"Since you can stand here, you must be someone of considerable reputation! Are you an old acquaintance of mine? If so, you're hardly an outsider. Please, come inside and let's talk." The Sect Master of the Five Colors Sect suddenly laughed, his tone extremely polite.
His words startled the young man beside him, who looked on with some surprise.
Hearing this, Han Li's expression remained unchanged, but a hint of mockery curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Years ago, I studied under Mo Juren for several years. Your daughter-in-law, so to speak, was my senior sister. I suppose that does make me hardly an outsider. But before we start claiming connections, shouldn't we first settle the account for the destruction of the Mo estate?" Seeing that Mo Yuzhu had married into the family of their enemy, Han Li was both shocked and deeply frustrated. He had already decided to take action.
"You're a remnant of the Mo estate!" The young man exclaimed in shock, clearly caught off guard.
The Sect Master of the Five Colors Sect also showed a flash of surprise, but his face quickly darkened. A shadow passed through his eyes, and his robes suddenly billowed outward as if caught in an unseen wind. His aura surged forth, almost tangible.
"Since you're a leftover from the Mo estate, don't think about leaving. Leave your life here!" The Sect Master's expression turned completely cold as he bellowed.
Then he took a huge step forward, his hair and beard bristling. The blue flagstone where he had stood now bore two clear footprints half an inch deep—a testament to the terrifying depth of his internal strength.
Seeing this, the young man silently slipped to one side, intending to coordinate with his father's attack.
Han Li watched the actions of the Five Colors Sect father and son with a blank expression. Without a word, he raised one hand, and with a soft "whoosh," several fist-sized crimson fireballs materialized above his palm, radiating intense heat.
Seeing this, the advancing Sect Master of the Five Colors Sect froze in his tracks.
"A cultivator!" He said hoarsely, his voice filled with disbelief.
The young man on the other side also stood frozen in shock.
"Hmph."
Han Li had no intention of wasting any more words. His fingers curled slightly, ready to launch the fireballs and kill them both.
But just then, Mo Yuzhu, who had been tightly holding the little girl on the side, suddenly showed a look of resolve. She stepped in front of Han Li.
"Don't! I forbid you to kill the father of my child. If you kill him, then kill us mother and daughter as well." She said with a tragic expression.
Seeing this, Han Li frowned. The fireballs in his hand suddenly expanded to the size of a bowl's rim with a series of crackling sounds, growing even more scorching hot. Though Mo Yuzhu's face was filled with sorrow, she stood firm, refusing to retreat.
"Immortal Master, you must be mistaken. Our Five Colors Sect is..." Seeing Mo Yuzhu shield him with her body, the young man was deeply moved. Fearing Han Li might truly kill them all in his anger, he hurriedly tried to invoke their powerful backer.
But before he could finish, Han Li cut him off coldly:
"Shut up! This is no place for you two to speak. I know you have Spirit Beast Mountain behind you. But to me, it's all the same. If I hear one more word of nonsense from either of you, I'll wipe out your entire estate immediately."
Hearing this, the young man's face flushed red. He wanted to explode in anger but didn't dare, so he anxiously looked to his father.
The Sect Master of the Five Colors Sect, though his expression remained relatively calm, couldn't hide the unease in his eyes. As his son, the young man could see it instantly. His heart sank.
"Give me one reason not to kill them. This was for avenging your Mo estate, and it was Fengwu who personally asked me to do it." Han Li said to Mo Yuzhu calmly.
"Fengwu is still alive? That's wonderful! I've been so worried about her. I later heard she might have jumped into the river back then." Mo Yuzhu's face lit up with joy at Han Li's words.
"Not only Fengwu, but Caihuan and Fourth Master are also alive and well. But I'm quite disappointed in the you of today. I'll give you some time to convince me. Otherwise, I'll still take their lives." Han Li waved his hand, and the fireballs floating in the air vanished without a trace. Then he said in an extremely cold tone.
Seeing Han Li withdraw his attack, the father and son of the Five Colors Sect both breathed a sigh of relief. At least their lives were temporarily spared. They feared that in Han Li's fury, he wouldn't listen to Mo Yuzhu's explanation at all.
They knew far better than ordinary mortals how terrifying cultivators were. The thought of resistance never even crossed their minds.
