You Sure Dare to Dream, Disciple

"Te-Teacher, they all bullied me."

"That Xiao Yan refused to agree to breaking off the engagement. He even said he wanted to divorce me."

"Even worse was his cousin. He berated me and said, said I was an ungrateful wretch."

"I just, I just didn't want to marry a stranger. I never meant for things to become this serious. Boohoo~"

Nestled in Yun Yun's embrace, Nalan Yanran finally found an outlet for all her pent-up grievances and poured them out.

After a full day and night of reflection, she, though spoiled, knew right from wrong and had already realized that Chu Xiao's words had indeed been correct.

She could have wanted to break off the engagement, but she should not have invoked the Misty Cloud Sect's name without permission just because her grandfather opposed her, forcing the matter through in such a high-profile manner.

She had enjoyed the benefits brought by her family. If she did not wish to enter a marriage alliance, she should have handled it more gently rather than humiliating both the Xiao Family and the Nalan Family as she had now, even damaging the Misty Cloud Sect's reputation.

Marriage alliances were, at their core, partnerships of interest. With Xiao Yan having become worthless, the Xiao Family was not stupid; they knew how such an engagement should be handled. Yet because she had gone to their door to break it off, the two families might now become enemies.

"Teacher, did I, did I do something wrong?"

Seeing that Yun Yun did not respond, Nalan Yanran raised her head, her face streaked with tears.

"Don't you already have your answer?" Yun Yun rubbed Nalan Yanran's little face. "Your thinking was not wrong. Your method was."

In the end, that was what Chu Xiao's words boiled down to.

Marriage alliances were originally a means of binding interests and deepening cooperation between two factions. It was only because the Nalan Family cared about its reputation that it had not taken the initiative to propose ending the engagement.

Though strength reigned supreme on the Dou Qi Continent, and the Misty Cloud Sect was powerful enough that a few Dou Ling elders could wipe out the Xiao Family several times over.

But if you relied on your strength to destroy the Xiao Family, then if a Dou Zong took a dislike to you, could they not destroy the Misty Cloud Sect for fun as well?

That would only plunge the entire Dou Qi Continent into chaos. Aside from the Black-Corner Region, no other region would openly behave that way.

So long as it was not an evil sect or a blood feud, one still needed a justifiable reason to act.

The engagement was a private matter between the Xiao Family and the Nalan Family. The Misty Cloud Sect had no proper grounds to force its way in.

Now that Yun Shan was in closed-door seclusion, the Misty Cloud Sect's strongest combatant was only Yun Yun, a Dou Huang. They were simply no match for the imperial family, which had the Nether Sea Serpent Beast, an injured Eight-star Dou Huang, and Jia Xingtian, a peak Dou Huang. Not to mention the three great families, countless troops, and the Dou Wangs stationed at fortresses and major cities, all nominally under imperial command.

If their strengths were truly compared, the Misty Cloud Sect might not even be stronger overall than the Snake-People Tribe. They had not reached the point where they could run rampant without restraint.

Within the Jia Ma Empire, rules still had to be observed.

"Teacher, then what should I do now?" Nalan Yanran lowered her head dejectedly.

Even her teacher, Yun Yun, a Dou Huang, was not taking her side. There was nothing more to say.

"Before answering that, Teacher needs to know exactly what you did." Yun Yun patted the seat beside her, signaling for Nalan Yanran to sit down.

"When I agreed to let you break off the engagement, I warned you to speak properly first. If the Xiao Family clung to the matter without knowing their limits, only then should you invoke the Misty Cloud Sect's name. Things should never have developed into this."

If the Misty Cloud Sect had intended to use force to oppress others, it would not have had Nalan Yanran bring a fourth-grade pill to their door.

That pill was not even a sect resource. Yun Yun had personally asked Gu He, an honorary elder of the sect, to refine it.

If they truly did not care about appearances, the Misty Cloud Sect should have directly sent a Dou Ling expert to deliver a message: "Your Xiao Family's Xiao Yan has become worthless, yet you still refuse to take the initiative to dissolve his marriage with our sect leader's disciple. You are courting death."

They could have simply killed Xiao Yan, or secretly allied with the other two families in Wutan City and wiped out the Xiao Family. Either would have been fine.

From the very beginning, Yun Yun had intended to offer courtesy before resorting to force.

