Sandu

Wei Wuxian was taken aback. ‘He passed away?’

The image of Lan Wangji's face bathed in firelight with tear stains suddenly flashed in his mind, and he blurted out, ‘How is Lan Zhan?’

Jiang Cheng said, ‘What else could he do? He went back. Father originally wanted to send someone to escort him back to Gusu, but he refused. By the look of him, he must have expected this day would come. In the current situation, no clan is better off than the next.’

The two sat back down on the wooden railing. Wei Wuxian said, ‘Then what about Lan Xichen?’

Jiang Cheng said, ‘The Wen Clan was going to burn their Library Pavilion, wasn't it? Tens of thousands of ancient texts and music scores; the Lan people saved some of them and probably gave them to Lan Xichen, who fled with them, protecting whatever he could. Otherwise, everything would've been lost. That's what everyone speculates.’

Staring up at the sky, Wei Wuxian said, ‘How disgusting.’

Jiang Cheng said, ‘Yeah. The Wen Clan is way too disgusting.’

Wei Wuxian said, ‘How long are they going to keep this up? With so many of us here, can't we just join forces…’

Just then, a clamor of footsteps was heard, and a group of youths in short-cut robes leaped up onto the corridor like monkeys, all shouting, ‘Eldest Senior Brother!!!’

Sixth Junior Disciple said joyfully, ‘Eldest Senior Brother!!! You're alive!!!’

Wei Wuxian exclaimed, ‘What do you mean I'm alive? I was never dead!’

‘Eldest Senior Brother, we heard you killed a giant yao-beast over four hundred years old?! Is it true?! You killed it?!’

‘More than that, I want to know, Senior Brother, did you really go seven days without eating?!’

‘You didn't just secretly practice inedia behind our backs?!’

‘How big was the Xuanwu of Slaughter exactly? Would it even fit in Lotus Blossom Lake?!’

‘The Xuanwu of Slaughter is basically a giant tortoise, right?!’

‘Eldest Senior Brother, you spent these seven days with that Lan Wangji from Gusu? He didn't beat you to death?!’

The slightly somber atmosphere from before was instantly shattered into complete chaos.

Wei Wuxian's injuries hadn't been serious to begin with; he simply hadn't been treated in time, combined with overexertion and an empty stomach. But his constitution was excellent, and once medicine was applied to the brand on his chest, it soon stopped burning. After lying down for just a few days, he was lively again. After the Turmoil of the Xuanwu of Slaughter at Muxi Mountain, the Wen Clan's ‘Office of Edification’ in Qishan completely disbanded. The young heirs of the various clans all went home, and Wen Chao didn't pursue the matter for the time being. Madam Yu seized the chance to harshly rebuke Wei Wuxian, ordering him not to take a single step outside Lotus Pier's gates—even rowing a boat on the lake was forbidden. Thus, he had to spend his days shooting kites with the Jiang disciples and students.

No matter how fun a game was, playing it every day would become tedious. Thus, after half a month, the youngsters grew increasingly bored. Wei Wuxian couldn't muster any interest either; he shot at random, and for once, let Jiang Cheng take first place several times in a row.

That day, after finishing the last round, Wei Wuxian shaded his eyes with his right hand, gazed at the setting sun's afterglow, and said, ‘Pack it up, no more playing. Let's go home and eat.’

Jiang Cheng said, ‘So early today?’

Wei Wuxian threw down his bow and sat on the ground, listlessly. ‘No fun, I'm done. Who came in last just now? Go with Sixth Junior Disciple to collect them.’

One youth said, ‘Eldest Senior Brother, you're so cunning, always making others pick them up. Such a cheater.’

Wei Wuxian waved his hand. ‘I can't help it. Madam Yu won't let me go outside. She's home now, and Jin Zhu and Yinzhu are probably crouching in some corner watching me, ready to report me at any moment. If I step out, Madam Yu will definitely flog a layer of skin off me.’

The few junior disciples with the worst scores ribbed him a bit and then went out laughing to collect the kites. Jiang Cheng remained standing while Wei Wuxian sat on the ground. They chatted for a while, and Wei Wuxian said, ‘Uncle Jiang went out this morning and still hasn't come back. Will he make it back for dinner?’

