Chapter 106: Hatred

"What letter?"

"A threat letter. It said... all those things would be made public seven days from now. Either I take my own life and atone, or... I wait for death to come find me."

Everyone got it. Jin Guangyao obviously wasn't going to sit around waiting for his own death. Better to strike first than wait until he was disgraced, mocked by every sect, and overthrown. By then, even if the other side really did spread his old sins everywhere, the sects would have just gone through a purge, badly weakened, with no energy left to fight him.

Too bad his luck ran out, thanks to Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji screwing it all up.

"Even so, you can't just... you can't go all the way and kill people! You, this..."

He couldn't even find a reason to defend him anymore!

"Then what was I supposed to do? Wait for it all to come out, spread through every town, become the Xuanmen Hundred Sects' joke for the next hundred years, kneel down and apologize to the world, shove my face under their feet and beg them to stomp on it, beg for their forgiveness? Er-ge! There was no third path. Either they die, or I do."

A flicker of anger crossed Lan Xichen's face. He stepped back. "That's all because of you... because you did the things in that letter! If you hadn't done them, how would anyone have had leverage over you?"

"Er-ge, listen to me. I won't deny I did those things..."

"How could you even deny it? The witnesses are all here!"

"That's why I said I won't deny it! But killing my father, my wife, my son, my brother—why would I do that unless I had no choice? Do you really see me as some kind of lunatic?"

Lan Xichen's expression settled slightly. "Fine. I'll ask you a few questions. You can answer them one at a time."

"Brother!"

He drew Bichen Sword. Lan Xichen, seeing he looked ready to cut Jin Guangyao down on the spot, hurried to say, "Don't worry. He's wounded, disarmed, on the back foot. With this many people here, he can't pull anything." Just then, Wei Wuxian kicked Su She on the other side, breaking up whatever Su She had been trying to do in secret. Lan Xichen said, "Go handle that side. I'll take this."

Lan Wangji heard Su She's furious roar and went over. Wei Wuxian knew Lan Xichen still had some feelings left for this sworn brother, some stubborn hope he couldn't shake, and he had to give him the chance to talk. Wei Wuxian had things he wanted to hear Jin Guangyao say too, so he tilted his head and listened. Lan Xichen said, "First. Your father, the former Jin clan leader. Did you really use that method on him..."

Jin Guangyao said carefully, "That question... I'd like to answer last."

Lan Xichen shook his head. "Second. Your... wife..." Like the words stuck in his throat, he immediately corrected himself: "Your sister. Qin Su. Did you really know what she was to you and still marry her?"

Jin Guangyao stared at him. Then, suddenly, tears slid down his face.

"...Yes."

Lan Xichen took a deep breath. His face went gray. Jin Guangyao said quietly, "But I really had no choice."

Lan Xichen snapped, "How could there be no choice?! It was your marriage! Just don't marry her! Even if it hurt Qin Su's feelings, that would still be better than destroying a woman who truly loved and respected you, who never once looked down on you!"

"Didn't I truly love her?! But I couldn't help it, I just couldn't! Yes, it was my marriage, but do you really think I could just say 'I won't' and that would be the end of it?! Er-ge, there's a limit to how naive you can be. I spent god knows how much blood, sweat, and tears getting Qin Cangye to agree to my proposal. The wedding date was almost here. Qin Cangye and Jin Guangshan were both completely satisfied. You want me to suddenly call it off? What reason would I give? How would I explain myself to those two?"

"Er-ge, you know what it felt like when, just when I thought everything was perfect, Madam Qin came to me in secret and told me the truth? Not even a thunderbolt from the sky hitting the top of my skull could have been worse! Do you know why she didn't go to Jin Guangshan and came to beg me in secret instead? Because Jin Guangshan raped her! That precious father of mine wouldn't even spare the wife of an old subordinate who'd followed him for years. He didn't even remember when he'd gained a daughter! For all these years she never dared tell her husband Qin Cangye. You tell me—if I'd suddenly broken off the engagement and they'd sensed something was off, if it caused Jin Guangshan and Qin Cangye to fall out and turn on each other, who would end up the biggest loser, hated by both sides?"

Even though it wasn't the first time they'd heard of Jin Guangshan's shamelessness in this area, everyone present felt a fresh chill. Disgust and cold—hard to say which was worse. Lan Xichen said, "Then... even if you were forced to marry Qin Su, you could have kept your distance from her. Why did you have to... why did you have to have Asong, and then kill your own son with your own hands!"

