Chapter 87: Loyalty—Part Nine
As Wei WuXian spoke, he grabbed two branches and started to climb up the trunk of the tree. With great ease, he leaped up until he reached an area near the top. Wei WuXian finally stopped, “Hm, it should be about here.”
He buried his face inside a cluster of thick leaves and only looked down after a long while. His voice was high, tinged with laughter, “Back then, it felt so scarily high, but looking at it now, it really wasn’t that high.”
The instant he wrapped his arms around the tree, Wei WuXian’s eyes had warmed. When he looked down, his sight was already blurred.
Lan WangJi was standing right beneath the tree, looking at him with his chin raised. He was clothed in white as well. He didn’t hold a lantern, but moonlight glided down his body, almost enveloping him in a soft halo, making him seem so bright. He looked up at the top of the tree with a dedicated expression. He seemed to have walked a few steps closer, almost as if to stretch his arms out.
All of a sudden, an abnormally strong impulse surged into Wei WuXian’s mind.
He wanted to fall down again, just like back then.
A voice inside of him said, If he catches me, I’ll…
At this point where he thought ‘I’ll’, Wei WuXian let go. Seeing that he fell out of the tree without any warning, Lan WangJi’s eyes immediately widened. He shot forward just in time to catch Wei WuXian, or one might say, be caught by Wei WuXian.
Lan WangJi’s figure was slender. He seemed to be quite the scholarly young master, but his power wasn’t to be disregarded. Not only was his arm strength shocking, his lower body was steady too. But, after all, it was a grown man who jumped from the tree, so although he caught Wei WuXian, he staggered slightly, walking a step backward. Immediately, however, he steadied himself. Just as he was about to let go of Wei WuXian, he realized that Wei WuXian’s arms were tightly wrapped around his neck, preventing him from moving in the slightest.
He couldn’t see Wei WuXian’s face. Wei WuXian couldn’t see his face either, but he didn’t need to. When he closed his eyes, all he breathed in was the cold sandalwood on Lan WangJi’s body.
His voice was hoarse, “Thank you.”
He wasn’t scared of falling. All these years, he’d fallen many times. But falling on the ground still hurt, after all. If someone was be there to catch him, it’d be more than wonderful.
Hearing Wei WuXian thank him, Lan WangJi’s body seemed to freeze for a second. The hand that was about to be laid on Wei WuXian’s back paused before it returned.
After a moment of silence, Lan WangJi responded, “You are welcome.”
With a long time of hugging, Wei WuXian finally parted with him. Standing with his back straight as ever, he spoke as though nothing happened, “Let’s go back!”
Lan WangJi, “No more reminiscing?”
Wei WuXian, “Yes, more reminiscing! But there’s nothing to see if we walk farther out. It’d be the wilderness there, and we’ve seen enough of that in the past few days. Let’s go back to Lotus Pier. I’ll take you to see the last place.”
The two returned to the dock and entered the gates of Lotus Pier once again. They walked across the training field. As they passed by an ornate little building, Wei WuXian stopped and took a few more looks. His expression seemed different. Lan WangJi asked, “What is wrong?”
Wei WuXian shook his head, “Nothing. The place I lived in used to be here. Now it’s gone. It really was torn down. All of these are new.”
They passed by the layers of buildings and arrived at a quiet place in the depths of Lotus Pier, in front of a black eight-cornered palace. As if scared that he’d startle someone, Wei WuXian gently pushed the doors open and walked inside. Before the palace neatly lay rows and rows of tablets.
It was the YunmengJiang Sect’s ancestral hall.
He found a hassock and kneeled down. Taking three of the incense sticks in the container, he ignited them with the candlelight and stuck them into the bronze tripod in front of the tablets. He prostrated three times to two of the tablets, and turned to Lan WangJi, “I used to come here a lot.”
Lan WangJi had on an expression of understanding, “Kneeling as punishment?”
Wei WuXian mused, “How did you know? That’s right. Madam Yu punished me almost every day.”
Lan WangJi nodded, “I have heard of a few things.”
Wei WuXian, “It’s so famous that even people outside Yunmeng, even you Gusu people know—how could it be ‘a few things’? But, to be honest, in all these years, I’ve never seen a second woman whose temper was as bad as Madam Yu’s. She told me to go to the ancestral hall and kneel no matter how small the matter was. Hahaha…”
But, apart from this, Madam Yu had never really done anything to harm him.
