Han Li felt that telling Mo Fengwu about Mo Caihuan and her mother's disappearance once more would be entirely unnecessary.
As long as Mo Fengwu knew that she still had relatives alive in this world, that would be enough! He suspected this woman wouldn't even bring up the topic of reuniting with Mo Caihuan and her mother — after all, everything had changed beyond recognition.
Han Li then gave Mo Fengwu a brief account of his encounter with Mo Caihuan, and the woman listened so intently that she nearly wept with joy.
Mo Fengwu understood clearly that with Han Li's status as a Cultivator, there was no need for him to fabricate lies to deceive a helpless woman like her. The fact that he was being so courteous to her was most likely out of consideration for that brief meeting they had shared all those years ago.
So Mo Fengwu, her hands clasped together over her chest in silent prayer for a short while, finally composed herself, a joyful flush on her cheeks.
But when she faced Han Li once more, she was visibly no longer as cold and distant as before.
She understood well enough that had Han Li not intervened back at Yanling Fortress, the Yan family mother and daughter would still be trapped in their predicament.
"Thank you, Young Master Han, for telling me about Caihuan and Fourth Mother's whereabouts. This is the first piece of good news Fengwu has heard in seven or eight years," she said slowly, her voice steady now.
But before Han Li could respond, she pressed on: "Although my little sister and her mother are safe, my eldest sister and several other aunts are still unaccounted for — most likely they've already fallen victim to foul play. This debt of blood, Fengwu cannot leave unpunished! But Fengwu is powerless, a woman who couldn't so much as truss a chicken. Junior Brother Han will surely help me, won't you?"
As Mo Fengwu spoke, her expression grew increasingly fragile. A misty veil settled over her bright eyes in an instant, and it seemed as though she might burst into tears of grief at any moment.
Seeing this, Han Li rubbed his nose, his head aching with helpless frustration!
He had originally thought that once the woman learned of Mo Caihuan and her mother's whereabouts, she wouldn't be so single-minded about revenge. But he hadn't expected that after all these years apart, Mo Fengwu had become so obsessed with this matter!
Truth be told, if he were asked to eliminate some minor cultivator at the Qi Refining stage, that would be far easier than being asked to kill an influential mortal without cause.
Ever since joining the Yellow Maple Valley, Han Li had known that the more than ten prefectures of the Yue Kingdom had long since been carved up clean by the seven great sects and several major families.
Any worldly power of significance within a given prefecture — provided it had been around long enough — would have cultivators keeping a watchful eye on it from the shadows. Some of these powers had even been propped up by the cultivation sects in the first place.
The Mo Manor and the Dominance Fortress of Lan Prefecture had been relatively new and insignificant forces, which was precisely why they had never come into contact with anyone from the cultivation world. Otherwise, back when Han Li had assassinated Ouyang Feitian of the Dominance Fortress, it wouldn't have gone so smoothly — and someone would certainly have pursued the matter afterward.
But the Five Color Gate was a different story altogether.
This sect had risen to prominence over a hundred years ago and was already considered well-established. Moreover, Lan Prefecture was territory tacitly claimed by the Spirit Beast Mountain among the seven great sects, so the Five Color Gate almost certainly had the Shadow of Spirit Beast Mountain backing it. That was why the Mo Manor had suffered such a crushing defeat upon first clashing with them.
As a disciple of the Yellow Maple Valley, if Han Li were to eliminate a worldly figure backed by another sect without any provocation — that wouldn't be easy to explain away.
However, with the demonic cultivators recently planning to infiltrate the Yue Kingdom and wreak havoc upon the mortal world, this was actually a prime opportunity to muddy the waters. Acting during this period, so long as he exercised sufficient caution, should not bring him any trouble.
Han Li mused along these lines, but his face betrayed nothing. He simply stood up and paced back and forth across the room a few times.
After weighing the matter from every angle once more, he fixed his gaze on Mo Fengwu's lovely face and said calmly: "Miss Fengwu, by rights I shouldn't agree to this — it would bring me a great deal of trouble. But given the recent state of affairs in the cultivation world, it wouldn't be entirely impossible to find an opening. I'll tell you what — if the chance arises, I'll try to eliminate the Sect Master of the Five Color Gate. However, if things truly don't work out, then you must let go of this desire for revenge!"
Upon hearing Han Li's words, Mo Fengwu was instantly overwhelmed with joy, tears spilling down her cheeks. The radiant beauty of her dewy, flushed face left even Han Li momentarily dazed.
When he had first met Mo Fengwu all those years ago, he had indeed been moved — just for a moment — by that gentle and captivating second young lady of the Mo Manor. The warm and tender impression she had left on him was still vivid in his memory, something he often found himself reminiscing about.
That must have been the very first time his heart had stirred with feelings between a man and a woman!
And this small promise would serve as his way of settling those feelings for Mo Fengwu.
Han Li thought this to himself, but outwardly his expression remained unchanged. He intended to bury these feelings deep in his heart and never speak of them to anyone again.
Mo Fengwu, meanwhile, finally pulled herself out of the joy brought by Han Li's promise.
Her face was filled with gratitude. Without a word, she took a few quick steps toward Han Li and suddenly pressed her soft, fragrant lips lightly against his cheek. Then, a little bashful and somewhat dazed, she said: "With Junior Brother Han's promise, even if that man is never killed, Fengwu will be eternally grateful!"