We strolled through the forest walking side by side together. Out of the blue, Wei ying became quiet, “Shush!”
Vigilant, he listened attentively for something before pulling me behind one of the bushes.
I didn’t know what he was doing. Just as I was about to ask, I saw that Wei ying stared in a certain direction. Following his gaze, I saw two figures, one white and the other purple, walk out from below the clouds.
The person in front had a slender physique. Although he had fine looks, an air of arrogance surrounded him. With a mark of vermilion between his brows and gold outlining his white robes, the jewelry he wore glimmered with even greater vibrance, especially along with his lofty chin and pompous expression. It was Jin ZiXuan. On the other hand, the one behind him had a more petite physique. With small steps, she held her head low and said nothing, creating stark contrast with Jin ZiXuan who was in front of her. It was Jiang YanLi.
His brows twitched. Looks like he must be really angry about jin zixuan having a walk with jiang gunya. I lowered my voice and asked him, “What has happened between you and Jin ZiXuan?”
Wei Ying snorted. I listened to him attentively.
To ask why he hated Jin ZiXuan so much would require a lengthy explanation.
Madam Yu and Jin ZiXuan’s mother, Madam Jin, used to be the dearest of friends. The two promised each other a long time ago that if both of their children were sons, they’d become sworn brothers; if both were daughters, they’d become sworn sisters; if one was a son and one was a daughter, then of course they’d become husband and wife.
The mistresses of the two sects had a close relationship. They knew what each other was like, and their backgrounds were suitable as well. Such a marriage was as good a match as possible; almost everyone called them a match made in heaven. However, the two involved felt otherwise.
Ever since he was born, Jin ZiXuan had been a moon worshipped by the stars. He was born fair-skinned and delicate. With a mark of vermilion on his forehead, along with his elite background and exceptional intelligence, he was loved by almost everyone he met. Madam Jin had brought him to Lotus Pier a couple of times. Neither Wei Ying nor Jiang wanyin liked to play with him; only Jiang YanLi wanted to feed him the food that she made. Jin ZiXuan, however, didn’t really like to pay her any attention. This made Wei ying and Jiang wanyin yell with anger in a few instances.
Back then, Wei ying stirred up trouble in the Cloud Recesses and wrecked the marital engagement between the Jin and the Jiang Sect. After returning to Lotus Pier, he apologized to Jiang YanLi, but Jiang YanLi didn’t say anything, only stroking his head. Thus, Wei ying and Jiang Cheng both thought that the matter passed. To end the engagement would grant everyone satisfaction. However, the only understood afterward that Jiang YanLi must’ve been feeling quite dejected on the inside.
In the middle of the Sunshot Campaign, the YunmengJiang Sect had been to the Langya area to assist the LanlingJin Sect. Because they were short of hands, Jiang YanLi went to the battlefield along with them.
She knew that her cultivation wasn’t high, so she did what she could, busying herself with the meals of the cultivators. In the beginning, neither Wei ying nor Jiang wanyin agreed, but Jiang YanLi had always been adopt at cooking. She felt happy, had good relationships with others, didn’t force herself either, and was actually quite safe, which was why the two didn’t find it such a bad idea.
Due to the difficult conditions, the meals were very bland. Jiang YanLi worried that her two brothers wouldn’t get used to the meals because of their usual luxuries, so she’d secretly make two extra bowls of soup for Wei Ying and Jiang wanyin. However, apart from her, nobody knew that she had been making an extra third bowl for Jin ZiXuan, who was also at Langya at the moment.
Jin ZiXuan didn’t know either. Although he really enjoyed the soup and felt grateful for the cook’s intentions, Jiang YanLi had never left her name. Nobody knew that another low level female cultivator had seen all of this. The cultivator was a servant of the Lanling Jin Sect. Since her cultivation wasn’t high, she did the same job as Jiang YanLi did. She had fair looks and knew to take opportunities. Out of curiosity, she followed Jiang YanLi for a few times before she was able to guess what was going on. Keeping her composure, she loitered outside of Jin ZiXuan’s house after Jiang YanLi brought the soup, purposely letting Jiang ZiXuan see her shadow.