He suddenly remembered that this was the ancestral hall and that Madam Yu’s tablet was right in front of him. He immediately apologized, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
To make up for his thoughtless words, he lit up three more sticks of incense. Just as he raised them above his head, still apologizing in his mind, it suddenly got darker beside him. He turned to find that Lan WangJi had also kneeled down beside him.
Now that they were in the ancestral hall, for the sake of courtesy, of course he had to show his respect as well. Lan WangJi also took three sticks of incense and, sweeping his sleeve to the side, and ignited them using one of the red candles. His movements were proper, and his expression was grave. Wei WuXian tilted his head to look at him, his lips curving upward almost uncontrollably. Lan WangJi glanced at him and reminded, “The ashes.”
The three sticks of incense that Wei WuXian held had been burning for quite a while. A bit of ashes had already accumulated at the top, close to falling off. However, he still refused to insert them into the tripod, instead saying, “Let’s do it together.”
Lan WangJi didn’t object. And so, each with three sticks of incense, the two of them kneeled among rows of tablets and bowed down to Jiang FengMian and Yu ZiYuan’s names together.
Once. Twice. The movements were exactly the same. Wei WuXian, “That’s it.” He finally placed the incense into the tripod.
In the end. Wei WuXian glanced at Lan WangJi, who’s kneeling as properly as ever beside him. He put his hands together and uttered in his heart, ‘Uncle Jiang, Madam Yu, it’s me again. I’m here to disturb you two again. But I really did want to bring him here and show him to you. Let the two prostrates we just did count as prostrating* to the Heavens and the Earth, and to the Father and the Mother. Please help me reserve the person beside me for now. I’ll owe you the last prostrate for now, and find some chance to make up for it in the future…’
*In traditional Chinese marriages, one has to prostrate three times: once to the Heavens and the Earth, once to the Father and the Mother, and once to the Husband and the Wife (each other).
At this point, a cold laugh suddenly came from behind the two.
Wei WuXian was in the middle of his silent prayers. Hearing the sound, he trembled as his eyes sprang open. He turned around to see Jiang Cheng standing in the middle of a clearing outside of the ancestral hall, his arms folded.
His voice was chilling, “Wei WuXian, you really don’t take yourself as an outsider, do you? You come and leave whenever you want. You take with you whomever you want. Do you perhaps still remember whose sect this is? Who’s the owner?”
Doing this, Wei WuXian wanted to keep it away from Jiang Cheng in the first place. Now that he discovered them, he knew they’d definitely be faced with some vicious remarks. He didn’t want to argue, “I didn’t take HanGuang-Jun to the other, more confidential places of Lotus Pier. We only came to greet Uncle Jiang and Madam Yu with a few sticks of incense. We’re finished already and we’ll be leaving now.”
Jiang Cheng, “If you’re leaving, please go as far as possible. Don’t let me see or hear you fooling around in Lotus Pier again.”
Wei WuXian felt his brows twitch. He saw Lan WangJi’s right hand press onto his sword and stopped him at once.
Lan WangJi turned to Jiang Cheng, “Watch your words.”
Jiang Cheng was quite blunt, “I think you’re the ones who should watch your actions.”
Wei WuXian’s brows throbbed even harder, and the ominous feeling within him grew as well. He spoke to Lan WangJi, “HanGuang-Jun, let’s go.”
He then turned around and prostrated a few more times before the Jiang couple’s tablets before standing up with Lan WangJi. Jiang Cheng didn’t stop him from prostrating, but he didn’t hide his mocking tone either, “You really should kneel for them properly, having dirtied their eyes and contaminated their peace.”
Wei WuXian threw him a sideways glance, speaking in a calm voice, “I’m only here to burn some incense. That’s enough, isn’t it?”
Jiang Cheng, “Burn some incense? Wei WuXian, are you really that dense? It’s been so long since you were kicked out of our sect, and here you are taking unwelcome people with you to burn incense for my parents?”
Wei WuXian was already about to pass around him and leave. When he heard this, he suddenly stopped, his voice low, “Well, say it out loud. Who’s an unwelcome person?”
If he were alone here, he’d be able to pretend like he heard nothing of what Jiang Cheng said. However, with Lan WangJi with him, no matter what, he wouldn’t want Lan WangJi to suffer through Jiang Cheng’s vulgar remarks and obvious malice alongside him.
