The Arranged Pair

Chapter 244: The Pair (End of the Month, Begging for Monthly Tickets)

“What do you mean, satisfied?”

Han Li felt a wave of unease at these words. When Li Huayuan continued to shower him with praise, a bad premonition settled in his stomach.

He had already noticed that the young woman had been stealing glances at him since he entered the room, her expression one of undisguised displeasure. Moreover, when his uncle-master Hong Fu had said he was “very good,” her figure had stiffened slightly, and she had hurriedly lowered her head.

At the same time, a gaze full of hostility swept toward Han Li. Startled, he glanced back and saw that it was his seventh senior brother, Wu Xuan, who had led him in.

When Wu Xuan realized Han Li had sensed his stare, a flicker of surprise crossed his face before he immediately averted his eyes, looking guilty.

This only deepened Han Li’s confusion. But as was his habit, he maintained a calm and unflappable exterior. The composed demeanor he unconsciously displayed made the red-robed woman nod inwardly in approval.

“So this is the boy. I think he’s suitable. I’ll take Xuan’er back for now and wait for your good news, Junior Disciple Brother.” The red-robed woman nodded and spoke abruptly.

“Rest assured, Senior Disciple Sister. I’ll make the arrangements as soon as I return.”

Seeing the woman was about to leave, Li Huayuan quickly agreed, rising to see her out alongside the young matron. Still reeling in bewilderment, Han Li watched his uncle-master Hong Fu depart with the young woman.

When Li Huayuan’s wife and he returned to the main hall with Han Li and the others, his face was radiant with joy. Even the normally silent young matron wore an inscrutable smile.

After they resumed their seats, the couple studied Han Li without pause, making his skin crawl. He had no idea what they were planning.

“Han Li, your master has some good news for you!” After grinning at him for a while, Li Huayuan suddenly blurted out this inexplicable statement, making Han Li’s heart skip a beat with growing unease.

“Disciple truly does not know what this good news could be. I beg Master to enlighten me.” Suppressing his ominous foreboding, Han Li spoke respectfully.

“Hehe! This is a fantastic piece of fortune. Your uncle-master Hong Fu has taken a liking to you. She intends for you and her disciple to form a happy union and become a pair of dual cultivation partners!” The young matron, unable to wait for Li Huayuan’s answer, revealed the secret first, leaving Han Li momentarily stunned.

“Become dual cultivation partners?” Han Li muttered to himself, lost in thought. This was far too sudden!

“What do you think? This is a blessing others could only dream of! Remember, there are very few female disciples on the mountain, and those who succeed in Foundation Establishment are rarer still. Dual cultivation is an excellent method to greatly accelerate the cultivation of both parties. Others would search high and low without finding such good fortune!” Li Huayuan said, his mood buoyant.

In his mind, building a relationship with his powerful senior disciple sister Hong Fei would be immensely beneficial. Everyone knew that this Fairy Hong Fu was among the top Foundation Establishment cultivators in the entire Yue Kingdom cultivation world. Within Yellow Maple Valley, she was second only to the Patriarch himself in power.

Thinking of the advantages that would come from having their disciples become in-laws, even Li Huayuan, normally strict and proper, couldn’t help but smile.

“But Disciple has never considered the matter of dual cultivation. This is all very sudden! Besides, among the many male cultivators in Yellow Maple Valley with better looks and aptitudes than me, why was I chosen?” Coming back to his senses, Han Li steeled himself to answer Li Huayuan’s question.

“Haha! This is your good fortune, Disciple! Your uncle-master Hong Fu suffered an emotional trauma in her early years, and she has a deep aversion to handsome, frivolous men. So when it came to choosing a partner for her disciple, those men she found displeasing were naturally out of the running. This meant finding someone close in age to her disciple whom she didn’t find repulsive. Among Yellow Maple Valley’s several hundred Foundation Establishment disciples, this was no easy task. Your uncle-master visited several caves like mine, and you are the first person she has been completely satisfied with at first sight.” Li Huayuan said, a little smugly.

“As for aptitude, your uncle-master has no complaints there. Her disciple, the young woman who stood beside her today, has an aptitude that, while not as exaggeratedly poor as yours, is still quite ordinary. I heard she only barely managed Foundation Establishment after taking three Foundation Establishment Pills and a great deal of precious auxiliary medicines. If she weren’t a close relative of your uncle-master’s, I doubt she would have expended so much effort on this girl. But this also shows how favored she is!” Li Huayuan explained to Han Li.

He paused for a moment, then sighed.

“To be honest, I didn’t intend to recommend you at first. I called your seventh senior brother over instead. After all, whether in looks or aptitude, your senior brother Wu Xuan is your superior! Although I knew your uncle-master Hong Fu had some prejudice against handsome men, I still wanted to try my luck. You already know the result. Your senior brother Wu couldn’t get past your uncle-master’s scrutiny. Though I could see that Miss Dong had quite a favorable impression of him.”

After saying this, Li Huayuan glanced at Wu Xuan, whose face flushed red, looking at a loss.

It finally dawned on Han Li. So his senior brother’s coldness and hostility were because he had been eliminated; it seemed he had taken a liking to that young woman. However, Li Huayuan’s casual mention of “Miss Dong” suddenly reminded Han Li of the incident when he had killed “Senior Brother Lu” back then.

When that “Senior Brother Lu” had been overcome with lust that night, he had also mentioned the name “Miss Dong” and “Grandmaster Hong Fu.” Could it be that this wolf in sheep’s clothing had his eye on this very girl?

At this thought, Han Li felt extremely uncomfortable. His impression of his uncle-master Hong Fu’s disciple plummeted, and all favor was lost. The slight inclination he had felt after hearing Li Huayuan’s analysis was doused completely.

In truth, Han Li wasn’t particularly opposed to dual cultivation, especially since his partner would be the disciple of another Core Formation cultivator. The benefits of such a union were endless. His hesitation was mainly due to the many secrets he harbored, making it difficult to have someone so close by.

Now, he was even less inclined to agree to such an absurd arrangement. He had no interest in picking up someone else’s girlfriend. Moreover, from the look of that girl surnamed Dong, she only had eyes for handsome, charming men and hadn’t shown the slightest interest in him.

Thinking this over, Han Li hesitated for a moment before speaking somewhat awkwardly.

“Disciple still feels this is inappropriate. For one, the matter is too sudden, and I have no mental preparation. For another, it seems that Uncle-Master Hong Fu’s disciple is not satisfied with me at all. While she might agree under pressure from her master, a forced relationship will not be a happy one. I implore Master to find another among my fellow disciples. Perhaps there is someone more suitable than me.”

This speech clearly conveyed his refusal, surprising Li Huayuan and his wife.

The young matron seemed to have guessed something and remained silent. His master, however, frowned in displeasure.

“You heard me. I gave my word to your uncle-master Hong Fu on this matter. How can I go back on it now? Even if there were a more suitable candidate, I would not break my promise. As for your worry about Miss Dong not being willing, that’s an overreaction! How many dual cultivation partners among us cultivators are perfectly matched from the start? Don’t they all complement each other after a long time together?” Li Huayuan’s tone was stern, carrying a hint of reprimand.

Hearing this, Han Li could only lament his misfortune internally. But finding a valid excuse for refusal at this moment was no easy task. Just then, the young matron spoke, a statement that shocked Li Huayuan and finally helped Han Li out of his predicament.

“Han Li, you and Miss Dong entered the valley at about the same time, and your Foundation Establishment timings weren’t too far apart. Did you happen to hear any rumors during this period?”

“What rumors?” Li Huayuan asked in surprise. Then, seeing Han Li’s silent, taciturn expression, he felt a great deal of astonishment.

“This is just some gossip I heard while chatting with a few close friends. It shouldn’t be taken seriously.” The young matron bit her lower lip slightly, looking reluctant to speak.

“You two go out first. Only Han Li will stay here.” After a moment’s thought, Li Huayuan suddenly waved his hand, ordering Song Meng and Wu Xuan, who were standing by, to leave the hall, leaving only Han Li as the sole disciple.

Song Meng acted indifferent, bowed, and took his leave. Wu Xuan, though he dared not defy his master’s orders, followed with a lingering look of unwillingness on his face. The strange way he looked at Han Li made Han Li, noticing it, fall into deep thought.