The Heart Demon Rises

Han Li watched Li Feiyu’s gradually receding back, standing still and silent.

After agreeing to meet the next day at noon for the medicine, Li Feiyu had taken his leave voluntarily, saying he needed to rest and recover more.

Throughout this entire time, Han Li had never pressed Li Feiyu about why he had taken this secret pill. Han Li knew that even asking would not change what had already happened.

Since he would rather throw away his entire future, trading it only for the fleeting glory of being “Senior Brother Li” right now, it meant he definitely had a bitter reason he could not avoid. No one willingly walked toward death, not even a slow one with an exorbitant price tag. If Han Li forced him to speak the reason, he would only be tearing open a wound that had just begun to heal, making it bleed again.

Clearly, Han Li’s choice was correct. Before leaving, Li Feiyu saw that Han Li had not pressed him about the exact reasons behind taking the “Marrow-Extracting Pill,” and he was genuinely grateful for Han Li’s consideration. Though he did not say it aloud, Han Li knew that the other man now owed him another favor, not small but not trivial either.

Han Li had decided to keep his promise. Not only would he not spread Li Feiyu’s secret, but he would also prepare the pain-relieving medicine as soon as he returned to the valley.

His reasoning was simple: since the man was not a petty villain and had not actually tried to kill him, then Han Li would make sure the man owed him an even greater favor—one large enough that it would be hard to refuse any request Han Li made in the future.

In these final years, Li Feiyu’s martial arts would only grow stronger. The stronger the other man became, the greater the chance he could be useful to Han Li. Even if Han Li never needed him in the years ahead, it did not matter. Giving a small, easy hand to someone who was not a bad person was, after all, something that brought a small peace of mind. Li Feiyu might not necessarily be a good man, but after what happened today, at least he would pose no harm to Han Li.

Han Li turned the entire affair over in his mind, making sure he had not missed anything, and only then did he saunter back to Spirit Hand Valley.

After returning to the valley at a leisurely pace, he soon began preparing the medicine Li Feiyu needed. This pain-dulling formula was not difficult to make. All the required herbs could be found in the valley’s herb garden. It was merely a tedious process, requiring careful attention.

After an afternoon of work, Han Li prepared enough medicine to last Li Feiyu a full year. He could have made more, but he hoped Li Feiyu would return each year to collect the dose, ensuring he never forgot this debt of gratitude.

By evening, Han Li broke his usual routine. He sat down on a chair in front of his door, looking up at the pitch-black starry sky and the brilliant moon, lost in thought.

He was missing his family again.

It had been over four years since he left his parents. Since climbing this mountain, he had spent almost every day bitterly training in the oral formula, too busy to spare a thought for his home, and had never once gone down the mountain. He only sent word to have most of his monthly silver allowance brought back to his family. Each year, he received a single letter written by Uncle Old Zhang on behalf of his parents, reporting that all was well. The letters were brief, telling him only that everything was fine at home and rarely mentioning anything else. He knew his family’s life had improved greatly. His elder brother had married and started his own household. His second brother had found a bride, and arrangements were being made for the wedding next year. All these changes were because of the silver he sent home.

But Han Li could keenly sense from the tone of several letters that his family treated him with increasing formality—so formal that it felt like they were addressing a stranger. This feeling had frightened Han Li at first. He had not known how to deal with it. But as time passed, for reasons he could not name, that fear had naturally faded. The image of his family had gradually grown hazy in his mind.

It was only on nights like this, when the scene stirred his emotions, that he would once again miss his family, recalling the warmth he had felt at home. That feeling, so rare now, comforted him and seemed precious. He would savor it slowly, little by little.

Han Li raised his hand to his chest, fingers tracing the small leather pouch that held the protective charm through his clothes.

In the past, a few touches would bring a quiet, deep satisfaction. But tonight, for reasons he could not understand, the touch only stirred his heart more violently, refusing to let him settle.

A nameless oppression built in his chest. He could not control his emotions. His body felt wrong from head to toe. The blood and qi inside him began to churn violently, and the strange energy cultivated from his nameless formula grew restless, straining to break free.

“Qi deviation” — that terrifying word suddenly surfaced in his mind.

Han Li stood up. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Doctor Mo was not here. He would have to handle this crisis himself.

How could he have triggered a qi deviation for no reason? Han Li still felt puzzled. This was not the time to trace root causes, but starting from the source—finding what had sparked this deviation—was still the most reliable way to solve the problem completely.

He raised his head, scanning the area around him. Nothing caught his eye.

He scratched his chin with his right hand, then his elbow bumped against a bulging object. Subconsciously, his gaze fell on it.

“Small leather pouch… ‘protective charm’…” The name of this object instantly flashed through his mind.

“Could this be what’s causing the trouble?” Han Li was not certain, but he could no longer hesitate. His internal condition was worsening by the moment, threatening to slip out of control at any second.

Han Li reached decisively, tore the leather pouch from his neck, and hurled it far away.

“No… my heart feels worse. The blood and qi are surging even more violently.”

He barely managed to suppress the strange disturbance inside him again, fixing his bloodshot eyes on that little leather pouch, desperately searching for the reason everything had gone so wrong.

(End of Chapter)