Chapter 51 Courage
—Part One
Yunmeng was abundant in lakes. The
Yunmengjiang Sect's "Lotus Pier" the residence
of the greatest sect here, was built near a lake
as well.
Starting from the end of Lotus Pier, after just a
while of paddling, one would see a large lotus
lake, more than a hundred miles in length. The
wide, verdant leaves and the smooth, pink
blossoms brushed shoulders against one
another. As a breeze blew over, the petals and
the leaves swayed as if they nodded their
heads. Amid the purity and grace, one could
also feel a naive sense of clumsiness.
Lotus Pier wasn’t as other-worldly as the other
sects’ residences, shutting their doors and
refusing to let commoners come within a
boundary miles away. The docks right in front
of Lotus Pier's entrance often bustled with
vendors selling seed pods, water chestnuts
and all kinds of pastries. Runny-nosed children
from households nearby could also sneak into
Lotus Pier's fields to watch the cultivators
practice their swords. They wouldn't be
scolded even if they got caught, either. They
could sometimes even play around with the
jiang Sect’s disciples.
When Wei WuXian was young, he often shot
kites at the bank of Lotus Lake.
Jiang Cheng stared fixedly at his own kite,
glancing at Wei WuXian’s once in a while. Wei
WuXian’s kite had already flown high up in the
sky. but he still had no intention of drawing his
bow. With his right hand at his brows, he
grinned as he looked up. as though he still felt
that it wasn't far enough.
Seeing that the kite had almost drifted out of
the area where he was certain he'd succeed in
shooting it down. Jiang Cheng clenched his
teeth. He positioned his arrow and drew the
bow. The white-feathered arrow shot out. The
kite painted like a one-eyed monster was
pierced right through the eye and fell
downward. Jiang Cheng’s brows lifted. “It hit!"
Right after, he asked. "Yours has flown so far
already. You sure you can hit it?"
Wei WuXian. “Wanna guess?"
He finally pulled out an arrow and aimed. As
the bow was drawn to the utmost, he swiftly
let go.
A hit!
Jiang Cheng's brows scrunched up again. A
humph came through his nose. All of the boys
put away their bows and went to pick up their
kites so that they could rank the distances. The
closest kite would receive the lowest ranking.
Every time, the last one was the shidi who was
the sixth eldest. As usual, they'd spend some
time laughing at him. His face was quite thick,
though, so he didn't care at all. Wei WuXian's
was the farthest. The closest one to him. the
one ranked second, was Jiang Cheng s kite.
Both Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng felt too lazy
to go fetch the kites. The boys rushed into the
winding hallway built over the water’s surface.
They were playing around, jumping up and
down, as two young, slender women
appeared before them.
Both of them were dressed as armed maids,
carrying with them short swords. The taller
maid, holding a kite and an arrow, blocked
their path. She asked coldly. "Whose are
these?"
All of the boys silently cursed their luck as they
saw the two women. Wei WuXian touched his
chin and stepped forward. "They’re mine."
The other maid snorted. “You're an honest one.
aren't you?"
They parted and revealed between them a
purple-clothed woman, also carrying a sword.
The woman had creamy skin and was rather
beautiful, though her delicate features
displayed some fierceness. The corners of her
lips lay between a frown and a smile—she was
a natural at sneering, just like Jiang Cheng. Her
flowing purple robes wrapped around her thin
waist. Both her face and her right hand, which
rested on the hilt of her sword, were as cold as
jade stone. A ring embellished with amethyst
was worn on the index finger of her right hand.
Jiang Cheng smiled as he saw her. “Mom!"
Meanwhile, the rest of the boys greeted her
with respect. "Madam Yu."
Madam Yu was Jiang Cheng's mother. Yu
ZiYuan. Of course, she was Jiang FengMian’s
wife, and used to cultivate with him as well.
Naturally, she should be called Madam Jiang.
But. for some reason, everyone had always
called her Madam Yu. Some people guessed
that it was because she didn’t want to take on
her husband’s surname due to her assertive
personality. On this matter, neither the
husband nor the wife in question had ever
argued either.
Madam Yu came from the prominent
MeishanYu Sect. She was ranked third in her
clan, so was also called Third Lady Yu. In the
cultivation world, she went by the name
“Violet Spider". Just bringing up the name could
scare quite a few away. Ever since she was
young, she'd had a cold personality and never
came off as likeable when conversing with
others. Even after she married Jiang FengMian.
she had always been out on night-hunts. not
overly fond of staying at the Jiang Sect's Lotus
Pier. On top of that, where she lived at Lotus
Pier was different from where Jiang FengMian
did. She had her own area, where only she and
a few of the family members she’d brought
from the Yu Sect lived. The two young women.
JinZhu and YinZhu. were both her trusted
maids. They never left her side.
Madam Yu gave Jiang Cheng a sideways
glance. “Fiddling about again? Come, let me
see you."
Jiang Cheng went to her side. Madam Yu
squeezed his arm with her slender Fingers,
then slapped his shoulder loudly, scolding.
“There's isn't any improvement in your
cultivation at all. You’re seventeen already, yet
you’re still like an ignorant child, fooling around
with others all the time. Are you the same as
others? Who knows which sewers other
people will be splashing in. but you’re going to
be the leader of the Jiang Sect!”
jiang Cheng stumbled from the slap, head
lowered, not daring to protest. Wei WuXian
understood—it went without saying that she
was scolding him again, whether obvious or
not. On the side, one of his shidi secretly stuck
out his tongue toward him. Wei WuXian raised
a brow at the shidi. Madam Yu. “Wei Ying.
what trouble are you stirring up this time?”
