Just as Han Li had mostly pieced together the situation, he noticed several peculiarities about the man opposite him.
First, he couldn’t determine the man’s approximate age from his stunningly beautiful appearance. His smooth, delicate skin suggested someone in their twenties, yet his gaze and demeanor resembled that of a thirty or forty-year-old. But the faintly frivolous air between his brows made him seem like some extravagant young noble.
However, it was immediately clear that the man was only at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. This was precisely why Han Li dared to remain. Had the man been at the late-stage of Foundation Establishment, Han Li would have had to reconsider involving himself in such a melodramatic affair.
Second, although Han Li had already arrived, Dong Xuan’er had only given him a cold glance before turning back to gaze infatuatedly at the flamboyant man, as if Han Li were a complete stranger. This was definitely not right!
“What sort of person are you? Another admirer of this young lady?” the flamboyant man said disdainfully, having taken note of Han Li’s unremarkable appearance and early Foundation Establishment cultivation. He patted Dong Xuan’er’s fragrant shoulder lightly and added carelessly, “Let me make this clear: unless this young lady leaves of her own accord, no one will snatch this beauty from my embrace!”
Seeing the man look down on him so openly, Han Li showed no trace of annoyance on his face. Instead, after glancing back and forth between Dong Xuan’er and the flamboyant man a few times, he suddenly shouted sternly, “Who are you, sir, to dare use soul-confusing magic on a cultivator of our Seven Sects? Your audacity knows no bounds!”
Hearing this, the flamboyant man’s expression shifted slightly, but he quickly returned to normal and replied calmly, “What nonsense are you spouting? This young lady and I are together because we are kindred spirits. If you don’t step aside, don’t blame me for showing no mercy!”
Yan Yu and Senior Brother Feng, who had also heard Han Li’s words, suddenly understood. They immediately surrounded the flamboyant men from both sides, furious. “So this is why Junior Sister Dong suddenly ignored us as if possessed! It turns out you used evil magic to bewitch her! Release the spell now, or don’t blame me for showing no mercy with my Purple Light Bowl!” roared Senior Brother Feng.
“Exactly! I knew something was off—why would Miss Dong leave with a stranger for no reason? So you’re a demonic cultivator! I’ll teach you a lesson on Miss Dong’s behalf!” Yan Yu added.
As they spoke, Senior Brother Feng and Yan Yu each pulled out a magical instrument: a purple cymbal-like artifact and a short spear, respectively. They looked ready to strike at any moment.
Faced with the threat of an early and a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, the flamboyant man’s face turned cold. “Overestimating your abilities,” he sneered.
Han Li, however, felt a sense of foreboding. His instincts told him this flamboyant man was extremely dangerous. Thinking quickly, he suddenly sent a sound transmission directly into Dong Xuan’er’s ear, shouting, “Dong Xuan’er! Look at the mess you’ve made! Aren’t you afraid Master Hong Fu will confine you as punishment?”
Yan Yu and Senior Brother Feng noticed nothing, but the flamboyant man seemed to sense something. He glared at Han Li before hurriedly looking down at Dong Xuan’er.
At that moment, a look of horror crossed Dong Xuan’er’s face. She struggled violently and broke free from the flamboyant man’s embrace, stepping back several paces. Then, her expression turned confused, as if she had just awoken from a deep dream.
Yan Yu and Senior Brother Feng were overjoyed.
Seeing the flamboyant man’s ugly expression as he tried to approach Dong Xuan’er again, they immediately stepped forward without hesitation to separate Dong Xuan’er from him, refusing to let her fall under his evil spell again now that she had finally regained clarity.
Dong Xuan’er had fully regained her senses, but she seemed to recall something utterly terrifying. Not daring to so much as glance at the flamboyant man, she frantically rushed toward Han Li and hid behind him, shielding herself from the man’s furious gaze.
Her body trembled incessantly, her face full of fear—there was no trace left of her usual willful demeanor.
