Impure Realm. The residence that housed the Qinghe Nie Sect.
It had been a week since they met the Wen sibling and they had sent out a request for a meeting with Sect Leader Nie the very next morning via messenger pigeon. They received an invitation letter from the sect leader himself the very next day and they set off immediately on their journey since it would take a couple of days to travel from Yiling to the northern region to where Qinghe Nie Sect was located. During the period, no one suddenly came up to them with the ridiculous demand of a fight since they were wearing another set of different attire. The pair actually reached Hebei two days ago but chose to explore through Qinghe Nie Sect territory which for the half part consisted of mountains which stretched out in every direction until they merged with the border of Yangquan and Hejian. The scenery was breathtaking with rolling hills dotted with trees, grassy meadows, streams and rivers flowing peacefully. The valleys around them were green and lush with vibrant life.
And yet, the fortress-like structure was situated in an isolated part of the mountain ridge. The was only one entrance into the place; one road which leads to the fortress gate, guarded at all times with a team of elite fighters.
Xiao Zhan observed the stone fortification from where he stood outside the gate. It was clearly built as a stronghold against any attempt to attack or invade the sect through conventional means. His eyes scanned over the tall walls which surrounded the perimeter of the fort. He noted the array of wards carved upon the gates and made a mental deconstruction to analyze it. He concluded after several minutes of decrypting the formation in his mind, that it was satisfactory since the physical walls made up the majority of the defense. In addition, the surrounding terrain was rugged, making the defensive position seem impregnable. From his vantage point, it was a good place for a hide out and it looked secure enough. He continued to browse the area and studied the structure.
"Wei Ying, let go in." Lan Wangji's voice called to him after handling matter of entering the premise with the sentry, and he immediately shifted his gaze to his beloved before walking towards his side right away.
"Second Young Master Lan, Young Master Wei. Welcome to Qinghe Nie Sect," said the guard who had ushered them inside the fortress. "Please follow me."
They followed after him up several flights of stairs. At last, they reached a large room where two men were waiting for them. Xiao Zhan recognized one of them immediately despite the fact that this was the first time that he met the esteemed older brother of Nie Huaisang.
Nie Mingjue was a tall guy with muscular arms and broad shoulders that made him looked even more imposing. He was also a fierce looking man with a sharp jawline and a pair of dark eyes that seemed to pierce through the air itself. He definitely carried the aura of someone who was both powerful and not someone to be trifled with. His long black hair that fell past his back was neatly combed up and a simple headpiece adorned it. His brawny physique was covered with dark green robes with golden embroidery and gold accent on the hem. His saber was strapped on his back, the handle was peeking out over his shoulder. He was like a tower of iron and steel, cold and hard and unyielding. For most people, he might be an unnerving figure, but the duo didn't seem to be unfazed. The other man was Sect Leader Nie, the father of both Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang. He was almost at the same height with his eldest son, and he had his features similar too but more matured looking. Unlike his son, his face wore a gentle smile which softened his countenance considerably.
The pair carried themselves with the proper decorum and etiquette as they clasped both of their hands in front of their chests in respect, greeted the Elder and his son simultaneously with a polite bow of their heads. The other two returned the gesture at the same level of respectability.
"It's my pleasure to finally meet you, Young Master Wei. I've heard much from Sect Leader Jiang and seeing you in person is truly an honor," the Sect Leader spoke solemnly and respectfully. Even though these two were much younger than he was, they both had an air of maturity surrounding them that even elders would find intimidating. Especially this Young Master Wei whose name had been stirring the world of cultivation these recent times.
Xiao Zhan kept his posture upright and straight, showing no signs of nervousness and his stance was like a perfect mirror to Lan Wangji. With his business-like smile playing on his lips, he replied with courteous tone, "The honor is mine, Sect Leader Nie."
Sect Leader Nie was taken aback with his demeanor. He had previously heard that the teen was pretty well known as a mischief-maker, a rule-breaker and a trouble magnet among the youths in the cultivation world. But what he saw on the youngster in his presence, he was pleasantly surprised to say the least. The youth's mannerism gave him an appearance of wisdom beyond of that of his years of age. He could feel the charisma radiating from this young face and there was an immense and unmistakable aura of strength coming off him. He couldn't help but to feel impressed by the young man.
He then turned to address Lan Wangji, "Second Young Master Lan, it has been a while since I last saw you. You have grown quite a lot since I last saw you and look almost similar like your older brother."
