Three Poisons

Wen Ning summoned several dozen disciples, personally escorted them to a grand mansion, slipped quietly through the back door, and led Wei Wuxian to a small room.

However, the moment Wen Ning turned to close the door, before he could even draw a breath, Wei Wuxian had him by the throat again, demanding in a low voice, 'What is this place?!'

Even though Wen Ning had saved him, he could not so quickly drop his guard against the Wen clan, and had kept his wits about him. Just now, following Wen Ning through the mansion, they passed many rooms where people were talking, many with Qishan accents, and snatches of conversation leaking through door cracks and window seams had all been picked up by him — from those fragmentary exchanges, he had caught the three words 'Supervisory Office'!

Wen Ning waved his hands in panic: 'No... I...'

Wei Wuxian said, 'No what? Isn't this the Supervisory Office set up in Yiling? Which unlucky clan's territory have you seized now? What do you mean bringing us here?'

Wen Ning struggled to explain: 'Young Master Wei, you — you must listen. This is a Supervisory Office. But... I absolutely mean you no harm. If I wanted to harm you, last night after entering Lotus Pier, I could have gone back on my word right away — I wouldn't have gone to the trouble of leading you here.'

Wei Wuxian's nerves had been stretched taut these past few days, never slackening, ready to snap at the slightest spark, his mind muddled and pounding. Hearing this, he still half-believed, half-doubted. Wen Ning added, 'This really is a Supervisory Office. If there's any place the Wen clan won't search, it's only here. You can stay here, only — you must not let anyone else discover you...'

After a pause, Wei Wuxian finally forced himself to withdraw his hand, murmured a word of thanks and apology, and laid Jiang Cheng's body flat on the wooden couch in the room.

But right at that moment, the wooden door of the small room was suddenly thrown open, and a woman's voice said, 'I've been looking for you! You'd better explain yourself properly...'

He had just said not to be discovered, and immediately they were discovered!

Wei Wuxian broke out in a cold sweat in an instant, darting to shield the couch. Wen Ning was so frightened he could not even speak.

The two of them stared rigidly at the woman standing in the doorway — or rather, the young lady. Her complexion was slightly dark, her features sweet, but her brows and eyes carried an unaccountable haughtiness. She wore the Blazing Flame Robe, its fiery red so vivid it seemed to dance at her cuffs and collar.

Her rank was very high, on par with Wen Chao!

The three stood frozen in a stalemate for a long moment, when hurried footsteps sounded from outside. Wei Wuxian hardened his heart, about to make a move, but to his surprise the young lady acted first — with a slam, she yanked the door shut.

A voice asked from outside, 'Director Wen, what's going on?'

The young lady replied coolly, 'Nothing's going on. My younger brother is back. He's gone all listless again. Don't disturb him. Let's go, continue our discussion back there.'

The people outside acknowledged and left with her. Wen Ning let out a breath and explained to Wei Wuxian, 'My... my older sister.'

Wei Wuxian said, 'Wen Qing is your older sister?'

Wen Ning nodded a little sheepishly, saying, 'My sister. She's very formidable.'

Formidable indeed.

Wen Qing could be considered a notable figure within the Qishan Wen clan. She was not the daughter of the clan head Wen Ruohan, but a descendant of one of Wen Ruohan's cousins. Though this cousin was several times removed, Wen Ruohan had been on good terms with him since childhood; moreover, Wen Qing excelled in the literary examinations and mastered the medical arts — she was a talent. Thus she had earned Wen Ruohan's favor, often accompanying him to the various banquets hosted by the Qishan Wen clan. That was why Wei Wuxian had some impression of her face — she was, after all, a beauty. He also vaguely remembered hearing that she had an elder or younger brother, but likely because he was far less outstanding than Wen Qing, no one talked about him.

Wei Wuxian said curiously, 'You're really Wen Qing's younger brother?'

