“You’re getting too carried away. This kid is very shrewd and not someone to be trifled with. Don’t let all your efforts go to waste at the last moment and end up being defeated by this boy.” Suddenly, the voice of another young man echoed in Dr. Mo’s mind.
Dr. Mo’s expression changed, his face turning as cold as frost. He coldly rebuked, “Yu Zitong, mind your own business. I don’t need you to lecture me. If I succeed, you’ll naturally benefit. But the cultivation technique you gave me seems flawed. Are you hoping something goes wrong for me?”
The suspicion in Dr. Mo’s words was unmistakable.
The voice seemed afraid of Dr. Mo. After his threat, it hurriedly explained, “How could there be any mistake? Didn’t you test it on animals? As for the one that died, it was only because you weren’t familiar with the technique. But that dead one shouldn’t affect your plan.”
“Hmph! It better be that way. It’s a pity I can’t practice more, or I’d have a better chance of success.” After hearing this and recalling his previous experiments with the technique, Dr. Mo’s last trace of doubt vanished.
After he spoke, the voice, having learned its lesson, remained silent. Only Dr. Mo was left muttering to himself neurotically, creating an eerie atmosphere in the room.
Meanwhile, Han Li found himself in an inconspicuous ravine, even more remote and hidden than the place where he had met Li Feiyu.
The terrain was long and narrow, wedged between two steep hills in a straight line. Both ends of the ravine were densely blocked by bushes, making passage impossible. Apart from a secretly hung rope from the top of the shorter hill, there was no other way out.
The ravine was also overgrown with dense thickets of thorns, occupying most of the land and leaving only a small clearing for Han Li to stand. At the top of the ravine, countless unnamed vines intertwined to form a natural green canopy, ensuring no one would accidentally spot him from above.
Han Li placed his belongings under a large rock and returned to the center of the clearing. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them with a determined expression and softly said, “I’ll start with the most difficult technique—the Soft Bone Art.”
And so, Han Li began his solitary training.
Unbeknownst to him, a small yellow bird perched on a branch not far away, watching him day and night. Only because he showed no intention of escaping did it refrain from flying back to report to its master.
Time flew by, and half of the four months had passed in the blink of an eye.
The ravine now appeared empty, with no sign of Han Li. Only the little yellow bird remained, unhurriedly preening its feathers and seemingly indifferent to the disappearance of its surveillance target, as if it had forgotten its mission entirely.
Suddenly, a gray bird flew through the green vines above into the ravine. After circling a few times, it landed on a yellow wooden stump at the edge of the clearing, apparently planning to rest before flying away.
The little yellow bird tilted its head, casting a haughty glance at its newly arrived counterpart, then revealed a mocking, almost human-like expression, as if looking down on the gray bird.
The newcomer stood on one leg, scanning its surroundings until it noticed its fellow bird. It spread its wings as if preparing to fly over.
But then, an unexpected event occurred—a withered, yellowish hand descended from above and seized the bewildered gray bird.
Terrified, the bird struggled desperately but couldn’t break free from the grasp of the hand’s owner.
Only then did the bird realize that the stump beneath its feet had somehow transformed into a young man in a yellow shirt. The youth had dark skin, ordinary features, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. Aside from his clear gaze, there was nothing particularly striking about him.
Smiling, the young man watched the bird struggle in his hand. Only when it was nearly exhausted did he release his grip and gently say, “Go on. Don’t be so foolish next time! Look carefully before you land.”
Freed, the bird flapped its wings in panic and flew out of the ravine without looking back.
After watching the bird leave, the young man stood still for a long while before murmuring to himself, “It seems my Breath-Concealing Art and Disguise Technique have reached a certain level. Next, I should practice assassination skills in the secret room.”
With that, Han Li moved toward a newly built small wooden cabin nearby. As he passed the tree where the little yellow bird perched, he couldn’t help but glance up at it.
He had noticed this peculiar bird over half a month ago. It had been perched on a nearby branch, constantly watching him, seemingly highly intelligent.
From the first moment he saw it, Han Li had been captivated by its cleverness and had grown extremely fond of the little yellow bird.
He had tried to lure it away, but no method—”enticement,” “seduction,” or “traps”—worked. The bird showed no intention of falling for his tricks and occasionally even looked at him with a scornful, mocking gaze, leaving Han Li both amused and frustrated.
Eventually, in frustration, he tried to capture it by force. But before he could get close, the bird would immediately take flight. As soon as Han Li left, it would return to its perch, leaving him standing there helplessly, staring in annoyance.
Thinking of this, Han Li turned away resentfully, ignoring the bird. Deep down, he had a vague suspicion that this bird was likely connected to Dr. Mo, perhaps sent to keep an eye on him.
But Han Li didn’t care. As long as Dr. Mo wasn’t personally monitoring him, what could a little bird possibly report? Moreover, he genuinely adored this clever little creature and couldn’t bring himself to use harsh methods against it.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mo was in a stone chamber, drawing a strange formation with beast bone powder. As he worked, he discussed something with the other presence in his mind, completely unaware that Han Li had already uncovered his surveillance method.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage