There, I had told him what I wanted to tell him! I know very well that he will never respond to what I feel for him! The ties he had with Jin GuangYao were too strong! On the other hand, he will probably never forgive me for using him to eliminate the Chief Patriarch! Would I ever forgive myself?

In the beginning, he was only MingJue's sworn brother. When he died, he became close to me and became my confidant. I found in him a support, a friend, ... a brother.

He had encouraged me when I doubted myself, always present with his softness. But he was also firm, he lectured me so that I would not let myself go!

And then the anger came. I had discovered the turpitude of Jin GuangYao! He whom I admired so much! So I had also gotten close to him! "Keep your friends close to you and your enemies closer" is what my brother used to tell me. I had applied this principle. I had always loved the arts and everyone knew that I had no affinity with the barbaric weapons of my clan! But... Big Brother had forced me to learn. He had noticed that I was good at military strategy, so he made me develop this gift in secret. I had studied all the great battles, the techniques of espionage ... my cheerful nature allowed me to play the comedy better than anyone else !

Nobody had seen anything! Except Baochen of course! I had quickly suspected that someone was guiding my steps and that this person and I had the same goal. So I was not surprised by the revelations of this morning!

My tears had dried up on my cheeks. Leaving Xichen's workroom, I wandered along the paths through YunShen Buzhi. It was still early. The sun was shining in the sky. The air was still a little cool. The disciples of the clan were going about their business or studying! They were preparing for this afternoon's meeting. After what had happened last night, many of the clan leaders must have been wondering! And then, there was the situation of Han GuangJun! Personally, I had always considered Wei Wuxian as a friend. But at the time of the Yiling patriarch, I had no say in the matter!

However, I had never believed what people said about him. I knew him! He liked to laugh and have fun. He was a lot like me, he was carefree... He was a soul of justice and charity...

Brother had kept me away from what happened after "the fall of the sun". I had not seen the massacres perpetrated by the Jin clan in particular. I didn't know about it until much later! Wei Wuxian's revolt seemed normal to me. I would not have had the courage!

When I learned of his death in Qishan, I was not as happy as everyone else! Brother asked me why! I simply told him that he was my friend and that I believed in him! Brother got angry, telling me that I was too naive! That my "friend" had killed hundreds or even thousands of farmers that night! I kept my mouth shut. Had he even been given a choice? Yet I had not defended him. Today was different. I had my say! I was a clan leader myself and even if some doubted my abilities, others now knew what I was capable of!

This thought plunged me back into grief. I was moving forward without really seeing where I was going. I wasn't surprised when I bumped into someone. When I looked up, I saw young Zizhen, the only son of the Chief of the Ouyang Clan of Baling. He looked worried.

"Clan Chief Nie, are you alright?"

I couldn't tell him the truth!

"Of course, why wouldn't I be" I replied with a smile.

"Clan Chief Nie, your mouth is smiling, but your eyes are screaming their pain .... Can I help you?"

I looked at him without really seeing him. I had never really paid attention to him. Yet he was always at his father's side in the peaks. And I think he often came to talk to me. He was rather discreet in society. Now that I think about it, he was a friend of Jin Ling and SiZhui!

They had been at Wei Wuxian's side in Yi, as well as at the burial mound. When we were waiting to leave for Lianhua Wu, on the docks, he had taken his side again! I laughed a little. The younger generation !!!!!

They had all sided with Wei Wuxian against their elders!

SiZhui, I now understood why, since he was their son! Although, I wondered if one of them was his real father or if they had adopted him long ago?

Finally, as for Zizhen, he had even dared to defy his father and Jiang Cheng. He had sailed with Wei Wuxian and not with the head of the Ouyang clan!

Despite appearances, he seemed to have character!

"Clan Chief Nie? .... HuaiSang? You didn't answer me! I can help you, I'm here you know!"

"No thanks, I'll be fine, I just have a bug that... got into my eye! Nothing serious"

"In both?"

I let out a sigh, he was perspicacious the bugger!

"It's nothing, it will pass."

"Nie Qianbei, I saw you coming out of ZeWu Jun's workroom crying and from the temple I noticed you avoiding each other. Did you have a fight? Perhaps I can help settle things?"

"Young Master Zizhen, some things can't be fixed. But I thank you for your concern."

Our footsteps had guided us, unnoticed, out of the Pavilion area and the main buildings of YunShen Buzhi. If I remembered correctly, we were near the cold spring. If we followed the path that went into the forest, there must have been a clearing a little further on!

When we got there, I realized that it was already occupied!

"Isn't that Han GuangJun and Master Wei? What are they doing? How about we go see them?"

Zizhen rushed forward, I grabbed him by the hand.

"Don't go, you will disturb them!"

Zizhen did not seem to understand. He turned again towards the clearing and I saw his beautiful juvenile face become completely red! He was charming like that! He had just understood what his two elders were doing!

"Come on, let's not disturb them, it's been a hard morning for them!"

In myself I thought that it was not only the morning that was hard! In any case, I could tell Jiang Cheng that I was right! Brother Wei was on top!

I pulled Zizhen into the forest and saw that I was still holding his hand. It was soft and warm. It gave me a feeling of comfort.

As he did not pretend to withdraw it, I decided to keep it... a little more.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)