Chapter 123: Arrangement

This chapter might be shorter, by a few hundred words. However, if I don't publish it now, it will be too late. Also, this is a natural break point, so I’ll leave it at this. I will make up for it tomorrow!

“Time? Place name?” Xi Tieniu was startled, seemingly having no impression. But seeing how serious Han Li was, he knew this was key to earning merit, so he lowered his head and pondered deeply.

Half an hour later…

“I’ve got it!” Xi Tieniu suddenly looked up and shouted, his face beaming with joy.

“I remember that female immortal said that before attending the Immortal Gathering, the male immortal had to first accompany her to a place called Tai Nan Valley. It seems there are other immortals there too.”

“Tai Nan Valley?” Han Li murmured the name twice. He had no impression of it in his mind, seemingly never having heard of the place.

Han Li turned his gaze to Sun Ergou. If such a place existed locally, this local expert should know something.

“There’s no such place in Jiayuan City! If there were such a valley, I would definitely remember it clearly,” Sun Ergou said, frowning and shaking his head.

“You didn’t misremember, did you?” Han Li turned his gaze back to Xi Tieniu, his tone becoming a little harsh.

“Absolutely not. The woman also said that after half a day’s journey, they could meet her friends in Tai Nan Valley,” Xi Tieniu hastily swore to the heavens.

“Half a day’s journey! If it were walking, that would still be near Jiayuan City. But these two were traveling by flying beasts, so the range is much larger. Still, it shouldn’t exceed the borders of Lanzhou,” Han Li mused to himself.

“Do either of you know if there’s a place in all of Lanzhou called Tai Nan Valley or just Tai Nan?” Han Li’s expression softened slightly as he asked them.

Sun Ergou and Xi Tieniu exchanged glances, then almost simultaneously exclaimed:

“Tai Nan Temple!”

“Tai Nan Mountain!”

“There are two places called Tai Nan?” Han Li was taken aback, a headache starting to form.

“My lord! No, there’s only one!” Sun Ergou quickly replied.

“Tai Nan Temple is built on Tai Nan Mountain,” Xi Tieniu added, not to be outdone.

“Oh! Excellent, it seems Tai Nan Valley should be there then,” Han Li said with relief.

“But my lord, we’ve never heard of any Tai Nan Valley near Tai Nan Mountain! Could it be a mistake?” Sun Ergou reminded him, sounding puzzled.

Han Li chuckled, “No mistake, this is the place!”

“You are not cultivators, so of course you wouldn’t know this place. It’s probably a long-term residence for some cultivators,” Han Li thought excitedly.

“Where exactly is this Tai Nan Mountain?” After his initial excitement, Han Li realized he still didn’t know its location, so he asked casually.

“My lord, Tai Nan Mountain is in the southernmost part of Lanzhou, about forty li west of Guanggui City,” Sun Ergou replied respectfully.

“Southern Lanzhou?” Han Li frowned. This was exactly opposite to the Poisonous Tyrant Manor he was going to assassinate, one in the south and the other in the north. It was completely out of the way, so it seemed he would have to make several trips.

“Sun Ergou, when you return, make Xi Tieniu the vice-leader of the Four Ping Gang. I know you might not be happy about it, but since I promised this person, I must fulfill my word,” Han Li instructed Sun Ergou.

“I wouldn’t dare. Whatever my lord says, I will do, without a single complaint!” Sun Ergou was startled by this, and his face turned even paler as he recalled what Han Li had told him earlier.

“Don’t worry, I know whether you are loyal or not. This bottle contains antidote pills. They will completely remove the poison from your body, leaving you with no future worries. This is also something I promised you beforehand. I treat everyone equally and will not deceive you,” Han Li took out a bottle of pills and handed it to Sun Ergou.

Sun Ergou was overjoyed at this. The poison from the “Heart-Corroding Pill” had always made him lose his appetite and sleep poorly. Now that it could be completely removed, how could he not be excited?

“Thank you, my lord! Thank you, my lord. I will devote myself to you completely, to my dying breath!” Sun Ergou said sincerely after taking the bottle.

Han Li nodded noncommittally.

The reason he so readily gave Sun Ergou the antidote was mainly because it was too troublesome to give Sun Ergou an antidote every month! And he was going to be away from Jiayuan City for a while, so since it was such a hassle, it was better to remove the poison completely. Of course, if these two ever truly harbored thoughts of betrayal in the future, Han Li would not hesitate to kill them immediately and find replacements.

Furthermore, Han Li, who currently had no immediate need for the Four Ping Gang, had already decided to use it as one of his multiple escape routes.

Han Li understood that in this world, there was no loyalty without reason, nor betrayal without reason. Controlling others through violence was the most effective but also the lowest form of management, constantly risking a backlash. Therefore, to ensure long-term loyalty, a combination of kindness and authority was best.

So, Han Li giving the antidote to Sun Ergou would, on one hand, greatly increase Sun Ergou’s loyalty for a long time. On the other hand, it would establish an image of a trustworthy superior in front of both him and Xi Tieniu—one who rewards good deeds and punishes mistakes—which would benefit Han Li’s long-term control over them.

These were Han Li’s thoughts after careful consideration.

After watching Sun Ergou take the antidote, Han Li suddenly said something to him that brought both surprise and joy.

“From now on, I will permanently leave Qu Hun with you, but you are absolutely forbidden from using him to stir up trouble. You should know that while Qu Hun is very powerful, there are many more extraordinary individuals in this world. You might inadvertently bring disaster upon yourself. Remember that!” Han Li said in a deep voice.

“Yes, I remember, sir. I will definitely take good care of Lord Qu Hun, please rest assured,” Sun Ergou nodded his head continuously like a pecking chick.

“If I didn’t need Qu Hun for personal protection anymore, and if his appearance wasn’t so attention-grabbing and inconvenient for distant travel, why would I hand him over to this person for safekeeping!” Han Li sighed, shaking his head slightly, feeling a touch of reluctance.

“You two take good care of yourselves and leave! You don’t need to see me for a while. I will be traveling far and don’t know when I will return,” Han Li waved his hand gently, dismissing them.

Upon hearing this, Sun Ergou and Xi Tieniu respectfully exited the room, leaving Han Li alone, deep in thought.

“What kind of cultivators are in this Tai Nan Valley? If I go there, will anything be amiss? Will I encounter any danger?” Han Li mused dreamily. At this moment, he drifted off, entering a state of oblivion…

Time flew by like an arrow, and two months passed in the blink of an eye. By then, Han Li could no longer be found in Jiayuan City, and for a very long period afterward, he was not seen again…