Chapter 97: The Backroom Deal

When the Master of the Wang Sect heard these words, his heart skipped a beat, and he began to nervously fret inside.

Yesterday, after he and other high-ranking members received notification from Li Feiyu that Han Li would arrive at Luorì Peak at noon the next day, some immediately proposed tampering with the meeting, suggesting they kill Han Li on the spot, citing his extreme danger and uncontrollability.

But this proposal was fiercely opposed by another faction, who argued it was far too risky—if it failed, they would face devastating retaliation, and advised first negotiating with him before making any decision.

Those eager to act immediately countered with sharp rebuttals, claiming delays would leak the plan and invite unforeseen complications.

In truth, everyone knew full well that calling Han Li too dangerous was merely an excuse; the real motive was that certain individuals coveted his cultivation method and intended to extract benefits from this Han Doctor. Even those opposing immediate action likely harbored the same desires—only they preferred subtler, more concealed methods.

Before the Master of the Wang Sect, the two factions argued until nearly the meeting’s end, red-faced and shouting, neither side able to sway the other.

Finally, the surviving gray-robed master uncle could no longer bear it; he uttered a single cold sentence, and the entire assembly fell silent.

“If you kill this Han Doctor, are you not afraid his elders will come seeking vengeance?” The gray-robed man’s words doused the overheated senior members like a bucket of ice water.

“That’s right! He’s so young yet already this powerful! He must have divine-level elders behind him—if we rashly murder him, and they come knocking, won’t we all be left with no graves to bury us?”

Once they realized killing this Han Doctor meant sealing their own deaths, those who had advocated violence instantly reversed their stance. Even if one or two remained blinded by greed, the consensus now firmly favored a cautious, conciliatory approach toward Han Li.

Now, seeing Han Li suddenly speak these words laden with hidden meaning, the Master of the Wang Sect felt a pang of guilt, convinced the man possessed extraordinary powers and had somehow learned of yesterday’s heated debate, thus issuing him a warning.

Yet Wang Juechu, as Sect Master for many years, possessed extraordinary depth and experience. He quickly shook off the influence of the Divine Eye Technique, his expression returning to normal.

“Why does the Divine Physician speak thus? Every member of our sect holds you in boundless gratitude,” Wang Juechu mused inwardly, then decided to probe further before responding.

“Yet I’ve heard rumors that someone intends harm against me,” Han Li replied with a cold smile.

Upon hearing this, the Master of the Wang Sect was startled, but seeing no sign of anger from Han Li, he grew slightly more at ease. Since Han Li spoke without fury and came alone, it suggested he had merely heard whispers—not full knowledge of the meeting’s contents—and perhaps reconciliation was still possible.

“The Divine Physician may have misunderstood,” Wang Juechu declared with righteous indignation after weighing his words. “A few traitors did indeed emerge yesterday, attempting to forget their gratitude. But rest assured, those individuals have already been captured and placed under strict guard. Most in our sect still hold deep gratitude toward the Han Doctor and would never do anything to hurt our own while delighting our enemies.”

Han Li heard this and sneered inwardly. Ever since revealing his strength and helping the Seven Mysteries Sect survive this crisis, he had constantly reminded himself with the sayings “Birds dead, bow cast aside” and “Burn the bridge after crossing the river”—to remain vigilant. Never assume gratitude follows kindness; human hearts are the hardest to fathom. To these self-styled great figures, sufficient profit made betrayal and even disowning kin as ordinary as drinking water.

This was one reason Han Li had shut himself away upon returning to the valley—he deliberately gave the senior members time to cool down, lest greed burn away all their reason.

After sending Li Feiyu to deliver the message arranging the meeting, Han Li had no intention of arriving on time.

Even though his current strength far surpassed ordinary martial artists, if they resorted to underhanded methods, countless ways existed to kill him.

Thus, for safety’s sake, he arrived half a day early, secretly meeting the Master of the Wang Sect alone.

Just now, his slight probe had already exposed the man’s true intentions—clearly, the Seven Mysteries Sect’s elites had indeed considered acting against him.

But it didn’t matter. Whether they truly intended to strike or merely entertained the thought, he would not be angered. After completing his transaction with the leader of the Seven Mysteries Sect, he would vanish far away, never again crossing paths with them.

“I won’t waste words,” Han Li said suddenly, his tone mysterious after fixing Wang Juechu with a steady gaze. “To be frank, Master Wang, after this meeting, I will leave this place and depart for distant lands—I may never return to Caixia Mountain. But before I go, I wish to make a transaction beneficial to both of us.”

“A transaction?” The Master of the Wang Sect was stunned first by the news of Han Li’s departure, then puzzled by the offer of a deal.

“What transaction could possibly exist between me and this Divine Physician?” He felt a knot of unease tighten in his chest.

…………

When noon arrived—the originally scheduled meeting time—Han Li did not appear at the main hall of Luorì Peak. Instead, the Master of the Wang Sect entered the venue last, looking vigorous and alert.

The Master of the Wang Sect announced on the spot that there was no need to wait further, as Han Li had already departed from Caixia Mountain and vanished without a trace. He likely left Jingzhou, perhaps even the entire Yue Kingdom—thus all troubles had vanished.

Upon hearing this, everyone present stared wide-eyed, exchanging glances; the entire hall fell utterly silent.

“If the man’s gone, what’s the point of scheming anymore? Just go about your business!” they thought helplessly.

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