Chapter 15: Four Years Later

Doctor Mo was pleased Han Li devoted himself entirely to cultivation. Yet he remained dissatisfied with the progress of the **nameless mantra**, grumbling about its sluggish pace.

Mo's health had deteriorated further. Coughs wracked his gaunt frame more frequently, each fit lingering longer. His urgency for Han Li's advancement grew palpable, veiled beneath a facade of paternal care.

Though Mo lavished Han Li with silver and resources, treating him like a treasured artifact, Han Li's sharpened senses detected flashes of greed in Mo's gaze—a hunger that chilled him to the bone.

*What could he possibly want from me?* Han Li wondered. Logic insisted nothing, yet an instinctive wariness festered.

His cultivation had hit a wall. Without the rare herbs Mo once provided, progress stalled. Guilt gnawed at Han Li; Mo had poured everything into him, yet he couldn't meet expectations.

When Han Li confessed his stagnation, Mo's sallow face paled. Without reproach, he announced a journey to gather herbs, leaving Han Li alone in Divine Hand Valley.

Zhang Tie had vanished two years prior, after reaching the third layer of the **Elephant Armor Technique**. A farewell letter cited "wandering the martial world," but whispers of fear—of the technique's torturous fourth layer—lingered. Mo's intervention spared Zhang's family repercussions, but Han Li's unease never fully faded.

Stir-crazy, Han Li wandered beyond the valley. Patrols halted him, unfamiliar with his face. Avoiding main paths, he trekked secluded trails, savoring newfound freedom.

Clashes of steel and raucous cheers drew him to a hidden cliff. Over a hundred youths crowded the clearing—some sparring, others spectating from trees. Among them, familiar faces surfaced:

"Wan Jinbao, Zhang Dalu, Sun Lisong… And *Wang Dapang*—even fatter now! His family's chefs must spoil him rotten."

Perched on a branch, Han Li smirked. "Liu Tietou? The soot-faced runt turned fair-skinned pretty boy? Time works wonders."