In his will, the trade Mo Juren proposed was very simple. He wrote that in a year or two, the poison would become effective. To remove this poison, Han Li must make a trip to Mo Juren’s home. Mo Juren had wives and daughters, along with a decently sized business. He had made arrangements for them before he left, but he feared that if he were absent for an extended period of time, his enemies would have evil intent against his family. For this reason, Han Li must rush to protect his wives and family members before the situation escalated and preferably help them escape from the bloody world that is Jiang Hu so that they can live a normal life without want.
As a way of compensating and removing any of Han Li’s suspicions, Mo Juren’s will betrothed one of his daughters to him and gave him a dowry of one half of all his assets along with the Yang Jaded Treasure.
Before Mo Juren left, he had given the precious jade to his wives for safekeeping and also explicitly told them that it was to be used as part of their daughter’s dowry, so even if Han Li did not want to wed his daughter, he would be forced to.
Of course, Mo Juren clearly pointed out that his enemies’ clans were very large and influential. They also contained many cultivators. The sheer number of members made it hard for the clans to supervise and control all of their members, and with Han Li’s current abilities, he wouldn’t be capable of dealing with them head on. For this reason, he specifically prepared two false identities for Han Li and carefully hid them in a secret location unknown to anyone besides Mo Juren. Furthermore, he even left behind a token belonging to Mo Juren and a handwritten letter. At the same time, he also left a list of names that clearly stated his trusted aides, those he suspected of plotting against him, and the names of his enemy clans within his letter. He also wrote out several things Han Li must take note of.
Finally, to express the sincerity of his will, he even left behind how to control and summon the Iron Slave and the Cloud Winged Bird.
What caught Han Li’s attention was how Mo Juren vaguely pointed out the fact that the Iron Slave was actually a soulless corpse whose soul has already entered the cycle of reincarnation, as if to make him not feel unwell. These words caused Han Li to be at a loss. Did he really seem to be of the overly emotional sort?
However, even without mentioning the poison within his body, when Han Li was faced with such great riches, he had felt rather tempted. Han Li had always been sensitive to money and was therefore very interested in Mo Juren’s proposal. As for the betrothal to Mo Juren’s daughter, Han Li felt an odd feeling well up within himself. He was around the age when he would experience his first set of romantic thoughts. Furthermore, he knew from Mo Juren’s original appearance that his daughter could not be anything but beautiful.
But the risk he faced was no small matter. If he was not careful, he might end up having to pay with his life. Mo Juren’s enemies are not simple characters!
Mo Juren had carefully constructed a watertight plan to take care of any unsettled business, using the chance to start a new life filled with beautiful women and immense wealth as a collective incentive in order to tie Han Li to Mo Juren’s family, effectively mixing safety and danger together by forcing Han Li to swallow this honey-wrapped poison pill.
(TL: “Honey-wrapped poison pill” means a situation that looks appealing but contains many hidden dangers)
Chapter 63: True Appearance
Han Li paced around the room several times before stopping.
“Should I accept Doctor Mo’s deal right now, or should I wait I’m absolutely sure there is no cure before making my decision…” Han Li was helpless, unable to come to a conclusion.
Then, he looked outside at the Iron Slave and thought back at the unintelligible chant left behind at the end of Mo Juren’s will. A sense of curiosity rose within his heart as he prepared the steps to control the Iron Slave.
Han Li bent down and retrieved from within the pile of items a brass bell small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. The brass bell was delicately crafted with harmonious proportions that made it look pleasing to the eyes. With one glance, he could tell that it was the work of a skilled artisan. The only difference this bell had from an ordinary one was the bell frame, which had faint traces of blood stains, making it particularly eyecatching.
Han Li carefully inspected all the features of this so called “Soul Guiding Bell.” From its surface, he was unable to see what was so special about it, but by following Mo Juren’s structions, he could control the frightening Iron Slave. Such an object was inconceivable!
Han Li held onto the small bell with his left hand and a dagger with his right hand. Slowly and cautiously, he walked out past the stone door and approached the Iron Slave.
When he was twenty feet away from the large man, he stopped walking, unwilling to move any further. If he moved even one foot closer, he might not be able to protect himself from any accidents. At this moment, the Iron Slave was standing straight with his back faced towards Han Li.
Dang! A crisp and clear sound rang out from the bell after Han Li used his dagger to softly hit the copper bell.
Han Li briefly wrinkled his eyebrows. The sound was the same as that of a normal bell, so how could it possibly control the Iron Slave?
His heart wavered slightly. His body shrank down a little as he prepared himself to run back to the stone room at the first signs of failure.
Hearing the ringing from the bell, the Iron Slave’s shoulder shook almost imperceptibly. Seeing this reaction, Han Li felt delighted, and he quickly continued to strike the bell.
Dang! Dang!… The bell sounded out in quick succession and the Iron Slave’s body shuddered accordingly until even his walking became staggered, unable to stand firmly, causing him to finally fall face down on the ground, unconscious.
The Iron Slave’s immense body, upon impact with the ground, unsettled a large amount of dust that caused the unprepared Han Li to sneeze consecutively, making him look battered and dirtied.
