Chapter 943: Sword Resonance

"General Zhunan! So you are one of the renowned Eight Generals of the Great Jin Dynasty. I am deeply impressed." Han Li had merely given a polite nod when he learned the glamorous woman was Senior Sister Cao Mengrong, but upon hearing the identity of the imposing man beside her, a flicker of emotion crossed his face.

Although he knew very little about the Great Jin imperial court, he was still aware of some of its most prominent high-ranking officials.

The Eight Great Generals collectively commanded almost half of the Great Jin court's military might. Each general led an army of a million elite soldiers, guarding crucial border fortresses.

Han Li, however, knew of the "Eight Generals" not because he paid much attention to the mortal world. Rather, it was widely known that among these eight, apart from two or three who were direct confidants of the imperial family, the others had connections with various major forces in the cultivation world. Some were even openly supported by these very powers, making it difficult for the Great Jin imperial family to easily displace them. Since General Zhunan did not bear an imperial surname, Han Li presumed he, too, was affiliated with one of these influential forces.

"Mengrong told me you are also a cultivator, sir. How could I, a mere mortal, be so presumptuous in your presence?" The middle-aged man chuckled, then cupped his hands to Han Li and spoke calmly.

Han Li, of course, knew these were merely polite words.

Given the man's status, while Nascent Soul cultivators might be beyond his reach, Core Formation cultivators would not be difficult for him to recruit. Yet, the cultivation level Han Li had previously displayed to Cao Mengrong was merely at the Qi Condensation stage. For this man to be so courteous to a "low-level cultivator" like himself, he was truly no ordinary individual. Still, Han Li wondered why someone leading a party to the capital had no high-level cultivators accompanying him. That was quite audacious.

With these thoughts in mind, Han Li replied with equal humility:

"Not at all, General Wang, you are too kind. Even we unaffiliated cultivators have long heard of your esteemed reputation."

"Fellow Daoist Han," Miss Wang said with a meaningful smile, "I heard you once guided Senior Sister Cao's cultivation for a while, and she managed to advance two levels in just a few years. My master was ecstatic when he found out, constantly remarking on her good fortune. He even speculated that you, Brother Han, likely concealed your true cultivation realm, as cultivators of the same level simply couldn't achieve such incredible feats. Now, seeing that you have no spiritual energy emanating from you, it's clear you're skilled in aura concealment techniques. It seems my master's words were not mistaken."

"Is that true, Brother Han? What exactly is your cultivation level...?" Cao Mengrong, too, snapped out of her initial delight at seeing Han Li. After scrutinizing him closely and failing to sense any fluctuations of spiritual power, a look of surprise appeared on her face.

"I encountered a mishap that day," Han Li replied calmly with a slight smile, "and sustained severe injuries. My cultivation suffered a significant decline, and I've only recently begun to recover slightly. I had no intention of misleading Fellow Daoist Cao." He, however, had no desire to reveal his true cultivation realm.

Miss Wang blinked her beautiful eyes and meticulously observed Han Li once more, yet still sensed nothing from him. Despite her inner astonishment, a charming smile appeared on her face.

"So, Fellow Daoist Han, you truly are a senior cultivator. Senior Sister treated you as an equal back then; you won't hold it against her, will you?"

"Forget this talk of seniors and juniors," Han Li said dismissively, shaking his head. "I am merely an unaffiliated cultivator in the Great Jin Dynasty, and I don't put much emphasis on such titles. I was saved by Fellow Daoist Cao that day; let us simply continue our interactions as equals."

Hearing these words, Cao Mengrong's previously uncertain expression finally returned to normal. Her cheeks flushed as she tacitly agreed to Han Li's suggestion.

"So, Mr. Han truly is a senior master with profound magical power," the middle-aged man interjected. "Although I am merely a mortal, I enjoy associating with immortal masters. I observe that you also seem to be heading to the capital; perhaps we could travel together?" Once his beloved daughter and Han Li concluded their conversation, he extended the invitation with remarkable frankness.

"Travel together? Very well. I would be delighted to join you then," Han Li replied readily after a brief moment of thought. He had, in fact, been looking for someone familiar with the Jin Capital to get a good understanding of the upcoming auction.

Given the prominent status of the man before him, even if he wasn't a cultivator, he was surely privy to a great deal of information.

Subsequently, Han Li exchanged a few words with the two women, learning that Cao Mengrong's father had enjoyed smooth advancement in his official career in recent years. He had been transferred from a mere county commandant to serve as a military officer in the capital. Although his official rank hadn't significantly changed, moving from a provincial post to the Jin Capital was naturally considered a considerable promotion.

However, at the time Cao's father came to the capital, Cao Mengrong was undergoing crucial closed-door cultivation and thus did not accompany him.

This time, as Senior Sister Wang and her father were passing by her residence, Cao Mengrong had just emerged from her closed-door cultivation, so she naturally decided to accompany her senior sister to the capital.

Han Li merely glossed over his experiences of the past few years, stating only that he had been living in seclusion somewhere, recuperating from injuries, and had only recently emerged.

There was, of course, nothing more to elaborate on.

Neither Cao Mengrong nor the other woman harbored any suspicions or asked further questions. After all, anyone who had witnessed Han Li's emergence from the ice seal knew his vitality had been severely depleted, and it was certainly not something that could be fully restored in just a few years.

