60 Chapter 60 : Poisons—Part Five (1/2)

Wen Ning called over a few dozens of disciples and protected them in person until they arrived at a large, beautiful residence. He snuck inside from the back door and led Wei WuXian to a smaller building.

However, just after Wen Ning turned around and closed the door, before he could even stop and take a break, Wei WuXian grabbed his neck again and questioned in a hushed voice, ”Where is this place?!”

Even though he had been saved by Wen Ning, he couldn't let down all of the guard he held against the Wen Sect's people just like that. He had always be alert. Back then, following Wen Ning through the large residence, they had passed by many rooms. Most of the people inside spoke with Qishan accents. He caught all of the fragments of conversations that had passed through the window slits and heard the words 'supervision office'!

Wen Ning quickly waved his hands, ”No… I…”

Wei WuXian, ”What do you mean no? This isn't the supervision office set in Yiling? Which unfortunate sect's region did you take this time? Just what do you want to do by bringing us here?”

Wen Ning tried hard to protest, ”Young Master Wei, l-listen to me. This is a supervision office. But… But I really don't have any intention of harming you. If I wanted to, last night after I entered Lotus Pier, I could've gone back on my word right away. I-I wouldn't have had to lead you here.”

Wei WuXian had always been maintaining high alert. He hadn't relaxed at all and was ready to explode any moment. His head was dizzy. Hearing this, he still didn't believe him fully. Wen Ning continued, ”This really is a supervision office. If there's anywhere that the Wen Sect's people won't search, it'd be here. You two can stay here. But, you mustn't let anyone find you…”

After a pause, Wei WuXian finally forced himself to let go. In a low voice, he said to him 'thank you' and 'sorry' before laying Jiang Cheng's body flat onto the wooden bed inside the room.

However, suddenly, the doors of the house suddenly opened. The voice of a woman called, ”I was just searching for you! Explain to me properly…”

Just as he said not to let anyone find them, they were discovered at once!

Wei WuXian immediately broke into a cold sweat. He quickly blocked himself in front of the bed. Wen Ning was so scared that he couldn't even say anything.

Frozen, the two stared at the woman standing before the entrance. Or, one could call her a maiden. Her skin was on the dark side. Although her features were sweet, her expression was with utmost arrogance. The sun robe that she wore glowed red, its flames almost dancing around her sleeves and her collar.

The rank was extremely high, the same level as Wen Chao!

The three stood still for a few seconds. A series of hurried footsteps came from outside. Wei WuXian mustered up courage. Just as he was about to attack, the maiden moved before he could and, with a boom, she slammed the door shut.

A voice asked from outside the door, ”Office Leader Wen, what's wrong?”

The maiden spoke with indifference, ”Nothing's wrong. My brother is back. He's feeling down again. Don't wake him up. Let's go. We can talk on our way.”

The people outside answered and followed her away. Wen Ning let out a breath of relief, explaining to Wei WuXian, ”My… My elder sister.”

Wei WuXian, ”Wen Qing is your elder sister?”

Wen Ning nodded, somewhat embarrassed, ”My sister. She's really powerful.”

She was indeed powerful.

Wen Qing could be considered a famous cultivator of the QishanWen Sect. She wasn't a daughter of the QishanWen Sect's leader, Wen RuoHan, but instead the daughter of one of Wen RuoHan's cousins. Although they were far cousins, Wen RuoHan had always had a close relationship to this cousin of his. On top of that, Wen Qing was exceptional in the liberal arts and studied medicine as well. She was a talent, and thus she was rather favored by Wen RuoHan. She often followed Wen RuoHan to the banquets of the QishanWen Sect, which was why Wei WuXian found her face familiar. She was a beauty, after all. He had also heard from somewhere that she had an elder or younger brother. But, perhaps because he wasn't as talented as Wen Qing, not many people talked about him.

Wei WuXian exclaimed, ”You really are the younger brother of Wen Qing?”

Wen Ning thought that what he was surprised at about was how such an excellent, well-known sister could have such an average brother. He admitted, ”Yeah. My sister is really good. I… I'm not.”

Wei WuXian, ”No, no. You're really good as well. What I find surprising is that your sister is Wen Qing, the Office Leader, and you dared take us…”

Suddenly, Jiang Cheng shifted on the bed. He scrunched his eyebrows lightly. Wei WuXian immediately turned around to check on him, ”Jiang Cheng?!”

Wen Ning hurried, ”He's awake. He needs medicine. I'll go get some.”

After he walked out, he closed the door behind him. Having been passed out for so long, Jiang Cheng finally woke up. Wei WuXian had originally been ecstatic. But, soon afterward, he knew that something was wrong.

