Author's note: mmhmm that's right. DOUBLE UPDATE LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I suddenly have the motivation to do the next one and here we are: another long chapter just for my readers 🫶🏻
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When she woke up...the first thing she saw was red.

'Where am I?'

'What is this?'

Thoughts flying in her head as she eventually felt the desperate need for air and so she swam up.

She gasped and breathed in the air the moment she breached the surface of what looked like to be red-coloured water. She felt her hairs sticking to her bare body like ribbons as she slowly moved herself out of the pool.

Cold air hitting her skin as she crawled herself onto dry land.

Slowly...her memories floods back.

'That's right...I was thrown in here...in the Burials Mounds...by Wen...Chao'

As her memories came back, so did her rage and hatred for the said Wen as dark tendrils of energy began to radiate from her. Almost like it was reacting to her vengeful emotions.

She glanced down at her pale hands, seeing the dark energy crawling around her fingers like a snake as it cling to her.

Revenge

Want to kill

Those Wens

They must die

...Master...

A dark grin slowly grew on her face as she got herself up on her feet. "Wen Chao...Wang LingJiao...Wen ZhuLiu...I'm coming..."

She then reached out and broke off a portion of a nearby black bamboo stalk as she stumbled her way forward.

"For you."

———

"What's happening?" A Wen disciple stammered as he and his comrades watched the dead Wens that were just on the ground are now standing up like they were still alive and are slowly surrounding them.

While their master continued to play on the rooftop as her red eyes glared at them.

"D-Demonic Arts...Demonic Arts!" Wen Chao exclaimed in fear.

The pace of the flute music then increases and as such, the undead charged upon hearing their master's command. The walking corpses rushed toward the Wens and the remaining rebels that readied themselves with their swords for the feral corpses.

However, something surprising happened.

Only the Wens were attacked and killed.

Wen Chao whimpered. "Quick! Stop them!" And with that, Wen ZhuLiu charged to attack the incoming zombies while more of the Wen disciples got killed.

"These feral zombies only kill the damned Wens!" Jiang Cheng pointed it out as he looked up at the rooftop. "One flute controlling all corpses. All ghosts heeding his commands. Where did this person come from?"

"This person practices demonic arts. His techniques are sinister." Lan WangJi muttered from beside his brother.

"But...he seems to be friend instead of a foe." Lan XiChen added as uncertainty appeared on his face. His mind and heart still in sorrow at the new information of his beloved's death the second time.

Jiang Cheng smirked. "No matter what means he employs, as long as he kills the damned Wens, he's our ally!"

Wen Chao whimpered as he saw the feral corpses beginning to surround him and so he ran for his life. "Someone! Help! Help!" Then something caught his ankle, bringing him down.

Wen Chao grunted the moment he crashes on the ground. He then turned down to see his once mistress, Wang LingJiao, now undead and staring at him with hunger in her lifeless eyes. She then lunged and bite him on the arm.

Wen Chao grunted in pain before pushing her away. "Get lost!" He then crawled back as Wang LingJiao loomed over him in her tattered robes. "Get lost...get lost...get lost! Wen ZhuLiu! Save me!"

While fighting the feral corpses, upon hearing his master's cries Wen ZhuLiu paused in his fighting and immediately rushed back to Wen Chao. Just in time to prevent Wang LingJiao from reaching him as he knocked her aside.

At that moment, the fluting came to a halt.

So does all the feral corpses as they stood motionless.

Their master then began to float down from the building in a cloud of dark energy as their dark robes flowed around them the moment their feet hit the ground. They then started walking toward Wen Chao and Wen ZhuLiu.

"Who the hell are you? Casting such nasty demonic spells!" Wen Chao shouted from behind his bodyguard.

The person in dark clothing just continued walking without saying a word with the black bamboo flute in their hand. But then...they stopped.

"Wen Chao, we meet again. I told you that I would come back for you." A soft, feminine voice spoke from the person.

Lan XiChen gasped softly. His eyes widened. "This voice...is it..."

"You...who are you?!" Wen Chao exclaimed.

"Core-melting Hand. Do you really think that you can save his pathetic life from me?" The dark maiden cooed as she held a hand that was covered in the dark energy.

"Better die trying!" And with that, Wen ZhuLiu charged toward her with his signature attack activated.

The maiden could only stared in mere amusement at the confidence of the other's.