Jiang Cheng mocked, “Look how forgetful you are. What does unwelcome people mean? Then let me remind you. It was because you played the hero and saved Second Young Master Lan, who’s standing beside you right now, that the entire Lotus Pier and my parents went down with you. And that wasn’t enough. With the first time, soon comes the second. You even had to save Wen-dogs and drag my sister down with you. What a person you are! What’s more, you’re even so generous as to take the two to Lotus Pier. The Wen-dog’s strolling in front of my sect’s gates; Second Young Master Lan came here to burn incense. You’re here on purpose to remind me, to remind them.” He continued, “Wei WuXian, who do you think you are? Who gave you the face to take whomever you want into our sect’s ancestral hall?”
Wei WuXian knew that Jiang Cheng had to settle this with him no matter what.
For Lotus Pier’s destruction, Jiang Cheng thought not only that Wei WuXian was responsible, but also that Wen Ning and Lan WangJi were responsible too. He wouldn’t give a friendly look to either of the three, let alone when they were walking right in front of his face at the same time inside Lotus Pier. He was probably infuriated.
no spoilers, at this point i hated jiang cheng too, but things change, so calm down ppl
That was kind of spoiler but thanks 🙂 thanks for giving me some hope that he will change :’)
still hate him regardless
just because he did a good thing once in between all the shitty things he did doesn’t make him less of a pos i didn’t blame him when young because his mother turned him into a dumb asshole but as an old man that’s all him and his inferiority complex
Bruh it’s time to let go. I understand Jiang Cheng and he really treated Wei WuXian like a brother and protected him like one, but these grudges have built up for too long. I wonder what’s preventing it from being let go
Idk I think it’s because of everything. Look at the way he had to grow up under his parents and all the experiences and hardships that Jiang Cheng has had to go through. Of course he would have a hard time expressing himself and allowing himself to let things go, he had to grow up at a young age and begin taking care of everybody else while the man who said he’d be at his side was not there. I love both WWX and Jiang Cheng, y’know, I just wish people would be able to understand that Jiang Cheng is as complex of a character as
WWX. Not saying that you don’t understand or anything, I totally see where you are coming from. I’m just talking about people who might hate him cause I hope they can be more open minded.
I think, feel, it’s nearly like he doesn’t forgive him for dieing in front of him.
He’s always been very protective, yet has that strong inferiority complex. He was the leader of the siege on Burial Mound at the time, mainly because he had just lost his sister, but WWX was the only other kin except for the baby nephew. His feelings toward WWX were also always very complex, and he’s always been bad at recognizing them.
And all of a sudden, the one that was so good at everything, the one that always said he could control it all, actually lost control, and died horribly under his eyes of a backlash. It’s nearly like if WWX had told him that once again, he JC, was not good enough to protect those he loves. How unforgivable!
And we must not forget either that in those 13 years, he could never believe that WWX would never come back… How dare he abandon him like that, again, when he had promised to always be there for him…
So much contradiction in his poor heart!
On top of that, since we never really learn the details of that death, but we see how strongly JC reacts to the “heroism” WWX shows again in Burial Mount by painting the attraction flag on himself, I wonder, like I’ve heard elsewhere, if it was actually the 2nd time he was doing something like that… Let’s not forget that at the time of that 1st siege, he had already decided to destroy the Tiger seal, but had managed only half of it when they walked on his den to besiege him… what if that backlash was actually the instability of the process of destroying the 2nd half, and seing what was about to happen he had actually chosen to sacrifice himself… again… right in front of JC… how much more unforgivable that heroism would appear to JC…
In either case, it’s always that legacy of the inferior complex inherited from his education, and so hard to overcome because he never allowed someone close enough to help him heal, like the trust of LWJ is slowly doing for WWX…
It’s always Jiang Cheng’s dusty hetero ass ruining the cute moment fuck him 🙂🔪
Okay Jiang Cheng is berading him for saving Lan Zhan and being ‘at fault’ for the death of his parents. But had he let Lan Zhan die, the two sects would proabably be at war. We could all see that Madam Yu and the servant girlfriend of Wen Chao were already at bitters end. Even if he hadn’t saved Lan Zhan, the Yungmeng sect would still have been attacked. It isn’t his fault they died nor was it because he saved a life. At that time saving one life was honorable a few days later it was a disgrace. These people are so… insensitive.
You’re right. Wen people was trying to take over their place so there would have been war anyway…they just wanted to kill WeiYing too…So it’s not his fault but JC likes to blame WeiYing for everything lol
Exactly. Attack on Jiang clan was coming whether or not Wei existed. That was that servant GF personal grudge and side business of getting rid of anyone too rebelious.
