Lan Wangji's voice was as cool and measured as ever as he said, "I would like to hear the details."

As he sat down, his polite words carried an almost threatening weight. Nie Huaisang, feeling the pressure, began to explain hesitantly, his usual fan nowhere in sight as his hands fidgeted nervously.

"Hanguang-jun, as you know, our Nie clan is different from other cultivation sects," he began, his voice barely above a whisper. "Our founding ancestor was a butcher, and while others cultivate with swords, we cultivate the way of the saber."

This fact was common knowledge, far from a secret. The Nie clan's emblem, a fierce beast head resembling a mix between a dog and a boar, was a testament to their unique origins. Nie Huaisang continued, his voice gaining a hint of resignation, "Because our cultivation method differs, and our ancestor was a butcher, there's an inevitable association with bloodshed. The sabers of our clan leaders throughout generations have been infused with intense resentment and killing intent. Almost every clan leader has fallen victim to qi deviation, dying violent deaths. Their volatile tempers are also closely related to this."

He paused, his eyes clouding with memories. Wei Wuxian could see he was thinking of his elder brother, Nie Mingjue. The young sect leader had been sworn brothers with Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao, forming the renowned Venerated Triad. Chifeng-zun was known for his fierce efficiency and imposing dignity; Zewu-jun for his gentle demeanor and noble character; Lianfang-zun for his cunning wit and adaptability. The three had sworn brotherhood during the Sunshot Campaign, each leaving behind legendary tales.

Yet, at the height of his fame, Nie Mingjue had succumbed to qi deviation during an important gathering, dying a bloody death and injuring many attendees in his maddened state. Such a glorious reputation, ending in such tragedy. The pain was evident in Nie Huaisang's eyes as he continued, "While the clan leaders lived, they could suppress their sabers' restlessness. But after their deaths, with no one to control them, the sabers become deadly weapons in their own right."

Wei Wuxian raised an eyebrow, a hint of mischief in his voice despite the serious topic. "That sounds dangerously close to the dark path."

Nie Huaisang hurriedly shook his head, his words tumbling out in a rush. "It's different! The dark path is considered evil because it demands human lives. But our clan's sabers don't want human lives - they crave the essence of vengeful spirits, fierce corpses, and demonic beasts. After a lifetime of slaying such creatures, if they're not given these targets, they cause havoc on their own. The saber spirits only acknowledge one master and can't be used by others. We, the descendants, can't simply melt them down. It would be disrespectful to our ancestors, and there's no guarantee it would solve the problem anyway."

"Quite the troublesome heirlooms," Wei Wuxian commented, his tone a mix of fascination and amusement.

Nie Huaisang nodded vigorously. "Indeed. These sabers that have accompanied our ancestors through countless battles and cultivation breakthroughs - they're like venerable elders themselves."

He took a deep breath before continuing, his voice dropping even lower as if afraid the very walls might be listening. "As each generation's cultivation grew stronger, this problem became more severe. It wasn't until our sixth-generation clan leader that a solution was devised."

Wei Wuxian leaned forward, intrigued. "And that solution was to build the man-eating castle?"

"No, no," Nie Huaisang shook his head frantically. "Though there's a connection, that wasn't the initial plan. The sixth-generation leader did this: he crafted two coffins for his father's and grandfather's sabers and dug a mausoleum. Instead of filling it with precious treasures, he placed hundreds of corpses on the verge of turning into fierce corpses."

Lan Wangji's brow furrowed slightly, causing Nie Huaisang to quickly explain, "Hanguang-jun, please let me clarify! Our clan didn't kill these people! We painstakingly collected them from various places, and many were bought at great expense. The sixth-generation leader reasoned that if the saber spirits craved conflict with evil entities, then we should provide them with endless opponents. These near-transforming corpses were buried alongside the saber coffins as a form of burial goods. The saber spirits would suppress the corpses' transformation, while the corpses would satisfy the sabers' needs and temper their madness. This mutual restraint brought several generations of peace to our descendants."

Wei Wuxian nodded slowly, processing the information. "So why the shift to building a stone castle? And burying bodies in the walls? You mentioned it had eaten people?"

Nie Huaisang's face paled slightly as he continued, "These questions are actually all related. It has... consumed people, yes. But it wasn't intentional! Our sixth-generation leader created a saber tomb, designed like a common grave, and subsequent generations followed suit. However, about fifty years ago, the tomb was breached by a group of grave robbers."

Wei Wuxian let out a low whistle. "Talk about poking the sleeping tiger."

"Exactly," Nie Huaisang agreed, his voice trembling slightly. "No matter how cautious we were, word of such a significant burial was bound to leak. These grave robbers, after extensive inquiries, became convinced that there was a grand tomb from a previous dynasty on Luling Hill. They came prepared, and among their motley crew were one or two genuinely skilled individuals. Somehow, they managed to pinpoint the location, break through the maze formation, and find our saber tomb."

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He paused, taking a shaky breath before continuing. "They dug a tunnel and entered the tomb. Being in their line of work, they weren't afraid of the corpses inside. But as they rummaged around for gold and jewels, breathing next to these bodies on the verge of transformation, their strong yang energy triggered a reaction. Remember, these were all corpses about to turn into fierce corpses!"

Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji exchanged a glance, both imagining the chaos that must have ensued.

"As you can imagine, it was a disaster," Nie Huaisang continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "More than a dozen corpses transformed on the spot. But these grave robbers were skilled and well-prepared. Somehow, they managed to re-kill all the walking corpses. After a fierce battle that left dismembered corpses strewn about, they finally realized the danger and prepared to retreat. And that's when... that's when they were consumed!"

