Wei WuXian was lying for the entire three days.

"Stop crying now, Wei Wuxian. We're still alive here." said Wen Qing.

"Only if you both will promise to do such thing." said Wei Wuxian.

"Why would we? We're not in that kind of situation." said Wen Qing as Wei Wuxian slowly dried his tears and go back to Lan Wangji who hugged him immediately.

Wen Qing's calculations were indeed correct. Three days. Not a moment earlier, not a moment too late. He was able to move right after the three days had passed.

First his fingers, then his limbs, his neck... When the almost frozen blood began to flow inside of him once more, Wei WuXian leaped up from the stairs and rushed outside the Demon-Slaughtering Cave.

The Wen Sect's people seemed like they hadn't had any shut-eye within the three days either. In silence, they sat within the large shack, around the tables. Wei WuXian didn't even spare them a single glance. Sprinting as fast as he could, he dashed down Burial Mound.

"Why did you run?" asked Wen Qing.

"You need to rest more." she said.

"You expect me to rest? That's impossible." said Wei Wuxian.

"It's been three days, you can do nothing. We're already dead." said Wen Qing.

"At least I could take your body or ashes back, right." said Wei Wuxian.

"You don't have to. You're just putting yourself on danger." said Wen Qing.

"I can do nothing about." said Wei Wuxian.

"Don't be so reckless." said Wen Qing.

After he got down the mountain, he stood amid the bushes, catching his breath. Bent down, he propped his hands against his knees for a long while before he stood up straight again. Yet, looking at the wild grasses that covered many of the mountain paths, he didn't know where to go.

Burial Mound-he'd just gone down from there.

Lotus Pier-he hadn't been back in over a year.

Koi Tower? Three days had passed already. If he went now, it was likely that Wen Qing's corpse and Wen Ning's ashes were the only things left.

"He looks so lost." Nie Huaisang said sadly.

"Now, come to think of it. We, Nie sect are hypocrites. We didn't even do anything to help them." he added.

"Remember who is your brother." said Wen Xu.

"He wouldn't even believe that those Wens are innocent much less help them." he added.

Nie Mingjue glared at him.

"Da-ge, Wen Rouhan is the reason why father died. I hope you'll put the siblings out of your rage. They didn't do anything, they're kind people." said Nie Huaisang.

"Focus on those who ruined and killed you in the future. Meng Yao has been a great friend since he joined our sect but he's the one who is fake and hides everything. Da-ge, the Wens are more better than him." he added.

"Shut up." Nie Mingjue scoffed.

"I hope, one day you'll overcome that hatred of yours and will able to see what's good on the people you took as enemies." Nie Huaisang whispered.

"Wei-xiong, you'll always have my full support no matter the situation is." he smiled.

"That's friendship." he added.

He stood blankly. Suddenly, he felt that the world had no place for him, despite how large it was. He didn't know what to do either.

"Why don't you go to the Lan Sect? Isn't the great Hanguang-jun there? He could've helped you." Su She scoffed.

"Just what did I do to you?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"I help save your life but you ended up hating me. You even tried to defend Meng Yao whom you barely knew and now, you're trying to be sarcastic when we don't need it." he said.

"Just say if you want him dead. It will be an easy work." said Xue Yang.

"We're not allowed to kill here." said Song Lan with a glare.

"It did say that we can kill him afterwards." Xue Yang grins.

Out of the blue, a frightening thought emerged from the depths of his heart. Within the three days, he had denied this thought over and over again, but it kept on appearing, unable to be wiped away.

Wen Qing and Wen Ning left on their own. Perhaps, he was glad, somewhere deep inside of him. Because of this, he wouldn't have to be caught between what choice to make. They had already made the choice for him and dealt with the difficulty.

"WHAT THE F*CK?!" Wei Wuxian cursed loudly.

"What was he thinking? Have he gone mad?" he asked in disbelief.

"You're thoughts are just in rumble, a-xian. You didn't mean to think like that." said Jiang Yanli.