Jiang Cheng's expression was rather strange. It was calm, almost too calm.

He stared at the ceiling, as though he wasn't at all interested in the situation that he was in, as though he didn't care about where he was either.

Wei WuXian didn't expect him to react in such a way. Sadness, happiness, anger, shock—he had none of these. His heart skipped a beat, ”Jiang Cheng, can you see me? Can you hear me? Do you know who I am?”

Jiang Cheng glanced at him. He didn't say anything. Wei WuXian asked him a few more questions. Arm supporting himself, he finally sat upright. He looked down at the mark of the discipline whip on his chest before laughing bitterly.

If the discipline whip struck, it'd be impossible to wipe away the mark of shame. Wei WuXian comforted him despite this, ”Stop looking at it. There has to be a way to get it off.”

Jiang Cheng slapped him. His strike was so weak, so powerless that Wei WuXian didn't even flinch, ”Hit me. As long as you'll feel better.”

Jiang Cheng, ”Did you feel it?”

Wei WuXian paused, ”What? Feel what?”

Jiang Cheng, ”Did you feel my spiritual power?”

Wei WuXian, ”What spiritual power? You didn't use any spiritual power at all.”

Jiang Cheng, ”I did.”

Wei WuXian, ”Just what… are you talking about?”

Jiang Cheng repeated, biting down on each word, ”I said, I did. When I hit you, I used all of my spiritual power. I'm asking you. Did you feel it?”

Wei WuXian looked at him. After a while of silence, he spoke, ”Hit me once more?”

Jiang Cheng, ”There's no need. No matter how many more times I hit you, it'll be the same. Wei WuXian, do you know why the Core-Melting Hand is called the Core-Melting Hand?”

The heart had completely sunk.

Jiang Cheng continued on his own, ”Because his pair of hands can melt away the golden core, so that you can't ever form a new core again, your spiritual power will disperse, and you'll become an average person.

”And an average person who descended from a cultivating sect is no different from a good-for-nothing. Your whole life will be spent doing worldly business. You aren't allowed to dream about being at the top ever again.

”Mom and Father had their golden cores melted away by Wen ZhuLiu first and lost the ability to resist before they were killed by him.”

Wei WuXian's head was in a complete mess. He didn't know what to do, murmuring, ”… The Core-Melting Hand… The Core-Melting Hand…”

Jiang Cheng laughed, ”Wen ZhuLiu, Wen ZhuLiu. I want revenge, I want revenge, but how could I? I don't even have my core anymore. I won't ever be able to form a core again. How can I seek revenge? Hahahahahaha, hahahahahahahahahaha…”

Wei WuXian collapsed onto the ground. Watching how crazed Jiang Cheng seemed to be, he couldn't say anything.

Nobody knew more than him how much of an ambitious person Jiang Cheng was, what high regard he held his cultivation and spiritual power in. But now, with the strike of the Core-Melting Hand, his cultivation, his self-esteem, his hope of revenge had all been smashed to dust!

Like a lunatic, Jiang Cheng laughed for a while. He lay down onto the bed again and opened his arms, speaking as though he had given up on everything, ”Wei WuXian, why did you save me? What's the use of saving me? Let me live in this world, watch the Wen-dogs go rampant, see how I can't do anything?”

At this point in time, Wen Ning entered through the door. On his face was a smile that almost looked fawning. He walked with bowl of medicine in his hand toward the bed. Before he could say anything, those sun robes reflected against Jiang Cheng's eyes. His pupils suddenly shrunk.

Jiang Cheng kicked Wen Ning, toppling over the bowl of medicine. The black liquid all spilled onto Wen Ning. Wei WuXian wanted to take the bowl of medicine. He pulled up Wen Ning as well, who had been shocked speechless. Jiang Cheng roared at him, ”What's wrong with you?!”

Wen Ning was so scared that he stepped back a couple of times. Jiang Cheng grabbed Wei WuXian by the collar and shouted, ”You see a Wen-dog and you don't kill him?! And you wanted to pull him up? Do you want to die?!”

Although he used as much strength as he could, his arms were still weak. Wei WuXian struggled out of them quickly. Jiang Cheng finally noticed where he was. He glanced around and asked in alarm, ”Where is this?”

Wen Ning answered from far away, ”The supervision office at Yiling. But it's very safe…”

Jiang Cheng spun toward Wei WuXian, ”Supervision office?! You walked yourself into their trap?”

Wei WuXian, ”No!”

Jiang Cheng spoke in a harsh voice, ”No? Then what are you doing in a supervision office? How did you get here? Don't tell me that you went to the Wen-dogs for help?!”

