THE UNTAMED HEART

Chapter 6: Escape

Everybody was shocked to hear these news, though good-mannered, Jiang Yanli rushed to Jiang Cheng and said:

"A-Cheng"

She smiled and looked at him, then at others, then Jiang Cheng said:

"A-jie"

She nodded and gave him a smile, she wasn't angry, she was never angry, she was worried, always worried about her brothers and then she broke the silence as she bowed and said:

"Master Jin, I am afraid, under these circumstances, I can't get engaged with you, Lotus Pier is my home, A-Cheng and A-Xian are my little brothers, I can't abandon them and I am the senior sister of the current disciples, I can't abandon them either. Sect Leader Jin, with all due respect but, I am not going to repeat the same mistake that may parents did."

Madam Jin gasped and said:

"A-Li, your mother."

Jiang Yanli looked at her, bowed and then said:

"Madam Jin, A-Cheng and A-Xian are my little brothers, I am the senior sister of Yunmeng Jiang Clan, I can't make the same mistake that my parents did, Lotus Pier is my home, I can't abandon them."

Her words were firm yet respectful, just as back at the Phoenix Mountain and then she turned to Jin Zixun saying:

"Besides, Master Jin didn't apologize from the senior disciple of Yunmeng Jiang Sect Wei Wuxian which is an offense to my little brother A-Xian as well as an offense to me, to our leader and our disciples."

Madam Jin tried to say one last thing:

"A-Li, your mom and I..."

Jiang Yanli then said:

"Madam Jin, with all due respect, you may have been good friends with my mom. This doesn't change the fact that Master Jin, Jin Zixun of Lanling Jin Sect offended Master Wei, Wei Wuxian of Yunmeng Jiang Sect who is the senior disciple of this generation in front of all these sect leaders by insulting him and calling him 'a mere son of a servant' this is not a trivial matter to me and it has nothing to with you and your relationship to our mother, besides, he still didn't apologize which adds up to his first offense. I am sorry Madam Jin, but I can't proceed with this engagement let alone being involved with such a clan that takes no responsibility for their actions and tries to use their previous relationships as excuses. A-Cheng, let's go."

Jiang Cheng nodded and bowed as he left the main hall with Jiang Yanli. They descended down the stairs, just as they were walking to the chariot, they heard someone:

"Lady Jiang, Sect Leader Jiang, wait, please!"

They both turned to face Jin Zixuan, Jiang Cheng got angry and Zidian started glowing, Jiang Yanli held his wrist and said:

"Master Jin, was I unclear?"

Jin Zixuan looked at her:

"No, you were clear as a river. Lady Jiang, forgive me for my boldness, I really love you, I really want to be with you. I didn't know that Zixun didn't apologize, I didn't know that my father was so greedy when he asked about Master Wei and Stygian Tiger Amulet, you... What you told to my mom made me realize. Forgive me for my behavior, my father, you know how he is with women, so I keep mending the relationship between him and mom, it never occurred to me how terrible he could be, I was choked under his arrogance, under this sect's arrogance, you opened my eyes, I am ready to defect."

Jiang Cheng calmed down and looked at him, asking:

"Master Jin, what did you say?"

Jin Zixuan kept looking at them:

"I told that I am ready to defect. He is protecting Xue Yang because Xue Yang imitates Wei Wuxian, besides that brat has a piece from Yin Iron, I felt its energy yet I have no idea where he hides it. Let me come to Lotus Pier, Lady Jiang, I was willing to build a Lotus Pier here for you, it never occurred to me that I would be the one to go there along with you."

Jiang Yanli looked at Jiang Cheng and then at Jin Zixuan:

"Master Jin, you are aware of the behaviors of Jin Zixun, Madam Jin and the Sect Leader Jin?"

Jin Zixuan nodded, Jiang Yanli continued:

"I am not abandoning my brothers, if this is fine by you, you may follow us as long as Sect Leader Jiang approves it."

Jiang Cheng was now at a hard spot, yet his sister had a point, he was the sect leader, the ultimate decision was his, he said:

"You can come, but I will make sure you are heavily watched, one attempt to leak information or exploit anything, you die."

Jiang Yanli looked at both of them:

"It is fair."

As scary as the thought of Jin Zixuan might be killed if he made any wrong move, it was only fair  for them to give him a chance as they were standing by the truth and Jin Zixuan also had the right to stand by the truth if he wanted to, they all left Lanling and went back to Yunmeng.

On the way to Yunmeng, they passed by Yiling, picking up Wei Wuxian, Wen Qing and Wen Ning. Jiang Yanli looked at Wei Wuxian and touched his face, crying, as she now knew the fact of the golden core, she looked at him:

"A-Xian, ah my Xianxian, what have you done?"

Wei Wuxian looked at her:

"Shijie, forgive me. Don't be mad at me. I did what I had to do."

She looked at him and teasingly touched his nose:

"You fool, how can I be mad at you? I was worried because I knew you changed, I knew your foundation changed, I knew you had a reason to cultivate this way. Xianxian, how did you keep it from your shijie?"

Wei Wuxian started crying, Jiang Yanli put him on her lap and let him cry, he then said:

"Shijie, I am sorry."

She caressed his head:

"It is okay Xianxian. You, I, and A-Cheng, us three will never separate."

Wei Wuxian kept crying and they eventually arrived in Lotus Pier. Jiang Cheng said:

"I gave Sect Leader Lan and Sect Leader Nie the bell of Yunmeng Jiang Sect. This way, they and their troops will be able to pass through the Lotus Barrier."

Wei Wuxian nodded and smiled:

"People in the Burial Mounds are safe behind the barrier, nothing can break it, not even Stygian Tiger Amulet."

Luckily, nobody in Jin Sect had such a bell, as for Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue, their bells would also allow their troops to pass through the barrier. They all started preparing without fooling around as everybody started working hard.