Lan WangJi laid Jin Ling flat onto the ground and felt for his pulse. Wei WuXian, on the other hand, took up the sheath of Bichen, and skillfully started to poke around in the dirt, following the length of the bone. After a short while, a complete skeleton appeared before their eyes.

"What the hell?!" exclaimed the cultivators.

"Da-ge!" yelled Huaisang and hid behind his brother.

"Tsk! You called yourselves cultivators yet can't take it when you saw a complete skeleton!" said Wei Wuxian in disbelief.

"But why is there a skeleton?" asked Jin Zixuan.

"Are you asking me? How would I know? How would we know? I only knew about that when we watched it. Stop asking." said Wei Wuxian.

This skeleton was the same as how Jin Ling looked, buried inside the wall in a standing position. With ghastly pale bones and pitch-black dirt— the contrast was distinct yet glaring to the eye. Wei WuXian dug a bit more through the ground, and broke away a few pieces of bricks on the side. After some more rustling around, sure enough, he found another skeleton nearby.

This one hadn’t decayed completely yet. There were still some flesh on the bones, and long, messy hair on the skull. From the ragged clothing in the shade of a watered down red, he could tell that this was a woman. However, she wasn’t standing, with her skeleton bending down. The reason of this was that there was a third skeleton beside her, squatting down by her feet.

"It looks like a pattern." said Lan Xichen.

Everyone looked at him.

"Wow! First time seeing Jiang Cheng sleeping while sitting in someone's lap." said Wei Wuxian.

"A-die is not someone, they are married in the future." said Jingyi.

"Just let him sleep. I don't know what's happening that time but I know for sure that the next scenes will be unpleasant for him." said Jin Ling.

"Don't worry, a-ling. If a-cheng is sleeping, you can't wake him up that easily." said Jiang Yanli while patting his son's head.

Wei WuXian stopped digging further.

He took a few steps back. The noise in his ears was as wild and turbulent as tidal waves.

He could almost be sure of it. The inside of this stone castle’s thick walls was packed with human corpses.

Above, below, southeast, northwest; standing, sitting, lying, squatting…

Just what on Earth was this place?!

"A dangerous place." said Zizhen.

"Who would do that?" asked MianMian.

"Someone who is not their right mind." said Jin Guangshan.

Nie Mingjue send him a glare secretly.

"Bold of you to say that." said Jingyi with a laugh.

At this moment, the unconscious Jin Ling suddenly sat up.

In front of the two, he clumsily stood up with closed eyes. Wei WuXian wanted to see what he was going to do, so he didn’t do anything as Jin Ling slowly walked around him, took one stride, and stepped back into the wall where he stood just a while ago. He placed his arms flat beside his body. Even the position was the same as before.

"Is he hypnotized?" asked Nie Huaisang.

"I think so." said Wei Wuxian.

Wei WuXian pulled him out of the wall again, feeling that the situation was both hilarious and strange. As he was about to tell Lan WangJi that it was best not to stay here for long, he suddenly quivered out of fright, hearing a few barks that came from afar. Ever since they went in, the blackhaired spiritual dog behaved itself, wagging its tail as it sat before the entrance. It waited for them to bring back its master in an anxious yet pathetic way, without barking anymore. However, right now, its barks were fiercer than ever.

"Why is he batking again?" asked Wei Wuxian while finding a face to hide.

"Something might be happening outside.' said Jin Ling.

"He doesn't need to bark." said Wei Wuxian as he settled himself in Lan Wangji's lap.

Lan WangJi spoke, “Something is wrong outside of the castle.”

As he reached out to help Jin Ling, Wei WuXian beat him to it and carried Jin Ling up on his back, “Let’s go out and see!”

The two quickly went back the same way they came. Bending down to exit, they saw the spiritual dog face them with its back, growling with the bottom of its throat at a certain direction. Although Wei WuXian managed to come over, he really couldn’t bear this type of sound, and involuntarily took a few steps backward. When the dog turned around and saw that he had Jin Ling on his back, it instantly dashed over, causing Wei WuXian to scream. Lan WangJi shifted in front of him just as he was about to throw Jin Ling down.

"Take that dog away." cried Wei Wuxian.

"You're really going to throw me?" asked Jin Ling in disbelief.

"What do you think? Seeing such creature I can't think of any other things other than running away." said Wei Wuxian.

