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Jiang YanLi stared sternly at Jin ZiXun that had kept his mouth with his face already black in humiliation and anger. Her eyes not swaying away from him.

"A-Li, why are you being so serious? It's just a small matter. Don't get so worked up." Madame Jin pleaded worriedly.

"Madam, A-Hui is my younger sister. Her being made fun of by others, is not just a small matter." Jiang YanLi replied softly.

Madam Jin sneered toward Jin ZiXun. "ZiXun, you heard that?"

"Auntie!" Jin ZiXun exclaimed.

This caused Madam Jin to be more annoyed than she already am as she was ready to grab Jin ZiXun's neck and forced him to apologies.

Suddenly, three sword glares arrived as Lan ChunTao, Nie MingJian and Jin GuangYao appeared.

"Mèimei." Both Lan XiChen and WangJi called out.

"Xiongzhang, Dada, is everything okay here?" Lan ChunTao asked as she moved toward her older brothers worriedly.

"A-Yang." Nie MingJian went over to join Wei WuHui who was still being comforted by her twin as the presences of both of her sworn sisters settled some of the anger down in Wei WuHui.

"Everyone, what happened here?" Jin GuangYao asked.

With his appearance made, the anger in both people suddenly changed target as Madam Jin glared toward him. "Still smiling? Such a big issue happened and you still have the nerve to smile! Just look at the hunt that you've organised, you good-for-nothing!"

Jin GuangYao, not expecting to be scolded the very moment that he arrived, pulled back his smile a little. "Mǔqīn, what in the world is going on?"

Madame Jin's eyes narrowed and she scoffed. "What in the world is going on? Can't you see for yourself? Aren't you supposed to an expert in reading the atmosphere?"

Jin GuangYao stayed silent after that.

"One third of all of the prey in the entire Phoenix Mountain has been taken. What are five thousand people that participated suppose to hunt now?!" Jin ZiXun proclaimed, using this chance to disregard the matter of apologising to Wei WuHui.

Jin ZiXun was about to continue on when Nie MingJian stepped in. "Jin GuangYao has already set about extending the hunting ground. So calm down, everyone."

Nie MingJian, being the cousin to the fierce Nie MingJue, Jin ZiXun knew that it wasn't appropriate to say anything else and also couldn't vent off to Jin GuangYao. So in bitter rage, he slammed his bow down and laughed. "The hunt this year is like a farce! Nevermind. It's fine if I don't join in! I quit!"

"Oh, you're quitting just because Mèimei caught something but you haven't?" Wei WuXian spoke up for the first time since he arrived into the confrontation. He couldn't let Jin ZiXun leave just yet after insulting his precious sister.

Jin ZiXun paused in his steps and glared back to the cultivator. "Wei WuXian, what are you trying to say here?"

Wei WuXian grinned mockingly as he shrugged. "I mean LianFang-Zun is expanding the hunting grounds to suit everyone's taste as Nie Gu-Niang has informed us. So that means you have a second chance to hunt the preys for yourself."

"Hmph! Not when she is participating!" Jin ZiXun pointed his finger toward Wei WuHui.

Wei WuHui glared back at the young master but a white-covered back stepped in front of her to block the view or Jin ZiXun as she gasped lightly, looking up.

"Jin-Gongzi, everyone who is participating in the hunt has every right to use whatever means to take down the preys for their sects. Wei Yang may have taken one-third of the preys, but isn't Dage doing the same as well?" Lan XiChen stated firmly.

Jin ZiXun and his followers froze. Wei WuXian would been fine to argue with but now the Sect Leader of Gusu Lan Sect has stepped in himself and defending the dark maiden. Jin ZiXun's face turned dark as he tightened his lip, he knows that if he continue to say anything more, he would be risk offending a Sect Leader.

Jin ZiXun huffed. "Whatever. The hunt has already lost all fairness so there's no use of me continuing. Please excuse my absence!" And with that, he grabbed his swords and was about to lead the cultivators that came with him to go.

Jin GuangYao quickly hurried after him to try to persuade him to stay back. Meanwhile the others are stuck in between wanting to follow Jin ZiXun or staying to continue with the hunt.

