Chapter 111: The Negotiation

At this moment, Li Qingli looked at the man before her with a strange sense of familiarity. Whenever she entertained the thought of killing him, her heart ached terribly and her head felt as if it were about to explode, yet she still could not recall anything.

Seeing her in such a state, Chu Han felt a deep pang of sorrow. "If you can't understand it, then don't try. Just kill me. Maybe if you kill me, your memories will come back."

Chu Han's words struck her like a bomb, igniting something in her heart. She let out a piercing scream, threw down the long sword in her hand, and slowly stepped backward.

Then, suddenly, she rushed forward and struck Chu Han sharply on the shoulder. Blood spurted from his mouth, but he was only injured, not in mortal danger.

"Go away. I never want to see you again," she said coldly before turning and leaving without a trace of hesitation.

Nearby, Leng Ye was stunned, unable to comprehend why the situation had changed so abruptly.

Chu Han slowly rose from the ground, untied Leng Ye’s ropes, and, supported by him, sat down to tend to his wounds.

More than an hour later, though still nursing some injuries, Chu Han was no longer in critical condition. He stood up and looked toward the direction in which she had left, a slight smile playing at the corner of his lips.

He didn’t know if she had regained her memory, but as long as she had the desire to remember, it was enough. At least, Li Qingli hadn’t tried to kill him outright, which gave Chu Han greater confidence in restoring her memory.

The two of them slowly made their way toward the Eastern Wasteland. Knowing her curiosity, Chu Han recounted everything—about himself and Li Qingli. It wasn’t much of a secret, and besides, Li Qingli was now completely under the control of the Wolf Clan.

Upon hearing Chu Han’s explanation, Leng Ye nodded silently, saying nothing, though he felt immense sympathy for Li Qingli. After all, if given a choice, who would want to become that way? No matter how it was viewed, it was all the Wolf Clan’s doing.

The two returned to the Wind God Sect. When Zhang Fang saw Leng Ye had come back, he was overjoyed and praised Chu Han vigorously. But Chu Han paid them no mind—physically and mentally exhausted, he retired to the secret chamber to rest.

Though he had already reached the third palace of the Dao Palace realm, his true energy was still no different from ordinary qi. In his previous life, after reaching a certain level, he could infuse his qi with lightning attributes, making it unpredictable and deadly. But now, he was not yet capable of that and needed more time.

So, he spent three days at the Wind God Sect, dedicating himself entirely to cultivation. Whenever he stopped, the image of Li Qingli would come back to him, causing unbearable pain, so he forced himself to continue relentlessly.

One day, while he was studying his true energy, Zhang Fang entered the secret chamber with a joyful expression.

"Senior, what happened? You look so happy."

Chu Han was momentarily taken aback. Usually, Zhang Fang was inscrutable, his emotions well hidden. For him to show such joy meant something significant had occurred.

"We found the Wolf Clan’s base and discovered their true objective," Zhang Fang said excitedly. "It turns out their ultimate goal is to wipe out all sects in the Eastern Wasteland and seize complete control of the region. They’re after a very precious artifact rumored to be hidden here."

Zhang Fang didn’t hold back, revealing all their findings enthusiastically. Finding the Wolf Clan’s base was no small feat. Although powerful, the Wolf Clan was not yet strong enough to withstand the combined assault of all the sects in the Eastern Wasteland.

Chu Han pondered silently. It seemed the Wolf Clan’s true aim was not the jade pendant but something else, though what exactly remained a mystery. The jade pendant was likely only a part of their plan.

"What’s your plan then?" Chu Han asked.

Now that the Wolf Clan’s base was found, the three great families would surely act. Otherwise, if the Wolf Clan grew stronger, it would be too late. Ideally, they would annihilate the Wolf Clan at once, but if not possible, they must at least drive them out of the Eastern Wasteland.

Zhang Fang outlined the plan, which was straightforward: the three great families would lead the effort, uniting the various families and sects across the Eastern Wasteland to oppose the Wolf Clan. Despite Chu Han’s doubts, he kept his thoughts to himself.

"We’ve already summoned the major sects and families to discuss strategies. You should come too," Zhang Fang urged.

Though Chu Han was skeptical, he nodded. He ought to take part, as he understood the Wolf Clan better than anyone.

Together, they went to the Xuanming Sect for the meeting, the usual venue. As they entered, most families and sects had already gathered. The hall was packed, and the noisy chatter made Chu Han uneasy.

"Quiet down! The Wind God Sect’s sect leader has arrived," Zhang Yinshan knocked on the table. The crowd fell silent and watched as Zhang Fang took the central seat, with Chu Han beside him, expressionless as he surveyed the assembly.

Many prominent families were present—Nine Dragons Pavilion, Nine Immortals Island, and more. The Reincarnation Valley sent the Fire Cloud Ancestor, indicating Song Tian was still recovering from his injuries.

The Fire Cloud Ancestor glared at Chu Han with a grim, hostile look, but Chu Han ignored him completely.

"Wind God Sect has organized this gathering for an urgent matter," Zhang Fang began boldly. "I believe everyone has heard of the Wolf Clan. We have uncovered their true hidden base. Though powerful, they cannot be overcome by the three great sects alone. We must unite to annihilate the Wolf Clan and eliminate this obstacle from the Eastern Wasteland."

He looked at the crowd expectantly. For him, this was a cause no one could refuse.

The Wolf Clan threatened to seize the Eastern Wasteland, putting all these families and sects at risk. They shared a common interest: united, the Wolf Clan would be no match.

But a heavy silence followed. Everyone kept their heads lowered, avoiding eye contact. No one dared to speak first.

Zhang Fang grew anxious. "If you have any opinions, speak now. This is an alliance to protect the Eastern Wasteland. If we wait until the Wolf Clan grows stronger, it will be too late."

"Old Zhang," a voice finally broke the silence, "it’s not that we don’t want to act. The Wolf Clan is just a ragtag group—not a real threat. Their goal is to take over the Eastern Wasteland, but the families and sects here aren’t pushovers. There’s no way they’ll succeed. I think you’re making a mountain out of a molehill."

"Exactly. We’ve fought the Wolf Clan before—they’re just trash. Not worth our effort."

"More importantly, how many warriors should each sect contribute? I won’t let my disciples suffer losses."

Voices rose in disagreement, devolving into heated argument. The sects, though outwardly civil, were internally divided. Without the presence of the three great sects holding things together, they would have already been at war. This was a vivid display of human selfishness.

Chu Han looked upon these people with disdain. From the start, he had doubted Zhang Fang’s plan. He knew these sects well—if something benefited them, they would jump at it, but when facing collective matters, each family sought only to gain advantage. Conflict was inevitable.