"But, still." Wei Wuxian said.

"He could have thought anything but that." he added.

"That's why you must stick your a** back in the cave for you to not make another reckless move that might bring danger to you." said Wen Qing.

"I won't just go back there and sit. I have to do something." said Wei Wuxian.

"Think about yourself, too." said Wen Qing.

Wei WuXian raised his hand and slapped himself on the face. In a low voice, he scolded, "What are you thinking?!"

His cheek burned. He was finally able to suppress the frightening thought. Instead, he thought to himself that no matter what, at least he had to bring back the Wen sibling's ashes.

And so, in the end, he still ran toward the direction of Koi Tower.

Wen Qing sends him a glare.

"Does recklessness runs in your family?" she asked.

"Always yourselves in danger?" she added.

"They might be after your head now. What were you thinking?" she asked angrily.

"Your ashes is important. That's the least I could do." said Wei Wuxian.

"Besides, they've been after my head for quite some time now." he added.

"Jiang Yanli, your brothers are reckless, stupid and dumb sometimes. They don't use their brain properly and always put themselves in danger." Wen Qing said.

"I accept that I'm reckless but stupid and dumb, I am not." said Wei Wuxian.

"Shut up. Learn to give importance to your life." Wen Qing glared at him.

It wasn't difficult for Wei WuXian to sneak into a place if he wanted to. It was very quiet on Koi Tower. Surprisingly, there weren't any of the heavy lines of defense that he imagined there to be. Searching everywhere, he didn't find anything he deemed suspicious.

"Why is there no guards? Are they planning something or are they sneaking and waiting for a right timing to launch at me?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"There are not so many cultivators there." said Jingyi.

"They're in Nightless City." said Jin Ling.

"What are they doing in my place?" Wen Rouhan asked.

"Being hypocrites, I guess." said Sizhui.

Like a ghost, he roamed about the palaces within Koi Tower. He hid when there were people; he walked when there weren't. He didn't know what he was searching for either, or even how to search for it. However, when the sounds of an infant's cries came over, his footsteps suddenly froze. Inside of him was a voice that urged his body to walk toward where the sound came from.

The cries were from a large, lightless palace.

Wei WuXian snuck to the main doors without making a noise. He looked through the delicate carvings of the wooden windows.

A black coffin rested within the hall. Before the coffin kneeled two women in white.

"Oh it's Jin-xiong's funeral." said Nie Huaisang.

"But, why is only two of them? Where the other family members?" he asked.

"We said, they are in Nightless City being hypocrites." said Zizhen.

"I mean the Jins, but others, I don't know." he added.

"Our joke about burning paper money for Jin-xiong came true. But, we are there to do that." said Nie Huaisang.

"That's because he doesn't need any paper money. He have a lot of riches for him to bring in underworld before crossing the yellow river." said Jiang Cheng.

"We're supposed to be mourning but, I can't help but laugh at your remarks, Jiang-xiong." said Nie Huaisang.

"It's true, though." said Jiang Cheng.

The woman on the left had a slightly smaller frame. It was a figure he'd never mistake. Throughout his childhood, he'd been carried by this figure for many, many times.

It was Jiang YanLi.

"Shijie." Wei Wuxian mumbled.

"It's okay, a-xian. It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself." said Jiang Yanli.

"But I killed your husband. You should hate me." said Wei Wuxian.

"I will never hate you, a-xian. Never." said Jiang Yanli as he hugged him.

"I will protect you until my very last breath. If that will keep you safe." she added.

"Same with a-cheng. You both are more important." she continued.

Kneeling on a futon, Jiang YanLi stared blankly at the coffin so black that it seemed to glow. The infant was inside of her arms, still crying softly.

The woman on the right whispered, "... A-Li, you can stop sitting here. Go take a break."

Jiang YanLi shook her head. Madam Jin sighed.

"You should rest, you look really tired." said Jin Zixuan.

