The three of them immediately rushed towards the mass grave. When the black mountain broke through the clouds, Wei Wuxian's heart tightened.

From far away, the howling of evil corpses could be heard from the black forest. And there were not just one or two corpses, but a group of them. Lan Wangji pressed a key, and Bichen became a little faster, but still very stable.

As soon as they landed, they saw a dark shadow leap out of the forest, screaming and rushing towards a person. Bi Chen chopped it in half with a sword. The man on the ground turned pale, and when he saw Wei Wuxian, he hurriedly shouted, "Master Wei!"

Wei WuXian threw a spell with his hand and said, “Fourth Uncle, what’s going on?!”

Fourth Uncle said, "The Demon Subduing Cave... All the evil spirits in the Demon Subduing Cave have escaped!"

Wei WuXian said: “Didn’t I set up a ban? Who moved it?!”

Fourth uncle said: "No one moved! Yes... yes..."

At this time, a clear shout came from the front, and a female voice said: "Aning!"

In the dark forest, a dozen Wen family monks were confronting a figure. That figure was Wen Ning, who rolled his eyes and looked extremely ferocious. The talismans that were densely pasted on his body were almost gone. He was dragging two fierce corpses in his hands. He had torn them to pieces with his bare hands, and black blood was dripping. There were almost only two skeletons left. Wen Ning was still hitting them violently, as if he would not stop until he had crushed them to ashes. The one holding the sword in the front was Wen Qing. Wei Wuxian said, "Didn't I tell you not to touch the talismans on his body?!"

Wen Qing was not even surprised at why Lan Wangji was here. She said, "No one has touched it! No one has entered the Demon Cave at all! He went crazy and tore it off himself. Not only did he tear off the blood pool and the restrictions of the Demon Cave, he also destroyed the blood pool and the restrictions of the Demon Cave. All the evil corpses in the blood pool crawled out. Wei Wuxian, go save Grandma and the others quickly. They can't hold on any longer!!!"

As they were talking, a strange hissing sound came from above. When they looked up, they saw several vicious corpses climbing up to the treetops, coiling around like snakes, baring their teeth, and an unknown slime of evil flowing out from between their teeth. Wen Ning also looked up and saw them, threw away the remains of his limbs that had been crushed into meat paste, and jumped up, directly jumping into the air to the treetops!

This tree is at least 50 feet high. It takes an incredible amount of explosive power to reach such a height with one leap. After Wen Ning climbed up the tree, he tore the corpses apart with his two palms, causing a bloody rain in the air. But he was not satisfied yet and fell to the other side. Wei Wuxian pulled out the Chen Qing and said, "Lan...!" He wanted to ask Lan Wangji to save the others first, and he would deal with Wen Ning. When he looked back, he found that the man was gone. He was anxious, but he heard the sound of a piano that shook the sky, startling the crows in the dark woods. It turned out that Lan Wangji had gone ahead without him asking. Wei Wuxian felt relieved, and the Chen Qing sounded long when it was brought to his lips. Wen Ning's figure paused slightly when he landed. Wei Wuxian took the opportunity to say, "Wen Ning! Do you recognize me?"

The piano sounded three times and then stopped, indicating that Lan Wangji had stopped all the out-of-control zombies within three sounds. Wen Ning lowered his body slightly and let out a low hissing sound from the bottom of his throat, looking like a vigilant and uneasy beast ready to attack. Wei Wuxian was about to play again when he suddenly realized that Wen Yuan was still hugging his legs tightly, not daring to breathe. He had actually forgotten about him just now!

He quickly picked up Wen Yuan, threw him to Wen Qing's side, and said, "Take him away!"

At this moment, Wen Ning suddenly pounced on him.

As if a huge rock was crushing his head, Wei Wuxian was knocked backwards and fell heavily against a tree. He cursed with a heat in his throat. Lan Wangji just turned back and saw this scene. His expression changed drastically and he rushed in front of him. Wen Qing had just pushed Wen Yuan into the arms of others and wanted to check on Wei Wuxian's injuries, but he was rushed in front of him and was stunned. Lan Wangji almost held Wei Wuxian in his arms, holding his hand and directly transferring spiritual power. Wen Qing hurriedly said: "Let him go first, no need! Let me do it! I am Wen Qing!"

Wen Qing of Qishan was a first-class doctor. Lan Wangji stopped sending spiritual energy and asked Wen Qing to check on Wei Wuxian, but he still didn't let go of her hand. Wei Wuxian pushed him away and said, "Don't let him pass!"

After Wen Ning injured him, he walked down the mountain with his arms hanging down. That was where the other Wen family monks hid the corpse. Wen Qing shouted down: "Run! Run! He's coming towards you!"

Wei WuXian broke away from Lan WangJi and chased after him. Lan WangJi caught up with him and asked, “Where’s your sword?”

Wei WuXian waved out twelve spells and said, “I don’t know where I threw it!”

