Chapter 525: Confession
"Yurou, brother-in-law, you've recovered... you've both fully recovered?" The future head of the Mu family was now jumping with excitement like a child.
Mu Yubai's temperament, Yun Che had also more or less understood today—a man who wore his emotions on his sleeve, forthright and unwilling to suppress his feelings. The excitement and surprise in his heart were now fully displayed on his face.
"Ten days ago, we had already fully recovered. These past few days, we've been wearing Profound Seal Clasps to conceal our profound force aura," Mu Yurou said with a light smile. More than twenty years had passed, and as she watched the man she had spent her life with rise from his wheelchair and regain the might of his prime, she had struggled to hold back tears of joy countless times. No one understood better than her how much this prideful man had endured daily during those twenty-two years of crippled existence.
"Both body and profound force are completely restored—not a fleeting miracle." Yun Qinghong raised his own hand and smiled. "All of this is thanks to Che'er. In less than two months' time, I, Yun Qinghong, consider myself well-traveled and knowledgeable, but if it hadn't happened to me personally, I would never have believed it. Che'er's skill is miraculous—all the divine doctors of the Illusion Demon Realm combined couldn't match one of his fingers. I fear even the legendary Daluo Golden Immortal would be no more than this, heh heh."
This evaluation was undoubtedly incredibly high, and it came from Yun Qinghong's own mouth. But Mu Yubai didn't find it exaggerated at all. He knew better than anyone the extent to which Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou's bodies had been crippled. From twenty years ago onward, not a single person in the entire Illusion Demon Realm believed they could recover... even just to the state of a normal healthy person.
What he was seeing before him now was nothing short of a miracle!
And it had taken only less than two months!
Mu Yubai grabbed Yun Che's shoulder, eyes wide, and said excitedly, "Good lad... I, Mu Yubai, have lived over a hundred and eighty years, and the only person I've ever truly admired was my brother-in-law Yun Qinghong. But now, I admire you ten times more! I'm utterly prostrate before you. You saved my brother-in-law, which means you saved the entire Yun family. You saved my sister Yurou, which makes you a great benefactor to the Mu family as well. Hmm..."
Mu Yubai's eyes suddenly lit up, and his grip on Yun Che's hand tightened—this was the strength of an Emperor Lord, causing Yun Che to wince in pain. "Lad... oh no, Young Brother Yun, how about we become sworn brothers? From now on, I'll be your big brother, and you'll be my little brother. Your matters are my matters! If anyone dares bully you, I'll smash their head with one punch!"
The young master of the Mu family actively proposing a sworn brotherhood—if word of this got out, it would probably shock half the city. Under normal circumstances, Yun Che would gladly agree... With such a powerful backer, he could almost walk sideways in the Demon Imperial City. But when Mu Yubai said this, Yun Che broke out in a cold sweat and frantically waved his hands: "Mu-Mu-Mu-Mu Senior, this won't do at all. I am but a junior—how could I dare to swear brotherhood with Senior Mu?"
The difference in seniority wasn't really the main issue. The crucial point was that Mu Yubai was his biological uncle! If they did swear brotherhood, once familial ties were later acknowledged, Mu Yubai might very well want to find a block of tofu and knock himself out.
"Tch!" Mu Yubai waved dismissively. "What's all this 'junior' and 'senior' nonsense? It's all bullshit. Even though you're young and your profound strength is a bit lacking, with your medical skills and the boldness you showed today, I'd be willing to call you big brother! Hmm... if you don't want to be the little brother, I can call you big brother instead! That's no problem at all!"
Mu Yubai wasn't forcing himself with these words. Yun Qinghong and Mu Yurou were that crippled, yet they fully recovered in two months. In Mu Yubai's eyes, Yun Che could almost be called a divine being! If such a person could become one of his own, no price was too great. As a profound practitioner, who didn't encounter illness, disaster, or injury? With Yun Che around, it was like having countless extra lives—it would probably be hard to die even if you wanted to, and even if you were crippled like a dog, you could be fully restored... If Mu Yubai had to choose between ten Emperor Lords and one Yun Che, he would unhesitatingly choose Yun Che.
Yun Che put on a pained expression: "Senior Mu, I really... really..."
Mu Yubai's face immediately fell, and he said discontentedly, "What? Do you look down on me, Mu Yubai? Do you think I'm not worthy of swearing brotherhood with you?"
"Of course not." Yun Che waved his hands. "That Senior Mu is willing to form such a bond with a junior like me fills me with secret joy. But the problem is, I have already sworn brotherhood with Yun Xiao. Your sister and brother-in-law are my adoptive parents. If I were to swear brotherhood with you, the seniority would be completely messed up. That would be unfair to you, and also unfair to my adoptive parents."
"What's that got to do with anything? We'll each go by our own terms—it's no problem at all. I know you swore brotherhood with that kid Yun Xiao," Mu Yubai said with a wave of his hand, completely unconcerned. His level of being easygoing was truly unmatched.
"Alright, big brother, stop making things difficult for Che'er." Mu Yurou said with some amusement. "Even if you disregard seniority and insist on becoming sworn brothers with Che'er, you should at least show some sincerity first. How can you be so pushy right off the bat? No wonder Che'er is scared off."
