The Fright Subsided
The rabbits before him were still growing bigger, continuing to swell.
Han Li sensed that something was wrong. Something suddenly occurred to him, and he hurled the porcelain bowl in his hand, which he now regarded like a venomous snake or scorpion, into the medicinal field nearby. Then he turned and ran, only stopping when he was more than ten zhang away from the rabbits.
Just as he was about to look back, two explosions rang out one after the other, almost at the same instant. Han Li shuddered and turned around. Sure enough, both rabbits had burst, their bodies blown into several pieces, their flesh and blood scattered across the ground. Two pits had appeared where the rabbits had been tied up, with their remains strewn all around them. Blood and chunks of flesh covered the ground; it was a gruesome sight.
Han Li let out a long breath and dropped onto the ground. If he hadn't reacted quickly enough, he might have been caught in the rabbits' explosions. He might not have been seriously injured, but being drenched in rabbit blood and scraps of flesh would hardly have been pleasant.
Only after he had calmed down did Han Li get up and walk over to the pits.
He looked at the bloody mess, then glanced at the porcelain bowl shattered to pieces in the medicinal field. He was speechless.
Han Li had thought he might discover some miraculous medicine in the green liquid, but he hadn't expected it to be something so terrifying. Poison was one thing, but it had made the rabbits die such miserable deaths! He wouldn't touch the stuff now, no matter what. It was too frightening! Han Li was no stranger to deadly poisons. Under Doctor Mo's instruction over the past few years, he had seen all kinds of poisons that sealed the throat the moment they touched blood, but none that could make someone die so horribly.
Fortunately, Han Li was fairly resilient. Even in these surroundings, he managed to stay calm and remain a little longer before deciding to leave.
Noon was almost here, and he had to deliver the secret medicine he had prepared to Senior Brother Li. The aftermath here would have to wait until after he had delivered it.
With that in mind, Han Li didn't spare the scene of the explosions another glance. Leaving all the trouble for later, he returned to his quarters, rested for a while, then took the medicine to the entrance of Divine Hand Valley.
Han Li was punctual. It was exactly noon when he arrived at the valley entrance, but Li Feiyu appeared to have been waiting there anxiously for some time.
He was alone at the valley exit, having changed into a white brocade robe, though he still carried the long saber that had left such a deep impression on Han Li on his back. When Han Li arrived, he was gazing anxiously toward the valley, a trace of urgency on his face.
Only when he saw Han Li arrive did his anxious expression disappear. The corners of his mouth rose slightly, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Junior Brother Han, you really are punctual! You said noon, and you actually arrived right on the dot. I've been waiting for over half a shichen," Li Feiyu said, half joking and half complaining.
"Sorry. Preparing the medicine took too much time yesterday, and I didn't get to sleep until very late, so I got up a little late this morning. By the time I finished everything I had on hand, it was already noon," Han Li said, also mixing truth with falsehood.
"Junior Brother Han, the medicine, that medicine... is it ready?" Senior Brother Li was so anxious that he was a little flustered, and he even began to stammer.
Han Li didn't answer Senior Brother Li's question. Smiling unhurriedly, he slowly took a palm-sized packet of medicine from inside his robes and tossed it to Li Feiyu with a flick of his hand.
"Before you take a Marrow Extraction Pill each time, mix a spoonful of the medicinal powder in the packet with cooled boiled water and drink it. That should ease your suffering."
"Thank you, Junior Brother Han! Thank you, Junior Brother Han!" Senior Brother Li was beside himself with joy. Even the slightest relief from the pain would be an immense blessing to him. The pain of taking a Marrow Extraction Pill truly made him shudder. He had taken many painkillers before, but none had done much good. Since Junior Brother Han knew all the characteristics of the Marrow Extraction Pill and had taken it himself, perhaps his medicine really would work.
"Don't thank me so quickly. It won't be too late to thank me once the medicine actually works. Also, this is only a year's supply. I've used up all the medicinal ingredients I had on hand. Once I've gathered enough, I'll prepare a few more batches for you," Han Li said frankly.
"It's all right. Isn't this a year's supply? That's enough for now. Whether the medicine works or not, I, Li Feiyu, appreciate the thought, Junior Brother Han." Now that Senior Brother Li had what he wanted, his expression returned to normal. Dropping the pretense, he readily acknowledged that he owed Han Li another great favor.
Han Li smiled slightly and said no more. He took the initiative to bid Senior Brother Li farewell and return.
Holding the secret medicine, Li Feiyu also wanted to hurry back and test its effects. He didn't ask Han Li to stay, and the two said their goodbyes and parted.
After returning to the valley, Han Li first went to the medicinal garden and tidied it up. He swept the rabbits' remains, the bloodstained soil, the broken bowl, and everything else into the pits, then filled and leveled the two holes that had appeared out of nowhere. The place now looked much as it had before the experiment.
Han Li dusted off his hands in satisfaction and looked around to see whether he had missed anything.
When his gaze fell on the spot where the porcelain bowl had shattered, he couldn't help falling into thought.
He remembered clearly that when he had thrown the bowl away, all the diluted liquid inside had spilled onto that little patch of medicinal field, soaking several medicinal herbs growing there. He hesitated, wondering whether the herbs would also become poisonous after absorbing the liquid. And if someone ate those poisonous herbs, would they meet the same end as the rabbits? Should he clear away the poisonous herbs right now? This string of questions suddenly sprang into Han Li's mind.
Han Li pondered for a long time before deciding to wait and observe them for a while longer, treating it as another little experiment. If the herbs really did turn poisonous in the next few days, it wouldn't be too late to clear them away then.
Having made up his mind, he saw that there was nothing else for him to do, so he went back to the stone chamber to cultivate. He hoped to make another breakthrough after the great advance in his cultivation.
Han Li had long since stopped concerning himself with the Mnemonic's specific use. Cultivating it had become an instinctive response for him. If he didn't cultivate it, he wouldn't even know what to do with himself on the mountain. Pursuing a higher level of cultivation in the Mnemonic had become the whole goal of his life at present.
After an afternoon of focused cultivation, Han Li discovered to his dismay that he really wasn't a genius. Although he felt he was only a finger's poke away from breaking through to the fourth layer, he still hadn't advanced in the slightest. An entire afternoon of hard cultivation had been in vain.
It seemed he couldn't manage without the external aid of medicine. Otherwise, he might remain stuck at the third layer forever, unable to advance another step.
Han Li began to hope that Doctor Mo would return sooner and be fortunate enough to find plenty of medicinal ingredients to help him break through his current predicament.