The Promise

Chapter 357: The Promise

Han Li did not immediately accept or refuse. Instead, he frowned deeply and kept his head lowered, silently weighing the gains and losses.

To be honest, Han Li did not want to agree to this.

For him, the arts of formations and tool refinement were no better than a chicken rib—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard. Unless he succeeded in Core Formation, he simply had no time to study such matters. Moreover, he had no desire to provoke a powerful immortal clan for no good reason—and even less did he have the ability to do so.

“I know this request is far too much to ask of Senior Han, but Ruyin truly has no other way.” Xin Ruyin smiled bitterly, her face pale.

“Brother Qi died at the hands of the Fu Clan because of me. If I cannot avenge my husband in this lifetime, I would have no face to meet him in the underworld even after death.” Xin Ruyin murmured softly, her words filled with pleading.

When Han Li heard her say the word “death,” his brows twitched. Suddenly recalling something, he lifted his head and stared intently at Xin Ruyin’s face. This startled her.

“Your complexion is off. Let me take your pulse.”

Han Li said something that greatly surprised Xin Ruyin, but his tone brooked no refusal.

A flicker of surprise passed through Xin Ruyin’s eyes. After a moment’s hesitation, she obediently extended a jade-like wrist to Han Li.

Han Li unceremoniously placed two fingers on it and began channeling strands of spiritual power into her body.

After a long moment, Han Li’s expression turned grim.

“Do you realize that your meridians are all withered? At this rate, you will die within two years!” Han Li withdrew his fingers and stated coldly.

Hearing Han Li’s verdict, Xin Ruyin instead smiled.

“Of course I know—don’t you think I understand my own body? My constitution is of the Dragon’s Roar type: a male soul born in a female body. When I forced myself to cultivate, my lifespan and meridians gradually shifted and atrophied. Living to this day is already a stroke of luck. Back then, I exhausted every means to find an ancient prescription, believing it could cure this condition. But in the end, I failed. I only wasted all those rare medicines that Brother Qi worked so hard to find for me!”

A hint of self-mockery appeared on Xin Ruyin’s face.

“Miss!” The maidservant behind her could not help but cry out in distress.

“It’s all right, Xiao Mei. If I can meet Brother Qi again in the underworld a little sooner, I would welcome it.” Xin Ruyin, on the contrary, comforted her maidservant as if nothing were wrong.

Seeing this, Han Li’s expression softened. For some reason, he felt a genuine sympathy for her.

But unfortunately, this strange condition of Xin Ruyin’s was something he was equally powerless to cure. He could only watch as she eventually faded away.

“Since Senior Han knows about this, you should also understand why Ruyin is acting as she is. Though Senior is only a Foundation Establishment cultivator now, you are the only person Brother Qi and I ever met who might be able to avenge us one day. I do not need Senior to swear any oath—just a promise. That will let me leave in peace.” Xin Ruyin’s expression returned to normal, and she calmly brought up the matter of vengeance again.

Han Li rubbed his nose vigorously, caught in a dilemma. After thinking it over carefully, he suddenly asked:

“Brother Qi was also from a cultivator clan, wasn’t he? Wouldn’t the Qi Clan avenge him?”

“The Qi Clan? Hmph, they are only an ordinary clan from the Yuanwu Kingdom. How would they dare offend the Fu Clan? Besides, Brother Qi was an outer branch disciple who had already been expelled from the clan, so they care even less about this matter. As for my own knowledge, it all comes from an anonymous formation grandmaster among the rogue cultivators, but that extraordinary person passed away long ago.” Xin Ruyin seemed to understand the meaning behind Han Li’s question, and she lightly explained their origins.

Hearing this, Han Li remained silent. It seemed he really was this woman’s only choice.

“Very well, I can give Miss Xin a promise—but I will only act when I am sufficiently capable. There is a chance that this opportunity will never come in a lifetime. Do you not regret it?” After pondering for a long time, Han Li took a deep breath and spoke solemnly.

“That is enough. Give me hope, and that will suffice. This junior thanks Senior Han first!” Xin Ruyin beamed with joy, and in that moment she appeared dazzlingly beautiful.

