Chapter 730: Reappearance of Yingning
Skipping further pleasantries, the large bald man bluntly said, “You three Fellow Daoists arrived just in time. I just received information that an army of spell warriors attacked Fellow Daoist Bu’s Sky Terrace Valley and are coming here in passing. In less than half a day, our defeated allies from Sky Terrace Valley will arrive. I hope when the time comes, you three Fellow Daoists will be able to rescue them.”
Showing not the slightest dissatisfaction at the request, Old Man Ma said, “This will be handled; it is but a trivial affair. I’ll be able to do it myself, so there’s no need for Fellow Daoist Han and Brother Gu to act!”
This caused Han Li and Gu Shuangpu to glance at each other with slight surprise.
The old man twirled his beard and wore a mysterious expression. “Fellow Daoists, don’t be surprised. It isn’t that I wish to show off, but there is a recently acquired treasure that I wish to test. Surely you won’t fight me on this?”
Gu Shuangpu chuckled and indifferently said, “Hehe! Fellow Daoist Ma must feel confident. I’ll definitely leave it to you.
“That’s good. Let’s have Fellow Daoist and Brother Gu take a rest first and leave it to Fellow Daoist Ma. However, I’ll have the Murong Brothers accompany Fellow Daoist Ma on the trip. The two have cultivated the Lightning Bind spell technique. It should prove quite powerful.”
The old man had no intention of opposing him. After all, having allied accompaniment in an unfamiliar area was proper conduct.
Afterwards, Old Man Ma and the Murong Brothers immediately set off to receive the defeated Nine Nation cultivators. As for Han Li and Gu Shuangpu. They were led inside the hall by the remaining two Core Formation cultivators and were given a place to rest for the time being.
Along the way, Han Li and the old man separated, and Han Li was led to a small serene building by the young woman.
The dainty woman pointed to the building and stood to the side as she spoke, “Senior Han, this place is normally strictly prohibited from low-grade disciples. It should be an optimal place to meditate. Senior may rest here.”
“It is quite good.” Han Li nodded with a trace of satisfaction on his face.
The woman didn’t immediately depart. Instead, she hesitated and asked, “Senior, is Fellow Daoist Nie Yin doing well? I haven’t seen Senior Martial Sister in a long time.”
With some surprise, Han Li shot the young woman an appraising look and calmly asked, “What, are you familiar with Young Lady Nie?”
At that moment, Han Li discovered that although the woman felt somewhat familiar despite being the first time he had ever seen her, he unconsciously developed a good impression of her. As Han Li gazed at the woman, she began to feel slightly apprehensive and upset, and her complexion turned scarlet.
“I was able to enter the Saber Transformation Dock in much thanks to Senior Martial Sister Nie’s recommendation,” the dainty woman explained with a lowered her head. “How could I be not be close with her?”
“Yingning? Li Yingning?” When Han Li heard this, he couldn’t help but reveal an astonished expression.
Li Yingning unconsciously raised her head and astonishedly asked, “Has Senior heard my name before?”
Han Li didn’t answer the woman and simply took a deep breath before asking, “What was your mother’s name? What country did she come from?”
The woman hesitated for a long while, debating inwardly whether or not the information should be hidden. Something then came to her mind and replied, “My mother’s name was Mo Yuzhu. She came from the State of Yue. Why does Senior ask this?”
After a moment of silence, he said, “Do you still have the Passing Spirit Jade pendant?”
“I do have it. I’ve kept it close at hand ever since I was small.” After she replied, she blushed underneath his stare and turned around.
She fumbled within her robes for a moment and turned around with a white jade pendant in her hand. Han Li beckoned to it as soon as he saw it and had the jade pendant fly into his hand. Once he rubbed the smooth surface of the jade pendant, Han Li let out a long sigh and wore a listless expression.
“You should realize who I am now,” he said after a long while. “What did your mother say of me?”
He examined the woman once more and eventually found a trace of Mo Yuzhu’s resemblance after knowing what to search for. Although her beauty was somewhat less than her mother in her prime, he could still find a similar trace of country-shaking beauty.
With a wavering expression, Li Yingzhu muttered, “In the past, Mother didn’t speak much of you. I only heard that she had a close friend who gave me a congratulations present at the time, a cultivator. After I entered the cultivation world, I attempted to find the gifter of this jade pendant several times, but I found no information. I didn’t expect that Senior gave it to her. After all, Senior is a Drifting Cloud Sect cultivator.”
