The handsome young prince naturally had no idea of Han Li's current thoughts, and instead engaged warmly in conversation with several old acquaintances from the Qin family, causing two of the young ladies to blush warmly. Seeing this, Han Li silently chuckled to himself. This young prince clearly had issues—should these Qin ladies truly fall for him, they would surely face no good outcome. Even if he swallowed them whole, bone and all, Han Li would not find it at all surprising. A short while later, Xin Wang bowed politely to Qin Yan and the other two, then took the young prince to the next table for further engagements, leaving the Qin family members who had been enjoying lively talks with the prince, as well as the grandson and granddaughter of the Huá elder, somewhat disappointed. Meanwhile, Han Li, taking advantage of the moment, glanced once at the young prince's back, his eyes reflecting a thoughtful gaze. The banquet finally concluded after more than an hour. The guests who had enjoyed themselves began to bid farewell to Xin Wang and his son. Qin Yan, accompanied by Han Li and others, said their goodbyes and stepped directly out of the Xing Wang Palace gates. However, just as Qin's father was about to get into the carriage with Han Li, Han Li suddenly asked a question that startled Qin Yan. "Uncle Qin, who are those two people? Could you tell me a bit more about them?" Though Han Li spoke politely, Qin's father couldn't afford to overlook it, so he quickly turned to face him and replied, "Ah, which two people are you referring to? Oh, isn't that the elder of the Xiao family? He's the owner of the well-known Xianyun Wine House in Yu City, known for his quiet and humble demeanor—Qin has only a modest acquaintance with him. As for the young man beside him, I haven't seen him before; he must be one of his grandchildren." Qin Yan, upon observing the elderly and young figures that Han Li was focusing on, looked visibly surprised, wondering why Han Li was so interested in them. "Ah, that makes sense! Uncle Qin, you go ahead first. I'll take a little longer—my return will be a bit delayed." Han Li nodded thoughtfully, speaking casually. Before Qin Yan could say anything, he slowly turned and walked toward a smaller path beside the western wall of the mansion. Qin Yan stared at Han Li's back, then glanced at the elderly Xiao family member, who was hesitantly watching them from a distance, feeling a bit puzzled. But after a moment's reflection, he decisively got into the carriage and ordered his trusted driver to depart. Thus, Qin's several carriages left the front gate of Xinwang Mansion and headed east toward the Qin family's residence. The young Qin sons and daughters, however, were completely unaware of Han Li's disappearance and were still chatting excitedly about their experiences at Xinwang Mansion. They were thrilled—though they hadn't formed a celestial bond, they were certain this would be a great topic to boast about among their peers. After walking for about a cup of tea's time, Han Li finally reached the rear gate of Xinwang Mansion, following the grand walls of the estate. The grand rear gate stood firmly closed, with no figures in sight. Han Li smiled, thinking it was perfect—no need to employ any spells to conceal his movements. He simply stood upright at the gate, idly gazing up at the sky. In a short while, Han Li grew deeply absorbed, as though lost in thought. Suddenly, he sensed someone approaching hesitantly from afar, and lowered his head, looking at them coldly. There, the elderly man from the Xiao family and the young woman dressed in men's attire came around from the other side of the palace. Upon seeing Han Li, the elder paused, his expression hesitating, while the young woman displayed only curiosity, showing no signs of fear. After a moment, the elder seemed to have decided something, and immediately composed himself, walking steadily toward him, with the young woman following close behind. "I am Xiao Zhen, a junior. Thank you so much for your leniency within the palace. Should I have caused any offense, I would be honored to apologize to you." After approaching Han Li, the old master still couldn't discern the depth of Han Li's cultivation, and was even more respectful and awed by his demeanor. Thus, before speaking, he promptly bowed, politely apologizing. Han Li calmly accepted the bow and then said, "You haven't been practicing and refining your cultivation in a place rich with spiritual energy. Why have you come to Yuejing City? Are you now reluctant to pursue cultivation, and instead clinging to the worldly pleasures and honors?" Han Li didn't hesitate—he immediately laid a major accusation upon the elder, thus establishing his commanding presence and making it easier to proceed with the following matters. "Senior master, I'm mistaken. As I've grown older, my foundation stage has become increasingly unattainable. I am assigned by the family to manage the family's worldly finances, not someone who has chosen to remain in the mortal realm