Sect Leader Ma seemed to notice the tension between the two. Instead of showing concern, a faint smile of satisfaction appeared on his face.
“Although Physician Han is young, his medical skills are truly miraculous. I believe Elder Li will surely be brought back to life,” he suddenly spoke up, praising Han Li’s abilities.
“Oh? Someone so young with such exceptional medical skills? I find it hard to believe. Could he possibly surpass Physician Mo?” This elder had a fiery temper and fell right into the trap after just a slight provocation, openly expressing his disbelief in front of Han Li without a second thought.
His words left the family members present at a loss. They couldn’t agree, of course—they were counting on this young miracle doctor to detoxify and save lives. But openly refuting him didn’t seem appropriate either, as the other party was Elder Li’s close friend and an elder to most of them.
“Heh! Elder Zhao, you might not know this, but Physician Han is Physician Mo’s prized disciple. His skills have surpassed even his master’s, far exceeding Physician Mo’s abilities.” Sect Leader Ma secretly delighted in adding fuel to the fire.
“A mere teenager—even if he started learning in the womb, how skilled could he possibly be? I still find it hard to believe unless I see it with my own eyes.” Elder Zhao shook his head vigorously like a palm-leaf fan, still unaware that he had fallen into the other’s trap and offended someone he shouldn’t have. It seemed he was a reckless man, and one wondered how such a person had managed to hold a high elder position without being ousted.
Han Li, listening nearby, rolled his eyes inwardly. Did his medical skills need proving by this man? Although he knew Sect Leader Ma had deliberately provoked those words, he still felt irritated.
It was clear that Elder Zhao and Sect Leader Ma were not from the same faction and held some animosity toward each other.
“Elder Zhao’s Mixed Origin Hand is practiced to perfection, with boundless power!” Seeing the displeasure on Han Li’s face, Sect Leader Ma felt even more delighted. Suddenly changing the subject, he made a cryptic remark.
“Hmph! It’s nowhere near as refined as Sect Leader Ma’s Profound Yin Finger.” Elder Zhao seemed unbothered by the other’s status as sect leader, retorting bluntly with a stern expression.
“Haha! Elder Zhao, you flatter me.” Sect Leader Ma was clearly the type to hide a dagger behind a smile. He paid no mind to the sarcasm in Elder Zhao’s words and cheerfully accepted the false praise.
Elder Zhao was no stranger to such situations. Feeling helpless and unwilling to engage further with such a thick-skinned opponent, he fell silent. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder why Sect Leader Ma had suddenly directed such a remark at him at this moment.
Although Sect Leader Ma was not from his faction, this was the first time he had openly exposed internal conflicts in front of so many juniors. Elder Zhao couldn’t help but suspect some scheme was afoot.
Han Li listened to their exchange without changing his expression, pretending to know nothing. But inwardly, he understood perfectly—Sect Leader Ma was once again trying to sow discord between him and other high-ranking members.
Ever since their first encounter, Sect Leader Ma had repeatedly hinted to Han Li, hoping to recruit this highly skilled physician into his faction to expand his influence.
But Han Li had never once considered involving himself in the power struggles of the Seven Mysteries Sect.
It wasn’t that he was deliberately aloof or arrogant. Rather, after encountering experts like Physician Mo and Yu Zitong, and especially after learning two spells, his horizons had broadened significantly. He no longer had any interest in the petty power struggles of a small sect like the Seven Mysteries Sect. Even if he were to aspire to power, he would never stoop to serving under someone like Sect Leader Ma.
Although Han Li’s current strength was not weak, he had no desire to offend the other party. Thus, he adopted a strategy of delay with Sect Leader Ma—neither agreeing to his demands nor outright rejecting them, simply avoiding giving a clear answer.
This left Sect Leader Ma greatly frustrated.
Since Han Li refused to give a definitive answer, and his medical skills were indispensable, Sect Leader Ma couldn’t use force. Thus, the matter of Han Li joining his faction had been delayed until now without any resolution.
To prevent Han Li from joining other factions, Sect Leader Ma seized every opportunity to disrupt Han Li’s interactions with other high-ranking members and sow discord between them. Han Li didn’t know whether these seemingly childish tactics were effective, but it was true that no other faction leaders had bothered him so far. This unexpected benefit secretly delighted him.
Now, Sect Leader Ma was up to the same tricks again. No doubt, he had left a poor impression on Elder Zhao.
Ma Rong, seeing the tense standoff, grew anxious and hurriedly continued with the introductions.
“This is my master’s wife, Madam Li,” he said, first pointing to a middle-aged woman who bore some resemblance to the young girl.
“This is…”
“And this is…”
The young girl, being the youngest, was introduced last. Her name was Zhang Xiuer, and surprisingly, she turned out to be Elder Li’s niece—something Han Li hadn’t expected.
When it came to introducing Li Feiyu, the latter deliberately pretended not to know Han Li, adopting a cool, unapproachable demeanor. This left Ma Rong, who had been preparing to make introductions, somewhat embarrassed. He quickly whispered to Han Li, “Guardian Li is always like this. It’s just his usual temperament and not directed at you specifically, Physician Han. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Han Li smiled slightly, understanding that Li Feiyu didn’t want to expose their relationship in front of so many people.
“It’s nothing. I won’t stoop to the level of certain people. Let’s first take a look at Elder Li’s condition. Saving lives is more important.” Han Li deliberately took a subtle dig at Li Feiyu.
Hearing this, Ma Rong felt relieved and quickly led everyone into the patient’s bedroom.
Li Feiyu’s mouth twitched slightly upon hearing the remark, but he acted as though nothing had happened. However, when everyone turned their backs, he suddenly made a face at Han Li before immediately returning to his composed expression as if nothing had occurred.
Suppressing his laughter, Han Li ignored him and followed closely behind Madam Li to Elder Li’s bedside.
At the sight of the person on the bed, even the usually bold Han Li couldn’t help but gasp. Now he understood why the other physicians had dared not prescribe any medicine.
The once kind-faced Elder Li now lay unconscious. From his face to his neck, from his hands to his feet, poisonous spots the size of copper coins had appeared. These spots were vividly multicolored and alarming to behold. What troubled Han Li even more was the bluish tint of his lips and the layer of black energy shrouding his face—clear signs of advanced poisoning. Saving his life would be exceedingly difficult.
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