Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 736: Safe

Han Yu frowned slightly.

"So it really was just punishment," he thought. "A long, dangerous mission meant to waste time and wear me down."

If that was the case, then Zhao Liumen had failed spectacularly.

Still, Han Yu did not relax.

He did not head toward the Mission Pavilion to report completion. That could wait.

Instead, he turned toward the Fifth Rib Peak.

His heart tightened slightly as the familiar mountain came into view. His cave residence lay half way up, nestled along its side, locked behind formations of his own making.

As he approached the cave's door, his spirit sense focused sharply.

Two familiar presences were felt by him.

Alive.

Stable.

Han Yu exhaled slowly, a tension he had not fully acknowledged finally easing from his chest.

"They're fine," he murmured.

He stood in front of the cave entrance, his hand hovering for just a moment before he dispelled the protective formations.

SHUA

CREAK

The stone door slid open.

Inside, the cave was lit softly by spirit lamps. The air was clean. Empty supply boxes were stacked neatly along the walls.

And standing near the central table were two figures.

Xuan Qing turned first, her expression as still and blank as ever 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Meng Jueyan followed a heartbeat later, staring in disbelief before her face broke into a mixture of relief and shock.

"You're back," Meng Jueyan breathed.

Han Yu stepped inside, the doors closing behind him.

"I'm back," he said quietly.

For the first time since entering the sect, the cold mask of Ju Fan cracked just a little.

Han Yu did not rush the inspection.

He closed the stone doors behind him, activated several formations including sound isolating with practiced ease, and only then turned his full attention to the two women standing inside his cave.

The familiar space felt smaller than he remembered, perhaps because of how much he himself had changed, or perhaps because of the quiet tension that had lingered here in his absence.

Xuan Qing stood perfectly straight near the inner wall, her hands folded in front of her, her eyes open but unfocused. Her posture was flawless, her breathing steady, her expression blank to the point of being unsettling.

The Doll Seal still held her tightly, suppressing not just her emotions but the very sense of presence she once carried. If one did not know better, they might have mistaken her for an exquisitely crafted statue rather than a living cultivator.

Meng Jueyan stood a step behind her, shoulders slightly hunched, her movements cautious but no longer fragile.

The bandage covering her ruined eye was clean and well wrapped, and her robes, though plain, were properly maintained. Her remaining eye followed Han Yu carefully, filled with a mixture of respect, relief, and restrained emotion.

He could also feel the wisps of Eight Emotions Energy coming from her, showing her true state of mind to him.

Han Yu's gaze lingered on them both, then he spoke in a calm, measured voice.

"Sit."

The word was simple, but carried unquestionable authority.

Meng Jueyan immediately obeyed, lowering herself onto one of the stone stools near the table. Xuan Qing followed a heartbeat later, her movements smooth and mechanical, sitting with perfect posture and placing her hands neatly on her knees.

Han Yu stepped closer.

He began with Xuan Qing.

He extended his spirit sense carefully, threading it through the layers of formation energy and the residual imprint of the Doll Seal. He was meticulous, not wanting to trigger any unintended reactions.

His spirit sense brushed over her meridians, her dantian, her internal organs, and the subtle circulation of Qi that still moved despite the seal suppressing her cultivation.

Everything was stable.

Her body was strong, her foundation intact, and there were no signs of degradation or imbalance. Even her qi was steady, showing no signs of stagnation or corruption.

As expected.

Xuan Qing had always been resilient, and even with her cultivation sealed, a Core Condensation realm cultivator was still far beyond mortal limitations. She could go weeks without food, months without proper rest, and remain functional.

Still, Han Yu felt a faint tightening in his chest as he withdrew his spirit sense.

"She is… fine," he concluded quietly.

Xuan Qing did not react. Her gaze remained forward, her breathing unchanged.

Han Yu shifted his attention to Meng Jueyan.

The difference was immediately apparent.

Where Xuan Qing felt like a sealed but intact blade, Meng Jueyan felt like something that had been shattered and crudely pieced back together. Not broken anymore, but far from whole.

Han Yu extended his spirit sense into her cautiously.

He examined her from the surface inward, layer by layer.

Her skin showed signs of healed trauma, the deeper bruising and micro tears long since repaired. Her muscles, once torn and abused, had largely recovered, though some stiffness remained.

Her bones, which had suffered major as well hairline fractures in several places, had knit back together properly, reinforced by the medicinal pills and slow physical conditioning she had done.

Internally, her organs were stable. Her blood flow was smooth, her breathing deep and even.

The most critical part lay deeper.

Her meridians.

Han Yu's expression darkened slightly as his spirit sense traced them.

They were still damaged.

They were broken in many parts, and even the partial healing that had happened with the pills was not proper.

Still, he noted something that eased him slightly.

There was no further deterioration.

The meridians and her Dantian had not worsened.

That meant Meng Jueyan had followed his instructions properly.

He withdrew his spirit sense and looked at her directly.

"You have recovered well," he said.

Meng Jueyan straightened slightly at the words, her remaining eye widening a fraction.

"Thank you, Master," she replied respectfully. "This slave followed your instructions carefully."

Han Yu nodded once.

"How have things been while I was gone," he asked. "Give me a full report."

Meng Jueyan took a slow breath, gathering her thoughts.

"In the time Master was absent, nothing unusual occurred within the cave," she began. "No disciples came here, and no elders summoned you. No messages were delivered either."