To everyone's surprise, the red-robed senior sister had brought a young married woman, and yet the jade sand—symbolizing purity—was still intact. This deeply surprised Master Han's wife, as the young woman's demeanor clearly suggested she had never lost her maidenly charm. Indeed, when the couple had initially agreed to the double practice of spiritual cultivation, they had deliberately kept the matter vague, pretending not to know. Yet they had never expected that the young lady's reputation was already widely known for its shortcomings—thus, the couple had only recently decided to withdraw from the arrangement, out of concern for their own reputations. In the young married woman's astonishment, the red-robed sister explained that her disciple had chosen the top-tier technique, "The Decree of Spring Vitality," which she held in her hands, primarily for its remarkable anti-aging effects. The grace and charm in the disciple's expression were simply the result of practicing this method. Therefore, many accomplished cultivators, after merely meeting her a few times, naturally assumed that her vital essence had already been depleted, and gradually began to spread unfavorable rumors about her disciple. Of course, her disciple indeed lacked self-respect, maintaining somewhat intimate relationships with several male disciples. Yet, thanks to the extraordinary charm of the Huachun Ju and her unique status, it was rather unusual—indeed, a rare sight—that no male cultivator surrounded her in a flurry of admiration. As more male cultivators gradually gathered around her, Dong Xuaner began to develop an odd impulse: whenever she encountered a young man who pleased her, she would immediately feel the urge to have him kneel before her skirts. She even delighted in stirring up rivalries among these men, encouraging them to vie for her favor and grow jealous. Fortunately, when Red Fu had agreed to allow this young woman to study the Huachun Ju, she had made one condition—she must never lose her chastity. Should Red Fu detect any sign that Dong Xuaner’s Shou Gong Sha had disappeared, she would immediately revoke her cultivation abilities, reducing her back to a mere mortal. This way, Dong Xuaner, now possessing the fox-like grace of the Huachun Ju, would not tarnish the reputation of the Dong family. Therefore, under this critical condition, although Dong Xuan'er often exchanged glances and showed interest with the male disciples, she still dared not commit anything too out of the ordinary. However, the good deeds she had done gradually reached the ears of Hong Fu, the female cultivator at the Jiadian stage, who was deeply astonished and furious. She severely reprimanded Dong Xuan'er and immediately confined her for a period of time. But by then, it was too late—Dong Xuan'er's reputation for impropriety had spread throughout Huang Feng Valley. Once such matters became known, they could no longer be explained clearly, even to Hong Fu herself, who was at a loss. At this point, even if other cultivators who valued their reputations truly knew that Dong Xuan'er had remained chaste, they would still hesitate to form a dual-cultivation partnership with her, fearing the risk of reputational damage. Yet due to the requirements of the Hua Chun Ju cultivation technique, Dong Xuan'er now had to enter the stage of dual cultivation with another cultivator; otherwise, her cultivation energy would stagnate and might even regress. As for the cultivators still pursuing Dong Xuan'er, Hong Fu found no one satisfactory, and felt uneasy about their character and intentions—thus, it was only after Li Hua Yuan's visit to his abode and his decisive choice of Han Li that things came to a head. Upon hearing all this, the young wife returned to Li Hua Yuan's side, her face filled with embarrassment, and recounted the entire matter. The two sat in silence for a while. Though Li and his wife truly had misunderstood Dong Xuan'er's virtue, as Hong Fu had pointed out, even if Dong Xuan'er had remained chaste throughout, her reputation had suffered such a severe decline that Li Hua Yuan simply would not allow his disciple to share a dual cultivation bond with her—this truly damaged his own standing. Thus, he felt deeply regretful toward Hong Fu. Yet, to make amends for his sense of obligation to Hong Fu, Li Hua Yuan naturally did not place any further obstacles in Han Li's path when he went to attend the Treasure-Seeking Grand Assembly. On the contrary, he actively facilitated the matter, which ultimately led to Han Li and Dong Xuan'er's current journey. As Li Huayuan had imagined, given Han Li's extremely unfavorable impression of Dong Xuan'er, even if the two truly went on this journey, they should not have developed any lingering ties. It was rather his seventh disciple, Wu Xuan, who, after meeting Dong Xuan'er just once, had grown increasingly fond of her. Indeed, a few days ago, he had bravely taken the initiative to urge Li Huayuan to once again approach Hong Fu and see if their affair could still be arranged. Li Huayuan, feeling deeply embarrassed in his dealings with Hong Fu, naturally refused such a ridiculous request. He scolded his disciple severely and then sent him out on official duties, hoping to avoid further disturbances within the mountain. Though under Li Huayuan's stern