"It has been some time, Sect Leader Nie," Lan Wangji lowered his head respectfully as he spoke. It wasn't unusual for him to hear the remark since he often found himself compared to Lan Xichen wherever he went, and he did not seem inclined to comment about it. After all, his brother and him did bear plenty resemblance to each other.
Xiao Zhan's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly when he heard the statement. He disagreed with it in his mind. Lan Zhan is more handsome! There were some details about his appearance that would always take his breath away. The shape of his nose, the color of his eyes, the way the sunlight shimmered off those beautiful light eyes with golden specks. He found them all utterly enchanting.
He kept his face neutral to cover up what was going on inside of his head as stole a quick glance at Lan Wangji before turning his gaze back to the older man in front of them. He spoke up again, "Thank you for agreeing to our request for a meeting, Sect Leader Nie."
"That is a given since I am extremely grateful for the guidance you two had given to Huaisang." Sect Leader Nie smiled warmly. He was glad when he heard that his youngest son had improved tremendously and had toned down his mischief loving nature under the duo's tutelage. If anything, he was just relieved that he hadn't had to worry much about his youngest son nowadays and for the longest time, he no longer received those letters from Lan Qiren, complaining that his son wasn't behaving properly as the young master of the sect.
"It's our duty, Sect Leader Nie." Xiao Zhan replied, smiling softly. He added, "In fact, he is probably one of the best students. He is very bright and quick witted, especially in battle strategies."
Nie Mingjue stared sharply at the young man in the black robes who was talking to his father with such eloquence and confidence. He was surprised when he heard these complimentary on his younger brother. Sure, the troublemaker seemed to tone down his boisterous antics, but still, he never expected to hear someone else praising the bratty brother of his. Especially from this person who currently piqued his interest so much. He heard the rumor that was going on rampant about this teen who was at the same age with his brother but had yet to see him in action. The head disciple of Yunmeng Jiang who was also an honorary trainer in Gusu Lan Sect, a genius in both intellectual and cultivation, a man who made his little brother a tad more serious in learning. He wanted to test his skills to see if he was as impressive as everyone claimed.
Lan Wangji was slightly bothered when he noticed Nie Mingjue's eyes never left his lover, and it made him a little irritated. He tried not to show his displeasure on his face and shifted the focus of the conversation to the matter at hand. "Sect Leader Nie, we have come here today because there is something we wish to discuss with you."
"Speak, young masters. " Sect Leader Nie replied.
Lan Wangji spoke, "We would like to have your permission to do a night hunt in your lands, Sect Leader Nie."
"Oh, I see. You may go ahead and do as you please." Sect Leader Nie replied without any hesitation. The three clans were allies after all, hence there was no reason to reject the simple request. It was a common practice between the clans to let each other's disciples venture into the areas of respective territories and to share hunting grounds with each other as well. It was also considered a good sign, since this meant that they are getting along harmoniously with each other. That was how it was supposed to be anyway. His eyes flashed with curiosity before he continued to speak, "But is there a particular reason why you need to do the hunting in my territory?"
"There is a beast lurking in the woods around your land that we would like to eliminate," Xiao Zhan answered.
Sect Leader Nie raised an eyebrow and asked, "What sort of beast is it?"
"A Zheng." Xiao Zhan spoke without hesitation. The expression on his face clearly indicated the seriousness of his request.
A Zheng is a ferocious and malevolent horned beast with the body of leopard with a single horn protruding from its forehead. It uses its five whip-like tails for balance and attack. It likes to move its tails in strange ways to confuse and distract their prey and enemies before charging forward with its horn which will cause lethal damage. It is said that the creature was incredibly strong with its fang's sharper than a steel blade and its agility is superior to a panther and wolf combined.
When they were wandering through the villages on the countryside, they had a purpose in mind. They gathered information of by mingling with locals, asking questions about wicked creatures and beasts which preyed upon human beings, and other related matters pertaining to the supernatural. They learned about how people had lost their lives to these beasts, the locations where they could be found and characteristics of the creatures. From those information, Xiao Zhan could safely conclude. The only creature that had any horn in Qinghe Nie jurisdiction of night hunting area was, Zheng.
