A Friend's Cruel Awakening

As soon as Li Shi entered the room, a foul, fishy odor assailed her nose. She saw Sect Master Ma and Elder Qian sitting cross-legged on either side of the bed, their eyes closed as they regulated their breathing.

Between the two of them sat a basin of ink-black, bloody water. The stench was coming from that liquid.

Their faces were somewhat pale, a clear sign they had expended a great deal of their energy, just as Han Li had said.

Li Shi felt a surge of gratitude toward the two men.

Although she knew no martial arts, years of living by her husband's side had taught her that this was a moment when disturbance was forbidden. She quickly slowed her steps, moving gently to the bedside to look at the person lying there.

Li Changlao was sleeping peacefully and soundly. The pained furrow between his brows had vanished without a trace. Though his complexion was still a sallow green, the black Qi was completely gone. The poison spots on his body had faded to faint, water-stain-like marks, almost invisible.

It seemed the poison was truly and completely removed. Despite herself, Li Shi wept with joy.

After a long moment, she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. She realized she should return to thank Han Li properly. She turned and slipped quietly back to the main hall, but as soon as she stepped out the door, she was immediately surrounded by a crowd of people asking questions all at once. Yet Han Li was nowhere to be seen among them.

Surprised, she quickly asked Ma Rong and the others.

From their answers, Li Shi learned that Han Li had written a convalescent prescription and then taken his leave, drifting away without lingering for even a moment longer.

Li Shi was silent for a long while after hearing this. But she had already made up her mind: as soon as Li Changlao recovered, the couple would visit Han Li in person and offer him a heavy reward to repay his life-saving grace.

Li Shi did not notice that, besides the Divine Doctor Han, another person was also missing from the house: Li Feiyu, who had been glued to Zhang Xiuer’s side moments before.

Beneath a large, lush tree beside a remote and narrow path, Han Li, who had just left the Li household, lay on the grass with his hands pillowing his head. He was idly counting the green leaves on a certain branch out of sheer boredom.

When his count reached nearly a thousand, a dark shadow descended from the sky, pouncing at him with the ferocity of an eagle striking a chick. The momentum was fierce, as if propelled by a deep, abiding grudge.

“Hey! Cut it out. Every time we meet, you want to grab and tussle. I’m not that Zhang Xiuer, you know!”

The moment Han Li spoke, the dark shadow twisted gracefully in mid-air, landing lightly beside Han Li with an elegant posture. It was Li Feiyu, who had followed close behind.

“Han Li, with that dark, scrawny mug of yours, how dare you compare yourself to Miss Zhang Xiuer? You’re just embarrassing her,” Li Feiyu said with a huff, lightly tapping the tip of his right foot against Han Li’s rear end as a form of punishment.

Han Li rolled his eyes at this, then performed a ‘Carp Leap’ to spring to his feet.

“It seems our Senior Brother Li has well and truly chosen his lady over his friends. What terrible judgment I have in associates!”

“Spare me the nonsense. What did you call me out here for? You know, I finally had a chance to get close to Miss Zhang, and you’ve just wasted it. Unless you have a damn good reason, you’re not getting off the hook!” Li Feiyu seemed rather indignant, profoundly irritated by Han Li’s inexplicable summons.

“Did I ask you to come out? I don’t remember. Did I say that out loud?” Han Li pretended to be shocked, his expression overly dramatic.

“The way you were winking and grimacing at me when you left, any blind man could have seen it. Don’t beat around the bush. If there’s nothing important, I really need to get back.” Li Feiyu turned to leave, his mannerism so convincing that Han Li couldn’t tell if he was serious or not.

Han Li decided to stop teasing him. His expression suddenly changed, turning serious as he said to Li Feiyu:

“Don’t blame me for being nosy, but as a friend, I have to ask: does Zhang Xiuer know that you took the Marrow-Extracting Pill and only have a few years left to live?”

The moment he heard this, Li Feiyu’s face went pale as a sheet, completely drained of blood. He did not utter a single word for a long time.

Han Li inwardly sighed. He knew he didn't need to ask any further. His friend’s expression right now said it all.

“Why did you have to wake me up so cruelly?” Li Feiyu’s expression was filled with pain. After a long while, he spoke in anguish.

Han Li did not answer Li Feiyu’s accusation. Instead, he gently patted his friend’s shoulder as a gesture of comfort.

“You must have heard this before: the more you invest in feelings, the more pain they will bring you.” When Li Feiyu’s emotions had settled slightly, Han Li finally spoke this philosophical sentence, which made Li Feiyu freeze.

“I pulled you out before you fell too deep to spare you some pain later.” Han Li slowly added another sentence.

Li Feiyu stared dumbly at Han Li, a strange look in his eyes.

“What? Is there a problem?” Han Li felt a little creeped out by Li Feiyu’s stare and quickly looked himself up and down.

“How old are you, kid? You talk like some worldly old hand who’s seen through the mundane world. Have you already been through the highs and lows of love?” Li Feiyu suddenly asked.

“Of course not. I read it all in a book. I thought it sounded reasonable, so I used it to console you.”

“Oh, I see! That’s more like it! With my dashing and elegant appearance, how could I possibly fall behind you in this department, needing you to come and lecture me with your insights? So it was just empty talk from a book!” Li Feiyu let out a long sigh of relief, patting his own chest repeatedly as if he had been badly frightened.

Han Li was speechless. Wasn't this guy recovering way too fast? One moment he was acting like life wasn't worth living, and the next, he was all smiles and jokes again. What an emotional creature.

Nevertheless, Han Li was determined to get to the bottom of it. “So have you really given up on Zhang Xiuer? Would you just stand by and watch another man hold her in his arms?”

Li Feiyu’s playful expression instantly turned cold and murderous. “Anyone who dares touch Miss Zhang with a single finger, I’ll chop off their claw!”

“I can’t be bothered with what happens after I’m dead, and I won’t be able to control it. But as long as I’m alive, Miss Zhang Xiuer belongs to me and me alone.” His voice seemed cold enough to freeze a man solid.