On Nanling Street, the most prosperous thoroughfare in the southern district of Jiayuan City, stood a sprawling mansion that covered several acres. Above the imposing black gates hung a plaque bearing the characters "Mo Residence," flanked by eight muscular guards in tight-fitting attire. These men stood with chests puffed and eyes fixed forward, their disciplined bearing unmistakable. Anyone who saw them would think twice before causing trouble.
Across the street from the Mo Residence stood the Xiang Family Tavern, a three-story establishment that ranked among the finest in all of Jiayuan City. Its signature brew, "Hundred-Mile Fragrance," was renowned far and wide, drawing merchants and travelers from every corner of the land.
It was the hour of the midday meal, and the tavern was packed to capacity. From the first floor to the third, every table was occupied with diners. Passersby on the street below could smell the rich aroma of food and wine wafting from the building—a scent so appetizing it made mouths water.
At a table by the window on the second floor sat a young man. Before him lay a selection of appetizing meat and vegetable dishes, along with a bottle of the famous "Hundred-Mile Fragrance." Behind him stood a towering figure whose very presence commanded fear. This was Han Li, who had come to gather intelligence.
Han Li gazed down from the window, idly spinning a small wine cup in his fingers. The food on his table remained largely untouched. His expression was one of distant preoccupation, his manner deliberately casual.
He glanced toward the Mo Residence nearby, then shifted his gaze back to the street below. Without any change in expression, he raised the cup and drained its contents, then continued staring out the window in contemplation.
Through careful inquiry, Han Li had learned that Doctor Mo's two biological daughters and one adopted daughter were all stunningly beautiful—their charm and grace unmatched in Jiayuan City. Together, they were known as the "Three Treasures of the Mo Residence," a playful title that had stuck. Their beauty had attracted countless suitors: young lords, talented warriors, and ambitious scholars all vied for their attention.
Of the three, Mo Yuzhu was the most dazzling. Her recent engagement had caused a sensation among the city's elite. Most of her suitors had been devastated by the news. Those with martial skills had challenged the groom-to-be, only to be defeated one after another. Wu Jianming had bested sixteen rivals in succession, cementing his reputation as a formidable swordsman and deepening his bond with Mo Yuzhu. The two were now inseparable, their affection for each other plain for all to see.
The more Han Li thought about it, the more absurd the situation seemed. Others might not know Wu Jianming's true background, but Han Li understood all too well.
This Wu Jianming was almost certainly an agent sent by Doctor Mo's enemies. After years without any sign of Doctor Mo, suspicion must have taken root. Wu's arrival was likely a probe—a test to see what had become of the real Mo patriarch. The question was how he had gained the trust of the Mo household. Surely ordinary tokens or letters would not have been enough to convince Doctor Mo's wives so readily.
Han Li drummed his fingers lightly on the table as he turned these questions over in his mind.
"Please, Young Master, have a seat here! The dishes you ordered will be served shortly." A waiter in a short white jacket led a young man in blue robes—about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years of age—to the second floor and seated him at an empty table next to Han Li's. The waiter then hurried off to attend to other guests.
The young man in blue had regular features: thick eyebrows, large eyes, and an air of quiet heroism between his brows. After sitting down, he surveyed the room, and his gaze happened to meet Han Li's.
Han Li felt an inexplicable depth in the other's eyes—as though some strange force were trying to draw him in. Startled, he quickly looked away, his expression shifting subtly.
The man in blue also showed a brief moment of surprise, but then cast a cold glance in Han Li's direction before turning his attention elsewhere, seemingly losing interest.
Han Li's face had gone pale. That single look had left him feeling utterly exposed, as if every secret within him had been laid bare. It was an unsettling sensation—one he had never experienced before.
When the man in blue's food and wine arrived, he began to eat and drink heartily, with a carefree disregard for his surroundings.
Han Li, meanwhile, had grown restless. Even without activating the Spirit Eye Art, he could sense the powerful spiritual power emanating from the man in blue. The sheer magnitude of it left him shaken. He knew, with absolute certainty, that this person's magic power was far deeper than his own.
Han Li had encountered only two cultivators before: Yu Zitong and the Gold Light Immortal. One was a primordial spirit stripped of all physical form and power; the other had been laughably weak, defeated the moment they met. Han Li's understanding of cultivators remained limited, and in his mind, they still carried an air of mystery. He had no idea how to handle a situation where the opponent was vastly superior.
*"What if this man in blue decides to destroy me on a whim, just as I did to the Gold Light Immortal?"* The thought sent a chill through him.
After what felt like an eternity of anxiety, the man in blue finally finished his meal. He produced a handkerchief, wiped his mouth, tossed a silver ingot on the table, and departed without a backward glance—seemingly having forgotten Han Li entirely.
Only after the man had left the tavern completely did Han Li let out a long breath and slump back in his chair. Though the man in blue had eaten for only a short time, the encounter had felt like an entire day. The psychological pressure had been immense—as though he had just fought a life-or-death battle.
At that moment, the man in blue appeared at the mouth of an alley at the far end of the street. A man in a yellow robe, about thirty years old, was waiting for him.
"Third Brother, why are you late? We still need to meet up with Big Brother and the others!" The yellow-robed man sounded displeased.
"Heh heh! Second Brother, don't be angry! I just haven't had mortal food in years, so I stopped to enjoy a meal," the man in blue replied with a grin.
"You and your appetite! How many times have I told you—we cultivators should maintain clear minds and simple desires. Indulging in food and drink like this only lowers your mental fortitude. You just won't listen." The yellow-robed man glared at him, scolding without real venom.
"Alright, alright, I know! It won't happen again. By the way—I ran into another cultivator while I was eating." To change the subject, the man in blue quickly brought up his encounter with Han Li.
"Oh? Was his magic power deep?" The yellow-robed man's attention shifted immediately.
"Barely anything. Looked like he'd just reached the seventh or eighth layer of basic cultivation technique—barely enough to qualify for the Ascension Assembly. I can't figure it out. Why would someone with such shallow power come all the way to Lanzhou? Does he really think he can get lucky and win at the Ascension Assembly?" The man in blue scoffed.
"How old was he?"
"Seventeen or eighteen, maybe."
"That makes sense. He's probably here with an elder, just to gain experience and broaden his horizons. He'll likely wait another ten years for the next Ascension Assembly before he actually competes." The yellow-robed man nodded.
"That explains it! In that case, his aptitude is actually decent. Give him another decade and he might reach my level." The man in blue puffed up with pride.
"Stop flattering yourself! With your tenth-layer technique, there are dozens of cultivators like you at every Ascension Assembly. Wait until you've actually reached the eleventh or twelfth layer before you start bragging." The yellow-robed man shook his head, half-amused and half-exasperated, then turned and walked away.
"That's not fair. If I could reach above the tenth layer without taking a Foundation Establishment Pill, why would I even bother coming to the Ascension Assembly? I'd just go directly to a sect and become an apprentice," the man in blue grumbled, following behind him as they departed.