A long time passed, and still no one spoke. Han
Lee grew restless and curious. He tried to sneak
a glance at Dr. Mo. He'd barely raised his head
halfway when Dr. Mo's cold, sharp voice cut through
the air. If you want to look, then look. Why
sneak around? Han Lee paused for a moment, then
obediently raised his head. His eyes darted across
Dr. Mo's face a few times before immediately
snapping back down. Hanli's face remained impassive,
but inside his heart was a raging sea of turmoil.
Dr. Mo's face, how did it become so twisted all
of a sudden? A faint, shadowy black energy seemed
to cling to Dr. Mo's ashen face. It writhed like
a living thing, countless tiny tendrils clawing
and dancing wildly across his skin. What truly
sent a chill down Han Li's spine was the complete
transformation in Dr. Mo's expression. Gone was
the usual rigid mask. In its place was a look
of ruthless determination. He was staring at
Han Li with unmistakable malice, a mocking sneer
curling at the corner of his mouth. Han Li sensed
something was off. A feeling of unease crept
into his heart, and a dangerous atmosphere began
to spread through the room. He retreated half
a step with wary caution, tucking his hands into
his sleeves and gripping an iron rod. Only then
did his taut nerves relax a fraction. Suddenly
Dr. Moe's voice, laced with mockery, reached
his ears. You think a little trick like that
is worth showing off? Dr. Moe's body moved. With
an unnatural fluidity, he shifted from a half
-reclined position to a standing one. He gave
a sinister smile. Then his figure blurred. Like
a ghost, he appeared right beside Han Li staring
down at him with a cold, mocking laugh. Han Li's
face changed drastically. He knew something was
wrong and tried frantically to raise his arms,
but a sudden numbness seized his body, leaving
him paralyzed. Only then did he see that the
other's fingers had already withdrawn from the
acupoint on his chest. Elder Mo, what are you
doing? What have I done wrong? If you have something
to say, just say it. Was it really necessary
to seal my acupoints? Dr. Mo, what kind of status
do you hold? Why lower yourself to my level,
Master? If you unseal my acupoints, what will
my punishment be? I'll take full responsibility.
Han Li offered several more words of flattery,
but Dr. Mo simply ignored him. He reached into
the other sleeve, pulled out the iron rod, and
held it in his hand, watching his performance
with a look of mockery and contempt. Seeing this,
Han Li's heart sank to the pit of his stomach.
Any hope of swaying the other party with words
was now completely extinguished. It looks like
he won't give me the slightest opening. Han Li
hit a bottleneck and stared back at Dr. Mo with
a completely indifferent gaze. Good, good, good.
I knew I had a good eye for talent. To remain
so composed and unflustered in the face of danger?
My investment in you was not in vain. Just what
are you going to do with me? How should I deal
with you? How should I deal with you? That depends
entirely on your own performance. What do you
mean? Even if I don't say it, someone as clever
as you should have pieced most of it together
by now. I've only pieced together a small part
of it. The whole story, the cause and effect,
I still don't understand. Excellent. That's the
right way to do it. If you have any questions,
just ask me directly. Don't keep them bottled
up inside. Dr. Mo gave a sinister smile. The
dark aura on his face seemed to thicken, making
his visage appear even more hideous. I know you've
always been wary of me. You never truly saw me
as your master. But that's fine. I never really
considered you my disciple either. The muscles
in Dr. Mo's cheek twitched several times. He
asked a completely unrelated question. How old
do you think I am? Judging by your appearance,
I'd say you're in your 60s. But since you're
asking the question, your real age must be different
from how you look. Could you be even older or
much younger than you look? Truly the mark of
one who has practiced the eternal spring arts.
A country bumpkin kid transformed into someone
so sharp and clever. You guessed right. I'm only
37 this year. Impossible! Impossible? It is indeed
impossible. Anyone who sees me wouldn't think
I'm 60. If I claimed to be seventy, I doubt anyone
would question it. Dr. Moe's voice suddenly rose
sharp and piercing. To Hunley's ears it was grating,
agonizing, as if it had struck the rawest nerve
of his soul. In my early years I, Moe Jern, was
a renowned figure in the martial world of Lanzhou,
Yue country. I carved out my own territory with
nothing but my bare hands. Back then, who in
Langeau hadn't heard of Dr. Moe's fearsome reputation?
