"Pop!" Han Li clenched his hands tightly, and with a firm motion, slammed one of his fists down onto the tabletop. "He should use tools to crack open the bottle," was Han Li's final decision after careful consideration. Using force—breaking it open violently—had been an idea he'd thought of long before. It was simple and direct, practical enough. Yet every time he imagined the beautifully crafted vessel being shattered, the sight of its pristine integrity torn apart filled him with a deep sense of sorrow. If there were any other way to open it, Han Li would have never resorted to such rough treatment. He could ask his elder brothers or fellow seniors for help—perhaps they might manage to crack it open. But in his heart, Han Li had already unconsciously treated this object as his own treasure; he was determined not to let anyone else learn of its presence. After all, every person on the mountain might be a potential owner of the bottle. Should someone discover it in his possession, how would he explain itself? This little vessel is so elegant and intriguing—he simply could not bear to return it. Han Li had now been completely captivated by the mysterious contents within the bottle. Though he knew it might merely be an empty vessel, he was eager to take a gamble—believing that whatever lies inside would surely prove more fascinating than the vessel itself. The more he thought about it, the more restless and uneasy he felt. He simply could not sleep at night unless he unraveled the mystery of what lay within. With his mind made up, Han Li quietly slipped into the shed where supplies were stored in the valley. From among a variety of tools, he selected a heavier iron hammer, which he brought back to his own room. Back inside, he retrieved a half-ruined hard green brick from a corner and positioned it on a relatively flat patch of ground within the room. Then he carefully placed the bottle across the brick so that it rested steadily. Han Li raised the hammer with his right hand, pausing briefly in mid-air before decisively striking the most prominent part—the belly of the bottle. "Crack!" Afraid of exerting too much force and damaging whatever was inside, Han Li first struck gently to test the vessel's resilience. Seeing no cracks at all, he felt reassured—indicating that greater strength could now be applied without risk. "Crack!" with five parts of effort. "Crack!" seven parts of effort. "Crack!" ten parts of effort. "Crack!" twelve parts of effort. Han Li gradually increased his force—the motion of his arm grew more dynamic, and the hammer descended faster with each strike. By the final blow, half of the bottle's body had been driven into the brick, yet the vessel remained intact—no cracks at all appeared on its surface. Han Li was utterly astonished. He reached out to gently touch where the iron hammer had struck—the spot revealed no marks whatsoever; only a smooth, lustrous green glow remained, perfectly preserving the bottle’s original clarity. This outcome completely exceeded his expectations. Now, Han Li was truly convinced that this small vessel was far from ordinary—it could not have been deliberately discarded. It was most likely accidentally lost by its owner. Perhaps the rightful holder is currently searching throughout the mountain for it. If he wished to keep this object safely, he would have to carefully conceal it and prevent others from seeing it again. In Han Li's mind, anything he picked up from the ground—unless he actively stole or took it—was now his own. For ordinary items, he might return them to their original owners. But for this vessel—which was so mysterious—he suspected that it had been misplaced by either a wealthy family's disciple or someone of status on the mountain. He held neither of these groups in high regard. Han Li’s family had always been financially struggling—throughout the day they often went without sufficient meals. Within Seven Perfection Sect, he frequently observed such affluent members spending generously and indulging in rich meals (members who preferred ordinary food could pay extra for specially prepared meals). They treated money as if it were disposable. Each time this happened, Han Li felt uneasy. Moreover, these well-off students often looked down upon the students from humble backgrounds—regularly mocking or belittling them with words and even engaging in minor disputes. There had been several such clashes between the two groups, including a group fight involving young children. Han Li had participated in one such incident—he was beaten badly by the martial-arts-trained wealthy disciples, leaving him with a swollen nose and bruised face, unable to leave his home for days. After recovering over several days, he returned to normal. As for those mountain figures of authority or status, their image in Han Li's eyes wasn't particularly favorable either. From Wang Hufa accepting bribes from Third Uncle, to Wuyan gaining direct access to the Seven Absolute Hall through the influence of Deputy Sect Master—though Han Li had not personally met many high-ranking individuals—the idealized image he once held of such prominent figures had already crumbled. For these two groups who had lost this object, Han Li no longer wanted to return it—he even intended to hide it as a subtle act of mischief. With that thought firmly settled, Han Li immediately removed the small leather pouch hanging at his neck. This pouch was specially stitched from animal skin by Han Mother when he left home—it is waterproof and moisture-resistant—and had been used to carry a single amulet crafted from wild boar teeth, which she hoped would protect him from illness or misfortune. Han Li unfastened the pouch’s opening, placed both the bottle and the amulet inside together, then tightened the strap before re-hanging it around his neck. After completing these actions, he looked around. No one was present. Then he straightened himself, pressing gently against his chest where the slightly bulging pouch hung. Now he felt more at ease—certain that no one would notice or pay attention to this small item. At this moment, Han Li felt truly secure—not only did he have confidence in keeping the bottle hidden, but he also felt reassured that it wouldn’t be discovered and reclaimed by its rightful owner. Han Li quietly returned the hammer to its original place and resumed his stroll throughout Shen Shou Valley as if nothing had happened. He continued until the sky turned completely dark before finally returning home with a slightly injured foot.