Chapter Text
There was a famous wonton restaurant in Chang'an.
Whenever travelers arrived in the capital, it was said that their visit would not be complete without tasting a bowl from that establishment. Its wontons were regarded as the pinnacle of their kind. The wrappers were thin enough to be nearly transparent, yet still retained a pleasant chewiness. Whether filled with meat or vegetables, each wonton was generously stuffed, bursting with rich, flavorful broth the moment one bit into it.
Regrettably, the restaurant only had a single branch.
For many people, they might have only one chance in their entire lives to taste it.
And yet, at this moment—
"Boss! One bowl of chive and mushroom fillings, please!"
"Coming right up!"
"Don't forget a whole clove of garlic!"
"Xiao-Er, do you still have any pickled ginger?"
"How much is this?"
"Thirty taels."
"Thirty taels!?"
The bustling noise of the roadside stall or a makeshift tavern came to an abrupt halt at the man's startled shout.
The customer and the waiter stood facing one another, neither willing to back down. Compared to the indignant customer, however, the waiter appeared entirely at ease.
"Thirty taels," he repeated. "Otherwise, don't eat."
"You've got the nerve to say it again!" The man, Yi Weichun, laughed in disbelief. "Are you selling wontons or robbing people in broad daylight? Do you think I've never been to Chang'an? I've eaten at the original restaurant myself! A bowl only costs ten taels there!"
"The headquarters sells it for ten taels," the waiter replied smoothly, "but which restaurant in Chang'an is willing to deliver a bowl of wontons all the way out here into the wilderness? Take it or leave it. There are plenty of people willing to pay."
Yi Weichun hesitated.
He glanced around and immediately met several impatient stares from the customers waiting behind him.
One of them could not hold back and said, "Brother, it's freezing out here. Being able to eat a hot bowl of wontons to warm your stomach is already a blessing. Being able to eat the famous one from Chang'an on top of that is even more fortunate. Don't make trouble."
Another chimed in, "Besides, the side dishes and pickles are free."
"They're really free?" Yi Weichun turned suspiciously toward the waiter.
The waiter smiled.
"Our restaurant in the capital prepared a large batch of winter pickles and side dishes. The owner is generous and kind, so they don't mind sharing them with our beloved customers."
At the mention of the word free, Yi Weichun was immediately tempted.
Upon further thought, thirty taels no longer seemed quite so outrageous. After all, as the waiter had said, what famous restaurant in the capital would be willing to serve customers in the middle of nowhere? In weather this cold, being handed a steaming bowl of wontons might well be treatment fit for an emperor.
Yi Weichun eventually ordered a bowl and found a place in the corner of the roadside stall.
Looking around, he saw groups of people gathered everywhere, some seated, some standing. The weather was bitterly cold, yet their faces were flushed with excitement. The colorful robes of various cultivation sects seemed to breathe life into the grey-white winter landscape.
A group of disciples in bright yellow robes embroidered with peony crests stood together nearby. Not far away, several disciples dressed in purple sat or squatted on the ground, yawning one after another. A cluster of white robes mingled with Qinghe Nie cultivators in dark green, conversing quietly amongst themselves.
'...Even disciples and cultivators from the Four Great Sects had come.'
That was only to be expected.
Yi Weichun lifted his gaze.
Above the roadside stall, beyond the bare winter branches and the overcast sky, a faint vortex could be seen swirling amidst the clouds.
The Kunlun Mirror.
Not long ago, the GusuLan Sect announced to the cultivation world the existence of the legendary Celestial Artifact, the Kunlun Mirror.
It was said that Wei Wuxian, together with Sect Leader Lan and Hanguang-Jun, had gone to investigate a series of hauntings in Xiyu. By chance, they discovered the Mirror within the Kunlun Mountains. The artifact possessed a spirit of its own, and after some persuasion, it agreed to assist the present cultivation world and followed the three of them back to the Central Plains.
At first, many people envied the GusuLan Sect for obtaining such a legendary treasure.
However, Sect Leader Lan later explained,
"It is a Divine Artifact. Only true Celestials can wield it. We merely begged this Senior to descend and grace us with its power."
The "Senior" he referred to was naturally the Mirror Spirit.
Everyone found this explanation quite reasonable.
A Divine Artifact ought to belong to an Immortal. Just as ordinary mortals could not even lift a cultivator's spiritual sword, let alone wield it, how could a Celestial Artifact be controlled by ordinary cultivators? What convinced them even further, however, were the Mirror's appearances in the days that followed.
