Yuan Xian escorted Ji Lanying back to the Ji family, had him helped down from the carriage and handed over to the gatekeeper, then turned and walked away.
Ji Lanying knew that Yuan Xian was genuinely angry, but he could not tell whether this departure was merely a fit of pique, or whether Yuan Xian truly intended to have nothing more to do with him.
His heart jolted with panic, and he could not help reaching out to catch hold of Yuan Xian’s sleeve. “Brother Yuan, I…”
Yuan Xian pulled his sleeve from Ji Lanying’s grasp and walked away without a word.
The scene happened to be witnessed by Ji Lanying’s mother, who had come out from the courtyard after hearing the commotion. She hurried over to greet him, but by the time she reached Ji Lanying, Yuan Xian had already disappeared.
His mother could not help asking in surprise, “Why did Young Master Yuan leave so quickly today? He usually sits down and has a cup of tea.”
Ji Lanying was in extremely low spirits, but forced a smile. “Perhaps he had something to attend to.”
He could not let his family know that he and Yuan Xian had fallen out. Otherwise, life would become very difficult for him.
His mother did not think much of it. In her impression, Yuan Xian had always treated Ji Lanying exceedingly well, while Ji Lanying himself was mild-tempered. She could not imagine that there might be any quarrel between them.
Besides, there was something else, something much more important, weighing on her mind.
“Lan Ying, do you remember your younger brother? I mentioned him to you before.”
She drew Ji Lanying aside and lowered her voice. “Your poor little brother. When I was carrying him, we were constantly moving from place to place, and I had to look after you as well. I neither ate nor slept properly, and he was born with a weak constitution and no spiritual root because of it. I remember you promised before that you would find a way to get him into Guiyuan Manor.”
Ji Lanying’s brows drew tightly together. He pressed a hand over the wound that was throbbing faintly before saying, “Guiyuan Manor… isn’t really suitable for him.”
He realised sadly that Yuan Xian had been right. There would always be matters, great or small, for which he had to go and plead with him. It was not that Yuan Xian could not do without him, but that he himself lacked the ability to manage without Yuan Xian. Yet he could not manage without other people either.
His mother was so preoccupied with what she wanted to say that she had not even noticed that Ji Lanying was injured. Hearing the refusal in her son’s words, she surprisingly did not cry or make a fuss as she normally would. Instead, she nodded in agreement. “That’s true. The people at Guiyuan Manor are fond of fighting and throwing their weight around. I’ve thought it over, and I’m afraid he’ll be bullied if he goes there. How about sending him to Xuantian Tower instead?”
Ji Lanying was stunned. “Xuantian Tower?”
The moment those three words left his mouth, he felt his vision go black. He thought to himself that misfortunes really did never come singly. It seemed even his own mother had gone mad.
Ji Lanying clutched his chest. “Mother, let me go back and lie down before we talk about this. I can’t hold out any longer with these injuries.”
A moment ago, he had barely been able to stand in front of Yuan Xian, looking as though he might collapse at any moment. Half of that had been genuine and half an act. Now he truly could not remain standing.
Only then did his mother notice how deathly pale his face was. She cried out in alarm, “Oh goodness, what’s happened? You’re so badly hurt! I’ll have the family physician take a look at you later.”
Yet after saying this, she still refused to let Ji Lanying leave. She patted his hand and lowered her voice. “But not just yet. I’ll cut you a slice of ginseng to suck on. Hold on a little longer. People from Xuantian Tower have come looking for you. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”
“People from Xuantian Tower have come looking for me?”
Ji Lanying’s voice trembled. “Who are they? What do they want?”
His mother said delightedly, “I hear one is the head of the Linzhong Division and the other is the head of the Nanlü Division. They’re both of the same generation as the Illustrious Sage and the Law Sage, and very highly placed indeed. They came together to see you, and they’ve brought gifts as well. They’re in the front hall, being entertained by the clan head!”
Ever since Ji Lanying had begun travelling the martial world, he had encountered one fortuitous opportunity after another, always managing, through all sorts of unlikely coincidences, to make the acquaintance of important figures. His mother had long since grown accustomed to it.
She was determined to use this connection to get her beloved youngest son into Xuantian Tower, and so she kept urging Ji Lanying towards the front hall to meet the visitors, afraid that if he rested even for a little while, the two division heads from Xuantian Tower would leave.