"I am your wife that time. I should kneel before your coffin until the day of your burial." said Jiang Yanli.

"I understand but you need to rest, too." said Jin Zixuan.

Jiang Yanli just smiled at him.

It was a woman who had a similar personality to that of her best friend, Madam Yu's. She was extremely assertive, her voice always high. Yet, the few words that she had just spoken sounded so low and so coarse, making her appear to have aged drastically.

Madam Jin insisted, "I'll stay here. You shouldn't sit any longer. You won't be able to hold up."

Jiang YanLi spoke softly, "Mother, I'm fine. I'd like to sit for a while longer."

A moment later, Madam Jin stood up slowly, "You won't be able to hold up if you continue. I'll get you something to eat."

"The fact that you're only able to see that side of the two madams when their in grief. One is because of the battle they couldn't win and the other is because of his son's death." said Lan Qiren.

"Life is really short, we should really enjoy it because we don't know until when are we going to be together." said Qingheng-jun.

"That's why I am returning back to my duties and let my sons enjoy a free life." he added.

"Madam Jin, I hope you'll change especially how you approach people with like of Little Wei. Don't be like your best friend." said Wen Rouhan.

"Treasure those around you except Jin Guangshan." he added.

"Yu Ziyuan is changing, isn't she." said Qingheng-jun.

"Slowly, deep inside her, she might be accepting my second son-in-law." he added.

"We don't know." said Wen Rouhan.

She'd probably been sitting here for a long time as well. Legs numb, her body wavered slightly while she was getting up, but she quickly steadied herself. She turned around. It was indeed those somewhat hardened features.

In Wei WuXian's memories, Madam Jin had always been vigorous and resolute. She always wore on her face an arrogant expression, surrounded by golden splendor. She maintained her youth quite well and seemed quite young, likely able to pass for twenty. But right now, in front of Wei WuXian was a middle-aged woman clothed in white, her temples frosted. She wore no cosmetics. Over her ashen face was a pair of chapped lips.

"You look horrible." Wen Rouhan commented.

"You expect to look happy when my son just died?" Madam Jin asked.

"It shows that you're a human. Your capable of having feelings and emotions except that cold front of yours." said Wen Rouhan.

"My son died, Wen Rouhan. I will lose all of my composure for that. He's the most important." said Madam Jin.

"I know it hurts but, that's life." said Wen Rouhan.

"We should just learn to accept it." he added.

"It would be more better if you just keep silent. Let her mourn for her lose." said Lan Qiren with a glare.

When she approached and was about to exit, Wei WuXian immediately darted. With a light dip of his foot, he leaped onto the roof of the hallway just as Madam Jin walked out. She shut the door behind her. With a cold expression, she took in a deep breath and adjusted the positioning of her facial muscles, as if she wanted to put on her usual stately expression again.

Yet, before she even finished drawing the breath, her eyes had reddened. Back then, in front of Jiang YanLi, she never displayed any sign of grief. Just as she stepped out, however, the corners of her lips collapsed at once. Her features crumples, and she began to tremble.

It was the second time that Wei WuXian saw such an unsightly, yet despairing expression on a woman's face.

He really didn't want to see such an expression once more.

"It's really hurt me seeing that kind of expression on a woman." said Wei Wuxian.

"I can't stand strong people being like that." he added.

"Mother, I'm sorry for leaving you." said Jin Zixuan.

"It's not your fault." said Madam Jin.

"None of that expected it to happen." she added.

"I promise, such thing won't happen here. I won't let you grieve of me." said Jin Zixuan.

"No son would want to see their mom crumble because of them." he added.

Unconsciously, Wei WuXian clenched his fists, but his knuckles gave out a crisp crunch. Hearing this, Madam Jin glared, "Who's there?!"

Just as she looked up, she saw Wei WuXian, hiding behind one of the rooftop decorations. Madam Jin had good sight. She saw the features submerged in the darkness, and her face twisted at once. She yelled in a shrill voice, "Everyone! Come, everyone! Wei Ying-he's here! He crept into Koi Tower!"

