Han Li's expression remained unchanged, and the gaze he directed at the young girl showed no trace of anger whatsoever. Yet the killing intent emanating from him was something the old man could clearly feel.
Startled, before the old man could even pull the girl behind him, a terrifying wave of momentum erupted from Han Li's body. The fearsome spiritual pressure contained within forced the girl—who was practically within arm's reach—to stumble backward seven or eight steps, utterly powerless to resist.
Fortunately, the old man was quick-eyed and sharp-handed. His figure flickered as he darted behind the girl, both hands slapping down on her shoulders to finally halt her relentless retreat.
At this moment, the young girl's face was pale as paper. Having finally experienced the terror of Han Li's cultivation firsthand, she looked behind her toward her grandfather in panic.
The old man's expression was equally grim!
If before he had held even a sliver of confidence that he and his granddaughter could escape together from Han Li, then after witnessing even a small fraction of the other party's true power, that last thread of hope was thoroughly cast to the back of his mind.
The fearsomeness of a Foundation Establishment cultivator far exceeded his imagination—absolutely not something cultivators at their level could afford to provoke.
The thought of the petty tricks he and his granddaughter had just attempted in front of such a person made cold sweat pour endlessly down his back!
This expert was absolutely not like the dull, painstakingly dedicated cultivators he had encountered before! His intelligence was remarkably high, and his reactions were far beyond those of ordinary people.
Could this person actually be some ancient monster who had lived for over a century, merely possessing the art of preserving his youthful appearance?
The more the old man pondered, the more plausible this seemed, and the more terrified he became!
Sensing that the spiritual pressure from Han Li's body seemed to be growing even stronger, the old man swallowed hard and pleaded with trembling fear:
"Senior, please show mercy! My granddaughter is simply too young and doesn't know how vast the world truly is. I beg you to calm your anger!"
Han Li cast the old man a cold glance, seemingly recognizing that his words were sincere. The terrifying momentum around his body then suddenly subsided, instantly becoming as still and deep as water that revealed nothing.
Only then did the old man surnamed Xiao cautiously withdraw his hands from the girl's shoulders. By now, the young girl was thoroughly subdued. She stole a quick glance at Han Li, then immediately looked away, not daring to meet his gaze directly.
The contrast with her earlier fearlessness was truly like heaven and earth!
Yet now, the girl's delicate and slender figure, paired with her terrified, pale face, made her look exactly like a frightened little bird—utterly endearing.
Han Li found his eyes brightening as he looked at her, discovering for the first time the fragile beauty of a young woman. It was genuinely captivating, giving him a startling sense of wonder, and he found himself gazing a few extra moments.
After carefully studying the girl's features, he could see that despite her young age—only fourteen or fifteen—she was undoubtedly a rare beauty. In all likelihood, she would grow up to be an unparalleled enchantress capable of captivating all who beheld her.
Perhaps Han Li's gaze toward the girl had been a touch too unusual. Seeing this, the old man's heart sank.
"Could it be that this person summoned us here because he's taken a fancy to my granddaughter? What am I going to do? His magical power is unfathomable—I simply cannot resist!" The old man fretted, his thoughts spiraling wildly.
"Since you two are unwilling to reveal your clan—or perhaps you have no clan at all and are merely wandering cultivators—I won't force you. The reason I brought you here was simply to make a trade. Once the deal is done, you two may leave."
After a long silence, Han Li finally spoke.
"A trade?"
The old man was stunned, vaguely feeling he might have been overthinking things.
"That's right. I've taken a liking to something you have, and I'd like to exchange for it." Han Li spoke with an indifferent expression.
Hearing this, the old man couldn't help but glance at his granddaughter, his mind secretly racing:
"The thing he wants to trade for—it can't be my granddaughter, can it?"
But upon further reflection, it didn't really seem likely.
After all, aside from looking at the girl a few extra times earlier, Han Li hadn't glanced her way again.
With this thought, the old man's heart eased somewhat, and he said respectfully:
"I wonder what item has caught Senior's eye? If it is something this old man possesses, I would naturally offer it to you with sincerity! It's simply that I can't think of what I might have that would be worthy of Senior's attention."
A note of confusion crept into the old man's final words.
Seeing how accommodating the other party was, Han Li's expression softened, and a hint of a smile appeared.
