Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation Wiki
Advertisement

The Stalk of Grass - Part Seven is the thirty-ninth chapter of Mo Dao Zu Shi.

Synopsis []

A-Qing pauses before affirming that she too is blind. Xiao Xingchen advises her to walk slower for her own safety, and she thanks him, referring to him as "Brother."

Xiao Xingchen replies that he is technically "Daozhang," and A-Qing insists that he is both. However, he then responds that if he is both, she should return the money bag she just stole from him.

A-Qing attempts to flee, but Xiao Xingchen catches her, concerned that she will trip. The man she stole from earlier approaches and attempts to slap her for stealing, but Xiao Xingchen stops him, though he does request that she return his money.

Although A-Qing denies that she intended to steal, saying it was only revenge after he pinched her butt, Wei Wuxian knows that she deliberately planned it. Xiao Xingchen attempts to leave, but he allows her to keep his own money bag.

A-Qing chases after him, begging to travel together since both are blind. To convince him, she insists that she will have to keep stealing if he does not allow her to accompany him, to Xiao Xingchen's amusement.

She continues to follow Xiao Xingchen despite the dangers cultivating, and he allows it. One day, they pass a body beside the road, and A-Qing cries out on instinct.

Not wanting the inconvenience of helping the person, she pretends to have twisted her ankle. However, Xiao Xingchen smells blood and locates the heavily person on his own. He carries him to Yi City, which at the time was not nearly as run-down or foggy as Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji found it. A night watchman instructs them to take shelter for the night in a vacant coffin home, which Wei Wuxian recognizes as the very coffin home in which Xiao Xingchen's corpse was placed.

As A-Qing cleans and Xiao Xingchen tends to the injured man, she steals a glance at his face. To Wei Wuxian's dread, the person is none other than Xue Yang.

Wei Wuxian calculates that the timing of this must be just after Jin Guangyao's appointment as Chief Cultivator. Jin Guangyao likely did not want to admit that Xue Yang escaped, and assumed he would die anyways from his severe injuries.

Recognizing Xiao Xingchen's voice, Xue Yang sits up with a malicious and cruel expression. However, his throat is too injured for him to talk clearly, so Xiao Xingchen cannot recognize his voice.

A-Qing accuses him of being mean, and Xue Yang realizes immediately that she could only know he was mean if she saw him. Despite her white eyes, he suspects that she can see.

Xiao Xingchen insists that Xue Yang allow himself to be treated, as he will end up crippled if not. Xue Yang decides to allow it, though he carefully prevents Xiao Xingchen from feeling that he is missing his little finger.

After treating him, Xiao Xingchen departs to night-hunt, and A-Qing prepares to sleep in a coffin.

Xue Yang calls to her, asking if she wants candy. A-Qing refuses to approach him, and he throws a piece of candy towards her. Her acting skills, however, are well-developed, and she does not flinch in the least as the candy strikes her chest.

After she finds the candy by feeling around on the floor, Xue Yang offers more candy if she approaches him. However, he draws Jiangzai, so that if she approaches, she risks impaling herself on his sword.

A-Qing passes his test by approaching without hesitation, and he gives her more candy. Curious if Xue Yang is a cultivator himself, she says that Xiao Xingchen went "hunting," and Xue Yang automatically corrects her to the proper term "night-hunting," revealing himself as a cultivator.

Xue Yang asks how a blind man can night-hunt, and A-Qing brags about the swiftness of his sword. Xue Yang asks how she can tell it is fast, and she immediately says that she knows this from listening.

Although A-Qing does not trust Xue Yang, he does not leave after healing. In fact, he stays and assists Xiao Xingchen with repairing the roof to the coffin house, and his quick wit frequently amuses Xiao Xingchen.

One night, Xue Yang asks to accompany Xiao Xingchen night-hunting, and the suspicious A-Qing trails them.

Watching the scene, Wei Wuxian realizes that Xiao Xingchen is piercing the heart of a villager who is still alive.[1]

Characters []

in order of appearance:

Events []

  • Learning the true history of Yi City

Locations[]

Creatures[]

Cultivation Abilities[]

Cultivation Tools []

References[]

  1. Novel, Chapter 39
Advertisement