Ji Lanying was in a state of utter panic. He had never imagined that, despite having suffered such serious injuries, the people from Xuantian Tower would still pursue the matter so relentlessly. He had no idea why they had come to his door.
He did not recognise the others, but the head of the Linzhong Division was plainly He Zhanyang, the little white dragon from before. Remembering that man’s explosive temper, Ji Lanying felt a wave of dread.
He could no longer care about anything else. Gritting his teeth, he decided that he would rather die than go. He closed his eyes and prepared to pretend to faint.
“Second Madam, Fifth Young Master.”
Before Ji Lanying could fall, several Ji family servants approached and said respectfully, “The family head has ordered us to invite you both to the front hall to meet the distinguished guests.”
Their expressions and tone were even more cautious than usual, clearly because they too felt that Ji Lanying had many powerful friends and an unlimited future ahead of him.
His mother was highly pleased. “Let Lan Ying change his clothes, and we’ll go over at once. Oh, why are you carrying a rattan chair?”
The servant hesitated. “This… the guests said that if the Fifth Young Master is unwell and faints, we are to carry him to the front hall. They said they certainly have a way to treat him. Please hurry.”
The meaning was perfectly clear. Pretending to faint or pretend to be ill would be of no use. Even if he were dead, his corpse would still be carried out to receive the guests. Ji Lanying’s mother felt that something about this sounded wrong, but she could never have imagined that her usually timid and obedient son could have caused such a huge disaster. She therefore said, “Then don’t change your clothes. Don’t keep the guests waiting. Lan Ying, come along.”
The servants stopped beneath the covered walkway. Ji Lanying and his mother entered the front hall, where the room was already filled with people. Every member of the Ji family with even a little standing or influence had arrived. Besides them, a strange young man and woman were seated in the places of honour.
Both appeared to be in their early twenties, with handsome features and bright, lively eyes. A large chest stood beside them, though no one knew what it contained.
The young woman wore a fitted martial outfit and had a spirited, heroic air about her. She was Guan Wanqiong, head of the Nanlü Division of Xuantian Tower. The other young man had one leg crossed over the other and lounged in his seat like a pampered young master as he sipped his tea, radiating the arrogance and insolence of a spoiled scion. He was none other than He Zhanyang, whom Ji Lanying had met only moments ago.
The moment Ji Lanying’s mother entered, her face broke into smiles. She was just about to exchange a few pleasantries with the two guests and ingratiate herself with them when she saw the Ji patriarch’s expression harden. “Kneel down!”
His cold shout made her freeze. The smile on her face instantly stiffened. When she turned around, she saw Ji Lanying already kneeling on the floor without a word.
His mother stared down at him in bewilderment and stammered, “W-what is going on?”
“What is going on? You have the nerve to ask? Look at the fine son you’ve raised!”
Patriarch Ji slammed his hand on the table and pointed furiously at Ji Lanying.
“You were not originally a direct member of the Ji family. I saw that your mother was widowed and your younger siblings were still small, so I took you all into the main family and raised you here. And what did you do? You actually plotted against the Illustrious Sage and brought down a calamity of the heavens! Is this how you repay the kindness I showed you in raising you?”
The moment Ji Lanying’s mother heard the words “plotted against the Illustrious Sage”, she was scared out of her wits. Her body swayed, and she nearly fainted. She could not remain standing either. She fell to her knees beside her son, seized Ji Lanying by the arm and said, “What is this about? How could you possibly do such a thing? Lan… Lan Ying, explain yourself at once! It’s a misunderstanding, isn’t it?”
What was there left to explain? He had already said everything that needed to be said. The fact that they had come all the way to his door clearly meant that they had come to vent their anger. Even Yuan Xian had refused to listen to him. Who else could possibly believe him?
Ji Lanying said hoarsely, “This matter… was the result of a chain of unfortunate coincidences, but I absolutely did not do it intentionally.”
Patriarch Ji was about to continue berating him when He Zhanyang had clearly grown impatient. He tossed his teacup onto the table and said, “Enough.”
The porcelain struck the tabletop with a crisp sound and spun round and round from the force of his throw.
Everyone around them had already been somewhat tense, and the commotion only made them more flustered. Yet not one of them dared step forward to steady the teacup. They could only mutter inwardly that this Division He really did have an appalling temper.
After spinning several times, the teacup eventually came to rest upright. He Zhanyang folded his arms across his chest, crossed his legs, leaned back against the chair and said casually, “There’s no need for the Ji family head to get so worked up. We’ve come today under the Law Sage’s decree to offer an apology. We’re not here to seek revenge.”