Just then, a waiter from the tea shop below brought up a pot of fine tea. Han Li and the two women exchanged a few more words before leisurely savoring it.

After they finished their tea, the middle-aged man finally spoke, surprisingly engaging Han Li in conversation about ancient texts and rare book fragments from his personal collection. It was impossible to discern that his true identity was that of a battle-hardened military man; he could easily have been mistaken for an impoverished scholar.

Nevertheless, General Zhunan always spoke with a gentle smile and refined elegance, his bearing truly exceptional. Han Li found himself inexplicably developing a good impression of him.

Furthermore, while Han Li had little interest in poetry or literature, he had, in his search for ancient alchemy recipes and cultivation secret arts, perused countless ancient classics, learning numerous hidden facts and secret histories. When he casually mentioned a few such anecdotes, General Zhunan couldn't help but exclaim in wonder and press him with eager questions.

Consequently, after only a few sentences, Han Li and the middle-aged man found their conversation flowing so easily that they ended up leaving the two women somewhat neglected on the sidelines.

Witnessing this, Miss Wang turned to Cao Mengrong and offered a wry smile, feeling a touch of silent frustration.

Her father was good in every respect, except for his passion for collecting ancient books and artifacts, and his particular interest in various rumors and secret histories from the ancient, prehistoric era. Now, "Senior Han" seemed remarkably knowledgeable on these very subjects, and their discussion quickly made them feel like kindred spirits.

Cao Mengrong, however, had little to say, simply sitting quietly to the side and listening to their conversation. Her gaze would occasionally flicker across Han Li's face before quickly retracting with a certain evasiveness.

As Miss Wang's keen eyes observed this scene, she found herself mildly amused.

Through heart-to-heart talks with Junior Sister Cao along the journey, Miss Wang had vaguely come to understand that a tender affection in her junior sister's heart had become deeply entwined with the man before them. Whenever she spoke of him, she would blush, seemingly recounting him with unwavering fondness.

This had led Miss Wang to believe that "Fellow Daoist Han" must be incredibly handsome and suave, given how deeply her junior sister—who was typically quite indifferent to her male fellow disciples—had fallen for him. However, upon meeting Han Li in person today, Miss Wang couldn't help but shake her head in disbelief.

The unaffiliated cultivator named Han Li, standing before them, bore no resemblance to the image of a handsome and suave man. He was, frankly, plain-looking. Moreover, as a likely Foundation Establishment cultivator, his lifespan was vastly different from that of low-level cultivators like her junior sister, who had little hope of reaching Foundation Establishment. He truly wasn't a suitable partner for her junior sister!

As Miss Wang pondered these thoughts, she considered whether to undertake the unpleasant task of playing the meddler in their affections.

In her eyes, even if Han Li's cultivation was somewhat higher, as the daughter of General Zhunan, making him back down wouldn't be too difficult. If all else failed, she could always ask the two Core Formation stage guest cultivators in her mansion to intervene; the man would then have no choice but to leave obediently.

"So that's it!" General Wang exclaimed. "The great upheaval that transformed heaven and earth back then was actually due to unstable spatial rifts, allowing demons from another realm to invade the human world. I, Wang, have truly never heard this explanation before; the two Core Formation immortal masters in my residence have never mentioned this to me. Brother Han, you are truly omniscient! You've greatly broadened my horizons.

"However, I still have one query I'd like to seek your enlightenment on. In ancient legends, there's an immortal mountain called 'Kunwu,' said to be the abode of true celestial beings. Back then..." General Zhunan seemed far from exhausting his conversational enthusiasm. Just as he was about to ask something else after clarifying a previous point, Han Li, sitting opposite him, suddenly emitted a clear, resonant sound like a dragon's cry from within his body. Although not loud, every person present heard it distinctly, and they all looked towards Han Li with astonished expressions.

Han Li's expression shifted dramatically. With a flash of green light around him, he abruptly vanished from his seat.

The two women were startled, hastily looking around, only to discover that Han Li had mysteriously reappeared outside the tea stall, standing at the entrance with a grave expression as he gazed up at the sky.

"What happened, Fellow Daoist Han? Is that a magic treasure within you? Are you a Core Formation cultivator?" Miss Wang mumbled, her face etched with shock. Beside her, Cao Mengrong tightly clutched a handkerchief in her hands, gazing at Han Li with a pale face, uttering no sound.

"Nothing much," Han Li replied, his expression quickly calming. "I merely sensed an old acquaintance flying through the air. Unfortunately, his escape velocity was too swift, making pursuit impossible. As for the sound just now, it was indeed my innate flying sword acting up within me. I apologize for surprising General Wang and the two fellow Daoists. Given this development, I regret that I won't be able to continue this journey with you all. I have urgent matters to attend to, so I must take my leave." He immediately turned, cupped his fist to the middle-aged man and the two women, and spoke apologetically.

Then, without waiting for anyone to reply, he stamped his foot, transformed into a streak of green light about a zhang in length, and shot into the sky.

This scene was witnessed by several merchants who had just emerged from another nearby tea shop. They immediately knelt down and kowtowed in a panic, shouting loudly:

"An Immortal Master! An Immortal Master just flew into the heavens!"

"He flew right from that spot..."

The nearby tea shops erupted in commotion, and everyone poured out of their establishments.

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