It did not remain in Gusu.
Instead, it appeared throughout the various regions of the cultivation world.
Even GusuLan cultivators themselves often had to chase after it and compete with others for the opportunity to approach it.
At times, it would brazenly hang above the skies of a prosperous southern city. At others, it would mysteriously manifest within a secluded valley of the Qinling Mountains. Or, as it had done this time, when the cultivators of Pingzhou awoke one morning to discover a colossal mirror suspended amongst the northern peaks.
None of the places where the Mirror appeared fell under GusuLan jurisdiction, nor did they possess any particular connection to the sect. Its movements were entirely beyond GusuLan's control. Gradually, this put everyone's minds at ease.
After all, there was a world of difference between a resource monopolized by a single party and a public resource shared by all.
Had the GusuLan Sect stepped forward and claimed ownership of the Kunlun Mirror, opposition would inevitably have arisen. No one enjoyed watching a priceless treasure be hoarded by others. On the contrary, by presenting it as a treasure belonging to the entire cultivation world, the GusuLan Sect earned widespread gratitude instead.
After all, they were the ones who had discovered the Mirror and, somehow, persuaded the Mirror Spirit to bestow its blessings upon everyone.
Every time the Mirror appeared, cultivators from all walks of life would rush toward its location. Whether they were rogue cultivators wandering the world alone or disciples from established clans, none were willing to miss the opportunity. They would wait patiently until the entrance to the Mirror finally opened.
For many, entering the Mirror was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Some found answers they had spent half their lives searching for. Some finally overcame the bottlenecks that had long hindered their cultivation. Others emerged with newfound wisdom, having conquered the Inner Demons that plagued their hearts.
No matter what each person sought, few left empty-handed.
As a result, a saying gradually spread throughout the cultivation world:
"One day within the Mirror is worth a hundred nights of secluded meditation."
"Have we arrived yet?"
"Er-Gongzi, we're here."
Another group of cultivators emerged from one of the mountain paths. Clad in green robes with sabers hanging at their waists, they made their way into the clearing. The young man walking in the middle was panting heavily. The moment he arrived, he immediately collapsed onto a protruding stone by the roadside and pulled out a folding fan to cool himself.
"Well..."
Looking around, he spotted the Nie disciples who had arrived earlier, as well as a group of Lan disciples nearby.
"Is Wei-Xiong, Hanguang-Jun, or Sect Leader Lan not coming with you?" he asked after failing to find any familiar faces among the crowd.
The Lan disciples stepped forward to greet him.
"Nie Er-Gongzi."
After exchanging greetings, one of them replied, "We came by ourselves. Wei-Gongzi, Hanguang-Jun, and Sect Leader Lan are occupied with other matters."
"Oh."
The speaker, Nie Huaisang, nodded.
Then his eyes brightened.
"Do you all want a bowl of wontons?" He gestured toward the makeshift stall nearby and asked both the Nie and Lan disciples.
The Lan disciples smiled and shook their heads.
"Thank you for the offer, Nie Er-Gongzi, but we've already had breakfast."
"Really?" Nie Huaisang narrowed his eyes. "Are you afraid of being punished by Hanguang-Jun for eating outside? But doesn't your Wei-Gongzi often take you out for meals?"
One of the Lan disciples laughed.
"No, it isn't because of that. It's just..."
His gaze drifted toward the stall.
"...too crowded."
Only then did Nie Huaisang turn to look properly.
It truly was overcrowded.
For a moment, he was speechless. Whoever the owner of this restaurant was simply a Dragon among Men. They knew exactly how to grasp the opportunity for business expansion!
Who would have thought that a famous restaurant from Chang'an would actually travel all the way to the northeastern wilderness of Pingzhou just to sell wontons?
That being said,
"How long has the Kunlun Mirror been here this time?" Nie Huaisang asked, turning toward Nie Zhonghui beside him.
"It's been three days," Nie Zhonghui replied. "Judging by its previous appearances in other regions, the entrance should open today or tomorrow at the latest."
"I see..."
Nie Huaisang tapped the handle of his fan against his chin.
His gaze wandered across the bustling mountain clearing.
Men and women. Young and old. Cultivators dressed in robes of every color and style.
Their complexions varied. Their features differed. Even their accents, as fragments of conversation drifted through the air, he could hear dialects from places far and near.
