The Night of the Note

Han Li did not have the luxury of waiting for months. At most, four or five months remained before Doctor Mo would force a final confrontation. He had to acquire some means of self-preservation before then.

In the end, he decided to focus on only a handful of simple, quickly mastered techniques from the manuals—ones he could put to immediate use. The rest could wait until he had actually escaped this tiger's den alive.

This drastically shortened his training timeline. It allowed him to learn a few fast, practical skills without getting bogged down.

Of course, Han Li was well aware that even if he mastered every single secret technique in the collection, he might still not be a match for his opponent.

If Doctor Mo had not been lying last time, the man's former status as a regional hegemon meant he likely possessed a vast arsenal of lethal and sinister methods that he had not shown in their earlier clash. The skills he had displayed were probably only a fraction of his true ability.

Still, just recalling those ghostlike movements sent a chill down Han Li's spine. His wariness of Doctor Mo was absolute.

He knew full well that the little he could learn in such a short time was limited. The threat he could pose to Doctor Mo was negligible—barely worth mentioning. But Han Li had no intention of meekly submitting or letting himself be manipulated like a fool.

He understood that if he were to fight the man again, his only advantage would be the other's contempt for him. Only by catching the man off guard—by exploiting his arrogance and striking when he least expected it—could he create a sliver of hope.

In the days that followed, Han Li finished memorizing every page of the Blinking Sword Art manuals. From them, he selected a few secret techniques that could be of immediate use and began studying them, searching for a path that would allow for rapid mastery.

After several days of agonizing effort, he pieced together a complete training regimen from the books. Completing such a painstaking process in so short a time made him feel a quiet pride in his own efficiency.

Over the next half-month, Han Li settled a series of trivial matters one by one, ensuring he was fully prepared with no loose ends.

First, he returned the original manuals to Li Feiyu intact on a certain day, and took the opportunity to tell him about encountering the Wild Wolf Gang's spy. He also mentioned exposing the kitchen steward's identity.

Li Feiyu was both surprised and delighted. He threw an arm around Han Li's shoulder and kept calling him "good brother," deeply moved that Han Li would hand him such a significant credit.

Of course, Li Feiyu had no idea that Han Li was far too busy fighting for his own life to waste energy on catching spies. If he could do a favor without lifting a finger, why not take it?

After finishing that business, Han Li personally visited several skilled blacksmiths within the sect.

At their forges, he commissioned several sheathed short swords of different designs, requesting certain small modifications be made in secret. He also ordered a number of nameless components with no obvious purpose, as well as a few delicate little iron bells, all to be completed as quickly as possible. The expense was considerable, and his heart ached a little at the silver spent.

A few days later, Han Li collected his custom-made items from the blacksmiths. Seeing the gleaming short swords and the finely crafted iron bells, he was quite satisfied. He praised the blacksmiths' workmanship repeatedly, feeling his silver had not been wasted.

That same night, Han Li vanished from his quarters without a trace. On his bed, he left only a note:

"Doctor Mo, please do not be alarmed. I am not trying to run or hide. I simply feel that remaining in the same valley as you is too oppressive and detrimental to my cultivation of the Eternal Spring Art. I have therefore decided to find a secluded spot elsewhere on the mountain to go into closed-door training. Rest assured, I will return on the agreed date four months from now.

Respectfully, Han Li"

Leaning back in his taishi armchair, Doctor Mo held the note in his left hand, examining it closely. His face was dark with clouds. On the desk beside him lay another scrap of paper—a record of the items Han Li had ordered from the blacksmiths.

Inside the room, there was no sound except the soft tapping of Doctor Mo's right finger against the tabletop.

Suddenly, he let out a cold snort. The paper in his hand crumbled into powder, scattering across the floor.

He rose irritably and paced a few steps, frowning as he turned something over in his mind. After a few circuits, he stopped and muttered to himself:

"Little bastard. I don't know what scheme you're cooking up, but no matter what game you want to play, you're not slipping out of my grip. I'm set on you."

With that, Doctor Mo spun around and walked to the window. A low, long whistle escaped his lips. A moment later, a small, unnamed bird with yellow feathers flew in from outside, circled the room a few times, and landed on his shoulder.

Once settled, the bird rubbed its beak affectionately against his face, letting out a cheerful chirp.

"Alright, I know you're hungry. Here—your favorite, 'Yellow Chestnut Pills.'"

Seeing the bird, Doctor Mo's grim expression softened into a hint of a smile. A fond look filled his eyes. He took a yellow bird pellet from his pocket and fed it to the little creature.

"Go on. Same as before—keep an eye on that person. The moment he leaves this mountain range, fly back and tell me immediately," Doctor Mo instructed, as if speaking to a person.

The bird, excited by the food, chirped happily and fluttered around the room. At his command, it circled once and shot out the window, vanishing into the sky.

"Hmph! With a 'Cloud-Wing Bird' that flies faster than an arrow from a drawn bow watching you, let's see what tricks you can pull," he said darkly to himself.

"Four months? I'll be waiting for that day. It looks like the plan is about to succeed! Anyone who gets in my way now, anyone who obstructs the plan—I'll kill them. Blocking a god, I'll slay the god. Blocking a buddha, I'll slay the buddha."

"Ha ha! Ha ha ha!" Suddenly, Doctor Mo burst into manic laughter, his eyes wild with madness.