When Yun opened her eyes, there wasn't any happiness on her face. Either one of removing Spirit Worm or increase in cultivation should have been a cause of celebration, but she knew Xue'er must have paid a terrible price. A price which Yun never wanted to see her pay.
She jumped and hugged Xue'er, "Miss, I am sorry, I am really sorry! I should have never given in to lust for power. I will definitely look after you from now on."
"I know," Xue'er smiled. She used almost all her strength to keep her smile so that Yun won't see her in that state. Also, she hoped that by giving Yun a chance, destiny would give her a chance as well.
But, how could Yun not notice it, "Miss, I was your best friend, and I still want to. So, you don't have to act in front of me. Cry if you want to, I will forever be here for you."
It kept all her strength for Xue'er to smile, when she heard Yun's words, it was as if a dam broke and her true emotions started pouring out and both started sobbing while hugging each other.
…
Quite a while after, when both had no tears to spill,
"Miss, can you tell me what happened? Did you have a fight with Young Master Yan?" asked Yun. She had previously noticed a trace of vigilance Xue'er had shown towards Xiao Yan which is never a good sign in any relationship, hence she had warned Xue'er about it. It seems she hadn't taken her advice.
"Big brother Yan left," Xue'er sighed with sorrow.
"What? Why?" asked Yun confused.
Xue'er started telling her what happened last night and about who Xiao Yan is and multiple sacrifices he had made for her family.
After listening, "Young Miss, do you know who saved Lin family people that night in the forest?"
"Of course, how can I forget? It was someone from Big brother Yan's clan. Why are asking it suddenly? Wait …" she suddenly realized, since Xiao Yan's cultivation was already high, "Could it be? … Big brother Yan?"
"Yes! It was Young Master Yan who saved Lin family elders that night and gave you the Detoxification pill," said Yun confirming Xue'er's guess, "that night I saw how angry he was, not because of I betrayed the Lin family, but because I had betrayed YOU!"
"Even though I saw only rage on his face, his eyes contained only Love and Pain. It felt as if the one I stabbed was Young Master Yan instead."
"That is why even if he had made me suffer endless pain, I could never bring myself to hate him."
"When you started doubting the one who saved you for a Devil, that too in front of Young Master Yan, I felt scared for a moment. Since you were indirectly insulting him, what it made him hate you instead? Or at least he must have felt bad, right? But I could see none of it on his face, he was still looking at you smiling with the same Love as before, as if whatever you do, even insult him or hurt him, he will only Love you. At that moment, I was really happy not because you had given me another chance, but You had found THE best man for yourself. That was why I gave you warning that day to never lose him," said Yun.
By the time Yun finished, Xue'er had covered her open mouth with both hands and tears were still flowing. She never expected Xiao Yan to love her so much, the longing that she was desperately trying to bury in the deepest part of her heart burst out again.
"So, Miss don't try to bury your feelings or try to hide it," Yun said, "be proud of IT! I don't think you can ever find a better man than Young Master Yan."
"But, but, I … W-will he give me one more chance, I promise I will treasure it," she started getting scared, 'What if Big brother Yan hate me?'
"You don't have to worry, I know Young Master Yan will never hate you or abandon your love. You see, Young Master Yan told me, I was one of his best friends, I will definitely beat him up if tries to bully you," said Yun making a fist.
"ha-ha-ha" both started laughing.
"When did you become his best friend?" asked Xue'er.
"You see …" Yun then began another story of how she became Xiao Yan's best friend.
…
At the same time, far far away. Outside of the world, Xue'er was on.
Asteroids were moving around at incredible speed. There was a small world located here. It was not a naturally born world. When cultivation reaches a terrifyingly high level, cultivators can open a space for themselves inside which, they could be considered omnipotent. They are called 'Plane' as they are much smaller than worlds and their laws are not perfect. But the size may vary based on cultivators' strength.
Inside this artificial plane, it could be considered heaven. Everywhere beautiful sceneries, mountains covered in thick fog, rivers meandering here and there, lakes and ponds. There were even beasts roaming around. Even the ants here were stronger than Sovereigns on Azure Heaven Continent. So, one can only imagine the strength of the person who carved out this plane.
There was a magnificent palace on top of a mountain somewhere inside the plane. The palace was even bigger than Pure Mist Country. Inside one of the Luxurious bedrooms, a stunning beauty, akin to a goddess, inviolable to both mortal and god alike was shouting at a middle-aged man. She was currently in rage, throwing things around and scolding the man.
"How could you do this? How can you be so stupid?"
When Xiao Yan took trials in Grandmist Spirit Sect, this was the man overseeing his trials and giving him rewards. But he obviously did not use his original face then. His face held an uncanny similarity to Xiao Yan's.
"Mother, I …" unexpectedly, the beautiful lady was his mother!
"What? What Mother? Why did you mess up his trial? Why did you alter his teleportation destination?" raged the lady.
"Mother, when I was there, I noticed your aura," said the man with a mocking grin, "I know what you have done!"
"W-what are y-you talking a-about?" the woman became flustered.
"I wonder what father would think if he knows what you did?" said the man while still smiling.
"NO! You are going to do no such thing,"
"Oh, and why wouldn't I?"
"Because … because, …" the woman couldn't think of anything, "because I am your mother, that's why!" she started to get unreasonable.
…
"Okay, okay, I will tell you why you messed up," said the woman, "You see, when you changed fate and teleported him to Xue'er's position, you created a Fate Variable!"
"WHAT? How did that happen?" the man was genuinely shocked now.
"Let's see what would have happened if you hadn't teleported Yan to that place," as if she was able to see everything happening with her own eyes, "First, without Yan there, the other two stupid families wouldn't have requested for reinforcements. So, that Grand Elder or whatever wouldn't show up in the forest. With just the four elders plus the bandit leader, that's a five on six with the Lin family winning with a huge margin. And that wouldn't have changed anything in the city as her father was a Golden Core realm expert. But here is the tricky part, without Yan, that Yun girl would have been captured and either crippled or killed by the Lin family for betrayal and hurting Xue'er. But because of you, not only is she fine, she had a massive growth in cultivation. That is going against her fate! A Fate Variable! Now no one could predict her future! Now do you understand what you have done?" asked the woman.
"What should I do now?" at their level, messing with fate is akin to asking for death. Their tribulations would get worse with it.
"You have given her a new lease on her life until she repays you, you can only suffer, ha-ha-ha!" laughed the woman, "your interference is so huge, I might even get a new sister!"
"T-that Y-Yun girl has such potential?"
"She is a Fate Variable! What do you think? I can see she has feelings for him, but I will not let my Husband marry just anyone!" unexpectedly she was Xiao Yan's wife!
"Mother, you are jealous of aunt Xue'er aren't you? That's why you split your soul and to marry Dad again you even sent it to that world. Why isn't that affecting your Fate?"
"…" the woman became angered, then blushed in shame. Yes, she was jealous! Ever since her husband decided to reincarnate with his other wife Xue'er, she became jealous of her. Why must only Xue'er be allowed to marry him twice? Why can't she?
"You Stupid! Idiot! How can say that to me? Do you think I will help you after you called me a jealous woman! Scram, figure it out by yourself."
"Mother, please listen to me," begged the man, "I am a terrible person for calling his own mother jealous, please I beg you help me?"
Looking at his pitiful face, her heart softened. Whatever happens, he was still her son. He was proof of her and his love. She could never truly hate him, can she?
"Okay, you have to …"