Twelve yellow talismans lined up in the air and burned, hitting Wen Ning like a chain of fire, instantly locking him. Lan Wangji flicked the zither with his backhand, and Wen Ning's footsteps seemed to be tied by an invisible line. He paused and continued to move forward with a little difficulty. Wei Wuxian brought Chen Qing to his lips. Because he had just been hit, some blood foam was blown out. His brows were furrowed, but he still endured the blood and pain in his chest and blew it down without trembling.

With the combined efforts of the two, Wen Ning knelt on the ground, howling to the sky, and the leaves in the dark forest trembled. Wei Wuxian finally couldn't help himself and choked out a mouthful of blood.

Wangji's piano suddenly whistled, Wen Ning held his head and screamed, curled up on the ground. Wen Qing said in a sad voice: "Aning! Aning!" She wanted to run forward, but Wei Wuxian said: "Be careful!"

Wen Qing saw her brother being disturbed by the sound of the piano and in great pain. Although she knew that if she didn't take drastic measures, he might be in danger, she still couldn't help but feel sorry for Wen Ning and said, "Han Guangjun, please show mercy!"

Wei WuXian said: “Lan Zhan! You are so gentle…”

"...Young...son..."

Wei WuXian was startled for a moment, and asked, “Wait?”

He said: "Lan Zhan, stop it first?!"

This voice came from Wen Ning.

Lan Wangji pressed his five fingers on the strings to stop the lingering vibration. Wei Wuxian asked, "Wen Ning?!"

Wen Ning raised his head with difficulty.

What was in his eye sockets was no longer the ferocious deathly white, but... a pair of black pupils!

Wen Ning opened his mouth and continued, "...Master... Wei...?"

It was as if he was about to bite his tongue as he squeezed out the words one by one. However, they were indeed human words, not meaningless roars.

The warmth was completely stunned.

After a while, she suddenly screamed, rolled over and crawled forward, shouting, "Aning!"

The two of them fell to the ground at the same time. Wen Ning said, "Sister... Sister..."

She hugged her brother tenderly, crying and laughing, burying her head in his chest, and said, "It's me! It's my sister, it's my sister! Aning!"

She kept calling Wen Ning's name. The other monks seemed to want to rush over, but they didn't dare. They just shouted and laughed and hugged each other. Fourth Uncle shouted wildly and ran down the mountain, saying, "It's okay! It's done! It's done! Aning is awake!..."

Wei WuXian walked over, squatted next to Wen Ning, and asked, “How do you feel now?”

Wen Ning lay on his back on the ground, his limbs and neck still a little stiff. He said, "I...I..."

He paused for a long time before finally saying, "...I really want to cry, but I can't. What's going on..."

After a moment of silence, Wei WuXian patted his shoulder and said, "Remember, you are already dead."

After making sure that Wen Ning was truly awake, Wei Wuxian breathed a sigh of relief.

He succeeded.

At the beginning, because of his momentary impulsive anger, he turned Wen Ning into a low-level vicious corpse. Although Wen Ning personally identified and tore apart the supervisors who tortured and killed him, after Wen Qing woke up, she was even more painful to face this brother who didn't recognize her at all, who could only growl and bite like a mad dog, wanting to eat her flesh and drink her blood.

After calming down, Wei Wuxian promised her that he had a way to make Wen Ning regain his sanity. But who knew that he was just boasting to reassure Wen Qing. In fact, he had no confidence at all and could only go ahead with it.

After racking his brains and forgetting to eat and sleep for several days, he actually fulfilled his promise.

She held Wen Ning's pale face in her hands, tears streaming down her face. Finally, she couldn't help herself and burst into tears like she did the night she saw Wen Ning's body.

Wen Ning stroked her back with stiff hands and feet. More and more members of the Wen family walked up from the foot of the mountain. Some rushed over to join the crying, while others looked at Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji with awe and gratitude.

Wei Wuxian knew that they must have a lot to say to each other, and Wen Qing would definitely not want outsiders to see her crying, so he said, "Lan Zhan."

Lan Wangji looked at him, and Wei Wuxian said, "Since you're here, do you want to come in and sit down?"

The two walked to a cave entrance on the mountain where a cold wind was blowing.

Lan Wangji asked, "The Demon Cave?"

Wei WuXian said, “That’s right. I came up with this name. What do you think?”

Lan Wangji remained silent.

Wei WuXian said, “I know you must be thinking, ‘Not so good’. After the news got out, I also heard some people talking about me, saying that I am a ghost cultivator and a great demon, so how could I have the nerve to name my lair the Demon Cave?”

Lan Wangji didn't comment. The two of them had already stepped into the cave, and Wei Wuxian's laughter echoed in the empty cave: "But actually they are all wrong. The name I gave is not what they understand at all."

Lan Wangji asked, “Why?”

Wei WuXian said, “Simple. It’s just because I often sleep here. There’s a cave where the demon lies on the ground and sleeps, isn’t it the Demon Subduing Cave?”

