"Alright, our new disciple just arrived, no need to use a lecturing tone when you first meet him!" The young woman glanced at
"Very well! I understand, dear. Regardless of the circumstances, this fine disciple is your lifesaver. As his master, I will certainly make sure to compensate him properly!"
Li Huayuan looked at his wife with a gentle expression, then turned to
"You may leave us now. Your master and I need to speak privately with Junior Brother Han. There's no need for anyone else to be present!"
"Understood, Master!"
Yu Kun replied respectfully, then shot a envious glance at Han Li before quietly withdrawing.
"Lifesaver? Compensation?"
This time, Han Li was truly bewildered. He had no idea why these words were being directed at him! When had he ever done such a thing? Why didn't he know about it?
Seeing Han Li looking dazed and confused, the young woman couldn't help but smile and said, "Husband, explain it properly! Your disciple has no idea what's going on. Don't leave him completely in the dark!"
After hearing his wife's words, Li Huayuan smiled faintly, nodded, and addressed Han Li.
"Han Li! You should now understand why I took you as my disciple back then. There's no need to be embarrassed. I, as your elder, was indeed coveting those celestial and terrestrial spiritual herbs. That's why I used the pretense of accepting you as a disciple to forcibly take half of your share from you. Otherwise, you should have received two
Li Huayuan spoke with an unchanging expression, showing no remorse for his actions that day.
"But things were different later. Not long after I obtained those spiritual herbs, just as I was thinking of refining some pills to increase magical power, my wife suddenly made an error during her cultivation, and her life was in imminent danger. Fortunately, the celestial and terrestrial herbs I obtained from you hadn't been used yet, so I was able to temporarily save her life. And in the following years, using the remaining herbs, I refined a life-saving pill, which finally allowed my wife to recover just recently! Therefore, when I told my wife the origin of these spiritual herbs, she immediately insisted that you must be compensated. After all, she owes her life entirely to those herbs. You can be considered her lifesaver too!"
Whenever Li Huayuan mentioned how his wife's life had been in danger, his expression shifted several times, as if recalling the peril of that day. It seemed his affection for his wife truly ran deep.
"After hearing this, I thought it was very reasonable. I intended to formally accept you as a disciple, even if you hadn't succeeded in establishing your foundation. But unexpectedly, before I could take any action, I received news that you had successfully established your foundation, which truly surprised me! Since I had personally stated that once you entered the Foundation Establishment stage, I would officially take you as a disciple, this can no longer be considered compensation. It seems I can only think of other ways to make amends, within my means!"
Li Huayuan finally recounted the entire story, leaving Han Li somewhat dumbfounded.
He never expected such a stroke of fortune to fall upon his head. Even after hearing Li Huayuan's words about compensation with his own ears, Han Li still found it somewhat hard to believe, standing there in a daze.
"How about this? You seem unsure at the moment. Spend a day and night in the cave dwelling first. You can make your request to your master tomorrow morning. Think it over carefully—your master isn't usually a very generous person. This is a rare opportunity!" The young woman shot a glance at Li Huayuan, then said softly to Han Li.
This made Li Huayuan laugh awkwardly, looking quite flustered!
Finally snapping out of his reverie, Han Li hesitated for a moment. He had originally intended to ask for a cultivation technique, but after hearing his master's wife's words, he couldn't bring himself to refuse her kindness. He nodded in agreement.
Then, Li Huayuan called Yu Kun back in, asking him to accompany Han Li and show him around the expansive cave dwelling.
The senior disciple immediately agreed with a broad smile, then led Han Li out. They hadn't even left the main hall before he began introducing the entire cave dwelling.
"Master's Green Wave Cave spans hundreds of mu in area. The rooms..."
After watching Han Li and Yu Kun gradually move away, the young woman suddenly smiled and said to Li Huayuan, "Do you think our new disciple can withstand Kun'er's pestering? Nowadays, just hearing Kun'er start to speak, even before he utters a sound, gives me a bit of a headache! His tendency to ramble is truly exhausting."
"Sigh! Don't mention it, dear. Even I can't handle him now! Han Li definitely won't last long!" Li Huayuan looked utterly helpless.
"That's true! But tell me, what do you think this disciple of yours will ask for?" The young woman suddenly widened her eyes, a glint of cunning in them.
"What could he ask for? Nothing but pills, techniques, or magical instruments. If you hadn't insisted on compensating this obedient disciple of yours, I really wouldn't be willing to be so generous." Li Huayuan hadn't even produced anything yet, but he already seemed to be wincing at the thought.
"What! If I don't repay this life-saving grace, a flaw will appear in my cultivation base from the Ice Heart Technique. I won't be able to achieve the Great Perfection realm! Then how could I enter the Core Formation stage and live forever with you?"
The young woman first gave Li Huayuan a sidelong glance, but her following words were filled with deep affection, greatly moving Li Huayuan! He immediately thumped his chest, declaring that he would certainly satisfy Han Li's request, ensuring his wife's cultivation would have no future drawbacks.