A Record of A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

Chapter 30: The Warlord’s Last Path

“How old do you think I am?” His facial muscles twitched a few times as he asked a stiff and unrelated question.

“From your appearance, around sixty years old. But since you’re asking, your real age must be quite different from your looks. Are you much older or much younger?” Han Li was a bit surprised but kept his tone calm as he said this.

“Tsk tsk! No wonder you practiced the everlasting spring technique. A little country kid like you has become such a sharp and clever person!” Doctor Mo kept expressing his amazement, his eyes now looking at Han Li with eager curiosity.

“You guessed right. I am only thirty-seven years old.” An unbelievable number came out of Doctor Mo’s mouth.

“Impossible?” Han Li, who had maintained his composure until now, was shocked for the first time.

“Impossible! Indeed impossible! Anyone who has seen me wouldn’t believe I’m even sixty, and if I claimed to be seventy, no one would doubt it.” Doctor Mo’s voice suddenly sharpened and became high-pitched. To Han Li’s ears, it was so harsh and unpleasant, as if it struck the deepest pain in his heart.

“I, Mo Juren, was once famous in the martial world of Lanzhou in Yue Country. I made quite a name for myself, carving out my own territory with bare hands. Haha! Back then, who in Lanzhou didn’t know the fearsome reputation of my ‘Ghost Hand’? Whether in the underworld or the righteous circles, those who followed me lived, those who opposed me…” Doctor Mo’s voice returned to its usual tone, low and steady, as he slowly told his story. His eyes flashed with a sharpness like swords and blades, as if he had returned to his prime, full of ambition and power.

Hearing Doctor Mo’s words, Han Li was secretly surprised. He hadn’t expected that his supposed master had such a formidable background.

“Unfortunately, the good times didn’t last. Just as I reached middle age and planned to make a greater mark, I was betrayed by a treacherous person. Someone close to me used a sinister poison against me. Although I controlled the wound’s effects with my medical skills, I couldn’t fully recover. My martial arts power greatly diminished, and I could no longer stand firm in the northern lands. To avoid further attacks from my enemies, I had to abandon my family estate and loved ones, disappearing without a trace. I searched elsewhere in Yue Country for a cure, hoping to restore my lost cultivation.”

As he recounted his misfortune, Doctor Mo was fully immersed in the memory. His hands clenched tightly into fists, his fingernails digging deep into his palms until blood flowed freely. Yet he seemed completely unaware, only a grim, gritted-teeth expression of ferocity showing on his face. This vicious look made one shiver—it was obvious he hated the culprit who poisoned him with a deep, burning hatred.

Sensing the lingering hatred in his words, Han Li couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine.

“Providence finally smiled upon me. In some mysterious place, I accidentally came upon a strange book. It was arcane and profound—I only managed to understand a little after much effort. From it, I found a shortcut to restore my cultivation. I followed the book’s instructions, and the result…” Doctor Mo paused, not saying more immediately, but his annoyed expression and hint of regret were obvious.

“The result is that you became this miserable ghostly figure.” Han Li coldly finished the sentence Doctor Mo had left hanging.

“Exactly. I didn’t expect that after following the book’s method, my cultivation actually recovered, but I rapidly aged and became this prematurely old, half-human, half-ghost state.” Doctor Mo nodded gloomily, showing no anger at Han Li’s mockery.

“You must have figured out the cause by now.”

“I made a mistake in the ritual, allowing evil energy to invade me. Now, every day I live consumes as much energy as ten normal people. I am constantly overdrawing my life force. Luckily, I mastered the art of nurturing life and created an elixir according to the book, which has slowed down the aging in recent years and allowed me to survive until now.”