Yun Shan's confession (1 / 2)

In a hall of the Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Shan, who had intended to enter secluded cultivation, suddenly felt inexplicably uneasy.

That unease, coming without the slightest warning, made him scent danger.

But on second thought, the Misty Cloud Sect now had the protection of a mighty figure like Chen Yang and had secured several hugely profitable partnerships. What could possibly go wrong?

At that thought, Yun Shan cast his unease beyond the ninth heaven.

He circulated his cultivation technique through one full cycle, but his cultivation still showed no improvement whatsoever. Yun Shan let out a long, pent-up sigh.

With his talent, if he simply cultivated diligently, one step at a time, he probably would never break through to Dou Zong in this lifetime.

After one failed breakthrough after another, reaching Dou Zong had gone from an obsession to an inner demon.

He desperately wanted to reach Dou Zong and prove himself to those who looked down on the Misty Cloud Sect.

If only I had a Sect Breaking Pill.

Only a Sect Breaking Pill could help him break through to the Dou Zong realm.

Yun Shan hesitated over whether he should confess to Chen Yang and Yun Yun that he had secretly been in contact with Protector Wu.

Protector Wu was, after all, a Soul Hall Protector. Cooperating with him was no different from bargaining with a tiger for its skin. One careless step could plunge the Misty Cloud Sect into eternal ruin.

Moreover, if this gave Protector Wu leverage over him, things would become truly disastrous.

If a Soul Hall Protector like Protector Wu could provide a Sect Breaking Pill, the unfathomable Chen Yang certainly could as well.

Chen Yang was practically his son-in-law. There was no shame in asking him for a Sect Breaking Pill.

After deciding not to cooperate with Protector Wu anymore, Yun Shan felt as though an enormous boulder weighing ten thousand pounds had been lifted off him. His body and mind felt lighter than ever before.

As for whether suddenly deciding on his own to abandon their cooperation would offend the Soul Hall and make him its target, Yun Shan was not afraid in the slightest.

A voice in his subconscious told him that with Chen Yang protecting the Misty Cloud Sect, the Soul Hall could not touch it.

As for accusing him of failing to honor an agreement? He and Protector Wu had not even officially begun cooperating!

Until Protector Wu gave him a Sect Breaking Pill and helped him reach Dou Zong, he had not agreed to anything.

At most, they were still in negotiations.

Yun Shan rose and left his secluded cultivation quarters to find Chen Yang and Yun Yun, explain the matter to them, and beg Yun Yun's forgiveness.

No one was perfect. Everyone could do right or wrong. He had been wrong, but there was still hope for him if he found his way back after going astray.

Who went through life without making mistakes? What mattered was reining in one's horse at the edge of the cliff.

He, Yun Shan, had now reined in his horse in time.

Besides, considering his kindness in raising Yun'er, Yun Yun would forgive him even after learning the truth.

Yun Shan had only just left his secluded cultivation quarters when he ran into Yun Yun and Chen Yang, who had come looking for him.

Seeing Yun Yun and Chen Yang standing at the entrance, Yun Shan froze.

He did not understand why they had come to see him.

Weren't newlyweds supposed to be inseparable?

Were they not even going on a honeymoon?!

Still, this was convenient. It saved him the trouble of finding them. He happened to have something to confess to them anyway, and he wanted to ask Chen Yang for a Sect Breaking Pill to improve his chances of reaching Dou Zong.

"Yun'er, what are you...?"

"Master, Husband and I have something to discuss with you!"

Yun Shan and Yun Yun spoke almost simultaneously.

After speaking, both paused, not expecting to be so in sync.

"Master, you're our elder. Please speak first." Remembering their past bond as master and disciple, Yun Yun yielded and gestured for Yun Shan to speak first.

Yun Shan was also puzzled. Why had Yun Yun and Chen Yang come specifically to see him instead of going on a honeymoon as newlyweds?

So he said, "Yun'er, there is something I need to tell you."

"I did something wrong."

At this point, Yun Shan sank into desolation.

He looked as though he had aged many years.

Yun Shan had never been like this before. Having been raised by him since childhood, Yun Yun knew him very well.

She could roughly guess what Yun Shan was about to tell her.

Her heart involuntarily tightened.

"Master, please tell me what happened." Yun Yun's manner of addressing Yun Shan changed, shifting from the guarded familiarity she had used at first to a respectful tone.

The change was so slight that even Yun Yun herself failed to notice it.

She was still so considerate.

As Yun Shan looked at Yun Yun, his feelings grew all the more bitter.

His guilt deepened further.

Of all the things he should never have done, choosing to cooperate with Protector Wu to reach Dou Zong was the worst.

Cooperating with Protector Wu was like bargaining with a tiger for its skin. Once exposed, it would bring endless calamities upon their Misty Cloud Sect.

When that happened, Yun'er would be hurt.

She was so considerate, so devoted to him. If she suffered because of him, then he, Yun Shan, would be worse than a beast, unworthy of being either a teacher or a father, and unworthy of the word "Master" with which Yun Yun addressed the man who was both to her.

Overcome with guilt, Yun Shan moved to kneel before Yun Yun and admit his mistake.

But a teacher for a day was a father for life. Yun Shan was both her teacher and her father. How could Yun Yun possibly let him kneel before her?

Almost the instant Yun Shan was about to kneel, Yun Yun saw through his intention. She reached out to stop him and helped him back up.

"Master, please stand. You raised me, and you taught me how to conduct myself. Without you, Master, there would be no Yun Yun as she is today.

"How could I possibly accept such a gesture from you?"

Supported by Yun Yun, Yun Shan moved his lips slightly, then shook his head fiercely.

"I did something wrong. To break through to the Dou Zong realm, I chose to cooperate with the Soul Hall when one of its protectors approached me."

"I've been trapped in the Nine-Star Dou Emperor realm for years. I've attempted to reach Dou Zong countless times, but every attempt ended in failure."

"After that happened again and again, reaching Dou Zong practically became an obsession. It drove me further into madness by the day."

"Just when I thought I had no hope of reaching Dou Zong in this lifetime, Protector Wu of the Soul Hall came to me."

"He promised that if I helped him find a piece of jade, along with some remnants of the Xiao Clan, he would give me a Sect Breaking Pill to help me break through to the Dou Zong realm."

"Yun'er, you should know that a Sect Breaking Pill can improve a Peak Nine-Star Dou Emperor's chances of breaking through to the Dou Zong realm."

"I was already consumed by my obsession then. I couldn't resist the temptation of reaching Dou Zong, so I secretly began dealing with Protector Wu."

Yun Shan recounted everything in a desolate voice, then raised three fingers and swore to heaven.

"But Yun'er, you know that I've always been someone who knows where to draw the line.

"So before they gave me a Sect Breaking Pill, I never did anything for them."

Yun Shan spoke sincerely, from the bottom of his heart.

"So, Master, you're suddenly telling me all this because you want Husband to obtain a Sect Breaking Pill for you, or help you break through to Dou Zong, aren't you?" Yun Yun was not swept up in Yun Shan's emotions. As though she had seen through everything, she watched him quietly and spoke coldly.

As she said those words, the desolation in her heart deepened further.

Clearly, Yun Shan had not expected Yun Yun to see through his little scheme before he had even voiced it.

"Yes..." Yun Shan admitted it outright.

"Your Husband's origins are mysterious, and his strength is even more unfathomable. He should be able to provide a Sect Breaking Pill."

"Reaching Dou Zong has almost become my inner demon. It torments me day and night, nearly driving me mad. This is the only way I have left."