Back at the Yun Zou Sect Sect Master Yuchi Bing Xia sat in a pavilion behind the sect's main building and watched the young man next to him pour a cup of tea for both of them. He couldn't help but smile seeing his elegant gestures. Ah, it really had been his luck to find Yu Jin.
Yu Jin placed the teapot down and looked up at his master. He certainly hadn't called him over just to drink a cup of tea with him.
Yuchi Bing Xia smiled. This child was really perceptive. You could see that he already knew that something was up. His only fault was probably that he disliked talking. He never said more than necessary.
"Jin'er, you've been here for a few years already."
Once again only silence answered him.
"You know I always think if I had gotten married and had children my son would probably be like you. Just a bit more talkative."
Yu Jin's lips twitched. "I'm honored."
The Sect Master sighed. "And still you won't change your ways. Well, let's not talk about that any longer. It's just how you are. I've asked you over today because of that boy, Zhong Jing Yi. He and the Grandmaster's disciple have been gone for a while. I'm thinking about sending someone over to check on them."
Yu Jin silently nodded. He also thought that it would be good to have someone take a look at them.
"I thought this might be a good opportunity for you."
Yu Jin's brows drew together slightly. He knew what his master was trying to get at but he was afraid he'd have to disappoint him.
Yuchi Bing Xia stood up and looked over the valley at the foot of the mountain. "I've always fretted about whom to give the sect to. Your Senior Martial Brothers … Though they are all capable they are all lacking in some regard or the other. I wouldn't be able to hand the sect over to them in good conscience. But you …" He turned back and smiled. "I do think you would make a fine Sect master, Jin'er."
Yu Jin lowered his head. Yes, he had expected as much. He slowly stood up and followed his Master over. For a while, he just looked down at the outer sect with him before giving a sigh. He stepped back, cupped his fists and bowed. "I thank you for your high regard, Master. But … I can't accept this. Please decide on one of my Seniors."
Yuchi Bing Xia reached over and patted his shoulder. "There's no reason to be shy about this. You might be the youngest of them but you have the capabilities. They won't say anything about it."
"That's not it. I just feel … that it's not what I should be doing. I'll probably leave here in the future." Yu Jin looked up at the sky. Honestly, he did feel quite a bit of attachment for the Yun Zou Sect.
He couldn't explain it even to himself but from the moment he set foot on the sect grounds he had felt that this place was special. Maybe it was the place he should be at? But he had never intended to stay here for long. Could he just willfully change that? He had worked so hard to ascend … Wouldn't all that be for naught if he accepted his Master's suggestion?
Yuchi Bing Xia looked at his disciple in astonishment. "Jin'er, what are you talking about?"
"Master, I'm sorry. This isn't anything I can explain. Just believe me that the Yun Zou Sect won't be my home for long."
Yuchi Bing Xia frowned. Yu Jin seemed quite sure but that made him worry even more. "Is there something troubling you?"
"No." Well, in fact, there was. But he had been here for more than half a decade already and he still couldn't figure out why the sect seemed so special. Maybe he would see clearer when he left?
"Is somebody threatening you?"
Yu Jin turned back to his Master and gave a rare smile. "May I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"You've done so much for the sect all these years. Neither have you had the opportunity to marry and have a family nor have you been able to ascend. Do you feel it's worth it?"
Yuchi Bing Xia was stumped by this question. Did Yu Jin mean that he didn't want his position because he felt like it wouldn't be worth it? Well, one probably couldn't answer this question in a simple way. "If you'd ask if I would have liked to marry and have children, then the answer would definitely have been yes."
"I thought so."
"And if you asked if I wanted to ascend … Naturally, the answer would still be the same." He took Yu Jin's arm and led him back into the pavilion. "It's not that easy, though. Honestly, most people would say the same. Who wants to be alone? And who wants to stay mortal and die if he could become a deity? It would be hard to find a person that would be content with that.
"But the sect has given much to me and without a Sect Master, it couldn't continue to thrive. The Yun Zou Sect …" He sighed and shook his head. "We were one of the strongest back in the day. One of the first ranked sects or maybe you could even say that we exceeded that ranking. You can see where we stand now. The Yun Zou Sect isn't bad but we're by far not a powerhouse anymore. If not for Grandmaster Zhangsun … Who would take us seriously?"
Yuchi Bing Xia took the cup of tea and drowned it in one gulp. "Ah, it's also my fault. I haven't advanced in a long time. Who would take a Sect Master like that seriously? And with my advancement failing to appear the sect continues to decline. It'll go on like that." He looked up at Yu Jin and smiled. "That was one of the reasons I decided on you. Among my disciples, you have the best aptitude. I had hoped that … you wouldn't end up like me."
Yu Jin furrowed his brow. Hearing his Master talk like that he felt guilty. He had accepted the position as his disciple even though he knew that he didn't intend to stay. The hopes this man had placed on him … he had betrayed them since the beginning. Even worse, he had betrayed this man who had taken him in with good intentions. He didn't feel good about it at all.