WangXian Forever 5

Chapter 50 Coercion

Jin Ling had a dilemma.

There were words. There were words that must be said, that should have been said a while back, before things got too serious.

He could read SiZhui like a book, and he knew SiZhui was upset with him. But what he had to say...well, it was true he was scared. What if SiZhui hated him after he said it? What would happen to their friendship? And what about JingYi? Didn't his feelings count for anything?

Hiding away here in JinLinTai wasn't going to cut it.

Jin Ling was flying blind. There was no one he could talk to about this. No parents, although that would have been awkward as anything, definitely not Uncle Cheng, because he was hardly an expert at these sorts of things. Plus, had he ever had to break up with anyone? Jin Ling didn't think so.

And Uncle Wei...was his loyalty first to SiZhui or would it be to himself? It was hard to say. And if SiZhui had told him his side of their story first, Uncle Wei was probably already on his side by now.

So what should he do now? Obviously, the answer was no longer here.

The problem was, his schedule for the next few days was jam packed, not even allowing for a few hour off. However, night time was his...could he make it back by the morning? Since staying over at Cloud Recesses would be out of the question by then.

Suihua flew into his hands, summoned by a deep internal wish. This, his father's sword, was the closest he felt to his father.

Would his father be proud of him now? As he was? The original owner of this beautiful sword had been a proud man, so he had heard. His sword, especially crafted by the Master Forgers of the Jin sect, had taken a single strand of his father's hair and infused a spiritual power within the sword, so that a part of his father would always remain with him.

Today would mark the start of a new life, and it could go either way.

His thumb traced the fine characters. Suihua...the passage of time.

Why had his father chosen that name? What was the purpose of this? These three words were a mystery by themselves. And were he to ask anyone why, he would get different reactions or meanings and explanations from all, depending on who he asked.

His fellow sect members would come up with some sycophantic bum-licking nonsense, trying to talk up his father into some sort of cultivation god. His Uncle Cheng would try to be polite, and give a noncommittal answer that would just be vague.

And he knew that his Uncle Wei, while not exactly a fan of his father, would at least be honest about his opinion.

He had to have answers, and he had to have them now.

He mounted the golden sword, ready to travel. He did not waste the time it would take to tell someone where he was going; he was returning by morning anyway, so there was no need.

One last look at his room, and then he was off.

****

Cloud Recesses was its normal quiet self. Jin Ling did not know if this was due to the fact that he made it just in time before their unreasonable curfew of seven in the evening, and people were retiring anyway, or if there was something wrong. It was always hard to tell in Cloud Recesses.

He saw JingYi walking towards him, and he smiled in greeting, but JingYi...scowled back.

What was wrong?

JingYi never scowled at him.

"What's wrong?" Jin Ling hurried to meet him.

"You have the nerve to ask?" JingYi was furious.