In the 43rd year of the Jianxing era, in June, shortly after Li Wuya and Li Qilang celebrated their eighth birthdays, a momentous event shook the entire Da Chu Kingdom.
Emperor Renzong passed away, and his fourth son ascended the throne, ushering in a new era known as Jiankang.
With the new emperor's ascension, a nationwide amnesty was declared!
"Master, what are you saying? What do you mean you're leaving? Where are you going?"
On the desert plains, the four Li siblings, their bodies drenched in sweat from martial arts practice, stared at Ye Mo in astonishment.
Ye Mo gazed towards the direction of the capital city, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke, "With the new emperor's amnesty, I can leave the border."
Twenty years had passed since he arrived at the border, and now he finally had the opportunity to return.
The four Li siblings exchanged glances and fell into a momentary silence.
Ye Mo looked at them and said, "Your attitude is exceptional. In these three years, I haven't taught you much. After I leave, continue your martial arts practice as usual."
Li Qilang, with reluctance on his face, gazed at Ye Mo, "Master, we don't want you to go. If you leave, will we ever see you again?"
Ye Mo revealed a rare smile, raising his hand to pat Li Qilang's shoulder. He thought about the Li family's military household registration and let out a sigh.
Military households couldn't leave the border. Perhaps they would never see each other again.
Soon, Ye Mo's smile faded, and he spoke solemnly, "Regardless of whether we will meet again in the future, you must not have any connection with me."
Li Sanlang was puzzled, "Master, why is that?"
Ye Mo replied, ". There's no specific reason. Just remember what I said."
Li Wuya looked at Ye Mo and noticed the deep-seated resentment and killing intent in his eyes.
It seemed that their master carried a heavy burden from the past.
"I'll be staying in the garrison for three more days. If you have any questions during that time, feel free to ask. After I leave, you'll have to figure out the martial arts on your own. Remember, in martial arts, avoid..."
Ye Mo proceeded to explain various martial arts problems he had encountered to the Li siblings. It wasn't until the sun set that the five of them returned to the garrison.
That night, as Li Wuya lay tossing and turning on her bed, she eventually took a silver needle and went to Ye Mo's residence.
At just eight years old, she was still very young. Exposing her exceptional medical skills too early might not be a good thing, especially given Ye Mo's complicated background and numerous entanglements.
But after three years of being together, Ye Mo had dedicatedly guided their martial arts training. If he left the border, he might face even more dangers. Even though she might not have the ability to help him, she still hoped for his well-being.
"Wuya, why did you come?"
Li Wuya looked at Ye Mo in surprise, as well as the five middle-aged men who sat, lay, or stood behind him, radiating a formidable aura.
She was surprised, and Ye Mo and the others were equally astonished.
The reason was simple – Li Wuya had entered without making a sound. All six of them failed to notice her presence.
Li Wuya stood there blankly and awkwardly explained, "I saw the light on in the room and thought you weren't asleep yet, so I came in."
Ye Mo glanced at Zhao Jing and the others, without any intention to introduce them. He simply asked, "Do you have something to discuss with me?"
Li Wuya cast a fleeting glance at Ye Mo's lame leg and then at the five men on the bed. Without a word, she turned around and left the room.
Seeing her, Ye Mo hurriedly followed.
"Master, who are those five men?"
"They are my closest friends." With those words, Ye Mo didn't say anything further.
Li Wuya refrained from further inquiry, "Master, are you in a hurry to leave? If you're not, then..." She raised the silver needle pouch in her hand. "If you're not, let me take a look at your leg."
Ye Mo's expression trembled, and his heart grew unsettled.
What was this girl thinking?
Was she going to treat his leg?
Thinking of the medicinal soup Li Changsen gave him every month, a glimmer of hope ignited in Ye Mo's eyes. He took a deep breath, "Wuya, my leg has been crippled for nearly twenty years."
Implicitly, it meant that it might be beyond treatment.
Li Wuya replied, "I know. If you trust me, let me try." She hesitated for a moment and then added, "Of course, I can't guarantee that it will definitely work."
Ye Mo gazed at Li Wuya. Given all the surprises she had brought him, he decided to give it a shot. His leg was already in its current state; even if it couldn't be healed, it wouldn't make things worse.
