Grandmaster of Heavenly Charm

He had intended to wash his face and pay his respects to the body of his new host, but there wasn't a drop of water in the room—not for drinking, not for washing. The only basin-like object was likely for relieving oneself, not for ablutions.

Wei Wuxian tried the door, but it was bolted from the outside. Clearly, they feared he might wander off.

Nothing about this rebirth brought him even a glimmer of joy!

Resigned, he decided to meditate and acclimate to his new vessel. This meditation lasted an entire day. When he opened his eyes, sunlight was seeping through the cracks in the door and window. Although he could now stand and walk, he still felt dizzy and weak. Wei Wuxian pondered, "Mo Xuanyu's cultivation level was so low it was practically non-existent. There's no reason I shouldn't be able to control this body. Why is it so uncooperative?"

It wasn't until his stomach growled that he realized this had nothing to do with cultivation or spiritual energy. This body, unaccustomed to fasting, was simply hungry. If he didn't find food soon, he might become the first vengeful ghost or evil god in history to starve to death immediately after being summoned.

Just as Wei Wuxian was about to kick down the door, footsteps approached. Someone kicked the door and grumbled, "Food's here!"

Despite the announcement, there was no sign of the door opening. Wei Wuxian looked down to see a small flap at the bottom of the door, just big enough for a small bowl to be shoved through.

The servant outside barked, "Hurry up! Stop dawdling and eat. Put the bowl out when you're done!"

The flap was smaller than a dog door, preventing escape but allowing the bowl to be passed through. The meal consisted of two dishes and rice, all looking utterly unappetizing. Wei Wuxian stirred the food with the two mismatched chopsticks, feeling somewhat melancholic:

The infamous Yiling Patriarch had just returned to the world of the living, only to be kicked and cursed. His welcome-back feast was nothing but leftovers. Where was the bloodshed? The annihilation? The complete destruction of his enemies? Who would believe this tale? Truly, a tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs, a dragon in shallow waters is teased by shrimp, and a phoenix without its feathers is worse off than a chicken.

Just then, the servant outside spoke again, this time in a sickeningly sweet tone as if transformed into a different person: "Ah Ding! Come here."

A crisp female voice responded from afar, "Ah Tong, are you feeding that guy in there again?"

Ah Tong spat, "What else would I be doing in this unlucky courtyard?"

Ah Ding's voice drew closer, "You only feed him once a day, and no one says anything even if you slack off sometimes. You've got it easy. Look at me, I'm so busy I can't even go out to play."

Ah Tong complained, "It's not like feeding him is my only job! Besides, who dares to go out these days? With all these walking corpses around, everyone's keeping their doors tightly shut."

Wei Wuxian crouched by the door, eating from the bowl with the mismatched chopsticks while eavesdropping.

It seemed that Mo Village had been far from peaceful lately. Walking corpses, as the name suggested, were dead bodies that could walk—a common and low-level form of the undead. Generally glassy-eyed and slow-moving, they weren't particularly dangerous, but they were enough to terrify ordinary people, if only for their putrid stench.

However, to Wei Wuxian, these creatures were the easiest to control and the most obedient puppets. Hearing about them almost made him feel nostalgic.

Ah Tong seemed to be making suggestive faces, "If you want to go out, you should take me with you. I'll protect you..." Ah Ding retorted, "You? Protect me? Don't be ridiculous. As if you could fight off those things." Ah Tong sulked, "Well, if I can't, no one else can either." Ah Ding laughed, "How do you know others can't? Let me tell you, cultivators from a prominent sect arrived at Mo Manor today. I heard they're from a very prestigious family! The Madam is entertaining them in the hall, and people from town have gathered to see the spectacle. Can't you hear the commotion? I don't have time to fool around with you, I might be called to help at any moment."

Wei Wuxian listened intently and indeed heard a distant clamor from the east. After a moment's consideration, he stood up and kicked the door. The bolt snapped with a sharp "crack."

The two servants, in the midst of their flirtatious banter, screamed in unison as the door suddenly flew open. Wei Wuxian tossed aside the bowl and chopsticks and walked out, only to be momentarily blinded by the sunlight. His skin tingled slightly, and he had to shield his eyes with his hand, closing them for a moment.

Ah Tong, who had screamed even louder than Ah Ding, regained his composure upon realizing it was just the harmless madman. Eager to save face, he jumped forward, waving his hands and scolding as if shooing away a dog, "Go! Go back! What are you doing out here?"

