"General Zhongnan! I didn't know you were one of the renowned Eight Generals of the Great Jin." Upon hearing that the graceful woman was his senior sister, Gao Mengrong, Han Li merely nodded politely. However, when he learned of the distinguished man standing beside him, a subtle expression of admiration stirred on his face. Though his knowledge of the Great Jin court was limited, he was still familiar with several of its most prominent officials. The Eight Generals—this title essentially represented half of the military strength under the control of the imperial court. Each commanded an army of hundreds of thousands, stationed at key frontier fortresses. Yet, Han Li knew that the name of the "Eight Generals" was not merely a matter of interest in the mundane world. It was said that, aside from a few loyal relatives of the imperial family, the rest of the generals had strong ties to the major powers in the immortal realm. Indeed, several of them had been personally cultivated and established by these very powers. Even the imperial family found it difficult to move them easily. And since the General of Zhunnan is not of royal lineage, he must surely be connected to a certain power. "As Dream Rong mentioned, you are also a cultivator. As a mere mortal, how dare I be so presumptuous before you?" The middle-aged man smiled, bowed slightly to Han Li, and spoke calmly. Han Li naturally knew this was merely polite formality. While a Yuan Ying-level cultivator might be difficult to encounter, a Jian Dan-level one was quite accessible. The cultivation level Han Li had previously displayed to Cao Mengrong was only the Qi Condensation stage. To be so courteous toward a cultivator of his relatively junior rank—such a person truly stood out. Yet, why did this individual lead the delegation to the capital without any senior cultivators accompanying him? His courage was indeed remarkable. Thinking thus, Han Li responded with equal humility: "No, General Wang is too kind. Your reputation has already reached even among us scattered cultivators." "Friend Han, I heard you once guided Master Cao for a period of cultivation, and as a result, she has advanced two levels within just a few years. After my master learned of this, he constantly praised Master Cao's extraordinary fortune, even suggesting that you might have deliberately concealed your true cultivation level. It's truly remarkable—no fellow cultivator of the same stage could achieve such an unprecedented feat. Now, seeing that Friend Han has completely lost all vital qi, clearly mastering the art of silent cultivation, it seems my master's assessment was indeed accurate." Miss Wang smiled gently, speaking with evident depth. "Indeed so! Friend Han, what is your actual cultivation level?" Master Cao also regained her composure from her initial excitement upon seeing Han, carefully observing him and finding no detectable fluctuations in his inner energy, her face now expressing genuine astonishment. "At the time, I encountered a serious incident, sustained severe injuries, and my cultivation level dropped significantly. It is only now that I have gradually recovered. I did not intentionally conceal this from you." Han Li smiled slightly and replied calmly, yet said nothing about his true level of cultivation. "Miss Wang," blinked her beautiful eyes, carefully observing Han Li once more, but still failed to sense anything special in him. Surprised, yet with a pleasant smile on her face, she said: "Then, Master Han must indeed be a senior figure. My sister has always regarded you as a peer; will you not mind that?" "Senior or not, I'm just a common independent cultivator from the Great Jin Dynasty—this kind of distinction doesn't matter to me at all. I simply remained on equal footing with you after being rescued by Master Cao." Han Li shook his head, expressing his indifference. Upon hearing this, Miss Cao's previously uncertain expression finally settled into normalcy, and she blushed, readily agreeing with Han Li's words. "Indeed, Master Han is a truly accomplished and powerful cultivator. Though I myself am merely a common mortal, I have always enjoyed associating with immortals and high-level cultivators." "I notice you're also heading to the capital. Why don't we go together?" The middle-aged man, after finishing his conversation with Han Li, offered the invitation with remarkable ease and sincerity. "Going together! Very well. Then I shall be honored to join you." Han Li paused slightly before readily agreeing. He had been looking for someone familiar with the capital to gain a better understanding of the auction event. With this man's prominent status, even if he were not a cultivator, he would surely have valuable insights. Thus, Han Li exchanged a few words with the two women and learned that Cao Mengrong's father had been steadily advancing in his official career, recently promoted from a county magistrate to a military officer in the capital. Though his official rank hadn't changed much, the move from the provinces to the capital clearly marked a significant promotion. However, when Cao's father arrived in the capital, Cao Mengrong was at a crucial stage of her meditation and training, so she had not accompanied him. This time, the Wang sister and her father passed by Gao Mengrong's residence, and as Gao was just emerging from her meditation, she naturally accompanied her senior sister to the capital. When Han Li spoke of his experiences over the past few years, he only briefly mentioned them, saying he had been living in seclusion at a certain place, recovering from injuries—only recently having returned to public life. Naturally, there was nothing particularly noteworthy to elaborate on. The two young ladies from the Gao family did not suspect or ask further questions. After all, the way Han Li had emerged from the ice-bound state was so evident that anyone could see he had suffered a severe depletion of vital energy—something that certainly could not be restored within just a few years. At that moment, a tea boy from the tea shop brought over a fine cup of tea. Han Li and the two young ladies