Han Li slowly walked out of the Shen Shou Valley, following the small mountain path he had become accustomed to, heading towards the hazy silhouette of Chi Shui Peak. He didn't have anything particularly urgent to attend to at the moment. Over the past few days, he had made a habit of visiting Zhang Tie regularly, mostly to see the strange, grimacing expressions Zhang Tie would make while training under the waterfall.
The Elephant Armor Technique (象甲功) was clearly not for the faint of heart. Even the first layer was excruciating, and Han Li knew the subsequent layers would only get worse. He couldn't help but think, Zhang Tie must already be regretting his decision by now. The brutality of this technique far surpasses what they could have imagined at their age.
He smiled to himself, Maybe, in a few more days, we can convince Doctor Mo to let Zhang Tie switch to a less painful technique. That might spare him from enduring such suffering. Han Li's thoughts cheered him up as he absentmindedly kicked a few fallen leaves and twigs along the path.
The trees on either side of him had already shed their leaves, and the path was covered with a thick carpet of dried leaves and branches. The crisp sound of walking on the fallen foliage felt soft underfoot, but it also reminded Han Li that autumn had passed its peak, and winter was on its way.
Suddenly, he heard the faint sounds of weapons clashing from a nearby peak. It was accompanied by the occasional loud cheer, which made Han Li's mood turn sour. Those are the disciples from the Hundred Forging Hall, training new recruits in weapon combat, he thought bitterly.
Every time Han Li saw his fellow disciples training with real weapons, sparring with swords and spears, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous. I would love to join them and swing a real sword, Han Li lamented. However, ever since he officially became Doctor Mo's disciple, he had been strictly forbidden from touching any weapons. Doctor Mo had insisted that training with martial arts weapons would interfere with the progress of his mantra cultivation.
It was frustrating. Han Li couldn't understand why the mantra he was practicing was so important when he couldn't even see any significant improvement. All the other disciples around him were growing stronger every day, improving their martial arts at an alarming rate. Meanwhile, Han Li felt as if he were stuck in place, unable to notice any real change. Even Zhang Tie, who had only been practicing the Elephant Armor Technique for two months, had become tougher, with stronger muscles and greater endurance.
But if it weren't for Doctor Mo taking him under his wing, Han Li might have failed the disciple exam and would probably have already been sent down the mountain. At least now, he was able to stay and send money back home, which was a huge relief. Well, if I can't learn anything else, then so be it, he sighed, trying to comfort himself.
As Han Li continued along the path, his mind wandering and his attention slipping, he suddenly felt a sharp pain shoot through his right big toe. He gasped in shock, his body instinctively crouching down as he clutched his foot. The sudden, intense pain knocked him off balance, and he ended up half-lying in the grass, grimacing. His face turned pale from the agony, the searing pain in his toe radiating up his leg.
It seemed that he had kicked a very hard stone hidden among the leaves.
Han Li bent over and cradled his foot, gently blowing on the injured toe through his cloth shoe, hoping to relieve some of the pain. I hope I didn't hurt it too badly. I can't afford to have my toe swollen and bruised, or it'll affect my daily routine.
It took quite a while, but eventually the pain began to subside. Han Li slowly raised his head, scanning the ground around him to find the source of his sudden misfortune. The leaves on the ground were all the same dull, yellow-brown color, making it difficult to identify anything unusual.
He frowned in frustration and, using a nearby stick, began digging through the thick layer of leaves. After a few moments, he found something heavy and rounded, about the size of a fist.
Curious, Han Li carefully pulled it out. It was a small, bottle-shaped object with a long neck, covered in dirt and mud. At first glance, it seemed to be a small porcelain bottle, but when he held it in his hands, he was surprised by its weight. It was unusually heavy for such a small item.
Could it be made of metal? Han Li wondered. It made sense, considering how something so small could cause such a sharp pain when kicked. He rarely encountered metal bottles, and the feeling of the heavy weight intrigued him.
He began wiping away the dirt from the bottle's neck with his hands, revealing a beautiful greenish hue beneath. The bottle had intricate, leaf-like patterns etched into its surface, and the top was sealed with a small, tight-fitting cap.
Could something be inside? Han Li thought, intrigued. He shook the bottle gently, but he didn't hear anything moving inside.
Curiosity mounting, he placed the bottle near his ear and gave it another shake. Still nothing.
His fingers instinctively moved to the cap. He twisted it with force, but it didn't budge.
Just as he was about to try again, the sharp pain in his toe flared up once more, reminding him of the injury. Ugh, how could I forget? Han Li cursed inwardly, realizing he had been distracted by the bottle and had ignored his injury.
Reluctantly, he decided to return to his residence to apply some medicine to his foot before continuing his investigation into the mysterious bottle. He carefully tucked the bottle into his robes and limped back down the path, hoping that no one would notice him carrying the strange object.