(It's the third installment today—I write three chapters a day.) As soon as Yan Ge reached the second floor, the voice of Yan Li came from inside the room before she even had a chance to knock. "Is it Han Li and Yan Ge?" "Yes, Mistress Fourth," Yan Ge hurried to stop and replied respectfully. "Yan Ge, go back first. Just let Han Li enter alone." The voice of Yan Li was calm and composed, and its clear, frosty tone stirred something within Han Li's heart. "Understood," Yan Ge clearly held deep respect for Yan Li, showing no hesitation in carrying out her instructions. With a gentle smile toward Han Li, she quietly retreated down the stairs, leaving Han Li alone outside the room on the second floor. Han Li stared coldly at the door, not immediately stepping inside. Instead, he relaxed his spiritual awareness, gently sensing the atmosphere within the room. He didn't want to risk being cut down by a flurry of hidden attackers the moment he entered—better to be cautious. The room was quiet, with only a few people present—just the breaths and heartbeats of the Yan family and a few others. It seemed no one unexpected had been invited, which gave Han Li considerable reassurance. So he stepped forward, lightly tapped on the door twice, pushed it open, and glanced inside before entering. But the scene within the room sent Han Li's face pale. The very steps he had taken seemed to freeze mid-air. It was obvious that once again, the old fox Doctor Mo had outmaneuvered him. The letter seemed truly to hold hidden secrets as he had suspected—now the motherly women had learned of Doctor Mo's death, and evidently they were waiting here for him, the very husband murderer, to come to them on his own! Han Li took a deep breath, and his face settled back to normal. Then he strode confidently into the room, took a single chair without hesitation, and sat squarely across from the women. He remained silent, watching them intently, waiting to see how these women would treat him. Clearly, Han Li's bold, unyielding demeanor—his intention to completely break the ice—had come as a surprise to Yan Shi and the others, causing them to lose their composure and display a range of varied expressions. Li, the second consort, had her face turn pale, clearly agitated by Han Li—yesterday still addressed her as "teacher's wife," yet today daring to look her directly in the eye as if she were a junior member of the household. After all, Li came from a scholarly family, where hierarchy and age-based respect were paramount; how could she not be shaken by Han Li, a man who clearly disregarded such traditions. Liu, the third consort, was quite the opposite—she not only remained composed but showed genuine interest in gazing at Han Li. Yet, due to her remarkable charm, Han Li found himself unable to fix his eyes on her, merely glancing at her with a passing glance. Yin, on the other hand, resembled Wang in her reserved demeanor—she held Han Li steadily with a quiet, unwavering composure, her gaze radiating an unyielding coldness. "You must have quite the nerve," Yin finally said after a tea cup's worth of silence, "to be my husband's personal disciple!" The subtle sarcasm in her voice was unmistakable to everyone present. "Several of you wives, if you have anything you'd like to know or would like to say, just say it plainly! I don't want to hear any empty talk, nor do I want to waste time on it!" Han Lin spoke without the slightest expression. Han Lin was well aware that nothing could be worse than a verbal clash with a single woman—being at odds with several women at once would be even more taxing. Rather than laboring over details and nuances, it was far more efficient to get straight to the point. That was his belief. Moreover, there were no hidden, sword-wielding masters present in the room, indicating that these women had no immediate intention of launching an attack. It seemed either they were holding back for some reason, or they had something to gain from him. Given that, there was no need to be overly courteous with them. After all, the death of Mu Doctor was entirely his own doing—he had nothing to be ashamed of. "You..." Even Lady Yan, someone who had seen her share of dramatic confrontations, was momentarily stunned by the direct and forceful tone of Han Lin, finding it difficult to form words. "Very well, I'll ask you now!" "Did my husband indeed die at your hands, this treacherous one?" The second lady could no longer contain herself, her graceful demeanor fading completely, her eyes blazing with fury. The only emotion left on her face was one of resentment. "Second sister," Lady Yan frowned, softly calling out, as if trying to prevent this direct question from immediately turning the situation adversarial. "Lady Li is remarkably straightforward—she has directly laid out the most crucial issue right before us," thought Han Li, privately chuckling. "He can be said to have died at my hands, or to have taken his own life!" Han Li said calmly. The moment these words left his lips, the women across the table—including Lady Yan—were taken aback. They had expected either a complete denial or an unreserved admission from Han Li, not this rather enigmatic statement. Lady Li, the second lady, paused momentarily, then erupted into furious anger, clearly feeling that Han Li was merely playing games with them. "What nonsense are you talking about? It was you who caused his death!" Lady Li said, her body trembling with indignation. "How do you know it's definitely my fault? Did you personally witness it?" Han Li asked without further ceremony. He was well aware that the letter had been written before the doctor's death, so it couldn't certainly prove that he had caused the doctor's death. The letter likely contained only speculations about the circumstances, and thus Han Li could confidently refute the claims. "If you insist on this, then please recount to us, as wives and daughters of the household, the full details of your husband's death. If it truly has nothing to do with you, we wouldn't deliberately blame you." The fifth consort, Lady Wang, who had remained cold and silent until now, suddenly spoke up.