The Falling Out

Chapter 116: The Falling Out

Han Li finished speaking, then let out a yawn. He followed this with a cold laugh. “Wronging you? That’s quite the claim. Do you truly believe I am afraid of your Mo Estate?”

“If it weren’t for the fact that Doctor Mo was once my teacher for a few days, teaching me a fair bit of medicine, and that beating up on women would damage my reputation, hmph. Do you think any of you are a match for me? With one hand, I could slaughter every last chicken and dog in your entire estate.” Han Li’s words were icy to the bone, and his expression had turned grim.

He had made up his mind. Since he could not trick the Warm Yang Jade out of the Mo Estate, and with the Yin poison still in his body, he would have to use force. His plan was to reveal a little of his skill, let Yan Shi and the others understand the danger they were in, and then simply take the “Warm Yang Jade” by force.

When the women first heard Han Li’s harsh words, they were stunned for a moment, but then they began to sneer. Third Mistress Liu was laughing so hard she was shaking and had to bend over at the waist.

It was clear that none of these women believed Han Li. But soon, the smiles on their faces froze completely.

Han Li had extended a single finger. At its tip, a ball of fire had suddenly appeared. The moment this flame, the size of a wine cup, manifested, the temperature in the entire room soared, making the women feel as if they had been plunged into the oppressive heat of deep summer.

He then looked coldly at his audience, planning to find a suitable target for his “Fireball Technique” to show them the consequences. However, before he could act, a cry rang out. “An Immortal Master!” Li Shi involuntarily cried out, her face full of fear. The others also lost their composure. Even the cold-faced Fifth Mistress was visibly moved, looking at Han Li with an expression of utter surprise.

He was taken aback that these women knew of cultivators, but his own expression only grew darker.

“Are you truly an Immortal Master?” Third Mistress Liu asked, her beautiful eyes wide, her voice filled with both doubt and belief.

Han Li simply snorted. Without another word, he flicked his finger. With a whoosh, the fireball shot out and struck the table next to Liu Shi, reducing it to ashes in the blink of an eye.

The face of Mistress Liu instantly turned deathly pale. She scrambled to her feet and retreated several steps from the ashes before coming to a shaky halt. The delicate, fragile look on her face would have driven any other man wild.

Unfortunately, Han Li was in no mood to appreciate the view. His eyes were fixed on Li Shi, the one who had cried out “Immortal Master.” “Second Madam, how do you know of cultivators? Have you met others before?” he asked in a low, sinister voice.

“I…” Li Shi was panicked, now extremely wary of Han Li’s status as a cultivator.

“Don’t question Second Sister anymore. I will tell you what you want to know about Immortal Masters!” Yan Shi, who had been sitting back, suddenly said. She closed her eyes, a look of exhaustion on her face, cutting off Li Shi’s stammering.

“Oh? Would you care to tell me?” Han Li asked, rubbing his nose as his expression softened slightly.

“There is nothing to hide. Quite a few people in Jiayuan City know of the existence of Immortal Masters,” Yan Shi said with a bitter smile after opening her eyes.

“Some have even seen Immortal Masters fighting outside the city walls. They say they can summon wind and rain, conjure fire and mist, all of them living like gods right here on earth.” Yan Shi looked at Han Li with a strange light in her eyes as she finished speaking.

“I see!” Han Li slapped his forehead. He had forgotten that Jiayuan City was not a small place like Caixia Mountain. It wasn’t strange for cultivators to have appeared here. Hadn’t he just seen that blue-clothed man yesterday?

“Did Doctor Mo know of their existence as well?” Han Li asked, suddenly thinking of something else.

“Of course. My husband was also one of those who had seen Immortal Masters fight firsthand,” Yan Shi replied, seeing no harm in telling him.

“I thought he was obsessed with cultivation for a reason. So he had seen a real cultivator long ago. What a pity he had no Spiritual Roots. All of his scheming, and he just handed it all over to me for nothing.” Han Li could not help but sigh.

However, he felt a little strange. Why was Yan Shi being so cooperative? She answered everything he asked without a hint of resistance. He didn’t believe she would simply give in because he revealed he was a cultivator.

Han Li carefully observed Yan Shi’s expression and finally noticed a look of anxiousness hidden beneath her calm facade.

“Is she stalling for time?” he wondered, frowning. He released his Spiritual Sense, but there was no sign of any outsider intruding on the small building.

His eyes darting around, Han Li suddenly stood up and began to pace around the room, his gaze sweeping over everything as he went.

There was nothing suspicious. The room was simple, furnished with tables and chairs just as it had been yesterday. The only new addition was a pair of white candles that were about half burnt.

“Candles?” His gaze fell upon them. Initially, he had assumed she had lit candles in the daytime as a way to mourn Doctor Mo, so he hadn’t paid it any mind. But now that he thought about it, if she were truly paying her respects, how could there not be a single incense stick? That was a bit abnormal.

With this in mind, Han Li sniffed the air carefully and finally detected a faint, sandalwood-like scent in the room. The fragrance was so subtle that one would never notice it unless they were specifically looking for it.

When the women saw Han Li staring at the candles, they began to look uncomfortable. When he made a show of sniffing the air, their expressions completely changed. It was at that moment Han Li started to laugh—a very happy laugh.

“What’s so amusing? Even if you have discovered the trick with the candles, it’s already too late. This is a paralysis incense called ‘Drunken Stupor.’ An ordinary person who smells it will have their bones soften and their limbs grow weak. A martial artist who breathes it will lose their true qi and martial power temporarily. Even if you are an Immortal Master, you cannot stay in this room for long without consequence,” Yan Shi said, unable to contain herself any longer and trying to test him.

“It’s nothing. I was just thinking that my luck isn’t so bad after all,” Han Li said with a slight smile.

“Back in the Seven Mysteries Sect, I often heard people speak of the Jianghu’s dirty tricks. Poisons and paralysis incense left the deepest impression on me, not only because I have suffered from them before, but also because they are so insidious. Even an ordinary person could use them to easily kill a great master. Because of that, I racked my brains and finally came up with a crude method to guard against them,” Han Li said with a hint of pride.

The women looked at each other in disbelief. A method to defend against poisons and incense? How was that possible? Yet the fact remained that he hadn’t collapsed by now. Their faces had turned ghostly pale.

“As for what that method is…” Han Li saw that the women couldn’t help but strain their ears to listen, and he let out a hehe laugh. “I don’t plan on telling you! I don’t make a habit of revealing my secrets to my enemies.” Han Li’s expression was completely serious.