Chapter 942: Unexpected Encounter with an Old Friend

After a night, Han Li emerged from the stone chamber, left the mountain's interior, and headed directly towards Jin Capital. This city, the largest in the mortal world, was located there.

As it was still early, Han Li, to avoid drawing attention, traveled leisurely eastward, using the normal escape speed of a Core Formation cultivator.

Soon after, Han Li smoothly left Longzhou and entered the neighboring prefecture. Only then did he take out his Wind-Riding Chariot, activating its full speed to transform into a streak of white light, and departed, piercing through the air.

With the subtle aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator that Han Li faintly exuded, any low-level cultivators he occasionally encountered on the way respectfully steered clear. In the Great Jin, Nascent Soul cultivators were figures that ordinary cultivators looked up to with reverence. Naturally, no one dared to show the slightest disrespect.

Over a month later, upon entering Jinjiang Prefecture near Jin Capital, Han Li put away his Wind-Riding Chariot, slowed his escape speed, and simultaneously reined in his aura to the Core Formation stage, proceeding slowly.

After all, in the heartland of the Great Jin, there were certainly many high-level cultivators, and he did not want to draw undue attention.

Ten days later, about a hundred miles outside Jin Capital, an old horse with scorched yellow fur pulled a dilapidated two-wheeled carriage, slowly progressing along the official road.

In front of the carriage sat a scholar in a green robe, with an ordinary appearance. It was Han Li.

At this time, he sat in front of the carriage, swaying, his eyes half-closed, appearing to be half-asleep. In reality, he was secretly refining a Snow Soul Pill he had consumed a few days prior.

Speaking of which, since he emerged from that spatial rift, he had already consumed more than a dozen of these pills that enhance ice-cold power.

This elixir truly lived up to its reputation as an ancient spiritual pill. Han Li clearly felt the cold energy from the Azure Blazing Ice Flame and the Six-Winged Frost Centipede, which he had previously refined, becoming increasingly pure.

A trace of unrefinable impurities remaining in the Violet Celestial Flame also gradually merged and disappeared, significantly increasing the power of the cold energy.

The only slight issue was that these pills were not easy to refine. The interval between consuming each pill was almost three to four months, which made Han Li somewhat helpless. Otherwise, if he could consume one pill every month, he estimated that the Violet Celestial Flame would become terrifyingly powerful in just over a hundred years. Perhaps he could even cultivate it to the legendary realm of "Ice Sealing a Thousand Miles."

Even so, the Violet Celestial Flame was no less inferior to any top-tier divine ability from either the righteous or demonic cultivation paths. It was almost never truly countered by other cultivation techniques.

As for why Han Li chose to appear here riding a carriage, it was because Jin Capital, as the mortal capital, had an unwritten rule in the Great Jin cultivation world: fighting and flying were strictly forbidden within a thousand miles of Jin Capital. This was to show a degree of respect from cultivators towards the Great Jin government.

In the Great Jin, cultivators and mortals were co-dependent to some extent. However, this rule only applied to low-level cultivators. Many Nascent Soul cultivators, and even Core Formation cultivators confident in their escape techniques, often disregarded it.

After all, those responsible for patrolling the vicinity of Jin Capital were usually rogue cultivators hired by the government, whose cultivation levels were generally not very high. As long as one wasn't discovered, or didn't blatantly fly at low altitude when entering the capital, it was fine.

Han Li also paid no heed to this.

However, since he had ample time and also wanted to refine this Snow Soul Pill on the way, he descended from his escape light hundreds of miles away. He casually bought an old horse in a small town and leisurely set off.

Along the way, Han Li did encounter some low-level cultivators who were diligently traveling by horse or carriage. However, not wanting to cause trouble, Han Li withdrew his magical power, appearing just like a mortal. These low-level cultivators naturally couldn't see through him in the slightest, nor did anyone approach to bother him.

Because Han Li's carriage was not fast, seven or eight groups of travelers and merchant caravans had already passed him on this official road.

Han Li, meanwhile, remained unperturbed, continuing with his own business. He was currently feeling a faint trace of medicinal power from his dantian slowly spreading through his meridians, accompanied by a cooling sensation. Just as he felt his heart was calm as water, he suddenly frowned. Then, from the road behind the carriage, a flurry of hoofbeats, like a storm, abruptly arose.

Han Li's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes opened. With a casual tug on the reins, the old horse immediately obediently moved to the side, allowing the carriage to pull over to the edge of the official road.

Han Li then lazily glanced back.

He saw a "yellow dragon" rolling towards him along the official road behind, with banners fluttering, as if a mighty army was charging towards him.

A hint of surprise appeared on Han Li's face.

The yellow dragon quickly approached Han Li's position. A team of silver-helmeted, silver-armored knights, with swords at their waists and bows on their backs, appeared faintly in the dust, gradually becoming clear.

These knights were all robust and formidable. Leading them was a middle-aged man in brocade robes riding a large black horse, with a long sword at his waist. On a banner behind him, a large character "Wang" was emblazoned. Amidst the knights, several jade carriages pulled by spirited steeds also galloped alongside the team. These carriages glowed with a faint spiritual light, and despite their rapid pace, they remained perfectly steady, as if weightless.

