The handsome little prince, of course, had no idea what Han Li was thinking at that moment. Instead, he was engaging the Qin family disciples—his old acquaintances—in gentle conversation, causing two of the young ladies to blush deeply, their hearts clearly fluttering with excitement.
Seeing this, Han Li let out a cold, inward laugh.
This little prince was trouble. If these Qin women truly threw themselves at him, they would not end up well. Even if this prince devoured them body and soul, Han Li would not feel surprised.
After a short while, Prince Xin excused himself from Qin Yan and the others, taking the little prince to greet the next table. This left the Qin disciples who had been chatting so happily with the little prince, as well as the pair of grandchildren of the elder surnamed Hua, somewhat disappointed.
Han Li, meanwhile, seized a moment when no one was watching to fix his gaze on the little prince's retreating back, a contemplative light flickering in his eyes.
The banquet finally ended after more than two hours.
The satisfied guests began taking their leave of Prince Xin and his son.
Qin Yan also led Han Li and the others out through the front gate of Prince Xin's residence.
But just as the elder Qin was about to board the same carriage he and Han Li had arrived in, Han Li suddenly spoke up, asking a question that left Qin Yan stunned.
"Uncle Qin, who are those two people? Could you tell me about them?"
Though Han Li's tone was polite, Elder Qin did not dare be remiss. He quickly turned to look, saying as he did so:
"Nephew Han, which two people do you mean? Oh! That's old Mr. Xiao of the Xiao family! He's the well-known owner of the Idle Cloud Tavern in the capital of Yue. He's a very low-key person—I'm not very close with him. As for the young person beside him, he looks unfamiliar—probably one of his grandsons!"
Qin Yan looked at the old man and young person Han Li had been staring at, surprise appearing on his face, not understanding why Han Li had taken an interest in these two.
"Oh, I see! Uncle Qin, you go ahead! I'll walk around a bit and return to the residence later." Han Li nodded thoughtfully, saying casually.
Then, without waiting for Qin Yan to say anything, he slowly made his way toward the side path along the estate wall.
Qin Yan stared blankly at Han Li's retreating back, then glanced at the distant Xiao family elder's furtive glances in this direction, feeling a twinge of doubt.
But after a moment's thought, he decisively climbed into the carriage and ordered his trusted driver to set off.
Thus, several Qin family carriages departed from the front gate of Prince Xin's residence, heading east toward the Qin family estate.
The young Qin masters and ladies did not even notice Han Li's absence, still discussing what they had seen and heard at Prince Xin's residence in the last two carriages.
They were immensely excited! They felt that although they had not secured an immortal connection, this was absolutely capital to boast about to their companions back home.
Meanwhile, Han Li walked for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before finally arriving at the rear gate of Prince Xin's towering estate along the high wall.
The tall rear gate was shut tight, without a single soul in sight.
Han Li smiled, thinking this was perfect—he wouldn't need to use any concealment techniques after all.
He stood at the rear gate in a leisurely manner, idly gazing up at the sky.
After a short while, Han Li fell into a daze, as if lost in thought.
Suddenly, he sensed someone approaching hesitantly from the distance. He lowered his gaze and cast a cold look.
There they were—the Xiao family elder and the young person dressed in men's clothing—having circled around from the other side of the estate. Upon seeing Han Li, the old man faltered, a look of hesitation on his face. The young person, on the other hand, looked at Han Li with pure curiosity, showing not a trace of fear.
Perhaps the old man had come to some resolution. His expression immediately calmed, and he strode forward. The young person followed behind him.
"This junior is Xiao Zhen. This junior thanks the senior for showing mercy within the prince's residence! If there was any offense, this junior is willing to apologize to the senior."
Having walked up to Han Li, the Xiao family elder still could not gauge the depth of Han Li's cultivation at all. Shocked, he felt even greater reverence toward Han Li, and so he bowed respectfully before speaking, offering his apology in a submissive tone.
Han Li accepted the bow with an unchanged expression before speaking in an indifferent voice:
"Why are you in the capital of Yue instead of secluding yourself in a place rich in spiritual energy for bitter cultivation? Could it be that you've grown attached to the secular splendors and no longer wish to cultivate?"
Han Li, regardless of everything else, first pinned a heavy label on the old man—this way he could easily dominate him in demeanor, making whatever came next easier to handle.
