The Child of Demonic Cultivation

The Infuriating Flirt -20

WC: 1521

Jin Guangyao burst out laughing. "Enough! Why bother looking at him?! What could you possibly detect? Even I didn't notice anything after all these years. Good one, Huaisang.

Nie Huaisang's mouth gaped open, as if he'd been scared mute by the sudden accusation.

"To think I'd fall like this, by your hand..." Jin Guangyao spat hatefully.

He forced himself to remain upright. He clearly wanted to walk over to Nie Huaisang, but these was still a sword piercing his heart. He took a single step and immediately grimaced in pain.

Unable to either deal him a finishing blow of recklessly pull the blade free, Lan Xichen could only blurt, "Don't move!"

Jin Guanagyao couldn't move another step, regardless. He gripped the hilt of the blade protruding from his chest and remained where he stood. After coughing out another mouthful of blood, he began to speak.

"'Headshaker,' indeed! No wonder... Excilent work, concealing yourself for so many years!"

Nie Huaisang pleaded in a shuddering voice. "Xichen-ge, you have to believe me. I really did see him..."

"You...!" snarled JIn Guangyao with a scowl.

He lunged forward in an attempt to tackle Nie Huaisang, and the sword pushed another inch into his chest.

"Do not move!" Lan Xichen shouted.

The situation had gone on for so long, and Lan Xichen was stuck in the middle of it with no good choice. Lan Tian watched, comforting Jin Ling, but watching, bracing in case their Sect Leader, their Uncle, their family needed them. Their eyes shot back and forth watching for anything and everything, they had to.

"Lan Xichen! All my life, I've lied to countless people and I've harmed countless others. It's just like you said. I killed my father, killed my brothers, killed my wife, killed my son, killed my teachers, killed my friends—I've committed every crime there is!"

He inhaled deeply, then rasped out, "But never have I ever wanted to hurt you!"

Somehow, someway, Lan Tian knew Jin Guangyao was telling the truth. Everything in them screamed that it was just a dying man prattling on for sympathy and attention but they just couldn't believe it. No matter what the man did, he must have know that there was no way forward for him to live, he couldn't be impaled forever. So why would he even try more deception without reason, maybe it was all just to protect Lan Xichen like it seemed he was saying. Or, maybe he just wished to cause a ruckus one last time, regardless, something about Nie Huaisang no longer sat right with Lan Tian.

"...Who saved you from disaster, back when the Cloud Recesses burned to the ground and you were on the run? And who put forth the utmost effort to provide assistance when the Lan Clan of Gusu was rebuilding their home? In all these years, have I ever wronged the Lan Clan? Was there ever an occasion when I didn't support you in every way?! Aside from temporarily sealing your spiritual powers tonight, when have I ever done wrong by you or your clan? When have I ever demanded you repay your debt?!"

Lan Tian was confused more than anything, what did he mean? Sure he showed no real malice towards Lan Tian even when other sect leaders and elders did, but now they began asking themselves, why? Why did he act the way he did? Why would he do all that for their Uncle? Why?

"Su Minshan went this far to repay my kindness simply because I remembered his name. But you, Zewu-jun, Sect Leader Lan...just like Nie Mingjue, you cannot tolerate me... You won't even give me a way to live!"