"Speak, tell me why the Ancestor of Thousand Poisons Sect sought you out?" asked Xiao Yan "I will give you three breaths, if I don't hear an answer or your answer doesn't satisfy me, you will lose another finger. You only have Nineteen more chances to enjoy such treatment, don't you think?"
Yun shuddered, "I-I d-don't know-w, f-few days a-ago M-Master came to-o Fallen-n S-Star City. M-Master said I h-had a s-special p-physique and accepted m-me as his personal d-disciple. Master p-plans for Y-Yang family to rule Fallen Star City. H-he said a-after I help him w-with his plans, h-he will t-take me t-to the Sect."
"Why did your master want to ruin the Lin family?"
"I-I don't know," said Yun shaking her head.
"Is your master still in Fallen Star City?"
"N-no, s-some important m-matter h-happened i-in the sect. So he went b-back. But he w-will c-come back soon. Please let m-me g-go, I will beg M-Master to not punish y-you."
"Ha-ha-ha, how naïve can you get? Anyone comes and says you have a physique and you believe it? I checked the moment I met you, none of you except Xue'er had any kind physique. That Ancestor of Thousand Poisons Sect played you like a fool ha-ha-ha," Xiao Yan laughed mockingly.
"No! no! no! you are lying, yes you must be lying. My master won't ever lie to me. Don't think your lies will work on me ha-ha-ha," Yun shouted while shaking her head. Although she half-believed Xiao Yun, she denied accepting it, at least she hoped Xiao Yan was lying. Sadly, Xiao Yan was speaking the truth.
"Oh, since you can lie and betray Xue'er's family what makes you so sure your master didn't do the same to you?" asked Xiao Yan condescendingly.
"…" Yun's body went cold. 'Yes, since I can lie, why can't master? Have I committed a grave mistake? … No, how can I even think that master will lie to me? It must be Yan trying to fool me,' she still naively believed in her master.
"Let me ask you this, did he teach you any of his techniques? Or even basic cultivation technique from his sect?" asked Xiao Yan still with a mocking sneer on his face. He just wanted answers for the doubts he had, 'why the Lin family?' But he didn't want to truly torture Yun.
"No," shook her head.
"Did he even ask you what techniques you are cultivating?"
"No"
…
"How about treasures, did he give you any treasures to protect yourself before he took you to the sect?"
"No-No-No," Yun was hysterical at this point. All the trust she had for her master was truly gone. Only doubts remained 'Do I truly not have any special physique? Did he truly lie to me? Was I just a fu**ing pawn he used against the Lin family?'
"Please forgive me, please let me go, I will never ever do it again …" Yun started banging her head to the ground with tears running down her chin. She was desperate, she was truly regretting her decision now.
"Again, why did your master target the Lin family?" asked Xiao Yan again one last time.
"I truly don't know. When I asked, he raged at me saying why would I question his decision," said Yun.
"Then I am truly done questioning you. Now, let's move on to your punishment," said Xiao Yan with a cold smile.
"No-no, please don't kill me," Yun begged.
"Oh, don't worry, I will not kill you. Killing is not the punishment for betrayal, but the one which will force you to become loyal is."
"…" Yun couldn't help gulping.
Xiao Yan stretched his right hand and made a grasping motion with his palm facing upwards. Dazzling red dots started gathering towards the center of his palm.
A few seconds later, a transparent worm-shaped thing appeared on his palm. When all the red dots fell onto the worm, it started wiggling as if it was alive.
Xiao Yan took the worm on his forefinger and placed on sunned Yun's forehead. Before she could figure out what happened, sever pain that originated from her very soul assaulted her. It lasted only for a few seconds but for Yun, it felt like a year had passed.
"I Xiao Yan curse you for the sin of betrayal," Xiao Yan continued "Every day at dawn you will feel the same pain for an incense stick amount of time until the day Xue'er truly forgives you with all her heart. If thoughts harming yourself or those close to Xue'er arise in your mind, you will feel double the pain instantly. Go, grovel before her and beg for her forgiveness."
A few years ago, when he went out to adventure, he had come across an evil cultivator who liked to see people in pain. Just watching them screaming in pain made him happy. Xiao Yan didn't know from where the evil man had gotten hold of a truly evil technique called 'Spirit Worm'. It didn't kill anyone, just inflicted pain, never-ending soul splitting pain. It didn't even let its victims commit suicide. People inflicted by this evil technique would usually break and become mindless fools within months. The most frightening thing was, even after Xiao Yan killed the evil man, the infected people were still under its effect. Without any options left, Xiao Yan had searched his lair and found the technique. After analyzing and learning the technique, he had set them free. He swore to himself that he would never use this technique and never let it appear in this world again, but what Yun had done had crossed his bottom-line. Even if Yun had massacred thousands of people, he might not have used this technique, she had hurt Xue'er. Even Xiao Yan had not noticed it till now, Xue'er had become his reverse scale.
"Please, please, don't …" before Yun could finish begging, Xiao Yan had left. She had a last hope left, her master, which was crushed to dust with his departing words.
"Don't think about asking an Earth Spirit realm to remove the curse, even Sovereigns can't do it, your only salvation is begging for her forgiveness."
Xiao Yan would force Yun to beg for Xue'er's forgiveness. That was her punishment for betraying her trust.
Yun sat there alone in the cave, dazed with dried tears on her face. She had cried for a long time now before determination shone in her eyes, "I have wronged Young Miss. Young Master Yan might have lied about me not having any physique, but I have truly betrayed Miss's trust. That's it, even if master can lift the curse, I don't want to, I will suffer this punishment until Young Miss truly forgives me," Yun made up her mind.
Unbeknown to her, her soft murmurs were heard by the shadow of a person hidden behind her. Xiao Yan wanted to know her choice, if she didn't show remorse, he would let her suffer. But if she chooses to repent, he would lessen her pain. Hence, after hearing her, Xiao Yan smiled and lessened the Curse's pain by more than ninety percent. He was always a kind man. Even though he would not forgive her easily, he would not make it too hard on her either.
"Ah, dawn came, the pain is starting. I will leave once the curse stops," said Yun and sat down to wait to receive her punishment for the day.