Seeking Truth with a Sword

He had absorbed five or six kilograms of gold and silver, yet his body size had not changed.

This couldn't be considered normal by any means. Could Mo Si possibly compress the volume of metals to an extreme? Or is this a special ability of Mutated Objects?

Li Ang stood up from the wooden barrel, dried his body, changed his clothes, then pondered for a moment and jumped up and down on the spot.

Did his body seem... lighter?

Li Ang raised his eyebrows and clenched his fists, feeling for any change.

It wasn't an illusion; after absorbing around six kilograms of gold and silver, the strength contained in his body seemed to have genuinely increased.

Is the Mo Si attached to my bones acting like muscle fibers?

Li Ang narrowed his eyes uncertainly and decided to properly measure it.

Push-ups, squats, crunches, and sit-ups—fifty reps each set.

His muscles ached slightly, but it was well within his limits.

His deadlifts were about forty kilograms. The lifting object was a rockery stone, given by the owner of the Huai De Square inn during the day, who had mentioned its exact weight.

For Li Ang's current age, height, and weight, and considering he had not exercised much before, these results were quite impressive.

I can definitely feel a tight sensation around my bones when lifting weights. Maybe it's the Mo Si at work.

After lifting weights, Li Ang tried to feed Mo Si more silver ingots. This time, Mo Si's efficiency in devouring the silver ingots had clearly increased; it felt "hungrier."

Afterward, Li Ang rested for a while and then measured his physical ability again; the numbers had risen slightly.

Mo Si can assist in the circulation of Spiritual Energy and enhance bodily functions, but it consumes precious metals.

Li Ang's gaze flickered. The more precious metals Mo Si devours, the stronger its functions become. Is that the idea?

According to the Academic Palace's classification, Mo Si was undoubtedly a lifeless Mutated Object of the Bizarre Species.

The problem was, its negative effects were still unknown.

Mo Si originated from the stone box in the Sword Immortal Tomb. The quickest way to understand it was to follow the Sword Immortal's clues and trace them back to their origin, to find the connection between Mo Si and the Sword Immortal himself.

However, the Sword Immortal had passed away nearly three hundred years ago, and it was hard to say how much information had survived. Even if there was any, such information would undoubtedly be a closely guarded secret among the various powers.

Li Ang pondered. Currently, my short-term goal is to secretly collect gold and silver to further test Mo Si's functions and negative effects. The medium-term goal is to enter the Academic Palace and search the Book Collection Pavilion for Mutated Objects of the Bizarre Species similar to Mo Si, as well as Cultivators of the Demon Path in history who have used these objects. The long-term goal is to find as much information as possible about the Sword Immortal himself to understand the true nature of Mo Si.

The Academic Palace and the Yu Country allowed qualified individuals to use Mutated Objects, but they strictly prohibited the direct implantation of Mutated Objects into the body, as Cultivators of the Demon Path in the Pre-Sui Period had done.

Once discovered, a light penalty would be the cancellation of one's Academic Palace qualifications and the removal of the Mutated Object; a heavy penalty would be imprisonment in the garrison or the Academic Palace dungeon.

Neither the Vermilion Bird Gate nor the Prohibitions within the Imperial City seem to have detected the Mo Si within me. The Mountain Master and the Cultivators lurking around His Majesty the Emperor also appear to be unaware. But I can't base all my hopes on others.

Li Ang resolved, The credit for the forceps and treating malaria can't be immediately converted into tangible, nationally beneficial achievements. If Mo Si were exposed, I might not escape the consequences. So, it still needs to be concealed. First, I must continue to explore the functions and side effects of Mo Si. Second, I mustn't touch gold, silver, and other precious metals in front of others, and not let it extend outside my body. Third, I need to master a method of precise control. Everything has to be planned and executed in secret...

Li Ang had never lacked initiative. In the following half a month, he first coordinated with the palace stewards responsible for external affairs and moved into a residence in Golden City Square.

This residence had originally belonged to a Middle Rank official who was demoted to a remote post on suspicion of corruption, and the house had been confiscated.

As it had been vacant for less than half a year, the furniture, flowers, and trees inside the house were well preserved. After clearing some weeds, introducing fresh water into the pond, and eliminating mosquitoes, it was ready for them to move in.

Moreover, because the size of the residence was moderate, it was relatively easy to maintain, not requiring many servants.

After repeatedly confirming that Li Ang did not need to appoint or hire additional servants, the palace stewards handed over the keys, land deed, and house deed to him.

After moving into their new house, Li Ang and Chai Cuiqiao first took a moment to admire the fine residence and express their gratitude for the Emperor's favor.

Then, according to Yu Country customs, they scattered salt, rice, and various grains in the courtyard and held a banquet to invite friends and relatives.

Song Shaoyuan, Zhai Yiming, Ji Linlang, and other fellow townsfolk from Yizhou attended, as did friends like Yang Yu and Yong Hongzhong, along with Cheng Juxiu, Han Qingyun, and Ding Jingshan—three seniors from the Academic Palace who were about to graduate.

Cheng Juxiu and Han Qingyun wouldn't be able to stay in Chang'an for long; Cheng Juxiu still had to assist Doctor Gongyang Deming in building a metal ship capable of crossing the Endless Sea, while Han Qingyun had her own graduation project.

As for Ding Jingshan... Brother Ding had only just finished editing a portion of the Zhou Kingdom's historical records in the basement of the Secretary Province, and his father had finally allowed him out.

At the banquet, upon hearing how Li Ang had passed the examinations to enter the Academic Palace, Ding Jingshan drank several large bowls of wine. He declared it was his own fault for not properly looking after the junior brother Cheng Juxiu had asked him to watch over. Then, sitting on a stool, he marveled at Li Ang's extraordinary experiences.

"Risheng, you're truly fortunate! Even after Master Xi judged you incapable of Cultivation, you still participated in the final exam and became the top scorer! You made him lose so much face in Chang'an City.

"Ha! Master Xi often used to examine Spirit Veins and cast trigrams for the children of officials and nobles to amass wealth. After this incident, let's see who else will seek his services. They'd probably be afraid of a misjudgment that could ruin their children's entire lives."

After three rounds of wine and numerous dishes had been served, Ding Jingshan slapped Li Ang's shoulder with a hearty laugh. Although he also came from an official's family, most of his friends were from poor families. He held no fondness for Xi Yangyu and, on the contrary, delighted in seeing the newly promoted Master suffer a setback.

"Risheng, school starts in a few days. The first year at the Academic Palace is quite demanding. It not only includes courses on Yu Law, national history, and Agricultural Science but also aims to give students a fundamental understanding of the five main categories: talisman, Magic, Sword, Mind, and Body.

"In the second academic year, students choose one or two Dao Paths based on their talents and inclinations."

Cheng Juxiu said with a smile, "Do you have any particular fields in mind yet?"

"To be honest, I haven't really thought about it."

Li Ang shook his head. He had seen Cultivators like Xi Yangyu, Chen Danqiu, and even the Mountain Master, all of whom were in the Candle Cloud Realm. He had even received a talisman personally written by the Mountain Master. However, he had never seen them fully unleash their power, so he still lacked a clear understanding of a Cultivator's upper limits and the ways their powers manifested.

"But... it would probably be talisman, Magic, or Sword, right?"

Li Ang thought about how he had effortlessly lifted the man-high boulder the night before and said without a change in expression, "After all, I prefer a quieter path."