"Get up, get up," a faint voice seemed to come from outside the sky, waking Han Li from his deep sleep. When he opened his eyes, he found a large face looming in front of him. Startled, Han Li recoiled, only to realize that it was another disciple named Zhang Tie.
"Quick, have something to eat. After finishing dinner, we need to see Doctor Mo," Zhang Tie handed two steaming buns to Han Li.
"Where did you find food?" Han Li asked, surprised, as he took the food.
"There's a big kitchen near the valley. I saw everyone getting food there, so I went and got some too. After eating, I realized you hadn't eaten yet, so I got two buns for you," Zhang Tie said with a kind smile.
"Thank you, Zhang Ge," Han Li felt touched and, seeing that Zhang Tie seemed much more mature than himself, he involuntarily called him "Zhang Ge."
"No... no problem. I'm used to doing it at home. If I don't do something productive, I feel a bit... uncomfortable. If you need any help in the future, just ask. I may not have much else, but I have plenty of strength," Zhang Tie seemed a bit embarrassed as he stuttered out his words.
Han Li, who hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch, was quite hungry. He quickly devoured the two big buns. After a short while, he finished eating and burped contentedly.
"It's getting late. Let's go see Doctor Mo," Han Li said after checking the sunset outside the window and calculating the time.
Zhang Tie had no objections, so they went to Doctor Mo's room together.
In Doctor Mo's room, rows of bookshelves lined the walls, filled with various books.
"Doctor Mo!"
"Doctor Mo!"
...
Doctor Mo sat in his chair with his back to them, engrossed in a book. It seemed he didn't notice their arrival or hear their greetings. Being just children, Han Li and Zhang Tie didn't know what to do and stood awkwardly by.
It wasn't until Han Li's feet started to feel numb from standing that Doctor Mo finally put down his book, glanced coldly at them, sipped some tea, and spoke, "From today onwards, you two are my registered disciples. I will teach you some basic knowledge of herb collecting and medicine refining, and perhaps some medical skills, but not martial arts."
"I have a set of self-cultivation formulas to teach you two. While it won't make you invincible, it will keep you healthy. If you really want to learn some martial arts, you can go to other instructors. However, I will only assess your progress in practicing this formula in six months. If you fail, you will be expelled from the sect. Do you understand?" Doctor Mo's tone suddenly became serious, indicating the importance he placed on this formula.
"Yes, understood," Han Li and Zhang Tie replied in unison.
"Go out now. Come back tomorrow morning," Doctor Mo waved them away, picked up his book, and resumed reading.
As they left Doctor Mo's room, Han Li couldn't help but glance at the book in Doctor Mo's hand. Unfortunately, he couldn't read, so he didn't recognize the title written in three large black characters. It was a pity that the books recognized him, but he didn't recognize them.
In the following days, Doctor Mo taught them some medical knowledge in the morning and basic martial arts knowledge in the afternoon, such as literacy, the Twelve Regular Channels, the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, and the positions of various acupoints. They also practiced stances and basic techniques with other disciples.
A month later, Han Li and Zhang Tie were separated from the other disciples. Doctor Mo began teaching them a set of unnamed formulas, which took up most of their time. Doctor Mo strictly prohibited them from sharing the formula with others. If it leaked out, they would be severely punished and expelled from the sect.
During this time, Han Li learned more about the Seven Mysteries Sect and Doctor Mo through others. The sect was led by a main hall master named Wang Lu, who inherited the position from the Seven Ultimate Master. There were also three deputy hall masters. The sect was divided into inner and outer parts, with various sub-halls in each. Doctor Mo was not originally a disciple of the sect but saved Wang Lu's life with his medical skills, which earned him Wang Lu's gratitude and an invitation to join the sect. He was given a secluded valley to live in and became a respected member of the sect. Although his martial arts skills were unknown, he had saved many disciples' lives with his medical expertise, earning their respect despite his stoic demeanor
