Mu Qianqian left, taking Mo Hong from the Cultivation Base. Li Qian wasn’t the least bit worried about it.

Just as he had said before, he trusted Mu Qianqian, and he trusted the Mysterious Forest Secret Realm behind her even more.

Furthermore, Li Qian knew that the Mysterious Forest Secret Realm was in Yunlan City. While not far from Lingshui City, they technically had no obligation to provide support. But they had, and with their full strength.

This was another reason why Li Qian trusted her.

A Beast Master who would spare no effort and risk danger to support a city that had nothing to do with her could not possibly be someone who went back on their word.

As it turned out, his guess was correct.

The next day, Mu Qianqian visited again, and this time she brought a Thousand Vine Demon.

To Li Qian’s surprise, this Thousand Vine Demon had actually reached Tier Nine Commander. Combined with its Potential, it was one hundred percent capable of exhibiting the combat power of an ordinary Dominator-level Pet Beast.

Despite his surprise, Li Qian gladly accepted it.

After all, even with a Commander Level Thousand Vine Demon being traded for an Elite Level Frostfire Salamander, strictly speaking, Mu Qianqian was the one getting the better deal.

In this respect, both Mu Qianqian and the Mu Family were honorable people.

If his "friendly chat" with Mu Qianqian yesterday was just social niceties, today, he genuinely felt that the Mu Family was worth befriending.

"Our Mu Family’s Mysterious Forest Secret Realm is in Yunlan City, and your Jiaoyang Cultivation Base is in Lingshui City. We’re practically neighbors. Our families should visit and learn from each other more in the future," Mu Qianqian said before she left.

Hearing this, Li Qian readily agreed. Maintaining a friendly relationship with a Secret Realm family with a thousand-year heritage was something that had only benefits and no drawbacks for both him and the Jiaoyang Cultivation Base.

They chatted for a little longer before Mu Qianqian left the Cultivation Base. The moment she was gone, his mother, Han Yuqing, walked over with a strange expression.

"She’s a bit older, but if you really like her, we as parents aren’t entirely against it," Han Yuqing said, her tone quite complicated as she approached Li Qian.

"Huh?" Li Qian froze. When he realized what his mother, Han Yuqing, was talking about, a huge question mark instantly appeared over his head.

’She’s a bit older, but it’s not unacceptable!’

’Who... who is she talking about? Mu Qianqian?’

’Where did this rumor even come from? Counting today, Mu Qianqian has only visited twice in total.’

’You can’t just spread rumors like that! There’s not a single shred of evidence!’

Eyes wide, he looked at his mother and flatly denied it. "Mom, where did you hear such a rumor? Do you even know who she is?"

To shut down this absurd rumor, he immediately brought up Mu Qianqian’s background. "It’s one thing for me to hear you say that, but if Mu Qianqian herself heard it, it could cause an unnecessary misunderstanding. I have to warn you, Mu Qianqian’s identity and background are not simple. She’s the heir to a thousand-year-old family. If we anger her, the consequences will be unimaginable."

He continued without pausing, "Besides, at her age, she’s more than old enough to be my big sister or my aunt. Even if I were desperate, I wouldn’t set my sights on her."

To put his mother’s heart at ease, Li Qian added one last thing, "You don’t need to worry about this. With your son’s looks and talent, are you really afraid I won’t be able to find you a daughter-in-law?"

Hearing this, Han Yuqing gave Li Qian a skeptical look.

Li Qian quickly handed over the Beast Taming Ball that Mu Qianqian had brought. "Mom, this is the Pet Beast our Cultivation Base acquired through a cooperative exchange with Mu Qianqian’s family. It’s called a Thousand Vine Demon, and its strength has already reached Commander Peak. Take it and place it in the botanical garden near Building No. 5."

It was called a botanical garden, but the place was actually almost completely dilapidated.

If Li Qian hadn’t cleaned it up after taking over and penned the few remaining walking-grass type beasts there, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a patch of overgrown weeds.

Han Yuqing took the Beast Taming Ball, the doubt not entirely gone from her eyes. She started walking toward Building No. 5 but stopped after just a few steps. "If you’re not interested in that Mu Qianqian, your teacher, that Chu Xiran, isn’t out of the question either. It’s just that a student-teacher romance... it wouldn’t look good if word got out..."

Hearing this, Li Qian staggered and nearly fell to the ground.

His face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

’Who the hell is spreading these rumors? Why is each one more ridiculous than the last?’

For some reason, at that moment, the slightly sleazy face of Elder Tie unconsciously surfaced in Li Qian’s mind.

’It couldn’t be him, could it...?’

「The next day」

Professor Yan hadn’t arrived yet, but someone else showed up early, much to Li Qian’s surprise.

This person was none other than Niu Fenjin.

Li Qian had assumed he came to the Cultivation Base to make up for a missed class, but the moment the guy entered, he immediately hit him with a barrage of three questions:

"What happened after you and Chu Xiran entered the Unstable Rift?"

"Why did she go in with you?"

"Are you in love with Chu Xiran?"

This rapid-fire questioning left Li Qian completely baffled.

’What happened after Teacher Chu and I entered the Unstable Rift? Didn’t she already report it to the Public Security Bureau?’

’Besides, shouldn’t you guys know exactly why we went in?’

"Wait, what was that? In love with Teacher Chu..." Dazed by the three questions Niu Fenjin had suddenly fired at him, his eyes widened as the last one registered.

"Where did you hear such a ridiculous rumor? Wait, not just you, but ’you guys’..." The more Li Qian spoke, the more something felt off. He began to speculate, "I’m getting the feeling that after Teacher Chu and I entered the Unstable Rift, something happened that we don’t know about..."

As he said this, a speculative look appeared in Li Qian’s eyes, and he sized Niu Fenjin up and down.

"Never mind what happened! Just tell me, are you in love with Chu Xiran?" Niu Fenjin grew a little flustered under Li Qian’s stare. He ignored Li Qian’s question and asked his own again.

Seeing Niu Fenjin’s flustered appearance, Li Qian’s expression turned playful. He chuckled. "So what if I am, and so what if I’m not? What does that have to do with you, Brother Niu? Or rather, in what capacity are you asking me this question?"

"I..." Niu Fenjin was at a loss for words. He wanted to retort but didn’t know what to say.

"Haha..." Seeing Niu Fenjin’s reaction, Li Qian let out a hearty laugh. "Being so shy and hesitant won’t work. I know Teacher Chu pretty well, and she doesn’t like guys like that. Also, even if you don’t say it, I can guess. Was it Elder Tie who was joking about Teacher Chu and me before?"

When he saw the utterly priceless expression on Niu Fenjin’s face after he said that, Li Qian’s laughter became even more unrestrained.

"Stop overthinking it. Me and Teacher Chu? It’s completely impossible. I can’t believe Elder Tie even thought of it, and I can’t believe you actually came to ask..." Leaving him with that, Li Qian clapped Niu Fenjin on the shoulder and walked away.

Seeing this, Niu Fenjin’s face flushed a rare shade of red, and he was too embarrassed to know what to say.