"Teacher, they all bullied me."
"That Xiao Yan, he didn't agree to annul the engagement, and even said he would divorce me."
"Even more hateful is his cousin, who scolded me, said I, said I was an ungrateful wretch."
"I just, I just, didn't want to marry a stranger, and I didn't want things to become this serious, Woohoo~"
In Yun Yun's embrace, Nalan Yanran's grievances seemed to find an outlet, pouring out.
After a day and a night of reflection, she, although pampered but knowing right from wrong, had already understood that Chu Xiao's words were indeed not wrong.
She could annul the engagement, but she shouldn't have used the Yun Lan Sect's name to forcefully annul it privately and so high-profilely just because her grandfather objected.
She had enjoyed the benefits brought by her Family, and if she didn't want to marry through an alliance, she should have handled it in a gentler way, instead of making both the Xiao Family and the Nalan Family embarrassed and damaging the Yun Lan Sect's image as she did now.
The essence of a marriage alliance is a collaboration of interests. With Xiao Yan becoming a waste, the Xiao Family, if not foolish, would know how to handle this marriage contract. But now, because she came to annul the engagement, the two families might become enemies.
"Teacher, did I, did I do something wrong?"
Seeing Yun Yun not respond, Nalan Yanran raised her head, her face streaked with tears.
"Haven't you already found the answer?" Yun Yun rubbed Nalan Yanran's small face: "The idea was correct, but the method was wrong."
The meaning of Chu Xiao's words, in the end, boiled down to these eight characters.
Marriage alliances are essentially a bond of interests, a way for two forces to deepen their cooperation. The Nalan Family also cared about their reputation, which is why they didn't proactively propose annulling the engagement.
Although strength is respected on the Dou Qi Continent, and the Yun Lan Sect is powerful enough that sending a few Dou Spirit Elders could destroy the Xiao Family many times over.
But if you rely on being strong and destroy the Xiao Family, then what if a Dou Zong finds you displeasing and destroys the Yun Lan Sect for fun?
That would only throw the entire Dou Qi Continent into chaos. Apart from the Black-Corner Region, other regions wouldn't openly do that.
Unless it's an evil Dao or an enemy relationship, one still needs a justifiable reason to act.
The marriage contract was a private matter between the Xiao Family and the Nalan Family, and the Yun Lan Sect's forceful intervention was not justifiable in terms of reputation.
Now that Yun Shan is in seclusion for cultivation due to severe injuries, the Yun Lan Sect's strongest combat power is only Yun Yun, a Dou Huang. She is simply no match for the Imperial Family, which has the Nether Sea Python (an injured eight-star Dou Huang) and the Peak Dou Huang Jia Xingtian, not to mention the three great Families, countless armies, and Dou Kings stationed in fortresses and major cities, who are nominally also subordinate to the Imperial Family.
In comparison, the Yun Lan Sect might not even be as strong as the Snake-People Clan overall; it hasn't reached the point where it can act without restraint.
Within the Gama Empire, rules must still be followed.
"Teacher, what should we do now?" Nalan Yanran lowered her head in frustration.
Even her Teacher, the Dou Huang expert Yun Yun, wasn't on her side; there was nothing more to say about this matter.
"Before answering that question, Teacher needs to know exactly what you did." Yun Yun gently patted the spot beside her, signaling Nalan Yanran to sit down.
"When I agreed to let you annul the engagement, I warned you to speak nicely first. If the Xiao Family was unreasonable and clingy, then you could bring up the Yun Lan Sect's name. Things shouldn't have escalated to this point."
If the Yun Lan Sect wanted to use its power to oppress, it wouldn't have let Nalan Yanran bring a fourth-grade Medicinal Pill to their door.
This Medicinal Pill wasn't even a Sect resource; it was personally requested by Yun Yun from Elder Gu He, an honorary Elder of the Sect, to refine.
If they truly disregarded everything, the Yun Lan Sect would have directly sent a Dou Spirit expert to deliver a message: "Your Xiao Family's Xiao Yan has become a waste, yet you haven't proactively dissolved the marriage with my Sect Master's disciple. You are courting death."
Directly eliminating Xiao Yan, or secretly cooperating with the other two Families in Utan City to secretly eliminate the Xiao Family, would both have been fine.
