"Something related to the Magic Path?" The elder monk, hearing that Han Li was a cultivator from Huangfeng Valley, didn't show much surprise—this had been a hunch he'd had all along. But when he learned that the young disciple he intended to take under his wing, and possibly the Grand Steward, might have ties to the Magic Path, his face instantly turned green. After all, the Magic Path was renowned throughout the immortal realm of Yue State for its bloodiness and cruelty. As a mere Qi-level cultivator, he naturally wanted to avoid such a fate. "Master must not be mistaken," the elder monk said, now deeply concerned, after a careful thought. "I personally examined the young prince's body—there was not a single trace of inner qi in him." Indeed, he had known the prince for some time, and had never seen any signs that would suggest he was anything like the legendary figure described in the tales of the Magic Path. Huan Li listened silently to the other's words, merely speaking calmly: "Whether or not these two are from the Magic School, you will naturally notice their unusual traits upon close observation—there's no need for me to explain anything further. I'm not asking you to take any adverse actions against them; merely a slight, ongoing watch will suffice. Moreover, you must absolutely avoid making any probing efforts. Should the others discover that you know their identities, your life might well be in danger!" Huan Li concluded with a final warning to the old monk. It seems this elder is hesitant, perhaps even ready to back down. That won't do—we'll have to offer him more incentives. As he thought, Han Li reached into his storage pouch, pulled out an item, and gently placed it on the table. "Monitoring these two indeed carries some risk. I have here a suitable upper-tier spiritual artifact to serve as your personal protection. Once this matter is settled, the artifact will officially become yours." Han Li pointed to the faintly glowing purple orb on the table and spoke calmly to the elder. "An upper-tier spiritual artifact!" Hearing this, the elder immediately brightened. How could he possibly afford even a mid-tier artifact, let alone one of the upper tier, given his usually meager finances! "This is the Purple Light Pearl. Once infused with spiritual energy, it immediately forms a protective light shield around the entire body. I believe few ordinary cultivators at the Qi Condensation stage could breach this defense. This should be sufficient to handle most of your dangers." Han Li spoke calmly, his expression unchanged. "Is this a defensive artifact?" After hearing the detailed explanation, the elder monk's eyes flashed with renewed enthusiasm. Among all types of magical artifacts, defensive ones were the rarest and most precious. If it were up to the elder to save up spiritual stones himself to purchase this upper-tier defensive artifact, he doubted he would ever have the opportunity—no matter how long he lived. "Very well," the white-haired elder finally said after hesitating for a long time, biting his lip firmly. "I will do my utmost." It seemed that the saying "birds die for food, men die for wealth" held true even in the realm of cultivation! Though Han Li smiled upon hearing the elder's commitment to such a risky undertaking, he still felt a sense of admiration and relief within. "This spiritual record will be stored within you. In case of any emergency, I'll be able to locate you instantly—perhaps even save your life. Additionally, after this matter is settled, I will send you another vial of Yellow Dragon Pill as a token of appreciation." While using the same technique to inscribe a cluster of spiritual energy into the elder's body, Han Li gently urged and negotiated. Upon seeing Han Li's actions, the elder was momentarily startled but then deliberately pretended not to grasp Han Li's true intentions, repeatedly expressing his gratitude. Satisfied with the elder's tact, Han Li smiled and then rose to bid farewell. Under the elder's respectful escort, he quietly departed from the palace. He did not immediately return to Qin's residence, but instead strolled into a nearby teahouse, where he sat down to sip tea and reflect, carefully reviewing the recent events to assess whether he had overlooked or mishandled any aspect. Regularly reflecting on and examining his actions for potential shortcomings is a habit Han Li has cultivated. Only by continuously reducing his weaknesses and addressing his deficiencies can he remain unscathed amid the ever-present crises in the realm of cultivation. Thus, Han Li sat in the teahouse for half the day, only leaving when the sky had gradually darkened, which caught the attention of the young waiter with his unusual gaze. Though he had ordered just one cup of tea, Han Li had sipped it for half the day—something the waiter had never seen before. He began to boast about this incident to others, turning Han Li into an unintentional source of laughter among ordinary people, a situation entirely unforeseen by Han Li. After a cold sigh, Han Li, when no one was nearby, threw the Shenfeng Boat skyward and transformed into a beam of white light, rushing toward the direction he had sensed. In fact, using spiritual energy to detect and track people—a common technique among Foundation Stage