Jin Guangyao clutched his head, his voice rough. "...After the wedding I never touched A-Su again. Asong... was conceived before the marriage. Back then I was afraid something would go wrong if we waited too long..."

So he'd gone ahead and consummated with Qin Su early.

If not for that, he never would have ended up sleeping with his own sister by accident. Now he didn't know whether to hate the father who wasn't anything like a father, or to hate his own suspicious, overthinking self even more.

Lan Xichen sighed. "Third. Don't try to wriggle out of this. Answer me. Jin Zixuan's death—was that something you planned?"

Hearing his father's name, Jin Ling, who was supporting Jiang Cheng, suddenly widened his eyes.

Lan Wangji raised his voice slightly. "Brother. You believe him?"

Lan Xichen's expression was complicated. "I certainly don't believe Jin Zixuan stumbled onto the Qiongqi Ambush by accident, but... let him speak first."

Jin Guangyao knew flat denial wouldn't be believed. He gritted his teeth. "...Jin Zixuan. I really didn't run into him by chance."

Jin Ling's fist clenched tight.

Jin Guangyao went on, "But I absolutely never planned everything that came after. You don't have to imagine me as some mastermind who sees ten moves ahead. A lot of things are simply out of your control. How was I supposed to know he'd definitely die at Wei Wuxian's hands along with Jin Zixun? How could I have foreseen that Wei Wuxian would lose control, that the Ghost General would go on a rampage?"

Wei Wuxian said sharply, "Then why did you just say it wasn't by chance? You contradict yourself!"

"I won't deny I deliberately told him about the Qiongqi Ambush. But I only thought—he and you had always been at odds, and he happened to run into you while his own cousin was giving you trouble. He'd take a bit of a beating at most. How could I have foreseen that you, Wei-xiansheng, would just go ahead and kill everyone there?"

Wei Wuxian laughed through his fury: "You really are..."

Suddenly Jin Ling shouted, "WHY?!"

He stood up from beside Jiang Cheng, eyes red, rushed at Jin Guangyao and yelled, "Why did you do this?!"

Nie Huaisang hurriedly grabbed Jin Ling, who looked ready to fight Jin Guangyao. Jin Guangyao countered, "Why?"

He turned to Jin Ling. 'A-Ling, then can you tell me why? Why is it that no matter how warmly I smile at people, I might never get a single kind look in return, while your father was arrogant beyond words and everyone still flocked to him? Can you tell me why — both of us sons — your father could sit at ease at home, dote on the wife he loved best and play with his own child, while I didn't even dare spend a little longer alone with my own wife, while the very sight of my own son made my skin crawl, and on top of all that my own birth father saw fit to assign me a job like this — to go ambush and cut down an extremely dangerous man who might go mad at any moment, who could control a Malevolent Corpse and vengeful spirits to stage a massacre!'

"Why is it that even though we share the same birthday, Jin Guangshan could throw a grand banquet for one son on that very day, while watching his own men kick another son down the stairs of Jinlin Pavilion, from the very top, all the way down to the very bottom!"

At last the hatred he'd buried so deep surfaced—but not for Jin Zixuan, not for Wei Wuxian. For his own father.

Wei Wuxian said, "Stop making excuses! Hate whoever you want, kill whoever you want, why drag Jin Zixuan into it?!"

Jin Guangyao said calmly, "As you can see. I killed them all."

Lan Xichen said, "And in that manner."

Jin Guangyao, tears still glimmering at the corners of his eyes, knelt upright with his back straight, and smiled. "Yes. An old stud horse who couldn't keep it in his pants. Most fitting death for him, isn't it?"

Lan Xichen barked, "A-Yao!"

Only after he said it did he remember—he'd already unilaterally cut ties with Jin Guangyao. He shouldn't be calling him that. But Jin Guangyao didn't seem to notice, and went on calmly, "Er-ge, don't be fooled by how harshly I'm talking about him now. I did used to have expectations of my father. Once, no matter what he ordered—betray Clan Leader Wen, protect Xue Yang, purge dissidents—no matter how stupid, no matter how much it made people hate me, I'd carry it out. But do you know what finally made me give up on him completely? I'll answer your first question now. It wasn't that in his heart I'd never be worth a single hair on Jin Zixuan's head, or the holes in Jin Zixun's body. It wasn't that he took Mo Xiyu back in, or that he later tried every way to sideline me. It was something he let slip to a girl at his side one night when he was out drinking and whoring again."

