East Chang’an, beside the Ba River.
Friends came to see Li Ang off.
This morning’s newspapers had already published articles about the Jiangnan Road Water Poison, and everyone’s expression was somber.
The Yu Kingdom’s Court neither had the capability nor the reason to block news of the Suzhou Water Poison. Civilian traffic was so frequent that even if the newspapers didn’t publish it, the situation in Suzhou would still spread through merchants and travelers. Eventually, unscrupulous traders would hoard grain and speculate on the disaster, foolishly hoping to profit from the national crisis—vast profits always turn people into fools. Given this, it was better to openly admit to the situation in the newspapers, publicize the truth about the Water Poison, and warn all businesses to be cautious.
The setting sun’s afterglow shone on the turbulent river, its light rippling on the surface. A slightly desolate evening breeze swept by, causing passersby along the riverbank to unconsciously tighten their clothes. The river port bustled with activity. Porters loaded box after box of goods—filled with medicinal herbs and materials—onto the ships. The medical team from the Imperial Medical Bureau, including Doctors Qiu Jing and Qiu Feng, along with the court officials assigned to aid Suzhou, were all scheduled to take the flotilla to Jiangnan Road. There was so much to prepare that their actual departure was set for the day after tomorrow. However, Li Ang needed to hurry over and familiarize himself with the local situation, so he was setting out now, heading to Suzhou ahead of them.
Perhaps finding the atmosphere too oppressive and awkward with no one speaking, Li Wei cleared his throat. He gazed at the rushing Ba River and muttered contemplatively, "The wind howls bleak, and the Yi River is cold..."
"Stop, stop, stop." Yang Yu hastily interrupted with an awkward expression. "If you don’t know how to recite poetry, don’t. That one is unlucky. Choose another."
The Ba River was located east of Chang’an, and the Ba Bridge spanning it was a necessary route for those heading east from the city. Whenever the literati of Yu Country bid farewell to friends at the Ba Bridge, they would recite poems as a token of their sorrow at parting.
But the next line of "The wind howls bleak, and the Yi River is cold"...
"Oh, oh." Li Wei also realized his mistake. He quickly fanned his palm in front of his mouth and, after racking his brain for a moment, hesitantly offered, "Farewell at the Baling Pavilion, the Ba River flows vast and mighty?"
That one isn’t very auspicious either, Li Ang thought.
Li Ang, fully aware of Li Wei’s limited literary talent, smiled helplessly and said, "It’s just a business trip. Two or three months at shortest, maybe four or five at longest. If I’m lucky, I might even return before the academic exchange ends."
"Then make sure you come back early." Ji Linglang smiled. "Without you at the Academic Palace, those people from Taihao Mountain, who have been keeping a low profile, might start stirring up trouble again."
"Ha." Thinking of the unpleasant expression on Bian Chenpei’s face at the time, Li Ang couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Since the debacle with the human-powered airplane, the young scholars of Taihao Mountain had become much more subdued, their previous haughty demeanor greatly diminished.
"By the way," Ji Linglang seemed to recall something. She reached for the parcel in her hand, opened it, and took out a white coat. "It’s winter now," she said. "I noticed the white coat you usually wear is a bit thin. Try this on?"
"Ah, thank you." Li Ang accepted the white coat and immediately put it on. It was indeed warmer than his previous one. The inside of the coat was particularly convenient, with several pockets sewn in, perfectly suiting Li Ang’s habits—he always carried charcoal pencils, talismans, and flying money with him.
"It fits well." Li Ang noticed the faint but visible dark circles under Ji Linglang’s eyes and asked curiously, "The stitching is quite nice. Did you sew this yourself?"
"Uh... my mother helped with some parts. I couldn’t have sewn such nice stitches." Ji Linglang first waved her hands awkwardly, then said with a serious expression, "Anyway, have a safe journey."
Her homeland, Yizhou, was not far from Suzhou. The two regions were connected by waterways, and most of their common people made a living from fishing, agriculture, or shipping. Therefore, she was particularly aware of the horrors of parasitic diseases. She also felt a deep empathy for the people in the Suzhou Water Poison epidemic area.
WHOOSH. Official source ıs 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡~𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚~𝙣𝙚𝙩
He Fanshuang tossed a Brocade Bag to him. "Here," she said coolly.
Li Ang took it with surprise. The Brocade Bag was bulging yet very light, seemingly filled with a stack of paper. "Hmm? What’s this..."
"Talismans I wrote." He Fanshuang said calmly, "Whenever natural disasters or human calamities strike, followers of the Demon Sect or Evil Paths always emerge to cause trouble. Although you’ll have protection from the garrison in Suzhou and shouldn’t be in danger, it’s still better to conserve your Spiritual Power, just in case. The Brocade Bag contains some Basic Talismans for everyday use."
"Thank you." Li Ang nodded, both touched and amused. He hadn’t expected He Fanshuang to understand him so well, knowing he had long grown accustomed to using Telekinesis and talismans to solve all his daily problems. If he had to use his Telekinesis for treating patients in Suzhou this time, he wouldn’t have any Spiritual Power left for mundane tasks like boiling water, washing dishes, brushing his teeth, or folding blankets. Besides, he disliked being waited on and would surely find it uncomfortable.
Li Ang opened the Brocade Bag and glanced inside. As expected, it contained dozens of talismans: Warm Wind Talisman, Liliang Talisman, Dust Removal Talisman, Micro Flame Talisman, Frozen Cold Talisman, Alarm Talisman...
"Hmm?" Li Ang raised his eyebrows in surprise; talismans like the Frozen Cold Talisman were of the Rain Listening Realm.
He looked at He Fanshuang. She slightly lifted her chin, indicating that she had indeed broken through to the Rain Listening Realm.
Well, one can only say she’s truly a genius.
Yang Yu and Yong Hongzhong gave him a stack of flying money with auspiciously encoded numbers as a parting gift. Yan Yundang’s grandson, Yan Zhou, gifted him an incredibly sharp small knife. It was said to have been confiscated from the Turkic People during Yan Yundang’s younger days and was very effective for stabbing someone in the belly. Song Shaoyuan presented a stirring send-off poem, full of cadence and rhythm. Li Wei offered a big hug. Qiu Feng... Qiu Feng gave nothing, as they would be meeting again in Suzhou in a few days anyway. Normally, as a junior Academic Palace Disciple, Qiu Feng wouldn’t need to take such risks. But she insisted on participating in the rescue operation in her capacity as a Doctor from the Imperial Medical Bureau.
Finally, it was Li Leqing. She took a deep breath, stepped forward, and carefully straightened Li Ang’s wind-ruffled collar. "Come back safely," she said earnestly.
"I will." Li Ang nodded earnestly to Li Leqing. Finally, after gently pinching Chai Chai’s pleasantly plump cheek, he gave a carefree wave, turned, and walked away.
Under a bare willow tree, the Imperial Palace Tributor named Shen Tuyu, holding one sword and with another at his hip, yawned as he stood up from a stone. "All set?" he drawled.
"Then get on the sword." Shen Tuyu flicked a finger. The scabbard of the sword in his hand emitted a sharp ring. The Longsword sprang out gracefully, circled in the air, and then settled obediently, hovering two inches above the ground.
Once Li Ang had mounted the Longsword, Shen Tuyu flicked the scabbard at his waist, summoning a second Flying Sword, which he then stepped onto.
In the next instant, the two of them transformed into streaks of sword light, shooting towards the horizon like bolts of lightning.