Chapter 28: Rising Ambition

Han Li turned toward the door. As he reached the threshold, he suddenly glanced back and asked:

"The man standing behind you, Elder Mo—he hasn't spoken a word. Who is he?"

Doctor Mo chuckled at the abrupt question, evading slyly:

"You're clever enough. Guess. I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Han Li shook his head and strode out without another word, leaving it unclear whether he couldn't guess or simply refused to try.

Once outside, his face darkened.

"In this clash with Doctor Mo, I couldn't even fight back—completely subdued. I was too naive, thinking petty tricks could match him. The Five Poison Liquid I painstakingly crafted was confiscated before it could be used. I need to rethink how to strengthen myself."

With this resolve, he marched toward his quarters, unwilling to remain under Doctor Mo's thumb.

Inside the room, Doctor Mo stared dumbfounded at the floor. A bowl-sized hole, charred black, gaped where a test spray from the iron tube had corroded straight through the wooden planks. The venom's terrifying toxicity made his heart race. He leapt up, cursing:

"That little bastard! When did he learn to make such poison? I never taught him this! I thought it was ordinary knockout powder. Ruthless brat—turns on me without a second thought!"

Unaware of the panic he'd caused, Han Li returned to his room and collapsed into bed, exhausted from the day's upheaval. He slept deeply, desperate to recover.

When Han Li awoke, dawn tinged the eastern sky. He sat up, elbows on knees, chin in hands, plotting escape.

"For the next year, I'm safe. He'll protect me to save himself. But after that…"

The Evergreen Art wasn't a concern—he'd already reached the fourth layer and would master the fifth within the year. The Corpse Worm Pill? Simple: once he demonstrated progress, he'd demand the antidote before healing Doctor Mo. The man wouldn't risk refusal.

Suddenly, Han Li recalled something. He retrieved a vial, swallowed a green pill, and waited. After a moment, he sighed:

"The old ghost wasn't lying. Even the All-Cleansing Powder, which neutralizes all poisons, does nothing. I'll have to wait for the antidote."

Tucking the vial away, he paced around the room's lone table, brooding.

"Doctor Mo's words are half-truths. But with my family threatened, resistance is futile."

Han Li doubted Doctor Mo would honor their deal. If it were as simple as claimed, compliance would be easy. But hidden dangers loomed. Without preparation, he'd be defenseless.

Both sides feared each other: Doctor Mo worried Han Li would slacken, and Han Li feared betrayal once cured. Previously, mutual threats balanced the scales, but now, with his family as leverage, Han Li was cornered.

"Should I entrust my life to his mercy?" Frustration gnawed at him.

"No. Never. My fate stays in my hands. Relinquishing control is idiocy."

After agonizing, Han Li settled on a flawed plan: bolster his strength on all fronts, amass bargaining chips to deter Doctor Mo. If attacked, he'd at least have means to resist.

Clumsy as it was—reactive rather than proactive—it was the safest path. Resolved, Han Li stepped outside, stretching lazily in the crisp dawn.

The rising sun painted the horizon crimson. A fierce determination swelled within him as he declared to the wind:

**"My destiny belongs to me alone. No one else will ever hold its reins."**