The Black Orchid (Wangxian)

Chapter 66 - Backup

Su She threw his cool gaze towards Wei Ying and Lan Wangji. He snickered, "Hanguang Jun, Wei Wuxian, who would've thought we'd meet again someday?"

Lan Wangji didn't say anything. He never paid attention to such meaningless provocations.

Perhaps Su She had been holding it back for too many years. He'd keep on rambling all on his own even without anyone provoking him. He examined Lan Wangji from top to bottom and mocked, "Things are already like this, and you're still holding up the front you think looks so calm and collected. How long do you want to keep it up for?"

Lan Wangji was still silent. Lan Xichen, however, spoke up, "Sect Leader Su, when you were studying in the GusuLan Sect, I believe we never treated you badly. Why do you attack WangJi like this?"

Su She, "How dare I attack Second Young Master Lan, who's been so talented ever since he was young? I just can't bear looking at how he always thinks he's such a big deal."

Although it wasn't the only time Wei Wuxian knew that hatred could come without a reason, he still couldn't help but be baffled, "Has Hanguang Jun ever said he thinks he's a big deal? If I remember correctly, isn't 'arrogance is forbidden' part of the GusuLan Sect's rules?"

"Why do you know what's part of the GusuLan Sect's rules?" Nie Mingjue asked

Wei Wuxian touched his chin, "I live there most of the time and I am courting Hanguang Jun. I of course, should know the rules."

Wei Wuxian grinned and continued to speak to Su She, "Is it because Hanguang Jun's had such an icy face ever since he was young, Sect Leader Su, that you think about him this way? If so, then Hanguang Jun is so unfortunately misunderstood. He's obviously like this towards everyone. Be thankful you didn't grow up where I did."

Su She's voice was cold, "Why?"

Wei Wuxian, "there are things about me that you don't even know. I can kill you without spiritual energy if I wanted to."

Veins lined Su She's forehead, "Shut up!" He seemed as if was about to strike when Lan Wangji pulled Wei Wuxian towards his chest, firmly protecting him with his arms. Su She's movements paused, debating whether or not he should attack.

Wei Wuxian immediately peeked from behind Lan Wangji's back, "It's best if you don't do anything, Sect Leader Su. LianFang-Zun is still fairly respectful towards Zewu Jun. If you hurt Hanguang Jun, do you think LianFang-Zun would be happy?"

This was also the reason why Su She stopped. But now that Wei Wuxian said it, he felt abnormally annoyed. He mocked again out of defiance, "what, are you scared of death!"

Wei Wuxian responded shamelessly, "You really flatter me. But, it's not that I'm scared of death. I just don't want to die yet."

'Dying once was enough,' Wei Wuxian thought.

Su She sneered, "Mincing words. Hilarious. Is there any difference between being scared of death and not wanting to die?"

Wei Wuxian snuggled against Lan Wangji's chest, "Of course there is. For example, right now, I don't want to get up from Lan Zhan versus I'm scared of getting up from Lan Zhan—could they possibly be the same?" After some thought, he continued, "I'm sorry. I retract my words. I feel like they're pretty much exactly the same thing."

Su She's face was almost green. To anger him was Wei Wuxian's original intention, anyways. But suddenly, from above him came a light laugh. It was so extremely light that one would doubt they heard wrong.

But Wei Wuxian immediately looked up. He very clearly saw beside Lan Wangji's lips the transient glimpse of a soft smile that resembled sunlight reflected over snow. Wei Wuxian loved it when he could get his man to smile. It's always something he has cherished, being able to make him smile or laugh is always worth it.

Right then, knocking sounds again came from outside the Guanyin Temple.

Su She unsheathed his sword, holding it in his hands as he asked in alarm, "Who is it?!"

Nobody answered. The doors shot open!

From amidst the storm that had just broken inside, a crackling streak of purple lighting struck right against Su She's chest, sending him flying backwards. Su She slammed into one of the mahogany pillars, and immediately heaved a mouthful of blood. The two monks guarding the temple door were also affected by the echoes of the attack, thrown onto the ground and unable to get up. A figure in green stepped steadily over the threshold and into the main palace.

The rain blew hard outside the temple, but the figure wasn't too wet. Only the green at the hems of her clothes darkened slightly. She held a paper umbrella in her left hand. Rain drops crashed onto the umbrella, water splashing everywhere. It was Zhiruo. She had her sword in hand ready to put up a fight. Wei Wuxian tossed Xiē to her for use and it snaked over her hand.

From behind the palace rushed a couple of monks and cultivators, attacking with their swords. Zhiruo laughed coldly before she raised her right hand. Anyone who was struck by Xiē were sent flying backwards and writhing in pain from the whip's effects, yet she still held the umbrella steadily in her hand. Only when everyone in the palace lay in disorder on the ground, jerking and quivering as if they were still being shocked, Zhiruo finally closed her umbrella.

Lan Xichen called out, "Fang Gūniáng, be careful of the guqin!"

Before he even finished, notes of the guqin sounded from behind the Guanyin Temple. The moment the first note echoed, she kicked the ground, using the tip of her foot to bring up a sword that a cultivator dropped. With her left hand, she tossed away the paper umbrella and grabbed the sword, and with her right she unsheathed her sword from her waist. With a sword in each hand, she slashed them against each other with force.

The two blades scraped, letting out an extremely harsh noise that overcame Jin Guangyao's guqin.

It was quite the effective method! But there was only one shortcoming—the sound was just too painful to hear! It was so painful that it felt as if one's ears would be pierced through by the terrible noise. To Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji who grew up in the GusuLan Sect, it was even more unbearable. Both of the two frowned slightly. However, Lan Wangji was in the middle of doing his job, hugging Wei Wuxian, and was unable to cover his ears. And so, as Wei Wuxian trembled, he reached out and covered Lan Wangji's ears for him.

With a hardened face, Zhiruo continued to create the nasty noise with the two swords in her hands as she approached the back of the palace. But before she even reached the place, Jin Guangyao walked out on his own, covering his ears, "Fang Zhiruo, I must admit my defeat against such a power move."

Zhiruo swung Xiē towards Jin Guangyao, who dodged out of the way, "Zhiruo! How did you get here?"

Zhiruo refused to talk to him. Jin Guangyao's spiritual energy wasn't as high as hers, so he didn't dare face her directly. He could only dodge nimbly, again and again, remaining composed as his subordinates attacked Zhiruo.