"Now that there are no outsiders here, Madam, please speak frankly. I'd like to consider things carefully so as not to overlook anything important." Hearing this, the young wife glanced at Han Li, who was scratching his head with a wry, sorrowful expression. Finally, she spoke: "A couple of years ago, I accidentally heard some stories—whether true or not, I'm not sure. It seems that one of Red Fu's female disciples has not been particularly modest in matters of the heart. Even during her Qi Condensation stage, she became entangled with several male disciples, to the point where some had to fight her privately, nearly causing injuries among her fellow disciples. When Red Fu found out, she was furious and confined the disciple within her pavilion, strictly supervising her until she reached the Foundation stage, after which she was released. However, not long after, another rumor surfaced—this time, that she had developed a strong connection with a young man from the Feng family, with intentions of jointly cultivating with him. But Red Fu has always held the Feng family in deep disfavor, so naturally she would not agree. As a result, she was once again confined." For the next two years, there was no further news. Since these matters lacked solid evidence, I had never been particularly interested in them, and thus, when Red Fu's disciple came to visit with her disciple just now, I hadn't recalled them at all. Now, seeing Han Li's clearly displeased expression, I find it rather strange—and suddenly remember them. The lady's somewhat apologetic remarks left Han Li and Li Hua Yuan both momentarily stunned. Li Hua Yuan hadn't expected at all that the young lady with the Dong surname had such a tarnished reputation, and yet he had agreed so readily to Red Fu's request—now he was truly at a loss. As for Han Li, he hadn't anticipated that not only was the young lady involved with "Master Lu" in an unclear way, but she also had so many rumored, yet unverified, paramours—this truly left him speechless. "Madam, are you certain? The reputation of Red Fu's disciple is truly so poor?" Li Huayuan could no longer sit still; he rose with a sense of disbelief, still struggling to believe what he was hearing, and then began to pace back and forth restlessly in the hall. This was not merely a matter of Han Li's willingness or unwillingness to practice the dual cultivation ritual. If his own disciple were to take such a woman as a wife, Li Huayuan's reputation would surely suffer. "I don't know," the young wife sighed, her tone full of resignation. "All these things were just casually mentioned by others—I doubt even the people telling them fully understand whether they are true or not!" Han Li listened, his eyes rolling with frustration, silently muttering to himself, "What's true or false? At the very least, this girl must have an undeniable connection with that 'Master Lu.' Otherwise, how could Master Lu have so easily killed his former beloved?" Of course, Han Li would not voice these thoughts aloud. He simply stood there, awkward and embarrassed, pretending to be content with the idea that "you know, Mistress Li, you're already aware of this matter." Upon seeing this, Li Huayuan immediately felt a deep sense of concern and headache. Now that things have taken this turn, Li Huayuan naturally couldn't press Han Li any further to commit to this matter, and he himself had begun to hesitate. Yet his Red-Flower sister, Li Huayuan, was no one to casually break a promise—nor could he easily come up with a clear reason to back out in front of everyone. How could he possibly be any less troubled? After pacing back and forth several times in the hall, he still found himself at a loss. Glancing over, he saw Han Li still standing there, patiently waiting for his reply as his master. This only deepened his frustration, and he sighed irritably, saying, "You go back first. I'll consult with your mistress and let you know how we'll settle this matter." Han Li, who had been standing by, tense and anxious all along, fearing that his master might insist on the dual cultivation arrangement regardless of any objections, now felt a great relief upon hearing Li Huayuan's instructions. He immediately knew that the matter was likely off the table. With great joy, he nodded and slipped out. Then, in the astonished gaze of Song Meng and Wu Xuan who had been waiting outside the hall, Han Li hurriedly took off from the pavilion. After a continuous flight on his vehicle back to his residence, Han Li, restless and anxious for three days, finally received a transmission from Li Hua Yuan. Upon hearing the outcome of the discussions between his master and Red Fu, the senior disciple, Han Li could only sigh in relief. Frequent cases of cultivators going missing have been reported—initially, it was only Qi Stage practitioners, but recently even Foundation Stage cultivators have been involved in accidents! Although Li Huayuan only briefly reminded Han Li of a few things before the two departed, the simple words still deeply touched Han Li's heart. However, the red拂 senior's words regarding the young woman's departure left Han Li truly astonished. "On your journey, you must listen carefully to your