Even beggars or flies wouldn't be treated with such disdain. These servants must have been accustomed to treating Mo Xuanyu this way, and his lack of resistance had only emboldened them. Wei Wuxian gave Ah Tong a light kick that sent him tumbling, and said with a smile, "Who do you think you're mistreating?"

After dealing with Ah Tong, Wei Wuxian followed the noise eastward. The eastern courtyard and hall were crowded with people. As he stepped into the courtyard, he heard a woman's voice rising above the others: "...we have a young relative who once had spiritual potential..."

It was clear that Madam Mo was once again trying to establish connections with the cultivation world. Without waiting for her to finish, Wei Wuxian eagerly pushed through the crowd into the hall, waving enthusiastically, "I'm here, I'm here!"

Seated at the head of the hall was a middle-aged woman, well-maintained and richly dressed—Madam Mo. Seated below her was her husband, who had married into the family. Opposite them sat several white-clad young men wearing swords. As the disheveled stranger suddenly appeared amidst the crowd, all voices fell silent. Wei Wuxian, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere, brazenly declared, "Who was calling for me just now? The one with spiritual potential—that's me, isn't it?"

Madam Mo's heavily powdered face cracked as she smiled, causing a flurry of powder to fall. One of the white-clad young men nearly burst out laughing, but a disapproving look from the apparent leader of the group quickly sobered him.

Wei Wuxian's gaze swept over the scene, and he was slightly taken aback. He had assumed the servants were exaggerating, but the visitors truly were disciples from a prestigious sect.

The young men wore light, flowing robes that seemed to float on air, exuding an otherworldly elegance. Their uniforms were unmistakably from the Gusu Lan Sect. Moreover, they were direct descendants of the Lan family, as evidenced by the white forehead ribbons adorned with cloud patterns that each of them wore.

The Gusu Lan Sect's motto was "righteousness," and the forehead ribbon symbolized "self-discipline." The cloud pattern was the Lan family's insignia. Guests or disciples affiliated with the sect but not of Lan blood would wear ribbons without this pattern. Wei Wuxian always felt a toothache when he saw members of the Lan Sect, often joking in his previous life that their uniforms resembled mourning clothes. There was no mistaking their identity.

Madam Mo, having not seen her nephew for years, took a moment to recognize the garishly made-up figure. Annoyed but unwilling to lose her composure in front of guests, she hissed at her husband, "Who let him out? Get him back in there!"

Her husband, forcing a smile, rose reluctantly to grab Wei Wuxian. However, Wei Wuxian suddenly dropped to the floor, his limbs seemingly glued to the ground. Try as he might, the husband couldn't budge him. Even with several servants helping, Wei Wuxian remained immovable. If not for the presence of guests, the husband would have resorted to kicking him. Noticing Madam Mo's increasingly sour expression, he broke into a sweat and snarled, "You crazy fool! If you don't go back now, see how I'll deal with you!"

Although everyone in Mo Village knew about the Mo family's mentally ill young master, Mo Xuanyu had been confined to his gloomy room for years. Seeing him now, with his bizarre appearance and behavior, the onlookers began to whisper, anticipating a spectacle.

Wei Wuxian said, "I'll go back, but on one condition." He pointed at Mo Ziyuan, "Have him return what he stole from me first."

Mo Ziyuan, caught off guard by the madman's audacity, flushed red and white. "What nonsense! When did I ever steal from you? As if I'd need to steal anything of yours!"

Wei Wuxian retorted, "Right, right! You didn't steal, you robbed!"

Madam Mo now realized that Mo Xuanyu was clearly in his right mind and had come prepared to embarrass them. Furious and shocked, she hissed, "You came here deliberately to cause trouble, didn't you?!"

Wei Wuxian replied innocently, "He stole from me, and I'm here to reclaim what's mine. How is that causing trouble?"

Before Madam Mo could respond, Mo Ziyuan, enraged, aimed a kick at Wei Wuxian. One of the white-clad young men subtly moved his finger, causing Mo Ziyuan to lose his balance. His foot barely grazed Wei Wuxian as he fell. Wei Wuxian, however, rolled dramatically as if he had been kicked, pulling open his robe to reveal a footprint on his chest from yesterday's beating.

The villagers watched with gleeful excitement: surely Mo Xuanyu couldn't have inflicted that bruise on himself. Despite being of Mo blood, it seemed the family had treated him cruelly. He hadn't been this mad when he first returned; they must have driven him to this state. Regardless, as long as there was a show to watch, they were content. This drama was even more entertaining than the arrival of cultivators!