That morning, Jiang Fengmian and Madam Yu had had another argument. Calling it an argument might not be quite right, though; it was just Madam Yu venting her temper unilaterally, while Jiang Fengmian maintained a certain composure throughout. Jiang Cheng said, ‘It's still about our swords and going to the Wen Clan. Just thinking that my Sandu might be in the hands of some Wen dog right now, really…’

His face showed disgust. Wei Wuxian said, ‘What a shame our swords aren't sentient enough. If they could perform Sword Sealing automatically, then no one else could use them.’

Jiang Cheng said, ‘Maybe if you cultivate for another eighty years.’

Suddenly, several youths burst into the Training Grounds of Lotus Pier, panicked, shouting, ‘Big trouble! Eldest Senior Brother, Senior Brother, big trouble!!!’

These were exactly the junior disciples who had gone out to collect the kites. Wei Wuxian immediately stood up: ‘What happened?’

Jiang Cheng said, ‘Where's Sixth Junior Disciple? Why is one missing?’

Sure enough, Sixth Junior Disciple had been the first out the door, but now he was gone. One youth gasped, ‘He was taken!’

‘Taken?!’

Wei Wuxian picked up his bow as well, a weapon in hand. ‘Who took him? Why?!’

The youth said, ‘We don't know! We don't know why they took him!’

Jiang Cheng was also anxious: ‘What do you mean you don't know why?’

Wei Wuxian said, ‘Everyone, calm down. Explain clearly.’

That youth said, ‘Just now, just now we went out to pick up the kites. The kite had fallen way over there, far away. We went to look for it and saw a few dozen people—they were from the Wen Clan, all wearing their clothes, disciples and servants. The one in charge was a young woman. She was holding a kite with an arrow stuck in it, and when she saw us she asked whose kite it was.’

Another youth said, ‘That kite was Sixth Junior Disciple's, so he said it was his. That woman suddenly changed her expression and said, “How dare you!” Then she ordered her subordinates to take him away!’

Wei Wuxian said, ‘Just like that?’

The youths all nodded. ‘We asked why they were taking Sixth Junior Disciple, and the woman kept saying he was treasonous and harbored malicious intentions, shouting for her underlings to escort him away. We couldn't do anything, so we ran back first.’

Jiang Cheng cursed. ‘Taking someone for no reason! Is the Wen Clan trying to ascend to heaven?!’

‘Yeah! Completely baffling!’

Wei Wuxian said, ‘Everyone, stop talking. The Wen people are probably going to show up any moment. Don't let them overhear and catch us saying anything. I ask you, that woman—does she not carry a sword? Is she fairly pretty, with a mole on her lip?’

The junior disciples said, ‘Yes! That's her!’

Jiang Cheng said through gritted teeth, ‘Wang Lingjiao! That…’

At that moment, a cold female voice rang out: ‘What's all this noise, not a moment's peace all day!’

Madam Yu approached, her violet robes fluttering. Jin Zhu and Yinzhu, still in their martial attire, flanked her on either side. Jiang Cheng said, ‘Mother, the Wen Clan is here. They've taken Sixth Junior Disciple!’

Madam Yu said, ‘Shouting that loud, I heard it all from inside. What of it? He's been taken, not killed. With all this anxious, hateful stomping and gnashing of teeth, do you still look like the future clan leader? Steady yourself!’

With that, she turned to face the main gate in front of the Training Grounds. Over a dozen Wen cultivators in flame-patterned sun robes filed in. Behind them, a woman in colorful attire walked in with measured, swaying steps.

Her figure was graceful, her features alluring, eyes sending amorous glances, lips like blazing fire, with a tiny black mole on her lip—she was actually a rather striking beauty. It was just that she was decked out in so many dazzling hairpins and ornaments, as if she were desperate to wear an entire jewelry store and all the favor of her noble lover at once, which was quite low-class. She was indeed the same Wang Lingjiao whom Wei Wuxian had once sent flying with a palm strike back in Qishan, causing her to vomit blood.

Wang Lingjiao pressed her lips together in a smile. ‘Madam Yu, here I am again.’

Madam Yu's face was expressionless; she seemed to feel that even one more word to Wang Lingjiao would dirty her mouth. Wang Lingjiao descended the steps from the main gate, and only then did Madam Yu speak: ‘What do you want, seizing a disciple of my Yunmeng Jiang Clan?’

Wang Lingjiao said, ‘Seizing? You mean the one caught outside just now? That's a long story. Let's go inside, sit down, and I'll explain slowly.’

