The Five Friends of Mount Meng were greatly surprised by Han Li's decision, but they also felt he had a point and did not object.
However, when the middle-aged woman curiously asked about the true identities of the two from the Black Fiend Sect, she received a polite but firm deflection from Han Li. Han Li simply smiled faintly and said that everyone would naturally find out during the night's operation.
This left the middle-aged woman unable to press further, and she put on an indifferent expression.
Before long, Qin Ping arrived with Qin Yan's message and led the Five Friends of Mount Meng to another courtyard nearby, where they settled in.
As Han Li watched their departing figures, a peculiar look flickered in his eyes, and he suddenly murmured something to himself, though no one could hear clearly what was said.
After everyone had finished their evening meal, they gathered in the main hall of the Clear Sound Courtyard. The Five Friends of Mount Meng assembled together, preparing to begin their operation at the late hour Han Li had specified.
"Strange! Why can't I remember!" Fourth Brother, the young man around thirty years old, shook his head and paced restlessly around the hall, his face clouded with confusion.
"Fourth Brother! Still can't remember?"
The youngest among them, the young woman, lounged lazily in her chair with a half-amused expression.
"Fourth Brother, you keep saying that Senior Han looks familiar, that you must have met him somewhere before. But you can't remember when or where at all—little sister finds that hard to believe. Could it be that you're just desperate to forge a connection with Senior Han and it's creating a false impression?"
Her words were clearly laced with teasing.
"Hmm, that's quite possible. After all, Senior's appearance is rather unremarkable. It's perfectly normal for Fourth Brother to feel he's seen him before!" Second Brother, tall and thin, chimed in while savoring his fragrant tea.
However, his gaze never left the middle-aged woman beside him for even a moment, constantly darting between her still-attractive face and her apparently normal abdomen, his expression one of pure bliss.
But the middle-aged woman, ranked third among them, grew increasingly irritated under his constant staring and shot him several sharp glares. All she received in return was his silly "heh heh" grin—the shrewd composure he usually displayed had long since been abandoned somewhere.
"Hmph, say whatever you like. I know for certain that I've seen him, but it must not have been recent—probably several years ago, otherwise I wouldn't have forgotten so completely." The young man glared impatiently at the young woman and the tall, thin man, speaking with a tone of unwilling frustration.
"Several years ago? Fourth Brother, we've been cultivating bitterly in Mount Meng for years without leaving the mountain. How could you have met Senior Han then? Don't tell me you met him when you were still in diapers!" The middle-aged woman joined in teasing the young man.
"Third Sister, you..." The young man's face flushed red with embarrassment.
"A few years ago, Fourth Brother wasn't always cultivating in the mountains. Don't you remember? Before we met Fifth Sister, we once attended an Ascension Assembly. We were away for two or three months, but unfortunately, we all returned empty-handed. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured!" The dark-faced elder interjected calmly.
"What? Everyone attended an Ascension Assembly!" Fifth Sister blinked, her curiosity piqued. In contrast, Second Brother and the middle-aged woman wore bitter smiles.
"There's nothing much to say. That was when we first understood what 'sitting in a well looking at the sky' truly meant!" The middle-aged woman sighed.
"What do you mean? Fourth Brother, tell me about it. Back then... hmm?"
The young woman's curiosity grew even stronger. She turned to have the young man elaborate on the Ascension Assembly, but what met her eyes was a face frozen in shock.
"Fourth Brother, what's wrong?"
The others noticed the young man's strange expression as well and asked in surprise.
"Second Brother, do you remember that day during the Ascension Assembly, when we separated from Eldest Brother and Third Sister, and I went off on my own because I was craving food, sneaking into a tavern in Jiayuan City to eat and drink?" The young man ignored their questions and suddenly brought up an old memory, leaving the tall, thin man quite bewildered.
"Of course I remember. Even though we covered it up for you at the time, Eldest Brother found out later and gave you a thorough scolding!" Second Brother answered, somewhat puzzled.
