And as the saying went, better to take a shit as soon as you feel the shit coming.

She decided to make her move the next time she saw the man.

…

The next day, sitting on a recliner chair in his garden, Jin read a detailed file.

It contained information on a young woman named Ning. Ning Nongtian.

From the Wind Slash Sect.

Both names were very familiar to him.

He chuckled sadly as he wondered if his guess was on-point. If it was…He laughed at his own imagination.

The Wind Slash Sect was the closest sect he ever walked by when he first left his “home” in this life.

And, as for the name Nongtian…It was the family name of the two that gave birth to this body of his. He never used it as he never felt he deserved it. After all, back then, he had been unable to ever consider them as his parents.

True, that woman pushed him out of her and he was born but…He could not accept having another mother. Or father for what it’s worth.

But he remembered.

Being a cultivator meant incredible memory but even if not for that he would have remembered. After all, while he never managed to consider them his family, they did consider him theirs.

And if that young woman was from them…Would it not make her his sister?

He laughed out loud at the mere thought.

He lifted himself up as he stored the file in his storage ring and went back inside. He needed some alcohol.

Regardless if she was who he thought, he would have to consider whether or not to approach her and how to do so.

If she was looking into him thinking he was her brother…How should he act?

He spent the entire morning pondering the question without finding an answer. The Frone did not help. Regardless of how tasty and that drink was, regardless of its alcohol content, it did not help.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

He was not getting drunk.

He was not thinking better either.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, he was not given more time to ponder. Because one of the maids brought a young woman in green robes to him as he was still lazily sprawled on his chair with a Frone-filled gourd in each hand.

He could easily recognize the young woman as the one from the file. She looked just like the picture.

He watched her just as she watched him.

They remained static as they waited for the maid to leave.

Then, she took a deep breath and asked: “Are you big brother Jin?”

He had thought of this moment the entire morning. Of how he would find a way to make her believe he was not. Of how he would push her away from him, as far as possible, so as not to entangle her into his life… But, in the end, as he saw her, as he gazed into her eyes, he found himself answering without thinking: “Yes”

Then, he saw her rush at him and jump into his arms. He dropped his gourds as he felt her hug him tightly.

She was trembling slightly.

He could sense some tears flowing down her cheeks.

But more than anything, the most curious of all, were the tears streaming down his own cheeks.

He was unable to comprehend and follow the situation…

…

A few minutes later, both of them were sitting on the rooftop of the Mansion, gazing into the distance from their vantage point.

She asked him again: “You truly are my big brother?”

He nodded.

Since it came down to this, there was no longer any reasons to think much more.

He always made mistakes in this life.

This was likely the new one to add on the list.

Bringing this young woman into his life…It was bad for her. She would have likely been better off never meeting him or realizing who he was.

He could have made that happen.

He did not.

And he could not even understand why.

His emotions were in disarray and his thought process stopped.

She nodded to herself as she returned to gazing at the land below. A few moments later, she took a paper from her spatial ring and showed it to him.

He grabbed it and recognized it.

It was not hard. It was his wanted poster. It brought a chuckle out of him. To think he would see one of those this far away…

He asked her: “Is there anyone else that knows?”

She shook her head sideways. Then, she stated: “I’m not stupid. I would never sell you out”

He laughed as he gave her the paper back: “Just burn that thing then”

She did exactly as he asked. In a second, fire element materialized from her spiritual energy and consumed the whole paper, turning it to ashes.

He looked at her. She was staring at him straight.

She looked a lot like her mother. Their mother.

He said: “Just ask”

She took a deep breath and did ask: “Did you really do what they said?”

He answered her: “Not everything, only a few things. But I did do many things that could have been listed alongside those”

She asked: “Because there were no other options, right?”

He smiled sadly as he gave her the truth: “Not always”

She nodded and fell into deep thought for a few minutes before she continued asking questions.

Did he slaughter Giants and Dragons? Did he slash mountains in two? Did he annihilate sects and cities on his path?... Most things were bullshit or propaganda. In any case, he took the time to answer all her queries.

They were just small talk though.

And sooner or later, she was bound to ask one real question. And she did, of course:

“Do you regret leaving home?”

A very simple question to ask yet one very difficult to answer to. It was not the first time he was faced with it. It was not the first time he would give that answer. But this time, it felt heavier to say it.

Still, he honestly answered: “I do not”