196: Chapter 196 A Different Han Li

During this time, little Han Li could always feel his own changes; it seemed as if something was slowly altering his personality...

However, Xiao Yan, who was focused on repairing his Soul, was completely unaware of this.

He had left a Soul imprint to monitor external changes at all times.

The imprint possessed the strength of a Peak Dou Sheng and would only alert him if it encountered a danger that could not be resolved.

After all, in this Mortal world, even if he were heavily injured, no one could pose a threat to him!

Xiao Yan had two concerns: first, the "Newbie Protection Period has ended" Notification Tone he had received previously.

Xiao Yan still felt a lingering fear from that terrifying gaze earlier; it had left a massive psychological shadow on him.

As for the second point, Xiao Yan vaguely remembered that Han Li's identity was not as simple as a mere Mortal; it could even involve the supreme powerhouses in the Immortal Realm.

However, Xiao Yan had no concept of the powerhouses in the Immortal Realm.

Therefore, having just arrived in this realm, Xiao Yan was cautious and did not dare to act rashly for the time being.

He decided to adhere to a low-key development style; his main body would remain in seclusion within the Sea of Consciousness to recover, while his Clone, Han Li, would temporarily take Xiao Yan's place in the outside world.

...

Qingniu Town was not large; the main street was only the east-west Qingniu Street. On this Qingniu Street, there was also only one inn, named Qingniu Inn.

"Creeak, creeak..."

A carriage arrived from afar on the street, covered in dust, clearly having traveled a long way. It sped from the west to the other end, passing the Qingniu Inn in the middle, and stopped at the entrance of the Chunxiang Pavilion at the other end of town.

The carriage door opened, and a round-faced fat man with a small mustache led the dark-skinned little Han Li as they swaggered into the restaurant.

The restaurant was not large, possessing an ancient charm, and was filled with people.

"Old Han, this black kid looks a lot like you. He couldn't be a son you had behind your wife's back, could he?" Many people knew this Fatty Han, and one person spoke up to tease him.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone around burst into laughter.

"What are you saying? Do you know how to speak?" Before Third Uncle could respond, Han Li, who was standing to the side, raised an eyebrow and suddenly spoke up.

"Yo! This kid has quite a temper!" Seeing Han Li's impolite tone, the man didn't take offense but teased him further.

"Heh! This is my own nephew from the family; of course he looks like me." Seeing Han Li's Life Qi appearance, the fat man also chuckled, speaking with a hint of pride.

These past few days, he had come to realize that this nephew of his was truly extraordinary!

Not only could he race against horses, but with a slight display of skill, he could shatter a bluestone with a single palm strike!

He hadn't heard his brother mention any of this before; really, why keep it all hidden! If he entered the Seven Mysteries Sect, wouldn't wealth and honor be just a wave of the hand away?

"Old Han, your nephew's temper is nothing like yours." Looking at Han Li's eyes, someone spoke up.

"Don't blame me for not warning you, but this nephew of mine is destined to be a great figure!" Third Uncle smiled triumphantly. Although he said this, his face was beaming with joy.

When the people in the restaurant heard Fatty Han's words, they were all slightly surprised; Fatty Han rarely spoke like this.

These regulars of the restaurant all turned their gazes toward the ten-year-Old Han Li, whose dark skin made him look like a farm boy, as if they were trying to see something extraordinary in him.

"Xiao Li, don't lower yourself to their level. Come, we've been traveling for three days; go have a good rest." Seeing everyone's gazes, Third Uncle nodded in satisfaction. Without explaining further to them, he led Han Li toward the back of the restaurant.

They arrived at a secluded small courtyard before Third Uncle stopped.

"Xiao Li, rest well in this room. When the Inner Sect Steward arrives, I'll call for you." Third Uncle pointed to a side room in the courtyard and spoke kindly to Han Li.

"I understand, Third Uncle. Go ahead with your business; don't worry about me." Han Li responded and walked toward the side room.

"Don't run around; there are many people in the town, don't get lost..."