But at this time, Han Li could care less about his appearance. He quickly pounced on the Iron Slave and reached his hands out to tear away the his cloak, revealing a bloated face that shocked and absolutely horrified Han Li.
Han Li forcefully endured the uncomfortable feeling within his heart, unwilling to continue to inspect the Iron Slave any more. Using his dagger to lightly cut open his own wrist, Han Li allowed some of his blood to flow out unobstructed, dripping onto the Iron Slave’s face until his face was completely smeared with blood before Han Li found a clean strip of clothing to tie around his wrist in order to prevent further bleeding. Then he calmly stood to the side to watch the Iron Slave’s reaction.
Then, strangely enough, all the blood on the Iron Slave’s face slowly sank into his skin without a single drop left behind, causing Han Li, who was watching off to the side, to be dumbstruck to the point where he was oblivious to the fact that he exerted too much pressure on the wound, causing fresh blood to seep out of underneath the cloth.
Once the blood was completely absorbed, the Iron Slave opened both eyes and slowly got up. He looked incapable of speech; both his eyes seemed lifeless, without a trace of emotion.
But when the Iron Slave turned his head to look at Han Li and their eyes made contact, Han Li heard a “weng” sound within his mind. A strangely foreign yet familiar feeling arose within Han Li’s heart, almost as if something foreign suddenly appeared within his heart. This feeling was like a pet he personally raised, constantly revolving around Han Li, longing for its name to be called out.
(TL: weng= onomatopoeia for buzzing or droning)
Han Li was surprised but immediately calmed down because he saw that the Iron Slave’s once rigid and deadpan face was now filled with complete obedience. Seeing this gave Han Li the feeling that he was able to control the Iron Slave’s fate. It was a fascinating and novel feeling.
Han Li suppressed his pleasant surprise and calmly gave the large man a command to test his limits.
“Go and tear that stone wall for me
.”
Without saying a single word, the Iron Slave walked over to the stone door with a few large strides, raised his two fists together above his head like a large hammer, and with three to five strokes smashed apart the door. As swift as a wind, he returned to Han Li’s side, awaiting his next command.
Han Li, who had been downcast from reading Mo Juren’s will, could not resist anymore and grinned widely from ear to ear. With this strong helper always waiting for orders, would there be any normal dangers in the future capable of harming him?
Han Li was thinking about his wonderful future while he fervently sized the giant man from head to toe.
The more he looked at the giant man, the happier he felt. His originally ugly view of the man now seemed more pleasing to the eye, even going as resembling a familiar face to Han Li.
“A familiar face?” Han Li was both frightened and shocked by his own realization.
How could he think that this ugly face looked familiar when it was his first time seeing it?
Faced with these questions, Han Li started to closely investigate the giants man’s nose and eyes in an attempt to find the answer.
Gradually, he discovered that if he were to take the giant man’s bloated face and shrink it to its original size, this face would not be considered ugly to look at. In fact, the Iron Slave’s face would even look honest and straightforward, giving Han Li a sight he found both familiar and horrifying.
Han Li’s face turned pale. After half a day of silence, he reached out both hands to gently touch the giant man’s face.
“Brother Zhang, is that really you?” His words sounded downcast making him appear to be tranquil.
The face he had pieced together was remarkably similar to that of his good friend, “Zhang Tie.” Thinking back to Doctor Mo’s last few ineffable words, Han Li was completely sure that the giant man and Zhang Tie were somehow closely related. Was it really as it was described in the letter? If the giant man was made from Zhang Tie’s empty body, then his soul was already long gone. But how did his body become so huge and frightening?
Chapter 64: Crooked Soul
Han Li used his hand to feel the giant man’s body temperature while staring into his lifeless and inarticulate pair of eyes. Within his heart, he was trying to guess all the bitter experiences Zhang Tie had experienced.
Doctor Mo had most likely colluded with Yu Zhitong to kidnap Zhang Tie, a Way of the Armored Elephant practitioner, giving the false pretense that he left and tricking the numerous eyes and ears within the Seven Mysteries Sect. Then, they secretly used some kind of magic technique to remove Zhang Tie’s soul, causing his body to become as grotesque as it was now. The effects of their technique were similar to that of the backlash from cultivating the Way of the Armored Elephant.
Han Li’s guess was not very different from what had actually transpired.
After administering his test, Doctor Mo suddenly had the idea of combining the Way of the Armored Elephant with Yu Zhitong’s Corpse Refining Technique to create a group of subservient and powerful puppets that could sweep across Jiang Hu. However, he was only able to create this one soldier who Doctor Mo treated as his treasure. He usually kept the Iron Giant hidden somewhere at the bottom of the mountains, and the only time Doctor Mo took the Iron Giant out of hiding was when he returned to the mountain.
But Yu Zhitong was not the least bit interested in this dubious reanimated corpse; in fact, he even snorted disdainfully because when he still had his body, he had been capable of using Qi to deal with these kinds of reanimated corpses without much difficulty. In addition, this animated corpse was incomparable to the high ranked reanimated corpses of cultivators; as a result, it was only useful in the mortal word. The only positive side was that the materials were easier to gather, the process of refining was simpler, and anyone with a little bit of Internal Qi could use this technique.