But before Wen ZhuLiu's core-melting hand would make contact, with a single wave of the hand the dark maiden send Wen ZhuLiu flying but then she raised the hand that holds her flute and command the resentful energy to surround Wen ZhuLiu and held him up in a painful grip.

"What a loyal dog!" The dark maiden proclaimed in a sickly sweet tone that promises of pain and death.

"The debt of gratitude I owe to Sect Leader for his recognition must be repaid!" Wen ZhuLiu croaked out.

"Your debt?" The dark maiden's voice then changed to a low tone and the resentful energy increases. "Why is that your debt has to be repaid at the expense of others?!"

All the resentful energy began flowing out of all feral corpses and into the hand of the dark maiden's as it formed a ball of pure darkness as she let out a dark chuckle. "Core-melting Hand!" Before slowly curling her hand into a fist.

Which in turns caused Wen ZhuLiu's arms to twist in the most painful way possible as it was unrecognisable when it finished. Wen ZhuLiu groaned in pain as he was dropped back onto the ground with blood dripping from his mouth.

The dark maiden glared him down as she loomed over him. Her crimson eyes glaring him down before she again summoned the dark energy to held the injured Wen up in the air.

In an almost impossible speed, the dark maiden flashes through Wen ZhuLiu, appearing from behind the man as Wen ZhuLiu suddenly coughed up blood.

The dark maiden giggled as she turned around and in her hand was the glowing Golden Core.

"Golden...Golden Core." Wen ZhuLiu coughed out before falling over.

The dark maiden smirked gleefully before with a single burst of resentful energy, she crushed the small orb into dusts.

"You...who on earth are you?" Wen Chao stammered.

The dark maiden walked past the heavily wounded Wen ZhuLiu as she stepped closer until the shadows over her face faded, revealing that...

...it was Wei WuHui who gave everyone presented a mischievous smile.

Jiang Cheng's and Lan WangJi's eyes widened in shock.

"W-Wei...Yang." Lan XiChen breathed out as his soft honey eyes glistened in sheer surprise.

Wei WuHui chuckled softly as she glanced over to Wen ZhuLiu. "Core-melting Hand. You...want to protect him?"

"Wei Yang?!" Wen Chao shrieked. "Impossible! No way! Ghost! Ghost!" And with that, he was up and running.

Wei WuHui smirked darkly before holding up her flute and giving it a small whirl between her fingers which commands the feral corpses once again.

Wen Chao froze in utter horror the moment he noticed Wang LingJiao starting to move. "W-Wei Yang?! Y-You lay a finger on me my A-Die and Jiejie will never let you off!"

His pleas were ignored as Wang LingJiao stumbled closer and closer until she lunged at him, biting him and ripping him apart.

On the side, Jiang Cheng watched with sadistic glee on his face while the Lan brothers stared in horror.

"A-Yáng! Enough!" Lan XiChen called out desperately as he began running toward the maiden but before he could reach her, a wall of resentful energy came in between him. "A-Yáng!"

Wei WuHui didn't hear him as his voice was muffled by the resentful energy and she continued with her thing, holding her flute to her lip as she began to play. Calling on all the resentful energy that she can gather and commanding it to transform into large spikes that pierced through both Wen Chao and Wang LingJiao.

Meanwhile, behind her, the other feral corpses began surrounding the injured Wen ZhuLiu as the latter could only stare at the hungry undead that loomed over him before they began to feast on him.

Cries of pure agony filled the air as blood formed under Wen ZhuLiu's twisted arms.

Wei WuHui only glanced at the bloodbath before looking back at the wiggling Second Wen Master as she continued playing. More tendrils of darkness pierced through every inch of Wen Chao's and Wang LingJiao's bodies, basically tearing them from the inside out.

Wei WuHui's eyes were wide with pure sadistic in them, commanding the resentful energy to cause as much pain as possible on Wen Chao.

However, before she could pull the final move, a shiny glint went through the air and next thing they know, Wen Chao's head was cleanly slice from his body.

Wei WuHui paused in her playing, causing the resentful energy to released the motionless bodies in their grasp as their master stared blankly at the decapitated head of Wen Chao's before turning to her left as the others followed her gaze.

To their disbelief, walking toward them with a familiar crimson sword that covered with blood in their hand was none other than the other half of the twins. Wei WuXian.

"Wei Ying?" Lan WangJi muttered as he finally caught the glimpse of the other man.

However, Wei WuXian's only attention was on his beloved sister as she gave him a blank expression before a small smile grew on her face. "Gege..." she whispered.

