Chapter 8

"Alright."

Seeing Li Ang's determined attitude, Yu Miaoshui was straightforward as well. He slapped the armrests of the chair, picked up his folding fan, and walked out of the room.

Ai Rong hesitated for a moment but still put away the contract. Before leaving, he softly reminded, "Risheng, Doctor Yu has a wide circle of acquaintances, including old friends in pawnshops, money houses, and temples. You have a little over a month until the provincial examination; it's best not to be distracted."

"Risheng understands."

Li Ang nodded. Ai Rong's words reminded him of two things:

First, Yu Miaoshui has connections in pawnshops and money houses, so don't think about borrowing from other places.

Second, what Yu Miaoshui truly fears is Li Ang's status as a scholar. If he didn't have this identity, Yu Miaoshui would have already found a way to take over the Security Hall.

With that said, Ai Rong bowed and left.

Watching the two figures disappear into the street, Chai Cuiqiao clenched her teeth in anger and said anxiously, "Young Master..."

"What's the rush?"

Li Ang shook his head, walked forward to close the front door, and said, "They have a legitimate contract with seals, and there's a copy filed with the authorities.

The procedures and reasons are all perfectly legal.

We can't just forcibly stop them from leaving, can we?"

"But..."

Chai Cuiqiao stomped her foot, "That's 150 guan!"

"I know."

Li Ang latched the door, clapped his hands, turned around, and looked at his maid with a smile, "Don't worry, I have a plan.

For today, let's just do this. Go start the fire and prepare the meal. I'll put this scroll away and then go buy vegetables and fruits.

I came back in a hurry and haven't bought the Fenghua honey peaches I promised you."

"...Young Master, you have a big heart."

Chai Cuiqiao said sincerely, but Li Ang's calm and confident demeanor made her less anxious. She quickly reminded, "The Fenghua honey peaches should be soft but not mushy. If they're too mushy, they won't taste good."

"Got it, got it."

Li Ang waved his hand, sending the little maid to start the fire and cook, while he took the *Shangqing Linggan Zhang* to the study and placed it with the other scrolls at home. Then he went out, heading north.

150 guan.

This was indeed a significant amount of money.

In Yizhou City, it could fund the construction of 15 wells, 3 pavilions, and the purchase of 2 top-quality horses. It would take a lower-class family four years of hard work without eating or drinking to save up this amount.

Li Ang first went to the bridgehead of Yizhou Bridge, looked at the wooden notice board with various rewards, then went to the southern city dock to observe the hardworking dock workers, all the while thinking casually.

150 guan minus 41 guan leaves a gap of 109 guan.

He didn't plan to trouble Aunt Song next door, even though her Lanheng Building business was thriving and could probably come up with 100 guan. He had already troubled Aunt Song enough, and they hadn't even settled the funeral expenses for his parents.

He also didn't plan to seek help from Pu Liuxuan.

Pu Liuxuan had just received a letter restoring his position at the academy, and Yu Miaoshui was using the Apricot Grove Association to buy the Security Hall with legitimate reasons, leaving no room for interference.

As for using his status as an academy student to pressure Yu Miaoshui...

Well, Li Ang wasn't even an academy student yet, not even a probationary student, just someone with a recommendation letter.

Moreover, if it became known that he was using the academy's recommendation letter for personal gain, it might cause trouble—someone might report him out of jealousy or to eliminate a competitor.

Since the other party has made a move, let's see how it goes.

After a day of observation in Yizhou City, Li Ang was confident.

——

"Absorb the essence of the sun and moon, run the wonders of the two scenes, the most precious treasure, the highest treasure..."

"Whenever performing wondrous transformations, one should first transform the body, and to transform the body, one must first set one's mind on the Dao..."

It was late at night, and Li Ang, by the light of the oil lamp, read the obscure text on the scroll. After reading for a while, he would stop to rest his eyes.

The text was difficult to understand, and the dim light of the oil lamp didn't help—Yuguo's traditional oil lamps were lotus-shaped, with two dishes, the lower one filled with water and the upper one with oil.

When lit, the wick in the upper dish burned slowly due to the water in the lower dish, reducing oil consumption and extending the burning time.

These energy-saving lamps were a necessity due to the scarcity and high cost of oil. It wasn't until 50 years ago that the academy improved the technology, inventing glass and new oil refining methods, leading to the creation of modern glass oil lamps.

With a glass shade to protect from the wind and a knob to adjust the wick length, these lamps not only saved oil but also controlled brightness.

They were similar to the oil lamps of Li Ang's modern memory.

"Still too dim, though."

Li Ang rubbed his sore eyes and placed the *Shangqing Linggan Zhang* on the table.

It was incomprehensible.

Like a book from another world, each character was recognizable, but together they made no sense.

He was told that reading cultivation texts would make him feel a warm current in his body.

Li Ang hesitated for a moment, stood up, and lightly jumped a few times in the room, then assumed the poses of the radio calisthenics for primary and secondary school students.

From "The Rising Sun" and "Eaglets Taking Flight" to "The Times Call" and "Dancing Youth,"

From stretching exercises to flexibility exercises,

He even did a handstand.

There was no warmth at all.

Chai Chai, who shared the room but not the bed, was already asleep. Hearing the noise, she turned over groggily, curled up in the blanket, and mumbled in her sleep, "Young Master... are you going to the bathroom..."

"Can you speak?"

Li Ang's face darkened, returned from the handstand, and dusted off his hands, saying softly, "Go back to sleep."

"Okay."

Chai Cuiqiao, like a silkworm in a cocoon, wriggled and turned over, soon breathing softly and mumbling, "Cherry pie, hehe, lychee, hehe, red bean zongzi, hehe..."

Dreaming about food, this maid is hopeless.

Li Ang rolled his eyes in exasperation, turned to look at the half-open scroll on the table, and rubbed his aching forehead.

Where's the golden leg that comes with being a穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者," a term often used in Chinese literature for someone who has traveled through time or to a different world)? Even a golden finger would do.

Maybe it hasn't been triggered yet?

Li Ang took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and silently called out in his mind, "System? System?"

No response.

"Deep Blue? Wind Spirit Moon Shadow? Cheat engine, where are you? Help!"

Still no response.

Li Ang opened his eyes, calmed his breathing for a few seconds, and solemnly walked in a square pattern counterclockwise in the room, muttering, "Blessed by the Venerable Immortal of the Black and Yellow, Blessed by the Heavenly Lord of the Black and Yellow, Blessed by the Supreme God of the Black and Yellow, Blessed by the Heavenly Lord of the Black and Yellow..."

After waiting for a moment, still... no response.

Alright, I knew it.

Li Ang slapped his forehead, accepted the reality, tied the scroll with a thin rope, hung it by the bed, turned off the oil lamp, and lay down on the other bed in the room.

Thinking about the academy, cultivation, wells, and 150 guan, he drifted off to sleep.