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"A-Niang! Why are you here?" Jin ZiXuan asked as he glanced at the Lanling Jin Sect's cultivators that came along with his mother. "Why did you bring so many people over? You didn't need to interfere with the things of the hunt."
"Stop thinking so full of yourself! I'm not here for you!" Madame Jin hissed before she turned to Jiang YanLi who has shrunkened herself behind Wei WuHui and Wei WuXian. Her eyes then softened and walked toward the maiden, grabbing her hand. "A-Li, are you alright?"
Jiang YanLi smiled, shaking her head. "I'm fine, Madame Jin. Thank you."
Madame Jin then scowled. "Did that little brat of mine bullied you again?"
"No." Jiang YanLi hurried to respond.
Madame Jin noticed her son shifting slightly and knew that her son was hiding something as she broke into rage. "Jin ZiXuan! Do you want to die? Did you forget what you told me before you came out here?!"
"I-!" Jin ZiXuan stammered.
Wei WuHui scoffed, cutting the young master off as she turned to Madame Jin. "No matter what your son tells you before he came out, it'll be fine as long aa he and Shijie goes separate paths from now on."
The dark maiden was already losing most of her patience so her tone was not too polite. However, it is a good thing that Madame Jin has busied herself with comforting Jiang YanLi and didn't hear her impolite words.
But, someone else did. "Wei WuHui, my aunt is your senior. Speaking like this is a bit too presumptuous, isn't it?" Jin ZiXun sneered.
At that, everyone nodded in agreement.
Wei WuXian, after being caught up with everything else by Lan XiChen, scowled as he stepped forward in front of his twin. "Mèimei didn't mean to directed it to Madame Jin. Your cousin treated our Shijie with harsh words over and over again. If the Yunmeng Jiang Sect could handle it, then we wouldn't be deserving to be called an elite sect! How is it presumptuous?"
"How is it presumptuous? How is any part of your Mèimei not presumptuous? Today, in such an important hunt where all of the sects are participating, she really be showing off her abilities. One third of the preys has been taken by her. I am sure she is so pleased about that."
"One third?" Lan WangJi inquired, his brows furrowed.
This sparks up a reminder for everyone as they remembered that Lan WangJi got into several conflicts with Wei WuHui during the Sunshot Campaign. Therefore, after he asked that question, someone answered him immediately.
"HanGuang-Jun, you didn't know of this yet? A while ago, when we were hunting on the mountain, we searched for a long time and found out that not even a single fierce corpse or resentful ghoul is left on the area."
"We also knew that after we've sent some people to ask for LianFang-Zun back at the Watching Towers that less than an hour into the hunt, a flute melody was heard from within Phoenix Mountain, and then all of the corpses and spirits came walking into the Yunmeng Jiang Sect's side and surrendered themselves."
"Out of the three categories of prey here on Phoenix Mountain, only the fay and the monsters are left."
"As for the ghouls, Wei WuHui alone summoned all of them away."
Jin ZiXun scoffed as he stepped forward. "You care nothing for the others and only about yourself - is this not selfish enough?"
Finally, she understood everything as Wei WuHui let out a humourless chuckle, realising that there was always an ulterior intent behind the assumptions. "Weren't you the one who said it himself? 'It was only the opening archery event; we could show our real skills on Phoenix Mountain'."
"Ha! What you're depending on is just a crooked path. They're not what you're really capable of. You're just playing a few notes on your flute. How could it be count as showing our real skills?" Jin ZiXun retorted.
Wei WuHui tilted her head in slight confusion. "It's not like I tricked or schemed, I like to see you try and play a few notes on the flute and watch if there's any corpses or spirits that would like to follow you." She stated.
"With how much you disregard the rules, it's not much better than tricks and schemes!" Jin ZiXun exclaimed.
Hearing this, both Lan XiChen and Lan WangJi frowned.
Overhearing the commotion, Madame Jin turned to her nephew. "ZiXun, that's enough."
Wei WuHui smirked mockingly. "Fine, then I guess I don't know what could count as real skills. Please, take it out and win against me so that I can see what it is."
This stunned the young master for a moment, the more he thought about it, the more he got annoyed he felt. "But it's only natural that you don't think you're in the wrong. It's not the first time Wei-Gu Niang has disregarded the rules before. You didn't wear your own sword in both last time's flower banquet and this time's hunt. It is such a grand event, and yet you care nothing for courtesy. In what regard to you hold us, the people who are present with you?" Jin ZiXun mocked.
Remembering something, Wei WuHui turned to Lan XiChen, not even acting like she was paying attention to Jin ZiXun. "Lan Huan, earlier you blocked the sword for me, thank you."
Lan XiChen blinked before giving the maiden a warm smile, despite the growing tension in the air.
Jin ZiXun clenched his teeth, seeing how the maiden didn't seemed to care about him at all. "So the Yunmeng Jiang Sect's discipline is nothing more than this!"
Madame Jin scolded. "ZiXun!"
With those words, the smile immediately dropped from the dark maiden's face as her eyes went dark. "Discipline? A crooked path?" She asked as she turned her head slowly.
Lan XiChen instantly became worried as he stepped forward, ready to jump in. "A-Yang."
"Mèimei..." Wei WuXian also called out.
Jin ZiXun and the others that came with him noticed the cold atmosphere that fell upon them as they held their breath, watching the maiden.
Wei WuHui gave a cold smile toward them. "Do you know why I'm not carrying my sword? Although, it wouldn't make a difference if I told you anyways. It is because I want you to know that even if I don't use my sword, with nothing but what you call a 'crooked path'. I will still rise above and leave you all staring at me from behind."
With that said, it left all present speechless.
No disiciple had ever dared say such bold words in front of so many people.
"Wei WuHui! You're only the daughter of a servant - how dare you be so arrogant!"
Upon those words being said, Lan XiChen and Wei WuXian froze in sheer shock.
Wei WuHui, however, her pupils dilated in rage. Her hand was almost reaching over to grab Chenqing as the air became thick with confict that was ready to burst at any second.
"A-Hui!"
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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)
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