After a while, Han Li removed his hand from the giant man’s face and turned his unsettled eyes away from his body. His gaze landed upon the destroyed stone door, his mind still in a daze.
In that moment, he felt his heart grow cold, not because of Zhang Tie’s situation but rather because of his own cold and detached attitude.
He originally thought that when he found out about his friends’ miserable downfall, he would furiously lift his head up and shout out, “Mo Juren! Yu Zhitong” with intense hatred.
But in actuality, aside from some sadness, his discovery did not stir up any fury, almost as if the one who fell under these circumstances was not his good friend Zhang Tie but rather a stranger who was not related to him in any way.
Was it because he knew that the Zhang Tie in front of him was only an empty shell and not the Zhang Tie he once knew? Or was it because his heart had become too cold?.
Han Li’s cold and detached behavior caused fear to manifest in his heart. He realized right then that he had changed too much to the point where he was foreign to himself!
Han Li finally awoke from his stupor and looked at the giant man with eyes filled with turmoil, unsure of how to address “him”.
Thinking of what Doctor Mo said about a “lost soul” and a “walking corpse,” Han Li gazed through forlorn eyes and softly said, “Brother Zhang, I imagine you have moved on to the next life, so you have no need for your body. Please allow your little brother to use it! I will definitely be careful, and I hope that you will not blame me for my actions.”
After saying a few words and finding peace, Han Li faced the giant man and said:
“Since you are the body Brother Zhang left behind and don’t have an independent soul of your own, I will call you ‘Crooked Soul’ ! I hope you can provide me with a helping hand in the future.”
Learning to Han Li’s words, the giant man stood there stupidly without moving, and aside from looking tame and obedient, there were no hints of reaction. It seemed like he really lacked a consciousness and could only be commanded into action.
“I can’t believe I am saying these words to body that can’t even think for itself, this is so silly!” Han Li mockingly he shook his head and lightly strolled inside the stone room.
“Crooked Soul, keep up.”
Once Han Li recovered from his downcast state, his expression returned to normal as if he had never been dejected at all. The truth indeed reflected his guess: he had become abnormally cold hearted and rational, not able to be easily disturbed by his own emotions.
Han Li, who was about to step onto the path of cultivation, was unsure of whether this outstanding change would be a source of great calamity or great fortune.
For a short time afterwards, Han Li spent a good half day in order to deal with the aftermath of the situation.
He not only had to bury Doctor Mo’s corpse under some big tree but also had to destroy and throw away all the items in the stone room. He even ordered Crooked Soul to beat up the stone room, tearing everything in the room beyond recognition. Only when he was unable to tell the room’s original appearance was he willing to stop and rest.
After this destruction was over, the day had already transitioned into the evening, and the sun was already setting.
Han Li stood in front of what used to be the stone room, now a stone heap, seizing everything up once and making sure nothing was overlooked before he was satisfied.
“Crooked Soul, let’s go!”
“We still have several matters to take care of tomorrow! It’s a pity you don’t have a conscious and can’t open your mouth to talk; otherwise, I would have someone I can discuss with, which would help make things proceed more smoothly.”
Under the illumination of the setting sun’s fiery red glow, Han Li dragged along a slender and tall shadow. While walking, Han Li constantly talked to the giant man, whom he referred to as “Crooked Soul.” At last, he found a companion to whom he could confide in without the fear of being complained against. Crooked Soul’s expression was cold and detached, making him similar to that of the leader of a neighborhood gang.
After arranging a hiding place for Crooked Soul, Han Li returned to his own dwelling. Once inside his house, he acted like a man who hasn’t returned back home in a long time, touching and rubbing the chairs and tables, looking everywhere, and talking to himself:
“Ah, Today was an extremely long day! It seems like this day was longer than the first 10 years of my life!”
Abandoning all of his worries, he came crashing down on his bed, covered his head with his pillow, and began falling asleep.
He was very tired! He could not bare the mental and physical exhaustion.
“But, being able to live is truly wonderful!” He couldn’t help thinking this, and as he entered into sleep, the corner of his lips lifted up in a slight smile.
Chapter 65: Medicinal God Han Li
Han Li lay reclined on the chair that Doctor Mo often sat on, and in his hand, he held a book that read Eternal Spring Arts Incantation” on the leather cover. The contents were indeed from one of the volumes of the Eternal Spring Arts Incantation. He read it with keen interest, engrossed by its contents.
Doctor Mo often held this book in his hands, reading it countless times without growing sick of it. This abnormal situation used to puzzle Han Li. But today, he found out the reason behind Doctor Mo’s strange action, which helped him understand that the doctor had not been looking for some method to maintaining his health, but rather he was trying to hardest to comprehend the Eternal Spring Arts Incantation! Doctor Mo had been unwilling to give up on his own inability to cultivate magic power. Instead of placing his complete faith in Yu Zhitong’s promises regarding Spiritual Roots, Mo Juren had continued to persist in his attempts to understand the Eternal Spring Arts.
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