Times Have Changed [MDZS]

Chapter 14: Hanguang-Jun 《OG Timeline》

The corner of Lan Wangji's eyes twitched. The Burial Mounds was indeed not as stable as before. Thirteen years ago, the Burial Mounds turned to shambles. It's resentful and hostile energies leaked to the town surrounding it, creating a massive hunting spanning in the territories of Yunmeng and Qishan.

He had a deep impression of this incident because it was the aftermath of Wei Ying's death. Many said that it was the revenge of the Yiling Patriarch, a curse he left to the world in exchange for his death.

It took the combined efforts of all cultivation sects to calm it down. They managed to contain the resentful and hostile energies within it but its stability inside was still shaky. It was indeed not a safe place to stay.

"Wangi, please comeback with me," Lan Xichen spoke, almost desperate.

Lan Wangji evaded his brother's eyes as he replied, "Xiongzhang, I'm sorry."

Lan Xichen, "I know that you felt bad for Young Master Wei, but Wangji, you already cleared his name. Punishing yourself by staying here... I'm afraid that the resentful energy here would affect your temperament."

Lan Wangji frowned. Did his brother mean that his actions were influenced by the energies here? Or did his brother suspect him for straying away from orthodoxy? He understood his brother's concern. He himself knew that the him now was capable of doing anything just to get Wei Ying back. But he hadn't still get to that point. "Xiongzhang should not worry, Wangji is only here to ask the spirits."

His brother sighed, "I know, I'm just worried about you."

Lan Wangji, "Wangji have regrets, Xionzhang should understand this." His gaze travelled outside the cave, his words were still as polite as he spoke, "It is not early, Xiongzhang should go back."

Lan Xichen furrowed his eyebrows, staring at his brother whose face was as expressionless as usual. However, Lan Xichen knew that his brother right now would not cower in the face of any force. He could only give in, "...Alright, you should send me letters. Please return to Gusu as soon as you're ready. The juniors are asking about you."

Lan Wangji, "Mnn." He paused, "Xiongzhang should also take care of himself."

"Yes, of course." When Lan Xichen turned around, walking away from his brother, he had no idea that Lan Wangji would never comeback, that it would be the last time he would see his brother. The reason for this came not long after he left.

The glare of Bichen illuminated the clearing outside the Demon Slaughtering cave, its sharp edge cutting through the wind and the miasma of resentful energy. It imbedded itself to a nearby tree, but if one would look closely, it actually pinned the sleeves of someone, preventing the person to escape.

The person nervously fanned themselves with their free hand as they wailed, "Hanguang-Jun, I don't know, I don't know, I really don't know."

Lan Wangji approached but didn't recall his sword contrary to his polite words, "Sect Leader Nie, why are you here?"

Nie Huaisang replied miserably, "I just... I'm visiting Wei-xiong's grave. It's his death anniversary, and I want to pay respect to the dead."

Lan Wangji's brows twitched ever so slightly. If Lan Xichen was still here, he would understand that his brother was displeased with the other using Wei Wuxian as an excuse. In fact, even though the tone of Lan Wangji's voice was the same, it appeared colder as he stated, "There is only the two of us here."

It wasn't clear how Nie Huaisang interpreted it, but his lips suddenly curled up behind his fan. "Then I will not go in circles. Hanguang-Jun, I have a proposition that you will be interested in."

Lan Wangji remained silent for some time. He wasn't clueless about the real nature of Nie Huaisang. He knew that the Sect Leader had his hands for what happened from the Mo Village to the Yunmeng Guanyin Temple. He was someone to be wary about. However, something was telling him that he should hear the man out. Lan Wangji heaved an inaudible sigh as he recalled his sword, sheathing it before nodding, "Please speak."

Nie Huaisang beamed, "Hanguang-Jun, I have something to show you first."

Lan Wangji frowned but let the Sect Leader led him. He was surprised when Nie Huaisang walked inside the Demon Slaughtering cave, taking turns and familiarly strolling like it was his home. He stopped in a quite hidden corner, pushing the unsuspicious rock in one of its wall, and revealing a tunnel that Lan Wangji was not aware of.

"Years after the calming of the Burial Mounds, the old farts decided to check the stability within. I (secretly) followed the expedition and happened to stumble upon this place," Nie Huaisang suddenly spoke in reply to Lan Wangji's silence, once again surprising Lan Wangji that he could tell that he was asking for an explanation.

After a few seconds, he shifted with another subject, "Mo Xianyu of the Mo Village."

Nie Huaisang activated a fire talisman as he entered the tunnel with Lan Wangji trailing behind him before he continued, "His soul was not snatched by the Goddess of the Dafan Mountain. He was meant to be a sacrifice. A sacrificial vessel that would willingly gift his body to his chosen spirit in exchange for revenge. Wei-xiong was skilled with dark arts, with things concerning the dead. I was hoping that he could assist my plan together with you. However, the ritual failed, Mo Xianyu's soul was lost forever, his body left without a soul." Nie Huaisang halted his step, looking behind his back, "Hanguang-Jun, why do you think the ritual failed?"

It was easy for Lan Wangji to piece together the information that Nie Huaisang told him. His eyes drooped, the flickering of the fire talisman in Nie Huaisang's hand casted a warm hue on his pale face while his lashes casted light shadows onto his cheeks, making his expressionless face appear gloomy. Lan Wangji answered, "The spirit he called for had already dissipated."

"That is what I would think had I not seen this before. There could be another reason," Nie Huaisang said exactly when they reached a pool as red as blood. In the middle of this pool was a platform drawn with strange array, and in the middle of the array was a small crack suffused with deep red glow that would fluctuate from time to time. "Wei-xiong is indeed no longer in this world, but it's whether his spirit completely dissipated or...it's now in the place unknown to us. I have doubts about the way Wei-xiong died. They said that he was chewed to death."

Lan Wangji, "He wasn't."

"Yes, it was indeed odd. Like something exploded. And then this," Nie Huaisang pointed to the crack.

Lan Wangji nodded as he formed a complex hand seal before pouring his spiritual power to the crack to test it out. Image of the Burial Mounds suddenly assaulted his mind, a man falling from a high altitude, his face swollen, his hair disheveled, and his robe though grey was evidently soak with blood.

Lan Wangji forcibly pulled his cognition from the crack. His lips slightly parted, closed again, before he finally said, "Wei Ying... This is..."

"This is positively a crack between the space and time." Nie Huaisang pulled manuals and notes from his sleeve. "We can use it as a medium to travel back in time. This is my proposition. Hanguang-Jun, are you willing to accept?

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