Chapter 59

On the second day, Yue Heng woke up early.

According to Shi Buto's statement, as long as a person leaves the alert range of this room, the power of the "戒" (Jie) character talisman will automatically disappear.

When Yue Heng stepped out of the door, he immediately saw the two people standing outside and respectfully bowed, saying, "Student greets Lord Su and Lord Cui!"

Su Xunjian and Cui Shilang had risen no later than he did. The two seemed to have been waiting for a long time and quietly sighed with relief when they saw Yue Heng come out.

"Yue Heng, to avoid any unforeseen events, we should leave as soon as possible. I will go with you from the post station first, while Inspector Su will take the others along the official road."

Cui Shilang led the way, introducing the path along the inner wall of the government compound to the post station at the back gate.

Yue Heng was secretly amazed. In the Mid-Yuan world, post stations were mainly used for rapid personnel transfer, not for the common purpose of providing lodging and relay services for government officials and military intelligence carriers as seen in ancient costume dramas.

Furthermore, post stations did not use carriages or fast horses as means of transportation. Due to the existence of Fuxi stars and the power of talismans, post stations used specially made Fuxi character disks, engraved with the "传" (Chuan) character talisman. Wearing it, one could be illuminated by the Fuxi stars and exist in a state of nothingness, allowing an 800-li rapid march in just half an hour.

Yue Heng curiously asked, "Lord Cui, may I ask why we don't all use the post station for teleportation?"

Cui Shilang countered, "Do you think the '传' (Chuan) character talisman is so widely available?"

Inspector Su smiled and explained, "Post stations must be built strictly according to the specifications of the Fuxi Temple, and the resources required are unimaginable. Five years ago, when the total population of Hong County exceeded one million, the Chu Kingdom's Ministry of Literature approved the establishment of a post station in Hong County. The total number of post stations in the entire Chu Kingdom does not exceed a hundred, and this teleportation network has taken a hundred years to build."

Cui Shilang added, "Just like the Three Lives Stone you saw yesterday, the Fuxi character disk that can carry the '传' (Chuan) character talisman is even more valuable. Because of your special status, I need to take you back to Qi City's Ministry of Literature first. Lord Su will take the others in ordinary carriages along the official road. Hong County is about 600 li away from Qi City, and it will take about two days to travel along the official road."

Yue Heng suddenly understood. This magical device that could travel 800 li in an hour was almost as fast as an airplane. Considering the power of the Fuxi stars it consumes, it must be a terrifying amount.

The post station was adjacent to the government compound, built at the back gate. To the east was the government compound, and to the west were the military equipment area and the training ground. It was generally only used in emergencies and was managed by a dedicated post station official.

As the three just walked out of the government compound's gate, they saw County Magistrate Qi and a group of people waiting there. Besides a group of civil officials, there were also Wen Xinyue and Ji Cong.

"Lord Cui, Lord Su!" County Magistrate Qi and Dean Wen led the way in greeting.

Cui Shilang and Inspector Su looked helpless. They had intended to quietly take Yue Heng away, but they were still caught by the officials of Hong County. They could only respond with a bow, "We said there was no need for all of you to see us off. Why are you making such a grand farewell?"

County Magistrate Qi looked spirited, glanced at Yue Heng, and asked Cui Shilang, "May I ask, Lord Cui, if you plan to take Yue Heng through the post station?"

Cui Shilang replied helplessly, "Yes, I and Lord Su have brought two '传' (Chuan) character talismans from Qi Prefecture's Ministry of Literature. Today, I will take Yue Heng first, and Lord Su will take the other students along the official road to Qi City."

Dean Wen immediately stepped forward, "Lord Cui, may I ask if my daughter can go with you?"

County Magistrate Qi also asked, "Lord Cui, Ji Cong also needs to go to Qi Prefecture's Academy. May I ask if it would be convenient for you to take him along?"

Cui Shilang chuckled, "But this talisman..."

"Lord Cui, Dean Wen has the right to use the '传' (Chuan) character talisman once a year for official business. This year, he received an award from the Chu Kingdom's Ministry of Literature, which is enough to exchange for a second teleportation. So, I hope you can do us a favor."

County Magistrate Qi whispered this to Cui Shilang. Such private use of public property was not uncommon, and as long as it did not violate the explicit regulations of the Chu Kingdom's Ministry of Literature, the post station officials would often turn a blind eye.

Cui Shilang could not refuse this request and looked at Ji Cong, "But who is he? His '传' (Chuan) character talisman..."

County Magistrate Qi lowered his voice even more, "He is from the Ji family."

Cui Shilang was startled and quietly pointed upwards, "That Ji family?"

County Magistrate Qi nodded secretly, saying nothing more, which was enough to make Cui Shilang take it seriously.

After a moment of thought, Cui Shilang said, "Alright, it's just half an hour. I'll take them. Lord Su, it will be a bit of trouble for you to take the official road!"

Inspector Su, of course, did not mind. This time, seven new students and former outstanding students from Hong County's Academy were going to Qi City. County Magistrate Qi dispatched the county's beast-soul carriage, which would bear the cost of the soul stones for the journey, reducing the travel time to one day.

"Lord Cui, I will not see you off into the post station." County Magistrate Qi bid farewell to Cui Shilang.

