Although she was extremely surprised, the purple-haired woman remained silent, her eyes flickering as she continued to watch Han Li’s subsequent actions.
However, Han Li merely swept his gaze over the few remaining shelves behind him without further delay. He walked directly to a specific shelf in the last row, picked up a demonic artifact resembling a compass, and turned to leave the hall.
Seeing this, the purple-haired woman’s eyes sparkled as she chuckled lightly, “Brother Han actually took a liking to this Yin Luo Compass. That is indeed a wise choice. With this item, even if you venture into dangerous areas of the Phantom Howl Desert, you won’t have to worry about losing your way. It seems your understanding of the Phantom Howl Desert far exceeds what I anticipated. However, your earlier choice of that unusual demonic gold truly caught me off guard.”
“It’s nothing. I merely need to refine a rather peculiar demonic artifact, and this large piece of demonic gold happens to be just what I require. Since I came across it in your treasure vault, naturally I didn’t want to pass it up,” Han Li replied casually, his tone vague.
“I see. Then I congratulate Brother Han. Now, please follow me out of the vault. The restrictions here are only temporarily disabled and will soon reactivate on their own,” the purple-haired woman said, though she didn’t believe his explanation, she tactfully refrained from pressing further.
“Of course. After you, Fairy,” Han Li readily agreed, stepping back to her side.
The woman raised a hand toward the empty space in the hall, and the vanished jade pendant reappeared in a flash, transforming into a ball of white light that shot back into her grasp.
At this, she exhaled softly, her tension easing.
Although this vault was the least valuable among the Bai Family’s several treasuries, it was still the result of countless Bai Family members accumulating treasures over tens of thousands of years. Naturally, she didn’t want anything to go wrong.
“I have one more question, Fairy. Might you enlighten me?” Han Li suddenly asked as they exited the pavilion.
“Brother Han, feel free to speak. Given our acquaintance, there’s nothing you can’t ask,” the purple-haired woman replied, a flicker of surprise in her eyes that she quickly masked with a smile.
“In that case, I’ll be direct. I’d like to know where that piece of unusual demonic gold in the vault originated and how it came into the Bai Family’s possession,” Han Li asked calmly.
“Unusual demonic gold! Hehe, if it were any other material or demonic artifact, I might need to consult someone else. But as for this item, I know it all too well,” the purple-haired woman said, momentarily taken aback before laughing lightly.
“Oh? Please enlighten me!” Han Li concealed his delight, maintaining a neutral expression.
The purple-haired woman’s beautiful eyes lingered on Han Li’s face but detected nothing unusual. Slightly disappointed, she pondered briefly before adopting a mysterious tone. “This piece of unusual demonic gold was placed in the vault only a few years ago. In fact, Brother Han, you should already know a thing or two about its origin.”
“I already know?” Han Li was puzzled.
“Indeed. Didn’t you once inquire about the Blood Tooth Rice from me and my elder brother? This piece of unusual demonic gold came to us through the same channel. The difference is, during the transaction, the Blood Tooth Rice was the main item, while this demonic gold was merely an additional gift,” the purple-haired woman explained leisurely.
“I see! So this unusual demonic gold might also originate from the same place as the Blood Tooth Rice,” Han Li mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
“That, I cannot guarantee. I can only say that the person who traded the Blood Tooth Rice with our Bai Family was most likely from ‘Blue Waterfall Lake,’” the purple-haired woman said, blinking her beautiful eyes.
“Thank you for the information, Fairy. I owe you a favor,” Han Li nodded, clasping his hands slightly in gratitude.
“It’s a trivial matter. I still haven’t properly thanked you for your help at the Fire Cloud Vein,” the purple-haired woman replied with a charming smile, downplaying the matter.
Seeing her nonchalant attitude, Han Li smiled faintly and said no more, following her back to the main hall.
Upon returning to the hall, Han Li met the yellow-haired man again. After a brief conversation, he took his leave.
This time, the two Bai Family elders personally escorted Han Li to the fortress gates before returning to the hall together.
“Which three treasures did he choose? Fifth Sister, tell me,” the yellow-haired man asked as soon as he sat down, having refrained from mentioning it earlier in Han Li’s presence.
“A box of Golden Whale Pearls, a piece of unusual demonic gold, and a Yin Luo Compass,” the purple-haired woman replied truthfully.
