The black-armored demon who had just appeared was naturally sent by Ziling.
Given Six Extremes’ status as a primordial ancestor, even though Ziling was merely one of his many disciples, she wielded considerable influence in Blue Waterfall Lake and could easily mobilize a significant number of subordinates.
Using this force to investigate the background of a mere Void Refinement cultivator was a trivial matter.
In less than a single day, Ziling had dispatched people to thoroughly uncover all the details about Wuyou and his illicit mining operation.
In truth, unauthorized mining was not uncommon in Blue Waterfall Lake.
Wuyou and his group had chosen a low-quality vein of little value, and given his considerable cultivation, other factions, even if aware of the operation, had little reason to intervene.
“How could a low-grade vein produce such a large quantity of Devil Gold? The truth must lie with Wuyou and his group.” Han Li quickly made up his mind.
Without hesitation, he formed a hand seal, closed his eyes, and activated the divine sense marks he had secretly planted on Wuyou and his associates.
Given his current terrifying cultivation, these demons had no chance of detecting his tampering.
However, it wasn’t long before a flicker of surprise crossed Han Li’s face.
He clearly sensed that most of the divine sense marks had already left Blue Waterfall City, with only two remaining—slowly approaching his residence from just a few miles away.
Naturally intrigued, Han Li extended his divine sense outward, enveloping the area where the marks were located.
Moments later, he had a clear view of the two individuals bearing the marks.
They were a demonic couple from Wuyou’s group—a man in his thirties and a woman in her twenties, seemingly husband and wife.
As Han Li’s divine sense swept over them, the pair descended from a beast-drawn carriage on a nearby street. After exchanging a few hushed words, they headed straight for Han Li’s inn.
With his vast experience, Han Li quickly deduced their intentions. Smiling faintly, he withdrew his divine sense and waited calmly in the hall.
Sure enough, within the time it took to finish a meal, he sensed the two divine sense marks appear outside his door.
However, the demons hesitated, lingering outside without immediately entering.
Frowning, Han Li silently moved his lips.
The next moment, a cold voice echoed in the ears of the demonic couple:
“Since you’ve come, enter. If you’ve made it this far, you must have already made your decision.”
The couple paled, exchanging glances before the man gritted his teeth and said, “Let’s go. Since Senior Han has spoken, there’s no turning back now.”
The woman, though hesitant, could only nod bitterly.
The man then announced loudly from outside, “We pay our respects!” before pushing the door open and entering with the woman.
Upon stepping inside, they found themselves in a modest hall.
Seated in the center was Han Li, who regarded them with an inscrutable expression.
“Junior and his wife pay our respects to Senior Han!” The man trembled inwardly as he and the woman bowed deeply.
“Rise. Since you’ve followed me here so soon after my return, you must have something urgent to say,” Han Li remarked indifferently.
“Senior’s insight is unparalleled. We do indeed have a matter to discuss,” the man replied cautiously with a forced smile.
“Speak. I have little time to waste,” Han Li said coolly.
The couple exchanged glances before the man steeled himself and asked,
“Senior, does your earlier offer still stand?”
“My earlier offer? Ah, you mean what I mentioned to Wuyou before leaving. If that’s the case, then yes. Are you two interested in making a deal with me?” Han Li replied plainly, seeing no need to play games with two Nascent Soul-stage demons.
“Indeed! In fact, my wife and I know more about the Devil Gold’s origins than Wuyou does—we personally oversaw its excavation. If Senior is truly willing to pay the agreed-upon price, we can disclose everything,” the man said eagerly.
“Does Wuyou know you’re here?” Han Li asked instead of answering directly.
“Senior is perceptive. We came on our own. But this isn’t betrayal—Wuyou and the others planned to sacrifice us if anything went wrong, pinning all the blame on us. Had I not overheard their scheme, we’d still be in the dark. Even the spirit stones from your earlier transaction would have barely reached our hands. Taking such risks for so little reward—how could we accept that?” the man declared, straightening his back.
“I care not for your grievances with Wuyou. If your information satisfies me, you’ll receive the promised payment in full,” Han Li stated emotionlessly.
“Thank you, Senior! I assure you, our information will not disappoint,” the man exclaimed gratefully.
“Proceed,” Han Li commanded.
“Yes. The Devil Gold comes from a secret mine we’ve been exploiting. My wife and I discovered the first piece. It lies deep within the vein, in an extremely remote location—almost impossible to find without guidance. We mined for nearly a century before uncovering it. The exact location is…” The man began recounting the details.
Han Li intermittently interjected with questions, all of which the man answered thoroughly. Once finished, Han Li lowered his head in thought before looking up with satisfaction.
“Your account is thorough and saves me much trouble. As promised, you’ll receive your payment. But know this—if I discover any falsehoods, you won’t live to enjoy those spirit stones. Any last additions?” Han Li produced a red storage bracelet filled with spirit stones, his gaze icy.
“Senior, I swear every word is true! There are no lies!” the man insisted, eyeing the bracelet with barely concealed greed.
“Good. You may leave,” Han Li said, tossing the bracelet to him.
“Thank you, Senior! We’ll take our leave now.” The man caught the bracelet, scanned it with his divine sense, and bowed deeply before hastily retreating with his wife.
Once outside, the couple ducked into a secluded alley. The woman couldn’t contain herself: “Well? Did he give us the full amount?”
“Close enough. Given his generosity, he wouldn’t shortchange us. I hadn’t expected him to pay so readily—our contingency plans were unnecessary,” the man replied excitedly.
“What now? Do we follow Wuyou’s escape route?” the woman asked cautiously.
“No. We take our own path. With these spirit stones, we’ll be free—no more servitude!” the man declared decisively.
“Agreed,” the woman said after a brief hesitation.
They hailed another beast-drawn carriage and sped toward the nearest city gate.
Meanwhile, Han Li remained seated, pondering the newly acquired information.
Unbeknownst to the couple, he had employed a subtle technique during their conversation—one that, while not as invasive as soul-searching, allowed him to discern the truth of their words with remarkable accuracy.
Otherwise, given his cautious nature, he would never have trusted them so readily or paid such a sum.
As long as their account was fundamentally truthful, minor omissions were inconsequential.
Of course, conducting a soul search here would risk alerting other high-ranking demons or triggering the inn’s protective formations—complications he preferred to avoid.
“Time is short. I’ll deal with them later. For now, I must inspect that mine.” After a moment of contemplation, Han Li stood and murmured to himself before preparing to depart.
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