And perhaps, Yi Lingjun was showing a bit too much concern for this acquaintance of hers?
Ye Wanyan was still skeptical, but Yi Lingjun had regained his composure, as if what she had witnessed earlier was just her imagination.
“Listening to Miss Nie mentioning someone who resembles me in appearance, I got curious and asked a few more questions. I hope you don’t mind,” he said.
“Not at all. In a world as vast as this, it’s not uncommon to find people who look alike,” Ye Wanyan replied.
“Just… listening to Miss Nie’s description, it reminded me of someone,” Yi Lingjun said slowly.
“Who is it?” Ye Wanyan asked.
“He Lianjue. Have you heard of that name, Miss Nie?” Yi Lingjun inquired.
“Well…” Ye Wanyan was taken aback for a moment, not expecting Yi Lingjun to guess correctly, although she had been quite obvious.
She scratched her head, deciding not to hide anything. “Yes, I was talking about him.”
Yi Lingjun shook his head, chuckling softly. “I believe, Miss Nie, you should be aware that He Lianjue doesn’t have the best reputation in the Twelve Independent States. As the saying goes, ‘One who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.’ I hope Miss Nie will keep a distance from such a person.”
There were rumors that He Lianjue and Yi Lingjun had clashed before. With their vastly different approaches to martial arts, one embodying righteousness and the other, not so much, they were practically arch-enemies.
Hearing this, Ye Wanyan’s eyes flickered slightly. She waved her hands repeatedly, saying, “No, no, as I mentioned earlier, I’m not close to He Lianjue at all. Oh… look at my memory… What’s that old weirdo’s full name again? I suddenly forgot!”
Yi Lingjun stared at Ye Wanyan, his mouth twitching slightly. “Is that so? But how come I heard that Miss Nie has a close relationship with He Lianjue, even to the point of being his disciple?”
As Yi Lingjun’s words fell, Ye Wanyan’s heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly said, “Rumors! It’s just rumors!”
She wasn’t lying entirely; very few people knew about He Lianjue’s intention to take her as his disciple. But how did Yi Lingjun find out?
Then again, someone with his resources probably had ways of discovering such information.
“Is that the truth?” Yi Lingjun asked, his expression unreadable.
“Yes, it’s the truth. I have absolutely no such relationship with He Lianjue. You can investigate it thoroughly!” Ye Wanyan declared.
That statement wasn’t entirely false either. When He Lianjue had insisted on taking her as his direct disciple and had asked her to sever ties with her other martial arts masters, including her grandfather, she had never agreed to such a proposal.
Considering He Lianjue’s status in the Twelve Independent States, his reputation was akin to that of a wanted criminal. And with him being Yi Lingjun’s mortal enemy, if Yi Lingjun discovered her association with He Lianjue, it wouldn’t end well.
“Very well, that’s good to hear,” Yi Lingjun said after a long pause, offering a faint smile.
“By the way, Chairman Yi, since you’re here today, and I’ve also arrived, there’s something I’d like you to help me decide,” Ye Wanyan said after a moment of contemplation.
“Please, go ahead,” Yi Lingjun said, focusing his gaze on Ye Wanyan.
“Chairman Yi, it’s like this. I believe you’re aware that there was recently a conflict between the mainline and branch factions in our state. Some years ago, I founded an organization called the Fearless Alliance. When the mainline and branch factions were preparing for war, the Fearless Alliance and the mainline faction signed a strategic cooperation agreement, obliging us to assist each other.”
“However, you wouldn’t believe what the mainline faction did. When the Fearless Alliance was in dire straits, they completely abandoned us, leading to our devastating defeat!”