Chapter 216: Chapter 182: Entrustment
Regardless of how strange the process might have been, the ultimate goal had been achieved.
Chai Chai had reached the Qi Sensing Realm, significantly increasing his chances of passing the retest and final examination.
In the following period, Li Ang, Li Leqing, and Chai Chai frequently visited He Fanshuang’s home to "mooch meals" and cultivate Chai Chai’s Qi Sea.
During this time, Li Ang received two letters from Yizhou.
One letter was from Aunt Song. This year, Song Shaoyuan had passed the preliminary test with excellent results and had discussed You Xiao’s matter with Aunt Song. Knowing that she now had a prospective daughter-in-law, Aunt Song decided that if Song Shaoyuan could be admitted to the Academic Palace, she would rent out the Lansheng Building and move to Chang’an herself—she was worried that if she delayed further, she might end up with grandchildren already.
Li Ang expressed his support for this. Although Zhao Ming’s Ya Jiu had acted "friendly," Li Ang was not at all keen on being under the other party’s surveillance and coercion. It would be much safer for Aunt Song to come to Chang’an, and Li Ang could be more at ease.
The other letter was from Pu Liuxuan. He wrote that he would delay his arrival in Chang’an. As for the reason, it was naturally because of that person whose name was difficult to mention—Jun Qianzi.
Pu Liuxuan and Jun Qianzi were former classmates and close friends from the same town, living together like brothers. On the day Jun Qianzi fled the Academic Palace, Pu Liuxuan was also present and had tried to stop him. But Jun Qianzi’s cultivation was far superior to his, and he also had Mutated Objects stolen from Dongjun Tower. He not only easily defeated Pu Liuxuan but also killed several Academic Palace Doctors who tried to stop him.
Afterwards, since all the witnesses at the scene had died except for Pu Liuxuan, his credibility was questioned. Some family members of the victims of Jun Qianzi’s escape began to suspect and hate Pu Liuxuan. Under pressure from all sides, and even with the Mountain Master’s support, Pu Liuxuan still chose to seal his cultivation, leave Chang’an, and return to Yizhou, ignoring worldly affairs.
Pu Liuxuan had thought these issues were past and that he could return to Chang’an to resume his role as an Academic Palace Doctor. But now Jun Qianzi had returned, advanced to the High Order of the Candle Cloud Realm, and was exacting revenge on the Yu Country. For the sake of avoiding suspicion, Pu Liuxuan still could not return to Chang’an and had to remain in Yizhou, under the surveillance of the garrison.
Li Ang had no solution to this and could only hope that the Academic Palace and the garrison could exert some effort to capture Jun Qianzi soon.
Strength. More formidable strength was needed to ensure the safety of oneself and those around in this world.
Thinking this, I controlled my Ink Silk Clone and went to the Ghost Market again. Adopting the identity of "East Sea Pirate King Luffy," Li Ang found the tea master in the Tea Tasting Pavilion.
"Sir, are you interested in taking up the assignment from the Taiyuan Wang Family?" the tea master asked, slightly surprised. That commission was indeed lucrative, but it was fraught with uncertainties and very suspicious. Many cultivators in the Ghost Market had backed out after finding out more.
"Yes. Is there a problem?" Li Ang nodded. Outside of a few places like the Academic Palace and the Imperial Palace, large quantities of Fine Gold were often incredibly hard to come by for civilians; it was a "now or never" kind of opportunity.
"Uh, no." Since the client had made up his mind, the tea master could say little else. "Then please wait here for a moment. I will send someone to notify them now. There are only a few days left until the end of the reward period, and the Taiyuan Wang Family’s people are right inside the Ghost Market."
"Alright."
Li Ang waited for a short while in the Tea Tasting Pavilion. Soon, a waiter brought a large man with a leopard-like head and fierce, round eyes to him, presumably the liaison from the Taiyuan Wang Family.
"Are you the one claiming the reward?" the Big Man asked, sizing Li Ang up from head to toe. He noticed Li Ang’s bamboo hat and scarf, his body shrouded in gray clothes, and his hands wrapped in cloth—the very picture of someone up to no good. With an unfriendly tone, he coldly asked, "What is your cultivation level? Who is your master? What special abilities do you have?"
One could imagine the difficulty of dealing with a mutation that even troubled the Taiyuan Wang Family. If it were some low-level cultivator without a proper lineage, they might as well turn back.
Li Ang silently stood up and swung a punch.
The large man with the leopard-like head and fierce, round eyes seemed to have anticipated this and stepped back to evade the punch. Just as he was about to reveal a mocking smile and ridicule Li Ang, Li Ang’s arm suddenly extended in mid-air and landed directly on the man’s chest.
BANG!
A dull thud echoed in the Tea Tasting Pavilion. The Big Man’s spine arched violently like a cooked shrimp, and he staggered back several steps. His face alternated between pale and purplish, and it took him a while to catch his breath. Slowly standing up, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, steadied his breathing, and hoarsely asked, "Former Sui’s Nine-headed Snake Demon? The Heavenly Snake Bone Entwining Hand?"
The Nine-headed Snake Demon was a sect of Former Sui. Its main headquarters was established on an island in the Endless Sea, and it possessed countless sea-faring vessels, operating as both a sect and a group of sea merchants and pirates. Former Sui had a considerable headache dealing with them and, out of necessity, eventually issued them sea merchant credentials, merely asking them to tone down their activities somewhat in the East Sea. Although the entire sect was destroyed in the chaotic wars of the Late Sui, rumors continued to circulate that their legacy persisted in the world. The Heavenly Snake Bone Entwining Hand was one such legacy.
Actually, I would have preferred to call it the Rubber Handgun. These were all part of the plan I had formulated after researching books in the Academic Palace. Claiming to be East Sea Pirate King Luffy, manifesting the legacy of the Nine-headed Snake Demon, was an identity that would easily flesh out my persona in others’ minds, allowing them to fill in the blanks and supplement the character concept. This would also distinguish it from Bettman.
Seeing that Li Ang stood in place, silent, neither confirming nor denying, the large man with the leopard-like head and fierce, round eyes became more convinced of his assumption. He nodded, his tone now much more respectful. "Since you, sir, are also a member of a sect, then it’s easier to discuss. The Wang Family is willing to pay fifteen taels of Fine Gold upfront as an initial payment. Regardless of success or failure, we will offer an additional thirty-five taels of Fine Gold later. If you can safely bring back Sir Chu Haoman, there will be extra compensation."
Tsk, as expected of the Taiyuan Wang Family, uncrowned kings yet so extravagantly wealthy. To offer such a high price for a mere prospective son-in-law.
Seeing Li Ang nod in agreement, the Big Man breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Then please, sir, proceed to the Pinglai Inn in the southern part of Dingzhou City within two days. The other hired cultivators will meet you there to discuss the commissioned task."
Li Ang raised an eyebrow. "You’ve hired others too?"
The Big Man nodded. "Yes. There are folk heroes, cultivators from our Wang Family, and also a Doctor from the Lu Li Academy—Sir Chu Haoman was once a student there."
Lu Li Academy, also known as Bailu Academy, located on the southern slope of Lu Mountain, has a history of over two hundred years. It not only teaches Confucian Classics but also Cultivation Methods. Although it certainly can’t compare to the Academic Palace in terms of scale and quality, it still qualifies as a small sect. Its Mountain Master, Lu Qingya, is a Candle Cloud Realm cultivator and holds a high status.
"Alright." Li Ang nodded. Since there are so many people involved, it’s a perfect opportunity to openly slack off. Go there for a few days, grab fifty taels of Fine Gold, and come back. A very cost-effective deal indeed.