“Rise up!” “Rise up!” A faint, distant voice—seeming to come from beyond the sky—roused Han Li from his deep sleep. As he opened his eyes, a large face pressed closely against his own. Han Li was startled and stepped back slightly before recognizing the figure: Zhang Tie, another young boy. “Eat something now,” said Zhang Tie, handing Han Li two steaming buns. “We have to see Doctor Mo after dinner.” “Where did you find this food?” Han Li paused, still a bit surprised at being offered it so promptly. “There’s a large kitchen near the valley. I saw everyone going there for meals, so I joined them and took my share. After eating, I realized you hadn’t had anything yet—so I went back and fetched two more buns for you,” said Zhang Tie, smiling warmly at Han Li. “Thank you, Zhang Brother,” Han Li replied, touched by the gesture. He found Zhang Tie surprisingly mature compared to himself, so he naturally called him “Zhang Brother” out of instinct. “It’s nothing at all,” said Zhang Tie, a bit embarrassed. “I’ve always been used to doing things at home. I feel rather uneasy when I’m not doing something—just standing around like this. If there’s anything you need in the future, just let me know. I don’t have much else, but I still have strength.” His words came out a little stammered and hesitant. Han Li hadn’t eaten breakfast or lunch, so by now he was quite hungry. He gulped down one bun in three to four bites, then finished the second one with barely any pause—within just a short while, both buns were gone completely. “It’s getting late,” said Han Li, taking several deep bellyfuls of air and looking out at the setting sun. “We should go see Doctor Mo now.” Zhang Tie agreed without hesitation and followed Han Li to Doctor Mo’s room. Inside Doctor Mo’s quarters, shelves lined the walls, each filled with stacks of books arranged neatly and densely. “Doctor Mo!” “Doctor Mo!” …… Doctor Mo sat leaning against his armchair, engrossed in a book he was reading. He seemed entirely unaware of their arrival or their greetings. Han Li and Zhang Tie, being young children themselves, felt uncertain and at a loss—how should they proceed? They simply stood there, waiting. It wasn’t until Han Li’s feet began to tingle from standing so still that Doctor Mo finally looked up. With a calm, composed manner, he placed the book on a nearby table, studied them both silently for a moment, then lifted a cup of tea and sipped it slowly before speaking: “You two are now my Ji Ming Disciples,” said Doctor Mo, his expression neutral as he set down the teacup. “I will teach you some basics in herb gathering and medicine preparation—perhaps even some medical skills to help people. But I won’t teach you martial arts.” “I have a series of breathing and cultivation formulas that I’d like to pass on to both of you. While they may not allow you to fight and win battles, they will certainly strengthen your bodies. If you truly wish to learn martial arts, go see the instructors—I won’t object. However, after six months, I’ll assess only your mastery of these formulas. Should either of you fail, you’ll still be sent out to join the outer sect as regular disciples. Have you understood clearly?” “Understood,” said Han Li and Zhang Tie in unison. “You two may now go. Come back at dawn tomorrow.” Doctor Mo waved them gently, then returned to reading his book. As he stepped outside, Han Li couldn’t help but glance once more at the book in Doctor Mo’s hands. Unfortunately, although he could see the title clearly—three bold black characters—he didn’t recognize any of the words. He felt a sense of mutual incomprehension: they recognized him, yet he didn’t understand them. Stepping out of Doctor Mo’s room, Han Li sighed with relief. During their time inside, he had hardly been able to breathe—or even take a single deep breath—his mind tensed and alert throughout. Now that he was outside, his body relaxed immediately, returning to normal. Over the following days, Han Li remained eager and enthusiastic. Now at last, he was officially recognized as a member of the Seven Perfection Sect—even if only a Ji Ming Disciple—this made him feel significantly better than other children who had been sent back home. Even if he failed the six-month assessment, he would still be able to become an outer sect disciple like Third Uncle. In Han Li’s eyes, Third Uncle was already someone of great status and dignity. So, rather than viewing the upcoming evaluation as a serious milestone, he even subtly hoped that he might fail—so he could leave earlier and visit his parents and his beloved younger sister. In subsequent days, in the morning Doctor Mo taught them some medical knowledge; in the afternoon they gathered at a study hall with other young disciples to learn reading and writing, as well as the fundamentals of the Twelve Primary Meridians, Eight Extraordinary Channels, and body meridian locations. They also practiced standing stances and trained in basic martial exercises by simulating windmills and practicing with straw figures. After one month, Han Li and Zhang Tie finally separated from their peers—no longer able to attend classes on other topics because Doctor Mo began teaching them a special set of unnamed formulas. This routine consumed most of their time, and Doctor Mo strictly forbade them from sharing the formulas with anyone else. Should they reveal it, he would impose strict penalties and even expel them from the sect. During this period, Han Li learned more about the Seven Perfection Sect and Doctor Mo through conversations with other disciples. The Sect is led by a senior master named Wang Lu, who is a direct descendant of the Seventh Master’s lineage, along with three deputy masters. The Sect is divided into two major divisions: the Outer Sect and the Inner Sect. The Outer Sect includes four halls—the Flying Bird Hall, the Gathering Treasure Hall, the Four Seas Hall, and the Outer Blade Hall. The Inner Sect has four halls—the Hundred-Forging Hall, the Seven-Excellence Hall, the Devotion Hall, and the Blood-Blade Hall. In addition, there is a Council of Elders which holds equal status to the Master and the three deputy masters, directly under the Senior Master. Originally, Doctor Mo was not one of the Seven Perfection Sect’s disciples. Several years ago, during an outing, the Master Wang Lu had been ambushed by enemies and suffered severe injuries—his life hanging in the balance. His attendants were helpless. Just then, Doctor Mo happened to arrive—he skillfully treated the injury, saving the Master's life through his medical expertise. Wang Lu was deeply grateful and later learned that Doctor Mo not only possessed an exceptional talent for healing but also had a strong martial arts foundation. As such, he invited Doctor Mo into the Sect. He then carefully selected a small valley in the mountains, constructing a separate residence there so that Doctor Mo could live comfortably within the Sect—eventually becoming a member of the Devotion Hall as a respected Senior Official (Serving Elder). Although the disciples never witnessed Doctor Mo’s martial prowess or fully understood his level of skill in combat, he consistently saved numerous young members’ lives through his remarkable medical talents. Therefore, despite his reserved demeanor and sparse speech, Doctor Mo was deeply respected by all within the Sect.