Overall, the whole situation is a big mess.

Jiang YanLi sighed, shaking her head as she turned to Madame Jin. "Madame Jin, I really did make trouble for you."

But the latter just waved her hand. "You'll never make trouble for your mother-in-law here. Lecture that dumb brat however you want to. It's not like I care about him. If you're still mad, I can help you beat him up." She said.

"There's no need for that, really no need...then, I'll go back first?" Jiang YanLi suggested.

"To the Watching Towers? I'll get Jin ZiXuan to walk us back." Madame Jin asked while eyeing her son, who was staying some distance away.

Seeing that, Jiang YanLi immediately declined the offer. "That's not necessary. I'd like to gave a few words with A-Hui and A-Xian. They can walk me back."

Madame Jin glanced at the twins, giving them the cautious up and down motion as if she was displeased with the decision. "Even with Wei WuHui, a young man and a young woman like you can't be together all the times if nobody is around."

At that, the Wei twins made identical faces at that statement.

"They're my younger siblings." Jiang YanLi rebutted.

"A-Li, please don't be angry. Tell me what stupid things that stubborn brat of mine did to you this time and I'll tell him to make it up to you properly." Madame Jin pleaded.

"Please don't force him, it's really unnecessary." Jiang YanLi shook her head.

"How could I force him? It's not forced at all." Madame Jin replied.

Wei WuHui stepped forward, lowering her head. "Excuse our absences, Madame Jin."

And with that, the twins and Jiang YanLi saluted at the same time and as they turned around to leave, Madame Jin grabbed Jiang YanLi's hand, still refusing to let the maiden leave.

In all the pulls and pushes happening, Jin ZiXuan decided it was the perfect time to step in as he ran over. "Jiang Gu-Niang!"

Wei WuXian, pretending that Jin ZiXuan didn't speak, tugged gently at Jiang YanLi. "Shijie, quickly, let's go."

"That's not it, Jiang Gu-Niang!" Jin ZiXuan exclaimed.

Now this time, he can't pretend that Jin ZiXuan wasn't speaking as the Wei twins and Jiang YanLi turned to him. Even Jin ZiXun's group faced toward them as everyone gathered around is wondering what Jin ZiXuan meant by 'that's not it'.

Jin ZiXuan ran forward a bit more before stopping to take some deep breaths with his veins on his forehead protruding.

"That's not it, Jiang Gu-Niang! It wasn't my A-Niang! It wasn't her intentions! I'm not forced, I'm not being forced at all!" Jin ZiXuan then took a short pause then he roared. "It was me! It was myself! I was the one who wanted you to come!"

"..." Jiang YanLi.

"..." Wei WuHui.

"..." Wei WuXian.

"..." Madame Jin.

"..." Jin ZiXun.

Immediately, after his declaration, Jin ZiXuan's fair cheeks suddenly turned into the brightest shade of crimson. He staggered back a few steps, only to support himself by holding onto the tree. Jin ZiXuan soon realised the place that he is in when declaring his feelings, remembering the many people still present.

The Young Jin Master stood there blankly for a few moments to process what just happened and with a shout, he just ran.

After standing in a moment of dead silence, Madame Jin finally snapped out of it. "You idiot! Why are you running away?!" She then turned to Jiang YanLi. "A-Li, let's continue our talk later on the Watching Tower! First I have to go catch him!" And with the final say, she then rose on her sword with a handful of other cultivators as she shouted while chasing after her son.

Wei WuHui blinked at the commotion that just happened before her eyes. "The hell is he doing? Come on, Shijie, let's head off."

Jiang YanLi stared after in the direction that Jin ZiXuan took off before a giggle slipped out of her control as her face became a little too warm before she turned to her martial sister. "Yes, we should."

Wei WuHui then turned to Lan XiChen. "Lan Huan, I'll be going." She informed.

Lan XiChen smiled, nodding. "I hope to see you again, A-Yang." Then, he did something unexpected as Wei WuHui suddenly felt a soft feeling made contact on her forehead.

