At that very moment, Jin Ling, who had been unconscious, suddenly sat upright.

Before the eyes of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, he began to stagger to his feet, his eyes still tightly shut. Wei Wuxian, curious about Jin Ling's intentions, remained motionless, watching intently. With slow, unsteady movements, Jin Ling circumnavigated Wei Wuxian and extended one leg, stepping back into the wall where he had been previously entombed. His hands fell limply to his sides, his posture an exact mirror of how they had found him earlier.

Wei Wuxian, a mixture of amusement and bewilderment playing across his features, reached out and once again pulled Jin Ling from the wall's embrace. He was about to suggest to Lan Wangji that they should leave this eerie place when a distant, furious barking sent a shiver down his spine. The black-maned spiritual dog, which had been obediently waiting at the cavern's entrance since their entry, wagging its tail anxiously as it awaited its master's return, was now howling more ferociously than ever before.

Lan Wangji's eyes narrowed as he spoke, his voice as calm as ever despite the tension in the air, "There's something amiss outside the fortress."

He moved to support Jin Ling, but Wei Wuxian, acting on impulse, swiftly hoisted the unconscious youth onto his back. "Let's go check it out!" Wei Wuxian exclaimed, his voice a mixture of excitement and apprehension.

The two men swiftly retraced their steps, emerging from the low entrance of the cave with practiced ease. As they straightened, they saw the black-maned spiritual dog facing away from them, its attention fixed on something in the distance. A low, menacing growl rumbled from deep in its throat.

Wei Wuxian, despite his bravado in coming this far, couldn't suppress his instinctive fear of dogs. He involuntarily took several steps backward, his heart racing. Just as he was considering how to retreat further without dropping Jin Ling, the dog suddenly whirled around. Seeing its master on Wei Wuxian's back, it launched itself towards them with a burst of speed.

A strangled cry escaped Wei Wuxian's lips as he nearly flung Jin Ling off in panic. However, before the dog could reach them, Lan Wangji smoothly interposed himself between Wei Wuxian and the approaching canine.

The black-maned spiritual dog skidded to a halt, its tail tucking between its legs. Its tongue remained inside its mouth, not because of fear, but because it was clutching something between its teeth. Lan Wangji approached the dog with measured steps, bending slightly to retrieve the object from its jaws. As he straightened and turned back to Wei Wuxian, they could see it was a torn piece of fabric, likely from someone's garment.

The implications were clear. Someone had been prowling nearby, their presence suspicious enough to provoke such an aggressive response from the usually well-behaved spiritual dog. Wei Wuxian's eyes lit up with the thrill of the chase. "They can't have gone far. Let's go after them!"

But Lan Wangji shook his head, his expression thoughtful. "There's no need. I know who it is."

Wei Wuxian nodded, his mind racing. "I think I do too. The ones spreading rumors on Burial Mound, releasing corpses, setting up maze formations, building these stone fortresses... and those knives. It must all be the same group. But if we don't catch them in the act now, it'll be much harder later."

Lan Wangji considered for a moment before speaking. "I'll pursue them. What about you and Jin Ling?"

Wei Wuxian adjusted Jin Ling's weight on his back before responding. "I'll take him down Burial Mound and find a place to settle in Qinghe. Let's meet at that physician's place we encountered earlier."

The exchange was rapid, urgent. Lan Wangji hesitated for just a heartbeat, and Wei Wuxian added, "Go on, if we delay any longer, they'll vanish without a trace. I'll be there, I promise!"

At those words - "I'll be there" - Lan Wangji's gaze lingered on Wei Wuxian, a wealth of unspoken emotions passing between them. Without another word, he turned to leave. The black-maned spiritual dog, eager to follow its master, made to lunge towards Wei Wuxian once more.

Wei Wuxian let out a panicked yelp. "Wait, wait, wait! Take the dog with you! The dog!"

Lan Wangji paused, turning back. He fixed the dog with a commanding look, and the animal, unable to disobey, fell in line behind him with a series of whines, occasionally glancing back at Jin Ling as they departed.

Wei Wuxian wiped the cold sweat from his brow, casting one last look at the eerily white stone fortresses before readjusting Jin Ling on his back and beginning the descent from Burial Mound.

As dusk approached, Wei Wuxian made his way down the mountain, the unconscious Jin Ling a dead weight on his back. Both of them were covered in dirt and looked worse for wear, drawing curious glances from passersby. Wei Wuxian retraced their steps to the street where Jin Ling had earlier set his dog upon him. He located an inn, using money he had surreptitiously borrowed from Lan Wangji to purchase two sets of new clothes and secure a room.

