Battle Through the Heavens: The Rock King Emperor's Leisurely Wanderings in the Mortal World

Chapter 10 Yun Yun's Attitude

In the quiet room, Yun Yun slightly raised her head, a thoughtful expression in her eyes. She gently put down the somewhat heavy stack of official documents in her hands, her eyes sparkling with satisfaction, her heart filled with genuine joy that her apprentice was about to get married.

"It seems your fiancé's family truly possesses extraordinary opportunities," Yun Yun said slowly, her voice gentle yet tinged with emotion. "That strange fire is an extremely rare treasure in this world. Countless people spend their entire lives without ever seeing its true form. I imagine it won't be long before your fiancé's family resolutely leaves the somewhat cramped Wutan City and embarks on the broad road to the capital, beginning a brand new and glorious journey."

Upon hearing this, Nalan Yanran's face immediately showed anxiety, and she quickly explained, "Teacher, you seem to have misunderstood me." Her voice was urgent, and her eyes revealed a hint of determination. "What I really meant was, shouldn't we try to seize the Xiao family's strange fire?"

Yun Yun paused slightly, her brows furrowing, a look of doubt in her eyes. She asked softly, "Why would you think that? Your fiancé's family is so powerful; wouldn't that be a great asset to your future life?"

A fleeting hint of embarrassment crossed Nalan Yanran's face, her fingers unconsciously fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, as if trying to conceal her inner unease. After a moment's hesitation, she slowly said, "Teacher, actually... I went to the Xiao family to annul the engagement."

"What?!" Yun Yun's eyes flashed with astonishment. She asked incredulously, "Didn't you say before that you were going to the Xiao family to thoroughly investigate your fiancé and see if he was truly the one you could entrust your life to? How come things have now escalated to the point of annulment?"

Nalan Yanran parted her lips slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but something seemed to be stuck in her throat, and her speech became fast and slow, stammering, "I...I..."

Recalling the scene at the Xiao family, Nalan Yanran couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. At the time, she had confidently declared to everyone that her actions were permitted by her teacher. However, in reality, she had already planned to use the excuse that Xiao Yan of the Xiao family was a complete waste to deal with any possible questions from Yun Yun. After all, based on her understanding of Yun Yun, she knew Yun Yun to be rational and intelligent, and would surely understand her decision given the vast difference in strength between the two.

But who could have imagined that Zhong Li would suddenly appear out of nowhere, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly disrupting all of Nalan Yanran's carefully planned schemes and catching her off guard.

Nalan Yanran slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, her eyes flashing with a resolute light. She said firmly, "Master, that person is nothing but a useless fellow! What merit does he possess? Even if Zhong Li has great strength, what does that have to do with Xiao Yan? Although Zhong Li has a strange fire, can he forcibly separate it from himself and then hand it over to Xiao Yan? Besides, Zhong Li's strength is only at the Dou Ling level. If he were in our Yunlan Sect, he would at most be at the elder level. I'm sure Elder Yun Ling could easily suppress him with one hand. In that case, how could he be worthy of being an aid to me, the young sect master of the Yunlan Sect? Master, I want to choose my own path in life!"

Yun Yun sighed softly and said slowly, "So be it. Ultimately, you have to make your own choices in life. I only hope that when you look back in the future, you won't regret the decision you made today." After saying that, she turned away, leaving behind a faint sense of helplessness and concern.

"Teacher, my mind is made up, and I will never regret it. My man, Nalan Yanran's man, is no ordinary man!!" Nalan Yanran clenched her fists, her eyes filled with unwavering determination, her voice soft yet carrying an undeniable resolve.

Yun Yun pursed her lips slightly, remaining silent, and slowly shook her head. She understood that Nalan Yanran was an extremely stubborn child, but her filial piety towards her elders was also touching.

"Alright, I'll explain things to your grandfather in detail. Your most important task right now is to devote yourself entirely to cultivation. After all, the three-year agreement you made with Xiao Yan is no joke. If what Xiao Yan said is true, then the root cause of his cultivation regression has been found. In addition, with a master possessing a strange fire to help him, I'm afraid that the outcome of this competition three years from now may not be as smooth as you hope."

"Then, Teacher, what about the Xiao family's strange fire?" Nalan Yanran inwardly regretted her actions. She knew she had lied to her teacher, and her teacher must be in a bad mood right now. Normally, it wouldn't be appropriate to bring up such a sensitive topic, but the strange fire was a rare treasure, an irresistible temptation for cultivators. Nalan Yanran was unwilling to give up so easily; even if there was only a sliver of a chance, she wanted to try again. However, compared to her slightly anxious tone when she first entered, her voice was noticeably weaker now, as if she were cautiously probing.

"Let's put the matter of the Xiao family's strange fire aside for now. If we continue to act by force and plunder without any regard for the lives of others, such behavior will undoubtedly cause great damage to the reputation of the Yunlan Sect. After all, the reputation of a sect is the foundation of its existence. Such unscrupulous methods will only tarnish the prestige of the Yunlan Sect in the Northwest Continent."

Yun Yun sighed softly, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible sorrow.

"Moreover, as things stand, the Yunlan Sect already owes the Xiao family a debt. Our Yunlan Sect is not a bandit or tyrant from the mountains. Under these circumstances, if we were to rashly try to seize that mysterious and precious strange fire, it would be tantamount to adding fuel to the fire in the Xiao family's already difficult situation, pushing them to the brink of despair and completely cutting off their path to survival. This is not a wise move, nor does it conform to the magnanimity and style that the Yunlan Sect should have. Moreover, it would give you, the young sect leader, a pretext to portray yourself as someone who is afraid of breaking promises and resorting to any means necessary."

When those words reached her ears, Nalan Yanran felt as if she had been enlightened, instantly understanding Yun Yun's good intentions. As the young sect leader, she had always acted with her own interests in mind, rarely considering the overall interests and reputation of the sect.

"Alas, it seems I still have a long way to go before I can truly shoulder the responsibilities of sect leader, and I must persevere in my efforts." Nalan Yanran pondered to herself, her tone full of self-examination and anticipation for the future.

"Master, I understand. I will take my leave now." With that, she bowed slightly and then slowly turned and left.

As Nalan Yanran slowly emerged from the sect leader's mansion, Gu He happened to brush past her. He smiled and tentatively asked, "Yun'er, you promised to help me with something in return for the elixir I gave you. Is that promise still valid?"

Seeing that Nalan Yanran had left, Yun Yun turned her gaze to Gu He. Her tone turned icy cold again, a stark contrast to the gentleness she had shown Nalan Yanran earlier: "Of course it works. However, I'd like to know what problem Elder Gu has encountered that requires my personal assistance."

Gu He didn't take Yun Yun's change in attitude to heart; after all, he was already used to this way of being treated.

"It's about the strange fire."

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(End of this chapter)