While on their way, this third young lady Mo had unexpectedly and brazenly requested a so-called “first meeting gift” from her Senior Martial Brother.
“What kind of present would Junior Martial Sister like?” Without a better option, Han Li helplessly pinched his nose and prepared himself to satisfy her request.
“Any precious stones… jewelry… or perhaps something fun and interesting will do! I’m not very picky! Actually, if you don’t have anything, then giving seven to eight thousand taels of silver will also do. This can be regarded as your test!” Mo Caihuan said innocently without a trace guilt as she blinked her large dark eyes.
“Seven to eight thousand taels of silver?” When Han Li heard this, he nearly fell to the floor. This little demoness was like a lioness widely opening her mouth, not the least bit fearful for her life.
“Taking into account everything I have on hand, I don’t possess such an amount of silver. Even if I did, it would be impossible to give it to her. Does she take me for a foolish squanderer!” Although Han Li thought this, his expression didn’t change. However, looking at the girl’s expression, there was quite a bit of meaning in her gaze.
Mo Caihuan was quite clever. With just a glance, she could make out some of Han Li’s thoughts.
She slanted her small mouth and deliberately shouted in surprise, “Senior Martial Brother Han, you don’t have a gift to commemorate your first meeting with this adorable Junior Martial Sister? You should know that the year when I first met Young Master Wu, he gave me a ten thousand silver banknotes as pocket money!”
The moment Han Li heard this, he grew angry! Of course, the one surnamed Wu is scheming for your family’s wealth to receive twice the amount in return! I don’t have the slightest intention to give you such a gift. In addition, your father planted a yin poison in me. My small life could end at any moment!
Han Li was furious, but he simply looked up to the sky. Without moving, he looked at this little demoness and began wondering which item he had on hand was worth the least!
Mo Caihuan saw this Han Li as an unsophisticated, dark boy who was actually playing the fool and not saying a word. He did not take notice of her, causing her heart to be somewhat worried.
Ever since last year, after she had swindled a great amount of money from Young Master Wu, she dreamed of another person to take advantage of every night.
Now after all that trouble, she had another opportunity. But this guy, who seemed to be her father’s true disciple, was unmoved and even had a face thicker than a city wall. How could he act so hard and indifferently toward such a cute girl as herself? He didn’t have the slightest bit of sympathy! Did he not notice her practiced tears quickly flowing down her cheeks? Still remaining indifferent, he was truly infuriating!
Chapter 113: Winding Fragrance Pill
The air in the night skies could not have been considered cold, but Mo Caihuan’s delicate face was slightly turning green. Both of her eyes were ruthlessly staring at Han Li. In her heart, she was silently gnashing her teeth at this thick-skinned Senior Apprentice Brother.
At the moment, both of them had been standing on this little path that wound through the back courtyard for a quarter of an hour while suffering from the cold. They did not move as much as a single step. Originally, after Mo Caihuan realised that Han Li was impervious to her three ultimate moves—acting cute, acting coquettishly, and using tears—she could only helplessly gnash her teeth in frustration and stop walking. She initially intended to use these moves to trap Han Li, but succeeded to no avail. Now she could only unwillingly and pitifully stare at Han Li, locking her gaze with him, hoping that her opponent would give in.
But upon seeing the pitiful state Mo Caihuan was in, Han Li involuntarily let out a laugh.
Her expressions actually reminded Han Li of his good brother Li Feiyu. Previously, whenever Li Feiyu had wanted Han Li to help him with something, he would use the exact same expression on his face, hoping to move Han Li into helping him. After some time, Han Li became completely impervious to these kinds of expressions.
Thus, as Mo Caihuan used her best pitiful puppy look onto Han Li, Han Li remained motionless, standing there while admiring Mo Caihuan’s performance. He frequently shook his head, indicating his sarcasm.
Underneath Han Li’s vicious counterattack, Mo Caihuan was utterly defeated. She could only stop the puppy look she had been utilizing until now and exchange it with a ferocious look of rage.
Actually, Mo Caihuan already started to regret her actions. If her mother were to find out about this, she was afraid that not only would she not be able to con anything from Han Li, but she would also taste the discipline of their clan’s rules.