Han Li stroked his nose and wryly smiled. “I only recently entered the Drifting Cloud Sect several years ago. In the past, I was no longer able to remain in the State of Yue, so it is no surprise that you’ve heard nothing of me. How was it you were able to enter the Saber Transformation Dock? It is reasonable to say that it would come to no surprise if you joined the Controlling Spirit Sect.”
Li Yinzhu blinked in astonishment and asked, “Why would that come as no surprise if I were a disciple of the Controlling Spirit Sect?”
With a tone of surprise, Han Li asked in turn, “You didn’t know about your father’s affairs?”
The woman’s expression grew dim and she forced a smile. “I know little of my father. From my earliest memory, my grandfather and my father died from unknown causes, and I lived alone with my mother. She brought me away from the State of Yue and we wandered for a long time before finally arriving within the territories of the Nine Nations Union.”
Han Li nodded his head as if he had suddenly realized something. “So it was like that! It seems that your father and mother were caught in the crossfire of the Devil Dao’s inner struggle. After all, the Ghost Spirit Sect were the ones who had ended up controlling the State of Yue, not the Controlling Spirit Sect.”
“An internal struggle amongst the Devil Dao?” The woman seemed confused by what Han Li had said.
Han Li didn’t further elaborate upon seeing this and instead returned the jade pendant to the woman and smiled. “This Passing Spirit Jade has followed you throughout many years, so naturally I won’t be taking it from you. Before I entered the world of Immortal cultivation, I was your mother’s senior martial brother of sorts. You may call me Martial Senior Han in the future.”
Still puzzled, the woman blinked several times with large eyes, but she still softly shouted, “Martial Senior Han!” Although she felt slightly embarrassed, she was more than willing to accept having another Nascent Soul Senior. She was even secretly delighted over it.
Han Li wore a friendly smile on his face and he summoned two jade bottles with a flip of his hand. “Since you’ve called me Martial Senior, I can’t ignore it. Here are two medicine bottles. They are quite useful for breaking through bottlenecks at Core Formation stage.” In his point of view, if he could assist the descendant of an old friend, he wasn’t going to be petty about it.
“Many thanks, Martial Senior.” The woman accepted the medicine pill and revealed an expression of pleasant surprise. Her voice sounded both crisp and sincere.
“What sort of magic treasure do you use?” Han Li asked after a moment of thought. “Could it be the flying saber that you were flying on?”
Li Yingning paused for a moment and replied with a puzzled tone, “That’s right, it’s that magic treasure. The flying saber was refined from Intense Flame Iron and Profound Blossom Crystal. Its power is quite good.”
Han Li shook his head and said, “Were this ordinary times, the flying saber would be sufficient. But now that you must contend against spell warriors, I fear it would be quite dangerous to rely on that magic treasure alone.”
Li Yingning helplessly said, “However, if Martial Senior were to give me another magic treasure now, I wouldn’t have the time to refine it.”
When Han Li heard this, he muttered to himself with a pensive expression. A short moment later, he slapped the spirit beast pouch at his waist and a large swarm of black-tainted Gold Devouring Beetles flocked around him, forming a three-meter-wide insect cloud above him.
A bright glint flickered in Han Li’s eyes and he pointed to the insect swarm. A small portion of the insect swarm separated off and were struck by an azure spell seal. The cloud of Gold Devouring Beetles then gathered together in a flash of azure light and instantly transformed in a sparkling, fist-sized ball of black, silver, and gold.
Once the ball slowly fell into Han Li’s hand, Han Li tossed the ball to the woman and he solemnly said, “Place this item well. I meticulously transformed these insects. When you encounter an enemy that is difficult to deal with, throw the ball. It will save your life.”
Li Yingzhu was stunned by the sight and was awakened by Han Li’s words. She immediately accepted the ball and repeated uttered her thanks, “Many thanks for Martial Senior Han’s deep kindness!”
The last doubts regarding Han Li in this woman’s heart had finally disappeared. At this moment, she completely trusted Han Li. Why else would he give her such valuable gifts without having a previous relation?
“Alright, you may leave now. I wish to rest.” After that was said, Han Li took back the remaining insect cloud and waved his hand.
The hurried rush to this strategic location had drained much of his magic power and he needed to restore it.
Using a faintly intimate tone, Li Yingning said, “Martial Senior Han, have a proper rest. If the spell warrior army arrives, I will come and inform you.”
