Han Li was more than willing to stay away from Dong Xuan'er. Senior Brother Feng and Yan Yu naturally agreed with this arrangement.
Not only did they not try to stop him, but Yan Yu even enthusiastically gave him a jade slip. Inside was a topographical map of Yanling Fortress, which could save Han Li some time by allowing him to go directly to his destination instead of wandering around like a lost fly.
As for Dong Xuan'er herself, although she was quite surprised by Han Li suddenly letting her go and no longer restraining her, the freedom to mingle with numerous male cultivators made her overjoyed. Of course, she still looked at Han Li several times with a bewildered expression, completely unable to fathom his intentions.
"Intentions? Hmph, I just don't want to carry dead weight around, and it's much more relaxing to act alone!" Han Li thought to himself as he walked along the bluestone path of Yanling Fortress, hands clasped behind his back, looking quite leisurely as he occasionally glanced at the shops on either side.
These shops sold talismans, raw materials for artifact refinement and alchemy, and there were even one or two that sold low-grade magical treasures. However, the shopkeepers were mostly ordinary mortals without any magical power.
This wasn't strange at all. The entire Yanling Fortress was enormous, with a population of over a hundred thousand. But only a small fraction possessed spiritual roots and could cultivate magical arts. The majority were just ordinary mortals.
These mortals who should have been living in the secular world consisted of two groups: one was those who lacked spiritual roots but still carried the Yan family bloodline, and the other was the relatives of Yan family disciples. After all, marrying only within the Yan family clan was quite inappropriate. Absorbing some new blood was necessary for the Yan family to continue thriving.
Of course, for secrecy's sake, these mortals who entered Yanling Fortress could never leave the city for the rest of their lives. They could only live, grow old, get sick, and die within its walls. Although they would never lack food or clothing, it was still an extremely tragic fate.
Those who moved in from the outside had it better—at least they had seen the outside world. But those who were born within the fortress and lacked spiritual roots would never even get a chance to glimpse the world beyond.
However, when mortals originally entered this fortress, none were forced! They had all either reached a dead end or were deeply grateful to the Yan family for their great kindness. Plus, Yanling Fortress was heavily guarded, covered by restriction arrays, and any mortal who privately left the fortress would be killed immediately upon discovery. To this day, no mortal had ever successfully escaped from here.
This information, of course, wasn't something Han Li had guessed on his own. It was some additional small information included with the map jade slip. Thus, Han Li now had a rough impression of Yanling Fortress in his mind.
And right now, he was heading towards a teahouse within the fortress. Because according to Han Li's understanding, cultivators mostly had a great fondness for fine tea. Teahouses were almost a must-visit place for all cultivators. Han Li felt that perhaps he could meet other cultivators there and join some small groups. This was a rare opportunity for exchange. After all, working in isolation wasn't advisable!
At the end of this stone street, at a three-way intersection, he should be able to see the teahouse's signboard. Han Li thought to himself and couldn't help but quicken his pace.
But suddenly, from a shop on one side, several loud arguments between a man and a woman erupted, followed by a man's furious roar. A woman dressed in a mortuary outfit stormed out of the shop, charging directly onto the stone street, and ran straight into the slightly surprised Han Li.
This woman appeared to have a very beautiful countenance, so Han Li, out of a common male tendency, glanced at her carelessly. But when Han Li got a clear look at the woman's face, his body suddenly froze, and he was completely stunned.
The woman saw Han Li staring at her so brazenly and was extremely angered!
But she had lived in the fortress for quite some time now. Although she had not a shred of magical power, she could still identify Han Li's status as a cultivator from his attire at a glance. Although in her embarrassment she didn't pay much attention to Han Li's appearance, only feeling he seemed somewhat familiar, she still suppressed her anger, lowered her head slightly, and said stiffly:
"Cultivator sir, could you please let this humble woman pass? I am a married woman! Sir, isn't it inappropriate to stare at a mortal woman like this?"
After saying this, the woman didn't feel particularly worried. After all, Yanling Fortress had strict discipline, strictly forbidding cultivators from harassing ordinary people's lives, with severe punishment for violators! Of course, ordinary people also had to maintain absolute respect towards cultivators. Any slight could be dealt with as the cultivators saw fit.
Moreover, they were now on a street full of onlookers, so she wasn't afraid of any improper behavior from him.
