Anomaly

Chapter 338: Anomaly

“Poisoned? Impossible! I’m always extremely careful. All my food and drink is handled by trusted people!” Sun Ergou cried out, his initial shock giving way to visible unease.

Han Li, seeing this, couldn’t be bothered to elaborate further. He raised a hand, and a streak of green light flashed, flying into Sun Ergou’s body in an instant.

“Young Master, what… what is this?” Sun Ergou didn’t dare to dodge, but his voice grew panicked.

“It’s a True Spirit Art. It will make the poison in your body visible. Go look in a mirror yourself,” Han Li said casually, remaining seated in his chair.

Sun Ergou’s heart sank. He rushed over to a corner of the room where a woman’s dressing table stood. Fumbling frantically, he found a small bronze mirror and peered into it, his face full of dread. The moment he saw his reflection, he froze. The face staring back at him was covered in a dense, black aura. His skin was a dark purple-black hue, the unmistakable sign of severe poisoning.

“Young Master, save me! I have always been loyal to you, without a second thought!” Sun Ergou cried out in terror, rushing back to throw himself at Han Li’s feet, begging piteously.

By now, he was more than half convinced. A cultivator of Han Li’s status would not go to such lengths to deceive him. If Han Li wanted him dead, he could simply crush him with a flick of his finger.

Han Li watched Sun Ergou’s desperate display of loyalty with a faint, cold smile. “Relax,” he said calmly. “This poison is insidious, but its effects are slow. It won’t kill you in a few days. No need to make such a fuss.”

Sun Ergou felt a little reassured by this, but he continued to play the victim. “Young Master, your skills are vast and divine. Please find a way to cure me! I, Sun Ergou, will continue to serve you with all my might! If you don’t trust me, I can swear a poisonous oath. I…” Despite his elevated status, Sun Ergou had clearly become far more afraid of death. Before Han Li could respond, he began rattling off a series of curses, swearing by the rooftops, a sight that was both exasperating and amusing to Han Li.

“Serve with all his might? It seems like I’ve always been the one giving him benefits,” Han Li thought to himself, a little exasperated.

“Here is an antidote pill. Take it later. As long as you aren’t poisoned again, you’ll be fine,” Han Li said, shaking his head slightly before tossing a blue pill to the man.

“Thank you, Young Master! Thank you!” Sun Ergou caught the pill, overjoyed, and heaped praise upon Han Li. He nimbly scrambled to his feet and carefully stowed the pill away.

“This poison wouldn’t have built up to such a level after just one or two doses. It’s been accumulating for months. I think you should be able to figure out who administered it, shouldn’t you? Am I right, Chief Sun?” Han Li suddenly let out a light laugh, half-jokingly.

“Young Master, you flatter me. Still, I do have a few suspicions about who it might be,” Sun Ergou said, forcing a smile as he rubbed his head.

Now that his life had been saved by Han Li, his deference was naturally even more profound.

“Hmph. Your mortal affairs are no concern of mine as a cultivator. Handle them yourself. The real reason I’m here is to see Qu Hun and take him with me. My cultivation has progressed to a point where it’s no longer a burden to have him around. You have no objections, do you?” Han Li’s smile faded as he spoke in a serious tone.

“Young Master, you want to take Lord Qu away? But, Young Master, Lord Qu Hun is no longer with the Siping Gang.” Sun Ergou’s heart filled with dread as he forced himself to reply.

“What do you mean? Did you lose him?” Han Li’s face darkened, and the temperature in the room plummeted. Sun Ergou shivered violently, a chill of terror running down his spine.

“Young Master, please calm down! I didn’t lose him. Lord Qu Hun ran off on his own. And he’s not far, still in the mountains nearby. I have men keeping an eye on him at all times!” Sun Ergou hastily explained, terrified of incurring Han Li’s wrath.

“Ran off on his own? What’s this all about? Explain clearly. As long as it wasn’t your fault, I am always fair in my rewards and punishments,” Han Li said, his expression softening slightly, a trace of surprise flickering across his face.

As long as Sun Ergou knew where Qu Hun was, that was fine. But for Qu Hun, a mere walking corpse, to run off on his own… it was hard for Han Li to believe.

