Leaving a Note and Departing at Night

Han Li did not have that much time to wait. In another four or five months at most, Doctor Mo would lay all his cards on the table with him, and Han Li had to gain some ability to protect himself before then.

So he finally decided to practice only a few secret techniques that were simple to master and could be put to use right away. He would set the others aside for now; once he had truly escaped the tiger's jaws this time, it would not be too late to learn them.

This greatly shortened the time he needed to train, allowing him to master a few quick and easy secret techniques as soon as possible.

In truth, Han Li also knew full well that even if he mastered every one of these secret techniques, he still might not be a match for Doctor Mo.

If Doctor Mo had not lied last time, then given his distinguished former status as a regional overlord, who knew how many formidable and vicious methods he had kept hidden during their last clash? The skills he had displayed were probably less than half his true strength.

Even so, whenever Han Li thought of those ghostlike skills, chills still ran through him, and he was extremely wary of Doctor Mo.

He knew perfectly well that there was only so much he could learn in such a short time, and that the threat he could pose to Doctor Mo was so small as to be almost negligible. But Han Li would never do anything so foolish as surrender without a fight and let himself be manipulated.

Han Li knew that if he fought Doctor Mo again, his only advantage would be the man's contempt for him. Only by catching Doctor Mo off guard when he was careless and had let his guard down against Han Li could he possibly gain a sliver of hope for survival.

Over the days that followed, Han Li committed the entire Blinking Sword Manual to memory and selected several secret techniques that were useful to him at present. He began studying them, hoping to work out a way to master them quickly.

After several days of racking his brains, he put together a complete set of training methods from the book. Having finished such a complicated task in so little time, he was quite pleased with his efficiency.

Over the next half month, Han Li took care of a number of minor matters one by one, making thorough preparations and leaving himself free of lingering worries.

First, he returned the original manual to Li Feiyu one day, exactly as he had received it. He also took the opportunity to tell him how he had encountered a Wild Wolf Gang spy, naturally including how he had seen through the kitchen steward's identity.

Sure enough, Li Feiyu was both startled and delighted. He threw an arm around Han Li's shoulders and called him "good brother" over and over. He was deeply moved that Han Li had given him such a great achievement for nothing.

What he did not know, however, was that Han Li was busy trying to save his own skin. How could he have any mind to catch spies? If he could do Li Feiyu a favor without spending his own time and effort, why wouldn't he?

Once he had finished his business with Li Feiyu, Han Li went personally to visit several skilled blacksmiths in the sect, one after another.

From them, he commissioned several sheathed short swords of different designs and asked for a few small alterations to be made to them in secret. Besides those, he also ordered some nameless components whose purpose was hard to tell, along with several small, exquisite iron bells, all to be forged as quickly as possible. Han Li spent a considerable amount of silver on them, making him feel the pinch again.

Several days later, Han Li received the items he had commissioned from the blacksmiths. At the sight of the gleaming short swords and the small, finely made iron bells, he was very satisfied. He praised the blacksmiths' craftsmanship repeatedly, feeling that his silver had been well spent.

That night, Han Li vanished without a trace from his residence, leaving only a note by his bed. It read:

"Elder Mo, there is no need to worry. I am not running away or hiding. I simply feel too much pressure living in the same valley as you, and it is detrimental to my practice of the Eternal Spring Art. For that reason, your disciple has decided to find another secluded place on the mountain to enter seclusion and cultivate. You may rest assured that I will return to meet you on this same day four months from now.

"Respectfully, Han Li"

Leaning back in a grand armchair, Doctor Mo held the note in his left hand and read it carefully, his face clouded over. Another note lay on the table beside him, listing the items Han Li had ordered from the blacksmiths not long ago.

At that moment, the only sound in the room was the soft tapping of Doctor Mo's right fingers against the table.

Suddenly, he gave a cold snort. The paper in his hand crumbled to dust and scattered across the floor.

He rose irritably and paced several steps around the room, frowning as he pondered something. After going back and forth a few times, he stopped and muttered to himself:

"You little brat, I don't know what devilish scheme you're hatching, but no matter what tricks you try, you won't escape the palm of my hand. I'm determined to have you."

With that, Doctor Mo spun around and walked to the window. He let out a long, low whistle, and a small, nameless yellow-feathered bird flew in through the window. It circled the room a few times before landing on his shoulder.

As soon as the little bird found its footing, it affectionately rubbed its beak against his face again and again, letting out clear, rolling coos.

"All right, I know you're hungry. Here, these are your favorite yellow chestnut pellets."

At the sight of the bird, a faint smile appeared on Doctor Mo's gloomy face, and his gaze turned indulgent. He took a yellow pellet of bird feed from his pocket and put it into the little bird's beak.

"Go on. Just like before, keep a close watch on that person. The moment he leaves this mountain range, fly straight back and tell me," Doctor Mo instructed it as though speaking to a person.

As soon as the little bird ate the food, it flew excitedly around the room, cooing. After hearing his words, it circled once, then darted out the window and disappeared into the sky.

"Hmph! With a Cloud-Winged Bird, said to fly faster than an arrow shot from a powerful bow, watching you, let's see what tricks you can pull," he muttered darkly.

"Four months? I'll wait for that day to come. It looks like the plan is about to succeed! Now, whoever dares stand in my way and obstruct the plan, I'll kill him. If a god stands in my way, I'll kill the god; if a Buddha stands in my way, I'll kill the Buddha."

"Haha! Haha!" Doctor Mo suddenly burst into unrestrained laughter, his eyes full of madness.