Chapter 143 Still Talking Back?

Su Ji'an looked at her with a mocking expression and said, "I didn't realize you were quite the scheming little bitch. I suppose your talk of cultivation was just a facade, and returning to the Li family's ancestral home was your true intention all along."

With such petty scheming, she still thought she could fool him. It was utterly ridiculous.

He Hansu, naturally, denied it flatly: "Stop talking nonsense. I am nothing like what you said."

Su Ji'an chuckled lightly: "You didn't want to go early or late, yet you chose precisely this moment. Do you think you're very clever?"

He Hansu maintained an expressionless face: "I did no such thing. Think whatever you like."

Su Ji'an smiled calmly: "So, you mean to say you're withholding information and refusing to confess?"

He Hansu stubbornly insisted: "I know nothing at all. If you are determined to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext."

Su Ji'an nodded: "You should consider yourself fortunate to have a master like me. If it were anyone else, a maidservant like you would have suffered a miserable fate."

"Ugh..." He Hansu's face filled with indignation, but before she could voice her retort, Su Ji'an's palm had already descended heavily.

"Crack!"

Su Ji'an added, "Still daring to speak insolently? It seems it is indeed necessary for me to follow the example of others."

He Hansu panted with rage and let out a muffled huff: "Humph! Don't expect to get anything out of me!"

Su Ji'an's smile grew wider: "Still stubborn?"

"I will never compromise!"

"Crack!"

...

"Stop hitting me, stop hitting me! I'll tell you everything, I'll talk, alright..."

He Hansu's current state was identical to last time.

At this moment, she looked thoroughly miserable. Su Ji'an had increased his physical strength this time, and her backside was already flushed red.

Su Ji'an sighed softly: "Why must you put yourself through this? How much better it would have been to just confess earlier—I would have saved my strength, and you would have kept both your pride and your rear end intact."

He Hansu: "......"

Had she known it would come to this, she should never have gotten so close to him.

Otherwise, Su Ji'an would never have had the chance to control her.

Continuing to endure humiliation would not have been shameful.

He Hansu took a deep breath and said sullenly: "I did indeed find something at the Li family's ancestral home. Actually, it's just a rather faint trace of the Power of Humanity. Don't tell me you didn't even know about this?"

"What is the Power of Humanity?" Su Ji'an had never heard of such a thing.

He Hansu looked at him suspiciously: "How can you be so ignorant? Those who cultivate the Power of Humanity can enjoy human incense and devotion. Although their combat prowess is inferior to orthodox cultivation, right now celestial spiritual energy is nearly depleted, and this Power of Humanity can actually allow one to go much further."

Su Ji'an asked with some surprise: "Then why aren't you cultivating it?"

He had more or less guessed the reason why the Academy of Humanity was pursuing Li Lingguang relentlessly.

It was nothing more than the fact that Li Lingguang had obtained the cultivation method of the Human Dao.

Yet the Academy of Humanity had not found the proper method.

This was also the real reason why the Academy of Humanity only maintained covert surveillance instead of directly taking action against Li Lingguang and abducting him back to the academy.

The Academy of Humanity was afraid that Li Lingguang would push things to a desperate end and shatter the jade together with the stone.

As for why Li Lingguang had suddenly left, that was something he had no way of knowing.

He Hansu explained: "Naturally, because this method has many drawbacks. Cultivating human incense and devotion is actually trapping oneself in a cocoon."

"Elaborate," Su Ji'an said curiously.

By this time, however, his interest had already waned somewhat.

If the drawbacks were numerous, the hidden dangers would be massive.

He Hansu said very reluctantly: "Gods of incense cannot attain the Dao of Da Luo, and furthermore, incense is impure, far inferior to the purity of celestial spiritual energy. Aside from that, if someone cuts off your supply of incense, certain death awaits you."

Su Ji'an dawned with realization: "Hidden within the Li family's ancestral home is the cultivation method for human incense?"

"How would I know? Even if there were, I wouldn't care for it. It's just that someone who cultivates human incense must have visited the Li family's ancestral home. The incense gods of the lower realm ought to... Let me go and see what is so special about it."

Su Ji'an released He Hansu, waved his hand, and motioned: "Then go ahead. If you make any discoveries, remember to let me know."

He didn't care for this kind of incense cultivation method, let alone He Hansu, who was the daughter of the Heavenly Emperor.

He was entirely clear on He Hansu's little ulterior motives.

She merely wanted to find someone who cultivated the Dao of Incense and bring them under her control.

Presumably, she had some means of controlling them.

As for whether this wretched girl was hiding anything, he would know once the reports were sent back.

He Hansu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately went.

As for Su Ji'an, he turned back. It wouldn't be too late to head to Hanshan City tomorrow.

Immediately afterward.

He took out his communication jade talisman and briefed Zhao Qianxue on the matter, lest she worry about him.

......

Su Ji'an manipulated his external avatar and arrived close by.

After giving it some thought, he retrieved a Human Puppet Pill.

Shen Qingyan's primordial spirit symbiosis method was actually something he could draw inspiration from.

If he were to constantly manipulate the external avatar himself, it would simply be too exhausting, and it was impossible to devote all his energy solely to the avatar.

Whether this idea was viable or not could be tested right away.

Su Ji'an fed the subordinate pill to the external avatar, and only then began to employ the God-Refining Art, using his own spiritual soul to nourish the avatar's primordial spirit.

In this way, he should be able to avoid the side effects of the subordinate pill generating its own independent primordial spirit.

This could also be considered yet another wonderful utility of the God-Refining Art.

A moment later.

Within the external avatar, a new primordial spirit had already formed.

His previous concern had been entirely unnecessary; the subordinate pill was in absolute submission to the master pill, and his spiritual soul naturally carried the aura of the master pill. Even without the God-Refining Art, this method would have been feasible.

Immediately following this, he issued a task through his system to summon the player Key Immortal.

Next, it was time to arrange for the external avatar to head to the Academy of Humanity.

After all, the idea was still just a rough embryonic concept, but whether it would actually work remained to be seen step by step.

Before long, Key Immortal hurried over.

Key Immortal hadn't traveled far after leaving the Li family's ancestral home.

"Boss, it seems there are no secrets at all in the Li family's ancestral home."

Su Ji'an waved his hand: "Don't concern yourself with the matters of the Li family's ancestral home anymore."

Key Immortal was not disappointed and eagerly pursued: "Boss, is there anything else this little brother can help with?"

Su Ji'an nodded slightly and smiled: "You've arrived just in time. I do have another matter here, but it's rather difficult to accomplish. Are you willing?"

Key Immortal nodded repeatedly like a chicken pecking at rice, assuring him with absolute confidence: "Boss, you can rest easy. Can you still doubt my capability?"

Su Ji'an: "......"

What on earth gave you this baffling self-confidence?

Forget it, forget it. It was all the same no matter who went; they essentially functioned merely as a tool.

Right after that, Su Ji'an directly began editing the quest.

[You will immediately accompany Yu Ming to the Academy of Humanity. You need only conceal yourself and cultivate in the vicinity of the Academy of Humanity, assisting Yu Ming in completing his mission while regularly handing over the required quest items to Yu Ming. The specific items will be distributed via quest mechanics at different times.]

[Quest Reward: One Grand Teleportation Talisman.]

[Quest Penalty: Deduction of fifty years of lifespan.]

The journey was long and arduous, and it was very easy to fall into dangerous situations. A generous reward was only fitting.

It was primarily meant for preserving one's life.

Otherwise, dying and having to travel back to the Academy of Humanity from afar would inevitably waste a significant amount of time along the way.