Seeing that Han Li was not truly angry, Sun Ergou relaxed a little but still didn’t dare to slack off in his explanation. “After you entrusted Lord Qu Hun to me, Young Master, I followed your instructions to the letter. I was extremely careful and only let others see him when absolutely necessary. The problem started about six years ago. At the time, our gang was in a critical phase of expanding its influence. Our opponent was a medium-sized gang with many skilled fighters, so I had to ask Lord Qu Hun for help. He performed brilliantly in that battle, and we won a decisive victory. But just a few days later, one of my men, who was tasked with watching over Lord Qu, rushed to report that he had spoken! I was shocked and immediately took the Soul Summoning Bell to go and check. And then…”

Sun Ergou trailed off, a bitter expression on his face.

“What? Did he attack you, even with the Soul Summoning Bell?” Han Li was stunned by the news that Qu Hun had spoken. Seeing Sun Ergou’s hesitant look, he snapped impatiently.

The rebuke startled Sun Ergou, who hurriedly continued. “He didn’t attack me, no. But before I even entered his room, it was as if Lord Qu Hun knew I was coming. He suddenly smashed through the wall and flew away at incredible speed. I couldn’t possibly catch him!” Sun Ergou said, his face full of helplessness.

“Ran away?” Han Li raised an eyebrow, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

“Yes, Young Master. Lord Qu has been gone for years now, always staying in the nearby mountains, for reasons unknown, I’ve led the gang’s experts to try and bring him back many times, but for some reason, whenever I get close, he immediately moves to another location, unwilling to meet me. If I send anyone else, they’re no match for him. We’ve even lost two of our top fighters trying,” Sun Ergou said, utterly perplexed.

“That’s not surprising. It’s probably because you carry the Soul Summoning Bell. I don’t know why Qu Hun has gone out of control, but it seems that the restrictions I placed on him back then are still in effect,” Han Li said with a cold sneer, his expression unchanging.

“So that’s it!” Sun Ergou said, his face showing an ‘I knew it’ look. He had apparently guessed this reason before.

“Tell me where Qu Hun is, and I’ll handle things from here. It seems you really can’t be blamed for this. I’ll have to see for myself what happened. And you won’t be needing this anymore. Give me the Soul Summoning Bell,” Han Li said after a moment of thought, his tone unhurried.

“Yes, Young Master. I just received a report two days ago. Lord Qu is now in…” Sun Ergou respectfully gave an address about a hundred li outside of Jiayuan City, then carefully took out the Soul Summoning Bell from his robe and presented it to Han Li with both hands.

Han Li nodded, took the bell, and gave it a quick inspection. Finding it in good condition, he stored it in his pouch.

“While I’m here, there’s something else I want to ask you about the Five Color Sect. I expect a truthful answer,” Han Li suddenly said, his face turning stern once more.

This change in expression clearly startled the gang leader, but he nodded his head frantically, looking like a chick pecking at rice.

“What kind of man is the current Sect Leader of the Five Color Sect? Who are his family members? Have there been any outsiders at the Li residence recently? Is he at the residence right now?” Han Li’s voice was cold and probing.

Sun Ergou trembled inwardly but answered without hesitation. “Honestly, I don’t know much about the Sect Leader himself. I’ve only seen him from a distance a couple of times. I can tell his martial arts are unfathomable. He has two sons and a daughter, all of whom are married. The eldest son is said to be in charge of the Five Color Sect’s original headquarters, while the second son is with the Sect Leader at the Li residence. I’ve heard that…”

Sun Ergou’s report was detailed and comprehensive. It was clear he had put considerable effort into gathering intelligence on the Five Color Sect.

Han Li listened impassively, one finger absently tapping on the table as he processed the information. When Han Li fell silent, Sun Ergou took the opportunity to ask a cautious question. “Young Master, are you perhaps planning to make a move against the Five Color Sect because of what happened to the Mo Estate back then?”

Hearing this, Han Li’s brow furrowed, and his expression darkened. “You ask too many questions. Don’t ask about things you shouldn’t know, and don’t make wild guesses. Unless you want to become a man without memories?”

Han Li’s voice was icy cold, and it sent a shiver down Sun Ergou’s spine. He immediately changed his expression and hastily begged for forgiveness.

Han Li snorted, letting the matter drop. When it was time to assert his authority, he never showed an ounce of leniency.