It was as though people from every corner of the cultivation world had gathered here, all for the chance to glimpse the Kunlun Mirror.
What made it even more astonishing was that the Mirror had only appeared in Pingzhou three days ago.
Yet in merely three days, cultivators from distant Nanhai had already arrived.
Even the wonton restaurant from Chang'an had somehow managed to open a temporary branch here.
'Of course, nowadays, one could travel thousands of miles in an instant through the Teleportation Arrays...'
Thinking of this, Nie Huaisang's expression became somewhat complicated.
When Lan Xichen first proposed constructing Teleportation Arrays to connect the various regions of the cultivation world, there were naturally those who opposed the idea.
One example was the Wang Clan of Gangquan.
Wang Haoran, the clan heir and the indirect instigator behind Wen Qing's family branch being forcibly taken to QiongqiDao, vehemently urged his father to reject the construction of an array within their territory.
"Father, don't be deceived by their scheme!" he said at the time. "This must be GusuLan and Wei Wuxian's attempt to secretly seize control of the entire cultivation world."
"What do you mean?" Sect Leader Wang asked, startled by his son's intensity.
"Isn't it obvious?" Wang Haoran replied. "Once every region is connected, if Wei Wuxian ever decides to unleash an army of fierce corpses, he could arrive at any sect at any time and slaughter everyone before they can react!"
Sect Leader Wang felt that there was some logic to those words.
Even so, he said, "Wei Wuxian belongs to the Lan Sect. It is unlikely GusuLan would do such a thing. Besides, his reputation has been quite good lately. Didn't he recently return Bai Lian's remnant to the Hedong Fu Clan? I heard the Fu Clan is extremely grateful to him."
Shortly after returning from Xiyu, while Lan Xichen had gone directly back to Gusu to deal with the subsequent uproar, Wei Wuxian had first traveled to Hedong and personally returned the remnants of Bai Lian and the other cultivators who perished in the valley.
When the Bai family saw their son's remnant, they wept bitterly.
The younger sister, in particular, cried so heartbreakingly that even those standing nearby found it difficult to watch.
Wei Wuxian remembered how Bai Lian had originally been chosen by the Kunlun Mirror as a vessel candidate because of the purity of his heart. Seeing his family mourning him now, he finally understood why. The siblings were close, the parents loving. It was clearly a household where affection had never been lacking.
At the time, Bai Lian's younger sister noticed Wei Wuxian standing quietly to one side.
Her brother and the other cultivators had died so easily. Yet this person had not only conquered that mysterious valley but emerged safely and even brought back the remnants of the deceased. She also remembered the countless rumors she had heard about him.
One man against thousands.
Powerful enough to overturn mountains and fill seas.
Perhaps, if the person standing there had been someone else, she would have merely wept and eventually returned to her life—marrying, raising children, and growing old.
Yet the despair of losing her brother, combined with the realization of how powerless people were before fate, and then seeing the seemingly invincible Wei Wuxian before her, caused something to stir within her heart.
Without warning, she dropped to her knees.
"Sir! Wei-Gongzi!" she cried. "I have long admired your reputation. Please accept me as your disciple! I want to become strong! I want power like yours! I want to become so powerful that my fate will be in my own hands! Only then can my brother rest without worry in the Netherworld!"
Wei Wuxian was stunned speechless.
Powerful enough to control one's own fate?
Did he truly look that capable?
Even he himself had yet to reach such a realm!
Naturally, Wei Wuxian refused. Who was he kidding? If he accepted a female disciple under his name, the smell of vinegar brewing in Gusu would probably overwhelm the fragrance of Jiangnan's plum blossoms.
Even so, he later sought Lan Xichen's permission and helped arrange matters. In the end, Younger Sister Bai was accepted into the Lan Sect and placed under the guidance of the female cultivators. Later, it was said that her aptitude was exceptional and that her cultivation advanced rapidly.
Unfortunately, it was also said that she eventually chose to become a nun, devoted entirely to seeking immortality, abandoning worldly desire altogether.
Wei Wuxian's reputation had become exceptionally good in recent years.
Helpful and generous.
Powerful, yet kind.
Even toward unknown cultivators from insignificant sects, he showed consideration. Thus, even Sect Leader Wang found it difficult to believe that such a person secretly harbored malicious intentions toward the cultivation world. Although the warning came from his own son, he did not immediately agree.