"That's it. When I came back, didn't I mention to you that I ran into a low-level cultivator at the tavern who seemed to also be attending the Ascension Assembly? His cultivation was only at the seventh or eighth level of the Qi Condensation stage, and we thought he was overestimating himself—"
"It's been so long, I don't remember clearly, but that probably did happen!" Second Brother said hesitantly.
He truly had no idea why his Fourth Brother was suddenly bringing this up.
The others were equally puzzled, listening to their exchange with growing curiosity.
"But that low-level cultivator from back then is today's Senior Han!" The young man delivered this statement in a flat, dry voice, leaving everyone in the room stunned into silence.
"What? Senior Han was that low-cultivation little cultivator?" Second Brother shot up from his chair, his face filled with disbelief.
"Exactly what happened? Tell us in detail!" The dark-faced elder, recovering from his shock, frowned and asked.
"It was like this, Eldest Brother!" Second Brother hurriedly recounted the events of that year, leaving the others utterly astonished.
"Fourth Brother, you're saying that Senior Han was just a cultivator at the seventh or eighth level of the Qi Condensation stage back then?" The young woman swallowed hard, then immediately realized how ungraceful that was and blushed.
But the others were all too stunned to notice her small lapse.
"Fourth Brother, could you have mistaken him for someone else? After all, that was over ten years ago. Senior Han's appearance and age should have changed by now!" The dark-faced elder stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"No, that person was definitely Senior Han! He looks exactly the same as he did back then, except he appears slightly older!" The young man was startled at first, but after a moment's reflection, he spoke with certainty.
Hearing the young man speak so decisively, the others exchanged bewildered glances.
In just over ten years, a cultivator with such low cultivation had become a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator. The realization left a bitter taste in their hearts.
For a time, no one felt inclined to speak.
"Alright, whether Senior Han is that person or not, he is now a genuine Foundation Establishment stage cultivator, and we must not show any lack of proper respect. Don't ask anything you shouldn't ask—understood?" After a moment of contemplation, the elder spoke first.
"I understand." The young man hesitated briefly, then answered honestly, his expression finally returning to normal.
"Good. Everyone, return to your rooms and rest your minds while cultivating your qi. Prepare yourselves—we don't know what kind of fierce battle awaits us tonight." The elder addressed the group.
After hearing this, the others exchanged glances and one by one retreated to their rooms.
Soon, the Clear Sound Courtyard fell into complete silence.
About half a shi chen later, the sky had grown completely dark.
From one of the side rooms in the Clear Sound Courtyard, a figure quietly emerged.
This person carefully latched the door behind them, glanced around, and then slipped out of the small courtyard without a sound.
In the pitch-black night, they made their way to a distant corner by the wall. A pair of eyes flickered with hesitation, but then quickly turned resolute.
Nervously, they reached into their robe and pulled out a small box. Just as they were about to open it—
A sigh suddenly came from behind, causing the figure to shudder and nearly drop the box to the ground. Because that voice—it sounded exactly like Han Li's.
"Why are you doing this?" Another voice, one the person knew intimately, spoke almost simultaneously, filled with anguish.
Then, light flooded the area as several people holding moonlight stones emerged from nearby. Under the pale white glow, their faces were all expressions of disbelief.
"What is the meaning of this?" The dark-faced elder asked, his voice heavy with sorrow.
"What do you mean, 'what'? I just came out to test a magic treasure!" This person's deathly pale face gradually returned to normal as they spoke with feigned nonchalance.
"Then might I trouble you to hand over what's in your hands for me to examine?" From the pitch-black darkness, Han Li descended lightly from the air, his expression unchanged.
"That's strange—how could I show my magic treasure to an outsider? Of course not. Isn't that right, Fourth Brother?"
This person who had been sneaking around was none other than the young woman of the Five Friends of Mount Meng.
Though she struggled to maintain her composure, her hands had a will of their own, gripping the small box tightly without the slightest intention of letting go.
"Fifth Sister, hand over what you're holding to Senior Han." The dark-faced elder's expression turned grave, his voice carrying a chill.