Tell Me The Truth

Once again, Wang Jingyuan hesitated on telling Mo Xian the entire truth. She had grown close to him over the past several weeks, and he had proven to be nothing but kind, chivalrous, and gentlemanly. He protected her from Qingsha Sect earlier, didn't he? He stood up for her and spoke so she didn't have to. This made Wang Jingyuan feel even worse about the possibility of bringing an innocent person into her mess.

At the same time, her logical mind still made her a little unsure of if she could trust Mo Xian completely. She knew next to nothing about him. All she managed to get out of him was that he lived in the Capital and that he had clan troubles. She never got more details about why assassins were sent after him, or what he was going to do about the ordeal. Mo Xian didn't like talking about it, so she didn't bring up the subject again. Wang Jingyuan would have liked to not talk about her own problems either, but the appearance of Qingsha Sect made it impossible.

She decided to give a vague answer. "Everyone went after my mentor because he had something they didn't, and they wanted it. They tarnished his name using a ridiculous excuse and slaughtered my entire sect. My mentor died because of a fatal blow from Qingsha Sect's signature skill, the Eight Trigrams Soul-Extraction Palm. I guess Qingsha Sect wants to wipe out my sect entirely, which is why they're hunting for me."

"You have a senior brother who's at the Capital. Is Qingsha Sect hunting for him too?" Mo Xian asked.

"I haven't heard anything, but I would assume they are." Wang Jingyuan looked down at her tea and took another sip. "It's too dangerous for either of us to be alone. The sooner I can find my senior brother, the sooner we can fight against Qingsha Sect together."

Mo Xian nodded. He noticed how Wang Jingyuan's answers were still vague. He wished she would tell him everything, but what right did he have to demand her to tell him the truth when he was still hiding his true identity from her? He tried to comfort his subconscious by telling himself that he was doing this for her own good, and that after they reached the Capital they would have to go on their own separate ways anyway. The less Wang Jingyuan knew, the better it was for her. "Could you tell me the name of your sect, Miss Wang?"

Wang Jingyuan thought about it. There was no harm in telling him since he already knew about Luo Qingye. He would figure it out sooner or later. "I'm from Xuanyan Sect."

"Ah." Although Mo Xian was not part of the martial arts sector, he still heard things about it. For example, although he didn't know all the famous martial artists or the sect chiefs, he knew that the five largest sects were Huashan Sect, Emei Sect [1], Luoyun Manor, Feiyue Pavilion, and Qingsha Sect. Xuanyan Sect was not as large as the other sects, but was still well-known.

"According to what I have heard, Xuanyan Sect prefers to be low-key and stay out of conflict. How did things escalate to the point of the five large sects joining forces and eradicating Xuanyan Sect?" Mo Xian questioned.

"I don't know. Shifu never told me the details, and I don't know of the conflicts and grievances he had with the other sects." Wang Jingyuan shook her head. "All I know was that they attacked suddenly and caught us by surprise. I wasn't there, but…" Her voice trailed off. She could imagine the bloodbath that took place and the dire circumstances that forced someone as strong and powerful as Luo Qingye to jump off a cliff.

Mo Xian detected her melancholy and changed the subject. "What do you plan on doing if Qingsha Sect gives us more trouble as we go to the Capital?"

The fire returned to Wang Jingyuan's eyes. "We try to avoid confrontation and avoid them entirely, but if they try something sneaky, then don't stop me from kicking their butts."

"I have no doubt you would have kicked their butts tonight if I hadn't stopped you."

"Honestly, it would've been easier if I had just beat them all up. You wasted so much breath talking to people who are unreasonable. I can't believe they call themselves martial artists when they should call themselves pigs." Wang Jingyuan crossed her arms in a huff.

"Well, not everyone is as virtuous and honorable like you are, Miss Wang," Mo Xian replied with a soft smile. "I must advise you to not rush into conflict, though. Since your sword is noticeable and identifies you as Luo Qingye's disciple, it's best for you to not show it at all."

"I'll try, but not showing it at all is impossible. I can't be a martial artist without a weapon. Besides, if Qingsha Sect does attack us first, I will not back down." Wang Jingyuan remembered something. "I admire how calm and collected you were, Childe Mo. You weren't ruffled at all."

That's because I've seen way worse, Mo Xian thought. I used to stare Death in his face daily, and I've talked my way out of utter destruction. He mustered a small chuckle. "One becomes more coolheaded as one gains experience in the real world."

"What kind of experiences? I think it would be beneficial for me to have some of those experiences," said Wang Jingyuan, ever so innocent. "I want to be coolheaded in the face of conflict."

"Oh, Miss Wang, I'd rather you never experience them," Mo Xian murmured. Then his expression turned solemn. "Miss Wang, I want to help you. I want to make sure you arrive at the Capital safely and find your senior brother. I hope that from now on, you can tell me the truth. I know there may be certain things that you don't feel comfortable in sharing, and that's fine. But don't carry the burden by yourself, okay? Let other people—let me—help lessen the load."

He seemed very sincere as he said this. Wang Jingyuan felt her heart melt. "Thank you, Childe Mo. I am very touched by your kind words. I will keep them in mind."

Her eyes locked with Mo Xian's. "But that goes for you too, Childe Mo. I want to help you too. I don't know what happened to you before or what you might face in the future, but I want to be there for you as you have been there for me. I don't want you to carry your burden alone either. Will you let me help you, Childe Mo?"

Wang Jingyuan had turned Mo Xian's words on himself. He smiled inwardly, happy that she cared about him and wanted to help him, even as he reminded himself again to not get Wang Jingyuan mixed up in his mess. She was too innocent and naïve; she would drown and die in the storm he was caught in. But when faced with Wang Jingyuan's earnest gaze, Mo Xian could not bring himself to tell her no.

"Of course, Miss Wang. I am honored to have you on my side."