The entirety of the cultivation world knew that third lady Yu had cultivated together with Jiang FengMian when they were young. Jiang FengMian’s character was gentle, yet Yu ZiYuan’s personality was harsh. The two didn’t share too many interactions. Thus, although their backgrounds matched, nobody associated the two as a pair. Later, ZangSe SanRen came from the mountains, passed by Yunmeng, and happened to become friends with Jiang FengMian. They had even night-hunted together on multiple occasions. Both thought highly of each other. People supposed that it was very likely for ZangSe SanRen to become the next mistress of Lotus Pier.

"Well, I also thought she will." said Madam Yu.

"Jiang Fengmian must have been so disappointed in his whole life." she added.

"My lady." said Jiang Fengmian.

"Stop calling me that." said Madam Yu.

However, soon afterward, the MeishanYu Sect proposed an alliance through marriage to the YunmengJiang Sect.

The leader of the Jiang Sect back then was quite interested, but Jiang FengMian had no such intentions. He didn’t like Yu ZiYuan’s conduct and felt that the two wouldn’t be an appropriate match. He had politely refused the offer a handful of times. However, the MeishanYu Sect set about multiple factors, putting pressure on Jiang FengMian, who was at the time still fairly young and had nothing to lean on. Along with the fact that, not long later, ZangSe SanRen had become cultivation partners with the most loyal servant at Jiang FengMian’s side, Wei ChangZe, and rode off into the sunset, roaming around the world, Jiang FengMian finally gave up.

Although Jiang and Yu were married, they had ever since been a grudging couple. They had always been living apart and held the most disagreeable of conversations. Aside from the strengthening of their sect’s powers, nobody knew what other benefits they had attained.

"This is the reason why I hate arranged marriage." said Jiang Cheng.

"Not all arranged marriage is like this." said MianMian.

"Show me." said Jiang Cheng.

"You know, it depends on people." said MianMian.

"If they dislike each other then at least show some respect not fighting everyday. If they knew that it will never work then they should've broken it." said Sizhui.

The founder of the YunmengJiang Sect, Jiang Chi, was born a rogue cultivator. The ways of the sect were honest and unrestrained. Madam Yu’s manners were the exact opposite. And, both Jiang Cheng’s looks and personality took after his mother. He hadn’t ever been to Jiang FengMian’s liking. Since birth, he taught him in many ways, yet he still couldn’t change, which was why Jiang FengMian had always seemed as though he didn’t favor him too much.

"Seemed? He never did." said Madam Yu.

"Like, it's my fault that I was born to be like that. It's not easy to change your personality, you know." said Jiang Cheng.

"Taught me? More like ignored me." he added.

"A-cheng." said Jiang Yanli.

"Sorry a-jie, it's just that the screen will show everything so what the use of keeping silent." said Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng pulled Wei WuXian’s hand away and stood up, letting out his anger, “I know! I know that I don’t have the personality he likes, that I’m not the heir he wants. He thinks that I don’t deserve to be Sect Leader, that I don’t understand the motto of the Jiang Sect, that I don’t have the air of the Jiang Sect in me at all! Those are all true!”

"That's not true, a-niang. You're the best Sect Leader that the Jiang Sect ever had." said Jingyi.

"Don't look down on yourself." he added.

"Even if he doesn't want you to be the heir, that position is still rightfully yours." said Wen Rouhan.

"Jiang Fengmian, you— I understand Yu Ziyuan's jealousy and hatred towards Wei Wuxian but not you, how could you ignore your own son?" he asked.

"You should've told me that you don't want him as your son because I will gladly take him to my sect." he added.

"I don't want to be part of your Wen Sect." said Jiang Cheng.

"It's just a suggestion, little Jiang." said Wen Rouhan.

"You two will only know the importance of a family when it's already too late." he added.

He raised his voice, “You killed the Xuanwu of Slaughter together with Lan WangJi, bathing in blood! How great is that?! But what about me?!”

He punched his fist into a pillar in the hall, clenching his teeth, “… I have also been running around for days, completely exhausted, with not one second of rest!”

