Han Li

"Give me one reason not to kill you!"

Li Feiyu's roar exploded through the dense woods, startling a flock of birds into flight.

His steel saber gleamed coldly in the dappled sunlight. Its keen edge pressed against Han Li's neck, already drawing a hair-thin line of blood.

Han Li could clearly feel the bone-piercing chill of the blade. His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

Just a quarter of an hour earlier, he had found Li Feiyu collapsed in agony among the trees, convulsing and foaming at the mouth as the Marrow-Extracting Pill took effect.

Following the healer's instincts he had developed in Divine Hand Valley, he had immediately stepped forward to help.

He had never expected Li Feiyu's first reaction upon regaining consciousness to be drawing his saber on him. Naked killing intent surged in those bloodshot eyes.

"I... I only wanted to help you..." Han Li's voice trembled. He deliberately sounded panicked, while his right hand silently reached for the concealed weapon in his sleeve.

His dark face was covered in fear, but his eyes remained unusually clear as he secretly calculated the angle and timing of his attack-the Sleeve Arrow was already cocked. All it would take was a flick of his wrist...

Li Feiyu gave a savage grin and pressed the blade a fraction closer. "Anyone who knows my secret has to die!"

The muscles in his arm tightened. The steel saber was about to slice open Han Li's throat.

Han Li could even smell the scent of the Marrow-Extracting Pill on him, mingled with the odor of blood.

Clang!

A black shadow flashed past like a phantom, and the clash of metal exploded through the woods.

Li Feiyu felt his wrist go numb. The web between his thumb and forefinger split, and the saber flew from his grasp, burying itself with a thunk in a tree trunk thirty feet away. Its hilt still trembled violently.

He turned in shock, only to take a heavy knife-hand strike to the back of his neck. His vision went black, and he collapsed like a heap of mud.

Han Li staggered back two steps, his pupils contracting sharply.

Li Feiyu, who had been brimming with murderous intent a moment earlier, now lay limp on the ground like an empty sack.

Thirty feet away, a black-robed figure had appeared at some unknown moment. A broad hood concealed his face completely, with only a lock of gray-white hair hanging from beneath it, fluttering gently in the wind.

"Th-thank you for saving my life, senior!" Han Li's voice was tight. He quickly hid the Sleeve Arrow and bowed deeply, putting on a frightened air.

Out of the corner of his eye, however, he rapidly surveyed the surrounding terrain for possible escape routes. His heart pounded like a drum.

When had this black-robed man approached?

How had he struck?

Han Li had not noticed a thing!

Such terrifying movement!

The black-robed man-Jing Wen-stood quietly, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly beneath his hood.

Han Li's little movements were as clear to him as the lines on his own palm.

The future "Han Old Devil," who would one day shake the cultivation world, was still an inexperienced youth, but his innate caution and quick wits were already fully apparent.

"Boy, put that Sleeve Arrow away." Jing Wen's voice was hoarse, deliberately altered. "That thing is useless against me."

As he spoke, he lifted his right hand slightly. The Sleeve Arrow in Han Li's sleeve flew out on its own, disassembled in midair, and scattered across the ground with a series of clinks.

Han Li went rigid, fine beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. Forcing himself to remain calm, he cupped his hands. "Please understand, senior. I was only..."

"I am Jing Wen, a resident expert of the Seven Mysteries Sect." Jing Wen interrupted him, strolling forward and lifting his hood to reveal an ordinary middle-aged face—a disguise he had painstakingly crafted with the Disguise Technique. "When I see someone plotting against a fellow sect member, naturally I cannot stand by."

Han Li secretly studied this mysterious man who claimed to be a resident expert.

He looked to be in his early forties, with a face so ordinary that one would forget it at a glance. Only his eyes stood out, deep as icy pools, chilling Han Li to his core.

Even more alarming was the faint, cold aura that seemed to linger around him.

"However..." Jing Wen changed tack, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes.

"What I believe in most is fairness.

"How do you intend to repay me for saving your life?"

Jing Wen stood with his hands behind his back. His tone was mild, yet Han Li felt an invisible pressure bearing down on him.

Alarm bells rang in Han Li's heart.

"I will remember your great kindness to my dying day, senior." Han Li lowered his head and bowed, concealing the wariness that flashed through his eyes. "But I own nothing of value. I truly..."

"Yellow Dragon Pills." Jing Wen had no desire to talk in circles with Han Li. He stated his demand outright, crossing his fingers to indicate ten. "I hear Doctor Mo has these pills. Ten bottles will suffice."

Han Li inwardly sighed in relief, only to grow tense again at once.

Doctor Mo had indeed given him some Yellow Dragon Pills, precious pills that aided his cultivation.

But how did this man know?

Had he been watching Divine Hand Valley all along?

Perhaps Doctor Mo had given some to others.

"Please understand, senior. I have already used up all the pills my master gave me."

Han Li shook his head with a rueful smile, his expression sincere. "All I have now is the formula, not any finished pills..."

As he spoke, he stole a glance at Jing Wen's reaction.