He took a moment to collect himself before explaining, "The number of bodies placed in the tomb was strictly controlled - not one too many, not one too few - to maintain a perfect balance with the saber spirits. The grave robbers' intrusion alone would have been manageable; the saber spirits could have suppressed the transformations after they left. But they had reduced the corpses to fragments, suddenly decreasing the number by over a dozen. To maintain sufficient fierce corpses to counterbalance the saber spirits, the tomb... it... it automatically sealed itself, trapping them inside alive, forcing them to fill the void they had created..."

Nie Huaisang's voice trailed off, his face ashen as he recounted the grim tale. After a moment, he continued, "With the saber tomb compromised, the clan leader at the time had to devise a new solution. He chose a new location on Luling Hill and, instead of a tomb, built a saber worship hall. To prevent future grave robbers, the bodies were hidden within the walls to avoid detection."

"This saber worship hall became the source of the 'man-eating castle' rumors," he explained. "The group of grave robbers had come to Qinghe disguised as hunters, entered Luling Hill, and were never seen again. With no bodies found, people began to whisper that they had been devoured by some monster in the hills. Later, when the stone castle was built, before the new maze formation was set up, someone accidentally stumbled upon it. Fortunately, all the stone castles were built without doors, so he couldn't enter. But after he came down from the hill, he told everyone about the eerie white castle he had seen, insisting that man-eating monsters must live inside. Our clan thought it might be beneficial to let the rumors grow, to keep people away from the area. So we embellished the tale, giving birth to the legend of the 'man-eating castle'. But it truly does consume people!"

With trembling hands, Nie Huaisang pulled out a handkerchief and a small white stone from his sleeve. He used the handkerchief to wipe his sweat-drenched brow, then held out the stone. "Please, take a look at this."

Wei Wuxian took the white stone, examining it closely. Among the stone powder, he could make out something white that looked suspiciously like... a human finger bone.

His eyes widened in understanding as Nie Huaisang, having finished wiping his brow, continued, "That young... Jin master... somehow managed to blast a hole in the wall. To break through such thick walls, he must have had some powerful talismans with him, but that's beside the point... What I mean is, the area he blasted happened to be part of our clan's earliest saber worship hall on Luling Hill. At that time, we hadn't yet thought of using two layers of stone bricks with earth in between to block yang energy and prevent easy corpse transformation. We simply poured the bodies directly into the mortar. So when the young Jin master blasted the hole, he unknowingly shattered a skeleton embedded in the wall. Shortly after he entered, he was... absorbed into the castle wall, replacing the corpse he had destroyed..."

Nie Huaisang's voice cracked with emotion. "I regularly inspect Luling Hill. When I went today, I found this. I had just picked up a piece of stone when a dog came to bite me... The saber worship hall is almost like our ancestral grave now, I really..."

He trailed off, his distress evident. "Usually, cultivators know this is our clan's territory and wouldn't night-hunt in the Qinghe area. Who would have thought..."

Who would have thought he'd be so unlucky, first with the rule-breaking Jin Ling setting his sights on Luling Hill, and then with Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian arriving, following the Ghost Hand's directions. Nie Huaisang pleaded, "Hanguang-jun, and you... I've told you everything. Please, you mustn't let this information spread. Otherwise..."

Otherwise, the already struggling Qinghe Nie Sect would be completely ruined. If this got out, Nie Huaisang would become a sinner for all eternity, unable to face his ancestors even in death. No wonder he preferred to be the sect's private laughingstock rather than diligently cultivate, and why he hesitated to sharpen his saber. If he were to succeed in cultivation, his temperament would grow increasingly volatile, eventually leading to a fate similar to his brother and ancestors - dying in a frenzy of qi deviation, with his saber causing havoc after death, bringing unrest to the entire family. Perhaps it was better to remain incompetent.

It was an impossible situation. The Nie clan had been on this path since their first ancestor. How could the descendants deny the road paved by their forebears and the foundation they had built? Each cultivation sect had its strengths - just as the Gusu Lan Sect excelled in music, the Qinghe Nie Sect's sabers' ferocity and destructive power were what set them apart. To abandon their ancestors' teachings and start anew would take untold years, with no guarantee of success. And Nie Huaisang dared not betray his clan to pursue a different path. Thus, he could only play the role of the useless coward.

If he weren't the clan leader, if he could have spent his life as he did at the Cloud Recesses - idly boating on lakes, painting fans, and playing with birds - he would surely be much more at ease than he was now. But with his elder brother gone, no matter how inadequate he felt, he had no choice but to shoulder the clan's burden and stumble forward.

After Nie Huaisang left, having extracted countless promises and pleas for secrecy, Wei Wuxian sat lost in thought for a while. Suddenly, he noticed Lan Wangji approaching him again, kneeling on one knee before him and seriously beginning to roll up his trouser leg. Startled, Wei Wuxian exclaimed, "Wait, again?"

Lan Wangji's voice was steady as he replied, "We must remove the curse first."

Seeing Hanguang-jun kneeling before him in this manner for the third time in one day, despite the other's seriousness, was a sight Wei Wuxian found difficult to bear. "I'll do it myself," he said, quickly rolling up his trouser leg. The curse marks were visible all over his calf, crawling past his knee and up his thigh. Wei Wuxian glanced at it and casually remarked, "It's reached the top of my thigh."

Lan Wangji turned his head away, not responding. Puzzled, Wei Wuxian called out, "Lan Zhan?"