"He's really mad." said Jiang Yanli.

"Maybe he can't hold all of his pent up anger anymore." said Jin Zixuan.

"You shouldn't be like that, Jiang Cheng. Saving me from that place is a already a great thing because you risked your life for me." said Wei Wuxian.

"Like you both always do for one another." Jin Ling mumbled.

Wei WuXian, “So what if there’s the motto?! Do you have to follow it just because it’s a motto? Look at the rules of the GusuLan Sect—there are over three thousand. If people followed every single one of them, would they even be alive at this point?”

He hopped off the fence, “And, who said that being a sect leader means that you have to go along with the style of the sect? There have been so many sect leaders in the YunmengJiang Sect, I don’t believe at all that everyone was the same. Even the GusuLan Sect had an outlier like Lan Yi, but who would deny her position and her abilities? When talking about the famous cultivators of the Lan Sect, who could skip over her? Who could skip over her Chord Assassination technique?”

"A-xian is right." said Jiang Yanli.

"He's always right for you." Jiang Cheng mumbled.

"What is it, a-cheng?" asked Jiang Yanli.

"I said, out of all the sects that he can make as an example he used the Lan Sect." said Jiang Cheng.

"Because, that's my husband's sect." said Wei Wuxian.

Jiang Cheng was silent, as though he had finally become calmer. Wei WuXian put his hand on his shoulder again, “In the future, you’ll be the sect leader, and I’ll be your subordinate, like your father and my father. So what if the GusuLan Sect has its Two Jades? The Yunmeng Jiang Sect will have its Two Prides! So, shut up. Who said that you don’t deserve to be the sect leader? Nobody can say this, even you can’t either. If you do you’re looking for a beating.”

Jiang Cheng snorted, “You see how you are right now? Who can you beat up?”

The juniors looked down at that.

"You hear that, Jiang Cheng? We won't be separated." said Wei Wuxian.

"We did, though." said Jiang Cheng.

"Aiyaa don't be so negative, it's not like I will leave you." said Wei Wuxian.

"Really? It seems that you really did in the future." said Jiang Cheng.

"A-xian might have his own reason, a-cheng." said Jiang Yanli.

As he spoke he slapped right at the middle of Wei WuXian’s chest. Although medicine and bandages had already been applied to the branded wound, being slapped out of the blue still brought immense pain. Wei WuXian roared, “Jiang Cheng!!! Come to your death!!!”

Jiang Cheng ducked from his strike and shouted, “You’re hurting so much now, but why did you play the hero back then?! Serves you right! Teaches you your lesson!”

"Yet, he will always do the same." said Jiang Cheng.

"Always care for others not himself." he added.

"Just say that you're worried about me." said Wei Wuxian.

"I bet, Jiang-xiong will never say that even if he's going to die." said Nie Huaisang.

"He will, I will make him." said Wei Wuxian.

"How?" asked Jin Zixuan.

"Take a guess." said Wei Wuxian with a grin.

Wei WuXian, “Was I playing the hero?! I had no other choice either, I was moving faster than I could think! Stop running, I’ll let you off this once. I need to ask you something! … I had a perfume sachet somewhere around my waist. It was empty. Did you see it?”

Jiang Cheng, “The one that MianMian gave you? I didn’t.”

Wei WuXian exclaimed his regret, “I’ll find her for another one later.”

"Why?" asked MianMian.

"You don't have to ask. He just want to flirt with you." said Jiang Cheng.

"Hey! I won't." said Wei Wuxian.

"Are you sure?" asked Jiang Cheng.

"Besides, Lan Wangji might have took it." he added.

"Jiang-xiong is right. Wangji-xiong was so jealous that he took it." said Nie Huaisang.

"How can you say that?" asked Wei Wuxian.

"That's because Lan-er-gongzi have the same pouch as the one MianMian gave you. Or it's just one thing." said Jin Zixuan.

"Lan Zhan, did you really?" asked Wei Wuxian.

