"What do you mean, satisfied?"
Han Li felt a strange unease the moment he heard those words. And when Li Huayuan kept praising him incessantly, a nagging sense of foreboding only grew stronger in his heart.
He had also noticed that ever since he entered the room, the young woman had been stealing glances at him — though her expression was clearly displeased. And when this Senior Aunt Hongfu declared that she was quite satisfied with him, the girl's body subtly stiffened before she quickly lowered her head.
At the same time, a hostile gaze swept toward Han Li, startling him enough to look back. To his surprise, it was none other than Seventh Senior Brother Wu Xuan — the very person who had just brought him here.
Wu Xuan's face flickered with surprise the moment he realized Han Li had caught his stare, and he immediately averted his eyes, looking distinctly guilty.
Han Li found this all the more puzzling! But out of habit, he kept his expression composed and unperturbed. That inadvertent display of steadiness did not go unnoticed — the red-robed woman nodded inwardly with quiet approval.
"This is the one. I find him quite suitable. I'll take Xuan'er back now and await your good news, Junior Brother," the red-robed woman nodded and said abruptly.
"Rest assured, Senior Sister. I'll make all the necessary arrangements."
Seeing that the woman was about to leave, Li Huayuan hurriedly agreed to everything and rose to see her out alongside his wife. And while Han Li was still thoroughly bewildered, Senior Aunt Hongfu departed with the young girl in tow.
By the time Li Huayuan and his wife returned to the main hall with Han Li and the others in tow, his face was beaming with elation. Even his wife, who had remained silent throughout, wore a gentle, knowing smile.
Once they had taken their seats again, the couple could not stop studying Han Li, their gazes fixed on him so intently that he began to feel deeply uncomfortable, unable to fathom what they could possibly be after.
"Han Li, your master has something to congratulate you on!" After appraising Han Li with evident delight for a good while, Li Huayuan suddenly dropped this cryptic remark.
Han Li's heart skipped a beat, and his unease deepened.
"This disciple truly has no idea what there is to congratulate. Please clarify, Master!" Han Li suppressed his premonition and spoke respectfully.
"Hehe! This is a tremendous piece of good fortune. Senior Aunt Hongfu has taken a fancy to you and wishes for you to form a bond with her disciple — to become dual cultivation partners!" His master's wife didn't wait for Li Huayuan to answer and revealed the answer herself, leaving Han Li completely dumbstruck.
"Dual cultivation partners?" Han Li murmured, stunned into a daze. This was far too unexpected!
"Well? This is the kind of opportunity others could only dream of! You should know — female disciples on the mountain are few to begin with, and even fewer have managed to reach Foundation Establishment. Dual cultivation is an exceptional method that greatly enhances the cultivation of both partners. Others would give anything for a chance like this!" Li Huayuan said, his spirits buoyant.
For him, forging a connection with Senior Sister Hongfu — whose magical power ran deep — would be enormously advantageous. Everyone knew that Fairy Hongfu was among the most prominent Core Formation cultivators in the entire Yue Kingdom's cultivation world. Within Yellow Maple Valley, she was second only to the Old Ancestor in terms of magical power.
Just thinking of the benefits that would come from linking his disciple's fate with hers, even someone as normally stern and reserved as Li Huayuan could not stop smiling.
"But this disciple has never once considered dual cultivation — this is truly sudden! Besides, there are countless male cultivators in Yellow Maple Valley far more handsome and talented than this disciple. How could she have chosen me?" Having recovered from his shock, Han Li could only answer with a forced smile when he heard Li Huayuan's question. And honestly, it was something he genuinely could not figure out.
"Heh heh! This is your fortune, disciple! Your Senior Aunt Hongfu suffered a heartbreak in her youth and developed a deep aversion to handsome, flirtatious men. So when selecting a partner for her disciple, those men she found repulsive naturally never passed muster. That left the pool rather narrow — the candidate had to be around your age, and couldn't be the type she'd find distasteful. Among the several hundred Foundation Establishment disciples in Yellow Maple Valley, that was no easy task. Your Senior Aunt visited many caves belonging to fellow disciples of your master's rank, and you were the very first one she found satisfactory at first sight." Li Huayuan spoke with a note of pride.
"As for aptitude, there's even less for your Senior Aunt to quibble about. Her disciple — the girl who stood beside her today — may not have aptitude as exaggerated as yours, but she's perfectly ordinary, nothing particularly outstanding. I hear she only managed to reach Foundation Establishment by consuming three Foundation Establishment Pills and with the aid of copious precious medicines. If she weren't a descendant of one of Senior Aunt Hongfu's closest relatives, she would never have gone to such great lengths for this girl. But it does show just how favored she is!" Li Huayuan went on to explain.