Chapter 1288: Pursuit (Part 1)

"My mother is currently discussing matters with Team Leader Zhang. Senior Brother Qin, please come in!" Pan Qing replied, then signaled to Han Li behind him.

Han Li didn't have a very bad impression of this young master of the Tiandong Trading Firm, so naturally, he wouldn't be impolite. He nodded in response and reached out to grab the girl who was clinging to him, pulling her to the ground.

But the moment the girl's feet touched the ground, she lunged forward again, clinging tightly to Han Li's body like glue, her small hands clutching his clothes tightly.

Although he had somewhat expected this, seeing it happen, Han Li still sighed helplessly and walked into the wooden house with the little tail in tow.

The house was a temporary structure, so it wasn't very large, only about seven or eight feet in size, but it was kept clean and tidy, and there was even a set of exquisite sandalwood furniture placed inside.

This set of furniture was naturally not something built temporarily!

The beautiful Lady Fang was sitting in the main seat talking to Zhang Kui, and there were six people standing respectfully to the side.

A pair of gray-robed men were precisely the guards who had suffered a small loss at Han Li's hands that day, and the four young girls were the four maids, including Liu'er.

The entry of Han Li and the others naturally interrupted Lady Fang's speech, and she stood up to welcome them:

"Immortal Master Qin, you have finally returned. I was planning to let Team Leader Zhang accompany you on a trip... Eh, Team Leader Han was brought back by you. That's great. Then I don't need to go to the trouble. This... isn't this City Lord Zhao's granddaughter?" Lady Fang revealed a look of surprise upon seeing Han Li. But when her gaze swept over the girl beside Han Li, her face revealed another look of shock.

The others were equally shocked to see Han Li and the girl. Only the four young girls, including Liu'er, were naturally somewhat happy.

"City Lord Zhao? Does the Lady mean City Lord Zhao of Anyuan City?" The brocade-robed man was stunned.

"Besides this City Lord Zhao, who else could it be?" Lady Fang said with a strange expression.

"City Lord Zhao's body refining technique is almost not inferior to a Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivator. Even if the city was breached, he should have been able to escape with his life. If he knew his granddaughter was safe and sound, he would surely be overjoyed. I just don't know if there are any other family members of City Lord Zhao here?" The man surnamed Qin said thoughtfully.

"It seems there is an old steward of the Zhao residence and several servants nearby. I will send someone to find them right away." Lady Fang smiled, turned her head, and gave a few instructions to one of the big men, letting him leave the house, without even asking why the girl was with Han Li.

"Team Leader Han being safe and sound amidst the beast horde really surprised me. But this time, there were four waves of beast hordes attacking a mere Anyuan City; I feel something is not quite right." After the brocade-robed man and the others sat down, Lady Fang frowned and said.

"It is indeed somewhat strange. If this scale of beast tide were to happen to a medium-sized city, it wouldn't be strange. But for a mere small city, it is somewhat suspicious. According to past conventions, when a beast tide erupts, the Qingluo Desert is not adjacent to Anyuan City, so sand-worm beasts shouldn't appear, and because it is not far from the Red Python beast's lair, they would instead be holding back the Red Python beasts, rather than running so far to specifically attack Anyuan City." The man surnamed Qin also seemed somewhat suspicious.

"Does Senior Brother mean that high-tier demonic beasts really intervened in the breaching of Anyuan City?" Pan Qing's face was shocked, and he blurted out.

"It's hard to say; it could also be a coincidence. But regardless of the truth of this matter, it is not something our level can intervene in; the seniors of Tianyuan City will naturally investigate this matter." The brocade-robed man shook his head and replied.

"Immortal Master Qin's words are reasonable; we don't need to discuss this further. In fact, if Anyuan City had another hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators to help, these beasts would not be worth fearing." Lady Fang said suddenly after her autumn-water-like eyes flowed.

"That is fundamentally impossible. Although there are countless cultivators in the three realms, those who happen to appear in human cities when a beast tide erupts and are willing to help are few and far between. After all, because human cities have too many mortals living in them, the degree of spiritual energy in the vicinity is far thinner than in other places, and it cannot be compared to those spiritual mountains and lands. If cultivators are not entangled in worldly affairs, they fundamentally do not want to come to mortal cities. Even our cultivators' markets, except for a few large cities directly controlled by cultivators, have no qualifications to be established in other small and medium-sized cities. This is also why there are no beast tide eruptions in those few large cities. In those cities, the number of low-tier cultivators appearing every day is probably in the millions. What kind of beast horde would dare to attack such cities?" The man surnamed Qin replied indifferently.

