Chapter 22: Calming the Fright

When Han Li arrived, the anxious look on Li Feiyu's face finally faded. The corners of his lips curled upward into a smile.

"Junior Brother Han, you're truly punctual! You said 'noon,' and here you are exactly at the stroke of noon. I've been waiting for nearly an hour," Li Feiyu half-joked, half-complained.

"Apologies. I spent too much time preparing medicines last night and slept late. By the time I finished my tasks this morning, it was already noon," Han Li replied ambiguously.

"Junior Brother Han, the medicine… did you prepare it?" Li Feiyu stammered, his eagerness betraying his composure.

Instead of answering directly, Han Li smiled leisurely and pulled a palm-sized packet from his robe, tossing it to Li Feiyu.

"Take a spoonful of this powder with cold water before consuming the Marrow Extraction Pill. It should lessen the pain."

"Thank you, Junior Brother Han! Thank you!" Li Feiyu exclaimed, overjoyed. Even a slight reduction in suffering was a blessing to him. The agony of the Marrow Extraction Pill chilled him to the bone. Previous painkillers had proven useless, but since Han Li knew the pill's properties and had even consumed it himself, this medicine might truly work.

"Don't thank me yet. Wait until it proves effective. Also, this is only a year's supply. I've exhausted my current herbs, but I'll prepare more once I gather enough ingredients," Han Li stated bluntly.

"No matter. A year's worth is enough for now. Whether it works or not, I owe you a great debt," Li Feiyu replied, his demeanor steady now that he held the medicine.

Han Li smiled faintly, bid farewell, and turned to leave. Equally eager to test the medicine, Li Feiyu did not linger either. The two parted ways.

Back in the valley, Han Li first tidied the herb garden. He swept the rabbit remains, bloodied soil, and shattered porcelain into the pits, flattening the disturbed earth until the area looked untouched.

Satisfied, he dusted his hands and scanned for oversights. When his gaze fell on the spot where the porcelain bowl had shattered, he frowned.

He clearly remembered that the diluted liquid from the bowl had spilled onto a small patch of herbs. Would those herbs now absorb toxins? If consumed, would they cause the same explosive fate as the rabbits? Should he remove them now?

After pondering, Han Li decided to wait and observe. If the herbs turned poisonous in the coming days, he could still uproot them later.

With nothing else to do, he retreated to the stone chamber to cultivate. He hoped to break through to the next layer of his technique.

By dusk, frustration set in. Despite feeling on the verge of piercing through to the fourth layer, he made no progress. An afternoon of bitter practice had been wasted.

*It seems I cannot advance without medicinal aid. Otherwise, I might remain stuck at the third layer forever.*

Han Li began to yearn for Old Man Mo's swift return—and for the old man to bring back enough herbs to help him break free from this stagnation.