My baby did really marry in his heart while prostating to his adoptive parents.
I am so glad I got to read WWX’s inner thoughts when he was offering incense and prostrating. For me at this point even though WWX hasn’t flat out admitted it, I am so happy to read his thoughts towards being with LWJ for marriage/retirement.
“Just as he was about to let go of Wei WuXian, he realized that Wei WuXian’s arms were tightly wrapped around his neck, preventing him from moving in the slightest.”
Can I cover my face with my hands and blush right now
I’ve already seen a lot of JC memes so I can’t even get mad at him lmao sorry … * remembering princess, jasmine, love…
Jiang Chen is a complete ARSE!
Tsk tsk JC, look how forgetful YOU are. In the cave it wasn’t just LZ he saved but JZX – your future brother in law too, and then you all got left for dead … Soooo it means WC maybe wanted to kill you all?! But I’m sure if you died lotus pier would have been safe and life would have been all roses. And whose arms exactly JYL died in – I mean since you can blame whoever for whatever – why aren’t you responsible for her death? You could have left with her right away and saved her. But let’s not reflect on that like reasonable adults who know that bad shit can happen even with the best intentions, but instead hit WY where it hurts the most as always. He’s just so ridiculous🤦🤦🤦 It’s been how many years already and he’s still the raging unreasonable bitter little boy… I secretly wish some of these ancestors would come back and slap JC off his high horse😁.
Thank you for translating 🌺
Jiang cheng 😭😭😭 stop now wie ying and lan zhan they fell so hurt💔💔
Yes I understand that JC is human blah blah blah but like can Jamal pass the 9 for a second
jiang cheng i love u but pls shut the freak up. 😌😌
i truely love jiang BUT IF HE CONTINUES RUINING MY GAY ASS MOMENTS ILL THROW HIM INTO THE BURIAL MOUNDS
Wwx fault is he help them but the destruction is not his fault.. wen sect. Planning this already for so long so yeah.. Jiang Cheng grudge is so strong.. he is jealous because wwx is not close to him like before while he is closer to lwj now.. my opinion only hehe
I also think so 🤣
T O T A L L Y !!!
Thanks for the chapter 💝💝💝
Finally he let off the fume of years
Did wwx really jusy ask help from his parents-
For lwj to stay by his side-
I-
Wow, the scene at the ancestral hall where we hear Wei Ying’s thoughts? A man in love.
I’m sorry but I really hate Jiang Cheng sometimes grrrrr >__<
did anyone realise? wei wuxian told thank u to lan zhan and lan zhan’s hands just stop in mid air didn’t hug wei and told wlcom cos he felt wei wuxian is just do it casualy but lan zhan didn’t realise at that time …..that wei only jumped coz in beneath the tree who stand is lan zhan
I love love this novel…and I keep coming back…I can’t stop…thank you for the translation…
jiangcheng my baby:(</3
Jiang cheng … >:(
I hate people who hate JC. You focused too much on the MC & ML. You forget to se things realisticly and open-mindedly. Him blaming WWX about his family’s death aside, ever since the beginning of the story I’ve always thought it was natural for him to hate WWX because of his dad neglectful act. “But that’s not WWX’s fault!” yeah it isn’t his fault, but he didn’t help either. WWX was willing to go to the extreme with helping people out, so I thought he’d had some shame and guilt over JFM abuse to JC (with him as the cause) and decide to defect before the massacre (because his presence was mostly why JC developed insecurity). But he didn’t, he only consoled him with some words and promises (which he broke later on. I mean, we should’ve seen that comin, he’s not the type who listen to orders). Don’t tell me he doesn’t know, since he’s smart and Madam Yu brought the topic up many times with him in the room. JC sacrificed his father’s love, even his dogs on the first day of WWX arrival. Who knows, what more he sacrificed growing up. Before all this dramatic things happen (let’s pinpoint it to when the Wens abducted children from every sects), what did WWX ever sacrifice for JC? JC isn’t the type to get in trouble anyways.