In the world of the righteous and the wicked,
those who submit to me live, and those who defy
me die. Dr. Moe's voice returned to its normal
timbre, narrating his story in a low, deliberate
tone. As he spoke, his eyes shone with a razor
-sharp intensity. as if he were once again the
man who held the world in his fist. Han Li was
inwardly shocked by Dr. Mo's words. He never
imagined his nominal master had such an impressive
background. But the good times didn't last. Just
as I was entering middle age ready to truly make
my mark, I was betrayed. A trusted subordinate
poisoned me with a vile, insidious method. I
managed to control the injury's progression with
my own advanced medical skills, but a full recovery
was impossible. My martial arts were greatly
diminished, and I could no longer hold my ground
here. Fearing a sneak attack from my enemies,
I had no choice but to abandon my home and family,
vanish without a trace, and search the lands
of Yew for a cure, hoping to find a way to restore
my former strength. As he recounted what came
next, he was completely lost in the telling of
his past. He clenched his fist so hard his nails
dug deep into his palm, blood streaming down.
Yet he seemed completely unaware of it, his face
twisting into a vicious, teeth -nashing snarl.
That venomous look was enough to send a chill
down anyone's spine. Hearing the relentless hatred
in his words, Han Lee couldn't help but feel
a chill run down his spine, a cold dread settling
in his heart. I followed the method described
in it, and the result, the result is you turning
into this ghostly apparition you are now. I never
imagined that following the method in that book
would restore my cultivation, but it also caused
me to age at a terrifying rate, turning me into
this half -man, half -ghost creature you see
now. You've figured out the cause by now, haven't
you? It was due to improper practice, which allowed
a malevolent energy to invade my body. Now every
day I live consumes the vitality of ten days
for an ordinary person. I'm constantly massively
overdrawn on my life. Fortunately, I'm skilled
in restorative arts. I also concocted a secret
elixir based on the book's instructions. That's
what slowed my aging in recent years and kept
me going until now. So what's the connection
between the mantra I've been practicing and solving
your problem? The solution I researched from
the texts is the eternal spring arts you've been
cultivating. All I need is someone who has cultivated
the evergreen art to the fourth layer to help
me circulate my energy and perform a massage
stimulating the secret acupoints with evergreen
chi. that will free me from my current predicament
and allow me to recover my lost vital essence.
Why does it have to be me? Can't you just find
anyone to practice this mantra? You think the
eternal spring arts is something any Tom, Dick
or Harry can learn? The incantation not only
requires a young person to start from scratch,
but the cultivator must also possess a spirit
root constitution. I don't know what a spirit
root is, but before you, I tested hundreds of
boys. None of them could cultivate the eternal
spring arts. Is that so? I never imagined the
requirements for cultivating this mantra would
be so severe. In the years that remained, I thought
it impossible to find someone who could cultivate
the formula. So I gave up on myself, masquerading
as a wandering quack doctor, and began drifting
from place to place. I never expected to stumble
upon the Seven Mysteries sect, which had also
been ambushed. I saved sect leader Wang's life
and at his invitation. I joined the Seven Mysteries
sect, even became a sect elder. I planned to
live out my final days on the mountain, hidden
from the world. But then a miracle happened At
first I was afraid my medical skills and martial
arts would be lost forever That's why I brought
you into the valley and took you both as my disciples
But at the time I don't know what came over me
I was possessed and I let you two attempt the
eternal spring arts I suppose I was still clinging
to a sliver of hope In truth, even if you couldn't
cultivate this mantra, I would have taken you
in and passed on all my knowledge. But I never
imagined you'd actually have a reaction to this
technique. Heaven truly never seals off all exits.
Dr. Moe laid out all the answers, his face flushed
with a sickly red hue. Satisfied, he seemed quite
pleased with his own good fortune. I haven't
even mastered the fourth layer of the Eternal
Spring Arts yet. Why strike now? Why lay all
your cards on the table with me? That's your
own fault. I've poured so much effort and care
into you, yet you fail to satisfy me, always
playing games with me. We're at the final step
now, but you keep refusing to advance to the
next level. I could have waited for you another
two years. But on my way down the mountain, an
old enemy recognized me. We fought a bitter battle.
I killed him in the end, but it drained what
little vitality I had left. My remaining lifespan,
it's been drastically shortened. Even if I push
myself to the limit, I'll only have a year left
to live. How am I supposed to wait any longer?
Dr. Mo's smug expression vanished. Replaced by
a vicious glare, he roared at Han Li. Han Li's
expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he
was utterly horrified. His calm and collected
exterior was a complete facade. He'd long suspected
Dr. Moe had designs on him, but he never imagined
the truth would be this deep. The man's origins,
his experiences, even the cultivation mantra
he practiced. All of it was beyond anything he
could have imagined.