"Humph! As a senior, there's no need to humiliate us like this. Just do whatever you want!" The second oldest of the Five Friends of Mengshan, a tall and thin man, suddenly shouted at Han Li, showing no regard for his life being in Han Li's hands.
This stunned the other three! In their minds, this second brother had always been one to think before acting, and was definitely not such an impulsive person!
The thirty-something young man who found Han Li somewhat familiar thought for a moment and suddenly seemed to remember something, immediately shouting in a mix of shock and anger at the thin, tall man:
"Second Brother, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to provoke this senior on purpose, so that in his anger he'll kill us all!"
Once these words were spoken, not to mention the black-faced old man and the young woman, even Han Li was slightly stunned, wondering why the young man would say such a thing.
And that Second Brother's face turned deathly pale in an instant, and he didn't offer a single word of explanation.
"Fourth Brother, you're crazy! Why would Second Brother want us dead?" The young woman, upon hearing this, angrily defended the thin, tall man.
Then the woman turned back, seemingly wanting to say something to the black-faced old man, but what met her eyes was an extremely gloomy face.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she became somewhat at a loss.
"Second Brother, is it because Third Sister is still in their hands that you want everyone to die so that Third Sister alone can live?" the black-faced old man asked coldly.
"I'm sorry, Big Brother. You should also know their methods. If the news leaks, Third Sister, who is still in their hands, will surely suffer endless tortures, better off dead than alive. It would be more merciful to have her soul scatter directly!" The thin, tall second brother finally spoke with a look of shame on his face.
Hearing these words, the young woman's face turned deathly pale. Her lips moved several times, but nothing came out.
"Hmph! Even if Third Sister is your Dao companion, do you have the heart to trade our three lives for hers?" The thirty-something fourth brother shouted angrily at the second brother.
"Second Brother, although Fourth Brother's words are harsh, they're not without reason! Remember, when we five swore brotherhood back then, we said we would live and die together. But now, for your own selfish thoughts, you're deliberately trying to get us all killed. This is simply unjustifiable!" The black-faced old man's voice was filled with disappointment.
"Yes, I do want to get us all killed. But what choice do I have? Third Sister is pregnant with my own flesh and blood. I cannot let the Li family line end! Otherwise, living badly is better than dying well. Who would actively seek death?"
The thin, tall man, his face alternating between red and white from being criticized by the two, couldn't help but clench his fists and roar as well.
These words immediately stunned the old man and the fourth brother, their faces showing shock. They were momentarily at a loss for words.
The woman, however, opened her mouth wide, her face full of astonishment.
"Have you all finished speaking? If so, it's my turn!" Han Li, who had been watching coldly from the front, suddenly spoke in an icy tone.
This voice startled the three. Only then did they remember that the person who truly held their lives in his hands was actually this Foundation Establishment cultivator before them.
Instantly, all their indignation vanished without a trace, and they once again looked at each other helplessly.
"I don't care whether you truly want to die or are putting on an act for me! I only want to know everything about the person behind this. Even if you are to die, you can only die after telling me the information. At this point, do you still think your lives are in your own control?" Han Li's words were filled with cold ruthlessness, causing the three men and one woman's faces to change drastically.
"What do you want to know? We don't know much either. Moreover, they've placed a restriction on us called a Blood Curse. We cannot reveal important matters to outsiders, or the restriction will immediately activate, and our hearts will rupture, killing us." The black-faced old man gritted his teeth and finally spoke, seeming to have already yielded.
"Blood Curse? Interesting, let me examine it!" Han Li said with great curiosity and interest.
The black-faced old man's spirits lifted slightly at these words. After a brief hesitation, he stepped forward with a glimmer of hope and extended his arm.
He also hoped that Han Li could remove this serious threat, but he felt that the hope was really not great.
Because the person who placed the curse had been very confident. After being placed with the Blood Curse, no cultivator had ever leaked their secrets. Those who attempted to send warnings or deliberately reveal secrets had all died on the spot.
At this moment, Han Li grabbed the man's wrist, and spiritual energy slowly flowed through the old man's body. His expression changed, becoming extremely solemn.
The other three of the Five Friends of Mengshan also stared intently at the two, hoping that Han Li, this expert, truly had a way to break the Blood Curse.
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Han Li put down the old man's arm and lowered his head in deep thought.
After a moment, he raised his head and asked the old man with an unchanged expression:
"What was the cultivation level of the person who placed the curse on you? Were there any strange incantations or peculiar words spoken during the curse?"
When Han Li asked this, all four people opposite him showed looks of surprise, mixed with a hint of joy.
"There were. He said some strange words we couldn't understand. They seemed like incantations, but also like a dialect from somewhere. None of us could understand these words. And the person who placed the curse was a Foundation Establishment cultivator." Before the black-faced old man could respond, the young man answered excitedly.
"Moreover, after saying these words, he took a bowl of black blood, we don't know what it was, and drew a peculiar symbol on each of our arms. No matter how we wash it, this cursed thing won't come off." The old man hurriedly added, then bared his entire arm, revealing a blackened, strange symbol at the end.
Han Li stepped forward, examined it carefully for a few moments, then nodded, and lowered his head again in thought.
Before long, Han Li suddenly raised his head and gave them a mysterious smile, saying:
"That's right! It seems I should understand what this Blood Curse is all about now!"
"Senior, do you really mean that?" The black-faced old man asked, his voice trembling slightly, while the other three also showed expressions of disbelief.
After all, the Blood Curse was like a sharp blade resting on their necks, forcing them to obey those people's commands. If Han Li before them could truly remove this serious threat, wouldn't they regain their freedom and no longer be at anyone's mercy?
"This so-called Blood Curse is actually just a Word Curse! The restriction that affects you relies entirely on those strange incantations. It has absolutely nothing to do with the black blood or the symbols drawn on your arms. That person was just trying to appear mysterious!" Han Li explained calmly, appearing to have everything under control.
But secretly, he was sighing with relief.
Fortunately, he had encountered the technique of Word Curse in an extremely obscure book when he was researching the Great Shift Command Token that day. Otherwise, he would truly have had no clue at all.
"Senior, can you break this curse?" This time, it was the young woman who couldn't help but ask.
"I don't know?"
Han Li's cold response made their hearts skip a beat, and the wild joy that had appeared on their faces couldn't help but subside.
"Senior, what do you mean by that?" The black-faced old man hurriedly asked with a forced smile, being extra cautious.
Now, the key to breaking the curse was in Han Li's hands. He wouldn't dare offend Han Li in the slightest.
"There are two ways to break a Word Curse. One is to know the incantation for breaking the curse. I just need to take it and read it once to you using spiritual energy, and the curse can be safely removed. The other is for me to use spiritual sense to invade your sea of consciousness and forcibly erase the traces of the Word Curse. This method requires that the breaker's spiritual sense must be far greater than that of the person who placed the curse, so that the mark can be erased in one go. However, similarly, if it fails, it will immediately trigger the Word Curse. You should be very clear about what the consequences would be." Han Li frowned slightly and said with some annoyance.
"What? It will activate immediately?" The young woman couldn't help but exclaim.
The bloody scene of the Blood Curse activating, the person who placed the curse had demonstrated it on a living person in front of them.
The miserable sight of the victim vomiting several pieces of shattered heart was still fresh in their memories, which was why they all feared the Blood Curse so much.
The other three's faces also looked grim. Wasn't this asking them to gamble with their lives?
Han Li glanced at them, let out a cold laugh, and was about to say something when the thin, tall second brother suddenly raised his head and said:
"Senior, just go ahead and forcibly remove it for me. We all have the same Blood Curse placed by the same person. If I can have it removed, the other brothers should definitely be able to as well!"
Once these words were spoken, the other three opened their eyes wide in astonishment, staring blankly at the man.
"Second Brother, what are you doing? This is too dangerous." The woman, after coming to her senses, hurriedly tried to persuade him anxiously.