Wen Ning assumed he was surprised that such an outstanding and famous sister could have such an unremarkable brother, and admitted, 'Mm. My sister is formidable; I... am no good.'

Wei Wuxian said, 'No, no. You're formidable too. What surprises me is — your sister is Wen Qing, a director of the Supervisory Office, and yet you dared to bring us...'

At this moment, Jiang Cheng on the couch stirred a little, his brow furrowing slightly. Wei Wuxian immediately turned to check: 'Jiang Cheng?!'

Wen Ning said hurriedly, 'He's awake; he needs medicine. I'll go prepare it.'

He went out, pulling the door shut behind him. After a long stupor, Jiang Cheng finally drifted into consciousness. At first Wei Wuxian was overjoyed, but soon realized something was wrong.

Jiang Cheng's expression was strange — it was calm. Far too calm.

He stared at the ceiling, as if utterly uninterested in his current predicament, indifferent to where he was.

Wei Wuxian had not expected this reaction — neither sorrow, anger, joy, nor shock, none of it. His heart lurched upward. He said, 'Jiang Cheng, can you see? Can you hear? Do you know who I am?'

Jiang Cheng glanced at him but said nothing. Wei Wuxian pressed a few more questions, and at last Jiang Cheng braced his arms on the wooden couch and sat up. He looked down at the Discipline Whip Scar on his chest and gave a cold laugh.

Once a Discipline Whip Scar was on the body, one could never hope to erase that brand of humiliation. Wei Wuxian, against his own conviction, said, 'Stop looking at it — there's always a way to get rid of it.'

Jiang Cheng slapped him with a palm. That strike was weak and strengthless; Wei Wuxian did not even sway. He said, 'Go ahead and hit. As long as it makes you feel better.'

Jiang Cheng said, 'Did you feel it?'

Wei Wuxian was taken aback: 'What? What feel?'

Jiang Cheng said, 'Did you feel my Spiritual Power?'

Wei Wuxian said, 'What Spiritual Power? You didn't use any Spiritual Power at all.'

Jiang Cheng said, 'I did.'

Wei Wuxian said, 'What on earth... what are you saying?'

Jiang Cheng repeated, word by word, 'I said, I used it. That palm just now, I used every last shred of my Spiritual Power. I ask you, did you feel it?'

Wei Wuxian looked at him. After a silence, he said, 'Hit me with another palm and let's see.'

Jiang Cheng said, 'No need. No matter how many more strikes, the result is the same. Wei Wuxian, do you know why the Core-Melting Hand is called the Core-Melting Hand?'

His heart sank utterly.

Jiang Cheng continued, as if talking to himself: 'Because those hands of his can melt a Golden Core, so that a person can never form a core again, their Spiritual Power scatters, and they are reduced to an ordinary mortal.'

'And an ordinary descendant of a cultivation clan is nothing but a useless man. He can only muddle along for the rest of his life, never again daring to dream of reaching the summit.'

'Mother and Father — they were first stripped of their Golden Cores by Wen Zhuliu, rendered powerless to resist, and then killed by him.'

Wei Wuxian's thoughts were in chaos, at a loss, murmuring: '...Core-Melting Hand... Core-Melting Hand...'

Jiang Cheng said with a cold laugh, 'Wen Zhuliu, Wen Zhuliu. I want revenge, I want revenge, but how am I to take it? I haven't even a Golden Core, I can never form another — what do I have left for revenge? Hahahahaha, hahahahahahaha...'

Wei Wuxian collapsed to the ground, staring at the seemingly deranged Jiang Cheng on the couch, unable to utter a single word.

No one knew better than he how fiercely competitive Jiang Cheng was, how deeply he valued his cultivation and Spiritual Power. And now, a single strike from the Core-Melting Hand had smashed his cultivation, his pride, his hope of vengeance — all into powder!

Jiang Cheng laughed like a madman for a while, then lay back on the couch, spreading his arms in self-abandonment, saying, 'Wei Wuxian, why did you save me? What use was it? To let me live on, watching the Wen dogs strut, watching myself unable to do a thing?'

