Although the Wan Nu Tower also had a significant background and even had elders at the Demon Venerable level among its higher-ups, there were no such powerful figures stationed in this Illusory Night City.
Thus, despite their frustration, the two Void Refinement-stage demon elders were absolutely unwilling to offend Han Li, whose origins remained unknown. After all, in a certain sense, a Demon Venerable of unknown background was even more intimidating to them than the ancestors of the four great families.
“Reporting to the two Protectors, that female slave was pre-ordered by the head of the Zhao Family. If we simply let this senior take her away, I fear I won’t be able to explain it to the Zhao Family,” the brocade-robed elder hastily complained to the two Void Refinement-stage demons after Han Li had left.
“That slave was requested by Zhao Wenhao? The Zhao Family is indeed not one to be easily dismissed. Did you already receive a deposit from him?” The horned elder frowned and asked.
“No, but Zhao Wenhao personally visited our tower several months ago, specifically requesting to purchase a young human female cultivator at or above the Core Formation stage, and expressed willingness to pay a large sum of demon stones for it. Such pre-orders for suitable slaves are not without precedent in our tower,” the brocade-robed elder hurriedly explained.
“Precedent is precedent! Since no deposit was taken, that human female cultivator doesn’t necessarily have to be sold to the Zhao Family. If he insists, he can simply spend some time finding another slave that meets his conditions,” the other Void Refinement elder stroked his beard and said.
“Indeed. Since you were originally responsible for the Zhao Family’s affairs, we’ll leave the resolution of this matter to you. Ensure the Zhao Family doesn’t hold any grievances against our tower, and above all, do not provoke Senior Han. Alright, we’ll return to our meditation. The tower’s affairs remain in your hands,” the horned elder nodded in agreement, then signaled to his companion, and the two stepped into a nearby teleportation array.
“As you command, Protectors!”
The brocade-robed elder’s expression darkened at these words, while the middle-aged man inwardly rejoiced. Both bowed respectfully as they saw the two off.
“By the way, if Senior Han returns to our tower, you must notify us immediately. We will personally receive him to avoid any misunderstanding of neglect,” the horned elder suddenly added just as the teleportation array was about to activate.
“Understood!”
The two Wan Nu Tower managers bowed again in acknowledgment.
A flash of white light later, the two Void Refinement demon elders vanished from the array.
“Heh, it seems Brother Huang will have to put in some extra effort this time. However, as far as I know, Brother Huang has always had close ties with the Zhao Family. I’m sure you’ll handle this matter smoothly,” the middle-aged man chuckled lightly at the brocade-robed elder as soon as he straightened up, then stepped into the teleportation array and disappeared.
The brocade-robed elder’s face turned completely livid. After standing frozen in thought for a long while, he suddenly stomped his foot and muttered bitterly, “What rotten luck! To encounter such an old monster interfering while transporting this girl. It seems I’ll have to personally visit the Zhao Family to explain and find another slave. But a human female cultivator meeting his conditions won’t be easy to find.”
Meanwhile, Han Li was already seated in a small beast-drawn carriage with the yellow-robed girl, speeding through the streets under the guidance of a coachman.
Han Li sat cross-legged in the center of the carriage, eyes closed in meditation. The yellow-robed girl, however, huddled in a corner, casting fearful glances at him from time to time.
Having witnessed the events at the Wan Nu Tower, she knew Han Li was a Demon Venerable-level existence. Yet, his youthful and ordinary appearance left her both awed and suspicious.
Regardless, a Body Integration cultivator was someone she had never dared to imagine encountering. Now in the hands of such a being, any lingering thoughts of escape had long since vanished.
Torn between terror and despair, she had no idea what unimaginable fate awaited her.
Though Han Li didn’t use any secret techniques to probe her thoughts, he could guess most of what was going through her mind.
Yet, beneath his calm exterior, his own heart was in turmoil. Images of a white-robed girl—her joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness—flooded his mind, some blurry, others vivid as if from yesterday. Despite his millennia of disciplined cultivation, he found himself unable to suppress these memories.
