"I don't want anyone from the Spirit Beast Mountain to know about what happened tonight. You and your son aren't the gossipy type, are you?" Han Li suddenly looked up and spoke coldly to the Five Color Sect Master.
The old man felt a chill run through him, then quickly adopted a humble expression and repeatedly said he wouldn't dare.
Han Li stared at the Five Color Sect Master silently for a while, only smiling when he saw cold sweat appearing on the man's face. Then his body swayed, and he vanished from the spot without a trace.
Just as the old man was feeling terrified, he felt a palm lightly pat his shoulder. His body instantly stiffened, and he slowly turned his head.
Sure enough, it was Han Li, standing calmly behind him with an indifferent expression.
"Does the Immortal Master have any other orders? This old man will certainly obey," the Five Color Sect Master said with a forced, uneasy smile.
"It's nothing. Just wanted to say hello," Han Li said, his expression unchanged.
"Say hello?"
The old man was stunned, not quite understanding Han Li's intention. But then something occurred to him, and his face changed drastically as he channeled his energy to check his body. Finding no abnormalities, he finally felt relieved.
By this time, Han Li had released the Divine Wind Boat without another word, then flashed onto the magical artifact.
After giving the old man and the young man a deep look, Han Li let out a cold laugh, transformed into a streak of white light, and soared into the sky.
He left behind the bewildered father and son, along with Mo Yuzhu, whose expression was complex.
…
Han Li stood on the magical artifact facing the wind, a faint mocking smile rising at the corner of his mouth.
The Five Color Sect Master had just profusely promised that he wouldn't let the Spirit Beast Mountain people know Han Li had been there, but Han Li had detected a hint of insincerity in his demeanor.
Since that was the case, Han Li naturally wouldn't leave such a scheming individual to secretly harbor a grudge against him in the shadows, even if the person was an ordinary mortal.
So, he had just slipped behind him and, with that pat on the back, secretly implanted a "Heart-Drilling Bug" into his body.
This bug was very peculiar. Its body was as fine as a hair, nearly invisible to the naked eye, and could only be sensed by spiritual consciousness. But once it entered the human body through the skin, it would cling to the blood vessels and slowly inch its way toward the heart.
After one or two years, the victim would gradually experience chest pains and insomnia. The symptoms would worsen, and if left for another few months, the person would die from a heart attack, looking exactly like a normal death from cardiac arrest. Even a high-ranking cultivator examining the body beforehand would find nothing unusual.
By the time so long had passed, they naturally wouldn't connect the death to Han Li's pat on the back tonight. He could easily distance himself from any suspicion.
This sinister, bug-like creature was something Han Li had obtained from a demonic disciple he had killed. At first, he didn't know what it was, but after having someone appraise it, he learned its origin and purpose. Now it was perfectly suited for use on the Five Color Sect Master.
This way, he didn't have to play the villain in front of Mo Yuzhu, and he could also fulfill his promise to Mo Fengwu in a roundabout way. Han Li thought to himself with a bit of smugness.
And even if the old man had truly told the Spirit Beast Mountain people about tonight's events, Han Li wouldn't have cared.
After all, he hadn't harmed the father and son at all in front of anyone tonight. Presumably, the Spirit Beast Mountain people wouldn't trouble him over such a minor incident. As for the Five Color Sect Master's son, he seemed like a decent fellow. Han Li hoped Mo Yuzhu would be happy with him in the future.
Thinking this, Han Li steered the Divine Wind Boat and flew straight toward the west of Jiayuan City.
He still needed to hurry and resolve the anomaly with Qu Hun. Although he didn't know exactly what had happened to Qu Hun, he couldn't just leave it unattended.
More than a hundred li west of Jiayuan City was a vast expanse of high mountains and dense forests. It was said that venomous snakes and fierce beasts lurked in the mountains, so few people ventured there. This was likely why Qu Hun, after his change, had fled to this location.
Han Li stood in the high air, quietly gazing down at the dark, shadowy mountain range below without a word.
After a long while, he reached into his storage bag and produced the "Soul-Calling Bell."
He held it flat in his palm and slowly channeled his spiritual energy into it. After a short while, the Soul-Calling Bell emitted a faint white light and floated into the air.
"Go."
Han Li formed a hand seal with his other hand, quickly threw it toward the small bell, and softly spoke the command.
The Soul-Calling Bell trembled, let out a clear chime, and shot off in a specific direction.