The Corrupted Heart and A Sinless Path

Chapter 4

"When is this going to end?" Wei Ying sighed as the lesson didn't excite him.

His left arm rested on the table with a book still closed and a clean scroll, to allow his hand to support his heavy head. He glanced to his right to witness Nie Huaisang banging his head back and forth with difficulty opening his heavy eyes. Not only him alone but also his clan. On the other hand, Gusu Lan and Lanling Jin Sects fully paid attention to the lecture, especially Lan Wangji, the pride of his sect.

"It's only been 15 minutes and you're already whining," Jiang Cheng whispered frustratedly.

Master Lan ambled across the hall while giving out his lecture so Wei Ying took an opportunity to wake the clans up. He brushed his pen across a small piece of paper to draw a fat turtle and let it fly to paste on Master Lan's back when he passed. Yunmeng Jiang and Nie Qighie Sects giggled which caused their teacher to spin in anger however they suddenly acted innocent.

"Shameless," Lan Wangji mouthed at Wei Ying and gave a death glare while crumbling the paper as it flew to his hand.

Teacher Lan climbed up the platform and asked Wei Ying the difference between spirit, demon, monster, and ghost, knowing he didn’t need the lecture. Wei Ying answered fluently with rapid questions shot by his teacher and grinned at Jiang Yanli, admiring her little brother’s knowledge. However, once it came the process of dealing with an executioner who lived with his family, had died openly. Due to that, his energy had been suppressed, and resentment caused him to kill more people. Wei Ying shut his mouth and the others flipped through their book to search for the answer but Teacher Lan didn’t allow them so he asked his nephew, Lan Wangji.

Everyone in the hall room listened to him with open ears and digested the information in their brains. Wei Ying then raised his hand to ask the fourth answer if the first three didn't work and this made his teacher raged as it was a wicked method. Teacher Lan threw the scroll at him and even before he dodged it, it just floated in the air up and down. A sweet fragrance flowed into the hall that made the clans close their eyes except Lan Wangji to track the smell leading to the entrance.

Once they opened them after turning their body away from their tables, the Sakura Lady finally stood on her feet and sauntered behind Zewu Jun. They stood in front of the platform and she then flexed her right arm causing the scroll to return neatly on Teacher Lan’s table. Everyone was shocked to see her magic and the whispers occurred across the hall that their teacher loudly cleared his throat.

"Greetings Teacher Lan. I'm here to ask if I may join your lecture throughout the whole session till the end. There is no other reason except for seeking knowledge from the greatest clan," she asked for confirmation after discussing with Zewu Jun who smiled brightly at his uncle.

"Everyone is welcome here to be my student," Lan Qiren delighted to see her standing alive.

"Perfect," she smiled before continuing, "I'm Layla coming from a land far from here and pleased to present to you my gift."

However, she didn't bring anything with her; instead, she smoothly gestured her hands to control the pink petals that had waited outside dancing in the air. The clans were amazed to see the performance until the women raised their arms to cause the petals to brush their fingers. It swirled thinly in front of her which then caught in flame blazing to create a floating terrarium of twisted roots with only wide one opening.

Clearwater filled itself gradually from the base up just below the opening without leaking. A bundle of icy blue sakura bloomed on the surface of the water before the mist flowed out that never came to an end. She waves her fingers to continue levitating the gift to place it at the edge of Teacher Lan's table. The clans were speechless to witness the magic they had never seen till they gave her applause. She hid her blushed cheeks with her head hung low before sitting beside Jiang Yanli as they bowed to each other.

"That was incredible!" Mianmian complimented Layla as they left.

"How did you do it?" Jiang Yanli questioned her.

Layla had a hard time responding to everyone after consuming long hours of the lecture so she politely excused herself to get some rest. The gentlemen couldn't stop glaring at her causing their hearts to melt and Wei Ying bragged about how he saved her life from the attack. Nie Huaisang grinned ear to ear while his arm punched Wei Ying's body, however, Jiang Cheng couldn't bear his brother seeking attention.

"Brother," Lan Zhan stood behind the threshold of the hall with an unsettling heart.

"There is no record of her nor the magic. Just be friendly with her," Zewu Jun assured him the magic Layla possessed was harmless for a while from now on.

Instead of having a break in the room, Layla wanted to connect with nature again therefore she spent her time reading a book at the pavilion next to a great waterfall. She wasn't being rude to the clans who didn't get their greeting back from her because she lived in her world so they decided not to interrupt her. However, she came back to reality when she spotted Wen Qing wandering further deep into the Cloud Recesses which was forbidden to stray for the four greatest clans.

She tailed her while camouflaging herself in the wood and spied her activity. Wen Qing gazed at the mountain, scanning from the highest point to the bottom. After checking her surroundings side to side, she threw an acupuncture needle into the mountain. It bounced off as if the mountain was sealed by magic. Without taking much time, she marched off from the place with a hard face.

“What lies behind this secret that attracts her so much?” Layla asked herself while climbing on the platform.

Before Layla could even stand in Wen Qing’s previous position, her heart started to ache as if someone knocked countless nails one after another and another. She knelt with her hand supporting her body from the pain that caused her breathing thicker. She then got a flash of an image of herself standing somewhere in a dark, cold hall. As soon she spun around, she was startled to see the zombie growling in his sleep while standing. There were more than 30 zombies and among them was a normal man wearing a psychopathic smile glaring up at something.

“Xue Yang, find the rest of the shards before this unknown person gets it. Kill if you must to anyone who stands in your way. Even better if it’s the thief,” a voice spoke with a lowered tone that prickled the hairs on Layla’s neck.

Her unintentional crime of crawling away from the back mountain was soon caught by Lan Wangji who appeared to have taken a stroll. Hence, he immediately reported to Zewu Jun however, he let it slide and gave her another chance to see her actual motive in Cloud Recesses. Zewu Jun didn't notice anything peculiar but admired her potential instead, especially Teacher Lan because she was quite different from the other clans. She spent most of her time reading different sources obtained from the library and even asked about the other clans’ professions and practices.

When the darkness of the sky was being decorated with huge amounts of sparkling stars, Zewu Jun decided to visit Layla with a new pouch of herbs. Slowly approaching the room, music accompanied the quiet environment until he couldn't believe his eyes. She plucked the strings of guqin softly with the book displayed in front of her in the study space. He gestured his hand to let her continue to play without greeting him when she stopped the vibration to see his presence.

"I truly wonder who you are actually," Zewu Jun took a sip of the tea he brewed for both of them.

"That is the question I ask myself every day, Master Lan," Layla slowly spun the cup in her hand with a downhearted face.

"Am I allowed to walk on the right path or do I have to be born this way to prove I am acceptable with the magic they are afraid of?"