Mo Dao Zu Shi: Astray

Inferno, Part One

"Hey, Rice Bucket! What do you think you're doing? Work faster!"

"Rice Bucket! Go help in the kitchen!"

"Clean up the stables, Rice Bucket! Take care not to stink later!"

Pan Wukun, being the newest Wen servant who Wen Xu obviously disliked, was free game for the senior servants to boss around.

Healers treated her burnt hand so she could do more work (especially the work no one else wanted to do) with both hands.

Pan Wukun was put on laundry and trash collecting duties. After cleaning up horse manure, she smelled like horse shit. Luckily, that kept the other Wen servants away from her. After everyone else was done bathing, she was able to take the bath last for herself. Sure, the water was freezing cold, but it was a small price to pay to keep her secret.

Pan Wukun was used to working with animal dung. She had to do that all the time with fertilizer as a farmer in Xuhou. Honestly, she was just grateful not to be dead.

Pan Wukun couldn't use spiritual power to speed up her chores since Wen Xu sealed her meridians. To prevent her from breaking free, Wen Xu assigned a Wen cultivator with cultivation higher than hers to reseal them twice a day.

Feeling miserable, Pan Wukun thought, Is it too much to ask for me to make it out of here alive?

Why did she have to end up like this?

No wonder Pan Heng warned her not to use any of those secret sword techniques. But she just had to stupidly use them to protect Lan Wangji!

...How was Lan Wangji doing?

Pan Wukun didn't get the chance to see Lan Wangji again after learning of Lan Qiren's death.

Did Lan Wangji think she was a traitor like his father did?

...Did he hate her?

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One day, Pan Wukun was doing her regular chores when she and the other Wen servants were gathered into an orderly line. They would serve the QishanWen sect heads for their upcoming meeting.

Wen Xu appeared with an older man by his side.

Under the older man's gaze, Pan Wukun couldn't move or breathe.

"Greetings, Sect Leader Wen!"

Pan Wukun bowed along with the other Wen servants.

Of course, this was Wen Ruohan. Who else could have such an oppressive presence?

Wen Ruohan stopped right in front of Pan Wukun. "You may rise."

She slowly and cautiously raised her head to look up at him.

Distaste showed in his eyes.

Wen Ruohan struck Pan Wukun across the face. The force of his strike knocked her to the ground. "That is for wounding my son."

Pan Wukun's cheek throbbed. Her teeth ached and her head rang.

If Wen Ruohan had put more strength into his strike, she had no doubt her brains would have been splattered all over the wall.

Wen Xu chuckled, but it was cut short once Wen Ruohan looked sternly at him. He silently nodded in apology to his father.

Wen Ruohan and Wen Xu strode into the grand building where the meeting would be hosted, leaving Pan Wukun to massage her throbbing cheek.

Sometime after Wen Ruohan left and Pan Wukun was assigned chores to do, her nerves cleared enough for her to analyze the situation.

Wen Xu had already given his report about the attack on the Cloud Recesses a month ago.