Chapter 317: Aftermath, Doubt

Volume Three

A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality, Volume Three

Late at night, when everything was quiet, Han Li quietly slipped out of his room. Without a word to anyone, he flew alone towards the Imperial City on his magical artifact.

Standing on his Divine Wind Boat, Han Li gazed at the massive, dark Imperial City gate before him. He smiled faintly and flew directly over it. To Han Li, the Seven Sects' prohibition against disciples entering the Imperial City was completely irrelevant. He only adhered to rules that benefited him; to think a mere verbal restriction could bind him was utterly absurd! He had never been one to blindly obey.

As Han Li sneered inwardly, he had already flown more than a hundred zhang above the Imperial Palace. Under the cover of the dark night, Han Li silently scanned his surroundings, his gaze sweeping towards inconspicuous and secluded spots. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he flew towards an imperial garden overgrown with green bamboo.

Upon reaching the bamboo grove, Han Li cautiously looked around, then concealed his spiritual energy and slowly descended. Han Li knew very well that although the Black Fiend Sect controlled the entire Imperial Palace, they couldn't have placed sentries everywhere. Moreover, even with numerous patrols, he wasn't afraid of the Black Fiend Sect discovering him, thanks to his perfected nameless energy concealment technique. Furthermore, he had already gained a clear understanding of the Black Fiend Sect's usual patrol arrangements from the young prince. Even if there had been changes, as long as he didn't carelessly trespass into heavily guarded vital areas, Han Li felt quite secure!

This particular spot was clearly a forgotten corner of the Imperial Palace. The bamboo grove was not only filled with dead branches and decaying leaves, subtly emitting a putrid smell, but its foliage was also extremely dense and overgrown due to a lack of pruning. Gazing at the bamboo grove, which was about an mu in size, Han Li showed a satisfied expression.

He formed a hand seal, activating a sound-insulating barrier that enveloped the entire bamboo grove. Then, with a solemn expression, he took out a stack of formation flags and a formation disc from his storage pouch. These were the improved "Reversed Five Elements Formation" that Qi Yunxiao had given him.

"With this Reversed Five Elements Formation, even if the Black Fiend Sect Master is incredibly powerful, I should be able to stand invincible!" Han Li muttered to himself, looking at the set of magical artifacts in his hand. He then collected himself and stepped into the dark bamboo grove.

Two hours later, Han Li slowly emerged, looking tired. Due to time constraints, he had only managed to set up a small portion of it, but this should be sufficient. Han Li observed his surroundings; no one seemed to have come by. Only then did he feel at ease, putting away the sound-insulating barrier, releasing his Divine Wind Boat, and departing on his artifact.

Han Li's process of entering the Imperial Palace alone to set up the grand formation was silent and undisturbed, without alerting any member of the Black Fiend Sect. Under the Black Fiend Sect Master's orders, the Four Blood Attendants were extremely vigilant. However, just as Han Li had anticipated, they had only set up dense patrols around the secluded palace where the Sect Master was in secluded cultivation. The rest of the areas, in contrast, were much more relaxed than usual. This was one reason for Han Li's smooth entry and exit.

When he flew back to the Qin Residence, dawn had not yet broken. Han Li simply didn't bother sleeping. Instead, he meditated on his bed to cultivate his spirit until morning. In the morning, he calmly emerged from his room. Like everyone else, he gathered in the main hall, conversing and laughing as usual, discussing the impending battle. He didn't mention the "Reversed Five Elements Formation" at all. In Han Li's mind, the fewer people who knew about such a life-saving backup plan, the better. If they could achieve a great victory without needing the formation, he would be even more delighted. This "Reversed Five Elements Formation" could then remain his hidden trump card.

Liu Jing and the other disciples from Yellow Maple Valley, naturally unaware of Han Li's thoughts, showed eager and somewhat excited expressions when the topic of the evening's battle came up. Apart from Liu Jing and a few others, most of them had no experience fighting cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage. This was the main reason Han Li wasn't optimistic about this operation. Han Li had always believed that cultivators who hadn't experienced a baptism of blood, no matter how high their cultivation level, would surely suffer greatly when facing experienced opponents. It wasn't uncommon for them to lose their lives as a result. Thus, as he watched them chat and laugh, a strange expression occasionally flickered in his eyes. After all, which Foundation Establishment cultivator hadn't endured countless hardships to reach their current level of cultivation? Yet, after tonight's battle, it was highly probable that many of them would perish here. Thinking about it, it was truly a great pity!

