Chapter 5: Breaking the Vial

The large water barrel currently used inside the new waterway was also something he had placed there every day. Han Li was waiting for him to come.

Just as he thought the time was passing too slowly, the sound of Zhang Shizhe entering could be heard.

Han Li immediately rushed over and opened the door, only to see Zhang Shizhe, wearing a thin blue cotton robe, emitting a faint heat, and drenched in sweat.

He was taken aback by Han Li suddenly entering his room.

"Brother Zhang, can you help me with this? Can you open this vial cap?"

"What kind of thing is this?"

Zhang Shizhe took the vial and examined it carefully.

"Quick, open it. Hurry up."

As Han Li urged, Zhang Shizhe stopped talking and tried to twist it. However, the cap did not budge. He tried several times with more force, but it remained immovable.

"This thing is really solid. What is it made of? I can't do it. How about asking other senior brothers to help open it?"

Zhang Shizhe shook his head apologetically and handed the vial back to him.

"Even someone as strong as Brother Zhang can't open it?"

Han Li walked around Zhang Shizhe's room, looking disappointed.

"What happened to your feet?"

Zhang Shizhe finally noticed that Han Li's gait was different from usual and asked.

"It's nothing. I tripped over a stone while walking."

* * *

If he called other senior brothers for help, they might be able to open it. However, Han Li did not want to talk about this vial.

If he told others, someone who knew about the vial might come to take it back.

Han Li did not want to return such a beautiful and interesting object. He was already fascinated by it.

He also thought that the vial might be empty, but he was willing to take a chance that what was inside would be even more interesting.

The more he thought about it, the more restless Han Li became. If he couldn't solve the mystery of the vial, he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

So, he decided to use brute force to open it.

Although it pained him to damage the unique and beautiful vial, he had no other choice.

After making this decision, Han Li secretly entered the room where miscellaneous items were stored, picked a relatively heavy stone hammer, and returned to his room.

Once inside, he placed the vial on a brick in a corner of the room.

He then lifted the stone hammer. The head of the hammer paused in the air for a moment before striking the middle of the vial.

The vial was intact. Han Li, who had been worried it might shatter, felt a bit relieved. He thought he needed to apply more force to break it.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The speed at which the hammer fell increased. In the end, half of the vial was embedded in the brick, but there was no sign of it breaking.

Han Li, amazed, ran his fingers over the surface of the vial. It was unchanged from the beginning.

Han Li then realized that this vial was definitely not an ordinary object and was likely dropped by its owner due to carelessness. The owner might be searching the entire mountain for it.

It could have been dropped by a wealthy disciple or someone in a high position. If it was dropped by such people, Han Li was even less willing to return it.

He wanted to hide it and make them suffer, as he often saw wealthy disciples look down on and ostracize those from poor families.

They would often mock and insult them, causing several conflicts. Han Li had also been involved in these disputes and was injured. Unfortunately, he had fought with someone stronger and was bruised and swollen for several days, unable to leave his room.

Han Li told himself that he had merely picked up something that had fallen on the ground. He decided that he must not tell anyone about it.

After making up his mind, Han Li took out a small leather pouch from around his neck. This leather pouch was made by his mother using animal skin before he left home. Inside was a talisman made from the tusk of a wild boar, symbolizing safety.

This talisman carried his mother's wish for him to avoid illness and disaster. Han Li placed the vial inside the leather pouch with the talisman, sealed it, and hung it around his neck again.

After everything was done, he looked around to make sure no one was there. He smoothed the slightly protruding pouch near his chest, feeling much more at ease.

No one would be able to take this vial from him. Han Li tidied up the room, quietly returned the stone hammer to its original place, and went back to his room as if nothing had happened.

* * *

After finishing dinner, Han Li locked the window and door tightly, took out the vial from his pouch, and examined it.

However, he found no clues. He fiddled with the vial and, without realizing it, fell asleep with it in his hand.

How much time had passed?

While asleep, Han Li suddenly felt a cold sensation from his hand.

He struggled to get up, fighting the heavy weight of his eyelids.

As soon as he opened his eyes, the scene before him was astonishing. All traces of sleep were gone.

