Yu Country made its final efforts for peace by sending the Imperial Palace Tributor and Prince Yue, Li Hui, who had just returned from his studies in Zhanquan, to visit Taihao Mountain and pay respects to the Haotian Sect Leader.
However, the results were disappointing—they did not even get to see the Head.
The last attempt to negotiate peace thus failed, and the only option left was to prepare for war.
The drums of war had already begun to beat. Workshops throughout Yu Country started up their Spiritual Energy Machines, water-powered hamrs forged armor, ranches led out warhorses, craftsn made arrows, and porters loaded bags of grain and grass onto Spiritual Energy Locomotives. The engines roared as supplies were transported to the frontier.
anwhile, in Chang’an City, young n from the noble families in the city’s north, all yearning to make a na for themselves, excitedly discussed their upcoming official positions in the great halls.
Their mothers gathered in small rooms, faces full of worry, so unable to stop themselves from sobbing quietly.
The status of the nobility could only be maintained through generations of achievents. Yu Country provided them with power, wealth, and status, and in return, they had to repay with military achievents and even their lives.
"Pei Jing has already gone to the front lines."
Upstairs in a tavern, Yang Yu cracked sunflower seeds and casually ntioned, "He just left this morning on a Spiritual Energy Locomotive."
"He went too?"
Li Ang furrowed his brows. "Under what designation?"
"Military Affairs Assistant."
Yang Yu replied, "His Military Studies grades were quite good, and he was first in the last military strategy competition. So he was able to go to the front as a military advisor."
He paused, then added quietly, "Almost everyone has left."
Over the past month, many people had left the Academic Palace. Among them were Tantai Leshan, the Talismanic Master and Doctor of Engineering, who went to oversee the construction of defensive fortifications at the front. Xue Che, the Body Study Division Master, also departed, taking a group of students to the frontier State Mansion to protect important officials and logistical routes. Seniors like Ren Xin and Sui Yi, along with Li Ang’s peers Pei Jing, Li Wei, and Yong Hongzhong, had all gone to the front. The Academic Palace’s young students were not strong enough in cultivation to be treated as common soldiers. Instead, their responsibility was to assist the Yu Country army in transporting supplies, fortifying city defenses, and protecting officials who lacked cultivation.
But this did not an they faced no risk. Should war truly break out, the thods employed by both countries would inevitably beco increasingly severe as the conflict progressed.
"I wonder how many will co back after the New Year."
Yang Yu pointed out the window. On the street below, many young people carrying large and small bags were bidding farewell to family and friends, boarding military carriages from Yu Country’s Military Departnt, heading to the South City station to report to the barracks.
Many of them were about Li Ang’s age, with new fuzz just sprouting on their lips.
"..."
Li Ang was silent for a mont before speaking. "I submitted a request to the Sacrificial Officer, asking for his permission to go to the front. He’s already responded, but to my surprise, he refused."
"How could he possibly allow that?"
Yang Yu shook his head. "You’re the Little dicine King God; your dicines save hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of people each year.
Neither the Academic Palace, the court, nor His Majesty would ever let you go to such a dangerous place as the front lines.
Even if you just stayed put in Chang’an, acting as a re figurehead, you’d still be more valuable than a Candle Cloud Cultivator."
"I’d rather not have this identity."
Li Ang gestured to himself. His teachers and classmates were all going to the front lines to defend their country, while he had to remain in Chang’an, continuing his tedious studies.
Even Li Ang, with his insatiable thirst for knowledge, felt restless.
He had thought about summoning his Ink Silk Clone to rush to the frontier to see if there was anything he could do.
If possible, he even wanted to let the Ink Silk Clone enter the Zhou Kingdom Palace to investigate the intricacies of their internal transfer of power and perhaps rescue the detained forr Emperor of Zhou, pre-empting the war.
But that was just wishful thinking. After the internal transfer was completed, the two cardinals from Taihao Mountain remained in the Zhou Kingdom Palace, never leaving. His Ink Silk Clone had no chance to infiltrate.
If his cultivation rose further, such as advancing to the Cloud Patrol Realm, maybe the Ink Silk Clone could awaken new abilities, capable of evading the spiritual senses of the two cardinals...
"Right."
Yang Yu suddenly rembered sothing and smiled. "How are things going with you and Le Ling?"
"What things?"
Li Ang was puzzled.
"The marriage grant."
Yang Yu slamd the table. "The day before yesterday, His Majesty granted a marriage to the Ninth Princess. Her fiancé is a student from the Academic Palace, one year our senior. A match of talent and beauty that everyone envies.
But the Ninth Princess is Le Ling’s younger sister. Now that the younger sister is engaged, it’s not quite proper according to etiquette for the older sister, Le Ling, to still have no arrangents made."
"..."
Li Ang felt another headache coming on. Just yesterday, when Li Leqing visited his house, she had casually brought up this topic, her words full of implications.
Even soone as dense as Li Ang should have caught on by now.
But... setting aside his modern soul, which might not agree with marrying before legal age, his current physical condition was also a major concern, as he was still suffering from the erosion by Mo Si.
Li Ang pursed his lips and clenched his fists. The movent of his muscles pulled at his skeleton, agitating the Mo Si clinging to his spine.
Countless ink-colored threads spread along his spine, slowly reaching towards Li Ang’s internal organs.
Only when Li Ang released a strong Thought did he manage to restrain the restless Mo Si, stopping it from further eroding his organs, blood vessels, and nerves.
With this body, it’s barely even human, is it?
He couldn’t even guarantee his own life, how could he promise soone else’s happiness?
Regarding the girl’s expectations, he could only continue to feign ignorance and delay further. Delay. Just keep delaying.
"Let’s not talk about that. How are things going with you and Zhang Yuyan?"
Li Ang quickly changed the subject, asking Yang Yu.
"How else could they be? Things are going smoothly, of course."
Yang Yu rubbed the light fuzz on his lips sowhat proudly. "I just visited her parents the day before yesterday, and if all goes well, maybe we can set a date for the engagent next year."
"Congratulations."
"Hey, what’s there to congratulate? We just had a fight yesterday."
Yang Yu spread his hands. "She didn’t want to walk and asked to carry her. I told her according to Yu Law, males under the age of maturity have a weight limit for carrying, set at one hundred and ten pounds.
If I were to carry her, I’d need to report to the officials first, proving that it’s voluntary, not forced labor."
After saying this, ignoring the twitching corner of Li Ang’s eye, Yang Yu gave a thumbs up and praised, "This labor law you proposed is really useful."
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