"Oh dear, run away now, Little Wei. Madam Jin is highly skilled cultivator." said Wen Rouhan.

"You're dead if she caught you." he added.

"Rest assured, she's the one who will kill me." said Wei Wuxian.

"That doesn't sound so assuring at all." said Nie Huaisang.

Wei WuXian leaped down the roof. Suddenly, he heard a series of hastened footsteps. Somebody hurried out of the palace. He could only make a run for it.

At this point in time, he didn't dare look at Jiang YanLi, not even a single expression, and not even a single word!

"Sorry for running away from you, shijie." said Wei Wuxian.

"It's nothing, save your life." said Jiang Yanli.

"I didn't get to take your ashes." he said to the siblings.

"You don't have to." said Wen Qing.

After he fled Koi Tower and left Lanling City, Wei WuXian lost his direction yet again. He roamed around in a blur, his mind clouded. He didn't make a single stop. He didn't know how many cities he'd passed when he suddenly saw a group of people crowd around a city gate. They were holding a heated, passionate discussion.

Wei WuXian intended on ignoring these people, but as he walked past, he happened to have heard the words 'Ghost General'. He immediately stopped in his track, focused on the conversation.

"Bet, it won't end up good." said Nie Huaisang.

"Nothing will end up good." said Jiang Cheng.

"You guys are saying that I will hurt them." said Wei Wuxian.

"Obviously." said Jiang Cheng.

"The Ghost General really is fierce... Said he was there to give himself in, but then he suddenly flipped out. He slaughtered again, this time in Koi Tower."

"What? How did that happen?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"Because someone tried to control him which didn't end up good." said Sizhui.

"Why would they do that? They deserve to die, then." said Wei Wuxian.

"Those people deserve to die, one way or another." said Jingyi.

"Good thing I didn't go that day!"

"He was a dog trained by Wei WuXian. No wonder he bites everyone in his path."

"Wei Ying, though, he shouldn't have made him if he can't control it. Created a mad dog and he didn't leash it. Sooner or later, he's gonna be faced with a qi deviation. With the way things have been, I doubt the day is that far away."

Wei WuXian listened quietly. The muscles on his face and fingers twitched slightly.

"Wen Ning is no dog." said Wei Wuxian.

"So, if my death is near so are theirs." he added.

"Wei Ying, you don't have to die." said Lan Wangji.

"I still died." said Wei Wuxian.

Lan Wangji held him tightly.

"How unfortunate for the LanlingJin Sect."

"No, it's very fortunate." said Wei Wuxian.

"They deserved it." said Jiang Cheng.

The Jins glared at them but the two just smirk.

"Things were even worse for the GusuLan Sect! Over half of the thirty or-so people were from their sect. They were clearly only there to help calm things down."

"Well, nothing will happen to them if they haven't intervened." said Jiang Cheng.

"They all knew that Wen Ning will only listen to Wei Wuxian so why try stop it." he added.

"They only wanted to help." said a cultivator.

"And it brought them harm." said Jiang Cheng.

"They can't blame those who harm them." he added.

"Good thing the Ghost General was finally burned. Or else, just thinking about how such a thing was roaming around outside, flipping out now and then, would be enough for me to have nightmares."

Someone spat, "That's the end all Wen-dogs should meet!"

"The Ghost-General was almost burned to crumbs. This time, Wei WuXian should know what's up, huh? I heard many of the sect leaders going to the pledge conference have spoken already. How terrific!"

The longer Wei WuXian listened, the colder his expression grew.

"Pledge conference? What's that? A pledge to kill me?" Wei Wuxian asked with a scoff.

"How terrific!" he added with a smirk.

"We are going to watch it. I wonder if they said that Wei-daijiu really killed five thousand peoples." said Jingyi.

"That's just an exaggeration." said Jin Ling.

