A Political Wind from Overseas

Han Li swept his gaze across the area. Seeing no one around, he no longer hesitated. He tapped his spirit beast pouch, and a single tricolored Gold Devourer Beetle flew out silently. Straining to command it with the last shred of his divine sense, he sent the beetle shooting toward the stone house with a sharp whoosh.

The beetle squeezed its body flat and slipped through a crack in the stone door.

The house remained utterly silent.

Seeing this, Han Li let out a cold laugh and turned away without looking back, heading for his own dwelling.

Just as he rounded a corner, a miserable scream rang out from the middle-aged man surnamed Feng’s residence.

Han Li pressed his lips together and continued walking back without changing his expression. In the distance, voices were already rising in commotion.

Since he had made an enemy of that middle-aged man, it was only natural to eliminate the threat cleanly while he still had mana and spiritual sense. Otherwise, having that man watching him would leave him uneasy.

Before he even reached his own door, the faint mana granted by the spiritual energy eruption had completely dissipated, and his divine sense could no longer leave his body.

Han Li shook his head slightly, glanced at his nearby lodging, and strode over.

Entering the room, he saw Mei Ning lying on her side on the stone bed, breathing softly and evenly. She had fallen asleep at some point.

Han Li paused for a moment, then looked down at her sweet, tranquil sleeping face. The memory of their kiss flashed through his mind, and a faint warmth stirred in his chest. But seeing her body curled slightly against the cold, he hesitated, then picked up a large piece of demon beast hide from the pile on the table and draped it over her.

Sensing the warmth, the unconscious furrow between her brows smoothed out. Without waking, she instinctively rolled the hide tighter around herself and continued sleeping soundly.

Seeing this, Han Li couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

It was understandable. Though her constitution was far stronger than an ordinary person’s, she was still a woman. The ordeal of the past day had exhausted her completely. While waiting for him, drowsiness had simply overtaken her.

After a quiet laugh, Han Li did not wake her. He glanced at the pile of materials on the table, a strange light flickering in his eyes.

…

Some time later, Mei Ning slowly awoke. Before she even opened her eyes, she heard a calm voice:

“If Fellow Daoist Mei is awake, please get up. These next two days won’t be easy—there are preparations to make.”

Hearing this, her face flushed. She sat up, and the beast hide slipped off her body.

She stared blankly at the hide for a moment, then turned her bright eyes toward the source of the voice, a complex expression on her face.

Han Li was sitting across from her on a chair, sorting a large piece of beast hide. Seeing her awake, he offered a faint smile.

“I don’t suppose you’re skilled with needlework, Miss Mei? I have some high-grade fire-attribute beast hides here. If possible, it would be best to make them into a few pieces of clothing. That should provide some protection against the yin wind.”

“I can try, but I’ll need needles and thread.”

Seeing that Han Li made no mention of the kiss, Mei Ning’s embarrassment faded slightly, though a faint, unspoken disappointment lingered. On the surface, she only replied with a slight flush:

“These hides are quite tough. Only a flying needle magic tool can barely pierce them. Use these thin beast tendons for stitching—it won’t be elegant, but it will serve against the yin wind.” Han Li raised a hand and picked up a blue, gleaming long needle from the table, handing it to her as if he had prepared it in advance.

The needle was a top-grade flying needle magic tool, extremely sharp. Han Li himself couldn’t remember which unfortunate cultivator he had taken it from. Spotting it among his supplies, he had simply pulled it out.

“I’ll do my best.” Mei Ning bit her lower lip and said softly.

Han Li nodded and was about to say something more when footsteps sounded outside the door. An old voice followed:

“Is Fellow Daoist Han in?”

“Who is it?” Han Li blinked in slight surprise.

The voice sounded familiar. After a moment’s thought, he recognized it as the long-bearded old man from before. A flicker of curiosity crossed his mind.