Seeing his father hesitate, Wang Haoran gritted his teeth in resentment.
It was bad enough that the Lan Sect had ruined his grand plan of using those Wen remnants as free labor to rebuild the clan and prove his worth as heir.
Now they even sought to extend their influence into Gangquan.
How could he tolerate that?
So he continued,
"Father! Think about it carefully. If people from other regions can freely travel to Gangquan, then what will become of our clan's prestige? Once they witness the prosperity of Lanling or the grandeur of Qinghe, will they still look up to us?"
Sect Leader Wang frowned.
His expression gradually became serious.
"What you say... may not be without reason."
If every region became connected, and people could come and go freely, then much of the prestige the Wang Clan had spent generations cultivating would vanish.
Those ignorant mortals would realize that the Wang Clan, which had acted as the local hegemon of Gangquan for years, was actually insignificant within the greater cultivation world.
Compared to the nearest Great Sect, QingheNie, they were no more than ants.
Even their entire sect compound could not compare to a single corner of Gusu's Cloud Recesses.
Once people realized this, how could the Wang Clan continue acting like kings within their own territory?
It wasn't just Wang Haoran and the Wang Clan who thought this way.
Several other clans recognized the same issue.
And for that very reason, they resisted Lan Xichen's proposal.
Nie Huaisang spotted a female cultivator with a peculiar mark upon her face and immediately recognized it as a totem belonging to a secluded sect from the South.
He could not help but sigh once more.
In the beginning, only a small number of regions had agreed to be connected by the Teleportation Array. Most of those who readily accepted were distinguished sects that did not need to concern themselves with preserving local prestige. Their outlook was broader.
It was true that the fame of other sects would eventually spread into their territories. But was that not also an opportunity for them to spread their own influence elsewhere? Beyond risk lay opportunity. It merely depended on whether one could seize it.
However, who would have thought that within a remarkably short period of time, the Teleportation Array had expanded beyond all expectations.
Today, a third of the cultivation world was connected, and countless regions were still anxiously petitioning the GusuLan Sect, begging Wei-Gongzi to help construct arrays within their territories.
The reason for this was—
"It's here, it's here!"
"The passage has finally opened!"
"Fellow Daoist, hurry up!"
Nie Huaisang looked up and witnessed how the grey cloud overhead seemed to be swept away by an unimaginable force. In the span of a breath, the winter sky above the Pingzhou wilderness transformed from dull and overcast into a vast expanse of clear blue. The appearance of a colossal Mirror suspended majestically in the air was then revealed.
At its center, a translucent vortex slowly formed, casting down a similarly translucent beam of light that connected sky and earth.
—The mirror passage.
The Cultivators immediately surged forward, scrambling to test their luck.
"Er-Gongzi, aren't you going in?"
"It's fine, it's fine. You all go ahead first. I'll wait until it isn't so crowded." Nie Huaisang waved his fan lazily.
"Then I'll go first?" Nie Zhonghui shot him a look.
"Go, go, go! Remember to tell me about your experience afterward." Nie Huaisang grinned. "You lot should go too. Don't mind me. It doesn't matter if I miss the opportunity. I'm only here to play—cough, I mean, your cultivation opportunities are far more important than mine!"
After seeing the last disciple off, Nie Huaisang glanced around.
The clearing had already become noticeably emptier than before. Some cultivators remained behind, choosing to observe first. Perhaps they intended to hear the experiences of those who entered before making their decision.
A small portion of them were simply there to admire the legendary relic of immortality—the Kunlun Mirror itself.
There were even those who kowtowed on the ground, crying and muttering incoherent words, worshipping the Celestial Artifact.
Nie Huaisang suddenly felt that, in the near future, there would probably be a sect—or perhaps a cult—dedicated entirely to worshipping this mirror as a god.
Having said that,
'Right, it was precisely because of this mirror that the proposal for the Teleportation Array had suddenly become so successful....'
After the Kunlun Mirror began appearing at random locations throughout the cultivation world, remaining for no more than five days at a time, people had gone completely mad.
During its previous appearances, countless individuals had failed to witness it. News traveled too slowly. Distances were too great. Opportunities vanished before they could even arrive.
The only people fortunate enough to rush to the scene in time were... unsurprisingly, those living in regions already connected by the Teleportation Array.
Those who had originally opposed the Lan Sect's proposal regretted it until their intestines turned green. They beat their chests and stomped their feet in lamentation. Afterward, they scrambled toward the Cloud Recesses, desperately submitting applications to have Teleportation Arrays constructed within their own territories.
