Chapter 668: Four Great-Granduncle

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With a dull thud, the massive fist struck Han Li's back fiercely. The burly man's face lit up with initial pleasure, but his expression instantly changed drastically. A flash of blue light appeared, and the burly man was suddenly sent flying backward, as if struck by a massive hammer.

The middle-aged scholar's expression also changed dramatically, then shifted to astonishment. This was because the burly man, whose large body had just shot towards the scholar, suddenly slowed down and landed lightly on his feet, appearing completely unharmed.

"Brother Li, are you alright? Did you sustain any hidden injuries?" the scholar asked with concern. Though he was a civilian with no physical prowess, he often interacted with the burly man named Li and was aware that martial artists possessed many techniques capable of inflicting invisible wounds.

"No, I'm not hurt," the burly man named Li said in a bewildered whisper, taking a deep breath and realizing his body was completely unharmed. "Their skill is unfathomable, but they don't seem to have malicious intent."

Hearing this, the scholar felt somewhat relieved. He nodded, then turned to face Han Li.

"Brave sir, I am Han Tianxiao, the head of the Han family," the scholar said calmly, his demeanor completely composed. "May I ask if you came specifically to wait for me?"

"Head of the Han family!"

Han Li finally turned around slowly.

"Ah, you..."

"Impossible!"

"Hmph! What do you mean?"

Before Han Li could speak, the scholar and the burly man both gasped as they saw his face clearly. But then the scholar seemed to remember something, and his expression immediately darkened. After his initial surprise, the burly man likewise showed a hostile expression of realization.

"You recognize me?" Han Li asked, frowning. His gaze swept over the two men, searching for familiar faces among them, but after a silent wry smile, he found none.

"Are you feigning ignorance?" the scholar asked, staring at Han Li and speaking each word distinctly. "Since you match the portrait and have disguised yourself as our Han family's Fourth Ancestor, why don't you dare to admit it?"

"'Fourth Ancestor'?" Han Li responded with a half-smile. He was indeed the fourth child in his family back then, so this 'Fourth Ancestor' naturally referred to him. What he didn't understand was how these descendants of the Han family knew his appearance, as he hadn't met any of his relatives face-to-face since he became an adult.

"Oh! When did I say I was your Fourth Ancestor?" Han Li said with a slight smile. "Is it not possible that I was born with this appearance?"

"Indeed, there are many people in the world with similar appearances," the scholar said coldly, his anger quickly subsiding. "However, one whose appearance is strikingly similar to an ancestor and who appears in our Han family ancestral hall, can only be you."

"A good response! Worthy of someone who serves as an official," Han Li complimented, his expression softening. "The Han family's prosperity today is indeed largely due to your efforts!"

"What, are you truly intending to impersonate our ancestor?" the scholar said with a hint of anger, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Impersonate? I *am* him; why would I impersonate?" Han Li countered. "First, tell me, how do you know my appearance? I left home when I was young, so my family shouldn't know what I look like. Was it drawn for you by someone from the Seven Mysteries Sect? Hmm, your surname is Li. What is your relation to Li Feiyu from back then?" Han Li's gaze shifted to the bearded burly man, and he narrowed his eyes slightly. Finally, he felt a faint sense of familiarity in the man's brows.

"You... how do you know my ancestor's name?" the burly man exclaimed, a shocked and angry expression appearing on his face after a moment of stunned surprise. "So you know even the affairs of our Li family so clearly."

Han Li heard this but merely smiled noncommittally.

"Since you keep claiming to be our Fourth Ancestor," the scholar asked with a hint of surprise and suspicion, having been startled when Han Li blurted out "Seven Mysteries Sect" and "Li Feiyu," "you must also know that this Han family ancestor left home when he was young and his whereabouts became unknown. But so many years have passed. This means you are over two hundred years old. How can I not see any signs of such an advanced age on you?"

He had only recently learned about the past affairs of the Han and Li families from a handwritten note. For the other party to know so clearly, could they have already read that note? Thinking of this, the scholar couldn't help but glance at the table where the ancestral tablets were enshrined. There was a hidden compartment there where he kept the handwritten note. Han Li noticed the scholar's strange gaze and swept his spiritual sense across the ancestral table, following the scholar's line of sight. The note in the hidden compartment immediately came into his view.

Without hesitation, Han Li raised a hand and gestured towards the table. Immediately, a scene that left both the burly man and the scholar dumbfounded unfolded.

A flash of light appeared on the ancestral table, and a soft blue glow lifted a faded yellow manual. It floated off the table and gently flew directly towards Han Li. Han Li grabbed the manual, gave a slight shake, and the light dispersed. Then, he calmly began to flip through the note.