He did not know when the exact date was that a jealous Wen Ruohan would summon Sect Leader Nie to Nightless City to sneakily sabotage his saber. However, he knew for certain from his knowledge of the novel that, the saber broke while Sect Leader Nie was battling a beast during a night hunting trip with Nie Mingjue, which then gored him with its horn. The Elder then suffered for about six months before finally passed away due to the grave injury.
The goal was to prevent that by eliminating the killer beast before that incident could happen. This, not only he prevented a tragedy from happening, but he would also earn the chance to ask for a favor from Sect Leader Nie to provide refuge for the Wen siblings and their close family members. Besides, this move would be beneficial in political terms of strengthening the alliance between Yunmeng Jiang and Qinghe Nie as well.
"Are you planning to go with just the two of you?" Sect leader Nie questioned with a deep frown.
"Yes." Lan Wangji stated firmly.
Sect Leader Nie looked at both of them with concern and said, "Are you sure you want to go after that creature? It is very dangerous and I'm afraid it's possible both of you will get hurt.
Xiao Zhan replied, "Sect Leader Nie, we understand the situation well but if it isn't exterminated soon, it may become a huge problem for the innocent villagers around the vicinity."
Sect Leader Nie took a minute to think carefully. He nodded his head as his approval before proposing, "Alright. But why not bring more people? Maybe I can send someone along with the two of you?"
"Father, how can you agree to such ridiculous idea? It's a Zheng, for heaven's sake." Nie Mingjue interrupted his father's proposal with utter exasperation. "You are talking about sending two sixteen years old kids into battle with a beast that is known to be very vicious with its attack and a deadly speed that can outrun any high-level cultivator!"
Xiao Zhan simply smiled calmly at Nie Mingjue's interruption. He was not surprised at all. Of course, Nie Mingjue wouldn't approve of what they intended to do. The young Nie sect heir would not hesitate to reject the notion of going against a creature that was stronger than himself. But what Nie Mingjue did not know was, the two of them had faced even more ferocious beasts than a Zheng before. He calmly stated, "Chifeng-zun, I would not suggest on doing things unless I am positive that we will be successful."
"And what if you two fails?" Nie Mingjue countered, folding his arms at his chest while glaring squarely at the pair.
"We won't." Xiao Zhan responded coolly, not faltering in the least.
"This is incredibly stupid." Nie Mingjue continued to rebut with increasing volume. He stared pointedly at Xiao Zhan who met his glare unflinchingly. "Even if you have some skills like those rumors, aren't you being too confident in yourself?"
"Mingjue!" Sect Leader Nie scolded.
Xiao Zhan ignored Nie Mingjue's outburst as he stated plainly, "Well, I am confident."
"Do you really believe that you can defeat the Zheng?" Nie Mingjue scoffed.
"I do not believe it. I am certain of it." Xiao Zhan answered as the corner of his lips quirked upwards slightly. It was a little funny for him to see Nie Mingjue getting worked up over his answers.
"You are crazy!" Nie Mingjue responded angrily, paying no notice his father's attempts to stop him.
"Maybe I am." Xiao Zhan said without missing a beat.
Lan Wangji who had remained silent throughout the whole exchange, could no longer tolerate the berating tone that Nie Mingjue was using towards his beloved and interjected with a stern look on his face, "I can vouch for Wei Ying's abilities."
His words effectively shut Nie Mingjue up. He turned to look at Lan Wangji only to see a cold chilly gaze directed towards himself. His golden eyes seemed almost like it was penetrating through his skin, trying to pierce right through to his soul. He was taken aback for a second at his protective manner until he recalled that the Yin and Yang duo was said to close to each other to a point of inseparable. It seemed like the rumors weren't just rumors now. But he knew that the infamous second Jade of Lan was one who would not distort the truth or exaggerate his words no matter what. Disregarding his father's stern glare, he asked boldly, "Then, Young Master Wei, can I see what you're fighting style is like? If you win, I will gladly be your escort to hunt the beast myself."
Xiao Zhan had refused every single challenge for a duel so far, but this request was one he could not turn down. Besides, he really wanted to know what sort of opponent would Nie Mingjue be like. He was curious of the saber master's capabilities and how strong he actually was. He looked over to Lan Wangji who merely gave him a small nod in return before replying, "Sure, Chifeng-zun. Let's have a go at it."
Sect Leader Nie sighed deeply at his son's temperamental behavior but if the two youngsters had agreed to duel, he had no choice but to allow them to fight and prove themselves. He wouldn't be able to dissuade them anyway. Deep in his heart, he too was interested to see the skill sets that Young Master Wei had.
