(We're in the recommended section, everyone — don't forget to cast your votes!)
Once he got a clear look at the two of them, Han Li sighed inwardly. They turned out to be those two disciples who, just like him, had only reached the eleventh layer of their cultivation. One had an aged face, but his eyes gleamed with a shrewd cunning, while the other had a simple, guileless look — clearly a wet-behind-the-ears kid who hadn't seen much of the world.
This odd pair seeking him out genuinely caught Han Li off guard. But after turning the matter over in his mind, he had a pretty good guess at what they wanted.
"Senior Brothers, is there something you need?" Han Li said coldly out of politeness, his tone unmistakably conveying that he had no interest in getting close to anyone. He hoped to give them the hint and send them packing.
It was obvious that Senior Brother Xiang's skin was far thicker than Han Li had imagined. Not only did he fail to notice Han Li's distant, keep-your-distance manner, but he instead launched into a warm, familiar-sounding pitch: "Hehe, I was wondering whether Junior Brother Han has any good strategies for tomorrow's excursion into the forbidden ground? You have to realize, the three of us are the weakest in terms of magical power. If we end up clashing with the other sects, we'll be the first to fall! Why don't we put our heads together and come up with a plan?"
Hearing this, Han Li blinked a few times but said nothing. However, he was now completely certain of the man's intentions and had guessed roughly eight or nine parts out of ten what he was going to say.
It seemed this old fox was planning to rope together some of the weaker disciples to move and fight as a group. That way, they'd be considerably safer, and their chances of survival would appear much better.
But Han Li understood all too well the consequences of such an arrangement — there were advantages, but also serious drawbacks.
With everyone bunched together, the area they could search would shrink drastically, resulting in pitifully few spirit herbs being found. And even if they did locate some, who those herbs ultimately ended up with was still anybody's guess! More likely than not, ownership would be decided by strength.
Han Li had absolutely zero interest in joining such a coalition. Not only would he end up with no benefit whatsoever, but there was a very high chance he'd be used as cannon fodder by the others.
As for the old fox himself, he was probably harboring no good intentions either — undoubtedly planning to muddy the waters and fish for advantages amid the chaos.
When the old man saw that Han Li remained silent after his pitch, a trace of anxiety crept into his heart. Unable to hold back, he spoke again: "I actually have an idea, if Junior Brother would like to hear it. It can absolutely ensure that we all make it through this trip safely!"
The old man adopted a look of unfathomable mystery, his face full of intrigue, the wrinkles on his forehead bunching together — making Han Li find him simultaneously exasperating and amusing.
Meanwhile, the yellow-haired youngster standing beside him seemed to hold the old fox in the highest regard. Although he hadn't said a word, his expression made it plain that he was ready to follow the old man's lead without question.
Since he had no intention of joining their alliance, Han Li saw no reason to continue the charade. He refused bluntly: "I'm sorry! I'm not in the habit of moving together with others, and I have no plans to start now. If Senior Brother wants to team up with someone, I suggest you look for other brothers and sisters!"
Han Li's words were refreshingly candid.
He knew that only by making it clear he was no clueless newbie could he make the other man give up for good and stop pestering him. Otherwise, with the limited number of fellow sect members here, as long as Senior Brother Xiang felt even the slightest glimmer of hope, he'd almost certainly keep clinging to his target. Han Li had no intention of being harassed by this man endlessly.
After hearing Han Li's response, the old man surnamed Xiang realized he had picked the wrong target. The person before him might look young, but his words were seasoned and well-practiced — clearly the mark of a seasoned veteran who had weathered storms. The old man wasted no more breath, showed a faint look of displeasure, and took his leave.
Judging by their direction, they were heading toward another disciple who was meditating on a rock.
Han Li smiled faintly and turned back to continue observing the fellow sect members worth keeping an eye on. This time, however, he spotted "Junior Sister Chen" standing together with another plain-looking young woman. Nearby, several young men — who clearly fancied themselves among the more dashing talents — had gathered with an air that was more or less obvious.
The corner of Han Li's mouth twitched a few times. For some reason, the more he looked at those guys, the more they rubbed him the wrong way. In the end, he simply decided that out of sight was out of mind. He found a deserted spot, sat down, and closed his eyes to rest.
And so, by the following morning, all the disciples had once again gathered at the mountaintop, arranged in orderly ranks, waiting for the other immortal sects to arrive.
They waited for hours upon hours, and still not a single soul had appeared. This had Han Li cursing inwardly, almost making him suspect that the other sects were deliberately doing this to drain the energy of the Yellow Maple Valley disciples.