Lan Wangji: “…”

The two entered the main cave, and Lan Wangji asked, "Where's the blood pool?"

Wei WuXian pointed to a pool of dark water in the cave and said, “This is the blood pool.”

The light in the cave was dim, and the water was not sure whether it was black or red, and it emitted a strong smell of blood.

There was originally a circle of restriction line stretched around the pond, but it had been destroyed by Wen Ning. Wei Wuxian pulled it up again and tied a knot to reinforce it.

Lan Wangji said, “It’s full of yin energy.”

Wei WuXian said, “Yes, the Yin energy is very strong, which is suitable for nurturing evil spirits. This is where I use to ‘nurture’ some unfinished evil spirits. Guess how many are buried underneath?”

He smiled and said, "To be honest, I don't know exactly how much. But the water in the pool smells more and more like blood."

Maybe it was because of the light, but Wei Wuxian looked particularly pale, and his smile seemed slightly sinister. Lan Wangji looked at him quietly and said, "Wei Ying."

Wei WuXian asked, “What?”

Lan Wangji said: "Are you serious? Can you control it?"

Wei WuXian asked, “Control what? Are you talking about Wen Ning? Of course there is no problem. Look, he has regained consciousness.” Wei WuXian said proudly, “An unprecedented vicious corpse.”

Lan Wangji said, “What if he goes crazy again?”

Wei WuXian said, “I already have experience in dealing with him when he goes crazy. He is under my control, so as long as I am fine, he will be fine.”

After a moment of silence, Lan Wangji said, "What if something goes wrong with you?"

Wei WuXian said, “No.”

Lan Wangji asked, “How can we guarantee that?”

Wei WuXian said firmly, “No. And I can’t.”

Lan Wangji asked, “Are you going to stay like this from now on?”

Wei WuXian said, “What’s wrong with always being like this? Do you look down on my territory? This mountain is bigger than your Cloud Recesses, and the food is much better than yours.”

“Wei Ying,” Lan Wangji said, “You understand what I mean.”

“…”

Wei WuXian said helplessly: “Lan Zhan, you are… really amazing. I was about to change the subject, but you brought it back.”

At this moment, his throat felt slightly itchy, and a sudden surge of blood and energy rose up. Wei Wuxian coughed twice. Seeing Lan Wangji was about to shake his hand, Wei Wuxian dodged and said, "What for?"

Lan Wangji said, "Your injury."

Wei WuXian said, “Forget it. Why waste your energy on such a minor injury? It will heal on its own after a while.”

Lan Wangji didn't waste time talking to him and tried to grab his hand again. At this moment, two people came in from outside the cave. A gentle voice said, "Just sit for a while and you'll be fine. Do you think I'm dead?"

Following behind her was Wen Ning, who was holding a tea tray. Wen Ning's skin was deathly pale, and there were still some unwiped spells on his neck. The one holding Wen Ning's calf was Wen Yuan. As soon as he came in, he rushed to Wei Wuxian and hung on his legs. Seeing Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji looking at him at the same time, Wen Ning's mouth moved, as if he wanted to smile, but the muscles on his face were stiff and he couldn't move them, so he could only greet: "Master Wei...Master Lan."

Wei WuXian lifted one leg and held Wen Yuan in the air, shaking him, and asked, “How did you get in? Did you finish crying so soon?”

Wen Qing said viciously: "Just wait and see how I will make you cry later!" Although she said so, her voice was still nasal. Wei Wuxian said: "What a joke, how can you make me...ah!!!"

Wen Qing came over and slapped him on the back, causing Wei Wuxian to spit out a mouthful of blood. With a look of disbelief on her face, she said, "You...you are so vicious..."

As he spoke, he closed his eyes and fainted. Lan Wangji's face turned pale, and he caught him and said, "Wei Ying!"

Wen Qing showed three shining silver needles and said, "I have something more poisonous that you haven't seen yet. Get up!"

Wei WuXian stood up from Lan WangJi’s arms as if nothing had happened, wiped the blood from his mouth, and said, “Forget it. Women are the most vicious people. I don’t want to see that.”

It turned out that Wen Qing's palm strike just now was just to slap out the stagnant blood stuck in his chest. How could a doctor who is famous among all the schools and the best in Qishan really not know how to control the severity of his attack? Lan Wangji saw that it was another prank, and fiercely waved his sleeves and turned away, as if he didn't want to deal with such a boring person anymore. Wen Ning had just woken up, and his reaction was a beat slower. He was also stunned when he saw Wei Wuxian vomiting blood. At this moment, he remembered that he had injured Wei Wuxian when he was not in his right mind, and said guiltily: "Sir, I'm sorry..."

Wei WuXian waved his hands and said, “Alright, alright, with that punch of yours, do you really think I can be harmed by you?”

With her warm dark eyes, she looked at Lan Wangji's expression and said, "Hanguang-jun, would you please take a seat?"