Jin ZiXuan had finally managed to catch the person, so of course he was going to ask questions. Cleverly, the woman never acknowledged anything, but instead denied it ambiguously, her cheeks flushed, making it sound as though she was the one who did it, but didn’t want Jin ZiXuan to know how much trouble she went through. And thus, Jin ZiXuan didn’t force her to admit it any longer. However, in action, he had began to respect the cultivator. He began to pay attention to her, even raising her from a servant to a guest cultivator. For a long time, Jiang YanLi didn’t realize that something was wrong. This went on until one day, after Jiang YanLi brought the soup, she ran into Jin ZiXuan, temporarily there to pick up a letter.
Naturally, Jin ZiXuan was going to ask what Jiang YanLi was doing in his room. Jiang YanLi didn’t dare say it in the beginning. However, hearing that his tone sounded more and more doubtful, no matter how anxious, she had to tell him the truth.
Yet, somebody had used this reason already.
One could easily guess what Jin ZiXuan’s reaction was after he heard this.
And so, right then and right there, he ‘exposed’ Jiang YanLi’s ‘lie’. Jiang YanLi hadn’t expected something like this to happen at all. She had never been the type of person to show off; not even many people knew that she was a daughter of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect. In the short amount of time, she couldn’t find any strong evidence. She tried to protest, but the more she did, the more she felt cold at heart. In the end, stiffly, Jin ZiXuan told her, “Don’t think that just because you come from a powerful sect that you can steal and trample other people’s feelings. Some people, even if they come from poor backgrounds, their character are much better than the former’s. Please watch your conduct.”
Jiang YanLi could finally tell a few things from Jin ZiXuan’s words.
From the beginning, Jin ZiXuan had never believed that a maiden like her, born from a noble sect but had low cultivation, could do anything on the battlefield or help with anything at all. To put it simply, he thought that she just wanted to find a reason to approach him, that she was just here to add to the trouble.
Jin ZiXuan had never understood her, and hadn’t ever wanted to understand her either. Due to this, of course he wouldn’t believe her.
After he said a few harsh words to her, standing where she was, Jiang YanLi had burst into tears. When Wei ying returned, this happened to be the scene that he saw.
Although his shijie had an easy temper, except for how they cuddled and cried together the day the three of them reunited after Lotus Pier was destroyed, she hadn’t really shed many tears in front of others, much less cry so loudly, so pitifully in front of so many people. Wei ying was filled with panic. As he tried to ask her, Jiang YanLi was crying so badly that she couldn’t even speak properly. Then, when he saw Jin ZiXuan standing on the side, astonished, he fumed with anger, wondering to himself why it was the dog of a person again. With a kick, he pounced on Jin ZiXuan. The fight between the two would have alerted the Heavens. All of the cultivators around the base came to break up their fight. Amid the ruckus, he finally understood what was the cause of all this, and became even more angered. He spread his tough talk, saying that one day he’d definitely make Jin ZiXuan die in his hands, he told people to drag out the cultivator woman.
A round of questions later, the truth emerged, and Jin ZiXuan’s entire body was frozen. No matter how much Wei ying continued to curse at him, he returned neither words nor fists, his face dark. If not that Jiang YanLi held up her hand a while later, while Jiang Cheng and Jin GuangShan came to pull Wei WuXian away, it was likely that even now Jin ZiXuan wouldn’t be able to attend the hunt of Baifeng shan.
Afterward, although Jiang YanLi continued to work at Langya, she only did her own things. Not only did she stop bringing Jin ZiXuan soup, she wouldn’t even give him a proper look. Soon after, the crisis of Langya was solved, and Wei Ying and Jiang wanyin brought her back to Yunmeng. However, Jin ZiXuan, on the other hand, began to ask more and more about Jiang YanLi after the Sunshot Campaign ended, either out of guilt or having gone through Madam Jin’s scoldings.
Those who knew about this all said that it was only a misunderstanding. What was wrong now that it had been clarified? Yet, Wei ying didn’t feel the same way. He hated Jin ZiXuan to the extreme, who was to him a conceited male princess, an ostentatious peacock, a blind man who only looked at appearances. He didn’t at all believe that a narcissist like Jin ZiXuan could realize his mistake and suddenly take interest in Jiang YanLi. He’d probably been hurried and scolded too much by Madam Jin, and thus the reluctant completion of his tasks.
But no matter the hatred, to not let Jiang gunya feel difficult, Wei ying could only stop himself from coming out. I turned to look at him. He put his pointer finger on his lips, gesturing for silence, and continued to look over there. It's hard to control myself. The more I look into those lips I wanted to grab his face and kiss him passionately.