Wei WuXian stood forward, accustomed to it.
Madam Yu scolded. “You’re like this again! If
you yourself don’t seek progress, then don’t
drag Jiang Cheng along to fool around with
you. You’re going to be a bad influence to him."
Wei WuXian looked startled. "I don’t seek
progress? Why. am I not the one with the most
progress in the entire Lotus Pier?"
Young people were never too patient. They
wouldn’t feel satisfied unless they talked back.
Hearing this, an air of hostility appeared over
Madam Yu’s forehead. Jiang Cheng hastened.
"Wei WuXian. shut up!’’
He turned to Madam Yu, “It's not that we want
to shoot kites in Lotus Pier but. right now. isn’t
it that none of us are allowed to leave? The
Wen Sect assigned all of the night-hunt areas
to itself. Even if I wanted to night-hunt. there
isn’t anywhere for me to go. To stay at home
and not go outside to provoke or fight for prey
with the Wen Sect—isn't this what you
yourself made clear to Father?”
Madam Yu smirked bitterly. "I’m afraid that this
time, even if you don’t want to leave, you’ll
have to anyway.”
Jiang Cheng didn't understand. Madam Yu
didn’t pay them any more attention and
walked through the hallway, holding her chin
high. The two maids behind her shot Wei
WuXian fierce glares, and followed their
mistress away.
When evening came, they finally understood
what had been meant by even if you don’t
want to leave, you'll have to anyway.’
It turned out that the QishanWen Sect had
ordered for envoys to pass out messages. For
the reason that other sects taught badly and
wasted talent, the Wen Sect demanded all of
the sects to each dispatch at least twenty
disciples to Qishan within three days, so that
they could let experts teach them.
Jiang Cheng was shocked. "The Wen Sect’s
people really said this? They know no shame,
do they?”
Wei WuXian. "Well, they think they’re the sun
shining above all sects. It's not the first time
that the Wen Sect is so shameless. Taking
advantage of their large sect and strong
influence, it had been prohibiting the other
sects from night-hunting ever since last year.
Just how much prey, how much land has it
stolen?”
jiang FengMian was sitting at the foremost
seat. “Watch your words and eat.”
There were only five people within the large
hall. In front of everyone was a small, square
table, on top of which were a few dishes of
food. Head lowered. Wei WuXian only had a
few mouthfuls as somebody tugged at the
corner of his sleeve. Turning around, he saw
jiang YanLi pass over a small dish. Inside the
dish was a dozen peeled lotus seeds, soft and
white, fresh and succulent.
Wei WuXian's voice was soft. "Shijie. thank
you.”
Jiang YanLi smiled. Those somewhat mild
features immediately lit up with color. Yu
ZiYuan spoke coldly. "Eat? A few days after
this, when they’re at Qishan. we won’t even
know if they give them any food. Why not go a
few meals hungry starting from now? Let them
get used to it!”
This demand of the QishanWen Sect was one
that they couldn’t turn down. Countless
precedents could prove that if any sect dared
defy their orders, it would be accused of
strange things such as being rebellious’ or
‘destructive.’ And. with these as reasons, they
would wipe it out fair and square.
Jiang FengMian replied in a lukewarm voice.
"Why fret over it? No matter what comes in
the future, today's meal should still be eaten.”
Madam Yu was out of patience. She slammed
the table, “I’m fretting? Of course I’m fretting!
How can you still be so indifferent? Did you
not hear what the person from the Wen Sect
said? A mere maidservant dares to hold up her
head before me! The twenty disciples that are
sent must include a disciple from the clan.
What does that mean? It means that between
A-Cheng and A-Li. one of them must be
included! Sent there to do what? To be taught?
How each sect teaches their own disciples—
since when is it the Wen Sect’s turn to
meddle?! This is sending people for them to
play with, for them to hold against us!"
Jiang Cheng. "Mom. don’t be so angry. I’ll just
go"
Madam Yu scolded. “Of course you’ll go! Or
else would your sister go? Look at her. still
happily peeling lotus seeds. A-Li. stop peeling
them. Who are you peeling them for? You’re
the mistress, not somebody's servant!"
Hearing the word ‘servant’. Wei WuXian didn’t
mind much. He had finished all of the lotus
seeds in the dish all at once, chewing as the
soft, refreshing sweetness filled his mouth.
Jiang FengMian. on the other hand, raised his
head slightly. ‘My lady."
Madam Yu. “What, something I said? Servant?
You don’t want to hear the word? Jiang
FengMian. let me ask you—this time, do you
intend to let him go?”
Jiang FengMian. “It’s up to himself. He can go if
he wants to."
Wei WuXian raised his hand. “I want to go.""
Madam Yu laughed harshly. “How wonderful.
He can go if he wants to. If he doesn’t want to.
it’s definitely possible for him to stay. Why is it
that A-Cheng has to go no matter what?
Raising someone else’s child with such
passion. Sect Leader Jiang, you really are a
very nice person!”
There was resentment within her heart. She
simply wanted to let out the rage, even if it
made no sense. All the rest were quiet as they
endured her temper. Jiang FengMian. "My lady,
you're tired. Why don't you go back and rest?"
Jiang Cheng sat still as he looked up at her.
"Mom."
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