Wei Wuxian suddenly realized what was going on. No wonder he felt like he had forgotten something. It turned out that Lan Zhan hadn't sat down for so long since he came in. But there were only a few stone beds in the cave where people could sit, and each of them was covered with strange things, flags, knives, boxes, blood-smeared bandages, and uneaten fruits. It was a horrible sight.

Wei WuXian said, “But there’s nowhere to sit here.”

She said indifferently, "Of course there is." After that, she swept everything on the stone bed to the ground mercilessly and said, "Look, here it is."

Wei WuXian was shocked: “Hey!”

Wen Ning also said, "Yes, Master Lan, sit down and have some tea..." As he spoke, he moved the tray in his hand closer to Lan Wangji. There were two teacups on the tray, which were washed very cleanly. However, Wei Wuxian took a look and said, "How shabby! They provide guests with water and don't even have tea leaves!"

Wen Ning said, "I just asked if there was any left, and Fourth Uncle said there was no tea in stock..."

Wei WuXian took a sip of water and said, "This is totally wrong. I need to prepare some for the next time when guests come." He realized how ridiculous it was after he said that. Where was the next time? Where were the guests?

Wen Qing said, "You have the nerve to say that. I asked you to go down the mountain to buy things several times, but you bought all these messy things. Where are the radish seeds I asked you to buy today?"

Wei WuXian said, “I didn’t buy any random stuff! I just bought fun things for Yuan, right Yuan?”

Wen Yuan said uncooperatively: "Brother Xian is lying. This brother bought it for me."

Wei WuXian was furious: “How can this be possible!”

There was laughter in the Demon-Suppressing Cave, but Lan Wangji suddenly turned around and walked out of the cave without saying a word.

Wen Qing and Wen Ning were both startled. Wei Wuxian asked, “Lan Zhan?”

Lan Wangji paused, no emotion in his voice, and said, "I should go back."

He left the Demon Cave without looking back. Wen Ning became panicked again, as if he thought it was his fault. Wen Yuan said anxiously, "Brother!"

He dragged his two short legs and tried to catch up, but Wei WuXian grabbed him and tucked him under his arm, saying, “Wait for me here.”

He took two steps at a time and caught up with Lan Wangji, saying, "You're leaving? I'll take you there."

Lan Wangji remained silent.

Wen Yuan was under Wei Wuxian's arm, looking up at him and asked, "Brother, aren't you going to eat with us?"

Lan Wangji looked at him, stretched out his hand, and slowly touched his head.

Wen Yuan thought he wanted to stay, and a look of joy appeared on his face. He whispered, "A Yuan overheard a secret. They said that there are a lot of delicious food today..."

Wei WuXian said, “This brother has food at home, so I won’t stay.”

Wen Yuan said "Oh", his disappointment was evident in his words, he lowered his head and stopped talking.

The two of them walked quietly along the way, holding a child between them. When they reached the foot of the mass grave, they stopped at the same time without saying a word.

After a while, Wei WuXian said, "Lan Zhan, you asked me just now, are you planning to stay like this forever? Actually, I want to ask someone too. If not, what else can I do?"

He said, "Are you going to give up the way of ghosts and stop practicing? Then what should the people on this mountain do?

“Give up on them? I can’t do that. I believe you can’t do that either.”

He asked, "Can anyone give me a smooth and safe path? A path that allows me to protect the people I want to protect even without practicing the ghost path?"

Lan Wangji looked at him and didn't answer, but they both knew the answer in their hearts.

There is no such road.

No solution.

Wei WuXian said slowly: “Thank you for accompanying me today, and thank you for telling me the news of my senior sister’s marriage. However, right and wrong are up to me, praise and criticism are up to others, and gains and losses are not important. I know what to do. I also believe that I can control myself.”

As if he had anticipated his attitude, Lan Wangji tilted his head slightly and closed his eyes.

Goodbye.

On the way back to the mountain, Wei Wuxian realized that he had agreed to treat Lan Wangji to a meal, but in the end the two of them parted ways in an uneasy atmosphere. Of course, he also forgot to pay the bill.

Wei WuXian thought, “Well, Lan Zhan is so rich anyway, so it’s okay to ask him to pay the bill again. He should still have some money on him, so he wouldn’t have spent it all on buying some children’s toys. At worst, I can treat him next time… but there’s no next time.”

Think about it, almost every time he and Lan Wangji meet, they end up parting on bad terms for one reason or another. Maybe they are really not suitable to be friends.

However, there will be no chance to try it in the future.

Wen Yuan held his hand with her left hand, held a small wooden sword in her right hand, and put a grass butterfly on her head, saying, "Brother Xian, will Brother Youqian come again?"

Wei WuXian snorted, “What is a rich brother?”

Wen Yuan said seriously: "A rich brother is a rich brother."

Wei WuXian asked, “What about me?”

As expected, Wen Yuan said, "You are Brother Xian. Brother Poor."

