Why did Han Li knock the woman unconscious?

He didn’t want her to know exactly when or how he left, to minimize any trace of his visit. It’s a standard *Mortal Stream* procedural precaution.

What was in the jade slip?

The chapter doesn’t reveal the contents explicitly, but the implication is strong that it contains the key to the Great Geng Sword Formation or a similarly high-level technique Han Li needs for his Nascent Soul breakthrough.

Why did the grandmother nearly die from a single glance?

The jade slip’s restriction was designed to reject low-cultivation readers. A Qi Condensation cultivator trying to read Nascent Soul or Core Formation level content would suffer severe soul damage.

Is Han Li’s gift of a Foundation Establishment Pill too generous?

For a current Core Formation cultivator with Nascent Soul-level resources, a Foundation Establishment Pill is a relatively cheap investment in goodwill and a clean conscience. It also reinforces the power gap—he can give away what others would kill for.

A Vengeance Fulfilled, a Gift from the Grave

1,721 words

Han Li gently unrolled the painting in his hands, revealing an image several feet long.

A man in a green shirt stood within, lifelike and smiling as he gazed forward. It was Han Li himself.

He stared at the painting for a long moment, then let out a soft sigh and closed the scroll.

After a moment of thought, he fixed his gaze on the woman and asked slowly:

"Might I ask a question? Why did your grandmother keep a true-image portrait of me? Was there some deeper meaning behind it?"

The woman hesitated, a look of uncertainty on her face. After considering for a moment, she replied carefully.

"Senior Han, before I answer, may I first ask if you still remember the promise you made to Miss Xin back then?"

"Of course I do. You know of this matter as well?" Han Li's face flickered with surprise.

"To be honest, the reason my family lives here is because I insisted on it. And the reason for that… has something to do with you, Senior. But until you fulfill your promise to Miss Xin, please forgive me for not being able to speak plainly." The woman stole a glance at Han Li, her heart filled with unease.

Thump.

A square wooden box was produced from Han Li's storage pouch without a sound and placed directly onto the table.

"This…" The woman jumped in surprise, uncertain of Han Li's intentions.

"Calm yourself, Fellow Daoist. Inside is the head of the Fu Family Ancestor. I have already slain the entire Fu Family main line. The few remaining branch disciples will never be able to establish a foothold in Yuanwu Nation again. Would you say this fulfills my original promise?" Han Li said with a calm expression.

"What? You—you destroyed the Fu Family Ancestor, Senior?" The woman's face was a mask of shock.

She looked at the wooden box, bit her lip, and opened the lid.

A wave of blood scent rushed out.

"It really is the Fu Family Ancestor. I once saw that villain from afar, years ago." Her face pale, the woman still managed to recognize the face inside, her voice a mixture of shock and joy.

"I acted a few days ago. The news should have spread by now. If you ask among your acquaintances or at the market town, you will find it is true." Han Li smiled faintly.

"Then Senior carrying his head all the way here…" The woman suddenly understood.

"Indeed. I came here specifically to pay respects to Miss Xin and Fellow Daoist Qi. After all, Han does not have many friends in this life. Since I have avenged them, I must at least offer some sincerity at their graves." Han Li's voice dropped slightly, his expression earnest.

"Miss Xin and Young Master Qi will surely be deeply comforted in the underworld. Senior, please wait a moment. I will be right back." The woman's expression dimmed as well, but then she seemed to remember something and hurriedly left the room again.

Han Li nodded, somewhat curious. The woman quickly disappeared from sight.

This time, she walked to the back of a small pavilion, dug beneath a large tree, and retrieved a pale green jade box. She carried it carefully back into the room and placed it on the table before Han Li.

"And this is?" Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly, waiting for her explanation.

"Senior Han. Before Miss Qi passed away back then, she left one final instruction. She said that the contents of this box were to be given to you, but only after you had fulfilled your promise and destroyed the Fu Family. My grandmother was Miss Qi's personal maidservant back then, so naturally, this task fell to her. That is why my grandmother stayed here all these years and never moved away. If there was any chance of meeting you again, this was the only place. Decades passed, and you never returned, so my grandmother passed the matter to me. She also left behind a portrait of you, to ensure we would not miss you. Now that you have come and fulfilled your promise, I must follow Miss Qi's final words and give this to you. It is a relief to finally see this done." The woman spoke calmly, but a look of relief was plain on her face.

It seemed this matter had weighed heavily on her mind for a long time.

Han Li was moved. He swept his spiritual sense over the object on the table, a flicker of surprise passing through his eyes. Without another word, he picked up the jade box and calmly opened the lid.

Inside lay a pale green jade slip. A yellow talisman was pasted across its surface, and faint silver restrictive runes flickered across the surface of the box.

At this moment, the woman across from him was staring at the jade slip with open curiosity.

"What, you have never read it?" Han Li looked up and asked.