cultivators—most practitioners could only sense within a few dozen li around them. However, Han Li, having mastered the Daxian Decision, could now subtly track targets within a range of over a hundred li, which was truly remarkable. This made Han Li especially eager to achieve the second layer of the Daxian Decision. A short while later, Han Li stood on the Shenfeng Boat, coldly gazing at a modest courtyard some dozens of zhang below, consisting of only three small, slightly worn houses. Standing on the pure, jade-like boat, Han Li did not immediately descend but remained silent and thoughtful, as if pondering something. Finally, with a gentle step, Han Li caused the boat to descend swiftly, like a meteor. But when the magical instruments suddenly halted at a height of five or six zhang above the ground, Han Li gently leapt down from them, landing smoothly in the small courtyard. At the same time, with a simple gesture of his right hand toward the sky, the small boat instantly shrunk and floated into his hands. The entire process was seamless and silent, as smooth and fluid as flowing clouds and water. Then, Han Li materialized like a ghost before the central pavilion, standing calmly and gradually expanding his awareness to detect any activity within the house. Han Li had clearly sensed two clusters of spiritual energy that resonated with him—undoubtedly present within this very room. Indeed, as soon as his awareness entered the room, he clearly heard the girl's voice. "Grandfather, will our actions offend the other party? If that person truly comes, will our prepared arguments be effective?" The girl's voice was filled with concern, clearly indicating that the profound impression Han Li had left on her was deeply lasting. "Hmph!" You're such a silly girl! People say that with just a bit of spiritual sensitivity, they can find us—yet here we are, actually found? Your grandfather has eaten more salt than you've eaten rice. He's certainly been known to exaggerate, to scare us with grandiose tales! I simply don't believe that person's claim is genuine. Moreover, even if there's some kind of sensing spell in place, with such a distance between us, a Foundation Stage cultivator shouldn't be able to detect us at all. If we were still at our home in the Eastern District, then surely we'd have been found by now. The elder sneered and scolded the young girl. "Then, why don't we leave Yuejing immediately and move to the Western District instead?" the girl still wasn't convinced, retorting. "You don't understand! What the elder said is just his speculation! Whether it's true or not remains uncertain. If his guess proves correct, then we'll be free from this person's demands and able to live comfortably elsewhere." But the other one was indeed a Foundation-stage cultivator—perhaps he truly possessed a technique capable of probing and tracking over great distances. Once we reached beyond Yuejing, if he blocked our path, we'd have no way to justify our claim. In contrast, in the western district, we could easily find a plausible excuse to handle the situation. The elder seemed to be utterly fond of the young girl, and thus had to explain everything in detail. "Haha, Grandpa, you're truly clever! Though, I don't think this person is someone who would resort to underhanded tactics. Do we really need to keep hiding from him? According to my suggestion, why not use that scripture to negotiate with him directly? Perhaps we could even secure several benefits. After all, the scripture is so profound that it's of little use to us." The girl laughed lightly and spoke with evident indifference. "Hmph, the world is far more complicated than you imagine! Indeed, by normal standards, people engage in fair and open transactions—so why should we need to avoid the other party?" But have you ever thought that fair trade is only possible when both parties are equally strong and balanced? When one is strong and the other weak, how can there be any fairness at all? Moreover, to our ancestors, this scripture may be nothing more than a mere side dish—yet in the hands of this person, it might very well become a treasure. And once he possesses the treasure, he immediately kills and eliminates his rivals—your grandfather has seen this happen more than once in his lifetime! How can I trust him? After all, our family and lineage have always been vastly inferior in cultivation level compared to the other side. To eliminate us would require no effort at all for them. As the old man spoke, his voice grew increasingly subdued, clearly overwhelmed by the reality that his life now hung in the balance of others' hands. "Grandfather, don't be so discouraged. Didn't you say that although this person appears so young, he might actually be an ancient immortal, having lived for countless years?" The young woman quickly offered reassurance. Just then, however, a cold voice from outside suddenly broke in—precisely the one they feared most. "What now?" "Am I really that old and strange, like a seasoned spirit?" As both the elder and the young grandchild grew pale, the door, which had been tightly closed, suddenly opened silently without a sound. Han Li entered calmly. As soon as he stepped inside, he took a seat without hesitation on the main seat, and then gazed at them calmly, saying nothing.