Since Master Han had said this, the elder still remained full of doubts. Soon afterward, the second brother returned, his face pale with anger—indeed, he had not caught up with the fifth sister. Fortunately, Han had already assured them beforehand, so the group did not need to worry about the elder's displeasure. Meanwhile, deep within a remote alley of Yuecheng City, a slender figure was staggering toward the southern district, her hurried steps illuminated by the faint moonlight. On closer inspection, it was clearly the young woman, the fifth sister, her expression visibly anxious. As she ran, she kept glancing back over her shoulder, as if afraid someone might suddenly appear behind her. Although her magical abilities had been largely restrained by Han, her spiritual awareness remained intact. Once she realized no one had appeared behind her, she finally felt reassured. This assurance came from a concealment scroll that the young man had given her when he let her go, enabling her to reach this safe haven. Not long after escaping, the woman spotted a slender, tall figure gliding past overhead. Fortunately, her quick reflexes allowed her to activate the talisman just in time, and she managed to survive the encounter. At that moment, her second brother either turned off in another direction or had already returned to the Qin household. Only then did she dare to rush wildly through the alley. Her destination was a secret outpost of the Black Death Sect located in the southern district, where she intended to relay detailed information about Han Li's whereabouts and circumstances to the higher-ups. With this, she believed she would surely earn significant recognition. Back then, when she and several other outstanding peripheral disciples of the Black Death Sect witnessed the mysterious sect master's miraculous ability to enable cultivators at the Qi stage to achieve the foundational stage, they immediately pledged their loyalty to the sect, hoping one day to accumulate enough merits to receive the master's favor and attain the foundational stage themselves. As far as she knew, most of the outer disciples willingly serving the Black Dharma Sect had done so with this very purpose in mind, so she had never considered her own choice to be wrong. After all, with her current aptitude, her cultivation had essentially reached its natural limit—should she hope to advance further, even to the Foundation Stage, there was no alternative. As for her sworn siblings and elder sisters, though they felt a certain sense of regret, they had now had to sever all ties of sentiment. Should they be captured, whether sacrificed or re-subjugated would depend entirely on the higher authorities. She had no intention of pleading on their behalf anymore—henceforth, she would live solely for herself. While silently resolving these thoughts, she drifted off into dreams of achieving the Foundation Stage, and her steps now seemed lighter than ever. At a distance, she spotted the intersection of the southern district, and with a surge of joy, she stepped up her pace. Yet suddenly, she felt a dampness beneath her nose. Startled, she reached out and wiped it with her hand, only to find her face pale with shock and horror. Five pale fingers were streaked with a thick, dark-red liquid. "What is this?" Her fifth sister, alarmed, hurried to wipe the black blood from her nose with her sleeve. But the bleeding now surged forth as if the dam had burst, and within moments, black blood began to flow from both her eyes and ears. The young woman felt utterly drained, her legs giving way, and she collapsed straight to the ground. She now felt icy cold all over, with no warmth at all in her chest. Though she longed to cry out for help, her voice was dry and hoarse, and she could barely utter a sound. Gradually, her awareness began to fade. Soon, she sank into eternal darkness. On the second morning, travelers passing by would be slightly puzzled to find a fresh pool of dark blood inexplicably spread across the ground, forcing them to detour and drawing considerable criticism. At the very moment the young woman fell dead, Han Li was inside his room, carefully inspecting his various magical artifacts and talismans, preparing for departure. After finishing his preparations, Han Li glanced out the window at the slender crescent moon, a touch of melancholy settling upon his face. He then murmured softly to himself, "It should be enough now—the toxicity must have taken hold." With that, he sighed gently and stepped out of the room, heading toward Qing Yin Pavilion. Han Li's suspicion regarding his fifth sister had already surfaced during the process of helping the five companions from Mengshan recover from the poison. Though she too had contracted the same toxin, it was notably milder than that of the other three, and its effects were likely to be only moderately severe, if not life-threatening. In contrast, the blood incantation on her body proved far more