"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up...!"
A faint voice calling from afar jolted Han Li out of a deep sleep. When he opened his eyes, a large face was suddenly pressed right up against his, scaring him half to death. He instinctively recoiled, only to realize the face belonged to another boy — Zhang Tie.
"Come on, eat something," Zhang Tie said, handing him two steaming buns. "After dinner, we need to go see Doctor Mo."
"Where did you find food?" Han Li asked in surprise as he took the buns.
"There's a big kitchen near the valley. I saw everyone getting their share of food, so I went and grabbed some too. After I finished eating, I realized you hadn't eaten yet, so I brought these for you," Zhang Tie said with a simple, sincere smile.
"Thanks, Zhang ge," Han Li replied, feeling a bit touched. He had automatically called Zhang Tie "Zhang ge" since he seemed older and more mature than him.
"No... no problem," Zhang Tie said, a bit shy. "I'm used to helping out at home. If you ever need anything, just ask. I don't have much, but I'm strong enough to lend a hand."
Han Li hadn't eaten since breakfast, so he quickly devoured the two buns, finishing them in no time.
"Time's getting late. We should go see Doctor Mo now," Han Li said after finishing his meal. He glanced out the window at the setting sun, calculating the time. It seemed like they had better go see the doctor.
Zhang Tie didn't object and followed Han Li to Doctor Mo's room.
Inside Doctor Mo's room, rows of bookshelves lined the walls, each filled with a dense collection of books.
"Doctor Mo!"
"Doctor Mo!"
The old man, sitting with his back against a grand chair, was deeply engrossed in a book. He didn't seem to notice the two children entering or hear their greetings.
Han Li and Zhang Tie, still children, didn't know how to act when Doctor Mo ignored them. They stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do. Time passed, and Han Li's legs began to numb as they stood.
Finally, Doctor Mo slowly placed the book down on the table, gave the two children a cold, appraising look, and then took a sip from his tea, savoring it for a few moments before speaking in his slow, deliberate manner.
"From now on, you two are my outer disciples. I will teach you some basic knowledge about gathering herbs and preparing medicines. I may also teach you a bit about healing, but I will not teach you any martial arts," Doctor Mo said in a flat tone, setting the cup down once more.
"I have a set of cultivation techniques to teach you both. Although it won't help you win battles, it will strengthen your body. If you are keen on learning martial arts, you can go to the instructors and learn there. I won't stop you. However, my evaluation of you will be based on your progress with this set of techniques. If you don't pass, you will be sent to the outer sect as outer disciples," Doctor Mo said, suddenly becoming more serious. It was clear that he regarded this mantra with great importance.
"Understood," both Han Li and Zhang Tie replied in unison.
"Good. You can leave now. Come back tomorrow morning," Doctor Mo waved them off, signaling them to leave. He then resumed reading his book without another word.
As they left his room, Han Li couldn't help but glance at the book in Doctor Mo's hand, but since he couldn't read, he had no idea what it said. All he could make out were three large, bold characters on the cover, but he had no idea what they meant.
Once outside, Han Li sighed in relief. He hadn't been able to breathe properly in there, feeling like he couldn't even make a sound while Doctor Mo was present. Now that he was out in the fresh air, he felt more at ease.
For the following days, Han Li was full of excitement. He had finally become a disciple of the Seven Mystical Gates, albeit an outer disciple. That was still better than the children who had been sent home. Even if he didn't pass the test in six months, he could still be like his Third Uncle and join the outer sect. To Han Li, his Third Uncle was already a person of great importance, so he wasn't too worried about the upcoming test. In fact, a small part of him hoped he didn't pass, so he could leave the mountain and return home to his parents and beloved younger sister.
In the days that followed, Doctor Mo taught them medical knowledge in the mornings. In the afternoons, they went to a study room to join the other children in learning how to read, write, and understand basic martial arts concepts such as the Twelve Regular Meridians, the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, and the body's pressure points. They also practiced basic martial arts moves, such as stance training and hitting the straw dummies.
A month later, Han Li and Zhang Tie were separated from the other children, as they had now spent most of their time focusing on cultivating the unnamed mantra. This mantra consumed the majority of their time and energy, and Doctor Mo had explicitly instructed them not to share it with others. If they did, they would be severely punished and expelled from the sect.
During this time, Han Li gathered more information about the Seven Mystical Gates and Doctor Mo from the other children. The sect was led by the Sect Master, Wang Lu, who was a direct descendant of the Seven Absolutes Master. There were also three Vice Sect Masters. The sect was divided into the outer and inner sects. The outer sect had four halls: the Flying Bird Hall, the Gathering Treasure Hall, the Four Seas Hall, and the Outer Blade Hall. The inner sect had four halls: the Hundred Forging Hall, the Seven Absolutes Hall, the Offering Hall, and the Blood Blade Hall. There was also the Elders' Council, which was led by the Sect Master and Vice Sect Masters.
As for Doctor Mo, he was not originally a disciple of the Seven Mystical Gates. Several years ago, when Sect Master Wang Lu was ambushed and critically injured, Doctor Mo happened to be passing by. Using his superb medical skills, he managed to save the Sect Master's life. Wang Lu was immensely grateful and, upon learning that Doctor Mo also possessed formidable martial arts, invited him to join the sect. They had even constructed this small valley specifically for him, where he could settle down and continue his work.
Although the disciples of the sect had never seen Doctor Mo's martial prowess, they respected him greatly because of his healing skills, which had saved many lives within the sect. Despite his cold demeanor and sparse speech, he was highly revered by the sect's members.