"Junior Martial Brother Han, could you accompany me for a walk?" Chen Qiaoqian, who had been laughing with Zhong Weinang just moments before, suddenly extended an invitation after her gaze swept over Han Li's face. This single request not only astonished Han Li but also left several of Chen Qiaoqian's fellow disciples dumbfounded. They all looked at Han Li and their Junior Martial Sister, who was usually as cold as ice towards male cultivators, with incredulous gazes.

Seeing Han Li's somewhat bewildered expression, Zhong Weinang's eyes darted, and she seemed to think of something. She suddenly leaned close to Chen Qiaoqian's ear and whispered a few words. Immediately, "Junior Martial Sister Chen's" face flushed crimson. After giving Zhong Weinang a sharp glare, she generously walked out of the main hall first, appearing to wait for Han Li to follow.

"Junior Martial Brother, why are you still dawdling?!" Liu Jing walked over, lightly patted Han Li's shoulder, and said jokingly, "With a beauty like Junior Martial Sister Chen waiting outside, what are you hesitating for?"

Han Li vigorously rubbed his nose, wanting to force a wry smile, but for some reason, he couldn't. After a few dry laughs, he followed her out anyway, under the envious gazes of the male cultivators. If he hesitated any longer, wouldn't it make him seem too guilty? He didn't think there was anything to be afraid of from her.

Stepping out of the hall, Han Li saw Chen Qiaoqian gazing enchantingly towards the garden, lost in thought. Upon hearing Han Li's footsteps, she said coldly without turning her head: "Accompany me for a walk in the garden. There are a few things I'd like to ask you, Junior Martial Brother." Having said this, Chen Qiaoqian walked off without waiting for Han Li's reply, as if certain he would agree. Han Li watched her graceful back, unconsciously furrowing his brows. After a moment's thought, he smiled silently and followed.

Walking with an attractive beauty was indeed a pleasant experience. Han Li walked a few steps behind Chen Qiaoqian, admiring her graceful and slender figure, feeling that this outing was well worth it. Moreover, when he thought of his "romantic encounter" with this beautiful woman years ago, he felt an indescribable mix of emotions.

"I never thought my elder brother and I had misjudged you back then. We always believed you only managed to emerge victorious from the Bloody Trial due to good luck. Who would've thought Junior Martial Brother Han was actually so skilled at 'playing the pig to eat the tiger' back then! You not only deceived us siblings but probably also all those esteemed experts present at the time." Just as Han Li's thoughts began to wander, Chen Qiaoqian, her back still to him, spoke lightly.

Han Li had somewhat anticipated this question, so he showed no surprise. Instead, he scratched the back of his head and chuckled lightly, saying: "Senior Martial Sister Chen, you jest. As for 'playing the pig to eat the tiger,' I truly was just incredibly lucky to have scraped by back then!" As Han Li said this, his face showed no unusual expressions, as if it were truly the case.

"Junior Martial Brother Han, are you still trying to deceive me?" Chen Qiaoqian seemed annoyed by Han Li's words. Her voice turning cold, she suddenly spun around, her bright eyes icy. Seeing this, Han Li looked stunned, as if he had no idea why she was angry. Seeing Han Li's expression, the "Junior Martial Sister Chen" from back then grew even more irritated.

"Fine, I won't ask you about the Bloody Trial anymore. But there's one thing you *must* answer truthfully!" she said, her tone growing even colder, yet with a strange look on her face.

"What is it, Senior Martial Sister? Just ask. I will definitely answer truthfully," Han Li replied, vaguely realizing something and feeling even more uneasy, but maintaining an outwardly sincere expression.

As Chen Qiaoqian asked this, a blush rose to her cheeks, and she looked slightly shy. Then, with a tense expression, she waited for Han Li's reply.

"Seven or eight years ago..." Han Li lowered his head in thought, appearing to recall something. In reality, Han Li's heart was pounding. "How is it that so many years have passed, and she still hasn't given up on finding me? And judging by her shy expression, could she really have developed feelings for the person who saved her?" Han Li thought, feeling greatly perplexed.

It wasn't that Han Li was dense about romance; rather, he had never entertained the thought of forming a dual cultivation partnership with her. For some reason, while Han Li had normal male thoughts about Chen Qiaoqian, when it came to emotional matters, he automatically excluded her. Perhaps the scene he witnessed years ago, of her intimate moment with "Senior Brother Lu," made it impossible for him to accept her even now!