difficult to remove, requiring considerable effort from Han Li. This indicates that the blood curse upon the young woman must have lasted for a considerable time, otherwise it would not have left such a deep imprint on her consciousness. With a cautious mindset, Han Li deliberately cast a minor seal while removing the blood curse, serving as a contingency measure. The seal's function is simple: it temporarily gathers the residual medicinal power from the two vials of antidote she consumed, concentrating it at a specific point within her body, and transforms it into an extremely potent poison at Han Li's will. Since these two vials are named "Impermanence Pills," they can function either as a sacred antidote or, through specific techniques, be transformed into a deadly poison—making them one of Han Li's prized possessions. Tonight, after secretly summoning the Five Friends of Mengshan and having them personally witness the woman's role as an inside informant, Han Li only then seized her, and in the process, used a few finger points of spiritual energy to touch her body. These finger points not only restrained the majority of her internal magical energy but also simultaneously activated the concealed seal. As long as Han Li did not release her again within the next moment or two, the woman would die silently, without leaving any trace—just as in the scene above. In his heart, Han Li was uncertain whether to kill her or not, owing to the face of the Five Friends of Mengshan. Yet he absolutely could not allow her to reveal the connection between Qin's estate and his own group—that was his firm boundary. The activation of the seal had been initiated at that moment, a precautionary measure he had taken out of caution, and it turned out to be truly useful. That is why Han Li remained so composed and calm when the elderly man with a stern face reported the situation. In fact, if the woman were to remain at Qin's estate as a captive, Han Li would have kept the seal's effects suppressed. But now that she has escaped—whether or not the Five Friends of Mengshan had released her—she will vanish from this world without disclosing a single word to the Hei Sha Sect. Moreover, he has rendered a significant favor to the Five Friends, which should surely prove beneficial in securing their allegiance. When they arrived at Qing Yin Pavilion, although the elderly man with a dark face and his companions were somewhat weary, they had still made all necessary preparations and were patiently awaiting Han Li's arrival. "Let's go!" As soon as they entered the room, Han Li said crisply and efficiently. Then, turning to the other four, he said, "Among these two, the younger prince has the weakest cultivation. We shall begin with him, and finally deal with the Grand Steward." The four friends from Mengshan had been surprised that the black-scarred sect members were actually from Xinwang Palace, and upon hearing Han Li's words, they naturally agreed without hesitation, nodding in unison. To them, though the younger prince was a royal relative, it was his status as a core disciple of the Black-Scarred Sect that truly made them wary. Next, the group moved silently toward the younger prince's residence—a three-story pavilion. There were several palace guards nearby. To avoid any disruption should a fight break out, the four friends from Mengshan approached and subdued the guards before Han Li even had a chance to act. Watching their skillful movements, Han Li nodded to himself quietly, thinking that some of his subordinates might actually be quite capable! Since the guards reported that the young prince resided on the highest third floor, Han Li did not have them climb the stairs, but instead ordered them to take up positions around the building. Should the young prince prove too elusive and manage to escape Han Li's grasp, they would be ready to intercept him, giving Han Li precious time. Of course, to avoid disturbing the Grand Manager who lived at the opposite end of the estate, Han Li expended considerable spell power to establish a large sound-insulating barrier, enveloping an area of several dozen zhang around the small pavilion. Only then did Han Li lightly ascend to the third floor and vanish into the pavilion's west wing. As the four companions of Meng Shan watched the third floor with breathless anticipation, their eyes never wavered—only to see a figure swiftly emerge from within. When they were startled to find it was Han Li himself, their hearts immediately eased, yet they were also puzzled. How had Han Li achieved such swift success so quickly? Where was the young prince? Han Li landed from the upper floor with a stern expression. Upon seeing the four gather around, he furrowed his brows and said, "There were no one there except for a single figure transformed into a puppet through a magical illusion. Clearly, he must have gone out for some reason." This statement left the others wide-eyed and at a loss, unsure of what to do next.