Chapter 10: Smashing Bottles

Bang!

Han Li clenched his hands, slamming one of his fists heavily onto the table.

"Break the bottle with a tool." This was Han Li's decision after much deliberation.

Using brute force to open it was a method he had long considered, albeit a desperate one. While this approach was simple, straightforward, and effective, the thought of such a uniquely beautiful bottle being irrevocably damaged made Han Li's heart ache; he was extremely reluctant. If there had been any other way to open it, Han Li would never have resorted to such a crude method.

Asking his fellow disciples for help might open it. But deep down, Han Li had already, almost unconsciously, come to regard this item as his own treasure and was absolutely unwilling to let any outsiders know about it. Moreover, anyone on the mountain could be the owner of the bottle. What if they found out he had it and demanded it back? This small bottle was so beautiful and intriguing; he was utterly loath to return it now.

Han Li's curiosity was now fully piqued by the mysterious contents, or potential contents, of the bottle. Although he knew it might just be an empty vessel, he was willing to take a gamble that whatever was inside would be even more interesting than the bottle itself. The more he thought about it, the more unbearable his itching curiosity became. He wouldn't be able to sleep soundly at night until he unraveled the mystery within the bottle.

Having made up his mind, Han Li stealthily slipped into the storeroom in the valley. From among the various tools, he selected a relatively heavy small iron hammer and brought it back to his room. Back in his room, he found a half-piece of discarded hard bluestone brick in a corner. He then chose a relatively flat depression in the room, placed the bluestone brick flat on it, and carefully laid the bottle horizontally on top of the brick.

Han Li raised the small hammer in his right hand. The hammerhead paused briefly in the air before decisively descending onto the most protruding part of the bottle – its belly.

Thump!

Fearing that too much force might damage any contents, the first strike was a gentle tap, merely testing the bottle's hardness. Seeing no sign of a crack, Han Li felt relieved. It seemed he could use more force to strike the bottle.

Thump! — five parts strength.Thump! — seven parts strength.Thump! — full strength.Thump! — more than full strength.

Han Li struck with increasing force, his arm swinging more wildly, and the hammer descending faster with each blow. In fact, with the final strike, half of the bottle was embedded in the bluestone brick, yet the bottle remained perfectly intact, showing no signs of shattering.

Han Li was stunned. Still disbelieving, he touched the spot where the hammer had struck the bottle. There wasn't the slightest mark left on it; the bottle glowed green and its surface remained perfectly smooth. This was completely beyond Han Li's expectations.

Only now did Han Li truly confirm that this small bottle was an extraordinary item, certainly not deliberately discarded. It was highly likely that its owner had accidentally lost it. The owner might now be searching the entire mountain for it. If he wanted to keep it, he absolutely had to hide it well and ensure no outsider saw it again.

In Han Li's mind, anything found on the ground belonged to him, provided he hadn't actively stolen or robbed it. For an ordinary item, he might have returned it to the owner. But this bottle was so mysterious that it was likely dropped by a wealthy disciple or someone of status on the mountain. Han Li didn't have a very good impression of either of these groups.

Han Li's family had been poor since his childhood; they often toiled all day and still couldn't get a full meal. Within the Seven Mysteries Sect, he frequently saw the first group of people spend lavishly, indulging in luxurious food and drink (disciples of the Seven Mysteries Sect could pay extra for better meals if they didn't want the standard fare), treating money as if it were worthless. Whenever this happened, Han Li felt uneasy. Furthermore, these rich children usually ostracized and looked down upon disciples from poorer backgrounds like himself, often mocking and insulting them with words. There were even several small conflicts between them, and the children engaged in group brawls a few times. Han Li had participated in one such fight, only to be left with a bruised and swollen face by the martial arts-trained wealthy disciples, unable to show himself in public. He then had to rest for several days to recover.

As for those with status and influence on the mountain, they also didn't leave a good impression on Han Li. From Protector Wang accepting bribes from his third uncle to Wu Yan directly entering the Seven Absolute Hall by relying on Deputy Sect Master Ma's power, although he hadn't seen many high-ranking figures on the mountain, the great image of such prominent individuals that he held as a child had almost completely shattered.

For items lost by these two types of people, Han Li not only had no desire to return them but even felt a mischievous urge to hide them.

At this thought, Han Li immediately took off the small leather pouch hanging around his neck. His mother had specially sewn this pouch for him from animal hide before he left home. It was waterproof and moisture-proof, intended to hold a peace charm made from a wild boar's tusk, hoping it would keep him safe, healthy, and free from harm.

Han Li loosened the pouch's opening, placed the bottle alongside the peace charm, tightened the drawstring, and then hung the pouch back around his neck. After doing all this, he looked around. Seeing no one, he puffed out his chest and patted the slightly bulging pouch beneath his clothes, confident that it wouldn't attract anyone's attention. Only then did he feel much more at ease, no longer fearing that the bottle would be unexpectedly discovered by its owner and reclaimed.

Han Li quietly returned the hammer to its original place. Pretending that nothing had happened, he leisurely strolled around the Divine Hand Valley for a while until it was completely dark, before finally limping back into his room with his injured foot.