"What does that mean—satisfied?" Hearing this, Han Li immediately felt a growing unease. As he kept hearing Li Huayuan praise him nonstop, his doubts only deepened. Moreover, he had noticed that since he had entered the room, the young woman had been secretly glancing at him several times, each time with an expression of clear dissatisfaction. When the red-robed senior nun praised him as being "very good," her body subtly trembled, and she hurriedly lowered her head. At the same time, a clearly hostile gaze was directed straight at Han Li, causing him to turn and look back—only to realize it was his seventh senior brother, Wu Xuan, whom he had just brought in. Upon sensing Han Li's awareness of his gaze, Wu Xuan's face briefly showed surprise, and he immediately shifted his eyes away, appearing visibly uneasy. Han Li, now even more puzzled, maintained his habitual composure—calm and unruffled—his quiet steadiness earning quiet nods of approval from the red-robed woman. "Then this one, I believe is quite suitable. I'll take Xuan back now and wait patiently for my younger brother's news!" The red-robed woman nodded, suddenly speaking. "Please don't worry, I'll make everything arrangements promptly," Li Huayuan said, eager to see the woman leave, and quickly agreed with every word, rising to accompany her. While the young man, Han Li, remained still in a state of bewilderment, the red-robed senior sister and the young woman departed together. When Li Huayuan and his wife returned with Han Li to the main hall, they both looked bright and joyful. Even the young woman, who had remained silent all along, now smiled gently. After reseating themselves, the couple kept glancing at Han Li, constantly, until he felt uneasy, unsure of their true intentions. "Han Li, I must first congratulate you!" Li Huayuan, after gazing at him for a while, suddenly exclaimed, without any clear reason. Han Li felt a jolt in his heart, his unease deepening. "The disciple truly has no idea what could be so joyful. I hope Master will kindly explain," Han Li said respectfully, suppressing the ill omens that had stirred within him. "Haha! This is truly a wonderful development! Your Red Fu senior has taken a liking to you and has expressed her intention for you to form a lifelong partnership with her disciple—becoming a mutual cultivation couple!" The young woman spoke before Kui Hua Yuan could respond, revealing the secret so suddenly that Han Li was left speechless. "A mutual cultivation couple?" Han Li murmured, stunned, his mind momentarily blank—such a surprise! "How about that? This is truly something no one could have imagined! You see, there aren't many female disciples on the mountain, and even fewer who successfully attain the Foundation Stage. Mutual cultivation is an excellent method that greatly benefits both parties. Indeed, others would have to search far and wide to find such a fortunate match!" Kui Hua Yuan said with a cheerful tone. For him, being connected to the accomplished Red Fu Sister—whose magical prowess is truly outstanding—was no small advantage. Who could forget that the Red Fu Immortal is among the top-ranked Condensation Stage cultivators in the entire Yue State’s realm of cultivation? Within Huangfeng Valley, she ranks as one of the most powerful practitioners beneath the old patriarch. Thinking of the benefits that would come from becoming both a disciple and a marital partner, even the usually strict and formal Li Hua Yuan could not help but smile warmly. "Indeed, I never imagined that a dual cultivation practice would be arranged—how unexpectedly sudden this has been! Moreover, among so many male cultivators in Huangfeng Valley who surpass me in both appearance and potential, how could they have chosen me?" After regaining his composure, Han replied with some hesitation to Li Hua Yuan’s question. Yet, this truly puzzled him. "Ah, what a fortunate turn of events for you!" Your Shifu Red Fu once suffered a romantic heartbreak early in her life, deeply disliking handsome yet frivolous men. Therefore, when selecting a partner for her disciple, any man who displeased her would naturally fall short of her approval. As a result, finding a man of comparable age to her disciple—someone whose appearance she didn’t find unappealing—among the hundreds of Jianji-level disciples at Huang Feng Valley proved quite challenging. Your Shifu Red Fu has already visited several caves similar to your master’s, and you are the very first one she has encountered who immediately impressed her greatly. "Regarding aptitude, your Shifu has nothing to criticize. Her disciple, the woman standing beside her today, though not as outstanding as you, possesses ordinary qualifications—indeed, not particularly exceptional. It’s said she had to take three Jianji pills and receive extensive support from precious medicinal herbs to finally succeed in achieving Jianji level." If she weren't the descendant of a close relative of your senior master, I doubt I would have invested so much effort in this young lady—yet it clearly shows how favored she is!" Li