With so many eyes on them, unable to beat or banish Wei Wuxian, Madam Mo choked on her anger. She forced herself to smooth things over, saying coolly, "What's all this talk of stealing and robbing? How unseemly. We're family. Ziyuan merely borrowed a few things to look at. He's your younger brother; what's wrong with him taking a few of your possessions? As the elder brother, how can you be so petty? Making a fuss over such a trifle, throwing a childish tantrum. It's not as if he won't return them."

The white-clad young men exchanged glances, and one who was drinking tea nearly choked. Raised in the refined environment of the Gusu Lan Sect, they had likely never witnessed such a scene or heard such remarkable reasoning. Today was certainly an eye-opener for them. Wei Wuxian, inwardly howling with laughter, extended his hand and said, "Well then, return them."

Of course, Mo Ziyuan couldn't return anything. What hadn't been discarded had been dismantled, and even if he could return them, he was too resentful to do so. His face turned ashen as he called out, "Mother!" His eyes pleaded with her: Are you going to let him humiliate me like this?

Madam Mo glared at him, warning him not to make the situation worse. But Wei Wuxian wasn't done. He continued, "Come to think of it, not only should he not have stolen my things, but he definitely shouldn't have done it in the middle of the night. Everyone knows I have a fondness for men. He might not care about propriety, but I certainly do!"

Madam Mo gasped, exclaiming, "How dare you say such things in front of everyone! Have you no shame? Ziyuan is your cousin!"

When it came to causing a scene, Wei Wuxian was a master. In his previous life, he had to maintain some semblance of dignity, but now, as a madman, what need was there for face? He could go all out, as outrageously as he pleased. He stuck out his neck defiantly and declared, "He knew he was my cousin and still didn't avoid suspicion. Who's the shameless one here?! You might not care about your reputation, but don't ruin my virtue! I still want to find a good man!!!"

Mo Ziyuan let out a furious roar and lifted a chair to strike. Seeing that he had finally snapped, Wei Wuxian nimbly rolled away. The chair shattered as it hit the ground, scattering the crowd of onlookers who had been gleefully watching the Mo family's humiliation. They scattered like birds, fearing injury. Wei Wuxian darted towards the stunned Lan disciples, shouting, "Did you all see that? Did you see? The thief is now beating people! How utterly despicable!"

As Mo Ziyuan lunged to attack him, the lead disciple quickly intervened, saying, "Young Master... let's talk this through calmly."

Seeing the young man's intent to protect the madman, Madam Mo felt a twinge of apprehension. She forced a smile and said, "This is my sister's son. He's... not quite right in the head. Everyone in Mo Village knows he's insane and often spouts nonsense. Please don't take him seriously, Cultivator..." Before she could finish, Wei Wuxian poked his head out from behind the young man: "Who says my words can't be taken seriously? Let anyone try to steal from me again, and I'll chop off a hand for each theft!"

Mo Ziyuan, who had been restrained by his father, was about to explode again. Wei Wuxian darted away, singing loudly. The young disciple quickly blocked the doorway, changing the subject with a serious expression: "Well then... we'll use your western courtyard tonight. Please remember what I said earlier. After dusk, keep your doors locked, don't wander outside, and especially don't approach that courtyard."

Madam Mo, shaking with rage but unable to push past him, could only say, "Yes, yes, thank you for your trouble..."

Mo Ziyuan, incredulous, exclaimed, "Mother! That madman just slandered me in front of everyone, and we're letting him get away with it?! You said he was nothing but a..."

Madam Mo snapped, "Shut up! We'll discuss this later!"

Mo Ziyuan, having never been so humiliated or harshly reprimanded by his mother, roared in frustration, "That lunatic is dead tonight!"

After causing chaos, Wei Wuxian strolled out of the Mo residence, taking a leisurely tour around Mo Village, shocking countless villagers. He reveled in the experience, beginning to enjoy the perks of being perceived as insane. He even started to appreciate his ghoulish makeup, reluctant to wash it off. He thought to himself: There's no water anyway, so why bother cleaning up? He adjusted his hair and glanced at his wrist, noticing that the scars showed no signs of fading. It seemed that this minor act of revenge on Mo Xuanyu's behalf was far from sufficient.

Did he really need to annihilate the entire Mo family?

