Chapter 71: This Venerable One’s Been Framed

Face pale, Mo Ran was in utter disbelief as he summoned the

weapon that he'd put away only a moment ago. Jiangui answered his call,

appearing in his hand in a blaze of fiery light.

When he compared the two, the weapon that had killed Eighteen was

practically identical to Jiangui. It was almost like a piece of it, save for the

fact that it had no hilt. Could it be that somewhere in the world, there was a

second Jiangui?!

Before Mo Ran could think further, urgent footsteps approached at a

rapid speed. Chu Wanning was more levelheaded than Mo Ran; he quickly

assessed the situation and a chill flickered through his eyes. "Mo Ran, put

Jiangui away!"

"Huh?"

Too late.

A group of people had arrived at the entrance to the cave. In that group

were people from the feathered tribe and cultivators from various sects.

Even Xue Meng, Ye Wangxi, and Shi Mei were there. It was as if someone

had noticed that something strange was happening and called just about

everyone over in a hurry.

And so, when everyone arrived one after another, the sight that greeted

them was that of Eighteen, brutally murdered, the willow vine cutting into her

neck. Behind her, they saw Mo Ran and a small child, markedly battered

from the aftermath of a fierce battle. On top of that, Mo Ran was covered in

blood and holding Jiangui in hand, his willow vine coursing with a

menacing, fiery light…

No one made a sound. That is, until someone yelled, "M-murderer!"

The crowd fell into an uproar. Panic, anger, and whispered words

surged into a river, the drone of voices shaking one's very bones.

"She's dead!" "Murderer!" "How vicious…" "Must be insane!"

"Lunatic." Fragments of sentences were repeated over and over, until the

frenzied mob looked no different from the walking corpses in the illusion.

For a moment, Mo Ran almost thought that the illusion wasn't yet over—that

the nightmare continued still.

It was as if the blood spilt in Lin'an two hundred years ago still

covered the ground.

"No…" He took a step backward, throat dry. "It wasn't me…"

Mo Ran felt a tug on his clothes, and his step paused. Amidst the

madness, he looked down and saw Chu Wanning's clear eyes. He murmured

helplessly, "It wasn't me…"

Chu Wanning nodded and tried to shield Mo Ran with his own body.

However, he was only a small child at present, so what could he do? As he

fretted, he felt Mo Ran step forward.

More and more people joined in on the shouting. "Lock him up! The

kid too! Grab them! Murderers!"

"We can't let them get away, they're too dangerous! Hurry and grab

them!"

Mo Ran pulled Chu Wanning behind him, blocking him from sight, then

took a moment to breathe and collect himself. "I didn't kill Miss Eighteen.

Please let me explain."

The faces in the crowd looked indistinct, overlapping with a memory

from his past life that he couldn't bear to recall. He strained his eyes and

caught sight of Xue Meng among the shadows in the crowd, his face filled

with disbelief. Then he saw Shi Mei, eyes wide and face pale, his head

shaking repeatedly.

Mo Ran closed his eyes. "I didn't kill her," he said in a low voice,

"but I don't plan to run away either. At least hear me out before you lock me

up?"

Even so, no one wanted to listen to him. Anger and anxiety spread

through the crowd.

"Y-you've been caught red-handed," a high-pitched voice cried. "What

is there to say?!"

"That's right!"

"Just toss them in the prison cave first! If it turns out they didn't do it,

we can let them out then!"

"Lock them up! Lock them up!"

Xue Meng snapped out of his shocked state. He stepped out from the

crowd and stood in front of those angry, twisted faces with his back to Mo

Ran and raised his voice. "Everyone, please settle down. I have something to

say."

"Who the hell are you?!"

"Why would we listen to you?!"

"Wait, isn't that the little phoenix?"

"Little phoenix? You mean the darling of the heavens? That Xue Meng

guy?"

"That's him…"

Xue Meng's expression was terrible, nearly colorless. He took a deep

breath and said, slowly, "Everyone, please listen. These two are disciples of

Sisheng Peak, and I can vouch for them. Under no circumstances would they

do something like murder an innocent person. So please, calm down and let

them explain."

A moment of silence, then someone yelled, "Why should we believe

you? So what if they're Sisheng Peak disciples—that doesn't mean you know

their true nature!"

"Exactly! There's no knowing what someone's really like, even if

you're from the same sect!"

Xue Meng's expression grew darker still, his lips pressed in a thin line

as his hands clenched into fists.

Behind Xue Meng, Mo Ran stood with Chu Wanning in tow. Truth be

told, he was surprised that Xue Meng had come out in their defense. He

hadn't exactly been close with his cousin in his past life, or rather, they had

hardly been able to stand each other. Later, when he'd become the emperor of

the mortal realm and burned, killed, and plundered as he liked, they had

naturally ended up on opposite sides of the battlefield.

Mo Ran had never expected that Xue Meng would stand with his back

to him, facing the horde and all their pointing fingers. Warmth flooded his

heart. "Xue Meng, you…believe me?"

