"You wonder how old I am?" The muscles on his cheeks twitched a few times, and he asked an unrelated question, his voice stiff.
"From the way you look, perhaps a little over sixty. But since you’re asking like this, your age must not match your appearance. Are you older than that, or much younger?" Han Li felt some surprise inwardly, but his tone remained flat and even.
"Truly worthy of someone who practices the Eternal Spring Technique! A little brat from the countryside, transformed into such a sharp and perceptive individual!" Dr. Mo kept clicking his tongue in amazement, his gaze growing fervent as he looked at Han Li.
"You guessed right. I am only thirty-seven years old." A number that Han Li couldn't believe came from Dr. Mo's mouth.
"Impossible?" Han Li, who had maintained his composure all along, was shocked for the first time.
"Impossible! It truly is impossible! Anyone who sees me wouldn't just think I'm sixty. Even if I told people I was seventy, I doubt anyone would suspect otherwise." Dr. Mo's voice suddenly became high and piercing. To Han Li's ears, it was grating and uncomfortable, as if it had struck the most painful spot in his heart.
"I, Mo Juren, was once a renowned figure in the martial world of Lan Prefecture in the State of Yue. I carved out a considerable reputation with my bare hands. Heh heh! Back then in Lan Prefecture, who didn't know the dread name of 'Ghost Hand'? Those in both the light and dark worlds alike—if you followed me, you lived; if you opposed me..." Dr. Mo's voice returned to its original tone, low and slow as he narrated his story. As he described it, a sharp, blade-like gleam shone in his eyes, as though he had returned to the days when he was at the height of his power and authority.
Hearing Dr. Mo's words, Han Li was secretly astonished. He hadn't expected this nominal master of his to have such an impressive background.
"But sadly, good times don't last. Just as I entered middle age and was eager to expand my influence further, I was ambushed by a despicable enemy, betrayed and poisoned by a trusted confidant. Although I managed to suppress the poison's onset thanks to my medical skills, I couldn't cure myself. My martial prowess greatly diminished, and I could no longer hold my ground in the north. Fearing further assassination attempts by my enemies, I had no choice but to abandon my established base and family, vanishing to seek remedies elsewhere in the State of Yue, hoping to find a way to restore my former strength." As he recounted his later misfortunes, Dr. Mo had fully immersed himself in the telling. His fists clenched so tightly that his fingernails dug deep into his palms, blood flowing freely, yet he seemed completely unaware, his face twisted into a mask of vicious, gnashing-toothed hatred. His savage expression sent a chill down one's spine; it was clear he despised the one who had poisoned him back then with every fiber of his being.
Sensing the deep, unrelenting hatred in his words, Han Li couldn't help but feel his skin crawl, a cold dread seeping into his heart.
"Heaven had eyes. Eventually, in some mysterious place, I stumbled upon an extraordinary book. It was esoteric and profound, and I exhausted myself to grasp even a little of its meaning. From it, I found a shortcut to restore my powers. I followed the method described, and as a result..." Dr. Mo paused, not continuing immediately, but his chagrin was plain to see, tinged with a hint of regret.
"As a result, you ended up looking like this ghostly shell," Han Li said coldly, finishing the sentence Dr. Mo had left unspoken.
"Exactly. I didn't expect that following the book's method would restore my strength, but also cause me to age rapidly, turning me into this premature, half-man, half-ghoul appearance." Dr. Mo nodded dejectedly, not angered by Han Li's sarcasm.
"You must have found the cause by now."
"It was due to improper practice, which allowed evil qi to invade me. Now, every day I live consumes the energy of ten ordinary days. I am constantly overdrawing my life force at every moment. Fortunately, I am skilled in recuperative arts and, as the book instructed, I formulated a secret medicine. Only in recent years has it slowed my aging, allowing me to hold on until now."
"What does the technique I practice have to do with solving your trouble?" Han Li cut straight to the heart of the matter.
"Shortly after I became like this, I studied the book and found a way to break the curse: the Eternal Spring Technique you are practicing. If someone who has reached the fourth level can use their energy to massage and stimulate the secret acupoints with Eternal Spring Qi, I can break free from my current predicament and recover the vital essence I have lost."
"Why did it have to be me? Couldn't you find anyone else to practice this technique?" Han Li pondered for a moment before posing a question that had long been buried in his mind.
"You think anyone can practice the Eternal Spring Technique? This technique not only requires a young person to start from scratch, but the practitioner must also possess a 'Spiritual Root' constitution. Although I don't know exactly what a 'Spiritual Root' is, before finding you, I tested hundreds of youths, and not a single one could practice the Eternal Spring Technique." Dr. Mo's face was filled with frustration.
"Is that so?" Han Li was slightly stunned; he hadn't expected the requirements for this technique to be so stringent.
"In my remaining years, believing I would never find another who could practice the technique, I gave up and pretended to be a wandering quack doctor. Unexpectedly, by chance, I met the similarly betrayed Sect Leader Wang of the Seven Mysteries Sect. Pitying a fellow sufferer, I saved his life. Then, at his invitation, I naturally became an honored guest of the sect, planning to live out my last days in obscurity on the mountain. Heh heh! A miracle still happened. At first, fearing all my medical and martial arts knowledge would be lost, I took in you two disciples. Truly, I intended to accept you both as my apprentices. But I don't know what came over me—I had you two try practicing the Eternal Spring Technique instead, perhaps still clinging to a sliver of hope. Actually, even if you couldn't practice it, I would have taken you in and passed on some of my skills. But to my complete astonishment, you actually showed a reaction to it! Ha ha! Truly, heaven does not sever all paths!"
Dr. Mo revealed all these secrets in one breath, his face flushed with the unhealthy color of excitement, clearly quite proud of his own luck.
"I haven't yet reached the fourth level of the Eternal Spring Technique. Why detain me now and reveal all of this?" Han Li finally asked the question he was most concerned about at this moment.
"That is your own fault! I invested so much effort and care into you, yet you continually failed to satisfy me, always playing tricks. Now, with only this final step remaining, you still refuse to advance another level. Originally, I could have waited another two years. But when I descended the mountain this time, I was recognized by an enemy. After a bitter fight, I killed them, but also exhausted what little strength I had left, greatly shortening my lifespan. Even using all my power, I can only live one more year. How can I wait any longer?!" Dr. Mo's triumphant expression vanished without a trace, replaced by a face full of vicious light. Finally, he roared at Han Li.
After hearing this, Han Li's expression remained unchanged, with no sign on his face that he had been affected.
But inside, his mind churned like a stormy sea, completely unlike the calm, unflappable exterior he presented.
Although he had long suspected Dr. Mo harbored deep designs against him, he never imagined the truth would be so vast. The other's background, experiences, and the nature of the technique—every aspect exceeded the bounds of his imagination.
(End of Chapter)