Wei WuHui's mouth went agape as Lan XiChen leaned back to give her a smile of mischief.

"You...!" Redness blossomed on her face as Wei WuHui stammered over her words before huffing before dragging her amused twin and sister away while glaring at the snickering pair that is her sworn sisters.

"Lan Zhan, I'm going now!" Wei WuXian managed to say as he waved to Lan WangJi, who nodded wordlessly.

Both Lan brothers watched their beloveds slowly disappeared as they walked further away from the crowd.

Meanwhile, Jin GuangYao couldn't stop Jin ZiXun and the others any longer as the group mounted on their swords and left. The numbers in the crowd then went to half of its original size and seeing how there is no more entertainments, the remaining began to leave as well.

Jin GuangYao sighed, wiping the sweats from his forehead as he managed to smile. "This really is..."

Nie MingJian patted the male's shoulder. "It wasn't your fault for what happened today."

"I'm afraid I won't be able to do it even in two hours." Jin GuangYao stated.

"Hm, why is that?" Lan XiChen asked.

"In reality, not only did Wei Gu-Niang kept a third of the prey to herself but Dage also has been eliminating half of the fays and the monsters as well." Jin GuangYao explained.

Hearing this, Lan XiChen laughed. "That is how Dage is like, after all."

"And so, the range of the hunting grounds might have to be expanded even more." Jin GuangYao sighed.

Nie MingJian smiled sheepishly. "Then, let us settle this as soon as we can."

Smiling at her, Jin GuangYao apologised. "Sorry A-Jian, you and Lan Gu-Niang were supposed to be participating in the hunt, but I had to have both of you come over to help me last minute."

"Haha, it is fine, Sān-Gē." Nie MingJian giggled. "Dajie, you're coming too?"

Lan ChunTao nodded then she turned to her brothers. "Xiongzhang, Dada, should we leave or would you two like to help as well?"

Lan XiChen smiled, summoning Shuoyue. "Yes, I will help." And Lan WangJi nodded in agreement.

After that, they all left which leaves a few people still gathered and talking.

Not long after, someone strode out of the woods but seeing the situation, he hesitated slightly.

It was Jiang Cheng and before he had heard people talking about how Lan XiChen's and Jin ZiXuan's sword glares appeared in the sky as if the two were in a fight. Fearing that Jiang YanLi was at Jin ZiXuan's side and might be caught in the crossfire, he went over to check but was too late as everyone has gone off.

From the few people left, he spotted Sect Leader Yao, someone that is at least familiar to him. "Sect Leader Yao, what happened here?"

Sect Leader Yao looked over to him. "Sect Leader Jiang, your sect's Wei WuHui really is quite a character." He stated.

"What do you mean?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"As if I dare mean anything. Sect Leader Jiang, you mustn't take to heart at what I said." Sect Leader Yao chuckled.

At that, Jiang Cheng's face darkened as he knew those words wasn't out of kindness from the other man and so he told himself that he had to find Wei WuHui later to sort it all out with him.

And so, not in the mood to maintain false politeness with someone trying to be clever, Jiang Cheng began to walked out of the woods. However, on his way, he could still make out whispers of chatter from behind him.

"This time, Lotus Pier is really the center of the show. Almost all of the spirits and corpses were summoned to the Yunmeng Jiang Sect's grounds. There'd definitely be a number or cultivators interested in them."

"What could we do about it? Whose fault is it that our sects don't have Wei WuHui's?"

"It's not necessarily a good thing to have Wei WuHui. I don't want there to be someone in my sect always stirring up trouble for me."

"Wei WuHui, she really is too bold. Anyways, from now on, I won't attend any night hunts that she's going to."

"Huh? Interested in them? I don't think do. To put it simply, they're interested in Wei WuHui, aren't they? Didn't the Yunmeng Jiang Sect grow in fame during the Sunshot Campaign only because of Wei WuHui?"

After hearing those whispers, Jiang Cheng felt as if his entire body was weighing down on him. Like something has cast a haunting shadow over both his face and his heart.

TRANSLATION NOTE:

— Mǔqīn: mother in formal form
— Sān-Gē: Third brother

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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)