Although the scholar had long been seasoned in officialdom, having achieved a demeanor that wouldn't change even if Mount Tai collapsed before him, at this moment, he couldn't help but swallow dryly. He glanced at the burly man in alarm. The burly man's expression was no better; his drastically changed face held a strange look, a mixture of unknown joy and fear.

Just as the scholar found it somewhat strange, the bearded burly man clasped his fists together, bowed deeply to Han Li, and said hesitantly, "Excuse me, are you perhaps a legendary immortal cultivator? If so, with your immortal status, you would certainly not conspire against mere mortals like us. May I ask if you have any token to confirm your identity? After all, this is a matter of great importance, and my brother Han and I cannot easily believe someone based on words alone."

The scholar was stunned by the burly man's words, and then some legendary tales came to his mind. He gasped, drawing a cold breath, and looked at Han Li with a hint of awe. "Oh! I didn't expect you to know about immortal cultivators. That's quite rare!" Han Li said casually. "From this note, it appears you truly are Li Feiyu's descendant, which is incredible. Li Feiyu's children actually formed a lasting bond with our Han family. I never would have imagined that back then. You want a token? That's difficult. At that time, I was solely focused on pursuing the Dao, so I hurriedly left my hometown without a word. How could I have brought any tokens with me? Even to Brother Li back then, I left without saying goodbye. The only things I left were a note and a few bottles of pills."

"Pills?" the burly man surnamed Li said with a start of realization. "Could it be that those medicine bottles our Li family has always kept in the ancestral hall were left by you, Senior?"

"Back then, your ancestor, in pursuit of martial arts mastery, didn't hesitate to take the Bone Marrow Extraction Pill," Han Li said despondently, sighing. "Even if I had left him pills, I'm afraid he wouldn't have been able to die a natural death."

"Senior, I don't know about these matters you speak of," the bearded burly man said cautiously, hesitating for a moment. "However, my father is still alive, and perhaps he knows some things about our ancestors. After all, some secrets are only known to successive family heads. If Senior permits, I will send a letter now to inquire about the veracity of this matter." At this moment, he already believed more than half of it. The ancestor who founded the Li family's vast legacy did indeed have a short lifespan, dying young.

"No need," Han Li said with a desolate tone, waving his hand. "I didn't intend to alarm anyone with my return this time. I merely wanted to see to my last lingering worldly concern and thus sever my earthly ties. Now that I see the descendants of the Han family and my dear friend are all safe and sound, I am relieved."

Upon hearing this, the bearded burly man instead grew anxious and frantically signaled the scholar with his eyes. After all, he knew very well what having a true immortal cultivator as an ancestor would mean for both the Han and Li families.

If the burly man could ponder the pros and cons of this matter, the scholar naturally understood it even more clearly. After a moment of contemplation, he also spoke respectfully: "If you truly are our Fourth Ancestor, I have another method that can immediately verify your identity. Within our Han family ancestral hall, we have preserved some old items used by several of our ancestors back then. If Senior can identify each of these items, this junior will naturally believe Senior's words. Only successive heads of the Han family are qualified to personally clean and offer these items; no one else can distinguish them."

"Old items? Bring them out for me to see," Han Li said calmly. "I left home quite early back then, so I don't know how many I'll be able to identify." If it wasn't too much trouble, he naturally wouldn't refuse to acknowledge the Han family's descendants.

"Please rest assured, Senior," the scholar said. "Many of these items are nostalgic mementos that our ancestors kept from childhood, from a time when they were impoverished. Senior should recognize them. I will go retrieve the items now." After bowing to Han Li, the scholar went downstairs.

A faint rustling sound came from downstairs. A moment later, the scholar came back up, holding a tray covered with a red cloth, and respectfully presented it to Han Li. Han Li pulled back the red cloth, revealing several worn-out small objects before him.

"Oh! So it's these items," Han Li said with a hint of surprise and delight. "I truly didn't expect to see them again in this lifetime."

"Senior, do you recognize all these items?" the scholar asked cautiously, his expression slightly tense.

"Most of them are old items, so naturally I know them," Han Li said. "There are also two or three items that must have been added after I left home; I don't know whose they are. This slingshot and small bow belong to my second brother, Han Zhu; he loved playing with these things when he was a child. And this wooden hairpin was my mother's favorite. The dry tobacco pipe is..." As Han Li picked up each item, he murmured a few words, as if recounting treasured family possessions.

He had only heard Han Li speak halfway when the scholar's heart was filled with absolute certainty. So, without waiting for Han Li to finish speaking, he immediately pulled the burly man, and both bowed deeply in respectful homage.

"Your unfilial descendant Han Tianxiao pays respects to Fourth Ancestor," the scholar said. "If there were any unfilial actions before, I earnestly hope Fourth Ancestor will forgive me." After saying this, he dared not meet Han Li's gaze, his face filled with shame and unease. And the burly man likewise became exceptionally deferential!