As she thought of this, she glared hatefully at Han Li. This little bumpkin, couldn’t he just give something to her? Didn’t he know that girls exist to be coaxed? He was truly nothing but a country bumpkin!
As of the moment, she had already forgotten about her outrageous request she had demanded earlier from Han Li.
Although Han Li had no experience in coaxing girls, he knew that he would nonetheless have to borrow the strength of the Mo Residence and thus could not afford to offend them. As a result, after Mo Caihuan’s anger burned for some time, he slowly inserted his hands into his robes, trying to find a suitable trinket to appease this little demoness.
Han Li finally took out a green jade bottle. Inside the bottle, there were a few flaming red pills that release an extremely strong fragrance.
These pills were known as the the “Winding Fragrance Pills”. Taken by royal concubines, this pill had no other other effect other than causing the one who ingested the pill to emit a mesmerizing fragrance. Not only did this fragrance last for a long time and was pleasant to smell, but it also could provide the additional effect of protecting the user from insect bites. That was why this pill was a favorite among the royal concubines.
Treating the Winding Fragrance Pill as a gift for the young girl, however, was quite a pity. Concocting this pill required a few main ingredients that were rare and precious. Even in such a prosperous place as the royal capital, the main ingredients were always found to be in short supply, unable to meet the royal court’s demand. In the end, the pill had been lost with the passage of time.
Han Li would never concoct such a pill that would do nothing to aid him. But during his stay in the Seven Mysteries Sect, he finally caved in and concocted some of these pills for Li Feiyu to coax Zhang Xiuer because he was unable to withstand Li Feiyu’s urging.
All he had was just one bottle with only a few pills remaining. Initially, Han Li had wanted to use these pills to cloak himself from insect bites, but now, he could only use this to coax the little demoness standing before him.
Han Li threw the jade bottle in the girl’s direction. Mo Caihuan fumbled with it for a bit and finally caught the jade bottle. “What is this?” A smile finally broke out on Mo Caihuan’s face. She finally received a gift from this petty man in front of her! Although this was nothing much, this was sufficient to light up a smile on Mo Caihuan’s face.
“This pill is known as the Winding Fragrance Pill, and its effects are very mystical. It can……” Han Li explained the pill’s effects to Mo Caihuan, causing her to be extremely happy and satisfied.
Much to Han Li’s surprise, after the girl opened the jade bottle and sniffed the fragrance, she immediately closed the lid of the bottle and assumed a defensive stance. With a “defending against perverts” gaze, she looked at Han Li and carefully said:
“This pill is not a pill that knocks people unconscious or works as an aphrodisiac right? Why is the fragrance so familiar to the aphrodisiacs that my sisters described?. Are you planning to do something perverted to me!?”
After hearing this, Han Li was stunned for a prolonged period of time, becoming completely speechless. He suddenly felt like vomiting blood. This girl’s thoughts were too hard to predict! To think that she actually likened the fragrance of the Winding Fragrance Pill t
o an aphrodisiac!
Now, Han Li don’t even know whether should he be impressed this lady’s cautiousness or cry loudly because of an unjust accusation! “Looking at your reactions, this pill seems to be authentic, but I still have to let my Second Sister experiment on it before I can use. After all, women have to place cautiousness above everything they do.” Mo Caihuan told Han Li this in a righteous manner.
“Cough! Cough……, do what you will.”
Speechless, Han Li could only cough to mask the embarrassment on his face. He felt that it would be better for him to maintain a distance between himself and this little demoness. If he didn’t, he would never know when his depression would push him to his death.
“However, if this pill does have all the effects you listed, I shall consider you to have passed the test! After today, if you ever require any help in the Mo Residence, you can look for Caihuan! I will just require some small compensation, but in return, I will settle your problems for you.” Mo Caihuan shook the bottle while happily smiling.
“Okay, Junior Apprentice Sister! Senior Apprentice Brother does have something that requires your help.” Han Li recovered his former disposition as he smiled insincerely. As he replied to Mo Caihuan, he thought evilly in his heart, “Seeking assistance from you, a money grubber? In your dreams!”
