Sword to the Belly

1,208 words

Chapter 46: Sword to the Belly

Doctor Mo glanced at his left hand with some surprise, then turned his gaze back to Han Li and spoke with disdain:

“Interesting. So you haven’t been idle this past year, and you’ve even managed to learn some strange skills. But do you really think these trifling tricks of yours can make you my match?”

“It seems I haven’t been active in a while. A little exercise might do me good. I’ll let you make the first move.”

Han Li ignored the verbal blow. He had already decided to seize the initiative and strike first to gain an advantage.

He held the short sword horizontally in front of him, drawing Mo’s attention, while a white paper packet slid silently from his right sleeve into his palm. With a flick of his wrist, he scattered a cloud of white powder into the air, which instantly transformed into a thick white fog that enveloped his entire body, blurring his form and making him indistinct. The mist quickly spread throughout the entire room, turning everything into a sea of white where one could not see their own hand before their face. Han Li vanished eerily into the haze.

Doctor Mo frowned slightly. This move by Han Li was somewhat unexpected, but he was not concerned. With his wealth of experience, he had plenty of ways to deal with such underhanded tactics. Worried that the smoke might be poisoned, he had already held his breath. With his profound internal strength, he could easily go without breathing for several quarters of an hour.

“Hmph, such a petty trick, and you dare to show it off in front of me?” Doctor Mo snorted coldly. His right hand suddenly shot out an empty palm strike into the mist. The white fog in front of him churned violently, as if stirred by a giant rod, revealing a clear hole where the force had passed.

Not seeing Han Li’s figure, Doctor Mo did not stop. He struck out left and right, unleashing over a dozen Empty Palm Strikes that drove the fog from the room, pushing it all out through the main entrance. The room returned to normal, save for the absence of Han Li.

“Strange. This brat really does have some skill, to be able to vanish right before my eyes.” Doctor Mo was somewhat surprised, but still unflustered. He knew that he had been guarding the area near the door, and not even a stinking bug could have flown past his senses.

He carefully scanned the entire room: numerous bookshelves, a desk, and a Taishi armchair. Everything was as it should be, nothing out of the ordinary. So how could a living, breathing Han Li have disappeared in such a confined space?

Doctor Mo’s expression did not change, but a sliver of doubt crept into his mind. However, he was confident in his own skill. He coughed a few times, then tottered unsteadily toward the corner of the room where Han Li had vanished, intending to take a closer look.

When he was about a zhang from the corner, he stopped and narrowed his eyes. He had sensed a faint, almost imperceptible hint of killing intent drifting in the vicinity, aimed directly at him, preparing to strike.

Doctor Mo’s eyes shone with sharp light as he swept his gaze back and forth across the area. Still, he detected nothing unusual. A feeling of irritation began to settle in his heart. There was no one anywhere around. Had the boy grown wings and flown into the sky, or burrowed into the earth?

“Into the sky… or into the earth?” The thought struck him, and he felt he had grasped something crucial. Just as he was about to pursue the idea further, he suddenly heard a “clang” from above his head.

“Not good!” Realization dawned on Doctor Mo. The brat must be hiding in the rafters! He didn’t bother to look up. With a “whoosh,” he lashed out an Empty Palm Strike directly upward, intending to blast whoever was lurking above into unconsciousness and send them tumbling down.

A rumbling sound followed the palm force, mingled with a few clear, crisp “ding-dang” noises.

Somewhat puzzled, Doctor Mo hurriedly looked up to examine the situation. His entire body froze. The space above his head was completely empty. There wasn’t even a ghost. Only a black iron bell hung from the beam, still swinging wildly from his palm strike. The “ding-dang” sounds were coming from it. There was no sign of Han Li anywhere!

Just as Doctor Mo was staring upward, a sliver of cold light shot up from beneath his feet with lightning speed, thrusting fiercely toward his lower abdomen. Its speed was so swift that calling it a flash of lightning would not be an exaggeration. The light was only just touching his robes when Doctor Mo, startled, finally noticed it.

Doctor Mo was greatly alarmed. In his haste, he reacted with quick wit. His body performed an Iron Bridge, bending backward from the middle as if it had no spine, folding in half to just barely dodge the sword. The short blade grazed his belly, slicing a long, thin gash in his robes and nearly gutting him open.

Even after evading the strike, Doctor Mo did not dare relax. As if he had a spring installed in his feet, his entire body shot backward several zhang without moving his legs. Only then did he dare to straighten up and glare with a mix of shock and fury at the place from which the sword light had emerged.

There, on the ground near where he had just been standing, a spot slowly began to bulge upward. It rose higher and higher until it finally formed into a yellow human shape. It was Han Li, having combined his Bone Softening Art, Qi Concealment Art, and Disguise Concealment Technique into a single maneuver.