I felt really bad for jiang gunya. No matter how much ill-treatment jin zixuan give to her she loves him so much. She has a very good personality. In this moment I remembered the moment when I talked with her at Heijan last year. Its because of jiang gunya that Wei Ying became calm and have a conversation with me. She knows her little brother so well. How lucky that Jiang gunya get to see him everyday. I felt jealous about her.
On the other hand, Jin ZiXuan brushed the bushes away to reveal the thick corpse of a snake monster. He bent down for a while before speaking, “It’s dead.”
Jiang YanLi nodded.
Jin ZiXuan said, “The Measuring Snake.”
Jiang YanLi asked, “What?”
Jin ZiXuan replied, “A beast from the Nanman area. It’s only that when it sees someone, it’ll suddenly straighten itself and compare who’s the taller one. If it’s taller, it’ll devour the person. It’s not a big deal. It only looks scary.”
It seemed that Jiang gunya didn’t understand why he’d begin to explain such things to her out of the blue. Logically, at such a time, it was probably best to say a few superficial words like ‘Jin Gongzi is so well-learned’ or ‘Jin Gongzi is so calm’. However, what he just said was the most common of common sense. It was nothing but finding words when there were none. Such obviously fake flattery, it was likely that Jin GuangYao was the only one who could say them with a straight face. Jiang YanLi could only nod again. Wei ying guessed that she had been nodding on their whole way. I felt this scene a bit funny as well. Jin zixuan is trying to have a conversation but he was so nervous. And me, I'm even more nervous than him.
What followed was another while of silence. The awkwardness went through the grass and blew directly onto the two behind the bushes. A few moments later, Jin ZiXuan finally took Jiang YanLi in the direction that they came from. Even as he walked, he continued, “Scales can be seen on this Measuring Snake, and its fangs are longer than its jaw. It’s probably a mutant. Most people would find it difficult to deal with. They wouldn’t be able to shoot through the armor of scales either.”
After a pause, he added with a nonchalant tone, “But it’s not much anyways. None of the prey on this hunt are difficult. They can’t hurt the people from the LanlingJin Sect at all.”
Hearing how in the last two sentences, the air of pride rose up again, Wei ying found the situation quite irritating.
However, he saw me stare at Jin ZiXuan expressionlessly. Following my gaze, he was immediately speechless.
Jiang YanLi said, “It’s best if hunts don’t hurt anyone.”
Jin ZiXuan spoke, “What value are prey who don’t hurt anyone? If you go to the LanlingJin Sect’s private hunting grounds, you’d be able to see many rare monsters.”
Wei ying sneered in silence.
Yet, Jin ZiXuan had begun to decide the matter all on his own, “I just happen to have time next month. I can take you there.”
Jiang YanLi’s voice was soft, “Young Master Jin, thank you for your kindness, but there’s no need for the trouble.”
Jin ZiXuan paused in surprise, blurting, “Why not?”
How could she answer such a question? As though she felt uneasy, she lowered her head.
Jin ZiXuan asked, “You don’t like watching hunts?”
Jiang YanLi nodded. Jin ZiXuan, “Then why did you come this time?”
Seeing that Jiang YanLi was silent, Jin ZiXuan’s complexion switched between red and white. His expression was quite unsightly. A while later, he finally managed, “Do you not like watching hunts or do you just not want to be with me?”
Jiang YanLi whispered, “No…”
Anger rose from within him. A moment later, he laughed coldly, “Fine, then.”
Jiang YanLi said, “I’m sorry.”
Jin ZiXuan’s voice was ice, “What should you be sorry for? You can think whatever you want to. I wasn’t the one who wanted to invite you anyways. It’s fine if you don’t want to.”
I looked at Wei Ying. His brows twitched. He clenched his fists tight. He was angry.
Jiang YanLi’s lips trembled, but she said nothing. She bowed to Jin ZiXuan, her voice low, “Please excuse me.”
She turned around to leave, alone and quiet. Jin ZiXuan stood still for a few moments, looking in another direction. Sometime later, he suddenly shouted, “Stop!”
However, Jiang YanLi didn’t turn around. Jin ZiXuan was even more enraged. He caught up to her in just three strides and was about to grab her hand when a shadow suddenly flashed before his eyes. Before he could see who it was, he received a blow on his chest. Jin ZiXuan swung his sword across and backed away.
When he finally could see, he raged, “Wei WuXian, why is it you again?!”
Wei Ying blocked Jiang YanLi behind him, raging as well, “I haven’t fucking said it yet—why is it you again?!”
Oh this can't be good. These two are going to have another fight.