reprimand, Wu Xuan seemed more composed and obedient, having gone out to carry out his tasks, Li Huayuan still clearly sensed that his disciple's interest in Dong Xuan'er remained undiminished—how could he not find this situation increasingly troublesome? After seeing off both of them, Hong Fu, the immortal nun, exchanged a few more casual words with the couple before bidding them farewell and returning. Li Hua Yuan and his young wife also entered the Lübo Cave, beginning their daily cultivation, thus finally putting aside the matter of Han Li and Dong Xuan'er. ... The Yan family, though the premier clan of Yue State, has its roots in Lianzhou—one of the less prominent of the thirteen prefectures of Yue—where both the prefecture's territory and population are average, making it a rather unremarkable, moderate region. Qingliang City, a typical small town within Lianzhou, boasts only one scenic highlight, Yanliang Mountain nearby, and offers no distinctive local features or specialties that residents can readily name. The family's ancestral seat, Yanling Fort, is situated within Yanliang Mountain. At this moment, Han Li was holding a piece of paper—the invitation to the Treasure-Seeking Grand Assembly. The address listed on the invitation specified Yanling Fort. After reviewing the invitation once more and confirming all details, Han Li slowly folded and placed it away. Yet, at the same time, he heard a woman's cold, mocking remark. "Really stiff! I've gone over that invitation letter five or six times, yet I still can't feel at ease. You must have some serious issues!" The woman's voice was soft yet carried a deep, resonant charm—something that naturally stirred men's imaginations, especially young men, to daydream. Yet Han Li remained utterly still, as if he hadn't heard a word. Instead, he raised his hand and launched three fire balls, each the size of a large bowl, straight toward the sky, where they exploded in mid-air. Only then did he speak calmly: "If the people from the Yan family haven't come to collect us within a few more minutes, we'll simply leave here and return tomorrow. If you're still in good health and have the strength to argue, why not fly up high and take a look around to see if anyone else is present—just in case." "Han brother's really timid! At the Yan family's main gate, do you think there's any real danger? I'd say you're just making things up out of nowhere, bothering everyone!" Dong Xuan flicked her red lips lazily and said indifferently. She was leaning against an ancient pine, stretching her arms lazily, showing no sign of listening or paying attention. At this moment, Han Li and the young lady were on a modest hill, waiting patiently for something to happen. This was precisely the location mentioned in the invitation for receiving guests. Yet, although they had arrived some time ago, no representative from the Yan family had appeared. Han Li found himself growing increasingly alert, fearing something unexpected might unfold. To Dong, however, Han Li's cautious demeanor seemed utterly trivial—she dismissed it as mere timidity. Now, it had been over seven or eight days since they left Lübo Cave. Throughout their journey, the two of them seemed naturally at odds, finding each other deeply unappealing. There was not a single hint of the subtle, intimate atmosphere that should naturally develop between a man and a woman. Dong Xuaner, whose alluring charm and subtle seduction had proven effective with every other male cultivator, found no effect whatsoever on Han Li. Instead, her impetuous nature eventually erupted after repeated failures to control him, leading her to lose her temper and storm out in a huff. Yet Han Li remained utterly unmoved by the young woman's stubbornness and outbursts. A simple statement—“I will faithfully report my sister's behavior to Red Fu Sister”—was enough to calm Dong Xuaner instantly. Though accustomed to being indulged, she now realized that this time, Red Fu was truly furious over her reputation. The warning given at parting had been serious and heartfelt! If the current man she found so unbearable actually spoke ill of her before her master, she would surely face severe reprimands—perhaps even be confined again, which would not be out of the question. As soon as she thought of life in confinement, Dong Xuaner could hardly help shivering. Though she still maintained a composed demeanor and refused to show weakness verbally, her actions now reflected a marked restraint, no longer daring to act impulsively. Yet Han Li did not find it overly difficult to deal with Dong Xuan'er, even willingly granting her a few verbal advantages without hesitation. However, as soon as Dong Xuan'er showed the slightest excess, Han Li would promptly invoke his senior teacher, Hong Fu, to immediately assert his authority, leaving Dong Xuan'er with no room to resist. Indeed, before their departure, Hong Fu had personally instructed Dong Xuan'er to listen to Han Li's guidance in front of both of them. They had been waiting for nearly half a day, growing increasingly impatient. (Wow, I've been typing all night—time to go to bed now! A legendary tale of the great transcendent traveler in the virtual game world. Book title: Native Resident. ISBN: 1021341. Just don't forget to vote after you finish reading!)