A mere servant, without announcement or requesting permission to enter, had waltzed through another clan's gates and now, with an air of complete entitlement, was demanding to be ushered into the hall and ‘sit down and explain slowly.’ Madam Yu's expression grew even colder and sterner; her right hand, adorned with Zidian's silver ring, twitched slightly, and faint veins rose on the pale back of her hand.

She said, ‘Go inside and sit down to talk?’

Wang Lingjiao said, ‘Naturally. Last time I came to give orders, I didn't get a chance to sit. Please, lead the way.’

At the word ‘give orders,’ Jiang Cheng gave a cold snort, and the gold-and-silver pair also showed slight anger. But this Wang Lingjiao was Wen Chao's favored darling; right now, they could not afford to offend her. So, though Madam Yu's face was full of mocking sneers and her tone dripping with sarcasm, she still said, ‘Fine, go on in.’

Wang Lingjiao gave a charming smile and indeed walked right in.

However, after saying she wanted to sit inside, she was in no hurry to do so. Instead, she took a casual stroll around Lotus Pier with great interest, offering opinions everywhere:

‘This Lotus Pier isn't bad. It's really big, but the buildings are all a bit old and worn.’

‘The wood is all dark and dreary. What an ugly color, so dull.’

‘Madam Yu, you're rather poor at being a mistress of the house. Don't you know how to decorate? Next time, hang more red gauze curtains. That would look much better.’

She pointed and commented as she walked, as if this were her own back garden. Madam Yu's brows twitched continuously; watching her, both Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng suspected she might snap and kill someone at any moment.

After her tour of critiques, Wang Lingjiao finally sat down in the main hall. Without anyone inviting or offering, she seated herself in the seat of honor. She sat for a moment, and when no one came to attend her, she frowned, slapped the table, and demanded, ‘Where's the tea?’

Despite the glittering jewels all over her body, her every word and gesture showed a complete lack of upbringing or etiquette, making her seem ridiculous. By now, after watching her all this way, the assembly was hardly surprised. Madam Yu took a seat in the second position, her wide violet robes spreading out and making her waist appear even more slender, her posture elegant. Jin Zhu and Yinzhu stood behind her, slight mocking smiles at the corners of their lips. Yinzhu said, ‘There's no tea. If you want some, pour it yourself.’

Wang Lingjiao's beautiful eyes widened in surprise. ‘Do the servants in the Jiang Clan never do any work?’

Jin Zhu said, ‘The Jiang Clan's servants have more important proper tasks. Pouring tea and water doesn't require others to do it for you—you're not crippled.’

Wang Lingjiao looked the two of them over. ‘Who are you?’

Madam Yu said, ‘My personal maids.’

Wang Lingjiao said contemptuously, ‘Madam Yu, your Jiang Clan is truly outrageous. This won't do—even maids dare to chatter freely in the main hall. Servants like that in the Wen Clan would be slapped on the mouth.’

Wei Wuxian thought to himself, ‘Aren't you yourself a servant, saying things like that.’

Madam Yu said, unwavering, ‘Jin Zhu and Yinzhu are no ordinary servants. They have been by my side since childhood and have never attended anyone but me. And no one can slap their mouths. They cannot, nor would they dare.’

Wang Lingjiao said, ‘What kind of talk is that, Madam Yu? In a great clan, distinctions of rank and status must be kept perfectly clear, or chaos ensues. Servants should act like servants.’

Madam Yu, however, heartily agreed with the phrase ‘servants should act like servants.’ She glanced at Wei Wuxian, and with considerable approval, declared loftily, ‘Indeed.’

Then she demanded again, ‘Why exactly did you seize that disciple of my Yunmeng Jiang Clan?’

Wang Lingjiao said, ‘Madam Yu, you'd better draw a clear line between that brat and yourself. He was harboring malicious intentions. I caught him red-handed, and he's been taken away to be dealt with.’

Madam Yu raised an eyebrow. ‘Harboring malicious intentions?’

Jiang Cheng couldn't help saying, ‘What malicious intentions could Sixth Junior Disciple possibly harbor?’

Wang Lingjiao said, ‘I have evidence. Bring it here!’

A Wen Clan disciple presented a kite. Wang Lingjiao gave it a shake and declared, ‘This is the evidence.’

