With a muffled thud, the giant fist struck Han Li's back hard.
The burly man initially rejoiced, but his expression quickly changed dramatically.
With a flash of green light, the burly man flew backward as if struck by a giant hammer.
The middle-aged scholar's face also changed, showing a look of bewilderment.
Because, just as the burly man's large body shot back towards him, his form suddenly slowed, landing lightly on both feet, seemingly unscathed.
"Brother Li, are you alright? Did you sustain any internal injuries?" Although the scholar was merely a man of letters, he frequently interacted with the burly man and was well aware that martial artists could inflict unseen injuries. Thus, he asked with concern.
"I'm fine, not injured. The opponent's skills are unfathomable, but it seems he bears no ill will," the burly man said, deeply puzzled after confirming he was unharmed.
Hearing this, the scholar felt somewhat relieved, nodded, and turned to face Han Li.
"This stalwart warrior, I am Han Tianxiao, the head of the Han family. May I know if you are here specifically to see me?" the scholar asked calmly, his demeanor unwavering.
"The head of the Han family!"
Han Li finally turned around slowly.
"Ah, you..."
"Impossible!"
"Hmph! What do you mean by this?"
Before Han Li could say anything, the scholar and the burly man simultaneously exclaimed. But the scholar quickly regained his composure and his expression turned dark.
The burly man, after his initial shock, also showed a hostile expression.
"You recognize me?" Han Li frowned, asking as his eyes swept over the two, searching for traces of familiar figures but ultimately not finding any.
"Are you feigning ignorance? Given that you've altered your appearance to resemble our Fourth Great-Uncle, why not admit it outright?" the scholar said word by word, his gaze cold.
"Fourth Great-Uncle?" Han Li's expression showed a hint of a smile. In the past, he was the fourth in his family, and this "Fourth Great-Uncle" naturally referred to him.
What puzzled him was that since he left home after coming of age, his family members shouldn't know his appearance. How did these Han family descendants know?
"Oh! When did I claim to be your Fourth Great-Uncle? Can't I naturally have this appearance?" Han Li said with a slight smile.
"There may be many people in the world who look alike, but for someone to closely resemble an ancestor and appear in our Han family ancestral hall, you are the only one," the scholar said coldly, his anger quickly subsiding.
"Well said! You are indeed an official in the imperial court. It's no wonder the Han family has prospered with descendants like you!" Han Li's expression softened as he complimented.
"What, do you really intend to impersonate our ancestor?" The scholar, hearing Han Li casually mention the Seven Mysteries Sect and Li Feiyu, was both shocked and suspicious.
To know, he had only recently learned about the history between the Han and Li families from an old manuscript. The fact that Han Li knew these details so clearly was alarming.
Seeing the scholar's strange expression, Han Li's divine sense followed his gaze to the hidden compartment within the altar table and saw the manuscript.