“Hehe, we had a pleasant talk on the stone platform just yesterday!” came a hearty laugh from outside. It was indeed the cultivator who had called himself Five Dragons Sea.

Since the man had spoken so openly, Han Li saw no reason to refuse him. Curious about the purpose of the visit, he walked over and pulled the door open.

Outside stood the smiling, long-bearded old man, flanked by two others—one with a red face and white beard, and another hunched, gloomy figure.

“Please, all three of you, come in.” Without asking their intentions, Han Li generously stepped aside to let them enter.

“This must be Fellow Daoist Mei!” The three showed a flicker of admiration at the sight of Mei Ning, but quickly composed themselves and offered polite greetings.

Mei Ning returned the courtesy with a curtsy, then naturally moved to stand beside Han Li without a word, making her position clear. The three old men exchanged meaningful glances.

Once they were seated, Han Li glanced at the other two and asked slowly:

“And these two are…”

“You’ve guessed correctly. These two fellow daoists are from Great Jin. One is Fellow Daoist Yun of the Heavenly Talisman Sect, and the other is Fellow Daoist Jin of the Four Seas True Academy.” The long-bearded old man made the introductions.

Han Li nodded in acknowledgment. The two men studied him carefully and responded with polite smiles.

“What important matter brings you three here together?” Han Li asked, his expression neutral.

The three exchanged glances. After a moment, the long-bearded old man cleared his throat and said with a meaningful tone:

“Does Fellow Daoist Han know that Elder Feng, the village’s martial arts instructor, was bitten to death last night by a strange insect? According to reports, the insect bit through his throat while he was sleeping. He died most miserably.”

“Oh? Is that so? What kind of insect could be so deadly?” Han Li’s expression did not change. His voice was flat, leaving the three men uncertain whether he was involved.

“We’re not sure. By the time others arrived at the scene, Elder Feng had already stopped breathing. A few villagers saw an insect fly out of his wound. They struck at it with weapons, but the insect was incredibly hard and flew away unharmed. Because it was covered in blood, no one got a clear look at its appearance.” The long-bearded old man stared at Han Li unblinkingly as he spoke. The other two watched him just as intently.

“What, do you three think I did it? Are you here to interrogate me?” Han Li leaned back lazily, his tone casual.

“Of course not! We are certain it wasn’t you. If you had done it, we would be relieved. That fellow Feng relied on his martial arts to treat us with disrespect. His death is no loss.” The old man’s expression shifted slightly, and he let out a forced laugh.

Han Li narrowed his eyes at them, saying nothing.

After a moment, the long-bearded old man continued, testing:

“But we heard that Elder Feng visited your room yesterday and came out looking dejected. And when his body was examined today, we found his arm had been broken. It seems that despite losing your mana, Fellow Daoist Han still has some formidable methods.”

Han Li raised an eyebrow.

So these men had some influence in the village. They even knew that Feng had come to his room yesterday and suffered a setback.

“Is this why you came? If you have something to say, say it plainly. I have no patience for beating around the bush.” Han Li fell silent for a moment, then his voice grew cold.

“This…” The three hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances.

“If you don’t want to speak, I won’t force you. Please leave.” Han Li’s expression turned impatient.

Perhaps his bluntness pushed them to a decision. The hunched, gloomy old man suddenly spoke:

“Fellow Daoist Han, would you be interested in ruling this village together with us?”

“What do you mean?” Han Li frowned, though he had already guessed their intent.

“Since we are all cultivators, I’ll speak plainly. You’ve seen the village elders. Apart from the Great Elder, who arrived earlier and seized power, the rest of us cultivators are treated no better than mortals. We starve just as they do, and we’re even sent out to hunt yin beasts. Meanwhile, the yin beast crystals we need are hoarded by a few mortals. They guard them like thieves. This is an insult to us all. It’s time we joined forces and took control of the village. What do you say, Fellow Daoist Han?” The long-bearded old man, seeing that his companion had already revealed part of the plan, spoke openly.