"How would he know? Ask the future him if you want answers." said Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng frowned, “You’re at it again. You don’t really like her, do you? The girl does look fine, but it’s obvious that she doesn’t have much background. Maybe she isn’t even a disciple. She seems like the daughter of a servant.”

Wei WuXian, “What’s wrong with servants? I’m also the son of a servant, aren’t I?”

Jiang Cheng, “How can you compare to her? Whose servant is like you, having your master peel lotus seeds for you and boil you soup. I didn’t even get to have some!”

"You're a son of a servant, yet you yourself aren't one." said Jin Zixuan.

"That's because my a-die is also a cultivator." said Wei Wuxian.

"But, why didn't you become a servant?" asked Meng Yao.

"Not because his father is known as a servant, he himself should be one." said Jiang Cheng.

"Yu Ziyuan always called you as a son of a servant, so why didn't she made you to be one?" asked Jin Guangshan.

"Oh maybe because you're adopted by Jiang Fengmian." he added.

"That's because he knew nothing about servant stuff." said Madam Yu with scoff.

"Or you don't hate him that much." laughed Wen Rouhan.

"That's impossible." said Jiang Cheng.

Wei WuXian, “If you want some just ask Shijie to cook you more. Right, we were talking about Lan Zhan. Did Lan Zhan not leave a message for me? Has his brother been found? How’s the situation at his sect?”

"You expected him to leave a message to you." Jiang Cheng said with a laugh.

"What do you think?" Wei Wuxian asked with a pout.

"Lan Zhan, why don't you give me letter like your brother to my brother?" he asked.

"Will do, for Wei Ying." said Lan Wangji.

"Lan Zhan, you're really the best." Wei Wuxian beamed and kissed Lan Wangji's forehead.

Jiang Cheng, “You expected him to leave you a message? You’re lucky that he didn’t leave you with a stab. He went back. Lan XiChen hasn’t been found yet. Lan QiRen is exhausted from working.”

"Are you not worried about your lover?" asked Nie Huaisang.

"What do you expect me to do? Look for him?" asked Jiang Cheng.

"Even if I'm worried, I know that he can handle on his own." he added.

"You trust him so much." said Jin Zixuan.

Wei WuXian, “What about the Lan Sect’s leader? How is he?”

Jiang Cheng, “He passed away.”

Wei WuXian paused, “He passed away.”

"Fuqin!" exclaimed Lan Xichen.

"Worry not. I already expected that." said Qingheng-jun.

Lan Qiren sends Wen Rouhan a glare.

"As I said Qiren, I didn't do anything." said Wen Rouhan.

"Blame the future me. You can hate him all you want and I won't stop you." he added.

"Whatever." said Lan Qiren.

All of a sudden, Lan WangJi’s tear-streaked face, reflecting the firelight, flashed within his mind. He blurted out, “How’s Lan Zhan?”

Jiang Cheng, “How could he be? He went back. Father originally wanted to ask people to take him to Gusu. He refused. Judging from how he was, he should’ve known long ago that the day would come. After all, with the situation at hand, no sect is better than any other.”

"I just hope that nothing bad will happen to our sect." said Jiang Cheng.

"Don't worry, if the Wens are going to attack us, we Jiang Sect can defend our home until our last breath." said Wei Wuxian.

"If they really did, I'm going to cut off the head of the one who lead the attack." said Jiang Cheng.

The two sat down on the wooden fence again. Wei WuXian, “Then what’s going on with Lan XiChen?”

Jiang Cheng, “The Wen Sect was going to burn down their Library Pavillion, wasn’t it? Tens of thousands of ancient books and music scores. The Lan Sect’s people saved some. They probably gave them to Lan XiChen and told him to run away with them. They protected whatever they could, or else everything’d be gone. This is what everyone is guessing.”

"Of course, he have to run away with those texts that is very important to the sect." said Lan Qiren.

"Why?" asked Nie Huaisang.

"The sect won't be gone if the heir will remain safe." said Lan Qiren.

"That's the rightful thing to do in that situation." he added.

Looking at the sky, Wei WuXian spoke, “How disgusting.”

Jiang Cheng, “Yeah. The Wen Sect is too disgusting.”

