CHAPTER 147: CHAPTER 127 OLD BOOKS

"...What is ’Mind’? Heart Thought, Thought, emotions that arise from deep within—that is ’Mind.’

Using an inappropriate, and not entirely accurate, phrase to describe it,

’Mind’ is about substituting the divine will with one’s own heart and intentions.

In any given realm, the Telekinetic is the master..."

By the banks of Chuiyun Lake, Xi Yangyu raised his right hand, transforming the immense volume of lake water into countless tiny droplets that slowly floated up, then suddenly plummeted.

The lake water turned into a torrential downpour, and a faint rainbow halo subtly appeared.

It had to be acknowledged that although Xi Yangyu’s character was less than stellar, he was indeed one of the Cultivators with the most authority in the field of Mind Study.

After casually remarking, "Submit a paper on the practical applications of Mind Study in five days," he concluded the lecture and leisurely walked away, leaving behind the troubled-looking students.

The matter with Cui Jiu was just a small episode and did not halt the operations of the Academic Palace.

Xi Yangyu and other Doctors carried on with their lectures and assignments as usual.

"Uh, practical applications of Mind Study?" Yang Yu scratched his head painfully and asked, "How am I supposed to write this?"

Li Wei said, vexed, "With our current Qi Sensing Realm and Body Concealing Realm Cultivation, the things Telekinesis can do are really limited."

"You can still write something. For example, if you’re in the restroom without paper, use Telekinesis to fetch paper from a table outside. Or go to a gambling den, cheat with dice using Telekinesis, and make a few hundred or a thousand strings of coins."

Li Ang spoke offhandedly. Noticing Yang Yu and Li Wei looking at him hesitantly, he asked, "What’s up? Why are you staring at me?"

"Risheng," Yang Yu said hesitantly, "the Academic Palace forbids its Disciples from using Magic in gambling dens, not to mention you still hold the title of County Earl."

"It’s just talk; I’m not actually going to gamble."

Li Ang rolled his eyes, thinking to himself, Patent licensing fees make money much faster than gambling.

After witnessing Mo Si devour special metals worth three hundred thousand strings of coins in one gulp, Li Ang had become somewhat numb to small sums of money.

"You guys, can’t you think of something more reliable?"

Ji Linglang approached with a smile and said, "What’s most closely associated with Telekinesis, if not the flying device invented by Risheng? Just a few talisman papers for power and Telekinesis for remote control, and you can fly nimbly in the air. Writing a few papers about this should be easy."

"Right."

A lightbulb went off in Yang Yu’s head. The flying device—or as Li Ang called it, the airplane—had developed quite rapidly during this period.

Doctors and Instructors from disciplines such as Engineering, Talismanic Study, Mathematics, and Natural Science had cooperated to invent a Wind Tunnel and its observation equipment, and continuously deduced and summarized flight principles:

How to decrease the drag and increase the lift of airplanes;

Why some specific streamlined structures could achieve higher lift;

Whether the lift concept of the airplane could be applied to Flying Swords.

All these explorations ultimately pointed towards Mathematics.

Only Mathematics could strictly describe the abstract structure and patterns of all things.

The Doctors of the Academic Palace, being the most intelligent people in the world, would naturally delve deeper into exploration once shown a clear path.

With the efforts of the Doctors, Instructors, and numerous Disciples, data on the wingspans of airplane models kept improving. Soon, even helicopter models might surface, making it easy to churn out a few freshman-level papers.

"Oh, right, Risheng," Ji Linglang turned her head toward Li Ang and asked, "This Spring Festival, will you spend it in Chang’an?"

"Spring Festival..."

Li Ang belatedly realized he had unconsciously spent half a year in Chang’an and even owned a residence there. "I suppose I will spend the Spring Festival in Chang’an."

The Academic Palace would have a winter break during New Year’s Eve and Spring Festival, lasting until the end of the Lantern Festival (the fifteenth day of the first month).

Yizhou was a long journey away; returning there would consume too much time. Besides, he estimated that once he returned, he would have to face the enthusiastic local elders and townsfolk.

