Doctor Mo's face was devoid of expression, his eyes half-open and half-closed, one hand firmly placed on
All of his attention was concentrated on the strength of the true qi within Han Li's body. He remained silent for quite some time.
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he finally let out a deep breath, as if expelling all the vexation in his heart. His eyes snapped open, and a sharp gleam shot out from those cloudy depths, making it impossible for anyone to meet his gaze.
His expression was grim. It was obvious that he was dissatisfied with Han Li, but no words of reprimand came.
He waved his hand coldly, motioning for Han Li to follow him.
Han Li obediently trailed behind him. Although he was quite curious about the mysterious person nearby, he knew this was no time to ask questions freely.
Once inside the room, Doctor Mo sat down in the grand chair with a somewhat weary air, pressing his back against the rest and settling into a half-sitting, half-reclining position. The sharp gleam in his eyes had faded, and he had reverted to his usual look of a man long plagued by illness.
The mysterious person had been following close behind him without so much as a step of separation. After the doctor sat down, the figure moved to stand directly behind the chair, ramrod straight and motionless.
Han Li knew Doctor Mo was in a foul mood and had no intention of speaking up to provoke him further. He mimicked the mysterious person's example, walking to the center of the room, facing Doctor Mo with his head lowered, sensibly keeping still and waiting for the other to speak first.
A long while passed, and still no one uttered a word. Han Li grew a little puzzled and could no longer contain himself. He stealthily started to raise his head, wanting to steal a glance at Doctor Mo.
"If you want to look, just look. Why be so sneaky about it?" The moment his neck had risen halfway, Doctor Mo's cold, harsh voice cut through the air.
Han Li's body stiffened for an instant, then obediently he raised his head. His gaze swept across Doctor Mo's face two or three times before quickly darting away again.
Han Li's expression didn't change on the surface, but inside, his mind churned like a storm-tossed sea.
How had Doctor Mo's face become so grotesque so suddenly? A faint layer of dark qi hung over his pallid complexion, and this black mist seemed almost alive, extending countless tiny tendrils that writhed and clawed across his features. What alarmed Han Li even more was that Doctor Mo had shed his usual deadpan demeanor entirely, replaced by a look of fierce, ruthless resolve. Those eyes stared at Han Li with unmistakable malice, and a trace of mocking contempt curled at the corner of his lips.
Han Li sensed that something was very wrong. A surge of unease crept into his heart, and a faint aura of danger began to spread throughout the room.
Cautiously, alertly, he eased half a step backward and slipped his hand into his sleeve, grabbing the Iron Tube hidden there. Only then did his taut nerves loosen ever so slightly—when a low, derisive voice suddenly reached his ears.
"A little cleverness, and you dare show it off?"
Doctor Mo's body moved. In an uncanny shift, he went from half-reclining to fully standing in a single fluid motion. After a cold, sinister laugh, his figure blurred, and the entire man seemed to glide like a ghost to Han Li's side, staring down at him with a chilling "heh heh."
Han Li's face drained of color. He knew something was terribly wrong and hurriedly tried to raise his arm, but his body went numb and he couldn't move a muscle.
Only then did he see Doctor Mo's fingers withdrawing from an acupoint on his chest.
It had been far too fast. He hadn't sensed the strike coming at all.