Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: I Have Acquaintances in the Heavenly Realm - Chapter 25

Xie Lian looked at the two sets of Lan Sect uniforms delivered early that morning. He touched the fabric; as expected, the material was of superior quality. One outer robe had protective sigils embroidered on the inside, while the other did not.

Hua Cheng was reclining on the bed, propping his chin up with one hand. He watched Xie Lian standing by the bed and said lazily, “Why is Gege so happy this morning?”

Xie Lian smiled and shook the clothes in his hand, turning to look at Hua Cheng. “I was just wondering what San Lang would look like in these clothes.”

Hua Cheng rose from the bed and wrapped his arms around Xie Lian’s waist, resting his head on Xie Lian’s shoulder. “Would Gege be very happy if I wore them?”

Xie Lian replied, “Whether you wear them or not, I am happy. It’s just that I’ve never seen San Lang in this style of clothing before.”

Hua Cheng took the robes and put them on. “How do I look?”

Xie Lian smiled warmly. “As expected, San Lang looks good in anything.”

Hua Cheng placed a gentle kiss on Xie Lian’s forehead. “Gege would surely look even better in them.”

After a quick wash and tidy, the two headed out. Coincidentally, Shi Qingxuan and He Xuan had also finished getting ready and were stepping out. Like the other two, they were also dressed in Lan Sect uniforms.

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were already waiting for the four of them in the courtyard of the Jingshi. Once they gathered, the group left the Jingshi together.

Jiang Cheng sat in his designated seat, watching Wei Wuxian walk in side-by-side with Lan Wangji. Wei Wuxian was dressed in the Lan Sect uniform, carrying neither a sword nor Chenqing. He was smiling as he whispered something to Lan Wangji; Lan Wangji remained expressionless, yet was clearly listening intently.

Originally, the person who would have attended such occasions as Wei Wuxian’s inseparable companion was himself. He didn’t know when he and Wei Wuxian had begun to drift apart—drifting so far that now, there seemed to be no place for him by Wei Wuxian’s side.

Who was to blame for all this?

The current Wei Wuxian had absolutely no connection to the Yunmeng Jiang Sect anymore. The current Wei Wuxian belonged to the Gusu Lan Sect—he belonged to Lan Wangji.

In the Guanyin Temple, the words spoken by Jin Guangyao had caused Jiang Cheng a momentary pang of regret. If he had shown Wei Wuxian a bit more tolerance and understanding back then, making their bond appear indestructible, would things have turned out differently? If he had stood firmly by Wei Wuxian’s side like Lan Wangji did, leaving no opening for others to exploit, would Wei Wuxian have become the target of everyone’s scorn?

But “if” is, after all, only an “if.”

And he, after all, was not Lan Wangji.

What was the point of making such hypotheses now?

Jin Ling leaned toward Jiang Cheng and asked, “Uncle, why don’t you call out to him?”

Jiang Cheng pulled back his thoughts and looked at Jin Ling. After a long pause, he snapped, “Call him for what? To ask him to come over and drink tea with me?”

Jin Ling muttered, “You’re always like this, saying the opposite of what you feel. No wonder he wanted to leave.”

Jiang Cheng glared at Jin Ling. “I’m like what? And what about you? You are currently representing the Lanling Jin Sect; you are the Sect Leader! Get back to your seat and sit properly!”

Jin Ling curled his lip and retreated to his own seat, sulking.

Lan Wangji led Wei Wuxian to their seats, with Xie Lian and his group taking the row behind them.

Wei Wuxian turned around and whispered to Shi Qingxuan, “Lord Wind Master, you can drink as much of the fine wine as you like later, but as for the ‘delicacies,’ eat as little as possible. You understand what I mean, right?” Having said that, he gave a playful wink.

Shi Qingxuan smiled, raised his wine cup, and whispered back, “Since they are delicacies, why should I eat less?”

Wei Wuxian smiled but didn’t answer, turning back to sit upright. Soon enough, Shi Qingxuan would find out why.

Having not seen him for a few days, Lan Xichen appeared to have grown even thinner. He looked more exhausted than before, yet he still forced himself to summon the energy to preside over this Discussion Conference. There was no other choice; as the Sect Leader, Lan Xichen could not be absent from a conference hosted by the Gusu Lan Sect.