Jin ZiXuan, “Attacking because of nothing have you gone mad?!”
Wei ying struck with his palm, “That’s exactly what I’m doing! What do you mean because of nothing? What are you doing trying to grab my shijie just because of how ashamed you are?!”
Jin ZiXuan dodged to the side and returned to him a sword attack, “If I don’t grab her should I let her walk randomly around the mountain alone?!”
I should stop them. This peacock is being wild. I rushed towards th place they were arguing. However, the sword glare was hit to the side by another glare, shooting into the sky. Seeing who it was, Jin ZiXuan was shocked, “HanGuang-Jun?”
I unsheathed Bichen. Standing between the three, I maintained my silence. Just as Wei ying was about to walk forward, Jiang YanLi grabbed Wei ying, “A-Xian!”
At the same time, a series of scattered footsteps came over. A massive, swarming crowd gushed into the forest. The person at the head shouted, “What happened?!”
It turned out that, back then, both mine and Jin ZiXuan’s sword glares shot into the sky, startling the cultivators near them. They could tell at once that two people began a fight, which was why they hurried over and happened to see the strange deadlock of the four people in the forest. People often said that one could never avoid their enemy. The person at the head was nobody but Jin ZiXun. He spoke, “ZiXuan, is Wei making trouble for you again?!”
Jin ZiXuan said, “None of your business, don’t worry about it for now!” Seeing that Wei ying grabbed Jiang YanLi and was about to take her away, he said again, “Stop!”
Why is he stopping her? If you really have something to tell her just spill it out nicely, jin zixuan. You started conflict. Don't blame it on Wei ying. I thought.
Wei WuXian spoke, “You really want to fight? That’s fine with me!”
Jin ZiXun asked, “Wei, just what what do you mean by going against ZiXuan so many times?”
Wei ying looked at him and asked, “Who are you?”
Jin ZiXun paused in surprise before fuming, “You don’t know who I am?!”
Wei ying mused, “Why should I know who you are?”
Just as he was about to speak, gold light glimmered in the sky above them. A second group of people had arrived.
The group of people descended on their swords and landed firmly. The one leading them was a middle-aged woman, her features orthodox, edges carrying a hint of rigidity. She seemed valiant on her sword, while elegant when she walked. Jin ZiXun called, “Aunt!”
Jin ZiXuan hesitated, “Muqin! Why are you here?” Immediately after, he remembered that his and my sword glares had already broke into the skies. When Jin furen saw from the watching towers, of course she wouldn’t have not come. He glanced at the Lanling Jin Sect’s cultivators who had come along with his mother, “Why did you bring so many people over? You don’t need to interfere with the things of the hunt.”
Jin furen, however, spat, “Stop thinking so full of yourself. Who told you that I’m here for you?!”
She saw Jiang YanLi from the corner of her eye, who had shrunken herself behind Wei ying, and her face relaxed at once. She walked over and took her hand, speaking in a gentle voice, “A-Li, why are you like this?”
Jiang YanLi said, “Thank you, furen. I’m fine.”
Jin furen was rather sharp, “Did that damn little brat bully you again?”
Jiang YanLi hurried, “No.” She is still so polite towards that peacock. Why can't Jin Zixuan understand her feelings? I thought.
Jin ZiXuan shifted slightly. He looked as if he was holding back something. Of course Jin furen knew what her son was like. She knew what was going on with just one guess. Immediately, she broke into rage, scolding her son, “Jin ZiXuan! Do you want to die?!! What did you tell me before you came out here?!”
Jin ZiXuan, “I!”
Wei Ying said, “No matter what your son told you before he came out, Jin furen, it’ll be fine as long as he and my shijie walk separate paths from now on.”
He was in the middle of his temper, and so his words weren’t too polite. The good thing was that Jin furen busied herself comforting Jiang YanLi and didn’t care for it much. However, even though she didn’t care, somebody else used this as an opportunity. Jin ZiXun shouted, “Wei WuXian, my aunt is your senior. Speaking like this is a bit too presumptuous, isn’t it?”
The others felt that this made sense. Everyone nodded in agreement. Wei ying replied, “It wasn’t directed at Jin furen. Your cousin has regarded my shijie with harsh words over and over again. If the Yunmeng Jiang Sect could tolerate it, then we wouldn’t deserve being called an elite sect! How is it presumptuous?”