Jing Wen had expected him to make excuses.

As a transmigrator, he knew perfectly well that Han Li had only recently obtained the Little Green Bottle and was still figuring out even its basic uses.

He therefore had no stock of finished pills on hand.

But Jing Wen was in no hurry. This transaction had only just begun.

"If you have none, surely Doctor Mo does?" Jing Wen asked unhurriedly.

"My master... has been traveling for some time and has yet to return..." Han Li's voice grew quieter and quieter.

Doctor Mo had indeed taught him the formula for Yellow Dragon Pills, but the ingredients were precious, and he currently had none in stock.

Silence settled over the woods, broken only by the rustle of leaves in the wind.

A tit landed on a branch, tilting its head curiously at the two men below.

Jing Wen suddenly chuckled, and his sleeves stirred without a breeze.

Han Li felt an invisible force lift him up, leaving his feet three feet off the ground!

This was an application of the cultivation world's most basic Object-Driving Technique, but to Han Li at that moment, it was nothing short of immortal magic.

"S-senior!" Han Li struggled in terror, but he felt as though he had sunk into a mire, unable to move.

He possessed cultivation at the qi refining fourth layer, yet having learned no spells, he was weaker than even an ordinary martial artist.

Just as despair overtook him, the force suddenly vanished. He stumbled to the ground, his back striking a tree trunk.

Jing Wen stood with his hands behind his back and said blandly, "I dislike owing favors, but I am even less willing to let others leave their debts to me unpaid." His tone was calm, yet it sent a bone-piercing chill through Han Li.

Then Jing Wen changed tack again. "Still, you need not pay all the pills at once.

"You may pay once a month until the debt is settled."

After landing, Han Li retreated several steps, only steadying himself when his back pressed against the tree.

His face was pale, and towering waves churned in his heart-this man's strength was unfathomable.

"I will do everything in my power." Han Li had no other choice now. He could only grit his teeth and agree, while secretly devising a response.

Jing Wen's real intention was to trade with Han Li. He had already demonstrated his strength several times. Having finished wielding the stick, it was time to offer a sweet date.

"Once you have repaid me for saving your life, if you run into any trouble, you may still pay me in pills to intervene."

Han Li's eyes widened. "Really?"

His voice rose slightly in surprise. Realizing he had lost his composure, he hurriedly reined in his expression.

But that fleeting flash of delight did not escape Jing Wen's eyes.

Even an expert like this could be hired with pills?

Then in the future, wouldn't he...

Jing Wen feigned mild anger. "Hmph, boy, I have always kept my word." He deliberately lowered his voice, making it enticing.

"If you have enough pills, even asking me to kill your master would be no problem."

Those words exploded like thunder in Han Li's ears.

Over the past few years, he had indeed noticed Doctor Mo looking at him more and more strangely, often standing beside his bed late at night with a hair-raising gleam in his eyes...

But how could this man know?

Perhaps it was merely a coincidence...

Han Li forcibly suppressed his horror and waved his hands repeatedly. "S-senior, I wasn't doubting you. I was simply overwhelmed with delight!" He tried hard to look innocent and happy, even deliberately stretching his lips into an exaggerated smile.

Jing Wen was secretly amused. Though Han Li was already beginning to show his cunning, he was still far too green compared with the calculating "Han Old Devil" of the middle and later portions of the original story.

In another few years, a staged rescue like his would probably no longer work on Han Li.

"All right, boy, it's settled. I'll come to collect the pills in a few days, so you had better get to work." Jing Wen waved a hand and turned to leave, then pointed at the unconscious Li Feiyu as though remembering something. "I'll leave this fellow for you to deal with as well. I'm off!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jing Wen activated the Wind-Riding Technique and vanished into the depths of the woods in a few bounds, leaving behind only a faint trace of sandalwood.

Only after that eerie presence had completely dissipated did Han Li let out a long breath. The back of his robe was soaked with cold sweat.

He glanced at Li Feiyu on the ground, a vicious glint flashing in his eyes.

Then he shook his head. "Li Feiyu has some reputation in the Seven Mysteries Sect. If he suddenly disappeared, it would inevitably cause unnecessary trouble."

Han Li thought of Mo Juren again, and a chill ran through his heart.

Then a golden gleam flashed in his eyes. Wasn't my original plan to use Li Feiyu to obtain martial arts manuals?

Now that I know Li Feiyu's secret, isn't this the perfect chance to get them?

A hundred meters away, Jing Wen hid in a treetop, watching Han Li feed Li Feiyu a pill.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

As expected of Han Old Devil.

An ordinary person, faced with kindness repaid by betrayal, would probably have killed Li Feiyu long ago to vent the hatred in his heart.

But Han Old Devil can endure what ordinary people cannot...

Still, no matter how meticulous your scheming, you are ultimately just a country boy, with limited experience and limited resources.

Jing Wen chuckled softly, then vanished from his hiding place.

Much later, silence returned to the dense woods. Only Li Feiyu, struggling to rise, and the steel saber embedded in the tree trunk remained to bear witness to an encounter that could change so many lives.