Chapter 405: Heavenly Thunder Bamboo

Han Li left the teahouse, but instead of immediately flying back to his cave dwelling on his artifact, he walked some distance down the street before suddenly turning behind another shop, which was not far from the teahouse.

He then gently closed his eyes, remaining motionless and expressionless.

After a while, Han Li's expression shifted; he frowned, then opened his eyes.

A moment ago, he had secretly extended his spiritual sense back into the teahouse, intending to overhear what the others might say after his departure. However, as soon as his spiritual sense neared the private room, it was blocked by a protective barrier.

This barrier was not particularly sophisticated; Han Li could easily break through it by force of his powerful spiritual sense.

However, doing so would create too much commotion, defeating the purpose of stealthy eavesdropping. Han Li naturally wouldn't undertake such a thankless task, so he withdrew his spiritual sense.

"It seems the Wondrous Sound Sect is indeed not an ordinary group; there are no immediate openings to exploit," he thought.

With that thought, Han Li opened his mouth and spat out a small green sword, about an inch long, and ascended into the sky on it.

Upon returning to his residence, Han Li retrieved the storage bags containing demonic beast materials from his secret chamber. Then, to be cautious, he summoned Qu Hun, and they both left the cave dwelling together.

This back-and-forth trip took Han Li several hours.

Fortunately, by the time he and Qu Hun returned to the teahouse, the middle-aged man, Madam Fan's subordinate, was standing at the entrance, eagerly awaiting them. As soon as he saw Han Li, he immediately ran inside with a look of joy.

Han Li knew the man was informing Madam Fan, but he paid it no mind, leisurely following him inside with Qu Hun.

Upon reaching the private room in the teahouse, the young woman and the middle-aged man were already respectfully waiting at the doorway for Han Li.

"Madam and the Elder are waiting for you, Senior!" the young woman said respectfully, though she cast a curious glance at Qu Hun while speaking.

Han Li had no intention of introducing Qu Hun. After a nod, he unceremoniously entered the room, with Qu Hun following closely behind.

The young woman hesitated, but ultimately didn't dare to step forward and ask further.

Inside the room, Madam Fan had already replaced her veil. Seeing Han Li enter, her eyes lit up, and she gracefully greeted him.

"Senior Han, you returned so quickly! I thought I'd have to wait a bit longer. Oh, and this Senior is..." Madam Fan had been smiling, but she paused when she saw Qu Hun behind Han Li.

"This is my friend, Qu Hun. He heard about this matter and wished to observe. I trust Madam won't mind?" Han Li said casually, with a slight chuckle.

"Of course not. Please, both Seniors, have a seat!"

Madam Fan's beautiful eyes swept over Qu Hun's ugly face. Seeing his cold demeanor, she smiled sweetly and spoke.

Secretly, however, she felt relieved that she hadn't truly intended to make a move earlier. Otherwise, if such a Core Formation stage helper had suddenly appeared, her plan would certainly have failed, and she would have made a formidable enemy.

Nevertheless, her desire to win over Han Li intensified.

"The materials are all inside. Madam can take a look first!" Han Li wasted no time. As soon as he sat down, he tossed the two storage bags containing the materials onto the tea table in front of her.

Madam Fan couldn't hide the joy on her face. After repeatedly thanking him, she took the storage bags. After a quick scan with her spiritual sense, she casually handed them to Elder Zhao, who was standing nearby.

The elder discreetly took the items. He carefully took out each material from the storage bags to verify their authenticity.

As there were many materials, this process was naturally not quick. Madam Fan of the Wondrous Sound Sect engaged Han Li in pleasant conversation, subtly trying to inquire about the origin of these materials.

However, Han Li was far too sharp; he continuously engaged her in vague conversations, ensuring she gained no information.

After some time, Elder Zhao finally finished inventorying the materials and estimated a price, which he conveyed to the woman from the Wondrous Sound Sect.

After hearing it, the woman pondered for a moment, then slightly lowered the price by ten percent before quoting it to Han Li.

Upon hearing the price, Han Li pondered, a reaction that made Madam Fan somewhat uneasy.

To secure the deal, she hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and proactively increased the price by another half a percent.

Only after hearing the new offer did Han Li nod in agreement.

Although he knew the offered price was still slightly lower than ideal, he was content to be able to dispose of all these items in one go.

Madam Fan felt a great sense of relief when Han Li agreed.

She then poured out a small pile of mid-grade spirit stones from her storage bag and pushed them towards Han Li.

