Han Li, seeing Mo Caihuan in such a state, knew it wasn’t the right time to press for details and decided not to bring it up again. Thus, Mo Caihuan led him to a small shop on the next street and stopped.
“Here?” Han Li was somewhat taken aback and glanced at Mo Caihuan with a questioning look.
“Yes, this is it! My mother and I started a small business to earn some spirit stones to buy medicine for her injuries,” Mo Caihuan said, her face flushing slightly with embarrassment. Then, she led the way inside.
Han Li smiled faintly and followed without another word.
“Mother, look who I brought!”
As soon as Han Li stepped into the shop, he heard Mo Caihuan’s excited voice. Soon after, another voice, familiar to Han Li but noticeably older and weaker, responded.
“Who else could it be? Since your Uncle Zhu passed away, only Aunt Xianglian from next door ever visits us!”
Indeed, it was Yan Shi’s voice, though it sounded much hoarser than before.
“No, it’s Senior Brother! I ran into him in the fortress!” Mo Caihuan exclaimed excitedly.
“Senior Brother? All your senior brothers passed away long ago! Are you feeling unwell, child?” Yan Shi sounded genuinely concerned.
By then, Han Li had taken in the scene inside the shop.
The small room, about six or seven zhang wide, had a few wooden counters neatly displaying stacks of low-level talismans and some inexpensive raw materials. A wooden door led to an inner room, and behind the counter, a woman lay on a bamboo recliner, looking worriedly at Mo Caihuan.
It was Yan Shi, whom he hadn’t seen in nearly a decade!
But now, she looked much older, her face pale and sickly, though traces of her former beauty could still be seen in her features.
Han Li’s entrance naturally caught Yan Shi’s attention. When she recognized him, she froze for a moment, then struggled to sit up. However, her illness made it impossible. She managed to lift herself halfway before collapsing back into the chair. Mo Caihuan hurriedly reached out to support her.
“Are you… Han Li?” Yan Shi gasped weakly, her expression a mix of shock and a glimmer of hope.
Han Li knew what she was thinking. After a brief hesitation, he stepped forward and bowed slightly. “Greetings, Fourth Master.”
“You… you still acknowledge me as your master’s wife? You don’t hold a grudge over what happened back then?” Yan Shi’s face lit up with relief, though she still seemed uncertain.
“Regardless of the rights and wrongs between Master Mo and me, the master-disciple relationship was real. So, it’s only right that I address you as such,” Han Li replied calmly.
“As for the antidote issue later on, let’s not even mention it. I’m standing here perfectly fine, aren’t I?” Han Li said dismissively. Indeed, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he no longer held any grudges against mere mortals like Yan Shi and her sisters.
“Yes, with your talent, you must be doing very well in the cultivation world! Unlike me and your other masters’ wives, who have become like stray dogs… *cough*…” Yan Shi’s words were cut short as she suddenly broke into a violent cough, her face turning crimson.
“Mother, are you alright? Senior Brother…” Mo Caihuan panicked, gently patting Yan Shi’s chest and looking pleadingly at Han Li.
“Let me take a look,” Han Li sighed, unable to resist Mo Caihuan’s desperate gaze. He reached out and took Yan Shi’s wrist to check her pulse. After a moment, he released her and said, “It’s nothing serious. Just an old injury acting up, compounded by exhaustion and stress over the years.”
“Can it be cured?” Mo Caihuan asked anxiously.
“Don’t worry. Ten years ago, I might have found it tricky, but now it’s a simple matter,” Han Li reassured her. He took out a needle case from his storage pouch and performed acupuncture on Yan Shi, which immediately stopped her coughing.
“Take one of these pills daily. In ten days, you’ll be completely recovered,” Han Li said confidently, handing her a small vial.
Yan Shi felt an unprecedented sense of relief, as if her years of illness had vanished. She seemed to regain some of her youthfulness. Overwhelmed with gratitude, she took the vial, unsure of what to say.
“Han Li…” she began, but Han Li cut her off.
“Could you tell me what happened back then and how you ended up in Yanling Fortress?” Han Li asked, eager to understand the full story.
Yan Shi’s face darkened with sorrow as she slowly began recounting the events.
After Han Li eliminated Ouyang Feitian of the Dominating Dragon Manor, the prepared Jingjiao Society seized most of the territory and benefits. However, the Five-colored Sect, another power in Lan Province, quickly swallowed the remaining share. Thus, Lan Province became divided between two major forces.
With the balance of power broken, conflict was inevitable.
When the Jingjiao Society, led by the Mo Mansion, clashed with the Five-colored Sect, they realized their mistake in letting Ouyang Feitian die. The Five-colored Sect’s strength far exceeded expectations, and they swiftly crushed the Jingjiao Society.
The society was uprooted, and the Mo Mansion came under attack. The women had no choice but to flee. During the escape, the Second Lady, Li Shi, and the Fifth Lady, Wang Shi, were killed. The survivors scattered in different directions.
Yan Shi and Mo Caihuan were pursued relentlessly. Just as they were about to be killed, a middle-aged man named Yan Zhu rescued them. With their consent, he brought them to Yanling Fortress, where they settled as mortals.
Yan Zhu, a low-level Qi Refining disciple of the Yanling Fortress, had limited means but treated them kindly. To repay him, Yan Shi married him a year later. To avoid drawing unwanted attention to the increasingly beautiful Mo Caihuan, Yan Zhu spread rumors that she was an ill-fated widow who had entered the fortress after her husband’s death. This way, she could remain unnoticed until she found someone she truly wished to marry.
For two years, they lived peacefully. Unfortunately, Yan Zhu died during a family mission, leaving them alone again. Unable to leave the fortress, they relied on the compensation spirit stones to open this small shop, barely making ends meet.
The shop’s income, though meager, was enough to cover Yan Shi’s medical expenses and keep her condition stable. However, recently, their suppliers suddenly cut them off, pushing the shop to the brink of closure.
Yan Shi, shrewd as ever, quickly identified the culprit: a nearby cultivator who had taken a liking to Mo Caihuan. Despite her “ill-fated” reputation, he insisted on taking her as a concubine. When Yan Shi refused, he left in anger and began sabotaging their business.
When Han Li encountered Mo Caihuan on the street, she had just returned from a futile argument with their suppliers.
Yan Shi recounted everything in detail, with Mo Caihuan occasionally adding comments. Han Li now understood the situation. When he heard about the cultivator pressuring Mo Caihuan to become his concubine, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
*To think someone is fighting over this little enchantress! But indeed, she’s grown into a full-fledged enchantress—the kind that could captivate anyone.*
“Han Li, after all these years of cultivation, you must have reached at least the ninth level of Qi Refining, right?” Yan Shi asked politely after studying him. Having lived in Yanling Fortress for years, she had picked up some knowledge about cultivation.
“Something like that. I suppose you want me to deal with that cultivator? Is he troublesome?” Han Li replied with a faint smile, cutting straight to the point.
Yan Shi looked both embarrassed and relieved. From Han Li’s tone, it seemed he was willing to help.
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