That was what he said, but the people of Xuantian Tower knew perfectly well what the Law Sage had really intended by sending such an incorrigible fellow to apologise.
Patriarch Ji cursed inwardly, but smiled on the surface. “How could you say such a thing, Division Head He? The situation has already been made perfectly clear between both sides. Ji Lanying was the one who offended the Illustrious Sage first, and he suffered these injuries because he was too foolish to know his place and walked straight beneath the Law Sage’s sword. The Ji family is already ashamed enough of our failure to discipline our juniors properly. If you put it that way, Division Head He, I truly have no face to go on listening.”
He Zhanyang gave a sarcastic laugh. “How can you say the Ji family has failed to discipline its juniors? From what I can see, your family has a pure and upright tradition, full of tolerance and affection. It’s truly admirable. If someone like Young Master Ji were in Xuantian Tower, hehe, I’m afraid I would have lost patience and whipped him to death by now.”
Patriarch Ji: “…”
Guan Wanqiong hurriedly interjected, “That’s enough, Shixiong. Listen to yourself. What on earth are you saying?”
She gave the Ji family head an apologetic smile. “Please forgive my shixiong, Patriarch. Once he loses his temper, no one can control him. He is the closest to the Illustrious Sage, so his concern has got the better of him. He means no disrespect towards you.”
Patriarch Ji gave a dry laugh. “It’s only natural. It’s only natural.”
Guan Wanqiong seemed relieved. She patted her chest and smiled. “I’m glad you don’t take offence.”
She was the youngest of their generation, and there was still something bright and guileless about her manner. She was also unfailingly polite, making it difficult for anyone to become angry with her. Having been needled by He Zhanyang, the Ji family could only swallow their anger.
Guan Wanqiong continued, “As long as we clear things up, all is well. I hope our two sects won’t allow such a minor matter to create a rift between us. Here, please accept our apology, Young Master Ji. Take good care of your injuries, and don’t dwell on what happened before.”
They called it a minor matter, but their actions certainly suggested otherwise. They had even sent two division heads. They truly lived up to their reputation for being fiercely protective of their own.
Ji Lanying watched helplessly as Guan Wanqiong waved a hand. The two men behind her carried the large chest over and set it down in front of him. He Zhanyang wore a wicked smile, looking thoroughly entertained.
It definitely wouldn’t contain anything good.
Ji Lanying could not help imagining human heads, monsters, poisonous snakes and all sorts of other disgusting and terrifying things. He instinctively shrank backwards, not daring to step forward and open the chest.
The others clearly had similar thoughts, their expressions growing tense. His mother hurriedly moved out of the way.
Yet they had all guessed wrong. When the lid was lifted, a fragrant scent wafted out, revealing a chest packed to the brim with rouge and face powder. Patriarch Ji stared for a moment before asking involuntarily, “This is…”
Guan Wanqiong bent down, gently patting the lid of the chest with her slender hand. Smiling, she said, “Just some ordinary things for grooming and making oneself presentable. I selected them personally and brought them today especially for Young Master Ji. I also wanted to offer you a little advice. If you truly dislike your own appearance and are jealous of other people, perhaps you should put a little more effort into this area. As for Young Master Yuan of Guiyuan Manor…”
She smiled sweetly as she leaned closer to Ji Lanying, her expression innocent and charming. Lowering her voice, she whispered, “Although he isn’t much of a person, he is, after all, someone our Xuantian Tower paid a price to secure. He’s worth more than rouge and face powder. And since you’re not worthy of him, don’t keep setting your heart on him, all right?”
Ji Lanying felt as though he had been slapped squarely across the face. His complexion turned pale, then flushed a moment later to a deep red.
The mockery and contempt in Guan Wanqiong’s eyes struck directly at every sordid thought he was unwilling to confront or admit. An overwhelming sense of shame, accompanied by hatred, surged through his heart.
If Ji Lanying had not become angry, she truly would not have been satisfied. Guan Wanqiong was pleased to see the resentment and helplessness written across his face. She straightened up and turned back. “Shixiong, I think it’s time we went back.”
He Zhanyang felt that he had finally vented his anger, and was now in excellent spirits. He rose with a cheerful smile, cupped his hands towards the Ji family head and said, “Apologies for intruding today. In any case, it’s good that we’ve cleared up the misunderstanding. Then we’ll take our leave.”
