"There are no outsiders here now, Madam, so please speak candidly! I need to consider this matter carefully and ensure there are no oversights," Li Huayuan said solemnly.
The young woman glanced at Han Li and, seeing his puzzled expression, finally spoke, scratching her head with a wry smile, "A couple of years ago, I unintentionally heard some rumors that may or may not be true. People said that this disciple of Sister Hong Fu seemed rather loose in matters of romance during the Foundation Establishment stage, entangling herself with several male disciples. There were even rumors of private duels fought over her, almost leading to self-harm among fellow disciples. When Sister Hong Fu learned of this, she was furious and confined her to her cave until she reached Foundation Establishment. But not long after, there were rumors again, suggesting she had gotten involved with the son of the Feng family and even expressed intentions to dual cultivate with him. However, Sister Hong Fu has always detested the Feng family, so naturally, she wouldn't agree to it and once again restricted her. For the next two years, there were no further rumors. Since there was no solid evidence, I've never been interested in these matters, so when Sister Hong Fu and her disciple visited just now, I didn't recall them. But seeing Han Li looking quite unwilling, I found it strange and suddenly remembered."
The young woman's explanation left Han Li and Li Huayuan dumbfounded.
Li Huayuan never expected the reputation of the young lady surnamed Dong to be so tarnished, and he regretted agreeing so readily to Sister Hong Fu's request. Han Li, on the other hand, was surprised to learn that this young lady not only had ambiguous ties with "Brother Lu" but also had so many unverified romantic entanglements, leaving him speechless once again.
"Madam, is what you said true? The disciple of Sister Hong Fu has such a tarnished reputation?" Li Huayuan couldn't sit still any longer and stood up, finding it hard to believe. He then paced around the hall anxiously.
This was no longer just a matter of whether Han Li was willing to dual cultivate. If he were to accept such a woman as his disciple, Li Huayuan's reputation would also suffer.
"I don't know because these things are just hearsay. Even the people telling these stories probably don't know if they're true," the young woman sighed, helplessly.
Han Li rolled his eyes internally at her words, silently exclaiming, "Whether they're true or not, at the very least, this girl definitely had some kind of relationship with that 'Brother Lu,' or else why would 'Brother Lu' readily commit the act of killing his former lover?"
Of course, Han Li wouldn't voice these thoughts out loud. He just stood there awkwardly, pretending to be satisfied with the explanation. Seeing this, Li Huayuan immediately felt a headache coming on.
Now that this matter had come to light, Li Huayuan couldn't force Han Li to agree to it anymore, and he even had second thoughts himself. However, Sister Hong Fu was not someone who would easily break her promises, and there was no good reason for him to renege. This left him extremely troubled.
After pacing back and forth in the hall for a while, Li Huayuan was still at a loss. Then, he noticed Han Li still standing there nervously, waiting for his master's response. Feeling even more frustrated, he said unkindly, "You can go now. I'll let you know how to handle this matter after I discuss it with your master."
Relieved that the other party didn't forcefully insist on the matter, Han Li immediately felt a weight lift off his shoulders and happily left the cave.
Then, under the surprised gazes of Song Meng and Wu Xuan waiting outside the hall, Han Li hastily flew away from the cave.
Half a month later, Li Huayuan and his wife, along with Sister Hong Fu, bid farewell to two people by the waterfall at the Green Wave Cave. Despite the somewhat stiff expressions on their faces, the two nodded repeatedly, agreeing to everything, without the excitement one would expect from people about to embark on a journey.