Wei WuXian silently speed-walked toward her, dropping the sword in the process before engulfing her into a tight embrace. "Mèimei...thank god. Thank god you're alive." His voice muffled against Wei WuHui's shoulder.

Wei WuHui returned the embrace with the same firmness as she wrapped her arms around her brother. Her eyes glistening but no tears has dropped. "I miss you too, Gege."

After a few moment past, the twins finally pulled apart just as the Lan brothers walked closer to them.

Lan XiChen looked over at the carnage before him with silent disgust. His eyes still not believing the event that just happened. "A-Yáng..."

Wei WuHui perked up, looking back to the eldest Lan. "Ah...Lan Huan?" Their eyes meeting with one another's for the first time after they were separated.

"So it was you who killed Wens along the way?" Lan WangJi cut in as he sent a subtle glare toward the maiden.

"Of course." Wei WuHui hummed nonchalantly,

"Those evil-summoning talismans?"

"I did that."

"Wei WuHui. There is a price to pay for cultivating the heretic path. There has been no exception." Lan WangJi stated firmly.

Wei WuHui chuckled. "Whatever the price, I can afford it."

"This path harms the physical body, even more damaging to your temperament." Lan WangJi continued to push.

And this is eventually getting to Wei WuHui as her brows furrowed in annoyance. "I know what I'm doing."

"There are things you can't control!" Lan WangJi exclaimed.

"WangJi."

"Mèimei."

Lan XiChen and Wei WuXian tried to meditate the upcoming tension between their siblings.

"I certainly can control. As for my temperament, what does it have to do with others?" Wei WuHui asked, raising a brow.

Lan WangJi's eyes widened. "Wei WuHui!"

"Lan WangJi!" Wei WuHui hissed back as her temper slowly caused the resentful energy to react to her. "Do you have to get in my way? As for sinister, what could be more sinister than the damned Wens? Don't they deserve death?!" And with that, resentful energy began to build up around them.

"A-Yáng, no!" Lan XiChen cried out as he stood in between his brother and her. His soft honey eyes gazing at her glowing red ones with conflicting emotions. "A-Yáng, please...return to Gusu with me."

This caused the maiden to falter a little as she blinked owlishly at the eldest's plea. "Return to Gusu?" Before she chuckled in disbelief as her eyes resumed glowing. "I see, so you too huh? Of course, your Gusu Lan sect detests demonic cultivators like me."

Lan XiChen shook his head. "No, this visit is not for denouncing you." He said.

"Then what for? Make me cultivate my mind? Or destroy my cultivation base?! Who do you think you are? What do you think your Gusu Lan Sect is?!" Wei WuHui yelled out and with single swipe of her arm, dismisses the resent energy away into a shockwave that radiated from her. Resulting all the feral corpses to drop down like they were puppets and their strings were cut.

The green flames beginning to flicker between going back to normal or staying as green.

Wei WuHui let out heavy pants after her outburst as her eyes glared at the two Lans, waving away the utter concern and hurt in Lan XiChen's eyes.

Then, both Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng came to the maiden's side as the latter stood in front while Wei WuXian wrapped a comforting arm around his sister, trying to calm her down.

"Sect Leader Lan, Lan Er-Gongzi. Sorry to be blunt, but no matter if Wei WuHui is right or wrong, she is part of my Yunmeng Jiang Sect. Even if she were to be held to account, her punishment is none of your Gusu Lan Sect's business." Jiang Cheng explained sternly.

Lan XiChen could only stared at Wei WuHui over Jiang Cheng's shoulder, his heart breaking when he noticed that the maiden was avoiding his eyes, not even acknowledging him while Wei WuXian glared at both him and Lan WangJi. Hurt and sadness covered his face, his hands clenching into fists before he turned around fully.

Both him and Lan WangJi walking away without looking back.

Not even if both of their hearts were still hurting.

———

"Jingchu and Chongyang won great victories. Jiang WanYin, Wei WuXian and Wei WuHui pushed on with hot pursuit. The enemy retreated to the north of Qinling. Thus recovering all the lost territory of Jingchu."

"Yunmeng Jiang Sect regained back the Lotus Pier."

"So you was the one who attacked the first Wens' Supervisory Office before me?" Wei WuHui asked as she and her brother walked along the courtyard of Lotus Pier.

"I was trying to find you. Before that, I was staying with Wen Qing and Wen Ning." Wei WuXian explained but he then paused as he glanced at his sister. "Mèimei...I know what you did."

