A Reunion With the Past

Han Li’s willingness to stay away from Dong Xuan’er naturally pleased Senior Fellow Feng and Yan Yu.

Far from trying to stop him, Yan Yu even eagerly handed him a jade slip. It contained a map of Yanling Fort’s layout, which would save Han Li the trouble of wandering aimlessly like a headless fly and let him head straight to his destination.

As for Dong Xuan’er herself, she was greatly surprised that Han Li had suddenly let go of her and ceased his restraint. But regaining her freedom and being able to mingle freely among the male cultivators naturally delighted her. Of course, she still shot Han Li a few puzzled glances, utterly unable to fathom the intent behind his actions.

“Intent? Hmph, I just didn’t want to carry a burden. Besides, moving alone is much freer!” Han Li walked along the blue-stone road of Yanling Fort with his hands clasped behind his back, thinking contentedly, occasionally glancing at the shops on either side.

These shops sold talismans, forging materials, and alchemical ingredients. There were also one or two selling low-grade magic tools, but most of the shopkeepers were ordinary mortals without any magical power.

This was not surprising. Yanling Fort was extremely large, with a population of over a hundred thousand. But only a small fraction possessed the spiritual roots to cultivate magic; the vast majority were ordinary mortals.

These mortals, who should have been living in the secular world, were partly those without spiritual roots but still related by blood to the Yan family, and partly relatives of Yan family disciples. After all, it was highly improper to only intermarry within the Yan clan itself; a proper infusion of new blood was necessary for the Yan family to continue growing.

Of course, for the sake of secrecy, any mortal who entered Yanling Fort could never leave this city for the rest of their lives. They could only grow old and die here. Although they would never want for food or clothing, it was still an extremely sorrowful fate.

Those who had moved in from outside had at least seen the outside world, but those born within the fort without spiritual roots would never even have a chance to glimpse it.

That said, not a single mortal had been forced to enter the fort. They all came because they had no other options or had received great kindness from the Yan family and volunteered. Additionally, Yanling Fort was heavily guarded, shrouded by formations, and any mortal caught trying to leave privately was executed on the spot. So far, no mortal had ever successfully escaped.

This information, of course, was not Han Li’s guesswork but was included as supplementary data in the map jade slip. As a result, Han Li now had a general impression of Yanling Fort in his mind.

His current destination was a teahouse within the fort. Based on his understanding, cultivators generally had a great fondness for fine tea, and teahouses were practically a must-visit venue for all cultivators. Han Li figured he might be able to run into other cultivators there and join some small groups. This was a rare opportunity for exchange, after all—working in isolation was not advisable.

At the end of this stone street, at a three-way intersection, he should be able to see the teahouse’s signboard. With this thought, Han Li quickened his pace.

But just then, fierce arguing between a man and a woman suddenly erupted from a nearby shop. Following a man’s roar, a young woman in the attire of a married woman stormed out of the shop, furious, and rushed straight onto the stone street, colliding head-on with the slightly startled Han Li.

The young woman appeared to have rather delicate features. Owing to the common weakness of men, Han Li cast a casual glance at her. But once he got a clear look at her face, his figure froze, and he was stunned.

Seeing Han Li staring at her so brazenly, the young woman was extremely angry!

She had lived in the fort for quite some time. Although she had no magical power at all, she could tell at a glance from his attire that Han Li was a cultivator. Too flustered and annoyed to pay close attention to his features—though they did seem somewhat familiar—she forced down her anger, lowered her head slightly, and said stiffly:

“Cultivator sir, would you please let me pass? I am, after all, a married woman! Is it not improper for a gentleman of your station to stare so at a mortal woman like this?”

After saying this, the young woman was not particularly worried. Yanling Fort had strict laws forbidding cultivators from harassing ordinary people, with severe penalties for violators. Of course, ordinary people also had to maintain absolute respect for cultivators; any negligence could be punished by the cultivator at their discretion.

Besides, they were in the middle of a busy street in broad daylight; she was not afraid of any misconduct.

But after lowering her head for a long while, the young woman saw no reaction from the cultivator in front of her. He neither stepped aside nor scolded her. This surprised her a little. She couldn’t help raising her head to look.