Huayuan explained to Han Li. After pausing, he sighed and added, "In fact, at first I hadn't even intended to recommend you. I had instead summoned your seventh senior brother. After all, in terms of appearance and potential, your Wu Xuan brother far surpassed you. Though I knew your Red Fu senior master had a slight preference for handsome men, I still hoped for a chance. As you probably know, your Wu brother still failed to pass your senior master's scrutiny—though I did notice that the Dong family girl seemed quite willing to agree." Li Huayuan finished, glancing at Wu Xuan, who instantly turned crimson and looked somewhat at a loss. Han Li only then realized that his senior had grown cold and hostile toward him precisely because he himself had been eliminated as a candidate—so clearly, the senior had taken a strong liking to that young woman! However, Li Hua Yuan's mention of "Dong family's daughter" occasionally brought back memories of the incident when Han Li had defeated "Master Lu." That night, when "Master Lu" had lost his composure and displayed his wild instincts, he too had referenced both Dong family's daughter and Master Hong Fu. Could it be that the one he had grown close to was precisely this young woman? As soon as Han Li thought about this, he felt utterly uneasy, and immediately lost favor with the disciple of Master Hong Fu. The positive impression he had gained after listening to Li Hua Yuan's analysis vanished completely. Though Han Li wasn't particularly opposed to the concept of dual cultivation, especially since the person in question was the disciple of another Jin Dan stage cultivator, the prospect of forming a lifelong partnership naturally offered countless advantages. His hesitation stemmed from the sheer number of secrets he carried—there simply wasn't room for another close companion by his side. Now, Han Li would certainly not agree to such a ridiculous proposal. He had no interest in picking up someone else's girlfriend! Moreover, judging by the appearance of the Dong-family woman, she seemed to have only a favorable impression of handsome, charming young men—she had no interest in him at all. With this in mind, Han Li paused, feeling somewhat awkward, and said: "I still feel this arrangement is somewhat unsatisfactory. On one hand, the matter has come unexpectedly, and I haven't had time to prepare. On the other hand, I observe that the disciple of Red Fu Master seems to be rather unconvinced about me. Though perhaps under her Master's strong influence, the match has been arranged, it's still hard to force a fruit that doesn't taste sweet. Why not ask Master to consider other disciples instead? Perhaps there's someone even more suitable than myself!" "With these words, the hesitation clearly came through in Han Li's tone, surprising Li Hua Yuan and his wife. The wife seemed to have thought of something and remained silent, while her master frowned, growing increasingly displeased. 'You must have heard me promise your senior, Hong Fu, that I would definitely arrange this match,' he said, his voice firm. 'How could I possibly back out now? Even if someone more suitable were to come along, I would never change my mind. As for your concern that Dong's daughter might not be enthusiastic—how very surprising! In our cultivation world, how many married pairs begin with a deep mutual affection? Most of them only grow into harmonious partnerships after years of shared life!' Li Hua Yuan spoke with a tone that was both stern and subtly reprimanding. Han Li listened, silently cursing his luck. Yet, to immediately come up with a solid reason to refuse, he found it truly difficult! But at that moment, the young wife suddenly said something that startled Li Huayuan, finally saving Han Li from the predicament. "Han Li, you and Dong the girl entered the valley around the same time, and your time to reach the Foundation Stage isn't significantly different either—haven't you heard any rumors or whispers during this period?" "What kind of rumors?" Li Huayuan was taken aback by her words and asked in surprise. Then, seeing Han Li silently nodding in agreement, he felt even more astonished. "These are just fragments of conversation I overheard while chatting with a few close friends of mine. They're probably not entirely true," the young wife said, slightly hesitating, her lips pressed together as if unsure. "Let you two go first. Only Han Li needs to stay here." Seeing her reaction, Li Huayuan paused, then suddenly waved his hand, asking Song Meng and Wu Xuan, who had been standing by, to step out of the living room. Only Han Li remained inside the room. Song and Meng merely maintained a composed demeanor. After offering a bow upon hearing the words, they withdrew. Although Wu Xuan dared not defy his master's orders and followed closely behind, he still appeared somewhat unconvinced, with a distinct look in his eyes toward Han Li. Noticing this, Han Li found himself pondering. (First chapter delivered—there are still two more to come! It's the end of the month, and it's time to call for monthly support!)