Wei WuXian, “For how long are they going to jump around like this? We’ve got so many sects. Can’t we join together and…”

"Don't worry, what happened in the future won't happen in this timeline." said Wen Rouhan.

"You better be or else, I'm the who's going to give you punishment." said Lan Qiren.

"What punishment?" asked Wen Rouhan.

"Why do I think there's a meaning behind it?" asked Nie Huaisang to his friends.

"Are they past lovers?" asked Jin Zixuan.

"Lan Qiren has a lover in the past?!" exclaimed Wei Wuxian.

"What are you four talking about? I have none." said Lan Qiren.

"Then, why is your ears are red?" asked Wei Wuxian.

"Leave it. If he really have one then how come he's single?" asked Jiang Cheng.

The three gave him a look.

"Jiang-xiong, you're more curious than us." said Nie Huaisang.

Suddenly, a series of footsteps came. A group of boys wearing training clothes leaped across the hallway like monkeys, shouting, “Shixiong!!!”

The youngest shidi beamed, “Shixiong!!! You’re alive now!!!”

Wei WuXian, “What do you mean I’m alive now? I’ve never died to begin with!”

"I almost blurted that out." said Wei Wuxian as he look at the shidi of his who only grinned at him

"Don't say something like that." laughed Wei Wuxian.

"And if he really died, we're going to give him the most peaceful and silent funeral that can make him come back to life because he's not used to silent." laughed Jiang Cheng.

“Shixiong, I heard that you killed a beast over four hundred years old?! Is it true? You killed it?!”

“Compared to this, what I really want to know is, Shixiong, did you really go without food for seven days?!”

“You really haven’t secretly practiced inedia behind our backs?!”

“Just how big really was the Xuanwu of Slaughter? Would it fit inside Lotus Lake?!”

“The Xuanwu of Slaughter was just a tortoise right?!”

“Shixiong, you spent the entire seven days with Lan WangJi from Gusu? And he didn’t beat you to death?!”

"So full of questions." laughed Wei Wuxian.

"What are you? My children?" he added.

"We're just curious, shixiong." said the one of his shidis.

"Well, you all saw what happened. I don't have to explain it to all of you." said Wei Wuxian.

The atmosphere that had been somewhat solemn was immediately smashed into a ruckus.

Wei WuXian’s injuries weren’t too heavy to begin with. He just didn’t apply medicine in time and suffered from both fatigue and hunger. But the physique of his body was quite good. After medicine had been applied to the brand mark on his chest, his fever soon died down. He was lively again with just a few days of rest. After the chaos of the Xuanwu of Slaughter in Dusk-Creek Mountain, the ‘Sector of Indoctrination’ that the Wen Sect had set up at Qishan had disintegrated completely. All of the disciples returned to their sects. On the other hand, Wen Chao didn’t follow up immediately either. Taking the opportunity, Madam Yu gave Wei WuXian a harsh talking-to and ordered him not to take one step out of the gates of Lotus Pier, not even to play in the lake. Thus, he could only shoot kites with the Jiang Sect’s disciples, day after day after day.

"It's boring to stay on Lotus Pier for long without going out." Wei Wuxian whined.

"Serves you right." said Jiang Cheng.

"The same with you, you're also not allowed to go out." said Wei Wuxian.

"I have no reason to go out." said Jiang Cheng.

"Yeah yeah, I remember that you only go out when I force you or when you're to have a date with your husband." Wei Wuxian said with a grin.

No matter how fun a game was, playing it every day would eventually become tedious. And so, about half a month later, the boys’ interest dwindled. Wei WuXian hadn’t been in the mood, either. He shot without any care and even let Jiang Cheng get first place a couple of times.

On one day, after the last round had been shot down, Wei WuXian used his right hand to form shade between his brows and looked into the sunset, “Let’s wrap things up and stop playing this. Food’s waiting at home.”

Jiang Cheng, “So early today?”

"Because I'm hungry and bored." said Wei Wuxian.

"Speaking of that, I getting hungry as time passes by." said Jiang Cheng.

