Chapter 71: Li Feiyu's Thoughts

As soon as Mrs. Li entered the room, she smelled a strong fishy odor. She then saw Sect Leader Ma and Elder Qian sitting cross-legged on either side of the bed, eyes closed, seemingly recuperating. In the empty space between them, there was a basin of blood-like water, black as ink, from which the pungent odor emanated.

Both men looked pale, clearly having expended a significant amount of their inner energy, just as Han Li had said. Mrs. Li immediately felt a surge of gratitude towards them.

Although she wasn't a martial artist, constant exposure had taught her that it was taboo to disturb them during this time. She quickly slowed her steps, tiptoed to the bedside, and looked at the person lying on the bed.

She saw Elder Li sleeping soundly and peacefully. The painful expression that had been etched between his brows had vanished without a trace. Although his complexion was still somewhat sallow, the dark aura on his face was completely gone, and the poison spots on his body were now only faint, watermark-like marks, almost imperceptible. It seemed the poison had indeed been completely removed. Mrs. Li was overcome with joy and began to weep.

After a good while, she wiped away her tears and remembered that she should return to profusely thank Han Li. She gently withdrew and walked back to the living room. However, as soon as she stepped outside the door, she was immediately surrounded by people, who bombarded her with questions. Yet, she didn't see Han Li among the crowd.

Feeling a little surprised, she quickly inquired with Ma Rong and a few others. Their replies informed Mrs. Li that Han Li had already departed after prescribing a tonic for recuperation. He had left gracefully, not lingering for even a moment longer.

Mrs. Li was silent for a long time after hearing this. However, she had already made up her mind: once Elder Li's health recovered, she and her husband would personally visit Han Li to offer him a generous reward for his life-saving kindness.

Mrs. Li did not realize that besides the miraculous Dr. Han, another person was missing from the room: Li Feiyu, who was usually inseparable from Zhang Xiuer.

Beside a secluded path, beneath a lush, large tree, Han Li, who had just left Elder Li's home, lay on the grass with his hands behind his head. Bored, he was counting the green leaves on a particular branch. As he approached a thousand leaves, a dark figure descended from above, pouncing on him like a hawk snatching a chick. It seemed aggressive, as if harboring deep animosity.

"Hey! Stop messing around! Why do you always want to get physical every time we meet? I'm not Zhang Xiuer!"

As soon as Han Li spoke, the dark figure deftly twisted in mid-air and landed gracefully beside him. It was none other than Li Feiyu, who had rushed to follow him.

"Han Li, with your dark and unkempt appearance, how can you even compare yourself to Miss Zhang Xiuer? Aren't you just embarrassing her?" Hearing this, Li Feiyu playfully lifted his right foot and lightly kicked Han Li's backside as a playful reprimand.

Han Li rolled his eyes, then sprang to his feet with a powerful movement. "It seems our Senior Disciple Brother Li definitely prioritizes romance over friendship. I've truly chosen my friends poorly!"

"Enough with the nonsense! Why did you call me here? You know, I finally found an opportunity to get close to Miss Zhang, and you just made me waste it! If you can't give me an acceptable reason, you won't get off easy!" Li Feiyu seemed quite resentful, deeply disliking Han Li's inexplicable summons.

"Did I call you out? How would I know? Did I say it myself?" Han Li deliberately feigned extreme surprise, appearing overly dramatic.

"When you came out, you were winking and gesturing at me. Anyone who isn't blind could tell. Stop beating around the bush. If there's nothing important, I really need to go back." Li Feiyu turned to leave, his demeanor so convincing that Han Li couldn't tell if he was serious.

Han Li decided not to tease him further. Suddenly, his expression turned serious as he spoke to Li Feiyu: "Don't blame me for being nosy, but as a friend, I want to ask: does Zhang Xiuer know that you only have a few years left to live after taking the Marrow Extraction Pill?"

Upon hearing this, Li Feiyu's face instantly turned incredibly pale, drained of all color. He remained silent for a long time. Han Li sighed inwardly, knowing there was no need to ask further. The other's expression at that moment said it all.

"Why did you have to awaken me from my dream?" Li Feiyu's expression was deeply sorrowful. After a long pause, he spoke painfully.

Han Li didn't answer Li Feiyu's question. Instead, he gently patted his shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

"You must have heard that with emotions, the more you invest, the greater your pain will be," Han Li finally said, once the other's emotions had somewhat stabilized. His philosophical remark made Li Feiyu pause in surprise. "I'm pulling you out before you fall too deep, so you'll suffer less in the future," Han Li slowly added.

Li Feiyu stared blankly at Han Li, a strange look in his eyes.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Han Li felt a little unnerved by Li Feiyu's gaze and quickly scrutinized himself from head to toe.

"How old are you, kid? How can you speak like a seasoned veteran of love who has seen through the ways of the world? Have you already experienced romance?" Li Feiyu suddenly asked.

"Of course not. I read these things in books. I thought they sounded very reasonable, so I used them to enlighten you."

"Oh! So that's it! I was wondering! With my dashing and elegant appearance, how could I possibly be behind you in this regard, needing you to lecture me on insights? So it was just theory!" Li Feiyu let out a long breath, repeatedly patting his chest as if he had been greatly startled.

Han Li was speechless. This guy recovered far too quickly. One moment he was on the verge of despair, and the next he was grinning mischievously again. He truly was an emotional character.

Still, Han Li, persistent as ever, pressed on: "Are you truly giving up on Miss Zhang Xiuer? Would you be indifferent if you saw someone else holding her in their arms?"

Li Feiyu's playful expression instantly turned utterly cold. With a chilling, murderous tone, he stated, "Anyone who dares to lay a hand on Miss Zhang will have their limbs chopped off! What happens after I die, I neither care about nor can control. But as long as I live, Miss Zhang Xiuer belongs only to me." His words seemed capable of freezing a person solid.