The spiritual dog immediately stopped, its tail between its legs again. The reason why it didn’t stick its tongue out was that it held something inside its mouth. Lan WangJi went forth, bent down, took out a scrap of cloth from between its teeth, and handed it over to Wei WuXian. It seemed like it was part of a piece of clothing. Before this, there must have been someone either roaming or spying around the area, and they must have appeared suspicious, or else the dog’s barks wouldn’t have been teeming with hostility. Wei WuXian declared, “They haven’t gone far yet. Let’s go after them!”

Yet, Lan WangJi responded, “That is not necessary. I know who they are.”

"Who could it be?" asked Nue Huaisang and the juniors turned to look at him.

"What are you looking at? I'm just asking." he said.

Wei WuXian, “I also know. It must have been the same group of people who spread rumors of the Xinglu Ridge, let out the walking corpses, set up the maze array, and built the stone castles. And those sabers. But, if we don’t catch them now, it’d be a bother to find them later.”

"Is it related to the Nie Sect?" asked a random disciple.

"I guess so. They're the only one who used saber for cultivation." said his friend.

Lan WangJi, “I will go after them. What about you and Jin Ling?”

Wei WuXian, “I’ll take him down the Xinglu Ridge and settle down somewhere in Qinghe, around where we met that charlatan. Let’s meet up there.”

The pace of the conversation was extremely fast. Lan WangJi only paused for a moment, and Wei WuXian added, “Go. Any later and the person would have run away. I’ll be back!”

Hearing the ‘I’ll be back’, Lan WangJi took one deep look at him and walked off without any more words. The spiritual dog wanted to throw itself over again. Wei WuXian immediately shouted, “W-w-w-wait! Take the dog away! Take it!!!”

"Why are you looking at me like that, Lan Zhan?" asked Wei Wuxian.

Lan Wangji refused to answer the question while looking at himself intently.

"The dog really loves Young Master Jin." said Lan Xichen.

"No." said Lan Wangji.

"What no?" asked Jin Ling.

"It's Young Mistress Jin not Youbg Master Jin." Jingyi said receiving a hard smack from the said man.

"Be thankful that a-niang is asleep." Jingyi said while rubbing his head.

"Then shut that goddamn mouth of yours." Jin Ling said back.

Lan WangJi had to come back again. He looked down at the black-haired spiritual dog. Too scared to put up any resistance, it yapped as it trailed behind Lan WangJi, turning around to look at Jin Ling once in awhile. Wei WuXian wiped a few drops of sweat from his forehead. After he looked at the group of white castles once more, he picked up Jin Ling again and went down the Xinglu Ridge.

At the moment, it was already near dusk. With a boy on his back and both of them covered in dirt, they received a lot of attention from passersby. Wei WuXian went back to the street where Jin Ling used the dog to chase him and found an inn. Using the money he fished out of Lan WangJi, he bought two new outfits and got a room. He first took off Jin Ling’s sect robe, which had been crumpled after it was buried in dirt, then pulled off his boots. Suddenly, his movements came to a halt.

"Now what?" asked a random cultivator.

"Why don't you watch without interrupting us." asked Su She back.

"Why don't you two shut up." said Wen Xu.

"From now on, Lan Zhan's money is mine." said Wei Wuxian.

"Mn." Lan Wangji agreed.

There appeared to be an area of shadow on Jin Ling’s lower leg. Squatting down and rolling up the boy’s trousers, Wei WuXian discovered that this wasn’t a shadow, but a black bruise. And, it wasn’t a bruise that came from being injured, it was a Curse Mark.

A Curse Mark was a marking made by an evil being on its prey. If it appeared, it meant that the person had offended something of extreme malice. If it left a mark, it would find you no matter what, possibly after a long time, and possibly tonight. The consequences ranged from having the body part with the marking taken away or just death.

"A-ling." called Jiang Yanli worriedly while Jin Zixuan checked his legs.

"I don't have any markings." said Jin Ling.

"It must have beed removed already." said Wei Wuxian.

Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli sighed in relief.

Jin Ling’s whole leg had turned black, and the bruise was still stretching upward. Wei WuXian had never seen a Curse Mark in such an intense shade of black and covering such a large area. The more he looked at it, the sterner his face grew. He put Jin Ling’s legs down and undid Jin Ling’s undergarment. He only felt relief after he saw that his chest and stomach areas were all clean, not affected by the Curse Mark yet.

