Chapter 73: NOT MANY PEOPLE GET MARRIED FOR LOVE THESE DAYS

Gu Jun nodded without hesitation and happily allowed Li Yan to examine his muscles. He even flexed his arm when Li Yan asked him to, making the muscle beneath his skin tighten as Li Yan pressed his fingers against it with open curiosity.

"Does doing odd jobs really make someone this strong?"

Gu Jun laughed and relaxed his arm. "It helped, but cultivation played a bigger role. Once your body starts developing properly, you will become stronger too."

Li Yan looked at him thoughtfully before asking the question that had been occupying his mind since he first saw Gu Jun without his clothes covering his physique.

"Can I become as big as you?"

Gu Jun hesitated, since he did not want to disappoint Li Yan with an answer that might hurt his feelings, but he also did not want to give him an expectation he could not guarantee.

"I am not sure you can become this big. Everyone’s physique develops differently, and your body may not grow the same way mine did. You will definitely become taller, though. Your limbs are already quite long for your age, so you should gain plenty of height as you mature. With proper cultivation and body training, you can also develop a strong physique without becoming overly bulky."

Li Yan considered the answer and accepted it without complaint. He had never given much thought to how his body might change as he grew older, so knowing that he would become even taller was enough to satisfy his curiosity.

He moved farther into the room and sat on the bed, taking the opportunity to look around properly.

The room was modest and contained little beyond the necessities, but it was surprisingly neat. The bedding was arranged properly, Gu Jun’s belongings had been kept in their respective places, and a faint pleasant scent lingered in the air.

Li Yan looked around with quiet approval before commenting on the cleanliness.

"Your room is surprisingly neat."

"I like keeping my things organized. It saves me time when I need something, and I do not have many possessions in the first place." Gu Jun arranged his clothes, making sure he looked proper.

"I heard about your big fight with Elder Shen. Sentenced an Elder to sweep the Apothecary Department. You are so brave..."

Li Yan shrugged, realising that the matter had already spread throughout the sect. "It was not a big deal; he should not have denied it."

Gu Jun’s eyes widened as he looked at Li Yan, and a laugh escaped him.

"You actually told Elder Shen to sweep the Apothecary Department?"

Li Yan shrugged, unable to understand why everyone considered it such a remarkable thing.

"Why not? He is not above it."

Gu Jun shook his head while still looking amused. "It might not be a big deal to you, but most people would not dare tell an elder to sweep another elder’s department."

Li Yan remained unconvinced. Elder Shen had promised him compensation after the examination, denied making the promise when he went to collect it, and then attempted to use his position to dismiss him.

He had only demanded that the elder fulfill the conditions he had accepted.

"It was awfully shameless of him to deny it. I earned that compensation. I will give you some of the mana stones when it comes. We need to boost your cultivation so you can protect me better."

Gu Jun smiled at the offer and sat down beside Li Yan while leaving enough space between them to remain comfortable. "You are giving me part of your compensation?"

"Of course. You need cultivation resources, and having someone strong enough to protect me is useful."

Gu Jun looked at him with amusement. "You have already decided that I am responsible for protecting you?"

Li Yan answered without hesitation. "You are my friend. Friends should help each other."

The straightforward answer left Gu Jun with nothing to argue about, so he simply smiled and accepted the arrangement. He had another question he had been holding onto since the day he first saw Li Yan with Hu Bai, and their conversation had finally given him enough privacy to ask it without worrying about other people overhearing them.

"So tell me. What is your relationship with that senior brother? Is he really your brother? I have been curious since that day..."

Li Yan hesitated when Gu Jun asked about his relationship with Hu Bai. For a moment, he wondered whether he should tell the truth or simply come up with an excuse and leave the matter there. Gu Jun, however, had treated him sincerely since they met, and Li Yan wanted to give him the trust he deserved as a friend.

"Hu Bai and I are engaged. It is not a secret, but the fewer people who know, the better..."

Gu Jun nodded slowly as the pieces finally fell into place. Hu Bai’s behavior made much more sense now that he knew there was an engagement between them. The man’s protectiveness toward Li Yan had never seemed ordinary, especially considering how closely he had watched him whenever they were together.

"Do you have feelings for him? You must like each other since you decided to get engaged so early..."

Li Yan shook his head. Their engagement had never been about affection. It was a scheme that allowed Hu Bai to protect him when he was too weak to protect himself. Even after entering the sect, Li Yan still needed people like Hu Bai, Gu Jun, and Fu Hanzheng to keep him safe. He possessed too little strength to protect himself against anyone who truly wanted to harm him, and discovering that he was a Ger would not make his situation any easier.

They were not married, either, so the engagement could be broken at any time. There was no reason for him to pretend that the arrangement was something more than what it actually was.

"I can tolerate him. Not many people get married for love these days..."

Gu Jun sighed and nodded. He understood that marriages were often arranged for reasons that had little to do with affection, particularly when families and personal interests were involved. As long as Hu Bai was not abusing or coercing Li Yan, he saw no reason to worry about their relationship. From everything he had witnessed, Hu Bai seemed far more interested in protecting Li Yan than controlling him.

"He is very protective of you. I could feel he wanted my whole existence gone that day, and I am not even a love interest..."