The training field that was the venue for their sparring was flocked by disciples of Nie Sect watching closely, waiting eagerly to watch a good match. They were excited to see two young men who were famous throughout the whole nation fighting each other. Their excitement grew more palpable as they anticipated a showdown between them, and their expectations rose to a peak as they saw the blades unsheathed from their backs and they match officially started. Their eyes widened with shock upon seeing the sword glare that came from the agile sword of the Yunmeng disciple, slashing through the air with lightning speed.
Nie Mingjue immediately dodged to evade the slash and he countered with a parry that left a deep mark on the ground to which Xiao Zhan effortlessly slid away. They circled around each other swiftly, each of them avoiding the attack the other was trying to deliver. They were evenly matched and Nie Mingjue began to feel uneasy. He was not used to defensive position, and he found it difficult to keep up with Xiao Zhan's unpredictable and nimble movements. He growled in annoyance as this was the first time that an opponent ever got under his skin, and he did not like it. He felt like he was trapped in a game of cat and mouse.
There was no opening to strike, and it didn't help that he had to keep dodging and evading. Nie Mingjue's frustration mounted as Xiao Zhan was getting faster and he instinctively know that the youth was not even using all his strength. The younger man was testing him, and it was pissing him off. After an hour of enduring those annoying unrelenting hits that had no weight to it, he couldn't take it anymore. He quickly lunged forward to launch his next attack, but Xiao Zhan somehow had predicted his move and sidestepped him. He immediately switched his blade's trajectory and swung his saber at Xiao Zhan with great power, but his saber was deflected again. This aggravated him even further. The younger man was like an annoying mosquito buzzing about in his ear constantly. No matter how hard he tried, Nie Mingjue could never hit the target, even when he was in front of him.
And the fact that Xiao Zhan was clearly holding back irritated Nie Mingjue even more. He gritted his teeth and yelled, "Stop wasting my time and come at me! Show me your true strength!"
A smile formed on Xiao Zhan's lips as he responded smoothly, "We still have plenty of time."
"Enough games, Wei Wuxian!" Nie Mingjue replied in annoyance as he launched another attack at Xiao Zhan but once again Xiao Zhan dodged out of his way.
"Zheng is very dangerous due to its unpredictability and agility, is it not? I am merely proving myself to be able to keep up with the beast." Xiao Zhan replied softly. "Besides, you can't lose your cool yet, Chifeng-zun. Being too emotional may cloud your judgement."
"Stop your nonsense! Just show me your strongest moves already!" Nie Mingjue exclaimed furiously. This brat had guts to give him a lesson in the middle of this kind of situation. But it did make him wonder, just how much strength does he truly possess? How much faster can this brat really get?
Lan Wangji slightly shook his head as he watched his beloved taunted Nie Mingjue and he could sense Nie Mingjue's increasing irritation. That was just how Xiao Zhan usually was in a fight. Most people would not see beyond the antics, the man was actually being meticulous and tactical like usual, observing and analyzing his opponents while staying out of their reach until he got a good grasp on things, then going in for the last winning move. He was beginning to feel sorry for the other guy. However, he also found it amusing that Nie Mingjue was trying to intimidate Xiao Zhan, who was also a master in provocation. Or as Xiao Zhan called it, 'The Art of Psychological Warfare'.
Xiao Zhan grinned devilishly as he spoke, "Why rush? This is fun."
"Fun?!" Nie Mingjue repeated incredulously, his voice growing more ragged.
Xiao Zhan hummed in response as he made his next move, "You want me to show my full strength, but it might make it harder for you to catch me."
"Are you really planning on dodging my attacks until I tire myself out?!" Nie Mingjue exclaimed in anger.
"What's wrong with that? Are you tired already?" Xiao Zhan questioned as he ducked underneath the incoming swing of Nie Mingjue's saber. "You can surrender if you want to rest."
"How dare you!!" Nie Mingjue roared angrily. He was infuriated by the arrogant attitude of the teen. He wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug smirk off of his face and give him some serious ass kicking. He continued to swing his saber at Xiao Zhan, but Xiao Zhan was too swift for him, escaping each and every strike which caused the older man to feel like he has lost control of the situation. He growled at Xiao Zhan and shouted, "This is a cowardly way of fighting!"
