Seeking Truth with a Sword

"Yes." Li Ang nodded.

"Xi Yangyu likes to curry favor with the powerful, but he probably wouldn't dare to lie about enrolling in the Academic Palace," Yan Yundang mused. "So, Doctor Li, what are your plans for the future?"

"I still want to give it a try," Li Ang said. "Without trying, I'd always feel somewhat regretful."

"Good." Yan Yundang nodded. "But even if you don't pass, don't be discouraged. The Zhongsi Institute of the Ministry of War is still open, and I can write a letter when the time comes."

"Thank you very much, Duke."

The Zhongsi Institute is an institution of the Ministry of War that teaches the ways of Cultivation, including talismans, Magic, Sword, and Mind, but it focuses more on Body Refinement.

Since Yan Yundang was frail and couldn't stand for long, Yan Lin had someone assist him back to his room to rest while he personally escorted Li Ang out of the Duke Mansion and thanked him again.

「The next morning」

After Li Ang returned to the Huai De Square Inn, the old steward from Duke Yan Mansion visited by carriage. He stated that Yan Yundang's condition had greatly improved and he was now able to eat.

To express their gratitude, they offered Li Ang 10,000 strings of flying money.

Li Ang insisted on taking only 4,000 strings—the reward Duke Yan Mansion had initially posted on the notice board at the city gate was 5,000 strings.

The old steward mentioned that 10,000 strings was the sum Yan Yundang himself had determined and it could not be changed. Ultimately, however, the steward had to compromise after failing to persuade Li Ang.

Li Ang accepted 4,000 strings of flying money. He requested the remaining 6,000 strings be exchanged for equivalent material goods—specifically, special alloys, jades, woods, minerals, and blank talisman paper that were occasionally sold at the Chang'an Auction House.

These exotic materials were a crucial part of Cultivation. Special alloys and woods could be used to forge Flying Swords; jades and minerals could aid in casting; different types of talisman paper influenced the power of talismans in various ways. Even Body Refinement Martial Artists required medicines, beast blood, and other substances when tempering their bodies.

Six thousand strings of coins was a considerable sum—not too much, but not too little either. The private auction houses in Chang'an were all backed by the garrison and had extremely strict rules. They catered only to familiar Cultivators; ordinary people couldn't buy anything even with 6,000 strings of coins, or they would have to pay a significantly higher price.

Li Ang explained that he wanted to use these materials to attempt to craft his own medical equipment. Therefore, he wasn't seeking large quantities or high quality, but rather a wide variety.

The old steward didn't make any grand promises or agree immediately, stating instead that he needed to return and consult with Yan Yundang and Yan Lin.

「That evening」

The Yan Mansion's carriage returned to the Huai De Square Inn, and several large boxes were unloaded. Each box, packed according to Li Ang's specifications, contained a wide assortment of materials. The total value was exactly 6,000 strings of coins.

Of course, this was the price afforded to Yan Yundang. Ordinary Cultivators or newly enrolled Academic Palace Disciples would have to pay at least fifty percent more for such materials. If purchased at the Chang'an Ghost Market, the price could even double.

The Ghost Market was a massive system of karst caves located about twenty kilometers east of Chang'an City, formed by dozens of underground rivers and featuring waterfalls, lakes, subterranean peaks, and vast caverns.

All sorts of shadowy figures hid deep within the Ghost Market: fugitives, wanted renegade Cultivators, bandits needing to offload stolen goods, and black market merchants who would risk anything for profit. They had formed an Underground Kingdom beneath Chang'an City, where they sold all kinds of bizarre goods and exchanged necessities. Even dangerous demons and monsters were openly priced and sold there. Numerous powerful factions were deeply entrenched, forming a sprawling network of interests.

Whenever the officials attempted a crackdown, these individuals would dive into the labyrinthine Dark River system and make their escape. The cave interiors were deep and narrow, the terrain complex, with hundreds of such underground rivers. Its countless entrances and exits resembled a honeycomb.

During the Pre-Sui Period, someone from the Academic Palace once released 100 small, lacquered wooden boats into an underground river. The farthest boat was later found in Poyang Lake, over 600 kilometers away.

Moreover, the water levels of these Dark Rivers were unpredictable; they frequently flooded, changed course, or even collapsed. This meant maps quickly became outdated, making it exceedingly difficult for the Yu Country's army and its Cultivators to enter and eradicate those within.

The garrison found it impossible to completely destroy the Ghost Market without risking damage to the interconnected Dark River system. If someone were to release Alien Gu Poison into these waters, which spread far and wide, the consequences would be catastrophic. Thus, they had to settle for stationing troops at the most prominent cave exits on the surface, leading to a tacit understanding between both sides. As long as the inhabitants of the Ghost Market didn't go too far—such as surfacing to abduct people for slavery—the garrison would not readily venture down into the cave system.

After obtaining 4,000 strings of flying money and 6,000 strings' worth of various materials, Li Ang first went to Pingkang Square to settle Jiao Cheng's debt and annul You Douzhi's slave contract.

Song Shaoyuan and You Douzhi were extremely grateful and insisted on returning the 5,000 strings of coins to Li Ang. Song Shaoyuan still had some money left, and You Douzhi herself had managed to save around 2,000 strings. However, Li Ang refused.

I can't very well ask Aunt Song, who is far away in Yizhou, to send flying money all this way again just for this sum, he thought.

Instead, he suggested that Song Shaoyuan and You Douzhi focus on establishing their lives in the workshops of Chang'an for the time being. Since the Advanced Scholar examinations were to be held in Chang'an the following February, and they were already here, Song Shaoyuan might as well wait until after he had taken the exam before they made any further plans.

「After settling all this, only four days remained until the final examinations at the Academic Palace.」

Inside the Huai De Square Inn, Li Ang gazed at the dazzling array of materials spread across the table and murmured to himself, If this doesn't work, then my only option is to try my luck in the Ghost Market…

"Young Master," Chai Cuiqiao leaned over curiously. "What are you going to make with all these things?"

"Antennae," Li Ang said with a smile. "Antennae capable of conducting Spiritual Energy."