Jin ZiXun sneered, “How is it presumptuous? How is any part of you not presumptuous? Today, in such an important hunt involving all of the sects, you really showed off your abilities, didn’t you? One third of the prey have been taken by you. You sure feel pleased, don’t you?”
My head tilted slightly to the side, “One third of the prey?”
Although over a hundred people who followed Jin ZiXun emitted strong resentment, as they saw that me, rumoured to have a terrible relationship with Wei ying, speak up as if I was asking, because of our arguments at Sunshot campaign people spread rumours that Wei Ying and I are sworn enemies. What a pity? Somebody immediately replied impatiently, “HanGuang-Jun, you don’t know yet, do you? A while ago, when we were hunting on Baifeng shan, we searched for a long time and realized that not a single fierce corpse or resentful spirit is left in the grounds!”
How silly of me? At that time I crossed my line and did something..... Something silly. I even lost my interest to hunt.
“We only knew after we sent people to ask LianFang-Zun at the watching towers that less than an hour after the hunt began, a flute melody came from within Baifeng shan, and then all of the corpses and spirits walked into the Yunmeng Jiang Sect’s side one by one and surrendered themselves!”
“Of the three main categories of prey on Baifeng Shan, only the fay and the monsters are left…”
“As for the ghouls, Wei WuXian alone summoned away all of them…”
Jin ZiXun asked, “You care nothing for other people and only care about yourself—is this not presumptuous enough?”
Wei ying understood all of a sudden. At the end of it, this was the ulterior intent behind all of that. He laughed, “Weren’t you the one who said so? It was only the opening archery event; we could show our real abilities on Baifeng Shan.”
Jin ZiXuan laughed with a ha, as though he found it ridiculous, “What you’re depending on is just a crooked path. They’re not what you’re really capable of. You’re just playing a few tunes on the flute. How could it count as showing our real abilities?”
Wei ying sounded confused, “It’s not as if I tricked or schemed, so why not? You can play a few tunes on the flute as well and see if if any corpses or spirits would like to follow you?”
Jin ZiXun spoke, “With how much you disregard the rules, it’s not much better than tricks and schemes!”
Hearing this, I frowned. Madam Jin seemed as though she had just heard the quarrel that was going on over here. Her voice was indifferent, “ZiXun, that’s enough.”
Wei ying was too lazy to argue with him. He laughed, “Fine, then I don’t know what could count as real abilities. Please take it out and win against me so that I can see what it is.”
If he could actually win, Jin ZiXun wouldn’t be as frustrated as he was now. Speechless for a moment, the more he thought about it, the more indignant he felt. He mocked, “But it’s only natural that you don’t think you’re in the wrong. It’s not the first time that Wei Gongzi has disregarded the rules. You didn’t wear your sword in both last time’s flower banquet and this time’s hunt. It’s such a grand event, and you care nothing for courtesy. In what regard to you hold us, the people who are present with you?”
Wei ying, however, didn’t pay him any attention. He turned to me, “Lan Zhan, I forgot to say. Earlier, when you blocked the sword for me, thanks.”
Seeing how Wei ying seemed to not care about him at all, Jin ZiXun clenched his teeth, “So the Yunmeng Jiang Sect’s discipline is nothing more than this!”
This guy. He is rubbing salt over wound.
Jin furen’s brows stiffened, scolding, “ZiXun!”
Hearing this, Wei ying's smile disappeared at once. He asked, “Discipline?”
He turned his head slowly, “A crooked path?” He is losing it.
My voice was low, “Wei Ying.”
Jin ZiXun and the others noticed the unusual atmosphere as well. Holding their breaths, they looked at him. Wei ying smiled again, “Do you know why I’m not carrying my sword? It wouldn’t make a difference if I told you anyways.”
He turned around, stating one word at a time, “Because I want you to know that even if I don’t use my sword, with nothing but what you call a ‘crooked path’, I will still rise unparalleled and leave all of you staring at me from behind.”
With his words, all of the people present were shocked speechless.
No disciple had ever dared say such lofty words in front of so many people. A moment later, as Jin ZiXun finally regained his composure, he yelled, “Wei WuXian! You’re only the son of a servant—how dare you be so bold!!!”
How dare you insult him, Jin Zixun? Hearing those words, my gaze froze. The pupils of Wei ying’s eyes shrunk. It seemed that his right hand was almost going to touch Chenqing. As the air thickened with conflict, ready to burst any second, somebody suddenly spoke, “A-Xian!”
Hearing the voice, Wei WuXian’s heart softened. He turned around, “Shijie?”
