"Fine Gold, Mystic Iron, Mountain Copper..."
Li Ang took a deep breath, his mind racing. Recently, through continuous experimentation, he had managed to consume Spiritual Power to control Mo Si, preventing it from devouring nearby silver ingots.
But if an entire room were filled with precious metals like Fine Gold and Mystic Iron, and he had to make contact...
Would Mo Si really not lose control?
I must find a way to keep it under control.
Li Ang calmly set down the explanation papers about the academic credit system, his mind racing to find a solution.
As the Haotian Bell rang, marking the end of the day’s studies, Li Ang collected his Red Horse from the stables, stepped into the stirrups, and returned to Chang’an.
In the evening, Li Ang received a second letter from Yizhou, sent by Aunt Song, which included 1,500 strings of coins.
In addition, the Chang’an Chamber of Commerce, led by Jin Wusuan, had also sent twenty thousand strings in banknotes as an advance payment for the patent licenses. This was the first payment for the soap, soap, and degreasing cotton. The subsequent patent fee income would have to wait until each large merchant completed their income settlements at the end of the month and after double verification by the Ministry of Revenue and the Academic Palace. Thus, there would be a delay of one to two months.
"Trickling in is also fine."
Li Ang sighed, glancing at Chai Cuiqiao—she was staring fixedly at the stack of ten 2,000-string banknotes, her eyes wide.
Li Ang extended his finger and gently flicked Chai Cuiqiao’s forehead.
Chai Cuiqiao covered her forehead, her eyes still glued to the twenty thousand strings of flying money. "Twenty thousand strings, twenty thousand strings... Young Master, which Prime Minister’s family have you promised to marry into as a live-in son-in-law?"
"What live-in son-in-law? Watch your words."
Li Ang rolled his eyes. "If anything, I’d be the Dragon King’s live-in son-in-law."
Chai Cuiqiao tilted her head. "What’s that?"
"A mythical creature. Wherever it goes, people kneel to offer money, every meal involves nobles giving gifts, and it astounds the in-laws for a whole year."
Li Ang casually remarked, "This is the first batch of patent fees for soap, soap, and degreasing cotton. It will trickle in monthly, amounting to thousands or tens of thousands of strings, depending on how well the soaps and such sell."
"Thousands to tens of thousands of strings each month..."
Chai Cuiqiao gasped, her mouth agape, imagining countless banknotes fluttering down from the sky.
Li Ang smiled and said, "When you were little, did you ever think, if everyone in the country gave me one cent..."
Chai Cuiqiao instinctively replied, "You could become rich?"
"No, you could complete a national census instantly."
Li Ang smirked, tousling Chai Cuiqiao’s hair. "Is there any food left in the kitchen? Go cook first. I need to go out and buy some things."
"There’s food in the kitchen."
Chai Cuiqiao, still puzzled by the definition of a national census, nodded. "Young Master, what do you need to buy?"
Li Ang said naturally, "Now that I have money, of course, I must first buy some gold and silver jewelry for my dearest."
Blushing, Chai Cuiqiao playfully thumped Li Ang’s shoulder a few times, then skipped joyfully towards the kitchen. Li Ang, somewhat puzzled, stepped out the door carrying the banknotes.
He indeed needed to buy gold and silver.
Tomorrow’s Sword Study class would be attended by the Emperor, the Empress, the Mountain Master, the Sacrificial Officer, and important civil and military officials. Most troublingly, that Mind Study Master, Xi Yangyu, would also be there. Last time Cheng Juxiu returned to Chang’an, he had mentioned that Xi Yangyu and Pu Liuxuan indeed had a deep grudge. Xi Yangyu’s previous efforts to make things difficult for Li Ang during the Academic Palace examination had also been due to Pu Liuxuan—a hatred extended by association.
Riding his horse, Li Ang rubbed his temples, a headache brewing. Xi Yangyu would be at the class tomorrow, and there was no telling if he would stealthily try to cause trouble. A Candle Cloud Realm Telekinesis Master had far too many ways to target a new student.
Of the five Dao Paths—Talisman, Magic, Sword, Mind, and Body—my greatest talents lie in Talismanic Study and Mind Study. If I want to delve deeper into Mind Study, I’ll inevitably have to deal with the Academic Palace’s Mind Study Master, Xi Yangyu.
