wuxian to kowtow in gratitude. Thinking about it that way, perhaps it would not be entirely intolerable.
Jiang Cheng knew very well that his heart was extremely narrow; It could hold only a limited number of things.
He could only care about his own cultivation.
The thing he wanted to guard was only Lotus Pier.
And the people he cherished in his heart who were left alive were his sister...
—and that one guy surnamed Wei!
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So today, at the Pageantry Hall in Jinlintai, he still replied,
“…Correct.”
Just a single word.
Yet it rendered the hall speechless.
If it were anyone else speaking for the Wen Clan remnants, perhaps others could suspect coercion or bribery. But Jiang Cheng was different. Alongside Nie Mingjue, he should have been one of the people who hated the Wen Sect the most. That hatred had long since seeped into his bones.
Therefore, his admission was not something others believed could be forced out of him lightly.
Ignoring the astonishment around him, Lan Xichen continued calmly, “As everyone has heard, not only did Wen Qing and her family have no blood on their hands, they also contributed to the victory of the Sunshot Campaign itself. I believe everyone here is aware of how extensive the YunmengJiang Sect’s contribution to the war was.”
Lan Xichen didn't attribute Wen Qing's action to a personal favor, either toward Jiang Cheng or Wei Wuxian.
Instead, he elevated it directly to the level of Sect contribution!
After all, back then, Wei Wuxian was the Head Disciple of YunmengJiang Sect, and Jiang Cheng had always been the Sect's Heir. Years ago, those two had always been correlated to YunmengJiang. Helping the two of them was no different from extending aid to the YunmengJiang Sect itself.
The subsidiary clans were gradually cornered into a dead end.
Whenever they tried to explain themselves, it was later used by Lan Xichen to similarly wash clean the Wen Clan remnants whom he rescued. As a result, it would justify his "kindness" in saving them from the mistreatment in QiongqiDao.
Yet the moment they insisted those remnants deserved punishment regardless, Lan Xichen would then expose their "contribution to the war" while under the Wen Sect back then.
And if later they tried to defend their past actions, Lan Xichen even readily prepared the Wen Clan remnant's justification.
No matter how they racked their brains, they still couldn't find a way.
It was as though the Lan Sect could not only decipher the words of the dead through Inquiry, but were even able to foresee their hearts and used it to retaliate in kind.
As the saying went, gentlemen understood when to bend and when to stretch. These subsidiary clans had once surrendered to the LanlingJin Sect the moment the Wen Clan fell to its demise. Now, seeing the current situation, they switched sides even faster.
It was obvious that at present Lan Xichen and the GusuLan Sect were on the rise, while the Jin Sect was in decline.
Thus, without hesitation, they immediately turned around and began condemning the Lanling Jin Sect’s conduct and supposed ambitions with righteous indignation.
Jin Guangshan stood tremblingly and pointed his finger at these traitors, his teeth chattering in rage. "You—! All of you! How...How could you—!"
Suddenly, he coughed out a mouthful of blood and collapsed backward.
Just like Lan Qiren back then after learning of Lan Xichen's scandal, today, the Jin Sect Leader suffered a Qi-Deviation on the spot from extreme anger!
Jinlintai was thrown into chaos.
Once the old accounts had been dragged into the open, arguments and disputes became inevitable. Before long, the quarrels escalated into physical brawls. Yet those who had followed Lan Xichen fought with remarkable fervor, whether with words or fists.
After all, most of them had originally come here half-forced. Hanguang-Jun himself had personally visited their abodes, standing there in peerless white robes with an icy expression while BiChen reflected the same chilling light. Lan Wangji had not even uttered a threat, yet merely seeing him was enough to weaken people’s legs.
Who could have expected that by the end of this farce, they would each return home having pocketed land, shops, mines, or other compensation?
That's right. Those subsidiary clans that had once defected from the Wen Sect and now hurriedly switched allegiance once more to the GusuLan Sect, had no choice but to cough up some resources again. Just as they had back then when they first sought refuge under the LanlingJin Sect.
The only difference was that the Jin Sect had swallowed all the protection money themselves, whereas the GusuLan Sect did not take a single coin, allowing the people supporting Lan Xichen to divide the compensation instead.