White light was pouring through the roof, and the light beams gathered around the small vial, forming a circle the size of a grain of rice, surrounding the vial.

The light was very gentle, not blinding at all. The cold sensation Han Li felt came from this white light.

Han Li hesitated, then touched the vial a few times. Seeing no reaction, he focused and observed the vial again.

He discovered that the vial was absorbing the floating white light, or rather, it was trying to gather the light inside it. The light seemed to be alive, rushing to gather around the vial.

The light beams falling through the roof showed no signs of stopping. Han Li stuck his head out of the small window on the roof and looked around.

Outside, he could only hear the sounds of insects. He turned his head back to the vial, picked it up, and quickly left the room.

He walked for a while and stopped in a quiet place where no one would find him. After looking around, he carefully placed the vial down.

The white light that had disappeared began to gather in the room again, forming a large cluster of light around the vial.

"Wow!"

Han Li raised his hand high and exclaimed excitedly. His guess was right. The small window in the room only hindered the gathering of the light beams.

In an open area, he could attract more light beams and form a larger cluster of light.

Although he didn't know where the light came from or what it was used for, he felt he was one step closer to uncovering the vial's secret. Han Li was thrilled, thinking he might solve the mystery soon.

As night turned to day, the light around the vial gradually disappeared, and it returned to its ordinary appearance. The cap still wouldn't budge.

For several nights, the same phenomenon occurred at a fixed time. Countless light beams rushed towards the vial like moths to a flame, and the vial greedily absorbed them. On the eighth night, a new change began.

He entered a secluded space and placed the vial. However, the light absorption phenomenon stopped after just a short while.

Suddenly, the black-green flower pattern on the vial's surface emitted a dazzling green light, and golden characters and symbols appeared on the surface.

The characters and symbols were neatly arranged but had a strange appearance, like ancient calligraphy. They floated and glowed on the surface of the vial.

After a while, the vial returned to its previous state.

Han Li, having witnessed these strange phenomena, thought he wouldn't be surprised by any new developments.

He tried to open the vial cap again. To his surprise, it opened easily with minimal effort.

He couldn't believe it and stared at the cap in his hand. The problem that had troubled him for days was finally solved.

He felt an uncontrollable thrill at the thought of the vial's secrets being revealed. His gaze followed the opening of the vial into its interior.

Inside the vial was a jade-green liquid the size of a soybean. The liquid slowly rolled around, turning the inside of the vial green.

'What is this?'

Han Li couldn't hide his disappointment. After all the effort, it was just a drop of liquid. He closed the vial cap, feeling disheartened, and put it back in his pouch.

The excitement that had enveloped him quickly dissipated. The vial was open, but the result was unsatisfactory.

However, Han Li decided to examine the green liquid further. Who knew? It might bring him another surprise.

All he wanted now was to go back and get a good night's sleep. Over the past few days, he hadn't slept well, which affected his cultivation efficiency and made his mind dull. He had to endure some scolding from Mr. Wen.

Han Li, dissatisfied with his cultivation and lacking motivation, had been wandering aimlessly. This led to Mr. Wen severely reprimanding him.

However, when it was time to practice, Han Li still lacked enthusiasm and showed no interest.

Mr. Wen read Han Li's desire and found a way to solve the problem.

The simple words he said motivated Han Li to practice with all his might.

"Every time you advance to the next level in this cultivation technique, your monthly silver will double."

Han Li, thinking about the possibility of earning more money, practiced diligently to reach the next level.

He went into the stone room to meditate and practice from early morning to noon every day, twice a day. He pushed all other thoughts out of his mind.

Mr. Wen also temporarily closed the new waterway to allow Han Li to focus entirely on his cultivation, even stopping his medical practice. The matter of the vial gradually faded from Han Li's mind.

* * *

Autumn turned to winter, winter to spring, and spring to summer, and four years passed. Han Li had grown into a young man.

He didn't have a refined or elegant appearance, nor did he have a bold and free-spirited demeanor.

On the surface, he was no different from other young men who grew up in the countryside. He spent his days sitting in the stone room, traveling between his quarters and the stone room, learning medicine from Mr. Wen, and reading various books.

This mountain life became his entire world, and his cultivation progressed smoothly, reaching the third level.

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