Han Li was lounging in the grand armchair that Doctor Mo used to sit in, holding a scroll whose cover bore the title "Longevity Scripture" but whose actual content was the secret formula for the Eternal Spring Technique. He read with great relish, utterly absorbed.
This book had once been in Doctor Mo's hands constantly, the old man never tiring of rereading it. This strange habit had always puzzled Han Li a little. Now that he had discovered the secret within, he finally understood — Doctor Mo hadn't been studying some health-preserving philosophy at all; he had been poring over the secret formula of the Eternal Spring Technique! It seemed that Doctor Mo had never truly given up on the matter of his inability to cultivate Magical Power. He hadn't fully accepted Yu Zitong's explanation about Spirit Roots either, and had been quietly studying and figuring things out on his own all along.
This scroll had been found by Han Li in the hidden compartment along with other items. It not only contained the formulas for the first six layers he had already practiced, but also recorded the techniques for the last two layers that Han Li had never seen before. This unexpected discovery had thrilled him for a long while.
Now that Han Li knew what he was cultivating was none other than the legendary power to command wind and rain — Magical Power — he had become even more hungry for the subsequent layers of the Eternal Spring Technique.
After all, who wouldn't want to become an immortal who lived forever?
The sun was blazing high overhead at the moment. Warm, golden light streamed down through the open skylight and fell upon Han Li's body. It was so comfortable that he squinted his eyes into thin slits, and combined with his reclining posture, he looked utterly languid.
Han Li tilted his head up slightly and glanced at the skylight, finding the light a bit too harsh.
He casually held the open book over his face, blocking the dazzling sunlight.
Immediately, his vision went dark, and he felt much more comfortable. This perked his spirits up, and he silently memorized the seventh-layer formula once more.
He had recently noticed that, thanks to his continuous consumption of spiritual herbs, his Eternal Spring Technique was once again showing signs of a breakthrough. He would soon enter the seventh-layer realm, and understanding the next layer's techniques in advance would be quite beneficial for breaking through the bottleneck.
It had now been over half a year since the day Doctor Mo had attempted to seize his body.
On the day after that fateful event, in order to conceal the fact of Doctor Mo's death, Han Li had personally forged a letter in Doctor Mo's handwriting — a letter declaring his intention to return to his hometown and visit relatives. He delivered it to the sect's inspection elders under Doctor Mo's name.
In the letter, he unhesitatingly adopted Doctor Mo's tone, claiming that he — Han Li — had inherited all of Doctor Mo's medical skills and was now ready to treat patients on his own. As for Doctor Mo himself, the road home was long and he had no idea when he might return, so the letter requested that the sect masters allow Han Li to temporarily take over the doctor's duties until Doctor Mo's eventual return.
After submitting the letter, the managing elders showed no suspicion whatsoever. After all, Doctor Mo had frequently stayed away from the mountain for extended periods while gathering medicinal herbs. Though he held the title of Offering Hall member within the Seven Mysteries Sect, in reality he was more of a guest of honor — having once saved Sect Master Wang's life — and enjoyed considerable freedom.
However, the elders did harbor some reservations about the claim that Han Li had inherited all of Doctor Mo's medical expertise. They were half-skeptical.
Previously, Doctor Mo had occasionally treated minor ailments for the lower-ranked disciples — colds, fevers, knife wounds, arrow wounds, and the like. But since his medical skills were truly exceptional, the patients he mainly served were mid- and upper-level figures like Hall Masters and Elders. As for the ordinary disciples, they would mostly have to go to the other several physicians on the mountain.
For this reason, the elders initially did not let Han Li immediately take over all of Doctor Mo's duties. Instead, they had him first treat minor injuries and illnesses for the lower-ranked disciples, intending to test his actual ability.
Han Li couldn't have cared less about the higher-ups' doubts regarding his medical skills. He had always taken the attitude that treating anyone was fine — it was all the same to him. The only reason he had proposed taking over Doctor Mo's work was that he had his eye on Divine Hand Valley's secluded quietness and its sizable medicinal herb garden.
If he could remain in the valley, keeping the entire place under his sole control, he could openly use the mysterious Small Bottle to mass-produce rare herbs without worrying about anyone discovering his secret.
This small valley was currently used by him alone, but if Doctor Mo stayed away for too long, who knew whether those sect masters and elders might, on a whim, reclaim it?
So in order to demonstrate his medical prowess, Han Li worked especially hard when treating the disciples, sparing no effort to secretly use the large quantities of precious herbs he cultivated every day. As a result, combining his already considerable medical skills with the abundance of rare medicines, he achieved what seemed like miracles — virtually every patient who came to him was cured the moment the medicine was administered.
Sure enough, just as he had anticipated, his reputation for miraculous healing spread like a thunderclap on a clear day, quickly causing a sensation throughout the entire Seven Mysteries Sect. Everyone on the mountain knew that a young prodigy doctor had emerged in their ranks. This young doctor's skills were nothing short of mystical. Under his treatment, whether it was external wounds, internal injuries, or rare and baffling ailments, he could have you fully recovered in at most three days. Compared to that other divine physician, Doctor Mo, his skills were above and beyond — certainly not beneath.
In truth, Han Li's medical skills were still far inferior to Doctor Mo's. The difference was that Doctor Mo could never have had such a lavish supply of rare herbs to squander. When judged purely by recovery outcomes, he naturally couldn't compare to Han Li.
Thus, when Han Li once again took a seriously wounded disciple and had him bouncing around in just a few short days, the big shots up above could no longer sit still. Just one day later, they sent someone to summon him.
The person he met this time turned out to be Vice Sect Master Ma — someone he had crossed paths with once before at the Bone Refining Cliff.
This grand Vice Sect Master Ma had obviously long forgotten all about Han Li, who had been a completely unremarkable In-Name Disciple at the time. Upon seeing him, he made it clear right away that he was willing to let Han Li take over Doctor Mo's work, and that Han Li could enjoy all the original benefits and treatment. Of course, the formal title of Offering Hall member could not be granted just yet — Han Li was far too young, only sixteen or seventeen, and it would be hard to earn the respect of the other offering members. His actual monthly salary, however, would be paid at the Offering Hall standard.
Finally, Vice Sect Master Ma added that if there was anything else Han Li was dissatisfied with, he should feel free to bring it up openly, and they would certainly handle it as appropriate.
(End of Chapter)