He Su, Sect Leader of the TingshanHe Sect near Jiangsu, watched the chaos unfolding before him with a somewhat surreal feeling.
Unlike many others present, he had not come for benefits. He had simply answered Lan Wangji’s invitation because he genuinely detested the Jin Sect’s conduct. Ever since Lan Xichen’s marriage to Wei Wuxian, the GusuLan Sect had steadily risen in influence without relying upon other clans. Jin Guangshan’s ambition to become the next sovereign of the cultivation world had clearly become threatened, prompting him to hastily push forward the position of Chief Cultivator.
And He Su happened to be among those most strongly opposed to it.
In his mind, even a fool could see their blatant wish to replace the Wen Sect, but how could others still choose silence?
And yet, despite coming here with entirely sincere intentions, he somehow ended up walking away with partial ownership of one of the largest jade mines in the North.
He could not help sighing inwardly.
'Truly. Birds die for food, humans die for wealth.'
Beyond every danger lies opportunity.
Still, as He Su looked around at the chaos within Jinlintai, he could not help feeling fortunate that the discussion had been brought here instead of elsewhere.
Inadvertently, he recalled the conversation he had shared with Lan Xichen before they departed.
At that time, he'd voiced his worry, “Sect Leader Lan, forgive me for speaking bluntly, but is it truly appropriate for us to go to Jinlintai like this?”
The two had been walking side by side, preparing to set off.
Lan Xichen replied calmly, “It is fine.”
He Su hesitated. “Sect Leader Lan means…?”
“If we invite the Jin Sect elsewhere, then should they refuse to cooperate, they may simply turn around and leave, pretending to hear nothing and see nothing. The matter would be postponed indefinitely.”
“That… does make sense.”
Only then did He Su understand. Holding the discussion at Jinlintai meant the Jin Sect would have nowhere to retreat. After all, how could they flee from a gathering held within their own territory?
Having said that, “—But Sect Leader Lan, Jilintai is their home ground after all. What if...If something were to happen, it would not be advantageous to us?”
“If something were to happen…” Lan Xichen paused, but then his eyes crinkled in amusement. “—That would be even better.”
If LanlingJin dared to attempt anything against the Hundreds of Clans, it would be like hammering the last nail into their coffin, upon their supposed ambitions.
He Su frowned. “But what if people on our side are injured?”
“Who would harm them?” he asked.
They arrived at the gate of the Unclean Realm. Lan Xichen took off the sword from his waist.
He Su answered immediately, “Who would...Naturally, the LanlingJin Sect—or their allies.”
Shuoyue was unsheathed from the scabbard. “As you said. The ones who may harm them are the Lanling Jin Sect.”
Lan Xichen tilted its blade horizontally, and the thin, almost translucent sword gleamed under the sunlight.
He glanced at He Su and smiled. “—As for us, we will never harm our own comrades.”
The Lan Sect Leader leaped effortlessly upon the sharp sword and soon set off, leaving the somewhat dazed He Su behind.
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Lan Xichen had never believed himself capable of the same selflessness as Wei Wuxian.
Back then, when he traveled from sect to sect persuading others to join the Sunshot Campaign, was it truly out of pure righteousness of stopping the Wen Sect's mayhem?
How could it be possible?
He had also acted for revenge. For the destruction of the Cloud Recesses. For the deaths of his clansmen. For the survival of the Lan Sect itself. It wasn't just him unable to see others suffering and decide to be a Hero.
He had known perfectly that those Sects he persuaded to join would have to spend their material and human resources. Understood that they would have lost both wealth and People dying in the war. Despite the SunShot Campaign also being partly to benefit his own revenge and the continuation of his Lan Clan, yet still, Lan Xichen back then, came forward and convinced everyone to join this war.
He was not someone who would remain behind alone, so everyone else could escape from the Xuanwu Cave.
Nor was he someone who would face several thousand enemies by himself upon a battlefield.
And today was no different.
Lan Xichen would never come alone to impeach the Jin Sect.
If those standing beside him suffered harm at Jinlintai today, then the responsibility would belong to the LanlingJin Sect—not him.
Just as during the Sunshot Campaign, it had not been Lan Xichen who killed cultivators upon the battlefield. It had been the Wen Sect.