"What do you mean, satisfied?"
Hearing these words, Han Li felt a sudden sense of unease. As Li Huayuan continued to praise him, his unease only grew, and he sensed something bad was about to happen.
He had already noticed that the young woman had been stealing glances at him ever since he entered the room, though her expression was clearly displeased. Moreover, when Senior Aunt Hongfu said he was "very good," her body visibly tensed, and she hurriedly lowered her head.
At the same time, a gaze full of hostility swept toward Han Li, startling him into looking back. It was his Seventh Senior Brother Wu Xuan, the one who had brought him here.
When Wu Xuan realized Han Li had noticed his stare, a flash of surprise crossed his face, and he quickly looked away, looking thoroughly guilty.
Seeing this, Han Li was filled withperplexity. But he maintained his habitual calm and composed expression, the unconscious steadiness he displayed making the woman in red nod approvingly to herself.
"This is the one. I think he's a good match. I'll take Xuan'er back now and await your good news, Junior Brother," the woman in red nodded and said suddenly.
"Rest assured, Senior Sister. I'll make the arrangements," Li Huayuan replied hurriedly, agreeing to whatever she asked. He and his wife stood up to see her off. And while Han Li was still completely bewildered, Senior Aunt Hongfu left with the young woman.
By the time Li Huayuan and his wife led Han Li and the others back to the main hall, Li Huayuan was beaming with joy, and even his wife, who had remained silent throughout, wore a subtle smile.
The couple took their seats again and kept sizing up Han Li, making him feel extremely uncomfortable. He had no idea what they were thinking.
"Han Li, your master has to congratulate you first!" Li Huayuan said with delight after staring at Han Li for a while, suddenly blurting out this inexplicable remark. It made Han Li's heart skip a beat, and his unease deepened.
"This disciple truly doesn't know what there is to celebrate. Please enlighten me, Master," Han Li said respectfully, suppressing his sense of foreboding.
"Hehe! This is a tremendously good thing. Senior Aunt Hongfu has taken a liking to you. She intends for you to become dual cultivation partners with her disciple!" Li Huayuan's wife couldn't wait for him to answer and revealed the answer herself, leaving Han Li momentarily stunned.
"Dual cultivation partners?" Han Li murmured to himself, falling into a daze. This was far too unexpected.
"What do you think? This is a dream come true for most people! You should know that female disciples on the mountain are already scarce, and those who successfully establish a Foundation are even rarer. Dual cultivation is an excellent method that greatly enhances the cultivation of both partners. Others would be envious of such an opportunity!" Li Huayuan said in high spirits.
For him, forming a connection with Senior Aunt Hongfu, who possessed profound magical powers, would be immensely beneficial. Everyone knew that Hongfu Xian Gu was one of the top Core Formation cultivators in the entire Kingdom of Yue! Within Huangfeng Valley, her magical powers were second only to the Valley's ancestor.
The mere thought of the benefits that would come from his disciple becoming brothers-in-law through this arrangement brought a smile to Li Huayuan's face, a rare sight for someone usually so stern and serious.
"But this disciple has never considered dual cultivation. This is all very sudden! Besides, there are so many male cultivators in Huangfeng Valley whose appearance and aptitude far surpass mine. How could she have chosen me?" Han Li finally managed to ask after regaining his composure. He truly couldn't understand it.
"Hehe! This is your destiny, disciple! Your Senior Aunt Hongfu had a heartbreak in her early years and developed a strong aversion to handsome, frivolous men. So when selecting a partner for her disciple this time, those she found unsuitable naturally didn't catch her eye. This left only those around your age who didn't have the kind of looks she dislikes. Among the hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators in Huangfeng Valley, such candidates are hard to find. Senior Aunt Hongfu has already visited several caves like your master's, and you're the first one she's been completely satisfied with," Li Huayuan said with considerable pride.
"As for aptitude, your Senior Aunt has no complaints. Her disciple — the girl standing beside her today — while not as exceptional as you, is also rather ordinary and unremarkable. I heard she only barely managed to establish her Foundation after taking three Foundation Establishment Pills and with the help of numerous precious medicinal ingredients. If she weren't a descendant of someone very close to your Senior Aunt, she would never have spent so much effort on this girl. But it does show how much she's favored," Li Huayuan explained further to Han Li.
