Chapter 708: The Meeting

After a brief conversation, the Crab Immortal did not linger and returned to the Flower Branch Cave Heaven.

Han Li drank a few cups alone, then frowned slightly as he put away the wine set, rose, and pushed open the guest room door to step out.

Inside a guest room at the far end of the third floor of the tower ship, Mo Guang, who had been sitting cross-legged in meditation, suddenly raised an eyebrow and spoke:

“Fellow Daoist Li, I’ve been waiting for you for some time. Come in…”

The door creaked softly as it swung inward, and Han Li stepped inside.

“You knew I was coming?” After closing the door, he casually set up a barrier and asked.

Han Li scanned the guest room and found it much larger than his own, with more refined furnishings. On the table sat a plate of pitch-black fruits covered in fiery patterns.

“I’m new here and don’t know the rules. Fellow Daoist Han, you’ll have to give me some advice and teach me how to behave, won’t you?” Mo Guang stood up, grabbed a fruit, took a bite, and said with a smile.

Purple-black juice dripped from the corner of his mouth, and wisps of pure black baleful qi immediately emanated from it.

Han Li looked at his handsome, illusory face and unconsciously furrowed his brow slightly.

“Fellow Daoist Mo Guang, you have lived countless years, with age, experience, and insight far surpassing mine. Besides, a Heavenly Demon Contract binds us together. There’s no need for me to tell you how to act. I came to ask you about something else,” Han Li said casually.

“Oh? Something else?” Mo Guang raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled.

“You’ve seen the gray immortal corpse in the bamboo building. This bone bracelet was taken from him. It seems to be a storage artifact for gray immortals. I tried to refine it with immortal spiritual power but failed. Then I tried to activate it with baleful qi, but got nowhere.” As he spoke, Han Li took out a bone bracelet and tossed it to Mo Guang.

Mo Guang caught it, examined it carefully, and then said with a smile, “It is indeed a storage artifact…”

With that, he chanted softly, and dense baleful qi surged from his palm, enveloping the bone bracelet as he began to refine it.

After a moment, the baleful qi in his hand dissipated, and the bone bracelet reappeared. He waved his hand, and a burst of gray light sprayed out, scattering onto the floor.

A small pile of gray crystals clattered to the ground, along with several gray immortal weapons and a heap of bizarre gray realm spiritual materials.

Han Li glanced over them briefly, then waved his hand, sweeping half the gray crystals into his storage bracelet, leaving the rest on the floor.

"This is..." Mo Guang said, somewhat puzzled.

"Just keep these, Fellow Daoist Mo Guang. After all, a high-ranking cultivator of the 'Void Fusion Clan' couldn't possibly be without a single storage artifact, could he?" Han Li said calmly.

After speaking, he took his leave, withdrew all the restrictions, and departed.

Mo Guang, left alone in the room, was momentarily stunned and murmured to himself, "A Heavenly Demon Contract, a Bone Bracelet... Fellow Daoist Han, you intend to combine kindness with authority."

...

Time passed, and more than three years went by.

The armored horse ship, which had been racing continuously above the baleful clouds, finally descended, heading back down through the clouds.

Youhe City had arrived.

Han Li and the others, along with the Sanmiao clan members, stood together on the deck of the ship, looking down.

They saw a plain, within a radius of several thousand li, dotted everywhere with gray-white stone fortresses of varying sizes, with round pointed towers, intersected by over a dozen black rivers.

These gray-white stone fortresses were not too far apart from each other, with no city walls surrounding them, appearing like a relatively concentrated settlement composed of countless stone fortresses.

At the very center of the settlement lay a vast plaza and a dense cluster of stone fortress buildings.

Before long, the armored horse ship landed on the plaza, and Han Li and the others flew down from it.

"It's still early, Senior. Why not come with me to see my father first, and then we can arrange for everyone to rest?" Miao Xiu said, leading the way and addressing Mo Guang.

"A guest follows the host's arrangements. I'll do as Miss Miao says." Mo Guang revealed a charming smile and said.

Han Li and Shi Chuankong followed behind him, looking like perfectly proper retainers, even their glances around them were much more restrained.

The group crossed the plaza, then passed through one ornately decorated corridor after another, arriving before a huge stone fortress palace with over a dozen steps leading to its entrance.

An old man in a gray robe approached, his face full of surprise as he bowed to Miao Xiu and said, "Miss, you're back?"

"Uncle Zhong, where is my father right now?" Miao Xiu returned the bow with a smile and asked.

The old man sized up Han Li and the others, then stepped aside slightly and pointed at the hall behind him, saying, "The lord is receiving guests in Miaoying Hall right now; I'm afraid he can't see you at the moment."

"I see... Uncle Zhong, these people behind me are from the Xuhe Clan, and they once saved my life. Could you go and inform the lord, and see if we can get priority for an audience?" Miao Xiu's eyes flickered with hesitation as she spoke.

"So these are the honored guests from the Xuhe Clan? Please wait a moment, young miss; I'll go report immediately." Upon hearing this, the gray-robed old man's expression instantly became extremely respectful, and he hurried toward the hall.