He was now clad in a set of earthen-yellow clothes that perfectly matched the floorboards. In his left hand, he held the short sword that had nearly done its work. The look in his eyes was one of regret. He clearly lamented that the attack had not succeeded.

Doctor Mo’s originally sallow face had turned slightly green. The near-death experience still had his heart hammering in his chest, and he felt a deep, lingering fear. He was no greenhorn in the Jianghu, but he had only been this close to death a handful of times in his entire life. And to have come so close at the hands of the Han Li he had always dismissed…

He took a deep breath and finally regained his composure. His voice was a little hoarse as he said:

“It seems I truly underestimated you, my dear disciple. That was a very nice trick. It was well worth taking you seriously.”

After this threatening remark, Doctor Mo slowly raised both hands and held them before his eyes. He stared at them tenderly, without uttering a word, as if gazing at a lover, completely forgetting Han Li’s existence.

Han Li raised an eyebrow and let out a cold laugh. Gripping the short sword tightly, he took small, deliberate steps, slowly closing in on Doctor Mo.

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Reading Guide Decoding

The Ambush that Changed Everything

Cultural / Xianxia Notes

This chapter is a near-perfect example of the "Mortal Stream" combat philosophy. Han Li doesn’t try to overpower Doctor Mo, who is clearly superior in raw strength. Instead, he follows a three-step survival protocol: Deception, Environment, and Exploitation. The smoke and the bell are classic misdirection. He then uses an understanding of the environment (the floorboards) to create an impossible ambush point, exploiting Doctor Mo’s expectation that his opponent will attack from above. The combination of techniques he uses—Bone Softening Art, Qi Concealment, and Disguise—is a strategic force multiplier, turning three average abilities into one nearly unstoppable tactic. This is a core takeaway: the cultivation world rewards creativity and preparation as much as raw power.

Chapter Overview

Get ready, because Chapter 46 is where the simmering conflict between Han Li and Doctor Mo finally boils over into a proper, knife-edge confrontation. All those months of fear, preparation, and secret training pay off in a single, brilliantly executed ambush. This isn't a flashy magical duel; it's a cold, tactical game of life and death played in a cramped study. The chapter masterfully subverts expectations as Han Li, the apparent prey, turns the tables and shows he's learned the most important lesson of the Mortal Stream: never underestimate the resourcefulness of a cornered survivor.

Key Plot Points

The chapter opens with Han Li deciding to seize the initiative, ignoring Doctor Mo’s arrogant taunts. He uses a cleverly deployed smoke screen, but this is just the setup for his real trick. While Doctor Mo is occupied dispersing the smoke and searching the room, Han Li has vanished. He’s used a combination of the Bone-Softening Art to flatten himself, the Qi Concealment Art to suppress his aura, and the Disguise Concealment Technique to blend in with the floorboards. The genius of the plan is a fake-out: he hangs a bell from the rafters to draw Doctor Mo’s gaze upward, then springs his real attack from below. The sword strike is a near-perfect ambush, slicing Doctor Mo’s robes open and nearly gutting him. It’s a shocking moment that proves Han Li’s tactics are lethal, not just tricky. Although Doctor Mo evades the fatal blow with a desperate Iron Bridge maneuver, he is left shaken, angry, and forced to admit he grossly underestimated his "dear disciple." The chapter ends with both combatants circling each other, the balance of power irrevocably shifted.

Reading Guide

Pay close attention to Han Li’s tactical setup. Every move is deliberate. The smoke screen isn't to blind Doctor Mo—it’s to give Han Li a split second to get into position while the floorboards are still being disturbed. His frustration at the failed blade strike is a rare slip of his mask, but it also demonstrates his ultra-high standards. He doesn't celebrate the fact that he nearly killed a superior opponent; he regrets that he didn't. Also, note the power of the "psychological shift" in this chapter. By successfully threatening Doctor Mo’s life, Han Li has shattered the established power dynamic. From this point forward, the master can no longer treat his apprentice as a non-threat. The respect is forced, but it is a powerful new currency for our young protagonist.

Section Dynamics and Power Structure

This chapter is a masterclass in how a weaker opponent can claim a new position at the negotiation table. Before the ambush, Han Li was a tool. After the ambush, he becomes a known, lethal variable. Doctor Mo’s declaration that he “must take Han Li seriously” is a surrender of psychological ground. He can no longer rely on arrogance to intimidate. The remaining question is: can Han Li exploit this window of vulnerability before Doctor Mo uses his superior strength to regain full control? The pacing of the clash—from stillness to frantic action and back to tense stillness—creates a powerful, almost claustrophobic sense of tension. It reinforces that every fight in this world is a high-stakes gamble with one’s life.