On the way back, Han Li encountered few people. Only a few senior brothers who happened to pass by noticed him walking with a limp and were slightly surprised, yet they said nothing, suggesting that no one had particularly taken notice of this younger brother. Upon arriving at his quarters, the pain in his feet grew more severe. Han Li quickly sat by the edge of the bed, gently removing his shoes and socks, and examined the injury. The swelling was quite pronounced! The thumb of his right foot had swelled up prominently, and the skin at the site was swollen, bright red and shiny—like a large, vivid chili pepper. Han Li hurriedly reached for the wooden pillow beside his bed and pulled out a small bottle of medicine from beneath it. This was a specially prepared external remedy by Mo Doctor, effective for bruises, swelling, and even bleeding. It had been hard-won by Han Li from Mo Doctor, originally intended as a reserve for Zhang Tie’s recovery from external injuries during the practice of the "Xiang Jia" technique. Unbeknownst to him, he had ended up using it himself first. As soon as he opened the bottle, a strong, fragrant medicinal aroma filled the entire room. Gently pouring the powder onto the raised toe, a refreshing coolness immediately spread throughout. Indeed, it was no surprise that Master Mo's specially formulated healing medicine worked so swiftly—remarkable! Master Mo's medical skill truly is unparalleled. Han Li then fetched a clean cloth, wrapping the injured toe tightly into a large bundle before finally putting on his shoes and socks. Good—thankfully, the pain had significantly eased. He slowly walked back and forth a few steps, quite satisfied with his quick method of treating the injury. Now it was time to address the mysterious bottle—the very source of his severe wounds. From his pocket, Han Li produced the bottle and wiped it clean with a fresh cloth, revealing its true form. The bottle was not large; it could easily be held in one palm, slightly smaller than his usual medicine bottle. The bottle was a pale green throughout, with several ink-green, leaf-like patterns printed on its surface. The patterns stood out slightly, giving a raised, almost three-dimensional feel, as if genuine leaves had been embedded directly into the body. Holding it in hand, it felt heavy, yet clearly not made of any metal known to Han Li, nor of any ceramic type he was familiar with. To the touch, it lacked the coolness typical of metals and the smooth, uniform texture common to ceramics. After observing it carefully, Han Li was certain that the bottle was crafted from a material he had never encountered before. The pale green hue appeared natural, an inherent color of the material itself, rather than a later-added dye. Upon seeing the tightly sealed lid, Han Li decided to satisfy his curiosity and immediately opened the bottle to see what was inside. Once again, he placed his hand on the lid and twisted with all his strength. One, two, three... The lid and the bottle body seemed forged as one, utterly immovable—there was not the slightest sign of the lid giving way. Han Li was taken aback. When he first picked up the bottle, he had failed to turn it then, though he had been preoccupied with his injuries and hadn't exerted much effort, nor had it been on his mind. He had assumed that now, with his full strength, opening it would be a simple matter. Yet, it still wouldn't budge. Han Li twisted the lid continuously for over a dozen times, until his arms grew sore, but still no success. He then paused, shook his arms to loosen them, and gently flexed his wrists—having strained them too much earlier. He brought the bottle close to his eyes and examined it carefully once more. Unfortunately, no hidden mechanisms or subtle features were visible. Now Han Li was genuinely puzzled—how could he possibly know what was inside if he couldn't open the lid? If there was anything at all, this bottle was so unusual and sealed so tightly, it must be something extremely precious. Han Li held the bottle tightly in his hands, gazing at it, lost in thought for a while. Finally, he decided to ask Zhang Tie—whose strength far exceeded his own—to try whether he could loosen the seal. After all, Zhang Tie now could lift water buckets weighing dozens of catties with each hand and move swiftly up and down the mountain. He was responsible for filling the large water cisterns in the field every day at the same time. With this decision made, Han Li went to Zhang Tie's house to wait for him, hoping he would return soon. Waiting for someone proved quite uncomfortable; Han Li felt time dragging on, and it seemed like a long time before he finally heard the creaking sound of Zhang Tie pushing the door open. As soon as he looked up, Han Li saw Zhang Tie wearing a thin blue cotton robe, slightly steaming from head to toe, his whole body drenched in sweat, walking in. Han Li knew this was a normal phenomenon after Zhang Tie had just finished practicing his internal energy exercises, and he found it quite natural. Zhang Tieyi was taken aback when he saw Han Li already inside his room. Before he could even open his mouth, Han Li, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately handed him the bottle. "Zhang brother, could you help me open this bottle, please?" "Where did you find this? Does it look nice?" Zhang Tieyi paused slightly, then took the bottle. "Szzz! Szzz! Szzz!" "Huh! This thing is quite sturdy—hard to twist open! What is it made of?" Zhang Tieyi didn't waste any time, took it and applied both hands with force, but still couldn't open the bottle cap. "I'm sorry, but I can't manage it. Why don't you go find another senior brother and ask him to try?" Zhang Tieyi shook his head apologetically, returned the bottle to Han Li, and offered another suggestion. "You can't do it either, can you?" Han Li grew increasingly anxious and began walking in circles inside the room. "Oh! What's wrong with your feet?" Only then did Zhang Tieyi notice that Han Li was walking a little unsteadily. "It's nothing, just stepped on a stone while walking." Han Li didn't know why, but he simply didn't want to share the truth about the bottle. Perhaps it was instinctive—he had unconsciously treated the matter involving the bottle as his own little secret. Now, Han Li felt deeply disappointed and lacked the energy to chat with Zhang Tie. He merely inquired about Zhang's progress in practicing martial arts before leaving his room to return to his own quarters, where he would figure out a solution to the bottle issue on his own.