Chapter 314: Reunion

Han Li’s words brought a beaming smile to Zhong Weiniang’s face, and she couldn’t stop praising him. Liu Jing also showed a relieved expression.

As for Song Meng, he stepped forward and gave Han Li a couple of hearty slaps on the shoulder, grinning widely as he said, “I knew I hadn’t misjudged you! If you had really refused to go, I would have cut ties with you for sure. But I always knew Junior Brother Han was a man of spirit!”

After saying this, Song Meng shot a cold, fierce glare at Wu Xuan. It seemed Wu Xuan wasn’t very popular among his fellow disciples.

Wu Xuan snorted upon seeing this and said, “In that case, I’ll find another place to stay and won’t disturb your important matters. I’ll report everything here to our master. I hope he won’t hold you accountable!” With that, Wu Xuan walked out of the room expressionlessly and flew away from the Qin residence on his artifact.

“Sixth Senior Brother is so irresponsible, backing out at the last moment. And he calls himself a senior brother!” Zhong Weiniang said with extreme dissatisfaction.

“Let it go. Everyone has their own aspirations; we can’t force them. Now, let’s focus on making plans as soon as possible. The earlier we act, the safer it will be. After all, no one knows if the Black Fiend Cult Leader might emerge from seclusion early,” Liu Jing said gravely.

“Senior Brother, you have so much experience in eliminating rogue cultivators. You take charge! Whatever you say, we’ll follow. When the time comes, I’ll just focus on fighting!” Song Meng said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

“Junior Brother Song, you…” Liu Jing was at a loss for words, looking utterly helpless in the face of Song Meng’s enthusiasm.

Zhong Weiniang’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled sweetly. Han Li, on the other hand, remained silent with a faint smile.

“Seventh Junior Sister, you’re quite close to Junior Sister Chen from Master Huiming’s sect. She’s currently in Nanwu City. Could you go and ask for her assistance? It might be easier for you to approach her,” Liu Jing said calmly to Zhong Weiniang after regaining his composure.

“Junior Sister Chen is here too? I haven’t seen her in a while. But we’re on good terms, so there won’t be any problem getting her help,” Zhong Weiniang said confidently upon hearing this.

When Han Li heard the name “Junior Sister Chen,” he was momentarily stunned and thought with surprise, “It can’t be such a coincidence, could it? Is it really her?”

While Han Li was still pondering this, Liu Jing’s voice reached his ears.

“Junior Brother Han, our group will likely need to stay at the Qin residence for a while. Could you communicate with the Qin family and arrange accommodations and quiet cultivation spaces for us?” the Third Senior Brother said calmly.

Han Li naturally agreed without hesitation.

“What about me?” Song Meng couldn’t help but ask, sounding rather impatient.

“You’ll stay behind at the Qin residence to guard against any sudden attacks from the Black Fiend Cult. I need to go out occasionally to observe the cult’s movements. Since Junior Brother Han has already encountered them, it’s not suitable for him to show his face again,” Liu Jing said lightly.

“Understood!” Song Meng’s enthusiasm waned upon hearing this, and he replied listlessly.

The following days remained extremely peaceful.

Apart from Zhong Weiniang, who had left early for Nanwu City to seek reinforcements, the others generally stayed at the Qin residence to cultivate and refine their Qi. Third Senior Brother Liu Jing did go out a few times, as he had said, but he didn’t gather any useful information. It seemed all the Black Fiend Cult disciples had gone into hiding.

Meanwhile, Wu Xuan had taken up residence at an inn in Yuejing and was said to have sent a letter to Li Huayuan. No one knew what the letter contained. Afterward, he spent his time leisurely exploring the bustling and lively parts of Yuejing, showing no intention of returning to the Qin residence.

Nanwu City was not far from Yuejing. Just three days after Senior Sister Zhong left, she returned with three men and two women.

One of them, an exceptionally cold and beautiful woman, turned out to be none other than Chen Qiaoqian, whom Han Li knew. This made Han Li feel somewhat uneasy.

Chen Qiaoqian also showed a hint of surprise upon seeing Han Li but said nothing.

To her, Han Li was not exactly a stranger, even though the two had never spoken a word to each other.

The other three men and one woman were Chen Qiaoqian’s fellow disciples. Two were at the mid Foundation Establishment stage, and two were at the early Foundation Establishment stage. They all greeted Liu Jing warmly, clearly acquainted with him.

Zhong Weiniang introduced Han Li to the group as her newly joined junior brother. Upon hearing Han Li’s name, everyone except Chen Qiaoqian showed expressions of astonishment.

