"The two of you stopped us not just to recruit us into your Hall, I presume. I've long heard of the Beast Sovereign Hall's reputation, but I have no intention of joining any other force." Han Li narrowed his eyes and refused outright without a moment's hesitation.
"What a pity. Our Hall has been recruiting like-minded cultivators to undertake a great endeavor. If Fellow Daoist were willing to join, you certainly wouldn't regret it." The middle-aged Daoist frowned and made another attempt at persuasion.
"I appreciate the kind offer, but I'd rather not be bound by any constraints." Han Li naturally offered yet another refusal.
"Since Fellow Daoist has made up your mind, this poor Daoist won't press further. As for why the two of us appeared here, it's quite simple. Decades ago, our Hall received a commission — someone paid a hefty sum for us to deal with you and your companions. However, because you entered the Phantom Howling Desert and never emerged, the matter has been delayed until now. Please don't misunderstand — although the Beast Sovereign Hall took the job, that doesn't mean we intend to fight you to the death. We simply dispatch personnel of the appropriate level to take action once, proportional to the payment received. Against an existence of your caliber — a fellow cultivator of the same rank — we would typically engage in nothing more than a friendly exchange of moves, much like just now. If we happened to find a kindred spirit, we might even extend an invitation to join the Hall." The middle-aged Daoist finally revealed the reason for their visit.
"I see. I've heard that your Hall also accepts external commissions. But I wonder who could have set their sights on us. Could Fellow Daoist Leng perhaps shed some light?" A pleasant voice came from behind Han Li — it was the feather-robed young woman, who had floated up from below and now stood behind Han Li with a graceful smile.
"I'm afraid I can't help with that. First, our Hall has a strict prohibition against revealing the client's identity. Second, this commission was submitted anonymously. We truly don't know who hired us." The middle-aged Daoist shook his head, speaking with evident sincerity.
"I still thank you both for the information. I imagine your Hall has sent others to deal with my companions as well?" Han Li said with a faint smile.
"As long as your companions are also Devil Lords, it would naturally be nothing more than a friendly exchange." The middle-aged Daoist yawned and replied evasively.
"Understood! If that's the case, then there's really nothing to worry about. Your Hall truly lives up to its renowned reputation in the Holy Realm — to be able to dispatch so many Devil Lord elders at once, that's something ordinary small and mid-sized families simply can't compare to." Han Li's expression remained unchanged, but he let out a note of admiration.
The middle-aged Daoist chuckled and was about to say something more when a jade pendant hanging from his waist suddenly burst into a faint white light, accompanied by a low humming sound.
Upon seeing this, the Daoist's expression shifted slightly. He cupped his fists toward Han Li in farewell and exchanged a few parting words with the thick-browed, brawny man.
Han Li and the feather-robed young woman offered a few courteous words in return and made no effort to detain them.
Two streaks of escape light — one yellow, one silver — shot off toward one side of the sky.
After a sound of breaking air, both vanished without a trace at the horizon.
"Fairy Ye, do you think what they said was true or false?" Han Li gazed in the direction the escape lights had disappeared and asked without moving.
"Probably nine-tenths truth and one-tenth lie. Judging from the way they fought just now, they didn't seem intent on killing us from the start. But if our strength had appeared even slightly weak, who knows — they might well have struck for real. The Beast Sovereign Hall's reputation among ordinary demons isn't exactly sterling." The feather-robed young woman said thoughtfully.
"Most likely. But I think their biggest concern was that they couldn't gauge our true strength. After all, including Fellow Daoist Long and those Spirit Race cultivators, our group has nearly ten Devil Lords — enough to rival some ordinary factions in the Demon Realm. That's why they were so cautious! But after this encounter, they're probably even more curious about our origins." Han Li said slowly.
"If that's the case, we might as well have kept them here. That would save them from reporting back and becoming a variable in our future plans. With Brother Han and me joining forces, we could have managed it." The feather-robed young woman's beautiful eyes glinted with a cold, steely light.
"It's not impossible to keep them. But they're transformed magical beasts, after all — their cultivation and abilities far surpass ordinary Devil Lords. I'd only have fifty or sixty percent certainty. Besides, from what they said, the Beast Sovereign Hall has sent more than just the two of them — Fellow Daoist Long's side will also be probed. Given that, why should we bother?" Han Li shook his head.
"That's true. But the Beast Sovereign Hall wields considerable influence in the Demon Realm. If they really put effort into investigating us, I'm afraid it won't be easy to keep things hidden." The feather-robed young woman sighed and furrowed her delicate brows.
"Let them investigate! The Demon Realm is even vaster than the Spirit Realm. A few more Devil Lords they don't know about — that's nothing strange. They'll be suspicious for a while at most, but won't actually take any real action. And by the time they've gone through all the relevant records, years will have passed. By then, we'll have finished our business and returned to the Spirit Realm long ago. For our future movements, though, we should exercise more caution." Han Li pondered for a moment before laying out his thoughts in measured tones.
"That's all we can do. I hope the rest of our plan goes smoothly, without any more setbacks." The feather-robed young woman nodded at his words and showed a bitter smile.
"There's no need to worry, Fairy Ye! As long as your intelligence is accurate, obtaining the Azure Phoenix's True Blood shouldn't be a problem. But I am curious — that 'great endeavor' the Beast Sovereign Hall mentioned, what exactly is it? From the way they spoke, it didn't sound like an idle boast." Han Li's eyes flashed slightly as he spoke.
"Could it be connected to the demons' invasion of the Spirit Realm? Or has that war already reached a conclusion?" The feather-robed young woman started in surprise at his words, but then suddenly remembered something, and her face paled.
"We've only just emerged from the Phantom Howling Desert and haven't had time to learn about anything else. Let's hope not! But we passed through that small town in great haste — others may have already gotten word. Hopefully, at the next demon city, we'll be able to gather relevant intelligence as well." Han Li said calmly.
He understood all too well that with the thorough preparations of the human and Spirit Races, even if they had been unable to gain the upper hand over the past few decades, they would at most be at a disadvantage — there was no way they could have suffered a devastating defeat so quickly.