daozhangs | ic inbox, ryslig.

ic inbox, ryslig.

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, XIAO.XINGCHEN. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 018.07.154.55 * XIAO.XINGCHEN has joined 018.07.154.55 <XIAO.XINGCHEN> You have reached Xiao Xingchen. <XIAO.XINGCHEN>** I am often away from my laptop, but I will do my best to answer as soon as I'm able.

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[ A good question, with an easy though painful answer. ]

I would refuse with a heavy heart, for no matter how much I want to see my home and nephew again, I have a duty to the people of Ryslig to see this night hunt through to the end.

Once my duty to this world is done, I must return to serve my sect.

[ And nowhere had his personal happiness factored in, or the life he shares with his new husband. ]

I see what you are telling me.

Thank you. You see far more clearly than I do.

Compromise then.

Have you a plan in mind?

( xingchen has the sneaking suspicion that he does - that he simply needed to give himself permission to go through with it. )

[ That answer takes longer. Saying it out loud and seeing it in the screen makes it real. ]

I want to pledge my allegiance to the Fourth God, and serve him in this war.

I think that's an insightful and well-considered step on a far more sustainable path than the one which we've traveled thus far.

( because telling jiang wanyin that he's proud of him would almost certainly be too much of an indignity for the man to bear. )

I'm relieved you don't think me weak or abandoning my principles.

We have tried to walk this path alone together. But I will still walk it with you now, regardless of what you choose.

Because I, of course, have so very much room to throw stones on the matter of abandoning principles.

( is it too soon to lighten the mood somewhat? who knows. )

As for the latter point, I had no doubt that you would.