Mo Caihuan naturally could not hear Han Li’s inner thoughts. She felt satisfied because Han Li had acquiesced to her. All of a sudden, she felt that Han Li was pretty interesting fellow and was even quite comely to look at.
“Let’s go, Senior Apprentice Brother! I will find a bigger and better room for you so you don’t have to suffer!” Mo Caihuan smiled brilliantly as she led the way.
Standing behind her, Han Li finally heaved a sigh of relief as he slowly followed her footsteps.
‘Such a strange girl. He would never be together with her. Don’t say that this bossy miss suddenly fell in love with an ordinary person like him. Even if she really did fall in love with him, he would straight out reject her. Just based on her unreasonable actions that were already so tough for Han Li to deal with, he could never endure it if they really got together.’ Han Li silently thought in his heart, decisively removing Mo Caihuan’s name from the list of potential candidates for his wife-to-be.
(TL: Han Li is talking about himself in third person)
Chapter 114: Yan Ge’s Infatuation
Han Li finally went into one of the side rooms of the Mo Estate in order to retire for the night. Mo Caihuan was tactful enough to not linger around, and she quickly excused herself. Her sudden behaviour as a refined lady left Han Li somewhat surprised.
Han Li did not know whether there would still be danger as he was still unclear about the attitude of the people in Mo Estate. As a result, he was unable to get any real rest and only dozed off a little on the bed.
The next morning, while Han Li was still groggy, there was someone outside knocking the door.
“Could it be that little demoness?” Han Li frowned, but soon shook his head. “This smooth knocking sound is definitely not Mo Caihuan’s style. But only a few people know that I’m staying here.”
Han Li was a bit suspicious. He found a towel to wash his face, then went to open the door. A twenty year-old youth with thick eyebrows and big eyes stood outside.
Once this youth saw Han Li came out, he took a glance to look at Han Li from top to bottom, then respectfully cupped one fist in the other hand and greeted Han Li enthusiastically, “ You must be Junior Apprentice Brother Han! I am Yan Ge. I could also be considered as your Eldest Apprentice Brother!”
“Yan Ge!” Han Li’s thoughts raced. This person was Doctor Mo’s eldest disciple.
“Haha, even though I am Master’s first disciple, my aptitude is not that good. I didn’t receive much of Master’s own techniques and even humiliated him!” Yan Ge told Han Li frankly.
When Han Li saw that this youth was unperturbed, he immediately had a good impression towards Yan Ge and promptly returned the greeting, “Senior Apprentice Brother Yan, good morning! Please come in and talk!”
“There is no need. Several of our Martial Mothers asked me to come here. They are looking for Junior Disciple Han for something, and they want you to make a trip down.” Yan Ge chuckled and beckoned with his hands.
Han Li was stunned for a moment when he heard this, but he swiftly nodded his head and complied. He closed the room door and walked beside Yan Ge.
Yan Ge was very interested in Han Li’s affairs. Along the way, he openly asked Han Li many things. He was extremely curious about the local customs and culture of Jing Province and asked about them endlessly.
When the two of them passed through the garden in the backyard, they unexpectedly met a young man and lady. They were Mo Yuzhu and Wu Jianming, both of whom Han Li had seen from afar yesterday. The two were walking together in the garden, like a pair of intimate lovers. It was as if Han Li’s own possessions were stolen by someone else, and that feeling left a bad taste in his mouth.
Evidently, Mo Yuzhu and Wu Jianming discovered Han Li and Yan Ge, so the former pair headed towards them. As the two sides got closer to each other, Mo Yuzhu swept a glance across the ordinary looking Han Li but didn’t say anything. However, Young Master Wu was suspicious of Han Li as he sized Han Li up.
“Senior Apprentice Brother Yan, good morning! This little brother looks unfamiliar. Whose disciple does he belong to?” Wu Jianming laughed as he asked.
