Chapter 147: Seizing the Credit

At the same time, a streak of red light shot off into the distance, disappearing in a flash.

Within the streak of light was another man, his face now filled with terror.

Before Han Li had even withdrawn his fist, a flash of silver lightning flickered around him, and he vanished from the spot.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Several loud explosions came from the distant horizon, where a blindingly bright light erupted, flickered wildly a few times, and then fell still. The original red streak of light had also vanished.

Not far away, Lu Yuqing stared wide-eyed at the scene, as if she had yet to process the sudden turn of events.

After a few breaths, a streak of cyan light shot back and coalesced, revealing Han Li's figure.

Lu Yuqing looked at Han Li, whose ordinary features were hardly noticeable, with a complex expression on her face, as if she didn't know what to say.

"Miss Lu, your father is waiting for you. Let's go," Han Li said.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuqing turned silently to look in the direction of Red Moon Island, her expression still somewhat hesitant.

"The people from Greenfeather Island nearby may not be limited to those two. As for your brother's matter, I believe your father will handle it properly," Han Li said slowly.

"How do you know..." Lu Yuqing's beautiful eyes widened.

"Before setting out to rescue you, your father had already told us about these matters," Han Li explained.

"Us?" Lu Yuqing was startled.

"Besides myself, there are over a dozen other fellow cultivators searching for you. It's just that I, Liu, was fortunate enough to be nearby. Your father paid no small price to bring you back safely," Han Li said calmly.

"Alright, I'll go back with you," Lu Yuqing sighed softly and said quietly.

...

Above a boundless expanse of sea, two streaks of rainbow light traveled side by side, moving at extreme speed, covering hundreds of li in an instant.

Within the light appeared two figures, a man and a woman—one in a green robe, the other in clothes as white as snow. They were Han Li and Lu Yuqing.

Lu Yuqing's complexion was slightly pale. She turned her head to glance at Han Li, who was a half-body length ahead of her not far away, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Don't worry. Ahead is Wusong Island, where there's a teleportation array that can send us back near Black Wind Island." Han Li did not look at her but spoke words of comfort.

"Alright... Thank you for your trouble, Brother Liu." The young woman nodded slightly.

She had been injured earlier, and although she had taken some pills to recuperate, the continuous travel over the past few days had consumed much of her strength, and she was indeed finding it hard to bear.

Han Li waved his hand and said nothing more.

In fact, to accommodate her, he had deliberately slowed down his flying speed, as he did not have a suitable flying treasure to carry her along.

Just as the two flew another thousand li or so and were passing over a cluster of islands, Han Li frowned slightly, halted his movement, and said in a low voice:

"Wait."

Lu Yuqing was startled, her apricot mouth slightly open as if to ask something.

But before she could speak, three beams of light suddenly lit up at the far end of the sky and rapidly flew toward them.

"This is..."

Lu Yuqing was alarmed and was about to cry out, but seeing that Han Li had already positioned himself in front of her with both hands ready, looking unhurried, she felt slightly relieved.

The three beams of light stopped a few hundred zhang away from the two. As the light faded, two men and one woman appeared.

The leader was a burly man, followed by a young woman in a black veil and a lean young man.

These three were none other than the Shaoshan Three Fiends, whom Han Li had seen earlier at the Talisman Hall.

"Hehe, this fellow Daoist has worked hard. Hand Miss Lu over to us. We will escort her safely back to Black Wind Island for the rest of the journey." The burly man's gaze fell on the white-clad young woman behind Han Li, unable to hide his delight as he spoke with a smile.

"What do you mean, fellow Daoists?" Han Li asked with a calm expression and a slightly puzzled tone.

"Kid, if you know what's good for you, don't ask too many questions. While we're still in a good mood, get out of this sea area immediately." The lean young man chuckled and said.

"I advise you, although the conditions offered by Island Lord Lu are tempting, you need to live to enjoy them." The woman in the black veil also said with a hint of implication.

"But I found Miss Lu first. Don't you think you're going too far, fellow Daoists?" Han Li raised an eyebrow slightly and spoke with a half-smile.

"Going too far? It does seem a bit... Since you, fellow Daoist, have said so, then let us all stay together. We will be responsible for seeing you home." The big man's face suddenly darkened, and he said coldly, emphasizing the word "home."

Han Li's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this, but the white-robed girl standing behind him, after a moment of inner conflict, still stepped forward.