exchanged a few more words before settling down to savor it leisurely. After finishing the tea, the middle-aged man finally spoke, discussing some ancient manuscript fragments preserved in the household. It was entirely surprising that such a man—known to be a stalwart warrior—should appear so unassuming, almost mistaken for a humble scholar. Yet this General Zhuannan spoke with always a composed and graceful demeanor, smiling gently and speaking with ease, displaying a truly distinguished bearing. Han Li could not help but form a favorable impression of him, growing naturally more fond of him. Moreover, though he had little interest in poetry or classical literature, he had once read through countless ancient texts in pursuit of ancient formulas and secret techniques for cultivation. He knew many hidden stories and events as a result. When he casually mentioned a few, the General Zhuannan could hardly believe his ears, expressing deep interest and constantly asking follow-up questions. As a result, after only a few exchanges, Han Li and the middle-aged man became thoroughly engaged in conversation, leaving the two women somewhat overlooked. When the young lady Wang saw this, she turned to Gao Mengrong and smiled sadly, feeling a touch of mild frustration. Her father was otherwise so admirable—especially fond of collecting ancient books and artifacts, and particularly interested in various legends and events from the remote, ancient times. This "Han elder" now seems well-informed on the matter, and when speaking of such topics, he radiates a genuine sense of familiarity and understanding. Cao Mengrong, on the other hand, offers little comment, merely sitting quietly by, listening attentively to the two as they converse. Her gaze occasionally drifts to Han Li's face, only to quickly return, as though slightly shy. As the Lady Wang watches this scene, a quiet smile plays upon her lips. Through their heartfelt conversations along the way, she has gradually come to sense a quiet affection that the young sister holds for the person before her—often blushing when mentioning him, and never failing to speak of him year after year. This has led Lady Wang to believe that the "Master Han" must be exceptionally handsome and graceful, especially considering how typically reserved and indifferent her usually warm-hearted sister has been toward her peers. Yet, upon seeing Han Li today, Lady Wang finds herself utterly astonished. The cultivator named Han Li before me simply doesn't possess any resemblance to the image of handsome and refined. He is merely ordinary in appearance. Moreover, the other party is likely a Jianji-level cultivator—his lifespan is vastly different from that of my younger sister, who barely has a chance to reach Jianji level. Indeed, he is far from a suitable match for her! While silently pondering this, the young lady was also considering whether to take the unfortunate step of breaking up their potential pairing. In her eyes, although Han Li's cultivation level was slightly higher, as the daughter of a General of the Zhunnan Army, she could easily make him retreat. If necessary, she could even appeal to her two Jianji-level senior priests at the estate, and he would surely have to leave. "Ah, so that's what happened—during the great upheaval of heaven and earth, the spatial fissures became unstable, leading to the invasion of the realm's demons and monsters into the human world. I've never heard such an explanation before. My two Jianji-level cultivators at the estate have always spoken of this matter without mentioning it. Truly, Brother Han, you are remarkably well-informed!" This truly astonishes me. However, I still have one matter that remains unclear, and would like to seek your advice on it. According to ancient legends, there is a mythical mountain known as 'Kunwu,' said to be the abode of true celestial immortals from heaven. Back in those days... The Column South General seemed eager to continue, having just clarified one point and already moving on to another. Suddenly, sitting across from him, Han Li emitted a clear, resonant sound reminiscent of a dragon's roar from within his body. Though the sound was not loud, every person present heard it distinctly, all of them turning with expressions of surprise toward Han Li. Han Li himself appeared startled, his body flashing with a shimmer of green light, and then vanished completely from his chair. The two women were startled and quickly looked around, only to find Han Li mysteriously appearing outside the tea pavilion, standing at the entrance and gazing upward toward the sky, his expression now serious. "What has happened to Han Brother? Is it perhaps a divine artifact within you? Are you a cultivator at the Jiedan stage?" Miss Wang murmured, her face filled with astonishment. Gao Mengrong stood by, both hands tightly gripping a handkerchief in her hands, her face slightly pale as she gazed at Han Li, saying nothing. "Nothing at all. I just sensed an old friend passing by overhead. Unfortunately, the speed of their flight was too great for me to catch up. As for the sound I heard earlier—it was indeed my own life-long companion sword, resonating within my body. I hope Wang General and the two Daoist friends will forgive this minor disturbance. However, with this situation, I fear I shall be unable to join the group on our journey. I have urgent matters to attend to, and so I must now bid you all good day." Han Li's expression quickly settled. He immediately turned, bowed respectfully to the middle-aged man and the two women, and apologized. Without waiting for any further words, he stamped his foot once, transforming into a streak of emerald light several zhang long, and surged forward through the air. Exactly at that moment, several merchants who had just stepped out of a nearby tea house spotted the scene and immediately panicked, rushing to kneel and bow deeply while shouting loudly: "Mistress, a celestial master has just ascended to heaven!... She flew right from that spot!" The nearby tea houses stirred into activity, and people began to pour out in great numbers.