Unfortunately, this time, it was Lan Xichen who regretfully declined their urgency.
"As much as we wish to assist everyone immediately," the Lan Sect Leader said gently, "the Lan Sect is currently occupied with preparations for the New Year ceremonies and ancestral offerings."
His reasoning was perfectly sound. His refusal was not born of revenge. Not only the Lan Sect, but every clan regarded the New Year as a time to spend with family.
As for Wei Wuxian—the only person whom the Lan Sect publicly acknowledged as capable of carving the arrays—he was naturally occupied as well.
After all, he was the cultivation partner of the Sect Leader and needed to participate in the various ceremonies welcoming the new year.
Lan Xichen himself sighed regretfully.
"Even I could not predict when or where the Kunlun Mirror would appear. Many of us seem to miss out on the chance because we simply heard about the news too late."
"Then what does Sect Leader Lan suggest?" they pressed anxiously.
At that, Lan Xichen smiled.
"If information from various places could spread more quickly," he said, "then even if not every region possessed a Teleportation Array, those who heard the news sooner might still arrive in time."
With those words, he introduced another proposal he had long been discussing with his sworn brothers.
The Watch Towers.
When the idea had first been proposed by Jin Guangyao in the past, many people had resisted it.
The towers reminded them too much of the Supervisory Offices established by the QishanWen Sect. Moreover, they would require manpower, resources, and considerable expense. Why should they waste so much effort merely to monitor some remote and insignificant corner of the world?
Yet now, it was precisely those insignificant corners that the Kunlun Mirror seemed determined to favor!
In the end, while the Lan Sect leisurely spent two months preparing for the New Year and ancestral offerings instead of constructing Teleportation Arrays, the cultivation world found itself forced to seriously consider Lan Xichen's suggestion.
Without any pressure from GusuLan, countless sects voluntarily began establishing Watch Towers throughout remote regions.
All at once, cultivators became extraordinarily enthusiastic about handling night-hunts and solving local disturbances.
Whenever they completed a task, they would proudly declare,
"Hm? Why are we helping? Aiya, don't think too much about it. Cultivators of the Wu Clan of Shangqiu have always been magnanimous and righteous! Our ancestors taught us that—blah blah blah~"
What followed would inevitably be an introduction to the clan's history, achievements, values, traditions, vision, mission, and every other conceivable accomplishment.
In short, they were advertising.
That's right, now it's the chance to compete by spreading each Sect's influence.
These days, the one who came out in every chaos was not only Hanguang-Jun. Many sects secretly entertained the thought that, perhaps, through these opportunities, they might one day surpass the Lan Clan's reputation. Who knew? Perhaps in the future, the person most admired by the common people would no longer be Hanguang-Jun, but someone from their own sect instead!
Nie Huaisang sighed once more.
The entire sequence of events appeared so natural, so seamless, that it almost seemed inevitable.
Yet somehow, this string of coincidences carried traces of Lan Xichen's eloquence during the Sunshot Campaign, Lan Wangji's straightforward and uncompromising methods, and the playful creativity of a certain young man surnamed Wei.
'It's really...if those three are given another decade...'
The combination of authority, reputation, and power was not something to be underestimated.
One possessed the reputation and integrity capable of influencing the masses.
One possessed the power and ability to bring about change.
And the last possessed the authority and eloquence necessary to implement that change.
When those three qualities came together, the things they could accomplish became almost unimaginable.
Jinlintai,
Lanling.
"Has my father fallen asleep yet?"
"S-Sect Leader Jin has only just calmed down and fallen asleep."
The maid lowered her head timidly as she answered.
Jin Zixuan sighed and gave a slight nod.
"Very well. You..." He paused and looked at her.
The maid before him was young and beautiful.
In the past, Jin Zixuan knew she had been one of Jin Guangshan's favored bedmaids. She had been pampered and indulged, rarely performing the duties expected of an actual servant. Yet now, her hair was unkempt, her robes devoid of their usual fragrance and adornments, and her complexion haggard with exhaustion.
She had returned to being what she originally was—a maid serving her master.
After a moment, Jin Zixuan said, "Just... continue taking care of Father."
It was already past midnight.
Most people in Jinlintai had long since retired for the night.