And with how things turned out further : WWX choosing the Wens over Jiangs (broke the promise and I want to say that WQ & WN isn’t completely blameless since I’d kill someone who healed my parents’ murderer arms and legs—even tho he knew the murderer’s intentions—too. “But they saved JC and WWX!” you said? Okay then, they’re even), the massacre (although that’s not, directly, WWX’s faults but let’s face it, it was not-very-wise of WWX, a nobody, not even a sect leader, who had no ACTUAL power to CONTROL everything, who’s said to be smart as well meaning he should’ve known the risk he took, to show his braveness back then. One’s should know his limitations, and seeing how lenient JFM is with him, I suspect that’s how WWX grew with such braveness. “But even if WWX doesn’t make WC upset, they’d still find another reason to hunt down the Jiangs and other sects!” Yeah, so why not revolt right here right now in a cave in the Wen’s territory without any concrete plan and future plans and without any adults, only very few kiddos? Very smart, wise, and brave, almost reckless I’d say. And don’t you dare say it’s because Madam Yu fought the servant girl, which with your logic means WWX is also at fault for giving the servant girl a reason come to their house in the first place), JYL’s death, and all.
I’m not saying what WWX did was completely wrong, just that maybe you can take a different look at it if you carefully examine things. The thing WWX did wrong that I can confidently say is just that he help without planning how to counter the risks he took. WWX’s only human after all. Justice to WWX at that time means unfairness to JC. That’s just how fickle justice is, it’s not that easy to pinpoint.
So you really shouldn’t be upset if JC simply never want to see WWX again (he and his companions, which more or less responsible for some things in JC’s point of view). More so in his own house, under his own nose.
I personally like JC. I find him the most relatable, but that probably reflects me in a bad light. lol
JC is trying to get closure in the most childish way – picking a fight. He has been harboring these emotional wounds for 13 years and it hasn’t healed so much as become infected. And like an infection, you have to cut into it to remove the puss before you can finally heal properly. Which is why he tried to engage in a private conversation with WWX at the inn and he’s trying to do it again here.
The man needs closure. He wants to know why this happened. It doesn’t make sense to him. And when when he sees WWX walking away, JC interprets that to mean that WWX doesn’t think he’s worth talking to. “You and your feelings are so trivial to me, I’m just going to walk away with my husband now.” So then he digs even deeper for a fight to get WWX to stay and hash it out.
To play devil’s advocate, I would say that it is rather tasteless for WWX to go into the Jiang ancestral hall. That’s not a tombstone on a public graveyard – that’s a sacred and private place. It’s incredibly rude for WWX to go there without JC’s permission, much less bring a stranger in there. Yes, WWX is technically part of the family, but he technically defected and didn’t help rebuild Lotus Pier so JC wouldn’t see it as having any claim to it. But yeah, JC is really over-reacting. Out of all the moments in the novel, this is probably the most cringe for JC.
I don’t agree with everything you say, but I think that indeed, one of the main grudge JC has with WWX is the lack of explanation. He wants to understand everything that happens, why did WWX acted the way he acted, and especially at the end, about his death.
We never learn the exact chain of events at the 1st siege, but we know that it was a backlash that killed WWX. What kind of backlash? He had already destroyed halt of the Tiger seal, and was about to destroy the 2nd half. We also know of WWX self sacrificing personality. We know JC often criticized it.
What if WWX had “again played the hero” and this time truly died in front of JC, without ever explaning anything. JC who always wants to protect those he loves, sees 1st his sister die in his arm trying to protect her lil bro, then that lil bro who’s always so confident dies of a backlash again right under his eyes.
What can it do on that inferiority complex he’s had forever?!? He’s never enough to protect his loved ones… And he’s now alone in this world, his only kin a baby… he grown bitter, hoping against hope that WWX will come back so he can finally get some of those explanations he’s so desperate to get. And now that he’s back, instead of coming back to the Jiang, he’s getting closer and closer to LWJ, AND he’s never answered any of his questions, refusing to talk to him.
To top it all, as we all know how WWX is “good” at understanding ppl’s feelings (quite ironic considering how adept he his at Empathy… lol), well, he doesn’t realize that as much as him teasing LWJ was showing his own attraction, JC pursuing him like that is actually hidding or maybe showing his yearning to get back his shixiong, and so his misunderstanding is just widening the gap.
1/ So i guess WWX should have been moraly bankrup in order to remain to the good grace of this weak ass, jealous, bitter fake sibling so easily manipulated?
2: WWX didn’t contribute to his parents being killed, the Yungmeng sect was a target from the Wen sect because it was one of the last remaining big sect against them. WWX didn’t killl YanLi but one of the stupid “rightous” ass disciple of one of the sects that attacked WWX
WWX didn’t invite Yanli to the battlefield;
3/ The only person related to them and armed by WWX was Jin Ling father killed by WN when WWX lost control but then again it was because he was attacked.
JC crude hatred toward WWX doesn’t make any sense to me