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"That reckless girl! Look at the troubles that she has put us in!" Jiang Cheng scowled as he and Wei WuXian trekked up the hill of the Burial Mound. Both of them came with a group of few Jiang disiciples but when they approached the border of the mountain. A barrier prevented the disciples from stepping in, only allowing the young Sect Leader and Head Disciple.

"Jiang Cheng, please. Mèimei is not the type to do those things without a good reason." Wei WuXian pleaded, which only made his leader huffed.

As the two walked closer to the top of the mound, the first things they noticed are the man-made huts that surrounded the area.

"Such a good boy you are, A-Yuan. So adorable." A soft giggle spoke from the center of the area as kneeling on the ground with her dark robes spread around her as Wei WuHui gently pour some soils. "Don't move. Right now, I'm planting you in soil so next year, more little Wen Yuans will sprout to play with you and Xiao-Yang."

A small child laughed excitedly as he waved his little hands happily.

"Mèimei." Wei WuXian called out, looking relieved to see his sister. He was about to run toward her when a hand held him back.

"Those sect leaders thought you had gathered the remaining Wen remnants to take over the Burial Mounds," at the sound of Jiang Cheng's voice, Wen Qing who was resting nearby, immediately went to grabbed the young child from the ground and bring him away. Leaving Wei WuHui behind as she still have her back turned to her brothers. "As it turns out, your troop is but an unsightly bunch of children, women, and elders."

The rest of the Wen remnants all stared at Jiang Cheng and Wei WuXian with fear and caution as Wei WuHui glanced back. "So both of you came."

"Where is Wen Ning?" Jiang Cheng demanded.

Wei WuHui didn't reply back to that demand, only standing up when suddenly she felt a small body instantly colliding with her's, short arms circling around her waist as the maiden looked down. "Xiao-Yang, it's okay. They're my brothers." She assured, reaching down to pat the messy black locks.

"Two kids?" Wei WuXian exclaimed out of surprise as his eyes met with glaring pair of dark maroon eyes that belonged to a scowling pre-teen, about 11-12 years of age. "Where did you get this one?"

"I've found Xue Yang on the way here from the Qiongqi Path. Xiao-Yang was already straving to death when A-Yuan came across him so I decided to bring him along with us to be look after by Wen Qing. But guess this little runt chose to stay with us." Wei WuHui smiled warmly.

"Xiao-Yang, come over here and let the adults speak." Wen Qing called out.

"I don't wanna! I don't wanna!" Xue Yang refused with a shake of his head, burying his face in the robes of the maiden's. "I want to stay with WuHui-Jiejie!"

Wei WuHui giggled, patting the boy's head once again as she reached over to lift the boy's face up with her hands gently. "I will give you sweets when I finish, Xiao-Yang. So why don't you be good and go play with A-Yuan, hm? For Jiejie?"

Xue Yang pouted up at the maiden before nodding to the maiden's request as he sent one last glare to Jiang Cheng and Wei WuXian before running off.

After that, Wei WuHui led both her twin and Jiang Cheng further up the mountain.

And as soon later, they came across a group of men busying themselves with a rack made of wood. Jiang Cheng and Wei WuXian suspected them to be all cultivators of the Wen Sect but they all have taken off their robes of sun and flames, and now put on clothes made from coarse cloth, them having hammers and saws in their hands, timber and straws on their shoulders as they climbed up and down, go inside and outside. Overall, they appeared as ordinary farmers.

But the moment their eyes laid on the pair and judging by their clothes and swords that they were prominent cultivators. And with some fear still lingering, they all stopped what they were doing, looking at them with hesitation, almost like they didn't dared to even let out a single breath.

Wei WuHui simply sent a reassuring smile. "Please just continue with what you're doing, everything is fine here."

And with her words, the men slowly went back to their words, looking relieved now.

Jiang Cheng rose a brow. "What are they doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? They're building houses." Wei WuHui replied.

"Building houses? Then what were the ones we saw turning over the dirt when we came up here doing? Don't tell me you're really going to start farming." Jiang Cheng retorted.

"Didn't you hear everything? Of course we are farming." Wei WuHui said.

"You're farming on a mountain filled with corpses?" Wei WuXian asked, worriedly. "Will the foods that grow here be edible?"

"Trust me, Gēge. When people really are hungry, they'll eat whatever they can." Wei WuHui smiled solemnly as she gazed ahead of her with dull eyes. Almost like she was haunted by something.

