Indifference and Rumor

Han Li listened to this point and had already grasped the situation clearly enough.

What these men were discussing was the recent, frequent disappearances of cultivators throughout the Yue Kingdom’s cultivation world over the past few years.

These men appeared to have been caught by the people behind these disappearances, but had been released after being threatened. From their tone, they were now under someone’s control and were being coerced into committing harmful deeds.

Countless thoughts raced through Han Li’s mind. Within moments, he had judged that this was a matter best left untouched.

After all, the fact that the people behind the disappearance of so many cultivators remained at large, unexposed and unpunished, already indicated a black hand of exceptional cunning and skill, not an ordinary foe.

Moreover, since they could control Foundation Establishment cultivators, it was entirely possible that a Core Formation cultivator was lurking behind them as well.

He was merely a small Foundation Establishment cultivator. In these turbulent times, it was best not to invite disaster onto himself.

Having made his decision, Han Li immediately withdrew his spiritual sense and ceased paying attention to the group of cultivators.

These men might be unfortunate and pitiable, but they were strangers to him. He would not risk great danger to meddle in their affairs.

They could only pray for their own good fortune.

Furthermore, as the black-faced elder had analyzed, the Seven Sects were now fully engaged in their struggle against the demonic path and had no energy to spare. Even if Han Li reported the matter, they would likely pay it no heed.

Such was the cold logic he arrived at.

Since he no longer needed to eavesdrop on others’ whispers, Han Li devoted himself fully to his meal. From time to time, he would feign curiosity and point at novel sights outside the window, asking Qin Ping questions.

Qin Ping, of course, explained everything to Han Li without reservation. By the time the meal was finished, Han Li had devoured most of the dishes, causing Qin Ping to click his tongue in astonishment. He secretly thought that this young master of his not only possessed boundless energy but also a remarkable appetite.

At that moment, the group of cultivators rose and headed downstairs. Han Li clearly saw their dejected expressions as they left. It seemed they had yet to come up with a solution.

Witnessing this, Han Li took a few more hearty bites, then told Qin Ping to settle the bill and leave.

Qin Ping simply chuckled, produced a token of the Qin Estate from his person, and swaggered downstairs.

In no time, he returned upstairs to report to Han Li:

“Young Master, I’ve left the token with the innkeeper. I told him to come to our estate at the end of the month to collect payment. We don’t need to spend any actual silver for this meal. The young masters of the Qin Estate are allowed several hundred taels of expenses each month, which can be reimbursed at the manor. I’ve already charged the meal to your account.”

Han Li was somewhat surprised by this and felt the extravagance of the Qin Estate.

However, he merely feigned a look of slight bewilderment and nodded vaguely before leading Qin Ping downstairs.

That afternoon, Han Li did not continue on foot. Taking Qin Ping’s lesson to heart, he hired a two-wheeled carriage and toured several key locations in the capital, Yuejing.

Though many places were still missed, he now had a rough impression of the major terrain and districts. At least he would not be completely lost the moment he stepped out of the Qin residence.

By evening, Han Li, thoroughly satisfied, returned to the Qin Estate.

This time, Qin Gui, the gatekeeper, did not wait for Han Li to alight from the carriage before rushing out of the gatehouse, fawning over him with great enthusiasm.

He was terrified that this newly emerged Young Master Han might still hold a grudge over his earlier failure to recognize a person of importance. He had to improve this one’s impression of him!

How could Han Li still be bothered by such a trivial matter from the day before? He had already cast it from his mind.

His head was now full of thoughts on how to ensure the safety of the Qin Estate. If all else failed, he had to at least protect Qin Yan alone. Otherwise, he could not face Li Huayuan upon his return.

With this in mind, Han Li had formed a plan. He entered the Qin residence with a calm heart.

That evening, without any pretense of discretion, Han Li sought out his Uncle Qin directly.

After speaking with him at length in the private chamber, he returned to his own quarters in high spirits.

From the very next day onward, those who associated with Qin Yan suddenly noticed a strange young man at his side. The youth was thoroughly rustic and utterly out of place in Yuejing.

Qin Yan introduced this young man with great warmth to every acquaintance, stating that he was the descendant of an elder relative and asking them to take him under their wing.

Those who associated with Qin Yan were either high-ranking officials, nobles, or wealthy magnates.

