: I was forced to become the most dazzling guy in the whole cave

As Han Baozhu looked at the Thunder Talisman in Li Xian's hand—which was being waved around like a candied hawthorn, giving off a "if you don't behave, we'll set off a firework and we'll all be finished" vibe—a complex sense of desolation welled up in his heart for the first time, a feeling akin to "a tiger fallen into the plains being bullied by dogs, and the dogs even carrying explosives."

Back in the day… never mind, let's not dwell on the past. Right now, the enemy is strong and we are weak (at least that's how it seems), and my son and two capable henchmen are still lying dead on the ground. How can we break this situation?

His gaze swept across the entire room like a scanner: Elder Feng was pretending to be profound, Elder Tian was acting paralyzed, Elder Xiao was clutching his leg and groaning... Finally, his gaze precisely locked onto Xiao Lingshan.

As astute as Xiao Lingshan was, she instantly understood the unspoken meaning in that look: Daughter, stay calm, the negotiation is up to you!

She took a deep breath, straightened her back (though her hands were still trembling slightly), and tried to make her voice sound calm and resonant: "Mr. Li... don't forget your promise."

"Of course." Li Xian replied verbally, but in his mind he was frantically tagging a certain lost big shot: "Hey? Brain? Are you there? Is the battle over? Let me know if you won! You're not really being treated like a brain-dead idiot by your own kind, are you?!" The channel was completely silent.

He composed himself and turned his gaze back to Xiao Lingshan: "And you? What about your promise?"

"Since I promised, I won't go back on my word." Xiao Lingshan bit her lower lip. "In that case, why aren't you saving them right away?"

"Hey? Little brat, you saved your lord and you're already bossing people around like that?" Li Xian thought to himself, but only snorted outwardly. Fine, the big boss is out of contact, plan as usual. The best course of action is to find this key NPC a safe zone and wait for the big boss to "come back online."

He reached for his waist—where it was tied with a wide cloth strap that looked like a clumsy fanny pack. Inside, carefully hidden, were three precious items: a small pine tree (possibly a life connector), a little figure (a figurine of unknown purpose), and a globe (a youth version of Doraemon's four-dimensional pocket).

He carefully took out the globe, which was only half a centimeter in diameter, and flicked it with his finger on a slightly protruding part—

"Click."

A black sesame seed... oh no, a "stardust" energy ball rolled into my palm.

Li Xian, with a pained expression, broke it in half (this thing was damn sturdy) and stuffed one half into the mouths of Elders Peng and Cao. Watching their ashen faces quickly recover and their breathing become steady, his mind raced: "Only four grains left... four grains! Even the landlord's family has no surplus grain!"

Seeing that Li Xian had swiftly rescued the two elders but hadn't yet approached his son, Han Bao's master grew anxious and finally softened his stance: "Young Master Li... I beg you to lend a helping hand and save my son. For this kindness, Han... and Han Family Fortress will never forget." He swallowed back the words "we will repay you handsomely in the future" and replaced them with a more concrete promise.

Li Xian turned his head and met the eyes of Han Baozhu, which were filled with the "worries of an old father." Hmm... having more friends means having more options, especially local bullies. Turning enemies into friends sounds like a good idea.

He readily flicked out another grain of "stardust," broke it in half, and stuffed it into Han Yunyang's mouth. Half a grain remained in his hand, warm and slightly cool.

Then, he felt two exceptionally intense gazes.

A message came from Elder Tian, ​​who was sprawled on the ground with his eyes wide open like copper bells, and it was filled with the words, "Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!"

Another message came from Han Bao, who was trying to maintain his dignity but whose eyes kept glancing this way out of the corner of his eye. It was probably something like, "Although I'm embarrassed to say it, if you give me half a pill, I'll recover faster and we'll have more confidence in our negotiations."

Li Xian's gaze lingered between the two for a moment, a knowing smile curving his lips.

Holding the half grain of "stardust," he turned and walked to Elder Xiao, his gaze suddenly brightening and then quickly dimming.

"Here, this is for you." Li Xian handed over half a grain of "stardust," raising his voice an octave to ensure clear sound throughout the room. "It'll help you recover your internal energy and heal your leg. This is your daughter's reward for doing this for me, don't worry—" He paused, glancing around, "It's absolutely legitimate business, not the kind of shady business you're thinking of!"