"What technique were you two using in the main hall? It concealed your spiritual energy so thoroughly that the Daoist priest—also at the Qi Condensation stage—didn't detect your identities at all?" Han Li didn't answer the old man directly, but instead asked in a gentler tone.
After displaying his overwhelming strength, it was only natural to adopt a softer approach. A combination of both was the most effective strategy.
Hearing Han Li's question, the old man exchanged a puzzled glance with the girl at his side, then said hesitantly:
"Senior, this old man doesn't actually know what technique it is!"
Hearing this, Han Li didn't grow angry. His expression remained unchanged as he continued to look steadily at the old man. He knew that if the other party said this, there would surely be a reasonable explanation.
Sure enough, the old man continued carefully:
"The technique I used actually comes from an incomplete, unnamed Daoist text. It doesn't mention the name of this qi-concealing art anywhere. My granddaughter and I simply practiced it blindly!"
"An unnamed Daoist text?"
"Where did you get it? Don't tell me it was passed down through your clan!" Han Li's face showed a look of interest as he spoke meaningfully.
If this technique had been circulating among cultivation families, the major sects would have seized it by hook or by crook long ago. But Han Li had never heard of any similar technique!
"Senior, you see clearly. This Daoist text was actually found by my granddaughter in a cave on a deserted mountain during one of her outings. Aside from this qi-concealing incantation, we haven't been able to comprehend anything else in the book. If Senior desires it, this old man will return home and bring it to offer to you right away!" The old man said with an apologetic smile.
Hearing this, Han Li looked satisfied and said:
"Rest assured, I won't take your things for nothing. You two go back first and wait for me at your residence! While you're at it, think about what you'd like to exchange for—something you feel is worth the trade and won't leave you at a loss."
Han Li's voice was perfectly calm. But after speaking, he suddenly raised his hand and extended two fingers. Instantly, two pea-sized beams of green light shot out from his fingertips, flashing and vanishing into the old man and the girl's bodies without a trace.
"Senior, what are you—" The old man was both alarmed and furious, never expecting that despite their seemingly amicable conversation, Han Li would suddenly attack them. Though he didn't know what those things were, he was certain they couldn't be anything good. The girl was equally stricken with panic.
"Don't worry! These are merely two tracking marks. With them, I'll be able to find you precisely. When the time comes, I'll remove them for you." Han Li said with perfect indifference.
Hearing this, the old man let out a breath of relief even as a bitter smile began forming in his heart.
This senior truly left nothing to chance, giving them absolutely no room to exploit.
With these things inside them, even if they tried to slip away without saying goodbye, they wouldn't get very far.
But the old man surnamed Xiao also understood one thing full well!
If the other party hadn't taken this precaution, he absolutely would have grabbed his granddaughter and fled the moment he could.
After all, making a trade with someone who could easily obliterate them was far too nerve-wracking. Especially given how unpredictable this person seemed! Even if there were heaven-sen benefits at stake, he would still have to consider whether he had the life to enjoy them.
But now, it seemed this trade was going to happen whether he wanted it to or not.
His only hope now was that the other party wouldn't kill them to silence them after obtaining the Daoist text.
In this brief encounter with Han Li, he still hadn't been able to discern what kind of person this expert truly was.
All he knew was that this person's cultivation was unfathomably deep, and he was incredibly difficult to deal with. Tricks and cunning would likely be of no use.
"Very well! The two of us will wait quietly at home for Senior's arrival." The old man could only pretend nothing was amiss and said with final respect.
"Good. I'll come for the book tonight. You two behave yourselves."
As Han Li spoke, his body gradually became translucent. By the time the final syllable left his mouth, he had vanished into thin air before the two of them, leaving behind an empty space.
Seeing this display of god-like, unfathomable technique as Han Li departed, the old man surnamed Xiao's face turned deathly pale. He had completely given up any thought of resistance.
With no energy left, he called to the girl and began slowly making his way back along the path they had come.
What the old man didn't notice was that his clever little granddaughter, after watching the technique by which the other party had vanished, had eyes filled with envy and admiration. She only snapped out of it after the old man called to her, then hurried after him as if waking from a dream.
But as the girl walked behind the old man, she kept turning her head to look back at the spot where Han Li had disappeared, clearly reluctant to leave.
"So young yet so mischievous!" Han Li, hiding in a nearby tree and watching the two of them depart with cold eyes, gently shook his head in amusement.