Chapter 4: Unnamed Incantation

"Wake up!" "Wake up!"

A faint calling, seemingly from beyond the heavens, jolted Han Li from his deep sleep. Opening his eyes, he saw a large face pressed close to his. Startled, Han Li recoiled, then recognized the terrifying face belonged to another boy, Zhang Tie.

"Quick, eat something. We have to see Elder Mo after dinner," Zhang Tie said, handing Han Li two steaming hot buns.

"Where did you find the food?" Han Li asked, momentarily stunned, before taking the food.

"There's a large kitchen near the valley. I saw everyone getting food there, so I went and got some. After I finished eating, I realized you hadn't eaten yet, so I got you two more buns," Zhang Tie said with a simple, honest smile.

"Thank you, Brother Zhang," Han Li felt a touch of gratitude. Seeing that Zhang Tie looked much more mature than himself, the address "Brother Zhang" slipped out naturally.

"It's... it's nothing. I'm used to working back home. If I don't do something for a while, I always feel a bit restless. In the future, if you need help with anything, just say the word. I may not have much else, but I have plenty of strength," Zhang Tie seemed a little embarrassed, his words coming out haltingly.

Han Li hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch and was quite hungry. He devoured one bun in a few bites, then the other. In a short while, both large buns were completely gone.

"It's getting late. Let's go see Elder Mo," Han Li said, burping a few times. He glanced at the setting sun outside the window, mentally calculated the time, and decided it was time to meet Dr. Mo.

Zhang Tie had no objections and followed Han Li to Dr. Mo's room.

Inside Dr. Mo's room, rows of bookshelves lined the walls, filled with a dense array of books of various kinds.

"Elder Mo!"

"Elder Mo!"

Dr. Mo leaned back in a grand armchair, engrossed in a book, seemingly oblivious to their arrival or their greetings. Being children, Han Li and Zhang Tie were at a loss when Dr. Mo ignored them. They didn't know what to do and simply stood there waiting.

It wasn't until Han Li's feet began to ache from standing that Dr. Mo unhurriedly placed his book on the adjacent desk. He coolly assessed the two boys, then picked up a cup of tea, took a few sips, and finally spoke slowly:

"From today onwards, you two are my registered disciples. I will teach you some basic knowledge of herb gathering and refining, and perhaps some medical skills for healing, but I will absolutely not teach you martial arts." Dr. Mo's expression remained impassive as he set down his tea.

"I have a set of cultivation chants to teach you both. While they won't enable you to defeat enemies, they will strengthen your bodies. If you truly wish to learn martial arts, you may go to the instructors; I will not object. However, in six months, I will only assess your progress with these chants. If you don't pass, you will be sent to the outer sect to become outer disciples. Have you two understood clearly?" Dr. Mo's tone suddenly became serious, indicating how highly he valued these chants.

"Yes, we have," Han Li and Zhang Tie replied in unison.

"You two may leave. Come back tomorrow morning," Dr. Mo waved them away, then picked up his book and resumed reading.

Before leaving, Han Li couldn't resist glancing at the book in Dr. Mo's hand. Unfortunately, he was illiterate and only recognized the title as three large, dark characters. He lamented that while the characters "knew" him, he didn't know them.

Stepping out of Dr. Mo's room, Han Li couldn't help but let out a soft sigh of relief. For some reason, while inside, he hadn't dared to even breathe deeply, and his mind had been tightly wound. Now, outside, he immediately felt relaxed and returned to normal.

In the days that followed, Han Li remained excited, for he was finally considered a disciple of the Seven Mysteries Sect. Although only a registered disciple, it was still better than being sent home like the other boys. Even if he didn't pass the assessment in six months, he could become an outer disciple like his Third Uncle. In Han Li's mind, his Third Uncle was already a person of great status and standing, so he didn't dwell on the six-month assessment. In fact, he secretly hoped he wouldn't pass, so he could return home sooner to see his parents and his beloved younger sister.

In the subsequent days, Dr. Mo taught them medical knowledge in the mornings. In the afternoons, they went to a study room with other boys to learn literacy, basic martial arts knowledge like the twelve meridians, the eight extraordinary meridians, and acupuncture points, and they also practiced horse stances and basic moves with straw dummies.

A month later, Han Li and Zhang Tie, along with the other boys, were finally separated. They no longer had time to learn other things, as Dr. Mo began teaching them an unnamed set of chants. Practicing these chants consumed most of their time, and Dr. Mo strictly forbade them from sharing the chants with others, warning that any leakage would result in severe punishment and expulsion from the sect.

During this period, Han Li learned more detailed information about the Seven Mysteries Sect and Dr. Mo through conversations with others. The Seven Mysteries Sect had a main leader named Wang Lu, who was a direct descendant of the Seven Absolutes Master, and three副门主 (vice-leaders). The sect was divided into outer and inner doors. The outer door comprised four branches: Flying Birds Hall, Treasure Gathering Hall, Four Seas Hall, and Outer Blade Hall. The inner door had four branches: Hundred Forging Hall, Seven Absolutes Hall, Reverence Hall, and Blood Blade Hall. Additionally, there was an Elder Council, which held a status second only to the main leader and on par with the vice-leaders.

Dr. Mo was not originally a disciple of the Seven Mysteries Sect. Several years ago, when Leader Wang Lu was traveling, he accidentally fell into an enemy trap and was ambushed, sustaining severe, life-threatening injuries. Those around him were helpless. Coincidentally, they encountered Dr. Mo, a physician, who miraculously revived him, curing his ailments and saving Leader Wang's life. Leader Wang was naturally immensely grateful to Dr. Mo. Later, he learned that besides his superb medical skills, Dr. Mo also possessed considerable martial arts prowess, so he invited him back to the sect. He then carefully selected a small valley in the mountains and specifically built this residence for him, allowing Dr. Mo to settle peacefully in the Seven Mysteries Sect, thus becoming an offering in the Reverence Hall. During his time in the Seven Mysteries Sect, although the disciples had never witnessed Dr. Mo's martial skills and didn't know their strength, he had saved the lives of many sect disciples with his brilliant medical expertise. Therefore, despite his often expressionless face and sparse words, he earned the respect of all the disciples in the sect.