Chapter 2165: Private Mine

Under the astonished gazes of the demon guards, Han Li turned and boarded the same beast-drawn carriage as Zi Ling.

"Return to the city," a crisp, cold voice ordered from within as the curtains on both sides of the carriage closed.

The coachman immediately assented and promptly urged the few ox-like black demonic beasts, causing the carriage to speed off, surrounded by several guards.

At that moment, faint red glows flickered on the carriage, clearly activating some profound restrictions.

Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Han Li spoke cautiously to Zi Ling:

"Zi Ling, there are some things I can't directly ask Lan Ying about. But I know you have some influence in Azure Waterfall Lake. I need your help to investigate a local demon named Wuyou. The sooner, the better. This person might be..."

Inside the carriage, Zi Ling listened to Han Li's words, a look of surprise appearing on her face.

Several hours later, Han Li appeared alone in front of the inn and strode in confidently.

Although he had attracted considerable attention in Azure Spy City due to his extensive acquisition of Alien Devil Gold, knowing he was a late-stage Void Refinement cultivator meant few powers dared to send people to secretly track or monitor him.

After all, with cultivation at such a level, any personnel dispatched for surveillance or tracking would naturally need to be equally strong.

However, genuine Void Refinement stage demons would hardly be willing to undertake such a task.

As a result, when Han Li returned to the inn this time, he immediately stayed indoors and did not leave again until the next day, when he emerged revitalized.

This time, he was naturally heading out to keep his appointment with Wuyou.

He had originally attached great importance to the crystal pearls within the Alien Devil Gold, and now that it also involved the Grand Yin-Yang Five-Element True Light, he was even more determined to obtain it.

Although the Alien Devil Gold provided by Wuyou might not necessarily contain the crystal pearls, such a large quantity made Han Li quite expectant.

Arriving again at the hall where they had met yesterday, a familiar-faced male and female demon guard were standing outside the door. Seeing Han Li truly arriving for the appointment, they naturally greeted him with great delight.

"Senior Han, please come in. Brother Wuyou is waiting for your esteemed presence inside!"

"Alright, I understand." Han Li nodded faintly and, with a swift movement, glided into the hall's entrance.

The two demon guards outside the door quickly closed it again and continued to stand guard with an extremely cautious demeanor.

Inside the hall, Han Li saw Wuyou and several other male and female demons.

"Brother Han, you're finally here! I've been waiting for a long time." The demon, Wuyou, showed his happiness openly upon seeing Han Li and gestured for him to take a seat.

"I'm not late, Fellow Daoist Wuyou merely arrived a bit early. Alright, no need for prolonged talk! Let's get straight to the transaction. I hope your items truly satisfy me." Han Li had no intention of exchanging pleasantries; as soon as he sat down, he spoke directly and to the point.

If anyone else had heard these words, their expression would certainly not have been pleasant.

"Brother Han is indeed straightforward. Very well, let's begin the transaction!"

Wuyou, across from Han Li, found these words to his liking. Without hesitation, he flicked his sleeve, and several phantom token images flashed around them before vanishing into the void. Immediately, a layer of restrictive light curtain expanded, enveloping both of them.

The demon man then flipped his hand again, and a light blue storage bracelet instantly appeared in his grasp. With a smile, he spoke again:

"The Alien Devil Gold you requested is all inside. Brother Han, please check if the quantity and quality are to your satisfaction."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wuyou tossed out the storage bracelet, seemingly without the slightest hesitation.

Han Li saw this. He felt a slight surprise, but with a turn of thought, he couldn't help but admire the man's composure.

However, this demon had likely made some contingency plans and wasn't truly worried about him not paying the demon stones.

"Then I will count them first," Han Li replied calmly. He raised his arm, seized the blue storage bracelet, and gently placed it against his forehead. A vast divine sense instantly transformed into countless threads, probing into it.

Wuyou made no other moves, simply staring silently at Han Li, appearing to patiently await the result.

After a full tea's time, Han Li's eyelids twitched slightly before he finally opened his eyes. However, his face was expressionless, revealing no emotions of joy or anger.

Seeing this, Wuyou's body stiffened slightly, but fortunately, Han Li's next words caused him to relax completely.

"The items are good, indeed top-grade Alien Devil Gold, just as you said. In that case, I will pay the agreed price in demon stones." As Han Li spoke, he took out a dark storage bracelet from his sleeve and flicked his wrist, tossing it over.

Wuyou was overjoyed. He immediately caught the item and likewise sent his divine sense into it.

Unlike Han Li, it only took a moment for the demon man to withdraw his divine sense with satisfaction. After putting away the storage bracelet, he cupped his fist and said to Han Li with a beaming smile:

"Fellow Daoist Han is indeed a man of his word; the quantity of demon stones is exact. Now, our business is concluded..."

