[DD]: 72

Seeing Dugu Yan looking confused by his explanation, Han Li couldn't help but laugh.

"You're laughing? Stop laughing and quickly tell me the truth. Lingling's condition is worrying me," Dugu Yan said as she nestled into his embrace, her hand moving to his waist in a threatening gesture.

"Alright, I'll tell you everything," Han Li said, looking around before pulling her to sit in a nearby pavilion.

"First, Ye Lingling's psychological state does have some issues, but as I said, she's just stuck in a dead end. Once the crux of the matter is resolved, she can gradually recover," Han Li addressed her main concern first.

"That crux is the Nine Heart Flowering Apple, right? That's not an easy problem to solve, is it?"

Dugu Yan, aware of the issues surrounding the Nine Heart Flowering Apple, still looked worried.

"Yes, it's not easy, but it's also not that difficult," Han Li said, waving a finger in front of her face to recapture her attention.

"The Nine Heart Flowering Apple does have a martial soul defect, but contrary to the rumors, it's not that only two Nine Heart Flowering Apple soul masters can exist at the same time, with a new one appearing only after one dies," Han Li explained confidently as if he had seen it with his own eyes.

"Huh?"

Dugu Yan was taken aback. That wasn't right—she had confirmed it with Lingling herself, who had said the same thing.

"Yes, the information Ye Lingling knows is also false, and the current members of the Ye family believe it too," Han Li continued.

"That's because what they now know was originally a ruse created by their ancestors to deceive outsiders. Due to wars, hunts by enemies, and various other reasons, the family's heritage got muddled, and even their people started believing the lie."

Han Li's expression was peculiar as he thought about this, suppressing his laughter by pinching his thigh.

"Huh?"

Dugu Yan's mouth hung open in disbelief.

"As I said, the Nine Heart Flowering Apple does have a martial soul defect, but it's not what they think. Their ancestors deliberately crafted that flaw to mislead others," Han Li elaborated.

"Originally, the Nine Heart Flowering Apple was just an accidental mutation of a martial soul, but unexpectedly, they found that this mutation could be perfectly inherited."

"However, unlike the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, the Nine Heart Flowering Apple only has pure healing abilities and no treasure-seeking function. Therefore, it's difficult for them to establish and maintain a stable, powerful influence over a long period."

"And you should know that not all soul masters are kind to a family with purely healing abilities. Throughout history, their family has gone through various unfortunate events. I don't need to spell it out; you can imagine," Han Li said, glancing at Dugu Yan, who nodded with a look of understanding.

"Because of this, one of their ancestors came up with a solution: to attach themselves to a major power and publicly claim that their martial soul had mutated, spreading this false information."

"Of course, it was only half true. Due to the nature of their martial soul, their lineage indeed didn't flourish, and this continued over time."

"The real defect of the Nine Heart Flowering Apple martial soul, which I mentioned, is also the reason for the Ye family's limited offspring. Pure healing essentially involves infusing life force, using their martial soul and their own accumulated life force to heal others."

"Martial Souls are closely linked to the user. For the Nine Heart Flowering Apple to have such potent healing abilities, the cost is naturally significant."

"So you're saying that every time Lingling heals someone, she's depleting her life force?" Dugu Yan asked, gripping his hand tightly with concern.

"Don't worry, I haven't finished yet. Normal healing isn't a problem. The Nine Heart Flowering Apple naturally gathers life force, and during her cultivation, she's unconsciously performing this step."

"In essence, as long as she doesn't overuse her healing abilities in a high-intensity manner, she can replenish herself. It's only in the short term, with intense usage of her martial soul for healing, that the situation I mentioned occurs."

Han Li's timely reassurance made Dugu Yan breathe a sigh of relief.

"This depletion is hard to detect, especially for Nine Heart Flowering Apple soul masters, who already have a strong life force. Additionally, their family tends to take a long time to select a suitable partner for their heirs."

"This results in late marriages and late childbirth. The loss of life force does affect their ability to bear children. You can imagine the subsequent situation: to maintain their status, they have to keep healing others, leading to an earlier death compared to soul masters of the same level."

"Eventually, during a period of turmoil, their family lost the relevant records but continued their previous survival strategy, resulting in a situation that matched the rumors."