Wei WuXian glanced at him, then suddenly snatched the butterfly away and said, “Why, do you like him just because he’s rich?”

Wen Yuan stood on tiptoe to grab it and said anxiously, "Give it back to me...you bought it for me!"

Wei WuXian was a boring guy, he was so excited that he even played tricks on a little kid. He put the butterfly on his head and said, “I won’t give it back. You still call him daddy, what do you call me? You only called me brother, which makes you a generation lower than him for no reason!”

Wen Yuan jumped up and said, "I didn't call him daddy!"

Wei WuXian said, “I heard you yelling. I don’t care. I want to be more senior than my brother and father. What should you call me?”

Wen Yuan said aggrievedly: "But...but A Yuan...I don't want to call you mother...it's so weird..."

Wei WuXian raged again, “Who told you to call me mother? Grandpa is more senior than brother and father, don’t you know that? If you really like him that much, you should have said it earlier. If you had said it earlier, I would have asked him to take you away. Although his family is rich, they are scary. He took you back and locked you up in the room, making you copy books from morning till night. Aren’t you scared!”

Wen Yuan quickly shook his head and whispered: "...I won't leave...I still want my grandma."

Wei WuXian pressed on: "You want grandma, not me?"

Wen Yuan flattered, "Yes. I also want Brother Xian." He counted on his fingers, one by one, "I also want Brother Youqian, Sister Aqing, Brother Ning, Fourth Uncle, Sixth Uncle..."

Wei WuXian threw the butterfly onto his head again and said, “That’s enough. You’re drowning me in the crowd.”

Wen Yuan quickly put the woven butterfly into her pocket, fearing that he would snatch it away again, and asked again, "Will Brother Youqian come again?"

Wei Wuxian kept smiling.

After a while, he said, "I guess he won't come again."

Wen Yuan asked disappointedly: "Why?"

Wei WuXian said, “No reason. Everyone in this world has their own things to do and their own paths to follow. I’m busy enough at home, so why would I have the time to always be around other people?”

After all, we are not on the same path.

Wen Yuan said "Oh" as if he understood something and looked lost.

Wei WuXian picked him up and held him under his arm, snorting, “…I don’t care about the hustle and bustle of Yangguan Road, I’d rather walk on that single-plank bridge till the end…walk! walk!…walk till the end?”

When he hummed the word "black", he suddenly realized that it was not black at all.

In the past, he walked to the top of the dark mountain, but tonight, when he came back, it was very different.

The area around the huts was swept clean, and even a lot of weeds were pulled out. There were a few red lanterns hanging in the woods nearby. The lanterns were all handmade, hanging on the branches. Although they were round and simple, they emitted a warm light, illuminating the dark forest.

Usually at this time, the fifty people would have finished their meal and turned off the lights in their own broken wooden houses, but today they all gathered in the widest shed. This shed was a roof supported by eight wooden stakes, which could accommodate everyone. The small shed next to it was the "kitchen", so it was used as a dining hall.

Wei WuXian felt puzzled, and walked over with Wen Yuan by his arm, asking, “Why are you all here today? Aren’t you going to sleep? So many lights are so bright.”

Wen Qing came out of the kitchen nearby, holding a plate, and said, "This is for you, old man. I'll make a few more to hang on the mountain road tomorrow. If you rush in the dark all day and don't walk properly, you might slip and break a bone one day."

Wei WuXian said: “Even if I break some bones, I still have you.”

"I don't want to work any more and I don't get paid. If you break it, don't blame me for rubbing your bones when I pick it up," she said tenderly.

Wei Wuxian shuddered and quickly slipped away. Walking into the shed, everyone made room for him. There were three tables, each with seven or eight plates of steaming hot food. Wei Wuxian asked, "Why, you haven't eaten yet?"

"No. I'm waiting for you."

Wei WuXian said, “What are you waiting for me for? I ate outside.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he realized something bad was going on. Sure enough, Wen Qing put the plate heavily on the table, and the red peppers on the dish all jumped. She said angrily: "No wonder you didn't buy anything. You ate it all at the restaurant, right? I only have so little money in total, and I gave it all to you. You spent it so freely!"

Wei WuXian said, “No! I didn’t…” At this time, Granny Wen also came out of the kitchen tremblingly, holding a cane in one hand and a plate in the other. Wen Yuan twisted a few times, twisted herself off his elbow, and ran over to say, “Grandma!”

Wen Qing turned around to help, complaining: "I told you not to take it. Just sit down without help. There's a lot of smoke and fire in there. Your legs are not good and your hands are not steady. If you fall, there will be only a few plates. It's not easy to carry these porcelains up the mountain..."

The other Wen family monks were placing their chopsticks, pouring tea, and leaving the chair for him. Wei Wuxian found it difficult to accept this.

In the past, he was not unaware that these people from the Wen family were actually somewhat afraid of him.