"Ugh! Yeah right, you damn mutt!" Xue Meng's face turned slightly

toward him as he huffed. "Look at this mess you've gotten into! Aren't you

the older one? Why do I have to clean up after you?!"

Mo Ran had no reply.

After he was done cussing out Mo Ran, Xue Meng whipped back

around and started yelling at the crowd in an even fiercer tone. "What do you

mean? How could I not know them? One of them is my shidi and the other is

my cousin! Who knows them better? Me or you lot?"

"Xue Meng…"

"Would it kill you guys to listen to a bit of explanation? With all these

people here, it's not like they're gonna grow wings and fly off if you give

them a couple of minutes!"

At this time, Shi Mei also stepped forward, but his mannerisms were

far too soft to be imposing, and there was fear in his voice as he said,

"Everyone, I can also vouch for them. They absolutely wouldn't have hurt

Miss Eighteen, so please hear them out. Thank you…"

Ye Wangxi stepped forward as well. Although he didn't vouch for

them, he was much steadier than the rest of the agitated crowd. "Even if it's

for a temporary detainment, they deserve the chance to explain and defend

themselves. Otherwise, we might let the real killer off the hook. What if that

person is among us as we speak? What then?"

At his words, the people in the crowd immediately started looking at

one another with alarm in their eyes.

"Fine! We'll hear you out first!"

"We're still going to lock you up! Can't be too cautious, after all!"

"Guilty until proven innocent!"

Mo Ran let out a breath and layered thankful hands before his

forehead. Then, after a moment, he actually smiled. "I never imagined that

when I was surrounded on all sides, anyone would still be willing to believe

in me. Okay, okay—even if I get locked up, just for you three, I won't be mad

about it."

Mo Ran simply and briefly went over what had happened, from the

manifestation of the illusion and the events that had transpired within it, to

finding Eighteen murdered upon exit.

Unfortunately, once a Domain of Fiends scenario was overcome, a

brand-new illusion was created for the next person to enter, so there was no

way to validate Mo Ran's claims. It did seem like a stretch for him to have

come up with such an elaborate story in mere moments, if he was making it

up. So by the time he finished, more than half the people in the crowd seemed

to be wavering.

A higher-up of the feathered tribe spoke quietly to her subordinate,

then said, "Mo Ran, Xia Sini, although you have presented explanations, you

have no evidence. For the safety of Peach Blossom Springs, we must detain

you until the matter has been resolved."

Mo Ran smiled helplessly. "All right, all right. I figured it'd be like

that. I won't complain too much as long as you feed me."

"Of course we shall do so." She paused. "Henceforth, everyone,

please be on your guard to prevent any further accidents. Anyone who did not

arrive here with due swiftness will be questioned one by one to eliminate

suspicions. Furthermore, I will be informing the leaders of each sect,

especially Sisheng Peak, which is most heavily involved. If possible, I

would like to invite your shizun here for a chat."

At this, Mo Ran's expression instantly changed. "Shizun?!"

Chu Wanning stood quietly without a word.

"I don't want Shizun to come! Will my uncle do?"

"Issues involving a disciple shall be reported to their master. This has

always been the rule in the cultivation world. Is it different at Sisheng Peak?"

"No, but…" Mo Ran scratched his head in frustration, letting out one

sigh after another, but he didn't know what to say.

Issues involving a disciple shall be reported to their master—of

course that made sense. However, the mere thought of Chu Wanning's

indifferent face and his crisp, cold eyes… It made Mo Ran certain that if his

shizun were to come, he would doubtless give Mo Ran a dressing-down first

and foremost, regardless of who was in the right and who in the wrong. Mo

Ran would prefer not to see him at all.

In the end, no matter what he said, there was nothing he could do. Both

he and his little shidi got locked up.

The prison at Peach Blossom Springs was a cave, not very big but also

not too small, and its entrance was covered by ancient brambles that only

obeyed the commands of the feathered tribe. The interior never saw the light

of day, but thankfully there was a firepit with enchanted flames that burned

continuously.

The furnishings inside were simple: a wide, plain bed of stone padded

with golden-red cushions made of woven feathers, a stone table and four

stone stools, one copper mirror, and a couple sets of bowls and cups. Mo

Ran and Chu Wanning were imprisoned there together.

Although judgment had yet to be passed, the one in charge of them

seemed to have been close with Eighteen. As Eighteen had lost her life for no

apparent reason, the feathered tribe guard took it out on them by making their

lives more difficult.

On the first night, the guard deigned to deliver some food; it wasn't

great or much, but there was enough to eat. However by the second day, she

brought only some raw meat, vegetables, rice, flour, and salt, which she

tossed casually into the cave along with a few words about not having the

time to take care of their meals and how they should sort it out themselves.

"Fine, we will sort it out ourselves, then. It's just cooking. What's so

hard about that?" Mo Ran muttered huffily where he was crouched on the

ground, picking out the usable ingredients. "What does shidi want to eat?"

