Just as she was about to step over the threshold of the inn.
A slender, fair hand with distinct knuckles lightly rested on her shoulder.
A gentle and mellow, yet vast as the sea, surge of Spiritual Qi instantly poured into her nearly depleted Meridians.
Like sweet rain after a long drought, it quickly soothed the sharp pain in her Dantian and stabilized her Qi, which was on the verge of collapsing.
Gu Luoli's whole body shook, and she turned her head blankly.
What met her eyes was an extraordinarily handsome face with a gentle smile.
He had a tall and upright posture, wearing a spotless moon-white brocade robe, holding a folding fan, and possessing an elegant and ethereal temperament.
"Miss, your complexion is very poor. Are you injured?"
The newcomer was none other than Gu Han.
Gu Luoli stared at him blankly, her Double Pupils operating, but she only saw a hazy halo.
It was as if this person was shrouded in an invisible barrier that cut off all prying eyes.
"I... I'm fine..."
She subconsciously wanted to avoid the other party's hand, but her body was momentarily unable to move.
"Trying to be brave is not a good habit."
Gu Han smiled slightly and withdrew his hand, as if he had just done something perfectly ordinary.
"Meeting is fate. I see that you seem to have something on your mind, Miss, and you also have a hidden ailment."
"If you don't mind, would you be willing to sit with me for a moment? Perhaps I can be of some small help."
Gu Luoli's vigilance had not faded, but that pure and gentle Spiritual Qi just now could not be faked.
This person's cultivation was unfathomable, and he seemed to have no ill intentions.
She was now at her wit's end, and any bit of possible help was like a life-saving straw.
Inside the ring, Yun Miaoyi's urgent voice sounded:
"Luoli! This person feels a bit special. Agree to him first."
Gu Luoli took a deep breath, suppressed the chaotic thoughts in her heart, and bowed slightly to Gu Han:
"Thank you for your help, Young Master."
"I... indeed feel unwell. I appreciate your kindness, Young Master."
She still remained cautious after all and did not agree immediately.
Gu Han didn't mind either. He shook his folding fan and smiled:
"No matter. There is a teahouse ahead, quiet and elegant. If you have no other urgent matters, Miss."
"Why not go and have a cup of hot tea and rest a bit before making further plans?"
He pointed to a three-story building not far away with a plaque that read 'Qingxin Teahouse'.
Gu Luoli looked in the direction he pointed. The teahouse indeed looked quiet, and there were quite a few people there.
She hesitated for a moment and finally nodded.
"Then... I shall trouble you, Young Master."
She indeed needed to find a place to rest and clear her head.
This mysterious Young Master in front of her might also be an opportunity for her to ask about the Yaochi Immortal Palace.
Gu Han's smile remained unchanged, and he stepped aside and made a gesture of invitation.
"Miss, please."
Qingxin Teahouse, third floor window-side private booth.
The incense burner curled, and the tea steam was misty.
Gu Han poured a cup of'Spirit Tea' that he had processed himself and pushed it in front of Gu Luoli.
"This tea may be of benefit to your current state."
Gu Luoli took the teacup with both hands. Her fingertips touched the warm porcelain wall, and she felt the faint fragrance of plants and weak Spiritual Qi emanating from the cup, making her feel a little more at ease.
She took a small sip. The warm tea soup entered her throat, indeed bringing a hint of warmth, soothing her churning blood and tense nerves.
"Thank you, Young Master."
She thanked him in a low voice, put down the teacup, and raised those eyes that, though dim, still could not hide their extraordinary nature, looking at Gu Han.
"I have not yet asked for your honorable name, Young Master?"
"Gu Bai."
Gu Han casually gave himself a name.
Gu Luoli's heart shook slightly.
Surnamed Gu?
"So it is Young Master Gu."
She steadied herself.
"I am Gu Luoli. Thank you for your help, Young Master."
"You are too polite, Miss."
Gu Han smiled.
"Just passing by, it was no trouble at all."
Yun Miaoyi thought for a moment and reminded her in the ring:
"Luoli, find a way to converse with him."
"Ask him if he knows any information about the Yaochi Immortal Palace..."
Gu Luoli's palms were sweating slightly, and her voice carried an imperceptible tremor as she asked:
"Young Master Gu's cultivation is profound. I wonder if you have heard of the Yaochi Immortal Palace?"
When she asked this, her Double Pupils stared closely at him, not wanting to miss any subtle change in expression.
Gu Han's hand holding the teacup paused slightly.
He looked up and met Gu Luoli's gaze. In those deep eyes, there seemed to be a river of stars flowing, with a hint of playfulness.
