"So long as the intelligence is reliable, a somewhat higher price is of no consequence. I'll take this information." Han Li hadn't expected the matter to be resolved so easily, and a smile of delight appeared on his face.
"Very well. This slip contains a portion of the intelligence, along with the asking price. Have a look first, Fellow Daoist. If you find nothing amiss, I'll produce the rest and we can complete the transaction on the spot." The hemp-clothed young woman tossed over a dark, stone-slab-like object as she spoke.
This woman's methods were indeed flawless.
"Very well. I'll give it a quick inspection." Han Li raised his hand and caught the stone slab, his voice calm.
He then pressed the slab against his forehead and swept his spiritual sense into it.
The hemp-clothed young woman sat across from him with a faint smile, waiting quietly for his response.
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a flicker of understanding crossed Han Li's face. He removed the object from his forehead and spoke slowly: "I didn't expect that someone within the City Lord's Mansion is secretly selling large quantities of Blood Tooth Rice. According to this intelligence, the person — or rather, the faction — holds a rather prominent position within the mansion. It doesn't appear to be fabricated. I'll purchase this information, and I accept the price. Fairy Lan, please share the contact method."
"Since you've found no issues, the deal is sealed." The hemp-clothed young woman nodded. Her sleeve swept toward Han Li, and another stone slab flew out.
This time, Han Li caught the slab and, after a single sweep of his spiritual sense, read the contact method clearly.
He crushed the slab between his palms without a change in expression.
With a soft puff, the stone slab crumbled to white powder. Then he turned his palm over, and a palm-sized white jade box appeared in his hand.
"What's inside this box should be more than sufficient to cover the intelligence. Take a look, Fairy Lan — see if you're satisfied. If all is in order, I have one more matter I'd like to inquire about." Han Li tossed the jade box over, his tone level.
"Oh? Fellow Daoist Han has another question? Anything this little sister can help with, please go ahead and ask." The young woman raised a delicate hand, drawing the jade box toward her. She opened the lid, glanced inside, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face.
"Fairy Lan — do you know the origin of this item?" Han Li took a deep breath, flicked a finger, and a thread of green energy shot out. It circled the spinning wheel once, then flashed back and condensed into a small, bean-sized ball of green gas that spun rapidly before his fingertip.
The next instant, the spinning wheel let out a muffled boom and disintegrated into a pile of fine ash that dissipated into nothing.
The hemp-clothed young woman's pupils contracted sharply. The demon woman beside her also changed color at the sight.
The spinning wheel appeared utterly ordinary, but it was in fact a high-grade auxiliary demonic tool possessing ineffable, mysterious properties.
Otherwise, the young woman wouldn't have spent her days weaving mundane fabrics on it without the slightest trace of impatience.
What had made her expression change wasn't the loss of the demonic tool itself — it was that the material used to craft it was a rare substance from the Demon Realm known as "Charred Demon Wood." After being treated by a master refiner through special methods, its toughness had reached a level that was virtually indestructible.
Yet moments ago, the spinning wheel had been reduced to dust by an unassuming wisp of green gas in a single strike. Its terrifying power could well be imagined.
The hemp-clothed young woman narrowed her eyes slightly, fixed her gaze on the green gas before Han Li's fingertip with a strange look, and fell into contemplation.
Han Li could clearly sense that a wisp of her spiritual sense had enveloped the small ball of green gas and was carefully probing it.
He remained calm and let her proceed.
The demon woman's spiritual sense similarly reached toward the green gas.
But after a short while, the hemp-clothed young woman's expression shifted several times, growing somewhat peculiar. The demon woman, meanwhile, still wore a look of complete confusion.
Just then, Han Li's finger trembled slightly, and the ball of green gas shot back into his fingertip with a whoosh, vanishing without a trace.
"My sincere apologies — this substance is beyond my control as well. I can only force it out of my body for so long. But I believe that was more than enough time for you to inspect it thoroughly. Have you been able to identify its origin?" Han Li's words carried an apologetic tone, but his gaze was fixed intently on the young woman, his expression rather solemn.
This green gas was what remained after he had absorbed the mysterious energy contained within the crystal bead hidden inside the Strange Demon Gold.
The energy within the bead had allowed his cultivation to surge forward, easily transforming into the purest form of Magical Power. But the residual green gas clung to him like a parasite lodged in bone, giving him no end of headaches. At the time, he had been forced to temporarily seal it within his second Demon Infant, intending to find a solution later.
Now that he had come to the Guangyuan Pavilion — a place renowned for knowing all things — and the hemp-clothed young woman appeared to have a mysterious and extraordinary background, it was only natural that he would seize the opportunity to ask.