As soon as he entered the small inn, Han Li didn't head for the second floor. Instead, he simply chose a quiet corner on the ground floor, ordered a few small dishes, and sat there silently observing everything within the inn. The guests on the ground floor were as diverse as he had seen in other inns—ranging from laborers and porters to merchants making small profits in the city. The only particularly noticeable figure was a tall, robust man dressed in sturdy, well-fitted garments. There were several of them, each carrying a long, rectangular cloth satchel placed conveniently at their side. Without needing to use his spiritual awareness to scan them, Han Li immediately deduced that the satchels contained swords and spears. Given their uniform attire, they were likely members of the same guild or association. This sight stirred a sense of familiarity in Han Li, reminiscent of the various scenes he had witnessed at the Seven-Heaven Sect. With his spiritual awareness focused on them, he clearly heard their soft, conversational exchanges, which indeed revolved around matters of guild battles and skirmishes. Han Li listened for a while, then lost interest, turning his gaze to others, intending to shift his attention to the people around him. At that moment, two young scholars entered from outside the inn. They spoke enthusiastically as they walked slowly forward. "I hear that this time, Han Li, the Imperial Clerk, is returning to his hometown for ancestral rites. Not only will the Prefect personally attend, but representatives from the Fan and Li families will also come. It seems that the Han family is truly preparing a grand celebration this time—no longer able to remain discreet." "Indeed! It's said that for this ancestral ceremony, the Han family has sent out letters to all branches, no matter how distant, inviting them back. Even the well-known gentry from Jingzhou have sent representatives to attend. I believe the Han family will soon rank alongside the Fan and Li families as one of the three leading families in Jingzhou." "Hmph! The Han family has only risen to prominence in about a hundred years, yet it already has such influence. Truly remarkable!" "What's so surprising about that?" The Han family had never known which generation produced a scholar-official with a connection to the imperial court, yet from then on, things began to flourish. Successive generations of descendants went on to achieve scholarly honors, and thus, it was no surprise that the family enjoyed such prominence over several generations. Why not, then, we should also make a visit at some point? "But as for the Han family in the local area, naturally it must be the Han family from Wuli Gou." The two scholars were momentarily taken aback, yet upon seeing that the man was dressed in scholarly attire and spoke with a refined and composed manner, they immediately reassured themselves and replied without hesitation. "Wuli Gou!" This was precisely the small village where the Han family had originally resided. The village lay nestled within a mountain valley about five to six li in size, hence the humble, rustic name. It seemed clear that the Han family the scholars had been discussing was closely connected to him. "If indeed it's Wuli Gou, then the Han family is my own ancestral lineage. Could you kindly elaborate on the general situation? I have never attended any ancestral ceremonies at my family's ancestral home, so I wouldn't want to make a fool of myself." Han Li maintained a calm and gentle expression as he spoke. "Well, we're only giving a general account—there's no need for anything special. This is common knowledge among all." The two scholars exchanged glances. One of them then looked at Han Li more closely and, finding him genuinely trustworthy, readily agreed. "Thank you both!" Han Li smiled and thanked them once again. The scholar then spoke: "If you intend to attend the ancestral ceremony, you should not go to Wuli Gou yet. Indeed, the Han family relocated their main residence decades ago to a fortified village some thirty miles away—Han Jia Bou. Only on the day of the ceremony do all the family members return to the old village of Wuli Gou. As for the Han family..." Han Li listened quietly, his expression unchanged, yet his mind stirred with deep emotion. After observing for a while, Han Li shook his head. He had intended to leave immediately, but his gaze suddenly settled on a pavilion at the very center of the courtyard. Though not particularly grand in size, this pavilion stood out sharply against the rest of the single-story buildings, which were all plain and uniform. The pavilion's main gate was closed, bearing a black plaque inscribed in silver powder with the characters "Han Family Ancestral Hall." A faint expression of surprise appeared on Han Li's face. After a moment's thought, his form suddenly vanished, reappearing moments later before the pavilion. Several sturdy, well-built attendants stood before the pavilion, guarding the ancestral hall, but Han Li, having employed the technique of invisibility, remained undetected. After a mere glance at them, he simply activated his teleportation spell and stepped through the gate. Inside, a row of ancestral tablets came into view—over two hundred in number—arranged along long tables on either side, forming a long, continuous corridor. The table on the lower level was empty, as if set aside for later visitors. A quick glance revealed that although the tablets bore various names of the Han family, they all seemed utterly unfamiliar to him. Han Li did not linger and ascended directly to the second floor. There, the spirit tablets were more elaborate and solemn. In addition to incense burners and sandalwood incense, a large bronze cauldron stood at the center, filled with oil and a thick cotton wick, glowing with steady candlelight—so impressive that it evoked a sense of profound reverence. Yet Han Li paid these details no attention, simply gazing呆ly at the several spirit tablets arranged at the center, his figure motionless. "Han Zhu, Han Tie, Han Tiansheng,..." These familiar names, coldly inscribed on dark wooden tablets, stirred a deep ache within him, and suddenly, a heavy, suffocating sensation pressed upon his chest. As the saying goes, "Great truths are indifferent." But this was merely a self-deceptive phrase. Even as Han Li had already attained the status of a terrestrial immortal, he could not completely sever his emotions or renounce his desires—he could only strive to bury them deep within his heart. At last, Han Li moved, slowly approaching the central spirit tablet, then pausing. He gazed at the spirit tablet expressionlessly, yet vivid images of warm, intimate moments shared with his relatives continually surfaced in his mind. Time passed slowly, and he was uncertain how long it had been. The heavy sound of the hall doors opening startled him from his previous thoughts, yet he remained still, making no movement. At that moment, footsteps and the voices of two middle-aged men were heard downstairs. "Li brother, you're being rather hasty," one man said, somewhat exasperated. "Didn't I say that after the ancestral rites, I'd lend you the scroll to read? Why are you so eager?" "Heh, Han brother," the other replied, "who could have guessed that you suddenly mentioned the scroll's appendix contains a family-originated, unnamed footstep technique? That's what has me puzzled now." Since this martial art was originally created by the ancestors of the Li family, why have we in the Li family never heard of it? Naturally, we would like to see it as soon as possible. But why is the detailed hand-written record kept so carefully in the ancestral hall? If it were stolen, wouldn't that be disastrous! said the second person, feeling both embarrassed and concerned. "Hmph! Who would even go to another family's ancestral hall to steal something? Besides, although our ancestral hall during winter holidays isn't a fortress, it is guarded day and night by servants skilled in martial arts. Ordinary people simply couldn't reach it. Even if someone managed to steal it, wouldn't we at the Han family surely pursue and retaliate?" said the first speaker with great confidence. "That's true!" agreed the other man. "Ding-ding!" The sound of footsteps ascending the stairs came clearly. A scholar and a bearded man with strong muscles appeared one after the other at the stairway entrance. Though they had been speaking pleasantly earlier, their expressions instantly froze upon seeing Han Li, who stood before the tablet of the spirit, hands behind his back. But upon being startled, the bearded man immediately stepped forward, blocking the middle-aged scholar, his beard and hair standing on end as he roared. "Good thief! You've come all this way to pursue me. Then, let's see how long your life lasts!" As he spoke, he clenched his fists and leapt into the air, charging straight toward Han Li with a sudden surge. Before he even reached them, a powerful gust of wind surged downward. Han Li, facing away from both of them, remained motionless.