He was in high spirits now. Xuantian Tower had said both kind and unkind things, and the meaning behind it all was simply this: although Ji Lanying had offended them, they would not take their anger out on the Ji family. The Ji family and Ji Lanying were two separate matters.
Patriarch Ji had held his position for many years and was naturally an old hand at reading between the lines. Understanding the unspoken message, he rose to see them off. “What are you saying, Head He? This whole matter arose because I failed to govern my family properly. I shall shortly have Ji Lanying, his mother and his younger siblings removed from the family register, and give Xuantian Tower an explanation.”
Ji Lanying had already been so humiliated and furious by Guan Wanqiong’s taunts that he could barely raise his head. When he suddenly heard these words, his eyes widened and he stared straight at them.
He had begun as a disciple of a collateral branch and painstakingly schemed his way, step by step, into living with the main family and having his name entered into the family register. How much effort and calculation had he invested in it all? And now, in a single instant, everything had been reduced to nothing!
Who could help him?
A great many names flashed through Ji Lanying’s mind, but when he remembered the way Yuan Xian had treated him earlier, an unease took hold of him. A sudden terror of being abandoned by fate rose within him.
Without anyone to support him, he could not take a single step. He had no idea what he was supposed to do.
He Zhanyang and Guan Wanqiong, on the other hand, felt utterly refreshed. If they had known what was going through Ji Lanying’s mind, they probably would have been delighted enough to jump for joy.
Once they left the Ji family, the two dismissed their attendants and flew ahead on their swords, hurrying back to the Xuantian Tower branch.
He Zhanyang had already met Ye Huaiyao, but Guan Wanqiong had been delayed by a mission and arrived at the Ji family directly from Xuantian Tower. She had heard that her shixiong had returned, but had not yet had the chance to meet the real person.
Even as she flew through the air on her sword, she remained anxious. She tugged at He Zhanyang and asked, “Shixiong He, do you think Ye-shixiong really has come back? You truly saw him, and touched him? I’m not dreaming, am I?”
He Zhanyang said, “Girl, you’ve asked me that seventy or eighty times on the way here! You’ve even torn a piece off my sleeve. If you still don’t believe me, you’ll see him for yourself in a moment. You can go up and have a good look at him and give him a proper touch yourself. Wouldn’t that be much better than tormenting me here?”
This time, Guan Wanqiong surprisingly did not kick him. She took a fan from her storage bag and gently rubbed it in her hand, lost in thought. “I brought shixiong’s Floating Rainbow Sword out as well. When I see him, I’ll return it to him. After all these years, Floating Rainbow must miss its master too.”
This fan was the transformed form of the Floating Rainbow Sword that Ye Huaiyao wielded. After the great battle all those years ago, it had been found beneath the rubble by disciples of Xuantian Tower, but its master was nowhere to be found. Now, hearing Guan Wanqiong say that she intended to return it to Ye Huaiyao, Floating Rainbow seemed to sense that its long wait was coming to an end and trembled faintly.
He Zhanyang let out an “Ah!” and stamped his foot. “You’re so sly! How did the sword end up with you? I searched everywhere for it before I left and couldn’t find it! Hand it over. I was clearly the one who was going to return it to shixiong. I thought of it first!”
Guan Wanqiong pressed down with her foot, and the sword floated away from him. She said disdainfully, “I took the sword and hid it in my room the moment shixiong’s soul lamp lit up. You’re the one who was foolish enough to blame someone else. I’m not giving it to you!”
He Zhanyang refused to give up and reached out to snatch it again, only to be smacked with the scabbard by Guan Wanqiong. The two bickered and tussled all the way towards the Xuantian Tower branch.
For cultivators, eating and sleeping were not necessities, but Ye Huaiyao had suffered several enormous losses of energy this time, and Yan Chen had only just cleared his meridians for him. Exhausted, he lay down on the bed and, unexpectedly, enjoyed a long-awaited deep sleep.
Vaguely, it seemed that he dreamed of returning to his childhood, to the days before he had come to Xuantian Tower.
The summer heat was fierce. Even in the early morning, the sunlight was already particularly abundant, falling over the luxuriant weeds that had been left untrimmed in the garden, while the scorching wind tore them into disarray.
Before him stood an abandoned palace.
