A heavy thud echoed. The big man was initially delighted, but then his face suddenly turned pale. A flash of green light passed, and he seemed struck by a massive hammer, suddenly flying backward. The middle-aged scholar, his face now pale, then looked stunned. For just as the big man's massive form reached him, his movement suddenly slowed, and he gently settled his feet on the ground—unharmed, as if nothing had happened. "Liyi, are you all right? Any hidden injuries?" Though the scholar was a bookish man with no strength to lift a chicken, he had often interacted with the Li surname man and knew well that martial artists could injure people without any visible contact. Thus, he asked with concern. "I'm fine. No injuries at all. His skills are truly remarkable, though it seems he didn't mean to harm me." Liyi took a deep breath, feeling completely unharmed, and spoke softly, full of surprise and doubt. Upon hearing this, the scholar felt reassured, nodded, and then turned his gaze toward Han Li. "Esteemed sir, I am Han Tianxiao, the head of the Han family. I did not expect you to come—did you come specifically to wait for me?" The scholar spoke calmly, his expression utterly composed. "The head of the Han family!" Han Li finally slowly turned around. "Ah, you—..." "Impossible!" "Hmph! What do you mean?" Before Han Li could speak, both the scholar and the Han man gasped upon seeing his appearance. However, the scholar then recalled something, and his expression darkened immediately. The Han man, startled, likewise frowned, his demeanor now turning stern. "Do you recognize me?" Han Li furrowed his brows, asking as he glanced at both of them, hoping to find any familiar features in their faces. But after a quiet smile of resignation, he found nothing. "Are you deliberately probing me? You've clearly portrayed yourself as our fourth ancestor, having transformed your appearance to resemble him—yet you hesitate to admit it outright." The scholar fixed his gaze on Han Li, speaking each word deliberately. "Our fourth ancestor?" "Heard this, Han Li gave a look that was half-smiling, half-irritated. Back then, he was the fourth among his siblings in the family, so this 'fourth uncle' naturally referred to himself. Yet he found it puzzling—since he had grown up, he had never actually met face to face with any of his relatives. How could these descendants of the Han family know what he looked like? 'Oh! When did I ever say you were my fourth uncle? Is it truly my birthright to look this way, or can I not?' Han Li smiled gently. 'Indeed, there are many people in the world who resemble one another, but among those who look remarkably like our ancestors and appear in our Han family ancestral hall—there is only you.' The scholar's anger quickly subsided, and he spoke with calm detachment. 'Well handled! Truly worthy of a government official. The prosperity of the Han family today is no small achievement, and your younger generation has certainly played a vital role.' Han Li's expression softened, and he added a commendation. 'Do you really intend to impersonate our ancestor?' the scholar said, his eyes flashing with sharp intensity, then slightly agitated. "Imitation? I myself am an imitator—why should I pretend? Tell me, how do you know my appearance? I remember leaving home as a child; my family should not have any knowledge of my looks, right? Could it be that the Seven Xuan Sect members drew your portraits? Hm, you're Li, by the way. What relation do you have to Li Feiyu from back then?" Han Li's gaze shifted to the bearded man, his eyes narrowing slightly. Finally, he sensed a familiar air in the man's demeanor. "You... how do you know my ancestor's name? I see now that you're well aware of many details about our Li family." The man was startled, then his face turned equally astonished. Han Li listened quietly, merely smiling without comment. "Since you've consistently referred to yourself as my senior ancestor, you must also know that my senior ancestor left home as a child and has since vanished without a trace. Yet, after all these years—so you must be over two hundred years old. Yet, I still can't see any sign of such advanced age in you." The scholar was startled when Han Li spontaneously mentioned the "Seven Xuana Sect" and Li Feiyu, and asked with a touch of doubt. After all, he had only recently learned about the past affairs between the Han and Li families from a personal manuscript. If Han Li knew such details so clearly, had he perhaps already read that very manuscript? With this thought, his gaze naturally turned toward the table housing the spiritual tablets, where there was a hidden compartment in which he had placed the manuscript. Noticing the scholar's puzzled expression, Han Li directed his awareness along that line of sight and scanned the spiritual table—immediately spotting the manuscript within the compartment. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and gestured toward the table. Instantly, a scene that left the two Han men utterly stunned unfolded. A flash of light emanated from the table, and a soft, pale green glow gently lifted a yellowed manual, floating it upward and drifting steadily toward Han Li. Han Li caught the manual with one hand, gave it a slight shake, and the light dispersed as if dissolving. Then, with calm composure, he began to turn the pages of the manuscript. Although the scholar-official had long been immersed in official life and had long since achieved the composure of remaining calm even when a mountain collapsed before him, he could not help swallowing hard and gazing anxiously at the tall man. The tall man’s demeanor was no better—his face had turned pale, yet he bore a strange mixture of both joy and apprehension. As the scholar-official found this unusual, the bearded man suddenly bowed deeply, clasping both hands in a formal gesture of respect toward Han Li, and hesitated before saying, "May I ask, are you indeed the legendary immortal beings spoken of? If so, then with your celestial status, it would surely be unreasonable for you to seek any advantage over mere common folk such as ourselves. Might I request some tangible proof of your identity? After all, this matter is of great importance. I and my brother Han cannot simply rely on words alone to place full trust in you." Hearing this, the scholar-official was momentarily stunned, then recalled some of the tales he had heard, and involuntarily drew in a deep breath, gazing at Han Li with a tone of respectful awe. "Indeed! I didn’t expect you to know of the immortal beings. From this scroll, it seems truly astonishing that you are indeed the descendant of Li Feiyu—something I never could have imagined. Li Feiyu's children have forged a noble alliance with our Han family, a development I never anticipated at all. As for a token of proof, that proves difficult. At the time, I was solely focused on my spiritual cultivation and had to hastily leave my hometown without any belongings. I even did not say goodbye to my elder brother Li, who had been a close companion. All I left behind were just a piece of paper and a few vials of elixirs. " said Han Li casually. "Elixirs? Could it be that the vials of medicine kept in our ancestral hall for generations were passed down from our ancestors?" Li, the man of Li surname, expressed surprise and realization. "Back then, your ancestor devoted himself so completely to mastering martial arts that he even consumed the marrow-removing pills. Even if I preserved the elixirs, I doubt he would have lived to a natural old age." Han Li sighed, his tone somber. "I am not aware of these details from our ancestors. However, my father is still alive, and perhaps he knows something about our lineage." After all, some secrets can only be known by successive family heads. If the elder allows, I shall send a messenger immediately to verify the truth of this matter." The bearded man hesitated, speaking cautiously. He now believed most of what had been said. Indeed, the founding ancestor of the Li family who had established such a vast legacy did pass away relatively young, a true early death. "No need," said Han Li, waving his hand with a composed, somewhat melancholy tone. "When I returned this time, I had no intention of disturbing anyone. I simply wished to see the last lingering concerns of the mundane world and thus conclude my earthly affairs. Now that I see the descendants of the Han family and my close friend's lineage all safe and sound, I feel at ease." Upon hearing this, the bearded man grew anxious and urgently signaled to the scholar. He clearly understood the implications—having an additional immortal ancestor in the lineage meant much for both the Han and Li families. While the bearded man could already see the advantages and disadvantages, the scholar was surely even more aware of the full picture. After a moment's pause, he respectfully replied, "If you truly are my fourth uncle, then I have another method that can immediately verify your identity. Within our Han family ancestral hall, we still preserve several items used or handled by our ancestors in earlier generations. Should you be able to identify each of these items, then I shall fully believe your words. Only the successive heads of our Han family have the right to personally clean and honor these items—others simply cannot distinguish them." "Items, then—let us see them." Han Li spoke calmly. "I left home rather early, so I'm not certain how many I can recognize." "If it does not cause you much trouble, I would not hesitate to accept your recognition," he added. "Please rest assured," the scholar said, bowing to Han Li, "many of these items were saved since our ancestors were in times of financial hardship, cherished as tokens of nostalgia. You should surely recognize them. I will retrieve them right away." Then he descended the stairs, and a soft sound of movement could be heard below. After a brief moment, a scholar approached with a tray covered by a red cloth, and respectfully placed it before Han Li. Han Li pulled the cloth aside, revealing several worn, humble items. "Ah! These are indeed the items I've been looking for. I never thought I'd see them again in my lifetime," Han Li said, his expression of surprise tinged with genuine delight. "Does the elder recognize these?" the scholar asked cautiously, his tone slightly tense. "Most of these are old household items—I'm quite familiar with them. The other two or three were acquired after I left home, so I'm not entirely sure about their origins. This crossbow and the small bow belonged to my second brother, Han Zhu, who used to love playing with them as a child. This wooden hairpin was my mother's favorite. As for the tobacco pipe—it's…" Han Li murmured softly as he picked up each item, speaking with the familiarity of someone recounting cherished memories. By the time Han Li had spoken half of his remarks, the scholar was certain beyond doubt. Without waiting for Han Li to finish speaking, he immediately pulled the Han gentleman and bowed with great respect, performing a formal homage. "Ungrateful nephew Han Tianxiao pays his respects to the fourth uncle. Should there have been any ungrateful actions on my part in the past, I humbly beg your indulgence." Upon saying this, the scholar could not meet Han Li's eyes, his face filled with shame and unease. The Han gentleman likewise became exceptionally respectful!