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It is an auspicious day today at Lanling Jin. It is the day when the new Sect Leader, Jin Rulan takes his seat at Koi Tower. However, not everyone is looking forward to this day. Koi Tower is filled with power hungry elites who care more about prestige rather than serving the people of Lanling. They wanted to take the position as the head from its rightful owner. Deterring Jin Ling and treating him as a child.
Nevertheless, Jin Ling fought tooth and nail to be heard by his advisors and elders. He worked very hard to be seen as an equal and not a child, someone worthy enough to lead a sect. He didn’t do this on his own though. He had help from his elders at Lanling who were loyal to his father and in connection, became loyal to him as well. Of course, his uncle helped him. He always does. He was there every step of the way supporting Jin Ling. He was trying his best to stand back and let Jin Ling make the decisions and show his opinion, especially in public. Jin Ling is thankful for this. He knows his uncle wouldn't want others to look at Jin Ling and not see him. He wouldn’t want them to think that their future leader is being dragged around by Sandu Shengshou. However, it does feel gratifying when he sees the look of the elders who are against him when his uncle gives them his most withering glare.
“Young Master Jin, the ceremony is about to start.” his advisor Jin Peizhi, one of his father’s loyal disciples and a distant relative, tells him. Jin Ling nods at him through the mirror as he does some last minute checks. He crosses the room and when he is about to leave, Jin Peizhi thrusts a hand to stop him. Jin Ling looks at him inquiringly.
“You did a great job, Jin Rulan. You truly deserve your title as Sect Leader. Your father would have been so proud.” Jin Peizhi looks at him with warmth in his eyes and bows respectfully.
“Thank you, elder. I couldn’t have done this without your help.” Jin Ling replies with a smile on his face.
They leave for the ceremony.
Jin Ling takes a peek at the banquet hall at Koi Tower. It is filled with the cultivators from various sects. Looks like Lanling Jin still has the respect of the cultivation world despite the wrongdoings of his predecessors. Jin Ling wants to keep it that way and make it even better.
He sees his friends at their seats. Lan Sizhui and Lan Jingyi on the left side of the hall with the Lan delegation headed by Headmaster Lan. Zewu Jun isn’t available, having just entered seclusion a few months back. There was also Ouyang Zizhen, sitting behind his father. He is trying to have an inconspicuous conversation with Lan Jingyi but judging by the glares his father is sending him from time to time, it looks like they’re failing. Their excited chatter isn’t helping either. Jin Ling shakes his head in amusement.
He looks at the other side of the room and catches his uncle’s eyes. Jin Ling’s eyes widened in surprise. He thought he was hiding well, but his uncle can always spot him in a room full of people like a hound smelling a piece of meat. This ability of this uncle of his does help keep him away from danger. There was that one time when he was young and his uncle came rushing up to the end of the pier to catch him before he fell in. He was in the middle of listening to a report from his second-in-command and turned away for three seconds when that happened. You wonder how Jin Ling can still remember it when he must have been so young? His uncle kept reminding him that’s why. He memorized every word from that story by now.
His uncle’s ability is not always as advantageous to Jin Ling though. His uncle can always catch him before he does something stupid -- his uncle’s words, not his.
“Oh, it’s Jiujiu!” Jin Ling whispers. He sees his Jiujiu talking with other people. People as big as Jiujiu. He is sitting on his throne that Jin Ling absolutely adores and loves sitting on as well. He feels safe when he’s on it. It reminds him of Jiujiu. Big Jiujiu. Safe Jiujiu.
Jin Ling started sneaking in as quietly as his little toddler legs could take him. Which is not as quiet. His giggles do not help either. Neither was being in a room filled with cultivators who can hear him thanks to their heightened hearing.
“Jiujiu!” Jin Ling screams as he gets close enough to scare his uncle.
“A-Ling.” Jiujiu says and proceeds to put Jin Ling on his lap and tickle him. He erupts into another set of giggles.
The room filled with cultivators trying not to notice as Jin Ling began to chew on Zidian as if it is his teething toy and a little later the frog on Sandu’s hilt as his next victim.
Jin Ling waves brightly at his uncle who rolls his eyes at him. Jiang Cheng was with Jin Ling in his room a few moments ago before he was called by Jin Peizhi. However, he was forced convinced by Jin Ling to check the food at the banquet hall to stop his fussing. Looks like he found another thing to fuss about, judging by the tired glances the servants was shooting him. Jin Ling chuckles slightly.