The glazed tiles along the eaves had peeled away, leaving them dull and lustreless. The vermilion paint on the doors, walls and pillars had faded into mottled patches. Several sections of the surrounding walls had collapsed, with rubble piled beneath them, while luxuriant wild grasses and vines had grown up through the debris, spreading wantonly into every corner.
Eleven-year-old Ye Huaiyao wandered aimlessly through the garden. It was utterly silent, save for the sound of his boots striking the ground beneath his feet. The sunlight warmed his body slightly.
His heart was full of curiosity. He did not know what this place was, and he had never seen somewhere so ruined and desolate.
It was only when he reached the front of one of the halls that he noticed the palace door was slightly ajar. Through the gap, he could see a pair of strikingly clear black and white eyes secretly peering at him.
Ye Huaiyao stopped and said, “Huh?”
He had always been bold. Instead of running away, he took several steps forward, and only then did he see that a little boy was crouched behind the palace door, peering outside through the crack.
Ye Huaiyao tilted his head. “Who are you? Did you come here to play hide-and-seek?”
The palace door opened a little further. The little boy answered nervously, with a hint of fierceness, “I… I’m not playing… hide-and-seek. Who… who are you?”
Ye Huaiyao found him amusing and smiled. “Me…”
He was just about to continue when someone behind him suddenly cried out in a shrill voice, “Brother!”
His whole body jolted. He spun around, and the voice called again, “Brother!”
Then the dream suddenly descended into chaos. Blood flashed into being, and the clash of blades and swords came rushing towards him. Ye Huaiyao broke out in a cold sweat, abruptly opened his eyes and sat bolt upright.
His gaze stared blankly ahead. Then his pupils contracted as he realised there was someone at the foot of his bed.
But immediately afterwards, Ye Huaiyao recognised that the person was A-Nan.
He had probably wanted to wait for Ye Huaiyao to wake up in the nearest possible place, but had not dared climb onto the bed, so he had obediently sat on the footstool at the bedside.
Rong Wang had been resting his head against the edge of the bed, facing Ye Huaiyao. Now, as Ye Huaiyao woke with a start, he looked over at him.
Perhaps because his mind was still somewhat dazed, for that brief moment, his eyes overlapped with those of the little boy in the dream. Reality and illusion became intertwined, impossible to distinguish.
Ye Huaiyao suddenly felt dizzy. He raised a hand to press against his temple and almost toppled straight back onto the bed.
Rong Wang’s expression tightened. He sprang forward and caught him in his arms.
Despite looking like a little boy, his arms were surprisingly sturdy and strong. He held Ye Huaiyao securely against his chest, supporting his weight.
He carefully wiped the cold sweat from Ye Huaiyao’s forehead and said softly, “Did you have a nightmare?”
Those words finally brought Ye Huaiyao back to reality. He gave a soft “Mm”, his voice slightly hoarse. “Yes.”
Rong Wang reached back and picked up the cup of tea beside the bed. Feeling that the sides of the cup had already gone cold, he gently squeezed it beneath the cover of his body, and the tea became warm again.
He brought the tea to Ye Huaiyao’s lips. “Have some water. It’s all right. You’re awake now. I’m here.”
He paused, then rather awkwardly thought of something comforting to say and coaxed him, “Dreams are the opposite of reality.”
Ye Huaiyao took a sip of water. “Mm. I just dreamed that I was thrown into a very run-down place to live. Looks like I’m destined to become rich. What a good omen.”
Rong Wang smiled faintly and answered earnestly, “Yes.” He put the half-finished tea back on the table.
Holding Ye Huaiyao like this, Rong Wang only had to turn slightly for his chin to brush against the other’s hair. Ye Huaiyao’s hair was very soft, and the faintly ticklish, tingling sensation reminded Rong Wang of some sort of fluffy little creature.
He had never liked animals, but at this moment his heart was so soft it seemed ready to melt. Seeing that Ye Huaiyao’s face was still somewhat pale, his tenderness was mingled with an added touch of pity.
In that instant, countless thoughts turned over in his mind. He cherished him, worried for him, and very much wanted to lower his head and kiss the crown of his hair, yet he felt that doing so would be too presumptuous.
Author’s Note:
Today’s cultivation world news:
#Joy! The White Lotus kneels in public to apologise, personally demonstrating the fate of a mistress.#
#Shock! The two heads of Xuantian Tower turn on each other over a folding fan, actually tearing into each other in the street!#
#Strange! A certain Demon Lord shrinks down and acts cute, completely unlike his usual self. What on earth is going on?#