Elder Xiao blushed, but looking at the crystal-clear "sacred pill" and noticing his daughter's slight nod, he immediately swallowed it with a clear conscience (and even a little impatiently). A warm current instantly surged from his dantian to his limbs and bones, and a tingling, healing sensation came from his broken leg bone. He was so comfortable that he almost groaned.

"Alright, the payment has been made in advance." Li clapped his hands and turned to Xiao Lingshan. "Miss Xiao, now it's your turn to fulfill your promise."

Xiao Lingshan stretched out her hand, her face saying, "Hurry up, let's finish this and go home": "Give me the things."

Li Xian: "..."

Here? In full view of everyone? Letting Xiao Lingshan have "deep exchanges" with those two naked little figurines? If her brain knew, wouldn't it be so angry it would format itself?

"Ahem," he said seriously, "the energy here... is not right, the feng shui is bad, it's not conducive to the spiritual connection of magical artifacts. You have to come with me to another, more... private, quieter place."

"No!" "Absolutely not!" Opposition voices rose and fell, showing unprecedented unity.

Elder Feng twirled his non-existent beard (probably burned away by the blast wave), carefully choosing his words: "Young Hero Li, since you just said it's not a bad thing, I wonder... if we could have the honor of observing it? So we can broaden our horizons and witness the wonders of this... uh, 'proper magical artifact'?" Curiosity was practically overflowing from his eyes.

Seeing Li Xian's furrowed brows, Lord Han immediately smoothed things over: "If it's really inconvenient, we can leave the cave first and wait. After Miss Xiao helps the young hero finish, we can leave together, okay?" His attitude was so good that it didn't seem like a lord who had just been beaten unconscious.

Elder Xiao's leg had barely recovered when he hurriedly declared, "I am her father, it is my duty to stay and take care of her!" He was joking, after all, he hadn't even gotten his hands on that mysterious little pine tree yet!

Xiao Lingshan herself seemed to have given up entirely. She glanced at the pair of small figures on the stone table, convinced they were evil magical artifacts, and simply said, "Actually, there's nothing shameful about them. They're just special magical artifacts from the Demonic Sect. This place is fine too." She really didn't want to go to any "private place" with this little thief.

"Oh? What kind of magical artifact requires Miss Xiao's personal assistance to activate?" Even the paralyzed Elder Tian couldn't help but interject. Although his acupoints were sealed and his voice was weak, his Bagua spirit was burning brightly. "I have traveled the world for decades and have seen many kinds of magical artifacts, but this is quite rare."

Xiao Lingshan was speechless and looked to her father for help, but her father shook his head slightly and stopped her with his eyes.

Just as they were pulling and haggling—

"Warning! High-dimensional fluctuations are rapidly approaching! Coordinates are about to be locked! Move with the target immediately! Repeat, immediately!" The rapid, cold flow of information in his brain pierced Li Xian's consciousness like a high-voltage electric shock!

Li Xian shuddered and tried to respond: "What's going on? They called? How are you now?" There was only static on the channel, and no further response.

Cold sweat instantly soaked his back. The boss is in grave danger! This is no place to linger!

His expression changed drastically; the composure and negotiating intent he had just feigned vanished completely. His eyes sharpened, and he roared, "Shut up, all of you!"

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

"I saved you out of kindness," Li Xian's voice was filled with barely suppressed anxiety, "but I can cripple you again right now, that takes skill! Don't push your luck!"

A murderous aura, mixed with a sense of oppression stemming from a higher level of crisis, spread out. Everyone felt a chill: Yes, this little thief was ultimately from the Demonic Sect, unpredictable and quick to change his mind.

"Xiao Lingshan!" Li Xian stopped wasting words and called her name directly, "Now, immediately, come with me! Right now!"

Xiao Lingshan was startled by the ruthlessness in his eyes and took a half step back, but her stubbornness immediately prevailed. She raised her chin, her face unwavering: "I won't leave! Go ahead and kill me if you dare!"

"Good! Very good!" Li Xian laughed in anger, suddenly raising his hand and pointing a finger straight at Elder Xiao! "I'll count to ten! If you don't agree, I'll kill him first!" He raised the Thunder Talisman again with his other hand, and faint lightning crackled at his fingertips.

Elder Xiao: "???" What does this have to do with me?! I just finished taking your medicine!

