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“They’re saying,” says Jin Ling, “that i’m just the son of a second son who is grasping for power just like any of the others. That my claim is no more legitimate than theirs.”
“What a crock of nonsense!” says Wei Wuxian. “Jin Zixuan may not have lived to be sect leader, but he was Jin Guangshan’s legitimate heir. Even Jin Guangyao never claimed otherwise. Anyway, wasn’t your father the older, between the two of them?”
“They were born on the same day, everyone knows that. There’s no way to say for sure which one was first. That’s enough of a reason for those people, there’s no real way to shut them up about it. And if one of these assassination attempts succeeds one of these days—”
“They won’t,” says Wei Wuxian.
Jin Ling opens his mouth like he’s going to argue, but whatever he sees in Wei Wuxian’s face gives him pause, and he subsides, still uneasy.
Lan Wangji says, “Excepting Jin Rulan, all living candidates are distant by at least two generations from the main family line. However...” He casts his eyes significantly towards Wei Wuxian, who takes his meaning immediately.
“Say, Jin Ling,” he says slowly. “What do you want from this? I mean, at this point in your life?”
“What do you mean, what do I want?” says Jin Ling miserably. “What does it even matter what I want? I can’t let those ravenous ghouls at the sect leader’s seat. We’re already in enough trouble after Jin Guangyao, they’d destroy us.”
Wei Wuxian says, “Well, if you feel that leading the sect is what you desire right now, then you should know that you’ll be supported. Your Uncle Jiang can’t support you too openly—that would be, ah, bad politics—”
“Yeah, they’re already saying that I’d just be a puppet for the Jiang sect,” says Jin Ling.
“—but I can,” continues Wei Wuxian. “And having the Yiling Patriarch at your back isn’t nothing. It might even be enough to scare your detractors into line, who knows?”
Jin Ling frowns. “That seems a little optimistic,” he says. And then, “Wait, what did you mean, ‘if’?”
Lan Wangji says, “Yourself aside, the sole remaining close descendant of the ruling line is Mo Xuanyu.”
“But Mo Xuanyu is dead,” says Jin Ling.
“Mo Xuanyu,” says Lan Wangji, “is here.”
Jin Ling follows his gaze to Wei Wuxian, who winks.