Just at that moment, Wen Ning came in. Wearing a smile that was almost ingratiating, he carried a bowl of herbal brew to the bedside. Before he could speak, that Blazing Flame Robe first met Jiang Cheng's eyes, and his pupils instantly contracted.

Jiang Cheng kicked Wen Ning, sending the bowl flying; the dark brew splashed all over Wen Ning. Wei Wuxian had been reaching for the bowl and instinctively pulled the terrified Wen Ning aside. Jiang Cheng roared at him: 'What is wrong with you?!'

Wen Ning retreated repeatedly in fright. Jiang Cheng seized Wei Wuxian by the collar and bellowed, 'You see a Wen dog and you don't kill him?! You even go and pull him away? Do you want to die?!'

Though he had exerted all his strength, his hands remained utterly weak; Wei Wuxian broke free at once. Jiang Cheng seemed only now to notice his surroundings, scanning the room warily. 'Where is this?'

Wen Ning said from a distance, 'The Supervisory Office in Yiling. But it's very sa—'

Jiang Cheng abruptly rounded on Wei Wuxian: 'A Supervisory Office?! You walked right into the trap?'

Wei Wuxian said, 'No!'

Jiang Cheng said sharply, 'No? Then what are you doing in a Supervisory Office? How did you come here? Don't tell me you sought help from Wen dogs?!'

Wei Wuxian grabbed him, saying, 'Jiang Cheng, calm down first, this place is safe! Get a grip — the Core-Melting Hand's damage might not be irreparable...'

Jiang Cheng could no longer hear a word; he was in a half-crazed state, choking Wei Wuxian and laughing wildly: 'Wei Wuxian, hahahahaha Wei Wuxian! You! You...'

Suddenly, a red figure kicked the door open and flashed in; a palm struck down, a silver gleam trailed, and a needle was inserted into Jiang Cheng's head, and he immediately lay back again. Wen Qing whirled around and shut the door, hissing furiously, 'Wen Ning, how stupid can you be? Letting him yell and laugh so loudly?! Practically begging to be found out?'

As if seeing a savior, Wen Ning called out, 'Sister!'

Wen Qing said, 'Don't you "Sister!" me! I haven't even begun to ask you — when did you become so outrageously bold? Hiding people, no less! I already made some discreet inquiries; no wonder you suddenly wanted to go to Yunmeng! Have you swallowed a leopard's heart and a bear's gall? Who gave you the nerve this time? If Wen Chao finds out what you've done, won't he tear you apart? If he really sets his mind to eliminating someone, do you think I can stop him?'

Her speech was rapid, her enunciation clear, her tone forceful and brooking no argument; Wei Wuxian could not find a single gap to interject. Wen Ning's face went ashen. 'Sister, but Young Master Wei...' Wen Qing said sternly, 'I won't say much, considering you did this out of gratitude — it's forgivable. But these two absolutely cannot stay here long! You left all of a sudden, and just as suddenly you're back; meanwhile Wen Chao's side immediately lost hostages — do you think Wen Chao is that stupid? Sooner or later they'll search this place. This is a Supervisory Office under my jurisdiction, and this is your room. If someone discovers you've hidden them, what crime do you think you'll be charged with? Think carefully!'

She laid out the stakes so plainly that it was as if she were pointing at Wei Wuxian's nose, telling them to get out quickly and not stay to drag them down. Had Wei Wuxian been the one injured, or had their rescuer been someone else, he would have spoken with proud resolve — 'Until we meet again' — and left at once. But now it was Jiang Cheng who was injured, and not only injured but core-less, his spirit utterly unstable. No matter what, Wei Wuxian could not summon that resolve. And besides, it was the Wen clan that had brought them to this pass; it was hard to swallow the bitterness. Wei Wuxian could only grit his teeth and remain silent.

