When Doctor Mo saw the valley in ruins from outside, he was still quite alarmed. It wasn't until he reached where he lived and saw Wang Yue, Zhang Tie, and Han Li preparing timber nearby that he finally relaxed.
Wang Yue was the first to notice Doctor Mo. Looking grave, he said, "Doctor Mo, this place has been badly damaged. We'll make some temporary repairs. If you don't feel comfortable staying here, we can move up the mountain."
A fleeting look of gratitude crossed Doctor Mo's eyes before he quickly recovered. He patted Wang Yue on the shoulder and said with a smile, "No need. I'm used to living here. I wouldn't feel at home anywhere else!"
Zhang Tie was also glad to see Doctor Mo return. He immediately said with a smile, "Then let's work harder and get the house fixed as soon as possible."
Doctor Mo rarely showed such warmth. He nodded at Zhang Tie, then hurried back to his room. The place was in disarray, with several holes in it, but nobody had come in to tidy up. Instead, that put him at ease.
In fact, Doctor Mo himself had made the rule. He had told Wang Yue, Han Li, and Zhang Tie that they were never to enter this room, so they had stayed out and merely covered the roof as best they could.
"We can't wait any longer!"
As Doctor Mo was sorting through the bottles and jars, a cloud of black mist emerged from him and said excitedly.
Doctor Mo's face darkened. He snapped impatiently, "Get lost! I know that already. You don't need to remind me!"
"Good. As long as you know!"
The black mist circled a few times, then returned to Doctor Mo.
Late that night, just after Wang Yue, Han