Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 122

After listening, the wife smiled warmly and gently clarified on behalf of her husband.

“My husband doesn’t mean that. It seems he’s asking why Senior Sister Hong Fu is sending Han Li and Miss Dong when she has strong disciples under her. With their level, they won’t be a match for Foundation Establishment experts. Perhaps, is Senior Sister planning to match them up through this opportunity?”

“Junior Brother Li, your wife is a great help. Actually, I’ve considered that. If they develop good feelings during the journey and become cultivation partners, that would be great. However, the main purpose of this Yeon family trip is to make her experience setbacks and break that girl’s arrogance!

I heard that a girl with a Heavenly Spiritual Root from the Yeon family is joining the competition. If she personally feels the difference between a genius and herself, she’ll realize she’s nothing special among other Foundation Establishment cultivators and come to her senses!

I’ve spoiled her too much because she’s my deceased brother’s daughter. To think she’d be involved in scandals with men! If I hadn’t confirmed that she hadn’t given herself to a man, I would have immediately abolished her cultivation and kicked her out. There’s no way our Dong family can have such a shameless daughter.”

As the woman in red spoke, Li Huayuan and his wife exchanged awkward glances.

A few months ago, after much deliberation, Li Huayuan and his wife had visited Senior Sister Hong Fu, making various excuses and saying that the matter would be difficult. Unexpectedly, the notoriously eccentric senior sister had sighed and agreed.

Of course, this was good news for Li Huayuan and his wife. However, Hong Fu, instead of dropping the idea of a partner, proposed sending Han Li and Dong Hwon-ah to the treasure competition held by the Yeon family just once.

The treasure competition was a large event hosted by the Yeon family, the leading family in the Yue Kingdom’s cultivation world, inviting disciples from various Foundation Establishment cultivators from nearby countries.

It was an event to maintain good relationships with various Foundation Establishment cultivators and increase the family’s benefits. They usually offered good prizes, and this time, they had put up the legendary treasure, the Qiankun Pagoda [a powerful magical artifact], as the grand prize.

Of course, there were also various other rare treasures, magical artifacts, and spirit pills prepared.

As Li Huayuan and his wife were about to leave after their conversation, Hong Fu suddenly asked to speak with his wife alone. It was only after half a day, when his wife returned to Nokpadong, that Li Huayuan learned the truth.

Senior Sister Hong Fu had taken his wife to Dong Hwon-ah. Then, she applied a medicine to the girl’s fair arm to confirm her chastity, which surprised his wife. Unexpectedly, the girl had never been intimate with a man. The seductive aura and the way she enticed men with her eyes were hard to believe for a woman with no experience.

Hong Fu said that she had been fascinated by the effects of maintaining youth and had learned the highest-grade technique, the ‘Hwachun Art’ [a technique focused on maintaining youth], and the aura that seduced men was a side effect of that technique.

It was true that Dong Hwon-ah had been in contact with several men, but considering the alluring effect of the Hwachun Art and her special status, it was natural for men to be drawn to her.

However, because Dong Hwon-ah had learned the Hwachun Art, she had reached a stage where she had to cultivate with a partner. If she couldn’t find a partner, not only would her cultivation not improve, but it could even regress.

After hearing all this, his wife was very troubled about how to react and immediately returned to Li Huayuan to tell him the truth.

Although they had misunderstood Dong Hwon-ah, as Hong Fu had said, it was dangerous for Li Huayuan to tie a girl who had already gained such a bad reputation to his disciple as a cultivation partner. However, feeling sorry for Senior Sister Hong Fu, Han Li’s participation in the Yeon family’s treasure competition was naturally confirmed, and the two of them set off on their journey.

* * *

Despite being the leading family in the Yue Kingdom, the Yeon family was located in Linzhou, one of the thirteen provinces that was not very prominent. Linzhou was a very ordinary region.

Among them, Cheongnyang City was a small city in Linzhou, with no special products or characteristics other than the scenic Yeonryang Mountain nearby. And the Yeon family’s stronghold, Yeonryeong Fortress, was located within this Yeonryang Mountain.

At this time, Han Li was holding the invitation to the treasure competition in his hand, confirming that the venue was Yeonryeong Fortress.

After examining the invitation several times, he carefully put it back into his pocket. Then, he heard a woman’s mocking voice.

“It’s like traveling with a block of wood. You’ve looked at that invitation half a dozen times and still can’t relax!”

The woman’s voice was soft yet strangely alluring. It was the kind of voice that would make any young man’s heart flutter just by hearing it.

However, Han Li pretended not to hear her words. He spread his hand and sent three fist-sized flames into the air, causing them to explode.

“If the Yeon family people don’t come to greet us soon, let’s leave this place and come back tomorrow. Junior Sister, if you have the energy to chatter, why don’t you go up and check if there’s anyone else around besides us? We need to be prepared for anything.”

“Senior Brother Han, you’re such a scaredy-cat. What danger could there be in front of the Yeon family’s gate? You’re really making a fuss and bothering others!”

Dong Hwon-ah pouted, showing no intention of following Han Li’s words, and leaned against a large tree.

However, Han Li had been waiting at the location specified on the invitation for a certain amount of time, and he was being cautious, wondering if something might have happened since the Yeon family people had not yet appeared.

It had already been seven days since they had left Nokpadong. Throughout the journey, they had been like enemies from a past life, with no hint of romantic feelings between them.

Dong Hwon-ah, who had been charming male cultivators, showed her bad temper when her allure had no effect on Han Li. But was Han Li someone she could handle?

Not only did he ignore most of her words, but if she went too far, he would only say one thing.

“I’ll be sure to tell Senior Uncle Hong Fu about your behavior, Junior Sister.”

As if knowing that the two were tired of waiting, two black dots appeared from the west of the mountain peak. Upon closer inspection, they were two-headed monster eagles, the same demonic beasts he had seen at the Tae Nam Competition.

And on top of them were a man and a woman. When strangers appeared, Dong Hwon-ah, who had been lounging, straightened up and looked at the two-headed monster bird with curious eyes.

“We are very sorry for making you wait so long. I am Yeon Woo, and this is my younger sister, Yeon Ryung. We have come to escort you to Yeonryeong Fortress.”

As soon as their spirit beast, the Double-Headed Duck, landed on the mountain peak, the man and woman jumped down and greeted them with sincere apologies.

“It’s nothing. We just arrived ourselves.”

Before Han Li could say anything, Dong Hwon-ah, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the handsome Yeon Woo, spoke softly, as if bewitching people.

Yeon Woo’s heart fluttered at her soft voice. He immediately spoke to her in a clear voice.

“Actually, it seems that the disciple who was supposed to greet the guests here had an issue, so there was no one here. I apologize for making you wait so long.”

Dong Hwon-ah was about to smile and say something with her seductive eyes when Han Li’s calm voice suddenly interrupted.

“Junior Sister, aren’t you afraid of being scolded by Senior Uncle Hong Fu if you act like that?”

At those words, her face immediately changed, and she shut her mouth, saying nothing. It was natural that the Yeon siblings couldn’t understand this strange scene.

The younger sister, a girl of about sixteen or seventeen, was lively, her black eyes constantly moving as she observed Han Li and Dong Hwon-ah.

“As Junior Sister Dong said, it’s possible to be a little late. There’s no way the Yeon family would intentionally leave guests in a place like this. What I’m curious about is what happened to the disciple who was guarding this place. Could it be that they had a dispute with the guests?”

Han Li, who had stopped Junior Sister Dong’s Hwachun Art, cleared his throat a couple of times and asked politely but with a hint of jest.

“That is…”

Yeon Woo looked a little embarrassed at Han Li’s question, making a face that suggested it was difficult to say.

“Han Li, why are you asking when Senior Brother Yeon is uncomfortable! Let’s go to Yeonryeong Fortress. I wonder how many people are there!”

“That’s right. Let’s go to Yeonryeong Fortress together. Many people have already arrived and are sharing their insights from cultivation and interacting with each other.”

While Yeon Woo hesitated, Dong Hwon-ah quickly stepped forward to defend him, and the Yeon family disciple was relieved and agreed with her. This time, Han Li didn’t say anything to Junior Sister Dong and just smiled.

“Then, please lead the way. Junior Sister Dong and I will follow behind.”

“Before guiding you, may I check your invitations as a formality?”

His attitude was very polite, but it was clear that his kindness was directed at Junior Sister Dong. It seemed he had already fallen for Dong Hwon-ah. Han Li simply handed the invitation he had received from Li Huayuan to Yeon Woo.

At the same time, Dong Hwon-ah handed over the invitation she had received from Hong Fu in a seductive manner, and the subtle fragrance she emitted made Yeon Woo momentarily dazed, forgetting to take it.

Unable to bear it any longer, the younger sister next to him snatched the invitation with an angry hand, and only then did Yeon Woo come to his senses. Seeing this, Dong Hwon-ah smiled, and his face flushed red.

“Senior Brother Han and Junior Sister Dong’s invitations have been verified. Let’s go now.”

He returned the invitations and, with a slightly troubled heart, climbed onto his spirit beast. Even then, he secretly glanced at Dong Hwon-ah, who, in turn, pretended to be noble and ignored him, making the man’s heart burn.

The four of them took flight and began to move in the direction the Yeon siblings had come from. After traveling for about ten miles, a terrain between two hills appeared.

Yeon Woo took out a jade pendant-like object from his pocket and injected spiritual power into it, causing a yellow light to emanate.

As the light shot into the sky, it shone with brilliant colors, and as the light disappeared, a magnificent castle appeared. Han Li and Dong Hwon-ah were amazed to see a huge castle wall that seemed to be at least three stories high and ancient-style buildings in a place that had clearly been empty space when viewed from the sky.

“This is Yeonryeong Fortress, one of our Yeon family’s strongholds. Welcome, Senior Brother Han and Junior Sister Dong.”

Yeon Woo greeted them politely. Han Li was about to say something with a smile when Dong Hwon-ah, who was next to him, looked somewhere with surprised eyes.

There, two men in different attire were confronting each other in the air. One was a nimble, handsome man in brown clothes, which seemed to be the Yeon family’s attire, and the other was a bizarre figure with yellow hair, gray eyes, and a curly beard.

Around them, a huge white light formed a protective barrier, and outside, several groups were gathered, divided into east and west.

One side was standing in an orderly manner, showing a well-trained appearance, and the other side, like the hairy, bearded man in the air, was wearing green robes, and most of them had gray eyes and yellow hair.

Han Li was a little surprised by the bizarre sight and looked at the Yeon siblings. Before he could ask anything, Yeon Woo’s face hardened at the sight, and Yeon Ryung clenched her fist and spoke angrily.

“Are they attacking so fiercely again? How can this be happening!”

Han Li, hearing her mutter, opened his mouth slightly.

“Could it be that they are also guests of the Yeon family?”

“Of course not. Those guys injured the disciples who were greeting the guests and then insisted on participating in the treasure competition. And the elders, for some reason, allowed it, which is really infuriating.”

Yeon Ryung ignored Yeon Woo’s gaze, which told her to be quiet, and chattered, showing the typical temper of a girl.

Han Li couldn’t help but laugh at the sight, and Yeon Woo looked embarrassed.