"Three seniors, could you please not make things difficult for Brother Liu? The journey back may still have twists and turns. Why not cooperate with Brother Liu and escort me back together? At that time, I will surely ask my father to grant you three equal generous rewards." Lu Yuqing carefully chose her words and said.

Upon hearing this, the burly man showed a hint of hesitation on his face, as if considering the feasibility of the matter.

The woman in black veil remained silent, and no change in expression could be discerned.

Just as the girl thought her words had taken effect, the lean young man suddenly revealed a cunning look and spoke:

"Although the merit of rescue and escort is great, the reward is ultimately limited. Naturally, with fewer people to share it, each person gets more benefits."

Upon hearing this, the burly man raised an eyebrow slightly, a glint of murder flashing in his eyes.

Seeing this, Han Li couldn't help but reach out and stroke his chin.

"Brother Liu, a wise man knows when to retreat. You should leave for now. Once we return to Black Wind Island, I will naturally explain the truth to my father." Just then, Lu Yuqing's voice transmission suddenly echoed in Han Li's mind.

"Island Lord Lu's mission was only to find you or to bring you back safely. It did not specify from whose hands you were to be taken back. So even if they kill me and take you back, they will have completed the mission, and your father will have no choice but to accept it. Moreover, by then, the deed will be done, and your father will not pursue three loose immortals for the sake of a stranger like me." Han Li turned to the girl, smiled, and shook his head.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuqing was stunned on the spot, clearly not having thought of these things before.

"Besides, the three of them never intended to let me go from the start. The Three Fiends of Shaoshan, am I right?" Han Li looked at the three and raised his voice to ask.

"Tsk tsk, I originally didn't want to make a move in front of Miss Lu, but it seems impossible now." The burly man no longer feigned hesitation and admitted generously.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuqing's face finally turned ugly. She took a step forward, blocking Han Li, and said:

"Brother Liu has saved my life. If you insist on killing him, you'll have to get past me first."

The three, including the burly man, showed a hint of surprise on their faces upon hearing this.

Han Li looked at the slender figure in front of him and couldn't help but be slightly moved.

"Liu has no habit of hiding behind women..." He reached out and patted the girl's shoulder, gently pulling her behind him, and said with his back to her.

As soon as his words fell, his figure had already disappeared from the spot.

The next instant, a patch of silver lightning crackled as it appeared behind the lean young man, then exploded with a thunderous boom.

A silver net of lightning over a hundred zhang wide spread out in an instant, countless fine arcs scattering in all directions, and a blurred green shadow shot out from within.

A miserable cry rang out from amidst the lightning, and a figure wrapped in black ice crystals charged out from the silver light, landing beside the burly man.

"Third Brother..."

Both the burly man and the black-veiled young woman were startled, clearly not expecting Han Li to act so decisively and with such incredible speed.

In almost the blink of an eye, he had already struck the lean young man.

Lu Yuqing was also greatly shocked by this scene, frozen in place, but recalling Han Li's earlier display of strength, she calmed down a bit.

"Crack, crack, crack..."

The sound of ice crystals shattering and falling rang out, and the lean young man's figure reappeared, his body charred and clothes torn, with wisps of black smoke rising from his head, looking quite disheveled.

"Big Brother, Second Sister, don't kill him easily later. I want to skin him and stretch his hide over a new drum!" the young man said through gritted teeth, revealing a mouthful of gleaming white teeth as he raised his hand and tossed several pills into his mouth.

With that, he waved his hand, and a black light flashed before him, revealing a small jar-sized black drum.

The drum body was round, covered with a layer of waxy yellow drum skin. At first glance, there was nothing unusual about it, but upon closer inspection, it was enough to send chills down one's spine.

On the side of the drum body, there was actually an aged face, with hollow eye sockets and mouth, looking like a face that had been completely peeled off.

Seeing this, Han Li furrowed his brow slightly. With a twist of his wrist, a black longsword immediately appeared and was grasped in his hand.

He tapped his toe on the void and swung the sword down toward the lean young man.

Instantly, hundreds of dazzling black sword shadows burst forth in the void, crashing down like surging waves overlapping one another.

"Clang..."

Just then, a crisp striking sound suddenly rang out in midair.

A ripple invisible to the naked eye spread through the void, transforming into a continuous stream of gentle, yielding force that shattered the black sword shadows bit by bit, canceling each other out.

The burly man had somehow appeared in front of the lean young man, holding an ancient black-and-green chime stone in one hand and a bronze pestle carved with a strange beast's head in the other.

Not far from him, the black-veiled young woman was also holding a bone-white pipa in her arms, her fingers gently stroking the black strings.