A Surge of Bold Spirit

Han Li turned and walked toward the door. When he reached it, he suddenly looked back and asked one more question:

"That brother standing behind Elder Mo hasn't said a word all this time. May I ask where he comes from?"

Hearing Han Li's sudden question, Doctor Mo smiled faintly and slyly dodged it.

"You're so clever. Take a guess. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Han Li shook his head and left Doctor Mo's room without another word. Whether he couldn't guess or simply didn't want to was impossible to say.

As soon as Han Li stepped outside, his face darkened.

In this clash with Doctor Mo, I was subdued without any power to fight back. I was still too naive, thinking I could rely on petty cleverness to hold my own against him. In the end, the tube of Five Poisons Water I went to such trouble to make was seized before it could do anything. I need to go back and give some serious thought to how I can strengthen myself.

With that thought, he strode toward his residence. It seemed he was unwilling to remain under Doctor Mo's control like this.

Inside the room, Doctor Mo stared dumbfounded at the wooden plank floor, where a black hole as wide as a bowl had appeared. Just now, he had casually test-fired the contents of the iron tube, only for the venom sprayed from it to corrode straight through the floor with ease. Seeing the venom's bizarre potency, Doctor Mo could no longer suppress his belated fear. He jumped to his feet and cursed:

"Little bastard, when did he learn to make poison like this? I never taught him anything of the sort. I thought it was just ordinary Immortal Toppler knockout drug. That little brat really is ruthless, turning on me and throwing all regard aside."

Unaware that he had given Doctor Mo such a fright, Han Li returned to his room, fell onto his bed, and slept soundly. He had undergone such a great upheaval that day and was exhausted in both body and mind. He desperately needed rest to regain his strength.

Fully rested, Han Li slowly awoke from his sleep. He sat up and looked at the sky. The east was beginning to pale; it seemed to be the next morning already. He really had slept for quite a while.

Sitting upright, Han Li did not get out of bed. Instead, he propped his chin in his hands, his arms resting on his thighs, and pondered how to escape Doctor Mo's control.

Clearly, he would be absolutely safe for this year. For the sake of his own life, Doctor Mo would not lay a hand on him and would instead do everything he could to keep him safe. But whether Han Li would still be safe after a year was hard to say.

Han Li did not need to worry about the Eternal Spring Art. He had reached the fourth layer a few days ago, and after a year, the fifth layer would surely be his for the taking. He did not need to give it any more thought.

The Corpse Worm Pill was also easy to deal with. When the time came, he only needed to show Doctor Mo his progress in cultivation, then use it to pressure him into giving him the antidote before he demanded treatment. Presumably, Doctor Mo would not offend him over that.

Suddenly, Han Li remembered something. He felt around on his person and took out a medicine bottle, poured a jade-green pill from it, then tilted his head back and swallowed it. After a while, once the medicine took effect, he quietly began to examine his body internally.

"Ah! That old devil Mo really didn't lie to me about the Corpse Worm Pill. Clear Spirit Powder can counter every poison under heaven, yet it has no effect at all on this pill. Looks like I really will have to wait a year to get the antidote," Han Li muttered under his breath, somewhat vexed.

After putting the medicine bottle back inside his robes, he rose and stepped down from the bed.

He began pacing around the room's only table.

Walking slowly with his hands clasped behind his back, he continued to consider the various problems on his mind.

Han Li did not entirely believe what Doctor Mo had told him. He knew there were bound to be many untruths in it. Unfortunately, even knowing that, he could not resist, since Doctor Mo had threatened his family.

Han Li greatly doubted whether Doctor Mo would really keep his promise after a year. If things were truly as simple as Doctor Mo had said, that would be easy enough to handle; he would have no need to oppose him at all. But if Doctor Mo had concealed the parts that were unfavorable to him and turned on him with a deadly hand when the time came, wouldn't he be left without even a chance to resist if he made no preparations?

Han Li turned it over in his mind several times, but could not think of a good solution.

Now both he and Doctor Mo were afraid of each other. Doctor Mo feared that Han Li would not devote himself to cultivation and would cost him his life, while Han Li worried that once Doctor Mo had put his worries behind him, he would strike him down.

Originally, he could have used this to threaten Doctor Mo and make him hold back, like a man afraid to smash a rat for fear of breaking the vase. But now that his opponent had seized his family, his lifeline, he could only hold himself back at every turn and reluctantly compromise.

Do I really have to place my life in his hands and hope he shows great mercy and spares me when the time comes? Han Li was a little disheartened.

No, I absolutely can't do that. My fate must never hinge on another person's passing thought. Handing everything I have over for someone else to control is the most foolish idea of all. He immediately rejected that foolish thought.

After racking his brains, Han Li finally came up with a plan that was hardly a plan at all.

He intended to strengthen himself in every way he could and find every means to increase his own bargaining chips, so as to deter Doctor Mo. Even if Doctor Mo really did strike, he would still have some chance of protecting himself.

It really was a clumsy idea. He could only defend himself passively and let Doctor Mo strike first. But as things stood, this was the only workable method, and a relatively thorough and prudent one.

Having made up his mind, Han Li decided to take a walk outside. He pushed open the door, stepped into the open space outside, stretched lazily, and yawned.

Facing the somewhat biting morning wind, he gazed at the red sun, already half risen, and a surge of bold spirit welled up in him:

"My fate belongs in my own hands alone. I'll never let anyone else control it."