"How long are we going to last here without food?" asked Nie Huaisang.

"A day didn't even past yet." said Jin Zixuan.

"But, I'm getting hungry." said Nie Huaisang.

"Stop saying that, you're affecting us." said Jiang Cheng.

Wei WuXian tossed the bow to the side and sat on the ground, disappointed, “It’s boring. Let’s stop. Which ones were last in the round we just did? Go get them with our sixth shidi.”

One boy said, “Shixiong, you’re so tricky. You make others get them every time. That’s shameless.”

Wei WuXian waved his hands, “I have no other choice either. Madam Yu doesn’t let me go outside. She’s at home right now. Maybe JinZhu and YinZhu are watching from some corner, ready to turn me whenever possible. If I went out, Madam Yu’s gonna whip a whole layer of skin off me.”

"That's possible." laughed Wei Wuxian.

"None of that will happen." said Sizhui.

"I will make sure of that." he added.

The shidi who performed the worst bantered, laughing as they set off to get the kites. Jiang Cheng was standing, while Wei WuXian sat on the ground. The two were chatting. Wei WuXian asked, “Uncle Jiang went out so early in the morning—why hasn’t he come back yet? Would he make it in time for dinner?”

In the morning, Jiang FengMian and Madam Yu had an argument again. To call it an argument didn’t seem quite right. Madam Yu alone lost her temper, while some of Jiang FengMian’s bearing remained throughout the entire exchange. Jiang Cheng answered, “He’s at the Wen Sect for our swords again, isn’t he? Whenever I think that my Sandu might be held in the hands of a Wen-dog right now, I…”

"Do they always fight?" asked Nie Huaisang.

"What do you think?" asked Jiang Cheng.

"My Sandu, I will kill the one who will think of holding it." he added.

"You worried about your sword more than your lover." laughed Nie Huaisang.

"My sword is more important." said Jiang Cheng.

His face revealed disgust. Wei WuXian, “What a shame that our swords don’t have that much spiritual energy yet. If they could sheath themselves, then nobody would be able to use them.”

Jiang Cheng, “If you cultivate for another eighty years, then maybe it’d be possible.”

"But Wei-xiong's sword really did seal itself." said Nie Huaisang.

"That I didn't expect." said Wei Wuxian.

"Suibian might have really love me that he doesn't want anyone to wield him." he added.

"Bold of you to think that the sword will love you." said Jiang Cheng.

"Because everyone loves me." said Wei Wuxian.

"Not all." said Jiang Cheng and Jin Zixuan.

Nie Huaisang snickered at that.

Suddenly, a few boys rushed into the training fields of Lotus Pier, shouting with urgency, “Something’s happened! Shixiong, Shixiong, something’s happened!!!”

These were the shidi who had gone to fetch the kites. Wei WuXian jumped up, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Cheng, “Where’s the youngest one? Why is there one missing?”

"What's happening?" asked Jiang Cheng.

"We don't know either." said Jin Zixuan.

"Did something bad happened to me?" asked the youngest Jiang disciple.

"Nothing will happen to you." said Wei Wuxian.

It was true. The youngest shidi was the one running in front of everyone when they had left, and now he was nowhere to be seen. One of the boys panted, “Our shidi was taken away!”

“Taken away?!”

Wei WuXian picked up his bow as well. Weapon in hand, he asked, “Who took him? Why was he taken away?!”

The boy answered, “We don’t know! We don’t know why they took him!”

Jiang Cheng was anxious as well, “What do you mean you don’t know?”

Wei WuXian, “Nobody worry. Tell us clearly.”

"Why would someone take him away?" asked Wei Wuxian.

"I don't have a good feeling about this." said Jiang Cheng.

"Because, nothing good will happen." said Jin Ling in a low voice.

The boy, “When, when we were getting the kites, the kite went over there, really far away. When we went over, we saw a few dozen people, all from the Wen Sect, wearing their uniform. There were disciples and servants. The one leading them was a young woman. She’s holding a kite in her hand and there was an arrow on the kite. She asked us whose kite it was when she saw us.”