"Thank God." said Jiang Yanli.

"You shouldn't go to such place again." said Jin Zixuan sternly.

"But a-die." he whined and the juniors where amused seeing his reaction.

"No more buts." said Jin Zixuan and he can only nod his head.

At this moment, Jin Ling opened his eyes.

He was confused for quite a while. With his body naked and cold all around, he came to at once. He immediately got up and roared with a flushed face, “Wh-wh-wh-what are you doing?!”

"That time I really though you're harassing me." said Jin Ling with a flushed face.

Wei Wuxian and Jingyi laughed loudly.

Jiang Cheng stirred in his sleep but didn't woke up.

"You're waking jiujiu up!" exclaimed Jin Ling.

Wei WuXian grinned, “Oh hey, you’re awake.”

Appearing as if he had encountered a great shock, Jin Ling shut the front of his undergarment and shrunk toward the corner of the bed, “What do you want?! Where are my clothes?! Where’s my sword?! Where’s my dog?!”

"And that's is Jin Ling's priority." said Zizhen.

"You look like a girl who has been harassed." said Jingyi.

Wei WuXian spoke, “I was just about to put on your clothes for you.”

His expression and tone were as kind as those of a grandmother who wanted to put on a jacket for her grandson. Jin Ling leaned against the wall with disheveled hair, “I am not a cut-sleeve!!!”

Wei WuXian beamed, “What a coincidence—I am!!!”

"Is that necessary to say?" asked Jin Zixuan.

"For Wei-daijiu is yes." said Jin Ling.

"I agree that Wei-xiong looks like a grandmother this time." said Nie Huaisang with a laugh.

Jin Ling snatched the sword that lay beside the bed in a manner so courageous that it seemed if Wei WuXian walked one more step forward, he would kill him and then commit suicide to prove his innocence. Wei WuXian finally managed to stop laughing, “Why are you so scared? It was only a joke! I spent so much effort to dig you out of the wall, and you don’t even thank me.”

Amid the ruckus, Jin Ling combed his hand through his messy hair so that it looked a bit more decent, and continued to rage, “If not for this, the fact that y-y-y-you dared to take off my clothes w-w-would’ve gotten you killed for thousands of times!”

"What did I say about respecting elders?" asked Jiang Yanli.

"I am really like that that time, a-niang." said Jin Ling.

"But don't worry, he is a bit respectful for now except when he is facing people like Sect Leader Yao." said Jingyi.

"What was that supposed to mean?" asked Sect Leader Yao.

"What do you think?" asked Jingyi with a raised brow.

Wei WuXian, “Please don’t. Dying once was already painful enough. There, there. Put the sword down.”

With a muddled look, Jin Ling did as he was told and put the sword down.

When they played Inquiry, although Jin Ling’s soul left his body and he couldn’t remember a lot of things, amid the haze, he knew that it was the person in front of him who dug him out and carried him down the mountain. For some time, after he was buried in the wall, he had been conscious for a while, the fear and despair in his heart at their height. Yet, he really didn’t expect that the one who freed him from his fear and despair was this person whom he had hated ever since the first time they met. The color of his face switched back and forth between white and red. He was also both dizzy and embarrassed, his thoughts still fluttering everywhere. Suddenly, his eyes went toward the window and was shocked to see that the sky was already dark, with a few stars scattered here and there. Coincidentally, Wei WuXian bent down to pick up the new clothes that fell on the ground. Jin Ling hopped off the bed, put on his boots, grabbed his jacket, and sprinted out of the room.

"You've run away." said Jingyi.

"Obviously." said Jin Ling.

"What about the curse mark?" asked Sizhui.

"Yeah what about that?" asked Jingyi.

"The curse is still in his legs." said Sizhui.

"Maybe he survived it." said Zizhen.

"Let's just continue watching." said Lan Xichen.

Wei WuXian originally thought that, after going through so much, he would probably stay listless for a while. Who knew that young people were so energetic, as he disappeared into the distance like a gust of wind. Remembering the Curse Mark on his leg that was no trivial matter, he quickly shouted, “What are you running away for?! Come back!”

