CHAPTER 195: CHAPTER 164: NATURAL BORN KILLER

"The printing quality isn’t bad."

On the streets of Huaiyuan Square, Li Ang flipped through the new issue of the *Natural Science* publication and nodded.

The Academic Palace published a variety of materials, among which the most popular was the "*Natural Science*" series, a large collection that included *Engineering*, *Mathematics*, *Astronomy*, Architecture, and other sub-publications.

These publications accepted articles written by Academic Palace Doctors and students, as well as submissions from members of the *Natural Science* Society—once approved by the editorial board, the articles could be published, widely read by the common people throughout the land, and also allowed the contributors to earn a fee.

Given Li Ang’s current status, the content he wrote was always published in the main *Natural Science* publication.

To fully print his *Poultry and Livestock Dissection Diagram* series, recent issues of the *Natural Science* publication had become much thicker, and the clarity had significantly improved.

Once the common poultry and livestock dissection diagrams are all published, we can consider human beings, Li Ang thought quietly. The most important foundation for advancing medicine is understanding the human body. Once the general public gradually overcomes the prejudice linking human dissection with the Demon Path, we can proceed with some real surgical operations...

In the past, due to the difficulty of printing books, frequent wars, medical families hoarding knowledge, and disturbances from the Demon Sect, the development of medicine in the Central Plains had always been in a state of flux.

The *Emperor’s Inner Canon: Spirit Pivot – Gastrointestinal Chapter* from the Eastern Zhou Warring States Period clearly recorded data on various human organs: "From lips to teeth is 0.9 inches long, the mouth is two and a half inches wide. From the teeth to the epiglottis is three and a half inches deep, with a capacity of five measures. The tongue weighs ten taels and is seven inches long... The small intestine is attached to the spine, looping and accumulating, with the part connecting to the ileum attached above the navel..."

Without extensive dissection data, these figures would have been unattainable.

The damned Demon Sect, Li Ang thought, shaking his head. He closed the publication and walked forward.

"Hit her! Hit her!"

"Don’t let her escape!"

A group of children in commoner clothes ran past excitedly, carrying rotten vegetable leaves, stinky eggs, mud, and stones, chasing and throwing them at a small, disheveled figure.

SWISH—

A child with a runny nose threw carelessly, and a rotten egg flew towards Li Ang.

Li Ang raised his eyebrows slightly, lifted his palm, and used his Telekinesis to stop the rotten egg in mid-air, making it spin slowly.

THUD.

The pursuing children stopped in their tracks, watching the floating egg and Li Ang, who stood behind it, with awe and trepidation.

"What’s going on?" Li Ang asked calmly.

The group of Chang’an children, none older than ten, remained silent. They looked at each other, then scattered and fled in all directions.

Quite clever, Li Ang chuckled to himself. These children in Chang’an, the capital under the Emperor, are much more alert than their counterparts in Yizhou. They know not to provoke Cultivators, especially young Cultivators holding *Natural Science* publications.

"Are you okay?" Li Ang turned to the small, disheveled figure. Beneath messy bangs, a plain, thin, and ordinary face was revealed.

The unidentified little girl shook her head slightly and lifted her arm, revealing a small bamboo flower basket hidden underneath.

The orange-yellow flowers in the basket had been well-protected during the chase, though a few had been hit by the rotten eggs and now smelled foul.

"How much for these flowers? I’ll buy them."

Li Ang smiled and handed her three folded five coins. He picked out two flowers that caught his eye and, using a subtle technique, stealthily placed a banknote for one hundred strings of coins at the bottom of the basket.

The little girl looked at the three folded five copper coins in her hand, shook her head, took out one, and offered it back to Li Ang.

Li Ang shook his head, refusing to take it. She offered it again. He still refused, and she offered it once more.

After this repeated exchange, she finally seemed to understand that Li Ang would not take back the extra money. She bowed silently to him, then turned and ran off, disappearing around the corner.

Probably a child from a poor family, Li Ang thought, watching her retreating figure and shaking his head.

With a population of three million, Chang’an’s pull on the surrounding regions was immense. Every year, land consolidation forced people into poverty, turning them into displaced refugees.

Li Ang’s ability to help was limited; he could only assist those he encountered, one at a time. That was all.

"Are you Young Master Li from the Academic Palace?" the owner of a nearby food stall asked hesitantly.

Li Ang turned to look, finding the man somewhat familiar. "You are...?"

"It’s Wang Xiaosi," the food stall owner’s expression brightened. "Mr. Li, you used to come here for sweet rice wine when you were temporarily staying in Huai De Square to prepare for your exams."