Strangely, he made no effort to forcefully dispel them. Instead, he allowed himself to savor the bittersweet longing buried deep in his heart.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the carriage finally came to a stop.
“Senior, we’ve arrived at your requested destination. Would you like to disembark and inspect it now?” the coachman’s respectful voice came from outside.
“Since we’re here, of course we’ll disembark.”
Han Li took a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent emotions, and opened his eyes before stepping out of the carriage.
Though Han Li hadn’t signaled for her to follow, the yellow-robed girl hesitated briefly before gritting her teeth and stepping out as well.
She was clever enough to know that, as the proverbial fish on the chopping block, obedience was her best option. With his unfathomable power, he could easily make her life a living hell if she resisted.
Han Li tossed a demon stone to the coachman, then surveyed his surroundings with a satisfied expression.
Before him stood a towering cliff over a thousand zhang high, its face studded with pavilions and cave dwellings. At the forefront was a massive gatehouse, its top inscribed with three large silver characters: “Sacred Spirit Pavilion.”
Beneath the gatehouse sat a black wooden table, behind which a gray-haired elderly demon slept soundly, attended by several young attendants who dared not disturb him.
Han Li’s gaze swept over the elderly demon, his eyes cooling slightly as his lips moved soundlessly.
The next moment, the sleeping demon jerked awake, hastily calling out, “Which esteemed friend has graced our pavilion? Forgive my lack of welcome!”
As soon as he spoke, his eyes landed on Han Li and the yellow-robed girl. His spirits lifted, and he hurried forward with a beaming smile.
Within the time it took to eat a meal, Han Li and the girl were inside a pavilion built into the cliff.
The pavilion was suspended halfway into the rock face, its exterior jutting out over the abyss. Equipped with restrictive formations, once activated, it could isolate itself completely from the outside world—perfect for solitary high-ranking individuals.
The Sacred Spirit Pavilion specialized in lodging high-ranking demons, though its rents were significantly higher than similar establishments, limiting its clientele.
Earlier, Han Li hadn’t bothered inspecting the place floor by floor. A quick sweep with his spiritual sense had given him full understanding of its layout, and he’d promptly paid the elderly demon a year’s rent in demon stones.
Now, with the pavilion’s restrictions fully activated, Han Li led the girl to the top floor, seating himself on a meditation cushion and gesturing for her to sit opposite him.
Though her heart pounded with fear, the girl complied without protest.
Han Li flicked his sleeve, sending dozens of formation flags flying out, vanishing into the air before a cyan light barrier enveloped the entire floor.
Only then did Han Li relax, offering the girl a faint smile before raising a hand and sending a surge of immense spiritual power into her body.
With a soft *pfft*, the restrictive marks on her skin burst apart into wisps of black smoke.
The girl felt her spiritual power churn as her sealed cultivation was restored, flooding her meridians. Overjoyed yet stunned, she stammered, “Senior, you…”
“What’s your name?” Han Li ignored her question, smiling faintly as he posed his own.
“This junior is Zhu Guo’er,” the girl answered after a brief pause.
“Given your complete lack of demonic energy, you’re a pure human, correct? Did you enter this realm willingly, or were you captured from the Spirit Realm?” Han Li continued casually.
“I suppose… I entered on my own,” the girl murmured.
“On your own? How? At your cultivation level, you can’t tear through space. Did you have companions?” Han Li’s eyes narrowed slightly at the unexpected answer.
“No, I wandered into the Demon Realm alone.”
“Alone? That’s interesting. Then, who taught you the *Maiden’s Reincarnation Art*?” Han Li’s expression remained neutral, but his question caught her off guard.
“Senior knows of this technique? It was passed down to me by my mother,” the girl replied truthfully after a brief hesitation, seeing no reason to hide it.
“What’s your mother’s name? And how did she obtain this technique?” Han Li pressed, his tone growing more serious.
“This…” The girl’s face flickered with unease, hesitation creeping into her expression.
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