Jin Ling ran as he put on his soiled, crumpled sect robe, “Don’t follow me!” He was light on his feet and stepped out of the inn in a few long strides. After chasing for a few blocks, Wei WuXian actually lost him.

"Are you afraid that a-niang will find you in such state?" asked Jingyi.

"What do you think?" Jin Ling asked back.

"Jiang Cheng is scaring the children." said Wei Wuxian with a laugh.

After searching for a while, twilight came, and the people on the streets also lessened. Wei WuXian was quite annoyed, “Damn. How can this child do such a thing?!”

As he was about to give up, the angered voice of a young man came from in front of him, at the far end of the street, “I only said a few things about you, and you disappeared into nowhere. Are you some young mistress? Your temper has been growing worse and worse!”

Jiang Cheng!

"A-niang even thought you're a mistress." laughed Jingyi.

"Tell me, in which angle to I look like a mistress?" asked Jin Ling.

"In every angle especially your attitude." said Jingyi.

Wei WuXian immediately slid into an alleyway. A second later, Jin Ling’s voice also appeared, “I already came back with nothing wrong with me, didn’t I? Stop nagging!”

It appeared that Jin Ling didn’t come to Qinghe alone. Well, no wonder. Last time, at Dafan Mountain, Jiang Cheng had been there to assist him, so why wouldn’t he have come this time? However, looking at this now, it seemed that the two had a quarrel in the town of Qinghe, which was why Jin Ling went up the Xinglu Ridge alone. The reason why he hastened to run away was probably that Jiang Cheng threatened to do something to him if he didn’t come back before dark or something like that.

"Just Jiang Cheng's way od disciplining a person." said Wei Wuxian.

"Even if you and your uncle have a quarrel you should go on your own because that just how he show his care." said Jiang Yanli.

"I know." Jin Ling muttered softly.

Jiang Cheng, “Nothing wrong? You look like you just rolled around in a muddy ditch, and you say there’s nothing wrong with you! Don’t you think that it’s an embarrassment to be wearing your sect’s uniform? Hurry back and change into something else! Speak. What did you run into today?”

Jin Ling replied impatiently, “I already said that I didn’t run into anything. I tripped, and it was a waste of time. Ow!” He shouted, “Don’t tug on me like that! I’m not three-years-old!”

"What a lie." laughed Jingyi.

"I am going to tell a-niang about this when we get back. I wonder what will happen to you." he added.

"What a traitor." muttered Jin Ling.

Jiang Cheng spoke in a harsh tone, “Is it that you think I can’t discipline you any longer? Let me tell you that, even if you’re thirty, I’d still be able to tug you. Next time, if you dare to run around without telling anyone again, the whip waits upon you!”

Jin Ling, “I went alone exactly because I didn’t want anyone to help or discipline me.”

Wei WuXian considered, I don’t know about anything else, but Jiang Cheng was quite right when he scolded that Jin Ling had the temper of a young mistress.

"See, even Wei-daijiu agree that your a mistress." said Jingyi.

"Whatever." Jin Ling gave up om stopping Jingyi from calling him Young Mistress.

Jiang Cheng, “So, what now? What did you catch? Where’s the spiritual dog that your uncle gave you?”

It was chased into some random corner by Lan Zhan. Just as Wei WuXian was thinking, two familiar barks came from the other side of the alley.

"Here comes that monster again!" exclaimed Wei Wuxian, snuggling himself deeply on Lan Wangji's crooked neck.

"Let me tell you again, my dog isn't a monster." Jin Ling yelled.

Wei WuXian’s demeanor changed at once. Legs moving on their own, he rushed outside as if he was chased by poisonous arrows. The black-haired spiritual dog sprinted over from the other end, passed Wei WuXian, and threw itself toward Jin Ling’s legs, affectionately brushing him with its tail.

With the dog appearing here, it must have meant that Lan WangJi had already caught whoever was spying near the stone castles and went to point of rendezvous that they settled on earlier. However, at the moment, Wei WuXian had no time to think about these things.

As he ran, he just happened to end up right before Jiang Cheng, Jin Ling, and a bunch of other Jiang Sect’s disciples.

"Oh they meet again." said Nie Huaisang.

"I don't think it's a good thing." said Jingyi.

"Don't let uncle woke up." said Jin Ling.

The Jiangs are having foreboding feeling for whatever is going to happen.