Li Shi stepped into the room and immediately smelled a pungent, foul odor. She saw Master Ma and Elder Qian sitting cross-legged on either side of the bed, their eyes closed as they meditated to restore their energy. Between them, a basin of pitch-black blood water exuded the stench.
Both of them appeared pale, and it was evident that, as Han Li had said, they had expended a great deal of energy. Li Shi couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude toward them. Although she didn't practice martial arts herself, she was familiar with the concept that it would be inappropriate to disturb them during their recovery. So, she quietly approached the bed, gazing at Li Changlao.
Li Changlao lay peacefully asleep, his previously furrowed brows now smooth. While his complexion remained slightly yellow, the black aura that had plagued his face had completely disappeared, and the poison spots on his body had faded into faint, almost imperceptible marks. It was clear the poison had been completely purged.
Tears welled up in Li Shi's eyes, overwhelmed with relief and joy. After a long moment, she wiped her tears and decided to express her gratitude to Han Li. However, as soon as she stepped outside, she was immediately surrounded by questions from the others, but to her surprise, Han Li was nowhere to be seen.
Curious, Li Shi asked Ma Rong and the others where he had gone. She learned that after preparing a prescription for restoring Li Changlao's strength, Han Li had left without a word, not staying any longer than necessary.
Li Shi stood in stunned silence for a while. The news left her feeling conflicted, but she had already made up her mind. Once Li Changlao recovered, she and her husband would personally visit Han Li to express their gratitude, no matter the cost.
What she didn't realize was that, apart from Han Li, someone else was also missing from the house—the ever-present Li Feiyu, who was usually never far from Zhang Xiu'er.
Elsewhere, under a thick tree along a secluded path, Han Li, just having left Li Changlao's house, lay on the grass, bored out of his mind, counting the leaves on a nearby branch.
When he reached nearly a thousand, a shadow suddenly dropped from the sky, coming straight at him with the speed and intensity of a predator swooping down on its prey. The figure seemed to be filled with deep anger and animosity.
"Hey! Stop fooling around! Every time we meet, why does it feel like you're trying to attack me? I'm not Zhang Xiu'er, you know!" Han Li said, his voice tinged with annoyance.
At his words, the figure twisted mid-air with agility, landing gracefully beside Han Li. It was none other than Li Feiyu, who had followed him out.
"Han Li, with your ugly face, how could you compare to Zhang Xiu'er?" Li Feiyu retorted, his tone mocking as he lightly kicked Han Li's backside with his foot, as if giving him a playful punishment.
Han Li rolled his eyes, then quickly did a flip, standing up with a grin. "Looks like our Senior Brother Li here is more focused on romance than friendship. I must have chosen my friends poorly!"
Li Feiyu scowled at the teasing but quickly grew serious. "Enough nonsense. Why did you drag me out here? I had a golden opportunity to get close to Zhang Xiu'er, and you made me waste it. You better have a good reason, or I'm leaving!"
"Did I invite you out here?" Han Li said, feigning surprise, exaggerating his expression. "I don't remember ever saying that. Did I say something?"
"Don't play dumb. When you gave me those looks earlier, it was obvious you had something to say. Stop beating around the bush. If you don't give me a good enough reason, I'm heading back," Li Feiyu said, starting to turn away.
Han Li decided not to tease him anymore and suddenly became serious. He fixed his gaze on Li Feiyu. "Don't get mad at me, but as a friend, I need to ask you something. Does Zhang Xiu'er know that you took the Bone Extracting Pills? That your life span has been shortened to just a few years?"
Li Feiyu's face drained of color, his eyes going wide as his body went stiff. He didn't respond immediately, and for a long time, there was an awkward silence.
Han Li sighed inwardly, knowing that his question had already hit the mark. The expression on Li Feiyu's face said it all.
"Why did you have to bring this up?" Li Feiyu's voice was filled with pain as he spoke, his eyes showing deep sorrow.
Han Li didn't respond to the question but gently patted Li Feiyu on the shoulder, offering a quiet gesture of comfort.
"You must have heard that the more you invest in emotions, the more pain you bring upon yourself," Han Li said, his voice carrying a touch of wisdom.
Li Feiyu froze for a moment, staring at Han Li with a confused expression.
"Before you get too deeply involved, I'm pulling you back so that you won't suffer even more in the future," Han Li continued, his tone calmer now.
Li Feiyu looked at him with an odd expression in his eyes.
"What's wrong? Is there something wrong with what I said?" Han Li felt uneasy under the intensity of Li Feiyu's gaze and quickly glanced at himself, wondering if something was off.
"How old are you? How do you sound like such a seasoned expert in love? Have you already experienced romance yourself?" Li Feiyu suddenly asked, his voice laced with curiosity.
"Of course not. All this comes from books. I thought it sounded profound, so I decided to share it with you," Han Li responded, with a slight chuckle.
Li Feiyu let out a long breath, patting his chest. "I see! No wonder, with my dashing good looks, I couldn't possibly fall behind you in this area. I thought you were giving advice from experience, but it turns out it's just theoretical nonsense."
Han Li was speechless. This guy recovered quickly, didn't he? Just moments ago, he was distraught, and now he was back to his usual playful self. It was like dealing with a highly emotional person.
Still, Han Li pushed on, his curiosity piqued. "So, are you really going to give up on Zhang Xiu'er? Can you really watch her be held by someone else without feeling anything?"
Li Feiyu's playful expression instantly turned cold and filled with malice. His voice dropped to a chilling tone. "Anyone who dares to lay a hand on Zhang Xiu'er, I'll cut off their fingers."
He paused for a moment, his eyes burning with intensity. "I don't care what happens after I die, but as long as I'm alive, Zhang Xiu'er will only belong to me."
His words were filled with such cold determination that they seemed to freeze the air around them.