"In the millions?" Although Han Li knew the number of cultivators in the Spirit Realm was astonishing, hearing that the number of mobile cultivators in a single city was so terrifying, his mouth couldn't help but twitch.

"It was my own wishful thinking. The three realms are so large, and the areas controlled by mortal cities are but a drop in the ocean. Naturally, they won't be taken too seriously by the Immortal Masters." Lady Fang sighed lightly.

Hearing Lady Fang's slightly dissatisfied words, the brocade-robed man, who was also a cultivator, could only reveal a bitter smile.

This conflict between mortals and cultivators was known to everyone; as a mere small Foundation Establishment cultivator, how could he easily intervene?

Just then, a voice came from outside the door:

"Reporting to the Lady, City Lord Zhao's steward has been brought; may I let him in?"

"Naturally, let him in." Lady Fang replied without hesitation.

"Yes!" Following a respectful response, the door opened, and three people walked in from outside.

One of them was precisely the gray-robed man, and the other two were a slender, pretty young girl and an old man with gray hair.

Upon seeing the latter two, the girl who had been clutching Han Li's clothes tightly felt her small body tremble, and for the first time, a look of joy appeared on her small face.

"It really is Miss Granddaughter, that's great. Miss Daier, are you alright? Let Lan'er see..." The pretty young girl ran over the moment she saw the girl, crouched halfway in front of her, and said with a choked voice.

And the girl also released Han Li's clothes for the first time, hugged the young girl, and began to cry with her small mouth pursed.

"Many thanks to Lady Fang for finding Miss Granddaughter. Otherwise, this old servant truly wouldn't know how to report to the Master." The old man was also exceptionally surprised and kept thanking Lady Fang.

"This is not my merit; it was Team Leader Han who took action to save Miss Zhao." Lady Fang did not take the credit and pointed slightly at Han Li.

"Many thanks to this young master; this old servant will definitely report this matter to the Master and will heavily reward the young master." The old man hurriedly said to Han Li.

"Saving this young lady of your residence was just a matter of lifting a hand. No need for thanks. You may take this little girl away." Han Li looked the old man up and down a few times, and after confirming that the other party was just an ordinary person, he waved his hand and said.

Next, the old man said some more words of gratitude and was about to take the girl and the maid away.

Although the girl named Daier was no longer clinging to Han Li, she still looked back at Han Li repeatedly before leaving, her large, pitch-black eyes filled with reluctance.

Seeing the girl's puppy-like cute appearance, Han Li suddenly had a burst of childishness and made a face at her, then straightened his face again.

This action of Han Li naturally made the girl giggle, and she finally left the house with a sweet smile.

"It seems Brother Han has a good impression of this little girl. But City Lord Zhao is indeed safe and sound, but the city was breached, and so many people died under the beast horde; even with many excuses, the blame is not small. The Zhao family's situation is not very good." The brocade-robed man had been secretly watching Han Li's actions and suddenly said this.

"What does this have to do with me? The Zhao family's affairs should naturally be the concern of those surnamed Zhao." Han Li looked at the man surnamed Qin, his expression unusually calm.

"Hehe, then I am meddling. Lady Fang, since Brother Han has returned, should we speak clearly to Brother Han about some matters?" The brocade-robed man chuckled, then suddenly turned his head and said to Lady Fang.

"Speak clearly, oh, naturally. To ask Young Master Han for help, we naturally need to explain things clearly. This time, I fear we need Young Master Han to assist Immortal Master Qin on a trip." Lady Fang was startled upon hearing this, but immediately reacted and became unusually polite.

"Lady, please tell me. In case it is too important and beyond my capabilities, I don't want to delay the important affairs of the Lady and Immortal Master Qin." Han Li touched his chin and said noncommittally.

"The matter is like this: a caravan under my command accidentally discovered something that can greatly increase the chance of a cultivator forming a Core..." Lady Fang organized her thoughts and began to narrate slowly.

Han Li listened silently without changing his expression; no one could tell what he was thinking in his heart.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1289 =====