"Xiaoyue, when you go to Qi Prefecture's Academy, you must study hard and learn from Yue Heng and Ji Cong. Put away your lady's temper. You will be far away in Qi City, and your father won't be able to take care of you." Dean Wen repeated the words he had said many times.

Yue Heng also received special treatment from many officials of Hong County. The officials either secretly handed him a letter of recommendation or rolled up gold and silver bills and stuffed them into his arms.

At this moment, a fast horse quickly galloped over. The quiet morning street echoed with the sound of hooves, stopping outside the crowd.

Zhang Junbei, dressed in military attire, jumped off the horse and directly threw a soft, small object to Yue Heng.

Yue Heng caught it and found it to be a small leather pouch. The surrounding crowd collectively drew in a breath, emitting sounds of surprise and admiration.

Zhang Junbei laughed heartily, "Young Master Yue, our Hong County is in the heart of the Chu Kingdom, with no chance to participate in the defense of the demon beast mountains or to have any precious specialties. This Greedy Beast Skin Bag of Heaven and Earth was obtained by me during a training session in the demon beast mountains of southern Chu. I give it to you, wishing you a bright future and a successful career!"

Greedy Beast Skin Bag of Heaven and Earth!

Yue Heng was truly stunned. The Greedy Beast was an extremely rare demon beast, said to be a branch of the ancient fierce beast Taotie, inheriting its insatiable nature. Its stomach could never be filled, and it contained the vastness of heaven and earth.

The Greedy Beast Skin Bag of Heaven and Earth had spatial storage capabilities and could hold a considerable amount of items, saving a lot of luggage space. It was a treasure that everyone in the Mid-Yuan world wanted.

Yue Heng immediately shouted, "Lord Zhang, this is too much! It's too valuable, and I feel unworthy to accept it!"

Zhang Junbei, after exchanging greetings with a few officials, immediately mounted his horse, raised his whip, and turned around, not giving Yue Heng any chance to refuse, "You gave me a battle poem, and I give you a Bag of Heaven and Earth. If we meet again in the future, I will thank you properly. Go!"

Seeing Zhang Junbei laugh and leave, Yue Heng could only reluctantly accept the Bag of Heaven and Earth. The others congratulated him, as even the lowest-level Bag of Heaven and Earth with the smallest space was a rare and valuable item.

With Zhang Junbei's interruption, much time had passed. Cui Shilang signaled everyone to be quiet, "Please return, everyone."

An official suddenly had an idea and said, "Yue Heng, why not compose another farewell poem now?"

Another poem?!

Cui Shilang's eyes turned red again, ignoring this suggestion. He grabbed Yue Heng's arm and hurriedly left, heading straight for the post station.

Ji Cong followed with a smile, and Wen Xinyue took two steps, then turned to look at her father, her eyes red. She finally couldn't hold back her tears but, under her father's urging, turned and followed.

The four were led by the post station official to the teleportation array. Each person tied a "传" (Chuan) character talisman provided by the post station around their waist. The official chose a simple four-person carriage, with seats on both sides facing each other, to save time and energy.

"It's just a flying powder and a fireplace!"

Yue Heng secretly laughed, but upon careful thought, he realized there was a significant difference. Fireplaces were a necessity in many households, while post stations were extremely rare. The flying powder was so cheap that every wizard household would always have it, allowing instant teleportation to the target area. The "传" (Chuan) character talisman was too rare.

Cui Shilang sat on the innermost side of the carriage, and no one dared to sit next to him or face him.

Yue Heng, unaware of the etiquette, sat diagonally opposite. Ji Cong and Wen Xinyue were taken aback. After hesitating for a moment, Ji Cong apologized and sat next to Cui Shilang, while Wen Xinyue sat next to Yue Heng, feeling very uncomfortable.

"Yue Heng, this is your first time using the post station. If you see any strange phenomena, don't panic. The '传' (Chuan) character talisman around your waist will protect your safety," Cui Shilang explained.

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Cui," Yue Heng replied. He noticed that Wen Xinyue seemed a bit uneasy and guessed something. To pass the half-hour journey, he decided to chat.

As a person from the future society, he had the weakest concept of class. Seeing Cui Shilang's friendly attitude, he asked, "Brother Ji, why did you choose the Prefecture Academy?"

Ji Cong glanced at Cui Shilang before answering, "The instructors at the Prefecture Academy are more experienced. The chief of the academy is a Level 5 Literature Master, and a large number of Level 3 Scholars serve in the military each year, gaining rich practical and cultivation experience."

"I think the same. The most outstanding talents in Qi Prefecture gather there. I have long wanted to see it!" Yue Heng was a bit excited and then turned to ask, "Xiaoyue, what about you? Does the Prefecture Academy also have martial arts courses?"

Wen Xinyue was surprised that Yue Heng would ask her. She was a bit dazed and replied, "I don't know... My sister and brother-in-law studied at the Qi Prefecture Academy. They will arrange everything for me..."

Cui Shilang smiled, understanding the old fox Dean Wen's arrangements.

His gaze shifted between Wen Xinyue and Yue Heng, and he said, "Since you will all enter the Prefecture Academy, I will give you a brief introduction to the place."

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