Wei Wuxian subconsciously touched the “Spirit-Summoning Talisman” in his robes and whispered to Lan Wangji, “Lan Zhan, Zewu-jun’s condition has worsened. I’ll look for an opportunity later to ask Huaisang-xiong where Chifeng-zun is currently buried.”

Lan Wangji sat perfectly upright, looking ahead at the speaking Lan Xichen with an expressionless face. He said, “Do not be too hasty…”

Before Lan Wangji could finish, Wei Wuxian interrupted, “I know do not force it’ and ‘act within one’s capabilities.’ My ears are growing callouses from hearing that.”

Lan Wangji replied, “Mn.”

Once Lan Xichen finished his opening remarks and stepped down, the food began to be served. Looking at the bowls of medicinal soups and tree roots on the table, Wei Wuxian truly had no desire to pick up his chopsticks, so he picked up his wine cup instead.

Lan Wangji picked up a bowl of medicinal soup, took a sip, and then placed it in front of Wei Wuxian. The meaning was crystal clear: he wanted Wei Wuxian to drink this specific bowl.

Sure enough, Wei Wuxian immediately put down his wine, picked up the bowl Lan Wangji had sipped from, and took a drink. Although it still had that flavor he disliked, it was now tinged with a faint, crisp scent of sandalwood, making it surprisingly palatable.

Lan Wangji tasted a bit of every dish before placing some into Wei Wuxian’s bowl. In this manner, Wei Wuxian actually managed to eat until he was half-full, comfortably enjoying his wine and food.

Meanwhile, Shi Qingxuan, staring at a table full of medicinal soups and roots, finally understood what Wei Wuxian meant by “there will be delicacies, but they won’t necessarily be good.”

This was indeed not good. Compared to the food at the Paradise Manor, this was simply hard to swallow. Compared to the food He Xuan cooked, it was even worse.

Shi Qingxuan frowned at the dishes, then turned to look at He Xuan with a pout. He Xuan reached out, placing his hand over Shi Qingxuan’s and giving the back of it a gentle pat. “If you don’t want to eat, then don’t.”

Shi Qingxuan asked, “Then will you cook for me later?”

He Xuan nodded and said softly, “Alright.”

Only then did Shi Qingxuan beam with joy. “My Black Water is the best, hahahaha!” He picked up his wine cup and drank contentedly. While the food was poor, the wine was indeed top-tier. Master Wei truly is a kindred spirit; he understands me, hahahaha!

Sitting at the head of the assembly, Lan Qiren naturally saw every movement made by Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. The soup he swallowed felt like a lump in his throat. However, since Wei Wuxian was behaving with relative decorum and hadn’t done anything improper, Lan Qiren simply turned his head away, choosing not to look at them.

When he turned his head, he saw Lan Xichen staring blankly at his own meal. Lan Qiren was so frustrated he couldn’t even drink his soup anymore. Not a single one of them is worry-free!

Finally, the meal drew to a close, and the Discussion Conference officially began. The various Sect Leaders began showering Lan Qiren with flattery, saying things like, “Teacher Lan is truly formidable to have raised the Twin Jades of Lan as such models for all cultivation families,” and “The Twin Jades truly live up to their name; each is a leader among men,” and so on.

With every mention of the “Twin Jades,” Lan Qiren’s hands clenched into fists inside his sleeves. Yet, he could say nothing.

Wei Wuxian nudged Lan Wangji with his elbow and whispered, “Lan Zhan, look—is your uncle about to faint from rage?”

Lan Wangji took a sip of tea and remained silent.

Wei Wuxian continued, “Lan Zhan, about what we discussed last night… after this is over, you go attend to your business. I’ll go speak with your uncle myself. I imagine he has a lot he wants to say to me, too.”

Lan Wangji turned to look at Wei Wuxian. After a moment of thought, he nodded slightly. “Very well.”

Wei Wuxian then turned to Xie Lian and said, “Daozhang Xie, Lord Wind Master, once this session ends, please feel free to wander around. I have some matters to attend to and will come find you once I’m finished.”

Xie Lian replied, “Master Wei, please go ahead with your business; we will stroll around on our own.” He paused, then added, “We promise to do our best not to violate any of those four thousand rules.”