Wei WuHui hummed. "I know...but I don't want to talk about it right now." Then they both stopped in their tracks as they watched the Jiang Sect banner being pulled up.

Then, all the memories began to flood her head.

"Da Shixiong, Shijie!"

She heard the her fellow disciples' voices.

"Did you miss us?"

Wei WuHui's heart wretched painfully before she resumed walking, her brother following silently which she is thankful for.

The twins walked from the courtyard and to the Main Hall as Wei WuHui brushed her fingers in the wooden rail.

"Where did you run off to play?"

Ah...now it was Madame Yu.

"Jiang Cheng. How many times have I told you? Practice more on the sword and cultivation. Why won't you listen?"

"And the two of you! Senior disciples should act like one!"

"My Lady, you don't have to push the kids so hard."

And Uncle Jiang.

"They're already 16 or 17, are they still kids?"

"A-Hui."

Wei WuHui gasped and turned around, only to find an empty room beside her brother standing next to her.

No sights of the purple on Uncle Jiang and Madame Yu.

Wei WuXian noticing the downcast expression on her face as he returned the look, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder while both of them hears the sound of footsteps coming toward them.

"Uncle Jiang and Madame Yu's remains have been cremated by that scoundrel Wen RuoHan. Have their cenotaph been established?" Wei WuXian asked as Jiang Cheng came into view.

"It is on the mountain behind the Ancestral Hall." Jiang Cheng replied.

Wei WuHui clenched her hands tightly as she glared down at the flooring. "Rest assured. Wen RuoHan's damned head shall be offered as a sacrifice to Uncle Jiang and Madame Yu in due course."

"The lotus root with pork ribs soup is ready! Who want to have some?"

The moment the sweet voice of the eldest Jiang filled the room, Wei WuHui froze as her body went rigid while both Jiang Cheng and Wei WuXian smiled.

"Me!"

"And me!"

As the boys went to set the bowls, Wei WuHui could only stared down at the floor in silence as she felt those soft eyes staring at her back.

"A-Hui..."

Tears beginning to fall from her eyes for the first time after she came back as her body trembled.

Then, warm arms wrapped around her body from behind as she felt Jiang YanLi embracing her tightly.

"Welcome home...A-Hui."

Wei WuHuu sniffled as she shakily touched the arms around her waist as she gave a small smile. "I'm back, Shijie."

After the maidens stayed in that position for a few more seconds, they then pulled away and dried their tears before they went to joined their brothers.

"Here you go, Mèimei!" Wei WuXian gushed as he handed her the bowl of lotus root and pork ribs soup. But what he didn't notice was the flinch that came from his sister as she stared down at the meat portion with a sick expression. However, she held her urge to vomit in.

"Although we took back Jingchu, Wen RuoHan has arranged ten thousands of trained cultivators to press on our borders recently. All the sect leaders are deeply worried about this. I wonder if there's a way to break through." Jiang Cheng stated.

"A plausible way does exist." Wei WuXian spoke up.

"What is it? Tell me more." Immediately Jiang Cheng was intrigued, and so was Wei WuHui.

"Can you recall what I mentioned several years ago, about a black iron sword in Mt. Muxi."

Wei WuHui watched as she hovered above the crimson lake in Mt. Muxi. The resentful energy swirling from her hand as the lake water stirred around before the sight of the black iron sword emerged out from the surface.

"The one that sank to the lake floor?"

"Exactly. That sword was drenched in the sin of murder. Then in the shell of the Tortoise of Carnage, it absorbed abundant resentful energy from the dead."

"Meaning it has become even more feral."

"That's right, Mèimei. If we can cultivate it, we might break the deadlock."

Wei WuHui stared at the sword for a few seconds before clenching the hand that was raised in the sword's direction.

"Then, I'll go to where this sword is."

"You sure? Would you be okay?"

"Heh. Why wouldn't I be? I'm the one with the resentful energy here."

Suddenly, cracks began to appear on the sword which in turns caused tremendous shaking around the unbothered maiden.

The sword slowly formed and took the shape of a metal seal that was engulfed in resentful energy,

Wei WuHui smirked as she reached out and grabbed the seal.

"I shall call you...

Yīn Hǔ Fú."

TRANSLATION NOTE:

— 阴虎符 Yīn Hǔ Fú: Yin Tiger Tally/Stygian Tiger Amulet

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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)