Since he didn’t know what to do, Yuchi Bing Xia also kept quiet for the time being. He merely looked at Yu Jin and tried to find some clue as to what was the right thing to say. For a while, the two men stood in the Sect Master’s study, neither of them saying a word, one looking at the ground while the other observed him. If somebody had walked in at this moment, they surely would have wondered what was going on.

In the end, Yu Jin furrowed his brows. "The Sect Master doesn’t need to worry. I’m alright."

When he finally got some kind of response, Yuchi Bing Xia smiled. "Are you angry that I kept my identity from you?" He really hoped that Yu Jin would say yes. After all, feeling a bit of anger was still better than being as apathetic as he was right now.

Unfortunately, Yu Jin shook his head. "The Sect Master will have had his reasons. Furthermore, you found me while you were doing something. What is there to explain? It doesn’t matter to me anyway."

Yuchi Bing Xia gave a sigh and motioned over to the desk. "Why don’t you sit down? I think we should talk."

Yu Jin looked at the desk and seemed to hesitate but he finally moved when Yuchi Bing Xia lightly patted his shoulder. Ah, this child had probably always been obedient when his Master asked him to do something. This really … was a good youth. He followed him over and sat down on the other side.

The Sect Master took a moment longer to observe Yu Jin before he finally spoke up. "I know the current situation must be difficult for you. It’s not just that you’ve lost somebody who was close to you. There’s also the loss of your own normal life. You were used to traveling around with your Master, weren’t you? And now that he’s dead … He is gone, your usual life is gone, everything has suddenly changed. That is something that is very difficult to get used to. But it is something you don’t have to go through alone."

Yu Jin didn’t even look at him. He was just sitting on the chair, keeping quiet, staring at a spot somewhere in front of him.

Yuchi Bing Xia sighed. "You’re still young. You might feel that if you go on, if you find another place for yourself, other people to get along with, that that would be like betraying your Master. But it’s not.

"You might not believe me if I just say so but maybe think about it yourself. We are cultivators. We have a very long life ahead of us and the way we do live — especially somebody who’s a wandering cultivator … It isn’t easy. There are always dangers. Whether it’s because of a demonic beast that we encounter or a hidden realm that had unexpected traps hidden inside or maybe an encounter with demonic practitioners just like you and your Master had one. All of that can cost our life. Sometimes we’re lucky and can escape. Sometimes we even get help. But sometimes it will be just like with your Master. All help will come too late.

"If this was me, then what I would worry about the most would be what would become of the Yun Zou Sect without me? What would happen to my disciples? I don’t know your Master but maybe he was the same. He didn’t have a sect so I guess you were the most important person to him.

"If I were in his stead, then I would want you to go on living, to have a good life, to learn whatever I wasn’t able to teach you before regardless of who it is that teaches you or where they do so. The most important thing for me would’ve been to let you thrive. To let you attain greater heights so that you would be safe even without me. What would be the use in having you die too?"

This time, Yu Jin glanced up at him but he still didn’t speak.

Yuchi Bing Xia felt helpless. This youth … He really was difficult to talk to. He had already said so much but all he got was a short glance. Had he gotten through to him? He didn’t know. Well, he couldn’t ask him. He could only hope that he had been successful and then see how things went on. "Whatever I say to you might not mean much to you right now. So just think it over yourself. Take a bit of time and come to terms with this. While you do so … You’re welcome here. In fact, even when you come to terms with everything, there will still be a place for you here in the Yun Zou Sect. You don’t have to go through this alone."

Something flickered in Yu Jin’s eyes and he finally really looked up, his gaze lingering on Yuchi Bing Xia’s face for a moment as if he was searching for something. "Sect Master Yuchi … Is inviting me to stay?"

Yuchi Bing Xia almost wanted to sigh in relief. In the end, he only nodded. "Wu Min Huan and I have found you just before you were about to die. That can also be considered fate. So if you feel that the Yun Zou Sect might be a place you could feel comfortable in the future, then regard it as your home." He gave a smile that wasn’t requited but at the very least, the youth seemed to relax.

Yuchi Bing Xia got up and went over, patting his shoulder. "Alright, why don’t you go and continue searching for those demonic practitioners together with Min Huan? Maybe you’ll feel better when you find them."

Yu Jin got up but shook his head. "Whether we find them or not, it wouldn’t change anything."

This time it was Yuchi Bing Xia who kept quiet. He looked at the youth and tried to find out just what he meant. It wouldn’t change anything? That was indeed true but … "You don’t want to find them? Don’t you feel like taking revenge?"

Yu Jin’s lips parted and he finally sighed. "What use is in revenge? It would just continue forever. Isn’t it better to just let it go?"

Just let it go? Yuchi Bing Xia didn’t know what to say to that. In the end, he only patted Yu Jin’s shoulder again. "If you don’t want to go and search for them, then I’ll tell Min Huan to return alone. You can just stay here."

Yu Jin nodded and turned away, leaving the Sect Master’s palace. He quietly returned to the house he had been given and walked to the plum tree in the courtyard, sitting down at its roots. Rather than looking at the past and taking revenge, he’d much rather look into the future and find out just why he had felt so strange since entering the sect. He just couldn’t help but feel that the Sect Master wasn’t wrong. There was indeed some kind of fate lying here.