Dual Cultivation System: The Villainous Servant’s Rise

Chapter 255: News of Su Mei! This Palace Will Take You to See the World

After spending a few days with Xiao Qingge, Han Lie briefly considered visiting Han Feng at the Myriad Pill Hall. However, knowing his cousin was likely buried in alchemy practice, he decided against disturbing him.

His priority now shifted to his parents, Han Zhentian and Li Susu.

In the secluded recovery chamber of the Elder Council, the couple had finally awakened from their coma. Though their complexions were still pale, the worst had passed. They just needed quiet recuperation to restore their vitality.

Creak.

The heavy wooden door pushed open, interrupting their quiet conversation. Han Lie stepped inside, his presence filling the room with a calm, reassuring energy.

“Lie’er!”

Li Susu’s eyes lit up. She struggled to stand, her maternal instinct overriding her weakness. Han Zhentian followed suit, his face a mix of relief and awe.

“Please, don’t get up. Your injuries are still healing.” Han Lie waved a hand, a gentle force guiding them back into their seats.

He sat down across from them. Li Susu immediately reached out, gripping his hand tightly. Her face, still retaining the charm of her youth, was flushed with emotion. “Lie’er, your father and I heard… the nurses were whispering… is it true? Are you really an Elder of the Heavenly Void Sect now?”

“Is it true, Son?” Han Zhentian’s voice trembled slightly.

An Elder of the Heavenly Void Sect? To a local City Lord like Han Zhentian, such a figure was a legend, a being who stood above the clouds. That his own son—the boy once mocked as a waste with half a spiritual meridian—had ascended to such heights was almost beyond comprehension.

Decades of struggle, and Han Zhentian hadn’t even touched the hem of the robe his son now wore.

“It is true,” Han Lie confirmed with a warm, modest smile. “But I didn’t come here to boast. I need to discuss your future.”

“We’re listening,” Li Susu said, squeezing his hand.

“You have two choices,” Han Lie began, his tone serious. “First, you can stay here within the sect. It is safe, and I can ensure you are protected from any future retaliation.”

“Second, you can return to Qingzhou City and resume your lives as the City Lord and his wife.”

Han Zhentian answered almost immediately. “We will return to Qingzhou.”

He leaned forward, his expression earnest. “Lie’er, if we stay here, we become a permanent weakness. It signals to the Sun Moon Sect—and anyone else—that we are your achilles heel. But if we return to Qingzhou, it sends a message that we are not vital leverage.”

“Besides,” he added with a wistful smile, “Qingzhou is my life’s work. I’m not ready to abandon it.”

Han Lie nodded slowly. He had discussed this with Chi Lian, and she had agreed with this logic. The failed kidnapping attempt had cost the Sun Moon Sect a Nascent Soul Elder. The risk-to-reward ratio for targeting Han Lie’s mortal parents was now skewed heavily against them. If the enemy was smart, they wouldn’t try the same trick twice.

“Very well,” Han Lie said. “Once you are fully recovered, I will personally escort you back.”

After settling his parents in Qingzhou City and ensuring their safety wards were upgraded, Han Lie returned to the sect. His next stop was the Law Enforcement Hall headquarters.

Hearing of his arrival, Hall Master Su Meiyu personally came out to receive him.

“Elder Han,” Su Meiyu greeted him in the reception room. Her tone was polite, but her eyes darted away, avoiding direct contact. “To what do I owe the honor of this visit?”

Han Lie noticed her evasiveness but chose to ignore it. “Hall Master Su, I’ll be direct. I am looking for news regarding Su Mei. Have you heard from her?”

“Mei?” Su Meiyu’s shoulders slumped slightly. She shook her head. “To be honest, Elder Han, ever since she returned to her clan years ago, I have heard nothing.”

She sighed. “Before she left, I gave her a communication talisman. I told her to signal me if she encountered any trouble. Since it has remained silent, I can only assume she is safe and progressing well within her family.”

“I see.” Han Lie let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “That is… reassuring.”

He stood up. “Thank you, Hall Master. If you do hear anything, please notify me immediately.”

“Rest assured, Elder Han. I will.”

Han Lie turned and left. Su Meiyu watched his retreating back, her mouth opening as if to speak, but the words died in her throat. She closed the door silently.

With the internal purge complete and his family safe, the Heavenly Void Sect entered a period of tranquility.

Two months later, Qin Lan and Zhuo Hongyi officially took office as the Master and Deputy Master of the Overlord Hall. They threw themselves into the work of rebuilding, recruiting hundreds of new disciples and purging the lingering rot of the old administration. Knowing how busy they were, Han Lie gave them space to establish their authority.

Time flowed like water. In the blink of an eye, five years passed.

Under the new leadership, the Overlord Hall was thriving, its halls once again filled with the energy of young cultivators.

For Han Lie, these five years were a period of steady, luxurious accumulation. He didn’t encounter any earth-shattering events, but through regular dual cultivation sessions with Ye Qingxuan and Chi Lian, his foundation grew terrifyingly deep.

He had touched the ceiling of the Late Nascent Soul Stage. He was now knocking on the door of Perfection.

Another year or two, and the breakthrough would be inevitable.

To an outsider, five years might seem slow. But in the cultivation world, where Nascent Soul experts often stagnated for centuries—like Su Meiyu and her peers—Han Lie’s speed was monstrous.

Elsewhere, Bai Ling remained in deep seclusion within the Purple Cloud Palace, her aura silent as a frozen lake as she attempted to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage.

Xiao Qingge, however, had flourished. Benefiting from Han Lie’s attention over the years, she had officially broken through to the Perfection of the Golden Core Stage, her power surging.

Violet Heaven Palace, Third Floor.

Han Lie walked into the main hall and sat beside Ye Qingxuan on her jade throne. Without ceremony, he wrapped an arm around her waist—so slender it felt like it could break, yet supple with power.

“Sect Leader,” he murmured, “you summoned me?”

Ye Qingxuan leaned into his touch, her icy demeanor thawing only for him.

“You’ve been cooped up in the sect for years now,” she said, her voice cool and melodious. “It’s becoming dull. Coincidentally, This Palace has matters to attend to in the outside world.”

She turned to look at him, a rare glint of excitement in her eyes.

“Pack your things. This Palace is taking you to see the world.”