When those people heard Liu Buli's words, their expressions contorted. What a joke! The person they were looking for was not only from the Shen family but also the future husband of Liu Buli's youngest disciple?
If that were truly his identity, then perhaps that fellow really had no connection to a dragon!
However, they were given no chance to regret their words. As Liu Buli finished speaking, the door beside them was pushed open, and Ao Lie emerged from within, following Yun Xiang.
Ao Lie was exceptionally handsome.
He carried an indescribable noble aura, and his face was so stunning that it was almost beyond mortal reach.
But with the background story Liu Buli had previously concocted for him, everyone, while marveling at his beauty, would also involuntarily think that he was related to You Siqi.
The Shen family's bloodline of divine beasts was no secret in the cultivation world. Perhaps it was precisely because everyone had some connection to divine beasts that those people, with their preconceptions, looked at Ao Lie and genuinely felt a strange resemblance between his features and Shen Muzhi's. His aura was also similar. To say they were distant cousins would not be unbelievable.
Moreover, the most crucial point was that Ao Lie's eyes were dark and beautiful, clearly belonging to a human.
They were not the vertical pupils of a beast, and in fact, they were far more beautiful than those of ordinary people. Not only that, but the way he looked at Yun Xiang was completely unguarded. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence could see that these were clearly a couple who had been in love for a long time.
With this, everything could be explained.
Why did Liu Buli bring a man back from Shuicheng?
Because Liu Buli hadn't actively brought him back.
It was because that man had fallen in love with Liu Buli's youngest disciple, and due to his identity as a Shen family member, he couldn't easily refuse. Therefore, Liu Buli brought him back to the Dan Sect, merely not making him his disciple.
And why did that man act so elusive in the Dan Sect, with no contact with other disciples, hall masters, or elders?
Because he didn't need to contact any of them!
His purpose for being here was solely to pursue the woman he admired. Other than that, he had no need to do anything else!
Liu Buli didn't need to offer any further explanations. Just by hearing about their relationship and seeing those eyes, these people had already helped Liu Buli construct a complete narrative for his lie.
In reality, this situation was within Liu Buli's expectations. Therefore, his expression remained unchanged. He allowed the others to remain silent, watching their faces grow increasingly grim. Liu Buli then chuckled and slowly asked, "Now that you've inspected my people, may I begin to inspect yours as I please?"
Humans were such strange and detestable creatures.
They were the ones who had proposed the request, but when they realized things were developing in a direction unfavorable to them, they would instinctively choose to retreat, blaming the other party for all the responsibility.
Just like now.
Looking at Liu Buli's forced smile, the cultivators' faces stiffened. They exchanged glances, unable to utter a coherent sentence.
Finally, the person at the front, who had been the most diligent in inspecting Ao Lie's eyes, forced a very awkward smile towards Liu Buli and said, "S-since that's the relationship, why didn't Sect Master Liu clarify it to us earlier?"
"If I had clarified it earlier, would you have believed me?" Liu Buli scoffed. He continued, "Besides, I'm also quite curious, who gave you the delusion that only people with dull minds could have? Why would you think I'm the type of person who would bring a dragon home to raise? Do I look like an idiot? You all know that a dismantled dragon is more valuable. Would I not understand such a simple and obvious principle?"
Clearly, Liu Buli's question had hit the mark.
Upon hearing his words, those people fell silent, beginning to seriously question if there was something wrong with their own minds for believing such a notion.
However, it was evident that most were unwilling to admit it. After a moment of silence, someone stammered, "Of course, we all thought you dismantled the dragon at first! But from the beginning until now, you've never produced any artifacts related to a dragon. Moreover, everyone saw a dragon a while ago. That should be the one from Shuicheng... so, with a little bit of imagination, we thought... you might not have actually killed the dragon?"
In truth, when answering this question, that person had wanted to say that Liu Buli was capricious and acted purely on his whims. Therefore, raising a dragon wouldn't be a strange occurrence for him.
It was precisely because everyone thought this way that they had gathered here to discuss a topic that now seemed so ridiculous to them.
Liu Buli himself remained remarkably calm in response. He simply chuckled softly and said, "Then I know where the problem lies. It's all thanks to you all for thinking too highly of me, for considering me too capable."
Hearing this, the crowd had already guessed his answer. However, some still asked with lingering doubt, "Sect Master Liu, what do you mean by that? In what way have we thought you too capable?"
"It's very simple," Liu Buli said with a shrug and a smile. "You actually think I have the ability to slay a dragon? Are you playing some new kind of joke on me? That's a dragon! A dragon that, in ancient times, countless cultivators gathered together and still couldn't kill! If I could have so easily killed one, do you think, given my temper, I would have given you the chance to leave the Dan Sect alive if you came here to make trouble for me now?"