They had already walked quite a distance from the cliff, yet the voices of their arguments could still be faintly heard. As for how they would ultimately resolve the dispute between Wang Dabu and Zhang Chángguì, Han Li had no intention of paying any further attention. He found himself unable to help but smile at the image of Jin Dongbao standing motionless, stunned. At this moment, his mood felt remarkably light, free from the previous sense of heaviness he had experienced in the valley. Stepping out of the pine forest and heading toward more remote areas, he wandered casually until a narrow stream came into view. Looking up at the scorching sun in the sky and then down at the gently flowing clear water of the stream, he decided that a refreshing wash in the stream would be a pleasant idea. As he bent down and just dipped his hands into the cool water, a series of painful groans suddenly echoed from upstream. Han Li was surprised—how could there be anyone living so far from the main path? Following the groans, he proceeded upstream along the small stream and found a disciple in the inner sect's attire lying face down by the bank, continuously convulsing and trembling uncontrollably in all limbs. Han Li immediately recognized that the disciple was suffering from an acute illness; without prompt assistance, he would likely perish. In a single stride, Han Li reached him, drew out a box of sandalwood from his cloak, opened it, and extracted a series of gleaming silver needles, swiftly inserting them into the acupoints along the back. After completing the back acupoints, he turned the disciple over to begin treating the chest area. As he turned him over, the disciple's face came into view, and Han Li gasped—this critically ill figure was none other than Li Shi, the very one who had just displayed his extraordinary prowess on the cliff face just moments before. Han Li paused, then carefully examined the face he had seen only recently. At this moment, the poised, confident aura of Master Li—once so triumphant and unrivaled—had completely vanished. His originally stern face was now twisted in pain, with white foam continuously oozing from his lips, clearly indicating that he had lost consciousness due to severe agony. "I'm from Shenshou Valley. Stop speaking now and focus on restoring your strength. I can only revive you for a short while. Your illness is quite unusual—I believe only Doctor Mo can save you. Unfortunately, he's no longer on the mountain." Han Li checked Li Shifu's pulse, frowning. "The medicine... is..." Li Shifu's face grew increasingly anxious, his lips trembling as he tried to lift his arm to speak, but failed. "Do you have medicine that can treat your illness?" Han Li immediately grasped his meaning and asked with a speculative tone. "Yes—" Seeing that Han Li understood, Li Shifu relaxed and nodded weakly. Han Li didn't hesitate, began searching him over, gathering various items. Among them, he selected a small white jade bottle—so precious, sealed so tightly, it must be the one he was looking for. Holding the bottle, he turned to look at Li Shifu's expression, and indeed, now his face was bright with joy, his eyes rapidly blinking. Han Li opened the bottle cap, only to be surprised—instead of a medicinal fragrance, a strong, pungent odor surged out, filling the air. As soon as he inhaled the smell, his face immediately grew pale. With care, he gently poured out a pink pill from inside. The pill was so beautifully soft and rounded, yet it emitted such an unpleasant odor—it was truly hard to believe. "Is this the pill?" Han Li's expression settled back into calm. Li Shī, however, was now so anxious he could hardly speak, only blinking rapidly. "Drawn from twenty-three rare ingredients—Hé Lán, scorpion tail flowers, hundred-year blue ant eggs, and others—the pill takes on a delicate pink hue and carries a distinctive, strange odor of fishiness. When taken, it enables the body to draw upon its latent potential, allowing the user to enhance their current abilities at the expense of their future lifespan. Is that correct?" Han Li stared at Li Shī coldly, delivering each word with deliberate precision and an unyielding tone. Upon hearing what Han Li had just said, Li Shifu's face immediately turned pale, losing all color, and he appeared visibly agitated. "Once this medicine is taken, it must be consumed at regular intervals, and the patient must endure an unbearable agony—muscle spasms and the draining of the marrow. If the medicine is not taken, the consequences are severe: mild cases will suffer complete paralysis, while severe cases will lose their lives. Even if the medicine is taken consistently, within the first decade following the initial dose, the patient will inevitably succumb due to the depletion of life force." Han Li did not pause, continuing to speak. "You must not be surprised that the medicine I hold in my hand is not the marrow-draining pill." As he spoke, he paused briefly. By this point, Li Shifu's face had taken on a look of despair—like someone whose secret had been exposed—but his eyes still reflected a sense of astonishment that was utterly unexpected. "I must admit, I find it surprising that such a rare medicine should be so familiar to me," Han Li observed, sensing the question forming in his mind, and then shifted the focus to his own story. "It's actually quite simple—I've also taken a dose of this medicine." Han Li spoke with surprising force, and his words left Li Shī completely stunned. Yet, soon after, he expressed disbelief. "My method differs from yours. I took just one pill and divided it into ten portions, consuming each portion as a medicine base for other treatments, one at a time. This way, I've experienced no adverse effects on my body. The pill's appearance and scent are so distinct from what I expected, that I have a vivid memory of it. For years, I always believed that aside from the single dose I took, no one else in the world would truly consume this secret medicine. I never thought that even within our own sect, there would be just one person like me." With these words, Han Li looked at Li Shī with a mixture of admiration and pity. Li Shī, unwilling to meet Han Li's gaze, gently closed his eyes, his chest rising and falling unevenly, indicating his inner turmoil. "You've been taking this medicine for several years now. If you stop taking it now, I'll ask Doctor Mo to prescribe another special remedy for you—though it may not restore your entire lifespan, it should extend your life by twenty to thirty years. However, your martial arts skills will inevitably fade. If you continue taking this pill, based on the symptoms you've shown today, you may only live another five to six years. During that time, your martial arts abilities will improve at a pace far exceeding your current progress. You've shown the courage to embrace such a special remedy—clearly, you're a determined and resolute person. It's up to you now to decide: shall you continue taking this pill, or discard it?"