After a pause, he sighed and added:
"In fact, I didn't originally intend to recommend you. I called your Seventh Senior Brother over first. After all, in terms of both appearance and aptitude, your Senior Brother Wu Xuan surpasses you by quite a bit! Although I knew your Senior Aunt Hongfu had some prejudice against handsome men, I still wanted to try my luck. As you might have guessed, your Senior Brother Wu couldn't pass your Senior Aunt's scrutiny, though I noticed that Dong girl seemed quite interested."
Li Huayuan glanced at Wu Xuan after saying this, causing the young man's face to flush red with embarrassment.
Only then did Han Li understand. His Senior Brother had been rejected, which explained his cold and hostile attitude toward him, the new candidate. It seemed he and the young woman had actually taken a liking to each other! However, Li Huayuan's mention of "Dong girl" reminded Han Li of the incident when he had killed "Senior Brother Lu."
That night, when "Senior Brother Lu" had gone on a rampage, he had also mentioned "Dong girl" and "Grand Elder Hongfu." Was it possible that the girl who had gotten involved with that white-eyed wolf was this very person?
At the thought of this, Han Li immediately felt uncomfortable all over, and his impression of Senior Aunt Hongfu's disciple plummeted. Any interest he might have felt after Li Huayuan's analysis was completely extinguished.
Actually, Han Li wasn't particularly opposed to dual cultivation, especially since the other party was the disciple of another Core Formation cultivator. Forming such a partnership naturally brought countless benefits. His hesitation in agreeing immediately was because he had too many secrets and simply couldn't allow someone to be so close to him.
Now, Han Li had even less interest in such an absurd arrangement. He had no interest in picking up someone else's girlfriend! Moreover, judging by the Dong girl's attitude, she was only attracted to handsome, dashing pretty boys and hadn't taken a liking to him at all.
Thinking this, Han Li hesitated for a moment before speaking with some difficulty:
"This disciple still feels it's somewhat inappropriate. On one hand, this is all too sudden and I'm mentally unprepared. On the other hand, I noticed that Senior Aunt Hongfu's disciple doesn't seem too pleased with me. Even if she were to agree to this under her master's pressure, forced unions never bring happiness! I suggest Master look for other Senior Brothers who might be more suitable candidates!"
After these words left Han Li's mouth, their dismissive intent was unmistakable, surprising Li Huayuan and his wife.
His wife seemed to understand something and said nothing, but Li Huayuan frowned, looking somewhat displeased.
"You heard me — I promised your Senior Aunt Hongfu with confidence. How can I go back on my word? Even if there were more suitable candidates, I wouldn't go back on my agreement. As for your concern about the Dong girl's feelings, you're making a mountain out of a molehill! How many dual cultivation partners among us cultivators start off in perfect harmony? After spending time together, they naturally fall into step with each other!" Li Huayuan's tone became somewhat stern, carrying a hint of reprimand.
Hearing this, Han Li secretly cursed his luck. But finding an immediate excuse to refuse seemed truly difficult! Just then, Li Huayuan's wife said something that surprised her husband and finally gave Han Li an escape.
"Han Li, you and the Dong girl entered the valley around the same time, and the time since your Foundation Establishment hasn't been that different. Could it be that you've heard some rumors during this period?"
"Rumors? What rumors?" Li Huayuan was startled by his wife's words and asked in astonishment. Then, seeing Han Li's tacit acknowledgment in silence, he felt even more surprised.
"I heard some gossip while chatting with a few close friends. It might not be true at all!" Li Huayuan's wife bit her red lip, looking somewhat reluctant to speak.
"You two step outside for a moment. Only Han Li needs to stay here," Li Huayuan said after a moment's thought, suddenly waving his hand to dismiss Song Meng and Wu Xuan who were standing nearby. The room now contained only his disciple.
Song Meng didn't seem to mind. He bowed respectfully and withdrew. Though Wu Xuan didn't dare disobey his master's orders and followed suit, his face still showed reluctance, and his gaze toward Han Li carried a peculiar look. Noticing this, Han Li fell into thought.