"Thank you, Uncle Yu!" Although he felt a bit awkward, the bearded man merely smiled and nodded, appearing rather reserved and unassuming. This left Han Li, who already suspected something was off about the man's background, somewhat speechless. Either the man had mastered the art of acting to an extraordinary degree, or he simply didn't realize the peculiar coldness emanating from his own body. In either case, the subtle reaction of the young man from the Meng sect when he first saw him now became all the more intriguing. Han Li simply didn't believe a late-stage Foundation Period cultivator could have detected such a subtle chill. There must be something going on. "Is Master Uncle here to see Master?" asked the young girl with a baby-faced appearance, seemingly only in her late teens, smiling brightly at the young man. Her casual demeanor surprised Han Li, who was well aware of the strict hierarchy in the immortal realm. "Yes, these two are the new external affairs disciples assigned this time. I'd like to introduce them to Master and then decide which senior brother they should join." The young man with the surname Yu seemed very familiar with the girl, and smiled warmly as he spoke. "Ah, these are the new junior disciples. Whenever you have the chance, don't forget to share some details about the mortal world with me and Xin's younger brother. I'd really love to hear about it." The girl nodded, her eyes twinkling, and gave a sweet smile to Han Li and the tall man behind her. "Why should I bring you along, Sister? You could always start your cultivation whenever you like." The black-skinned youth, modest and straightforward, murmured quietly beside her. "Cultivation can always begin at any time." But with a new junior from the secular world joining Tianqu Peak—a rare occurrence—it would naturally be worthwhile to hear some of the more interesting stories from outside. Though the young girl appeared petite and delicate, she adopted a serious, seasoned demeanor, lecturing the young man with such authority that one couldn’t help but be silent. The young man with the Yu surname offered a faint, wry smile, shook his head, and then quietly led the two of them into the adjacent courtyard. "Pay close attention," he said as they walked. "Although Ma Sister and Xin Brother may appear young and hold the same generation as you, they are actually the younger disciples of the Master's predecessor in the secular world. Though they haven’t been formally admitted as disciples yet, that will come eventually. You must never offend them; otherwise, the Master will hold you accountable. And no one will be able to protect you from that." As he spoke, he continued to offer these reminders. Hán Li stood there, nodding with a smile of relief. Meanwhile, the tall man gently rubbed his back, smiled, and said nothing. Seeing their expressions, the young man smiled gently and added, "Xin brother is a straightforward person and won't do anything improper. As for Xin sister, she's just been away from home since childhood and tends to be a bit lively and playful—she has no ill intentions toward anyone. So you two needn't worry too much about this matter. Just pay a little attention, and that will be sufficient." Han Li and the Han man naturally nodded in agreement. As they spoke, they passed through several courtyards and arrived at the door of a quiet side chamber. "Is it Jun?" A soft male voice rang out almost immediately upon their arrival at the chamber. "Disciple bows to master!" Upon hearing the voice, Yu Jun stopped instantly, his expression serious and he replied in a firm tone. "Your third senior brother and fifth sister are also here. Please bring the two people behind you into the room as well." The clear voice sounded cheerful, and spoke with a warm smile. "Understood!" Master Yu could not afford to delay. He quickly called out to Han Li and the Han gentleman, then hurried into the pavilion room, whose entrance was half-opened. Han Li immediately recognized that the person was a cultivator at the mid-Jie Dan stage. Though a bit frustrated, he managed only a forced smile and called out, "Master." The Han man was no different. The Master, evidently, had not noticed any unusual signs in the Han man, nor had he detected Han Li's true cultivation level. Thus, he asked Han Li and the man named Du Dong for their names, casually nodded his approval a few times, then turned to the young male and female disciples beside him and spoke gently, "Since both of you are here, there's no need to bother others. One of you is skilled in seal-making, the other has a solid reputation in alchemy—both of you are clearly short on personnel. These two new disciples will be under your temporary care. Of course, you should also guide them in the refinement of their cultivation techniques. Even among external affairs disciples, those with lower cultivation levels would surely be looked down upon by fellow cultivators from other peaks." "Yes, Master. I'll take one and my sister will take the other," the white-haired elder replied, beaming with satisfaction. The young, beautiful woman in her twenties hesitated slightly before giving a gentle nod. "Since Sister has agreed, I need a few steadier assistants for the seal-making work on my side. I'll have Du's nephew assist me there. As for Han's nephew, I'll have Sister take charge of him," the elder suggested, after a moment's thought. Yet Han Li appeared relaxed on the surface, quietly listening to the goings-on inside the inner chamber. With his powerful awareness, every word spoken within the room could not escape his notice. Though his expression remained unchanged, several subtle shifts of expression flickered in his eyes. After a meal, the door of the inner chamber opened once more, and Yu Jun, the white-haired elder, and the cold-featured woman stepped out in succession. The elder raised his hand without a word, releasing a long, slender magical artifact, then exchanged a few words of farewell with the woman and Yu Jun before vanishing in a great rush of wind. At that moment, the woman approached Han Li, glanced at him coldly, and then said matter-of-factly, "Let's go. Back to my abode." Han Li's lips curled slightly, but soon settled back into his usual composed demeanor, nodding gently. A flash of red light illuminated the air, and a wave of crimson mist descended directly upon him. Han Li remained motionless in place. … Two hours later, Han Li appeared within a strange medicinal garden, spanning over a hundred zhang in size. Looking at the various single herbs growing lush and green within the herb garden, the three thatched cottages scattered in the center, and the nearby unnamed small mountain adjacent to the garden, Han Li stroked his chin, a faint smile playing on his face. The mid-jade-level woman, who had carried them on a red ribbon to the back of her dwelling, asked him whether he would prefer to manage the herb garden or to learn the art of alchemy. This surprised Han Li. After all, any ordinary cultivator—unless he were mentally impaired—would naturally seek to learn the latter. But before Han Li could respond, the woman, named Mu Peilin, the "niece," spoke coldly. Managing the herb garden was simple: all he needed to do was deliver a fixed quantity of herbs annually, allowing him ample time to refine his cultivation techniques. In contrast, while external students learning alchemy had opportunities to delve into the deeper aspects of alchemical arts, they were required to produce a set number of pills each month, significantly reducing their time available for cultivation. Thus, each of the two positions has its own advantages and drawbacks, and Han Li carefully considered before making a decision. Overjoyed, he naturally chose without hesitation the position of overseeing the herb garden—his longtime specialty. This role had been almost custom-designed for him, allowing him to openly and freely cultivate his abilities. He had originally been wondering how he could manage to escape the myriad of routine tasks and focus entirely on cultivation. Now, everything had come together perfectly. His connection with this herb garden work seemed truly destined. The graceful, composed woman showed no surprise at Han Li's choice of the herb garden position. She immediately led him to the site, where he met and took over from a female disciple who had previously worked there. Then, she left behind a jade scroll recording the water-based technique "Xuan Bing Jue," and with the original garden caretaker, took off into the air. Now, this garden was firmly Han Li's.