Mo Yuzhu also visibly relaxed. After a moment's thought, she said in a low voice:
"Junior Brother Han. That you came all this way to avenge the Mo estate for my father's sake, I thank you first. But may I ask you, Junior Brother, what is your reason for seeking revenge against my husband? They never laid a hand on anyone from the Mo estate. They only gave an order. And that order wasn't something they decided themselves—it was directed by someone above them. As a cultivator yourself, you should understand this better than I do!"
Hearing Mo Yuzhu's words, Han Li was momentarily stunned, falling into contemplation.
How could Han Li not know what Mo Yuzhu had said?
If one truly wanted to find the masterminds behind the Mo estate's destruction, it was obviously the cultivators of Spirit Beast Mountain.
But such enemies were not something the current Han Li could afford to provoke.
Moreover, Han Li didn't believe his relationship with the Mo estate was close enough to make such a powerful enemy.
In the end, he had only taken action against the Five Colors Sect to vent anger on behalf of Mo Fengwu, based on their past friendship.
Originally, there had been nothing wrong with this.
Regardless of whether the Sect Master of the Five Colors Sect and his son were innocent, they had participated in the Mo estate's annihilation.
But now Mo Yuzhu had appeared and become part of the so-called "enemy family"—something Han Li had never anticipated.
All he could do was sigh at the fickleness of fate!
Since the Mo estate's own family members now had differing opinions, Han Li naturally had no intention of doing something thankless. After a moment's consideration, his expression softened, and he spoke slowly:
"What you say isn't without reason. But regardless, these two father and son were accomplices. Killing them wouldn't be unjust. Moreover, the moment they heard I was from the Mo estate, they acted as if they wanted to wipe me out completely. It's hard to believe they had nothing to do with the Mo estate's destruction."
As Han Li said this, frost once again covered his face, causing the Sect Master and the young man's expressions to change drastically. Their hearts once again gripped with fear.
"But now that this involves you, Senior Sister, and since you sisters have different opinions, I have no intention of playing the villain. I'll leave it to you sisters to resolve among yourselves. I hope you can convince Fengwu." After saying this, Han Li's lips moved slightly, transmitting the whereabouts of Mo Fengwu and Mo Caihuan to her via sound transmission.
Hearing this, the Sect Master of the Five Colors Sect and the young man knew that the cultivator before them had abandoned any intention of killing them, and they couldn't help but breathe a deep sigh of relief.
The Sect Master, his face now beaming with smiles, stepped forward, hoping to ingratiate himself with Han Li. But Han Li's icy gaze swept over him, sending a chill through the old man's body, making him dare not take another step.
"I don't know what means you used to make my senior sister marry your son, nor do I plan to pursue what's already done. But from now on, treat my senior sister well. Otherwise..." Han Li didn't finish his sentence, but the threat in his words was clear to everyone present.
"Junior Brother Han, you've misunderstood! I would never—"
Mo Yuzhu hurriedly tried to explain for the two, but before she could finish, the old man had already interrupted:
"Rest assured, Immortal Master. I will definitely make my son treat Yuzhu well and never let her suffer the slightest grievance." The Sect Master of the Five Colors Sect was quite clever. He knew Han Li had no interest in his explanations—he only wanted a promise. So he made his guarantee with utmost sincerity.
Han Li nodded, indicating his satisfaction.
A flash of gratitude appeared in Mo Yuzhu's eyes. After a moment's hesitation, she gently held out the little girl who had been sleeping soundly in her arms.
"Junior Brother Han, I know you're now among the immortals. This is my daughter 'Yingning.' Please hold her. Consider it forging a good connection, letting her absorb a bit of her senior brother's immortal energy." Mo Yuzhu said softly.
Hearing the beauty before him say this, Han Li was slightly startled. Then he smiled faintly and, without a word, took the child. He looked down at her.
What an innocent and pure face! Delicate features, skin fair with a rosy glow. Though still extremely young, Han Li could already glimpse the future Mo Yuzhu in her.
The little girl, perhaps exhausted from playing during the day, was still sound asleep, a sweet smile gracing her tiny face.
Han Li restrained the impulse to pinch those chubby baby cheeks. He sighed softly, then pulled a milky-white jade pendant from his storage pouch and gently tucked it into the girl's clothes. Then he handed the child, along with the pendant, back to Mo Yuzhu.
"This Spirit-Linking Jade isn't anything rare, but it keeps warm in winter and cool in summer, and repels all insects. Keep it as a memento for her." After several great battles, Han Li's spoils of war included not only various magical artifacts but also rare treasures from the mortal world. This Spirit-Linking Jade was one of them.