Untamed Hearts

Chapter 16

"Jin Ling." Sizhui greeted the Jin sect leader by his birth name as nobody else was in the hall with them.

"Lan Y-, Sizhui," Jin Ling returned the greeting.

"Have you been well since I last saw you? You seem tired." Jin Ling shrugged.

"Nothing's really changed, it's the same. Sect elders are obnoxious as usual. Luo-guniang has been quite helpful though. I had to clear it up to Jin Chan when he thought he was being replaced."

Sizhui hid his laugh behind his sleeve.

"Do you think she is more capable though?"

"She's been out of touch from sect politics for over ten years. I think she is capable, but right now, no. Maybe if my father..." Jin Ling swallowed. "If my father had become the sect leader, then I can imagine her being by his side.

"Jin-zongzhu, you humble me." A voice cuts into the hall. "I assure you I was not that capable of being head disciple, even back then."

"But dajiu and Hanguang-jun spoke very highly of you!" Jin Ling insisted. "Even jiujiu put in a few good words for you."

"People in Lanling do not like me," Luo Qingyang says with a faint smile. "Well...there aren't many people who still recognize me, but to them, I am just a rogue cultivator , interfering with their sect business."

"You'll always be welcomed here."

"Thank you. I must be on my way now. I will visit again." They bowed to one another and Jin Ling and Sizhui watched as she left the hall. A few seconds later, two other familiar figures appeared.

"Sizhui! You really were that eager to see san-mei, weren't you?" Jingyi teased. Sizhui flushed and next to him Jin Ling's face turned a bright red

"Do not tease me," Sizhui pleaded.

"You two lovebirds. You're not going to be like Wei-qianbei and Hanguang-jun are you?"

"Jingyi, don't compare!" Zizhen scolded. "Every love story is different!"

"What about yours, Zizhen?"

It's his turn to blush now.

"It's nothing like that!"

"Zizhen, nothing's going to happen between you two if you don't at least make an effort to talk to her!" Jingyi said with exasperation while throwing his hands into the air.

"Jingyi," Sizhui sighed. "Stop pressuring him."

"Yeah! What Sizhui said!" Zizhen glared at them both. "And I am trying. But I also have sect leader duties to take care of! I actually need time to send a letter to her. Instead, I'm busy dealing with my father's old officials and their complaints towards me!" He sighed and pressed his face into his hands. "They're only going to complain more if I want to marry a girl who basically chose to leave her sect. Besides, she left for a reason and I don't know if she would want to marry back into one again."
"I think you're overthinking this." Jingyi wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders. "I don't agree with the idea that the sect elders should choose who you should marry. You should marry for love. Take Hanguang-jun and Wei-qianbei for inspiration! They were threatening to elope before Lan-xiansheng agreed to let them marry."
"It may have been because he was the only other available sect with Zewu-jun in seclusion," Jin Ling pointed out. "Also can we get back on topic? This happens every single time we have a sect affair meeting."
"Marriage is a relevant topic to sect affairs."

"Yes," Jin Ling said through gritted teeth. "Private internal sect affairs." He let out a long sigh. "This is why they should have sent Sizhui," Jin Ling groaned. Sizhui was currently spending time with Wen Ning. "He would never let us go off tangent. He is the head disciple after all."