Once inside, Wei Wuxian's first order of business was to remove Jin Ling's dirt-encrusted, wrinkled golden snowflake-patterned robe - the signature garment of the Jin clan. As he tugged off Jin Ling's boots, he suddenly froze, his eyes fixed on what appeared to be a shadow on the young man's calf.

Crouching down, Wei Wuxian rolled up Jin Ling's trouser leg, his breath catching in his throat as he realized this was no mere shadow. It was a patch of blackened skin - not a bruise, but the mark of a malevolent curse.

The curse mark was a sign that Jin Ling had offended some extremely sinister entity. It was a brand, a promise that the malevolent force would return. It might be years, or it might be tonight. At best, it would claim the marked body part; at worst, it would demand Jin Ling's life.

The blackness had spread across Jin Ling's entire leg and was creeping upward. Wei Wuxian had never seen a curse mark so dark or so extensive. His expression grew increasingly grave as he examined it. Letting the trouser leg fall, he quickly opened Jin Ling's inner robes, relief washing over him as he found the young man's chest and abdomen unblemished. The curse had not spread that far... yet.

Just then, Jin Ling's eyes fluttered open.

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For a long moment, he lay there, disoriented. The cool air on his exposed skin finally jolted him to full consciousness. He bolted upright, his face flushing a deep crimson as he sputtered, "W-w-what are you doing?!"

Wei Wuxian's face split into a grin. "Well, look who's finally awake."

Jin Ling, looking utterly horrified, clutched his robes closed and scrambled to the far corner of the bed. "What do you think you're doing?! Where are my clothes?! Where's my sword?! Where's my dog?!"

Wei Wuxian's voice took on a tone of exaggerated innocence. "I was just about to help you get dressed."

His demeanor was reminiscent of a doting grandmother preparing to bundle up a grandchild against the cold. Jin Ling, his hair in disarray, pressed himself against the wall. "I'm not... I don't... I'm not into men!!!"

Wei Wuxian's eyes lit up with mischief. "What a coincidence, I am!!!"

Jin Ling's hand shot out, grasping his sword that lay nearby. His posture suggested he was fully prepared to run Wei Wuxian through and then fall on his own sword to preserve his virtue. Wei Wuxian, barely containing his laughter, raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Relax, it was just a joke! I went through all the trouble of digging you out of that wall, and you can't even say thank you?"

Jin Ling, in the midst of his panic, managed to smooth back his disheveled hair with one hand, attempting to regain some semblance of dignity. His voice trembled with anger as he spoke, "If... if it weren't for that, I... I would have killed you a thousand times over for daring to undress me!"

Wei Wuxian chuckled, "Come now, dying once is painful enough. Alright, alright, put the sword down."

In his confusion, Jin Ling found himself obeying, lowering his weapon as the tension in the room slowly began to dissipate.

Despite the haziness of his soul-leaving experience, Jin Ling retained a vague recollection of being excavated from the wall by the man before him, who had then carried him down the mountain. For a time after being entombed in the wall, he had remained conscious, his heart gripped by an overwhelming terror and despair. Yet, unexpectedly, it was this initially irritating stranger who had shattered that wall, along with Jin Ling's fear and hopelessness.

Jin Ling's face alternated between pallor and flushing as he struggled with a mix of embarrassment and lingering disorientation. His thoughts were still scattered, unable to fully grasp the situation. Suddenly, his eyes darted to the window, where he saw the sky had darkened, dotted with the first faint stars of evening. Panic surged through him.

Taking advantage of Wei Wuxian's momentary distraction as he bent to retrieve the scattered new clothes, Jin Ling leapt from the bed. He hastily pulled on his boots, snatched up his outer robe, and bolted from the room.

Wei Wuxian, caught off guard, had assumed that after such an ordeal, the young man would need time to recover. He had underestimated the resilience of youth. In the blink of an eye, Jin Ling had vanished like a gust of wind. Remembering the ominous curse mark on Jin Ling's leg, Wei Wuxian called out urgently, "Where are you running to? Come back!"

Jin Ling, already halfway down the stairs, shouted back as he struggled to don his mud-caked, wrinkled clan robe, "Don't follow me!" His lithe form and long legs carried him swiftly out of the inn. Wei Wuxian pursued him through several streets, but the young cultivator's speed and agility allowed him to disappear into the growing twilight.

As dusk deepened and the streets began to empty, Wei Wuxian found himself grinding his teeth in frustration. "Unbelievable. This child is truly unbelievable!"

