“Now that there are no outsiders here, Madam, please speak frankly. I need to consider this carefully to avoid any oversights,” Li Huayuan said with a solemn expression.
Hearing this, the young woman glanced at Han Li, who was scratching his head with a wry smile, and finally spoke: “Two years ago, I happened to hear some rumors—whether true or false, I’m not sure. They say that this female disciple of Senior Hong Fu has a rather loose reputation when it comes to relationships with men. Back during her Qi Refining stage, she was entangled with several male disciples, and some even fought duels over her in private, nearly causing a foolish incident of fellow disciples harming each other. When Senior Hong Fu found out, she was furious and confined her to her cave residence under strict supervision. She wasn’t released until after she built her foundation. But not long after, rumors spread again that she became involved with a young man from the Feng family, and there was even talk of them forming a cultivation partnership. However, Senior Hong Fu has always detested the Feng family, so she naturally disapproved and confined her once more. For the next two years, no further news came out. Since there was no solid evidence and I’ve never been interested in such gossip, I didn’t recall this earlier when Senior Hong Fu brought her disciple here. It was only when I saw how reluctant Han Li seemed that I found it strange and suddenly remembered.”
Her apologetic words left both Han Li and Li Huayuan stunned.
Li Huayuan had never imagined that the young woman surnamed Dong had such a notorious reputation. Yet, he had rashly agreed to Senior Hong Fu’s request—what was he to do now? As for Han Li, he hadn’t expected that the girl was not only entangled with “Senior Brother Lu” but also had so many other rumored liaisons, leaving him speechless once again.
“Madam, are you serious? Is Senior Hong Fu’s disciple’s reputation really so tarnished?” Li Huayuan could no longer remain seated. He stood up involuntarily, still unable to believe it, and began pacing anxiously around the hall.
This was no longer just about whether Han Li was willing to form a cultivation partnership. If his disciple were to take in such a woman, Li Huayuan’s own reputation would undoubtedly suffer as well.
“I don’t know. These are all things people casually mentioned—I doubt even those who spread the rumors knew whether they were true or false,” the young woman sighed helplessly.
Upon hearing this, Han Li inwardly rolled his eyes and thought, “What do you mean, ‘true or false’? At the very least, this girl definitely had an improper relationship with that ‘Senior Brother Lu.’ Otherwise, why would he have so easily killed his former female companion?”
Of course, Han Li didn’t voice these thoughts. He simply stood there awkwardly, pretending as though he was thinking, “Now that you know, Madam, that’s good enough.” Seeing this, Li Huayuan felt an immediate headache coming on.
Given the situation, Li Huayuan could no longer pressure Han Li into agreeing, and he himself began to regret his earlier decision. However, his Senior Hong Fu was not someone who would easily accept a broken promise, and the reason for going back on his word was not something he could openly discuss. This left him utterly vexed.
After pacing back and forth in the hall several times, Li Huayuan still had no solution. Glancing sideways, he noticed Han Li standing there expectantly, waiting for his master’s decision. Feeling even more frustrated, he said irritably, “You may go back now. Once your master and I have discussed this, we will inform you of how to proceed.”
Han Li, who had been on edge the entire time, fearing that Li Huayuan would force him into the cultivation partnership regardless, felt a wave of relief upon hearing this. He sensed that the matter was likely off the table and responded cheerfully before quickly making his exit.
Under the puzzled gazes of Song Meng and Wu Xuan, who were waiting outside the hall, Han Li hurriedly flew away from the cave residence.
After returning to his dwelling in one breath, Han Li spent three anxious days before finally receiving a message talisman from Li Huayuan. Upon hearing the outcome of his master’s negotiations with Senior Hong Fu, Han Li could not help but sigh deeply toward the sky.
…
Half a month later, in front of the waterfall at Green Wave Cave, Li Huayuan, his wife, and Senior Hong Fu were seeing off two people. The two about to embark on a long journey wore stiff expressions, merely nodding and agreeing repeatedly without any of the excitement one would expect from such a trip.
This man and woman were none other than Han Li and Senior Hong Fu’s disciple, Dong Xuan’er.
“Han Li, you two must support each other along the way and be careful! I’ve heard that the cultivation world has been rather unsettled lately, with cultivators disappearing one after another. At first, it was only Qi Refining cultivators, but recently, even Foundation Establishment cultivators have met with mishaps!” Although Li Huayuan only offered a few simple words of advice before their departure, Han Li was deeply moved.