"And coincidentally, for many years, nothing unexpected happened, so even they started to believe it."

Han Li shook his head more times today than he usually did in a week. The fate of the Nine Heart Flowering Apple was indeed a twist of destiny.

"So, if we just tell Lingling this secret, she can gradually recover?"

Dugu Yan asked, hopeful for her friend's return to normalcy.

"No rush. She shouldn't have any immediate issues. Perhaps we can use this opportunity to bring the Ye family onto our side," Han Li decisively rejected her proposal. Dugu Yan nodded, understanding his principles. She knew she had been too impulsive, speaking without thinking.

Though worried about Lingling, she could distinguish between priorities. Such a secret, affecting the legacy of an entire family, couldn't be given away so easily from her household.

A good friend for life—while that's the saying, perhaps "a lifetime of bedding" is a bit more secure in her mind.

After all, she and Xiao Li were part of the Spirit Hall, while the Ye family currently belonged to the Heaven Dou Empire. She was well past the age of naivety. As Han Li had taught her, allies are often meant to be betrayed.

"Alright, I'll leave it to you then. I'll take care of Lingling's situation, don't worry."

Dugu Yan gave him a knowing look, but her hand pinched his waist hard.

"Huh?"

Han Li was a bit frustrated by the unexpected pain.

"I was just thinking we could bring the Ye family over. After all, they're also rare healing soul masters. While their numbers aren't huge, they're still a valuable asset. How did things take this turn?"

"Besides, wasn't it you who brought Ye Lingling over? Why are you pushing this onto me now?"

Though, he didn't mind.

The two of them walked back to the hall.

Inside the hall, the three were still chatting amicably. The atmosphere was good, but there was a slight sense of distance.

After all, they had only just gotten acquainted, and none of them were particularly outgoing or lively. Without Dugu Yan, the social lubricant, the conversation lacked smoothness.

As soon as the two re-entered the hall, the three turned their eyes toward them.

Especially since Dugu Yan no longer had the initial look of irritation, they were all curious about what Han Li had said to her.

As soon as Dugu Yan stepped into the hall, she let go of Han Li and headed straight for Ye Lingling, her smile returning.

Quickly, under Dugu Yan's guidance, the previous topic was quietly brushed aside, and they started discussing other matters.

Han Li lingered in the hall for a short while before excusing himself, not wanting to disturb their conversation.

He circled to the back residence, where he found Dugu Bo leisurely drinking tea.

"What are you doing here? Didn't Yan Yan say she was going to introduce you to a girl from the Ye family?"

Dugu Bo glanced at him, puzzled as to why he wasn't staying up front and had come to find him instead.

"I'm here to ask Grandpa about the Ye family."

Han Li sat down opposite him unceremoniously and poured himself a cup of tea.

"The Ye family? What's this? Have you taken a liking to their family?"

Dugu Bo put down his cup and studied his expression.

"Sort of. After all, the Nine Heart Flowering Apple—no power would ignore them."

Han Li took a light sip of the fragrant hot tea and looked up with a smile.

"The Nine Heart Flowering Apple, huh? Not easy to handle, especially with your current status. Acting rashly could cause quite a stir."

Dugu Bo's expression became serious as he spoke earnestly.

"Yes, I understand. I just want to gather some information. Don't worry, I never do anything I'm not confident about."

Han Li poured more tea for him, indicating that he understood the gravity of the situation.

"Are you interested in the Ye family girl again?"

Dugu Bo looked at him for a long moment before suddenly speaking.

Cough, cough, cough.

Han Li, who had just taken a sip of tea, was so startled by his words that he sprayed the tea out and choked, coughing several times before recovering.

"What are you talking about? Ye Lingling was brought over by Sister Yan. I hadn't met her before. And what do you mean by 'again'?"

Han Li glared at the old man opposite him, his eyes filled with displeasure.

"That's not important. I can't control you anyway. With your personality, would you be asking about the Ye family if you weren't interested in their girl?"

Dugu Bo had a knowing look on his face, showing no signs of anger.

His granddaughter was already infatuated, and she was willing. What was there for him to interfere with?

At least this kid treated his people well. Didn't you see that Yan Yan was almost a Soul Emperor now? If it were another grandson-in-law, they probably wouldn't have that ability.

