Chapter 794: Dispelling Doubts

The two of them rode in silence on the beast-drawn carriage to the end of the street, then turned into a narrow alley.

At the mouth of the alley, Shi Chuankong stopped the carriage, asked Han Li to wait a moment, and got off to walk into a low, small shop at the end of the alley.

The shop had no signboard, only a coarse cloth banner hanging above the door, on which was written three large characters: “Xingjiao Zhai,” with a silhouette of a traveling peddler drawn below.

After about the time it takes half a stick of incense to burn, Shi Chuankong emerged from the shop and reboarded the carriage.

The driver drove the carriage eastward, finally stopping in front of an inn called “Yunshan Rao.”

The inn was built in a secluded spot east of the city, surrounded by lush forests where towering ancient trees were even denser than the pavilions. The inn, with its antique style, nestled among them, truly evoking a sense of winding paths leading to secluded tranquility.

After settling the fee for the rented carriage, Shi Chuankong pushed open a paint-peeling wooden door in the front yard and led Han Li into the courtyard.

As soon as Han Li stepped into the yard, he felt a ripple of spatial fluctuations, and the scene before him suddenly changed, revealing a vast garden.

Not far away, a stream babbled, and a winding corridor bridge crossed a small lake shrouded in white mist, presenting before Han Li a small but exquisite landscape painting.

“Honored guests, are you here for a meal or to stay?” At that moment, a gentle-looking woman, whose appearance was no different from a human, walked out from a hall on the left and asked.

“Are the Youhe Courtyard and Shuliu Courtyard still vacant?” Shi Chuankong asked.

“I’m sorry, honored guests. The Youhe Courtyard is still available, but the Shuliu Courtyard is permanently reserved by a certain lord and cannot be rented out. If you don’t mind, there is also the Qingxiao Courtyard vacant, which is also a unique and quiet place,” the woman said, slightly startled, then replied.

“I almost forgot about that... Then we’ll take those two courtyards,” Shi Chuankong said, suddenly remembering that Shuliu Courtyard was where he used to stay permanently and was generally not rented to others. He chuckled, touching his forehead.

After completing all the formalities, Shi Chuankong dismissed the inn’s guide maid and led Han Li across the bridge and small lake toward the depths of the inn. Along the way, they saw exquisite courtyards scattered around, each enveloped by a formation.

Shi Chuankong accompanied Han Li through a sea of green bamboo groves to the two-story Qingxiao Courtyard building.

Han Li used the token given by the Yunshan Rao inn to open the courtyard’s restrictions and entered the building with Shi Chuankong.

The first floor of the building was a guest room with an inner and outer chamber. The two of them sat around a round table in the inner room.

“Brother Shi, you can speak now,” Han Li said, forming a hand seal and pointing a finger into the void, casting a soundproof light barrier that enveloped the area.

“Brother Li, this... I hardly know where to begin,” Shi Chuankong said after a moment of silence.

“Let’s start with the pursuit by the Golden Rhinoceros King. I originally thought it was because the commotion from my breakthrough attracted his hostility and pursuit, but from what happened later, it seems not so simple, right?” Han Li said, his expression unchanged.

“Brother Li, you guessed correctly. The reason the Golden Rhinoceros King pursued us so relentlessly was indeed because of me. He was instigated by my elder brother to chase us relentlessly,” Shi Chuankong sighed and said.

“Your elder brother, that is, the eldest son of the Demon Lord. Why does he want to kill you?” Han Li frowned and asked.

“This... I can’t go into detail with you. In short, it involves a crucial inheritance of our Saint Clan. My elder brother probably thinks I might threaten his position to obtain this inheritance, so he joined forces with that Golden Rhinoceros to eliminate me,” Shi Chuankong hesitated and said.

“Born of the same mother, yet brothers turn against each other?” Han Li frowned.

“In secular dynasties, the princes vying for the throne are all like this, nothing unusual. Besides, that elder brother shares only the same father, not the same mother. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, but it never targeted me before. After all, I’m just a mere Golden Immortal, not a threat to his position,” Shi Chuankong said with a self-deprecating smile.

“Clearly, because of some event, your existence has become a threat to him,” Han Li said meaningfully.

Shi Chuankong pondered for a long time, then slowly said, having found the answer in his heart:

“Most likely it’s because I retrieved the Luozha Pipa this time, which was a great merit, and Father spared no expense in vast resources to rescue me from the Gray Realm?”

“I’m afraid the latter accounts for a greater proportion,” Han Li said thoughtfully.

“Perhaps... Even when many of his children were in danger outside, Father rarely intervened personally. This incident might have led him to mistakenly believe that Father favors me, thus arousing his jealousy,” Shi Chuankong said.