But the woman kept her head lowered for a long time without any action from the cultivator in front of her. There was no intention of stepping aside, nor any verbal rebuke. This surprised her somewhat, and she couldn't help but lift her delicate head to take a look.
And there it was—a face that made one want to punch it upon seeing its smile. This face immediately transported the woman back to that night ten years ago on the back path of a courtyard. A stingy senior brother and a mischievous young girl bickering with each other, the scene vivid before her eyes!
"Senior Brother?"
"Junior Sister!"
The woman finally recognized this utterly unchanged face. And after hearing the woman call him senior brother, Han Li also confirmed that this beautiful woman was indeed that mischievous little girl from years past—Mo Caihuan, Doctor Mo's youngest daughter, the little junior sister he had once addressed!
"Are you really Senior Brother Han Li?" Mo Caihuan was first extremely shocked, then asked with a rush of emotions, though her face still showed a look of disbelief.
"That Yingxiang Pill I gave you—did it work well?" Han Li suddenly said softly.
"Se...Senior Brother, it really is you!" Upon hearing Han Li mention the name of the gift he had given her back then, Mo Caihuan no longer had the slightest doubt. But her eyes suddenly reddened, and she began to sob, as if she had suffered some enormous grievance.
Han Li was completely dumbfounded! After all, they were on a stone street with some passersby and a few cultivators around. Having such a stunningly beautiful woman crying in front of him would surely spark all kinds of speculation!
Thinking of this, Han Li scratched his head and forced himself to say to Mo Caihuan:
"Junior Sister, shouldn't we find another place to talk? This doesn't seem like the right place for a conversation."
"Mm!...I'll listen to Senior Brother." Only then did Mo Caihuan pause her crying and say very obediently.
This behavior surprised Han Li somewhat! After all, in his memory, Mo Caihuan was a girl like a little enchantress. Her sudden gentleness and obedience was quite unsettling. But where would be quiet? Han Li looked around the street with some frustration.
"Let's go to my home! My mother is there too." After Mo Caihuan calmed down a bit, she suddenly said.
"Fourth Mistress is also in Yanling Fortress?"
Han Li was surprised!
It seemed the Mo family had truly experienced some major crisis, otherwise the matriarch Yan Shi, as the head of the Mo family, wouldn't have easily ended up here.
"Yes, Senior Brother! My mother is very ill, and it's serious! You must save her!" Mo Caihuan's eyes flashed with tears as she begged bitterly.
"All right, we'll talk about it when we get to Fourth Mistress's place. As long as it's not some incurable disease, Senior Brother can surely cure it with ease!" Seeing Mo Caihuan's pitiful appearance, Han Li naturally thought of that carefree life at the Mo estate back in the day, and his heart softened. He comforted her with reassuring words.
"Mm! I believe Senior Brother. Second Sister used to say that your medical skills were already superior to hers. Now my mother will be saved!"
Upon hearing Han Li say this, Mo Caihuan stopped crying and broke into a smile. That flower-like beauty made Han Li momentarily lose himself, but fortunately he quickly came to his senses, avoiding any immediate embarrassment.
"Come, my home isn't far from here, just across one street. My mother will surely be very happy to see Senior Brother!" Mo Caihuan naturally grabbed Han Li's sleeve and led him forward, looking quite cheerful, as if she had found her pillar of support.
A beautiful woman voluntarily holding a man's arm and walking down the street naturally drew stares from those nearby. Fortunately, Han Li was dressed as a cultivator, so no one dared say anything unpleasant to their faces. But what they might discuss after they were far away—that was hard to say!
"Junior Sister, how did you and Fourth Mistress come to be here? Did something happen to the Mo estate?" Han Li walked alongside Mo Caihuan and, while she wasn't paying attention, quietly pulled his sleeve free, asking in a nonchalant tone.
"That...it's a long story! But the Mo estate was destroyed seven years ago, and the Jingjiao Society was dissolved at the same time!" Mo Caihuan's body trembled slightly upon hearing this, and her face suddenly darkened.
"What about the other two junior sisters and Fourth Mistress?" Although Han Li had already guessed roughly what happened, he still sighed and asked about the others.
"Second Mistress and Fifth Mistress are dead. I don't know about the others. Because my mother and I barely fought our way out. It was too chaotic at the time—we could only flee separately!" Mo Caihuan's voice trembled, sounding extremely pained.