"You haven't seen his flying sword when he traveled with me, have you? Moreover, I notice he has numerous storage bags at his waist, all full and bulging—some even housing spirit-beast bags. How could a mere independent cultivator possibly possess such things? Clearly, he's a disciple from a smaller sect on a training mission. If he were from a major sect, he'd surely be proud and wouldn't agree to travel with us. Furthermore, during our time at Zidao Mountain, he never presented an invitation either. Hehe! After all, with the Magian path currently dominant, many disciples from smaller sects naturally hesitate to act boldly. They now all claim to be independent cultivators and operate quietly, fearing that the Magian path might find them displeasing and send them to extinction. Thus, though this man possesses solid cultivation and spiritual artifacts, we've never heard of him before." The stout, plump cultivator spoke with a look of satisfied analysis. "Hearing what Luo brother has just said, this Han fellow truly stands out. Now, we can act with confidence. Though he remains somewhat cautious toward us, he clearly intends to conceal our actual cultivation levels." To defeat a single cultivator at the initial stage with two practitioners at the foundational mid-level—this is no difficult feat. This young man has surely courted his doom by stumbling upon our 'Ping Yi Dual Fiends.' We cannot afford to let him go unattended." The bald man, with his ox-like eyes gleaming with intense greed, clenched his fists and rubbed them excitedly. "Indeed. However, to ensure a smoother success, we should aim to reduce his vigilance. A surprise attack will be far more convenient than a direct confrontation. Therefore, we'll wait until two days before the old master of the Fu family's birthday celebration to strike. In the meantime, we'll cultivate a friendly rapport with him, then suddenly unleash our decisive move to eliminate him." The shorter, plump man licked his thick upper lip, speaking with a calculated air. "Agreed—everything as per Luo's suggestion. It seems, even if we fail to join any sect this time, our gains will be substantial!" The bald man appeared deeply convinced of the shorter, plump cultivator's judgment, beaming with satisfaction. "Heh, of course." Such a fine lamb has come to us, how could we, Peng Yi Shuang Xiong, return empty-handed? The short, stout man chuckled heartily, clearly treating the bearded cultivator as something already within his grasp. While these two were bustling about discussing the treasures to be seized and the lives to be claimed, in the room just across the wall, the bearded cultivator sat cross-legged on the bed, his face expressionless—neither joyful nor sorrowful. Yet every word spoken by Peng Yi Shuang Xiong reached his ears clearly and completely. To him, the soundproof enclosure was as if it didn’t exist at all. "Since you’ve chosen to court your own demise, I shall have no choice but to act," the bearded cultivator said, his eyes briefly widening, a flash of cold light passing through them, as he murmured softly to himself. Then he closed his eyes once more, focusing on his breath and refining his qi. This bearded cultivator, none other than Han Li, who had already arrived in Yuanwu Kingdom two months prior. Although he passed through several nations under the control of the Zheng and Mo factions, as a Yuan Ying stage cultivator, he naturally remained unnoticed in terms of both his true identity and cultivation level, provided he did not deliberately provoke any conflicts—thus proceeding smoothly throughout his journey. Upon arriving in Yuanwu, he did not immediately act on his profound cultivation abilities, but instead sought information about the Fu family from local independent cultivators and market towns. The extent of the Fu family's influence, however, proved to be a significant challenge for Han Li. This was not merely due to the presence of three Ji Dan stage cultivators within the Fu family, which indeed posed a pressing issue. Rather, it was because a considerable number of Fu family disciples had already joined the Mo Yan Gate. Despite his own extensive capabilities, Han Li could not simply launch a direct assault on the Mo Yan Gate. Unless these individuals were eliminated, even if he completely reduced the main fortress of the Fu family to ashes, the Fu family would inevitably rise again. This would make it impossible for him to fulfill his original promise to Xin Ruoyin! While Han Li was contemplating alternative strategies, news began circulating across various regions of Yuanwu concerning the Fu family's elder patriarch's upcoming birthday celebration. Han Li, upon hearing the news, naturally felt greatly delighted. Since the head of the Fu family was celebrating his birthday, all the direct descendants would surely attend to offer congratulations. Even those Fu family members who had joined the Magic Flame Sect would return to Fu Family Castle. This presented a splendid opportunity to capture the entire Fu family's direct lineage. However, given the Fu family's current prestige, it was far from easy for mere cats or dogs to gain entry—guests would either be cultivators from other families or envoys from various sects aligned with the magical path. Though independent cultivators were not entirely excluded, they would at the very least need to possess the Foundation Stage of cultivation to be admitted into the castle. After gathering detailed information, Han Li calmly waited for over a month before making his journey to the location. As for the "Peng Yi duo," Han Li encountered them along the way. Upon seeing Han Li's remarkable relics of passing, they immediately warmed up and began engaging in lively conversation. When Han Li mentioned his destination—the Fu Family Castle—they were even more enthusiastic and promptly offered to accompany him all