These people had heard of his notoriety during the Sun Shooting Campaign, his widely circulated brutal and evil ways of venting anger, and had also seen him killing people. In the first few days, Old Lady Wen trembled when she saw his legs, and Wen Yuan hid behind her. It took several days before he dared to approach him slowly.

However, at this moment, more than fifty pairs of eyes were looking at him. Although there was still fear in these eyes, it was awe, a bit of flattery, and a bit of caution. Most of them were the same gratitude and kindness as in the eyes of the Wen brothers and sisters.

She whispered tenderly, "Thank you for your hard work these days."

Wei WuXian asked, “You… suddenly spoke to me so nicely, I was a little startled?”

Wen Qing's five knuckles seemed to click, and Wei Wuxian immediately shut up.

But she continued to speak softly.

"...In fact, they have always wanted to have a meal with you and say thank you. But you were either running around everywhere or locked up in the Demon Cave for days and nights without coming out, and they didn't allow anyone to disturb you. They were afraid of delaying your work and annoying you, and they thought you didn't like dealing with people and didn't want to pay attention to them, so they were embarrassed to talk to you. Today, Aning woke up, and Fourth Uncle said that he had to sit at the same table with you no matter what...Even if you ate too much outside today, just sit down. It's okay if you don't want to eat, just sit down and chat and drink."

Wei WuXian was startled, his eyes lit up: "Drinking? There is wine on this mountain?"

Several older members of the Wen family had been looking at this side with a bit of anxiety. Upon hearing this, one of them immediately said, "Yes, yes. We have wine, we have wine." He picked up a few sealed bottles on the table, handed them to him, and said, "Fruit wine. It's made from wild fruits picked from the mountains. It smells very good!"

Wen Ning squatted beside the table and said, "Fourth Uncle also loves to drink. He brews it himself, specially brewed it. He tried for many days."

Because he spoke word by word and very slowly, he didn't stutter. Fourth Uncle smiled a little embarrassedly, staring at Wei Wuxian, a little nervous. Wei Wuxian said: "Really? Then I must try it!"

He sat down at the table, and his uncle quickly unsealed the bottle and handed it to him with both hands. Wei Wuxian sniffed it and smiled, "It smells really good!"

The others also sat down with him. After hearing his praise, they all seemed to have received great compliments. They smiled happily and started to eat.

For the first time, Wei Wuxian drank alcohol without being able to tell what it tasted like.

He was thinking: "Will I just keep going down this path until the end?"

It’s not very dark either.

Suddenly, I felt refreshed all over.

Fifty people were crowded together at three tables, chopsticks stretched and retracted, Wen Yuan sat on grandma's lap, showing her his new treasure, using a small wooden knife and a small wooden sword to fight for her, the old lady smiled with her toothless mouth. Wei Wuxian and the fourth uncle exchanged the wines they drank, and they finally agreed that the famous Gusu Tianzixiao was the undisputed best. Wen Qing walked around, pouring fruit wine for several elders and their subordinates, and it was empty after two rounds. Wei Wuxian said, "Why is it gone? I haven't drunk much yet?"

She said tenderly, "There are still a few bottles left. Save them and drink them slowly. Don't drink them today."

Wei WuXian said, “How can this be possible? As the saying goes, a glass of wine is worse than a posthumous reputation. Stop talking, just fill it up, thank you.”

Today was special, so she filled his glass tenderly and said, "This won't happen again. I really think you need to stop drinking. You drink too much."

Wei WuXian said, “This isn’t the Cloud Recesses, why are you giving up alcohol?”

Speaking of the Cloud Recesses, Wen Qing glanced at Wei Wuxian and said nonchalantly, "I forgot to ask you, you've never brought anyone to the mass grave before, what's going on today?"

Wei WuXian said, “You mean Lan Zhan? I met him on the road.”

She said tenderly, "You met? How did you meet? Was it an accidental encounter again?"

Wei WuXian said, “Yes.”

"What a coincidence," she said tenderly. "I remember you met in Yunmeng before."

Wei WuXian said, “It’s not surprising. There are often other cultivators in Yunmeng and Yiling.”

She said tenderly, "Just now I heard you calling him by his name directly. You are very brave."

Wei WuXian said, “He also calls me by my name. It’s nothing, we’re used to it since we were kids, so we don’t mind it.”

She said tenderly, "Oh? Aren't you two on good terms? It sounds like you are like water and fire, fighting as soon as you meet."

Wei WuXian said, “You just listened to rumors. Our relationship wasn’t that good before. We did get angry a few times during the Sun Shooting Campaign, but later on it wasn’t as bad as people say. It’s still okay, right?”

The warmth stopped talking.

The dishes on the plates were quickly wiped out. Someone knocked on the bowl and shouted, "Aning, go cook a few more dishes!"

"Fry more and get a bowl to put it in!"

"Where did you get the basin to hold the vegetables? It's for washing your face!"

Wen Ning didn't need to eat, and had been guarding the shed. Hearing this, he said slowly, "Oh, okay."