Wei WuXian grabbed him, ”Jiang Cheng, calm down first. It's very safe here! Wake up. It's not for certain that the Core-Melting Hand can't…”

Jiang Cheng couldn't listen to anyone's words anymore. He was already half-mad. Hands around Wei WuXian's neck, he laughed, ”Wei WuXian, hahahahahahahaha Wei WuXian! You! You…”

Suddenly, a red shadow kicked the door open and darted inside. With a strike of her palm, a silver light flashed by. A needle went into Jiang Cheng's head, and he lay back down at once. Wen Qing turned around to shut the door before scolding in a low voice, ”Wen Ning, how stupid are you? You let him shout and laugh and be so loud?! Do you want him to be discovered?”

As though he saw his savior, he shouted, ”Sister!”

Wen Qing, ”Calling me your sister now? I haven't asked you yet. Since when have you been so bold? How dare you hide people! I've already snuck a few questions earlier on. So that was why you suddenly wanted to go to Yunmeng! How full of yourself are you? Who gave you so much courage? If Wen Chao knows about this wouldn't he tear you to apart? If he really is set on killing someone, do you think that I can stop him?”

She spoke quickly and clearly. Her forceful tone allowed for no objections. Wei WuXian couldn't find anywhere at all to interrupt her. Wen Ning's face was as pale as snow, ”Sister, but Young Master Wei…”

Wen Qing continued, voice stern, ”I won't say anything too much seeing that you did it out of gratitude and that's an understandable reason. However, these two must not stay here for long! You came suddenly and left suddenly, meanwhile Wen Chao lost the two of them. Do you think Wen Chao is that much of an idiot? Their search will reach here sooner or later. This is the supervision office under my command, and this is your house. What accusation do you think it'll be if they discover that you're hiding them? Think carefully!”

She explained so clearly what was at stake for them, so clearly that it was as though she pointed at Wei WuXian's nose and told him to get lost quickly and not to stay here and burden them. If Wei WuXian were the one injured or if somebody else had saved them, he'd immediately say farewell and leave at once, full of determination. However, right now, Jiang Cheng was the one who had been injured. Not only was he injured, he had lost his core as well. He wasn't in his right mind. No matter what, Wei WuXian couldn't find any determination. And the Wen Sect was what caused them to be in such a situation to begin with. It was only natural for him to feel unwilling to give up. He could only clench his teeth and stay quiet.

Wen Ning, ”B-But the Wen Sect people…”

Wen Qing cut him off, ”What the Wen Sect does doesn't represent what we do. We don't need to be responsible for the Wen Sect's wrongdoing. Wei Ying, there's no need to look at me like that. There's a beginning to all debts. I'm the office leader of Yiling, but I was ordered to take the position. I'm a medic, an apothecary, I've never killed anyone, much less touched the blood of the Jiang Sect.”

It was true. Nobody had heard of any lives lost by Wen Qing's hands. There were always many cases that people wanted her to take over. It was because Wen Qing was one of the Wen Sect's people whose way of doing things was actually normal. At times she could even put in a few good words for people in front of Wen RuoHan. Her reputation had always been good.

All were silent within the room.

A few moments later, Wen Qing spoke again, ”Don't pull out the needle. The brat would start throwing a fit if he wakes up. His shouting voice could be heard from even outside. Pull it out after his injuries have healed. I really don't want to deal with Wen Chao, especially that woman around him. It disgusts me!”

She went out the door as soon as she finished. Wei WuXian spoke, ”She… means that we can't stay for long, but we can still stay for a few days… right?”

Wen Ning nodded, ”Thank you, Sister!”

A pack of medicinal herbs was tossed in from outside the door. Wen Qing spoke from afar, ”If you really are grateful then put in some effort! What a hell kind of medicine did you just make? Brew it again!”

Although the pack of herbs smacked right onto Wen Ning, he spoke happily, ”The medicine that my sister prepared will definitely turn out good. Hundreds of times better than mine. It'll be good for sure.”

Wei WuXian finally felt relief, ”Thank you.”

He understood the fact that one of these siblings deciding to turn a blind eye to them and the other deciding to outright help them meant that they were placing themselves in extreme danger. Just as Wen Qing said, if Wen Chao truly wanted to kill anyone, it was unlikely for Wen Qing to be able to stop him. Perhaps she'd be affected as well. After all, children of others could never compare to children of one's own.

With the needle in Jiang Cheng's head, he slept for three days. Both his bones and the exterior injuries had healed already. All that was left and couldn't be healed were the eternal marks from the discipline whip and the golden core that he'd never be able to take back.

Wei WuXian had also been thinking for three days.