Han Li unceremoniously accepted them.

The transaction was thus concluded successfully, with both parties relatively satisfied.

Han Li prepared to stand up and take his leave.

"I've heard, Senior, that you are searching for some unusual spirit bamboo. Coincidentally, I happen to have information regarding this. Might Senior be interested in hearing a thing or two?" Madam Fan said, seemingly casually.

Han Li's heart pounded at her words, and he couldn't help but look at her.

At that moment, Madam Fan's beautiful eyes met Han Li's with a smile, a strange gleam hidden within their depths.

This master of allure from the Wondrous Sound Sect intended to subtly plant a seed deep within Han Li's mind while his emotions were stirred, allowing her to gradually bring him under her influence later, almost imperceptibly.

However, the moment their gazes met, Han Li perceived a strong, captivating allure in her eyes. It was deeply mesmerizing, pulling him in, making him feel as if he would drown and be unable to extricate himself.

"Charm!"

Almost simultaneously with his mind nearly giving way, this thought flashed like lightning through Han Li's brain.

Han Li's heart instantly chilled, and his eyes suddenly became extremely cold. The piercing chill in his gaze made Madam Fan, who was casting her charm on him, feel a shiver, and her enchanting technique instantly failed.

Startled, Madam Fan hastily tried to avert her gaze. Yet, for some reason, her entire head from the neck up felt numb and immobile; she couldn't turn it even slightly, nor could she open her mouth.

"Cultivation backlash!"

The moment Madam Fan thought of this, she was terrified out of her wits and desperately channeled her cultivation to break free from the counter-control of Han Li's gaze!

"What are you doing to Envoy Fan Zu?"

Elder Zhao, noticing Madam Fan's distress, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he took a large stride to approach her.

However, a figure blurred, and Qu Hun, expressionless, vanished from one side and reappeared in front of him. Qu Hun's strange movement technique startled the elder, leaving him unsure whether to act.

Meanwhile, Madam Fan, whom he had addressed, struggled repeatedly without success. The charm in her eyes was completely gone, replaced by a look of desperate pleading, appearing pitifully vulnerable and hoping Han Li would show mercy.

"Hmph!"

With a cold snort from Han Li, the chill in his eyes finally receded.

The woman, as if granted a great reprieve, hastily averted her gaze. But at the same time, she couldn't help but open her small mouth and spit out a mouthful of fresh blood, staining her veil crimson.

"Envoy Fan Zu, you..." Elder Zhao's brows furrowed in anger at the sight, and he glared at Han Li, his hair bristling, clearly intending to make a move. "Elder Zhao, don't be angry! Senior Han showed mercy. I merely suffered a slight qi imbalance and feel much better after spitting out the blood!" Madam Fan, startled, hastily stopped the elder's rash move, forcing a smile as she spoke.

Hearing her words, the elder's expression relaxed slightly, returning to normal.

"I truly didn't expect, Senior, that you are also a master of illusion arts! My earlier attempt was truly reckless, and I hope Senior will not hold it against me. However, I genuinely know the whereabouts of a small section of 'Heavenly Thunder Bamboo'," the woman said, her gaze towards Han Li still carrying a hint of fear, as she proactively brought up the matter, afraid Han Li might pursue the earlier incident.

"Heavenly Thunder Bamboo!"

Han Li's usually cold expression changed upon hearing Madam Fan's words.

"The Heavenly Thunder Bamboo, one of the three legendary Divine Woods?" Han Li, forgetting to pursue the previous incident, asked with a hint of disbelief and excitement in his voice.

Although he wanted to use unusual bamboo to refine magical treasures, he had never dared to dream of using one of the three Divine Woods!

Hadn't it been said that the three Divine Woods were long extinct?

"Yes, it is indeed Heavenly Thunder Bamboo! Actually, I personally handled this divine item, so there's absolutely no mistake," Madam Fan said with certainty, taking out a small jade bottle, consuming a pill, and recovering some of her energy.

"Has this rare item already been sold to someone else?" Han Li stared at the woman, his voice turning cold again.

At the same time, he wondered, "Has this woman not learned her lesson? Does she want to use me to eliminate her enemies?"

"No. This item was originally intended for auction at the Heavenly Star City auction house, but unexpectedly, it, along with a large batch of our sect's goods, was intercepted midway. However, our sect has now located the culprits' hideout and is preparing to invite some fellow cultivators to capture them all in one go!" Madam Fan recounted honestly after a slight hesitation.