Han Li glanced around and, seeing no one in sight, decisively slapped his spirit beast pouch with one hand. A tri-colored Gold Devouring Beetle silently emerged and, under his barely mustered final wisp of divine sense, shot toward the stone hut with a *whoosh*. The insect then flattened itself and squeezed through a narrow gap in the stone door.
The interior was eerily silent, not a sound to be heard.
Witnessing this, Han Li inwardly sneered and turned away without a backward glance, heading straight for his dwelling. Just as he rounded a corner, a blood-curdling scream suddenly erupted from the residence of the middle-aged man surnamed Feng.
Han Li pursed his lips and continued walking expressionlessly. However, distant clamors of voices had already begun to rise.
Having incurred enmity with the middle-aged Feng, he naturally had to eliminate this threat cleanly while his magic power and divine sense were still intact. Otherwise, being marked by this man would leave him perpetually uneasy.
Before he could even return to his room, the faint trace of magic power granted by the spiritual energy had already dissipated completely, and his divine sense could no longer extend beyond his body. Han Li shook his head slightly, glanced at his nearby dwelling, and strode forward.
Entering the room, he found Mei Ning lying on her side on the stone bed, breathing rhythmically in deep slumber.
Han Li was momentarily taken aback. Gazing at her sweet, intoxicating sleeping face, he recalled their recent kiss, and a faint warmth stirred in his heart. Noticing her slightly curled-up posture as if chilled, he hesitated before picking up a large piece of beast hide from the pile on the table and draping it over her.
Seeming to sense the warmth, her slightly furrowed brows relaxed, and she instinctively wrapped the hide tighter around herself without waking.
Seeing this, Han Li couldn’t help but chuckle silently.
It was no wonder—despite her superior physique compared to ordinary people, she was still a woman. The earlier ordeal had left her utterly exhausted, and while waiting for Han Li, drowsiness had overtaken her unnoticed.
After a quiet laugh, Han Li refrained from disturbing her. Instead, he turned his attention to the pile of materials on the table, his eyes flickering with a peculiar glint.
Some time later, Mei Ning slowly awoke. Before she could even open her eyes, a calm voice reached her ears: “If Fellow Daoist Mei is awake, please rise. The next two days won’t be easy—we still have preparations to make.”
Hearing this, her face flushed as she sat up, the beast hide slipping off her body.
She froze for a moment, then stared blankly in the direction of the voice, her expression complex.
Han Li was seated across from her on a chair, organizing a sizable piece of beast hide. Noticing her awakening, he smiled at her.
“I wonder if Miss Mei is skilled in needlework. I have some high-grade fire-attribute beast hides here. If possible, it would be best to craft them into a few leather garments. Wearing them should provide some resistance against the Yin Wind.”
“I can try, but I’ll need needles and thread,” Mei Ning replied, her cheeks slightly pink. Relieved that Han Li made no mention of yesterday’s kiss, she nonetheless felt an inexplicable pang of disappointment. Outwardly, however, she maintained her composure.
“These hides are quite tough. Only flying needle magic tools can pierce them. We’ll have to make do with these thin beast tendons for stitching. After all, our priority is resisting the Yin Wind—we can’t afford to be picky,” Han Li said, lifting a blue-glinting long needle from the table and handing it to her, as if prepared in advance.
This needle was a top-tier flying needle magic tool, exceedingly sharp. Han Li himself couldn’t recall which unfortunate cultivator he had taken it from, but now it proved useful, so he had retrieved it from his storage pouch.
“I’ll do my best,” Mei Ning murmured, biting her red lip.
Han Li nodded and was about to say more when footsteps approached from outside, followed by a hoarse voice: “Is Fellow Daoist Han present?”
“Who is it?” Han Li frowned slightly, puzzled. The voice sounded familiar, and after a brief thought, he recognized it as the long-bearded elder’s. His surprise deepened.