"No, it's not," Xiao Zhan simply replied, tapping his index finger at his temple to make his point across, "This is what we call tactic."
Nie Mingjue's patience was wearing thin with every passing second as he felt like he was getting toyed by the teen. He snapped, "I'm not here to play around with you."
"Oh? Then, why are you fighting me?" Xiao Zhan questioned; a playful smirk etched into his features.
Nie Mingjue felt annoyed at his insolence. He snarled, "If you are not going to show me any real skills, don't blame me for being merciless!"
After saying that, he unleashed another round of wild attacks without hesitation. Xiao Zhan, however, simply blocked his attacks nonchalantly before responding, "Ah, are you perhaps hungry? Is that why you're getting angry, Chifeng-Jun?"
The audience gasped at hearing his taunting remark. The man seemed to be playing with the other's emotions now. What kind of strategy was this? The audience wondered in disbelief as they knew that Nie Mingjue's temper was something to fear as well, and he would go berserk when he was pushed beyond his limit. They could see that it was going to happen soon. Nie Mingjue was about to unleash his fury.
Xiao Zhan, on the other hand, was unbothered. In fact, he was waiting for that rage to boil over and pushed Nie Mingjue into his berserker mode because that was when the true potential of the Nie Young Master could fully display itself. That was what he wanted to see.
And Nie Mingjue finally reached his limit. With a ferocious expression etched onto his face, he let loose a thunderous roar and murderous aura engulfed the eldest son of Sect Leader Nie. He charged towards Xiao Zhan without any hesitation at all causing the crowd to gasp at the ferocity.
Sect Leader Nie sprang from his seat, panicked after witnessing his son's sudden increase in bloodlust and feared that one wrong move might end in disaster. He yelled in distress, "Mingjue! Calm yourself! This is a duel! Stop your bloodlust!"
Nie Mingjue ignored Sect Leader Nie completely as the only thing he could hear was the deafening sound of his heart beating wildly against his ribcage. His chest heaved and his breathing became erratic. He looked absolutely enraged.
Xiao Zhan finally stood still but he did not show any sign of being intimidated by Nie Mingjue's belligerence. Instead, he stared at Nie Mingjue impassively and coldly stated, "Now, we can have a real fight."
Nie Mingjue charged toward Xiao Zhan like a violent tornado which created havoc everywhere.
His eyes glistened dangerously as his eyes were set on Xiao Zhan's neck, targeting his jugular. He lunged forward and attacked. He raised his saber high in the air and slashed downwards towards Xiao Zhan's throat.
The spectators held their breaths watching the battle. Sect Leader Nie almost jumped into the arena in an attempt to prevent his son from doing anything rash. He was stopped by Lan Wangji who quietly advised him not to interfere since this wasn't anything that could possibly harm Xiao Zhan in any way.
"Don't worry, Sect Leader Nie. Neither of them will get hurt. Just watch." Lan Wangji said.
"But Young Master Wei might be in danger! Mingjue is not in complete control of himself right now." Sect Leader Nie argued worriedly.
Lan Wangji simply pointed at Xiao Zhan's direction, and stated, "Wei Ying knows what he's doing."
Sect Leader Nie looked at where Lan Wangji had pointed at and he saw a small smile plastered on Xiao Zhan's face. The young man was still calm even though Nie Mingjue was attacking him relentlessly. It's as if he didn't care about Nie Mingjue's wrathful approach. He was facing the barrage of deadly blows head on without flinching or showing even the slightest of signs of fear.
That's when it dawned upon Sect Leader Nie. He should not be worried of the young man's safety. Instead, he should be concerned about his son's.
"Wei Ying would not hurt him." Lan Wangji reassured.
Sect Leader Nie could only took his seat again with great reluctance and apprehension. The battle between Nie Mingjue and Xiao Zhan has already gone out of the control of the both of them.
Xiao Zhan's expression had changed into a serious one and Nie Mingjue's eyes were filled with pure madness and murder. Their movements were so fast that the audiences had difficulty keeping up. All they could do was observe the two of them in amazement.
As for Xiao Zhan himself, he was in total control of the situation as he calmly dodged Nie Mingjue's attacks. His actions were precise as he was always able to anticipate the moves the other party could make. There wasn't a single mistake in his moves and his reactions were quick enough for Nie Mingjue to be unable to catch even a glimpse of him. He was able to avoid every attack that came his way without even having to think about it. His body moved with perfect precision and fluidity which gave people the impression of a dancer.