indefinitely." Upon hearing Han Li's explanation, the old man felt relieved, his expression slightly reassured. "Which family are you from?" Han Li didn't easily open his mouth, pressing further. He naturally wanted to get a good grasp of the background of this senior and junior pair. If these were several well-known immortal clans, he certainly didn't wish to provoke them lightly. Yet, as far as he knew, there didn't seem to be any particularly renowned immortal clan bearing the Xiao surname! Upon hearing Han Li's question, the elder hesitated slightly, glanced back at the young woman by his side, and then answered honestly, "I am a member of the Xiao family from Fenghe Gully in Yunzhou." "Fenghe Gully Xiao family?" Han Li furrowed his brows, thought carefully, and confirmed to himself that he had never heard of this name before. "Senior, there's no need to worry about it—our Xiao family is merely a small one. It's quite normal that you haven't heard of us," the elder said, with a touch of self-deprecating tone. Han Li was somewhat surprised by this, and after taking a few more careful looks at the elder, he remained composed and calmly asked, "You speak so confidently—don't you fear that I might lose all my reservations and immediately turn against you, putting you both to "Upon hearing this, the elder remained calm. Yet the young lady, much like a cat with her tail poked, immediately tightened her expression and hurriedly extended one hand to her waist—there, it was full of bundles, clearly holding storage scrolls. However, upon seeing that neither her grandfather nor Han Li seemed to intend to make any move, she blushed and slowly retracted her hand, standing there at a loss, unsure where to place it, looking utterly endearing. The elder, moved by her demeanor, gazed at her once more with affection, then sighed and turned back to Han Li, saying: 'Although I cannot judge your level of cultivation, I am certain that you are a senior disciple who has reached the Foundation Stage. I do not believe that I could be so eager to pursue any of your artifacts, elixirs, or treasures—things that might be carried on one's person. If you truly are such a person, then I have nothing further to say.' " With my current level of cultivation, even if I tried to run or resist, it would all be in vain. It would be better to simply surrender and allow the elder to have his way, so as not to blame the entire family. All I ask is that you show mercy and spare my granddaughter—she is my only heir. The last few words of the elder sounded so poignant and heartfelt that the young woman was deeply shocked and furious, quickly responding with indignation: "Grandfather, don't be afraid! If he truly intends to act against us, then we'll fight to the very end. I won't be afraid of him at all!" Upon hearing both the elder and the young woman's words, Han Li was initially taken aback, but after carefully observing them, he found himself both exasperated and amused. Though the elder spoke with a touching sense of self-sacrifice, Han Li saw no trace of desperation in his eyes. Even the outward flow of his cultivation energy seemed poised and ready for action—nothing at all like someone prepared to yield. Clearly, his intention was to ensure that should a real fight for life or treasure arise, he would immediately stand his ground and fight to the death. As for the young girl, she was even more intriguing—though her words were full of indignation, her dark, gem-like eyes would occasionally dart around, catching the attention of Han Li whenever he wasn't looking, revealing moments of cunning and subtle intent. Yet Han Li, who had mastered the first layer of the "Da Yan Ju," possessed a consciousness far stronger than that of an ordinary Ju Ji-level cultivator, and thus had fully observed and absorbed every subtle movement of the girl. In his mind, he mused, "It's likely that the 'Xiao Family of Feihe Gorge' mentioned by these two is merely something they've made up on the spot—I myself am deeply doubtful whether such a family even exists!" With this thought, Han Li maintained a composed, half-smiling expression, silently gazing at the two without speaking. He neither signaled their departure nor immediately turned hostile, effectively leaving the elder and the younger guest momentarily at a loss. At first, both the elderly man and the young woman maintained a dignified, solemn expression. But as time passed, gradually, their eyes met each other in quiet bewilderment, unable to conceal their growing confusion in the face of Han Li's languid demeanor and his impassive, unchanging gaze. "As my senior, what exactly do you intend to do?" the young woman finally broke, unable to contain her frustration. Ignoring the elderly man's steady gaze, she leapt directly in front of Han Li, clasped her hands on her waist, pointed a finger at him, and asked loudly, her face filled with evident distress. (Monthly tickets valid from 12 PM onwards will be doubled—please vote! If you find this writing satisfactory, feel free to vote again!)