As Han Li sifted through the various items, some familiar and others entirely strange, he couldn't help but marvel at the sheer volume of things that Mo Dafu had kept on him. Some were clearly deadly, while others were simply bizarre.
One after another, strange objects came into view:
A sleeve arrow coated with a poison that sealed up the throat at the slightest touch of blood.
A pouch of sand soaked in snake venom.
A dozen razor-sharp boomerangs, each more menacing than the last.
With each discovery, Han Li's breath grew more rapid, his heart pounding in his chest. The more carefully he examined, the more he realized how fortunate he had been in his past confrontation with Mo Dafu. If the man had truly wanted to kill him, Han Li doubted he would have survived.
He wiped the cold sweat from his brow, half-laughing to himself.
"Here I am, a living person, getting scared by the things of a dead man."
Finally, after finishing the search, Han Li turned his attention to the pile of items he found most suspicious.
"This little bottle smells awful... it seems to be some kind of antidote, probably harmless."
"This strange weapon… it looks like a small wheel. I don't know its purpose, but it probably has nothing to do with the giant outside. I'll set it aside."
Han Li continued to speak aloud as he handled the various objects, his interest piqued. He was holding a simple, ordinary sachet embroidered with delicate white silk flowers—a seemingly harmless item.
Under normal circumstances, such a sachet would not raise any suspicion. However, when found on someone like Mo Dafu, a cunning and dangerous man, Han Li knew it wasn't as simple as it seemed.
He gently weighed it in his hand—it was surprisingly light, suggesting it contained no heavy objects. When he squeezed it, it felt paper-like, and he suspected there might be something like pages inside.
Han Li's mind raced. Could this be something important? Without hesitation, he carefully opened the sachet, revealing several sheets of paper. As his eyes scanned the familiar handwriting, his heart settled for a moment—this was Mo Dafu's personal script. It was a letter addressed to him.
Curiosity surged as Han Li read through the pages.
The more he read, the heavier his heart became. The contents of the letter were far from trivial. Mo Dafu had left him a letter filled with bad news and a difficult choice. The antidote for the "Corpse Worm Pill" was actually toxic—an insidious poison that only the "Warm Sun Jade" from Mo Dafu's family could neutralize. No other antidotes, not even the legendary ones, would work.
What shocked Han Li even more was the realization that Mo Dafu had planned this contingency as a last resort. If his soul transfer failed, and if he perished, the person most likely to survive was Han Li. In his final moments, Mo Dafu had made a deal with Han Li—a deal designed to benefit both parties.
The terms were straightforward: Han Li would need to visit Mo Dafu's home in a year or two, at most, to protect Mo Dafu's wife, concubines, and daughter, all of whom were under threat. Mo Dafu's enemies were powerful, and his subordinates, if left unchecked, would grow suspicious. The longer Mo Dafu remained absent, the more danger his family would face.
In exchange for Han Li's protection, Mo Dafu was offering a substantial reward: his daughter's hand in marriage, half of his wealth, and the Warm Sun Jade. The jade was crucial, as it was the only thing that could cure the poison now coursing through Han Li's veins.
Han Li felt a strange mixture of emotions—he wasn't sure whether to feel angered by the manipulation or grateful for the opportunity. Mo Dafu had thought far ahead, carefully arranging this deal in case of his death, tying Han Li's fate to his family's survival. Han Li's life would now be entwined with theirs, whether he liked it or not.
The offer was tantalizing—immense wealth and the possibility of a future with Mo Dafu's daughter. Han Li couldn't ignore the allure of such a reward, especially since he had always been sensitive to wealth. The mention of a beautiful woman didn't hurt either. But the risks were enormous. Mo Dafu's enemies were no small threat, and Han Li wasn't yet strong enough to face them head-on.
Despite the sweetness of the deal, it was a bitter pill to swallow. If Han Li wanted to survive, he would have to play along, even if it meant taking on responsibilities he had no desire for.
As Han Li processed the letter's contents, he found himself lost in thought. The situation was delicate, and the weight of the decision was crushing. In the end, he realized that the price for his life—his safety, his future—was inextricably tied to the choices Mo Dafu had left him.
"Warm Sun Jade…" Han Li muttered, his mind churning with possibilities. He could feel his resolve hardening. Whether he liked it or not, he had no choice but to play along with this deal. To live and thrive in this world of cultivation, sometimes, sacrifices had to be made.
Turning back to Mo Dafu's body, Han Li exhaled deeply. He now had more to think about than ever before.