Jiang YanLi waved at him, “A-Xian, come stand behind me.”
Wei ying hesitated. Before he could move, Jin furen quickly picked up her hand, “A-Li, don’t intervene in their business.” However, with an apologetic smile toward Jin furen, Jiang YanLi went forth and stood in front of Wei ying. She saluted Jin ZiXun and the others.
Jin ZiXun and his people didn’t know how to respond either. A few of them returned the salute, and a few didn’t. Jiang YanLi spoke to Jin ZiXun in a thin voice, “Jin Gongzi, from what you meant, it was A-Xian who made a third of the prey on Baifeng Shan all to himself; it defied the rules and he was too bold. I… I haven’t heard of anything like this either. It truly must’ve troubled everyone here. I apologize to you in place of him.”
As she finished, she bowed down again. It seemed to be quite a serious apology. Wei Ying called out, “Shijie!”
Jiang YanLi didn’t rise yet. She looked at him and shook her head almost unnoticeably. Wei Ying could only clench his fists and stay silent.
Jin ZiXuan gazed over from afar. His expression was quite complicated. Jin ZiXun and the rest, however, didn’t even try to conceal the triumph on their faces. They were more than satisfied with themselves.
Jin ZiXun chuckled, " Jiang Gunya, you really are kind and understanding. What your shidi did was extremely unbefitting, and indeed caused us much trouble. But since you do recognize that it was unbefitting, then for Jiang Gunya and Sect Leader Jiang’s sake, an apology won’t be needed. The Yunmeng Jiang Sect and the Lanling Jin Sect are as close as brothers, anyways.”
He was on the verge of breaking into pompous laughter. Wei Ying was fuming with rage as his tightened knuckles cracked. Just as he was about to speak, Jiang YanLi had finished her bow and got up, continuing in an earnest voice, “But, even if I haven’t participated in a hunt before, there’s one thing that I know—for all of the hunts that have happened, I’ve never heard of a single rule that prohibits someone from hunting too much prey.”
The smiles on the people’s faces froze before they could even set into place.
Jiang YanLi asked, “And so, you said that A-Xian defied rules—which exact rule did he defy?"
This time, it was Wei ying’s turn to laugh. I too find this scene so funny. Looks like Jiang gunya really have yu furen's attitude inside her. I heard so much about yu furen. She was a strong woman. Mother like daughter indeed.
Jin ZiXun’s face was dark, but he didn’t respond. There were two reasons. First, he had never seen Jiang YanLi step up and talk before, so he didn’t know how strong his reply should be. Both Jin furen and Jiang wanyin held Jiang YanLi in high regard, and he didn’t dare rashly go against them. Second, if they really looked into it, they’d indeed fail to find such a rule!
At this point, some people among the crowd couldn’t hold it down any longer. At such times, Sect Leader Yao was always the first one to jump out, “ Jiang gunya, that wouldn’t be the best way to put it. Although some rules aren’t written out, everyone understands and follows them.”
Someone shouted, “How much prey is in Baifeng Shan in total? Is it even five hundred? How many people are there in the hunt? More than five thousand! We’re fighting for the prey to begin with. If he keeps so much prey to himself using such wicked means, what could the other people do?”
These people couldn't catch the prey using their own abilities. Let me get into conclusion that you are actually felt jealous about his invincibility.
Wei ying sneered. As he was about to speak, Jiang YanLi stopped him, whispering, “It’s best if you don’t say anything.”
Someone else felt unsatisfied as well, “Yeah, or else I would’ve at least been able to get one.”
Hahahaha... I really wanted to laugh at this point. But my rules said that be strict about yourself. So I could only smile a bit.
Jiang YanLi said, “But… It isn’t his fault that others can’t capture the prey.”
The person couldn’t say anything back. She continued, “Isn’t the hunt all about true strength? Even if the ghouls are gone, aren’t there also the fays and the monsters? Even if he didn’t keep one-third to himself, or even if he didn’t attend the hunt, those who can’t capture the prey will never be able to. Although the methods that A-Xian used is different from what other people use, it’s still an ability that he cultivated. You can’t call it a crooked path just because others don’t have access to that third of the prey, can you?”
The people who gathered around Jin ZiXun had on the same dark faces as he did. Yet, taking into consideration Jiang YanLi’s background, they didn’t dare talk back to her directly.
