The moment Han Li heard these words, he tilted his head back and yawned, then sneered coldly: "Accuse me? What bold words. Do you really think I'm afraid of your Mo Residence?"
"If Doctor Mo hadn't served as my master for a few days, teaching me considerable medical arts, and if bullying defenseless women didn't carry such a foul reputation... Hmph! With just the lot of you? I could slaughter this entire household with one hand, leaving not even a chicken or dog alive!" Han Li's words cut through the air like ice, his expression turning sinister.
He had made up his mind. Since he could no longer trick the Warm-Sun Jade from the Mo Residence, the only option left for dealing with the yin poison in his body was to take it by force. He planned to demonstrate a fraction of his abilities, make Yan Shi and the others understand his power, and then seize the jade outright.
When the women first heard Han Li's threats, their faces registered shock. But moments later, they began to laugh derisively. Third Madam Liu laughed so hard that her flower-like body swayed and she doubled over with mirth.
Clearly, none of these women believed a word Han Li had said. But before long, the laughter froze on their faces.
Han Li had extended a finger, and at its tip, a ball of flame had suddenly materialized. No larger than a wine cup, the fireball's appearance caused the temperature in the entire room to spike dramatically, making the women feel as though they had stepped into the scorching heat of midsummer.
Han Li cast his cold gaze toward the opposite side of the room, intending to find an object to use as a target for his Fireball Technique, to give these women a proper demonstration of his power. But before he could act, Second Madam Li blurted out involuntarily: "A cultivator!" Her face was pale with fear.
The others also lost all color in their faces. Even the coldly composed Fifth Madam Wang's expression shifted, and she stared at Han Li with undisguised astonishment.
That these women knew what a cultivator was surprised Han Li. Yet his own expression only grew more menacing.
"You truly are a cultivator?" Third Madam Liu stared with wide, beautiful eyes, half-believing and half-doubting.
Han Li snorted and without another word, flicked his finger. The fireball shot forward with a whoosh, striking the table beside Liu Shi. In the blink of an eye, the table was reduced to ashes.
This demonstration drained every last trace of color from Liu Shi's face. She scrambled to her feet and retreated several steps from the pile of ashes, her heart still pounding wildly. In that moment, her delicate, pitiable expression would have driven any other man mad with desire.
Unfortunately, Han Li had no interest in admiring such a sight. His gaze was fixed on Second Madam Li, the one who had spoken the word "cultivator." He addressed her in a chilling tone: "Second Madam, how do you know about cultivators? Have you seen other cultivators before?"
"I..." Second Madam Li grew flustered. She was deeply fearful of Han Li's identity as a cultivator.
"Don't trouble Second Sister any further. I'll tell you what I know about cultivators," Yan Shi said from behind, leaning back with an exhausted expression and closing her eyes. She cut short Han Li's interrogation with her words.
"Oh? You'll tell me about it?" Han Li rubbed his nose, his expression easing slightly.
"There's nothing to hide. Many people in Jiayuan City know that cultivators exist," Yan Shi said, opening her eyes with a bitter smile.
"Some have even witnessed cultivators fighting outside the city walls. They say the cultivators can command wind and rain, conjure fire and mist — every one of them like a living immortal." As she spoke, Yan Shi cast a peculiar glance at Han Li.
"So that's how it is!" Han Li slapped the back of his head. He had actually forgotten that Jiayuan City was not some backwater like the Caixia Mountain Range. That cultivators had appeared here was perhaps not so extraordinary. Hadn't he just encountered a man in blue robes yesterday?
"Did Doctor Mo also know about cultivators?" Han Li suddenly thought of something and asked.
"Of course he knew. My husband was one of those who witnessed a cultivator's battle with his own eyes," Yan Shi answered readily, seeing no reason to conceal it.
"No wonder Doctor Mo was so obsessed with cultivation. He must have seen a real cultivator long ago. What a pity he lacked a spiritual root. All that effort for nothing, and it ended up benefiting me instead." Han Li could not help but sigh.
However, Han Li suddenly found something strange. Why was Yan Shi being so compliant? Answering every question honestly, without the slightest resistance. That being a cultivator alone would make her submit so completely was something Han Li simply did not believe.
Observing Yan Shi's expression more carefully, Han Li finally detected a hint of anxiety beneath her outwardly composed demeanor.
"Is she stalling for time?" Han Li frowned slightly and released his spiritual sense, but there was no sign of intruders near the small building.
Han Li's eyes darted about, and he suddenly rose to his feet, circling the room while examining everything around him.
Nothing immediately suspicious caught his eye. The furnishings were sparse — just tables and chairs, all the same as yesterday, with the addition of a pair of white candles that had burned down by about a quarter.
"Candles?" Han Li's gaze fell upon them. At first, he had assumed the women lit them during the day as a memorial to Doctor Mo, so he had paid no attention. But now, thinking about it — if they truly wished to honor their husband's memory, shouldn't there be at least a stick of incense? That was rather unusual.
At this thought, Han Li drew a deliberate, careful breath through his nose. Finally, he detected a faint scent in the air, something like sandalwood. The fragrance was so subtle that without deliberate attention, it would be impossible to detect.
When the women saw Han Li looking at the candles, they grew visibly uncomfortable. When he then made a show of sniffing the air, their faces changed dramatically. But Han Li now began to laugh — and laugh with great relish.
"What's so amusing? Even if you've discovered the mechanism in the candles, it's already too late. This is the Thousand-Man Intoxicant. Ordinary people who smell it will have their bones go soft and their limbs turn to jelly. Martial artists who inhale it will lose their true qi and their kung fu temporarily. Even if you are a cultivator, you cannot remain in this room indefinitely without suffering the effects," Yan Shi said, unable to maintain her composure.
"Not really. I just feel rather fortunate about my own luck," Han Li replied with a faint smile.
"At the Sect of Seven Mysteries, I often heard tales of the various devious tricks in the martial world. Among them, poisons and soporific incense left the deepest impression on me. Not only had I suffered from them personally, but such things are nearly impossible to guard against. Even an ordinary person can use them to kill a grandmaster with ease. Because of this, I racked my brains and eventually devised a crude but effective method for protecting myself against both drugs and poisons." Han Li spoke with a touch of self-satisfaction.
Yan Shi and the others exchanged stunned glances. Such a method existed? How could that be possible? Yet the fact remained that Han Li had not collapsed. Their faces had now turned completely white.
"As for what that method is..." Han Li noticed that the women had involuntarily perked up their ears to listen, and he chuckled to himself. "I don't intend to tell you. I don't have a habit of revealing my secrets to my enemies." Han Li's expression was perfectly serious.