A Hard Bargain and a Past Revisited

When Han Li finished speaking, Lu Luo, who stood nearby, wore a thoughtful expression, as if he had guessed something.

“What materials? Fellow Daoist Han, please speak plainly,” Long Han said slowly.

“I need some Geng Essence to refine my treasure. The more, the better. But rest assured, fellow Daoists, I intend to exchange these Geng Essence for equivalent value—I am not asking for charity. I merely wish to borrow the Alliance’s strength to help me gather them, or at least to learn where Geng Essence may be found,” Han Li said calmly, his expression unchanging.

The inability to obtain enough Geng Essence to forge the Great Geng Sword Formation had long been a headache for Han Li. Now that such an opportunity presented itself, he naturally intended to make full use of it.

“Geng Essence!”

At the mention of this material, everyone present could not hide their surprise.

Who among them did not know of the famed “Sharp Metal Treasure”?

Even though they had anticipated something of the sort, Han Li naming such a heaven-defying treasure still left most of the room stunned.

“Fellow Daoist Han, what kind of treasure are you trying to refine that requires Geng Essence in such quantity?” Kuang, the old man, asked with a frown, his tone one of curiosity. “You must know, for most treasures, merely adding a trace of this substance is enough to greatly increase their power. Adding too much offers no further improvement.”

“Rest assured, I am well aware of that. I only wish to ask whether the Alliance can gather a certain amount of this material,” Han Li replied, his expression steady, his voice cool.

“Since Fellow Daoist Han is willing to trade at fair value, helping you gather this material and inquire about its whereabouts is not out of the question. However,” Long Han sighed and shook his head, “this kind of thing—once someone gets their hands on it, they tend to use it immediately. And from the way you speak, it seems you need no small quantity. That will be very difficult. Even if we find leads, the owners will treasure it as the apple of their eye and keep it hidden. We would not be able to press the matter. Otherwise, would only a single small piece have appeared at the auction not long ago?”

At these words, Han Li’s heart sank. He had, of course, considered this possibility already.

But aside from this approach, he truly had no other recourse.

If the Heavenly South truly could not provide enough Geng Essence, would he have to go to the fabled Great Jin Empire, or to a place like the Tian Sha Continent, to search for it?

Then again, Great Jin was said to be more than ten times larger than the Heavenly South. It was entirely possible that enough Geng Essence could be found there.

Besides, he still carried the bone box he had brought out from the Netherworld Domain, containing the method for refining the “Descending Spirit Talisman.” If he went to Great Jin, he would naturally have to return this item to the Heavenly Talisman Sect.

As these thoughts passed through Han Li’s mind, a feeling of frustration set in.

Seeing Han Li’s hesitation, Lu Luo could not help but add his own advice.

“Junior Han, perhaps you should choose another condition. Geng Essence is simply something one encounters by fate, not by seeking.”

Han Li’s brow furrowed slightly at the remark. After a moment of thought, he still shook his head and said, “Regardless, Geng Essence is of critical importance to me. Even if the hope is slim, I still ask the Alliance to agree to this matter.”

By the end, Han Li’s face was set with determination.

“Since Fellow Daoist Han insists so strongly, we will have the Alliance disciples do their utmost. But you must understand—it is entirely possible that not a single piece of Geng Essence will be found. Do not regret this choice later,” Long Han said, seeming to recognize that Han Li had made up his mind. He finally nodded in agreement.

After all, for an organization as large as the Heaven’s Dao Alliance, this was merely a matter of having low-level disciples run errands and pay more attention to relevant information. It was hardly a difficult task.

The other cultivators, including Kuang the old man, naturally had no objection.

But Long Han and the others seemed to feel that this compensation was too light. They promptly produced another bag of spirit stones—over a hundred mid-grade ones—as an additional form of recompense.

Han Li smiled at this and accepted without false modesty.

Seeing this, the cultivators in the hall were all cordial and amicable.

The Heaven’s Dao Alliance members then chatted idly in the side hall for a while, with Long Han and the others asking in detail about the battle at Yellow Dragon Mountain. They were especially interested in the powers of the black-robed man and the Moulan Divine Sage who had appeared suddenly.

Han Li did not hide the matter and gave a straightforward account of the battle.

Naturally, anything that touched upon his own techniques and treasures was glossed over and not mentioned.

Long Han and the others would not violate a cultivator’s taboo by asking about Han Li’s cultivation methods.

But when Han Li mentioned his suspicion that the black-robed figures were not monsters or ghosts but cultivators who practiced some demonic technique, Long Han’s brow twitched sharply.

In this way, Han Li spent nearly half a day at the hall before finally taking his leave.

Just as he and Lu Luo stepped out of the hall’s entrance, a transmission talisman flew into Lu Luo’s hand.

