The contents of the letter had been read by Han Li many times over. It was not complicated—merely stating that the Han Li delivering the letter was Doctor Mo's final disciple and could be trusted absolutely. Should the Mo Residence face any trouble, Han Li was to resolve it. In exchange for keeping the Mo family safe, Yan Shi was to select one of her three daughters to marry Han Li, with the Warm-Sun Jade as the dowry. As for Doctor Mo himself, he claimed to be occupied with important matters and unable to return to reunite with his wife and daughters, telling Yan Shi not to worry.
Although Han Li had found nothing overtly unfavorable in the letter, he knew Doctor Mo must have tampered with it somehow. It could not be as simple as it appeared on the surface.
Yet since he could not discern any tricks in the letter and still wished to gain the Mo family's trust as quickly as possible, he had no choice but to present it to Yan Shi with a stiff upper lip. He watched her every reaction with heightened attention—he did not want this Fourth Madam to suddenly detect something amiss and turn on him to avenge Doctor Mo.
Fortunately, the worst-case scenario Han Li had imagined did not come to pass. After reading the letter, the beautiful woman Yan Shi merely furrowed her brows. Her expression grew worried, as though she faced some difficult decision.
"Huan'er, go fetch Second Madam, Third Madam, and Fifth Madam. Tell them there is news from the Master," Yan Shi instructed, turning around with an authoritative tone.
"I understand, Mother! I'll go right away." Mo Caihuan, grasping the gravity of the matter, obediently departed. But just before leaving the room, she gave Han Li a shy smile, seemingly quite interested in him.
"You are Han Li?" Yan Shi raised her head, her expression once again elegant and composed.
"Yes, Master's wife!" Han Li replied honestly.
"Can you tell me how my husband came to take you as his disciple?" Yan Shi asked with a faint smile.
"As you wish!" Han Li hesitated for a moment, then felt there was nothing particularly secret about the process of Doctor Mo taking him as a disciple, so he began to recount it slowly to Yan Shi, selecting his words carefully.
"Eight years ago, Master Mo was recovering from old injuries and living in seclusion at Caixia Mountain of the Sect of Seven Mysteries in Yuezhou. At that time, I happened to be entering the mountain for the first time..." Han Li naturally narrated the story of how Doctor Mo had taken him as a disciple, mixing seven parts truth with three parts fabrication. Those pieces of information that absolutely could not be revealed to Yan Shi were either altered or glossed over lightly. Yet even so, Yan Shi listened with rapt attention and evident enjoyment.
"...And so, three months ago, Master Mo was entangled in important matters and could not get away. Fearing that being absent from the Mo Residence for too long might invite trouble from his enemies for you, Madams, he sent me down the mountain first to come to the Mo Residence and await your instructions."
"What important matters could my husband have, that he could not even come home first?" After hearing Han Li's half-true, half-false account of his apprenticeship, Yan Shi sighed and asked softly, a note of sorrow in her voice.
"What home? Doctor Mo has been dead for nearly two years now—his corpse buried under the tree has been reduced to nothing but bones!" Han Li thought with some self-mockery, though his face maintained an expression of respectful deference.
"What matters? Master Mo did not tell me, but they must be extremely important!" Han Li's answer was deliberately vague.
"Hmph! Did your master instruct you to keep us in the dark?" Yan Shi said with a half-smile, though her tone carried a note of displeasure.
"There was absolutely no such instruction!" Han Li said aloud, while inwardly he gave a bitter smile. This Yan Shi was truly suspicious by nature.
Yan Shi looked unconvinced, her mouth opening as though she intended to ask further questions.
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the room. Before anyone had entered, an extremely alluring feminine voice drifted in.
"Fourth Sister, I heard there's news from the husband—is it true? That scoundrel! He ran off for over ten years, wanting us sisters to live as widows!"
Han Li was initially stunned by the seductive voice, then alarmed by its content.
"This lady is quite bold!" he thought in astonishment.
"Third Sister, watch your words—there are others present," another slightly hoarse female voice said with mild reprimand.
"I know! But I heard the person bringing the letter is another of the husband's beloved disciples. It couldn't be another impostor, could it? What do you think, Fifth Sister?" the charming voice said with a light laugh.
"It cannot be. Since Fourth Sister summoned us, it means this person is at least seventy or eighty percent trustworthy," a cold voice replied.
"True enough. I admire Fourth Sister's judgment!" The charming voice giggled, though it was unclear whether she was being sarcastic or genuinely praising Yan Shi.
Upon hearing this, Han Li stole a glance at Yan Shi. He saw her pressing one hand to her brow with a look of helpless resignation—she too found the owner of that alluring voice quite troublesome.
The door was finally pushed open, and several beautiful women entered in succession. Mo Caihuan trailed in last, her red pouty lips pushed out in a sulk.
The foremost woman appeared to be in her early thirties, refined and dignified, with clear features and an air of scholarly grace—she must have been a talented woman in her youth.
Han Li nodded to himself inwardly, then shifted his gaze to the woman in the middle, who appeared to be twenty-three or twenty-four.
The moment Han Li saw this woman's face, his head buzzed and he lost himself in a daze, his entire being sinking into a realm of dazzling beauty from which he could not escape. This woman was too captivating, even more striking than Mo Yuzhu, whom he had seen during the day. And that languid, seductive charm was something Mo Yuzhu simply could not possess. If there truly existed such beings as fox spirits in this world, Han Li would believe without hesitation that this woman was one in human form.
Just as Han Li was reeling in bewilderment, a cool current suddenly surged up from his dantian, circulated through his meridians to his brain, and brought him immediately back to clarity.
Having recovered his wits, Han Li was shocked. Not daring to look at this woman again, he hastily lowered his gaze and avoided her eyes.
"This woman is too dangerous—her beauty alone can rob a person of their senses! I cannot tell whether this is the natural magic of her extraordinary appearance or whether she has cultivated some bewitching technique." Han Li thought with alarm.
When the stunning woman saw that Han Li had been momentarily entranced upon seeing her but quickly recovered and deliberately looked away, a flicker of surprise flashed through her eyes.