The flamboyant man’s face darkened. He swept a venomous gaze over Yan Yu and Senior Brother Feng, who stood in his way, before fixing a deathly stare on Han Li.
Seeing all three of them watching him warily, he knew it would be impossible to reclaim Dong Xuan’er today. Since she had regained her senses, these three only needed to delay him briefly for her to escape. Moreover, if a fight broke out, it might attract other cultivators, and he had no desire to be recognized here. Yet, since childhood, he had never let prey in his mouth be snatched away.
At this thought, his beautiful face twisted slightly. “This isn’t over,” he said grimly. “I’ll remember the faces of you three. You’d better tread carefully!”
With that, a five-colored light flashed around the flamboyant man, and he transformed into a streak of radiant light that shot into the distance, leaving Han Li and the others staring after him in stunned silence.
…
At the Fengyue Inn where Han Li was staying, Han Li, Yan Yu, and the others listened as Dong Xuan’er recounted how she had been bewitched by the flamboyant man.
“…I don’t know why, but the moment I met his eyes, my mind went blank. I didn’t want to think about anything else—I only wanted to please him desperately, to do anything for him. It was as if… as if he were my destined master. I couldn’t muster any will to resist. But I’d only just met him! How could this happen? I don’t want to be anyone’s slave!” As she spoke, Dong Xuan’er’s face grew increasingly pale. Clearly, the sensation of having her body and mind completely controlled by the flamboyant man had terrified her more than death itself.
Han Li exchanged a glance with the other two, whose expressions were equally grim. For a moment, no one spoke. The flamboyant man’s soul-confusing art was far too powerful. If he were to use it on the three of them, how could they possibly resist?
“There’s no need to worry, everyone,” Han Li said after a moment of contemplation. “I suspect his heart-bewitching art, powerful as it is, likely has no effect on the three of us.”
“Oh? What makes you say that, Junior Brother Han?” Senior Brother Feng asked, perking up.
“It’s obvious,” Han Li explained calmly. “If his bewitchment art could truly be used on men, do you think, given the resentment in his eyes when he left, he would have refrained from using it on us? Alternatively, his magic power might have been insufficient to cast it again. But judging by his confident expression when facing the three of us, he didn’t seem low on magic power. So, I believe the first possibility is the most likely.”
Hearing this, Senior Brother Feng and Yan Yu both breathed a sigh of relief. If the man could only use such powerful bewitchment art on women, then the two of them had nothing to fear. In a direct contest of magic power and artifacts, they were confident.
“Senior Brother Han! If we female cultivators encounter this man, does that mean we’ll inevitably be controlled for life? I don’t want that!” Dong Xuan’er said, her face deathly pale. She seemed on the verge of tears, and for the first time, the words “Senior Brother Han” carried a tone of deep distress.
Han Li was at a loss for words. He wasn’t one of her admirers—even if she sought protection, she shouldn’t be turning to him.
Unbeknownst to Han Li, after he rescued her from that terrifying state of mental control, Dong Xuan’er had unconsciously developed a sense of dependence on him. Faced with danger, she naturally turned to him with such a pleading expression.
Before Han Li could respond, the other two, brimming with jealousy, eagerly vowed to protect Dong Xuan’er closely over the next few days, ensuring the demonic man would never succeed again.
Hearing this, Dong Xuan’er felt somewhat reassured. After all, with two Foundation Establishment cultivators protecting her, it seemed unlikely anything would go wrong. This time, she had been caught completely off guard—next time, she wouldn’t let him control her so easily.
Thus, having regained some of her spirit, Dong Xuan’er soon began laughing and joking with the two again, turning her innate charm to the fullest and leaving them utterly mesmerized.
Seeing this, Han Li didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Truth be told, Dong Xuan’er’s techniques and the flamboyant man’s bewitchment art were different in approach but equally adept—though the former was not as domineering as the latter.
Still, her charm art was undoubtedly a highly advanced form of bewitchment. To enchant men so completely, body and soul, without them even realizing it—in Han Li’s opinion, it was no less dangerous than the flamboyant man’s art. Equally perilous.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage