As soon as Han Li finished speaking, Zhong Weiniang broke into a radiant smile, beaming repeatedly at him. Even Liu Jing showed a look of gratification.
As for Song Meng, he stepped forward and slapped Han Li hard on the shoulder twice. With a wide grin, he said:
"I knew I hadn't misjudged you! If you'd really refused to go, I would have fallen out with you for good. But I knew Junior Brother Han was a man of backbone!"
After saying this, Song Meng cast a cold, harsh glare at Wu Xuan. It seemed Wu Xuan really wasn't popular among his fellow disciples.
Wu Xuan snorted coldly upon seeing this and said:
"In that case, I'll find somewhere else to stay. I won't be a bother to your grand plans. I'll report everything that happened here to our master, and I hope he won't hold it against you!" With that, Wu Xuan walked out of the room expressionlessly and flew away from the Qin residence on his magic tool.
"Sixth Senior Brother is really too much—retreating at the last moment. And him being a senior brother, no less!" Zhong Weiniang said, extremely displeased.
"Forget it. Everyone has their own path; you can't force them. Let's focus on making our plans as soon as possible. The sooner we act, the safer it will be, since none of us knows whether the Black Fiend Cult Master might break out of seclusion early," Liu Jing said solemnly.
"Senior Brother, with your vast experience in eliminating rogue cultivators, just lay out the plan! Whatever you say, we'll do. When the time comes, I'll be responsible for the fighting!" Song Meng said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Junior Brother Song, you..."
Liu Jing was rendered speechless, caught between laughter and exasperation, looking utterly helpless against Song Meng.
Zhong Weiniang narrowed her eyes into crescent moons and laughed sweetly.
Han Li, for his part, simply smiled without a word.
"Seventh Junior Sister, you're on good terms with Senior Sister Chen from Grandmaster Hui Ming's lineage. She happens to be in Nanwu City right now. Why don't you go request her assistance? It'll be easier to make the approach," Liu Jing said calmly after regaining his composure.
"Sister Chen is there? I haven't seen her in a while. But we're on great terms—getting her help won't be a problem," Zhong Weiniang said confidently as soon as she heard this.
When Han Li heard the name "Sister Chen," he was startled. A wave of apprehension washed over him as he thought:
"It can't be that much of a coincidence, can it? Could it be that person?"
Just as Han Li was lost in suspicion, Liu Jing's voice reached his ears:
"Junior Brother Han, the few of us will likely be staying at the Qin residence for some time. We need you to coordinate with the Qin family to arrange living quarters and a quiet place for meditation," the Third Senior Brother said calmly.
Han Li naturally agreed without hesitation.
"What about me?" Song Meng couldn't help but ask, rather impatiently.
"You'll guard the Qin residence properly in case the Black Fiend Cult launches a surprise attack. I sometimes need to go out and check on the Black Fiend Cult's movements. Junior Brother Han has already been seen by them, so it wouldn't be convenient for him to show his face," Liu Jing said lightly.
"Got it!" Hearing this, Song Meng deflated and replied listlessly.
The following days remained exceedingly peaceful.
Apart from Zhong Weiniang having departed early for Nanwu City to seek reinforcements, the others mostly stayed at the Qin residence to cultivate and meditate. The Third Senior Brother Liu Jing went out several times, just as he'd said, but didn't obtain any useful intelligence. It seemed as though all the Black Fiend Cult disciples had gone into hiding.
Meanwhile, Wu Xuan took up residence at an inn in the Yue capital. It was said he had sent a letter to Li Huayuan. No one knew what it contained. But afterward, he idly toured the bustling and prosperous districts of the Yue capital without a care in the world, showing no intention of returning to the Qin residence.
Nanwu City was not far from the Yue capital. After only three days, Senior Sister Zhong returned, bringing with her three men and two women.
Among them was a strikingly cold and beautiful woman—none other than the Chen Qiaohan whom Han Li already knew. This set Han Li's heart fluttering with unease.
Chen Qiaohan showed a trace of surprise upon seeing Han Li, but said nothing.
To her, Han Li was no longer a complete stranger, even though the two had yet to exchange a single word.
The other three men and one woman were Chen Qiaohan's fellow disciples. Two were at mid Foundation Establishment, and two at early Foundation Establishment. All of them appeared exceptionally warm upon seeing Liu Jing—they were clearly acquainted.
Zhong Weiniang introduced Han Li to these people as her newly admitted junior brother. Upon hearing his name, all except Chen Qiaohan showed expressions of shock.
"So you're Junior Brother Han! You really are quite young! But the rest of us have long heard of your reputation. Single-handedly, at the border standoff, you killed over a dozen Demonic Path Foundation Establishment cultivators—incredible!" another of Chen Qiaohan's fellow disciples said with an enchanting smile.
This beautiful woman, who appeared to be in her late twenties, seemed to greatly admire Han Li.