senior, Han Li, and follow the established rules strictly. Should you make any further mistakes, don't expect me to uphold our master-apprentice relationship." The red拂 senior spoke with no hesitation, her directness causing the young woman to pale and nod continuously, her expression one of delicate vulnerability. Thus, Han Li and Dong Xuan'er took to their flying vessels and set off southward, vanishing into the horizon. Li Huayuan, watching the two growing fainter points until they disappeared, suddenly felt a sense of concern and turned to the red拂 nun, asking, "Are you truly confident that they can represent both of us at the Yan family's treasure-hunting assembly?" To be honest, both of them have only just reached the Foundation Stage, so they simply had no hope at all! How is it, Li弟, that you feel it was a pity not to send your capable disciples, or perhaps you're concerned that it might harm your reputation, or even regret the spiritual artifacts the Yan family presented—the "Heaven and Earth Tower"? Red Fu, the Immortal Nunnery, glanced at Li Hua Yuan with a sideways look, speaking so directly that he could hardly suppress a smile of embarrassment. Of course, my husband doesn't mean that at all. He simply wonders—why didn't Red Fu send her most accomplished disciple? Compared to the true Foundation Stage masters, Han Li and Dong Miss are surely no match. Does Sister intend to use this opportunity to bring them together? After a gentle smile, the wife softly defended Li Hua Yuan. Li弟, your wife truly is a capable and supportive spouse! In truth, I also have such intentions in mind. If she and your disciple truly develop a deep connection and achieve a happy outcome together, that would be even better! But that was not my intention. My main goal was to have this girl face several setbacks through her journey with the Yan family, in order to temper her arrogance. I heard that the young girl with the heavenly root from the Yan family would also be returning home to participate in this treasure-hunting competition. This way, she would come to understand the gap between herself and true prodigies, and realize that she wasn’t particularly outstanding among the female cultivators who had just reached the Foundation Stage—she had always been overly confident, unaware of her own limitations. Previously, because she was the sole heir of my late brother, I had been excessively indulgent toward her. As a result, she had dared to do things that were quite improper—developing close relationships with several male disciples, which was utterly unbecoming of a young lady. Her reputation had been completely ruined! Had it not been for several physical examinations that confirmed she remained chaste, I would have already laid a single palm on her, to prevent everyone from thinking that our Dong family had produced a woman lacking in propriety. The red-clad woman spoke coldly, yet her final words seemed to carry a subtle implication. Li Huayuan and his wife, who had carefully listened to grasp the true meaning of the words, exchanged puzzled glances, both looking somewhat embarrassed. That day, with great reluctance, Li Huayuan and his wife had stammered and hesitated while explaining to this red-robed sister-in-arms about their disciples' sudden decision to back out. To their surprise, the sister, who usually had a rather temperamental disposition, simply sighed and agreed without further hesitation—leaving them both delighted. However, Red Fu then proposed a condition: she hoped Han Li would accompany Dong Xuan'er on a journey to attend the recent "Treasure Quest Gathering" hosted by the Yan family. This "Treasure Quest Gathering" was an event organized by the Yan family, the leading immortal clan in the Yue Kingdom, inviting disciples from nearby nations at the Jie Dan stage of cultivation to gather together. The purpose was to strengthen ties with numerous Jie Dan-level cultivators, thereby fostering future growth and development of the Yan family. As a special prize, the Yan family had brought forth their legendary artifact—the "Heaven and Earth Tower"—as the top award, along with many other rare treasures, magical items, and elixirs. Therefore, many invited Jin-Dan stage cultivators actually sent their strongest disciples to attend this gathering. After all, the "Sky-and-Heaven Tower" artifact was truly something even Jin-Dan cultivators coveted. Naturally, due to travel distances, the likelihood of Jin-Dan cultivators from beyond the Yue State sending representatives would remain relatively low, with domestic cultivators still forming the majority. To everyone's surprise, Hong Fu, the immortal lady, suddenly asked the young wife to stay a while, saying she had some matters to discuss with her privately. This left Li Hua Yuan, full of questions, feeling rather dismissed. Half a day later, when the young wife returned from Hong Fu's abode, she told Li Hua Yuan something that left him utterly stunned. (The second chapter is now here, with one more to come. Due to guests arriving in the afternoon, the writing was delayed, so the second chapter arrived a bit later—apologies! As always, forget-me-not reminds readers to support the monthly subscription.)