"Why wouldn't a spendthrift clan leader like him spare the slightest effort to ransom my mother? Simple. Because it was troublesome. My mother waited all those years, wove so many excuses about how he had no choice in front of me, imagined so many difficult situations for him. The real reason? Just two words: troublesome."

"This is what he said: 'Especially women who've read a few books—they always think they're a cut above other women, make demands, have unrealistic ideas, think about this and that. The most troublesome kind. If I ransomed her and brought her to Lanling, who knows how she'd cling and make a scene. Better to leave her where she is. Given her looks, she can probably stay popular for a few more years. She won't go hungry for the rest of her life.'"

'Son? Ah, don't mention it.'

Jin Guangyao's memory was excellent. He recited it word for word, and the others could practically picture Jin Guangshan's drunken expression as he said it. Jin Guangyao laughed, "Er-ge, you see? My life as his son is worth four words: 'Ah, don't mention it.' Hahahaha..."

Lan Xichen's brow was tight with pain. "Even so, your father... but you also..."

He couldn't find a fitting judgment. He started to speak, then stopped, and sighed. "What's the use of saying all this now."

Jin Guangyao laughed and spread his hands. "Nothing to be done. Done every evil thing there is, and still wants people's pity. That's just the kind of person I am."

On the word 'person,' his wrist suddenly flipped. A Red String looped around Jin Ling's neck.

Jin Guangyao, tears still clinging to the corners of his eyes, said in a low voice, "Don't move!"

This was truly out of nowhere. Jiang Cheng roared, "Wei Wuxian! Didn't you already disarm him!"

In his panic, he'd actually shouted directly at Wei Wuxian, his tone exactly like when they were young. Wei Wuxian shouted back, "I did take all his Red Strings!"

It's not like Jin Guangyao's cultivation was so high he could materialize things out of thin air!

Lan Wangji saw through it at a glance. "He hid it inside his body."

The others followed his gaze and saw a patch of red spreading across the white robes at Jin Guangyao's side. The reason this Red String was red was because it was soaked in blood. Wei Wuxian had of course failed to find it—Jin Guangyao hadn't hidden it on his person, he'd hidden it inside his own body. He'd waited through the whole speech, let Lan Xichen's emotions get stirred up, let everyone else's attention drift, then goaded Jin Ling into rushing forward to get close. The moment was right. He'd stabbed his own abdomen and pulled the string out from inside.

Who could have guessed that, to keep this last trick in reserve, Jin Guangyao would do that to himself? The bundle of string was thin, yes, but it was still a wad of metal buried in living flesh, moving around with every step. It couldn't have felt anything close to pleasant.

Jiang Cheng cried out, "A-Ling!" Wei Wuxian moved instinctively too, but someone grabbed him right away. He turned and saw it was Lan Wangji. Only then did he manage to steady himself. Jin Guangyao, holding Jin Ling, stood up. "Jiang-zongzhu, no need to get so worked up. A-Ling grew up in front of my eyes, after all. Same thing as before—big road, level sky, we each go our own way. In a while you'll naturally see an A-Ling in one piece."

Jiang Cheng said, "A-Ling, don't move! Jin Guangyao, if you want a hostage, take me instead!"

Jin Guangyao said frankly, "That wouldn't be the same. Jiang-zongzhu, you're injured and can't move well. You'd slow me down."

Wei Wuxian's palms were sweating. "Jin-zongzhu, did you forget something? Your loyal subordinate is still over here."

Jin Guangyao looked toward Su She, who was being held at sword-point by Lan Wangji's Bichen Sword. Su She immediately croaked out, "Zongzhu, don't worry about me!"

Jin Guangyao replied at once, "Thanks."

Lan Xichen said slowly, "Jin-zongzhu. You lied again."

Jin Guangyao said, "Just this once. Won't happen again."

Lan Xichen said, "That's what you said last time. I can't tell anymore which of your words are true."

Jin Guangyao was about to speak when an unprecedented thunderclap exploded. Though far on the horizon, it sounded right next to his ear, making him shiver involuntarily and swallow his words. Then came three strange heavy thuds from outside the temple door—Boom! Boom! Boom!

The sound was less 'knocking' than 'smashing.' It didn't sound like a person's arm hitting the door. It sounded like someone holding another person's head and slamming it violently against the door, again and again. Each thump louder than the last. The cracks in the temple door's bolt grew wider with each hit. And Jin Guangyao's face twisted more and more.