"Come at me if you dare! Don't touch my father!" Xiao Lingshan panicked and spread her arms to block her father.

"One!" Li Xian remained unmoved, his voice icy.

Sensing their master's emotions, the three "black bat" AI agents buzzed as they descended, their compound eyes glowing red as they locked onto Elder Xiao, emitting threatening low growls.

"two!"

"You villain! I'll fight you to the death!" Han Yunyang, who had just regained some strength, struggled to stand up, but was stopped by the stern voice of the Han Fortress Master: "Yang'er! Don't move rashly!"

"Three! Four!" Li Xian's speech quickened, sweat beading on his forehead. He didn't want to kill anyone, really, but he didn't want to be devoured as a snack by the "other brain" that might be chasing after him because of a failed mission!

"Five!" The number is like a death knell.

Seeing the situation on the verge of collapse, Lord Han took a deep breath and spoke in an extremely gentle and sincere tone: "Young Master Li! Please calm down! Everything can be discussed! You saved us first, and we are extremely grateful. Why resort to violence again? There must be a solution!"

Elder Feng's eyes darted around, and he suddenly clapped his hands (weakly) and laughed, "Haha! As the saying goes, no fight, no friendship! Young Hero Li, though young, possesses extraordinary skills, a chivalrous heart, and a willingness to save lives. You are truly a dragon among men, with limitless potential! I, though unworthy, wish to befriend you, young hero. What do you say?"

Everyone: "???"

Han Yunyang was utterly dumbfounded: "Elder Feng! You... how could you associate with the Demonic Sect..."

"Cough! Cough cough!" Elder Tian suddenly coughed violently, interrupting Han Yunyang. His voice was weak but clear, "Elder Feng's words... resonate with me! Harmony is the most important thing in all things! Young Hero Li's medical skills are divine, he is kind and skillful, and he has a noble character. I... admire him! I admire him from the bottom of my heart!" After saying that, he even tried to squeeze out a friendly (distorted) smile.

Han Yunyang was completely petrified; his worldview had been shattered. Had all the elders been possessed today?

Li Xian was also a little stunned by this sudden "friendship offensive," and his hand holding the Thunderbolt Talisman unconsciously lowered slightly. This...isn't this a bit too fast of a change in tone?

"Ouch... my back hurts so much..." Elder Tian groaned in pain at the opportune moment, his eyes drifting mournfully towards Li Xian. "I'm afraid my meridians are damaged... Alas, what a miserable life..."

Looking at Elder Tian's dramatic "I'm miserable but I won't say anything, I'll just silently endure it" act, Li Xian glanced at the half grain of "stardust" left in his hand... Oh well, might as well go all the way.

He walked over and stuffed the remaining half into Elder Tian's mouth: "Speak less, have more luck."

Elder Tian, ​​in a moment of sudden realization (a hallucination), sat up abruptly from his deathbed, overwhelmed with gratitude: "Thank you so much, young hero! You are incredibly magnanimous and your kindness is unparalleled!"

Li Xian was a little embarrassed by the praise, scratching his head, his fierce aura dissipating considerably. He turned to Xiao Lingshan, even adopting a slightly conciliatory tone: "Miss Xiao, look... we're all 'friends' now, the atmosphere is so harmonious. How about... we raise our hands to vote? I bet your father will agree."

Xiao Lingshan and Han Yunyang exchanged a glance, both seeing the same confusion on each other's faces: The elders are acting really strange today...

"Shan'er," Elder Xiao suddenly called in a low voice, beckoning to his daughter, "Come here for a moment."

Xiao Lingshan approached with a puzzled look. Elder Xiao leaned close to her ear and spoke rapidly in a very low voice.

Xiao Lingshan's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, her face first showing surprise, then a flash of realization, and finally she even pursed her lips and smiled faintly?

She turned around and looked at Li Xian, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions—less resistance, more inquiry, and… a hint of determination.

Elder Xiao also raised his head, looked at Li Xian, cleared his throat, and adopted an unprecedented, almost solemn, form of address:

"Young Master Li."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the people sitting or lying in the cave, before finally settling on Li Xian's face, and slowly asked:

"If you want to take my daughter to do that 'proper thing,' that's fine too. But before we go—"

"Are you willing to make a vow before the Holy Spirit?"