"Han Li, you really can adapt to any situation. But do you honestly think I'd let you go?" Doctor Mo's rejuvenated face offered a slight smile. That sunny, brilliant look was enough to drive women wild, but the voice that spoke next gave Han Li another shock.
His voice carried an inexplicable magnetic quality, utterly pleasant to the ear—completely different from the dry, bitter tone of the past. It seemed that compared to his appearance, his voice was just as impressive.
Doctor Mo addressed Han Li by his full name for the first time. Though it wasn't good news, it still gave Han Li a faint sense of being acknowledged, far better than the constant "kid" and "kid." So his internal gloom lightened a fraction.
Judging solely by appearance, there was truly no flaw to be found in Doctor Mo now. Every movement was exquisitely elegant, a perfect handsome man. There was no trace of the old wreck from before. It was easy to imagine how many heroic women of the martial world he must have captivated with this face back in the day.
"What exactly are you going to do to me? Just tell me straight," Han Li said. He wasn't a woman, so he wouldn't soften toward someone just because they were handsome. Besides, the other party showed no intention of sparing him, so there was no need to be polite.
"Do? Heh heh!" Doctor Mo stretched his newly powerful limbs, gave a long, languid stretch, and smiled without answering. Instead, he pulled another item from his robes.
This time, it was a small bundle wrapped in silk. The fabric was dazzlingly bright as fire, its vibrant color striking to behold. Every stitch looked exceptionally delicate, clearly not an ordinary object.
What could be wrapped inside? Another strange device like the Silver Blade? For a moment, Han Li forgot to press his questions, his curiosity piqued.
Doctor Mo didn't let Han Li wonder for long. With swift, efficient movements, he unwrapped the silk and carefully took out a wrinkled sheet of yellow paper.
Han Li felt a flicker of disappointment, but his heart clenched, and he focused all his attention. He knew that the more unassuming something looked, the more unexpected its potential use. Doctor Mo wouldn't produce a piece of paper now for any ordinary purpose. Considering all the strange events that had just occurred, there was likely some profound trick to it.
Doctor Mo pinched the yellow paper between two fingers and carefully smoothed it flat. Han Li could then see it clearly. The paper wasn't large—only about the size of a palm—cut into a long strip, its color somewhat aged, as if it had been around for many years.
Most strikingly, it shimmered with a silvery light. Several peculiar symbols were drawn on it with silver paint. The symbols were bizarrely shaped, something Han Li had never seen before.
Yet the moment his eyes met them, he felt a touch of some mysterious power in his heart. Even the Eternal Spring Technique within his body began to stir uncontrollably, as if awakened by these symbols. This startled Han Li greatly.
Knowing something was wrong, Han Li stared intently at the characters, trying to discern their secret.
The symbols were winding and twisting, full of sharp turns and angles, yet they contained a hidden order. From their arrangement to their shape, they concealed something profound. Unfortunately, time was too short. Han Li couldn't possibly decipher them in just a few moments.
Because in that instant, Doctor Mo had already arrived before him. Seeing Han Li staring blankly at the yellow paper in his hand with a mesmerized expression, a flicker of pity appeared in his eyes. But this look vanished as quickly as it came, and his normal demeanor returned.
He lowered his head gently, his mouth close to Han Li's ear, and spoke slowly in an extremely low voice: "Han Li, don't blame me. I have no choice. Go ahead and reincarnate! This body, I'm taking it."
"What did you say? What do you mean?" Han Li was jolted from his trance by Doctor Mo's words, his soul nearly fleeing in terror. He vaguely understood that the worst fate imaginable for him was about to descend.
Ignoring the threat from the giant behind him, he began to struggle frantically with his body. He still had a few small items on him. If he could get to them, maybe he could create a chance to escape.
"Tie Nu, hold him down. Don't let him move."
Alas, with Doctor Mo's cold command, Han Li's final resistance was suppressed. Two huge palms, like small mountains, pressed down with increased force on his shoulders, pinning him completely.
Sweat the size of soybeans beaded on Han Li's forehead, trickling down from his temples. He stared wide-eyed, biting hard on his lip, watching helplessly as the other man muttered incantations before him.
The yellow paper pinched between Doctor Mo's fingers began to flutter without wind, its movements matching the rhythm of the chant.
The silver symbols on it lit up one by one, radiating a mysterious silver glow.
Though Han Li's body couldn't move, his mind remained clear. It seemed that once all the symbols were illuminated, the moment of attack would come.
Doctor Mo's expression was solemn, his gaze fixed on the yellow paper. When the last symbol also emitted its silver light, a look of joy flashed across his face. He then made several specific hand gestures, waving the yellow paper in the air.
Then, a single word, "Stabilize!" rang out from his mouth like a spring thunderclap.
At the same time, the yellow paper strip was firmly pressed onto Han Li's forehead, sticking there as if glued.
The moment the paper touched his skull, Han Li felt he had lost control of his body. He couldn't even blink. He was completely devoid of sensation in his limbs, yet he could still see with his eyes and hear with his ears. His consciousness was like a stranger, unable to operate his body. He was like a walking corpse.
This feeling was utterly different from being acupoint-locked. Though acupoint-locking also rendered one immobile, the numb sensation was still something the body could perceive.
Panic surged in Han Li's heart. He didn't know how Doctor Mo would process him to seize his body. Was this it? Had he succeeded?
"Don't rush. This body of yours can be kept for just a little while longer," Doctor Mo seemed to be telling him specifically, or perhaps muttering to himself.
(Starting today, I'll try to update twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Fellow bookfriends, give me a round of applause—and don't forget to vote!)
(Chapter End)