When Wei Wuyan suddenly arrived at Yang Shangren, casually discussing Han Li in the main hall, Han Li himself had already reached the main gate of the hall.
To his surprise, he spotted Dong Xuan'er outside the hall.
This woman had appeared from the side hall at some point, standing there with her head slightly lowered, as if lost in thought.
The guards, knowing that she had come with Elder Yunluo, naturally turned a blind eye and let her stand outside the hall without paying any attention.
When Han Li came out, Dong Xuan'er seemed to sense something and raised her head to glance at him.
The expression on her face was strange, appearing somewhat at a loss and even tinged with envy.
This puzzled Han Li.
Feeling perplexed, Han Li had nothing to say to her and simply walked past her as if he hadn't seen her, heading towards the distant street.
Dong Xuan'er remained motionless in her spot, biting her red lips lightly, gazing at Han Li's retreating figure without uttering a word.
After turning a corner and feeling the gaze behind him disappear, Han Li furrowed his brows unconsciously, shaking his head.
"Do you know that female cultivator?" came Silvermoon's puzzled voice in his mind.
"She's an acquaintance from the past, but our relationship isn't great," Han Li replied nonchalantly.
"Is that so? But the way she looked at you seemed to imply otherwise. Could it be that she was someone significant from your past..." Silvermoon said with a mischievous laugh, intentionally leaving the sentence unfinished.
"Don't speculate randomly. I don't have a good impression of her, and we even had some conflicts in the past," Han Li responded, sounding somewhat displeased.
Silvermoon chuckled and then tactfully remained silent.
Since the day Han Li saved Silvermoon and didn't inquire about the incident involving her loss of the Purple Metal Pouch and the Basket of Flowers ancient treasure, Silvermoon had noticeably grown closer to Han Li.
Though still not daring to be too presumptuous, she had clearly opened up more to Han Li. Han Li also sensed this and began to trust her more. Their relationship had greatly improved compared to the beginning.
...
Upon returning to the residence of the Falling Cloud Sect, Han Li naturally briefed Lu Luolue on the matters discussed in the main hall.
"Why risk participating in the gambling battle, Junior Brother? While the Jin Essence is indeed rare, it is ultimately external to oneself. If Junior Brother were to have any mishaps, how would that be good?" Lu Luolue expressed concern upon hearing that Han Li intended to participate in the gambling battle.
Han Li smiled faintly and said nonchalantly, "Senior Brother Lu, rest assured. I am willing to participate in the gambling battle because I am confident of coming out unscathed. Otherwise, why would I agree so readily? However, with the great battle seven days from now, Junior Brother won't be able to divert his attention to other matters. It will rely solely on Senior Brother Lu to take care of the safety of the disciples within the sect."
"In the days leading up to the battle, I will take care of the disciples of the sect. Junior Brother, you need not worry. Since Junior Brother is confident about the gambling battle, I won't say much more. However, if there's anything you need before the battle, just let the disciples know, and it will be taken care of," Lu Luolue assured Han Li upon hearing his response.