Wen Ning said, 'But — but it was the Wen clan's people...' Wen Qing cut him off: 'What the Wen clan does is not what we do; the sins the Wen clan commits are not ours to bear. Wei Ying, you needn't look at me like that. Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor. I am the director of the Yiling office, but I was appointed to this post; I am a physician, a herbalist — I have never killed anyone, and I have never laid a hand on the blood of your Jiang family!'

Indeed, no one had ever heard of any deaths or atrocities under Wen Qing's hand — only of places everywhere longing for her to take charge. For Wen Qing was that rare Wen clan member who acted with a normal manner; at times she could even speak a few good words before Wen Ruohan, and her reputation had always been decent.

A silence fell over the room.

After a long moment, Wen Qing said, 'Don't pull out that needle. This brat will go crazy when he wakes, and his shouting will be heard outside. Wait until his injuries are healed, then pull it out, and then leave at once. I don't want to deal with Wen Chao, especially that woman by his side — the sight of her makes me sick!'

She finished and walked out decisively. Wei Wuxian said, 'She... does that mean we can't stay long, but we can stay a few days...?'

Wen Ning nodded hastily and said, 'Thank you, Sister!'

A packet of medicinal herbs was thrown in from outside, and Wen Qing's voice came from afar: 'If you truly want to thank me, show some backbone! That mess you brewed just now, reboil it properly!'

Wen Ning was squarely hit by the herb packet, but he said cheerfully, 'Medicine my sister has prepared — it's bound to be good. Several hundred times better than mine, absolutely good.'

Wei Wuxian finally let his guard down completely and said, 'Thank you.'

He knew that this brother and sister — one turning a blind eye, the other proactively extending a helping hand — had both taken enormous risks. Just as Wen Qing had said, if Wen Chao truly resolved to eliminate someone, Wen Qing might not be able to stop him, and she might even be implicated herself. After all, those not one's own flesh and blood could never compare to one's own.

With that needle still in his head, Jiang Cheng slept in a stupor for three days. The fractures and surface wounds on his body had healed, leaving only that one Discipline Whip Scar that could never be erased, and the Golden Core that could never be regained — wounds that were fated never to heal.

Wei Wuxian, too, had been thinking for three days.

After three days, Wei Wuxian bid Wen Ning farewell, hoisted Jiang Cheng onto his back, walked some distance, and borrowed a small hut from a forest warden.

He shut the door and pulled the silver needle from Jiang Cheng's head. Only after a long while did Jiang Cheng open his eyes.

He was awake, but he did not move — not even to turn over or ask 'Where is this again?' He would neither drink nor eat, as if his sole desire was to die.

Wei Wuxian said, 'Do you truly want to die?'

Jiang Cheng said, 'If I can't take revenge while alive, then I might as well die — perhaps I can even turn into a Wrathful Ghost.'

Wei Wuxian said, 'You have received soul-calming rites since childhood; even in death, you cannot become a Wrathful Ghost.'

Jiang Cheng said, 'If living or dead I still cannot avenge, then what difference is there between living and dying.'

After these words, he would not speak another.

Wei Wuxian sat by the couch, watching him for a while, then slapped his thighs and stood, beginning to busy himself inside and out.

By evening, he had finally prepared a meal. He set it on the table and said, 'Get up. Time to eat.'

Jiang Cheng, naturally, ignored him. Wei Wuxian sat at the table, picked up his own chopsticks, and said, 'If you don't replenish your strength, how are you going to take back your Golden Core.'

Hearing the words 'Golden Core', Jiang Cheng finally blinked.

Wei Wuxian continued

Jiang Cheng's lips moved, his voice hoarse: '...You have a way?'

Wei Wuxian said evenly, 'I have a way.'

He turned around and said, 'Haven't you known all along that my mother, Cangse Sanren, was a disciple of Baoshan Sanren?'

Those few short words, in an instant, lit a fire in Jiang Cheng's previously lifeless eyes.

