The Nameless Mnemonic
"Wake up! Wake up!"
A faint voice, seemingly calling from beyond the sky, startled Han Li out of his deep sleep. The moment he opened his eyes, an enormous face was hovering right in front of him. Startled, he drew back before recognizing the owner of the terrifying face as Zhang Tie, another boy.
"Eat something. We have to go see Elder Mo after supper." Zhang Tie handed Han Li two steaming buns.
"Where did you find food?" Han Li paused before accepting them.
"There's a big kitchen near the valley. I saw everyone getting food there, so I went and got some too. After I ate, I realized you hadn't eaten yet, so I got you two buns." Zhang Tie gave Han Li an honest smile.
"Thank you, Brother Zhang." Han Li was a little touched. Seeing that Zhang Tie looked much older than he did, he couldn't help calling him "Brother Zhang."
"D-don't mention it. I'm used to doing things at home. If I go a little while without doing anything, I always feel a little... a little uneasy. If you ever need help with anything, just ask. I don't have much else, but I've got strength to spare." Zhang Tie seemed a little embarrassed, and his words came out in a stammer.
Han Li had eaten neither breakfast nor lunch and was quite hungry. One bun went down in three or five bites, and in no time at all, he had polished off both large buns.
"It's getting late. Let's go see Elder Mo." Han Li let out a few contented burps and looked at the setting sun outside the window. He estimated the time and decided they should go see Doctor Mo.
Zhang Tie had no objection and followed Han Li to Doctor Mo's room.
Inside Doctor Mo's room, rows of bookshelves stood along the walls, packed tightly with books of every kind.
"Elder Mo!"
"Elder Mo!"
Doctor Mo leaned back in a grand armchair, engrossed in a book. He seemed completely unaware of their arrival and had apparently not heard their greetings either. Han Li and Zhang Tie were only children, after all, and when Doctor Mo paid them no attention, they were at a loss. Not knowing what to do, they could only stand to one side and wait.
Only when Han Li's feet had begun to go numb did Doctor Mo unhurriedly set his book on the desk beside him. He gave the two boys a cold look, then picked up a cup of tea and took a few small sips before finally speaking at a leisurely pace.
"From today onward, you two are my Registered Disciples. I'll teach you some basic knowledge of gathering and refining medicinal herbs, and perhaps some medical skills for treating and saving people as well. But I will never teach you martial arts." Doctor Mo set down his tea again, his face expressionless.
"I have a Mnemonic for nurturing the body and cultivating the temperament that I'll teach you. Although it won't let you overcome your enemies, it can strengthen your bodies. If you really want to learn a few martial arts moves, you can go to the instructors. I won't object. But six months from now, I'll only test your progress in cultivating this Mnemonic. If you don't meet the standard, you'll still be sent to the outer sect as outer sect disciples. Is that clear?" Doctor Mo's tone suddenly turned serious. He seemed to attach great importance to the Mnemonic.
"Understood," Han Li and Zhang Tie answered in unison.
"You two may go. Come back early tomorrow morning." Doctor Mo waved them out, then picked up his book and resumed reading.
Before leaving, Han Li couldn't resist glancing at the book in Doctor Mo's hands. Unfortunately, he couldn't read, and all he knew was that its title consisted of three enormous black characters. Sadly, they knew him, but he didn't know them.
After stepping out of Doctor Mo's room, Han Li couldn't help breathing a quiet sigh of relief. For some reason, while he was inside, he hadn't dared breathe too loudly, and his mind had been wound tight. Now that he was out, he immediately relaxed and returned to normal.
For the next few days, Han Li remained excited because he could finally count himself as a disciple of the Seven Mysteries Sect. Though he was only a Registered Disciple, that was still better than the other boys who had been sent home. Even if he failed the test in six months, he could become an outer sect disciple like his third uncle. In Han Li's eyes, his third uncle was already a man of considerable standing and status, so he didn't take the test to heart. Deep down, he even faintly hoped he would fail, so he could leave the mountain sooner and see his parents and his beloved younger sister.
In the days that followed, Doctor Mo taught them some medical knowledge in the mornings. In the afternoons, he sent them to a study hall to learn reading and writing alongside the other boys, as well as the basics of martial arts, such as the twelve primary meridians, the eight extraordinary meridians, and the locations of the body's acupoints. They also practiced horse stance and struck straw dummies together to train their basic skills.
A month later, Han Li and Zhang Tie finally parted ways with the other boys. They no longer had time to learn anything else, because Doctor Mo had begun teaching them a nameless Mnemonic, and practicing it took up most of their time. Doctor Mo also strictly forbade them from passing the Mnemonic on to anyone else. If they leaked it, he would punish them severely and expel them from his tutelage.
During this time, Han Li learned quite a bit about the Seven Mysteries Sect and Doctor Mo from others. The Seven Mysteries Sect had a principal sect master named Wang Lu, a direct descendant of High Person Seven Ultimates, as well as three deputy sect masters. The sect was divided into two major parts, the outer sect and the inner sect. The outer sect had four halls: Flying Bird Hall, Treasure Gathering Hall, Four Seas Hall, and Outer Blade Hall. The inner sect had four halls: Hundred Tempering Hall, Seven Ultimates Hall, Attendant Hall, and Blood Blade Hall. There was also a Council of Elders, subordinate only to the principal sect master and on equal footing with the deputy sect masters.
Doctor Mo had not originally been a disciple of the Seven Mysteries Sect. Several years earlier, Sect Master Wang Lu had accidentally fallen into an enemy's trap while away from the sect. His adversary had led a group in an attack on him, leaving him gravely wounded and at death's door, while everyone around him was at a loss. As it happened, they encountered Doctor Mo, a physician. With hands that could bring back spring, Doctor Mo cured the ailment the moment his medicine was administered and saved the great Sect Master Wang's life. Sect Master Wang was naturally overcome with gratitude. Later, upon learning that Doctor Mo not only possessed superb medical skills but was also no weak hand at martial arts, he invited him back to the sect. He then carefully selected a small valley in the mountains and had this residence built especially for him, so Doctor Mo could settle down in peace at the Seven Mysteries Sect. Thus, Doctor Mo became an Attendant of the sect's Attendant Hall. During his time at the Seven Mysteries Sect, the disciples had never seen him fight and did not know how strong his martial arts were. But he had saved many sect disciples with his brilliant medical skills, and so, although he was often expressionless and spoke little, he was still respected by the disciples.