"What are you doing!"
"I'm telling the truth. Supreme Warrior, please accept my request," Li Haoran pleaded, boldly grabbing Yue Chan's hand without permission.
Yue Chan was taken aback by his sudden gesture; she hadn't expected this man to beg so earnestly for her guidance.
Just then, a disciple happened to walk along the path near their location and accidentally witnessed the scene.
Their eyes met, but the disciple was too shocked to say a word.
Seeing Li Haoran kneeling and holding Yue Chan's hand, the witnessing disciple completely misunderstood the situation.
In his panic, he tossed the box of cloth he was carrying high into the air and ran off without looking back.
Li Haoran and Yue Chan exchanged a glance, both rendered speechless by the misunderstanding.
An awkward silence hung in the air as they watched the fleeing disciple disappear around the corner.
"Why did he suddenly run?" Li Haoran asked, genuinely confused, still holding onto Yue Chan's hands.
At that moment, Yue Chan pulled her hand away with a hint of irritation.
"How long were you planning to kneel here?"
"Are you accepting my request now?" he pressed.
"My request for you is to stand up. Please?" she replied, her patience thin.
"Accept me first," Li Haoran insisted, eyes shining with hope.
Yue Chan's lips twitched in mild annoyance; she rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Alright, fine! Just stand up, as I said."
At her approval, Li Haoran broke into a wide grin and sprang to his feet.
"EVERYONE! EVERYONE! LISTEN CAREFULLY!"
The shout of a male disciple rang out, echoing through the courtyard.
"I HAVE AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ALL OF YOU!" he called again, cupping his hands to his mouth.
Inside the pavilion, Elder Yun Ji glanced curiously at Elder Qing Yun, who simply shook his head, equally in the dark about the announcement.
He waved a hand dismissively.
"You know how your disciples are. It's all part of today's lively celebration."
Elder Yun Ji paused, considering, then gave a quiet nod.
He refocused on pouring tea, content to let the festivities unfold.
Meanwhile, all the disciples gathered at the heart of the courtyard, eager for the promised news.
"What is it? Just tell us already!"
"Don't keep us waiting!"
"That's right!"
"We're excited to hear whatever interesting news you have!"
The crowd's eager chatter grew louder.
The announcer raised a fist, signaling for silence.
"Listen! This is something truly harmonious—"
The disciples exchanged curious glances, anticipation growing.
"With my keen eyes, I never expected this..."
The crowd grumbled at the suspense.
"You're making us unsatisfied!"
"Stop dangling the news! You're disrupting our work!"
Cutting away from the heart of the commotion, Li Haoran and Yue Chan stood off to the side, growing increasingly curious as the chaos of the announcement echoed across the courtyard.
Both went blank, having no idea what their fellow disciples were proclaiming.
All they could do was listen to the uproar.
Back at the center of the courtyard, the news-spreader continued his dramatic announcement.
"After I finished hanging the decorations, I gathered up all the unused cloth into a box and hurried to take it back to storage. But as I turned onto the pathway, I witnessed a truly harmonious scene."
The crowd fell silent, every head tilting forward in anticipation.
"I was completely shocked! It turns out that our great, feared, and most admired disciple is actually passionately in love."
"Who is it?" someone whispered.
"I don't know either," another replied.
"Is what he's saying really true?"
"We've got three formidable top disciples—who could he mean?"
The rumors rippled through the crowd, everyone exchanging curious and speculative glances.
"It's up to you whether you believe me or not. But I'm telling you exactly what I witnessed."
A hush fell over the crowd, anticipation hanging thick in the air.
"Elder Qing Yun's favored disciple, Li Haoran, sincerely proposed to Senior Yue Chan!"
Inside the pavilion, Elder Yun Ji, caught off guard by the shocking announcement, accidentally spat out his tea—right into Elder Qing Yun's face.
The absurdity of the news left both elders momentarily speechless.
Far from the heart of the courtyard, Yue Chan and Li Haoran were stunned by the announcement.
Both stood there, utterly speechless.
Behind her mask, Yue Chan's eyes flashed with a fierce intensity as she turned to face Li Haoran, while he could only manage a knowing, sheepish smile.
Through the pavilion, Elder Yun Ji hurriedly slipped out of the room, descending the cold stone steps with purpose. Elder Qing Yun stayed close, never leaving his side.
Once he reached the courtyard, Elder Yun Ji called out, his voice sharp and commanding, "Who is responsible for spreading such presumptuous and absurd rumors?"
The news-spreader disciple immediately stepped forward, owning up to the call.
Elder Yun Ji leaned in, his expression stern.
"Is what you're saying true?"
Before the disciple could answer, another disciple rushed forward, immersing himself in the crowd.
"It's absolutely true!"
All eyes turned to him, the courtyard filled with anticipation and curiosity.
"What proof do you have?" Elder Yun Ji demanded.
"My ears are too big not to hear it!" the disciple replied proudly.
"And what exactly did you hear?"
"I heard that disciple Li Haoran was earnestly pursuing Senior Yue, pleading with her to accept his request."
Elder Yun Ji's eyes went wide in shock.
Beside him, Elder Qing Yun could only press his lips together in silent astonishment.