Yet when Jin Zixuan entered the study, he found someone still seated behind a desk, reviewing stacks of scrolls and documents beneath the glow of candlelight.
"A-Yao," Jin Zixuan called softly.
The other man looked up and smiled.
"Brother Zixuan." He set down the scroll in his hand. "Didn't you go to visit Father? Has he finally fallen asleep?"
Jin Zixuan sat across from him and nodded. "He's asleep." His brows furrowed slightly. "It took until midnight. Really..."
"I'm afraid Father's condition has worsened," Jin Guangyao said with a sigh.
"Yes." Jin Zixuan rubbed his forehead. "I don't know what will happen if Father fails to recover."
Thinking of the endless complications that might follow, he felt another headache coming on.
"Nevertheless," he continued, "I must thank you for everything you've done lately, A-Yao."
Jin Guangyao shook his head. "Brother Zixuan is too polite. It is only natural for me to assist my elder brother."
After a pause, he added modestly, "Besides, I haven't helped much."
"How could that be?" Jin Zixuan smiled helplessly.
His stepbrother's humility was truly difficult to dislike.
"You've done more than enough. Without you, I honestly wouldn't know where to begin handling this situation."
Thinking about everything that had happened recently, Jin Zixuan could not stop himself from letting out another long sigh.
Not long ago, after being infuriated by Lan Xichen during their confrontation, Jin Guangshan had suffered a Qi-Deviation and collapsed on the spot.
At first, it was not considered serious. It had merely been caused by excessive emotional agitation. After receiving treatment, he regained consciousness the following day, and several days later, his condition seemed to improve steadily.
Unfortunately, before long, another piece of news arrived:
The GusuLan Sect had acquired the legendary divine artifact—the Kunlun Mirror!
Wei Wuxian belonged to GusuLan.
The YinHuFu was effectively in their possession as well.
And now even a celestial artifact had fallen into their hands.
The moment Jin Guangshan heard the news, he spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed once more.
However, the worst of it had yet to come.
After awakening from his second Qi-Deviation, Jin Guangshan remained highly agitated. Desperate to vent his frustrations, he summoned one of his bedmaids to attend him through bed exercise. Perhaps the maid was exceptionally alluring, or her technique in bed was noteworthy, but the Jin Sect Leader was stimulated so much that his spiritual energy once again spiraled out of control.
By the time he regained consciousness, he discovered he could no longer move. His entire body had become paralyzed. Only his eyes could still roll about. As for speech, all that emerged from his throat was,
"Hoh... hoh... ah... hoh..."
When Madam Jin learned the true cause of her husband's condition, she was so ashamed she nearly fainted from anger herself. The fact that Jin Guangshan's misfortune stemmed from an inability to control his lower body was simply too humiliating. If news of such a scandal spread to other sects, the Jin Clan's reputation would become the laughingstock of the cultivation world.
Naturally, she wished for the entire matter to be buried as deeply as possible.
At the same time, she urged Jin Zixuan to take control of the Lanling Jin Sect without delay.
Unfortunately, the Jin Sect was not as tranquil as the Lan Sect, where power struggles were almost nonexistent. Many of the Jin elders were unconvinced by Jin Zixuan's abilities despite his status as the legitimate heir. Of course, that was merely the excuse they presented openly. The true reason was simple. If they could use this opportunity to challenge the authority of the main branch, why wouldn't they?
As expected, Jin Zixuan soon found himself overwhelmed.
The situation grew increasingly unstable, and the Lanling Jin Sect nearly descended into chaos. Only then did Madam Jin finally pretend not to notice when her son sought assistance from Jin Guangyao. True to his reputation, once Jin Guangyao stepped in, the situation gradually stabilized.
It wasn't that Jin Zixuan was incompetent; rather, the Jin Sect was simply in its worst state.
The aftermath of Lan Xichen's confrontation, the betrayal of subsidiary sects, the distrust of various forces tied to the Sect, and later his father's disgraceful scandal—it was simply too much for him to shoulder alone.
At first, Madam Jin had intended to make use of the bastard son, Jin Guangyao, to assist her own son, then discard him once his usefulness had run out. Yet who could have expected Jin Zixuan to become immensely grateful to this stepbrother? He relied on him more and more, consulting Jin Guangyao on nearly every matter. To the point that perhaps ninety percent of the decisions made within the Sect were, in truth, Jin Guangyao's.
