The disciples helped me to carry Wei Ying to the harbor. I got a boat and made him as comfortable as possible. I found it increasingly strange that he was so weak every time he used his spiritual powers!

What had happened when Mo XuanYu had transferred his spirit into his body? Was there a problem? His stomach injury alone could not explain the situation. I could feel that he was hiding something from me... but what?

I noticed that SiZhui had not joined us yet. He had to wait until the last moment to board. He had always been sick on the boat.

I made Wangji appear and started to play "regeneration". Gradually, Wei Ying relaxed. He straightened up and put himself in a meditation position with his back against the bench of the boat. He was regaining his strength.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Wen Ning walking towards the disciples and more precisely towards SiZhui. I noticed the surprised look on his face when my love said A-Yuan's name and collapsed in SiZhui's arms. I had to concentrate! The one who needed me right now was my love, not my son!

Voices began to be heard on the dock. I looked up to see what was going on. Jin Ling was facing Wen Ning, SiZhui, Jingyi and Zizhen. I continued to play while watching them. Wei Ying regained consciousness as he called out his nephew's name.

"Lan Zhan, what happened?

"You fainted," I replied.

"I didn't mean me, I meant Jin Ling! I was right, once again it was Jin Ling that you were worried about.

Despite your weakness, we went out to find out what exactly was going on and why they were fighting! Wei Ying went to ask Wen Ning for an explanation. This one apologized by saying to him that it was his fault that he had just wanted to speak to her!

I think that my love was mistaken on the words of his ghost general. He thought that Wen Ning had wanted to talk to Jin Ling... and that this was what had caused the row!

Uncle tried to calm down the nephew... who broke down in tears.

Jin Ling ... this child had never had the chance to know the tenderness of a mother or the security and confidence of a father. He had been raised by uncles who I thought were unreliable in these matters. One because of his character and the other because of his deceitfulness...

Jin Ling also had to face Wen Ning who had killed his father and Wei Wuxian, the uncle who was accused of not only giving the order but also causing the death of his mother.

He clung to his sword, the only memory he had of his father.

Everyone felt uncomfortable in front of this young man who was so full of pride in normal times and who was now a child wounded by the tragic fate of his family.

Attracted by his crying, Jiang Cheng turned to us and called Jin Ling. Jin Ling came towards him and wiped his tears.

From the look on Jiang Cheng's face, I knew that he blamed us for the events on the pier.

The leader of the Yao Clan called out to us. It was Zizhen, the young son of the Ouyang clan chief, who stood up for Wei Ying. Jiang Cheng spoke to his father.

"Is that your son talking? He has a sharp tongue.

"Zizhen, come to your father. Haven't you done enough foolishness already? Come here."

But the young disciple stood up to him! Then he hid behind SiZhui.

"The older you get, the more you disobey me, right? I will come and get you if you refuse.

"Father, let's just rest here. Your spiritual energy has not yet returned. Let's stay here!"

The events of the past few weeks had strengthened the bonds between our young disciplines, but above all they had made them develop a sense of trust in the one their parents feared: the Patriarch of Yiling!

They had gotten to know him. He had taught them how to survive and had saved their lives many times.

They admired him!

They had grown in independence and character. They had survived together!

Finally, it was time to leave. Although Jiang Cheng didn't seem to be pleased to welcome us to the "lotus pier", he let us come.

We boarded. The disciples of Gusu and Zizhen boarded with Wei Ying and me. The crossing took 4 hours. SiZhui was pale as well as Zizhen. I played "peace in you" to relax them and make them arrive at the port in the best possible conditions.

When we arrived, we disembarked. At the entrance was Jiang Cheng. He stared at the three of us, Wei Ying, Wen Ning and me. When he gave Wen Ning a nasty look, Wen Ning knew that he was not welcome and decided to stay outside.

Jiang Cheng turned away from us and left, indicating that we were allowed to enter the "Lotus Pier".

We crossed the threshold. We were following the others when Jingyi's voice called SiZhui.

When we turned around, he was rushing towards the ghost general. They started to talk. SiZhui was smiling and Wen Ning... seemed... happy. He was miming something that made my son laugh. They seemed to be getting along well!

Wei Ying looked at them. I held him back when he wanted to join them.

"Leave them!"

So we left them. We were the last to pass through the big doors of the "Lotus Pier".

I could see the hesitation in my soul mate's eyes. He had been excluded from this place, which he had always considered his home.

Here, in the midst of your youthful memories, were you finally going to speak? Were you going to tell me those secrets that had ruined your life and might do the same in the new one?

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