After circling around several times, Han Li finally stopped.
"Should I make this deal now, or wait until I'm desperate to cure the poison?" he could only think helplessly.
Then, he glanced at the giant man outside and remembered the mysterious words in the last part of the letter. Curious, he decided to try controlling the giant man.
Han Li bent down and retrieved a brass bell from the pile of items. It was exquisitely crafted, with faint bloodstains on its surface, making it stand out. Han Li carefully examined the "Soul Attracting Bell," failing to discern its extraordinary power. According to the letter, this item could somehow subdue the giant man, which seemed unbelievable.
Holding the bell in his left hand and a dagger in his right, Han Li cautiously approached the giant man. When he was about twenty feet away, he stopped, wary of any sudden changes.
The giant man stood motionless with his back turned towards Han Li.
"Dang!" The crisp sound of the bell echoed as Han Li lightly tapped it with the dagger.
Furrowing his brows, Han Li couldn't discern any difference from an ordinary bell. Could this really control the giant man?
Feeling uncertain, Han Li crouched down slightly, ready to retreat to the stone room at the first sign of danger.
Upon hearing the bell, the giant man's shoulders twitched slightly, showing some response. Encouraged, Han Li quickly struck the bell several times in succession.
"Dang! Dang!..." The bell continued to ring, and the giant man's body began to tremble. Eventually, he stumbled and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
As the giant man's massive body hit the dry ground, it kicked up a cloud of dust, causing Han Li to sneeze several times, looking rather disheveled.
However, Han Li couldn't focus on these minor inconveniences. He rushed to the giant man's side, removed his cloak, and revealed a swollen face that sent shivers down Han Li's spine.
Suppressing his discomfort, Han Li cut his wrist with the dagger, letting blood flow freely onto the giant man's face until it was completely covered. He then quickly bandaged his wound to stop the bleeding and waited, observing the giant man's reaction.
To his amazement, the blood slowly seeped into the giant man's skin, leaving no trace behind. Han Li watched in astonishment as the giant man opened his eyes, his expression dull and devoid of emotion.
But when their eyes met, Han Li felt a strange sensation—an unfamiliar yet familiar feeling surged within him, as if something foreign had entered his heart, akin to a beloved pet calling out to him incessantly.
Startled by this unexpected feeling, Han Li quickly regained his composure. As the giant man's expression softened, Han Li felt a sense of control, as if he could dictate the man's every action—an inexplicable and wondrous sensation.
Suppressing his excitement, Han Li issued a test command to the giant man.
"Destroy that stone door for me."
The giant man remained silent, striding towards the stone door with fists clenched. With a few powerful blows, he shattered the door into pieces, then swiftly returned to Han Li's side, awaiting his next command.
Han Li, who usually kept his emotions in check, couldn't help but grin with delight. With such a powerful subordinate at his command, future dangers seemed trivial.
As he pondered the wonderful life ahead, Han Li couldn't help but scrutinize the giant man's appearance.
The more he looked, the more satisfied he felt. Despite initially finding the giant man's face repulsive, Han Li now found it strangely pleasant, even familiar. He even felt a sense of warmth towards it.
"Warmth?" Han Li was taken aback by his own feelings. How could he feel warmth towards a face he had never seen before?
With this question in mind, Han Li carefully examined the giant man's features, trying to unravel the mystery.
Gradually, he realized that if he were to shrink the swollen features of the giant man's face and rearrange them, they resembled those of his long-lost friend, Zhang Tie. This revelation left Han Li pale and speechless for a long time, as he extended his trembling hands to gently touch the giant man's face.
"Brother Zhang, is it really you?" His voice was barely audible, filled with calmness and disbelief.
The reconstructed face bore a striking resemblance to Han Li's missing friend, Zhang Tie. Coupled with the cryptic message left by the doctor, Han Li was now almost certain of the connection between Zhang Tie and the giant man. Could it be true, as the letter suggested, that the giant man was merely a vessel for Zhang Tie's soul, with his original soul having departed long ago? But why had his body grown to such enormous proportions?