Jiang YanLi added, “Besides, hunting is hunting, so why bring the matter of discipline to the table? A-Xian is a disciple of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect. He grew up with my brother and I, and so he’s as close as a brother is to me. Calling him the ‘son of a servant’—I’m sorry, but I won’t accept this. And thus…”
She straightened her back and raised her voice, “I hope that Jin ZiXun Gongzi would apologize to Wei WuXian of the Yunmeng Jiang Sect!”
If the one currently saying these words wasn’t Jiang YanLi and instead some random person, Jin ZiXun would probably have come at them with a slap already. His face was almost black, but he kept his mouth shut. Jiang YanLi stared at him quietly, refusing to turn her eyes away.
Jin furen spoke, “A-Li, why are you being so serious? It’s just a small matter. Don’t get so worked up.”
Jiang YanLi’s voice was soft, “furen, A-Xian is my didi. Him being humiliated by others, to me, isn’t just a small matter.”
Madam Jin glanced at Jin ZiXun, sneering, “ZiXun, you heard that?”
Jin ZiXun, “Auntie!”
For him to apologize to Wei Wuxian was at the least impossible. How could Jin furen not know what his personality was like? The situation at hand, however, was already quite uncomfortable. Imagining how Jin ZiXun would definitely throw a few tantrums after he apologized and returned to Jinlintai, she grew more and more annoyed, almost wanting to hold his neck down and force him to apologize. Suddenly, two sword glares arrived. It was Jin GuangYao and Brother.
I said, "Xiong Zhang."
Brother mused, “WangJi, why are you here as well?”
Jin GuangYao asked, “Everyone, what happened here?”
As he arrived, the repressed anger of both people immediately found a target to settle on. Just as Jin GuangYao landed, Jin furen scolded, “Still smiling? Such a big thing happened, and you’re still smiling! Just look at the hunt you organized, you good-for-nothing!”
Jin GuangYao always had the same smile plastered over his face. Not at all expecting to be scolded as soon as he arrived, he retracted his smile at once and replied earnestly, “Muqin, what in the world is going on?”
Jin furen narrowed her eyes, “What in the world is going on—can’t you see for yourself? Aren’t you supposed to be good at reading the atmosphere?”
Jin GuangYao stayed quiet as Jin ZiXun spoke, “One-third of all of the prey in the entire Baifeng shan is gone. What are the five thousand people here going to hunt for?!” He used the chance to muddle through the matter of apologizing to Wei Ying.
As he was about to continue, brother spoke up, “LianFang-Zun has already set about expanding the range of the hunting grounds. Please calm down, everyone.”
Now that brother had spoken, Jin ZiXun knew that it wasn’t suitable for him to say anything more. He couldn’t keep on venting off to Jin GuangYao either. Throwing his arrow onto the ground, he laughed bitterly, “The hunt this time is like a farce! Nevermind. It’s fine if I don’t participate. I quit.”
Jin GuangYao paused in surprise, “ZiXun, it’ll soon be arranged. At most you’d have to wait a hour longer…”
Sect Leader Yao called out as well, “Jin gongzi, that’s really not necessary!”
Jin ZiXun replied, “The hunt has already lost all fairness. Why should I wait? Please excuse my absence!” With this, he was about to lead his cultivators onto their swords. Jin GuangYao hurried toward him to try and persuade him. Some wanted to follow Jin ZiXun and leave as well, others were hesitating and didn’t want to give up just yet. The situation was immediately a mess.
Jiang YanLi shook her head and turned to Jin furen, “Jin furen, I really did make trouble for you.”
Jin furen waved her hand, “You’ll never make trouble for your mother-in-law here. Scold that dumb brat however you want to. It’s not like I care about him. If you’re still mad, I can help you beat him up.”
Jiang YanLi said, “There’s no need, there’s no need… Then, I’ll go back first?”
Madam Jin hurried, “To the Watching Towers? I’ll get ZiXuan to walk us back.”
As she spoke, she tried her hardest in eyeing Jin ZiXuan, who was standing some distance away. Jiang YanLi whispered, “That’s not necessary. I’d like to have a few words with A-Xian. He can walk me back.”
Jin furen raised her brows, looking Wei ying up and down. Her gaze was somewhat cautious, as if she was feeling displeased, “A young man and a young woman—you two can’t stick together all the time if nobody else is present.”
Jiang YanLi said, “A-Xian is my didi.”
Jin furen spoke, “A-Li, please don’t be angry. Tell me what stupid thing that stubborn brat of mine did to you this time. I’ll tell him to make it up to you properly.”