However, the farewell words Senior Hong Fu had for the young woman left Han Li wide-eyed in surprise.
“Along the way, you must listen to your Senior Brother Han and behave properly. If you cause any trouble again, don’t blame me for disregarding our master-disciple bond,” Senior Hong Fu said bluntly, leaving the young woman pale and nodding silently, a picture of pitiful vulnerability.
And so, Han Li and Dong Xuan’er took to the skies on their artifacts, flying southward until they disappeared over the horizon.
Watching their fading figures, Li Huayuan suddenly turned to Senior Hong Fu with concern and said, “Senior Sister, are you truly at ease sending the two of them to represent us at the Yan family’s Treasure Hunt Competition? They’ve only recently built their foundations and stand no chance whatsoever!”
“What’s this, Junior Brother Li? Are you worried that sending weaker disciples will damage your reputation, or are you merely regretting the Yan family’s offered treasure, the ‘Qiankun Tower’ talisman?” Senior Hong Fu glanced sideways at Li Huayuan, leaving him with a bitter smile.
“My husband certainly doesn’t mean that. He’s just wondering why Senior Sister didn’t send your strongest disciple. Compared to true Foundation Establishment experts, Han Li and Miss Dong would surely be easily defeated. Could it be that Senior Sister hopes this journey will bring them closer together?” the young woman said gently, defending Li Huayuan with a warm smile.
“Junior Brother Li, your wife is truly a wise partner! Actually, I’m not entirely without such intentions. If she and your disciple develop feelings along the way and form a partnership, that would be ideal! But that’s not my main goal. Primarily, I want this journey to the Yan family to teach her a lesson and humble her arrogance. I’ve heard that the Yan family’s young heaven-spirit-rooted girl will also return home to participate in this competition. This will help her understand the gap between herself and a true genius, so she doesn’t think she’s so remarkable among female Foundation Establishment cultivators and remains unaware of her limitations.”
“Before, because she is the only descendant of my deceased elder brother, I spoiled her too much! She dared to engage in scandalous behavior, fooling around with male disciples—what kind of conduct is that? She’s completely ruined her reputation as a young woman! If I hadn’t verified several times that she remains chaste, I would have long since struck her down to avoid everyone thinking our Dong family has raised a shameless woman.”
The red-robed woman spoke coldly, her words carrying an implicit meaning that left Li Huayuan and his wife exchanging awkward glances.
That day, Li Huayuan and his wife had mustered their courage to approach Senior Hong Fu, stammering as they brought up their disciple’s change of heart. To their surprise, this usually temperamental senior sister merely sighed lightly and agreed, leaving them overjoyed.
However, Hong Fu had one condition: she hoped Han Li would accompany Dong Xuan’er on a journey to participate in the recent “Treasure Hunt Competition” hosted by the Yan family.
The “Treasure Hunt Competition” was an event organized by the Yan family, the foremost cultivation family in the State of Yue, inviting disciples of Core Formation experts from neighboring countries to gather. The purpose was to foster good relations with numerous Core Formation cultivators, benefiting the Yan family’s future development. For this occasion, they had even brought out the legendary talisman treasure, the “Qiankun Tower,” as the top prize, along with many other rare treasures, artifacts, and spiritual pills.
Thus, many Core Formation experts who received invitations sent their strongest disciples to participate. After all, even Core Formation cultivators coveted the “Qiankun Tower” talisman treasure!
Of course, due to the distances involved, the likelihood of Core Formation experts from outside the State of Yue sending participants was relatively low, and the competition would primarily feature local cultivators.
When Li Huayuan heard her condition, he felt that sending the relatively weak Han Li to such a competition was somewhat wasteful. However, upon second thought, his strongest disciple, his second-in-line, was away on business and couldn’t make it in time. Sending any other disciple would guarantee no chance of winning the top prize. If they only managed to win lower rankings and obtain some artifacts or similar items, he wouldn’t have valued them much anyway. So, he agreed.
Li Huayuan and his wife thought the matter settled and prepared to take their leave. But unexpectedly, Senior Hong Fu asked the young woman to stay behind, saying she had something to discuss privately. This left Li Huayuan, full of doubts, dismissed alone.
Half a day later, when the young woman returned from Hong Fu’s cave residence, she relayed something to Li Huayuan that left him utterly dumbfounded.
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