After reading it, Lu Luo smiled helplessly at Han Li.

“I have some urgent business to attend to. I’m afraid I can’t continue accompanying you, Junior Han. Feel free to wander around Heavenly One City on your own. In the evening, we brothers can have a good talk.”

“Senior Brother Lu, go ahead with your affairs. I was planning to see the city by myself anyway,” Han Li replied with a friendly smile in response to Lu Luo’s gesture.

With a lighter heart, Lu Luo clasped his fist, then hurriedly transformed into a streak of rainbow light and shot into the distance.

It seemed he truly had something important to do.

Han Li watched the departing light, shook his head, then thought for a moment and smiled faintly, nodding.

He raised his head to look at the sky, considered briefly, and then walked toward the central district.

But after only a few steps, his gaze flickered, and he stopped in his tracks.

He slowly turned around and looked toward a nearby alley entrance.

There stood that woman of the White Phoenix Peak, the one named Song. She was biting her red lip, her expression hesitant.

Han Li blinked, then raised a hand and waved her over.

Song hesitated for a moment, then walked over gracefully.

“Greetings, Uncle-Master Han!” This beautiful female cultivator of the Falling Cloud Sect spoke in a respectful, melodious voice.

“How long have you been waiting here?” Han Li asked calmly, his hands behind his back, studying her beautiful face.

“About an hour,” Song replied, lowering her head slightly.

“It seems you truly have something to tell me. But this is not the place to talk. Follow me,” Han Li said coolly, his gaze sweeping the surroundings.

Without waiting for her reply, he walked unhurriedly into the distance.

Song’s jade-white face shifted with uncertainty for a moment, then she stomped her foot and followed.

…

“What is it? Speak,” Han Li said as he found a quiet, secluded spot nearby. He turned around, his demeanor composed.

“It’s like this. Someone asked me to deliver a letter to you, Uncle-Master, and wishes to meet with you,” Song said hesitantly, then reached into her robes and produced a jade slip, handing it to him with both hands.

“A letter?” Han Li’s eyes showed surprise. He swept his divine sense over the object before taking it.

But he did not immediately immerse his consciousness into it. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the woman’s face.

“Who gave this to you? Surely you know.”

“It’s from a close friend of mine. She said she knows you, so she asked me to deliver this to you,” Song replied, her demeanor now unusually calm after handing over the jade slip.

“Knows me?” Han Li’s eyes narrowed, his expression shifting. After tilting his head in thought, he pressed the jade slip lightly to his forehead, his face turning impassive.

A moment later, a strange expression crossed his face. He removed the jade slip from his forehead, looked at Song, and asked in a slightly softer tone, “Where is she? Take me to her.”

“Uncle-Master truly knows my friend?” This time, Song blinked her beautiful eyes, genuinely surprised.

“Yes, you could say we share some history. I didn’t expect you to know her,” Han Li said, his expression neutral.

“I only met this friend in the last two years. I thought her claim of knowing you was just a joke. I never expected it to be true. I’ve arranged for her to stay in a secluded place outside the city. Allow me to lead you there,” Song said, her spirits lifting. She smiled radiantly, adding to her charm.

With that, the two of them headed toward the city gates. Once outside Heavenly One City, with Song leading the way, they mounted their light and flew southward.

They flew for a full fifty li before landing in front of a small, secluded valley.

A milky-white mist covered the valley entrance, protected by a minor illusion technique.

Without a word, Song raised a token she had already prepared in her hand. A red beam shot into the white mist, and the mist swirled, gradually clearing to reveal a verdant path.

“Uncle-Master, please,” Song said respectfully, gesturing for Han Li to go first.

With his current divine sense, Han Li had already taken in the entire valley scene before even entering. A faint smile touched his lips, and he followed the path inside.

This small valley was not large—a mere hundred zhang in area. It contained only a few stone huts and nothing else, clearly a temporary residence.

However, the area around the huts was swept clean, with no weeds in sight.

Perhaps the breaking of the seal had alerted the person inside the huts.

A graceful figure flickered, and a pretty woman in yellow appeared at the doorway of one of the stone huts.

She saw Han Li walking at the front, and her face showed a complex expression. After a moment of hesitation, she walked over gracefully, gave a slight bow, and spoke.

“Mei Ning greets Senior Han. Congratulations on your advancement to the Nascent Soul stage.”

Her voice was soft and pleasant, but a faint, indescribable melancholy seeped through her words.

Han Li’s face showed a trace of awkwardness. He let out a bitter laugh before saying slowly, “Miss Mei, it’s been a few years. You look just as lovely as before. And from the look of your cultivation, it seems you are nearing the peak of Foundation Establishment. Soon, you will likely enter the False Core stage.”