Wei WuXian saw an opportunity to show off his skills, and hurriedly said, “Wait. I’ll do it! I’ll do it, I’ll do it!”

Wen Qing said in disbelief: "You can also cook?"

Wei WuXian raised his eyebrows and said, “Of course. I can handle both housework and cooking. Watch me. Wait for me.”

Everyone clapped their hands to show their anticipation. However, when Wei Wuxian brought two plates to the table with a wicked look on his face, Wen Qing glanced at him and said, "Get as far away from the kitchen as possible from now on."

Wei WuXian defended, “Eat it. You can’t just look at the appearance. You’ll know it’s delicious once you eat it. It’s exactly this taste.”

She said tenderly, "Eat your ass! Didn't you see how Ah Yuan cried after eating it? It's a waste of food. Don't even stretch out your chopsticks. Don't give him this face!"

…

In just three days, almost everyone in the aristocratic families knew a terrible news: Wei Wuxian, who defected from the Jiang family and set up his own camp in Yiling, had refined the highest-level corpse so far. He was swift, powerful, fearless, ruthless, and had a complete and clear mind, making him invincible in night hunts!

Everyone was horrified: there would be no peace! Wei Wuxian would definitely refine this kind of evil corpse on a large scale, in an attempt to establish a sect and compete with other sects! And these many young bloods would definitely be attracted by his opportunistic and evil ways, and would flock to him. The future of the orthodox Xuanmen Hundred Sects was worrying, and the future was dark!

However, in reality, after the success of the corpse refining, Wei Wuxian felt that the greatest use was that from then on, he had a hardworking coolie to transport goods up the mountain. In the past, he could only transport one box of goods, but now, Wen Ning could pull a whole cart of goods by himself, and Wei Wuxian would sit on the cart with his legs crossed and do nothing.

But no one believed this. After several night hunts, many people came here to join the "old ancestor" and become his disciples. The deserted mountains and wild ridges were suddenly crowded with people. The evil corpses Wei Wuxian set up at the foot of the mountain would not attack actively. At most, they would just throw people away and then growl. No one was injured, and more and more people were blocking the mass grave. Once, Wei Wuxian saw a long flag of "Supreme Evil Lord Yiling Old Ancestor" from a distance, and sprayed fruit wine all over the ground. He couldn't stand it, so he went down the mountain and accepted all the offerings "to honor him" without hesitation. From then on, he went up and down the mountain from another path.

On this day, he was taking his coolies to purchase in a city in Yiling, when suddenly, a familiar figure flashed in the alley ahead. Wei Wuxian's eyes fixed, and he followed him quietly. Following the figure, the two flashed to a small courtyard. As soon as they entered the door, the courtyard was closed. A cold voice came: "Get out."

Jiang Cheng stood behind them. He was the one who closed the door, and he said this to Wen Ning.

Jiang Cheng was a very vengeful person, and his hatred for the Qishan Wen Clan was infinite. In addition, during the treatment of Wen Qing and Wen Ning, he was in a coma and could not empathize with Wei Wuxian, so he was never polite to Wen Ning, and he was even more ruthless last time. When Wen Ning saw that it was him, he immediately bowed his head and retreated.

A woman was standing in the courtyard, wearing a veiled hat and a black cloak. Wei Wuxian's throat was choked, and he said, "...Senior Sister."

Hearing the footsteps, the woman turned around and took off her hat and cloak. Under the cloak, she was wearing a bright red wedding dress.

Jiang Yanli was wearing this dignified wedding dress, with bright makeup on her face, which added a bit of color. Wei Wuxian took two steps towards her and asked, "Senior Sister... what are you doing?"

Jiang Cheng asked, "What is this? Do you think I'm going to marry you?"

Wei WuXian said, “Just shut up.”

Jiang Yanli opened her arms and showed them to him. Her face flushed slightly as she said, “Ah Xian, I… am getting married soon. Come here and show you…”

Wei Wuxian’s eyes were filled with tears.

He couldn't be present on the day of Jiang Yanli's wedding, and couldn't see his relatives wearing wedding clothes. So Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli came to Yiling secretly, led him into the courtyard, and let him see what his sister would look like on the wedding day.

After a long while, Wei WuXian smiled and said, "I know! I heard...

Jiang Cheng asked: "Who told you that?"

Wei WuXian said, “You take care of me.”

Jiang Yanli said embarrassedly: "But... I'm alone and can't see the groom."

Wei WuXian said disdainfully: “I don’t want to see any bridegroom.”

He walked around Jiang Yanli twice and praised, "It looks great!"

Jiang Cheng said: "Sister, I told you. It is really beautiful."

Jiang Yanli has always been quite self-aware, and said seriously: "It's useless for you to say it. You can't take what you say seriously."

Jiang Cheng said helplessly: "You don't believe me, and you don't believe him. Do you have to wait for someone to say it looks good before you believe it?"