"To be honest, Senior, Miss Xin left no instructions forbidding us from looking at it. So my grandmother was curious enough to glance at its contents. But the moment she did, she spat three mouthfuls of blood and fell unconscious for an entire day and night. After she woke, she immediately procured an expensive restrictive talisman to seal the jade slip, forbidding any of her descendants from ever trying to read it again. I have been curious, of course, but my cultivation is far below my grandmother's. I would not dare to even entertain the thought."

Han Li nodded at her words. He said nothing more, but simply blew a breath of green mist toward the jade slip. The mist curled around the talisman and peeled it off with apparent ease.

Seeing this, the woman was inwardly horrified.

She had tried to remove that talisman herself, out of curiosity, on a quiet day. It had not budged an inch, as if nailed to the box.

And this Senior Han had simply blown it off with a single breath of qi. His cultivation was truly unfathomable.

She had heard that Senior Han was already at Foundation Establishment back then. Now, to have wiped out the entire Fu Family and killed their ancestor, his cultivation must be at least late Core Formation. It was even possible he had reached Nascent Soul.

Awe filled the woman's heart.

Han Li had already scanned the jade slip with his spiritual sense. A flash of green light, and it vanished from his hand.

"The contents of this jade slip are indeed of great use to me. I will not refuse them. But you and your family have waited for me for so many years over this single matter. I feel somewhat indebted. Do you live here alone?" Han Li asked calmly as he put away the jade slip.

"Not at all. My husband is also a cultivator, but his aptitude is poor—about the same as mine. Our son, however, is still young, and his spiritual root aptitude is passable. But he has never had a proper teacher, nor has he had the fortune to enter a proper immortal sect. Senior, could you…" The woman's heart began to race as she heard Han Li's question.

She and her husband were one thing. But if their son could become a disciple of such a powerful figure, it would be a rocket to the heavens. Her words came out halting and nervous.

She had no idea if such a request would offend the great man before her.

"That is enough. I understand your meaning." Han Li raised a hand, stopping her mid-sentence with a calm expression.

The woman's heart sank.

But Han Li continued, his expression unchanged.

"You are Little Mei's descendant, and you have kept this item safe for me all these years. I will not take a disciple. But I can give your son a chance at Foundation Establishment. I have a Foundation Establishment Pill here, along with two bottles of pills that are extremely useful to Qi Condensation cultivators. Whether he succeeds in Foundation Establishment or not will depend entirely on his own fortune. If he does succeed, entering a major immortal sect or a powerful immortal clan should not be too difficult." As he spoke, Han Li produced three small bottles from his robes and pushed them across the table.

"Foundation Establishment Pill?" The woman's heart leaped with joy at those words. She repeatedly thanked him, her earlier disappointment vanishing in an instant.

"By the way, when I destroyed the Fu Family, I also killed two cultivators from the Devil Flame Sect along the way. I am not afraid of the Devil Flame Sect, but I would rather avoid unnecessary trouble. Let me ask you this: does your husband know of my past affairs?" Han Li's tone shifted slightly, as if something had occurred to him.

"Please rest assured, Senior. Before she passed, my grandmother instructed me that this matter must never be spoken of to a second person. She was afraid it would cause you trouble. I have kept this secret strictly and have never breathed a word of it to my husband or my son." The woman quickly explained, understanding Han Li's concern.

"Good. I knew you would not speak carelessly. Then I will go pay my respects to Miss Xin and Fellow Daoist Qi's spirit tablets, and then I will take my leave." Han Li nodded, satisfied, and rose to his feet.

"Ah! Senior, you are leaving so soon? If you would stay a little longer, my husband and son will be back soon…"

The woman rose as well, voicing her pleas for him to stay. But before she could finish, a flash of white light flared behind her, and she collapsed to the ground without a sound.

Han Li seemed to have anticipated this. With a flick of his sleeve, a rainbow of light shot out and gently caught the falling woman.

The white light behind her faded, and Silvermoon appeared in her little fox form, her dark eyes spinning mischievously as she let out a cheerful yip.

"Master, why did you have me knock her out so suddenly? Is there something wrong with her, or have you taken a liking to her?" Silvermoon said, her tone teasing.