A face, half-smiling as if itching for a punch, appeared before her eyes. The familiarity of this face instantly transported the young woman back to that night on the back garden path ten years ago—the scene of a stingy senior fellow apprentice and a clever, mischievous girl bickering with each other vividly replayed in her mind.

“Senior fellow apprentice?”

“Junior apprentice sister!”

The young woman finally recognized the face that had not changed at all, and Han Li, having heard her call him “senior fellow apprentice,” also confirmed that this beautiful, well-dressed young woman was none other than that clever, mischievous little girl from many years ago—Mo Caihuan, Doctor Mo’s youngest daughter, the very “junior apprentice sister” he had once addressed.

“Is it really you, Senior Fellow Apprentice Han?” Mo Caihuan was first stunned, then asked with a mix of emotions, but her face still showed disbelief.

“Are the Yingxiang Pills I gave you still working well?” Han Li said softly.

“Senior… Senior Fellow Apprentice, it really is you!” Once Mo Caihuan heard Han Li mention the name of the gift he had given her back then, all doubt vanished. But her eyes suddenly reddened, and she began to sob, as if she had endured immense grievance.

Han Li was completely dumbfounded! After all, they were on a stone street with passersby and several cultivators around. A stunningly beautiful young woman crying in front of him like this would inevitably invite all sorts of wild speculation!

Thinking this, Han Li scratched the back of his head and, steeling himself, said to Mo Caihuan:

“Junior Apprentice Sister, how about we find a different place to talk in detail? This doesn’t seem like the right spot for conversation.”

“Mm! I’ll listen to Senior Fellow Apprentice.” Mo Caihuan stopped her tears and obediently replied.

This reaction somewhat surprised Han Li! In his memory, Mo Caihuan was a mischievous little imp. Her sudden gentleness and obedience felt a bit alien to him. But where would be quiet enough? He looked around the street, feeling a bit troubled.

“Let’s go to my place. My mother is there too,” Mo Caihuan said suddenly after calming down a little.

“Fourth Master’s Wife is in Yanling Fort too?”

Han Li was astonished!

It seemed that the Mo residence had encountered serious trouble; otherwise, Yan Shi, the head of the Mo household, would not have easily ended up here.

“Yes, Senior Fellow Apprentice. My mother is sick, and it’s very serious! You have to save her!” Mo Caihuan’s eyes glistened with tears as she pleaded bitterly.

“Alright. We’ll talk when we get to Master’s Wife’s place. As long as it’s not some incurable disease, your senior fellow apprentice can still cure it with a flick of the wrist!” Seeing Mo Caihuan’s pitiful appearance, Han Li naturally recalled her carefree days in the Mo residence. His heart softened, and he said consolingly.

“Mm! I trust Senior Fellow Apprentice’s words. Second Sister said back then that your medical skills were already far above hers. My mother is saved now!”

Hearing Han Li’s assurance, Mo Caihuan brightened through her tears. Her radiant, flower-like appearance made even Han Li momentarily lose his composure, but he quickly snapped back to himself, avoiding an awkward scene.

“Let’s go. My home isn’t far from here, just one street away. My mother will be so happy to see you, Senior Fellow Apprentice!” Mo Caihuan naturally grabbed Han Li’s sleeve and pulled him forward, looking overjoyed, as if she had found her pillar of support.

A married woman taking the initiative to pull a man along the street naturally drew sidelong glances from those nearby. But fortunately, Han Li was dressed as a cultivator, so no one dared say anything unpleasant to their faces. As for the gossip that might start once they were out of earshot—who could say?

“Junior Apprentice Sister, how did you and Master’s Wife end up here? Did something happen to the Mo residence?” Han Li walked side by side with Mo Caihuan and, when she wasn’t paying attention, gently withdrew his sleeve, asking blandly.

“Well, that’s a long story. But the Mo residence was destroyed seven years ago, and the Jingjiao Society was dissolved at the same time.” Mo Caihuan’s body trembled slightly at his words, and her expression suddenly darkened.

“What about the other two junior apprentice sisters and Master’s Wife?” Although Han Li had already guessed most of it, he still sighed and asked about the others.

“Second Mother and Fifth Mother are dead. I don’t know about the rest. My mother and I barely managed to fight our way out. It was utter chaos, and everyone had to flee separately.” Mo Caihuan’s voice trembled, clearly in great pain.