Hearing this, Jiang Yanli's face turned even redder, all the way to her white earlobes. Even the pink color of her rouge couldn't cover it up. She quickly changed the subject and said, "Ah Xian... come and pick a name."

Wei WuXian asked: “What character should I choose?”

Jiang Cheng said, "My unborn nephew's name."

The ceremony hadn't been completed yet, but he was already thinking about giving his future nephew a name. Wei Wuxian didn't find it strange, and didn't hesitate at all. After thinking for a while, he said, "Okay. The next generation of the Lanling Jin Clan will be named Ru. Let's call him Jin Rulan."

Jiang Yanli said: "Okay!"

Jiang Cheng said, "No, it sounds like Jin Rulan, the Lan of the Lan family. Why should we call ourselves Rulan, descendants of the Lanling Jin family and the Yunmeng Jiang family?"

Wei Wuxian said, “There’s nothing wrong with the Lan family. Lan is a gentleman among flowers, and the Lan family is a gentleman among people. What a nice name.” Jiang Cheng said, “That’s not what you said before.” Wei Wuxian said, “It was me who was asked to choose, not you. Why are you being so picky?” Jiang Yanli said hurriedly, “Okay, you know that Ah Cheng is like this. It was he who suggested that you choose a name. Stop making a fuss, I brought you some soup, wait a minute.”

She went into the house to get the jar, and Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng looked at each other. After a moment, Jiang Yanli came out and gave each of them a bowl, then went back into the house and took out a third small bowl. She walked out the door and said to Wen Ning, "Sorry, we only have the small bowl. This is for you."

Wen Ning had been standing guarding the door with his head down. Seeing this, he was flattered and began to stutter again: "Ah... there's still a share for me?"

Jiang Cheng said dissatisfiedly: "Why is there still his?"

Jiang Yanli said, "Anyway, I brought so many, so anyone who sees it can have a share."

Wen Ning said hesitantly: "Thank you Miss Jiang... Thank you."

He held the small bowl filled with food and said, "Thank you, but he couldn't finish it. It would be a waste to give it to him. The dead don't eat." Jiang Yanli noticed his embarrassment, asked a few questions, and stood outside the door to chat with Wen Ning. Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng stood in the yard. Jiang Cheng raised his bowl and said, "To the Yiling Patriarch."

Hearing this name, Wei WuXian thought of the long flag fluttering in the wind, so majestic. His mind was filled with the eight golden characters “Supreme Evil Lord Yiling Patriarch”. He said, “Shut up!”

After taking a sip, Jiang Cheng said, "How is the injury from last time?"

Wei WuXian said, “It’s already been a while.”

Jiang Cheng said, "Yeah." He paused, then asked, "How many days have you been well?"

Wei WuXian said, “It will take less than seven days. I told you that with Wen Qing here, it won’t be a problem. But you really did stab me.”

Jiang Cheng ate a piece of lotus root and said, "You were the one who asked him to break my arm first. You were in surgery for seven days, but I had to keep my arm hanging for more than a month."

Wei WuXian chuckled, “How can it be similar if it’s not a little ruthless? It’s your left hand anyway, it won’t hinder your writing. If you break a bone, it will take a hundred days to heal it, and three months of hanging is not too much.”

Wen Ning's stuttering reply could be heard faintly from outside the door. After a moment of silence, Jiang Cheng asked, "Is this what you're going to do from now on? Do you have any plans?"

Wei WuXian said, “Not yet. Those people don’t dare to go down the mountain, and if I go down the mountain, no one will dare to mess with me. As long as I don’t take the initiative to cause trouble, it will be fine.”

"Not taking the initiative?" Jiang Cheng sneered, "Wei Wuxian, believe it or not, even if you don't cause trouble, trouble will cause you. It's often difficult to save a person, but there are more than a thousand ways to harm a person."

Wei WuXian lowered his head and said, “Strength can defeat skill. No matter how many methods he has, I will kill anyone who comes.”

Jiang Cheng said calmly: "You never listen to any of my opinions. One day you will know that what I say is right."

He drank the rest of the soup in one gulp, stood up, and said, "Majestic. Incredible. As expected of the Yiling Patriarch."

Wei WuXian spat out a bone and said, “Are you done yet?”

Before leaving, Jiang Cheng said, "Don't send me off. It would be bad if others saw us."

Wei Wuxian nodded. He understood that it was not easy for the Jiang siblings to come here. If they were seen by others, then all the drama they had put on for others would be in vain. He said, "Let's go first."

After leaving the alley, Wei Wuxian was still walking in front, and Wen Ning followed silently behind. Suddenly, Wei Wuxian turned around and asked, "Why are you still holding that bowl of soup?"

“Ah?” Wen Ning said reluctantly, “Take it back… I can’t drink it, but you can give it to others…”

“…” Wei WuXian said, “Whatever you want. Just hold it tight and don’t spill it.”

He looked back and realized that he might not see the people he used to know for a long time.

But...isn't he on his way to meet familiar people now?