"The senior has misunderstood. This junior is too old and has basically no hope of Foundation Establishment. I was assigned by the clan to manage secular finances—it is not that I have willfully remained in the mortal world without returning." The blue-robed elder's heart relaxed slightly as he answered with a somewhat relieved expression.
"Which clan are you from?" Han Li pressed, not letting the matter go easily.
He naturally needed to get to the bottom of these two. If they belonged to one of the famous immortal cultivation families, Han Li would not want to provoke them lightly. However, he did not think the surname Xiao was associated with any notable cultivation family!
Hearing Han Li's question, the old man hesitated, glancing at the young person beside him, before honestly replying:
"This junior is from the Xiao family of Fenghe Creek in the State of Yun!"
"The Xiao family of Fenghe Creek?" Han Li frowned, thinking carefully, certain he had never heard of this name.
"There's no need for the senior to think further. The Xiao family where this junior comes from is merely a small clan. It's quite normal that the senior has never heard of us." The Xiao family elder's face darkened as he said self-deprecatingly.
Hearing this, Han Li was somewhat surprised. After re-examining the old man a few times, he asked with an unchanged expression, speaking slowly and deliberately:
"You speak so freely—are you not afraid that, losing all scruples, I might turn hostile and eliminate you both right here?"
At Han Li's words, the old man was unfazed. But the young person reacted like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on—face tightening, a hand immediately andhurriedly reaching for the waist where something bulged. Without question, that was where a storage pouch was hidden.
But then, seeing that neither her grandfather nor Han Li was actually making any move, the young person blushed and withdrew her hand, fumbling awkwardly, not knowing where to put it—looking utterly adorable!
The old man saw this, looked at the young person with extreme tenderness once more, then smiled bitterly and turned back to Han Li:
"Although this junior cannot see the depth of your cultivation, you are certainly a senior who has achieved Foundation Establishment—this much I am quite clear about."
"This junior does not believe that I possess any treasures—magical artifacts, pills, or the like—that would tempt a senior who has achieved great success in cultivation."
"If you truly are that kind of person, this junior has nothing more to say. With my meager cultivation and power, fleeing or resisting would be futile. I might as well surrender and let the senior have their way, rather than bring wrath upon my entire clan! This junior only asks the senior to show mercy and spare my granddaughter—she is my only blood."
The old man's final words were spoken with extreme desolation, causing the young person to listen with extreme alarm and anger, hurriedly saying with indignation:
"Grandfather, don't be afraid! If he truly wants to harm us, we'll fight him to the end! I'm not afraid of him!"
Hearing the Xiao family elder's and the young person's words, Han Li was momentarily stunned. But after studying the two of them carefully, he found himself both amused and exasperated.
Though the old man spoke with such mournful sorrow, appearing ready to sacrifice himself, Han Li could see not a trace of a death wish in his eyes. Even the spiritual fluctuations radiating from him were poised for battle—there was nothing of someone ready to surrender!
He was clearly prepared to fight to the death if Han Li truly intended to kill and plunder.
And the young person was even more interesting.
Though her words were filled with righteous anger, her black, gemstone-like eyes darted about constantly whenever Han Li wasn't watching, occasionally revealing a hint of cunning.
What the young person didn't know was that Han Li, who had mastered the first layer of the "Great Derivation Art," possessed spiritual sense far more powerful than an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator. Every one of her little movements had fallen into his awareness.
Han Li thought to himself:
"I suspect that the so-called 'Xiao family of Fenghe Creek' these two mentioned was nothing more than a casual fabrication. Whether this family even exists at all—I have serious doubts!"
So, Han Li's face took on an expression between a smile and not a smile. He stared at the two of them in silence, saying nothing.
He neither told them they could leave, nor did he immediately turn hostile or prepare to attack—simply leaving the old man and the young person standing there, momentarily abandoned.
At first, the old man and the young person could still maintain their tragic expressions.
But as time trickled by, and with Han Li's languid expression and impassive gaze, the Xiao family elder and the young person finally exchanged bewildered glances.
"You are a senior—what exactly do you intend to do?" The young person could bear it no longer. Disregarding the old man's warning glances, she jumped in front of Han Li, hands on hips, pointing at him with one hand as she demanded loudly, her face full of grievance.