Jiang YanLi shook her head, “That’s really not necessary. Jin furen, don’t force him.”
Jin furen urged, “How could I force him? It’s not forced at all.”
Wei ying lowered his head, “Excuse my absence, Jin furen.”
He and Jiang YanLi bowed at the same time. As they turned around to leave, Jin furen grabbed Jiang YanLi’s hand and refused to let her leave. Between the pushes and the pulls, Jin ZiXuan ran over and shouted loudly, “ Jiang gunya!!!”
What is it this time? This guy keeps on stopping her from leaving.
Wei Ying pretended as though he heard nothing. He tugged at Jiang YanLi, “Shijie, quickly, let’s go.”
Jin ZiXuan shouted again, “That’s not it, Jiang gunya!!!”
This time, he couldn’t pretend that he heard nothing no matter what. Wei Ying could only turn around, along with Jiang YanLi. Even Jin ZiXun’s group, who was making a fuss on the other side, had their attention brought over. Everyone was wondering what Jin ZiXuan meant by ‘that’s not it’. Jin ZiXuan ran a few steps forward, as if he wanted to catch up, but then he stopped. Standing afar, he took in a few long breaths, the veins on his forehead protruding.
A moment later, he suddenly yelled, “That’s not it, Jiang gunya! It wasn’t my muqin, It wasn’t her intentions! I’m not forced, I’m not being forced at all!!” Holding it back for a few seconds, he finally roared, “It was me! It was myself! I was the one who wanted you to come!!!”
Jiang YanLi, “…”
Wei ying, “…”
Jin furen, “…”
Jin ZiXun, “…”
After his roars, Jin ZiXuan’s fair cheeks suddenly turned into the color of blood.
He indirectly confessed to her. Oh! How bold is he? But me? I still couldn't utter a single word about my love towards to the Yunmeng boy I fell in love with. All these years its still unspoken. I stole a kiss from him a few moments ago but I couldn't confess my feelings to him. Lan Wangji, you stupid. I thought to myself.
He staggered back a few steps, only managing to steady himself with the support of a tree. As he looked up, he froze. As if he finally recalled that many people were still present and remembered what he said in front of all those people, he stood blankly for a long time before suddenly realising what had happened. With a shout, he sprinted away.
With a few moments of dead silence, Jin furen broke out, “You idiot! Why are you running away?!
I felt pity for jin zixuan. He ran away because of embarrassment. Confessing in front of the public is too embarassing.
She pulled Jiang YanLi toward her, “A-Li, let’s continue our talk later on the Watching Tower! First I have to go catch him!” She left before she finished, rising up on her sword with a handful of other cultivators. She shouted as she chased in the direction in which Jin ZiXuan had fled.
Wei ying didn’t at all expect things to turn out this way either. After the frenzy of events, he didn’t even know what to make of things, “The hell is he doing? Shijie, let’s go.”
Jiang YanLi paused shortly before nodding. Wei waved waved at me, “Lan Zhan, I’m going.”
I nodded, saying nothing. In silence, I watched his and Jiang YanLi’s silhouettes slowly disappear into the woods. On the other hand, Jin GuangYao couldn’t stop Jin ZiXun and the others any longer. The group mounted their swords and left, all talking at once. The large cloud of people who had gathered was at once half of its original size. Seeing that there was no more show to watch, the rest of the people began to scatter as well.
Jin GuangYao wiped the sweat on his forehead, forcing a smile, “This really is…”
Brother patted his shoulder, “Today’s matter was not your fault.”
Jin GuangYao sighed and massaged the center of his brows, “I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it even in two hours.”
Brother asked, “Why is that?”
Jin GuangYao replied, “In reality, not only did Young Master Wei keep a third of the prey to himself, our eldest brother has eliminated over half of the fays and the monsters as well.”
Hearing this, brother laughed, “That is how Brother is like, after all.”
I touched my lips and smiled. I'm really crazy. I thought. The sensation is still exists in my body. The wild sensation after I stole a kiss from him.
Jin GuangYao spoke as though he had a terrible headache, “And so, the range of the hunting grounds might have to be expanded even more.”
Brother said, “Then, let us set about it as soon as we can.”
Jin GuangYao apologized, “Sorry, er ge. You’re here to participate in the hunt, and I had to have you come over to help me last minute.”
Brother smiled, “It is fine. WangJi, should we leave, or would you like to help as well?”
I summoned Bichen in silence, “I will help.”
We left on our swords in silence.