This revelation stunned both Liu Jing and Zhong Weiniang.
The two of them had been on separate missions outside and had never participated in the second major battle between the Seven Sects and the Demonic Path, so they knew nothing of Han Li's "remarkable feat."
Hearing these acquaintances describe it now, they were deeply shocked.
To be sure, the Third Senior Brother himself had eliminated countless rogue cultivators, but among them, the Foundation Establishment cultivators could be counted on one hand—only two or three at most, and each time it required a grueling battle to achieve victory.
Yet Han Li had slain over a dozen Foundation Establishment cultivators. Stunned, the two could not help but size up this unremarkable Junior Brother Han all over again, viewing him in an entirely new light.
"Fourth Senior Brother, we didn't know about Junior Brother Han's affairs, but you should have known perfectly well! Why didn't you tell us?" Zhong Weiniang said, suddenly remembering something after her initial shock, and turning to shout indignantly at Song Meng, who was snickering nearby. She was clearly looking to hold him accountable!
"Little Junior Sister, you never asked about it! You only kept asking about Junior Brother Han's cultivation techniques and cultivation level. I assumed you already knew," Song Meng said smugly.
He had long wanted to see the shocked expressions of these two fellow disciples upon learning this, and now he'd had his fill of entertainment.
Zhong Weiniang could easily see through such a dismissive answer. She glared at him fiercely and was about to press the matter further when Liu Jing laughed heartily and said:
"Excellent! I didn't expect Junior Brother Han to be so formidable. This gives us that much more confidence in dealing with the Black Fiend Cult Master."
As he said this, his face was full of pleasant surprise. But Han Li felt a chill run down his back, deeply uneasy, and could not help but think:
"This Third Senior Brother isn't planning to have me fight the Black Fiend Cult Master alone, is he?"
The moment this absurd thought arose, Han Li laughed at himself and tossed it to the back of his mind.
Next, Han Li and the others hosted a welcome gathering for Senior Sister Chen and her party. Although cultivators at their level could fast for long periods without eating, once they entered the mundane world, it was only natural to follow local customs and enjoy a proper meal to satisfy their appetites.
After the meal, Han Li had the Qin household servants clear away the banquet, and the group began discussing their plan to deal with the Black Fiend Cult and infiltrate the Imperial City.
Liu Jing immediately declared his willingness to bear the consequences alone for violating the Seven Sects' prohibition. With that, Senior Sister Chen and the others set aside their reservations and agreed to join the expedition.
Based on the intelligence Han Li had obtained, the current Imperial Palace, aside from the so-called Four Blood Guardians, had no other hall master-level experts present. The rest were scattered across the Kingdom of Yue managing the cult's affairs, making it extremely unlikely they would all appear in the palace at once.
Therefore, Liu Jing believed that their current numbers were more than sufficient to deal with the Black Fiend Cult, and they should act swiftly with decisive force to prevent any complications from delaying too long.
The others agreed this made sense and decided to let Senior Chen's party, who had traveled far, rest for a day. On the following night, while the mortals in the Imperial City were still asleep, they would slip into the Imperial Palace and eliminate the evil within.
Han Li watched from the side with a smile as the others grew increasingly animated in their discussion, but inwardly he could not help but sneer coldly.
Did these people really think the Black Fiend Cult was made of clay, so easy to deal with?
After the battle was over, who among those sitting here talking would still be alive?
If it hadn't been for a secret he'd learned from that little prince—one that could be tremendously useful for his future Core Formation—Han Li would never have taken such a reckless risk to storm the Imperial Palace. What did blood sacrifice cultivation and some evil technique matter to him? The victims' families and friends would come for revenge. All he had to do was let the information slip out slightly.
As for punishing evil and upholding justice, Han Li had always believed one should act within one's means.
If there was little risk and it didn't require much effort, he was happy to lend a hand. But if the opponent was too strong and it had nothing to do with him personally, he didn't consider risking his own life for someone else's business to be a wise course of action.
That Sixth Senior Brother Wu Xuan, though clearly annoying, could not be denied that his decision to wash his hands of the matter early on was indeed a smart move for self-preservation. Otherwise, after a burst of hot-blooded enthusiasm, he'd be facing the risk of his soul being scattered to the winds.
Han Li's agreement to storm the Black Fiend Cult's stronghold with these people had violated his core principle of staying safe and preserving his life. But this was a risk Han Li believed was worth taking.
Because Han Li's own spiritual roots were simply too poor. Anything that could improve his chances of Core Formation, even by the slightest margin, he was unwilling to let slip away. Besides, he was fairly confident in his ability to extricate himself unscathed.
For this purpose, he had specifically prepared a hidden trump card to ensure his safety on this expedition. Otherwise, with Han Li's meticulous and cautious nature, how could he have agreed to this matter without good reason!