CHAPTER 382: CHAPTER 333 DISLOCATION

In the early morning, Li Ang, carrying his bag, stepped through the gates of the Imperial Medical Bureau.

After some time away, the Bureau had been fully renovated. The roadside gardens were planted with various herbal medicines, emitting a fresh fragrance, while the sounds of morning reading wafted from the new pavilions.

Accompanied by the sound of the Haotian Bell, the morning reading gradually ceased, and Li Ang pushed open the door and entered the classroom.

The boys and girls dressed in uniform grey attire, who were initially chatting and playing, were startled upon seeing Li Ang ascend the podium.

Some thought he was a new student, while others recognized him and instinctively stood at attention.

Li Ang raised his hand briefly, and the classroom slowly quieted down. He stood before the lectern, looking at the young men and women around his own age, all brimming with youth. He sighed deeply, feeling a bit of nostalgia and melancholy.

He wrote his name on the blackboard with chalk, turned towards the new batch of medical students of the Fifth year of Zaiqian at the Imperial Medical Bureau, and introduced himself. He was there to teach them.

Thanks to the reputation and prestige he had accumulated over the years, the books he wrote had been included in the Bureau’s curriculum. Not only clinic physicians needed to read them, but the new medical students as well.

"Please turn to your anatomy textbooks. Today, we will be studying the skeletal system within the human musculoskeletal system..."

Li Ang cleared his throat and, after a brief pause, rapidly and accurately drew the general structure of human bones on the blackboard. The students below, one by one, opened their books, some taking notes with nervous apprehension.

After the reform of the Imperial Medical Bureau and the budget balancing of the sick houses in various State Mansions, the status of the Doctor’s profession had risen significantly.

The new class of medical students included descendants of physician families—like Qiu Feng’s cousins—as well as boys and girls from common families who had passed the cultural examination, and some were illegitimate children from official families. Noble families had numerous descendants, and it wasn’t possible for all of them to get into the Academic Palace, Imperial College, or the academies in the states. Rather than let them get into mischief with bad company outside or idle away at home, it was better to send them to the Imperial Medical Bureau for schooling.

The freshmen took notes diligently.

Over the years, Li Ang’s image in the eyes of Chang’an citizens had evolved from the "child of someone else’s family" to the "Wen Qu Star descended to earth," and further into the "Little Medicine King God." Temples were erected outside the city in his honor, and many homes even paid Tribute to his portraits, truly making him a figure akin to a Saint.

The gap between them was so wide that these adolescent students of the same age had no sense of defiance, only admiration and trust.

The entire class went very smoothly, as Li Ang taught about the shapes of bones (long bones, short bones, flat bones), their structures (periosteum, bone tissue, bone marrow), and the bones of different body parts.

During the class, he would bring out realistic skull models made of Plaster for the students to hold and examine closely.

If this scene had taken place during the Former Sui, it would assuredly be a Demon Path Sect teaching Disciples to cultivate Devil Techniques.

After the lesson, Li Ang picked up his bag and walked out of the classroom.

"It’s surprising, you’re quite suited to teaching." A crisp, teasing voice rang out in the courtyard. Li Ang turned his head and saw Qiu Feng approaching with a smile.

"Just reciting from the book, it’s not difficult."

Li Ang casually waved his hand. He knew the medical textbooks in his Memory Palace by heart, so teaching a group of new students was extremely easy.

He paused for a moment, noticing the white coat Qiu Feng was wearing, and asked in wonder, "You too...?"

"I’m also a teacher at the Imperial Medical Bureau now," Qiu Feng stuck out her tongue and said, "This year the Bureau recruited several times more new students than usual, and the Medical Doctors responsible for teaching are nearly not enough. I occasionally come over to cover a couple of classes."

The two walked side by side on the shaded paths of the Imperial Medical Bureau, chatting casually.

Although they had their differences in medical theory, compared to the camaraderie forged in their joint struggle against the Water Poison epidemic, those differences were inconsequential.

Li Ang casually shared the events that had occurred during his trials. When he got to the part about Sui Yi dislocating his shoulder, he even demonstrated on the spot.

As he demonstrated and explained, "Many human joints can be dislocated and reset, such as the jaw, shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, wrist, and finger joints, etc.

"When Government Officials arrest people, they often use handcuffs and leg irons. The garrison also uses restraints with Demon-suppressing functions.

"But in fact, with training and tolerance for pain, most people can dislocate their joints on their own to escape handcuffs..."

"Stop, stop! Save that for class; the students will love to see it."

Qiu Feng watched with horror as Li Ang nonchalantly disassembled his joints and quickly interjected. The sight was too gruesome, even for her.

As Li Ang contentedly resettled his elbow joint, Qiu Feng exhaled with relief and joked with mixed feelings, "The rumor goes that you’re an immortal descended to earth, with innate knowledge. I didn’t believe it initially.

"But now that I see how skilled you are, I’m starting to have doubts."

"There’s no such thing as innate knowledge; it’s just that I observe a little more carefully," Li Ang laughed and shook his head. "Oh right, see you on Qixi."

"Eh? Qixi?" Qiu Feng was taken aback, her cheeks blushing as she said, "What-what do you mean?"

"Prince Yue’s wedding," Li Ang replied as if it were obvious, "Hasn’t he invited all of us to Furong Garden to attend the ceremony? It’ll probably be crowded there, so it’s best to go early."

Qiu Feng opened her mouth. "Oh, I see. I had thought..." She coughed. "I’ll go early."

Curious, Li Ang pressed, "Had thought what?"

"Nothing!" Qiu Feng’s tone rose slightly, and she crossed her arms in a huff.

As Li Ang watched Qiu Feng suddenly get upset, he was about to say something when a sudden throb in his chest caused an almost imperceptible change in his expression. When they reached the entrance of the Imperial Medical Bureau, he made an excuse about returning home to continue writing his paper and hastily departed.

Qiu Feng watched his receding figure and muttered between clenched teeth, "This fool..."

In the girl’s palm was a meticulously sewn sachet.

Li Ang did not hear Qiu Feng’s muttering as he boarded the carriage and directed the driver to head towards Golden City Square.

The Ink Silk Clone had caught the trace of Ya Jiu.