Baoshan Sanren — the legendary immortal teacher said to have lived for centuries, a transcendent master who could revive the dead and restore flesh to bone!

He said, trembling, 'You mean... you mean...'

Wei Wuxian said, enunciating clearly, 'I mean, I know which mountain "Baoshan" — the "Mountain" she embraces — is. That is to say, I can take you to find Baoshan Sanren.'

Jiang Cheng said, '...But — but didn't you say you don't remember your childhood?!'

Wei Wuxian said, 'I don't forget everything. Some scattered fragments — those repeated many times — I still remember. I've always recalled a woman's voice repeating to me, telling me a location and some things. That voice said, if ever in a dire situation beyond help, I could go to that place, climb that mountain, and seek aid from the immortal on the peak.'

Jiang Cheng tumbled out of bed at once.

He rushed to the table. Wei Wuxian pushed the bowl and chopsticks toward him and said, 'Eat.'

Jiang Cheng, clinging to the table edge, said agitatedly, 'I...'

Wei Wuxian said, 'Eat. Talk while eating. Otherwise, no talk.'

Jiang Cheng had no choice but to climb onto the stool, pick up his chopsticks, and start shoveling rice into his mouth haphazardly. Where his heart had been dead ash, suddenly he saw a turn in the mountain path and bright willows and flowers — he was so overwhelmed with emotion that his whole body felt as if on fire, unable to sit still, not even realizing he was holding his chopsticks upside down. Wei Wuxian watched him begin eating absentmindedly, and only then said, 'I'll take you to find her in a few days.'

Jiang Cheng said, 'Today!'

Wei Wuxian said, 'What are you afraid of — an immortal of several hundred years won't just vanish in a few days. The reason we must wait a few days is that there are many taboos involved; I need to tell you about them carefully. If we violate a taboo and anger our shizu master, then it's over — we're both finished.'

Jiang Cheng stared at him with wide eyes, hoping he would say more. Wei Wuxian added, 'After you ascend the mountain, you must not open your eyes to look around randomly, memorize the scenery, or look at other people's faces. Remember, whatever they tell you to do, you must do it without fail.'

Jiang Cheng said, 'Alright!'

Wei Wuxian said, 'And one more thing — the most important point. If you're asked who you are, you must say you are the son of Cangse Sanren; under no circumstances can you reveal your true identity!'

Jiang Cheng said, 'Alright!'

At this moment, no matter what demand Wei Wuxian made, he would probably reply with reddened eyes: 'Alright, alright, alright.' Wei Wuxian said, 'Enough. Eat now, recover your strength, build up your spirit. I need to make preparations these next few days.'

Jiang Cheng finally noticed he had his chopsticks upside down, righted them, ate a few more mouthfuls, his eyes reddening from the heat, and couldn't help cursing: '...Disgusting!'

After several days of being peppered with repeated questions about the details regarding Baoshan Sanren, Wei Wuxian set out with Jiang Cheng, trekking over mountains and fording streams, arriving at the foot of a deep mountain in Yiling.

The mountain was lush and verdant, its emerald peaks graceful and elegant, the summit wreathed in clouds and mist — it indeed held a touch of the immortal. Yet it still fell somewhat short of the divine mountain people imagined. Over these days, Jiang Cheng had been plagued by doubts — one moment suspecting Wei Wuxian was deceiving him, the next doubting that Wei Wuxian had heard wrong or remembered wrong as a child, and then worrying about whether they could even find it. Seeing this mountain, he grew suspicious again: 'Is this really where Baoshan Sanren dwells?'

Wei Wuxian said firmly, 'Absolutely this is the place. What use would it be to lie? Lie to make you happy for a few days, only to deliver an even greater blow later?'

Such exchanges they had repeated countless times. Wei Wuxian accompanied him halfway up the mountain, then said, 'Alright, from here, I cannot go further up with you.'

