Chapter 74

Han Li gazed at Li Feiyu’s now imposing face, silent and solemn, not knowing what to say.

Suddenly, Li Feiyu’s aura snapped back, returning to his usual grinning demeanor; he winked at Han Li and shouted loudly:

“How’s that? Wasn’t my aura just right? Didn’t it radiate sheer dominance, the very essence of a mighty warlord, leaving you awestruck and ready to swear allegiance on the spot?”

Han Li couldn’t help but grimace at this—just moments ago moved by his earlier words, now instantly brought back to reality by these last few sentences.

Han Li glared at him fiercely, teeth clenched: “Warlord? More like a clumsy bear!”

Li Feiyu burst into loud, unrestrained laughter, thoroughly delighted at having momentarily intimidated Han Li.

But Han Li gradually calmed down; amid Li Feiyu’s laughter, he spoke softly:

“I already warned you before—you know your situation well. Let me ask you again, seriously: if you disperse your Qi, I can still grant you many more years of life, allowing you to live long with Miss Zhang. Won’t you reconsider?”

Li Feiyu’s laughter died instantly; his face darkened, and sharp glints shot from his eyes, fixed unblinkingly on Han Li—he said nothing.

Yet Han Li’s expression remained unchanged, showing no trace of disturbance, only meeting his gaze with clear, steady eyes.

After a full teacup’s worth of time, Li Feiyu finally retracted the light from his eyes, his expression softening slightly.

“Han Li, you know I’d never consider voluntarily dispersing my Qi. I know you mean well, but don’t bring it up again, alright?” He forced a smile, his tone tinged with pleading.

“Besides, do you think Miss Zhang would still want me if I became a helpless, ordinary man?” There was a note of self-mockery in Li Feiyu’s words.

Han Li fell silent, turning his head aside, gazing down the path toward where Li Feiyu had come from. After a long moment, he spoke in a low, firm voice:

Since you’ve made up your mind, I won’t try to persuade you again. Go back now—I hope you and Miss Zhang Xiuer truly find happiness together.

Upon hearing this, Li Feiyu’s face lit up with joy; he slapped Han Li’s shoulder several times hard.

“Good brother, those words I love to hear—today’s happiest words. I’ll take my leave then.”

With a leap, he vanished into the distance, his figure disappearing beyond the path’s end, gone without a trace.

“Ow! That hurt!” Han Li suddenly clutched his shoulder—Li Feiyu’s slaps had secretly infused internal force, leaving his shoulder swollen and throbbing like a small red steamed bun, too tender to touch. He’d taken quite a beating.

“That brat—he’s retaliating for my exposing his pain by doing this!” Han Li winced, fumbling frantically in his robe to pull out healing medicine, unbuttoning his shirt and applying the ointment to his shoulder.

“Cough! After all this effort to show kindness, I end up like this—I’m clearly not cut out for good deeds! Better return and study spells. I’ll settle this score the next time we meet.” Han Li thought bitterly.

…

…

After a long while passed, Han Li turned eighteen.

During this time, Qixuan Sect, pressured by the Wild Wolf Gang’s relentless encroachment, formally declared war.

From then on, countless skirmishes erupted along the border between the two factions; many of Han Li’s companions who entered the mountains with him perished in these conflicts, leaving Han Li deeply moved.

The great bell outside the valley, due to the rising number of wounded, rang far more frequently, giving Han Li ample opportunity to practice advanced healing techniques, greatly improving his medical skills.

Yet even with Han Li’s miraculous touch, many mid- and high-ranking members still fell—either dying on the battlefield or succumbing to wounds en route, leaving no chance for Han Li to treat them.

But precisely because of this, many young elites from both sides rose to prominence, filling the ranks of the fallen.

For instance, the Wild Wolf Gang’s Five Fiends, Three Eagles, Two Leopards, and Qixuan Sect’s Seven Heroes and Two Heroes—among the most renowned—Li Feiyu was one of the Two Heroes. Having personally slain the enemy’s Purple Robe Standard-Bearer, he had risen to Deputy Head of the Outer Blade Hall, a position of great power and prestige; his romance with Zhang Xiuer had also advanced rapidly, now reaching the stage of marriage discussions.

When Han Li learned of this, he could only sigh softly—he didn’t know whether Li Feiyu was right or wrong. After all, he was not Li Feiyu; without standing in his shoes, he could not truly grasp the moral complexities involved.

Yet if the roles were reversed—if he had to watch his beloved embrace another—he knew he could never endure it. But to marry someone knowing he was about to die… did he possess such courage?

Thus Han Li chose to pretend ignorance. After all, relationships had degrees of closeness—Li Feiyu was his friend, so naturally he’d lean slightly toward him. Han Li felt perfectly at peace with this.

Moreover, another crucial event had recently occurred, consuming most of his attention and leaving him no room to spare for this matter.

After countless failures, Han Li finally mastered the spell “Wind Riding Decree.”

Like “Heavenly Eye Technique,” “Wind Riding Decree” was an auxiliary spell usable only on oneself, not on others. Yet its practical utility far surpassed that of “Heavenly Eye Technique.”

After casting “Wind Riding Decree,” Han Li felt as light as a swallow; with the slightest tap of his toes, he could effortlessly leap several zhang forward. The exhilarating sensation of racing across land at high speed, leaving everything behind, made him addicted—he ran five or six laps daily through the valley, unwilling to stop, savoring the thrill of a true martial arts master.

Of course, this speed boost differed greatly from “Luo Yan Step.” “Luo Yan Step” emphasized exploiting every gap, turning the impossible into possible—accelerating over short distances at great cost to physical stamina, making it most effective in confined spaces.

“Wind Riding Decree,” however, required only a constant trickle of magic power and imposed no physical burden whatsoever. One could run endlessly without fatigue. The speed boost persisted until the magic power was exhausted or the spell was deliberately halted. Thus, it was commonly used by low-level cultivators for long-distance travel—a near-universal spell among them.

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