Interlude-Chen Xin

No questions were needed, the kid was definetly his family.

He looked a lot like his niece when she was that age more than two decades ago, even his personality seemed like hers, what two year old kid just left the house and decided that he wanted to go to a forest and just sit and watch the birds?

As Chen Xin looked at his grand nephew he became aware that he didn't know what to do.

Of course, he could just go down and present himself, but should he?

The kid looked happy now, and if he was anything like his mother, and even father from the little he knew about him, he wouldnt want to stay stuck in the same place. He would want to travel, something that was extremely hard for his niece at her young age since everyone knew who she was.

Would the same happen to his nephew? Would he have to lock him in the sect, against what was probably going to be his desires just to keep him safe until he was stronger?

No. He didn't want to do that.

As he looked down Chen Xin decided that he was going to wait and see how his personality developed before deciding what to do.

Chen Xin turned around and left, he lived two years thinking all his family was dead, he could live a few more with the knowledge it was safe and alive.

"You came back alone?" Ning fengzi asked when he came back, confused.

"Chen Jin is my family, but he also seems to be like his mother" Chen Xin simply said.

Ning Fengzi understood "Ahh... Uncle Sword wants to wait and see if he prefers freedom, unbound by the sect and where anonymity would be better?"

Gu Rong couldn't resist the opportunity "Old Sword, I didn't know you could think that far ahead".

Chen Xin looked at him but otherwise ignored him "I'll go and see him when I have the opportunity to leave without drawing attention, I'll wait until he's six to make a decision"

The young sect master nodded "I'll have a message passed to his family explaining the situation and to keep us informed, one of them already works for us, so we can keep it under wraps".

And time passed.

It was nearly two years after that Chen Xin came back from his third visit rather serious.

"We can't bring him back" we're the first words out of his mouth when he saw his old friend and sect master.

It was Gu Rong who responded "Why?"

Chen Xin was serious, but Ning Fengzi could see happiness intermixed in his expression.

"He is too talented" he started "Chen Jin already awakened his spirit"

They were dumbfounded. That was not what they were expecting.

"Yes, that was also my reaction" Chen Xin nodded, it was rather normal to react like that after all.

"But it means that irrespective of his personal leanings we can't bring him back, everyone would know. We can guess what the other sects would think, much less the Spirit Hall"

Both of them nodded at that. It was true, they could deal with the attention, but little Chen Jin wouldn't be. All that someone needed was a small chance, there was never any shortage of madmen who would be willing to try.

Ning Fengzi sighed, it was a pity, but it seemed like his one year old daughter wouldn't have a young friend for now.

"And what do you want to do? He is your family, it's your choice" the sect master said.

"I'll send a letter to advise him, from the information we've got over the months and the few that I've personally seen he seems nothing like a small child, he's mature enough to understand. I'll ask him not to come visit or travel until he looks old enough to be able to fool others about his age".

And that was that.