"Oh," Li Ang recalled. Around this time last year, he and Chai Chai had just arrived in Chang’an. They were staying in a hostel in Huai De Square while preparing for their exams. Sometimes, when Chai Chai was asleep and Li Ang wanted a late-night snack, he would visit a food stall near the West Market.

"How has business been lately, Manager Wang?" Li Ang asked, feeling nostalgic, and offered to buy some sweet rice wine.

Overwhelmed with excitement, Wang Xiaosi adamantly refused to take any money. He even gave Li Ang a bamboo food container and chatted with him, much to the envy of the other food stall owners.

"Ah, Mr. Li, for you to drink my sweet rice wine... what’s that saying? ’A scholar dies for one who truly appreciates him’..." Wang Xiaosi racked his brains for elegant words. He then noticed Li Ang place the orange-yellow flowers on the bamboo food container and suddenly hesitated.

"What’s wrong?" Li Ang asked casually, noticing the change in his expression.

"No, it’s nothing," Wang Xiaosi said hesitantly. "It’s just... that little girl who sold you the flowers... she’s considered unlucky."

The girl’s surname was Nie. She lived in a thatched cottage in Xinghua Square with her older brother, who was born simple-minded, and her father, who had a lame leg.

Old Man Nie, a quiet and honest man, made a living by selling bamboo crates, baskets, and some small bamboo toys.

Because his son, Nie Dalang, was born simple-minded and would always smile regardless of how others hit or scolded him, Old Man Nie feared he would be bullied at home or wander off. So, he often brought Nie Dalang with him when he set up his stall in the East Market. Meanwhile, his young daughter sold freshly picked flowers on the streets of the East Market.

The family, though poor, managed to get by.

Wang Xiaosi continued, "On the evening of the Dragon Boat Festival, a girl of fourteen or fifteen died in the East Market. It’s said that Nie Dalang defiled and killed her. Nie Dalang has already been arrested and is now imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice."

"A simple-minded person committing murder?" Li Ang raised an eyebrow. "Could it be a frame-up?"

"The evidence and witness testimonies are conclusive. The garrison used a fine dog, and it found... certain traces on the victim’s body. Those traces were Nie Dalang’s. The garrison’s fine dogs never make mistakes."

Wang Xiaosi said vaguely, "Their family is also ill-fated. The son was born simple-minded, the wife died during childbirth when the daughter was born, and the husband—Old Man Nie—fell from a bridge a few years ago, crippling his leg. Only the little daughter is unharmed. So, everyone says she’s a ’Lone Star of Calamity.’"

"Is that so?" Li Ang nodded, his brow furrowing slightly as he gazed in the direction the little girl had run.

The term ’Lone Star of Calamity’ was essentially a synonym for being unfortunate and pitiable.

As Li Ang walked home, he reflected that the Yu Country was so vast; there were always areas that the Yu Country’s Court and the Academic Palace could not fully oversee.

If defined loosely, the impoverished common people living in remote State Mansions could all be considered ’Lone Stars of Calamity.’

TAT. TAT. TAT.

He walked up to the Golden City Mansion, nodded a greeting to the Imperial Palace Guards stationed outside, and stepped through the gate.

In the courtyard, Li Leqing was still supervising Chai Chai’s studies.

Perhaps because Li Leqing had been feeding him often recently, Chai Chai’s face seemed rounder, and his arms and general physique appeared fuller.

"Risheng is back." Li Leqing put down her book and smiled. "What would you like for dinner? Mutton stew or locust leaf cold noodles?"

"The mutton, please. I just bought some sweet rice wine to go with it."

Li Ang placed the food container with the sweet rice wine on the table. He watched Li Leqing standing in the corridor, directing the royal chefs in the kitchen. It turned out that Li Leqing, under the pretext of "better supervising Chai Chai’s life and studies," had recently brought a group of royal chefs to cook at Li Ang’s house.

By dinnertime, the three of them were seated at the table, eating and chatting. Li Leqing would occasionally ask Chai Chai about exam questions and what he had learned that day.

It felt... strange, like a surreal family of three, Li Ang mused. Never mind. After Chai Chai’s Academic Palace exams are over, I’ll properly thank Li Leqing.

He shook his head, clearing the jumbled thoughts from his mind.

THUD.

An Imperial Guard soldier entered the courtyard and spoke quietly to Li Leqing.

"Prince Changxiang is visiting?" Li Leqing raised her eyebrows in surprise and exchanged a glance with Li Ang.