From the beginning, Yun Yun had prepared to try diplomacy before resorting to force.
"This…"
A hesitant expression appeared on Nalan Yanran's face.
"Is there something difficult to say about this?" Yun Yun slightly furrowed her brows.
After all, facing a Dou Huang expert, Nalan Yanran was still a bit afraid and lowered her head: "Teacher, I'm afraid that if I say it, you'll think I'm shirking responsibility."
"Shirking responsibility?" This statement made Yun Yun alert, and she deliberately straightened her face: "Tell me everything, and Teacher will make her own judgment."
"Yes." Nalan Yanran cleared her throat and obediently recounted: "When we arrived in Utan City, your disciple originally wanted to go alone, but Mo Hen said he was willing to accompany me."
"Your disciple thought that annulling the engagement was not a pleasant matter, so having someone accompany me would be a form of courage, and I did not refuse."
"Before leaving, Elder Ge Ye heard about this and suggested that he accompany me directly. At that time, I would discuss the matter, and if the Xiao Family refused or made excessive demands, he would then step in and also protect my safety. I agreed after considering it."
"But when we arrived at the Xiao Family…"
Nalan Yanran's subsequent narration was about what happened in the Xiao Family's main hall.
Ge Ye was a Great Dou Master, and Xiao Zhan knew it as soon as he sensed him.
Upon learning that he was an Elder of the Yun Lan Sect, he greeted them even more warmly.
At that time, she felt that bringing up the annulment was not good, but Ge Ye, after exchanging pleasantries with Xiao Zhan, led the conversation to her.
She thought that since it was her own matter, she might as well say it. But after she finished speaking, Ge Ye took out the Qi Gathering Pill, saying it was compensation.
The situation on the scene turned into the Xiao Family greeting them with high-profile courtesy, but then being publicly annulled, and Ge Ye even took out the Qi Gathering Pill to humiliate them, adding fuel to the fire.
Her own temper wasn't very good either, and after being provoked by Xiao Yan a few times, she said whatever harsh words came to mind without restraint.
Ultimately, things escalated to this point.
"Hmph!" Yun Yun's eyes turned cold: "It seems Ge Ye did this on purpose."
"Ah?" Nalan Yanran blinked in confusion: "Why would Elder Ge Ye do that?"
"You don't need to know too much about this matter yet." Yun Yun gently shook her head: "Remember, from now on in the Yun Lan Sect, don't trust anyone too much except me, and think twice about everything."
Ge Ye took a disciple from the Mo Family, and the Mo Family of Yancheng is a force attached to the Yun Lan Sect.
Superficially, the Mo Family pledged allegiance to her, the Sect Master of the Yun Lan Sect, but in reality, the Yun Lan Sect is divided into two factions internally.
She and her Teacher Yun Shan are both members of the conservative faction, advocating for cooperative development with the Gama Empire Imperial Family and orderly growth.
However, the Elder Council, led by the Grand Elder Yun Leng, is the radical faction. They believe they should use all their strength to develop, seize territory, and gather confidants. The Mo Family Patriarch has a very close personal relationship with Yun Leng.
"I originally thought Ge Ye, being from a humble background, wouldn't get too close to them. It seems I was too naive."
A cold glint flashed deep in Yun Yun's eyes.
Ever since Yun Shan was severely injured and entered seclusion, Yun Leng and the Elder Council have become increasingly assertive.
Although she is the Sect Master and the only Dou Huang expert in the Sect, she couldn't do much when they weren't harming the Sect but instead diligently seeking its development.
Accepting Nalan Yanran as a disciple was originally her compromise with the Elder Council, to make them agree to slow down development, but after spending time together, she found this disciple to be indeed good.
She hadn't expected them to secretly extend their influence to Nalan Yanran, attempting to affect this Young Sect Master from the root.
"Yes, Teacher!" Nalan Yanran immediately bowed in response.
Then, she pursed her lips and asked: "Teacher, can you do Yanran a small favor?"
"Hmm?" Yun Yun raised an eyebrow.
"Help me beat up that Chu Xiao!" Nalan Yanran gritted her teeth.
Yun Yun: "?"
You really dare to think.