Another boy continued, “The kite was our youngest shidi’s, so he said that it was his. Then the woman suddenly got angry and shouted ‘how dare you”, and then she told her people to take him away!”

Wei WuXian, “Just like that?”

"If I found out who this woman is, I will strangle her to death." said Wei Wuxian.

"I will spare her no mercy." said Jiang Cheng.

"Do you have any idea of who she is?" asked Nie Huasang.

"A Wen." the two answered with a dark faces.

The boys nodded, “We asked her why they were taking him away, and the woman kept on saying that he committed treason and had hidden motives, and she ordered her people to detain him. We couldn’t do anything about it so we ran back.”

Jiang Cheng cursed, “They don’t even have a reason for taking him away! Just what does the Wen Sect want to do?!”

“Yeah! There’s just no reason!”

"See, it's the Wens." said Wei Wuxian.

"Why would she thing than the most innocent shidi of ours will commit treason?" he added.

"That's not possible at all." said Jiang Cheng.

Wei WuXian, “Nobody talk. The Wen Sect’s people could be knocking at our doors every second from now. Don’t let them hear anything we say that could be used to hold against us. Let me ask you, the woman, was she not wearing a sword? Does she look kind of pretty, with a mole above her lips?”

The shidi, “Yes! That’s her!”

Jiang Cheng spoke with hatred, “Wang LingJiao! That…”

"You!" Jiang Cheng shouted.

"This b*tch of a woman." cursed Wei Wuxian.

"You're dead." MianMian said to her with a smile.

"I won't." said Wang Lingjiao.

"I have Wen-er-gongzi's protection." she added.

"That won't work to them." said MianMian.

Suddenly, the cold voice of a woman came, “Why the noise? Can’t I have just one day of peace and quiet?!”

Madam Yu strode over with her flowing violet robes. JinZhu and YinZhu were still armored, following behind her, one on the left and the other on the right. Jiang Cheng called, “Mom, the Wen Sect’s people are here. Our youngest shidi was taken by them!”

Madam Yu, “You all were shouting so loudly that I heard everything from inside. So what? He was taken away, not killed, and you’re already so worked up. Are you still what a future sect leader should be? Calm down!”

"Can we even calm down in that situation?" asked Jiang Cheng.

"Any moment from now, the Wens are going to attack us." he added.

"No worries, Yu Ziyuan is not that easily defeated." said Wen Rouhan.

"The Jiang Sect won't fall." he added.

"There's no certainty at all." said Lan Qiren.

As she finished, she turned to face the gates before the training fields. About a dozen of the Wen Sect’s cultivators, dressed in the sun-patterned robes, entered one after another. Behind these cultivators, a woman in vibrant clothes walked inside with deliberate steps.

The woman’s figure was graceful. Her features were enchanting as well. With amorous eyes, fiery lips, and a small, black mole above her lips, she was quite an outstanding beauty. Yet, clad in rings and rings of jewelry, she seemed as if she wanted to clothe herself in the entire jewelry shop and all of the passion that her lover gave her; it really diminished her charm. This was Wang LingJiao, who had been stricken by Wei WuXian so hard that she retched up blood, back in Qishan.

Wang LingJiao smiled, “Madam Yu, I’m here again.”

"She's getting on my nerves." said Jiang Cheng.

"This woman." muttered Madam Yu.

"Look at her, she's not that interesting." said MianMian.

"Hey, my JiaoJiao is more interesting than you." said Wen Chao.

"Only for you." said Jin Zixuan.

"This is it guys, I don't know if things will stay the same after this." said Jingyi.

"Nothing wrong will happen to them. We won't repeat the mistake of our future." said Sizhui.

"Easy to say but hard to do." said Jin Ling.

"As long as we have faith with each other, we won't break." said Zizhen.

_____________________________________

Sorry guys for not updating yesterday...

I really have a busy schedule yesterday that even when I got home, my body is screaming for me to take rest.

I tried my best to write a chapter last night but the moment my body touched my bed, I fell asleep.

So here's an update for all you!