Chapter 181: Heavenly Demon Seizes Body

"Since the token is fine, should you now tell me the specifics of the task?" Han Li said directly, without beating around the bush.

"Before that, there is one more thing I need to confirm before deciding whether to entrust the task to you," the fat shopkeeper said, changing the subject.

"What is it?" Han Li asked, frowning slightly.

"Your cultivation level. I need to confirm whether you truly have the ability to complete the task," the fat shopkeeper said, staring at Han Li.

Hearing this, Han Li stopped suppressing his aura. A layer of azure light flowed over him, and the aura of an early True Immortal stage cultivator was suddenly released without restraint.

Although he only released a trace, it still caught the unprepared fat shopkeeper off guard, causing him to stagger several times, his face flushing as if he couldn't breathe.

Seeing this, Han Li quickly withdrew his aura, but a hint of doubt flickered in his eyes.

The fat shopkeeper's appearance was clearly disguised by a Wuchang Alliance mask, which also concealed his aura. Even with Han Li's powerful divine sense, he couldn't discern his cultivation level without probing deeply.

He had carefully controlled the release of his aura, only a tiny amount—why did it provoke such a strong reaction?

"If I'm not mistaken, you should be an early True Immortal stage cultivator, right?" the fat shopkeeper said, his face still pale, but after taking a few deep breaths, some color returned.

Han Li said nothing, merely nodding silently.

"Alas... if that's the case, I advise you not to take this task," the fat shopkeeper said, a trace of disappointment in his eyes as he sighed.

"Why is that? The task description only required a True Immortal stage cultivator, without specifying the exact stage," Han Li said, somewhat puzzled.

"To be honest, the task I posted actually involves killing someone. As far as I know, that person is also at the early True Immortal stage, but his methods are far beyond ordinary cultivators of the same stage. I'm afraid you might not be able to defeat him and end up losing your life," the fat shopkeeper said, shaking his head.

"If it's a cultivator of the same stage, I am confident I can fight him. Even if I can't win, I certainly won't lose my life. Rest assured, tell me the details of the task. I've made up my mind and won't back down," Han Li said with a smile, his mind racing.

Seeing his firm attitude, which didn't seem feigned, the fat shopkeeper forced aside his doubts and spoke:

"Well... very well. The person I need you to kill is Bai Songshi, the current Grand Preceptor of Baiyou Kingdom. If you succeed in killing him, you will receive the promised reward."

"The Grand Preceptor of a mortal kingdom? Isn't it forbidden for cultivators to interfere in mortal affairs within the Candlestick Dragon Domain? How did a True Immortal become a pillar of a kingdom?" Han Li asked, startled.

"You must not be from the Guyun Continent, right?" the fat shopkeeper asked instead of answering directly.

"That's correct," Han Li admitted frankly.

"No wonder... You may not know this, but on the Guyun Continent, the mortal population numbers in the trillions, and the secular kingdoms, large and small, number in the millions. Kingdoms like Baiyou appear to be ruled by mortal imperial families, but behind them, one or two cultivation clans secretly pull the strings. They are the true power holders," the fat shopkeeper explained.

"So, the clan of Bai Songshi is the actual ruler of Baiyou Kingdom?" Han Li asked, nodding thoughtfully.

"Exactly. In fact, these cultivation clans are also backed by higher-level cultivation sects. However, due to certain unwritten rules, unless faced with national extinction, these cultivation families generally do not interfere in the rise and fall of secular kingdoms. That's why ordinary mortals don't notice the influence of these cultivation forces," the fat shopkeeper continued, nodding.

"If that's the case, wouldn't attacking Bai Songshi provoke the sect behind him? And even attract the attention of the Candlestick Dragon Domain?" Han Li asked, puzzled.

"You can rest assured on that point. The person I want you to kill is not the real Bai Songshi," the fat shopkeeper said, waving his hand.

Han Li was confused and was about to ask when the fat shopkeeper continued:

"The one I want you to kill is actually a celestial demon. The real Bai Songshi was possessed by this demon while undergoing his tribulation to ascend to immortality. To avoid drawing attention, this demon, though actually at the early True Immortal stage, has been suppressing his cultivation to the Great Vehicle stage. He..."

"I have a question. If a celestial demon is causing trouble, it would surely act in secret without revealing any clues. How could you know so clearly?" Han Li interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

"This..." The fat shopkeeper opened his mouth but couldn't speak.

"What you've said is quite unbelievable. If you can't explain the reasons further, I'm afraid I find it hard to believe," Han Li said flatly.

Hearing this, the fat shopkeeper lowered his head, lost in thought, and remained silent for a long time.

Han Li didn't urge him, waiting quietly.

After a long silence, the fat shopkeeper slowly raised his head, as if he had made an important decision, his gaze becoming resolute.

He raised both hands, reaching for his cheeks, and gently lifted, removing a cyan rabbit-head mask covered in spiritual patterns amidst a ripple of azure light.

As the mask came off, the fat shopkeeper's body also lit up with a hazy azure glow. With a series of distortions, his figure rapidly shrank, and his waist became slender.

In no time, the fat shopkeeper had vanished, replaced by a young girl who looked no more than seventeen or eighteen.

The girl had curved brows, almond eyes, thin lips, a delicate nose, and a pretty face with some baby fat, giving her a youthful look. She wore a well-fitted pink lotus short skirt, appearing fresh and uniquely charming.

However, if one looked closely at her brows, there were faint furrows, which diminished her youthful aura somewhat, adding a touch of pitiable sorrow.

Han Li watched the transformation without any change in expression, but a flicker of understanding passed through his mind.

The aura emanating from the girl was only at the late Nascent Soul stage.

No wonder she had reacted so strongly when he released just a trace of his aura.

But with such cultivation, how did she join the Wuchang Alliance?

When he observed her more closely, he noticed something unusual about her, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

"You know the rule in the Wuchang Alliance that members are not allowed to inquire about each other's identities, right? By revealing my true form, I hope you can see my sincerity," the girl said, her voice exceptionally pleasant.

Despite standing before a True Immortal whose cultivation far surpassed hers, the girl showed no fear or timidity, remaining calm and composed.

"First, explain my earlier confusion," Han Li said, unmoved.

"To be honest, my name is Bai Suyuan, and I am the great-granddaughter of Bai Songshi. Back then..." The girl took a deep breath and began.

Through the girl's narration, Han Li roughly understood the whole story.

It turned out that the girl's parents had died in an accident while traveling when she was young. Because she was precocious and had excellent spiritual roots, she was deeply loved by the clan's ancestor, Bai Songshi, and was kept by his side, always favored.

Later, when the ancestor went into seclusion to break through to the True Immortal stage, he was possessed by a celestial demon during his tribulation. No one noticed, but she was the first to discover it. However, when she told her clan, no one believed her, not even her own grandfather.

At first, the demon restrained itself and didn't make many moves. But after fully integrating Bai Songshi's memories, it gradually took control of the entire Bai family and, using the identity of Grand Preceptor, extended its influence into the Baiyou Kingdom's court.

After that, strange events frequently occurred in Baiyou Kingdom. From time to time, the people of an entire town or city would suddenly disappear. The Bai family, as the ruling cultivation force of the kingdom, naturally sent people to investigate, but they found nothing.

"Later, as the demon's actions grew stranger, some in the family finally noticed something was wrong and began to investigate. But the demon struck first, eliminating them one by one. The demon saw my talent and spiritual roots and wanted to train me as a cultivation cauldron, so it kept me imprisoned in the clan's forbidden area. My grandfather died while trying to rescue me..."

Bai Suyuan paused here, a flicker of pain in her eyes.

"Please accept my condolences, Fellow Daoist Bai," Han Li said, his expression unchanged, offering a word of comfort.

"When I escaped, my grandfather stole this mask and the ancestor's token from the family and gave them to me, instructing me to use the token to join the Candlestick Dragon Domain and cultivate diligently, and to return to avenge the family when I was capable. But I'm only at the Nascent Soul stage. Even if I cultivate without rest, I don't know when I'll be able to contend with that demon..." the girl continued after a moment.

"So you posted this task in the Wuchang Alliance to find someone to kill him for you?" Han Li asked, nodding.

He could well understand her story. Not to mention the True Immortal stage, even advancing from the Nascent Soul stage to the Deity Transformation stage required passing the 'Five Elements Unity' barrier. Han Li knew all too well how difficult that was, let alone the heavenly tribulation after the Great Vehicle stage.

"That's right! I accidentally learned about the Wuchang Alliance from that mask and posted the task. Over the years, the demon has never stopped searching for me, and I've only been able to escape repeatedly thanks to this mask. But if I can't find someone to kill this demon soon, I'm afraid I won't be able to hide much longer," Bai Suyuan said, having regained her composure.