Jin Zixuan never told his mother, so Madam Jin remained unaware. He himself did not think anything was wrong. He even felt that, just as Gusu had the Twin Jades, perhaps Lanling could have its Twin Peonies or something.
If Jin Guangyao were to know of his wistful thinking, he would probably say, "Too much daydreaming is a disease. It must be treated. Should I send you to your ward early to accompany our beloved father?"
Regardless of the cause and effect, some time had passed since the earth-shattering conference at Jinlintai.
After stripping every Sect bare of its merits and debts that day, the Lan Sect simply patted the dust from their sleeves and returned to Gusu, as though they had not just turned the entire cultivation world upside down.
Then, the very next week, seemingly oblivious to the uproar they had caused, they casually announced the existence of the Kunlun Mirror—as if they had suddenly remembered:
"Oh, right. Besides everything we mentioned before, there's also this."
For the first time in his life, Jin Zixuan realized just how vast the gap between himself and the people of his generation had become.
Lan Xichen, only one year or so older than him, had already ascended so far in prestige. No one regarded him as a young man anymore. They saw him as a leader, someone who wielded unquestionable authority over a prestigious Great Sect.
Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, both younger than him, seemed equally unattainable with their accomplishments and reputations. Even Jiang Cheng, younger than him and far newer to sect management, was performing far better.
Meanwhile, Jin Zixuan lowered his gaze to the stack of romantic poems he had commissioned from scholars to help him court Jiang Yanli.
The scrolls now lay crumpled in the corner of the study.
"A-Yao..." he suddenly said. "Do you think I look pathetic?"
Even Jin Guangyao was caught off guard. "Who said such a thing? You're talented and courageous. Anyone who says otherwise is merely jealous of your abilities."
Jin Zixuan laughed dryly. "Talented? Courageous?"
Bending down, he picked up one of the crumpled scrolls.
"I can't manage my own sect without your help, despite being its heir for more than twenty years. Even when trying to woo the woman I like, I had to hire others to write poems for me."
His fingers tightened slightly around the parchment.
"Tell me... what will A-Li think of me?"
His voice faltered at the end.
Jiang Yanli's shidi, Wei Wuxian, was someone who had mastered the Six Arts, including poetry. At fifteen, he had commented on the Lan Clan ancestor's love story by reciting a poem. During the Qishan Indoctrination, he flirted with girls by quoting poetry to fabricate names. Even the Damsel in Tanzhou Garden had been teased by him through the recitation of reversed poems.
Jiang Yanli had surely heard countless excellent poems from her own Shidi.
Therefore, compared to him now, who had to hire others to even write poems at all, it seemed...extremely pathetic.
Jiang Yanli's younger brother, Jiang Cheng, had rebuilt his clan at seventeen and now governed Lotus Pier and YunmengJiang single-handedly as one of the Great Sects.
Yet here he was, depending on Jin Guangyao merely to stabilize the chaos within his own sect.
In the past, Jin Zixuan had looked down on Jiang Yanli, believing that someone like her could never accomplish anything.
Yet today, no matter how he thought about it, he felt he was the one unworthy of her.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Lotus Pier,
Yunmeng.
"Miss, there is a letter for you."
"A letter?" Jiang Yanli smiled. "Is it from A-Xian?"
Thinking of whether Wei Wuxian might return for the New Year, her eyes brightened slightly.
The maid examined the seal. It did not bear the curling cloud motif of the Lan Clan, but instead a blooming peony. She shook her head and hesitatingly replied, "It is from...the Jin Sect?"
"The Jin Sect?" Jiang Yanli furrowed her brows slightly. "Is it from Auntie?"
She opened the letter.
The next moment, her eyes widened.
"Maiden-Jiang...
I know that I don't deserve to say these words to you.
Even so, I hope you will give me a chance.
Please, please wait for me.
Wait until I become worthy of you.
I will definitely make myself worthy of your hand.
Until then, please...
please don't have anyone else waiting for you."
She carefully closed the letter and laughed.
Her maid peered at the closed letter and asked curiously, "Who is it from, Miss?"
Jiang Yanli glanced at her and lightly replied, "Just a letter...from a silly person."
In the past, the ups and downs of his mood affected her sorrow and heartache. A single smile from him could make her happy for days. A few harsh words could leave her crying in pain. Yet today, she did not know why such earnest confessions no longer stirred her heart the way they once had.
Instead, she found herself laughing.
As though she were listening to the awkward sincerity of a child who had finally begun to grow up.