“Haha, Fellow Daoist, we spoke quite amiably on the stone platform just yesterday!” came a hearty laugh from outside—indeed, it was the self-proclaimed cultivator from the Five Dragons Sea.
With such an introduction, Han Li naturally couldn’t refuse the visit. Curious about their sudden appearance, he rose and opened the door. Outside stood the smiling long-bearded elder, flanked by two others: one with a red face and white beard, the other hunchbacked and sinister-looking.
“Please, come in,” Han Li said courteously, ushering them inside without first inquiring about their purpose.
“And this must be Fellow Daoist Mei,” the three remarked upon seeing Mei Ning, their eyes briefly lighting up with admiration before they composed themselves and bowed politely.
Mei Ning returned the gesture with a slight curtsy and naturally positioned herself beside Han Li, deferring to him wordlessly. The three elders exchanged thoughtful glances.
Once seated, Han Li studied the other two and asked slowly, “These two are also…?”
“Fellow Daoist Han guessed correctly. These two are fellow cultivators from the Great Jin Nation—one is Fellow Daoist Yun from the Heavenly Talisman Sect, the other Fellow Daoist Jin from the Four Seas True Academy,” the long-bearded elder introduced.
Han Li nodded in acknowledgment, and the two scrutinized him briefly before reciprocating with polite smiles.
“To what do I owe the honor of this joint visit?” Han Li inquired impassively.
The three exchanged glances before the long-bearded elder coughed dryly and said meaningfully, “Fellow Daoist Han, are you aware that Elder Feng, the village’s martial arts instructor, was fatally bitten by an unknown insect last night? Rumor has it the creature attacked his throat as he slept—a most gruesome death.”
“Oh? Such a thing happened? What kind of insect could be so deadly?” Han Li replied evenly, his expression unreadable, leaving the trio unable to discern any connection to him.
“That remains unclear. By the time others arrived, Elder Feng had already passed. Only a few villagers saw a flying insect emerge from his wound. Though they struck at it with weapons, the creature was astonishingly resilient and flew away unscathed. Covered in blood, its exact appearance was indiscernible,” the long-bearded elder stated, eyes fixed unblinkingly on Han Li. The other two watched him intently as well.
“What, do the three of you suspect me and have come to accuse me?” Han Li reclined lazily, his tone unchanged.
“Not at all! We firmly believe Fellow Daoist Han had no hand in this. Even if you did, we’d be delighted. That Feng relied on his martial prowess to disrespect us cultivators—good riddance,” the elder chuckled, though his expression flickered slightly.
Han Li narrowed his eyes but remained silent.
The long-bearded elder’s gaze shifted before he probed further, “However, we heard Elder Feng visited your residence yesterday and left dejected. Moreover, his corpse revealed a broken arm. It seems Fellow Daoist Han possesses formidable means even without magic power.”
Han Li’s eyebrows rose. These men clearly held some influence in the village to know such details about Feng’s visit and subsequent humiliation.
“Is this the purpose of your visit? If you have something to say, speak plainly. I’ve no patience for roundabout talk,” Han Li said coldly after a pause.
“This…” The three hesitated, exchanging uncertain looks.
“If you’re unwilling to speak, I won’t press you. Please leave,” Han Li said impatiently.
Perhaps this ultimatum spurred their decision, for the hunchbacked elder suddenly spoke: “Fellow Daoist Han, would you be interested in joining us to rule this village?”
“What do you mean?” Han Li frowned, though he had already guessed their intent.
“Since we’re all cultivators, I’ll be blunt. You’ve likely met the village elders. Aside from the Chief Elder, who arrived earlier and monopolizes power, the rest of us are treated no better than mortals—starving one meal, feasting the next, even forced to hunt Yin Beasts at great risk. Meanwhile, the Yin Beast Crystals, our only means to cast spells, are controlled by mortals as if we were thieves! This is an outright insult. Thus, we propose uniting to seize control of the village. What say you?” The long-bearded elder laid out their plan openly now that the cat was out of the bag.
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