...To be honest, it wouldn't be that difficult.

As Wei Wuxian pondered, he meandered back to the Mo residence. Taking small, cautious steps past the western courtyard, he noticed the Lan disciples standing on the rooftops and eaves, engaged in serious discussion. He tiptoed back, gazing up at them curiously.

Although the Gusu Lan Sect had played a significant role in the campaign against him, these young disciples were either unborn or mere infants at the time. It had nothing to do with them. So Wei Wuxian stood and observed, wondering how they would handle the situation. As he watched, something caught his eye.

Why did those black flags fluttering on the rooftops and eaves look so familiar?

These flags were called "Yin-Summoning Flags." When planted on a living person, they would attract all manner of spirits, vengeful ghosts, fierce corpses, and evil entities within a certain range, focusing their attacks on that individual. As the flag-bearer essentially became a living target, they were also known as "Target Flags." They could also be planted on buildings, but only if there were living people inside, which would expand the attack range to all occupants. Due to the gathering of yin energy around the flags, creating a swirling black miasma, they were also called "Black Wind Flags." These young disciples were setting up a flag formation in the western courtyard and preventing others from approaching, likely intending to lure and trap the walking corpses.

As for why they looked familiar... how could they not? The creator of the Yin-Summoning Flags was none other than the Yiling Patriarch himself!

It seemed that despite the cultivation world's cries for his death, they had no qualms about using his inventions...

One of the disciples standing on the eaves noticed Wei Wuxian watching and said, "Go back. This is no place for you."

Though dismissive, the words were well-intentioned, and the tone was markedly different from that of the Mo family servants. Seizing the opportunity, Wei Wuxian leapt up and snatched one of the flags.

The disciple, alarmed, jumped down from the wall to chase him. "Don't touch that! It's not for you!"

Wei Wuxian ran, shouting with wild hair and flailing limbs, the perfect image of a madman: "Not giving it back! Not giving it back! I want this! I want it!"

The disciple caught up to him in two steps, grabbing his arm. "Will you return it or not? If not, I'll hit you!"

Wei Wuxian clutched the flag, refusing to let go. The lead disciple, who had been arranging the flag formation, was alerted by the commotion and lightly leapt down from the eaves. "Jingyi, let it go. Just take it back gently. There's no need to argue with him."

Lan Jingyi protested, "Sizhui, I wasn't really going to hit him! Look at what he's done to our formation!"

During the struggle, Wei Wuxian had quickly examined the Yin-Summoning Flag in his hands. The patterns and incantations were correct and complete; there would be no issues in its use. However, the artist lacked experience; the drawn talisman could only attract evil spirits and walking corpses within a five-mile radius. Still, it would suffice.

Lan Sizhui smiled at Wei Wuxian, "Young Master Mo, it's getting dark. We're about to start capturing walking corpses. It's dangerous at night, so you'd better return to your room."

Wei Wuxian sized up the young man, noting his refined and elegant demeanor. With a faint smile playing on his lips, he was truly a praiseworthy seedling. His flag formation was well-arranged, and his upbringing was evident. Wei Wuxian inwardly approved, wondering who in the rigid and stuffy Gusu Lan Sect could have nurtured such a promising disciple.

Lan Sizhui continued, "This flag..."

Before he could finish, Wei Wuxian tossed the Yin-Summoning Flag to the ground, snorting, "It's just a stupid flag! What's so special about it? I can draw better ones than you!"

With that, he ran off. The disciples still perched on the rooftop, who had been watching the scene unfold, nearly fell off laughing at his brazen claim. Lan Jingyi, both amused and annoyed, picked up the flag and dusted it off. "He really is crazy!"

Lan Sizhui said, "Don't say that. Come on, let's get back to work."

Wei Wuxian continued to wander aimlessly for a couple more rounds before returning to Mo Xuanyu's small courtyard as night fell. The door bolt was broken, and the room was in disarray, but he paid it no mind. He found a relatively clean spot on the ground and resumed his meditation.

However, before dawn broke, a commotion from outside pulled him out of his meditative state.

A cacophony of footsteps mixed with wails and screams rapidly approached. Wei Wuxian heard phrases repeated over and over: "...Burst in and drag him out!" "Call the officials!" "Forget the officials, beat him to death on the spot!"

He opened his eyes as several servants stormed in. The entire courtyard was ablaze with torchlight, and someone shouted, "Drag this murderous lunatic to the main hall! Make him pay with his life!"