Conflict Erupts

Doctor Mo was expressionless, his eyes half open, one hand resting firmly on Han Li's wrist.

He focused all his attention on the strength of the True Qi inside Han Li's body and said nothing for a long while.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he finally let out a deep breath, as though expelling all the frustration in his heart. His eyes snapped open, and a gleam shot from their murky depths, making it hard to meet his gaze.

His face was gloomy. Clearly, he was dissatisfied with Han Li, but he still said nothing to rebuke him.

He waved a hand indifferently, motioning for Han Li to follow him.

Han Li obediently followed behind him. Though he was very interested in the mysterious person at the side, he knew this was not the time to ask questions as he pleased.

After entering the room, Doctor Mo sat down wearily in an armchair, his back pressed against it, half sitting and half reclining. The gleam in his eyes had faded, and he once again looked like a man who had long been ill.

The mysterious person followed close behind him without leaving his side. Once he sat down, the person stood ramrod straight behind the chair, utterly motionless.

Han Li knew Doctor Mo was in a foul mood and was unwilling to provoke his displeasure by speaking first. Like the mysterious person, he walked to the middle of the room and faced Doctor Mo with his head lowered. Sensibly, he stood still and waited for Doctor Mo to question him.

A long time passed, and still no one spoke. Han Li found it a little strange and could no longer hold his patience. He quietly started to raise his head to steal a glance at Doctor Mo.

"If you want to look, then look. Why sneak around?" Han Li had only raised his head halfway when Doctor Mo's cold, harsh voice reached him.

Han Li froze for a moment, then obediently raised his head. His gaze roamed over Doctor Mo's face several times before he quickly drew it back.

Han Li's expression did not change, but inside, his heart churned like towering waves in a raging sea.

How had Doctor Mo's face become so strange all of a sudden? A faint layer of black Qi had appeared over his somewhat ashen face. As though alive, it stretched out countless tiny feelers that danced wildly across his face, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws. What shocked Han Li even more was that Doctor Mo had abandoned his usual stiff expression for one of ruthless resolve. He was staring at Han Li with ill intent, a mocking sneer at the corners of his mouth.

Han Li felt that something was not quite right. A trace of unease wound its way into his heart, and a hint of danger began to spread through the room.

Alert, he carefully edged half a step back and slipped his hand into his sleeve, grasping an iron tube hidden there. Only then did his taut nerves relax a little. Suddenly, Doctor Mo's low, mocking voice reached his ears.

"You dare show off such petty cleverness?"

Doctor Mo moved, shifting eerily from his half-reclining position to his feet. After a sinister smile, his figure blurred, and he appeared beside Han Li like a ghost, looking at him with a cold chuckle.

Han Li's expression changed drastically. Knowing he was in trouble, he hurriedly tried to raise his arm, but his body went numb, and he could not move.

Only then did he see the other man's fingers withdraw from an acupoint on his chest.

That was far too fast. He had not even noticed the man strike.

"Elder Mo, what are you doing? If this disciple has done something wrong, please just say so. Why did you have to seal this disciple's acupoint?" Han Li could no longer maintain his usual composure. He forced a smile as he spoke to Doctor Mo.

Doctor Mo said nothing. He merely thumped his own back a few times with one hand and coughed lightly, looking like a frail old man barely able to withstand a breeze.

But Han Li had just seen how swiftly he had subdued him. How could he still dare to regard him as an ordinary, gravely ill old man? Instead, his act only made Han Li take him more seriously.

"Doctor Mo, a man of your standing needn't stoop to arguing with this disciple. Please unseal this disciple's acupoint. Whatever punishment you choose, this disciple will bear it all."

Han Li went on to say a few more pleasing, flattering things.

But Doctor Mo paid him no attention. He reached into Han Li's sleeve, searched out the iron tube, and held it in his hand. Then he watched Han Li's performance with a mocking, disdainful gaze.

Seeing this, Han Li's heart sank to its lowest depths. His hope of moving the man with words was utterly extinguished.

It seemed the man would not give him the slightest opening to exploit.

Han Li gradually fell silent, his face growing calm as he returned Doctor Mo's gaze without a trace of emotion.

In that instant, everything in the room seemed to stand still. Not a sound could be heard; it was as calm as the lull before a storm.

"Good! Good! Good!" The three words suddenly burst from Doctor Mo's mouth.

"You truly are worthy of being the person I, Mo Juren, chose. Even now, you can keep a straight face and remain calm in the face of danger. The great investment I made in you was not wasted." All at once, he began praising Han Li.

"What exactly do you intend to do with me?" Han Li did not respond to Doctor Mo's words, instead asking a question.

"Hehe! What do I intend to do with you?" Doctor Mo repeated Han Li's question without committing himself.

"What I do with you will depend on how you behave."

"What do you mean?" Han Li frowned, vaguely guessing some of what the man had planned.

"Even if I don't tell you, someone as clever as you should understand a little, shouldn't you?"

"I can only guess a small part. I still don't understand how the whole affair began or how everything fits together." Han Li did not deny it, admitting it quite frankly.

"Very good. That's the right way to go about it. If you have any questions, just ask me directly. Don't keep them bottled up inside." Doctor Mo smiled insidiously. The black Qi on his face seemed to grow several shades thicker, making his features look even more sinister.

"I know you've been on guard against me all along and never truly regarded me as your master. But that doesn't matter. I never truly regarded you as my disciple either," Doctor Mo said with a soft snort.