He took out a cloth strip and blindfolded Jiang Cheng, cautioning him repeatedly: 'Under no circumstances, absolutely no circumstances, can you open your eyes. There are no fierce beasts on the mountain. Better to walk slowly; if you fall, you must not pull off the blindfold. Absolutely no giving in to curiosity. Remember, insist to the death that you are Wei Wuxian. Whatever they ask, you know how to answer, right?'

With such stakes — whether he could reform a Golden Core, whether he could avenge his blood-deep hatred — Jiang Cheng naturally dared not be careless; he nodded nervously.

He turned and began walking slowly up the mountain. Wei Wuxian said, 'I'll wait for you in that town we passed earlier!'

He watched Jiang Cheng's slowly receding figure for a moment, then turned and took another mountain path.

Jiang Cheng's trip up the mountain took seven days.

The small town where they had agreed to meet was nestled among the mountains, extremely remote; there were hardly any people in it, the streets narrow and uneven, not even a peddler's stall by the roadside.

Wei Wuxian crouched by the roadside, gazing in the direction of the mountain, but still saw no sign of Jiang Cheng. He braced his hands on his knees and stood up, dizzy for a moment, swayed, and headed toward the town's sole tea house.

The tea house could be considered the only building in this small town that was not crude. The moment he stepped in, a waiter approached him with a smile: 'What would you like to drink?'

Wei Wuxian's heart skipped a beat at once.

These days he had been rushing about, exhausted, with no mind to tidy himself — he could almost be described as unkempt and disheveled. An ordinary tea house worker, seeing someone like him, would be doing well just to not immediately pull a long face and chase him out; such eager and enthusiastic greeting was rather too fake.

He quickly swept his gaze across the interior. The accountant stood behind the counter, bending his head so low he seemed to wish he could bury it in the ledger. At ten tables sat seven or eight people scattered about, many in cloaks, heads lowered over their tea, as though trying to hide something.

Wei Wuxian made a swift decision and spun around to leave. But who could have guessed — the moment he stepped out the tea house door, a huge, black, imposing shadow lunged over, and a thunderous palm struck him square in the chest.

Wei Wuxian crashed through two tables; the waiter and accountant fled in panic. The seven or eight people inside threw off their cloaks, revealing the Blazing Flame Robes beneath. Wen Zhuliu stepped over the threshold and stood before Wei Wuxian, looking down at him as he struggled to rise, then examined his own palm, as if deep in thought. Someone kicked Wei Wuxian in the back of the knee, forcing him to his knees hard. Wen Chao's face appeared above his line of sight, brimming with cruel excitement: 'Already down?! This little brat, wasn't he so lively at the bottom of the Cave of the Xuanwu of Slaughter? One palm and he's done? Hahaha, go on, keep jumping, let's see you strut!'

Wang Lingjiao's impatient voice rose as well: 'Quick! Young Master Wen, cut off his hand now! He still owes us an arm!'

Wen Chao said, 'No, no, no, there's no rush. We've only just found this brat; cutting off his hand would bleed too much, and it'd be no fun if he died soon. First melt his core — I want to hear him scream like that little bastard Jiang Cheng did last time!'

Wang Lingjiao said, 'Then melt his core first, then cut off his hand!'

They were merrily discussing on that side, when Wei Wuxian suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and said, 'Fine! Whatever tortures you've got, bring them on!'

Wang Lingjiao laughed: 'You said it yourself!'

Wen Chao said contemptuously, 'With death at hand, you still play the hero!'

Wei Wuxian laughed coldly, 'Precisely because death is at hand that I'm happy! I'm afraid I won't die. Go ahead, if you have the guts, torture me to death! The crueler the better — after I die, I'll certainly turn into a ferocious, baleful Wrathful Ghost, haunting the Qishan Wen clan high and low day and night, cursing you!'