“……”
At first, Han Li thought that Elder Brother Yan, who was beside him, would take the initiative to cover for him and counter Wu Jianming’s remark. Who knew that after waiting for so long, there was still no sound from the person beside him? Feeling puzzled, Han Li can’t help but to raise his head and look at Yan Ge.
In the end, Han Li was so infuriated that he was rendered speechless.
Currently, Yan Ge looked infatuated and spellbound, gazing dumbly at Miss Mo Yuzhu, fully into the realm of ecstasy. How could he still respond to Wu Jianming!
“This little brother is Third Martial Mother’s distant nephew. Under the orders of my parents, I was to pay a visit to Third Martial Mother and request a job from her.” For the lack of a better option, Han Li could only turn his head back and take matters into his own hands. Han Li spoke obsequiously while intentionally acting all embarrassed and shy.
“Oh, so it’s like this.” Once Wu Jianming heard Han Li’s words, he completely lost interest in Han Li. This was not surprising. Han Li’s outer appearance was too ordinary, and he did not possess any characteristics of a person who studied martial arts. How could this be missed by the eye of Young Master Wu.
Instead, Young Master Wu turned his head and his expression darkened. He was greatly unsatisfied with the silly look that Yan Ge was showing towards Mo Yuzhu. After all, the beautiful lady beside him was his supposed fiancée.
Right now, Han Li was close to Mo Yuzhu so he clearly saw all of her expressions. She was frowning slightly and had a somewhat unpleased look. Clearly, she was not tolerant of Yan Ge’s brazen look of adoration.
“Senior Apprentice Brother Yan, if there is nothing else, Young Master Wu and I will retire first.” Mo Yuzhu’s apricot lips opened slightly. She coldly extended a small courtesy to Yan Ge and moved her delicate body to leave the area. Wu Jianming snorted at Yan Ge and chased after her without saying anything else.
Han Li watched their backs departing as the corner of his lip revealed a slight trace of an odd smile. Afterwards, he turned around to look at Senior Apprentice Brother Yan and discovered that Yan Ge was still gazing foolishly at Mo Yuzhu.
Han Li sighed. This guy was truly lovestruck. However, Miss Mo did not seem to have a good impression of him and may be frightened off by his fervent pursuit.
Han Li hit Yan Ge’s shoulders with all his strength, jolting the latter’s body. The vacant look disappeared, and he was finally roused from his stupor.
“Sorry about that, I made a joke out of myself in front of Ju
nior Apprentice Brother Han!” Yan Ge, who recovered back to his rational state of mind, was blushing madly. He was extremely ashamed of the spectacle he made of himself.
“It’s nothing. When facing a fair and graceful lady with a noble character to match, this is a male’s natural instinct. There is nothing to be embarrassed about.” Han Li explained while laughing.
When Yan Ge listened to Han Li’s words, he did not feel relieved. Instead, he laughed bitterly and slowly said, “Not to keep you in the dark, but I grew up together with Yuzhu. During this period of time, even though we were not childhood sweethearts, we were both innocent playmates with deep feelings for eachother. Unfortunately, when Yuzhu grew up, she treated me like a brother without showing any other interest in me. As a result, after being rejected by her several times, I could only give up and wish that she finds a good husband who can give her a lifetime of happiness. But one look at Yuzhu today, I find that I am still unable to free myself from my emotions and unknowingly made a show of myself.” There was a hint of self-ridicule when Yan Ge spoke the last sentence.
Han Li did not speak again after he heard Yan Ge’s explanation. Instead, he looked at Yan Ge from head to toe, like viewing a rare antique. Previously, he only came across this kind of affectionate person from books and other stories. He never imagined that he would one day witness it with his own eyes.
If what Yan Ge said was true and sincere, Han Li didn’t know whether to admire Yan Ge’s infatuation or secretly curse him for his extreme foolishness.
On the way back, Han Li purposely used other topics to draw Yan Ge away from his thoughts and allow Yan Ge’s mood to return back to normal. The two of them talked merrily until they reached the small building where Han Li sneaked into last night. Several of Doctor Mo’s wives were already waiting there ceremoniously for Han Li’s arrival, preparing to give Han Li a nice surprise.
Chapter 115: A Startling Change
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 53