“Young Master Jin, there you are! The ceremony is about to start!” one of his attendants said as he ran towards him. Jin Ling straightens his spine and gives him a nod.
This is it.
oOo
A Jin elder goes to the front of the banquet hall and clears his throat. The murmurs among the cultivators present ceased. “Lanling Jin welcomes you all! Thank you all for coming to the Sect Leader inauguration. Please welcome Jin Rulan!”
The doors opened and Jin Ling began to walk.
He wore fabrics of white and gold. They were heavy and very much expensive. Lanling Jin does live up to its reputation. He sees familiar faces and unfamiliar ones, he has to work on that, he thinks, as he is going to be a Sect Leader now. People wearing different colors representing their different sects.
He sees the envious looks some of the Jin elders gave him. Still longing for power, jealousy reeking from all of them. He needs to work on that as well, he notes. However, he’ll leave that for another day.
He sees his friends smiling at him with the brightest smiles. Happiness radiating from them and Jin Ling smiles. He’s glad he has found those three. They gave him a gift he never thought he could have. Friendship. Genuine friendship that he treasures so much.
He searches the crowd and finds purple. A color he thought of as home.
Safety. Love. Comfort.
He sees his uncle’s face and sees how proud he is. Suddenly it’s like he’s watching his entire life flash across his eyes. It’s purple. There were some specks of gold, but it has always been purple. It was his Jiujiu who raised him. It was his Jiujiu who protected him. It was his Jiujiu who loved him. He remembers Jin Peizhu saying how proud his father would have been. It was a good compliment, but Jin Ling doesn’t feel anything much by it. He knows of his father and his mother but he doesn’t know them. He knows his father is a good cultivator and his mother a kind one, but he can’t even remember what they look like. He doesn’t know how it feels like to be encased in a mother’s hug. He doesn’t know how it feels to be pat on the shoulder by a proud father.
However, he does know how it feels to be rocked to sleep with a lullaby in the arms of his Jiujiu. He knows how it feels to be confident enough that his Jiujiu will be there to catch him when he was learning how to ride on his sword. He knows that no matter what he does, his Jiujiu will always be there. He’ll be grumbling and snarky but Jin Ling knows there’s love and affection beneath that harsh exterior. That’s what Jin Ling loves about his Jiujiu.
He’s near the throne at the front of the banquet hall. A seat that he’ll take and with it, the responsibilities of a Sect Leader. Jin Ling is not afraid. With his Jiujiu by his side, he knows he can do anything.
With this thought, he backtracks until he is face to face with his Jiujiu. From what he can see, people in his periphery are exchanging puzzled glances. His Jiujiu looks at him confusedly, head tilting. His eyes look like they’re asking a silent question, ‘What are you doing, you brat?’
Jin Ling smiles.
I don’t think I ever thanked you, old man.
There are audible gasps in the room. Jin Ling found himself on his knees, head bowed and touching the floor along with his hands.
There was a sudden hush that fell in the room.
He can feel the incredulous stares of his elders and their harsh murmuring. Jin Ling does not care. If they have half the mind they would perceive this gesture not as Lanling Jin bowing to Yunmeng Jiang. It is a gesture of a nephew saying thank you to his uncle, the only family he knows. A thank you that is long overdue.
Thank you, Jiujiu. Thank you for raising me.
Thank you for loving me, because of you I have learned how it feels to be in a mother’s hug. Because of you I have learned how it feels to have a father who is proud of me.
Thank you for protecting me.
Thank you for your sacrifices.
Thank you for everything you have done.
Jin Ling finds himself getting tugged upwards and when he finally looks up, he sees his Jiujiu with tears in his eyes. His eyes are so bright. He looks so happy.
And then he smiles. A full blown smile and Jin Ling vows that he will do anything to keep that smile.
“I am so proud of you, A-Ling.” Jiujiu whispers. Jin Ling finds tears flowing down his face. He knows he’s an ugly crier, he must be so blotchy and covered with tear tracks right now.
“Why are you crying now, you little brat?” he asks fishing a handkerchief from his robes and dabs at Jin Ling’s eyes.
“You’re crying too!” Jin Ling says while sniffling. He was close to stomping his feet to make his point when he remembers that they have an audience.
Jiujiu must have remembered too because he smiles at Jin Ling so fondly and says, “Go on, Sect Leader Jin”.
Jin Ling beams.