"You really intend on stationing yourself here in the long run? Can people even live in such a damned place?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"I lived here three months ago." Wei WuHui stated.

Wei WuXian's eyes widened before he lowered his gaze down sadly. His hands clenching in anger that was directed to himself. 'Mèimei, you...I was suppose to be the one. Not you'

The trio went into the main cave where the maiden claimed to be her room as they walked in. After a few moment of more walking, they finally came across a still body that were covered in talismans from head to toe.

"This is Wen Ning?" Jiang Cheng asked.

Wei WuHui nodded. "He is a little aggressive. I fear that he might cause trouble, so-."

Before she could finished her sentence, Jiang Cheng unleashed Zidian and was about to strike at the unmoving Wen Ning when Wei WuHui grabbed his hand, preventing him immediately. "What are you doing?!"

Jiang Cheng grunted angrily, yanking his hand away. "I should ask you that question! Do you know how many eyes are watching you, coveting your Stygian Tiger Amulet? And you just had to offer them something to use against you!" He proclaimed, pointing at the floating amulet that was kept in a warding barrier.

"Guys, stop..." Wei WuXian tried to stop the incoming argument between his younger siblings but his effort was in vain.

"Do you think I had a choice? Wen Ning and his family were backed into a corner. What can I do?" Wei WuHui retorted.

"What can you do? Surrender the remnants of the Wen Sect!" Jiang Cheng shouted and turned around, intending to go to where the remnants were at when Wei WuHui came in front of him.

"Are you kidding me? If I do that, none of them will survive!" Wei WuHui exclaimed, the expression of disbelief all over her face as she looked at Jiang Cheng.

However, Jiang Cheng simply pushed her aside. "You're hardly in a better position, why care about their fates?"

"Jiang Cheng! How can you say that? Did you forget who were the people that saved us three and helped us retrieved Uncle Jiang's and Madame Yu's bodies!" Wei WuHui yelled angrily.

"True, they did helped us. But now, the Wen Sect has been ostracised. Whoever protects them is rebelling against the rest of the world!" Jiang Cheng replied.

"They were never involved in the war. You of all people should know how many lives they saved!"

"Who cares! Their surnames are Wen!"

Suddenly, a loud smacking sound erupted in the conflict.

Jiang Cheng stared widely, his head tilted to the left with a reddened hand imprint on his cheek left behind after the maiden slapped him.

Her hair covering her eyes as she panted. "Jiang WanYin, Uncle Jiang once said "Always follow your heart and attempt the impossible". Wen Ning and his sister did nothing wrong. No matter the cost, I cannot stand by and do nothing."

Then, Jiang Cheng let out an empty laugh. "Of course, you know the Yunmeng Jiang Sect's creed. You know it better than me! You all do! But did you know that when you stand on their side, you're a genius, a hero and a woman of exception!" He then began to walked toward the maiden. "Yet as soon as you oppose them, you become a maniacal, amoral, heretic villainess!"

"No, Jiang Cheng!" Wei WuXian immediately jumped in, coming in between his sister and brother as Jiang Cheng did not cared and continued glaring at Wei WuHui.

"You think you can be a law unto yourself? No one has done it before!" Jiang Cheng proclaimed.

"Then I will be the first one!" Wei WuHui burst out without hesitation.

Purple sparks omitted from Zidian as Jiang Cheng clenched his hands. "Wei WuHui! Do I really have to make it plain to you? If you insist on protecting the Wens, then I can't protect you anymore!"

Wei WuHui frowned solemnly, turning her gaze away. "You don't have to...banish me."

"Mèimei?" Wei WuXian gaped as his eyes widened in pure shock. "What do you mean?" His voice trembling as he shakily reached for his sister's hand, grasping it. "You don't mean that...right?"

Wei WuHui looked up at her brother sadly before hesitantly pulling her hand from his grasp before making the hardest choice in her life as she walked past both of her brothers, who stared ahead blankly.

"Tell everyone that I've defected. From now on, whatever I do will no longer concern Yunmeng Jiang Sect." Wei WuHui declared, her voice stable but in actuality, tears went down her cheeks silently.

'Forgive me...

and goodbye'

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(Please correct my translation if I'm wrong and the GIFs and pictures used in this chapter does not belong to me, but their rightful owners)