The fight was extremely heated, causing the audience to become more and more restless at every passing moment. It had been quite a while since they saw Nie Mingjue had fought this seriously and the intensity of the fight was truly nerve-wracking. Every move he executed contained great power and force behind his attacks. It was getting dangerous. Everyone could sense that. The members of Nie Sect were becoming increasingly uneasy as time went on. Few hours had passed since they two started sparring.
"Alright, Chifeng-zun. Have you unleashed all your anger yet? You've grown tired, haven't you?" Xiao Zhan asked as he eluded a swipe from Nie Mingjue's saber again.
A dark scowl etched into Nie Mingjue's features, and he glared at Xiao Zhan viciously. It's like he was itching to kill him. He couldn't help but be angry at how nonchalant Xiao Zhan was acting.
"Okay, okay. This fight has been dragging too long, huh?" Xiao Zhan said as he noticed Lan Wangji staring at him intently and he knew that he needed to put a stop to this fight. He also noted that attacks that came from Nie Mingjue had become a tad sloppier and he could see the saber spirit was leeching off Nie Mingjue's spiritual energy. He quickly ducked and dodged away from the strikes of Baxia as Nie Mingjue attempted to take a jab at his stomach, "Let's end this, shall we?" With that said, his grasp on the hilt of his loyal sword tightened causing it to emit a bright red glow as he took an offensive stance. The playful look that was on his face disappeared as he took over the role of attacker once more.
Nie Mingjue took notice of Xiao Zhan's sudden change in swords play and was instantaneously alarmed at his surprising aggression. He quickly retreated out of reach, avoiding Xiao Zhan's rapid assaults that rained down at him. He had never seen someone who could execute a martial arts routine as fast as this before or anyone who could corner him with such precision like he currently was facing. He could feel the pressure building up and weighing down on him greatly with each attack that hit him. No matter where he was struck, the youth's attacks landed with brutal accuracy. It made him sweat profusely as he tried his best to defend against them all. His eyes darted left and right as he was trying to keep up with the movement of the blade.
Xiao Zhan took advantage of that and threw a feint left jab towards Nie Mingjue's waist which caused Nie Mingjue to expose his vulnerable right side and allow Xiao Zhan to land a solid kick at his abdomen.
The momentum from the blow sent Nie Mingjue flying backwards as a result, and he crashed heavily on the floor. Before he could get up, the tip of the silver sword that was hovering just inches before his throat stopped him dead in his tracks, preventing him from moving any further. For a second, he thought that he was seeing things, but the owner of the sharp weapon clearly had a full control of his sword from afar. There were only a handful of people who could wield a blade like that with hand seal or sword incantation, the Twins of Gusu were among them. But this young man used none of those skills in particular, instead he merely relied solely on the sword's spirit itself to subdue him as if it was a mere extension of him. He looked up at Xiao Zhan who walked towards him with indifferent steps.
With a flick of his wrist, Suibian was flying back to its scabbard. Xiao Zhan reached his hand and held it out towards Nie Mingjue.
Nie Mingjue then stared wordlessly into his eyes for a few seconds. His eyes were no longer filled with bloodlust or murderous intent; instead, there was a look of wonderment and fascination shining through them.
"Come on. Just take my hand and let's finish it here." Xiao Zhan said with a soft smile.
Before Nie Mingjue could take the hand that was offered before him, another hand replaced it and pulled him up off the ground. Nie Mingjue could faintly see Lan Wangji's eyes turning darker for a brief moment, seemingly warning him against touching Xiao Zhan before replacing it with a stoic expression. Lan Wangji let go of Nie Mingjue's hand right after the taller guy was standing on his feet and spoke in a firm tone, "The match is over, Chifeng-zun."
Xiao Zhan was stunned slightly and looked at the Second Jade of Lan who appeared out of the blue and took his hand shamelessly, gripping it tightly. The light golden eyes met Xiao Zhan's and his voice softened and a hint of smile grace his face, "You've proven yourself enough, Wei Ying."
Xiao Zhan nodded and smiled back at him. He laughed inwardly as he stared at the hand that were locked in a tight grasp on his wrist.
This jealous man is too cute!
Nie Mingjue's face contorted out of confusion at Lan Wangji's behavior. This situation in front of him was completely incomprehensible to him as he thought to himself, 'since when the ice block prince of Gusu knew how to smile?'