Wei Wuxian laughed scornfully. ‘This kite is just a common one-eyed monster. How is that evidence?’

Wang Lingjiao sneered. ‘Do you think I'm blind? Look carefully.’

Her index finger, painted with bright red nail polish, traced over the kite as she pontificated, ‘What color is this kite? Gold. What shape is the one-eyed monster? Round.’

Madam Yu said, ‘So?’

Wang Lingjiao said, ‘So? Madam Yu, haven't you noticed yet? Gold and round—what does that look like? The sun!’

To the stunned disbelief of everyone present, she declared smugly, ‘Out of all the kite designs, why did he have to make a one-eyed monster? Why did he have to paint it gold? Why not make it a different shape? Why not a different color? Are you really going to say this is a coincidence? Of course not. This person definitely did it on purpose. By shooting such a kite, he is actually using it as a metaphor for “shooting the sun”! He wants to shoot the sun down! This is blatant disrespect to the Qishan Wen Clan—if that's not harboring malicious intentions, what is?’

Watching her put on this ridiculous, far-fetched performance of her own cleverness, Jiang Cheng finally couldn't hold back. ‘Even if the kite is gold and round, it's a million miles from the sun! In what way is it even remotely similar? It doesn't look like it in the slightest!’

Wei Wuxian said, ‘Then by your logic, we can't eat oranges either. Aren't oranges gold and round too? But I seem to remember you eating them more than once, haven't you?’

Wang Lingjiao shot him a vicious glare. Madam Yu said coldly, ‘So you came all this way just for this kite?’

Wang Lingjiao said, ‘Of course not. This time I come on behalf of the Wen Clan and Young Master Wen, to punish a certain person.’

Wei Wuxian's heart gave a lurch.

Sure enough, the next moment Wang Lingjiao pointed at him. ‘This brat, on Muxi Mountain, while Young Master Wen was courageously battling the Xuanwu of Slaughter, kept speaking insolently and repeatedly sabotaging him, causing Young Master Wen mental exhaustion and distress, nearly making him slip up, and even losing his own sword in the process!’

Hearing her turn black into white and fabricate such nonsense, Jiang Cheng was so angry he laughed aloud. Wei Wuxian, meanwhile, thought of Jiang Fengmian who had left that morning and realized, ‘They purposely chose this time to come. Or they deliberately lured Uncle Jiang away in the first place!’

Wang Lingjiao said, ‘Thankfully, heaven blessed Young Master Wen; though he lost his sword, he still managed to subdue the Xuanwu of Slaughter without mishap. But this brat truly cannot be indulged! Today, by Young Master Wen's order, I ask Madam Yu to punish him severely and make an example of him for the rest of the Yunmeng Jiang Clan!’

Jiang Cheng said, ‘Mother…’

Madam Yu snapped, ‘Silence!’

Very satisfied with Madam Yu's reaction, Wang Lingjiao said, ‘This Wei Ying, if I recall correctly, is a servant of the Yunmeng Jiang Clan, isn't he? With Clan Leader Jiang not here, I trust Madam Yu can weigh the gravity of the situation. Otherwise, if the Yunmeng Jiang Clan protects him, it really makes one wonder… whether certain rumors… might be true… hee hee.’

Seated in the seat of honor that Jiang Fengmian usually occupied, she covered her mouth and giggled. Madam Yu's face darkened as she shifted her gaze over. Jiang Cheng caught the insinuation and said angrily, ‘What rumors?!’

Wang Lingjiao tittered, ‘What rumors? Just some of Clan Leader Jiang's old romantic debts, of course…’

Seeing this woman dare to slander Jiang Fengmian to his face, Wei Wuxian felt a surge of fury. ‘You—!’ But the next instant, a sharp pain struck his back, and his knees buckled involuntarily. It was Madam Yu, suddenly striking him with a snap of her whip.

Jiang Cheng cried out, ‘Mother!’

Madam Yu had already risen. Zidian transformed into a whip, sparks crackling between her hands like cold jade. She shouted, ‘Jiang Cheng, step aside, or you'll kneel too!’

Wei Wuxian forced himself up from the ground, saying, ‘Jiang Cheng, move aside! Don't interfere!’

Madam Yu sent another lash flying, knocking him flat on his back. Through clenched teeth, she said, ‘…I told you long ago, you… you unruly thing! One day you'd bring disaster upon the Jiang Clan!’