The private room suddenly became quiet, with only the smoke from the incense burner rising straight up and the heat from the tea soup drifting away.
Seeing his expression, just as Gu Luoli thought he didn't know.
Gu Han suddenly laughed.
He put down his teacup and leaned back slightly in a relaxed posture, looking at Gu Luoli with a tone of emotion:
"So, you are looking for the Yaochi Immortal Palace."
It was not a question, but a statement.
Gu Luoli's heart jumped violently!
He really knows where it is!
Not only does he know, but listening to this tone... "Young Master... you... you know where the Yaochi Immortal Palace is?"
Her voice trembled with excitement, and she could no longer maintain her surface composure.
Gu Han did not answer directly, but instead asked back:
"But why are you looking for the Yaochi Immortal Palace?"
"With your current state, is it worth searching for an illusory place?"
Gu Luoli bit her lower lip. Pain, unwillingness, and stubbornness flashed through her Double Pupils, finally turning into a look of determination.
She took a deep breath and briefly stated the news of her damaged dao foundation.
"The Yaochi Immortal Palace may be my only chance at life."
Gu Luoli's voice was choked with emotion, yet exceptionally firm.
"So, no matter how slim the chance, no matter how difficult the road ahead, I must try!"
"I don't want... I don't want to die silently like this, with regrets and unwillingness!"
After she finished speaking, she pursed her lips tightly, waiting for the other party's response.
Gu Han listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the table.
Abandonment by a Holy Land, the torture of a dao injury, a grandmotherly remnant Soul, and happening to be met by him in a desperate situation... this was the standard template for a female protagonist of destiny.
And he was probably her greatest Golden Finger.
Resilience, unyielding spirit—even in a desperate situation, there was still light in her eyes.
This Heart-Nature was worthy of her talent and worthy of the Yaochi Immortal Palace.
He pondered for a moment and slowly spoke:
"The Yaochi Immortal Palace indeed exists."
An amazing brilliance instantly erupted in Gu Luoli's eyes!
"But," Gu Han's tone changed.
"The Immortal Palace has just been established, its rules are strict, and its standards for accepting disciples are even more extraordinarily harsh."
"One cannot enter its gates without peerless talent."
The brilliance in Gu Luoli's eyes dimmed for a moment, but it soon reignited.
"Young Master Gu, I know that I am now like a useless person with my Aptitude tarnished, and I do not dare to hope to join the Immortal Palace."
"I only ask... I only ask to see the Master of the Immortal Palace once. No matter the outcome, I, Luoli, will be eternally grateful!"
"Or... or could the Young Master perhaps introduce me? Luoli is willing to pay any price!"
She stood up and bowed deeply to Gu Han. Her posture was humble, yet it carried the determination of burning her bridges.
Gu Han looked at the girl bowing deeply before him, and he had already made a decision in his heart.
His fingers stopped tapping on the table.
"Gu Luoli."
He called out, his voice calm.
Gu Luoli looked up, her eyes filled with hope and trepidation.
"You said just now that you are willing to pay any price?"
"Yes!"
Gu Luoli did not hesitate.
"Even if it means losing your freedom from now on, and your destiny being linked to another?"
Gu Luoli was slightly startled, then nodded heavily:
"If I can gain a new life, I, Luoli, will have no complaints or regrets."
Gu Han nodded with satisfaction and slowly stood up.
His moon-white brocade robe moved without wind, and the free and easy temperament around him quietly shifted.
An indescribable, vast aura that seemed as high as heaven and earth and as bright as the sun and moon slowly awakened.
Although not fully released, it already caused the space in this private room to slightly distort and the light to dim.
Gu Luoli's pupils shrank suddenly, and her Double Pupils uncontrollably operated on their own, but she could only see a boundless, brilliant light!
Her delicate body shook violently, and an instinctive awe and submission came from the depths of her Soul!
Inside the ring, Yun Miaoyi's remnant Soul froze instantly, even her fluctuations almost coming to a halt!
This... this is... Under Gu Luoli's disbelieving gaze.
Gu Han's figure seemed to blur slightly for a moment.
In the next moment, that moon-white brocade robe turned into a moon-white long dress. The jade hairpin that tied the hair disappeared, and snow-like long hair fell down, reaching the waist.
The facial features softened that youthful handsomeness, adding a bit of breathtaking beauty and coldness.
The figure was still tall and upright, but it outlined exquisite curves.
The elegant and handsome Young Master from just now had, in an instant, turned into an unparalleled silver-haired Fairy!
She stood with her hands behind her back, her eyes calmly looking at Gu Luoli, her voice ethereal.
"Gu Luoli, Yun Miaoyi."
"Are the two of you willing to enter my Yaochi Immortal Palace?"
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