Mu Yubai blinked, then slapped his forehead and said regretfully, "Yeah! Look at my brain—if someone suddenly came up and wanted to swear brotherhood with me, I wouldn't agree either... Hey! Yun Che lad... oh no, Young Brother Yun, that was too abrupt of me. Another day, come visit me at the Mu residence, and I'll definitely show you my sincerity. I, Mu Yubai, guarantee you'll find me worthy of swearing brotherhood with!"
"Alright, alright. We'll discuss that another time. Big brother, go back first and tell Father what happened today so he can be prepared. At the Demon Emperor Ceremony a month from now, something big is bound to happen. In a couple of days, I'll return with Qinghong for a visit," Mu Yurou said.
"Hmm. If the old man finds out that you and brother-in-law have fully recovered, he'll probably be so happy he can't sleep for three days... Oh! When you and brother-in-law go back, you must bring this lad!" Mu Yubai stressed emphatically.
"Xiao'er, go with your mother to see your uncle off," Yun Qinghong said.
"Ah? Yes, Father." Yun Xiao was still a bit dazed, obviously still unable to fully accept and digest everything that had happened today.
Mu Yubai glanced at Yun Qinghong. He understood that Yun Qinghong was having Mu Yurou and Yun Xiao see him off because he wanted to speak privately with Yun Che. He didn't refuse, waved his hand, and strode away.
"Father, you have something to say to me?" After they left, only Yun Qinghong and Yun Che remained in the courtyard.
"Hmm." Yun Qinghong nodded, then said with a smile, "Che'er, this time, it really is all thanks to you. If not for you, the Yun family's ten-thousand-year loyalty and righteousness would have been destroyed, and we might even have fallen into irreversible ruin."
Yun Che grinned. "Hehe, Father is too kind. I count as half a member of the Yun family anyway. Besides, it was still Father who overpowered everything. And with Father's wisdom, even without me, you should have seen through it all long ago, right?"
Yun Qinghong shook his head and said, "In these years, because I was crippled, I knew I was powerless to support the Yun family, so I closed myself off from the world. I had long suspected King Huai's disloyalty and guessed that his hidden hand might already be reaching into the Yun family, but I didn't know where it was directed. Moreover, if you hadn't restored our bodies and profound strength, even if I had known everything, I would have been powerless to change it."
Yun Che thought for a moment and said, "Father, I have a guess... Among the elders of your generation, have some not abandoned you all these years despite your crippling? Has your complete marginalization in recent years been deliberate on your part?"
Yun Qinghong smiled and looked at him with approval. "Indeed. Although I was extremely reluctant to cede the leadership of our main bloodline to another, at that time, I was utterly crippled, and Xiao'er was not my biological son. Rather than dragging down the Yun family as a cripple, it was better to hand over the reins to Yun Waitian. After all, the glory of my main bloodline, though important, could not compare to the future of the entire Yun clan. If not for you, Che'er, helping me recover, today I was prepared to witness Yun Waitian's succession as family head. Now that I have recovered and have enough strength to shoulder the family's burdens, I will never let the position of family head fall to another. Che'er, you have truly changed the fate of our entire Yun family. This great kindness is enough for the Yun family to remember for a thousand generations."
"I asked to be alone with you because there is one thing I need to confess to you." Yun Qinghong took a slight breath and said with some melancholy, "Yun Xinyue—I intentionally let the Rock Dragon Venerable kill her."
"I know." Contrary to Yun Qinghong's expectation, Yun Che answered without any surprise. He continued, "Given Father's ability, and the fact that you were so close at the time, if you had wanted to protect Yun Xinyue when the Rock Dragon Venerable struck, it would have been easy."
"...Then do you think I am too ruthless and vicious?"
"No!" Yun Che shook his head. "Quite the opposite—I fully agree with Father's decision. Yun Xinyue had already spoken the names 'Helian' and 'King Huai,' so there was no need to interrogate further. Although he was poisoned and compelled, for the sake of his own life and the promised positions of 'family head' and 'king,' he harmed his fellow clansmen. What's even more detestable is that he was willing to bring disaster upon the entire family! For such a grave crime, even dying ten thousand times would not be enough! And if he were executed by the family, Yun Waitian, though he could say nothing, would harbor resentment in his heart. That he was 'silenced in time' by Commandery Prince Huiye was truly the best outcome. First, it gave him a grudge of having his son killed against King Huai's clan. Second, when Father consoles and forgives him, it will make him extraordinarily grateful and full of guilt, thus making him loyal to Father and the Yun family without any stray thoughts. After all, Yun Waitian is the Yun family's great elder and one of its pillars besides Father—we cannot afford to lose him. This result is the most perfect."
Yun Qinghong gave Yun Che a deep look, then laughed heartily. "Hahahaha... Che'er, I have still underestimated you. I find it hard to believe that you are only twenty-two years old this year. With your talent and temperament, even if you claimed to have a thousand years of experience, I would not doubt it."
Yun Che laughed along, and silently sighed in his heart... *The things I have endured, the life-and-death peril I have faced—I fear even a thousand years of another's life could not compare...*