Han Li was momentarily stunned by her radiance, but then he shook his head. Without further ceremony, he swept his sleeve across the table, and the two boxes vanished without a trace as he stowed them into his storage pouch.

“Since it will take a month to restore the teleportation array, I will come back to trouble Miss Xin one month from now. For now, I will take my leave.” Han Li rose unhurriedly and announced.

Taking advantage of this interval, he still had some matters to attend to.

“This junior will see Senior off.” Xin Ruyin did not press him to stay, but said respectfully.

Thus, Han Li and Qu Hun flew out of the small hill on their flying artifact, heading straight for the Starfall Sect market.

One day later, Han Li appeared near the market. He casually fished a cloak out of his storage pouch, covered his face, and then swaggered into the market with Qu Hun in tow.

Walking along the market streets, Han Li looked at the throng of cultivators and was secretly astonished.

The number of cultivators trading and doing business here was at least several times what he had seen on his last visit. Everyone looked hurried, and there were even quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators, a rarity in such markets.

After mulling it over for a moment, a thoughtful look flashed through Han Li’s eyes. Then he dismissed the matter from his mind and headed straight for the tool refinement shop that had helped him before. He had some materials on hand that he wanted to forge into usable magic tools to increase his strength.

That tool refinement shop was still in the same place, and even its somewhat boastful signboard stood unchanged.

With a faint smile, Han Li pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Once inside, the scene in the shop made Han Li slightly frown.

The tiny shop actually had five or six people standing or sitting inside. The moment they saw Han Li enter, they all instinctively looked at him.

Han Li returned the gaze with an unfriendly cold sweep. Those who sensed Han Li’s Foundation Establishment cultivation immediately lowered their heads. All of them were Qi Condensation cultivators, and they naturally dared not offend this “senior.”

However, a fierce-looking man sitting in a chair stared straight at Han Li without the slightest fear.

He was also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, merely at the early stage, but unwilling to lose face.

Han Li ignored them all and walked over to the shop assistant, a burly man called “Big Black,” who was conversing with two other people.

“Is Shopkeeper Xu in?” Han Li asked calmly.

“Senior, you are…” The burly man looked uncertain.

Gently sighing, Han Li took out his pair of Black Dragon Decimators and waved them before the man’s eyes. This fellow had been helping on the sidelines back when those tools were being refined, so he could not fail to recognize them.

“Ah, it’s you, Senior! I’ll go call my master out right away.”

The burly man’s eyes lit up as he indeed recognized the Black Dragon Decimators. With a full-faced smile, he excused himself and rushed hastily to the back courtyard.

Seeing that Han Li was an acquaintance of the shop owner, the other customers exchanged surprised glances, but no one was foolish enough to disturb Han Li.

Before long, the white-haired Shopkeeper Xu came out from the back, his face wreathed in smiles.

Last time, Han Li had left him quite a few rare materials! So he naturally welcomed Han Li with great enthusiasm.

“Senior has honored my humble shop again. This is this old man’s good fortune! Does Senior wish to refine more tools?” Old Xu came straight to the point after a brief exchange, his face full of eager anticipation.

Han Li gave a faint smile and deliberately glanced at the other cultivators present.

Shopkeeper Xu immediately understood Han Li’s intent. With repeated cries of “How careless of me,” he invited Han Li to speak in the back courtyard and eagerly led the way.

Seeing this, the others dared not complain, but the fierce-looking man let out an unhappy snort.

He had also come to have tools refined here, yet as two Foundation Establishment cultivators, they were treated so differently. This infuriated him greatly.

Hearing the man’s snort, Han Li shot him an icy glance.

By now, Han Li had killed quite a few cultivators, and he had unconsciously acquired a killing aura that ordinary cultivators lacked. That single glance plunged the fierce man into an icy pit, sending a chill through his entire body, and he could not help but show a look of terror.

Seeing the man’s changed expression, Han Li dismissed him and led Qu Hun into the back courtyard of the shop.

At that moment, Big Black cleverly stepped forward to apologize to the other customers, making up some excuse to mollify them.

“Senior, did you bring more materials this time?” As soon as Han Li and Qu Hun entered the back courtyard, Shopkeeper Xu glanced at Qu Hun with slight surprise, then impatiently asked Han Li.

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