Sect Leader Jiang's words were eternally tainted with mockery. But this time, whom he mocked was no one but himself.
Suddenly, he said, "I'm sorry."
Wei WuXian hesitated, "... You don't need to say sorry."
At this point, it was impossible to figure out who should apologize to whom.
Wei WuXian continued, "Take it as my repayment to the Jiang Sect."
Jiang Cheng looked up. He looked at him with teary, bloodshot eyes, and a
hoarse voice, "... Repayment to my father, my mother, my sister?"
Wei WuXian pressed his temples, "Forget it. It's all in the past now. Let's not mention it again."
It wasn't something he liked to reminisce about. He didn't want to be reminded again and again of what it felt like when his core was cut out or what price he had to pay. If this were exposed in the past, he'd most likely laugh and comfort Jiang Cheng, 'It's not that big of a deal anyways. Look at me all these years. Without the core, I still managed to come through, didn't I? Beating everyone I wanted to beat, killing everyone I wanted to kill.' But now, he indeed didn't have the strength left to put up such a confident, nonchalant pretense.
From the bottom of his heart, he knew he wasn't so indifferent about it after all.
Was it really that easy to move on from such a thing?
Of course not.
In truth, when Wei WuXian was seventeen or eighteen, his pride wasn't much lower than Jiang Cheng's. He once had strong spiritual powers, more talented than others. No matter how much he fooled around, staying up all night pulling pranks on others, he was still far ahead of his classmates who worked so hard.
But every time he tossed and turned as he lay awake at night, knowing he'd never reach the stars using proper means, knowing he'd never wield his sword with the excellence that was supposed to bring astonishment to so many eyes, he wondered if Jiang FengMiang hadn't take him back to Lotus Pier, perhaps he wouldn't cross paths with cultivation his whole life. Then he would have never known that such a magnificent path existed in this world. He'd only be a head beggar who roamed the streets, fleeing at first sight of a dog, or maybe looking after cows and stealing other people's crops in the countryside, playing his flute to pass his time. He wouldn't have known to cultivate, and he definitely wouldn't have had the chance to form a core. With such thoughts, he'd felt much better.
Take it as repayment, or take it as redemption. Take it as he'd never received the golden core to begin with.
After explaining things to himself like this again and again, it was as though he was truly as confident and as nonchalant as he made it seem like on the surface, and along the way he could even praise himself for such a state of mind, whether he was lying or not.
But that was in his past life.
Wei WuXian, "Uh, I think it's best if you... also stop keeping it on your mind. I know you'll definitely always keep it on your mind, but, how should I say it..." He clenched Lan WangJi's hand, saying to Jiang Cheng, "Right now, I do really think... it's all in the past. It's been too long. There's no need to struggle with it any longer."
Jiang Cheng wiped his face roughly, drying his tears. He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes.
At this point, still enveloped in Lan XiChen's robe, Nie HuaiSang gradually woke up. Moaning lightly, he managed to crawl up, still bleary-eyed, "Where am I?"
Yet, the instant he got up, he saw Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi sitting together so tightly on the same sitting mat. The YiLing Patriarch was basically sitting on HanGuang-Jun's lap. He immediately let out a wail, as if he was about to faint again. At the same time, a series of strange sounds came from behind the Guanyin Temple, as though something was being spurt out. A moment later, the cultivators who'd been digging began to wail too.
