After Master Lin Kong was sent away, Liu Buli returned to the hall where he had invited the cultivators.
The moment he stepped inside, he sensed that the atmosphere was off. It felt as if everyone's gaze was fixed on him, their expressions a complex mix of emotions.
Liu Buli's mind was a jumble, and he couldn't quite decipher the meaning behind their complicated looks.
His eyes darted around for a moment and landed on Shen Muzhi, who was standing in a corner. Liu Buli walked over to him, too lazy to indulge in further speculation. He directly asked Shen Muzhi, "After I left, what happened here? Are they still discussing how Master Lin Kong bullied me into crying?"
Upon hearing his question, Shen Muzhi's expression became even more complex.
He nodded first, then slowly shook his head.
Meeting Liu Buli's questioning gaze, Shen Muzhi carefully considered his words before replying, "They are still discussing that matter, but the topic has shifted slightly. Before you left, they were discussing how Master Lin Kong could be so heartless and shameless to make you cry. But after you left, they began to rationally analyze why such a thing might have happened."
Liu Buli grew more confused. He frowned and asked, "Didn't they already figure this out? They said it was because Master Lin Kong held a grudge over the martial arts tournament."
"Of course, at the very beginning, that's what everyone thought," Shen Muzhi agreed wholeheartedly. Then, his tone shifted. "But soon, someone raised an objection. They discovered something very important."
Liu Buli still didn't understand.
Shen Muzhi explained, "Lu Wuming wasn't with you. And some people who were closer to you and Master Lin Kong earlier, though they couldn't hear your exact conversation, overheard snippets about 'mutual affection' and 'love.' So, their subsequent speculations took a rather strange turn. I wanted to refute them for you, but I didn't know what to say. This is the situation now. What do you think we should do?"
Shen Muzhi had been rather vague about the most crucial part.
Yet, even so, Liu Buli understood him perfectly.
His expression grew incredibly complex. Liu Buli asked, word by word, "They don't suspect... that I've fallen for Master Lin Kong, do they?"
Shen Muzhi nodded sympathetically.
He even added, "And in their imagined story, you fell for him, only to be ruthlessly rejected, a pitiful figure. While I don't know what you discussed earlier, honestly, I don't think this misunderstanding is entirely detrimental to our current situation. What do you think?"
While the logic was sound, and even Liu Buli felt like laughing in exasperation, he truly had no desire to rush out and refute them.
As Shen Muzhi had said, the current situation wasn't disadvantageous to them. So, remaining silent and letting them speculate as they pleased was the best course of action. It wouldn't cost him anything, and no matter how outlandish their guesses, what difference would it make?
Liu Buli understood this perfectly, yet emotionally, he still felt the urge to curse those meddlesome individuals.
He was accustomed to rumors, so if it were just a simple rumor, he wouldn't have cared much.
But before spreading rumors, couldn't they at least be logical?
Given Master Lin Kong's appearance, regardless of his actual age, he looked old enough to be Liu Buli's grandfather.
And that old man wasn't exactly handsome.
Even a little thought would tell them that, purely from an appearance standpoint, he wouldn't abandon the strong, handsome Lu Wuming for an old man whose feet were already halfway in the grave.
However, despite being furious, Liu Buli was still helpless.
Because he couldn't refute anything.
He couldn't tell them where Lu Wuming had gone, nor could he reveal the secrets Master Lin Kong had just shared with him.
So, he could only swallow his anger.
No matter what unpleasant things they said, as long as he pretended not to hear, they would cease to exist.
Fortunately, the invited cultivators soon all arrived. In the face of their common concerns, no one was interested in dwelling on the gossipy interlude that had caused so much speculation.
Knowing their personalities well, Liu Buli naturally didn't bring up the previous matter.
He arranged for everyone to find their seats. He then took his place at the head of the table, scanned the assembled cultivators, cleared his throat, and without any preamble, spoke directly, "Recently, the appearance of a dragon has indeed caused some disharmony in our cultivation world. I initially felt this matter had nothing to do with me, so I never intended to speak out. However, hearing that some unpleasant voices have emerged within our own sect, I realized that during my silence, all of you have been thinking a little too much. Therefore, I wanted to take this opportunity to speak with you all and resolve your doubts."
Perhaps because he spoke too directly, the cultivators seated at their places showed a flicker of confusion in their eyes.
However, in the face of potential benefits, few could maintain their composure. After a brief silence, someone spoke up, "What do you mean by that? We've misunderstood you? Is there anything to misunderstand? Or have you finally come to your senses and intend to admit that the dragon is by your side, and insist that we all share the treasures from that dragon?"