Han Li felt the giant man’s icy body temperature with his fingers, gazing into his dull and lifeless eyes, while his mind raced with conjectures about all that Zhang Tie must have endured.
It was almost certain that Doctor Mo, in collusion with Yu Zitong, had abducted Zhang Tie—who had made some progress in his “Elephant Armor Technique”—and then fabricated the falsehood of his desertion, deceiving the many eyes and ears of the Seven Mysteries Sect. Secretly, they had used some kind of sorcery to strip Zhang Tie of his soul, then transformed his body into this bizarre state, which bore a striking resemblance to the condition achieved upon mastering the “Elephant Armor Technique.”
Han Li’s speculations were accurate; the reality was not far off.
Back then, Doctor Mo had a sudden whimsical idea to combine the “Elephant Armor Technique” with the corpse-refining arts provided by Yu Zitong, intending to create a group of powerful corpse-men who would obey his every command and dominate the martial world. However, in such a short time, he had only managed to produce this one giant man, whom he treasured like a priceless jewel. Usually hidden away in a secret location at the foot of the mountain, Doctor Mo had brought him back only during his last return to the mountain.
But Yu Zitong had no interest whatsoever in such a half-baked corpse-man; he even scorned it. When his true body was still intact, he had countless methods to subdue such an incomplete corpse-man. Moreover, compared to the high-level iron-armored corpses of true cultivators, the power of this corpse-man fell far short—it could only show off among ordinary mortals. Its only advantage was probably the simplicity of materials required and the ease of refinement, allowing anyone with a bit of magical power to create one.
After a long while, Han Li suddenly withdrew his hand from the giant man’s face and uneasily averted his gaze. Staring blankly at the dilapidated stone door, he fell into a daze.
In that moment, he felt a chill in his heart—not out of sympathy for Zhang Tie’s tragic fate, but out of unease at his own cold indifference.
He had thought that upon learning of his friend’s miserable end, he would raise his head in rage, shouting the names “Mo Juren” and “Yu Zitong” with a voice filled with hatred and fury.
But in reality, apart from a slight sadness, he felt no great stir of emotion or anger, as if the one who had met this fate was not his former friend “Zhang Tie” but a complete stranger.
Was it because he knew that the Zhang Tie before him was merely an empty shell, not the person himself? Or had his heart already grown exceptionally cold and ruthless?
This selfish, indifferent reaction frightened even Han Li himself. Only then did he realize that, unnoticed, he had become so unfamiliar.
Han Li finally snapped out of his stupor. With a complex gaze, he looked at the giant man, uncertain how to address “him.”
Recalling Doctor Mo’s words about “lost soul” and “mindless puppet,” Han Li lifted his head and softly said to the sky, “Brother Zhang, you must have been reincarnated by now. Since the body you left behind is of no use, let your younger brother borrow it for a while! I will use it with great care and hope you will not blame me.”
After uttering these prayer-like words, Han Li felt somewhat comforted, as if he had hypnotized himself. Then, turning to the giant man, he said, “Since you are the shell Brother Zhang left behind, without a soul of your own, I will call you ‘Qu Hun’! I hope you can lend me a hand in the days to come.”
Upon hearing Han Li’s words, the giant man stood there motionless, showing no reaction apart from his usual submissive expression. It seemed he truly possessed no independent consciousness and could only passively obey commands.
“I actually spoke such words to a mindless corpse—how foolish of me!” Han Li shook his head self-mockingly, then strode lightly toward the stone house.
“Qu Hun, follow me.”
Han Li had completely recovered from his low spirits, his expression calm as if nothing had happened. It seemed he had indeed become exceptionally cold-blooded and rational, as he believed, no longer easily troubled by emotions.
Whether this astonishing change would be a curse or a blessing for Han Li, who was about to embark on the path of cultivation, remained to be seen.
In the following period, Han Li busied himself for a long time, ensuring that all loose ends were neatly tied up.
He not only buried Doctor Mo’s body under a large tree but also destroyed and discarded all remaining items in the stone house. He even ordered Qu Hun to smash the entire stone house into rubble, reducing it to such a state that its original form was completely unrecognizable before he was satisfied.
After all this effort, evening had fallen, and the sun had begun to set.
Han Li stood before what was once the stone house, now a pile of rubble, and looked around. Finding no oversights, he nodded in satisfaction. “Qu Hun, let’s go. There’s still a heap of matters to deal with tomorrow. It’s a pity you have no consciousness and can’t speak. Otherwise, having someone to discuss things with would make me feel more at ease.”
Bathed in the fiery red light of the setting sun, Han Li dragged his elongated shadow behind him, muttering incessantly to the giant man now renamed “Qu Hun.” It seemed he had finally found a good listener to whom he could confide his thoughts without fear of complaint. In that moment, not a trace of his earlier indifference and ruthlessness could be seen; he was just like the boy next door.
After settling Qu Hun, Han Li returned to his own dwelling. Inside, he acted like a stranger who had been away for a long time, touching the tables and chairs, looking around here and there, muttering to himself, “This day has been so long! It feels longer than all the past ten-plus years of my life combined.”
Then, suddenly, he collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
He was exhausted—both mentally and physically, completely worn out.
“But it’s good to be back alive!” With a smile on his lips, this was his last thought before drifting into sleep.
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