Just as he was about to give up his search, a young man's irritated voice echoed from the far end of a long street: "You run off at the slightest criticism. Are you a pampered young miss? Your temper is getting worse by the day!"

Wei Wuxian's heart skipped a beat. Jiang Cheng!

He quickly ducked into a nearby alley. Moments later, Jin Ling's voice rang out in response: "I came back safe and sound, didn't I? Stop nagging me!"

It dawned on Wei Wuxian that Jin Ling hadn't come to Qinghe alone. It made sense; Jiang Cheng had come to Jin Ling's aid at Dafan Mountain, so of course he would accompany him now. It seemed the uncle and nephew had quarreled in Qinghe, prompting Jin Ling to ascend Burial Mound alone. His hurried departure from the inn was likely due to Jiang Cheng's threat of consequences if he didn't return before nightfall.

Jiang Cheng's voice carried a mix of anger and concern. "Safe and sound? You look like you've been rolling in a muddy ditch. Wearing your clan's uniform in such a state - have you no shame? Go back and change immediately! Now tell me, what happened today?"

Jin Ling's response was tinged with impatience. "I told you, nothing happened. I just fell and wasted a trip. Ow!" He yelped, "Stop yanking me like that! I'm not a child!"

Jiang Cheng's voice turned harsh. "Clearly, I can't control you anymore! Let me tell you, even if you were thirty, I could still drag you around. Next time you dare to run off alone without a word, you'll feel my discipline whip!"

Jin Ling's retort was filled with teenage defiance. "I went alone precisely because I don't want anyone's help or interference."

Wei Wuxian, listening from his hiding spot, couldn't help but think, "Jiang Cheng's not wrong about his temper. He really does act like a spoiled young miss."

Jiang Cheng pressed on, "So what now? What did you accomplish? And where's that black-maned spiritual dog your uncle gave you?"

Wei Wuxian, recalling how Lan Wangji had chased the dog away, had barely finished the thought when familiar barking echoed from the other end of the alley.

Color drained from Wei Wuxian's face as his legs instinctively propelled him forward, bursting out of the alley like a bolt from a crossbow. The black-maned spiritual dog raced past him, bounding towards Jin Ling and affectionately sweeping its tail against the young man's legs.

The dog's presence indicated that Lan Wangji had likely apprehended the intruders near the stone fortress and was now waiting at their designated meeting point. However, Wei Wuxian had no time to dwell on this.

His sudden emergence had brought him face to face with Jiang Cheng, Jin Ling, and a sizeable group of Jiang clan disciples.

For a moment, both parties stood frozen in shock. Then, without a word, Wei Wuxian turned to flee.

He had barely taken a few steps when a crackling sound filled the air. A whip-like strand of purple lightning, reminiscent of a venomous snake, coiled around his calf. A sensation of numbing pain shot through his body as he was yanked backward, crashing to the ground. Before he could recover, a strong hand gripped the back of his robes, hauling him upright.

Wei Wuxian's hand instinctively moved to his spirit-locking bag, but Jiang Cheng was faster, snatching it away.

Dragging Wei Wuxian by his collar, Jiang Cheng strode purposefully towards the nearest shop. With a forceful kick, he burst through the half-closed door.

The shopkeeper, who had been preparing to close for the night, was struck dumb at the sight of the imposing, elegantly dressed young man who had just violently entered his establishment. The fact that this intimidating figure was dragging another man behind him, as if preparing for an impromptu execution, only added to the shopkeeper's terror.

One of Jiang Cheng's disciples approached the trembling man, whispering a few words and pressing some silver into his hand. Without hesitation, the shopkeeper retreated to the back room, eager to remove himself from whatever was about to unfold.

With practiced efficiency, the Jiang clan disciples spread out, securing the premises both inside and out. Within moments, the shop was completely surrounded, impenetrable to outsiders.

Jin Ling stood to the side, his eyes a whirlpool of conflicting emotions - hesitation, confusion, and growing apprehension. Jiang Cheng turned to him, his voice a menacing growl, "I'll deal with you later. Stay put!"

Never in his life had Jin Ling seen such an expression on his uncle's face. Jiang Cheng, who had taken control of the prestigious Yunmeng Jiang Sect at a young age, was known for his cold and severe demeanor. His words were rarely kind, his actions seldom merciful. But now, despite his obvious efforts to maintain composure, his eyes burned with an intensity that was almost frightening.

That face, usually etched with arrogance and scorn, perpetually overshadowed by a brooding demeanor, seemed to come alive in a way Jin Ling had never witnessed. Every feature was sharp, defined, making it impossible to discern whether his uncle was consumed by seething rage, burning hatred, or wild elation.