Chapter 336: Abnormal Mutation

"Poisoned? No way! I'm always so careful; everything I eat or drink is tested!" Sun Ergou exclaimed, fear giving way to unease.

Hearing this, Han Li couldn't be bothered to explain further. He raised a hand, and a fleeting green light shot into Sun Ergou's body.

"My lord, what was that? What are you doing?" Sun Ergou didn't dare to dodge but became somewhat flustered.

"That was the True Spirit Spell; it will make the toxins in your body visible. Go look in a mirror yourself!" Han Li said casually, sitting in his chair.

Sun Ergou's heart sank at these words. He rushed to a corner of the room where there was a dressing table meant for women.

Fumbling, he found a small bronze mirror on the table. Sun Ergou cautiously peered into it. The result stunned him instantly! Reflected in the mirror was a face covered in a black aura, its purplish-black skin clearly indicating severe poisoning.

"My lord, please save me! I have always been loyal to you, with no second thoughts!" Sun Ergou rushed back with a terrified expression, falling to his knees before Han Li and pleading bitterly.

At this point, he was more than half convinced. As a cultivator, Han Li wouldn't go to such lengths just to deceive him. If he wanted to harm him, he could simply crush him with a flick of his finger.

Han Li watched Sun Ergou's fervent display of loyalty, smiled faintly, and then calmly said:

"Don't worry, this poison is hidden well, but its toxicity isn't strong. It won't kill you in a few days! There's no need to make such a fuss!"

Hearing Han Li's words, Sun Ergou felt somewhat relieved. Still, he continued to plead pitifully:

"My lord, with your immense powers, please find a way to cure this poison for me! I, Sun Ergou, will continue to serve you faithfully and devotedly! If you don't believe me, I can swear a solemn oath. I..." Although Sun Ergou's status was vastly different from before, he was clearly much more afraid of death. Before Han Li could say anything, he began pointing at the ceiling and rattling off a string of desperate vows, which Han Li found both exasperating and amusing.

*Serve him faithfully? It seems I'm the one who's always giving him benefits!* Han Li thought, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation.

"Here's an antidote pill. You can take it later. As long as you don't keep getting poisoned, you'll be fine." Han Li shook his head lightly, then pulled out a blue pill and tossed it to him.

"Thank you, my lord, thank you!" Sun Ergou gratefully took the pill, thanking him repeatedly. He shrewdly got up and carefully put the medicine away.

"This poison didn't get you this deeply with just one or two doses. It must have been accumulating for at least several months, right? I think you should be able to figure out who poisoned you! Am I right, my great gang leader Sun?" Han Li suddenly chuckled, speaking in a half-joking tone.

"My lord, you're teasing me! But as for who poisoned me, I do have a few suspects in mind," Sun Ergou said, rubbing his head and smiling obsequiously beside him.

Now that Han Li had saved his life, he naturally showed even greater reverence.

"Alright! I, as a cultivator, won't interfere in your mortal affairs. You can handle them yourself! Actually, I came here this time to see Qu Hun. I want to take him with me. I have some cultivation now, so taking him along won't be a problem. Do you have any objections?" Han Li's smile faded, and he spoke in a deep voice.

"My lord, you want to take Lord Qu Hun? But, my lord, Lord Qu Hun is no longer with the Siping Gang," Sun Ergou replied, feeling a wave of bitterness, but forced himself to answer.

"What do you mean? You lost him!" Han Li's face immediately darkened, and the temperature in the room instantly dropped several degrees, making Sun Ergou shiver and feel extreme dread.

"My lord, please calm your anger! I didn't lose him; Lord Qu Hun ran away himself. And although he's not in the city, he hasn't gone far; he's in the nearby mountains. I have people constantly tracking Lord Qu Hun!" Sun Ergou hastily explained, fearing Han Li's wrath.

"Ran away himself? What happened? Explain clearly. If it's truly not your fault, I've always been fair with rewards and punishments; I won't blame you!" Han Li's face showed a hint of surprise, and his expression softened slightly.

After all, Sun Ergou still knew Qu Hun's whereabouts, which was enough. However, Qu Hun was merely a walking corpse; Han Li found it truly hard to believe that he could run away on his own.