"It could be true, though." said Jingyi.

"I want to see it, too. I'll show what power really is." said Wei Wuxian.

He should've understood long ago. No matter what he did, not a single good word would come out of these people's mouths. When he won, others feared; when he lost, others rejoiced.

He was cultivating the crooked path either way, so what exactly did the years of persistence mean? What exactly were they for?

However, the colder his eyes were, the brighter the raging fire within his heart burned.

"Wei-xiong's self-restraint seemed to running out." said Nie Huaisang.

"Good luck to those cultivators. If they died, I hope they rest in peace in the underworld." he added.

"Even if I use crooked path or not, those who are greedy in power will do everything to destroy the person who are stronger than them." said Wei Wuxian.

"Why can't a person who is already powerful be contented on what they have?" he asked.

"We don't know. Those people deserve nothing at all." said Jiang Cheng.

One of the group gloated, as though he had made a great contribution to this, "Yeah, terrific! It'll be fine if only he obediently huddles inside of that damn mountain from now on. If he dares show his face outside again? Ha, as soon as he's out, I'll..."

"You'll do what?"

"He can't do anything." said Jiang Cheng.

"Bet, he will peed himself first before he can do anything." he added.

"Talk too much, can't even make a move." said Nie Huaisang.

"If he can really do anything, he should prove it." he added.

"Jin-xiong itself can't defeat Wei-xiong, much less a nobody." he continued.

The people, in the middle of their heated conversation, paused in unison. They all turned around.

They saw a pale, black-robed youth standing behind them, two dark circles below his eyes, his voice cold, "If he dares come out, you'll do what?"

Those with sharp eyes saw the flute with the bright red tassel hanging by the youth's waist. They immediately jolted, exclaiming, "Chenqing, it's Chenqing!"

The YiLing Patriarch, Wei WuXian, had really come out!

"Hey, I'm ready to face all of you." said Wei Wuxian.

"They are not." said Jiang Cheng.

"I'm not that scary, in fact, I'm very good-looking." said Wei Wuxian.

"They're scared of the flute." said Jin Zixuan.

"What can a flute do? Kill them? Wouldn't that be fun?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"Very much fun." said Wen Rouhan.

Within the instant, a large circle had formed with Wei WuXian in the center. The people fled everywhere. As Wei WuXian let out a shrill whistle, the people suddenly felt their bodies sink. They all collapsed onto the ground. As they shakily turned around, they realized that everyone, including themselves, had on their backs various dark, bloody spirits!

"Oh I didn't trouble myself much and they're already down, so weak." Wei Wuxian smirked.

"So evil." Su She scoffed.

"You mean so strong? Oh I am." said Wei Wuxian.

"That power should be eliminated. Such person don't deserve life. He's hurting innocent people." said Sect Leader Yao.

"Innocent? Really? I can't see innocence in them." said Wei Wuxian.

"I'll eliminate you first before any of you lay a hand on my second son-in-law." said Qingheng-jun.

Among the scattered, disabled crowd, Wei WuXian walked patiently, talking as he walked, "Huh, what's wrong? Weren't you all quite the cultivators when you were talking about me behind my back? Why is it that, now that you're in front of me, you can do nothing but lie on the ground?"

He walked beside the person whose words were the harshest and ground his foot against the person's face, laughing, "Talk. Why aren't you talking anymore? Mr. Hero, just what are you going to do to me?!"

"Why do I really love scenes like this? Torture." said Wei Wuxian.

"It's not that much yet." said Jiang Cheng.

"Do something more." he added.

"You're giving me dark thoughts, ChengCheng." said Wei Wuxian.

"Your thoughts are already dark before I say a thing." said Jiang Cheng.

The person's nasal bones had broken from the force, bleeding and screaming uncontrollably. Many cultivators were watching from on top of the city gate. They wanted to help, but they didn't dare approach the scene.

