<blockquote> The rules and principles of his sect had always given Lan Qiren structure and purpose beyond the frailty of human attachments. Once, he had believed that his nephews were, in this, his mirror. The years and their events eroded this belief. In its place, he was starting to see a different kind of trust in his family and his sect. One that could bend with the pressure of time and not always break. </blockquote>