I can only take it one step at a time.
Li Ang rode his horse to the West Market. He used the banknotes to buy some gold and silver ingots at a gold shop, then went to a jewelry store and bought some gold and silver jewelry. He also used the ingots he brought to custom-order some particularly expensive pieces.
In total, he spent eighteen thousand strings of coins and was escorted back home by guards from the gold and silver store.
This was the idea Li Ang had come up with to reasonably explain his fondness for gold and silver: to cultivate an image for himself and Chai Cuiqiao as people who loved expensive luxury items.
For scholars, a little extravagance is quite normal. I’m an Academic Palace Disciple and the top scorer in the entrance exam. I’m recognized wherever I go, and my every word and action is remembered. Sneaking around, buying gold and silver anonymously would only arouse suspicion. It’s better to boldly show my love for luxury goods.
Li Ang returned home carrying boxes of luxury goods worth thousands of strings of coins and presented them to Chai Cuiqiao, who was cooking. Delighted, she jumped up and threw herself into Li Ang’s arms, making him spin her around.
"Quick, get down, get down."
Li Ang, worried he might use too much strength and hurt her, hastily set Chai Cuiqiao down with a grimace. "Have you gotten fatter?"
Chai Cuiqiao, still holding the cooking spatula, looked shocked. She glanced down at herself and muttered, "I don’t think so... Back in Yizhou, I never gained weight no matter how much I ate..."
"Maybe the food in Chang’an is oilier," Li Ang said nonchalantly, clapping his hands. "From now on, wear these pieces of jewelry whenever you go to any women’s social events. I’ll buy more later. Didn’t you often say that the ladies in Golden City Square are always decked out in gold and silver?"
"Um, I was just kidding about that..."
Chai Cuiqiao hesitated, put down her spatula, and looked at the expensive jewelry on the table. Pursing her lips, she said, "Young Master, I think we should be more frugal. Those ladies and young misses initially befriended me only because of you. They even constantly praised the Cave Jade bracelet I wore. Please don’t buy me such expensive jewelry anymore."
"No. Earning money and still living stingily would bring shame upon the Academic Palace’s dignity."
Li Ang stated calmly, "Finishing this dish will be enough. I’m going back to the bedroom to lie down for a bit."
Chai Cuiqiao watched Li Ang’s back disappear around the corner. She took a deep breath and cautiously reached out a finger to touch the edges of the exquisite, expensive jewelry, afraid the oil from her hand might smudge them.
Back in his bedroom, Li Ang exhaled slowly, took out a large box of gold and silver, and placed it on the table. Listening to Chai Cuiqiao’s soft exclamations of surprise from the kitchen, he felt an odd sense of guilt, like a scumbag who buys expensive bags and clothes for his mistress and then comes home to give his wife a discounted lipstick...
Li Ang shook his head, banishing the cluttered thoughts from his mind.
Mo Si was not gold, silver, iron, or copper; it wasn’t even organic material. As for Chai Cuiqiao... they had spent so much time together that she was becoming difficult to define.
I should first think about how to handle tomorrow’s Sword Study class.
Li Ang poured the gold and silver onto the table, released his Spiritual Energy, and controlled Mo Si to emerge from his skin, slowly devouring the metals. I hope this helps.
Gold and silver ingots worth fifteen thousand strings of coins were rapidly consumed by Mo Si.
Meanwhile, Mo Si itself gradually acquired a barely perceptible dark golden sheen.
It feels like the flow of Spiritual Energy is smoother?
When all the gold and silver on the table had been consumed, Li Ang, somewhat uncertain, clenched his fist and gently pushed towards the nearby bedroom window from a distance.
A breeze manifested on its own, pushing open the bedroom window.
Spiritual Energy emanating from the body... Is this the Body Concealing Realm?
Li Ang stared at his palm in astonishment. The Mo Si there, instead of retracting beneath his skin as it usually did, now covered the surface of his hand like a... pitch-black glove.
A sudden thought flashed through Li Ang’s mind. He drew the Dagger from his waist and lightly pricked his palm.
The Dagger’s tip touched the surface of the Mo Si glove, producing a crisp sound of colliding metal.