On the fourth strike, the bolt finally snapped. Sheets of rain and a pitch-black figure burst through the door together.

Jin Guangyao flinched, as if he wanted to dodge, but quickly stopped himself. The figure wasn't flying toward him—it was flying toward Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. The two of them stepped apart calmly for a moment, then naturally fell back in side by side. Wei Wuxian looked back and said, "Wen Ning?"

Wen Clan crashed into the Guanyin statue inside the temple, hung there head-down feet-up for a moment, then fell to the ground with a thump. Only then did he say, "...Gongzi."

Seeing him, both Jiang Cheng and Jin Ling's expressions darkened. Nie Huaisang, meanwhile, screamed, "Big brother!!!"

Besides Wen Clan who'd flown in, another taller figure stood at the temple door. Hard outline, iron-gray face, lifeless eyes.

It was Chifeng-zun, Nie Mingjue!

He stood like an iron tower, blocking the path in the storm outside Guan Yin Temple, cutting off everyone's escape. His head sat squarely on his neck, and across the neck you could see dense black stitches. Someone had used a long thread to sew his head and his headless body back together!

Lan Xichen said, "...Big brother."

Jin Guangyao also murmured, "...Big brother..."

Three people in this temple called out 'big brother' to Nie Mingjue's corpse, but each in a completely different tone. Jin Guangyao's face was full of overwhelming terror. His whole body was shaking. Whether alive or dead, the person Jin Guangyao feared most was undoubtedly this sworn brother of his—fierce-tempered, absolutely unforgiving.

His body shook. His hand shook. The blood-soaked Red String he was gripping shook too. In that instant, Lan Wangji suddenly drew Bichen Sword and slashed down.

In a blink, he flashed in front of Jin Ling and caught something. Jin Guangyao felt his arm suddenly lighter. He looked down, dazed, and saw his right hand was gone.

His right hand, severed clean at the front of his forearm. What Lan Wangji had caught was the very hand that had been gripping the deadly Red String.

Blood sprayed wildly. Jin Guangyao went sheet-white with pain, didn't even have the strength to scream, just staggered back a few steps, couldn't stay upright, and crashed to the ground. Meanwhile Su She let out a scream. Lan Xichen seemed to want to help him for a moment, but in the end didn't dare move.

Lan Wangji pried open the fingers of Jin Guangyao's severed hand. The string loosened. Jin Ling was safe. Jiang Cheng was about to rush over and check him for injuries, but Wei Wuxian got there first, grabbed Jin Ling by both shoulders, examined him carefully, made sure the skin on his neck was intact, not even a scratch, and only then exhaled in relief.

Lan Wangji always used to leave three parts of room in his swordplay, but the situation just now had been truly critical. That String Killing Technique was razor-sharp. In the hands of someone who knew the technique, it could slice flesh and sever bone like cutting vegetables. And Jin Guangyao's hand had been shaking. If he'd shaken one more moment—or worse, if he'd forgotten he had a person on the other end of the string and just run—if Lan Wangji hadn't made the split-second decision to cut off the hand holding the string, both fast and accurate, Jin Ling would already be separated from his body, blood spraying several zhang high.

Jin Ling had been sprayed head-on with the blood from Jin Guangyao's severed hand. Most of his body and half his face were stained with blood, and he was still standing there dazed, not reacting. Wei Wuxian, though, hugged him hard. "Stay away from dangerous people next time, you little punk. Why were you standing so close just now!"

If Jiang Anli and Jin Zixuan's only son had died in front of him too, Wei Wuxian really wouldn't have known what to do.

Jin Ling wasn't used to being hugged like this. His pale face flushed red all at once, and he shoved hard against Wei Wuxian's chest. Wei Wuxian held him tighter and squeezed him a few more times, gave his shoulder a heavy pat, and shoved him toward Jiang Cheng. "Go! Don't run off again. Get over to your uncle!"

Jiang Cheng caught the still-dazed Jin Ling. He looked at Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji standing together over there, hesitated a moment, then said quietly to Lan Wangji, "Thank you."

Quiet, but clear enough.

Jin Ling also said, "Thank you, Hanguang-jun, for saving my life."

Lan Wangji nodded without a word. Bichen Sword angled toward the ground, its clear, bright blade untouched by blood, the drops sliding off cleanly. He turned it back and pointed it at Nie Mingjue standing in the doorway. Wen Clan slowly climbed to his feet, reattached his own broken hand, and said, "Be careful... his Malevolent Qi is no small thing."