Wei Wuxian pushed Jiang Cheng aside and endured it, gritting his teeth, silent and motionless. In the past, although Madam Yu had always spoken harshly to him, she had never truly struck him severely—at most, a couple of lashes and an order to kneel in confinement, and Jiang Fengmian would soon let him out. But this time, dozens of heavy lashes fell in succession, leaving his back burning, his whole body numb and aching, unbearable—yet he had no choice but to bear it. Today, if the punishment didn't satisfy Wang Lingjiao, didn't satisfy the people of the Qishan Wen Clan, this matter would never end!

Wang Lingjiao watched with a smile. When Madam Yu finished, Zidian snapped back. Wei Wuxian knelt on the ground, his upper body swaying forward as if about to collapse. Jiang Cheng moved to support him, but Madam Yu snapped sternly, ‘Stand aside! Don't help him!’

Jiang Cheng was seized tightly by Jin Zhu and Yinzhu. Wei Wuxian held out for a moment longer, then collapsed heavily onto the ground and lay motionless.

Wang Lingjiao said in surprise, ‘Is that all?’

Madam Yu snorted. ‘What else?’

Wang Lingjiao said, ‘Just this?’

Madam Yu's brows shot up. ‘What do you mean "just this"? What grade of spiritual weapon do you think Zidian is? After a beating like this, he won't recover for a month—he'll have plenty to suffer!’

Wang Lingjiao said, ‘But there will still come a time when he gets better!’

Jiang Cheng shouted angrily, ‘What more do you want?!’

Wang Lingjiao said, with a scolding tone, ‘Madam Yu, if it's a punishment, then naturally he should remember this lesson for life, regret it for life, and never dare to offend again. If it's just a whipping, and after some rest he's bouncing around again, then what kind of punishment is that? Boys his age are most prone to forgetting pain as soon as the wound heals. It's completely useless.’

Madam Yu said, ‘What do you propose? Cut off his legs so he can't bounce around anymore?’

Wang Lingjiao said, ‘Young Master Wen is magnanimous; he wouldn't do something so brutal as cutting off both legs. If we just sever his right hand, he'll let the matter drop forever.’

This woman was nothing but a fox borrowing the tiger's might, using Wen Chao's backing to exact revenge for the palm strike Wei Wuxian had given her in the cave on Muxi Mountain!

Madam Yu cast a sidelong glance at Wei Wuxian. ‘Sever his right hand?’

Wang Lingjiao said, ‘Precisely.’

Yu Ziyuan stood up and began pacing slowly around Wei Wuxian, as if considering the idea. Wei Wuxian was in so much pain he couldn't even lift his head. Jiang Cheng broke free of Jin Zhu and Yinzhu, dropped to his knees with a thud, and shielded Wei Wuxian with his body, saying, ‘Mother, Mother, please don't… things are nothing like what she says…’

Wang Lingjiao raised her voice. ‘Young Master Jiang, are you saying I'm du yi?’

Wei Wuxian couldn't even turn over as he lay on the ground. ‘Du yi? What is du yi?’ he thought. Then it hit him: ‘She means du zhuan— to fabricate! This woman was originally a maidservant to Wen Chao's wife; she's illiterate and barely knows a few characters, yet she's always pretending to be cultured, using unfamiliar words without understanding them and mispronouncing them!’ The situation was clearly dire, but at such times the mind tended to wander uncontrollably, unable to focus, filled with random thoughts. Wei Wuxian figured this out and actually found it amusing. Wang Lingjiao, completely unaware of her own blunder, pressed on, ‘Madam Yu, think carefully. The Qishan Wen Clan will definitely see this through. Cut off his hand and let me take it back as an account, and the Yunmeng Jiang Clan will be fine. Otherwise, the next time Young Master Wen asks about this, it won't be so simple!’

A cold, sharp light flashed in Madam Yu's eyes. In a grim tone, she said, ‘Jin Zhu, Yinzhu, go. Close the doors. Don't let the blood be seen by others.’

Whenever Madam Yu gave an order, the gold-and-silver pair never disobeyed. They answered crisply in unison, ‘Yes!’, and immediately shut the hall doors tight.

Wei Wuxian heard the doors close and saw the light from outside vanish. A wave of terror struck him: ‘Are they really going to cut off my hand?’