"Magical artifacts?" Han Li's eyes flashed with surprise upon seeing the carriages. His spiritual sense swept over them slightly. The other carriages seemed fine, apparently holding some inanimate objects, but from one carriage, he faintly detected the aura of a cultivator. Although the aura was very weak, it was quite unexpected to find an ordinary cultivator mixed in with these soldiers.

Han Li pulled the reins, stopping the carriage completely at the roadside to allow the soldiers to pass.

This cavalry troop probably numbered around three to four hundred, and as they passed, they were like a raging hurricane, their momentum astonishingly powerful.

Han Li's eyes flickered a few times. These knights all carried an aura of ferocity, as if they were all valiant and skilled warriors. These were no ordinary city guards; they seemed more like border garrisons accustomed to frequent bloody battles.

He had heard that although the Great Jin was vast, it bordered some uncivilized lands to its southeast and northwest. Frequent mortal wars occurred there with the indigenous inhabitants. Only in such chaotic places could true iron-blooded soldiers be forged.

As Han Li pondered, a jade carriage passed by. A glance flashed from a gap in its window, falling precisely upon Han Li at the roadside. Immediately, a soft exclamation sounded from within the carriage.

Han Li seemed to sense something as well and couldn't help but look up. A pair of familiar bright eyes quickly swept past the carriage window.

His heart paused slightly, but before he could recall who it was, the cavalry troop had already ridden far away.

Staring at the departing formation, Han Li pondered for a moment, then shook his head, abandoning the idea of extending his spiritual sense into the carriages for a closer look. It wasn't that Han Li was too lazy to do so; rather, those jade carriages surprisingly carried some simple isolation restrictions. To investigate thoroughly, he would inevitably be detected by the people inside.

Moreover, the person inside the carriage was only at the Qi Condensation stage, and Han Li did not want to cause any trouble just because of a low-level cultivator.

After calmly watching the knights ride into the distance, Han Li continued driving his carriage forward.

This time, after only traveling about ten miles, a three-way intersection of several official roads appeared ahead, with a large expanse of lush forest beside the road. Several simple tea shops were built together along the forest edge.

Many carriages and horses were parked outside the tea shops, their owners having entered these humble establishments to drink and eat. After all, this was almost the only resting place along this route to Jin Capital. Most passersby would pause here for a short break.

Han Li's gaze casually swept around and saw the silver-armored knights dismounting and resting by the forest edge. The jade carriages were also parked there, but one of them was now half-open and appeared empty inside. The middle-aged man in brocade robes was also not among the knights.

Han Li frowned slightly and subconsciously glanced at the tea shops. He then quietly urged his horse and carriage forward, intending to pass through this intersection and continue his journey.

But just then, one of the armored knights, upon seeing Han Li's carriage, suddenly strode over and blocked his path.

Han Li couldn't help but be surprised.

"Is this young master's surname Han?" the knight asked, bowing slightly to Han Li, speaking neither subserviently nor arrogantly.

"Yes, that is my surname! Do you need something?" Han Li's expression shifted, and he slowly replied.

"Since it is indeed Young Master Han, then I haven't come to the wrong person. My young mistress invites you to the tea shop for a talk."

"Your young mistress? Hmm… alright, I'll go over." Han Li's expression shifted. Remembering the pair of bright eyes he had seen in the carriage earlier, he pondered for a moment before finally nodding and agreeing.

He then dismounted from the carriage.

"Please come, Young Master. My young mistress has already reserved that small tea shop over there. Please follow me." The armored knight said in a deep voice, gesturing towards the forest edge. Immediately, two other armored knights came over to take Han Li's carriage.

Han Li then followed the man towards one of the tea shops.

A moment later, Han Li appeared before two women and one man inside the tea shop. The man was naturally the middle-aged man in brocade robes, over forty years old, with a long beard and narrow eyes, possessing an air of authority without needing to express anger.

The other two women were both in the prime of their youth and were cultivators. One was at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, and the other at the fifth level.

"Brother Han, it's been years since we last met. I never expected to encounter you here. Mengrong will never forget the guidance you offered me back then."

The man remained seated, but the two women immediately rose to greet Han Li as he entered. The woman with the lower cultivation, in particular, bit her apricot-shaped lips slightly as she spoke, a hint of joy subtly appearing on her beautiful face.

"So it's Miss Cao. What a coincidence! I apologize for leaving without saying goodbye back then, Fellow Daoist Cao. I hope you don't mind." Han Li, after a brief surprise, replied with a smile.

This woman was none other than Cao Mengrong, the county magistrate's daughter whom he had met years ago when he first arrived in the Great Jin.

"Back then, Brother Han must have had important matters to attend to, so how could Mengrong possibly blame you? Oh, right, let me introduce you. This is Senior Sister Wang; she took great care of me in the sect and was like a sister to me. And this is Senior Sister Wang's uncle, General Zhunan, a renowned figure who has always been stationed in the southern borders of the Great Jin. This time, he is here by imperial decree to report to the court and meet the emperor." Cao Mengrong then began to introduce the middle-aged man and the other beautiful young woman with a peach-blossom like face to Han Li.