"Since there are no issues with the transaction, I won't stay any longer. I'll take my leave now." Han Li calmly stood up and said indifferently.

"Of course. I will remove the restrictions immediately." Wuyou, with no intention of detaining him, readily agreed and also stood up.

He formed a hand seal with one hand, and with a muffled sound, the light curtain immediately shattered.

Han Li's figure moved, and he strode out.

But as he reached the doorway, his steps halted, and he suddenly turned his head to ask:

"Fellow Daoist Wuyou, would you be willing to tell me the specific origin of this Alien Devil Gold? If you are, I am willing to pay an additional one-third of the demon stones I just gave you as a reward for this information."

Upon hearing Han Li's words, Wuyou's mind was shaken, and his expression flickered several times before he replied.

The other male and female demons stirred, and greedy expressions appeared on all their faces.

"Although Fellow Daoist is generous, I regret that I cannot disclose this matter. I can only decline Brother Han's kind offer." Wuyou's mind spun through several thoughts. After forcibly suppressing the impulse to agree, he shook his head with some difficulty:

"In that case, I won't press the matter." Han Li gave the man a deep look, then walked out of the hall without any further hesitation.

Wuyou stood rooted, looking toward the main hall door, his expression uncertain.

Although Han Li hadn't said much just now, the unusual glint in his final gaze still unsettled Wuyou, giving him a faint sense of ominous foreboding.

"Brother, since the other party wants to know the origin of this Alien Devil Gold, why not just tell him the location of the private mine?

Anyway, we're leaving soon, so even if he really wants to investigate anything, it will be too late. Such a large sum of demon stones shouldn't be refused!" A female demon couldn't help but step forward and say.

"Hmph, it's not that simple. We know nothing about this person's true background. While it's true he's an outsider, casually revealing the location of a private mine could expose us prematurely. Don't underestimate the power of the major forces in the city. Alright, now that we have the demon stones, we'll start leaving Azure Waterfall City in groups immediately. Once out of the city gates, everyone is to follow their pre-arranged routes and leave this area as quickly as possible. When we are completely safe, we will regroup in Lion Cliff City," Wuyou scoffed, reprimanded them, and then gave his orders without hesitation.

The other male and female demons naturally dared not disobey and immediately assented in unison.

Meanwhile, Han Li had already boarded a beast-drawn carriage, which was speeding along the street.

Sitting in a corner of the carriage, he was surprisingly playing with a piece of black and white Alien Devil Gold with a hint of excitement, muttering to himself in a barely audible voice:

"I've finally found it. The item is indeed in the hands of this group."

In the newly acquired storage bracelet, there were over twenty pieces of "Burial Devil Gold" with a special aura, similar to the one he held in his hand.

This left Han Li with no further doubts; he was certain Wuyou's group possessed what he was looking for.

If the location hadn't been the bustling downtown area of Azure Waterfall City, he would have long ago directly used his divine abilities to capture this group and extract the information he wanted through soul-searching techniques.

However, at present, he wasn't overly concerned either.

Since he knew Wuyou's group was his target, he had, naturally, imperceptibly planted divine sense marks on all of them the moment the transaction occurred.

He would simply wait for them to leave Azure Waterfall City, then quietly follow and apprehend them all.

Han Li pondered secretly to himself. With a flash of spiritual light in his hand, the Alien Devil Gold vanished. He then suppressed his excitement and began to meditate with his eyes closed inside the carriage.

Time passed quickly. Several hours later, the beast-drawn carriage reappeared in front of the inn's main entrance.

But after he disembarked, he suddenly saw a somewhat familiar-faced black-armored demon next to the main entrance. His expression shifted slightly, then he slipped past the demon and entered the inn.

Upon seeing Han Li, the demon couldn't help but reveal a look of joy. As soon as Han Li entered the main door, the demon respectfully followed him in.

A moment later, in a secluded room at Han Li's lodging, the black-armored demon respectfully handed a greenish stone tablet to Han Li with both hands.

Han Li took the stone tablet and placed it against his forehead, examining it carefully. As time passed, his eyes gradually narrowed.

"Alright, I've seen the item. Go back and report to your master that I am very satisfied." Han Li finally took the stone tablet from his forehead and, with a rub of his hand, turned it into dust. Then, he calmly instructed the black-armored demon before him.

"Yes, sir! I will take my leave now." The black-armored demon bowed in assent and backed out of the room.

"Heh heh, to think they secretly built a private mine! If that's the case, then everything makes sense," Han Li murmured, looking up at the ceiling, a hint of sternness appearing on his face.