Han Li watched Qi Yunxiao dash into the woods and smiled casually.
Despite his lack of experience with matters of romance, Han Li could tell at a glance that Qi Yunxiao's feelings for this woman skilled in formations were far more than mere friendship — it was almost certainly a bitter love affair, or he wouldn't be this worked up.
The pretty maidservant hurried after them as well.
Han Li waited leisurely outside the woods for a while before Qi Yunxiao, the pretty maidservant, and a woman dressed in blue emerged from the forest in high spirits, walking toward him.
Han Li sized up the blue-robed woman without any pretense of politeness.
She was of medium height with a delicate nose, and a pair of bright eyes as clear as water. After exchanging a glance with Han Li, a faint smile appeared on her face.
It seemed Qi Yunxiao had already told her about his identity.
To be honest, her facial features weren't particularly striking — if anything, she was slightly less attractive than the pretty maidservant. But her elegant and composed demeanor, the grace in her every gesture, and those expressive black eyes that seemed capable of speech more than made up for any shortcomings in her looks. Anyone who met this woman would never consider her plain, but would instead be struck by her striking presence, never confusing her with the maidservant beside her.
Yet Han Li felt a headache coming on the moment he beheld this woman's extraordinary poise.
He didn't need to guess — she was clearly one of those sharp-witted women whose intelligence far surpassed the norm. Dealing with her would surely be exhausting, nothing like the easy negotiations he'd had with Qi Yunxiao where he could keep everything under control.
"Thank you, Senior, for coming to our rescue! I am Xin Ruyin, and I am eternally grateful!" The blue-robed woman glided gracefully up to Han Li, performed a light, elegant bow, and spoke with refreshing candor. Her voice was crystal clear and utterly pleasant to the ear.
"There's no need for such formalities, Miss Xin. It was a small favor at most. However, we should leave quickly. Those people may have some background — if their elders happen to be nearby, we could be in trouble." Han Li waved his hand politely, subtly urging them to set off immediately.
Qi Yunxiao, standing off to the side, nodded repeatedly in agreement when he heard Han Li's words:
"Absolutely, Yin'er! We should leave this place right away — it really is too dangerous here!"
Ever since Qi Yunxiao first laid eyes on Xin Ruyin, his gaze had never left her porcelain-white face, and now he was even calling her by an intimate nickname. Hearing it made Han Li's skin crawl.
A faint blush spread across Xin Ruyin's cheeks, painting two rosy circles. She shot a slightly embarrassed, reproachful glance at Qi Yunxiao beside her, hesitated for a moment, but then parted her red lips in agreement.
"Fine, let's leave now. But these bodies…" Xin Ruyin glanced at the corpses and seemed about to say something more.
"That's easy enough — just burn them right here!" Han Li said casually. He spread the five fingers of his right hand, and seven or eight fireballs the size of bowls shot outward, instantly turning the bodies to ash, leaving behind only a scattering of storage bags on the ground.
Han Li's practiced ease in disposing of the corpses sent a slight chill through the woman's heart, and her expression shifted momentarily. But she was no ordinary fragile maiden, and she quickly composed herself, exchanging a few words with Qi Yunxiao.
"The things inside these storage bags are of no use to me. If this young lady doesn't mind, she's welcome to take them — it saves leaving behind any traces." Han Li turned to the pretty maidservant standing on Xin Ruyin's other side and spoke with a warm tone.
"Senior, are you really giving these to me?" The maidservant's face lit up with disbelief, and she couldn't help asking once more.
When she saw Han Li give a light smile and nod in confirmation, she immediately thanked him and ran over excitedly to collect the storage bags one by one. For her, this was like a pie falling from the sky — these bags were full of treasures!
Xin Ruyin watched the scene with a brief look of surprise, but then her expression returned to normal. She offered Han Li a polite remark before boarding the small boat that hovered in midair alongside Qi Yunxiao.
Once the delighted maidservant climbed aboard the magical tool with an armful of storage bags, Han Li's figure flickered as he was the last to board. Spiritual energy flowed from beneath his feet, and the artifact soared into the sky.
...
On the way back, the blue-roved woman invited Han Li and Qi Yunxiao to come to her place so she could formally thank them for saving her life.
Qi Yunxiao had the chance to be close to the sweetheart he had long yearned for — there was no way he would utter a single word of refusal. He agreed immediately with barely contained eagerness. As for Han Li, he also felt this was a good opportunity to bring up his request to repair the teleportation array, so after a moment's thought, he raised no objection.