Under the Moonlight

Chapter 05

The following morning, Wei Wuxian was gently awakened by his sister's touch, a stark contrast to Jiang Cheng's more abrupt methods. Yanli caressed his face and whispered softly, coaxing him to wake up. For some reason, her approach always succeeded where others failed. She handed him a set of white robes, the uniform they were to wear while attending lessons at Cloud Recesses. Wei Wuxian couldn't help but roll his eyes at the pristine white attire.

"Are they trying to brainwash us? First, they make us dress like them, and soon we'll be walking in perfect unison, unable to think for ourselves," he muttered, his skepticism evident.

Yanli couldn't contain her laughter at his words. "Oh, my silly A-Xian," she teased, flicking his nose tenderly. Once they were dressed in their white robes, they made their way to the learning hall. Along the way, they crossed paths with Jiang Cheng. When they reached the hall's entrance, they couldn't help but notice Jin Zixuan and Mian Mian engrossed in a conversation, laughing and smiling intimately. Their faces were so close that they seemed almost drawn to each other.

Jiang Cheng let out a low growl, catching the attention of the two. Mian Mian quickly stopped laughing and bowed respectfully to them, but Jin Zixuan didn't even spare them a glance. Instead, he took a brief look at Yanli and then turned away, pulling Mian Mian along with him to find a seat. Yanli tried her best to hide her feelings, failing miserably.

It didn't take long for all the seats to be filled, and Lan Wangji was the last to take his place, seated toward the very front of the room. Wei Wuxian had wanted to greet him with a wave, but Lan Wangji quickly settled into his seat. The morning began with the recitation of all 3,500 Lan Sect rules, a tedious and seemingly endless task. They spent most of the day going through this painstaking exercise. Finally, when Lan Quiren began to speak and deliver his lesson, Wei Wuxian felt his eyelids growing heavy, succumbing to the exhaustion of rule recitation. He began to emit soft snores that drew everyone's attention.

Lan Quiren, visibly irritated, walked up to him and slammed his book on the table, causing Wei Wuxian to jolt awake.

"This is all too familiar. Just like your mother. Tell me, Wei Wuxian, are imps, demons, ghosts, and monsters all the same thing?" Lan Quiren inquired, rubbing his beard with impatience.

"No," Wei Wuxian responded.

"Why not?" Lan Quiren pressed.

"Imps are formed from the living, non-human beings. Demons are formed from living humans, ghosts are formed from deceased humans, and monsters are formed from deceased, non-human beings," Wei Wuxian answered confidently, grinning at Lan Quiren, knowing he had answered correctly.

Lan Quiren let out a displeased groan. "What was the traditional occupation of the Nie Clan's ancestors?"

"Butchers," Wei Wuxian quickly replied without hesitation.

"What type of peony does the Jin Clan favor?" Lan Quiren continued.

"Sparks Amidst Snow," Wei Wuxian promptly answered, earning smiles from Jiang Cheng, Jiang Yanli, and Nie Huaisang.

"Who was the first cultivator in history to prioritize the prosperity of his clan over his sect?" Lan Quiren quizzed.

"Wen Mao," Wei Wuxian responded, turning to find Lan Wangji staring at him in awe. He flashed a bright smile at him.

Lan Quiren then posed a more complex scenario. "What would you do if you found yourself in the midst of a war, with most of your army decimated, and only a handful of soldiers remaining, while the opposing side is on the brink of victory?"

Wei Wuxian pondered for a moment. "Hm... If there are corpses strewn around, why not utilize them and have them fight?"

Gasps emanated from all around the classroom, and Lan Quiren displayed his displeasure immediately. "That is unorthodox. Those are souls that need to find peace, not be harnessed for your advantage."