After a moment, he trotted back and said to Miao Xiu, "The lord invites the honored guests into the hall for a conversation."

A flash of joy crossed Miao Xiu's eyes, and she then led Han Li and the others up the steps to the palace.

Just as they were about to enter the hall, the doors suddenly swung open, and a young man from the Sanmiao Tribe led a tall, upright middle-aged man with a solemn face out of the hall.

This man had sword-like eyebrows slanting into his temples, tiger eyes that exuded authority without anger, and an astonishingly dense aura of killing intent.

Seeing this, Han Li's pupils involuntarily contracted, and he exclaimed inwardly, "It's him?"

Although the man before him was wearing a black robe and his hair had turned gray-black, Han Li was certain that he was none other than Baili Yan, the First Dao Master of the Zhulong Dao.

He had briefly seen him once back when seizing the Taiyi Pill in the Minghan Immortal Mansion, and they had had no further dealings since. He hadn't expected that he too had already come to the Gray Realm.

As Han Li's thoughts raced like lightning, churning in his mind, he had already passed by Baili Yan. The latter's gaze was slightly lowered, and he didn't even glance at Han Li, clearly failing to recognize him in his current form.

Then, the old man pushed open the hall doors and led them inside.

Once inside the hall, Han Li saw a middle-aged man with starry eyes and sword-like brows, his sideburns like flying streaks, seated in the main seat. His features were three parts similar to Miao Xiu's, but his lips were nine parts alike. Han Li surmised that this must be Miao Gao, the lord of the Heichi Domain.

Beside the man stood several people in black feathered robes, both men and women, all appearing quite advanced in age with frost at their temples. They all looked at Miao Xiu with affectionate smiles.

"Miao Xiu pays respects to Father and the elders." Miao Xiu bowed deeply and performed a salute.

"Jiang Gu of the Xuhe Clan pays respects to Lord Miao Gao." Mo Guang stepped forward, placed one hand across his chest, made a fist, and lightly tapped his shoulder as he spoke.

"Greetings, Lord Miao Gao." Han Li and the other person bowed like Miao Xiu.

Miao Gao had already risen from his large chair, and similarly made a fist across his chest and lightly tapped his shoulder twice to return the salute to Mo Guang, saying:

"Earlier, the Gray-eyed Harrier returned ahead of time and informed us of what happened at Boleng Lake. Thank you, Brother Jiang, for stepping in to save the various clans of our Heichi Domain and my daughter Miao Xiu. Although our Heichi Domain is a small state, we know the principle of repaying kindness. We have prepared a modest gift, and I hope Brother Jiang will not refuse it."

As his words fell, a white-haired elder beside him descended the hall and presented a bone ring with both hands.

"Then I will gratefully accept it." Mo Guang did not stand on ceremony and took it with a smile.

"Brother Jiang, why have you traveled all the way from Shaohao Domain to our Heichi Domain? If you have any needs, feel free to speak directly. Our Sanmiao Tribe will do our utmost to help." Seeing Mo Guang accept the bone ring, Miao Gao asked again.

Mo Guang did not answer immediately; after a pause, he said, "I was traveling with my retainer when we encountered a powerful demon along the way. It chased us all the way to the June Grasslands, and we eventually settled among the Gray Lizard Clan. Hearing that they were about to hold the 'Tamuda' Assembly, we went to join in the excitement."

"I see. It seems Brother Jiang and we are truly fated. By the way, may I ask what great demon you were pursuing? Perhaps we can be of some assistance?" Miao Gao raised an eyebrow slightly and asked.

"That beast has already fled without a trace; otherwise, we wouldn't have settled with the Gray Lizard Clan. Since things have come to this, there's no need to dwell on it. We'll just continue our unfinished travels afterward." Mo Guang smiled nonchalantly and said.

"Since you are traveling, why not stay a while longer in our Youhe City? Let us fulfill our duties as hosts." Miao Gao also smiled and said.

"Then we will trouble you." Mo Guang replied.

"Xiuxiu, first arrange accommodations for the honored guests, then return directly to the inner residence." Miao Gao looked at Miao Xiu and said.

"As you command."

Miao Xiu acknowledged the order and then led Mo Guang, Han Li, and the other person out of the hall, heading toward a stone fortress complex in the rear.

Around the buildings were planted strange flowers with enormous petals, no leaves, and surfaces emitting wisps of black baleful aura. The deeper into the complex, the denser they became.

Han Li was not surprised by this. In the Gray Realm, baleful aura was like heaven and earth spiritual energy; the more concentrated the place, the more conducive it was to cultivation. So as honored guests, they would naturally be arranged in the area with the densest baleful aura.

Sure enough, when they reached the innermost stone fortress palace of the complex, Miao Xiu stopped.

"This is the palace where our Sanmiao Tribe receives the most distinguished guests. Honored guests, please feel free to stay here. If you need anything, just let me know." Miao Xiu showed a smile and said.

"Much obliged." Mo Guang said with a beaming smile.

Miao Xiu still had to see her father, so she took her leave and hurried away.

After Han Li and the others entered the palace and each chose their quarters, Shi Chuankong went to his room first.

Mo Guang followed Han Li to his room.