“So you’re Junior Brother Han! You’re really quite young! But we’ve long heard of your reputation. They say you single-handedly killed over a dozen Foundation Establishment-stage demonic cultivators during the border standoff. That’s truly remarkable!” another fellow disciple of Chen Qiaoqian, a beautiful woman in her late twenties, said with a radiant smile, seemingly quite impressed with Han Li.

This statement shocked both Liu Jing and Zhong Weiniang.

The two of them had been assigned other tasks outside and had not participated in the second round of battles between the seven sects and the demonic path. Thus, they were completely unaware of Han Li’s “great achievements.” Hearing this from their acquaintances left them deeply astonished.

It was worth noting that although Third Senior Brother had eliminated countless rogue cultivators, only two or three of them were at the Foundation Establishment stage, and each victory had been hard-won after intense battles.

Yet Han Li had the “feat” of killing over a dozen Foundation Establishment-stage cultivators. Shocked, the two couldn’t help but reevaluate their unassuming junior brother, seeing him in a new light.

“Fourth Senior Brother, you must have known about Junior Brother Han’s deeds. Why didn’t you tell me?” Zhong Weiniang asked indignantly after her initial surprise, turning to Song Meng, who was chuckling slyly nearby. She seemed ready to hold him accountable.

“Little Junior Sister, you never asked about it. You only kept inquiring about Junior Brother Han’s cultivation and techniques. I thought you already knew,” Song Meng said smugly.

He had long wanted to see the astonished expressions on his fellow disciples’ faces when they learned of this, and now he had gotten his wish.

Zhong Weiniang could tell he was being evasive and shot him a fierce glare. Just as she was about to press further, Liu Jing laughed heartily and said, “Excellent! I had no idea Junior Brother Han was so formidable! This gives us even more confidence in dealing with the Black Fiend Cult Leader.”

As he spoke, his face was filled with delight. However, Han Li felt a chill run down his spine and grew extremely uneasy. He couldn’t help but think, “Could it be that Third Senior Brother expects me to take on the Black Fiend Cult Leader alone?”

He quickly dismissed this ridiculous thought with a self-mocking smile.

Afterward, Han Li and the others hosted a welcome dinner for Junior Sister Chen and her companions. Although cultivators at their level could go without food for long periods, they were in the mortal world and saw no harm in indulging their appetites.

After the meal, Han Li had the Qin residence servants clear the table, and the group began discussing their plans to deal with the Black Fiend Cult and infiltrate the imperial palace.

Liu Jing promptly declared that he would bear full responsibility for violating the prohibitions of the seven sects. Consequently, Junior Sister Chen and the others set aside their worries and agreed to join the mission.

Based on the intelligence Han Li had provided, aside from the so-called Four Blood Servants, the other high-ranking members of the cult, such as altar leaders, were likely still managing affairs in various parts of Yue Kingdom. The chances of them all gathering at the palace were slim.

Therefore, Liu Jing believed that with their current numbers, they had more than enough strength to deal with the Black Fiend Cult. He advocated taking swift and decisive action to avoid complications.

The others agreed with his reasoning and decided to let Junior Sister Chen and her companions rest for a day after their long journey. They would infiltrate the palace the following night while the mortals in the imperial city were still asleep.

Han Li watched with a faint smile as the others grew increasingly excited, but inwardly, he sneered.

Did they really think the Black Fiend Cult members were pushovers? How naive!

By the time the battle ended, who knew how many of them would still be alive?

If not for a secret he had learned from the young prince—a secret that could significantly aid his future Core Formation—he would never have taken such a risk to infiltrate the palace. What did it matter to him if others used blood sacrifices to cultivate demonic techniques? The families and friends of the victims could seek revenge themselves. He could simply leak the information and be done with it.

When it came to punishing evil and upholding justice, Han Li believed in acting within his capabilities.

If there was little risk and minimal effort required, he was happy to help. But if the opponent was too strong and the matter didn’t concern him, he saw no wisdom in risking his life for others’ affairs.

Although Sixth Senior Brother Wu Xuan appeared rather unpleasant, it was undeniable that his decision to distance himself from the matter early on was an act of self-preservation. Otherwise, after a burst of passion and hot-bloodedness, he might have faced the risk of soul annihilation.

This time, by gritting his teeth and agreeing to join the others in raiding the Black Fiend Cult’s stronghold, Han Li was violating his principle of self-preservation. However, he believed the risk was worth taking.

Given his poor spiritual roots, Han Li was unwilling to let slip anything that could slightly increase his chances of forming a Golden Core. Moreover, he was fairly confident in his ability to retreat unscathed.

To ensure his safety, he had even prepared a hidden trump card. Otherwise, given his cautious nature, why would he have agreed to this mission for no reason?