Chapter 9: Choushuan Pill

A moment later, he opened his tightly shut eyes and looked at the pill in Han Li’s hand. A burning desire could be felt in his gaze.

Without a word, Han Li placed the pill in his mouth. After watching him swallow it, Han Li slowly pulled out the silver needles from his body. As all the needles disappeared, the effects of the pill began to spread.

Lieshi’s pale face turned abnormally red, and gradually his entire face became as red as blood. He began to convulse again, trembling in all four limbs, and low moans escaped his mouth.

He tried his best to suppress the moans, not wanting to show such an ugly sight. However, the immense pain eventually made him scream.

The louder his screams grew, the more severe the convulsions became. After a long while, he slowly quieted down and eventually made no sound at all.

Lieshi’s face began to regain its original color, and the convulsions stopped. It seemed that the painful moment had passed.

Lieshi slowly straightened his body, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes. He entered a state of meditation without moving.

How much time had passed? The cross-legged Lieshi suddenly opened his eyes, picked up the saber lying beside him, and leaped up.

With strength in his arm, he swung the saber, which glowed, and the sharp blade pointed at Han Li’s neck.

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you!”

Lieshi’s eyes were cold and filled with murderous intent.

“Saving your life just now should be reason enough, don’t you think?”

Han Li’s expression remained unchanged, and he only slightly raised his eyebrows, something that might not be noticed without careful observation.

Lieshi’s expression seemed to relax slightly, but he still looked at Han Li with a fierce gaze.

“Before I saved you, I did think that you might kill to keep this secret, but I didn’t expect you to act so quickly.”

Han Li finally smiled bitterly and continued.

“Ha! I knew that saving you would bring me such troublesome matters, but as someone who has learned medicine, I couldn’t just let a dying person go.”

Lieshi showed a troubled expression upon hearing his words. He slightly moved the saber away from Han Li’s neck but did not completely remove it. Han Li, feeling greatly relieved inside, spoke in a more composed tone.

“I won’t reveal your secret to anyone else. I’m not the type to talk loosely. If you really can’t trust me, I can swear an oath. You know I can’t practice martial arts, so if I break this oath, you can easily cut me down, right?

“Then swear it.”

Lieshi answered firmly. Only then did Han Li feel completely at ease. Although he didn’t think Lieshi was a treacherous and cruel person based on his observations before treating him, he couldn’t be certain.

If Lieshi had been an ungrateful and despicable person, Han Li would have had to use his only means of self-defense.

While thinking this, he subtly moved his fingers to the iron tube hidden in his sleeve.

Only after Han Li carefully finished his oath did Lieshi sheath the saber.

He then touched his neck and found a thin line of blood from the sharp blade. Feeling a bit sticky, he shivered and broke out in a cold sweat.

‘That was really dangerous! I should have thought more carefully. No matter what, I won’t go through such trouble again. Why should I get involved in other people’s affairs?’

* * *

“You saved my life and even swore to keep my secret. I, Lieshi, owe you a great debt. If you need any help before I die, come to me. I will do whatever I can to assist you.”

Lieshi, fully recovered, gathered his scattered belongings and, with a serious expression, revealed his name and made this promise to Han Li.

“I doubt I’ll need to trouble you. Instead, you’ll likely have plenty of troubles of your own.”

Han Li smiled and replied.

“How did you know?”

Lieshi looked surprised and puzzled.

“Anyone could easily guess. As a disciple of a mere enforcer, surpassing the disciples of the hall master, elders, and even the sect master, how could you possibly have a peaceful life?”

Han Li’s words hit Lieshi’s sore spot, and his expression turned gloomy as he remained silent.

“This is not something I can interfere with. However, regarding the pain caused by the Choushuan Pill, I can offer some help.”

“Really?”

Lieshi’s face lit up, clearly indicating that the pain from the Choushuan Pill had been causing him significant distress.

“What would I gain by lying to you?”

Han Li looked at Lieshi with clear eyes. He had a method to significantly reduce pain, which he had researched for Zhang Shichun whenever he had free time.

It effectively limited the sensation of pain, greatly reducing its intensity.

“That’s great! Truly great!”

Lieshi rubbed his hands together excitedly and stared at Han Li with eager eyes.

“What good does it do to look at me like that? I don’t carry the medicine with me. I need to return to Xianshou Valley to prepare it.”

Lieshi felt a bit embarrassed upon hearing this. He was now asking for medicine from the person he had just threatened.