Han Li turned back and responded to Third Uncle. Only after seeing Third Uncle return to the restaurant with peace of mind did he turn back and walk toward the side room.

They waited until the third day. After dinner, a shiny black carriage arrived and stopped at the entrance of the restaurant.

The carriage was pulled by a rare, top-tier Yellow-spotted Steed. On the frame of the carriage was a small triangular black flag embroidered with the character "Xuan" in silver with a red border—quite interesting.

There were two major powers nearby. One was the Seven Mysteries Sect, founded two hundred years ago by the once-famous "Grandmaster Qijue." It had been renowned throughout the entire State of Yue until "Grandmaster Qijue" passed away from illness, leading the sect to take root in such a remote place.

As for its strength, it controlled over a dozen small towns and had three to four thousand Disciples.

The other was the Wild Wolf Gang, formerly a group of bandits who pillaged within the Jing Prefecture boundaries. After being suppressed, some were recruited by the government, while others became this fierce and bloodthirsty Wild Wolf Gang.

Although the Wild Wolf Gang controlled many towns, they didn't know how to manage them, so they were very envious of several wealthy territories belonging to the Seven Mysteries Sect...

A lean man in his forties jumped down from the carriage. His movements were agile, and his eyes glinted with sharp light; he was clearly an expert.

As soon as Third Uncle saw this man, he immediately went up and bowed respectfully.

"Protector Wang, how could you personally come here, sir?"

"Humph!"

Protector Wang was full of arrogance and gave a cold snort before continuing, "The roads haven't been peaceful lately... Enough nonsense, is this child the person you want to recommend?"

"Yes, yes, this is my own nephew. I hope Protector Wang will look after him on the way..." After Third Uncle spoke, he took out a heavy pouch and quietly handed it over.

Han Li stood bored behind Third Uncle, and seeing this scene, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

After the two finished their discussion, Han Li walked into the carriage. The smell inside was unpleasant, and nearly thirty children were squeezed together, making it very crowded.

Although they were all children, it was clearly visible that they had already been divided into three types of people.

The first type sat in the center of the carriage, surrounded by most of the other children.

A young boy in fine clothes named Wu Yan belonged to this category. He was the oldest, had some background, came from a wealthy family, and had practiced some martial arts since childhood.

Although his skills weren't profound, they were more than enough to deal with children who only had brute strength.

It was obvious that this youth had already become the "Big Brother" to most of these children.

The second type were the children surrounding the youth in fine clothes. They came from various backgrounds, but most were children who grew up in towns.

The skills they had learned from the adults in their families—observing people's expressions and acting for profit—were used quite convincingly here, as they called out "Young Master Wu" and "Big Brother Wu" one after another.

As for the last type of people, they were naturally those like Han Li, coming from poor families in remote areas. However, these people were the fewest, with only five or six of them.

They squeezed into the corners, timid and afraid to speak loudly, forming a sharp contrast with the children who burst into laughter from time to time.

But this Han Li naturally wouldn't just squeeze into a corner like that.

He strode toward the center of the carriage. His thin but extremely powerful body suddenly pushed aside the children surrounding the youth in fine clothes.

"You!"

These children were pushed aside by this immense force. Seeing the dark and thin Han Li, they immediately made dissatisfied noises.

"What about me?" Han Li gave them a sidelong glance and sat down on a seat.

There were seats available, but they weren't sitting in them—what were these people thinking?

Glancing at the youth in fine clothes beside him, Han Li's expression was cold and aloof, and he didn't say a word.

The people around him were choked by his words and were about to lose their tempers, but they were stopped by Wu Yan, who was beside Han Li.

He had seen the world; that move earlier was something an ordinary person couldn't do.

"This... brother, my name is Wu Yan. What's yours?"

"I'm Han Li."

Han Li imitated the previous Protector Wang, his tone indifferent and his face full of arrogance.

Thanks to "Sunshine Fantasy" for the 1500 tip! Bowing in respect!