"Whatever."

Mo Ran sighed. "There's no dish more difficult to cook than the one

called 'Whatever.' Let's see here, we have pork belly, napa cabbage… Tsk,

this bird sure is stingy, it's only the outer layers of the cabbage. There's quite

a bit of rice and flour, but I'm not sure how many days this is supposed to last

us." He muttered while counting the ingredients, then looked up at Chu

Wanning. "Do you want rice or noodles?"

Chu Wanning was resting on the bed, tummy-down. He thought about it,

then said, "Noodles." A pause, then he added: "Soup noodles with

spareribs."

"Ah ha ha, where am I gonna get spareribs?"

"Then whatever's fine."

Mo Ran sat cross-legged on the ground, one hand on his knee, cheek

squished against the other, and thought for a bit. "There aren't many

ingredients here. How about noodles with minced meat?"

"Noodles with minced meat?"

"Would you like that?"

"Sure. Is it spicy?"

Mo Ran grinned. "There isn't even a shadow of a pepper in what that

bird gave us."

With dinner decided, Mo Ran set about kneading dough. Chu Wanning

was short and not that strong, so he didn't bother trying to make a pretense of

helping. He watched Mo Ran knead the soft, white ball from where he lay in

bed, his gaze growing softer.

Chu Wanning suddenly felt that this wasn't so bad. Mo Ran didn't

know who he was, so he could stay by his side, and when Mo Ran cooked,

he bothered to ask what Chu Wanning wanted to eat. It really wasn't bad. He

even felt a little uneasy, as if he had been given too much—as if he had stolen

it all from a child named "Xia Sini."

Mo Ran finished cooking the noodles and placed the stir-fried minced

meat on top. They had pitifully few seasonings, so he couldn't make anything

fancy, but the noodles were pulled to a chewy consistency with just the right

softness. He had also cut off the fatty part of the pork and used it to fry the

meat. The meat sizzled as it was poured over the noodles, and it would no

doubt be delicious once mixed in.

"Shidi, dinner's…" Mo Ran looked up to find that Chu Wanning had

fallen asleep, still lying tummy-down, face turned to the side with his head

pillowed on his arms. His long lashes rested against his cheeks, his

expression peaceful.

"Ready…" Mo Ran finished at a mumble, then walked over to the bed

and stroked Chu Wanning's smooth, inky hair.

"When I see you like this, you really do look like Shizun. I wonder

what relationship you have with Shizun and the Chu family of Lin'an. Also,

exactly who's after us?" Mo Ran sighed. "Wonder what Shizun's up to right

now. If he knew what had happened here, would he blame me again,

regardless of everything else?"

The color in Mo Ran's eyes darkened a little as he played with a

strand of Chu Wanning's hair around his finger. He sighed again faintly.

"You don't know him, but anytime anything happens, he always gives

me hell… He really doesn't like me at all."

However, Chu Wanning was asleep, and these words scattered

weightlessly into the silence of night without an answer, just like the

misunderstandings that had coiled around them for decades and decades, and

across two lifetimes.

Mo Ran waited for the noodles to cool down a bit before waking Chu

Wanning. "Shidi, dinner's ready."

Chu Wanning covered a yawn and blinked blearily. "Oh, dinner…"

Mo Ran carried the noodles over. He liked to cook, but he hated doing

the dishes, so purely for the sake of having one less dish to wash, he had

dumped the noodles directly into the pot in which he'd fried the meat.

Chu Wanning was flabbergasted by this unorthodox and uncultured

way of eating, his eyes wide as he stared disbelievingly at the big pot of

noodles. "How…are we supposed to eat this?"

"Together, of course." Mo Ran handed him a pair of chopsticks and

was already putting his hands together with a grin. "The race to see who can

scoop out more noodles is about to begin! Who's gonna get to eat more?

We're about to find out."

Chu Wanning had no words.

Mo Ran laughed gleefully, his eyes smiling. Chu Wanning stared at him

for a moment before saying, "It's almost like, as long as you have food,

you're very…"

"Very happy, right?"

"Mn."

"Ha ha, food is the most important thing, after all!" Mo Ran cheekily

scooped up a big clump of noodles for himself, slurping it all up until his

cheeks puffed out. "It doesn't look great, but it's pretty tasty."

Chu Wanning's expression was dark as he stared for a long moment

before he eventually said, "Don't slurp while you eat."

"Ha ha ha!" Mo Ran laughed, slapping his leg. "How is a little kid like

you so much like my shizun? He also tells me to not slurp, but you know

what? Once, when I was eating with him, I purposefully threw a bone in his

bowl, and he got so mad! Ha ha ha ha ha—"

Chu Wanning ground his teeth. "Impudent!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! That was exactly his reaction, how did you know?

Even the delivery was just like his! Hey, Shidi, seriously, I think you two

might be distant relatives. Why don't you ask Shizun about it when he gets

here? O-oi—wait, not the egg, the egg's mine—"