"Lord, you're right—we truly don't lack these few silver coins, but our reputation mustn't suffer!" The woman across the table smiled gently. Qin Yan found this even more satisfactory. Having known her for so many years, her thoughtful, graceful attentiveness had never waned, which only deepened his confidence in her. Indeed, whenever he went out for business, he entrusted her with managing all matters at the Qin household, and each time, she handled them with exceptional ease and satisfaction. "Lord, I've already sent for this person. After my husband has seen him, I'll take charge of handling such matters myself," the woman continued, speaking softly and warmly. Upon hearing this, Qin Yan smiled slightly, just about to speak when a servant's voice announced from outside, "Lord, Qin Ping has brought the guest. Shall we summon him now?" "Have Qin Ping bring him in," Qin Yan said casually. Then, he simply closed his mouth and offered the third lady a polite, grateful smile. "Understood!" The attendant replied and then fell silent. Outside the sitting hall, Qin Ping entered, followed by a young man who was rather plain and unassuming. As he walked, he kept glancing around, taking in everything in the hall with evident curiosity, as though he were fascinated by every detail. When the two reached the hall, Qin Ping bowed briefly and then stepped out, leaving only the young man standing there, somewhat uneasy in front of Qin Yan and his third wife. Upon seeing the young man's hesitant demeanor, Qin Yan and his third wife exchanged a warm, understanding smile. Qin Yan then cleared his throat gently and spoke kindly to the young man: "I heard that you have a letter from one of my senior relatives. Is that correct? Would you be so kind as to hand it over so I may take a look?" The young man, Han Li, glanced at Qin Yan and hesitated, as though uncertain, and asked with a slight doubt: "Are you really Mr. Qin?" "My grandfather himself stated that the letters could only be delivered personally to Mr. Qin!" Hearing this, the third lady was slightly taken aback, and almost couldn't help laughing out loud. In the grand reception hall of the Qin household, who would dare to openly claim to be the head of the family in such a formal manner? This young man's question was truly most interesting! Upon hearing this, Qin Yan stood speechless, equally helpless, and could only offer a wry smile. He then said, "Of course, I am the genuine host of the Qin household. However, whether or not you mean Mr. Qin—this will only be confirmed once we have read the letters." Qin Yan's somewhat embarrassed demeanor proved most entertaining to the third lady. She had never imagined that the renowned Qin family head, so well known throughout Yuejing that few people were unaware of him, would be doubted by such a plain, unassuming young man—what a remarkable event! Hearing Qin Yan's words, Han Li's face finally broke into a look of half-believing, hesitant, and finally managed to drag the letter—almost crumpled into a wastepaper—toward Qin Yan. Qin Yan, already growing impatient, restrained himself from reaching out and snatching the letter right then and there, and instead maintained his composure to receive it with grace. Yet he did not immediately open the letter. Instead, he gave Han Li a thoughtful gaze before suddenly placing the letter on the table and lightly clapping his hands twice. "Clap! Clap!" Immediately, a elderly man in a green robe, with a full head of white hair, stepped into the hall. Qin Yan pointed directly at the letter, and the elder promptly approached, respectfully picked it up, then carefully examined it under the slanting sunlight streaming into the hall, before gently placing it back on the table. "All well?" After uttering these words, the elder bowed slightly and withdrew silently—his entrance and departure as seamless and ghostly as if he had been a spirit. Qin Yan, now at ease, gave a gentle sideways glance at Han Li, who looked utterly confused. Without explanation, Qin Yan skillfully unfolded the letter and carefully examined the parchment. Seeing this, the third consort smiled warmly at Han Li and raised her teacup, intending to take a light sip. But just as she was about to lift it, Qin Yan suddenly stood up with a sharp breath, his face filled with astonishment. "Lord, what's happened? Is it truly a false letter—rare for one to be false?" the third consort, startled, quickly set down her cup and asked, her tone full of genuine concern. "No, the letter is genuine. In fact, it's a letter from a senior relative who has shown me great kindness," Qin Yan said, his expression immediately calm and his voice steady. Then, after giving his beloved wife a reassuring glance, Qin Yan took a moment to carefully reevaluate Han Li. "Mr. Han Li?" Qin the elder asked tentatively, though his tone remained much the same as before—yet the third lady sensed something was amiss. Just as the lady grew puzzled, Han Li vigorously nodded. "Yes, I am Han Li! Does it sound as if my grandfather described—can I stay here?" "Of course!" Qin Yan suddenly burst into hearty laughter, so loud that even the servants nearby turned to stare, wondering why their lord was so joyful in the parlor. "Come! Let's go to the side hall to discuss the recent condition of my uncle, the Master of Huayuan. No one else is to join us—I want to have a proper, in-depth conversation with you, Han nephew." Qin Yan pulled firmly at Han Li's arm, speaking warmly. Then he dragged Han Li toward the side gate, deliberately preventing the third lady from following. This left the third lady even more bewildered! She could only watch, helpless, as Qin Lord and Han Li walked out through the side gate, unable to disobey the instruction. Now, she was overwhelmed by confusion. "Earlier in the living room, Mr. Qin was rather rude to me. I hope Master Han won't mind." As Qin Yan closed the door of the inner chamber and bowed respectfully to apologize, he said, "Not at all. It's only natural—those who are unaware don't take offense. Besides, this performance has to continue." After casually sitting down beside the table, Master Han said this with a relaxed air. At that moment, his demeanor had completely transformed, regaining his original ease and grace. "Thank you so much for your magnanimity!" Hearing this, Qin Yan became even more respectful, standing by quietly throughout without showing the slightest sign of displeasure. Qin Yan truly understood what immortal cultivators were—living deities, truly! Moreover, without the steadfast support of Master Li, the Qin family would never have achieved their current prominence. Both in sentiment and reason, Qin Yan dared not show any disrespect. "Master Qin, please sit down—there's no need to be so formal!" The Li Xianshi you mentioned is actually my master, so to the Qin family, I’m not exactly a stranger either." Han Li smiled and added. "Not at all, I’m just an ordinary mortal. How could I possibly be disrespectful to a Xianshi? I’ll simply stand by and follow Han Xianshi’s instructions." Qin Yan kept shaking his hands, refusing to sit. This made Han Li pause and think for a moment, then finally decided not to press him. "I’d like to know, Han Xianshi, what brings you to this place? The letter from Li Xianshi merely introduced your identity. It says nothing about the specific matter at hand. Would it be possible for me to learn a little more?" Qin Yan asked carefully, voicing the question he had been most concerned about. After all, according to his father’s final instructions, the Li Xianshi—so greatly beneficial to the Qin family—would only personally appear or send someone to assist when the Qin family faced an unforeseen, serious crisis. It seemed now that the Qin family was indeed facing such a major difficulty. Han Li glanced at the anxious expression of Qin's family head, then carefully said, "Here's what happened—this actually involves foreign cultivators. We've received word that..." Han Li calmly explained to Qin Yan, using language accessible to ordinary people, the possibility that the Six Magian Sects might target Qin's family. This news left the elder of Qin's household utterly stunned. After a while, Qin Yan finally stammered, "So... this means foreign cultivators intend to take action against us ordinary people? This... this is... what shall we do?" The Qin family head appeared completely at a loss. Han Li then smiled gently and reassured him, "Don't worry, Qin family head. The cultivators who have infiltrated the越state won't possess particularly strong magical abilities. With me stationed at your estate, they won't succeed easily."