Marquis Nanlong spoke as he swept a hand across his chest, a soft white glow flickering briefly.
The sunken area of his body instantly returned to normal.
Wang Tiangu and the others' expressions shifted slightly. But the old man surnamed Yun, his face unchanged, said calmly: "There's no need to worry, everyone. He's merely using a secret technique to temporarily suppress his injuries. He's far from healed! But why waste breath on that Han brat? Send one person to keep him occupied, and the rest of us deal with Marquis Nanlong first."
The old man finished speaking in an icy tone, then pointed calmly at the silver wheel hovering before him. The treasure instantly transformed into a silver rainbow and soared above his head, showering broad streams of silver light that enveloped his entire body. The old man's figure within the silver glow became almost ethereal.
Clearly, he knew full well that Marquis Nanlong hated him to the bone, so he wasn't looking to achieve anything grand — just avoid making mistakes.
Wang Tiangu furrowed his brow, seeming to find some logic in this, and turned his head toward the cultivator surnamed You beside him: "Brother You, leave this kid to you for now. No need to fight him to the death — just hold him off for a short while. Once we've taken care of Marquis Nanlong, his end will come."
Wang Tiangu finally dropped all pretense of his killing intent toward Han Li. After shooting a frigid glance in Han Li's direction, a black radiance several feet tall suddenly erupted from his body, plunging him into darkness and making him appear utterly eerie.
The old woman and the dark-faced man, seeing this, likewise spat out their treasures and slowly closed in.
"Consider it done — this Fellow Daoist Han is mine!" The cultivator surnamed You chuckled, a pale jade ruyi scepter sliding silently from his sleeve. He stepped forward and stood facing Han Li with a half-smile.
For him, stalling a cultivator who had just advanced to the Nascent Soul stage was child's play. It was far safer than facing Marquis Nanlong, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, head-on.
Han Li stared at the cultivator surnamed You, standing perfectly still — but the moment the old woman left the staircase, his heart hammered violently, and his hand, hidden within his sleeve, gripped tightly onto an ancient treasure.
Just then, Marquis Nanlong suddenly swept a hand backward. A burst of golden radiance shot forth, sweeping up the three jade boxes on the jade bed behind him and drawing them back into his hand.
"Catch!" Without the slightest hesitation, Marquis Nanlong flung one of the jade boxes straight at Han Li.
This move caught everyone completely by surprise, and no one had time to stop it.
Han Li caught the jade box easily, but he blinked, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
"Since you chose not to join forces with them, I, the Marquis, am giving you this jade box freely. If it truly holds the secret of the Valley of Falling Demons and you can carry it out of here alive — then consider it your destiny and good fortune." Having said this, Marquis Nanlong clasped his hands behind his back and spoke with pointed implication.
Hearing this, Wang Tiangu and the old man surnamed Yun and the others couldn't help but change color dramatically.
Han Li lowered his head to look at the jade box in his hand, pursed his dry lips, and felt a sudden urge to burst out laughing — but his extraordinary composure held the impulse in check.
The very thing every cultivator in this pavilion was fighting over had just been handed to him of his own accord. The absurdity was almost too much.
Marquis Nanlong's move, of course, carried no good intentions. Given how desperately Wang Tiangu and the others wanted the jade box, handing it to Han Li was clearly a ploy to shift the trouble eastward — to divert their attention and ease the pressure on himself so he could make his escape.
Still, the man certainly knew when to cut his losses. To willingly part with a treasure already in hand and give it to someone else — there was something of a true schemer's spirit in that.
But now that the treasure was in his hands... heh heh!
Han Li let out a cold snort, then flipped his palm without hesitation. The jade box vanished, stored away in his storage pouch.
"Chan'er, you two assist Brother You. Don't let that Han brat slip away through some trick. The fighting over here is more than enough for us old fogeys." Wang Tiangu's face darkened as he gave the order without hesitation.
He was remarkably composed, not at all distracted by the jade box. He sent only the weakest pair — Wang Chan and the other — to watch Han Li, not diverting anyone else.
The others exchanged glances but said nothing further.
Though the treasure was tempting, once Marquis Nanlong was dealt with, a mere early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator like Han Li would be easy enough to seize.
"Yes, Second Uncle! I've been wanting to meet this 'Senior Han'!" A sharp, ruthless glint flashed through Wang Chan's eyes as he agreed with a sinister smile.