A Way to Heal

Part 55

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This was the first time the kids in general got an opportunity to learn about their elder's earlier life. Back then all the stories had anything or everything to do with the infamous YiLing Lanzhou. If a leaf fell down during the monsoon that was because of YiLing Lanzhou's doing, if a child cried all night that was because of Yiling Lanzhou's new experiment. Everything that happened in the land of cultivation was believed to be influenced by Yiling Lanzhou Wei WuXian. So at some point they gradually stopped listening to the adventurous stories because it was too much boasting for any human being. So this was a golden chance for them to not only watch but keenly observe things that happened in the past.

"Were they always treating guest disciples like this?"

"That was the first time in my memory they conducted a session", Lan QiRen answered his younger one.

"So no one couldn't go against them? Nobody ever tried?" seems like curiosity never dies.

"Yes", Lan QiRen being the eldest and the most experienced among them took it in his hands to feed these curious minds. "But the tries always ended up in discussions. We were never able to proceed further. First, they always had a spy in every sect, so it was easy to know the moves. Second, the Wen sect was very big not only in size but in monetary power as well. They were at the top of most of the businesses and in control of trades. So going against them means total perish of our clan"

"But that is not fair", Jingyi exclaimed

"It is. But in a world where power overrule the fairness, evil rises"

Today, as usual, the group was hustled awake by the Wen Sect's disciples again. Like a group of livestock, they were driven toward the next destination of their night-hunts.

The place that they were going this time was called Dusk-Creek Mountain.

The deeper they went into the forest, the thicker the branches over their heads became, and the larger the shadows below them grew. Aside from the sounds of leaves and footsteps, they couldn't hear anything else. The calls of birds, beasts and beetles were unusually perceivable amid the silence.

After a while, the group met with a creek. Scattered throughout the gurgling water were maple leaves that floated along. The harmony of the sound and the sight imperceptibly diluted the atmosphere of desolation. Bouts of giggling laughter could even be heard from in front of them.

"I know it is a very serious time, but that seems fun", SiZhui said looking at the scene, "gathering of all sects and participating together for hunts. Is that how you guys became friends?"

Wei Wuxian couldn't help but laugh at this statement. "SiZhui, if I am being honest, your generation is more friendlier with each other than we were. We became close because we had a common enemy to fight. It ended when the enemy was gone and then everyone turned into their own businesses", he continued observing the kids, "but you all were in the same place at the same time more than once, that is why it is easy for you to continue being friends because you are not fighting against anyone. There is no hidden enemy among your friends. At your age most of us were in charge of our own sects, but you are still free to enjoy your life"

Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng walked while muttering insults at the Wen-dogs in every way possible. Inadvertently, he turned around, glanced, and saw a figure clothed in white. Lan WangJi was not far away from him.

Due to his slow pace, Lan WangJi was toward the back of the line. Within these past few days, there were many times when Wei WuXian wanted to approach him and catch up on what had been happening. However, Lan WangJi turned away whenever he saw him and Jiang Cheng had also beat it into him so as not to mess around. Now that they were closer, he couldn't help but pay more attention. Wei WuXian suddenly realized that, although Lan WangJi tried to walk as normally as possible, one could still see that his right leg contacted the ground lighter than his left, as though he couldn't put any pressure on it.