the way. Han Li immediately sensed that these two likely had ulterior motives, yet how could he be afraid of a covert ambush by them, given his own cultivation level? On the contrary, he decided to use their identities as a cover, making it easier to blend in with the Fu family. Thus, without hesitation, he agreed. Unexpectedly, upon reaching the outskirts of Zidao Mountain today, he found that apart from the cultivators who had received invitations, all the independent practitioners coming to celebrate the birthday could only enter the fortress on the day of the celebration itself. This did surprise Han Li slightly, but it was ultimately a matter of little consequence. After all, only on the birthday day would all the Fu family's descendants gather fully; if they acted too early, they might risk missing some key figures. Now, having only just settled into the inn, he had no immediate plans for the short, stout cultivators—yet these two had already begun to take a keen interest in him. With a quiet smile of contempt, Han Li resolved that he would not spare them any mercy. Over the following十余days, Han Li spent his days strolling around various spots nearby with the two "Peng Yi duo evils," and returned each evening to the inn to meditate and refine his qi. As the day of the elder's birthday approached, the two grew increasingly warm and affectionate toward Han Li, constantly addressing him as "Brother Han," as if they had been close friends for years. Meanwhile, more independent practitioners came to the small town to celebrate the elder's birthday. Though most of them were accustomed to traveling with simple meals and overnight stays, several who enjoyed a more settled life in the mundane world chose to stay at the only two inns in town. As a result, Han Li met a few other independent practitioners residing at the same inn. However, upon seeing the short, stout practitioner and the bald man beside him, each of these guests grew visibly alarmed, quickly retreating and avoiding conversation. This situation left Han Li both amused and somewhat embarrassed—clearly, the reputations of his two companions had become well-known and even infamous among the independent practitioners. The two short and stout monks, fearing that Han Li might suspect them, even invented stories about their disagreements with these other monks, thus taking turns to keep Han Li occupied and preventing him from interacting with the others. Han Li remained silent and showed no signs of doubt, which initially caused the short and stout monks to quietly murmur a few concerns—yet, driven by their own ambition, they soon set these concerns aside. Two days later, the two monks suddenly invited Han Li to visit a supposed scenic spot nearby, claiming the views were particularly beautiful and enchanting, and that missing it would be a great regret. Upon hearing this, Han Li realized that the two had finally decided to act. He readily agreed and, with the two monks beaming with smiles, the three of them set off together from the inn, heading straight toward the so-called "scenic destination." With the growing number of monks in the area, the two monks went to considerable lengths to escort Han Li all the way out of the small town, over a hundred miles, until they finally landed at a quiet, secluded mountain, untouched by visitors. As soon as the short, plump cultivator set his feet down, he beamed at Han Li and said, "Han brother, look! As soon as you pass this mountain, there will be a small valley with clear streams flowing through it and flowers of all kinds scattered everywhere—absolutely, it's... well, beyond compare!" Though his appearance wasn't particularly striking, his words were truly impressive, painting the valley as something unparalleled, almost unfindable in either heaven or earth. Han Li, however, couldn't help but silently chuckle beneath his breath. Indeed, beyond this small mountain there was a hidden valley—yet beyond its pleasant scenery, there was a subtle, barely perceptible ripple of magical energy, faint though it was, which Han Li detected clearly upon a mere sweep of his consciousness. It was evident that these two were seasoned professionals at stealing treasures and eliminating rivals—having even laid a simple encircling defense array within the valley itself. If Han Li had been an ordinary Foundation-level cultivator, deceived into the array and then betrayed by these two, his life would surely have been in jeopardy. "The scenery here is quite pleasant, and there's no one around. I think we don't need to go to that small valley after "Then we're good right here, aren't we? If we kill someone right here and then dispose of the body completely, no one will even notice—or come bothering us!" After listening to the tall and plump monk's enthusiastic explanation, Han Li glanced casually around the room and then suddenly said to the two of them, smiling slightly, as if amused. "Han brother, what do you mean? Are you mistaken about us two, perhaps?" Upon hearing Han Li's words, the tall and plump monk's face slightly paled, but quickly brightened with surprise, as though truly astonished. His one chubby hand, which had been resting on his waist, now seemed to have been there all along, pressed firmly against his storage pouch. As for the bald man, after a brief pause, a fierce expression flashed across his eyes before he quietly closed his two massive hands and slowly moved to Han Li's side without speaking. Han Li paid no attention to these subtle movements, simply standing with his arms behind his back, his expression calm and composed. Seeing this, the tall and plump monk felt both surprised and increasingly uneasy, sensing something was not quite right. But things had now reached this point, and he could no longer retreat. He could only silently give the giant a glance, signaling for both of them to act together.