Although Han Li didn't know what had transpired between his leaf-uncle and the elderly Wu-named elder after he had left, he still felt deeply frustrated. Since the incident involving the ink doctor, he had never before encountered a situation where he knew clearly ahead of time that there was a major obstacle in his path yet still had to jump over it. This only deepened his frustration, reinforcing his conviction that the immortal world operated on a principle of the strong dominating the weak. "I'll definitely go back to him whenever I need something!" Thinking of this, Han Li gave a cold smile—he was determined to make his leaf-uncle realize that his belongings were far from easily swallowed whole. Standing on the ground, he glanced toward the distance. At that moment, Yu, the official, had returned to the Baiji Hall, as the nearby Baiya Garden lay just beyond—situated in a small basin between two hills, and protected by several small seals set up by its owner to prevent outsiders from intruding. Han Li walked a short distance and immediately came into contact with the nearby seals, which blocked his path with a bright white glow. Yet he did not panic. He raised a jade plaque and held it up before him, and instantly a green glow shot from the plaque, entering the seal. Then Han Li patiently waited. A dry voice came from within, as if spoken directly into his ears: "Enter!" The seal before him gradually dissolved, just as snow melts. Seizing the opportunity, Han Li hurried inside. Following the path before him, he stopped at a courtyard bearing a plaque inscribed "Hundred Herbs Garden." The courtyard was spacious, covering several acres. Even before stepping inside, a strong aroma of herbs filled the air, invigorating Han Li. "Standing here idle? Come in! I have other matters to attend to!" Han Li was momentarily startled, but promptly obeyed and stepped inside. Only now, inside the garden, did he fully appreciate its grandeur. A few thatched cottages, built from dried grass and bamboo, stood at the center of the garden, surrounded by square plots divided by furrows and arranged neatly in rows. Each plot was lush with a variety of medicinal herbs—some familiar, others strange and unusual—giving the entire garden a vibrant, ethereal atmosphere. Even a cultivator like Han Li, deeply breathing in, felt a profound sense of ease and refreshment. Is the Ye family member just treating me casually? Why are the people sent one after another getting worse and worse?" The thin, wiry old man saw the look on Han Li's face and immediately grew serious, launching into a tirade. "Disciple Han Li, respectfully bows to Master Ma!" Han Li had already learned from the files about the old man's peculiar temperament, so he didn't seem surprised at all, and stepped forward to bow. "Hmph! Do you know what penalties await you if you fail to complete the task? If you go back now and ask your younger brother Ye to send someone else, it will still be in time!" The old man rolled his eyes, speaking with irritation. "Is it required that the herb garden remain unchanged, with no herb plants being lost or damaged, and that a certain quantity of herbs be submitted each month? If so, then I believe I still have some confidence!" Han Li said calmly. Hearing this, the old man was somewhat taken aback. It seemed to him that Han Li, a disciple who spoke with such confidence right from the start, was a first-time encounter. He glanced at Han Li again, but the doubt in his eyes remained unchanged. "Come with me!" the old man suddenly said coldly, then stepped out of the hut. Han Li followed without hesitation. "How many of these herbs can you identify?" the old man pointed to the various plants scattered throughout the garden, eyeing Han Li with a sideways glance. "One-tenth," Han Li said, glancing over briefly. The old man paused, then chuckled coldly. "Young man, if you can truly recognize one-tenth of these herbs, I'll hand over the entire garden to you—no further words!" With those words, Han Li smiled slightly and stepped away from the old man. "Night-blooming flower, yellow ball herb, white crane mushroom, moon-watching grass..." Han Li casually named the herbs he recognized as he walked through the garden. The young elder had initially been mocking, but as韩立 continued, a look of growing astonishment spread across his face—because韩立 mentioned many rather obscure medicinal herbs, some of which even himself had only recently come to fully understand. To his surprise, several of them were quite unfamiliar to him. "Enough!" said the elder, interrupting just as韩立 had finished describing half of the herbs he recognized. "Very good—so you're not entirely exaggerating! From now on, you'll manage this herb garden. Here's the seal of authority for this estate—hold onto it carefully!" With a satisfied expression, the elder swiftly produced a dark green wooden plaque from his robes and handed it to韩立. "I've kept notes on the cultivation techniques I've used over the years. Take the time to go through them thoroughly—most of these herbs you're still unfamiliar with, so don't let any of them perish!" He stroked his mustache, adding the reminder. "Thank you, senior uncle, I'll remember that!" said韩立, bowing respectfully. "Cough—" I hope your abilities match the effectiveness of your words, so that I may finally be free from this herb garden and no longer have to delay my own cultivation. This garden is my private medicinal estate, and should you truly prove capable, I will treat you most generously. But let me make this clear from the start—if you fall short, then you should simply pack up and leave at once, and let someone else take over. Is that understood?" The old man spoke with a blend of authority and kindness. Hearing the straightforward and unyielding tone of the elder, Han Li not only remained calm but actually grew more favorable toward him. He found this old man far superior to the Ye senior disciple—after all, the latter was clearly a pretender, a kind of insincere minor figure. Thus, he promptly nodded in agreement. After further detailing several key points regarding the management of the garden, the elderly man hurried back to his hut, made a few quick arrangements, and then turned without a backward glance, vanishing into the sky. After watching the Master Li depart, Han Li casually selected one of the huts and settled into it, making it his residence. Because he hadn't taken a moment to rest all day, even a cultivator like Han Li felt a bit weary and climbed onto the bed to fall asleep soundly. To him, no matter how great the events unfolding outside might be, he would wait until he was fully refreshed before addressing them—and just then, the sky had turned dark. Han Li's first day as a new disciple at Huangfeng Valley thus passed with a certain amount of turbulence. It wasn't until the next morning, when he woke up refreshed and energetic, that his cultivation journey truly began. In the days that followed, during the day he studied the insights and notes left by the elder, and at night he quietly buried the mysterious small vial in a corner of the medicinal field, covering it with the valuable relic he had recently acquired, to conceal its remarkable ability to absorb qi. Thus, the spiritual energy in that corner, though slightly more concentrated than elsewhere, proved otherwise unremarkable, and finally, Han Li's lingering concerns eased. A few days later, the Ye Shishu came to Han Li with the items exchanged for the supposed Foundation Pill. She presented only a fraction—less than one-fifth—of the originally promised spiritual stones and artifacts. As for the matter of the pills still owed, it seemed the Ye Tangzhu had completely forgotten it, and Han Li merely feigned ignorance. Nevertheless, despite this, Han Li became suddenly wealthy overnight, receiving two mid-tier spiritual stones, dozens of lower-tier ones, three well-crafted artifacts, and several scrolls.