Chapter 292: Infiltration

Han Li was very familiar with the dazed, infatuated expression the little girl had shown when she left.

Back when he first saw Li Li Huayuan summon that giant dragon serpent, he had worn the same look of intense envy.

Thinking of this, Han Li found the pretty little girl quite interesting.

Then, with a faint smile, he vanished soundlessly from the tree, reappearing inside the high walls of the Prince's mansion.

At this moment, Han Li had not only activated the "Invisibility Technique," a spell capable of fooling mortals, but also cast the "Spirit Guiding Method," a qi-concealing art only accessible to Foundation Establishment cultivators.

This allowed him to dart swiftly through the mansion's servants and maids like a transparent shadow, undetected by any.

Moments later, Han Li slipped into the inner quarters of the mansion, hiding silently behind a secluded corridor pillar, observing everything around him with cold eyes.

Soon after, when a maid of moderate beauty passed nearby, Han Li flicked his finger—a fist-sized yellow light shot from his palm, striking her forehead. She staggered, about to collapse.

But before her body could hit the ground, Han Li had already darted forward and caught her, swiftly retreating back to the pillar in the corner.

With flawless precision, Han Li propped up the limp girl so she faced him, then opened his mouth and exhaled a stream of blue spiritual energy, striking her tightly shut eyelids.

Instantly, her eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened.

As the little maid slowly awoke, her first sight was a pair of golden eyes, coldly fixed upon her.

Startled, she instinctively struggled to scream—but those eerie eyes suddenly blazed with intense yellow light, piercing straight into her pupils.

The girl felt the world spin wildly, everything turning golden, then her head lolled and she fainted again.

Han Li looked at the unconscious maid and sighed softly, wiping the sweat from his face with one hand.

Though the "Mind Control Technique" had lasted only an instant, it had drained his spirit and mind immensely, leaving him nearly exhausted. No wonder this spell was ranked among the ten most useless Foundation Establishment spells.

Though successful use of this spell could make the target obey the caster's every command like a slave for a period, its restrictions were far too severe. Very few cultivators ever bothered to learn it.

First, the spell only worked on mortals—it had zero effect on cultivators. Even if the target's cultivation base was vastly inferior, a mere flick of spiritual energy through the mind could easily dispel its mind-bending effect.

Second, the caster had to be not only a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but also possess a spiritual sense far beyond the norm—most Foundation Establishment cultivators lacked the requisite talent to even attempt it.

With these two limitations, the number of cultivators still interested in practicing this spell was vanishingly small.

But none of these constraints mattered to Han Li.

Han Li had already been worried about having too few Foundation Establishment spells. When he saw the incantation for this technique in the Tianzhi Pavilion, he'd memorized it out of curiosity. Upon returning to his cave dwelling and practicing it briefly, he achieved it effortlessly—something that surprised him greatly.

Now, using this spell on the little maid had succeeded perfectly.

After carefully scanning his surroundings, Han Li extended one finger and waved it gently; a small milky-white light orb emerged from his fingertip, touched the maid's forehead, and vanished into her skin.

The maid awoke, sat up instantly, and stared blankly at Han Li without speaking.

"Who is the chief steward? When did he enter the mansion? Where does he usually go? Who does he frequently meet outside the mansion?" Han Li asked rapidly, eyes fixed on the maid.

He had chosen this maid because she was the one sent by Prince Xin to find the Young Master at the start of the banquet—clearly a person of some status among the servants, ensuring more reliable information.

"Which steward are you asking about?" the maid replied, expressionless.

"Does the mansion have many stewards?" Han Li blinked, slightly puzzled.

"There is Wang Wang Zongguan, who manages all affairs; Li Wang Zongguan, who handles procurement; and Zhai Wang Zongguan, who oversees the inner mansion," the maid continued, her face still blank.

"Which steward greeted the guests at the mansion gate today?" Han Li frowned and asked softly.

"That's Wang Wang Zongguan—the most powerful one."

"That's the one I'm asking about!" Han Li pressed anxiously.

He had no idea how long the spell would hold the girl's mind—so he needed to extract the vital information quickly. Otherwise, once she woke, he'd have to deal with more complications.

"According to the elders in the mansion, Wang Wang Zongguan grew up alongside the Prince as his childhood study companion. He has served the Prince for fifty to sixty years. Aside from his monthly duty of accompanying the Prince to the imperial palace, he never leaves the mansion, nor does he interact with anyone outside—except perhaps the Prince's close friends."

"As for his relationship with the Young Master, it's rather strange. According to the Young Master's former wet nurse, before he turned ten, he had a violent temper and despised Wang Wang Zongguan—even once publicly slapping him. But after turning ten, his entire demeanor changed abruptly. He became courteous and refined, treated Wang Wang Zongguan with deep respect, even adopting the manners of a junior. This delighted the Prince immensely, who always claimed a divine protector had intervened."

Han Li's expression remained unchanged, but he sneered inwardly.

Though Wang Wang Zongguan seemed unremarkable, Han Li was certain the Young Master's strange behavior revealed some hidden connection between them.

And anyone who could make a Foundation Establishment cultivator like Han Li sense danger was certainly no ordinary mortal.

As for their true mysterious background, Han Li had no intention of digging deeper.

As long as they weren't from the demonic sects, he didn't care whether they were righteous or evil, or what hidden agendas they harbored.

If he could avoid trouble, Han Li certainly wouldn't seek it out.

From this interrogation, Han Li was now ninety percent certain they had no ties to the Six Demonic Sects.

After all, the Young Master's transformation hadn't occurred recently. If demonic cultivators had been plotting this since over a decade ago, Han Li would truly be speechless.

Thinking of this, Han Li spoke again:

"Where does Master Wu reside? Lead me there."

"Yes, Master!"

The maid rose obediently and walked forward. Han Li, still hidden, silently followed behind her.

Guided by the maid, Han Li passed through seven or eight large courtyards until they reached a quiet garden. The maid stopped.

"Tap. Tap."

Han Li suddenly clapped his glowing white palm twice against the maid's back, then flashed aside and hid behind a large tree.

"Huh? Isn't this the Immortal's residence? How did I get here?"

The maid blinked hard twice, then cried out in alarm—her vacant gaze was gone.

"Who's making noise outside? Didn't I tell you not to disturb my cultivation?!"

From a room in the garden came the old Daoist's irritated voice.

Hearing this, the maid turned pale as paper, forgot to wonder how she'd arrived, and fled in panic.

The door creaked open.

The old Daoist, his hair and beard snow-white, stepped out once more in his divine demeanor.

But seeing no one in the courtyard, his face twisted in confusion.

"What's going on? I clearly heard voices—I thought the Prince had come again! I hurriedly ended my cultivation, but where did they go?"

The old Daoist glanced around the courtyard, then grumbled and returned inside.

But the moment he closed the door and turned back toward the room, he froze in place.

There, beside the eight-immortal table, Han Li sat calmly, smiling at him with clear interest.

"Who are you?" the old Daoist cried, his face turning ashen.

Instantly, as if by reflex, he raised one hand—and a fiery red ball of flame materialized above his palm.

"If I were you, I wouldn't strike so hastily," Han Li said, smiling as if he hadn't even noticed the fireball, showing no hint of hostility.

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