“Oh? He took those three? They’re not the most valuable items in the vault. That’s rather odd,” the man frowned slightly.
“I found it strange too. The Golden Whale Pearls and Yin Luo Compass are one thing, but that piece of unusual demonic gold holds little value in our eyes,” the purple-haired woman agreed.
“Did he say anything?”
“He gave some superficial reasons but asked about the origin and source of the unusual demonic gold,” the woman replied without hesitation.
“So he’s genuinely interested in the unusual demonic gold and seems to need a considerable amount. But if I recall correctly, several shops in Phantom Night City sell this material. Yet he didn’t seek to purchase any earlier,” the yellow-haired man mused, still puzzled.
“Could there be something special about the demonic gold in our vault?” the purple-haired woman wondered aloud, recalling the scene in the vault.
“What could be special about it? Both of us personally inspected that piece before storing it. It’s just a larger chunk of demonic gold,” the man dismissed with a shake of his head.
“Regardless of any hidden significance, this matter has little to do with our Bai Family. Elder Brother, you’ve suffered some damage to your vitality during your recent trip. It’s best to seclude yourself and recuperate. In the meantime, I’ll oversee the family affairs to prevent the other families from making any moves,” the purple-haired woman said, relaxing her expression.
“That’s true. Whatever that Han kid is scheming, as long as he harbors no hostility toward our Bai Family, it’s fine. I’ll begin my seclusion tomorrow. You’ll have to handle the family affairs,” the yellow-haired man replied after a moment’s thought, chuckling wryly.
The purple-haired woman naturally assured him she would take care of everything.
By the time Han Li returned to his residence by beast-drawn carriage, the sky was growing dim.
Zhu Guo’er couldn’t hide her joy upon seeing Han Li return. Without the protection of a Demon Venerable like him, she would likely have fallen back into slavery soon.
Although Han Li had once searched her soul, he had never mistreated her afterward. Naturally, the young girl had no desire to exchange him for a cruel demon master.
With a few brief words, Han Li dismissed the girl from the top floor of the pavilion, activated all the previously set restrictions, and sat cross-legged on a cushion.
After a moment’s contemplation, he flipped his hand, revealing a jade box.
A flick of his sleeve sent a streak of azure light sweeping away the talismans on the lid, which then opened on its own, revealing a golden orb the size of a thumb. Its surface was exceptionally smooth, emitting a faint fishy odor.
Han Li’s eyes flashed as he lightly tapped the orb with a finger, sending a speck of green light into it.
Moments later, the orb emitted waves of roaring ocean sounds, followed by a soft golden glow that condensed into a miniature whale illusion, circling the orb.
The illusion, about a foot long, moved with lifelike grace!
Han Li’s expression remained impassive as he suddenly extended a jade-white hand from his sleeve, reaching into the golden light to grasp the orb.
A faint green light flickered across his face as he channeled pure spiritual power into the orb.
Instantly, the golden orb blazed with light, and the foot-long whale illusion expanded dozens of times, growing to over thirty feet, nearly filling the entire top floor of the pavilion.
The enlarged golden whale illusion now sported a foot-long golden horn on its massive head and scales of varying sizes, making it appear fierce and terrifying.
A satisfied smile crossed Han Li’s face. He relaxed his grip, cutting off the spiritual power.
The whale illusion dissolved into golden specks, and the orb dimmed, returning to its original state.
Han Li placed the orb back into the jade box, resealed it with talismans, and stored it in his bracelet.
His choice of the Golden Whale Pearl had a specific purpose, though whether he would ultimately use it remained uncertain.
However, the greatest gain from this trip wasn’t the rare pearl but the head-sized piece of unusual demonic gold.
At the thought of that demonic gold, a rare flicker of excitement crossed Han Li’s face. Taking a deep breath, he shook his storage bracelet.
In a flash of white light, the massive black-and-white ore appeared, hovering silently before him.
With a flick of his finger, a streak of azure light sliced through the air.
“Pfft!”
The ore split cleanly in two, revealing an egg-sized object that fell out.
Han Li reached out, an invisible force pulling the object into his palm—a grayish crystalline sphere.
His eyes gleamed with fervor as he slowly raised his arm, reaching toward the sphere with deliberate gravity.
As he did, his sleeve shredded inch by inch, revealing golden scales. His arm thickened by more than a full circle.
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