Hearing this, Wen Chao actually faltered. You see, some scions of prominent clans — like Jiang Fengmian or Yu Ziyuan — had been steeped in their family's influence and artifacts from birth and underwent countless soul-calming rites as they grew; the likelihood of them naturally turning into a Wrathful Ghost after death was very small. But Wei Wuxian was different: he was the son of a household servant, and had not been raised in the Jiang family from childhood, so he hadn't had the chance to receive so many soul-soothing and soul-stabilizing ceremonies. If after death his resentful energy truly soared to the heavens, his spirit refused to scatter, and he became a vengeful, unceasing Wrathful Ghost, that would be quite a headache. Moreover, the more, the more fragmented, and the more cruel the torments suffered before death, the more vicious and more difficult to handle the resulting Wrathful Ghost would be.

Seeing this, Wang Lingjiao said hastily, 'Young Master Wen, don't listen to his nonsense! Not everyone can turn into a Wrathful Ghost after death — the right time, right place, right person; missing even one element and it's impossible! And even if he really does become one, does the Qishan Wen clan not have the means to deal with a lone wandering ghost? We've been hunting people all over for so long just to punish him — are we going to let him go just because he's spouting nonsense?'

Wen Chao said, 'Of course not!'

Wei Wuxian knew he was doomed beyond doubt, and instead grew calmer and calmer, his bone-deep hatred settling into a resolve cold as iron. Wen Chao, seeing this expression on his face, felt displeased and somewhat horrified; he kicked Wei Wuxian in the lower abdomen, saying, 'Still putting on an act! Who are you trying to scare! Playing the hero!'

A group of disciples joined him in a brutal beating. After deciding they had beaten enough, Wen Chao shouted, 'Enough!'

Wei Wuxian spat out blood, and thought fiercely, 'Time to deliver the killing blow? Death isn't worse than living — I'll still have a thirty-percent chance of becoming a Wrathful Ghost and taking revenge!'

With that thought, an unparalleled excitement surged within him.

Wen Chao, however, said, 'Wei Ying, do you always think you're fearless, brave, and great?'

Wei Wuxian said in surprise, 'Oh? A Wen dog speaking human language for once?'

Wen Chao brought his fist down with a cruel grin: 'Keep babbling, go ahead. I want to see how long you can keep up this brave hero act!'

He ordered his men to seize Wei Wuxian. Wen Zhuliu walked over and lifted him from the ground. Wei Wuxian strained to raise his head, looking at this man who had killed Jiang Fengmian and Madame Yu and destroyed Jiang Cheng's Golden Core, etching his face and his indifferent expression deep into memory.

The Wen crowd carried him off on their swords, the small town and the deep mountain gradually receding. Wei Wuxian thought, 'Even if Jiang Cheng comes down, he won't find me... Why are they flying so high? To drop me from here and smash me dead?'

After flying on swords for a while, the snow-white clouds were suddenly cleft by a black, towering mountain.

This mountain exuded an ominous, heavy miasma of death, like a colossal thousand-year corpse; merely looking at it from afar sent chills down the spine.

Wen Chao halted right above this mountain. He said, 'Wei Ying, do you know what place this is?'

He laughed eerily: 'This place is called the Burial Mound.'

Hearing that name, a chill crept up Wei Wuxian's spine to the back of his head.

Wen Chao continued, 'This Burial Mound is in Yiling; you Yunmeng people must have heard its name. It's a mountain of corpses, an ancient battlefield. Pick any spot on the mountain and dig a shovel deep, you'll unearth a body. And any nameless corpses — they just wrap them in a mat and toss them here.'

The sword formation slowly descended, nearing the dark peak. Wen Chao said, 'Look at that black miasma, tsk tsk tsk — heavy with malice, dense with resentment, isn't it? Even our Wen clan can't do anything about it, can only fence it off and forbid entry and exit. And this is daytime; at night, there's really ev—erything inside. A living person who enters here, body and soul, will never return, can never hope to come out.'

He grabbed Wei Wuxian by the hair and, word by word, said with a savage grin, 'You, too, can never hope to come out!'

With that, he shoved Wei Wuxian off.

'Aaaaaaahhhhh —!'