“He’s probably not the only one with such thoughts. That Black Weasel King, who didn’t mind the trouble we caused in the city and instead escorted us back to Xiongju City, must also be betting on you, right?” Han Li raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Brother Li, your mind is truly clear and you see through everything. The Black Weasel King indeed had such thoughts." Shi Chuankong paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Since your elder brother has set his mind on killing you, his subsequent measures certainly won't stop at the Golden Rhinoceros. When we reach Xiongju City, why not take the teleportation array directly and return to Yeyang City as soon as possible? Once there, it should be safer, shouldn't it? Or do you not trust the Tianyue Marquis who governs the city lord's mansion?" Han Li nodded and asked.

"When I was operating in Xiongju City, the one governing the city lord's mansion was not Tianyue Marquis; he was transferred there after I left. The reason we went to the Guangyuan Zhai branch first was to verify whether Xiongju City had changed. Sure enough, there was a secret mark warning outside Guangyuan Zhai, indicating that my former trusted subordinates had been purged, so the city lord's mansion is no longer trustworthy." Shi Chuankong shook his head and said.

"In that case, why don't we leave as soon as possible, instead of staying here?" Han Li's heart stirred, and he asked.

"Earlier, my elder brother contacted the Black Weasel King to have him intercept and kill us. But later, the Black Weasel chose to gamble and bet on me, so he will report false information, claiming that we are still fleeing in the Ten Plague Mountains. So Xiongju City is temporarily safe." Shi Chuankong said with a smile.

"Setting up a decoy and staying instead of leaving—it seems you have reinforcements, Brother Shi? Earlier, you went to that shop in the alley—was it to send a message for help?" Han Li revealed a faint, ambiguous smile and asked.

"It was to send a message to my third brother. Until his men arrive, we will temporarily rest at this 'Cloud Mountain Winding' inn." Shi Chuankong nodded.

"This third brother of yours..." Han Li frowned and said slowly.

"Brother Li can rest assured. He is different from my elder brother; we share the same mother, and I once saved his life. If even he cannot be trusted, then there is no one trustworthy in the entire Holy Domain." Shi Chuankong interrupted him and said.

"That's best." Han Li nodded.

"I was wrong to conceal things earlier, but the circumstances were truly hard to explain. I ask for your forgiveness, Brother Li. Though we have not known each other long, we have shared hardships together. While it may not be a bond of life and death, we have shared the same boat, and I naturally trust you." Shi Chuankong stood up and solemnly bowed to Han Li.

"Brother Shi, to be honest, I truly do not wish to be drawn into the internal strife among you brothers. But on this journey back to Yeyang City, our lives are bound together. I will do my utmost, and I hope you will no longer keep anything from me." Han Li also stood up and said in a grave tone.

"Brother Li, rest assured. I have revealed everything and will hide nothing. When we reach Yeyang City, I will do my utmost to fulfill the promises I made to you." Shi Chuankong patted his chest and said.

After clearing up their doubts, they chatted for a while, and then Shi Chuankong took his leave.

Han Li sat quietly for a moment, then stood up, activated the courtyard's restrictions, went up to the second floor of the small building, and set up another layer of restrictions in the meditation room. With a wave of his hand, a silver light door opened.

He slowly stepped into the light door and entered the bamboo building in the small courtyard.

On the second floor, in the room that had previously been occupied by Mo Guang, a girl in red lay on the bed—naturally, it was Ti Hun.

Above her body floated several pieces of Purple Sun Warm Jade, emitting waves of gentle fluctuations.

At this moment, she appeared calm, breathing long and deep, her body enveloped in a faint purple light, as if she were asleep, but there was still no sign of waking.

Initially, Han Li had used some low-grade warm jade, then later began using medium-grade warm jade. It did provide some benefit to Ti Hun's soul, but ultimately could not restore her lost origin power, so it still could not wake her.

Setting aside the low-grade warm jade, of the medium-grade Purple Sun Warm Jade he had obtained earlier, Han Li gave a large portion to Shi Chuankong, keeping only the two pieces of high-grade warm jade for himself.

But he also understood that the medicine did not match the illness; even high-grade warm jade could not wake Ti Hun.

"Daoist Han, may I have a word?" Just then, the voice of Crab Daoist came from outside the building.

Hearing this, Han Li went downstairs and invited Crab Daoist inside. The two sat at a bamboo octagonal table in the building.

When Crab Daoist sat down across from him, Han Li noticed that his expression was somewhat unusual. His usually expressionless face now bore a hint of hesitation.

"Daoist Crab, has something happened?" Han Li asked.

"Recently, a name has frequently appeared in my mind. I think it may be related to the final instructions my former master left behind." Crab Daoist frowned and said.

"What name?" Han Li asked.

"The Scale-Scale Void Realm." Crab Daoist replied.

"The Scale-Scale Void Realm... what is that?" Han Li searched his mind but had no recollection of it.

"I'm not sure either. This term has been flashing in my mind frequently lately, but I don't know what it specifically refers to." Crab Daoist shook his head and said.

"It sounds like some kind of secret realm. But how do you know it's related to your former master?" Han Li raised an eyebrow, as if thinking of something, and asked again.