Divine Hand Valley’s New Master

Han Li reclined in the taishi armchair where Doctor Mo used to sit, holding a scroll whose cover read The Classic of Longevity but whose true contents were the incantations of the Eternal Spring Art. He read with deep absorption, utterly engrossed.

This scroll had once been perpetually in Doctor Mo’s hands, a peculiar fixation that had puzzled Han Li. Now that he had uncovered its secret, he understood: the man had not been studying health regimens at all, but silently poring over the Eternal Spring Art’s formulas. It seemed Doctor Mo had never fully accepted Yu Zitong’s explanation about spiritual roots, and had been quietly trying to comprehend the technique on his own, unable to let go of the hope that he might yet cultivate magical power.

Han Li had discovered this scroll along with other items in the hidden compartment. It not only contained the first six layers of the technique he had already practiced, but also recorded the seventh and eighth layers he had never seen. This unexpected find had stirred a long-lasting excitement within him.

Now that he knew what he had been cultivating all along was the legendary power to command wind and rain—the power of magic—his hunger for the later stages of the Eternal Spring Art had become far more intense.

After all, who would not wish to become an immortal, free from death?

The sun was high overhead. Warm sunlight poured through the open skylight, falling across Han Li’s body. The pleasant warmth made him unconsciously narrow his eyes into slits; coupled with his slouched, reclining posture, he appeared utterly languid.

He lifted his head slightly to glance at the skylight. The light was too harsh.

Casually, he used the open book to cover his face, shielding himself from the glaring white sunlight.

Darkness fell before his eyes, and his mind felt much more comfortable. With a renewed burst of energy, he silently recited the seventh-layer formula once more.

He had sensed recently that, due to his continuous consumption of medicinal herbs, his Eternal Spring Art was again showing signs of a breakthrough. He would soon enter the seventh layer. Familiarizing himself with the lower-layer techniques ahead of time would be of considerable benefit when he reached the bottleneck.

Half a year had passed since the day of Doctor Mo’s possession attempt.

On the very next day, to cover up the signs of Doctor Mo’s death, Han Li had personally forged a letter in Doctor Mo’s handwriting. The letter claimed the doctor was returning to his hometown to visit family, and Han Li submitted it to the sect’s supervisory elders in Doctor Mo’s name.

In the letter, he did not hesitate to borrow Doctor Mo’s tone, declaring that he, Han Li, had fully inherited Doctor Mo’s medical skills and was now ready to treat patients on his own. As for Doctor Mo himself, the journey home was long, and his return date was uncertain. The letter therefore requested that the sect leaders allow Han Li to temporarily fulfill the doctor’s duties until Doctor Mo’s return.

When the letter was submitted, the supervising elders showed no sign of suspicion. Doctor Mo had often been absent from the mountain for years at a time while gathering medicinal herbs. Although he nominally held the title of a Worship Hall elder within the Seven Mysteries Sect, his life-saving service to Sect Leader Wang had essentially made him a guest elder with a great deal of freedom.

However, the elders were still uncertain about the claim that Han Li had inherited all of Doctor Mo’s medical skills. They were neither fully convinced nor dismissive.

Previously, Doctor Mo had occasionally treated minor ailments among the lower-ranked disciples—fevers, colds, knife wounds, gunshot wounds—but his skill was exceptional, and his primary responsibility was toward the hall masters, elders, and other high-ranking figures. For ordinary disciples, several other physicians on the mountain were available.

Thus, the elders did not immediately let Han Li take over Doctor Mo’s duties. Instead, they had him treat the lower-ranked disciples first, intending to test his true abilities.

Han Li did not care in the least about the high-ranking officials’ doubts about his medical skills. He had always held the attitude that it made no difference whom he treated. The real reason he had proposed taking over Doctor Mo’s work was because he valued the secluded quiet of Divine Hand Valley and the sizable herb garden within it.

If he could continue living in the valley, controlling it entirely by himself, he could use the mysterious little bottle openly there to mass-produce rare medicinal herbs without fear of others discovering its secret.

For now, this small valley was his alone. But if Doctor Mo remained absent for too long, who could say whether some hall master or elder might take it into their head to reclaim it?

With this in mind, Han Li worked especially hard to display his medical skills while treating the disciples. He did not hesitate to secretly use large quantities of the precious herbs he had cultivated daily with the bottle’s help. As a result, between his already respectable medical knowledge and the abundant rare medicines at his disposal, he performed the miracle of curing nearly every patient who came to him.

Just as he had anticipated, his reputation as a miracle doctor spread through the entire Seven Mysteries Sect like a thunderclap on a clear day. Before long, everyone on the mountain knew that the sect had produced another young physician of extraordinary skill. It was said that his medical abilities were unfathomable. Whether external wounds, internal injuries, or stubborn illnesses, he could have the patient fully recovered within three days at most. In this regard, he was said to be at least Doctor Mo’s equal, if not his superior.

In truth, Han Li’s medical skills were still far behind Doctor Mo’s. But Doctor Mo could never have casually squandered such rare and precious herbs. Naturally, in terms of recovery results, Han Li far surpassed him.

It was not long before Han Li once again restored a severely injured disciple to perfect health within a few short days. The higher-ups could no longer remain idle. A single day later, they sent someone to summon him.

The person who received him this time was Vice Sect Leader Ma, the same man he had briefly encountered on Bone-Grinding Cliff.

This esteemed Vice Sect Leader had clearly long forgotten the unremarkable probationary disciple Han Li had once been. Upon seeing him, Ma stated plainly that he was willing to let Han Li take over Doctor Mo’s work and enjoy all the benefits Doctor Mo had originally received. Naturally, he could not yet grant him the title of Worship Hall elder—Han Li was far too young, barely sixteen or seventeen, to command the respect of the other elders. However, his actual monthly stipend would be issued at the elder’s standard rate.

Finally, Vice Sect Leader Ma added that if there was anything else Han Li found unsatisfactory, he should speak up without hesitation; the sect would certainly handle the matter as appropriate.