One of them shouted from afar, "Wei... Wei Ying! If you're really that strong, why don't you go find those sect leaders participating in the pledge conference? What could you prove by picking on us low-level cultivators with no power to fight back?"

Wei WuXian let out another short whistle. The cultivator who shouted felt as a hand suddenly tugged him down. He fell off the city gate, breaking both of his legs, and began to scream.

"Wow!" Nie Huaisang clapped his hands.

"Tell me how to do that." he said.

"Just push them off the ridge." said Jiang Cheng.

"Low-level or not, I will still give you my attention since you really want one." said Wei Wuxian.

"Now that I give you some, you don't want it anymore. It hurt my feelings." he added.

"Can you three stop being dark?" Jin Zixuan asked.

"It's not dark at all. It's pretty normal." said Nie Huaisang.

"I regret being your friends with you." said Jin Zixuan.

"As if you can do anything." said Nie Huaisang.

Amid the wails, Wei WuXian's expression didn't change at all, "Low-level cultivators? Do I have to tolerate you, just because you're low-level cultivators? If you dared say those things, you had to dare shoulder the consequences. If you knew that you were insignificant pieces of scum as filthy as ants, how come you didn't know to think before you speak?!"

Everyone was as pale as ash, making not a single noise. A moment later, when Wei WuXian didn't hear any more chatter, he continued in satisfaction, "Yes, that's the spirit."

"They fear me at all." Wei Wuxian smirked.

"Is anyone up to that? I'm willing to be like my future self to give every one of a f*cking lesson." he said.

Those who are against him fell silent.

Just as he finished, he kicked again, knocking out half a mouthful of teeth from the person who was spreading the made-up tales the most!

Blood splattered all over the ground. Everyone shuddered as they watched, while the person had already passed out from the pain. Wei WuXian looked down and pressed his foot against the ground, leaving behind a few bloody footsteps.

"He didn't kill him?" Jin Zixuan asked.

"He passed out besides, in that situation, do you think he will still live long?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"I won't give him an easy death. He must suffer first. Either from pain or from trauma of going against me." he added.

Some people shuddered at that.

He thought for a while before speaking up again, his voice emotionless, "But, you scums were right about one thing. There's not really much meaning in wasting time with you people. You wanted me to find those bigger sects? Fine. I'll be on my way right now, to clear up a few things with them."

"If you can leave from there, alive." said Jin Guangshan.

"Shut your mouth." said Qingheng-jun with a glare.

"Or I'll cut-off your tongue." said Lan Qiren.

"Besides, it doesn't count as killing." said Wen Rouhan.

"Right, Fengmian?" he asked the man.

"You're intelligent enough. You can handle it." said Jiang Fengmian.

"Yeah yeah, focus on fixing your relationship with your wife." said Wen Rouhan.

He looked up and saw the large announcement stuck over the city gate. The crowd had been chatting around this announcement.

At the top of the announcement was the words 'Pledge Conference'. The contents told that the four leading sects-the LanlingJin Sect, the QingheNie Sect, the YunmengJiang Sect, and the GusuLan Sect-were going to scatter the ashes of the Wen Sect's remnants atop the ruins of the QishanWen Sect's abandoned residence-the Nightless City. At the same time, they'd take the pledge that they'd be forever opposing the YiLing Patriarch, who had occupied Burial Mound.

A pledge conference at the Nightless City?

"Four Sects? Lan Zhan?" he asked.

"I will never go against you, Wei Ying." said Lan Wangji.

"Xiongzhang?" he asked.

"I don't know anything." said Lan Xichen.

"Wanyin?" he asked.

"Why are you asking me? It's already ten days after Jin Zixuan's death." said Jiang Cheng.

"And?" Wei Wuxian asked.

"What about it?" Jin Zixuan asked.

"A-jie. She'll die in any moment." said Jiang Cheng and the two froze.

They both look at Jiang Yanli who is already hugged by his son.

"I don't want to watch it. I just want to believe that my a-niang never dies." Jin Ling whispered.