Douluo’s Fate Blessed Melee Archer

Chapter 145: The Duel Is Set, Reputation Slandered

The two walked back toward the main hall.

Inside, the three girls were still chatting harmoniously. The atmosphere was good, though there was still a slight sense of unfamiliarity. After all, they had only just met, and none of them were particularly outgoing personalities. Without Dugu Yan as the bridge between them, the conversation felt a bit restrained.

As soon as they saw Han Li and Dugu Yan return, all three turned their gazes toward them, especially noticing that Dugu Yan no longer seemed as frustrated as before. They were all curious about what exactly Han Li had told her.

The moment Dugu Yan stepped back into the hall, she let go of Han Li and rushed toward Ye LingLing, her smile returning as she leaned in affectionately.

Soon, under Dugu Yan's guidance, the previous topic was subtly brushed aside, replaced with more casual conversation.

Han Li only stayed in the hall briefly before excusing himself, not wanting to disturb their discussion.

He made his way toward the inner courtyard, where he found Dugu Bo leisurely drinking tea.

"Why are you here? Didn't YanYan say she was introducing you to that Ye family girl?"

Dugu Bo glanced at him, puzzled as to why Han Li wasn't spending time with them and had instead come looking for an old man like him.

"I came to ask Grandpa about the Ye family."

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

"The Ye family? What, you've taken an interest in them?"

Dugu Bo set down his cup and scrutinized Han Li's expression.

"Something like that. After all, who wouldn't want to recruit a Nine Heart Begonia soul master?"

Han Li took a sip of the fragrant tea, then looked up with a smile.

"Nine Heart Begonia, huh? Not an easy target. Especially with your current status making a move on them recklessly could cause a huge stir."

Dugu Bo's expression grew serious as he gave his honest assessment.

"I know. That's why I wanted to learn more about them first. Don't worry, Grandpa I never do anything I'm not confident in."

Han Li poured more tea for Dugu Bo, showing that he understood the weight of the situation.

"Hah, so you've taken a liking to that Ye family girl, haven't you?"

Dugu Bo suddenly smirked.

"Cough, cough, cough !"

Han Li had just taken a sip of tea and nearly choked, sputtering as he coughed several times before regaining his composure.

"What nonsense are you talking about?! Ye LingLing was brought here by YanYan, alright? I hadn't even met her before today! And… wait, what do you mean by 'again'?"

Han Li shot Dugu Bo an exasperated glare.

"Does it matter? I can't control you anyway. But knowing you, if you weren't interested in that Ye family girl, would you really be so curious about them?"

Dugu Bo looked at him knowingly, as if he had already figured everything out.

Not that he was angry or anything after all, his granddaughter had practically thrown herself at Han Li, and she was perfectly happy with it.

At least this brat genuinely treated his people well. Just look at YanYan she was about to reach the Soul Emperor level. Could she have advanced this fast with any other son in law? Definitely not.

"Forget it. You'll understand later. Just tell me what I need to know."

Han Li didn't bother arguing Dugu Bo wouldn't believe him anyway.

"Fine, fine. Listen closely, I'll fill you in…"

Dugu Bo took another sip of tea and began telling Han Li about the Ye family.

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

According to the agreement he had with Qian Daoliu before setting out, aside from handling Qian Renxue's matters, he also had to remain in Tian Dou City for at least seven days.

Over the next few days, he was expected to inspect and evaluate the local Spirit Hall personnel though, in reality, it was just for show. Still, formalities had to be observed.

Fortunately, he had planned ahead, and there was enough time to handle everything.

That night, after returning to his room, Han Li summoned his little "son" again, gathering updates on a few key individuals before diving into cultivation.

The following days were packed with a tight schedule, keeping him busy from morning to night. While it wasn't physically exhausting, the sheer mental strain was draining his face was practically frozen from forcing a polite smile all day.

As expected, he wasn't cut out for these social settings. In fact, he was starting to look forward to Qian Renxue finally setting a date for their duel.

But, strangely enough, despite seeing her a few times in the past few days even engaging in an official meeting she never once mentioned the duel, acting exactly like the real Xue Qinghe.

Finally, on the afternoon of the seventh day, Salas came to inform Han Li that all tasks had been completed. Han Li let out a long sigh of relief.

That very evening, Qian Renxue finally sent word the time and place for their duel had been decided.

It was set for two days later, during the day, at an estate under Xue Qinghe's name.

She would invite him out under the pretense of a casual outing, and the location was completely under Spirit Hall's control all personnel there had been vetted and embedded over the years.

She also assured him that he didn't need to worry about spies she would handle them. All he had to do was bring his strength.

Upon hearing this, Han Li simply smirked. Confident, wasn't she?

As for her claim that she had everything under control, Han Li, well… didn't entirely believe her.

Thankfully, this wasn't an issue for him. He would simply have his little "son" monitor everything in real time.

And if any unwanted guests did show up… well, they'd have three powerful enforcers to deal with Serpent Lance Douluo, Porcupinefish Douluo, and Dugu Bo.

If an intruder was discovered, they'd better worry about surviving those three first.

After all, near Tian Dou City, unless the entire Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect mobilized their top forces, it would just be a death trap for anyone who dared to interfere.

And considering that Han Li was just a young Spirit Hall Saint Son barely a teenager, supposedly on an official visit it was unlikely that Ning Fengzhi would take him seriously enough to go that far.

Now that the duel was officially set, Han Li found himself with an entire free day before it. So, instead of wasting time, he decided to spend the day shopping with the girls.

During the past week, while Han Li had been occupied with official duties, Dugu Yan and the others had gone wild.

Back in Spirit City, due to Han Li's presence, they spent most of their time cultivating. Even when they did go out, they always felt like the elders and instructors were watching their every move, making it hard to fully relax.

But here in Tian Dou City, Han Li had been too busy to monitor them, and Dugu Bo, ever the spoiling grandfather, didn't restrict them at all.

Now, with Ye LingLing as an excuse, the four girls had spent the past few days exploring every corner of the city.

Even Ye LingLing, whose emotional state had been concerning, seemed much better after spending time with them.

That afternoon, for some reason, Qian Renxue still disguised as Xue Qinghe suddenly joined them on their shopping trip.

Of course, she couldn't openly hang out with them, so she and Han Li trailed behind the girls from a distance, more like bodyguards than actual companions.

"Why are you here?"

Han Li asked in a low voice, keeping his face cheerful while his tone was anything but friendly.

"Not my choice. It was Father oh, I mean, Emperor Xue Ye who insisted. He doesn't care about Dugu Yan, but he wants to make sure you don't get too close to Ye LingLing."

"Your public appearance has already leaked. Everyone knows about your connection to Shui Bing'er, but the Ye family is still under Tian Dou's control. If she gets 'kidnapped' by you, it'll be a huge headache for him."

Qian Renxue's expression remained polite, but her eyes gleamed with mischief.

Han Li's face didn't change, but inwardly, he cursed whoever had been digging into his personal life.

His reputation was being completely slandered.

(End of Chapter)

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