"Fine, you'll understand later. Just tell me for now."

Han Li couldn't be bothered to explain. Even if he said no, Dugu Bo wouldn't believe him.

"Yeah, I figured as much. Come, let me tell you..."

Seeing that Han Li didn't argue anymore, Dugu Bo began to talk about the Ye family.

Han Li stayed at the Dugu residence until after dinner before returning to the Spirit Hall.

According to the agreement with Qian Daoliu before he left, aside from matters concerning Qian Renxue, he had to stay in the Heaven Dou Imperial City for at least seven days.

In the following days, he also had to inspect and evaluate the work of the local Spirit Hall personnel.

Of course, this was mostly for show, but the process still had to be followed.

Luckily, he had planned well in advance, leaving enough time.

After returning to his room, Han Li summoned his obedient son and inquired about the situation of several individuals he was particularly concerned about before starting his cultivation.

For the next few days, Han Li's schedule was packed, keeping him on his toes. It wasn't exactly exhausting but mentally draining, and his face was almost stiff from smiling so much.

As expected, he still wasn't used to such occasions. He even found himself somewhat looking forward to Qian Renxue's challenge.

Interestingly, in the following days, the two occasionally ran into each other and even had a routine interaction once, but she never mentioned the duel, behaving just like the real Xue Qinghe.

Finally, at noon on the seventh day, Salas came to inform Han Li that everything had been completed, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.

That very evening, Qian Renxue sent a message through someone, informing him that the time and place for their duel had been decided.

The duel would take place the day after tomorrow, during the day, at an estate under Xue Qinghe's name. She would invite him out for a trip outside the city under the guise of the Heaven Dou Crown Prince. The people at the estate were all individuals whom the Spirit Hall had gradually infiltrated over the years, making them reliable. She also specifically told Han Li not to worry about spies, as she would handle that. All he needed to bring was his strength.

Han Li smiled when he heard the message she sent. One thing was clear: she was very confident.

As for Qian Renxue's assurance that she would arrange everything, naturally, Han Li didn't entirely trust her.

Fortunately, this matter wasn't a big deal for him. When the time came, he would just have his obedient son conduct full surveillance. And if anything were indeed discovered, the Snake Lance, the Porcupinefish, and Dugu Bo would be there to deal with the situation. Anyone discovered would have to worry about escaping from the three of them first.

In the vicinity of Heaven Dou City, unless the top fighters of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan turned out in full force, anyone who came would be as good as dead.

And someone who appeared to be his daughter's age, simply out on official business as the Holy Son of the Spirit Hall, with unknown strength—Ning Fengzhi likely wouldn't take such extreme precautions.

With the duel time set, Han Li had nothing else to do. Since there was a day of free time in between, he decided to take the girls out shopping.

During the days Han Li was on official duty, Dugu Yan and the others had a blast. In Wuhun City, because of Han Li, they spent most of their time cultivating. Even when they occasionally went out to play, they always felt like teachers and high-ups were watching them, making them feel a bit restrained. Now, in Heaven Dou City, Han Li was busy and couldn't look after them, and Dugu Bo, who doted on his granddaughter, was very lenient with the other girls as well. Using the excuse of keeping Ye Lingling company, the four of them had almost explored the entire area in just a few days. Even Ye Lingling's mood had improved significantly over these few days, thanks to having companions.

In the afternoon, for some reason, Qian Renxue, in the guise of Xue Qinghe, also joined their activities. Of course, she could only choose to stay far behind with Han Li, similar to the guards.

"Why are you here?"

Han Li lowered his voice, his face full of smiles, though his words and expression had no connection.

"I didn't want to either. This is Father's—oh, Xue Ye's order. Dugu Yan is one thing, but it's too late. You mustn't get too close to Ye Lingling. With your public appearance this time, your information has already leaked. Dugu Yan aside, because no one knows when you two got involved. But Shui Bing'er and the events at Skywater Academy can't be hidden. He sent me to check the situation and prevent Ye Lingling from being charmed away by you as well. If that were to happen, dealing with the Ye family would be troublesome."

Xue Qinghe's face was also full of smiles, but his eyes were filled with teasing.

What a hit to his reputation. Han Li's expression didn't change, but deep down, he was cursing the people who were digging up his past.