Jiang Cheng was terrified. He hugged his mother's leg, crying, ‘Mother? Mother! What are you doing? Please don't cut off his hand!’

After the initial terror passed, Wei Wuxian gritted his teeth and steeled his heart. ‘…Fine! If it can buy peace for the family… one hand it is. Damn it, I'll just learn to wield the sword with my left hand from now on!’

Wang Lingjiao clapped her hands. ‘Madam Yu, I knew you'd be the most loyal subordinate of the Qishan Wen Clan! Someone, hold this brat down!’

Madam Yu said, ‘No need for your people to act.’ Jin Zhu and Yinzhu stepped forward. Wang Lingjiao said, ‘Oh, you're going to have your two maids hold him down? That'll do.’

Jiang Cheng cried, ‘Mother! Mother, listen to me! I'm begging you! Don't cut off his hand! If Father finds out…’

Mentioning Jiang Fengmian was the worst thing he could have done. Madam Yu's expression turned livid, and she shouted, ‘Don't bring up your father! What if he finds out? Will he kill me?!’

Wang Lingjiao said cheerfully, ‘Madam Yu, I admire you so much! It looks like we'll get along very well in the Supervisory Office from now on!’

Madam Yu pulled her leg and the hem of her violet skirt free from Jiang Cheng's grasp, turned around, and raised an eyebrow. ‘Supervisory Office?’

Wang Lingjiao smiled sweetly. ‘Yes, the Supervisory Office. That's the second important matter bringing me to Yunmeng. Under our Qishan Wen Clan's new Supervisory Token, every city is to have a Supervisory Office. I hereby declare: from now on, Lotus Pier shall be the Wen Clan's Supervisory Office in Yunmeng.’

No wonder she had been walking in and out of Lotus Pier earlier as if she were in her own residence—she had, in fact, already treated Lotus Pier as her base in Yunmeng!

Jiang Cheng's eyes reddened. ‘What Supervisory Office?! This is my home!!!’

Wang Lingjiao frowned. ‘Madam Yu, you really ought to teach your son properly. For centuries, all the clans have submitted to the Wen Clan. How can he say “my home, your home” in front of an envoy from the Wen Clan? Originally I was hesitating—Lotus Pier is so old and shabby, and there have been some rebels here—whether it could shoulder the heavy responsibility of a Supervisory Office. But seeing how well you obey my orders and how your temperament suits my taste, I've decided to bestow this honor…’

Before she could finish, Madam Yu backhanded her across the face with a resounding slap.

The force and sound of that slap were earth-shattering. Wang Lingjiao spun several rounds before collapsing to the ground, blood streaming from her nose, her beautiful eyes wide with shock.

The several Wen Clan disciples in the hall all paled and made to draw their swords, but with a wave of her hand, Madam Yu sent Zidian flying in a dazzling arc of purple light, instantly felling them in a heap.

Madam Yu walked gracefully over to Wang Lingjiao, towering over her. Suddenly she bent down, seized a handful of Wang Lingjiao's hair, yanked her up, and delivered another furious slap. ‘How dare you, insolent wench!’

She had been holding back for far too long; now her face was ferocious, so close that Wang Lingjiao screamed in terror with her swollen face. Madam Yu gave her another merciless slap, cutting the piercing shriek short, and yelled, ‘Even beating a dog, you must look at its owner! You burst into my home and, right in front of me, want to punish the people of my household? What sort of thing are you, daring to run wild like this!’

With that, she flung Wang Lingjiao's head away hard, as if disgusted by the filth, and drew out a handkerchief to wipe her hands. Jin Zhu and Yinzhu stood behind her, wearing the same contemptuous smile. Wang Lingjiao clutched her face with trembling hands, tears streaming down, and sobbed, ‘You… you dare do this… The Qishan Wen Clan and the Wang Clan of Yingchuan will never let you get away with this!’

Madam Yu threw the handkerchief to the ground and kicked Wang Lingjiao over. ‘Shut up! You lowly wench! My Meishan Yu Clan is a century-old great house that has dominated the cultivation world—I have never heard of any Wang Clan of Yingchuan! What gutter did this wretched family crawl out of? Are they all like you? You dare speak of rank in front of me? I'll teach you what rank means! I am the superior, you are the lowly!’

Off to the side, Jiang Cheng had already half-lifted the prone Wei Wuxian. Both of them watched this scene, utterly dumbfounded.