"And then?" Elder Yun Ji pressed, unable to contain his curiosity.
"Well, at first, Senior Yue hesitated. She asked disciple Li Haoran to stand up first."
"What do you mean, 'stand up first'?" Elder Yun Ji questioned, frowning.
The male disciple launched into a theatrical explanation, even kneeling down to demonstrate.
"Master, it was like this—Li Haoran was kneeling down, just like this, begging for her approval."
Elder Yun Ji blinked rapidly, watching the dramatic reenactment with a mixture of disbelief and amusement.
"And then?"
"Master, most of all. Li Haoran..."
The disciple reached out and gently took his master's hand, mimicking the scene.
"He held Senior Yue's hand just like this and pleaded, 'Just accept me first.' Li Haoran was so persistent—he made it clear that as long as Senior Yue didn't accept his request, he would remain kneeling before her, worshipping her. In the end, Senior Yue finally relented and said, 'Alright! Fine!'"
"They really said that? Truly?" Elder Yun Ji burst out laughing, delighted by the unexpected tale.
Beside him, Elder Qing Yun managed a sheepish smile, resigned to the spectacle.
The crowd grew even more lively and chaotic, excitement buzzing through the courtyard at the revelation of a new love story.
From afar, Li Haoran and Yue Chan watched the chaos unfold.
At this point, Yue Chan's gaze turned icy and murderous.
"This is all your fault," she hissed indignantly.
Li Haoran could only stare at her masked face, flustered.
"Y—Yue Chan… right? Or… what am I supposed to call you?"
In an instant, Yue Chan drew her dagger and pressed its cold blade against Li Haoran's throat.
"This is the first time I've been humiliated by such absurd rumors from my juniors. Tell me, what should I do with you right now?"
Despite the threat, Li Haoran didn't flinch. He simply looked at her, strangely amused by her severity.
"I believe you wouldn't actually cut my throat over a few false rumors… am I right?" Li Haoran said, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Yue Chan trembled with exasperation, her dagger still poised, and her deadly gaze fixed unblinking on him.
"What should you know?" she pressed, her voice cold and unwavering.
"Because… this isn't who you really are," Li Haoran replied calmly.
"Shut up!" Yue Chan snapped.
"If you truly wanted to kill, you would have finished off Gong Xie in the tournament without hesitation—and he was far more violent than me."
A flicker of surprise crossed Yue Chan's eyes.
He's witty, she thought, momentarily caught off guard by his boldness.
She let out a deep sigh and withdrew her dagger, releasing him without hesitation.
Behind her mask, the irritation was still evident in her eyes.
"What's so bad about a rumor like this? It's not as if either of us is committed to someone else. I know that much," Li Haoran muttered through clenched teeth.
Yue Chan snapped her attention to him, not quite catching his words.
"What did you say?"
Li Haoran only smiled and shook his head, refusing to repeat himself.
So fierce! he thought, a smirk tugging at his lips.
A loud commotion grew nearby as disciples bantered and even mentioned their exact location.
When Yue Chan glanced up, she saw all the disciples—along with her master and Elder Qing Yun—joining the crowd and heading straight toward them.
For the first time, Yue Chan felt a wave of unexpected panic.
Li Haoran, meanwhile, watched her calmly, arms folded, quietly amused by her reaction.
As Yue Chan caught Li Haoran's amused expression, he quickly straightened up and tried to look innocent.
"What are you smirking about?" she demanded.
Li Haoran could only fall silent, at a loss for words.
As the noise of the crowd drew closer, Yue Chan quickly turned to Li Haoran, searching for an excuse.
"I'll take my leave. Take care of yourself," she said hurriedly.
Just as she attempted to walk away, Li Haoran reached out, grabbed her, and in a flash, both of them vanished into thin air.
When the crowd arrived at the spot, there was no trace of either of them.
Everyone had expected to catch the subjects in the act, but all they found was an empty, silent place.
However, both elders sensed the lingering presence of an aura that had only recently faded.
It was unmistakably from the very subjects at the center of the latest rumors.
Exchanging knowing glances, Elder Qing Yun and Elder Yun Ji shared a discreet, close-lipped smile.
In their minds, an unspoken conversation passed between them.
"My friend, it seems your disciples never fail to surprise us with their antics."
"At first, I was perplexed too. But after tracing the aura, there's no mistaking who was here."
"If they've truly fallen for each other, what should we do?"
"Meddling in this sort of situation is pointless. If their feelings are genuine, then so be it. Chan'er is unattached, and so is Li Haoran. Honestly, they seem perfectly suited for each other."
"As for my Li Haoran, aside from his talents, he's also quite a handsome young man. I imagine your disciple Yue Chan will soon become the most beautiful bride in the entire realm—and she'll be his."
Both elders were thoroughly entertained by their silent banter.
Meanwhile, Li Haoran and Yue Chan found themselves standing on the vast, tranquil plains beside a shimmering lake.
"Why did you bring me here?" Yue Chan demanded, her eyes narrowing.
"Isn't the scenery captivating?" Li Haoran replied, smoothly changing the subject.
"You used a teleportation spell," she said, her suspicion growing. "Li Haoran, you're hiding something. Who exactly are you?"