Thinking it over, he decided against it.

Ji Linglang then asked, "Alright, when the holiday comes, we Yizhou natives could gather at the Red House. Will you join us?"

"Sure, I’ll come if I’m free."

Li Ang nodded. The Red House was one of Chang’an’s finest restaurants. It was packed with distinguished guests around New Year’s Eve, but given Ji Linglang’s status as an Academic Palace Disciple and the governor’s daughter, reserving a private room was still possible.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG—

The bell rang, signaling the end of classes.

Li Ang bid farewell to Ji Linglang and the others, boarded his carriage (having been granted the title of County Earl, it was now inappropriate to continue taking rides in Yang Yu’s family’s carriage, so Li Ang had simply hired one from a carriage service), and returned to Chang’an.

"Young master, would you like to take a stroll in the West Market today?"

The Coachman, a clever man, asked this because Li Ang frequently visited the West Market after school to shop for expensive luxuries to take home.

"Yes, let’s take a stroll."

Soap, degreasing cotton, Allicin—these patents alone brought Li Ang a monthly royalty measured in tens of thousands of strings of coins.

Li Ang sat in the carriage. If he so much as casually lifted the window curtain, he could feel the passionate gazes of the shop owners, who looked at him as if he were a god of wealth.

Ah, if only Mo Si would consume luxuries instead of being so picky and only eating precious minerals!

Li Ang sighed silently to himself, looking around, pondering which shop to visit today.

ZING—

Suddenly, Mo Si stirred inside his body, sending fine threads piercing his chest skin under his robe, pointing in a certain direction.

"Hmm?"

Li Ang’s mind stirred, and he quietly released Spiritual Energy to draw Mo Si back inside his body.

The third-stage Mo Si was gradually losing its "appetite" for silver ingots; only massive amounts of special metals and gold ingots could provoke its devouring impulse.

But there are no gold shops in that direction of the West Market...

"Stop for a moment."

Li Ang asked the Coachman to halt and stepped down from the carriage. Following the direction indicated by Mo Si, he headed deep into the workshop district and arrived in front of a store that sold books and calligraphy paintings.

The shop was unremarkable, with some decent calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls, and it appeared to be doing mediocre business.

"Which painting would you like to buy, young master? Our shop has works by Wang Shaobo, Wang Jiling, and even one by Huaisu..."

The middle-aged shopkeeper didn’t recognize Li Ang, but noticing Li Ang’s expensive clothes, his eyes lit up as he enthusiastically stepped out from behind the counter to serve him.

"I don’t really understand calligraphy or paintings..." Li Ang glanced around and said, "Just this wall here. Please pack everything on it up for me."

"This... wall?"

The shopkeeper was dumbfounded, initially in disbelief, then overcome with ecstatic shock. This quickly faded into a stunned daze, followed by a hint of disappointment—Li Ang pulled out a stack of flying money from his bag, with denominations starting at no less than five hundred strings of coins each.

Shopkeepers in the West Market might dare to cheat the naive sons of landlords out of a hefty sum, but a young magnate strolling around with tens of thousands of strings of flying money... they wouldn’t dare jack up prices or swap in counterfeits even if they had ten times the nerve.

Heaven knew if he was the son of some Prime Minister or Duke.

"Also, that box of books in the corner. How much for everything? Only one thousand seven hundred strings? Alright."

Li Ang indifferently had the shopkeeper pack up all the items and place them on the carriage.

The Coachman, chewing on a straw stem, was unsurprised by Li Ang’s impulsive shopping spree. The slightly enriched shopkeeper stood outside the store, bowing and scraping, welcoming him to return. Meanwhile, Li Ang sat in the carriage as it wound back towards Golden City Square, a slight frown on his face.

Mo Si’s devouring desire was directed towards a certain book in the box.

Li Ang controlled Mo Si’s impulse. After returning to his residence and the carriage had departed, he carried the box to his study and picked out an old, yellowed book.

This is... the Du Gongbu Collection? The poetry and writings of Du Fu from the Ministry of Works?