"Well..."

A hesitant expression appeared on Nalan Yanran's face.

"What is so difficult to say?" Yun Yun's delicate brows furrowed slightly.

Facing a Dou Huang expert after all, Nalan Yanran was still somewhat afraid. Lowering her head, she said, "Teacher, I'm afraid that if I tell you, you'll think I'm shirking responsibility."

"Shirking responsibility?" Those words made Yun Yun wary. She deliberately put on a stern expression. "Tell me everything exactly as it happened. Teacher will make her own judgment."

"Yes." Nalan Yanran cleared her throat and obediently began recounting the matter. "When we arrived in Wutan City, your disciple had originally intended to go alone, but Mo Hen said he was willing to accompany me."

"Your disciple thought breaking off an engagement was not something pleasant to speak of, and having someone with me would give me courage, so I did not refuse."

"Before we set out, Elder Ge Ye heard of the matter and said that he might as well accompany me. I would discuss it when we arrived, and if the Xiao Family refused or made unreasonable demands, he would step in. He could also ensure my safety. After considering it, I agreed."

"But when we reached the Xiao Family..."

The rest of Nalan Yanran's account was what had happened in the Xiao Family's main hall.

Ge Ye was a Da Dou Shi, and Xiao Zhan recognized that the moment he sensed his aura.

When he learned that Ge Ye was an elder of the Misty Cloud Sect, he received them even more warmly.

At the time, she had felt it was not appropriate to bring up breaking off the engagement. However, after exchanging pleasantries with Xiao Zhan, Ge Ye steered the conversation toward her.

She thought that since it was her own matter, she might as well say it. But after she finished speaking, Ge Ye promptly took out the Gathering Qi Powder and claimed it was compensation.

The situation thus became that the Xiao Family had grandly and politely welcomed them, only to be publicly humiliated by the breaking of the engagement. Ge Ye then brought out the Gathering Qi Powder to insult them further, adding fuel to the fire.

Her own temper was not particularly good either. After Xiao Yan provoked her with a few words, she lost all restraint and said every cruel thing that came to mind.

In the end, matters became what they were now.

"Hmph!" Yun Yun's gaze turned cold. "It seems Ge Ye did that deliberately."

"Huh?" Nalan Yanran blinked in confusion. "Why would Elder Ge Ye do that?"

"You do not need to know too much about this yet." Yun Yun gently shook her head. "Just remember this: in the Misty Cloud Sect, do not trust anyone too much besides me. Think thrice before acting in all things."

Ge Ye had taken a Mo Family disciple as his apprentice, and the Mo Family of Salt City was a faction affiliated with the Misty Cloud Sect.

On the surface, the Mo Family was loyal to her, the sect leader of the Misty Cloud Sect. But in truth, the Misty Cloud Sect was internally divided into two factions.

She and her teacher, Yun Shan, belonged to the conservative faction, advocating cooperation and mutual benefit with the Jia Ma Empire's imperial family and orderly development.

The council of elders, led by Grand Elder Yun Ling, belonged to the radical faction. They believed the sect should develop with all its strength, seize territory, and gather followers. The Mo Family head was especially close to Yun Ling.

"I thought Ge Ye came from humble origins and would not get too close to them. I was too naive."

A cold glint flashed deep within Yun Yun's eyes.

Ever since Yun Shan had suffered severe injuries and entered closed-door seclusion, Yun Ling and the council of elders had grown increasingly overbearing.

Though she was the sect leader and the only Dou Huang expert in the sect, as long as they did not harm the sect and were instead wholeheartedly pursuing its development, it was difficult for her to do anything.

Accepting Nalan Yanran as her disciple had originally been a compromise toward the council of elders, in exchange for their agreement to slow the sect's expansion. Only after spending time with her did Yun Yun discover that this disciple was indeed quite good.

She had not expected them to secretly reach toward Nalan Yanran, attempting to influence this young sect leader from the very roots.

"Yes, Teacher!" Nalan Yanran immediately bowed in acknowledgment.

Then she pursed her lips and asked, "Teacher, could you help Yan Ran with a small favor?"

"Hmm?" Yun Yun raised a brow.

"Help me beat up that Chu Xiao!" Nalan Yanran gritted her teeth.

Yun Yun:?

You sure dared to dream.