Chapter 293: Infiltration

Han Li was all too familiar with the infatuated expression the young girl had shown before leaving. It reminded him of the look of extreme envy he had worn when he first saw Li Huayuan commanding the giant flood dragon.

Thinking of this, Han Li found the pretty little girl quite amusing.

With a faint smile, he vanished silently from the tree. The next moment, he was already inside the high walls of the Prince’s mansion.

At this moment, Han Li was not only using the “Invisibility Technique,” a spell that could deceive mortals, but also the “Qi Concealment Art,” a technique only cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage could employ.

This allowed him to dart swiftly among the bustling servants and maids of the mansion like a transparent shadow, with no one detecting the slightest abnormality.

Shortly after, Han Li infiltrated the inner quarters of the mansion and quietly hid behind a secluded corridor pillar, coldly observing everything nearby.

Before long, when a somewhat attractive maid passed by, Han Li suddenly flicked his finger, and a fist-sized yellow light shot from his hand, striking the maid squarely on the head. Instantly, she staggered and was about to collapse to the ground.

But before her body could hit the floor, Han Li had already dashed out, caught her, and swiftly returned to the pillar in the corner.

With practiced ease, Han Li propped up the limp body of the young maid, facing her toward himself. Then, he opened his mouth and exhaled a puff of cyan spiritual energy, which struck her tightly closed eyes.

Immediately, the maid’s eyelids twitched a few times before slowly opening.

As she gradually awoke, the first thing she saw was a pair of cold, golden eyes staring intently at her.

Startled, she tried to struggle and scream, but those bizarre eyes suddenly emitted a dazzling yellow light that pierced directly into her pupils.

Instantly, the maid felt the world spin around her, everything turning golden. Then, her head tilted to the side, and she lost consciousness once more.

Han Li looked at the unconscious maid and sighed softly, withdrawing one hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Although casting the “Mind Control Technique” had taken only a moment, it had consumed a tremendous amount of his mental energy, leaving him feeling strained. No wonder this spell was listed as one of the top ten most impractical spells at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Although the spell, if successful, could make the target obedient to the caster like a slave for a period of time, its limitations were far too many. Very few cultivators actually practiced this spell!

First, the spell could only be used on mortals. It had no effect on cultivators. Even if there was a vast difference in cultivation levels, as long as the target could circulate spiritual energy through their mind, they could easily neutralize the spell’s hypnotic effects.

Second, the spell required the practitioner not only to be at the Foundation Establishment stage but also to possess spiritual sense far beyond ordinary people. The vast majority of Foundation Establishment cultivators were not qualified to learn this spell.

With these two limitations, the number of cultivators interested in practicing this spell was pitifully small.

But for Han Li, none of this was a problem.

Han Li had originally been troubled by the scarcity of Foundation Establishment spells he had mastered. When he saw the incantation for this spell recorded at the Heavenly Knowledge Pavilion, he had curiously memorized it. Upon returning to his cave abode, he practiced it briefly and succeeded without any hindrance, which greatly surprised him.

Now, using this spell on the young maid had indeed succeeded in one attempt.

Han Li first cautiously glanced around before extending a finger and gently shaking it. A small milky-white light emerged from his fingertip, which he then pressed against the maid’s forehead. The light dissolved into her and vanished.

The maid woke up, immediately sat up, and stared blankly at Han Li without speaking.

“What is your steward’s background? When did he enter the mansion? Where does he usually go? Who outside the mansion does he frequently interact with?” Han Li fired a rapid series of questions at the maid.

He had chosen this maid because she was the one sent by the Prince to find the young master at the start of the banquet, indicating she held a relatively high status among the servants. Thus, the information obtained from her would be more reliable.

“Which steward is the master asking about?” the maid replied expressionlessly.

“Are there many stewards in the mansion?” Han Li was slightly taken aback and somewhat puzzled.

“There is Steward Wang, who oversees all affairs; Steward Li, who is responsible for procurement; and Steward Zhai, who manages the inner mansion,” the maid continued emotionlessly.

“Which steward was greeting guests at the mansion gate today?” Han Li frowned slightly and asked quietly.

“That was Steward Wang, who holds the most authority.”

“He is the one I’m asking about!” Han Li pressed anxiously.

He wasn’t sure how long the spell could control the maid’s mind, so he needed to quickly extract the important information. Otherwise, he would have to expend more effort once she woke up.

“According to the older servants in the mansion, Steward Wang grew up with the Prince as his study companion and has been with him for fifty or sixty years. Apart from following the Prince into the palace once a month for routine matters, he rarely leaves the mansion and hardly interacts with anyone outside. If he does, it’s only with the Prince’s close friends.”

“As for his relationship with the young master, it’s rather peculiar! According to the young master’s former wet nurse, before the age of ten, the young master had a very irritable temper and did not get along with Steward Wang. He even once publicly slapped Steward Wang. But after turning ten, his attitude suddenly changed completely. Not only did he become polite and courteous to others, but he also treated Steward Wang with great respect, even addressing him as an elder. This greatly pleased the Prince, who often said it was a blessing from the gods!” the maid recounted in a monotone.

Han Li’s expression remained unchanged, but he inwardly sneered.

Although it sounded like Steward Wang had nothing suspicious about him, based on the young master’s abnormal behavior, Han Li was certain that the two had some ulterior relationship.

Moreover, the fact that these two could pose a significant threat to him, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, meant they were definitely not ordinary mortals.

As for their mysterious background, Han Li had no intention of investigating further. As long as they were not associated with the demonic path, he didn’t care whether they were righteous or evil or what hidden agendas they might have. If he could avoid trouble, Han Li certainly wouldn’t go looking for it.

Through this interrogation, Han Li was eighty to ninety percent certain that they had no connection to the Six Demonic Sects.

After all, the young master’s abnormal behavior had not occurred recently. If the demonic path had started setting this up over a decade ago, Han Li would truly be speechless.

Thinking this, Han Li issued another command: “Where does Immortal Wu reside? Lead the way for me.”

“As you command, Master!” The maid obediently rose and began walking, while Han Li continued to conceal himself and followed closely behind.

Guided by the maid, Han Li passed through seven or eight large courtyards before arriving at a relatively quiet garden. Here, the maid stopped.

*Pat! Pat!* Han Li lightly tapped the maid’s back twice with his palm glowing white light, then swiftly hid behind a large tree to the side.

“Huh? Isn’t this the old immortal’s residence? Why am I here?” The maid blinked her eyes vigorously and suddenly exclaimed, the dazed look in her eyes completely gone.

“Who’s making noise outside? Didn’t I instruct that no one should disturb my cultivation?” An displeased voice came from one of the rooms in the courtyard—it was the old Taoist priest.

Hearing this, the maid’s face turned pale with fright. Without stopping to ponder why she was there, she flusteredly ran away.

*Creak—* The door opened.

The old Taoist priest with white hair and beard, looking every bit the immortal, stepped out. But when he saw no one in the courtyard, a puzzled expression crossed his face.

“What’s going on? I clearly heard someone speaking. I thought the Prince had come to see me again! I hurriedly stopped my cultivation, but where did the person go?”

The old Taoist stood in the yard, glanced around, and then returned to his room somewhat disgruntled.

But as he closed the door and turned back toward the room, he froze on the spot.

There, beside the Eight Immortals table inside the room, Han Li was sitting with a smile, watching the old Taoist silently, looking very interested in him.

“Who are you?” the old Taoist asked urgently, his face changing dramatically.

Almost reflexively, he raised a hand, and a fiery red fireball materialized above his palm.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t act rashly,” Han Li said, completely ignoring the fireball, his smile suggesting he bore no hostility.