Though they found it a little strange that the young man never strayed from Qin Yan’s side, none could fathom Han Li’s true background. Cunning as they were, they naturally presented themselves as benevolent elders before Han Li.

Thus, Han Li had his first taste of Yuejing’s upper-class circles.

…

In the blink of an eye, more than two months had passed.

Han Li seemed to have truly become a young master of the Qin Estate. Not only were all his living expenses on par with Qin Yan’s own children, but Old Master Qin, whether for business or social calls, invariably brought Han Li along. It seemed he genuinely intended to groom him.

Before long, rumors that Han Li was Qin Yan’s illegitimate son spread from the Qin residence to the outside world, causing quite a stir among the noble families acquainted with the Qins.

Qin Yan paid no heed whatsoever to these rumors, adopting a tacit attitude of “believe whatever you wish.” This only solidified the rumor’s credibility.

As a result, some impatient members of the Qin clan, whether acting on their elders’ orders or out of their own cleverness, attempted to sound Han Li out regarding the truth of the matter.

But faced with Han Li’s feigned ignorance and foolishness, they naturally returned empty-handed.

With time, the Qin household tacitly accepted Han Li’s identity as a young master of the estate. They believed that Qin Yan’s extraordinary favor toward Han Li was merely an attempt to assuage some guilt from the past.

Though several young masters and misses of the Qin clan who had once enjoyed Qin Yan’s favor were deeply resentful, they dared not make any obvious moves against Han Li under the old master’s iron hand. They could only clench their teeth and endure.

However, behind his back, they had cursed him as a bumpkin, a bastard, and worse on more than one occasion.

But they did not know that every night, when Han Li cultivated in his room, he would regularly extend his spiritual sense to envelop the entire Qin estate. Though he could not maintain this for long, it was more than enough to uncover many secrets.

He overheard every resentful word from these few with perfect clarity.

Han Li would not stoop to the level of these green youngsters. However, several among their elders were quietly scheming ways to make him fall from favor, which left him somewhat speechless.

He naturally would not bother with these mortals. But if the demonic cultivators truly launched a sudden attack, these individuals would naturally be placed at the very bottom of his protection priority list. Consider it a small recompense from him.

One day, Qin Yan once again went out to a banquet. This time, his host was no ordinary figure—it was a prince of the current dynasty who had issued the invitation.

It was said that a beloved consort of this idle prince had just recovered from a serious illness, so he was throwing a grand feast, inviting notable figures to celebrate.

Though the Qin family was not the wealthiest merchant in Yuejing, they were undoubtedly among the top three in overall strength and influence. Naturally, the invitation included them.

And it was not merely for Qin Yan alone. The invitation specifically named several of the Qin family’s well-connected young masters and a so-called “talented maiden.” It was said to be at the special request of the young prince, who was acquainted with them.

Left with no choice, Qin Yan had to bring these younger members along.

The moment these juniors learned of this news, their hearts were filled with joy.

One must understand that ever since Qin Yan learned of the crisis facing the Qin family, he had refused to let the younger generation go out carousing.

Should they be targeted by the demonic cultivators Han Li had spoken of, would that not spell catastrophe?

Thus, for the past two months, Old Master Qin had found an excuse to keep these juniors confined to the estate. This had caused no small amount of silent suffering for these young masters and misses, who were accustomed to idleness.

What infuriated them even more was that Han Li, not much older than they were, had the chance to accompany Qin Yan out early and late every day, appearing thoroughly content. This only fueled their indignation.

Now, with this opportunity presenting itself, these juniors of the Qin clan naturally headed out with great excitement.

“Prince Xin”—such was the title of the prince who had issued the invitation, and also one of the brothers of the current sovereign of Yue.

According to Qin Yan, though this prince was a member of the imperial clan, he was by nature generous and had a wide circle of friends.

He was willing to befriend not only high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants but also commoners from the streets and eccentric individuals of the Jianghu.

Naturally, to avoid suspicion, he dared not associate closely with military officers who held command over troops.

Even so, this prince enjoyed considerable renown among the commoners of Yuejing and had a fairly good reputation.

When Han Li heard this, he formed a rough impression of this prince. Just what kind of man he truly was would, of course, need to be confirmed with his own eyes.

After all, in this world, there were far too many great figures who appeared reputable on the surface but were depraved in reality.

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(End of chapter)