As soon as the dwarf mentioned his affiliation with the Ye family from Qinling, his chest puffed up with pride. He spoke with newfound confidence, clearly relying on the reputation of the Ye family to back up his words. Han Li could tell from his attitude that the Ye family must be a well-known and powerful cultivation clan.
But this sudden boastful display made Han Li realize something critical. While the dwarf spoke proudly of his prestigious family, his earlier panicked reactions suggested that he was not a highly influential figure within the Ye family. He likely had little power or importance, and his life and death might mean nothing to his family. This insight removed any remaining hesitation Han Li had. He knew now that eliminating this dwarf would cause no significant consequences, and perhaps even a little joy from ridding the world of such a foolish figure.
Han Li had no qualms about ending this man's life. The dwarf was weak, clumsy in his actions, and his arrogance was grating. Even without this particular confrontation, Han Li would not have let such a perfect prey slip away. Moreover, the dwarf didn't appear to be a good person, so Han Li's resolve grew stronger.
"Is this the famous Ye family from Qinling?" Han Li said with a look of mock surprise, as if he found it hard to believe.
"Yes, that's the one. You know of it? I'm sure you won't make things difficult for me, then!" the dwarf replied eagerly, clearly reassured that his claim had worked.
Han Li feigned hesitation, scratching his head in apparent indecision. "The Ye family, huh?" He said, his voice tinged with reluctance.
The dwarf's heart soared, thinking that his display of familial ties had worked. His voice grew louder and more confident as he pressed, "If you know of the Ye family, surely you won't make me trouble. How about I take you to see my elders? Let them decide how to handle things."
"No need to trouble the elders for something so trivial," Han Li responded, feigning a bit of concern. "If you insist on involving the higher-ups for such a minor issue, it might leave a bad impression. It could hinder your future developments..."
Hearing Han Li's words, the dwarf was immediately alarmed. He quickly tried to amend his stance, worried that his earlier confidence might have overstepped. "Ah! Brother, you're absolutely right! It's just a small matter. No need for the elders to be involved. This won't be a problem. You, uh, you must be careful with your future actions..."
Han Li, now convinced of the dwarf's complete gullibility, suppressed a grin. The dwarf believed him to be just another naïve, young cultivator, and had assumed he could easily intimidate him with his affiliation. The dwarf had completely misread the situation.
Han Li decided it was time to end the charade. "In that case, since you've been so kind, I'll return your possession," Han Li said, taking out the talisman from his robe. "It's only right that I return the item, since you've been so considerate."
The dwarf's eyes gleamed with greed as Han Li presented the talisman. He eagerly reached out to take it, unaware that he was walking straight into Han Li's trap. But just as the dwarf's hand was about to close around the symbol, Han Li suddenly shouted in alarm, "Master, you're here!"
The dwarf froze, his face pale as he whipped around to look behind him. But all he saw was an empty space, devoid of anyone.
"Bad luck!" The dwarf's heart sank as he realized he'd been tricked. Before he could even react, he felt a burning sensation in his chest. The next moment, his body was engulfed in flames. In an instant, he was reduced to nothing but ash.
Han Li, standing some distance away, withdrew his hand with a sigh of relief. His plan had worked flawlessly. The small fireball technique had killed the dwarf instantly, and the entire process had been easier than he had expected. He couldn't help but feel a rush of satisfaction as the ashes settled into the dirt.
From the sidelines, Jia Tianlong, Wang Juechu, and the others had been watching closely, but they still hadn't fully grasped what had just occurred. They could only guess that Han Li and the dwarf had spoken in low voices, so they couldn't hear the conversation. All they saw was the dwarf acting strangely, then suddenly being consumed by flames in an almost anticlimactic fashion.
For Jia Tianlong, the situation was nothing short of disastrous. What had been a promising battle was now turning against him in an irreversible way. His main ally, the Golden Light Taoist, had been burned to death without any chance of retaliation. The situation had completely fallen apart in an instant.
Meanwhile, Wang Juechu was elated. His hand clenched the hilt of his sword, eyes shining with excitement as he gazed at Han Li. The youth had just demonstrated incredible power, and Wang Juechu couldn't help but feel a growing sense of awe and admiration for the young cultivator.
Han Li, on the other hand, was not concerned with the spectacle he had caused. Instead, his focus was on the items he had salvaged from the dwarf's remains. As the ashes settled, he quickly retrieved three items that had survived the flames: a talisman, a token, and a book.
The talisman was one the dwarf had used to create the golden shield, and while Han Li didn't yet know the exact incantation, the potential of this item made him excited. It was exactly the kind of protective tool he had been seeking. The token was a dark, triangular-shaped object with the words "Ascend to Immortality" inscribed on one side and a silver "Order" character on the other. The weight of the token suggested it was no ordinary object. And finally, there was a book—the dwarf had carried a family record, a "Qin Clan Genealogy" book, which made Han Li frown in confusion.
"Why would a member of the Ye family carry around a Qin Clan genealogy book?" Han Li wondered, intrigued but somewhat puzzled. "Could this dwarf be the illegitimate child of a prominent member of the Ye family? This just doesn't add up..."
Despite his curiosity, Han Li quickly shoved the items into his robe. For now, they would remain a mystery, but the possibilities they represented were too tempting to ignore.
As he turned back to the group, Han Li's expression shifted to one of mild amusement. The battle was far from over, but for the moment, he had dealt with one major obstacle—and the rest would have to face him soon enough.