“Come to the entrance of Xianshou Valley at noon tomorrow. I’ll make sure to prepare the medicine for you. Mr. Wen is currently away, so I can’t bring outsiders in freely.”

Han Li spoke calmly.

“Alright. I’ll be there. Thank you very much.”

“I’m Han Li, a direct disciple of Mr. Wen. Just call me Senior Han.”

Han Li quickly introduced himself to avoid the awkwardness of Lieshi’s overly polite tone.

* * *

Lieshi promised to check his condition and return at noon the next day to collect the medicine before bidding farewell to Han Li.

Han Li silently watched as Lieshi disappeared.

Throughout, Han Li had not asked why Lieshi was taking such a type of pill.

Han Li knew well that even if he asked about the reasons, he couldn’t change what had already happened.

Behind his brilliant and glorious appearance, Lieshi undoubtedly had his own unspoken hardships. It might be something he would not give up even at the cost of his life.

Forcing him to reveal these hardships would only reopen a barely healed wound.

Han Li’s decision not to pry was the right one. Lieshi, before leaving, was deeply moved by Han Li’s understanding and consideration.

Han Li’s decision to give Lieshi the pain-relieving pill was simple.

He wanted to do a small favor to ensure that Lieshi would help him when needed.

Even if he didn’t need Lieshi’s help for years, it didn’t matter.

Helping someone in need also made him feel good.

Although Lieshi might not be an extraordinary person, after today’s experience, Han Li felt he wouldn’t have to worry about any harm from him.

Han Li hurried back to Xianshou Valley to prepare the pill as promised.

Making the pain-relieving medicine was not difficult. He just needed to find the right ingredients from the herb garden and mix them.

The mixing process was a bit complex and required careful attention.

After a long while, Han Li prepared enough medicine for Lieshi to use for a year.

He didn’t make more because he wanted Lieshi to visit him annually for the medicine.

He didn’t want Lieshi to forget his kindness.

* * *

By evening, Han Li sat in front of his door with an unusual expression.

Looking up at the dark sky, he saw the bright moon, which reminded him of his family far away.

It had been four years since he left his parents. Since coming to Luoye Mountain, he had been training hard almost every day, leaving him no time to think about his family or visit them.

He mostly sent most of his silver to his family through others and received letters from his parents, written by Uncle Zhang, every year.

The letters mentioned that the family’s situation had improved, his eldest brother had married and moved out, and his second brother had found a good bride, with a wedding planned for the next year.

There were no other significant changes. Of course, these improvements were all due to the silver he sent home.

However, Han Li noticed that the way his family treated him in their letters became increasingly formal, almost as if they were treating a stranger.

Han Li was at a loss about how to respond to the letters. Over time, he became more indifferent, and the images of his family in his heart grew blurry.

On nights like this, when he saw such a scene, a wave of emotion would flood him, and he would recall his family back home.

Reflecting on the warm and peaceful days he spent at home, he realized how precious and comfortable they were, something he could not easily obtain now. He slowly savored this feeling.

Han Li gently touched the leather pouch containing the peace talisman in his chest.

Touching the leather pouch usually gave him a faint sense of satisfaction, but today, his heart was restless, and he couldn’t find peace.

Feeling inexplicably depressed, he found it difficult to control his emotions.

His entire body felt uncomfortable, and the qi and blood inside him began to churn uncontrollably. The strange internal energy generated through his cultivation was also acting up.

‘Zouhuiruemo (走火入魔)!’

This terrifying thought flashed through Han Li’s mind. He stood up, took a deep breath, and tried to regain his composure.

With Mr. Wen away, only he could save himself from this danger. Han Li was still puzzled about why he was experiencing zouhuiruemo without any apparent reason.

Although it wasn’t the best time to find the root cause, he needed to investigate to thoroughly resolve the issue.

Han Li looked around carefully but saw nothing unusual. As he rubbed his chin with his right hand, he felt something bulging.

‘The leather pouch... the peace talisman!’

The thought immediately came to his mind.

‘Could this be the cause of the problem?’

Han Li was unsure but knew he couldn’t hesitate. If his condition worsened, he might lose control at any moment. He grabbed the pouch and threw it as far as he could.

‘No! It’s getting harder to control. The twisting of my qi and blood is becoming more intense.’

Han Li tried to suppress the strange sensations in his body again, staring at the spot where the pouch landed with bloodshot eyes. He needed to find the cause before his body was damaged.

# 10