As for returning to the capital city, well, he had waited for twenty years already, a little more time wouldn't matter.
"Alright!"
"Master, I prefer to treat you without any outsiders present."
As soon as she spoke, the five individuals in the room exited. They glanced at Li Wuya and then quickly left.
Li Wuya raised an eyebrow – she was quite perceptive.
"Master, let's go inside."
Once inside, Li Wuya took out a package of sedative powder, dissolved it in hot water, and made Ye Mo drink it.
Ye Mo's decision to become Tianchi's disciple was truly the right one. Apart from anything else, the convenience of having access to Tianchi Pavilion's medicinal ingredients greatly aided Li Wuya.
The sedative she used was not easy to concoct; it required the accumulation of materials one by one, a task that would take a long time.
After drinking a bowl of the sedative, it didn't take long for Ye Mo to fall into a deep sleep.
Li Wuya had the power to heal Ye Mo's right leg, which had its tendons severed by someone. She could have directly healed it using her healing ability, but she didn't want to appear too out of the ordinary. So, instead, she made a small incision near his ankle, as if she were performing a surgical procedure to reconnect the tendons.
The tendons had been shrunk and shortened for more than twenty years. Other doctors would likely be powerless to help, but for Li Wuya with her healing ability, it was not a big issue.
After spending more than two hours in the room, Li Wuya left.
Originally, she had planned to heal all the damaged tendons for Ye Mo, but seeing Zhao Jing and the others made her realize that Ye Mo wasn't a lone fighter. She abandoned that idea.
Healing a leg that had been crippled for over twenty years was already astonishing. Trying to heal the damaged tendons would be truly unbelievable.
While Ye Mo was tight-lipped, what about the others?
Li Wuya didn't want any trouble. Ye Mo's martial skills were already quite good, even if he didn't have internal energy. Once his leg healed, he would have some self-defence capabilities.
After Li Wuya left, Zhao Jing and his group immediately entered the room.
Seeing Ye Mo's legs stand before them, it was evident that his right leg had indeed been healed. Zhao Jing and the others were all stunned and overjoyed.
"That little girl is amazing!"
Duan Chunqiu exclaimed in astonishment. Being a poison expert, he had a deep aversion to medical knowledge, making him even more astounded by the miraculous healing of Ye Mo's leg.
"Big Brother, what baggage are you carrying? Let me take it."
The burly and rugged Shi Zhan reached out and took the bundle from Ye Mo's body.
Ye Mo smiled, "It's the medicine package from Third Brother and the others."
At the mention of medicine, Duan Chunqiu immediately grabbed the package, eagerly opening it. Seeing that all the medicines were wrapped in paper, he couldn't help but grimace in disdain. "Seriously, who wraps medicine in paper? Aren't they afraid of compromising the efficacy?"
Ye Mo responded, "The Li family's life isn't easy. Using paper is already quite good."
Duan Chunqiu rolled his eyes, "If you ask me, the Li family possesses a treasure mountain but is unaware of it. Just the hemostatic powder alone, if they're willing to sell it, they'd have no shortage of silver."
Ye Mo's expression grew cold, and he glared disapprovingly at Duan Chunqiu.
Duan Chunqiu gulped nervously under his gaze and lowered his head, refraining from speaking further.
After a moment of silence, Ye Mo glanced around at Zhao Jing and the others, his tone frosty, "Forget about the Li family's matters, and from now on, don't bring them up again. They're just an ordinary military household and can't withstand any disturbances."
Zhao Jing quickly assured, "Big Brother, rest assured, we won't speak carelessly."
Duan Chunqiu nodded in agreement, "I was just speaking casually earlier. I thought such good medicine shouldn't go to waste. I know the Li family doesn't have a strong foundation, and owning valuable things can be a curse."
Ye Mo withdrew his gaze, saying no more.
Owning a treasure mountain but being unaware of it?
Thinking of Li Wuya, who exuded cleverness, Ye Mo's lips curved.
That girl was truly skilled at seeking benefits and avoiding harm. Her low-key appearance only served to protect herself.
Realizing that they might never meet again in the future, Ye Mo felt a sense of regret.
The four Li siblings possessed remarkable aptitude in martial arts. He wondered how far they would go?