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Reading Guide Decoding

Settling Old Accounts: The Debt to Xin Ruyin

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

The True-Image Portrait: It was once a rare luxury—only high-level cultivators or painting-specific magic tools could produce a lifelike true-image. The fact that Little Mei’s grandmother painted one from memory to ensure she wouldn’t miss Han Li after decades underscores how rare his return was expected to be. This is not a casual keepsake; it is a tactical asset for identification.
The Sealed Jade Slip: The yellow talisman with silver restriction runes is not just a lock—it is a visible countermeasure against curiosity. The fact that Little Mei’s grandmother nearly died from a single glance suggests the jade slip contains either a high-level soul-protective restriction or an extremely advanced technique that rejects low-cultivation readers. In xianxia lore, jade slips often require a minimum cultivation threshold to safely read; violating that threshold can damage the soul or even cause death.
“Foundation Establishment Pill” as parting gift: This is not a casual handout. A Foundation Establishment Pill is one of the most gated resources in the Mortal Stream early-mid game—rare, expensive, and worth dozens of cultivators’ lives in a bidding war. Han Li handing one out like a souvenir is a quiet flex of his current status as a Core Formation powerhouse with access to Nascent Soul-level resources.
The Unseen Promise: The chapter assumes the reader remembers Han Li’s promise to Xin Ruyin from the Blood Forbidden Land arc. This is classic RMJI callback structure: a promise planted hundreds of chapters ago is harvested only when the conditions are right, not when the protagonist feels like it.

Restriction Talisman (禁制符箓)

A paper talisman imbued with restrictive energy, used to seal items, protect contents, or prevent unauthorized access. High-grade ones can kill low-level cultivators who try to bypass them.

Chapter Overview

This chapter delivers a quiet, devastating punch disguised as a simple errand. Han Li returns to an old site to fulfill a promise decades in the waiting—and finds that the dead have been keeping a secret for him. There’s no grand battle, no flashy breakthrough. Instead, the tension comes from a locked jade slip, a painted portrait, and a woman’s measured words. This is classic Mortal Stream terrain: a long-closed account finally settled with a single sword stroke, then a ledger entry for the next phase. But the real prize isn’t the Fu Family’s destruction—it’s what Xin Ruyin left behind, sealed for decades, waiting for exactly this moment.

Key Plot Points

Han Li visits the descendant of Little Mei, who has been waiting for him for decades with a sealed jade slip from Xin Ruyin. The condition for receiving it: the Fu Family must already be destroyed.
Han Li confirms the kill by revealing the Fu Family Ancestor’s head, presented with the casual coldness of a man checking off a list. The woman’s shock is the reader’s proxy for the sheer scale of Han Li’s reputation now.
The jade slip’s contents are revealed only to the reader as being of “great use” to Han Li. Whatever Xin Ruyin left is a technique or knowledge that directly benefits a late-stage Core Formation cultivator—likely the key to the Great Geng Sword Formation hinted at in earlier arcs.
Han Li compensates the woman with a Foundation Establishment Pill and medicinal vials for her son, a coldly tactical investment that costs him almost nothing but buys him future goodwill and a clear conscience.
Han Li has Silvermoon knock the woman unconscious before leaving, not out of malice but out of procedural caution: the less she knows about the exact timing and nature of his departure, the better. Silvermoon’s lighthearted banter (“Have you taken a liking to her?”) contrasts perfectly with his stone-faced pragmatism.

Reading Guide

Pay attention to Han Li’s micro-expressions throughout this chapter. The “sigh” when he looks at the painting, the “softened” tone when speaking of Qi Yunxiao and Xin Ruyin—these are rare, contained moments of genuine emotion, not performance. The fact that they appear at all tells you how much he valued these two as allies and friends.
The woman’s delayed, careful revelation of the jade slip is a masterclass in Mortal Stream social navigation: she waits for proof before she gives up the goods, a sign that she was raised by someone who understood the Dark Forest rules intimately.
Silvermoon’s playful tone at the end is a deliberate tonal shift. After a chapter of heavy, retrospective atmosphere, her casual question (“Or have you taken a liking to her?”) breaks the tension but also serves as a reminder that Han Li now moves through the world with a powerful, chatty, and utterly unbothered asset at his side. The contrast between his cold execution and her amused commentary is a neat summary of their dynamic.
The jade slip will almost certainly contain the path to the Great Geng Sword Formation. Watch for how Han Li’s next phase of secluded cultivation unfolds: if this is the key to his final Core Formation trump card, the heavens are about to get a lot colder for anyone standing in his way.

Quick Q&A

Lore recap (TL;DR) drawn from this chapter's Cultural / Xianxia Notes — same text as the FAQ structured data on this page.

Why did Han Li knock the woman unconscious?: He didn’t want her to know exactly when or how he left, to minimize any trace of his visit. It’s a standard *Mortal Stream* procedural precaution.
What was in the jade slip?: The chapter doesn’t reveal the contents explicitly, but the implication is strong that it contains the key to the Great Geng Sword Formation or a similarly high-level technique Han Li needs for his Nascent Soul breakthrough.
Why did the grandmother nearly die from a single glance?: The jade slip’s restriction was designed to reject low-cultivation readers. A Qi Condensation cultivator trying to read Nascent Soul or Core Formation level content would suffer severe soul damage.
Is Han Li’s gift of a Foundation Establishment Pill too generous?: For a current Core Formation cultivator with Nascent Soul-level resources, a Foundation Establishment Pill is a relatively cheap investment in goodwill and a clean conscience. It also reinforces the power gap—he can give away what others would kill for.