Seeing that Han Li wasn't truly angry, Sun Ergou felt relieved but still didn't dare to be slow, hastily explaining:

"Ever since you entrusted Lord Qu Hun to me, I have diligently looked after him according to your instructions, and would not let anyone else near him unless absolutely necessary. Lord Qu Hun's abnormality began six years ago. It was a crucial period for expanding our gang's influence, and our opponent was a mid-tier gang with many skilled fighters. I had no choice but to ask Lord Qu Hun to assist. As a result of that great battle, Lord Qu Hun displayed immense power, and our gang achieved a great victory. But just a few days after the battle, one of my subordinates, whom I had assigned to look after Qu Hun, suddenly reported that Lord Qu Hun had actually *spoken*. I was extremely shocked when I heard this and immediately rushed over with the 'Soul-Guiding Bell' to see him. But then..."

At this point, Sun Ergou gave a wry smile.

"What happened? You had the Soul-Guiding Bell with you; surely he didn't attack you, did he?"

Han Li was utterly astonished to hear that Qu Hun had spoken. Seeing Sun Ergou trying to build suspense, he immediately snapped impatiently.

This startled Sun Ergou, who then continued his story:

"He didn't attack me, but before I even entered Lord Qu's room, he seemed to know I was there. He suddenly burst through the wall and fled like the wind! I couldn't catch him at all!" Sun Ergou said, his face a mask of helplessness.

"He ran away!" Han Li's eyebrows lifted, and a thoughtful expression appeared in his eyes.

"Yes, my lord! Lord Qu has been gone for several years now, and he's been inexplicably lingering in the nearby mountain forests. Although I've brought my gang's experts several times to try and bring Lord Qu back, for some reason, whenever we get close to him, he immediately moves to another location and refuses to meet me. If anyone else goes, no one is a match for Lord Qu, and we've even had two of our gang's experts killed or injured because of this." Sun Ergou said, looking utterly bewildered.

"That's nothing to be surprised about! It's probably because you possess the 'Soul-Guiding Bell,' isn't it? Although I don't know why Qu Hun went out of control, it's clear that the restrictions I placed on him still have an effect." Han Li sneered, his expression normal.

"So that's how it is!" Sun Ergou showed a look of understanding. It seemed he had also suspected this reason.

"Tell me Qu Hun's current location. From now on, I'll handle him. It seems this matter genuinely isn't your fault. I'll need to see for myself what exactly happened. Also, you no longer need the 'Soul-Guiding Bell'; give it to me." Han Li said unhurriedly after a moment of thought.

"Yes, my lord. Two days ago, I heard from my subordinates that Lord Qu is currently in the west..." Sun Ergou respectfully provided an address about a hundred *li* outside Jiayuan City. Then, he carefully took the "Soul-Guiding Bell" artifact from his embrace and presented it to Han Li with both hands.

Han Li nodded, took the small bell, and briefly inspected the artifact. Finding everything in order, he placed it into his storage pouch.

"Besides Qu Hun's matter, I also have some questions about the Five-Color Gate that I want to ask you. You must answer me truthfully!" Han Li suddenly straightened his face and spoke in a cold voice.

Han Li's expression clearly startled the great gang leader Sun, but he immediately began nodding repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice.

"What kind of person is the current Five-Color Gate Master? Does he have any family? Have any outsiders recently entered the Li Estate? And is he currently residing within the estate?" Han Li asked with a chilling expression.

Sun Ergou shivered inwardly but answered without hesitation:

"As for who the Five-Color Gate Master is, to be honest, I still don't know him very well, having only seen him twice from a distance. I only know that his martial arts are absolutely unfathomable. He has two sons and one daughter, and all are married. I've heard his eldest son is stationed at the old site of the Five-Color Gate's main headquarters, while his second son is with the Gate Master, residing in the Li Estate, I hear..."

Sun Ergou explained in great detail and comprehensively. Clearly, he usually put a lot of effort into gathering intelligence on the Five-Color Gate.

Han Li listened to this information without showing any expression, but a finger on the table unconsciously tapped, as if he were processing the information.

Seeing that Han Li had stopped asking questions for a moment, Sun Ergou's heart stirred, and he cautiously asked:

"My lord, could it be that you intend to act against the Five-Color Gate because of what happened at the Mo Estate all those years ago?"

Hearing this, Han Li frowned, and his expression immediately turned grim.

"You're asking too many questions! Don't ask about things you shouldn't know, and certainly don't guess. You don't want to become a person with amnesia, do you?"

Han Li's voice was icily cold, chilling to the bone, causing Sun Ergou's face to instantly pale as he hastily begged for forgiveness.

After a grunt, Han Li finally let it go! For Han Li, when it was time to establish his authority, he wouldn't hold back in the slightest.